SO: 



(JI.KANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Dec. 15 



will take It very readily outdoors, however, after 

 they are once started, if it is put in a sheltered lo- 

 cation. There are some early springs when the 

 bees actually sutler from the lack of nitrogenous 

 food. At such times they will hunt over feed- 

 .stalls. chicken-coops, anywhere and everywhere 

 that they can get any thing that will serve the pur- 

 pose of pollen in rearing brood.— Ed.] 



Why do Bees Dread Smoke? 



The various opinions that have recently appeared 

 as to why bees dread smoke are Interesting, and 

 some of them are amusing as well. I have no the- 

 ory to offer as to why it is that bees may be thrown 

 into a state of hopeless confusion by blowing a little 

 smoke into the hive, but am satisfied of one thing 

 at least — that heredity has nothing whatever to do 

 with it. On various occasions 1 have given a live- 

 bee demonstration in connection with a public lec- 

 ture on bees. In every instance I have taken pains 

 to explain in detail the movements necessary to 

 bring a colony of bees under perfect control, and 

 have usually ended by turning a panful of the In- 

 sects over my bare head to illustrate the demoral- 

 ized condition of the colony. Not long ago I took 

 occasion to say to a large audience of teachers that 

 I would not hesitate to try the same experiment 

 with bumble-bees as well. It was freely suggested 

 by friends who were familiar with the bee demon- 

 stration that the thing would not work with bum- 

 ble-bees, and that for once I would get the worst of 

 it. The opportunity to try was not long in coming, 

 and a lot of bumbl -bees that had made things so 

 lively for others as to clear the field was brought to 

 my attent o 3. When put to the real test there was 

 some lingering doubt in my mind whether, after 

 all, it was not a risky thing; but there was no way 

 to know but to try, and try we did. Without any 

 protection excepting a loaded smoker we approach- 

 ed the nest. A brother bent on getting all the fun 

 possible out of the experiment gave the bumbles a 

 stir before we were prepared for business. The 

 protest that came forth in the way of a buzzing dec- 

 laration of war gave evidence that it was time to 

 begin. The first bumble-bee to reach daylight was 

 greeted with a pufi of smoke that instantly made 

 him forget he was looking for trouble. Several 

 pufis of smoke were then blown into the nest, and 

 the smoker laid aside. The nest was then taken 

 apart and the combs held in the hand. The bum- 

 ble-bees were apparently affected exactly as are the 

 honey-bees under similar circumstances. Some of 

 them buzzed about and alighted upon my clothing: 

 others climbed over my hands, but not an individ- 

 ual in the lot showed the least inclination to sting. 

 It is very evident that heredity played no part in 

 the taming of the bumble-bees, for their ancestors, 

 probably, were never smoked. It Is very apparent, 

 on the other hand, that the same influence is felt 

 by both the honey bees and the bumble-bees. 



I am now awaiting an opportunity to try the 

 same experiment with some of the carnivorous 

 wasps. like the bald-faced hornet, to see whether 

 they will be affected in the same way or whether 

 the smoke is valuable only in subduing the honey- 

 gatherers. I have also in mind similar experi- 

 ments with some other insects like an ant commu- 

 nity to see whether, under the influence of a little 

 smoke, they would stand idly by and see their for- 

 micary broken up without protest. 



Atlantic, Iowa. Frank C. Pei.lett. 



[Our correspondent is a lecturer of some note on 

 various nature topics, including bees especially. 

 He has given bee demonstrations many times; 

 and. judging from the press notices on his circular, 

 these attract more than ordinary interes.. 



Some have expressed the opinion that the bees' 

 instinct to fill up with honey at the smell of smoke 

 is handed down from generation to generation on 

 account of the necessity of changing location at the 

 Approach of a forest fire. For instance, see the dis- 

 cussion by G. W. Bullamore. page 787.— Ed.] 



Keeping Entrances Free from Snow. 



In this section, as a rule we leave our bees out in 

 winter, and we have to be careful that the snow 

 does not fill up the entrance and exclude the air. 

