THOUSAND ANSWERS 207 



Royal Jelly. — Q. How long will royal jelly, taken from a 

 queen-cell, keep and still be fit to use in grafting cells? 



A. Much depends upon the thickness of the jelly and how 

 open it is kept. If very thick, in a warm place, with air stirring 

 so as to encourage evaporation, it might be unfit to use in less 

 than an hour. Not very thick, in a' cool place, with little chance 

 for evaporation, I guess it might keep two or three days. 



Sage. — Q. Where does the sage honey come from? 



A. California. It is one of the principal honey-plants of that 

 state. Sage honey is of very fine flavor and finds ready sale in 

 any market. There are several varieties of sage growing wild in 

 California, all of them yielding more or less honey. 



Salt. — Q. How is salt fed to bees? 



A. It is not often that salt is fed to bees. Some have thought 

 it desirable, because in the spring bees are found where salty 

 moisture is to be obtained. Others think the bees care only for the 

 moisture, and prefer a place not because the water is salty, but 

 bcause it is warmer than in other places. The easiest way to give 

 salt to bees is to give it in their drinking wate-- 



Sap. — Q. Is sap from rock maple good feed for bees? If so, 

 should it be boiled down or fed as it comes from the tree? If 

 boiled down, how far should eight quarts be reduced to make the 

 best feed? 



A. Yes, the bees will take it without boiling down. But look 

 out not to feed it on days too cool for bees to fly freely. 



Scent in Bees. — Q. Do bees have a sense of scent? If so, 

 where is it located? 



A. Yes, bees have a sense of smell. Until lately this sense has 

 been believed to be located in the antennae. Now Dr. James A. 

 Nelson locates it in different parts of the body. 



Sealed Covers.— Q. I am a young beekeeper. I had seven colo- 

 nies last fall, and put all of them under cover on the south side 

 of a shop. I thought they would be good and strong in the spring, 

 but when I set them out I found only two alive. These were good 

 and strong. I had sealed covers on them, but they looked as if 

 they had been pretty damp. They all had plenty of stores except 

 one. Do you think the dampness killed them? What plan would 

 you suggest for me to take next winter? 



A. Likely the dampness had much to do with it. With only a 

 single thickness of board for a covering, it would get quite cold. 



