1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLRNAI<» 



387 



is a dark bee, possibly a cross between an eastern and 

 western bee. 



The Smyrnian bee of Asia may also be a cross with an 

 oriental race. Greece has a dark bee ; also Hungary and 

 Austria, and in North Norway. In fact, many other lands or 

 districts may be named, each having its own peculiar bee. 



Genuine black bees may be found in Africa. Mention 

 may be made of the Tunisian bees, or Funics. They are prob- 

 ably of oriental origin. In examining the bees of the differ- 

 ent lands, we lind the blacks predominating in Norway, Swe- 

 den, Denmark, France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Carnlola, 

 Switzerland, Tyrol, Greece, Northern Asia, Northern Africa, 

 etc. All have a dark bee. Yellow bees we find only in Syria, 

 Southern Spain, Italy, Cyprus, and other islands in the Medi- 

 terranean Sea. 



F. Benton thinks that since some Insects have a way to 

 protect themselves by assuming the same color as their sur- 

 roundings, it is not unreasonable to suppose that bees may 

 have done the same. And, indeed, so it would seem. Cyprus, 

 on account of so much yellow sand, has a very yellow appear- 

 ance, and her bees are the most yellow of any. The general 

 appearance of Africa is black. She has the darkest bees. 

 Germany, with its mountains and forests, seems dark or 

 brown. Her bees are brown. Carniola, with her gray rocks 

 predominating, has the gray bee. 



So much about the diflterent bees; and now for some 

 glimpses of bee-keeping, uses of honey, etc. 



Bee-keeping in India may be traced back to the year 

 2,000 B. C. It was said there that it would "rain honey " in 

 the spring of the year In certain localities. To these the 

 shepherds would drive their cows. Having fed on the sweet- 

 ened grasses their milk would be so sweet as not to need any 

 other sweetening. A baby boy received, for his first food, 

 honey from a golden spoon (it might bother us fellows, who 

 have not been to the Klondike, to find the golden spoons). 



Egypt was once the land of knowledge and culture (Moses 

 received his education there, as will be remembered, 1,500 

 B. C). It abounded in honey-producing plants. The date- 

 palm, for one, carried on a single fruit stalk as many as 12,- 

 000 nectar-yielding blossoms. The Information we have from 

 this land regarding bee-keeping in those early days. Is princi- 

 pally gleaned from the hieroglyphics on pyramids, obelisks, 

 sphinxes, and on remains of temple walls. Honey was used to 

 embalm the dead ; wax also for the same purpose, and to make 

 coffins air-tight. Bee-hives were made of cane, and coated 

 with clay. Others made them wholly of clay, and burned 

 them. Such hives are being made up to this day. The Egyp- 

 tians practiced migratory bee-keeping at an early date. It is 

 recorded iu history that Solon, "the Wise," made a special 

 trip from Greece to Egypt about 600 B. C. for the purpose of 

 learning this art of bee-keeping. 



Palestine abounded with bees at the time the Israelites 

 first occupied it. The many cavities In the chalk rocks and 

 trees furnlsht all the needed shelter for the bees, and the peo- 

 ple obtained all their honey and wax by simply robbing the 

 bees. After the advent of Christ, bees were kept in hives and 

 in apiaries. Even a smoker had come into use, in which well- 

 dried droppings from the cattle-yard were burned. A law is 

 recorded forbidding the lighting of the smoker on the Sabbath 

 day (It might be well for a few of us to make a note of this). 



Apiculture In Arabia seems of later origin, the people 

 having copied from the Greeks and Romans. The first his- 

 tory we find in the Koran. Mohammed devotes a whole chap- 

 ter in It to bees and bee-keeping. Mohammed's followers be- 

 lieved that honey was the principal food in " the happy land 

 beyond." 



Numerous Greek and Roman writers have given us bits of 

 bee-history here and there. Virgil called the bees repeatedly 

 " the children of the dead [rottenj ox." According to tradition 

 bees might be produced at will at any time In this manner: 

 Take a two-year-old steer [the Latin word for steer is apis, 

 and so it will be seen that the word opts means steer as well 

 as bee] ; stuff rags or the like into his nose and mouth, no 

 matter how much he may object, and now belabor him with a 

 club until dead, but without breaking his skin. Now let him 

 lie until decomposed. After a time, it was said, bees would 

 come forth from the carcass. 



It seems incredible that so absurd a story as the above 

 could have found any believers ; but this is unmistakably so ; 

 for even Melancthon, the bosom friend of Dr. Martin Luther, 

 living 1497 — 1560, believed it. Yes, even later writers have 

 recorded it as a fact. However, not all the " smart men " 

 were as ignorant of the natural history of the bee as that. 

