334 



GLEAKLNGS I2T BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



has gone so far as to suggest tliat a town 

 which contains an unusual number ot maid- 

 en ladies, whoare said to favor cats especial- 

 ly, will prove the most profitable neighbor- 

 hood for raising clover seed. 



A few years ago, the people in some part 

 of Mass. got an idea that the bees, which 

 were kept there in large numbers, were in 

 some way prejudicial to the fruit ; after 

 some controversy, the bees were banished 

 from the town. In a year or two, they found 

 the fruit not only no bettei', but decidedly 

 the reverse; for the trees blossomed pro- 

 fusely but bore no crops. IBy a unanimous 

 request, our friend was persuaded to return 

 with his bees, and since then the trees have 

 not only blossomed, but have borne fruit in 

 profusion. It is well known to those who 

 raise the earliest cherries, that luiless the sun 

 conies out, wdien they are in bloom, long 

 enough to allow the bees to visit the blos- 

 soms, no fruit will be produced. As the 

 very earliest varieties blossom before the 

 weather has really got settled and warm, 

 this is one great drawback to their cidture. 

 The Catawba is a very desirable variety of 

 grape, as is also the Delaware ; but the for- 

 mer is very late, and the latter very small. 

 Dr. Grant originated the lona, by fertilizing 

 the blossoms of the one, with the pollen of 

 the other ; but, in his first attempts, he fail- 

 ed repeatedly, because the bees were sure to 

 upset all his experiments by their intermed- 

 dling. When lie thought of the idea of 

 covering the flowers from which he wished 

 to produce the hybrid seed with lace, or 

 something of a similar nature, to keep the 

 bees away, he succeeded at once ; and we 

 now have the lona, as the result, a grape 

 that is just about half way between the Del- 

 aware and Catawba, having very distinctly 

 the flavor of each. 



Throughout the animal and vegetable 

 kingdom, there seems to be a constant strug- 

 gle for the perpetuation of their species, 

 which is secured only by ripening perfect 

 seeds. Notice how the weeds in our garden 

 will struggle and fight, as it were, to get a 

 foot hold, until they can get a crop of seeds 

 ripened, and then remark the numerous 

 ways they adopt, to scatter this seed as 

 widely as possible. If the plants Avere 

 animated beings, we miglit almost call it 

 tricks and sharp practice ; some of the seeds 

 have Avings and fly like a grasshopper ; oth- 

 ers have liooks and catch on our clothing, 

 and on tlie fur of domestic animals, in the 

 hope of being carried to some spot Avhere 



they may have a more favorable place to 

 germinate. • Fruits and berries, instead of 

 clothing themselves in the sober green of 

 the foliage surrounding them, when the 

 seeds are fully ripened, affect scarlet red and 

 other bright colors, and sometimes, fancy 

 stripes, just to induce the birds to take them 

 in preference to the fruit of other trees. 

 AVhy do they want their fruits to be eaten 

 by the birds, if it is their purpose to se- 

 cure a place for their seed? Well, if you 

 examine, you Avill find that the seed is en- 

 cased in a horny shell that is proof against 

 the digestive organs of the bird, and these 

 seeds and stones are therefore voided fre- 

 quently, if not invariably, Avhile on the wing, 

 in just the condition to take root in the 

 soil Avherever they may be cast. Bear this 

 in mind Avhile we go back a little to the bees 

 and floAvers again. 



I have suggested that the honey is placed 

 in the floAvers to attract the bees ; after a 

 bee has found honey in one flower, he will 

 be very likely to examine others of a similar 

 kind or appearance. If the floAvers Avere all 

 green like the leaves of the plant, the insects 

 would find much more trouble in hunting 

 them up, than they now do, because the 

 contrasting color, such as the white or red 

 of the clovers, makes them conspicuous. 

 It is easily proven, that bees have a sort of 

 telescopic vision, that enables tlem to per- 

 ceive objects at long distances ; Avhen a bee 

 starts out in the morning, he circles up 

 aloft, then takes a vieAV, and starts out for 

 business. If one field of clover should be 

 more conspicuous than the rest, he Avoidd 

 probably give it the preference, at least, so 

 far as to make an examination. If he has 

 been at Avork on a profitable field the day 

 before, he Avill, Avithout doubt, strike for it 

 without any preamble. That bees look for 

 honey and liunt it out, I have proven to my 

 full satisfaction ; and I am Avell convinced 

 that Avhat is often called instinct, and al- 

 lowed to drop there, is only profiting by ex- 

 , perience and an excellent memory of ])ast 

 events, much in the same AA'ay human beings 

 do. We say that bees instinctively go to the 

 flowers for honey ; I have watched them in 

 the spring Avhen the blossoms first open, 

 and many of them, very likely the young 

 bees that have never before seen a blossom. 

 Avill examine the leaves, branches, and even 

 rough Avood, of the trunk of the tree, intent- 

 ly smelling and sniffing at every part, until 

 he finds just Avhere the coveted treasure is 

 located. After he has dived deep into one 



