GLEANED BY FRANK BENTON. 



Herr Dennler, of the Btenen-Zueehter, 

 has observed that his bees prefer the blos- 

 soms of wild grape vines to those of the lin- 

 den, and he recommends the former very 

 highly for cultivation in shady, out-of-the 

 way places, old walls, north side of build- 

 ings, etc. 



UApicnlteur says of the apicultural show 

 at the Exposition: "In visiting the pavilion 

 containing the French apicultural products, 

 we fear that more than one will say, when 

 he learns what this or that cost the con- 

 tributor and exhibitor: ' One should be able 

 to produce a better article for that price; 

 there should be a place more appropriate to 

 the article, and to exhibit implements- 

 otherwise than on tables— classed as far as 

 possible in accordance with their order and 

 use; they ought, as well, to be able to attach 

 a different card in order to properly present 

 some products.' " 



The Wax Tree. — " The wax-tree grows 

 upon the Andes in South America, reaches 

 a height of 150 feet, and is consequently one 

 of the finest trees of the tropics. Its trunk, 

 which at tlie base reaches a diameter of 

 about two feet, is covered its whole length 

 with wax, which can be scaled off. The 

 scales are then boiled in water and the wax 

 floats, witl)out melting; it only becomes 

 softer and the impurities settle. From this 

 mass, with which a quantity of soap is often 

 mixed to make it brittle again, they make 

 candles. The wax obtained in this manner 

 is yellow, light, transparent, nearly like 

 resin; it melts at a temperature somewhat 

 stronger than that of boiling water. When 

 rubbed it becomes verj; electric, and gives 

 out a very strong smell in burning." 



Cure of Rheumatism.— De?- Deutsche 

 Blenenfreund contains the following arti- 

 cle by Herrn Schneider, Principle of aKoyal 

 Academy in Silesia: "Some six years ago 

 my wife suffered from rheumatism in the 

 right arm, no physician being able to help 

 her. During a half year, in consequence of 

 darting pains, the poor woman could not se- 

 cure a night's sleep. The afflicted arm was 

 nearly crippled; she could not attend to the 

 household labors, and at last could no longer 

 dress herself alone. I happened to recollect 

 having read somewliere of the cure by means 

 of bee-stings, of a farmer who was troubled 

 severely with rheumatism. The pain which 

 my wife must constantly endure could not 

 be increased by a few bee stings, so I per- 

 mitted the aftlicted arm to he stung by three 

 bees; and in order that the poison sacs 

 might be completely emptied, I held the 

 bees to the arm for some time. The result 

 of this application was surprising. The 

 first night my wife could, for the first time 

 in six months, sleep well; the darting pain 

 was gone. The next day the arm was swol- 

 len very thick, yet this rapidly decreased; 

 the rheumatism had wholly left, and has 



not reappeared. I could mention a series of 

 such cases in which the severest rheumatic 

 pains have been successfully treated by the 

 use of bee-stings, but it would only be a 

 repetition, lience I will only add that'the ef- 

 fect of the bee-stings always appears in the 

 shortest space of time, and that this means 

 has never been used witliout producing the 

 most favorable results." 



^0tcs and ^uevus. 



Paoli, Ind., June 7, 1878. 



" A neighbor of mine had a swarm of 

 bees come out on Sunday, and on Tuesday, 

 the second came. My second swarms never 

 come under 8 days. 1 would like to know 

 what made the 2 swarms come so close to- 

 gether. Bees have done well here in 

 Southern Indiana, this spring ; but the 

 weather is so dry now that it is making 

 clover honey short. My best wishes for the 

 American Bee Journal." 



B. M. Lingle. 



[Unfavorable weather may have delayed 

 the first swarm from issuing till tlie oldest 

 queen was ready to emerge from the cell.— 

 In such a case she might, another queen 

 being nearly ready to leave the cell, accom- 

 panying an after-swarm in two or three 

 days.— Ed.] 



Delhi, HI., June 1, 1878. 

 " Please give the name of the enclosed 

 plant. It seems to be a species of clover." 

 H. D. Edwards. 



[Prof. Beal, of the Michigan Agricultural 

 College, answers as follows: "■Trifoluim 

 reflexum, (Buffalo clover). I should like a 

 package of seeds."— A. J. Cook.] 



Hart, Mich., June 5, 1878. 



1. "The 3rd inst. I was engaged looking 

 up a queen in a last year's after swarm- 

 did not find her the first time going through 

 the hive— was just going to renew my 

 search when I had to leave them and look 

 to a swarm which was just issuing. After 

 taking care of them, 1 returned to my 

 search for tlie queen. Went through the 

 hive again to the middle frame, when I 

 noticed on the lower front corner of it, a 

 knot of bees which I was certain contained 

 the queen. I took it up and released her on 

 the middle of the frame, thinking perhaps 

 she would be safe there, but they immedi- 

 ately imprisoned her. I went for a cage to 

 put her in, but when I had released her 

 again, she was a conise. The colony is a 

 medium sized one. How shall I account 

 for their conduct ? 



2. I also have 2 hives, with about a pint 

 of bees in each. One of them contains a 

 queen 2 years old, the other is 1 year old.— 

 1 have been nursing them, thinking perhaps 

 they would build up when honey began 

 flowing more freely, but on looking at them 

 to-day, I find none of the larv* fully devel- 

 oped, and many of the cells contain 2 and 3 



