434 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



6. That the queen may be so educated as to lay 

 her eggs in any hive in which she is placed, while 

 the bees of such a hive, deprived of their own 

 queen, will readily receive her. 



7. That its proboscis is longer, and it can reach 

 the depths of flowers which are entirely beyond 

 the efforts of the common bee. 



8. That a young queen, once impregnated, will 

 continue fertile during her life — from four to sev- 

 en years. This quality will insure pure broods, 

 till the Avhole country is filled with them. 



9. That they are far more brave and active than 

 the common bee ; will fight with great fierceness, 

 and more effectually keep the moth out of the hive. 



Having read the statement of !Mr. Parsons, 

 and learning that Mr. Brackett, of Winchester, 

 in this State, a gentleman who has gained some 

 celebrity as a skillful cultivator of several varie- 

 ties of grapes, — had introduced the Italian bee 

 into his colonies, we visited his place a few days 

 since, and examined both bees and grapes for our- 

 selves. In the midst of his delightful retreat, 

 surrounded on all sides but the south by the nat- 

 ural forest, he nestles on the hillside with his 

 pleasant family, his forcing houses, grapes, and 

 other plants, and his twenty odd swarms of bees! 

 He is full of zeal in regard to them all, — and that 

 zeal is so admirably tempered with knowledge, 

 that one cannot fail to gather valuable sugges- 

 tions upon any of his favorite topics. Mr. 

 Brackett was early called into consultation with 

 Mr. Parsons, and one or two other distinguished 

 apiarians, in regard to the course to be pursued 

 with the Italian bees, and as a part of the policy 

 he has introduced eight pure queens into his col- 

 onies, having first by a most ingenious device 

 driven all the drones, or males, of the common 

 bee from his hives. The queen of the common 

 bee and the drone brood being taken away, and a 

 new Italian queen introduced, the natural work 

 was at once entered upon of forming new queen 

 and brood cells, so that the eggs deposited by the 

 new queen would produce the pure Italian bee ! 



From the experience thus far gained, Mr. Brack- 

 ett is inclined to confirm the statements made by 

 Mr. Parsons. He thinks their merits have not 

 been overrated, and states that they are more ea- 

 sily managed, and less sensitive to cold than our 

 bees. 



From a little work by H. C. Hermann, the Ba- 

 varian referred to above, we learn that the yellow, 

 Italian bee is a mountain insect ; it is found be- 

 tween two mountain chains, to the right and left 

 of Lombardy and the Rhetian Alps, and comprises 

 the whole territory of Tcssir, Veltlin and South 

 Graubunden. It thrives up to the height of ioOO 

 feet above the level of the sea, and appears to 

 prefer the northern clime to the warmer, for in 

 the south of Italy it is not found. 



It differs from our common black bee in its 

 longer, slender form, and light chrome-yellow col- 

 or, with brimstone-colored wings, and two orange- 

 red girths, each one-sixth of an inch wide. Work- 

 ing bees as well as drones have this mark. The 

 drones are further distinguished by the girths be- 

 ing scolloped, like the spotted water-serpent, and 

 attain an astonishing size ; almost half as corpu- 

 lent again as the black drones. The queen has 

 the same marks as the Avorking bees, but much 

 more conspicuous, and lighter ; she is much larg- 

 er than the black queen, and easy to be singled 

 out of the swarm on account of her remarkable 

 bodily size and light color. 



We engaged with Mr. Brackett in some manip- 

 ulations, such as taking out the queen bee and a 

 drone or two for examination, and peeping into 

 some of the nuclei which he is forming. 



For the New EnglatuJ Parmer. 



CEMENT PIPE FOR CONDUCTING 

 WATER. 



Mr. Editor : — In reply to a subscriber in your 

 paper dated June 23d, 1860, I would say I have 

 had considerable experience in cement pipe, hav- 

 ing been in the business, more or less for the last 

 three years. I laid down over 100 rods last year 

 at East Fairfield, Vt., where the pressure was over 

 100 feet, and let it lay six months, and it will hold 

 any pressure, when laid carefully, and large enough. 

 It can be afforded from 50 cents to §1,25 cents 

 ])er rod, according to the pressure, and the time 

 that you keep the water off. It can be let on, 

 where there is no pressure, in one week, and I 

 can lay it just as it is wanted, large or small. It 

 is very smooth, looking like polished stone when 

 in the ditch, and as round as a stove-pipe, having 

 moulders for the purpose. The water is as good 

 as at the fountain. We have used it two years 

 now, so I know something about it. Lead, when 

 laid down, is apt to be more or less poisonous, ac- 

 cording to the kind of water that runs through 

 it ; but cement is not. I think the time is not far 

 distant when there will be more cement laid for 

 fetching water than logs, or lead, or anything 

 else ; for there is no one that ever knew of its 

 ever wearing out ; nor indeed can it, for it be- 

 comes like a stone. J. Converse. 



Bakei'sfield, Vt., July, 1860. 



Softening of the Brain. — Professional, but 

 more frequently business men, are its subjects. The 

 predisposing cause is sumptuous living. After a 

 morning fully occupied with business matters, a 

 man comes regularly to a dinner of various and 

 highlj'-seasoned dishes of fish and fowl and flesh, 

 with every adjunct to excite and gratify the appe- 

 tite. He partakes freely of food and wine, in ex- 

 cess to be sure, though perhaps never to the ex- 

 tent of gluttony or inebriety. The papers are 

 read, cigars are smoked, a few hours are passed 

 socially, and the evening closes with a hot supper, 

 and abundant punch. If a man living thus con- 

 tinues successful in his plans and his business, he 

 may go through life with no other physical or 



