AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL,. 



87 



How Bees Know Each Other. 



In " Combe's System of Phrenology," 

 page 281, the following sentence occurs: 

 "All the animals which belong to a 

 herd, and also all the bees in a hive, 

 from 20,000 to 80,000 in number, 

 know each other." 



The statement in regard to bees is 

 undoubtedly true ; but when it is used 

 to prove that bees have the organ of 

 " Form," and recognize their fellows by 

 its exercise, the author only proved that 

 he knew less about bees than about 

 phrenology. 



The fact is, that bees do not drive an 

 intruder away or kill him, because they 

 know him to be siich by his size, form 

 or color, but because his scent (hive 

 odor) is different from their own. 



This is soon found out if we attempt 

 to unite 2 colonies of bees without the 

 proper preliminary manipulations known 

 to all intelligent apiaristSjfor a slaughter 

 at once begins. 



A peaceful and harminous union, how- 

 ever, is easily accomplished if the bee- 

 keeper first proceeds to " unite " their 

 odor by spraying both colonies alike 

 with peppermint water, or in some other 

 way of his own. Bees thus prepared 

 never fight when united. — T. Gersham, 

 in the Phrenolociical Journal. 



Bees Deserting Hives. 



There are some cranks in the bee 

 family as well as in the human, but as a 

 general thing they appreciate good 

 treatment. Bees should not be asked to 

 help to clean out a dirty, dusty old hive 

 and fill it with nice, clean combs. I 

 would not do it if I were them ; I would 

 hunt up a nice, clean place in a hollow 

 tree in the woods. 



Is it not reasonable to suppose that a 

 bee returning from the fields heavily 

 laden, and compelled to walk a dusty, 

 dirty floor, would get soiled ? And when 

 they unloaded get into their honey and 

 bread. 



Give swarms nice, sweet smelling hives 

 and there will be less heard about 

 absconding. In the days of the old gum 

 it was fashionable to wash them out with 

 cool water from the well and apple 

 leaves. No doubt the bees appreciate it. 



Some persons have a mistaken idea 

 with reference to hiving a swarm. When 

 the bees ^re in, they leave it until night 

 before moving it where it is to remain. 

 The hive may be all right, but if it 

 stands in the sun when the scouts return, 

 they may tell them of a cooler home, 

 and conduct them to it. 



The safest way to do when they are 

 hived near the cluster, is to move them 

 away where they are to remain. If the 

 hive is not set in a shady place, it 

 should be shaded in some way. 



When a swarm has been hived and 

 removed from the spot where they 

 clustered, many times the scouts will be 

 seen for hours, and even days, flying 

 around the branch where they clustered, 

 and telling them how mean they were to 

 run away while they were out hunting 

 for a home. — Mrs. L. Harrison, in the 

 Prairie Farmer. 



Uses of Bees. 



Bees are valuable not only for their 

 products, but because they also act as 

 agents in the fertilization of plants. One 

 reason why they are profitable is because 

 they gather and store up that which 

 would be entirely lost without their aid. 

 They work in places that are rarely 

 seen, and the fence corners and neg- 

 lected spots are often their most valuable 

 pastures. — Exchange. 



Prompt Work. 



I have received the sections, and I am 

 very well pleased with them, and the 

 promptness in which you sent them. I 

 like the Bee Journal much better since 

 you changed the size of it to the present 

 form. I learn something new every week 

 from perusing the Bee Journal. . 



Tippecanoe City, O. J. H. Rohrer. 



Xlie Cold ^Weatlier has caused 

 the so-called honey-dew to cease, and 

 that is a blessing. 



Xlie Honey-Bee: Its Natural 

 History, Anatomy, and Physiology. By 

 T. W. Cowan, editor of the British Bee 

 Journal, illustrated with 72 figures and 

 136 illustrations. $1.00. For sale at 

 this office. 



'When 'Writing a letter be sure 

 to sign it. Too often we get letters 

 with the name of the post-office, but no 

 County or State. One such came 

 recently, and we looked into the Postal 

 Guide and found there were places by 

 that name in 13 States. That order for 

 goods will have to wait until another 

 letter comes to give the proper address. 

 Be sure to stamp your letter, or it may 

 go to the dead letter office. 



