BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
He said it in an indifferent way that implied he did not expect it to run saw-mills, thrashing-machines, etc.; but I was quite anxious to see it, nevertheless. Now, what do you suppose it was? It was in a microscope-slide that was prepared from an exceedingly thin bit of meteoric stone that fell to our earth in 1879, if I am correct. Pieces of the stone are ground so thin as to be transparent. This transparent film of meteoric stone is then subjected to the enormous magnifying power of something like 5,000 diameters. I presume that earnest seekers for what God has given us to hunt out, placed this stone under the microscope to see if they could tell about where it came from, or what there was curious in regard to it. In this thin film of rock they found cavities. These cavities are full of liquid. Now, mind you, the stone, when it fell to the earth, was red-hot. How can the liquid be found there now? No one can tell. Well, in this liquid is a little bubble resembling an air-bubble in microscopic work ; and this minute bubble, almost as small as anything in the shape of insect-life can exist, is continually bounding and rebounding from one side of the cavity to the other. It seems as if it were almost alive, for it is never still. Now, an ordinary observer who has not studied the problem of perpetual motion, probably would not see anything curious or wonderful about it ; but it was to me at once one of the greatest curiosities of my life. Why should this bubble keep moving? It does not take any power to move it ; in fact, the breath that stirs the wing of an insect would be a hurricane, almost, compared with the small amount of force needed to keep this tiny speckle bumping around. The question is what force keeps up this motion? It is at present one of the curiosities of the scientific world, because there is absolutely no force known to man that will account for the motions of this uneasy little atom. Does it run all the time? Friend C. said it had always been running since it had belonged to him, and that he had watched it for hours together, to see if he could discover anything that might give any possible clew to the propelling power. There is only a limited number of these microscopic curiosities in the world, and they are sold at a very high price. Friend Cowan took a stroll in our grounds. He named the plants of America--that is, giving them their botanical name--about as easily as you would name the plants in your own garden. I presume many of the plants he had never seen before at all. We occasionally meet men who are deeply versed in regard to botany, entomology, astronomy, mechanics, or the fine arts ; but it is very seldom indeed that we meet an individual who is sharp and keen on _all_ these things. Friend Cowan seems to have cared to* 182 **THE BEE-KEEPERS' MAGAZINE.**
explore all Nature's labyrinths and resources ; and, mind you, these explorations have not been made principally to satisfy his own notions : the end and aim of his work is for the benefit of his fellow-men. In our issue for May 1, p. 366, we made mention of a couple of pamphlets. One of these tells how to make an extractor and a bellow smoker ; the other is in regard to securing extracted and comb honey, and the prevention of swarming.
Some one asked whether he should call friend C. '' doctor '' or '' professor.'' He replied quietly, ''Neither, if you please.'' But I see on the Guide-Book Pamplets the following letters : F. G. S., which means, I presume, Fellow of Geological Society ; and F. R. M. S., which I also presume stands for Fellow of the Royal Microscopic Society. And last, but not least, he is editor of the _British Bee Journal_; and it seems to me it is not only the people of England who are to be congratulated upon their having such an able man, but I feel sure that the whole world will be better for his labors and researches.
Friend Cowan is a member of the Church of England ; and it was not until I hunted up some of his old letters that I discovered what a very earnest, pure-minded, and high-toned Christian he is. Since I have seen the man, and talked with him face to face, the letters he has written to me in years past have a new meaning ; and I presume, dear friends, such might be the case with many more, if it were possible for me to meet you all face to face ; and while this is not possible in this world, who knows of the possibilities of that life over and beyond this? For we are sure that ''eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for those who love him.'' Now, dear friends, do not think that I mean to forget his good wife, who has been all these years by his side, a faithful student and patient helper. What friend Cowan lacks in the way of volubility, his wife makes up by her good-natured vivacity. Mrs. Root was greatly worried, as a matter of course, at the thought of entertaining such dis-
tinguished guests ; but Mrs. C.'s good-natured English ways very soon won a place in Mrs. Root's heart. In addressing her husband, Mrs. Cowan says, ''Tom, dear,'' in a familiar way that was worth ever so much to me. For several days after they went away, my wife would have it over. This single little expression contributed greatly toward making us feel at home and acquainted. May God bless our two English friends wherever they go ; and I presume that one secret of their vast fund of information is the fact that they have both traveled much.
[In glancing over _Gleanings_, we came upon the foregoing remarks about Mr. Cowan. They are so exactly in accord with our own impressions of Mr. and Mrs. Cowan's visit, that we gladly insert them here. There is not the least doubt but that Mr. Cowan is the greatest living bee-keeper. His visit to our home was the beginning of a new life to us. It was as if we stood at the beginning of an ever broadening path opening into a new world of wonders, where he showed us that by diligent study and perseverance we could reach the goal after a time. Mr. Cowan handles bees for the love of it, and not for the sake of the money there is in it. We wish there were more in this country who would look upon it in this light --Ed.]
