516 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. 19, 



finer fruit thaa the staminate sorts. One reason given for this 

 is that the pistillate sorts must always be cross-fertilized. 



Since cross-fertilization, as thus far disoust, refers, pri- 

 marily, to the crossing of plants of the same species, it may 

 not be amiss to mention briefly the subject of hybridization, or 

 crossing of two different species. Without going into a lengthy 

 discussion of this subject, it may bo stated that, in the vegeta- 

 ble as well as the animal kingdom, there are very few un- 

 doubted hybrids. Experiments in the hybridization of plants 

 has generally proven barren of beneficial results. Where hy- 

 brids have been secured that have often been monstrosities, 

 being abnormally developt in certain characters and deficient 

 in others. Where hybrids are not actually sterile, it has been 

 shown to be difficult, in most cases, to fix a type in their off- 

 spring. 



Finally we may conclude that where cross-fertilization be- 

 tween different varieties is favored, we may expect the most 

 beneficial results. Insects are the active agents through 

 which cross-pollination is best effected. Experiment may yet 

 iprove the comparative value of different varieties as polleni- 

 zers of other varieties. A judicious mixing of varieties is pre- 

 ferred to planting solid blocks of a single variety. Keeping 

 honey-bees in the orchard insures better pollination. 



Rearing Queens — Drone Progeny of Queens. 



BY L. L. SKAGGS. 



C. B. Bankston, on page 435, says that queens can't be 

 reared from larva^ three days old. Now, we know that if bees 

 are made queeuless they very often hatch a queen in nine 

 days. Mr. B., how is that ? I would like some information 

 on this. Will Mr. Bankston make me the same offer that he 

 did his friend — to give §10 apiece for queens that were reared 

 from larvae three days old? And how much proof does he 

 want? If there is auy chance to sell these queens for a good 

 figure, I will try my hand at rearing a lot of little worthless 

 queens, as I know that such queens are no good. 



I see Mr. Bankston claims that drones are changed by the 

 mating of their mother. I was like him when I first com- 

 menced bee-keeping, but observation has taught me differently. 

 I hated to give up nearly as badly as he did about killing the 

 deer. 



I have had a splendid chance to test this. I have moved 

 my bees three times. I keep the 5-banded Italians. A great 

 many of my neighbors' queens mate with my drones. I have 

 never seen a single yellew drone in their hives. The first 

 season they were all as black as tar. I think I have exam- 

 ined at least 50 different colonies, and askt my neighbors to 

 watch for them, and no one has reported having seen a single 

 yellow drone till the second season. If there is the least bit 

 of Italian blood in the queen, you will find yellow drones, or, 

 if black bees and Italians are in the same yard, you will see 

 yellow drones in every hive. Drones go into the first hive 

 they come to. Tbey are at home anywhere. Bees must be 

 over one-half mile, or the drones will get in with the swarms 

 when they come out, and stay with them. If Mr. B. had been 

 here last spring, when I was trapping my neighbors' drones, I 

 could have proved it to his satisfaction, that he is wrong. 



Mr. Bankston has loft such a good opening that I felt I 

 must joke him a little. Is he sure that he didn't get his bee- 

 notions in the same way he got the deer yarn that he could 

 hardly give up? Llano Co., Tex. 



Our Chinese Bee-Keeplng Friend Again Heard 

 From. 



Mi.isTKR Lkditor : — It is a long tlime slince I lote you 

 last — I gless you must have florgotten me 'tis slo long agio. 

 Flaps some ylour leaders may remember that I lote you slonie 

 letters about tlee ylears agio. 



At that tlime I klept blees — sugar-flies — niear Slan Flan- 

 cisco. As I made heap moneo fiom my sugar-fly hloney, I 

 thought I wonld glo to ray old hlome in China to see my wifo, 



my chlinden, and clusens. I went flirst-class — all samee, 

 Melican man. Ladies in clabin treat me heepee nice. Belly 

 sweet on me — thley mlust have known that I was englaged in 

 sugar-fly blisness in Claliflornia— Claliflornia heep sweet place, 

 you know. 



On shlip I meet some of Mr. A. I. Loot's flends ; they glo 

 China to make clistian of heethen Chinee, they say. I hope 

 they slucceed. One lady heep nice — she all slame sluggar-fly 

 honey — she so slweet. If I had no wifo in China, I think I 

 ask her to beclome my wifo. 



In China my fiamly belly glad to see me. My chlinden 

 grow heep big and belly smlart — almost slame Melican bloys 

 and glirls. I find that my big bloy learn slome Lingish, and 

 lead Loot's "Gleanings In Slugar-Fly Clulture." She get tea- 

 box and make hive of him. She call him " Slymplicity hive." 

 I look him obler belly muchee, and thiukee him the neeplus 

 ulthra (I learn some Latlin lately, you see) of slymplicity. 

 She glet belly nice suglar [honey], and sell him hare for one 

 sen plound — heep too cheap. But wha' flor? I tly to glet 

 mlore, but no can do. War with Japan dome on. 



Pletty sloon, blime bye, Hon. Li Hung Chang, my 32nd 

 clusin, send sloldger alfer me to dome and flight Japan man. 



Residence of Wuny Lung, Norlh Tcmescal, Cnllf. 



You see I no glo, I lose mly head — heep bad, you bet. So 

 I glo. 



I flighter heepee muchee, and make heepe Japan'ee debil 

 bitetee dirt. You see when I laised legetables in Temescal, 

 nlear Slan Flancisdo, I learned how to shootee glopher and 

 squirrlee. 



Slo, when the blattle Port Arthuree come on, me made 

 Captain one of the clompanies. I now wear fline clothes. 

 Japan debil make target of me — shootee at me heep muchee. 

 Slixteen blulitts go thloo me — heep llghtee enter my body. Me 

 hap die. For long tlime lay on flield. My wifo follow me to 

 war, flind me hap die, give me plenty lice gin [whiskey], and 

 me dome to life ouco more. Wifo tlake me lospital ; heep 

 nursee me, and one yiear me pletty muchee well aglin. 



For slix molnths I lookoo latter my slon's sugar-flies — get 

 slome belly nice sugar [honey], and slell for two sen plound — 

 war make sugar go up 100 per slent. When I get heep well 

 — which tlook tloor [2] yIear — I go black to Slan Flancisdo. 

 I heep slorry I have to leave wifo, China — can no let me tlake 

 him to Mclica. 



I flind my Melican sugar-flies heep flIne. They fly heep 

 muchee, and make heep sugar. My old plartner look after 

 him slatiflactorly — big word for Chinaman to slay. I now got 

 15 slwarms. Me sloon buy lax lextractor, wax blase ma- 



