Glass S f i 2^ Book ■ L. ^^ 2- Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/practicaltreatis02lang Movable Comb Hive, with ojlass on all sides. PRACTICAL TREATISE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, BY L. L. LANGSTKOTH, WITH AN INTEODUCTION, BY REV. ROBERT BAIRD, D.D. 0013 mOTHER SHOCTi^ "^^ QcJEEN OF A Hi^?^^ SECOND EDITION, ENLARGED, AND ILLUSTRATED ■WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. NEW YORK : C. M. SAXTON & CO., Agricultural Booksellers — 40 Fulton street. 1857, ^^ Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by L. L. LANGSTEOTH, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. C. A. MIRICK, PRINTER, GREENFIELD, MS. INTRODUCTION. I AM happy to learn from my friend Mr. Langstroth, that a new edition of his work on the economy and proper treatment of the Honey-Bee, is called for ; I consider it by far the most valuable treatise on this subject, which has come under my notice. Some years before it was published, I became acquainted with the main character- istics of the method which he pursues and which it describes. Even then, I believed that method to be in- comparably superior to all others of which I had either read or heard. This conviction has been amply strength- ened by the testimony of others, as well as by results which have come under my own observation. In my earlier life I had no inconsiderable experience in the management of bees, and I am bold to say that the hive which Mr. Langstroth has invented, is in all respects iv INTRODUCTION. greatly superior to any which I have ever seen, either in this or foreign countries. Indeed, I do not believe that any one who takes an intelligent interest in the rearing of bees, can for a moment hesitate to use it ; or, rather, can be induced to use any other, when he becomes acquainted with its nature and merits. At length the true secret has been discovered, of making these most industrious, interesting and useful of insect-communities, work in habitations both comfortable to themselves and wonderfully convenient for their aggre- gation, division and rapid increase ; and all this without diminishing their productive labor, or resorting to the cruel measure of destroying them. Mr. Langstroth teaches us in his book, how bees can be taken care of without great labor, and without the risk of suffering from the weapon Avhich the Creator has given them for self-defence. Even a dehcate lady need not fear to undertake the task of cultivating this fascinating branch of rural economy. Nothing is easier for any family that resides in a favorable situation, than to have a number of colonies, and this at but little expense. I sincerely hope that many will avail themselves of the facilities now placed before them, for prosecuting this easy branch of industry, not only for the sake of the large profit in proportion to its expense, which it may be made to yield, but also for the substantial pleasure which they INTRODUCTION. V may find in observing the habits of these wonderful little creatures. How remarkably does their entire economy illustrate the wisdom and skill of the Great Author of all things. I cannot but believe that many of the Ministers of the Gospel, residing in rural districts, will accept of Mr. Langstroth's most generous offer to give them the free use of his Invention. With very little labor or expense, they can derive from bee-keeping considerable profit, as well as much pleasure. No industrial or material em- ployment could be more innocent or less inconsistent with their proper work. There are few portions of our country which are not admirably adapted to the culture of the honey-bee. The wealth of the nation might be increased by millions of dollars, if every family favorably situated for beekeeping would keep a few hives. No other branch of industry can be named, in which there need be so little loss on the material that is employed ; or which so completely derives its profits from the vast and exhaustless domains of Nature. I trust that Mr. Langstroth's labors will contribute greatly to promote a department of rural economy, which in this country has hitherto received so little scientific attention. He well deserves the name of Benefactor ; infinitely more so than many who have in all countries VI INTRODUCTION. and in all ages received that honorable title. Not many years will pass away without seeing his important inven- tion brought into extensive use, both in the Old and New World. Its great merits need only to be known ; and this Time will certainly bring about. R. BAIRD. New York, March 5th, 1857. PREFACE. Grateful for the favor with which this Treatise on the Hive and Honey-Bee has been received, the Author respectfully submits to the candid perusal of his Readers, a Revised Edition, illus- trated by numerous beautiful wood-cuts, and containing the re- sults of his latest discoveries and improvements. The information here presented, is believed to constitute a decided advance, in some important respects, on anything which has hitherto been furnished to the Apiarian Public ; and while specially adapted to the wants of those who use the Movable-Comb Hive, it aims to set forth the true principles which lie at the foundation of all profitable Bee- Keeping, with any hive or on any system of management. Debarred to a painful extent, by the state of his health, from the more appropriate duties of his Sacred Office, and compelled to seek some employment calling him as much as possible into the open air, the Author indulges the hope that the result of his labors in an important department of Rural Economy, may prove ser- viceable to the community as well as to himself Such has been the satisfaction which he has taken in these researches, that he has felt desirous of awakening a more general interest in a pursuit, not merely profitable in its pecuniary results, but most admirably adapted to instruct and delight all intelligent observers. Scientific Bee-keeping is regarded, in Europe, as an Intellectual pursuit, and no one who studies the wonderful habits of this useful Insect, need apprehend that the materials for new observations will ever become exhausted. The Creator has stamped the seal of his own Infinity, on all his works, so that it is impossible even in his minutest pro- viii PREFACE. dacts to exhaust the store-house of the Divine Knowledge, so as " by searching " to " find out the Almighty to perfection." But while " a present Deity " may be seen in all the wide extent of Animated Nature, in few things has He displayed himself more clearly than in the wise economy of the Honey-Bee : " What well appointed commonwealths ! where each Adds to the stock of happiness for all ; Wisdom's own forums ! whose professors teach Eloquent lessons in their vaulted hall ! Galleries of art ! and schools of industry ! Stores of rich fragrance 1 Orchestras of song ! What marvellous seats of hidden alchymy ! How oft, when wandering far and erring long, Man might learn truth and virtue from the BEE !" Bowring. The attention of Ministers of the Gospel is particularly invited to the study of this branch of Natural History. An intimate ac- quaintance with the wonders of the Bee-Hive, while benfieial to them in various ways, might lead them, by drawing their illustra- tions more from natural objects and the world around them, to adapt them better to the comprehension and sympathies of those who hear them ; they would thus, in their preaching, imitate more closely the example of their Lord and Master, whose practice it was to illustrate his teachings, from the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, and the common walks of life and pursuits of men. It affords me sincere pleasure to acknowledge my obligations to Mr. Samuel Wagner, of York, Pennsylvania, for material assis- tance in the preparation of this Treatise : to his extensive and accurate acquaintance with bee-keeping in Germany, my readers are indebted for much exceedingly valuable information. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Philadelphia, March 10th, 1857. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter. Page. I. Facts connected with the invention of the Movable-Comb Hive, 13 II. The Honey-Bee capable of being tamed or domesticated, to a surprising degree, 25 III. The Qaeen or Mother Bee, the Drones and the Workers ; with highly important facts in their Natural History, . 30 IV. Comb, 77 V. Propolis or "Bee-Glue," . ...... 86 VI. Pollen or "Bee-Bread, 90 VII. On the advantages which ought to be found in a good Hive, 98 VIII. Protection against extremes of Heat and Cold, sudden and severe changes of Temperature, and Dampness in the Hives, 114 IX. Ventilation of the Hive, 124 X. Natural Swarming and Hiving of Swarms, . . . 136 XL Artificial Swarming, 166 XII. The Bee-Moth, and other Enemies of Bees. Diseases of Bees, . 242 XIII. Loss of the Queen, 277 XIV. The Apiary, Procuring Bees to start it. Transferring Bees from the Common, to the Movable-Comb Hive, . 299 XV. Uniting Stocks. Wintering Bees, 314 XVI. Robbing, and how prevented, 334 XVII. Directions for Feeding Bees, 345 XVIII. Honey. Pasturage. Overstocking, .... 371 X CONTENTS. Chapter. Page, XIX. The Anger of Bees. Remedies for their Sting. Instincts of Bees, 406 XX. On the proper Size, Shape, and Materials for Hives. Ob- serving Hives, 429 XXI. The Italian Honey-Bee, 440 XXII. Bee-Keeper's Calendar. Bee-Keeper's Axioms, . . 458 Appendix, 469 Explanation of Plates, 481 Wood-Cuts of Movable-Comb Hives, of various Implements used in the Apiary, and of Bees and Comb^ . . . 493 Copious Alphabetical Index, ...*... 510 ADVERTISEMENT. L. L. LANGSTROTH'S MOVABLE COMB HIVE. Patented October 5th, 1853. Each comb in this hive is attached to a separate movable frame, and by following the directions given in this Treatise, they may be all taken out in a few minutes, without cutting or injuring them in the least, or at all enraging the bees. By this arrangement, weak stocks may be easily strengthen- ed, by helping them to combs, honey, or maturing brood taken from strong ones, and queenless colonies saved from certain ruin, by giving them the means of obtaining another queen. As all the stocks in the Apiary, by the control of the combs, can be kept strong in numbers and in possession of a fertile queen, the ravages of the bee-moth may be effectually prevented. If the bee-keeper suspects that anything is the matter with a hive, he can open it, and by actual examination of its combs, ascertain, in a few minutes, its true condition, and thus apply intelligently the remedies which it needs. New colonies may be formed in less time than is usually required for hiving natural swarms ; or the hive may be managed on the common swarming plan, or enlarged, (with- out any alteration of existing parts,) so as to afford ample ac- commodation for a non-swarming stock. By a very simple arrangement, the queen may be confin- ed to the hive while the workers have their liberty, so that bees may be left at any time, without the least risk of their swarming in the absence of the bee-keeper. The drones when in full flight may, by the same device, be excluded from ihe hive and destroyed. The surplus honey may be stored in an upper box, in frames so secured as to admit of safe transportation, any one of which may be taken out separately and disposed of; or if XU ADVERTISEMENT. preferred, it may be stored in small boxes or glasses, in con- venient, beautiful and salable forms. Colonies may be safely transferred from any other hive to this, at all seasons of the year, (see p. 70,) as their combs with all their contents can be removed with them, and easily fas- tened in the frames ; and if this operation is skilfully perform- ed in the gathering season, the colony, in a few hours, will work as vigorously in the new, as they did in the old hive. If the combs of the bee-hive can be easily removed, and with safety both to the bees and the operator, then every en- lightened bee-keeper will admit, that a complete revolution must eventually be effected in the management of bees. This hive has been in use for a sufficient length of time to test its value, and is beginning to be adopted by some of the largest bee-keepers. The Inventor can safely say that since the issue of the patent he has spent tenfold as much time in efforts to perfect the hive, as he has in endeavoring to in- troduce it to the public. This hive can be made in a sim- ple, cheap and durable form, or may be constructed with glass on all sides, (see Plates I and VII.) An individual or farm right to use this invention, will be sold for five dollars. Such a right entitles the purchaser to use, and construct for his own use, on his own premises, and not otherwise, any number of hives. Ministers of the Gospel are permitted to use the hive without any charge. Those purchasing individual rights are hereby informed that the Inventor has expressly secured to them the right to use any improvements which he may hereafter patent, without any further charge. The book will be sent, postage paid, to any one enclosing one dollar and 16 three cent stamps, to Dr. J. Beals, Greenfield, Mass. Applications for individual and territorial rights, in the New England States, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, California and the Territories, may be addressed to R. C. Otis, Kenosha, Wisconsin. For rights in any of the States not above named, address P. J. Mahan, 146 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. CHAPTER I. Facts connected with the Invention of the Movable-comb Bee-Hive, The present condition of practical bee-keeping in this country, is known to be deplorably low. From the great mass of farmers and others most favorably situated for obtaining honey, it receives not the slightest attention. Not- withstanding the large number of patent hives which have been introduced, and often as a direct consequence of their use, the ravages of the bee-moth have increased, and success is becoming more and more precarious. Multitudes have abandoned the pursuit in disgust, while many of the most experienced are fast settling down into the conviction that all the so-called " Improved Hives " are delusions or impos- tures, and that they must return to the simple box or hollow log, and " take up " their bees with sulphur, in the old- fashioned way. In the present state of public opinion, it requires no little courage to venture upon the introduction of another patent hive, and an entirely new system of management ; but I feel confident that a new era in bee-keeping has arrived, and invite the attention of all interested, to the reasons for this belief. A perusal of this Manual, will, I trust, convince them that there is a better way than any with which they have yet become acquainted. They will here find many hitherto mysterious points in the physiology of the honey* bee, clearly explained, and much valuable information never before communicated to the public. 2 14 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. It is now more than seventeen years since I first turned my attention to the cultivation of bees. The state of my health having compelled me, of late years, to live more and more in the open air, I have devoted a large portion of my time to a careful investigation of their habits, and to a series of minute and thorough experiments in the construction, of hives, and the best methods of managing them, so as to secure the largest practical results. Very early in my Apiarian studies, I procured an imported copy of the work of the celebrated Huber, and constructed a hive on his plan, which furnished me with favorable oppor- tunities of verifying some of his most valuable discoveries ; and I soon found that the prejudices existing against him, were entirely unfounded. Believing that his discoveries laid the foundation for a more extended and profitable system of bee-keeping, I began to experiment with hives of various construction. The result of these investigations fell very far short of my expectations. I became, however, most thoroughly con- vinced that no hives were fit to be used in exposed situations, unless they furnished uncommon protection against extremes of heat, and, in our Northern States, more especially of cold. I accordingly discarded all thin hives made of inch stuff, and constructed my hives of doubled materials, enclosing a " dead air" space all around. These hives, although more expensive in the first cost, proved to be much cheaper in the end, than those I had previously used. The bees wintered remarkably well in them, and swarmed early and with unusual regularity. Some of them now stand in my Apiary, in Greenfield, Mas- sachusetts, containing vigorous stocks in their twelfth year, which, without feeding, have endured all the vicissitudes of some of the worst seasons ever known for bees. My next MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 15 Step in advance, was, while I secured my surplus honey in the most convenient, beautiful and salable forms, "so to facili- tate the entrance of the bees into the honey receptacles, as to obtain the largest fruits from their labors. Although I felt confident that my hive possessed some valuable peculiarities, I still found myself unable to remedy many of the perplexing Ccfsualties to which bee-keeping is liable. I was now convinced that no hive could be made to answer my expectations unless it gave me the complete coil' trol of the comhs^ so that I might remove any, or all of them at pleasure. The use of the Huber hive had convinced me that with proper precautions, the combs might be removed without enraging the bees, and that these insects were capa- ble of being domesticated or tamed, to a most surprising degree. A knowledge of these facts was absolutely neces- sary to the further progress of my invention, for without it, I should have regarded a hive designed to allow of the removal of the combs, as quite too dangerous in use, to be of any practical value. At first, I used movable slats or bars placed on rabbets in the front and back of the hive. The bees were induced to build their combs upon these bars, and in carrying them down, to fasten them to the sides of the hive. - By severing the attachments to the sides, I was able, at any time, to remove the combs suspended from the bars. There was nothing new in the use of movable bars ; the invention being probably, at least, a hundred years old ; and I had myself used such hives on Gelding's plan, as recom- mended by Bevan, very early in the commencement of my experiments. The chief peculiarity in my hives, as now constructed, was the facility with which these bars could be removed without enraging the bees, and their combination with my new mode of obtaining the surplus honey. With hives of this construction I commenced experimenting 16 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. on a larger scale than ever, and soon arrived at results which proved to be of the very first importance, I found myself able, when I wished it, to dispense entirely with natural swarming, and yet to multiply colonies with much greater rapidity and certainty than by the common methods. I could, in a few minutes, strengthen my feeble colonies, and furnish those which had lost their Queen with the means of obtain- ing another. If I suspected that anything was the matter with a hive, I could ascertain its true condition by making a thorough examination of every part, and if the worms had gained a lodgment, I could quickly dispossess them. In short, I could perform all the operations which will be ex- plained in this treatise, and I believed that bee-keeping could be made highly profitable, and as much a matter of certainty, as any other branch of rural economy. I perceived, however, that one thing was yet wanting. The cutting of the combs from their attachments to the sides of the hive, in order to remove them, was attended with much loss of time, both to myself and the bees, and in order to facilitate this operation, the construction of my hive was necessarily somewhat complicated. This led me to invent a method by which the combs were attached to movable FRAMES, and suspended in the hives, so as to touch neither the top, bottom, nor sides. By this device, I was able to remove the combs at pleasure, and if desired, I could spee- dily transfer them, bees and all, without any cutting, to another hive. I have experimented largely with hives of this construction, and find that they answer most admirably^ all the ends proposed in their invention. While experimenting in the city of Philadelphia, in the Summer of 1851, with some observing hives of a peculiar construction, I ascertained that bees could be made to work in glass hives^ exposed to ihe full light of day. A knowledge MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 17 of this discovery, procured me the pleasure of an acquaint- ance with Rev. Dr. Berg, pastor of a Dutch Reformed church in that city. From him, I first learned that a Prussian clergyman, of the name of Dzierzon, (pronounc- ed Tseertsone,) had attracted the attention of crowned heads, by his important discoveries in the management of bees. Before he communicated to me the particulars of these discoveries, I explained to Dr. Berg my system of management, and showed him my hive. He expressed the greatest astonishment at the wonderful similarity in our methods of management, both of us having carried on our investigations without the slightest knowledge of each other's labors. Our hives, he found to differ in some very important respects. In the Dzierzon hive, the corpbs are not attached to movable frames, but to bars, so that they cannot, without cutting, be removed from the hive. In my hive, which is opened from the top, any comb may be taken out, without at all disturbing the others ; whereas, in the Dzierzon hive, which is opened from one of the ends, it is often necessary to cut and remove many combs, in order to get access to a particular one ; thus, if the tenth comb from the end is to be removed, nine combs must be first cut and taken out. All this consumes a large amount of lime. The German hive does not furnish the surplus honey in a form which would be found most salable in our markets, or which would admit of safe transportation in the comb. Notwithstanding these and other disadvantages, it has achieved a great triumph in Germany, and given a new impulse to the cultivation of bees. The following letter from Samuel Wagner, Esq., Cashier of the bank in York, Pennsylvania, will show the results which have been obtained in Germany, by the new system of management, and his estimate of the superior value of my hive to those in use there. 2* 18 MOVABLE COMB HITI!. York, Pa., Dec. 24, 1S6^. Dear Sir : — The Dzierzon theory and the system of bee-^ management based thereon, were originally promulgated, hypothetically, in the " Eichstadt Bienen-zeitung," or Bee-^ journal, in 1845, and at once arrested my attention. Subse- quently, when in 1848, at the instance of the Prussian government, the Rev. Mr. Dzierzon published his "Theory and Practice of Bee Culture," I imported a copy, which reached me in 1849, and which I translated prior to January 1850. Before the translation was completed, I received a visit from my friend, the Eev. Dr. Berg, of Philadelphia, and in the course of conversation on bee-keeping, mentioned to him the Dzierzon theory and system, as one which I regarded as new and very suj^erior, though I had had no opportunity for testing it practically. In February following, when in Philadelphia, I left with him the translation in manuscript — ■ up to which period, I doubt whether any other person in this country had any knowledge of the Dzierzon theory ; except to Dr. Berg I had never mentioned it to any one, save in very general terms. In September, 1851, Dr. Berg again visited York, and stated to me your investigations, discoveries and inventions. From the account Dr. Berg gave me, I felt assured that you had devised substantially the same system as that so success- fully pursued by Mr. Dzierzon ; but how far your hive re- sembled his I was unable to judge from description alone. I inferred, however, several points of difference. The coin- cidence as to system, and the principles on which it was evidently founded, struck me as exceedingly singular and interesting, because I felt confident that you had no more knowledge of Mr. Dzierzon and his labors, before Dr. Berg mentioned him and his book to you, than Mr. Dzierzon had of you. These circumstances made me very anxious tO' MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 19 examine your hives, and induced me to visit your Apiary in the village of West Philadelphia, last August. In the absence of the keeper, I took the liberty to explore the premises thoroughly, opening and inspecting a number of the hives, and noticing the internal arrangement of the parts. The result was, that I came away convinced that though your system was based on the same principles as Dzierzon's, yet that your hive was almost totally different from his, in con- struction and arrangement ; that while the same objects substantially are attained by each, your hive is more simple, more convenient, and much better adapted for general intro- duction and use, since the mode of using it can be more easily taught. Of its ultimate and triumphant success I have no doubt. I sincerely believe that when it comes under the notice of Mr. Dzierzon, he will himself prefer it to his own. It in fact combines all the good properties which a hive ought to possess, while it is free from the complication, clum- siness, vain ivhims, and decidedly objectionable features which characterize most of the inventions which profess to be at all superior to the simple box, or the common chamber hive. You may certainly claim equal credit with Dzierzon for originality in observation and discovery in the natural history of the honey bee, and for success in deducing principles and devising a most valuable system of management from observed facts. But in invention, as far as neatness, com» pactness, and adaptation of means to ends are concerned, the sturdy German must yield the palm to you. You will find a case of similar coincidence detailed in the Westmin- ster Review for October, 1852, page 267, et seq. I send you herewith some interesting statements respect- ing Dzierzon, and the estimate in which his system is held in Germany. Very truly yours, SAMUEL WAGNER, Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 20 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. The following are the statements to which Mr. Wagnef refers : " As the best test of the value of Mr. Dzierzon's system^ is the results which have been made to flow from it, a brief account of its rise and progress may be found interesting* In 1835 he commenced bee-keeping in the common way, with twelve colonies, and after various mishaps, which taught him the defects of the common hives and the old mode of management, his stock was so reduced that in 1838 he had virtually to begin anew. At this period he contrived his improved hive in its ruder form, which gave him the com- mand over ail the combs, and he began to experiment on the theory which observation and study had enabled him to devise. Thenceforward his progress was as rapid as his success was complete and triumphant. Though he met with frequent reverses, about seventy colonies having been stolen from him, sixty destroyed by fire, and twenty-four by a flood, yet in 1846 his stock had increased to three hundred and sixty colonies, and he realized from them that year six thousand pounds of honey, besides several hundred weight of wax. At the same time most of the cultivators in his vicinity who pursued ihe.common methods, had fewer hives than they had when he commenced. In the year 1848, a fatal pestilence, known by the name of " foul brood," prevailed among his bees, and destroyed nearly all his colonies before it could be subdued, only about ten having escaped the malady, which attacked alike the old stocks and his artificial swarms. He estimates his entire loss that year at over five hundred colonies. Nevertheless he succeeded so well in multiplying by artificial swarms, the few that remained healthy, that in the fall of 1851 his stock consisted of nearly four hundred colonies. He must, there- fore, have multiplied his stocks more than three-fold each year. MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 21 The highly prosperous condition of his colonies is attested by the Report of the Secretary of the Annual Apiarian Convention, which met in his vicinity last Spring. This Convention, the fourth which has been held, consisted of one hundred and twelve experienced and enthusiastic bee- keepers from various districts of Germany and neighboring countries, and among them were some vi'ho, when they assembled, were strong opposers of his system. They visited and personally examined the Apiaries of Mr. Dzierzon. The report speaks in the very highest terms of his success, and of the manifest superiority of his system of management. He exhibited and satisfactorily explained to his visitors, his practice and principles ; and they remarked, with astonishment, the singular docility o{ his bees, and the thorough control to which they were subjected. After a full detail of the proceedings, the Secretary goes on to say : " Now that I have seen Dzierzon's method practically demonstrated, I must admit that it is attended with fewer difficulties than I had supposed. With his hive and system of management it would seem that bees become at once more docile than they are in other cases. I consider his system the simplest and best means of elevating bee-culture to a profitable pursuit, and of spreading it far and wide over the land ; especially as it is adapted to districts in which the bees do not readily and regularly swarm. His eminent success in re-establishing his stock, after suffering so heavily from the devastating pestilence, in short the recuperative power of the system demonstrates conclusively, that it furnishes the best, perhaps the only means of reinstating bee-culture to a profitable branch of rural economy. Dzierzon modestly disclaimed the idea of having attained perfection in his hive. He dwelt rather upon the truth and importance of his theory and system of management," 22 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. From the Leijnig Illustrated Almanac — Report on Agri- culture for 1846 : " Bee culture is no longer regarded as of any importance in rural economy." From the same for 1851, and 1853 : " Since Dzierzon's system has been made known, an entire revolution in bee culture has been produced. A new era has been created for it, and bee-keepers are turning their attention to it with renewed zeal. The merits of his discove- ries are appreciated by the government, and they recom- mend his system as worthy the attention of the teachers of common schools." Mr. Dzierzon resides in a poor, sandy district of Lower Silesia, which, according to the common notions of Apia- rians, is unfavorable to bee culture. Yet despite of this and of various other mishaps, he has succeeded in realizing nine hundred dollars as the product of his bees in one season ! By his mode of management, his bees yield, even in the poorest years, from 10 to 15 percent, on the capital invested, and where the colonies are produced by the Apiarian's own skill and labor, they cost him only about one-fourth the price at which they are usually valued. In ordinary seasons the profit amounts to from 30 to 50 per cent,, and in very favor- able seasons from 80 to 100 per cent." In communicating these facts to the public, I have several objects in view. I freely acknowledge that I take an honest pride in establishing my claims as an independent observer ; and as having matured by my own discoveries, the same system of bee-culture, as that which has excited so much interest in Germany ; I desire also to have the testimony of the translator of Dzierzon to the superior merits of my hive. Mr. Wagner is extensively known as an able German scholar. He has taken all the numbers of the Bee Journal, MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 23 a monthly periodical which has been published for niore than fifteen years in Gernaany, and is undoubtedly nnore familiar with the state of Apiarian culture abroad, than any man in this country. I am anxious further to show that the great importance which I attach to my system of management, is amply justi- fied by the success of those who, while pursuing a similar one wiih inferior hives, have attained results, which to com- mon bee-keepers, seem almost incredible. Inventors are too prone to form exaggerated estimates of the value of their labors ; and the American public has been so often deluded with patent hives, devised by persons ignorant of the most important principles in the natural history of ihe bee, and which have utterly failed to answer their professed objects, that they are scarcely to be blamed for rejecting every new hive as unworthy of confidence. There is now a prospect that a Bee Journal will before long, be established in this country. Such a publication has long been needed. Properly conducted, it will have a most powerful influence in disseminating information, awakening enthusiasm, and guarding the public against the miserable impositions to which it has so long been subjected. Three such journals are now published monthly in Ger- many, one of which has been in existence for more than seventeen years ; and their wide circulation has made thou- sands well acquainted with those principles which must constitute the foundation of any enlightened and profitable system of culture. The truth is that while many of the principal facts in the physiology of the honey bee have long been familiar to scientific observers, it has unfortunately happened that some of the most important have been the most widely discredited. In themselves they are so wonderful, and to those who have -24 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. not witnessed them, often so incredible, that it is not at all strange that they have been rejected, either as fanciful con- ceits, or bare-faced inventions. Many persons have not the slightest idea that every thing may be seeji that takes place in a bee-hive. But for more than half a century hives have been in use, containing only one comb, enclosed on both sides, by glass. These hives are darkened by shutters, and when opened, the queen is ex- posed to observation, as well as all the other bees. Within the last four years, I have discovered that with proper pre- cautions, colonies can be made to work in observing hives, without shutters, and exposed continually to the full light of day ; so that observations may be made at all times, without in the least interrupting the ordinary operations of the bees. By the aid of such hives, many intelligent persons from various States in the Union, have seen in my Apiaries, the queen bee depositing her eggs in the cells, and constantly surrounded by an affectionate circle of her devoted children. They have also witnessed, with astonishment and delight, all the mysterious steps in the process of raising queens from eggs which, with the ordinary development, would have produced only the common bees. Ofien, for more than three months, there has not been a day in which some of my colonies were not engaged in making new queens to supply the place of those taken from them, and I have had the pleasure of exhibiting all the facts to bee-keepers who never before felt willing to credit them. As all my hives are so made that each comb can be taken out, and examined at pleasure, those who use them, can obtain from them all the information which they need, and are no longer forced to take anything upon trust. May I be permitted to express the hope that the time is now at hand, when the number of practical observers will THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 25 be SO multiplied, and the true principles of bee-keeping so thoroughly understood, that ignorant and designing men will neither be able to impose their conceits and falsehoods upon the public, nor be sustained in their attempts to depreciate the valuable discoveries of those v^ho have devoted years of observation and experiment, to promote the advancement of Apiarian knowledge. CHAPTER II. The Honey Bee capable of being Tamed or Domesticated, to a most Surprising Degree. If the bee had not such a necessary and yet formidable weapon, both of offence and defence, multitudes might easily be induced to enter upon its cultivation, who are now afraid to have anything to do with it. As the new system of man- agement which 1 have devised, seems to add to this inherent difficulty, by taking the greatest possible liberties with so irascible an insect, I deem it important to shov/ clearly, in the very outset, how bees may be managed, so that all necessary operations may be performed in an Apiary, with- out incurring any serious risk of exciting their anger. Many persons have been unable to control their expres- sions of astonishment, as they have seen me open hive after hive, removing the combs covered with bees, and shaking them off in front of the hives, forming new swarms, exhibit- Ing the queen, transferring the bees with all their stores to another hive, and, in short, dealing with them as if they were as harmless as so many flies. I have sometimes been 3 26 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. asked if my bees had not been subjected to a long course of instruction, to prepare them for public exhibition ; when the very hives which I was opening, contained swarms which had been brought only the day before to my Apiary. Before entering upon the natural history of the bee, I shall anticipate some principles in its management, in order to prepare my readers to receive the statements in my book, without those doubts which would otherwise be very natural, gfnd to convince them that almost any one favorably situated, may safely enjoy the pleasure and profit of a pursuit, which has been most appropriately styled " the poetry of rural economy ; " and that, without being made too familiar with a sharp little weapon, which can most speedily and effectu- ally convert all the poetry into very sorry prose. It must be manifest to every thinking mind, that the Crea- tor intended the bee, as truly as he did the horse or the cow, for the comfort of man. In the early ages of the world, and indeed until quite modern times, honey was almost the only natural sweet ; and the promise of " a land flowing with milk and honey," had then a significance, the full force of which it is difficult for us to realize. The honey bee, there- fore, was created not merely with the ability to store up its delicious nectar for its own use, but with certain properties which fitted it to be domesticated, and to labor for man, and without which he would no more have been able to subject it to his control, than to make a useful beast of burden of a lion or a tiger. One of the peculiarities which constitutes the very foun- dation, not merely of my system of management, but of the ability of man to domesticate at all so irascible an insect, has never, to my knowledge, been clearly stated by any other writer, as a great and controlling principle. It may be thus expressed : THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 27 A HONEY BEE, WHEN IT IS GORGED OR FILLED WITH HONEY, NEVER VOLUNTEERS AN ATTACK, BUT ACTS SOLELY ON THE DEFENSIVE. This is a law of the honied tribe, as universal in its appli- cation as the law of gravity in physics ; and I should just as soon expect a stone to rise into the air without any propelling power, as a bee well filled with honey to offer to sting, unless crushed or injured by some direct assault. The man who first attempted to lodge a swarm of bees in an artificial hive, must have been most agreeably surprised at the ease with which he was able to accomplish the feat ; for bees when intending to swarm, usually fill their honey-bags to their utmost capacity. This is wisely ordered, that they may have materials for commencing operations immediately in their new habitation ; that they may not starve if several stormy days should follow their emigration ; and that when they leave their hives, they may be in a suitable condition to be secured by man. They issue from their hives in the most peaceable mood that can well be imagined ; and unless they are abused, allow themselves to be treated with great familiarity. The hiving of bees by those who understand their nature, could always be conducted without risk, if it were not the case that some improvident or unfortunate ones occasionally come forth without the soothing supply ; and not being stored with honey, are filled instead with the gall of the very bitterest hate against all mankind and animal kind in general, and any one who dares to meddle with them in particular. Such thriftless radicals are always to be dreaded, for they must vent their spleen on something, even though they perish in the attempt. Suppose a whole colony, on sallying forth, to possess such a ferocious spirit ; no one would ever dare hive them, unless 28 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. clad in a coat of mail, at least bee-proof, and not even then until all the windows of his house were closed, his domestic animals bestowed in some place of safety, and sentinels posted at suitable stations, to warn all comers to look out for something almost as much to be dreaded as a fiery loco- motive in full speed. In short, if the propensity to be ex- ceedingly good natured after a hearty meal, had not been given to the bee, it could never have been domesticated, and our honey would still be procured from the clefts of rocks, or the hollows of trees. A second peculiarity in the nature of the bee, and one of which I continually avail myself with the greatest success, may be thus stated : Bees cannot, under any circumstances, resist the temptation to fill themselves with liquid sweets. It would be quite as easy for an inveterate miser to look with indifference upon a golden shower of double eagles, falling at his feet and soliciting his appropriation. If then we can contrive a way to call their attention to a treat of running sweets, when we wish to perform any operation which might provoke them, we maybe sure they will accept it, and under its genial influence, so long as we do not hurt them, allow us without molestation, to do what we please. We must always be particularly careful not to handle them roughly, for they will never allow themselves to be pinched or hurt without thrusting out their sting to resent the indignity. I always keep a small watering-pot or sprinkler, in my Apiary, that when I wish to operate upon a hive, as soon as the cover is taken off, and the bees exposed, I may sprinkle them gently with water sweetened with sugar : they help themselves with the greatest eagerness, and in a few moments are in a perfectly manageable state. The truth is, that bees managed on this plan are always glad to THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 29 see visitors, and you cannot look in upon them too often, for they expect at every call to receive a sugared treat by way of a peace-offering. The greatest objection to the use of sweetened water, is the eagerness of the bees from other hives, to regale themselves on its contents. When there is any scarcity of honey in the fields, they will often surround the Apiarian, as soon as he presents himself with his water- ing pot, ready to plunge into any hive which he may open, and steal if possible a portion of its treasures. A third peculiarity in the nature of the bee, and one which gives an almost unlimited power of control over them, may be expressed as follows : Bees, when they are frightened, immediately begin to fill themselves with honey from their combs. If the Apiarian can only succeed in frightening his little subjects, he will, in a few minutes, make them as peaceable as though they were incapable of stinging. By the use of a little smoke from decaying wood, or punk, as it is often called, the largest and most fiery colony may at once be brought into complete subjection. As soon as the smoke is blown among them, they retreat from before it, raising a sub- dued or terrified note, and at once, as though they imagined that their honey was to be taken from them, they cram their honey-bags to their utmost possible capacity. They act either as though they were aware that all they can lodge in this inside pocket is perfectly safe, or else as though expect- ing to be driven away from their stores, they were deter- mined, as in swarming, to start with a full supply of pro- visions for the way. The same result may be obtained by shutting them up in their hive and then drumming upon it for a short time. The various processes, however, for inducing bees to fill themselves with honey, will be more fully explained in the chapter that treats of the formation of Artificial Swarms. 3* 30 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. By the use of sweetened water or smoke, or by drumming I can superintend a large number of hives, performing every operation that is necessary for pleasure or profit, and yet not run the risks of being stung, which must frequently be in- curred in attempting to manage, in the simplest way, the common hives. Let all your motions about your hives be gentle and slow. Accustom your bees to your presence ; never crush or injure them, or breathe upon them in any operation ; acquaint your- self fully with the principles of management detailed in this treatise, and you will find that you have but litde more rea- son to dread the sting of a bee, than the horns of your favor- ite cow, or the heels of your faithful horse. Armed with one of my bee-hats and a pair of india-rubber gloves, even the most timid, by availing themselves of these principles, may open my hives and deal with their bees, with a freedom utterly astonishing to the oldest cultivators of bees, on the common plan. In the management of the most extensive Apiary, no operation will ever be necessary^ which by exasperating a whole colony, impels them to assail, with almost irresistible fury, the person of the bee-keeper. CHAPTER TIL The Queen or Mother-Bee, the Drones, and the Workers ; with various Highly Important Facts in their Natural History. Honey Bees can flourish only when associated in large numbers, as a colony. In a solitary state, a single bee is almost as helpless as a new-born child, being unable to NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 31 endure even the ordinary chill of a cool Summer night. If a strong colony is examined, a short time before it swarms, three different kinds of bees will be found in the hive. 1st, A bee of peculiar shape, commonly called the Queen Bee. 2d, Some hundreds, more or less, of large bees called Drones. 3d, Many thousands of a smaller kind, called Workers or common bees, and similar to those which are seen on the blossoms. A large number of the cells will be found filled with honey and bee-bread ; while vast numbers contain eggs, and immature workers and drones. A few cells of unusual size, are devoted to the rearing of young queens, and are ordinarily to be found in a perfect condition, only in the swarming season. The Queen Bee is the only perfect female in the hive, and all the eggs are laid by her. The Drones are the males^ and the Workers dire females, whose ovaries or" egg-bags" are so imperfectly developed that they are incapable of breed- ing, and which retain the instinct of females, only so far as to give the most devoted attention to rearing the brood. These facts have all been repeatedly demonstrated, and are as well established as the most common facts in the breeding of our domestic animals. The knowledge of them in their most important bearings, is absolutely essential to all who expect to realize large profits from any improved method of rearing bees. Those who will not acquire the necessary information, if they keep bees at all, should manage them in the old-fashioned way, which requires the smallest amount of knowledge and skill. I am perfectly aware how difRcult it is to reason with a large class of bee-keepers, some of whom have been so 32 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. often imposed upon, that they have lost all faith in the truth of statements made by any one interested in a patent hive, while others stigmatize all knowledge which does not square with their own, as " book knowledge," entirely unworthy the attention of practical men. If any such read this book, let me remind them again, that all my assertions may be put to the test. So long as the interior of a hive, was to common observers, a profound mystery, ignorant and designing men might assert what they pleased, about what passed in its dark recesses ; but now, when all that takes place in it, can, in a few moments, be exposed to the full light of day, and every one who keeps bees, can see and examine for himself, the man who attempts to palm upon the community, his own conceits for facts, will speedily earn for himself, the character both of a fool and an impostor. The Queen Bee, or as she may more prop- erly be called the mother hee^ is the common mother of the whole colony. She reigns there- fore, most unquestionably, by a divine right, as every good mother is, or ought to be, a queen in her own family. Her shape is widely dif- ferent from that of the other bees. While she is not near so bulky as a drone, her body is longer, and of a more tapering, or sugar-loaf form than that of a worker, so that she has somewhat of a wasp-like appearance. Her wings are much shorter, in proportion, than those of the drone, or worker ; the under part of her body is of a golden color, and the upper part usually darker than that of the other bees. Her motions are generally slow and matronly, although she can, when she pleases, move with astonishing quickness. No colony can long exist without the presence of this all- NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 66 important insect. She is just as necessary to its welfare, as the soul is to the body, for a colony without a queen must as certainly perish, as a body without the spirit hasten to inevitable decay. She is treated by the bees, as every mother ought to be by her children, with the greatest respect and affection. A circle of her loving offspring constantly surround her, testi- fying, in various ways, their dutiful regard ; gently touching or embracing her with their antennse, offering her honey, from time to time, and always, most politely backing out of her way, to give her a clear path when she wishes to move over the combs. If she is taken from them, as soon as they have ascertained their loss, the whole colony is thrown into a state of the most intense agitation ; all the labors of the hive are at once abandoned ; the bees run wildly over the combs, and frequently, rush forth from the hive, exhibiting all the appearance of anxious search for their beloved mother. Not being able to find her, they return to their desolate home, and by their mournful tones, reveal their deep sense of so deplorable a calamity. Their note, at such times, more especially when they first realize their loss, is of a peculiarly mournful character ; it sounds somewhat like a succession of wailings on the minor key, and can no more be mistaken by the experienced bee-keeper, for their ordinary, happy hum, than the piteous meanings of a sick child could be confounded by an anxious mother, with its joyous crowings when overflowing with health and happiness. I am well aware that all this will sound to many, much more like romance than sober reality ; but I have determined, in writing this book, to state facts, however wonderful, just as they are ; confident that in due time ihey will be univer- sally received, and hoping that the many wonders in the economy of the honey bee will not only excite a wider inte?- 34 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. est in its culture, but lead those who observe them, to adore the wisdom of Him who gave them such admirable instincts. The fertility of the queen bee has been entirely under- estimated by most writers. It is truly astonishing. During the height of the breeding season, she will often, under favorable circumstances, lay from two to three thousand eggs, a day ! In my observing hives, I have seen her lay at the rate of six eggs a minute. The fecundity of the female of the white ant, is, however, much greater than this, as she will lay as many as sixty eggs a minute ; but then her eggs are simply extruded from her body, and carried by the work- ers into suitable nurseries, while the queen bee herself de* posits her eggs in their appropriate cells. On the way in which the Eggs of the Queen Bee are Fecundated. I come now to a subject of great practical importance, which, until recently, has been attended with difficulties apparently insuperable. It has been noticed that the queen bee usually commences laying very early in the season, and always long before there are any males in the hive. (See remarks on Drones.) In what way, then, are her eggs impregnated ? Francis Huber of Geneva, by a long course of the most indefatigable obser- vations, threw much light upon this subject. Before stating his discoveries, I must pay my humble tribute of gratitude and admiration to this wonderful man. It is mortifying to every scientific naturalist, and I might add, to every honest man acquainted with the facts, to hear such an Apiarian as Huber, abused by the veriest quacks and imposters ; while others who are indebted to his labors for nearly all that is of any value in their works, NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 35 " Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer." Huber, in early manhood, lost the use of his eyes. His opponents imagine that in stating this fact, they have thrown merited discredit on all his observations. But to make their case still stronger, they delight to assert that his servant, Francis Burnens, by whose aid he conducted his experi- ments, was only an ignorant peasant. Now this, so-called, ignorant peasant, was a man of strong native intellect, pos- sessing the indefatigable energy and enthusiasm so indispen- sable to a good observer. He was a noble specimen of a self-made man, and afterwards rose to be the chief magistrate in the village where he resided. Huber has paid the most admirable tribute to his intelligence, fidelity and indomitable patience, energy and skill.* It would be difficult to find, in any language, a better specimen of the inductive system of reasoning, than Ruber's work upon bees, and it might be studied as a model of the only true way of investigating nature, so as to arrive at reliable results. Huber was assisted in his researches, not only by Burnens, but by his own wife, to whom he was engaged before the loss of his sight, and who nobly persisted in marrying him, notwithstanding his misfortune, and the strenuous dissua- sions of her friends. They lived for more than the ordinary term of human life, in the enjoyment of uninterrupted domestic happiness, and the amiable naturalist, in her assid- uous attentions, scarcely felt the loss of his sight. * A single fact will show the character of the man. It became necessary, in a certain experiment, to examine separately all the bees in two hives. '' Burnens spent eleven days in performing this work, and during the whole time he scarcely allowed himself any relaxationj but what the relief of his eyes required." 36 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. Milton is believed by many, to have been a better poet, in consequence of his blindness ; and it is highly probable that Huber was a better Apiarian, from the same cause. His active and yet reflective mind demanded constant employ- ment ; and he found in the study of the habits of the honey bee, full scope for all his powers. All the facts observed, and experiments tried by his faithful assistants, were daily reported, and many inquiries were stated and suggestions made by him, which would probably have escaped his notice, if he had possessed the use of his eyes. Few, like him, have such a command of both time and money, as to be able to prosecute for a series of years, on a grand scale, the most costly experiments. Apiarians owe more to Huber than to any other person. Having repeatedly verified the most important of his observations, I take the greatest delight in acknowledging my obligations to him, and in holding him up to my countrymen, as the Prince of Apiarians. To return to his discoveries on the impregnation of the Queen Bee. By a long course of experiments, most care- fully conducted, he ascertained that like many other insects, she is fecundated in the open air, and on the wing, and fur- ther that the influence of this lasts for several years, and probably for life. He could form no satisfactory conjecture how the eggs which were not yet developed in her ovaries, could be fertilized. Years ago, the celebrated Dr. John Hunter, and others, supposed that there must be a perma- nent receptacle for the male sperm, opening into the oviduct. Dzierzon, who must be regarded as one of the ablest con- tributors of modern times, to Apiarian science, maintains this opinion, and states that he has found such a receptacle filled with a fluid resembling the semen of the drones. He nowhere, to my knowledge, states that he ever made NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 6( any microscopic examinations, so as to put the matter on the footing of demonstration. In January and February of 1852, I submitted several Queen Bees to Dr. Joseph Leidy of Philadelphia, for a scientific examination. I need hardly say to any Naturalist in this country, that Dr. Leidy has obtained the very highest reputation, both at home and abroad, as a skillful naturalist and microscopic anatomist. No man in this country or Europe, was more competent to make the investigations that I desired. He found, in making his dissections, a small globular sac, not larger than a grain of mustard seed, (about ■3'^ of an inch in diameter,) communicating with the oviduct, and filled with a v^hitish fluid, which when examined under the microscope, was found to abound in spermatozoa, the animalculge which are the unmistakable characteristics of the seminal fluid. ' Later in the season, the same substance was compared with some taken from the drones, and found to be exactly similar to it. These examinations have settled, on the impregnable basis of demonstration, the-mode in which the eggs of the Queen are vivified. In descending the oviduct to be deposited in the cells, they pass by the mouth of this seminal sac or spermatheca, and receive a portion of its fertilizing contents. Small as it is, its contents are sufficient to impregnate hun- dreds of thousands of eggs. In precisely the same way, the mother wasps and hornets are fecundated. The females alone of these insects survive the Winter, and they often begin single handed, the construction of a nest, in which, at first, only a few eggs are deposited. How could these eggs hatch, if the females which laid them, had not been impreg- nated, the previous season ? Dissection proves them to have a spermatheca, similar to that of the Queen Bee. It never seems to have occurred to the opponents of Huber, that the 4 38 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. existence of a permanently impregnated mother wasp, is just as difficult to be accounted for, as the existence of a similarly impregnated Queen Bee. The celebrated Swam- merdam, in his observa- tions upon insects, made in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and published after his death, in 1737, has given a highly magnified and exceedingly accurate drawing of the Ovaries of the Queen Bee, a reduced copy of v^^hich I here present to my read- ers. The small globular sac, communicating with the oviduct, which he thought secreted a fluid for sticking the eggs to the base of the cells, is the seminal reservoir or spermatheca. Any one who will carefully dis- sect a Queen Bee, may see this sac, even with the naked eye. It will be seen that the ovaries are double, each one con- sisting of an amazing number of ducts filled with eggs, and that the eggs gradually increase in size as they approach the oviduct.* * Since the first edition of this work was issued, I have ascertained that Posel, (page 54,) describes the oviduct of the Queen, the sperma- theca and its contents, and the use of the latter in impregnating the passing egg. His work was published at Munich, in 1784. It seems also from his work, (page 36,) that before the investigations of Huber, Jansha, the bee-keeper royal of Maria Theresa, had discovered the fact that the young queens leave their hive in search of the drones. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 89 Effect of Retarded Impregnation on the Queen Bee. Huber, while experimenting to ascertain how the Queen was fecundated, confined some of his young Queens to their hives, by contracting the entrances, so that they were not able to go in search of the drones, until three weeks after their birth. To his amazement, these Queens whose im- pregnation was thus unnaturally retarded, never laid any eggs but such as produced drones ! He tried this experiment repeatedly, but always with the same result. Some Bee-Keepers, long before his time, had observed that all the brood in a hive were occasionally drones, and of course, that such colonies went rapidly to ruin. Before attempting any explanation of this astonishing fact, I must call the attention of the reader to another of the mysteries of the Bee-Hive. Fertile Workers. It has already been remarked, that the workers are proved by dissection to be females, all of which, under ordinary circumstances, are barren. Occasionally, some of them appear to be more fully developed, so as to be capable of laying eggs : these eggs, like those of Queens whose im- pregnation has been retarded, always produce drones ! Sometimes, when a colony has lost its Queen, and has thoroughly despaired of obtaining another, these drone- laying workers are exalted to her place, and treated with equal respect and affection, by the bees. Huber ascertained that these fertile workers were generally reared in the neighborhood of the young Queens, and he thought that they received some particles of the peculiar food or jelly on which the Queens are reared. He did not pretend to 40 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. account for the effect of retarded impregnation ; and made no experiments to determine the facts, as to the fecundation of these fertile workers. Since the publication of Huberts work, more than sixty years ago, no light has been shed upon the mysteries of drone-laying Queens and workers, until quite recently. Dzierzon appears to have been the first to ascertain the truth on this subject ; and his discovery must certainly be ranked as unfolding one of the most astonishing facts in all the range of animated nature. This fact seems, at first view, so absolutely incredible, that I should not dare mention it, if it were not supported by the most indubitable evidence, and if I had not determined to state all important and well ascer- tained facts, without seeking, by any concealments, to pan- sier to the prejudices of the ignorant and conceited. Dzierzon advances the opinion that impregnation is not needed in order that the eggs of the Queen may produce drones ; but, that all impregnated eggs produce females, either workers or Queens ; and all unimpregnated ones> males or drones. He states that he found drone-laying Queens in several of his hives, whose wings were so im- perfect that they could not fly, and that on examination, they proved to be unfecundated. Hence he concluded that the eggs laid by the Queen Bee and fertile worker, had from the previous impregnation of the egg from which they sprung, sufficient vitality to produce the drone, which is a less highly organized insect than the Queen or worker. It had long been known, that the Queen deposits drone eggs in the large or drone cells, and worker eggs in the small or worker cells, and that she makes no mistakes. Dzierzon inferred, therefore, that there was some way in which she was able to decide as to the sex of the egg before it was laid, and that she must have a, control oyer th^ mouth of the NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 41 seminal sac, so as to be able to extrude her eggs, allowing them to receive or not, just as she pleased, a portion of its fertilizing contents. In this way he thought she determined their sex, according to the size of the cells in which she laid them. Mr. Samuel Wagner of York, Pa., has recently communicated to me a very original and exceedingly in- genious theory of his own, which he thinks will account for all the facts, without admitting that the Queen Bee has any special knowledge or will on the subject. He supposes that when she deposits her eggs in the worker cells, her body is slightly compressed by the size of the cells, and that the eggs, as they pass the spermatheca, receive in this manner, its vivifying influence. On the contrary, when she is laying in drone cells, this compression cannot take place, the mouth of the spermatheca is kept closed, and the eggs are, neces- sarily, unfecundated. This theory may prove to be true, but at present, it is encumbered with some difficulties, and requires further investigations, before it can be considered as fully established. Leaving then, for the present undecided, the question whether the Queen exercises any volition in this matter, I shall, by stating some facts which have occurred in my own Apiary, endeavor to relieve, as far as possible, this intricate subject from some of the difficulties which embarrass it. In the Autumn of 1852, my assistant found in one of my hives a young Queen, whose progeny consisted entirely of drones. The colony had been formed by removing part of the combs containing bees, brood and eggs, from another hive ; and had only a few combs, and but a small number of bees, which raised a new Queen in the manner to be here- after particularly described. This Queen had laid a number of eggs in one of the combs, and the young were already emerging from the cells. I perceived, at the first glance, 4* 42 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEf BEg* that they were drones. As there were none but worl^ef cells in the hive, they were reared in them, and not having space for full development, they were dwarfed in size, al- though the bees, in order to give them more room, had pieced out the cells so as to make them larger than usual. Size excepted, they appeared as perfect as any other drones. I was not only struck with the singularity of finding drones reared in worker cells, but with the equally singular fact that a young Queen, who at first lays only the eggs of workers, should be laying drone eggs at all ; and at once conjectured that this was a case of a drone-laying unimpreg- nated Queen, as sufficient time had not elapsed for her im- pregnation to be unnaturally retarded. I saw the great im- portance of taking all necessary precautions to determine this point. The Queen was removed from the hive, and carefully examined. Her wings, although they appeared to be perfect, were so paralized that she could not fly. It seemed probable, therefore, that she had never been able to leave the hive for impregnation. To settle the question beyond the possibility of doubt, I submitted this Queen to Prof Leidy for microscopic exami- nation. The following is an extract from his report : " The ovaries were filled with eggs ; the poison sac was full of fluid, and I took the whole of it into my mouth ; the poison produced a strong metallic taste, lasting for a considerable time, and at first, it was pungent to the tip of the tongue. The spermatheca was distended with a perfectly colorless, transparent, viscid liquid, vjithout a trace of spermatozoa.'^'' This examination seems perfectly to sustain the theory of Dzierzon, and to demonstrate that Queens do not need to be impregnated, in order to lay the eggs of males. I must confess that considerable doubt seemed to rest on the accuracy of Dzierzon's statements on this subject, and NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 43 chiefly because of his having hazarded the unfortunate con- jecture that the place of the poison bag in the worker, is occupied in the Queen, by the spermatheca. Now this is so connpletely contrary to fact, that it was a very natural inference, that this acute and thoroughly honest observer, made no microscopic dissections of the insects which he examined. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate in having obtained the aid of a Naturalist, so celebrated as Dr. Leidy, for microscopic dissections. The exceeding minuteness of some of the insects which he has completely figured and described, almost passes belief. On examining this same colony a few days later, I found the most satisfactory evidence that these drone eggs were laid by the Queen which I had removed. No fresh eggs had been deposited in the cells, and the bees, on missing her, had commenced the construction of royal cells, to rear if possible, another Queen, which they would not have done, if a fertile worker had been present, by which the drone eggs had been laid. Another very interesting fact proves that all the eggs laid by this Queen, were drone eggs. Two of the royal cells were, in a short time, discontinued, and were found to be empty, while a third contained a worm, which was sealed over the usual way, to undergo its changes to a perfect Queen. I was completely at a loss to account for this, as the bees having an unimpregnated drone-laying Queen, ought not to have had a single female egg from which they could rear a Queen. At first I imagined that they might have stolen it from another hive, but when I opened this cell, it contained, instead of a Queen, a dead drone ! I then remembered that Huber has described the same 44 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. mistake on the part of some of his bees. At the base of this cell, was an unusual quantity of the peculiar jelly or paste, which is fed to the young that are to be developed as Queens. One might almost imagine that the poor bees in their desperation, had dosed the unfortunate drone to death ; as though they expected by such liberal feeding, to produce some hopeful change in his sexual organization. In the Summer of 1854, I found another drone laying Queen, in my Apiary ; her wings were shrivelled^ so that she could not fly. I gave her successively to several queenless colonies, in all of which she continued to deposit nothing but drone eggs. On the 14th of July, 1855, a Queen which hatched in one of my observing hives, after remaining in the hive for nine days without exhibiting any external appearance of impreg- nation, began to lay a few eggs on the edges of the combs instead of in the cells. She persisted in this for some days, until I transferred her to a colony which had been queen- less for some weeks, hoping that she might make an excur- sion from their hive to meet the drones. The observing hive in which she was born was exposed to the full light of day : the entrance was small and not very easy to find, and I had noticed on several occasions that in the afternoon, when the drones usually leave the hive in greatest numbers, the Queen seemed unable to get out. She manifested unusual excite- ment, and the whole colony were almost as much agitated as though they were swarming. After she had been in the second hive a short time, I examined it carefully, and found that she had laid a considerable number of drone eggs. They were deposited near the bottom and edge of the comb ; not in drone cells, but yet in cells a little larger than the worker size, and which the bees had begun to lengthen, the better to adapt them to the growth of their occupants. NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 45 I could find no other brood in the hive. In making another examination (August 9th) in order to remove this Queen and give the colony another, I found the combs nearly filled with worker brood, in a state considerably less advanced than the drones ! Is there any reason to doubt that these drone eggs were laid by the Queen v\,'hile yet unfecundated, and that the worker brood was deposited by her after impregnation ? In Italy a variety of the honey bee described by Virgil is still found, differing considerably in size and color from the common kind. If an unimpregnated Queen of this variety is crossed with the common drones, her drone progeny will all be Italian drones^ while her worker brood will be a cross between the two kinds ! thus showing that the kind of drones which she will produce has no dependence upon the male by which she is fertilized. These facts appear to constitute all the links in a perfect chain, and to demonstrate, beyond the possibility of doubt, that unfecundated Queens are not only capable of laying eggs, (a thing no more remarkable than the same occurrence in a hen,) but that these eggs are possessed of sufficient vitality to produce drones. Aristotle, who flourished before the Christian era, had noticed that there was no difference in appearance, between the eggs producing drones and those producing workers ; and he states that drones only are pro- duced in hives which have no Queen ; of course the eggs producing them, were laid by fertile workers. Having now the aid of powerful microscopes, we are still unable to detect the slightest difference in size or appearance in the eggs, and this is precisely what we should expect if the same egg will produce either a worker or a drone, according as it is or is not impregnated. The theory which I propose, seems perfectly to harmonize, with all the observed facts on this subject. 46 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. ' I believe that after fecundation has been delayed for about three weeks, the organs of the Queen bee are jn such a state that impregnation can no longer be effected ; just as the parts of a flower, after a certain time, wither and shut up, and the plant becomes incapable of fructification. The fertile drone- laying workers, are always in my opinion, physically inca- pable of being impregnated. There is something analagous to these wonders, in the aphides or green lice which infest our rose bushes and other plants. We have the most undoubted evidence that a fecun- dated female gives birth to other females, and they in turn to others, all of which, without impregnation, are able to bring forth young, until at length, after a number of genera- tions, perfect males and females are produced, and the series starts anew ! However strange it may appear, or even improbable, that an unimpregnated egg can give birth to a living being, or that the sex can be dependent on impregnation, we are not at liberty to reject facts, because we cannot comprehend the reasons of them. He who allows himself to be guilty of such folly, if he seeks to maintain his consistency, will be plunged, sooner or later, into the dreary gulf of atheism. Common sense, philosophy and religion alike teach us to receive all undoubted facts, both in the natural and spiritual world, with becoming reverence ; assured that however mysterious they may appear to us, they are all most beauti- fully harmonious and consistent in the sight of Him whose " understanding is infinite." The unequaled facilities for easy and accurate observation, furnished by the Movable Comb Hive, have seemed to ren- der it peculiarly incumbent on me, to do all in my power to clear up the difficulties in this intricate and yet highly impor- tant branch of Apiarian knowledge. All the leading facts NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 47 in the breeding of bees ought to be as well known to the bee keeper, as the same class of facts in the rearing of his domestic animals. A few crude and hasty notions, but half understood and half digested, will answer only for the old fashioned bee keeper, who deals in the brimstone matches. He who expects to conduct bee keeping on a safe and profit- able system, must learn that on this, as on all other subjects, " knowledge is power." * The extraordinary fertility of the Queen bee has already been noticed. The process of laying has been well describ- ed by the Rev. W. Dunbar, a Scotch Apiarian, " When the Queen is about to lay, she puts her head into a cell, and remains in that position for a second or two, to ascertain its fitness for the deposit which she is about to make. She then withdraws her head, and curving her body downwards,! inserts the lower part of it into the cell : in a few seconds she turns half round upon herself and with- draws, leaving an egg behind her. When she lays a con- siderable number, she does it equally on each side of the comb, those on the one side being as exactly opposite to those on the other as the relative position of the cells will admit. The effect of this is to produce the utmost possible concentration and economy of heat for developing the various changes of the brood !" Here as at every step in the economy of the bee, our minds are filled with admiration as we witness the perfect * "If it were possible," said an able German Apiarian, in 1846, " to ascertain the reproductive process of bees with as much certainty as that of our domestic animals, bee culture might unquestionably be pursued with positive assurance of profit j and it would then assume a high rank among the various branches of rural economy." t In this way she is sure to deposit the egg in the cell she has selected. 