THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



23 



This can scarcely be called a disease, as tho 

 workers do not appear to suffer from it, being 

 as lively and industrious as others. But there 

 is reason to suspect that it does injuriously af- 

 fect queens, because those in which it was de- 

 tected had been notoriously poor and irregular 

 layers. 



Sealed brood is sometimes found dead in the 

 cells, with the brood turned towards the sep- 

 tum of the comb. Whether this is the result of 

 disease or not, is not yet ascertained. Some 

 think it is caused by the larva? of the wax- 

 moth; others attribute it to some noxious efflu- 

 vium in the hive; and others again believe it 

 results from a general debility of the colony. 

 It is of rare occurrence, and on the whole does 

 little damage. 



Alsike Clover. — Hon. Isaac Newton, Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, recently received a 

 communication from Pennsylvania relative to 

 the quality of the Alsike clover, which has re- 

 cently been introduced into this country from 

 Europe. The writer states that he planted the 

 seed in April, 1865, and that during the autumn 

 it did not appear as promising as the common 

 clover. This spring it grew luxuriantly, and 

 about two weeks ago the cattle on the farm were 

 admitted into the field, and also into an adjoin- 

 ing field planted with red clover. They showed 

 a decided partiality for the Alsike clover, and 

 consumed the greater portion of it, while the 

 other clover remained untouched. 



Commissioner Newton has tested this variety 

 of clover at the "Experimental farm," in this 

 city, and is fully convinced of its superiority 

 over any other variety known in the United 

 States. It is a hybrid between the red and 

 white clovers, and possesses the luxuriance of 

 the red combined with the fineness of the white, 

 and will probably be largely cultivated when 

 its merits become known throughout the coun- 

 try. _ 



Treatment op Stings. — M. De Mortillethas 

 published in the Sud-ost, a Grenoble paper, a 

 curious remedy for the sting of dangerous in- 

 sects. It is the application of the wax of the 

 ear to the injured part. This simple remedj', 

 he positively asserts, will cure the deadly sting 

 of a poisonous fly, which would otherwise pro- 

 duce carbuncle. Whatever may be the efficacy 

 of this treatment, there can be no harm in try- 

 ing it,, the substance being always at hand. 

 Should it not succeed, the patient will always 

 be in time to have recourse to a more radical 

 treatment. This of course implies that every- 

 body has dirty ears. 



When bee-masters get hold of queen bees, 

 they arc able, by controlling the movements of 

 these natural leaders of hives, to control the 

 movements of the hives themselves ; and not 

 unfrequently, in Churches and States do there 

 exist inconspicuous bee-masters, who, influenc- 

 ing or controlling the leader bees, in reality in- 

 fluence and control the movements of the en- 

 tire body, politic or ecclesiastical, over which 

 these natural monarclis preside. — HugJi Miller. 



A Bee Story. 



My friend, Silas Narrow, was no man of wil- 

 low. The oak of Bashan was hardly more 

 stubborn and tough. His will was strong, and 

 went in a straight line. What he know, he was 

 sure of, and what he thouglit he knew he was 

 just as positive in believing. He has all his life 

 been a regular attendant on divine worship ; 

 but having "notions of his own," he has never 

 found a church with which he could unite, a 

 creed that he could adopt, or a minister in 

 whom he could confide. He was not exactly a 

 crotchety man, but he was self-willed, wise, 

 strong, and decided. As for sin, he had no 

 doubt there is a great amount in the world, and 

 not a little among his neighbors. But he could 

 never believe that sin deserves what the Bible 

 and what ministers say it does. 



"Why," said he, "all the preaching in the 

 world won't make me believe that a single sin 

 is such a terrible thing that it must ruin a world. 

 No doubt it was wrong in Eve to pluck and eat 

 the fruit; but it might have been done thought- 

 lessly. But who can believe that so great re- 

 sults came from a cause so small ? that such a 

 Avound came from so small a quantity of poi- 

 son ?" 



Old Mr. Truman, his neighbor, was a man of 

 few words, but his meek spirit rested on pillars 

 of truth, and was refreshed by oneof the many 

 streams that flow out of the river of God. With 

 him Mr. Narrow had many a conversation, but 

 with no abiding results. Arguments would not 

 affect him; facts did not stand in his way; he 

 moved right on to his own conclusions. 



One day Mr. Truman saw his neighbor com- 

 ing, and knew by the screw of his face that he 

 wanted to have a large theological battle. He 

 had had so many on the subject with him that 

 Mr. Truman shunned the encounter. He was 

 very busy in his bee-yard. Mr. Narrow came 

 and leaned over the fence. 



"A fine lot of hives, neighbor Truman; don't 

 they sting you?" 



"Sometimes; but if I am careful and gentle 

 they seldom quarrel with me. You know what 

 a sting means, I presume?" 



"No; I don't remember that I was ever stung 

 in my life. I have heard some people make a 

 great ado about it; but I don't believe so small 

 a.n affair can hurt so terribly. It's not much 

 worse than a small bite of a horse-fly, I take 

 it." ■^' 



Just at that moment a cross bee came buzzing 

 round the head of Mr. Narrow, and in the wink 

 of an eye, just picked the lower tip of his left 

 ear. It seemed a mere touch, and he was off 

 in a twinkle. 



"There, now I'm stung, true as the world '" 



"How does it feel?" 



"Why, at first a sharp little prick, but now it 

 seems to grow a kind o' warm." 



Mr. Truman hastened to him. He well knew 

 what it meant. 



"Come this way and sit down, friend Nar- 

 row, and let me put some saleratus on the 

 wound." 



"O, it's nothing; it will be all over in a min- 

 ute." 



