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AGRICULTURAL

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1887

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The American Apiculturist.

% f 0urnal bcbot^b to prnrtuul gcfhtriiin^, '-;.

ENTERED AT TUK POST-OFFICE, WENHAil, AS SZCOKD- CLASS MATTER.--
Published Monthly. Henry Atxet, Manager

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., JAN.

!?•

No. I.

We deal in first-class apiari- I Established in 1883. Terms : I Any yearly snbscriber is en-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest | $1.00 per year, 50 cents per six | titled to one of our best queens
prices. Prompt delivery. I months, 2.T cents ijer three I at any time between June 1 and

Workmanship unexcelled. | months. Cash in advance. | Oct. 1, by remitting 50 cts.

Address all eommunieatlons AMEKICAKT APICULTURIST, "Wenham, Mass.

For the American Apiculturist.

SUGAR STORES OR NOT?

R. L. Taylor.

The que.stion of the desirability
of using sugar to supply bees with
the necessary stores for winter is
a multiform one, and I fear is has-
tily decided this way or that, with-
out a due consideration of it in all
its bearings. To say nothing of
the many incidental facts wliich
have a bearing tlie one wa}' or the
other, it makes much difference as
to tlie question of profit, whether
the sugar is fed in exchange for
extracted honey or comb honey,
whether bees are likely to winter
better on sugar stores than on honey
or the contraiy, whether the in-
creased quantity of honey placed
on the market in consequence of
an extensive use of sugar for win-
ter stores is to demoralize prices
or not.

The matter of the effect on the
markets must by no means be lost
sight of. If all beekeepers were to
extract all the honey from their
hives and to winter their bees on
sugar exclusively, the greatly in-
creased quantit}'^ of extracted honey
put upon the market in consequence
would be utterly disastrous to
prices. If double the usual amount
of any commodity which is exten-
sively produced be placed on the

market, that market would be ru-
ined. Ilone}^ can be no exception.
It is equally plain that every addi-
tional person who gives sugar to
his bees, in exchange for hone}', is
doing an injury to the honey mar-
ket greater or less in proportion to
the amount so exchanged ; and in-
asmuch as it is now generally con-
sidered that that market is now
depressed to the very verge of un-
profitableness, it is evident that
from compulsion, the general rule
must be to winter bees on natural
stores.

Making allowances for excep-
tional cases, this point would cover
the whole ground, were it not for
the fact that by skilful manage-
ment it appears to be possible to
increase the amount of salable
comb honey at the expense of a
greater or less lack of stores in the
brood-chamber. Tliat this is quite
a different question will appear
from the following considerations :
The market for comb honey seems
not nearl}'' so much oppressed as
that for extracted honey ; it is
more elastic, more capable of ab-
sorbing an extra amount without
being affected. Then there is in
the exchange of sugar S3a-up for
comb honey a good margin of
prolit. Even at the present low
prices, one-half the value of the
extra amount of comb honey ob-
tained would supply the brood-

(1)

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

chamber with the necessaiy sugar
stores. And, again, in making this
exchange, no handling of the bees
or brood-combs is i-equii'f>d. The
labor of preparing and distributing
the food is short, easy and not un-
pleasant. On the contraiy, if the
exchange of the sugar stores is to
be made for extracted hone}', the
disagreeable and, vvitliout care, the
somewhat dangerous work of ex-
tracting from the brood-combs, must
be performed at a time when the
bees have nothing to do but to
■watch for opportunities to make
trouble, the marketing of the honey
is apt to be disappointing, and at
best there is no hope of profit un-
less it be found in what 1 would
believe are exceptional cases, where
the exchange so much improves the
the qualities of the stores for win-
tering purposes as to give a proba-
ble success in wintering for almost
certain failure.

This brings me to what is per-
haps the most important point in
the whole matter, and that is
whether stores of pure granulated
sugar S3'i'up are better for winter-
ing purposes than is honey. I have
experimented more or less for the
last seven or eight years with sugar
for winter stores, with the result
that 1 find within me an abiding
faith in the value and the necessity
of sugar stores if we are to allow
every phase of the subject except
successful wintering to drop out
of sight. In the fall of '84, I sup-
plied 200 colonies exclusively with
such stores, and notwithstanding
the ensuing disastrous wintei-,
when fully ninety per cent of the
bees in this part of the state per-
ished, there was not a single nor-
mal colony out of the two hundred,
that, so far as I could judge, did
not winter perfectly. I expect
sometime to l)e able to winter m}^
bees perfectly and with certainty
on honey, though I have not learned
jo do it as yet ; but with sugar

stores alone, I think I am war-
ranted in saying that 1 can do it
now with practical certainty. If
1 am correct in this assertion, it
follows that there is a difference in
favor of sugar between that and at
least some kinds of honey for the
purposes of winteriiig. What is
the solution of this? I believe
there are several reasons for it.
First, stores gathered late in the
season on account of the undesira-
ble sources from which some of
them are taken, and on account of
the want of thorough evaporation
are much moi-e liable to fermenta-
tion than are proj^erly prepared
sugar stores. Secondly, many af-
firm, and I believe they are correct,
that the pollen often found floating
in honey, particularly in that gath-
ered late in the season and but
partially ripened, is a cause of dis-
comfort to the bees and so a cause
of much of the imperfect winter-
ing. And then, thirdly, sugar syrup
is in its nature much less exciting
to the bees than an^^ honey.

Every apiarist who has fed sugar
syrup to bees cannot have failed to
notice that it is a much pleasanter
labor than would be the feeding of
hone3^ He soon learns that it is
very much less likely to incite rob-
bing than is honey. Bees will be-
come blind witii excitement over
exposed honey, while they will
work lazily and without emotion
on syrup. When spring opens, you
will seldom see robber-bees prying
into the hives of colonies whose
stores are purely sugar.

Wly should not these character-
istics of honey and sugar have a
corresponding effect upon the bees
during the winter? I can conceive
of no reason wh}' they should not,
and from ray experience in winter-
ing bees on both kinds of stores,
am satisfied that they do. Any
one I think would be convinced if
he could in March look into a col-
ony wintered on honey and see the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

bees as lively as in June and their
stores largely consumed, and then
look into one wintered on pure
sugar syrup with the bees knotted
together in a drowsy mass and their
stores almost untouched.

But of course this marked differ-
ence does not always appear. The
excitement of bees is always tem-
pered by the difficulty of getting
a load of honey after they have
once reached it. You may expose
well capped honey in your apiary
in July with impunity, when ex-
tracted honey so exposed would
cause an uproar. And right here
1 believe is one great advantage in
having hone_y for winter stores
well ripened and thoroughly capped.
Even bees cannot get up much en-
thusiasm over honey as thick as
tar in winter capped as with sheets
of flat-bottomed foundation. Every
bee-master will recognize this as
being about the character stored in
June and kept in the brood-cham-
ber till autumn. Hence one rea-
son for the superiority of early
stored honej', and when there is
enough of such honey in store, it
is folly to extract it for the purpose
of feeding sugar. With a little care,
enough of such honey may be had
nearly always in every part of the
country more cheaply than sugar
stores can be supplied, and ma^' be
used with reasonable assurance of
safe wintering.

So when we consider that safe
honey stores may be generally
cheaply secured, the serious incon-
venience of feeding bees after stor-
ing has ceased in the fall, the
greater or less depletion which the
colony undergoes in the operation,
the consequent injury to the honej'
market, the susi)icions of adultera-
tion excited, and the unpleasant-
ness there is in expending the
amount necessary for the purchase
of sugar, when there is plenty of
honey on hand seeking a market,

must, I think, always make the use
of sugar for winter stores unpopu-
lar and exceptional.
La-peer, Mich.

For the American Apiculturist .

CAN THE COST OF HONE 7

PRODUCTION BE

LESSENED?

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

When I first began keeping bees,
the average price of comb honey
was about 25 cents per pound in
ordinary seasons; while in a very
poor season like 1869, when but
very little found its way into mar-
ket, the enormous price of 50 cents
was paid, or, at least that was the
price offered me by a speculator for
the little I had in that year. In
1873 the price advanced from the
average, so that with good crops,
I obtained an average of 274- cents
per pound for my honey that 3'ear
and the two following. At the
same time I readily sold extracted
honey by the barrel of 500 pounds
at 15 and 16 cents per pound.
These were '•'■jolly" times for bee-
keepers and to see what my real
profits were, over the cost of pro-
duction,! kept an itemized account
for one year, charging good wages
for myself in addition to all other
expenses. I now took m}^ average
yield for a term of years as a basis
of the production from a single
colony, then multiplied it by the
number of colonies (100) I be-
lieved I could care for without
hired help, thus getting the pro-
duction of the whole. The total
expenses were now divided by the
average total production to find
the actual cost of producing one
pound of honey. This proved to
be 15 cents for comb honey and
10 cents for extracted honey or

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

very nearly so. From this it is
obvious to iill Low last I was get-
ting rich at that time from tlie act-
ual prolits, with honey selling at
27^ cents per pound. But with
1877, prices fell so that but few
3'ears elapsed before my honey did
not net me after paying shipping
expenses, etc., enough to pa^^ my
figured cost of production. I now
began to ask myself wliat was to
be done. Must I work for less
wages tlian others of no better a-
bilit}^ were receiving, at otlier em-
ployments? or should I give uptlie
bee business and go into something
else? It looked as if I must do
one or tlie other. At about that
time I saw that there was another
way out of the difficult}^ and began
asking myself if I was producing
honey at the lowest minimum cost.
I soon saw that I was not, and be-
gan figuring as to how 1 could lessen
the cost of production ; and here
are some of tlie plans I have adopt-
ed looking toward that end.

First : 1 was in the habit of going
througli each colony as soon as bees
could fly in the spring and taking-
out each frame from the hive, not-
ing the exact condition of the
colony, amount of stores, age of
the queen, and cleaning out all
dead bees from the bottom of the
hive. Of all this I kept a record
which cost me much time. I often
found that in less than a month
from that time the condition of
many of these colonies had so
changed that tliis early work and
record were of little value, so was
a needless cost. What do I do
now? I substitute a movable bot-
tom board for the permanent one,
go to a hive, lift the cover, set it
on the ground, lift the hive, set it
on the cover, clean the bottom
board with one or two strokes of a
broom, set the hive back, lift the
cushion and quilt and run my eyes
over the top of the frames for
sealed honey, when the cushion and

quilt are dropped in place again,
cap put on and a little flat stone
dropped on the cover of the hive
to denote that this operation has
been performed, and also to tell
the amount of stores it contains
by the position the stone occupies
on the cover. In this way I do all
that is necessary with four colonies
in the time I used to spend on one.
They are now left for a montli (un-
less some must be fed) for I have
found that early overhauling of
bees can be a positive damage to
them. Years before, during this
time I was trying to spread the
brood (if there was an}' to spread)
contract the hives of all colonies,
etc., so that here I make a great
saving of time.

Again : weak colonies up to this
time rear very little brood at best,
no matter how closelj'- their hive is
contracted ; and what little they do
rear costs the life of ten bees to
where one is hatched, hence spring
dwindling is only accelerated. I
next go over each hive, rapidly
looking for the queen to clip her
wings if she is not clipped and
while doing this, turn the brood-
nest inside out, so that the frames
having the most brood in them are
on the outside, and those having
the least on the inside. In this
way I perform two operations at
once or "kill two birds with one
stone," thus saving time, and I find
that this change in the brood-nest
never causes any chilling of brood,
while in no way can greater stimu-
lation to brood rearing be given.
One more change of the brood-nest
in about three weeks is all that is
made ; so that as a whole I do not
now (as I used, when the estimate
above was made) spend over one-
fourth the time up to swarming on
the bees ; yet accomplish equally
good results.

When swarming time arrives, I
simply exchange the brood in the
hive from which the swarm issued

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

for empt^y frames or frames of foun-
dation (generally the former one, —
the plan known as the Ilatchinson
plan, although that originated with
me), while the swarm is in the air
and hive them on the returning
plan. The next day a virgin queen
is given to the parent colony, which
destroys the queen cell, so that no
more swarming occurs, thus saving
all cutting and hunting of queen
cells. In this way the labor during
swarming is reduced at least two-
thirds. Then 1 used to fill the top
of the hives with cut-straw, chaff
or forest leaves, in the fall, to be
removed at the time of putting on
the sur2:)lus receptacles and thrown
awa}'', only to be gathered and re-
newed again the next fall. I now
use sawdust cushions which are
made at a cost of six cents each and
will last, barring accidents, a life
time. These cushions are manipu-
lated in one-half the time the other
material was.

Next, I so arrange that the honey
is taken off by the wide frame full,
instead of by the single sect'on,
and are handled in all the manipu-
lation of carrying to the honey
room, sulphuring, etc., up to crat-
ing ; in this wa}^ four sections are
bandied in place of one, thus sav-
ing three-fourths of tiie labor. In
this wa}'^ I might go on telling of
the labor saved when working for
extracted hone}' ; in similar man-
ner, how I have bred up a better
honey-gathering strain of bees ; re-
duced the cost of my hives to the
lowest possible figure, etc., etc.,
till I now count that I can produce
a pound of comb honey for 10 cents,
or a pound of extracted for 7 cents
and yet give me the same price for
my labor as before. As my comb
honey has netted me 12^- cents per
pound this season, it will be seen
that I am still on the road to suc-
cess if I am not too extravagant
outside of beekeeping.

Borodino, N. Y.

For the American Apiculturist.

SHALL WE SELL OUR HON-
EY, OR'' GIVE IT AWAY r

C. W. Dattov.

During the past several years we
have heard farmers complaining of
the exorbitant charges of railroad
corporations and of the profits of
middle men. We should naturally
suppose that, under these circum-
stances, they would use the railroads
as little as possible and find custo-
mers for their products without the
intervention of the middle man. We
should scarcely expect that farmers
would sell their hogs for instance,
as many are now doing, for three cents
per pound, pay freight on them to
some distant city, pay a profit to the
dealer, to the packer, to the whole-
saler, and then buy hams and lard
back again when they might as well
kill their own hogs, cure their own
pork, render their own lard, and sell
them to their neighbors direct.

If one will look around him he
cannot fail to see that it is simply
custom running wild. It may be
wondered what this has to do with
bees or honey. It has not had much
to do heretofore, but the time is
drawing near when it is likely to have
considerable to do with the profits of
the apiary.

The profits of the apiary are be-
coming more dependent upon the
sale of honey.

The increased production of honey
has more than filled the receptacles,
and where the beekeeper used to
console himself with quietude of
home on the down- hill side of his
occupation, it is becoming a scene
of distress and starvation, so strong
an incentive does it require to drive
an apiarist into the lioney market.

It was a true statement that bee-
keeping was a fascinating pursuit ;
but that saying is too old. Many who
loved ease and enjoyment found a
livelihood in the product of a few

6

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

colonies of bees. The conditions at
present are such that it requires four
or five times as many colonies and
the comparative amount of labor to
yield the necessary income.

This is " too much fun for a shil-
ling " and as a consequence the sound
of discontentment and desertion is
rife. From this time on, the apiarist
must /al?o?- for his money. He must
produce tons of honey where it used
to be a few hundred. After having
made up our minds to produce tons
of honey instead of hundreds of
pounds and market tons of honey in
the place of pounds, our customers
must purchase tons in the place of
hundreds of pounds.

It is in no way likely that our
appetites are going to require a larger
amount of a luxury than before ; but
as the price of honey falls to the level
with other sweets it would be only
ordinary sagacity to introduce honey.
It is every-day talk that sugars and
syrups are adulterated and it should
be nothing to be wondered at so long
as there is a margin for profit. Peo-
ple know and expect everything to
be adulterated, and that all invest-
ments depend upon their judgment.
This is a lucky thing for the apiarist.
I believe that very fact turns more in
the honeyman's favor than any other
one thing ; as all he has to do is to es-
tablish his reputation for a pure arti-
cle and his game is complete. A
customer who cannot tell a first-class
article of honey from adulteration is
not worth having ; but whatever a
customer may be, if we give him poor
and adulterated honey, we shall lose,
but give him good honey and it will
reclaim, him. The foregoing is theo-
retical.

This year my crop was from 800
to 10,000 pounds, nearly all extract-
ed honey. It has nearly all been dis-
posed of. All but about twenty-five
pounds was handed directly from the
wagon to the consumer. Grocery-
men around heie will not handle ex-
tracted honey except on commission

or on trade. When I sell honey it
is always spot cash. If a merchant
cannot pay cash he is not my man
to deal with.

My method of disposing ot honey
is what some around here are dis-
posed to call peddling; yet these
same ones were seen shipping two
or three barrels to distant cities to be
sold on commission. After long wait-
ings the returns were made at a low
rate, barely enough to pay for the
barrels and cartage ; 2 1 cents per
pound was the net price.

On each of four different days this
fall, I retailed from the wagon into
pitchers, pails and jars over 600
pounds of extracted honey at an av-
erage price of nine cents per pound.
Giving them an equal chance, ten
pounds of extracted sold to one
pound of comb honey. But little
theory in this. I sent to Stark Co.,
111., for honey when mine had nearly
all been sold and yet there were
apiarists in my vicinity who shipped
honey to Stark Co., 111., to find a mar-
ket. " Distance lends enchantment
to the view." The profits in ship-
ping honey are mostly theory. The
business itself is " custom running
wild." The farmer is being out-
blundered.

Bradford, Iowa.

INVERTING
THE BROOD-NEST.

Prof. a. J. Cook.

One of the late innovations in
bee-keeping which has gained favor
so rapidly that we must think it
has come to stay, is that of invert-
ing the frames or hives. In either
case the brood-nest is turned upside
down. This was first accomplished
by so arranging the frames that they
could be readily inverted. Instead
of the old Langstroth frame with its
single top-bar, which bad project-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

mg ends, a perfect rectangular
frame, with no projecting bars, was
made to swing in a larger frame
with projecting top-bar and end-
bars which reached a little below
the middle point of the end-bars
of the inner rectangular frame. By
use of wire nails tlie inner frame
is pivoted to the outer half-frame,
so it can swing in and be iuA-erted
in a moment at any time. I have
used these frames now for two
years, and like them so well that I
am changing all my combs into
these reversible frames.

Within the last two years an at-
tempt has been made to improve
upon this plan b}' inverting the en-
tire hive, which is about the size of
the common Langstroth hive, and
consists of two horizontal sections,
which can be used either independ-
entl}^ or together. Thus it will be
seen that the frames in this hive
are only about half as deep as those
of the usual Langstroth. These
frames have close-fitting end-bars,
and when put into the hives, rest
on tin projections, which are tacked
to the bottom of the end-boards of
the hive. When all the frames
are put into the hives, a wooden
thumb-screw, which is set in the
side-board of the hive opposite the
end-bars of the frames, is screwed
up. This holds all the frames
firmly, and so when these screws
are thus turned the frames are all
held securely, and the entire hive
can be turned bottom up in a mo-
ment.

The advantages of inverting are :
1. Combs are built and fastened to
the frames on all sides. Every
beekeeper knows that bees alwa^ys
fasten combs firmly at the toj) and
along the upper half of the edges.
When this is once done we have
onl}^ to remove the frames, when
the union is made complete about
the whole margin of the comb.
The advantages of such entire
union are, that the combs are held

securel}', and are V no'd^ger of
falling out when exCj^c^ng oi-^ip-
ping bees. V^-^ .^

2. The spaces between ^omb and
frame, which serve as hidino-j)]accs
for queens, are removed, ^^hi4^jast
is a great gain, as any one who
has sought for queens is aware.

3. Reversing frames places the
honey below the brood, which is
unnatural. Hence, if just as the
season opens, when we place the
sections on the hive, we reverse
the frames, the bees at once carry
the honey above the brood, or in-
to the sections, where we wish it,
and once employed in filling the
sections they make no halt till the
season closes. If, when we reverse
we uncap some of the honey, we
shall hasten this rush to the sec-
tions, Ma,\\y who have been an-
noyed at the persistent refusal of
their bees to work in sections, will
appreciate this argument in favor
of reversible frames, though to the
expert apiarist this is the weakest
argument.

4. When a beekeeper has all the
bees he wishes, he can preclude
swarming by this simple work of
inversion, which, in case the hive is
reversible, is but the work of a mo-
ment. Curious as it may seem, the
bees at once cut away or remove
all queen cells as soon as the combs
are turned upside down. Thus by
inverting the hives each week
swarming is prevented, and all but
the work of a moment.

Of course this last, and indeed all
the points, argue loudly in favor of
the reversible hive. To invert a
hive takes a moment ; to reverse
all the frames is the work of sev-
eral minutes. — Rural New Yorker.

Agricultural College, Ulich.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

For the American Apiculturist.

THAT HARDWARE CLERK

Isn't dead yet, nor has he taken
a back seat. In the "Api" for April
'84, page 83, among other remarks,
occurs the following by J. M Hicks :
"We suggest that it would be well
that all who contemplate trying to
keep bees either on a small or large
scale, should at least procure some
good book or books, giving full in-
structions on the subject ; also take
some good bee journal giving lessons
each month in the care and manage-
ment of bees. We have noticed of
late in some of the agricultural pa-
pers, articles defamatory as to the
profits on bees, and the business of
keeping bees, of which, all we have
to say is, we do not wonder they
write such articles, when they are en-
gaged in so many other pursuits,
either of which would afford ample
labor for any one who is disposed to
try to make a success at any occupa-
tion. For instance, we saw an arti-
cle written by a man who, not long
since, wrote us two long letters telling
us how much labor he had to per-
form, which embraced four different
occupations, viz. : hardware clerk,
gardening, beekeeping and poultry
raising, all of which, if taken together,
are well calculated to burn at least
some of the many irons placed in the
fire at the same time, and yet we feel
quite sure that if the gentleman's lo-
cation is worth anything for either of
the vocations mentioned and properly
attended to, there need not be a
failure in a single one."

Now I am that hardware clerk and
propose to answer Mr. Hicks, though
I have not had time to do so be-
fore. I will pass over the slur at a
brother beekeeper as unworthy of
notice. I will ask Mr. Hicks to
point out to me one line in any arti-
cle I ever wrote, where I said tliat
my bees did not pay me. Long
years of sickness, and death of a
member of a man's family with con-

sequent neglect of business in caring
for the loved one, may bring finan-
cial distress to any one as it did to
myself, and any man with a parti-
cle of grit would do his utmost to
redeem his losses, and do that
which he could best do to bring in
immediate cash to meet pressing
wants. Mine was just that case, and
the hardware clerkship was the best
opening I had. But Mr. Hicks for-
gets, or wilfully leaves out of sight,
that I had my father to help me with
the garden, fowls and watch the
swarms, and that my place of employ-
ment was close home, and that I was
allowed to run up and attend to any
swarm that in any way bothered my
father. My per cent of swarms is
very small and easily taken care of.
I had an abundance of surplus combs
for extracting, and sections ready
crated for comb honey, and it was
easy to keep ahead by tiering up.
Our bees are our main business, our
garden and poultry yard are small, but
are 7<:W/ taken care of and pay well.
I have long since quit sending in "re-
ports," but for once will break over.
From fifty-six stocks, spring count, I
took over 7,000 pounds of honey,
1,400 of which is comb, and my in-
crease was but .five, or sixty-one in
the fall, and I earned, cash, for my
summer's work over ^250. Will Mr.
Hicks please tell me what iron got
burned, and can he make a better
showing, with a steady drought from
June 1 2 to Sept. ? It is consistent ( ?)
in Mr. Hicks to speak of too many
irons in the fire. If his bee business
alone pays him so well, why does he
add to it architecture, beekeepers'
supplies, lecturing, classes of bee-
keeping students, etc. ? Wliy so many
irons in the fire? Don't some of
them get burned? I would advise
Mr. Hicks to stick to his bees if he
would make them profitable. I have
never said that beekeeping did not
pay, it has always paid me well.
But I have fought and will continue
to fight, with whatever influence I

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

may have, those 'Svho are lauding
beekeeping to the skies as an easy
road to wealth, adapted to anybody
and urging everybody to keep bees.
These gentry try to crowd bees upon
every one, and then howl about over-
production, low prices and no sale.
If they would keep more quiet and
let legitimate beekeepers alone in
their business, we should have no
trouble in selling our honey at pay-
ing prices. For myself, I can sell
every pound of honey I can raise,
be it one hundred pounds or a car
load. In our own small circle here,
our beekeepers keep quiet ; no one
knows how much honey we produce.
The fever has died out, scarcely a
small beekeeper is left to annoy with
his cut on prices, and we have a
steady sale at uniform prices.

Will. M. Kellogg.
Oneida, III.

DESIRABLE POINTS WHICH

SHOULD BE COMBINED

IN THE

MODERN BEE-HIVE.

Hexrt Alley.

1 . The broqd-nest should contain,
according to the best authority and
results of actual test, about 1,500
cubic inches.

2. The frames should be so con-
structed that the combs can be easily
and quickly removed without killing
or crushing any bees.

3. The brood-nest as well as
the frames should be invertible, and
the latter so constructed that they
may be reversed singly or in a body.
It often happens that, in handling,
a comb will crack off, at or near the
top-bar. If the frame can be invert-
ed the bees wilb soon repair the
damage.

4. The hive should be supplied
with one or more division boards, or

dummies, so that in case it is desira-
ble to shut off the queen from any
number of combs, or to close the
colony down to a one frame, it may
be done without much trouble. It is
important to have the parts so ar-
ranged that all manipulation may be
easily executed. A hive full of open
joints or those that are too close, or
one that requires much prying to
open and pounding to put it together
is a nuisance in any apiary.

5. A hive should be so con-
structed that it will winter a colony
of bees safely on the summer stand,
and be so light that it will not require
the aid of several persons to carry
into the bee-house or cellar. A hive
that is three or four feet square, and
is so large that it cannot be lifted by
one person, does not come up to
the requirements of modern bee-cul-
ture.

In case it is desirable to winter out
of doors, the hive should be made
so that it may be readily packed, and
the packing as readily removed when
necessary.

6. A hive should be so made
that the surplus storage will admit of
from one case of section to an un-
limited number. The experience of
the past season has demonstrated
one fact to us, namely : that four
racks of 24 one-pound sections each
may be used on a hive at one time,
and to the best advantage.

7. A hive should have not over
eight brood-frames about the same
size as are used in the Standard Lang-
stroth. In this opinion we are backed
by a large number of the experienced
and practical apiarists in the country ;
in fact, no one claims that a large
brood-nest is necessary in any case.

8. A hive should l3e convenient
and practical and well adapted for
either extracted or comb honey.

9. The most desirable hive is the
one that requires the least amount
of labor and lumber in its construc-
tion. Every part and piece should
be gotten out with a circular saw,

10

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and no planing or jointing should
be necessary after it is ready to nail.

A hive should be so constructed
that when packed for winter, water
cannot reach the packing. One not
so made is worthless for wintering
use, and not as good as one not
packed at all. All beekeepers know
the importance of having the pack-
ing very dry and clean.

10. A hive should be adapted to
either a hot or cold climate. One
to combine the last two points should
have a large open space under the
combs and frames, as such a space
affords ample ventilation both sum-
mer and winter. Bees in a hive thus
constructed will not "lay out" in any
climate, provided the entrance is a
large one. Nor will the combs melt
down in summer nor mould in winter.

For the American Apiculturist.

NOTES FROM CANADA.

R. F. HOLTERMAN.

First- class extracted honey is
selHng at 8 cents per lb. package
extra or returnable. These are sales
in wholesale lots. The retail price
varies very much; lO cents per lb. is
probably the lowest and up to 15 cts.
per lb. in beekeeping districts. Al-
though honey is plentiful, there is
far less upon the market now than
a year ago, and especially is this the
case with comb honey. There is
very little first-class comb honey up-
on the market ; the low prices paid
for small and generally inferior lots
early in the season has had a down-
ward tendency in prices of comb ;
15 cts. per lb. wholesale for first-class
in pound sections is a fair price.

Canadians feel confident of having
secured an opening for their honey in
England. Mr. S. T. Pettit, the presi-
dent of the O. B. Association, in-

formed me that Canadian honey was
far ahead of that from other colonies ;
and, if the English market were to re-
main open to us we might be able to
satisfy the demand ; and to do this at
all, more large apiaries would have to
be established in Canada. The prob-
lem as it stands is, shall we secure a
solid footing at remunerative prices in
England ? If so, shall we be able to
produce sufficient honey to keep up
the supply as required?
B7-antfo?-d, Out.

and Answers by Practical Apiarists.

BllEEDING BEES FOR QUALITY AND
DESIRABLE TRAITS.

QUESTIONS BY ONE OF THIC OLD ONES.

Query No. 1, What methods
should l)e practised in breeding bees in
order to perpetuate any desirable points
or qualities? Which of the parents
(drone or queen) is moi'e likely to
transmit to the oftspring its peculiar
points or characteristics ?

Suppose one has colonies that are
extra good honey-gatherers, very hardy
and, in fact, perfect in all respects ex-
cept that they are very cross and pretty
sure to sting any one that approach the
apiary ; how can this most imdesirable
trait be bred out and, at the same time,
all other desirable points retained?

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

The breeder of any kind of stock
must ever recognize the principles of
evolution, the three main ones being
heredity, variation, and that nature
is at war with itself, or that one thing
dies that another may live. Evo-
lution brings about progress in nature
through the three foregoing laws, but
man uses the first two and manipu-
lates according to his judgment and
aims in place of the third. Nature
being at war with itself leaves only
\\\& fittest to survive, as the survivors,
while we manipulate in such a man-

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

11

ner as to cause the survival of those
specimens which are best fitted to
accomplish our purposes.

According to tlie law of heredity,
Italian bees will reproduce Italian
bees and German bees will reproduce
German bees, but, the reproduced
bees in either case will not be pre-
cisely like their parents, either in ap-
pearance or characteristics. The
law of variation prevents that. It is
by taking advantage of these varia-
tions that we are enabled to select
as parents for a coming queen spec-
imens that are superior to their par-
ents. Hybrids will, according to the
law of heredity, reproduce hybrids,
but the law of variation will be
greater among these crosses and this
enlarges our opportunity to take ad-
vantage in selecting. It will now be
plainly seen that to improve stock by
breeding, we only have to be wise
and careful in making our selections
to breed from. I find that with bees
the offspring follows the law of hered-
ity more perfectly after the drone ;
and the law of variation, more after
the queen, so that we may say the
drone is most apt to transmit its
characteristics to the offspring. As
many of your readers are aware,
nearly ten years ago I began breed-
ing toward a fixed strain of bees by
crossing the best strains of Germans
with the best strains of Italians. I
say best strains of these races, be-
cause with each race in its purity
there is an undisputed vast difference
in the qualities of different strains or
families. I am still using this strain
of bees, and like lawyer R. L. Tay-
lor, whose able article appeared on
the first page of your last issue, I
would not exchange them for any
other bees known to civilization.

I obtained my best crosses from
Italian drones of the long leather-
colored strain, and German queens
from the large, brown or gray variety,
and by crossing and recrossing these
hybrids ever since, always selecting
my breeding queens and drones from

colonies which possess most of desir-
able and leatt undesirable qualities,
I have bred up a well nigh fixed
strain of hybrid bees that are better
suited to my business than any others
of which I have any knowledge.

Your query asks how to get rid of
irascibility in bees ; and I have most
perfectly accomplished that with
these hybrids, as scores will come
forward and testify, I will proceed
to tell how I did it.

Those older than I in experience
with Italian bees told me I would
find them better natured than Ger-
mans but I must look out for crosses
of the races for they would be far
more irascible than either race in its
purity. Upon trial, I thought I veri-
fied the statement. It did seem strange
that a mixture of sugar and sawdust
could be sweeter than either one in
its purity, and so I began experi-
menting, observing and drawing de-
ductions. My conclusions are these :
good nature belongs with the dark ■
races of bees. Belligerency is char-
acteristic of the yellow races.
The mistaken idea that Italians are
better natured than Germans comes
from the fact that the operator gets
less stings when handling them.
This comes about from the fact that
nine-tenths of the stings we receive
are from bees that take wing. Now,
although Italian bees are twice as
ferocious as Germans, not more than
one-sixth as many take wing while
being handled ; and as bees do not
sting while steadfast on the combs,
our chances for being stung would
not be one-half as great with Italian
bees. Let us take a yellow race that
flies around loose like Germans, hav-
ing the true irascibiUty of yellow
bees, — the Cyprians for instance.

I need'nt tell you about these
bees. If their blood is not eradica-
ted from this country, we will have
more lawsuits than the Beekeepers'
Union can defend.

I claim that when I cross the bel-
ligerent Italian with the peaceful

12

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

German, the irascibility of the off-
spring will be an average medium of
that of the parents, and if these hy-
brids inherit (as is usual) the tight-
footedness of the Italians they will
be the best behaved bees and easiest
to handle that can possibly be pro-
duced. On the other hand, if they
inherit the German tendency to fly
about and fall from the combs, you
will have the naughty hybrids."
These hybrid bees are the pride of
comb-honey producers, and I believe
that to-day there will be no question
regarding their superiority over all
other bees (all points considered)
were it not for this " naughtiness."
This is easily avoided by rearing Ger-
man or hybrid queens and crossing
them with Italian or hybrid drones,
always choosing drones (and queens
too when using hybrids) from colo-
nies having this fast-footed tendency.
If you will observe this one feature
and those of good comb-building
, and honey-storing qualities, and
breed from such stocks only (and
you can find plenty of them in an
apiary of a hundred colonies), you
will soon have the best bees in the
world. This is what I believe, and
I believe it from years of experience.
By the use of full sheets of founda-
tion we govern the production of
drone comb. We have a dozen or
more hives replete with drone comb,
and in these hives we keep none but
the desired stock. You know we
can rear from any mother we choose.
Having practised this system for sev-
eral years, I need not tell you I am
little interested in the question of
" Artificial Fertilization." Rear as
many queens from a colony as they
will give you in perfection. Rear at
that time of the year that supplies the
natural and necessary conditions.
These vary with climate, locality, and
peculiarity of seasons. Be a law un-
to yourself. Study your business be-
fore you attempt to succeed at it.
Use tact, as well as talent.

If you do all this, you will not only
produce " Apis Americana" but the
best bees known to scientific Api-
culture. ■

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

As a rule the drone is prepotent
in transmitting loorJcing qualities;
the dis2)ositio7i ; the ivorldngs and
the form and size of the male
X>rogeny.

The queen is prepotent in trans-
vi\\ti\x\g fecundity ; the comb-building
faculty; the peculiar maternal in-
stinct and the form and size of the
female progeny.

I have given emphasis to the
above points that they may stand
out clearly to all who read them ;
no rule, however, in the hereditj''
of bees is invariable. Exceptions
to establish rules occur in the he-
redity'of all theanimal creation.
The causes of the exceptions I have
never been able to discover, but
they are so few that the rules can
be depended upon in developing a
superior strain of bees. Tlie influ-
ence of the drone upon drones does
not distinctly appear until in the
second generation ; then the form,
size and color are ver\' certain of
reappearance. For instance, if
dark drones of large size are kept
for breeding stock, it will not be
many years in an Italian apiary be-
fore all the drones will be large and
dark. The certainty of dark woi-If-
er progeny from dark drone paren-
tage is very remarkable, no matter
how light-colored the queens may
be.

In the case given, to suppress
the ugly temper, the drones of those
colonies must be destroyed and
drones from gentle stocks of good
working qualities supplied in their
place. A second cross in this
way will breed out the undesiral)le
trait. If one has a colony of splen-
did workers and has regard only
for the perpetuation of the one

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

13

prominent trait, then the drones of
such colon}' should be bred from
tind the working quality will pass
on through the line of drones ; but
the disposition will be sure to go
with them and lose nothing of the
original fire.

It has been said, or at least in-
ferred, that one cannot breed for
beauty and good working qualities
at the same time. I say that we
can, for some of the best working
colonies I have seen produced the
largest and most beautiful drones.
My best stock the past season that
produced the most comb honey,
bred such drones, having also
wings of remarkable length and
breadth. The drones of this stock
will be taken to my isolated mat-
ing station next season.

The best time to rear queens is
any time when the bees are in-
clined to rear drones, or from the
fifteenth of May until the twenti-
eth of August in this localit}'.

The coming bee will be a cross
bred bee developed from Syrian
or Cyprian mother stock. The
cross will be with Italian drones.

The best queens will be reared
by the natural method, or one so
near like it that it may be termed
a natural method. A lery com-
mon, unnatural method and one
that produces the poorest, average
queens, especially' when no nectar
is coming in, is where a comb of
just-hatcliing brood is transferred
from the breeding stock to a
queenless stock. The bees recog-
nize that the brood is not their
own and refuse to feed the royal
foster larvae as they should. If a
drought prevails, they will tear
down every cell soon after it is fin-
ished in many cases, but under like
conditions bees that rear queens
from their own brood, on their own
combs, will not destroy their cells,
and they will hatch out fair-sized
queens, while the foster queens,
reared as above, that ma}- be spared

to hatch, will be small and worth-
less.

To rear fine queens out of season
and at an unfavorable time, take
from a colony its queen. In three
days thereafter take out the larvte
from the formed queen cells and in-
troduce in their place small larvie
(as they lay in the worker cells not
larger than one-sixteenth o'f an inch
across) froin the best breeding
stock. The bees fail to recognize
the change made, and as the larvae
get a big start in the ro3'al food in
the cells, they make the largest
queens it is possible to produce.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

The same general rules which ap-
ply to successful breeding of domes-
tic animals, will apply to the breeding
of bees. But when we look about
us we are prepared to see that nature's
laws are not as narrow as are the minds
of some men, as though confined be-
tween two great walls, the one on the
right and the other on the left. So
fiir as fundamental principles are con-
cerned, induction into life is by one
and the same law. But in the econ-
omy of nature there is a wonderful
diversity, and this diversity is without
contrariety. In the economy of
higher animal life as a rule, the male
is stronger and more powerful in con-
stitution than is the female'. This is
so striking to every observer that
common consent accords to the male
the greater influence in the way of
transmission of the stronger traits to
the offspring. But the question arises,
Can we judge bees by this rule ? In
the economy of the bee hive, the
drone or male bee is a mere '"figure
head," so far as character is con-
cerned. He has but one office, and
that is to aid in the propagation of
the race.

He has no weapons of defence,
therefore cannot aid in defending the
common interest of the colony. He
cannot be of material use to the
thriving family in the spring, because

14

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

he does not appear on the scene till
all danger of chilling brood is past.
Hence, his presence to help warm
the hive is merely a dream of some
who are not satisfied with the facts
that the drone has but one function
hi the economy of bee life. But on
the other hand, that the drone has
no weapons of defence, bears per-
secution-patiently, and submits to
his fate when he can do no better,
are, to my mind, no evidence that he
is a coward.

I wish to record here my convic-
tions, after long observation, that the
male honey bee, or drone, is thor-
oughly "game," though powerless to
resent an indignity. With these
things alone before me, I confess
that I could not decide with any satis-
faction to myself as to the potency
of the sex in the economy of bee
life. It required practical experi-
ment to satisfy me on this point.
Well, when Mr. Jones made his first
importation of pure Cyprian bees to
this country, I procured through Mr.
A. I. Root a piece of comb contain-
ing some newly hatched larvte, and
some freshly laid eggs, by one of the
first Cyprian queens imported by Mr.
Jones. From this piece of comb
I reared seven queens, and got six
of them mated by Italian drones, and
contrary to my expectation the
worker bees of these queens were
exceedingly quiet and gentle. The
following season I had plenty of pure
Cyprian drones, in accordance with
the Dzierzon theory, and I found
that when these Cyprian drones
mated with a queen, her progeny was
fierce and unmanageable. I found
also, that the same phenomena
showed themselves when crossing
black and Italian bees. A black queen
mated by an Italian drone gives gen-
tle workers, while an Italian queen
mated by a black drone gives fierce
and spiteful hybrids. Such I have
found to be a general rule. I there-
fore conclude that the queen trans-
mits nearly all the qualities that go

to make up the character of the
worker bees except as to tempera-
ment. The potency of the drone
prevails when it comes to transmit-
ting temperament and in no other
respect. Now for the application.

When selecting my breeding stock,
the "queen mother" must represent
the type or qualities I wish to de-
velop. I have never been able to
rear good bees from an inferior
mother, no matter what were the
mothers of the drones that were to
mate the queens. I look to my
breeding queens for the peculiar type
of workers I want, and to the drones
for temperament. Had I such a
colony as is described in the second
paragraph of the query, I should rear
queens from the "high-strung"
mother and have them mated by
drones from gentle Italian colonies,
and thus I should expect to tone
down the high temper without chang-
ing any other qualities in the work-
ers.

To perpetuate certain qualities in
bees, we must go on breeding from
such queens as show most distinctly
the desirable traits, and observe as
to whether we progress toward the
desired end. Perseverance alone
will bring success. Since we may
now use drone guards and drone
traps, and thus control the males as
well as the females, we may get on
with much more certainty than we
could heretofore.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

This query opens up the question
of the way and manner of improving
stock of all kinds ; and the same
rule that applies to cattle, horses and
fowls will apply to bees, in a some-
what modified form. The rule in
farm stock, generally, is to breed from
the best specimens, always taking
into consideration as an important
factor, the desirable points to be per-
petuated, and the eradication of un-
desirable qualities. This can
easily be done (though it takes a

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

15

long time to fix any given trait) with
stock generally, as we can study in-
dividual specimens both of the sire
and dam, and can choose at all times
on both sides of parentage. With
our bees we cannot do this with cer-
tainty. It is true we have the con-
trol largely of our queens, but as yet,
in the choice of drones we cannot
make individual selections ; conse-
quently we have to choose wholly
from the queens.