48 NATUKAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. adaptation of means to ends. Who can blame the warmest enthusiasm of the Apiarian in view of a sagacity which seems scarcely inferior to that of man ? " The eggs of bees," I quote from the admirable treatise of Bevan, " are of a lengthened oval shape, with a slight curvature, and of a bluish white color : being besmeared at the time of laying, with a glutinous substance, they adhere to the bases of the cells, and remain unchanged in figure or situation for three or four days ; they are then hatched, the bottom of each cell presenting to view a small white worm. On its growing so as to touch the opposite angle of the cell, it coils itself up, to use the language of Swammerdam, like a dog when going to sleep ; and floats in a "whitish trans- parent fluid, which is deposited in the cells by the nursing- bees, and by which it is probably nourished ; it becomes gradually enlarged in its dimensions, till the two extremities touch one another and form a ring. In this state it is called a larva or worm. So nicely do the bees calculate the quan- tity of food which will be required, that none remains in the cell when it is transformed to a nymph. It is the opinion of many eminent naturalists that farina does not constitute the sole food of the larva, but that it consists of a mixture of farina, honey and water, partly digested in the stomachs of the nursing-bees." " The larva having derived its support, in the manner above described, for four, five or six days, according to the season," (the development being retarded in cool weather, and badly protected hives,) " continues to increase during that period, till it occupies the whole breadth and nearly the length of the cell. The nursing bees now seal over the cell, with a light brown cover, externally more or less convex, (the cap of a drone cell is more convex than that of a worker,) and thus differing from that of a honey cell which NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE* 40 which is paler and somewhat concave." The cap of the brood cell appears to be made of a mixture of bee-bread and wax ; it is not air tight as it would be if made of wax alone ; but appears, under the microscope, to be full of fine holes through which the inclosed insect can have air for all necessary purposes. From its texture and shape it is easily thrust off by the bee when mature, whereas, if it consisted wholly of wax, the insect would either perish for lack of air, or be unable to force its way into the world. Both the ma- terial and shape of the lids which seal up the honey cells are different, because an entirely different object was aimed at ; they are of pure wax to make them air tight, and thus prevent the honey from souring or candying in the cells ; and are slightly concave or hollowed inwards, to give them greater strength to resist the pressure of their contents. To return to Bevan. " The larva is no sooner perfectly inclosed than it begins to line the cell by spinning round itself, after the manner of the silk worm, a whitish silky film or cocoon, by which it is encased, as it were, in a pod. When it has undergone this change, it has usually borne the name of nymph or pupa. It has now attained its full growth, and the large amount of nutriment which it has taken serves as a store for developing the perfect insect." " The working tee nymph spins its cocoon in thirty-six hours. After passing about three days in this state of pre- paration for a new existence, it gradually undergoes so great a change as not to wear a vestige of its previous form." " When it has reached the twenty-first day of its exist- ence, counting from the time the egg is laid, it comes forth a perfect winged insect. The cocoon is left behind, and forms a closely attached and exact lining to the cell in which it was spun ; by this means the breeding cells become smaller and their partitions stronger, the oftener they change 5 50 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. their tenants ; and may become so much diminished in size as not to admit of the perfect development of full sized bees." '* Such are the respective stages of the working bee : those of the royal bee are as follows : she passes three days in the egg and is five a worm ; the workers then close her cell, and she immediately begins spinning her cocoon, which occupies her twenty-four hours. On the tenth and eleventh days and a part of the twelfth, as if exhausted by her labor, she remains in complete repose. Then she passes four days and a part of the fifth as a nymph. It is on the sixteenth day therefore that the perfect state of Queen is attained." " The drone passes three days in the egg, six and a half as a worm, and changes into a perfect insect on the twenty- fourth or twenty-fifth day after the egg is laid." "The developement of each species likewise proceeds more slowly when the colonies are weak or the air cool. Dr. Hunter has observed thanihe eggs, worms and nymphs all require a heat above 70° of Fahrenheit for their evolution." The bee keeper, therefore, in all his operations, should re- member that brood comb must never be exposed to so low a temperature as to become chilled : the effect is as disas- trous as when the eggs of a setting hen are left, for too long a time, by the careless mother. The brood combs are never safe when taken for any considerable time from the bees, unless the temperature is fully up to summer heat. " Both drones and workers on emerging from the cell are, at first gray, soft and comparatively helpless, so that some time elapses before they take wing." " The workers and drones spin complete cocoons^ or inclose themselves on every side, while the royal larvse construct only imperfect cocoons^ open behind, and enveloping only NATURAL HISTORY 'OF THE HONEY BEE. 51 the head, thorax, and first ring of the abdonnen ; and Huber concludes, without any hesitation, that the final cause of this is, that they may be exposed to the mortal sting of the first hatched Queen, whose instinct leads her instantly to seek the destruction of those who would soon become her rivals." " If the royal larvae spun complete cocoons, the stings of the Queens seeking to destroy their rivals might be so en- tangled in their meshes that they could not be disengaged. ' Such,' says Huber, ' is the instinctive enmity of young Queens to each other, that I have seen one of them, imme- diately on its emergence from the cell, rush to those of its sisters, and tear to pieces even the imperfect larvse. Hith- erto philosophers have claimed our admiration of nature for her care in preserving and multiplying the species. But from these facts we must now admire her precautions in exposing certain individuals to a mortal hazard.' " The cocoon of the royal larvas is very much stronger and coarser than that spun by the drone or worker, its texture considerably resembling that of the silk worm's. The young Queen does not ordinarily come forth from her cell until she is quite mature ; and as its great size gives her abundant room to exercise her wings, she is usually capable of flying as soon as she quits it. While still in her cell she makes the fluttering and piping noises with which every observant bee keeper is so well acquainted. When the eggs of the Queen are fully developed, like those of the domestic hen, they must be extruded ; but some Apiarians have supposed that she can regulate their develop- ment so that few or many are produced, according to the necessities of the colony. That this, to a certain extent, is true, seems highly probable ; for if a Queen is taken from a feeble colony, her abdomen seldom appears greatly distend- ed ; and yet, if put in a strong one, she speedily becomes very 52 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE^ prolific Mr. Wagner says, " I conceive that she has tho power of regulating or repressing the development of her eggs, so that gradually she can diminish the number matur- ing, and finally cease laying and remain inactive, as long as circumstances require. The old Queen appears to qualify herself for accompanying a first swarm,* by repressing the development of eggs, and as this is done at the most genia! season of the year, it does not seem to be the result of at- mospheric influence. "^ It is certain that when the weather is unfavorable, or the colony 100 feeble to maintain sufficient heat, a smaller num- ber of eggs are matured, just as unfavorable circumstances diminish the number of eggs laid by the hen ; and when the weather is very cold, laying usually ceases altogether in weak colonies. In the latitude of Philadelphia,. I opened a strong stock, on the 5th day of February, and found an abundance of eggs and brood, although the Winter had been very severe, and the temperature of the preceding month quite low. The Fall of 1852 was warm, and eggs and brood were found in a hive examined on the 21st of October. Strong stocks in well protected hives, even in cold climates, usually con- tain some brood, every month in the year. It is highly interesting to see how the supernumerary eggs of the Queen are disposed of. When the number of workers is too small to take charge of all her eggs, or when there is a deficiency of bee bread to nourish the young, or when, for any reason, she does not judge best to deposit them in the cells, she stands upon a comb, and simply extrudes them from her oviduct, and the workers devour them as fast as they are laid ! This I have repeatedly witnessed in my observing hives, and admired the sagacity of the Queen m * Huber had noticed the reduced size of the Queen before swarming^ but attributed it evidently to a wrong cause. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 53 economizing her necessary work after this fashion, instead of laboriously depositing the eggs in cells where they are not wanted. What a difference between her wise manage- ment, and the stupidity of a hen obstinately persisting to set upon addled eggs or pieces of chalk, and often upon nothing at all. The workers eat up also the eggs which are dropped, or deposited out of place by the Queen ; in this way, nothing goes to waste, even a tiny egg being turned to some account. It is difficult for one who has carefully watched the habits of bees, to speak of his little favorites otherwise than as pos- sessing an intelligence almost, if not quite, akin to reason; and I have sometime queried, whether the workers who are so fond of a tit-bit in the shape of a new laid egg, ever ex- perience a struggle between their appetite and the claims of duty, and if it does not cost them some self denial to refrain from making a breakfast on a fresh laid egg. It is well known to every breeder of poultry, that the fer- tility of a hen decreases wath age, until at length, she be- comes entirely barren ; it is equally certain that the fertility of the Queen bee ordinarily diminishes after she has entered upon her third year. She sometimes ceases to lay worker eggs, a considerable time before she dies of old age ; the contents of her spermatheca becoming exhausted, the eggs can no longer be impregnated, and must therefore produce drones. The Queen bee usually dies of old age, some time in her fourth year, although some have been known to live much longer. It is highly important to the bee keeper who would receive the largest returns from his bees, to be able, as in my hives, easily to remove her, when she has passed the period of her greatest fertility. Before proceeding farther in the natural history of the 5* 54 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. Queen bee, I shall describe more particularly, the other in- mates of the hive. The Drones or Male Bees. The drones are, unquestionably, the male bees; dissection proving that they have the appropriate organs of generation. They are much larger and stouter than either the Queen or vsrorkers ; although their bodies are not quite so long as that of fhe Queen. They have no sting vi^ith which to defend themselves ; no proboscis suitable for gathering honey from the flowers, no baskets on their thighs for holding bee-bread, and no pouches on their abdomens for secreting wax. They are therefore, physically disqualified for work, even if they were ever so well disposed to it. Their proper office is to impregnate the young Queens, and they are usually de- stroyed by the bees, soon after this is completed. Dr. Evans, the author of a beautiful poem on bees, thus appropriately describes them : — " Their short proboscis sips No luscious nectar from the wild thyme's lips, From the lime's leaf no amber drops they steal, Nor bear their grooveless thighs the foodful meal : On other's toils in pamper'd leisure thrive The lazy fathers of the industrious hive." The drones begin to make their appearance in April or May; earlier or later, according to climate and the forward- ness of the season, and strength of the stock. In colonies which are too weak to swarm, none, as a general rule, are reared, for in such hives, as no young Queens are raised, they would be only useless consumers. The number of drones in a hive is often very great, amounting, not merely to hundreds, but sometimes to thou- NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 55 sands. It seems, at first, very difficult to understand why- there should be so many, especially since it has been ascer- tained, that a single one will impregnate a Queen for life. But as intercourse always takes place high in the air, the young Queens are obliged to leave the hive for this purpose ; and it is exceedingly important to their safety, that they should be sure of finding one, without being compelled to make frequent excursions. Being larger than a worker, and less active on the wing, they are more exposed to be caught by birds, or blown down and destroyed by sudden gusts of, wind. In a large Apiary, a few drones in each hive, or the num- ber usually found in one, might be amply sufficient. But it must be borne in mind, that under these circumstances, bees are not in a state of nature, when a colony living in a forest, often had no neighbors, for miles. A good stock, even in our climate, sometimes sends out three or more swarms, and in the tropical climates, of which the bee is probably a native, they increase with astonishing rapidity.* All the new swarms, except the first, are led off by a young Queen, and as she is never impregnated, until after she has been estab- lished as the head of a separate family, it is important that they should all be accompanied by a goodly number of drones ; and this renders it necessary that a large number should be produced in the parent hive. As this necessity no longer exists wh^n the bee is domes- ticated, the production of so many drones should be dis- couraged. Traps have been invented to destroy them, but it is much better to save the bees the labor and expense of rearing such a host of useless consumers.' This can readily be done, when we have the control of the combs. The drone comb may be taken out, to have its place supplied * At Sydney, in Australia, a single colony is stated to have multi^ plied to 300 in. three years.. 56 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. with worker cells, and thus the over production of drones may easily be prevented. Some bee keepers will object to this mode of management as interfering with nature ; but they should remember that the bee is not in a state of nature, and that the same objec^ tion might, with equal force, be urged against killing off the- supernumerary males of our domestic animals. If at the time a new swarm is building their combs, the honey harvest is very abundant, the bees will frequently con- struct an unusual amount of drone combs, in which they then store honey alone. In a state of nature, where the bees, in the hollow of a tree or cleft of a rock, have an abundance of room, this excess of drone comb will, another season, be used for the same purpose, and new worker comb made to meet the enlarged wants of the colony : but in hives of a limited capacity, this cannot be done, and in precisely this way, many stocks are so crowded with drones, as to be of little value to their owner. In July or August, or soon after the swarming season is over, the bees usually expel the drones from the hive. They sometimes sting them, or gnaw the roots of their wings, so that when driven from the hive, they cannot return. If not treated in either of these summary ways, they are so persecuted and starved, that they soon perish. At such times they often retreat from the comb, keeping by themselves in large numbers upon the sides or bottom-board of the hive. The hatred of the bees extends even to the young which are still unhatched, which are mercilessly pulled from the cells, and destroyed with the rest. How wonderful that instinct which teaches the bees that there is no longer any occasion for the services of the drones, and which impels them to destroy those members of the colony, which, a short time before, they reared with such devoted attention I NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 57 THE PRODUCTION OF SO MANY" DRONES NECESSARY, IN A STATE OF NATURE, TO PREVENT DEGENERACY FROM " IN AND IN BREEDING." I have never been able, by the reasons previously assigned, fully to account for the necessity of such a large number of drones. I have repeatedly queried, why impregnation might not as well be effected in the hive, as on the wing, in the open air. Two very obvious and important advantages would have resulted from such an arrangement. 1st. A few dozen drones would have sufficed for the wants of any colony, even if, (as in tropical climates,) it swarmed half a dozen times or oftener, in the same season. 2d. The young Queens would not have been exposed to the risks they now incur, in leaving the hive for fecundation. For a long time, I was unable to show how the existing arrangement is best ; although I never doubted that there must be a satisfactory reason, for this seeming imperfection. To suppose otherwise, would be highly unphilosophical, since we constantly see, as the circle of our knowledge en- larges, many mysteries in nature, hitherto inexplicable, fully cleared up. Let me here ask if the disposition which many students of nature cherish to reject some of the doctrines of revealed religion, is not equally unphilosophical. Neither our igno- rance of all the facts necessary to their full elucidation, nor our inability to harmonize these facts in their mutual rela- tions and dependencies, will justify us in rejecting any truth which God has seen fit to reveal, either in the book of na- ture, or in His holy word. The man who would substitute his own speculations for the divine teachings, has embarked, without rudder or chart, pilot or compass, on an uncertain ocean of theory and conjecture ; unless he turns his prow 58 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. from its fatal course, no Sun of Righteousness will ever brighten for him the dreary expanse of waters ; storms and whirlwinds will thicken in gloom, on his " voyage of life," and no favoring gales will ever waft his shattered bark to a peaceful haven. The thoughtful reader will require no apology for the moralizing strain of many of my remarks, nor blame a clergyman, if sometimes forgetting to speak as the mere naturalist, he endeavors to find, '^ Tongues in trees, books in running brooks, Sermons in ^bees,'' and 'God'* in every thing." To return to the point from which I have digressed ; a new attempt to account for the existence of so many drones. If a farmer persists in what is called "breeding in and in," that is, from the same stock, without changing the blood, it is well known that ultimate degeneracy is the inevitable conse- quence. This law extends, as far as we know, to all animal life, and even man is not exempt from its influence. Have we any reason to suppose that the bee is an exception } or that degeneracy would not ensue, unless some provision were made to counteract the tendency to in and in breed- ing.'' If fecundation had taken place in the hive, the Queen bee must have been impregnated by drones from a common parent, and the same result must have taken place in each successive generation, until the whole species would eventually have " run out." By the present arrangement, the young Queens when they leave the hive, often find the air swarming with drones, many of which belong to other colonies, and thus by crossing the breed, a provision is con^ Btantly made to prevent deterioration. Experience has proved not only that it is unnecessary ta impregnation that there should be drones in the colony of the young Queen, but that this may be effected even when there NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 59 are none except at a considerable distance. Intercourse takes place very high in the air, (perhaps that less risk may be incurred from birds,) and this conduces more to the con- tinual crossing of stocks. I am strongly persuaded that the decay of many flourish- ing stocks, even when managed with great care, may be attributed to the fact that they have become enfeebled by " close breeding," and are thus unable to resist injurious in- fluences which were comparatively harmless, when the bees were in a state of high physical vigor. In the chapter on Artificial Swarming, I shall explain how bees may be easily crossed, when a cultivator has too few colonies, or is too re- mote from other Apiaries, to depend upon its being naturally effected. The Workers, or Cobimon Bees. The number of workers in a hive varies very much. A good swarm ought to contain at least 20,000 ; and in large hives, strong colonies which are not reduced by swarming, frequently number two or three times as many, during the height of the breeding season. We have well-authenticated instances of stocks even much more populous than this. The Polish hives will hold several bushels, and yet we are in- formed by Mr. Dobrogost Chylinski, that they swarm regu- larly, and that the swarms are so powerful that " they re- semble a little cloud in the air." The workers, (as already staled,) are all females whose ovaries are too imperfectly developed to admit of their lay- ing eggs. For a long time, being regarded as neither males nor females, they were called Neuters ; but more careful microscopic examinations enable us to detect the rudiments 60 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. of their ovaries, and thus determine their sex. The accuracy of these examinations has been verified by the well-known fects respecting fertile workers. Riem, a German Apiarian, first discovered that workers sometimes lay eggs. Huber, in the course of his investiga- tions on this subject, ascertained that such workers were raised in hives that had lost their Queen, and in the vicinity of the royal cells in which young Queens were rearing. He conjectured that they received accidentally^ a small portion of the peculiar food of these infant Queens, and he thus ac- counted for their reproductive organs being more developed than those of other workers. Workers reared in such hives, are in close proximity to the young Queens, and it is possi- ble that some of the royal jelly may be accidentally dropped into their cells. In the Summer of 1854, I examined a brood comb which had been given to a Queenless colony. It contained eleven sealed Queens. A number of cells were capped with a round covering, as though they contained drones. On open- ing several of them, I found some containing drone, and others worker nymphs. The latter seemed a little more sugar-loaf, in shape, than the common workers, and their cocoons were of a coarser texture than usual. I believe that they were fertile workers. I had noticed, for several years, in hives raising artificial Queens, the same kind of cells, and at first thought that they all contained drones. I am now inclined to believe that bees, when rearing Queens artificially, frequently give a portion of the royal jelly to brood which, for some reason, they do not proceed to de- velope, as full grown Queens. It is a well known fact that they often begin many more Queen cells, than they choose to complete. The kind of eggs laid by these fertile workers, has already been noticed. Huber states that they prefer NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 61 large cells in which to deposit their eggs, and resort to small ones only when unable to find those of greater diameter. In one hive, in my Apiary, which contained a fertile worker, there was only a small piece of drone comb, and this was entirely filled with eggs, some of the cells containing three or four ! Such workers are seldom tolerated in hives con- taining a fertile, healthy Queen, though instances of this kind have been known to occur. The worker is much smaller than either the Queen or the drone.* She is furnished with a tongue or proboscis, of the most curious and complicated structure, which, when not in use, is nicely folded up under her body ; with this, she licks or brushes up the honey, which is thence conveyed to the honeg-bag. This receptacle is not larger than a very small pea, and so perfectly transparent, as to appear, when filled, of the same color with its contents ; it is properly the first stomach, and is surrounded by muscles which enable the bee to compress it, and empty its contents through her pro- boscis into the cells. The hinder legs of the worker are furnished with a spoon- shaped hollow, or basket, to receive the pollen or bee bread which she gathers from the flowers. Every worker is armed with a formidable sting, and when provoked, makes instant and effectual use of her natural weapon. When subjected to a microscopic examination, it exhibits a very curious and complicated mechanism. " It is movedt by muscles which, though invisible to the eye, are yet strong enough to force the sting, to the depth of one-twelfth of an inch, through the thick skin of a man's hand. At its * This work being intended chiefly for practical purposes, I have thought best to use, as little as possible, the technical terms and minute anatomical descriptions of the scientific entomologist. t Be van. 6 62 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. root are situated two glands by which the poison is secreted : these glands uniting in one duct, eject the venomous liquid along the groove, formed by the junction of the two piercers. There are four barbs on the outside of each piercer : when the insect is prepared to sling, one of these piercers, having its point a little longer than the other, first darts into the flesh, and being fixed by its foremost beard, the other strikes in also, and they alternately penetrate deeper and deeper, till they acquire a firm hold of the flesh with their barbed hooks, and then follows the sheath, conveying the poison into the wound. The action of the sting, says Paley, affords an example of the union of chemistry and mechanism ; of chem- istry in respect to the venom^ which can produce such pow- erful effects ; of mechanism as the sting is a compound in- strument. The machinery would have been comparatively useles had it not been for the chemical process, by which in the insect's body honey is converted into poison ; and on the other hand, the poison would have been ineffectual, without an instrument to wound, and a syringe to inject it." " Upon examining the edge of a very keen razor by the microscope, it appears as broad as the back of a pretty thick knife, rough, uneven, and full of notches and furrows, and so far from anything like sharpness, that an instrument, as blunt as this seemed to be, would not serve even to cleave wood. An exceedingly small needle being also examined, it resembled a rough iron bar out of a smith's forge. The sting of a bee viewed through the same instrument, showed everywhere a polish amazingly beautiful, without the least flaw, blemish, or inequality, and ended in a point too fine to be discerned." As the extremity of ihe sting is barbed like an arrow, the bee can seldom withdraw it, if the substance into which she darts it, is at all tenacious. In losing her sting she parts NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 63 with a portion of her intestines, and of necessity, soon per- ishes. The loss of their sting being always fatal, they pay dearly for the exercise of their patriotic instincts ; but they always seem ready, (except when gorged with honey they may be said to have taken " a drop too much,") to die in defence of their home and treasures ; or as the poet has expressed it, they ''Deem life itself to vengeance well resign'd, Die on the wound, and leave their sting behind." Hornets, wasps and other stinging insects are able to with- draw their stings from the wound. I have never seen any attempt to account for the exception in the case of the honey bee. But as the Creator intended the bee for the use of man, has He not given it this peculiarity, to make it less formida- ble, and therefore more completely subject to human control ? Without a sting, it would have stood no chance of defending its tempting sweets against a host of greedy depredators ; but if it could sting a number of times, it would be much more difficult to bring it into a state of thorough domestica- tion. A quiver full of arrows in the hand of a skillful marksman, is far more to be dreaded than a single shaft.* The defence of the colony against enemies, the construc- tion of the cells, and the storing of them with honey and bee-bread, the rearing of the young, in short, the whole * Since the publication of the first edition of this treatise, during a visit to the Mexican Frontier, I had an opportunity of studying the habits of the honey hornet, of that region. Its nest, in shape and material, is considerably like that of our common hornet, and some of them contain many pounds of delicious honey. This insect, which in those regions is so serviceable to man, like the honey bee, is unable to withdraw its sting from the wound ! It has also a Queen, and lives in a colony state during the whole year. 64 NATUBAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. work of the hive, the laying of eggs excepted, is carried on by the industrious little workers. There may be gentlemen of leisure in the commonwealth of bees, but most assuredly there are no such ladies, whether of high or low degree. The Queen herself, has her full share of duties, for it hiust be admitted, that the royal office is no sinecure, when the mother who fills it, must daily super- intend the proper deposition of several thousand eggs. Age of Bees. The Queen bee, (as already stated,) will live four, and sometimes, though very rarely, five or more years. As the life of the drones is usually cut short by violence, it is not easy to ascertain its precise limit. Bevan estimates it not to exceed four months. The workers are supposed by him,ta live six or seven months. Their age depends, however, very much upon their greater or less exposure to injurious influ- ences and severe labors. Those reared in the Spring and early part of Summer, and on whom the heaviest labors of the hive necessarily devolve, do not appear to live more than two or three months, while those which are bred at the close of Summer, and early in Autumn, being able to spend a large part of their time in repose, attain a much greater age» It is very evident that " the bee," (to use the words of a quaint old writer,) "is a Summer bird," and that with the exception of the Queen, none live to be a year old.* Notched and ragged wings, instead of gray hairs and wrinkled faces, are the signs of old age in the bee, and in- * If an Italian Queen be given, in the working season, to a colony of common bees, the great mass of the latter will disappear in aboui three months. This is a new, and perfectly conclusive proof, of the short lim.it of a worker's life-. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 65 dicate that its season of toil will soon be over. They appear to die rather suddenly, and often spend their last days, and sometimes even their last hours, in useful labors. Place yourself before a hive, and see the indefatigable energy of these industrious veterans, toiling along with their heavy burdens, side by side with their more youthful compeers, and then say if you can, that you have done work enough, and that you will sun-ender yourself to slothful indulgence, while the ability for useful labor still remains. Let the cheerful hum of their busy old age inspire you with better resolutions, and teach you how much nobler it is to meet death in the path of duly, striving still, as you " have oppor- tunity," to " do good unto all men." The age which individual members of the community may attain, must not be confounded with that of the colony. Bees have been known to occupy the same domicile for a great number of years. I have seen flourishing colonies which were twenty years old ; the- Abbe Delia Rocca speaks of some over forty years old ; and Stoche says, that he saw a colony, which he was assured had subsisted forty-six years, swarming annually once ! Such cases have led to the erroneous opinion that bees are a long-lived race. But this, as Dr Evans has observed, is just as wise as if a stran- ger, contemplating a populous city, and personally unac- quainted with its inhabitants, should on paying it a second visit, many years after, and finding it equally populous, im- agine that it was peopled by the same individuals, not one of whom might then be living. " Like leaves on trees, the race of bees is found, Now green in youth, now withering on the ground ; Another race the Spring or Fall supplies, They droop successive, and successive rise." The cocoons spun by the larvse, are never removed by 6* 66 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. » the bees ; ihey adhere so closely to the sides of the cells, that the knowing bee understands that the labor of removal would cost far more than it would be worth. In course of time, the breeding cells become too small for the proper development of the young. In some cases, the bees must lake down and reconstruct the old combs, for if they did not, the young issuing from them would always be dwarfs ; whereas I once compared with other bees, those of a colony more than fifteen years old, and found no difference in their size. That they do not usually renew the old combs, must be admitted, as the young from very old hives are frequently under the average size. On this account, it is very desirable to be able, occasionally, to remove the old combs, that their place may be supplied with new ones. It is a great mistake, however, to imagine that the brood combs ought to be changed every year. In my hives, if it were desirable, they might be easily changed several times in a year ; but once in- five or six years is often enough : oftener than this requires a needless consumption of honey to replace them, besides being for other reasons undesirable, as the bees are always in Winter, much colder in new comb than in old. Inventors of hives have been too often, most emphatically, " men of one idea : " and that one, instead of being a vv^ell established and important fact in the physiology of the bee, has frequently, (like the necessity for a yearly change of the brood combs,) been merely a conceit of some visional"}^ projector. This might be harmless enough, were no effort made to impose such miserable crudities upon an ignorant public, either in the shape of a patented hive, or worse still, of an unpatented hive, the pretended right to use which, is fraudulently sold to the cheated purchaser ! * * Hives which have never been patented, are extensiv^ely sold as patent articles, by men, who for years, have been liable to prosecution, NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 67 For want of correct knowledge with regard to the age of bees, huge " bee palaces," and large closets in garrets or attics, have been constructed, and their proprietors have vainly imagined that the bees would fill them, however spa- cious ; for they can see no reason why a colony should not continue to increase indefinitely, until at length it numbers its inhabitants by millions or billions ! As the bees can never at one time equal, still less exceed, the number which the Queen is capable of producing in a season, these spacious dwellings have always an abundance of " spare rooms." It seems strange that men can be thus deceived, when often in their own Apiary, they have healthy stocks which have not swarmed for a year or more, and which yet in the Spring are no more populous than those which have regularly parted with vigorous colonies. It is certain that the Creator, has wisely set a limit to the increase of numbers in a single colony ; and I shall venture to assign what appears to me to have been one reason for His so doing. Suppose that he had given to the bee, a length of life as great as that of the horse or the cow, or had made each Queen capable of laying daily, some hundreds of thou- for obtaining money under false pretences. Others are disposed of, on the ground that the patent is still pending^ when no application for a pa-^ tent has ever been made, or has long ago been rejected. Often the patented part of a hive, being a worthless conceit, is carefully con- cealed, while much ingenuity is displayed, in exhibiting those fea- tures in the hive, which any one has a right to use ; and yet which the vender, sometimes by implication, and sometimes by direct asser- tion, leads the purchaser to- believe, are essential features in the pa- tent. No one should ever purchase a '^ patent hive," until he ascertains at least two things : 1st, that there is really a patent on the invention ; and 2d, that the part patented is, in his opinion, worth the money demanded for the right to use it. 68 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE* sands of eggs, or had given several hundred Queens to each hive, then from the very nature of the case, a colony must have gone on increasing, until it became a scourge rather than a benefit to man. In the warm climates of which the bee is a native, they would have established themselves in some cavern or capacious cleft in the rocks, and would soon have become so powerful, as to bid defiance to all attempts to appropriate the avails of their labors. It has already been stated, that none, except the mother wasps and hornets, survive the Winter. If these insects had been able, like the bee, to commence the season, with the accumulated strength of a large colony, long before its close, they would have proved an intolerable nuisance. If, on the contrary, the Queen bee had been compelled, solitary and alone, to lay ihe foundations of a new commonwealth, the honey-harvest would have disappeared long before she became the parent of a numerous family. In the laws which regulate the increase of bees, as well as in all other parts of their economy, we see the plainest proofs, that the insect was formed for the special service of the human race. The Process of Rearing the Queen more Particularly Described. In the early part of the season, if the population of a hive becomes very numerous, the bees usually make preparations for swarming. A number of royal cells are commenced, being usually placed upon those edges of the combs which are not attached to the sides of the hive. These cells some- what resemble a small ground-nut or pea-nut, and are about an inch deep, and one-third of an inch in diameter : being very thick, they require a large quantity of material for NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 69 their construction. They are seldom seen, after the swarm- ing season, in a perfect state, as the bees nibble them away when the Queen has hatched, leaving only their remains, in the shape of a very small acorn-cup. On examining the Queen cells while they are in progress, one of the first things which excites our notice, is the very unusual amount of attention bestowed upon them by the workers. There is scarcely a second in which a bee is not peeping into them, and just as fast as one is satisfied, another pops in its head, to examine, if not to report progress. The importance of their inmates to the bee-community, might easily be inferred from their being the center of so much attraction. While the other cells open sideways, the Queen cells always hang with their mouth dowmvards. Much specula- tion has arisen as to the reason for this deviation : some have conjectured that their peculiar position exerts an influence upon the development of the royal larvse ; while others, having ascertained that no injurious effect was produced by turning them upwards, or placing them in any other position, have considered this deviation as among the inscrutable mysteries of the bee-hive. So it always seemed .to me, until more careful reflection enabled me to solve the problem. The Queen cells open downwards, simply to setve room !' The distance between the parallel ranges of comb is usually so small, that the bees could not have made the royal cells ta open sideways, without sacrificing the opposite cells. In order to economize space, to the utmost, they put them o.n the unoccupied edges of the comb,, as the only place where there is always plenty of room, for such very large cells. The number of royal cells in a hive, varies greatly ; sometimes there are only two or three, ordinarily there are five or six, and I have occasionally seen more than a dozen. They are not all commenced at once, for the bees do not intend that all the young Queens shall arrive at maturity, at 70 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. the same time. I do not consider it as fully settled, how the eggs are deposited in these cells. In some few instances, I have known the bees to transfer the eggs from common to Queen cells, and this may be their general method of pro- cedure. I shall hazard the conjecture, that the Queen deposits her eggs, in a crowded state of the hive, in cells on the edges of the comh, and that some of these are after- wards enlarged, and changed into royal cells by the workers. Such is the instinctive hatred of the Queen to her own kind, that it does not seem to me probable, that she is intrusted with even the initiatory steps for securing a race of successors. That the eggs from which the young Queens are produced, are of the same kind with those producing workers, has been repeatedly demonstrated. Royal Jelly. The young Queens are supplied with a much larger quantity of food than is allotted to the other larvse, so that they seem almost to float in a thick bed of jelly, a portion of which is usually left unconsumed at the base of the cells, after the insects have arrived at maturity. It is difl?erent from the food of the other larvse, has a slightly acid taste, and when fresh, resembles starch, when old, a light quince jelly. I submitted a portion of the royal jelly for analysis, to Dr. Charles M. Wetherell, of Philadelphia ; a very interesting account of his examination may be found in the proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences for July, 1852. He speaks of the substance as " truly a bread-con- taining, albuminous compound." I hope to obtain from this able chemist, an analysis of the food of the young drones and workers. A comparison of its elements with those of the royal jelly, may throw some light on subjects as yet in- volved in obscurity. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 71 The effects produced upon the larvse by this peculiar food and method of treatment, are so very remarkable, that it is not strange that they should be rejected as idle whims, by nearly all, except those who have either been, eye-wit- nesses to them, or have been well acquainted with the char- acter and opportunities for accurate observation, of those on w^hose testimony they have received them. They are not only in themselves most marvelously strange, but on the face of them, so entirely opposed to all common analogies, and so very improbable, that many men when asked to believe ihem, feel almost as though an insult were offered to their common sense. The most important of these effects, I shall briefly enumerate. 1st. The peculiar mode in which the worm designed to be reared as a Queen, is treated, causes it to arrive at maturity, almost one-third earlier than if it had been bred a worker. And yet, as it is to be much more fully developed, according to ordinary analogy, it should have had a sloioer groiolh. 2d, Its organs of reproduction are completely developed, so that it is capable of fulfilling the office of a mother. 3d. Its size, shape and color are all greatly changed. Its lower jaws are shorter, its head rounder, its abdomen with- out the receptacles for secreting wax, and its legs have neither brushes nor baskets, while its sting is more curved, and one-third longer than that of a worker. 4th. Its instincts are entirely changed. Reared as a worker, it would have been ready to thrust out its sting at the least provocation ; whereas now, it may be pulled limb from limb, without attempting to sting. As a worker it would have treated a Queen with the greatest consideration ; whereas now, if brought into contact with another Queen, it rushes forthwith to mortal combat with it rival. As a worker, it would frequently have left the hive, either for 72 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. labor or exercise : as a Queen, it never leaves the hive, after impregnation, except to accompany a new swarm. 5lh. The term of its life is remarkably lengthened. As a worker, it would not have lived more than six or seven months ; as a Queen it may live seven or eight times as long ! All these wonders rest on the impregnable basis of complete demonstration, and instead of being witnessed only by a select few, may now, by the use of my hive, be familiar sights to any bee keeper, who prefers to acquaint himself with facts, rather than to cavil and sneer at the labors of others.* * Having already spolien of Swammerdam, I shall give from the celebrated Dr. Boerhaave's memoir of this wonderful naturaUst, a brief extract which should put to the blush, if any thing can, the arro- gance of those superficial observers, who are too wise in their own conceit, to avail themselves of the knowledge of others. " This treatise on Bees proved so fatiguing a performance, that Swammerdam never afterwards recovered even the appearance of his former heaUh and vigor. He was almost continually engaged by day in making observations, and as constantly engaged by night in record- ing them by drawings and suitable explanations." "This being Summer work, his daily labor began at six in the morning, when the sun afforded him light enough to survey such mi- nute objects ; and from that hour till twelve, he continued without in- terruption, all the while exposed in the open air to the scorching heat of the sun, bareheaded for fear of intercepting his sight, and his head in a manner dissolving into sweat under the irresistible ardors of that powerful luminary. And if he desisted at noon, it was only because the strength of his eyes was too much weakened, by the extraordinary afflux of light, and the use of microscopes, to continue any longer upon such small objects, though as discernable in the afternoon, as they had been in the forenoon." " Our author, the better to accomplish his vast, unlimited views, often wished for a year of perpetual heat and light to perfect his in- quiries, with a polar night to reap all the advantages of them, by proper drawings and descriptions." NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 73 When provision has been made, in the manner described, for a new race of Queens, the old mother, (See Chap, on Swarming,) always departs with the first swarm, before her successors have arrived at maturity. Artificial Rearing of Queens. The distress of the bees when they lose their Queen, has already been described. If they have the means of supply- ing her loss, they soon calm down, and commence the ne- cessary steps for rearing another. The process of rearing Queens artificially, to meet some special emergency, is even more wonderful than the natural one already described. Its success depends on the bees having worker-eggs, or worms not more than three days old* ; the bees nibble away the partitions of two cells adjoining a third, so as to make one large cell out of the three. They destroy the eggs or worms in two of these cells, while they place before the occupant of the third, the usual food of the young Queens, and build out its cell, so as to give it ample space for development. They seldom confine themselves to the attempt to rear a single Queen, but to guard against failure, start a considera- ble number, although the work on all except a few, is often soon discontinued. In twelvet or fourteen days, they are in possession of a new Queen, precisely similar to one reared in the natural way ; while the eggs which were laid at the same time in the adjoining cells, and which have been developed in the usual way, are nearly a week longer in coming to maturity. The beautiful representation of comb which I here present * Some Apiarians believe that the worms may be older, t I once had two Queens hatched in eleven days after the old Queen was removed. 7 74 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. to my readers, was taken, with some alterations, from " Cot- ton's My Bee Book," to which I am also indebted for the group of bees in the title page.* The dimensions of the cells are considerably reduced : the larger ones, on the right hand of the plate, towards the bottom, are of drone size. One of the royal cells on the right contains an unhatched Queen, from the other which is open at the base, the Queen has emerged. The Queen cell on the left which is open at the side, is one from which a young Queen has been vio- lently extracted ; the other is in an unfinished state. On the face of the comb is a Queen cell just begun, of the kind constructed when Queens are reared artificially. The natural Queen cells are almost always on the edges of the comb, and the artificial ones, (those built to meet some un- expected emergency,) on the face. I will give in this connection a description of a highly inter- esting experiment : A large hive standing at a distance from any other colony, was removed in the morning of a pleasant day, to a new place, and another hive containing only empty comb, was put upon its stand. Thousands of workers which were out in the fields, or which left the old hive after its removal, re- turned to the familiar spot. It was affecting to witness their grief and despair : they flew in restless circles about the place where once stood their happy home, entered and left the new hive continually, expressing, in various ways, their lamentations over so cruel a bereavement. Towards even- ing, they ceased to take wing, and roamed in restless pla- toons, in and out of the hive, and over ils surface, acting all the time, as though in search of some lost treasure. 1 now * Instead of the original motto, "■ God save the Queen and all the Eoyal Family," I have substituted one which seems to me to be much wore in accordance with nature and truth. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 75 gave them a small piece of brood comb, containing worker eggs and worms. What followed the introduction of this brood comb, took place much quicker than it can be described. The bees which first touched it, raised a peculiar note, and in a moment, the comb was covered with a dense mass ; their restless motions and mournful noises ceased, and a cheerful hum at once proclaimed their delight ! Despair gave place to hope, as they recognized in this small piece of comb, the means of their deliverance. Imagine a large building filled with thousands of persons, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and by piteous cries, as well as frantic gestures, giving vent to their despair ; if some one should enter this house of mourning, and by a single word, cause all these demonstrations of agony to give place to smiles and con- gratulations, the change would not be more instantaneous and wonderful, than that produced when the bees received the brood comb ! The Orientals call the honey bee, Deborah, " She that speaketh." Would that this little insect might speak, and in words more eloquent than any of man's device, to those who allow themselves to reject the doctrines of revealed re- ligion, because, as they assert, they are, on their face so ut- terly improbable, that they labor under an a priori objection quite strong enough to be fatal to their credibility. Do not nearly all the steps in the development of a Queen from a worker-egg, labor under precisely the same objection ? and have they not, for this very reason, always been regarded by great numbers of bee keepers, as unworthy of belief.? If the favorite argument of infidels will not stand the test when applied to the wonders of the bee-hive, can it be regarded as entided to any serious weight, when employed in framing objections against religious truths, and arrogantly taking to task the infinite Jehovah, for what He has been pleased to 76 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BE®. do or to teach ? Give me the same latitude claimed by such objectors, and I can easily prove that a man is under no obligation to receive as true, any of the wonders in the economy of the bee-hive, even although he is himself an in- telligent eye-witness that they are all substantial verities. I shall quote, in this connection, from Huish, an English Apiarian, whose objections to the discoveries of Huber, so forcibly resemble many which are urged against the doc- trines of revealed religion. " If an individual, with the view of acquiring some knowl- edge of the natural history of the bee, or of its management, consult the works of Bagster, Bevan, or any of the periodi- cals which casually treat upon the subject, will he not rise from the study of them with his mind surcharged with falsi- ties and mystification ? Will he not discover through the whole of them a servile acquiescence in the opinions and discoveries of one man, however at variance they may be with truth or probability ; and if he enter upon the discussion with his mind free from prejudice, will he not experience that an outrage has been committed upon his reason, in call- ing upon him to give assent to positions and principles which at best are merely assumed, but to which he is called upon dogmatically to subscribe his acquiescence as the indubitable results of experience, skill and ability ? The editors of the works above alluded to, should boldly and indignantly have declared, that from their own experience in the natural economy of the insect, they were able to pronounce the cir- cumstances as related by Huber to be directly imjyossible, and the whole of them based on fiction and imposition." Let the reader change only a few words in this extract : for " the natural history of the bee, or its management,'' let him write, " the subject of revealed religion ;" for, " the works of Bagster, Bevan," &c., let him put, "the works of COMB. 77 Moses, Paul," &;c. ; for, " their own experience in the natu- ral economy of the insect," let him substitute, " their own experience in the nature of man ;" and for, " circumstances as related by Huber," let him insert, " as related by Luke or John," and it will sound almost precisely like a passage from some infidel author. CHAPTER IV. Comb. Wax is a natural secretion of the bees ; it may be called their oil or fat. If they are gorged with honey or any liquid sweet, and remain quietly clustered together, it is formed in small wax pouches on their abdomen, and comes out in the shape of very delicate scales. Soon after a swarm is hived, the bottom board will often be covered with these scales. The bees seem to aid its liberation from their bodies, by violently shaking themselves, as they stand upon the combs. " Thus, filtered through yon flutterer's folded mail, Clings the cooled wax, and hardens to a scale. Swift, at the well known call, the ready train, (For not a buz boon Nature breathes in vain,) Spring to each falling flake, and bear along Their glossy burdens to the builder throng. These with sharp sickle or with sharper tooth, Pare each excrescence, and each angle smooth, Till now, in finish'd pride, two radiant rows Of snow white cells one mutual base disclose. Six shining panels gird each polish'd round, The door's fine rim, with waxen fillet bound, While walls so thin, with sister walls combined, Weak in themselves, a sure dependence find." Evans. 78^ COMB. Huber was the first to demonstrate that wax is a natural secretion of the bee, when fed on honey or any saccharine substance. Most Apiarians before his time, supposed that it was made from pollen or bee-bread, either in a crude or digested state. He confined a new swarm of bees in a hive placed in a dark and cool room, and on examining them, at the end of five days, found several beautiful while combs in their tenement : these were taken from them, and ihey were again confined a.nd supplied with honey and water, and a second time new combs were constructed. Seven times in^ succession their combs were removed, and were in each instance replaced, the bees being all the time prevented from' ranging the fields, to supply themselves with bee-bread. By subsequent experiments he proved that sugar answered the same end with honey. He then confined a swarm, giving them no honey, but an abundance of fruit and pollen. They subsisted on the fruit, but refused to touch the pollen ;; and no combs were constructed, nor any wax scales formed in their pouches. Notwithstanding the extreme caution and unwearied pa- tience of Huber, in conducting these experiments on the secretion of wax, later observations seem to show, that he- had not discovered the loliole truth on this important subject. He has demonstrated, to be sure, that bees can construct comb from honey or sugar, without the aid of pollen, and that they cannot make it from poMen^ without the honey or sugar : but he has not proved that when permanently de- prived of pollen they can continue to work in wax, or if they can, that the pollen does not assist in its elaboration. A portion of pollen is always found in the stomach of a^ wax-producing worker, and bees appear never to build comb- so rapidly, as when they have free access to this article. It must, therefore, either furnish some of the elements o0 COMB. T^ wax, or in some way aid the bee in producing it. Further investigations must yet be made, and colonies confined with honey and pollen, as well as honey alone, before we can arrive at perfectly accurate results. Confident assertions are easily made, requiring only a little breath or a few drops of ink ; and the men who deal most in them, have often the profoundest contempt for observation and experiment. To establish even a simple truth, on the solid foundation of demonstrated facts, often requires severe and protracted toil. A high temperature is necessary for comb-building, in order that the wax may be soft enough to be moulded into shape. The very process of its secretion aids in furnishing the heat which is required to work it. This is an interesting fact, but one which seems never before to have been noticed. Honey and sugar are each found to contain by weight, about eight pounds of oxygen to one of carbon and hydro^. gen. When converted into wax,, the proportions are remark- ably changed ; the wax containing only one pound of oxygen to more than sixteen of hydrogen and carbon. Now as oxygen is the grand supporter of animal heat, the consump- tion of so large a quantity helps to produce the extraordinary heat which always accompanies comb-building, and which is necessary to keep the wax in the soft and plastic state requi- site to enable the bees to mould it into such exquisitely deli- cate and beautiful forms.* Who can fail to admire the wisdom of the Creator in this beautiful intance of adapta- tion ? The most careful experiments have clearly established the fact, that from thirteen to twenty pounds of honey are required to make a single pound of wax. If any think this incredible, let them bear in mind that wax is an animal oil * According to Dr. DonhofF, the thickness of the sides of a cell, in a Eew comb, is oaly the one hundred and eightieth, part of aa inch !■ 80 COMB. secreted chiefly from honey, and then consider how much corn or hay they must feed to their stock, in order to have them gain a single pound of fat. Many Apiarians are entirely ignorant of the great value of empty comb. Suppose the honey to be worth only fifteen cents per pound, and the comb when rendered into wax, to be worth thirty cents, the bee-master who melts a pound of comb, loses largely by the operation, even without estimating the time which the bees have consumed in building the comb. Unfortunately, in the ordinary hives, but little use can be made of empty comb, unless it is new, and can be put into the surplus honey-boxes ; but by the use of bars or movable frames, every piece of good worker-comb may be given to the bees, to aid them in their labors. Comb, when taken from the bees, is with difficulty pre- served from the bee-moth. If it contains only a few of the eggs of this destroyer, these, when exposed to summer heat, will soon produce a progeny sufficient to devour it. The comb, if attached to my frames, may be suspended in a box or empty hive, and thoroughly smoked with sulphur ; this will kill any worms which it may contain. When the weather is warm enough to hatch the eggs of the moth, this process must be repeated, as the sulphur does not seem always to destroy the vitality of the eggs. The combs may then be kept in a tight box or hive, with perfect safety. Combs containing bee-bread, are of great value, and if given to young colonies, which in Spring are frequently destitute of this article, they will materially assist them in early breeding. A strong stock of bees, in the height of the honey harvest, will fill empty combs with wonderful rapidity. I lay it down, therefore, as one of my first principles in bee culture, that good comb should never be melted, but carefully pre- COMB. 81 served and given to the bees. When new, it may be easily attached to the frames, or the honey-receptacles, by dipping the edge into melted wax, and pressing it gently until it stiffens : if old or the pieces large and full of bee-bread, it will be best to dip them into a mixture of melted wax and rosin, which will secure a firmer adhesion. When comb is put into tumblers or other small vessels, the bees will begin to work upon it sooner, if it is simply crowded in, so as to be held in place by being supported against the sides. It would seem as though, disgusted wiih such unworkmanlike proceedings, they could not rest until they have endeavored to " make a good job of it." Bees seem to fancy " a good start in life," about as well as their more intelligent owners, and are greatly encouraged in filling all receptacles in which a portion of empty comb is placed. To this use all suitable drone comb should be put, as soon as removed from the main hive. Artificial honey combs, made of porcelain, have recently been used for feeding bees. No one, to my knowledge, has ever attempted to imitate the delicate mechanism of the bee so closely, as to construct artificial combs for the ordinary uses of the hive ; although for a long time I have entertained the idea as very desirable, and yet as barely possible. If store combs could be made of gutta percha, when emptied of their contents they might be returned to the hive, again to be filled by the bees. While writing this treatise, it has occurred to me that bees might be induced to use old wax for the construction of their combs. If very fine parings are given to them, it seems to me very probable that they would use them, just as they do the scales which are formed in their wax pouches. Let strong colonies be deprived of some of their combs, after the honey harvest is over, and supplied abundantly with 82 COMB. these parings of wax. Whether " nature abhors a vacuum," or not, bees certainly do, when it occurs among the combs of their main hive. They will not consume the honey stored up for winter use to replace the combs taken from them ; they can gather none from the flowers ; and I have strong hopes that necessity will with bees as well as men, prove the mother of invention, and lead them to use the wax, as readily as they do the substitutes offered them for pollen. If this conjecture should be verified by actual results, it would promote the cheap and rapid multiplication of colonies, besides enabling the bees to amass unusual quantities of honey. A pound of bees wax might then be made to store up nearly twenty of honey, and the gain to the bee-keeper would be the great difTerence in price between the pound of wax, and the honey which bees consume in making the same weight of comb. Strong stocks might thus during the dull season, when no honey can be procured, be profitably em- ployed in building spare comb, to be used in strengthening feeble stocks, and for a great variety of purposes. Give me the means of cheaply obtaining large quantities of comb, and I have almost found the philosopher's stone in bee- keeping.* The building of comb is carried on with the greatest activity by night, while the honey is gathered by day.t Thus no time is lost. When the weather is so forbidding as to prevent the bees from going abroad, the combs are very rapidly constructed, the labor being carried on both by day and by night. On the return of a fair day, the bees gather * I have ascertained that bees will use fine shavings of wax to build new comb; but further investigations are needed, to make the dis- covery of practical advantage to the great mass of bee-keepers. 1 1 have known bees to gather honey from the tuHp tree, on very clear moonlight nights. COMB. 83 unusual quantities of honey, as they have plenty of room for its storage. Thus it often happens, that by their wise economy of time, they actually lose nothing, even if confined, for several days, to their hive. "How doth the Httle busy bee, improve each shining hour !" The poet might with equal truth have described her, as improving the gloomy days, and the dark nights, in her useful labors. It is an interesting fact, which I do not remember ever to have seen noticed, that honey-gathering, and comb-building, go on simultaneously ; so that when one stops, the other ceases also. I have repeatedly observed, that as soon as the honey harvest fails, the bees intermit their labors in building new comb, even although large portions of their hive are unfilled. If they should use their stores to enlarge their combs, they would incur the risk of perishing in the Winter, by starvation. When honey no longer abounds in the fields, it is wisely ordered, that they ■ should not consume their hoarded treasures, in expectation of supplies which may never come. Could any safer rule have been given them > And were honey-gathering our business, should not we, with all our boasted reason, be obliged to adopt the very same course } Wax being a bad conductor, when warmed by the animal heat of the bees can more easily be worked, than if it parted with its heat too readily. By this property, the combs serve also to keep the bees warm, and there is not so much risk of the honey candying in the cells, or the combs crack- ing with frost. If wax was a good conductor of heat, the combs would often be icy cold, moisture would condense and freeze upon them, and they would fail to answer all the ends for which they are intended. The size of the cells, in which workers are reared, never 84 COMB. varies : the same may substantially be said of the drone cells which are very considerably larger ; the cells in which honey is stored, often vary exceedingly in depth, while in diameter, they are of all sizes from that of the v^orker cells to that of the drones. As five worker, or four drone cells will measure about one linear inch, a piece of comb an inch square, will contain twenty-five worker and sixteen drone cells, on each side. The cells of the bees are found to answer perfectly all the most subtle conditions of a very intricate mathematical problem. Let it be required to find what shape a given quantity of matter must take, in order to have the greatest capacity and strength^ requiring at the same time, the least space and lalor in its construction. This problem, when solved by the most refined mathematical processes, gives the hexagonal or six-sided cell of the honey bee, with its three four sided figures at the base ! The shape of these figures cannot be altered, ever so lit- tle, except for the worse. Besides possessing the desirable qualities already described, they answer as nurseries for rearing the young, and as small air-tight vessels to preserve the honey from souring or candying. Every prudent house- wife who puts up her preserves in tumblers, or small glass jars, and carefully pastes them over, to keep out the air, will understand the value of such an arrangement. " There are only three possible figures of the cells," says Dr. Reid, " which can make them all equal and similar, without any useless spaces between them. These are the equilateral triangle, the square, and the regular hexagon. It is well known to mathematicians that there is not a fourth way possible, in which a plane may be cut into little spaces that shall be equal, similar and regular, without leaving any interstices," COMB, 85 An equilateral triangle would have madean uncomforiable tenement for an insect with a round body ; and a square cell would not have been much better. At first sight a circle would seem to be the best shape for the development of the larvee : but such a figure would have caused a needless sac- rifice of space, materials and strength ; while the honey which now adheres so admirably to the many angles and corners of the six-sided cell, would have been much more liable to run out. I will venture to assign a new reason for the hexagonal form. The body of the immature insect as it undergoes its changes, is charged with a super-abundance of moisture which passes off through the reticulated cover which the bees build over its cell : a hexagon while it approaches so nearly the shape of a circle as not to incom- mode the young bee, furnishes in its six corners the neces- sary vacancies for its more thorough ventilation ! So invariably uniform in size, as well as perfect in other respects, are the cells in which the workers are bred, that some mathematicians have proposed their adoption as the best unit for measures of capacity to serve for universal use. Can we believe that in the construction of their cells, these little insects unite so many requisites, either by chance, or because they are profoundly versed in the most intricate mathematics ? Are we not compelled to acknowledge that the mathematics must be referred to the Creator, and not to his puny creature ? To an intelligent and candid mind, a piece of honey comb is a complete demonstration that there is a " GREAT FIRST CAUSE : " for on no other supposition can we account for a shape so complicated, and yet the only one which can possibly unite so many desirable requirements. ♦' On books deep poring, ye pale sons of toil, Who waste in studious trance the midnight oil, Say, can ye emulate with all your rules. Drawn or from Grecian or from Gothic schools, 8 S6 PROPOLIS. This artless frame ? Instinct her simple guide, A heaven-taught Insect baffles all your pride. Not all yon raarshall'd orbs, that ride so high, Proclaim more loud a present Deity, Than the nice symmetry of these small cells, Where on each angle genuine science dwells." Evans. CHAPTER V. Propolis^ or " Bee-Glue." This substance is obtained by the bees from the resinous buds and limbs of trees ; the different varieties of poplar yield a rich supply. When first gathered, it is usually of a bright golden color, and so exceedingly sticky, that the bees never deposit it in cells, but apply it at once to the pur- poses for which it has been gathered. J have sometimes caught them as they v^^ere bringing in a load, and found it adhering very firmly to their legs. " Huber planted in Spring some branches of the wild poplar, before the leaves were developed, and placed them in pots near his Apiary ; the bees alighted on them, separat- ed the folds of the large buds with their forceps, extracted the varnish in threads, and loaded with it, first one thigh and then the other ; for they convey it like pollen, transferring it by the first pair of legs to the second, by which it is lodged in the hollow of the third." The smell of the propolis is often like that of the resin from the poplar, and chemical analysis proves the identity of the two substances. It is frequently gathered from the PROPOLIS. 87 alder, horse-chestnut, birch, and willow ; and as some think, from pines and other trees of the fir kind. Bees will enter shops where varnishing is being carried on, attracted, evi- dently by the smell ; and in the vicinity of Matamoras, Mexico, where propolis seems to be scarce, I found a colony using green paint, and another pitch from the rigging of ves- sels ! Bevan mentions the fact of their carrying off a com- position of wax and turpentine, from trees to which it had been applied. Dr. Evans says that he has seen them collect the balsamic varnish which coats the young blossom buds of the hollyhock, and has known them rest at least ten minutes on the same bud, moulding the balsam with their fore feet, and transferring it to the hinder legs, as described by Huber. " With merry hum the Willow's copse they scale, The Fir's dark pyramid, or Poplar pale, Scoop from the Alder's leaf its oozy flood, Or strip the Chestnut's resin-coated bud, Skim the light tear that tips Narcissus' ray, Or round the hollyhock's hoar fragrance play. Soon temper'd to their will through eve's low beam, And link'd in airy bands the viscous stream, They waft their nut-brown loads exulting home, That form a fret-work for the future comb ; Caulk every chink where rushing winds may roar, And seal their circling ramparts to the floor." Evans. A mixture of wax and propolis being much more adhesive than wax alone, serves admirably to strengthen the attach- ments of the combs to the top and sides of the hive. If the combs, as soon as they are built, are not filled with honey or brood, they are beautifully varnished with a most delicate coating of propolis, which adds exceedingly to their strength : but as this natural varnish impairs their snowy whiteness, they ought not to be left in the surplus honey receptacles, accessible to the bees, except when they are actively engaged in storing them with honey. 88 PROPOLIS. The bees make a very liberal use of this substance to fi}l up all the crevices about their premises : and as the natural summer heat of the hive keeps it soft, the bee moth selects it as a proper place of deposit for her eggs. For this reason, hives should be made of sound lumber, entirely free from cracks. The corners, vt^hich the bees always fill with propo- lis, may have a melted mixture run into them, three parts of rosin, and one of bees-wax ; this remaining hard during the hottest weather, bids defiance to ihe moth. As the bees find it difficult to gather the propolis, and equally so to remove from their thighs and work so sticky a material, it is important lo save them all unnecessary labor in amassing it. To men, time is money ; to bees, it is honey ; and all the arrangements of the hive should be such as to economize it to the very utmost. Propolis is sometimes put to a very curious use by the bees. " A snail* having crept into one of M. Reaumur's hives early in the morning, after crawling about for some time, adhered by means of its own slime to one of the glass panes. The bees having discovered the snail, surrounded it and formed a border of propolis round the verge of its shell, and fastened it so securely to the glass that it became im- movable." " Forever closed the impenetrable door, It naught avails that in its torpid veins Year after year, life's loitering spark remains." Evans. *' Maraldi, another eminent Apiarian, states that a snail without a shell having entered one of his hives, the bees, as soon as they observed it, stung it to death ; after which, being unable to dislodge it, they covered it all over with ah impervious coat of propolis." * Bevan. PROPOLIS. 89 " For soon in fearless ire, their wonder lost, Spring fiercely from the comb the indignant host, Lay the pierced monster breathless on the ground. And clap in joy their victor pinions round : While all in vain concurrent numbers strive, To heave ihe slime-girt giant from the hive — Sure not alone by force instinctive swayed. But blest with reason's soul directing aid, Alike in man or bee, they haste to pour, Thick hard'ning as it falls, the flaky shower ; Embalmed in shroud of glue the mummy lies, No worms invade, no foul miasmas rise." Evans. " In these instances who can withhold his adnniration of the ingenuity and judgment of the bees ? In the first case a troublesome creature gained admission to the hive, which, from its unwieldiness, they could not remove, and which, from the impenetrability of its shell, they could not destroy : here then their only resource was to deprive it of locomo- tion, and to obviate putrefaction ; both which objects they accomplished most skillfully and securely ; and as is usual with these sagacious creatures, at the least possible expense of labor and materials. They applied their cement where alone it was required, round the verge of the shell. In the latter case, to obviate the evil of decay, by the total exclu- sion of air, they were obliged to be more lavish in the use of their embalming material, and to case over the " slime- girt giant " so as to guard themselves from his noisome smell. What means more effectual could human wisdom have devised under similar circumstances .?" A large volume would not suffice to set forth all the superstitions connected with bees. While on the subject of Propolis, I will refer to one which is very common, and has often made a deep impression upon many minds. When any member of a family dies, the bees are believed to be aware of what has happened, and the hives are by some 8* 90 POLLEI!r, dressed in mourning, to pacify their sorrowing occupants ! Some persons imagine that if this is not done, the bees will never afterwards prosper, while others assert, that they often take their loss so much to heart, as to alight upon the coffin whenever it is exposed ! An intelligent clergyman on reading the sheets of this work, stated to me that he had always refused to credit this latter fact, until present at a funeral where the bees gathered in such large numbers upon the coffin, as soon as it was brought out from the house, as to excite considerable alarm. Some years after this occur- rence, being engaged in varnishing a table, and finding that the bees came and lit upon it, he was convinced that the love of varnish, (see p. 87,) instead of sorrow or respect for the dead, was the occasion of their gathering round the coffin \ How many superstitions in which even intelligent persons firmly confide, might if all the facts were known, be as easily explained. CHAPTER TI. Pollen, or '« Bee-Bread." This substance is gathered by the bees from the flowers, or blossoms, and is indispensable to the nourishment of their young, as repealed experiments have proved that no brood can be raised without it. It is rich in what chemists call nitrogenous substances, which are not contained in honey, and which furnish ample nourishment for the development of the growing bee. Dr. Hunter dissected some immature POLLEN. 91 bees, and found their stomachs to contain farina, but not a particle of honey. We are indebted to Huber for the discovery that pollen is the principal food of the young bees. As large supplies are often found in hives vi^hose inmates have starved to death, it was evident that it could not, without honey, support the mature bees. It was this fact which led the old observers to- conclude that it was gathered for the purpose of building comb. After Huber had demonstrated that wax can be secreted from an entirely different substance, he was soon led to conjecture that the bee-bread must be used for the nour- ishment of the embrj'o bees. By rigid experiments he proved the truth of this supposition. Bees were confined to their hive without any pollen, after being supplied with honey, eggs and larvse. In a short time the young all per- ished. A fresh supply of brood was given to them, with an ample allowance of pollen, and the development of the larvse then proceeded in the natural way. In the backward Spring of 1852, I had an excellent op- portunity of testing the value of this substance. In one of my hives, was an artificial swarm of the previous year. The hive was well protected, being double, and the siiuaiioR warm. I opened it on the 5th of February, and although the weather, until within a week of that time, had been unusually cold, many of the cells were filled with brood. On the 23d, the combs being again examined, contained neither eggs, brood, nor bee-bread. The bees were then supplied with pollen from another hive : the next day, a large number of eggs were found in the cells. When this supply was exhausted, laying ceased, and was resumed when more was furnished them. During the time of these experiments, the weather was so unpromising, that the bees were unable to go out even for water, and were supplied at home with this important article. 