1907-] THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 227 



bee, one less than sixteen days old, when bees are depositing in the cells 

 then he hedges and says one of those we have only to cite his statement 

 "which do the work inside the hive that bees put honey or nectar in the 

 when the colony is in normal condi- cells by slowly licking over the inner 

 tion." I presume by ''normal con- surface of the cells, during which 

 dition'' he means a colony with a operation the honey or nectar flows 

 fertile queen and brood in all stages, from the tongue. Utterly wrong. 

 A colony hopelessly queenless he The tongue never so acts, nor can 

 would probably term abnormal and it. An exten,!cd tongue is always 

 yet it frequently occurs in nature, a taking or seeking tongue. What 

 In the latter colonies where we often he saw was bees taking honey, not 

 find all the bees over two months depositing it. In this connection it 

 old, I would ask to whom the field should be recalled that Mr. D. says 

 bees give their loads. It should be bees give food on their tongues, and 

 understood that if bees regularly and he frequently speaks of bees holding 

 normally give their loads to inside out their tongues offering food to 

 workers — under sixteen days old, Mr. queens, and he affirms that when bees 

 D. says — such field bees virill not give are thus "ofifering food to a caged 

 up the habit if there are no such queen" they are friendly disposed 

 bees to receive it, but perforce, not toward her. Now bees do not, and 

 having a normal instinct to do other- cannot, so give food of any kind, and 

 wise, must hold the loads in their if he has seen field bees holding out 

 sacs, which same they do not do. Now their tongues to inside workers, he 

 in these same queenless and brood- has seen field bees seeking food of 

 less colonies all the bees are physio- some sort. 



logically field bees, and actually we Further on in his article Mr. D. 

 find on opening such a colony at says he has seen nectar deposited in 

 midday during a good flow almost a comb standing outside of a hive, 

 all the bees afield, scarce enough be- Qf course we are expected to believe 

 hind to guard the entrance. Yet they that the inside workers did that! 

 store a goodly lot. Providence, R. I., Sept. 11, 1907. 



Next he says the sac of the inside 



worker holds the nectar until it is ADVERTISING THE APIARY. 



sufficiently evaporated for depositmg 



in the cells. Elsewhere he has said J- ■'• ^^'^^der. 



that such bees do the "evaporating" |-> VERY progressive or modern 



by "pumping the nectar back and |H apiary should have a name, and 



forth on their tongues." His two "^ it painted in large letters. Al- 



statements do not coincide, and, in so, the name of the owner m full and 



fact, both are wrong. where to locate him most of the time. 



He says the nurse bees use this Same should be erected near the 

 thin nectar in preparing chyle. Not apiary or roadside. Also, a black- 

 at all improbable, but from the form board should be kept at same place 

 of his statement we must infer that stating thereon what you may_ have 

 he considers it a sine qua non of to sell, with prices, and where it can 

 brood food. How about midwinter be obtained. It is not enough to 

 brood rearing when neither nectar have the apiary in good appearance; 

 nor water are to be had? Further its name and yours should be there 

 on he says, "then these inside work- for every passerby to know, 

 ers deposit the nectar anywhere that This would be a business adver- 

 vacant cells not containing evaporat- tisement at home, and there are al- 

 ed nectar (or what has now become ways strangers passing over the coun- 

 honey) can be found." Naturally a try — some perhaps who have never 

 cell to be vacant must contain no- seen a modern apiary, and it would 

 thing; but, however, what he means, be an interesting object to them, and 

 if his words mean anything, is that many would take the name of the 

 bees never put nectar or unripe honey apiary and apiarist and give it to 

 in cells containing ripe honey. The others as they go from place to place, 

 error of such a statement may readi- thus advertising your business, 

 ly be seen when bees are storing I often receive orders from parties 

 nectar from a light source in combs who must have got my name in this 

 containing dark honey, or vice versa, way. I very often meet traveling 



To show that he does not know people who have seen attractive api- 



