, 1884-05-06
A BIG BEE INVENTION.
Practically No Limit to the Sizs of
Possible Insects.
The Presidential Dee Outdone---The
Dangers Which Are Imminent
IT the Invention Proves
n Success.
New York Times

1t appears that some ingenious person has
invented a method of producing bees of al
most any desired size. II two cells, each one
OF which contains an embryo Ice,
are knocked into one, the two bees are
consolidated, and the result is Il new
bee double the usual size. OF course, il this
can be done there is practically no limit to
the size Of possible bees. By knocking four
cells into one n bee four times the usunl size
can be made, and IL an entire hive OF embryo
bees is subjected to this consolidating process
We should have a bee about the size OF u
turkey-a size hitherto attained only by one
species of bee, known as the presidential bee,
an insect inhabiting the bonnets of eminent
statesmen, and never by any chance produc-
ing honey.
Before recklessly undertaking to enlarge
our bees we ought TO ascertain what effect
their increase OF size will have upon their
power and disposition to make honey. The
bumble-bee is much larger than the honey
bee, but he Is certainly not a Success An
insect SO dull that he fancies that "bumble"
is spelled with an III" aud so lazy that he
makes less honey in II whole season than a
hOney-bee makes before breakfast on a
spring morning, is by no means a model.
1t may be suggested that the humble
bees lnCk of success in manufacturing
honey is due not TO laziness, but to the ina
bility Of his wings TO carry with ease the
weight of his body; but no one who has been
chased by an angry humble bee will entertain
this suggestion. II may also be sug-
gestoi TINT the trousers pockets Of
the bumble-bce are so small that he can
carry very little honey in them, but there
Is no evidence that ;his IL tho case. we
simply know that the bumble-bee is bigger
than the honey-bee, and makes less honey.
SO. too, the wasp and the hornet are bigger
than the honey-bee, and they make only
enough honey for their bare necessities. Evil
IDENTIFY the rule OF nature has hitherto been
that the larger the insect the less honey IL
makes.
Now, IL the honey-bee, after being d O.
veloped into a two or three pound insect, is go
ing to initiate the laziness of the humble-beo,
what shall we have gainedi No one will care
to have a score OF big, lazy bees dawdlinE
about his premises, upsetting furniture
and children by flying against them
and tripping people up by conceal
ing themselves in the grass. We
shall have TO go armed with clubs to keep off
the bees, and though some sport may be OBJ
tanned by shooting bees ON the wing, there
would be no sport whatever should the bees
undertake. TO hunt the sportsmeu with stiugs
capable Of penetrating anything less than an
inch Of chillel steel armor.
Even IL the inhtnlnOntD bees should make
honey in quantities proportional to their
size, we should have no use for such II vast
amount Of honey. 1t is true that honey is
used to u small extent in the arts; that when
one has personal enemy addicted to buck
wheat cakes a horrible revenge can be OBJ
tanned 10y sending him IL bottle of pure Bsrk
shire county honey To eat with them. Still,
there is no such demand for honey as would
justify an effort to largely increase its pro-
duction.
Our bees are very well as they are. II
hive is kept ON a shelf over the front door,
and upset on a book agent, the bees will per-
form Ms much work as is necessary. To upset
a hive OF tour-pound bees, in like circum-
stances, would be simply murder. and would
in many cases involve the trouble Of a trial
and acquittal In "A court of law. 1t might be
well to keep large bees in Cincinnati for tho
encouragement of jurors, and Of respectable
citizens who call meetings at which people
are melted 10 riotins; but in this region we
are satisfied with our local bees, and will de-
cline to have them enlarged.