52 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



took away a large wash-tubful of honey 

 and two wooden pailfuls. 



When they were taking out the honey 

 from the hollow tree, they came across 

 two laiJge combs full of brood, that were 

 sealed, and chipping. The bee-keeper 

 said, " I would like that." The wood- 

 men said, " You've a basket ; what's to 

 hinder ? Take it along if you want it." 

 So he carried it home and fastened it 

 into frames, and gave it to a weak col- 

 ony, which increased their number won- 

 derfully. He measured a piece of comb, 

 5x% inches square, and counted the 

 embryo bees, and there were 585 on 

 each side. This tree was cut during the 

 Fall flow of honey, which was the best 

 time of the season, and the colony had 

 queen-cells, getting ready to swarm. 



HUNTING BEE-TKEES. 



These woodmen do not practice bait- 

 ing and lining bees, as there are so many 

 kept along and under the bluffs facing 

 the Illinois river bottoms, but they 

 watch them in their flight towards the 

 river, and from long practice have be- 

 come adept in locating them. 



As they walk or drive through the 

 woods, they scan the trunks of trees, 

 and their practiced eye soon discovers if 

 there are bees going or returning to it, 

 with the sky for a back-ground. 



During the Winter, when there is 

 snow, and bees clean house, the dead are 

 readily seen upon its white surface ; or 

 bees take a purifying flight, when the 

 trees are leafless, upon mild, warm 

 days. They also drink the sap from 

 fresh chips, and may be traced home 

 among the bare trees. 



Bees choose strange places for a home 

 occasionally. In a late number of the 

 British Bee Journal is an amusing ac- 

 count from a correspondent in South 

 Africa, of the result of such a choice. 



A Dutch farmer and his frau were get- 

 ting ready to go to a neighboring village 

 to attend sacrament. The farmer hur- 

 ried his frau, as it was^ getting late, and 

 entering the vehicle they drove off. Soon 

 the frau was slapping and screaming, 

 and the farmer and the driver beating 

 accompaniments, and the old mokes of 

 horses were kicking and galloping, when 

 they drove in among the assembled 

 worshipers. Soon the latter joined in 

 the fusillade, and never was there such 

 a looking crowd after the fray — big 

 noses, closed eyes, and thick lips. A 

 swarm of bees had taken possession un- 

 der the seat, and stored 40 pounds of 

 honey, and the jolting drove the bees out 

 on the war-path. 



FLOUE AS A PEACE-MAKEE. 



In England, flour is very popular, to 

 use in uniting bees in the Fall, to pre- 

 vent fighting. When they are put to- 

 gether, flour is shaken over them from a 

 dredging box, and when they lick them- 

 selves clean, they are quite friendly. 



Peoria, Ills. 



Apicnllflre in Agrlcnltnrai Schools. 



DE. C. C. MILLEE. 



On page 806, C.B. Jenks speaks of the 

 Rhode Island Agricultural School as 

 being the only one which gives to its 

 students a thorough practical knowledge 

 of bee-culture. Mr. Jenks is hardly 

 posted. Has he never heard of Prof. A. 

 J. Cook, who for years has been giving 

 thoroughly practical instruction in the 

 theory and practice of bee-keeping ? 

 Does he not know that Prof. Cook has 

 that as one of his regular duties in the 

 Michigan Agricultural College ? 



SWABMING WITHOUT DEONES. 



Dr. Carpenter's experience, given on 

 page 806, shows that the absence of 

 drones is not very reliable as a practical 

 prevention, to say the least ; and the 

 doctor should not be very much surprised 

 at it, after the replies given on page 

 740. The answers there printed show 

 only 5 out of 19 who think such a thing 

 impossible. 



It may not be entirely safe, however, 

 to assume that there was no possibility 

 of the presence of drones. In a strong 

 colony, it would take more than ordinary 

 scrutiny to make sure that not a single 

 drone was there. Even if, to-day, each 

 bee marched by in single file, showing 

 the absence of all drones, what assurance 

 have we that one or more drones from 

 some neighboring colony, may not have 

 entered, by to-morrow ? 



In any case, we are pretty safe in say- 

 ing that a colony may swarm, although 

 no drone may be seen in the hive. 



THAT ESSAY BUSINESS. 



Friend Newman: Don't you know that 

 if I am not with the majority, that does 

 not prove that the majority is always 

 right ? The fact that you have many 

 applications for essays, only proves that 

 secretaries are anxious to secure them 

 from 5'ou, as a good advertisement, on 

 their programmes. Especially if those 

 who see the programmes think that the 

 editor of so good a journal, is likely to be 

 present, in person. 



