60 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



March 



make the motions described above for 

 a long time after the robbed colony 

 has entirely given up. After the rob- 

 bers have full possession, and have 

 had for sometime, they will then go 

 in without any of the maneuvers des- 

 cribed above. Our method of saving a 

 colony which seems likely to succumb, 

 is to place it in the cellar, after clos- 

 ing it bee-tight, with plenty of venti- 

 lation above and keep it dark and 

 quiet and let it " cool off" for about 

 two days. We also let the robbers 

 cool off to a large extent, for we shut 

 as many of them in with the colony 

 as possible. We have succeeded nice- 

 ly by inserting a bee escape in the en- 

 trance, placed inversely, so that all 

 bees could readily enter but couldn't 

 come out. If the temperature is at 

 all high, shade and plenty of ventila- 

 tion above should be given. We do 

 not Consider such a colony of much 

 value and we would never do any- 

 thing to perpetuate its existence but 

 just let it succumb to the survival of 

 the fittest, were it not for the fact that 

 it unites the robbing colonies by stim- 

 ulating the disposition to steal rather 

 than to work. After the robbers are 

 well gathered into the hive and cooled 

 off in the cellar two or three days, 

 many will stay with the colony and 

 those that do not are so dazed that 

 they quit the robbing business. We 

 have never yet had a queen killed by 

 this management. We do the work 

 in a few moments, not wasting any 

 time to watch the performance of the 

 bees for we know by experience just 

 what will take place. 



A writer in Gleanings reports good 

 success in stopping robbing by piling 

 large quantities of straw, sweet clover 

 or any coarse mateiial like it all 



over the entrance and front of the 

 hive and sprinkling it to dripping 

 with the fountain pump. Put on plen- 

 ty of water but put it on in a fine 

 sprinkle or spray. We have never 

 tried this plan but believe it would 

 work first-rate in the earlier stages of 

 robbing. But when the colony is 

 about to give up or has already capit- 

 ulated, our plan, especially when as- 

 sisted by the bee-escape, is much the 

 best because at that stage of robbing, 

 the other method is very uncertain, 

 and further, it dosen't gather in and 

 cool off the robbers to the protection 

 of some other possibly weak colonies. 

 In all this work especially, does the 

 beekeeper need plenty of tact and a 

 knowledge of the instincts and habits 

 of the honey-bee. 



SWEET VIOLETS. 



The modest violet did not wait for Len- 

 ten days to begin its reign this season. No 

 sooner were the holidays passed, than, as if 

 by common consent, everbody, from grande 

 dame to shopgirl, blossomed out with vio 

 lets. Larger clusters of the natural flowers 

 have been worn than ever before ; but fash- 

 ion has also proclaimed it gond form to 

 wear ariificial ones, and the cunning French 

 artificers have so cloeely imitated the natu- 

 ral blossoms, Hven in perfume, that it is 

 possible to doubt the testimony of one's 

 senses when holding them in the hands. 

 The bundles are made up with some long 

 stems; an^l all, n:Mural and artificial are 

 lied with generous knots of purple or laven- 

 der ribbons. Kvery other cloak and muff 

 one passes on the street is thus decorated, 

 and these pet blossoms peep out under hat- 

 brims, and even encircle the whole crown ; 

 while many theater bonnets are made en- 

 tirely of violets. — From " Chat," in Demor- 

 esfs Magazine for Marcff. 



Only 35 cents for this 36 page 

 magazine until J 896. 



