He ee Ss OT maine ee oe SF sa23 N44 2 [oa ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New YorK STATE COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND HoME ECONOMICS AT CoRNELL UNIVERSITY EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS BEEKEEPING LIBRARY Zz < = Ee & a A —L < 4 5 q a wt nea cy Moa Oy a oh th ete ese ee ele ee pe SIS pelea speller ely ear CONAGRA AN o 5 Se aos eal i iS Management of an Apiary PLEASURE AND PROFIT. BY (us) THOMAS 6. NEWMAN, Editor of the “American Bee Journal.” <8 ILLUSTRATED, a OFFICE OF THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, CHICAGO, ILL. BPO OT ODF OP OP OP g age ye RESPIRATORY ORGANS OF THE HONEY BEE. RREERGE. Itis now generally admitted that to become a profitable pursuit, bee-keeping must be conducted on scientific principles The old management (or rather mis-management), permitting the bees to use log-gums. hollow trees, or old boxes for hives, can no longer be tolerated. To induce the practice of scientific man- agement of the apiary is the sole object of publishing this Book, and to that end we give ovr own views and experiences, and also quote from those who practice with success - the plans and manipulations recommended. Being desirous of having this Work ‘fully up with the times,” including all the various improvements and inventions in this rapidly increasing pursuit, we have made a thorough revision of this edition in order to present the apiarist with everything that may aid in the successful management of the Honey Bee, and at the same time to produce the MOST honey, in its BEST and MOST ATTRACTIVE CONDITION. Lhomas G. Newman. ITALIAN BEES. WORKER. DRONE. INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS. NATURAL HISTORY OF BEES..... Introduction.............. The Races of Bees. - 18 The Queen Bee.. . 13 The Drone Bee - 16 Bee PMVOFNET Bee. . 2 Production of Wax and Gomb... 20 Pollen, or Bee-Bread........- Propolis, or Bee Glue....... ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APIARY.... Should Keep Bees. ble Location...............+ Which Way Should Hives Face. : When to Commence. How Many wolonies to begin’ with Removing Bees........... What Kind of Bees to Get Buying Swarm How to Care for a First ‘Colony. Share: Ants in mS Apia 3 Removing Propolis from Hands. 34 AND RECEPTACLES 35 Hive to 35 36 38 39 40 -- 40 43 PRODUCTION ANDCAREOFHONEY. 45 Preparation for the Market..... 45 How Should Honey be Marketed 45 Assort and Grade the Honey..... 47 How to Get Bees out of Boxes. . 47 Management of Comb Honey. 47 Honey in Unglassed Sections. Handing and Shipping. Candied Comb Honey.. Management ofBixtracted Honey Honey Must be Ripened Metal Corners for Cra tes. Putting the Glass in the Sections Honey as a Commercial Product OF APIARY.... . 59 or Management. 38 AGE. Management of an Aptary—continued. Swarming; huw to Control it..... 67 How to Hive a Swarm...... . 69 The Loss of the Queen..... . 69 What are Fertile Workers... 71 Transferring from Box Hives.... 72 Transferring from Frame Hives. 74 Uniting Weak Co.onies. . mae 74 Clipping the Queen’s Wing. 75 ing Out Drone Brood... 15 Removing Bees from the Combs. 75 Preparing Bees for Shipment.... 76 Uniting Colonies in the Spring... 78 How to Separate Swarms,........ 78 Robber Bees............ + 80 Feeding Bees. - 80 Quieting and Handiing Bees.. 82 ‘hipping and Introducing Queens 85 Bee Dysentery.........--seeeeseee. 87 Foul Brood Disease eniendewageesce: (80 HONEY EXTRACTOR AND ITS USE.. 89 The Invention of the Extractor.. 89 ‘When to Use the Extractor.... . 92 How to Extract............ serveee 93 ComMB FOUNDATION AND ITS USE Invention of Comb Foundatio Preserve the Wax.............- Comb Foundation Not Artifici 99 Fastening Foundation to Frames 100 BEE PASTURAGE A NECESSITY ...... 103 Trees for Shade and Honey...... 104 Plants for Field and Roadside... 108 Plants for Honey Exclusively. Honey Plants for Decoration. IMPROVEMENT IN BEES.. The Bee of the Future. -1 Lengthening the Bee’s Tongue. 133 HONEY AND BEE SHOWS............. 135 Exhibitions at Fairs. . 135 Effect of Bee and Honey Shows.. 138 THE WINTERING OF BEES.... Chaff Packing for Winter.. e Preparing Cellar for Wintering.. 144 House for Wintering Bees........ 145 Wintering Bees in Clamps........ 146 GENERAL ADVICE TO BEGINNERS.. 147 General Information Necessary 147 Selecting a Location............., 147 Pian foran Apiary. .. - 148 Adopt a Standard Fram 149 Keep an Apiary Register. 149 Increase by Division... . 149 Artificial Swarming 152 Preparing Feed...... 153 Quard Against Overstocking. |... 1 Provide Continual Honey Bloom INTRODUCTION. Tr has been computed that in our World, the diffezent species of living animals number over a quarter of a million. Among this vast concourse of life, we tind much food for thought and meditation, but for instructive lessons none can rival the marvelous transformations that insect life under- goes in its processes of development ! The repulsive maggot of to-day, may to-morrow be the active little fly, visiting leaf and flower, in merry and sportive mood! Therepugnant caterpillar of to-day, may to-morrow, asa chrysalis, be decked with green and gold, awaiting its speedy transformation to the butterfly, of brilliant tints and gorgeous beauty. Such transformations give us a faint idea of the glorious state of existence that, we are assured, awaits humanity, after its passage beyond the present state of existence ! e are informed that “ its glories and pleasures untold ” will be fully realized by the pure and the good—yet of its realization we can have no adequate conception ! hile in the present state of development, like the chrysalis, awaiting the next transformation, we may but inquire—t What shall it be to be there??? For— “Dreams cannot picture a world so fair, Sorrow and death may not enter there; ‘Time cannot breathe on its fadeless bloom— Far beyond the clouds, and beyond the tomb— . Itis there! It is there ! 1” _ This is not a whit more wonderful than are the transforma- tions from the egg to the tiny larva, from the larva to the pupa, and from the pupa to the fully developed Honey Bee, with its wondrous instincts and marvelous habits! The student never ceases to wonder and admire, as he turns over leaf after leaf of ‘‘the book of nature,” devoted to this interesting insect. Indeed, there is a fascination about the Apiary, that is truly indescribable; but even that, richly . rewards the apiarist for all the time and labor bestowed upon it. Every scientific Bee-keeper is an enthusiast. The won- derful economy of the Bee Hive, from its very nature resents to the thoughtful student, both admiration an elight at every step ! _ A single bee, with all its industry, energy, and the innumerable journeys it performs, will collect only about a tea-spoonful of honey during one season—and yet more than one hundred pounds of honey is often taken from one hive! INTRODUCTION. Does not the contemplation of this fact teach us a profitable lesson of what great results may arise from persevering and associated labor ? When we view the skill exhibited in the building of the beautiful comb—so true in form, so wonderfully systematic in construction, and all completed by a crowd of bees ina dark hive—and often at night, without the aid of sun, moon or stars—we are amazed at the skill of these wonderful architects ! In fructifying the floweis, too, bees present us with a field of study so extensive that we dare not enter, further than to say that but for their oft-repeated visits, many a beautiful flower would in a short time cease to bloom—aye, and also to live! Many plants absolutely require the visits of bees or other insects to remove their pollen-masses, and thus to fertilize them. Hence, Darwin wisely remarks, when speak- ing of clover and heart’s-ease : ‘‘ No bees, no seed; no seed, no increase of the flower. The more visits from the bees, the more seeds from the flower; the more seeds from the flower, the more flowers from the seeds.”’_ Darwin mentions the following experiment: ‘‘ Twenty heads of white clover, visited by bees, produced 2.990seeds; while twenty heads so protected that bees could not visit them, produced not one seed.’ Thus is infinite Wisdom displayed by Nature on every hand! Nothing is created in vain; each has its proper sphere, and each its appropriate work to perform. We admire ‘‘ the grand harmony of design,” and in meditative mood we are soon “Lost in wonder, love and praise !” Tren we may seem to hear the merry hum of myriads of insects, mingling with the joyous song of thousands of beautiful birds adoring their Creator in Matin Song—all Nuture joining in the chorus of praise—singing— “the hand that made us is divine !” As the song ascends to Heaven, billions of plants, and shrubs, and trees, and flowers burst into bloom, and bid their sweet verfurme to unite with Nature’s Chorus, and present a “ thank-otfering” to the Great Father of all, ‘‘ who openeth His hand, aud satisfieth the desire of every living thing.” tu > & @ ) a ° eh S a S = a o oo 3 Hf ah °o At 2] | QO gs 2 B 2a 2a =e Eh NS A PROF. A. J. COOK WM. W. CARY. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE, INTRODUCTION. Every apiarist should be well informed, not only on the habits, but also on the Natural History of the Honey Bee. Man’s primeval state, no doubt, absolutely demanded honey—therefore to have neglected to produce such a crea- ture as the Honey Bee, so essential to the comfort of man, “for whom all things were made,’”’ would have been totally discordant with the well-known principles of universal and Divine benevolence. Could any song of birds in Eden’s enchanting bower surpass the mellifluous hum of the busy Bee? Could any sportive gambol, circling flight, sudden dart, or graceful curve of bird on the wing, equal the grace and beauty, the action and the science of her aerial sports or daily duties ? Could the combined aroma and symwmetri- cal form of the thousands of “ the flowers of Paradise” com- pare with the sweetness of her honey or the garniture of her store house ? Could any portion of “the garden,” which Adam was directed to “dress and keep,” present greater attraction, or have stronger claims upon his protection and care ? While Honey was “from the beginning’ among the first of sweet things, and the sweetest of first things, given by the Creator to man,—sugar is, separated from its source and prepared for use by the hand of man, but of modern birth !— For thousands of years Honey was man’s only sweet, and source of nourishment,—but only for a short time has sugar had its partial sway—and that alone in modern times. The former was the creation and gift of God! The latter is the invention of man! No historian has been able to transmit to our day, a 12 BEE CULTURE. description of the rude home that Noah provided for the bees that he carried into the ark, nor tell us if Abraham’s bees were kept in log-gums or box hives, but it ¢s recorded that the land where Abraham dwelt—Canaan—was one “flowing with milk and honey;”and when the old Patriarch, because of the famine that prevailed there, sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn, he sent as a present to the Egyptian ruler some of Canaan’s famous honey.—Gen. 43: 11. We may wel! conclude that Canaan’s honey was then as famous as in subsequent ages was the honey from Mount Hymettus, in Grecce. The earliest mention of honey a8 an article of commerce, is, that the Jews were engaged in trading it at Tyre, that old and honored mart of trade in Phoenicia.—Hzek. 27 : 17. Sirach, who lived about the time of the re-building of the Temple at Jerusalem, speaking of the necessaries of life, mentions honey, with flour and milk. The Persians, Grecians and Romans, used honey quite extensively as an article of dict ; they also used it largely in preparing their food, and by it, most of their beverages were sweetened, Ancient Sages, among whom were Homer, Herodotus, Cato, Aristotle, Varro, Virgil, Pliny and Columella, composed poems extolling the activity, skill and economy of bees, and in more modern times, among such authors have been Swammerdam, a German naturalist ; Maraldi, an Italian mathematician ; Schirach, a Saxon priest ; Réaumur, inventor of a themometer; Bonnet, a Swiss entomologist ; Dr. John Hunter ; and Francis Huber, who, though totally blind, was noted for his many minute observations, by the aid of his assistant, Burnens, which caused quite a revolution in ancient theories concerning the Honey Bee. He was also assisted by Mdle. Jurine, who, by delicate microscopic examinations, rendered important service not only to Huber, but also to future generations. But space forbids us to enumerate all the apiarists of the present age—prominent among whom we may mention Dzierzon, Von Berlepsch, Leuckart, Von Sicbold, Sir John Lubbock, the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, Samuel Wagner, M. Quinby, Adam Grimm, J. §. Harbison, Capt. J. E, Hether- ‘WnpLoUUDng ‘yosdajwog U0a UuoLog CAPT. J. H. HETHERINGTON. T. F. BINGHAM. BEE CULTURE. 13 ington, Professor A. J. Cook, and a mighty host of others, who, through faith in scientific research and devotion to experiments and manipulations, have wrought wonders with their Bees. ‘Pulling down the strong-holds” of old-fogy opposition, they “waxed valiant in fight” against all forms of ignorant and fossilized theories, consigning them to a burial with the fallacies of past ages—and, as if by magic wand, they have bidden modern ideas and scientific manage- ment of the Apiary to “ arise and shine,” sending benign influences to the very ends of the earth | THE RACES OF BEES. Of the different races of the Honey Bee, the German or black bee is the most numerous, though it is not older than the Italians, which were known to the ancients several hun- dred years before the Christian era, and are mentioned by Ayvistotle and Virgil. The Egyptian, Carniolan, Cyprian and Javan bees are but little known in this country. The Italian being the favorite because of its docility, activity and captivating beauty. A COLONY OF BEES. In its usual working condition, a colony of bees presents a scene of the most lively interest, not only to the naturalist, but also to every curious observer. Such a colony will con- tain a fertile Queen, thirty to forty thousand workers, and in some seasons, a few hundreds of drones. THE QUEEN. The Mother Bee, as she is called in many countries, especially in Italy, is the only perfect female in the Colony, and is the mother of it. Her only duty is to lay the eggs for the propagation of the species. She is a little larger around the body than the Worker, but not as large as the Drone.— Her body is longer than the Worker, but her wings are only about two-thirds of the length of the body, her abdomen gradually tapering to a point. She has a sting, but uses it only upon royalty. The Queen usually leaves the hive only when accompany- ing a swarm, and when a few days old, to meet the drones, i4 BEE CULTURE. for the purpose of becoming fertile. Once becoming such she is so for life, though she often lives three or four years. On her return to the hive, after meeting the Drones, if she has been fecundated, the male organs may be seen attached hil a? Fie. 1.—The Queen Bee, magnified. to her abdomen. In about two days after thus mating with the Drone she will commence to lay eggs, and she is capable of laying two thousand, or more, eggs per day. Instinct teaches the Workers the necessity of having a Queen that is prolific, and should she become barren from Fig. 2.—Head of Queen, magnified. any cause, or be lost, they immediately prepare to raise another to take her place. This they do by building Queen eells, and if, when these are about one-half completed, the Queen has not deposited eggs in any of them, they take r BEE CULTURE. 15 eges from worker cells and supply them. By feeding the embryo Queen with royal jelly, the egg that would have pro- duced a Worker, had it remained in a Worker cell, becomes a Queen. The Ovaries of the Queen, occupying a large portion of the abdomen, will be found to be two pear-shaped bodies, composed of 160 to 180 minute tubes, the tubes being bound together by enveloping air vessels. These are the ovaries, of which a highly magnified view is here given. Fia. 3.—The Ovaries of the Queen. The germs of the eggs originate in the upper ends of the tubes which compose the ovary, and the eggs develop in their onward passage, so that at the time of the busy laving season, each one of the tubes will contain, at its lower end, one or more mature eggs, with several others in a less developed state following them. These tubes terminate on each side in the oviduct, through which the egg passes into the vagina ; and, in the cut, an egg will be seen in the oviduct, on the right. (Fig. 3). A globular sac will be noted, attached to the main oviduct by a short, tubular stem. A French naturalist, M. Audouin, first discovered the true 16 BEE CULTURE. character of this sac as the spermatheca, which contains the male semen; and Prof. Leuckart computes its size as suffi- cient to contain, probably, twenty-five millions of seminal filaments. It seems hardly possible that so large a number should ever be found in the spermatheca, as it would require nearly twenty years to exhaust the supply, if the queen should lay daily 2000 eggs, 365 days in the year, and cach egg be impregnated. Hach egg which receives one of the seminal filaments in passing, will produce a worker or queen, while an unimpregnated ege will produce only a drone. The spermatheca of an unfecundated qucen contains only a trans- parent liquid with no seminal filaments, and the eggs of such a queen produce only drones, The Queen usually lays from February to October, but early in the spring she lays sparingly. When fruit and flowers bloom, and the bees are getting honey and pollen, she lays more rapidly. THE DRONES. These are non-producers, and live on the toil and industry of others. They are the males, and have no sting—neither HG)? Fie. 4.—The Drone Bee, magnified. have they any means of gathering honey or scereting wax, or doing any work that is even necessary to their own support, or the common good of the colony. The Drones are shorter, thicker and more bulky than the Queen, and their wings reach the entire length of their body. They are much larger and elumsier than the Workers, and are covered with short but fine hair. Their BEE CULTURE. 17 buzzing when on the wing is much louder and differs from the others. Their only use is to serve the Queen when on her “bridal trip.” Not more than one in a thousand is ever privileged to perform that duty, but as the Qucen’s life is very valuable, and the dangers surrounding her flight are numerous, it is necessary to have a sufficient number of them, in order that her absence from the hive may not be protracted. After mating, she returns to the hive a fertile Queen for life. The Drone in the act of copulation loses his life, dying instantly. At the approach of the swarming season they are Fie. 5.—Head of Drone, magnified. reared to fertilize the young Queens; after that is accom. plished, they are mercilessly destroyed by the Workers. Should a colony lose its Queen, the Drones will be retained later; instinct teaching them that without the Drone, the young Queen would remain unfertilized, and the colony soon become extinct. THE WORKERS. These are undeveloped females, and they do all the work that is done in the hive. They secrete the wax, build the comb, gather the pollen for the young, and honey for all ; feed and rear the brood, and fight all the battles necessary to defend the colony. Of the three kinds of bees, these are the smallest, but constitute the great mass of the population. They possess 18 BEE CULTURE. the whole ruling power of the colony and regulate its economy. The workers are provided with a sac or honey-bag ; there isa small cavity on their posterior legs, (Fig. £3, A.) in which they store the pollen of flowers in very small lumps, being Fie. 6.—The Worker Bee, magnified. the most convenient form in which to carry it home. They are also provided with a sting, which they use only for defense. They gather honey, which is a secretion in many flowers— pollen, which is the farina of various plants, and which is largely used in forming bee-bread, and also propolis or bee- Fic. 7.