i20G 



c;li:axixgs i^' Ijee cultukk. 



Ma 



R. 



Now we come to the consideration of the second 

 question; namely, Why does the bee hatch with its 

 head toward the capping', and how does it obtain 

 food, if any, when in the pupa state? From obser- 

 vation and facts which I have been enabled to 

 glean, 1 am led to believe that the bee, during' its 

 pupa state of development, like other insects of 

 its kind, remains in a quiescent condition, during 

 which it takes no food. Indeed, confined within 

 the narrow limits where nature has placed it, with- 

 out any surplus room in which to reverse its posi- 

 tion, how could it turn its head in the direction of 

 the food? We know that the bee hatches with its 

 head toward the capping-, and in this position re- 

 mains upward of 13 to 14 days. During this time we 

 will suppose that the grub as described on page 848, 

 last year, has justrelined his cell, covering up all 

 remnants of food, together with all refuse matter, 

 and that his compartment is nice and clean. In the 

 process of development the unsightly grub is dis- 

 tinctly divided into three separate hardened seg- 

 ments at the same time that legs and other organs 

 begin to appear. If in a day or so before the time 

 of hatching we should break open the cell, we should 

 find an ivory-colored bee, and we might or might 

 not detect signs of life; at any rate, we should find 

 It in a state of comparative quiescence. The ex- 

 terior covering of the bee has become hardened 

 and shell-like, which would make it quite impossi- 

 ble to get any food at the base of the cell, even if 

 there were any thei"e. The bee has his head toward 

 the capping, because, like the chicken in the shell, 

 he is the proper one to decide when he is mature 

 enough to hatch; but were his head toward the 

 base of the cell it would be quite impossible to lib- 

 erate himself. The caterpillars and silkworms, 

 besides the larva? of other insects as well, become 

 quiescent when in the pupa state, as we learn from 

 good authority on the subject; and bees would be 

 no exception to the rule. So If we examine all 

 these peculiar phenomena we shall find a cause, 

 and generally analogous instances in other insects. 



EXPERIMENTS AGAIN WITH GREEN'S SOL.^^R WAX- 

 EXTRACTOR, IN WHICH THE BOILING-POINT, 

 212°. IS REACHED. 



March i5.— To-day begin rather warmer than usual, 

 1 decided to experiment further with the solar wax- 

 extractor-the outside temperature in the shade be- 

 ing6.5°. The extractor was arranged in a suitable po- 

 sition; and,afteralapseof an houror so, I looked in. 

 The mercury was above 180°; yes, the temperature 

 was actually 213°, or a trifle above the boiling-point. 

 I think we shall have to admit that eggs boiled by 

 the sun's rays is a thing quite probab'e -indeed 

 possible. If the weather is favorable, and I don't 

 have "bad luck," I will report in regard to sun- 

 boiled eggs versus those boiled by the other method. 

 But, wait one moment; a difficulty confronts us at 

 the outset. The water in the extractor will have to 

 be heated from its surface; whereas, water in a 

 kettle, by the ordinary means, is heated from its 

 base by convection; i. e., the atoms are transmitted 

 from one part of the water to another. It is laid down 

 in physics, that water reaches its maximum density 

 at about 39° ; when the water is warmed above this 

 point it is expanded, and, in consequence, is lighter. 

 In the wax-extractor, the water will of necessity 

 be heated at its surface by the action of the sun's 

 rays. As this stratum of water is lighter, theory 

 says it will stay on top, and not mingle with the 



Avater below and it thus will be heated very slowly. 

 When we go in bathing, after wading out to our 

 necks we often find a cold stratum at our feet, when 

 the water within a loot or twoof its surface is warm, 

 having been made so by the action of the sun. This 

 water, as it is less dense, is lighter, and does not 

 sink. In regard to sun-boil?d eggs, we will see what 

 practice has to say later. 



OUR OWN APIARY. 



Our bees are still in splendid condition -only three 

 lost from the whole; but we had reason to suspect 

 these would not winter, one being the Holy-Land 

 colony that I have already referred to, and the oth- 

 er two when put up for winter were queenless. We 

 are thus much -better off than we were a year ago 

 at this time, when we had a loss of six instead of two 

 as now. Ernest R. Root, 



CIRCULAKS KECEIVED. 



C. M. Dixon, rarrjsh, I.l , ser.di a i-jiage list of supplies in 

 grenerxl. 



C. Wec'.cesser, Marshallvi'.le, O., s.nJs a four-page sheet-- 

 bees and strawberry plants. 



