108 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEE. 



Apeil 



plentiful on this noble continent ; and none but 

 the hi'lu.-trioxis bee can collect it for man. 



Such is the order of nature in the economy of 

 the honej bee, that in the spring, or at the com- 

 mencement cf summer, there is thrown off from 

 the parent hive from one to four swarms, or in- 

 dependent colonics cf young ones, which, imme- 

 diately after bei -g domiciled, commence opera- 

 tions for theniselves. It may be remarked that 

 work ng bees are taught by instinct the time 

 they are to quit their hive. 



The ahnost unfailing precursors of swarming 

 are these ; For several days there is an unmis- 

 takable commotion in the hive. On the lighting 

 board, in front of the entrance, the bees cluster 

 in masses, and at nightfall retire again, as usual, 

 within. ' )n the next morning after, if ihe weather 

 is favorable, the confusion increases, and sud- 

 denly a colamn of bees hurry, by a eimultaneous 

 movemeht, into the air, and within a few mo- 

 ments assume a novel spectacle of thousands of 

 these insects, all on the wing, living in whirls 

 until the mass resembles ia outline a globe of 

 forty or sixty feet in diameter. Theyoung swarm 

 thus continue whirling over or very near the old 

 hive until alltheir associates have been assembled 

 in the ring. This, indeed, is the trying moment 

 for the apiarinn, for if he is successful in oblig- 

 ing the bees to alight they at once can be secured 

 in a new hive. Frst ewarms are always the 

 strongest. The old stock may be said to be with- 

 out a head for from sis to nine days, according 

 to circumstances, until another queen is hatched. 

 It is th.?n that she begins to attack her rivals in 

 the cell-', and utters the shrill sound, "peep, 

 peep," while the imprisoned ones cry "goo, goo." 

 This is termed "calling" the queen, and the 

 evening is the best time to hear these significant 

 sounds, which continue night and day until one 

 or more rivals nppear; then the general uproar 

 ensues ia the iiive, and another swarm comes 

 forth, perhaps on the third day after fne sound 

 began. The same process goes on with the next, 

 which is smaller in number, and at shorter inter- 

 vals, ccespoading with the period between the 

 laying of the queen's eggs and the state of the 

 weather, or the temperature of the hive. 



Yours truly, 



■UiLLiAM Feazee. 

 Annawan, III., March, 1S61. 



We are glad that an increased interest is being 

 awakened to the subject of bee culture. The 

 moth is the great drawback, and our apiarians 



should turn their attention to it. We shall 

 have something to say on hives in another place. 



Ed. 



Office of Chief Inspector, ) 

 Chicayo, Feb. 27, 1861 ) 



Editoe Farmer — Dear Sir : I have commenced 

 the collection of a cabinet of wheat and other 

 grain for the use of my office and general infor- 

 mation of all parties interested, either as pro- 

 ducers or purchasers. Knowing the interest you 

 take in such matters, I write to ask you to for- 

 ward to me samples of the difi'erent varieties (or 

 any one of them) of wheat grown in your county. 

 Also give me their origin, when introduced, their 

 tendency to improve or deteriorate, their appear- 

 ance when growing, and good and bad qualities 

 generally. 



Please inform mo if there is any agricultural 

 rooms in the State where samples have been pre- 

 served from the different County or State Fairs- 

 Also please give me a list of names of gentlemen 

 who would willingly give me information and as- 

 sist me in this matter. 



I have now about fifty samjles. SLould any 

 of your friends wish any variety of spring wheat 

 for seed, I am prepared to exhibit samples, and 

 give information as to quality and of whom the 

 same could bo obtained, either the growth of this 

 State or Wisccnsin. 



Yours tru'y, 



S. H. Stevjens. 



The "Board of Trade" of Chicago in selecting 

 Mr. Stevens Chief Inspector, Lave shown their 

 usual good sense. It will be seen by the above 

 letter, (which, by the way, is a private one, and 

 not intended for publication,) that Mr. Stevens 

 is taking active measures to collate a mass of 

 valuable icformation as well as to collect valua- 

 ble samples; and in this endeavor we hope that 

 some one or more of our readers in each county 

 of the State will send samples of their agricul- 

 tural skill. The Corresponding Secretary of our 

 State Agricultural Society is engaged in a like 

 work tor the benefit of the farmers. These ef- 

 forts should be promptly seconded, and we will 

 soon see an impronement in the quality and 

 quantity of our farm products. Ed. 



t9> 



— A rough Kentuckian, hearing a child Cry- 

 loud and furiously, remarked : " How wickedly 

 that small sample of mankind is swearing now, 

 in the infantile vernacular ! What will it come 

 to when it is educated. 



