LK SQ WG WN \ « SAN QOH OC \< SS WO \ \N AQ WN \ SS ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New YorK STATE COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS BEEKEEPING LIBRARY Cornell University Library SF 523.C771 TWAIN 3 1924 003 544 107 4 mann Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003544107 THE Bee-Keeper’s Guide: ——— (a MANUAL OF THE APIARY, —BY- A. J. COOK, Professor of Zoology Pomona College, Claremont, California, AUTHOR OF “Injurious Insects of Michigan," " Maple Sugar and the Sugar Bush," and "Silo and Silage." SEVENTEENTH EDITION. Revised, Enlarged, Re- Written and Beautifully Illustrated. NINETEENTH THOUSAND. CHICAGO, ILL. GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1902 ea Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by ALBERT J. COOK, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. TO THE REVEREND L. L. LANGSTROTH, THE INVENTOR OF THE MOVABLE-FRAME HIVE, THE HUBER OF AMERICA, AND ONE OF THE GREATEST MASTERS OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE, AS RELATING TO APICULTURE, IN THE WORLD, THIS MANUAL IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. In 1876, in response to a desire frequently expressed by my aplarian friends, principally my students, I published an edition of 3000 copies of the little, unpretending ‘‘ Manual of the Apiary.’? This was little more than the course of lectures which I gave annually at the Michigan Agri- cultural College. In less than two years this was exhausted, and the second edition, enlarged, revised, and much more fully illustrated, was issued. So great was the sale that in less than a year this was followed by the third and fourth editions, and, in less than two years, the fifth edition (seventh thousand) was issued. In each of the two following years, another edition was demanded. In each of these editions the book has been enlarged, changes made, and illustrations added, that the book might keep pace with our rapidly advancing art. So great has been the demand for this work, not only at home and in Europe, but even in more distant lands, and so great has been the prog- ress of apiculture—so changed the views and methods of our best bee- keepers—that the author feels warranted in thoroughly revising and entirely recasting this eighth edition (tenth thousand). Not only is the work re-written, but much new matter, and many new and costly illus- trations, are added. The above I quote directly from the preface of the eighth edition, published in 1883. Since then four editions have appeared, each reyised as the progress of the art required. In electrotyping the eighth edition, through an accident very poor work was done, so that the impressions of the last three editions have been far from satisfactory. This has led me wholly to revise the present, or thirteenth edition. In doing this Ihave thought it wise toadd largely, especially to the scientific portion, as the intelligence of our bee-keepers demands the fullest information. I have thus added one hundred and fifty pages and more than thirty illustrations. All this has involved so PREFACKH. much expense that Iam forced, though very reluctantly, to increase the price of the work. As our bee-keepers know, I have permitted wide use of the illustra- tions prepared expressly for this work, believing heartily in the motto, ‘“* greatest good to the greatest number;’’? soI have drawn widely from others. Iam greatly indebted to all these, and have given credit with the illustration. Since the above was penned three editions have appeared, the last, sixteenth, in 1899. Each has been revised. Both the science and prac- tice have so advanced that I now recast entirely this, the seventeenth edition. I wish again to express my thanks and gratitude to our wide-awake American apiarists, without whose aid it would have been impossibje to have written this work. Iam under special obligation to Messrs. Cowan, York and Root, and to my students who have aided me, both in the apiary and laboratory. As I stated in the preface tothe eighth edition, it is mysdesi:e and determination that this work shall continue to be the exponent of the most improved apiculture; and no pains will be spared, that each suc- ceeding edition may embody the latest improvements and discoveries wrought out by the practical man and the scientist, as gleaned from the excellent home and forsign apiarian and scientific periodicals. The above was prefaced to the Eighteenth one thousand published in 1900. This Nineteenth one thousand has been wholly revised, about 80 pages and 75 engravings added. We believe it is now at the frontin bee-keeping science and practice. A. J. COOK. Pomona College, Claremont, California, 1902. CONTENTS. Introduction.—p. 13. Who May Keep Bees. Specialists, Amateurs, Who Should Not Keep Bees, Inducements to Bee-Keeping, Recreation, Profits, Excellence as an Amateur Pursuit, Adaptation to Women, Improves the Mind, the Observation and Heart, Yields Delicious Food, Brings the Second Blade of Grass, Adds to the Nation’s Wealth, What Successful Bee-Keeping Re- quires, Mental Effort, Experience Necessary, Learn from Others, Aid from Conventions, Aid from Bee- Journals, American Bee Journal, Gleanings in Bee-Culture, Bee- Keepers’ Review, Canadian Bee Journal, American Bee-Keeper, Progressive Bee-Keeper, Lone Star Apiarist, Books for the Apiarist, Langstroth on the Honey-Bee, A B C of Bee-Culture, Bees and Honey, Scientific Queen-Rearing, Advanced Bee-Culture, Bee-Keeping for Be- ginners, Foreign _ Publications, British Bee Journal, Foreign Books, Promptitude, Enthusiasm. Part I. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY- BEE. CHAPTER I.—p. 31. The Bee's Place in the Animal King- dom. Branch of the Honey-Bee, The Class of the Honey-Bee, Order of the Honey-Bee, Family of the Honey-Bee, The Genus of the Honey-Bee, Species of Our Honey- Bees, Races of the Honey-Bee, Ger- man or Black Bee, Ligurian or Ital- ian, The Syrian and Cyprian Races, Other Races, Bibliography, Val- uable Books for the Student of Entomology. CHAPTER II.—p. 64. Anatomy and Physiology. Anatomy of Insects, Organs of the Head, Appendages of the Thorax, Internal Anatomy of In- sects, Secretory Organs of Insects, Sex-Organs of Insects, Transforma- tion of Insects, The Egg,The Larva of Insects, The Pupa of Insects, The Imago Stage, Incomplete Trans- formation, Anatomy and Physiology of the Honey-Bee, Three Kinds of Bees in each Family, The Queen- Bee, Structure and Natural His- tory, The Drones, The Neuters or Workers, Glandular Organs. CHAPTER III.—p. 165. Swarming, or Natural Methods of Increase. CHAPTER IV.—p. 171. Products of Bees, their Origin and Funetion. Honey, Wax, Pollen,or Bee-Bread, Propolis, Bibliography. x CONTENTS. Part II. THE APIARY, ITS CARE AND MAN- AGEMENT. INTRODUCTION.—p. 201. Starting an Apiary. Preparation, Read a Good Man- ual, Visit Some Apiarist, Take a College Course, Decide on a Plan, How to Procure First Colonies, Kind of Bees to Purchase, In What Kind of Hives, When to Purchase, How Much to Pay, Where to Locate CHAPTER V-—p. 207, Hives und Sections. Box-Hives, Movable-Comb Hives, Early Frame Hives, The Langstroth Hive, Character of the Hive, What Style to Adopt, The Heddon Sur- plus-Case, The Cover, Division- Board, Cloth Covers, The New Heddon Hive, The Frames, A Block for Making Frames, Cover for Frames, the Huber Hive, Observa- tory Hive, Apparatus for Procuring Comb Honey, Surplus Comb Honey in Sections, How to Place Sections in Position, Sections in Frames, Crates or Racks, Fences, Separa- tors, Foot-Power Saw. CHAPTER VI.