1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



167 



mer stands. Do they hibernate so perfectly, and 

 are handled so quietly, that they are not disturbed 

 until the warm rays of old Sol arouse them to 

 their surroundings? H. L. Rodse. 



Republic, la., Feb. 10. 



We are glad of the facts you furnisli in 

 regard to the Stanley extractor. You do 

 not say, however, whether yoii have used to 

 any extent the Novice or any other extract- 

 or. We do not anticipate there would be 

 any trouble carrying hives without bottoms 

 out of the cellar. However, we should like 

 to hear from II. R. Boardman on this point. 



A HISTORY OF THE ITALIAN 

 MONARCHY. 



CONTRIBUTED TO AND READ BY THE PENN COL- 

 LEGE ORATORICAL ASSOCIATION AT OSKA- 

 LOOSA, IOWA. 



One day, as I wandered among the people on my 

 father's plantation, I observed a very busy group 

 of Italians. Noticing the peculiarity of the work- 

 ers, I became inquisitive and greatly intercated, 

 and I have compiled this summary of their habits, 

 life, and government. 



These busy workers have a queen to rule over 

 them, to whom they yield implicit loyalty. Among 

 these people the females perform all the produc- 

 tive labor, while the others lounge around on the 

 avenues and take it easy. These ladies are armed 

 with deadly weapons; and should the work slacken, 

 and famine threaten the community, tbey will use 

 these weapons and destroy all the non-productive 

 members of the community, old and young. Just 

 let these so-called " lords of creation " trespass 

 where they are not wanted, and they will speedily 

 find these irritable ladies after them, and a quick 

 retreat is their only safety. 



No strangers are permitted to cross the border of 

 their domain without a formal introduction, and 

 without being closely watched; for they will be 

 quickly arrested, and perhaps killed, or left in a 

 dying condition. Whole armies are put to flight, 

 and the greatest warriors flee from their attack. 

 Take heed to your standing, ye reputed heads of 

 creation, lest the ladies trample your laurels un- 

 der foot, and bring you wholly under their rule. 



The palace occupied by this empress queen is a 

 very ingenious structure, having but one entrance. 

 The apartments are numerous, and constructed 

 with mathematical precision and skill— flnished off 

 with admirable taste and beauty, decorated in hues 

 of amber and gold. Many halls and corridors are 

 found in this wonderful structure. 



The temperature is nearly uniform, and is pro- 

 duced by natural and not by artificial heat. No 

 dust is allowed to accumulate in their apartments, 

 and their storerooms are mostly filled with the 

 good things of the land. Her Majesty's subjects 

 prepare three kinds of food— one for the royal 

 princesses, another for the gentlemen, and the 

 choicest for the ladies. Each member is entitled to 

 a room until of age; and they are served in these 

 rooms with food. The apartments are of difl'erent 

 dimensions— the smallest for the ladles, the larger 

 for the gentlemen, and the largest for the princess 

 royal. 



When arrived at full age, the workers take them 

 in charge; and after a ceremonious inspection they 

 are set at liberty to work out their own destiny. 



The young princesses must leave the palace imme- 

 diately, and establish a government elsewhere, or 

 the queen regnant may abdicate, or else war will 

 ensue, and end in the destruction of the princess. 



Sometimes the princess will collect an army and 

 wage war against the queen, and fearful battles 

 ensue, leaving the field covered with the dead and 

 dying. 



The youths are always dressed in white till they 

 are nearly of age, when they assume a dark dress, 

 and ultimately they are arrayed in drab, ornament- 

 ed with golden bands. 



This is a very imperfect sketch of one of the most 

 interesting and suggestive works of creation, hith- 

 erto battling man's ingenuity to find out in all its 

 parts the why and the wherefore of this and that, 

 leaving him to ponder over his finite powers and to 

 realize the truth of the saying, "Thus far shalt 

 thou go. and no further." 



Viola, la.. Jan. 29. Mrs. Athanissa Shaw. 



My good friend, you should suggest to 

 Bellamy, the author of the new book that 

 has been making such a stir, that a hive of 

 bees will give him a precedent for the new 

 state of affairs he has pictured so graphic- 

 ally. 



^ ^ 



MY EXPERIENCE MTITH CARNIOLANS. 



an adverse report as TO THEIR TEMPER AND 

 HONEY-GATHERING QU VLITIES. 



I RECEIVED six Carnlolan queens, June 20, 1889, 

 and introduced them successfully. The queens are 

 very prolific. They wore Introduced to hives that 

 were hardly strong enough to put on surplus boxes ; 

 but by the time that buckwheat was in bloom they 

 were the strongest hives that I had, so I expected 

 great things from them. But I was greatly disap- 

 pointed. The air castles which I had built began to 

 tumble. 1 looked often for the honey which they 

 did not bring in; but my expectations ran high. 1 

 could see that they were industrious from outside 

 appearance, working in rainy weather when the 

 Italians and blacks were in the hives. They were 

 very gentle until I came to take off the surplus hon- 

 ey. I knew the honey was there somewhere, for I 

 knew that they could not work the way they did 

 and do nothing. Well, I approached the hives with 

 smoker, two-inch chisel, and veil. Of course, I 

 knew there was no use for the veil, but I took it 

 along from habit. Well, I gave the first hives a few 

 puffs of smoke, then smoked them mostly out of 

 the boxes; then I put the two-inch chisel under 

 said case of boxes, and began prying. Well, after 

 considerable hard work I got one end of the case 

 up. The bees, about that time, became furious. 

 Nothing would satisfy them but my making myself 

 scarce. I took for the cellar, the place where I 

 used to go when I began the business, and had a 

 poor smoker. I got possession of the case after a 

 while, but the honey was under the boxes in the 

 shape of burr-combs. I at last succeeded in getting 

 all of the cases off; but, what an appearance they 

 presented! Those six hives had nearly as much 

 brace-comb built as my 70 other hives. I got about 

 two cases of buckwheat honey from the six. I got 

 more than that from one hive of hybrids. I got 

 most of my honey from buckwheat. The boxes 

 presented a very uneven appearance. They would 

 have from 9 to 13 ounces of honey in them, while 

 my others would average about li^. I got rid of 