—Head of Worker, magnified. glue, a resinous substance that is used in fastening the combs to the sides of hives, and to fill cracks or open places. Many persons entertain the idea that the Worker bees live many years. Their conclusion is drawn from the fact that colonies inhabit the same hive for a long period ; but the natural life of the Worker honey-bee does not exceed six BEE CULTURE, 19 months, and from recent experiments it is ascertained that. ir does not exceed six or eight weeks in the height of the honey season. Those reared in the fall, having little out-door work to perform, will live till the spring. None of them die or Fie. 8.—Anterior Leg of Worker, magnified. old age, but the majority work themselves to death, and many are killed through other causes. BROOD. The egg is laid by the Queen, in the bottom of the cell ; in three days it hatches into a small, white worm, called larva, which being fed by the bees, increases rapidly in size ; when this larva nearly fills the cell, it is closed up by the bees. ' Fie. 9.—Eggs and Brood. The time usually taken for this process is eight days for the Worker or Queen, and 94 days for the Drone. The Workers will develop from the egg in 21 days; gath ering honey from about 16 days after emerging from the cell, The Drones will hatch in 24 days, and if the weather is propitious they will “fly” in a few days‘after. The Queens 20 BEE CULTURE. mature in 16 days, and are able to fly in a few hours after emerging from the cell. Until the 17th day the workers seem only to be fit for the work of the hive. Before that age they seldom leave the hive—their labors being confined to the building of the comb, nursing the brood, feeding the larvae, capping brood and honey cells, Xe. PRODUCTION OF WAX AND COMB. This subject is an intensely interesting study. Before the time of Huber, it was generally supposed that wax was made from bee-bread; but Huber fully demonstrated that bees could construct comb from honey, without the aid of bee-bread. But, oxygen, being the support of animal heat, is essential to bees while building comb, because an extraor- dinary amount of heat must be generated, to enable them to soften the wax and mould it into such delicate forms. We herewith present a cut of the under surface of the Bee, showing the wax formation between the segments : Fig. 10.—Under su face of Worker, showing Wax in Segments. Dr. Dinhoff states that in new comb the thickness of the sides of the cells is but the 180th part of an inch! Such dclicate work is hardly conceivable; and yet, bees often make it in the dark, on cool, cloudy days, or in the night— appearing never to rest. Prof. Duncan, professor of Geology in King’s College, YATAH STON VEL ISHOHNAAVEIY ‘He °O 4 ‘UDINAH NHOLP ‘dd0L YAHLYIF BEE CULTURE, 21 London, in his work on the “Transformation of Insects,” remarks as follows on this interesting subject : “The production of wax is one of the most remarkable physiological phenomena of the organization of these Z[y- menoptera. It was generally thought, formerly, that the bees disgorged their wax from the mouth, and Réaumur certainly held this opinion ; but John Hunter discovered the manner in which the wax was formed ; and it is now evident that the bees carry within themselves this important building material. The segments of the abdomen of bees overlap from before backwards, but when the margin of one is lifted up, two broad and smooth surfaces will be noticed on the uncovered surface of the next wing ; these surfaces maintain during one part of the year two thin, white, and almost trans- parent laminze, which are really composed of wax. The wax is really secreted by some small glands which are within the abdomen, and it transludes through the soft and smooth integument between the rings or segments. It would appear that the sugary matters which are sucked and digested by the bees are to a great extent transformed into wax, which is to all intents and purposes a sort of fat.” A writer in Seribner’s Monthiy thus describes the manner of comb building in a new swarm : “When a swarm of bees is about to leave its old home and seek another, each bee fills itself with honey. After entering their new home, the gorged bees suspend themselves in festoons, hanging from the top of the hive. They hang motionless for about 24 hours. During this time the honey has been digested and converted into a peculiar animal oil, which collects itself in scales or laminze beneath the abdomi- nal rings. This is the wax. One of the workers, called the founder, then draws from its own body, by means of its clawed foot, a scale of wax. This it breaks down and crum- bles, and works with its mouth and mandibles till it becomes pliable; and it then issues from the mouth in the form ofa long, narrow ribbon, made white and soft by an admixture of saliva from the tongue. Meanwhile the other bees are making ready their material in the same way. On the ceiling of the hive an inverted, solid arch of wax is built, and from this the first foundation cells are excavated, all the subse- 22 BEE CULTURE. quent ones being built up and around these, which are usually three in number. The size and shape of the cell is determined by its future use; but ail comb is formed of two sheets of cells placed back to back, the partition walls of the two sheets always alternating with one another. If the comb is intended for brood, 25 cells of worker-brood, and 16 of drone, go to the square inch.” Neighbour, in his work on “The Apiary,” says : ‘Wax is the animal fat of the bees, and to produce it requires a considerable consumption of honey, to supply the drain upon the system. To be capable of passing through the pores of the abdomen, the wax must, no doubt, be a liquid, oily matter, which, on making its appearance outside the abdominal rings, thickens, and exudes from under the 4 medial ones, in flakes like fish-scales, one on cach side ; so that there are 8 of these secreting cavities, which are pecu- liar to the worker, not being found either in the queen or drone. “The rapidity with which comb-building progresses would lead to the supposition that there is a division of labor among bees, just as laborers convey building material to the artisans on the scaffold above. This work of comb-building is carried forward in warm weather, for a cold temperature interferes with the secretion of wax. Von Berlepsch declares that he has known cases in which a colony has built 300 square inches of comb in a single night!” The Rev. L. lL. Langstroth remarks as follows : “Tt is an interesting fact, which seems hitherto to have escaped notice, that honey-gathering and comb-building go on simultancously ; so that when one stops, the other ceases also, As soon as the honey-harvest begins to fail, so that consumption is in advance of production, the bees cease to build new comb, even although large portions of their hives are unfilled. When honey no longer abounds in the fields, it is wisely ordered that they should not consume in comb- building, the treasures which may be needed for winter use. What safer rule could have been given them ?” With all our ingenuity and skill, we have been entirely unable to equal the bees as builders. Only fancy what delicate work it takes to produce comb, the 180th part of an BEE OULTURE. 23 inch thick!! Truc, we take the wax they produce, melt it up, spread it into sheets, and then configurate it, showing the base or foundation of the cells—but there our inventive genius, for the present at least, “takes a rest.” In compari- son with their workmanship, ours is as a thick sheet of wrapping paper to a delicate sheet of tissue paper ! It is estimated that it takes about 20 pounds of honey to produce one pound of wax ; it is therefore all-important that all good pieces of comb should be preserved and given again to the bees. There are three kinds of cells ina hive. The smaller ones are hexagonal, and a little more than one-fifth of an inch in diameter, and are called Worker cells ; the larger ones of the same shape are one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and are Fie. 11.—Frame of Brood. called Drone cells. These cells may be seen illustrated in Fig. 11. The smaller or Worker cells being shown at the top ; the larger or Drone cells, at the bottom. The other cells, of different size and shape, (see Fig. 11.) are Queen cells; one is shown in the centre of the engraving, and four more on the left. They extend vertically or diagonally downwards, and very much res¢mble a peanut in form and size—they are simply the birth-place of Queens, and are 24 BEE CULTURE. only built in swarming time, or when the colony is rearing a Queen. The Worker or Drone cells are used not only for brood-rearing, but also for storing honey and pollen, or bee- bread. At first when the combs are built, they are generally trans- parently white, but with age and use for brood-rearing they become dark and opaque. The thin cocoons lining the cells, help to make them so; such are, however, just as valuable for breeding purposes for a long time, or until the size is materially diminished, thereby causing dwarfed brood. It is also valuakle for storing honey, where the Extractor is used. POLLEN OR BEE BREAD. This is the fertilizing dust, or fine meal-like substance, which the bees procure from the stamens of flowers. When deprived of bloom, they will take flour in lieu thereof. Bees collect pollen and carry it in their pollen baskets (Fig. 43, A.) to the hive and store it for daily or future use. When mixed with honey it is used to feed the young; older bees use it also for food, to elaborate wax, &e. Bees only gather one kind of pollen at a time. While different bees may carry in several colors at the same time, the pellets on any one bee will be all alike. Bees require water when comb-building and brood-rearing is going on, and should have access to it. PROPOLIS OR BEE GLUE. This is also collected, like pollen, by the bees, from resin- ous buds, and is used for fastening combs, coating uneven surfaces, and filling up cracks within the hive. They also sometimes use it in hermetically sealing up any offensive matter that may be too burdensome for them to remove from their hives. > 3. = & ff °o eo 5 Oo &£ BE BE & oF o 3 8 Bk > £§ Z go ~ E et o oO i po o aR eR ? ei | f , TIE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APIARY. SITUATION, STOCKING AND ARRANGEMENT. An enthusiastic admircr of the elegant habits of Bees, presistently enquires, Did any one ever sufficiently admire— did he, indeed, ever notice—the entire elegance of the habits and pursuits of bees? their extraction of nothing but the quintessence of the flowers; their preference for those that have the fincst and least adulterated odor ; their avoid- ance of everything squalid (so unlike flies); their eager ejection or exclusion of it from the hive, as the instance of carcasses of intruders, which, if they cannot drag away, they cover up and entomb ; their love of clean, quict, and delicate neighborhoods —thymy places with brooks ; their singularly clean arrangement of so liquid and adhesive’ a thing as honey, from which they issue forth to their work as if they had nothing to do with it; their combination with honey- making, of the elegant manufacture of wax, of which they make their apartments; their orderly policy ; their delight in sunshine ; their apparent indifference to anything regard- ‘ing themselves, apart from the common good ? BEE-KEEPING A SCIENCE. To succeed in any calling, we must first gain a reasonable amount of knowledge of the science upon which are founded the rules of that. art. Bee-keeping is a science, having for its object the attainment of a correct knowledge of all that pertains to the habits and instincts of these wonderful in- sects; and a practical art which regards all the attainments thus made as the only reliable basis of successful bee-culture. Therefore, to make the pursuit both pleasant and profitable we must possess the requisite knowledge of the laws that govern these industrious creatures. 26 BEE CULTURE. Reading and study as well as experience and observation are essential to obtain this knowledge. The lacking of these things will account for the many failures of those whose enthusiasm is not supported by experimental knowledge ! Every apiarist, therefore, musé read and study, in order to practice the art with pleasure and profit. WHO SHOULD KEEP BEES? Many embark in this occupation who should not ; being better adapted to some other. Only those should do so who are fond of the study of nature, particularly of the nature and habits of the honey bee! They must be willing to adopt the valuable improvements of the present day, and keep pace with this progressive age ; they must be able to control them- selves, in order to control their bees. Such only will suc- ceed—while those who still cling to the brimstone and old fogy notions of their fathers, and who are averse to progress- ive bee-keeping, who shun the little pets on account of their pungent weapons, and when stung retaliate with more ferocity and less judgment than would become a mere animal—can never succeed, and should avoid bee-culture. The careless, slovenly and lazy person should not keep bees. The care of an apiary is more than it is usually con- ceived to be—it is work / Work for the brain, as well as the hands and feet ! , SUITABLE LOCATION. As this work is intended principally for beginners and those unacquainted with the business of bee-keeping, we shall not discuss those questions which alone interest. the advanced apiarist as to location, &c. We simply say: Get a good location where fruit and flowers abound, and where white clover and linden or basswood is found. Almost any- where within the United States will be good. One thing we would say: Don’t go where there are already many other bee-keepers, for several reasons: 1st.— Tf you should have Italians, you don’t want to have your queens fertilized by impure drones. 2d. The pasturage may not be sufficient to support more bees. 3d. Older bee- keepers may think you are “treading on their toes,” and it may lead to unpleasant feclings, and a disastrous competition. Glands in Bees, Greatly Magnified. Plan of an Australian Apiary. From the honey-house to the outer edge of the inner circle of hives, 1) teet; thence to the outer edge of the middle circle, 15 feet; thence to the outer edge of the outside circle, 25 feet. R. F. HOLTERMANN. CHARLES F. MUTH. BEE CULTURE. 27 A territory of three or four miles all alone is quite a luxury, if you intend keeping bees for profit. Our apiary was located in Chicago, close to one of the main thoroughfares and street-car lines, and the results in both increase of colonies and honey has been exceedingly satisfactory. Myr. Muth, of Cincinnati, has his apiary on the roof of his store—and is successful with it. We use saw-dust under and around the hives, to prevent the springing up of grass to the annoyance of the bees.— Some use sand or gravel for the same object, with success. A timber range is very desirable, for a large portion of their honey and pollen they gather from timber and shrubs. Many good localitics are found near rivers or streamlets, where linden, sumac, maple, willow, cottonwood, and other trees, shrubs and vines that yield honey and pollen abound. The bees should be near the house, or where they can be heard when they swarm. They should be so located that the north and west winds would not strike them, where they can have a warm, calm place to alight. A hedge, high board-fence, or building on the north and west are a protection against the strong winds which destroy very many laboring bees in the spring, when one bee is worth as much as a dozen in the latter part of summer, as they are then much needed to care for the brood and keep it warm. If, in April, the day has been rather warm and the evening cool and windy, hundreds of becs may be found on the ground in front of the hive, perhaps loaded with pollen, but exhausted from the flight and chilled with cold. As they approach the hive they relax their exertions, and a light whiff of wind dashes them to the ground, from which they are unable to arise, and before the sun could warm them up, the next morning, they will be dead. If you have no shade for your bees, it would be best to plant fruit trees among them. These would not only supply them with pollen and honey in blooming time, but acceptable shade in hot summer days. Another thing is apparent, 27. e., the fruit would be a remuneration. The bees would fructify the trees and make them to bear plentifully—while in return, the trees would afford to the bees that shade which they so much require, from the burning rays of the sun. 28 BEE CULTURE. WHICH WAY SHOULD HIVES FACE. There seems to be no facing superior to the onc that allows the sun’s rays to shine directly into the entrance of a hive at 11:30 a.m. There is not a difference of any consequence between a south, south-east or south-west aspect, and selection may be made to suit the apiarist’s notion. Next to this, we should say, face to the east ; if this is impossible, then west —and when no other is available, submit to a north frontage. WHEN TO COMMENCE, The reason why many are unsuccessful is that they com- mence at the wrong TIME. It may have been noticed that about every third year has been a poor season for bees. After such a season but few will commence; while, if the next is a good one, many think the matter worthy of their attention, and if this is followed by another prosperous year, they then decide to embark. But alas, that is just the time to meet the third year’s reverse. Those, therefore, who engage in the business should not be discouraged at one reverse. Early in the spring is the best time to begin—and thus secure an increase of bees as well as honey the first year. HOW MANY COLONIES TO BEGIN WITII. Purchase a colony from some reliable breeder or dealer, and in order to get experience, increase from one or two colonies—not more. As it is essential to know WHAT to do, WHEN to do it, and HOW to do it, we cannot too strongly advise the beginner to purchase a good manual of the apiary, and sTuDY IT WELL. This is absolutely essential to success. REMOVING BEES. After procuring the bees and selecting the location and position in the apiary, the next thing is to know when and how to remove the bees. In thespring or fall will be the best time to remove them. In the hot weather the combs may be broken down in transit, and general ruin may be the result. In September or October they may be removed with safety, BEE CULTURE. 29 but the best time to begin an apiary is in April or May. Only strong colonies should be purchased, unless nuclei colo- nies are desired in the spring to build up into strong ones by the fall. If the distance is less than half a mile, they should be removed late in the fall, or the purchaser may lose heavily by the bees going back to their old location. Only a few days since, we heard of a man buying a few colonies of bees of his neighbor ; and, to his surprise, only the young bees, brood and Queen remained, after a few days—the old ones having gone back to their former location, and either died in trying to find their old home or united with other colonies. It is necessary, however, for their health that shortly after completing their journey they should have one or two fine days on which they can go out and relieve themselves. The disturbance created by transport causes every bee to fill itself with honey, and the condition thereby induced is unfavorable to lengthened confinement. We can always calculate on a fine day occurring after a short interval, in the fall—but one suitable for bee flight may not happen in winter till after the lapse of several weeks. If bees eat freely, and are constrained by an inclement atmosphere to remain long within their hives, evil consequences follow. This is what sometimes causes destruction to colonies moved in winter. WHAT KIND OF BEES TO GET. Some prefer to purchase black bees in box hives, and then transfer them to movable frame hives in order to get expe- rience. In that case, they should be populous colonies with the comb yellow or brown. Then the honey received will help to pay for the cost of transferring. The best satisfaction may be obtained by purchasing strong Italian colonics in the spring. Such will, doubtless, in a few seasons, pay for themselves, thus proving the cheapest in the end, though a little more outlay is required at first. One such colony is worth two of the former. To examine a BOX HIVE, incline it to one side, looking from the bottom up, between the combs. By using a smoker, the bees may be driven back, and one may discover if it has 30 BEE CULTURE. capped brood, larve and plenty of bees. It should have such, to be considered in good condition. BUYING ‘‘SWARMS OF BEES.” A first swarm is always to be preferred, and if possible from a colony which gave a swarm the previous year, for then the old queen will be in her second year—vigorous and at her best. A small, second swarm should be passed by, in purchasing. Arrange the frames about 1} inches from center to center; tilt the hive forward, at an angle of 20 to 25 degrees, and they will be almost certain to build straight on the top-bars of the frames. Ifan old colony is purchased, let it be one that was heavy in the spring, with straight comb coming entirely down to the bottom of the frames, or having as much of it as possible. HOW TO CARE FOR A FIRST COLONY. If it comes by express or freight, take it home carefully in a spring wagon. Be sure that the combs run lengthwise of the wagon; drive slowly and handle with care. Place the hive in the position you wish it to occupy, and let it remain until evening, when the wire cloth that is usually nailed over the entrance may be removed, and some board or other obstacle placed in front of the hive, so that when the bees come out in the morning, they will circle around and mark the location, before going to their work, and thus return in due time with safety. About mid-day, it may be well to open the hive and see whether any combs are broken down, and if so, get them straightened up, and fastened either with twine or wire, until the bees have secured them, when such fastenings should be removed. Be sure to smoke them well, before opening the hive. BEES KEPT ON SHARES. As some may desire to keep bees ‘‘on shares ”—though we never think it desirable to do so, as it often leads to misunderstandings and quarrels—we will here give the customary ‘‘terms” of such contracts : It is usual for one party to furnish the colonies of bees, and the other party the care and labor. The expense of new hives, surplus boxes, comb foundation and queens, is usually ‘NOSVH ‘fT '(V CUd J. B. HAINS. BEE CULTURE. 