202 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jan. 14, 1831, 



a sting. Even when a battle takes place in the 

 air, the bees never use their sting. I have, when 

 upwards of 20,000 of the slain have laid on the 

 ground, seen as many as a dozen bees attached to 

 each other by means of their stings, and during the 

 agonies of death, by smothering, I have frequently 

 seen the bees with disruptured entrails in conse- 

 quence of their inability to extract their sting. 

 But in both these cases the natural instinct of 

 the insect was gone. In the first case these few, 

 when they were brought down to the ground bv 

 their adversary, and were maddened by rage and 

 pain, were no longer under the control of their 

 instinct. It is what is understood by running a 

 muck, using a deadly instrument indiscriminately 

 without any preconcerted, or definite plan. And 

 in the case of smothered bees, I have more fre- 

 quently seen their stings attached to the lumps of 

 melted brimstone and earth than to one another. 

 I wish I could satisfy myself equally well as to the 

 use of the farina or bee-bread ; for the bee-bread, 

 you know, is nothing more than layers of little pel- 

 lets, well packed down in the cells by the bees. 

 These pellets are put in the cells exactly as they 

 are taken from the flowers, showing when the cell 

 is opened all the different shades of yellow which 

 the pellets exliibited on the thighs of the bees, and 

 only acquiring that uniformity of color and bitter, 

 acrid, offensive taste by heat and age. I am as ig- 

 norant at this moment for what purpose this bee- 

 bread is brouglit into the hive, as I was when I 

 first commenced the investigation. The riiaggols 

 are not fed with it, that is certain ; and it is quite 

 'as certain that it does not enter into the composi- 

 tion of wax. The nearest guess that I can make 

 towards the truth is, that it is the principal ingre- 

 dient of propolis or bee-glue, wliich you knov/ is 

 distinct in its nature and properties from wax.* 

 As to wax I consider it as a secretion. I have 

 had no means of ascertaining whether it be volun- 

 tarily raised from the stomach, or from any other 

 viscus or organ. Wherever it may be elaborated, 

 its first appearance as icax, is from the mouth. If 

 Dr Smith have any cause to value my opinions, he 

 can soon satisfy himself of this truth. For although he 

 cannot gain much consecutive knowledge by watch- 

 ing the operations of the bees through a glass hive, 

 these insects being very impatient of such inspection, 

 yet for a second or two he can see enough to convince 

 him that ivax is a visceral secretion, and not an 

 exudition from the pores of the body, as some au- 

 thors imagine. I would not hurt Dr Smith's feel- 



* I readily concede to the position of Mrs G. that farina 

 or bee-bread is not designed as food for the young brood, 

 nor is it an ingredient in the composition of wax, as for- 

 merly supposed. But that it is of important use in their 

 economy is unquestionable; it is undoubtedly eaten by 

 the bees, an*l it has been asserted by some writer that a 

 hive of bees, however amply supplied with honey, can- 

 not subsist through the winter without a store of boe- 

 bread. It is apparent to every observer that these m^ects 

 are employed from the latter part of March, to late in 

 October, m collecting pollen asVoll as honey, and storing 

 it in their hives to a very consideiable amount. One 

 writer has asserted that there has been found in a single 

 hive the extraordinary quantity of one hundred pounds* 

 From this fact it may be concluded that farina is not 

 intended for the formation of propolis, of which a few 

 ounces will suffice all the purposes of a hive; faiina 

 moreover possesses no agghitinant property, which is 

 essential in the formation of bee-glue. 



It may be noticed as proof that bees eat bee bread, 

 that, in the spring especially numerous yellow spots oie 

 nhserved on the floor board and ahout the hive having the 

 j,|,eaiaoce of fiirina evacuated by the bees. J. T. 



* Mease's edition of Willich's Encyclopedia, ar- 

 ticle Bee-bread, 



ings, by showing what little knowledge I possess 

 when it goes to prove him in error. But of what 

 use is my experience, or any experience, if it is 

 not to benefit others ? The very mistakes that he 

 has made show so much minute attention, and his 

 remarks are so sensible, tliat I foresee you will 

 find in him an able coadjutor. It will not pain 

 him, I am sure, to be told that he has started 

 wrong. When a glass door is suddenly opened, 

 the glare of light surprises the bees ; they become 

 confused and run about without any apparent ob- 

 ject. I must except those who are employed in 

 building the comb, they are generally less affected 

 by external interruption than the other workers. 

 Those bees, too, which come in loaded with pellets 

 of bee bread, will generally move forward and de- 

 posit their load, but there is soon a general dis- 

 turbance, and many false conclusions must be drawn 

 from their mode of proceeding. 



What Dr S.mith says of dressing or cleaning 

 one another is true ; when a bee comes in ' travel- 

 soiled,' one or more bees immediately surround him, 

 relieve him of his psUet or honey, and then nibble 

 at him as it were from head to tail, and when they 

 release him, he is as fresh and vigoroys as ever. 

