1874. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



67 



found in Bee Journals generally, we will give the 

 Southern Bee Journal a permanent advertisement 

 gratis. As Dr. Jewel Davis, seems to have misun- 

 derstood our motives in the matter we would respect- 

 fully defer the matter to him. 



ON Sunday, the 24th, we noticed m the morning, 

 that a populous colony of ants had located, and were 

 flourishing under the door step of one of our weak 

 colonies. We went for the "tea-kettle" but not find- 

 ing It hot, concluded we would postpone until a week 

 day our intention of treating them to a bath of boiling 

 water. We do not resort to such extreme measures 

 usually, but they had begun to extend their nest 

 clear Into the hive and were evidently annoying the 

 hees. About 2 o'clock these bees swarmed out ; be- 

 fore we could find the Queen another colony caught 

 the note and in less than fifteen minutes, five had left 

 their hives and all was confusion. We "got around 

 fast" for a while, if it was Sunday, and soon had all 

 the Queens in cages on the top of their own frames, 

 and watched the bees whilst they dispersed to their 

 respective homes. The fever however did not leave 

 them for several hours, and every attempt to release 

 the Queens was met with such fierce attempts to 

 ating them that we left them caged. All five were 

 very weak, and the Queens had laid several eggs in 

 almost every cell Inside the cluster. This occurred 

 just when a lot of young bees were taking their first 

 flight. 



We once before mentioned, 'twas out of our prov- 

 ince to defend the Darwinian theory here, and we say 

 again that those who have a curiosity In the matter 

 had better read Darwin. We will however say this 

 much, that Darwin never tells you a thing is, or is not 

 so ; he has aimed rather to present facts that many of 

 us have already observed, and then mildly asks the 

 reader if if does not seem probable that such, and such 

 results came about in such a manner. Agasslz on the 

 other hand most positievely declares they did, or did 

 not, originate in the manner he supposed. 



B. K. M. says in April No., "'natural selection'' 

 can never change a honey bee into a wasp etc." Now 

 although Darwin does uot so teach, as we understand 

 it, we would like to know what right the Editor o( 

 the above, has to be so positive. How does he know? 

 As to how the bee existed while his proboscis was 

 being acquired "gradually," we would suggest that 

 they then worked on flowers of a moderate depth. 

 Should a certain Queen's progeny be enabled to get 

 honey from red clover, because by accident they had 

 a longer proboscis than their neighbors, would they 

 not stand a better chance of wintering and thus per- 

 haps perpetuate such a race of bees? We never 

 saw so much to call forth admiration and respect for 

 our Cfieator's works, as since reading Darwin. 



QUEEN Hi 1 it I >*.. 



|fT is with some hesitation we undertake to 

 JL direct in this matter, and we have delayed 

 these papers to see if it were possible that the 

 manner in which Queens were reared, had any 

 thing to do with the great losses in the spring 

 of this, and the past three seasons. While a 

 few instances might seem to indicate such the 

 case, the majority do not, for we have precise- 

 ly the same state of affairs where common bees, 

 box hives, and natural swarming were the rule. 

 We shall take great pains to recommend noth- 



ing here, that has not been fully tried ; and 

 while we cannot promise to enable you to 

 "make a sure thing of it every time," we will 

 endeavor to come as near it as we can. 



We need hardly say your colonies should be 

 all strong; our experience this spring w T ith 

 small clusters of bees has convinced us 

 more thoroughly than ever of the bad policy 

 of attempting to do any thing with colonies 

 whose Queens are crippled in their egg-produ- 

 cing powers, by want of bees to cover and 

 care for the eggs and brood. 



Very small nucleus hives, seem to answer 

 very well in the hight of the season, but tak- 

 ing all things into consideration, we should 

 feel much safer in recommending such a hive 

 as the standard with a close-fitting division 

 board. Bore a hole through the back end for 

 an entrance, and adjust the division board to 

 accommodate two or three frames. For fear 

 the quilt might allow bees to pass over the 

 top of this board, we will tack the quilt to it 

 slightly. 



Place iu this apartment about two frames, 

 partly filled with brood, and a third with both 

 honey and pollen, with the adheriug bees on 

 all. As soon as they have become organized, 

 which may be known by their gathering pollen 

 and repelling robbers, we are ready for Queen- 

 rearing. Instead of depending on a book, or 

 a slate and pencil we should very much prefer 

 the Queen Register cards, illustrated on the 

 cover of this No. From your choicest Queen, 

 imported if possible, give each nucleus a piece 

 of comb containing eggs, at least once iu every 

 three days. As the original brood will soon 

 be gone, all Queen cells constructed by what- 

 ever accident, will be from your choice brood, 

 and may be used without hesitation. "Tis 

 quite a task to cut combs so as to have these 

 pieces fit nicely, and quite a number of devices 

 such as small sectional frames of wood,or thin 

 tin, have been used ; but we find quite a diffi- 

 culty in getting the Queen to deposit eggs in 

 such divided frames, as she does iu a whole 

 brood comb ; again, taking a whole frame for 

 each nucleus every three days would soon rob 

 our choice Queen, besides our nuclei could not 

 care for one tenth part of the eggs, if we did. 



We last season, cut our comb of eggs into 

 small pieces, but in that case we were obliged 

 to cut holes in the nuclei combs to fit ; a diffi- 

 cult, besides being a tedious job, and it spoils 

 the beauty of a great number of fine combs, in 

 a short time. Of course, after all this, we 

 have a remedy to offer, and 'tis simply to get 

 a new biscuit cutter of your tinsmith, and file 

 the edge of the tin to a sharp knife edge. Cut 

 a larger hole In the back, that you may push 

 out the piece of comb readily, and by turning 

 your cutter around as it goes through the 

 bases of the cells, you may cut pieces from 

 two combs and swap them, in a trice, and so 

 neatly that the bees will make all smooth in a 

 very short time. When you cut a cake of eggs 

 from a comb, push in the piece that came out 

 where you made a place for it, and when you 

 have cut as many "cakes" out as you can, give 

 the whole frame with the remaining scattered 

 eggs, to one of the nuclei. When you can 

 make all this work to suit you,- as we feel cer- 

 tain you all can, w r e'll give you another paper. 

 A little oil will make the cutter work more 

 smoothly. 