J. ]'. Moore, Morg.in, Ky., sends a i page list of bees and 

 queens. 



Rev. William Ballantine, M msfleld, Ohio, sends us a 16 page 

 price list nf hee-supplies in general. 



Simon P. Roddy. Mec'ianiestown, M(l.. sends us an advertis- 

 ing sheet of bees and queens, a specialty. 



Ernst S. Hildeman, Ashippun, Dodge Co., Wis., sends an 

 advertising sheet of farm pi oduce and bee-supplies. 



W. W. Bliss, Duavte C.il., sends a 12-page circular of apiarian 

 supplies; specialty, foundation. 



S Valentine & Son, Hagersto«n, Md., .=end a 20-page price 

 list of bee-supplies. 



Frank A. Eaton, Bluffton, Ohio, sends us his advertising 

 ca'd and price list of bees and queens 



D. A. Fuller, Cherry Valley, ill., sends his advertising sheet, 

 hives a specialty. 



J. W. K Shaw & C > , Loreiuville, La., send their 4-page list; 

 specialty, early Southern queens. 



E Kretchmer, Coburg. Iowa, sendi a neitly gotten-up price 

 list of 27 pages, hives and Italian bees a specialty. 



E. W. Greer. St. Mary's, Mo., sends his advertising card- 

 poultry and hives. 



A. J. Norris & Co., Cedar Falls, Iowa, send their 4-page sheet: 

 specialty, Italian and Carniolan queens. 



E. M. \'eomans, Andover, Cr., sends a 4page circular; queens 

 and nuclei a specialty. 



Reynolds Bros., Williamsburg, Ind., send a 16-page circular 

 of bee-siipplies in general. 



R. M. Morrill, Plymoutli, Ind., sends an 8-page circular; spe- 

 cialty, small fruits. 



Sumner and Prime, Bri-itol, Vt., send a 10-page price list of 

 bee-supplies. 



n. R. Boardraan, East Townsend, Ohio, sends an advertising 

 sh^■e'; specialty, choice comb and extracted honey. 



Geo. wheeler, Norwich, New York, sends a 10-page list, hives 

 a specialty. 



G. B. Pickering. Fisher's, N. Y., sends a 4-page sheet; special- 

 ty, seed potatoes. 



Earl Clickinger, Columbu?, O., sends an advertising sheet of 

 bee-supplies in general. 



A. F. Stautfer, Sterling, 111., sends an 8 page circular— bee- 

 supplies. 



J. W. Clark, Clarksburg, Mo., sends a 15-p.ige circular, 8 

 pages of which is a diary for the registration of swarms and 

 their increase. 



O. H. Townsend, Alamo, Ka'amazoo Co., Mich., sends aiver- 

 tising sheets of bees and foundation a specialty. 



Bostwick & Ashley, Medina, leave with us their " Egg Bul- 

 letin " for 1886; specialty, poultry and eggs. 



James W. Teft't, Collamer, N. Y., sends a 4-page ciicular of 

 the " Queen City " bee hives as a specialty. 



Dr. J. f. H. Brown, of Augusta, Ga., sends us his 15th annual 

 catalogue, of 20 pases; hives a specialty, tu'-h as are adapted 

 to the southern climate 



J. D. (roodrii-h. East Hardwick, Vt., sends us a sample of hi» 

 white-poplar sections, with a two-pasre circular and samples of 

 comb foundation, very neatly packed inside the section blanks. 



Among the circulars and books rt- centl.y printed at this office 

 we notice the following:: 



B. J. Miller & Co , Nappanee, Elkhart Co., Ind., a 16-page 

 circular of bee-supplies in general. 



G. K. Hubbard, Lagrange. Ind., a very pretty 10-cent bee- 

 book. It has 61 pages in all, the first 30 of which are devoted 

 to a considerable amount of valuable information, condensed 

 in a small space. The remaining pages comprise a description 

 and price list of the Hubbard beehive. Mr. Hubbard will fur- 

 nish the book at the price named above. 



A BEE-JOURNAL STARTED IN AUSTRALIA. 



Volume I., No. 1, of the Axistralian Bee-Keepers' 

 Journal, is quite a prettj' little magazine, published 

 at Melbourne, Australia, at 6 shillings a year, or 6 

 pence per copy. The Journal is well gotten up, the 

 paper is nice, the printing is nice, and the matter ii 

 well selected. We wish them Godspeed. 