In choosing queens, equally as
much attention should be paid to her
drone as to her worker brood, and in
the selection of drone mothers we
should endeavor to choose those that
have proven themselves to possess
the greatest amount of best charac-
teristics. My opinion is that the
drone parent is more likely to govern
than the queen in fixing points ; for
that reason I should prefer to breed
in-and-in for many generations, than
to use the drone progeny of a queen
known to possess undesirable quali-
ties. If we could select individual
drones for fathers, the matter would
be quite simple. As it is we can
only select the drone progeny of a
given colony, running the chance of
the individual the queen will meet.
In answering this query we are tied
down to generalities, and cannot
give strict rules.

In the matter of breeding out
crossness, we must first ascertain from
which side the crossness originates.
If from the queen, one plan may be
adopted ; if from the drone, another.
We must bear in mind all the time,
though, that a change of queens may
bring about the result of losing the
honey-gathering quality. It will be
impossible to lay down any rules in
the matter that the novice can apply,
or that any one in fact can apply with
certainty unless he is familiar with the
laws of breeding and cross-breeding,
and the results that follow therein.
It is safe to say, however, that the best
results can only be attained by using
equal care, judgment and discretion

in the choice of sire as of dam ; and
that by intelligent selection of both,
as well as by judicious in-and-in breed-
ing we can create and fix such points
as we desire.

WHY DO BEES SWARM ?

QUESTIONS RY ONK INTEHESTED IN

BEE-CULTUHK.

Query No. 2. This question has
ofieii been a.sk(;cl but uot satisfactorily
explained. Perliaps at this enlightened
age some one of our "big" bee-nieu
may be able to throw more light upon
this point than has been done in the
past.

The querist has known bees to swarm
when the flowers yielded barely sulB-
cient nectar to sustain the bees one day,
and this at the height of the honey
harvest; but the bees swarmed about
the same as they usually do when there
is a plentiful supply of forage for them
to gather. Then again, I have known
seasons when there was an abundance
of honey in the flowers and the bees
doing well, but few or no swarms is-
sued. How can this be accounted for?

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

It is not difficult for a man to work
himself up to that state of mind that
he will not be satisfied with well-
established facts, because he cannot
reason out every minutia connected
with it.

This question has been answered
scores of times to my entire satis-
faction. Swarming is Nature's method
of multiplying and replenishing the
earth with bees. The impulse to
swarm is as natural in bees, as the
impulse to incubate or "set" is natu-
ral with' hens, birds, etc.

Ought this not to be entirely satis-
factory? But then the querist has
seen bees "swarm" in and out of
season. So have the rest of us, and
if it were so, that we could not rea-
son out this irregularity of things, it
would not overthrow the fundamen-
tal principles governing the action of
bees as pertain to nature's plan of
multiplying the race. It is a well-

16

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

known fact that bees supersede their
queens when they become old or
otherwise defective, and when an api-
ary contains a large number of old
queens, at the beginning of the
swarming season, there will most
likely be excessive swarming, because
the desire on the part of the bees to
supersede their old queens will inten-
sify the desire to swarm ; and, having
swarmed, if the old queen is not too
far spent in strength, she may be the
cause of a swarm casting a swarm.
I once had a swarm that cast a swarm
in just a week after they were hived,
because they had an old queen.
Sometimes bees will prepare to
swarm by starting queen cells, and
though the honey flow shuts down
suddenly, they will swarm any how,
though there is nothing to be had
from the fields. In these cases they
swarm because they want to super-
sede their queen, and their attempt
to do so leads to a swarm. I fre-
quently rear queens in March to sup-
ply queenless colonies in the spring.
Well, I never knew one of these colo-
nies having a strong young queen to
cast a swarm the first season. From
observations I have made, I feel cer-
tain that if I had young, vigorous
queens in all my colonies, I mean
queens reared and mated in the early
spring before swarming time, I should
not have a single swarm during the
season, no matter how populous the
colonies became, provided they were
supplied with plenty of room as fast
as they needed it ; and if all my
queens were just one year old, I
should expect an increase in an aver-
age season of not more than ten per
cent. If the queens were all two
years old, I should expect thirty or
forty per cent of increase, and if my
queens were all three years old, I
should look for nearly one hundred
per cent of prime swarms. Hence,
I conclude that while nature has in-
bred into bees the instinctive desire
to multiply the race' by dividing off
into new swarms or colonies and thus

forming new commonwealths, there
are many conditions likely to inter-
vene and prevent uniformity of re-
sults.

Christiansburg, Ky.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

This question, like No. i, is largely
theoretical. We only know that
swarming is the natural way by which
bees "multiply and replenish ;" and
the answer might well be given, "be-
cause they are made that way." We
know, by studying comparative anat-
omy, and the laws that govern pro-
creation, that conception does not
follow every cohabitation ; if it did,
the world would soon be far too small
to accommodate the life thus brought
into being. In a state of nature, the
excess is kept down by war, pesti-
lence and famine, among the human
race ; and in the struggle for life
among the lower orders, the doctrine
of the "survival of the fittest" ap-
plies now in swarming. Bees must
live, and only can live in colonies.
They must swarm in order to in-
crease ; the rule being that when a
given hive is well filled with brood
and stores, and the indications are,
that stores will continue to be gath-
ered, the swarm will issue to set up
a new home. The exceptions prove
the rule, and we can not determine
why a given swarm issues under dis-
advantageous circumstances, or does
not issue when circumstances seem
most favorable. In other words : we
know that certain forces exist in na-
ture, and that certain results follow
certain causes. Grass grows ; why
or by what means we know not.
Grain is changed into animal food
products by digestion ; how, we know
not. So in the matter of swarming,
the rule governs. And it is the rule
that a crowded hive will cast a swarm,
while one that has ample room will
not. To undertake to explain the
contraries of swarming will be to
simply theorize on the subject : as

THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST.

17

Mrs. Tupper well says," Bees do
nothing invariably," and swarming or
non-swarming falls within that rule.
The whole science of beekeeping
is made up of the application of a
few general rules to our knowledge
of the nature and habits of the bees.
We cannot drive nor force them ;
We can to a certain extent lead them,
and in the matter of swarming we
have through the invention of "Al-
ley's queen and drone trap" a cer-
tain means of prevention. This
being the case the chief point de-
sired to be answered, is of little in-
terest, as the matter is now wliolly
within our control.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

Swarming is impelled and ex-
acted by the insoluble enigma of
instinct. It is nature's provision
for the propagation and extension
of the honey tjee, and no artifice
of man will ever prevent it. In-
bred and nurtured through all the
ages, it comes down to us as a
fixed law of the bees' life whose
impulse we can no more alter or
divert from an attempted fulfil-
ment of its purpose than we can
prevent the rain or the sunshine of
heaven. The conditions, propi-
tious of swarming, are many ; a
brood-chamber crowded with 3' oung
bees and hatching brood in the
combs being one of the most fav-
orable. The season of the year
has also something to do with it ;
for the bees begin the preparations
long before the harvest begins in
rearing a stock of drones. Then
they make the queen cups ready
for the queen to lay in them and
yet the harvest is not at hand.
The queen deposits the royal eggs
and when the cells are capped over
the bees swarm, often before there
are barely siifficientnectar and pol-
len coming in to support the grow-
ing brood. "When there is an
abundance of nectar in the flow-
ers following a prolonged scarcity,

2

as is often the case in the sprino-,
the bees would not have a super-
abundance of young bees or be in-
clined to swarm until they had. In
fact, the over populous brood-
chamber is nearly always present
before swarming. It is on this ac-
count that colonies having very
prolific queens are more inclined to
swarm than others. They soon be-
come crowded and overheated and
then think about swarming. Again,
although the preparations have
been made for swarming, it hap-
pens that the weather is only mod-
erately warm, and the bees are not
so crowded as to suffer from over-
heating, and such weather may
continue until the failure of nectar
in the flowers. But when a few
very warm days set in, the other
conditions being favorable, the
swarming fever rapidly develops
and cannot be wholly prevented
by extracting or other means.

PREVENTION OF INCREASE.

Query Wo. 3. Suppose a person
has uU the bees he can manage proflta-
bly, and there is no sale for the surplus
swarms, what is the most practical
method one can adopt iu order to keep
an apiary down to about filty colonies?
Of course more or less swarms will
issue each season. Now, would you ad-
vise one to hive the new swarms and
iu the fall destroy an equal number of
old ones? or would it be better to re-
turn all swarms as they issue, letting
the queens care for themselves?

L. C. M.

ANSWERS BY WILL M. KELLOGG.

In answer to the questions of your
correspondent, L. C, M., I will say
that he has described exactly my
own condition of affairs, no sale for
bees and no desire for increase. I
range from sixty to seventy swarms,
and the method I follow produces
the result I try for. Each one has
his own method, and I will give mine.

18

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

But first I will say that I don't
know how to control swarming with
small hives. I can't do it by any or-
dinary practical work. I use a large
hive, lo and 12 frames, the 12 frame
,hive is 18 inches wide, 15 inches
front to back, and 13 inches deep,
all inside measure. The 10 frame
hive is just 15 inches square and 13
deep. Frames are made to fit ac-
cordingly. For my 60 hives I have
some 60 full depth, upper-story hives
full of empty comb, and 70 six inch
extracting cases (equal to 35 full
hives) also full of empty combs.
With these I also have 70 or 80
comb honey cases, holding from 21
to 2 7 one-half pound sections each ;
so that I can give each stock two
extra stories and have a reserve of
nearly another for each. When my
.honey flow begins (white clover in
first part of June) I watch the top of
the brood combs, and as soon as the
most of them are capped with new
white comb, I give all such an upper
story, and as my stocks are strong at
this time, and the combs are sticky
with honey from the previous sea-
son's extracting, the bees go at them
with a rush. So also with my cases of
sections for comb honey ; there are in
each a few partly filled with comb,
from which the honey was extracted
the fall before. In case I can't get
around to extract or remove full sec-
tions, and the honey flow continues
and the bees are capping the upper
story again, I place on another ; I
don't go to the trouble of lifting the
heavy stories, and rousing up the
bees, but quietly get it on top ; the
bees will "get there" fast enough.
By keeping ahead of the bees with
plenty of storage room, placing it on
before they begin to feel crowded, I
keep down the desire for immigration
to such a degree that not over ten per
cent of my stocks swarm at all.
When a swarm comes off, I wait till
they are nearly done coming out,
n then Hft off whatever upper stories
may be on, take out each brood

comb looking it carefully over, pinch-
ing off every queen cell and incipi-
ent queen cell cup, also take out
three or four full combs of honey and
replace with empty ones, put back
the upper stories again, and hive the
swarm back into its old hive. It is
7'e7-y seldom that I am ever troubled
with such stocks swarming again.
Each upper story has an entrance,
and my bees may be seen working
out of two or three besides the lower
one. Let others' experience be what
it may, mine is that plenty of room
in time will prevent a large amount
of swarming.

Hiving the new swarms and killing
off an equal number of old ones in
the fall, entail a deal of tiresome
work, extra combs of brood to dis-
pose of and keep the old queens,
killing off the new ones in the old
stocks. Returning swarms, and let-
ting queens take care of themselves,
will result in either that queen or
a young one hatched later coming
out again, with the vexation of sec-
ond swarms. Queens of new or old
stocks can be killed in August, queen
cells pinched out eight or nine days
later, and the stock will go on stor-
ing honey, and growing smaller in
numbers, till cold weather will find
but few bees to dispose of. But as
queenless stocks go on gathering
pollen as usual, with no brood to use
it up, the combs will have an excess
of it, so that this course has little to
commend it.

PITCniCD OR FLAT-UOOF FOR TOP OF

HIVES, COLOR TO PAINT THEM.

QUESTION BY WM. C. R.

Query No. 4. I am a novice iu
beekeci)iiig and desire to have a little
knowledge about hives. Please answer
the folfowing questions through the
Apicultukist.

1. Would you advise one to make his
hives with a pitcli or flat-roof? There
are some disadvantages as well as ad-
vantages iu having hives with a pitch
roof.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

19

2. Will not a flat roof shed the water
Ruflicieutlj^ to keep the interior of the
hive dry and answer every purpose
equally as well as the pitch roof?

3. AVhat color should hives be painted
considering taste and durabilitj^?

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

I. I advise the flat roof made
of a whole board cleated at the ends.
Two or more pieces of board may
be used, the joint being covered by
a long strip of tin cut two inches
wide, to be laid in paint and braded
down at the edges. A very wide
cover can be made in this way, that
will never leak a drop, if freshly
painted every two or three years. I
know of no advantage of a pitch
roof over a flat one. The former is
the more expensive, is the heavier to
handle and requires more paint to
keep in order. The board should
be wide enough to extend over the
sides one inch and over the front and
rear ends of the hive, two inches.

The cleats should be grooved in
the sides to fit on the end of the
board. If the location is subject to
high winds, the board is weighted
on the hive but if it is made to pro-
ject over the edges of the hive not
more than is above recommended it
takes a very hard wind to blow one
off, when not weighted.

2. Yes.

3. I prefer white but have red,
white and blue colors used so as to
present a very tasty and attractive
appearance.

MOVING BEES.

Tiffin, Johnson Co., Iowa, Dec. 9, 188G.

I would like a question or two an-
swered in the "Apiculturist."

1st. I am going to remove my apiary
about 250 miles by railroad next spring.
Conld they be successfully moved the
middle of April?

2nd. How would you prepare the
hives for the journey, how much ven-
tihition is required on top and bottom so
tliat any one could move them with the
least damage.

3rd. Mine is the Langstroth frame.
Now would wire nails driven tliroush
the top bar in the wood rabbet hold
them in place, or screws, be a good
plan to hold them or how is the best
plan to fix them?

S. E. R.

ANSWERS BY H. ALLEY.

i & 2. Yes, you can move the
bees as far as you please at most any
time during the month of April. I
have found April and October the
two most favorable months in the
year for moving bees. In the latter
month the bees have no brood later
than about the loth while in April
they will have more or less, yet the
weather is usually quite cool, and
the bees do not become uneasy nor
do they seem to suffer for water while
confined in the hives as they do later
in the season when the weather is
warmer. However, if one has a large
number of colonies to move 250
miles, an attendant should accom-
pany them ; supply each colony with,
at least, half a pint of water each day,
if the bees are to be fastened more
than one day in the hives.

A colony will need very little up-
ward ventilation in April while being
moved and a wire-screen at the en-
trance, if so constructed that the
wire will not come within one inch of
the front of the hive, will furnish all
the air the strongest colony will need.
If your hives have porticos, as Mr.
Langstroth used to make them, wire-
cloth can be nailed to cover the front
of the hive which would answer as well
as a wire-screen, and such an arrange-
ment would give ample ventilation at
most any month in the year, provided
the entrance is three-eighths of an
inch and full width of the hive.

3. Nail the frames at each end to
the rabbet, with one-inch wire nails,
but do not drive them clear in as
there would be considerable trouble
to draw them out. When they are all
nailed, one or more strips of wood,
one inch wide and as long as the hive
is wide and a fraction thicker than th e

20

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

bee space between the honey-board
and top of frames, should run cross-
wise the frames (about middle way
the hive), so that when the honey-
board is nailed on, this strip of wood
will bear slightly on the frames and
keep them from moving about.
Hives thus prepared may be inverted ;
and, if any of them contain new
combs, they certainly should be
turned bottom upwards while being
transported, especially if the combs
are heavy with honey or brood.

If the bees are to go by rail the
hives should be placed directly on
the car bottom, and the combs should
run lengthwise the car, and no dam-
age will be done to them while the
train is "backing and filling" at way
stations. The doors of a car that
has several hundreds of colonies of
bees in it should not be closed and
sealed as is usually done on all rail-
roads. A person should accompany
the bees not only to furnish water,
but also to look after them and to
keep the door of the car open at
the side opposite the sun. Most
freight cars are painted red, or some
color which "draws" the rays of the
sun, and heat up like an oven ; and
should one of those warm days occur
as they do sometimes in April, it
would be hard on the bees.

EDITORIAL.

The Home Market, or Sale of
Honey. — There seems to be a healthy
agitation going on at present in res-
pect to the sale of honey.

The "American Bee Journal" has
just advanced a plan, though it is
not new by any means, for the sale
of all of the honey that can be pro-
duced. The patent on this plan,
we think should be awarded to an-
other person however ; for if one turns
to page 460, Vol. 14, of "Gleanings,"
this plan is outlined by Mr. J. H.

Martin of Hartford, N. Y. ; the same
writer has also given similar views
in various numbers of the Apicultu-

RIST.

We are, however, glad to see sev-
eral minds at work upon this problem.
Great good will certainly be the out-
come from it.

The unequal distribution is evi-
dent to the observing man and if the
producer would sell his honey in
country villages and to his neighbors,
at the price the commission man
pays him, there would be but little
left to ship to the city markets, and
we think there would not be honey
enough to go around.

There is not a country market
where honey is kept on sale all the
year round. If honey were kept
prominently before people as certain
lines of pickles or chow-chow, there
would be much more sold.

The beekeeping pursuit is away
behind everything else in its method
of advertising ; even our county fairs,
the place above all others for calling
people's attention to our product, is
in a great measure neglected. If it
pays to advertise every other thing
Under the sun, it pays to advertise
honey. It pays to circulate leaflets.
If those already printed by different
publishers don't suit the locality,
print one that does ; distribute fancy
cards with your business and you
will sell honey directly under the
nose of the beekeeper who doesn't
advertise.

There is at present a great com-
plaint about low prices, but five cents
per pound for extracted and ten
cents for comb honey ought not to
scare the enterprising producer. It
will cause it to be put into the hands
of thousands who never tasted honey
before. It will, furthermore, have a
tendency to make it a staple article.
A few years ago, petroleum was
discovered, and millions of gallons
were allowed to run to waste, be-
cause there was no market for it,
but it was soon discovered that many

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

21

uses could be made of it and now
there is a market at good prices for
all that flows.

Again, low prices are not confined
to honey. The poultry business has
been under the same cloud for sev-
eral months and the markets all over
the country are overloaded and thou-
sands of "Thanksgiving turkeys are
still unpicked," and will have to be
sold at very low prices. It is so vvith
beef; the great West can put down
better and cheaper fatted meat of all
kinds than we in the east can raise it.

All lines of merchandise are low.
Clothing, for instance, can be pro-
duced at low rates, if you are dis-
posed to be economical, twenty dol-
lars will clothe you superbly for a
year, and honey at five cents per
pound will pay better now than ten
cents per pound a few years ago.

During the near future, beekeep-
ers will raise their honey cheaper and
with less manipulation than ever be- ,
fore, and a man will care for 400
colonies as easily as he now does for
200. And now that development
of the home market is agitating our
minds, we see great things in store
for us in the future.

We had a suggestion in reference
to the above point for the considera-
tion of the National Convention, but
not even the slightest notice was
taken of it. Perhaps it was one of
our cranky ideas. By the way, for
what purpose did the National Con-
vention meet ? We cannot make
the discovery by reading its reports.

Bee Literature. — The most inter-
esting essay read at the Indianapolis
Convention was by Mr. Thomas G.
Newman, Editor of the "American
Bee Journal." We make the follow-
ing quotation :

" Ages before the creation of man on
this planet, the flowering plants de-
manded insect fertilization, and doubt-
less the bee was there to scatter the
pollen masses, fertilize the flowers and
gather the honey. Then there were no
sheep-bee lawsuits, nor controversies
concerning bees and grapes. These

" luxuries " are a modern invention,
and belong to the nineteenth century.

The writers of the Bible tell us of
the early races of bees, and describe
the "land flowing with milk and
honey." The records of the Egyptians
and the Chinese, cut in stone, show
that bees were known to them as faith-
ful servants tliatgainered the sweets of
the earth for their use. Three hundred
years before the Christian era, Aristotle
affirmed that the bee was " a magazine
of all the virtues" and Virgil, the noted
Latin poet, calls it "a ray of divinity."
Shakespeare and Milton devoted to it
their thoughts and words of praise.

It was estimated, over three hun-
dred years ago, by De Montfort, who
then wrote a work on bees in French,
that between 500 and 600 authors had
preceded him on the subject of bee-
keepius:. Most of the books were writ-
ten in Latin, and are lost to the world ;
and but few have beeu handed down
to us."

Mr. L. C. Root of Mohawk,
N. Y., offers for sale a part of his bees
and all his fixtures, as well as the best
location for an apiary in New York.
Mr. Root has been unwell for several
years and is now compelled to leave
his native state to seek a more con-
genial climate, hoping thereby to re-
gain his former good health.

Any of our readers, desiring to
make beekeeping a business, will find
it to their advantage to investigate
these advantages before purchasing
elsewhere.

Mr. Root has purchased a property
in Stamford, Conn., whither he will
soon remove.

"All Bosli" is all the reply a
man makes (who does not know
what he is talking about) to a
statement of facts. Well, that ar-
gument will do under the circum-
stances.

It was stated in a recent number
of the Apiculturist that the beau-
tiful color and peculiarities of the
Albino bee were developed and per-
petuated by in-breeding. When
anyone can disprove the facts and
teil us how it is done, then we are
read}'^ to own up to it that our
"statement is all bosh."

22

TEE AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

A New Section Case Mr.

Hilas D. Davis has kindly sent us one
of his new section cases. As it is
new to us, we will let him give its
good points in the following quota-
tion taken from his letter :

I, ixs well as a number of other par-
ties', tested this case, and have a good
reason to state we can get from its
use, at least, one-third more honey,
with better filled sections, and less
soiling of the cappings. The double
separator overcomes the difficulty of
choking up the passage way in the
tiering-up method. That is, the bees
have a passage way from one tier to
another without interfering with the
comb builders, or clusters in the box.

Mistakes will Happen. — On
page 2S2, December number of the
"Api," we credited answers to ques-
tions to A. E. Manum. This was a
mistake, the answers were given by
Dr. G. L. Tinker. Mistakes, you
know, will happen.

The Apiculturist goes to press
on the 20th of each month, and is
mailed to its subscribers five days
later. If any one does not receive
it in the course of ten days from the
date of mailing, they should notify
us at once and we will forward an-
other copy.

The Quinby Smoker. — A de-
scription of the improvement made in
this well-known smoker was given in
the "Api" some time ago. We now
have a lot of them on hand. This
smoker, as now made, is the most
perfect of any bellows-smoker in the
market. The good points are these :
if the fuel is dry, a smoke can be had
in a minute's time by merely apply-
ing a lighted match to the "fire-hole"
at the base of the barrel. Those who
use the old style Quinby smoker are
obliged to go to the stove for a coal
of fire in order to ignite the punk.

To New Subscribers and Re-
newals.—Each yearly subscriber to
the Apiculturist will receive free,
by mail, one of our latest improved
drone and queen- traps (the regular
price of which is 65 cents), thus re-

ducing the price of the "Api" per
year to 35 cents. As the traps can-
not be sent, by mail, to Canada, the
price of the Apiculturist to Cana-
dian subscribers will be 75 cents.

We guarantee the drone and
queen-trap to give perfect satisfaction
in all cases. If it does not work as
well as stated, the trap may be re-
turned to us, at our expense, and we
will return or credit the amount paid
for it. Remember that the trap will
save ten times its cost to any bee-
keeper in our season. No swarm
can abscond, nor will any valuable
queens be lost. When a colony
swarms, if the trap is used, the bee-
keeper need pay no attention what-
ever to the bees, but at once make
preparations to hive them as they will
surely return to the spot from which
they start. If three or more swarms
issue at one time, each colony will,
when it misses its queen, return to
the parent hive. If swarms issue
and the beekeeper cannot attend to
them, or is absent from home, the
bees will return to their hive and
come off again the next fair day.
Or, if desirable, while the bees are
in the air, the queen-cells may be
destroyed and swarming will be given
up altogether, or, at least, they will
not issue again for four days. If the
bees issue from a reversible hive, the
brood-chamber may be inverted
which operation will certainly pre-
vent any further swarming for the
season. Bear in mind that the trap
gives perfect control over swarming.

The best, quickest and easiest way
to hive a new swarm is to remove the
parent hive a few feet back, and
place the new hive on the old stand.
The bees will return and enter the
new hive, and the queen may then
be released and allowed to run in
with them.

There are 50,000 of the traps in
use, and, so far as we know, they
have given satisfaction in every case.

The trap will be sent by mail for
65 cents, or one dozen in the flat, one

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

23

made up, thirteen in all, by express,
for $3.50. 10 per cent discount to
all who order before February i, I887.

Our Premium List. — We wish
to say to the readers of the Apicul-
TURiST that we do not offer but one
premium for one subscription. To
be more explicit, a subscriber who
sends us ^1.50 for the "Api" one
year and the Beekeepers' Handy
Book is not entitled to a queen by
remitting 50 cents more. Our in-
tention is to sell some one article we
have in our price list at a discount
of about 50 cents, thus reducing the
regular subscription price of the Api-
CULTURIST to 50 cents per annum.

Any subscriber, who does not need
the articles we offer at such reduced
rates, can find some beekeeping
friend or neighbor who will purcliase
them.

Many of our subscribers find
some one who is in need of a first-
class queen and so they engage a
queen at $1.00 and then send $1.50
for the "Api" and queen. Thus you
see the purchaser gets a fine first-
class queen for ^r.oo, the same as
other dealers charge $1.50 for, while
the "Api" costs him but 50 cents.
Barter among yourselves and thus
get many valuable articles at a low
figure ; besides we will try and give
you a journal, worth at least, all it
cost you,

"Subscription expired" will be
stamped on the wrappers of all
whose subscriptions expire with any
number of the Apicultuuist. If
the reader desires the paper con-
tinued we shall be glad to do so,
provided he makes known his wishes
by dropping us a postal card.
Otherwise the "Apiculturist" will
be discontinued when the subscrip-
tion expires. We invite all to re-
new and send us with their own
subscription at least one new one.
All who will do so may deduct
twenty per cent for the trouble
they take in the matter.

"A Year among tlie Bees" is the

title of a most excellent work on bees,
by Dr. C. C. Miller of Marengo, 111.
I have been looking this book over
of late, and as queen-rearing is our
hobby, I naturally turned to that
part of the treatise containing the
author's ideas on this point. Dr.
Miller gives his method for rearing
queens which is about the same as
has been practised by most beekeep-
ers for the past thirty years, except
in one point. He says :

"About the time the honey flow com-
mences, I m;ike preparations for queen-
reai-jng. The tirst thing wanted is
some worker comb preferably new,
evenly tilled with eggs. I take one of
I lie middle combs of the hive contain-
ing the imported queen, and fit cen-
trally into it two pieces of worlcer
comb talvcn from one-pound sections.
These are about four inches square
and I select those that have been
drawn out about the proper depth for
brood-rearing, or trim them down to
that depth. The honey has all been
removed, probably the previous year.
A piece is cut out of the brood-comb
for each section and the sections
merely crowded in. I do not mean,
of course, any of the wood of the sec-
tions, just the comb.

Suppose these section combs thus
prepared to be put in the middle of
the brood-nest on June 1; I look, on
June 2, to see if eggs are to be found.
Most likely; if not, almost surely
June 3, about three days from the time
the eggs are laid. I cut out these sec-
tions and replace them with fresh ones.
Then the sections are cut up and at-
tached to the brood-combs in the man-
ner directed by Mr. Alley in his book
on queen-rearing, only instead, of leav-
ing an e/jg in every alternate cell, I leave
one in every third cell."

The words which I have put in
italics is the part of Dr. Miller's
method for rearing queens to which
I wish to call special attention. We
judge Dr. Miller considers that he
has, " by leaving an egg in every
third cell, " discovered something
concerning queen-rearing before un-
known to us. I have once given my
early experiments in queen-rearing
but as they may have been forgotten
by some, I will give them again.

24

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

What led me to experimenting for
the purpose of having queen-cells so
built that they could all be transferred
to nuclei or nursery cages without de-
stroying even one cell in the operation
was this : I adopted queen-rearing
for a business. I knew as little about
new methods, at the time, for rear-
ing queens as most beekeepers at
this age who have not read the Bee-
keepers' Handy Book. Of course, I
pursued the old fogy plan, the same
as is now practised by all queen deal-
ers who are behind the times, and
whose methods may be found in
nearly all old works and treatises up-
on bees. Not one writer whose work
I have ever read has improved upon
or advanced beyond the methods
given in Mr. Langstroth's work. All
these old, stereotyped ways were
very unsatisfactory to me, and I found
it impossible to rear queens by any of
them as rapidly as I could get orders,
nor yet could I rear queens that
were ail first-class.

Then, again, queen cells built by
the old methods were in clusters sim-
ilar to those shown in the illustration.

XM^' \:

It will be seen that the cells are all
attached and firmly joined to their
neighbors ; and it is impossible to
detach them without destroying
more or less of the queens, and in
order to save all, I made small hives
with glass on both sides, just large
enough to take one 5X5 inch comb,

so that I could see the cells on either
side, or a young queen the moment
she emerged. I was obliged to be
up about half of the night and nearly
every night in the week too, dur-
ing the five months queens can be
reared. Sometimes, when I had a
nap of an hour, I would examine
a hive and find three or four queens
on the comb at one time. Some of
them would be stung ; as you know
that the first queen that emerges will
attack the next one the moment she
leaves the cell, and, if none are about
to hatch, the queen that has posses-
sion of the combs will select those
cells containing nearly matured
queens, cut a hole in the cells near
the base and sting the queen.
Hence, the importance of sitting up
nights in order to save the young
queens. Well, the idea struck me
that if I could devise a way to have
cells so built that they could be
transferred to nuclei or to cages so
that all could be saved, I might carry
on the queen-rearing business with
half the expense of both time and
money. And then I found that I
must give up night work, even if I had
to abandon queen-rearing. Accord-
ingly, I put my wits to work, and my
first experiments in the line of having
queen-cells built so that they could be
removed separately were as follows :
The strip of comb containing eggs
was fastened in position as described
in my book, but none of the eggs
were destroyed. When the bees had
been at work twenty-four hours on
the cells, I opened the hive and de-
stroyed the larvse in every alternate .
cell. My next experiment was to
cut up the comb containing eggs in-
to separate cells and fasten each cell
to a comb in a small frame. I found
the bees very unwilling to rear queens
when the combs were thus prepared,
and I never succeeded in rearing a
queen that was worth a copper. Of
course, this experiment was soon
abandoned. My next experiment,
and the one I now practise, proved

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

a decided success. I could rear
such fine, large queens by this last
method that I was led to try other
experiments, and here is just where
Dr. Miller's method comes in. I
destroyed the eggs as Dr. Miller says
he does, but the result was about the
same as in the experiment I tested
with the single worker cell ; though
I could get a few very good queens
built by Dr. Miller's plan, but a large
majority of those so reared were
worthless. I have been rearing
queens for over a quarter of a cen-
tury and if any person can mention
an experiment that has not been
tested in my apiary, I should be
pleased to have him do so.

Beekeepers who take an interest
in their business should certainly ob-
tain a copy of the Beekeepers'
Handy Book. Any one who has
not acquainted himself with our dif-
ferent methods for rearing queens
will, when he has once read the
Handy Book, be surprised that he
has learned so much about queens
and queen-rearing in general that can
not be found in any other publica-
tion extract. Bear in mind, dear
reader, that the Beekeepers' Handy
Book is not a compilation of other
works or of matter taken from the
various bee journals. The work is
the result of twenty-nine years' exper-
ience in practical beekeeping,
twenty-seven of which were devoted
to queen- rearing. Part ist, contain-
ing 200 pages, is devoted to practical
bee culture. Part 2nd, containing
nearly 100 pages, gives my method
of queen-rearing. The work con-
tains nearly 100 fine illustrations,
and will give the reader information
regarding queens, how and when to
rear them, what queen to use as
queen mother, where to keep them
to obtain eggs for cell-building ; in
fact, there is no point which is not
thoroughly explained and in a plain,
common-sense manner.

SELECTIONS FROM COR-
RESPONDENCE.

Ottei-ville, Out., Can.
Mr. Alley : Please send me some
sample copies of the American Api-
CULTURIST. I want to get up a club.
My friends like your journal the best
of any we have received.

W. S. BUCKBOLDER.

Astoria, Oregon.
I hear your queens highly spoken
of by beekeepers who have tried
them, and all like the Apiculturist.
Frank S. Harding.

HoytviUe, 3Iich., Oct. 22, 1886.
Editou Amkrican Apicultukist.

Bound volumes i and 11 of the Api-
culturist, at hand. The book is much
better than I had expected. I like the
" Api" aud you may count on me as a
subscriber as long as I own a colony
of bees.

I first started with two colonies; I
got 150 pounds honey in sections. The
second year I had seven colonies,
spring count, and got 575 pounds in
one-pound sections. TJiird year thir-
teen colonies spring count, and got
950 pounds in one pound-sections. I
now have twenty-two colonies in nice
shape for winter. I use chafl-hives
and winter on summer stands. Sold
all my honey at ten cents per pound in
home market.

AViLLiAM Spalding.

San Diego, Cat, Aug. 7, 1886.

Editor Am. "Api";

Generally speaking, apiarists of
southern California have had a busy sea-
son ; in most apiaries swarming has not
been heavy. In my owq apiary,! had
but nine natural swarms, 68 stocks to
start the season, now 97 colonies,
gained the increase by division.

Extracted, first run, Apr. 15.
" last " July 15.

Total 190 cases of 120 lbs. each, or
22,800 lbs. (llf tons) = an average of
235i lbs. to the stock ; in addition after
the ^rs« run, of extracted, I put 48 2-
Ib. section on each of (three) chosen
stocks. These three made an aggregate
of 435 lbs. comb honey.

Bees have been working very slowly
since July 15; it is now Aug. 7, and I
think it will take them two or three
weeks more to (ill the sections; at any
rale our next will be their last run. Bees

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

robbed badly last extracting, no rob-
bing up to that time. I have a copy of
the first edition of the Beekeepei's'
Handy Book and I consider it leading
iu every respect.

CnAS. Sanderson.

CoUainer,N. Y., Aug. 30, 1886.
My Friend H. Alley:

At half-past four this p.m.
aqneen arrived from you unexpectedly,
and a pleasant surprise it was. She is
now ruling, I hope, in a colony of the
ugliest bees I ever saw. I gave the
old queen to Mr. S. Snow of Fayette-
ville, and when her bees get a start
they will give him the St. Vitus dance,
or i am mistaken. She was bought of
friend G. W. House for ^5.00 as a pure
Italian, but I think he made a mistake,
for I think she must be the twin wife
of Satan.

I like the looks of your bees; they
are indeed just splendid looking. My
wife says they are the handsomest bees
in my yard and beautiful. Thanks.
Fraternally yours,

J. W. Lefft.

Blufft,07i, Ohio.
Editor Am. "Api."
I am well pleased with the Aficul-
TURiST. It contains more good com-
mon-sense articles with less advertising
by contributors in the reading matter
that any other journal I am acquainted
with, and I take most of them.

Frank A. Eaton.

Cottage Grove, Ind.
I like your journal very much. Wisli
it was a weekly and as good as it is now.
P. A. Barxnard.

Orangeville, Ca.
I take two bee papers, but think the
Apiculturist beats them all.

Wm. G. Robinson.

We make the following extract
from a private letter received from
one of our most prominent beekeep-
ers and writers on bee matters :

The Apiculturist under your man-
agement is second to no other Journal.
Every issue is full of interesting and
highly practical matter. Your ques-
tion department I like better than that
of any other, as one is able to express
something like a complete answer.
Wishing you the success that you de-
serve, I remain, etc.

Another prominent beekeeper, and
one whose writings are found in every

bee publication and whose name is
familiar to every beekeeper in the
land, writes thus :

"I wish to commend j'ou for the in-
trinsic value of the "Api" since you
took it. It has been solid full of val-
uable matter, worth many times its
cost.

Mr. Alley

Sterling, Mass.

Last spring I sent for sample copies
of the several bee papers of the United
States and liked the "Api" the best of
any by all odds, and subscribed.

H. P. Kendall.

BellefonLaine, Ohio.
Mr. Alley :

I find your drone and queen-trap is
especially helpful to the minister who
is likely to be preaching the gospel
about the time of day, on Sunday,
when his choice queen is likely to come
ofl' with her yellow-banded beauties.
Eev. W. H. Singley, D. D.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The New York State, the Eastern
New York and the New Jersey and
Eastern Beekeepers' Associations will
hold their areat united convention at
Albany, N.Y., on Jan. 18, 19 and 20,
1887. Tills convention will be one of
the largest, if not the largest, ever held
anywhere in this country and it be-
hooves every beekeeper in the country
to attend. A great exhibit of apiarian
fixtures is promised. An unusually
brilliant programme will be prepared
and announced later.

The next annual meeting of the Ne-
braska State Beekeepers' Association
will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, ou
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 1887. Location
of Hall to be used and Hotel accommo-
dations will be given after further ar-
rangements have been made.

H. N. Patterson, Sec.

"The Vermont Beekeepers' Associa-
tion will hold its annual meeting in the
city of Burlington, Vt., on the 13th of
Jan., 1887.

R. II. Holmes, Sec.

CLUB RATES.

The Bke-iiive, bi-monthly, iunl the Api-
culturist will be sent one year lor $1.00

The BEEKEEi'Mts' Magazine, mouthly,
and Apiculturist, one year, $1.00.

The American Apiciilturist

EXTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WKXHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTEIl.

Piiblishecl Monthly. Henry Alley, Manageb.

VOL. V.

WEN HAM, MiVSS., FEB.

No. 2.

We deal in first-class npiari- I Established in 1SS3. Terms: I Any yearly subscriber is en-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest | $1.00 per year, 50 cents per six | titled to one of our best queens
prices. Prompt delivery. I months, 25 cents per three I at any time between .June 1 and

Workmanship unexcelled. | months. Cash in advance. | Oct. i, by lemitting 50 cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN" APICULTURIST, ^ATenham, Mass.

i^or the American Apicultjirist.

SIMMINS' ORIGINAL NON-
SWARMING SYSTEM.

Samuel Cushman.

The above is the title of a book
publislied in England a year ago. It
has since been advertised in the
"British Bee Journal" and for the last
three months in a prominent Ameri-
can Bee Journal.

I have lately obtained the book
and eagerly read it through at one
sitting, meanwhile regretting that I
had not secured it six months before
when I first heard of it. Had I read it
last winter, I should last season have
followed with confidence methods
which I tried with success in only an
experimental way. Mr. Simmins
says of the method "It is based upon
purely natural principles and is the
only system that can ever be relied
upon, because no other conditions
exist in the economy of the hive that
can be applied to bring about the de-
sired result, a total absence of any
desire to swarm."

The principle is to give the bees
more room than they require by al-
ways having unfinished combs in
brood-chamber nearest to entrance.
These combs are removed or cut out
as fast as made, the worker comb fit-
ted full size into sections, and the drone
comb is melted for wax. The author
admits the possibility of swarming if

3

such unfinished combs or space are at
back of hive or farthest from the en-
trance and insists that it always be at
the front or adjoining the entrance.

Brood-frames with starters only
and sections filled with newly-built
combs are used to prevent swarming
and get all honey in supers.

He believes that, during a honey
flow, bees secrete wax constantly and,
unless such space is given, there is
great loss of wax by the scales falling
to the bottom, there to be removed
and lost.

He believes, as do many prominent
apiarists in this country, that founda-
tion is generally used in brood-
chambers at a serious loss ; that
starters in frames are more profitable :
and that if full combs are used in sec-
tions all the honey will be stored in
supers \ also that it pays to get all the
honey in the sections and feed sugar
syrup for winter stores.

The system of contraction, as fol-
lowed by American apiarists, is sub-
stantially followed by Mr. Simmins.

He fastens foundation in frames in
April, hangs them in the sun to
bleach, and claims that it makes no
difference as to the ease with which
bees work it out. He tells how to
improve the appearance of sections
with dark and soiled cappings ; this
is quite a point.

In working for extracted honey his
extracting combs are used in supers
between dividers, similar to our sep-

(25)

26

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

arators : this leaves them even and
flat, that they may be used in his un-
capping machine. By the use of this
machine "the beekeeper will be ad-
vancing one step farther in the eco-
nomic production of the 'peoples'
honey.' "

In chapter on "Queen Rearing
and Increase by Nuclei" he says,
speaking of the queen, "she actually
lays eggs of three kinds because each
is deposited in a cell which is of dif-
ferent construction to the other and
each is destined to 'become a distinct
being ;" farther on he mentions that
bees can raise a queen from worker
eggs.

The author evidently reads our
American bee papers and is no more
in favor of reversing frames than a
good many this side of the water, and
under "Caution in regard to Revers-
ible Frames" he says : after a frame is
inverted a strong colojiy will inake
another passage along the bottom
while the comb is being secured at the
top and that this will happen as often
as the comb is inverted. Has any one
found it so? He believes in feed-
ing dry sugar or rather damp sugar
for stimulation and to have combs
built and foundation drawn out as
has been previously published.

The terms storyiying hives, stock-
chamber and stock-combs are notice-
able to American readers.

Late views are here arranged in a
system and so plainly described that,
while the reader gets many new
ideas, he also better understands
those he has been quite familiar with.

The plan of having an unfinished
comb at entrance is not new to me,
as it has been advised and followed
to keep back or lessen the tendency
to swarm but its importance to en-
tirely prevent swarming I have not
before seen advocated. Should think
these combs while being built would
receive much pollen which would
prevent their use in sections.

There is an idea which has been
given in the 'Api' pages 93 & 98

Vols. 2 & 4) and which I consider im-
portant that I expected to find in
this book and which Mr. Hutchinson
has not touched on in his able articles
on the use of foundation starters in
brood-chamber. It is that comb-
building is a natural instinct which
must be gratified, its gratification
rouses or stimulates all the energies
of the bees and queen, resulting in a
more industrious and profitable col-
ony.

Tt is also said by a high authority
that bees can produce wax more
readily from raw nectar or new honey
than from ripened honey, and from
cane sugar than from grape sugar or
glucose. That it takes more of one
than the other to produce a given
amount of wax.

