118 APPENDIX. 



"Huber tells us that he has found coarse sugar yield a large quantity of wax, and of a 

 paler color than honey. If this be true, some experiments that I have made in the rearing 

 of artificial stocks this autumn, (1850,) have opened my eyes to the very great costliness of 

 wax in the economy of bee management. Having driven the population of four stocks, on 

 the 5th of August, and united them together, I located them in a spare bee box in my win- 

 dow apiary, and fed them with a preparation of sugar, honey, salt, and beer, for about 

 five weeks. Although they consumed about 50 lbs. of this mixture, (the same as that 

 described in Chapter XI. of this volume,) at the end of that time the box was found to 

 weigh no more than sixteen pounds of contents, that is, minus the box only. Of this j 

 reckon about 12 lbs. to be stored food, bees and 3£ lbs. bee bread, and the remaining half 

 pound pure wax or comb. Thus, if there be deducted from these 46 lbs. of food the ac- 

 tually stored 12 lbs., there remain 34' lbs. to be accounted for. The actual consumption of 

 any considerable quantity of it as food can hardly be imagined, for my other hives were 

 maintaining themselves all this time almost entirely upon what they still collected in the 

 fields. For instance, one hive, whose population was the most numerous, diminished in 

 weight 3 lbs. in the interval between the 5th of August and the 29th of October ; a second^ 

 3 lbs. S oz. between the 3rd of August and the Sth of November (when I buried it) ; a third t 

 (whose position I changed at the end of July,) 5 lbs, between the 8th of August and the 

 12th of October. Now I do not think that the increased activity of this experimental hive, 

 will anything like explain away the 34 lbs. by supposing so enormous a consumption as 

 food, even allowing that their appetite was proportionably excited ; thus, there remains 

 nothing for us bufcto conclude that by far the greater part, say at least 25 lbs., was con- 

 sumed in elaborating the half pound of wax, employed constructing the comb." 



We cannot of course form any certain conclusion from this fact, because we have yet 

 to ascertain whether pure honey or the prepared food, of which I made use, contains the 

 larger quantity of tin? waxen element. As this is a question of no little importance, I 

 would gladly induce some experimental apiarian to join me in my endeavors to ascertain 

 the truth in this matter, which 1 propose to attempt in the course of the approaching sum- 

 mer or autumn. 



(I— Page 83.) 



It seems necessary that I should caution the reader against a too indiscriminate or system- 

 atic destruction of his queen bees, without a due regard to circumstances. I have stated 

 that, as a general rule, I believe the queen bee to be in her prime the second twelvemonth of 

 her existence ; and in stating this, I but repeat what other naturalists and bee authors 

 have stated before. Therefore, as a rule, it follows that, where it can be done judiciously ^ 

 a succession of young queens, not exceeding two years old, should be kept up by a biennial 

 removal of the old ones. But it must be borne in mind, that all queens are not all equally 

 prolific or fruitful mothers : therefore, in the event of a queen's having proved herself an 

 extraordinarily good breeder one year, it will be for the apiarian to consider whether he may 

 not become a loser by exchanging her for a younger queen. I myself should by all means 

 permit her to reign a third summer, and, it may be, even a fourth, should her vigor not 

 seem too considerably abated, but this very rarely. In j udging of a queen's vigor, again, it 

 must be borne in mind, that the same mother who in a thinly-peopled hive would be a 

 bad breeder, would probably prove ver/ fertile in a populous stock. And for similar rea- 

 sons, a queen born in a very strong stock would turn out more prolific than a princess 

 reared in a weak hive — whether artificially or naturally reared, it matters not. 