92 POLLEN. Dzierzon is of opinion that bees are able to furnish food for their young, without the presence of pollen in the hive ; although he admits that they can do this only for a short time, and at a great expense of vital energy ; just as the strength of an animal nursing its young is rapidly reduced, when for want of proper food, the very substance of its own body is converted into milk. My experiments do not cor- roborate this theory, but tend to confirm the views of Huber, that pollen is absolutely necessary to the development of brood. Gundelach says, that if a colony with a fertile Queen be put into an empty hive and set in the dark, and then supplied with honey, comb will be rapidly built, and the cells filled with eggs. The eggs in due time will be hatched, but the worms will all die within twenty-four hours. Some Apiarians think that pollen is used by the bees when they are engaged in comb-building ; and that unless they are well supplied with it, they cannot rapidly secrete wax, with- out very severely taxing their strength. I once attached but little weight to this conjecture, but further observations have convinced me of its truth : for if bees are supplied with an abundance of pollen and honey, ihey will produce wax much faster than when supplied with honey alone. That the full grown bees make some use of pollen in con- nection with honey, for their own nourishment, I believe also to be highly probable. Bees prefer to gather fresh bee-bread, even when there are large accumulations of old stores in the cells. Hence, the great importance of being able, by the control of the combs, to make the surplus of old colonies supply the defi- ciency of young ones. If honey and pollen can both be obtained from the same flower, then a load of each will be secured by the industrious insect. Of this, any one may be convinced, who will dis- POLLEN. 93 sect a few pollen gatherers at the time when honey is plenty : he will generally find their honey-bags full. The mode of gathering is very interesting. The body of the bee appears, to the naked eye, to be covered with fine hairs : when she alights on a flower, the farina adheres to these. With her legs, she brushes it from her body, and packs it in two hollows or baskets, one on each of her thighs : these baskets are surrounded by stouter hairs which hold the load in its place. When the bee returns with polllen, she often makes a singular dancing or vibratory motion, to attract the attention of the other bees, who nibble away from her thighs what they want for immediate use ; the rest she stores away for future need, by inserting her body in a cell and brushing it off from her legs ; it is then carefully packed down, and often sealed over with wax. Pollen is very seldom deposited in any except worker cells. When from the dryness of the air, or any other cause, the pollen cannot be readily gathered in balls, the bee will often roll herself in the farina, and return, thus dusted over, to her hive. It has been observed that a bee, in gathering pollen, al- most always confines herself to the kind of flower on which she begins, even when that is not so abundant as some oth- ers ; thus a ball of this substance taken from her thigh, is found to be of a uniform color throughout : the load of one will be yellow, another red, and a third brown ; the color varying according to that of the plant from which the supply was obtained. It is probable that the pollen of different kinds of flowers would not pack so well together. As they carry on their bodies the pollen or fertilizing substance, they aid most powerfully in the impregnation of plants! He must be blind indeed, who does not see, at every step 94 POLLEN. in the natural history of the honey-bee, the plainest proofs of the wisdom of its Creator, or who can resist the impres- sion that this insect was made for the especial service and instruction of man. At first the importance of its pro- ducts, when honey was almost the only natural sweet, attracted most powerfully his attention to its curious habits ; and now, since the cultivation of the sugar cane has dimin- ished the relative value of its luscious sweets, the more accurate knowledge which has been obtained of its instincts, is awakening an ever increasing enthusiasm in its cultivation. Virgil in the fourth book of his Georgics, which is entirely 118 PROTECTION. is a point of the very first importance; and yet this is the very point, which in proportion to its importance, has been most overlooked. We have discarded, and very wisely, the straw hives of our ancestors ; but such hives, with all their faults, were comparatively warm in Winter, and cool in Summer. We have undertaken to keep bees, where the cold of Winter and the heat of Summer are alike intense, and where sudden and severe changes are often fatal to the brood ; and yet we blindly persist in expecting success under circumstances in which any marked success is well nigh impossible. That our country is eminently favorable to the production of honey, cannot be doubted. Many of our forests abound with colonies which are not only able to protect themselves against all their enemies, the dreaded bee-moth not excepted, but which often amass prodigious quantities of honey. Nor are such colonies found merely in new countries. They exist frequently in the very neighborhood of cultivators whose hives are weak and impoverished, and who impute to a decay of the honey resources of the country, the inevit- able consequences of their own irrational system of manage- ment. It will not be without profit, to consider briefly under what circumstances these wild colonies flourish, and how they are protected against sudden and extreme changes of temperature. Snugly housed in the hollow of a tree, whose thickness and decayed interior are such admirable materials for ex- cluding atmospheric changes, the bees in Winter are in a state of almost absolute repose. The entrance to their abode is generally very small in proportion to the space within ; and let the weather out of doors vary as it may, the inside temperature is very uniform. These natural hives are dry, because the moisture finds no cold or icy top, or sides, on PROTECTION. 119 which to condense, and from which it must drip upon the bees, destroying their lives, or enfeebling their health, by filling the interior of their dwelling with mould and damp- ness. As they are very quiet, they eat but little, and hence their bodies are not distended and diseased by accumulated faeces. Often they do not stir from their hollows, from No- vember until March or April ; and yet they come forth in the Spring, strong in numbers, and vigorous in health. If at any time in the Winter season, the warmth is so great as to pene- trate their comfortable abodes, and to tempt them to fly, when they venture out, they find a balmy atmosphere in which they may disport with impunity. Tn the Summer, they are protected from the heat, not merely by the thickness of the hollow tree, but by the leafy shade of overarching branches, and the refreshing coolness of a forest home. The Russian and Polish bee-keepers, living in a climate whose winters are much more severe than our own, are among the largest and most successful cultivators of bees, many of them numbering their colonics by hundreds, and some even by thousands ! They have, with great practical sagacity, imitated as closely as possible, the conditions under which bees are found to flourish so admirably in a state of nature. We are informed by a Polish writer, that his coun- trymen make their hives of the best plank, and never less than an inch and a half in thickness. The shape is that of an old-fashioned churn, and the hive is covered on the out- side, halfway down, with twisted rope cordage, to give it greater protection against extremes of heat and cold. The hives are placed in a dry situation, directly upon the hard earth, which is first covered with an inch or two of clean, dry sand. Chips are then heaped up all around them, and covered with earth banked up in a sloping direction, to carry off* the rain. The entrance is at some distance above the 120 PROTECTION. bottom, and is a triangle whose sides are only one inch long. In the Winter season, this entrance is contracted so that only one bee can pass at a time. Such a hive, with us, as it does not furnish the honey in convenient, beautiful and salable forms, would not meet the demands of our cultivators. Still, there are some very important lessons to be learned from it, by all who keep bees in regions of cold Winters, and hot Summers. It shows the importance which some of the largest Apiarians in the world, attach to protection; practi- cal, common sense men, whose heads have not been turned, as some would express it, by modern theories and fanciful inventions. They cultivate their bees almost in a state of nature, and their experience on what we would term a gigantic scale, ought to convince even the most incredulous, of the folly of pretending to keep bees, in the miserably thin and unprotected hives to which we have been accustomed. But how, it will be asked, can bees live in Winter, in a hive so closely shut up as the Polish hive ? They do live in such hives, and prosper, just as they do in hollow trees, with only one small entrance. It is well known that bees have flourished when their hives were buried in Winter, and under circumstances in which but a very small amount of air could possibly gain admission to them. Bees, when kept in a dry place, in properly protected hives and in a state of almost perfect repose, need only a small supply of air ; and the ob- jection that those cultivators among us, who shut up their colonies very closely in Winter, are almost sure to lose them, is of no weight ; because the majority of our hives are so deficient in protection, that if they are too closely shut up, " the breath of the bees," condensing and freezing upon the inside, and afterwards thawing, causes the combs to mould, and the bees to become diseased ; just as many substances mould and perish when kept in a close, damp cellar. PROTECTION. 121 We are now prepared to discuss the question of protec- tion in its relations to the construction of hives. We have seen how it is furnished to the bees in the Polish hives, and in the decayed hollovi^s of trees. If the Apiarian chooses, he can imitate this plan by constructing his hives of very thick plank; but such hives would be clumsy, and whh us, expensive. Or he may much more effectually reach the same end, by making his hives double, so as to enclose an air space all around, which may be filled with charcoal, saw dust, or any good non-conductor, to enable the bees to pre- serve with the least waste, their animal heat. Hives may be constructed in this way, which without great expense, may be much better protected than if they were made of the thickest plank. The manner in which I make my hives, not only protects the bees against extremes of heat and cold, but it guards them very effectually, against the injurious and often fatal effects of condensed moisture. By means of my movable frames, the combs are prevented from being attached to the sides, top or bottom of the hive; they are in fact, suspended in the air. If now the dampness can be prevented from condensing any where, over the bees, so that it may not drip upon the combs, and if it can be easily discharged from the hive wherever it may collect, it cannot, under any circum- stances, seriously annoy them. Such are the arrangements in my hives, that the little moisture which forms in them, is deposited on the sides in preference to any other part of the interior ; just as it is upon the colder walls or windows, rather than the ceiling of a room. But as the combs are kept away from the sides, this moisture cannot annoy the bees, but must fall upon the bottom-board, from whence it can be easily discharged from the hive. Wherever glass is used in the construction of my hives, I prefer to set the 11 122 PROTECTION. panes double, with a dead air space between them ; the extra cost will be amply repaid by the additional protection given to the bees. There is one disadvantage to which all well protected hives of the ordinary construction, are exposed. In the Spring of the year, it is exceedingly desirable that the warmth of the sun should penetrate the hives, to encourage the bees in early breeding ; but the very arrangement which protects ihem from cold, often interferes with this. A bee- hive'isthus like a cellar, warm in Winter, and cool in Sum- mer ; but often unpleasantly cool in the early Spring, when the atmosphere out of doors is warm and delightful. In my hive, this difficulty is easily remedied. In the Spring, as soon as the bees begin to fly, on warm, sun-shiny days, ihe upper part of the outside case may, for a few hours, be removed, so that the heat of the sun can penetrate to every part of the hive. It is a serious objection to most covered Apiaries, that they do not permit the hives to receive the genial heat of the sun at a period of the year when instead of injuring the bees, it exerts a most powerful influence in developing their brood. This is one among many reasons why I have discarded them, and why I prefer to construct my hives in such a manner that they need no extra covering, but stand, in the early part of the season, exposed to the full influence of the sun. I have known strong colonies which have survived the Winter in thin hives, to increase rapidly and swarm early, because of the stimulating effect of the sun; while others, deprived of this influence, in dark bee houses and well protected hives, have sometimes disappointed the hopes of their owners. Enclosed Apiaries are at best but nuisances : they soon become lurking-places for spiders and moths ; and after all the expense wasted on their construction, aflbrd but little protection against extreme cold. PROTECTION. 123 I have been thus particular on the subject of protection, in order to convince every bee keeper who exercises common sense, that thin hives ought to be given up, if either pleasure or profit is sought from his bees. Such hives an enlightened Apiarian could not be persuaded to purchase, and he would consider them too expensive in their waste of honey and bees, to be worth accepting, even as a gift. Many strong colonies which are lodged in badly protected hives, often consume in extra food, in a single hard Winter, more than enough to pay the difference betvi^een the first cost of a good hive over a bad one. In the severe Winter of 1851-2, many cultivators lost nearly all their stocks, and a large part of those which survived, were too much weakened to be able to swarm. And yet these same miserable hives, after accomplishing the work of destruction on one generation of bees, are reserved to perform the same office for another. And this some call economy ! I am well aware of the question which many of my read- ers have for some time been ready to ask me. Can you make one of your well protected hives as cheaply as we construct our common box hives ? I would remind such questioners, that it is hardly possible to build a well protected house as cheaply as a barn. If, however, my hives are not built of doubled materials, they can be made for less money than most patent hives, and yet afford much greater protection ; as the combs touch neither the top, bottom nor sides of the hive. I recommend, however, for all latitudes north of Philadelphia, a construc- tion, which although somewhat more costly at first, is yet much cheaper in the end. Such is the passion of the American people for cheapness in the first cost of an article, even at the evident expense of dearness in the end, that many, I doubt not, will continue to 124 PROTECTION. lodge their bees in thin hives, in spite of their conviction of the folly of so doing ; just as many of our shrewdest Yan- kees build thin wooden houses, in the cold climate of New England, or plaster their stone or brick ones directly on the wall, when the extra cost of fuel to warm them, far exceeds the interest on the additional expense which would be neces- sary to give them the requisite protection ; to say nothing of the doctors' bills, and fatal diseases which can be traced often to the dreary barns or damp vaults which they build, and call houses 1^ In the first edition of this work, I recommended placing the hives over a trench, dug in the ground, from which, by means of ventilatois in the bottom-boards, they could obtain a supply of cool air in Summer and warm air in Winter, This trench I called a Protector. Subsequent experiments have, however, fully convinced me that h is not adapted to secure the ends proposed. In most situations it will be damp in Winter, while at the same time, the extra protection fur- nished is not sufficient to justify the expense. CHAPTER IX. Ventilation of the Hive. If a populous hive is examined on a warm Summer day, a considerable number of bees will be found standing on the alighting board, with their heads turned towards the entrance, the extremity of their bodies slightly elevated, and their wings in such rapid motion that they are almost as indistinct VENTILATION. 125 as the spokes of a wheel, in swift rotation on its axis. A brisk current of air may be felt proceeding from the hive, and if a small piece of down be suspended by a thread, it will be blown out from one part of the entrance, and drawn in at another. What are these bees expecting to accomplish, that they appear so deeply absorbed in their fanning occu- pation, while busy numbers are constantly crowding in and out of the hive ? and what is the meaning of this double current of air ? To Huber, we owe the first satisfactory explanation of these curious phenomena. The bees plying their rapid wings in such a singular attitude, are performing the important business of ventilating the hive ; and this- double current is composed of pure air rushing in at one part, to supply the place of the foul air forced out at another. By a series of the most careful and beautiful experiments, Huber ascertained that the air of a crowded hive is almost, if not quite, as pure as the atmosphere by which it is sur- rounded. Now, as the entrance to such a hive, is often, (more especially in a state of nature,) very small, the inte- rior air cannot be renewed without resort to some artificial means. If a lamp is put into a close vessel with only one small orifice, it will soon exhaust all the oxygen, and go oul» If another small orifice is made, the same result will follow j. but if by some device a current of air is drawn out from one opening, an equal current will force its way into the other, and the lamp will burn until the oil is exhausted. It is precisely on this principle of maintaining a double current by artijicial means, that the bees ventilate their crowded habilatians. A body of active ventilators stands inside of the hive, as well as outside, all with their heads turned towards the entrance, and by the rapid fanning of their wings, a current of air is blown briskly out of the hive, and an equal current drawn in. This important office is one 11* 126 VENTILATION. which requires great physical exertion on the part of those to whom it is entrusted ; and if their proceedings are care- fully watched, it will be found that the exhausted ventilators, are, from time to time, relieved by fresh detachments. If the interior of the hive will admit of inspection, in very hot w^eather, large numbers of these ventilators will be found in regular files, in various parts of the hive, all busily engaged in their laborious employment. If the entrance at any time is contracted, a speedy accession will be made to the num- bers, both inside and outside ; and if it is closed entirely, the heat of the hive will quickly increase, the whole colony will commence a rapid vibration of their wings, and in a few moments will drop lifeless from the combs, for want of air. It has been proved by careful experiments, that pure air is necessary not only for the respiration of the mature bees, but that without it, neither the eggs can be hatched, nor the larvBS developed. A fine netting of air-vessels covers the eggs ; and the cells of the larvse are sealed over with a covering which is full of air holes. In Winter, as has been stated in the Chapter on Protection, bees, if kept in the dark^ and neither too warm nor too cold, are almost dormant, and seem to require but a small allowance of air ; but even under such circumstances, they cannot live entirely without air ; and if they are excited by being exposed to atmospheric changes, or by being disturbed, a very loud humming may be heard in the interior of their hives, and they need quite as much air as in warm weather. If at any time, by moving their hives, or in any other way, bees are greatly disturbed, it will be unsafe to confine them, especially in warm weather, unless a very free admis- sion of air is given to them, and even then, the air ought ta be admitted above, as well as below the mass of bees, or the ventilators may become clogged with dead bees, and the: VENTILATION. 12T swarm may perish. Under close confinement, the bees become excessively heated, and the combs are often melted down. When bees are confined to a close atmosphere, especially if dampness is added to its injurious influences, they are sure to become diseased ; and large numbers, if not the whole colony, perish from dysentery. Is it not under circumstances precisely similar, that cholera and dysentery prove most fatal to human beings ? How ofien do the filthy, damp and unventilated abodes of the abject poor, become perfect lazar-houses to their wretched inmates ? I examined, last Summer, the bees of a new swarm which had been suffocated for want of air, and found their bodies distended with a yellow and noisome substance, just as though they had perished from dysentery. A few were still alive, and instead of honey, their bodies were filled with this same disgusting fluid ; though the bees had not been shut up, more than two hours. In a medical point of view, I consider these facts as highly interesting ; showing as they do, under what circumstances, and how speedily, diseases may be produced. In very hot weather, if thin hives are exposed to the sun''s rays, the bees are excessively annoyed by the intense heat, and have recourse to the most powerful ventilation, not merely to keep the air of the hive pure, but to carry off*, as much as possible, its internal warmth. They often leave the interior of the hive, almost in a body, and in thick mas- ses, cluster on the outside, not simply to escape the close heat within, but to guard their combs against the danger of being dissolved. At such times they are particularly care- ful not to cluster on the combs containing sealed honey ; for as most of these combs have not been lined with the cocoons of the larvse, they are, for this reason, as well as on account of the extra amount of wax used for their covers, much more liable to be melted, than the breeding cells. 128 VENTILATION. Apiarians have often noticed the fact, that as a general thing, the bees leave the honey cells almost entirely bare, a» soon as they have sealed them over ; but it seems to have escaped their observation, that in hot weather, there is often an absolute necessity for such a course. In cool weather, on the contrary, the bees may often be found clustered among the sealed honey-combs, because there is then na danger of their melting down. Few things in the range of their wonderful instincts, are so well fitted to impress the mind with their admirable sagacity, as the truly scientific device, by which these wise little insects ventilate their dwellings, I was on the point of saying that it was almost like human reason, when the pain- ful and mortifying reflection presented itself to my mind that in respect to ventilation, the bee is immensely in ad- vance of the great mass of those who consider themselves as rational beings. It has, to be sure, no ability to make an elaborate analysis of the chemical constituents of the atmos- phere, and to decide how large a proportion of oxygen is essential to the support of life, and how rapidly the process of breathing converts this important element into a deadly poison. It has not, like Liebig, been able to demonstrate that God has set the animal and vegetable world, the one over against the other ; so that the carbonic acid produced by the breathing of the one, furnishes the aliment of the other ; which, in turn, gives out its oxygen for the support of animal life ; and that, in this wonderful manner, God has provided that the atmosphere shall, through all ages, be as pure as when it first came from His creating hand. But shame upon us ! that with all our intelligence, the most of us live as though pure air was of little or no importance ; while the bee ventilates with a scientific precision and thoroughness^ that puts to the blush our criminal neglect. VENTILATION. 129 To this it may be replied that ventilation in our case, can- not be had, without considerable expense. Can it be had for nothing, by the industrious bees ? Those busy insects, which are so indefatigably plying their wings, are not engaged in idle amusement ; nor might they, as some would-be utilita- rian may imagine, be better employed in gathering honey, or in superintending some other department in the economy of the hive. They are at great expense of time and labor, supplying the rest of the colony with pure air, so conducive in every way, to their health and prosperity. I trust that I shall be permitted to digress, for a short time, from bees to men, and that the remarks which I shall offer on the subject of ventilation in human dwellings, may make a deeper impression, in connection with the wise arrange- ments of the bee, than they would, if presented in the shape of a mere scientific discussion ; and that some who have been in the habit of considering all air, except in the par- ticular of temperature, as about alike, may be thoroughly convinced of their mistake. Kecent statistics prove that consumption and its kindred diseases are most fearfully on the increase, in the Northern, and more especially in the New England States ; and that the general mortality of Massachusetts exceeds that of almost any other state in the Union. In these States, the tendency of increasing attention to manufacturing and mechanical pursuits, is to compel a larger and larger proportion of the population to lead an in-door life, and breathe an atmos- phere more or less vitiated, and thus unfit for the full devel- opment of vigorous health. The importance of pure air can hardly be over-estimated ; indeed, the quality of the air we breathe, seems to exert an influence much more powerful, and hardly less direct, than the mere quality of our food. Those whoj by active exercise in the open air, keep ihek 130 VENTILATION. lungs saturated as it were, with the pure element, can eat almost anything with impunity ; while those who breathe the sorry apology for air which is to be found in so many habitations, although they may live upon the most nutritious diet, and avoid the least excess, are incessantly troubled with head-ache, dyspepsia, and various mental as well as physical sufferings. Well may such persons, as they witness the healthy forms and happy faces of so many of the hardy sons of toil, exclaim with the old Latin poet, '' Oh dura messorum illia ! " It is with the human family very much as it is with the vegetable -kingdom. Take a plant or tree, and shut it out from the pure air and the invigorating light, and though you may supply it with an abundance of water, and the very soil, which by the strictest chemical analysis, is found to contain all the elements that are essential to its vigorous growth, it will still be a puny thing, ready to droop, if exposed to a summer's sun, or to be prostrated by the first visitation of a winter's blast. Compare, now, this wretched abortion, with an oak or maple which has grown upon the comparatively sterile mountain pasture, and whose branches, in Summer, are the pleasant resort of the happy songsters, while, under its mighty shade, the panting herds drink in a refreshing coolness. In Winter it laughs at the mighty storms, which wildly toss its giant branches in the air, and which serve only to exercise the limbs of the sturdy tree, whose roots deep intertwined among its native rocks, enable it ta bid defiance to anything short of a whirlwind or tornado. To a population, who, for more than two-thirds of the year, are compelled to breathe an atmosphere heated by artificial means, the question how can this air be made, at a moderate expense, to resemble, as far as possible, the purest VENTILATION. 131 ether of the skies is, (alas ! that I should rather say ought to be,) a question of the utmost interest. When open fires were used, there was no lack of pure air, whatever else might have been deficient. A capacious chimney carried up through its insatiable throat, immense volumes of air, to be replaced by the pure element, whistling in glee, through every crack, crevice and keyhole. Now the house-builder and stove-maker with but few exceptions* seem to have joined hands in waging a most effectual warfare against the unwelcome intruder. By labor-saving machinery, they con- trive to make the one, the joints of his wood-work, and the other, those of his iron-work, tighter and tighter, and if it were possible for them to accomplish fully their manifest design, they would be able to furnish rooms almost as fatal to life as " the black hole of Calcutta." But in spite of all that they can do, the materials \v\\\ shrink, and no fuel has yet been found, which will burn without any air, so that sufficient ventilation is kept up, to prevent such deadly occurrences. Still they are tolerably successful in keeping out the un- friendly element ; and by the use of huge cooking-stoves with towering ovens, and other salamander contrivances, the little air that can find its way in, is almost as thoroughly cooked, as are the various delicacies destined for the table. On reading an account of a run-away slave, who was for a considerable time, closely boxed up, a gentleman remarked that if the poor fellow had only known that a renewal of the air was necessary to the support of life, he could not have lived there an hour without suffocation ; I have frequently thought that if the occupants of the rooms I have been de- * The beautiful open or Franklin, stoves^ manufactured by Messrs. Jagger, Treadwell &c Perry, of Albany, deserve the highest commen- dation : they economize fuel as well as life and health. 132 VENTILATION. scribing, could only know as much, they would be in almost similar danger. Bad air, one would think, is bad enough : but when it is heated and dried to an excessive degree, all its original vileness is stimulated to greater activity, and thus made doubly injurious by this new element of evil. Not only our private houses, but our churches and school-rooms, our rail- road cars, and all our places of public assemblage, are, to a most lamentable degree, either unprovided with any means of ventilation, or, to a great extent, supplied with those which are so deficient that they " Keep the word of promise to our ear, And break it to our hope." That ultimate degeneracy must surely follow such entire disregard of the laws of health, cannot be doubted ; and those who imagine that the physical stamina of a people can be undermined, and yet that their intellectual, moral and religious health will suffer no eclipse or decay, know very little of the intimate connection between body and mind, which the Creator has seen fit to establish. The men may, to a certain extent, resist the injurious in- fluences of foul air ; as their employments usually compel them to live much more out of doors : but alas, alas ! for the poor women ! In the very land where women are treated with more universal deference and respect than in any other, and where they so well deserve it, there often, no provision is made to furnish them with that great element of health, cheerfulness and beauty, heaven's pure, fresh air. In Southern climes, where doors and windows may be safely kept open for a large part of the year, pure air is cheap enough, and can be obtained without any special effort: but in Northern latitudes, where heated air must be VENTILATION. 133 used for nearly three-quarters of the year, the neglect of ventilation is fast causing the health and beauty of our women to disappear. The pallid cheek, or the hectic flush, the angular form and distorted spine, the debilitated appear- ance of a large portion of our females, which to. a stranger, would seem to indicate that they were just recovering from a long illness, all these indications of the lamentable absence of physical health, to say nothing of the anxious, care-worn faces and premature wrinkles, proclaim in sorrowful voices, our violation of God's physical laws, and the dreadful pen- alty with which He visits our transgressions. Our people must, and I have no doubt that eventually they will be most thoroughly aroused to the necessity of a vital reform on this important subject. Open stoves, and cheerful grates and fire-places will again be in vogue with the mass of the people, unless some better mode of warming shall be devised, which, at less expense, shall make still more ample provision for the constant introduction of fresh air. Houses w^ill be constructed, which, although more expensive in the first cost, will be far cheaper in the end, and by requiring a much smaller quantity of fuel to warm the air, will enable us to enjoy the luxury of breathing air which may be duly tempered, and yet be pure and invigorating. Air-tight and all other lung-tight stoves will be exploded, as economizing in fuel only when they allow the smallest possible change of air, and thus squandering health and endangering life. The laws very wisely forbid the erection of wooden build- ings in large cities, and in various ways prescribe such regu- lations for the construction of edifices as are deemed to be essential to the public welfare ; and the time cannot, I trust, be very far distant, when at least all public buildings erected for the accommodation of large numbers, will be required by law, to furnish a supply of fresh air, in some reasonable 12 134 VENTILATION. det^ree adequate to the necessities of those who are to occupy them. The man who shall succeed in convincing the mass of the people, of the truth of the views thus imperfectly presented, and whose inventive mind shall devise a cheap and effica- cious way of furnishing a copious supply of pure air for our dwellings and public buildings, our steamboats and railroad cars, will be even more of a benefactor than a Jenner, or a Watt, a Fulton, or a Morse * To reiurn from this lengthy and yet I trust not unprofitable digression. In the ventilation of my hive, I have endeavored, as far as possible, to meet all the necessities of the bees, under the varying circumstances to which they are exposed, in our uncertain climate, whose severe extremes of temperature impress most forcibly upon the bee-keeper, the maxim of the Mantuan Bard, " Utraque vis pariter apibus metuenda." * An able article on the subject of ventilation, may be found in the Nov. number of the Horticulturist, for 1850, from the pen of the lament- ed Downing. It seems to have been written shortly after his return from Europe, and when he must have been most deeply impressed by the woful contrast, in point of physical health between the women of America and Europe. "While he speaks in just and therefore glowing terms of the virtues of our countrywomen, he says : " But in the signs of physical health and all that constitutes the outward aspect of the men and women of the United States, our countrymen and espe- cially countrywomen, compare most unfavorably with all but the absolutely starving classes on the other side of the Atlantic." Close stoves he has most appropriately styled "little demons," and impure air " the favorite poison of America." His article concludes as fol^ lows : " Pale countrymen and countrywomen, rouse yourselves! Consider that God has given us an atmosphere of pure health-giving air forty- five miles high, and ventilate your houses.''^ VENTILATION. 135 " Extremes of heat or cold, alike are hurtful to the bees." In order to make artificial ventilation of any use to the great majority of bee-keepers, it must be simple, and not as in Nutt's hive, and many other labored contrivances, so com- plicated as to require almost as constant supervision as a hot-bed or a green-house. In the Chapter on the Requisites of a good hive, I have spoken of the importance of furnishing ventilation, indepen- dently of the entrance. By such an arrangement, I am able to improve upon the method which the bees are compelled to adopt in a state of nature. As they have no means of admitting air, and at the same time, of effectually excluding all intruders, they are obliged in very hot v^eather, and in a very crowded state of their dwellings, to employ a larger force in the laborious business of ventilation, than would otherwise be necessary. By the use of my blocks, I can keep the entrance so small, that only a single bee can go in at once, or I can, if circumstances require, entirely close it, and yet the bees need not suffer for the want of air. In all ordinary cases, the ventilators will admit a sufficient supply, and the bees can, at any time, easily increase their efficiency by their own direct agency, while yet they will, at no time, admit so strong a current of chilly air, as to endanger the life of the brood. As respects ventilation from above, as well as from below, so as to allow a free current of air to pass through the hive, I am decidedly opposed to it, in cool and windy weather, when such a current often compels the bees to retire from the brood, which are thus destroyed by a fatal chill. In thin hives, ventilation from above may be desirable in Winter, to carry off the superfluous moisture, but in properly construct- ed hives, there is, as has already been remarked, little or no dampness to be carried off. The construction of my hives 136 SWARMING AND HIVING. will allow, if at all desirable, of ventilation from above ; and I always make use of it, when the bees are to be shut up for any length of time, in order to be moved ; as in this case, there is risk that ventilation from below may be clogged by dead bees, and the colony suffocated. As the entrance of the hive, may in a moment, be enlarged to any desirable extent, without in the least perplexing the bees, any quantity of air may be admitted, which the necessities of the bees, under any possible circumstances, may require. It may be made full eighteen inches in length, but as a general rule, in Summer, in a large colony, it need not exceed six inches ; while during the rest of the year, two or three inches will suffice. CHAPTER X. Natural Swarming, and Hiving of Swarms. The swarming of bees has been justly regarded as one of the most beautiful sights in the whole compass of rural economy. Although, for reasons which will hereafter be assigned, I prefer to rely chiefly on artificial means for the multiplication of colonies, I should be very unwilling to pass a season without participating, to some extent, in the pleas- ing excitement of natural swarming. " Up mounts the chief, and to the cheated eye Ten thousand shuttles dart along the sky ; As swift through aether rise the rushing swarms. Gay dancing to the beam their sun-bright forms ; And each thin form, still ling'ring on the sight, Trails, as it shoots, a line of silver light. High pois'd on buoyant wing, the thoughtful queen, In gaze attentive, views the varied scene, SWARMING AND HIVING. 137 And soon her far-fetch'd ken discerns below The light laburnum lift her polish'd brow, Wave her green leafy ringlets o'er the glade, And seem to beckon to her friendly shade. Swift as the falcon's sweep, the monarch bends Her flight abrupt ; the following host descends. Round the fine ivvig, like cluster'd grapes, they close In thickening wreaths, and court a short repose." Evans. The swarming of bees, by making provision for the con- stant multiplication of colonies, was undoubtedly intended both to guard the insect against the possibility of extinction, and to make its labors in the highest degree useful to man. The laws of reproduction in those insects which do not live in regular colonies, are such as to secure an ample increase of numbers. The same is true in the case of hornets, wasps and humble bees which live in colonies only during the warm weather. In the Fall of the year, all the males perish, while the impregnated females retreat into winter quarters and remain dormant, until the warm weather restores them to activity, and each one becomes the mother of a new family. The honey bee differs from all these insects, in being compelled, by the laws of its physical organization, to live in communities, during the entire year. The balmy breezes of Spring will quickly thaw out the frozen veins of a torpid wasp ; but the bee is incapable of enduring even a moderate degree of cold : a temperature as low as 50° speedily chills it, and it would be quite as easy to recall to life the stiffened corpses in the charnel houses of the Convent of the Great St. Bernard, as to restore to animation, a frozen bee. In cool weather, they must therefore associate in large num- bers, in order to maintain the beat necessary to their preser- vation ; and the formation of new colonies, after the manner of wasps and hornets, is clearly impossible. If the young 12* 138 SWARMING AND HIVING. Queens left the parent stock in Summer, and were able, like the mother-wasps, to lay the foundations of a new colony, they could not maintain the warmth requisite for the devel- opment of their young, even if they were able, without any baskets on their thighs, to gather bee-bread for their support. If all these difficulties were surmounted, they would still be unable to amass any treasures for our use, or even to lay up the stores requisite for their own preservation. How admirably are all these difficulties obviated by the present arrangement ! Their domicile is well supplied with all the materials for the rearing of brood, and long before any of the insects which depend upon the heat of the sun, are able to commence breeding, the bees have added thou- sands in the full vigor of youth to their already numerous population. They are thus able to send off in season, colo- nies sufficiently powerful to take advantage of the honey- harvest, and provision the new hive against the approach of Winter. From these considerations, it is very evident that swarming, so far from being, as some Apiarians have con- sidered it, a forced or unnatural event, is one, which in a state of nature, could not possibly be dispensed w^ith. Let us now inquire under what circumstances it ordinarily takes place. The time when swarms may be expected, depends of course, upon climate, season, and the strength of the stocks. In the Northern and Middle States, they seldom swarm before the latter part of May ; and June may be considered as the great swarming month. The importance of having powerful swarms early in the season, will be discussed m another place. In the Spring, as soon as a hive well filled* with comb * As a general rule, bees, in our Northern and Middle States, seldom svs^arm unleys the hive is filled with comb; in Southern lati- I SWARMING AND HIVIN€f. 139 and bees, becomes too much crowded to accommodate its teeming population, the bees begin the necessary prepara- tions for emigration. A number of royal cells are com- menced about the time that the drones make their appear- ance ; and by the time the young Queens arrive at maturity, drones are usually found in great abundance. The first swarm is invariably led off by the old Queen, unless she has previously died from accident or disease, in which case, it is accompanied by one of the young Queens reared to supply her loss. The old mother leaves soon after the royal cells are sealed over, unless delayed by unfavorable weather. There are no signs from which the Apiarian can, with cer- tainty, predict the issue of a first swarm. I devoted annu- ally, much attention to this point, vainly hoping to discover some infallible indications of first swarming ; until taught by further reflection that, from the very nature of the case, there can be no such indications. The bees, from an unfa- vorable state of the weather, or the failure of the blossoms to yield an abundant supply of honey, often change their minds, and refuse to swarm, even after all their preparations have been completed. Nay more, they sometimes send out no new colonies that season, when a sudden change of weather has interrupted them on the very day when they were intending to emigrate, and after they had taken a full supply of honey for their journey. If on a fair, warm day in the swarming season, but few bees leave a strong hive, while other colonies are busily at work, we may, unless the weather suddenly prove unfavor- able, look with great confidence for a swarm. As the old Queens, which accompany the first swarm, are heavy with tudes, however, the swarming instinct seems to be much more power- ful. In Matamoras and Brownsville, on the Eio Grande, I saw many- colonies issue from hives only partially filled with comb. 140 SWARMING AND HIVING. eggs, and fly with considerable difficulty, they are shy of venturing out, except on fair, still days. If the weather is very sultry, a swarm will sometimes issue as early as seven o'clock in the morning ; but from 10 to 2, is the usual time, and the majority of swarms come off from 11 to 1. Occa- sionally, a swarm will venture out as late as 5 P. M. An old Queen is seldom guilty of such a piece of indiscretion. I have in repeated instances witnessed the whole process of swarming, in my observing hives. On the day fixed for their departure, the Queen appears lo be very restless, and instead of depositing her eggs in the cells, she travels over the combs, and communicates her agitation to the whole colony. The emigrating bees fill themselves with honey, some time before their departure : in one instance, I noticed them laying in their supplies, more than two hours before they left. A short time before the swarm rises, a few bees may generally be seen, sporting in the air, with their heads turned always to the hive^ occasionally flying in and out, as though impatient for the important event to take place. At length, a very violent agitation commences in the hive : the bees appear almost frantic, whirling around in a circle, which continually enlarges, like the circles made by a stone thrown into still water, until at last the whole hive is in a state of the greatest ferment, and the bees rush impetuously to the entrance, and pour forth in one steady s-tream. Not a bee looks behind, but each one pushes straight ahead, as though flying " for dear life," or urged on by some invisible power, in its headlong career. The Queen often does not come out, until a large number have left, and is frequently so heavy, from the large number of eggs in her ovaries, that she falls to the ground, incapable of rising with the colony into the air. The bees are very soon aware of her absence, and a most SWARMING AND HIVING. 141 interesting scene may now be witnessed. A diligent search is immediately made for their missing mother; the swarm scatters in all directions, and 1 have frequently seen the leaves of the adjoining trees and bushes, almost as thickly covered with the anxious explorers, as they are with drops of rain after a copious shower. If she cannot be found, they return to the old hive, though occasionally they attempt to enter some other hive, or join themselves to another swarm if any is still unhived. The ringing of bells, and beating of kettles and frying- pans, is one of the good old ways more honored by the breach than the observance ; it may answer a very good purpose in amusing the children, but I believe that as far as the bees are concerned, it is all time thrown away; and that it is not a whit more efRcatious than the custom prac- ticed by some savage tribes, who, when the sun is eclipsed, imagining that it has been swallowed by an enormous dra- gon, resort to the most frightful noises, to compel his snake- ship to disgorge their favorite luminary. If a swarm has selected a new home previous to their departure, no amount of noise will ever compel them to alight, but as soon as all the bees which compose the emigrating colony have left the hive, they fly in a direct course, or " bee-line," to the chosen spot. I have noticed that when bees are much neglected by those who pretend to take care of them, such unceremo- nious leave-taking is quite common ; on the contrary, when proper attention is bestowed upon them, it seldom occurs. It can seldom if ever occur to those who manage their bees according to my system ; as I shall show in the Chap- ter on Artificial Swarming. If the Apiarian perceives that his swarm instead of clustering begins to rise higher and higher in the air, and evidently means to depart, not a mo- ment is to be lost: instead of empty aoises, he must resort 142 SWARMING AND HIVING. to means much more effective to stay their vagrant propen- sities. Handfulls of dirt cast into the air, or water thrown among ihem, will often so disorganize them as to compel them to alight. Of all devices for stopping them, the most original one that I have ever heard of, is to flash the sun's rays among them, by the use of a looking glass ! I have never had occasion to try it, but the anonymous writer who recommends it, says that he never knew it to fail. If they are forcibly prevented from eloping, then special care must be taken or they will be almost sure, soon after hiving, to leave for their selected home. The Queen should be caught and confined for several days in a way which will be sub- sequently described. The same caution must be exercised, when new swarms abandon their hive. If the Queen can- not be caught, and there is reason to dread desertion, the bees may be carried into the cellar, and confined in total darkness, until towards sun-set of the third day after they swarmed, being supplied in the mean time with water and honey to build their combs. By the use of my hives it is always very easy to prevent a colony from abandoning its new home ; as the entrance may be so regulated by the beveled edge of the blocks which control it, that while a loaded worker can just pass, the Queen will be unable to leave. If a piece of comb contain- ing unsealed worker brood is put into the new hive, a swarm will scarcely ever forsake it. It may generally be ascertained soon after hiving a swarm, whether it intends to remain or not. If, on applying the ear against the side of the hive, a sound as of gnawing or rubbing, be heard, the bees are preparing to commence comb building, and will usually remain. If a colony decides to go, they look upon the hive in which they are put, as only a temporary stopping place, and SWARMING AND HIVING. 143 seldom trouble themselves to build any comb in it. If the hive is so constructed as to permit inspection, I can tell by a glance whether bees are disgusted with their new resi- dence, and mean before long to forsake it. They not only refuse to work with that energy so characteristic of a new swarm, but they have a peculiar look which to the expe- rienced eye at once proclaims the fact that they are most unwilling tenanis. Their very attitude, hanging as they do with a sort of dogged or supercilious air, as though they hated even so much as to touch their detested abode, is equivalent to an open proclamation that they mean to be off. My numerous experiments in attempting from the moment of hiving, to make the bees work in observing hives exposed to the full light of day, instead of keeping them as I nov/ do, in darkness for several days, have made me quite familiar with all their graceless, do-nothing proceedings before their departure. Bees sometimes abandon their hives very early in the Spring, or late in the Summer or Fall. They exhibit all the appearance of natural swarming ; but they leave, not be- cause the population is crowded, but because it is either so small, or the hive so destitute of supplies, that they are discouraged, or driven to desperation. I once knew a colony to leave the hive under such circumstances, on a spring-like day in December! They seem to have a presentiment that they must perish if they stay, and instead of awaiting the sure approach of famine, they sally out to see if something cannot be done to better their condition. At first sight, it seems strange that so provident an insect should not always select a suitable domicile before venturing on so important a step as to abandon the old home. Often before they are safely housed again, they are exposed to powerful winds and drenching rains, which beat down and destroy many of their number. 144 SWARMING AND HIVING. I solve this problem in the economy of the bee, in the same manner that I have solved so many others, by con- sidering in what way, this arrangement conduces to the ad- vantage of man. The honey-bee would have been of comparatively little service to him, if instead of tarrying until he had sufficient time to establish them in a hive in which to labor for him, their instinct impelled them to decamp, without any delay, from the restraints of domestication. In this, as in many other things, we see that what on a superficial view, appear- ed to be a very obvious imperfection, proves, on closer ex- amination, to be a special contrivance to answer important ends. To return to our new swarm. The Queen sometimes alights first, and sometimes joins the cluster after it has commenced forming. It is not usual for the bees to clus- ter, unless the Queen is with them ; and when they do, and "yet afterwards disperse, it is frequently the case that the Queen, after first rising with them, has been lost by falling into some spot where she is unnoticed by the bees. In two instances, I performed the following interesting experiment. Perceiving a hive in the very act of swarming, I contract- ed the entrance so as to secure the Queen when she made her appearance. In each case, at least one-third of the bees came out, before the Queen presented herself to join them. When I perceived that the swarm had given up their search for her, and were beginning to return to the parent hive, I placed her, with her wings clipped, on the limb of a small evergreen tree : she crawled to the very top of the limb, as if for the express purpose of making herself as conspicuous as possible. A few bees noticed her, and instead of alight- ing, darted rapidly away; in a few seconds, the whole colony were apprised of her presence, flew in a dense cloud SWARMING AND HIVINO. 145 to the spot, and commenced quietly clustering around her. I have often noticed the surprising rapidity with which swarms communicate with each other, while on the wing. Tele- graphic signals are hardly more instantaneous. That bees send out scouts to seek a suitable abode, can admit of no serious question. Swarms have been traced to their new home, either in their flight directly from their hive, or from the place where they have clustered ; and it is evi- dent, that in such instances, they have pursued the most direct course. Now this precision of flight to" such a " terra incognita,'''' as an unknown home, would plainly be impossible, if some of their number had not previously se- lected the spot, so as to be competent to act as guides to the rest. The sight of bees for distant objects, is wonderfully acute, and after rising to a sufficient elevation, they can see the prominent objects in the vicinity of their intended abode, even allhough they may be several miles distant. Whether the bees send out their scouts before or fl/^er swarming, may admit of more question. In cases where the colony flies without alighting, to its new home, they are unquestionably dispatched before swarming. If this were their usual course, then we should naturally expect all the colonies to take the same speedy departure. Or if, for the convenience of the Queen or any other members of the colony, over fatigued by the excitement of swarming, or for any other reason, they should see fit to cluster, then we should expect that only a transient tarrying would be allowed. Instead of this, they often remain until the next day, and instances of a more pro- tracted delay are not unfrequent. The cases which occur, of bees stopping in their flight, and clustering again on any convenient object, are not inconsistent with this view of the subject; for if the weather is hot, and the sun shines directly wpon them, they will often leave before they have found a 13 146 SWARMING AND HIVING. suitable habitation ; and even when ihey are on the way to their new home, the Queen being heavy with eggs, and un- accustomed to fly, is sometimes from weariness, compelled to alight, and her colony clusters around her. Queens, under such circumstances, sometimes seem unwilling to entrust themselves again to their wings, and the poor bees attempt to lay the foundations of their colony, on fence-rails, hay- stacks, or other most unsuitable places. I have been informed by Mr. Henry M. Zollickoffer of Philadelphia, a very intelligent and reliable observer, that he knew a swarm to settle on a willow tree in that city, in a lot owned by the Pennsylvania Hospital ; it remained there for some time, and the boys pelted it with stones, to get posses- sion of its comb and honey. Mr. Wagner says, that he once knew a swarm of bees to lodge under the lowermost limb of an isolated oak tree, in a corn field. It was not discovered until the corn was har- vested, in September. Those who found it, mistook it for a recent swarm, and in brushing it down to hive it, broke away three pieces of comb, each about eight inches square I The absolute necessity for scouts or explorers, is evident from all the facts in the case, unless we admit that bees have the faculty of flying in an air-line to a hollow tree, or some suitable abode which they have never seen, though they cannot find their hive, if, in their absence, it is moved only a few rods from its former position. These obvious considerations are abundantly confirmed, by the repeated instances in which a few bees have been noticed, prying very inquisitively into a hole in a hollow tree or the cornice of a building, and have been followed before long, by a whole colony. The importance of these remarks will be more obvious, when I come to discuss the proper mode of hiving bees. SWARMING AND HI7ING. 147 Having described the common method of procedure pursued by the new swarm, when left to their natural instincts, it is time to return to the parent stock from which they emigrated. In witnessing the immense number which have abandoned it, we might naturally suppose that it must be almost entirely depopulated. It is sometimes asserted that as bees swarm in the pleasantest part of the day, the population is replen- ished by the return of large numbers of workers that were absent in the fields ; this, however, can seldom be the case, as it is rare for many bees to be absent from the hive at the time of swarming. To those who limit the fertility of the Queen to two hun- dred, or at most to four hundred eggs per day, the rapid replenishing of the hive after swarming, must ever be a problem incapable of solution ; but to those who have ocular demonstration that she can lay from one to three thousand eggs a day, it is no mystery at all. A sufficient number of bees to carry on the domestic operations of the hive, is always left behind ; and as the old Queen departs only when the population of the hive is super-abundant, and when thousands of young bees are hatching daily, and often thirty thousand or more, are rapidly maturing, in a short time the hive is almost as populous as it was before swarming. Those who assert that the new colony is composed of young bees which have been forced to emigrate by the older ones, have certainly failed to use their eyes to much advantage, or they would have seen, in hiving a new swarm, that it is composed of both young and old ; some, having wings ragged from hard work, while others are evidently quite young. After the tumult of swarming is entirely over, not a bee that did not participate in it, seeks afterwards to join the new colony, and not one that did, seeks to return. What determines some to go, and others to stay, we have no certain means of knowing. 148 SWARMING AND HIVING. How wonderfully abiding the impression made upon an insect, which in a moment causes it to lose all its strong affec- tion for the old home in which it was bred, and which it has entered, perhaps hundreds of times ; so that when estab- lished in another hive, though only a few feet distant, it sel- dom pays the slightest attention to its former abode ! Often, when the hive into which the new swarm is put, is not removed from the place where the bees were hived, until some have gone to the fields, on their return, they fly for hours, in ceaseless circles about the spot where the missing hive stood. I have known them to continue the vain search for their companions until they have, at length, dropped down from utter exhaustion, and perished inclose proximity to their old homes ! It has been already stated that the old Queen, if the weather is favorable, generally leaves about the time that the young Queens are sealed over, to be changed into nymphs. In about a week, one of these Queens hatches, and the question must now be decided whether any more colonies are to be sent out that season, or not. If the hive is well filled with bees, and the season in all respects prom- ising, this question is generally decided in the affirmative ; although colonies often refuse to swarm more than once, when they are very strong, and when we can assign no rea- son for such a course ; and they sometimes swarm repeated- ly, to the utter ruin of both the old stock, and the after- swarms. If the bees decide not to swarm again, the first hatched Queen is allowed to have her own way. She rushes imme- diately to the cells of her sisters, and stings them to death. From some observations that I have made, I am inclined to think that the other bees aid her in this murderous trans- action : they certainly tear open the cradles of the slaugh- SWARMING AND HIVING. 149 terecl innocents, and remove them from the cells. Their dead bodies may oflen be found on the ground in front of the hive. When a Queen has emerged in the natural way from her cell, the bees usually nibble away the now useless abode, until only a small acorn cup remains ; but when by violence she has met with an untimely end, they take down entirely the whole of the cell. By counting these acorn-cups, it can be ascertained how many young Queens have hatched in a hive. Before the Queens emerge from their cells, a fluttering sound is frequently heard, wliich is caused by the rapid motion of their wings, and which must not be confounded with the piping notes which will soon be described. If the bees of the parent stock decide to swarm again, the first hatched Queen is prevented from killing the others. A strong guard is kept over their cells, and as often as she approaches them with murderous intent, she is bitten, or otherwise rudely treated, and given to understand by the most uncourlier-like demonstrations, that she cannot, in all things, do just as she pleases. When thus repulsed, like men and women who cannot have their own way, she is highly offended and utters an angry sound, given forth in a quick succession of notes, and which sounds not unlike the rapid utterance of the words, " peep, peep." I have frequently, by holding a Queen in the closed hand, caused her to make a similar noise. To this angry note, one or more of the Queens still unhatched, will respond, in a somewhat hoarser key, just as chicken- cocks, by crowing, bid defiance to each other. These sounds are entirely unlike the usual steady hum of the bees, and when heard, are the almost infallible indications that a second swarm will soon issue. They are occasionally so 13* 150 SWARMING AND HIVING. loud that they may be heard at some distance from the hive. About a week after first swarming, the Apiarian should, early in the morning or at evening, when the bees are still, place his ear against the hive, and he will, if the Queens are piping, readily recognize their peculiar sounds. If their notes are not heard, at the very latest, sixteen days after the departure of the first swarm, by which lime the young Queens are mature, even if the first colony left as soon as the construction of royal cells was commenced, it is an infal- lible indication that the first hatched Queen is without rivals in the hive, and that swarming, in that slock, is over for the season. The second swarm usually issues on the second or third day after this sound is heard : although I have known them to delay coming out, until the fifth day, in consequence of a very unfavorable state of the weather. Occasionally, the weather is so unfavorable, that the bees permit the oldest Queen to kill the others, and refuse to swarm again. This is a rare occurrence, as the young Queens, unlike the old ones, do not appear to be very particular about the weather, and sometimes venture out, not merely when it is cloudy, but even wdien rain is falling. On this account, if a very close watch is not kept, they are often lost. As piping ordi- narily commences about a week after first swarming, the second swarm generally issues nine days after the first. It has been known to issue as early as the third day after the first, and as late as the seventeenth. Such cases, however, are of rare occurrence. It frequently happens in the agitation of swarming, that several of the young Queens emerge from their cells at the same lime, and accompany the colony : when this is the case, the bees often alight in two or more sepai^ale clus- ters. SWARMING AND HIYING?. 151 The following remarkable instance came under my obser- vation, in 1854. A second swarm deserted its abode the second day after being hived, and lit upon a tree. Before securing theoi, I first examined the abandoned hive, and found five young Queens lying dead on the bottom-board. The bees were then returned to the hive, and the next morn- ing, two more dead Queens were found, making seven in all. As the colony afterwards prospered, eight Queens, at least, must have left the parent slock, in the same season ! Young Queens not having their ovaries burdened with eggs, are much more quick on the wing, than old ones, and fly frequently much farther from the parent stock, before they alight; though I never knew a second swarm to depart to the woods without clustering at all. After the departure of a second swarm, the oldest of the remaining Queens leaves her cell ; and if another swarm is to be sent forth, piping will still be heard, and so before the issue of each swarm after the first. Piping will sometimes be heard for a short time after the issue of the second swarm, even in cases where the bees do not intend to swarm again. I once had five slocks issue from one swarm, and they all came out in about two weeks. In warm latitudes more than twice this number of swarms have been known to issue in one season from a single stock. The third swarm commonly makes its appear- ance on the second or third day after the second swarm, and the others, at intervals of about a day. In after ^swarming it sometimes occurs that the Queen, sfter having appeared on the alighting-board, re-enters the hive, either from alarm or some other cause. If she does so once, she will be apt to repeat it again and again, and the swarm in each instance, will return to the mother hive, greatly to the annoyance of the Apiarian. After-swarms, or casts, (these names are given to all 152 SWARMING AND HIVING. swarms after the first,) reduce very seriously the strength of the parent stock ; for after the departure of the old Queen , no more eggs are deposited in the cells, until all swarming is over. It is a very wise arrangement that the second swarm does not ordinarily issue until all the eggs left by the first Queen are hatched, and the young fed and mostly sealed over, so as to require no further care. The depart- ure of the second swarm earlier than this, would leave too few laborers to attend to the wants of the young bees. As it is, if the weather after swarming, suddenly becomes chilly,- and the hives are thin and admit too much air, the bees are too much reduced in numbers, to maintain the heat requisite for the proper development of the brood, and numbers are destroyed. In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I shall discuss the efiect of too frequent swarming, on the profits of the Apiary. If the bee-keeper desires to have no casts, he can, by the use of my hives, very easily, prevent their issue. A few days after the first swarm is hived, the parent stock may be opened, and all the Queen cells except one removed. How much better this is, than to attempt to return the afler-swarms to the parent hive, can only be appreciated by one who has thoroughly tried both plans. If the Apiarian desires the most rapid multiplication of colonies possible, where natural swarming is relied on, full directions will be furnished in the sequel, for building up all after-swarms, however small, into vigorous stocks. It will be remembered that both the parent stock from which the swarm issues, and all the colonies except the first, have a young Queen. These Queens never leave the hive for impregnation, until after they have been established as the acknowledged heads of independent families. They gene- rally go out for this purpose, the first pleasant day, after SWARMING AND HIVING. 153 they are thus acknowledged, early in the afternoon, at which hour the drones are flying in the greatest numbers. On first leaving their hive, they always fly with their heads turn- ed towards it, and enter and dejiart often several times before they finally soar up into the air. Such precautions on the part of a young Queen, are highly necessary that she may not mistake her own hive on her return, and lose her life by attempting to enter that of another colony. Mistakes of this kind are frequently made when the hives stand near, and closely resemble each other, and are fatal, not only to the Queen, but to her whole colony. In the new hive there is no brood at all, and in the old one it is too far advanced towards maturity to answer for raising new Queens. How such calamities are to be prevented, or remedied, I shall show in the Chapter on the Loss of the Queen. When a young Queen leaves the hive for the purpose above mentioned, the bees, on missing her, are often filled with alarm, and rush from the hive, just as though they were intending to swarm. Their agitation soon calms down, if she returns to them in safety. I shall give, through the medium of the Latin tongue, some statements which are important only to the scientific naturalist, and entomologist. Post coitum fucus statim perit. Penis ejectio, ut ego com- peri, lenem compressionem fuci ventris, consequitur ; et fucus extemplo similis fulmine tacto, moritur. Dominus Huber seepe videbat fuci organum post congressum, in cor- pore feminse hgssisse. Vidi seme! tarn firme inhserens, ut nisi disruptione reginse ventris, non possim divellere. The Queen commences laying eggs, about two days after impregnation, and for the first season, lays almost entirely the eggs of workers ; no males being needed in colonies which will throw no swarm till another season. It is seldom unhl after she has commenced replenishing the cells with eggs 154 SWARMING AND HIVING. that she is treated with any special attention by the bees ; although if deprived of her before this time, they show, by their despair, that they thoroughly comprehended her vast importance to their welfare. A first sv^^arm will sometimes swarm again, about a month after it is hived ; but this, in Northern climates, is a rare occurrence. In Texas, I have known even second swarms to do the same ; and many colonies swarm there in Septem- ber and October. In the Northern and Middle States, swarming is usually all over, in three or four weeks after it commences. Inexperienced bee-keepers, ignorant of this fact, often watch their Apiaries, long after the swarming season has passed. I shall now give such practical directions for the easy hiving of swarms, as will, I trust, greatly facilitate the whole operation, not merely to the novice, but even to many expe- rienced bee-keepers ; and I shall try to make these direc- tions sufficiently minute, to guide those who having never seen a swarm hived, are very apt to imagine that the process must be a formidable one, instead of being, as it usually is to those who are fond of bees, a most delightful entertain- ment. Experience in this, as in other things, will speedily give the requisite skill and confidence ; and the cry of " the bees are swarming," will soon be hailed with greater plea- sure than an invitation to the most sumptuous banquet. The hives for the new swarms should be in readiness before the swarming season begins, and painted long enough beforehand, to have the paint most thoroughly dried. The smell of fresh paint is well known to be exceedingly injuri- ous to human beings, and is such an abomination to the bees, that they will often desert a new hive sooner than put up with it. If the hives cannot be painted in ample season^ then such paints should be preferred as contain no white SWARMING AND HIVING. 155 lead, and they should be mixed so as to dry as quickly as possible. Thin hives ought never to stand in the sun, and then, when heated to an insufferable degree, be used for a new swarm. Bees often refuse to enter such hives at all, and at best, are very slow in taking possession of them. It should be borne in mind, that bees, when they swarm, are greatly excited, and unnaturally heated. The temperature of the hive, at the moment of swarming, rises very suddenly, and many of the bees are often drenched with such a pro- fuse perspiration that they are unable to take wing and join the departing colony. The attempt to make bees enter a heated hive, in a blaizing sun, is as irrational as it would be to try to force a panting crowd of human beings into the suffocating atmosphere of a close garret. If bees are put in hives through which the heat of the sun can penetrate, the process should be accomplished in the shade, or the hive covered with a sheet, or shaded with leafy boughs. If a hive with movable frames is used, the Apiarian can use all his good worker-comb, by attaching it firmly to the frames, with melted wax or resin. Such, however, is the shape of these frames, that the bees will, without any guide combs, build their combs with great regularity. This result has only been obtained by me after years of careful and laborious experiment. Drone combs should never be attached to the frames as a guide, unless it is desired to have the bees follow the pattern, and build large ranges of drone comb, to breed a vast horde of useless consumers. Such comb, if white, may be used to great advantage in the surplus honey-boxes ; if old and discolored, it should be melted for wax. Every piece of .good worker-comb, if large enough to be attached to a frame, should be used both for its intrinsic value, and be- cause bees are so wonderfully pleased when they find such 156 SWAKMING AND HIVING. unexpected treasures in a hive, that they will seldom desert it. A new swarm has been known to take possession of an old hive without any occupants, but well stored wiih comb. Though dozens of empiy hives may be in the Apiary, ihey very seldom, unless under such circumstances, enter a hive, of their own accord. It might seem as though an instinct impelling them to do so, would have been a most admirable one, and so doubtless, it may seem to some that it would have been much better, if the earth had brought forth spon- taneously all things requisite for the support of man and beast, without any necessity for ihe sweat of the brow. The first and last frames in my hive, are placed three- eighths of an inch from the ends, and the others just five- eighlhs of an inch apart. When the tops of my frames are an inch wide, they are placed only half an inch apart. When first put in, the rabbets on which they rest should be smeared with flour paste, to keep them in their places, until they are fastened with propolis, by the bees. The rubbing of hives with various kinds of herbs or washes, has always seemed to me, useless, and often positively injurious. There ought always to be some small trees near the hives, on which the swarms can cluster, and from which they can be easily gathered. If there are none, limbs of trees about six feet high, (evergreens are best,) may be fastened into the ground, a few rods in front of the hives, and will answer a very good temporary purpose. It will inspire the inexperienced Apiarian with much greater confidence, to remember that almost all the bees in a swarm, have filled themselves with honey, before leaving the parent stock, and are therefore in a very peaceable mood. If he is at all timid, or liable, as some are, to suffer severely from the sting of a single bee,, he should, by all means, furnish himself with the protection of a bee-dress. (See Bee-Dress.) SWARMING AND HIVING. 