This may throw some light on the
failure to produce comb honey, eco-
nomically when feeding back that
which has been extracted, there has
always been too much loss in weight
to make it profitable. Had all sec-
tions been filled with drawn out
combs or foundation previously drawn
out with sugar syrup (the syrup hav-
ing been extracted) and if the
rearing of brood was prevented, feed-
ing back thin new honey in warm
weather might be made a success.
I should, however, prefer to let the
bees store it there in the first place
rather than to extract and handle it
over.

We may find that it does not take
even fifteen pounds of new honey to
produce a pound of wax under right
conditions.

The idea of feeding sugar syrup to
build combs for future use and for the
cheap production of wax had been
suggested to me by past reading
("Api", 1884, Vol. 2, page 19). Had
thought of having foundation in sec-
tions built out in this way before the
honey season. Had asked questions
in the "Api" (Vol. 3, 1885, page 227)
to draw out opinion on the plan, but
answers were so discouraging that I
partly lost confidence. I did not en-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

27

tirely give up the idea although I did
not then try it. Had read of Sim-
mins' dry sugar feeding ("Api" '84,
Vol. 2, page 266) for continuous
stimulation ; thought it would be but
little trouble and effective, and last
spring I followed it with satisfaction.

I filled wide-frame dummies with
damp sugar, an opening in the side
at top (Simmins' plan) allowed the
bees access : this was hung next to
brood-combs. I used the 2-inch
wide frames while he recommends i h
inch ; the result was long sheets of fine
white, drone comb were built inside
the dummies, brood-rearing was stim-
ulated and sugar lasted so that even
weekly attention was unnecessary.
This was before the honey harvest.
These combs were brittle and the wax
when chewed was dry, crumbly and
tasteless and less fatty than that from
new honey.

This might be remedied by the
addition of a certain proportion of
granulated honey. I tried granula-
ted honey clear but it was not taken
us well. Those who think feeding
daily a small quantity of syrup for
stimulation too much trouble to pay
should try this method.

Pawtucket, R. I.

For the American Apimlturist.

THE WINTERING NUMBER
OF APICULTURIST.

C. C. BIlLLER.

The editor deserves a hearty vote
of thanks for massing in the October
number of the Apiculturist, so much
valuable information on the subject
of wintering. The reading of it was
of intense interest to me and I doubt
not to many others. It may be in-
teresting and possibly useful to sum-
marize under appropriate heads the
views of the different writers and

comment somewhat thereon. But
first will the editor allow me to pick
a good-natured quarrel with him over
his remarks on page 237? This sen-
tence occurs : "What they say is not
mere theory, and any novice or old
beekeeper can safely adopt and put
into practice, any of the methods
herein given for wintering bees."
And again : "If any reader of the
'Api' loses his bees in wintering
after this, it must be from careless-
ness or because he did not carefully
read this number of the "Apicultu-
rist." Now, Mr. Editor, I do not dis-
pute your statement that the essays
are not mere theory. I consider them
valuable and undoubtedly based upon
the experience of the writers, but I
believe the wintering problem not yet
entirely solved, and circumstances
and local surroundings change mat-
ters so much, that what ma}' be
right for one may be wrong for an-
other. I venture the guess that if
you select the most successful man
of the whole eleven writers and let
him for ten successive years winter
his bees alternately at the location of
the other ten writers, not changing
his plan of wintering in any respect,
he will increase his percentage
of losses. Or, if you select any of
the eleven, and give him 100 colo-
nies, obliging him to follow strictly
the instructions of the other ten
writers with ten colonies for each,
I suspect several of the 100 will suc-
cumb.

Moreo\'er if a novice were to at-
tempt to follow the directions given,
he would be somewhat confused on
several points, where such diverse in-
structions are given. I will give you
but one illustration. Dr. Tinker
says : "I am prepared to say from
ample experience that every kind of
upward ventilation through free open-
ings or loose porous coverings is per-
nicious and liable to disaster," and
speaks of the "thousands of thou-
sands of colonies lost in wintering,
largely through the follies of upward

28

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ventilation." Mr. Dayton says " . .
. . . it is reasonable to suppose that
the reports of wintering without some
kind of upward hive ventilation were
mistakes. Out of a hundred or more
colonies prepared without upward
hive ventilation, I have been unable
to get one decentl)' through the win-
ter, while whole apiaries having up-
ward ventilation wintered perfectly
without any loss." Now what is the
poor novice to do ? Death and dis-
aster threaten him with upward ven-
tilation, and disaster and death
without. But after all this is said
(and I have merely said it to show
that the solution of the problem is
not yet complete for universal use)
I still think the October Apicultu-
RiST a valuable contribution and a
help toward the desired solution.

And now, not with any critical
spirit, I will collate some of the dif-
ferent views and practices. Of the
eleven writers, five appear to winter
out-doors, four in cellar and two in
both ways. Mr. Demaree lives in
Kentucky where cellar wintering is
unnecessary, leaving the other ten
equally divided as to out or in-door
wintering.

As to temperature, one recom-
mends 41° to February, then 48°
from that time till the bees are set
out, one says 43° to 45°, two say 45°,
one says 45° or more, and one says
50° to 55°. This certainly shows no
very wide divergence of views and I
think we are slowly getting at what tem-
perature is best. In my own prac-
tice, I am satisfied if I can keep my
cellars from 45° to 46° and perhaps
50° may be none too high for the lat-
ter part of their confinement.

As to size of brood-nest, one con-
tracts in proportion to the size of
colony ; one to seven frames, and in
September to six or eight, and one,
September i, to five or seven. This
makes me think it possible I contract
too much, as a great many of my colo-
nies have only four or five frames.
Still the tendency has been toward

a smaller brood- nest and that ten-
dency may continue.

As to food, one makes no choice
between sugar-syrup and honey; one
thinks sugar-syrup safer one year
with another than honey ; and three
prefer _§(?(?^/ honey, one of these em-
phasizing that the honey should be
stored early and thoroughly ripened.

Regarding pollen, one thinks the
pollen theory most fallacious ; an-
other thinks we may cease to call it
a theory and accept it as a settled
fact ; four pay no attention to the mat-
ter of pollen ; another would rather
have the pollen out, and another
thinks pollen harmful in some locali-
ties and not in others. So we are all
at sea as to pollen, but possibly the
last opinion given may harmonize all
the others.

As to ventilation, we are left pretty
much at sea also. Two directly op-
posite views have already been given ;
burlap, carpet, leaves, shavings and
chaff are used as packing by different
ones, special mention being made by
two, of an empty space in the cover
over the packing with a i^- or if
inch hole in each end of the cover
so the wind can blow right through.
Mr. Muth objects decidedly to the
use of oil cloth over the brood-nest,
and yet I have used it many times
with good success. In my own prac-
tice I have never used porous cover-
ings in winter. For years I left an
open space at the back end of the
top of the hive ; then I tried both
ways at the same time, having some
ventilated and others sealed tight,
and I could see no difference, so
now as a matter of convenience I
leave on the cloths or quilts as they
were on summer stands.

I think only two speak of the age
of bees for wintering. Mr. Pond
says : "Brood-rearing I keep up by
stimulative feeding as late as the bees
can care for brood ; desiring they
should go into winter quarters with
a full quota of young bees." On the
other hand Mr. Manum aims "to

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

29

have all brood hatched by Oct. ist,"
and says "I prefer bees for successful
wintering that hatched in August to
those hatched in October. Could I
have my own way, I would not at-
tempt to winter a single bee hatched
after Sept. ist."

I suspect that even the most expe-
rienced will be interested to read
more than once this fine collection
of essays.

Afarenc^o, III.

For the American AmcuUurist.

LOW PRICES AND THE
CAUSE.

3. W. PORTEK.

From every market comes the re-
port of lower prices for honej' than
were ever known before.

Nor is this report confined to our
special product.

All of the great staples, produc-
tions of industry, share in the gen-
eral decline till prices are for many
of these so low as to fail to cover
the actual cost of production. Take
wheat and corn, for instance. Last
July a carload of corn, 550 bushels,
was sold in Chicago which netted
the shipper, a Nebraska farmer,
$28.50, say five cents per bushel !

Whatever prices may be exacted
of the consumer by rapacious middle
men, and through the combinations
of speculators in farm products, the
fact remains, that never before were
our farmers receiving so small a re-
ward for their industry, and vast num-
bers of them are running behind
actual expenses.

Favored as we are by a vast home
demand, due alone to the expansion
of our manufacturing and mining
industries fostered by a protective
tariff, we, much as we suffer, have
greatly the advantage over British
and European farmers. The decline

in prosperity is world-Avide and has
engaged the attention of many pub-
licists, and volumes have been writ-
ten on the subject, but no relief
comes. Some adequate cause exists
for such a strange condition of af-
fairs.

This ought to be the most glorious
epoch in the history of the world
and one of unbounded prosperity.
Peace reigns everywhere. We have
plenty of all that conduces to public
or private welfare of material things.
Freedom from pestilence and ac-
tual faraiae unknown upon the earth.
We have control of such forces of
nature and have applied them to
labor-saving production, till our
wealth-creating power is multiplied
beyond even the dreams of the most
ardent, living a half-century ago.

With avenues of employments
opened up for milHons, in channels
new, many of them, to men of our
own day ; with ages of experiences
to guide us into wise and safe fiscal
management ; we, inz\merica at least,
have a sound banking system and a
good currency.

Why then, this anxiety and doubt,
that everywhere (except among the
army of beneficiaries which such a
condition of affairs directly benefits)
prevails instead of buoyant pros-
perity.

The cause — a sufficient one as can
be shown — lies in the . unholy war
upon silver. Its demonetization, by
England alone more than a half- cen-
tury ago, was not felt ; but when Ger-
many and America in 1873 by law
adopted the sole gold standard,
and Germany to strike again her
fallen foe, after demanding her
$1,000,000,000 in gold indemnity,
America by some unknown hand in-
corporating the act into the revised
statutes of our, country. Unknown
even to our President, unknown to
our people, was this great country
committed to the policy of England.
The French, with the financial fore-
sight ever characteristic of that great

30

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

people, promptly closed their mints
to silver, and the allied brethren of
the "Latin Union" acted with them.
There being then no market for sil-
ver it became the foot ball of specu-
lators and brokers. Amei'ica then,
under the paper reghne, had no use
for it. When we were preparing for
resumption, it was discovered. Presi-
dent Grant, in 1875, resumed the es-
tablishment of more units to coin silver
and then found there was no law for
such coinage. A monetary commis-
sion was called in 1876 and their
report has been called the most com-
plete compendium of monetary sci-
ence ever pubhshed.

Congress passed a law providing
for the free coinage of silver. Wall
street and the money bags protested,
and President Hayes vetoed the act.

A compromise bill was then passed
providing for the limited coinage of
silver dollars, and our standard dol-
lars, making them a legal tender for
all debts.

This fails as a remedy while it
gives us more specie. It fails be-
cause it does not restore silver bul-
lion to a like equality with gold bullion
in its relations to coin.

Free coinage, an open jnint giving
standard coin for its legal comple-
ment of bullion, can alone give us a
remedy.

When the mines of California and
Australia poured their wonderful
volume of gold into the world's cof-
fers in the decade beginning in 1850,
gold did not decline because the
Bank of England was bound by law
to buy all gold offered at its coin
value 3^ 17s. pd. per ounce. Its
production was vastly greater than
silver.

Have we a redundant production
of silver now? The production of
all the world's mines was placed at
$115,000,000 for 1885 and of gold
$95,000,000. Our own country pro-
duces more of each than any other
country. Of this $115,000,000 of
silver, a vast amount variously es-

timated at from 25,000,000 to
$40,000,000 is used in the art and
for plate and ornaments. $25,000,000
were imported in 1885 into India
alone, wliere silver is the only money
of its vast population.

This paper, already too long, can-
not cover the ground. We wish to
show that a base conspiracy against
the interests of the people is giving
to the money monarchs, who hold
the evidences of the vast debts of
nations, made payable in gold coin,
principal and interest, a grasp upon
the industries of the world, worse
than that of the devil fish. The
Rothschilds and allied bankers in
Europe now control the nations
there, for they hold the purse strings.

In another paper we will show, if
permitted, that the law of supply and
demand in no way regulates the
price of silver bullion. Also, how
we, the greatest producers of silver,
send it abroad, to enable the British
importers of wheat to pay for Indian
wheat in cheap silver and cut us out
of our market for that great prod-
uct of American fame.

Charlottesville, Va.

For the American ApicvUurist.

" WBATIS IT?''

William M. Kellogg.

Reading the items on the above
topic in the November Api, I was
led to thinkof a twin question, " Why
is it?" The Editor, as well as L. N.
S., thinks there will be great mortal-
ity among the bees the coming win-
ter on account of the large amount
of honey dew stored. I will agree
with them also, from a sad experience
on my own account, where our bees
wintered on honey dew stores. I had
three stocks left of mine ; another
with 153 in the fall had three in the
spring, and a like ratio all around us,
while a few miles south of us where
they had no honey dew, bees came

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

31

through finely. Now for my " Why
is it." When the beekeeper knows
so simple a remedy as this case takes,
and the likelihood of honey dew com-
ing any season, why is it that they
will persist in letting their bees have
it for winter stores ? Now we had a
great flow of honey dew here this
season in the latter part of August,
and first part of September, but our
bees have none of it to winter on and
we are not looking ahead with appre-
hension as to their wintering. Nor did
we extract it either to feed back su-
gar syrup. Honey dew always comes
after white clover, and the stocks
that have no room below to store
anything, of a necessity can't have
honey dew for winter use. On the
white clover flow our brood-chambers
are full, either of brood or honey,
usually a great abundance, and hav-
ing on plenty of surplus room, if
honey dew comes, it is stored above
where the beekeeper can easily re-
move it. Our June filled combs of
clover (and bass wood sometimes)
remain there all summer and is the
winter food, so we do not fear honey
dew. I find there are quite a vari-
ety of tastes as to honey. A few are
very particular, must have clear quill
white clover honey, but a large ma-
jority make no comments, if the
honey is good and thick. To test
this I recently tried an experiment.
At the last of the white clover run,
as usual, we had some partly filled
sections, and these were filled at the
bottom with honey-dew, an aver-
age of one-fourth being of the latter.
It is in very strong contrast to the
white clover above. A man close by,
wanting a crate, I took him one filled
with this clover-honey dew, half ex-
pecting him to "kick" and bring it
back, for I guarantee all my honey.
Time passed, and after a while I asked
how they liked the honey, " first rate,
that's splendid honey, it just takes
a section to a meal with my family."
I thought "where ignorance is bliss
'tis folly to be wise."

Mr. L. Spencer must surely have
something else that the bees get pol-
len from in clover time, for pollen
here at that time is a very light cream
color.

Oneida, III.

For the American ApicuUurist.

REPORT OF ONE COLONY
OF BEES.

O. F. Winter.

I have kept a record of' a colony
of bees for five years. It runs as
follows: No. 52, 1882, 118 lbs;
1S83, 96 lbs. ; 1884, 145 lbs. ; 18S5,
94 lbs.; 1886, 144 lbs., making an
average of 119 lbs. per year during
the five years. There have been fed
to this colony 20 lbs. for winter
stores ; this would make the average
surplus 115 lbs. per year.

This is not considered a first-class
location for bees as there are but few
basswood trees in this vicinity.

REPORT FOR THE YEAR I 886.

Fifty colonies in the spring, aver-
age strong and good ; increase ten
stocks; honey, 2,500 lbs.; average
per colony 50 lbs. From the fifty
colonies I had but three first or prime
swarms.

I should have said tliat colony
No. 52 were hybrids, also that they
had not swarmed during the five
years .

IVi lifer foil, N. Y.

For the American Ai>icuUurist.

APICULTURE IN CALI-
FORNIA. ■

A. Norton.

HIVES,

The subject of hives is not the saf-
est nor the easiest to handle. The
large number of unlike styles that are
advocated and successfully used by
eminent beekeepers make it impossi-

32

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ble for the thoughtful to enter a dis-
cussion with ultra views or prejudiced
mind. In judging what little I may say
on this point, please apply the standard
of differences in climate and estab-
lished methods here, the one so mild,
the other so nearly approaching the
"wholesale" as to make California
bee culture characteristic. The man
who has twenty-five to fifty colonies
to handle will look at facility, conven-
ience, etc., from a different stand-
point than does the man who has
two hundred. And those in Califor-
nia who number their colonies from
four hundred up, with the least
amount of hired help, practicably are
more particular about ease and ra-
pidity in the working of hives than if
they had only one-half or one- fourth
that number.

I have given the subject of hives a
great deal of thought. I have stud-
ied the construction of a great many
kinds, though I have had practical
experience with but few of them.
Many an anxious hour have I spent
devising some style that would cor-
rect this bad feature and do away
with that ; and several are the new
forms I have gotten up, but the only
result I take any pride in is that I
had sufficient sense to discard them
all without trying to induce others to
use them. As a general thing in this
country the preference is steadfast
for the original Langstroth with the
metal improvements. Whether this
is on account of progress coming to a
standstill, or the result of practical
experience that amounts to almost a
demonstration, I will not presume to
say. My incHnation, however, to con-
cur in this preference is left more
decided after each attempt at a de-
parture. In working for extracted
honey the need of ease in manipula-
tion is specially felt. Among the
primary considerations needful in a
hive are : that it. may be opened
quickly and with little jar; the frames
taken out and tlie bees brushed and
shaken into the hive with despatch ;

if a set of empty combs be not at
hand, that the hive may be left per-
fectly closed ; and then that the
frames may be rapidly returned three
or four in hand at a time and quickly
spaced without crushing bees in un-
due quantities. A secondary, yet
very important consideration, is sim-
plicity and cheapness of construction.
It seems to me that the Langstroth
principle of hanging frames comes as
closely or more closely to this stand-
ard of convenience than does any oth-
er. So long as I have deemed it prac-
ticable to remove frames from the end
of the hive, I have looked for some
style of standing frame. A frame that
could be removed from the brood-
chamber without need of changing the
surplus department would save much
crushing of bees so often unavoida-
ble in removing and replacing the
super. But this frame, even if de-
vised, would sacrifice one pointin the
standard, — quickness of handling, for
frames cannot be as naturally and
speedily removed from side or end
as from the top. There is, more-
over, no hive on the market with
standing frames that can be taken
out without removing the super or at
least tipping it up so that bees can
get under and be killed in replace-
ment. Last spring I constructed a
hive with Adair-Langstroth frames
that could either stand reversed or
hang in a natural position, and in the
former case could be removed from
the brood-chamber without touching
the surplus, by taking them out at the
end. Though I could remove any
frame first that I desired, still after a
two montiis' trial I cast it aside ; rea-
son— inconvenience. With the closed-
end standing-frame my experience is
very slight, and that little is with the
Bingham. I have none with the
Quinby, except modifications of my
own constiuction to do away with
the closed-end bar. I would not at-
tack those forms in any unfriendly
spirit, nor can I claim that my views
regardin" them are conclusive. But,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

so far as my own use is concerned
and the experience of the most ex-
tensive and skilled apiarists of my
acquaintance goes, they embody a
disadvantage in addition to the ordi-
nary inconvenience of handling.

To be removed, the frames must be
pried apart. In a full colony the
bees crowd out at every opening, and
they will covef- the edges of the
frames. When the frames are again
brought together, the operator must
either kill bees or use a degree of
care that still further retards his prog-
ress. That able apiarist and ac-
complished writer, Mr. P. H. El-
wood, writing for January " Api,"
T885, claims for the closed-end Quin-
by that " Capt. Hetherington, prob-
ably the largest producer of comb
honey in the world," uses it, and that
" Chas. Dadant, the largest producer
of extracted honey in the west^ uses
the same."

I believe that the most extensive
producer of comb honey in Amer-
ica— possibly in the world — is or has
been Mr. J. S. Harbison of San Die-
go, than whom no more skilful or ex-
perienced beekeeper can well be
found. This gentleman has num-
bered his colonies higher than 2,000,
and his product of comb honey in a
year has reached 100 tons. In 18S0
he shipped ten car-loads of comb
honey to the eastern market. Mr.
Harbison uses an admirable hive of
his own, a hive that is wholly unlike
either the Langstroth or the Quinby
in principle. The frames are sup-
ported at the upper front corner,
steadied and partially supported at
both lower corners and removed at
the back or end. The end bars are
of the same width as in the Lang-
stroth. The lower corners do not
touch the bottom of the hive. Mr.
H. has always found this style satis-
factory and has not, to my knowl-
edge, ever discarded it.

The hive was some time in general
use in San Diego County and among
comb honey producers in this (Mon-
terey) county. It is of late giving

way to some extent to the Lang-
stroth.

Gonzales, Cal.

{To be continued.')

Reported for the American AjncuUiirist.

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEET-
ING OF THE ONTARIO BEE-
KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

R. F. HOLTERMAN.

At the meeting of the above
association at Toronto, Jan. 5 and
6, 1887, there was an attendance
of from sixty to seventy members.
Three of the commissioners in con-
nection with the exhibition of hon-
ey of the O. B. A. at the Colonial
were present : Messrs. S. T. Pet-
tit, S. Cornell and R. McKnight.
The show of honey at Kensington
has been the largest ever held in
the world. The ingenuity mani-
fested in popularizing Canadian
honey while there reflects great
credit on our commissioners. Tons
of honey were given away in spoons-
ful to visitors, and many thousands
more in four ounce, eight ounce and
one pound packages, so that a safe
estimate would be to say that this
delicious sweet had reached half a
million to a million people. And
not only had it reached the labor-
ing class, the mi<ldle class and the
upper class, but it has also reached
such tables as those of our queen,
the Prince of Wales and such as it
is well known are difficult to reach
in these matters.

The referees, after deducting the
expenses of comijiissioners, over
and above the $1,000 granted by
the Canadian government and the
expenses of distributing samples
free, still left a high wholesale price
for Canada. But while this is the
case, Ontario beekeepers must re-

34

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

member that tlieir facilities for dis-
posing of honey and many ex-
ceptional expenses, sucli as freight
to England and commission on
sales, will have to be shonldered by
the beekeeper. Also the honey was
largely disposed of in very small
packages and relatively high prices ;
the opportunities for such sales will
be very much diminished, and in
the future instead of netting about
10 cts. for extracted honey per lb.,
7^ cts. to 8 cts. or possibly even
only 7 cts. need be expected. I
w^as confirmed in this opinion by
conversation with some who were
in a position to know. This price
is very satisfactory and if Canada
can secure at her doors 7 cts.
wholesale for her honey, apiculture
is bound to flourish and advance.

The evening of the first day was
set aside in honor of the commis-
sioners and was spent very pleas-
antly and profitably in listening to
an account from the directors of
the visit to England and their work
in connectifn with the exhibit.

Mr. S. T. Pettit, the president
of the association, stated, they
were in a position, if matters were
managed properly, to secure an
opening for all the hone}' the}' could
produce in Canada; in order to re-
tain and enlarge the demand which
had been produced honey must be
obtainable constantly and in large
quantities and its production must
be largely increased in Canada.
He strongly dwelt upon the neces-
sity of having it only of the very
best. The brightness and clear-
ness of their best honey was a trade
mark no one could imitate, there-
fore no dark should be sent as the
brightness woidd no longer stand
out as our distinct trade mark and
it would open the doors to all grades
being pawned oflT as Canadian. We
should be sure to have only honey
ripened by the bees sent and in or-
der to secure ample room for stor-
age and such ripening the tiering-
up system should be adopted. No

one argued that artificially ripened
honey was better than that ripened
by the bees naturall}' ; many strong-
1}' argued to the contraiy. He knew
artificially ripened was much in-
ferior, therefore condemned bee-
keepers attempting such work for
the bees. If the beekeepers worked
together harmoniously, and took
the greatest pains to send the best
honey to the British market, by de-
grees Ontario honey would find its
way into that country and into Ger-
many and the beekeepers of On-
tario would find a ready market for
all the honey the}^ could produce.

]\Ir. Corned related how they
had not reached the Colonial until
towards its close. It took them
some time to work to advantage,
and if they had been there from the
commencement no doubt they could
in that one building have sold all
the honey produced in Ontario the
past season. The honey had been
sent in too large packages, both
comb and extracted, and it had in-
jured both sales and display, a sec-
tion crate holding 6 to 12 sections
was ample but those holding 18 to
14 had been sent. As much of the
comb as possible should also be
displayed ; it helped the sale.

Mr. McKnight gave an amusing
yet instructive account of the Colo-
nial. Only 12 sections of honey-
had been broken in transit ; their
displa}' of honey had done more to
give the English people a correct
idea of Ontario climate than all
the past labors of Canada in the
l)ast. Her apples, cheese and honey
had created a tremendous sensation :
the two former stootl foremost in
the market and he had no doubt
before long honey would.

All were highly pleased with the
work and the way in which it had
been carried out b}^ the commis-
sioners. It onl}^ requires now care-
ful management to carry on all
good work and permanently open
out a market for Canadian hone}^

Brantford, Ont.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

35

For the American Apicutturist.
PBODUCING COMB HONEY.

C. \Y. Dayton.

In tlie early clays of my beekeepins:,
I k-arned that u colony of bees would
yieUl more of extracted than of comb
honey. The reason for it was uncer-
tain. Some said it was because of the
time spent in building' the comb and of
the honey consumed. While tliis was
true on certain occasions it has been
fouud through practice to be largely
idle conjecture.

There are many now who claim to
get as many pounds of comb honey
per colony as of extracted, yet tiiose
apiarists have not told us exactly liow
it is done, or in wiiat part of the man-
agement the failing ones erred.

To better satisfy myself on this
point, I set apart twelve colonies of
equal strength for the purpose of ex-
periment. Six of the colonies were
run for extracted honey and six for
comb honey in one-pound sections.

The coml) honey arrangement used
was the Heddon style without the
honey-boards and arranged so that the
bottom of the sections were a bee
space or three-sixteenths inch from the
brood-frames. The extracted arrange-
ment was an upper-story containing
eight frames, the same nundaer con-
tained by all of tlie brood-ciiarabers.
When the extracting stories were ad-
justed and two or three frames of
brood from the brood-nest were placed
in the upper story to cause its imme-
diate occupancy by the bees, the sec-
tions were tilled full of foundation and
were used without separators.

It was soon ascertained that the dry
sections of foundation possessed no
special enticement to the bees, so the
only alternative was adopted, Avhich
was to keep the queen cells cut out un-
til the colony became so populous that
tlie bees occupied the sections for clus-
tering space. During this process of
forcing the bees into the surplus re-
ceptacles, I found that tlie extracting
colonies had immediately followed the
brood into tlie upper-stories, drawn
out the foundation and filled the whole
story with honey nearly ready for the
extractor so that I obtained one ex-
traction of about thirty or fortj' pounds
by the time the other colonies iiad got-
ten well at work on the foundation in
the sections. rr(nu tins time on, I
could see but little dillerence in the

amount of comb or extracted honey
stored, and at the end of the har-
vest I took an average of sixty-two
pounds of comb honey and lOti pounds
of extracted per colony, the diflerence
not far exceeding the amount lost by
the bees failing to begin work in tlie
sections at the time of their adjustment.
I have repeatedly made experiments of
putting on upper-stories of empty
combs and they nearly always fell be-
hind those where some brood was
placed above to entice the bees.

When our fixtures are so arranged
that the bees enter the sections in the
full capacity of the colony at the ear-
liest season, then we shall be able to
obtain nearly, if not quite as much
comb honey per colony as of extracted.

Ilow those most successful comb
honey producers get the bees into the
sections I do not know, uidess it is by
using sections of comb and honey from
the year before, or, as Mr. Doolittle
does, fill a few of the sections with
brood.

Oue thing I do know is that having
a quantity of bees loitering about the
brood-chamber, dreaming of swarming
until they are crowded into the sec-
tions, is one place where we lose.

In a future article I will tell how I
manage at present.

Bradford, Ohio.

For the A merican Aplcidturist.
WINTERING.

MRS. H. HILLS.

In describing, on page 150, Vol. IV,
the manner in which my bees have al-
ways been packed for winter, both in
cellar and on summer-stands, I should
have added, that after the two inches
in thickness of chattdivision-boards are
placed clear aroniul the insides of the
hives, both at sides and ends, the Hill
device is placed over the frames, upper
story put on, and a cotton sheet, a
blanket, and chaff cushion, are packed
snugly over the bees.

The first winter,— the disastrous one
of 1SS4-5, — all combs were spread, and
winter passages were cut in them.
The second winter, these passages
were omitted in half the hives, with
no dirterence in results. This season,
no winter passages have been cut, and
only half the colonies have the combs

36

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

spread. Also, this season, a few colo-
nies have oil-cloths, not quite full size,
placed loosely above the cotton sheet,
under the blanket and cushion. All col-
onies but three have hives full of best
sealed white clover honey. Those three
have mostly old su.a'ar stores, taken
from the brood-chamber last spring,
and kept, — through the summer, — ia
extracting supers, above the bees.

One hive was so overflowing with
bees, that chafl' division-boards could
not be placed at sides. Another,
which, on being examined for winter,
was found to weigh about seventy
pounds, was not interfered with at all,
but was allowed the full size brood-
chamber of the 10-frame L. Hive, with
no packing except in upper story.
Shall notice, carefully, how the last-
mentioned winters and "springs." It
is in the cellar, as are all the colonies
except four. These latter have the ad-
ditional goods-boxes, mentioned on
page 150, Vol. IV.

Having always, before, wintered on
sugar stores, and without the loss of a
single colony, I shall watch results with
considerable anxiety. The bees are,
certainl3% unusually quiet, thus far;
but all neighboring beekeepers men-
tion this same condition, as regards
their bees. Temperature of cellar
ranges from 38° to 45°, most of the
time.

Ventilation is secured through the
chimney, which extends to tlie cellar
floor, and has openings which may be
regulated at will. Two coal staves
keep the rooms, directly over the bees,
Avarm, both night and day. Entrances
of colonies in cellar are not contracted ;
and covers are raised half an inch, by
inserting strips of board. On summer
stands, entrances are contracted to
one-third, and covers put on as tightly
as convenient, though more or less
straw from the packing always gets un-
der the edges. Hives in cellar are
placed on benches, a foot or more from
floor and walls.

REPOKT roil 1886.

Began the season with sixteen full
colonies, and eight three-frame nuclei,
two of the latter being rather weak.
Sold one colony to "neighbcxr Mattie,"
of whom, more hereafter. Took off
just about 2300 pounds, one-third be-
ing comb honey, in three-fourth pound
sections, leaving abundance of winter
stores on the hives. Increased to forty,
and united up to thirty-one.

Sold all the comlj honey at fifteen
cents ; extracted, at from ten to fif-

teen, according to size and style of
package ; mostly taken at our six home
groceries, and before cold weather.
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

THow many of onr old .ind expsrienced
bee-keepei's have made hee-keepina: more of
a siicce^is tliaii lias Mrs. Hills? This ladv
socnis to miike the ■winteriiio: of liees as well
as the sale of honey a success. Why canaot
others do as well? — Ed.]

and Answers by Practical Beekeepers.

IS COMB HOXRY IN.JURED BY Fi^EEZ-
ING? REMOVrXG PROPOLIS FROM
SECTIONS; CO.AtB IN UNFINISHED
SECTIONS; POLLEN IN SEC-
TION HONEY, ETC.

Query No. 5. 1. Have you ever
had any of your comb honey frozen?
At what temperature will it freeze and
what are tlie results? "Will it crack
and run? Do you think that exposing
comb honey in a glass case on the side-
walk in midwinter will injure the honey
and hurt the reputation of the producer,
if some of it is not sold till spring?

2. Are you very particular to scrape
all the propolis from frames before us-
ing them again, say a wide frame of
sections with empty combs. Would
you again use a number of them with-
out disturbing them or scraping the
boxes?

3. Do you again use good clean
empty combs in sections when unfin-
ished ones have been extracted ? I do.

4. Did you have more pollen in sec-
tions last season (1886) than usual?
Are you not troubled in this way much
more with side storage, also in top
boxes when brood-nest is much con-
tracted? S. C.

ANSWERS BY J. H. MARTIN.

1. I have never had much experience
with frozen comb honej'. I know that
when hone^^ is left in my bee house
through several days of severe cold,
it will sometimes show the efl'ects in the
shape of small cracks. I think, how-
ever, that a sudden jar may have
caused it. I should prefer not to ex-
pose honey in a glass case on the side-
walk. I think an exhibit that will
attract much attention can be made in
a window where there will be no dan-
ger from frost.

2. For extracting I do not scrape
propolis and bits of wax from the
frames for they will be built on again
and they might as well remain as to

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

37

have the bees waste time iu replacing.
For box honey I would not scrape
unk'ss it interlered with putting the
sections in tlie clamp or wide frames.
I see no necessity of scraping il they
are already fitted in the clamp.

3. I use sections that have white
comb and which has been extracted ;
and prefer a clamp full of such combs
above any other way of preparing the
sections.

4. Have not been troubled with pol-
len ; haven't found a cell of it iu my
comb honey as I do not practise side
storage and therefore cannot answer
this part of the question. Should I
practise side storage without perforat-
ed metal I sh)uld expect pollen, brood
and many other vexations.

Hartford, K. Y.

ANSWERS BY IRA BARBKR.

1. In answering query No. 5 will say
that I have had honey freeze and know
that it will injure it. It causes the
comb to crack in every direction, and
the marks are plainly seen by the wet
appearance of the capping. Comb
honey should not be kept in a temper-
ature below 50°, for it will cr ick long
before the temperature reaches tlie
treezing point.

I would much rather prefer to have
one case of my honey exposed to cold
on the sidewalk for an exhibit, than to
have all kept in some dark corner of a
commission house where no one could
see it or know that honey was for sale
there.

2. I do not use frames for sections,
but use a rack that holds thirty-three
one-pound sections. All sections not
finished the first season, when they are
used should be cleaned of bee-glue,
and when sections of comb honey are
used, the ends of the cells should be
shaved ofi' before they are put on the
hive, which leaves the comb as white
and clean as new, and such combs
are sooner accepted by the bees, as they
will at once commence to repair tiie
cells of the rough work that tlie knife
made in shaving them. A thin, sharp
knife should be used for this work.

I am seldom troubled with pollen in
sections, for I do not contiact the
brood-nest; as a rule can get all the
honey in sections the bees do not re-
quire for winter without being put to
that trouble.

Dekalb Junction, X. Y.

ANSWERS BY A. K. MANUM.

1. Yes. I have had cond) honey
freeze in my honey room only, but have
never noticed at what temperature it
would freeze. I have never noticed
any bad results from its freezing, ex-
cept that it cracked tlie comb, so that
when it thawed the honey would ooze
out, but I never could perceive tliat
the quality of the honey was injured
by freezing. I would prefer, however,
to have my honey all sold before spring.

2. Yes. I am always very particular
to scrape all propolis froui frames that
are laid away for winter before using
them again iu the spring. It is much
pleasaiuer to handle clean frames than
those that are all covered with propo-
lis.

3. Yes. All sections containing nice,
white, empty comb I use again; such
are 6t' great advantage to the bees if
given during a bountilul fiow of honey.
1 would not place them on the hives
when honey is coming in slowly.

4. No, not that I noticed. 1 am never
troubled with pollen in sections. I be-
lieve that trouble comes largely from
mismanagement.

Yes. Bees are more apt to store pol-
len in side se'ctions thau those placed
on top of the frames.

Bristol, Vt.

ANSWERS BY p. R. UUSSKLL.

1. Comb honey is very much injured
in its appearance by freezing. Ai just
what temperature it will freeze I can
not Slate. But I think it safe to say
that comb honey should never be lelt
exposed many days in a room cold
enough to freeze water. Last winter
I had quite a numljer of cases of unfin-
ished sections stored away in a cold
room, and in the spring when I came
to examine them, i found tlieui iu a
bad state; the cappings were more or
less cracked and had a bluish cast, as
of mould, while the lioney in them was
entirely solid or candied. Several of
these sections were sold to paities
during the winter, and in nearly every
case coinplaiut was made that it was
not honey at all, and there was a
suspicion that I had fed the bees witli
some vile mixture. Honey gathered
iu this locality is quite sure to gran-
ulate, and I have had cans of ex-
tracted honey perfectly solid as early
as October, and last year all my comb
honey was solid belore mid-winter. In
the spring I cut it all out of the sec-
tions and dumped it into a tin boiler

38

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and melted it on the stove in a liot
water bath. The wax rose at the top
and I drew the clear honey from a lan-
cet near the bottom. This same honey
has been sohl and no fanlt expressed
witli it; some even praising it hii^ldy.
This granulatinii' business, I tliink, is
an unfortunate leature all around. It
certainly detracts from the appearance
and sale of our commodity and creates
suspicion AviUi the masses as to its true
character, and ihis olyection, in my
opinion, will never be overcome.

It is better to extract unfinished sec-
tions in autumn (if it can be done
without breaking out the combs) and
these will be all right for refiding.
Com!) honey may be safely exposi-d
for sale upon the sidewalk in winter —
as much so at least, as Iruit and vege-
tables.

2. I generally overhaul and rearrange
my sections before placing them up-
on thehive the second time, and scrape
ofl" the most of the propolis, although
this is not at all important. If sections
are very badly soiled 1 break tUem up
for flrevvooil.

3. By all means I would reenlist all
clean, empty combs in sections for a
second term on the hive. The bees
will finish these much sooner than
when tilled with foundation.

4. The past season I did not work
for comb honey and of course did not;
get any pollen in the sections. I liave
noticed that my bees are very prone to
put pollen in sections when placed at
the sides of brood-nest, but have never
seen any in top storing. Side storing
with me is useless and I have entirely
abandoned it.

Lynn, Muss.

THE ALBINO BEES. ARE THEIR PECU-
LIARITIES PRESERVED, AND IS THE
HEALTH Ob' THE APIARY EN-
DANGERED, Br IN-BREEDING ?

Query Wo. 6. Mr. D. A. Pike, the

originator of the All>ino bees, says he
first saw these bees in a colony of pure
Italians in his apiary. He continued to
breed (in-breed of course) from that
particular colony, and the beautiful Al-
bino bee was the result. Considering
these facts, do you think the peculiari-
ties and other characteristics of tlie
Albino bee could be preserved except
by in-breeding?

From Mr. Tike's apiary the Albino
bees were scattered all over the United
States. We will suppose that those
who purchased them kept them pure

Now, should Mr. Pike procure a queen
from some one who purciiased bees of
him several years a^o and cross his
present stock by using the drones
from such a queen, w^ould this not be a
continuation of in-breeding?

There is another point that comes in
here : Is there really any danger of in-
juring the health of the apiary (say an
apiary of 50 or more colonies) by in-
breeding? Or, in other words, to what
extent can in-breeding be practised
Without tietriinent to the apiary? In
order to avoid any possible danger
from such a cause is it not good policy
to infuse fresh blood into the apiary by
introducing a few strange queens, each
year?

If frequent importation of Italian
queens is made for the purpose of
crossing our strain of American Ital-
ians, will not the results and benefits
from sucli propagation be as advanta-
geous as by hybridizing the different
races?

ANSWERS BY PROF. A. .T. COOK.

I had supposed that the Albino
bees arose from careful selection and
breeding of peculiarly marked Italians,
Whether the bees would lose their pe-
culiarities witliout great care in breed-
ing is a problem. They have not been
bred very long and so we should not
expect their characteristics so thor-
oughly fixed that they would be per-
manent unless unusual care was taken
in breeding.

As to whether they are enfeebled by
close in-breeding is also a question
which could not be positively an-
swered. In-breeding has made all our
fine breeds of stock but it is done with
great care. I should fear more from
the fact that Albinos have been se-
lected with coloration, not general ex-
cellence, in view. If this be a fact,
then the All)ino variety has not been
created on the plan which may be ex-
pected to give the best results. As in
most cases, the eating must test the
pudding. What do practical beekeep-
ers say ? I procured Albinos only once.
They were very handsome and the
most amiable l)ees I ever had in our
apiary : but for real work they were
tlie poorest bees we ever had. Though
I had four or five queens the experi-
ment was not sufficiently extended to
prove that all Albinos are ol like pecu-
liarities ; but so far as I have seen them
they have excelled in beauty and tem-
per but have failed decidedly in business
characteristics. I do not believe that

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

39

Mr. Pike runs any risk in l)uying breed-
ing stock from bees sold by him some
yelirs ago. I slioiild prefer to infuse
new blood were I sure it was as good
blood as I liad in my own apiary ; other-
wise I should prefer to breed from my
own stock.

Unless Italian bees from Italy are
superior to our own — and why should
they be ? — we gain nothing by import-
ing. If ours are better than imported
stock, we lose. I believe we have as
good here. If not it speaks ill for our
breeders.

Italiaus have certain distinctive pe-
culiarities, which may be varied by in-
terbreeding diflerent strains, under
the careful eye of the breeder. By
crossing different races we can work
to tix the good features of all the races
and eliminate the undesirable charac-
teristics, and not those simply of one
race. Therefore I say no.

AgricitUural College, Mich.

ANSWERS BY C. W. DAYTON.

I think they could be preserved only
by in- breeding.

It would be nearly as much of in-
breeding as if tliey had remained in
Mr. Pike's apiary ; but in time might
have possessed peculiarities and char-
acteristics of one or more distinct
strains or varieties.

I have noticed some of the charac-
teristic mai'kings on bees that were far
from being pure Italians.

Albinos are a particular strain of
Italiaus, probably not so good as many
of the strains of bees of the 1001 brag-
gadocios. It is Tom's Jersey, Dick's
Jersey and my Jersey cow. We crossed
them, sent them across and became
cross ourselves and in the end had
nothing more than a Jersey. Where
we had improved our stock there was
less Jersey but more beef.

In breeding Albino bees we have to
follow one certain line so thoroughly
that there is little chance to reach out
for valuable characteristics possessed
by other varieties and strains of bees.
Therefore, ten or lilteen years more
ought to render them nearly worthless.
Unless they are crossed with some other
variety of bees it might take a shorter
time. In-breeding is not always dete-
riorating unless accompanied by im-
proper selection, and the selection of
stock for honey gatliering should not
and cannot depend upon colors as "it
is not always gold that glitters."

