18 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JAK. 



some warm afternoon jnst as he has sallied 

 from the hive, and press him in a certain 

 way, he will burst open something like the 

 popping of a grain of corn, extruding the 

 very san^.e organ we find attached to the 

 queen, and dying instantly. It is generally 

 conceded that he dies in the act of fertil- 

 ization, but it is not, I believe, as yet ex- 

 plained in what way the queen frees herself 

 so completely from him. If both fall to the 

 ground as some other insects do, it does 

 seem as though somebody would have seen 

 tliem, ere this. I believe w^e have had re- 

 ports through our Joiur.als, of queens and 

 drones falling to the ground, but they took 

 wing and flew av/ay, before a close and care- 

 ful examination could be made. 



In the fall of 1876, 1 saw a swarm of black 

 ants sporting in the sunshine. A close look 

 showed them to be both males and females, 

 and as pair after pair fell to the ground, I 

 had ample opportmiity of noting all circum- 

 stances. In this ease the drones at first 

 seemed paralyzed, but after the queens flew 

 away, they revived and afterward flew away 

 also. One point here, particularly impressed 

 me ; the ants of both sexes were in such 

 countless thousands, that they must have 

 come from all the ant hills for, I should say, 

 miles around ; the result was as you see, 

 that there was hardly a possibility of insects 

 from the same family meeting- Now is 

 there any other way in v/hich the strain of 

 blood could be so effeetually crossed with 

 that of some distant colony, as by this huge 

 jubilee of both sexes V 



Queen ants, like queen bees, seldom if 

 ever come out of their homes at any other 

 time, and, as if by some preconcerted ar- 

 rangement, they meet and mix up apparent- 

 ly for the very pui'i)Ose of effectually pre- 

 venting "in and in breeding," as it is usual- 

 ly termed when applied to stock. Do queens 

 and di'one bees, meet in the same way, in 

 vast numbers ? Many circumstances seem 

 to indicate they do, yet it lacks, like many 

 other things, positive proof. Drones have 

 been seen in out of the way places, in larger 

 numbers than we would think could possibly 

 come from one hive, and many have heard 

 their loud humming, who have not seen 

 them. T!ie fact that a queen should, in so 

 sliort a time become fertilized, after leaving 

 the hive, would seem strange, unless it real- 

 ly were a fact that she was called to -the 

 swarm of drones by their loud humming, 

 ( wfiich she would instinctively hear from a 

 long distance) flew among them, fell to the 

 ground and tore lierself loose from her dead 



mate by her strong limbs, and then returned 

 to her hive, having been absent only a few 

 minutes. I have ventured to theorize thus 

 much, hoping that our friends will aid in 

 corroborating or contraverting, as the case 

 may be, the facts as given above. 



Grape suj?ar is made of corn, and not potatoes, as a 

 corrcflpondent sug'gests. 



One edition of the ABC book, is sold already, and 

 the second with some improvements will be out in a 

 week. Price 35c., or neatly bound in leather and 

 cloth, 60c. post paid. 



The Baron of Berlepsch, the Great German bee- 

 keeper who verified and gave to the world the Dziei^ 

 zon Theory, died Sept., 17th, '77, so we learn from 

 the A.B.J. 



Fdn. with very fine copper wires rolled into it has 

 been suggested, to prevent the sagging of the brood 

 combs, and we can make such without any trouble, 

 but I am sure no such thing is ever needed, if we use 

 good firm wax, and manage properly. 



Several are talking about chaff hi res with the up- 

 per story movable; these cannot well be made as 

 warm, are very unwieldy to handle, and much more 

 expensive. The permanent 2 story as wemakt them, 

 are I think much the easiest and best, to make and 

 handle. 



Did you ever I We have this morning (Dec. 29th), 

 had several letters from our own State and from N. 

 T., stating that the bees were bringing in huge loads 

 of pollen, from the dandelions, which are in full 

 bloom. Friend Roop of Carson City, Mich., says his 

 bees are bringing pollen from the witch hazel. 

 Brood will be started, but if the hives are well pro- 

 tected, and have abundance of food, it will only make 

 the stocks stronger. It will do no harm. 



I Feel that I must say a word to the host of kind 

 friends who have spoken in such strong terms of ap- 

 proval of the Home papers. When T first took ut) 

 the work, I felt that there was something for mo to 

 do in that direction, but could only dimly see whore 

 duty was calling. In the outset I was almost fright- 

 ened out of the pro.icet by one or two who did not 

 believe in mixing bees niid theology as they termed 

 it; and to feel that I was trespassing on no one, I 

 enlarged the Journnl, .-ind made these two leaves 

 gratuitous. Since then, no one, that 1 know of. ha.s 

 ever complained that Gleanings was not of itself 

 worth the money; and to my surprise and joy, I very 

 soon bcgnn to get most earnest and encouraging 

 words from friends in almost e^cry remote corner 

 where Gleantnos made its way. .Tust now, a letter 

 has come all the way from Australia, urging me to 

 keep up the Home papers, find^mentining the good 

 they were doing away off there. As the new sub- 

 scriptions come in, one after another seems to bid 

 me tie of good cheer and doubt not; telling me that 

 I am not alone, and that ray words have not been 

 unheeded. May God bless and guide >'ou all, and 

 may he help us to feel how much we noedthe help of 

 each other, in striving for that straight and narrow 

 path. Po Tiot forget to pray for me; that neither 

 praise, Dnftery nor prosperit.v, should God see fit to 

 give it me, may lead me astray; but that I may feel 

 that even Gleanings, belongs to him, and not my- 

 self: !ind lliat to him belongs all the praise for what- 

 ever it may accomplish. 



For sale at 11 cent's, net, lOOfl lbs. white honey, ex- 

 tracted, in two large molasses barrels. Samples sent 

 on apjilication. Jos. Duffeler. 



Wequiock, Brown Co., Wis. 