157 When the bees have quietly clustered around their Queen, preparations should be made to hive them without any un- necessary delay. The headlong haste of some Apiarians, which, by throwing them into a profuse perspiration, renders them very liable to be stung, is altogether unnecessary. The very fact that the bees have clustered, after leaving the parent slock, is almost equivalent to a certainty that they will not leave, for at least one or two hours. All convenient despatch should be used, however, lest other colonies issue before the first one is hived, and attempt to add themselves, as they frequently do, to the first swarm. The proper course to be pursued, in such a case, will be subsequently explained. If my hives are used, the entrance on the whole front must be opened, so that the bees may have every chance to enter as rapidly as possible ; and a sheet must be securely fastened to the alighting-board, to keep the bees from being separated from each other or soiled by dirt, for a bee thoroughly covered with dust or dirt, is almost sure to perish. If the common hives are used, they must be prop- ped up on the sheet, so as to give the bees a free admis- sion. When the bees alight where they can be easily reached from the ground, the limb on which they have clustered, should, with one hand, be shaken, so that they may gently fall into a basket held under them, by the other. If the basket is sufficiently open to admit the air freely, and not so open as to allow the bees to get through the sides, it will answer all the better. The bees should now be gently sha- ken, or poured out, on the sheet, in front of their new home. If they seem at all reluctant to enter, take up a few of them in a large spoon, and shake them close to the entrance. As they go in, they will fan with their wings, and raise a peculiar note, which communicates to their companions, the joyful news that they have found a home ; and in a short 14 158 SWARMING AND HIVING. time, the whole swarm will enter, without injury to a single bee. When bees are once shaken down on the sheet, the great mass of them are very unwilling to take wing again ; for they are loaded with honey, and like heavily armed troops, they desire to march slowly and sedately to the place of encampment. If the sheet hangs in folds, or is not stretched out, so as to present an uninterrupted surface, they are often greatly confused, and take a long time to find the entrance to the hive. If it is desired to have them enter sooner than they are sometimes inclined to do, they may be gently separated, with a feather, or leafy twig, when they gather in bunches on the sheet ; or better still, they may be gently " spooned up " and emptied out before the entrance of the hive. If they cluster in the portico of my hive, they should be treated in the same way. On first shaking them down into the basket, some will again take wing, and others will be left on the tree, but if the Queen has been secured, they will speedily form a line of communication with those on the sheet, and enter the hive with them. It sometimes happens that the Queen is left on the tree : in this case, the bees will either refuse to enter the hive, or if they go in, will speedily come out, and all take wing again, to join their Queen. This happens much more frequently in the case of after-swarms, whose young Queens, instead of exhibiting the gravity of the old matron, are apt to be constantly flying about and frisking in the air. When the bees forsake the hive and cluster again on the tree, the process of hiving must be repeated. If the Apiarian has a pair of sharp pruning-shears, and the limb on which the bees have clustered, is of no value, and so small, that it can be cut without jarring them off, this may be done, and the bees carried on it and then shaken off on the sheet. SWARMING AND HIVING. 159 If the bees settle too high to be easily reached, the basket should be fastened to a pole, and raised directly under the swarna ; a quick motion of the basket will cause the mass of the bees to fall into it, when it may be carried to the hive, and the bees poured out from it on the sheet. If the bees light on the trunk of a tree, or any thing from which they cannot easily be gathered in a basket, place a leafy bough over them, (it may be fastened with a gimlet,) and if they do not mount it of their own accord, a little smoke will compel them to do so. If the place is inacces- sible, and this is about the worst case that occurs, they will enter a basket well shaded by cotton cloth fastened around it, and elevated so as to rest with its open top sideways to the mass of the bees. When small trees, or limbs fastened into the ground, are placed near the hives, and there are no large trees near, there will seldom be found any difficulty in hiving swarms. If two swarms light together, I advise that they should be put into one hive, and abundant room at once given them, for storing surplus honey. This can always be readily done in my hives. Large quantities of honey are generally ob- tained from such stocks, if the season is favorable, and they have issued early. If it is desired to separate them, place in each of the hives which is to receive them, a comb con- taining brood and eggs, from which, in case of necessity, a new Queen may be raised. Shake a portion of the bees in front of each hive, sprinkling them thoroughly, both before and after they are shaken out from the basket, so that they will not take wing to unite again. If possible, secure the Queens, so that one may be given to each hive. If this can- not be done, the hives should be examined the next day, and if the two Queens entered the same hive, one will have killed the other, and the queenless hive will be found building IGO SWARMING AND HIVING. royal cells. It should be supplied with a sealed Queen nearly mature, taken from another bive, not only to save time, but to prevent them from filling their hive with comb unfit for the rearing of workers. (See Artificial Swarming.) Of course, this cannot be done with the common hives, and if the Apiarian does not succeed in getting a Queen for each hive, the queenless one will refuse to stay, and go back to the old stock. The old-fashioned way of hiving bees, by mounting trees- cutting and lowering down large limbs, (often to the injury of valuable trees,) and placing the hive over the bees, fre- quently crushing large numbers, and endangering the life of the Queen, should be entirely abandoned. A swarm may be hived in the proper way with far less risk and trouble, and in much less time. In large Apiaries managed on the swarming plan, where a number of swarms come out on the same day, and there is constant danger of their mixing,* the speedy hiving of swarms is an object of great impor- tance. If the new hive does not stand where it is to remain *Dr. ScudamorC; an English physician who has written a small tract on the formation of artificial swarms, says that he once knew *' as many as ten swarms go forth at once, and settle and mingle to- gether, forming literally a monster meeting!" Instances are on record of a much larger number of swarms clustering together. A venerable clergyman, in Western Massachusetts, related to me the following remarkable occurrence. In the Apiary of one of his parish- ioners, five swarms lit in one mass. As there was no hive which would hold them, a very large box was roughly nailed together, and the bees were hived in it. They were taken up by sulphur in the Fall, when it was perfectly evident that the five swarms had occupied the same box as independent colonies. Four of them had commenced their works, each one near a corner, and the fifth one in the middle, and there was a distinct interval separating the works of the different colonies. In Cotton's '' My Bee Book," there is a cut illustrating a hive in which two colonies had built in the same manner. SWARMING AND HIVING. 161 for the season, it should be removed to its permanent stand as soon as the bees have entered ; for if allowed to remain to be removed in the evening, or early next morning, the scouts which have left the cluster, in search of a hollow tree, will find the bees when they return, and will often en- tice them from the hive. There is the greater danger of this, if the bees remain on the tree, a considerable time be- fore they are hived. I have invariably found that swarms which abandon a suitable hive for the woods, have been hived near the spot where they clustered, and allowed to re- main to be moved in the evening. If the bees swarm early in the day, they will generally begin to work in a few hours (or in less time, if they have empty comb,) and many more may be lost by returning next day to the place where they were hived, than would be lost, by removing them as soon as they have entered ; in this latter case, the few that are on the wing, will generally be able to find the hive if it is slowly moved to its permanent stand. If the Apiarian wishes to secure the Q,ueen, the bees should be shaken from the hiving basket, about a foot from the entrance to the hive, and if a careful look-out is kept, she will generally be seen as she passes over the sheet, to the entrance. Care must be taken to brush the bees back from the entrance when they press forward in such dense masses that the Queen is likely to enter unobserved. An experi- enced eye readily notices her peculiar form and color. She may be taken up without danger, as she never stings, unless engaged in combat with another Q.ueen. As it v/ill some- times happen, even to careful bee-keepers, that swarms come off when no suitable hives are in readiness to receive them, I shall show what may be done in such an emergency. Take any old hive, box, cask, or measure, and hive the bees in it, placing them with suitable protection against the sun^ 14* 162 SWARMING AND HIVING. where their new hive is to stand ; when this is ready, they may, by a quick jerking motion, be easily shaken out on a sheet, and hived in it, just as though they were shaken from the hiving basket. Before leaving this subject, I will add to the directions for hiving already given, a method which I have practiced with good success. When the situation of the bees does not admit of the bas- ket being easily elevated to them, the bee-keeper may carry it with him to the cluster, and then after shaking ihe bees into it, may lower it down by a string, 1o an assistant s-tand- ing below. I have endeavored, even at the risk of being tedious, to give such specific directions as will qualify the novice to hive a swarm of bees, under almost any circumstances; for I know the necessity of such directions and how seldom they are to be met with, even in large treatises on Bee-Keep- ing. Vague or imperfect directions always fail, just at the moment that the inexperienced attempt to put them into practice. That Natural Swarming may, with suitable hives, be made highly profitable, I cannot for a moment question. As it is the most simple and obvious way of multiplying colonies, and the one which requires the least knowledge or skill, it will undoubtedly, for many years at least, be the fa- vorite method w'ith a large number of bee-keepers. I have therefore, been careful to furnish suitable directions for its successful practice; and before I discuss the question of Ar- tificial Increase, I shall show how it may be more profitably conducted than ever before ; many of the most embarrassing difficulties in the way of its successful management being readily obviated by the use of my hives. 1. The common hives fail to furnish adequate protection SWARMING AND HIVING. 16S in Winter, against cold, and those sudden changes to unsea- sonable warmth, by which bees are tempted to come out and perish in large numbers on the snow ; and the colonies are thus prevented from breeding on a large scale, as early as they otherwise would. Under such circumstances, they can make no profitable use of the early honey-harvest ; and ihey v/ill swarm so late, if they swarm at all, as to have but little opportunity for laying up surplus honey, while often they do not gather enough even for their own use, and iheir owner closes the season by purchasing honey to preserve them from starvation. The way in which I give the bees thai amount of protection in Winter, which conduces most powerfully to early swarming, has already been described in the Chapter on Protection. 2. Another serious objection to all the ordinary swarming hives, is the vexatious fact that if the bees swarm at all, they are liable to swarm so often as to destroy the value of both the parent stock and the after-swarms. Experienced bee-keepers obviate this difficulty, by uniting second swarms, so as to make one good colony out of two ; and they return to the parent stock all swarms after the second, and even this if the season is far advanced. Such operations consume much time, and often give much more trouble than they are worth. By removing all the queen cells but one, after the first swarm has left, second swarming in my hives will al- ways be prevented ; and by removing all but two, provision may be made for the issue of second swarms, and yet all after-swarming be prevented. The process of returning after-swarms is not only objectionable, on account of the time it requires, having in many instances to be repeated again and again before one Queen is allowed to destroy the others ; but it also causes a large portion of the gathering season to be wasted \ for the bees seem unwilling to work 164 SWARMING AND HIVING, with energy, so long as the pretensions of several rival Queens are unsettled. 3. Another very serious objection to Natural Swarming, as practiced with the common hives, is the inability of the Apiarian who wishes rapidly to multiply his colonies, to aid his late and small swarms, so as to build them op into vigor- ous stocks. The time and money which are ordinarily spent upon small colonies, are almost always thrown away; by far the larger portion of them never survive the Winter, and the majority of those that do, are so enfeebled, as to be of little or no value. If they escape being robbed by stronger stocks, or destroyed by the moth, they seldom recruit in sea- son to swarm, and very often the feeding must be repeated, the second Fall, or they will at last perish. I doubt not that many of my readers will, from their own experience, en- dorse every word of these remarks, as true to the very let- ter. All who have ever attempted to multiply colonies by nursing and feeding small swarms, on the ordinary plans, have found it attended with nothing but loss and vexation. The more a man has of such stocks, the poorer he is : for by their weakness, they are constantly tempting his strong swarms to evil courses ; so that at last, they prefer to live as far as they can, by stealing, rather than by habits of honest industry; and if the feeble colonies escape being plundered, they often become mere nurseries for raising a plentiful sup- ply of moths, to ravage his whole Apiary. I have already shown, in what way by the use of my hives, the smallest swarms that ever issue, may be so man- aged as to become powerful stocks. In the same way the Apiarian can easily strengthen all his colonies which are feeble in Spring. 4. As the loss of the young Queens in the parent stock- after it has swarmed, and in the after-swarmSy is a very SWARMING AND HIVING. 165 common occurrence, a hive which like mine, furnishes the means of easily remedying this misfortune, will greatly pro- mote the success of those who practice natural swarming. A very inlelligent bee-keeper once assured me, that he must use at least one such hive in his Apiary, for this purpose, even if in other respects it possessed no superior merits. 5. Bees, as is well known, often refuse to swarm at all, and most of the swarming hives are so constructed, that proper accommodations for storing honey, cannot be fur- nished to the super-abundant population. Under such cir- cumstances, they often hang for several months, in black masses on the outside of the hive; and are worse than use- less, as they consume the honey which the others have gath- ered. In my hives, an abundance of room for storing honey can always be given them, not all at oiice^ so as to prevenl them from swarming, but by degrees, as their necessities require : so that if they are indisposed, for any reason to swarm, they may have suitable receptacles easily accessible, and furnished with guide comb to make them more attrac- tive, in which to store up any amount of honey they can possibly collect. 6. In the common hives, but little can be done to dislodge the bee-moth, when once it has gained the mastery of the bees; whereas in mine, it can be most effectually rooted out when it has made a lodgment. (See Remarks on Bee.' Moth.) 7. In the common hives, nothing can be done except with great difficulty, to remove the old Queen when her fertility is impaired : whereas in my hives, (as will be shown in the Chapter on Artificial Swarming,) this can easily be effected, so that an Apiary may constantly contain a stock of young Queens, in the full vigor of their re-productive powers. I trust that these remarks will convince intelligent Apia- 166 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. rians, that I have not spoken boastfully or at random, in as- serting that natural swarming can be carried on with much greater certainty and success, by the use of my hives, than in any other way ; and that they will see that many of the most perplexing embarrassments and mortifying discourage- ments under which they have hitherto prosecuted it, may be effectually remedied. CHAPTER XL Artificial Swarming. The numerous efforts which have been made for the last fifiy years or more, to dispense with natural swarming, plainly indicate the anxiety of Apiarians to find some better mode of increasing their colonies. Although I am able to propagate bees by natural swarm- ing, with a rapidity and certainty unattainable except by the complete control of all the combs in the hive, still there are difficulties in this mode of increase, inherent to the system itself, and therefore entirely incapable of being removed by any kind of hive. Before describing the various methods which I employ to increase colonies by artificial means, I shall first enumerate these difficulties, in order that each individual bee-keeper may decide for himself, in which way he can most advantageously propagate his bees. 1. The large number of swarms lost every year, is a powerful argument against natural swarming. An eminent Apiarian has estimated that one-fourth of the best swarms are lost every season ! This estimate can ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 167 hardly be considered too high, if all who keep bees are taken into account. While some bee-keepers are so careful that they seldom lose a swarm, the majority, either from the grossest negligence, or from necessary hindrances during the swarming season, are constantly incurring serious losses, by the flight of their bees to the woods. It is next to impos- sible, entirely to prevent such occurrences, if bees are allow- ed to swarm at all. 2. The great amount of time and labor required by natu- ral swarming, has always been regarded as a decided objec- tion to this mode of increase. As soon as the swarming season begins, the Apiary must be closely watched almost every day, or some of the new swarms will be lost. If this business is entrusted to thought- less children, or careless adults, many swarms will be lost by their neglect. It is very evident that but few persons who keep bees, can always be on hand to watch them and to hive the new swarms. But, in the height of the swarm- ing season, if any considerable number of colonies is kept, the Apiarian, to guard against serious losses, should either be always on the spot himself, or have some one who can be entrusted with the care of his bees. Even the Sabbath can- not be observed as a day of rest ; and often, instead of being able to go to the House of God, the bee-keeper is compelled to labor among his bees, as hard as on other days, or even harder. That he is as justifiable in hiving his bees on the Sabbath, as in taking care of his stock, can admit of no seri- ous doubt ; but the very liability of being called to do so, is with many, a sufficient objection against Apiarian pursuits. The merchant, mechanic and professional naan, are often so situated that they would take great interest in bees, if they were not deterred from their cultivation by inability to take care of them, during the swarming season ; and they 168 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. are thus debarred from a pursuit, which is intensely fascinat- ing, not merely to the lover of Nature, but to every one possessed of an inquiring mind. No man who spends some of his leisure hours in studying the wonderful habits and instincts of bees, will ever complain that he can find noth- incr 10 fill up his time out of the range of his business, or the gratification of his appetites. Bees may be kept with great advantage, even in large cities, and those who are debarred from every other rural pursuit, may still listen to the sooth- ing hum of the industrious bee, and harvest annually its delicious nectar. If the Apiarian could always be on hand during the swarming season, it would still, in many instances, be exceed- ingly inconvenient for him to attend to his bees. How often is the farmer interrupted in the business of hay-making, by the cry that his bees are swarming ; and by the time he has hived them, perhaps a shower comes up, and his hay is in- jured more than the swarm is worth. Thus the keeping of a few bees, instead of a source of profit, often becomes rather an expensive luxury ; and if a very large stock is kept, the difliculties and embarrassments are often most seriously increased. If the weather becomes pleasant after a succession of days unfavorable for swarming, it oflen hap- pens that several swarms rise at once, and cluster together, to the great annoyance of the Apiarian ; and not unfre- quently, in the noise and confusion, other swarms fly ofi", and are entirely lost. I have seen the Apiarian so perplexed and exhausted under such circumstances, as to be almost ready to WMsh that he had never seen a bee. 3. The managing of bees by natural swarming, must, in our country, almost entirely prevent the establishment of large Apiaries. Even if it were possible, in this way, to multiply bees ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 169 with certainty and rapidity, and without any of the perplex- ities which I have just described, how few persons are so situated as to be able to give almost the whole of their tinne in the busiest part of the year, to the management of their bees. The swarming season is with the farmer, the very busiest part of the whole year, and if he purposes to keep a large number of swarming hives, he must not only devote nearly the whole of his time, for a number of weeks, to their supervision, but at a season when labor commands the highest price, he will often be compelled to hire additional assistance. I have long been convinced that, as a general rule, the keeping of a few colonies in swarming hives, costs more than they are worth, and that the keeping of a very large number is entirely out of the question, unless with those who are so situated that they can afford to devote their time, for about two months every year, almost entirely to their bees. The number of persons who can afford to do this must be very small ; and I have seldom heard of a bee-keeper, in our country, who has an Apiary on a scale extensive enough to- make bee-keeping anything more than a subordinate pursuit. Multitudes have tried to make it a large and remunerating business, but hitherto, I believe that they have nearly all been 'disappointed in their expectations. 4. A serious objection to natural swarming, is the discour- aging fact that the bees often refuse to swarm at all, and the Apiarian finds it impossible to multiply his colonies with any certainty or rapidity, even although he may find himself in all respects favorably situated for the cultivation of bees, and may be exceedingly anxious to engage in the business on a much more extensive scale. I am acquainted with many careful bee-keepers who have managed their bees according to the most reliable informa- 15 170 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. tion they could obtain, never destroying any of their colonies, and endeavoring to multiply them to the best of their ability, who yet have not as many stocks as they had ten years ago. Most of them would abandon the pursuit, if they looked upon bee-keeping simply in the light of dollars and cents, rather than as a source of pleasant recreation ; and some do not hesitate to say that much more money has been spent, by the mass of those who have used patent hives, than they have ever realized from their bees. It is a very simple matter to make calculations on paper, which shall seem to point out a road to w^ealth, almost as flattering, as a tour to the gold mines of Australia or Califor- nia. Only purchase a patent bee-hive, and if it fulfills all or even a part of the promises of its sanguine inventor, a for- tune must, in the course of a few years, be certainly real- ized ; but such are the disappointments resulting from the bees refusing often to swarm at all, that if the hive could remedy all the other difficulties in the way of bee-keeping, it would still fail to answer the reasonable wishes of the experienced Apiarian. If every swarm of bees could be made to yield a profit of twenty dollars a year, and if the Apiarian could be sure of selling his new swarms at the most extravagant prices, he could not, like the growers of mulberry trees, or the breeders of fancy fowls, multiply his stocks so as to meet the demand, however extensive ; but would be entirely dependent upon the whims and caprices of his bees; or rather, upon the natural laws which control their swarming. Every practical bee-keeper is well aware of the utter uncertainty of natural swarming. Under no circumstances, can its occurrence be confidently relied on. While some stocks swarm regularly and repeatedly, others, strong in numbers and rich in stores although the season may, in all ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 171 respects, be propitious, refuse to swarm at all. Such colo- nies, on examination, will often be found to have taken no steps for raising young Queens. In some cases, the wings of the old mother will be found defective, while in others, she is abundantly able to fly, but seems to prefer the riches of the old hive, to the risks attending the formation of a new colony. It frequently happens, in our uncertain climate, that when all the necessary preparations have been made for swarming, the weather proves unpropitious for so long a time, that the young Queens approaching maturity before the old one can leave, are all destroyed. This is a very fre- quent occurrence, and under such circumstances, swarming is almost certain to be prevented, for that season. The young Queens are frequently destroyed, even although the weather is pleasant, in consequence of some sudden and perhaps only temporary suspension of the honey harvest ; for bees seldom colonize even if all their preparations are completed, unless the flowers are yielding an abundant sup- ply of honey. From these and other causes which my limits will not permit me to notice, it has hitherto been found impossible, in the uncertain climate of our Northern States, to multiply colonies very rapidly, by natural swarming ; and bee-keep- ing, on this plan, offers very poor inducements to those who are aware how little has been accomplished, even by the most enthusiastic, experienced and energetic Apiarians. The numerous perplexities which have ever attended nat» ural swarming, have for ages, directed the attention of prac- tical cultivators, to the importance of devising some more reliable method of increasing their colonies. Columella, who lived about the middle of the first century of the Chris- tian Era, and who wrote twelve books on husbandry (De re rustica,) has given directions for making artificial colonies. 172 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. He says, " you must examine the hive, and view what honey- combs it has ; then afterwards from the wax which contains the seeds of the young bees, you must cut away that part wherein the offspring of the royal brood is animated : for this is easy to be seen ; because at the very end of the wax- works there appears, as it were, a thimble-like process (some- what similar to an acorn,) rising higher, and having a wider cavity, than the rest of the holes, wherein the young bees of vulgar note are contained." Hyginus, who flourished before Columella had evidently noticed the royal jelly ; for he speaks of cells larger than those of the common bees, " filled as it were with a solid substance of a red color ^ out of which the winged king is at first formed." This ancient observer must undoubtedly have seen the quince-like jelly, a portion of which is always found at the base of the royal cells, after the Queens have emerged. The ancients generally called the Queen a king, although Aristotle says that some in his time called her the mother. Swammerdam vv^as the first to prove by dissec- tion that the Queen is a perfect female, and the only one in the hive, and that the drone is the male. For reasons which I shall shortly mention, the ancient methods of artificial increase appear to have met with but small success. Towards the close of Ihe last century, a Dew impulse was given to the artificial production of swarms, by the experiments and discoveries of Schirach, a German clergyman, who introduced to the notice of the apiarian world the fact previously known to a few, that bees are able to rear a Queen from worker brood. For want, however, of a more thorough knowledge of some important principles in the economy of the bee, these eflTorts met with but slender encouragement. Huber, after his splendid discoveries in the physiology of ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 173 the bee, perceived at once, the importance of multiplying colonies by some method more reliable than that of natural swarming. His leaf or book hive consisted of twelve frames, each an inch and a quarter in width ; any one of which could be opened at pleasure. He recommends forming arti- ficial swarms, by dividing one of these hives into two parts ; adding to each part six empty frames. After using a Huber hive for a number of years, I became perfectly convinced that it could only be made serviceable, by an adroit, experi- enced and fearless Apiarian. The bees fasten the frames in such a manner, with their propolis, that they cannot, except with extreme care, be opened without jarring the bees, and exciting their anger ; nor can they be shut without constant danger of crushing them. Huber nowhere speaks of having multiplied colonies extensively by such hives, and although they have been in use more than sixty years, they have never been successfully employed for such a purpose. If Huber had only contrived a plan for suspending his frames, instead of folding them together like the leaves of a book, I believe that the cause of Apiarian science would have been fifty years in advance of what it now is. Dividing hives of various kinds have been used in this country. After giving some ef the best of them a thorough trial, and inventing others which somewhat resembled the Huber hive, I found that they could not possibly be made to answer any valuable end in securing artificial swarms. For a long time I felt that the plan ought to succeed, and it was not until I had made numerous experiments with my hive substantially as now constructed, that I ascertained the pre- cise causes of failure. It may be regarded as one of the laws of the bee-hive, that bees, when not in possession of a mature Queen, seldom build any comb except such as being designed merely for 15* 174 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. Storing honey, is too coarse for the rearing of workers. Until I became acquainted with the discoveries of Dzierzon, I supposed myself to be the only observer who had noticed this remarkable fact, and who had been led by it, to modify the whole system of artificial swarming. The perusal of Mr. Wagner's manuscript translation of that author, showed me that he had arrived at precisely similar results. It may seem at first, very unaccountable that bees should go on to fill their hives with comb unfit for breeding, when the young Queen will so soon require worker-cells for her eggs ; but it must be borne in mind, that bees, under such circumstances, are always in an unnatural state. In a state of nature they seldom swarm until the hive is full of comb, and if they do, their numbers are so much reduced, that they are rarely able to resume comb-buildieg, until their young Queen has hatched. The determination of bees, when they have no mature Queen, if they build any comb at all, to build such as is suited only for storing honey, and unfil for breeding, will show at once, the folly of attempting to multiply colonies by the dividing-hives. Even if the Apiarian has been perfect- ly successful in dividing a colony, and the part without a Queen takes the necessary steps to supply her loss, if the bees are sufficiently numerous to build a large quantity of new comb, (and they ought to be in order to make the arti- ficial colony of any value,) they will build this comb in such a manner that it will answer only for storing honey, while they will use the half of the hive with the old comb, for the purpose of breeding. The next year, if an attempt is made to divide this hive, one half will contain nearly all the brood and mature bees, while the other, having most of the honey, in combs unfit for breeding, the new colony formed from it will be a complete failure. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 175 Even with a Huber hive, the plan of muUiplying colonies by dividing a full hive into two parts, and adding an empty half to each, will be attended with serious difficulties ; al- though some of them may be remedied in consequence of the hive being constructed so as to divide into many parts ; the very attempt to remedy them, however, will be found to require a degree of skill and knowledge far in advance of what can be expected of the great mass of bee-keepers. The common dividing hives, separating into two parts, can never, under any circumstances, be made of the least prac- tical value ; and the business of multiplying colonies by them, will be found far more laborious, uncertain and vexa- tious, than to rely on natural swarming. I do not know of a solitary practical Apiarian, who, on trial of this system, has not been compelled to abandon it, and allow the bees to swarm from his dividing hives in the old-fashioned way. Some Apiarians have attempted to multiply their colonies by putting a piece of brood comb containing the materials for raising a new Queen, into an empty hive, set in the place of a strong slock which has been removed to a new stand when thousands of its inmates were abroad in the fields. This method is still worse than the one which has just been described. In the dividing hive, the bees already had a large quantity of comb adapted for breeding, while in this having next to none, they build all their combs until the Queen is hatched, of a size unsuitable for rearing workers. In the first case, the queenless part of the dividing hive may have had a young Queen almost mature, so that the process of building large combs would be of short contin- uance ; for as soon as the young Queen begins to lay, the bees at once commence building combs adapted to the re- ception of worker eggs. In some of my attempts to rear artificial swarms by moving a full stock, as described above, 176 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. I have had combs built of enormous size, nearly four inches through ! and these monster combs have afterw^ards been pieced out on their lower edge, with worker cells for the accommodation of the ycung Queen. So uniformly do the bees with an unhatched Queen, build in the way described, that I can often tell at a single glance, by seeing what kind of comb they are building, that a hive is queenless, or that having been so, they have now a fertile young Queen. When a new colony is formed, by dividing the old hive, the queenless part has thousands of cells filled with brood and eggs, and young bees will be hourly hatching, for at least three weeks ; and by this time, the young Queen will be laying eggs, so that there will be an interval of not more than three weeks, during which no accessions will be made to the numbers of the colony. But when a new swarm is formed by moving, not an egg will be deposited for nearly three weeks ; and not a bee will be hatched for nearly six weeks; and during all this time, the colony will rapidly de. crease, until by the time that the progeny of the young Queen begins to emerge from their cells, the number of bees in the new hive will be so small, that it would be'of no value, even if its combs were of the best construction. Every observing bee-keeper must have noticed how rap- idly even a powerful swarm diminishes in number, for the first three weeks after it has been hived. In many cases, before the young begin to hatch, it does not contain one half its original number ; so very great is the mortality of bees during the height of the working season. I have most thoroughly tested, in the only way in which it can be practiced in the ordinary hives, this last plan of artificial swarming, and do not hesitate to say that it does not possess the very slightest practical value ; and as this is the method which Apiarians have usually tried, it is not ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 177 strange that they have almost unanimously pronounced artificial swarming to be utterly worthless. The experi- ence of Dzierzon on this point has been the same with my own. Another method of artificial swarming has been zealous- ly advocated, which, if it could only be made to answer, would be, of all conceivable plans the most effectual, and as it would require the smallest amount of labor, experience, or skill, would be everywhere practiced. A number of hives must be put in connection with each other, so as to communicate by holes which allow the bees to travel from any one apartment to the others. The bees, on this plan, are to colonize themselaes, and it is asserted that in due time, a single swarm will, of its own accord, multiply so as to form a large number of independent families, each one pos- sessing its own Queen, aijd all living in perfect harmony. This method so beautiful and fascinating in theory, has been repeatedly tried with various ingenious modifications, but in every instance, as far as I know, it has proved an en- tire failure. It will always be found if bees are allowed to pass from one hive to another, that they will still, for the most part, confine their breeding operations to a single apart- ment, if it is of the ordinary size, while the others will be used, chiefly for the storing of honey. This is almost inva- riably the case, if the additional room is given by collateral or side boxes, as the Queen seldom enters such apartments for the purpose of breeding. If the new hive is directly helow that in which the swarm is first lodged, then if the connections are suitable, the Queen will be almost certain to descend and lay her eggs in the new combs, as soon as they are commenced by the bees; in this case, the upper hive is almost entirely abandoned by her, and the bees store the cells with honey, as fast as the brood is hatched, as iheiy in» 178 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. stinct impels them always, if they can, to keep their stores of honey above the breeding cells. So long as bees have an abundance of room below their main hive, they very sel- dom swarm, but use it in the way that I have described ; if, however, the room is on the sides of their hive, or above them, they frequently prefer to swarm rather than to take possession of it. But in none of these cases, do they ever, if left to themselves^ form separate and independent col- onies. I am aware that the Apiarian, by separating from the main hive with a slide, an apartment that contains brood, may suc- ceed in rearing an artificial colony ; but unless all his hives admit of the most thorough inspection, as he can never know their exact condition, he must always work in the dark, and will be far more likely to fail than succeed. Success indeed can only be possible when a skillful Apiarian devotes a large portion of his time to watching and managing his bees, so as to compel them to colonize, and even then it will be very uncertain ; so that this plausible theory to be reduced to even a most precarious practice, requires more skill, care, labor and time, than are necessary to manage the ordinary swarm- ing hives. The failure of so many attempts to increase colonies by artificial means, as well in the hands of scientific and expe- rienced Apiarians, as under the direction of those who are almosl totally ignorant of the physiology of the bee, has led many to prefer to use non-swarming hives. In such hives, very large harvests of honey are often obtained from a pow-. erful stock of bees ; but it is very evident that if the increase of new colonies were entirely discouraged, the insect would soon be exterminated. To prevent this, the advocates of the non-swarming plan, must either have their bees swarm, to some extent, or rely upon those who do. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 179 My hive may be used as a non-swarmer, and may be made more effectually to prevent swarming, than any with which I am acquainted : as in the Spring, (See No. 34. p. 105,) ample accommodations may be given to the bees, be- low their main works, and when this is seasonably done, swarming will very seldom take place. During the Summer of 1855, I pursued a course of ex- periments to test the feasibility of preventing bees from swarming in my hives, by adjusting the blocks controlling the entrance, so as to admit a loaded worker, and yet con- fine the Queen. The plan promises to be attended with complete success. If on further trial it is found to be em- barrassed by no unexpected difficulties, results of great prac- tical importance will flow from it. The Apiarian who wish- es to be absent at any lime, may easily adjust the entrance blocks, so as to prevent the bees from swarming while he is away ; swarming on Sunday may be effectually stopped, and any hive may, in a few moments, be changed from a swarmer into a non-swarmer. There are certain objections however, which must always prevent the non-swarming plan from being the most success- ful mode of managing bees. To say nothing of the loss to the bee-keeper, who has, after some years, only one stock, when if the natural mode of increase had been allowed, he ought to have a number, it is usually found that after bees have been kept in a non-swarming hive for several seasons, they seem to work with much less vigor than usual. Of this, any one may convince himself, who will compare the industrious working of a new swarm, with that of a much more powerful stock in a non-swarming hive. The former will work with such astonishing zeal, that to one unacquaint- ed with the facts, it would be taken to be by far the more powerful stock. 180 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. As the fertility of the Queen decreases by age, the disad- vantage of using non-swarming hives of the ordinary con- struction, will be obvious. This objection to the system can be remedied in my hive, as the old Queen can be easily caught and removed ; but when hives are used in which this cannot be done, the Apiary, instead of containing a race of young Queens in the full vigor of their reproductive powers, will contain many that have passed their prime, and these old Queens may die when there are no eggs in the hive to enable the bees to replace them, and thus the whole colony will perish. If the bee-keeper wishes to winter only a certain number of stocks, I will, in another place, show him a way in which this can be done, so as to obtain more honey from them, than from an equal number kept on the non-swarming plan, while at the same time, they may all be maintained in a state of the highest health and vigor. I shall now describe a method of artificial swarming, which may be successfully practiced with almost any hive, by those who have sufficient experience in the management of bees. About the time that natural swarming may be expected, a populous hive, rich in stores is selected, and what I shall call a forced swarm is obtained from it, by the following pro- cess. Choose that part of a pleasant day, say from 10 A. M. to 2 P. M., when the largest number of bees are abroad in the fields ; if any bees are clustered in front of the hive, or on the bottom-board, puff among them a few whiffs of smoke from burning rags or paper, or better still from punk or rotten wood, so as to force them to go up among the combs. This can be done with greater ease, if the hive is tipped back, or elevated, by small wedges, about one quar- ter of an inch above the bottom-board. Have an empty ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 181 hive or box in readiness, the diameter of which is as nearly as possible, the same with that of the hive from which you intend to drive the swarm. Lift the hive very gently, and without ^he slightest jar, from its bottom-board ; invert it, and carry it in the same careful manner, about a rod from its old stand, as bees are always m.uch more inclined to be peace- able, when removed a short distance, than when any opera- tion is performed on the familiar spot. If the hive is care- fully placed on the ground, upside down, scarcely a single bee will fly out, and there will be little danger of being stung. Timid and inexperienced Apiarians will, of course, protect themselves with a bee-dress, and they may have an assistant to sprinkle the hive gently with sugar-water, or blow a little more smoke into it, as soon as it is inverted. After placing the hive in an inverted position on the ground, the empty hive, or box must be put over it, and every crack from which a bee might escape, must be carefully closed with pa- per or any convenient material. The upper hive if smooth inside should be furnished with two or three slats, about an inch and a half wide, and fastened one third of the distance from the top, so as to help the bees to cluster. As soon as the Apiarian is perfectly sure that the bees cannot escape, he should place an empty hive upon the stand from which they were removed, so that the multitudes which return from the fields may enter it, instead of dispersing to other hives, where some of them might meet with a very un- kind reception ; although, as a general rule, a bee with a load of freshly gathered honey, after the extent of his re- sources is ascertained, is almost always welcomed by any hive to which he may carry his treasures; while a poor un- fortunate that ventures to present himself empty and poverty stricken, is generally at once destroyed ! The one meets with as friendly a reception as a wealthy gentleman who 16 182 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. proposes to take up his abode in a country village, while the other is as much an object of dislike as a pauper who is sus- pected of designing to become a parish charge ! To return to our imprisoned bees. Beginning at the top, or what is now, (as the hive is upside down,) the bottom, their hive should be beaten smartly with the palms of the hands, or two small rods, on the sides to which the combs are attached, so as to run no risk of loosening them. These " rappings," which certainly are not of a very " spiritual '' character, produce, nevertheless, a most decided effect upon the bees ; their first impulse is to sally out, and wreak their vengeance upon those who have thus rudely assailed their honied dome ; but as soon as they find that they are shut in, a sudden fear that they are to be driven from their treasures, seems to take possession of them. Determined to prepare for this v/rit of ejection so suddenly served upon them, and to carry off with them all that they can, each bee proceeds at once to lay in a supply, and in about five minutes they are all filled to their utmost capacity. A prodigious hum- ming is now heard, and the bees begin to mount into the upper box. In about fifteen minutes from the time the rap- ping began, which ought to be continued with slight inter- missions, the mass of the bees, with iheir queen, will have ascended, and will hang clustered, just like a natural swarm. The box with the expelled bees must now be gently lifted off, and should be placed upon a bottom-board with a gauze- wire ventilator, if the bees are to be confined for any con- siderable lime, so that they may have plenty of air. If no gauze wire bottom-board is at hand, the box must be wedged up, so as to admit an abundance of air, and be set in a shady place ; or it may be put upon a sheet or cloth and carefully reversed, when this is is securely fastened. The hive from which the bees were driven, must now be ABTIFICIAL SWARMING. 18S set, without crushing any of them, upon its old spot, in the place of the decoy hive, so that all the bees which have returned from abroad, may enter. Before this change is made, these bees will be running in and out of the empty hive, in a state of the greatest distraction, but as soon as the opportunity is given them, they will crowd into their well- known home, and if there are no royal ceils started, will proceed, almost at once, to construct them, and the next day they will act as though the forced swarm had left of its own accord. When the operation is delayed until about the season for natural swarming, the hive will contain immature queens, if the bees were intending to swarm, and a new queen will soon take the place of the old one, just as in nat- ural swarming. If it is performed too early, and before the drones have made their appearance, the young queen will not be seasonably impregnated, and the parent stock must perish. As soon as the foraging bees have entered the hive, it should be removed to a new stand, and the entrance con- tracted to suit the reduced force of the colony. We return now to our forced swarm. The hive in which they are to be put should be all ready, according to the directions given in the previous chapter, and placed where the old colony stood, so that the bees may be shaken out from the box, upon a sheet, and made to enter it like a new swarm. They will at once proceed to work with as much vigor as though they had swarmed in the natural way. It might seem as though this process would be much simpler if the neio hive was used for the decoy hive, and the old one carried to its new location as soon as the forced swarm was made. But such a procedure would almost ruin the old colony. Unless a very large number of bees were left in it, nearly all of them, when they camer out to work, would return to the old stand and join the new colony there, and 184 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. thus the parent stock would be so depopulated that many of the young would perish for want of suitable attention. It is a well ascertained fact that bees, when their hive is moved to a new spot, or when they are forcibly expelled from it, do not adhere to the new place, as they always do when they swarm of their own accord. In each case, it is true, that as soon as a bee leaves its new place, it flies with its head turned towards the hive, in order to mark the sur- rounding objects, that it may be able to return to the same spot ; but when they have not emigrated of their own free will, many of them, when they rise into the air, or return from their work, unless removed to a distance beyond the limits of their previous excursions, seem entirely to forget that their location has been changed ; they return to the place where they have lived so long, and often die on the deserted, yet home-like spot. When they swarm of their own accord, they seldom, if ever, make such a mistake. It may be truly said that <•' A ' bee removed' against his will, Is of the same opinion still." Scientific Apiarians have for some years been largely and laboriously experimenting, to ascertain how, if pos- sible, to make a forced swarm, or a colony whose posi- tion has been changed, adhere just like a natural swarm to their new location. Soaae recommend subjecting the ex- pelled bees, for a minute, to a bath of lukewarm water, and then letting them, when they recover in the sun, crawl into their new hive. I have tried this, but without success. Others carry the bees a considerable distance from home, remove their queen, and make them take wing and cluster around her, just like a natural swarm. This involves too much labor. I havo, in my experiments on this point, made a discovery which I turn to very important uses ; having as- ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 185 certained that nearly all the bees which have entered the decoy hive, if now presented with their own, will adhere tO' it, even when its location is changed ! It is a well known fact that if a hive is removed when many workers are abroad', the returning bees will often alight upon a neighboring hive, and if well received, will not again return to their former stand. The temporary loss of their old home is followed by a distraction which appears to make such a permanent im- pression upon them, that they are just as careful as a natural swarm to mark their new location. By availing myself of this discovery, I am able to simplif}^ very much the whole method of artificial swarming. In forcing a swarm, I have recommended that the opera- tion should be performed at an hour when a large number of the workers are abroad, in order to secure them to carry on the labors of the parent stock, when it is removed to a new place. Many bee-keepers, however, may find it mo&t con- venient to make their swarms early in the morning, before the bees are actively at work. In this case either the new swarm, or the old stock may be carried to the distance of a mile from their previous stand, care being taken to leave bees enough in the parent hive to develop the brood. If about one-quarter of the bees are left in it, the supply will be .ample ; larger than is usually left by the bees when they swarm naturally. If the bee-keeper intends to remove either the old or new colony, and the number of bees in the former is too small, he may easily reinforce it by placing, the old hive on its former stand, shaking out the bees on a sheet from the box into which they have been drummed', and propping up the box to let them enter it again. Many of them will take wing and return to their old home. If enough do not take wing, when most of the bees have entered the box, the sheet with some adhering to it, may be 16* 186 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. carried to the mouth of the old hive, and they will readily enter it. It may often be convenient to make swarms early in the morning, by those who wish to have them remain on their own premises. In this case the decoy hive must stand on the old spot, and a suitable number of bees be made to enter it in the way just described. These bees will in a short time miss their queen, and begin to run in great con- fusion in and out and over the hive, and many of them to take wing. The parent hive must now be presented to them, and when they have entered, it must be removed to a new place, and the forced swarm hived and returned to the old stand. In performing these various operations it is very desirable, especially if there are several old swarms in the apiary, standing close together, that the decoy hive, and that for the new swarm, should be of the same shape and even color with the hive which is to be forced. If they are very unlike, the returning bees will often prefer to enter an ad- joining hive that looks more like their old home. If they attempt to do this, the neighboring hives should have sheets thrown over them to hide them from the bees until the operation is completed. The directions which have here been given for the forma- tion of artificial swarms, will be found to differ, in some important respects, from any which have been previously given, either by other writers, or in my former treatise, and to be so simple that any one accustomed to handle bees can very easily follow them. By means of them, any apiarian, let him use what kind of hive he pleases, can make himself entirely independent of natural swarming. It will be obvious, however, that this whole process of artificial swarming, in order to be successfully performed, ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 187 requires a knowledge of the most important points in the economy of the bee-hive ; indeed, the same remark may be made of almost any operation, and those who are willing to remain ignorant of the laws which regulate the breeding of bees, ought not to depart in the least from the old-fashioned mode of management. All such deviations will only be attended with a wanton sacrifice of bees. A man may use the common swarming hives a whole life-time, and yet remain ignorant of the very first principles in the physiology of the bee, unless he gains his information from other sources ; while, by the use of my hives, any intelligent cultivator may, in a single season, verify for himself, the discoveries which have only been made by the accumulated toil of many observers, for more than two thousand years. The ease with which Apiarians may now, by the sight of their own eyes, gain a knowledge of all the important facts in the economy of the hive, should stimulate them most pow- erfully, to study the nature of the bee, and thus to prepare themselves for an enlightened system of management. I doubt not that most bee-keepers, on reading this mode of creating new colonies, will be ready to object that it not only requires more skill, but more labor than to allow them to swarm, and then to hive them in the old fashioned way. By the aid of the movable comb hive artificial swarming may be most expeditiously performed. An empty hive with its frames properly arranged must be in readiness to receive the new swarm (See p. 156-7). After removing the parent hive a short distance, and puttingthe decoy hive on its stand, the cov- er should be taken off, and the bees by a quick motion or jerk, shaken from the frames on a sheet directly in front of the new hive.* As fast as a comb is deprived of its bees it ♦Full directions will be given further on in this chapter for opening hives and removinff combs. 188 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. should be returned to the hive. One or two combs contain- ing brood, eggs and stores, should be put into the new hive, to give ihem greater encouragement to begin their labors and to prevent the necessity of feeding them if the weather should be unfavorable after hiving. In removing the frames with the bees, I always look for the Queen, and if I see her, as I generally do, I place the frame on which she is, in the new hive, without shaking off the bees. If I do not see her on the combs I seldom fail to notice her as she is shaken on the sheet and crawls towards the hive. In dislodging the bees upon the sheet, I do not shake them all off from the frames; but leave about one quarter of them on, and return them with the combs to the old hive. The queen is seldom left on the frame after it has been shaken so that the larger portion of the bees fall off. As soon as the operation is completed, and the necessary number of bees have been transferred to the new hive, the parent stock should be put upon the old stand to catch up the returning bees, and then set in a new place. The new hive containing the artificial swarm should be returned to the old stand. If the swarm is made when but few bees are abroad, the same precautions must be used that have already been described, to secure a proper allowance of bees which will adhere to the parent stock when it is re- moved to a new location. Or, either the old or new stock may be removed to the distance of a mile, and the other put in the old place. If the Apiarian is so situated that he can cheaply and conveniently carry off one of the colonies, he will find this to be altogether the easiest mode of manage- ment. I have found that when forage is abundant near the Apiary, it will answer all practical purposes to remove the bees about half a mile from their former home. If the Queen is not seen in the process of forming a new colony, it may be certainly ascertained, in from five to fif- ARTIFICIAL SWARMmO. 189 teen minutes, whether she is with them or not. If she is not in the hive, as soon as the bees have entered and begin to cluster, they search for her, and, in a short time, a few will come out and run round, acting evidently as though they had lost something, and were looking for it. The alarm will now be rapidly communicated to the whole colony ; the number of explorers will rapidly increase, the ventilators will suspend operations, and soon the air will be filled with bees. If they cannot find the queen, they will return to the spot where the old hive stood, and if no hive is there, will enter one of the adjoining colonies. If their queen is presented to them before they have gone back to their former location, those running out of the hive, will make a half circle, and return ; the joyful news will, in a moment, be communicated to those on the wing, and they will forthwith alight and enter the hive ; all appearance of agitated running on the outside of the hive will cease, and ventilation with its joyful hum will be again resumed. If the Apiarian wishes to witness these wonderful proceedings he has only to catch the queen and hold her in his hand, until the bees show by their actions that they miss her. If the bees remain quiet for about fifteen minutes, in the new hive, the queen is certainly w^ith them. Bees which miss their queen under such circumstances, will accept of any one that may be offered to them, and may of- ten be pacified with brood-comb from which they can raise another. If the Apiarian in making his artificial swarm does not see the queen, he must wait until the bees show by theiir conduct whether she is with them or not. If they begin to leave the hive in the agitated manner above described, the entrance must be closed to confine them, until the old hive can be examined again, and the queen secured. If the attempt is made to pacify the new colony with brood comb from which they can raise a queen, they will fill their 190 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. hive with comb unfit for rearing workers, besides being so long before they can have additions to their numbers, as to be of little if any value. (See p. 175.) By making a few forced swarms, about a week or ten days before the time in which the most should be made, the Apiarian may be sure of having an abundance of sealed queens almost mature, so that every swarm may have one. If he can give each hive that needs it, an unhatched queen, without removing her from her frame, so much the better ; bui if he has not enough frames with sealed queens, while some of them contain two or more queens, he must proceed as follows. With a very sharp knife, carefully cut out a queen cell, on a piece of comb an inch or more square ; cut a place in one of the combs of the hive to which this cell is to be given, just about large enough to receive it in a natural position, and if it is not secure, with a feather, put a little melted wax, where the edges meet. The bees will soon fasten it, so as to make all right. Unless very great care is used in trans- ferring these royal cells, the enclosed queens will be de- stroyed, as their bodies, until they are nearly mature, are so exceedingly soft, that a very slight compression of their cell often kills them. For this reason,! prefer not to remove them, until they are within three or four days of hatching. As the forcing of a swarm may always be conducted, whh my hives, in such a manner that the Apiarian can be sure to effect a suitable division of the bees, the process may be performed at any time when the sun is above the horizon, and the weather is not too unpleasant. It ought not to be attempted when the weather is so cool as to endanger the destruction of the brood by a chill ; and never unless when there is not only sufficient light to enable the Apiarian to see distinctly, but enough for the bees that take wing, to see ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 191 the hive, and direct their flight to its entrance. If hives are meddled with when it is dark, the bees are always more irascible, and as they cannot see where to fly, they will con- stantly be alighting upon the person of the bee-keeper, who will be almost sure to receive some stings. I have seldom attempted night work upon my bees without having occasion most thoroughly to rue my folly. If the weather is not too cool, early in the morning, before the bees are stirring, will generally be the best time for operations, as there will be less danger of annoyance from robber-bees. If honey- water is used instead of sugar-water or smoke, in sprinkling the bees when the hive is first opened, the smell will be almost certain to entice marauders from other hives, to attempt to take possession of treasures which do not belong to them, and when they once commence such a pilfering course of life, they w\\\ be very loth to lay it aside. When the honey harvest is abundant, (and this is the very time for forcing swarms,) bees, with proper precautions, are sel- dom inclined to rob. I have sometimes found it difficult to induce them to notice honey-combs which I wished them to empty, even when they were placed in an exposed situation. This subject, however, will be more fully treated in the remarks on Robbing. Perhaps some of my readers will hardly be able to con- vince themselves that bees may be dealt with after the sum- mary fashion I have been describing, without becoming greatly enraged ; so far is this from being the case, that in my operations I often use neither smoke, sugar-water nor bee- dress, although I do not recommend the neglect of such pre- cautions. The artificial swarm may be created with perfect safety, even at mid-day, when thousands of bees are returning to the hive ; for these bees being laden with honey, never 192 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. venture upon making an attack, while those at home may be easily pacified. I find a very great advantage in the peculfar shape of my hive, vsrhich allovi's the top to be easily removed, and the sugar-water to be sprinkled upon the bees, before they attempt to take wing. If, like the Dzierzon hive, it opened on the end, it would be impossible for me to use the sweetened water, so as to make it run down between all the ranges of comb, and I should be forced, as he does, to employ smoke in all my operations. The use of smoke alarms the bees very much, and frequently causes the queen to leave the comb for greater security. This often causes much annoy- ance and great delay in the formation of artificial swarms, and in all operations where it is desirable to catch the queen, or to examine her upon the comb. Huber thus speaks of the pacific effect produced upon the bees by the use of his leaf hive. " On opening the hive, no stings are to be dreaded, for one of the most singular and valuable properties attending my construction, is its ren- dering the bees tractable. I ascribe their tranquility to the manner in which they are affected by the sudden admission of light ; they appear rather to testify fear than anger. Many retire, and entering the cells, seem to conceal them- selves." I will admit that Huber has here fallen into an error which he would not have made, had he used his own eyes. The bees are indeed bewildered by the sudden ad- mission of light, and unless provoked by a sudden jar, or the breath of the operator, they enter the cells, but not " to conceal themselves ;" they imagine that their sweets, thus unceremoniously exposed to the light of day, are to be taken from them, and they gorge themselves almost to bursting, in order to save all that they can. I always expect them to appropriate the contents of the open cells. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 193 as soon as I remove their frames from the hive. It is not merely the sudden admission of light, but its introduction from an unexpected quarter^ that for the time disarms the hostility of the bees. They appear for a few moments almost as much confounded as we should be, if, without any warning, the roof and ceiling of our house should suddenly fly off into the air. Before they recover from their amaze- ment, the sweet libation is poured out upon them, and sur- prise is quickly converted into pleasure rather than anger ; or they are saluted with a puff of smoke, which, by alarm- ing them for the safety of their treasures, induces them to snatch whatever they can. In the working season, almost all the bees near the lop are gorged with honey, and this is another reason why opening the hive from above is so easily effected. The bees below that are disposed to resent any intrusions, are met in their threatening ascent with an ava- lanche of nectar, which, like " a soft answer," most effectu- ally " turneth away wrath ;" or if the case requires, by a harmless smoke, which excites their fears, but leaves no unpleasant smell behind. No genuine lover of bees ought ever to use the sickening fumes of the disgusting weed. In managing bees, the greatest care should be taken to repress at once, by the sweetened water or smoke, the very first manifestations of anger. Bees communicate their sen- sations to each other with almost magic celerity, and in a moment the whole colony will catch the pleased or subdued notes uttered by a few, or will be roused to fury by the shrill note of anger from even a single bee. When once thoroughly excited, it will be found almost impossible to subdue them, and the unfortunate experimenter, if inexpe- rienced, may be inclined to abandon the attempt in despair. That bees are not prepared to make an instant assault from the top of their hive, but only near the entrance, may be 17 194 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. ascertained by any one who will put my frames into a sus" pended hive, with a movable bottom made to drop at pleas- ure. If now, for any purpose, he attempts to meddle with the combs from below, he will find that unless he uses smoke, the bees will be almost, if not quite, unmanageable. I shall now furnish some directions which will greatly assist the Apiarian in his operations. He must bear in mind that nothing irritates bees more than a sudden jar, or breath- ing upon them, and these must in all cases be most carefully avoided. Every motion should be gentle and deliberate, and no attempt whatever should be made to strike at them. If inclined to be cross, they will resent even a quick point- ing at them with the finger, darting upon it, and leaving their slings behind. A novice or a person liable to be stung, will of course protect his face and hands, in the manner hereafter to be described. To open one of my hives, first blow a very little smoke into one of the holes of the board which covers the frames, and on which the receptacles for surplus honey stand. This board should now be loosened with a thin knife, or what is better, an apothecary's spatula, which will be useful for many purposes in the Apiary. When the honey-board is removed, its lower surface will be usually covered with bees, and it should be carefully set on end, so as not to crush them. There is not the least danger of their offering to sting, as they are completely bewildered by the sudden introduction of light, and their removal from the hive. As soon as the cover is disposed of, the Apiarian should sprinkle the bees with the sweet solution. This should descend from the watering-pot in a fine stream, so as not to drench the bees, and should fall upon the tops of the frames, as well as between the ranges of comb. The bees will at once accept the proffered treat, and begin lapping it up, as peaceably as AETIFICIAL SWARMING. 195 SO many chickens helping themselves to corn. While they are thus engaged, the frames must be very gently pried by a stick, from their attachments to the rabbets on which they rest ; this may be done without any injurious jar, and with- out wounding or enraging a single bee, as the rabbets are made wide enough to admit the stick behind the shoulders of the frames, so that they can be pried from the rear to the front. If the rabbets were just wide enough to receive the shoulders of the frames, it would be necessary, in loosening the frames, to pry them laterally or towards each other, by which they might be brought so close together, as to crush the bees, injure the brood, disfigure the combs, or even kill the queen. The frames may all be loosened, preparatory to removing them, in less than a minute.* By this time, the sprinkled bees will have filled themselves, or if all have not done so, the grateful intelligence that sweets have been furnished them, will diffuse an unusual good nature through all the honied realm. The Apiarian should now gently push the third comb from one of the ends, a little nearer to the fourth one ; and then the second one as near as he can to the third one, so as to get ample room to lift out the end comb without crushing it or injuring any of the bees. To remove the end or outside comb, take hold of its two shoul- ders which rest upon the rabbets, and carefully lift it without letting it touch the sides of the hive so as to crush the bees. Tn the same way, if it is desired to remove any particular frame, room must be gained by pushing away from it the adjoining frames on each side. As bees usually build their combs slightly waving, it will be found impossible * Before I discovered the efficacy of smoke or sweetened water, I have often spent more than ten minutes in opening and shutting a single frame in the Huber hive, and even then have crushed some of the bees. 196 AKTinCIAL SWARMING. safely to remove a frame, without making room for it in the way just described. In handling the frames, be careful no^ to incline them from their perpendicular, or the combs will be liable to break and fall out from their own weight. If the combs are all to be examined, proceed as follows : After lifting out the outside frame, set it carefully on end, near the hive. The second comb may now be easily moved towards the vacant space, and lifted out. After ex- amination, put it in the place of the comb just removed. In the same way examine the third comb, and put it in place of the second one, and so proceed until all have been examined. If the bees are to be removed, they must of course be shaken off on a sheet, as previously described. If the comb first taken out will fit, it may be put in the vacant space now remaining ; if it will not fit, the combs must be slid on the rabbets into their former places, begin- ning with the last one examined, and the comb taken out may then be returned to its old positron. The inexperienced operator, on examining a hive, and seeing that some small pieces of comb have been made between the outside of the frames and the sides of the hive, or that the upper part of the combs are fastened slightly together, will often imagine that the frames cannot be removed at all. Such slight attachments, however, offer no practical difficulty to their removal. The great point to be gained is to secure a single comb on each frame. This I have effected after many experiments, and the device may be applied to any hive, so that the expense of a few cents will always secure straight combs. This invention alone will, I am confident, be worth the cost of my patent to any one who keeps a few stocks of bees. If bees were disposed to fly away at once from their combs, as soon as Ihey were taken out, it would be very ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 197 difficult to manage them, but so far are they from doing this, that ihey adhere to them with most wonderful tenacity. All the combs may be removed and arranged in a continued line, and the bees will not only refuse to leave them, but will stoutly defend them against the thieving propensities of other bees. By shaking the bees from the combs upon a sheet, and securing the queen, I can, on any pleasant day, exhibit nearly all the appearances of natural swarming. The bees, as soon as they miss their queen, will rise into the air, and by placing her on the twig of a tree, they will soon cluster around her in the manner already described. A word as to the manner of catching the queen. I seize her very gently, as I espy her among the bees, and by taking care to crush none of them, run not the least risk of being stung. The queen herself never slings, even if handled ever so roughly. When closely confined in the hand, she will often bite the operator, so as to cause some slight un^ easiness. If she is to be kept for some considerable time from her colony, I usually place her in a small piece of paper, folded like a funnel, the ends being twisted together. She can be easily taken from this whenever she is needed. It is perfectly amazing to see how soon a queen will fail, and die for want of food when taken from the bees. If absent from them not more than fifteen minutes, she will solicit honey when returned. If she is to be kept away an hour or more, she must be fed, or a few bees put with her to supply her wants. In removing the frames from the hive, it will be found very convenient to have an empty hive into which they may be temporarily put, and covered over with a piece of cotton cloth. They may thus be very easily protected from the cold, and from robbing bees, if they are to be kept out of the hive for some time ; and such a hive will be very con- 17* 198 AKTinCIAL SWARMING. venient to receive frames that are lifted out for examination. In returning the frames to a hive, care must be taken not to crush the bees where their ends rest upon the rabbets ; they must be put in very slowly, so that a bee, when he feels the slightest pressure, may have a chance to creep from under them before he is hurt. When the hive is to be shut up again, the surplus honey- board must not be laid down over the frames, as this might crush some of the bees. It should be very carefully slid on, so that any bees which are in the way may be pushed before it, instead of being crushed. A beginner will find it to his advantage to practice the directions which I have given for opening and shutting hives, and lifting out the frames, with an empty hive, until he is confident that he fully under- stands them. If any bees are upon such parts of the hive as to be imprisoned, if the outside cover is closed, it should be propped up a little, until they have flown to the entrance of the hive. It cannot be too deeply impressed upon the bee-keeper, that all his motions must be slow and gentle, and that the bees must not be injured or breathed upon. If he will care- fully follow the directions I have given, he may soon open a hundred hives, and perform any necessary operation upon them, without any bee-dress, and yet with very little risk of being stung. But I almost despair of being able to con- vince even the most experienced Apiarians of the ease and safety with which bees may be managed on my plan, until they have actually been eye-witnesses of its successful operation. 1 can make an artificial colony in ten minutes from the time that I open the hive, and if I see the queen as quickly as I often do, in not more than five minutes. Ffteen minutes will be a very liberal average allow^ance of time to an expert. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 199 to complete the whole work. If I had an Apiary of a hun- dred colonies, in less than a week, if the weather was pleas- ant, I could by devoting to them a few hours every day, without any asssistance, easily finish the business of swarm- ing for the whole season. But how can the Apiarian, if he delays the formation of artificial swarms until near the season for natural swarm- ing, be sure that his bees will not swarm in the usual way ? Must he not still be constantly on hand, or run the risk of losing many of his best swarms ? I come now to the entirely novel plans by which such objections are completely obviated. If the Apiarian decides that he can most advantageously multiply his colonies by artificial swarming, he may deprive all his fertile queens of their wings, so that they can not lead off new swarms. As an old queen never leaves the hive except to accompany a new swarm, the loss of her wings does not, in the least interfere with her usefulness, or with the attachment of the bees. Occasionally, a wingless queen is so bent on emigrating, that in spite of her inability to fly, she tries to go off with a swarm ; she has " a will," but con- trary to the old maxim, she can find "no way," but helplessly falls upon the ground, instead of gaily mounting into the air. If the bees succeed in finding her, they will never desert her, but cluster directly around her, and may thus be easily secured by the Apiarian. If she is not found, the bees wilt return to the parent stock to await the maturity of the young queens. As soon as the piping of the first hatched queen is heard, (p. 149,) the Apiarian may force his swarm in the mannner previously described ; unless he prefers, (having fair warning of their intentions,) to allow them to swarm in the natural way. The large number of queens in such a hive, nearly ready to hatch, may be very advantageously used at the swarming season. 