THB fElMERICKrf BE® ja^RNJEILr. 



G49 



IX'liiter-PaBiiageB n Brood-Combs. 



These enable the bees to pass from 

 comb to comb without having to pass 

 under them or around the sides, and 

 the desirability of such passages will 

 be better understood when it is remem- 

 bered that the lower part of the tiive is 

 colder than the upper. The bees clus- 

 ter on the combs in a ball-shape, for 

 instance, the center combs have the 

 largest number of bees, and the outside 

 combs the least of any. The size of 

 this cluster depends upon the tempera- 

 ture of the hive, and the higher the 

 temperature the more the bees spread 

 over the frames ; the colder, the more 

 compactly they cluster. Then as they 

 cluster in a ball shape, when the clus- 

 ter contracts they can contract on each 

 comb, but not towards the center of 

 the cluster unless they go down or out- 

 side and pass around the comb, which 

 is a movement just opposite to the nat- 

 ural, and those on the outside combs 

 become isolated and perish. If there 

 was a passage through each comb, 

 ■where the center of the cluster on the 

 comb would be, the bees could pass 

 through and join the cluster on the 

 other side. Tlie best position for the 

 passage would be in the center of the 

 upper two- thirds of the comb, above 

 rather than below. 



There are many contrivances for cut- 

 ting or punching these holes. Perhaps 

 the best is a cone-shaped piece of tin, 

 growing in diameter, as it recedes from 

 the cutting end. This can cut a round 

 hole through the comb, allowing the 

 piece of comb removed to slide out on 

 the wide end of the cone. Another 

 plan resorted to is, to lay a bridge over 

 the top boxes. This bridge is con- 

 structed simply of sticks, so made as to 

 allow the bees to pass from comb to 

 over the top boxes. If you winter your 

 bees outside, it is particularly desirable 

 to make these passages for the bees. 

 In a warm cellar it is less necessary. 



Old and Worn-Out Queens. 



Many colonies perish in winter or 

 early spring because their queens are 

 old and worn-out, and perish at this 

 season of the year. A queen will some- 

 times be vigorous and prolific when 

 five years old, but much oftener a 

 queen will be in that condition in 

 which slie should be replaced by a 

 young and vigorous queen, at three 

 years of age. 



The question naturally follows, how 

 shall we know the age of a queen ? 

 This is a somewhat difficult matter, 

 and a careful record of each hive, 

 which should be numbered, is a good 

 way. Bear in mind that the old queen 

 issues with the swarm, and you must 

 transfer the record with the swarm. If 

 queens' wings are clipped, the front 

 right wing may be clipped the first 

 year, the rear right the second year, 

 and the left, next in order. If you 

 have only a few colonies you should 

 have no trouble to tell the age, and 

 should know all your queens by sight. 



If you have old queens replace them 

 before fall ; this may be done by taking 

 out tlie queen and placing a queen-cell 

 in the hive which you know is about 

 ready to hatch. Use good stock, and 

 now and then purchase a ''dollar 



queen " from some one whose bees you 

 know have blood different from your 

 own bees. In bees, as in other stock, 

 new blood of the right kind gives vigor 

 and energy— very desirable qualities in 

 bees. 

 Brantford, Ont. 



BEE-PASTURAGE. 



Fig^vort, or ISiinpson Honey- 

 Plant, for Honey. 



Read at the Indhmn State Convention 



BY R. S. KUSSELL. 



Where is there one who has handled 

 bees and made them his associates, 

 who doubts for a moment that these 

 industrious little misers will appreciate 

 any improvement in their homes and 

 plantation, and doubly repay any judi- 

 cious outlay toward supplying them 

 suitable plants from which to extract 

 the honey V 



We believe that a bee is not happy 

 except when employed gathering the 

 sweets which Nature stores in certain 

 plants. Now is the time to lay the 

 foundation for an abundant honey 

 harvest. 



