48 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



a sufficiency of lioncy to serve them for the 

 winter, but at least twice as much as tliej^ will 

 probably need — thus, instead of twenty pounds 

 net, leave them forty pounds. The surplus wijl 

 not be lost nor squandered; if i^ot needed, it 

 can be removed in the spring. The colony will 

 meantime be safe from the most unfavorable 

 vicissitudes of weather, and survive the winter 

 in health and vigor. We shall then have strong 

 stocks, each of which will labor with more suc- 

 cess and advantage than ten starvelings to- 

 gether. This is one of the most important 

 points of practical bee culture in poor honey 

 districts, for bees that must be carried over the 

 winter by feeding, arc more than half lost at 

 the start, and will never do more than live 

 along through the spring, if they survive the 

 vernal equinox. 



3. A third rule is to restrict swarming or sup- 

 press in altogether, as soon as the apiary con- 

 tains the number of stocks we propose to have; 

 for unrestricted swarming is the ruin of bee- 

 culture in poor honey districts. Second swarms 

 should never be accepted. Their queens should at* 

 once be destroyed, unless wanted for other uses, 

 and the bees permitted to return to the mother 

 hive. Impoverished mother stocks, and starve- 

 ling second swarms, would require all our sur- 

 plus honey for their support, yet never be able 

 to render any adequate return. It should be 

 adopted as an undeviating rule always to locate 

 the first swarm on the spot Avhcre the mother 

 hive stood, and remove the latter to a new lo- 

 cation. Further swarming will thereby be pre- 

 vented, and both parent and child will thrive. 



■^ l> cii i( tH !!?* ♦ i TB iw 



The wife of Mr. Jacob Zerr, living at Gei- 

 ger's Mills, Berks Co., Pa., Avhile about some 

 bee-hives, was stung in the left ear by a bee. 

 From the effects of the sting Mrs. Zerr Avas in a 

 few minutes thrown into a violent spasm, froth- 

 ing at the mouth, her limbs becoming rigid, her 

 jaAVS tightly locked, and losing entirely the 

 power of speech. For a time the most serious 

 consequences were apprehended, as no medi- 

 cine could be got between her lips. Finally, 

 however, through the efforts of a gentleman who 

 was present, she was partially restored by rub 

 bing her with camphor and brandy. A physi- 

 cian was sent for, who thought she would re- 

 cover entirely, in a few days, from the effects 

 of the sting. 



The rural bee-keeper, if he have only a 

 soul to appreciate the works of God, and in- 

 telligence of an inquisitive order — and intelli- 

 gence is sure to expand with the attentive study 

 of any branch of natural history — cannot fail 

 to become deeply interested in observing the 

 wonderful instincts (instincts akin to ^'cason) 

 of those admirable creatures, the bees. At the 

 same time he Avill learn many lessons of practi- 

 cal wisdom from their example. 



There is no doubt whatever that the queen 

 bee is in her prime for In-eeding, the secondyeR.r 

 of her existence; after which her vigor sensibly 

 declines. 



Two Fertile Queens in One Colony. 



"We published, in our August number, a 

 case of two queen bees foimd in one colony, in 

 Germany. The following account of a similar 

 case, observed in this country, has since been 

 sent to us. They are nevertheless rare occur- 

 rences: 



Messrs. Editors. — I wish to bring before 

 the readers of your journal, an incident which 

 occurred during the past season, in my apiary. 

 It may already be familiar with some beR-keep- 

 ers, but I think it a rare occurrence. 



It is this: "A colony of bees in possession 

 of two fertile queens." This Avas a SAvarm of 

 Italian bees, in which I had been raising queen 

 cells. The cells had all been removed but one. 

 About two days after the queen had emerged 

 from this cell, I removed her to a nucleus box, 

 and the next morning gave them a choice fer- 

 tile queen, in order that the comb might be fill- 

 ed Avith eggs for another crop of royal cells. 

 The next day but one I examined this stock, 

 and, to my astonishment, I found a young- 

 queen, and the fertile one at the entrance of the 

 hive, dead. I immediately examined the nu- 

 cleus to which the young queen had been re- 

 moved, and found she Avas gone. I again re- 

 moved this queen to a queenless stock, and gave 

 the first another fertile queen, witli clipped 

 wings. On examining this stock, two or three 

 days after, I found this young queen again. 

 Supposing, of course, thai, the fertile one had 

 met the fate of the first, I felt gricA^ed enough 

 to have destroyed this queen at once, but exer- 

 cised the part of forbearance towards her, and 

 closed the hive. 



About three days after, a gentleman called to 

 procure a queen. I showed him some, and, 

 among the rest, I opened the hive which con- 

 tained the notorious queen. On the first comb 

 I took ortt I was much surprised in finding the 

 queen Avith clipped wings. I took out another 

 comb and found the young one also, and to all 

 appearances she was fertile. I transferred her at 

 once to a queenless stock, where she immedi- 

 ately commenced laying eggs. These queens 

 must have been together four or five days. 



There is no question but what this queen had 

 left the hive for sexual intercourse with the 

 drones before I removed her to the nucleus box, 

 but was unsuccessful; and as this hive stood 

 isolated from the others, the location was mark- 

 ed by her; consequently, on her tAVO subsequent 

 excursions, she returned to the same hive. 



I am unable to give any reason Avhy the un- 

 fertile queen should have been preserved in 

 preference to the other. She Avas readily ac- 

 cepted, and commenced laying eggs. Neither 

 can I conceive why the tAvo remained so long 

 together, unless it Avas for the reason that the 

 old queen showed signs of unfcrtility, which I 

 discovered was the case afterAvards. 



If there are those who have had similar cases, 

 I Avould like to hear from them. 



FerkinsviUe, Vt., 1866. C, B. Biglow. 



There is no "royal road" to successful bee- 

 keeping, as there is none in anything else. 



