opiniou, from the fact that some plants 

 which we set back by transplanting in 

 May, are still in bloom this August 10th, and 

 are now alive with bees, dividing their atten- 

 tion with the beautiful cleome, which is now 

 in full bloom, and fairly noisy with bees. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT. 



The stalk is square, (Fig. 1) branching, 

 and when cultivated, attains a height of 



some four feet ; though as it grows in waste 

 places, it is seldom more than three feet. — 

 The branches, and also the leaves are oppo- 

 site, (Fig. 1 and 2) and in the axiles of the 

 latter, are whorls of blossoms, (Fig. 2 and 3) 

 which succeed each other from below to the 

 top of the branching stems. The corolla 

 is like that of all the mints, while the calix 



has ftve teeth, which are sharp and spine- 

 like in the nutlets as they appear at the 

 base of the leaves (Fig. 2), As they near 

 the top, the whorls of blossoms and suc- 



ceeding seeds are successively nearer to- 

 gether, and finally become very crowded at 

 the apex (Fig. 3). The leaves are long and 

 palmately lobed (Fig. 3). The small 

 blossom is purple. 



The figures were drawn from the plants 

 by W. S. Holdsworth. A. J. Cook. 



Mich. Agricultural College, Aug. 10, 18TS. 



For me Amer'cau Bee Journal. 



Standard of Purity. 



Editor Bee Journal:— I am greatly 

 interested in the question of the standard of 

 purity in Italian bees. Of course every bee 

 imported from Italy is an Italian bee, and 

 it seems plain that there are dai'Ti as well 

 as light queens imported. JSTor is it fully 

 established that all Italian bees are equaly 

 good, i. e. prolific, industrious and gentle — 

 or rather tliat these qualities do not, in any 

 degree depend upon color. That is the pri- 

 mary point to be settled. If decided affirm- 

 atively, so far as color goes, we can have 

 no standard for utility, and only one for 

 fancy and uniformity. It seems clear to 

 me that if it can be done without sacrificing 

 better qualities, a standard of color is ex- 

 ceedingly desirable. For instance, I have 

 purchased several so-called Italians from 

 persons in different parts of the United 

 States. My own bees are not of the black- 

 est, as several years ago some Italian blood 

 was introduced into the apiary, from which 

 they came; still they are probably called 

 black bees; and yet I can scarcely distin- 

 guish the progeny of an Italian queen sent 

 me from Georgia and that of my own queens. 

 One of a leather color from Oatman, last 

 year, was plainly different from my own, 

 but was lost in introducing in September 

 last. I have now one from Alley, of a fine 

 light leather color, larger and finer than I 

 have before seen. She is laying and I hope 

 to see in her a mother of bees quite different 

 from my own. I also expect another from 

 friend Oatman soon, and have faith that in 

 the end I shall get my colonies Italianized, 

 but will they be dark, lightish, or yellow? 

 Who can tell? It seems to me that before 

 we adopt a standard of color, we should 

 adopt one of value. Are we prepared for 

 the question? Let us hate light on the pri- 

 mary question. Mrs. N. P. Coltrin. 



Centralia, 111., July 24, 1878. 



[It certainly is not fully established that 

 the prolificness, industry and gentleness of 

 Italian queens "do not in any degree de- 

 pend upon color!" On the contrary, we do 

 know that the darker queens are more pro- 

 lific and produce more industrious bees! 

 Therefore the production of "the golden 

 beauties " is usually at the expense of other 

 esteemed qualities. The point raised by 

 Mrs. Coltrin is " well taken" —the standard 

 of value must determine the standard of 

 purity. Let us have light, even if it turns 

 the "brightness" of queens into comparjH 

 tive " darkness." Let there be light.— Ed.] 



