The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
PART THE BEES PLAY.
THE OLD FASHIONED HUMBLE a
FRIEND To THE FARMER.
His Cousins with sttngers-Cun-
ninEIy Devised Houses DuiIt by
Hornets and Wasps-SpiderS the
Easy Prey OF the latter.

Oue OF the consequences OF the freezing
weather last May was the almost total de-
struetion Of that old time acquaintance Of
the farmer, the humble bee. The excep-
tionally warm weather that had preceded
those frosts had brought these bees from
their winter lairs and they had already
made their nests. The borer. a wood bum
BILE bee that so industriousiy perforates
the cornices and higher weather boarding
Of farm buildings has almost entirely van
ished. On the expanse of bloom in the
clover field. on the stalks OF catnip in the
fence corners and on the red pods of the
thistle one may look in vain for the buzz
zing of these old acquaintance
The same is true of that golden orna-
mented wasp known as the yellow jacket
and that pusnacious fighter and opponent
Of the schoolboy. known as the hornet. is
also noticeably absent this summer
AS result of the scarcity of humble
bees the crop of clover seed IS destined
to be light. 1t is well known that the FIRST
crop of the seasons clover blossoms yield
no seed to speak of and the growth is cut
for hay. a second growth then springs up.
and from this second crop the seed is then
produced
The cells of the red clover bloom are
too deep to be reached by the common
honey bee, and much effort has been made
by bee culturists to produce a species
with a sufficiently long honey extracting
appendage 10 be available on the blossoms
of this honey-producing plant.
There are probably thousands OF per-
sons, even in the rural communities. that
are entirely unaware of the functions
hxy ha hi, IL.
OF bees In plant life.
L II was impossible to produce clover In
Australia until after the importation Of
bumblebees. 1t is the queens that sur
vive our winters and in the latter part
of the season in an ordinary colony a
dozen of these may be produced. These
remain in the nest and are maintained
! by the workers of the colony until they
20 forth TO find winter quarters in the
dried material Of some decayed tree or
log or in some old building. 1t is rare that
one of these creatures Is found during
/ the winter Information.
In the spring il is the queen that energies
and goes forth on a hunt for a place to
establish a nest. There is hardly a field
on the farm that may not entertain some
| of these colonies. Underground and above
ground, in the woods, in logs and IN trees
in buildings. but mostly in old mouse
nests in meadows. BY harvest time a
nest may contain some dozens Of individ-
uals, and in August and September a thrift
ty colony may number upward Of hun
dred
1t is the common workers that defend
the home. and they do it most valiently
The queen, or the odd king" as the SOW
ereign is recognized by the boys, will not
leave the nest when once the colony is
started, but in the case of disturbance.
keeps up a dismal hummng. which seems
to inspire the fighters TO action.
When the grass or the grain has been
| cut away, these creatures for time have
| lost the bearings of the nest and buzz
around in a scolding and disconsolate way
| until they have become familiar with the
| changed surroundings. The cutter bar of
the machine may pass over the nest with
| out much damage only to disturb and
| anger the inmate, but the teeth of the
horse rake are ant to rip through the
abode and expose the comb. which is the
act that calls for the full measure of re-
| Italia ton.
There is always some excitement when
| one of these colonies has been disturbed
| in haying or harvesting operations. No
hesitation whatever do the warriors make
| in attacking man or beast. The horses
are apt to get beyond control, may rear
and plunge while the driver is also the
| object of their unwelcome attention, and
| 1t may require considerable generalship
to beat retreat in good order.
The nests are often plentiful under
ground in stubble fields where they are
encountered in fall blowing. The mold
board of the pillow is sure to turn the whole
abode over and expose the queen and the
comb to the sunlight, TO the intense anger
of the bees. The plowman follows his
team and is seldom aware of what has
happened until he comes around again.
when the Infatuated hosts sometimes sue
| coed in stampeding the team. The sting
ia mi N caI4 FIJI Int
most persons is followed with severe
swelling and even fatal results have been
known to follow.
But still it affords a most exciting amuse-
ment to country boys to fight a large
colony of bumblebees Especially is the
sport intensified if nest of the big black
variety is molested. These are swift OF
wing, and so further in pursuit of the
enemy, and the poison they inject has
an extra twinge TO it.
AS long as memory is true to her pur-
poses with the writer there will remain
the recollection of some of the contests
INDUCED in with neighbor boys In this
kind of sport. One of the schemes worked
on the boy visitors was this: A favorably
located colony would not be molested
To this nest all the larvae was taken
from the colonies that had been DESTROYED
which the undiscovered colonists at once
adopted and care for as their own Thus
supplied this colony soon grew beyond
all ordinary dimensions and represented
all the varieties of bees i'm the neighbor-
hood.
There is species of small grays. known
for their higher quality of honey and
greater numbers, but which are not such
vigorous fighters as their large black CO.
geners, but these, taking courage. from
the example of their fercer brethren, be-
come spondingly valiant
Some champions in these contests would
be selected to open battle. which was done
by taking a stick and giving the nest a
vigorous thrust. Then the courageous
youths would square up, and, with paddle
in hand await the onslaught of the foe
assuming an attitude of defense.
But when a variagated cloud of these
oft exasperated singing creatures came
forth, by companies and batallions. the
amazed looks, the wild yells. and the
streaks of departing boyhood through the
atmosphere, aided and abetted by the vo-
ciferous shouts of the non-combatants.
made wild scene.
Other pastimes in this line would be to
drive hogs or cattle to the vicinity of a
quiet nest. give il a good prod. and note
developments. The porkers would sound
A peculiar and most grotesquely cultural
note of alarm, going in all directions In a
novel and most comical gallop and utter