THE AMERICAN APICULTUiii^T. 



155 



not alone provided for the old 



queen in the colony, but also for 



the young queens, who might be 



reared to take the place of the 



old queen in case she should be 



lost. 



Rodheim, Germany, July 25, 1783. 



(To be continued.) 



genital organs? It can be answered that truly 

 our ideas differ greatly upon this point, and 

 that the unknown purpose of the drone may 

 perhaps consist in that whereof we know but 

 little. The great quantity of whitish fluid, 

 which the drones have in their spermatic ves- 

 sels and which seminal fluid must not only 

 possess a stimulative principle but also tliat 

 whicli is reproductive, may not be abundant 

 ■when the bees are most numerous. Who 

 knows whether or not the males deposit the 

 seminal fluid in the royal cells wherein al- 

 ready an egg or larva is present, and also the 

 queen as well as the larva is impregnated? 

 Who knows whether or not this seed, if it 

 mingles with the royal jelly upon which it 

 rests, renders it more efficacious and fits it for 

 a more thorough development of the ovaries ? 

 Who knows whether or not, this seed, in quite 

 another way, than we can as yet conjecture or 

 discover, penetrates the larva itself? 



But because Ave should not turn aside from 

 the usual course which nature takes in phys- 

 iology without sufficiently clear proof, as such 

 usually the procreation of animals pi'omotes 

 througli copulation (with the exception of 

 those which as it were pi-opagate through 

 budding or division, for example, the polypes 

 and Infusoria) so I believe that my previous 

 extreme opinion may be tlie best; that, 

 namely, the queen bee may transmit lier 

 fruitfulness received through a single or fre- 

 quent copulation with one or many drones, 

 to child and grandchild, as I have also said, 

 the more because one already observes a 

 clear copulation. 



How much remains unrevealed to us how- 

 ever I What a whirlpool is a colony of bees in 

 the eyes ol the wise! What inscrutable wis- 

 dom is hidden within its depths! Who is tlie 

 philosopher who dares to fathom it? Justly, 

 says Bonnet, for stupid persons the bees form 

 a very trifling subject; namely, those who do 

 not know tliat in nature nothing is insignifi- 

 cant, and that a single fly exhausts all the con- 

 ceptions of the greatestgenius. The smallest 

 insect is a world for the naturalist. But I 

 believe, in the bees, many worlds are concen- 

 trated, through which we by our inquiries can 

 only reach the outermost bounds. 



EDITORIAL. 



We esteem the privilege of com- 

 ing before our beekeeping friends 

 each month, through our editorial, 

 as not only an honor, but one of 

 the most pleasurable duties that 

 we have to perform, and when we 

 realize that every sentiment or 

 tliought to which we give utterance 

 is carefully weighed by so large a 

 number, and goes to influence 

 others in their lives and actions, 

 we are led to speak if possible 

 only such thoughts as will not in 

 after years come up before us with 

 their results as a justly merited re- 

 buke. 



There is no study in the vast 

 and wonderful realms of nature, ex- 

 cept it be that of the study of 

 man, that presents more food for 

 the intellectual mind than does 

 apiculture, and they who enter into 

 this study, with souls thirsting 

 after a knowledge of the laws and 

 handiwork of the infinite Creator, 

 must be lifted above all that is de- 

 grading and become better men 

 and women ; and we candidly be- 

 lieve that no man can be more in- 

 dependent than one who is adapted 

 to the keeping of bees, who owns 

 from five to ten acres of good land 

 in a good locality for beekeeping, 

 all paid for, with the addition 

 perhaps of a cow, some poultry, 

 etc. If such a man, blessed with 

 good health, cannot live at peace 

 with God and his neighbors, who 

 can. 



We wonder oftentimes how any 

 man can associate himself with so 

 grand and ennobling a study, and 

 yet drown the higher and nobler 



