GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



79 



tern after. Well, they evaporated their nectar or 

 thin honey just the way they always did and always 

 will, despite all of this high-sounding philosophy. 

 And how was this? When bees gather honey or 

 thin sweet of any kind, it is given to the nurse-bees 

 upon reaching the hive, till said nurse-bees have 

 their honey-sacs full (the fleld-bees do not put it in 

 the comb, as is said on page 13 of this volume of 

 Gle.\ningsi, after which, if more keep coming, the 

 nurse-bees disgorge it in the cells, so as to be ready 

 for more from the fleld-bees. If it s'till poufsin, every 

 available cell is filled, even to combs on the alight- 

 ing-board, as is given on page 13, before referred to. 

 When evening comes, all the bees hang in festoons 

 or clusters in the hive, one below the other, in such 

 shape that each one's tongue, or proboscis, can be 

 partially extended, so as not to touch another bee 

 or any thing else. Then by their humming, roaring, 

 or whatever you have a mind to call it, a great de- 

 gree of heat is ci-eated ; their sac is filled with this 

 liquid, which is then thrown out on the proboscis, 

 stirred over, and drawn in again to warm up. This 

 process is kept up till the honey is sufficiently evap- 

 orated to be sealed over, when it is placed in the 

 cells. More is now taken and put through the 

 same process, till by morning all their honey is 

 gone, and even friend Root can then handle the 

 combs without danger of soiling his " Sunday go-to- 

 meetings." Take a short straw in your mouth, and 

 blow a drop of water gently through it, out to the 

 end, and then draw it in again, and you have an 

 idea of the process, all except the stirring-up. That, 

 the bees can beat you in. Many have been the 

 hours I have watched these operations by lamp 

 light during a great flow of honey from basswood, 

 and many hours have I lain by the observatory 

 hive during the day to know something of the 

 great wuiiciers of the inside of a bee-hive. I once 

 told these matters to the N. E. Convention, and 

 was almost ridiculed; but this did not alter the 

 facts any, for any one can see for himself, if he will 

 investigate with a desire to know the truth. This 

 process goes on to'a certain extent during the daj', 

 but there are so many bees out in the fields gather- 

 ing that it does not go on nearly so rapid. A colo- 

 ny that is gathering honey very slowly will not 

 show any of this process. Experiment more close- 

 ly, brethren, and don't jump at conclusions. Aft- 

 er nearly 30 years of close observation, I fail to find 

 honey one whit poorer, when stored and kept un- 

 der the same conditions, in drawn combs, than in 

 those newly built, or from foundation. Both sweat 

 and gi'ow poor under certain conditions, and both 

 improve under right influences, after being taken 

 from the hive. I believe locality has something to 

 do with " doctors disagreeing," but I as firmly be- 

 lieve that hasty conclusions, not based en a 

 thorough knowledge of affairs, has.":more to do with 

 our not being united than any thing else, 

 norodino, N. Y., Jan., 1888. G. M. DooIjITTle. 



Old friend, had you been with us at the 

 ('hicago Convention I think you would never 

 have Avritten just as you have in the 

 above article. The word " they,'^ which 

 you use in applying to the theory of the 

 evaporation of nectar, belongs to A. I. 

 Root, and not the convention at all ; and A. 

 I. Root gave it as a theoi-y. I have witnessed 

 pretty much all you tell us ; but no doubt 

 we are indeltted to you for first directing our 

 attention to the matter. We are very sorry 



we did not see you nor hear from you at the 

 convention in your own State, for this mat- 

 ter was there VUscussed pretty thoroughly. 

 I do not suppose that many of us will fol- 

 low Heddon, and cut out the empty comb 

 for wax, and use up the sections for kin- 

 dling-wood ; but a great many of us will sure- 

 ly mark these sections containing deep 

 empty cells, and compare them carefully 

 with "new sections tilled with foundation; 

 and this will be done quite thoroughly this 

 coming season, as so much attention has 

 been directed to the matter. 



THOSE SECTIONS, AGAIN. 



FRIEND DADANT EXPLAINS A LITTLE. 



fRlRND KOOT:— 1 do not wish you to under- 

 stand me as saying that three times as much 

 honey can be obtained in large sections. 

 When I said that the yield was sometimes as 3 

 to 1, it was in reference to large sectional vs. 

 small glass boxes. You will remember that those 

 glass boxes were only about 4x.")x6, and had an en- 

 trance about 1x3 inches, which made it so difficult 

 for the bees to ventilate them that they often gave 

 it up. It was the same with the old-time box that 

 communicated with the hive by a round 1-inch 

 auger-hole, and I remember hearing a bee-owner 

 wondering why his bees built combs under the bot- 

 tom-board, and refused to build in the top box. Lack 

 of ventilation was the trouble. The main point 

 which I desired to make apparent was, that we must 

 consider the natural wants and desires of the bees, 

 and this is acknowledged by all rational and un- 

 prejudiced people. 



COLONIES PER SQUARE MILE. 



We wish to say to Dr. Miller that we had noticed, 

 as he did, the diflerence between the German and 

 the English mile, and thought that the statement to 

 which he undoubtedly refers, and that was copied 

 in father Langstroths work, had reference to the 

 former. But further investigafioDS showed us our 

 mistake. We will here give the passage referred to, 

 so that the reader can understand: 



" East Friesland, a province of Holland, contain- 

 ing 1300 square miles, maintains an average of 

 3000 colonies per square mile (Henbel, Bienenzeitiiva, 

 18.54, p. ID." 



According to Chambers' Encyclopedia, we have 

 to undei'Stand these to be English miles; and if Mr. 

 Heubel told the truth, we are left with the state- 

 ment that that country supported over three colo- 

 nies per acre; and, taking the entire country 

 through, some parts must have supported many 

 times that number, since it is next to impossible for 

 the bees to be evenly divided throughout a 

 country. The number of three colonies to the acre 

 does not seem very large, and would certainly not 

 be impossible, if every inch of the ground were de- 

 voted to nothing but honey-producing plants. Be 

 this as it may, we fully agree with Dr. Miller's pre- 

 viously given opinion, as to the largest number of 

 bees that had better be kept in one apiary, in tL is 

 country. C. P. Dadant. 



Hamilton, 111., Jan.. 1888. 



Friend 1)., I do not care so very much 

 about the square-mile business ; but one 

 point you make helps me to grasp this whole 

 point of overstocking better than I ever did 



