1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



963 



eight dollars a ton, and shipped to Ken- 

 tucky at a cost of twenty dollars a ton, and 

 fed to the Blue-grass State's thoroughbreds. 

 How is that for hay in the West ? 

 Lovelocks, Nevacfa. 



DEMONSTRATION OF 

 BEES. 



CAUCASIAN 



Advertisins; at Fair.s. 



BY FRANK G. ODELL. 



The demonstration shown in the accom- 

 panying photographs was undertaken to show 

 the extreme gentleness of the Caucasian bees. 

 The time chosen was not propitious, being 

 late in the afternoon of a cool day in the lat- 

 ter part of October, when no l>ees were Hy- 

 ing. The sole pnrpose of the demonstration, 

 which partook largely of the character of a 

 vaudeville performance, was to show to the 

 spectators that there are bees which may be 

 handled without fear of stings. The opera- 

 tor, from choice, customarily does his apiary 

 work with bare arms, even when working 

 with Italians, so that this part of the specta_ 



'^S^ 



4 



pr 



FIG. 



-CAUCASIAN MILLINERY. 



FIG. 1.— SCOOPING HANDFULS OF CAUCA- 

 SIANS OFF THE FRAMES. 



cle is not unusual. No preliminary quieting 

 maneuvers were resorted to, as smoke is en- 

 tirely unnecessary; and as soon as the artist 

 was in readiness with a kodak the first colo- 

 ny handy was opened up and the perform- 

 ance begun by scooping a few handfuls olT 

 the frames. These were thrown from one 

 hand to the other like a boy playing ball, un- 

 til nearly all the bees were on the wing, and 

 the entire cluster was then shaken from the 

 remaining frames on the hat of the operator 

 in order to demonstrate the stylish effect of 

 Caucasian millinery. 



By this time the entire colony had been 

 subjected to a pretty vigorous stirring-up 

 with no stings. A good-sized handful was 

 next scooped from the cluster on the hat, 

 and thrown in the face of the demonstrator; 

 still no stings. By this time the bees had be- 

 gun to cluster again on the frames, and a 

 frameful was subjected to the indignity of be- 

 ing blown off the frame by the breath of the 

 operator — a treatment usually resulting in 

 stings if bees will sting at all, but they were 

 still gentle. They were then subjected to a 

 series of shakings, running the fingers through 

 the cluster on the frame, patting them on the 

 back with considerable emphasis, etc. ; but, 

 evidently realizing that they were on exhibi- 



