Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-09
THE BUSY BEE.
A Statistician on the Habits Of the
Industrious Hummer.
Developments OF Hee Culture In North
America-In Switzeriand-Cu.
rious Ways of Lie
Ina the Five.

Development of Zee Culture tn North
Amerfca-In Switzeriand-Cu.
rious Ways of Lie
tn the Five.
chicago Timesl
Mr.. 7. G. Newman, statistcian Of the
Northwestern Society Of Beekeepers, said re-
Gently to the members OF that organization:
Since the introduction Of the movable
comb hive, twenty years ago, bee culture in
North America has been developed more
than II had been in the century previous
Today 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 total of 3,000,000 col
onies, which annually yield l20, 200, 900
pounds of honey. The value of the colonies,
at an average of 81 each, would be $50 0OO,-
OOJ, and OF the annual product, at an aver
age of 10 cents per pounl, SIS 900, 900, max.
( ing the total amount of money involved, ap-
| proximately, SOL, 0J1,000 The compar-
alive showing OF all Europe IS less
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 lS) tons of honey in tn.
comb, which was awarded the prize over all
I the European exhibits In America honey
is plentiful and cheap; in Europe it is scarce
and precious While it sells for about IL
cents pound here. it brings a half crown, or
G2I5 cents, at London.
There are very few localities in Europe
where the honey-bes prospers, there being no
staple bloom upon which they could depend
for honey. The mCst progressive people in
agriculture are th, Swiss. who successfully
maintain extensive apiaries at great alti- !
tude in the Alps. France is dependent On
Switzerlanl for her honey supply. The time |
Is not far distant when America will be ex-
porting hugely TO all tie European nations
AS to the skill Of oar apiarists,' pursued /
Mr. Newman, lit amounts almost to a t
science. Twenty years ago the bee was an 1
insect whose industry was little appreciated
and whose conditions and methods OF life, as
well as pro5eucratiol, Were only ueagerIy /
comprehended Now. with the help of the !
microscope, and after years of study and 1
conferences such as the one just ended tn,
daintest minutia. os the bees life is under
stood. With a couple more years experience
III ventilation, temp nature, and the treat
ment OF ths delicate diseases to which bees
are subiected is lhe winter months the in
dustry vii have been developed almost TO a
perfect site. The success of the American
apiar.-,', Is tell You. is 10 be attributed as
much - ;iie.r research as to tho naturally
favoraal condition; OF our honey -howihg
vegetation. l have gwen the matter con.
slant stuty Tor yeas, and have famiiiarizel
myself with all the characteristics of these
quaint little creltureS Their propagation
Is, perhaps, one of the most delicate, and at
the same time III best regulated operations
In nature. Although the perpctuation de-
Ponds upon single feInlle in a colony. it is
rarely that the line of progenture is broken,
AMI then 1t is by accident
In a colony there are two distinct sets of
occupants: the male druneS and unfec Undated
females, who are known as tie worker
he drones have no stingS. They are shift
less and worthless, being the dudes of the
hive. They lay around in groups, fattening
off the honey which the workers store up,
until within six weeks after having come
into existence they die off. Not infrequently
the workers get incensei at their lazy, selfish
conduct and slaughter them by wholesale,
singing them to death. The uueen is at
tended constantly by royal retinue whose
heads are invariably pointed toward her, as
If in obeissnce. or the female eggs which
she deposits the workers select anywhere 4
from ten to twenty, and building larger cells, o
place one in each, inclosed in what is called
the royal jelly, SALIVA of their own produc- r
ton. This it is which imparts to the female 9
the pregnabls fluid The female larva de !
veiopes into animated life, and a young queen :
bee breaks forth from the cell |
AS her rivals appear subsequently, she I
,!aughters them, one after the other She is \
nimble and vigorous at TIE expiration Of two ?
Or three days. and the workers, seemingly c
believers in the survival OF the fittest. attend u
n body, whils the old queen and her ado
escent rival engage in q royal combat t. the :
ieath. At this duel Of stings from which L
,he drone5 are excluded, the spectators main
ain the Strictest Ge ,oFGEl, and preserve fair
1lay between the contestants The queen.
you know, never uses her sting on anything
Except royalty, and when assaiied BY the c
'lebeian WORKER will not even defend her 5
elf The young one is usually victorious
After having disposed of her predecessor AMI Il
attended, the solemn funeral obsequ:es when D
he body is carried from the hive, she circu- !,
ates among the dronei and entice; the whole \
warm of them into the outer air
1.-The queen then retu to the hive and
household Her fertility is perpetual wifi
Ter, and she is empowered by nature TO lay
anywhere from 1000 to 5000 eggs in a dav. II
These are hatchei out in from seventeen to
wenty-one days She becomes perfect d,
mother with power to produce workers or
rones at will or to re reduce herself She
eigns from two TO three years, according to
he endurance o. the affections which the
Torkers entertain for her, when she is de.
hroned in the manner narrated. In tie S
winter the old tees die and in the sprir. the
ueen sends ont new swarnis of young work
rs TO gather the honey harvest The workers vi
re arranged and classed so that neither dis
ord nor confusion may interrupt their work
hey are first divided off into well marshaled
quads, each Of which attends industriouslv Lc
} its own particular assignment o,
The comb-builiers construct the delicate Re
omb. IL is estimated that they consume Dl
bout twenty pounds Of honey t. construct Ca
ne pound of comb. The honey gathciers
Jllect the-sweet juices from the flowers aud
eposit them in the cells. Water-carriers
mploy Themselves in carrying in the water
'quirei for the support Of the young brood "a
he po!len-S atherers convey the farina from ~
he blossoms TO the cavities formed for its u
,ception. The nursing-bees feed the Young De
ut | they are able TO take care of themselves.
nd the faithful guards, ever mindful
tie Teace and harmony of tine colony.
alously watch the entrance to the hive oa
dmitting no intruder, neither insect nor me
range bee 1t is amusing to notice how De
axtercusly they pounce upon anything
lring even to approach the entrance Ii a ia
sw queen dares to enter the hive, she is in.
antly killed We overcome this rebellious
onble, in supplying a colony with queen
: easiaS her in there until she becomes per
Gated with the odor of the colony. When
% is released, at the end of three DAYS, she IL.
cordially entertained and installed -
Experts or alleged experts at anything
ways makes me saudder,' says an old
wyer, "you never know whetber they ara far