50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Angust 29, 1832. 



laid them on a table covered with a wliite cloth, 

 aud placed the hive, which was a new one, di- 

 rectly over theni. A few of the bees in a short 

 lime went np into the hive, but the main body of 

 them remained on the limb. The man said they 

 were doing well, and would soon all go up, of 

 course I did not trouble myself much about them. 

 In the afternoon, between two and three o'clock, 

 they all suddenly started oft" from the hive, and 

 with one accord took a straight line for the woods 

 at a quick rate. My men said they must be stop- 

 ped by shaking bells, striking pans, and making a 

 great noise at them. This was tried, but to no 



After being hived a second lime, why did two 

 thirds of them, (or thereabouts) leave the hive, 

 and afterwards go back to it ? 



I am. Sir, yours &c. S. HOWARD. 



Vaughan Farm, Hallowdl, Me. Aug. ]833. 



N. 15.— The hive to which the bees manifested 

 such an antipathy, was made of clean new pine 

 boards, excepting the painted one lirst put on the 

 top. The shape was that of the common old 

 fashioned bo,\ hive. The one i:no which the bees 

 were last put, was just like it, with the exception 

 of the painted top board. 



Since writing the above, the following has oc- 



purpose, and we lost sight of them after following i guj-ed to me as worthy of inquiry, 

 them to the woods, about a quarter of a mile. I jg ti,e reigning or governing bee of the nation, 



if there he one, a male or female? I know that 

 t is conmionly called a queen, signifying that it is 



then gave them up as lost, and offered two dollars 

 to any one who would show me their habitation. 

 Conjei-tures now arose as to the cause of their 

 departure. The man who hived them, examined 

 the hive, and said they went oft' because the top 

 board was painted. The next day was very fine, 

 and about eleven o'clock, while closely engaged 

 about my liay, we were surprised at a loud buz- 

 zing in the air over our heads, and on looking up 

 savv a swarm of bees coming from nearly the 

 same direction which those had gone the preced- 

 ing day, and no doulrt is entertained that they were 

 the same bees. As their course varied a little from 

 their outward flight, the most of them were, when 

 they arrived opposite the hive which they left, dis- 

 tant from it a few rods; hut at this time they 

 spread about very much and many cf them flew 

 about the trees near the hive. They however pass- 

 ed by a <hort distance, say ten rods, and alighted 

 on an apple tree. The hive which ihey had left 

 the day previous was now taken, and the painted 

 board taken ofl" from the top, and another not 

 painted put on in its stead. The limb on which 

 they were was cut off", placed on a table as before, 

 and the hive set over the bees. About one third 

 of them went up into the hive, and the others 

 went off" and alighted on an elm tree, distantsix or 

 eio-ht rods. The man attending on them, said 

 there were two swarms, and that they would not 

 agree to hive together ; remarking at the same 

 time, that be thought at first it was the largest 

 swarui he ever saw. Another hive was procured 

 for the purpose of taking the supposed swarm 

 which had gone to the elm ; but while prepara- 

 tions were making to get them into it, they began 

 to fly off", and in a few moments they all rejoined 

 their brethren at the other hive. They appeared 

 inclined to stay at the hive, but not on the inside; 

 of it, and those which had gone in came out, and 

 all crowded up on the outside and fastened them- 

 selves round the top board. As ihey thus mani 

 fested so strong an antipathy to ibis hive, another 

 was taken, and at evening the bees were scraped 

 into it. They went to work the ntxt day aud have" 

 continued to do well since. 



Now I should like to have you, or some of the 

 intelligent apiarians with whom you correspond, 

 reply to the following queries. 



What caused the bees to leave tbeirhive in the 

 first instance, after it had been pkced over them 

 and a part had gone into it ? 



What caused their return, and did they, or did 

 they not intend to go back to the hive they had 

 left .' 



a female. 



If it is a female, is she the mother of those 

 which are born in the community ? 



If the queen, as it is called, is the propagator 

 of the species, what is the office of the drones? 



I believe it was until within a very few years, 

 if it is not now, a current idea that the queen was 

 the mother of the race, and the drones ihe fathers. 

 I am not sceptical as to the existence of a reign- 

 ing bee in the hive, but have some doubts wheth- 

 er it should be called a queen, and still stronger 

 doubts whether it is the inother of the whole col- 

 ony. Some suppose that the drones are the fe- 

 males, and the mothers of the colony, and from 

 my observations, I am strongly inclined to adopt 

 this hypothesis. I have caught several drones and 

 killed thrni, and found in the abdomen of some, 

 sevcr.il small oblong substances, varying some- 

 what in size in diff"erent individuals, which from 

 their resemblance to the eggs of insects, I have 

 but little doubt were their eggs. 



