The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1859-10-20


tened in them
tomb building is carried on with the
greatest activity by night to provide an
abundance Of store room against the
honey gathering oi the coming day; and
when the bees are cunfned to the hive
by had weather, combs ar" rapidly con
struated. Thus does this wonderful lit
tie creature improve, not only each
shining hour aut all ,onrs-- having
little or no rest during the honey har-
vest When this il over, the bees build
no more comb, though they may have a
plenty Of room in the hive. TO d. this
they would be obliged to consume large
" Of the stores laid up for winter, which
they are sagacious to do.
Honey comb is a bad conductor Of
heat. aud this property serves to keep
the bees warm !; prevents cracking by
frost, and the condensation OF moisture
whereby the bees would be chilled.
The size of the cells used for different
purpose. varies good deal-thosc for
the same purpose vary somewha, but
Eve worker cells and four drone cells,
will measure one inch, generally. There
is the most wonderful design manifested
in piece Of honey comb No other
size Of cell, or shape of cell c,uld have
answered the wants Of this insect. DR..
Reid says, ''there are only three possi
bic figures cf the cells, which can make
them all cqnal and similar, without any
useless spaces between them, these arc
the cquitatoral triangle, the square, and
the regular hcxagon. It is we'll known
to mathematicians that there is not a
forth way possible in which ap'ane may
be cut in into little spaces, tbat shall be
equal, similar and regular, without
leaving any interstices. On reflection
it will he found that none but the six
sided cell could he made to answer aud
saye all the room
REARING THE QUEEN ZEE
We have met with maay bee keepers
who suppose that the queen bee is the
king, 0ho Yields imperial sway over the
swarm that the wnrkin. bees are males
and tha. the drones ,ay the eggs Such
persons are uninformed Oh this impe,
tant subject They da not know that
actual observations have exp,nded these
conjecture notions ,nl have fully de
monstratrd that tn. workers arc impcr
t.cf females the irone>. arr perfect male
bees; and that their king, is the mother
sove:ncss OF tie colony AID lays al! the
eeys. The facts have been d-monstra.
ted beyond question ,r cavi', by exten
s;vc observations, and BY careful exami-
nations aud iiss.c.ions, both i. this
country aud Europe. We cannot now
go into particulars, but must refer our
readers to published works, on the sub
ject. in which they will 6nd rich stores
Of interesting aud useful informa
ton.
ia hive in spring is in possession o
healthy, laying queen, it will usual,
make early preparations for swarmiag
and If the inside Of the hive is examined
about the time the orchards are in bloom
i number Of queen cells may be fount
comme enced on the inner edges Of th'
combs, opening downwards. sescmblin.
q small pea nut. These cells arc abou
an inch deep the sides are thick an,
strong. aud arc made circular, instead Q
angular, like other cells While tn
queen cells are in process Of .construc
ton, they receive the constant care Q
bees.- every moment some bee is peep
ing in, to see, apparently, how thing
PROCESS. From two to ten queen cell
may be found in q hive during tn
breeding season. partly completed The,
are not all begun at once else the youn
; queens would all arrive at maturity a
tho same time The eggs from whic
the queens arc hatched are the same
those producing workers.-B.
19r Washington Irving, after ii
J devoted Increasingly to literary duties.
now for the FIRST time resting from b