The fact that there are several who
claim to be originators of Albino bees

well sustains the idea of their "spor-
tiveness."

As to Albinos being the gentlest and
best honey gatherers, I can say quite
positively that I get the most honey,
and the most stings out of the same
hive.

3. I think that with proper selec-
tion of breeding stock in an apiary of
fifty colonies would not deteriorate in
the space of one man'sbeekeeping; and
with well-managed aj)iaries witiiin a
few miles of each other, we might do
well without infusing new stock. We
should infuse strange stock in order to
keep abreast with the most improved
strains as the bees are liable to "sport"
antl become permanent improvements
in other and valuable characteristics,
the most prominent of which is honey
gathering.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

Mr. ]). A. Pike has made no secret of
the fact that he has in-bred his strain
of bees for a long time, the object being
to produce a strain of white-banded
bees. lie has made the same mistake
that a number of other breeders have
made in breeding for color. They have
invariably ruined the working quality
of the bees. But Mr. Pike was not
obliged to in-breed so closely to pro-
duce his strain, for his were not the
only white-banded bees that had been
seen. There have been many imported
queens whose worker progeny were
more or less white-banded and such
bees can be found in most of the large
Italian apiaries, none of which are le-
lated to Mr. Pike's bees. Not long-
since Mr. W. S. Kline of Bolivar, O., ob-
tained an imported queen of A. I. IJoot
that produced many large and line wiiite
bees. My own stock of Syrio-Albinos
were bred up from a Syrian queen,
an Italian queen of my own impor-
tation, whose workers were mostly
white-banded and a few'choice queens
from Mr. Doolittle's fine strain of Ital-
ians. By selecting queens and drones
according to the rules published in the
January number of the ".A pi" I have
produced a strain of white bees in the
space of four years that are in-bred to
no great extent. But all of my best
queens were mated to select drones at
an isolated mating station in the coun-
try at which I have rarely lailed to get
queens mated as desired.

To prevent deterioration of my
stock from in-breeding, I have already
introduced a fine Albinoqueen from Mr.
Abbott L. Svvinsou and engaged a num-

40

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

her of otliers. Mr. S. has also pro-
duced a stniiu of wliite l)aiidcd bees that
are not related in anyway to Mr. Pike's
stock, and now has one of my best
queens iu his apiary for breeding pur-
poses. By interchanging stock from
distant apiaries we cau steadily im-
prove the beautiful white bees both iu
regular markings and in working qual-
ities.

The vigor of my own stock is shown
from the fact that no other bees in this
locality did as well the past season in
producing comb honey, the largest
yield, exceeding by 75 pounds the best
record heretofore made in this county.
My best swarms produced from 80
to 144: pounds each of comb honey in
one-pound sections. As the above
yields were from white clover aloue it
is safe to say that my stock has not
been injured by the limited in-breed-
ing practised.

Could Mr. Pike get his own stock
back again, pure, it would be only a
continuation of in-breeding to cross his
bees with them. But the chances are
few that he could get his stock back
pure, and hence, this move is one that
Mr. Pike should make, if not already
too late from long and persistent in-
breeding.

There is no question about the result
of the continued in- breeding of bees.
The queens become uni)rolitic and the
workers indolent, and I think the vi-
tality is also seriously impaired. They
become, in fact, like some of our high
class in-bred poultry,— so delicate that
they must be cooped up in warm quar-
ters beyond the reach of cold and wet.
Even tiien they are poor sickly things
as compared with the average dung
hill fowl of the farm. Yes, it is "good
policy to infuse fresh blood into the
apiary by introducing a few strange
queens each year."

In regard to the extent that in-breed-
ing may result in an apiary of 50 colo-
nies it should be remembered that
young queens never mate with brother
drones, if there are others to l)e found
liaving a foreign scent. I have tested
til is matter a number of times and
know tliata queen will not mate with a
drone from the same hive, even thouuh
not related, until after many fruitless
eflbrts to tind other drones. If the in-
stinct of the queens is against close
in-breeding, we may well take caution
and profit accordingly ; for, if nothing
else happens the working quality of the
bees will be impaired.

ANSWERS BY J. K. POND.

1. I have never considered the so
called Albino bee, anything but a light
colored Italian. Some years ago I
bred a queen that I afterwards sold to ■
Mr. Henry Alley, whose workers and
tlrones were both the most beautiful
light yellow in color I ever saw, far
exceeding in beauty (if light yellow is
considered beauty) and gentleness any
bees I ever saw; in fact more than half
the workers from this queen showed
four distinct yellow bands. Mr. Alley
can tell the rest of the above story.
The mother of the above mentioned
queen was from Biadley's stock; and,
while a good prolitlc queen Was not,
particularly handsome and the drone
that must have fertilized said queen
was hardly medium in color. The
above workers were quiet and gentle
as flies, and for honey gatherers," were
about as useful.

I have never thought that in-and-in-
breeding could injure bees to any ex-
tent, as it is almost impossible to breed
so closely as to cause damage ; neither
do I think that the so-called Albino is
the result thereof. It is a fully proved
fact to myself that Italian queens when
bred here for some time and purely
mated, and cross mated too, will grad-
ually grow more and more light yellow
in color. The term Albino as applied
to bees is a misnomer; when under-
stood, however, to mean light yellow in
color it may be used, but never cor-
rectly. I do not think the albinos can
be either made or preserved as such by
inbreeding and while I think as above
stated, I still think it well to infuse
new blood occasionally, from well
known and reliable sources.

I have seen Albinos of the Pike
strain(?), that no one could tell from
Italians, and not very ligiit colored
ones either; and the queen, mentioned
in the tirst part of this answer, pro-
duced workers much lighter in color
than any albino I ever saw In regard
to strains of Albinos I don't believe in
them, and I know that Mr Alley breeds
queens every year that are not Albinos,
yet still are equally as handsome, pro-
iitic and good honey gatherers as any
ever bred any where. Mr. Doolittle,
after years of testing, prefers the bees
bred by himself to the imported, and
his strain has been bred by him for
years. As a matter of fact the term
Albino to me is synonymous with hum-
bug.

Foxboro, Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

41

IMPORTED QUEENS.

Query Wo. 7. Does the continued
importation of Itiilians improve our
bees, or not? In jour opinion, would
the Italian race of bees deteriorate
should no fresh importation of queens
be made for ten years?

ANSWERS BY DR. G. L. TINKER.

I believe that we require no further
importation of Italian queens to pre-
vent deterioration of the stoclc we now
have; but breeders will have to infuse
fresh blood into their apiaries often if
they would continue to improve their
stocli. This can now be done for we
have more Italian bees in this country
than they are in Italy.

I could not recommend "hybridiz-
ing the difierent races," nor is it neces-
sary in order to maintain a steady
improvement of our stock of Italians,
thouich we discontinue to import them.

It has got to be with imported Ital-
ian queens as with many other things,
it is all in the name. We now have
better Italian bees than they have in
Italy ; and the apiarist, who gets a first-
class home-bred queen and crosses di-
rectly with his own stock of Italians,
will invariably see an improvement in
the new stock, and my belief is, that
the result is as favorable in developing
working qualities as in the cases of hy-
bridizing. We hear much about the
superior working qualities of hybrids
because beekeepers fail to cross tlieir
stock as much as they should with un-
related stock. I am a strong advocate
of crossing the different races of yellow
bees and believe grand results will fol-
low selective and well directed crossing.
I would again respectfully refer the
apiarist to my answer to query No. 1,
for an intelligent and reliable system
of procedure.

New Philadelphia, Ohio.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

As I have never bred queens to any
great extent, I cannot answer this
question save from the basis of infor-
mation and observation in the apiaries
of others. Mr. Henry Alley and I\Ir.
G. M. Doolittle have both been breed-
ing for years from home strains, and I
deem it safe to say that both of them
produce bees that cannot be excelled
by any in the world. As a matter of
fact, the purely bred Italian is Italian

still, neither more or less, no matter
where bred; but when we know that
our home breeders use far more care
and skill in breeding and mating than
is done in Italy, we are perfectly war-
ranted inassumingthat, as arule, home-
bred queens kept pure as can easily be
done, are superior to the imported, and
that by infusing pure blood at times
from the best home breeders, we can
keepourstocksuperior forany length of
time. I say by "infusing pure blood at
times, etc.," not because I really believe
that in-and-in breeding will do any
damage, but, because so many do be-
lieve this, it is well to keep on the
absolutely safe side.

When i am assured that cross-mat-
ing or hybridizing as it is miscalled,
results in benefits, then I may be able
to answer; as yet, I have never found
any permanent benefits result there-
from, and do not believe it possible
that such can be the case.

ANSWERS BY C. W. DAYTON.

The continued importation of Ital-
ians does not improve our stock and
should there be no fresh importation
our stock would not deteriorate, as I
believe the crosses to be preferable
to pure Italians and that the Italian is
the predominating race of America at
present.

It would be as advantageous as the
hybridizing of the difierent races. But
the benefits of such propagation would
fall behind that propagation that in-
volved the selection of breeding stock
possessing the most valuable and nec-
essary characteristics for the promo-
tion of our welfare.

Now that we have searched the earth
and secured the best race of bees and
therewith produced the best strains,
future development depends upon arti-
ficial improvement of the bees whose
traits we thoroughly understand.

These queries are altogether too
broad for one or even a dozen persons
to ascertain their certainty : there-
fore I have spoken from my limited ob-
servations and practice coupled with
the general knowledge of like condi-
tions in nature.

Bradford, Iowa.

SHADING HIVES.

Query Not 8. Is it necessary to
shade the hives in the hot mouths of
summer? I have no natural shade and
use a 2-story hive for comb honey.

G. SlEBOLD.

42

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ANSWERS BY HRNKY ALLEY.

1. Yes. It is a good plan to shade
the hives if the apiary is so situated
that tlie wind does not have iree circu-
lation.

Bees will not suffer from heat in
hives that have laiiie entrances, say h
inch high by 10 inches long, pi'ovided
the hive is painted wliile. Hives paint-
ed a darl< color will attract the rays of
the sun, and therefore should be placed
where tlie sun will not strilve them.
.Hives that have loose bottom-boards
.may be raised about an inch at tlie
front, which will admit of plenty of
air.

Bees Clin not work in the sections or
•upper story of the hive when the tem-
.perature outside is among the nineties
.in the shade, unless properly ventilat-
ed. When the bees are " laying out,"
then give more ventilation. We do not
believe in shade tor bees unless the
weather is very liot. In spring give
the liives all the sun possible, and you
will see that the colonies in the hives
that get the sun all day will be two
vweelss ahead of those in the shade.

Wenham, Mass.

THE SLNIMINS' MKTHOD FOR IN-
TRODUCING QUEENS.

Query No. 9. What is the Sim-
;mins method of introducing queens?
Who is Simmius, anyhow?

ANSWERS BY SAMUEL CUSHMAN.

Mr. Simmins does not favor caging
queens when they are to be introduced.
He always introduces direct. What
he calls ills original method is as fol-
lows. The queenless colony is opened,
all the combs are exposed to the light
and spread so that bees are separated
and do not hang from one comb to an-
other. A comb with queen and atten-
dant bees is then taken from the desired
hive, thoroughly exposed to the light
and introduced. Combs are left apart
so each comb of bees are by them-
selves.

The plan is tliat "a queen parading
unconcernedly upon her own comb and
among her own bees" can be safely in-
serted into any desired hive.

Both colonies are tirst smoked. Sy-
rup and scents are useless.

If the queen is received from a
distance, a corner of the quilt is lifted,
bees smoked and she is allowed to run
in alone. She is tirst kept warm and
alone without food for thirty minutes.

He also confines the bees and when
they have missed the queen one is
dropped in among them, similar to the
plan made known by Mr. Dooliltle.
Hives are not opened for forty-eight
hours.

Mr. S. Simmins of llottingdean,
Brighton, England, is a prominent
beekeeper of that country, a writer
on bte topics, author of "Simmins'
Original Nonswarming Sj'stem," and
"Direct Qneeii Introduction." He is
evidently a live man who keeps well
posted and up with the times. In his
advertisement in the British Bee Jour-
nal he says, "Owning the largest apia-
ries in the Kingdom I can offer great
advantages to those who wish to study
the true economy of practical beekeep-
ing. My attention is devoted exclu-
sively to the production of lioney and
breeding of bees, wlule all needed ap-
pliances are made on the premises for
liome use."

I have referred to his "non-swarm-
ing system" in another article.

We hope Mr. Simmins will tell us
tlirough the columns of the "Api" the
number of swarms in the great Sussex
apiaries, and what he does and how he
does it.

Pawtucket, B. I.

AD.JUSTING DRONE TRAP TO
CHAFF HIVES.

Query No. 10. How do you at-
tach the drone trap to chaff hives, or
those having an entrance like the Fal-
con, on which traps will not stand se-
curely ?

1. How can the drone-trap be attached
to Simplicity hive without alighting-
board, and entrance is made by sliding
hive forward on bottom-board, the en-
trance being full width of hive front?

2. Mr. Manum says on page 260, Vol.
IV, of "Api" that his summer entrance
is i + 14: inches. This is the Bristol hive
I suppose. Is the enormous entrance
to give thorough ventilation? How does
he prevent robbing when so greatly
exposed? Do you consider such size
entrance an advantage, or otherwise?

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY.

1. I can not answer this question as
I never saw the Simplicity hive. Such
an entrance, as is described, would not
suit us. Almost any man could find
some way to attach the trap to a hive,
as it requires but little ingenuity to do
so. All that is necessary is so to ar-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

43

range the entrance and trap that the
bees will be compelled to pass through
the perforated metal.

2. The entrance to the Bristol hive
is no larger than is generally used in
the Laiigstroth and several other hives.
It is made large for ventilation and to
give the bees plenty of room to pass
out and in. If a colony is weak in
numbers, robbing may be induced and
encouraged by a large entrauce, but
the careful beekeeper would not allow
such a colony to be thus exijosed for a
great while, especially if the bees were
not at work gathering honey. All that
is necessary in order to prevent rob-
bing is to contract the entrance to
about one or two inches. We consider
a large entrance an advantage both in
summer and winter.

EDITORIAL.
Honey Market Reports We

are hardly ready to comply with Dr.
Tinker's request which he makes in
another cokimn of the "Api." It
strikes us that it is the shipper of
honey who is responsible for the low
prices and not the middle man. If
honey or other goods are sent to the
commission men to sell at the best
price obtainable, what does the pro-
ducer expect in return? Does he
intend for the commission man to
hold his goods (which is certainly the
proper way) until a good price can be
realized? In most cases honey is
sent to any one who will take it to
handle, to be sold for the best price
that is offered and the bee man is
easily frightened you know. Why not
ship the honey and say : sell this
honey when such a price can be ob-
tained for it." I am aware that a
few bee men can control the honey
market. Now, suppose twenty honey
producers raise twenty tons of
honey and it is sent to market to be
sold, say at 20 cents. Well, now sup-
pose one man raises twenty tons
alone and he sends his honey to the
same market and says "sell at 18
cents." Who controls the market,
the twenty men who produce the

twenty tons or the one man wlio
raises the same amount? This is
not an imaginary case. I think this
same thing has occurred in Boston
and the little trick made us the loser
to the amount of several hundred
dollars. Well, now let us suggest a
plan that may solve the difficulty.
Supposing three or more persons (or
as many say as there are cities from
which honey quotations are made)
are chosen to fix the price at which
honey shall be sold each year. The
persons chosen should reside near
the large cities, and at the pi'oper
time let them visit the market for the
purpose of looking the situation over.
If much old honey is still held by
the dealers, that will of course have
something to do about fixing the
price for new honey. When the
price is settled upon, they report to
the various bee journals the sum per
pound which honey must be sold for
and then have it understood that
this is the price. If possible, some
person might be found in each large
city who would undertake to handle
all the honey raised within a radius
of several hundred miles. If such a
plan could be brought about it would
be an admirable one. Except in the
matter of shutting out the market
reports, we are heartily in sympathy
with everything expressed in Dr.
Tinker's article.

There is plenty of time before an-
other season to discuss this subject
thoroughly and to fix upon some
plan that will do justice to all. Come,
friends, give us your ideas in as short
articles as possible.

*' Simmins' Won - swarming
method" is noted in another col-
umn by Mr. Sam'l Cushman. If
we rightly understand the method as
presented by Mr. Cushman, swarming
is prevented by often removing some
of the combs near the entrance of the
hive and compelling the bees to fill

44

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

the space with new combs. This, in
our opinion, will not prevent swarm-
ing ; but the fact that a hive is often
opened to cut the combs away will
have a tendency, in a measure, to
break up the swarming fever.

The idea that the bees will cut a
passage way along the bottom-bar
when combs are reversed is most
absurd. We practised reversing con-
siderably last season, and nothing of
the kind was seen in any of the hives
reversed. Why do not bees, whose
combs have been transferred to
frames filled solid with combs, cut
such passage-ways? Has anyone
ever seen anything of the kind?
When we transfer combs from one
frame to another or from a box-hive to
frames, the combs are placed in the
new frames without regard to their
former position in the old hive, or
frames. We beg leave to differ with
Mr. Simmins on this as well as on
many other points.

On the matter of feeding dry su-
gar, Mr, Simmins' experience differs
widely from nearly all who have
tested the matter in America. It has
been found that a large percentage
of sugar fed dry will be removed by
the bees.

One more point we wish to touch
upon. Speaking of the queen, Mr.
Simmins says : "She actually lays
eggs of three kinds, because each is
deposited in a cell which is of differ-
ent construction to the other and
each is destined to become a distinct
being."

Very few persons will agree with
Mr. Simmins in this statement. It
certainly does not harmonize with our
experience. The fact that any
worker egg will pi'oduce a queen when
the larva is properly nursed, and also
the fact that queen cells are built di-
rectly upon the side of a comb,
rather upsets the distinguished writ-
er's theory. During swarming time
the combs are loaded with brood,
pollen and honey, and the queen is
hard pushed for room in which to

deposit eggs. At such a time, eggs
may be found in any part of the comb,
where the cells are one-eighth of an
inch deep. At this time, when bees
have a notion of swarming they will
start the small queen cells, or cups,
on the edges of the combs. The
queen comes along and will drop an
egg in them, and a cell queen is soon
constructed ; if the colony does not
swarm the egg is removed. We may
be in error about it, but the above
is in accordance with our experience.
We have no doubt that the treatise
by Mr. Simmins is a valuable one and
should be in the hands of every bee-
keeper.

It is good policy to use every ex-
pedient to educate the people to
know that honey is the most health-
ful sweet known, and especially for
children it is infinitely preferable to
candies and is generally preferred by
them. Beekeepers everywhere should
hand to the editors of local papers
short articles on the use and value
of honey as a food and as a medi-
cine. They will be glad to publish
them. The article just published in
these columns entitled " Honey as
Food and Medicine," should be
widely circulated.

Do not set bees out of their win-
ter quarters for a flight, if an occasion
offers, as long as they are doing well
until there is something to gather.
But if they are found to suffer from
accumulations of fasces they had bet-
ter be given a flight. One or two
colonies may be taken out as a test
whenever the weather is suitable.

About the first of February-
bees begin to breed when the tem-
perature should be raised by artific-
ial means, if necessary, to a point
just below 50° to insure the best re-
sults. The temperature should range
between 45° and 50°. If they be-
come very uneasy or noisy, giving
water on a sponge at the entrance

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

45

will often speedily quiet them. In
heating cellars no smoke should be
allowed to escape from the stove into
the cellar and the light should be
shielded from the bees by any suita-
ble means. Passing among the bees
with a faint light does no harm.

Write it down — When you think
out a good thing or get a good point,
write it down.

It may prevent your forgetting it
and save some brain racking when
you wish to recall it.

Keep pencil and paper with you
when in the honey house or among
the hives and stop in the midst of
your work when you have a sugges-
tion or thought worth remembering
and write it down.

Bee papers would have better arti-
cles than they do if all followed this
plan. Articles wTitten while under
the inspiration are the most forcible
and telling.

If you have any pet theory or
train of thought write it down ; it may
otherwise be forgotten. Then, when
you have time, arrange these thoughts
and send them to us. Never mind if
any one does pitch into your ideas,
remember no one knows it all. We
are all weak or in error on some
point. You may be able to contrib-
ute your share to the general fund of
knowledge.

Again, I say, turite it down, and be-
fore you send it in " boil it downy

The October "Api." — We hope
every one who receives this number will
I'ead Dr. V, C. Miller's review aud crit-
icism, found in another place, of the
essays published in the Oct. "Api." The
doctor rulis us all down so nicely and
smoothly that Avhat he says is very in-
teresting reading. That's right, doctor,
pitch into the editor, manager, corre-
spondents and all, show up the weak
and strong points. So far as the allu-
sions to the editor are concerned, no
defence will be made at this time. Per-
haps in a future number, we may allude
to the matter, aud if possible explain

the meaning of the short editorial re-
marks referred to by our esteemed cor-
respondent.

Our Price Iiist. — We have no
price list or catalogue of any sort ex-
cept what is found in the last pages of
each inimber of the Apiculturist. Please
examine every page of the "Api," as
there is sometlnng of interest to all.

Imported Queens.— In his answer
to qiierj' No. 7, Prof. Cooksa3^s, "un-
less Italian bees from Italy are supe-
rior to our own — and why should they
be? — we gain nothing by importing.
If ours are better than imported stock,
we lose. I believe we have as good
liere. If not, it speaks ill for our
breeders."

For years we have contended that
our American Italians are superior to
any stock ever imported, and when
occasion has presented an opportunity,
we have expressed our opinion on suclr
matters. Some breeders advertise
"Queens reared from imported stock
only." That is one of the "tricks of
the trade." Our American breeders
will improve any race of bees tiiey
propagate. American beekeepers are
in every branch of apiculture far
ahead of any nation in the world.

There is an American (?) somewhere
in Europe who has "boomed" imported
stock about all it would bear. Now
that beekeepers here have discovered
that imported Italians, Cyprians, and
Syrians are almost a humbug that same
person is "booming" the Carniolaiis.
This latter race was tested five years
ago in the Bay State Apiary. They
are not half as good as the Italians.

The careful queen-breeder

makes frequent additions of fresli stock
for the purpose of infusing new blood
into his apiary. One need not send to
Germany or Italy for queens, as there
are so many queen-dealers in this coun-
try that an occasional exchange of
queens with some other dealer will cer-
tainly prevent any bad results from
in-breeding. No in-breeding is ever
practised in the Bay State Apiary, as
no queens are reared from the queen
whose drones we use, nor is a dron^
reared from the queen whose eggs we
use for cell-building.

Our Own Bees. Up to date, our
bees are in fine condition. None of
any account have died, although there
are more dead bees about the hives
in the cellar than about those on the
summer-stands.

46

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

One day when the temperature out-
side was 5° below zero, I thrust my
thermometer dowu under the six indi-
es of packinu' (planer shavings) to
the cloth honey-board, and wlien ithad
been there two hours the glass indi-
cated thirty-two degrees above zero.
This one experiment satisties me that
it pays to pack Ijees for the winter.
Had there been no packing the temper-
ature would have been about as low in
the hive where the thermometer was
placed, as out of doors.

All who Subscribe for the Apicul-

TUHisT from January 1st will receive
one of our combined drone and queen-
traps free by mail. This is our method
of introducing the Apicultukist and
our drone and queen-traps into every
town and city in the United States.

Those who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expect to get the Handy
Book or a queen for fifty rents, as the
profits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscriber.

AVe do not advertise to give pre-
miums to those who subscribe through
other parties. We pay news' agents a
perceniage on all subscriptions sent
us, and if you choose to give the agent
a pi-ofit instead of sending direct to us,
it is no fault of ours.

See Club List on another page.

For Thirty Days from date the
price of the drone and queen- trap will
be S'3.00 per dozen in the flat with one
made up for model to work by. When
you order, we will send the nails re-
quired to make each dozen if you men-
tion the fact that you desire them.

Where the trap is used, there is no
cutting or climbing into high trees to
get your bees. IS'o swarms will be
lost. By using the trap one can have
his young queens mated to any of the
drones in the apiary he chooses.

We have one hundred dozen traps
packed and ready for shipment. One
hundred traps, including nails and all
materials will be sent for $L'0. Bear
in mind that any one who purchases
traps of us can sell them anywhere in
the world.

We will pay one-half of the express
, charges, when the traps are ordered in
lots of 50 or 100, to any place where
the American express has an office east
of the Mississippi river. For $3. .50 we
will pay all express charges on each
dozen, as per condition on one hundred
lots.

Calendars. — We have received the
2ihrenological calendar hy Fowler, Wells

& Co., 753 Broadway, N. Y. It is most
unique and attractive, consisting of a
beautifully lithographed phrenological
head, engraved on stone and printed
in colors, showing the location of each
of the phrenological faculties, with
its natural action which is indicated by
especially artistic illustrations. Sent
by mail, post-paid, on receipt of ten
cents in stamps. Address as above.
Mr. Alley :

Has any part of the "Beekeepers'
Handy Book" been printed in the Amer-
ican Apiculturist? J. C.

This inquiry was received some time
ago. We answer no, not over four
pages of it has ever been printed in
any bee journal or work upon bee cul-
ture. The contents of the Handy Book
is the result of twenty-two years'
practical experience in bee-culture by
the author, and contains no old history
or useless words.

Be particular when you send for

circulars or copies of the " Api" to give
the right address. Last week a person
sent ten cents for a copy of the Octo-
ber number and gave the name of the
town, plainly written. Mount Ci ntre,
N. Y. The "Api" was mailed, but the
next day it was returned marked "«o
svch office in the state." We looked over
the list of post-offices and could And
no such office in. the LTnited States.
Another pei'son gave the name of a
town Frymoyers, Berks Co., Pa. The
"Api" sent met the same fate as the
other. Thei-e is no such place in the
county as "Frymoyers." These per-
sons will not know why they do not
hear from us, and will say " It's of no
use to send to that place for anything,
you will never hear from it again."
Every communication received at this
office is answered promptly, generally
the same day it is received. " Sub-
scription received" is stamped on the
wrapper of the first number of the
journal sent to new subscribers who
send cash with subscription, and in
such cases we do not think it neces-
sary to acknowledge the receipt of
money by postal card.

Bound Vols. I and II. We have
about one hundred copies of these two
vols, handsomely bound in one book.
AVe will mail free one copy to each of
the first one hundred persons whose
subscriptions are sent in from this
date (Feb. 1). We also have about
fifty copies of vol. Ill bound in cloth,
and these will he sent to the next fifty
subscribers. AVheu this supply of

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

47

books is exhausted, the drone and
queen-trap will be mailed according to
offer in another place. When subscrib-
ing, please say which of the above
preniiunis is desired.

.\GKNTS FOR TRAPS.

Messrs. Thos. G. Newman & Son,
925 West Madison St., Chicago, III.,
are unr agents for the sale of tlie Drone
and Queen-traps. Parties west of Clii-
cagn, as well as tliose residing witliiu
a radius of a few hundred miles of that
city, who desire from one dozen to
several dozen traps, can save some-
thiug in freight and express charges by
ordering of the above lirui. All who
can conveniently do so should order
traps early, as the trade in them the
coming season will be imuieuse, and
there may be some delay in tilling or-
ders later in the season.

HONEY REPORTS.

For the American Apicultarist.

Dear Editor : — You have doubt-
less seen the movement on foot by
M. M. Baldridge in the " American
Bee Journal," page 774, to shut the
reports of commission men out of
the bee periodicals. Well, I think
Mr. Baldridge is right, and that the
course of commission men in run-
ning down the prices of our products
is very damaging to the journals
and to beekeepers alike. It can
surely profil us nothing to have such
low quotations published in any
paper, much less in our bee papers.
The space taken is practically an
advertisement for the commission men
for which they could well afford to
pay full rates for their damaging ''re-
ports." But I do not think our
journals should publish such reports
at all, and I would earnestly solicit
you to discontinue them hereafter
from the columns of the " Apicultu-
RiST." Let us have reports from a
committee of honey producers or
from any one interested in the cause
of the producers, and it would be
better to give rates higher than

honey can be sold at, than to publish
ruinous and unprofitable prices.

All honey producers should put
their honey in the hands of retailers
and ship directly to them in all cases
leaving the middle man out entirely.
The beekeeper, not the commission
man, should dictate the price at
which the honey is to be sold. Then
pay a reasonable commission for
selling, say fifteen per cent and await
returns at intervals when the honey
is sold. But I would sooner give
twenty per cent than to put my
honey in the hands of middle men
to speculate upon as they are sure to
do to our injury.

I have sold all of my honey for
years in this manner and believe it
to be the most practicable plan that
can be adopted both for the bee-
keeper and the retailer.

Please give this matter your
thoughtful attention as it seems to be
worthy, and let us hope that bee-
keepers will cease to allow othei
people to dictate prices. I feel sure
that when all consider this subject
well that they will heartily commend
the effort being made to suppress
those who seem to have no interest
whatever in the welfare or honey
producers..

New Phila., O.

"What is it?"— Our remarks under
this heading have brought us several
communications with reference to
this same point.

Mr. L. T. Hopkins of Conway,
Mass., writes thus : —

" I see by tiie November " Api " vou
have doubts about bees working on
honey dew in the afternoon. I had
more of the stuff than I wanted the
last of August and first of September
gathered from walnut and oak leaves,
the bees working all day, but gatiiered
fastest before the dew dried oil in the
morning, or when there was a fog or
mist all day. There were millions of
insects on the undersides of the leaves.
Some trees were so covered witii the
dew it would run off on the ground.

48

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

The trees were alive with the bees ;
one would think by the buzzing that a
swarm was cinsterinij; there. The
hone.Y is very dark and bitter and can-
died in the cells about as fast as the
bees gatliered it. The hybrid bees
stored a good deal more honey than the
Italians.

I am experimenting with this honey-
dew honey for winter stores, so if it
ever comes this waj' again Isliall know
whether bees will winter on it or not.

Would this honey-dew honey be of
any use to a queen breeder?

Bees gathering honey dew as late
as last of August is something new,
certainly. We think honey dew is
secreted only in July and early in
August. At the time Mr. Conway
says his bees were gathering honey
dew, our bees were working smartly
upon the golden-rods and other tall
flowers. Such poor quality of honey
will do to feed bees while they can
fly out, but honey dew is unfit for
winter stores. " What is it " is more
satisfactorily explained by Mr. C. W.
Smith of Wellesley Hills, Mass.,
who resides about twenty-five miles
from our apiary, and in his opinion
we think he is correct. It is as fol-
lows :

In November " Api " page 213, you
ask: "What is it?" "It is honeij from
"common meadow sweet " grows in
wet ground, shrub, smooth bark,
twenty to thirty inches high, leaves
oblong or lance-oblong and wedge
shape; flowers in a crowd, panicle,
pale flesh to white color, calyx 5 cleft,
petals five, broad or roundish, pistils •
five, making little pods with few seeds
in each side. Honey dark, tastes like
fine molasses.

The description of the honey both
as to color and taste is perfect. We
have 2-1 lb. sections of such honey
brought here by Mr. G. Hervey, of
Blackstone, Mass. His apiary is sit-
uated about twenty-five miles from
Wellesley Hills. The honey has no
decided flavor, nor is it unpleasant
to the taste ; as Mr. Smith says it is
like fine molasses. We are glad to
see this- question answered cor-
rectly, as some of the bee journals
have said it was honey-dew ; while we

expressed the opinion that it was not
for reasons we have before stated.
Bees will winter well upon it.

A FEW MILD CRITICISMS.

A writer in one of our exchanges
says, "The best hives and appliances
are not patented and never were."
Where has that fellow been all his
days? He certainly is not posted
on bee-hives and other appliances
used in the apiary, or he would
make no such statement. The Lang-
stroth hive was patented, and hives
made on the same principle are now
being used by nearly 90 per cent of
all the beekeepers in the world. The
best thing that fellow can do is to
post himself regarding bee matters
and then tell us "old vets" what he
knows about patents on bee-fixtures.

Another person whose article ap-
peared first in one of our American
bee-papers, and then in a foreign
journal, cautions beekeepers against
being in "too much haste about pur-
chasing new articles" before they
have been tested and found good.
Had such advice been suggested and
heeded by beekeepers generally, we
should all be using old box-hives,
nail casks, etc., and the advantages
of the movable- comb hive would
have been unknown outside of Mr.
Langstroth's apiary. It is a queer
idea that a few persons must go to
the trouble and expense of testing
all new articles and appliances, and
then give the results of their experi-
ence to people who will not in the
least appreciate them. The progi-es-
sive and successful beekeeper is the
one who conducts his own experi-
ments and is not dependent on his
neighbor for new ideas nor is he
several years behind the times in
adopting new improvements. It costs
but little to test any hive or article
used in the apiary. Purchase them,
gentlemen, and keep pace with the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

improvements that are being made
in bee-culture every day in the year.

At a convention held in Kansas
a few weeks ago, the subject of re-
versing hives, etc., was discussed.
One speaker stated that he had tried
re/ersing the lower story and found
it a bad practice, and a neighbor who
had tried reversing met with like re-
sults, and so a vote was taken which
" resulted unanimously " against the
practice of reversing hives and
frames.

Why should a few persons condemn
a practice, of which they know noth-
ing, on the mere statement of the ex-
perience or inexperience of only two
persons ? All but one member voted
against a practice of which they knew
nothing as far as personal experi-
ence goes. Don't go too fast, friends.

"It is just as natural for bees to
swarm as it is for birds to build nests
and to I'ear their young. Tliis is the
vfVKj Providence provided for bees that
they might not become extinct. But
I know by experience that bees placed
in a rightly constructed hive, with a
certain number of cubic inches to fit
its colony in the brood-chamber, and
plenty of surplus room on top (never
at the side), will not swarm."

Our friend who wrote the above
is thinking of getting up a boom for
his non-swarming hive. Certainly his
experience is very different from all
other beekeepers. Bees will swarm
even if they are in a hive as large as
a meeting-house. But don't our
friend rather contradict himself just
a trifle, if we compare the first two
lines with the last one ?

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

Longlij, Wood Co., 0.
Mk. Alley :

I cannot speak too highly of the
$3.00 queen I bought of y^u. Would
not take ^25.00 for her.

Ira Witmore.

Sheboygafi Falls, Wis.
Mr. Alley :

Back numbers of the "x^pi" at
hand and I am more than pleased
with them. Like the "Handy Book"
they seem just as original and com-
pact and practical as possible, both
form and matter.

Mrs. H. Hills.

Milledgeville, III.
Henry Alley :

The "Api " is an excellent Jour-
nal, and is filled with solid instruction
for the novice and the older ones, too.
I have been a beekeeper for eight
years.

F. A. Snell.

Barrington, B. L, Jan. 6, 1887.
Dear Sir :

I wish to congratulate you on the
excellence of tlie " Api" for Jan., '87;
it is the finest specimen of a bee peri
odical I have ever read. It is needless
to say that I would not miss its visits
for a good deal. I only wish they
were more frequent.

A. C. Miller.

PaiotucJiet, li. I., Jan. 8, 1887.
Friend Alley :

The January number icas a surprise
to me. There have been many good ar-
ticles in the past numbers that it
would be hard to equal, but the las
number, taken as a whole, is the best
number of the " Api" I have ever seen.
In luy opinion the Questions and An-
swers are the most important part of
any bee journal, even when but short
answers are given ; but as you now
conduct this department, it is the best
tiling of the kind in the bee periodi-
cals.

Samuel Cushman.

Woodstock, Va.

Mr. Henry Alley :

You recollect that I com-
plained of the queen you sent me. I
will now say that the bees from that
queen are the most beautiful in my
bee yard.

My way of introducing queens is to
take out "tlie old queen, put the frames
all back in the hive except one, and
leave that space in the centre of the
hive ; then the introducing cage is hung
down in the centre space with the at-
tendant bees and left there thirty-six

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

hours, then I remove the tin slide so
that the bees can remove the sugar
and release the queen and attendant
bees. I put the cage in as soon as I
remove the old queen. Have never
failed.

Naason AVisman.

We make the following extract
from a private letter received from
one of our most prominent beekeep-
ers and writers on bee matters :

The ApicuLTUniST under your man-
agement is second to no other Journal.
Every issue is full of interesting and
highly practical matter. Your ques-
tion department I lil^e better than that
of any other, as one is able to express
something lii^e a complete answer.
Wishing yon the success that you de-
serve, I remain, etc.

Another prominent beekeeper, and
one whose writings are found in every
bee publication and whose name is
famihar to every beekeeper in the
land, writes thus :

"I wish to commend you for the in-
trinsic value of the "Api" since you
took it. It has been solid full of val-
uable matter, worth many times its
cost.

FROM "GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE"
JANUARY 1, 1887.

We congratulate friend Alley on hav-
ing given us another number contain-
ing so many good things. I am
especially pleased with his remarks in
regard to procuring good queeu- cells,
on page 24.

[Thanks, friend Root, we fully ap-
preciate the goodwill and kindness ex-
pressed inthe above. We prize it all
the more, coming as it does from one
so thoroughly competent to judge of
the merits of any publication.

Since we took charge of the Apicul-
TURiST in August last, the two leading-
bee publications in the world (6rZea)u'H(/s
in Bea Culture and the American Bee
Journal") have, on several occasions,
shown their good will and friendship
towards the Apiculturist. While we
do not care a snap for the opinions of
some bee papers, whose existence we
do notcarc to advertise even when paid
for doing so, we do appreciate the fa-
vors shown us, from time to time, by
the publications named above.]

The Apiculturist goes to press
on the 2oth of each month, and is
mailed to its subscribers five days
later. If any one does not receive
it in the course of ten days from the
date of mailing, he should notify us
at once and we will forward another
copy.

The Quinby Smoker. — A de-
scription of the improvement made in
this well-known smoker was given in
the "Api" some time ago. We now
have a lot of them on hand. This
smoker, as now made, is the most
perfect of any bellows-smoker in the
market. The good points are these :
if the fuel is dry, a smoke can be had
in a minute's time by merely apply-
ing a lighted match to the "fire-hole"
at the base of the barrel. Those who
use the old style Quinby smoker are
obliged to go to the stove for a coal
of fire in order to ignite the punk.

Our Club Rates.

Am. Aiiicultmist and Am. Weeiily Bee

Journal, $1.80

Am. "Api" and Gleanings (semimonthly; 1.90
•• Bee Hive (bimonthly) 1.00
" " " Beekeepers' Handy Book 1..50

'• " '• Cook's Manual 1.70

" " " A Year among the Bees 1.50

" " " Allev's drone and queen

trap 1.00

"Subscription Expired" will be
stamped on the wrappers of all
whose subscriptions expire with any
number of tlie Apiculturist. If
the reader desires the paper con-
tinued we shall be glad to do so,
provided he makes known his wishes
by dropping us a postal card.
Otherwise the "Apiculturist" will
be discontinued when the subscrip-
tion expires. We invite all to re-
new and send us with their own
subscription at least one new one.
All who will do so may deduct
twenty per cent for the trouble
they take in the matter.

The American Apiculturist.

% Journal btbol^tr I0 ]pracftcal gctlui^pmg.

EXTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.
Published Monthly. Henrt Alley, Manager.

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., MARCH i, 1887.

No.

We deal in lirst-clnss npiari- I Established in 1883. Terms: I Any yearly subscriber is en-
an supplies ofnll kinds, lowest | $1.00 per year, 50 cents per si.x | titled" to oneof our best queens
prices. Prompt delivery. I months, 2.5 cents per three I Mt any time between .June 1 and

Workmanship unexcelled. | months. Cash in advance. | Oct. 1, by remitting .'jO cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN" APICULTURIST, "Wenliam, Mass

F'or the American Apiculturist.

CHEAP HONEY FOR ALL,
ETC.

G. W. Demaree.

I liave seen some words like tlie
caption of tliis article, in several of
the bee papers from time to time,
"Cheap honey for all j" yes, for the
laboring man, and for the little school
children whose fresh palates can ap-
preciate in the highest degree the de-
licious sweets of earth. How unselfish
that looks when viewed from the pro-
ducer's standpoint • but it is coming
to that, no matter how many organi-
zations may b*e effected to "pool"
the honey crop, and to "bull" and
"bear" the markets. The time is
coming when the rich and the poor
and the little ragamufifins, all are go-
ing to eat honey before a great while.
Nature has pro\ided enough for all,
when sufficient knowledge has been
gained on the part of apiarists to have
the secret storehouses of nature un-
locked and their precious contents
poured into the markets. Honey is
bound to be cheap, as well as other
good things of earth. It is no more
than justice to those who labored for
years and years to develop a system
whereby the production of honey
might be made easy and reasonably
sure, that they should reap large
profits from high prices for honey as
some compensation for their public

spiritedness. But any person of or-
dinary perception and forethought
ought to see that high ox fancy prices,
as we say, must of necessity be tem-
porary, because if honey-producing
is to become a business occupation,
it must necessarily pass under the
laws which throw restrictions around
all like businesses. I mean that sup-
ply and demand will govern prices
of all produce. We are told that
honey is a luxury and therefore not
governed by the rules which control
the necessaries. I answer, it may be so,
and may be not. When an article
that is a lu.Kury is thrown on the
market in excess of the demand, the
very same thing occurs that we see
when the market is glutted with a
necessary of life, viz. : the price tum-
bles.

The tobacco growing districts of
the country are now experiencing a
fair illustration of the position I have
taken. Tobacco is a "luxury" and
very many people believe an o/fec-
tionable luxury, and because of the
huge crops of the "weed" in the past
three years, the same article of leaf
tobacco, that sells dull at four cents
per pound now, would have brought
from twelve to sixteen cents per
pound four years ago. Supply and
demand govern the price of luxuries
as well as necessaries. High prices
for lioney is a thing of the past and
will remain a thing of the past unless
ihere is a failure to produce honey
(49)

50

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

for several years together, which
would spring the price of honey tem-
porarily but not permanently.

