THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



515 



The Labors of the Drones. 



Prof. IJ. Silliman, editor of tlie 

 " American Journal of Science and 

 Arts,'' published at New Haven, 

 Conn., has sent us an old manuscript, 

 written by the Rev. Elisha D. An- 

 drews, Armada, Macomb Co., Mich., 

 Oct. 7, 1851, giving the latter gentle- 

 man's views on several important 

 points in bee-culture. 



Prof. Silliman remarks that he 

 found the old manuscript among his 

 late fatlier's papers, where it had been 

 for many years. He desired us to 

 look it over, and if anything of inter- 

 est was discovered to print it in the 

 interest of scientilic bee-culture. 



The Rev. Elisha D. Andrews states, 

 in the manuscript, that the object of 

 his writing it was to subject his " dis- 

 coveries to a strict, seientitic scrutiny 

 and criticism.'' He then adds : "If 

 they will bear this test, I am disposed 

 to have them given to the world, as 

 some little addition to the accumu- 

 lating .science of the age." 



One part, in particular, is interest- 

 ing to us at the present time, and 

 that is in relation to the character 

 and object of the drone bee. He says : 



They are considered, as it respects 

 the labor of the hive, an idle and use- 

 less race— only a nuisance as tlieir 

 name proverbially denotes. Now. this 

 I consider a perfect slander. From 

 30 years' observation 1 can testify 

 that there are no bees in the hive that 

 pursue their work with so much ardor 

 and zeal as the drones. It is true, 

 they do not make their appearance 

 abroad till the warm weather in May 

 and June, and not in the early morn- 

 ing nor late in tlie afternoon, nor at 

 any time when tlie weather is cold 

 and damp, but they are never seen 

 idly basking about the entrance of 

 the hive, and in the middle of the 

 day, when the weather is hot, they 

 come out of the hive in great num- 

 bers and in great haste, rushing 

 through and over the worker bees 

 that lie idle about the entrance of the 

 hive. There are no bees in the hive 

 that seem to show such earnestness 

 in their work as these poor slandered 

 drones, but it may be asked, what 

 are they about, that they are not 

 earlier iit work, and why do they re- 

 tire before the other bees' cease laborV 

 Have we any right to supjiose that 

 they have no office to perform, and 

 are" quite idle while in the hive V 

 Tlipy are such zealous workers when 

 abroad, that I am inclined to be char- 

 itable, and believe they are employed 

 in some work of benevolence when 

 out of sight. Why may we not sup- 

 pose tliat they are nurses of the young 

 bee in the larval and cluysalis state, 

 employed to brood over them and 

 keep them warm, when the weather 

 is at too low a temperature for their 

 comfort and growth, and to feed and 



nourish them as they need, and when- 

 ever the temperature of the weather 

 rises to the necessary point, these 

 nurses go forth in search of such food 

 as the young demand'i' The zeal with 

 which they' labor seems very much 

 like the promptings of parental or 

 maternal affection. 



1^" The Amerian Express Company 

 money order system is the cheapest, 

 safest and most convenient way of re- 

 mitting small sums of money. Their 

 rates for $1 to So are 5 cents ; over $5 

 to SIO, 8 cents. They can be pur- 

 chased at any point where the com- 

 pany have an ollice, except Canada, 

 and can be made payable at any one 

 of the company's 4,000 offices. 



I'aid orders are tiled in the Treas- 

 urer's office, and always accessible for 

 reference, and the remitter gets a re- 

 ceipt for money sent. 



For safety, when sending money to 

 this office, all should get either a post 

 office or expres.s money order. 



Local Convention Directory. 



1882. Time and Place nj Meetino. 



Sept. o— N. W. 111. anil S. W. Wis., at Rockton, 111. 

 Jonatban Stewart, Sec. 



Oct. 3-e— North American, at Cincinnati. O. 



Dr. Ehricli Paraily, Sec, New Yorlt City. 



5— Kentuclty Union, at Shelbyville, Ky. 

 G. W. Demaree. Sec. Cbristiansburg, Ky. 



Tuscarawas Valley, at Newcomerstown, O. 

 J. A. Buclilew, Sec, Clarlis, O. 



t3?~ In order to have this table complete. Secre- 

 taries are requested to forward full particulars of 

 time and plage of future meetinus.— ED. 



The National Convention. 



The following is the official call of 

 the Secretary, Dr. Parmly, for the 

 Convention of the North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Society. AVe hope there 

 will be a large attendance : 



The North American Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Society will hold their 13th an- 

 nual meeting at Washington Park 

 Hall, Cincinnati, O., across Washing- 

 ton Park from the Exposition build- 

 ing. Time, Oct. 3rd to .5th, 1882. 

