1907.] THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 191 



coiify berries you sent me and they they hustle while at work does not 



came up chicory and I want to know necessarily make thern "busy bees im- 



why these things are so. P. S. Reply proving each shining hour." Mr. 



soon because I want to know. Latham took me to task for callmg 



Yours truly, the bees "lazy," but at the same time 



Sirnon Simple. he confessed that they were often 



"idle." Idleness when there is work 



to do and when waste ensues from 



AN OPEN LETTER TO DR. MILLER, its not being done is generally called 



laziness in the idle person. However, 

 Providence, R. I., July 15, 1907. the quibble should not be over terms. 

 Well, Dr. Miller: I am delighted As the individual bee does so little 

 to have an opportunity to again lock each day it behooves the bee-keeper 

 horns with you. Because at times to see that there are an abundance of 

 bees leave drone cells empty even workers in each colony when the har- 

 when they are crowded for storage vest is to be gathered. 

 space, it does not follow that they Sincerely yours, 

 know they need drones. Physical Arthur C. Miller. 



conditions within the bees, produced _^ 



perhaps by heat, crowding, surfeit of vrrn-ov 



honey in the sacs, excess of chyle IT MEANS WORK. 



in the stomachs or some other ob- Chatsworth, Cal., Aug. i„ 1907. 



scure cause or causes may serve to j^^ harvest set in on May 8th and 

 make the bees leave such cells vacant, g^ded June 28th, during which time I 

 Such cells to bees in such conditions extracted 36,000 pounds from 306 prime 

 may produce a revulsion of feehng colonies. There were four rounds 

 comparable to that* in the sea-sick ^^^^ averaging about 30 pounds to 

 traveller at the smell of fried pork. ^^^ colony. That is just about 1-3 or 

 W.ho knows? ^.2 an ordinary yield. As I had no 



That bees notify the queen of the assistance I had to "hump" to provide 

 fact that 'there are vacant drone cells ^^^^ ^^^ ^ fg^ jays Qnce they fill- 

 or direct or guide her to them, to me ^^ ^^^^ sealed the supers in four days 

 seems too absurd for serious con- ^^ ^j^^ cloudiest kind of weather. On 

 sideration. Doctor, if you will con- ^j^^ jj^ j^ ^^^j ^^^\^ of ju^e I took out 

 struct a really scientific observa.tion ^f ^-^^ j^j^es^ uncapped and extracted, 

 hive and will watch the bees in it at oyer 2,000 pounds each day. There 

 all hours of day and night and under ^ygre 350 swarms which were all sent 

 all sorts of conditions, I think that i^^ck. I was so tired many times that 

 you will be forced to concede that j .^^^^s glad to crawl into bed with 

 bees are precious little more than overalls, boots and all. and daubed with 

 reflex machines. Miost observation i-,oney from head to feet, 

 hives will only show you a meagre q -^Y Dayton, 



part of what goes on among the bees. 



And by-the-bye I note that you re- 



cently said in the "Journal" that bees j^ j^^g ^js^ ^^^^ observed by the 

 object to the light and will eventual- Switzer bee-keepers, according to the 

 ly cover the glass with propolis, g^^^:. Bztg. that during the dry spring 

 There you are in error. If the hive of 1906 the pear bloom yielded nectar 

 is not subjected to the sun's rays, or {„ ^^ unusual degree, and while dan- 

 the rays from a bright flame they ^elion suffered from drouth, the deep- 

 will work on apparently quite uncon- reaching pear tree roots supplied the 

 scious of whether they are in the ^^ee with the needed moisture, and 

 light or in the dark. They do get ex- j-^e warm weather was extremely fa- 

 cited when there is a sudden influx vorable for the pear blossoms to -se- 

 of light, but if the light is continuous crete nectar. 



they show no evidence of being con- rj,^^ Switzer bee-keepers realize that 

 scious of it. bees ought to be gotten ready for 



iWith a proper hive you will also winter early. Uniting, requeening 

 be able to see how little work a bee and feeding up late, are not conducive 

 does in twenty-four hours. Because to good wintering. 