 Aristotle, living between 400 and 300 years B. C, does not 

 even mention this steer-story. His knowledge was away be- 

 yond that of other mortals of his time — yes, even of our times. 



When talking with a man of high education but a year or 



two ago on the subject of bees, the conversation turned to the 

 sources of honey. I mentioned that our bees " made the most 

 of our honey from basswood." 



" I had no idea the bees could make honey out of any 

 kind of wood," was the educated man's reply, and he meant 

 what he said. 



Aristotle was well acquainted with the nature of the bee. 

 He knew the true sex of the queen, the workers, the drone. 

 He knew the queen laid all the eggs, knew the time of devel- 

 opment of the different bees; he was wrong, however, in sup- 

 posing the old bees to be the nurses, the young the field-work- 

 ers. It is bard to understand that this knowledge that Aris- 

 totle po^sest in regard to the life of the bee did not spread 

 more, and become the property of the people ; but it is a fact 

 that, during the following 2,000 years, more was forgotten 

 than added, and this In the face of the fact that a great many 

 bees were kept. 



There was Julius CiBsar, 100—44 B. C. All of his farms 

 were well stockt up with bees. Others followed his example. 

 In the eighth century, Karl the Great, i-eigning over a vast 

 empire, did a great deal to promote the keeping of bees. After 

 the Roman Catholic church had gained a foothold in Europe, 

 the monks, in their monasteries especially, made a business of 

 keeping bees, and induced the people to do the same. During 

 the eleventh century the church demanded of the people the 

 tenth of all the honey and wax harvested of wild bees, and 

 the third from bees kept in hives. In view of this fact, what 

 bee-keeper of to-day has any reason for complaining of high 

 taxes ? 



For illuminating purposes at these times, the wax candle 

 was the best thing obtainable, and only the rich could afford 

 it in a limited way. Others had to be satisfied with the light 

 of a burning pitch-pine knot. The churches in particular 

 consumed much wax for candles. Before Luther's time the 

 principal church in Wittenberg used for this purpose In one 

 year 35,000 pounds of wax. This demand for wax, and for 

 an article to sweeten foods and drinks, stimulated the bee- 

 business to a great extent, and the number of colonies in- 

 creast. It Is stated that, during the eleventh and twelfth 

 centuries, whole shiploads of honey and wax were exported 

 from Germany to Palestine via Constantinople. Regular 

 honey-markets were held every year in the cities of Augsburg. 

 Nurnberg, Frankfort and Cologne. Large breweries were 

 built, in which quantities of honey-beer were made — enough, 

 it is stated, to subdue large city fires. I take a few items 

 from a honey-market report, said market being held in Nurn- 

 burg in 1250. 



Comb honey was offered on earthen dishes, strained honey 

 in pails and tubs; chunks of wax were heaped up in large 

 piles. The honey (strained) was sold by the "seidel," and, 

 according to a chronicle of that time, the seidel contained 

 " 14 mouthfuls and 2 fingers." Druggists were bantering 

 for wax. Who knows, adds a later reporter, what a mixture 

 of pulverized toad-eyes and beeswax might be good for '? The 

 city clerk needs wax for seals, and he is picking out the nicest 

 pieces. Suddenly the business comes to a standstill, as the 

 market-master and his crew are making the round to inspect. 

 Honey harvested before the birthday of the Virgin Mary is 

 not wholesome, and must not be offered for sale. The mar- 

 ket-master receives the statement under oath that the honey 

 is of the proper character. 



The honey is also examined as to its purity. The loss of 

 one hand was the penalty for adulteration. It seems penal- 

 ties were of a severe nature. I will name another such case. 

 Any one stealing bees or honey, and caught in the act was, 

 without trial, delivered to the sheriff to be executed in a most 

 terrible way. His intestines were first wound around the tree 

 from which he took the honey, and then he was hung to the 

 tree. 



The hives In use In those times were of a very substantial 

 nature. Let us watch one of the keepers preparing a hive. 

 We see him standing on a ladder about 10 or 12 feet above 

 ground, cutting a cavity from o to 4 feet long in a large bass- 

 wood tree. Basswood or pine was preferred, and oak rejected. 

 If a hive was needed for immediate use, the cavity was burned 

 out with a straw fire ; if not, it was just left to dry out. It 

 was then rubbed over with wax, an entrance-hole bored in, 

 and a suitable door fitted against the cavity and fastened. 

 For centuries after this time the most popular hive in use was 

 the hollowed-out log, three feet long, and a door fitted against 

 each end. The honey from these was generally not harvested 

 until the winter was over. The bee-keeper would then go to 

 work and cut out all the comb he could, whether filled with 

 honey or not, just leaving what was occupied with brood. 



After the forests had been more and more cleared off in 

 Germany, and timber became scarce, straw hives came into 

 use, and many bees are kept In such up to this day. The 



