Buckwheat family, 38; LiUncecc, Lily fam- 

 ily, 50. Besides these, there are many where 

 there is only one or two, or a few in a small 

 order, perhaps not far from .570. Then, 

 piobably, there are a hundred or more about 

 which I am uncertain. If 1 have added 

 correctly, 1 pive, above, about 1,775 species 

 from which bees get more or less honey or 

 l)ollen. These grow east of the Mississippi 

 river and north of Kentucky, in the United 

 States. Some, like the grasses and pines, 

 have no showy or fragrant flowers, and af- 

 ford little or no honey. As a general rule, 

 those plants which produce odorous or 

 showy flowers afford honey and will be vis- 

 ited by honey bees, unless the flower is of a 

 shape which nuikes it impossible for the 

 bees to reach the food. 



" It would be a great source of pleasure, 

 and in some cases perhaps a profit also, for 

 every bee-keeper to be a good botanist. In 

 fact, every person should study botany more 

 or less, as any one can if he only tries and 

 perseveres. The culture it gives, the enjoy- 

 ment, the discipline, all place botany in a 

 high position as a science." 



In sunnning up the cultivated honey 

 plants that I have had under my personal 

 supervision, I find that those of most im- 

 liortance to bee-keeiiers, where there is no 

 Basswood, are: Alsike Clover, White Clo- 

 ver, ]N[eli lotus Alba. Motherwort, Catnip, 

 Dwarf Chinese or White Mustard, Black 

 Mustard, Borage, Rape, and Mignonette. 

 Indeed, they are all good for any region ot 

 country. 



The "question of honey plants is of such 

 vast importance to all bee men, and in my 

 opinion one season is not sufficient for it to 

 be worked up thoroughly and placed before 

 the public, as the seasons ditter to such an 

 extent. Fisk Bangs. 



Scientific Bee Culture. 



ADDRESS BEFORE THE WASHINGTON COUN- 

 TY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AT SOUTH 

 HARTFORD, N. Y., JAN. 10, 1878. 



Inasmuch as some of our most acute search- 

 ers into the hidden wonders of the insect 

 world, have, with enthusiasm, devoted their 

 lives to the protitable study of this wonderful 

 insect, I venture to intrude into the usual dis- 

 cussion of stock and crops, to present a few 

 facts in relation to bees and honey. 



From the progress of the past few years, it 

 is not too much to expect that tlie honey in- 

 terest will yet rank beside the other great 

 farming industries of the day. We are led to 

 this expectation, from an examination into 

 ttie statistics of honey production, and the 

 sources of supply by which we are sur- 

 rounded. 



From careful observation and from the ex- 

 perience of others, it is safe to say tliatan aver- 

 age of 500 pounds of honey could be obtained 

 Jrom every square mile of our county; and 

 deducting one-half of this for poor seasons, 

 drouth, etc., and then our 8.50 square miles 

 would produce over 200,01)0 pounds, while the 

 provision of artificial pasturage would greatly 

 increase it. 



To those unacquainted with our honey re- 

 sources these statements may seem to be over- 

 drawn, but we have at hand reliable tlgures 

 from various localities in our own Htate, where 

 the production is over 1,000 pounds per square 



mile. While California, noted for its wonder- 

 ful productions of soil and mine, has localities 

 where there seems to be no end to tiie tlow of 

 this abundant sweet. 



While localities are thus being developed, 

 individual ett'ort is progressing in a remarka- 

 ble degree, anl we have reliable reports of sin- 

 gle swarms producing as liigh as .500 pounds, 

 and whole apiaries averaging nearly 100 lbs. to 

 each swarm. 



These results are obtained only throush un- 

 remitting watchfulness and labor, and the 

 adoption of modern improvements. 



Th>5 first improvement over the old straw 

 hive was substitution of the surplus boxes, 

 from this sprung the well known invention ol 

 the Weeks' patent hive of our grandfathers' 

 days. 



The next great step in advance was the in- 

 vention of the movable frame hive by Lana- 

 stroth. The discovery of this principle opened 

 up a new world of study and observation for 

 the naturalist and apiarist. For, previous to 

 this, many of tlie habits of the bee, and its do- 

 mestic arrangement were enshrouded in mj-s- 

 tery. A hive constiucted upon this principle 

 contains several frames or cards of comb which 

 can be readilj' removed and examined, thus 

 giving complete control of the occupauts. 



Soonafterthe invention of thishive, thegood 

 qualities of the Italian bee were discovered, 

 and importation of improved stock was com- 

 menced ; and at present the active golden 

 Italians are superseding in many localities our 

 common black bee. And now, like our poul- 

 try lanciers who liave improved their breeds 

 from all parts of ihe world, our importers are 

 searching all continents and isles of the ocean- 

 for new and larger races of bees. And the 

 coming season will witness the importation of 

 bees from .lava and Borneo. 



The great advantages sought after in new 

 races of bees is a longer proboscis, thaf will 

 enable the bee to reach honey that hitherto 

 has been unattainable, but which is so abund- 

 ant that the honey yield would be doubled, 

 and it would become the cheapest and most 

 abundant sweet known. 



The next improvement which marks a new 

 era in bee culture was the invention of the 

 honey emptying machine, or extractor. Pre- 

 vious to this discovei-y, liquid honey was ob- 

 tained by breaking the comlxs with all their 

 impurities and squeezing out the honey, 

 which always tasted rank with bee-breadl 

 With the extractor the comb is not broken" 

 but where the honey is thrown from it, the 

 emptied comb is returned to the hive to be re- 

 filled by the bees. A single card of comb can 

 be usetl thus until it is black with age, still the 

 honey thrown Irom it is as clear and pure as 

 when gathered from the flower. Now wheu' 

 we find that it takes from fifteen to twenty 

 pounds of honey to produce one pound of 

 comb, we have in the extractor a great econo- 

 mizer. Wax is a secretion from the honey af- 

 ter it is eaten by the bee, and resolves itself i« 

 thin scales on the abdomen, (roni whence it is 

 taken by the young bees and used in comb- 

 building. Thus, every pound of empty comb 

 supplied to the bees, is equal to many pounds 

 of honey for the bee-keeper. A third more 

 honey can be obtained with the extractor than 

 of comb honey. And each particular yield can 

 be kept separate. We have in our county 

 three great sources of honey : White clover in 

 June, basswood in July, and buckwheat and 

 other dark honey in August and September.. 

 Our whole yield is crowded into about three 

 months, and owing to drouths and other dis- 

 pensations of nature, the yield is sometimes 

 cut down to one month, or perhaps but a few 

 days. It is, therefore, possible, with our ma- 

 chine, to keep our beautiful M-hite clover and 

 basswood honey separate, and our buckwheat 

 stnd other dark, honey by itself. California. 



