1390 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1 



reason drones were produced— seemingly an 

 ai'gument in favor of the position of the 

 queen in depositing the egg in a wide-mouth- 

 ed cell. The previous queen deposited drone 

 eggs in worker-cells; but position could cut 

 no figure with a virgin queen, for she could 

 not lay a worker egg. I am not trying to 

 solve this question, but think these facts may 

 help some one else to solve the problem. 

 Portland, Ore. P. J. Gkeen. 



This may give a little aid and comfort to 

 Dr. C. C. Miller. Has any one else observed 

 the same phenomenon? If so, we shall be 

 glad to have him report. — Ed.] 



COMBS CONTAINING CHILLED BROOD; WHAT 



TO DO WITH THEM; EUCALYPTUS HONEY 



VERY RANK IN FLAVOR. 



We had some brood that did not hatch on 

 account of the cold. The combs are black, 

 and in Langstroth frames. Would it be right 

 to give the combs to another colony as they 

 are, and trust that they will be cleaned up, 

 or is it best to cut them out? 



I have read the article on eucalyptus, by 

 Mr. Morrison, in the March 1st issue of 

 Gleanings, p. 327. Most of the article is 

 right, but I think it might be better to find 

 out more about those trees before extensive- 

 ly planting where honey-industry exists. 

 They give a most disgustingly rank flavor to 

 honey, which, if sold at all, realizes only 

 about 1^ pence per lb. in N. S. W. It is rec- 

 ommended for people with chest troubles. I 

 got some in Sydney some years ago, but we 

 could not eat it. Probably that is why it is 

 not looked upon favorably in England. Of 

 course I do not say that all N. S. W. honey 

 is bad, for that would be altogether wrong. 

 I had some very good honey there. 



Stephen Anthony. 



Waitete, Auckland, New Zealand. 



[It would do no harm to give the combs of 

 dead brood to another colony if you are sure 

 that chilling was the only cause of the death 

 of the brood. The bees would clean out the 

 cells. But if the combs were old and black 

 it might be safer to render them up for wax, 

 and substitute frames of foundation. — Ed.] 



HOW FAR AND HOW FAST DO SWARMS 

 TRAVEL? 



As to how far swarms may fly, page 1070, 

 Aug. 15, I will say that in my 35 years' ex- 

 perience I never saw swarming bees as heav- 

 ily loaded with honey as those working in 

 the field, especially those working on bass- 

 wood or clover, though quite a goodly num- 

 ber of returning field- bees join in the make- 

 up of the new swarm, and many of them 

 with pollen-baskets well filled, and possibly 

 honey-sacs too. You would not think it 

 would require three or four hours for a col- 

 ony of bees to make a flight of ten miles, 

 would you? In my opinion they would make 

 at least ten miles per hour, and in some in- 

 stances fifteen miles or even more, for I have 

 seen them going fast enough to keep a smart 

 horse going some. I have driven forty miles 



in five hours, and I know an absconding 

 swarm of bees will double this speed and 

 more; but as to just how far they will fly de- 

 pends upon circumstances. 



Several years ago, before the advent of the 

 Italian bee in this part of the country, my 

 brothers found a swarm of pure Italians in 

 a tree, and at that time there were no Ital- 

 ians known nearer than 35 miles in a straight 

 line, though of coui'se it might have been 

 possible for them to have come from another 

 tree between the two points, though I know 

 they often cluster and rest for hours, or even 

 half a day, while the scouts are searching 

 for a hollow tree, and many times even stay 

 over night, and if the scouts are unsuccess- 

 ful they start out again and thus continue 

 until they are successful. 



Granted that they are loaded with honey 

 when they start out, they must consume some 

 of it on the way; consequently the further 

 they fly the less burdened they are, which 

 must fit them for a more prolonged flight. 



Hillsboro, Wis. Elias Fox. 



QUEENS FIGHT UNDER A TUMBLER. 



Replying to Dr. Miller's Straw, page 1187, 

 Sept. 15, I rise to say that the queens were 

 not put together on the ground, but under a 

 tumbler, on a board or table. The experi- 

 ment was usually tried during the month of 

 August, because that is when I do most of 

 my superseding, and the queens were inva- 

 riably blacks or hybrids. I tried it about a 

 dozen times in all, and the fight always be- 

 gan as soon as they touched each other. The 

 doctor's case of three queens in one hive is 

 certainly interesting; and if 1 had some spare 

 queens I would try the same experiment; but 

 I have none to spare at present. 



Newman, 111. C. F. Bender. 



[ We have had other reports since the item 

 of Dr. Miller's, showing that two queens, 

 when put together, will fight to a finish, so 

 that we shall have to conclude that, under 

 some conditions at least, queens when so 

 placed will enter into a combat. — Ed.] 



HAY ON THE CELLAR FLOOR. 



I made a trip to E. W. Alexander's last 

 fall, with the result that, when I returned, I 

 put 12 inches of swale hay over my cellar 

 bottom before the bees were put in. I never 

 had the colonies so quiet all winter, and they 

 never came through in better shape. The 

 temperature was more uniform all winter. 



Mayfield, N. Y. G. W. Haines. 



THE CASTOR BEAN AS A HONEY-PLANT; IN- 

 FORMATION WANTED. 



I have a great desire to plant the castor 

 bean in my field this year, as it is an excel- 

 lent honey-producer; but I do not know of 

 any company of crushers ( who crush out the 

 oil), and I should like to see if, through your 

 paper, I could find one. I have inquired at 

 several places, and of castor-oil companies, 

 but have failed to get the desired informa- 

 tion. I. A. Pruitt. 



Vigo, Texas. 