200 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. The following is the best plan for removing the wings from the queens : Every hive containing a young queen should be examined about a week after she has hatched, (see Chapter on Loss of Queen,) in order to ascertain that she has been impregnated, and has begun to lay eggs. Some of the central combs or those on v*rhich the bees are most thickly clustered, should be first lifted out, for she will almost always be found on one of them ; the Apiarian when he has caught her, should remove the wings on one side with a pair of scissors, taking care not to hurt her. On examining his hives next season, let him remove one of the two remaining wings from the queen. The third season, he may deprive her of her last wing. Bees always have four wings, a pair on each side. By this plan he will always know the age of a queen, as soon as he sees her. As the fertility of the queen generally decreases after the second year, I prefer, just before the drones are destroyed, to kill all the old queens that have entered their third year. In this way, I guard against some of my stocks becoming queenless, in consequence of the queen dying of old age, when there is no worker-brood in the hive, from which they can rear another ; or of having a worthless, drone-laying queen whose impregnation has been retarded. These old queens are removed at a period of the year when their colony is strong in numbers ; and as the honey-harvest is by this time, nearly over, their removal is often a positive benefit, instead of a loss. The population is prevented from being over crowded at a time when the bees are consumers and not producers, and when the young queen, reared in the place of the old one, matures, she will rapidly fill the cells with eggs, and raise a large number of bees to take advan- tage of the late honey -harvest, and to prepare the hive to winter most advantageously. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING 201 In regions however, where the bees are apt to gather an excess of bee-bread, a young queen, or a sealed one nearly- mature, should be given to them, the second day after the removal of the old one. Otherwise, the cells may be so filled with pollen, as to leave but little room for new brood. A very strong stock, if deprived of their queen, in the height of the honey harvest, and compelled to rear another from the egg, will often fill nearly every cell with honey or pollen, before she is prepared to lay. I have occasionally known hives, in a very productive season, when left to themselves, to fill nearly all their combs with honey. The consequences can be easily seen. But few bees can be reared in the latter part of the season, and when Winter sets in, the colony will be so reduced in numbers, that it cannot maintain heat enough to keep it alive. I have just been examining some of my stocks which are in this condition, (July 1856,) and removing some of the full combs, so as to get room for four or five empty frames in the center of the hive. These will at once be supplied with comb, and the queen will fill them with eggs. This evil can not easily be remedied in hives which do not give the control of the combs. A colony which thus perishes from excess of wealth, furnishes a very apt illustration of the condition of rich men, who are morally dead, from that icy coldness of the heart, engendered by the indulgence of their avaricious propensities. I shall now furnish another method of preventing swarming, which may sometimes be employed with very great advan- tage. The size of the queen bee is such that she can not pass through an opening 5-32ds of an inch high, which will just admit a loaded worker. If therefore, the entrance to the hive be contracted to this dimension, she will not be able to leave with a swarm. By cutting a depression of 5-32d3 of an inch, on one surface of the blocks which regulate the 202 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. entrance to my hive, or by beveling their edges, so that they can be slid under the entrance, just far enough to admit a loaded bee, I can, in a moment, adjust them so as to confine the queen. By this arrangement all swarming on Sunday, or any other day, when the Apiarian does not desire it, may be prevented. This method of preventing swarming, requires great accuracy of measurement, for a very trifling deviation from the dimensions given, will either shut out the loaded workers, or let out the queen. It must only be employed to prevent first swarming, for if a young queen is confined to her hive, she cannot become fertile. The same method employed to con- fine a queen, will, in the Winter, exclude mice from the hive, if the blocks are confined so that they can not move them out of their places. Avery important use maybe made of blocks thus arranged, to get rid of the drones. In that part of the day when they are out in full flight, adjust the blocks so that they cannot enter. Towards dark, or early next morning, they will be found sprawled out upon the alighting board, or hanging in clusters under the portico, and may be brushed into a vessel of water and destroyed, or given to chickens, which can easily be taught to devour them. In a few days nearly all the drones in the Apiary, may be thus destroyed. This must not be attempted, however, in hives which contain a queen not yet impregnated, as it will prevent her either from com- ing out, or returning, if she has already left the hive, to meet the drones. The great importance of getting rid early in the season, of the excess of drones, must be obvious to any one who knows how few are needed in an Apiary, and how much honey is required to sustain such large corporations. Let the bee-keeper catch a few drones as they are issuing from ARTIFICIAL SWARMINa. 203 the hive, and on tearing them in two, he will find that they always have quite a large drop of honey in their stomachs. Now let him catch and tear asunder those which are return- ing, and he will be surprised to see, that while on the wing, they have actually digested all this honey, and are going back for a new supply ! I have seen hives which have been so crowded with drones, that all the spare honey they could gather, was needed to feed them, and nothing remained for their owner. The experienced bee-keeper will be able by the use of movable-comb hives, so to repress the production of drones by removing the combs in which they are bred, that his hive will be much more productive in honey, than those where the drones are allowed to remain, or are killed after consuming much honey, and entailing much worse than useless labor upon the bees. If it were possible entirely to repress the production of drones, it would not be desirable, as some are needed in every Apiary, and the bees knowing this, would be very uneasy if prevented from raising any. When my blocks are used to prevent swarming entirely, it will be necessary to move them about an hour or two before sun-set, so that the bees may carry out any dead drones. They may again be adjusted to confine the queen, an hour or two after sun-rise the next morning. I do not feel that I have given this method of preventing swarming, such a full trial that T can confi- dently recommend it, unless for temporary purposes, although I have but little doubt that it will be found to prevent entirely the issue of a swarm. If so, it will be of vast importance to all who desire to keep non-swarming hives, and who are too timid or inexperienced to open a hive to cut off the wings of a queen, or to remove the queen cells. It may be found on further experiment, that the entrances to all the spare honey receptacles, may be so adjusted that 204 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. the queen will never be able to enter them for the purpose of depositing eggs. This, and many other points of interest and importance, I have been prevented, by the state of my health, from testing this season, (1856.) The certainty, rapidity and ease, of making artificial swarms with my hives, amaze those most who have had the greatest experience and success in the management of bees. Instead of weeks wasted in watching the Apiary, in addition to all the other vexations and embarrassments which are so often found to attend reliance on natural swarm- ing, the Apiarian will find not only that he can create all his new colonies in a very short time, but that he can, if he chooses, entirely prevent the issue of all after-swarms. In order to do this, he ought to examine the stocks which are raising young queens, in season to cut out all the queen cells but one, before the larvse come to maturity. If he gave them a sealed queen nearly mature, they will raise no others, and no swarming, for that season, will take place. If the Apia- rian wishes to do more than to double his stocks in one season, and is favorably situated for practicing natural swarming, or for any reason prefers this mode of increasing his stocks, he can prevent all after-swarming by cutting out the excess of queen cells, or he can strengthen all the small swarms, by giving to them comb, with honey and maturing brood from other hives. I do not know that I can find a better place, in which to impress certain highly important principles upon the atten- tion of the bee-keeper. I am afraid that in spite of all that I can say, many persons, as soon as they find themselves able to multiply colonies at pleasure, will so overdo the matter, as to run the risk of losing all their bees. If the Apiarian aims at obtaining a large quantity of surplus honey in any one season, he cannot at the furthest, more than double the ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 205 number of his stocks ; nor can he do this, unless they are all strong, and the season favorable. The moment that he aims, in any season not unusually favorable, at a more rapid in- crease, he must not only renounce the idea of having any surplus honey, but must expect to purchase food for the support of his colonies, unless he is willing to see them all perish by starvation. The time, food, care and skill required to multiply slock with very great rapidity, in our short and uncertain climate, are so great, that not one Apiarian in a hundred can expect to make it profitable ; while the great mass of those who attempt it, will be almost sure, at the close of the season, to find themselves in possession of stocks which have been so managed as to be of verj^ little value. Before explaining some other methods of artificial swarm« ing, which I have employed to great advantage, I shall endeavor to impress upon the mind of the bee-keeper, the great importance of thoroughly understanding, each season, the precise object at which he is aiming, before he enters on the work of increasing his colonies. If his object is, in any one season, to get the largest yield of surplus honey, he must at once make up his mind to be content with a moderate increase of stocks. If, on the contrary, he desires to mul- tiply his colonies, say, three or four fold, he must be pre- pared, not only to relinquish the expectation of obtaining any surplus honey, but, if the season should prove unfavor- able, to purchase food for the support of his bees. Rapid multiplication of colonies, and large harvests of surplus honey, cannot in the very nature of things, be secured in our climate, in any one season. If the number of colonies is to be increased to a large extent, then the bees in the Apiary will be tasked to the utmost in building new comb, as well as in rearing brood. For these purposes, they must consume the supply of honey 18 206 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. which, under other circumstances, they would have stored up, a part for their own use in the main hive, and the balance for their owner in the spare honey-boxes. To make this matter perfectly plain, let us suppose a colony to swarm. If the new hive, into which the swarm is put, holds, as it ought, about a bushel, it will require nearly two pounds of wax to fill it with comb, and forty pounds of honey will often be used in its manufacture ! If the season is favorable, and the swarm was large and early, they may gather, not only enough^to build this comb, and to store it with honey sufficient for their own use, but a number of pounds in addition, for the benefit of their owner. If the old stock does not swarm again, it will rapidly replenish its numbers, and as it has no nevv comb to build in the main hive, which already contains much honey, it will be able to store up a generous allowance in the upper boxes. These favorable re- sults are all on the supposition that the season was ordinarily productive in honey, and that the hive was so powerful in num- bers as to be able to swarm seasonably. If the season should prove to be unfavorable, the first swarm cannot be expected to gather more than enough for its own use, while the parent stock will yield only a small return. The profits of the bee-keeper, in such an unfortunate season, will be mainly in the increase of his stocks. If the swarm was late, in conse- quence of the stock being weak in Spring, the early part of the honey-harvest will pass away, and the bees will be able to obtain from it, but a small share of honey. During all this time of comparative inactivity, the orchards may present "One boundless blush, one white empurpled shower Of mingled blossoms," and tens of thousands of bees from stronger stocks, may be engaged all day in sipping the fragrant sweets, so that every ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 207 gale which " fans its odoriferous wings " about their dwell- ings, dispenses "Native perfumes, and whispers whence they stole*- Those balmy spoils." By the time that the feeble stock is prepared to swarm, if it swarm at all that season, the honey-harvest is almost over, and the new colony will seldom be able to gather evea enough for its own use, so that unless fed, it must perish the succeeding Winter. Bee-keeping, with colonies feeble in the Spring, except in extraordinary seasons and locations, is most emphatically nothing but " folly and vexation of spirit.^' I have shown how the bee-keeper, with a strong stock- hive which has swarmed early, and but once, may in a favor- able season realize a handsome profit from his bees. If the parent stock throws a second swarm, then, as a general rule, unless this swarm was very early, and the honey season good, if managed on the ordinary plan, it will seldom prove of any value. It will almost always perish in the Winter, if it does not desert its hive in the Fall, and the family from which it issued, will not only gather no surplus honey, (un- less it was secured before the first swarm issued,) but will very often perish likewise. Thus the inexperienced owner who was so delighted with the rapid increase of his colonies, begins the next season with no more colonies than he had the year before, and has very often entirely lost all the time he has bestowed upon his bees. I can, to be sure, on my plan, prevent the death of the bees, and can build up all the feeble colonies, so as to make them strong and powerful ; but only by giving up all idea of obtaining a single pound of * The scent of the hives, during the height of the gathering season, will usually inform us from what sources the bees have gathered their supplies. 208 AETIFICIAL SWARMIN©. fioney. From the flrst swarm I must take combs contaioing muturing brood, to strengthen my weak swarms, and this first swarm, however powerful or early, instead of being able to store its combs with honey, will be constantly tasked in building new combs to replace those taken away, so that when the honey harvest closes, it will have scarcely any honey, and must be fed to prevent it from starving. Any man who has sense enough to be entrusted with bees, can, from these remarks, understand exactly why it is impossible to multiply colonies rapidly m any ordinary season, and yet obtain from them large supplies of honey. Even the doubling of stocks in one season, will very often be too rapid an increase, if the greatest quantity of spare honey is to be obtained from them ; and when this is desired, I much prefer to form, in a way soon to be described, only one new stock from two old ones ; this will give even more honey from the three, than could have been obtained from the two, on the ordinary non-swarming plan. I would very strongly dissuade any but experienced Apiarians, from attempting, at the furthest, to do more than treble their stocks in one year. In order to furnish directions for very rapid multiplication, sufficiently full and explicit for the inexperienced, I should have to write a book on this one topic ; and even then, the most of those who should under- take it, would be sure at first to fail. I have no doubt that with ten strong stocks of bees in a good location, in movable-comb hives, in one favorable season, I could so increase them as to have, on the approach of Winter, one hundred good colonies : but I should expect to feed hundreds of pounds of honey, to devote nearly all my time to their management, and to bring to the work, the experience of many years, and the judgment acquired by numerous failures. After all, what we most need, in order ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 209 to be successful in the cultivation of bees, is a certain^ rather than a rapid, multiplication of stocks. A single colony doubling every year would in ten years increase to 1024 stocks, and in twenty years to over a million ! It would require, therefore, but a very few years to stock our whole country with bees, if colonies could only be doubled annu- ally ; and an increase of even one-third, would before long, give us bees enough. This rate of increase I should always encourage in the swarming season, even if, in the Fall, I reduced my slocks (see Union of Stocks) to the Spring number. In the long run, it will keep the colonies in a much more prosperous condition, and secure from them the largest yield of honey. I have never myself hesitated, if necessary, to sacrifice one or more colonies, in order to ascertain a single fact, and it would require a separate volume, quite as large as this, to detail the various experiments which I have made on the single subject of Artificial Swarming. The practical bee- keeper, however, should never, for a moment, lose sight of the important distinction between an Apiary managed prin- cipally for the purposes of experiment and discovery, and one conducted almost exclusively witn reference to pecuni- ary profit. Any bee-keeper can easily experiment with my hives ; but I would recommend him to do so, at first, only on a small scale, and if profit is his object, to follow the directions furnished in this treatise, until he is sure that he has discovered others which are preferable. These cautions are given to prevent persons from incurring serious losses and disappointments, if they use hives, which,- if they are not on their guard, may tempt them into rash and unpro- fitable courses, by allowing so easily of all manner of ex- periments. Let the practical Apiarian remember that the less he disturbs- 18* 210 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. the stocks on which he relies for surplus honey, the better. After they are properly lodged in their new hive, they ought by all means to be allowed to carry on their labors without any interruption. Their hive ought not to be opened, ex- cept for some very sufficient reason, and the bees should never be so much interfered with, as to feel that they hold their possessions by a very uncertain tenure. Such an im- pression will often very seriously impair their zeal for accumu- lation. The object of giving the control over every comb in the hive, is not to enable the bee-keeper to be incessantly taking them in and out, and subjecting the bees to all sorts of annoyances. Unless he is conducting a course of ex- periments, such interference will be almost as silly as the conduct of children who pull up the seeds which they have planted, to see if they have sprouted, or how much "hey have grown. If, after these cautions, any still choose to disregard them, the blame of their losses should fall, not upon the hive, but upon their own mismanagement. Let me not, for a moment, be understood as wishing to discourage investigation, or to intimate that perfection has been so nearly attained that no more important discoveries remain to be made. On the contrary, I should be glad to learn that many who have the time and means, are disposed to use the facilities furnished by hives which give the control of each comb, to experiment on a large scale ; and I hope that every intelligent bee-keeper who follows my plans, will experiment at least on a small scale. In this way, we may soon expect to see, more satisfactorily elucidated, some points in the natural history of the bee, which are still in- volved in doubt. Having described the way in which forced swarms are made, both in common hives and in my own, when the Apiarian wishes in one season merely to double his colonies. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 211 I shall now show in what manner he can secure the largest yield of honey, by forming only one new colony from two old ones. Early in the season, before the bees fly out, or better still, after they ceased to fly in the previous Fall, the two hives from which the new colony is to be formed, should be placed near each other, unless they are already not more than one or two feet apart. When the time for forming the artifi- cial colony has arrived, one of these hives should be removed from its stand, and the bees driven from it, precisely in the way already described. After the forced swarm is secured, the removed hive is replaced, in order to catch up all the returning bees, and then put in a new place. The other old stock must now be carried to a new location, and the forced or artificial swarm hived, and placed with its entrance as near as possible in the center of the space previously oc- cupied by the two colonies. Thousands of bees returning from the fields will now peaceably enter the new hive, and in this way a very powerful colony will be formed, which in a short time, will not only fill its hive, but also store up much surplus honey, if suitable facilities are given to it. The hive which was not forced, but simply removed to a new place, will not only part with all the bees which were abroad at the time, but will lose the larger portion of those which leave it for work, for two days after its removal. Still it will not suffer near as great a loss of bees as though it had been first forced and then removed, and will speedily recruit and make a powerful stock. When I wish to secure only an increase of one new colony from two old stocks, I often proceed as follows : I force an old stock, and take from it all the bees, setting the new colony at once on tlje old stand, so as to secure for it all the returning bees. The old hive from which the swarm 212 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. was taken, is now put in the place of any strong stock, so that it may catch up a sufficient number of bees to carry on the work of the hive, and the stock whose place it occupies, is removed to a new location. Of all the methods for creating artificial swarms, I consider this to be the simplest and best. It may be practiced at any time in a pleasant day, from sun- rise until four o'clock in the afternoon ; and when the arti- ficial swarm is made so early that no bees are abroad, to recruit the old stock, this hive may be shut up, until it can be put upon the stand of any hive which begins to work v/ith vigor, and which has not swarmed. By such a mode of management which I earnestly recommend as the safest, simplest and best, the Apiarian will not only secure a reasonable increase of his colonies, but will maintain them all in high vigor, and in ordinary seasons obtain more spare honey than he would, if he did not encourage any increase. If all bee-keepers would adopt it, they would avoid many discouragements, and the country would soon be once more " a land flowing vi'ith milk and honey." The Apiarian who relies upon natural swarming, can double his new colonies if they issue at the same time, by hiving them together, or if this cannot be done, he may hive them in separate hives, and then, towards evening, set one hive on a sheet, and shake down the bees from the other, so that they can enter and join the first. It may be safely done, even if several days have elapsed before the second colony swarms ; although in this case, I prefer to sprinkle both swarms with scented sugar-water. I have doubled natural swarms in this way, repeatedly, and have never, when they were early, failed to secure from them a large quantity of honey. In sprinkling bees, let the operator remember that they are not to be drenched^ or almost drowned, as in this case, they will require a long time to ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 213 enter the hive. Bees seem lo recognize each other by the sense of smell ; and when made to have the same odor, they will always mingle peaceably. This is the reason why I use a few drops of peppermint in the sugar-water. In doubling swarms in this manner, it will never be safe to attempt to mingle first and second swarms unless they are first thoroughly scented so that they cannot distinguish each other. Bees which have a fertile queen, will almost always. quarrel with those which have one still unimpregnated, and this is the reason why when new swarms attempt to mingle of their own accord, or are put together by the bee-keeper, thousands of bees are often destroyed. If an increase of only one third is desired, and the Apiarian chooses to rely on natural swarming, as soon as he has hived a swarm, he should remove the hive from which it issued, and put the new swarm in its place. It will thus secure nearly all the bees and will make a very powerful colony. The old stock from which it came, should now be put on the stand of another powerful stock, to be replenished with bees, and this third stock removed to a new location. Of all the va- rious methods of practicing natural swarming, I consider this to be the very best. If the colonies stand close together, all these various processes will be much better performed when the hives are all alike in shape and color. If the bees are very near together, and the hives quite unlike, they should not be attempted, except with the precautions which have been previously described. Beginners wnll find it very important to follow as closely as they can, my directions for performing the various processes, as I have constantly aimed to give none which are not important ; and while I utterly repudiate the notion that these directions may not be modified and improved, I am quite 214 ARTIFICIAL SWAKMING. certain that this cannot be done by any but those who have considerable experience in the management of bees. As some Apiarians may be so situated as to wish to increase their bees quite rapidly, I shall give such methods as from numerous experiments, many of them conducted on a large scale, I have found to be the best. I wish it however to be most distinctly understood, that I do not consider ?;er?/ rapid multiplication as likely to succeed, except in the hands of a skillful Apiarian. Its chief merit consists in the short time which it requires to build up a large Apiary, and under ordinary circumstances it requires too much time, care and honey, to be of very great practical value. If the care- ful attention of the bee-keeper is at any critical time relaxed, by a flagging of the zeal with which he commenced, or sickness, or other necessary hindrances, he will find at the close of the season, or by the return of Spring, that his gains consist only of experience^ purchased at a very extravagant price. After trying my mode of management for a few seasons, a bee-keeper may find that he is favorably situated for taking care of a large stock of bees. Suppose him to have acquired both skill and confidence, and that he has ten powerful colonies. If he is willing to do without surplus honey for one season, and the honey-harvest should be very productive, he may, without feeding, or very much labor, safely increase his ten colonies to thirty. If he chooses to feed largely, he may possibly end the season with fifty or sixty, or even more ; but he will prohally end it in such a manner as most thoroughly to disgust him with his folly, and to teach him that in bee-keeping, as well as in other things, *'Haste makes waste." On the supposition that by the time the fruit-trees are In blossom, the Apiarian has, in movable-comb hives, ten pow- ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 215 erful colonies, let him select four of the strongest, and make from each a forced swarm. He will then have four queen- less colonies, which will at once, proceed to supply themselves with a young queen. In about ten days, he may make from his other six stocks, six more forced swarms. He will probably find in making these, many sealed queens, if he has delayed the operation until about swarming time ; so that he may give to each of the six stocks from which he has expelled a swarm, the means of soon obtaining another queen. If he has not queens enough for this purpose, he must take the required number from the four stocks which are raising young queens, the exact condition of which ought to have been previously ascertained. Some of these stocks will be found to contain a large number of queen cells. Huber, in one of his experiments, found twenty -four in one hive, and even a larger number has sometimes been reared by a single colony. As the Apiarian will always have many more queens than are wanted, he should select those combs which contain a sealed queen, so as to obtain about fifteen combs, each of which has one or more queens. If necessary, he can cutout some of the cells, and adjust them in the manner previously described. Each comb containing a sealed queen, must be put with all the bees adhering to it, into an empty hive ; water should be given to them, and honey, if^there is none in the comb. I always prefer to select a comb which con- tains a large number of workers just beginning to hatch, so that even if a considerable number of the bees should return to the parent stock, after their liberty is given them, there will still be a sufficient number hatched, to attend to the young, and especially to watch over the maturing queens. If the comb has a large number of bees just emerging from their cells, I prefer to confine them only one day, 216 ARTIFICAL SWARMING. Otherwise I keep them shut up until about an hour before sunset of the third day. The hives containing these small colonies, ought, if not well protected by being made double, to be set where they are thoroughly sheltered from the intense heat of the sun ; and the entrances should be so ad- justed as to give them sufficient ventilation. These small colonies I call nuclei, (from the Latin word nucleus, a small cluster,) and the system of forming stocks from them, my nucleus system ; and before I describe this system more particularly, I shall show other ways in which the nuclei can be formed. If the Apiarian chooses, he can lake a frame containing bees just ready to mature, and eggs and young worms, all of the worker kind, together with the old bees which cluster on it, and shut them up in the manner previously described, even if he has no sealed queen to give them. He will find that a comb from which about one third of the brood has just hatched, will almost always contain eggs freshly deposited in the empty cells. If all things are favorable, the bees will set about raising a queen in a few hours. I once took not more than a tea-cup full of bees, and on confining them in a dark place-with a small piece of brood comb, found that in about an hour, they had begun to enlarge some of the cells, to raise a new queen ! If the Apiarian has sealed queens on hand, they ought to be given to the nuclei, in order to save all the time possible. I sometimes make these nuclei as follows : A suitable comb with bees, &c,, is taken from a stock-hive, and put in an empty one made to stand partly in the place of the old hive, which, of course, must previously be moved a little on one side. In this way, 1 am able to divert a considerable number of the bees from the old stock, to my nucleus, and the necessity of shutting it up, is done away with. If the bees from the old stock do not enter the small one, in suf- ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 217 ficient numbers, I sometimes close their hive, or cover it with a sheet, so that the returning bees can find no other place to enter. My object is not to obtain a large number of bees. For reasons previously assigned, I do not want enough to build new comb, but only enough to adhere to the removed comb, and raise a new queen from its brood, or develop the sealed one which has been given them. A short time after one nucleus has in this way, been formed^ another may be made by moving the old hive again, and so a third or fourth, if so many are wanted. This plan requires considerable skill and experience, to secure the right number of bees, without getting too many. If bees are to be made to enter a new hive, by removing the old one from its stand, it will always be very desirable not only to have the new one contain a piece of comb, but a considerable number of bees clustered on that comb. I repeatedly found that my bees, after entering the hive, refus- ed to have anything to do with the brood comb, and for a long time, I was unable to conjecture the cause ; until I ascertained that they were dissatisfied with its deserted ap- pearance, and that, by taking the precaution to have it well covered with bees, I seldom failed to reconcile them to this system of forced colonization. I can usually tell, in less than two minutes, whether the operation will succeed or not. If the returning bees intend to accept of their new home, they will, however much agitated at first, soon begin to join the cluster on the comb ; while if they are dissatisfied, they will abandon 'the hive, and nearly all the bees that were originally on the comb, will leave with them. They seem capricious in this matter, and are sometimes so very self- willed, that they refuse to have anything to do with the brood comb, when no good reason can be seen for their being so rebellious. 19 218 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. I shall here state some conjectures which have occurred to me on this subject. Is it absolutely certain that bees can raise a queen from any egg or young worm which would produce a worker? Or if this is possible, is it certain that every kind of workers can accomplish this ? Huber ascer- tained to his own satisfaction that there were two kinds of workers in a hive. He thus describes them : " One of these is, in general, destined for the elaboration of wax, and its size is considerably enlarged when full of honey ; the other immediately imparts what ii has collected, to its companions, its abdomen undergoes no sensible change, or it retains only the honey necessary for its own subsistence. The particular function of the bees of this kind is to take care of the young, for they are not charged with provisioning the hive. Tn opposition to the wax workers, we shall call them small bees or nurses." " Although the external difference be inconsiderable, this is not an imaginary distinction. Anatomical observations prove that the capacity of the stomach is not the same : experiments have ascertained that one of the species cannot fulfill all the functions shared among the workers of a hive. We painted those of each class with different colors, in order to study their proceedings ; and these were not interchang- ed. In another experiment, after supplying a hive deprived of a queen with brood and pollen, we saw the small bees quickly occupied in nutrition of the larvee, while those of the wax working class neglected them. Small bees also produce wax, but in a very inferior quantity to what is*elaborated by the real wax workers." Now if these statements can be relied on, and I have nearly always found Ruber's statements, wherever I have tested them, perfectly reliable, then it may be that when bees refuse to cluster on the brood comb, to rear a new queen, it is because ARTIFICIAL SWARMING* 219 they find that some of the conditions necessary for success, are wanting. Either there may not be a sufficient number of wax-workers, to enlarge the cells, or a sufficient number of nurses to take charge of the larvae ; or perhaps the cells contain only young wax- workers which cannot be developed into queens, or only young nurses which may be in the same predicament. If any of my readers imagine that it is an easy work, careful- ly to experiment, in order to establish facts upon the solid basis of complete demonstration, let them attempt lo prove or dis- prove the truth of any or all of my conjectures upon this single topic. They will probably find the task more difficult than to blot over whole quires or reams of paper with care- less assertions. All operations of any kind which interfere in the very least, with the natural mode of forming colonies, are best performed in the swarming season : or at least, at a time when the bees are breeding freely, and are able to bring in large stores of honey from the fields. At other times, they are very precarious, and unless under the management of persons who have great experience, will in most cases, end in nothing but vexatious losses and disappointments. It is quite amusing to see how bees act, when they find, on their return from foraging abroad, that their hive has been moved, and another put in its place. If the new hive is pre- cisely similar to their own, in size and outward appearance, they enter it at once, as though all was right ; but, in a few moments, rush out in violent agitation, imagining that by a prodigious mistake they have entered the wrong place. They now take wing again, in order to correct their blun- der, but find to their increasing surprise, that they had previously directed their flight to the familiar spot ; again they enter, and again they tumble out, in bewildered crowds^^ 220 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. until at length, if they can find the means of raising a new queen, or one is already there, they make up their minds that if this is not home, it not only looks like it, but stands just where their home ought to be, and is at all events the only home they are likely to get. No doubt they often feel that a very hard bargain has been imposed upon them, but they generally are wise enough to make the best of it. There is one trait in the character of bees, for which I feel, not merely admiration, but the most profound respect. Such is their indomitable energy and perseverance, that un- der circumstances apparantly hopeless, they will still labor to the utmost, to retrieve their losses, and sustain the sinking State. So long as they have a queen, or any prospect of raising one, they struggle most vigorously against impending ruin, and never give up, unless their condition is absolutely desperate. In one of my observing hives, I once had a colony of bees, the whole of which might have been spread out on my two hands, busy at work in raising a new queen, from a small piece of brood comb. For two long weeks, they adhered with unfailing perseverance and industry, to their forlorn hope : until at last, one of the two queens which they raised, came fourth, and destroyed the other while still in her cell. The bees had now dwindled away to less than half their original number, and the new queen bad wings so imperfect that she was unable to fly. I watched their pro- ceedings with great interest ; they actually paid very unusual attention to this crippled queen, treating her with almost as much regard as though she were fertile. In the course of a week, there were not more than a dozen bees left in the hive, and in a few days more, I missed the queen, and saw only a few disconsolate wretches crawling over the deserted comb ! Shame on the faint-hearted and cowardly of our own race, who, if overtaken by calamity, instead of nobly breasting the ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 221 dark waters of affliction, and manfully buffeting with their tumultuous waves, meanly resign themselves to their ignoble fate, and sink and perish, where they might have lived and triumphed; and double shame upon those who thus "faint, in the day of adversity," when living in a Christian land, they might, if they would only receive the word of God, and open the eye of faith, behold a bow of promise spanning the still stormy clouds, and hear a voice bidding them, like the great apostle of the Gentiles, learn not merely to " rejoice in hope of the glory of God," but to " glory in tribulations also." I have been informed by Mr. Wagner,, that Dzierzon has recently devised a plan, of making nuclei^ substantially thej same with my own.. His book, however, contemplates hav- ing two Apiaries, three or four miles apart, and his plans foi: multiplying colonies, as there described, were based upon the- supposition that the Apiarian has two such establishments. Such an arrangement would no doubt very gi*eatly facilitate many operations. Our forced swarms might all be removed from the Apiary where they were formed, to, the other, and our nuclei treated in the same way, and. there would be no necessity for conHning the bees after their removal. There are however, weighty objections, to, such an arrangement, which will prevent it, at least for some time, froni; being ex- tensively adopted. The labor and expense of removing the bees backwards and forwards, is a se]:ious objection, to the whole plan j and in addition to this, the necessity of having a skillful Apiarian at each establishment, unfits it for the purposes of most persons who keep bees- It might answer,, however, if two bee-keepers, sufficiently far apart, would enter into partnership, and manage their bees as a joint concern. Those who cannot remove their bees, and who from timidity, are desirous of forming their artificial swarms in 19* 222 ARTIFICIAL S WARMING. the morning, before the bees are on the wing, and for this reason, or, for want of time, cannot take the proper precau- tions, to secure for the old stocks the necessary number of adhering bees, may still force swarms with advantage by proceeding as follows : After the new colony has been form- ed, in the manner previously described, care being taken to leave in the old stock a sufficient number of bees, set this old stock in a cool or shady place, and shut up the bees, giving them an abundance of air, until late in the afternoon of the third day. They may nov^^ be placed in any convenient situation, and an hour or two before sun-set, allowed their liberty. They will often take wing, almost as though they were intending to swarm. Some will even now return to the place where their hive originally stood, and join the forced swarm, but most of them, after hovering a short time in the air, will re-enter their hive. During the time they have been shut up, thousands of young bees will have emerged from their cells, all of which, knowing no other home, will aid in carrying on the work of the hive. While confined, the bees ought to be supplied with water, or they will not be able to prepare food for the larvse, multitudes of which would necessarily perish. If the hive is so consiruct- ed that water cannot conveniently be given them, a small gimblet hole may be made on the front, near the top, through which it may be easily injected with a straw. The following is Dzierzon's new plan of creating nuclei, already alluded to : Towards evening, he removes a piece of brood comb, with eggs and bees just hatching, and puts it into an empty hive, with a sufficient number of mature bees to keep the brood from being chilled over night. If the operation is performed so late, that the bees are not disposed to take wing, and leave the hive, by morning a sufficient number will have hatched, to supply the place of those which may abandon ARTIFICIAL SWARMIXG 223 the nucleus. In my numerous experiments in the Summer, of 1842, in the formation of artificial swarms, I tried this plan, and found that it answered a good purpose ; the chief objec- tion to it, is the difficulty often of selecting the suitable kind of comb, if the operation is delayed until late in the afternoon. I prefer, therefore, to perform it, when the sun is an hour or two high, and to confine the bees until dark. If there are not a sufficient number of bees on the comb, I shake off some from another frame, directly into the hive, and shut them all up, giving them a supply of water. Sealed queens if possible, should be used in all these operations. I shall now describe a novel mode of creating nuclei, which I have devised, and which I find to be attended with great success : Hive a new swarm in the usual manner, in an old box, and as soon as the bees have entered it, shut them up and carry them down into the cellar, unless they can be put in a cool place, and supplied with a liberal allow- ance of air. About an hour before sunset, take combs suitable to form as many nuclei as you judge best, say five or six, or even eight or ten, if the swarm was large, and you need as many. Take the new swarm, and shake it out upon a sheet, sprinkling it gently with sugar-water. With a large spoon or tumbler, scoop up, without hurting any of the bees, a pint or more of them, and place them before the mouth of one of the hives containing a brood comb ; repeat the process, until each nucleus has about a quart of bees. If you see the queen, you may give the hive in which you put her, three or four times as many bees as any other; and the next day it may be strengthened with a few combs, containing brood, just ready to mature. If you do not see her, at the time of forming the nuclei, the one in which you afterwards find her, may be properly reinforced with bees and comb, so as to enable it to work to the best advantage. 224 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. If this plan of forming nuclei, were attempted earlier in the afternoon, it would be difficult to prevent the bees from communicating on the wing, and going to the nucleus which contains their queen. If, however, the bees when first shaken out of the temporary hive, are so thoroughly- sprinkled, as not to be able to take wing and unite together, this mode of forming colonies may be practiced at any hour of the day ; and an experienced Apiarian may prefer to do it, as soon as he has fairly hived the new swarm. When the bees are shaken out in front of a hive which has a sealed queen, or eggs from which they can raise one,' having a whole night in which to accustom themselves to their new situation, they will be found, the next day, to ad- here to the place where they were put, with as much tenacity as a natural swarm to their new hive. How won- derful that the act of swarming should so thoroughly impress upon the bees, an absolute indisposition to return to the parent stock ! If this were a fixed and invariable unwilling- ness, a son of blind, unreasoning instinct, it would not be so surprising, but we have already seen that when the bees lose their queen, they return, in a very short time, to the stock from which they issued. If the nuclei formed in the man- ner just described, found in their new hive, no means of obtaining a queen, they would return, next morning, to the parent stock. When the Apiarian can obtain a forced swarm from some other Apiary, two or three miles from his own, it may be divided into nuclei, which wnll prosper equally well ; and if he cannot conveniently obtain a forced swarm from an Apiary, at least a mile distant, he may, before the bees begin to fly out in the Spring, transport one of his stocks to a neighbor's, and force from it a swarm at the desired time. Even if it is moved not more than half a mile off, at a time ARTIFICIAL SWARMINS. 225 when forage is abundant near his own hives, the operation will be almost sure to succeed. Of all modes of forming the nuclei, this T believe will be found to be the neatest, simplest, surest and best. Having thus described ihe methods by which I form my nuclei, I shall now show how they may be built up into powerful stocks. It will be very obvious, that on the ordi- nary plan of management, they would be absolutely worth- less, even if it were possible to form them with ihe common hives. If they were not fed, being unable to collect the means of building new comb, they would gradually dwindle away, like third or fourth swarms which issue late in the season ; nor could they be saved, even by the most generous feeding, since they would only use their supplies to fill up the little comb they had ; so that when the queen was ready to lay, there would be no empty cells to receive her eggs, and too few bees to build any, even if they had all the honey that they required. Such small colonies must gradually waste away, unless they can be speedily and effectually supplied with the requisite number of bees, and this can be successfully done, only by hives v/hich give the control of all the combs. With such hives, I can speedily build up my nuclei, (unless I have too many,) to the strength necessary to make them powerful stocks. The hives containing these miniature swarms, ought, if possible, to stand at some considerable distance from other hives ; and if this cannot be conveniently done, they should in some way, be so distinguished from the adjoining hives, that the young queens when they are hatched, and go out to seek the drones, will not be liable, on their return, to lose their lives, by entering a wrong hive. A small leafy twig, fastened on the front of such hives, when they stand near to others, will be almost sure to prevent such a catastrophe : 226 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. or some may be marked in this way, and others with a piece of colored cloth. (See p. 152-3.) To guard them against robbers, the entrances to these nuclei should be contracted, so that only a few bees can pass in at once. Those which were confined, should be examined, the day after their liberty is given to them ; the others the day after they were formed, when, if they were not supplied with a sealed queen, they will be found actively engaged in constructing royal cells. A new range of comb should now be given to each one, and it should contain no old bees, but brood rapidly maturing, and if possible, eggs and worms only a few days old. This addition of strength will greatly encourage the nuclei, and give them the means of starting young queens, if they have not succeeded, with the first comb. I have often found, that for some cause, they start a large number of queen cells, which in a few days, are all discontinued, and untenanted. The second attempt seldom fails. Does prac- tice make them more expert ? But I will simply state the fact, referring to my conjectures on page 218 ; and remarking that when they make a second attempt, they are frequently disposed to start a much larger number than they would otherwise have done. In two or three days after giving them the first piece of comb, I give them another, if their queen is nearly mature, and then let them alone, until she ought to be depositing eggs in the hive. I now give them at in- tervals of a few days, two or three combs more, which make them sufficiently powerful in bees, to gather large quantities of honey, and fill the empty part of their hive. The young queen is supplying with thousands of worker-eggs, the cells from which the brood has emerged, and also the new ones built by the bees, and the young colony will soon be one of the best stock hives in the Apiary. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 227 But what, in the mean time, is the condition of the hives from which we are taking so many brood combs, for the proper development of our nuclei ? afe they not tasked so much as to become quite enfeebled ? This brings us to the turning point of the whole nucleus system. If due judgment has not been used, but the sanguine bee-keeper has multi- plied his colonies too rapidly, a grievous disappointment awaits him. Either his nuclei cannot be strengthened at the right time, or this can be done, only by impoverishing the old stocks, so that the result of the whole operation will be a decided failure ; and if he is in the vicinity of sugar- houses, confectionaries, or other tempting places of bee resort, he will find the population of his colonies so seriously diminished, that he will have to break up most of the nuclei which he had formed, besides incurring the danger of losing nearly all his stock. I consider it a fundamental principle in my nucleus system, that the old stocks must never be so much weakened by the removal of brood-comb and bees, as to be unable to keep their numbers strong enough to refill rapidly all vacancies among their combs. If the Apiarian attempts to multiply his stocks too rapidly for this, I will ensure him ample cause to repent at leisure of his folly. If, however, the attempt at very rapid multiplication is made only by those who are favorably situated, and who have great skill in the management of bees, a very large gain may be made in the number of stocks, and yet all be strong and flour- ishing. If a strong stock of bees in a hive of moderate size, is examined at the height of the honey harvest, nearly all the cells will often be found filled with brood, honey, or bee- bread. The great laying of the queen, according to some writers, is now over, yet not as they erroneously imagine. 228 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. because her fertility has decreased, but merely because there is not room in the hive for all her eggs. She may often be seen restlessly traversing the combs, seeking in vain for empty cells, until finding none, she is compelled to extrude her eggs, only to be devoured by the bees. If some of the full combs are removed, and empty ones substituted, she will speedily fill them, laying at the rate of two or three thousand eggs a day ! A queen in a small colony, or in a hive where nearly all the brood comb is occupied, will often appear almost as slender as one which is still unfertile ; but give her plenty of bees and empty comb, and in a short time, her proportions will become so much enlarged, that she will often be wholly incapable of flight. (See p. 51-2.) When strong stocks are, from time to time, deprived of one or two combs, if honey can easily be procured, (and if it cannot, the Apiarian must himself supply it,) the bees proceed at once to replace them, and the queen commences laying in the new combs, as soon as the cells are fairly started. If the combs are not removed too fast, and care is taken not to deprive the stock of so much brood that the bees can- not maintain a vigorous population, a queen in a hive so managed, will lay her eggs in cells to be nurtured by ihe bees, instead of being eaten up ; and thus, in the course of the season, she may become the mother of three or four times as many bees, as are reared in a hive under other circumstances. By careful management, brood enough may, in this way, be taken from a single hive, to build up a large number of nuclei. Towards the close of the season, how- ever, as such a hive has been constantly tasked in building comb and feeding young bees, nearly all its honey will have been used for these purposes, and although it may be very populous, it will surely perish, unless liberally fed. Since ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 229 th@ discovery that unbolted rye flour will answer so admirably as a substitute for pollen, we can supply the bees not only with honey, when none can be gathered from the blossoms, but with an abundance of bee-bread, v>^hen pollen is scarce. As I am writing this chapter, (March 29, 1853,) my bees are zealously engaged in taking flour from some old combs in front of their hives, and can be seen most beautifully moulding the little pellets on their thighs. By my moveable combs I can give them the flour, at once, in their hives, as it can easily be rubbed into an empty comb. The im.portance of Dzierzon's discovery of a substitute for pollen, can hardly be over-estimated. If he had done nothing more for Apia- rian science, no true-hearted bee-keeper would ever allow his name to be forgotten. In the Chapter on Feeding, I shall give more specific di- rections as to the way in which the cultivator must feed his bees, when he aims at increasing, as rapidly as possible, the number of his stocks. Unless this work is done with greafc judgment, he will often find that the more he feeds, the fewer bees he has in his hives, the cells being all occupied with honey instead of brood. Such is the passion of bees for storing away honey, that large supplies will always most seriously interfere with breeding, unless there are enough bees to build new comb, in which the queen can find room for her eggs. I have no doubt that some who have not much experience in the management of bees, are ready to imagine that they can easily strike out a simpler and better way of increasing the number of colonies. For instance : let a full hive have half its comb and bees put into an empty one, and the work of doubling, is without further trouble, effectually accom- plished. But what will the queenless hive do, under such circumstances ? Why, build of course, queen cells, and 20 230 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. rear another. But what kind of comb will they fill their hives with, before the young queen begins to breed ? Of that, perhaps, you had never thought. Let me now give the only safe rule for all who engage in the multiplication of artificial swarms. Never, under any circumstances, take so much comb and brood from your stock hives, as seriously to reduce their numbers. This should be to the Apiarian, as " the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." Suppose that I should divide a populous stock, at the swarming season, into four or five colonies ; the probability is, that not one, if left to themselves, will be strong enough to survive the Winter. If fed in the ordinary way, and yet not supplied with combs and bees, their ruin will often be only accelerated. If, on the contrary, I take, from time to time, combs sufficient to form three or four nuclei, and strengthen the new colonies, in such a way as not to draw too severely upon the resources of the parent stock, I may expect to see them all, in due time, strong and flour- ishing. In the Spring, if I desire to determine the strength of a colony principally to raising young bees, I can easily effect it by the following plan. A box is made, of the same inside dimensions with the lower hive, into which the bees of a full hive, with their combs, can all be transferred, as soon as they are gathering honey enough to build new combs. This box is now set over the old hive, which contains its comple- ment of empty frames, or better siill, of frames supplied with worker comb. As soon as the bees are strong enough to build new comb, they take possession of the lower hive, and the queen descends with them, in order to lay her eggs in the lower combs. When the lower apartment becomes pretty well filled, a large number of combs with maturing bees, may be taken from the upper one, and when the hive ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 23l below is full, they may all be safely removed. If none of the upper combs are removed, they will be filled with honey, as soon as the brood is hatched ; and as they will contain large stores of bee-bread, they will answer admirably for replenishing stocks which have an insufficient supply. If two swarms are hived together, or a very powerful stock is lodged in a hive, and immediate access given them to the upper apartment, an extraordinary quantity of honey, of excellent quality, can be secured. As soon as the bees have raised one generation of young, in the combs of the upper box, or rather in a part of them, they will use it chiefly for storing honey, and its contents may be taken from them. In flavor, it will be found to be nearly as good as honey stored in what is called " virgin comb." There is always some risk, however, in making a very large colony, that they will build an excess of drone comb, if the season is very propitious for gathering honey. In the Chapter on the Requisites of a good hive, it was said that in size it should be adapted to the natural instincts of the bee, and yet admit of being enlarged or contracted, according to the wants of the colony placed in it. I never use a hive, the main apartment of which, holds less than a bushel. If small colonies are placed in such a hive, it may be temporarily partitioned off, to suit the size of its inmates ; for if bees have too much room, they cannot so well con- centrate their animal heat, and are so much discouraged that they often abandon the hive. I am aware that many judi- cious Apiarians recommend hives of much smaller dimen- sions, and I shall now give my reasons for using one so large. If a hive is too small, then in the Spring, the combs are soon filled with honey, bee-bread, and brood, and the surprising fertility of the queen bee can be turned to no efficient account. If the honey-harvest in any year is de- £32 ARTIFICIAL SWARMma. licient, such a colony is very apt to perish in the succeeding Winter; whereas in a large hive, the honey stored up in a fruitful season, is a reserve supply, for time of need. In very large hives, I have seen accumulations of honey which have been untouched for years, while by their side, stocks of the same age, in small hives, have perished by starvation. A good early swarm in any favorable situation, will the first season, fill a hive that holds a bushel ; and if there is any location in which they cannot do this, a doubled swarm should be put into the hive, or, unless the non-swarming plan is pursued, bee-keeping, as far as profit is concerned, may be abandoned. But it may be objected that if the swarm is not strong enough to fill the hive, the bees will often suffer from the cold in Winter, and become too much reduced m numbers, to build early and rapidly, in the ensuing Spring. This is undoubtedly true, and hence the importance of put- ting, at the start, a generous allowance of bees into a hive, unless, as on my plan, the requisite strength can be given to them, at a subsequent period. The hive, if large, should be all the more carefully protected from extremes of cold, in order to give the bees an opportunity of developing, to the best advantage, their natural powers of reproduction. In such a hive, the queen will be able to breed almost every month in the year, even in the coldest climates where bees can flourish, and on the return of Spring, thousands of young bees will be found in it, which could not have been bred in a small, or badly protected hive. The Polish hives have already been referred to. Some of these hold about three bushels, and yet the bees swarm with great regularity, and the swarms are often of immense size. These hives are admirably protected, and at the time of hiving, at least four times the number of bees are lodged in them, that are ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 233 ordinarily put into one of our hives. The queen, in such a hive, has ample room to lay daily, her three thousand or more eggs, and an immense colony is raised, which often stores enormous supplies of honey. As all the frames in my hives are of the same dimensions, the size of the hive may be conveniently varied, to suit the views of different bee-keepers ; for it may be large or small, according to the number of frames designed to be used. This whole subject of the proper size of hives, certainly needs to be taken entirely out of the region of conjecture^ and put upon the basis of careful observations. Unquestion- ably, the size will require, in some respects, to be modified by the more or less favorable character of a district, for bee- keeping ; but I am satisfied that small hives will be found of hut little profit, and that large ones, unless well stocked with bees, from the first, and thoroughly protected, will seldonri answer any good end. If I should find, on further experi- ment, that very large hives are better, my hives are at pres- ent so constructed, that without any alteration of existing parts, they can easily be supplied with the required additions. I have already mentioned, that to save expense, I sometimes build my hives, two or three in one structure. 1 do not^ however, wish to be considered as recommending such hives as best for general use. For some purposes, a single hive is unquestionably better, as it can be easily moved by one person ; and this will often be found to be a point of great importance. It has been already stated that the queen bee cannot be induced to sting, by any kind of treatment however severe. The reason of this strange unwillingness to use her natural and powerful weapon, will be obvious, when we consider how indispensable to the very existence of the colony, is the preservation of her life, and that her sting, the loss of which 20* 234 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. would cause her death, could avail but little for their defence. Id case of an attack. She never uses it, except when en- gaged in mortal combat with another queen. As soon as the two rivals meet, they clinch, at once, with every demonstra- tion of the most vindictive hatred. Why then, are not both often destroyed ? and why are not hives, in the swarming season, almost certain to become queenless ? We can never sufficiently admire the provision so simple, and yet so effectual, by which such a calamity is prevented. The queen, in. the combat, never stings, unless she has such an ad- vantage, that she can curve her body under that of her rival, so as to inflict a deadly wound, without any risk to herself! The moment that the position of the two combatants is such that neither has the advantage, but both are liable to perish, they not only refuse to sling, but disengage them- selves, and suspend their conflict for a short time ! It it were not for this peculiarity of instinct, such combats would very often end in the death of both the parties, and the race of bees would be in danger of becoming extinct. The following very interesting statements are from the peo of Hon. Simon Brown, of Concord, Massachusetts, Lieuten- ant Governor of that Commonwealth in 1855. The observa- uons were made in a parlor observing hive, of my invention, and were published by him, in the New England Farmer^ for Oct. 1855, pages 450-1. " On the 17lh of July last, we placed in our dining-room window, an observing bee-hive, constructed of glass, so thaC all (he operations of the bees could be plainly and conven- iently seen. A comb about a foot square was placed in it, containing some brood, with plenty of workers and drones, but without a queen. The liive was then carefully observed by one of the ladies of the family, who has given us the fol- lawin weeks the family increased so fast as to make it necessary for them to prepare to emigrate. They had built six queen- cells, and in about twelve days, the first queen was hatched. As soon as she was fairly born, she marched rapidly, and in'. the most energetic manner, over the combj and visited the other cells in which were the embryo queens, seeming at times furious to destroy them. The workers, however^ surrounded her, and prevented such wholesale murder. But for two days she was intent upon her fell purpose, and kept in almost continuous motion to effect it. On the fourteenth day the second queen was ready to come out, piping and making various noises to attract attention". " A part of the colony then seemed to conclude that it was time to take the first queen and go, but by some mistake she remained in the hive after the swarm had left. The second queen came out as soon as possible after the others had gone, and then there were now t7D0 halched queens in the hive ! they ran about on the comb, which was now nearly empty, so thai they could be distinctly seen. But they had not apparently, noticed each other, while the workers were in a state of great uneasiness and commotion, seeming impatient for the 236 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. destruction of one of them. The mode they adopted to ac- complish it was of the most deliberate and cold-blooded kind. A circle of bees kept one queen stationary, while another party dragged the other up to her, so that their heads nearly touched, and then the bees stood back, leaving a fair field for the combatants, in which one was to gain her laurels, and the other to die ! The battle was fierce and sanguinary. They grappled each other, and like expert wrestlers, strove to inflict the fatal blow, by some sudden or adroit movement. But for some moments the parties seemed equally matched ; no advantage could be gained on either side. The bees stood looking calmly on the dreadful affray, as though they them- selves had been the heroes of a hundred wars. But the battle, like all others, had its close ; one fell upon the field, and was immediately taken by the workers and carried out of the hive. By this time, the bees which had swarmed, made the discovery that their queen was missing, and al- though they had been hived without any trouble, came rushing back, but not in season to witness the fatal battle, and the fall of their poor slain queen, who should have gone forth with them to seek a future home." The unwillingness of a colony deprived of its queen, to receive another, until after some time, must always be borne in mind, by those who make artificial swarms. About 24 hours must elapse, before it will be safe to introduce a strange mother into a queenless hive ; and even then, if she is not fertile, she runs a great risk of being destroyed. To prevent such losses, I adopt the German plan of confining the queen, in what they call, " a queen cage." A small hole, about as large as a thimble, may be made in a block, and covered over with wire gauze, or any kind of perforated cover, so that when the queen is confined in it, and placed in the hive, ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 23T ihe bees cannot destroy her. Before long, they will cultivate an acquaintance, by thrusting their antennse through, to her ; so that when she is liberated the next day, they will gladly adopt her, in place of the one ihey have lost. If a hole large enough for her to creep out, is closed with w^ax, they will gnaw the wax away, and liberate her themselves, from her confinement. Queens that seem bent on departing to the woods, may be confined in the same way, until the colony gives up all thoughts of forsaking its hive. A small paste- board box with suitable holes, or a wooden mach-box thoroughly scalded, I have found to answer a very good purpose. I shall here describe what may be called a Queen Nursery, which I have contrived, to aid those who are engaged in the rapid multiplication of colonies by artificial means. A solid block about an inch and a quarter thick, is substituted for one of my frames ; hlt)les, about one and a half inches in diame- ter, are bored through it, and covered on both sides with gauze wire, which should be permanently fastened on one side, and arranged in the form of slides, or the other for conve- nience in opening. A hole should be made in the wire large enough to admit a worker, and yet confine the young queen when hatched. If the Apiarian has a number of sealed queens, and there is danger that some may hatch, and destroy the others, be- fore he can make use of them in forming artificial swarms^ he may very carefully cutout the combs containing ihem^ (p. 190,) and place each in a separate cradle ! The bees having access to them, will give them proper attention, sup- plying them with food as soon as ihey are hatched, and thus they will always be on hand, for use when needed. This nursery must of course be established in a hive which has no mature queen, or it will quickly be transformed into h slaughter house by the bees. 238 ARTmCIAL SWARMING. In the first edition of this work, in speaking of the Queen Nursery, I remarked as follows : " I have not yet tested this plan so thoroughly as to be certain that it will succeed ; and I know so well, the immense difference between theoretical conjectures and practical results, that I consider nothing in the bee line, or indeed in any other, as established, until it has been submitted to the most rigorous demonstration, and has triumphantly passed from the mere regions of the brain, to those of actual fact. A theory on any subject may seem so plausible as almost to amount to positive demonstration, and yet when put to the working test, may be encumbered by some unforeseen difficulty, which speedily convinces even its sanguine projector, that it has no practical value. Nine things out of ten, may work to a charm, and yet the tenth may be so connected with the other nine, that its failure renders their success of no account. When I first used this Nursery, I did not give the bees access to it| and I found that the queens were not properly developed, and died in their cells. Perhaps they did not receive sufficient warmth, or were not treated in some other important respects, as they would have been, if left under the care of the bees. In the multiplicity of ,nny experiments, 1 did not repeat this one under a sufficient variety of circumstances, to ascertain the precise cause of failure ; nor have I as yet, tried whether it will answer perfectly, by admitting the bees to the queen cells." Since writing the above, I have found that this Nursery answers perfectly the end designed, by giving the workers access to the young queens. Where rapid multiplication, however, is attempted, the nucleus system will ordinarily be found the besi, for securing a sufficient number of young queens. If the Apiarian pursues the common swarming plan, he will often find it to his advantage, when hiving after- ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 239 swarms, or returning them to the old stocks, to catch the supernumerary queens, and confine them in any of his small honey boxes, with about a pint of workers to each. These small colonies may be put in any shady place, apart from the other stocks ; their queens will soon become fertile, and may be easily caught, if needed for any purpose. I often make one queen supply several hives with eggs, so as to keep them all strong in numbers, and yet constantly engag- ed in rearing a large number of spare queens. Two hives which I shall call A and B, are deprived at intervals of a week, each of its queen,* in order to induce them to raise a num- ber of young sealed queens, for the use of the Apiary. As soon as the queens in A, are of an age suitable to be removed, I take them away, and give the colony a fertile queen from another hive, C ; when she has laid a large number of eggs in the empty cells, I remove the sealed queens from B, and give it the loan of this fertile mother, until she has performed the same useful office for them. By this time, the queen cells in C, are sealed over ; these are now removed, and the queen restored ; she has thus made one circuit, and laid a very large number of eggs, in the two hives which were first deprived of their queens. After allowing her to replenish her own hive with eggs, I send her out again, on her per- ambulating mission, and by this new device am able to get an extraordinary number of young queens from the three hives, and at the same time preserve their numbers from seriously diminishing. Two queens may in this way, be made in six hives, to furnish all the supernumerary queens which will be wanted in quite a large Apiary. It must be obvious to every intelligent Apiarian, that the * The queens taken from such hives, may be advantageously used informing artificial colonies. 