THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



213 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Thoughts on Reading the July No. 



Fkiknd Newman:— The July miiuber is 

 received and contents devoured. A few 

 (luestions are asked and other matters re- 

 quire an answer. 



On page 179, "Can bees hear?" two (jues- 

 tions will answer it satisfactorily I believe. 

 When bees issue forth as a swarm, they are 

 induced to do so by the piping (so called) of 

 the queen which the bees hear (not feel) and 

 Ro forth; and after they are out do not they 

 follow the queen by a [jeculiar noise pro- 

 duced by her fligiit? IIow soon they return 

 if she can't be found; they cannot follow by 

 scent, feeling or sight and must of course 

 by sound. 



[We think bees hear, but we don't here 

 see the proof. Do ciueens always pipe be- 

 fore the issue of first swarms? Is it proven 

 that bees cannot feci the piping? It is a 

 common thing for our bees if they swarm 

 out without the queen to settle and remain 

 clustered for some time as quietly as if the 

 queen was with them, but in a couple of 

 hours or sooner they learn the absence of 

 the queen and return to tlie hive.— Ed.] 



On page 181, "Bee-Keeping No. 2" goes 

 for the IV. E. Bee-Keepers' Society with 

 what he deems a cut, but he has hashed his 

 own judgment for the worst. The report 

 of their meeting shows that it was a good 

 one, and 1 would be glad to read a few more 

 such reports. But I must notice No. 2. 

 "Now, this talk about controlling swarms is 

 all a humbug." Their answer was plain and 

 too pointed, but they all knew that the ques- 

 tion had so often been answered that it was 

 foolishness to a great majority of that Socie- 

 ty to again discuss it, and then gave that 

 reply to pass the question; had it been in- 

 teresting, more would have been said. 



No. 2 seems to think that the way to con- 

 trol swarming is to increase. Now, the 

 swarming fever is three times as strong here 

 as in the North, and if left alone they will 

 swarm to death. We have not allowed a 

 swarm since May 1st, and have had over 50 

 to try their best at it, but we have control- 

 led and with entire success. 



On the second question he wants more 

 light than just ""ies." Well, early in the 

 spring, often times there is so much honey 

 gathered that the queen is cramped for 

 room, cannot use the extractor on account 

 of the atmosphere and brood, and in conse- 

 quence a lack of brood. No. 2 condemns 

 the answer to question 13, for he failed once, 

 but who could call it wisdom to undertake 

 to introduce a yOung queen when the bees 

 had a queen cell concealed. They answer- 

 ed it very well, yet I prefer to open the hive 

 as soon as the first swarm issues, and cut 

 out all the queen cells except one, the finest 

 looking one, then the bees cannot possibly 

 have a chance to swarm for twenty days 

 after she hatches; as they will have noth- 

 ing to raise it from; if they should have 

 eggs they will not build another while they 

 have one good cell. 



On page 185. there is more "House Api- 

 ary agani." Well, we have a house here 

 the size of Louisiana, that I guarantee to 

 winter safely in. It has plenty of room to 

 fly in, when they wish; can gather enough 



in November for November's consumption, 

 and get honey again in February and March 

 and ready to swarm in April. 



On page 188, G. II. Mobley has advanced 

 some uleas of 184*; instead of centennial '76. 

 "Bees will clean out extracted combs and 

 put it all in one comb— the honey. I have 

 been often surprised on opening the hive 

 the next day after extracting to find one 

 comb almost full of honey and the others- 

 extracted ones— dry and plenty of eggs." 

 Let us know when you cut out a lot and we 

 will give a good price; for clean combs. We 

 had several hunnred built this summer, and 

 I am sure they cost us Ki lbs. of honey for 

 every pound of comb built, and then there 

 is the time consumed in building them. 

 Now please own up, or give us the secret. 



[Does not Six misunderstand Mr. Mob- 

 ley?— Ed.] 



On page 193, Mr. J. B. Rapp gives us the 

 proof for a queen meeting two drones. Does 

 not the queen return with the male organ of 

 the drone adhering to her? Has she capa- 

 city for two drones? Let us know, as I 

 have seen them return more than once and 

 they were satisfied to return after meeting 

 one. 



To clean combs from moths, mould, bee- 

 bread, etc. Soak them in soft water for one 

 day and put them in the extractor and throw 

 out the water and filth, and set them in the 

 shade to dry. 



To disinfect combs use carbolic acid two 

 drachms to the gallon of soft water, remain 

 in for one day, then wash in clean water 

 used as for mouldy comb. 



Please allow us to state to the readers of 

 The American Bee Journal the quality 

 of the imported queens received from 

 Messrs. Dadant & Son. I sent for one in 

 the winter but could not get it on account 

 of the cold. Sue came May 19, 1 think. Mr. 

 Lindsly was 13 days before he could induce 

 the bees to take her. Then she received an 

 accident, a frame hit her on the back be- 

 tween the second and third bands and the 

 damage is quite visible yet. She was just 

 the color we ordered— orange— and very 

 stately in her motiOHs. She is the best layer 

 I ever saw, will fill a sheet of comb 9x17 

 every 24 hours. It does not stop her from 

 laying to -hold the comb out iu the sun. 

 Several have seen her laying or depositing 

 her eggs; she stops only for want of room. 

 Her queens are uniform in color and size. 



Pointe Coupee, La., July 8, 1876. Six. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Dadant on the Purity of Queens. 



See page 169, first column, June No., pres- 

 ent Vol., in answer to J. W. McNeil. Now, 

 friend D., I take you as one of our leading 

 men, and am generally much interested in 

 reading your contributions to The Bee 

 Journal. On the question and answer 

 here cited I will ask for more explanation, 

 and I want other breeders of Italian bees to 

 let us know their experience in the matter 

 referred to above. I have had a number of 

 (lueens that bred three distinct yellow- 

 banded workers and a small portion of them 

 would have all of the body jet black in rear 

 of the yellow, and then the balance of the 

 workers would be beautiful and uniform in 

 color; but I have been dubious that they 

 were a little touched with black blood and 



