474 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



business, but it is not every lady tliHt 

 can bold a plow to break tbe ground, 

 or follow the team all day to harrow 

 it, and unless we can do a man's work 

 in tbe field, I think agriculture had 

 better be left for the stronger sex. So 

 in bee-keeping : we can help in many 

 ways, but w^hen the woman with 

 household duties, and a family of 

 small children to assist in bringing 

 up, undertakes the management of 40 

 or 50 colonies of bees, she must neg- 

 lect her family or her bees. 



I think Dr. J. G. Holland was right 

 when he said the woman that left the 

 care of her family for some other 

 employment, stepped down— for what 

 higher, holier calling can a woman 

 follow than in caring for her family 'i 

 I would say to the laxlies, if your hus- 

 bands are interested in bee-keeping, 

 interest yourselves in it, and help 

 them all you can, not only in the care 

 of the bees, but by talking over liow 

 it is best to prepare for the honey 

 harvest when it comes. We want all 

 things in readiness so there may be 

 no delay. We know we get good 

 ideas from them about our work by 

 talking with them, and sometimes 

 the children can give useful hints. I 

 think we should talk with them. I 

 have great hopes for the coming gen- 

 eration in regard to bee-cultnre, for I 

 have no idea we shall learn it all in 

 our day. 



By industry and perseverance we 

 can overcome great difficulties. We 

 cannot remain idle if we think to 

 keep bees on the improved plans, for 

 there is much to be done if we have 

 only a few colonies, and it not only 

 takes time but money to carry on the 

 business. We must not think any- 

 thing will do for a hive, or that it is 

 good enough for us. We want the 

 best, put together in tiie best possi- 

 ble shape, so there will Ije no danger 

 from leaky hives, and when the bees 

 need attention, be prompt in giving 

 it. If we would have them profitable, 

 we must look after their needs just as 

 much as we would any of our other 

 stock. Sometimes a little care will 

 save a good colony, and how could we 

 employ that time to better advantage 

 or at more profit. Let us try and do 

 our best in the management of our 

 bees, as in everything else, and I be- 

 lieve we shall be successful. 



Dexter,© Maine. 



Kor the American Bee Journal. 



Spider-Plant and Virginia Creeper. 



JOHN A. BALMEIi. 



A good deal has been written about 

 this plant, but I do not think that it 

 will ever take a place in tlip front 

 rank amongst honey-plants. There 

 is no doubt but what it is a great 

 plant to secrete nectar, but the nectar 

 is available to the bees for so short a 

 time each day, that it will not pay to 

 give much space to it on our lands. 

 During the day it presents a vvoe-be- 

 gone appearance, and looks as if all 

 dried up : about 4 or ■') p. m. it l)egins 

 to freshen up, and the flowers assume 

 a deeper color ; about this time, too, 

 tiny drops of nectar are to be seen 



collecting on the younger flowers. It 

 is generally about 6 p. m. before the 

 bees find it, thus giving them only an 

 hour or two to work on it at evening. 

 Sometimes there is a plentiful yield 

 of nectar for an hour or two in the 

 morning, but this is not always 

 certain. 



This plant is seen at its best about 

 7 or 8 p. m., or just as darkness is 

 closing in ; it then affords a bountiful 

 harvest for the " humming-bird 

 moths," and numerous other noctur- 

 nal winged insects. 



Another reason why it will never 

 become popular is the trouble to start 

 it every spring. Seed sown here the 

 last week in April, once transplanted, 

 and finally planted out in the 1st week 

 in June, bloomed the first week in 

 .July, or about four weeks after being 

 put out. It blooms until frost— and is 

 a beautiful plant after sundown. 



There is an excellent honey-plant 

 which I do not think has ever been 

 brought to the notice of bee-keepers- 

 it is Ampelopsis Veitchi. This plant is 

 a hard-wood timber, and a near rela- 

 tive of the Virginia creeper {Ampelop- 

 sis hcdetM-ea). It is a beautiful rapid- 

 growing climber, provided with short- 

 branched, tendril-like hold-fasts, each 

 branch of which is provided witb a 

 sucker or disc, by means of which it 

 holds fast to the surface with which 

 it comes in contact, whether stone, 

 brick or tree-bark. The color of this 

 plant is a light, tender green, flushed 

 with red in summer, and changing to 

 brilliant crimson in autumn. The 

 flowers are very abundant, yet incon- 

 spicuous. It will grow in almost any 

 soil, and is perfectly hardy south of 

 the Arctic Circle. The bloom lasts 

 1.5 or 20 days, and is roaring with bees 

 all the while. For covering dwelling- 

 houses, barns, or out-buildings, I can 

 conceive of no finer ornament. 