240 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. perfect control of the comb, is the soul of an entirely new system of practical management, which may be modified to suit the wants of all who cultivate bees. Even the advocate of the Old fashioned plan of killing the bees, can with one of my hives, destroy his faithful laborers, by shaking them into a tub of water, almost, if not quite, as speedily as by setting them over a sulpher pit ; while when he has accom- plished the work of death, his honey will be free from dis- gusting fumes, and all the labor of cutting it out of the hive, may be dispensed with. At the same time, he will have in reserve for future use, much empty worker-comb, which will be worth far more for new swarms, the coming season, than to be melted into wax. I am now prepared to answer an objection which doubtless has been present in the minds of many, all the time that they have been reading the various processes on which I rely, for the artificial multiplication of colonies. A very large number of persons who keep bees, or who wish to keep them, are so much afraid of them, that they object entirely even to natural swarming, because they are in dan- ger of being stung, in the process of hiving the bees. How are such persons to manage bees on a plan, which seems like bearding a lion in its very den ! The truth is, that some persons are so very timid, or suffer so dreadfully from the sting of a bee, that they are every way disqualified from having anything to do with them, and ought either to have no bees upon their premises, or to entrust the care of them to others. By managing bees according to the directions furnished in this treatise, almost any one can learn, by using a bee-dress, to superintend them, with very litlle risk ; while those who are favorites with them, may dispense entirely with any protection. I find, in short, that the risk of being ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 2A stung, is really diminished by the use of my hives; although it will be hard to convince those who have not seen them in use, that this can be so. There is still another class, who are anxiously inquiring for some new hive or plan, by which, with little or no trouble, they may reap copious harvests of the luscious nectar. This is emphatically the class to seize hold of every new device, and waste their time and money, to fill the coffers of the ignorant or unprincipled. There never will be a " royal road " to profitable bee-keeping. Like all other branches of rural economy, it demands care and experience, for its pro- fitable management ; and those who have a painful con- sciousness that the disposition to put off and neglect, was, so to speak, born with them, and has never been got out of them, will do well to let bees alone, unless they hope, by the study of their systematic industry, to reform evil habits which are well nigh incurable. While I feel sanguine that my system of management will ultimately be used very extensively, by skillful Apiari- ans,* I know too much of the world to expect that it will, with the masses, very speedily supersede other methods, even if it were so perfect, as to admit of no possible im- provement. There is an inherent difficulty in rapidly intro- ducing any system of management, however valuable, whick is much in advance of the knowledge possessed by the great mass of those whose attention is called to it ; while devices worse than useless, which pander to the ignorance^ * The very day on which I contrived the plan, so perfectly simple^ and yet efficacious, of gaining control of the combs by these frames, I not only foresaw the consequences which would follow their adoption, but wrote as follows, in my Bee- Journal. " The use of these frames will, I am persuaded, give a new impulse to the easy and profitable management of bees ; and will render the making of artificial sw>arfn7ho sells inferior honey, or sugar which he calls honey, to those who would never purchase if they once had a taste of it, is not a whit more honest, if he understands the nature of the article, than a person who counterfeits the current coin of the realm : for poor honey in w^hite comb, is no less a fraud than eagles or dollars, golden to be sure, on their honest ex- terior, but containing a baser metal within ! " The Golden Age " of bee-keeping, in which inferior honey can be quickly transmuted into such balmy spoils as are gathered by the bees of Hybla, has not yet dawned upon us ; or at least only in the fairy visions of the poet, who saw *■' A golden hive, on a Golden Bank, Where golden bees, by alchemical prank, Gathered Gold insleadbof Honey," — Hood. If a pound of West India honey costs about six cents, and the bees use, as they will, about one pound to make the comb in which it is stored, it costs the producer at least twelve cents a pound, and if to this, he adds enough to pay him for extra time and labor in feeding, then his inferior honey costs him almost as much as the market price of the very best honey, on the spot where it is produced ! If the bee-keeper begins to feed, after he has harvested the produce from the natural supplies, the advance over the first cost will hardly pay for the trouble, even if it were honest to palm off as a first-rate article, such inferior honey ; but if fed very 31* 3^6 FEEDING. largely in the latter part of Summer, his colonies will fill up their hives before working in the spare honey boxes, and thus the production of brood will often be checked, at a sea- son when it is important to have the hives well stocked with young bees. If Apiarians desire large quantities of choice honey, let them manage their bees so as to have powerful stocks in the early Spring, and they will then be able to have both heavy purses and light consciences. I shall now show how liquid honey, exceedingly beautiful to the eye, and tempting to the taste, may be made to great advantage : Dissolve two pounds of the purest white sugar, in as much hot water as will be just necessary to reduce it to a syrup ; take one pound of the nicest white clover honey, (any other light colored honey of good flavor will answer.) and after warming it, add it to the syrup, and stir the contents. When cool, this compound will be pronounced, even by the best judges of honey, to be one of the most luscious articles which they ever tasted ; and will be, by almost every one, preferred to the unmixed honey. Relined loaf-sugar is a perfectly pure and inodorous sweet, and one pound of honey will communicate the honey flavor, in high perfection, to twice that quantity of sugar ; while the new article will be destitute of that smarting taste which pure honey so often has, and will often agree with those who cannot eat the clear honey with impunity. If desired, this compound may be made to resemble the classic honey of Mount Hymettus, by adding to it the fine aroma of the lemon balm, or wild thyme ; or it may have the flavor of the orange groves, or the delicate fragrance of beds of roses washed with dew. Bees may be made to store in hoxes^ a mixture of the whitest honey and loaf sugar ; but the result shows a loss rather than a gain. The mixture, will cost about twelve FEEDING. 367 cents per pound ; and at the furthest, not more than half of what is fed, can be secured in the comb, since it requires about a pound, to manufacture comb enough to hold a pound of honey. The actual cost of the honey in the comb, will therefore be as great as that of the nicest honey. Those who desire to have something very beautiful to the eye, and delicate to the taste, at a season when their bees are not storing up honey from the blossoms, and in situations where the natural supply is of an inferior quality, if they do not re- regard expense, can, by feeding this mixture, place upon their tables, an article vvhich will often be pronounced by the best judges, superior to any thing they ever tasted before. 1 have repeatedly spoken of the great care necessary to guard against bees being tempted to engage in dishonest courses, by getting a taste of forbidden sweets. The expe- rienced Apia.rian will fully appreciate the necessity of these cautions, and the inexperienced, if they neglect them, will be taught a lesson that they will not soon forget. Let it be remembered that the bee was intended to gather its sweets from the nectaries of flowers : in the exquisitely beautiful language of him whose inimitable writings supply us on al- most every subject, with the richest thoughts and happiest illustrations, they w^ere created to " I\Iake boot upon the Summer's velvet buds, Which pillage the)^ with merry march bring home To the tent royal of their ' empress :' Who, busied in 'her' majesty, surveys The singing masons, building roofs of gold." — Shakspearc, When thus engaged, bees working in harmony with their natural instincts, have little disposition to meddle with property that does not belong to them ; but if their incau- tious owner tempts them with liquid food, especially at times when they can obtain nothing from the blossoms, they be- 368 FEEDING. come so infatuated with such easy gatherings, as to lose all discretion, and will perish by thousands, if the vessels which contain the food are not furnished with floats, on which they can safely stand to help themselves. As the fly was not intended to banquet upon the blossoms, but on substances in which it might easily be drowned, it alights most cautiously, on the edge of any vessel containing liquid food, and warily helps itself: while the poor bee plung- es in headlong, and speedily perishes. The sad fate of their unfortunate companions, does not in the least, deter others who approach the tempting lure, from madly alighting on the bodies of the dying and the dead, to share the same misera- ble end ! No one can understand the full extent of their infatuation, until he has seen a confectioner's shop assailed by thousands and tens of thousands of hungry bees. I have seen thousands strained out from the syrups in which they had perished ; thousands more alighting even upon the boilinp- sweets; the floors covered, and windows dark- ened with bees, some crawling, others flying, and others still, so completely besmeared as to be able neither to crawl nor fly ; not one bee in ten, able to carry home its ill- gotten spoils, and yet the air filled with new hosts of thought- less comers ! Those engaged in the manufacture of candy and syrups, will find it to their interest, by fitting gauze wire windows and doors to their premises, to save themselves from constant loss and annoyance : for if only one bee in a hundred es- capes with his load, the confectioner will be subjected, in the course of the season, to serious loss. I once furnished a candy- shop, with such protection, after the bees had commenced their depredations; who on finding themselves excluded, alighted on the wire by thousands, squealing with vexation and disappointment, as they vainly tried to force a passage FEEDING. 369 through the meshes. At last they were daring enough to descend the chimney, reeking with sweet odors, even al- though most who attempted it, fell with scorched wings into the fire, and it became necessary to put wire gauze over the top of the chimney also ! How often, as I have seen thousands of bees, in such places, destroyed, thousands more deprived of all ability to fly, and hopelessly struggling in the deluding sweets, and yet increasing thousands blindly hovering over them, all unmindful of their danger, and apparently eager to share the same destruction, how often has the spectacle of their infatuation, appeared to be an exact picture of the woful delusion of those who surrender themselves to the fatal in- fluences of the intoxicating cup. Even although they see the miserable victims of this degrading vice, falling all around them, into premature and dishonored graves, they still press on, madly trampling as it were, over their dead and dying bodies, that they too may sink into the same abyss of agonies, and that their sun also may go down in darkness and hopeless gloom. Even although they know that the next cup may send them, with all their sins upon their heads, to the dread tribunal of their God, that cup of bitter sorrows and untold degradation, they will drain, even to its most loathsome dregs. The avaricious bee that despised the slow process of ex- tracting nectar from "every opening flower," and plunged so recklessly into the templing sweets, has ample time to bewail its folly. Even if it has obtained its fill, instead of paying the forfeit of its life, it returns home with all its beautiful plumage sullied and besmeared, and with a woe- begone look, and sorrowful note, in marked contrast with the bright hues and merry sounds, with which the industrious 370 FEEDING. bee returns, from its happy rovings amid " tlie budding honey flowers, and sweetly breathing fields." Just so, has many a pilgrim from the golden shores of California and Australia, returned ; enfeebled in body and mind, bankrupt often in character and happiness, if not in purse, and unfitted in every way, for the calm and sober pursuits of common industry ; while thousands, yes, and tens of thousands too, shall never more behold their once happy homes. Bibles and Sabbaths, altars and firesides, parents and friends, wife and children, how often have all these been wantonly abandoned, in the accursed greed for gain, by those who v/ere prosperous, and might have been happy, at home, but who wandered from its sacred precincts, only because they were determined to make the possession of wealth, the chief object of life, and whose bones now lie amid the coral reefs of the ocean, or moulder in the howling wastes of the "overland passage ;" just as the bones of the unbelieving Israelites whitened the sands of the desert. Of those who have reached the " land of " golden " promise," how many have died in despair, or worse still, are living so besotted by vice, so lost to all power of virtuous resolutions, that they shall never more see the happy homes from which they so thoughtlessly wandered, never more hear the soft accents of loving friends ; never again wor- ship God, in a peaceful Sanctuary, or behold again an opened Bible ! "Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold, Molten, graven, hammerd, and roll'd j Heav}^ to get, and light to liold ; Hoarded, barter'd, bought, and sold, Stolen, borrow'd, squander'd, doled : Spnrn'd by the young, but hugg'd by the old To the very verge of the churchyard mould ; HONEY. 371 Price of many a crime untold ; Gold ! Gold ! Gold ! Gold ! Good or bad a thousand-fold ! How widely its agencies vary — To save — to ruin — to curse — to bless — As even its minted coins express. Now stamp'd with the image of Good Queen Bess, And now of a Bloody Mary !" — Hood. CHAPTER XVIII. Honey — Pasturage— Overstocking. That honey is not a natural secretion of the hee, but a substance obtained from the nectaries of blossoms, appears to have been well known to the ancient Jews. As the bee was classed among the unclean creatures, the eating of which was forbidden, one of their Rabbis asks : " Since we are not permitted to eat bees, why are we allowed to eat honey ?" and replies : " Because the bees do not make (or secrete) honey, but only gather it from plants and flow- ers." The truth is well expressed in the lines so familiar to most of us from our childhood, " How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower." Bees gather honey not only from the blossoms, but often in large quantities, from what have been called honey-dews ; " a term applied to those sweet, clammy drops that glitter on the foliage of many trees in hot weather." Two different opinions have been zealously advocated as to the origin of honey-dews. By some they are considered the natural ex- 372 HONEY. udation from the leaves of trees, occasioned often by ill health, though sometinfies a kind of perspiration, by which the plants resist the fervent heats to M^hich they are exposed. Others insist that this sweet substance is discharged from the bodies of those aphides or small lice, which infest the leaves of so many plants. Unquestionably they are produced in both ways. Messrs. Kirby and Spence, in their interesting work on Entomology, have given a description of the honey-dew fur- nished by the aphides. " The loves of the ants and the apbides have long been celebrated ; you will always find the former very busy on those trees and plants on which the latter abound ; and if you examine more closely, you will discover that the object of the ants, in thus attending upon the aphides, is to obtain the saccharine fluid secreted by them, which may well be denominated their milk. This fluid, which is scarcely inferior to honey in sweetness, issues in limpid drops from the abdomen of these insects, not only by the ordinary passage, but also by two setiform tubes, placed one on each side, just above it. Their sucker being inserted in the tender bark, is without intermission employed in absorbing the sap, which, after it has passed through these organs, they keep continually discharging by these organs. When no ants attend them, by a certain jerk of the body, which takes place at regular intervals, they ejaculate it to a dis- tance." "Mr. Knight once observed," says Bevan, "a shower of honey-dew descending in innumerable small globules, near one of his oak-trees, on the 1st of September ; he cut off one of the branches, took it into the house, and holding it in a stream of light, which was purposely admitted through a small opening, distinctly saw the aphides ejecting the fluid HONEY. 373 from their bodies with considerable force, and this accounts for its being frequently found in situations where it could not have arrived by the mere influence of gravitation. The drops that are thus spurted out, unless interrupted by the sur- rounding foliage, or some other interposing body, fall upon the ground ; and the spots may often be observed, for some time, beneath and around the trees affected with honey-dew, till washed away by the rain. The power which these in- sects possess of ejecting the fluid from their bodies, seems to have been wisely instituted to preserve cleanliness in each individual fly, and indeed for the preservation of the whole family ; for pressing us they do upon one another, they would otherwise soon be glued together, and rendered in- capable of stirring. On looking steadfastly at a group of these insects {Aphides Salicis) while feeding on the bark of the willow, their superior size enables us to perceive some of them elevating their bodies and emitting a transparent sub- stance in the form of a small shower." "• Nor scorn ye now, fond elves, the foliage sear, When the Hght aphids, arm'd with puny spear, Probe each emulgeni vein, till bright below, Like falling stars, clear drops of nectar glow," Evans. " Honey-dew usually appears upon the leaves as a viscid, transparent substance, as sweet as honey itself, sometimes in the form of globules, at others resembling a syrup ; it is generally most abundant from the middle of June to the middle of July, sometimes as late as September." " It is found chiefly upon the oak, the elm, the maple, the plane, the sycamore, the lime, the hazel, and the hlackherry ; occasionally also on the cherry, currant, and other fruit trees. Sometimes only one species of trees is affected at a time. The oak generally affords the largest quantity. At 32 374 HONEY. the season of its greatest abundance, the happy, humming noise of the bees may be heard at a considerable distance from the trees, sometimes nearly equaling in loudness the united hum of swarming." — (Bevan.) In some seasons, honey-dews yield such extraordinary supplies, that bees will often fill their hives in a few days. If furnished with empty combs, they v/ill store a prodigious amount ; but no certain reliance can be placed upon this article of bee-food, as in some years, there is very little, while it is abundant only once in three or four years. The honey obtained from this source, is generally good, though seldom as clear as that gathered from the choicest blossoms. The quality of honey varies exceedingly, some is dark, and often bitter and disagreeable, while occasionally being gathered from poisonous flowers, it is very noxious to the human system. An intelligent Mandingo African, informed a lady of my acquaintance, that in his country, they dare not eat unsealed honey, until it is first boiled. In some of the Southern States, unsealed honey is generally rejected. It appears to me highly probable that most of the noxious properties of the honey gathered from poisonous flowers, are evaporated while thickening in the cells, before it is sealed over by the bees. Boiling the honey, would seem to expel them much more eflectually, as some persotis who are not able to eat even the best honey with impunity, find it harmless after it has been boiled ! Honey improves by age, and many are able to use with impunity, that which has been long in the hive, and which is much milder than any freshly gathered by the bees. Honey, when taken from ihe bees, should be put where it will be safe from all intruders, and not exposed to so low HONEY. 375 a temperature as to candy in the cells. The little red ant, and the large black ant are extravagantly fond of it, and they will soon carry off large quantities, unless it is placed beyond their reach. Paper should be pasted over all boxes, glasses, and other honey receptacles, to make them air tight, and they should then be carefully stored away for future use. To drain pure honey from virgin combs, put them into a preserving kettle, and bring it to the boiling point ; set it off to cool, and then remove the wax which will float upon the top. The honey may now be strained, and poured into bottles or jars, and tightly covered, to exclude the air ; and should it candy, these may be set into cold water, and when brought to the boiling point, the honey will be as nice, as when first strained from the comb. If any of the combs contain bee-bread, they should be kept separate from the others, as the honey from them will be of an inferior quality. In Russia, and Germany, but little honey is sold in the comb, but in our country, its beautiful appearance in- duces many to keep it in this form, especially when intended for sale. The prudent bee-keeper will preserve all empty comb which will be serviceable in the hive, or spare honey-boxes ; all such as is useless for these purposes, may be put into water, and boiled, when the pure wax will float upon the top, and will harden if poured into cold water. It may now be melted again in a pan, and run into vessels slightly greased • the impurities which will settle to the bottom may be scraped off, when the cake grows hard. Old combs which have been long used by the bees for breeding, will not readily part with their wax, on account of the cocoons with which ihey are lined ; these after being first boiled, should be put into a coarse woolen bag with a flat iron on top, to make it sink, and this bag boiled until the wax has strained through, 376 HONEY. and risen to the top of the kettle. It should then be treated according to previous directions. Very old hrood combs are not worth the trouble necessary to render out the wax ; and are of no value except to be burned. The surplus honey may be taken from the bees, in my hives, in a great variety of ways. (1st.) The hive may be made so long that the. spare honey can be taken from the ends, on frames ; and if these ends are separated by dividers or permanent partitions, from the main body of the hive^ the purest honey will be deposited in them. The partitions should be kept about one quarter of an inch from the top and bottom, to allow the bees to pass freely into the ends ; in winter these side apartments should be filled with straw. A hive thus constructed, holding one dozen frames in the central apartment, and six in each of the end ones, will be found very cheap, and easy of construction. The side apartments may be rabbeted so as to receive short frames running from the ends to the partitions, or long ones from front to rear. The cover to this hive should be made of two thicknesses of boards, to protect the bees ; and to prevent warping, the under boards should be so nailed, that the grain of the wood will run in a different direction from that of the upper ones. (2d.) The surplus honey may be taken on frames inserted into a box of the same capacity with the main hive ; it should have a partition in the centre, from front to rear, kept three-eighths of an inch from the top and bottom of the hive, to allow the bees to pass from one division to the other. The rabbets should be made so as to receive large frames, like those below, or two sets of short ones running from each end of the box to the partition. When such a box is full, it may easily be removed and the bees driven from it with a little smoke, and the honey HONEY. 377 may be sent in it to market more safely than in any other way, if the following directions are closely adhered to: Make the box of seven-eighths stuff; fasten with small nails, each frame to the rabbets, letting the nails project so that they may easily be drawn ; between the bottom slats of the frames, slightly glue two small pieces of wood, to prevent the frames from swaying in the least, when the box is han- dled. Screw on a top to the box not less than three-fourths of an inch thick, and a bottom of the same thickness, with holes similar in size and number to those on the spare honey- board. The back of this box should have glass like the' main hive, so that the Apiarian can see when it is full. Be- fore putting in the frames, pour into the corners of the box a melted mixture, one-third bees-wax, and two-thirds rosin ; by a little dexterity, the box may be held so that this mixture will run into all the corners, cooling as it runs, and making them perfectly honey-tight. Pour the same mixture through one of the holes, after screwing on the top and bottom, so as to make them tight. The box thus prepared, will hold only ten large frames, or sixteen small ones, as store combs should be further apart than those intended for brood, and it should be set on the hive in the place of the spare honey-board. The honey may be sold by the box, or the frames may be conveniently retailed, to accommodate small purchasers. In a favorable season, I have taken two such boxes, hold- ing over one hundred pounds, from a single non-swarming hive ; and in very good locations, still larger returns may be realized. Two such boxes may be set over the main hive, and as the bees can pass into them, without being obliged to travel over the combs, the unusual height will not annoy them. The plan of all my hives is such as to allow any addition of top room, which the season or locality may ever require. The experienced bee-keeper well knows, that a colony will 32* 378 HONEY. make much more honey in a large box, than in several small ones whose united capacity is the same. In small boxes, bees cannot so well maintain their ani- mal heat ; while in finishing them, so few can work, that much time is lost. The effective force of a colony is thus dften wasted, at the height of the honey-harvest, when time is to the last degree precious to the bees. I am not aware that the attention of Apiarians, has ever been called to the great loss necessarily incurred, by every attempt to compel bees to store their surplus honey, in small receptacles. By the use of my frames, the usual objections to large boxes are not only entirely obviated, but the honey may be removed from them even more conveniently, for sale or use, than from the small ones which have hitherto been regarded as best. The bee-keeper cannot afford to sell honey stored in small receptacles, except at a very consider- able advance over its value in large boxes. Persons accustomed to bees, if they use smoke, will need no metallic slides, for removing their surplus honey boxes. By blowing smoke into them, before they are taken off, most of the bees will retreat to the main hive, and if removed, early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, and placed on a sheet fastened to the hive, the bees, attracted by the hum of their companions, will speedily leave them, but not until they have swallowed all that they can hold. When gorged^ they are very reluctant to fly, and this is the reason why they are so long in leaving, when the box is carried from the hive. It sometimes happens that there is brood in the boxes thus removed, and this is a serious annoyance to the bee-keeper on the common plan, whereas, when frames are used^ any containing brood may be returned to the hive, without at ali interfering with the others. Many bees will utterly refuse to HONEY. 379 forsake the box if their queen is in it, and when this occurs, she must be sought for, and returned to the hive. If the bees are reluctant to crawl on the sheet, from the boxes to the entrance of the hive, a few may be gently directed to it, with a spoon, when the others will speedily follow. The sooner the bees are driven out, the better ; and the bee- keeper must keep a very watchful eye upon his treasures, or robber bees will scent them, and speedily convey them to their hives. 3d. Glass vessels of almost any size or form, will make beautiful receptacles for the spare honey ; but they ought always to have a piece of comb fastened in them, and if the weather is cool, should be carefully covered with something warm, or they will part with their heat so quickly, as to discourage the bees from building in them. Honey, when stored in quart tumblers, just large enough to receive one comb, has a most beautiful appearance, and may be easily taken out whole, and placed in an elegant form upon the table. The expense of such vessels is one objection to their use ; the rapidity with which they part with their heat, another ; but a more serious objection still, is the fact that while all small vessels waste the time of the bees, the shallow cells, so many of which must be m.ade in a round vessel, require as large a consumption of time and materials for their covers, as those which hold more than twice their quantity of honey. 4lh. If small boxes are used for surplus honey, the follow- ing mode of making them will be found the simplest, cheapest, and best. Let the inside dimensions be six inches in height and width, and five in length ; and the thickness of the ma- terials one-quarter of an inch. The top and bottom should project, about one-eighth of an inch beyond the sides, so that each end of the box, may receive a piece of glass, rest- 880 HONEY. ing on the sides, and fastened with small tacks, or glazier^s points, under the projecting top and bottom. A hole should be made in the bottom, of the same size with those on the spare honey-board, and three of my guides, five inches long, should be fastened to the top, so that the combs will be built by the bees, parallel with the glass ends. Such a box will hold three store combs, and by removing one glass, a comb may be cut out, without disturbing the others, and the glass fastened again in its place. The convenience of such a box will at once be obvious, to those who have had the usual vexatious experience with honey-boxes of the common form. Such a box will contain between four and five pounds of honey. The honey-board will receive nine boxes, and if a hole is made in their tops, as well as bottoms, another box may be set on each, and thus eighteen boxes be put upon the hive. By removing these as fast as they are filled, am- ple accommodation may be given to a non-swarming colony. A drawing of this box will be given among the other imple° ments used in the Apiary. If the bee-master has no spare comb, to put as a pattern into his honey-boxes, unless he can use my guides for comb- building, he will find that the bees often build quite irregu- larly ; and that such crooked work, requires a great increase of time for its completion. In boxes of every kind, the work will be begun earlier, and carried forward more rapidly, if all the crevices are made air tight, by the melted mixture, before the boxes are given to the bees. Boxes thus prepared, will not only spare the bees the severe labor of gathering and applying the propolis, but when their entrance is closed with tins of the same form that shut the holes in the spare honey-board, and then covered with the melted mixture, the honey may be transported to a great distance without any danger of leakage, even if the combs HONEY. 381 are broken. All such boxes, however, should be very care- fully packed, and the package furnished with handles, so that it can be lifted without the slightest jarring. Honey in virgin combs, requires to be handled with quite as much care as a tender infant. In such boxes, honey may be safely removed from my hives, even by the most timid. Before removing a box, a thin knife should be carefully passed under it, to loosen, the attachments to the honey-board, without injuring the bees ; then a small piece of tin or sheet-iron may be pushed under, to prevent the bees from coming up, when the honey is removed. The Apiarian should now rap gently on the box, and the bees in it, perceiving that they are separated from the main hive, will begin to fill themselves, in order to save as much as possible of their precious sweets. In about five minutes, having filled themselves, they will run over the combs, trying to get out, when the glass box may be taken off, and they will fly to the hive, with what they have been able to secure. Bees under such circumstances, never attempt to sting, and a child of ten years, may remove, with ease and safety, all their surplus stores. If a person is too timid to approach a hive, when any bees are flying, the honey may be removed towards evening, or early in the morning. I would here strongly caution the bee-keeper, against needlessly opening the hives, which are relied on to produce surplus honey in boxes. Not unfrequently when a box only partially filled, is removed, and then returned, the bees will carry every particle of honey into the main hive ! thus showing that they feel insecure in their possessions. Dzier- zon asserts that the industry of his stocks, is not at all inter- fered with, however often he opens their hives ; but while this may be true, if the honey is taken from the main hive, I am very confident that it is far from being the case, when 882 PASTURAGE. the spare honey is stored in boxes. Bees may undoubtedly become accustomed to interruptions, and I would much rather open a hive daily, than to disturb them only once in two weeks. If the Apiarian wishes to remove honey from the interior of the hive, he must remove the combs, as directed on page 195, and shake the bees off, on a sheet, or directly into the hive. Pasturage. Some blossoms frequented by bees, yield pollen only, and others only honey ; but most supply both. Since the dis- covery that rye flour is so admirable a substitute, early blos- soms producing pollen alone, are not so important in the vicinity of an Apiary. Willows are among the most desira- ble trees to have within reach of the hives : some species put out their catkins very early, yielding an abundance of both bee-bread and honey. All the willows furnish a rich supply of food for the bees ; and as there is considerable difference in the time of their blossoming, it is desirable to have such varieties as will furnish food, as long as possible. The Sugar Maple yields a large supply of very delicious honey, and its graceful blossoms hanging in drooping fringes, will be all alive with bees. Apricot, Peach, Plum, Cherry, and Pear trees, are great favorites ; but of all the fruit trees, none furnishes such a copious supply as the Apple. The Tulip tree, (Liriodendron^) sometimes called White Wood, is one of the greatest honey-producing trees in the world. In rich lands this magnificent tree will grow over one hundred feet high, and when covered with its large bell- shaped blossoms of mingled green and golden yellow, it is one of the most beautiful trees in the world. The blossoms PASTURAGE. 6b3 expand in succession, often for more than two weeks, and a new swarm will frequently fill its hive from these trees alone. The honey, though dark in color, is of a rich flavor. This tree has been successfully cultivated as a shade tree, even as far North as Southern Vermont, and for the extraordinary beauty of its foliage and blossoms, deserves to be introduced wherever it can be made to grow. The Linden or Bass Wood, (TiZm Americana,) yields large quantities of honey, white in color, and of deli- cious flavor. As this tree blossoms at a season when the col- onies are strong, and the weather usually settled, and when other supplies are beginning to fail, it affords, unquestionably, one of the best supplies for bees. A correspondent of the Beinenzeilung, from Wisconsin, states that in 1853, several of his hives increased one hundred pounds each, in Aveight, while this tree was in blossom ! Judge Fishback, of Balavia, Ohio, informed me that nearly all his surplus honey was gathered from the Bass Wood. In most parts of New England, this tree is in such de- mand for cabinet making, that it has already become scarce, and many are unwisely felled when quite small. In some districts, the destruction of the Bass Wood, has done more than any thing else, to diminish the profits of bee-keeping. In vicinities where it abounds, swarms issuing as late even as the middle of July, are often able to fill their hives. This tree blosso«is when quite young, and grows very rapidly. The European variety, besides being less elegant in appear- ance, is infested by worms, and is not so reliable in its honey - yielding qualities. The American Linden blossoms soon after the white clover begins to fail, and a majestic tree covered with its yellow clusters, at a season when so few blossoms are to be seen, is a sight most beautiful and refreshing. 384 PASTURAGE. " Here their delicious task, the fervent bees In swarming millions lend: around, athwart, Through the soft air the busy nations fly, Cling to the bud, and with inserted tube, Suck its pure essence, its etherial soul." Thomson. The common locust, and the honey-locust, ( Gleditschia TriacanthusJ are very desirable trees for the vicinity of an Apiary, yielding much honey, at a time when peculiarly valuable to the bees. In many sections, the setting out of large plantations of Locust and Bass Wood, would be highly profitable for the value of the wood, without any reference to Apiarian pursuits. The blossoms of onions abound in honey, the odor of which, when first gathered, is very offensive, but before it is sealed over, this disappears. Hives in the vicinity of ex- tensive beds of seed onions, will speedily become very heavy. Of all the sources from which bees derive their supplies, white clover is the most important. It yields large quanti- ties of very pure white honey, and wherever it abounds, the bee will find a rich harvest. In most parts of this country, it seems to be the chief reliance of the Apiary. Blossoming at a season of the year when the weather is usually both dry and hot, the bees as they gather the honey from it, after the sun has dried off the dew, find it so thick that it is ready to be sealed over almost at once. This clover ought to be much more extensively cultivated than it now is, and I consider myself as conferring a benefit not only on bee-keepers, but on the agricultural community at large, in being able to state on the authority of one of New England's ablest practical farmers and writers on agricul- tural subjects, Hon. Frederick Holbrook, of Brattleboro', Vermont, that the common white clover may be cultivated PASTURAGE. S85 00 some soils to very great profit, as a hay crop. In an article for the New England Farmer, for May, 1853, he speaks as follows :— " The more general sowing of white clover-seed is con- fidently recommended. If land is in good heart at the time of stocking it to grass, white clover sown with the other grass-seeds will thicken up the bottom of mowings, grov/ing some eight or ten inches high, and in a thick mat, and thc- burden of hay will prove much heavier than it seemed likely to be before mowing. Soon after the practice of sowing white clover on the tillage-field commences, the plant will begin to show itself in various places on the farm, and ultimately gets pretty well scattered over the pastures, as it seeds very profusely, and the seeds are carried from place to place in the manure and otherwise. The price of the seed per pound in market is high ; but then one pound of it will seed more land, than two pounds of red clover seed ; so that in fact the former is the cheaper seed of the two, for an acre." " Red-top, red clover and while clover seeds, sown to- gether, produce a quality of hay universally relished by stock. My practice is, to seed all dry, sandy and gravelly lands with this mixture. The red and white clover pretty much make the crop the first year ; the second year, the red clover begins to disappear, and the red-top to take its place ; and after that, the red-top and white clover have full pos- session and make the very best hay for horses or oxen, milch cows or young stock, that I have been able to produce. The crop per acre, as compared with herds-grass, is not so bulky ; but tested by weight and by spending quality in the Winter, it is much the most valuable." " Herds-grass hay grown on moist uplands or reclaimed meadows, and swamps of a mucky soil, or lands not over- 33 386 PASTURAGE. charged with silicia, is of good quality ; but when grown on sandy and gravelly soils abounding in silex, the stalks are hard, wiry, coated with silicates as with glass, and neither horses nor cattle will eat it as well, or thrive as well on it as on hay made of red-top and clover ; as for milch cows, they winter badly on it, and do not give oat the milk as when fed on softer and more succulent hay." " The yield of honey by various plants and trees depends not only on the character of the season, but on the kind of soil in which they grow. Marsliy meadows are inferior to those of a dryer soil, for bee-pasturage. White clover grow- ing in the latter will be visited by bees, when that growing in the former is entirely neglected by ihem. Hence, when white clover is cultivated with a view to bee-pasturage, it is important that this fact be taken into consideration, in the selection of the land." — (Wagner.) For years, I attempted in vain to procure a cross between the red and white clover, in order to get something with the rich honey and hay-producing properties of the red, and yet with a short blossom into which the domestic bee might insert its probosis. A variety answering all these desirable ends, has been originated in Sweden, and imported into this country, by Mr. B. C. Rogers, of Philadelphia. It grows as tall as the red clover, bears many blossoms on a stalk, in size re- sembling the white, and is said to be preferred by cattle to almost any other kind of grass, while it answers admirably for bees. It is known by the name of Alsike, or Sw^edish White Clover. I am indebted to Mr. Wagner for the following interesting communication : " The views of the value of Swedish White Clover, pre- sented by reports from twelve different agricultural societies in the district of Dresden, are the result of careful experi- PASTUEAGE. 387 ments, made in localities differing greatly in soil and ex- posure. We recapitulate the chief points. " 1. That Swedish White Clover is less liable to suffer from cold and wet weather, than the common red clover. " 2. That it is a less certain and less productive crop on dry sandy soil ; and that, on such soils, it is less valuable than common white clover ; but succeeds admirably on more loamy soils, and on such, surpasses either of the other kinds. " 3. That, in any rotation, it may safely follow the com- mon red clover. " 4. That the yield, per acre, of the first mowing, is not inferior to that of the red clover ; but that ordinarily the aftermath, or rowen, is not so abundant. " 5. That for soiling purposes, it should not be mown till it is in full blossom. " 6. That when cured, it is, as hay, a highly nutritious fodder, and is preferred, by cattle and milch cows, to that made from red clover. " 7. That the aftermath is followed by a dense and ex- cellent growth, furnishing most valuable pasturage till late in the season. " 8. That it yields an abundance of seed, easily threshed out by flail or machine, three or four days after mowing. " 9. That Swedish White Clover is fed to most advantage after it has fully matured its blossoms ; whilst red clover, if allowed to stand to this stage, will have already lost a consid- erable portion of its nutritive properties." A perusal of the above mentioned facts, will at once con- vince the intelligent agriculturist, of the importance of this new variety of clover. The red clover often requires to be cut before the other grasses growing with it, are sufficiently mature ; this very serious objection could be obviated by the introduction of the new variety. 388 PASTURAGE, Buckwheat furnishes an excellent Fall feed for bees ; and often enables them to fill their hives with a generous supply against Winter. The honey being gathered either in the early part of the day, or when the atmosphere is moist, is often quite thin ; the bees sweat out a large portion of its moisture, but still they do not exhaust the whole, and in wet seasons, it is somev/hat liable to sour in the cells. Honey gathered in a dry season, is always thicker, and of course more valuable than that gathered in a wet one, as it contains much less water. Buckwheat is un- certain in its honey-bearing qualities ; in some seasons, it yields next to none, and hardly a bee will be seen upon a large field, while in others, it furnishes an extraordinary supply. The most practical and scientific agriculturists agree that so far from being an impoverishing crop, it is on many soils, one of the most profitable that can be raised. Every bee-keeper should have some in the vicinity of his hives. The following facts respecting the cultivation of buck- wheat, were communicated to me by Mr. A. Wells, of Greenfield, Mass. He had a piece of land so exhausted by successive crops of corn and rye, that it would produce Toothing but buckwheat, which he cultivated upon it for iwelve or thirteen successive years. At the end of this time ihe land had recovered sufficiently to produce good corn I Each year, the weeds and self-sown buckwheat, which grew upon it, were plowed under, in seeding for the new crop, and the result proves, how erroneous are the common notions respecting the exhausting efiTects on the land, of this grain. Dzierzon says : " In the stubble of winter grain, buck- wheat might be sown, whereby ample forage would be se- cured to the bees, late in the season, and a remunerating crop of grain garnered besides. This plant, growing so PASTURAGE. 389 rapidly and maturing so soon, so productive in favorable seasons, and so well adapted to cleanse the land, certainly deserves more attention from farmers than it receives ; and its more frequent and general culture would greatly enhance the profits of bee-keeping. Its long continued and frequently renewed blossoms, yield honey so abundantly, that a popu- lous colony may easily collect fifty pounds in two weeks if the weather is favorable." I am almost afraid to state that the Canada thistle yields copious supplies of very pure honey, lest some slothful bee- keeper should regard such a pest with too lenient an eye. If, however, the formers will tolerate its growth, it is inter- esting to know that it can be turned lo so good an account. It affords its pasturage after the white clover has begun to fail. The raspberry is a great favorite with the bees, and fur- nishes a very delicious honey, in color and flavor it is de- cidedly superior to that from the white clover, while the comb is so delicate that it almost melts in the mouth. The sides of the roads, the borders of the fields, and the pastures of many of the hill-towns in Nev^ England, often abound with the wild red-raspberry ; and in all such favored loca- tions, numerous colonies of bees may be kept. I have often noticed that when it is in blossom, bees pay but little regard tn any other flower, holding even the the white clover in light esteem. Its drooping blossoms protect the honey from moisture, and the bees are able to gather from it, in weather too wet for them to obtain anything from the upright blossoms of the clover- As it furnishes a succession of flowers for some weeks, it yields a supply, almost if not quite, as lasting as the white clover. I regard it as the very best pasturage for bees with which I am acquainted, and as it is often su- perabundant in lands so precipitous and rocky, as to be 33* 390 PASTURAGE. nearly worthless, if duly improved, it may effect as great a change in their value, as the cultivation of the grape on the vme-clad terraces of the mountain districts in Europe. It will be observed that thus far, I have said nothing about cultivating flowers, to supply the bees with food. The little that can be done in this way, is of scarcely any account ; and it would be almost as reasonable to expect to furnish food for a stock of cattle, from a small grass plat, as honey for bees, from garden plants. The cultivation of bee- flowers is more a matter of pleasure than profit, to those who like to hear the happy hum of the busy insect, as they walk in their gardens. It hardly seems expedient to cultivate any field crops ex- cept such as are profitable in themselves, without any refer- ence to bees. If, however, there is any plant of this kind which would justify cultivaiion, it is the Borage, (Borago Officinalis.) It blossoms in June, and continues in bloom until severe frost, and is always covered with bees, even in dull weather, as its pendant blossoms keep the honey from the moisture ; the honey yielded by it, is of a superior qual- ity. An acre of it would support a large number of stocks. If in a village those who keep bees would unite to secure the sowing of an acre, in their immediate vicinity, each per- son paying in proportion to the number of stocks kept, it niight be found profitable. The plants should have about three feet of space every way, and after covering the ground, would need no further attention. They would come into full blossom, cultivated in this manner, about the time that the white clover begins to fail, and would not only furnish rich pasture for the bees, but would keep them from the groceries and shops in which so many perish. If those who are engaged in adorning our villages and country residences with shade trees, would be careful to set PASTURAGE. 801 out a liberal allowance of such kinds as are not only beau- tiful to the sight, but attractive to the bees, in process of time the honey-resources of the country might be very greatly increased. The fact that buckwheat, in some seasons, produces scarcely any honey, has already been noticed. It is not, however, peculiar in this respect. The yield of honey de- pends upon a very great variety of causes, many of which often elude our closest scrutiny. It is well known to sugar- makers that the flow of sap from the maple is uncertain, and that cfien it suddenly ceases, and as suddenly begins again, when they are able to assign no reason for such variations. So in some seasons blossoms will superabound in honey, while in others, the suppl}'- is extremely deficient. I have known bees to neglect the white clover, and suffer for want of food, when the fields have been almost white with its blossoms ! Sometimes a change in the supply of honey in the nec- taries of the blossoms vnW take place so suddenly, that in a few hours, hives will pass from idleness to great activity. The bee-keeper should be thoroughly acquainted w^ith the honey-resources of his district, and should know at what time the various supplies may be duly expected ; for if ig- norant in such matters, he can never manage his bees to the best advantage. The Golden Rod, {Solidago,) affords a late and valuable bee-pasturage. There are many varieties of this plant, so closely resembling each other that they are distinguished with difficulty ; some of the earlier flowering kinds, are of no value for bees, but those which blossom in September, yield a large supply of honey. In some regions and seasons it forms an important part of the honey stored for winter use. The numerous species of wild Asters, fining, in many 392 OVERSTOCKING. districts, the road sides and the borders of fields, are, almost if not quite, as valuable to the bees as the Golden Rod. Where these two last mentioned plants abound, bees should not be fed until they have passed out of bloom, as light but strong stocks, will often obtain from them a supply. no danger, at present, of overstocking a district with Bees. We have now come to a point of the very first impor- tance to all interested in the cultivation of bees. If the opinions which most American bee-keepers entertain on the subject of overstocking, are correct, then the keeping of bees, in this country, must always remain an insignificant pursuit. I confess that I find it difficult to repress a smile, when the owner of a few hives, in a district where as many hundreds might be made to prosper, gravely imputes his ill success, to the fact that too many bees are kept in his vicinity ! If in the Spring, a colony of bees is prosperous and healthy, it will gather abundant stores, even if hundreds equally strong, are in its immediate vicinity, while if it is feeble, it will be of little or no value, even if it is in " a land flowing with milk and honey," and there is not another swarm within a dozen miles of it. Success in bee-keeping requires that a man should, in some things, be a very close imitator of Napoleon, who al- ways aimed to have an overwhelming force, at the right time, and in the right place ; so the bee-keeper must have strong colonies, just at the time when numbers can be turned to the best account. If the bees are not numerous, until the honey-harvest is almost over, numbers will then be of as little account, as were many of the famous armies against which " the soldier of Europe" contended ; which, after the ovERSTOCKma. 393 fortunes of the campaign were decided, only served to swell the triumphant spoils of the mighty conqueror. A bee-keeper with feeble stocks in the Spring, which become strong only when they can do nothing but eat up the little honey that has been previously gathered, is like a farmer who, after suffering his crops to rot upon the ground, hires, at great expense, a number of stalworth laborers, to idle about his premises, and eat him out of house and home ! I do not believe that there is a single square mile in this whole country, which is overstocked with bees, unless it is one so unsuitable for bee-keeping, as to make it unprofitable to attempt it at all. Such an assertion may seem very un- guarded ; but I am happy to be able to cofirra it, by refer- ence to the experience of the largest cultivators in Europe. The following letter from Mr. Wagner, I trust will show our bee-keepers, how mistaken ihey are in their opinions on this subject, and also what large results might be obtained from a more extensive cultivation of bees. York, March 16, 1853. Dear Sir : In reply to your enquiry respecting the overstocking of a district, I would say that the present opinion of the correspondents of the Bienenzeitung, appears to be that it cannot readily he done. Dzierzon says, in practice at least, " i7 never is done;''"' and Dr. Radlkofer, of Munich, the President of the second Apiarian Convention, declares that his apprehensions on that score were dissipated by observa- tions which he had opportunity and occasion to make, when on his way home from the Convention. I have numerous accounts of Apiaries in pretty close proximity, containing from 200 to 300 colonies each. Ehrenfels had a thousand 394 OVERSTOCKINa. hives, at three separate establishments, indeed, but so close to each other that he could visit them all in half an hour's ride ; and he says that in 1801, the average net yield of his Apiaries was two dollars per hive. In Russia and Hungary, Apiaries numbering from 2000 to 5000 colonies are said not to be unfrequent ; and we know that as many as 4000 hives are oftentimes congregated, in Autumn, at one point on the heaths of Germany. Hence I think we need not fear that any district of this country, so distinguished for abundant natural vegetation and diversified culture, will very speedily be overstocked, particularly after the importance of having stocks populous early in the Spring, comes to be duly ap- preciated. A week or ten days of favorable weather, at that season, when pasturage abounds, will enable a sti^ong colony to lay up an ample supply for the year, if its labor be properly directed. Mr. Kaden, one of the ablest contributors to the Bienen- zeitung, in the number for December, 1852, noticing the communication from Dr. Radlkofer, says, " I also concur in the opinion that a district of country cannot be overstocked with bees ; and that, however numerous the colonies, all can procure sufficient sustenance if the surrounding country con- tain honey-yielding plants and vegetables, in the usual degree. Where utter barrenness prevails, the case is different, of course, as well as rare." The Fifteenth Annual Meeting of German Agriculturists was held in the city of Hanover, on the 10th of September, 1852, and in compliance with the suggestions of the Apia- rian Convention, a distinct section devoted to bee-culture was instituted. The programme propounded sixteen ques- tions for discussion, the fourth of which was as follows : " Can a district of country embracing meadows, arable OVEESTOCKING. 395 land, orchards, and forests, be so overstocked with bees, that these may no longer find adequate sustenance, and yield a remunerating surplus of their products ?" This question was debated with considerable animation. The Rev. Mr. Kleine, (nine-tenths of the correspondents of the Bee-Journal are clergymen,) President of the section, gave it as his opinion that " it was hardly conceivable that such a country coald be overstocked with bees." Counsel- lor Herwig, and the Rev. Mr. Wilkens, on the contrary, maintained that " it might be overstocked." In reply. As- sessor Heyne remarked that " whatever might be supposed possible as an extreme case, it was certain that as regards the kingdom of Hanover, it could not be even remotely ap- prehended that too many Apiaries w^ould ever be established ; and that consequently the greatest possible multiplication of colonies might safely be aimed at and encouraged. At the same time, he advised a proper distribution of Apiaries. I might easily furnish you with more matter of this sort, and designate a considerable number of Apiaries in various parts of Germany, containing from twenty-five to five hund- red colonies. But the question would still recur, do not these Apiaries occupy comparatively isolated positions ? and at this distance from the scene, it would obviously be impos-^ sible to give a perfectly satisfactory answer. According to the statistical tables of the kingdom of Han- over, the annual production of bees-Vv^ax in the province of Lunenburg, is 300,000 lbs., about one half of which is ex- ported ; and assuming one pound of wax as the yield of each hive, we must siippose that 300,000 hives are annually " irimstoned " in the province ; and assuming further, in view of casualties, local influences, unfavorable seasons, &.C., that only one half of the whole number of colonies main- tained, produce a swarm each, every year, it would require a 896 OVERSTOCKING. total of at least 600,000 colonies, (141 to each square mile,) to secure the result given in the tables. The number of square miles stocked even to this extent, in this country, are, I suspect, " few and far betv\^een." It is very evident, that this country is far from being over- stocked ; nor is it likely that it ever v^ill be. A German writer alleges that " the bees of Lunenburg, pay all the taxes assessed on their proprietors, and leave a surplus besides." The importance attached to bee-culture, accounts in part for the remarkable fact that the people of a district so barren that it has been called " the Arabia of Germany," are almost without exception in easy and comfortable circumstances. Could not still more favorable results be obtained in this country under a rational system of management, availing itself of the aid of science, art and skill ? But, I am digressing. My design was to furnish you with an account of bee-culture as it exists in an entire district of country^ in the hands of the common peasantry. This I thought would be more satisfactory, and convey a better idea of what may be done on a large scale, than any number of instances which might be selected of splendid success in isolated cases. Very truly yours, SAMUEL WAGNER. Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 1 am persuaded that even in the poorest parts of New England, there are but few districts which could not be made to yield as large returns as the Province of Lunen- burg, even if the old-fashioned plan of management was adhered to. Indeed, the more experience I have of the ignorance, carelessness, and indifference of the great mass of bee-keepers, in this country, the more firmly am I con- OVERSTOCKING. 39T vinced that the less they depart from the old system, the larger will be their profits. The most successful Apiarians, are those who intelligently use improved systems of man- agement ; next to them are the dogged adherents of the old box, and the brimstone match. The following remarks from Oetle, on overstocking, page 298, are much to the purpose : " When a large flock of sheep is grazing on a limited area, there may soon be a de- ficiency of pasturage. But this cannot be asserted of beeSy as a good honey-district cannot readily be overstocked with them. To-day when the air is moist and warm, the plants may yield a superabundance of nectar ; while to-morrow, being cold and wet, there may be a total want of it. When there is sufficient heat and moisture, the saccharine juices of plants will readily fill the nectaries, and will be quickly re- plenished, when carried off by the bees. Every cold night -checks the flow of honey ; * and every clear warm day re- opens the fountain. The Jiowers expanded to-day must he visited while open, for if left to wither^ their stores are lost. The same remarks will apply substantially in the case of honey-dews. Hence bees cannot, as many suppose, collect to-morrow what is left ungathered to-day, as sheep may graze hereafter on the pasturage they do not need now. Strong colonies and large Apiaries, are in a position to collect ample stores when forage suddenly abounds, while by pa- tient, persevering industry, they may still gather a suffi- ciency, and even a surplus, when the supply is small, but more regular and protracted." The same able Apiarian whose golden rule in bee-keeping is, to keep none but strong colonies, says that in the lapse of twenty years since he established his Apiary, there has not occurred a season in which the bees did not procure adequate * The same is true of the flow of sap from the sugar maple. 34 398 OVERSTOCKING. supplies for themselves, and a surplus besides. Sometimes indeed, he came near despairing, when April, May and June were continually cold, wet and unproductive ; but in July, his strong colonies speedily filled their garners, and stored up some treasure for him ; while in such seasons, small colonies could not even gather enough to keep them from starvation. M. A. Braum states in the Bienenzeitung, September 1854, that he has a mammoth hive furnished with combs contain- ing at least 184,230 cells,* and placed on a platform scale that its weight may readily be ascertained at stated periods. On the 18th of May it gained eighteen pounds and a half. On the 18th of June a swarm weighing seven pounds issued from it ; and the following day it gained over six pounds in weight. Ten days of abundant pasturage, would enable such a colony to gather a large surplus ; while five times the number of equally favorable opportunities, would be of small avail to a feeble stock. The Island of Corsica paid to Rome an annual tribute of 200,000 lbs. of wax, which presupposes the production of from two to three million pounds of honey yearly. The island contains 3790 square miles. According to Oetle, (p. 389,) Bohemia contained 160,000 colonies in 1853, from a careful estimate, and he thinks the country could readily support four times that number. The kingdom contains 20,200 square miles. In the province of Attica, in Greece, containing forty-five square miles, and 20,000 inhabitants, 20,000 hives are kept, each yielding, on an average, 30 pounds of honey and two pounds of wax. One hive to every man, woman and child ! East Friesland, a province of Holland, containing 1,200 * Such a hive would hold about three bushels. OVERSTOCKINa. 399 square miles, maintains an average of 2,000 colonies per square mile! (Heubel, Beinenzeitung, 1854, p. 11.) Doubtless in these districts where honey is so largely pro- duced, great attention is paid to the cultivation of crops which, while in themselves profitable, at the same time afford abundant pasturage to the bees. The question, how far bees will fly in search of food, has been very differently answered by different Apiarians.* I am satisfied that they will fly over three miles, but believe that if their food is not within a circle of about two miles in every direction from the Apiary, they will be able to store but little surplus honey. If pasturage abounds within a quarter of a mile from their hives, so much the better ; but there is no great advantage in having it close to them, unless there is a great supply, as bees when they leave the hive, are seldom seen to alight upon the adjoining flowers. The instinct to fly to some considerable distance, was unques- tionably given them to prevent the great loss which would result, if they wasted their time in prying into flowers al- ready despoiled of their sweets, by previous gatherers. In all my arrangements, I have aimed to save every step for the bees that I possibly can, economizing to the utmost their time, that it may all be transmuted into honey ; an in- spection of the Frontispiece of this treatise, will exhibit the * " Mr. Kaden, of Mayence, thinks that the range of the bees' flight does not usually extend more than three miles in all directions. Sev- eral years ago, a vessel laden with sugar, anchored off Mayence, and was soon visited by the bees of the neighborhood, which continued to pass to and from the vessel from dawn to dark. One morning, when the bees were in full flight, the vessel sailed up the river. For a short time the bees continued to fly as numerously as before ; but gradually the number diminished, and in the course of half an hour, all had ceased to follow the vessel, which had meanwhile sailed more than four miles." — Bienenzeitung, 1854, p. 83. 400 OVERSTOCKING. general aspect of the alighting board of my hives, and show how readily bees will enter such a hive, even in very windy weather. By such arrangements, they will be able to store more honey, even if they have to go a consider- able distance for it, than they can in many other hives, from pasturage nearer at hand. Such considerations are entirely overlooked, by many bee-keepers, who seem to imagine that they are matters of no importance. By their utter neglect of any kind of precautions to facili- tate the labors of their bees, you might suppose that they imagined these delicate insects to be possessed of nerves of steel, and sinews of iron or adamant ; or else that they took them for miniature locomotives, always iired up, and capable of an indefinite amount of exertion, A bee cannot put forth more than a certain amount of physical exertion, and if a large portion of this is spent in contending against difficulties, from which it might easily be guarded, it is obvious that a great loss must be sustained by its owner. If some of these thoughtless bee-keepers, returning home with a heavy burden, were compelled to fall down stairs half a dozen times, before they could get into the house, or to squeeze through narrow and crowded passages, they might perhaps think it best to protect their industrious workers from such discouraging accidents. If bees are tossed vio- lently about by the winds, as they attempt to enter their hives, they are often fatally injured, and the whole colony so dis- couraged, to say nothing more, that they do not gather near so much as they otherwise would. Just as soon as our cultivators can be convinced, by prac- tical results, that bee-keeping, for the capital invested, may be made a most profitable branch of rural economy, they will see the importance of putting their bees into suitable hives, and doing all they can, to give them a fair chance ; OVERSTOCKING. 401 until then, the mass will follow the beaten track, and attribute their ill success, not to their own ignorance, carelessness or stupidity, but to their want of " luck," or to the overstocking of the country with bees. I hope, before many years, to see the price of good honey so reduced that the poor man can feast upon it, as one of the cheapest luxuries within hi§' reach. " II is by no means easy to devise a rule for estimating; the profits of bee-culture, whether we regard the number of colonies, or the number of square miles. He is not the best Apiarian who obtains the largest yield from a single hive^ but keeps only one or two. By very judicious and careful management, a hundred colonies might yield a large profit, yet fall far short of what three hundred would have yielded in the same location and same sea.son, with much less super- vision and attention. He is not the most successful farmer who produces the most extraordinary yield from a single rod of ground ; but he who secures the amplest crops from an extensive area well cultivated. The swarming system may be very advantageous in certain localities, in spite of ita manifest wastefulness, though in other localities, it would, because of that unavoidable wastefulness, render bee-keeping a decidedly losing business, since the system involves a vast expenditure of honey for the production and maintenance of brood, which scarcely matures before it is doomed to the brimstone pit, leaving to its owner often a smaller quantity of honey than the swarm would have produced if taken up three weeks after it was hived.* " Confine the queen of an artificial swarm, so as to prevent * Not only does the old fashioned bee-keeper, by delaying to take up his bees until Fall, lose often a large amount of honey, but even if he loses nothing in quantity, he often permits the bees to consume for themselves, the larger part of the best honey, gathered early in the 34* 402 OVERSTOCKING. her from depositing eggs in the combs, and the colony will in a short time in the gathering season, accumulate much larger stores of honey, than one whose queen is left at lib- erty, though equal in age and populatiou. Thus also, a colony having a very prolific queen, w^ill even in favorable seasons, lay up much less honey, unless ample store room is given tfiem, than one whose queen lays fewer eggs. From these and similar facts which might be enumerated, it is evi- dent, that a very large number of particulars must be taken into consideration, when endeavoring to form some general rule for estimating the profits of bee-culture." (Wagner.) On page 22, a statement was given of Dzierzon's expe- rience as to the profits of bee-keeping. The section of country in which he resides, is regarded by him as unfavor- able to Apiarian pursuits. I shall now give what T consider a safe estimate for almost any section in our country ; while in unusually favorable locations it will fall far below the re- sults which may be attained. It is based upon the supposi- tion that the bees are kept in properly constructed hives, so as to be strong early in the season, and that the increase of stocks is limited to one new one, from two old ones. Under proper management, on an average of years, about ten dollars worth of honey may be obtained for every two stocks wintered over. The worth of the new colo- nies, I set off as an equivalent for labor of superintend- season, and has for himself, chiefly an inferior, late gathered article. It will be seen thai much judgment is requisite, in order to know, even on the old plan, when it is most profitable to kill the bees. An intimate acquaintance with the honey-resources of the district, is abso- lutely necessary to decide the question. If bees are smothered, it will be found decidedly advantageous to remove and destroy their queens, at least three weeks before taking their honey ; in this way the produc- tion of brood and consumption of honey will be checked, and the combs will be in a much better condition for melting. OVERSTOCKmG. 40B ence, and interest on the money invested in bees, hives, fixtures, &c. A careful man who will enter into bee-keeping moderately at first, and extend his operations only as his skill and expe- rience increase, will, by the use of my hives, find that the preceding estimate is not too large. Even on the ordinary mode of bee-keeping, there are many who will consider it rather below than above the mark. If thoroughly careless persons are determined to " try their luck," as they call itj with bees, I advise them by all means, in mercy to the bees, to adopt the old plan. Improved methods of management with such persons will be of little or no use, unless you can improve their habits, and very often their brains too ! Every dollar that they spend upon bees, unless with the slightest possible departure from the old-fashioned plans, is a dollar worse than thrown away. In those parts of Europe where bee-keeping is conducted on the largest scale, the mass adhere to the old system. ; this they understand, and by this they secure a certainty, whereas in our country, thousands have been induced to enter upon the wildest schemes, or at least to use hives which could not furnish them the informa- tion absolutely necessary for their successful management. A simple box furnished with my frames, will enable the masses, without departing materially from the common system, to increase largely ihe yield from their bees. (See p. 240.) The Government of Norway has appropriated f 300 per annum, for three years, towards' diffusing a knowledge of Dzierzon's method, in that country, having previously des- patched Mr. Hanser, Collector of Customs, to Silesia, to visit Dzierzon, and acquire a practical knowledge of his system of management. 404 OVERSTOCKING. The Prussian Government, through its Department of Agriculture, furnishes annually a number of persons from different sections of the kingdom, with the means of acquir- ing a practical knowledge of Dzierzon's system ; while the Bavarian Government has prescribed instruction in the theory and practice of bee-culture, according to Dzierzon's system, as a part of the regular course of studies in the Teachers' Seminaries of that country. The lime has hardly come when the attention of any of our State authorities can be attracted to the importance of bee-culture. It is only of late that they have seemed to manifest any peculiar interest in promoting the advancement of agricultural pursuits. A Department of Agriculture ought to have been established, years ago, by the National Government at Washington. A National Society to promote the agricultural interests of the country, has recently been established, and much may be hoped from its wisdom and energy. Until some disinterested tribunal can be established, before which all inventions and discoveries can be fairly tested, honest men will suffer, and ignorance and imposture will continue to flourish, Lying advertisements and plaus- ible misrepresentations of brazen-faced impostors, will still drain the purses of the credulons, while thousands, disgusted with the horde of impositions which are palmed off upon the community, will settle down into a determination to try noth- ing new. A society before which every thing, claiming to be an improvement in rural economy, could be fairly tested, would undoubtedly be shunned by ignorant and unprincipled men, who now find it an easy task to procure any number of certificates, but who dread nothing so much as honest and intelligent investigation. The reports of such a society, after the most thorough trials and examinations, would in- OVERSTOCKING. 405 spire confidence, save the community from severe losses, and encourage the ablest minds to devote their best energies to the improvement of agricultural implements. The following catalogue of bee-flowers, is taken from Nutt, an English Apiarian. " Alder tree, Almond tree, Althea frutex, Alyssum, Ama- ranthus, Apple tree. Apricot tree, Arbutus Ash tree, As- paragus, Aspin, Aster. Balm, Bean, Beech tree, Betony, Blackberry, Black currant tree. Borage, Box tree. Bramble, Broom, Bugloss (viper's), Buckwheat, Burnet. Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherry tree, Chestnut tree, Chickweed, Clover, Cole or Coleseed, Coltsfoot, Coriander, Crocus, Crowfoot, Crown Imperial, Cucumber, Currants, Cypress tree. Daffodil, Dandelion,* Dogberry tree. Elder tree. Elm tree. Endive. - Fennel, Furze. Golden Eod,t Gooseberry tree. Gourd. Hawthorn, Hazel tree, Heath, Holly, Hollyhock (trumpet,) Honeysuckle, Honeywort (cer- inthe,) Hyacinth, Hysop. Ivy. Jonquil. Kidney bean. Laurel, Laurustinus, Lavender, Leek, Lemon tree, Lily (water,) Lily (white,) Lime tree. Linden (Bass Wood,) Liquidamber, Liriodendron, or Tulip tree, Lucerne. Mal- low (marsh,) Marigold (French,) Marigold (single,) Maple tree, Marjoram (sweet,) Mellilot, Melons, Mezereon, Mignionette, Mustard. Nasturtium, Nectarine tree. Net- tle (white.) Oak tree. Onion, Orange tree, Ozier. Pars- *The Dandelion is worth}^ of a prominent rank among honey- producing plants ; it blossoms after the yield from fruit trees is nearly over, and furnishing abundant supplies of pollen and honey, at a critical period of the year, is often of great service to the honey-bee. f The Golden Kod has been so productive this month, (Sept. 1856,) that strong stocks with empty combs, have amassed from it a winter's supply ! 