104 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15 



line. He also helped me with the demonstrations 

 in the large wire cage where I had a full colony 

 with a super full of honey. I used this year a 

 sectional hive for the demonstrations. 



I had an experience this summer which has 

 puzzled me somewhat. My home apiary is un- 

 der the grape-arbor. I have some seven varieties 

 of choice grapes, and from the first ripe grapes of 

 the season until frost v\e have a constant supply 

 of grapes. So far the bees have never worked 

 among these grapes. Last year, 1907, was the 

 first bearing year, and I did not take particular 

 notice of the fact that the bees were not working 

 among the grapes. But this year I made it a 

 point to watch carefully, and on not a single va- 

 riety of the grapes did I ever see a bee. When 

 the first variety was ripe I thought may be the 

 bees were still busy in the fields with the nectar 

 of some of the summer flowers; but when the sea- 

 son advanced, and still they seemed to pass right 

 by the grapes, I concluded that this was an ex- 

 ceptional year, and that there must be a contin- 

 uous flow of nectar. I was soon informed differ- 

 ently, however, for people around here were com- 

 plaining that the bees were destroying their 

 grapes, some declaring that the bees were so de- 

 structive that they had scarcely enough left for 

 table use. Then it was that 1 tried to conjecture 

 why my grapes had escaped the destructive 

 agencies which I knew to be birds, insects, and 

 natural decay, for there was no evidence of decay 

 in my grapes. I could not persuade the others 

 that the bees were only secondary offenders, and 

 touched the grapes only when they had already 

 been injured. Now, I have thought over this a 

 good deal, and I have some conjectures. 1. It 

 may have been that my grapes were well fertilized 

 by the nearness to the bees, and, consequently, 

 the fruit was perfect. 2 The myriads of bees in 

 and about the grapes, coming and going, and 

 flying about, kept the birds and insects from the 

 grapes. 



I have not fully decided which of the above 

 suppositions is correct, although I am inclined 

 to believe it is a combination of both. 



Newark, Del. 



LYour exhibit of bees and fruit is certainly a 

 \ery interesting one, and one that should be imi- 

 tated by bee-keepers all over the country, espe- 

 cially in fruit sections. It would, perhaps, be 

 well to go one step further and put in fruit that 

 has bpen punctured by needle-points along with 

 the sound fruit. A placard should show which 

 has been injured and which are sound, in order 

 that the general public may have a practical ob- 

 ject-lesson — one that will exonerate the bees, at 

 least of the charge of being the prime movers in 

 the mischief. Of course, it will be shown that 

 bees do help to spoil fruit already injured. This 

 can always be met by the statement that such 

 fruit is of no commercial value; and when it is 

 further shown that the bees do far more good in 

 pollinating the blossoms, making good fruitage 

 possible, the public ought to welcome them ev- 

 erywhere. 



It is possible and even probable that the prox- 

 imity of your grapes to your bees resulted in 

 more perfect fruit, and perfect fruit is never 

 touched by bees. On the other hand, it is quite 

 possible that your own grapes were located at a 

 point where little birds would not visit them. 



It has been found in most cases where bees are 

 said to be eating grapes that a bird called the 

 Cape May warbler iDeiidroica tigrina) has visited 

 the fruit early in the morning before any one 

 was around, run his beak into the berries, leav- 

 ing a needle-like hole. The bees later, on dis- 

 covering these punctures, visit the fruit when ev- 

 ery one is up; and as these punctures are so small 

 as not to be noticeable, the bees are accused, nat- 

 urally enough, of doing all the mischief. It fol- 

 lows, then, that where grapes are close to the 

 house, or where people are likely to pass often, 

 these little birds, which are very shy, do not visit 

 them, and, of course, the bees do not go near 

 them. 



Another bird that punctures fruit is the Balti- 

 more oriole. In some cases the common Eng- 

 lish sparrow is the culprit, and still another ene- 

 my is the wasp. In any or all cases where the 

 skin of the fruit is broken, the bees during a 

 dearth of honey will complete the work of de- 

 struction.— Ed.] 



IN MEMORIAM. 



Something Concerning the Life of 

 Mr. C. H. W. Weber. 



BY HENRY REDDERT. 



Mr. C. H. W. Weber, the late treasurer of the 

 Southwestern Ohio and Hamilton Co. Bee-keep- 

 ers' Association, was a very conspicuous figure 

 among bee-keepers in this part of the State. His 

 activities made him a person much sought for 

 on account of his sound advice and careful ob- 

 servations. He was a man in whose presence 



MR. C. H. W. WEBER. 



