(Continued from p. 95, Vol III.)
Solicitous to learn its origin, and conjecturing that it might be
masculine matter, he began to watch the motions of every drone in the
hive, on purpose to seize the moment when it should be received by the
eggs.
He assures us, that he saw several drones insinuate the posterior part
of the body into the cells for that purpose. After frequent repetition
of the first he entered on a long series of other experiments.
There was something very specious in this explanation: the experiments
on which it was founded seemed correct; and it afforded a satisfactory
reason for the prodigious number of males in a hive. At the same time
the author had neglected to obviate one strong objection: larvæ appear
when there are no drones.
From the month of September until April, hives are generally destitute
of males; yet, notwithstanding their absence, the queen then lays
fertile eggs.
Thus the prolific matter cannot be required for their impregnation,
unless we shall suppose that it is necessary at a certain time of the
year, while at every other season it is useless.
To discover the truth amidst these facts, apparently so contradictory, I
determined to repeat Mr. Debraw’s experiments, and to observe more
precaution than he himself had done. First, I sought for that matter
which he supposes _the prolific_ in cells containing eggs. Several were
actually found with such an appearance, and during the first day of
observation, neither my assistant nor myself doubted the reality of the
discovery. But we afterwards found it an illusion arising from the
reflection of the light for nothing like a fluid was visible except when
the solar rays reached the bottom of the cells. This part is commonly
covered by shining fragments of the cocoons of worms successively
hatched, and the reflection of the light from these when much
illuminated, produces an illusory effect. We proved it by the strictest
examination for no vestiges of a fluid were perceptible when the cells
were detached and cut asunder.
Though the first observation inspired us with some distrust of Mr.
Debraw’s discovery, we repeated his other experiments with the utmost
care.
On the 6th of August, 1787, we immersed a hive, and with scrupulous
attention examined all the bees while in the bath. We ascertained that
there was no male, either large or small, and having examined every comb
we found neither male nymph nor worm. When the bees were dry we replaced
the whole, along with the queen in their habitation, and transported
them into my cabinet. They were allowed full liberty; therefore they
flew about and made their usual collections; but it being necessary that
no male should enter the hive during the experiment, a glass tube was
adapted to the entrance, of such dimensions that two bees only could
pass at once; and we watched the tube attentively during the four or
five days that the experiment continued. We should have instantly
observed, and removed any male appearing, that the result of the
experiment might be undisturbed, and I can positively affirm that not
one was seen.
However, from the first day which was the 6th of August, the queen
deposited fourteen eggs in the workers’ cells; and all these were
hatched on the tenth of the same month.
[_To be continued._]
_EDITORIAL._
Doubtless our friends will not take it amiss if we give but a brief
editorial this month. Our new enterprise is receiving such hearty
endorsement from every quarter that we must conclude that we have taken
the right step after all. We only ask that the reader and our customers
bear patiently with us for a while. The season has been so backward that
we are in a rush but shall be amply able to meet all demands.
We have not utilized the question and answer department this month as
the amount of work that we have been obliged to perform has been simply
enormous, but we shall soon have that department in running order again.
We would urge upon our readers the importance of creating a home demand
for honey this season in order that we may not have a glutted honey
market with which to contend.
Work hard at the State conventions to have county associations formed;
these are the educators that will prove the gateway to a home demand.
Prepare to make first-class exhibitions at county fairs next fall: it
will pay. It may seem as though this advice was premature, but we have
none too much time to prepare for these fairs.
Remember that if we ever have a permanent market for our honey the
beekeepers must make it.
We wish our readers to come to us with their experiences, successes and
failures and we shall endeavor to give them such instruction as will
aid them in their work.
Do not fail to send for a few of our “Companions” and distribute them
for us; it will be but little trouble and will aid us wonderfully in
building up our subscription list.
We are preparing to give our readers a large number of illustrations and
as our list increases we shall be able to add many new and interesting
features to our Journal.
We have already sent out 5,000 “Companions” within the last two weeks,
and the call is so great that we are printing 5,000 more.
_EXPERIMENTAL BEE FARM NOTES._
On account of the many duties devolving upon us in establishing our bee
farm we have not as yet been able to carry out any of the experiments
that we mean to test for the benefit of our readers.
While for the purpose of experimenting we shall devote some colonies to
the production of honey, both comb and extracted, yet this season’s
operations will be confined almost exclusively to queen-rearing.
We start with about one hundred colonies of the different races of bees.
The season thus far (in this locality) has been unusually backward and
trying, giving us but little warm, pleasant weather and but few days
when the bees could gather honey freely.
