1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



303 



ence in the diameter of the tubes will be found; and 

 we may imagine that the large tubes will favor our 

 pursuit the most. The white clover tube, with its 

 calyx, is mounted on a little stalk. In the red 

 clover, the calyx sits directly on the stem of the 

 plant, without any footstalk. If we could tease it 

 into developing- a footstalk it would be all in our 

 line. Different plants differ greatly as to the amount 

 of honey in their tubes. Of course, wo must reject 

 the empty ones. It is possible that we shall find it 

 easier to produce a plant that will till its tubes full 

 of honey, than to produce one with tubes so short 

 that a bee can reach the bottom. Last of all, we 

 must not forget to improve a little the general qual- 

 ities of the plant, in order that it may be recommend- 

 ed as better than the old style of clover which we 

 wish it to displace. Undue slenderness and disposi- 

 tion to lodge down should be especially guarded 

 against, as well as feebleness and dwarfishness of 

 growth. 



Apparently, the curious arrangement of stamens 

 and pistils in the clover is to facilitate cross-fertili- 

 zation, and thus give more vigor to the plant than 

 could be had by fertilizing every germ from its own 

 stamens. The pollen is so locked up that it is said 

 no seed can be produced at all, unless insects poke 

 into the tube. The abundant flow of choice honey is 

 to induce the insects to come. The closely massed 

 head, with floral bayonets pointing every way, is to 

 keep insects from getting at the base of the tube, 

 where they could bite through and defeat the whole 

 scheme. We would do well to make a note of these 

 things, and avoid, as much as we can, running a- 

 thwart nature's purposes. We need not, however, 

 entirely despair, should our pursuit lead us unavoid- 

 ably across the track of some definite natural plan; 

 longer patience and harder work will be called for, 

 that is all. There seems to be a definite purpose in 

 the construction of the clover head, to circumvent 

 the honey-bee and encourage the visits of the bum- 

 ble-bee. The utility of this plan, it is a little difficult 

 to see. Probably the hive bee, in his thrifty neat- 

 ness, brushes up the pollen so clean and packs it 

 away so carefully that few grains are actually trans- 

 ported in such a way as to cause cross fertilization; 

 while the bumble-bee, great, greedy, lumbering fel- 

 low, kicks the pollen around carelessly, besprinkles 

 his trousers with it, and dusts it off wherever he goes. 

 In my observations, I have seen, at quite close range, 

 the great carpenter-bee at work on clover. He 

 does'nt put his proboscis into the tubes at all, but 

 just punches down between the tubes. Unless, per- 

 chance, he was searching for the little insects which 

 abound in clover heads, it is plain that he gets the 

 sweet by perforating the tubes— boring for honey, 

 in fact. I suppose our domestic bees arc not strong- 

 enough to carry on this trick to advantage, even if 

 they could learn it. 



Plants differ greatly in their variability. Snme, 

 like the wheat plant, seem to reproduce themselves 

 almost precisely. Others, like the apple and potato, 

 are so variable that almost every seedling is a dis- 

 tinct variety, easily distinguishable from all others 

 of its kind. We shall not, I imagine, find the clover 

 in this latter, exceedingly accommodating class. On 

 the other hand, wc may hope to find it more yielding 

 than wheat and rye and asparagus and caraway, and 

 a large assortment of plants of little variability. 

 Even these stubborn plants give rise, in the course 

 of time, to a wide range of varieties. Plants which 

 are quite fixed in their character can often be made 



to take on a habit of variation. The wild strawber- 

 ry and raspberry seem to have but very little varia- 

 bility; but those which man has manipulated thirty 

 or forty years, with the intent to get improved va- 

 rieties, are quite variable. However slow to change 

 clover may seem at first, we may hope to set it to 

 sporting in the course of time, by subjecting it to 

 special treatment and unusual conditions. Some- 

 thing can, at times, be done in the way of getting on 

 nature's blind side : for example, corn is a plant of 

 only moderate variability; nevertheless a great 

 many varieties were produced in the ordinary 

 course of reproduction and selection. By and by, it 

 was discovered that the little kernels that some- 

 times grow on the brush of the corn would produce 

 new varieties almost as freely as apple seeds. We 

 must keep a sharp look out, and take advantage of 

 any such short cut as we may discover. It is not 

 impossible that some of our clovers may* develop an 

 axillary flower or two, which will give us a lift by 

 furnishing more variable seeds. We should also 

 hold ourselves ready to pounce upon anything un- 

 usual and queer in the clover line, even if not to 

 our immediate purpose. If a habit of sporting and 

 variation can be set up, the variations we desire 

 will be pretty sure to come sooner or later. 

 Bodley, O. E. E. Hasty. 



ITALIANS AND BLACKS. 



FIND under the above heading, in the July No., 

 page 256, a statement made by A. J. Fisher, that 

 we have some as good reports in honey from 

 black bees as from Italians; and he cited as proof 

 that Mr. Quinby's best yield of extracted honey (361 

 lbs.) was from a black colony. Had he forgotten 

 that, at about the same time, P. H. Elwood reported 

 from a colony of Italians a yield of 585 lbs. in one 

 season? We also, in 1877, obtained from an Italian 

 colony 566 lbs. of extracted honey. Again, he says, 

 they may do for extracted honey, but, for box hon- 

 ey, the Italians are "far inferior to the blacks." In 

 1877, we obtained from our apiary the average yield 

 of 158 lbs. of box honey, and 309 lbs. from one colo- 

 ny. Can Mi - . Fisher quote any such yield from 

 blacks? 



Again; we find both by Mr. Fisher and the editor 

 that black bees make a better quality and finer ap- 

 pearing honey. In this, we think them both mista- 

 ken. Whose honey is it that stands the highest in 

 N. Y. markets? Is it not Isham's, Clark's, Elwood's, 

 etc., who all keep only Italian bees? 



We also find that it was honey made by black bees 

 that took the Thurber gold medal. To this, I reply 

 that the whole cargo of honey that was shipped by 

 us was made by Italian and hybrid bees. The little 

 cherry crate which drew the gold medal and has had 

 a viewing by the public for nearly two years, draw- 

 ing prizes in New York, on board the ship to the old 

 world, and at numerous cities in the old country, 

 and is now on exhibition at the great honey show in 

 London, was made by Italian bees. I do not praise 

 the Italians in view of selling queens and colonies, 

 for my only business is the production of honey for 

 market. I praise them for their real merit— their 

 industry and perseverance in accumulating stores, 

 especially in a time when but little honey is to be 

 obtained. In conclusion, I would say, I would as 

 quickly think of going back to box hives and the 

 brimstone pit, as to black bees. G. M. Doolittle. 



Borodino, N. Y., July 11, '7!t. 



Not better quality of honey, friend I)., but 

 the whitest comb honey ; is not that what I 

 say on page i56? even this whiteness is only 

 in appearance, because the cells are not filled 

 full. 



