Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-07-05

first Italian hstched. At this time a
few came in with pollen and honey,
commencing to work at about 10 a. m.
After this, the number of Italian
honey gstherers increased while the
number of blacks decreased, until on
was Matched, when not a black bee was
to be found in or about the hive. II
the above is correct, and l believe it is,
it will be seen that the eggs, for our
honey gatherers, must be laid by the
queen 81 days before our main honey
harvest, if we would get the best re-
suits from our bees; as it takes 81 days
from the time the eggs is laid to the
time the bee energies from the cell,
and this added to the 10 makes the
81 days. The above Is applicable to
any portion of the country, where q
certain flora produces the larger por-
ton of the honey crop. To be sure,
the bees from the time they are three
days old, help TO perform the lsbors in
the hive, such as building comb, feed
ing the larv@, evaporatlng nectar, ETC.,
hence are of much value toward seeur-
ing the crop of honey, if we have
plenty of bees besides, over 10 days
old, but otherwise all Matching after
the middle of the honey harvest are of
little use.
Another thing ascertained By these
experiments, which was that the bees
which gather the honey are not the
ones which deposit it in the cells. l
was reading in bee paper, not long
ago, how the loaded bees from the
fields carried their honey easily to the
top of four-story hive. This was
used as an argument in favor Of plac-
ing the empty combs on top of the
full ones, instead of raising up the sec
ond or third story and placing them
between full combs, on the tierng-up
plan. As far as the loaded bees are
concerned, it makes no difference, as
will be seen when | state that on th
fifteenth day after tho first Italian
Matched, when none but black bees
were going in and out at the entrance,
| found by taking otl the cover and
examining the sections that scarce a
black bee was IN them, but all were
Italians, which were at work there,
building comb and depositing honey.
After this used an observatory hive
containing but one comb, In this
also had black bees as field bees, and
young Italians for the inside work. By
watching the entrance through the
glass, could see the loaded bees come
in, and when one came on the next
side to me | could easily see what it did
with the load of honey. The bee would
pass along on the comb till it came to
a young bee, when it would put out its
tongue toward the young bee. If this
bee had no load it would take the
honey, but if it had our field bee must
try again till one was found that could
take the load, when it was given up to
it. The deld bee then rested little
while, when it would go for another
load. Thus it will be qeen that any EN-.
trance leading direct to the surplus az.
rangement, as was formerly made in
the Langstroth hive, is of no use, but,
on the contrary, positive damage, as
in cool nights ii causes the bees to leave
the boxes, from allowing too much cold
air to enter them. To secure the best
results it is necessary to he fully &C
quainted with ali of these minor points
of interest about the bees, so that we
may combine them all and bring them
all to bear on that which will produce
us the most honey.