540 



GLEAMJ^GS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



Old works on bees have been for some 

 time past much sought for. Here is some- 

 thing printed from a paper nearly a hundred 

 years old. 



BEES !)6 YEARS AGO. 



Fi'ieml R(wt:—1 have taken the liberty to send 

 you by this mail a copy of TJie Pennsylvania Pack- 

 et, an old newspaper printed in Phila., Pa,, In 1787. 

 It contains a short article on Bee-keeping. If you 

 consider it of sufficient Interest to copy in Glean- 

 ings, please to do so, and afterward return the pa- 

 per on the wooden roller to me again, and I will 

 thank you. The paper Is a relic of value that I wish 

 to preserve. J. G. Bingham. 



McGrawvilie, Cortland Co., N. Y., Aug. 7, 1883. 



ON BEE-KEEPING. 



Many and grreat are the advantages to be gained by the in- 

 habitants ot these United States, If bees were propagated, sup- 

 ported, and preserved. Our soil and climate are interior to 

 none for this jmrpose. Not Egypt, Greece, Italy, Germany, 

 France, England, or any part whatever of the whole globe, 

 would exceed us in the quantity, quality, or flavor of the 

 honey. Canaan, of old, o<>iild not with moi'e propriety be call- 

 ed ,i land llouiin- with milk and honey, than America would 

 be dill wc but iyiiiirove all the means to produce these so valu- 

 able and Ml iiniiiirtant articles, which we mightdo very easily ; 

 which would assist each other, when we annually extend such 

 pastui'es as would increase both. 



Beeswax for manufacturers, candles, and exportation will be 

 a great motive to exertion, and perhaps emulation in this sys- 

 tem; especially were a bounty given upon it by government. 

 Wax candles would then be sold as cheap as tallow, and the 

 quantity of wax, in American exports, would be very great in- 

 deed. 



A writer observes, that were bees propagated, and suppoi'ted 

 as extensively as a country would bear, innumerable insects 

 would be destroyed; which feed upon the honej' in the bloom 

 of trees, shrubs, and herbs. And that this would tend to expel 

 those hosts of insects, which we observe floating in the air, 

 playing in the rays of the sun, near the time of its setting; 

 many of which we are in danger of receiving into our bodies 

 by respiration, because of their smallness: much to the in- 

 jury of our health. 



It these observations are just, will not the increasing of bees 

 assist in expelling the caterpillai- and canker worm, which 

 have so often destroyed the fruit of the apple-tree; whose 

 young, often feeding upon that pait of the bloom from whl-h 

 the bees collect the yellow down, which they carry into their 

 hives on their legs? 



This point would easily be decided by those persons who 

 have trees near their bee houses, or in those parts ot the coun- 

 try whei'e bees are most frequent. Should the knowledge of 

 any one prove this to be fact, that such trees are less fre- 

 quently, or never attacked by these ravages, the M'orld ought 

 to be favoicd with the information. 



Insects often Iced upon that moisture which many trees, 

 especially the chestnut, allord in very sultry days in summer; 

 which the bees feed upon with great activity. This is some- 

 times called iKmey-dew, and is the sweet sap of the tree sweat- 

 ing through the leaf, and becomes honey; which, if more gen- 

 erally collected by the bees, would tliereby serve to expel 

 those troiiljlesome and noxious insects. A Fakmer. 



— [New Hampshire .Spy. 



WHY DO THEY CLUSTER OUT? 



My bees keep out on the alighting-board and side 

 of the hive much of the time. Does it not indicate 

 they are too warm? and should not the sack of chaff 

 be removed from over the foundation-racks? 



Lewiston, Mc, Aug. 17, 1883. I. C. Merrill. 



Friend M., I do not think there is very 

 much danger of their being too warm away 

 up in Maine where you are. I think the 

 reason must be, because there is not any 

 honey to be found. I should overhaul them 

 and hunt up the trouble. I do not think a 

 chaff cushion would do any harm at this 

 season of the year. You can start them out 

 if you get to work at it right. There is 

 never any need of bees clustering out when 

 there is honey to be found in the fields. 



