S56 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. L 



the efft^ct that apples smelled of it. The bad 

 odor, however, was entirely gone in a few 

 weeks, and now there is no trace of it.] 



SILK-ilOTH LARVA. 



The large green spinous caterpillars found by 

 you on the spirea at Medina are larvieofour 

 largest American silkTmoth. Phitysaniki Ce- 

 cropia. There are six larger spines, or tuber- 

 cles, which are waxlike, and orange at the end, 

 two on each segment just back ot the head. 

 The larva gets to be four inches long, spins a 

 large loose cocoon to the tree or shrub on which 

 it feeds, and the next June or July comes forth 

 as an immense brown moth, more beautiful 

 even than the larva. The larvie feed on apple, 

 maple, cherry, basswood, azalea, spirea, etc. 

 They are never abundant enough to do serious 

 harm. You ask whether this larva is venom- 

 ous. I assure you that it is as harmless as a 

 kitten — yes. more harmless, for a kitten may 

 scratch: but this one can not do even that. 



You asked in last Gleaxixg.s how the co- 

 coons are spun. If you had put these beautiful 

 green larvtr into a glass can. and fed them a 

 few days, you would have seen the whole oper- 

 ation, for these catei-pijlars were n(>arly grown, 

 and hence nearly ready to pupate, and they al- 

 ways spin a cocoon before they pupate. The 

 spinning is done simply by a to-and-fro motion 

 of the head, the sticky thread of silk being 

 forced out, and stuck as the head I'eaches the 

 limit each time. Thus if the thread is a mile 

 long, the caterpillar nu)ves its head a inile in 

 all in this back-and-foi'th motion, much as we 

 may hold our hand still and move thi^ end of a 

 finger back and forth. The first framework is 

 frequently formed by spinning to twigs or coil- 

 ed leaves. 



The insect sent by M. W. Strickler. York. Pa.. 

 is tiie saddle-back caterpillar. EiiipretUt xtlinii- 

 lea. I think I described it with figure, in 

 Gleanings, on p. iK)3. 1887. The cateri)illar is 

 rich brown, with hairy spines at head and tail 

 and along the side. A green saddle-like patch 

 adorns its back. This is centered with a deep 

 red oval spot. The hairs which deck its body 

 sting like nettles. This is one of three or four 

 of our caterpillars that can hurt us. This, 

 however, is not serious. The moth is rare. It 

 is velvety, and rich reddish brown in color. This 

 caterpillar feeds not only on the rose, but on 

 apple, cherry, gi'ape. raspberry, curiant. Indian 

 corn, and sumach. It comes so late that it does 

 but little harm. Plants sutler vei'y sei'iously if 

 defoliated in June or July: bul in August and 

 September the damage from being stripped of 

 leaves is not great. The leaves are nearly ready 

 to go, any way. Again, this beautiful insect is 

 too rare to do much injury, even if it came ear- 

 ly in the season. There ai'e i)arasites that work 

 on it that will almost certainly hold it in check. 

 This Is one of the silk-moths: and all of those 

 sent by Mr. S. had spun cocoons in transit. The 

 cocoon is sub-globular. They leave the plants 

 and seek .some crevice in which to pupate. 



Ag^ College. Mich., Sept. 2;.'. A. J. Cook. 



WATER FOR BEES: GOOD CANDY FOR SPRING 

 FEEDING. 



Of late I read in '" Langstroth on the Honey- 

 bee " all about water for bees in February, and 

 soon till spring, to promote brood-raising; and 

 now I wish to ask if. by placing candy over the 

 frames, say in March, that will give them wa- 

 ter enough. Mr. Alley says. •• Make candy by 

 mixing powdered sugar and good honey, and 

 place it over the frames, on a wire-cloth honey- 

 board, so that the bees will suck it through the 

 wire cloth,"' and one pound will keep a large 

 swarm alive two weeks; besides, it"s a good 

 way for stimulative feeding in spring. Ques- 



tion: Will the water in the candy be sufficient 



moisture for the bees to promote brood-raising? 



Ludlow, Vt., Oct. y. A. P. Fletcher. 



[Some years ago it was thought necessary to 

 provide water for bees when wintered in the 

 cellar. Some results, however, seemed to throw 

 some doubt on the matter, and finally the Mich- 

 igan Agricultural College, under direction of 

 Prof. Cook, tested the matter thoroughly, giv- 

 ing half of the bees in the winter repository wa- 

 ter, and the other half none. As those with no 

 water came through winter in the best condi- 

 tion. I believe that, since then, water in winter 

 has been generally droi)ped.] A. I. R. 



FASTENING STARTERS IN FOUNDATION WITH 

 PASTE. 



I put my eight .section boxes into my frame, 

 then set my frame down, bottom side up. I 

 cut my comb or comb foundation into the sizes I 

 wish, then I take some paste made of hot water 

 and flour and keep it a little hot. and about as 

 thin as warm honey. I now take my cut start- 

 ers of nice comb or comb foundation in my fin- 

 gers, and dip lightly one edge into paste, then 

 place it in the section: press down very light- 

 ly, and so keep on. I like this l^etter than a 

 fastener. Have you tried it? 



My smoker throat, or windpipe, as you may 

 please to call it. got gummed up. I took a 

 feather fi-om a goose's wing, and warm water, 

 and used it as a swab, and soon had my smoker 

 getting its breath all right. Sam'l Langford. 



Buckskin. Ind. 



LIPPIA REPENS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN. 



Several years ago I observed, in several fields 

 bordering on the Mediterranean, a little plant 

 with which you are possibly acquainted — Lip- 

 piK rcpcji-s' — which I found to be charming, for 

 it foiined a real carpet of white flowers. I 

 planted some at home ; and when the blossoms 

 wei'e out I was pleased to see many bees at 

 work on the little flowers. I believe that I may 

 say that this is one of the plants which the bees^ 

 will be glad to visit in preference to many oth- 

 ers. I have, in my garden, thyme, vanilla, por- 

 tulacca, and other plants, but they are not fre- 

 quented as is the lippia. Continuing the com- 

 parison which I have made above, on the carpet 

 of white flowerets there seemed to be also a 

 carpet of liees. and that from morning till the end 

 of the day. If one I'emerabers that lippia begins 

 to blossom at the end of May, and that in Sep- 

 tember it blossoms again, and that the blossom- 

 ing is full during the gi'eatest heat and the 

 most severe drouths, it will seem that this little 

 plant is very valuable to bee-keepers. Pei-haps 

 you know this, and perhaps I overestimate a 

 little the services which lippia may render to 

 the apiculturist : but as I had occasion to write 

 on other matters I thought it would do no harm 

 to add a few words, though it may be nothing 

 new to you. Chas. Bianconcini. 



Bologna, Italy, Oct. <>. 



chicory as an OREGON HONEY -PLANT. 



The plant sent by Mr. Hilton is common chic- 

 ory, Cichorium hiiybus. It is introduced from 

 Europe, and is common in the East as well as 

 in Oregon. It is a composite plant, and so of 

 the same family as goldenrod. boneset, and 

 asters. We may expect nearly all the compos- 

 ite plants to secrete nectar in favorable condi- 

 tions, so need not be surprised at what iVIr. H. 

 says. The root of chicory (or succory or cichory. 

 or names of this same plant) is often used as a 

 substitute for coffee. The showy blue flowers 

 open only in the morning or on cloudy days. 



Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook. 