406 ANGER OF BEES. nip, Pea, Peach tree. Pear tree, Peppermint, Plane tree, Plum tree, Poplar tree, Poppy, Primrose, Privet. Radish, Ragweed, Raspberry, Rosemary (wild), Roses (single,) RudbeckiiB. Saffron, Sage, Saintfoin, St. John's wort, Savory (winter,) Snowdrop, Snovvberry tree. Stock (single,) Strawberry, Sunflower, Sycamore tree, Squash. Tan- sy (wild,) Tare, Teasel, Thistle, (common,) Thistle (sow,) Thyme (lemon,) Thyme (wild,) Trefoil, Turnip. Vetch, Violet (single). Wallflower (single), Woad, Wil- low-herb, Willow tree. Yellow weasel-snout." CHAPTER XIX. The Anger of Bees — Remedies for their stings — Instincts of Bees, If the bee was disposed to use its effective weapon, when not provoked, its domestication would be entirely out of the question. The same remark, however, is equally true of the ox, the horse, or the dog. If these faithful servants of man, were respectively determined to use, to the very ut- most, horns, heels, and teeth, to his injury, he could never have subjected them to his peaceful authority. The gende- ness of the honey-bee, when kindly treated, and managed by those who understand its instincts, has in this treatise been frequendy spoken of, and I do not hesitate to say that it is more easily and completely subject to human control, than any other living creature which man has attempted to domesticate. Whenever they are gorged with honey, they will allow any amount of handling which does not hurt them, without the slighest show of anger. For the gratification of ANGER OF BEES. 407 others, I have frequently taken them up, by handfulls, suf- fered them to run over my face, and even smoothed down their glossy backs, as they rested on my person ! Standing before the hives, I have, by a rapid sweep of my hands, caught numbers of them at once, just as though they were so many harmless flies, and allowed them, one by one, to crawl out, by the smallest opening, to the light of day ; and I have even gone so far as to imitate many of the feats which the celebrated English Apiarian, Wildman, was ac- customed to perform ; who having once secured the queen of a hive, could make the bees cluster on his head, or hang, like a flowing beard, in large festoons, from his chin. Wild- man, for a long time, made as great a mystery of his vfon- derful performances, as the charlatan spirit-rappers of the present day, do of theirs ; but at last, he was induced to explain his whole mode of procedure ; and the magic con- trol which he possessed over the bees, and which was, by the ignorant, ascribed to his having bewitched them, was found to be owing entirely to his superior acquaintance with their instincts, and his uncommon dexterity and bold- ness. '^ Such was the spell, which round a Wildman's arm, Twin'd in dark wreaths the fascinated swarm ; Bright o'er his breast the glittering legions led, Or with a living garland bound his head. His dextrous hand, with firm yet hurtless hold, Could seize the chief, known by her scales of gold, Prune 'mid the wondering train her filmy wing, Or o'er her folds the silken fetter fling." M. Lombard, a skillful French Apiarian narrates the fol- lowing interesting occurrence, to show how peaceable bees are in swarming time, and how easily managed by those who have both skill and confidence. " A young girl of my acquaintance," he says, " was 408 ANGER OF BEES. greatly afraid of bees, but was completely cured of her fear by the following incident. A swarm having come off, 1 observed the queen alight by herself at a little distance from the Apiary. I immediately called my little friend that I might show her the queen ; she wished to see her more nearly, so after having caused her to put on her gloves, I gave the queen into her hand. We were in an instant sur- rounded by the whole bees of the swarm. In this emer- gency I encouraged the girl to be steady, bidding her be silent and fear nothing, and remaining myself close by her ; I then made her stretch out her right hand, which held the queen, and covered her head and shoulders with a very thin handkerchief. The swarm soon fixed on her hand and hung from it, as from the branch of a tree. The little girl was delighted above measure at the novel sight, and so entirely freed from all fear, that she bade me uncover her face. The spectators were charmed with the interesting spectacle. At length I brought a hive, and shaking the swarm from the child's hand, it was lodged in safety, and Vv/"ithout inflicting a single wound." The indisposition of bees to sting, when swarming, is a fact familiar to every practical bee-keeper : as far as I know, no previous Apiarian has discovered the philosophy of this fact, by noticing that when bees are filled with honey, they lose all disposition to volunteer an assault, and that this curious law is the foundation of an extensive and valuable system of practical management. It was only after I had thoroughly tested its universality and importance, that I began to feel the desirableness of obtaining a perfect con- trol over each comb in the hive ; for it was only then that I saw that such control might be made available, in the hands of any one who could manage bees in the ordinary way. The effect of my whole system, is to make the bees unusu- ANGER OF BEES. 409 ally gentle, so that they are not only peaceable when any necessary operation is being performed, but at all other times. Even if the hives could be opened at pleasure, still if such liberties resulted in leaving the bees in an unusually irritable state, it would avail but little. Persons vi^ho have much to do with bees, unless they use a bee-dress, will incur a risk which necessarily attaches to every system of bee-culture. If an Apiary is approached, thousands and tens of thousands of bees will continue their busy pursuits, without interfering with those who do not molest them. But frequently a few cross bees will come buzzing around our ears, appearing determined to sting with- out the very slightest provocation. From such lawless as- sailants no person, without a bee-dress, is absolutely safe. By repeated examinations, I have ascertained that disease is generally the cause of such unusual irritability. I am never afraid that a healthy bee will attack me, unless provoked ; and am always sure as soon as I hear one singing about my ears, that it is* incurably diseased. Such a bee when dis- sected, will exhibit unmistakable evidence that a peculiar kind of dysentery, has already fastened upon its system. In. the first stages of this complaint, the insect is very irritable, refuses to labor, and seems unable or unwilling to distinguish friend from foe. As the disease progresses, it becomes stupid, its abdomen is distended with a great mass of yellow matter, and the insect unable to fly, crawls on the ground, in front of the hive, and speedily perishes. I have never been able to ascertain the cause of ihis singular mal- ady, nor can T suggest any remedy for it. I hope that some scientific Apiarians will investigate it closely, for if it could be remedied, we might have hundreds of colonies on our premises and in our gardens, and yet incur scarcely any risk of being stung. S5 410 , ANGER OF BEES. A person thoroughly acquainted with the leading princi- ples of bee-culture, as they are set forth in this Manual, will never under any circu7nstances, find it necessary to provoke to fury a colony of bees. Let it be remembered that nothing can be more terribly vindictive than a family of bees when thoroughly aroused by gross abuse, or unskillful treatment. Let their hive be suddenly overthrown, or violently jarred, or the bees provoked by the presence of a sweaty horse, or any offensive animal, so that the anger at first manifested by a few, is extended to the whole community, and the most severe and sometimes dangerous consequences may ensue. In the same wa}^ the animals most useful to man, may by ignorance or abuse, be roused to a state of frantic des- peration ; limbs may he broken, and often lives destroyed, and yet no one possessed of common sense, attributes such calamities, except in rare instances, to any thing else than carelessness or want of skill. Even the most peaceable stock of bees can, in a very few days, by abusive treatment, be taught to look on every living thing as an enemy, so as to sally forth with the most spiteful intentions, as soon as any one approaches their domicile. How often does it happen that the vicious beast, which its owner so passionately beats, is far less to blame for its obstinacy, than the equally vicious brute who so unmercifully belabors it ! A word here to those timid females, who are almost ready to faint, or to go into hysterics, if a bee enters the house, or approaches them in ihe garden or fields. Such alarm is entirely uncalled for. Il is only in the vicinity of their homes, and in resistance to what they consider an evil design upon their very altars and firesides, that these insects ever volunteer an attack. Away from home, they are as peaceably inclined as you could desire. If you attack them, they are much more eager to escape, than to offer you any ANGER OF BEES. 411 annoyance, and they can be induced to sting, only when they are compressed, either by accident or design. Let none of my readers imagine that they have even a slight encouragement, from this conduct of the bee, to reserve all their sweet smiles and honied words, for the world abroad, while they give free vent, in the sacred pre- cincts of home, to cross looks and ill-tempered language ; for towards the occupants of its honied dome, the bee is all kindness and affection. In the experience of many years I never saw an instance in which two bees, members of the same family, ever seemed to be actuated by any but the very kindest feelings towards each other. In their busy haste they often jostle against each other, but as every thing is well meant, so every thing is well received ; tens of thou- sands ail living together in the sweetest harmony and peace, when often where there are only two or three children in a family, the whole household is tormented by their constant bickerings and contentions. Among the bees, the good mother is the honored queen of her happy family ; all waiting upon her steps with unbounded reverence and affection, making way for her as she moves over the combs, smoothing and brushing her beautiful plumes, offering her food from time to time, and in short doing all that they possibly can to make her perfectly happy ; while too often children treat their mothers with irreverence or neglect, and instead of striving with loving zeal to lighten their labors, and save their steps, they treat them more as though they were servants hired only to wait upon their whims, and humor their caprices. I am aware that bees show no mercy to any, even of their own colony, who from sickness or injury, become unfit to perform their proper share of labor. All such are remorse- lessly seized and hurried out of the hive, being often carried to a distance to die alone, that the stench of their dead 412 ANGER OF EEES. bodies may not be offensive to their pitiless companions^ There is nothing, however, in the nature of a bee to be ben- efitted by nursing the sick, or waiting upon the crippled, while often the very noblest traits of humanity, are most beautifully developed by the incessant care and self-denial, required by the weak and helpless of the human family. " The heathen in their blindness," may, like the bees, expose their feeble children and aged parents, but it is the glory of man's nature to imitate Him who not only " went about do- ing good," but who " bare our sorrows and carried our sick- nesses," that we who are strong, might learn from his Godlike example, to lighten the burdens of those who are weak. Let us pause for a moment, and contemplate further the admirable arrangement by which the instinct of the bee which disposes it to defend its treasures, is made so perfectly compatible with the safety both of man, and the domestic animals under his care. Suppose that away from home, bees were as easily provoked, as they are in the immediate vicinity of their hives, what would become of our domestic animals, among the clover fields, or on the hill-side pastures > A. tithe of the merry gambols they now so safely indulge m, would speedily bring about them a swarm of these infu- riated insects. In all our rambles among the green fields, we should ourselves be in constant peril ; and no jocund mower could ever whet his glittering scythe, or swing his peaceful weapon, unless first clad in a dress impervious to their stings. In short, the bee, instead of being the friend of man, would be one of his most vexatious enemies, and as in the case of savage wild beasts, unceasing efforts would be made for its utter extermination. The sting of a bee often produces very painful, and upon some persons, dangerous effects. I am persuaded, from the result of my own observation, that the bee seldom stings ANGER OF BEES. 413 those whose systems are not sensitive to its venom, while it seems to take a special and malicious pleasure in attacking those upon whom its poison produces the most painful effects ! It may be that something in the secretions of such persons, both provokes the attack, and causes its consequen- ces to be more severe, I should not advise those on whom the sting of a bee produces the most agonizing pain, and vi- olent, if not dangerous symptoms, to devote any attention to the practical part of an Apiary, I once met with an individual, whose breath, shortly after he was stung, had the same odor with the venom of the enraged insect ! The smell of the poison resembles almost perfectly that of a ripe banana. It produces a very irritating effect upon the bees themselves ; for if a minute, drop is extended to them, on a stick, they at once manifest the most decided anger. This is the reason why after one has inflicted a sting, others are so ready to follow suit. On one occasion, after being stung several times on the back of the same hand, I wet it with honey, and met with no further annoyance. I should very much prefer, in my own practice, protecting my hands in this way, to using gloves which often prove an incumbrance. The smell of the poison, like the warning blast of the mar- tial trumpet, is a signal to all within reach of its pungent odor, to be ready for using their tiny, but much dreaded weapon. Bees often thrust out their sting, in a threatening manner, even when they do not make an attack ; when extended from its sheath, it exhibits a minute drop of poison on its point, the odor of which is quickly perceived, and some of it is occa- sionally flirted into the eye of the Apiarian, causing consid- erable itching. It is well known that bees are lovers of sweet odors, and that unpleasant ones are very apt to excite their anger. And 35* 414 ANGER OF BEES. here I may as well speak plainly, and say that they have a special dislike to persons whose habits are not neat, and particularly to those who bear about them, a perfume not in the very least resembling those of which the poet so beauti- fully discourses : " Sabean odors From the spicy shores of Araby the blest." Those who belong to the family of the " great unwashed,'* will find to their cost that bees are decided foes to most of their tribe. The peculiar odor of some persons, however cleanly, may account for the fact that the bees have such a decided an- tipathy to their presence, in the vicinity of their hives. It is related of an enthusiastic Apiarian, that after a long and severe attack of fever, he was never able to take any more pleasure in his bees ; his secretions seem to have undergone such a change, that the bees assailed him, as soon as he ventured to approach their hives. Nothing is more offensive to bees than the impure breath exhaled from human lungs ; it e.-^cites them at once to fury. Would that in their hatred of impure air, human beings dis- played some portion of the sagacity exercised by bees ! li would not be long before the thought of breathing air, not only deficient in oxygen, but loaded with all manner of im- purities from human lungs and skins, would excite unuttera- ble loathing and disgust. The smell of a sweaty horse is very offensive to bees, and it is never safe to allow these animals to go near a hive, as they are sometimes attacked and killed by the furious in- sects. Those engaged in bee-culture on a large scale, will do well to surround their Apiaries with a strong fence, so as to prevent cattle from molesting the hives. If the Apiary is enclosed by a high fence, with sharp and strong pickets, and ANGER OF BEES. 415 has a door furnished with a strong lock, it will prevent the losses which are so common, in some localities, from human pilferers. A neighborhood, however, in which the stealing of honey and fruit, is practiced by any except those who are candidates for the felon's cell, is in a fair way of being soon considered as a very undesirable place of residence. If owners of Apiaries, gardens and orchards, could be in- duced to pursue a more liberal policy, and not be so meanly penurious as they often are, I am persuaded that they would find it conduce very highly to their interests. The honey and fruit expended wiih a cheerful, hearty liberality, would be more than repaid to them in the good will secured, and in the end would be cheaper than bars and bolts. Reader ! do not imagine that I have the least idea that a thoroughly selfish man, can ever be made to practice this or any other doctrine of benevolence. Demonstrate it again and again, until even to his narrow and contracted view, it seems almost as clear as light, still he will never find the heart to reduce it to practice. You might almost as well expect to trans- form an incarnate fiend into an angel of light, by demon- strating that " Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness,'* as to attempt to stamp upon a heart encrusted with the adamant of selfishness, the noble impress of a liberal spirit. Of all the senses, that of smell in the bee, seems to be the most perfect. Huber has demonstrated its exceeding acuteness, by numerous interesting experiments. If honey is placed in vessels from which the odor can escape, while the honey cannot be seen, the bees will soon alight upon ihem and eagerly attempt to find an entrance. It is by this sense, unquestionably, that they recognize the members of their own community, although it seems to us very singular that each colony should have its own peculiar scent. Not 416 ANGER OF BEES. only can two colonies be safely united by giving them the same odor, but in the same way any number of colonies may be made to live in perfect peace. If hundreds of hives are all connected by wire gauze ventilators, so that the air passes freely from one to another, the bees will all live in absolute harmony, and if any bee attempts to enter the wrong hive, it will not be molested. The same result can often be attained by feeding colonies from a common vessel. I have seen hundreds of thousands of bees which had ac- quired the same odor, by being fed together, and which were always gentle towards each other, while if a single bee from a strange Apiary, lit upon the feeder, it was sure to be killed. I have already described the use which I make of pepper- mint, in order to prevent bees from quarreling when they are united. The Rev. Mr. Kleine, in a recent number of the Bienenzeitung, says that the most convenient and effectual mode of arresting and repelling the attacks of rob- bers, is, to impart to the attacked hive some intensely pow- erful and unaccustomed odor. He effects this most readily, by placing in it a small portion of musk^ late in the evening, when all the robbers have retreated. On the following morning, ihe bees, (provided they have a healthy queen,) will promptly and boldly meet their assailants, and these in turn are non-plussed by the unwonted odor, and if any of them enter the hive and carry off some of the coveted booty, they will not be recognized nor received at home on their return, on account of their strange smell, but will be at once seized as strangers, and killed by their own household. Thus the robbing is speedily brought to a close. In combination with my blocks, this device might be made very effectual. When the Apiarian perceives that a hive is being robbed, let him shut up the entrance : before dusk he ANGER OF BEES. 417 can open it and allow the robbers to go home, and then put in a small piece of musk ; the entrance next day may be kept so contracted that only a single bee can pass at once. In the union of stocks, musk might be used advantageously. A short time before the process is attempted, each colony might receive a small dose tied up in a little bag, and they would then be sure to agree. I prefer, however, in most cases, the use of scented sugar-water. From some recent experiments, I am persuaded that bees can often recognize strangers, by their actions, even when they have the same scent ! It is well known that bees when frightened have a certain cowed look, and shrink into the smallest possible compass. In the attempt to unite stocks, where the bees of one colony are left on their own stand, and the others are suddenly introduced, the latter, (even when both have the same smell,) are sometimes so fright- ened, that they are at once discovered to be strangers, and instantly killed. This may be prevented by removing both colonies, during the operation, to a new stand, and shaking ihem all out together upon a sheet, so that one colony may have no advantage over the other. By using my double hives, and putting a small piece of gauze- wire in the partition, the two colonies having the same scent will always agree; this will be very convenient where they are compelled to live as such near neighbors, and en- ables the Apiarian at any time to unite them, and appropri- ate their surplus stores. These double hives are admirably adapted to the wants of those who prefer the smallest pos- sible departure from the old system, as they need make no change, except to unite the stocks in the Fall, instead of killing the bees. I have already remarked that nothing should ever be done, 418 ANGER OF BEES. which excites a whole colony to a pitch of ungovernable fury. Such operations are never necessary ; and a skillful Apiarian will, by availing himself of the principles laid down in this Treatise, both easily and safely do everything required in the whole range of bee-keeping. When bees are improperly dealt with, they will " com- pass" their assailant "about," with the most savage ferocity, and woe be to him if they can creep up his clothes, or find on his person a single unprotected spot ! On the contrary, when not provoked by foolish management or wanton abuse, the few who are bent on mischief, appear still to retain some touch of grace, amid all their desperation. Like the thorough bred scold, who by the elevated pitch of her voice, often gives timely warning to those who would escape from the sharp sword of her tongue, a bee bent upon mischief raises its note almost an octave above the peaceable pitch, and usually gives us timely warning, that it means to sting, if it can. Even then, unless the whole colony has been mad- dened by accident or injudicious treatment, it will seldom proceed to extremities, unless it can leave its sting some- where upon the face of its victim, and usually as near as possible to the eye ; for bees, like all other members of the stinging tribe, seem to have, as it were, an intuitive percep- tion that this is the most vulnerable spot upon the " human face divine." If the head is quietly lowered, and the face covered with the hands, they will often follow a person for some rods, all the time sounding their war note in his ears, taunting him for his sneaking conduct, and daring him, just for one single moment, to look up and allow them to catch but a glimpse of his cov^ard face ! If a person is suddenly attacked by angry bees, no matter how numerous or vindictive they may be, not the slightest attempt should ever be made to act on the offensive. If a REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 419 single bee is violently struck at, a dozen will soon be on hand to avenge the insult, and if the resistance is still continued, hundreds and at last thousands will join in the attack. The assailed party should quickly retreat from the vicinity of the hives, to the protection of a building, or if none is near, he should hide himself in a clump of bushes, and lie perfectly still, with his head covered, until the bees leave him. If no bushes are near at hand, the bees will generally give over the attack, if the assailed party lies flat on the grass, with his face to the ground, keeping perfectly quiet. Many persons erroneously imagine that they are quite safe, if they stand at a considerable distance from the bees, when in reality they are often more liable to be stung, than those who are prying directly into the hives. If any cross bees are about, they will be pretty sure to attack those whose more distant position, makes them, to such long-sighted crea- tures, so much better a mark than persons v/ho are actually touching the hives ! The use of a bee-dress will, in all cases, give such a sense of security, as to enable the most timid to take pleasure in the management of bees. Remedies for the sting of a bee. If only a few of the host of cures, so zealously advocated, could be made effectual, few persons would have much rea- son to dread being stung. Unfortunately, most remedies, instead of being of any use, like the prescriptions of the quack, only aggravate the original complaint. The first thing to be done after being stung, is to pull the sting out of the wound as quickly as possible. When torn from the body of the bee, the poison bag and all the muscles which control the sting, accompany it, and are in such active operation, that it penetrates deeper and deeper into the 420 REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. flesh, injecting continually more and nnore of its poison into the wound. Every Apiarian, (unless he wears a bee- dress,) should have about his person, a small piece of looking-glass, so that he may be able v^ith the least possible delay, to find and remove a sting. In most cases, if extracted at once, it will produce no serious consequences ; whereas if suffered to empty all its vials of wrath, it may cause great in- flammation and severe suffering. After the sting is removed, the utmost possible care should be taken, not to irritate the wound by the very slightest rubbing. However intense the smarting, and of course the disposition to apply friction to the wound, it should never be done, as the poison will at once be carried through the circulating system, and severe swelling may ensue. As most of the popular remedies are rubbed in, they are of course worse than nothing. The mo- ment that the blood is put into a violent and unnatural cir- culation, the poison is quickly diffused over a considerable part of the system. On the same principle, the bite of a mosquito, even after the lapse of several days, may, by strong friction, be made to swell again. Mr. Wagner says, " The juice of the ripe berry of the common coral honeysuckle {Lonicera Caprifolium) is the best remedy I have ever used for the sting of bees, wasps, hornets, &c. The berries or expressed juice may be pre- served in a bottle well closed, and will keep their efficacy more than a year." Common sticking plaster, moistened with spittle and ap- plied with the least possible pressure, after the sting has been removed, has been found with some an effectual remedy. The milky juice of the white poppy, is also highly re- commended. An old German writer states, that its applica- tion will instantaneously allay the pain and prevent swelling. REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 421 Others recommend the juice of tobacco, as the sovereign panacea for bee-stings. Unquestionably, relief has been found, by different persons, from each and all of these reme- dies, and there is no good reason to conclude, that the same remedy will in all cases answer, for the poison of the bee, any more than that the same medicine will cure all persons affected with a common disease. If the mouth is applied to the wound, very unpleasant consequences may ensue. While the poison of venemous snakes and many other noxious animals, affecting only the circulating system, may be swallowed with entire impunity, the poison of the bee acts with equal power, on the organs of digestiouo The most distressing headaches are often pro- duced by it. From my own experience, I recommend cold water as the very best remedy with which I am acquainted, for a bee- sting. It is often applied in the shape of a plaster of mud, but may be better used by wetting cloths and holding them gently to the wound. The poison of the bee being VQry volatile, is quickly dissolved in water ; and the coldness of the water has also a powerful tendency to check inflamma- tion, and to prevent the virus from being taken up by the absorbents and carried through the system. The leaves of the plantain, crushed and applied to the wound, will answer as a very good substitute when water cannot at once be prO" cured. Bevan recommends the use of spirits of hartshorn, applied to the wound, and says that in cases of severe sting- ing its internal use is beneficial. Whatever remedy is applied, should be used if possible, without a moment'^s delay. The immediate extraction of the sting, will alone prove much more efficacious, than any rem- edy that can be applied, after it has been allowed to remain and discharge all its venom into the wound, 36 422 KEMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. It may be some comfort to those who desire to keep bees, to know that after a while the poison will produce less and less effect upon their system. When I first became inter- ested in bees, a siing was quite a formidable thing, the pain being often very intense, and the wound swelling so as sometimes to obstruct my sight. At present, the pain is usually slight, and if the sting is quickly extracted, no un- pleasant consequences ensue, even if no remedies are used. Huish speaks of seeing the bald head of Bonner, a celebra- ted practical Apiarian, lined with bee stings which seemed to produce upon him no unpleasant effects. Old bee-keep- ers, like Mithridates, king of Pontus, appear almost to thrive •upon poison itself. The Rev. Mr. Kleine advocates a truly heroic remedy, advising beginners to suffer themselves to be stung so frequently, as to accustom their systems to the effect of the poison ! He assures them that two seasons will be sufficient to accomplish this, as any one who tries it in earnest, may readily ascertain. I have met with a highly amusing remedy, very gravely propounded by an old English Apiarian. I mention it more as a matter of curiosity, than because I imagine that many of my readers will be likely to make trial of it. He says, let the person who has been stung, catch as speedily as pos- sible, another bee, and make it sting on the same spot! It requires some courage, even in an enthusiastic disciple of Huber, to venture upon such a singular homeopathic rem- edy ; but as this old writer had previously stated, what I had verified in my own experience, that the oftener a person was stung, the less he suffered from the venom, I determined to make trial of his prescription. Allowing a sting to re- main until it had discharged all its venom, I compelled another bee to insert its sting, as near as possible, in the same spot. I used no remedies of any kind, and had the BEE-DRESS. 42S satisfaction, in my zeal for new discoveries, of suffering more from the pain and swelling, than I had previously done for years. An old writer recommends a powder of dried bees, for distressing cases of stoppages ; and some of the highest medical authorities have recently prescribed for violent stran- gury, a tea made by pouring boiling water upon bees ; while the homeopathic physicians employ the poison of the bee, which they call apis, for a great variety of maladies. That it is capable of producing intense head-aches any one who has been stung, or who has tasted the poison, very well knows. Timid Apiarians, and all who are liable to suffer severely from the sting of a bee, should by all means furnish them- selves with the protection of a bee-dress. The great objec- tion to gauze-wire veils or other materials of which such a dress has been usually made, is that they obstruct clear vision, so ijighly important in all operations, besides producing such excessive heat and perspiration, as to make the Apiarian peculiarly offensive to the bees. I prefer to use what I call a bee-hat, of entirely novel construction. It is made of wire cloth, the meshes of which are too fine to admit a bee, but coarse enough to allow a free circulation of air, and to per- mit distinct sight. The wire cloth should be first fastened to- gether in a circular shape, like a hat, and made large enough to go very easily over the head ; its top may be of cotton cloth, and it should have the same material fastened around its lower edge. If the top is made of sole-leather, it will serve a better purpose. A piece of wire cloth one foot wide, by two and a half feet long, will make a good fit for most per- sons ; although persons with noses or necks unusually long,^, will require a larger size. It ought slightly to rest upon the. crown of the head. A drawing of it is given in the plate 424 INSTINCTS OF BEES. of implements.* Leather gloves may then be drawn over the hands, or better still, India Rubber gloves, such as are now in very common use, may be worn ; these gloves are impenetrable to the sting of a bee, and yet do not very ma- terially interfere vi^ith the operations of the Apiarian. As soon, however, as the bee-keeper acquires confidence and skill, he will much prefer to use nothing but the bee-hat, even at the expense of an occasional sting on his hands. I strongly object to the use of woolen gloves or stockings, as every thing rough or hairy, has an extremely irritating in- fluence upon bees. This is probably owing to the fact, that in a state of nature, bears, foxes, and other hairy animals,, are their principal enemies. No sooner do they feel the touch of anything rough or hairy, than they instinctively dart out their stings. Instincts of Bees. The attentive reader cannot have failed to notice, the nu- merous proofs which have been given in the preceding parts of this work, of the refined instincts of the honey-bee. It is impossible always to draw the line between instinct and reason, and very often, some of the actions of animals and insects appear to be the results of a process of reasoning, apparently almost the same with the exercise of the reason- ing faculty in man. " There is this difference," says Mr. Spence, " between intellect in man, and the rest of the animal creation. Their intellect teaches them to follow the lead of their senses, and to make such use of the exter- * When this hat, which is rapidly coming into fashion among bee- keepers, is put on, and the cape carefully tucked under the coat, which should then be buttoned up, the Apiarian may operate upon his bees., without any risk of being stung, except on his hands. INSTINCTS OF BEES. 425 nal world as their appetites or instincts incline them to, and this is their wisdom : while the intellect of man, being associated with an immortal principle, and connected with a world above that which his senses reveal to him, can, by aid derived from Heaven, control these senses, and render them obedient to the governing power of his nature ; and this is^ his wisdom.'''^ The point of distinction between man and the lower orders-' of creation, has seldom been more happily expressed than' by Mr. Spence ; it is not that man reasons and they do not,, but that, being " made in the image of God," he has a moral and accountable nature, while they have nothing of the kind. " It will be evident," says Bevan, " that though I make a distinction between the instinct and the reason of bees, I do not confound their reason with the reason of man. But to obviate all possibility of misconception, I will at once de- fine my meaning, when I use the terms insect reason and instinct. " By reaso7i, I mean the power of making deductions frona previous experience or observation, and thereby of adapting means to ends. Instinct^l regard as a disposition and power to perform certain actions in the same uniform manner, de- pending upon nice mechanism and having no reference either to observation or experience ; operating on the means, without anticipation of the end, incited by no hope, controlled by no foreboding. Those who have attended to this subject, will be aware that insect reason, as above defined, is more re- stricted in its functions than the reason of man ; to which is superadded the power of distinguishing between the true and the false, and, according to some metaphysicians, be- tween right and wrong. Reason, in man, has a regular growth and a slow progression ; all the arts he practices evince skill and dexterity, proportioned to the pains which 36* 426 INSTINCTS OP BEES. have been taken in acquiring them. In the lower links of creation, but little of this gradual improvement is observable ; their powers carry them almost directly to their object. They are perfect, as Bacon says, in all their members and organs from the very beginning." '^ Far difierent Man, to higher fates assign'd, Unfolds with tardier step his Proteus mind, With numerous Instincts fraught, that lose their force Like shallow streams, divided in their course ; Long weak, and helpless, on the fostering breast, In fond dependence leans the infant guest. Till reason ripens what young impulse taught, And builds, on sense, the lofty pile of thought ; From earth, sea, air, the quick perceptions rise, And swell the mental fabric to the skies." Evans. " There are facts," says Bevan, " recorded in the younger Ruber's researches respecting the Amazon x\nts, which ex- hibit a power of acquiring habits and characters which can- not well be regarded as merely instinctive. The Amazons, to relieve themselves from labor, enslave, by a coup de main, a feeble colony of ants of another species, and transporting them to their own domicile, impose upon the captives, the task of collecting provisions, rearing the young, repairing their habitation, besides other labors of the formicary." " Dr. Darvin," (I quote again from Bevan,) '"^ in his Zoo- nomia, relates an anecdote of apparent reasoning in a wasp, which had caught a fly nearly as large as itself. Kneeling down, he saw the wasp dissever the head and tail from the trunk of the fly, and attempt to soar with the latter ; but finding, when about two feet from the ground, that the wings of the fly carried too much sail, causing its prize and itself to be whirled about, by a little breeze that had arisen, it dropped upon the ground with its prey, and sawed off with its mandibles, first one wing and then another ; having thus removed these impediments, the wasp flew away with its INSTINCTS OP BEES. 42T booty, and experienced no further molestation from the wind." " A German artist of strict veracity, slates, that in his journey through Italy, he was an eye witness to the follow- ing occurrence. He observed a species of Scarabmus busily engaged in making, for the reception of its egg, a pellet of dung, which when finished, the insect rolled to the summit of a hillock, and repeatedly suffered it to tumble down the slope, apparently for the purpose of consolidating the pellet, by the adhesion of earth to it in its rotating motion. During this process, the pellet unluckily fell into a hole, out of which the beetle was unable to extract it. After several ineffectual attempts, the insect went to an adjoining heap of dung, and soon returned with three companions. All four applied their united strength to the pellet, and at length suc- ceeded in pushing it out, when the three assistant beetles left the spot, and returned to their own quarters." (Kirby and Spence.) In one of my observing hives, admitting of only a single comb, I once fastened a piece of comb, on the bottom instead of the top, to serve as a guide for the bees. In carrying up this comb towards the roof of the hive, the bees soon became aware of a serious difficulty resulting from its unusual po- sition. In building combs downwards, (which they in- variably do, unless in some way prevented,) as their works hang plumb, to secure them against the risk of falling, they have only to make their attachments sufficiently firm ; but in building upwards, it is next to impossible to prevent a new comb, heavy with honey, bees, brood and pollen, and soft- ened by the animal heat of the workers, from losing its per- pendicular position, and falling against the sides of the hive. To guard against such a catastrophe, my bees in enlarging 428 INSTINCTS OF BEES. their works, speedily begun to run out waxen braces from the comb to each side of the glass, and by continuing this device until they could make an attachment to the roof, they met with no mishap. The work when completed presented a curious specimen of wise adaptation of means to a special end. The most of those braces were subsequently removed. Could our most skillful master-builders contrive, under similar circumstances, a better mode of procedure .? I shall finish what I have to say on this subject by narrat- ing an instance of sagacity which seems to approach as near to human reason, as any thing in the bee which has ever fallen under my notice. I once placed a swarm of bees, temporarily into a small model hive, which I had constructed to test the feasibility of some new plans for facilitating the storing of surplus honey in small tumblers. The bees soon filled the hive, and stored about a dozen glasses with honey. I was called away from them, for a few days, and was much surprised, on my return, to find that the honey which had been stored in the hive and sealed for Winter use, was all gone, and that the cells which had contained it, were filled with eggs and young worms ! The hive stood in a covered bee house, and the bees had built a large quantity of comb on the outside of the hive, into which they had transferred the honey taken from the interior. This very laborious and un- usual procedure, was manifestly adopted to give the poor queen a place luithin the hive, for laying her eggs : for this purpose they deliberately uncapped and emptied all the cells so carefully sealed over, instead of using the new comb on the outside, for the brood. ♦' Shall then proud sophists, arrogant and vain, Spurn all the wonders of the honey'd reign, And bid alike one mindless influence own The social bee and crystalizing stone ? SIZE OF HIVES. 429 Each link they trace in animations round, Dashes their poison'd chalice to the ground. Deem not, vain mortal, that reserved for thee Hangs all the ripening fruit on Reason's tree ; E'en bees, the tiniest tenants of thy care, Claim of that Reason their apportioned share." Evans. CHAPTER XX. On the proper size, shape, and materials for Hives — Observing Hives. Notwithstanding all the experiments which have been made, and the volumes written, to determine the best size, shape and materials for bee-hives, the ablest practical Apia- rians, are still at variance on these points. In our country, it is pretty generally agreed, that hives holding less than a bushel, in the main apartment, are not profitable, in the long run, although those having the capacity of a cubic foot, may, for the first season, yield a greater return of surplus honey. As regards the room which a colony will need, for the storage of spare honey, so much depends on seasons and localities, and on whether the bees swarm or not, that no general rule can be given, that will be applicable to all cases. The present season (1856) has been, with me, so extraordinary for its superabundant yield of honey, that I have found non-swarming colonies, able to occupy, to good advantage, two bushels of surplus storage room. As the con* struction of all my hives, admits of their being enlarged and again contracted, without any destruction or alteration of 430 SHAPE OF HIVES. existing parts, the size of the main apartment, as well as the space for surplus stores, may be varied to suit the necessities of every bee-keeper. Being able to remove any surplus, at pleasure, I prefer to make the interior of my hives considerably larger than a bushel. Many hives are so small, that they would not con- tain one-quarter the bees, comb and honey, which, in a good season, may be found in my large hives ; while their owners wonder that they are able to obtain so little profit from their bees. A good swarm of bees, put, in a good season, into such a diminutive hive, may be compared to a powerful team of horses, harnessed to a baby wagon, or a noble fall of water, wasted in turning a petty water-wheel. (See pp. 231-2-3.) Hives may be divided, as respects their shape, into Tall, Low and Broad, and Long and Broad, A hive tall, in pro- portion to its other dimensions, has some very obvious advan- tages. As bees are disposed to carry their stores as far as pos- sible from the entrance, they will fill the upper part of such hives with honey, and use nearly all the lower part for brood ; thus escaping the danger of being caught, in cold weather, among empty ranges of comb, while they still have honey un- consumed. If the top of this hive, like that of an old- fashioned churn, is made, (on the Polish plan,) considerably smaller than the bottom, it will be still better adapted to a cold climate, besides being more secure against high winds. Such a hive is evidently deficient in top surface, for the pro- per storing of surplus honey in boxes, and it would be im- possible to use my frames in it, to any advantage ; but to those who prefer to keep bees on the old plan, I recommend this shape, made to hold not less than a bushel and a half, as decidedly the best. SHAPE OF HIVES. 431 It is instructive to see how the very first departure from the olden v^ay, proves the truth, in bee-culture at least, of the hackneyed quotation, " A little learning is a dangerous thing ; Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring." Even so simple an improvement as the use of top boxes, will, in the hands of most bee-keepers, eventually cause the ruin of their Apiaries. Taking it for granted, that bees will never fill these boxes, until their main hive is well provis- ioned, in years when the latter part of the season is very unfavorable, they often remove the honey which is absolutely essential to the life of their bees. Although the owner of a patent hive, I would again and again endeavor to impress upon all who cannot or will not study the habits of bees, the wisdom of confining themselves to the simple box. If they are too humane to destroy their bees, let them subdue them, by the use of smoke, and cut out from the hives what honey they can spare. It would seem from Aristotle that in his time hives were thus deprived of their surplus stores.* Killing bees for their honey, was one of the appropriate inventions of the dark ages, when the human family had lost, in Apiarian pursuits, as well as in other things, the skill and knowledge of the past. The very low and broad square hive, has the least to re- commend it ; it gives, to be sure, a larger amount of top surface, in proportion to its internal capacity, than any other shape, but it necessarily prevents the bees from concentrating their heat to the best advantage, and is of all other forms the * Aristotle says that when smoked for this purpose, " they are greatly disturbed, and completely gorge themselves with honey !" He did not, however, notice the connection between this cramming and their subsequent docility. 432 SHAPE OF HIVES. worst for winter use. In very warm countries, it might, however, be used to considerable advantage. A hive long from front to rear^ and moderately low and narrow, seems, on the whole, to unite the most advantages. I am indebted to Mr. M. Quinby, of St. Johnsville, New York, for some valuable suggestions as to the peculiar ad- vantages he has derived from hives of this form. He thinks, from his experience, that bees will winter as well in them, as in the tall hives ; giving as a reason, that when the combs are built from front to rear, the brood is kept near the en- trance and the honey stored in the back end of the hive. In Winter the bees, receding from the entrance, must draw back among their stores ; just as they draw up among them, when, in the tall hives, they ascend to the top. Such a hive, indeed, resembles a tall one, laid upon its side, and while affording ample top surface for storing surplus honey, it also facilitates very greatly the easy handling of frames, besides diminishing their number, and the cost of their construction. I recommend that hives constructed in this way, be, in the clear, at least twenty-four inches from front to rear ; twelve from side to side ; and ten in height. There should be eight frames, running from front to rear, each having a partition so adjusted, that the bees may pass from one comb to another, without being chilled in winter. If this division strip is made so as to allow about two-thirds of the frame for breeding, the back part will usually contain pure honey, which may at any time be cut out, without at all mutilating the brood comb. I have a hive of this pattern in operation, and thus far am so highly pleased with it, that I anticipate a decided gain from its use, over any other mode of construction. If this style of hives is adopted, I should always recommend that they MATERIALS OF HIVES. 433 be built for two colonies, so as to economize to the very utmost, the cost of construction and labor of superintend- ance, while at the same time they occupy the least space in the Apiary, and afford the largest amount of protection to the bees. The common Dzierzon-hive is long and >flat, but as the combs run from side to side, instead of from front to rear, the bees, unless the hive is uncommonly well protected, will suffer from cold, in winter. As the German Apiarian uses slats, instead of frames, it would be difficult for him safely to remove any very long combs from his hive. As a gen- eral rule, the fewer the number of combs in a hive, the straighter will they be built by the bees. The variety of opinions respecting the best materials for hives, has been almost as great, as on the subject of their proper size and shape. Virgil recommends the hollowed trunk of the cork tree, than which, no material would be more admirable, if it could only be easily and cheaply procuredc Straw hives have been used for ages, and are warm in Winter and cool in Summer. The difficulty of making them take and retain the proper shape for improved bee- keeping, is an insuperable objection to their use. Hives made of wood, are, at the present time, fast superseding all other kinds. The lighter and more spongy the wood^ the poorer will be its power of conducting heat, and the warmer the hive in Winter, and the cooler in Summer. Cedar, basS' wood, poplar, tulip-tree, and soft pine, afford excellent ma- terials for bee-hives. The Apiarian must be governed, in his choice of lumber, by the ease and cheapness with which any suitable kind, can be obtained, in his own immediate vicinity. A very serious disadvantage attaching to all kinds of v/ooden hives, is the ease with which they condiict heal, 37 434 MATERIALS FOR HIVES. causing them to become cold and damp in Winter, and, if exposed to the sun, so hot in Summer as often to melt the combs. The Winter inconveniences are greatly increased, if the hives are vi^ell painted, while if this is neglected, they cannot be exposed to sun or weather, without serious injury. I have hitherto protected my hives, by making them of doubled wood or glass, so as to secure the advantages of a dead air space, and this in connection with another plan, partly original and partly the result of the experience of others, will, I am persuaded, give all ihe advantages both of straw and wood, without any of the inconveniences of either. In all hives, the bees will in chilly weather, avoid traveling over the cold sides, as they pass in and out ; but they cannot escape contact with the bottom-board, and if the part projecting outside of the hive is painted, its surface will be too smooth for secure footing, besides being often, in cool weather, wet with condensed moisture, so as to prove exceedingly disagreeable to the bees. If the bottom- board is covered with heavy straw matting, which may be bought for about three cents per square foot, and this is tacked on, (with its finished edge outside,) so as to cover the alighting-hoard, the bees will find themselves, to all intents and purposes, in a straw hive. I should advise protecting the inside front of the hives, in the same way, rather than with the dead air space, as bees, in all working weather, are inclined to travel over this surface, if it is not too cool. Be- fore nailing down the matting, it will be very desirable to place under it, five or six thicknesses of common straw wrapping paper, which, at next to no expense, will make it, almost if not quite, as warm again. That part of the mat- ling, which lines the interior of the hives, should now be covered with a melted mixiure,* one-third rosin and two- * Straw-paper tlms covered, might perhaps do as well as matting. MATERIALS FOR HIVES. 435 thirds bees-wax, applied, when quite hot, with a common shoe-brush; this will make it air-tight, by filling up all the crevices, and will prevent the straws from separating, or ab- sorbing moisture. The wpi^er * surfa.ce of the spare honey- board, may be fixed in the same way, and reversed in Win- ter, so as to present the straw side to the bees. When the bees are put into Winter quarters, most of the holes in this board, may, in hives thus thoroughly protected, be left open, and when it is covered loosely with straw, all excess of damp- ness in the main hive, will pass off" into the top cover, from which it cannot possibly return, to annoy the bees. As soon as the bees begin to fly out, in the Spring, these holes should be carefully closed. If the spare honey-board is not covered with matting, it may have, for Winter use, the space between the clamps filled with straw, battened down, and may then be reversed and set on the hive. I am aware that hives cannot be protected in this way, without some extra expense, but no judicious bee-keeper who once tries them, will ever be willing to return to the common kind. If by using such extra protection, his colo- nies, in the Spring, are only a week in advance f of those in common hives, he will, in all ordinary seasons, be repaid the extra cost, two or three times over. I would here remark, that in order to make the movable- comb hives to the best advantage, it is absolutely necessary *If the under surface is covered with the matting, the bees will be much more likely to fill the shallow chamber between it and the frames, with combs, thus making it more inconvenient to open the hives. f " Only those swarms which came from the 1st to the 6th of June, 1853, gathered sufficient stores for ihe ensuing Winter. In this por- tion of the Palatinate, the diiference between abundance and scarcity often depends on a very few days." (Werntz, Beinenzeitung, 1854.) 436 MATERIALS FOR HIVES. that the frames at least should be cut out by a circular saw^ driven by steam, water or horse power. In buildings where such saws are used, these frames may be made from small pieces of lumber, which would seldom be of any use, except for fuel. They may be packed almost solid in a box, or in a hive which will afterwards serve for a pattern or a swarm. One frame in such a box, properly nailed together, will serve as a guide for the rest. The other parts of the hive can easily and cheaply be made by any one who can handle tools at all, and can never be profitably manufactured to be sent to any considerable distance, unless a large number are made at once where lumber is cheap, and the parts closely packed, to be put together after reaching their destination. Complete working drawings, with clear and full directions, will be furnished to purchasers, for making to the best ad- vantage, by hand or machinery, every part of the hive. The following recipe for a cheap and durable paint, is taken from the Bienenzeitung ; it is said to be preferable on every account to ordinary oil paint : " Two parts, by meas- ure, of fine sand, well sifted : one of best English cement :* one of curd from which the whey has been well expressed : one of buttermilk. These are to be thoroughly mixed. The paint is to be applied, amid repeated stirring, to the hives, by means of a common paint-brush. A second coat is to be given after the lapse of half an hour. When this has become thoroughly dry, which will be in two or three days, it iiS to be brushed over lightly with a thin coat of boiled lin- seed oil, to which any desirable color may be given. The boards to which the paint is to be applied should not be planed, but remain rough as the saw leaves them. No more of the paint should be prepared at any one time, than can be * Roman, or comraon Hydraulic cement, I presume is meant, oj would answer. OBSERVING HIVES. 437 used in the course of half an hour, as it speedily hardens. The hive may be used for a swarm of bees as soon as the paint stiffens." MoVABLE-CoMB OBSERVING HiVES. Those who wish to study the Natural History of the honey-bee, to the best advantage, or to witness its wonderful works and instincts, will find extraordinary facilities for the most reliable investigations and examinations, furnished through the use of my observing hives. Each comb in these hives, as well as in all my others, being attached to a movable frame, admits of safe and easy removal. In this respect its construction differs entirely from that of all other observing hives. As both sides of every comb, in observing hives, admit of inspection, every bee can be seen, and all the won- ders of the bee-hive may be exposed, not only to the full light of day, (p. 24,) but to the brightest glare of lamps or gas. When bees are first put into such a hive and exposed to the light, they exhibit great uneasiness, making every effort to pass through the glass sides. This is all very natural, as in their wild state, having no knowledge of a transparent substance, the admission of light is equivalent to the admis- sion of undue heat, cold and wet, all of which would be utterly destructive to their welfare.* They soon, however, become accustomed to the new order of things, and will then no more attempt to get through the glass sides of their hive, than an old denizen of Broadway or Chestnut Street, on one of those fashionable promenades, would mistake a plate-glass window, for a door. * Some have imagined that darkness is necessary for the proper de- velopment of their young ; but this is found to be a mistake. • 37* 488 OBSERVING HIVES. In the common observing hive, experiments are conducted with great difficulty, and only by experts who are able to cut away parts of the comb, whereas in this, they can be per- formed by the simple removal of a frame ; and if a colony becomes too much reduced in numbers, it may be recruited, in a few minutes, by helping it to maturing brood, from one of the other hives. A very intelligent writer, in a description of the different hives exhibited at the World's Fair, in London, laments that no method has yet been devised to enable bees to cluster in cold weather, in an observing hive, so as to preserve them alive in Winter, even in the moderate climate of Great Britain. By the use of movable frames, this difficulty can be entirely obviated, as on the approach of cold weather, the Apiarian may transfer his bees from a hive unsuitable for winter use, to one of the warmest construction ; and as soon as the weather, next season, is sufficiently auspicious, they may again be installed in a glass palace. These observing hives may be constructed of sufficient size to accommodate a full swarm. I do not, however, prefer such a hive for ordinary purposes, but one holding only a single frame, and which while it affords great gratifi- cation to the curious, admits of easy control, and requires only a few bees to be diverted from the more profitable business of making honey in the common hives. A hive of this form may be called a Parlor-Observing Hive, and may be conveniently placed in any room in the house ; the alighting board being outside, and the whole arrangement such that the bees may be inspected at all hours, day or night, without the slightest risk of being stung. Two such hives may be placed before one window, and put up or taken down in a few minutes, without cutting or defacing the wood- work of the house. In one, the queen may al- OBSERVING HIVES. 439 ways be shown, and in the other the process of rearing young queens, from worker-eggs. These miniature hives may be stocked by putting into them a comb containing eggs and hatching workers, taken with all the bees adhering to it, from any movable-comb hive ;* or a small after swarm may be hived in them. If the bees are brought from a distance, they need not be confined. Gardners having the movable- comb hives, might supply their patrons with observing hives, with profit to themselves, and great satisfaction to those who employ them. An observing hive, where there is a family of children, will prove an unfailing source of pleasure and instruction ; and those who live in crowded cities, may enjoy it to the full, even if condemned to the penance of what the poet has so feelingly described as an " endless meal of brick." The nimble wings of these agile gatherers, will quickly waft them above and beyond " the smoky chim.ney pots," and they will bear back to their city homes, the balmy spoils of many a rustic flower, " blushing unseen," in simple yet bewitching loveliness. Might not their pleasant murmurings awaken in some the memory of long forgotten joys, when the happy country-child, listened to their soothing music, while intently watching them in that old homestead garden, as they bore to their hives the many colored pellets on their burnished thighs ; or roved with them amid pastures and hill- sides all redolent with the sweetest clover, gathering the flowers still rejoicing in their " meadow-sweet breath," or whispering of the precious perfumes of their forest home. " To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One native charm than all the gloss of art ^ Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play, The soul adopts and owns their first-born sway • Lightly they frolic o'er the vacant mind, * See directions for forming a nucleus, p. 216. 440 THE ITALIAN BEE. Unenvied, unmolested, unconfined. But the long pomp, the midnight masquerade, With all the freaks of wanton wealth array'd, In these, ere triflers half their wish obtain, The toilsome pleasure sickens into pain ; And, e'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, The heart distrusting asks, if this be joy." CHAPTER XXI. The Italian Honey-Bee, Aristotle, who flourished over 2200 years ago, speaks of three difFerent species of the honey-bee, as well known in his time. The lest variety he describes as " fiixgu^ grgoyyvl^] xai TtoLKilri ;" that is, small and round as to size and shape, and variegated as to color. Virgil, in his 4th book of Georgies, speaks of two kinds as flourishing in his time 5 the better of the two he thus describes : " Elucent aliae, et fulgore coruscant, Ardentes auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis. Hinc potior soboles ; hinc-coeli tempore certo Dulcia mella premes." The better variety, it will be seen, he characterizes as spot- ted or variegated, and of a beautiful golden color. Until quite recently, Apiarians have believed Virgil's description of the different kind of bees, to be quite as fabulous as his notions that the bees gathered iheir young from the leaves and flowers; but let us laugh as we will, at his physiological conceits, in such practical matters as came under his observation, he has left us rules upon which we cannot well improve. Strange to say, within a few years, THE ITALIAN BEE. 441 the attention of bee-keepers has been called, to the very variety of the honey-bee described by Aristotle and Virgil ; and after the lapse of more than 2200 years, it is still found to exist, distinct and pure from the common kind, and to be as much superior to it, as a Durham ox, to one of the poorest breeds. The following letter from Mr. Wagner will show the importance attached to this species by some of the most skillful and successful Apiarians in Europe. York, Pa., August 5, 1856. My Dear Sir: The first account we have of the Italian bees, as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Balden- stein in the Bienenzeitung, No. 4, 1848. Being stationed in Italy, during part of the Napoleonic wars, he noticed that the bees, in the Lombardo-Venitian, district of Valtelin, and on the borders of Lake Como, differed in color from the common kind, and seemed to be more industrious. At the close of the war, he retired from the army, and returned to his ancestral castle on the Rhoetian Alps, in Switzerland ; and to occupy his leisure, had recourse to bee-culture, which had been his favorite hobby in earlier years. While study- ing the natural history, habits and instincts of these insects, he remembered what he had observed in Italy, and resolved to procure a colony from that country. Accordingly he sent two men thither, who purchased one and carried it over the mountain, to his residence, in September, 1843. About the same time, he became a subscriber to and correspondent of the Bienenzeitung, and speedily took a lively interest in the discussions then carried on in that Journal, respecting the impregnation of the queen, the sex and design of the drones, the age to which the queen and the workers respectively attain, &c., &c. This induced him to communicate to the 442 THE ITALIAN BEE. Bienenzeltung his observations on the Italian bees, with some suggestions as to the manner in which they might be em- ployed to determine some of the points in dispute. His communication did not, at the time attract the attention it deserved, though it led Dzierzon to inquire v/hether the cells and combs built by the Italian bees differed in any respect from those constructed by the common kind. Baldenstein replied that there was no perceptible difference ; that he had frequently interchanged the combs, and never noticed that it caused any difficulty in either case, the cells of both being apparently of the same diameter and depth. The controversy concerning the above-mentioned points continued to be waged with unabated ardor, and the ablest Apiarians of Germany engaged in it pro or con, without ar- riving at any satisfactory results ; at least, not any in which all felt willing to concur. In this state of affairs, Baldenstein sent another communication to the Bienenzeitung, (No. 11, 1851,) in which he adverts to his previous article, and ex- presses the opinion that no mode of determining those im- portant questions, could be so practicable and reliable as the employment of the Italian bee for that purpose. He then states that for seven years he had possessed one colony, and only one, of the genuine Italian stock, which had with great difficulty, or rather by a fortunate chance, been pre- served pure among a large number of bastard and common colonies. In all that time, he had not, despite of every pre- caution he could use, succeeded in keeping his young Italian queens from mesalliance with common drones, and conse- quently producing a bastard progeny. His Italian colony retained, till May, 1847, the old queen which had been imported from Italy. She was then at least four years old, and had never failed to produce genuine Ital- ian brood. In May, 1847, the colony began to show signs THE ITALIAN BEE. 44i of weakness, but suddenly recovered in the following month ; and it was evident that it had supplied itself w^ith a new queen, which had fortunately been impregnated by an Italian drone, as she produced genuine or pure brood. On the 15th of May, 1848, this queen issued with a swarm, and he hoped that, as he had placed the parent hive in a rather isolated location, her successor would be impregnated by an Italian drone. But in this he was doomed to disappointment ; she produced a bastard progeny, while the emigrant queen pro- duced genuine brood, as before. Similar disappointments aw^aited him from year to year, till the date of his second communication, (June, 1851,) when he possessed still only one colony of the pure stock. Among the points which he considered as definitely es- tablished by his observations on the Italian bee, are the follov/ing : 1. The queen, if healthy, retains her proper fertility at least three or four years. 2. The Italian bee is more industrious, and the queen more prolific than the common kind ; because, in a most unfavor- able year, when other colonies produced few swarms, and little honey, his Italian colony produced three swarms, which filled their hives respectively with comb, and together with the parent stock, laid up ample stores for winter : the latter yielding besides a top box well filled with honey. The three young colonies were among the best in his Apiary. 3. The workers do not, at most, live longer than one year, for though the bees and brood in the parent hive, when the first swarm and old queen left, were of the Italian stock ex- clusively, few of this kind remained in the Fall, and none survived the Winter. 4. The young queen is impregnated soon after she is es- 444 THE ITALIAN BEE. lablished in a colony, and continues fertile during life. Were this not so, the genuine queens would not have con- tinued to produce pure brood during those seven successive years. 5. The queen leaves the hive to meet the drones. If not, it would scarcely have happened, that all the young queens bred in those seven years, with only one exception, were impregnated by common drones, and produced bastard progeny. 6- The old queen regularly leaves with the first swarm, or the genuine Italian brood would not invariably have been the product of the swarm, but occasionally, at least, of the pa- rent colony, v/hich never happened in all that time. These observations and inferences impelled Dzierzon to make an effort to procure the Italian bee ; and by the aid of the Austrian Agricultural Society at Vienna, he succeeded in obtaining a colony from Mira, near Venice. Meanwhile, we have no further account of them in the Bienenzeitung, excepting that, in No. 1, 1853, Baldenstein, in reply to an inquiry from Dzierzon, stated that " the Italian bee is found immediately beyond the Alps, in the Southern valleys of the Grisons bordering on Italy, in Merox, in Pregell, in Pro- chiavo, and then in the entire Lombardo-Venitian district of Valtelin, in the district of Chiavenna, and on the borders of Lake Como." He does not doubt that it occurs also in other parts of Italy, but names those as places where he observed it himself, and is certain it may be found. Dzierzon obtained his Italian colony, Feb. 19, 1853, and on the following day transferred the combs and bees into one of his own hives. When the season opened, he placed the hive on a stand in his Apiary, and screwed it fast, lest it be stolen. He never moved it during the ensuing Summer ; but took from it combs with worker and drone brood, at reg- THE ITALIAN BEE. 445 wlar intervals, supplying their place with empty comb. In this way he succeeded in rearing nearly fifty young queens, about one-half of which were impregnated by Italian drones and produced genuine brood. The other half produced a bastard progeny. He continued thus to multiply queens by the removal of brood, till several of his artificial colonies suddenly killed off their drones, and the original stock did so likewise on the 25th of June. The bees of the original colony still labored very assiduously, but gradually became less diligent,* till when the buckwheat came into blossom, it was surpassed in industry by many colonies of the com- mon bees. But as young bees continued to make their ap- pearance, he felt satisfied that the colony v^^as in a healthy condition. Later in the season, he unfastened the hive, pre- paratory to putting it in winter quarters, and on attempting to lift it, found he was scarcely able to move it. He now discovered why it had so greatly fallen behind the other colo- nies in industry. Having early rid itself of drones, (as probably is done instinctively in Italy,) it had in consequence of its extraordinary activity, filled all the cells with honey in a very short time, and was thenceforward doomed to in- voluntary idleness. It had attained a weight which scarcely any of his colonies reached in the Summer of 1846, when pasturage was so superabundant; whereas the Summer of 1853 was certainly a very ordinary one in this respect. It was thus, also, made manifest that frequent disturbance t had not produced any injurious effect. Until midsummer Dzierzon not only removed a brood comb containing about 5000 cells, every other day, but had on numerous other occasions taken out comb after comb, several times a day, to find the queen and show her to bee-keeping friends wh^ visited him, and who were anxious to see a queen thus dis- * See page 201. ' f See page 381, 38 446 THE ITALIAN BEE. tinguished by her brighter colors. When, in consequence of such interruptions, the queen retreated to the opposite end of the hive, he usually found her, half an hour thereafter, on the same comb she had occupied before, engaged in laying eggs. Such disturbances, if the combs be not broken or materially damaged, he thinks, do no injury ; but that, on the contrary, they not unfrequently produce a certain excite- ment among the bees, which impels them to issue in greater numbers, and labor with increased assiduity. " The general diffusion of this species of bee," says Dzierzon, " will form as marked an era in the bee-culture of Germany, as did the introduction of my improved hives. The profit derived by the farmer from feeding stock, de- pends not alone on due attention to the habits and wants of the animals, but mainly on the character of the breed itself. So also with the bee. We find marked differences in point of industry, even among our common bees ; but the Italian bee surpasses these in every respect. A chief difiiculty in the way of a more general attention to bee-culture, arises from the almost universal dread of the sting of this insect. Many fear even the momentary pain which it inflicts, though no other unpleasant consequences follow ; but in some per- sons it causes severe and long protracted swelling and in- flammation. This, especially, deters ladies from engaging in this pursuit. All this can be avoided by the introduction of the Italian bee, which is by no means an irrascible insect. It will sting only when it happens to be injured, when it is intentionally annoyed, or when it is attacked by robbing bees ; then it will defend itself with undaunted courage, and such are its extraordinary vigor and agility, that it is never overpowered, so long as the colony is in a normal condition. Colonies of common bees may speedily be converted into Italian stocks, by simply removing the queen from each, and THE ITALIAN BEE. 447 after the lapse of two or three days, or as soon as the work- ers decidedly manifest consciousness of the deprivation, supplying them with an Italian queen. We are thereby also enabled to note the gradual disappearance of the old race, as it becomes supplanted by the new. Besides the increased profit thus derivable from bee-culture, this species also fur- nishes us with no small gratification in studying the nature, habits and economy of the insect, to greater advantage ; because by means of it, the most interesting experiments, investigations and observations may be instituted, and thus the remaining doubts and difficulties be cleared up." Busch (" Moot points of bee-culture, Gotha, 1855,") de- scribes the Italian bee as follows : — " The workers are smooth and glossy, and the color of their abdominal rings is a medium between the pale yellow of straw and the deeper yellow of ochre. These rings have a narrow black edge or border, so that the yellow, (which might be called leather colored,) constitutes the ground, and is seemingly barred over by these slight black edges or borders. This is most distinctly perceptible, when a brood comb, on which bees are densely crowded, is taken out of a hive. The drones differ from the workers in having the upper half of their ab- dominal rings black, and the lower half an ochry-yellow, thus causing the abdomen, when viewed from above, to ap- pear annulated. The queen differs from the common kind, chiefly in the greater brightness and brilliancy of her colors." Dzierzon says, " It has been questioned, even by experi- enced and expert Apiarians, whether the Italian race can be preserved in its purity, in countries where the common kind prevail. There need be no uneasiness on this score. Their preservation could be accomplished, even if natural swarm- ing had to be relied on, because they naturally swarm earlier 448 THE ITALIAN BEE. in the season than the common kind, and also more fre- quently. Capt. Baldenstien's want of success was most probably the result of a deficiency of drone comb in his Italian hives, as a consequence of which only few drones were produced." Dzierzon guarded against this by giving to a very large colony, which ordinarily produced drones in great numbers, a fertile queen very early in the season. Thousands of drones soon made their appearance, and he immediately formed an artificial colony by removing this queen with a sufficient number of workers, adding worker brood from other colonies. On the twelfth day following, he heard a young queen " teeting " in the parent hive, and to his surprise, a large swarm issued from it on the same day, though the weather was then cool and cloudy. This swarm came forth suddenly without any previous indication of its intention, just as after-swarms usually do. On a similar day, Dzierzon says he had never seen a first swarm of common bees leave. So cold was the weather, that some of the bees became chilled before the swarm was hived. As the swarm was unusually large, he divided it into two, as he was able to procure an additional queen from the parent hive. Both throve well, and each of the queens was impregnated by an Italian drone. From this occurrence he judged that these bees have an instinctive proclivity to swarm early. Our common kind would have lingered long, rather than swarm in weather so cold and cloudy. The main thing to be attended to in any localities where common bees are found or kept, is to secure the production of drones in numbers overwhelmingly large ; though Dzier- zon is under the impression that where both kinds of drones exist in about equal numbers, the Italian queens will usually encounter Italian drones, both queens and drones being more active and agile than the common kind. Besides, the ner« THE ITALIAN BEE, 449 voures of the wings of both queens and drones are finer and more delicate than those of the comnnon kind, and the sounds- produced in flying are clearer and higher toned. Hence, probably, they are readily able to distinguish each other when on the wing. If at the time when young queens are emerging, the bees and drones be tempted to sally out earlier than usual in the day, hours before the common drones come forth, by feeding them with diluted honey, the perpetuation of the genuine breed will the more probably be secured. But this end will the most certainly be attained, if measures be taken to have Italian queens and drones bred early in the season, before the common drones make their appearance; and again late,, after the latter have been " killed off." This may readily be accomplished by means of the improved hive, and th& application of certain known principles in bee-culture. The Baron of Berlepsch, one of the most enthusiastic and skillful Apiarians, on a large scale, in Germany, says he can, from his own experience, confirm the statements of Dzierzon,, in relation to the Italian bee. 1. That the Italian bees are less sensitive of cold than the common kind. 2. That their queens are more prolific. 3. That the colonies swarm earlier and more frequently^ though of this he has less experience than Dzierzron. 4. That they are less apt to sting. Not only are they less apt, but scarcely are they inclined to sting, though they will do so, if intentionally annoyed and irritated. 5. That they are more industrious. Of this fact he had but one summer's experience, but all the results and indica- tions go to confirm Dzierzon's statements, and satisfy him of the superiority of this kind in every point of view. 6. That they are more disposed to rob than common bees, 38* 450 THE ITALIAN BEE. and more courageous and active in self-defence. They strive on all hands to force their way into colonies of com- mon bees ; but when strange bees attack their hives, they fight with great fierceness and an incredible adroitness. From one Italian queen sent to him by Dzierzon, Berlepsch succeeded in obtaining, in the ensuing season, one hundred and thirty-nine fertile young queens, of which number about fifty produced pure Italian progeny. In order to secure an early supply of drones, as the basis of his future operations, Berlepsch inserted empty drone combs on the third of March, between combs filled with worker brood, and fed the colony every evening, with diluted honey, somewhat warmed. The cells of these drone combs were speedily supplied with eggs, and on the 31st of March, the first drones issued. But in the first week of April the workers cast nearly all the drone brood out of the cells, and not more than about 150 drones survived. The weather had suddenly changed and become rough and cold, and at so early a period the bees do not regard drones with much favor. He proposes operating differently hereafter, by re° moving the queen from some strong colonies, as soon as drones emerge, and insert in their hives the comb contain- ing drone brood, to be hatched there. The first young queen emerged on the 3d of April, and on the 11th, a beautiful Spring day, whilst drones were flying in great numbers, ho had the gratification of seeing the queen, return to her hive with evident marks of impregnation. This queen, and two others, soon proved to be fertile, producing Italian brood. On the 12th the weather became cold again, and so remained till the 23d, when the thermometer rose to 80° in the shade, and numbers of drones issued also from his hives of com- mon bees. This undesired occurrence constrained him to transfer his Italian hives to another locality. But even there,^ THE ITALIAN BEE. 451 three-fifth of his young queens proved to be bastardized. He nevertheless continued his efforts steadily, though the proportion of bastardized queens continued to increase, until in July hardly one-tenth of the number bred proved to be of the pure Italian stock. This disproportion was a mystery to him till he observed that on very v^arm days, when the air is entirely calm, and the sky clear, the drones circumvoJate^ to unusual distances, and probably the queen's excursions are on such occasions similarly extensive. At least, at this time, the queen of a colony in an Apiary three miles distant, must have been impregnated by a drone from his Apiary, for the progeny she produced was similar to that of a com- mon queen, impregnated by an Italian drone. On the 20th of August, at which time all the common drones had disap- peared, Berlepsch had 117 fertile young queens, but only 28 pure Italian. He preserved his Italian drones from destruction, by removing the queens from the colonies in which drones most abounded, and preventing the breeding of young queens by repeatedly destroying the royal cells con- structed. Thenceforward he found it an easy task to produce Italian queens, because few common drones remained m other Apiaries, and those no longer made distant excursions, nor did the queens roam so far abroad. He had previously noticed that if late in the season, drones be induced to issue from their hives on fair days, at an earlier hour than they usually come forth, by feeding the colony with warm diluted honey, they will not fly far, and soon return to their domi- ciles. By resorting to this expedient, and injecting some such honey, by means of a syringe, into each hive having * I think we shall have to iDtroduce this word in bee-culture, to de- signate the drone's peculiar style of locomotion when on the wing. It seems to be " a flight in " pseudo-cycloidal " circles urged." Aris- totle notices this peculiarity in their flight. 452 THE ITALIAN BEE. an unimpregnated young queen, and also into those hives which contained many drones, he caused the workers and drones to issue in great numbers, and among them the queens from several hives. These latter soon returned with evident marks of impregnation. This was continued till the 16th of September, when, after a few days absence, he found that the drones had been expelled from all his colonies, and an end thus put to his efforts for that season. It is a remarkable fact that an Italian queen, impregnated by a common drone, and a common queen impregnated by an Italian drone do not produce workers of a uniform in- termediate cast, or hybrids ; but some of the workers bred from the eggs of each queen will be purely of the Italian, and others as purely of the common race, only a few of them indeed being apparently hybrids. Berlepsch also had several bastardized queens, which at first produced Italian workers exclusively, and afterwards common workers as exclusively. Some such queens produced fully three-fourths Italian workers ; others, common workers in the same pro- portion. Nay, he states that he had one beautiful orange- yellow bastardized Italian queen, which did not produce a single Italian worker, but only common workers, perhaps a shade lighter in color. The drones^ however, produced by a bastardized Italian queen, are uniformly of the Italian race, and this fact, besides demonstrating the truth of Dzier- zon's theory, renders the preservation and perpetuation of the Italian race, in its purity, entirely feasible in any country where they may be introduced. Considerable difficulty has been encountered, even by ex- perienced Apiarians, in inducing a colony of common bees, deprived of its queen, to accept an Italian queen in her stead ; and many failures have occurred, involving the loss of the offered queen, and causing grievous disappointment. THE ITALIAN BEE. 453 The safest course appears to be, to remove the queen several days before the substitution is intended to be made, and to destroy all the royal cells and embryo queens the day before the Italian queen is introduced. At the time of her introduc- tion, the combs should again be thoroughly examined, and if any more royal cells have been started, they must likewise be destroyed. The Italian queen should be placed in a cage * for her protection, and a small quantity of pure honey in open cells should be put in the cage. The conduct of the workers will speedily show whether and when they will re- ceive her. Mr. Lange advises that the Italian queen be in- troduced immediately after the bees of a deprived colony manifest undoubted consciousness of the loss they have sus- tained, and before they have started any royal cells, or made arrangements for doincp so. German Apiarians designate as iastardized such Italian queens as have been impregnated by common drones, and also such common queens as are impregnated by Italian drones. The progeny of each is termed hastard^ and not hydrid, as they do not seem to constitute an intermediate breed, but are sometimes of the one kind, and sometimes of he other. Truly yours, SAMUEL WAGNER. E,Ev. L. L. Langstroth. Otto Radlkofer, Jr., of Munich, in a communication to the Beinenzeitung, July, 1856, says that a colony of Italian bees which he transferred in February, began to build new comb before the middle of March, and by the middle of April made more than 325 square inches ; while his common bees had not, at the date of his communication, (the last of ApriU) * See page 236. 454 THE ITALIAN BEE. begun to build any new comb. " Not only," says Mr. Radlkofer, " are the Italian bees distinguished by an earlier awakened impulse to activity and labor, but they are re- markable also for the sedulous use they make of every opening flower, visiting some on which common bees are seldom or never seen. They have also demonstrated their superior agility in self defence ; nay, they would not tolerate the presence of other bees on comb that had been strewed with flour for their common use. In all these respects the palm of superiority must be awarded to the Italian bee." An attempt was made last year by Mr. Wagner, to import this valuable variety of the honey-bee ; unfortunately the colonies perished on the voyage. Another attempt will be made to introduce them, so as to have them in season for operations, the ensuing Spring. The great obstacle to its more rapid diffusion in Germany, has been the difficulty under which even their most experi- enced Apiarians labor, in keeping the breed pure. From Mr, Wagner's letter it will be apparent that to bee-keepers on the old plan, the possession of an Italian queen could only serve to gratify their curiosity, as it would be next to impossible for them to multiply from it a pure breed. To those, however, who by using frames or slats have the command of each comb in a hive, such a queen might be made very valuable. By means of my non-swarmer^ a whole Apiary, however large, may in a single season have all its colonies supplied with genuine Italian queens, all produced from a single one, and this can be accomplished not only with much more certainty, but with far less labor than is re- quired by the German plan. As this is a subject which may soon be of great practical importance to our bee-keepers, I will give a brief sketch of the plan which I propose, for multiplying Italian queens. THE ITALIAN BEE. 455 Having one fertile Italian queen, in the Spring or early Sumnner, the Apiarian should proceed substantially as fol- lows : Let him make a powerful stock of bees in a hive giving him the control of the combs, putting into the center some combs which contain a large number of drone cells. Deprive this transferred stock of its queen, as soon as they have repaired their combs, and with suitable precautions, introduce to them the Italian queen. When the drone cells are filled with capped brood, let nuclei be formed from this stock. Brood combs must not, however, be removed too often, unless the Apiarian can keep the parent stock strong, by supplying it from other hives with combs containing bees just ready to hatch. As soon as the queens in the nuclei begin to mature, adjust the non-swarmer to all the hives in the Apiary containing common drones, so as to shut in the drones, (p. 203,) but give free egress and ingress to queens and wokr- ers. In this way, the drones bred by the Italian queen having their liberty, all the young females will be fertilized by them. As fast as the queen of any nucleus becomes fertile and has replenished the cells with eggs, remove her and give her to some strong stock of common bees, which has previously been deprived of its queen. The nucleus will now attempt to raise more, which before they hatch may be used for other colonies, one only being left behind. Soon after any strong stock with movable combs obtains a fertile Italian queen, nuclei may be formed from it, and in this way as many be raised as the necessities of the Apiary may require. A portion of the Italian drone brood ought to be given to some of the nuclei, and more drone comb put in its place, in the hive having the original Italian queen, so that in case the drones are killed in this colony, others will still be on hand. The Apiarian should also, later in the season, remove the 456 THE ITALIAN BEE. original Italian queen from the hive and put her elsewhere, in order that, finding themselves v^ithoui a queen, they may be disposed to tolerate the drones, as long as possible. If other Apiaries are near, to which he cannot apply the non- swarmer, the bee-keeper must remove his nuclei and hive with the Italian queen and drones, to some situation more remote. By substantially such methods of procedure, the season may be ended with none but Italian queens in the Apiary. Let the bee-keeper in his zeal for multiplying colonies with Italian queens, be sure not to forget my pre- vious cautions. He should never, unless in latitudes where the Winter is mild and short, attempt to winter any but strong stocks. From these, with the comb procured in uniting several feeble families, he can safely form new ones the ensuing season, and with much less trouble and expense than would ordinarily be necessary to nurse feeble stocks through a very precarious existence. Italian queens may be safely sent in my hives to any part of the country. A hive for this purpose should be made to hold only one comb, which ought to be old and very se- curely fastened. Into such a hive, suitably provisioned, an Italian queen may be introduced with a few hundred bees to keep her company, and if the frame containing the comb is properly secured, and sufficient ventilation given, they will bear a journey of many days. If received at a season un- suitable for rearing new queens, she may be given to some strong colony, transferxed * to a suitable hive, and reserved for future operations. * In the directions for transferring bees, 1 spoke of securing the old combs with cotton-twine^ until the bees could fasten them to the frames. Quite recently a friend has contrived a much better way. He cuts out from bass or any other spongy wood, slats, three-eights of an inch wide, and one.eighth thick, and half an inch longer than THE ITALIAN BEE. 457 It is hardly necessary for me to say, that a species of the honey-bee so much more productive than the common kind, and so much less sensitive to cold, will be of very great value to all sections of our country. Its superior docility would make it worthy of high regard, even if in other re- spects it had no peculiar merits. Its introduction into this country, will, it is confidently believed, constitute a new era in bee-keeping, and impart an interest in its pursuit which will enable us ere long to vie with any part of the world in the production of honey. If an intelligent farmer passing through a fertile district, should see vast fields of grass and grain rotting on the ground for want of gatherers, the sight would awaken the most painful emotions. To the well-informed Apiarian it is almost as painful a sight, to behold countless millions of blossoms, which if they do not " waste their sweetness on the desert air," exhale their luscious juices with but little benefit to man. Why should our land be deprived of the happy murmurs of these insect laborers, gathering up every wholesome * svi^eet, so that nothing may go to waste which the Bountiful Creator has made for the good of his creatures ? '^ Bees work for man, and yet they never bruise Their master's flower, but leave it, having done, As fair as ever and as fit for use." Herbert. the depth of the frames ; these are fastened together with strings, in pairs, so as just to slide over the top and bottom of a frame, to hold the comb in its place. Two pairs will be needed on each frame, and they may easily be removed after the bees have made the proper at- tachments. * The Ancients, we know, set a high value upon honey, recom- mending it, in moderation, as one of the most wholesome articles of food, and ascribing to it extraordinary medicinal virtues. The wise king has seen tit, in his book of Proverbs, to recommend its use by a special injunction ! " My son. eal thou honey, for it is good." 39 458 CHAPTER XXII. Bee-keeper's Calendar — Bee-keeper's Axioms. I SHALL now furnish plain directions for each month in the year, so that the beginner may always know what to do, at any given season, in his Apiary ; and as a full Alphabetical Index is given at the end of the book, he can easily refer to all that is said on any subject. January. — In cold climates, bees, in this month, are usually in a state of repose. If the colonies have had pro- per attention in the Fall, nothing will ordinarily need to be done, that will excite them to an activity always more or less injurious. In very cold climates, however, when a severe temperature is of very long continuance, it will be necessary, if the hives are not most thoroughly protected, to bring them into a warm room, (p. 327,) to thaw out the ice, and allow the bees to get access to their supplies. If the holes in the spare honey-board are left open, (p. 435,) the hives may be set low, and if completely covered with snow, so much the better for the bees, if proper precautions are used to prevent the water from entering them, in case of a sudden thav/. In January there are occasionally, even in very cold latitudes, days so pleasant that bees can fly out to discharge their fgeces; do not confine them, (p. 327,) even if some are lost on the snow. In this month clean the bottom-boards, (p. 327,) but disturb the bees as little as possible, February. — This month is sometimes colder than January, and then the directions given for the previous month, must be 459 followed. In milder seasons, however, and in warmer re- gions, bees begin to fly quite lively in February, and in some locations they commence gathering pollen. The bottom- boards should be again attended to, as soon as the bees are actively on the wing, and if any hives are suspiciously light, sugar-candy (p. 358) should be given them. Strong colo- nies will now begi-n to breed considerably, but nothing should be done to excite them to premature activity, March. — In our Northern States, the inhospitable reign of Winter still continues, and the directions given for the two previous months will be applicable to this. If there should be a pleasant day when bees are able to fly briskly, seize the opportunity to remove the covers (p. 334) ; care- fully clean out the hives, (p. 284), and learn the exact con- dition of every colony. See that your bees have a sheltered and sunny place for procuring water, (p. 357), and also that they are well supplied with rye-flour ; (p. 94.) In this month weak stocks commonly begin to breed, while strong ones increase quite rapidly. If the weather is favorable, colonies which have been kept in a special winter depository, may now be put upon their proper stands, (p. 332). April. — Bees will ordinarily begin to gather much pollen in this month, and sometimes considerable honey. As brood is now very rapidly maturing, there is a largely increased demand for honey, and great care should betaken to prevent the bees from suffering, in the very least, for want of food. If the supplies are at all deficient, breeding will be checked, even if much of the brood does not perish, or the whole colony die of starvation. If the weather is propitious, feeding to promote a more rapid increase of young (p. 347), may now be commenced. If any colonies are too feeble in numbers, they must now be reinforced (p. 284), and should the weather continue cold, for several days at a time, the 460 bees ought to be supplied with water (p. 257) in their hives. In April, if not before, the larvse of the bee-moth will begin to make their appearance, and should be carefully destroyed, (p. 367). May. — As the weather becomes more genial, the increase of bees in the colonies is exceedingly rapid, and drones, if they have not previously made their appearance, begin to issue from the hives. In some locations the bees will now gather much honey, and it will often be advisable to give them access to the spare-honey receptacles ; but in some seasons and locations, either from long and cold storms, or a deficiency of forage, stocks that are not well supplied with honey, will exhaust their stores and perish, unless they are fed. In favorable seasons swarms may be expected in this month, even in the Northern States. In Texas I have seen them issue early in March, and in some of the Southern States they are quite common in April. These May swarms often issue near the close of the blossoming of fruit trees, and just before the later supplies of forage, and will some- times starve, if the weather becomes suddenly unfavorable, unless they are fed. Even if there is no danger of this, they ought to be fed when food is scarce, or they will make so little progress in comb-building and breeding as to be sur- passed by much later swarms. The Apiarian should have hives in readiness to receive new swarms, however early they may issue or be formed. If new colonies are to be made by artificial processes, the proper methods should be taken to secure a seasonable supply of queens, (p. 190.) I ought previously to have stated that a queen nearly mature, may be known by having the wax removed by the bees from the extremity of her cell, so as to give it a very hroion ap- pearance. June. — This is the great swarming month in all our bee-keeper's calendar. 461 Northern and Middle States. As bees keep up a high tem- perature in their hives, they are by no means so dependent upon the weather, for forwardness, as plants, and most other insects necessarily are. I have had as early swarms in Northern Massachusetts, as in the vicinity of Philadelphia. If bees do not swarm very soon after the fruit trees are in blossom, it is desirable to have them defer it, until later sup- plies furnish them with abundant forage. They seldom swarm if honey is not so abundant that they can gather more than they need for immediate consumption. Artificial colonies, therefore, should not be made, except at such sea- sons, unless the Apiarian expects to feed them. In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I forgot to say that the bees may be driven up into the top box of my hive, by removing the honey-board, blowing smoke into the entrance, and drumming upon the outside of the hive. Inexperienced Apiarians may prefer this to opening the hive and lifting out the combs. I can easily stupify bees by fumigating them with puff-ball, or by pouring into their hive a little chloroform or ether, but it is far more troublesome to manage them in this way, than with the smoke of punk. If the bee-keeper relies upon natural swarming, his Apiary, if not in full sight and sound, should be carefully watched. If this cannot be done, he should, after a short absence, carefully examine the neighboring bushes and trees, on some of which he will often find a swarm clustered, preparatory to their departure for a new home. As it may often be im- portant to know from which hive the swarm has issued, after it has been hived and removed to its new stand, let a cup full of bees be taken from it and thrown into the air, near the Apiary ; they will soon return to the parent stock, and may easily be recognized, by their standing at the entrance and fanning, like ventilating bees; Where the hives have glass 39* 462 bee-keeper's calendar. windows, the diminished number of bees will usually show which colony has swarmed. As fast as they are filled,* and the cells capped over, the surplus honey-receptacles should be removed, and empty ones returned in their place. Careless bee-keepers often lose much, by neglecting to do this in season, thereby con- demning their colonies to a very unwilling idleness. The Apiarian will bear in mind that all small swarms, which come off late in this month, should be either aided, doubled, or returned to the mother stock, (p. 163). With my hives the issue of such swarms may be prevented, by removing in season the supernumerar}^ queen cells. During all the swarming season, and indeed at all other times when young queens are being bred, the bee-keeper must ascertain sea- sonably, that the hives which contain them, succeed in secur- ing a fertile mother, (p. 294). I have repeatedly observed that after-swarms build the most regular worker comb, and that if they lay up a suffi- cient supply of honey, they usually make the best stock hives. If, by further experiments, I ascertain that this is owing to their possessing a young queen, I shall judge it best, in making artificial swarms, to leave the old queen with the parent stock, and to supply the forced swarm with a young one, as soon as ihey manifest a consciousness of their loss. July. — In some seasons and districts, this is the great swarming month, while in others, bees issuing so late, are of small account. In Northern Massachusetts, 1 have known swarms coming after the 4th of July, to fill their hives and make large quantities of surplus honey besides. In this month all the choicest spare honey should be removed from * Mr. Quinby informs me, that he succeeds in making bees fill a double tier of small boxes, by placing one set on the hive first ; when they have partially filled these, he puts the second set under the first. 46B the hives, before the delicate whiteness of the combs be- comes soiled by the travel of the bees, or the purity of the honey is impaired by an inferior article gathered later in the season. The bees should have a liberal allowance of air during all extremely hot weather, and if the stocks are strong, I often remove entirely the entrance blocks. August. — In most regions there is but little forage for bees, during the latter part of July and the first part of Au- gust, and being on this account tempted to rob each other, the greatest precautions should be used in opening hives, (p. 342). In districts where buckwheat is extensively cultivated, bees will sometimes swarm when it comes into blossom, and in some seasons extraordinary supplies are obtained from it. I had a buckwheat swarm this year (1856) as late as the 16lh of September ! If any colonies are, in the expressive language of old Butler, " over fat," some of their full combs should now be removed, (p. 201). If the caps of the cells are carefully sliced off, with a very sharp knife, and the combs laid over a vessel, in some moderately warm place, and turned once, most of the honey will drain out of them, and they may be returned lo the bees, to be filled again. I know of scarcely any more profitable operation in the whole range of bee- keeping, than this, when a fair price can be obtained for the liquid honey. The bee-keeper who has queenless stocks on hand in August, must expect as the result of his ignorance or neg- lect, either to have them robbed by other colonies, or de- stroyed by the moth,* (p. 264). * An attentive perusal, quite recently, of what Aristotle has written on the subject of the honey-bee, has impressed me with the extraordi- 464 September. — This is often a very busy month with bees. The Fall flowers come into blossom, and in some seasons colonies which have hitherto amassed but little honey, be- come heavy and even yield a surplus to their owner. Bees are very reluctant to work in boxes, so late in the season, even if supplies are very abundant; but if empty combs are inserted in the place of full ones removed, they will fdl them with astonishing celerity. These full combs may af- terwards be returned, if the bees have not a sufficient supply without them. They can be profitably used for making new stocks, out of bees driven from hives condemned, by old- fashioned bee-keepers, to the sulphur pit. If no Fall supplies abound, and any stocks are too light to winter with safety, then, in the Northern States, the latter part of this month is the proper time for feeding them. I have already stated (p. 36) that it is impossible to tell how much food a colony will require to carry it safely through the winter; it will be found, however, very unsafe to trust to a bare supply, for even if there is food enough, it may not always be readily accessible to the bees. For this reason I prefer lo leave in all my hives a very generous supply, as I nary knowledge possessed by him of their habits. Several important points which I have met with in no other work, and which I had sup- posed to be discoveries of my own, appear to have been familiar to this truly wonderful genius. Speaking of the larva3 of the bee-moth, he says : '' Good bees expel them ; but others from slothfulness, neg- lect their combs, which then perish." His good bees were evidently such as possessed abundant stores and a healthy queen ; and his bad ones neglected to expel the worms, not from idleness, but from despair, (see p. 262). We learn from this remark of Aristotle, that the moth preyed upon queenless stocks, more than two thousand years ago, pre- cisely in the same way as now. So, doubtless, it will continue to do in spite of all pretended moth-proof hives, as long as time shall endure. bee-keeper's calendar. 465 can easily remove any surplus in the Spring. If the aggre- gate resources of the colonies are sufficient, those which have not enough, may be supplied from those having a su- perabundance. In some cases the bee-keeper may prefer, by uniting several destitute stocks, to save the labor and ex- pense of feeding, (p. 315.) Great caution will still be ne- nessary to guard against robbing, but if there are no feeble, queenless, or impoverished stocks, the bees, unless tempted by improper management, will seldom rob each other. October. — Forage is now almost entirely exhausted in most localities, and colonies which are too light should be fed early in this month. If feeding is begun too early, in seasons when late forage is abundant, there will be a great waste of honey. In this month, at the very latest, the exact condition of every stock should be known, and if any are found in a queenless condition, they should be broken up. Small colonies should be united to others, and all the hives put into proper condition for wintering. Some full honey- combs should be put in the center of the hive, and holes, for easy intercommunication, be made in the combs ; (pp. 323- 4,). Since putting to press the remarks on wintering bees, I have succeeded in devising a very simple, cheap and effi- cient method, by which in new frames, the requisite winter passages will be left by the bees, so that movable frames may be safely used, without the necessity of opening the hives to make the holes, (p. 325.) In describing the advantages of punk-smoke, for subduing bees, it ought to have been stated that no utensil of any kind will be needed for using it ; the Apiarian being able to blow the smoke upon the bees with his mouth better than in any other way. I find that the punk from hard wood is the best. Hives not made of doubled materials, if they are to winter out of doors, should be protected according to the 466 directions on pages 326 and 434. By the last of October, the glass hives should be thoroughly packed, between the outside cases and the glass, with cotton, or any other warm material. November. — I take for granted that all necessary prepara- tions for Winter, have, in our Northern States, been com- pleted by the last of the previous month. If, hov^^ever, the bee-keeper has been prevented from examining his stocks, he may, on warm days, in November, safely perform all necessary operations, the feeding with liquid honey, excepted. The entrances to the hives must now be secured against mice, and it will be well to give the roofs a new coat of paint. If the hives are to be exposed to the sun, at all sea- sons, no color is so good as a pure white ; but if they are set under the shade of trees, (p. 301,) a dark color will do them no harm, in the hottest weather, while early in the season, before the leaves are expanded, by absorbing instead of reflecting the heat, it will prove highly advantageous to the bees. By the latter part of November, in our Northern States, Winter usually sets in, and colonies which are to be kept in a special winter depository, should be properly housed. The later in the season that the bees are able to fly out and dis- charge their fseces, the better. The bee-keeper must regu- late the time of housing his bees by the season and climate, being careful not to take them in, until cold weather appears to be fairly established, nor to leave them out too late. The necessity for the exercise of so much good judgment in this matter, is a serious objection to the use of winter quarters, by any except those who have considerable experience in their management. If colonies are carried in too early, and a spell of quite warm weather succeeds the first cold, it will sometimes be advisable to replace them on their sum- mer stands. bee-keeper's axioms. 467 IJecember. — In regions where it is advisable to house bees, the dreary reign of Winter is now fairly established, and the directions given for January are for the most part equally applicable to this month. It may be well, in hives out of doors, to remove the dead bees and other refuse from the bottom-boards, but neither in this month nor at any other time, should this be attempted with those removed to a dark and protected place. Such colonies must not, except under the pressure of some urgent necessity, be disturbed in the very least, (p. 116.) I recommend to the inexperienced bee-keeper, to read this synopsis of monthly management, again and again, and to be sure that he fully understands and punctually dis- charges the appropriate duties of each month, neglecting nothing, and procrastinating nothing to a more convenient season ; for while bees do not require a large amount of at- tention, in proportion to the profits yielded by them, they must have it at the proper time and in the right ivay. Those who complain of their unprofitableness, are often as much to blame as a farmer who, after neglecting to take suitable care of his stock, or to gather his crops in season, should denounce his employment as yielding only a scanty return, on a large investment of capital and labor. Bee-Keeper's Axioms. Under this head I shall briefly enumerate certain first principles which should regulate the whole management of bees, and ought therefore to be as familiar to every Apiarian, as the letters of his alphabet. 1st. Bees gorged with honey never volunteer an attack. 2nd. Bees may always be made peaceable, by inducing them to accept of liquid sweets. 468 Sd. Bees when frightened by smoke or by drumming on their hives, fill themselves with honey and lose all disposition to sting, unless they are hurt. 4th. Bees dislike any quick movements about their hives, more especially any motion which jars their combs. 5th. Bees dislike the offensive odor of sweaty animals, and will not endure impure air from human lungs. 6th. The bee-keeper will ordinarily derive all his profits from stocks, strong and healthy, in early Spring. 7th. In districts where forage is abundant only for a short period, the largest yield of honey will be secured by a i^ery moderate increase of stocks. 8th. A moderate increase of colonies in any one season, will in the long run, prove to be the easiest, safest and cheapest mode of managing bees. 9th. Queenless colonies, unless supplied with another queen, will inevitably dwindle away, or be destroyed by the bee-moth or by robber bees. 10th. The formation of new colonies should ordinarily be confined to the season when bees are accumulating honey, and if this or any other operation must be performed when forage is scarce, the greatest precautions should be used to prevent robbing. The very essence of all profitable bee-keeping may be condensed into Oetle's Golden Rule : keep your stocks STRONG. If you cannot succeed in doing this, the more money you invest in bees, the heavier will be your losses ; while if your stocks are strong, you will show that you are a hee-master, as well as a bee-keeper, and may safely cal- culate on generous returns from your grateful and industrious subjects. APPENDIX, On the impeegnation of the eggs of the Queen, It would seem, from recent discoveries, that the spermato- zoa do not simply come in contact with an egg, in impreg- nating it, but actually enter into it, through a small opening. In applying this discovery to bees, Prof. Siebold, of Germany, dissected a larg-e number of worker-eggs, and found, in such as were not too much mutilated for proper examination, from one to three spermatozoa, while in dissecting drone- eggs, he could not find the slightest traces that they had been impregnated. Dr. DonhofT reared, last Summer, a worker larva, from a drone-egg which he had artificially impregnated. I attempt- ed this experimeiit, in 1852 ; but to my great disappoint- ment, the bees removed or devoured all the eggs thus treat- ed, owing, as I then supposed, to their unwillingness to raise workers in drone cells. By taking a piece of drone- coml) in which eggs have just been deposited, and touching some of them with a fine brush, dipped in the diluted semen of drones, I believe that queens, workers and drones may be raised from these eggs, if the precaution, is taken to give them to bees having neither queen nor brood of any kind. To those who deny that the human family could ever have sprung from a single pair, on account of the great physical diversities between the different races, I would re- spectfully submit the fact, which has been demonstrated in so many independent ways, that queens, workers or drones may be raised from the same kind of eggs. The differences between ihem, in size, shape, color and instincts, are con- fessedly much greater than any between the various races of snen ; and yet, in the one case, the changes are all produced in a few weeks, while in the other, they may have had many hundreds of years, for their gradual development. 40 470 APPENDIX. On the secretion of Eoyal Jelly. Some recent observations of Mr. P. J. Mahan, prove that bees when entirely confined to their hive and supplied with water, are able from the honey and pollen stored in their combs, to secrete royal jelty and rear perfect queens. The' incessant attention bestowed upon the royal cells, (p. 69,) must, in part, be owing to the many visits required, for the workers to store in them the usual allowance of jelly. On teansfersing bees from common, to movable coms HIVES. On a cold day, in the latter part of December, a colony of bees in an old I30X, was transferred by Mr. P. J. Mahan, to a movable comb hive. About a dozen bees were killed in the transfer which was performed in a warm room. A month later this colony was examined in their new home, and their combs found to contain eggs, worms and sealed brood. It would seem from this experimeni, that there is no day in the year, so cold, that experienced operators cannot safely transfer bees. On the USE OF Grated SuGAR-CANDi: as a Winter bee- feed. On the shape of hives. The Rev. Mr. Kleine, uses grated sugar-candy, as a win- ter food for bees. He first dampens the empty combs with sweetened water, and after grating intoihem the candy, puts them where they will be most accessible to the bees. In- creasing experience confirms the extraordinary merits of candy, as a winter bee-feed. It may be easily and safely given to needy stocks, in the coldest weather, if they are in movable-comb hives. The shape for hives, recommended on page 432, will be found objectionable by those who desire to lift and manage APPENDIX. 4T1 them, without any assistance. All hives designed to acconr)- niodate more than one colony, will, for the same reason, be unsuited to the wants of such cultivators. By making my hives about 18 inches, from front to rear, and varying the other proportions, I am able to combine a shape convenient for handling, with one well adapted for wintering bees in cold climates. On Movable Bottom-Boards. I find that the use of punk-smoke,*" obviates some of the chief objections to movable bottom-boards. By blowing a little smoke into the mouth of the hive, the bees may be quickly driven up among the combs, so that the hive maybe lifted and the bottom-board cleaned, without crushing a single bee. By the use of movable bottom-boards, the bee-keeper can set one hive on top of another, making use of the upper one as a place of storage for the surplus honey. In hives of the simplest form, built in this way, a given quantity of honey may be secured on frames, in marketable order, at a very m.oderate outlay ; I believe for as small a sum as in any kind of hive whatever. (See PI. 1.) On Wintering Bees tn the Open Air. In the previous part of this work, directions were given for furnishing proper intercommunications among the combs, and for allowing the dampness of the main hive to escape into the upper cover, by opening some of the holes in the spare honey board. To-day, (Jan. 9th 1857,) a number of colonies were examined, to which suitable winter communi- cations between their combs, had been given, all the holes on their honey-boards being left open. The month of De- cember was severely cold, the thermometer falling to 17*^ * The use of smoke in subduing bees, is referred to by Aristotle, Columella, and Pliny. Bee-keepers who have never tried it, can hard- ly conceive how wonderfully it facilitates the management of bees. 472 APPENDIX. below zero. The last three days, it has been about half of ■ the time below zero, and never more than ten above, while the wind has blown almost a continuous gale. In none of the hives could I detect any frost or dampness, or any bees frozen by being caught away from the main body of the colony. In the upper covers, however, there was an abund- ance of frost, and it was easy to see where the dampness had escaped. In a few of my colonies in which none of the holes had been opened, the sides of the hive, many of the combs, and the surface of the honey board next to the bees, were coated with frost ! So long as it is too cold for the frost in the hives to thaw, it may subject the bees to Ihlle inconvenience, unless they need the food in the frosty combs ; but as soon as a thaw sets in, the combs must become damp and the bees so drenched with wet, as to be exposed to disease. If the weather suddenly changes to severe cold, before the hive has time to dry, then the bees being wet, are liable to be entirely destroyed. In this way many colonies perished in the month of March, 1856. The Winter having been intensely cold, the hives were filled with frost, and in some the ice on the sides was neariy 1-4 of an inch thick. A few days of mild weather in which the frost began to thaw out, was followed by extreme cold and furious winds, during which many colonies which had abundant stores, perished. In many instances tlie bees which were still wet from the previous thaw, were frozen into an almost solid mass ! I lind, by experience, that in very cold climates, unless the dampness is allowed to escape from above, it is almost im- possible to prevent such fatalities, in hives standing in the open air. The intense cold will defy any amount of protec- tion which can be given, and the hives will be damp, the combs mouldy and the bees diseased, even where frost may be entirely excluded. Indeed the greater the protection given to hives that have no upward ventilation, the greater, often, the risk from dampness. A very thin hive, unpainted, so that it may easily absorb the heat of the sun, will dry inside, when the weather becomes mild enough to thaw, much sooner than one painted white, and in every way most thoroughly protected against cold. The first may be com- APJPE^DIX. 473 pared to a garret, and the other to a cellar. While the one is annoyed with dampness for a short time only, the other may be so long in drying, as to injure if not destroy the bees. In order to test this matter more thoroughly, I have re- moved some colonies from hives the best protected, into others less than an inch thick. Giving them the necessary openings to allow the dampness to escape, and exposing them to a temperature iG° below zero, I have found very little frost in their hives ! It must not be inferred from these observations, that it is a matter of inditference to bees, whether their hives are well or ill protected, but that securi- ty against dampness, if the hives are well peopled and well provisioned, is more important than anything else. In the experiments of this winter, some of my hives have been subjected to the severest tests. The honey-board has been entirely removed, and only a thin upper cover placed over the bees, so that the empty ^-pace above them was nearly as large as the main hive. On lifting this cover, it has been found coated with frost, while the main hive was dry, and the bees full of life and activity. In a temperature many degrees below zero, they would rush up from their combs, on the slightest jar of their hive, rapidly pouring through the intercommunications betvv^een the combs, and thus showing their ability to reach any of the stores in their hive. It must not be forgotten, however, that when upward ventilation is given to the hives, the entrances should be most carefully sheltered from cold winds. In situations where this is clifncult, they should be almost entirely closed^ and this may be safely done in the thinnest hives, by making proper provision for the escape of dampness. Even if the hives should be buried in the snow, and the entrances en- tirely closed, the bees will not suffer for want of air, where they have free openings into the upper cover, but like the Esquimaux in their snow huts, will only be the more effectu- ally protected against the cold. The upward ventilation of the hives in Winter, renders a ventilator on the bottom-board, (p. 325,) unnecessary. If on the approach of Winter, a few thicknesses of com- mon straw wrapping paper or old newspapers, are tacked on 40* 474 APPENDIX. the under side of the spare honey board, neither frost nor dampness will ever gather upon it, to annoy the bees. Holes for upward ventilation may be cut out in the paper ; but I prefer to drive tacks into the four corners of the board,* so as to elevate it about half an inch. The paper should be removed and the honey-board shut down, in the Spring. Since the chapter on Protection of Hives, went to the press, owing to a delay in printing the rest of the work, caused by the Author's ill health, an opportunity has been afforded for nearly two Winters, of experimenting further on the best mode of wintering bees. While the results of last Winter, taught me the need of upward ventilation, and a more free communication among the combs, the numerous experiments of this Winter, have convinced me that I have over-estimated the benefits to be derived from thoroughly protected hives. To-day, (Jan. 14, 1857,) I have opened three hives and carefully examined the combs, and find their condition to be as follows: (No. 1.) A good stock of bees, in a thin hive, with abundant upward ventilation, the spare honey-board being entirely removed. In the main hive there was a very little frost, (the thermometer this KM, being 10^ degrees below zero,) and the bees were dry and lively. The central combs contained eggs and unsealed worms. (No. 2.) A stock eqally strong, in a thin hive, long enough to hold 18 frames. The bees with their combs, occu- pied the eight central frames ; the other frames had no combs. This hive had no upward ventilation, and contain- ed much frost. The central combs had eggs and unsealed worms. (No. 3.) A hive most thoroughly protected by dead air spaces all around, and having upward ventilation, the holes in its honey board being all left open. This hive was about os t^rost}^ as No. 1, and its central combs had eggs and worms, a \^qw of which were sealed over. It had a better stock of bees than the others, but appeared to have commenced breeding only a ^qw days earlier. The results of these examinations show, that where there *= To-day, (Jan. IGth,) the thermometer being below zero, I exam- ined a stock in a thin hive, the honey-board being elevated, as above?. The hive was free from frost, and the bees very lively. APPENDIX. 475 is a good supply of food and bees, breeding conamences* about the same time, being influenced very little by the thickness or thinness of the hives. Bees can only breed in such combs as they can densely cover, and, as was shown in No. 2, however large the cold and unoccupied space in their hive, they are able to develop their brood in these combs. No amount of protection which could possibly be given to the hive, would enable them to rear a single bee, except in the warm combs on which they are clustered. Bees kept in large garret-closets where their combs oc- cupy but a small part of the enclosed space, are ex^posed often to a very severe temperature. In such situations, however, they are able to breed in the depth of winter, and I believe that they would thrive, even if their combs were hung in an open shed, and merely protected from the wind. 1 would sooner risk them in such a situation, than in a damp hive, however well-protected. The grand essentials for successfully wintering bees in the open air, in cold climates, may be condensed into a very few words : plenty of bees ; plenty of food ; easy commu- nications among the combs; upward ventilation for the escape of dampness ; and the hive-entrance well sheltered from piercing winds. Jan. 30th, 1857: This month, the coldest on record for more than 50 years, has furnished the most decisive proof of the correctness of the views advanced in this Appendix, on wintering bees in the open air. My colonies have been ex- posed to a temperature of 30° below zero, the mercury for iwo days never having risen above 6^ below, and the wind blowing a strong gale the whole time ! I have to-day care- fully examined the thin hive, (No. 1, p. 474,) and find the bees to be very healthy. The central comb is almost en- tirely filled with sealed brood, nearly mature ; the combs are free from any appearance of mould, and the interior of the hive is very dry. The spare honey-board was covered on its under side,v\/ith straw wrapping-paper, and elevated by tacks * 1 examined a number of strong stocks Nov. 1st, and found that breeding had entirely ceased ; Aristotle says that it ceases for about 60 days. This agrees with my own observations, at; I found eggs in these stocks early in January. 476 APPENDIX. on ils corners about half an inch. In all my hives where I have adopted this arrangement, not a particle of dampness is found to settle over the bees. The value of the intercom- municating passages through the combs, has this Winter been most fully tested ; and its importance can hardly be over-esti- mated. For the last few days a thaw has set in, which has not injured the hives having upward ventilation, although it has filled with dampness the few which were purposely left without it. To-day, (Jan. 31st,) I have removed the upper cover and spar^ honey-board, from the thin hive mentioned above, ex- posing the bees to the full heat of the sun, the thermometer being 30° in the shade, and the atmosphere calm. The hive standing on the sunny side of the house, the bees were quickly in motion, and taking wing discharged their f^ces. Very few were lost on the snow, and nearly all that alit upon it, (p. 327,) took wing without being chilled. More bees were lost from other hives which were not opened, as few which left such hives were able to return ; while in the one with the cover removed, the returning bees were able to alight at once among their warm companions, (p. 334.) The Rev. J. C. Bodv/ell, of Framingham, Mass., put, at the commencement ot the winter, a number of good stocks, in mov. comb hives, into a very dry cellar, leaving the spare honey-boards entirely off. In examining* one of these on the 17th of January, he found that the combs were perfectly dry and contained an abundance of eggs, worms and sealed brood. This is a highly important observation, proving as it does that bees in a suitable winter depositary, begin to breed at the usual period, even although their hives are in midnight darkness. In due time, the results of Mr. Bod- well's experiments, as compared with those obtained by others, from wintering colonies in the open air, will be com- municated to the public. * The careful reader will notice the very great facilities for experi- menting, furnished by the mov. comb hive. It need hardly be added that all these winter examinations are injurious to bees^ APPENDIX. 477 On Propagating the Italian Bee. The Baron of Berlepsch thinks that wlien a Queen is re- duced to a torpid condition by cold, the contents of her sper- nnatheca are injured, so that she is never after capable of lay- ing worker eggs. It occurred to me that if his experiments on this point could be verified, it would be an easy matter, at any time, by refrigerating a queen, to change her into a drone-layer and thus have a supply of Italian drones for im- pregnating newly raised queens. Thus far, hov^ever, my ex- periments do not at all support the Baron's observations. Dr. Leidy has examined several refrigerated queens and found the contents of their spermatheca to be uninjured. One queen was reduced to a torpid condition and then restored, and after this process was repeated several times, she was returned to her colony. An examination of the sealed brood in this hive a few weeks later, showed that it was all regu- lar working brood ! I would propose a method by which drone laying queens can be easily obtained, at any time when they are wanted. Let a person receiving an Italian queen so late in the season that she does not incline to lay drone eggs, proceed as follows : E.aise from her worker-eggs, a few queens, and confine them to their hives, by adjusling the entrances, for about twenty-four days. Their impreg- nation being thus delayed, (p. 39,) they Vv'iil ever after pro- duce only drones. As soon as these queens begin to lay, the proper steps may be taken to raise from the original Italian queen, others to be impregnated by these drones. A person receiving an Italian queen in July might thus suc- ceed in replenishing his Apiary in September, with her pro- geny impregnated by Italian drones. In consulting the old Greek and Latin writers who have noticed the Italian bee, I find no mention made of its superior gentleness, except by Columella, who speaks of it as being " mitior moribus," that is, more peaceable in its behavior, than the common kind. Feb. 14th. To-day, the thermometer being 45° in the shade, and the atmosphere calm and clear, the bees have filled the air with their happy hum, and although the ground has been covered with snow, very few have failed to return to their hives. A careful examination of my stocks shows 478 APPENDIX. that they have wintered unusually well, notwiihslanding the intense cold. The bees are very numerous and in perfect health. When upward ventilation is given them, I find no difficult}^ even in the coldest weather, in getting them to eat sugar candy put on top of their frames. Mr. Wagner in- forms me that some of the Germans complain that hives thus ventilated, are so dry in Winter that the bees have not moisture enough for their brood. 1 have experienced no such difficulty in my hives this Winter, but if it should oc- cur, it might easily be obviated by occasionally pouring a little luke-warm water among the bees. This would usually be advisable when the weather in February and March is such as to prevent the bees from flying out. I can speak very favorably of the plan of elevating the frames, (p. 327,) as I find that the bees have wintered best in such hives. Although I do not recommend disturbing bees in Winter, still 1 can, on any emergency, not only feed them, but thoroughly examine all their combs and transfer them to another hive, and this wiih the loss of only a few bees. On Sweedish White Clover. A correspondent of the " Frauendnrfer Blatter,'''^ Nov. 16ih, 1856, inquires : "Does the new Sweedish Clover {TrifoUum hyhridum) deserve the high encomiums it receives, and in what does its superiority consist .?" To this, the editor, E. Furst, himself good authority, replies : " The hybrid clover is really to be recommended ; and though it is as yet but little cultivated, will doubtless in a few years, be very generally introduced. In both quality and quantity of product it is pre-eminently distinguished, and is especially valuable for the continued succulency of the stalk, even where the plant is in full bloom. It requires a less tertile soil than the red clover, and is less liable to be thrown out by frost in Winter. It also yields a heavier second crop than the common white clover. V\^e add a report on its culture, received from a farmer in Smalcald, who says : " 1 sowed it with barley in a light soil with a dry subsoil. The APPENDIX, 479 previous crop was tobacco, well manured. In the Fall, the hybrid clover had completely covered the ground. In 1854, it grew luxuriantly, attained a height of three feet, and threw out numerous side shoots where ihe heads or blossom buds were formed. It was m.uch more succulent and produced a heavier first crop than the red clover growing by its side. It matured twelve days later. The second crop of the hybrid clover was however much lighter than that of the red. I had some of each cut and placed before my cattle, which left the red clover untouched, till they had eaten up the hybrid." (S. Wagner.) On making artificial swarms adhere, like natural swarms, to their new location. Dr. Donhoff says : " On an evening when the next day promises to be clear and warm, drive out a sv.'arm, place the parent hive in a dark cellar, put the swarm in a shallow box, and set it in the place of the parent stock. Next day, when the temperature has become warm, pour a quantity of honey among the bees in the box, and in a few hours they will swarm, and may then be set in a new place and the pa- rent hive restored to its former position." If the box was turned over, the bees would be more sure to leave it. By dividing one such swarm, or a natural swarm, or any swarm brought from a distance, into five or six parts, (pp. 223, 291,) as many artificial swarms may be easily made, if the Apiari- an has suitable stocks from which to make them ; these may be placed on the stands of the parent hives, which may be safely removed to a new position, by giving to them their proper share of the divided swarm. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. Description of Wood-Cuts of the various styles of movable comb hives, with bills of stock for making THEM, These engravings, (with the exception of those which are in perspective,) are all on the scale of 1^ inches to the foot, so that every |- of an inch, is an inch in a hive of the full size. All the measurements are inches or fractions of an inch. The thickness of stock used, is mostly |^ths of an inch, but the measurements here given can be easily varied, to suit any thickness that may be most convenient. In making a lot of hives, there will be scarcely any waste, as pieces which otherwise would be refuse, are used for the frames. Good stock will prove much the cheapest in the end. Those not accustomed to longitudinal and cross sections, will be greatly assisted by the perspective views. In the longitudinal sections, the hive is represented as sawed in two, from front to rear, and in the cross sections, from side to side. All the parts supposed to be cut by the saw, are marked by cross lines : the parts which though not cut can be seen after the cutting, are also represented in the engrav- ings. Any measurement may be proved by applying an ac- curate rule to the sections. The reader will bear in mind that those only who have purchased the patent right, (Ministers of the Gospel except- ed,) can legally use these hives. For terms, see p. 12. PLATE I. Figs. 1, 2 and 3, Hive No. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hive of the simplest form, the cover being removed to show one of the frames ; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 3, a vertical cross section of the same. 41 482 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. I Front of hive, 14|- by 8| by f ; I rear, 14| by 9f by |-. ec Sides of hive, 19|^ by 10 by |^. d d Strips on front and rear of hive, 15|^ by 1|- byf. / Movable cover to hive, 25|- by 18^ by f . g g Clamps on cover, 25| by | by |-. If a movable bottom-board is used, it may be made like the cover, and the rear and sides of the hive beveled, to avoid crushing bees, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Holes in the top cover may be made as in Fig. 21, and another hive of the same form set on it, to receive the spare honey in movable frames. In all the hives it is best to have the spare honey stored in frames ; but boxes or any kind of recepta- cles may be set over the holes. For very hot climates the back of this hive may be made like the front, and by keep- ing both open in Summer, or the back covered with wire- gauze, the bees will have an abundance of air. Hive No. I with changes and additions. Figs 1, 2 and 3. h Front end of hive, 14|- by 8|- by |-. I Rear, 14|- by ^^l by ■§-• c c Sides, 23|- by 10|- by I-, dd Strips on front and rear of hive, 15|- by 1^ by f. Permanent bottom put in as in Hive No 2,23 by 14l- by -|. / Movable Cover, 25^ by 18i by I", g g Clamps on cover, 25J- by |- by |-. In this hive the alighting-board is sheltered, and the bottom board permanent ; the spare honey may be taken as in the former hive. Movable Comb-Frames, see Figs. 1, 2, 16, and 18. t Top piece, 19|- by |^ by y^g-. t Bottom piece, 17f by |- by |. u Triangular top comb-guide, coped at each end upon the triangular sides, 17f by |- by ^ by ^. uu Trian- gular sides cut off square at each end, 8| by |- by |- by |-. V Winter passage* cut square on the bottom, and coped upon * 1 have not yet experimented with this "Winter passage sufficiently to enable me to feel certain that it will answer the ends proposed. In my own Apiary, I prefer to cut with a small knife, a hole in the combs after the bees have ceased gathering in the Fall. This winter passage maybe put in the middle of the frame, (Fig. 2,) or further back, (Fig. 16.) The first position is probably the best. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 483 the top triangular comb-guide, so as to set corner-wise in the frame, 8| by f by f. A mortice, 4 by ^ may be cut through two opposite corners of this piece, to allow the bees to pass from comb to comb in the Winter. This mortice may be cut out with a circular saw by holding (zj), while pushing it down over the saw, in a groove formed in a piece of board such as is shown cut in (a), figs. 4 and 5. All the parts of the movable frames should be cut out by a circu- lar saw, and the measurements should be exact, so that the frames when nailed together may be perfectly square. If they are not both strong and square, the proper working of the hive will be greatly interfered with. Frames for holding spare honey in the upper apartment, need no Winter passage. Ten frames equally distant from each other, are placed in the lower hive, and nine in the upper, for spare honey. PLATE II. Figs. 4 and 5 show the Gage-board for sawing the copings of the movable comb-frames. Fig. 4 is a view, and Fig. 5, a cross section. a Foundation board, 20 by 10 by |-, with two grooves cut lengthwise in it, each making one half of a square that meas- ures fths. b h Guide strips for holding to be coped, the top triangular comb-guide {u) of the movable frames, 2 by |- by 17J, beveled under on the inner edge, -^q. c c Gage slops for top triangular piece (u) of frame, so placed that said piece when the copings are sawed out, will be 17|ths in length. d d Gage stops so fixed in the grooves cut in (a), that the winter passages (r) when coped shall be Sfths in length. e Guide block, in w^hich block and the piece (a), the saw is guided in kerfs cut on an angle of 60° with the end. By the arrangement above described, ihe movable frames may be coped rapidly and accurately by hand. Coping the frames makes them very much stronger than mitering them ; it may be done with the circular saw. PLATE II. Figs. 6, 7 and 8, show the Gage-Block for fast- ening the movable frames together. Fig. 6, is a view of the front of this block, Fig. 8 a view 484 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. of the back, and Fig. 7 is a cross section of the front and back. a Foundation board, 2 If by 9|- by |-. i h Guides for sides (mw), of frames fastened to {a) equally distant from its ends, and so as to leave 17§ihs between {h h) and ^ of an inch from upper edge of (a) to ends of (b b). c c Buttons for holding sides of frames {u u), against {b b), 6^ by 1^ by |-. Cut in one end of each button, a triangular groove corres- ponding to the shape of the sides of the frames, d d Guides for placing the Winter passage (y), 4 pieces, -^^ by 1 J- by 1^. One end of each piece is cut to a miter, so that when fasten- ed on {a), as shovi^n in Fig 6, two sides of a f^th square are formed. The upper edge of the upper guides is l|th from top edge of (a), and the lower edge of the lower guides is l^ths from the bottom of (a), ff Gu\des in which the top tri- angular comb-guide is placed, in order to have the top strip (t) nailed thereto ; each piece (/) is 21|^ by 2 by f , and they are beveled from one edge back, y^g, and are then fast- ened to (a), forming a triangular groove each side of which is |-ths. Two triangular pieces ^ by -| by |^ by 3 are cut on a miter at one end and fastened, (Fig. 6,) at each end of the groove, g Guide-strip, |- by y^^ by 19|^. h Guide-strip |- '^y T^6" by 8f, fixed on and across the pieces {ff ) ^ an inch from their ends. To nail the frames together, put the triangular comb-guide (w) in the groove formed by the pieces (//); place the piece (/-) on the top of {u) and against the guides (g) and (A), and nail it to (u) with two brads each about two inches from the end. Proceed in this way until all the triangular guides are nailed to the top strips. Now turn over the gage-block and secure the verti- cal pieces [u w), against the guides {bb)^ by the buttons (c c), and nail the bottom (t) to (w u) with two brads at each end. Turn the gage-block, place the winter passage (v) in the guides {d rf), glue the copings and place the top of the frame (t) which has before been nailed to the guide (w), in its proper position, and nail it to (uu) with two brads in each end, and to the Winter passage (v) with one brad. When the gage-block is turned for the next frame, put a brad through the bottotn (t) into the Winter passage {v), before turning the buttons and removing the frame. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 485 PLATE III. Fig. 10 shows the arrangement of the circular saw to cut the triangular comb-guides. The first piece cut is waste ; as fast as a guide is sawed, the piece from which it is cut, must be turned over, end for end. PLATES III, V and VI. Figs. U, 12, 17 and 19 show the construction and position of the Entrance-Regulators. Fig. 11, is a right angled triangle |-ths thick by 4 by 5| by 7, Fig. 12, is a right angled triangle ^ inch thick, by 7 by 4 by 5|-. In the bottom of the first piece, grooves are cut i deep by 4- f^n inch wide, as traps for the larvse of the bee- moth, (p. 269.) On the face of the second piece, strips -^^ of an inch thick are placed, two of which are ^ an inch wide and are placed as shown in Fig. 12, parallel with the 4 inch side, and so as to leave a space of J^ inches between them and the second artd third piece, which last piece is a right- angled triangle. In the spaces between the strips just men- tioned, cut Fig. 12 to a bevel of 45°. Now fasten very se- curely the two blocks, so that there will be no chance for any alteration of the ^^ inch passage, by warping or swell- ing. To test the accuracy of the -3%- inch strips, put four of them together and if they measure just fths, they will answer for confining the queen, (p. 201.) If there is no desire to prevent swarming,* then Fig, 11 will answer, Vv^ithout the ad- dition of Fig. 12. Two of these doubled blocks, made right and left are used for a hive. When Figs. 11 and 12 are fastened together, the corner made by the meeting of the 7 inch and 5|- inch sides, should be very slightly clipped, so that the 7 inch side will measure a scant -|- of an inch less than 7 inches. To confine the queen, turn over the blocks and ■place them with ihe 7 inch sides against the front of the hive, keeping them pushed up close to each other. To confine the drones (p. 455,) or to shut them out, (p. 202,) leaving the queen room to pass, put the blocks in the same position, only pushing them about -^^ of an inch apart. By varying the position of these blocks on the alighting-board, (see Fig. 17, *The Author has not experimented sufficiently on this plan of pre- venting swarming, to be able fully to endorse it ) (see p. 203.) 41* 486 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. in which some of the positions are shown,) the size of the entrance to the hive, may be varied in a great many ways, and the bees always directed, by the shape of the blocks, to the entrance, without any loss of time in searching for it. Movable Partition ; (No Figure.) One piece, 18|- by 9f by |-, each end made ^ inch bevel- ing for easy adjustment ; the bevels should be parallel to each other. One piece, f by |- by 19f , nailed on the first piece, like the top piece (t) of the movable comb frames. By this partition the size of any hive may be diminished at will. PLATES III and IV. Figs. 9 and 13, Hive No. 2. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 13, a ver- tical cross section. This hive is doubled on the front and rear, has a perma- nent bottom-board, a sheltered alighting board, and a top- cover over the spare honey-box. Glass may be put in the back, as in hive No. 4, or in the sides. a Bottom-board, tongued and grooved, 24|- by 14|- by ^. h Front and rear of body, four pieces, each 14| long and |- thick, by 10|-, 9-|, 9|- and 8|- wide, c Sides of body, two pieces, 25f by 10|- by |-, one corner, 4 by 1|^ cut out of each. d Ledges on body, two pieces, |^ by 2 by 22f, and one piece, |- by 1^ by 15|-. e Roof of alighting board, 4^ by |- by 19|-, beveled on upper side from ^ an inch in thickness, back 3 inches ; (see Figs. 9 and 20. /"Board for support- ing surplus honey-receptacles, 21-| by i7|- by |-. §• Clamps for spare honey-board, two pieces, f by |- by 2I|-. h Front and rear of spare honey-box, one piece 9f by 14^ by f ; two ■ pieces 1|- by 14i by ^. i Sides of spare honey-box, two pieces, 19|^ by 10 by |-. j Ledge around top of honey box, two pieces 17|- by i^ by |, and two pieces 19|- by 1^- by |-. k Cover for honey-box, 21f by 17| by f. I Clamps for honey-box cover, two pieces, i by |- by 17|. m Observing- glass in honey-box, 5^ by 14. n Strips against which the glass is fastened, two pieces, 14| by -| by ^^ and two pieces, ^¥ ^y f by^-. Top of cover, tongued and grooved, 26f by EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 487 22f by |-. p Front and rear of upper part of cover, two pieces, 8^ by 19|^ by |-. q Sides of upper part of cover, two pieces 8f by 22^ by ^. r Front and rear of lower part of cover, two pieces, 5 by 19f by|-. s Sides of lower part of cover, two pieces, 5 by 22^ by |-. lu Buttons for holding the upper and lower parts of cover together, four, 2 by ] by ^ ; the upper inside part of these buttons is beveled, to allow the upper part of the cover to set down readily on the lower part. PLATE IV. Figs. 14 and 15, Hive No. 3. Fig. 14 is a side view, and Fig. 15, a vertical cross section. This hive is intended solely for observation ; (p. 437.) a F)ase-board, 24f by 4^ by |-. A f of an inch entrance- hole is bored 3J- inches deep into the end of (a), and two holes are bored in its centre, f of an inch in diameter and 1^ inches from center to center, the wood being cut out between them, h Bottom of hive, 2^ by 18f by |-. Make a rabbet at both upper corners, f of an inch on, by -^-^ deep. Start a "I of an inch hole, one inch from the end, and bore slanting, to meet entrance-hole in {a) and make a hole in the center, to match center hole in (a), for a ventilator, and cover with wire-gauze, on the inside, c Front and rear of hive, I^ by 2^ by 10|^. Rabbet the inner corners, up and down, ^ by f. Make a ventilator in each piece, like the one in (a). |r of an inch from the upper ends, cut in ^ of an inch, and |- of an inch from the lower end, cut in ^ of an inch, d Side strips, f by 1 by 20|- ; on one corner of each, rabbet on, ^ of an inch and in, -^ of an inch for the glass, e Movable cover, 21|-by4^by^; holes maybe made in this cover, as in Fig. 21, over which glass receptacles for honey may be placed. /Glass, two panes, 9^ by 18^. ^Alighting-board, 4 by 4^ by ^. li Clamps on base-board, 4^ by 2 by ^. i and 7 Clamps on cover, and ledges on hive, four pieces, 4^ by I- by i.. PLATES V AND VI. Figs. 16 and 18, Hive No. 4. Fig. 16 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 18, a vertical cross section. This hive has glass on the back, and being doubled on the 488 EXPLANATION OE PLATES. inside, affords uncommon protection against the weather. I have given no bill of stock for its construction, as I recom- mend those who want a doubled hive, to make the glass hive No. 5, the cost of which will not be very much greater. This hive can be built by applying an accurate rule to the engravings. PLATES VI TO X. Figs. 19, to 23, Hive No. 5. Fig. 19 is a perspective view with the cover down. Fig. 20 is a perspective view with the cover elevated, so as to show the working of the bees, both in ihe main hive and the upper honey-box. Fig. 21 is a plan of the lower part of the hive, showing the surplus honey-board, in place, and the holes made in it, to allow the bees to pass up into the surplus honey-receptacles. On this board receptacles of glass or wood, of any size or shape, may be set, instead of the upper box. Fig. 22 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 23, a vertical cross section. This hive has glass on four sides, and is admirably adapted to purposes of general observation. A cornice under the projecting roof of the cover, would im- prove its appearance. a Main bottom of hive, tongued and grooved, 31 by 20f by I-, h Outer* bottom of hive, 27^ by i8| by f. c Rabbet- ed strips for outer bottom, two pieces, 29|- by 1^ by f, and two pieces, 17^ by 1^ by ^. d Front and rear of lower outer case of hive, one rabbet in upper outer corner of each, T¥ by To '■> fi'ont, 11^ by 20f by |^; cut out of the centre of the lower edge, 14^ by ^ ; rear, 4^ by 20f by |-. e Sides of lower outer part, with rabbets the same as front and rear, (for form of this see Fig. 20,) two pieces, 3]|- inches long, by f of an inch thick, 4|^ inches wide at one end, and 12^ inches wide at 4|^ inches from the other end, where a notch is cut out, ly^g- inches deep, by 4 inches long, f Roof of alighting-board, 23|^ by 4^ by |- ; |- of an inch thick in rear, and ^ of an inch thick in front, g Board under which bees pass into the hive, 14^ by 4 by 4-- h Front posts of lower hive, two pieces, 9|- inches long by 4 by |-. i Rear posts of * This outer bottom may be dispensed with. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 489 lower hive, two pieces, with tenon, |^ by |^ by |, on one end, 10 inches long, by If- by |-. j Front and rear strips of lower hive, in which the frames hang, two pieces, 15|^ by If by |-, with rabbet, |- by f, and notch, f by |^, cut at each end from upper side, k Side strips from post to post, in lower hive, 21|- by f by f, with notch, ^ deep by If, cut in under side of each end. / Spare honey-board M^ by 2!|- by I", nine holes bored If inches in diameier, by ^ of an inch deep, and then bored through with a 1^ inch bit. These holes when not in use are covered with pieces of tin, cut out with a punch. They may be bored plain and cover- ed with pieces of glass or wood, m Front and rear of lower part of cover, 6f by 20f by ^, rabbets (Fig. 22,) -J-^ by ^-q, on both upper and lower edges, n Sides of lou'er part of cover, two pieces, 27|- inches from front to rear, by 6f by |-, with rabbets -Jq by y'g- ; for shape of these pieces, see Fig. 20. o Front and rear of upper part of cover, one piece, 5|- by 20f by f, and one piece, 134- by 20f by f. p Sides of upper part of cover, two pieces, each 5| and 13^, by 27|- by |-, with rabbets, f'g- by ^g : for shape, see Fig. 20. q Top of cover, tongued and grooved from front to rear, and rain-grooved on top, (Figs. 19 and 23,) 24f by 30f by |-. r Honey-box cover, 2 If by 19|- by f, 5 Clamps for honey-box cover, two pieces, 21f by |- by f. 1. Division-board in honey-box, (shown only in Fig. 23,) 8|- by ■^^8" by f- Such a board may be used in the surplus honey- boxes of all the hives, and enables ihe bee-keeper to get his spare honey on small frames, (when these boxes are lodged on the sides, as well as the front and rear,) or on large ones, or on part small and part large. 2. Triangular cheeks to hold the cover when elevated, two pieces. If by If by 2f by f. 3. Four buttons, ]| by 2 by |^. w Posts of honey-box, four pieces. If by 8|^ by f. x Front and rear boLiom-strips of honey-box, two pieces. If by 15|- by f . y Side-bottom strips of honey-box, two pieces 2if by f by ^. x and y are halved tosjether at ends. % Front, rear, and side top pieces of honey-box, made up of two strips. If by f by 17f, two strips If by f by 2if , halved together at ends ; and two strips, 17f by |- by f , two strips, 19f by |- by f. 4. Clamps for spare honey-board, two pieces, 2 If by |- by |-. Glass, 490 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. two pieces, 14 by 9, four pieces 18 by 9, and two pieces, 4 by 8, for the double glass of lower hive ; two pieces 18 by 8, and two pieces 14 by 8, for the spare honey-box. DESCRIPflON OF IMPLEMENTS USED IN THE APIARr. PLATE XI, Figs. 24 to 30. Fig. 24 is a box for storing surplus honey, (p. 379.) Fig. 25 is a Bee-Hat, (p. 423 ) Fig. 26 is a box for feeding bees, (p. 356.) Fig. 27 is an India Rubber Glove, (p. 424.) Fig. 28, shoemaker's pincers, a convenient tool for many operations in the Apiary. Fig. 29 is a knife for cutting the connbs from a box-hive. Fig. 30 is a scraper for cleaning the bottom-board, (p. 327.) Description of Wood-Cuts pf Bees and Combs illus- trating THE natural history OF THE HoNEY-BeE, PLATE XII, Figs. 31 to 36. Figs. 31, 32, Queen of magnified and natural size. Figs. 33, 34, Drone of magnified and natural size. Figs. 35, 36, Worker of magnified and natural size. These illustrations may be found in "Bagster on Bees." PLATE XIII. Figs. 37 to 46. Fig. 37 shov^rs the scales of wax, (highly magnified,) as they exude from the wax-pouches, (p. 77.) Fig. 38 is the abdomen of a worker-bee, magnified, and showing the exuding scales of wax. Fig. 39 is a section of a magnified cell, showing an egg in the position in which it is usually deposited by the queen. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 491 Fig. 42 is a worker-larva fully grown and ready lo en- velop itself in a cocoon, (p. 49.) Fig. 43. Worker-Nympii or Pupa, (p. 49.) Fig. 44 shows the eggs of the bee-moth, of natural and magnified size. Fig. 45 is a larva of the bee-moth, fully grown and ready to envelop itself in a cocoon, (p. 245.) Fig. 46 is a web or gallery of the kind often spun by the larva of the bee-moth, in which its protects itself from the bees, (p. 248.) These illustrations have been taken principally from the works of Swammerdam, Reaumer and Huber. PLATE XIV. Fig. 47. This Plate, (see p. 73) was copied with some important additions, from a wood-cut in Cotton's " My Bee-Book." h A queen-cell from which the inmate has not yet emerged. a A queen-cell, with the cap or lid as it often appears, just after the young queen has come out. d A queen-cell whose inmate has met with a violent death, (p. 148.) c The remains of a queen-cell which the bees have nearly demolished, (p. 149.) n A cell in which the bees have just begun to rear, artifi- cially, a young queen, (p. 73.) e Cells containing honey, some full and sealed over, and others only partially sealed. /Cells with eggs, larvse and hatching bees. g Drone-cells containing brood capped over by the bees. p A hole in the comb showing its depth. PLATE XV. Figs. 48, 49, and 50. Fig. 48 is a piece of honey-comb with cells of the size of nature. Those on the right hand, are of drone, and those on the left, of worker size. The five-sided cells between them, show how bees pass from one size of cell to another. This accurate and beautiful representation of comb, was drawn from nature, by M. M. Tidd, of Boston, Mass., and engraved by D. T. Smith of the same city. 492 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. Fig. 40 shows a number of worker-larvse of different ages. Fig. 41 is a section of a magnified cell, showing the posi- tion of the larva in the cell, (p. 48.) Fig. 49 is a queen-cell, of the natural size. Fig. 50 is a queen-cell cut open to show the position of the unhatched queen. At its base may be seen the royal jelly ; (p. 70.) ^^^^ PLATE XVL Figs. 51 AND 52. Fig, 51 shows the Proboscis of a worker-bee, highly mag- nified ; (Swammerdam.) The central tube(a) is used for sucking up the honey, and the other parts for pushing aside the petals of flowers, and for various other purposes. Fig. 52 shows the abdomen of a worker, magnified. PLATE XVII, Figs. 53 and 54. Fig. 53 Shows the magnified sting of a worker; (Swam- merdam.) (a) is the poison bag. The muscles on each side of the sling serve to drive it into the wound, and all the parts represented, are torn from the body of the bee, when she loses her sting, (p. 62.) Fig. 54, (Reaumur,) shows the honey-bag(a), stomach(&), intestines(c), and rectum (o), of a worker. The honey-bag is not entirely filled. PLATE XVIIL Fig. 55, Ovaries of the Queen. (h) and (g) are the two ovaries (p. 38) uniting in a com- mon oviduct (e). - cZ is the spermalheca ; an egg is repre- sented as passing through the oviduct, by the mouth of this seminal reservoir, to be impregnated, r is the rectum, and (a) the poison-sack. The sting is more curved than that of the worker. Plate I. Fig. 1. Fis. Fig. 8. li liiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiililiiiiliiiii^^ Plate III. Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Fi-. 13. Plat£ IV. Fig. 15, Fiy:. 16. Plate V. Fi-. I8. Plate VI. Fio-. 19. Fig:. 20. Plate VII. Fiff. 21. Plate VIII. Plate IX. Fig. 23. Plate X. Fig. 24 Ficj. 31. Plate XII. Fis. 82. Fia". o't X X, Pe4te XIIL Fm. as. Fioc. 39. Fig. 40. m Ficr. 42 Ficr. 4'. Fig. 44. Fig. 45. Fi<^. 47. Plate XIV. \^., Fi