52 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



two or three weeks, the apiarist might 

 gain time by ordering elsewhere, or 

 make use of his queenless bees other- 

 wise, instead of waiting from day to day 

 until they are beyond redemption. 



We, however, wish to preserve the 

 colonies, and should not give up any- 

 thing of value if it can be managed so 

 as to retain it. Let us go to the hive 

 and note the energy, the united efforts 

 of the little workers. We know what 

 they accomplished by the many working 

 together as one. Could not the queen- 

 breeders of our country form a kind of 

 " colony," and work together so that if 

 one is unable to fill all orders promptly 

 he might send some to his nearest com- 

 petent neighbor ? Rules and regulations 

 would have to be worked out carefully, 

 and be understood by all members of the 

 "Queen-Breeders' Colony." Then, with 

 the unity, industry, good-will and in- 

 terest for the welfare of their "colony," 

 that is displayed by our pets, the bees, 

 there ought to be an improvement made 

 which would benefit both the breeders 

 and the buyers of queens. 



Grand Island, Nebr. 



Experiments in Apiculture Made 

 in 1§92 at tiie Michigan Ex- 

 periment Station. 



Eeported to the Department of Agriculture 

 BY J. H. LAKRABEE. 



(Couunued from page 19.) 

 WAX SECRETION. 



To determine the amount of honey 

 consumed by the bees in secreting one 

 pound of wax, this experiment, first un- 

 dertaken in 1891, was repeated this 

 year. As the conditions were much 

 more favorable, the results were very 

 gratifying. There was entire absence 

 of a natural honey-flow, the weather 

 was favorable, the colonies were of the 

 same strength, and in prosperous condi- 

 tion, they took the food rapidly, and 

 built the comb readily. The result 

 gives a loss amount of honey as neces- 

 sary to be fed the bees in order to have 

 one pound of wax secreted tharii was 

 obtained in this experiment last year. 

 This was to bo expected because of the 

 more favorable and exact conditions. 



Two colonies were taken which I have 

 designated as Nos. 1 and 2. No. I was 

 given a virgin queen, and no comb or 

 honey. No. 2 was given a virgin queen 

 and empty combs. It was noticed thdt 

 the bees did not lly from either of these 



hives as vigorously as from the others 

 of the apiary, and that No. 1 was more 

 quiet of the two. Twenty-four and a 

 half pounds of food were given, and 

 almost exactly one pound of wax was 

 secreted by No. 1. By weighing the 

 combs before and after being melted, 

 and taking the difference, the amount 

 of pollen was ascertained. In both colo- 

 nies the young queens had begun to lay, 

 having been fertilized during the ten 

 days the experiment was in progress. I 

 now feel confident that more careful 

 work on the part of others who have un- 

 dertaken to solve this question will give 

 practically the same results as are sum- 

 marized below : 



Colony No. 1. 



Lbs. Oz. 



Weight of bees 7 5 



Gross weight, Aug. 2. with bees ... .27 8 



Gross weight, Aug. ft,with bees 42 10 



Gross gain in weight in 10 days 15 2 



Feed given 24 8 



Minus honey extracted 12 8 



Leaves honey consumed 12 



Honey consumed by No. 1 in excess 



of No. 2 : 12 — 4=8 pounds 



Wax secreted by No. 1 153^^ 



Pollen in combs at close 1 8 



Honey, wax, and pollen removed (8 

 lbs. honey consumed in secreting 

 15)2 ounces of wax) 14 ISj^a 



Colony No. 2. 



Lbs. Oz. 



Weight of bees 7 3 



Gross weight, Aug. 2, with bees 34 4 



Gross weight, Aug. 12, with bees 56 3 



Gross gain in weight in 10 days 22 4 



Feed given 24 8 



Minus honey extracted 20 8 



Leaves lioney consumed 4 



Honey consumed by No. 1 in excess of 



No. 2 : 12 — 4^=8 pounds 



Wax secreted by No. 1 



Pollen in combs at close 2 



Honey, wax, and pollen removed (8 

 lbs. honey consumed in secreting 

 IS^a ounces of wax) 22 8 



PLANTING FOR HONEY. 



There were in bloom at the station 

 this season three acres of sweet clover 

 {MelUotua alba) sown in June, 1891. 

 It was sown upon rather poor clay soil, 

 yet it made a fair growth last fall, and 

 came through the winter in good condi- 

 tion. It began to bloom July 8, and 

 continued in bloom until the 20th of 

 September. The period of greatest 

 bloom and honey secretion was from 

 July 20 to Sept. 1. It grew rapidly, 

 and was very rank, reaching a height 

 of about six feet. The amount of bloom 

 was groat, and the bees were contin- 

 ually busy upon it, yet during the period 

 from July 24:th to Aug. 10th, while it 



