963 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1.5. 



hole; and if they get hold of a raveling they 

 will take a long pull and a strong pull, and a 

 pull all together until they get it out of the 

 hive. Why don't they bite it oft? They will 

 pick away at the entrance of a hive, if it is too 

 small, until they raise a fuzz, or nap, upon the 

 wood, so they can grip hold of it and pull off the 

 tine fibers. The bee can not tear open the skin 

 of fruit, or it would do it and feast on the rich 

 juice within. Look at the skin of 'a grape. It 

 is so smooth that a, bee can not get a grip upon 

 it to tear it open. Why are they never diowned 

 inwooden feeders when they would be in tin? 

 Because they can not grip hold of tin or eai'th- 

 en ware as they can of wood. 



Peoria. 111.. Nov. 25. Mks. L. Harrisox. 



Our Question - Box, 



WITH REPUES FROM OUR BEST AUTHORITIES. 



Question 198. What becomes of the greater 

 portion of eggs and newly hatched larvce in 

 breaking up a colony of bees to form nuclei ? 



I think the bees eat them. 

 Wisconsin. S. W. 



E. France. 



Gone where the woodbine tvvineth. 

 Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. 



I don't know. I think the bees throw them 

 away. 

 Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. 



I suspect the bees eat what they can not care 

 for. 

 Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boardman. 



I am just as ignorant as "darkest Afiica" on 

 that subject. 

 New York. E. Rambler. 



I always thought it was eaten up; but I am 

 not sure of it. It certainlv soon disappears. 

 Illinois. N. W. C. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



Whenever thei-e are not enough bees to pro- 

 tect or care for the unsealed brood, it dies and 

 Is removed. 



New York. C. P. H. Elwood. 



They are usually fed, and develop. There 

 are usually enough nurse-bees to care for them, 

 and ought always to be. 



Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. 



If the nuclei can not take care of the eggs 

 and newly hatched larvte. why, the bees eat it 

 up and that is what becomes of it. 



Michigan. S. W. James Heduon. 



I think they are eaten by the bees, as it seems 

 to me they do usually when seriously discon- 

 certed in their plans of brood-rearing. 



California. 8. R. Wilkin. 



I give it up. Tradition says bees eat eggs; 

 but I've had colonies starve, leaving eggs in 

 the hive. I think likely they suck the larvteout. 



Illinois. N. C. C. Miller. 



If eggs or larvte perish by chilling they are 

 pulled out of the cell by the worker bees. How- 

 ever, if enough bees are given to the nuclei but 

 very little brood will be chilled. 



Ohio. S. W. C. F. MuTH. 



"I don't know." and "I don't know" that I 

 care. The eggs are not large enough to sell at 



the grocery, and the larva is not a merchant- 

 able commodity. The bees may eat both eggs 

 and larva? for all I care, and may be they do. I 

 have thought they did, but never caught them 

 at it. 

 Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. 



The bees are accused of eating them up; but 

 until somebody gives us positive evidence on 

 the point, perhaps we should not be too sure. 

 The confusion, and lack of home feeling inci- 

 dent to dividing, may cause them to be neglect- 

 ed till the eggs are worthless and the small 

 larva? dead. 



Ohio. N. W\ E. E. Ha.sty. 



My idea is, that what are not presei'ved are 

 eateu up by the bees. I have often seen bees 

 eating eggs, and. in times of scarcity, larvie are 

 eaten; while, if the colony is reduced to starva- 

 tion, or nearly so. the pup« are taken from the 

 sealed cells, sucked dry, and thrown out of the 

 hive. 



New York. C. G. M. Doolittle. 



I am not positive as to the manner of their 

 departure, whether they mostly die from neg- 

 lect or whether, canniballike, the workers de- 

 vour them; but when nuclei have been deprived 

 of their queen their strongest instinct seems to 

 be to provide themselves with another. Their 

 interests are liable to sufter till this is accom- 

 plished. 



Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. 



Heads of Grain 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS 



THE VALUE OF FRENCH YELLOW-QCHER PAINT; 

 BY A PRACTICAL PAINTER. 



Friend Root: — I want to say, as a practical 

 paintei' of 27 years' observation, I never found 

 any paint to bear exposuie to the weather bet- 

 ter than g(niuine French yellow ocher mixed 

 with pure linseed oil and japan, prepared for 

 outside work, in proportion of six to one. Ap- 

 ply two thin coats, dry thoroughly, and cover 

 with another, coloi'ed to suit you". I prefer a 

 pale straw color as being the most durable. I 

 used to think paint applied in autumn lasted 

 one-sixth longer than if applied in the spring, 

 or one-third longer than if applied in the sum- 

 mer. I still think so. Paint fence-posts where 

 they come six or eight inches above, and also 

 below the surface, with two coats of linseed oil 

 and finely pulverized charcoal, and you will 

 find any sound timber makes a durable post. 

 Posts should be well seasoned. 



Allegan, Mich.. Dec. .5. W. H. Gardner. 



SENDING QUEENS TO AUSTRALIA. 



In reply to my advertisement in Gleanings, 

 August 1 and 15, I have this month received 

 three queen-cages — two from J. F. Michael, 

 German. Darke Co.. O., and one from Walter S. 

 Ponder, Indianapolis, Ind.; but, I regret to say, 

 with the exception of one of Mr. Michael's 

 cages, where there were four living workers, 

 every thing was dead. Still, the unfortunate 

 bees had not had a fair chance, as Mr. Michael 

 sent his first cage on Sept. 2, and the other on 

 Sept. 8. and both, of course, arrived hei'e on the 

 same day (Oct. 16), thus making theii' passages 

 38 and 44 days respectively. Mr. Ponder sent 

 his in a small cage, 2%^xlXxM, with only one 

 13'2-inch opening M inch deep — a very neat 

 pretty cage, certainfy. but I think hardly suited 

 for such a long journey. Mr. G. M. Doolittle has 



