1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



927 



really very handsome. It is very interesting to 

 study this Hower, especially in its relation to bees. 

 In the figure, the green parts, including leaves and 

 sepals, are colored dark ; the flowers, or petals, sta- 

 mens, and pistils, arc less highly shaded. The cor- 

 olla is irregular. Tliese flowers need the visits of 

 bees greatly; and let us see how hospitable they 

 undertake to be. Note the three broad petals. 

 They not only say come, by their bright hues, but 

 by the restful footstool which they offer the weary 

 bees. As can be seen in the figure, the stamens are 

 united both by their Hlaments and anthers, and so 

 form a tube around the pistils. In the upjter flow- 

 ers that are open, we see the anthers. The style 

 bears a tuft, or brush, which, by growth, pushes 

 out of the stamen-tube after the flower opens, thus 

 brushing ofl: the pollen. After it pushes out, the 

 bilobed stigma opens. See lower flowers in the fig- 

 ure. Thus we see the pollen is shed first, and so 

 these flowers must have the aid of the bees. The 

 pollen is dropped before the stigma is matured. At 

 the base of the style, upon the ovary, is a copious 

 secretion of delicious nectar. The bees come ea- 

 gerly for this nectar, and thus unconsciously 

 cross-fertilize the several flowers. 



Even as good a botanist as Prof. Goodale, of Har- 

 vard, says: "The cardinal flower, however, has so 

 long and narrow a corolla-tube that bees are unable 

 to reach the nectar, which is, moreover, so watery 

 that they do not in this case resort to their frequent 

 expedient of biting through the corolla to get at 

 it." How well this illustrates what I said above. 

 Prof. Goodale is a superb botanist; but a bee-keep- 

 er, friend Hilton, could have told him that bees do 

 get nectar; and I, an entomologist, could have 

 taught him that honey-bees do not bite through the 

 corolla-tubes of flowers. I doubt if even bumble- 

 bees do this. The carpenter bees surely do. I have 

 my doubts in regard to any other species doing so. 



We now know that this cardinal flower is a most 

 excellent honey-plant, and that the honey is flrst- 

 class, both in respect to color and flavor. If I suc- 

 ceed in showing everybody that they ought to plant 

 cleome for their bees, I will ne.xt try this lobelia. It 

 would be grand to prove that, by spreading this 

 beautiful plant, we were adding to the filling in our 

 purses. 



1 will close with some lines from one of my rever- 

 ed teachers. Dr. O. W. Holmes, on this cardinal 

 flower. 



The cardinal, and the blood-red spots 



Its double in the stream. 

 As if some wounded eagle's breast. 



Slow throbbing o'er the plain. 

 Had left its airy path impressed 

 In drops of scarlet rain. 



Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook. 



P. S.— Since writing the above, friend Gould, of 

 Fremont, sends me a specimen of willow herb. He 

 says he thinks Mr. Hilton must be mistaken; that 

 willow herb furnishes much honey, but that the 

 cardinal flower is rare, and he has never seen bees 

 on it. Mr. Hilton, however, informs me that there 

 can be no mistake about the matter. Where the 

 honey was gathered there are acres of the cardinal 

 flower, and the honey was surely from these flowers. 

 The flowers are different in color and form, and it 

 seems probable that Mr. Hilton is correct. A. J. C. 



Many thanks, friend Cook, for the facts 

 you furnish, not only with reference to the 

 cardinal flower, but in regard to the matter 



of inducements which each flower presents 

 to the bees for the purpose of bringing 

 about fertilization. This is a very interest- 

 ing question, and one which we wish might 

 be emphasized more than it is. If only our 

 fruit-raisers could be made to see what an 

 important part bees play in the fertilization 

 of the embryo fruit, perhaps they would be 

 less inclined to blame the bees so merciless- 

 ly for the little injury they may, and proba- 

 bly do do to fruit at certain seasons of the 

 year. It is indeed interesting to know that 

 these rich colorations and fragrant per- 

 fumes which delight us so much are not 

 only ornamental but useful ; yes, more than 

 useful— necessary. If it is a fact, and we 

 have no reason to doubt it, that bees are at- 

 tracted by these rich colorations, does it not 

 argue that our little friends do indeed dis- 

 tinguish the various shades of colors, at 

 least the bright ones? 



THE HAKMER 2-OZ. SHAVING SECTION. 



A REVIEW OF THE RAMBLER S AND MR. ROOT S 

 EXPERIENCE. 



T WANT to help Rambler out in producing the 

 M 2-oz. shaving section (see page 798). I do not 

 ^l know his domestic name, but I guess it is a 

 ■*■ better stick-to-it name than the one most of 

 us know him by. I suppose I am exposing 

 my ignorance, but I have not had time to read 

 all my bee-papers this summer, so it is quite likely 

 that I have missed his identity (if he has any). 

 His writings are always interesting, and perhaps 

 we shall be better acquainted some day. He 

 claims to have sent for samples. I should like to 

 know if he got printed directions for making the 

 veneer and putting the sections together. I can 

 hardly think he did, for I have never had the small 

 sections badly bulged when the fdn. was put in 

 properly and the frames rightly spaced. Right here 

 I should like to ask Rambler what distance he spac- 

 ed his frames— 9 frames to IIV2 inches is the right 

 spacing for the sections as I make them. 



It seems altogether probable that Rambler knows 

 that he commenced wrong in calculating to produce 

 40,000 of the 2-oz. sections the first season. If he 

 had commenced with the hope of producing .500 or 

 1000 of them as an experiment, working up instead 

 of down, he would not have been so discouraged. 

 My advice would be to keep the straw-cutter out of 

 the apiary-house this winter, for the veneer must 

 be well cut, and just the right length. If it is too 

 short it makes a poor job; and if too long it will 

 bulge. I should like to ask those bee-keepers who 

 are trying the 2-oz. sections, not to be in too great 

 haste to give it up, unless they have given them a 

 fair trial. To make them a success there are sever- 

 al essentials, which, briefly stated, are as follows: 



The sections should be properly put together, 

 foundation and all. The frames should be properly 

 spaced, as above mentioned. There should also be 

 a fair honey-flow; and last, but not least, a gootl 

 populous colony of bees. I have heard men remark 

 that their bees would not go through the honey- 

 board and occupy the sections, never thinking of 

 the true cause— t/tere must be plenty of honey in the 

 flowers, 071(1 plenty of bees to gather it. Then I think 

 it would be hard to keep the bees out of the boxes. 



I think, Mr. Editor, that your man put too many 