Of what sex is the working bee ? Naturalists, 

 I believe, say it is a neuter. Not long ago I heard 

 an experienced bee-keeper say that be was confi- 

 dent the working bee produces the egg from which 

 the bees are hatched. Is this probable ? S. H. 



ITEMS OF RURAL ECONOMY, 



Original and Selectp.l, by Uic Editor. 



Grapes. — A writer for Loudon's Magazine ob- 

 serves, " I remember once dining with a physi- 

 cian, when two parcels of grapes were introduced 

 in the dessert. These grapes were as dissimilar 

 as could well he imagined ; the one seemed equal 

 to foreign, large and rich ; the other scarcely edi- 

 ble. I was surprised to hear that they were Lik- 

 en from the same tree, the growth of England, and 

 of the open garden. The only dift'erencc was, the 

 fine grapes were taken from such bunches as hap- 

 pened to be tied up in black crape, and the others 

 in white gauze to protect them from the attacks of 

 birds and insects." 



Killing Wasps. — A writer in the Gardener's 

 Magazine recommends the following mode of de- 

 stroying wasps. " When a wasp's nest is found, 

 I take about half a pint of tar in a jiitch-ladle, and 

 turn a part of it into the hole where the nest is ; 

 put the remainder of the tar roimd about the 

 mouth of the hole and the job is done. All the 

 wasps that are in the nest are caught in their at- 

 tempt to come out, and those that are out are 

 caught in their attempt to go in, so that none es 



day ; as in general there are a great many of the 

 wasjjs, which are out all night, and when the tar 

 is dry it will not catch them. 



" It is not necessary to dig out the nest ; and 

 the tar may be applied at any time of the day, 

 even when the wasjis are most busy. 



" Within the last week 1 have destroyed above 

 twenty nests, and the wasps at no time made any 

 attempt to sting." 



General Rules for the Construction of Farm Build- 

 ings. — Though a circle contains most space with- 

 in the sinallest possible enclosure, yet, with few- 

 exceptions, it is the least adapted for subdivision, 

 aud the most expensive in execution ; while the 

 square and parallelogram, will be found the least 

 costly, and the most commodious. 



In low buildings, where the roof and joisting 

 are the most expensive articles, the oblong fortri 

 will be preferable, particularly when such form, 

 is, in other resjjects, best adapted to the j)Urpose 

 required. 



The cheapest building is that whose plan is 

 contained within four straight linos. All projec- 

 tions add considerably to the expense, by the extra 

 corners, breaks in the roof, &c. 



EUerherry Synip.— Take of ilio juice of elder- 

 berry one quart; boil it to one pint; strain and 

 add t.vo pounds double r ■fiunl sugar; again jilacij 

 it ovfr the fire ; so soon as it shall have boiled, re- 

 move it from the fire ; and when cold bottle it for 

 use, taking care to have it well corked. Should 

 they neglect to ])ut in the above quantity of su- 

 gar, there will be danger of its becoming moiddy. 

 ,\s a gentle purgative this syrup is excellent med- 

 icini, of very pleasant taste; and is ]iarticularly 

 servccable for children, who are difficult about 

 takiig medicine. The dose for an adult is a wine 

 glass full. 



Brewing Beer from Mangold Wurtzel. — Mr Reu- 

 ben Earnshaw, of Ilickburton, near Barnsley, late- 

 ly made an experiment by brewing the roots of 

 Mangold Wurlzcl. He says, that when the roots 

 are sliced, and treated by a process the same as 

 in ordinary brewing, adding two pounds of tre- 

 acle to a bushel of the roots, they will produce as 

 much good beer, with a quartern of hops, as four 

 pecks of malt. — Gardener''s Magazine. 



How to enlarge Fruits. — The size of fruits pro- 

 cuccii on trees and suspended in the air, it has 

 been proved by M. St. Hilaire, may be somewhat 

 increased by supporting them. The fruit experi- 

 mented on was the pear. It is curious that the 

 Ltncashire gooseberry growers liave long been 

 doing nearly the same thing with their prize ber- 

 ries. 



If they did intend to return to the hive, by I cape. If the nest should be in a place where the 

 what principle were they actuated ? Was it in- tar will soon get dry, it may, perhaps, be better to 

 stinct or reason ' (put a little more tar round the hole the following 



Suldituiefor Coffee. — The seeds of grapes have 

 been discovered to be an excellent substitute for 

 coffee. When |)rcssed, they first produce a quan- 

 tity of oil, and afterwards, when boiled furnish a 

 liquid \-^ry similar to that produced from coffee. 

 The pr.xtice has become very general throughout 

 Germany. — Mechanics' Magazine. 



Curds and JfTiey. — A ready and elegant mode of 

 procuiing curds, and also a pleasant acidulous 

 whey, is by adding to a glass full of milk a little 

 solution of citric acid, taking care not to add too 

 much. An experiment or two will readily show 

 the qmntity necessary to eff'ect the purpose. — 

 London oaper. 



