14 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



fining; but we haven't got so far as that yet, 

 and the spider plant, you know, is still less 

 trouble ; for, with that, we do not have even 

 to squeeze the juice out. 



P. 8. — I know the seed is good for turkeys. 

 for they followed after me, with wishful 

 looks, when they saw me have the stalks in 

 mv hand. 



Later: — At dinner time, I happened to 

 think there might be sugar in our jug, and so 

 I pushed a knife down into it. Sure "enough, 

 there was sugar all over the bottom. I pour- 

 ed out the syrup, scraped up some of the 

 sugar which was in clear white crystals, and 

 washed them with hot water. It is sugar, 

 sure, and nice enough for bees or anything 

 else. In fact, after washing off the syrup it 

 seemed almost equal to coffee A, without any 

 refining or purifying. I confess I cannot see 

 why we cannot raise sugar a great deal 

 cheaper than we can buy it, and, if it hap- 

 pens to be a good season for honey, we shall 

 have nice sugar to sell. Bear in mind that, 

 if you have your sugar works near the apiary, 

 you will have to close the doors and windows 

 with wire cloth. We cannot have bees get- 

 ting drowned, daubed, and scalded. 



The seed of this cane is worth 2-5c. per lb., 

 and about 4 lb. are required to plant an 

 acre. 



mikm" 



This department was suggested by one of the 

 clerks, as an opp >sltion to the " Growlery." I think 

 I shall venture to give names in full here. 



f HEREWITH hand you one dollar, to pay you for 

 that nice tile, and the Gleanings for the next 

 six months. Now, friend Knot. I do feel mean 

 for willing that last letter and sending it to you, for 

 I do believe you do try to do right in all things. I 

 must have felt really ugly and cross. When the 

 boy came up from the office and handed me that file, 

 I do believe I settled down in my chair one foot; 

 why, I felt so mean I was ashamed to tell them how 

 I got it. So, please take ihe pay fi>r it. I have 

 thought mitiy times how delighted I should be to 

 see you, and now I should be ashamed to have you 

 know me here or hereafter. Excuse this pencil," for 

 I have no pen in the shop. J. Childs. 



Amherst, Wis., December, 1879. 



Well, well, well ! I have heard that truth 

 is stranger than fiction, but I never expected 

 we should have a manoutof the " Growlery" 

 and into the " Snidery," in the same number 

 of Gleanings. I did not take your letter as 

 particularly unkind, friend C, but I thought 

 it would do better for the " Growlery " than 

 any other letter I have had lately. I suppos- 

 ed [ needed it, and I guess it did do me good. 

 The tiles were some I bought of a dealer who 

 offered them cheaper, and, as soon as I found 

 out they were not good, I was very anxious 

 to replace all I had sold. The file justly be- 

 longs to you, and so we have marked you 

 for a whole year on Gleanings, and sent a 

 knife as a present for the boy who brought 

 that new file from the post-oftice. You need 

 not be ashamed a bit, friend C, if I should 

 ever meet you (and who knows but that I 

 may V). I should think far more of von, than 

 if you had never got cross and scolded. I do 



not mean that it is right to get " ugly," as 

 you term it, but I do mean there are very 

 few in this world who have the moral cour- 

 age to come right out, own up, and say they 

 are sorry, as you have done. 



"Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that re- 

 penteth, more than over ninety and nine just per- 

 s ms, which need no repentance." 



Had it not been for your scolding letter, I 

 should not have made friend Alley that good 

 offer. And, by the way, I have just this 

 minute received the following from him, en- 

 closing a postal card : 



I inclose a card received from one of the growlers. 

 I wonder how it would look in print? But it would 

 not do to publish that side of the question. 



Wenham, Mass., Dec. 17, 1879. H. Alley. 



And this is what is on the postal card : 



H. All"}/:— Ynnrs, of recent date, is received. 

 Please accept thanks for prompt return of money. 

 Perhaps I was a little hasty in condemnation of you. 

 I am s irry I wrote as I did. as I know what it is to 

 be hurried and behind hand. I will most assuredly 

 order of you, if I want anv queens. 



Plainfield, Mich., Dec, 1879. F. L. Wright. 



Does it not seem, my friends, as if there 

 were a good many of us who would do well 

 to make just such confessions as the two 

 brothers above, who have started the way ? 



BEE BOTANY AND ENTOMOLOGY. 



A BIG BUMBLE BEE. 



SEND by to-day's mail an insect which, next to 



the moth, Is the worst enemy of bees we have. 



There are great numbers of them hero- now. 



They catch the bees on the wing, and their enpacity 



seems illimitable. Please tell us about it iu Glkan- 



ings. N. R. Fitz Hugh, Jr. 



Picolata, Fla., Oct, 13, 1879. 



The insect looked to us, like the " father 

 of all bumble bees," but, as looks are some- 

 times deceptive, we sent him to friend Cook. 

 His wings looked almost as if he might carry 

 off hens and chickens, let alone bees. 



MALLOPHOUA BOMBOIOE^. 



The insect sent by Mr. N. It. Fitz Hugh, Jr., of 

 Piolat*, Florida, i« the Mnllophort bomboido^, Wied, 

 referred to in volume VII of Gleanings, page 

 14, and in Uh edition of "Manual of tht- Apiary," p. 

 300. As I gave no description then, I will d > so now. 

 in color, form, and size, it much resembles a bumble 

 bee, hence the specific name, bomboides. ltisl?o in. 

 in length and expands 2'4 inches. 



From the color of the hair, the body i« generally 

 of a lght yellow; though the •-yes, antennae, l^gs 

 feet, and a band near the lip of the abdomen, which 

 below along the sides ext'-nds to the thorax, are 

 black. In ihis specimen, the upper surface of the 

 thorax is black, but the hair is rubbed off. The 

 wings are smoky. 



A -the characters of the eenus and family and the 

 habits of the insect were given by me in the articles 

 already referred to, I will not repeat tbem. Th '«e 

 insects of the Asilidoe family are noted pests to apia- 

 rists. A. J. Cook. 



Lansing, Mich., Nov. 28, 1879. 



LOPHANTHUS SCROPHULARIFOLIfTS AND SCROPHU- 

 LAHIA NODOSA — A COKRECTION. 



In December Gleanings. I mention Lophanthu* 

 scr phularifoliU8 as ■.< sort of sriant h> ss >p. The ed- 

 itor surmises th»t it is rel >ted to the Simps >n h'>ney 

 pbint (Nodosa scrnphularia) Th^re is no plant by 

 the nam" of Nodosn scrop'iularia, but there is one 

 called Scrophularia nod sa. Tt belongs to a differ- 

 ent order from the Lophanthus. The latter is a 

 mint: the first-named is a fiirwort. W. J. Bead. 



Michigan Agricultural CoUege. 



