THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



177 



meet with sufficient number to pay ex- 

 press charges and duties. 



We do not intend to make money with 

 tlicse chromos, but to spread the kiiowl- 

 cdgi' of the orjians of our interesting in- 

 sect among tlic bee keejjers. 



Cn. Dadant. 



Hamilton, 111. 



^ I m 



Distance of Bee Pasturage. 



Some credit the bees with having an in- 

 stinct that causes lliem to fly some dis- 

 tance from the hive before alighting upon 

 flowers in search of honey. The economy 

 of this is in the saving of time that might 

 otherwise be wasted upon neighboring 

 blossoms that had previously been de- 

 spoiled of their sweets. This may gener- 

 ally be the case, though I have seen them 

 gathering from pasturage a few yards dis- 

 tant from the apiary, and the close prox- 

 imil}^ of pasturage does not seem to make 

 any particular diflference if it is exten- 

 sive. And, when artificial pasturage 

 must be supplied, it may be an eighth or 

 a fourtli of a mile distant without incon- 

 veniencing tlie bees. They have very 

 compact bodies and strong, though deli- 

 cate looking wings, wliich render them 

 capable of making long flights in a short 

 space of time, with very little fatigue. 



Since the mouth of Ma}', the bees have 

 been del igli ting themselves among the 

 fragrant blossoms of the white clover, or 

 " white man's foot, " as the Indians call 

 it, for the reason that it seemed to spring 

 up wherever the white man trod the 

 n^vvly-discovered world. This is a valua- 

 ble forage plant, and belongs to the Tri- 

 folium, or clover famil}-, the plants of 

 wliich are distinguished by compound 

 leaves composed of three leaflets, which 

 are properly called trifoliate leaves. Tri- 

 folium refens is universally known as 

 while clover, and in some localities has 

 been styled Dutch clover. It is of espec- 

 ial value to the farmer-bee-keeper, as it 

 affords excellent pasturage for horses and 

 cattle, is also useful in making exhausted 

 land productive, and produces a very 

 light-colored and delicious honey, from 

 May until September. 



Trifolium prantense, or red clover, is in 

 some respects superior to the white spe- 

 cies, and it is supposed to secrete much 

 more, if not better honey. This has not 

 yet been made available, as the depth and 

 narrowness of the blossom-tubes will not 

 permit of their sweets being gathered by 

 the honej'-bees, and thej- are left to enrich 

 the store of the humble-bees. It has been 

 claimed that the Italian bee possesses a 

 proboscis of sufficient length to gather 

 the honey from red clover blossoms, but 

 this is not generally believed, as no con- 

 clusive testimony has yet been given to 

 prove the theory. Tliere has been con- 

 siderable said about shortening the sting 



and lengthening the proboscis of the 

 lioney-bee by careful and select breeding, 

 and, when it is done, we may expec^t to 

 jilace the red clover honey on our tables. 

 The idea of ])roducing; a variety of 

 clover that should combine the best qual- 

 ities of both the red and white clover, 

 was first cimceived in this country, but 

 experiments here resulted in failure. A 

 successful attempt was made in the Prov- 

 ince of Alsike, in Sweeden, a number of 

 years ago. It has been claimed b}' some 

 that it is a distinct variety, while others 

 believe it to be a cross between the red 

 and white clovers, as it possesses some of 

 the qualities of both. On its introduc- 

 tion here, it was received with favor, and 

 has done well in the northern states. It 

 does best in a cool, moist climate, and 

 loamy soil. The many pinkish white 

 blossoms which it bears on each stalk 

 resemble those produced by the white 

 clover, thereby placing its honey within 

 the reach of the honey-bee. Its haying 

 qualities are equal, if not superior to the 

 red clover, and it attains about the same 

 height. In fact, one gentleman has 

 asserted that it has grown to the extreme 

 height of seven feet, though it seldom 

 surpasses 2 or 3 feet in even favorable 

 localities. Its chief recommendation for 

 the northern latitudes is the fact that it is 

 capable of enduring severe winter weath- 

 er. — Ella, in Chicago Tribune. 



■» » ^ 



Translated by Ch. Dadant. 



Our Foreign Bee Notes. 



NOTES ON BEE CULTURE IN FRANCE. 

 (continued.) 



Wax candles were first manufactured 

 with linen dipped in hot wax and rolled 

 together. They were afterwards manufac- 

 tured by hand by rolling a wick on soft- 

 ened wax on a walnut table. Progress, 

 however, soon taught the present way of 

 manufacturing them. 



The candles used in great solemnities 

 were richly decorated with magnificent 

 ornaments. Talented painters adorned 

 them with mottoes, with pious sayings, or 

 with the escutcheon of the donor. This 

 custom of ornamenting wax caudles had 

 created a special art. 



They also ornamented with the family 

 shield the caudles that were carried at the 

 funerals of noble defunct persons. We 

 have found many instances of this in our 

 own country. 



In all religious ceremonies large quan- 

 tities of wax were consumed, and the in- 

 cumbents neglected nothing to procure 

 it. Among tlie annual revenues of the 

 Bishop of Puy, were 20 pounds of wax. 

 In 1330 the farmers of the domain of 

 Beauregard, had to pay each two pounds 

 of wax annually. In 1G32 John de Fret- 

 tar, sexton of the monastery of Chaise 



