THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



fences and other permanent objects 

 near by after which they return to 

 their hive, and start out on a direct 

 line from it. This they do, from and 

 after they are fourteen days old, as 

 the regular workers of the swarm ; 

 gathering pollen, honey and water 

 for the use of their young ; for 

 be it remembered that it requires 

 twenty-one days to hatch the work- 

 er bee from the egg, after which, 

 they still remain in the hive four- 

 teen days before they venture out 

 as above described. It is also true, 

 that the same eggs would have 

 hatched a queen in five days less 

 time, if it had become necessary ; 

 of which the young bees, under 

 fourteen days old, are the proper 

 judges of the conditions, and always 

 proceed to accomplish and mature 

 a new queen, as soon as it is dis- 

 covered they are destitute of one, 

 which too frequently occurs in 

 early spring. Herein lies one of 

 the greatest mysteries of practi- 

 cal and scientific beekeeping, by 

 reason of which, being too little 

 understood, many failures have 

 been the result. We suggest that 

 it would be well that all who con- 

 template trying to keep bees, either 

 on a small or large scale, should at 

 least procure some good book or 

 books, giving full instructions on 

 the subject ; also take some good 

 bee journal, giving lessons each 

 month in the care and manage- 

 ment of bees. We have noticed 

 of late in some of the agricultural 

 papers, articles defamatory, as to 

 the profits on bees and the business 

 of keeping bees, of which, all we 

 have to say is, we do not wonder 

 they write such articles, when they 

 are engaged in so many other pur- 

 suits, either of which would afford 

 ample labor for any one who is 

 disposed to try to make a success 

 at any occupation. For instance, 

 we saw an article written by a m.'in 

 who, not long since, wrote us two 

 o ng letters telling us how much 



labor he had to perform, which 

 embraced four different occupa- 

 tions, viz., hardware clerk, garden- 

 ing, beekeeping, and poultry rais- 

 ing, all of which, if taken together, 

 are well calculated to burn at least 

 some of the many irons placed in 

 the fire at the same time, and yQl 

 we feel quite sure that if the gen- 

 tleman's location is worth anything 

 for either of the vocations men- 

 tioned and properly attended to, 

 there need not be a failure in either 

 one, if taken singly and alone. 

 Do not try to do too much, but ivhat 

 you do, try to do it right. We know 

 for ourselves, that bees do and can 

 be made to pay eight to ten hun- 

 dred per cent ; but there are some 

 "drawbacks" even in keeping bees. 

 Please tell me what business has 

 not its reverses and ours is not an 

 exception, and as before stated, 

 whoever enters upon beekeeping ex- 

 pecting to get rich in two or three 

 years, from a half dozen hives of 

 bees, will surely meet with disap- 

 pointment. The writer of this 

 article has managed and kept bees 

 over forty-five years, and with all 

 its reverses, I do not know of any 

 other occupation or business, I 

 could be induced to take hold of, 

 to the exclusion of bees and the 

 management of the same. 

 Battleground, Ind. 



CLETHRA ALNIFOLIA. 



By Jacob W. Manning. 



This hardy native shrub has within 

 twelve years been more fully brought 

 before the public as a most desirable 

 ornamental shrub for private and pub- 

 lic grounds, either planted separately 

 or in large groups, or as a thick belt. 

 It blooms late in July and August 

 when other flowers are not very abun- 

 dant. The flower is white in a 

 branched spike four to eight inches 

 long, possessing a richness of fragrance 



