184 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September, 



the -Uniteil States aud were located 

 where tliere were many hundreds of 

 acres of ornage groves accessible to 

 their bees. Perhaps Mr. Alderman 

 could tell something interesting about 

 orange blossom honey. From the 

 standpoint of the producer I am of the 

 opinion that much of the orange blos- 

 som honey sold was gathered from the 

 "Tuiielo" of West Florida. 



But should not the dealers guard 

 against giving misleading names to 

 honeys from various souces? It is 

 asked "what's in a name?", and I 

 reply, "not much, generally,"' but some- 

 times there is too much in a name, and 

 then comes trouble. 



Say, what color is honey from "Or- 

 ange blossom'?" It must be some color 

 and can't he all colors. Is the aroma 

 anything like orange bloom? If it is, 

 it certainly would be very offensive to 

 my olfactory organs to say the least, 

 but then, I am official smeller fcr no- 

 body biit myself. 



Hollister. Fla., July 10, 1904. 



THE MATING OF THE QUEEN. 



By SwarthmoB.-e. 



I HAVE this day witnessed the act of 

 copulation between a queen and 

 drone. About 2:30 o'clock in the 

 afternoon of Thursday. July 21, I Avas 

 standing near a fertilizing box filling 

 a feeder when my attention was at- 

 tracted by an uniisual commotion in 

 the way of extra loud buzzing, as of 

 drones on the wing; I looked and saw 

 a queen rapidly flying toward the fer- 

 tilizing box, evidently her home; she 

 was closely followed by two drones, 

 one of which turned and flew oft", but 

 the other remained in pursuit. They 

 were flying not six inches from the 

 ground and were not over eight feet 

 from the fertilizing box when the act 

 took place. It was all done so quickly 

 that I marvel at it and I wish to here 

 record the facts as I witnessed them. 



I could not see that the queen was 

 flying in any but the natural way re- 

 turning to hcfi- hive, but the drone was 

 uniisually swift of wing. They were 

 both flying rapidly and as they flew 

 the drone made two circles about the 

 queen as though to head her off and as 

 these circles were made about the 

 queen she rose slightly each time. 



Directly after making the second cir- 

 cle about the queen the drone flew at 

 her about as a worker flies with the 

 intention of stinging in earnest. His 



0^ Kv^VCvHT 



abdomen aaus curved and his wings 

 rattled in about the same manned.*. Di- 

 rectly the drone was in contact with 

 the queen there was a sudden lurch to 

 side and they went together to some 

 distance into the field until I lost sight 

 of them. As they flew together they 

 much resembled workers when they 

 attempt jointly to bear oft' their dead 

 I remained by the fertilizing box per 

 baps three minutes and saw the queer 

 retutt-n and enter bearing the marks oJ- 

 having met a drone. I still lingered bj 

 the box and soon saw a worker bean 

 out the tell-tale white speck. I latei 

 opened the box and saw the queej 

 bearing the usual thread. 



A queen bee is tremendous swift o 

 wing but I am convinced that a droni 

 is ten times swifter, for to be able t 

 encircle the queen in the manner thi 

 on did, such must be the fact. 



In the accompanying drawing I hav 

 attempted to picture the exact cours 

 of the queen and drone just previou 

 to actual contact. 



Swarthmore, Pa.. July 21, 1904. 



LAYING WORKERS. 



I 



By Arthur C. Miller. 



N the American Bee-Keeper for An 

 gust, pag'e 150, Mr. McNeal. wril 

 ing on the question of the possibil 

 ity of bees rearing drones ffom egg 

 which would normally produce work 

 ers, says, "From the size of the larva 

 it was evident that fertile worker 

 were not responsible for the state o 

 affairs, for there had not been tim 

 enough to attain that size fror 

 eggs laid by them.'" He also say 

 that seven days elapsed from th 

 time he forced the swarm until he 83 

 amined and found the cenditions r( 

 ferred to. FurtluB', he says the force' 

 swarm did nothing below the excluc 

 er. 



Taking his statements as they stan 

 I should sav he had been dealing wit 



