418 



GLEA^l^'GS IN BEE OULtL'llE. 



JrxE 



of mangrove. For queen-rearing- I should prefer 

 the interior part of the State, I think. Good man- 

 grove locations are, so far as we yet know, few in 

 number, and of small extent each. That at New 

 Smyrna, already quite fully occupied, extends in a 

 narrow line up and down the coast not to exceed 25 

 miles, while the other three or four known locations 

 between that point and Jupiter Inlet are of still less 

 extent each. The probabilities, however, are that 

 large numbers of excellent locations exist in the 

 unknown regions of the State— unknown at least so 

 far as their honey resources are concerned. It will 

 thus be seen that, while those bee-keepers who are 

 located in New Smyrna have met with splendid suc- 

 cess, the chances for indefinitely multiplying those 

 successes are as yet a problem of the future. 

 Willlamstown, Iowa. O. O. Pofpr-Exox. 



Concluded in next numhci-. 



A FEW MORE WORDS IN REGARD TO 

 HIBERNATION. 



PROF. COOK ALSO TALKS TO US ABOUT "TONICS 

 FOR BEE-KEEPEKS. 



R. EDITOR:— The article from Bro. Clarke 

 surely calls for a reply from me. In my 

 cards on which I have notes, I find this: 

 "Kirby says bees do not hibernate." Refer- 

 ence is given to Ency. Brit., and to his In- 

 troduction. I did not look up the reference, but 

 quoted as given in Gleanings for May 15th. 



In Kirby and Spence's Introduction, Vol. II., p. 

 446, we find this: "Lastly, thei-e are some insects 



which do not seem ever to be torpid, as 



and the common hive-bee." This reference is where 

 I presume I got my reference, as in Ency. Brit, it is 

 stated as Bro. Clarke notes: "Bees pi-obably never 

 hibernate." 



In the Introduction it is stated, on the authority 

 of Huber, that bees are never torpid in winter, "but 

 keep themselves in motion to preserve their heat." 

 He also quotes Swammerdam, Bonnet, and John 

 Hunter, to the same effect, while Reaumur is quot- 

 ed as arguing that bees are torpid in winter, and 

 take no food. In summing up, it is stated that 

 " this usually most accurate of observers (Reaumur) 

 has in the present instance been led into error, 

 chiefly, it is probable, from the clustering of bees 

 In the hive in cold weather; but which, instead of 

 being, as he conceived, an indication of torpidity, 

 would seem to be intended, as Huber asserts, as a 

 preservative against the benumbing ettects of 

 cold." Kirby closes by saying, " Bees, then, do not 

 appear to pass the winter in a state of toi-pidity in 

 our climate, and probably not in any other." 



Thus while I was unfortunate in my reference, I 

 do not think I misquoted Kirby. Very likely, Mr. 

 Editor, you will think enough has been said, and 

 will be quite right in so thinking; but I wish to add, 

 that, as I understand hibernation, it is torpor, at- 

 tended with fasting, and is not thrown otT by still 

 greater cold. Now, I find bees always have a spe- 

 cific heat much above the outward temperature in 

 winter; that in coldest weather I have noticed that 

 they are constantly moving, and that a sudden chill 

 in the outside temperature, instead of deepening 

 their torpor, causes them to become more active, to 

 eat more, and induces a rise in the temperature of 

 the hive, as shown by a marked rise of temperature 



in the thermometer, the bulb of which is in the 



cluster. ' 



IS IT BEST TO HAVE GLEANINGS "ALL BEES"? 



May I add my say in the criticisms of my friend 

 Hutchinson as to Gleanings? Our physicians 

 sometimes give iron as a tonic in case of pale, frail 

 patients. They note the return of color, vivacity, 

 and strength, and bless God that iron has a place in 

 therapeutics. 



Now, Mr. Editor, 1 take it that you have found 

 this iron tonic, else why the astonishing growth and 

 vigor of (Jleanings? The doctor has proved tliat 

 his patient needs the iron, so you have proved that 

 the bee-public crave more than bread alone. Were 

 I asked to explain the thrift and vigor of Glean- 

 ings, I should say it was the vigor and earnestness 

 of the editor, aided by the very variety which fills 

 its pages, and which is occasionally— very rarelj — 

 complained of. 



I was talking to a subscriber to Gleanings a 

 short time since about another bee-paper of wliich 

 he knew nothing. Said I, " 1 f you are so anxious to 

 know its chai-actcr, why not swap off and take it for 

 a year:'" He quickly replied, "Never! I will never 

 give up Gf/EaningsI but I will take the other also." 



It were very foolish, I think, when a doctor finds 

 the iron tonic, and proves its value, to throw it 

 away; and just as foolish for you to let loose one 

 jot of that which has given you such a hold on the 

 bee-keeping world. My advice, then, is, don't omit 

 the tonic of variety, which has helped to broaden 

 every reader of Gleanings. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



Thank you for your kind words, friend 

 Cook. In the matter of hibernation, it 

 seems to me it is more a difference of opin- 

 ion in regard to definition of terms than a 

 difference of opinion in regard to the way 

 bees winter. But in regard to your con- 

 cluding kind words, it only makes me fear 

 that 1 am not deserving of all you say. May 

 God help me, and give me wisdom iii choos- 

 ing wisely, where there is so much going on 

 all around us to choose fiom. 



A SIMPLE WAY OF ITALIANIZING. 

 so.me of the reasons why the simplest way 



IS NOT always the MOST PROFITABLE. 



EKE I to have two colonies of bees (one of 

 Italian and one of black), each with a good 

 supply of brood, and I kill the queen of the 

 blacks, and give them the entire brood of 

 the Italians, and the Italians the brood of 

 the blacks, would I Italianize both? 

 Osage, III., May, 18-i5. C. M. Thornton. 



Yes, my friend, your colonies would both 

 be Italians in a short space of time ; that is, 

 providing your black stock raised a queen 

 from the Italian brood, which they would 

 without mtu'h doubt. The plan as you sug- 

 gest it is a very simple one, but it is too 

 wasteful to be geiierally practiced, for we liave 

 a colony of bees wasting their time in per- 

 liaps the best part of the season, while tliey 

 could make a queen-cell and wait for the 

 queen to get to laying. Every day counts 

 with bees— especially during a honey yield, 

 ^'ow, let us see how you can improve upon 

 the plan by saving time. You can take a 

 couple of combs of brood from your Italian 