Last winter most of our colonies were wintered in the beehouse and were
removed to the summer stands, about the 28th of March, in fine condition
and there seemed to be but little difference between their condition and
that of those wintered on the summer stands. The first work of the
season commenced when the bees were removed from the beehouse. The
hives were cleared (as much as possible without removing the combs) of
dead bees; the honey boards with which the hives were covered during
winter were removed and replaced with mats on the top of which chaff
cushions were placed.
We kept our colonies well packed that they might be snug and warm even
during the sudden changes in temperature and we make it a rule never to
remove such packing until warm weather has “come to stay.”
As soon as the bees could be handled safely the colonies were examined
and all combs outside the cluster were removed. This is an excellent
practice, as by reducing the capacity of the brood chamber to the size
of the cluster we enable the bees to maintain sufficient heat to carry
on brood-rearing much more rapidly than when they are surrounded by a
cold vacant space.
At the time of setting out the bees, the entrances to the hives were all
contracted to about one inch and it is wonderful to see what a help this
is to the bees in keeping the hive warm.
In a few days after being removed from the bee-house the bees were
busily engaged in carrying in the artificial pollen (wheat flour) which
we provided for them placing it near by in the apiary.
Brood-rearing soon commenced and in about four weeks the colonies began
to show marked signs of increase.
Soon we found it necessary to add empty combs wherein the queens might
deposit eggs. While in the hands of the expert this is a safe and sure
method of building up the colonies rapidly, yet it must be conducted
with caution else during a warm spell the queens may utilize more combs
than the bees can cluster and thus neglect the brood in the outside
combs which in such case must perish. Never spread brood faster than it
can be covered and well protected by the bees even during the cool
nights. During the last few days in April the weather was favorable for
honey gathering and a few pounds were stored by each colony from the
soft maple bloom.
Our colonies have been so well protected that they were not troubled
with spring dwindling and soon they became so strong in numbers as to be
in fine condition for queen-rearing.
It is poor policy both for the breeder and for the honey producer to
attempt to rear queens with any but the most populous colonies if they
want first-class queens.
At this date we have between 300 and 400 queen cells in all stages of
construction and quite a large number of queens ready for fertilization.
Our queen-rearing is conducted by the methods given in the _Beekeepers’
Handy Book_; and, indeed, after having practised all the various
methods, we would as soon think of going back to the old box-hive system
of keeping bees as to practise the old unsatisfactory and uncertain
methods of rearing queen bees.
It is a pleasure to examine the nice evenly built and conveniently
spaced rows of cells found in the queen-rearing colonies now under Mr.
Alley’s supervision. It is indeed a most interesting sight and one that
we would be pleased to share with our beekeeping friends to whom we
extend a most cordial invitation to visit us. We shall endeavor to
impart to all our visitors all the information possible regarding
queen-rearing and the general management of the apiary as conducted at
our “bee farm.” At present we have four races of bees from which we are
propagating queens, prominent among which are the orange-yellow
Italians. We confidently assert that we never saw or possessed a more
beautiful or hardy strain of pure Italian bees.
We shall run four separate apiaries situated about three miles apart in
order to keep each race strictly pure.
We have set out one hundred “prickly comfrey” plants, purchased of Mr.
Arthur Todd of Philadelphia, Pa., and shall refer to them again later in
the season. We have also sown one and a half acres of Bokhara clover for
the bees and it will pay our readers to utilize every waste spot (at
least) with either or both of the above. Increase in pasturage means
increase in surplus honey. It is now time to prepare for the coming
honey harvest and indeed in many sections of the country the surplus
boxes have been placed in the hives, or the honey extractor resorted to.
When the colonies that are to be run for section honey become populous
and begin to build white comb along the edges of the top bars, and
perhaps between the combs, it is well to place one set of sections on
the hives but they should have only the amount of surplus room that they
can utilize and other sections should be added as they are needed.
A piece of comb foundation one-half the size of the section, cut in the
shape of a triangle and attached point downward, will be a wonderful
help to the bees and prove a paying investment to the apiarist.
If some colonies seem strong but do not utilize the sections readily,
just exchange their empty sections with partially filled sets (bees and
all) from other colonies. This is a plan practised more than twenty-five
years ago by Mr. Alley and Mr. John J. Gould, formerly of Wenham. Mr. G.
was at one time one of the largest beekeepers in this State.
Mr. Pond, however, credits a beekeeper in Maine with being the
originator of this most excellent plan for inducing the bees to enter
the sections.
There is one disadvantage in connection with this practice that Mr.
Pond and others fail to give.
It often happens that when a colony at work in the sections is
disturbed, the queens will run up into the latter and in the removal may
be lost. To prevent this make as little disturbance in the transferring
as possible and smoke down, into the hive, all the bees that cluster on
the tops of the frames.
The bees removed with the sections will not quarrel with their new
neighbors.
There are many items that would prove interesting to our readers but we
have already devoted more space than we intended to this department and
must await another opportunity.
_CORRESPONDENCE._