THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 6, 



allmeDtation is not superior or greatly different from that of 

 many other animals, and I will not discuss it farther now. 



The point of greatest interest is the source of the "jelly," 

 the specially prepared food for the larvaa and the queen, and 

 doubtless the drones. Some have thought this to be a secre- 

 tion from the large lower head-glands. But as I have shown 

 that charcoal finally pulverized and fed to bees is found in this 

 " jelly," and in the " royal jelly " — the special food of the larval 

 queen — it seems certain that the jelly cannot be a secretion. 

 The most probable view seems to be that the pollen is mixt with 

 the secretion from the lower head-glands and then past to the 

 true stomach, possibly mixt with some honey, and digested or 

 changed to the marvelous food — the jelly. This is probably 

 regurgitated and served to the larvas, queen and drones. If 

 the secretion from the lower head-gland is not used to digest 

 the pollen, it is dilEcult to know what is, as it does not seem 

 possible that the stomach could secrete enough " gastric 

 juice " to do it. 



An objection to the above view is urged in the fact that a 

 membranous tube hangs from the lower end of the honey- 

 stomach into the true stomach, which acts as a valve like our 

 ilio-colic valve, and would not permit any of the contents to 

 pass from the true stomach back to the mouth. This would 

 be S.0 except that the bee doubtless has the power to draw the 

 honey-stomach up, so that this tube ceases to hang into the 

 true stomach, and thus loses its force as a valve. Just so our 

 ilio-cascal valve can be made to lose its valvular action, as in 

 case of severe wretching when the contents of the large bowel 

 may be vomited up. Thus it seems more than probable that 

 the Incomparable food prepared by the nurse-bees is com- 

 pounded of digested pollen and honey; that it is prepared in 

 the true stomach, and regurgitated for the queen, drone, 

 larvoe, and possibly for the older workers. 



There is one more organ in the honey-stomach of the 

 worker-bees which merits notice. It is a spherical organ with 

 jaw-like segments that leave a central opening, thickly set 

 with hairs that reach upwards. When the bee Is taking honey 

 into the honey-stomach these jaws are constantly opening and 

 closing, which draws In the nectar and forces it back. Any 

 pollen in the nectar is caught and held by the hairs, and thus 

 these stomach-jaws, or this honey-stomach mouth is constantly 

 ridding the nectar or honey of the pollen ; and thus we see 

 why honey is so free of pollen, even though the nectar may be 

 rich in the same. This ever-active stomach-mouih is always 

 screening it out, as the bee is gathering the precious nectar. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



A Lady's Experience with Bees in 1897. 



BY MRS. L. C. AXTELL. 



We began the season with 150 colonies, one absconded, 

 flew away, and we did not miss it until gone, but we knew all 

 came through the winter alive. A very few were weak, but 

 on the whole they wintered splendidly. 



We did not open the hives until in May, when he hunted 

 out the queens and dipt their wings. We found two or three 

 queenless colonies, and gave them eggs and larvre, and both 

 reared themselves a queen. One had to have brood and a cell 

 given the second time. When swarming began we took combs 

 from the parent colonies and built up those colonies into 

 strong ones, and put on sections. We increast from 150 to 

 162 colonies, and secured about 5,000 pounds of honey, 36 

 or more pounds per colony, spring count. 



DID NEARLY ALL THE WORK ALONE. 



As Mr. Axtell has now a peach orchard of about 1,600 

 trees, and 200 or oOO pear, plum and apple trees, besides 

 raspberries, blackberries and strawberries to care for, I took 

 the sole care of the bees the past season, after being taken 

 from the cellar, up to October, except Mr. A. carried the honey 

 to the honey-house for me af ler it was taken from the hives ; 

 also while resting in his hammock during the middle of the 

 day he watcht swarming and caught in the queen-cages about 

 half a dozen queens. The rest of the work I did myself, and 

 enjoyed it. I felt burdened but little with my bee-work, be- 

 cause I took all needed rest, neglected nothing that needed to 

 be done on time, and made every step count. I do not think 

 we had a great honey crop, but surely our bees paid for my 

 work. I sold all the best grade, delivered at our town, for 10 

 cents per pound at one sale, and the rest of darker grades are 

 working off in small sales, and at stores, for about the same 

 price. 