—p. 253. Positionaud Arranyement of Apiary Position, Arrangement of Grounds, Preparation for Each Colony. CHAPTER VII.—p. 258. To Transfer Bees, The Old Method, Hunting Bee- Trees. CHAPTER VIII.—p. 264. Feeding and Feeders. What to Feed, How to Feed, Smith Feeder. CHAPTER IX.—p. 273. Queen- Rearing. How to Rear Queens, Nuclei, Queen Lamp-Nursery, Shall We Clip the Queen’s Wing? Laying Workers, Queen Register, or Api- ary Register. CHAPTER X.—p. 293. Increase of Colonies. Swarming, Hiving Swarms, To Prevent Second Swarms, To Pre- vent Swarming, Artificial Increase, How to Divide, Capturing Abscond- ing Swarms. CHAPTER XI.—p. 306. fialians and Italianizing. The New Races of Bees, What Bees Shall We Keep ? How to Ital- ianize, How to Introduce a Queen, Valentine’s Comb Stand, To Get Our Italian -Queens, To Ship Queens, The ‘‘ Good’ Candy, Prep- arations to Ship, To Move Colonies. CHAPTER XII.—p. 321. Extracting, and the Ertractor. Honey-Extractor, Desirable Points in an Extractor, Use of Extractor, When _to Use the Extractor, To Keep Extracted Honey. CHAPTER XIII.—p. 335. Working for Comb Honey. Points to Consider, To Secure Strong Colonies, To Avoid the Swarming Fever, Adjustment of Sections, Getting Bees into Sec- tions, Removal of Sections. CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XIV.—p. 348. Handling Bees. The Best Bee-Veil, To Quiet Bees, Bellows Smoker, The Quinby Smoker, To Smoke Bees, Chloro- form, To Cure Stings, The Sweat Theory, The Bee-Tent. CHAPTER XV.—p. 353. Comb Foundation. History, American Foundation, The Press for Foundation, How Foundation is Made, To Secure the Wax-Sheets, Use of Foundation, Wired Frames, Save the Wax, Methods, Wax-Press. CHAPTER XVI.—>p. 373. Marketing Honey. How to Invigorate the Market, Preparation for Market, Extracted Honey, How to Tempt the Con- sumer, Comb Honey, Rules to be Observed, Marketing Bees, Selling Queens, Selling Bees by the Pound, Vinegar from Honey, Fairs and the Market, What Should We Have ? Effects of Such Exhibits. CHAPTER XVII.—p. 389. Honey-Pilants. Real Honey-Dew, Sweet Sap and Juices, What are the Valuable Honey-Plants ? Description With Practical Remarks, March Plants, April Plants, May Plants, June Plants, July Plants, August and September Plants, Books on Botany, Practical Conclusions. CHAPTER XVITI.—p. 454. Wintering Bees.’ The Causes of Disastrous Win- tering, The Requisite to Safe Win- tering—Good Food, Secure Late Breeding, To Secure and Maintain the Proper Temperature, Box for Packing, Chaff Hives, Rules for their Use, Wintering in Bee-House, Wintering in Cellar, Burying Bees or Clamps, Spring Dwindling. CHAPTER XIX.—p. 468. The Housc-Apiary and Bee-House, Bee-Houses. CHAPTER XX.—p. 473. Evils that Confront the Apiarist. Robbing, Disease, Foul Brood, Remedies, To Cure Bee-Paralysis, To Cure New Bve-Diseases, Ene- mies of Bees, The Bee-Moth, His- tory, Remedies, The Wee Bee-Moth, Remedies, Two Destructive Beetles, Robber-Flies, The Stinging Bug, The Bee-Stabber, Bee-Hawk, Tach- ina-Fly, Bee-Louse, Ants, Florida Ant, The Cow-Killer, The Praying Mantis, Blister-Beetles, Wasps, A Bee-Mite, Remedies, California Bee- Killer, Spiders, The King-Bird, The Toads, Mice, Shrews, Skunks. CHAPTER XXI.—p. 512. Calendar and Axioms. Work for Different Months, Jan- uary, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Axioms, Glossary. INTRODUCTION. WHO MAY KEEP BEES. SPECIALISTS. Any person who is cautious, observing and prompt, will succeed in bee-keeping. He must expect to work with full energy through the busy season, and persist though discour- agement and misfortune both confront him. I need not men- tion capital or location, for men of true metal—men whose energy of body and mind bespeak success in advance—will solve these questions long before their experience and knowl- edge warrant their assuming the charge of large apiaries. AMATEURS. Bee-keeping is specially to be recommended as an avoca- tion. Bees are of great value in fertilizing fruits, grains and vegetables; they also save millions of pounds of most whole- some food which would otherwise go to waste ; and experience amply proves that they may be kept in city, village and coun- try at a good profit, and so any person, possessed of the proper ability, tact and energy, may adopt bee-keeping, and thus do good, gain pleasure, and often receive profit, as experience has shown, more than is derived from the regular occupation. The late Mr. C. F. Muth, of Cincinnati, long kept bees very profit- ably on his store, in the very heart of thecity. Hundreds of our most successful bee-keepers live in small towns and vil- lages, and add bee-culture to their work in shop, office, or study, and receive health, pleasure, and money asa reward. Ladies all over our country are finding in this pursuit pleasure, and oppor- tunity to exercise in the pure air, which means health, and money. Farmers are adding bee-keeping to their farms, to find not infrequently that the bees are their most profitable property. Orchardists, especially, need and must have bees to pollinate the fruit-blossoms, and insure a crop. The time required willof course depend upon the number of colonies kept ; but with wise management, this time may be given at 14 THH BEE-KEEPER'S GUIDE ; any time of the day or week, and thus not interfere with the regular business. Thus residents of country, village or city, male or female, who enjoy the society and study of natural objects, and wish to add to their income and pleasure, will find here an ever waiting opportunity. WHO SHOULD NOT KEEP BEES. There are occasionally persons to whom the venom of the bee isa serious poison. If such persons are stung anywhere their eyes swell so they can not see, the skin blotches, and serious irritation is felt over the entire body. Such persons are often overcome with fever for several days, and, though very rarely, the sting sometimes proves fatal. It goes without saying that such persons should not keep bees. It is a well known fact that the sting of the honey-bee becomes less and less poisonous the more one is stung. The system becomes inoculated against the poison. My own ex- perience proves this most conclusively. Every bee-keeper will receive occasional stings, but these become more and more rare, and soon occasion neither fear nor anxiety. INDUCEMENTS TO BEE-KEEPING. RECREATION. I name this first, as it was the pleasure in store that led me to the art of keeping bees, though I was terribly afraid of bees at the beginning. Thereis a rare fascination in the study of nature. Insect life is ever presenting the most pleasurable surprises to those who study it. Bees, from their wonderful instincts, curious structure and habits, and the interesting relations which they sustain to vegetable life, are most fasci- nating objects of study. The observant and appreciative bee- keeper is ever the witness of exhibitions that incite wonder and admiration. This is why bee-keepers are always enthusi- asts. I know of no class of laborers who dwell more fondly on their work and business than do bee-keepers. A thorough study of the marvelous economy of the honey-bee must, from its very nature, bring delight and admiration. A farmer once said to me, ‘‘ Were it not for the generous profits of the busi- ness, I would still keep bees for the real pleasure I receive in OR, MANUAL, OF THE APIARY. 15 the business.” I once asked a hard worked teacher why he kept bees. I felt like saying amen to hisanswer: ‘‘ For the restful pleasure which the work gives.’’ I have often gone to the bees tired and nervous, and after an hour’s labor, felt re- freshed, as by sound sleep. I have been deeply gratified many times by the letters thanking me for having turned the writers’ attention towards bee-keeping. I often think that if a person does embark in bee-keeping, commencing in a small way—and no person should begin in any other way—the knowledge gained and consequent pleasure received will prove ample remunera- tion, even should no practical results follow. The man is broadened by the study, and better fitted to enjoy life. Some years since my old friend and college classmate, O. Clute, visited me. Of course, I must show him the bees. He was delighted, took this ‘‘ Manual’’ home with him, purchased some bees at once, and became enraptured with the work, and the result of all this was another first-class bee-keeper and that most fascinating work of fiction, ‘‘ Blessed Bees.’’ PROFITS. The profits in bee-keeping offer strong inducements towards its adoption as a pursuit. I believe few manual-labor occupa- tions offer so large returns, if we consider the capital invested. True, bee-keeping requires hard work, but this is only fora portion of the year, and in winter there is almost no work, especially if the bee-keeper buys all his hives, sections, etc., which is usually wiser than to make them. The cautious, prompt and skillful bee-keeper will often be able to secure an annual average of seventy-five pounds per colony, besides doubling the number of his colonies. This will give $10.00 per colony atleast, which is almost as much as the colony, with required apparatus, is worth. Of course, poor years will con- front the bee-keeper. Winter losses will be experienced by the beginner. Some will fail entirely. The fickle, careless, indo- lent man will as surely fail in bee-keeping as in any other calling. Yetif onestudies the science and art, and commences bee-keeping in a small way, as all should, he will be no great loser, even if he find that he is not suited to the business. He knows more and isa broader man for this study and experi- ence. My brother, whoisa good farmer, with a fertile and 16 THE BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; well-stocked farm, commenced bee-keeping more to interest his boys than aught else. He has met very little loss in win- tering—for years together none at all. For three successive years his sixty colonies of bees gave him more profits than all the balance of his farm. As he said at one of the Michigan State Conventions: ‘‘I find my bees the pleasantest and most profitable part of my farm.’’ He added the surprising remark, ‘Nothing on my farm bears neglect better than my bees.”” I might add that neglect is rarely seen on his farm. Adam Grimm, James Heddon, G. M. Doolittle, EK. J. Oat- man, and many others, have made much money in this pursuit. Mr. Hetherington keeps thousands of colonies of bees, and has received over $10,000 cash receipts in a single year. Mr. Clute, an able clergyman, has often received more money from his bees than from his salary as a preacher. All over our country men are gaining a livelihood in this industry, and often earn- ing as much more in other pursuits. The opportunity to make money, even with hardships and privations, is attractive and seldom disregarded. What shall we say then of this oppor- tunity, if the labor which it involves, brings in itself healthful recreation and constant delight? Dr. C.C. Miller gaveupa $2500 salary to engage in bee-keeping. Though a specialist, and though his profits some years, owing to the drouth, are nothing, yet he is contented with the business, and has no idea of changing for any other. EXCHLLENCE AS AN AMATEUR PURSUIT. After twenty years of experience, Iam persuaded that no business offers more as an avocation. Indeed, I think bee- keeping may ofttimes best serve asa second business. We have already seen that bees are a blessing, and I would have every person, whatever his leading business, keep a few colo- nies of bees, unless by taste, nature or temperament, he be unfitted for the work. Bee-keeping offers additional funds to the poorly paid; outdoor air to clerk and office-hand ; healthful exercise to the person of sedentary habits, opportunity for the poor to reap what would otherwise go to waste, and superior recreation to the student, teacher and professional man, espe- cially to him whose life-work is of that dull, hum-drum, rou- tine order that seems to rob life of all zest, OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 17 The labor required in bee-keeping, especially if but few colonies are kept, can, with thought and management, be so arranged as not to infringe upon the time demanded by the regular occupation. Even the farmer, by wise foresight, can arrange so that his bees will not interfere greatly with his regular farm work. I have never received more hearty thanks than from persons whom I had influenced to add the care of bees to their other duties. ADAPTATION TO WOMEN. Apiculture may also bring succor to those whom society has not been over-ready to favor—our women. Widowed mothers, dependent girls, the weak and the feeble, all may find a blessing in the easy, pleasant and profitable labors of the apiary. Ofcourse, women who lack vigor and health can care for but very few colonies, and must have sufficient strength to bend over and lift the small-sized frames of comb when loaded with honey, and to carry empty hives. With the proper thought and management, full colonies need never be lifted, nor work done in the hot sunshine. Yet, right here let me add, and emphasize the truth, chat only those who will let ener- getic thought and skillful plan, and above all promptitude and persistence, make up for physical weakness, should enlist as apiarists. Usually a stronger body and improved health, the result of pure air, sunshine and exercise, will make each suc- cessive day’s labor more easy, and will permit a corresponding growth in the sizeof the apiary for each successive season. One of the most noted apiarists, not only in America, but in the world, sought in bee-keeping her health, and found not only health, but reputation and influence. Some of the most successful apiarists in our country are women. Of these, many were led to adopt the pursuit because of waning health, grasping at this as the last and successful weapon with which to vanqtish the grim monster. That able apiarist, and terse writer on apiculture, Mrs. L. Harrison, states that the physicians told her that she could not live; but apiculture did for her what the physicians could not do—restored her to health, and gave her such vigor that she has been able to work a large apiary for years. Said ‘‘Cyula Linswik ’’—whose excellent and beautifully 18 THEH BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; written articles have so often charmed the readers of the bee- journals, and who has had many years of successful experi- ence as an apiarist—in a paper read before the Michigan con- vention in March, 1887: ‘‘I would gladly purchase exemption from indoor work, on washing-day, by two days’ labor among the bees, and I find two hours’ labor at the ironing-table more fatiguing than two hours of the severest toil the apiary can exact.’’ I repeat, that apiculture offers to many women not only pleasure but profit Mrs. lL). B. Baker, of Lansing, Mich., who had kept bees very successfully for four years, read an admirable paper be- fore the same convention, in which she said: ‘‘ But I can say, having tried both (keeping boarding-house and apiculture), I give bee-keeping the preference, as more profitable, healthful, independent and enjoyable. * * * I find the labors of the apiary more endurable than working over a cook-stove indoors, and more pleasant and conducive to health. * * * Ibe- lieve that many of our delicate and invalid ladies would find renewed vigor of body and mind in the labors and recreations of the apiary. ‘ * * By beginning in the early spring, when the weather was cool and the work light, I became grad- ually accustomed to outdoor labor, and by midsummer found myself as well able to endure the heat of the sun as my hus- band, who has been accustomed to it all hislife. Previously, to attend an open-air picnic was to return with a headache. * % * My own experience in the apiary has been a source of interest and enjoyment far exceeding my anticipations.”’ Although Mrs. Baker commenced with but two colonies of bees, her net profits the first season were over $100; the second year but a few cents less than $300 ; and the third year about $250. ‘‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating ;” and such words as those above show that apiculture offers special in- ducements to our sisters to become either amateur or profes- sional apiarists. Atthe present time almost every State has women bee-keepers, whose success has won attention. True it is, that in neatness and delicacy of manipulation, the women far surpass the men. The nicest honey producedin Michigan, year after year, comes from the apiary of two ladies who I believe are peers of any bee-keepers in our country. OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 19 IMPROVES THE MIND, THE OBSERVATION, AND THE HEART. Successful apiculture demands close and accurate obser- vation, and hard, continuous thought and study, and this, too, in the wondrous realm of nature. In all this, the apiarist re- ceives manifold and substantial advantages. In the cultiva- tion of the habit of observation a person becomes constantly more able, useful and susceptible to pleasure—results which also follow as surely on the habit of thought and study. Itis hardly conceivable that the wide-awake apiarist who is so frequently busy with his wonder-working comrades of the hive, can ever be lonely, or feel time hanging heavily on his hands. The mind is occupied, and there is no chance for ennui. The whole tendency of such thought and study, where nature is the subject, is to refine the taste, elevate the desires, and ennoble manhood. Once get our youth, with their sus- ceptible natures, engaged in such wholesome study, and we shall have less reason to fear the vicious tendencies of the street, or the luring vices and damning influences of the saloon. Thus apiculture spreads an intellectual feast that even the old philosophers would have coveted; furnishes the rarest food for the observing faculties, and, best of all, by keeping its votaries face to face with the matchless creations of the 4l/ Father, must draw them toward Him ‘‘ who went about doing good,” and ‘‘ in whom there was no guile.” YIELDS DELICIOUS FOOD. A last inducement of apiculture, certainly not unworthy of mention, is the offering it brings to our tables. Health, yea our very lives, demands that we eat sweets. It is a truth that our sugars, and especially our commercial syrups, are so adul- terated as to be often poisonous. The apiary in lieu of these, gives us one of the most delicious and wholesome of sweets, which has received merited praise, as food fit forthe gods, from the most ancient time to the present day. Ever to have within reach the beautiful, immaculate comb, or the equally grateful nectar, right from the extractor, is certainly a bless- ing of no mean order. We may thus supply our families and friends with a food element, with no cloud of fear from vile, poisonous adulterations. We now know that if we eat cane, 20 THE BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; sugar—the common sugar of our tables—it is converted by the digestive fluids into a glucose-like sugar, which is probably nearly or quite identical with honey-sugar. ‘The bees do the same with the nectar, which is dilute cane-sugar, of flowers. Thus we may reason that honey is our most wholesome sugar, for here the bees have in part digested our food for us. BRINGS THE SECOND BLADE OF GRASS. We now know that bees do most valuable work in pollina- ting the fruit-blossoms. No orchard will give full fruitage without the visits of nectar-loving insects. Of these valued friends, no other is at all comparable to the honey-bee, in the value of its service. I know of California orchards whose productiveness has been immensely increased by the introduc- tion of an apiary. Every orchard should have an apiary in its near vicinity. ADDS TO THE NATION’S WEALTH. An excellent authority placed the number of colonies of bees in the United States, in 1881, at 3,000,000, and the honey- production for that year at more than 20,000,000 pounds. The production for that year was not up to the average, and yet the cash value of the year’s honey crop exceeded $30,000,000. We may safely add as much more as the value of the increase of colonies, and we havea grand total of $60,000,000—nearly enough to pay the interest on the national debt, were the bonds all refunded. Mr. Root, in his excellent ‘‘A BCof Bee-Cul- ture,’”’ estimates, from sections sold, that 125 million pounds of honey are produced annually and sold for $10,000,000. And yetall this is but gathered nectar, which would go to waste were it not for the apiarist and his bees. We thus save tothe country that which would otherwise bea total loss. Apicul- ture, then, in adding so immensely to the productive capital of the country, is worthy, as an art, to receive the encouragement and fostering care of the State. And the thought that he is performing substantial service to the State, may well add to the pleasureof the apiarist, as he performs his daily round of labor. When we add to this the vastly greater indirect benefit which comes through the agency of bees in fertilizing flowers —a benefit which can hardiy be computed—we then understand OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 21 {he immense value which comes from bees. Truly, the bee- keeper may feel proud of the grand part which his bees per- form in the economy of that part of nature which most con- cerns man and most generously ministers to man’s wants. WHAT SUCCESSFUL ,BEE-KEEPING REQUIRES. MENTAL EFFORT. No one should commence this business who is not willing to read, think, and study. To be sure, the ignorant and un- thinking may stumble on success for a time, but sooner or later failure will set her seal upon their efforts. Those of our apiarists who have studied the hardest, observed the closest, and thought the deepest, have even passed the late terrible winter with but slight loss. Those who fail, often fail because of just this lack of mental preparation. Of course the novice will ask, ‘‘How and what shall I study ?” ; EXPHRIENCK NECESSARY. Nothing will take the place of realexperience. Commence with a few colonies, even one or two is best, and make the bees your companions at every possible opportunity. Note every change, whether of the bees, their development, or work, and then by earnest thought strive to divine the cause. LEARN FROM OTHERS. Great good will also come from visiting and even working for a time with other bee-keepers. Note their methods, hives, sections, etc. Strive by conversation to gain new and valuable ideas, and gratefully adopt whatever is found, by comparison, to be an improvement upon your own past system and practice. AID FROM CONVENTIONS. Attend conventions whenever distance and means render this possible. Here you will not only be made better by social intercourse avith those whose occupation and