THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



40 T 



Many otlier interesting points might 

 be considered, Ijut I trust the tuble 

 will assist the readers of the Bee 

 Journal to form opinions for them- 

 selves, as to the two most important 

 elements of the climate in which they 

 have to winter their bees, and whether 

 they are most injured by severe cold 

 or by cold and excessive moisture 

 combined ; the former being present 

 in the early part of the winter of 1880- 

 81, and the latter occurring towards 

 its close. * 



Lindsay, Ont., June 22, 1883. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Two ftueens in a Hive. 



W. H. SHIRLEY. 



There seems to be quite a number 

 of reports of two queens in one hive, 

 this season. I have instanced two 

 queens where the bees were supersed- 

 ing a queen. In tlie following letter 

 which I have received from J. O. 

 Shearman, he mentions having two 

 queens in a hive : 



Our bees seem to not be doing much 

 since the nights turned cool, though 

 button willow is just opening, it does 

 not seem to yield much. 1 guess it 

 is because the water is so high yet, as 

 to flood it. Bees go to it a little, and 

 then run on red clover the rest of the 

 time. 1 had a case of two queens in 

 a hive. I saw them both on the 2d of 

 August, on one conil), and not excited 

 at all, and did not seem to notice each 

 other. 1 had clipped the old queen's 

 wing, to avoid swarming, and I guess 

 I slashed her pretty severely, as 1 did 

 it with my Knife, not Waving the 

 scissors handy. I think they under- 

 took to supersede her, as I found 

 queen-cells cut up on other combs, or 

 she might have swarmed and then 

 crawled back. She appeared to be 

 " slimmed up,'' as we used to call it, 

 same as for swarming. The young 

 queen was the largest and brightest 

 colored. What was the cause of your 

 two queens in a hive 'r* Do you 

 know V I left both of mine in, to see 

 how they made out, as they both 

 seemed quiet. How would it do to 

 answer m the Bee Journal the 

 cause of yours V If you do, you might 

 send this in too. I look for a fall run 

 of honey yet, as feed of all sorts is 

 fresli, though the ground is fast get- 

 ting dry. J . O. Shearman. 



New Richmond, Mich. 



The case in tlie Bee Journal, page 

 373. was of a different kind. I had 

 introduced a young queen, after kill- 

 ing the old one in the hive. Quite a 

 number of young queens get lost on 

 their bridal trip, from nuclei, on an 

 average say 10' per cent, of them. 

 Now, I think it was one of these 

 queens that dropped down by this 

 hive, where I liad introduced one 

 some days before, and was received 

 by the bees allriglit. 



I have found three young queens 

 balled in front of the hives, this sea- 

 son, and in swarming time I fre- 

 quently (ind one and two young 

 queens that the swarm had caught 

 when on the wing. 



Glenwood, Mich., Aug. 8, 1883. 



for tbe American Bee Jouru^ii- 



Instinct Compared with Eeason. 



W. H. STEWART. 



Volumes on volumes liave been 

 written concerning the organization, 

 powers and doings of the honey-bee 

 without in any way exhausting tlie 

 subject. The lield is unbounded, and 

 ever fruitful. The song of the grove, 

 the aroma of the flowers, and the in- 

 dustry of tlie bee, have ever been 

 favorite themes with the poet. Dull 

 indeed must be that class of persons 

 who experience no pleasing and in- 

 spiring emotions, who are able to 

 read lui new and useful lessons from 

 the many facts of pleasing interest 

 that shine out like so many golden 

 threads, so beautifully woven, all 

 througli and through the warp and 

 woof of plant and insect life, and 

 more especially that of bees and 

 flowers. How wonderful each new 

 phenomona manifested on every hand 

 as we contemplate the ample field — 

 in the co-relation and inseparable 

 interblending of the vegetable and 

 animal kingdoms ; their mutual de- 

 pendence on each other for the power 

 of reproduction, etc. The new born 

 honey-bee, inexperienced and inde- 

 pendent of all instruction, reads on 

 the iiage of instinct the truth that it 

 is altogether dependent up(m veget- 

 able fruitfuhiess for the only food 

 that can sustain its life. 



