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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov 



satisfied, and will probably believe himself duped 

 until such time when his own education will enable 

 him to judge. So much about selling bees. The 

 main reason of my writing, however, is to ask Mr. 

 Gallup a question in reference to the relative quali- 

 ties of hybrids and Italians. Much has been said in 

 reference to Italian and black bees, but rarely has 

 the subject of hybrids been touched; and still I am 

 inclined to think that there are more of these in this 

 country than of either of the pure breeds, and that 

 they possess many excellent qualities. Has not Mr. 

 Gallup's experience verified the following, that there 

 are strains of hybrids unexcelled by our best Italians 

 for their qualities as honey-gatherers? I have hy- 

 brids in my apiaries that may be equalled, but cer- 

 tainly not excelled, nor are they particularly cross, 

 as is usually the case with our best hybrids. MaDy 

 times, during the last few years of my father's life, 

 have I heard him say, while in conversation with 

 other bee-keepers, that, if it were not for selling 

 bees, he would not take so much trouble to keep his 

 bees pure, as he believed his hybrids to be fully equal 

 to some of the best Italians. " They are crosser," he 

 used to say; " but that is what I want. My crossest 

 swarms have always brought me the most honey." 

 Docility may be a commendable quality in the Ital- 

 ians, and that fact alone would doubtles3 influence 

 many in their favor; but there are many like myself, 

 who lay little weight upon that point. I make no 

 pretensions to be able to examine my bees without a 

 protector and smoker, and should any one attempt 

 it, he would certainly be unmercifully stung. It is 

 honey that I want, and not docility or beauty of bees; 

 and those who aim at the same end will not despise 

 our hybrids because they are cross. 



May I be rightly understood? I do not say that on 

 an average our hybrids are equal to the Italians; on 

 the contrary, they cannot compare with them; but 

 this I say, in view of the discussion about the im- 

 provement of bees, that there are strains of hybrids 

 of most commendable qualities. 



I hope Mr. Gallup will continue to contribute to 

 Gleanings, as it cannot but lend that appreciated 

 journal an additional charm, as his spicy and inter- 

 esting articles always did the AB J during good old 

 Samuel Wagner's time, as Novice must well remem- 

 ber. George Grimm. 



Jefferson, Wis., June 22, 1880. 



Many thanks, friend G., for your valuable 

 and timely hints to our ABC! class. Well 

 do I remember the time when we used to 

 turn the pages of our Bee Journal to rind the 

 articles headed u Gallup.' ; I fear our friend 

 has almost too many calls in the practice of 

 medicine, to enable him to enter into the 

 spirit of bees as be did once; but we trust 

 he is trying to do his duty by his fellow-men, 

 in the way God seems to point out to him 

 most clearly. Will friend Gallup try to take 

 time to reply? 



Sep' MprtqtfgitS. 



A boy's experience in bee-hunting. 



I HAVE been in this county two weeks, and have 

 visited a great many bee-keepers. They all 

 had Quinby hives, and mostly all Italian bees. 

 They say they are the best ones to handle, and gath- 

 er more honey than the blacks. The most honey, 



they say, comes from basswood. I have had a good 

 time in the country with the bees, for a friend asked 

 me if I wanted some bce3. I told him yes. Then 

 we went with the ax and buckets toward the woods. 

 When we arrived there I began cutting a live-oak 

 tree. It had three limbs, each one containing a 

 swarm of bees. He told me that they were in that 

 tree since April. That was when he had seen them 

 flying about the limbs. Now, I want to tell you 

 something about the work we had to get them out 

 of those limbs. When I began cutting the limb off, 

 the bees got mad and began stinging me and my 

 partner, and a very bad job we had with them; but 

 for all their stinging I did not care, for I was anx- 

 ious to work at a bee-tree, for it was the first one 

 that 1 ever cut down in my life. My partner was 

 stung fearfully. I had my share of it too, but for 

 all that I got 3 swarms of bees and 5 tubs of honey, 

 and a great deal of wax. Geo. A. Schafek. 



New Orleans, La., Oct. 5, 1880. 



I should like to tell you a little about my bees. 

 I bought one swarm from a negro man for 25 cents, 

 and it was an Italian swarm. I will not take any 

 honey from it this year, for they are rearing nothing 

 but young bees. The next year, if I live, I will try 

 to make an artificial swarm. I am 13 years of age, 

 and am learning to be a cabinet-maker. My father 

 is teaching me the trade, and then, when I know it, 

 I can make my own hives. My brother. George A. 

 Schafer, will show me what I do not know about 

 bees. I also read Gleanings, which he gets from 

 you every month. If I live, till New Year, I will get 

 Gleanings for myself. Do you think cabinet-mak- 

 ing is a good trade? If I find anything about bees 

 worth knowing, I will let you hear about it; for I 

 am watchinsr them closely. Henky J. Kooke. 



New Orleans, La., Oct. 5, 1880. 



I think the cabinet trade a very good trade 

 indeed, friend Henry. 



OR HONEY PUNTS TO BE NAM ED. 



A YELLOW ROCKY-MOUNTAIN BEE-PL ANT. 



ENCLOSED I send you a specimen of a plant which 

 grows in great abundance in and around this 

 town. The bees work on it early in the morn- 

 ing, and it yields considerable honey of a yellow or 

 slightly red color. People here call it "wild mus- 

 tard;" but as it looks very much like the picture of 

 Cleome intearifolia, iu Jan. No. of A. B. J"., I call it 

 Rocky-Mountain Dee-Plant. But as I have not my 

 back numbers here at present, I am not certain. 

 Please tell me whether I am correct or not. 



Wm. Muth-Kasmussen. 

 Independence, Cal., Sept. 13, 1880. 



It has a startlingly familiar look, and, 

 were it not for the color of the blossoms, and 

 difference in leaves, I too should say that it 

 is a very near relation of our famous Cleome., 

 Spider Plant, and Rocky - Mountain Bee- 

 Plant. Sure enough, for once, at least, we 

 are right. See what Beal says : 



This is Cleome lutea, a species nearly related to 

 Cleome intcjri folia. 



W. J. Deal, Prof, of Botany and Horticulture. 



BISHOP-WEED, BRANCH OF. 



I inclose a plant, name unknown. I think it is 

 called Goose-fennel. Please name it. The bees fair- 



