, 1884-12-05
THE BUSY BEE.
A statisticisn on the Habits Of this
Industrious Hummer.
Development OF Bee Culture In Norfn
Amerfea-In sxffzerIand-Cu-
rfous Ways of Life
in the Hive.

-Oluct llt mtIouulLlbn u Lnc nioNtABA'
comb hive, twenty years ago, bee culture in
North America has been developed mort
than It had been In the century previous
To-day the United States and Canada pro
duce the bulk OF the honey consumed in the
world, and our apiarists are the most skilled
and successful According to conservative
estimates we have a total OF 5000 900 col
onies, which annually yield 12o ,000,0 900
pounds OF honey. Tho value Of the colonies,
at an average Of sll each, would be sS3,oo0,-
00J, and Of the annual product. at an aver
age OF 10 cents per pound, <ls,OOJ,OOO, max
ing the total amount of money involved, APP
proxImately, s5l, 900, 900. The compar-
alive showing Of all Europe Is les
than one-tenth Of this amount.
From California we supply Australia,
and Europe imports largely from our eastern
states. At the London agricultural fair we
recently displayed $50 tons OF honey in the
comb, which was awarded the prize over all
the European exhibits. In America honey
is plentiful and cheap; in Europe it is scarce
and precious. While It sells for about II
cents n pound here, 1t brings n hnlf-crown, or
eek cents, at Lond
aThere are very few localities in Europe
where the ~honey-bee prosper, there being no
staple bloom upon which they could depend
for honey. The most progressive people in
agriculture are the Swiss, who successfully
maintain extensive apiaries at a great alti-
tude IN the Alps France is dependent on
Switzerland for her honey supply. The time
Is not far distant when America will be ex-
porting largely to all the European nations.
AS 70 the skill Of our apiarists," pursued
Mr.. Newman, lit amounts almost to n
science. Twenty years ago the bee was an
insect whose industry was little appreciated,
and whose conditions and methods Of life, as
well as regeneration, were only meagerly
comprehended. Now. with the help Of the
microscope. and after years OF study and
conferences, such as the one just ended, the
daintest mlnutim OF the bees life Is under
stood. With a couple more years experience
In ventilation, temperature, and the treat
ment Of the delicate diseases to which bees
are subjected in the winter months, the in
dustry will have been developed almost to a
perfect state. The success Of the American
~apiarists, as 1 tell you, Is to be attributed as
much to their research as TO the naturally
favorable conditions of our h~oney-howing
vegetation. l have given the matter con-
slant study for years, and have familiarized
myself with all the characteristics OF these
quaint little creatures. Their propagation
Is, perhaps, one OF tho most delicate. and Mt
the same time the best regulated, operations
in nature. Although the perpetuation de
ponds upon d single female in a colony, It Is
rarely that the line OF progeniture is broken,
and then it is by accident
"In a colony Their Q are two distinct sets of
occupants: the male drones and unfecundated
females, who are known az the workers
The drones have no stings. They are shift
less and worthless, being the dudes of the
hive. They lay around in groups, fattening
of the honey which the workers store up,
until within SIX weeks after having come
into existence they die off. Not infrequently
the workers get incensed Mt their lazy, selfish
conduct, and slaughter them by wholesale,
singing them to death. The queen Is at.
tended constantly by a royal retinue whose
heads are invariably pointed toward her, as
II In obeisance. or the female eggs which
abe deposits the workers select anywhere
from ten 70 twenty, and building larger cells,
place one in each, inclosed In what ia called
the royal jelly, a SALIVA of their own produc-
ton This it is which imparts to the female
the pregnable fluid. The female larva de-
velopes into animated life, and a young queen
bse breaks forth from the cell
her rival appear subsequently, she
slaughters them, one after the other. She Is
nimble and vigorous at the expiration OF two
or three days. and the workers, seemingly
believers In the survival OF the fittest, attend
In q body, whils the old queen and her ado
lescent rival engage in a royal combat to the
u1HLus NJ luis uuel OF bOluEs, sAfOm WHICH
the drones are excluded, the spectators main
tain the ~strictest dscorum, and preserve fair
play between the contestants. The queen,
you know, never uses her sting on anything
except royalty, and when astailed by the
plebeian workers will not even defend her
self. The young one is usually victorious.
After having disposed Of her predecessor and
attended the solemn funeral obsequies when
the body is carried from the hive, she circu-
lates among the drones and entices the whole
swarm Of them into the outer air.
"The queen then returns to the hive and
arrangos the many departments OF her
household Her fertility Is perpetual with
her, and she is empowered by nature to lay
anywhere from 1900 to 5000 eggs in a day.
These are Matched out in from seventeen TO
twenty-one days. She becomes a perfect
mother witt a power to produce workers or
drones at will OF TO reproduce herself. She
reigns from two to three years, according to
the endurance OF the affestions which the
workers entertain for her, when she Is de
throned in the manner narrated. In the
winter the old bees die and in the spring the
queen sends out new swarms of young work
ers 10 gather the honey harvest. The workers
are arranged and chased 30 that neither dis
cord nor confusion may interrupt their work.
They arc first divided OF into well mnrshaled
squads. each of which attends industriously
to its " particular assignment
The comb-buildeFs construct the delicate
comb. II is estimated that they consume
about twenty pounds of honey - construoS
one pound OF comb. The honey gnthep5rs
collect the sweet juices from the Howersand
deposit them In the cells. Water-carrier
employ themselves in carrying in the water
required for the support of the young brood.
Tho pollen-gathorers convey the farina from
the blossoms 10 the cavities formed FOR its
reception. The nunsing-boes feed the young
until they are able 10 take care Of themselves,
and tho faithful guards, ever mindful
OF the reace and harmony Of the colony,
jealousy watch the entrance TO the hive
admitting no intruder, neither insect nor
strange bee. Il Is amusing to notice how
dexterously they pounce upon anything
dafing oven 70 approach the entrance. II a
new queen dnres to enter the hive, she is in
stantly killed We overcome this rebellious
trouble, in supplying a colony with n queen,
by caging her in there until she becomes per
meated with the odor OF the colony. When
she Is released, ut the end of three days, sh Q
Is cordially entertained and installed
experts or alleged experts at anything
always makes me sAudder," says an old
lawyer; ayou never know WHISTLER they an
E-l.I.--- .~stn y. - ru.. -