imi 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



when she died, leaving no queen-cells in the hive at 

 her death. Both of tliese facts seem to prove that 

 the bees have no definite knowledge of the value of 

 a queen, for they will go on keeping- a useless queen 

 year after year when she can not keep more than 

 two or three frames filled with brood. 



G. M. DOOI.ITTLE. 



Korodino, N. V., Aug. 1.5, 1884. 



In regard to uniting colonies just before 

 the lioney season, I think I see the point you 

 make, friend 1). ; but I shouijj not think one 

 coukt depend on having it turn out > car aft- 

 er year, as you put it. For instance, some 

 seasons the colonies without being united 

 might each one get to be very strong, and 

 not swarm at all : again, they iliight increase 

 so rapidly with a good (|ueen' that tliey would 

 swarm, and both old stock and increase give 

 a good yield of honey. I should think, also, 

 that the doubled stix'k might swarm \ery 

 soon after they wei'e doubled, if tliey took 

 such a notion'. But I presume, of coiu'se, 

 you expect to control this to a considerable 

 extent. If the practice of luiiting colonies 

 just before the honey yield gives l)etter re- 

 sults year after year, why, that is all that is 

 wanted. — I have'for some time been satistied 

 that bees often rear another queen, oi- many 

 times replace one, when she is just in her 

 prime; and, again, they put up witli a very 

 indilferent one, where replacing would l>e of 

 great advantage to the colony. 



at the convention in Columbus, and some 

 measure was started toward seeming legis- 

 lation on the subject. i:)oubtless some of 

 our readers who were present can tell us just 

 where it stands. If the matter was dropped, 

 it should be pushed along at once, and I will 

 try to see that Ave have a suitable law, and 

 then we shall all have to try to see it rigidly 

 enforced. It is indeed a' matter of the 

 greatest consequence. 



FOUL BKOOD. 



I'HING ItEI.ATIVE TO LEGl 

 SUIJ.IECT. 



@WING to the prevalence of foul brood in some 

 parts of our State, it would Feem as if the 

 time had come when bee-keepers should call 

 for protection from our Legislature. To de- 

 lay longer, simply means to let the malady 

 become deeper rooted, apiculture to suffer more, to 

 say nothing about the increased cost of stamping it 

 out. The longer we delay, the greater will l)e the 

 cost, and the moi*e will our industry suffer. I deem 

 It of the greatest importance that bee-keepers 

 throughout the State should circulate petitions this 

 fall, and forward the same to the General Assembly 

 as soon as it convenes. Now, as you have a large 

 interest In this direction, I would suggest that you 

 strike oft' a suitable number of petitions to the Leg- 

 islature, with blanks for names, and forward them 

 to the Secretary of each bee-keepers' association 

 In the State, with a request that they secure as good 

 a I'cpreseiitation as possible, and forward the same 

 to its projier destination on time for the action of 

 the Legislative body. R. R. Robijins. 



Bloomdale, O., Aug. S, 1884. 



PETITION. 



To the Honorable Body, the Ohio State Legislature. 

 We the undersigned, liee-keepeis of the State of 

 Ohio, do hereby icjircsrut, that, (iwiiig to the preva- 

 lence of a disease known as foul lirood among bees, 

 which has gained a fool hold in sonii' parts of the 

 State; and whereas, said disease is contagious, and 

 threatens serious loss to the industr.\- of apiculture 

 withjn the State, we therefore i>ray that a warrant 

 may duly isEue in favor of suilaliie legislation to 

 stamp out and prevent the spread of the above- 

 named disease. 



NAMES. I NAMES. 



Friend 11., the subject came up last winter 



A PHENOMENON OF THE HONEY- 

 DEW. 



I.KiHT SHOWKHS AN AUXILIARY. 



AST Sunday, Aug. 17, just as we reached 

 home after Sabbath - schoor, a light 

 shower came up, just enough to wet 

 the leaves of the trees so the rain would 

 drip from them slightly. As we had 

 had no rain for some time, 'this was just 

 enough to moisten up the honey-dew that 

 had for awhile dried down on the leaves. 

 Scarcely had the rain ceased falling than my 

 attention was called to a regular stampede of 

 tlie bee's from over AOO hives. Had each col- 

 ony lieen suddenly taken with a mania for 

 robbing some other colony, they coidd liave 

 iiardly piled out at a more rapid rate. The 

 air over our house, and at each side of it, 

 was literally black with bees, and the roar 

 sounded like a small tornado. In a little 

 time a heavier roar set in. caused by heavily 

 laden returning bees ; and the way they 

 •■drojiited"" around the entiances showed con- 

 chisively tliat they were licavily laden. We 

 watched with nnich inteiest to see how it 

 would tuiii out, when anothei- shower came 

 u]) fiom tli(> east, while the bees were going 

 with a regular stampede westward after the 

 honey-dew. The shower moved so slowly, 

 and they were so busily employed on the fo- 

 liage of the forest-trees, that' they paid no 

 attention to it. Tlie result was, we had a 

 pretty lieavy rain at the a]iiary, while the in- 

 mates of this large number of hives were al- 

 most en masse a mile or more away from 

 home. I told our people that there would be 

 a ''scene"' pretty soon. Sure enough, we 

 could see by the raindrops spattering in the 

 dusty road about how fast the shower pro- 

 gressed ; and when it reached the woods, the 

 bees, as I expected, began to come tumbling 

 home through the rain, pell-mell. I was 

 surprised to see them hold out as well as 

 they did. ()ccasionally some heavily laden 

 bee', or perhaps a weak flyer, would be 

 brought to the ground by the raindrops, but 

 the most of them made their hives, and 

 crawled in at the entrances, more like drown- 

 ed rats than respectable honey-gatherers. I 

 was wondering whethei' any of them would 

 have the crouj), or get a sore throat ; but in 

 half an hour more, after the rain had passed, 

 they were out and at it again, almost as be- 

 fore : but I presume they felt a little disgust- 

 ed when they arrived at the scene of their 

 former Inintiiig-ground of an hour or two be- 

 fore, to tind that the heavier shower liad not 

 only moistened up the honey, l)ut it had 

 washed it clean off the leaves and soaked it 

 into the ground. The honey they gatlier 

 now from this aphis secretion is not very 