 What the Doctor suggests about punishments is 

 true enough. The bees which he has seen dragged 

 out, apparently in full healtli, were intruders, or they 

 were disabled in some way or other. If a bee 

 droop on his return from an excursion, and is not 

 invigorated after being ministered to, he is imme- 

 diately destroyed. They do not allow a crippled 

 or sick bee to remain an instant in the hive ; there 

 cannot be an idler among them; even those who are 

 apparently idle at the entrance, or on the side of 

 the hive, have some part of the policy assigned 

 them. The noises which are made by the rapid 

 motion of their wings is for some purpose ; cer- 

 tainly ; when the motion of the wings occurs at the 

 door of the hive, it is to serve as ventilation.' 

 I am yours, very respectfully. 



M. Griffith. 



TO RAISE HOLLY PLANTS. 



Mr Fessenden — I copy a receipt from a work 

 by Mr Philips, ( ' Sylva Florifera,') which you may 

 be pleased to communicate. 



'The English nurserymen have collected 50 

 different kinds of Holly, all of which may he pro- 

 pagated by grafting on a common stock. The 

 berries like the seed of the Hawthorn, hang on 

 nil winter and remain in the earth two years before 

 sproutiiig — unless they have passed through the 

 stomach of fowls, when they vegetate in one year. 

 We have therefore only to give them a similar 

 fermentation by art to enable us to raise young 

 plants in one year instead of two. For this pur- 

 pose take a bushel of bran, mix it with the seed 

 in a tub — v/et it with soft water, and let it remain 

 undisturbed for 16 days, when the bran will be- 

 gin to ferment — sprinkle occasionally with warm 

 water to keep it moist, and in ahout 30 or 40 days 

 the heat of the bran will put the berries in a state 

 of vegetation fit for sowing in ahout a week after 

 the fermentation has commenced.' (page 290, 

 1st vol.) 



The above may be worth the experiment, as 

 the young plants would sell readily. 



Yours, G, W. n. 



Mr Myers of New York, has given notice in. the 

 Legislature of a bill to have but one militia training 

 a year. 



MR COOK'S ADDRESS. 



(Continued from page 195.) 

 It must be obvious to those who have devotee 

 their attention !o the cultivation of fruit.s, that thi 

 same varieties will thrive belter in one quality o 

 soil, than in another. This is undoubtedly trut 

 even of some of the most hardy, and more espe 

 cially of those of the more tender and delicati 

 kinds. The russeting apple afl^ords an exampU 

 of this ameliorating effect, and will furnish a sat 

 isfactory elucidation of this position. The mos 

 perfect are those which are produced upon elevat- 

 ed or dry soils interspersed with rocks ; wbik 

 those which grow in low and moist lands, possesE 

 less of the distinguishing traits of that variety. ] 

 do not state this so much as the result of my owr 

 |)iactical observations, as from those of more ex- 

 [lerienced cultivators. Such being the fact in re- 

 lation to one sort of fruit, may it not be rationally 

 inferred that it should be likewise true of many 

 others.' The subject commends itself to our at- 

 tention with peculiar interest, and I cannot doubl 

 but that it will receive the consideration it meritaj 

 Associations directed to the promotion of hor- 

 ticultural pursuits are of comparatively recent date, 

 It was reserved to that country, from whence 

 the intrepid band of Pilgrims came, to found an 

 empire in this Western hemisphere, to become 

 the pioneers in this acceptable work, as she bad 

 ever been in all others that had a tendency to shed 

 a lustre upon her name, and to inqjart to olhei 

 nations the influence of Jier beneficent and glori- 

 ous example. The time has pnssed away, andi 

 with it the excitement, I trust, never to be revivecL 

 when to speak in commendation of the institutionei *' 

 of Great Britain, would subject the eulogist to 

 the suspicion that he was distrustful of those oil 

 his native country. I leave to abler hands, anc 

 more gifted minds, the correction of those un- 

 manly and illiberal personalities, that have de- 

 graded the literature of England in relation to out 

 manners and habits, and the uncharitable and mis- 

 taken views of our government, and the adminis- 

 tration of its laws, which have been furnished by 

 itinerant book-makers, in return for the generoue' 

 hospitalities of our countrymen, and thus made 

 the only adequate return of which they were ca- 

 pable. 



The Horticultural Society of London was es- 

 tablished in 1805, under the highly flatleringaus- 

 pices of distinguished scientific and practical 

 men, aud was the first institution of the kind that 

 had been founded in Europe. It has developed a 

 wide field of operations, and extended itsreseaicheS' 

 to almost every accessible part of the globe. In- 

 numerable specimens of the riches of the natural 

 world have been collected under its direction, and |f>i 

 transferred to England. Asia and Africa, and |pt 

 America and Continental Europe, have contrib- 

 uted to swell the catalogue of rare aud valuable* Hi 

 plants, to enrich and beautify the rural retreats of 

 our father land. 



In 1809, the Caledonian Horticultural Society 

 was formed in Scotland, and still numbers among 

 its patrons the first of the nobility and gentry of 

 that loyal nation. 



The Horticultural Society of Paris was institut- 

 ed in 1826, and is ra])idly increasing in numbers 

 aiul in influence. Between the society of Mas- 

 saehnsetts and that of Paris the most friendly rela- 

 tions exist, and are fostered. We have received 

 the most conclusive evidence of their regard, and 

 of their desire to promote a reciprocal interchange 



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