THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



11 



where woods, chestnuts, basswood, 

 etc., are at hand ; where many- 

 acres of fall or spring wheat, rape, 

 field beans, etc., are grown ; or any 

 of the many honey plants grow, of 

 which a list is given below. At 

 the same time, the bees must not 

 have to gather their honey more 

 than half an hour's journey from 

 the hive, as at a great distance too 

 much time is lost. The nearer the 

 flowers are to the apiary, the better ; 

 at the same time it is known that 

 the bees have scented and even vis- 

 ited flowers an hour's journey' from 

 the hive.- [The Germans calculate 



^That they frequently fly more tlian an 

 hour's journey to obtain honey I have had re- 

 peated instances of knowing. When, at cer- 

 tain seasons, the better flowers have ceased 

 blooming-, many bees come in witli yellow 

 golden lumps on their legs, and their heads and 

 backs are also covered with a yellow sub- 

 stance which comes from the Genista, a yellow 

 flower like the snapdragon ; its seed is a red- 

 dish-yellow and is only found in a wood which 

 is a good liour from here. How advantageous 

 is ittohave near, or at least not too far away, 

 the plants of wiiich tlie bee is to gather tlie hon- 

 ey ! For not only can it make more frequent 

 journeys, but it can also take a greater load. 

 Of this I took careful note, and it impressed 

 upon me the wisdom and forethouglit of tlie 

 bee (I must so express myself). I perceived 

 close to a hive a strong goldwurzel in full 

 bloom, which tlie bees, particularly the wild 

 bees, visited quite fi-equently. The highest 

 sprig witli blossoms reached the alighting 

 board of tlie skep. A bee from this skep was en- 

 gaged on tlie flowers in procuring a load for 

 her legs. She commenced operations on the 

 most distant sprig and worked towards her 

 home and ended so that she only required to 

 fly a hand's width to reach the porch of her 

 city and there deposit her load. Whether she 

 was so wise as purposely to commence farther 

 and get nearer home as her burden increased, 

 I would.notliketo say and state positively ; but 

 she gathered such a large quantity of pollen as 

 I never before saw on a honey bee, and which 

 she could not have carried fifty paces without 

 being exhausted. Therefore, the closer the 

 pasturage to the apiary, the larger loads can 

 the bees carry, and the more frequent will be 

 their visits to the flowers. 



distance by hours ; one-fourth of 

 an hour's journey being about a 

 mile. R. F. H.] Yet they cannot 

 carry in more than a third each day 

 and hardly that ; then, too, they 

 have to encounter many dangers, 

 such as rain, wind and destruc- 

 tive birds. But it is still more dan- 

 gerous if the bees have to cross wide 

 streams in quest of food as they are 

 frequently lost, particularly when 

 returning with a load, by winds 

 which are more frequent and strong- 

 er upon water ; but if the bees are 

 not obliged to fly across it, a stream 

 in the near vicinity is not detrimen- 

 tal, especiall}', if it flow in a north- 

 erly direction. Such an apiary is 

 located at Offenbach near to 

 Mainstrom, which does particu- 

 larly^ well and which the owner 

 intends to increase to one thou- 

 sand colonies. 



In the forest itself, the bees are 

 well placed, if any one has oppor- 

 tunity to put them there. Tlie 

 bees not only find abundant pas- 

 turage and close at hand, but they 

 are also protected from wind and 

 can fly out and carry in, where oth- 

 ers in level country must remain in 

 the hive. They are more aiiy, 

 more quiet and in a more healthy lo- 

 cality than if close to houses ; but 

 they are nearer their enemies par- 

 ticularly hornets and wasps, and 

 in the swarming season, when 

 they cluster, are more diflScult 

 to reach ; while the advantages 

 are greater near houses, yet there 

 are more swallows, sparrows and 

 other destructive birds about which 

 capture more bees than in the 

 forest. 