THE HONEY ANTS.**
So Distended With the Fluid as to be Almost Incapable of Moving.**
The honey ant is a small, red insect extremely demonstrative and active, and found particularly in Texas and Mexico and in considerable numbers in Colorado. Their nests are prominent mounds in some cases, and again are low heaps spread over an area of twenty or thirty square feet, forming a community. As a rule they are nocturnal, working at night, though I have seen them at work in the bright sunlight at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and marching in a line perhaps seven feet wid and forty feet in length to a cottonwood tree, up which they passed long and slender, coming down larger and full of a pure white liquid. It would strike even a casual observer as curious that these ants were carrying home a liquid that could hardly be stored away, ants not having, as a rule, store houses for liquid provisions; but the honey ant overcomes this difficulty in a decidedly novel manner. Certain of the ants either by agreement or selection, are utilized as receptacles for the honey food supply and become literally honey bottles. They are kept by the others in a separate apartment, about six inches long by four in height, that is a storeroom. Here, if the nest is carefully opened, the ants or honey bottles will be seen hanging on the wall, looking like ripe currants. The _modus operandi_ that results in this is as follows: The ants, at least the small ones, forage for food, and find it in some cases in what are known as galls, curious enlargements of growths, often seen on trees and formed by the eggs of an insect having been deposited in the wood, the latter growing about it and allowing in some cases an escape of a liquid that is greatly esteemed by ants, and certainly tastes like honey. Filling their bodies with this material, the workers proceed to the store-room where the bottle ants are kept and deliver it up to them, the receptacles receiving so much that they become distended to an enormous extent, as we have seen, and are incapable of movement to any great degree. Their bodies upon examination, seem particularly adapted for the purpose, being covered in their normal condition by several plates that spread apart when the abdomen is distended. How long these living bottles hold their store is not known -- undoubtedly indefinitely. When the other ants want to draw their ratios they proceed to the dark chamber, and a supply is forth with given up. Such an arrangement seems to show that ants have much more intelligence than they are given credit for, as all their movements cannot be instinctive. In Colorado their nests are quite common about the Garden of the Gods, and the tunnels that they form often penetrate considerable distances into rock, and the work in arriving at the chamber where the honey bottles are: hung is one of no little labor. **Color.**
There is a portion of the bee-keeping fraternity who look with deep interest upon the wonderful development of color manifested in the breeding of the Italian bees. In 1859 they came from sunny Italy to this land of bee vicisitudes. At that time the workers all showed three yellow bands on the abdomen the two nearest the body were quite plain but the third in many cases was only visible when the honey sack was full, this condition is true now with direct importation to some extent, but some breeders have carefully selected for color and color only because that was easy, color can be distinguished at once while good working qualities or disposition can only be ascertained after carefully testing. I say breeding to color is the easiest point in the whole list. We have now bees with the dark line between first and second yellow bands entirely gone, instead of three bands we have four and some little show for the fifth and not a few breeders are trying with all their might to drive the dark all off. Friends, I protest; it is a folly to believe a yellow Italian is better than others; where are our large honey producers on this question, without exception they want dark queens, claiming greater vigor and better honey gatherers. As long as the demand exists for yellow queens and four banded bees they will be produced and at a sacrifice of every thing else. Let our breeders give us three bands then vigor of constitution, activity and those general characteristics that built the reputation for the Italian bee, which bee we are fast loosing sight of. **Thorn Hill, N. Y.**
Wintered on the summer stands forty-eight colonies of bees in your Electic hives. Lost but two. **Grahamville, Pa.**
the foundation up and prevent stretching, which is known by the term _sagging_ in the bee-keeping world. An _Emanuel Cloth_ is generally used to lay on top of the frames to exclude the bees from the upper story till the super is ready to go on. The glazed side is _always_ placed downwards. When the supers go on, this cloth is placed on top of them. Eggs in the cells will indicate whether the queen is all right--by holding a comb so the sun shines down into the cells will enable you to see these eggs plainly. The eggs should be attached by one end to the face of the cell at or near the center. If more than one egg is found it, may indicate either a very poor queen or a very good one. The first lays more than one be-cause, as some say, she has lost her pudding bag string, and the second be-cause she is very prolific and goes around laying a second or third egg in the same cells.
Keep your colonies strong. Do not increase more than once to each colony. Give your bees the _necessary_ attention and at all other times leave them alone.
**What to do With Old Comb Candied Honey.**
I have got a lot of old comb with some honey in it. How can I best use it up to feed back to the bees. Some of it is one year old or more, and somewhat candied. Please give me some information if you can. J. S. L.
[To get candied honey out of comb and save both comb and honey is a rather knotty problem. We would advise you to try the following : Place the comb honey in just enough water to cover it, and heat it to the point where the wax melts and no hotter. Let the wax all rise to the surface, and either skim at once or else allow to cool, and then remove. Now strain what is left through a coarse towel and evaporate the clear portion over a slow fire till it is of the consistancy of good honey. You can then feed this to your bees.--E.D.]
Bees wintered fine in this part of state, working fine now and expect swarms in course of eight to ten days.
Wm. M. End.
