154 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPEE 



sider before you change the style of 

 your hives. 1 am working yards hav- 

 ing six entirely different hives and can't 

 see much difference in the results. Of 

 course, only one kind is allowed in a 

 yard. It is confusion worse confound- 

 ed to have two styles of hives in one 

 yard. 



Take all the time that may be neces- 

 sary to explain how flowers are fer- 

 tilized and the part bees play in it. 

 This is one of the subjects upon which 

 people should be educated. I changed 

 a man from a skeptic to a firm believer, 

 today, by showing him the structure of 

 a few flowers and the use of the parts. 



West Groton, N. Y. 



The Bee a Napoleonic Emblem. 



Written for the AvKrimn Bee-K<(i><r. 



BY M. F. REEVE. 



(^^HB eagle and the bee figure prohi- 

 ■5J?3§ inently among the decorative 

 '^^ emblems of the Napoleonic 

 period. Golden bees decorated the im- 

 perial mantle and the throne. Count 

 Regnault, in a discussion with the great 

 emperor upon the question of a coat of 

 arms, inquired: "Would you have the 

 mantle embroidered with eagles?" 



"No," replied Napoleon, "that would 

 have a bad effect. I would have gold 

 stars, or rather gold bees. The latter 

 would be a national emblem, for bees 

 were found in the tomb of Chilperic. 

 That insect is the symbol of industry. 

 The stars will be for me, and the bees 

 for the people. These and the gold 

 eagle, with the thunderbolt in his 

 claws, on a field of azure, picturing the 

 heavens to which he is soaring. These 

 are more than sufficient. Our national 

 colors will all refer to me, and to our 

 descendants. I shall be the founder of 

 all things." 



The third emperor preserved the beo 

 as one of the national emblems, and it 

 figures in the ornamentation of his 

 period. 



Rutledge, Pa. 



Bee-keepers' Sad Plight. 



A failure of the honey crop is not 

 the worst calamity that can befall a 

 bee-keeper, as some, in bewailing their 

 ill luck, seem to think. As an example 

 of discouragements, dire and depress- 

 ing, through which some of the bee- 

 keepers have been compelled to pass 

 this season, may be mentioned Mr. 

 Thomas McDonald, of Shawneetown, 

 Ills., who, in the devastating fioods last 

 April, lost his home, his cattle and en- 

 tire apiary of 200 colonies. The fact 

 that Mr. McDonald is poor and a help- 

 less cripple renders his loss doubly se- 

 vere, and a movement has been set on 

 foot by benevolent friends inviting 

 contributions to his aid, which may be 

 sent direct to the address given. 



Even more sad is the affliction of Mr. 

 J. P. Lees, of Stuart, Fla., a bee-keeper 

 who has but recently settled there, 

 with naught but a large family of 

 small children and a determination to 

 carve out a home in the wilds of Dade 

 county, with but one hand, having lost 

 the fingers of his left by accidental 

 contact with a saw. In addition to the 

 loss of a honey crop as a result of for- 

 est fires in his locality this year, the 

 following pathetic note tells of greater 

 trouble: 



Stuart, Fla., Aug. 4, 1898. 



Friend Hill:— Our home, which is 

 no more, was the scene of a sad event 

 on July 31st: My 10-year-old boy was 

 burned to death; my house, with all its 

 contents, was destroyed by fire. My 

 wife, myself and one small child barely 

 escaped with our lives, and as a result 

 of my burns and exhaustion I am now 

 in bed. We had not time to save a 

 thing but ourselves from the flames. 

 The neighbors have kindly given us 