The facts are before us and to
■sit down and whine, or to get up and
organize syndicates or any other sort
of societies, having for its purpose
the forcing of high prices for honey,
will and ought to be a failure. What
is the remedy then? My remedy is
to produce honey cheaply by means
of better constructed hives and im-
plements, and by cheaper methods
of handling the bees and the honey
crops and by curtailing expenses in
every way that economy dictates.
"Patent hives" are a luxury that may
be dispensed with ; good plain hives
capable of enlargement and contrac-
tion, under proper management, will
give as much surplus honey as any
patent hive will give, and by the
"close process" advocated by J. E.
Pond, jr., any and everything that can
be done with any of the complicated
patent hives can be done with a plain
Langstroth or American hive. Let
us quit feeding sugar to our bees,
thereby enlarging the honey crop,
and above all we must develop the
honey market, pushing our trade to
every nook and corner of the land.

Christiansbin-g, Ky.

For the American ApicuUitrist.

Q UEEN-REARING.

O. O. PoPrLETOX.

I was much interested in your crit-
icism on Dr. Miller's "A Year among
the Bees," on page 25, of the Jan.
No. of the "Api" and want to in-
dulge in not exactly a criticism, but
a discussion of your remarks.

Some time ago, after having used
your system of rearing queens for
two or three seasons, I wrote out
what might be called a review of the
"Handy Book," calling attention to
several of what I thought were strona:

points, and also to several details
which I had found could be changed
with profit. This article was acci-
dentally lost, and I never took the
trouble to reproduce it, but among
the other points noticed was this one
of leaving every third egg removed
instead of each alternate one. I
have not seen Dr. Miller's book, so
do not know what were his reasons
for this change from your instruc-
tions, but mine was briefly this :
When each alternate egg was left,
the cells would be built so closely
together that it was usually quite dif-
ficult to separate the cells from each
other, without injuring their occu-
pants, if not entirely impossible at
times. Leaving every third egg only
makes this operation much easier and
pleasanter to do.

Now, if the objection you raise
against leaving only each third &gg
should prove true in only a small
minority of cases even, it would be
conclusive and a settler, but it has
not been true in my experience, and
1 judge not in Dr. Miller's either,
else he would not advise it. Just
why so many similar diff'erences, as
this one is (of facts, not theories),
should be continually arising among
beekeepers, is puzzling many of us,
but is difficult of explanation. This
point of difference in quality of
queens is one which I observed very
closely, as it is at the very foundation
of our business, and I couldn't de-
tect any difference whatever in the
quality of the queens raised by the
two methods. I can think of, or
imagine, but one reason which may
account for our different experiences,
and that is that while you, as a breed-
er and seller of queens, are forced to
raise many of them out of a honey
flow, I, who only rear queens for
my own use, always rear them dur-
ing a honey flow. This may or may
not account for the different results.

COMPARATIVE CROSSNESS OF THE ITAL-
IAN AND GERMAN BEES.

On page 11, Jan. No. of the "Api"

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

51

Mr. Heddon gives us a very ingen-
iously-constructed theory on this
subject, one which it seems to me is
much more cute than correct. It is
true that nine-tenths of the stings we
receive are from bees that are on the
wing, and the black bees are much
more inclined to take to the wing
than are. Italians, but is it not also
true, that nearly all angry bees be-
come so before leaving their combs,
and left them because of that anger?
Do bees usually become angry while
on the wing, unless struck at or other-
wise interfered with ? Aren't most of
the stings we get, from bees that dart
from the combs, and not from those
that are flying around in the air? The
bees I always fear are the fellows that
stand around on the top of the frames,
or some other good place for a lookout,
and watch every motion for an ex-
cuse to jump at somebody or some-
thing, and if they see an unlucky
motion, they usually go "straight as
a bee" to the hand or face. After
having taken wing, they remain there
on the war path, giving the impres-
sion to casual observers that they be-
came angry while there. All know
how necessary it is that while work-
ing among bees, our motions should
be quiet and deliberate, not quick
and jerky, especially while passing
our hands over an open hive. Shak-
ing bees off the combs, during ex-
tracting season, will soon show an
observer how much less danger there
is from bees on the wing, than from
the chaps who are around on the
frames hissing, buzzing and ducking
their heads this way and that, ready
to jump if they can see something to
jump at. If any one is curious on
this subject, let him try the experi-
ment, first with Italians, then with
blacks, of brushing bees off their
combs without first shaking off most
of the old bees, and I think Mr. Hed-
don's theory will be very thoroughly
disproven.

Hawkes Park, Fla.

For the American AvicuUurist.

HYBRIDS vs. PURE
ITALIANS.

Abbott L. Swinso>.

Friend A. L. Taylor, of Lapeer,
Mich., has an article in the Decem-
ber number of the "Api," "Ital-
ians vs. Hybrids," in which he
points out the superiority of "h}'-
brids"over Italian bees. Well, first,
here is where his experience and
mine widely dilfer. The very point
that he makes for his German hy-
brid bees against the Italians are
those most ap[)lieable to the pure
Italians for this locality. I notice
that most all our northern beekeep-
ers, in recording tlieir experience
in the trial of this and that, is ex-
actly the opposite of the same ex-
periment tried here in the south,
and I have often noticed this from
our best writers, those best posted
in apicnltural knowledge and j^)rac-
tical apiarists. Consequently, when
I see anything so very different in its
nature from the same practical re-
sults asol)tained here at the south, I
can but conclude it is due to the dif-
ference in our climate. The conclu-
sion is thus forced upon me that
such I'ules and conditions, as are
applicable to beekeeping in the
north and west, will but poorly ap-
ply to the soutliern beekeeping.
This one fact should be kept in
view always, when a southern bee-
keeper is reading after a northern
or western apiarist and vice versa,
especially when he reads that which
is so contraiy to his own observa-
tion on the same points. That
Mr. Taylor's observations between
Italians and hybrids fur JMichigan
is correct, I must think, because 1
have every reason which he could
give, and my knowledge of the
man leads me to that conclusion.
And furtlier, 1 know tiiat he has

52

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

for the past two years purchased
of me wliat hybrid queens I hap-
pened to have on hand in the
spring", though he has never been
the man to order an Italian queen
of me. As to the relative points
of value between bees here in the
south : there never has been any
bee that is superior to the American
(Albino?) Italians. Yes, Ameri-
can. Why not American Italians?
Certainly there is a great improve-
ment made in the markings of the
queens, drones and workers, in any
strain of pure Italians that have
been bred up here on our American
continent for ten or twenty years
to the exclusion of imported stock,
that they are in no way Italian.^ ex-
cept from the fact that the bee was
originall}' from Italy? Any more
so than many of the American
people to-day, who all as a rule
originated from some other coun-
tr}', but are to-day Americans and '
wh}' would not the same rule apply
to bees, friend Taylor? more es-
pecially since in every way, except
their originality the true American
Italian is foreign to the imported
Italian stock. In this I can agree
with Mr. Alley.

Take the black bees in the south,
and the first thing they do is to fill
up every nook and corner of brood-
hive with brood and honey and then
swarm, many times without so much
as entering the sections. Then a-
gain the}^ till them one-fifth or one-
fourth, sometimes less, and then
swarm ; the result is, all bees and
no comb hone}'. And this dis-
position is most prominent in the
Germans and Italians crossed as
applied here. With pure Italians
they at once enter the sections and
go to work and fill them, removing
in many instances^ all the honey
from the brood-ciiambers, except a
little at each end of frames, and
have brood right to the top-bar of
frame. I never liad a hive of pure
Italians sivarm till after the sur-

plus department vfasjillecl; that is
their strong point Here, which is
more than I can say for any other
strain or race of bees, and I iiave
kept during the past four years Cy-
prians, Syrians, Carniolans, Ital-
ians and Albino Italians. The same
remarks that apply to Italians are
applicable to golden or Albino
Italians, their most striking differ-
ence being in their markings.
Goldshoro, N. C.

For the American Apiculturist.

BOW TO REAR GOOD
QUEENS.

C. M. GOODSPKED.

I once heard L. C. Root say that
"beekeeping of to-day was a success
or failure according as the apiarist
had good or bad queens in each
colony." Competition is so severe
and prices of honey have been
forced down to so low a point that
beekeepers can no longer make the
business profitable unless tliey secure
full crops, and full crops are impos-
sible without strong colonies at the
opening of the harvest, and strong
colonies are equally out of the ques-
tion without good queens.

Bees in a normal condition rear
their queens from queen eggs. What
I mean by "queen eggs" is eggs that
from the time they were laid were
intended to produce queens. I have
claimed that worker and queen eggs
were identical, but in the light of to-
day I dare not say they are. An egg
laid in a queen cup or full-sized cell
always stands perpendicular with the
base of the cell, while an egg laid
in a worker cell always (or nearly
always) leans a httle to one side. If
you will carefully remove an egg laid
in a queen cell and place it side by
side with a worker egg from the same

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

53

queen you will find a difference in
size in favor of the egg laid for a
queen.

I wonder how many of our queen
breeders have tried to raise a worker
bee from an egg laid in a queen cell.
I don't believe a genuine worker bee
can be raised from such an egg, and
vice versa, I don't believe that the
best queens can be raised from
worker eggs. We should aim so far
as possible to stock our yards with
queens reared under the swarming,
or the superseding impulse, if we
may be allowed the expression. Who
ever knew a superseding queen to
be a poor one ?

My experience would further go
to show that queens reared from very
young or very old mothers were not
so vigorous, as a rule, as those bred
from a two-year old queen mother.

Sd much for the egg and with the
editor's permission we will speak of
the after treatment in another article.
Thorn Bin, N. V.

For the American ApicuUurist.

''WHAT IS ITr

Will iM. Kellogg.

By my own mistake or poor writ-
ing or mistake of "typo," in Feb.
"Api," page 31,1 was made to say
that "honey dew" came in the lat-
ter part of Aug. and fore part of
Sept. I never knew of an}' hone}'
dew in Sept., and the reading of
ray article shows that we get it in
July, first, after C^xj weather has
stopped the flow from white clover.
I see that the editor and others
are calling the "what is it" a trne
hone}' from a shrub. That won't
apply here, for we have an open,
level, prairie country and no such
flowering shrub grows here. This
is the first season that we ever got
any of it here, but it is common in
the apiaries along the river where
I kept bees for four j^ears.

Oneida, III.

[Printers follow copy. We can conect
manuscript in some respects, but wlien a wri-
ter says Sept. and means Aus:ust we cannot
say wliicli is correct. We respectl'ully request
all' our correspondents to be more carelul with
their copy.]

For the. American ApicuUurist.

APICULTURE IN CALI-
FORNIA.

A. Norton.

(Contiaued from page 31.)
HIVES.

I believe that the most extensive
producer of extracted honey in Amer-
ica and, possibly in the world, is or
has been Mr. R. Wilkin of San Bu-
enaventura, Cal., another apiarist of
long and thorough practice. He not
only uses and prefers the regular
Langstroth, but has experimented
somewhat with the closed-end Quin-
by before settling his preference.
Mr. W. has run as many as 1,200 to
1,500 colonies at a time and has pro-
duced 50 tons of extracted honey
in a season. I have never seen a
discussion of the merits of the hives
(L. and Q.) as compared with each
other. If such a discussion could be
had free from the animosities and
personalities that I have seen in other
journals over the size and shape of
frames, I should like to see it carried
on in the "iVpi." Each of us can
not practise with every kind of hive-,
but we can profit from the experi-
ence of those who have used each
his kind.

I have been much interested of
late by accounts of three styles of
invertible hives of recent invention.
Two of these are patented and one is
is not.

As they have not yet been used in
California, they may not be ai)pro-
])riate to the main topic of this ar-
ticle ; but brief mention of them is
not wholly foreign to the subject of
hives.

I have not seen any of them. My

54

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

judgment of them is wholly theoret-
ical— save so far as based on general
experience with other hives. But if
such objections occur to any of us
and they concern points not yet cov-
ered in descriptive articles, we can
draw forth explanations only by mak-
ing our misgivings known. Two of
these hives have closed-end frames.
Unless experience proves my fancy
wrong, they would not gain popular-
ity here. The removal and replace-
ment of frames must involve a small
amount of friction that would amount
to some degree of hindrance. The
turning of thumbscrews, necessary
in both, is another item which in
large apiaries must be appreciable
when extracting. In one of these
hives the divided chambers and
frames render it necessary to handle
twice the number of frames to extract
the same amount of honey. As with
the Quinby hive; the bringing of
frames together when closing the
hive must cause delay or needless de-
struction of bees ; and the standing
of frames in the super upon those in
the brood-chamber must have a like
result when replaced after the opera-
ator having shaken tlie bees down
into the hive in extracting. It may
occur that you suspect foul brood
without detecting it. You will not
want to exchange frames from hive
to hive. You Wjil, therefore, need to
extract from eac h colony, leaving the
super empty and safely closed till
you return and replace the same
combs you had taken out. Unless
these hives have outer cases (which
are expensive and otherwise needless
in this country) they can not thus be
closed without frames. One of the
hives alluded to has hanging frames
suspended in the middle, with ordi-
nary end-bars that admit of lateral
movement. While this hive might be
handled more rapidly than the closed-
end hives in some respects, yet the
replacing the one-half case every
time the hive is opened must be an
inconvenience and a source of

slaughter for innocent bees. I hope
next season to give two of the hives,
the Shuck and the Alley, a trial.

And, if such were permissible in
your columns, I would like to see re-
ports from parties who have already
used any of these styles and also ar-
ticles from the inventors. This sub-
ject, though old, is ever new, and
friendly discussion leads to sokition
and decision.

With beekeepers in this state, con-
siderations as to size and shape of
frames and hives are based upon
convenience and amount of surplus
without need of regard for wintering;
In earlier days, very little uniformity
prevailed ; but, at present, many odd
sizes have been discarded. The
Harbison is a tall hive, but the brood-
chamber portion is nearly cubical.
In Los Angeles county I believe
there is quite a tendency toward the
Adair size of the Langstroth — eight
to ten frames ii^ deep by 13I. At a
meeting of the Ventura county asso-
ciation some years ago, a majority
agreed to secure uniformity by
adopting the standard Langstroth.
This size now prevails quite gener-
ally in that county. Mr. Langstroth
could scarcely witness a more grati-
fying testimony to the merits of his
•invention than by visiting, in Ventura
county, the many metropolitan cities
of bees whose domiciles perpetuate
his name. And the effect might be
still heightened, after looking at an
apiary, such as that of Mr. Wilkin,
when he went to the odds and ends
pile and saw the various styles that
had been used and cast aside. In
conclusion, let me repeat that I do not
deliberately attack any hive, but that
I criticise what to me seem to be
drawbacks. If the " Api" were to
have a series of articles from men
like L. C. Root, A. I. Root Bing-
ham, Shuck, Heddon, Demaree, etc.,
each giving his experience with the
hive he is identified with, and ex-
plaining how in using it he avoids
the objections most likely to be

THE AMERICAN APTCULTURIST.

55

met with as well as stating what other
well-known style he has ever tried
and cast aside and why -he discarded
it, I, for one, should feel more like
preserving them, than most any other
series that could be written. If order
is ever to be brought out of chaos,
and uniformity replace hopeless va-
riety, what other course could be
more conducive to this result ?
Gonzales, Cal.

[The coliiiniis of the "Apicultuuist"
are open and free to all who desire to
discuss any qiie.slion pertaining to bee
culture. We will remind Mr. Norton
that a perfect hive has not as yet been
invented. We must not expect to have
every desirable point combined in one
hive. Let us adopt those styles of
hives (there are a number ol good
ones) that combine Ww largest number
of good points and the least undesir-
able ones. We are using quite a mim-
ber of the 13. S. reversible hives and
remove the coml)s and replace tiiem
more quickly than we can the standard
frames; neither do we crush any bees.
The frames can in any hive be han-
dled so as to crush a large number of
bees, but with liitle care and patience
there is no need of killing any when
removing frames.]

ITALIANIZING..

Korth Auburn, JVebrasI.-a.
Jan. 7. 1887.
Enrrou Am. '-Ai'i."
I would like your advice in det;iil as to
how to ijroceed to Italianize aliout twenty
colonies of" bees Ironi a colony of Italians';
also your opinion as to the udvisjihility of
(nearly) a novice ill the business atteniiJiiiig
the uudertakinff.

Any snugesiions or instiuctions in connec-
tion with tlie above (thvonsh voin' journal or
otherwise) will be gratefully received.
KesiiectUilly.

N. P. Meadek.

ANSWERS BY P. R. RUSSELL.

Your correspondent N. P. Header
wishes to know about Italianizing
black bees, etc. Let him proceed
as follows : when his Italian colony
begins to get strong in the spring and
has plenty of drone-brood, supply
tlxm with an empty comb of worker-
cells of the previous season's make.

On the third day, or as soon as
plenty of eggs have been placed
therein, remove the comb and cut it
up into strips about an inch wide.
An empty frame should be provided
having two extra bars equidistant be-
tween top and bottom-bars. Now
glue the strips of comb to the three
upper bars in such a position that the
cells containing eggs will open down-
wards. Next fit up an empty hive
with foundation, or combs without
brood and place the prepared frame
of eggs in the centre. Remove a
strong stand of black bees to one
side and place the new hive in its
stead. Now search for and remove
the queen and then brush all the
bees from the combs down in front
of the new hive. These brood-combs
should then be given to other colo-
nies needing them. Now you have
got a strong colony of bees without
brood of any kind, except the pre-
pared frame.

It would be well on about the fifth
day to examine and remove all cells
except fifteen or twenty of the best
located ones. On the twelfth day
these queen cells may all be cut out
excepting one, which should be left
to hatch. Now examine and remove
as many black queens as you have
cells ; also, all queen cells that are
capped and supply each now queen-
less colony with a cell. I think it
less trouble to give the cells direct to
the colonies than to undertake to
hatch them in nuclei. ,

On the sixteenth day from the time
the eggs were laid, the young queens
may be expected to hatch, and this
may be known by looking at the cell.
If it is found open at the small end
everything is well, and I would not
take trouble to hunt up the young
queens, for very likely you could not
find them at all. These young queens
will become fertilized between the
sixth and fourteenth day after hatch-
ing and we want them to meet Ital-
ian drones if possible. To this end
I would confine all the black drones

56

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

in their hives (during the eight days
the young queens are flymg) with
drone-guards.

It is true the drones and queens
originating from the same Itahan
queen are akin, but no harm will re-
sult in this case, and it is "Hobson's
choice" any way, and besides it is im-
possible for a drone and queen to be
nearer than half brother and sister,
because the poor drones never had
any father. If everything is all
right we may expect to find eggs on
the fourteenth day from hatching,
but should none be found by the
twentieth day we had better give
them another ripe queen cell.

Now, unless we are shrewd, we shall
find it well nigh impossible to hunt
up and kill the twenty black queens
(or even one for that matter), and I
would suggest the following plan :
place an empty comb or a full sheet
of foundation in each colony. In
from three to five days open care-
fully and remove said comb, and we
may expect to find the queen upon
it : if not, repeat the operation next
day.

The queen cells should be handled
carefully and guarded from the bees
with a wire cloth shield as follows :
Cut a circular piece about four inches
in diameter and mould it over the
end of the forefinger into a cone
large enough to contain a cell. Pierce
the apex with a lead pencil for the
queen to escape from, place therein
the cell and plug up the large end so
the bees cannot get access to the
cell except at the small end. Place
the cell thus prepared where the
bees can cover it freely and all will
be well. Otherwise many of the
cells will be destroyed and cause
much vexation. Of course, more or
less of these young queens will "turn
up missing," or be mismated. In
either case we must supply cells
again as before. These remarks ap-
ply to movable comb-hives.
Lynn, Mass.

ALL WOIs^KER COMB,
S WARMING, AND
COMB HONEY.

WiUimantic. Conn., Jan. 2. 1887.
Editor Amkkicax Apiculickist:
In yi)ur l;l^^t i-^f^ue of the '"Ai)!" 1 saw a letter
from I\lr. G. M. Dooliitle wlio says "when
swaniiin:;' time arrives 1 simply exchaiijje the
brood in tlie liive from \vhi('li the swarm is-
sues for empty frames or fi ames of founda-
tion (generaJly the former; tlie plan is known
as the Hutchinson plan altliougli it originated
with me) while llie swarm is in tlie air and
liive them on tlie returning plan." Wliat I
woulil like to know is, what does IMr. Doolittle
do will) the paient stock; also what is done
with the new swarm?

I am not at all acquainted with what is
called the "Hutchinsou plan." I have olteu
read of it.

Yours truly,

A. T. Troavbkidge.

ANSWEKS BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.

Replying to Mr. Trowbridge, per-
haps I cannot do better than to go
over the past a little and tell liow I
was led along to the methods I now
employ, so that he and other readers
of the Apicultukist may under-
stand what is known as the Hutchin-
son plan of workingfor eonib lioney .
As early as the year 1871, I began
to disagree with the apicultural au-
thorities that 2,000 or more cubic
inches was the proper size for a
brood-chamber, and especially so
or a new swarm, for in nearl}' all
eases I found that in the fail the
bees would have from fifteen to
twenty pounds of choice honey,
more than they needed for winter,
■which honey required one-fourth
the room in the hive to hold it.
While the comb was being built for
this, and the hone}' stands in it,
the bees would not go into the sec-
tions of all, so that beside being in
an unsalable shape this honey was
a positive damage to me by way of
keei)ing the bees out of the boxes.
If we are to secure a good ^ield of
section honev, the bees must go
into the boxes at the commencement
of the honey flow, and this early
storing in the hive kept them from
so doing ; while, later on, the incli-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

57

nation for working in sections be-
came less and less, so that the resnlt
was a crowding of the brood-cham-
ber with hone}', which gave few
bees for winter and very little hone_y
in a maricetable shape. Beside
this, mnch of the comb bnilt to
store this extra honey in was of
the di'Oiie size, which was the worst
of all, for the next 3'ear it would be
filled with drone-brood which cost
much of my crop of hone}-. In
1872, 1 brought the size of m}' hive
down by means of division-boaids
from 2,000 cubic inches to 1,500
and in advocating this size as best
was opposed by nearly all of the
the bee fraternity. Before the next
season had passed 1 saw that even
this 1,500 cubic inches v^^as too
large for new swarms if I would
get the most profit from them ; for
in spite of all I could do, the}^
Avould build comb in advance of
the queen on either side of the
brood, storing it with honey and
afterwards with drone-brood. Be-
ing determined to have things as I
wanted them, the next year (1873)
when hiving swarms, I inserted a
division-board in the centre of the
hive putting five empty frames, ex-
cept starters, on either side of it.
The swarm was novv hived in this
hive and left for forty-eight lujurs,
dui'ing which time the bees had es-
tablished a brood-nest on one side
or other of the division-board. I
now took all the frames out of the
other side and took the sections off
the old colony and put them over the
swarm. This caused the bees to
build all their store comb in the
sections and fill it with honey, while
in the brood- nest nearly eveiy
square inch built was worker, and
filled with brood. In this wa}' I
got all the early choice honey in
the sections, togetiier witli all the
drone comb. As a rule it would
take about ten days for the bees
to fill the five empty frames with
comb, at which time they would be-

gin to cluster over behind the di-
vision-boards thus telling me when
the}' needed attention. I now re-
moved the division-board, shoved
the frames of biood outward and
put three or four frames full of all
worker comb in the centre, which
comb the queen would fill with
brood before any of that in the
newly built comb would hatch. In
this wa}' I got a hive full of worker
comb and the honey in the sections
just as I wanted it. About this
time comb foundation made its ap-
pearance, and, after repeated trials
with it, I was finally convinced
that the use of it was the same as
a dead loss to me, for by the above
plan I got more honey in the sec-
tions when the bees built five frames
full of comb than I did if said
frames were filled with foundation.
I now threw my weight against
foundation, calling it an ''expensive
luxui-y" when used in the brood-
chamber, which brought down a
shower of anathemas upon my head
by those vvho vended the same.
Next, I began using a queen-ex-
cluding honey-boai'd in which case
the sections were at once trans-
ferred from the old colony to the
new swarm. Upon hiving the same,
as in this case, it was not necessary
to wait forty-eight hours for the bees
to establish a brood-nest, for the
queen was now compelled to store
below as she could not go up into
the sections. About this time Bro.
Hutchinson began championing the
use of empty frames in the brood-
chamber instead of frame filled with
foundation, cutting the brood-cham-
ber down to one-half size for new
swarms, etc., etc., all of which is
known as the Hutchinson plan.

Having explained in the above
how I came to use the above plan,
and why, I will now tell INIr. T.
just how I work. First, I clii) the
wings of all my old queens, but
this is not positively necessary.
Next, we want a light box the same

58

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

size as the brood-chamber of our
hives. In tliis box I place five
empty frames eacii having' a starter
of Ibiiiidation tliree-quarters of an
ineli wide on the under side of the
top bar, and two dummies which
took the place of two coml)s each.
When a prime svvarm issues, take
the box to the hive from which the
swarm came, setting the frame and
dummies out of the box near the
hive. Novv catch the queen which
will be found running around in
front of the hive and put her in a
wire-cloth cage, laying the same
near the entrance of the hive, whei)
the cover is lifted and the surplus
arrangement is taken off. After
this, take out the frames of ])rood,
putting them in the box. If the
combs of brood still seem to be
well covered with bees, and the
weather is warm, shake a part of
them off in front of the hive before
putting the combs in the box. If
few bees or cool weather, put all
in the box, setting the box in the
shade a rod or so from the hive.
Next, put in one dummy at the side
of the hive, then the frames and the
other dummy ; after which, the sur-
plus arrangement is to be re-ad-
justed and the cover put on, by
which time the swarm will return if
the queen has a clipped wing. If
not they are to be put back in this
hive. Now take the box, with the
combs of bees and brood, to an
empty hive, placed where you wish
a colony to stand and cover all up
snugly with a quilt. About four
o'clock the next day, take a virgin
queen and keep her fiom food for
five or ten minutes when you are
to take her to this hive, having all
there 's left of the parent stock, and
carefully lift a frame from it. As
there are but few bees here, some
young ones, they will not be re-
vengeful, but at once go to filling
themselves with honey, when you
are to let the virgin queen on the
comb by holding the mouth of the

cage to some unsealed honey. She
will at once go to eating, the same
as all the other bees are doing,
when the frame is lowered into the
hive and the hive closed. The next
day all queen cells will be destroyed
and in a week this queen be lay-
ing, when the surplus arrangement
is to be put on this hive. All after-
swarming is in this way prevented,
and in short I have never used any-
thing about the swarming of bees
and the getting of comb honey
which worked so perfectly and
pleased me so well as this.
Borodino, JSf. Y.

For the American ApicuUurist.

A SATISFYING ANSWER.
A. P. Fletcher.

In the " Api" for January, the
question ''Why do bees swarm?" is
more fully answered than I have
ever seen it before ; but I was
comparativeh'' satisfied before, so
3'ou see ignorance is sometimes
satisfying, in one sense. So, also,
with the question, " Who invented
the movai)le-frame hive?" I have
been satislied with the answer —
L. L. Langstroth — am now. But
the King Brothers, Kidder, etc.,
say he was not, but have, as yet,
failed to inform me who was, i. e.,
of the movable-frame in its present
state of perfection and practica-
bility. If Mr. L. was not the in-
ventor, will some of the readers of
the " Api" answer, for my satis-
faction, who was? A. J. King
says Mr. L. claims only the space
around the fi-ame, etc., but the cn-
riosit}^ to my dull mind is — how
could he invent the space without
first making the box and the fnoue?
The Irishman said '■'■they took a
big hole and run brass all around
it to make a cannon ;" but where
did they get the hole ? Query.

Windsor, Vt.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

59

For the American Apiculturist.

A COLD WINTER.

C. \V. Daytox.

My Fahr. thermometer that has
hung on the outside of the house in
the shade for five or six years past
indicated as the coldest temperature
reached in the winter of 1 880-1,
34° below zero, 1881-2, 34° below,
1882-3, Z(^° below, 1883-4, 2>Z^°
below, 1884 and 5, 36° below, 1885-
6, 37° below, 1886-7 ^^P to and on
Jan. 8, 48° below. In Dec, 1886,
it reaches 37° below. I am certain
of the foregoing temperatures being
the coldest except in 1883 when
some reported it down to 40° below.
Bradford, O.

For the American Apiciilturist.

THE HANDY BOOK EIGHT
AFTER ALL.

C. C. Miller.

Marevgo, III.

Friend Ai.lky : From what you
j-ay I suspect that if I had not been
too .Inzy or too self conceited to fol
low all your instructions I might
have found no need to change your
plan of destroying alternate cells.
But that's too often the way ; in fol-
lowing out a plan given by some
one else, we change something that
looks like a little thing to us, but
which at the same time is essential,
and then when we fail put the
blame where it does not belong.

Ilulbertj, Mo.
Mr. Alley :

I thoiiglit I would write a few lines.
Our bees liad a good flight Jan. 19.
There is no snow here. My honey
tooii tlie premumi at the fair last fall.
Father lias about 550 acres of land,
and lust fall 25 acres of npple trees
were set out. We have 15 acres of
bearing apple trees. The apple crop
was liglitliist season.

Please send me a sample copy of
the "American x\picnliurist." Saw
your advertisement in ''Am. Bee Jour-
ual."

Paul M, FitANCis, age It.

and Answers by Practical Apiarists.

ORIGINATION OF THE BLACK AND
THE BROWN GEHMAN BEES.

Query No. 11. I read often of
the black bee and the broAvn German
bee ; what is the ditl'erence between the
same if any, and the oi'igin of both?
If the above question can be answered
at all, data must be given in support of
the answer, else I shall be as much in
the dai'k as now. C. B.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

There is no difference between
the common l)lack bees and the so-
called brown Gernmn. Slight
ditference in markings and devel-
opment of colonies is observable
in all the races of bees. There is
said to be a small black bee, a grey
bee and the large brown German ;
but tl.ey each seem to have only a
distinction without a diffierence,
since all have had a common origin
and all the black bees in this coun-
try came from a few stocks brought
over bom England by the fathers
in the seventeenth century, the
first being brought in the Mayflower
in 1620. They were Englisli black
bees \\hose presumed origin on the
continent of Europe in a Aery re-
mote period is involved in as great
a mystery as the origin of man
himself. The term ''German" as
applied to black bees is based
wlioUy on a presumption that the
race of black bees originated in
Germany, which may or may not
have been the fact. A more ap-
propriate name would be "English
brown bees."

ANSWERS BY C. W. DAYTON.

The German bees first came
from Germany ; and, like the Ital-
ians in their native countiy, some
are brown and others are so dark
brown as to be nearly black. Some
persons have darker complexions
than others, not because they are

60

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

of a different race but because it is
" nature." ,

There are brown bees in this
country that are not Germans ;
perhaps the^^ came here when the
Indians came. They are natives
of tliis country as the Italians are
natives of Italy, or Syrians of Syria.
The Indians are, or are called, na-
tives of America, the African of Af-
rica and Asiatic of Asia. These
natives are divided and subdivided
into different strains each speaking-
its language and dialect and pos-
sess peculiarities differing from
each other.

The inhabitants of the earth ap-
pear divided into breeds as the
United States is divided into states,
counties, townships and districts.

When we go back to the Bible
(oiironl^' authority), we understand
that theie was but one man created.
The different climates and natural
surroundings seem to plfiy an
active part in changing the charac-
teristics. If there was but one
colony of bees created at first, then
the different strains existing at
present must have oi'iginated from
the one, and shows that the strains
may by separation and climatic
effects become established races.

ANSWER BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.

Can see no difference at all.
About the origin of these bees I
know nothing.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

Different persons mean different
things by the term "black bee," and
perhaps by the term "brown German
bee." When I say "German bee"
I cover the whole ground of the
smaller black and larger brown or
gray type or strain of the German
race. In a late issue, I told whence
I procured my first specimens of
the larger, lighter-colored type of
the German bees and how much bet-
ter I found them than the more com-
mon, smaller and darker strains of
the same race. I am not sure of

the origin of variation in the same
race. I suspect that isolation in dif-
ferent and more or less favorable lo-
calities brought about the difference.
I only know of their present vast
difference in quality.

I found this difference far more
striking than difference in qualities
among Italian bees, and a few years
ago Mr. Dadant imported some
longer-bodied and darker Italians
than I had ever seen before, and I
found them superior to any I had
ever tested.

CROSSING THE RACE TO PRODUCE
A NEW STRAIN OF BEES.

Query Wo. 12. Is it possible to
crcatii a new strain of the honey bee,
b}^ crossing? Wliat I mean is a strain
that will be able so to duplicate itself,
that by any markings of color it can
be positively liuown and distinguished
at all times, and under all circum-
stances. K. R.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

Yes, it is possible in the space of
perhaps a dozen years. But it
cannot be done by natural selec-
tion in one man's life-time. Queens
and drones must be selected to a
type and mated in isolated locali-
ties. It is easier to get queens to
duplicate themselves than to get
queens that will produce a uniform
drone progeny.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

This is a nice question, and
one that has engaged the attention
of a great number of breeders.
The question as to what is " pos-
sible" in the science of breeding
opens a wide field for investigation
and experiment. It is certain,
however, that no one has j'et suc-
ceeded in breeding a strain of bees
from a cross between any of the
so-called races of bees tliat have
characteristic markings sufficiently
established to identify them or
distinguish them from other hy-
brids

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

61

As to possibilities, I am quite
certain that I could move some
colonies of li3i)rids to some iso-
lated place, out of tlie reach of
other bees, and by making close
selection to develop any peculiar-
ity I might see, as an outcropping
in the process of breeding, in way
of peculiar mai-kin^s, color of plum-
age or general color, and by per-
sistent in-and-in breeding, succeed
in establishing a sti'ain of hybrids
that could be known from other
hybrids, but likelj^ they would not
be of much service when it was
done. It is a well-established fact
that Avhen it comes to working
quality in bees, as pertains to hy-
brids, the first crosses give the
best bees, and this warns us
against any attempts to establish
strains of hybrids.

Very many good beekeepers pre-
fer hybrids for honey gatherers.
This is vei'y natural, because of
the persistent labor and care nec-
essary to rear and preserve any
pure race of Vjees in this country,
where different varieties of bees
are so common. In a practical
way, the reader is now prepared to
see that I would answer the query
in the negative.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

It is ntterl}' impossible so to do,
in the present state of our knowl-
edge of breeding rules and our
power of selection, both of males
and of females in cohabitation. It
has often been said, and with ap-
parent correctness at first thought,
that so man}^ generations of bees
can be raised in a single season,
that it is easier to produce a strain
by cross-mating, than in our work
in the same direction, as horses,
cattle or sheep. This is incorrect,
however, in practice, the fact being
that we can i>ot control the drones
at all, while with our farm stock
we can select both parents with
certainty, and so secure the best

individual specimens to be found.
Till we can do this with our bees,
no positive and absolute duplica-
tion can be warranted.

ANSWER BY C. W. DAYTON.

•It might be possible to produce
such a strain but the producer
would be likely to work for noth-
ins;.

TIERINGUP.

Query Wo. 13. What is the differ-
ence, if any, between tlie tierins'-np of
hives from four to five iuciies hiijh, and
those that are from ten to twelve?

W. F.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

There is considerable difference
in the amount of labor. But the
querist probably has reference to
the work of the queens and bees.
The queen will lay as many eggs
in a shallow sectional hive as in a
deep frame sectional hive of equal
space and equal condition, but the
queen is not apt to laj' as many
eggs in the latter part of the sea-
son in the former as in .the latter.
Bee-spaces between brood cases are
no hindrance to the queen going
above or below in extending the
brood in building up colonies in
the spring. All that is needed are
a force of bees and the necessary
food in plentiful amount near at
hand. With these conditions bees
will build up fast in any kind of a
hive of sufficient space. A ques-
tion more difficult for one to an-
swer has been. Will the queen
extend her woi-k upward into emp-
ty cases of combs more readily
than downwards into the same?
So far, I have been able to perceive
no difference. The spacing of the
combs from centre to centre has
more to do with the rapid exten-
sion of brood than the shape of
the combs. Combs spaced 1|
inches from centre to centre, or
slightly less, enable the queen and

62

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

bees to extend the brood at least
■i faster than where the combs are
spaced 14- inches from centre to
centre, other conditions being tlie
same.

ANSWKU BY C. \V. DAYTON.

The difference is in their con-
struction and hd)or of manip-
ulation and is equal to about i.
In using extracting stories 5^
inches high there should be from
two to six for every colony. If the
stories are eleven inches high, from
one to three stories ; twice as many
hives and frames and a little more
lumber for their constiuction. The
large combs contain seven pounds
and the small ones three ; and tlie
hone}' can be removed from tlie large
coml) almost as quickly as from the
smaller ones.

Tlie advantage of the small
shallow stories is that there will
be combs of capped honey soonest
when used on the L hive. If we
use two shallow stories and one
deep story there will be the same
cai)acity. Where the honey in the
large story is half ca|)ped the up-
per one of the shallow stories is
all c:ip|)('(l and the extractor is
used. By the time the large story
is cai)pe(l it is time for the extrac-
tion of the other small stoiy. This
renders two manipulations in the
place of one and (loes not im[)rove
the quality of tiie honey. The time
is near for the production of lionc}'
at minimum labor and cost; and if
we get as much honey in single
combs as possible, and at the same
time rii)en the honey, we are taking
one advantage.

ANSWKR BY G.M. DOOLITTLE.

Can see no difference except that
the latter would recjuire a large
number of tiers.

ANSWER 15V JAMES HEDDON.

The systems and their results are
altogether different in tiering up two
or more brood-chambers or practis-

ing tiering or interchanging system of
one brood- chamber made in two hori-
zontal sections for purposes of con-
traction, etc., etc. The first is very
old, the second new, and productive
of new results.

ANSWER BY A. E. MANUM.

I hardly understand the question ;
should say, however, that all the dif-
ference between the two hives would
be in the difference in the distance the
bees would have to travel.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

I do not see any difference at all.
h hive is a hive, no matter what its
depth. If there is any difference,
it can simply exist in the difference
in height between six of the shallow,
and six of the deeper when tiered
up side by side.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMARICE.

There is nodifferencein the world,
either in action or discovery. The
old words to "tier up, tiering up,"
mean all that the newer phrases
"double, horizontal, sectional, etc.,"
can be nnule to mean. The mere
depth of the sectional parts of the
hive cannot alter the facts. Since
the year 187*J I have "tiered up"
hives in sectional parts from live
inches to ten inches deep.

VENTJEATIXG HIVES.

Query No. 14. 1. Is it advisable
to buic liiile8 ill liives to ensure good
veiitilalioi! ?

Please liive your method, or methods,
of ventilating hives.

2. Please yive a description of the
CaniioUuis. Are tliey <le^i^abIe bees?
Give tlieir gnod and had qualities.

3. How can I prevent svvaniiiiig?
(My liives are the Laiigstrotli-Siiuphc-
ity.')

4. Is there any better hive than the
"Laug^troth Simplicity?" W. M. W.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

1. No; I ventilate. my hives by
giving a large entrance and in very
hot weather raise the cover a little
at one end.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

63

2. The Carniolans are hardly
distinguishable from our common
black bees. The queens and drones
are smaller IIkui the blacks and
tlie race is no doubt a cross be-
tween the blacks and Cyprians
originall}', the blacks predomina-
ting in color. They are excessive
breeders of both workers and drones,
long-lived and hardy but not quite
as good workers as Italians. They
make beautiful combs and would
be desirable as comb-honey pro-
ducers. 1 think that tiie common
blacks would be greatly improved
by crossing with them. Crosses
with other bees I do think would be
desirable.

3. 8warming cannot be pre-
vented in working for comb honey,
nor is it desirable in all cases.

4. Yes, I believe that the ''Bay
State" hive is a better one ; there
are also others.

ANSWERS BY A. E. MANUM.

1. What style hive do you use,
and what season do you wish to ven-
tilate? Please be more explicit with
your questions.

I never ventilate hives in summer.
For my methods of ventilation in
winter, see my article in Oct.'"Api."

2. I have never had the Carnio-
lans, hence cannot answer.

3. There are many ways to pre-
vent swarming, but none of them are
practical in large apiaries. To give
a detailed description of each method
would require too long an article
at this time.

4. Yes, the Bristol hive I consider
far better than the Simplicity.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

I. I have never considered it nec-
essary to bore holes in hives to en-
sure ventilation, I bore holes, how-
ever, in the covers to allow moisture
to pass off. I do not know that this
even is necessary, but I have adopted
it as a simple and easy method. As
to the advisability of the matter, it
depends upon the construction of the

hive ; some means of ventilation is
advisable, and if no other is as easily
arranged, the boring of holes is ad-
visable.

2. I have never tested the Carnio-
lans, so know nothing about them
personally.

3. I don't know ; I have tried
every plan I have seen advised, but
all fail so far.

4. I consider the Langstroth
Simplicity the best hive in use ; others
differ from me. It is fair to say that
the best hive ordinarily is the one a
person is accustomed to using. A
frame hive of some kind is a neces-
sity. All hanging frames are Lang-
stroth, no matter what their shape.
A Simplicity hive is simply one that
can be tiered up, or interchanged,
with any other, both bodies, covers
and bottom boards. When I say I
consider the " L" hive the best, I
mean the regular size as 'made by A.
I. Root, for frames lyl ~|~9s^- In
matters of opinion as the answers to
this question must necessarily be,
nothing can be given save the view
of each individual who answers, and
nothing positive can be deduced
therefrom.

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

1. l\\ summer with proper shade,
an entrance, the Cull width of the
hive, is sufllcient. In extreme
warm weather, if the hive is not
shaded, put a sliver between the
hive and the cover, so as to permit
a circulation through the hive. In
wintering outdoors, 1 give an en-
trance the full width of the hive,
and in the cellar take of the bot-
tom-board altogether.

