180 



AMERICAN BEE . JOURNAL. 



"Sugar for Winter Stores." 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY I. W. BECKWITH. 



The above is the subject of an article 

 by R. L. Taylor, on page 20, and as 

 bee-keepers are liable to be misled in 

 their desire to economize, allow me to 

 say a few words of 'caution. 



If I thought I could winter my bees 

 on SJ-g' pounds of sugar syrup, and have 

 the conditions of the colonies all that 

 could be desired the forepart of April, I 

 would extract the honey and trade it for 

 sugar, even if I should have to give 

 nearly 2 pounds for one. But I fear 

 Mr. T.'s "economy" is more fanciful 

 than real. In fact I do not believe any 

 colony of bees can live during the winter 

 and until the forepart of April on 2]<i 

 pounds of any kind of food, as some of 

 his did, and then be in condition that 

 would suit me. 



As Mr. Taylor has told us nothing to 

 the contrary, I must conclude that 

 syrup is not conducive to breeding, and 

 by April I expect my hives to be pretty 

 well supplied with young bees ; and if 

 Cheshire is correct in his experiments 

 and conclusions, those bees could have 

 reared but about three ounces of young, 

 even supposing the old bees did not con- 

 sume one drop for their own subsistence. 



If he had told us the comparative con- 

 dition of the two sets of bees in the 

 spring, or will report the work they do 

 during summer, there would be more 

 knowledge gained from his experiment. 



As the syrup which he fed was pure 

 carbon and water, and as honey is the 

 same with the addition of a-small amount 

 of other food, the bees could not re- 

 quire much less sugar tttan honey, and 

 could rear no brood on syrup alone. 



Ft. Lupton, Colo. 



Bee-Stinss— A Forcei AMssion. 



Written Sor the American Bee Journal 



BY EMM DEE. 



was one of them), and hence their charm 

 against bee-stings. 



Well, I take it all back; I beg to as- 

 sure your thousands of readers that in 

 view of present experiences, that en- 

 thusiastic statement was all a mistake ! 

 My convictions have received a terrible 

 shock ! My confidence in the placid 

 temper of the busy bees, has been enor- 

 mously modified by abundant and pointed 

 experiences ! I»imagine my former arti- 

 cle occasioned a broad smile on that 

 practical prince in bee-culture, Dr. 

 Miller, which a false pride makes this 

 confession the more heroic because of 

 what I now imagine his wise look, and 

 his tell-tale wink of "I told you so " im- 

 plies. But I suppress all personal con- 

 sideration of weakness to candidly ad- 

 mit my egregious mistake, and further 

 assure you that I am no exception what- 

 ever. Indeed, I am exceedingly vulner- 

 able to their stinging arguments — yes, 

 and even admit that I must have be- 

 come, of late, the special target for their 

 venomous attacks ! 



Woe is me ! that I should have misled 

 any one to believe that their arsitocratic 

 blood is proof against the assaults of 

 these aggressive "critters;" that by a 

 more fragrant odor of their gentler na- 

 ture immunity can be enjoyed from the 

 striking force of the poetic bee ! Nay, 

 my brethren, there's nothing in it! Your 

 blood and smells have nothing to do 

 with the case. No matter where you 

 were born, or what particular stock you 

 came from, you've just got to take the 

 I medicine the bees have to give you, and 

 I no argument of inheritance, whether of 

 I rank or wealth, will in the least avail in 

 I the actions of these hot-ended "var- 

 mints." Else why should I have been 

 stung in this swelling fashion ? Fare- 

 well, false hopes, farewell ! 



Your penitent, 



Emm Dee. 



Dear Mr. Editor : — You may not 

 have forgotten a communication from 

 mo some months ago, in which I so 

 glowingly eulogized thenoble perspicuity 

 of the honey-bee ; their remarkable in- 

 telligence, and their artistic sense of 

 colors and smells. And, inadvertently, 

 how much more wholesome and seduc- 

 tive are the odors that emanate from 

 some persons (here I blush to think I 



Yellow Jasmine of tlie Sontli. 



Written for " Gleanings in Bee-Culture'''' 

 BY DR. .T. P. H. BROWN. 



The yellow jasmine {Oelsemium sem- 

 pervircns) is a creeping, twining vine 

 that grows in the southern portions of 

 the United States from North Carolina 

 to Mexico. It grows more luxuriantly 

 on light sandy uplands than in alluvial 

 bottoms. It blooms in February and 

 March, depending upon locality — earlier 

 further South. When in full bloom it 

 presents a beautiful sight with its yellow 



