66 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



they lit. I do not know but that they would 

 have lit without the olass. I hived them in the 

 same hive, and carried them to the grove ; since 

 which time they have been doing well. 



Taming Bees. 



When I first commenced with my bees, they 

 seemed determined to fight it out in their own 

 odd way, by punching me with their tails. 

 They would even come at me in my garden. 

 First one would sing and threaten in angry 

 tones, and then be off again,— only to return 

 with reinforcements. They would hit me first 

 under my eye, and then on my ear, pugilistic 

 fashion. But fortunately I possessed about as 

 much grit as they. By the way, the nose is 

 rather a tender place to be stung. The first 

 time they hit me there, it fairly made me cry. 

 Its effect was like that of a pinch of snuff. I 

 wiped my eyes, blowed my nose, sneezed as well 

 as I knew how, and called for some water. My 

 wife, thinking I wanted a drink, brought it in a 

 tea-cup. I didn't stop to cliange dislies, but 

 stuck my nose as near to the bottom as it would 

 go. This eased the pain very much. This oc- 

 currence almost made me sick of bees, for it was 

 my hardest battle. They are now quite tame. 

 I have divided until out of thirteen (I bought 

 two in the spring), I have now twenty-six. I 

 also bought one young swarm, and got one from 

 the woods ; so I have twenty-eight in all. I 

 have made an extractoi', and use it too ; that is 

 I made it by the help of the blacksmith and 

 tinner ; and do not think it infringes anybody's 

 patent. 



Besides dividing my bees, I transferred the 

 original stocks from their hives, so that all my 

 bees are now in one kind of hive. All this was 

 done without a bee dress of any kind. I some- 

 times open my hives without any smoke. Now, 

 Mr. Editoi', don't you think that I have tamed 

 them some ? I never handled bees before. They 

 are all black bees. 



Bee Stikg— a Poison, 



and water, pure water a cure. I am glad to see 

 the columns of the Journal advise the use of 

 water for the cure of bee stings. I add my 

 voice to those of others. I believe water with- 

 out any adulteration, but of full strength, one 

 of nature's great remedies. 



I don't know but this article is already too 

 long for you, so I will close by wishing success 

 to the Journal and enterprising bee-keepers. 



H. F. Phelps. 



Pine Island, Minn., July 24, 1871. 



[For the American Beo Journal.] 



Successful Bee-culture. 



Mr. Editor : — I took my bees out of winter 

 quarters on the 10th of February, numbering 

 forty-two (42) colonies. Of these forty-two, 

 thirty were good strong stocks of Italians. The 

 season opened early, though honey-producing 

 plants were backward. I fed three hundred 

 pounds of sugar to my bees, till they could begin 



to gather supplies : and took from them by the 

 4th of July three thousand (3,000) pounds of 

 honey, besides making twentj^-five artificial colo- 

 nies. Feeding seasonably paid well. I have now 

 sixty (60) colonies, in as fine condition as could 

 be desired. Success to the American Bee- 

 Journal. 



J. N. Walter. 

 Winchester, Iowa, August 7, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Wire Clamps vs. Pius. 



Mr. Editor :— i notice Mr. J. J. Whitson i 



gives us, in the Journal for June, an improved /| 



wire clamp for fastening transferi-ed combs into^ | 



frames, which he thinks is a little handier than I 



any other device in use. | 



i have used strings, splints, wires, and pins, | 



and must say that, everything considered, I pre- | 



fer small wooden pins driven through gimlet 1 



holes in the sides of the frame, into the comb. | 



These do not have to be removed, and are I 



never in the way. We prefer the wires described | 



by him, to any of the devices heretofore used, f 

 except the pins ; and still use them when the 

 comb does not fill the frame. 



J. T. Tillinghast. 



Factoryville, Pa., June 20, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Another Strange Occurrence. 



y 



Dear Bee Journal : — Something came under 

 my observation the other day, that I am not 

 posted in, and wish to have explained through 

 our Journal. 



I divided a colony of bees, moving the old 

 colony to another place, and setting the new 

 hive on the old stool, having placed in it a queen 

 cell. After the queen had hatched several days, 

 I opened the hive to see the young Italian queen. 

 To my surprise I found an old black queen (the 

 old stock divided was pure Italian). I caught her 

 and caged her ; and then looked further, and 

 found the young queen. 



The question is, how did the black queen 

 come there? I })ut in only two frames of comb 

 and young brood, and they were fresh from the 

 old stock. 



F. M. Bailey. 



Cynthiana, Ky., June 10, 1871. 



Destroying Ants.— A French agriculturist 

 reports that, after trying every method- known 

 for the destruction of ants infesting some of his 

 fruit trees, he succeeded in effecting his pitr- 

 pose in the most comj^lete manner, by placing a 

 mixture of arsenic and sweetened water, in a 

 saucer, at the foot of the trees. For the larger 

 species, he made use of honey, instead of sugar ; 

 and found, in a few days, he could exterminate 

 them completely. 