 Is there any contrivance to prevent the snow from 

 filling up the entrance-opening? I have a shed 

 with the west side boarded up and covered for my 

 bees, but the sqow will drift In and around the 

 hives. I have only about 25 colonies; but it Is a 

 good deal of trouble to keep the snow away in a 

 stormy time. 



Goodland, Ind., Oct. 3. Dr. M. L. Humston. 



[It is a rather difficult matter to attach any thing 

 to the entrance of a hive to keep it from getting 

 stopped up with snow. Such device is almost al- 

 ways more of an objection than a help. Prhaps 

 you might use absorbent cushions instead of sealed 

 covers; and then if the entrances do get closed 

 your bees will not smother. Ordinary packed snow 

 gives no trouble, although if there is continual 

 thawing and freezing, so that the entrances get 

 clogged with ice, it is best to clean them out. — Ed.] 



One Thousand Pounds of Sugar Fed Between 

 Fruit-bloom and Clover. 



At the National convention at Albany, Mr. J. A. 

 Green told how he made a big gain by feeding 1000 

 lbs. of sugar between fruit-bloom and clover. Do 

 you think he did this for stimulating purposes, or 

 because the colonies really needed the stores? Our 

 fruit-bloom lasts until about June 1. It seems to 

 me that this would be a little late for the best re- 

 sults. Rees from eggs after June 1 would hardly be 

 honey-gatherers for clover, although they would be 

 all right for basswood. Please give me your opin- 

 ion as to Mr. Green's object. I have written to 

 him, but so far have received no reply. 



Oswego, N. Y. F. H. Cyrenius. 



[We would take it that Mr. Green had in mind 

 stimulating brood-rearing, and filling the brood- 

 nest (that was not occupied with brood) with seal- 

 ed stores and sugar syrup. In this way when he 

 came to the honey harvest the honey itself would 

 necessarily have to go into the supers. In this way 

 he could get all the honey from the fields into mar- 

 ketable shape instead of some of it in the brood- 

 nest and some of it in young bees and brood. Syr- 

 up is far cheaper than honey; and when it is possi- 

 ble to trade syrup for honey we are making a good 

 business deal. 



You will remember this same general plan was 

 advocated by Mr. H. R. Boardman some ten or 

 twelve years ago. At the time, it was called the 

 Boardman plan of feeding to get more honey. The 

 objection raised to it at the time was that the bees 

 would carry some of this suear syrup into the su- 

 pers; but if feeding were discontinued in time, and 

 the sugar stores were sealed, there would be no 

 danger. 



If we have not properly interpreted Mr. Green's 

 idea he will be given an opportunity to explain it 

 himself.— Ed.] 



Odor from Goldenrod Honey. 



In your answer to F. I). Miller, page fi70. Oct. 15, 

 1 guess you are wrong. I think the odor is from 

 goldenrod honey. My bees have gathered lots of it 

 this fall, and at times the odor has been most offen- 

 sive to neighbors. 



Barre, Vt., Oct. U). II. William Scott. 



Sweet Clover; Liming the Ground, etc. 



1 notice on page 421, July 1, a comment on yellow 

 sweet clover sown in November, 1908, that bloomed 

 in June. 1909. This prompts me to tell of my expe- 

 rience. I have been trying for years to get white 

 sweet clover to grow on some acid land, but with 

 poor success. Judging from something I saw in 

 print, that the yellow clover might take more kind- 

 ly to the acid land, I bought some of you last win- 

 ter and mixed it with seed of the white kind of my 

 home growing. This mixture was sown after Jan. ■ 

 1 on two fields of poor clay soil, which, however, I 

 had limed at the rate of 1000 lbs. and 500 lbs. per 

 acre. The seed came up fairly well; and, examin- 

 ing the plots on ,Iune 27, I found a large number of 

 blossoms on the .vellow sweet clover. Of course, I 

 do not know whether they all bloomed. There are 

 several plants not blooming, but they raav all be 

 of the white kind. I should add, however, that this 

 yellow weet clover in bloom was from three to six 

 inches high only. D. W. Taylor, 



Naval Constructor, U. S. N. 



Washington, D. C, Jul.v. 1910. 



