Evening star., 1923-10-14
BY GEORGE III. DACY.

and that Is exactly what Uncle Sam
is doing out at Somerset, Nd. where
he maintains the largest experimental
apiary IN the world--a miniature city
Of bee research, where eminent scien-
lists investigate the secrets Of $780,
900 honey bees.
Up TO the time when the govern
ment began to study the buzz in bees
the notable Maeterlinck was an out
standing world wide authority on the
daily doings of the bee family. Now,
however, our government apiRrists
know even more than Maeterlinck did
about the subject. For nine years
hey have been engaged in the most
complete and comprehensive series
Of beekeeping experiments ever in
Augurated. They have solved intri-
cate bee secrets which were even
more enigmatical than complicated
murder mysteries. Constantly they
are extending and expanding their
scientific research. The results Of
their surveys and studies have been
opochal in eliminating previous leaks
and losses from the business OF COM
mercial honey production.
Although lacking organs Of speech,
the efficient honey bee, nevertheless,
has devised a novel method of COM
munication which permits the diff
serent members OF the hive to ex-
change gossip and information con-
sidering desirable localities where the
choicest honey nectar can be found.
The national beekeepers have care
H,-yI vi E~tA
queer dance-like movements which
The bees go through kind of sway
ing and vibrating surge of bees from
one part of the hive to another--and
report that these curious contortions
within the hive are animated bee con-
versations.
The federal apiarists have devised
extraordinary glass-sided hives for
observational purposes which are so
arranged in the laboratory rooms at
the bee farm that the experts may
study all the movements Of the bees
about the hive. Each hive has direct
outlet TO the outdoors SO that the
worker bees can leave the hive on
honey-forag.ng excursions and return
whenever they wish.
The old supposition that bees would
work only under conditions of dark
ness or semi-darkness has been COM
pletely exploded by the use Of the
glass study hives. The scientists
nainstakingly observe the work of
the bees both day and night. Ex-
terror electric bulbs are used to IL
illuminate the glass hives at night, so
that the observers may watch every
movement IN the honeycomb.
i: X r x
THE busy bees really work them
i selves to death. During the
height Of the summer season, the or
.iinary worker bee lives only about
TWO months.
Science has ascertained definitely
that the bees knock off work and
1'est for short intervals occasionally.
If you will but watch q certain work
er bee for many hours, you will fl
naiIy see her retire to one of the un-
occupied cells OF the honeycomb
where she tndulges in a brief bee
siesta before resuming her indus
trious labors.
The sleep os the busy bee is not like
hat of your pet cat. The bee has no
eyelids and hence can not close her
eyes like Tabby. The rest spells of
the worker bees are always short, as
their latent love for industry soon
impels them to return to their job
Of honey rnaking-a manufacturing
process which pays no attention to
labor union hours.
Years ago, when benjamin Franklin
went out on the Philadelphia COM
mons and few his famous kite which
was a stepping stone to the harness
sing of electrical energy for the serv-
ice Of man, he had not the faintest
idea that some future day electricity
would be recruited to keep tab on
the temperatures in different parts of
the ordinary beehive. Such phe-
nomenon has come to pass. Uncle
sam has perfected electrical thermo-
meters whose recording parts are
connected with every remote nook or
corner in an experimental bee hive
AZ Somerset The temperatures are
recorded automatically at fve-minute
intervals both day and night. A wind
direction register stands close to the
test hive which keeps track Of the
velocity and direction of the wind, SO
that these influences may be studied
as they effect beehive heat.
An electrical time clock for the
busy bees is another clever innovation
invented at the government bee farm.
II Is known as q flight detector. In
the same way that clerk in fac
tory or Office punches the time clock
when he comes to work in the morn
ing or when he leaves at night. this
electrical contraption keeps record
Of tho time when each worker bee
leaves the hive on a honey scouting
trip and the time when tho explorer
returns home laden with plant nectar.
From these data estimates can be
made on the length OF the average
trip that the bee makes from the
homo hive.
- why do bees buzz SO persistently
as they are working in the hive" you
may ask IL you have had much ac-
.auaintance with the peculiarities of
bees?
This buszing of the bees in the hive
is quite similar TO the hum of the
electric fan which you use in your
house during hot muggy wheather to
expedite ventilation and produce
cooling breeze. The beehive, which
is as populous as the ordinary tene-
rnent house, requires ventilation for
the health and well being of Its in
mates. The leader bee evidently des-
ignates certain of the workers to act
as miniature electric fans. These bees
take stations around the hive and flap