5)04 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



if by mag-ic; and the i-eason is attributable to the 

 large Increase of timber gTovcs, harbors for the 

 feathered songsters, and the air is dotted with 

 swallows and other birds that live almost entirely 

 on insects. I saw, only a few days sii.ce, aflock of 

 whippoorwills, or night-hawks, so called by some, of 

 nearly a hundred, and they live intirely on flics 

 and mosquitoes, or what they take as they float in 

 the air. In fact, I am of the opinion, from actual 

 observation, that, were it not for the fowls of the 

 air, we should raise but very little g'rain of any 

 kind in this or any other country. 



Now, friend Root, I want to tell j-ou of a little 

 incident that transpired just nineteen years ago. 

 I had several boys that were just old enough to 

 commence hand ling a gun; and as we were not much 

 acquainted with eagles, such as we found out here 

 on the prairies, we all thought they should be killed 

 for fear they might kill some of our chickens some 

 time or other. One day the boys found an eagle's 

 nest, and, of course, I made no objection to their 

 shooting the old female while sitting on the nest in 

 the tall prairie grass; but T have objected ever since 

 to shooting cag'les or any other wild birds; for just 

 as T heard the sound of the gun that killed the 

 faithful old mother-bird I saw the male eagle with a 

 striped gopher in his talons, hastening toward the 

 nest to supply his mate with food; and I shall never 

 foi-get the heartfelt sorrow that came over me at 

 that time, for he had taken the gopher out of 

 my coiiifieJd— probably caught him in the very act 

 of digging up my corn, and 1 allowed my boys to 

 murder liis faithful spouse. F. M. Norwood. 



Whiting, la., Sept. 10, 1887. 



It Itas been proven, over and over again, 

 tliat l<ins-birds do swallow bees. A good 

 many lep.irted, durinp,' the P'^^t season, of 

 liavin.i,' i'onnd bee.s in the birds. But for all 

 that, i lliink we onght not to be too hasty 

 in giving the (k'ath-w:irr;int. There is no 

 qi;es1ioii that our feathered friends do ns a 

 v:ist amount of good in the way you men- 

 tion. 



now IA)SC. DOES IT TAKE TO ITALIANIZE A COLO- 

 NY? 



I have a colony of bees I think are acting curious- 

 ly. I Italianized them Aug. 5th. The queen I got 

 was a tested one, and was received all right. Oct. 

 17th I found her lying dead in front of the hive. 

 About four fifths of the bees are nice three-banded 

 Italians; the rest are black. Do you think the 

 queen was superseded? Why are there so many 

 blacks in the hive, after being Italianized so long? 



Heslcr, Ky., Oct. 38, 1887. J. T. Rust. 



Why, friend E.., the fact that you found 

 some black bees still in the hive was nothing 

 unusual. The queen had not been in the 

 hive long enough at the time of the year you 

 state, for all the original blacks to die off. 

 The queen was doubtless superseded. 



MELISSA; AN INTEHESTING CASE OF CROSS-FER- 

 TILIZATION AS EFFECTED IIY THE BEES. 



In Gleanings, p. 817, Nov. 1 issue, you ask Mr. 

 Morgan if he had plants (referring to melissa) that 

 produced some white and some colored blossoms. 

 Allow me to explain how that was effected: All the 

 blossoms were while, originally, and remained so 

 until I procured bees. T noticed the ne,\t sea- 

 son thereafter, that quite a large number of plants 

 put forth blue flowers, and the stalks had under- 



gone a change— transformed from green to purple— 

 another proof of the agency of bees in cross fertiliz- 

 ing and improving flowers. 



Please correct the statement you made in last is- 

 sue, to the effect that I sell y^ oz. of melissa-seed 

 for 50 cts. I never have sold less than a full ounce 

 for .50 cts. A. C. Tyrrel. 



Madison, Neb., Nov. 13, 1887. 



I really beg pardon, friend T., if I made a 

 mistake. I dont know where I got the idea 

 that it was only half an ounce for 50 cts. It 

 may have been a mistake of the printers. — 

 In regard to the point you make, about the 

 agency of the bees in producing different 

 colors, my experience is that both vegetables 

 and flowers are veiy liable to sport in this 

 way. For instance, the Mikado tomato, 

 which has always been red, every little while 

 gives us a plant producing yellow tomatoes, 

 with all the other characteristics. In a lot 

 of red peppers, say 200 or oOO plants, I was 

 surprised to see one day some peppers turning 

 to so brilliant a yellow that they looked al- 

 most like coals of fire. I pointed them out to 

 my wife in great glee, saying that I had a new 

 variety ; but she threw a wet blanket over 

 my speculation by saying that red peppers 

 always do that way. She was brought up on 

 a farm, you see, and knew. Now, don't the 

 melissa-plants put in another color just for 

 the fun of it ? 



0aR QaE^^FieN-B©?^, 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



All queries sent in tor this department should be briefly 

 stated, ;ind free from .any possible ambipruity. The <iuestion 

 or questions shonld be written npon n separate slip of paper, 

 anil marlied, " For Our Question-Box." 



Question No. 19 —Can more money be made (em- 

 phnjinu laJxn; keepmu a hor.^e and ivagon, etc.) hy 

 mn)iaiii)W <iut-apiarics. tluni hy keeping a limited 

 niimher of colanic.i in (ov lorat ion. and doing all the 

 labor youvHelf. of^><umin[i tliat the apiarist is posi^esfied 

 of sufficient capital, cnrrfiy, and al)iiityf 



Yes. 



Yes. Adam Grimm did. 



C. C. Miller. 

 Mrs. L. Harrison. 



I prefer only the one apiary. G. M. Doolittle. 



See answer to Nos. ;J0 and 31. I do not believe 

 general answers can be given. A. J. Cook. 



In a good year, yes; in a poor year, no. On an 

 average, yes. Geo. Grimm. 



I have no doubt that it would be more remunera- 

 tive, provided competent labor is employed. 



Paul L. Viallon. 



It is far better to have a horse, and keep more 

 bees in different locations, for there may be some 

 crop in one place and none in another not far off. 



Dadant & PON. 



I have no experience with out-apiaries; but I feel 

 sure that it would require better territory than the 

 openings of Lucas Co. to justify much employment 

 of labor. E. E. Hasty. 



The correct answer to this questi- n depends upon 

 the man, the location, and more particularly the 

 problem of overstocking; notwithstanding a very 

 important one, little yet seems to be known about 

 it. .lAMES Heddon. 



