704 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15 



FIG. 2. — A COMB OF BANAT BEES FROM THE YARD OF F. A. LOCK- 

 HART. 



I learned a little of the way he does it, and 

 it was because he used a pair of manicui'ing 

 scissors instead of the regular ones. And, 

 by the way, this is quite an idea for those 

 who have much clipping to do, for the curved 

 blades of these manicuring scissors make it 

 easy to clip a queen's wing without the 

 slightest danger of crippling her by cutting 

 off a leg or other part of her body. 



Of the many things that interested me, none 

 did so much as a careful study of his new 

 race of bees, the Banats. They appear thus 

 far to be disinclined to swarm, and it is the 

 hardest thing in the world to get them to 

 rear drones. As workers they seem to take 

 first rank, and build a beautiful white comb 

 such as is shown in the illustration. I also 

 found them to be practically non-stinging, 

 and as gentle ( if not more so) as the Cau- 

 casians, and as I took out comb after comb 

 I was amazed at their quietness under ma- 

 nipulation. They are not inclined to build 

 burr-combs, and do not daub their frames 

 with propolis; in fact, the nearest approach 

 I found to it was a slight yellow stain on the 

 edges of the frames. 



i send a photo of the Banats. 



The country around friend Lockhart's 

 home is wild and picturesque, and on more 

 than one occasion deer and bears have been 

 seen from the house. The best bee on the 

 place, however, is the queen-bee that pre- 

 sides over the home. Friend Lockhart told 

 me with considerable glee how he had cap- 

 tured this queen. It seems he had an out- 

 apiary located in a farmer's orchard; and 

 when he drove up to it one day he was sur- 

 prised to find the farmer's daughter up an 

 apple-tree trying to capture a runaway 

 swarm. Upon his appearance, the estimable 

 young lady hastily clambered down, and, 

 with many blushes, took to the house in 



dovible-quick time. Our 

 friend, however, was 

 fortunate enough, some 

 time later, to capture 

 her, and she now pre- 

 sides over his home, and 

 is the mother of his two 

 splendid boys — Lester, 

 live years, and Donald, 

 two. 



Mrs. Lockhart gave 

 me the recipe for a lo- 

 tion for bee stings, and 

 one that has real merit 

 in it. Mix equal parts 

 of laudanum, aconite, 

 and chloroform, and ap- 

 ply to the part stung, 

 and the effect is almost 

 immediate in the relief 

 afforded. 



The end of my visit 

 came with much re- 

 gret, for I felt it a real 

 privilege to enjoy the 

 hospitality of such a 

 home, and to come into 

 close touch with such a 

 master in the art of 

 queen-rearing as Mr. Lockhart is known to be. 

 Kye, N. Y. 



FIG. 3. — A COMB OF HONEY FROM A COLONY 



OF BANATS, SHOWING THE VERY W^HITE 



CAPPINGS. 



