6 
BEE-CULTURE. 
The bee moth or worm first appeared in the East about 
sixty. years ago, but.it is now found as generally as the bee. 
About twenty thousand, or from four to five pounds of bees, 
make a good swarm. Drones arc the male bees, and some- 
times there are several thousand of them in a hive, and some- 
times none at all. Queens and workers are females. The 
queen (there is but one in a hive) lays all the eggs. She ordi- 
narily, in the strong colonies, commences about the first of 
January, laying at first but a few dozen each day in the cen- 
tre of the hive, where the bees all cluster to keep warm ; (for 
it is necessary that they should keep up nearly blood-heat all 
winter). As the weather becomes warmer the number of the 
eggs laid gradually increases until about the first of May, 
when the number laid daily amounts to a thousand or more. 
And thus she continues to lay until the honey-gathering 
begins to diminish in August. The number of eggs laid di- 
minishes gradually until in October, when it ordinarily ceases 
altogether,' and the queen has one or two months’ rest. 
But some seasons bees do not swarm at all. Wliat becomes 
of so many bees if a thousand are produced daily, and there 
are no more in the hive in the fall than in the spring '! 
They die. The life of the worker will not average more 
than four months, whilst that of the queen is from three 
years to five years. 
“Liko lenvea on trees the race of bees abound, 
how green in youth, now withering on the ground; 
Another race the spring or fall supplies, 
They droop successive, and successive rise.” — E vans. 
In midsummer, bees will venture out for honey at all haz- 
ards, exposing themselves to storms and birds, wearing out 
their wings, so that destruction is rapid. I have known 
whole colonies to perish thus in six weeks, and an entirely 
new stock to take their place. This is why a colony will 
soon dwindle to nothing if they have no queen to replace 
their loss. 
“The race and realm from nco to nge remain, 
And time but lengthens with now links the chain.” — B eyan. 
Bees will not leave their hive on account of the loss of their 
queen, except in the case of a young swarm, for the first day or 
two after being hived, but will remain and perform their ordi- 
nary duties with a somewhat abated energy until they all die. 
We have no bees in the fall that we have in the spring ex- 
cept the queens. In the winter season bees remain quiet 
