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THE x\MERICAN BEE JOURNAL AKD GAZETTE. 



For the Americaa Bee Journal and Gazotto. 



Bearicg and Saving Bees. 



Mr. Editor: 



I noticed Mr. Grimm's article in your last, 

 delailing the way lie secured " a <ireat number 

 of queens and cells in one hive." He made 

 good " ttj/ie,'^ hut I think if he -".vill conduct his 

 operations better next time, he will not get 

 matters so badly "mixed." 



On the day he found his " fortj^-three perfect 

 cells," he should then have protected each cell 

 in its original position by properly-constructed 

 queen-cages, or removed them to such cages 

 where thej^ vi'ould be out of danger. With 

 suitable cages all such cells may be protected, 

 and the virgin queens safely introduced to small 

 nuclei or full stocks withoutfcar of destruction. 

 It can be done by way of a " second hatching" 

 through an "artificial queen-cell" atthe bottom 

 of the queen-cage. I do not deem it advisable 

 to explain the matter further, as Prof. A. P. 

 Aster Alsatius (Nasby ?) might attempt to ap- 

 ply his "experimental science," and stultify 

 himself as heretofore. 



I liaA'e a few questions I would like to ask 

 the " knowing ones." I think they can be fully 

 explained : — 



First. If the impregnation of the eggs of the 

 queen to produce workers or females is pro- 

 duced by this compression of her abdomen into 

 the contracted workers' cells, as has been 

 claimed, how does it come that the queen lays 

 eggs in the royal or queen-cells that produce 

 females or queens invariably, since such cells 

 are quite as large as the drone-cells ? 



Again; if the queen ever lays in neioly -pre- 

 pared queen-cells.^ Avhy don't she sometimes use 

 old queen-cells for such deposits V 



Are not the eggs ahvays removed from con- 

 tracted worker-cells (after fecundation in such 

 cells by the queen) to queen-cells by the workers, 

 or the queen-cells built over such eggs in 

 worker-cells ? 



I notice Mr. Quinby, in a recent article in 

 your paper, did not appreciate my plan of rear- 

 ing cpaeens in large quuntities. From his 

 "Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained," (1862, 

 page 250,) I infer that he had then almost 

 abandoned the idea of ever producing artificial 

 queens from "worker-eggs, "tts he called Uiem. 

 He remarks : " Yet occasionally prolific queens 

 have been reared, Avhen I could account for 

 their origin in no other vray but from worker 

 eggs. But you will find they are not to be de- 

 pended upon generally." From the above I 

 suppose lie found it difficult to produce queens 

 artificially from eggs laid by the queen in 

 worker-cells. 



In his last work I notice he has clmngcd Jds 

 ^^ hisfory''^ somewhat on thnt point. 



Your suggestions, Mr. Editor, in last Journal, 

 on " Italianizing," are well placed., and may be 

 read and re-read with great profit. 



W. A. Flandeks. 

 Shelby, Ohio. 



The most advantageous period for a swarm 

 to be thrown olTis from the middle of May to 

 the middle of June. 



Bees in Bretagne, (France.) 



Bees occupy a prominent and important po- 

 sition in the household in Bretagne, where they 

 are regarded and treated as members of the fa- 

 mily. All interesting occurrences alfecti ng the 

 welfare of the familj^ are formally announced to 

 them. When a child is born, the father, accom- 

 panied by the eldest son, (if there be one old 

 enough to Avalk,) arrayed in his best Sunday 

 dress, proceeds to the apiary, and passing from 

 hive to hive, announces the glad tidings, and 

 decorates each hive Avith a scarlet scarf. When 

 a marriage engagement is made, the fact is an- 

 irounced in like manner, the lady conducting 

 her betrothed to the apiary, and presenting 

 him to each colony. On the wedding-day each • 

 hive is decorated Avith crimson trappings; and, 

 on the folloAving morning, the bridal-Avreath is 

 suspended on the stock which the OAvner regards 

 as the best, and is left hanging there till sunset. 

 When this lias Ijeen done, the young husband 

 feels assured that his Avife Avill prove to be a A^ery 

 frugal and industrious helpmate, and that hap- 

 piness and prosperity Avill attend them through 

 life. 



But the bees ai'e not expected to take an in- 

 terest alone in the joyful events of the family. 

 They are also apprised in due form of any 

 mournful occurrences. Every death is an- 

 nounced by a messenger arra3^ed in black, Avith 

 crape trailing from his hat and left arm; and 

 every hive also is immediately invested in 

 crape, Avhich remains there so long as the fa- 

 mily themseh'es Avear mourning, unless mean- 

 "\vhile some joyous event occur, requiring to be 

 communicated by message, Avheu the crape is 

 removed, and the crimson trappings substi- 

 tuted. 



The origin of these singular customs is un- 

 kuoAvn. Probably they arose from a regard to 

 the great value and importance of bee-eidture 

 in the district, especially of LoAver Bretagne. 

 The immense plains there covered Avith bloom- 

 ing heather at the proper season, supply the 

 bees Avith inexhaustible pasturage, and thou- 

 sands of hives are seen there every summer, 

 without the guardianshi}) of any superintendent. 

 Yet robbing or theft is altogether unknown 

 there. 



SwAMMERDAM tclls US he was informed by a 

 bee-keeper that a single hive which Avas left to 

 him after Count Mansfeldt overran Emden, be- 

 came the parent and grand-parent of thirty fa- 

 milies within the year folloAving. And Bose, 

 the French Consul in Caiolina, told Feburier 

 that he had eleven sAvarms in one season from 

 a single stock; and that these, one with another, 

 thrcAV ofl"as many moTe; so that, at the end of 

 the year, he had twenty-two families, besides 

 losing several for want of hives to receive 

 them. 



The European Avasp sometimes takes poses- 

 sion of a hive, having cither destroyed or driven 

 aAvay its inhabitants, and consumes all tlie honey 

 it contains. 



