450 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



uot serve to cross-fertilize many of the grasses. 

 Tall meadow fescue and buffalo grass may form 

 exceptions. 



In case of the cereals, all except rye, perhaps, are 

 close fertilized, and thus our observation— not see- 

 ing the bees on the plants— and also the structure 

 of the flowers, alike prove that bees take no part in 

 their fertilization. 



We may, it is true, see bees working on both the 

 cereals and the grasses. In such cases we shall 

 generally find plant-lice on the grass or grain, and 

 the bees are after the nectar secreted by the in- 

 sects. In case of ergotized grain or grasses— those 

 bearing ergot — we may find bees swarming on 

 them, as this fungus secretes a nectar which is 

 ve«r attractive to bees. So the mere seeing of bees 

 ar6und grass or grain is not conclusive that they 

 are in quest of pollen. We must examine closely, 

 when usually we shall find the nectar-secreting 

 aphides or ergot. 



In conclusion we may say that, while bees do act 

 as very important aids in fertilizing nearly all our 

 plants and vegetables — nearly all with showy or 

 odorous flowers, they do not thus minister to the 

 welfare of the grasses or cereals. 



BEE-MITES. 



It is never quite safe to diagnose a case till you 

 have seen the patient; but I have no doubt that 

 the small "mites" which are vexing Mr. S. R. 

 Morris, Bloomingburg, O., are mites. Very likely 

 they are the same that 1 have illustrated in "Bee- 

 Keeper's Guide," 13th edition, page 430. These little 

 eight-legged mites are soft, so that when slightly 

 pressed they will be crushed and leave a red stain. 

 Mr. M. asks how they can be destroyed, or how he 

 can get rid of them, as he regards them as even worse 

 than ants. As I have never had a chance to ex- 

 periment, I can only suggest. I would propose that 

 a wii'e gauze screen be put above the bees, so as to 

 keep them away and then place cloth or paper, 

 with some sticky substance on it, for the mites to 

 attack. They will stick and so can be cleaned out. 

 The sticky fly-paper might be used. If it does not 

 work— I think it would— try greased paper— paper 

 smeared with lard or molasses. The wire keeps the 

 bees away, while the smaller mites pass through to 

 the adhesive paste, and are caught. A screen cov- 

 er and all could be rigged for a single hive, and, if 

 successful, it could be used on the hives success- 

 ively till all are freed. 



THE SKINKS. 



Mr. C. E. Hardesty, Connotton, O., sends me a 

 small skink which he wishes me to comment upon 

 for Gleanings. This is one of the lizards, or 

 swifts. The Skink family have broad heads. This 

 one is bright orange, prettily marked with black 

 dots. It is too small and young for me to name. 

 The lizards, swifts, or skinks, have four legs, long 

 tails, and can run very rapidly, hence the common 

 name, swifts. Like the joint-snake, or glass snake 

 —really no snake at all, but the joint or glass liz- 

 ard—already described in Gleanings, which, as 

 will be remembered, though a lizard, has no legs, 

 these swifts are loosely joined at the vertebrae, so 

 that the tail breaks off very easily. Some of the 

 skinks are very pretty, and are worthy to be ad- 

 mired, if people would drop their prejudice and 

 not frown upon every thing that creeps or crawls. 



The dread felt for lizards is entirely groundless. 

 They are as safe to handle as kittens, and may be 

 fondled as fearlessly, as they can do no one any 



harm. The skinks feed on insects and other small 

 animals, and are not in any way harmful. 



A J. Cook. 

 Agricultural College, Mich., June 6. 



Why, old friend, is it indeed true that liz- 

 ards are harmless? I have often admired 

 their bright little eyes, and felt like patting 

 them on the back ; but it is entirely new to 

 me that they may be fondled as fearlessly 

 as kittens. Now, why in the world don't 

 you have a museum of pet lizards? You 

 might have it somewhere in the neighbor- 

 hood of that pet bear. By the way, give my 

 respects to his bearship, accompauied with 

 a bottle of honey, and charge the honey to 

 the account of A. I. Hoot. 



LUTHER'S SWARMING-IMPIiEMENTS. 



THE FOUNTAIN -PUMP. 



I have used a set of swarminstools three years, 

 and I tUink them very good. 1 can take down 

 swarms that have clustered high or Jow in trees. I 

 can stand on the ground and get a swarm that is 20 

 ft. high, or I can go up 20 feet on my ladder and get 

 them if they are 38 feet from the ground. I use an 

 extension ladder, each section 12 ft long, and two 

 basswood poles, each l(i ft. long. No. 1 is '^ in. 



square, with a board 2x8, hollowed at the ends, to 

 form a hook, when the pole is nailed to the edge of 

 it. The end of the board is to be 8 inches from the 

 end of the pole. No. 2 is Ih x 1?4 in., with the face 

 of the pulley toward the basket. There is a cord 25 

 ft. long, with a snap at one end, also a small staple 

 driven into the pole about 11 ft. from the pulley to 

 hook the snap into when not attached to the 

 swarming-basket. The pulley is a common window- 

 frame pulley, put in near the end of the pole, the 

 same as is put in a window-frame. 



The way I fix my baskets, I take a No. 10 wire, 

 bend it in the form of a bail, and put the ends 

 through the rim of the basket and bend the lower 