**Metuchon, N. Y.**
**Dear Editor**
I am happy to say that your journal is read in Jamaica, W. L., by several people, and it is having the effect of improving apiculture considerably. For my part, I would not be without it. Yours very faithfully,
I. Erasmus Owhr.
**Kingston, Jamaica, May 8, 1888.**
Have not taken my bees out of the cellar yet. Shall the first warm day. Has been a backward spring so far. Mr. D. D. Winn, of Ludlowville, has taken his bees out of cellars and reports all alive. I think he has about two hundred swarms. Yours truly,
Geo. L. Ferris.
_Five Corners, N. Y., April 23, '88._
**Editor Bee-Keepers' Magazine**
**Dear Sir**
I feel as if I might say a good word for the Magazine. I am taking no less than seven bee journals and magazines, and I can truly say I like them all, and I rate the Bee-Keepers' Magazine as first-class. Wishing you success, I remain yours respectively,
D. C. Buck.
**Dundee, Mich.**
**Editor of Bee-Keepers' Magazine**
Winter commenced very early in this locality, about the 2zd of October, but was on the whole quite mild up to the commencement of the new year. Since Jan. 2d it has been cold, with frequent storms. Snow is now two feet deep in the woods. On the morning of the 16th inst. the mercury was 34\({}^{\circ}\) below zero. Bees are in fine condition, so far as can be judged from outward appearances. With best wishes for the Magazine and its proprietor, I am sincerely your friend,
_Somour, Wiz., Jan. 17th, 1888._
_Mr. Editor :_
I will say I am a novice bee-keeper. I bought a colony of hybrids one year ago this month. I took a swarm off the 17th of June. Late in the Fall I bought six more colonies. I have fed one syrup ever since in November and another since the 17th of February. One is a little weak, but it has some brood now. The one I fed syrup to all winter is as populous a colony as I have. I wintered my bees on summer stands, but I packed them with leaves in the fall and have not unpacked yet. I have not lost a colony this winter, but there was a good many lost in this section of the country. I expect to make bee-keeping a specialty as soon as I can get colonies enough.
J. H. Kemper.
_South Pond, Ind., April 9th, 4888._
_Dear Editor :_
Will you please tell me through the Bee-Keepers' Magazine, if such frames as are used in the Eclectic hives can be used in any Langstroh live? What is the width of the top bar? Won't the bees fasten the honey case to them the same as they do when the narrow top bar is used without honey board? How would a cellar built in the side of a hill covered with dirt and hay do for wintering bees in ; the soil is sandy; such cellar would be frost proof. Would it be necessary to have a stove to keep the temperature above 40 or 45\({}^{\circ}\)? What kind of ventilation would be necessary? I want to build such a cellar or cave for next winter, and should like to know just how to do it; will have ten or twelve hives, and shall want to increase to twenty-five or thirty, which will be as much as I care to keep.
'Yours truly,
A. F. Ames.
_Ewing, Neb._
[Such a cellar would answer very well. By placing the colonies close together the temperature would rise to 40\({}^{\circ}\) probably. This cellar would be on the same principle as what they call a clamp. Do not make the cellar any larger than is necessary to hold the average number of colonies you intend to keep. The frames spoken of will fit any Langstroh live. Width of top bar is 13%. Yes, the bees will propo-like the section case to top of frames as in any other hive. --Eb.]
My bees did almost nothing last year, but I live in hopes of better luck next year, and hoping you will tell us amateurs in future numbers how to manage our healthy and flourishing swarms so as to _make them deposit honey in boxes._
I send you another subscription.
A. B. Rich.
_Short Hill, N. Y., 7an. 25th, '88._
[We believe that the following method to be a rational and successful one. If the swarm comes out when there is a honey flow, that is when flowers are secreting honey, hive them on empty frames, or the better way is to have starters of foundation, say an inch long, placed in the top of each frame. Now place your rack of sections, _filled with foundation_, on top of the brood chamber, using a perforated zinc honey board between. The bees, having no room to work in the brood chamber go at once into the sections. If your bees refuse, under any circumstance, to work in the boxes, change your queen. --Ed.]
**Flat Bottom Foundation--Question for**
**July Number.**
_Dear Sir :_
Please put the following question in the question department of the Magazine for June, if it is in time, if not, put it in the July number :
Is flat bottom foundation as good as other for brood chambers or surplus department?
Respectfully, L.
_East Sidney, N. Y._
[Let us hear from all sides on this question, except from the manufacturers or those interested in the sale of foundation. --Ed.]
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FAGE.
How Bees make Cells
See-Keeping as a Specialty, by Mrs. Harrison
Fick
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Marketing Honey at Home, by Will M.
by L. C. Root
Kelogg
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It would seem that when a man performes a kindness, he seldom gets any credit for it.
The Dairy Commissioner of the State of New Jersey, some time since, went out of his general line of duty and made some investigations into the purity of jar honey, as found on the grocer's shelves, in the several large towns of his State. The result of this investigation showed that packing houses, as a rule, were putting up adulterated honey. We believe we have the honor to be the only bee paper in America, to give this commissioner the credit he deserves. It has pleased both the editors of _Gleanings_ and the _American Bee Journal_, to discredit the work of this commissioner, and throw cold water on his good labors.
We are not certain whether either of them know anything about the analysis of honey and other saccharine bodies, but presume, from their editorial remarks, that they do not.