many as an average location would sup- 

 port to the best advantage, while there 

 are places that 50 would be as many as 

 would give good results to their owner. 

 When we take into consideration that 

 bees fly. from choice, from 2 to 4 miles 

 from borne, and are led on. by receding 

 bloom, to 5,6 and 7 miles, this matter of 

 over-stocking is not so much to be feared 

 as many suppose. But. says one, 

 do not so more than Uo' miles from 

 home, arid if they did, it could not be 

 made profitable, as so much time would 

 be consumed in flying, that it would not 

 pay. To the first we would reply, that 

 plenty of proof can be brought that 

 bees fly morethan \H miles, and we will 

 give a bit of our experience to the point, 

 without calling for any other. About 

 the year 1868, a gentleman in Marietta. 

 a small town .Smiles distant in a straight 

 line, purchased some Italian bees. The 

 next spring (before I had any Italians) 

 I was watching the bees at work on ap- 

 ple blossoms, and presently saw an 

 Italian at work. Upon examination. I 

 found that an average of 1 bee in 5 

 were Italians, and this with apple blos- 

 soms in profusion everywhere. < ra.ee 

 more : in haying, as we were cutting a 

 field of clover 1 mile from home, or 4 

 miles from these same Italians, we saw 

 bees at work on the clover. Having 

 heard so much about Italian bees work- 

 ing on red clover. I jumped off my 

 machine, and. to my surprise, counted 

 5 Italians to 2 blacks, with fields red with 

 clover everywhere. 



Nov,- tn the last objection, that it is 

 not profitable for bees to fly so far. To 

 the southeast of our home, the land 

 rises gradually for 5 or 6 miles, and at 

 the* ud of that distance, it is from 800 

 to 900 feet higher than at the apiary. 

 Unless interrupted by a Ions rain, our 

 bees follow the receding bloom of bass- 

 wood till the top of this hill is reached. 

 and we see no slacking of work in the 

 boxes as Ions as the bloom is plenty on 

 this hill. The bees. also, all work in 

 that direction. The length of time con- 

 sumed in flying is but little, as a bee can 

 fly at a high rate of speed, said to be 90 

 miles an hour. Of course, they do not 

 By as fast when loaded as thev do ingo- 

 ing from the hives. If bees did not _ r " 

 over l 1 _> miles Cor honey, I think !00col- 

 onies would over-stock most localities. 



In conclusion I would say. if all colo- 

 nies are strong and in proper shape to 

 take advantage of the honey harvest 

 when it comes, there will be less cry of 

 over-stocking than therehas been inthe 

 past. Get the bees, and they will get 

 the honey, if it is secreted within 4 

 miles of vou. 



Borddino, N. Y., March, 1880. 



Pot the American 15 



New Queen Cages for the Mails. 



JOS. M. BROOKS. 



I send you one of my Safety Queen 

 Shipping Cages, as illustrated and des- 

 cribed in Gteaninqs for March, page b' s . 

 It is roughly made on accounl of the 



center-bit being dull, but will give vou 

 the idea. I also send you. as I did Mr. 

 Root, a piece of perforated tin to cover 

 the bees, because 1 have no wire-cloth 

 suitable. Wire-cloth should be used 

 that has been re-tinned after it is woven. 

 then the wires will all be firmlysoldered 

 together and not rave] out, when 

 punched or cut to tit the cage. Please 



examine this cage, and if in your judg- 

 ment it seems to be the strongest, 

 safest and best for our purpose. 

 others, say so as soon as possible, that 

 shippers "may take advantage of the 

 fact, and use them. I do not propose 

 to patent them, and at present, have no 

 machinery to manufacture them. All 

 I ask is that we use whatever is the 

 safest cage, and guard against having 

 the use of the mails denied us again. 

 I think this cage has many advantages 

 over others offered for the purpose, 

 such as safety from being damaged, 

 shape, cheapness, &c. Let it stand on 

 its own merits, if any. 

 Columbus. Ind.. March 5, 18S0. 



[The cage is a good one. and would 

 have answered the purpose of sending 

 queens through the mails, if the ruling 

 of the Postmaster General had been in 

 accordance with its formation, but as 

 that is not the case, it will not do to 

 attempt to us" it in the mails. If one 

 deviation from the requirements of the 

 postal law, be permitted, why not 

 another, or many of them V And then 

 any regulation describing the cage to 

 be admitted in the mails is a farce ! If 

 we attempt to use any other cage than 

 one having a " double wire screen " 

 having V4 of an inch between the two 