study make them sympathetic and congenial, but you will find a real conserva- tory of scientific truths, valuable hints,and improved instru- ments and methods. And the apt attention—rendered possi- 22 THH BEHE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; ble by your own experience—which you wil! give to essays, discussions, and private conversations, will so enrich your mind that you will return to your home encouraged and able to do better work, and to achieve higher success. I have attended nearly all the meetings of the Michigan Bee-Keepers’ Association, many of those of California, and several of the meetings of the National Bee-Keepers’ Association, and never yet when I was not well paid for all trouble and expense by the many, often very valuable, suggestions which I received. AID FROM BEE-PERIODICALS. Every apiarist should take and read at least one of the many excellent bee-periodicals that are issued in our country. It has been suggested that Francis Huber’s blindness was an advantage to him, as he thus had the assistance of two pairs of eyes, his wife’s and servant’s, instead of one. So, too, of the apiarist who reads the bee-publications. He has the aid of the eyes, and the brains, of hundreds of intelligent and observ- ing bee-keepers. Who is it that squanders his money on worse than useless patents and fixtures? He who ‘‘can not afford”’ to take a bee-paper. It would be invidious and uncalled for to recommend any one of these valuable papers to the exclusion of the others. Each has its peculiar excellencies, and all who can may well call to his aid two or more of them. AMERICAN BRE JouRNAL.—This is the oldest American bee-paper, and the only weekly journal devoted exclusively to bee-keeping in the United States. It was founded in 1861, by the late Samuel Wagner, whose breadth of culture, strength of judgment, and practical and historical knowledge of bee- keeping, were remarkable. Even to-day those early volumes of this paper are very valuable parts of any bee-keeper’s library. Under the able management of Mr. Thomas G. Newman, the late editor, the paper made great and continuous advancement. The contributors to the “‘American Bee Journal” are the suc- cessful bee-keepers of America, and so it has a wide influ- ence. It is now edited by George W. York, whose skill, enter- prise, and ability, are no whit behind those who founded and raised this journal to its present proud place. The publishers OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 23 are George W. York & Co.,118 Michigan St., Chicago, Ill. Subscription price, $1.00 a year. GLEANINGS IN BEE-CULTURE.—This semi-monthly journal, which has just completed its 28th volume, has shown great vigor and energy from its very birth. Its editor is an active apiarist, who is constantly experimenting ; a terse, able writer, and brimful of good-nature and enthusiasm. Iam free to say that in practical apiculture Iam more indebted to Mr. A. I. Root than to any other one person, except Rev. L. L. Lang- stroth. I also think that, with few exceptions, he has done more for the recent advancement of practical apiculture than any other person in our country or the world. This sprightly and beautifully illustrated journal is edited by E. R. Root, Me- dina, Ohio. Price, $1.00 a year. CaNADIAN BEE JouRNAL.— This excellent periodical, though published across the line, is worthy of high praise and patronage. Mr. D. A. Jones was its founder, and his ability, enterprise, and long and successful experience gave this paper great prestige. Perhaps no bee-keeper in the world has sacri- ficed more in the way of time and money, and received less for it, than has Mr. Jones, This is a monthly journal, and is pub- lished by the Goold, Shapley & Muir Co., Ltd., Brantford, Ont., at $1.00 a year. W.J. Craig is its editor. BrE-KEEPERS’ REVIEW.—Although the Bee-Keepers’ Re- view has less of years, it is already away up to the front, and an indispensable adjunct to every live apiarist. Its success has been quite phenomenal. The ability, energy, and success- ful experience of the editor, both as a writer and as a bee- keeper, fit him most admirably for his work. Not only has he won success in all departments of bee-keeping, but he has long been esteemed as one of the most able of our American apicul- tural writers. Published by W. Z. Hutchinson, Flint, Mich., at $1.00 a year. AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER.—The ability, enterprise and long and successful experience of Harry E. Hill, editor of this paper, are all well-known. It is a 20-page monthly magazine, neatly edited and wellillustrated. It is published by W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co., Jamestown, N. Y., at 50 cents a year. 24 THE BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; PROGRESSIVE BEE-KEEPER.—This is one ‘of the later bee- papers, but it shows wonderful progress and great promise of usefulness. Its present editor, R. B. Leahy, is noted for his ability, enterprise and pushing business ways. It is published mouthly by Leahy Mfg. Co., Higginsville, Mo. Price, 50 cents a year. Long Star APpiaRist.—This latest journal is edited by Louis Scholl, and is published monthly by The Lone Star Api- arist Pub. Co., of Floresville, Tex. It shows vigor and gives promise of long life and great usefulness. Its locality is very fortunate. Price, $1.00 a year. BOOKS FOR THE APIARIST. Having read many of the books treating of apiculture, American and foreign, Ican freely recommend such a course to others. Each book has peculiar excellencies, and may be read with interest and profit. LANGSTROTH ON THE HoNEY-BEE.—This treatise will ever remain a classic in bee-literature. I can not over-estimate the benefits which I have received froma study of its pages. The style of this work is so admirable, the subject-matter so replete with interest, and the entire book so entertaining, thatitisa desirable addition to any library, and no thoughtful, studious apiarist can wellbe without it. It is especially happy in detail- ing the work of experimentation, and in showing with what caution the true scientist establishes principles or deduces con- clusions. The work is wonderfully free from errors, and had the science and practice of apiculture remained stationary, there would have been little need of another work. We are happy to state, however, that this work is now revised by no less able authorities than Chas. Dadant & Son, which places it high among our bee-books of to-day. Price, $1.25. A BC or BERE-CULTURH.—This work is by the editor of “Gleanings in Bee-Culture.’”’ It is arranged in the convenient form of our cyclopedias, is printed in fine style, on beautiful paper, and is very fully illustrated. I need hardly say that the style is pleasing and vigorous. The subject matter is fresh, and embodies the most recent discoveries and inventions per- taining to bee-keeping. Price, $1.20. OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 25 BEES AND Honky.—This work is by Thomas G. Newman, late editor of the ‘‘American Bee Journal.’’ It is small, but contains an epitome of the science and art of bee-culture. Price, 75 cents. SCIENTIFIC QUEEN-REARING.—This work is by that well- known and thoroughly practical bee-keeper, G. M. Doolittle. It is invaluable, treating, as it does, of a method by which the very best queen-bees are reared in accord with nature’s way. Price, $1.00. ADVANCED BEE-CULTURE.—This is a full and plain expla- nation of the successful methods practiced by the author, W. Z. Hutchinson. Price, 50 cents, BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.