244 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



April 19 1900. 



probable that most of the carbro-hydrates — by which term 

 we mean the starch, sugars and cellulose — is made from the 

 carbon dioxide and water, it is very probably true that the 

 cells have the power of converting- their own proteids or 

 nitrogenous elements into these carbo-hydrates, which they 

 might do in case the water or carbon dioxide was not pres- 

 ent. We know that animal cells do something very like 

 this. 



The material manufactured by the leaves is usually 

 some form of sugar. This is borne away in solution in 

 what is sometimes called "elaborated sap," and taken to 

 the cells, changed into starch often and stored up : as 

 starch is insoluble it will remain until changed again to 

 sugar. Whenever there is excess of the carbo-hydrates, 

 this starch is stored ; and when needed it is again changed 

 into sugar and borne away to be used. The cell-walls, and 

 indeed all the woody part of the plant, is formed by chang- 

 ing this sugar into cellulose, which is the substance of all 

 woody tissues. 



The growth of all our common trees is always added to 

 the outside in the cambium layer which consists of the outer 

 sapwood and the inner bark. In this way a ring is added 

 to the tree each year. We therefore call such plants exo- 

 gens, which word means outside growers. 



As stated above, the nectar of plants is not sap. At the 

 base of the flower, or wherever nectar is secreted, there are 

 special nectar-cells, which differ not onl5' in appearance 

 from the ordinary cells, but have a different function. 

 These have the power to take sugar from the sap which 

 they may simply deposit, or possibly they may take some 

 element from the sap and change it into sugar. This is 

 almost always cane-sugar. Thus, these cells secrete sugar 

 from the sap, and do not simply pass the sap out into the 

 flower. The sugar of the nectar may be in the sap, or may 

 be formed by the nectar-cells. In any case, the nectar is 

 quite difi^erent from the sap. 



We have seen that the nitrogen in combination carried 

 up b)' the sap is used for the nourishment of the cells. The 

 probable use, then, of the nitrogen is to promote the growth 

 of the plant. A soil very rich in nitrogen will show thrifty 

 plants. It is supposed that the potash and phosphoric acid 

 are more needed in the fruiting or formation of fruit and 

 grain of the plant. Without doubt all of these elements are 

 needed in all growth and development. 



I have called attention above to the chlorophyll of the 

 leaves. This is what makes the leaves green. In the work 

 of the leaves this is constantly being used up. It must, 

 therefore, be constantly formed, or the plant will be- 

 come pale and sicklj-. To form the chlorophyll the leaf 

 must not only have the necessary elements, but also sun- 

 light. We see, then, why plants or grass under a board 

 become pale. The chlorophyll is used up, and in the ab- 

 sence of sunlight can not form again. 



I stated above that all the water of plants comes from 

 -the roots. Those who have noticed how plants revive on a 

 foggy morning may doubt this statement. As the sap 

 passes to the leaves the water is constantly evaporated from 

 their surface, leaving the salts which it bears for their 

 nourishment. It is probable that the leaves do the hardest 

 part of the work of the plants. By this evaporation an im- 

 mense amount of water passes off. A foggy morning in 

 time of drouths revives the plant, because it prevents this 

 ■ excessive evaporation. 



We should never use the word digestion in referring to 

 plant work. Digestion is the preparing of the food so that 

 it can be absorbed. Plants rarelj- take any food that can 

 inot be absorbed. Therefore, most plants have no digestive 

 organs, and perform no digestion. 



Keeping- Bees on a City House-Roof. 



I!Y "UKB.^NITE." 



EARLY in April, 1899, I became the possessor of two 

 colonies of bees. They were delivered one evening 

 after dark, and in hoisting them up to the roof of my 

 house (for there it is where they were to be located), the 

 hives were bumpt against the wall, turned over and over, 

 and the combs, being heavj-, old and not wired, broke from 

 the frames, so that it was impossible to lift up one without 

 disturbing all the rest. All the combs in each hive were 

 one solid mass — I might say mess. It was clear they had 

 to be transferred to new hives, and my son and I undertook 

 the job with much misgiving. But we succeeded fairly 

 well and without too much waste. 



By the end of the month the breaks in the combs had 

 been repaired, and each frame could be taken out with ease 



and comfort. By the middle of May the hives were full of 

 bees — boiling over. 



