102 BEE FASSVlRAGMi' 



commence on buckwheat, sometimes contain not over 

 five pounds of stores, and yet make good stocks for 

 winter, whereas, without this yield, they might not 

 live through October. It fails about once in ten years. - 

 I have known a swarm to gain in one week sixteen 

 pounds, and construct comb to store it at the same 

 time. At another time I had a swarm issue the 18th 

 August, that obtained thirty pounds in about eighteen 

 days. But such buckwheat swarms, in ordinary sea- 

 sons, seldom get over fifteen pounds. The flowers 

 last from three to five weeks. The time of sowing 

 the grain varies in different sections, from the 10th of 

 June to the 20th July. Farmers wish to give it just 

 time to ripen before frost, as the yield of grain is con- • 

 sidered better, but as the time of frost is a matter of 

 guess-work, some will sow several days earlier than 

 others. Whenever an abundant crop of this grain is 

 realized, a proportionate quantity of honey is ob- , 

 tained. 



DO BEES INJURE THE CROP ? 



Many people contend that bees are an injury to this 

 crop, by taking away the substance that would be 

 formed into grain. The best reasons for this opinion 

 that I have obtained are these : " I believe it, and have 

 thought so a long time." " It is reasonable if a por- 

 tion of this plant is taken away by the bees, there ' 

 must be a less quantity of material left for the form- 

 ation of seed, &c." Most of us have learned that a 

 person's opinion is not the strongest kind of proof, 

 unless he can exhibit substantial reasons for it. Are 

 the above reasons satisfactory? How are the facta? 