—By Dr. J. P. H. Brown, of Georgia, is a practical and condensed treatise on the honey- bee. 110 pages, bound in paper. Price, 50 cents. FOREIGN PUBLICATIONS. The British BEE JOURNAL, as the exponent of British methods and practices, is interesting and valuable to Ameri- can bee-keepers. It shows that in many things, as in the method of organizing and conducting conventions, so as to make them highly conducive to apicultural progress, we have much to learn from our brothers in Britain. The editor is one of the best informed bee-keepers of the world. The best way for Americans to secure this journal is through the editors of our American bee-papers. FOREIGN BOOKS. The best of these, indeed one of the best ever published, is THE HonEY-BEE, by Thomas W. Cowan, of London, Eng- land. It is the recognized authority in Europe, as it may well be. Itis not only beautiful, but full, accurate, and scientific Asa history of scientific discovery in relation to bees, it is of special interest. It deserves a place in every bee-keeper’s library. Price, $1.00. A more pretentious book is BEES AND BEE-KEEPING, by Frank Cheshire. In workmanship and illustration it is most admirable. It is a compilation from Schiemenz, Girard, Wollf, 26 THE BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE}; and others. Many of the pages and many of the finest illus- trations are taken bodily, and, we are pained to say, with no credit. As we should expect, the work is not as reliable as the smaller work of Mr. Cowan. Price, $5.50. As practical guides, J do not think the foreign works supe- rior to our own. Indeed, I think the beginner would profit most by studying our American books. The advanced bee- keeper will gain much in discipline and knowledge by a care- ful reading of the foreign works on bee-keeping. Foreign sci- entists, especially the Germans, are at the head, but no nation is quicker to discern the practical bearing and utilize the facts and discoveries in science than are Americans. The Germans had hardly shown how centrifugal force could be used to sepa- rate honey from the comb before the Americans had given us our beautiful extractors. The sameis true of comb-foundation machines. The Germans pointed out the true nature of ‘‘ foul brood,’’ and discovered the germicides for its cure, yet I believe ten times as many Americans as foreigners profit by this knowledge. PROMPTITUDE. Another absolute requirement of successful bee-keeping is prompt attention to all its varied duties. Neglect is the rock on which many bee-keepers, especially farmers, find too often they have wrecked their success. I have no doubt that more colonies die from starvation than from all the bee-maladies known to the bee-keeper. And why is this? Neglect is the apicide. I feel sure that the loss each season by absconding colonies is almost incalculable, and what must we blame? Neglect. The loss every summer by enforced idleness of queen and workers, just because room is denied them, is very great. Who is the guilty party? Plainly, Neglect. If we would be successful, Promptitude must be our motto. Each colony of bees requires but very little care and attention. Our every interest requires that this be not denied, nor even granted grudgingly. The very fact that this attention is slight, renders it more liable to be neglected; but this neglect always involves loss—often disaster. True, with thought and management the time for this care can be arranged at pleasure and the amount greatly lessened, but the care must never be neglected. OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 27 ENTHUSIASM. Enthusiasm, or an ardent love of its duties, is a very desir- able, if not an absolute, requisite to successful apiculture. To be sure, this is a quality whose growth, with only slight oppor- tunity, is almost sure. It only demands perseverance. The beginner, without either experience or knowledge, may meet with discouragements—unquestionably will. Swarms will be lost, colonies will fail to winter, and the young apiarist will become nervous, which fact will be noted by the bees with great disfavor, and, if opportunity permits, will meet reproof more sharp than pleasant. Yet, with PERSISTENCE, all these difficulties quickly vanish. Every contingency will be fore- seen and provided against, and the myriad of little workers will become as manageable and may be fondled as safely asa pet dog or cat, and the apiarist will minister to their needs with the same fearlessness and self-possession that he does to his gentlest cow or favorite horse. Persistence, in the face of all these discouragements which are so sure to confront inex- perience, will surely triumph. In ‘sooth, he who appreciates the beautiful and marvelous, will soon grow to love his com- panions of the hive, and the labor attendant upon their care andmanagement. Nor will this love abate until it has been kindled into enthusiasm. True, there may be successful apiarists who are impelled by no warmth of feeling, whose superior intelligence, system and promptitude, stand in lieu of, and make amends for, ab- sence of enthusiasm. Yet I believe such are rare, and cer- tainly they work at great disadvantage. PART FIRST. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY- BEE. Natural History of the Honey-Bee, CHAPTER L THE BEE’S PLACE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. It is estimated by eminent naturalists that there are more than 1,000,000 species of living animals. It will be both inter- esting and profitable to look in upon this vast host, that we may know the position and relationship of the bee to all this mighty concourse of life. BRANCH OF THE HONEY-BEE. The great French naturalist, Cuvier, a cotemporary of Napoleon I, grouped all animals which exhibit a ring struc- ture into one branch, appropriately named Articulates, as this term indicates the jointed or articulated structure which so obviously characterizes most of the members of this group. The terms ‘‘ joint’ and ‘‘articulation,’’ as used here, have a technical meaning. They refer not to the hinge or place of union of two parts, but to the parts themselves. Thus, the parts of an insect’s legs are styled ‘‘ joints "’ or ‘‘ articulations.” Allapiarists who have examined carefully the structure of a bee, will at once pronounce it an Articulate. Not only is its body, even from head to sting, composed of joints, but by close inspection we find the legs, the antenne, and even the mouth- parts, likewise jointed. The worms, too, are Articulates, though in some of these, as the leech, the joints are very obscure. The bee, then, which gives us food, is distantly related to the dreaded tape-worm, with its hundreds of joints, which, mayhaps, robs us of the same food after we have eatenit; and to the terrible pork- worm, or trichina, which may consume the very muscles we have developed in caring for our pets of the apiary. In classifying animals, the zoologist has regard not only to the morphology—the gross anatomy—but also to the em- 32 THEH BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE; bryology, or style of development before birth or hatching. On both embryological and morphological grounds, Huxley and other recent authors are more than warranted in separa- ting the Vermes; or worms, from the Articulates of Cuvier asa separate phylum. The remaining classes are now included in the branch Arthropoda. This term, which means jointed feet, is most appropriate, as all of the insects and their allies have jointed feet, while the worms are without such members. The body-rings of these animals forma skeleton, firm, as in the bee and lobster, or