550 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. 27. 



bees Mr. Butler disproved, only distinguishing them into tame 

 and wild. 



"Columella following the authority of Aristotle and Virgil 

 most approves the small, long, light, shining with gold, dis- 

 tinguishing evenly with spots, and most gentle." 



They also had an idea in early times of planting for bees. 

 " Set Thyme about their Koofs." 



"With this Bees are observed to be much delighted, and 

 to prefer it before all Flowers. Thence the Attick Honey is 

 (^mmended by Oalcn, and the Sicilian by T'ojto, both of these 

 places abounding with that Herb." 



They had weather prophets in that age, as well as this, 

 and it seems they got their iuformation from the bees. 

 " Nor from their Hives they stir when Kain is nigh." 



"And when they perceive that either or both of these 

 (Rain or Cold) are near, they fly not far from their Hive, but 

 flying about the Hive thay set upon them as upon Flowers. 

 From these things the keepers of Bees foretell Tempests to 

 the Husbandmen." 



Here follows a theory as startling and revolutionary as 



that of " Spontaneous Generation " in this age : 



" 'Tis strange that Bees such Customs should maintain. 

 Venus to scorn. In wanton Lust disdain 

 To waste their strengrth : and without Throws they breed. 

 But cull from Leaves and various Flowers their Seed." 



"This is one of those questions with which Philosophy 

 hath been puzzell'd. Aristotle and Pliny deliver nothing cer- 

 tain upon it. Amongst several Opinions, our Author chooseth 

 theirs, who affirm. That in Flowers and Herbs there is some- 

 thing corresponding to seed, which is by the Bees gathered, 

 carried into their Hives, and cherish'd into Life." 



They also began the discussion as to the age of bees. 



" Though 8oon the term of their short Life doth glide, 

 (For the seventh Summer a full period gives) 

 Yet their Immortal Hace forever lives." 



"About the age of Bees (saith Mr. Butler) there are 

 divers opinions, some thinking they may live four or five 

 years, some six or seven, Aristotle speaks of a longer time, 

 nine or ten : but the truth is, a Bee is but a years Bird, with 

 some advantage ; For the bees of the former year which until 

 Gemini in the next year look so youthfully that you cannot 

 discern them from their grown Nymphs, do from thenceforth 

 change with manifest difference, wither'd, rough, whittish, 

 ragged, etc." 



They learned early the importance of the queen to the 



colony, but thought her a rxUer instead of a mother. However, 



some have not gotten far from that idea yet. 



"They honour him. and with a Martial sound 

 Circle about, and strongly guard him round " 



" If their Queen go forth, they attend her with a Guard 

 before and behind ; they which go before ever and anon re- 

 turning, and looking back make signs of extraordinary Joy ; 

 in which manner they bring her home ; if by her voice she bid 

 them go, they swarm : Whil'st she cheereth them to Battel, 

 they fight; if she droop and dye, they either languish and 

 dye too, or yield to the Robbers, and fly away with them." — 



Butler. St. Joseph, Mo. 



[Concluded next week.] 



Only One Cent a Copy for copies of the American 

 Bee Journal before Jan. 1, 1896. We have them running 

 back for about 10 years. But you must let us select them, as 

 we cannot furnish them in regular order, and probably not 

 any particular copies. Just send us as many one-cent stamps 

 as you may want old copies, and we will mail them to you. 



Xlie McEyoy Foul Brood Xreatment is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on "Foul Brood; Its Natural 

 History and Rational Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 — both for f 1.10. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. C O. MILLER, ALARENGO, ILL, 



LQuestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.1 



Bees from the South. 



By getting a queen from the South, can I get a good work- 

 ing class of bees ? E. E. 



Answer. — Just as in the North, you may get from the 

 South an excellent strain of bees, or you may get some of the 

 poorest. I suppose the mere fact of bees being in the South 

 makes no difference in their character. Perhaps bees that 

 had been for years wintered in a very severe climate might 

 have a greater percentage of good winterers among them, 

 from the fact that the poorer winterers would be killed out. 

 But just as good winterers might be among the Southern 

 bees. One advantage in Southern-bred bees is that they can 

 be had earlier in the season than those in the North. 



Showing Bees and Honey at Fairs. 



Our county fair will open the first week in September, 

 and they wish me to take a few colonies of my bees there. 

 Now, I would like to hear what you would do. I have not one 

 pound of comb honey in sections to show — nothing but about 

 50 pounds of extracted. How would it be to cage a queen 

 and show cell-building, dipping cells, and transferring royal 

 jelly and larvjB ; also melting combs with the sun extractor? 

 There has never been a colony of bees brought to our county 

 fair, and if I bring one or two I will be the only one. I always 

 get 25 cents for one-pound sections of comb honey, or five 

 sections for one dollar, but not one to show, or sell. Would 

 you bother about it, or not ? Give me your good advice, and 

 do not say " I don't know." E. B. K. 



Answer. — You're on the right track. It is hardly possi- 

 ble for you to show anything in the line of bees or bee-keeping 

 that will not be of interest to the fair-going public. Be very 

 careful, however, about having live bees at large at a fair on 

 account of the danger of the bees stinging people and horses. 

 Probably you can show nothing of more general interest than 

 a single-frame hive with glass on both sides, so the people can 

 see brood, worker and drone comb, queen, drones and workers. 

 Couldn't you give them an object lesson in extracting honey ? 

 Have a few frames of honey to extract, keeping a sharp look- 

 out for robber bees, or perhaps it would answer the purpose 

 to have some empty combs, filling them by sprinkling water 

 over them, then extracting the water. It's a very hard matter 

 to get people to understand exactly what extracted honey is, 

 but when the extractor is at work before their eyes the matter 

 is easily understood. Of course the greater variety the better. 



Killing a Colony of Bees. 



I have had a colony of bees now three years, and it never 

 stored any surplus honey. So I want to kill it. How can I 

 do it ? G. S. 



Answer. — The quickest way, perhaps, would be to blow 

 them up with dynamite. A lot of small boys might be got to 

 stone them. An objection to either of these plans is that the 

 combs would be somewhat injured, and in the latter case, 

 while it would give the small boys unbounded delight as well 

 as a few stings, it would cultivate in them an undesirable 

 spirit of cruelty. So it may be better to use the orthodox 

 method of destroying them by brimstone. Dig a little pit in 

 the ground, put into it some lighted rolls of rags and sulphur, 

 and after dark, when all the bees have entered the hive, set 

 fire to the rolls and set the hive over, putting rags around the 

 bottom of the hive so that no bee may escape its proper doom. 



But now are you sure those poor bees deserve death ? Is 

 it not just possible that they have done the best they could ? 