Tlie iilant also, through all its 

 manifold changes from earliest 

 germination in spring-time, feels the 

 delicate touch of the vibrating chord 

 of inter-dependence ; and guided by 

 the same law that gave birth and 

 direction to instinct, unfolds its form, 

 ever taking on new and more complex 

 conditions, slowly, yet surely, con- 

 centrating: its own best life-juices in 

 the forming of the pure nectar to be 

 negotiated with the yet unborn honey 

 bee for a precious morsel of fertiliz- 

 ing pollen. 



As we muse, blending our life with 

 these truths, our soul drinks at the 

 fountain of harmony that vibrates 

 along this aeolian chord that whispers 

 instinct to the little speck of animate 

 life at its one end, and law to the un- 

 folding plant at the other. 



Could we draw aside the mystic 

 curtain that seems to divide between 

 the human and insect planes of life, 

 we should, perhaps, learn that the 

 common Creator had in no way been 

 partial in the bestowal of blessings on 

 his creatures. We would be likely to 

 discover that where one power had 

 been witheld, another, of more vital 

 importance to the individual, had been 

 given. 



Man may boast of his reasoning 

 powers, anil claim to be the " lord or 

 creation," and to be the rightful pos- 

 sessor of the summit plane of ani- 

 mated life. How few who engage in 

 mechanics or commerce become suc- 

 cessful masters even after the labor 

 and experience of many years ; yet 

 the little honey-bee emerges from its 

 cradle a master mechanic, able also to 

 move off in the right direction to do 

 its part in obtaining a livelihood for 

 itself and its fellows. 



Not only so, but the bee may right- 

 fully claim a more striking superiority 

 over man. At its birth the bee is 

 endowed with the power to step upon 

 the plane of equality with its fellows; 

 to hold and enjoy every right that can 

 in any way enhance the happiness of 

 itself and the colony ; able and willing, 

 from birth to old age, to do its part in 

 the support of a regularly-organized 

 government, that administers all 

 needful rights to all concerned. A 

 government that gives full satisfac- 

 tion through thousands of generations 

 without the necessity of tlie repeal or 

 modilication of a single rule or law. 



Sliould not reason hide its blushing 

 face when it remembers that after 

 thousands of generations of men have 

 labored to discover and frame a gov- 

 ernment that would give satisfation 

 to all its members, they have failed 

 to make one rule, or enact one law 

 against which some one or more of 

 their fellows would not rebel. 



" Raise reason o'er instinct as you can, 

 in this 'tis Go'l directs : in that 'tis man." 



Could bees impart their knowledge 

 by the use of human language, woiild 

 we not do well to sit in quiet silence 

 and learn wisdom as spoken from an 

 instinctive standpoint'!' It has been 

 said that " actions speak louder than 

 words ;" be this as it may, " one truth 

 is clear." The careful observer may 

 ^lean many Hue and important lessons- 

 from the works, habits and unfoldings- 

 of the lower forms of life. 



O, for the power to penetrate. 



Or lift the mystic veil. 

 And scan each creature's full estate 



As each their mission All. 



Granite, stratum, or Terdant plane- 

 Insects, beasts, birds, man- 

 Trace aioHK the unbrolten chain— 

 My mission In the plan. 



To best Improve what me is lent, 



Nor covet what's witheld ; 

 Act well my part and be content, 



In life's most fruitful field. 



Orion, Wis., Aug. 2, 1883. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Ohio State Bee-Keepers' Convention- 



The Ohio State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation will hold a convention during: 

 State Fair week, commencing on 

 Tuesday evening. The following pro- 

 gramme has been arranged : 



Tuesday Evening, Sept. 4.— 1 . Greet- 

 ings and organization. 2. Annual re- 

 port of Secretary and Treasurer. 3. 

 Election of officers. 4. Annual ad- 

 dress of the President. 5. General 

 discussion of topics presented by 

 members present. 



Wednesday Evening, Sept. 5.— 1. 

 Address by S. D. Riegel on improve- 

 ment in bee-culture as deduced from 

 the season's operations, followed by 

 discussion on the same. 2. Question 

 drawer and discussion on topics pre- 

 sented. 



Thursday Evening, Sept. 6.— 1. Ad- 

 dress or general talk by Vice-Presi- 

 dent Aaron Benedict, on the rearing 

 and management of queens, followed 

 by discussions of the same. 2. Ques- 

 tion drawer and discussion of topics 

 presented. 



Conference meetings of bee-keepers 

 and those interested will also be held 



