1688 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



747 



Btaooting across the sky. As I was looking at thpin, 

 1 Sdw a dozen of these shooting: objects g-ive chase 

 after another, and soon overtook it, when their 

 flight was less rapid. Circling around, they came 

 near the ground aud stopped on the tassel oi a stalk 

 of corn, vvtiich stood about a rod trom where 1 lay. 

 I got up at once and proceeded to the stalk of corn, 

 but before I was halt way to it, one flew off, which 

 looked to me like a queen h<mey-bee, and the other 

 fell to the jrrouad. Upon picking it up, I found it 

 to be a dead drone. Although at that time 1 knew 

 Utile of bee lore, still 1 had solved the mjseryof 

 the bumming noise, no longer believing it to be flies 

 which made the noise, but knowing it to be made by 

 the drones of the honey-bee. 



1 now believe that this was a place where the 

 drones and queens congregated, but the facts only 

 show that drones are numerous which fly two miles 

 from home, and from the next fact wuich I give, I 

 believe that there were drones there from hives five 

 or more miles away. 



When I first kept bees there were no Italians near- 

 er than flve miles distant, yet occasionally 1 found 

 thpt some ot our young queens would produce 

 "now aud then" a yellow bee. My bees were all black 

 when I bought them, and the Italians were intro- 

 duced five miles away, after I had bought the 

 blacks. The next season a man four miles -distant 

 Italianzed his whole apiary, and the year following 

 I found neatly one-third of my young queens pro- 

 ducing from one-twelfth to one-third of their bees 

 with yellow bands. Being pleased with the work 

 done by these hybrid b^es, 1 introduced the Italians 

 into my apiary the next year, which, of course, put 

 a stop to my observations, as to the distance queens 

 will mate. 



From the above facts I am positive that queens of 

 one race will mate with the drones of oiher races of 

 bees, unless such are kept more than Ave miles 

 apart. 



THE CHICAGO CONVENTION. 



SOMBTHIKG FROM SECRETARY HUTCHINSON. 



LTHOUGH it Is, perhaps, a little late to say 

 any thing about the Chicago Convention, yet 

 there are probably many of the readers of 

 Gleanings who have seen no report of the proceed- 

 ings, and to such the following may prove interest- 

 ing. 



WHAT KIND OF BEES ARE BEST ? 



Some favored pure Italians, but scarcely any one 

 wanted pure Syrians, and no one wished for pure 

 blacks. A cross between the Syrians and Italians, 

 and between the Italians and blac s, both found 

 their advocates. There seemed to be decided pref- 

 erence for '* crosses;" even Mr. Langstroth declared 

 himself in favor of a cross. 



LEGISLATION ON FOUL BKO D. 



The opinion prevailed, that there was plenty of 

 legislation now upon the subject; it only needed en- 

 forcing. 



SUPERSEDING QUEENS. 



It was decided, that queens are ni)t always super- 

 seded because they do not lay a sufficient number of 

 eggs, but from some signs of decrepitude discerni- 

 ble to the bees f'ut not to ourselves. A superseding 

 queen is always an excellent one. Italians super- 

 sede their queens more promptly than do the blacks. 



MARKETING HONEY. 



Mr. R. A. Burnett, a dealer, gave some excellent 

 advice in regard to marketing honey. He said that 

 one-pound sections are the best; that if half-pound 

 sectiona must be sold at a very great advance in 

 price, he did not think it would be advisable to use 

 them; that glaesed sections are very unsalable; that 

 sectiona a trifle under weight are better than those 

 that overrun ; that a thin comb is more salable 

 than a thick one weighing the same; and that dark 

 honey iB more salable in tlie extracted torm. 



ADULTERATION OF HONEY. 



Some thought that honey could be adulterated at 

 a profit, by the producer; others thought not; but 

 all were opposed to it. 



OVERSTOCKING A LOCALITY. 



Upon this subject there was much discusiion, 

 with no very definite conclusions; but the idea 

 seemed to prevail, that not more than 125 or 150 col- 

 onies should be kept in one locality, and the field 

 should be clear for three miles in every direction. 

 No one could be certain that his income had been 

 increased by planting for honey alone. 



SUItPLUS RECEPTACLES. 



Upon this subject but little was said; section box- 

 es, of course, being given the preference, those 

 with open top-bars being the favorites. Three- 

 fourths of the members could obtain straight combs 

 without separators. Sections two inches wide had 

 but few admirers; 1^4 to 1% inches were considered 

 of a better width. 



Mr. Langstroth gave a long aud Interesting ac- 

 count of how the invention of the movable-comb 

 hive was brought about, and then spoke with much 

 feeling of 



THE HONORED DEAD, 



Mentioning Samuel Wagner, Moses Quinby, Adam 

 Grimm, Richard Colviu, and II. C. Otis. When Geo. 

 Grimm arose and thanked Mr. Langstroth for the 

 eloquent words spoken of his father, it touched a 

 sympathetic chord, and brought tears to many eyes. 



WINTERING. 



Upon this subject there was the usual talk about 

 packing, cellar wintering, pollen, dysentery, etc. 

 The feeding of cane sugar for winter stores was 

 strongly recommended. 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



The preference was decidedly in favor of the Giv- 

 en; and for fastening it into sections, the putty- 

 knife plan, the melted-wax plan, the Parker fasten- 

 er, and the Clark, were all recommended with a ve- 

 hemence that wa bewildering. 



URIFYING WAX. 



M*>lt it with large quantities of water; let it cool 

 slowly while upon the water, and all the impurites will 

 settle to the bottom. 



AFTER-SWARMING 



Came in for its share of discussion. Some would 

 prevent it altogether; others not, while methods of 

 managing after-swarms were given without end. 



The Rev. L. L. Langstroth told how Mr. D. A. 

 Jones managed 



ROBBER BEES, 



By putting dry hay in front of the hive attacked, 

 and then covering it with wet hay. When a bee is 

 wet, there is not muoh flttht left in him. Mr. Lang- 

 stroth had united colonies, even when they were dis- 

 posed to quarrel, by wetting the bees in one hive, 

 and shaking the bees from the other in front of it. 



Perhaps the greatest treat to all who attended the 

 convention was that of meeting Father Langstroth. 

 Mrs. L. Harrison was so overcome with enthusiasm 

 that, when introduced, she put her arms right 

 around his neck, and kisssed him, while those who 

 saw the act cheered and applauded to the echo. Mr. 

 Langstroth and myself wore the guests.of Mr. New- 

 man, and it was my good fortune that we shared the 

 same room. Never shall I forget those long, Inter- 

 esting, and goud talks that we had. When Mr. Lang- 

 stroth invented the movable-frame hive, he fondly 

 hoped that it would revive bee-keeping among the 

 masses ; but it had an opposite effect. It placed 



