1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



35 



APOLLO. 



Owned by M. W. Diinliam, "Oaklaiitl 

 Farm," near Wayne, Du Pafjit counly, Illi- 

 nois. Lnporti'il July, IST.") ; ei<jht years old ; 

 is a dark dapple gray, Ki'} hands lnfj;li, and 

 ■weighing, in good eondition, upward.s of 2,- 

 0(10 ponnds. Although not a liii;h horse for 

 lii.s weight, his length of body and neck, depth 

 of shoulder, in fact his whole form, moulded 

 in the type of the most elegant rarriaiic liorsc, 

 gives him a rangy apjiearance. When in mo- 

 tion, the elasticity of his stej), the ease and 

 grace of his carriage, the rare symmetry of 

 his form, would impress one with the belief 

 that he saw before him one of tiiat class, and 

 not one of over a ton in weight. He presents 

 a rare combinalion of all those i)hysical (luali- 

 ties by which perfection is closely approached. 

 In feet, legs, stille, ipiarters, body, shoulders, 

 breast, neck and head, muscular development, 

 spirit and energy, all bear the unmistakable 

 evidence of a masterpiece. lie is one of those 



ford )iurchasers an opportunity of selection 

 from animals of the most undoubted quality, 

 and on terms, and at prices, that can not 

 but be satisfactory. 



We would like to sec this breed of horses 

 largely introduced into this county, to replace, 

 or to cross with, the famous "Co»if.s(o;/o," 

 which is now fast jiassing away. We have 

 enough of fancy and fast running horses ; we 

 want good and healthy walking and working 

 horses — less profligate and more economical 

 horse-culture 



HONEY BEES AND FRUIT ONCE MORE. 



AVe had sincerely hoped that our correspon- 

 dents would have referred this (jucstion to the 

 Lancaster Counly Bee Keepers' Association, 

 which meets in this city in May next, and to 

 our bee-keeping patrons in general, as a 

 "committee of the whole," to take cognizance 

 of the subject during the bee and fruit season 

 next suminer ; and if we should respectfully 



skins of any kind of fruit, as tlioy olitain tliclr living 

 by suction. Bill tlio wasps ami liorncts arc other- 

 wise provided Willi a pair of *nippcrs that are very 

 strong; and you may often sec llieni liillni.' and 

 trnawinir old wood, out of which tliey huild their 

 ncslfl. 1 was niucli ainioyed with tlieni liie past 

 summer aiul fall in my grapery— especially with the 

 hornets. The mandibles of the hornet arc very 

 stroiifT, and they always select the ripest (grapes, 

 they bcinft the sweetest and thinnest skinned. I 

 have often watclHMl them, and seen them tear open 

 the skin of the grapes, and when they were well 

 filled they would leave them. Wasps likewise. 

 Before the hornets and wasps returned, however, 

 the lacerated grapes would he sucked out dry by the 

 honey-bees. On the return of the hornets and wasps 

 they would soon select another grape, and destroy It 

 by the same process, I noticed this destruction of 

 my grapes very soon after the aforenamed Insects 

 commenced their dejiredations, lliereforc 1 Instituted 

 a careful watcli over them for several days in succes- 

 sion ; and 1 killed them as fast as they came — they 

 becoming very tame and quiet whilst they were lin- 

 ing themselves with nectar from the fruit. I soon 

 had killed all that visited my grapes. 

 Whilst waiting for their return,! plucked from the 



rare specimens of which nature is so sparing, 

 and from which grand results may be expect- 

 ed. Apollo lias never been beaten in the show 

 ring. Won Grand Jledal and diploma at the 

 Centennial. Has been exhibited at two State 

 fairs, taking the highest prizes at both. See 

 our literary columns on the last page of this 

 number of The Farjier. For further par- 

 ticulars, the connoisseur is referred to the 

 "Percheron-Norman Stud Book," Volume I., 

 No. 14. ■ 



Mr. Dunham has developed an establish- 

 ment that, in its .systematic appointments, its 

 practical and common sense management, its 

 accumulation of the choicest animals of the 

 breed, combining the highest elements of 

 value in draft liorses — size, si/mmctry, sti/le, 

 action and qitality— has no equal in the imrld, 

 and by the aid of large annual importations, 

 selected personally from the best stud stables 

 of France, he is determined to sustain its 

 prestige, and be prepared at all times to af- 



decline to publish any further communications 

 relating to the vexed questioiunitil that time, 

 we must claim the indulgence of the writers, 

 on the ground that a further discussion of the 

 question nou\ is out of season. Nothing can 

 decide the matter, permanently, but fresh 

 facts carefully ascertained through patient 

 and persevering observation. 



Our respected friend, William J. Pyle, of 

 West Chester, Pa., wishes to bo heard upon 

 the sidjject, and we have concluded to give 

 him a hearing, "for once," in this number of 

 The Fakmbr, and we have only delayed 

 because it came too late for oin'.Linuary ninn- 

 ber, and was crowded out of the February 

 number, for the want of space. 



Mr. Kathvon — Dcur Sir. — On re.ading so much 

 controversy in The Faumeu concerning the destruc- 

 tion of grapes by the honey-bees, I feel as though I 

 ought to say a few appreciative words In their favor ; 

 but they will be few, and to the purpose. The 

 honey-bee has no mode of destroying grapes, because 

 their mouths arc not made for biting or tearing the 



clusters all such grapes a.< had been bitten by them. 

 Tlicse I mashed and gave them to my bees, they 

 being but a few steps from the grape arbors. Al- 

 though the grapes were sometimes black with them, 

 (the honey-bee) not one of them attempted to cut 

 the skins of them. A corroborating proof of this 

 is, that after I had killed all the wasps and hornets, 

 and plucked from the bunches all such as had suf- 

 fered laceration from the aforenamed inseats, my 

 honey-bees ceased to visit the grapes on the third or 

 fourth day thereafter. There was not a bee of any 

 kind to be seen about the grapes afterwards. They 

 ripened without any further disturbance by insects, 

 anil were delicious— some bunches weighing a pound 



'These " nippers " (mandibUn) are also present In honey- 

 bees, although not so fully develoiied as they are Id Boma 

 other species, espcctuUy those Itaat bore holes into aolid 

 wood, or capture ^rasstioppers, spidors, caterpilUm, &o^ 

 The term Muirti<m does not quite express the Idea as to the 

 way the houey-l)ee extracts the uectar from fmita and 

 flowers. The process Is rather a species of lafrpintj than of 

 mucking. With Its tongue, which it can elong.tte or con- 

 tr.ict, it reaches into an ai^eiture, or cell, previously exist- 

 ing, and lapa up the sweets it contains, but it cannot pene- 

 trate a solid substance with its tongue, aa is the case witl^ 

 purely suctional iuBeots, 