31 divided equally, and at the end of the season the honey and increase of bees are equally divided—leaving each to take all chances of marketing, as well as wintering. Always make a written contract, stating the agreement in full, and then there will be less liability of a misunderstanding. BEES MARKING THEIR LOCATION. This is done throngh the sense of sight. A large per- centage of the bees that fly out in the early spring are those that have come into being during the winter and early spring ; consequently they do not leave the hive in a straight line, but only go a few inches, then turn their heads towards the hive and oscillate back and forth in front of it ; then moving further back, still hovering in front of the hive, with their heads towards the entrance, occasionally. advancing towards it, asif to note more particularly the place of entrance and its immediate surroundings, they then increase the distance, taking a survey of buildings, trees, fences, or other noticeable objects near by, after which they return to the hive, and start in a direct line from it. On returning, they come directly to the hive and enter ; the surrounding objects and the color of the hive are all noted by the bees. CHANGING THE LOCATION. It is desirable not to change the location of hives, unless it becomes absolutely necessary to do so. After the bees Have become familiar with their location, should the hive be moved a few feet, they will not notice it when departing on their daily rounds, and if there are other hives near, they may perish in attempting to enter other hives or in wander- ing about, seeking their own home. When it becomes necessary to move the hives, it should be done gradually, not exceeding the breadth of the hive each day. Or if they are to be moved several rods, alarm them by smoke hlown into the entrance, then close it, and remove, placing some obstacle before the hive previous to opening the entrance again. In moving half a mile or more, the result is different ; they note the new locality and return to it. 8 32 BEE CULTURE, WILL BEES INJURE FRUIT? Bees never puncture fruit, and unless the skin has been broken by other insects or birds, they never molest it. Any _one can easily determine whether bees injure grapes or not. We know it is charged against them by some persons, but if any one will take sound grapes and hang them up in the apiary where the bees have full access to them, the matter can be easily demonstrated. This experiment has often been tried, but we have never yet heard of a single instance where the bees have punctured even one sound grape. Dr. Wm. R. Howard, of Texas, says: “I have tried the following experiments: Bees were covering the grapes in the vineyard, and seemed actually intoxicated on the wine. Removing several bunches, some of which had punctured berries, and some sound ones, were taken to the apiary, and the bees soon found them and went to work vigorously. As soon as the punctured ones were exhausted, the bees aban- doned them and went in quest of something better. Then the bees were furnished more of the same lot, and closed in the hive ; as soon as the punctured ones were exhausted, they seemed uneasy, then bunch after bunch of sound grapes were given them, which were eagerly covered, but as soon as it was found that none were punctured, they fell back in dismay. The mandibles of the honey bee are not dentate or serrate, but are simply smooth, and beautifully rounded at the points, spoon or scoop-shaped, covered on the body with fine hairs rather long, and on the edges are covered with still finer hair, with a second row around the internal surface, just suited to work soft wax, brush it up and give it the proper finish. If any one will examine these mandibles with a good micro- scope, it will satisfy him at a glance of the incapability of the honey bee to damage, by puncture, any fruits whatever.” Mr. D. H. Cutting, of Michigan, remarks: ‘TI suspended a cluster of crapes under a tree, and poured sugar syrup on it; they took all of the syrup, but did not damage the cluster, antil a wasp managed to bite three berries before I could kill it ; those three the bees finished. With many experiments, during five years, being surrounded by bees and affording them every opportunity of doing damage, and, failing to find them doing any, I think those who condemn the bees should BEE CULTURE. 33 experiment for themselves, and ascertain whether the bees do them any damage or not ; they may come to the same con- clusion as did the people of Massachusetts, who, years ago, thought the bees damaged their fruit, and had them banished, but, finding that fruit began to decrease and become of a poor quality, were only too glad to have the law repealed, and get the bees back again, when their fruit improved again.” CLEANSING COMBS CONTAINING DEAD BROOD, Brood is sometimes deserted by the bees from some cause, and, of course, dies—it might have been spread too much, or the bees were insufficient to properly care for it. It is often asked what to do with the combs containing such dead brood. We would say: Uncap those cells in which brood has died, then put them away in some dry place till the dead brood has dried and shrunken. When wanted for use, put them one or two at atime in the stronger colonies, where they will be speedily and thoroughly prepared for use. ‘In order to make them desirable for brood combs, it is necessary that the cells be ready for the queen’s occupancy as soon as she reaches the comb, or she will either pass over the comb entirely, or de- posit her cggs here and there, wherever she finds unobjec- tionable spots. Every close observer has noticed that the queen invariably makes a close inspection of the cell she proposes using, and unless perfectly clean she will not deposit an ege init. With a cell here and there occupied with dead larvee, it is easy to imagine how the living larva adjoining may be more or less liable to become chilled, as inanimate bodies are not possessed of the natural heat which pertains to those living. It is undoubtedly this natural law which instinctively impels a “good”’ queen to deposit her eggs com- pactly in an oval space in the comb, thus economizing to the greatest extent the heat of each ‘ndividual larva to help keep its neighbor warm. To what extcnt the presence of dead brood in the combs (which has died from natural causes) may have caused the death of contiguous brood, we cannot say, but certainly it has contributed largely to many of the theo- ries regarding “ foul brood”’ and its tendencies, and perhaps in rare instances has had a tendency to enfeeble many of those bees which survived to maturity. 34 BEE CULTURE, It may not be out of place, in this connection, to advise that the stronger colonies be selected to do all the drudge- work of the apiary, such as cleansing befoul ed combs, re- moving mold from combs, and pulling out such dead bees from the cells as will not shake out when dried and shrunken. If your strong colonies have their hives already filled with frames of brood, then remove sufficient to accomplish the purpose ; but where a colony is already feeble, and it is desir- able to build it up rapidly, no disagreeable work should be imposed upon the bees to perform, for it will task their ener- gies sufficiently to provide pollen, water, and do the feeding and nursing necessary for successful brood-rearing. A strong colony will accomplish in a few hours that which would em- barrass a weak colony for nearly a whole season. ANTS IN TIE APIARY,. These are sometimes troublesome in the apiary. The fol- lowing remedy is practiced an recommended by Mr. A. B McLavy: ‘“ With a weeding hoe, clear the ground in and around the yard of weeds and tufts of grass ; in a day or two, the ants will have established a trail from their beds to the hives. By this means you can readily trace them home. To a five-gallon can of water, add, say, ten ounces of cyanide of potassium, and let it dissolve ; with a trowel dig gently in the ant-bed until you find the nest, which will be known by the white eggs. Then pour on the water, and make the dirt into a thin mud right in the nest, pour the water on plenti- fully, so as to effectually poison the very carth. By this means you dispose of ants and queen ant, and unfit the larvee for reproduction. You may miss destroying it at the first trial, but will eventually clean them out. Keep the cyanide of potash out of reach of children, as it is a violent poison. It retails at the drug stores for about one dollar per pound.” REMOVING PROPOLIS FROM THE HANDS. We are often asked what will remove bee glue from the hands. Alcohol or spirits of turpentine will do it; or a little slacked lime kept in the bee house will be found convenient, during the summer, to remove propolis from the hands. Moisten the parts desired to be cleansed, then rub with wet lime until the propolis is removed. ee for Mbservat nh |. i o8 i WON. WES ° S Observation Hive. Prof. COOK’ Worrall’s Observation Hive. Harmer’s Observation Hive. ‘INVGVd SAUTHV HO ‘“HIOULSONVT °T OT AGL HIVES AND SURPLUS HONEY RECEPTACLES. WHAT HIVE TO US#. Indefatigable industry is the peculiar characteristic of the Bees. During the height of their harvest, they often sally forth even before the rising of the orb of day, and when the short twilight of evening has cast its somber mantle over the face of nature, they may sometimes be scen returning to their homes laden with sweets, which, but for their industry, would be forever lost. Neither the scorching. rays of the sun, nor wind, nor storm, will stop them ; they avail them- selves of every moment that can be employed to advantage, when the fields are decked with flowers containing the precious nectar | The Creator gave to the Bees no written law, but to guide their labors, He imparted to them instinct to a surprising degree. When the faded bloom and darkened horizon indi- cate the approach of winter, they look to their hoarded stores for sustenance till the early flowers of spring put in an appearance. As they provide abundantly, their keeper may reasonably call for the surplus, after supplying their own necessities.— For this he should supply them with a neat and comfortable home, having all the conveniences for storing the precious nectar in convenient and atiractive shape. It is, therefore, a matter of some moment to decide what style of hive will best accommodate them as well as their master. A good hive will give the apiarist complete control of the frames of comb, and afford no harbor for moths. It must give sufficient room for the breeding apartment as well as for surplus honey, and must admit of close scrutiny and easy manipulation. 36 BEE CULTURE. THE LANGSTROTH HIVE. Though movable-frame hives were in use in Europe, in rude form, as early as 1795, they were not at all practical until the illustrious German, Dzierzon, invented a hive, in 1848, and our own distinguished and honored Langstroth, in “ 1852, presented the world with one that has, with his system of management, completely revolutionized bee-keeping everywhere, making it a practical science. The patent which was issued to the Rev. L. L. Langstroth in 1852 expired in 1873, and there is now no patent either on his hive or frame. With the movable-frame hive, all the combs can be taken out and replaced, or exchanged with other hives at will, without the least detriment to the bees. The combs having a surplus of honey can be emptied with the Extractor, with- Fig. 12.— Langstroth Hive. out injury, and returned to the hive to be refilled,—thus saving labor for the bees in making new combs, and honey for their keeper. The Queen can be found, examined, and, when necessary, can be replaced by one more prolific, or one in some other way more desirable; and artificial colonies can be made at will, as we shall see hereafter. If a colony be weak, it can be strengthened by giving it a frame or two of brood from some other hive. In fact, the movable frame makes the bee-keeper “ the master of the situation.” , BEE CULTURE. 37 ALIGHTING BOARD FOR HIVE. Some prefer the hive to have a Stand, to raise it from the ground. The one illustrated here has a slanting alighting Fie. 13.—Alighting-Board and Stand for Hive. board to aid the bees in crawling up to the hive when returning from the fields with a load. THE LANGSTROTH FRAME. The brood-frames used in the Langstroth hive measure 94x17§ inches, outside, and are made with a V-shaped top- bar as shown in the engraving. Fig. 14.—The Langstroth Frame. When the Langstroth hive was invented, it had frames for surplus honey similar to. the brood-frames, but one-half their depth, and were used above a honey-board having holes bored in it, to admit the bees to the surplus apartment. 38 BEE CULTURE. THE PRODUCTION OF CHOICE HONEY. In no country on the face of the earth is honey produced, either in ancient or modern times, that can excel that produced in North America. Nature has supplied this vast Continent with honey-sources as varied and plenteous as can be found anywhere in the world. And within the past few years, many improved methods and appliances have been invented for the increased production of honey, as well as to multiply the volume and vastly enrich the quality of «the product. Simultaneously with these improvements, we find the consequent increased consumption. Heretofore it was a luxury, enjoyed only by a few—but now it takes its place among staple articles. Improved management, as well as increased production, has brought the price down to that which can be afforded by every family. HONEY IN THE COMB. Not only have we forsaken the log-gums and rude straw and box hives of our fathers, and given these busy little workers a neater home, with movable frames to contain their combs, but we have taught them to store their surplus honey in small sectional-frames, so that it can be easily California Frame. Nailed Section. Dovetailed Section. Fic. 15.—Honey Frames and Sections. taken from the hives when full, and marketed in convenient shape, suited to the requirements of retail purchasers. The first improvement was to get the surplus honey in «“‘poxes” holding two or more combs. Then came the «California frames,” invented by Mr. J. S. Harbison, which were made something like the standing brood-frames, only they were about 6x6 inches in size, and the sides and top were 1} inches wide, with narrower bottoms. (Fig. 15 a.) Honey-Comb Coral. NOSNIHOLQA “ZF ‘M SLE es ES] ‘LOO TI BEE CULTURE. 39 The first «-honey-boxes” were made to hold scveral combs about six inches square. A. G. Hill, of Indiana, conceived the idea of inserting «comb guides” two inches apart, and then sawing about half way through these boxes, between the “guides,” so that the retailer could, with a knife, cut the combs apart, without injuring the honey-combs. About the same time, Geo. T. Wheeler, of New York, invented honey-boxes for single combs, having wood tops and bottoms, and glass ends; and when taken off the hives (where full-sized, tin separators were used) the sides were also glassed. The bee-entrance was a ‘‘slot” in the bottoms. Then N. N. Betsinger, of New York, invented the honey box (Fig. 15 0) made by nailing 2x} inch sides to 1}x} inch tops and bottoms, to be used with tin separators, and glassed on the sides after being taken from the hives. These were to hold two pounds of honey. Then A. I. Root, of Ohio, made one-pound sections, eight of them, 44x4} inches, to fit a ‘wide frame” (Fig. 24) of the same size as the Langstroth brood-frame. These were of }-inch wood all around, and ‘dovetailed ;” the sides being 2 inches, and the tops and bottoms 1} inches wide, leaving room for the bees to enter between every two—to be used with tin separators 3} inches wide. After the four-piece dovetailed sections before mentioned, Prof. Cook used berry-box stuff bent to shape around a block, and nailed. Then several attempts were made to get the sections made in one-piece ; but that was not perfected until about 1880, in Watertown, Wis., when the present one-piece section with V-groove was perfected. For years these two-pound sections were the favorites for marketing comb honey—but they are now nearly driven from the market by the one-piece sections holding one pound of honey, and measuring 44x44 inches, outside. a a a Lr Fic. 16.— One-Piece, One-Pound Honey Section. This cut shows the 44x44 one-piece section, the grooves being represented by a, a, a. These can be easily bent into the shape of a box, by hand, but that can of course be done much faster by machinery. (Fig. 26.) 40 BEE CULTURE. SUPERS FOR USE WITHOUT SEPARATORS. The engraving (Fig. 17) shows a Super containing 21 two- pound sections, of the size to fit the Langstroth hive. It is designed for obtaining honey in the comb, without the use of separators. The sections for this arrangement are 1} Fic. 17.—Super for Sections without Separators. incnes wide, and will hold just the same quantity of honey as the 2-inch sections when separators are used. In the absence of separators, of course the sections should be filled with comb foundation, in order to secure straight combs, and such as may be packed in the crates for marketing without interfering with one another. As these “stories” are arranged with a §-inch space over the sections, they may be ‘tiered up” when desired. Fig. 18.—Super for One-Pound Sections. The second engraving shows a Super containing 28 one pound sections, also fitting the top of the Langstroth hive, and to be used without separators. The above described and illustrated Supers, can be made for any of the various styles of hives in use, by simply varying the size to suit the hive. BEE CULTURE. 