2. I cannot answer.

3. The only way to prevent
swarms from full colonies that I
know of is to give plenty of room
and extract closely and that fails
sometimes.

4. Yes, decidedly. By remov-
ing the bevelled to[) edges, it would
do well enough for the production
of extracted honey. It is too large

64

THE AMERICA N A PICUL TURIS T.

for tlie production of comb honey,
and otherwise any hive tliat will
accommodate section cases of the
same length and width of the hive,
outside measurements, is immeas-
urably better.

ANSWERS BY C. W. DAYTON.

1. It might be advisable with
box-liives, but I usually turn frame-
hives bottom upward and then
cover them with quilts or chaff
cushions. To ventilate frame-hives
at the top, put the thickness of a
nail under the edge of the honey-
boards or remove every tiling and
cover with quilts, or thin chaff
cushions. When I talk about ven-
tilating hives 1 always suppose the
reader knows enough to adjust the
temperature. A temperature of
36° 1 consider a regular bee killer
with or without ventilation. With
that temperature we would not
want much ventilation. If the tem-
perature is 40° give ventilation
through 3 in. of loose chaff; 45°, 2
in. of chaff; 45 to 50°, leave the
brood chamber entirely uncovered,
in the case of strong colonies ; but
2-fiame nuclei will need some chaff
or quilts even in that temperature.
At 60° to 65°, the nuclei may be
left suspended in mid-air " as it
were."

The colder the temperature is,
the more clothing we want on our
beds in winter. It is the same
with a colony of bees, but a large
colony can endure more cold than
a small one. No matter how po-
rous our covering is, if there is
enough of it we sleep warm, though
there is a continued circulation up-
ward through the blankets.

This circulation carries the moist
perspiration away from our bodies
and we remain dry and waim. If
we introduce an oil cloth between
the blankets the perspiration will
accunuilate beneath it making con-
ditions damp and cold. This should
show the kind of circulation and

ventilation to appl^^ to a colony of
bees to keep them warm and dry.
If the temperature is 20° below, it
would want one foot of chaff, and
50° above would not want any cov-
ering at all. They would not be
cold and uneasy but just comforta-
ble ; nothing to worry or fret
about them. I find upward venti-
lation through building paper or
thin boards, providing they are not
gilded with pi'opolis,to be sufticient
in some temperatures. . I)r. Tinker
thinks his bees get some ventilation
through his thin basswood boards
and also says that his cellar used
to be rather cold. I never was
able to adjust the cover to the hive
close enough to prevent all venti-
lation except by lining the edges
of inch boards with rubber or cloth
and nail them solid to the hive.
In such a case the moisture on the
inside of the hive will swell the
boards and burst them open. Slight
ventilation works the moisture out
of the hive. If there is no ven-
tilation but the entrance, and the
temperature is high, the warmth of
the bees will fill the hive and expel
the moisture through the enti'ance ;
but it takes a very strong colon}''
in a very small hiA'e to cause such a
circulation as that in a temperature
of 45°.

2. I never have seen a Carnio-
lan bee.

3. Use "queen restrictors" or
invert the brood-combs every five
days. Adjust the surplus recepta-
cles in season (before queen cells
are prepared) and keep the bees
busy filling vacant space near the
centre of the hives. Destroy all
queen cells as soon as they are
started and give plenty of room ;
this is the only effective remedy
known, and it can be practised
to excess.

4. I think the hive used by G.
M. Doolittle is better and simpler
than the Simplicity ; but I have
no doubt but that the Simplicity

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

65

is a better hive for A. I. Root tliau
the hive Mr. Doolitlle uses.

There are many men and as
many minds on the best liives.
There are but few poor hives in
the hands of successful apiarists.

ANSWERS BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.

1. No. Ventilate by enlarging
or contracting the entrance.

2. Consider them only a peace-
able strain of the black bee.

3. Prefer swarming to non-
swarming.

4. I think so. I use the Gallup
frame.

FINDING A QUEEN. INTRODUCING A

QUEEX AT SWARMING TIME. SAVING

CELLS FROM A COLONY THAT HAS

SWARMED.

Query "No, 15, 1- How c.nn a full
slock be induced to find a queen for you?

2. Just after a swarm has departed
will tlie bees accept a queen run iu at
the entrance ?

3. Can a beginner wanting to raise
a few queens do better tliau to raise
tlieni from his best mothers by swarm-
ing impulse? C. H. B.

ANSWERS BY R. C. TAYLOR.

1 . Cover the entrance of the hive
with a piece of perforated zinc and
shake the bees from the combs in
front of the hive. The workers
will enter the hive, while tlie queen
will be excluded by the zinc.

2. They will generally accept a
virgin queen.

3. No.

ANSWERS BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.

1. I generally find the queen my-
self.

2. Not often in mv yard.

3. No.

ANSWERS BY A. E. MANUM.

I. By shaking all the bees out on
a woollen blanket spread over a shal-
low box (say the cap to an L. hive),
then wait and watch.

2. Yes, if a virgin queen ; and
sometimes they will accept a fertile
queen, though not always.

3. No, if you have good stock,
rear your own queens.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

1. The bees upon opening a hive
of shallow brood-cases will often
be seen to be agitated in the vicin-
itj' of the queen so that she is easily
found. I have thought the queen
gave a note of warning that caused
it.

2. Yes, as a rule, but they will
often prevent the queen from tear-
ing down an}^ cells, the result be-
ing a swarm upon the piping of
the queen first to mature.

3. A beginner had better rear all
queens in swarming time if his best
queens lead out swarms. But with
a good book on queen-rearing any
one can rear good queens at any
time in season.

ANSWERS BY C. W. DAYTON.

1. It cannot be done except as
the eye of an experienced apiarist
can observe the bees paying par-
ticular attention in the direction
where the queen is situated. The
bees may be observed to act much
like a flock of sheep following their
master. Their movements are of-
ten misleading and can be pro-
duced only under certain and per-
haps impractical manipulations.

2. Sometimes that method is
successful and often unsuccessful,
1 have found it best to introduce
with cages under nearly all ciicum-
stances, and then let the queen
out when she does not know it.
It appears sometimes as though it
was the conduct of the queen that
caused trouble, other times it was
the bees.

Some years it seems easy to in-
troduce queens in almost any way
we please and again it is just as
impossible.

66

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

3. Not usually ; but if be can-
uot raise tbem by the swarming
impulse handily he can raise them
just as well and often better by the
method in the Handy Book. It is
not always the most profitable to
have colonies sAA'arm in the honey
harvest. Artificial methods are
advantageous in rearing queens
earlier or later than the swarming
season. The beginner must ad-
vance and learn which is his favor-
ite method.

Bradford, loiva.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. I don't understand the ques-
tion. Is it meant what state or con-
dition of the bees will show the local-
ity of a queen ? or is it meant how
can a lost queen be discovered dur-
ing swarming? Give more data to
make the question intelligible.

2 . Sometimes they will, and some-
times not. If honey is being gath-
ered freely, no other queen is in the
hive, and all queen cells are destroyed,
they will do so in nearly every in-
stance.

3. A beginner, wanting to raise
a few queens, can perhaps do no bet-
ter than to raise queens in this way.
If, however, he wants a few first-class
queens his better way to obtain them
will be to purchase them from some
reliable breeder ; and I take pleasure
that none are more reliable or fur-
nish better queens than our good
friend Alley, editor of the "Apicul-
turist" and proprietor of the Bay
State apiary.

Harrison, Ohio.
Mr. Alley :
Will you please answer the follow-
iiiii query : "What is a Lighlninj?
Gluer" as used in making xection-boxes
for honey ? Where can they be bought
and what do they cost? G. A. S.

[The "Lightning Gluer" is the in-
vention of Mr. A. E. Manum of Bris-
tol, Vt. Address Mr. Manum and
he will probably give you the desired
information. We never saw one of

them and cannot, of course, describe
it, or say whether it is practical or not.
Think, however, it must be a good
thing, as Mr. Manum does not have
much time to spend upon worthless
tools.]

SUGAR STORES AND REVERSIBLE
FRAArES.

iMiLBURT, Mass.
In rcprard to reversible brooilliames, where
the bees are wintered on sntjar syrup, ami
fed (or stinuilatioii on the same, will thej' not
cany it up into the surplus boxes when the
frames are reversed? 1 have a device for
rever.^iiisi: bioodfiames that is much more
simple anil more easily worked than any I
have seen or heard of yet. Sliall try it this
summer, and if it works well will imblish it.
Willis S. Yeaton.

[No, the bees will not remove
sugar-stores from the brood-chamber
to the sections, neither do we think
they will remove stores of any kind
to the sections from the brood-nest.

Your device for reversing frames
may work all right and be the best
in use but any method for reversing
frames singly is not wanted by bee-
keepers, nor is it practical. What is
wanted is a device for reversing all
of the frames easily and quickly when
there is necessity for so doing.
Reversible hives and not reversible
frames are what beekeepers want
and demand.]

Under date of Feb. 3, 1887, Mr. A.
E. Manum wrote thus: A warm day
last week revealed tiie fact that my
bees are wintering well on summer
stands; all seem to be in the best of
couditions — not a dead colony yet.

EDITORIAL.

Rearing Queens. —Our remarks,
on page 2o, A'ol. V, in reference to Dr.
Miller's book and his method given
the rein for rearing queens, have brought
a most interesting article from Mr. O.
O. Poppleton, in which he says that
he has trouble in separating the queen
celts when reared by the process given
in tiie Handy Book. We call Mr. Pop-
pleton's attention to the illustration on
page 159, Vol. IV. If the comb con-
taining the eggs is used curving or
placed in a convex position as repre-
sented in the illustration, there will be
no difficulty in separating the cells with-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

67

out dam.asing any of tliera. If the
coml) is placed in position on a straight
line, none of the cells c;in be removed
wit.hont cutting into nearl}' all of them.

Tlie comb may be curved very much
more than is represented in tiie illus-
tration. If Mr. Poppleton will take
this hint, he will experience very little
trouble in tliis line in future.

Reuardinir the quality of queens reared
during or after the honey-fl»vv, we can
see no difl'erence, and if a colony be
well fed while it is building queen-cells
there ouijlit not to be any dittVrence in
the quality of queens. Those who
have lead the Handy Book will remem-
ber that we strongly urge liberally
feeding a colony while cell-building is
going on, and also the keeping up of
the flow of syrup uniil every queen
cell is capped. By this practice all of
the young queens will prove first-class ;
i)Ut if not fed properly very few of
them, say not more than two out of
a dozen, will be of any value.

Regarding the matter of leaving out
one of every three eggs instead of ev-
ery alternate egg it may be that I did
not carry my experimeuts as far as
Mr. Poppleton and Dr. Miller have.
However, the method as given in the
Handy Book, that is, removing every
alternate egg, is practised as much
for economy as for the purpose of se-
curing a good quality of queens.

As a general rule, we use but one
queen to draw eggs from for cell build-
ing; for when a queen has been tested
for rearing we find that it pays to use
all of the eggs from one mother. The
same is also iruc of the drone mother.
When two such queens have been thor-
oughly tested for queens and drones,
we consider them worth, at le;ist, $100
apiece. If any person connected with
the bee-business, and more especially
the queen-rearing branch of it, appre-
ciates the value of a good queen, we
think we are the person.

A large majority of those who keep
bees know very little about the correct
methods of rearing queens. We wish
more of our prominent beekeepers un-
derstood the unitter better, as articles
on the subject would be most interest-
ing to the readers of any bee-journal.
As our methods are given in full in the
Handy Book, we do not feel like writ-
ing much on this question for publica-
tion in the various bee-journals — not
even for the Apicultukist.

It is pleasant to know that the meth-
ods given in our book are commended
by nearly all, if not quite all, promi-
ueut beekeepers. The editor of the

, most prominent and influential foreign
bee-journal wrote us the other day
that he thought so much of the Handy
Book that he h;id bought quite a num-
ber of them and presented them to his
friends. G. T. II. Gravenhorst, a prom-
inent beekeeper and editor of "Bie-
nenzeitung," a bee journal printed in
Germany, gave the Handy Book one of
the best testimonials it has I'eceived,
and we do not except those received
from the "American Bee Journal," Prof.
Cook, Rev. L. L. Langstrotli and over
one tiiousand others of our best known
apiarists.

Our methods for rearing queens may
be seen at our apiary at any time be-
tween May 10 and Aug. 25. After the
latter date we "start" no queen cells.
We will show the visitor long rows of
queen-cells, and will separate them to
prove the fact to any doubter that
all cells built by our method can
be separated without destroying any.
We will also exhibit queens and queen-
cells in the nursery, and hundreds of
queens both virgin and fertile iu nu-
clei.

Convention Reports.— Our read-
ers will find two model reports of bee
conventions in this number of the
"Api." Usuiilly such reports are very
dry reading, but those by Mrs. Hills
and J. H. Martin will be read with in-
terest by all. Reports of such meet-
ings made in the usual way aie not
desired by the Apiculturist. By the
way, how would it do for those parlies
who send long notices and programs of
prospective conventions to take a lit-
tle further notice of us by sending a
report of the doings of these meetings?
Such an act would show that the Api-
cuLTUHisr is not forgotten. We have
given much space to convention no-
tices, but the secretaries have forgotten
to favor us with reports of the pro-
ceedings.

We cannot promise to pnl)lish such
reports if sent to us. When the space
can be spared and they are ot the
"model" kind, they may find room iu
the Apiculturist.

Bees Taking a Flight— On Sun-
day, Jan. 23, all our colonies wintering
on the summer-stand had a good flight.
The day was clear, calm and warm ;
temperature 50^ in the shade. Every
colony but two reported strong in num-
bers and perfectly healthy. The flight

68

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

was a thorough, cleansing one, and what
were white snow and white hives were
more vellow than white l)er<)re the bees
were done flying. Sndi u flight nnder
lavorable circuiiistances is most bene-
liciul. These colonies are now in con-
dition to stand a confinement of at
least two months. A few bees were
lost on thi' snow, but the general good
to the ai>i:iry will more than offset the
few i)ees that pcrislied.

Thus far the bees on the summer
stand are, seemingly, wintering much
better than those in the cellar, although
the only difi'erence seems to be that
more bees are dying in the cellar than
out of doors. We may mistake about
this us all of the dead bees in the cel-
lar can be seen, while those that die
out of doors cannot;.

Bees in the Cellar.— We have
thirty-six colonies of bees in the cel-
lar; they were put in nine weeks ago.
To-day, I swept up about a peck of
dead bees. We have not had very ex-
tensive experience in wintering bees
in the cellar, and it seems to us that
there ought not to be quite so many
•dead bees.

The temperature does not vary much
from 48°, and all the colonies seem
very quiet.

Will those who have had experience
in such matters give us some informa-
tion regarding the quantity that usu-
ally die" during the winter while the
colonies are confined in the cellar or
bee house.

Bees on the summer stands seem
in fine condition at this date, Feb. 20.

When the combs are full of honey
in tlie lall, the bees will be found in the
early part of the winter clustered near
the bottom -board of the hive ; towards
spring, as the stores are eaten out,
the bees will be found near the top of
the frames. The colony must locate
where they can cluster compactly, in
order to preserve the proper tempera-
ture.

Perforated Metal.— We obtain
the perforated zinc used in the con-
struction of our drone and queen-
traps, from Thos. G. Newman & Son,
Chicago. The perforations are the
most accurate, and the metal is the
best we have ever used. No other
zinc, except that imported from Lon-
don, will do for the traps. Newman's
zinc costs but two cents more per foot
than some other.

Cheaper metal for honey-boards'
etc., may be had of A. I. Root of Me-
dina, Ohio, but his zinc will not do
for the traps unless Mr. Root has made
great improvements in its manufacture
since last year.

AVe svould say also to those who are
mamifacturing the traps that they
should have one coat of shellac to
protect the wood from the action of
the weather.

♦'The Canadian Honey Pro-
ducer" is the name of a new bee paper
published in Ontai'io, Canada, by E. S.
Gould & Co. of Brantford. One of the
editors is the person who translatetl the
old G*erman bee papers which appeared
in the back numbers of the " Apicultu-
rist."

A good monthly published in the
dominion of Canada has been needed
for a long lime, and the " Beekeeper"
will most likely receive the support it
deserves.

The subscription price is but forty
cents per annum, and we feel quite
sure that it •' won't pay " However,
that is no concern of ours. We will
send " The Producer" and the Apicul-
TUUiST one year for $1.10.

Seedtime and Harvest is a very
interesting magazine of thirty-two
pages devoted to rural affairs and
prhited at La Plume, Pa. The sub-
scription price is but fifty ceuts per
annum.

Our Club List.— Please notice our
club rates on another page. You will
see that we have adtled the " British
Weekly Bee Journal," also the " Brit-
ish Beekeepers' Guide Book," by Thos.
Wm. Cowan, F.G.S., F.R.W.S. The
sale of this work has reached the
large number of 1.5,000 copies and is
beiug translated into several languaiies.
It is profusely illustrated, and is vvoitliy
of beiug placed iu the library of any
beekeeper.

Our Price List. — We have no
price list or catalogue of any sort ex-
cept what is found in the last pages of
each number of the Apiculturist. Please
examine every page of the "Api," as
there is something of interest to all.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

69

On page 12 occurs a mistake of the
typo in Dr. Tinker's answer to Query
No. 1, tl)at alters the sense of the ital-
icized words in the first paragraph ma-
terially. The latter part of the sen-
tence should read : "(/le markings,"
not '-the ioor/,i)igs." Reference is had
to tlie prepotent influence of the drone
in d.etermining the color of the worker
progeny.

SPECIAL NOTICE.

E. T. Lewis & Co., Toledo, Oliio, are
ready to mail their thirty-two page il-
lustrated circular and price-list of bee-
keepers* supplies. They ofler for sale
goods of every description used in the
apiary. Tlieir honey extractor, the
manufacture of which they make a spe-
cialty, may be found in hundreds of
apiaries; and as they work to perfec-
tion, and are made of the best material
they give general satisfaction. Circu-
lars free.

CIRCULARS RECEIVED.

T)r. G. L. Tinker, New Philadeli)hia, O.
hives and fine sections.

Clias. F. Muth & Son, Cincinnati, O., gen-
eral supplies.

E. T. Lewis & Co., Toledo, O., general sup-
plies.

C. M. Goodspeed, Thorn Hill, X. Y., gen-
eral .'-upplies.

•Jno. A. Thornton, Lima, 111., queens, bees,
fowls, etc.

E. L. Gould & Co., Brantfoid, Ont., bee-
keepers' >upplies.

M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch, Mich., supplies.

All who Subscribe for the Apicul-

TUiiisT from January 1st will receive
one of our combined drone and queen-
traps free by mail. This is our method
of introducing the Apicui/ruiasT and
our drone and queen-traps into every
town and city in the United States.

Those who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expect to get the Handj''
Book or a queen for fifty cents, as the
pi'otits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscriber.

We do not advertise to give pre-
miums to those who subscribe through
other parties. We pay news' agents a
percentage on all subscriptions sent
us, and if you choose to give the agent
a profit instead of sending direct to us,
it is no fault of ours.

See Club List on another page.

AGENTS FOR TRAPS.

Messrs. Thos. G. Newman & Son,
925 West Madison St., Chicago, 111.,
are our agents for the sale of the Drone
and Queen-traps. Parties west of Chi-
cago, as well as those residing within
a radius of a few hundred miles of that
city, who desire from one dozen to
several dozen traps, can save some-
thing in freight and express charges by
ordering of the above firm. All who
can conveniently do so should order
traps early, as the trade in them the
coming season will be immense, and
there may be some delay in filling or-
ders later in the season.

THE OBSERVATORY HIVE.

By request of one of our readers
we give below a description of an
observatory hive such as we have liad
in use some thirty years ; in fact, our
first lessons in bee-culture were taken
from the observatory. When I had
been a beekeeper about two years I
visited our county fair, and there
first met Mr. Levi Fish of Danvers,
a man who was well versed in the
art of beekeeping. Mr. Fish had an
observatory hive on exhibition, con-
taining queen, bees and brood, which
was similar in construction to the one
I am about to describe.

The hive is merely a frame large
enough to take one standard L. frame
between two squares of glass, through
which every movement of the t]ueen
maybe seen, and the attention shown
her by the bees as she moves about
the combs ; how she deposits her
eggs ; how the bees remove the pol-
len from their legs and deposit and
pack it in the cells ; in fact, every-
thing that is going on in a full colony
of bees may be seen in the observa-
tory hive. Remove the queen from
such a hive and the whole operation
from the loss of a queen to the rear-
ing and fertilization of a new queen
may be witnessed in the course of
three weeks from the time the queen
is removed.

The novice can learn more of the

70

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

habits of the bee by watching and
studying the working of a colony in
such a hive than by any other method
we know of.

The observatory hive here illustra-
ted is made as follows : The bottom
board a is 25 in. long, and 8 in. wide
by I- in. thick ; end pieces, C C, are 2
in. long, 3^ in. wide. | in. thick.
Top, F, is 2oi in. long, 5J- in. wide, ^
in. thick. The strip of wood, E, is a
narrow piece of moulding (for fancy
only) nailed to the ends flush with
the top of the end pieces to keep the
latter in place. The piece B is 18^
in. long, 3!- in. wide, and | in. thick.
This piece as well as the end pieces

long. This leaves a space of about
^ in. all around the frame. Inch holes
are made in the end pieces two
inches from the top and covered on
the inside with wire-cloth for venti-
lation. Places are also cut at the top,
inside of the end pieces, for the frame
to rest in. These should be just
large enough to let the top-bar of the
frame in, for if the frame fits too
loosely, more or less bees will be
killed. It is well to drive a nail in
each side of the bottom-bar of the
frame to rest against the glass so
that when the hive is turned on its
side the frame will be held in place.
Do not permit the sun to shine on

Obseuvaxoky Hive.

has a saw kerf in it ^ inch in from
the edge and I in. deep for the glass
to run in. The piece, E, at the front
end has the entrance made through
it at the bottom. A notch is also cut
in the front end of piece, B, so that the
bees can pass over the bottom and
on to the comb. The shutters, H,
one of which is removed and shown
above the hive, are 18 inches long,
9I in. wide and | in. thick, with
clamps nailed at the ends (as shown
in illustration), to keep them from
warping. The inside measurement of
the hive is i|- in. wide, that is, be-
tween the glass, lo in. deep, and 18^

the comb and bees over one minute
at a time.

The most expensive item about
this hive is the glass, and that is not
very much.

THE UNION BEEKEEPERS'

CONVENTION IN

ALBANY, N Y.

Reported fur the American ApicuUurist.
J. H. Maktin.

Ik any of the beekeepers who
assembled at Agricultural Hall in
Albany had any misgivings in re-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

71

lation to attendance, etc., they
were soon dispelled, for the large
hall was well filled by a large, in-
telligent and enthusiastic gather-
ing.

Afler settling preliminaries in
relation to the three societies rep-
resented, receiving new members,
etc., the convention settled down to
business and took up the discus-
sion of alsyke clover. Tlie tes-
timonials were abundant in favor
of this plant, not only as a honey-
plant, but a forage-plant of the
highest value and adapted to the
use of the farmer. It seems to
thrive best on good soil with a ten-
dency to moisture, while on up-
lands and dr}' knolls it gives a
short growth. Its extended growth
was recommended. A. I. Root,
Manum and Bacon had given away
seed to induce farmers to sow it
and had been benefited thereby.
Following closely upon the clover
was an essay by Mr. Chapman, of
honey-plant fame. As this plant
is a new candidate for honors there
could be but limited testimonials
in its favor ; these were from Mr.
Chapman himself and from those
who had seen the plant in blossom.
The plant is worth at least a trial
by all beekeepers who have land
upon which to sow the seed. Mr.
Chapman has ten acres under cul-
tivation upon land valued at one
hundred dollars per acre. It was
suggested at this point that Mr.
Ciiapman should receive the honor
of being the first man to devote
a number of acres to the cultiva-
tion of a honey-plant. A. I. Root,
however, put in a plea that his ten
acres of basswood trees were the
first in the field.

The seeds of the plant resemble
common rye and are very rich in
oil. Mr. Chapman had a bottle of
this oil and considered it a valua-
ble product which would find a use
and sale in the markets.

On the second day, Jan. 12, the

attendance was large ; several new
arrivals were announced.

The discussions commenced by a
very interesting address by Mrs.
L. M. Thomas of Tacony, Fa.
Mrs. T. is an enthusiastic bee-
keeper and has made a success of
it, and she is, furthermore, a fluent
speaker. After her achlress the
gentlemen became very gallant. L.
C. Root pathetically described how
the bees would give the last drop
of honey to the queen and then
die, the queen being the last to die,
and said we, in like manner, should
give to our queens, the queens of
our homes. A. I. Root, Mr.
Tucker of New Jersey and others
talked in the sauie vein, saying
how much they owed to the quiet,
domestic queens who were willing
their husbands should receive all
the honors. Brother Aspinwall
wound up the discussion by read-
ing a poem " How bees came by
their sting." This was a very sol-
emn point in the proceedings of
the convention, and it was some
minutes before the next subject
could be discussed.

Much time was spent in the dis-
cussion of the marketing of honey,
and a resolution was passed invit-
ing middle men and grocers to take
part in the discussion. Mr. Wright,
an Albany commission merchant,
gave many points of interest; he
gave his sales as $20,000.00 worth
per year. He favored unglassed
sections and a 11-oz. section
which could be sold for ten cents.
His ideal section was 4 X 5i X
1^; this, being taller than a 41,
showed off better and would sell
more readily.

An animated discussion ensued
until a late hour, and so much in-
terest was manifested that it was
taken up again the next day.

Beekeepers seem to be behind
ever}^ trade in devising ways to
advertise and push the sale of their
product.

72

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

J. H. Martin presented statistics
to prove tliat there was not honey
enough produced, within several
tliousand tons, to malce it a staple
article, and that with proper eftort
at county fairs and in the home
market, "there would not be an
ounce of honey to go to the city
markets.

Mr. Smith compared our exhib-
its at the New York state fair
Avhere there was only about twenty
pounds on exhibition, to the To-
ronto fair where twenty tons were
displayed. This very interesting
discussion was finally wound up
by Mr. Porter of Virginia, giving
us a financial lecture on the rela-
tive value of gold and silver.
Beekeepers evidently need punch-
ing up into a greater degree of
entei'prise on this question.

On the last day, Jan. 13, the
first question for discussion was
an invitation from Jas. Heddon to
pitch into him in relation to his
views in opposition to conventions.
After an animated discussion it
was unanimously decided by a ris-
ing vote that Heddon was wrong.

Separators were discussed by N.
N. Betsinger. He advocated his
patent wire cloth separator and
tried to impress the convention
that he had no axe to grind. Mr.
Smith had tried the wire-cloth ar-
rangement and found it good.

Mr. Benedict thought the ex-
pense too great to warrant bee-
keepers in adopting them, his fig-
ures showing $22.50 difference
in the cost of wire vs. wood per
1,000.

There were several exhibits : H.
D. Davis of Bradford, Vt., gave a
large exhibit of fancy sections,
hives, etc. ; Aspinwall & Tiead-
well, hives, extractors and smok-
ers ; Mr. Newcomer, chafl' and sim-
plicity hives ; Dadant's foundation
and si full line of supplies.

Stanley exhibited his automatic
extractor and seemed to be sur-

rounded by an interested group.
W. E. Clark, smokers and supplies.
Betsinger, wire cloth separators ;
while many other useful articles
were upon exhibition. The com-
mittee upon exhibits wore: Ira
Barber, R. Bacon, and J. L. Scho-
field. Some of the exliibits were
commented upon favorably and
some sarcastically, and evoked a
storm of criticism ; and a motion
to refer the report back for revi-
sion was unanimously adopted.

A happy feeling pervaded tlie
convention during the entire ses-
sion, and it was a sort of a love
feast all through. Several visitors
were with us from other states :
from Vermont, H. D. Davis, J. E.
Crane, A. E. Manura and E. O.
Tuttle ; Mrs. Thomas from Penn-
sylvania : Mr. Porter from Vir-
ginia; T. T. Bingham from Mich-
igan ; A. I. Root from Ohio ; Mr.
Abbott from England.

Hartford, N. Y.

THE SHEBOYGAN COUNTY

{MICH.) BEEKEEPERS'

SOCIETY.

jReported for the /imerican Aiyicultiirist.
Mrs. H. Hill.

The Sheboygan Co. Beekeepers'
Association met at Hinghara, yes-
terday, the loth, at 10 a. m.

Nothing daunted by the forbid-
ding aspect of the weather and
roads, three sleighloads of merry
beekeepers left Sheboygan Falls at
8 A. M., and in due season arrived
at the hospitable home of Mr. L.
H. Baldwin, where roaring fires and
kindly greetings soon dispelled all
thought of any trifling discomforts
of the ride.

Meanwhile, through the windows,
the long rows of comfortable and
beautiful chaff-hives, and, in the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

73

distance, the bee-house of the out-
apiary, were phiinly visible.

At the appointed hour, all re-
paired to the Hall near by and
were greeted by a goodly number
of assembling beekeepers. During
the day, the following questions
■were discussed :

Do bees need water in winter,
and how may it be supplied?

General opinion that condensa-
tion aftbrds sufficient moisture, un-
less temperature is above 60° and
brood-rearing in progress. Also
that bees are most quiet at 45° or
a little below. Water may be given
in sponges, or in flat bottles, by
means of lamp-wick. See "Api,"
vol. 4, p. 151.

Will bees usu ally ^tove sufficient
honey in brood-chambers for win-
ter stores?

Italians will, Germans will not.
Winter ventilation. On summer
stands, entrances should corre-
spond to size of colonies and to
method of packing ; heavy colonies
having full-sized entrances. Up-
ward ventilation hardl}' need be
provided, as hives will not be air-
tight. Claimed that air will pass
in at one side of entrance and out
at the other.

Bridges should be placed over
combs in winter, affording free
passage from comb to comb and
also room for bees to cluster.

AV inter passages through the
combs are advantageous, though
they will afterwards be filled with
drone comb. Large openings cut
in combs will also be thus filled.

To prevent increase, the Simmins
non-swarming method was given.
Have frames run parallel with en-
trance, and continually keep several
empty frames in the front end of
hive, by taking away combs as fast
as built and replacing with empty
frames. Claimed that bees will not
swarm, as long as any part of the
brood-chamber is empty.

Plan foi- artificial swarming. Re-
move the old colony to new stand,

after taking from it, the comb con-
taining queen and adhering bees.
Place "tills comb in empty hive, on
old stand and fill up with empty
combs, or full sheets of foundation.
Allow old colony to rear queen or
supply one.

To prevent swarming during
hone3'-flow, be fully sure that from
the very first, bees have abundance
of room, air and shade. Might,
in case they grow lazy, take away
their combs for a day. Might, al-
so, take them away permanently,
giving them to weak swarms, or to
nuclei, previously started, and re-
place with empty combs or founda-
tion. Mr. Baldwin gave explana-
tions here which I did not fully
understand and may allude to later.
Decided that in the production
of comb honey, the German bee is
best ; for extracting, the Italian is
preferred.

In connection with prevention of
after-swarms, it was asked if vio-
lent jarring of combs will destroy
queen-cells. Decided that it will
not, provided the operator under-
stands his "biz" well. Method of
hiving half a dozen after swarms
together, advocated.

In the use of foundation, mere
starters, in sections, was advised ;
and "all you can afford," in brood-
chamber.

The fact was alluded to, that
cappings and bits of wax left near
the hives will be utilized by bees,
in comb-building.

Should sections have side-pas-
sages? In connection with this, a
specimen section from Dr. Tinker
was shown. Decided to be advan-
tageous as affording freer access,
containing less wood and present-
ing a better appearance.

In regard to wire cloth for sep-
arators it was thought that it would
not afford the necessary rigidity.

Extracting from brood-chamber
advocated only when the queen is
crowded.

There was a difference of opinion

74

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

as to whether honey is made darker-
colored by being stored in dark
conil)s : some thinking it would nat-
urally be tluis made a little darker ;
others thought not.

Mr. Alley's queen-nursery and
also the drone and queen-trap,
were exhibited and attracted a
great deal of attention ; — also the
Handy Book and beautifully bound
volumes o( the "Api."

The utmost harmony and good
feeling prevailed, and three new
members were added. It was re-
gretted that two i)rominent mem-
bers were absent. Mr. E. Peterman
of Waldo and Mr. J. Roberts of
School Hill.

The society is a re-organization,
dating from May, 1886, at which
time it adopted the constitution of
the old society, for some years in-
active.

At the dinner hour, Mr. A. H.
Brayman vied with Mr. Baldwin, in
Lospilality and kindh^ attentions,
to all present.

The meeting adjourned to May 5,
at the same place, and we drove
the ten miles home through blind-
ing sleet and the early darkness, all
undismayed at the rapidly increas-
ing snow-drifts, and never for a
moment regretting that we had
ventured on the rather uncertain
and uncomfortable day's journe3'.
Brother and sister beekeepers, go
ye and do likewise.

Sheboygan Falls, Mich.

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

Cape May City, N. J.

Mr. Ai,t-ky: That drone and queen-
trap is about tli(^ neatest Vahv^ I have
got liold of. With me it works per-
fectly.

Gico. W. Blake.

Woneivoc, Wis.
Friknd Allky :
Have not received Aplculturist for
this month (Jan. 1887). How do you
suppose I can do without one of the
best beejournals publi.siied ? It is four
times as good as it used to be.
Yours,

L. N. ToMGUE.

Amlover, Mass.
Pear Mr. Alley :—
I lilvC "Api". ■ It is A 1. No non-
sense, always full of instruction, arti-
cles froiu men of experience and good
judgment, who know what they are
writing about. The mechanical execu-
tion is ahead of any paper I see and I
take half a dozen. As long as you keep
it up to its present standard, I want its
monthly visitation.

There is no bee journal I read with
more pleasure and profit than this.

Rev. L. H. Shkldox.

Nineveh, Indiana.
Mr. Henry Alley: —
T received the two copies of the Am-
erican Aplculturist. I like it better
than any bee journal I have seen yet,
and I have samples of two others. En-
closed hud $1.50 for "Api" and queen
as soon as she can be sent.
Yours,
L. B. Graves.

Hamilton, Minn.
Friknd Alley :
I wish to expressmy thanks for such
a good bee paper. It is just O. K., and
I wi.sh it came every week. The bound
vols, are excellent.

C. H. Babcock.

Mil/ord, Pa,
Mr. Alley :

The "Aplculturist" and Handy Book
both received, and I feel very proud of
them. The Handy Book is just grand
and is worth many times its cost to
rae, as I am a new hand at the busi-
ness. The " Api" is the best bee jour-
nal I ever saw, and I thiiikit istlie best
that Is published in America.

RusLiNG Dewitt.
Lake George, iV. Y.
Henry Alley:
Dear Sir: January Apiculturist to
hand. I saw tiie slip of paper notify-
ing me that my subscription had ex-
pired. By all means continue the
journal. I would not be without it for
live times its cost.

F. A. Lockhart.

The American Apicultiirist.

ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICK, WKNHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTEU.

Published Monthly.

Henry Aixet, IManager.

VOL. V. WENHAM, MASS., APRIL i, 1887.

No. 4.

We deal in first-class apiavi- I Established in 1883. Terms:! Any yearly snbsci-iber is en-
an suijplies of all kinds, lowest I $1.00 jier year, 50 cents per six I titled to one of our selected
prices. Prompt delivery. I montlis, 2.5 cents per three I queens anytime between June 1

Send for price list. I months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. 1, bj' remitting .'50 cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN APICULTURIST, Wenham, Mass.

For the American JpicuUurist,

FEEDING SUGAR.

R. L. Taylor.

Since the publication of ni}'- ar-
ticle in the January number of the
"Apiculturist" for the present year
on the subject of sugar-stores (in
■which I ventured the opinion that
with such stores I could winter
bees with practical certainty), I
have received various inquiries ask-
ing for the method and time of feed-
ing, for information touching the
kind of sugar and its preparation,
and the alter management neces-
sary to secure certain success in
wintering ; and it may be of suffi-
cient interest to the readers of the
"Apiculturist" to warrant me in
answering these questions through
its pages.

It must be understood in the
first place that no colony, not in a
normal condition, can be wintered
with certainty. I would not say
that a colony must be strong nor
even of average strength, but it
should be of sufficient strength so
as not to feel a conscious need of
additional numbers, for veiy weak
colonies are much more likely to
breed unseasonably. The bees
must be healthy and the queen
vigorous. The uneasiness and ex-
citement in a colony consequent

7

on the loss of its queen precludes
certainty in wintering even under
the best conditions.

Having then an apiary consisting
of colonies in a normal condition,
the problem is how to get each col-
ony restricted to an amount of
comb equal to that of five L. frames
and to have that comb supplied, to
the exclusion of honey and bee-
bread, with at least twent}' pounds
of good sugar-syrup at or soon af-
ter the time when the last brood in
the hive emerges from the cell.

The first thing to receive atten-
tion is the obtaining of an adequate
supply of sugar. It should be
pure granulated sugar. I have
used Havemeyer & Elder's with
satisfaction. In making the sugar
into syrup the proportion of water
used should be one pound to two
pounds of sugar. It is better to
have the proportion of water less
rather than more and only soft
water should be used. I make the
syrup by first putting say thirty
pounds of water into a flat-bot-
tomed vessel (a wash boiler will
do) placed on the stove and when
the water begins to boil I pour into
it gently sixty pounds of the su-
gar ; it will dissolve as it drops
into the water and so preclude any
necessity of stirring and any dan-
ger of burning. The mixture may
be stirred lightly at first but I never
stir it afterwards. The stirring

(75)

76

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

recommended b}'^ some has I think
much to do with the granulating
of the s^-rnp sometimes comphiined
of. Some again advise the use of
acid to prevent this granulation of
the sj'rup but I have never used
and have never seen an_y necessity
for it. After the sugar has been
added to the water let the syrup
come to the boiling point, when it
is removed from the stove and is
read}' for feeding as soon as its
temperature falls to about 100° F.
While on the stove any scum that
may rise should be removed.

Now, with a supply of empty
combs obtained from the stock of
surplus combs, increased if need be
by extracting the honey from any
combs free from brood and bee-
bread that can be got from the
brood-chambers of the colonies to
be fed, we are prepared to give the
bees an opportunity to do their
part of the work. But when shall
they be allowed to begin? This
will depend somewhat on the sea-
son ; but just as soon as a consider-
able proportion of the brood-cham-
bers are free from brood the work
should be taken up with ardor.
When this time comes, take a hive
prepared with the required number
of empt}'^ combs and a division-
board, to the first colon}' to be op-
erated on, and set the hive with the
colony off its stand and arrange
the other hive in its place ready for
occupation by the colon}'. Now
shake and brush the bees off their
own combs upon the ground in
front of the hive prepared for them,
when they will at once take pos-
session of it and the same process
is pursued with the next and the
rest.

To do this work well, one must
take advantage of times when the
bees are quiet as on cloudy cool
days or during the cool hour of
early morning or of sunset ; and
then, if many colonies are to be
treated, promptness and energy

must be displayed. If any robbers
are abroad keep everything secure
from their curiosity ; and, when a
comb containing brood is found,
give it to a colony devoted to the
dut}' of caring for an}^ brood that
maybe found as the work goes on.

When 1 have a few colonies thus
changed into new hives I proceed
at once to feel them. I furnish
each with a second story and within,
on the top of the frames airead}'^
in, I fix a four quart tin milk pan
firm and level, fill it with the warm
s^^rup already prepared and cover
loosely with apiece of rather light
cotton-cloth about 16 or 18 inches
square. Success with this milk-
pan-feeder all hinges on tlie man-
ner in which the cloth is put on.
Fold under two opposite corners,
so that the syrup will not be en-
tirely covered, and draw together
at the middle as it is placed in po-
sition, so that there is sufficient
slack cloth on the syrup to allow
it to settle with the S3'rup to the
bottom of the pan ; otherwise, the
opposite corners of the cloth will
cling to the edges of the pan, so
that the cloth will after a little
hang across the pan instead of set-
tling with the syrup and as a result
many bees will be lost.

Instead of pans almost any ca-
pacious feeder may be used. I use
pans for the sake of economy as
they can be obtained by the dozen
for six or seven cents each.

In a da}'^ or two, as soon as the
first pan full is stored the pan
should be again filled and when
this is all taken up by the bees the
super and feeder may be removed
and the colony marked ready for
winter quarters.

To a few of the stronger colonies
a double set of empty combs should
be given, and also twice as much
feed so that there may be a few
sets of combs (filled with syrup and
capped over) in reserve, to be used
later in supplying those that have

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

77

been caring for the late brood and
to provide for otlter contingencies.

It is far safer to liave all feeding
done as early as possible at least
as soon as the middle of October
and earlier is better thongh I liave
done it later with success. But
beware of being caught l\y the cold
weather when tlie bees will no lon-
ger carry down the syrup. If
worst comes to worst in the ab-
sence of any other resource, a few
colonies if placed in a warm room
could be supplied very well.

Another wa}' in which sugar
stores may be got ready for use is
to select a number of colonies at
the beginning of the summer honey
dearth, reduce the brood-chamber
of each to the capacit}'^ of five -L.
frames, and then give to each empty
combs and syrup as fast as tlie
bees will appropriate them.
Treated in this wa}' a colony would
furnish capped sugar stores suffi-
cient for several others and these
stores may be easilj- substituted at
the proper time for the combs with
honey in the several colonies.

As this article is already long
enough I shall reserve the remain-
ing questions of winter manage-
ment for future discussion.

Lapeer, Mich.

For the American Apiculturist,

SIMMINS' NON-S WARMING
METHOD.

James Heddon.

