1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



178 



was hatched, go around to the empty cells 

 and insert her body in cell after cell, exactly 

 as a laying queen "does. Of course, she did 

 not lay any eggs— she only went through 

 the motions. I concluded she had got her 

 little head muddled somewhat in regard to 

 the order of exercises on tiie programme laid 

 down for her by good old Dame Nature.— A 

 good many have reported as you do, seeing 

 worker-bees in tlie very act of stinging 

 drones, since what I wrote. 



ROACHES, AND HOW TO GET RID OF THEM. 



Although I use all protection possible, somewhat 

 resembling- P. Benson, When I get all my "flxins " 

 on, yet the little rascals pop me eveiy chance they 

 can get. I should like to know if there is any way 

 to get rid of roaches. Why do they infest hives? 

 Do they eat comb or honey? There are always 

 dozens of them in each hive, and catching them is 

 something like catching the Dutchman's flea— they 

 are quick, I tell you. 1 expect to Italianize my 

 stock this spring, and this is my plan: Put a frame 

 of eggs, from my Italian colony, into each of my 

 native stocks, removing the queen at the same time. 

 How will this do? Or will it be better 1o give them 

 a queen-cell from the colony I have, or purchase a 

 select tested queen and use her eggs? You will 

 please give me advice in this matter. 



D. C. McCampbell, M. D. 



Harmontown, La Fayette Co., Miss. 



Friend M., some of our Southern readers 

 will have to answer about the roaches. We 

 never have any thing of the kind around 

 here. The plan you suggest for Italianizing, 

 we would not advise. The bees are more 

 likely to start queen- cells from their own 

 eggs and larvae than from the frame that 

 you give them. None of the plans you sug- 

 gest are just the thing ; but as the subject is 

 quite a lengthy one. we think you had better 

 consult the AB C book or some other text- 

 book, in regard to Italianizing. 



THE BEE-SPACE, AND WHY THE BEES FILL THE 

 LOWER AND NOT THE UPPER ONE. 



It looks like a foolish question to ask, but I can 

 not see why the bees would n(jt build comb in the 

 bee-space, as much so as they would in the one 

 next to the brood-nest. S. W. Touchton. 



Havre de Grace, Md., Feb. 13, 1888. 



It is a little curious, friend T.; but the 

 fact is, bees do not fill the upper bee-space. 

 Filling the lower bee-space in the honey- 

 board seems to satisfy their mania for 

 building in brace-combs. Tliis difference 

 might be accounted for by the fact that the 

 bee"s reason, or instinct, seems to teach him 

 that his brood-combs must be securely fast- 

 ened to some object above, and that, unless 

 such attachments are made, his combs will 

 fall. While tliis characteristic is strongly 

 manifested in all his workings, he never 

 takes the same pains to support the combs 

 from below. Indeed, such supports would 

 be useless without the other fastenings, and 

 we shall have to acknowledge that such 

 philosophy (if lie can philosopliize thus far) 

 IS correct. Well, then, after he has gotten 

 above what seems to liim to be the real sup- 

 port of his combs, as, for instance, the slats 

 to the honey-board, he reasons that, for the 

 next set of combs, there is no use in building 



them from the bottom, but from the top, so 

 he leaves the bee-space untouched. This, 

 however, can only be conjectured. Perhaps 

 some one else can offer a better reason for 

 the bees not filling thej,Uipper bee-space 

 witli brace-combs. 



BEE-KEEPIN(; WITH OTHER PURSUITS ; EVANGEL- 

 ISTIC WORK SUGGESTED. 



Quite a good deal has been said regarding occu- 

 pations to go with bee-keeping. Fruit-growing, 

 gardening, poultry-raising, selling sewing-ma- 

 chines, etc., have been suggested or recommended. 

 Now, why doesn't some one suggest active Chris- 

 tian work? It is well known, that pastors of small 

 village churches arc but poorly paid, as a rule, 

 and, in a great many instances, they do not get 

 enough to support their families. I am sorry to 

 have to say it, but I have known cases in which 

 ministers have gone to a new field, and left a lot of 

 unpaid store-bills; and we know of some business 

 men who have been prejudiced against the Chris- 

 tian religion by this very thing. Now, since those 

 who have means will not pay enough, together 

 with what the poorer members pay, to support the 

 ministry, would it not be better for a poor minister 

 to keep bees for a living, and preach a part of the 

 year, and thus be able to pay his honest debts and 

 keep a clean record? Would he not do more good 

 in the long run? Will those who know, tell us how 

 many months in the year a man could devote to 

 purely evangelistic labors if he were the keeper of 

 50 colonies of bees, and gave them proper care? or 

 how many months is a man required to be at home, 

 giving daily attention to the bees? 



Browntown, Wis., Feb. 6, 1888. H. Lathrop. 



Friend L., where a bee-keeper, or, in fact, 

 any man who follows any secular interest, 

 whatever evangelical work he does is sup- 

 posed to be done without pay ; that is, with- 

 out any pay in dollars and cents. I do not 

 mean to say that a man does not get any 

 pay, for I think he gets tlie best pay in the 

 world ; and a good many people rather ex- 

 pect, when a minister keeps bees, that he 

 ought to do so without pay— give the honey 

 to the poor and to the sick, etc. I know 

 quite a number of pastors situated as you 

 suggest, who find the income from their 

 bees a very great help indeed in adding to 

 slender salaries. The grocers are always 

 glad to get hold of ministers'' honey, and I 

 guess that people in general buy it a little 

 more freely, and may be pay a little better 

 price, because it was produced by their be- 

 loved pastor. My last expression is the 

 right one, is it n ot V 



SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST (THE QUEEN). 



On Saturday morning, Jan. 28, the weather had 

 moderated sutiiciently for me to take a peep at the 

 bees. I found four colonies dead. This morning, 

 while taking ovit the combs and brushing off the 

 dead bees, I happened to notice the queen. She 

 seemed rather large for a dead queen, which 

 prompted me to pick hei- up to take a closer look at 

 her. After holding her a minute or two, she began 

 slowly and almost imperceptibly to fold her body 

 like that of a living queen. Curiosity now became 

 excited, and 1 began breathing on her. No further 

 sign of life appeared for about an hour, except that 

 her legs, like her wings, gradually assumed their 

 natural position, as if at rest. Finally she com- 



