1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEP] CULTUKE. 



1443 



A THOUSAND ACKES OK (LOVER AND NO HON- 



BY CROP; BEES UNABLE TO REACH THE 



NECTAR IN THE BLOSSOMS; THE 



ONION-THRIP. 



In this valley there are about 500 colunies 

 ot bees, some 2000 or 3000 acres of alfalfa 

 and white clover. Beginning on the lirst of 

 July with alfalfa, and ending about the first 

 of September, there is a continual honey- 

 How. Up to this date there is no honey, and 

 I am compelled to feed my bees. There is 

 easily a thousand acres of clover in full 

 bloom within live miles of my apiary (some 

 •390 colonies), and not a pound of sui'plus 

 honey. Upon examining the bulbs of some 

 of the flowers I lind a small winged insect 

 about y^j inch in length, with a ])ody about 

 as large around as a small needle. I count- 

 ed 474 on one stalk of clover. What I want 

 to know is, can it be that these are taking 

 the honey? Ralph I. Hale. 



La Plata, N. Mex. 



[The above letter was sent to Prof. C. P. 

 Gillete, of the State Agricultural College. 

 Fort Collins, Col6rado, who replies as fol- 

 lows:] 



I have been waiting, thinking that I might 

 receive samples of the insect that Mr. Hale 

 obtained from heads of clover near his home. 

 It would be impossible for me to state with 

 certainty what the insect is; but there is al- 

 most no doubt that the clover-heails were 

 loaded with what is commonly called, in this 

 section, the onion-thrip. This is a very mi- 

 nute insect which can be shaken into the 

 hand from the heads of clover, alfalfa, and 

 other plants. This insect is frequently nu- 

 merous enough in portions of Colorado to 

 prevent almost completely the seeding of the 

 alfalfa, and I presume it is this insect that 

 was present in the clover-head i. 



I can hardly think it possible that these 

 thrips could be numerous enovigh to prevent 

 the secretion of nectar, but I am inclined to 

 think honey-bees are unable to reach the nec- 

 tar in the blossoms. C. P. Gillette. 



Fort Collins, Colorado. 



STOKED IN COMBS; 

 WAX-MOTH. 



THE LESSER 



1 just went through my colonies, and found 

 some badly infested with the lesser wax- 

 moth, a thing not known here before at this 

 Lime of year. This is the height of swarming 

 here. Most hives seem to be building up 

 nicely now, and storing some honey in the 

 strong colonies. I can't get any drones in 

 my Italians. Can I get them by placing 

 drawn drone comb in the brood-nest? Ital- 

 ians are doing the worst of any — moths worse 

 in them. The Carniolans are the most pros- 

 perous, and gentlest of any. 



I wish to give some facts on the question 

 of whether bees store water. I kejjt tUinking 

 I would make a reply to the statement in 

 Gleanings last year, by Prof. Cook, p. 339. 

 Dr. Phil. Max Boelte makes it pretty plain, 

 page 589 of the present volume. 



In April, 1905, I bought four colonies of 

 black bees in box hives, and after bringing 



them home I waited a few days l)efore trans- 

 ferring them. One colony was weak, but 

 went to raising brood in a hurry, considering 

 their strength. When I went to transfer 

 them, in taking out the comb, right in the 

 brood-nest was a spot the size of my hand 

 that was filled with the clearest hijney, I 

 thought, but not sealed. Now, in laying the 

 combs in a large pan it ran out on my hand, 

 and I put it to my mouth; but it had no hon- 

 ey taste. Then I examined it when fixing 

 comVjs in frames, and found it to be pure 

 water, the combs filled on both sides on a 

 place about the size of my hand. How they 

 kept it there I can not tell, but it was thei'e 

 all the same. J. L. Bakklet. 



Bargain, Miss., May 7. 



[There has never been any questiod that 

 bees gather water; but that they store it in 

 combs has been somewhat of a question. 

 The reports already in give us proof, I think, 

 that they do under certain conditions put it 

 in the cells.— Ed.] 



candied honey in new ZEALAND; A iiEMT 



MACHINE FOR CUTTING THE CAKES 



INTO SMALL BRICKS. 



This illustration shows a honey-cutter that 

 does its work well. The box of the cutter is 

 made of wood, and large enough to hold a 

 block of honey that has candied in a 60-lb. 

 can. The tin has first to be cut off (we in- 



tend to experiment with wooden boxes that 

 will take to pieces by unscrewing; but at 

 present, as we lose the can when we sell it, 

 we look upon it as no loss when we cut the 

 can); then strong piano wires are led round 

 the block 3 inches apart, through slits left in 

 the inside box. These are fastened to the 

 drum of the windlass on top, and, after a few 

 turns of the crank, the wires have done their 

 work straight and neat. These large blocks 