Being away from home during the day it became nec- 

 essary to prevent swarming. This was managed by the 

 use of entrance-guards, by giving plenty of room, and by 

 dividing. They did swarm, after all, but returned after an 

 absence of about an hour or less. 



A third colony was started b3' taking two frames with 

 brood from each of the two hives, and replacing with 

 frames filled with foundation, and a queen was sent for 

 which did not arrive until June 20. She was introduced the 

 same evening, and reared a hive full of fine Italians; but 

 the colony produced only 39 pounds of honey, having been 

 queenless 32 days. The bees in this hive, however, gave 

 me the satisfaction of allowing me to exhibit them with 

 safetj- to strangers. Frequently have I taken out one of 

 their frames with crowds of bees on each side, they keeping 

 quietly at work without resenting the exposure, and afford- 

 ing m}' friends the opportunity to enjoy this novel sight at 

 close range. 



In all this there is nothing new, and you may want to 

 know what is the use of going to the trouble to write about 

 it. My object is to show that it is easj- to keep a few colo- 

 nies on the roof of a house right here in this city, and that 

 bees so placed will more than pay for their keep, and that 

 hundreds of men with some leisure on their hands might 

 engage in this most interesting and useful diversion, if they 

 will only make up their mind to it. 



An apiary on the roof of a house has its drawbacks — 

 carrying things up and down stairs and ladders in the hot- 

 test time of the season is not whatjou may call " a picnic," 

 but, on the other hand, there are advantages : The bees 

 have perfect quiet, and are not interfered with, anything 

 left lying around loose is not lost, and the small boy is 

 barred out. 



When I commenced it was with the apprehension that 

 possibly the neighbors might consider my bees a nuisance, 

 but after the season opened, and it was seen that they were 

 inoffensive, strictly attending to their own business, I had 

 no more fear — they became popular favorites, and when my 

 wife sent to each of our neighbors a tumbler full or so of 

 honey from our first extracting, all became friends and ad- 

 mirers ; they take a kindly interest in my bees, and my 

 hives are pointed out by them to visitors as objects of curi- 

 osity, well worth seeing. 



I had hoped that the bees would produce enough honey 

 to supply the needs of our small household, but when ex- 

 tracting the first time, and getting honey by the bucket 

 full, I was most agreeably surprised, tho I should have 

 known better. It was stored from the vrhite sweet clover, 

 of which there are miles between the West Side and the 

 Desplaines River, and the blossoms were out inconsiderable 

 quantity by June 15, and continued to the end of October; 

 but I think the bees did not get much nectar out of them 

 after the first of that month. No goldenrod, usually very 

 plenty, was seen last fall. The quality' of the honey was 

 superb. It was put up in Mason fruit-jars, and sold to 

 neighbors and acquaintances at the rate of SO cents a quart. 

 There was no difficulty in disposing of our surplus ; in fact, 

 a great deal more than we had was spoken for. 



My expenses were $28 — that is, 58 for the bees, and the 

 balance for new hives, frames, foundation, extractor, comb- 

 basket, smoker, veils, and some few tools. For this outlay 

 we had to show : 194 pounds of extracted, and 24 pounds of 

 comb honey, and an increase of one colony. Should they 

 come thru the winter all right, as I expect, the cash outlay 

 next season, as far as these three colonies are concerned, will 

 probably not exceed one dollar. 



I know of but one of my personal acquaintances who 

 keeps bees here on the roof. His is a two-story house on 

 which there are nine colonies, which produced last season 

 more then 110 pounds on an average, one running as high 

 as 200 pounds. He was more successful than I, but then he 

 is an old hand. He tells me he has a number of colonies on 

 his farm in Missouri, and only brought here these few "to 

 keep him company." Chicago, 111. 



The Honey-Extractor — Ancient History — "Honor 

 to Whom Honor is Due." 



BY M. M. BALDRIDGE. 



"f I MiE lirst bonev-extractor put on the market in the United States 

 I wa.. the Peabody. It was invented by J. L. Peabody, who now re- 

 X_ sides in Colorado, and was patented by him in IStt').'' — ^See page 73, 

 No. 5, American Bee Journal. 



No. 11 of the American Bee Journal lies before me. I 

 have waited very patientlj- till now for some one verst in 