 First session Tuesday, 10 a. m., Oct. 

 3. We are encouraged to hope that 

 this will be a very prohtable meeting, 

 as we are promised papers from, and 

 the presence of, a large number of 

 our most prominent bee-keepers both 

 in the United States and Canada, and 

 essays and implements of the apiary 

 are expected from abroad to add to 

 the knowledge imparted by the re- 

 search and inventive skill and meth- 

 ods of our countrymen. 



EniuCK Parmly, Sec. 



New York, July 12, 1882. 



®"The summer meeting of the 

 Mahoning Valley Bee-Keepers' will 

 take place at Berlin Center, Ohio, on 

 Saturday, Aug. 19, 1882, at 10 a. m. 

 All interested in bee-keeping are in- 

 vited to attend. Turn out. Do not 

 forget your wife, daughter, son and 

 lunch basket. We expect a happy 

 and profitable time. 



L. Cakson, Pres. 



M. Haughn, See'y. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



OFPICE op AMKKICAN BEE JOtTRNAL, ) 



Monday. 1(1 a. m.. August 14. ihjs::. J 



The following are the latest quota- 

 tions for honey and beeswax received 

 up to this hour : 



Quntatlonn of Cash Bayers. 

 CHICAGO. 



nONEV— I am paying 7c. for dark and 9c. for 

 light extracted. 



BEESWAX-Choice lots are worth J.'c. here; 

 bright yellow. 24c.: dark to good. l7(.-i.'-2c. 



Al. h. New.man. yja W. Madison St. 



CINCINNATI. 



HONEY— The market for honey is quiet. Ex- 

 tracted brings 7(ii.liic. on arrival. Nocomb honey 

 on the maritet worth mentioning, prices nominal. 



BEESWAX— Scarce, and brings 2U(<ii:;5c. on arri- 

 val. C.F. MUTH. 



Quotations of Coiumtasloa llerchants. 



CHICAGO. 



HONEY— The crop of 1882 is beginning to come 

 forward, and so far very nice goods have been 

 offered. Sales range at lH<5)?0c. per lb.; onepound 

 sections selling at the highest range, when well 

 tilled and wliite. Extracted, few oflerings and de- 

 mand light at 8t^!)c. 



BEESWAX- 2:>c. for prime yellow ; dark ]fi@22c. 

 K. A. BUKNKTT, It;.) South Water St. 



NEW YOKK. 



HONEY— White clover, fancy, 1 lb. bxs.. l.'JiSiec: 

 white clover, good to choice, i and 2 lb. bxs., I3'aj 

 14c: huckwheat. 2 lb. bxs., per lb., ll(Sil2c. E-x- 

 tracted and str;iine(l, white. OoilOc: darlt 7(580. 



BEESWA.X- The market Is quiet and the tone a 

 shade weaker. Western, pure, 2(:(a.'27c.; Southern 

 pure, 27@28c. 



D. W. QuiNBV, 105 Park Place 



CLEVELAND. 



HONE Y— The market is quite active with us ; it 

 is beginning to come forward more liberally, and 

 the (ieman(l i.s more fully met. For two days past 

 we have nut been able to sell for over 22c. per lb. 

 for best white I lb. sections ; of 2 lb. sections none 

 have been received. Extracted we hold at 14c. for 

 small packages, but have not made any sales. 

 BBESWAX-2r>(3i28c. 



A. C. Kendel. 115 Ontario Street. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY— The market is arm for extracted and 

 choice comli. Offerings and demand are light. 



We quote wliite comb, 17(yjl8c.: dark to good. 8@ 

 13c. Extracted, choice to extra white, 0(^.9}^c.; 

 dark and candied, l&'Ho. BEESWAX- 2m<s;30o. 

 Stearns & Smith. 423 Front Street. 



BOSTON. 



HONEY— Trade quiet. We quote at 20@22c., ac- 

 cording to quality. 

 BEESWAX-Pi ime quality, 2.')C. 



Crocker & Blake. .57 Chatham Street. 



ST. LOUIS. 



HONE Y— A fair movement in strained at 7H@8. 



—one lot ot 2r, bbls. reported sold at sc. Some new 



comb (Choice white clover ofTered i, but little sold— 



held at ]s(.(j('c. per lb.; extracted quiet at 9(3»10c. 



BEESWA.V— Easier at 2(;'.(.27c. for prime. 



K. C. GllEEU & Co.. 117 N. Main Strd*D. 



A Sample (^opy of the Weekly Bee 

 Journal will be sent free to any per- 

 son. Any one intending to get up a 

 club can have sample copies sent to 

 the persons they desire to interview, 

 by sending the names to this office. 