In the "American Bee Journal" of
1886, page 727, Mr. Hutchinson
discussed the above method as
taught by Mr. Simmins of P^ngland.
In your last issue, Mr. Editor, I
notice that Mr. Samuel Cushman
discussed the same system. Both
reviewers seem never to suspect
that the system and its principles
were taught, practised and found

wanting as long as sixteen 3'ears
ago, in this country. I have no
doubt but that you and many others
of the older members well remem-
ber how it was presented b}^ Gen.
D. L. Adair of Kentucky and E.
Gallup of Iowa. Back numbers of
the A. B.J. are replete with reports
and discussions of this method, if I
understand Mr. Simmins' method
correctly.

In 1872 Gen. Adair published a'
twenty-five-cent pamphlet, entitled
"Progressive Bee Culture," in which
the system was detailed. Whether
or not I correctly understand the
Simmins' non-swarming sj'stem, I
certainly understand the Adair
system, and at the time it was be-
ing tested, I joined in the experi-
ments by constructing and using,
three seasons, thirtN'-two hives
specially designed to carry out the
system.

The claims for the "new idea"
system as it wa^ then called, were
as follows : Whatever was to be the
capacit^'of the hive, whether run for
comb or extracted hone}^ it was to
be all strung outhorizontally, never
but one story, or tier of frames
high ; all frames of the same size.
In producing comb honeys it could
be stored in full-size brood-frames
in large sheets, which were then in
such good demand with "honey-cut-
ters," who put comb and extracted
lioney together in glass jars. You
may be wondering if there wasn't
occasionally some pollen or cocoons
found in comb honey stored in this
yv&y ; but let me inform your junior
readers that in those days, even
such honey as that sold for twice
as much as the very nicest in our
little sections of to-day. This was
not all ; in those days the buyers
used to seek n.s, and many times
our whole crop was contracted for
long before either buyer or seller
knew hovv much that crop was to
be. These were the days when the
eyes of the apiarist gladdened as

78

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

he saw the clover and basswood
blossoms opening, and sweet was
the music of the 1mm of industry
upon which wife and child depended
for food and raiment. Shall we
never experience such anticipations
again ? In those days it seemed as
though every one, whether dealer
or consumer, wanted honej'. Now,
the tables seem to be reversed.

In these da3's, no doubt, such a
system, if practised at all, would
replace a part of the narrow brood-
frames with wide frames contain-
ing sections.

The theory as taught us at that
time, we carried out here, in the
following manner : I made thirty-
two hives, 41 inches long, calculat-
ed for twenty-eight to thirty brood-
frames, 91 by 14J- inches outside
measure. Frames run crosswise,
and entrance was at the end. These
hives were run for extracted honey,
and the most of our combs had to
be built in the frames the first year.

We placed nine or ten combs
with brood and queen at the ex-
treme back end of the hive and the
theory was that to prevent swarm-
ing we must always keep empty, or
partially empty frames, or empty
or partially empt}' combs, between
this brood-nest and the entrance.
Now, this seems to be the vital
point of Mr. Simmins' method.
Our three j^ears' experience here
proved that, with the addition of
shade and a large entrance, such
space given in such manner proved
to accomplish all that was claimed
for it in the way of prevention of
swarming. I think I never knew
of but one colony casting a swarm
during the entire time, while other
colonies were swarming freely. I
am not positive whether in the
above practice I exactly followed
Adair and Gallup, for Mr. Herbert
A. Burch and other prominent
honey-producers were writing upon
the subject and giving us pointers
at the time. I haven't time to look

over the old files of mj' bee papers
nor need I do so, for you and all
of your old-time subscribers will
remember it.

Now the question will naturally
arise. If this system of hive-con-
struction and manipulation will
really prevent swarming, why did
it become obsolete? Well, it did,
and is almost forgotten, and I will
answer that question as far as I
am concerned.

I found so many drawbacks and
disadvantages necessarily con-
nected with the horizontal s^^stem
and manipulation required to pro-
duce the result as compared with
the tiering or vertical system, that
the game wasn't worth the candle.
In fact, I found much more to lose
than gain. So far as I know, all the
rest who used the system arrived
at the same conclusion ; at least,
they arrived at a conclusion which
led to its abandonment.

I have given the above as my ar-
gument against the non-swarming
system, that I understand Mr. Sim-
mins to present. What I have
given are well-known facts. I have
by no means presented this in an-
ticipation of Mr. Simmins' discov-
ery or invention ; far from it. If
Mr. Simmins' proposed plans are
not good, as this essay claims, what
earthly objection can there be to
his having the ciedit of them, or a
patent covering them ? If they are
good, surely he has invented some-
thing different from what we had
before, and perished upon our
hands. We weighed the system on
the scales and found it wanting.
Weigh it again, if you please, and
again I believe you will find it
wanting, but if not it will certainly
be because it weighs more now than
then ; and if such proves to be the
case, surely there has been some-
thing added, and true it is that he
must be morally blind or crimi-
nally selfish who could not see or
would not admit, that to Mr. Sim-

THE AMERICAN APTCULTURIST.

79

mins belongs the difference between
failure and success. If I am right,
Mr. Simruins' non-s wanning sys-
tem will speedily perish. If I am
wrong, his system is not like the
one I have described above, for
patent law declares that abandon-
ment and subsequent adoption of
things claimed to be alike, is evi-
dence sufficient to negative tliat
claim. I have no doubt but that
Mr. Simmins is original in his in-
vention, but it seems to me he is
not prior. However, dead priorit}^
cannot antedate living utility. Let
us be honorable if we do not see
all things alike.

Dowagiac, Mich.

For the American Apiculturist.

ROW TO CREATE A HOME
MARKET FOR HONE Y.

MRS. S. E. SHEARMAN.

There seems to be great depres-
sion in tlie honey market as regards
a paying price for the production
of honey. Many fearing that there
is already an over-production, and
not any room left for a novice or
beginner, and more especially if
the beginner is a woman, I beg
leave to differ somewliat with those
of the above opinion, especially as
long as there is so much " sweet-
ness wasted on the desert air," for
the want of the bus}"^ little bee to
gather it and so many children in
these United States of ours that
do not so mueli as get one good
square mess of honey ayear. Then,
I say, rear all the bees you can to
gather all the honey tliey can and
then instead of shipping it all to
the large cities, sell it at home in
the country. If you cannot sell it
for tlie cash, barter it off for other
produce or anything else that 3'ou
can make use of. I have in tliis
way worked up a verj- good honey

trade at home. Only yesterday a
nice young lady came and wanted
to barter meal, flour screenings or
anything from the mill. I gave
her six lbs. of honey for a bushel
of meal ; she went off rejoicing say-
ing that she would not take five
dollars for that jar of honey for she
loved it better than anything that
she ever tasted in her life and never
tired of it. I have in this way
made many good customers. I ex-
tracted 1,036 pounds and took 100
pounds of comb honey last year
all of which is sold except about
75 pounds of extracted. I got 12^
cents per pound for the extracted
and 162. for tlie comb while a gen-
tleman living a few miles from
town only got 10 and 12^ for his.
Last year and the present winter
have been very hard on bees in this
portion of Texas, especially the
black or native bee. Many have
lost all they had ; so far I have not
lost a single colon}'. Tliey are
bringing iu pollen this evening.
"Feb. 6, 1887.

Salado, Bell Co., Texas.

For the American Apiculturist.

APICULTURE IN CALI-
FORNIA.

A. Norton.

BEES, ETC.

Bees were first brought to Cali-
fornia somewhere about 1854.
What must have been the relations
of insect life to i)lant life for ages
before this, one has only conjecture
for the basis of an opiiuon, save
when he wanders to some more
distant mountain wild, where bees
do not happen to abound, and sees
the variety of blossoms frequented
only b}' tlie few bumble bees and
the smaller kinds of insects. Then
he realizes how nectar has been
produced be^-ond estimate, an in-

80

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

considerable fraction of which
was consumed directly, still less
ever stored. Yet we find some
flowers as curiously and wonder-
fully shaped for cross-fertilization
through the agency of insects as if
the honey-bee had been taken origi-
nally for the insect pattern. Bum-
ble-bees, " humming-bird-moths,"
mason bees, and others whose vis-
its to the flower are after the same
manner as the honey bee's, have
played an important part in the
fertilization of such species ; and
moths and various small insects
have assisted in the case of others.
The Creator always has means to
bring about his ends.

And what must have been the
extent of the deprivation suffered
by the grizzly bears during tliese
untold ages is to be conjectured
also. Probably it was lessened by
the bliss of their ignorance. In-
stead of the stores of sweets so
often revelled in by their smaller,
but more favored, eastern neighbors
for generations before their enemy,
man, performed his one solitary
benefaction for them, tiie}' had to
put up with the consolation afforded
by tiie discover}' of stray bumble-
bees' nests now and then, whose
aggregate sweetness couhl hardly
be more than as a drop on the end
of a respectable grizzly's tongue.

Tlie first bees that were success-
fully brought to California cost as
high as ^150 per hive. A swarm
taken to San Jose is said to have
cast six or seven swarms the next
spring. The first taken to Los
Angeles gave but two swarms.
Young swarms then brought from
S75 to $100 each. So a start in
beekeeping was quite expensive.
Italians were introduced not much
later ; and given good blood to
start witli, they might have been
easily kept in their purity for some
years. But bees soon began to
increase and gain a foothold, so to
speak, and it was not many years

before they abounded among the
apiaries of the soutliern counties
and also made starts in life for tliem-
selves ; and wild bees became so
plentiful in trees and rocks every-
where, that the California grizzly
could survey his uncounted wealth
and look with disdain upon any
other bear in the world.

Bees in most of the large apia-
ries are hopelessly hybridized. I
dare say that most apiai-ists will
argue on the side of Heddon in
favor of combining the points of
different races. Their A'iews are
not quite up to his, however ; for,
instead of select breeding from
regulated crosses, they put diff'er-
ent kinds together and leave cross-
ing and intercrossing to nature.
The main source of yellow blood is
the Italian. The other races are
but sparingly introduced. From
the diff'erent degrees of mixture, it
is hard to give any definite report
on the merits of hybrids. More-
over, it is doubtful if many can
furnish any facts and figures of ex-
perience with full bred bees of the
yellow races to place alongside
these results from cross-breds. Mr.
Wm. Muth-Ramussen favors a pre-
ponderance of Italians with a dash,
say one-eighth to one-fourth, of
black blood. Some seasons ago I
observed the first season's result
of triple crossing in the apiaries of
Mr. Wilkin. His bees in one api-
ary consisted of 700 stocks in all
stages of crossing between Italians
and black, but with a preponder-
ance of the former and a goodly
share of pure Italian. Among
these he introduced pure Syrian
blood with a view solel}' to get a
mixture of the three. It being the
first season, I could only see how
the cross appeared and behaved ;
but Mr. Wilkin has since expressed
himself as satisfied with it so far as
he could observe.

I have been in correspondence
with Mr. Gust. Murhard of Port-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

81

land, Oregon, who has apiaries in
that place and southern Washing-
ton Territory. He is one of a few
pioneers in that region of tlie in-
dustr_Y conducted as it should be.
And 1 hope to hear good reports
from him and his contemporaries
from time to time. Mr. Wilkin
has tried various races up there.
He has imported the Mt. Lebanon
Syrians from Benton, and he ad-
vocates this race as better in his
experience than any other, al-
thougii last season he found that
the first to work in the sections
were the progeny of a Carniolan
queen mated vvitli a S3'rian drone.
The season of 1884-85 was what
is known as a dry year. The win-
ter rains were insufficient to sup-
port permanent growth, and wild
flowers either perished or went pre-
raaturel}^ to seed. The honey How
was scarce, and bees starved in
immense numbers. My own suf-
fered as severely as any. That
season I had made a start with the
Cyprians. A two-frame nucleus
obtained the last week of March,
1885, and given two extra frames
of brood, had increased so much
by the lOlh of May that I had to
divide them to prevent swarming.
The two colonies thus produced
stored hone}' sufficient to keep
them in plentj'' till the succeeding
spring, while my black and Ital-
ians hybrids began starving in the
fall. I had taken them on trial ;
and hence I did not Cyprianize my
apiar}'^ save to a limited extent be-
fore testing the bees, which with
such a dry season brought it too
late until the following spring.
Last spring, I infused the Cyprian
blood throughout ni}- stocks, hav-
ing many grades of course among
the purely mated. And, while, in
as rich a season as was the one
last past, any bees will do well
and the difference between races is
not so clearly shown, still I am
fully pleased ; and I am much in-

clined to indorse the opinion of
B. F. Carroll of Texas, who writes
me tliat after trying the Cj'prians
for several years, he has resolved
to discard all others ; and that he
wants nothing but pure C\'prian
blood in his aipary.

For the temper of Cyprians I
have not much to sa}' in apology :
and I seldom expect to handle gen-
tle bees. One who has only a few
colonies near his residence, natu-
rally wants them gentle ; and it is a
source of true pride and pleasure
to have Albinos, or Italians that he
can look through without veil or
smoker. But I have yet to see an •
extracting apiary of such propor-
tions as to render rapid handling
necessary, to get around with one
extracting in time to begin another
in which the bees are not confirmed
misanthroi)ists, in which they will
not dig up the tomahawk, marshal
their warriors and meet man at the
outermost border of the apiary.
I never saw pure Italians compos-
ing entirely a large apiar3^ I don't
know how they would behave.

But, in my opinion, the operator
of many hives should get used to
handling vicious bees ; and then
the character of Cyprians and Sy-
rians will not trouble him. But to
do them justice, I will s,v^y that
Cyprians may at times be handled
witli comparative ease. At others
it takes little provocation to set
them on the war-path. I have
never seen the C^'prian or Sj'rian
bees that could not be handled all
right if the operator possessed
patience and fortitude. They and
their black crosses are no worse in
disposition than Italians hybridized
with blacks. They are simply
more determined and pertinacious.
I propose to retain the Cyprians,
and I hope to improve them next
season by importing from Benton's
best grade stock which this season
I failed to do.

In the line of appliances, bee-

82

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

keepers of this state have kept
\yell up with tlie times in some re-
spects, though the tendency to use
as few superfluous things as possi-
ble is perhaps to be noted and com-
mended as well. But in style and
make of honey-extractors I can
safely say that apiarists in Santa
Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles
counties have been in advance of
those in any other state ; and, un-
til the invention of the Stanley
automatic extractor, there was none
as good as the California machine.
They are made to hold four, six,
or eight frames. Some are pro-
• vided with breaks that work nicely.
The case is generally of strong
galvanized iron. The comb-baskets
swing around like doors and there-
fore when the uncapped combs are
put in, they need not be taken out
till extracted from both sides. Be-
fore the Stanley extractor had been
invented, I saw a six frame ex-
tractor in which the combs could
be turned at one motion by means
of a peculiarly arranged rod. Ex-
tractors are rarely provided with an
arrangement whereby the operator
" winds up " a weight, sets the
machine going and ma}^ then turn
aside to uncap more combs. The
comb-baskets are strongly made ;
the size of the can gives it solidity
and stability, and enables the op-
erator to work rapidly by using
both hands at once while placing
or removing combs, thus accom-
plishing each in short order. For
a large apiary, an eight frame ex-
tractor is to be preferred. For
smaller ones the four-frame is large-
ly- used. It is hard to say how with
eight frame-hives, the six frame
extractor can be convenient ; but
with the Gallup hive it would be
just right provided twelve frame
hives were used.

Gonzales, Cut.

For the American ApicuUurist.

FASTENING FOUNDATION
IN SECTIONS.

GJenwood, Kew South Wales, Australia.
Editor Amekican '-api."

Will yon request Mr. W. M. Woodward to
give his inetluxl of fastening- foundation in
sections both top and bottom, as lie recom-
mends on iiase 218, Vol. IV, of your journal?
I have tried tlie matter with PaVljer's founda-
tion fastener, but could not make it work to
my satisfaction.

Yours etc.,

Major Shallard.

ANSWER BT W. M. WOODWARD.

In answer to Mr. Shallard, I
must say the fastening of founda-
tion at both ends in sections re-
quires a large amount of skill to
do it well ; but when well done is
to my mind far the most superior
way.

Use the Parker fastener made
I inch less than the section inside ;
cut foundation | less than inside
of section, horizontally, and two
rows of cells (or three rows will
do) larger, perpendicularly ; have
a board large enough to lay four,
eight or twelve pieces upon it and
pick any one off without disturb-
ing the rest. Now for the

MODUS OPERANDI.

Select a da}-, if possible, when
it is very warm and clear, one when
the sun shines xevy warm. Place
the board before a window, with
all currents of air cut off, and
table, with fastener on, close before
it ; raise the back edge or lower it
until you receive just the amount
of heat required to warm the wax
as fast as you can use it.

Now, when ready, sit down and
at first deliberately place the foun-
dation around on the board and
watch at first carefully, and as it
gets just as limp as you can han-
dle it (all over) it is ready. If it
turns white, it is too warm and
will break.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

83

Now, place the end of founda-
tion in the fastener as usual, being
careful to put it in square and
fasten, doing all in the sunshine,
so as to keep up the heat.

If now the top of the section be
tipped away from the fastener, and
the section turned clear over in
that waj', the limp foundation will
hang straight and drop square into
the bottom of the section until it
' strikes the bottom-bar. Now raise
lever again and place this end in
as before. Observe carefully how
high to raise the lever to have it
stretch the foundation just as much
as it will bear, while it is yet as
warm as directed above. This
is indeed a nice job, but it can soon
be learned, and the work can be
speedily done by an expert, as the
time required to invert with one
hand and fasten with the other
does not exceed one-fourth loss
from the usual v^a.y. The work
must be done at a single stroke, as
an}' after work on it is sure to draw
the foundation all out of shape.

In the absence of sunshine I
succeed just as well by a fire, keep-
ing the above principles strictly in
view. Sections must be square
and solid.

Custer ParJc, III.

SPRING MANAGEMENT OF
BEESy

A. C. Miller.

In beekeeping as in all other
branches of agriculture we must in
winter prepare for summer and in
summer for winter. It is time now
that we should be planning for our
spring work.

Second in importance to the suc-
cessful wintering of bees, is the care

^ An essay read before the R, I. Beekeepers'
Society, Dee. 22, 1886.

they receive in the spring, as on it,
to a great extent, depends the suc-
cess or failure of the season. On
the first mild and pleasant day in
April, the colonies should be over-
hauled, all empty combs should be
removed, honey supplied where
needed and the brood-chamber con-
tracted until the bees fill it com-
pletely. Do not remove the chaff,
for the bees need it almost as much
now as in mid-winter. Thus ar-
ranged, the bees can keep the brood
apartment at that high temperature
so necessary for rapid and successful
brood- rearing.

Raising the temperature of the
hive in the sprmg tends to stimulate
the queen to increased egg-laying ;
but to induce her to continue, other
methods must supplement it. Stim-
ulative feeding at this time is not safe,
as it induces the bees to fly out in
days when they would become so
chilled that they would be unable to
return and there are no bees to spare
at this season.

The following plan works very
well with slight if any danger to
either brood or bees. After the
brood-chamber has been contracted
as directed, if there are any combs
having brood on but one side, turn
one of them so that the empty side
is toward the centre of the cluster.
This will give laying room for the
queen where she is quick to use it.
In about a week, repeat the operation
with another frame and so on until
the combs are full of brood ; then and
not until then is it safe to add more
empty combs. See that they have
plenty of honey at this time, for brood
rearing consumes a large amount of
it, and to have them run short of
stores will stop the queens laying and
sometimes cause the bees to destroy
all unhatched eggs and young larvae.

As the season advances stimulative
feeding may be safely commenced ;
it will stir up any dilatory queens and
incite the others to increased activity.
About four ounces of diluted honey

84

THE AMERICAN A PIGUL TURIS T.

per day is sufficient for this pur-
pose ; feed inside of the hive and feed
regularly. As a substitute for pollen,
use rye meal ; place a dish of it in
some sheltered and sunny spot where
the bees may have easy access to it.
To start them to work on it break
the cappings of a small piece of comb
honey and place on the meal ; they
will soon find it and once at work
they will not desert it until they can
get natural pollen.

To get as large a force of bees as
possible by the time the honey har-
vest commences, is the object sought
for by all systems of spring manage-
ment, and the foregoing method has
been proved to be safe and effectual
for this locality.

Drownville, R. I.

For the American Apiciilturist.

TREATMENT OF BEES

WHEN TAKEN FROM THE

CELLAR OR BEE-HOUSE.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

As the time is near at hand when
our pets which have been housed all
winter must be placed on their
summer stands and cared for, per-
haps, I can do no better at this
time than to tell the readers of the
American Apiculturist what I do
when setting out and afterward, un-
til time to put on the surplus ar-
rangement. I manage the setting
out of bees differently from what
most apiarists do and after trying
all the plans for years, which iiave
been given, like this much better
than any other. Beginning with
the first day that the bees which
are out-doors gather pollen, I com-
mence at about 4 o'clock p.m. (if
the mercury stands as high as 55°
in the shade), to set out "a part of
them, say from five to fifteen colo-
nies as the case may be, scattering

them about the yard so that they
will be as far apart as possible and
yet be within the limit of what
space I wish the yard to occupy.
This is done so that I need keep
no track of where they formerly
stood, and yet not have any mixing
of bees as would be the case were
all set out at once or near together.
To set out I place my spring wheel-
barrow and lighted smoker near the,
door of the cellar or bee-house,'
when I carefully open the door and
quickly step in and get the first
hive nearest the door, placing it on
the wheelbarrow, when the door is
immediately shut again. The bees
in the hive now begin to realize
that their long winter nap is at an
end, and if I took no precautions
would soon be out of the hive and
in the air, losing their homes and
stinging fearfully. To avoid this,
I now blow four or five puffs of
smoke in at the entrance to keep
them quiet, when the entrance is
closed by laying a square stick in
front of it, when the hive is wheeled
and placed on the stand it is to oc-
cupy. The stick is now taken from
the entrance and the bees allowed
to fly. This they will do as lei-
surely as they would had they not
been disturbed at all, which is a
great advantage to them in mark-
ing their location and repelling
robbers. The next pleasant day
more are set out in the same way
and at about the same time, scat-
tering them about as before, but
paying no attention as to how near
they come to those already out, for
they are liable to mix only with
those set out at the same time, I
sometimes set out about the same
number in the morning of a pleas-
ant day beginning to carry out as
soon as the mercury reaches 45°,
because in this case the bees must
get through their greatest flight
before those already out become
active, or else there is danger from
robbing. In fact, those set out in

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

85

the morning are much more litible
to be robbed at best, and for this
reason I set out mostly in the af-
ternoon. By this phin all the fa-
tigue usually attendant upon this
work is overcome as well as the
mixing of bees, keeping record of
where each hive stood the year be-
fore, etc., etc. As soon as set out
the next work is to see that all
have plenty of stores, and if in a
tight-bottomed hive clean off the
bottom -board. As I use loose
bottom-boards, a clean bottom
board is placed on the wheelbar-
row to set the hive on, so I do not
have to disturb the bees afterward,
on this account. To find out about
the honey or stores, the first cool
morning go to the hive, take off the
cover and carefully raise the quilt
or honey-board and look for sealed
honey along the top-bar of the
frames. If plenty is seen they are
all right till they are to be over-
hauled three weeks later. If little
or none is seen they must be fed ;
for if we are to reap good results
from our bees they must have
plenty of stores at this time to en-
courage brood-rearing. For food
at this time I prefer combs of sealed
honey set in next the cluster to
anything else. If no such can be
had, we must feed syrup, of course ;
but the feeding of syrup, thus early
in the season, entices many bees
out to perish in unfavorable weath-
er. Three weeks later, the hives are
to be opened for the first time (un-
less vve have some essential cause
for opening them before), and the
brood nest reversed by placing the
two centre cards of brood on the out-
side and the outside ones in the
centre. By so doing, a great gain
is made as all the older brood are in
the central combs which are gener-
ally filled nearly to the outside of
the frame, while only small patches
of eggs and small larva are in the
outer one. This reversion causes
the now inside frames to be filled

entirely with brood in the short-
est space of time, while there is
little danger of chilling the brood
as there would be if the spreading
plan was adoj)ted thus earl^^. At
this time we should also know that
each colony has plenty of stores to
last two or more weeks, for at no
time should the bees feel that they
must economize in honey, if brood-
rearing is to go on rapidly, which
it must at this time if we are to
get a good harvest. In about ten
days a frame of empty comb is to
be inserted in the centre of the
brood-nest, or better still, a frame
of honey which has previously had
the sealing to the cells broken. By
the removing of this honey the
bees are greatly stimulated and
brood-rearing accelerated. In eight
or ten days more the brood nest is
again reversed, when, if all has
worked well, there will be brood in
all but the two outside combs, and
generally in these, but if not there
soon will be, owing to full sheets of
brood coming next to them. If hon-
ey is now coming in, the surplus
arrangement is to be put on in a
day or two, and it is better to put
it on in a week or so in any event.
This, in brief, is my plan of man-
agement from the time of setting-
out till the first honey flow from
clover.

Borodino, N. Y.

For the American Apiculturist.

PRICE OF HONE Y.

Dr. C. C. Miller.

G. W. Demaree talks quite sen-
sibly in March '' Api " and I think
it is time some one talked a little
on that side of the question. The
idea that the price of honey can be
fixed in advance by beekeepers with
no reference to demand and supply
seems to be in the minds of some,
and it has been somewhat amusing

'^6

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

to see, I think at least two writers
say something like this, " I would
suggest sixteen cents for comb and
twelve for extracted." Evidently
these writers had the thought that
beekeepers actually would meet
and fix upon a price, and that price
would obtain, and they hastened to
suggest a proper price. If the
thing is to be settled simply by our
ipse dixit, I would suggest 22
cents for comb, and will be mag-
nanimous enough to concede to
those who raise extracted honey the
privilege of fixing upon a price to
suit themselves. I think it quite
possible that beekeepers could agree
upon a price and just possible, al-
though extremely improbable, that
all might be induced to hold to
that price, but in that case there is
the higliest probability that we
would keep a large part of our
honey. But to fix upon a price,
unless a very low one, without ref-
erence to the law of supply and
demand and sell all the crop at that
price for sure, the thing can't be
done. Even with so stable an ar-
ticle as wheat the thing could'nt be
done. If all tlie wheat-raisers in
the world should make a cast-iron
combination and agree upon a price
above the average in a year when
the yield was above the average,
the inevitable result would be that
the wheat would not be used.

But while there has been much
written that is unreasonable I am
not with Mr. Demaree in his last
paragraph, if I understand him
rightly. Tliat is, I do not think
there is 7iothing that can be done by
some kind of united action. I think
he is entirely right that everything
possible must be done to cheapen the
cost of producing, but I think we are
not compelled to take blindly just
what is offered us any more than it
is possible for us to compel con-
sumers to give any price we may
fix upon. In middle ground there
is generally safety. Just how

much can be done by united action
I am not prepared to say. Tliere
is one thing, however, that might
be done if all — ah ! that if — if
all would pull together. That is,
obtaining reliable information as to
the supply. There is no use tr}^-
ing to ignore the law of supply and
demand. If the supply is known
and the demand is known, it is not
so diflicult to estimate somewhat
as to the price. The demand is not
so very fluctuating, neither does it
fluctuate with great rapidity and
might be pretty closely estimated ;
but still it could hardly be fixed up-
on to a certainty. The supply, how-
ever, being all in the hands of bee-
keepers, it is possible to ascertain
exactly how much is produced each
year. Years ago I strenuously urged
this, and a plan was devised where-
by full information could have been
obtained as to the supply, at a cost
of not more than two cents to each
beekeeper if each had responded.
But they did'nt, and the thing was
a failure. Not one in ten cared
enough to write a postal. Perhaps
the time is now ripening for some-
thing of the kind. Perhaps I may
explain a little how such informa-
tion would be of benefit. A few
years ago there were buyers who
would pay cash for honey in any
quantity. I suppose some of them
made by it, but one year came when
they were badly bitten. They had
underestimated the amount pro-
duced and had to sell for less than
they had anticipated. Some of the
largest buyers since then will han-
dle hone}^ only on commission. It
is too uncertain a matter, and those
who now pay cash for honey are
fewer in number. If a firm knew
just how much honey was in the
country they could tell just what
they could afford to pay and it
would be better for all parties.
Another thing: suppose a bu^'er
asks me in August or September
what I will sell him my crop at,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

87

how can I decide intelligently ? For
anything I can then find out the
crop may be half or double the
usual quantity, and yet I have
more than once been asked to set
a price on my honey before it was
harvested. Perhaps it is not nec-
essary to pursue this further as no
one may dispute the value of ac-
curate statistics seasonably ob-
tained, but liow are they to be had ?
I am glad to see the Apiculturist
still improving and I believe it is
a reliable affair even to its adver-
tising pages with a single excep-
tion. On those pages I find
advertised a book called " A Year
among the Bees" of 128 pages.
Now to my certain knowledge, said
book contains only 114 pages. The
question arises, if any purchaser
in answer to the advertisement re-
ceives the book and finds it fourteen
pages short, by whom shall he
have the lacking pages written, by
the author or the editor of the Api-
culturist ?

[Pretty good, Doctor ; neverthe-
less, if we can count correctly, the
book you mention has 128 pages,
that is counting the pages on which
advertisements are printed.]

For the American Apiculturist.

A WOMAN'S SUCCESS IN
BEE CULTURE.

MRS. H. HILLS.

VISITING THE BEE-CEI.LAK, AND
CARE OF THE BEES.

^'•Many heekeejjers Wke the honey
and the money, hut do not care par-
ticidarly for the bees." Thus said
to me lately, a very enthusiastic
and successful beekeeper.

Might not this remark help to
solve the vexed problem of so mucli

unsuccessful beekeeping? We all
know, for instance, how plants will
thrive and rejoice under the loving
eye, and deft hand of the true gar-
dener, who instinctively under-
stands and anticipates their every
need and desire, until in their
wonderful response to his intense
devotion, we can hardl}' regard
them as inanimate. Compare them
with the poor orphans of their
kind, who languish under the ear-
nest, but unskilful, hands of him
who cultivates them only from ne-
cessity.

I cannot help thinking, that to
my all-absorbing interest in the
bees themselves, may be attributed
the fact, that I have never yet, in
my three years' experience, lost a
colony, from any cause whatever.

Next to the delight of working
with the bees, is that of writing
about them. Do you think any of
your readers would care to know
how they looked yesterday, on be-
ing visited for the third time since
Thanksgiving Day, at which date
they were placed in winter quarters ?

I enjoy this occasional visit so
much, that it seems as if every one
else must, also, want to hear about
it.

I have already described my cel-
lar arrangements, except, perhaps,
that the bee-apartmentis separated
from the vegetable-cellar, which is
in daily use, only by a double par-
tition of heavy horse-blankets,
very carefully arranged. No ray
of light can penetrate to any part
of the cellar.

Though we seldom remain in the
bee apartment above five minutes,
no days of the winter are so eag-
erl}^ anticipated, as those set apart
for these visits. Immediately on
rising from the breakfast table,
preparations are made. You are
acquainted with Mephisto, the
Doubter, the Denier, whose vision
can never penetrate beyond the
gloom, that, so far as beekeeing is

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

concerned, always bounds his own
mental horizon ? Most beekeepers
will recognize the type.

Well, Mephisto, carrying a dim
light, proceeds to lead the way to
the cellar; while the beekeeper,
armed with a dust-pan and broom,
and a long hooked wire, meekly
follows. And just here, I would
like to ask, why Mephisto, who
would inevitably ruin all the bees,
if allowed to meddle with them,
should always naturally lead off,
in this procession of two.

But to the bees. Truly that
dark cellar did appear to be a very
happy place — air quite soft and
pure — no trace of mould on the
cement floor or stone walls. Not
a bee was seen to fly out of the
twenty-seven hives ; and so few
dead bees, that we decided not to
sweep them up, as we have always,
at mid-winter, heretofore done.
No use for the hooked wire, — as
indeed, the backs of hives are
raised considerably higher than
fronts, to facilitate removal of
dead bees. A good many colonies
seemed perfectly quiet, while from
others, proceeded the most gentle,
happy "■hum" imaginable.

And so we silently hastened out,
feeling it almost sacreligious, to
have thus intruded, without invi-
tation, into the quiet and seclusion,
of this, apparently, so peaceful,
winter home. And Mephisto, for
once, was silent.

You will see that the report of
the Sheboygan Co. Beekeepers'
meeting in "Api," March No.,
should read in Wisconsin^ instead
of Michigan^ as given.

Sheboygan Falls, Wiscoyisin.

CAN BEES TAKE CARE OF
THEMSEL VES?

Six Mile P. O., IFayne Co. 111.

Dear Sir:

Tlie writer of this li.is thirty-five
stands of bees in Langstruth hives. Mj^ bus-
iness will take me away from liome most of
the summer. I want to koow how to i)revent
my bees swarming. Will you tell me the best
w.iy to di) it? I have been told that to cut out
the (jucen cells in Alay and .lunewouUl pre-
vent swarming. Is Ihiit true? Will not ihe
young bees come out and swarm, queen or no
queen ? Is it not as natural for them to swarm
as it is to make honey? And will not they
swarm witliouta new queen and keep coming
out, doing no good ?

II you will send me a line or two and let me
know how to prevent swarming, I shall be
obliged. Yours truly,

William Leacii.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

In reply to the letter of Mr. Wil-
liam Leach, which reality amounts
to the above question, I can only
say that for more than twenty
years I have been trying to get my
bees to take care of themselves,
but as yet have not succeeded.
Tlie " swarming impulse" is as
natural as the instinct for gather-
ing honey, and one is as easily con-
trolled as the other ; that is, neither
can be in anywise controlled. It
is true that swarming itself may be
to a certain extent prevented by
removing queens, giving room in
the hive, etc., but none of these
plans are certain or positive in their
effects. It makes no difference
what hive is used, if it is large
enough, the ten frame L. being my
j)refercnce. Manipulation may, to
a certain extent, and at certain
times prove advantageous, but can-
not be relied upon at any time. In
fact I know of but one means by
which swarming can positively and
certainly and at any and all times
be prevented, and that is by using
the queen and drone-trap. If one
of these is attached to each hive,
the owner ma}' go where he pleases,
when he pleases, and stay as long
as he pleases, with the positive
assurance that no swarm can issue

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

89

during his absence ; and that no
injury will be caused to his bees
by tlieir use. I have tested such
traps myself, and know of hun-
dreds who have tested them also,
and have yet to learn of failure
where used properly. I can most
heartily and cheerfully recommend
them to all beekeepers, and par-
ticularly to those whose business
calls them away from the apiary
during the swarming season, be-
lieving firmly that no one who uses
them one season will ever be with-
out them thereafter. As Mr. Leach
asks for the best way to prevent
swarming, my answer can be pre-
dicted from the above. The rem-
edy is inexpensive, and when it, is
considered tiiat excess of drones
can be prevented, or those that are
undesirable prevented Irom flying
during the mating season, it is an
actual necessity.

Foxboro, Mass.

For the American Apictilturist.

HONE T vs. BROOD.

C. VV. Dayton.

Here, on the forty-third par-
allel, the bees are removed from
the cellar from April 21 to April
25. From that time to May 15,
the colonies become smaller because
3'oung bees are not reared fast
enough to take the place of those
dying of okl age.

From May 15 the colonies in-
crease in size, until June 20 finds
the brood-nest equal to the full
laying capacity of the queen.

This is the best time for the
honey harvest to begin, and the col-
onies that are in that condition at
that time are the ones that roll up
the honey and cause the least
trouble by swarming. Bees sel-
dom prepare for swarming when
there is plenty of field labor.

June 20 is about the time our
honey harvests begin. If the api-
ary is well balanced, the honey
gathering colonies are of about
equal strength and read}' for it. If
the colonies are allowed to build
up without help, some colonies
will be weak and others strong.
Such a condition should be avoided.
One good colony is worth more for
honey-gathering than one hundred
that are weak ; therefore do not
make all weak for the sake of hav-
ing them equal in strength.

To get honey we must have a
strong colony, even if it takes the
brood and bees of several weak
colonies to make it.

Our honey harvests seldom last
thirtj'-seven days, the length of
time that is required to get bees
from the new laid eggs into the
fields as honey-gatherers. Thus
it shows that all eggs laid after the
harvest begins become idle board-
ers and consumers of the stores of
the colon}', except that they are
required to maintain the existence
of the colony.

Twenty thousand is plenty for
this purpose, and that number can
easily be I'eared in four L-combs.
As is usually the case, the brood
occupies eight or ten combs for a
large share of the harvest, rearing
raft alter raft of worse than use-
less bees. The loss in this di-
rection is great. It might often
bring failure in the place of suc-
cess.

I think the six extra combs of
brood are fully equivalent to six
combs of honey ; this would equal
thirty-six pounds of honey wasted
in rearing worthless bees and
twenty pounds more for their sup-
port, making fifty-six pounds to the
colony and 5, GOO for an apiary of
one hundred colonies.

My aim is to secure that 5,600
pounds of honey. I have never
known a season when the colonies
could not support all the brood

90

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

they could rear, but I have known
several' seasons when it was hard
to get fifty pounds per colony of
surplus, tluis the waste was the
largest amount. It seems ridicu-
lous that to secure fifty pounds
of salable honey fitty-six are
wasted.

When the colonies are building
up in May and June, it takes from
fifteen to twenty days to double
the comb space occupied b}' brood.
Two doublings reach the laying
capacity of the average queen, but
I have found some queens that
would double the space again, so
as to occupy from eighteen to
twenty combs. The main trouble
with weak colonies is not to make
the queen lay eggs fast enough,
but it is the lack of bees to care
for the eggs that are laid.

In the case of the extra prolific
queen, fifteen or twenty days of the
honey harvest are spent in caring
for brood, and consequently the
colony will contain many bees and
little honey at the close of the har-
vest.

In view of the foregoing condi-
tions, during the harvest, I would
want the most prolific queen in the
weakest colony, and the less pro-
lific one in the strongest one, as
that would utilize the brood and
save the honey.

Bradford, loiva.

For the American AviculUirist.

A GOOD PLACE TO LOCATE.

Jacob Crane.

I came here for my health five
years ago which I lost in the Poto-
mac army. I found the water here
the purest on the continent and
unequalled for all kidney and liver
complaints. The nights are cool

and refreshing to the invalid. This
section is especially adapted to all
kinds of fruits, tobacco, vegetables
and bees, as red and white clover
are very abundant. Buckwheat in
bloom from the first of May until
the first of November. White
clover grows splendid everywhere
it is sowed. Soil is freestone and
for health this section cannot be
excelled anywhere. This locality
is especial!}^ adapted to northern
and eastern men. We have a good
many northern men who came here
for health and the}^ have organized
to secure intelligent settlers from
the north. The members have no
financial interest in the organiza-
tion, neither do they receive any
compensation. They have issued
a pan^-phlet descriptive of this high-
land view which they will send to
all sending one stamp. I would
like to see this section settled by
northern men as my healtli is such
I cannot live north.
Summertoivn, Teiui.

mmmimB

and Answers by Practical Apiarists.

AKE THE ITALIAN BEES
A PURE RACE?

Query No. 16. Is the so-called
Italian bee a pure race, or a hyl^rid, us-
ing the term hj^ljrid in its common
acceptation as meaning a cross? Facts,
not tlieory, are required in answer.
— K. R.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

I use and prefer a hybrid strain of
bees which I produced by crossing
the two strains mentioned in my an-
swer to query No. ii. I have no
means of knowing whether my strain
is absolutely "fixed" or not. I set
no advantage in having it so "fixed."
I think I prefer it wider open to fur-
ther improvement. We have thought

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

91

that we could generally determine
our hybrids from others when finding
them at work on blossoms, and two
successful bee-tree hunters tell me
that they can tell them at a glance,
every time.

In my apiary, I can usually distin-
guish them from common hybrids
(we sometimes buy and bring in a
few colonies) both by their motions
and appearance.

ANSWERS BY C. C. MILLER.

I don't know whether you can get
enough "facts" to cover the case, and
"theories" conflict. You will do a
large amount of reading to get all
that has been said about it. Many
insist that the race is pure. Others
point to the fact that in its purest
state, in its native region, appearances
of a dash of black blood maybe found.
You may or you may not accept,
as a reply to this, that variations may
occur in the purest races. For in-
stance, take the wild turkey, and
suppose you have a pair whose
ancestors, traced back to the creation,
have always maintained the same
characteristics and markings. If now,
as a sport, or as a result of domes-
tication, a light color results, you
may say that just so far there is not
a perfectly fixed type ; but as there
has been no mixing with other races
can you call the race other than pure ?
For all practical purposes, as business
beekeepers, I cannot be far out of the
way in considering the race pure.
When you come to very nice dis-
tinctions I am not posted.

ANSAVERS BY DR. TINKER.

Italian bees may not be properly
termed hybrids altiiough they do
not breed to a uniform type. A
trace of black blood runs all thi-ough
the race, and a very black bee can
be reared from the best strains in
the space of three or four years.
These are the facts and they can
be demonstrated.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

The Italian bee is not a hybrid in
the common meaning of that term
among American beekeepers. The
Italian is a "thoroughbred ;" not a
mere cross between just two races or
varieties of bees, as is the common
hybrid. The Italians are not a pure
race m the sense of unmixed blood,
but they are pure in the sense in
which the word is used when applied
to "thoroughbred stock." The Ital-
ians are a type of bees, the result of
a cross of quite a number of types or
races of bees, and for this reason I
value them most highly, because it
makes it possible to breed them by
selection, in great variety.

The querist wants facts, not theory,
and I shall give him facts. Some
years ago I purchased a flock of ewes
to rear some lambs. They were all
pure white sheep as to appearance
and I put a pure white buck with
them. Well, when the lambs ^came,
there was one jet black lamb among
them. When I say that my flock of
ewes had a taint of black blood, do I
speak mere theory? You say no ;
because the black lamb was an out-
cropping from a taint of black blood
in the veins of its motlier, and we
have a fact.

