THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



148 



themselves; from others perhaps 

 drones are produced. 



This is truly wonderful; but more 

 wonderful still these bees that have 

 never seen their mother, and have 

 had no means of being- informed of 

 the necessity of a queen to continue 

 the race, set to work and construct 

 cells different from any before in 

 the hive; different from any they have 

 ever seen before. The larvae over and 

 around which they build them are fur- 

 nished with food in greater quantities 

 and, it may be, different in quality. 

 It is at least more thoroughly digested 

 or prepared as we may infer from the 

 fact that the larvae fed on it mature 

 more rapidly. 



All of this work is evidently done 

 blindly, and positively without knowl- 

 edge or instruction; intending nothing, 

 meaning nothing, and not designing to 

 do what it accomplishes. The result 

 is the production of a description of 

 bees unknown to them before, so dif- 

 ferent from all in the hive that they 

 have no instincts common with them. 



In like manner we might follow the 

 bees in all they do without finding 

 any proof that they have the least 

 glimmer of reason, or that they are 

 capable of departing in the smallest 

 degree from the blind impulses of their 

 unvarying instinct. 



Jul 



JE 



PRODUCING BEESWAX. 

 Dr. J. B. Pons, one of the most ex- 

 tensive and most progressive apiarists 

 of Cuba, whose apiarian headquarters 

 is located in "the Valley of Hell," by 

 the way, writing under date of June 

 6th, cornplains of a very unsatisfactory 

 condition of the Cuban honey mar- 

 ket, saying: 



"The honey producing business here 

 becomes daily less encouraging, as, 

 when good crops are secured, prices 

 are so low that there is no profit in 

 it for the producer; and higher prices 

 are quoted only when there is but lit- 

 tle or nothing to market. Last year 

 when we had a good crop, we could 

 get but 26 cents per gallon, Spanish 

 gold, and this year, with but a meagre 

 harvest, the price is up to 37 cents." 



Seeking a practicable way out of the 

 difficulty, Dr. Pons says hereafter he 

 proposes to produce more beeswax, as 

 the price of this staple is always uni- 

 form and profitable, and asks what 

 The Bee-Keeper thinks of the propo- 

 sition. 



Sixteen or eighteen years ago tl 

 editor of The Bee-Keeper publicly e: 

 pressed his opinion that the proble 

 of turning cheap honey into wax, ws 

 one worthy of experiment and caref 

 test, and outlined, theoretically, 

 method of operation that appean 

 practicable in tropical countries, b 

 the suggestion was met with derisi 

 comment by Mr. Hasty, whose offid 

 duty appears to be to say alleg, 

 funny things and ridicule ideas a: 

 practices not in vogue in Lucas cov 

 ty, Ohio, where he is evidently qu: 

 conversant with things apiarian. 



The day has arrived wherein carer 

 thought is bound to be given this ST 

 ject, and we believe profitable resu 

 will accrue to the originator of a pi 

 that shall prove practicable— as so 

 one, no doubt, will do in the near ' 

 ture. 



The appliances, in working for \^ 

 may be inexpensive, compared w 

 those essential to the honey produ( 

 and the market for beeswax has 

 ways been, and promises to contii 

 to be active at good prices. 



With reference to the matter 

 hives, earth, or adobe, possesses 

 three-fold advantage of cheapness, 

 ing a nonconductor of heat and 1 

 of affording a surface to which t 

 will not attach the combs, so 1 

 the entire contents may readily be 

 ed with the roof or lid and inverted 

 the convenience of the operator, u 

 the walls. 



The sun affords the necessary 1 

 for rendering the combs into the cb 

 est of wax. while the enduring war 

 of tropical -climates makes possible 

 unceasing secretion of wax-scales 

 the bees. 



Dr. Pon's resolution is eommende 

 and his experiments will be wat( 

 with interest. 



k 



ITT 



We believe we are justified in 

 ing that each issue of The Bee-Ke 

 contains more items of value to 

 readers than can be found in any 

 er bee paper. These items are b 

 clear and comprehensive. They 

 thus prepared that our readers 

 grasp the points with the least 

 penditure of time. If you see thi 

 we do then tell others about it, foi 

 more subscribers we have the i 

 we can develop the paper, and 

 more you will get in return. 