41 SHIPPING CRATES FOR COMB HONEY. This Crate holds two tiers of one-pound sections. occurred to the reader to inquire why bolts of muslin are labeled with pictures of luscious fruit? Or why boxes of' fancy toilet articles are adorned with lithographs of enchanting faces with bewitching 48 BEE CULTURE. smiles? Answers to such questions offer us instructive lessons that will pay for the learning! Manufacturers know full well that in order to have their goods sell readily, they must be attractive! No matter how good the quality, nor how cheap the price—they must attract and please the eye ! To-day, comb-honey is the preference for table use, and if we would cater to the public want, we must produce that article in the most attractive shape. This must be arrived at by growth! We could not obtain ‘‘the most desirable shape” at one bound, but may approximate perfection ! No product of field or farm varies so much in price as honey; and why? Because of the unattractive manner in which some put it upon the market. It only requires to be attractively put up, to find ready sale at remunerative prices. If we meet the requirements of consumers, there will be a demand for all the honey produced in America. As the articles for sauce decrease in the fall, the thrifty house-keeper looks around for something to take its place besides canned fruit. Honey is just the thing she desires ; and it only remains for us to convince the millions of house- keepers of that fact, for the demand to increase and grow astonishingly—if the supply be kept up attractively. One great question, towering far above all others in importance, is: ‘+How to dispose of honey to the best advantage.” In vain do we talk of the best hives—the best implements for every department of the apiary. In vain do we toil and labor from morn till eventide, manipu- lating our pets and their surroundings. In vain do we tell of the large amount of honey stored away in our honey houses. Vain is all this, if we cannot dispose of it to advantage and thus reap the reward of our well doing. ASSORT AND GRADE THE HONEY. All honey should be graded, and a scale of prices be established. Now, one compelled by his needs, may sell honey at the commencement of the season for any price offered, and thus unintentionally break down the market, by giving a start at too lowarate. Systematic organization could and should help this state of affairs. Some State Conventions have appointed committees to grade and then dispose of the honey of the members. If this were done in every State or district, we should hear no more of the markets being broken down by premature and forced sales. NIVPHW 'M 'N ‘AOdd ASAOY NHHdUHALS ‘ALY LTT Z ay LY iy Yip “y YL pee EO, 3 0s70"% My BEE CULTURE. 49 MANAGEMENT OF COMB HONEY. Comb honey should be taken from the hive as soon as it is finished, or as soon thereafter as possible. ‘+ No apiarist can expect to have his honey sell for the highest market price,” says G. M. Doolittle, “if he allows it to stay in the hives for weeks after it has been sealed over, allowing the bees to give the combs a dirty yellow color, by constantly traveling over it. All comb-honey producers know that there always will be cells next to the section that are partly filled with honey but not sealed over, and when taken from the hive, if the section is turned over sidewise, the honey, being thin, will run out, making sticky work. The remedy for this is a small, warm room. Bees evaporate their honey by heat, and therefore, if we expect to keep our honey in good condition for market, we must keep it as the bees do, in such a position that it will grow thicker, instead of thinner all the while. Our honey room is situated on the south side of our shop, and is about 7 feet square, by 9 feet high. We have a large window in it, and the whole south side is painted a dark color, to draw the heat. In it the mercury stands from 80° to 90°, while our honey is in it; and when we crate it for market, we can tip our sections as much as we please and no honey will drip, neither will any of the combs have a watery appearance—all will be bright, dry and clean. But if we keep honey thus warm, the moth will make its appearance, and make it unfit for market, by gnawing off the sealing from our beautiful combs. “We build a platform on either side of our honey room, of scantling, about 16 inches high, and on this we place the sections so that the fumes from burning sulphur can enter each one; in about 2 weeks we fumigate, by burning 3 of a pound of sulphur for every 200 cubic feet in the room. We take coals from the stove and put them in an old kettle, so as not to get anything on fire ; pour on the sulphur and push it under the pile of honey, and shut up the room. Watch through the window, and in 15 minutes after the last fly or bee that chances to be in the room has died, open the door and let out the smoke, for if it stands too long, the smoke may settle on the combs and give them a greenish hue. As there may be a few eggs that have not yet hatched, we fumigate again in about 10 days, after which the honey will be free from moths, if you do not let millers into the room.” 50 BEE CULTURE. HANDLING AND SHIPPING. It has been estimated that the surplus honey product of America amounts to seventy-five millions of pounds ; there- fore, the placing of this enormous product upon the market is a subject of vast importance to honey producers. Any method that will add one cent per pound to the marketable value, is worth to them three-quarters of a million of dollars ; and any error of management, causing a reduction of one cent per pound, is to them a corresponding loss! We should ascertain what the market demands, and then diligently apply ourselves to the work, in order to reap the reward of “well doing,” and rejoice in the labor of our hands. Honey in the comb is a luxury—a fancy article—and our first care should be to produce it in such a manner as to com- mand a fancy price. It must captivate the eye of the con- sumer, and tempt him to purchase. To this end comb honey should be put up in single-comb sections, all combs being straight and evenly built, and labeled with the kind of bloom which produced it, giving the producer's name and address. It should be put up in uniform crates, and not veneered, 7. e., the combs inside should be just as good as those on the ex- terior of the crate. Small packages sell the most readily; twelve in a crate (fig. 20) is usually sufficient, and always the most desirable for the jobbing trade. The apiarist should give his personal attention to its crating, grading and shipping, so that he may be positive as to the details, should any question, involving these, be raised by the consignee. The inexperienced and careless ones are always a detriment, and sometimes ruin the market for their more careful and experienced neighbors. They take an inferior grade of honey, put up in irregular and soiled packa- ges, to market early, just to get a little money, and sell for any price offered; and this often settles the price for that locality and season, and the attractive honey is either sacri- ficed to their carelessness, or shipped to another market. If shipped away to market, it must not be packed in straw or chaff ; but put in small crates containing a single tier (fig. 20), and placed with the top bar downwards, which is the strongest way, and will prevent much breaking down. Ship BEE CULTURE. 51 by freight, for the expressage will be so high that it will take off all the profits, and is, in nearly all cases, liable to do as much damage as when sent by freight. See to its pack- ing in the car, wagon or vehicle, and place the combs length- wise to the engine, but crosswise to the horses, and give direction not to have it unloaded on trucks, but invariably to be unloaded by hand. WHAT TO DO WITH CANDIED COMB HONEY. When honey becomes old and candied in the combs, it can- not be removed by the Honey Extractor, and inquiries are made as to what to do with it. This is Mrs. L. Harrison’s method: “The honey was mashed up in a pan, and set over a kettle of boiling water, and stirred frequently. Before the honey was very hot, the wax had risen to the surface, and being set out in the cold, quickly congealed, so that the warm honey could be poured from under it, through a coffee strainer into another vessel, leaving the wax in the pan. After the honey was melted, the wax was all melted up together, and considerable honey of inferior quality was under it, which can be kept separate and be used for cooking, making ginger- bread, ete. ‘he rinsings of vessels used in manipulating the honey, will make excellent vinegar. The wax can be melted in a pan over boiling water, and should be poured, when melted, through a hot coffee strainer, and when cool, will be of a light straw color.” MANAGEMENT OF EXTRACTED HONEY. The marketing of extracted honey is an important matter, for a good article, attractively put up, will always command the best price, and it is, therefore, of the utmost importance to producers to have honey put up in the best shape. None but a thoroughly good article should be produced or placed on the market, as the price depends on the quality. A good article of extracted honey has excellent qualities, which, when well known, will commend it to all consumers, and is equal in every respect to the very best article of comb honey. It is very gratifying to know that extracted honcy is now produced to a much larger extent than ever before. Without 52 BEE CULTURE, saying anything to the disparagement of comb honey, we may say that we think it will become a staple only in the extracted form. Its excellent qualities, when better understood, will bring it into almost universal favor. Every bee-keeper should fully supply his own locality, and he should let it be distinctly understood that it is the pure honey taken from the combs by centrifugal foree—that nothing is added to it, and nothing taken from it but the comb—that it is not the old-fashioned “strained honey,” which was obtained by being taken from mashed brood-combs, and “strained” from dead bees, pollen, &c., but that it is the pure liquid gathered from the flowers, which will give health to the body, force to the mind, and strength to the intellect of those who use it. It should also be kept before consumers that granulated honey can be reduced to its liquid state in a few moments by placing the honey in a jar in warm water. When thus liquefied, it so remains for some time before again crystal- lizing. Consumers may be sure of a wholesome article by purchasing granulated honey and reducing it. Mr. Heddon used earthen crocks holding about ten pounds, and he likes them very well; it is very convenient to take the honey from them when it is candied, or to liquefy it by placing the crock in warm water. If the product is for a home market, then, of course, the producer must study the local preference regarding the size and style of package, as well as the grade of honey most easily disposed of. As far as practicable, keep each grade of honey separate ; it is a mistake to suppose a few pounds of inferior or different shade honey will make no difference in a large bulk of white clover honey, or that thereby a better rate will be obtained for the second grade article. Instead, the result will most likely be to class it all as second grade, and the price of all will be depreciated. Again, if possible, keep the white clover and basswood honey separate. In order to do this, keep a vigilant watch of the basswood bloom, and extract the white clover quite close before the bees com- mence gathering from the former. A little clover in the basswood honey, however, will not do the harm that would result if the proportions were reversed. After the basswood BEE CULTURE. 53 harvest is all gathered by the bees, extract it closely, for it will not do to taint any other honey, even though it be from fall flowers and somewhat darker, with its aromatic flavor. TIN PAILS FOR HONEY. For retail packages, tin pails (fig. 28), with close-fitting covers, are the best. Purchased by the gross or in lots of 1,000 or more, the price is so inconsiderable that no consumer will object to paying what they cost, in addition to the price of honey, for they are so ‘handy to have in the house” that not one in a hundred would return the pail. HT | era Sora To hold 3 pounds, 5 pounds. 10 pounds, Fie. 28.—Straight Pails. « A neatly printed label should be gummed or pasted on each Pail, stating the amount and kind of honey, name of apiarist by whom put up, and giving in a foot-note directions for liquefying the honey in case it granulates. To hold 25 pounds. 7 pounds, Fig. 28.—Tapering Paiis. They are heavier and stronger than the straight Pails; the covers are deeper and the top-edge of the Pail is doubled over. A smaller size is also made to hold about one pound. 54 BEE CULTURE. If smaller packages are wanted, then use glass jars (fig. 29) or tumblers. These are always worth their cost in the family —the former for pickles, catsups, and a thousand other uses, while the latter are equally appreciated for their convenience in putting up jellies, etc. Jars and tumblers, like the tin pails, shonld be tastefully put up and labeled. ] i S y oy t Fie. 29.—Glass Honey Jars. For a retail market, excellence of goods should be the prime consideration, but the attractiveness of the package should never be lost sight of. Manufacturers of adulterated goods, of nearly every description, depend more upon effect- ing sales by the employment of attractive packages and taste- ful, pretentious labels than upon the excellence of the pre- tended article sold. In this respect, bee-keepers have been wofully negligent, and many have appeared wholly indifferent as to the appearance of their honey, seeming to imagine that their personal assurance to the grocer of the purity of the article, was sufficient to convince the public of its desirable- ness. BEE CULTURE. 55 If the extracted honey be destined for a metropolitan or foreign market, an entirely different method of putting it up should be employed. There is nothing more convenient, attractive or economical than syuare tin cans, or small kegs Fig. 30.—Small Kegs for Honey. made of pine. The soft-wood kegs need no waxing. If thoroughly drenched with water a few hours before using, no leakage will take place. The square tin Cans furnish excellent packages for safely shipping extracted honey. Each Can holds about 60 pounds, and two of them may be shipped together in one crate, as seen in the engraving to the right. ‘There is no leakage in r LIA Fie. 31.—Square Cans for Shipping Extracted on transit, if even moderately well handled. A stick one inch square should be placed over cach Can, before nailing the cover down. 56 BEE CULTURE. Barrels are too heavy and cumbersome for convenient handling, and too large for rapid sales. No hard-wood barrel is safe to put honey in, till after it has been thoroughly waxed. Taking into account the value of the wax and time consumed in applying it, together with the price of the barrel, the cans or kegs are the cheapest, without considering their convenience and less liability of leakage. As the jobber never pays for the barrel, the shipper should use the cheapest—if the best. Many times jobbers and commission dealers decline small sales, rather than furnish smaller packages and give the time requisite for dividing up a large barrel of honey. The time is rapidly approaching when there will be a discrimi- nation of atleast one cent per pound in favor of the small packages, for the finer grades of extracted honey, whether for retailing or manufacturing purposes. HONEY MUST BE RIPENED. The nectar gathered from the flowers cannot be called honey until the evaporation and ripening process has so far gone on that the bees have commenced capping it over. If it be extracted before it is capped by the bees, as some apiarists recommend, on account of the quantity being thereby greatly augmented, then it should be ripened before it is placed in tight packages or shipped, or it is liable to fer- ment and sour. — The bee-keepers of California find it necessary to extract the honey as fast as it is gathered, but they thoroughly ripen it. Mr. Gridley thus describes his plan of ripening honey : maT a ur Fia. 32.—Honey Evaporator. “The honey from the extractor runs through a galvanized iron pipe (one-and-a-fourth inch) drain, a distance of fifty feet, emptying into a pan, 3x6 feet, four inches deep, made in this manner: This pan is put into a wooden case and covered with a glass sash ; set it at an angle of about forty- BEE OULTURE. 57 five degrees. The honey runs around these partitions, back and forth, a distance of one-hundred feet before it reaches the outlet at the further end ; from there it passes through ten feet of pipe into the tank, containing one ton. By the time it reaches the tank, the water is pretty well evaporated.” METAL CORNERS FOR CRATE COVERS. Mr. W. H. Fletcher, of Sauk Rapids, Minn., has made a very simple little contrivance for attaching to the corners of Fie. 33.—Metal Corners for Crate Covers. erate covers. These can be made of tin, require no especial ingenuity to manufacture, are easily tacked on the corners of the covers, and will be found very convenient by the grocer or family to hold the cover exactly in place, thereby effect- ually excluding flies and bees from the honey. Fig. 33 illustrates a section of the crate and cover with the tin corner attached. PUTTING THE GLASS IN THE SECTIONS. This is not such an easy matter to do, especially without some tool to drive in the tin points. Mr. C. Wurster, of Canada, has made a tool to do this (fig. 34), the use of which he describes as follows: “‘When using the tool, the section must be laid down flat, lay the glass on, and the side of the section you wish to drive the points in should be nearest you, 58 BER CULTURE. then with your left hand hold the section and glass in place, and with the left hand thumb to steady the tool, having, as will be noticed, one jaw shorter, which must be facing the glass in front of it, keeping the tool close to the edge of the Fig. 64.—Tovul for Glassing Sections. glass, and, while pressing down with the left fore-finger, press the glass against the tool, or at least from pushing it off in case a point isa little faulty and sometimes apt to bend. \ HONEY AS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. With a ready and anxious market for our comb honey in England, France, Germany, China and Japan, as eager consumers of American extracted honey, all fears of over- stocking the market are happily set at rest, and the time is not far distant when prices will be as quotable, and as gener- ally uniform as for any other product. Nor need we fear a divided market by reason of Foreign competition, for no country in Europe is so greatly favored by nature for honey producing as is the United States, and none produces honey of finer quality. Time was when prejudice militated greatly against our sales abroad, but the cultivation of fraternal relations with our friends in Foreign lands, and the assurance of friendly feelings and honorable transactions, have turned their honest prejudice into esteem, and their jealousy into generous co- operation. Our faith in the future of honey as a staple article, like butter, cheese and eggs, is strong and invincible. To this we have devoted our time, energies and means, and we are fully aware that all our “earnest work,” as well as that of our co laborers, will be rewarded. Let us all be wide awake —for “the day of prosperity ” for our chosen avocation is just dawning. PRATT mug LA fe — 5 r IL i S i eo \ Tt im id ae = = ni ml | | WO i (Side View.) HONEY EVAPORATOR. (End View.) Mcthod for Fastening Foundation in Sections, BEE CULTURE, 59 MANAGEMENT OF AN APIAKY. LUCK OR SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT. While some are said to be lucky with bees—others could never have any luck with them. Some will not sell their bees, others will not even give them away! Still others will neither sell nor give them away, but will allow them to be stolen, if sufficient money be left on the stand to cover their value. Some superstitious ones contend that when a member of the family dies, some one must go and whisper it fo the bees or they will do no good afterwards. A host of other whims could be arrayed, belonging to the age of superstition. Practical knowledge is the only secret of success. Stock- growers say, if they want to raise good stock they must attend to them, and administer to their wants. This is precisely the case with bees, and is the sole secret of that success which the ignorant and lazy ascribe to luck. THE ITALIAN BEES. Briefly stated, their superiority is thus demonstrated : 1. They have longer tongues and gather honey from the flowers where black bees cannot. 2. They are more industrious and persevering, and with the same opportunity will gather much more than black bees. 3. They work earlier and later in the day, as well as in the season, often gathering stores when the blacks are idle. 4, They are better to guard their hives against robbers, and proof against the ravages of the bee moth’s larve. 5. They are more prolific in the spring, and are less liable to breed in the winter. 6. Queens adhere more tenaciously to the comb. 7. They are amiable, and it is easy to manipulate them. 60 BEE CULTURE. ITALIANIZING OF THE APIARY. To do this, a tested Italian queen (Fig. J) should be ob. tained from some RELIABLE dealer or brecder, and introduced into one of the best colonies of the apiary. or, as the queen is the mother of the colony, to change queens is to change the whole character of the colony in a short space of time. To successfully INTRODUCE A QUEEN it will be necessary to find the queen to be superseded and take her away. A black queen being easily frightened, will hide or run away to some corner, therefore it is best to pro- cecd cautiously and without jarring. In the middle of the day, when the old bees are at work, open the hive, taking out the centre frame, examine both sides, and if the queen is not there, proceed with the adjacent frames till she is found. If not successful the first time, Fia. 35.