1882 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



287 



many professors. If they do not keep the Sabbath 

 very well, they observe church hours any way, and, 

 so far as I know, either come out before I go to 

 church, or wait until after I come home. They may 

 some time, however, forg-et. 



When I think of what clergymen have done for 

 other departments of thought, invention, science, 

 and art, aside from their own vocation, I need not 

 wonder that in Germany and elsewhere they are 

 among the most successful bee-keepers, contribu- 

 tors to magazines, inventors, etc.; and especially I 

 am happy to say, that the father of American bee- 

 keeping in America, like the father of all modern 

 republics who derive their model from Switzerland, 

 was a clergyman. When I was a boy, some 20 years 

 ago, in reading his book I was not more delighted 

 with the ideas it contained, than charmed with the 

 beautiful diction in which these ideas were ex- 

 pressed. It is one of the most readable books in the 

 English language. But, like most great men who 

 have lived in thought a generation or more In ad- 

 vance of their own, Mr. Langstroth was not allowed 

 to see realized in invention and successful practice 

 some of the most useful operations which to him 

 seemed among the possibilities of the future, but 

 are stationed among the attainments of to-day. 

 May we not hope that they may be enabled to do 

 much more for this department of honest gain than 

 any thing they have yet accomplished? 



Sterling, N. Y., April, 1882. Rev. T. J. Allen. 



BROIVES FROM A FERTILE Tl'ORKFR, 

 CAN FFRTIIilZF A QUEEN. 



THE QUESTION APPARENTLY DECIDED. 



fHAVE a queen which I have no doubt (but not 

 positive proof) was fertilized by a "fertile work- 

 ' er's drone." Last tall one of my Holy-Land 

 queens from D. A. Jones, died, and the young queen 

 l-eing lost in mating in August, 1 did not discaver 

 '.he fact, being busy, until I had " that pest, a fer- 

 tile worker," and about 2000 drone larvtB in combs. 

 I gave them a queen in September, but preserved 

 the drone larvte. In Sept., 28th or 29th, I lost a queen 

 in trying to introduce her to a hybrid stock of four 

 frames; and as all the drones in my apiary had been 

 killed, except the fertile worker's drones, also in 

 the neighboring apiaries, as I learned by inquiry, I 

 concluded to raise a queen. So, taking a frame of 

 brood from the 4-frame stock, I gave it an unsealed 

 one from an Italian stock. They raised a line queen 

 which hatched out about Oct. 2tth or 25th; but the 

 weather being too cool for her to fly, she did not 

 come out until Nov. 6th. I saw her come to the en- 

 trance, and retreat; but in about Ave minutes more 

 she dashed out and eluded my sight. I examined 

 her next day about 10 a. m., and saw no sign of fer- 

 tility; but on the 12th I found eggs in about 50 cells. 

 The weather turning cold, I packed them for win- 

 ter. I have no doubt she mated with a drone from a 

 fertile worker, and I am further strengthened in 

 this view by the characteristics of her progeny. 

 They present the three yellow bands of the Italians, 

 with whitish hairs and smaller size, ana slender ab- 

 domen of the Holy-Land bees, and they stick to the 

 combs a little better than the latter, but not so well 

 as the Italians, and are the most vindictive bees I 

 ever met with. When their hive is opened they 

 sally out in a perfect fury, and woe to the man who 

 fears a mad bee then. They do not buzz around, 



but thrust their javelins with the fury of a mad bull. 

 Will report their comparative working qualities in 

 the fall, if life and health are spared. 



Enoch S. Arwin. 

 Bedford, Tarrant Co., Texas, April IT, 1882. 



Many thanks, friend A. It would seem 

 that this additional evidence ought to settle 

 the question, that drones from a fertile work- 

 er are, after all, capable of fertilizing queens. 

 I believe this is the same conclusion arrived 

 at by Beiiepsche, years ago, anrl we have 

 finally, after years of discussing and experi- 

 menting, come back to his decision once 

 more.— J5y all means, give us further reports 

 in regard to these bees. 



HONEY-PLiANTS OF CONNECTICUT, ETC. 



A DISCUSSION IN REGARD TO THEIR RESPECTIA'E 



MERITS. 



^ WANT to say a word first about catnip. I see 

 M a great deal said about catnip as a honey plant. 

 Now, here in Connecticut I have watched it close- 

 ly for three years, and I have but very few times seen 

 honey-bees on it; but it is always loaded with the 

 white-headed bumble-bees, about as large as a drone- 

 bee. But 



MOTHERWORT 



is, in the time of bloom, always loaded down with 

 honey-bees. I can safely say, that I have seen 200 

 honey-bees on motherwort to one bee on catnip. 

 Catnip and motherwort much resemble each other, 

 and this may have led to mistakes. I do not say cat- 

 nip may not be valuable, but hero I do not see such 

 wonderful evidence of it. 



SUMAC > 



I consider this one of our best honey-plants, com' 

 ing just after basswood, and continuing in bloom 

 for weeks, according to location, and always com' 

 pletely swarming with bees in the time of bloom. 

 Our bee-men say that a great deal of white clover 

 and basswood honey, sold as such, is in reality su- 

 mac. A patch of the bushes yields, I think, much 

 more bloom than the same ground in buckwheat( 

 and is much more eagerly sought after by the bees, 

 they working on it from morning till night. I think 

 that in this town there is 500 lbs. of sumac honey 

 gathered to one of catnip. Now, I have no sumac 

 seeds for sale, although I could load a cart in one 

 day with them. It is a rather troublesome bush in 

 pastures, although it can readily be destroyed by 

 plowing. It will grow in any rocky, bushj' soiU 

 and I think it would be as worthy of trial as many 

 other things. You speak of honey on oaks. Two 

 years ago the white-oak trees were covered with 

 bees. It seemed as if there was a swarm there. 



TWO SWARMS IN TWO DAYS. 



Did you ever know two large swarms to come out 

 of a hive in two days? Last summer, as I was away 

 at work, the children came and told me that the bees 

 had swarmed and gone into an old empty hive, about 

 four rods from their hive, and the next day a large 

 swarm came out of the same hive. Now, were they 

 mistaken ? 



I have taken Gleanings since Jan. Isi. I like the 

 Home column; and now, friend Koot, a word of ad- 

 vice. Bo not work too hard. You know that the 

 Devil wants those people who are opposed to saloonst 

 etc., and who are doing the Lord's work, to wear 

 themselves out and kill themselves off as soon as 



