AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



743 



shine, with a murmuring like the sound 

 of many waters. And I sat and dreamed 

 of the unfathomcd and unfathomable 

 mystery of LIFE, and — of the pennies 

 my bees will have brought me next Fall! 

 — Dreamer, in Wisconsin Farmer, May 

 20, 1891. 



Red Clover and Honey Bees. 



Red clover abounds in nectar, but 

 when it grows on very rich soil the 

 petals of the heads are so long that 

 honey bees cannot reach it, and the fer- 

 tilizing has to be performed by bumble- 

 bees. But on poor soil during a drouth, 

 the head are small, and bees can reach 

 the nectar, or when it is so abundant 

 that it wells up in the tubes, they can 

 reach it. Bee-keepers living on a pen- 

 insula in northern Michigan, report that 

 red clover is their main dependence for 

 honey, and the clover heads there are 

 always very small. — Prairie Farmer. 



Preconceived Notions. 



What a lot of trouble this commodity 

 in human nature makes us sometimes ! 

 We figure out in advance whether a 

 thing will or will not work. We are 

 morally certain that we are not 

 deceived, and we try hard to make all 

 our experiments come out so as to favor 

 our views. With enough bias of opinion, 

 we can make out a pretty straight story 

 for or against the idea ; but when such 

 are reported, it costs the fraternity 

 much. Let us be unbiased, and ready to 

 discard our old notions when facts and 

 experience warrant \t.—0leani7igs. 



Combs Containing- Dead Bees. 



Where the bees are dead in a hive, 

 take out the combs and look them over 

 carefully ; cut off queen-cells, as they 

 will never be used again, and only add 

 to the weight of the comb. If there is 

 thick comb, with cells on only one side, 

 cut it off ; also drone-comb. 



Scrape out the hive and put the scrap- 

 ings, queen-cells, drone-comb, etc., to- 

 gether to be melted up for wax. This 

 refuse does not look fit for anything; but 

 it is. If handled rightly, the product 

 will be beautiful wax. 



I always scrub out such hives with a 

 brush and hot suds, and scald them with 

 boiling water before I return the combs, 

 especially if the bees died of diarrhea. 

 A swarm then run into the hive will find 

 it clean and furnished, and will not 

 desert it.— Mrs. L. Harrisox, in the 

 Prairie Farmer. 



Bee-Culture a National Industry. 



Among the recent industries of rapid 

 growth in this country, bee-culture 

 stands pre-eminent. Of course, as a 

 homely art, bee-keeping is no modern 

 industry, being as old as history ; but in 

 its scientific developments, it is of recent 

 growth. 



In these times, when science is prop- 

 erly taking its place at the helm in all 

 departments of human industry and 

 activity, it is not strange that it is 

 promptly assuming the guidance of bee- 

 culture. 



This is a utilitarian, as well as a scien- 

 tific age ; and this is why bee-culture is 

 being so rapidly developed, for its ex- 

 traordinary growth is only in the ratio 

 of its utility. 



Though known to commerce for 2,500 

 years, hitherto it has been followed and 

 known, in this country at least, princi- 

 pally as a local industry. But bee-cul- 

 ture, from the soundest economic consid- 

 erations, ought undoubtedly to become 

 a great national industry, fostered and 

 protected by the State. — Exchange. 



Races of Bees. 



Dalmatian bees are easy to manage, 

 and excel in comb-honey. 



The Hymettus bees of Attica are much 

 like Carniolans except in disposition. 



Palestine bees come from the Holy 

 Land, and are often confused with 

 Syrians, to which they are inferior. 

 They use more propolis than any other 

 variety, and are more troubled with 

 laying workers, but are even more beau- 

 tiful than Cyprians. 



Egyptian bees, found in Egypt, 

 Arabia and Asia Minor, have yellow 

 bands, and are smaller than Italians. 

 Although they have long been domesti- 

 cated in Egypt, where floating apiaries 

 were common, they have been found 

 vicious by European bee-keepers who 

 introduced them. Their cells are smaller 

 than those of other species. Some 

 naturalists believe yellow bees originated 

 from them instead of from Syrians. — 

 Indiana Farmer. 



Separators and Comb-Honey. 



For profit alone use no separators ; if 

 straighter combs are desired, use the T 

 super with separators ; if the eye and 

 the taste are to be gratified at the ex- 

 pense of financial profit, use single wide 

 frames with separators. — R. L. Taylor, 

 in the Review. 



