100 



(ILKANINGS IN liKE Clll/ri'lil-:. 



Feb. 



tween the thumb and first linger of the right hand. 

 The bee will then put out its sting. Now press the 

 sting gently against something hard — wood or 

 glass: keep on pressing, and keep her as straight as 

 possible. Her extremity is thus made to press 

 against the honey-sack, which compels her to force 

 up to her mouth whatever she has. honey or water, 

 and show you the drop, large or small, between her 

 mandibles. This can then be taken from her with 

 the head of a pin or a pen-knife point, in the left 

 hand, for examination, and the boe left to go for 

 more. If I want to only see the honey or water, I 

 press lier against my left thumb-nail, let her swallow 

 it back, and let her go. Several bees can be exam- 

 ined in a minute, as they come dropping on the 

 alighting-board, if desired. C. H. Luttgbns. 



Hammonton, N. .T., Dec. 21, 1886. 



If we understand you, friend Jj., your 

 plan is something like the closing-up of a 

 telescope. The abdomen of the bee is con- 

 tracted lengthwise, producing a pressure 

 upon the honey-sack, causing its contents 

 to be forced out. The idea is certainly an 

 ingenious one, and the bee-keepers owe yon a 

 vote of thanks, especially since it helps us 

 to preserve the lives of our little pets. I 

 have seeii men take up their beautifully 

 marked Italians as they came in laden fiom 

 the fields, and coolly disembowel them ; but 

 I confess, my opinion of a man who does 

 this falls a notch or two, in spite of myself. 

 I have many times been very anxious to 

 know what the bees were gathering, but I 

 did not like to kill a bee to find out. Once, 

 after I had watched nearly half an hour to 

 satisfy myself, 1 saw a bee alight with mud- 

 dy feet, and then I guessed they were carry- 

 ing water, and I traced them directly to the 

 brook. By means of your invention I could 

 have satisfied myself in an instant. 



A PLEA FOR THE SABBATH; HOW TO MAKE SITN- 

 D.4Y SWARMS COME OUT ON SATURDAY. 



Several years ago, when I first began keeping 

 bees, 1 was too ignorant of their habits to make 

 artificial swarming a success, and knew no other 

 way to care for natural swarming than to watch 

 them " through thick and thin," Sundays and all 

 days. Later on, 1 began to watch only at such times 

 as colonies were about sealing their queen cells. 

 After two or three years ray stupid brain took in 

 the situation, and since then I have not stayed at 

 home on Sunday to watch bees. Bees swarm with 

 the sealing of the cells or first cell. Knowing this I 

 keep cells built, during swarming time, from my 

 best queen in a manner costing no e.xtra time or 

 queenlessness of stocks — always, however, being 

 cai'ef ul to keep the dates, so as to know when a cell 

 will hatch. In order to prevent swarming on Sun- 

 day, 1 look the bees over on Friday a! out noon. 

 The experienced eye will detect at once'siich colo- 

 nies as will be ready to cast swavms in 2 to 4 days. 

 To such give a sealed queen-cell, slipping it between 

 the frames, and on Saturday you may exjiect, al- 

 most with certainty, a swarm from that hive. T 

 give this for those who, like myself, are obliged or 

 prefer to have aday to themselves occasionally, and 

 leave the apiary alone. This method is quick and 

 effectual, Italianizing from your best queen at the 

 same time; and last, but not least, having the Sab- 

 bath to yourself. This plan is original with me, 



yet I doubt not others have thought it out as well; 

 yet T have never seen it in print. I usually clip my 

 queens' wings. C. M. Goodspbbd. 



Thorn Hill, N. Y., Jan., 1887. 



Your idea of obliging swarms to come out 

 when you wish to have them do so is not 

 entirely new, friend G. I know it will 

 sometimes work as you say ; but it is my 

 impression, that a good many times it will 

 not. We shall be glad to hear from others 

 who have tested it. 



QUEENS BY SPECIAL DELIVERY. 



As the delivery system has been extended to all 

 mail matter as well as to all postofiices, it occurs to 

 me that it will be a good thing for queen-rearers 

 as well as for the purchasers. When any one or- 

 ders a queen, he, of course, wants her as soon as 

 possible. Now, by sending ten cents in addition to 

 the price of the queen he would get her just as 

 soon as she can possibly come through the mails; 

 and if he lives within the delivery of a nj' free-de- 

 livery postofflce, or within one mile of any post- 

 office, it will be delivered to him at once by a spe- 

 cial messenger (see " Notice to Public," from P. M. 

 General, posted in all postofflces). There are some 

 whom this would not benefit very much; viz., those 

 that receive only weekly or semi-weekly mail; but 

 1 think the majority of the purchasers would be 

 benefited by it. Ordinary fourth-class matter is 

 not attended to in the mails until the first-class has 

 been disposed of, therefore it is more liable to mis- 

 carry; but fourth-class matter bearing a special- 

 delivery stamp will be disposed of before ordinary 

 first-class matter, thereby going through with the 

 greatest possible dispatch. 



What do you think of it, Mr. Root? Why not say, 

 in your catalogue, that, if ten cents in addition to 

 the price of the queen is sent, you will send her 

 by special delivery? As the queen-trade is over 

 for this year it may come good next year, pro- 

 vided you approve of the suggestion. 



S. E. Miller, P. M. 



Bluffton, Mo., Dec. 4. 1886. 



Friend M., this matter has been suggest- 

 ed before ; but before putting it in the price 

 list, let us have some experiments to see 

 just how it works. No doubt it will many 

 times prove quite a convenience. 



does the BUSINESS OF HONEY-PRODUCING PAY ? 



I wish to ask a question or two concerning bee 

 culture. 



1. Is it your candid opinion that the bee-business, 

 when strictly confined to the production of honey at 

 present prices, can be made a success financially ? 



2. How many colonies of bees will the flora of any 

 one locality support profitably, where there is con- 

 siderable woodland, and where the white clover 

 abounds in its season ? 1 see there is considerable 

 controversy on this subject, some maintaining that 

 less than 100 will sufliciently'stock a district bounded 

 by the distance of flight of the bees from any given 

 place in the working season, while others claim (hat 

 many more may be profitably kept. I think that, 

 with your experience, you will be able to answer 

 the questions satisfactorily. Richard L. Oleoo. 



Peoria, Union Co., O , Dec. 20, 1886. 



Friend C, 1 do not know how it is possi- 

 ble to answer such questions as yours. Tt 

 is just like asking if the strawberry business 

 pays. The answer would be, with some 