RAISING QUEENS IN A HIVE HAVING A LAYING 



QUEEN. 



I have been experimenting on raising queens In 

 the same hive that has a laying queen. The first 

 three hives I tried very early in the spring, failed; 

 but on investigating I discovered what was lacking; 

 and since, I have had no trouble, and raise them 

 right along. I want those zinc strips to place in my 

 division-board, and try to have my queens fertilized 

 In the same hive, which I am satisfied I can do. I 



never could get them to raise more than from one 

 to three cells at a time; but I think by combining 

 some of the principles given in Mr. Alley's book, I 

 can raise more. I am now raising them on Mr. Al- 

 ley's plan, and am well pleased with my success so 

 far. 



hybrids vs. full-bloods FOR HONEY. 



I have just got three queens from Mr. Heddon. I 

 am satisfied he is on the right track for the coming 

 bee. My experience with the Italians for over 23 

 years convinces me that a cross is preferable. I 

 never had more than one full-blood to come up to 

 the hybrid, and that was two years ago. She just 

 equaled a hybrid. This year my best full-blood, a 

 long dark leathei;^colorcd queen, has given me 324 

 lbs. extracted, while my best hybrid, perhaps three- 

 foui-ths Italian, has made 583 lbs., including 26 lbs. 

 comb honey. 



GOOD NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA. 



I commenced extracting May 21, and the honey- 

 flow has changed but very little, and this evening 

 they are just roaring, as they have done nearly ev- 

 ery day since spring. 



HONEY FROM ALFALFA. 



Our main and principal honey-resource is the al- 

 falfa, which will continue to bloom yet for the next 

 two months. J. F. Flory. 



Lemore. Cal., July 31, 1883. 



Thank you, friend F., for your valuable 

 facts. I know queens can be reared in a 

 hive with a laying queen ; but the matter 

 seems to need investigation and experiment. 

 —In regard to hybrids gathering the most 

 honey, I am very much inclined to agree 

 with you — at least to the extent that a small 

 dash "of black blood makes Italians better 

 honey-gatherers. — I am very glad indeed to 

 know that California pj-omises so well this 

 season ; and particularly am I rejoiced to 

 know that alfalfa is really a valuable honey- 

 plant. Now, then, friends, if we can raise 

 a forage plant that will pay, besides the hon- 

 ey it yields, we are on a safe road to start a 

 honey- farm. 



HONEY PROM WHEAT-STUBBLE, ETC. 



Bees are doing well here this summer. Basswood 

 lasted about two weeks. I see repi rts of bees work- 

 ing on wheat-stubble; but I saw them working on 

 barley very strongly here. R. Dunford, 



Young's Point, Ont., Can., Aug. 18, 1883. 



Friend D., do you mean to say that bees 

 work on the heads of the barley or on the 

 stubbles, the same as on wheat V We pre- 

 sume the latter, although you do not quite 

 say so. 



do bees sting WITHOUT PROVOCATION? 



I think, friend Root, that Andrea Norton has 

 rather "got" you with regard to bees stinging 

 without reason (page 405, July No.). My bees are 

 not uncommonly bad, and I am not very often stung, 

 and yet one of ihem came three or four rods from 

 the hive and stung my face without giving any 

 warning, and I wasn't thinking about bees either. 



QUAKING ASPEN. 



On page 390, Green R. Shlrer seems to almost 

 doubt whether the quaking aspen is properly pop- 

 lar or not, because it is not liriodcndron. Gray's 

 Botany speaks of the aspen as a true poplar (genus 

 iwpulus); while the tulip-tree, liriodendron, is said 

 to grow " 140 ft. high, and 8 to 9 ft. In diameter, in 

 the Western States, where it is wrongly called poplar." 

 Burdett Hassett. 



Howard Center, Iowa, July 23, 1883. 