Paris, o Tils. 



Hiving Bees 



Exchange. 



-An Old Incident. 



" Never resolutely defend thyself 

 when they seem to threaten thee," 

 writes old Mr. Butler ; and the better 

 to impress that excellent maxim on the 

 mind of the amateur bee-keeper, and 

 convince him how such a course may 

 help him in the direst strait his 

 bungling may bring him to, I will re- 

 late to iiim a marvelous little story 

 told by Thorley. the bee-master, and 

 furnished by him in his " Female 

 Monarchy :"" 



" One of my swarms settling among 

 the close twisted branches of some 

 coddling trees, and not to be got into 

 a hive without more help, my maid- 

 servant, hired into the family the 

 Michaelmas before, being in the gar- 

 den, very officiously offered her assist- 

 ance so far as to hold the hive while 

 I dislodged the bees, she being little 

 apprehensive of what followed. 



'• Having never been acquainted 

 with bees, and likewise afraid, she 

 put a linen cloth over her head and 

 shoulders, concluding that would be 

 a sufficient guard, and secure her from 

 their stings. A few of the bees fell 

 into the hive, some upon the ground ; 



but the main body of them upon the 

 cloth which covered her upper gar- 

 ments. No sooner had I taken the 

 hive out of her hands, but, in a ter- 

 rible fright and surprise, she cried 

 out. The bees were got .under the 

 covering, crowding up towards her 

 breast and face. When I perceived 

 the veil was of no further use, she at 

 last gave me leave to remove it. This 

 done, a most affecting spectacle pre- 

 sented itself to the view of all the 

 company, filling me with the deepest 

 distress and concern, as I thought 

 myself the unhappy instrument of 

 drawing her into so great and im- 

 minent hazard of her life, which now 

 so manifestly lay at stake. 



" It is not in my power to tell the 

 confusion and distress of mind I was 

 in from the awful apprehension it 

 raised ; and her dread and terror in 

 such circumstances may reasonably 

 be supposed to be much more. Every 

 moment she was at the point of re- 

 tiring with all the bees about her. 

 Vain thought ! to escape by flight. 

 She might have left the place, indeed, 

 but could not the company V and the 

 remedy would have been much worse 

 than the disease. Had she enraged 

 them, all resistance had been in vain, 

 and nothing less than her life would 

 have atoned for the offense. And now 

 to have had that life (in so much jeop- 

 ardy) insured, what would I not have 

 given y 



"To prevent, therefore, a flight 

 which must have been attended by so 

 fatal a consequence, I spared not to 

 urge all the arguments I could think 

 of, and used the most affectionate en- 

 treaties, begging her with all the 

 earnestness in my power to stand her 

 ground and keep her present posture ; 

 in order to which I gave her encour- 

 agement to hope in a little space for a 

 full discharge from her disagreeable 

 companions ; on the other hand assur- 

 ing her she had no other chance for 

 her life. I was, through necessity, 

 constantly reasoning with her, or else 

 beseeching and encouraging her. 



" I now began to search among 

 them, now got in a great body upon 

 her breast, about lier neck, and up to 

 her chin, for the queen. I presently 

 saw her, and immediately seized her, 

 taking her from among the crowd 

 with some of the workers in company 

 with her, and put them together in 

 the hive. Here I watched her for 

 some time, and as I did not observe 

 that she came out, I conceived an ex- 

 pectation of quickly seeing the whole 

 body quickly abandon their settle- 

 ment; but, instead of that, I soon ob- 

 served them, to my great sorrow and 

 surprise, gathering closer together, 

 without the least signal for departing. 

 Upon this I immediately reflected 

 that either there must be another 

 queen, or that the same was returned. 

 1 directly commenced asecond search, 

 and, in a short time, with a most 

 agreeable surprise, found a second or 

 the same ; she strove, by entering 

 further into the crowd, to escape me, 

 which I was fully determined against, 

 and apprehending her without any 

 further ceremony or the least apology, 

 I reconducted her with a great num- 

 ber of the populace into the hive. 