—Mundible of Queen, yreatly magnified. close the hive an hour or two, till the hees become quiet, and then repeat the operation. An Italian queen would be easily found, but the blacks are more troublesome. When found, either destroy her or make such other disposition of her as may be desired ; cage the Italian queen and insert it between two combs containing honey which the qucen may be able ta reach at pleasure, BEE CULTURE. 61 Fig. 36 gives a good illustration of a piece of furniture that will be found very useful in an apiary. It isa stand on which to hang the first frames removed from a hive, when an examination of it is made. It was made by Mr. J.-M. Val- entine, who describes it so minutely that one can readily make it. Usually the first frames are leaned against the hive, standing upon the ground, and more or less bees are injured. With this “Stand,” they are hung up, entirely out of danger. Fig. 36.—Valentine’s Frame Stand. “The uprights are 1}xf, 24 inches high; a piece 1 inch square runs across the top for a handle to lift it by and to hold the top together. Two inches below the top-bar are hooks on both sides, so as to hang on two frames if desirable. Four inches below the bottom of the frames (when suspended on the hooks) is a shelf 12 inches wide, to which the uprights are nailed. This makes a nice place on which to lay cages, ete. Under this shelf is a drawer 6x8, that draws out on either side, in which I keep a dozen queen cages, a sharp- pointed knife, and a small pair of scissors.” In about 48 hours release the queen upon one of the combs, 62 BEE CULTURE. and see how she is received. If she is attacked by the bees, molesting her wings and legs, return her to the cage for another 36 hours, after which she will, no doubt, be accepted. Queen cells, if any have been started, should be destroyed. Another plan, and one that is regularly practiced in our aplary with uniform success, is to make the colony queenless for 24 hours, and then with an Atomizer (Fig. 37) throw a fine spray of peppermint water over both the queen and bees, letting the queen loose upon one of the central combs, and close up the hive. The pepermint water makes the bees z ii Yu Fie. 37.—Atomizer, for Spraying Bees. and queen of the same scent, and, almost invariably, she is received with favor. The spray is so FINE, that it is not the least detriment either to the bees, comb, brood or honey. With a valuable queen, where it is not desired to take the least risk, a new colony may be formed, by taking hatching brood from several hives. Being aLL young bees, the queen will be unmolested This may be done with perfect safety. INSERTING A QUEEN CELL. A ripe queen cell will almost invariably be received with favor by a queenless colony. Of course all other queen cells must be destroyed. Fig. 38 shows a queen cell finished and sealed, containing an embryo queen. ‘The orifice @ is capped, and the cell-walls are thickened preparatory to being extended in the direction of the dotted lines 8 b. When the embryo queen is nearly mature, within 12 to 16 hours of emerging, the bees begin to demolish the exterior compartment (Fig. 38, b b), reducing it to a level with the outer edge of the cap of the cell proper (Fig. 38, a). The con- ‘UATTIMN D0 Ud ‘TTA ‘SL ‘AToL aNoar ‘Pav ‘AVI 0 ‘Lads “Tlddv “L900 ‘“HOUVH Agel. 18, 19 y tz 2 : S ° & Aaya ‘ 099 ‘4SNI OU [ITA 9VTI ‘SYOVL POZTUTATBS IO - pouul os “paom 10 oinsy Aue uo Afaandes ssoid []TA poy OY} FBT} LOUUTU VB YON UY QUO ST 4T .109JB ‘aToATO | yora JO Q.9.1jU99 OY} OFUT Ud OMIM) B OD410F ‘*SA9T] jo aved @ Q4{Ai ‘Ueq} $ XOq SNETONN 10 OATH 94 JO AIG snonojdstoo 8 UO PID 04} WOulL—SNOLLILBIa "CHAO dAV LON “GaHO.LWV Hi "GTAONd AV "Twig o “OMA WED ‘Gdoourgd “DATISSIM > oar “SOOM ‘UALSIODAY NAWNO BEE CULTURE. 63 vex cap, being then very prominent, is liable to be injured ; and, to protect it, the bees coat it with a fresh layer of wax, making it nearly as thick as the cell walls. Fig. 39 shows the cell as scen after the anterior compartment has been re- moved, exhibiting the convex cap a. Fie. 38.—Finished Queen Cell, sealed over. The young queen pierces a hole through the edge of the cover (Fig. 39, a) with her mandibles (Fig. 35), and then makes a circular cut along its periphery. Being thus de- tached from the cell walls, the cap drops, opening a circular passage, through which the queen emerges. To cut a queen cell out, commence on each side of the base of the cell, not nearer than half an inch, and cut upwards a wedge-shaped piece (see Fig. 11), being careful not to squeeze Fie. 39.—A Ripe Queen Cell. or even to handle the base of the cell. A similar wedge- shaped piece must be cut out of the frame of comb that it is desired to put the cell into. Then carefully place the celi into the hole thus made, fitting it securely in position ; place the frame into the hive and close it up. 64 BEE CULTURE. MAKING NUCLEI COLONIES. Nuclei are made by taking two or more frames, as may be desired (at least one of which should contain brood), with adhering bees, and the frame, already furnished as described, with a queen-cell, and shaking into the hive the bees from one or more frames, so that there may be enough young bees to remain after the old bees have returned to their former hives, to keep the temperature sufficiently high to hatch out the brood, as well as to care for the emerging Queen. In making up nuclei colonies be sure not to take away the Queen with any of the frames, else the cell will be destroyed, and all their labor lost. It is better to use the regular frames for nuclei hives, and either use the ordinary hives with a division-board (Fig. 40) to contract the brood-chamber, and economize the heat, or make small hives just to suit the number of frames used. a Fic. 40.—Division Board. Many inquire wheth2r there is any patent on the ordinary division-board, or not. We say emphatically, No / One man claims a patent on a division-board fitted up with ‘woolen ” or ‘¢rubber strips,” at the sides, and “lugs,” or feet at the bottom. No one need fear to use the ordinary ‘«division-board.” A board of one piece is neither patented nor patentable ! As the virgin Queen emerges from the nucleus to meet the drones, sometimes the bees will accompany her if they have no unsealed brood. To prevent this, two or three days after the Queens are hatched, insert a frame containing eggs and young larve in each nucleus. If the Queen should be lost on her bridal tour, the materials will be on hand for the bees to rear another, if it is unnoticed by the apiarist. BEE CULTURE, 65 When the nuclei colonics are formed, put them away in the shade, and in two or three days the Queen will be hatched, and a week or ten days later will become fertilized, and be laying; this may be readily discovered upon exami- nation. Now the apiarist is ready for the formation of new colonies, without the inconvenience of natural swarming, by DIVIDING THE COLONIES. Bees swarm because it is their natural manner of increase. By dividing them we secure the increase without swarming, and save time in watching and hiving natural swarms. This, however, must not be overdone. The beginner some- times imagines that by dividing he can make almost any number of colonies from each one, forgetting that strong colonies are the only ones that accomplish anything. Dividing should never be done unless the colony be very populous, and can well spare the bees andcombs. To more than dowbdle the number of colonies each season is not good, unless increase is desired at the expense of honey. Some divide their strong colonies equally, or nearly so, earefully looking for the Queen, putting her into the new hive, placing bees and brood in the centre, filling up with frames coutaining comb foundation (Fig. 69), removing the hive with the Queen to a new location ; leaving the queen- less colony on the old stand, to rear for itself a Queen from the brood it possesses. Ifthe Queen be a choice one, and it is desired to get Queens from her, itis a good plan to get the queen-cells started for the nuclei, as before described. Ordinarily, we prefer the nucleus plan of multiplying colonies. Take one of the nucleus hives before described (which should be of the same pattern and size as those to be divided), and remove the division-board. Then take a frame containing brood and adhering bees from each colony, placing them into the nucleus until it is full. Be sure not to take the queen away from any colony. The bees that will hatch out in a few days will make that nucleus a populous colony. Put a frame nearly filled with comb foundation (Fig. 69) into each hive from which the frame of brood was taken, and in a few days they will have this all worked out into beautiful comb ; and, in all probability, filled with eggs. 66 BEE CULTURE. The new colony having a young and fertile queen, and plenty of bees, will soon rival the old one in the vigor of its work Each of the nuclei can be built up in this way, giving a new colony every few days—or, if the apiary be large, several every day—and thus effectually prevent swarming. Increase being secured in this way, none of the colonies are disturbed, and the bees everywhere ‘pursue the even tenor cf their way.” All being kept strong in numbers they are ready for the honey harvest, and will work in boxes very willingly. Dividing should be done in the middle of the day, when the bees are busy in the fields and the yield of honey is abundant. Another plan practiced with success, is to take away the division hoard in the nucleus hive, fill the frames with comb foundation (Fig. 29), and exchange places with a populous colony, caging the queen of the nucleus for about 36 hours, or until her acquaintance has been made by the strange bees that come pouring into it from the fields—for bees will always return to the exact spot occupied by their home. are = INT LAT Po eae = Mian zi) Fie. 41.—Davis’ Queen Nursery. To raise queens for the purpose of Italianizing an apiary, the Queen Nursery (Fig. 41), invented by Dr. Jewell Davis, may be used with success. Put into the cages of the nursery, between the tins, a few cells of sealed honey, in new comb if possible. Then cut from the combs of a pure Italian colony as many queen cells, large and well developed, as you have pre- aja ‘saareT Huryvyy sof ‘avg samog-100g ounjpuyy Buddpug uvuwoy 4 Sia a BEE CULTURE, 67 pared cages with the honcy, as above. Suspend one of the cells in each of the cages. Good care should be taken to have the best cells, and not injured by bruising, handling or jarring. Having thus supplied each cage of the nursery with a queen- cell and food—the food is thus supplied that the young queens may not starve if the bees do not feed them, a thing they often fail to dowhen there is a scarcity of honey in the flowers. The nursery cages so prepared are adjusted in the nursery frame. Then having removed a centre comb from a strong black colony, the queen-nursery may be placed into the vacancy made by the removal of the comb, there to remain until the queens are hatched, which will be in 3 or 4 days, if the cells were not cut from the combs too early, or before the 9th day. When the queens have emerged from the cells, remove the cage and introduce the caged queen to a black colony, libera- ting her on the next day about sundown—if necessary, spray- ing the bees with perfumed water by the atomizer (Fig. 37). i i i AA Fig. 42.—Queen-Registering Slate. To remember dates every one has not the faculty, and yet all the operations of queen-rearing require that it should be done. For instance, the time when a choice colony was made queenless, to have queen cells started—the time these cells are given to the nuclei—the time of hatching—when the queens commence to lay, &. To save time and trouble in remembering these and other dates, a small slate (Fig. 42), 3x4 inches, with a hole in the center of the top, should be hung on the hive by a small nail with all these dates written thereon. A printed card tacked on to the inside of the cap is used by some to advantage, in keeping track of such dates. If the dividing of colonies be neglected, or if it is not desired to practice that method of increase, the bees will become greatly crowded for room, and will necessarily SWARM. For some days before swarms issue the bees may be seen clustering at the entrance of their hive, though some come 68 BEE CULTURE. out where there are little or no indications of a swarm. When honey is abundant, and bees plenty, look for them to come forth at almost any time, from the hours of 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, for first swarms ; for second and third swarms, from 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. By examining the hive it can be ascertained whether they are about to swarm or not. If queen-cells are seen with eggs or larvae nearly ready to be sealed over, a swarm may be expected within one or two days after the first cell is sealed over, or as soon after as the weather will permit. After whirling a few minutes in the air, the mass of the bees will cluster on the branch of some convenient tree or bush—generally one that is shaded from the sun’s rays. They should be hived as soon as the cluster is formed, else they may leave for the woods; or, if another colony should cast a swarm while the first was clustered, they would probably unite. Should the Queen fail to join the bees, by reason of having one of her wings clipped, or for any other cause, the swarm will return to the hive, as soon as they make that discovery. As the bees are gorged with honey, they may be handled without fear of stings. « After-swarms” being unprofitable, all but one of the queen-cells should be destroyed, or cut out, as before described, for nuclei—-this will prevent any more swarms issuing. Within eight days, the first Queen will issue, and finding that she has no rival she will take possession of the hive, apparently having no idea of swarming. To ascertain that she has no rival, she makes a peculiar sound—called «‘piping.” If there is another Queen in the cell nearly ready to emerge, it will answer by a “ piping” sound. If this‘Queen, still in the cell, is protected by the bees, so that the first Queen cannot find and destroy it, she will also prepare to swarm within 2 or 3 days. After the departure of this swarm, and the emerging of the second Queen and her ‘‘piping” is also answered by a third Queen, a third swarm may also issue. If the desire to swarm is satisfied after the departure of the first swarm, the queen-cells will be all destroyed by the first young Qneen that emerges. BEE CULTURE. 69 TOW TO ILIVE A SWARM. If the cluster be low, it is easily performed. The queen is usually in the lower part of the cluster, and by finding “her majesty,” and placing her into a hive, which should be placed conveniently near for tle purpose of hiving the swarm, and with a dipper, or any other convenient vesscl, place the bees down in front of the hive on a sheet, or picce of paper. They will then crawl into the hive, and, finding the quecn, be satisfied to remain. When the bees are in, place the hive where it is to remain ; a shaded position will be the best. If comb foundation (Fig. 29) be placed into the frames, it will be of very great advantage in comb building. If they have clustered on a branch or twig, a basket will be quite essential, into which to shake or brush the bees. If on a wall or fence, or on the trunk of a tree, brush them into the basket, and proceed to hive as before described. A frame of: brood and another of honey placed into the new hive will be of much advantage to the bees. The former will prevent the swarm from leaving the hive, and should the queen be lost, it will give them the means of raising another, and the latter will give them a good start. By filling the other ‘frames with comb foundation, (Fig. 29) they will soon be in good condition and perfectly at home in their new quarters. ~~ Sometimes a swarm will make for the woods without clus- tering—but this is rarely the case. The beating of tin pans, and all such old-fogy notions, is, of course, of no avail; throwing a stream of water from a foun- tain pump is often done to bring down an absconding swarm, and cause them to alight and cluster. THE LOSS OF THE QUEEN. When the bees manifest a restless and uneasy disposition by running about the front of the hive and signaling each other, it is a sign that they have lost their queen, and they should be examined at once. Should a colony become queenless from any cause, three weeks may be gained by having an extra queen to give it at once. Upon examination, if no brood is found where the bees are clustering, the colony is queenlcss. At any time during 79 BEE CULTURE. the season, from March to October, this is a sure sign. Colo- uies that lose their queens during the winter have a forlorn appearance. The bees walk around the entrance listlessly and without eagerness ; but few of them go in search of either honey or pollen. No time should be lost in giving a queenless colony a comb of eggs or young larve, or both, from which to raise a queen. Y Fic. 43.—Legs of an Italian Worker Bee. Sometimes such a colony will refuse to raise queen cells: it may be too weak ; its queen may be too old to lay, or they may have a fertile worker. If it be too weak, it should be wnited with another colony. If its queen be old, she should Le removed and the bees given a frame of brood from a pros- perous colony. If it has a fertile worker the most effective way to get rid of it is to break up the colony, dividing it among strong colonies having fertile queens. BEE CULTURE. 71 Fig. £3 shows the legs of a worker bee. The two at the left showing the outside ; while the two at the right exhibit the appearance of the inside of the legs, 7. ¢., that part nearest the body. Those at the top of the engraving are the anterior, and the lower ones are the posterior legs ; the latter showing the “ pollen baskets” at A, A. Worker bees being undeveloped females, it is not strange that now and then one may be sufficiently developed to lay eggs,. Some account for this by the possibility that the larva Fia. 44.—The Ovaries may have been adjacent to the queen cell and received some of the royal pabulum, given so plentifully to the queen. Prof. Leuckart remarks that “it results entirely from the development of ege-germs and eggs in the individual ovarian tubes—which proceeds precisely in the manner described in the case of the queen.” As they are incapable of meeting the drones and becuming fully fertilized, their eggs will only produce drones. Fig. 44 presents a view of the genitalia of such a bee. It differs from the queen merely in the more advanced development of the ovaries. (Fig. 43, A A). ‘workers deposit the eggs in a very irregular manner, caused by the tubes being very imperfectly furnished with eggs. 72 BEE CULTURE. TRANSFERRING BEES. June is the month of swarming in the Northern States, while in the Middle and Southern States the early and abundant bloom signal its advent. The best time to transfer bees from the common to movable-frame hives is about the season of swarming, though it may be done on any warm afternoon, when the bees are actively at work. A transferring board (Fig. +7), about the size of the frame, should be prepared in advance, by making grooves of about one-half an inch wide and one-fourth of an inch deep, and about 2 inches apart. The spaces between these grooves should be cushioned with several thicknesses of cloth, to prevent the brood from being injured when the comb is laid upon it. Transferring sticks (Fig. 46) should be prepared from some light, tough wood, about one-half inch longer than the frames Fic. 45.—Frame of Transferred Comb. are deep, and about one-fourth of an inch square. Fasten two of these sticks together with a piece of fine annealed wire, so as to leave about one inch of space between them, (Fig. 46); attach a piece of wire to the other end of one of the sticks, (Fig. 46, 5.) to be used in fastening when placed around the frame of comb. (Fig. 45.) A small notch should be cut to admit the wire, and prevent slipping.