34 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1 



BEE 



DEMONSTRATIONS OF 

 REACHING VALUE. 



PAR- 



Dr. Bigelow in Indianapolis. See p. SO 



BY WALTER S. POUDEK. 



There never was a time when the people 

 were so disposed to rate the bee industry at 

 its true value as now. The honey-bee as a 

 subject for a nature-study is, perhaps, one of 

 the most interesting things in all the world, 

 and no one can study its wonderful nature 

 without becoming greatly interested. This 

 being true, the bee-keeper finds his Imsiness 

 the easiest to advertise of almost any line, 

 because of the eagerness of the public to 

 learn. 



The present year will long be remembex'ed 

 as one of the poorest honey seasons; but it 

 will also be remembered as the beginning of 

 the era of pure foods and the end of the old 

 story about manufactured comb honey. All 

 in all I have never seen the bee fraternity 

 more encouraged as to the future than to- 

 day, because of the better markets, better 

 understanding of the industry, and the in- 

 ci'eased demand for the output of the apiary. 

 Why, it has not been many years since there 

 was very little demand for extracted honey 

 because it was not at all undei'stood. To- 

 day the demand for it exceeds that for comb 

 honey, and the demand for granulated ex- 

 tracted honey is increasing each day. 



The public is anxious to learn, and those 

 who are so located that they can give dem- 

 onstrations with a few colonies of bees oc- 

 casionally will be surprised at the great in- 

 terest taken. A queen-bee in a mailing-cage 

 on my desk, waiting for the 

 postman, often attracts atten- 

 tion and starts some one to in- 

 vestigating. A helper placing 

 foundation starters in sections 

 has attracted so much attention 

 that at times it has seemed al- 

 most annoying. 



Perhaps the most interesting 

 demonstration ever given in In- 

 dianapolis or in this State was 

 given here recently by Prof. Ed- 

 ward F. Bigelow, of Stamford, 

 Conn. Professor Bigelow was 

 on a lectui'e-tour, and brought 

 a class of 45 teachers who were 

 taking the summer course at 

 Butler University. His ability 

 in this line of work can not be 

 excelled, and I doubt if it can 

 be equaled; and surely a class 

 never enjoyed a more interesting discourse. 

 He began by mounting a pedestal and lirst 

 explaining the old straw skep, then the mod- 

 ern hive, comb foundation, comb-building, 

 extracting, rendering wax, etc., and explain- 

 ing each detail in such a manner that even 

 a child could have understood. Then all 

 went to the lawn where the bees are kept, 

 and here he showed his skill by manipulating 

 the hives and combs of brood, handing each 

 a comb of brood and adhering bees which 

 were accepted with some timidity at first; 



but he soon had their confidence, and veils 

 were all laid aside. The duties of the queen, 

 bi'ood in all stages, comb- building, etc., were 

 never better explained, and a happier lot of 

 people never left this honey-store. It would 

 be interesting to know just how many times 

 this meeting has been talked over by those 

 who were fortunate enough to be one of the 

 party. 



One of the very prettiest little hives for 

 convenient demonstrations is the little Pearl 

 Agnes hive, invented by Professor Bigelow. 

 I have such a hive in my dooryard at home, 

 and I tind it to be quite an attraction for my 

 near neighbors. Observatory hives made to 

 contain a single Pearl Agnes frame are the 

 neatest device in all the world for loaning to 

 terchei's at public schools, and I am planning 

 to place several as soon as schools begin. 

 The honey-bee is always admired if properly 

 introduced. 



Indianapolis, Aug. 22. 



SOME 



PECULIARITIES 

 BUILDING. 



IN COMB 



BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



Bees generally attach their combs at the 

 top, and build downward. But it is not a 

 very difficult thing to get them to build in the 

 opposite direction. I have known them to do 

 so many times. Take a good colony at the 

 beginning of the honey-flow, and place over 

 its hive an empty hive- body, and it will pret- 

 ty surely build from the top-bars upward. A 

 peculiarity of combs thus built is that they 



COMB DUILT WITH NO SUPPORT EXCEPT THE WIRES. 



are less inclined to be straight than other 

 combs. If one were to allow reasoning to 

 the little creatures, it would be as if they 

 should say, " When we build from the top 

 down, we can build straight flat sheets, mere- 

 ly corrugating them a little; but if we should 

 make a flat sheet when building upward it 

 would tumble over of its own weight;" so 

 these upward-built combs, instead of follow- 

 ing the direction of the top-bars, or being 

 built across them, twist in all directions, 

 some of them forming almost a circle with a 



