806 
SiippUment to the '^Tropical Agriculturist." [May 1, 1901. 
and to separate the agglutinated pollen grains 
considerable quantities of water are needed, 
which are brought to the hive as required. 
Feeding, moreover, is not merely needed for the 
development of tlie larvje, but this task requires 
also to be extended to the queen and the drones, 
and particularly whilst tlie queen is laying «he has 
to be provided with large quantities of a nitro- 
genous substance. During the period of her 
greatest fertility the weight of the eggs de- 
posited per day amounts to more than three times 
that of the body of the queen. To enable her 
to balance this exhaustive process, she requires 
to be supplied with rapidly assimilable food. 
This tlio workers elaborate in their bodies and 
secrete in minute globules, through glands 
situated near the mouth. The constantly changing 
retinue which surrounds the queen when laying, 
escorts her for the purpose of supplying food to 
her. The addition and dimnution of food 
re-acts upon her laying power, and is entirely 
regulated by it. In order to stimulate their 
■virility the drones also require to be fed with 
nitrogenous food. This the workers produce 
and supply in the same way as with the queen, 
and the early stage of the larvae. 
Another important duty is the building of the 
combs. AVithout these the young could not be 
reared nor food stored. When a swarm takes 
possession of a new home the first work is the 
construction of new combs, which sometimes 
proceeds with marvellous rapidity. After a few 
weeks, when young begin to crawl out, their 
cradles require to be cleaned and thoroughly 
smoothed inside, to receive another egg almost 
immediately. When thousaads mature daily 
many are kept busy with this work. Partly for 
protection against enemies as well as against 
draught, and to keep the light out, every chink 
and crack is plastered up. This is done with 
propolis, a resinous substance, gathered specially 
for the purpose. A number guard the entrance 
against intruders, and often combats occur to keep 
aggressors out of the hive. Everything of an 
obnoxious nature is carried out of the hive, or else 
imbedded under a wax and propolis covering. 
The sanitary, as well as the other duties, are under 
the control of the workers. Some are generally 
engaged fanning fresh air into the hive, which 
is done by vibrating the wings. In warm weather 
this is a very trying exertion, and at times nearly 
all the members of the colony require to be 
engaged in this work. The functions of the 
■workers, as we have seen are, manifold. They 
have to build combs, caulk the hive, refit the 
cradles for the reception of new inmates, remove 
objectionable inmates, and sometimes fight them, 
ventilate the home, keep the brood warm, and 
feed the other inmates, whether larvae, queen 
or drones. They hardly ever rest, for the feeding 
goes on at night as well as during the day. 
Moreover, their foresight or innate industry keeps 
them constantly engaged in storing provisions fo r 
future emergencies. All this labour takes their 
energy greatly, and during the busiest time of 
life, when plenty or honey and pollen is gathered, 
and consequently much brood is reared bythem, 
they wear out rapidly. The life of the workers 
larits on an average only forty days during the 
summer, but in times of inactivity continues up 
to four months and sometimes longer. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
Eeports reached us, writes the Editor of the 
Cape Agricultural Journal, of a new process for 
branding .stock in New Zealand, which is said to 
be proving sutisfnctory in that Colony. It con- 
sists in the application on a wooden brand of a 
cau>tic which obliterates the hair without injuring 
liie skin. It is stated that the cost of branding 
100 cattle only amounts to 154., which is fully 
compensated for by tlie sound skins put on the 
market. As catt.e must be inarked in some legible 
and indelilile way, any method which may super- 
cede the hot branding iron will prove of great 
advantage. 
The uses of ground-nut oil are numerous, and it 
has been described as the most poiymarphous of all 
oils, adapting itself to all purposes, including 
nutrition, lighting, lubrication, and blending. 
It is the most difficult of all oils to detect when 
adulterating olive oil, f f r its chemical reaction is 
white. The best qualities are used for the table, 
either pure or mixed with olive (or salad) and 
sesame (or gingelly) oil ; as an illuminant it gives 
a soft, white light. When neutralised it is much 
esteemed for lubricating, and is always preferred 
to cotton seed oil. It is also largely used in the 
manufacture of soap, and is the characteristic 
component of the famous Marseilles white soap. 
The fruit of the banana contains 72 per cent of 
water, 2"I4 per cent of nitrogenous matter, and 
22 per cent of saccharine substance, the latter 
giving it its great nutritive quality. The banana 
plant, says M. de Lovedo of Mexico, will feed 150 
men from the produce of one hectare (2| acres), 
while the same area of wheat will only supply six 
individuals ; for the same time and under the same 
condidons of cultivation its produce is forty times 
thi^t of potatoes and hundred times that of wheat. 
Here is a recipe for a good liniment : Take two 
eggs and put the contents into a bottle, then add 
half-a-pint of spirits of turpentine and half-a- 
pint of best imported vinegar. Shake the bottle 
till the ingredients are well mixed, and in about 
two hours, with frequent shakings, a white 
liniment will be produced of about the consistency 
of cream, when it is ready for use and will im- 
prove by keeping. 