— These sticks should be made in pairs, and be kept ready for use. TRANSFERRING FROM A BOX-HIVE. After smoking the bees at the entrance of a box-hive, remove it some distance from the old stand, leaving an empty hive or box in its place, to receive the bees that BEE CULTURK, 73 return from the fields ; invert the hive, place an empty box or hive over it, of the same size and shape, wrapping a'sheet or cloth around where they come together, leaving no eracks large enough for a bee to escape. By gently tapping the hive for some time, most of the bees, with the queen, will enter the upper box. When they have nearly all left the hive, place the upper box with the bees on the old stand.— Being alarmed and filled with honey, they may be handled without fear. The old hive may now be removed to a convenient room or building, and taken to pieces, by cutting off the nails with a cold chisel and prying off the ends, cutting the combs when taken out as near as possible to the size of the frames to be used. The transferring board (Fig. 47) should be placed upon a table or box, to be in a convenient position for working over it. The pieces of combs containing honey may be placed at one side till some with brood are found ; this should be put upon the transferring board (Fig. 47), so that when the frame ees Fie. 46.— Wired Sticks for Transferring. is placed in position over it, the brood may be nearly in the same position as it oceupied in the old hive and near the top of the frame, as that will be the warmest position in the hive. With a honey knife (Fig. 28) cut these combs to make them fit. If more are wanted to fill the frame, use the combs of honey first removed from the hive. Then push the ends of the sticks, (Fig. 46, 0,) that have no wire attached, through the grooves, from the bottom of the frames, where the combs may need support; the other sticks attached, place on the top of the comb, and fasten the ends together at the top of the frame, as seen in Fig. 45, to match the fastenings below. Place this frame in the hive, and proceed in the same manner with the next brood comb, and let it occupy the adjoining position in the hive, giving the frames contain- ing honey the outside position on either side. The honey from pieces of comb not used, and especially from all drone comb, should be removed with the Extractor T+ BEE CULTURE. Carry the new hive to the old stand, and empty the bees out of the box on a sheet, in front of the hive. See that the queen, as well as all the bees, enter it. To prevent robbing, the entrance should be contracted ; and in two or three days, when the bees have fastened the combs, the transferring sticks should be removed. Always work slowly with the bees, and avoid jarring. TRANSFERRING FROM A MOVABLE-FRAME HIVE. When it is desired simply to transfer from one style of frame to another, smoke the bees well, and after finding the queen and putting her in a tumbler or some secure place, take a frame, and shake or brush the bees off into the new hive ; place the frame upon the transferring board (Fig. 47) and cut out the comb; place the new frame over it and cut Fie. 47.—Transferring Board. to suit that frame, in the best way possible. Then fasten as before described with wired sticks, (Fig. 46); after thus transferring all the combs, proceed to hive the bees as above directed, letting the queen loose upon one of the brood combs as soon as they are transferred. UNITING WEAK COLONIES. Weak colonies may be united after smoking them well, by removing the combs with adhering bees and placiag them together in one hive, spraying them with peppermint water by an atomizer (Fig. 38), to give them all the same scent, Give them ventilation and close the entrance till sunset, placing them where the stronger of the two colonies stood, Swarms issuing the same day can be united peaceably, BEE CULTURE, 15 CLIPPING THE QUEEN’s WING. This is done to prevent her from leaving with a swarm. In attempting to fly she will fall to the ground in front of the hive, and the bees missing her, will return to the hive. This must not be done until after the queen has met the drone, or she will remain unfertile. To perform the operation, open the hive and lift the frame carefully, and avoid jars; when the queen is seen—with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors, lift one of the front wings and cut off about one-half of it. It is better that she be walking, or at least standing, so that a leg be not cut off with the wing. She should not be handled; if it becomes necessary to pick her up, be sure not to take her by the abdomen. She may be held by the wings without danger. WASHING OUT DRONE BROOD. Undesired drone brood can be very easily washed out of the comb by using a rubber sprinkler, which will be found very useful for other purposes about the apiary. All that is Fig. 48.—Rubber Sprinkler. required being a basin with water with which to fill the sprinkler, and into which the brood may be washed out. To use the sprinkler, compress the bulb, thereby expelling the air; then put the nozzle into water, and it will fill itself. REMOVING BEES FROM THE COMBS. ? The following is the “shaking off process” as practiced and recommended by Mr. G. M. Doolittle: ‘Place the ends of the frame on the ends of the two middle fingers of each hand, and then, with a quick upward stroke, throw the ends 76 BEE CULTURE, of the frame against the ball, or thick part of the hand, at the base of the thumb. As the frame strikes the hand, let the hands give a sudden downward motion, which makes the shock still greater. As the frame strikes the fingers again, it is thrown back against the hand, and so on till all, or nearly all, of the bees are off. The principle is that the bee is on her guard all the while to keep from falling off, thus holding on tenaciously so as not to be easily shaken off. By the sudden stopping of the upward, and a quick downward motion, the bees are thrown off their guard and dislodged from the comb. I do not remember of ever having broken a comb by shaking it, as above described. Now, if we disturb the Ital- jans, causing them to fill themselves with honey, they can then be shaken from the combs about as easily as black bees. But even if we cannot afford time to wait till they are filled with honey, four-fifths of them can be shaken off. To get off the remainder, I take a turkey or goose quill and trim down the feather edge about half on the wide side, and with this I have no trouble in getting off those remaining, without irri- tating them. Of course, it will appear a little awkward at first, but will soon be found easy enough.” PREPARING BEES FOR SHIPMENT. The best time for shipping bees any considerable distance, is in April, or quite early in May, before the combs are too heavy with brood; but with proper care in preparing them and ordinary usage in handling, they may be shipped at any time with comparative safety, except in quite cold weather. The first work is to go through the hives and extract about all the uncapped honey, as the least daubing will prove fatal to the bees ; then procure a block one inch square, and as long as the hive is wide, in this cut notches and tack in the bottom of the hive, in which to place the frames to keep them steady; now select the new combs and those heavy with brood or sealed honey, secure them well in the frames with .strip- binders, and place in the hive; tack the ends of the frames firmly to the rabbets on which they rest ; dip the blanket in clean water, lightly wring, fold about six thicknesses, and lay on the front ends of the frames. If the hive has no portico, leave oft the cover, and use wire cloth instead, nailing on top BEE CULTURE. 7 of that, three one-inch strips,two inches wide—one across the center, the others across each end, to insure ventilation when piled on each other. Now tack wire cloth over the entrance, and your bees are ready for shipment. If the hive has a portico, prepare in the same manner as above, except to bore a one-and-a-half inch hole in each side of the brood chamber, and also in’ the cover, which will be used in place of the wire cloth over the frames ; the holes to be covered inside and outside with wire cloth, to admit of ventilation. Leave the entrance open full size, but cover the entire portico securely with wire cloth, leaving free access to it from the interior of the hive; care must be taken, however, to bore a one-and-a-half inch hole under the roof-board of the portico, and left open, to allow free ingress to the interior of the hive, as the entrance beneath may become choked up, and the cluster of bees, with the queen, die of starvation through inability to get at the honey in the hive. Hives made with porticoes are much better for shipping bees, for it allows them to drag out the dead, cleanse the hive, and, to a great extent, prevent dysentery. Prepared in this manner, full colonies may be shipped at all seasons, from May 1st until Aug. 10th, with perfect success. Two colonies sent to New Zealand, after being confined six weeks, were received in splendid condition, and are thus de- scribed by the consignee, after their arrival: “The hives my bees came in were eight-framed ‘“‘ Langstroth,” tin rab- bets, bottom board flush with entrance, nailed on to body of the hive, cover flat with one-inch strips, one-and-a-half inches wide, nailed across the top at each end : from one end of cover toward the center, over the middle frames, a piece about 9x5 inches sawn out, and one-inch strips, one-and-a-half inches wide, nailed round the edge on the upper side. This hole was covered with wire cloth on under side, a sponge laid on that, and then covered with wire cloth on upper side, and the cover screwed down. The frames contained old tough comb, and where they had not been built right down to the bottom bar, strips of wood were joined in between the comb and bar, making it secure. Two wire binders were put around each frame, one-third from each end, and in one of the center frames a flat bottle containing water was fastened with wire, 78 BEE CULTURE. for which a part of the comb had been cut away, next to the end bar; this, of course, was neck downward, corked and some lampwick communicating with the water. The frames rested in a notched strip on bottom board, the width of the hive (not nailed), and two, notched strips secured them on top, the cover going down on these, held all firmly. The entrances were covered with wire cloth, and directions for giving water on the sponge were pasted on each hive. Upon arrival it was found that about a gill of water had been used from each bottle. There was no sealed brood in the hives, but both queens had commenced to lay, as there were hatched larve in some of the cells. UNITING COLONIES IN EARLY SPRING. Remove the queen from one colony, and put the frames with bees and brood at one side, putting in a divider made by tacking wire-cloth on one side of a brood frame, with the ends extending to reach full length of the hive ; now bring the brood, queen and bees from the other hive and place in this one ; close the entrance on the bees and queen put in for twenty four hours, slant a board in front, remove the hive vacated, and the work is done. In twenty-four hours, or the next night, remove the obstruction from the entrance, leaving the slanting board in front, which will cause the bees to mark their home anew. On the third day remove the dividing- frame and the board from the front. No hive should occupy the old stand, from which the queen and bees were removed, for several days. HOW TO SEPARATE SWARMS. The fsliowing is a very successful plan of accomplishing this task. Messrs. Bray & Seacord, of California, say that it works like a charm every time: ‘Make a box three feet long, wide and deep enough to hang the frames in, from the hive you use ; place the frames in the box, same spaces apart as they are in the movable comb hive; make one entrance for the bees on the side of the box, twice the length and of the same height as the entrance to the hive. Make three or four division boards to fit the box, then make a cover with cleats on both sides (no end cleats) to fit the box; hive the swarms Swarm Catcher. Llive Scraper, Manum’s Swarming Apparatus, Hive Clamp. BEE CULTURE, 79 of two or more in the box; place the box in the shade until the next morning, then push the cover lengthwise of the box and you will see each colony clustered by themselves. Put a division board between each cluster, after which push back the cover over the box and set. it where you wish to hive the bees. Place the hive in a convenient position to receive the bees, push the box cover back from over the first cluster, carefully drawing out the frames from the box, for the bees build comb twenty-four hours or less from the time hived. On some of the frames you will find comb ; place those frames with bees on, into the hive. This will start a roar in the hive; the rest of the bees ean be removed with a feather. When all the bees are in the hive, place it where you wish it to stand, and proceed with other clusters in a similar manner.” Mr. J. W. Bailey, of Wisconsin, makes “ swarm catchers ” of wire cloth nailed to a frame (fig. 49), and thinks them the most valuable assistant for the apiary. Fig. 49.—Bailey’s Swarm Catcher. Mr. J. 8. Hill, of Ohio, uses a swarm catcher, the bag of which is made of factory, having a handle of cloth on the inside as well as the out—making it reversible (fig. 50). With a long wooden pole it will reach any swarm, and when the bees are emptied in front of the hive, the handle on the outside gives the apiarist control of it, and when turned. in- side-out, a handle is still on the outside, as it has two. 80 BEE CULTURE, ROBBER BEES. If all the colonies are kept strong there is no danger of robbing. It is only the weak ones that are robbed. Working with bees at unseasonable times, leaving honey exposed in the apiary, etc., induces robbing. Colonies of black bees and nuclei are usually the sufferers. Contracting the entrance, so that but a single bee can pass, is usually a cure for robbing. In times of scarcity of honey, the apiarist should be careful not to keep a hive open long, or robbing may be tie result. All strong colonies maintain sentinels at the entrance in times of scarcity. Those of that colony are allowed to pass, but strangers are “arrested on the spot.” If a colony is unable to defend itself, close up the entrance with wire cloth and remove it to the cellar, or some other convenient place, Fia. 50.—Hill’s Swarm Catcher. for a few days, and when it is returned to the old stand, con- tract the entrance to allow only one bee to pass at a time. FEEDING BEES. Feeding early in the spring is advisable to stimulate breed- ing, and keep the colony strong, so that when the early bloom comes it may be strong enough to gather the delicious nectar. Whenever there is any necessity for it, feeding pays; especially in the fall, before preparing for winter, if their stores are insufficient, feed them ; each colony should have at least thirty pounds of good capped honey. Extracted honey, or coffee A sugar, reduced to the consis- tency of honey, is best for feeding, in the absence of good sealed honey. The poorer grades of sugar and glucose are BEE CULTURE, 81 totally unfit for feeding bees. To stimulate in the spring, one-half of a pound per day is all-sufficient for a colony. For feeding inside the hive the division-board feeder (fig. 51) may be used to advantage. It was devised by Prof. Cook, who describes it thus: ‘The top bar of this division- board feeder (fig. 51) is two inches wide ; from the upper cen- tral portion, beneath the top-bar, a rectangular piece the size of an oyster-can is replaced with an oyster-can (@), after the top of the latter has been removed. A vertical piece of wood (p) is fitted into the can so as to separate a space about one- inch square, on one side from the balance of the chamber. This piece does not reach quite to the bottom of the can, there being a one-eighth inch space beneath. In the top-bar there is an opening (E) just above the smaller space below. ici Fie. 51.—Division-Board Bee Feeder. In the larger space is a wooden float (F) full of holes. On one side, opposite the larger chamber of the can, a half-inch piece of the top (c) is cut off, so that the bees can pass between the can and top-bar on to the float, where they can sip the feed. The feed is turned into the hole in the top-bar (£), and without touching a bee, passes down under the ver- tical strip (D) and raises the float (Fr). The can may be tacked to the board at the ends near the top. Two or three tacks through the can into the vertical piece (D) will hold the latter firmly in place; or the top-bar may press on the vertical piece so that it cannot move. Crowding a narrow 82 BEE CULTURE. piece of woolen cloth between the can and board, and nailing a similar strip around the beveled edge of the division-board, makes all snug. The feeder is placed at the end of the brood-chamber and the top-bar covered by the quilt. To feed, we have only to fold the quilt over, when, with a tea-pot, we pour the fecd into the hole in the top-bar. If a honey board is used, there must be a hole in this just above the hole in the division-board feeder. In either case, no bees can escape, the heat is confined, and our division-board feeder is but lit- tle more expensive than a division-board alone. The best time to fecd is just at nightfall. In this case the feed will be carried away before the next day, and the danger to weak colonies from robbing is not so great.” Shuck’s Bee Feeder (fig. 52) feeds at the entrance, any time in the day, without danger from robber, as the food can be Fie. 52.—Shuck’s Bee Feeder. reached only from the inside of the hive; it is placed on the alighting board, with the side (D) nearly covering the entrance. In the engraving, the top is cut away to show the wood divisions (A A) in the feed-cup ; the food is poured into it without re- moving, through the hole (c), which is covered with wire- cloth. When done the cap (B) is closed over it, making all tight. QUIETING AND HANDLING BEES. The bee sting is composed of three distinct parts, of which the sheath forms one. These three parts join near the edges, and form a tube which, viewed sectionally, has the shape of a triangle, the angles being rounded off. The other two parts constitute the sting proper, and in a sectional view are semi-circular (fig. 53, 4), the upper edges being thicker than the lower ones, and squared to each other, one of the edges having a projection extending along the BEE CULTURE. 83 under or inner portion of it, thereby forming a rabbet along which the opposite part freely moves. The under or inner edge of each of these parts tapers down to extreme thinness, while near the termination of the edge there runs a minute groove which corresponds with the ridge mentioned in the description of the sheath, and along which the parts move Fig. 58.—Sectional View of a Bee Sting freely. Hach of these parts properly tapers duwn to an exceedingly fine point. Near the point begin the barbs (fig. 53, B), which in some stings number as many as ten, extending along the sting nearly one-half its length, and are well- defined. It may happen that one or both of the chief parts of. the sting are left in the wound when the sheath is withdrawn, but are rarely perceived on account of their minuteness, the 84 BEE CULTURE, person stung at the same time congratulating himself that the sting has been extracted. On being stung, if the poison-bag has not been emptied, remove it and suck the wound strongly to extract the poison ; this is usually sufficient. If not, apply ammonia or salt to the part to prevent swelling. Still another plan used with success is to blow some smoke on the place from the bee smoker (fig. 54). Smoke is harmless and is the best thing to alarm and quiet bees. With a good smoker (fig. 54), blow a little smoke in at the entrance before opening the hive. Give them a little Fie. 54.—Bingham’s Bee Smoker. more as you uncover the frames; if very cross repeat the dose, until they yield obedience ; then they may be handled with safety. Handle them gently and without fear, avoiding all quick motions ; such usually incite them to anger. When honey is being stored rapidly, Italians may be handled with- out smoke ; when there is a scarcity it is not safe to do so. To those who are commencing, and until familiarity causes the loss of fear, a pair of good gauntlet gloves and a veil are necessary, but after that fear has been overcome, a good veil will be sufficient. Such may be placed over a hat, the bottom of it coming down under the coat or vest, and when thus ad- BEE OULTURE. 