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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. 5, 



THE HO.XKV BEE-(Arter " HiaMatlia.'') 



BT S. C. MARKON. 



Should you ask me why these lindens, 

 Why these clover-fields and blossoms, 

 Looming up in yonder forest, 

 Scenting all the air around you, 

 Giving refuge to the songsters. 

 Giving shelter to the chanters, 

 Forming homes for many beauties; 

 I should ask you, I should tell you, 

 From that boney-bee that flying, 

 I should have you ask the insects. 

 Ask the humble-bee and red-back. 

 The little tree-toad the speaker. 

 Ask bim as he clings on linden, 

 Ask him if he sees at daybreak 

 Many busy workers flying 

 Through the foliage and halting 

 At the flowers, richly laden 

 With the sweetest, choicest nectar. 

 Ask the busy, chatt'ring squirrel. 

 If while gathering nuts and corn. 

 If he hears, above, about bim. 

 Many roars of gentle thunder; 

 If he feels his tail-hairs blowing 

 Prom the wings of passing workers. 

 I should point you, I should lead you 

 To the woods of beech and maple. 

 To the basswood and the willows, 

 To the home of busy workers. 

 To the home of the honey-bee. 



See that tree, a sturdy linden. 

 See the still effect of decades, 

 See the weakened, rotten trunk. 

 There a bole has broken midway 

 From its rooting to its summit, 

 Here a hum of life, nigh, unbroken; 

 Climb and watch, and see the inmates, 

 How they keep their room arranged ; 

 See the white and silver wax-comb. 

 See the thousands of good house-wives, 

 All content their part to labor. 

 See the young in waxen cradles. 

 See the kind, attentive worker 

 Thrust her tongue downdup to nourish; 

 See them guard their den of honor. 

 Fearful lest some meaning insect 

 May intrude to kill their young. 



When the summer sun is shining. 

 See them come and fly afar off, 

 See them circle, above, about. 

 Watch them as they home returning 

 Pant ard tremble from exhaustion ; 

 Watch the guard as she approaches. 

 Watch them as they meet each other. 

 If perchance it be a lost one. 

 See them on its body waver. 

 Notice on the work-r's hind-legs 

 Spots of yellow, brown and golden ; 

 See it glisten, water, sparkle. 

 Like the stars a-shining skyward. 

 This the food for younger members 

 Of this family, wonderful. 



Onondaga Co., N. Y. 





CONDUCTED BY 



OR. O. O. MILLER, MARENGO, ILL, 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.! 



Wliicli Betg arc Best ? 



Which bees are the very best houey-gatherers and extra- 

 good workers— the 3-banded, the leather-colored Italians, or 

 the black bees ? Iowa. 



Answeh.— You can generally toll something about a man's 

 belief from his prai^lce. I keep bees not for my health, nor 

 for the fun of It, but for the money I can get from the honey. 

 At the present time I have between 200 and ;iOO colonies, 



and they vary all the way from the very yellowest to those 

 almost black. In a good season there is a good deal of differ- 

 ence In the amount of honey they store. Some of them 

 hardly pay their rent. Last year— and it will probably be 

 much the same this season — an occasional colony hardly 

 stored 20 pounds, while others reacht nearly ten times that 

 amount. I dou't'feel proud of that. If I were a better bee- 

 keeper I wouldn't have any such poor colonies, and there 

 would be greater uniformity in the strength of all. Compar- 

 ing the kinds, and taking those the farthest apart, I find the 

 pure Italians Invariably outstrip those that have the most 

 black blood. But if a colony distinguishes itself particularly 

 in the way of honey-gathering, the chances are that jvill be 

 neither very dark nor pure Italian, but a cross between the 

 two. That might suggest that the best thing would be to 

 breed from this 3ross. But not being a flxt type the fear is 

 that they might rapidly deteriorate. There is a vigor thart 

 comes from a fresh cross that may not continue if that cross 

 is perpetuated. By trying to keep somewhat near pure Ital- 

 ian stock, there is all the time chance enough for the Intro- 

 duction of black blood from surrounding bees. 



Answering your question then as you put it, I should say 

 that the pure Italians of the leather-colored kind — and they 

 always have the three bands — were decidedly ahead of the 

 blacks as honey-gatherers. But across the water in England, 

 it seems to be different. There they say the blacks excel. 



Swarm Dcscrling— Use of Alley-Trap —Caring for 

 Em|>ly Combs — Destroying Beea and Sav- 

 ing Honey and Combs. 



1. I have been bothered about keeping swarms iu the 

 hives where I put them. I will state the conditions surround- 

 ing them as nearly as I can, and ask if you can tell me why 

 they got up and left. Some were hived in new hives recently 

 painted on the outside only, but dry, filled with full sheets of 

 foundation. The hives were in the sun, but an extra shade- 

 board was provided. Swarms were mostly shaken from a 

 limb at the entrance of the hive, thus getting the whole clus- 

 ter. Others were hived in hives filled with empty combs, 

 which had been fumigated about two weeks before using, hav- 

 ing been well aired, however. Some would stay 24 hours, 

 others only a few hours, when they would get up and leave 

 for parts unknown. 



2. I am so situated that I cannot watch for swarms, and 

 think of using Alley's queen-traps next year to save swarms. 

 a. Is It a sure sign that a colony has swarmed to find the trap 

 full of drones, b. What is the best way to find the queen in 

 the trap among the drones when I wish to divide after they 

 have swarmed ? 



3. What is the best way to care for empty combs from 

 winter time to swarming time ? 



4. If I should wish to destroy a swarm and save the 

 honey and combs, what is the best way to do it ? 



Northern Illinois. 



Answers. — 1. The probability is that heat was at the 

 bottom of the trouble. The weather has been unusually hot, 

 and bees will not stand as much heat when freshly hived as 

 they will after being well settled in housekeeping. If it Is hot 

 when they are hived, they seem to say, "Whew! this is 

 almost too much for us older folks to stand ; guess we'd bet- 

 ter get out before there are any babies in the hive to be 

 roasted." But after getting well started they don't want to 

 go and leave their brood. Arguing on this ground, some say 

 It's a good plan to give a frame of brood to a swarm when first 

 hived, for they will not desert It, while others say the frame 

 of brood Is the very thing to make them leave. I suspect that 

 both are right, and If we understood the matter more fully 

 perhaps we could tell just when and under what circumstances 

 the brood would make the bees stay, and vice versa. 



But the great thing to look out for, when hiving a swarm. 

 Is to see that It has plenty of air. Of course shade Is very 

 Important, and besides giving a shade-board you might have 

 wet the hive and surroundings with water when the day grew 



