672 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



of them work by the piece, aud, of course, 

 they are then at liberty to stop and rest, or 

 look out of th#windows, and do it with a 

 clear ecnsciLUCC. 



SWARMING WITHOUT A QUEEN. 



I see on page 590, you do not quite understand me, 

 as I stated that the swarm had a tew eggs which 

 had remained in the hive two days; but, that doesn't 

 affect the question under considei-ation, does it? It 

 seems to be conceded that swarms are often hived 

 without a queen; but friend Huffman's article left 

 serious reason to thinli that perhaps they all had 

 queens when they left the hives. The case I de- 

 scribed settles that point, and their having- the 

 brood or eggs does not signify very much, as the 

 custom of giving brood to new swarms is so general. 



You think my use for ants (in getting aphis honey) 

 is a little bit questionable. Well, I admit it is hard- 

 ly practical, but the ants are such a nuisance, I 

 mentioned that as a possible excuse for them. 

 Guess I'll have to give it up, and try burning gun- 

 powder in the ant-hills. Buudett Hassett. 



Howard Center, Iowa, Sept. 6, 1884. 



QUEENS MAILED SUCCESSFULLY FROM OHIO TO 

 MUNICH, GERMANY. 



1 mailed three queens to Fiank Benton in June. 

 One was returned from New York; the other two 

 arrived at Munich in about IT days — one dead and 

 one alive. The dead one was supplied with Good 

 candy, and the one that lived had water in addition. 

 However, the candy being too soft was, I think, the 

 cause of the death of the one. I had a little frame 

 of comb in each cage, to make them feel at home. 

 In the one that was returned I had also added a 

 piece of brood, to hatch in about 7 or 8 days; but 

 when it came back the brood was dead. I don't be- 

 lieve we can improve much on friend Benton's plan, 

 for he says he has lost only two of all be has sent to 

 America. One was misdirected, the other chilled. 

 He says mine was the only live one sent out this 

 summer, and kindly offers to send me an imported 

 queen for half price. Who can send them to Aus- 

 tralia by mail, and have them arrive safely"? 



C. Weckesser. 



Marshallville, Wayne Co., O., Sept. 11, 1884. 



Friend W., I am inclined to tliink that 

 friend Kenton's success is somewhat owiii^- 

 to the small quarters he gives the ([iieen and 

 her attendants, and I am satislied that we 

 have nia(h' our cages for mailing bees not 

 oidy laiger than necessary, Imt hirger than 

 is proper for their best good. You will no- 

 tice that the cage illustrated in our last 

 number, page .584, has the apartment for 

 queens and bees only H inches in diameter, 

 and perhaps f of an inch deep. Wlien they 

 want more air they can go into tlie small 

 apartment containing ventilating - holes ; 

 when they want food, into another on the 

 opposite side. Friend Benton's wcmderful 

 success demonstrates i>ivtty clearly that lie 

 knows what is needed. Our friends will no- 

 tice on page (r/i that friend 15. alludes to the 

 above incident. 



A CAUTION IN INTRODUCING QUEENS. 



The queens arrived safely on Sunday afternoon, 

 and I did not think it wrong to put them into the 

 hives at once — Sunday as it was. But I am sorry 

 to say one of them got killed after introducing. It 

 happened in this way: Son Charles and myself 

 soon found the old queen and shut her up securelj', 



as we thought, in a fruit-can with holes punched in 

 it, for we had nothing better to put them in (that 

 was what I wanted of the extra cages). We put the 

 new queen in, and thought all was progressing 

 lovely. Monday morning we concluded first to see 

 how the old queens were getting on, but, to our dis- 

 may, found that one of them had escaped from her 

 can. We at once went into the hive she was taken 

 fi-om. As soon as I saw the cage I knew the "jig 

 was up." All your bees were Ij'ing dead in the bot- 

 tom of it, and among them one which we took to be 

 the queen. Do thej* draw up much after death? 

 This particular bee, I thought, looked hardly large 

 enough for a queen. Then we looked for the old 

 queen, and in a few minutes found her flaunting 

 about over the comb. 



Now, Mr. Boot, the fault is all mine, and I do not 

 write to ask you to replace the dead queen; in fact, 

 I am in doubt as to whether we ever found her 

 corpse. We looked for a bigger dead bee in the 

 bottom of the hive, but found none. We removed 

 the cans containing the old queens about .50 yards 

 distant to a work-bench, and left them all night. 

 Upon examining the can from which the one es- 

 caped I found a crack through which she might 

 possibly have squeezed. Sorry I did not clip their 

 wings. F. J. BOSTICK. 



Greenville, S. C, July 9, 1884. 



The moral to your story is a good one, 

 friend B. If the reigning queen is not de- 

 stroyed before you introduce the new one, be 

 sure you put her w here she can by no possi- 

 ble means get back. They will squeeze 

 through small holes, or dig out of the cage 

 if they can. and they are sure to go straight 

 home as soon as they get out. (^nite a num- 

 ber have iiad trouble where they tried to in- 

 troduce theiu to other colonies or to miclei, 

 but it is always risky to undertake to change 

 the queen from one hive to another hive in 

 the same yard. Be sure the old (lueen can 

 not get back liome when you introduce a 

 valuable one, A queen that has been stung 

 contracts in size so as to look almost insig- 

 niflcant. 



SEED OF THE BLUE THISTLE. 



In Gleanings, Vol. XL, p. 138 ,1 gave an article on 

 blue thistle, which brought letters from nearly all 

 the Northern States, asking for seed. I had only a 

 few ounces at that time, but I sent it in small pack- 

 ages as long as it lasted, to those asking for it, pay- 

 ing postage myself. I am inclined to think from 

 the above that there are many bee-keepers who 

 would like to try this plant as artificial bee-pastur- 

 age, if they could obtain seed. Now, I will send a 

 limited quantity in packages, postpaid, with printed 

 directions as to cultivation, for 15 cts. in stamps. 

 This price will just about pay cost of gather- 

 ing and putting up. These packets will contain a 

 sufficient amount of seed to furnish plants for Vs 

 acre of ground. If you will make the above facts 

 known through your journal, free, I will send at 

 above price; but if you require pay for the an- 

 nouncement, then I shall have to charge a higher 

 price for the seed. As I am offering this seed only 

 in the interest of science, I feel as though it should 

 be sent at cost, or as nearly so as possible. 



Bloomdalc, Ohio, Sept. 5, 1884. R. B. Bobbins. 



Friend B., you may not be aware that we 

 have had a small civil war almost every 

 time the seeds or roots of blue thistle have 



