18S6 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllE. 



265 



of the opening of the cells in wbich she deposits 

 her eg-gs. Is it not probaWe that a careful observa- 

 tion of nJ? ol' her work will develop the fact that 

 she does thisV 



Another strong point in favor of our theory is 

 the fact mentioned by me in the ai-ticle heretofore 

 referred to; namely, that bees that have nothing 

 but drone-combs for their bi-ood-nest will reduce 

 the size of the openings of the cells to that of work- 

 er-comb by building a rim around the edges. Why 

 do they do this, if the size of the cell has no effect 

 on the sex of the egg? I had a case of this kind 

 come under my notice last summer. Having a 

 good young queen i'rom which I wished to obtain 

 some drones, 1 gave her a full sheet of drone-comb 

 in tbe center cf her brocd-ncst; but the workers 

 (the scamps I) concluding that it was not good econ- 

 omy to raise drones at that particular time, built 

 rims around tbe edges of the cells, and raised quite 

 a lot of workers, much to my disappointment. I 

 have a great respect for the intelligence and rea- 

 soning powers of the queen, and I am not willing to 

 admit that she is merelj- an automaton in this mat- 

 ter. I have no doubt that she knows just wliat she 

 is about when depositing her eggs in the various 

 kinds of cells; but it appears to me that the weight 

 of evidence is in favor of the proposition that ex- 

 ternal mechanical means decide the sex of the eggs, 

 instead of the accurate manipulation of internal 

 muscles, which in higher animals are involuntary 

 in their action. E. M. Hayhurst. 



Kansas City, Mo., March 8, 18S6. 



Thanks, friend H., for the additional 

 liglit you throw on tliis strange subject ; 

 and, by tlie way, the point you make is a 

 good ilhistration of how very faulty our 

 reasoning may be, even when we think it is 

 very clear anil plain. I have seen queens 

 lay in the foundation, where the cells were 

 very shallow and had just been started, and 

 I took it for granted, as a matter of course, 

 that she knew what she was about, and that 

 worker-brood would be the result of this 

 egg-laying. But when you pin me right 

 down "to it, I have to confess I do not know 

 whether those eggs ever produced worker- 

 bees or not. We will try to have that mat- 

 ter determined this summer. I have often 

 seen drone-comb drawn out with a ring of 

 wax, as you mention, where the bees want- 

 ed to i-aise worker-l)rood in the drone-comb. 

 Now, I shall claim a little on my theory right 

 here. It was the bees, of course, that put 

 the ring of wax around the drone-cells, and, 

 therefore, it was the bees that decided 

 whether drones or workers should be raised. 

 Now, why isn't it the bees all the while, and 

 not the queen that determines the sex V 



HOW TO EAT EXTRACTED HONEY. 



HOW TO rUT THE CORKS IN TIIK MUTH .lAKS. 



'E all l.now that wo can not taste honey in 

 our stomach; it is while it is in the mouth 

 that we taste it, and Prof. Cook has truth- 

 fully said that the point of the tongue is 

 the organ which appreciates it in tlie higli- 

 est degree. When you spread honey on bread, I do 

 not know of more than one way to eat it. If you 

 like it "clear," just try it this way: Take a knife 

 or spoon and just dip the point In the honey, then 



"lap" it off', using the tip of your tongue; repeat 

 as often as you like, all the while cheAving the hon- 

 e.y, and rolling it as a sweet morsel under your 

 tongue. Not long ago two boys bought a pound of 

 honey at our store, and after warming it at the 

 stove they actually drank it. 



PUTTING CORKS INT(J BOTTLES. 



How do you put the corks in the Muth honey-jars? 

 T have never seen it done, and don't know what is 

 the best way. At first I tried putting them in with 

 a hammer, but I soon found that jarred out a flue 

 dust from the corlv, which fell on the honey. I then 

 made a press, which I am still using. Take a hard- 

 wood board, about 6 x 10 inches, for a base, and alev- 

 er of hard wood about 1 .x l'ixl6. Connect the 

 lover to the base by four or six strands of heavy 

 wire, making a loose joint near the lever. The lev- 

 er and base should be just as far apart as the bottle 

 is high. In sealing the tops, do not use pure bees- 

 wax, but take 1 lb. of beeswax and 3 lbs. of rosin; 

 it is much better, and a great deal cheaper. Use it 

 warm, but not hot. C. W. Costellow. 



Waterboro, Me., Feb. 20, 1888. 



Your method of tasting honey "clear" 

 is very similar to the way we test samples of 

 honey sent to this office. I grant, that, to 

 get the full benefit of the delicate flavors, 

 we must taste the honey in the way you de- 

 scribe. A good many small vials are 

 mailed here for the opinion of the editor of 

 Gleanings. Running the point of his pen- 

 knife down the neck of the vial, he with- 

 draws the blade, and, with its crystal drop 

 adhering, transfers it to the end of his 

 tongue. If I happen to be present at the 

 time, I sample it in like manner. It is quite 

 essential that one or more should express 

 their opinion upon the honey, as what would 

 be a disagreeable twang to one miglit be a 

 pleasant flavor to another. In general, how- 

 ever, the opinion of one or more will be 

 found to agree; and if there is an unpleasant 

 flavor, as of fall flowers, it is pretty sure to 

 make itself manifest. — You ask how we in- 

 sert the corks of the Muth jars. If you will 

 turn to page 846, last year, you will see a 

 cork-presser there illustrated and describ- 

 ed, whicli we use in bottling honey. Hav- 

 ing reduced in size the cork by means of this 

 little implement, we then force the cork in- 

 to the neck of the bottle with the palm of 

 the hand. From your description I had the 

 engraver make a diagram like the following, 



A DEVICE I'OR PCTTING COUICS INTOlIiOTTLES. 



and the plan upon which it works will be 

 readily apparent, 1 think. It is shown as 

 pressing the cork into a Muth jar, the cork 

 being just below the lever. The whole of 

 this lever is not shown, and should be of 

 such a length as to produce a very consider- 

 able pressure upon tlie cork when the hand 



