224 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



more, there would be a liability 

 that my honey contained syrup. 



I have solved the question, and 

 now I can prove the purity of my 

 honey to the most scrupulous 

 grocer. In the fall and spring, I 

 feed a syrup made of granulated 

 sugar, but at the first appearance 

 of honey I immediately stop all 

 syrup, and give in its place imre 

 lioney and pure ivater mixed half 

 and half. 



I can feed as much of this as I 

 wish, as I do not care if it is stored 

 in the combs, for it is pure and the 

 bees cure it the same as new 

 honey. By adhering to this 

 method 1 have established a repu- 

 tation and a market for pure 

 honey. 

 Barrhigton, R. /., Aug. 25, 1884. 



A GUIDE TO 



THE BEST METHODS OF 



BEEKEEPING. 



Jy J. L. Christ. 



{Continued from p. 202, Vol. II.) 



ON THE ORIGIN OF BEES AND 

 THEIR PROCREATION. 



Concerning the origin of the bee 

 she proceeds from an egg which 

 the queen lays in a cell. We find 

 in the queen an ovary, which con- 

 sists of quite a cluster of vessels 

 or ducts which together run into a 

 common canal, and in the laying 

 time are filled with eggs. These 

 vessels are near the posterior part 

 of the body, and the eggs therein 

 are larger the nearer thej' lie to it. 

 These clusters form two ovaries, 



each of which ends in a great tube 

 and these two tubes enter into a 

 common canal which is the womb. 

 In this is a small globular sack^ 

 which furnishes a gummy moisture 

 and so hangs that all eggs which 

 are laid must pass through there, 

 and become covered with that glut- 

 inous substance which causes them 

 to adhere to the bottom of the cell. 



The time for the laying of eggs, 

 in good and populous colonies be- 

 gins in January, and when the win- 

 ters are not cold at Christmas 

 even ; in others in Februaiy and in 

 weak colonies in March and con- 

 tinues into September and October. 



The brood in winter is put in the 

 middle of the hive on account of 

 the necessary warmth and is more 

 for the increase of the colony, but 

 in spring for swarming. For this 

 reason, in the two months of May 

 and June more bees are reared than 

 in the whole year besides. 



Now, the queen in laying her 

 eggs, in the first place glides into 

 the cell and examines it to see 

 whether all is clean and orderly ; 

 then goes out again, slips the ab- 

 domen directly in the cell and de- 

 posits the egg right in its centre, 

 so that one end of the little egg 

 points toward one of the six cor- 

 ners of the cell. As has been 

 mentioned in a previous section, 

 while the queen is engaged in lay- 

 ing her eggs, the bees stand about 

 her with their heads turned towards 

 her, caress her with their probos- 

 cides and legs and have a right joy- 

 ful time about her, which lasts for 



•This sack has proven to be the seminal 

 reservoir.— Ed. 