more or less soft, as in most larve. The hardness of the crust is due to the deposit within it of a hard substance called chitine, and the firmness of the in- sect’s body varies simply with the amount of this chitine. This skeleton, unlike that of Vertebrates, or back-bone ani- mals, to which man belongs, is outside, and thus serves to pro- tect the inner, softer parts, as wellas to give them attach- ment, and to give strength and solidity to the animal. This ring structure, so beautifully marked in our golden- banded Italians, usually makes it easy to separate, at sight, animals of this branch from the Vertebrates, with their usually bony skeleton ; from the Jess active Molluscan branch, with their soft, sack-like bodies, familiar to us in the snail, the clam, the oyster, and the wonderful cuttle-fish—the devil-fish of Victor Hugo—with its long, clammy arms, strange ink-bag, and often prodigious size; from the branch Echinodermata, with its graceful star-fish and sea-stars, and elegant sea-lilies ; from the Coelenterata with its delicate but gaudy jelly-fish, and coral animals, the tiny architects of islands and even conti- -nents; from the lowly Porifera or sponges which seem so little like an animal; and from the lowest, simplest, Protozoan branch, which includes animals often so minute that we often owe our very knowledge of them to the microscope, and so simple that they have been regarded as the bond which unites plants with animals. CLASS OF THE HONEY-BEE. The honey-bee belongs to the class Hexapoda, or true in- sects. The first term is appropriate, as all have in the imago, or last stage, six legs. Nor isthe second term less applicable, OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 33 as the word ‘‘insect’’ comes from the Latin, and means to cut in, and in no other Arthropod does the ring-structure ap- pear so marked upon merely a superficial examination. More than this, the true insects when fully developed have, unlike all other Arthropods, three well-marked divisions of the body, Fic. 1. Respiratory Apparatus of Bee, magnified—After Duncan. a Head, 6 Thorax, « Abdomen, @ Antenne, e Compound Eyes, f Air-sacs, ggg’ Legs, f’ Trachez. (Fig. 1), namely: the head (Fig.1, a), which contains the an- tenne (Fig. 1, d), the horn-like appendages common to all insects; eyes (Fig. 1, e), and mouth organs; the thorax (Fig. 1,b), which bears the legs (Fig. 1, g), and wings, whea they are present; and lastly, the abdomen (Fig. 1, c), which, though 34 THE BEE-KEHEPER’S GUIDE; usually without appendages, contains the ovipositor, and, when present, the sting. Insects undergo a more striking metamorphosis than do most other animals. When first hatched they are worm-like, and called ‘“‘larve” (Fig. 39, /), which means masked; afterward they are frequently quies- cent, and would hardly be supposed to be animals at all. They are then known as pupe (Fig. 39, g). At last therecomes forth the mature insect or imago (Fig. 1), with compound eyes, antennez and wings. In some insects the transformations are said to be incomplete, that is, thelarva, pupa, and imago differ little except in size, and that the latter possesses wings. The larve and pupz of such insects are knownasnymphs. We see in our bugs, lice, locusts and grasshoppers, illustrations of insects with incomplete transformations. In such cases there is a marked resemblance from the newly-hatched larva to the adult. The other classes of the phylum Arthropoda, are the Crus- tacea, Myriapoda, andArachnoidea. The Crustaceans include the jolly cray-fish and the lobster, so indifferent as to whether they move forward, backward or sidewise ; the shorter crab, the sow-bug, lively and plump, even in its dark, damp home under old boards; and the barnacles, which fasten to the bottom of ships, so that vessels are often freighted with life, without, as well as within. ‘The myropods are the so-called ‘‘Thousand-Legged Worms.”’ These are wormlike in form. The body is hardly differentiated at all, The name comes from the numerous legs, which though never a thousand may reach one-fourth that number. Myriapods have only simple eyes, and all have antennae. Of the Myriapoda the Millipeds have numerous segments, often as many as sixty, have four legs to each joint, are cylindrical, and are often pests in the garden, as they are vegetable eaters. The Centipeds have fewer joints, may be no more than thirty, only one pair of legs to each segment, and feed on insects, etc. Their bite is venomous, and the bite of the larger ones may prove harmful even to man himself. The Class Arachnida includes the spider group. These animals all have, when mature, eight legs. They never have but two parts to the body, the head-thorax and abdomen, OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 35 Their eyes are simple, and they are without antenne. The wee mites belong here. They have hardly any divisions to the body. The mouth-parts form a mere portico. When first hatched they have only six legs. The so-called red spider (red mite), so destructive in the orchard, belongs here, as do also the sugar, cheese, flour, and chicken mites. The ticks are but colossal mites. Of these, the Texas Cattle Tick (Boophilus bovis) causes the Texas fever in cattle. The cause of the fever is a protozoan animal, Pyrosoma bigeminum. This is in the blood of Texas cattle, but is harmless. Carried by the tick to other cattle, it brings disease and death. The scorpions are also Arachnids. One of these stings as does the bee, and the sting is often quite venomous. The whip scorpion of Florida is named from its caudal appendages. It is entirely harmless. The Datames, which I call the ‘‘ California bee- killer”? (Fig. 292), and which is described among the bee- enemies, belongs here. Grandfather Graybeard also belongs in the scorpion order. Itis only useful in pointing the way to lost cows, etc. Its legs point every way. The spiders are the highest Arachnids. They differ from mites in possessing two well-marked divisions of the body, and in always having eight legs, and from the scorpions in never having the abdo- men jointed. Thespiders have a poisonous bite, but rarely inflict injury to man, Their silk and spinning habits are exceedingly interesting. Spiders are almost as marvelous in their life fstory as are the bees. Like the Datames, to be spoken of asa bee-enemy, spiders often kill our pets of the hive. ORDER OF THE HONEY-BEE. The honey-bee belongs to the order Hymenoptera (from two Greek words meaning membrane and wing), which also in- cludes the wasps, ants, ichneumon-flies, gall-flies, and saw- flies. This group contains insects which possess a tongue by which they may suck (Figs. 16 and 54), and strong jaws (Fig. 65) for biting. Thus, the bees can sip the honeyed sweets of flowers, and also gnaw away mutilated comb. They have, besides, four wings, and undergo complete transformations. There are among insects strange resemblances. Insects of one order will show a marked likeness to those of another, 36 THE BEK-KEEPER’S GUIDE; This is known as mimicry, and sometimes is wonderfully striking between very distant groups. Darwin and Wallace have shown this to be a developed peculiarity, not always pos- sessed by the ancestors of the animal, and that it comes through the laws of variation and natural selection to serve the purpose of protection. Right here we havea fine illustra- tion of this mimicry. Just the other day I received, through Mr. A. I. Root, an insect which he and the person sending it to him supposed to be a bee, and he desired to know whether it was a malformed honey-bee, or some other species. This