85 justed it is a complete protection for the neck and face (fig. 55). It being made of white netting, it docs not stain the clothing, and as the piece over the face is black, it can be seen through, nearly as well as if not worn. A pair of gauntlet rubber gloves is best for those who need such protection, while unaccustomed to manipulating bees. The advanced apiarist prefers to have the free use of luis Fie. 55.—Bee Veil. hands at all times. Bees when gorged with honey are very peaceable; when often handled they become accustomed to the practice, and when this is gently done, they will scarcely notice the disturbance. SHIPPING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS. Fig. 56 shows a safe introducing cage, which is made by taking four strips of wood about four inches long and three- eighths of an inch square ; mortise both ends of one piece half way, and one end each of two others, so as to form a three- sided frame ; on this tack fine wire cloth, and through each side-piece drive two three-fourths or one-inch finishing brads, letting the ends project ; drive two brads through the fourth or loose strip. Take from the brood chamber a frame of comb containing sealed brood, remove the queen from it, if there; then shake the old bees in front of the hive, and place 86 BEE CULTURE, the introducing cage on the comb, over sealed brood and a few cells of uncapped honey, letting the projecting nails run through the comb so as to hold the cage firmly and closely on . the surface of the comb; then let the queen run from the shipping cage under the wire cloth, and quickly close by placing the fourth strip on the comb at the open end of the het tte Sean anges Ret et cH eunaie Seerene a sta He 4 ae eh seas : ge saeseees: FERRERS saeuRueaueaness, eneeasnnte kone: Beanass: SRE NERS: SSS saeuies Fie. 56.—Surface Introducing Cage. cage (fig. 56). Replace the frame in the hive, and the work is done. The young bees emerging from the cells affiliate with the queen confined with them, and the newly emptied cells afford room for depositing eggs. At the end of two or Uh Fig. 57.—Outman’s Introdueing Cage. three days she can be released by removing the end strip, and all danger from “ balling” is obviated. Many qucen cages are on the market for shipping and ‘introducing queens, and almost all of them are well adapted to the use for which they are intended. BEE CULTURE. 87 WOOD-ZINC HONEY-BOARD. This is made of alternated strips of wood (1} inches wide) and perforated zinc (} of an inch wide), with one row of Fie. 58. _Wood-fine Slatted Honey-Board. holes. The zinc strips are held in place by fitting into saw- kerfs on the sides of the strips of wood. It can be made to fit any hive. BEE-DIARRHEA. Bee-diarrhea in the latter part of winter and carly spring is a malady that affects some apiaries. The bees discharge their excrements over the hives and combs, producing a dark appearance and offensive odor. The cause is either fermented honey, improper food, long confinement, or too warm and poorly-ventilated quarters. Give them good capped honey and a cleansing flight. If too cold for this, out-of-doors, take the hive into a warm room, make a box, with the front and top made of wire-cloth or mosquito netting, adjust it to the entrance, so that the bees must enter it on leaving the hive. This will usually prove an effectual remedy. : = FOUL BROOD DISEASE. Foul brood is the rotting of brood in a hive ; the caps of the sealed brood appear indented and shriveled, and the larve and young beesin unsealed cells become putrid, emitting a disgusting stench. When the disease has a firm hold, even though it may be possible to cure it, we should advise the total destruction by tire, of the bees, combs, frames and hives, with everything which might harbor the disease. In its primary stages it may be cured in this way: With an atomizer (Fig. 37) spray the hive, bees, brood, honey and combs with a solution of salicylic acid, borax and rain water, repeated on the sixth day. Remove the diseased brood from the hive, and give them capped honey—if not too far advanced, this may give relief. 88 BEE CULTURE. The following is Mr. D. A. Jones’ method: “Remove all the combs not containing brood, extract the honey and boil it, then it is ready to feed back. Render’the combs into wax and make it into foundation; boil the frames fifteen minutes, and fill in the foundation again, placing them in clean hives; drum and smoke the bees until they all fill themselves with honey (this is very important, for if some are not filled, they will die when others have plenty) ; shake off the bees, leaving enough to nurse the brood ; place them in a box covered with wire cloth, carry it to a dark, cool cel- lar or bee house, lay it on its side, and allow the bees to Fie. 60.—Hastings’ Shipping Cage. remain there from sixty to eighty hours, until they drop, and show signs of starvation; then shake them into the clean hives with foundation, feed them, and put them into a new location at least one or two miles away from the diseased yard. As soon as the quecn and bees are removed for starv- ing, the hatching brood and bees should be doubled up, so as to have all colonies full of combs of hatching brood. The empty hives thus secured should be scalded for future use. As soon as all the brood hatches, the bees may be brushed off the combs after being made to fill themselves with honey, like the first lot, placed in boxes, and treated in the same way. Now bring the first lot purified back to the yard again, and you have all your bees and hives purified and free from disease, if you have done it as it should be done, without any loss except your time.” nourishment, Aye, and are we not informed that when “the morning stars sang together” over the pristine beauty of a new born world, that under the bright smile of Heaven, Adam and his happy spouse were presented with.a glorious home in an enchanting garden filled-with ‘‘ supernal fruits and flowers” of Ifeaven’s own planting — nurtured and watched by hosts of angelic attendants, who had made that Eden-home a beautiful Paradise ? There ‘‘ the beasts of the tield and fowls of the air”? dwelt togetherin perfect harmony, under sun-lit skies ; and among the beautiful bowers of that holy retreat, Eden’s feathered songstersrapturously joined in “the swelling chorus.” There, too, reveling in the precious nectar yielded from the bloom of glory-clad trees, shrubs and flowers, was ‘the little busy bee,’’ with its joyous hum and rapid flight—gath- ering the plenteous sweetness for the tiny but numerous _family about to spring into existence, at its little home! Ever did it flit from leaf to leaf and flower to flower, gather- ing the honeyed treasures, that its ‘‘ stores’? may be abundant for generations yet unborn —when winter’s sable-shades should settle down upon the earth, visiting it with cold and storm, and chilling the ‘little pets ” by its frozen breath and fiercer blast ! No historian has transmitted to our day a description of the rude hive provided for the bees that’ Noah carried into the ark, nor are we informed whether Abraham’s bees were kept in log-gums or box-hives, but it is recorded that the land where Abraham dwelt—Canaan—was one “‘ flowing with milk and honey ;”’ and when the old Patriarch, because of the famine that prevailed there, sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn, he sent as a present to the Egyptian ruler some of Canaan’s famous honey.—Gen. 48: 11. 6 HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. We may well conclude that Canaan’s honey was then as famous asin subsequent ages was the honey from Mount Hymettus in Greece.—Lev. 21: 24; Num. 13: 27; Ex. 3: 8, 17. n later years, Abraham’s offspring journeyed through the deserts of Arabia, and in order to sustain them there, God gave them manna from Heaven, to eat; they said that ‘‘the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”—Ex. 16: 31. When the Amorites came out of the mountains of Sier against the children of Israel, ‘‘ they chased them like angry bees.”—Deut. 1: 44. . In the Mosaic law we find many statutes regulating the ownership of Bees. é tear When Jonathan was engaged in battle with the Philistines ‘und became tired and faint, he partook of honey, and was sreatly refreshed.—] Sam. 14: 27. David and his army was provisioned in Gilead, and horney was one of the luxuries enumerated.—2 Sam. 16: 29. The Jews placed honey before their guests as a sign of welcome, ‘siving them the greatest luxuries that the land produced. Jeroboam sent his queen with presents to the Prophet Ahijah, and included honey.—1 Kings 14: 3. In the tythes of the Jewish Priesthood, honey is enumer- ated.—2 Chron. 31: 5. . Job signified the plenteousness of honey in the land, by speaking of ‘t brooks of honey.’—Job 20: 17. Solomon, relished Canaan’s delicious honey, and volun- teered this advice: ‘‘ My son eat thou honey; because it is good.”—Prov. 24: 13. Isaiah mentions ‘“‘ the bee that is in the land of Assyria,” and declares that bees were so plenty that ‘‘ putter and honey shall erely one eat that is left in the land.’’—Isa. 7: 18, 22. The earliest mention of honey as an article of commerce is, that the Jews were engaged in trading it at Tyre, that old and honored mart of trade in Pheenicia.—Ezek. 27: 17. Sirach, who lived about the time of the re-building of the Temple at Jerusalem, speaking of the necessaries of life, mentions honey, with flour and milk. Solon, in the year 600, B. C., enacted a law, requiring that bee hives in cultivated fields, must be 300 feet apart. Homer, Herodotus, Aristotle, Cato, Varro, viet Pliny, Columella, and other ancient sages, composed poems, extolling the activity, skill and economy of bees. ; The celebrated Cilician apiarist Aristomachus, of Solus, with 58 years of experience in bee-keeping, wrote on the subject of bees and honey, some 500 years, 3. C.—but that work is lost to us. 5 The Persians, Grecians and Romans, used honey uite extensively as an article of diet ; they also used it largely in oe food, and by it, mostof their beverages were veetened. @ HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. 7 Pramnian wine, produced near Smyrna, in Asia Minor, was, when mixed with honey, a favorite and celebrated bev- erage. Virgil calls it ‘‘ the gift of heaven,” and Pythagoras used and praised it. Democritus recommends it to all who wish to live long. When mixed with honey, many wines are more pleasant to the taste, and hence the Grecians and Spaniards of our day, even, thus prepare their wines,—known to the trade as ‘‘ pale Wine.” Aristotle, inhis celebrated ‘‘ History of Animals,” written about the middle of the fourth Century before the Christian era, gave the first detinitive description of the Honey Bee. Varroremarks : ‘* Nothing is sweeter than honey ; grateful to gods and men, it is used on the altars.” e “At the feast of the gods,” described by Ovid, which required costly aliments and precious wines, “‘ the delicious honey-cakes were never wanting.” These were composed of meal, honey and oil, and in number were the same as the years of the offerer. ; It was also extensively used in domestic worship ; at the special worship of Ceresin Nov. it was indispensable. . Ceres was regarded as the ‘‘honey dispenser” and who by her union with the rain-god, Zeus, caused fruitful seasons. Her priestesses were called ‘‘ bees,” because honey was the first food of the infant Dionysus, the son of Bacchus, whom Ceres bore in her arms, as Isis carried Horus;and she was the instructor of Aristeus in bee-culture. Bacchus too, demanded a share, as the ‘discoverer of honey,” the ‘“‘admirer of all sweetness,’? and the ‘‘decorator of the blooming meadows.” The Greeks and Romans used honey in embalming their dead, and sprinkled it over the graves in the funeral service. In India, honey is abundant, and Alexander’s triumphant warriors laid a tribute of ‘‘honey and wax” upon the bong ueret people; as did also the Romans, years afterwards, on the Corsicans. The latter paid Rome 200,000 lbs. of wax, yearly,assuch tribute. Atthe triumphal celebration, Pontus distributed honey to the victorious army. The Roman Emperor Charles IV. was favorable to bee- culture, and owned a forest, as did also the Holy Roman See ; both of which were called bee-gardens. The Bee Masters’ Association (or guild) paid him an annual tribute of 4,000 gold florins, and in the year A. D. 1350, he granted them a diploma which regulated their order. These guilds transmitted bee-knowledge from father to son, —as then the art of printing was unknown. On the Statute books of ancient nations, laws. are found _ for the protection of bees. The thieft of a swarm of bees, according to old Saxon law, was punishable with death. In Germany, history informs us, that a honey tribute was often levied, long before the reign of Henry IV. 8 HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. The Zerotin family in Moravia and Silesia, did much to encourage bee-culture. They hada guild, certain privileges, bee-taxes, and their own police. Prof. Jantscha, from Carniola, was called to Vienna, as Professor of bee-culture, during the reign of Maria Theresa. His successor was Manzbery. nder this reign all improve- ments flourished. On April 8, 1775, bee-culture, by patent, was elevated by the removal of all hinderances to the sale of honey and wax. Passing down to more modern times, we should mention as writers, Swammerdam, a German naturalist; Maraldi, an Italian mathematician; Schirach, a Saxon priest; Réaumur, inventor of a themometer; Bonnet, a Swiss entomologist; Dr. John Hunter; and Francis Huber, who though totally blind, is noted for his many minute observa- tions, by the aid of lis assistant, Burnens, which caused quite a revolution in ancient theories concerning the honey bee. He was also assisted by Mdle. Jurine, who, by delicate microscopic examinations, rendered important service not only to Huber, but also to future generations. In 1806, Christian Pehlemann, an invalid, resident in the village of Odenburg in the Prussian province of Brandenburg loaned the then hard-pressed King of Prussia, four hundred rix-dollars, the surplus profits of an apiary of thirty hives of bees, by whose tabors and products he supported himself. In 1812, the King repaid the loan with interest, and presented to the patriotic lender a gold medal having a hive anda cluster of -bees embossed thereon. Dr. Bevan’s work on ‘‘ The Honey Bee” was a standard volume until o1ie with the same title was published in this country by the Rev. L. L. Langstroth. But space forbids us to enumerate all the apiarists of the resent age—prominent among whom we may mention Fann Von Berlepsch, Leuckart, Von Siebold. Sir John Lubbock, the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, Samuel Wagner, M. Quinby, Adam Grimm, J. 8. Harbison, Capt. J. E. ethcr- ington, Professor A. J. Cook, and a mighty host of others, who, through faith in scientific research and devotion to experiments and manipulations, have wrought wonders with their bees. ‘‘Pulling down the strong-holds” of old-fogy opposition, they ‘‘waxed valiant in fight ” against all forms of ignorant and fossilized theories, consigning them to a burial with the fallacies of past ages—and as if by magic wand, they have bidden modern ideas and scientific manage- ment of the Apiary to ‘‘arise and shine,” sending its benign influences to the very ends of the earth ! ‘NOZUMIZd “Ud “ATU ‘AWTYD WYO Apiary of Walter Harmer, Manistee, Mich. HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. HONEY AS A MEDICINE. WHE Herald of Health, is high medical sanction. In its ~ issue for Nov. 1872, in answer to a question, ‘Is =—2 Honey Wholesome?” it says‘ Yes ; used in moderation, itis.” Itthen adds: ‘A German teacher has lately written a work on the subject of honey and its healing properties. While he may over-estimate its value, what he says is inter- esting. Wequote: ‘A strong influence for publishing this book was the fact that I, a sufferer from hemorrhages, already given up to despair, and at the verge of the grave, was saved by the wonderful curative powers of honey ; and now, thank God, I am freed, not only from weakness of my lungs, but rejoice in the possession of perfect health. ‘ At my first attack, upwards of thirty years ago, powders and tea were ordered for me, which benetited me but little. Ithen placed but little confidence in honey, which I had used occasionally, and in small quantities. Judging from my pres- ent knowledge, I believe that the honey was the only remedy that was doing me any good, and it is this that I have to thank for the gradual but sure restoration of my health. “As my disease increased I began to use cod liver oil, which weakened and injured my stomach so that I could hardly digest anything more, and my condition became worse and worse. Again J returned to honey, when my suf- tering immediately began to decrease and disappear. Besides the use of honey, I took pains to preserve my breast and lungs from injury, which, in my trying situation as pub- lic teacher, was almost impossible. My disease being caused by my constant teaching during so many years, I gave up my profession, and honey was my only medicine, whereby I, by the simplest, safest, quickest and pleasantest manner (for I was fond of honey), relieved the disease in my throat; and out of thankfulness [ now write this book for the use and benefit of many, especially for the use of those suffering from diseases of the throat and lungs.’ ” This German teacher is none other than Karl Gatter, with whom we had a pleasant visit in 1879, in the city of Vienna, HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. Austria. He was then in excellent health and buoyant spirits, and was enthusiastic in the praise of honey for curing his maladies, reviving his spirits,and giving him a new lease of life by which to enjoy the renewed vigor obtained by the plentiful use of honey. From this gentleman we quote still further, on the same subject. He says: ““In medicine, and especially in the healing of wounds, was honey, already in early times, used as a universal remedy, it yet constitutes the principal ingredient of several medical preparations, is used with the best results in many internal and external diseases; serves as a means for taking powders, for the preparation of salves and the sweetening of medicine. “* Honey mollifies; promotes festering ; causes gentle purg- ing, divides and dissolves, warms, nourishes, stops pains, strengthens the tone of the stomach, carries away all super- fluous moisture, aids digestion, thins and purifies the blood, and animates and strengthens the breast, nerves and lungs. Iloney is therefore to be used when suffering with a cough, hoarseness, stoppage of the lungs, shortness of breath, and especiully with the best results, in all affections of the chest. ‘* Many persons afflicted with various species of consump- tion, thank the use of good honey, either for their entire restoration to health, ov for the mitigation of their often painful condition of body and mind. Q ‘‘ Honey is also an excellent remedy for the occasional inactivity of the abdominal organs, and a means of strengthening weak nerves. For severe coughing, barley- water mixed with honey and the juice of lemons, drank warm, is pleasant relief. It appeases and mitigates fevers, and owing to its taste and its soothing qualities, it is used asa gargle. ‘* Honey can also be used with advantage in asthma, in constipation, in sore throat; promotes perspiration, lessens phlegm, and is very healing to the chest, sore from coughing. ‘* With old persons, the use of honey is very useful, since it produces warmth and a certain activity of the skin. For persons leading a sedentary life, and suffering from costive- ness, and especially from piles, pure unadulterated honey, either mixed in their drink, used alone, or on bread, is the best and healthiest means of relief. “* Honey has also great value as a medicine for children, and is readily partaken of by them as a choice dainty dish. It is especially useful to children afflicted with scrofwla or rickets. In difficult teething, rub the gums with a mixture of honey and an emulsion of quinces. For the removing of worms, honey has often been beneficially used, and it is often used in diseases of the mouth and throat. HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. “ Honey mixed with flour and spread on linen or Jeather is a simple remedy for bringing to head, or to maturity, boils, &e. Also, honey mixed with flour or fried onions, serves an excellent purpose as a covering for any hard swelling or callosity or abscess; and for ulcers it is often mixed with turpentine, tar, and tincture of myrrh. A plaster made of unslacked lime and honey has sometimes relieved most obstinate sciatica. : “If good honey is applied to inflamed wounds or boils, it lessens the drawing, quiets the pain and produces a good festering or suppuration. Undoubtedly, for all wounds, pustulous inflammations, bruises and bad _ festerings, honey is the best and most reliable remedy, and affords eee and safer help than all other known plasters; all that is needed is to spread it rather thick on a piece of linen, place it upon the fresh wound, bind it fast, and renew the plaster every four or five hours. Of course, if bones are broken, surgical aid must be had. ‘* Honey-dough—arto mele—a plaster made out of honey and rye flour or rye bread, into whlch henbane or other narcotic substances is mixed, is an excellent means of irritation ; which should be used in festering and bringing the sore to a head, and assuage the drawing and pain. Itshould be warmed, spread on a piece of linen and placed upon the sore part. ‘** For persons who are weakened through fast living, honey is, of all helps, the best nourishment, since it not only removes the poisons in the systein, but also through its virtues strengthens the system ; hence it has made itself so necessary to the inhabitants of the Orient.” Ifoney is beneficial in pectoral diseases, acts as an excel- lent detergent, and as a gentle laxative. In ancient times the free and regular use of it as an article of diet, was regarded as a means of securing long life; and it thus came to be popularly considered as a specific against disease. Honey is a sedative of no ordinary power. A friend, who is a practicing physician, mentions one of his patients, whose habits of observation were seldom equaled, having by the kick of a horse one of his knee-joints badly broken, the pain and anguish being very severe, his daughter offered him some wine or tea. He declined, but said she might give him some honey. Dr. A. remarks: “My own observations justi- fies the wisdom of his selection. Try it.” An admirable preparation for Coughs, especially during feverish or inflammatory attacks, is composvd of honey, olive HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE, oil, lemon juice and sweet spirits of nitre—each, one fluid ounce—to be taken several times a day, in half fluid-drachm doses. Honey is nutritive and laxative, and is employed largely in the preparation of medicine. In diseases of the bladder and kidneys, honey is an excellent remedy. RECIPES. For AstHmMA—Honey is an excellent remedy. Mix 1 oz. of castor oil with 4 ozs. of honey. Take one tablespoonful, night and morning. A simple and beneficial remedy, Honey oF SQUILLS.