Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-06-04
AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIFIC.
THE HONEY Rec.

wonderful insects, have been carefully stud
led. Some persons have spent their days
in observing these little busy animals.
Every association of bees has three kinds
the queen, the drones, and the workers.
II is estimated that a hive usually contains
from six to twelve thousand bees. In some
small hives, however, the number is much
less than six thousand, while larger ones
have been known to have as many as twenty
thousand.
There is only one queen bee in each
swarm, whether large or small. The aver
age proportion ofdrones is about fifty to each
thousand working bees. Hence, about nine
teen-twentieth ofthe bees in every hive are
workers.
THE DRoNE,-The drones are the larg-
est bees in the family. Their bodies are
thick, short, and clumsy, and they are the
size of two working bees. Their wings are
large and long, and they make loud buzz
zing noise when flying. They have no
sting, and they may be handled without
harm.
The drones are the male bees. They live
life Of idleness, taking no part in the labor
of the hive. Indeed, they have not the
power to collect honey, or to provide them
selves with food. They have neither honey
bags, such as workers have, to contain col
lected sweets, nor cavities upon their legs
fQ the pollen.
Were drone deprived Of the privileges
offeeding on the stores ofthe hive, it would
die. In one respect they have more hber-
ty than the workers, for they are permitted
to enter any hive, and hyeln the same man.
ner as in their own.
The drones appear in the hives during
the latter part of May and are usually killed
or driven out to starve in the month of July.
Sometimes few are permitted to remain
much later in the season.
THE QUEEN BEE.-The queen bee is the
mother of the family, and governs the hive.
She is longer and more slender than the
drone, but not as large, and is larger in ev-
cry respect than the worker. Her legs are
long, but her wings are shorter in proportion
than those Of the drone or worker.
The qneen is very seldom seen. Some
times she may be observed during the time
of swarrning. She may occasionally be
found in her royal cell, when the bees have
been destroyed with smoke for the purpose
of obtain ing their honey.
and is, accompanied by guard composed of
twelve workers. This attendance is taken
in turn, and never neglected. Wher ever
she goes the guards clear her path, always
turning their faces toward her with the
greatest respect.
She is armed with sting, but seldom
uses it except against rival queens. She
may be taken in the bare hand, and will sell
dom sting when handled carefully. A work
er, taken IN the same manner, would be
dropped like a piece of hot iron.
The chief office ofthe queen is to lay eggs,
one Of which she deposites in each CELL
These eggs are of two kinds-drone-eggs
and worker eggs. When worker egg is
deposited in royal cell, it becomes queen
bee. There are seldom more than FIVE or
ten of these cells in one hive.
ROYAL CELL.-The queen usually COM
mences laying as soon as the genial warmth
of Spring comes on. About the first of May
her great laying" takes place, when she
deposites from one to two hundred eggs per
day. In warm climates this period may take
place earlier. 1+.a
-AtfFst she deposites only worker-eggs,
than she lays drone eggs for few days,
and after this again produces worker eggs.
Duriag the time of laying the drone eggs
the royal cells are built and when the queen
commences laying worker eggs for the sec
ond time, she deposites every few days,
one of these eggs in a royal CELL and from
these the queens are produced.
The drones are produced from the eggs in
twenty four days, the worker in twenty days,
and the queens in sixteen days.
Though young qeeen bee has attained
its growth, the workers will not allow it to
come out of the cell as long as the old queen
remains in the hive. Should the young
queen effect her escape from the cell, the
! old, one would seize and kill her immedi-
ately. 81 ,f
When the young queen has attained her
i growth, and begins to say ''peep peep the
old one, knowing it to be the cry of rival
j for liberty, is aroused, and attempts to get
at the royal cell to destroy its inmate. But
the workers prevent her from doing this,
and nows finding that she no longer has alb
solute authority in the family, she commen-
ces sudden vibration Of her wings, runs
over every part Ct the combs, followed by
her subjects and great commotion ensues.
Il FtHCn lids .llltlS OCCl lollly SOlllUlu-
nicatcd 10 the whole family, the queen rush
es toward the outlet, the word is given to
swarms and away go the workers, as ifpur-
sued by ten thousand foes.
While swarming they buster around the
queen and where she alights, there the whole
company Immediately settle. The old queen
always flies with the first swarm.
After the old queen has thus left the hive
the workers realize the young one. She
comes forth strong and full of energy, and
at once assumes the government of the col
ony IfG,ere be yet enough of workers left
so that another swarm can be spared, the
royal cells are still guarded by the workers.
When this queen hears the peep of a
young rival just ready to escape from her
cell. she attempts It's destruction, and if pre-
vented by the workers. follows the example
of her predecessor, and leaves the hive with
another swarm. After this the second young
queen is released and takes the govern
ment Of the family.
II, however the workers decide, after a
swarm has left, that no more can be spared
from their colony, the young queen is per-
mitted to visit all the royal cells and de-
stroy the inmates, thus preventing any RI
walls. s5---,P--, "a -
A most extraordinary fact in the history