FARMER BEE-KEEPERS INJURING THE HONEY' MARKET. 



If farmers would not be in such a rush to sell their honey, 

 and ask a fair price for it, and hold it at that price, it would 



not bring honey down every fall as it does. They act as if 

 they were afraid they could not sell if they did not offer It 

 lower than those who had larger crops. This seems to hurt 

 our market more than honey adulterated, as people are learn- 

 ing that the honey In tumblers is sugar syrup with but a trifle 

 of honey in it, and those who come for pure honey will not 

 buy it in that way to a large extent, and yet adulterated 

 honey is a drawback to good prices. 



A HONEY SOCIABLE — CLEANING SECTIONS. 



We had the " Aid Society " of the Christian church meet 

 at our house one day about a month ago, with their pastor — 

 some 20 ladies to help me prepare and clean the honey sec- 

 tions before selling. We requested them all to wear gowns 

 that washing would not hurt, and bring sharp pocket-knives. 

 Some came at 9 and 10 o'clock, and staid all day. I got din- 

 ner for them, and paid the society 10 cents besides, for every 

 one who workt. They exprest themselves as having a very 

 enjoyable time, and said they wanted to come again next year, 

 and considering their being new hands they did their work 

 well. They fitted up some 1,500 pounds that day. 



To get the honey ready for market is the hardest and most 

 difficult bee-work for me. To hire it done by young people, it 

 is so often injured ; honey cut, and sections sliced off or hag- 

 gled, but to bring the best price, each section should be nicely 

 cleaned. Those ladies being middle-aged, did their work bet- 

 ter than I feared It might be done. 



The honey should be in a pile in the middle of the room, 

 or two or three rooms, so people could get around it easily to 

 work. 



HELPING WEAK COLONIES. 



In the fall, when taking off honey, or even in midsummer 

 when a few bees remain in the supers, and gather in a bunch 

 on the window, which they will do (unless a large escape is 

 given) as soon as they cluster, I take a milk-pan with warm 

 water in It — just warm enough not to chill the bees — and brush 

 the cluster of bees into it and carry quickly and pour them 

 down close to the entrance of a weak colony, if we have any. 

 I put all I can get in that way in front of one hive, until I 

 am sure it is strong enough. If the weather is cool I would 

 lay a soft cloth over the cluster. 



LAYING WORKERS. 



In September I found one colony that had laying workers. 

 I took two combs and gave to colonies that did not have combs 

 enough to make a full colony. Two other combs I gave to a 

 similar colony, and took all the bees and gave them to a weak 

 colony that had a queen, and the returning bees were allowed 

 to go into another weak colony. I could not detect that 

 scarcely any bees were killed, and those I carried away 

 mostly remained, they having found a queen made them con- 

 tented to remain, and put a shade-board over the front of the 

 hive. 



I felt that such a disposition of combs and bees at that 

 time of the year was better than to help them rear a queen. 



UNITING WEAK COLONIES UNPROFITABLE. 



The uniting of weak colonies in the spring does not pay 

 very well. After uniting, in a few days the colony seems just 

 about as weak as before being united, but if strong to cover 

 two combs well in April or May, exchange the two and giving 

 one or two of brood with eggs and larvas will carry them 

 through until they can rear themselves a queen, and then 

 build them up in swarming-time. I find it does not pay to 

 fuss much with small colonies; fix them up so they can keep 

 warm, and leave them alone, and give the extra care and time 

 to the strong ones. It does not pay to take much brood from 

 the strong to build up the weak until in swarming-time. 



Warren Co., III. 



Something About Swarming— How It is Done. 



BY' G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Question. — " A bee-keeping friend and myself have had 

 a dispute relative to how swarming is conducted, and we have 

 agreed to leave the matter to an arbitrator. He has chosen 

 you as that arbitrator, and I could not object. We also have 

 agreed to ask you to answer, or give your views in the matter, 

 in the American Bee Journal, as we both take that paper, and 

 both think that your views may not be uninteresting to other 

 readers also. My friend claims that when a swarm issues 

 from any colony, that the old begs, or field-workers, go with 

 the old or reigning queen, leaving the youneer bees with the 

 queen-cells left behind to go out with any after-swarm which 

 may chance to issue. He also claims that a young queen 