—Claritied honey 8 lbs.; tincture of squills 2 lbs.; mix well. Honey Coueu Syrup.—This is an excellent remedy for a common cough. One dose will often give relief. Stew half pint of sliced onions and 1 gill of sweet oil in a covered dish. Then strain and add 1 gill of good honey; stir it well and cork it up ina bottle. Take a teaspoonful at night before going to bed, or any time when the cough is troublesome. Eye WasH—for Sore or Inflamed Eyes.—One part of honey to five parts of water. Mix,and bathe the lids, putting a few drops into the eye, two or three times a day, until well. BALSAM OF Honry.—Take fine pale honey four ounces, glycerine one ounce; mix by a gentle heat. and when cold add alcohol one ounce ; essence of ambergris six drops, citric acid three drachms. This is intended to remove discolora- tions and freckles, as well as to improve the general appear- ance of the skin. For Croup.—Honey is an excellent remedy, giving sure and prompt relief. For Proncuitis.—Take comb honey and squeeze the honey out, and dilute it with water. Wet the lips and mouth with it occasionally. This has proved an excellent ‘remedy, even where children’s throats were so much swollen as to prevent swallowing of food. Honey SAtve.—Take two tablespoonsful of honey, the yelk of one egg, and flour to make it to a paste. This salve is excellent for running sores, of long standing, boils, or sores with proud flesh. For Covaus, CoLtps, WHOOPING Coven, &c.—Fill a bell- metal kettle with hoarhound leaves and soft water, letting it boil until the liquor becomes strong—then strain through a muslin cloth, adding as much honey as desired—then cook it in the same kettle until the water evaporates, when the candy may be poured into shallow vessels and remain until needed, or pulled like molasses candy until white. HONEY, AS 00D AND MEDICINE. Honey-WaAsH FoR THE Eves.—Honey is an excellent remedy for inflammation of the eyes. Put a few drops of pure liquid honey into a teaspoonful of lukewarm water, and stir with the finger until thoroughly dissolved ; then lie down and drop three or four drops into the eye, lying still a few minutes; then wipe the face and eyelids, but not wash out the eye. Repeat. this 4 or 5 times a day, and the last Hing before going to bed. Follow these directions faithfully an in a few days the inflammation will be entirely gone. GARGLE FOR Sore THrROAT.—Very out sage tea, one- half pint; extracted honey, common salt and strong vinegar, each two tablespoonsful; cayenne pepper, one teaspoontul. Steep the pepper with the sage, strain, mix and bottle for use. Gargle from four to eight times daily, according to the severity of the case. CANCER PLASTER.—White oak bark, four ounces; bruise it well and add urine sufficient to cover it. Infuse four days, and boil it until it becomes thick as molasses. Add two ounces of honey and two ounces of strained turpentine gum. To make this plaster caustic, add two ounces of white vitriol. Spread on soft leather, or linen. It may be applied to all kinds of ulcers, or white swellings. For can- cers it is invaluable. oy Honey Coueu MeEpicine.—The following is a recipe of a valuable remedy for obstinate coughs. It is especially valuable for long-standing coughs in elderly people, anc useful in all cases unattended with a hot skin and very frequent pulse: Extracted honey, linseed oil and whisky, of ean 1 pint; mix. Dose—one tablespounful 3 or 4 times € ay. . Ilonry AND TAR CouaH CAaNpDy.—Boil a double-hand- fulof green hoarhound, in2 quarts of water, down to 1 quart. Strain, and add to this tea 1 cup of honey, 1 cup of sugar, and _a tablespoonful each of lard and tar. Boil down to a candy, but not enough to make it brittle. Begin to eat this, increase from a piece the size of a pea, to as much as can be relished or needed. It is an excellent cough candy, and always gives relief in a short time. IIONEY FOR SORE EyEs.—Mr. S. C. Perry, Portland, Mich., says: “A neighbor of mine had inflammation in his eyes. Ife tried many things and many physicians; was nothing better, but rather grew worse, until he was almost entirely blind. His family was sick, and I presented him with a pail of honev. What they did not eat he put in his eyes, a drop or two in each eye 20r3 timesaday. In38 months’ time he was able to read coarse print, and now after 4 months’ use, his eyes are almost as good as ever. I have also found noney good for common cold-sore eyes " HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. HonEY AND Waunut CoueH Canpy.—This is made entirely of honey, but thickened with walnut kernels. The dose is a piece about the size of a pecan. It should not be boiled enough to make it brittle. REMEDY FOR WHOOPING CouUGH, COLDS, ETC.—The following is unsurpassed: Mix of good whisky, 1 pint, pure extracted honey, 1 pint, and 2 table-spoonfuls of pine tar. Dose for children, from 15 to 20 drops and increase. For adults, tea-spoonful—given when the cough is troublesome, 3 to 10 times a day. CoNSTIPATION.—Honey, especially the solid parts of the granulated, eaten on bread instead of butter, will have the desired effect. That part of honey which does not granulate, possesses this property in amuch lessdegree. A sauce made of prunes, boiled and sweetened with honey, is an excellent remedy. Jn dangerous cases apply an injective of milk and peneys having the temperature of the blood, about 97° or 98° ahr. CoNsSUMPTION.—Physical exercise, especially horse-back riding before breakfast ; the body to be rubbed thoroughly with a woolen cloth, night and morning; bedroom, an upper story, with a window partly open day and night; retiring and rising early; main diet to consist of farinaceous food and vegetables: for drinking, nothing but milk and honey, mixed half and half, either warm or cold. Croup AND HOARSENESS.—A gargle made of sage tea, sweetened with honey, or ‘pills made of mustard, tlour and honey. WHOOPING CouGH.—A decoction of wheat bran mixed with milk and honey, drank frequently, gives relief. ‘Worms.—Before breakfast take a table-spoonful of honey, or i. ten nade of peppermint sweetened with 1g to ¥4 its bulk of honey. To REMOVE FisH-BoNEs and similar hard objects which have become lodged in the throat. Make a large pill of wax (as large as can possibly be swallowed), dip in honey and let the patient swallow it. To Curr A BuRN oR ScALD.—Cover the same instantly with honey, keeping it so until the pain ceases. SUPPRESSED PERSPIRATION.—(Taking cold.)—Barley soup sweetened with honey, drank before retiring ; or oat-meal soup With honey, drank warm. AsStTHMA.—Grated horse-radish mixed with honey; one table-spoonful taken before going to bed. Rosr-Honey (rhodomeli), made of the expressed juice of roses and honey extracted from the comb, and is held in high favor for the sick. Atle ) 4 he wes r—— 5 ( ICIRAIER aN eK eB EO SO EOE Ore Cen 2 larin time, with whitish transparent crystals. In taste and smell, it is sweet, agreeable andaromatic. Itshould not: irritate the throat when eaten, and its peculiar flavor should beso decided, that it can be readily detected when mixed with other articles of die:. Honey derived from the blossoms of rape and othev cruciferous plants, granulates or crystalizes speedily—often, indeed, while yet in the comb before removal from the hive ; while that from labiate plants, and from fruit trees in general, maintains its original condition unchanged for sev- eral months, after being extracted from the comb. Honey produced in northern climates likewise crystallizes sooner than that from southern countries. “Under the microscope,” says the Druggists’ Advertiser, “the solid part of honey isseen to consist of myriads of regularly - formed crystals ; these crystals are for the most part exceed- ingly thin and transparent, and very brittle, so that many of them are broken and imperfect ; but whenentire they consist of six-sided prisms, apparently identical in form with those of cane sugar. It is probable, however, that these represent the crystals of dextrose, as they oceur in honeys from which cane sugar is nearly or wholly absent. Intermingled with the crystals may also be seen pollen granules of different forms. sizes and structure, often in such perfect condition that they may be referred to the particular plant from which the juices have been gathered. Crystalline sugar, analogous to grape sugar, may be obtained by treating granular honey with a small quantity of alcohol, which, when expressed, takes along with it the other ingredients, leaving the crystals nearly untouched. The same end may be attained by melt- ing the honey, saturating its acid with carbonate of calcium, filtering the liquid, then setting it aside to crystallize, and washing the crystals with alcohol. Inferior honey usually contains a large proportion of uncrystallizable sugar and vegetable acid. When diluted with water, honey undergoes, the various fermentation, and in very warm weather a1. inferior grade of honey will sometimes undergo a change HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE. acquiting a pungent taste and a deeper color. The usual adulterations of honey are with various forms of starch, as those of the potato and wheat, and with starch and cane sugars. The starch is added to whiten dark honey, and to correct the acidulous taste which old honey is apt to acquire, as well as for the sake of increased weight. The presence of starch may be readily detected by the usual iodine test. Honey is now rarely adulterated, in this country at least, as owing to the large supply, the conditions that once made sophistication profitable now no longer exist.” THE QUALITY OF HONEY. Athea, in Greece, furnished, from the south side of Mount Hymettus, and Sicily, from the hill and country surrounding Hybla, in which place Thyme scents the air, honey, which, was for ages held to be the finest and best. Also the honey from the country surrounding Mantua, the home of Virgil, from Mount Ida, from the shores of the Black Sea, and from the islands of Crete, Cyprus, and Kalydon, were held in high esteem ; and even yet, the honey from Spain, and especially from the Grecian Islands, is highly prized, and every year hundreds of quintals are trans- pee to Constantinople, and is of great demand at the alace of the Sultan. Of most excellent quality is the honey from the Island of Minorca, from Charmouny in Savoy, from Champagne, Narbonne and Montpellier, in southern France, and also that from Portugal. The latter is nearly white, and receives a pleasant aromatic taste from the abundant rosemary and other sweet-scented flowers, fruits and herbs. Bohemian honey was noted in ancient times for its rich aroma and its bright gold color; also in the vicinity of Salzbury and the Alps, the honey has rare value. In districts producing a great diversity of plants and flowers, those which decidedly predominate determine the quality of the honey there gathered. Natural meadows, and artificial pasture grounds, sown with esparsette, lucerne, melilot, white clover, &c., generally yield a very pure, white, sweet, and aromatic honey. The nature of the soil, climate, general temperature, and even the prevalent winds, have likewise considerable influence on the quality and quantity of the honey produced in any district. Thus, easterly and south-easterly winds rapidly dry up the honey in the nectaries of ee and long-continued drouth prevents the secretion of nectar. THE SouRCES OF HONEY. A writer on this interesting subject remarks that Honey is solely a vegetable product, not made. but gathered from the nectar of flowers, where it is secreted in fine weather accord~ ing to the iules of Nature’s laboratory. Each flower yields HONEY, AS FOOD AND MEDICINE, 27 honey of its own peculiar flavor, which, if not gathered, is soon evaporated and lost. Trees and flowers of nearly every variety produce both honey and pollen; but there are three distinct honey harvests in each year. The spring harvest is at its height when the apple trees are in blossom. Although the willow, hazel, elder, soft maple and tiny spring flowers each produce honey and_pollen nearly a month before apple trees are in blossom, and they form for the bees an accepta- ble change from the spare winter diet and also stimulate breeding, yet the bees scarcely gather from these what they consume during the time they are in blossom. When the hard or sugar maple is in blossom, and the peach, pear, and cherry are rich in honey and pelle they extend an invita- tion which is never slighted by the provident bees. The apple tree is classed with the raspberry, yielding an excessive flow of excellent honey. The wild cherry is rich in honey. The locust tree, either the yellow or black, is «a great pro- ducer of honey, and while in bloom the bees will swarm around it tothe neglect of other flowers. White clover is of great value everywhere, it continues to blossom about two months, yielding superior honey. Tulip trees, called by some whitewood, blossom soon after the appearance of white clover, and secretes much pure saccharine matter ; nearly one-fourth of a teaspoonful is often contained in one of its large bell-shaped flowers. The catnip, borage, straw- berry, the butterbush, blackberry, persimmon, melilot clover, sourwood, mignonette, hoarhound, motherwort, chestnut, and various kinds of garden flowers, are rich in ony and valuable when in sufficient quantities. About the mi dle of July the linn or basswood opens it ten thousand fragrant etals. Where this timber abounds the bees reap a rich xarvest. Mustard is their especial favorite. A month later buckwheat sends forth its blossoms, lasting nearly tive weeks, and: in favorable seasons this is the principal fall supply, besides enough honey wastes by evaporation to purify the air for some distance around. Hy a Fo ST RS = = yer ge rray SSS — ZABSSS IES ee YZzaseagi A Every Bee-Keeper should have one of these Machines for Hive-Making. S. Woodburn. Dickinson, Pa., says: ‘‘ After a trial of three months Iam well pleased with the Combined Machine. [have made 50 hives complete, besides several hundred frames.” We willsend our Illustrated Catalogue FREE on application. Say where yon read this, and address W. F. & JOHN BARNES, No. 2083 Main Street, Pockford, Winnebago Co. Ils. J. M. KINZIF, MANUFACTURER OF Chaff Hives, Single Boarded Ilives, ONE-PIECE V-GROOVE SECTIONS, Comb Foundation, Shipping Crates, and Dealer in Queens, Bees and Honey. Price-List Free. Rochester, Oakland Co., Mich. NEW YORE. NEW JERSEY. Y Foreign Orders Solicited. Eastern Depot! SMBEES+ SS QUEENS Everything Used by Bee-Keepers. Exclusive Manufacturer of The Stanley Automatic Honey-Extractor, Dadant’s Foundation Wholesale and Retail. White Poplar or Basswood Sections, One-Piece, Dovetail, or to nail. Any quantity } ij le —any size. Complete Machinery—Finest work. el hy, Send for Handsome Illustrated Catalogue free. _ fill,’ E. R. NEWCOMB, PLEASANT VALLEY, Dutchess Co., N. Y. MASSACHUSETTS. CONNECTICUT. Cow. COSTELLOW, Waterboro, York Co., Maine, Manufacturer of BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, GRATES, ETC., AND DEALER IN A FULL LINE OF Supplies for Bee-Keeping, Bees, Queens and Honey; Makes a Specialty of Fine and Accurate Workmanship on Wood- work for bee-keeping. Send for free Catalogue and estimates, Pi. Ih, dei, PUBLISHER OF GLEANINGS IN BEE-CULTURE A SEMI-MONTHLY Of 36 pages, with a subscription-list of over 8,000. Each issue is handsomely illustrated with original engravings. Its corps of contributors comprises the most successful Bee-keepers from all parts of the world. Price, $1.00 Per Year. WE ARE ALSO DEALERS IN APIARIAN SUPPLIES, Such as BEES, HONEY, HIVES, ete. We annually manufacture about 20,000 Hives, millions of Section Honey-Boxes, tons of Comb Foundation, Honey-Extractors, besides enormous quantities of Bee-Supplies in general. WE ARE ALSO PUBLISHERS OF THE AB C OF BEE - CULTURE, A Cyclopedia of 400 Pages. It is handsomely illustrated with 300 engravings. It is written especially for beginners. The 38th thousand now out. Price, in cloth, $1.25, postpaid. A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, Medina Co., OHIO. MUTHS GLASS HONEY JARS. Our 1 and 2 pound square HONEY JARS have now been tested for to and have not only proved a success, but we havo added to them alf-pound and Dime Jars, which cannot be excelled for neatness, RinLes Re ans ! un As Jars of honey are curly bought for table use, the best honey only should be bottled. A neat label on each Jar, with the producer's name plainly printed, will often serve as a reminder to the consumer of the place where the last nice honey was purchased. MUTH’S HONEY EXTRACTOR AND UNCAPPING KNIFE The Extractor is made of all metal. is et always ready for use, easily cleaned, and& J will last 4 life-time; in fact, it-has only to -be_used to be appreciated... Every BEE: j KEEPER should es SEND FOR OUR CIRCULAR, giving details about the care of bees, and how to get the most honey. CHAS. F. MUTH & SON, Cor. Freeman and Central Aves , CINCINNATI, 0. i I H | Our PAMPHLET entitled we PRACTICAL HINTS TO BEE- we KEEPERS, Will be sent for 10 cents in postage stumps. SN tl ol f peter The Oldest Weekly Bee-Paper in the World, THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, ESTABLISHED IN 1861, Is the Recognized Leading Bee-Periodical in America. ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, IN ADVANCE. A Sample Copy Free, Upon Application. The most successful and experienced bee-keepers in the World comprise its Corps of Contributors, and it is contin- ually advancing progressive ideas upon the various topics of modern scientific Bee-Culture. PUBLISHED BY THOS, G. NEWMAN & SON, Madison St., CHICAGO, ILL., JOBBERS AND DEALERS IN BEE-KEEPERS SUPPLIES INCLUDING HIVES, SECTIONS, HONEY & WAX EXTRACTORS, COMB FOUNDATION, KEGS, PAILS, SEEDS, &c. Illustrated Catalogue sent free upon application. rs it ae "ey ae “ eo es ee a 5 Eats sta piaiase 44: