454 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



tries, I was led to suppose tliat here, also, okl combs 

 would be desirable as a saving in bee labor; but 

 combs more than six mouths old, even if not attacked 

 by moths, become brittle, and the bees do not like 

 them. Old comlis introduced into the center of 

 full swarms, though perfect, are often shunned by 

 the (jueen, and used, if at all, for storing honey. So, 

 then, we eonclude that.l. Imiica is very particular, 

 and likes only new houses; and, rather than live in 

 an old one, will take to camping out, 



One swarm, which I had succeeded in keeping the 

 year round, and from which I got 8 lbs. of honey, 

 finally became so dissatisfied that they swarmed 

 out and left the queen, whose wings had been 

 clipped si.x months before, on the alighting-board; 

 and though they clustered a few rods away, they 

 would not come back. They could not have had 

 another queen, as they had neither queen-cells nor 

 drones in the hive. 



.'). Although there arc shrubs and trees in bloom 

 all the year round, yet the honey-season seems to 

 be from February to July inclusive. It seems that 

 bees migrate in the midst of the honey-season, 

 which ajipears to be the fact. From February to 

 the last of May is decidedly the best of the season. 

 As the time for migrating approaches, the queen 

 ceases to lay eggs; and when the brood is hatched 

 the honey is consumed, and the bees seek a new 

 home, and set about a new house with much energy. 

 In thus migrating during the honey-season, the 

 bees secure a new home and supplies for the next 

 six months. At the beginning of the rains the 

 swarms are very large for this bee; but at the time 

 of migrating, in December, they arc much reduced. 

 It must te noted as a curious fact, that, after 

 spending one season away, they will often very 

 regularly return to their old quarters, so that cei-- 

 tain " beetrees " come to have value as ii matter of 

 property among the natives, en account of this 

 curious fact. 



6. In experience, many queens are lost on their 

 wedding-flight. Scores of sparrows are watching 

 for them; and as their fiiglit is heavy, they are 

 easily caught. In uniting bees, for instance a 

 swarm without a queen with a swarm having a 

 queen, care must be taken, or the queen will soon be 

 found dead outside, though otherwise they dwell 

 together peaceably enough. I united two queen- 

 less swarms once, proposing to give them eggs to 

 make a qvieen for themselves, and they lived to- 

 gether several days very peaceably and then swarm- 

 ed out, one swarm taking the right and tie other 

 the left road to nsw quarters. Fertile workers are 

 met with here as among European bees. One 

 (jueenless swarm tried to make a queen of a drone. 



7. These bees are extremely gentle. They will 

 seldom attack, save when the hive is full of honey 

 and brood, and then a puff of smoke is quite enough 

 to send them on their knees. They fly about, 

 alighting on the face and hand.^, with a plaintive 

 buzz, which says very plainly, " Please," and we 

 understand the rest they would say if they could 

 speak. Hoiv clearly thej' say "come" to each other, 

 when they find a new hive, or the swarm from 

 which they have been separated ! Si)eakiug of their 

 gentle disposition, I have often watched a squad of 

 these bees make a combined attack on a big green 

 fly, which often persistpntly troubles them. By a 

 rush they rout the fly, yet he soon returns and 

 settles near some bee, who quickly takes to her 

 heels, as if a terribly enemy had come. They very 



readily runoff the combs on to the top-bar or hands, 

 in handling; though if the hands be smoked a little 

 first they shun them. Notwithstanding their geii- 

 tlcuess they are great free-booters and attack each 

 others' hives mercilessly. In these battles they 

 soon cover the ground about the hives with the 

 dead. 



8. They will luit i-iin into a hive when poured 

 down in front of it, but take flight. They take 

 |)osfession of a hive when one wants them to, vci-y 

 reluctantly; but a bit of brood, sealed or unsealed, 

 fixes Ihcm at once. If handled too much, the 

 queen stops laying, and after the broo.l is all hatch- 

 ed the swarm al)scoiids. 



The above ai"0 somecf the i-osiilts of a year's study 

 of these bees, the A. Indira. A second year's study 

 and experimenting is likely to modify some of the 

 abo^-e observations. Only after repeated cxv>eri- 

 ments will it bo wise to lay down rules. These bees 

 are not likely to become profitable property, though 

 one can not say what will be the result, if cro.ssed 

 with other breeds. There are at least three species 

 oi A. Itulica. Their relative merits v/e can not yet 

 pronounce upon. Further experiment is necessary. 



Toungoo, Burmah, Dec. 1, 1885. A. BuNKEit. 



A LITTLE ADVICE TO LOCAL SUPPLY- 

 DEALEKS. 



L.'iCKOF JUDGMENT VEKSITS W1I,LFUL DISHONESTV. 



fHEKE are but few who realize how easy it is, 

 in the course of circumstances, for a per- 

 fectly honest man to start out with nothing 

 but honest intentions, and in a short space 

 of time be condemned as a dishonest man. 

 These few lines are directed mainly to bee keepers, 

 still they will apply to many other branches of busi- 

 ness. Bee culture of our day, under its great prog- 

 ress, requires, to cari-y it on profitablj-, many im- 

 plements and supplies, not easily manufactured on 

 a small scale in every beekeeper'M home. For this 

 reason it becomes necessary that there be manu- 

 facturing establishments where such goods as are 

 required by bee-keepers can bo made. Now, the 

 bee-keepers are so thinly scattered over our great 

 country that such establishments are necessarily 

 situated some distance apart. This has caused 

 heavy expense in expressing small amounts of 

 goods great distances, and it is this very thing that 

 has led to the trouble I am about to speak of. 



In almost all localities there is some one more in- 

 terested than others who roads up, sends and gets 

 foundation, sections, smokers, etc., transfers his 

 hives, and commences the business under modern 

 management. His more backwai'd neighbors be- 

 gin to get interested, and, of course, look to him 

 for assistance. They want him to send for supplies 

 for them; and, partly to accommodate and partly 

 that ho can add this supply department to his busi- 

 ness, he at once applies to some supply-dealer for 

 terms to sell again; and, as all supply - dealers 

 know, these applications come, not by tens, but 

 hundreds. He gets rates which give him a fair 

 profit, by having his goods shipped by freight in 

 quantities. He has no hundreds of dollars to put 

 into the business, but is an honest man, and the 

 dealer gives him credit. He commences selling to 

 his friends and acquaintances; he has got credit,.so 

 he sells to his friends, and gives them credit. 

 Time iiassos on. He perhaps takes one third cash, 



