1262 



[GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



EXHIBIT MADE BY SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LEBANON, PA., BEE-KEEP£Rs' ASSOCIATION. 



the' swarm is clustered on top of the cage. As 

 soon as they are all out, the cage and all is picked 

 up at the intersection of the cross-pieces at the 

 top, set over the hive ready to receive them, when 

 the cage is given a jounce on the ground. A lit- 

 tle later on it is given another bump until the 

 bees have entered their new home. 



Of course, this method of catching a swarm 

 just as it is coming out is not new; but some- 

 times old things need to be resurrected until pros- 

 pective users begin to see their value. This cage 

 is one of the new old devices that should be 

 made up for next season's use. 



It may not be necessary to have such a cage 

 where comb and extracted honey are produced; 

 but if one is rearing queens he must not harbor 

 in the yard any bees that have acquired the rob- 

 bing habit, as they will be a continual annoy- 

 ance to the apiarist and to the working colonies 

 throughout the entire season. 



HONEY EXHIBIT OF THE LEBANON 

 BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The exhibit shown in the engraving is the first 

 attempt of several members of the Lebanon Bee- 

 keepers' Association, and consists of comb and 

 extracted clover honev, beeswax, and leather- 

 colored and golden Italian bees. The exhibit 

 took the first prize on comb honey, first on ex- 

 tracted, and first on wax. We secured, also, a 

 special prize of five dollars for the best and 

 largest display of honey, bees, and wax. 



Lebanon, Pa., Sept. 3. 



[The honey exhibit, for a first attempt, is ex- 

 cellent. It shows good variety and the different 

 forms in which honey is put up. — Ed.] 



THE 



SPIDER-PLANT AS A HONEY- 

 YIELDER IN ILLINOIS. 



JY A. N. COOKE. 



I have experimented with the Rocky Mountain 

 bee-plant the last season, and I find it one of the 

 best for honey, as it yields more than any other 

 plant that grows. I watched the bees gather the 

 nectar from several flowers, and it took three bees 

 in all cases togather the nectar from one blossom. 

 The first two bees stayed one and one-half min- 

 utes each; then the third bee stayed forty-eight 

 seconds before it left the plant. I took a glass 

 medicine-dropper with a rubber bulb to it, and 1 

 drew the nectar from 13 flowers, getting a tea- 

 spoonful in all. In one season there are several 

 hundred blossoms to each plant, and the blossom- 

 stalk grows about four feet after it begins to blos- 

 som, until it is finally about nine feet tall. There 

 is no more beautiful sight than an acre of these 

 plants in full bloom. I shall plant about two 

 acres this year. I also have the white variety; 

 but as to its value as a honey-yielder I can't say, 

 as I got the seed only last fall. 



If any one has a weedy patch of ground that he 

 wants cleared up, he should sow the Rocky 

 Mountain bee-plant. The weeds will leave, and 

 the ground will get mellow in a short time. 



Woodhull, 111. 



[It is our opinion that the plant you describe 

 is not the Rocky Mountain bee-plant (Cleome in 