If you have no bee-willow near your 

 apiary, procure a few roots or cuttings, 

 and plant in low land near the apiary. 



Simpson Honey- Plant— Figioort. 



This will bring the earliest pollen, 

 which is the most useful. The bark 

 will crack late in the fall and furnish 

 a harvest of honey after frost has 

 killed all flowers. Also set out a few 

 soft and hard maples, and tap lightly 

 in two or three places early in the 

 spring. Set these trees near the bee- 

 house, as many bees are chilled and lost 

 in rambling for the early sweets. 



Be sure and save all the basswood on 

 your farm, and plant a few more in old 

 pastures for shade. Plant catnip, the 

 more the better, near the apiary ; it is 

 tine for the young bees. Spare all the 

 golden-rod when mowing the fence- 

 corners, also all asters. The bees will 

 tell you what tliey are when in bloom, 

 if you do not recogni/.e your friends. 



Sow a patch of buckwheat on July 1 

 and 20 : and also on Aug. 10 and Sept. 

 1. Last but not least, procure a sup- 

 ply of Simpson's honey-pl»nt seed from 

 some reliable apiarist or seedsman. It 

 can be sown iu hot-beds, and trans- 



planted the same as cabbage, or sown 

 in open ground. It will grow any- 

 where, in fence-corners or waste ground, 

 in shade or cultivated fields, planted 

 214 teet apart. It is a certain grower, 

 and will "get there" whether culti- 

 vated or not. 



This is, beyond doubt, by far the best 

 honey-plant of all, giving a steady flow 

 of good honey from the middle of July 

 until killed by frost. The honey ac- 

 cumulates in the cup-shaped flowers, 

 and if all removed will almost imme- 

 diately till up again, thus affording an 

 inexhaustible supply faster than the 

 busy workers can remove and store it. 



I have noticed no disease in my api- 

 ary since I have raised this honey- 

 plant. I think that the secret is, it 

 keeps the bees employed gathering 

 good, healthy honey, instead of trying 

 to extract it from decaying fruits and 

 vegetables in the fall months, which 

 they are sure to do unless they can 

 work on something better. 



It is a medicinal plant, but is not 

 eaten or disturbed by stock of any 

 kind, and will take care of itself after 

 the first year. It is not a noxious weed 

 which will take possession of your 

 farm, but is easily exterminated. 



Brother apiarists, I can imagine no 

 lovelier stroll than through my woods 

 in August and September. This honey- 

 plant is in full bloom, and the beauti- 

 ful Italian bees make the woods musi- 

 cal from daylight until dark. I will 

 not speak of the merits of the different 

 varieties of clover, as of necessity they 

 will be sown, and help to round out a 

 season for the most industrious crea- 

 ture of God's creation. 



GRAPE BLOOM. 



Bees Gathering Honey from 

 Orape-Blossoins. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



" Do men gather grapes from this- 

 tles y" No, but bees gather honey or 

 nectar from grapes. 



A few days since a gentleman from 

 Texas sent me what he thought was a 

 kind of sarsaparilla, with the statement 

 that bees were collecting much honey 

 from it. He was a subscriber to Glean- 

 ings, and at his request 1 named the 

 plant for that paper. 



Now our friend C. F. Muth, sends 

 me the same plant with the following : 

 " Our friend J. W. Park sends the en- 

 closed plant and blossom from Colum- 

 bia, Texas. He calls it ' cow-itch,' and 

 says that it grows profusely in his 

 neighborhood, and yields very abun- 

 dantly of a superior quality of honey." 



Right here we see the mischief of 

 common names, and the necessity of 

 scientific ones. One calls this " sarsa- 

 parilla," and one " cow-itch," and it is 

 really one of the very reputable grape 

 family. It is Vitis bipinuata. It is a 

 bushy, low. climbing vine, with fruit 

 about the size of a pea, but not eatable. 



As will be seen, it belongs to the 

 same genus— I'/^/s— that includes all 

 our grapes. Vitis vinifera is the Euro- 



