114 



7 HE A M ERICA N B EE- K EE I ' ER . 



come aware of the fact and then give 

 them the caged queen, which can he 

 laid on top of the brood frames if the 

 weather is warm, or the caged queen 

 can be placed between two brood 

 combs, which is rather the best plan. 

 It usually takes 24 to 48 hours before 

 the bees will accept the strange queen. 

 Sometimes it will take three or four 

 davs, and in extreme cases it will take 

 a week. The queen should not be 

 let out until the bees become friendly 

 toward her, which we have to judge 

 of by their actions. So long as the 

 bees cling to the cage in a close cluster 

 seemingly to try their best to get to 

 the queen it is not safe to let her out. 

 We must wait until they are walking 

 leisurely about over the cage, not pay- 

 ing any particular attention to the 

 queen, and then we can let the queen 

 out with perfect safety. In letting 

 her out if they attack her, or " ball 

 her." you should cage her and wait 

 another day. And by that time I 

 think they will accept her without 

 any trouble. 



Sunny Side, Garrett Co., Md. 



Except during a honey flow bees 

 from other hives will pounce upon 

 any honey left exposed. If one bee 



that may be hovering about searching 

 for such a chance discovers it and se- 

 cures a load he quickly returns with 

 a score of companions and they in 

 turn, if successful, will each bring as 

 many more and a large quantity of 

 'honey will lie carried away in a short 

 time, as well as a great Uproar caused, 

 during which there is danger that 

 every person or animal any where 

 near will be severely stung. So look 

 out and don't nive one robber a chance. 



Bee Pasturage in Texas. 



BY MRS. S E. SHEK.MAN. 



The first thing from which bees get 

 pollen in the very early spring, (gener- 

 ally in February), is the wild privet ; 

 a shrub or bush which is literally 

 covered with very small flowers that 

 are so near the color of the bark that 

 a casual observer would never think 

 of the bush being in bloom, nor notice 

 the flowers. Not so with the interest- 

 ed bee keeper \vh » i.> ever on the look- 

 out for anything that may be of any 

 assistance to their ever indu.-trious co- 

 workers, the bees. From this source 

 they get quite a lot of pollen, which 

 stimulates them to activity, and brood 

 rearing begins. 



The next thing from which they get 

 a great deal of pollen is the water-elm, 

 which generally blooms about the first 

 of March. They may, and I suppose 

 do, get some honey from these flowers, 

 but mot of the bees come in heavily 

 laden with pollen, and brood rearing 

 is by this time on a "regular boom," 

 as a reporter would say. 



I have had bees swarm as early as 

 the eighth of March. By this time 

 fruit trees, both in orchard and forest, 

 are sending forth their first flowers, 

 which, of course, are visited by the 

 bees. A little later on, hoarhound, 

 which grows more abundantly and 

 luxuriously here than in any other 

 place with which I am acquainted, 

 begins to unfold its tiny petals ready 

 for the reception of its admirers, the 

 bees. It is very hardy and thrives on 

 most any kind of soil, not objecting 

 in the least, apparently, to the rocks, 

 just so there is enough soil for it to 

 get a foot-hold. It clings tenaciously 

 to life. There are many acres of it 

 in and around our picturesque little 