insect, though looking in a general way much like a bee, had only two wings, had no jaws, and its antenne were close to- gether in front, and mere stubs. In fact, it was no bee at all, but belonged to the order Diptera, or two-winged flies. I have received several similar insects, with like inquiries. Among Diptera there are several families, as the stride, or bot-flies, some of the Asilide, or robber-flies (Fig. 268), which are often fierce enemies of our bees, the Syrphidze—a very useful.fam- ily, as the larve or maggots often live on plant-lice—whose members are often seen sipping sweets from flowers, or trying to rob the honey from other bees—the one referred to above belonged to this family—and the Bombyliidz, which in color, form, and hairy covering, are strikingly like wild and domes- ticated bees. The maggots of some of these feed on the larve of various of our wild bees, and of course the mother fly must steal into the nests of the latter to lay her eggs. Soin these cases there is seeming evidence that the mimicry may serve to protect these fly-tramps as they stealin to pilfer the coveted sweets, or lay the fatal eggs. Possibly, too, they may havea protective scent, as they have been seen to entera hivein safety, though a bumble-bee essaying todo the same found the way barricaded with myriad simitars, each with a poisoned tip. Some authors have placed Coleoptera, or beetles, as the highest of insects, others claim for Lepidoptera, or butter-flies and moths, a first place, while others, and with the best of reasons, claim for Hymenoptera the highest position. The larger brain, wondrous habits, and marvelous differentiation of mouth-organs, legs, etc., more than warrant placing them OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 37 at the head. The moth is admired for the glory of its coloring andelegance of its form, and the beetle for the luster and brilliancy of its elytra, or wing-covers; but these insects only revel in Nature’s wealth, and live and die without labor or pur- pose. Hymenoptera, usually less gaudy, often quite plain and unattractive in color, are yet the most highly endowed among insects. They live with a purpose in view, and are the best models of industry to be found among animals, Our bees practice a division of labor; the ants are still better political economists, as they have a specially endowed class in the com- munity which are the soldiers, and thus are the defenders of each ant-kingdom. Ants also conquer other communities, take their inhabitants captive, and reduce them to abject slavery— requiring them to perform a large portion, and sometimes the whole, of the labor of the community. Ants tunnel under streams, and in the tropics some leaf-eating species have been observed to show no mean order of intelligence, as some ascend trees to cut off the leafy twigs, while others remain below and carry these branches through their tunnels to their under- ground homes. Indeed, the Agricultural ant, of Texas, actually clears land and grows a special kind of plant on which it feeds. (See McCook’s Ants.) The parasitic Hymenoptera are so-called because they lay their eggs in other insects, that their offspring may have fresh meat not only at birth, but so long as they need food, as the insect fed upon generally lives till the young parasite, which is working to disembowel it, is full-grown; thus this steak is ever fresh as life itself. These parasitic insects show won- drous intelligence, or sense-development, in discovering their prey. I have caught ichneumon-flies—a family of these para- sites—boring through the bark and a thin layer of solid beech or maple wood, and upon examination I found the prospective victim further on in direct line with the insect auger, which was to intrude the fatalegg. I have also watched ichneumon- flies depositing eggs in leaf-rolling caterpillars, so surrounded with tough hickory leaves that the fly had to pierce several thicknesses to place the egg in its snugly-ensconced victim. Upon putting these leaf-rolling caterpillars in a box, I reared, of course, the ichneumon-fly and not the moth. Is it instinct 38 THE BEE-KEEPER’S GUIDE}; or reason that enables these flies to gauge the number of their eggs to the size of the larva which is to receive them, so that there may be no danger of famine and starvation? For true itis that while small caterpillars will receive but few eggs, large ones may receive several. Even the honey-bee some- times falls victim to such parasites, as I shall show in speak- ing of enemies of bees. How strange the habits of the saw- fly, with its wondrous instruments, more perfect than any saws of human workmanship, and the gall-flies, whose poison- ous stings, as they fasten their eggs to the oak, rose, or other leaves, cause the abnormal growth of food for the still un- hatched young. In the South it is reported that bees often obtain no small amount of nectar from species of oak-galls. The providing and caring for their young, which are at first helpless, is peculiar among insects, with slight exception, to the Hymenoptera, and among all animals is considereda mark of high rank. Such marvels of instinct, if we may not call it intelligence, such acumen of sense perception, such wonderful habits, all these, no less than the compact structure, small size and specialized organs of nicest finish, more than warrant that grand trio of American naturalists—Agassiz, Dana, and Packard—in placing Hymenoptera first in rank among insects. As we shall detail the structure and habits of the Aighest of the high—-the bees—in the following pages, I am sure no one will think to degrade the rank of these wonders of the animal kingdom. FAMILY OF THE HONEY-BEE. The honey-bee belongs to the family Apidz, of Leach, which includes not only the hive-bee, but all insects which feed their helpless larve on pollen, pollen or honey, or food digested by the adult bees. Many authors separate the lower bees, principally because of their shorter tongues, from the others, under the family name, Andrenide. In this case all the bees are grouped as Mellifera or Anthophila Latr. I shall group all beesin the one family Apide, and regard the Andrene and their near relatives as asub-family. The insects of this family all have branched or plumose hairs on some portion of the body, broad OR, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 39 heads, elbowed antennz (Fig. 1, d), which are thirteen jointed in the males, and only twelve jointed in the females. The jaws or mandibles (Fig. 65) are strong and usually toothed. The tongue or ligula is very long andslim in the higher genera, but short and flattened in the lower ones. The second jawsor maxille (Fig. 54, 2+) are long and prominent, and ensheath the tongue, with which they are folded back when not in use, once or more under the head. All the insects of this family have, on the four anterior legs, a stiff spine on the end of the tibia (Fig. 69), the fourth joint of the leg from the body—calledthe tibial spur, and all except the genus Apis, which includes the honey-bee, in which the posterior legs are without tibial spurs, have two tibial spurs on the posterior legs. Nearly all bees (the parasitic genera are exceptions) have the first joint of the tarsus of the posterior legs much broadened (Fig. 71), and this, together with the broad tibia, is hollowed out (Fig. 70), forming quite a basin or basket—the corbicula—on the outer side, in the species of Apis and Bom- bus, which basket is deepened by long, stiff hairs. These re- ceptacles, or pollen-baskets, are found only in such bees as gather much pollen.