178 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



quantity of fruit. They aid in tlie fertilization 

 of flowers, thus preventing the occurrence of 

 sterile flowers, and by more thoroughly fertili- 

 zing flowers already perfect, render the produc- 

 tion of sound and well developed fruit more sure. 

 jMany botauitts think if it were not for bees and 

 other insects, many plants would not fruit at all. 



This whole sul)ject of the great otBce which bees 

 and other insect.s perform in the fertilization of 

 plants, lias been fully discussed in the May, July, 

 and October numbers of the American Natural- 

 id, and by Prof. Asa Gray, in the American 

 AgricuU^trist, beginning in May, 1806. 



It is alleged that bees do injur j"- in some way 

 by extracting the honey from flowers. What is 

 the use in nature of honey ? The best observers 

 will tell you it is secieted by the plant, for the 

 very purpose of attracting bees to the flowen 

 otlierwise it is of no use to the flower or fruit. 



If all the bees were to be destroyed, I for one 

 if a farmer, would prefer to go into some other 

 business. 



This projudic'j against bees seems to us to 

 have no foundation. Known facts prove the 

 contrary. Farmers know loo well the injury 

 noxious insects do; it is more difllcult to esti- 

 mate the good done by hosts of beneficial insects. 



I believe that every intelligent bee-keeper and 

 naturalist will assent to the truth of the above 

 remarks. Yours very respectfully, 



A. S. Packard, Jr. 



Spring Feed for Bees. 



For stimulative feeding in the spring, or where 

 sveak colonies need aid, the Rev. Mr Sholz re- 

 commends the following, in the Bienenzeitnng : 

 '•Take two parts rye-meal, two parts crushed or 

 pulverized loaf-sugar, and one part liquid honey; 

 add a little warm vrater, and knead the whole 

 to a stiir doughy mass. Spread this thinly on a 

 piece of coarse linen or nuislin, and lay it on the 

 frames of movable comb hives, directly over the 

 place wh(;re the bees are clustered. Spread 

 over this a piece of woolen blanket or flannel^ 

 large enough to confine the bees to tbe hive 

 b^'low, and lay the honey-board loosely thereon. 

 — ]\I;ike an examination once or twice a week, 

 and add further supplies when needed, till spring 

 opens and the bees can provide for tliemselves. 

 When coarse linen or muslin cannot be had, 

 on Avhich to spread the mixture, take some finer 

 fabric and draw out every third thread of warp 

 and Avoof, so as to m;'.ke the food er.sily acees- 

 sil'-le to the l)ecs. By this piocefs colonies can 

 be furnished with rye-meal and other nutriment, 



without exposing the bees to chilling winds, o? 

 attracting unwelcome and officious visitors from 

 neighboring apiaries. Colonies deficient in 

 stores may thus be supplied at any time ; but 

 pure stimulative feeding, to induce breeding, 

 should not be resortcat to 1)clbre the middle of 

 April. For this purpose diluted honey should 

 alone be used, in moderate doses, administered 

 every other evening, and continued only about 

 three weeks, unless the spring is unusually 

 backward." 



In the Bienenzeitungl^o. 12, for 18G7, the Rev. 

 Mr. Kohler announced that he had discovered 

 a process to prevent Italian queens from having 

 concourse with common drones, and securing 

 their fertilization by Italian drones exclusively. 

 Subsequently in No. 21, Mr. George Summer 

 stated that the secret had been confidentially com- 

 municated to him, and that he had tested it on six 

 occasions with uniform and complete success. 

 And now in the Bienenzeitung No. 24, for De- 

 cember 20, 18G7, which has just been received, 

 the Baron of Berlepsch says that the process 

 has likewise been communicated to him and 

 Prof. Leuckart, and that it can be employed with 

 ease and is perfectly reliable — not only securing 

 purity of jDrogeny in everj'' case, but rendering 

 improvement attainable, since both the queens 

 and the drones to be bred from, can be selected. 



As Mr. Kohler is poor, with a large family 

 to provide for, he has been advised not to 

 give publicity to the process until assured of 

 adequate pecuniary compensation for a discov- 

 ery so important and valuable. It is expected 

 that this will be granted by eitlier the Prussinn 

 or the Bavarian Government, or by the contri- 

 butions of individual bce-kccpcrs in Germany. 

 B^^We have taken measui-es to ascertain on 

 what terms it can be made avai]al)le in this 

 country, and will in due time make known the 

 result. 



Wc are pained to learn that Professor Varro, 

 of "Washington, Pa., died about a month ago, 

 after a brief illness. His last letter to us is 

 without date, tl\ough postmarked Januarj' 14. 

 It contains no intimation or indication of impair- 

 ed health, and we v/ero hence entirely unpre- 

 pared to hear of his decease. 



IW We have still on hand a number of com- 

 munications intended for this number, for which 

 \ wc were unable to make room : — among them 

 '' one from Messrs. Langstroth & Scni, lerprctiug 