Now if we breed from imported
Itahan queens and discover outcrop-
ping in their progeny of three or four
distinct types of bees, do not we have
the proof— the facts — not theory
— that tliere is amalgamation of
blood in the parent bees to corre-
spond with the outcropping speci-
mens. Here we get facts by deduc-
tion as reliable as if laid down in
history.

It should be borne in mind that
the process by which the Italian bee
has been made what it is, has been
going on for perhaps, a thousand
years. In my 1 brary, I have an old
work written some two hundred
years ago, in which there is a des-

92

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

criptionof bees, which evidently iden-
tifies the ItaUan race of bees.

The Italian being a"thoroughbred,"
that is, a cross between several races
of bees, of a thousand years' duration
(and still they "sport") inbreeding,
,ho\v unlikely it is, that a new strain
. of hybrids could be established in a
. few years of time.

ANSWER BT C. W. DAYTON.

The Italian may be either a cross
. or the pure race of different accli-
mation. It probably was in a
pretty early day when bees first
emigrated into Italy. They may
have been there before its settle-
ment by man. We have no his-
tory so ancient. The Italians, Cy-
prians, S3n-ians, etc., may all be
pure stock and originally the same.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

So far as we have any knowledge,
the Italian or Ligurian bee is of a
pure race, giving the word pure
its generally accepted definition.
Whellter or not is originated in a
cross is wholly a matter of conject-
ure; if so, its formation was the
work of centuries ago, and all its
characteristics are so fixed tliat they
are duplicated with absolute cer-
tainty ; and further, those charac-
teristics are so firmly fixed that
they show themselves the stronger
when the Italian is cross-mated
with other races. This fact alone
ought to be suflScient proof; but
the markings that always exist, and
are the accepted proofs of purity,
add sufficiently to the evidence as
above, to render it certain that to-
day the Italian is a pure race.

THE POLLEN THEORY.
SUGAR STORES.

Query No. 17. If the so-called
'•polU'ii theory" is correct, why should
there be any" winter losses? that is,
why should not the total exclusion of
natural stores both of honey and pol-
len, and the snflicient supply of sugar
for winter food, prevent all loss during
any winter, no matter how severe or
long protracted? E. B.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

In response to query No. 17, I
will say, simply because bee diar-
rhtea is not the only cause of bees
dyino' in the winter. If the que-
rist will chemically analyze the di-
arrhetic excreta from bees, he will
find it pollen first and pollen last
and pollen all the time and every
time.

I prepared a lot of colonies just
as above described, and during the
cold winter of two years ago, nu-
merous colonies left outdoors, froze
to death, but none showed any signs
of fecal accumulations. Seventy
colonies so prepared and somewhat
protected, came through in fine
condition, and when they first flew
on April 17, after confinement of
151 days, they voided nothing and
their bodies were apparently as
slim as in autumn.

While I believe that bees can be
practically successfully wintered
in most instances and locations,
with natural stores and proper tem-
perature, I further believe that, if
properly-prepared,cane sugar syrup
is the only bee-food within the hive,
that this, in connection with proper
temperature, renders our certainty
as great or greater than that of
wintering our horses and cows.

For some reason unknown to me,
our sugars of late years are bound
to crystallize in the comb, notwith-
standing the more than usual
amount of tartaric acid added.
Several have reported loss from
this cause, and it is a fact that
bees readily starve when the syrup
crystallizes.

I tliank the querist for prefixing
"so-called" to the term pollen the-
ory, for I think it is no longer a
theory, but a demonstrable fact,
that 'the winter consumption of
pollen, either in the form of bee-
bread or floating in the honey, is
the direct cause of fecal accumula-
tion in bees.

THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST.

93

BREEDING BEES FOR QUALITY.
REPLY TO O. O. POPPLETON.

On page 51, Mr. Poppleton dis-
sents from iTi}' theor}', which ac-
counts for the fact that no races of
bees, crossed together, produce an
offspring almost universally more
belligerent than either parent race
in its purit}', — I affirm that it is not
true ; that nearly all angry bees be-
come so before taking wing from
their combs. Suppose il to be true
that bees will leave their combs be-
cause of their anger, after that anger
reaches a certain degree. If they
roll and tumble off the combs, fall
into the air (not flat on the ground
as Mr. Poppleton infers), if they
had any idea of stinging before
tumbling into the air, it is now in-
creased.

Perhaps one reason why we look
at these things so differently, is be-
cause we manage bees very differ-
ently. Mr. Poppleton says that
"all know how necessary it is that
while working among bees our mo-
tions should be quiet and deliber-
ate, not quick and jerky, especially
while passing our hands over an
open hive." Now I am going to
state very plainly that here we do
not handle bees any such way. The
very first thing we do before we
make a jar, or incite the bees what-
ever, is to smoke them quickly but
thoroughl}' ; thus having them sub-
dued we keep them subdued in the
same way and work them rapidly
and rather carelessly, which, when
done in connection with the smok-
ing above described, simply adds
to the causes which completely sub-
due them and we never have an}^
bees standing around on the tops
of the frames or some other good
place watching for a tender spot on
our nose, and we accomplish our
work in the least possible time and
close the hive, and we think we
need fear no competition from hon-
ey produced by any beekeeper who

carefully and cautiously moves
about his work, I again repeat that,
when properly done, quick, ener-
getic, executive movements add to
the complete conquering of bees,
rather than irritating them. Walk
cautiously up to a hive and kick it
two or three times and what is the
result? Stings by the hundred.
First subdue it with smoke and
then do the kicking and the result
is you have thus added to the sub-
jection of the bees.

Mr. Poppleton's last proposition
for a test is unfair and irrelevant.
In both cases, the bees are irritated
and brushed into the air ; and the
Italians, being ugliest by nature,
will sting worst. An ugly bee may
sit on a comb and have thoughts of
leaving it to sting you, but if such
a bee instinctively clings to the
comb, there is an attraction the
other way, also, and he will, not go
as soon as he would if that attrac-
tion did not exist.

I believe beekeepers will agree
with me that when German bees
begin to roll and tumble off' the
combs into the air, is the time to
begin to look for stings.

If my theory isn't correct, what
one is ?

I have not for years read any-
thing so astounding as Mr. Svvin-
son's article on page 51 wherein he
informs us that in the south Italian
and German bees exactly reverse
their habits as known in the north
as regards clogging the brood-
combs with honey and swarmino".
It must be that this reversed pecu-
liarity is confined to Mr. Swinson's
locality, or at least a few localities
in the south ; for, during the past
eighteen years of discussions re-
garding the characteristics of the
two races, during which time the
Italians have been charged with
the clogging and swarming fault,
over and over again, and the Ger-
mans as often praised for their
meritorious conduct in this respect,

94

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

I do not now remember of any
southern beekeepers rising and de-
claring that it didn't work tliat way
in tlie south. There have been a
few wlio haven't noticed that Ital-
ian bees are bad on this account,
but it has turned out that tliey were
not looking hard enough to see it.
Dotvagiac, Mich.

EXTRACTING FROM SECTIONS.

Query No. 18. When extracting
luitinished sections are they not liable
to break loose, and how can we best
avoid it? Should we extract them sep-
arately or by the frame full? 0. U. N.

ANSWERS BY IRA BARBER.

In answer to this query will say
that I have no trouble in extracting
honey from partly filled sections
and leave the combs as sound as
when put into the extractor. The
sections are nearly tilled with foun-
dation before giv«n to the bees,
and they seldom fail to fasten them
on all sides, so if they are reason-
ably swarm when put into the ex-
tractor, as they should be, there is
no need of handling them rough
enough to break a single one in the
extractor that I use.

1 use the Stanley extractor and
have frames to put the sections in,
which makes the work far less than
it would be to extract each section
separately.

If unfinished sections are not
allowed to stand until the weather
gets so cool as to crack the combs,
1 see no reason why any one should
be troubled with breaking out
combs when extracting honey from
sections.

DeKalh Junction, N. Y.

INVERTING BROOD-FRAMES.

Query No. 19. When inverting
brood- Irames of the L. pattern or sec-
tion, are tliey not liable to lop over to
one side, especially in warm weather,
unless wired in, or otherwise sup-
ported? S. D.

ANSWERS BY C. C. MILLER.

I have had no experience in the
matter of inverting except a very
little with combs that could not
lop, but I should certainly expect
that such brood-combs in Lang-
stroth frames as were not wired, or
had no special pains taken to fasten
them in the frames at the lower
part, would lop over badly on being
inverted in warm weather (and I
think inverting is very little prac-
tised at any other time). The
newer the comb, the more readily
it would bend over.

There would be less danger in
the case of sections and I have in-
verted them without any such re-
sult. In fact, I should expect no
lopping over of sections unless
they were inverted before much
honey was stored in them. Bees
can easily be induced to build comb
up hill, and in a space as small as
a section I should expect no bend-
ing over.

Marengo, III.

BEES BALLING THEIR QUEEN.
Query No. 20. When queens are
balled are they always killed unless
rescued? Do not the workers some-
times ball their queens to protect them
from some fancied danger and in due
time allow them liberty unharmed?

S. S. C.

ANSWER BY PROF. COOK.

It is impossible to give a defi-
nite answer to Query No. 20. I
have known bees to ball a queen
repeatedly, and in a short time
would find the queen outside of
the hive dead. This has happened
so often in my experiments that I
had supposed formerly that the ball-
ing was a sure sign of enmity and as
sure destruction to the queen. But
within the last few years, as I have
reported in some of the papers, I
have known queens to be balled,
and though left undisturbed in the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

95

hive, in a few days' examination
showed the queens alive and well,
and bus}' performing their impor-
tant duties. Of course we might
speculate, as one of our leading-
American beekeepers has lately
done in a leading paper in reference
to tlie queens compelling the work-
ers to make worker comb, but in
these days of scientific accuracy,
specidation or mere theorizing goes
for very little. We might wonder if
the bees did not cluster about the
new queen with murderous intent,
and upon further consideration be-
come smitten with remorse and so
let her ladyship go free. We might
wonder, too, if some of the bee com-
munit}' were not of generous mold,
and fearing harm for the queen
took her into their loving embrace
and sometimes embraced too hard,
and so killed the one' they would
protect. All this is but theory,
and until we know, we better
say we only know the facts, and
will not venture to explain the
whys. Were I to guess, I should
suggest that the bees flocked around
the queen with fell purpose, and
upon further consideration gave up
their murderous intent and adopted
as general mother her whom they
would have destroyed.

Agricultural College, Mich.

CHANGING QUEENS AT
SWARMING TIME.

Query liTo. 21. In swarming sea-
son, by means of the drone and queen
trap, while the bees are in the air, and
queen in the trap, could I not change
the queens? Would the bees accept a
queen at such a time?

Jas. a. Russell.

answers by henry alley.

We never tried such an experi-
ment but once and that was a suc-
cess. Our method was as follows :
After the new swarm had been
hived we took a notion to test the
matter of introducing a fertile
queen to the parent stock. Having

a black queen at hand just at that
time (we would not risk introduc-
ing a valuable queen by such a
plan) we caged her and placed food
such as is used in shipping queens
b}^ mail in such a waj' that the
bees could remove it and release
the queen. The cage was placed
over the combs and except to see
that the queen was released no
furtlier trouble was taken for ten
da\'s. The combs were then ex-
amined and we found that the bees
had released and accepted the
queen, destroyed the queen-cells
and had gone to work, just as though
no swarm had issued. A queen
may be thus introduced five times
out of ten.

We generally have no trouble in
compelling bees to do just as we
want them to do except at swarm-
ing time, or rather when they
swarm, and at such times they are
bound to have their own waj-.

We do not think a queen would
be accepted b}^ the bees left in the
hive after a swarm has issued, that
is, they would kill one if permitted
to run in at the entrance while
the bees are in the air. Under such
circumstances the bees would know
that a strange queen was an intruder
and would at once ball and sting
her to death.

We know of no one who
has thoroughly tested introducing
queens at swarming time, therefore
we have answered the question.

The drone and queen-trap will
give you perfect control of the
queen and swarm, but has nothing
to do with introducing queens.

BEVERSIBLE HIVES.

Gonzales, Cal.
Dec. 6, 1886.
Fhiend Allky :
I have noted with hiterest your des-
criptions of tlie "Bay State Reversible
Hive" and compared it with those of
Shuck and Heddon. Tlie need of such
a liive is much felt, though whether

96

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

such need is practical and well-founded
remains to be seen byactUMl use of the
hives. Beinji strongly predisposed to
favor J. M. Hhucl^'s invention and yet
well impressed with yours, I wish you
to answer the foUowinii' questions on
points most of which seem to be objec-
tions(all but questions 1, 6, and 7 which
are merely of detail; :

1. Do the end-bars project three-
eighths of an inch above and below to
make standings, or are frames square
cornered and resting on supports?

2 (a) As the frames (closed-end)
necessarily lack the convenient lateral
movement of Shuck's hive, is it not
difficult to remove interior frames when
bees have built bridge-combs joining
two together, sucli needing to be pried
apart before they can be lifted out?
(b). Don't close-titting end-bars them-
selves make removal more difficult by
friction?

3. You say "frames can be removed
without crushing bees." Can they be
replaced without crushing bees? Will
not the bees crowd over the end-bars
and necessarily be killed on frame be-
ing replaced and end-bars being brought
together?

4. To a man with from three to four
hundred up to seven or eight hundred
hives of bees with supers for extracted
honey, who must extract from the
greatest number possible per day in
order to get around, could you recom-
mend the "Bay State" to admit of as
much expedition as the ordinary Lang-
stroth hive and super? How much
comparative delay at each hive would
the operator experience, first, in having
to unscrew and again screw up the
thumb screws of the bolts, and second,
from friction in lifting out and replac-
ing the closed-end frames?

5. Do the bolts in section-cases
through the middle, pass right in cen-
tre of surplus-chamber and hence
through the middle of the combs?

6. Have you a lifting device to facili-
tate reversal?

7. Are end-bars Ih inches wide and
top and bottom-bars I inches wide?

Assuring you that these questions
are prompted by interest, and lioping
you will kindly answer early,

I remain yours, truly,
A. Norton.

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY.

If none of the readers of the
Apiculturist understand the work-
ings of the " Bay State Reversible

Hive " better than Mr. Norton they
cannot be blamed for making in-
quiries.

We will answer these seven ques-
tions as briefly as possible and at
the same time try to give the de-
sired information.

1. No, the end bars do not pro-
ject I of an inch at either end to
make ''standings." These bars pro-
ject a little less than | of an inch,
or just a bee-space is left between
the top-bar and the sections above.
Under the frame, that is, between
the bottom-bar and bottom-board,
there is a space of about an inch.
This allows free circulation of air
both summer and winter, and it is a
most important feature in any style
hive. To give this space, there are
strips of wood J of an inch thick
nailed to the top side of the bot-
tom-board upon which the frames
rest. We have tested this new
bottom-board on forty-three hives
this past winter with perfect satis-
faction and success.

2. (a) The frames are easily giv-
en a lateral movement. Loosen the
thumb-screws and more than one
inch of spare room may be had in
which to operate the frames. You
are mistaken about Shuck's hive
having a lateral movement to the
frames. The Shuck frames are
spaced by pieces of wood between
each two frames, unless we are
greatly mistaken and it is impossi-
ble to move them laterally unless
one frame is first taken from the
hive. There is no diliiculty at all
in removing a frame from the B.
S. hive. The bees should not be
permitted to build brace or bridge
combs between the bars. About
the time the bees are getting ready
to do so, place some sections on
the hive and contract the entrance
in order to raise and to retain the
warmth, and thus compel the bees
to enter the sections and build
combs in them. No prying apart
is necessary, except in the fall when

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

97

the propolis has hai'dened. Then
no more prying is necessary than
is required to remove any hanging
frame. (5) No, why should they?
Have your frames sawed so nicely
that there are no joints that will
need to be glued up b}^ the bees.
Then, again, when the frames are
set together by the thumb-nuts and
bolts, the joints are so close that
water cannot pass through them.

3. Yes, we say frames can be re-
moved and replaced without killing
even one bee. We can open ten
of the B. S. hives and not kill as
many bees as almost any person
will in opening and removing the
frames from a standard L. hi\e.
The bees will, of course, crowd.
over the end bars, but we do not
jam the frames in. When a frame
is removed it is lifted out the same
as a hanging frame is and when re-
placed it is pushed down into posi-
tion and guided to the right place
by the frames on either side. There
is no danger of killing any bees till
the end-bar nearly touches Lhe rest
on which the frame stands. Just
before letting the frame down to
the bearing see that no bees are in
the way, then let it drop into place,
one end at a time, and no bees will
be crushed, and the time required
for removing and replacing a frame
is about ten seconds.

No one would think of removing
the side-board to the brood-cham-
ber in order to remove the frames.
Always lift them out and replace
the same wvcy.

4. Yes, w^e can and do recom-
mend the B. S. Hive for any and all
uses for which a hive is intended.
As an extracting hive the reversible
upper-story has no equal, as the
frames are easily and quickly re-
moved and replaced. There is no
delay whatever in removing and
turning up the thumb-nuts, and
when they are once again properly
set all the frames and combs are
firmly held in position and will stay
so.

We can remove the frames and
replace them with less smoke than
is required to do the same work
with a common frame hive, simply
because the removing of the combs
can be done so easil}- that the bees
are not irritated at all.

5. Bless your soul, no ! We al-
most want to ask the querist if he
thinks we are a subject for some
lunatic asylum.

There is but one bolt in a case
holding twenty-four sections, and
that runs through wood and not
through the honey.

6. The only lifting device is our
two hands. We have no trouble
in reversing the brood-chamber
easily and quickly when necessary.
We like the arrangement of Mr.
Shuck for lifting his hives when
reversing.

7. The end-bars are H inches
wide, the top and bottom-bars
should be one inch wide. AVe have
used our hives without less space be
tween the combs for many years
with success. Some prefer less
space, but it is more of a matter
of opinion and fancy than one of
practicabilit}^

EDITORIAL, ETC.

Some People huve an idea that they
only have a ri^ht to publisli a bee
journal. We are sorry to know that
anybody has even intimated that one
man has not as jiood a right to publish
a paper as another.

We woukl not say one word against
such an enterprise ; but ratiier encour-
age all who think they can publish a bee
journal, and make it a success, to test
the matter for themselves. Brother
Ilodgdon, way down in Maine, has tried
the experiment to his satisfaction, and
now another man has taken the "Maine
Bee Journal," given it a new name, and
reduced the price from 50 cents per
year to 30 cents per year.

Right here, a conundrum strikes us.
It is this : How can any man expect to
publish a paper at 30 cents per annum,
Avhen it could not be done successfully
at 50 cents per year? Will some one
solve the problem? One more querj

98

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

in this connection. Last fall we read
a live!}' editorial in a certain publica-
tion devoted to bee culture words very
much like these : "We are doing finely ;
subscriptions are coniing in rapidly,
etc., etc." Presto! change. When the
next number of that paper came to
our office, we saw, in its editorial col-
umns, something like this : "On Jan 1,

1887, the subscription price of the

•will be reduced from §1.00 to 25 cents
per year.

The question is this : If that publica-
tion was doing half as well as the pro-
prietors stated, why did they reduce the
subscription figures seventy- five per
ceut? Draw your own conclusions,
dear readers, we have no comments to
make. No doubt the parties who run
that cheap bee paper really supposed
thatall other bee journals would have to
go under as the tuenty-five-ceut publi-
cation would sweep the board. Time
will tell, or has told, whether it will or
not.

Editor Newman intimates in pretty
strong teruis that some of those who
subscribe forthe cheap bee publications
will lose the money they invest. No
one will lose much at the price some
of them can be had for.

While we are not opposed to new
bee papers, we do predict that twenty-
five-cent bee journals must go under,
and the fact is as plain to every thought-
ful person as anything can well be.
Everybody knows that no decent bee
journal can long run at twenty-five
cents per year. As aiulesuch cheap
literature is merely an advertising sheet
for those who publish it.

The Apicultuiiist will keep on its
course and maintain its reputation as
the best bee journal published in the
English language, and further more,
we really believe that the "A pi" is the
only paper devoted to bee cultuie that
is paying its running expenses, a fact
that speaks well for our journal. We
are doing verj' well, as our subscrip-
tion list is slowly but surely growing
larger each month. AVe acknowledge
that we are not supported as well as
we should l)e, but in this respect our
condition is the same as all the other
bee journals.

A beekeeper in Pennsylvania wrote
to the "Api," a few days ago, about
thus : "No bee journals are taken here.
Beekeepers say that there is not enough
in them to pay for taking them."
"When ignorance is bliss, etc." There
are lots of people in this world who
want and expect to get two dollars for
every one they put out. Now we con-
tend that there is not a bee journal pub-
lished, not even a twenty-five-ceut one.

that does not contain information in
the course of the year that is worth
twenty-five dollars to any beekeeper.
The one article in the March number
of the "Api" by Mr. Doolittle is worth
ten dollars to any person who has ten
or more hives of bees.

Now, friends, after reading this, if
you think you can publish a bee jour-
nal and make a success of it, go in and
spend a few thousand dollars, and you
not only will be poorer in the end but
wiser for having tried the experiment.

Note the Change. — Our readers,
and especially those who think the
propi-ietor of a bee journal has no right
to advertise the goods he deals in in
his own paper, will notice that all our
owu "ads" have disappeared from the
columns of the "Apiculturist."

We have made this change not whol-
ly to appease the parties aboA'^e referred
to, but to give our subscribers from two
to four more pages of reading matter
each month. Unless advertisements
compel us to use some portion of the
four extra pages, which have been oc-
cupied by our advertisements the "Api"
in future will contain twenty-eight
pages devoted to general articles, ed-
itorial notes, etc.

Our own advertisements, price-list,
etc., will be sent out in the Apicultu-
KisT Extras which will also contain
the eleven essays on "How to winter
bees" by the best apiculturist writers
in the world. As we shall send 10,000
copies of the e:ctra to people who have
sent their address for sample copies,
advertisers will find the extra Apicul-
turist one of the best advertising me-
diums. We have the names of 50,000
beekeepers to whom the extra will be
sent in the course of the season.

Please forward copj' at once as the
first edition will be mailed April 1.

A Law suit has just been decided
against a beekeei)er in Canada. It
seems that a man who keeps an apiary
was annoyed l)y a neighbor who per-
sisted in maintaining a nuisance in the
shape of a pig-sty — to the utter disgust
of the entire neighborhood. A row
was the result, and then a law suit.
The lower court decided, and unjustly,
too, that the owner of the apiary must
remove his bees beyond the town lim-
its. Tiiis same thing was tried in
Wenham twenty years ago, but it did
not work well. They have a queer way
of interpreting laws and treaties in
Canada — as evidenced by the fishery
question, for instance.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

99

A French Beekeeper lias con-
ducted experiments which have dem-
onstrated the fact that it requires l)ut
six to eight pounds of honey to pro-
duce one pound of wax.

That Chromo sent iis by J. H
Martin represents a funny scene such
as many beekeepers have witnessed.
Send for it and have one good laugh
when you see it.

Mr. Thos. Horn (a name very
familiar to tlie readers of " Glean-
ings") has advertised in some of the
papers tliat he would pay freiglitor ex-
press charges on supplies ordered of
him. Some sixty-two persons now liave
reason to regret that tliey did not order
their goods of some relialjle dealer and
pay freight and express cliarges them-
seives. This reminds us tliat this same
Thos. Horn ordered some traps of us
in 1S86 to be sent C. 0. D. The
traps were sent, and although Horn
was in and out of the express office
every day, and was informed that his
goods were in the office, he wrote us
that they had not arrived. Well, the
result was we had the express charges,
amounting to $2.50, to pay when they
were returned.

This same Horn is a man who can-
not spealc the trutli at all times. He
was informed by some of his neigh-
bors that they were purchasing queens
of us. He told said neighbors that they
would get his strain as we had order-
ed 25 queens of him.

We never had any dealings with this
Horn, except as stated in the begin-
ning of this item.

Vinegar of the finest quality is now
made from honey by Mr. Clias. Muth
of Cincinnati, Oliio. We will copy his
metiiod from one of our exchanges lor
the May issue.

Last Season there was considera-
ble delay in filling orders sent to this
office for goods. The fact that the firm
of P. H. Morant & Co. were novices at
the bee business and also the fact that
such a large demand for supplies was
far beyond their expectation were the
two principal reasons why orders were
held so long.

We now have a full supply of all the
goods we advertise and there will be
no delay in filling orders for anything
found in our price-list.

No matter where you obtain your
goods; order early. Don't wait. De-
lays are dangerous as many who keep
bees have found to their sorrow.

Artificial Pollen.— If an ajiiary
is so situated that bees cannot oljtaia
natural pollen early as is needed, a
substitute should be furnished them.
We have found that wlieat-flonr is the
best. This may he supplied them ac-
cording to directions given in the essay
found on another page of this issue.

Contract the entrance to the hive to
about three inches for the large col-
onies, and about half as much for the
weaker colonies. Cover tlie tops of
the frames with heat-retaining mate-
rial. Old woollen-garments, carpeting
and the like are best.

Seed Catalogues.— About all who
keep bees use more or less garden
seed. We have on our desk several
very nice catalogues. One from G. C
Vaughn, 42 La Salle St., Cliicago, con-
taining 72 three- column pages very
profusely illustrated ; the other is from
James Vick, Seedsman, Rochester,
N. Y., and contains 17G pages fully il-
lustrated. We understand that these
catalogues can be had free hj all who
will apply for them.

Please do not send to this office
any more money for Aspinwall &Tread-
well's bee journal. That firm has re-
fused to send their paper to an old sub-
scriber who sent his subscription to
us to be forwarded to them, therefore,
under the circumstances, we cannot
receive further subscriptions for that
paper.

Tlie subscriber to whom they refuse
to send their paper is well known to
us and is good for all his bills ; but as
he has been confined to the house all
winter and more or less for some three
or four years by sickness, there would
seem to be good and sufilcient reason
why he has not forwarded the one
dollar. Doubtless Messrs. A. &T. were
not knowing to these facts.

GLEANINGS FROM CORBESPON-
DENGE.

West New Brighton, N. Y.

Mr.- Alley :

If our subscription has expired,

by all means let us know and we will

forward the money immediately as we

100

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

cau ill atlbrcl to be without the "Api-
cnlturist."

Let me thank you for the two beau-
tiful Italian queens which you sent us
last summer. They seemed very small
when we receivedtiiem, but the chanjie
in a few days after introducing thera
was wonderful. They began to develop
and went to work in. earnest so that
by fall both of them were my pride and
everybody's that knew anything about
bees. C. A. DicRociik.

Milledgeville, 111.
Dear Sir: In last "Api," under
"Gleanings from Correspondents" I
am made to say I have been a bee-
keeper for eight years. It should read
twenty-eight years. Tor the past nine-
teen years, I have given the business
my best efforts. As it stood at eight
years, it would not harmonize with my
circular statements. Our bees are win-
tering well so far.

You rs,

F. A. Snell.

New Bochelle, K Y.

Your queen and drone-trap received,
also the January number of your jour-
nal, you must have forgotten February.
Please send it soon, for though I take
two others, I am very anxious to get
my favorite journal on beekeeping.
Yours truly.
Miss R. Maraghano.

Corning, Iowa.

Mr. Alley.

1 have received three num-
bers of the "Api" and find it to be filled
with advice for the beginner in bee
business by experienced men at the
business. Herewith I send a few ques-
tions that I wish to see answered in your
paper. I have been well pleased to see
several questions answered in "Api"
that I have often wished to know some-
thing about.

Jas. a. Russell.

DeKalh Junction, JV. Y.

Bees quiet and in fine condition.
But little snow in this section and the
outlook for clover is anything but good.

Nothing but the most favorable
weather iu March and April can save

it. The ground has been bare of snow,
or nearly so, half the time this winter,
and is frozen to a great depth. Thaw-
ing days and freezing nights wiU use
up the clover, I fear.

Ira Barber.

Stratford, Can.

Ed. Am. "Api":
I now have 4 vols, of the Apiculturist
uniformly bound and consider them a
valuable acquisition of bee lore. Hop-
ing that in the years to come it may
outstrip even its splendid record.
I remain, yours truly,

E. W. Panton.

Thorn Hill, iV. Y.
Mr. H. Alley: —
I am surprised to see how rapidly the
"Api" is improving. I thought it was
as good as it could be, but it is beating
itself every issue. Every beepaper on
this side of the Atlantic visits our of-
fice regularly, and none is more wel-
come than the "Apiculturist." C M. G.

B£E JOURNALS.

Burlington, loica.
Dear Sir: Herewith find 25 cts. for the
"Apiculturist" on a three months trial trip.
The trouble with our western bee-papers is
they are published in the interests of supply
dealers. I waut to find something better.

H. S. .

[We entered this person's name
on our list and will send him the
'"Api" for three months. We fear,
however, that in dropping the west-
ern bee-papers for the reasons lie
mentions and taking the "Api" "in
hopes of finding something better,"
that he has only "jumped from the
frying pan into the fire,"

We take occasion to inform Mr.
S. and others of like opinion con-
cerning bee publications and the
siippb' business, that no bee jour-
nal can exist for any length of time
nnless b ^cked by some business
(or an iiiherited fortune), and, even
then, there is very little profit in it,
as there is so much competition in
the bee supply business that goods
of all kinds are sold at ruinous
prices.]

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

101

A NEW STRAIN OF ITAL-
IAN BEES.

For many 5'ears we have tried to
develop a strain of Italian bees
that would winter on the summer
stand when properly protected. To
develop such a desirable character-
istic, in any race of bees, has re-
quired very careful breeding and
many 3'ears of constant experi-
menting. We are now ready to
announce to our readers that the one
object so long sought has at last
been realized.

The readers of the Apicultu-
RiST will probably remember the ac-
count given in the August number,
1887, of a queen bee that went on
a lark from our apiarj^ but returned
in the course of a few days. That
particular queen was of more value
to us as a "breeder," than was even
hinted at in the account referred
to. We think, however, that it
was stated sometime last year that
one of her good points was her
wintering qualities. This queen
brought her colony through the
winter of 1885-6 very strong and
healthy, with no dead bees nor
mouldy combs, the only perfect
colony out of fifty-nine Mr. Locke
placed in a cellar. Well, it occurred
to us that we had at last found in
these bees what we had long desired
and aimed for ; namely, hardiness
and first-class wintering qualities.
Last season there vvere reared in
the Bay State apiary nearly 800 of
as fine young queens from this
mother in question, as any bee-
keeper ever saw. The queens are
very large, handsome and unusu-
ally: prolific, and the worker pro-
geny as fine honey-gatherers as one
could really expect bees to be.

We have wintered in our out-
door apiary about twenty qneens
reared from this mother. These
colonies have been carefully
watched to see how they would

winter and the result noted every
week since Dec. 1, 1886. At no
time has there been over three dead
bees on the bottom-board or about
the hive. About some other colo-
nies we have side by side with these
we would find froui thirty to one
hundred dead bees about the hives
each week.

To-day (Feb. 21) I made an ex-
amination of the hives and found
more dead bees in front of one col-
ony of some other strain than
about all of the twenty hives in
which we have these queens.

There is another point about this
new strain and it is this : our bees
have had two days since Dec. 1,
when they could take a flight ; one
was Jan. 23, and the other Feb. 17.
While the bees in all of the hives
except the twenty referred to were
flying by eleven o'clock, none of
the colonies of this particular strain
had shown a bee until nearl}' two
o'clock, P.M., and some had not
started then. I began to think
that the colonies were dead as they
w^ere so slow to take wing, but
found on examination that they
all were alive and in fine condition.
They did not care to fly at all, and
I believe that they could have en-
dured confinement from Dec. 1 to
April 1, and still go through the
winter in good condition. These
two points are very desirable in any
race or strain of bees. We have
discarded all races but the pure
Italian bees, and only queens of
the strain described will be toler-
ated in the Bay State Apiary in
future.

now TO GKOW 15ASSW00D TREES.

Corning, Iowa.
Will basswood sprouts gi-ow? If not, how is
the best way to get a start of that wonderful
honcj'-plant"? Tliere is uone at all very near
niv location, bnt plenty of it at a distance. of
three miles. How far do bees go in search of
honey ?

Jas. A. Russell.

[Who will answer? Ed.1

102

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

WIRE-CLOTH SEPARA-
TORS.

Someone lias patented a section-
case having wire-clotla separators.
As tlie question of this new mate-
rial for such a purpose is being
discussed, it may be of interest to
the readers of the "Api" to know
the opinion of some prominent
beekeepers on this point as given
in the "Api", May issue, 18S5.

The question by Mr. William
Stephan was as follows :

" Whatis the reason why wire-netting
cannot be or is not used for separa-
tors? We used it last year in six liives
and found it a success ; it is cheaper
than perforated metal and does not
warp like the wooden ones."

ANSAVER BY L. C. ROOT.

I prefer wood separators from
the; fact that they 'stay in their
proper place best and are more
even and smooth. The bees are
less liable to build comb fast to
them, and mj'^ experience is that
the honey presents a better ap-
pearance than when built with any
kind of perforated separators. Be-
sides, wood is cheapest.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

Wire-netting can be used for
separators ; the objection is that it
is so flexible that the face of the
capped combs will not present that
smooth, even and regular appear-
ance, so desired and desirable.

ANSWER tY p. H. ELWOOD.

Costs more and will not keep its
shape as well as wood. Besides, is
colder.

ANSWER BY G. AV. DEMAREE.

It can be used ; but I object to
it on account of its flims^^ charac-
ter. When proi)olized to the sec-
tions it pulls out of shape in getting
it loose, and when it gets daubed
up with propolis, etc., it is next to
impossible to scrape it off.

ANSWER BY E, E. HASTY.

Probably a suspicion that wire-
netting might prove bothersome by
ravelling or otherwise, and present
loose ends of wire to perforate the
honey, prevents it being more geii-
erall}' tried.

GLOVER-SEED.

WHEN AND HOW TO SOW.

As this is the time of year when
every beekeeper begins to inquire,
"What shall 1 sow or plant for bee
pasture ?" I will try to give you a
few pointers. I recommend clover.
It is the greatest honey-plant of
America, and alsike stands at the
head. We don't half appreciate
it.

We should sow it everywhere —
sow it on the roadside where the
teams have cut up the sod, to keep
out of the mud ; sow it where the
pigs have rooted up the sod in the
orchard or pasture ; give the boy
a pocketful when he goes fishing,
and tell him to scatter some where-
ever he sees a piece of bare ground
on the creek-bank ; put an under-
drain in the cat-swamp, and sow
some there ; burn up all the brush-
piles and old stumps, and sow al-
sike in the ashes. Remember that
it makes the best pasture and hay
of any plant that grows. Don't
forget to mix a little white clover
with it. They grow well together,
and, at the price it is selling now,
it is the cheapest grass- seed in the
market.

PEAVINE CLOVER.

This, as a honey-crop, comes the
last of July and the early part of
August, just the time when we
need it most. It is the great crop
to reclaim worn-out or poor land.
Tliere is no clay land too poor to
I'aise a good crop of it. With 150
or 200 lbs. of good phosphate or
bone-meal per acre, you are very
sure of oettins: a sood seed of

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

Wi

clover after oats, on the poorest
clay soil, and you will get oats
enough at 25 cents per bushel to
pay for your fertilizer, and get your
clover-crop extra. If you have
corn-stubble on last year's sod-
ground you will get a better clover
meadow by cultivating it with a
disk or Acme harrow, or a two-
horse cultivator, and drilling oats
both ways, than to plow the ground.
I have tried it by plowing every
other narrow land, and 1 get the
best meadow every time where the
old sod is left down. If you wish
to raise seed, you must save the
tirst crop of peavine or alsike.

\_Gleanings in Bee Culture, Feb.
21, 1887.]

TUE DOUBLE-GKARED, REVEUSIBLE,
LOOSE HANDLED, BACK ACTION OCCU-
PATION.

Bradford, Iowa.

I don't know what your subscription
list is, but I iiuow the contents of your
Journal are worthy of no small number
of subscribers. If the beekeepers do
not rally to the vigorous support of
one bee paper and that a clean and
healthy one, they are, indeed, a weakly
tribe: are following a calling that is
unworthy the "hue and cry" it receives
in the shape of conventions, supply
dealers and patent-hive nieu.

There has been talk in some of the
papers al)out an association for bee-
keepers. The lirst and almost only fact
for consideration of its feasibility is that
beekeepers are producers much like
the farmer, whom to unite or associate
would be comparable to the bringing
together of the two poles of the earth.
If outsiders did not get in to kick it
over they would be sure to kick it over
themselves. Coinparatively, farmers
do not associate ; they will not, and are
a class that would not if they could.
To be sure, the former is independent.
If he biles the hook he is easily gob-
bled up. They say he should not bite
but he always does. The only way
out is not to be a farmer and the same
is true with the ijeekeeper. At the
great convention held at Detroit some-
time since I learu that of the hanareds
present only eleven followed beekeep-
ing specially. A great (?) industry

was represented. This shows how the
industry called apiculture hangs on to
something else. " What the Lion
leaves the Wolf devours." I don't think
apiculture ought to be the strongest
industry but it ought to be respectable
enough to reject and have not much
use for second-hand material. Let us
have apicultural in the place of apicul-
turistical conventions.

If we get rid of those fruit, chicken
and cow beekeepers, those doctors,
lawyers aud preachers, associations
may then be organized and its mem-
bers will take an interest in it. This
dealing with half a man is not the best
thing out. He is two-sided at least.
C. W. Dayton.

FEEDING SUGAR SYRUP TO BEES TO
STORE IN SECTIONS.

Shrewsbury, Pa,
Mr. Henry Alley:
In my locality bees can gather very little
honey. If I buy sugar by the barrel and feed
It to rny bees and sell tlie honey, (lau 1 make
a prolit on the sugar and is there sale lor such
honey ?

Respectfully,

E. D. C.

[No, 3'ou cannot feed sugar to
bees and sell it at a proht, even
should they store it in sections,
whicli is a thing no one can get
bees to do unless they are experts
at the bee business. Should the
bees store the syrup in sections it
would not be honey, it would still
be sugar syrup. For your own
reputation and that of the beekeep-
ing fraternity generally ilo not
think of practising such a deception
as that upon an unsuspecting
public]

BEEKEEPERS' CON-
VENTION.

ANNUAL MEETING AT ANDOVER, OHIO,
JAN. 19 OFFICERS CHOSEN.

The Northeastern Ohio, North-
western Pennsylvania and AYestern
New York Beekeepers' Associa-
tion met in Convention in Opera
Hall, Andover, Ohio, at 2 o'clock
p. M., on the 19th inst., president

104

TEE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

C. H. Coon in the chair. The con-
vention histed two days — 19th and
20th — but owing to the bad condi-
tion of the roads the attendance
was not as large as wlien tlie con-
vention was held in Meadville a
3^ ear ago.

The election of officers for the
ensuing year followed next. D.
Videto, of Northeast, Erie county,
Pa., was elected president; P. F.
Twitchell, Andover, O., vice presi-
dent ; C. H. Coon, New Lyme, O.,
secretary, and Geo. Spitler, Mo-
siertown. Pa., treasurer. Meadville
was selected as the place for the
next meeting of the convention —
January, 1888. Geo. bpitler, E.
A. Reynolds and D. H. Lefever of
Crawford county were appointed a
local committee.

The meeting was one of much
interest, and good will result to
those engaged in producing honey.
There were many fixtures on ex-
hibition, some of which if adopted
would prove a benefit.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

NE W AD VER TISEMENT.

4,103 lbs.

of Honey gathered by 40 Colonies

IN 7 DAYS.

We liave purchased L. C. Root's celebrated
breeding ttack which, together with our own,
gives us tlie choicest collection of Italian bees
ill the world, aiul one that has the

Best Honey Producing Eecord Extant.

We will spare a few full colonies and nuclei
containing some very choice breeding queens
of this stock. W'e make a specially ol rear-
ing ONLY FIKST-CIiASS ITALIAN
JB££fcJ AND QUKillNS at Llie

KNICKERBOCKER BEE FARM.

G. H. Knickerbocker, Proprietor. S. M.
Locke, Manager. Our circular for 18S7 con-
tains an important letter (regarding these
bees) Irom L. C. Root, that every beekeeper
Bhould read.

Send lor it before ordering queens else-
where.

Address KXICKKRBOCKER BEE FARM,
Pine I'lams, Duchess Co., N, Y,

Advertisements of responsible parties only
will be admitted to our columns. If any are
found other^rise, ive should like to he informed
of the fact and ivill discuntimie such advertise-
ments.

Rates for Advertising.

All advertisements will he inserted at tlie
rate of 10 cents per line. Nonpareil spa-e, each
insertion ; 12 lines of Nonpareil space make 1
inch. Discounts will be made as follows :

On 10 lines and upward, 3 insertions, 5 per
cent ; (j insertions, 10 percent; 9 insertions,
15 per cent; li insertions, 20 per cent; 24 in-
sertions, 25 per cent.

On one-half column and upwards, 1 inser-
tion, 5 per cent; 3 insertions, 10 per cent; (5
insertions, 15 per cent; 9 insertions, 20 per
cent; 12 insertions, 25 per cent; 21 insertions,
33| per cent.

On whole column and upward, 1 inser-
tion, 10 per cent; 3 insertions, 15 per cent; 6
insertions, 20 per cent; 9 insertions, 25 per
cent; 12 insertions, 33j per cent; 24 insertions,
40 per cent.

On whole page, 1 insertion, 15 per cent; 3
insertions, 2u per cent; 6 insertions, 25 per
cent; 9 insertions. 30 per cent; 12 insertions,
40 per cent; 24 insertions, 50 per cent.

An additional discount of 10 per cent,
Avhere electrotypes are furnished.

(887 SMITH'S (887

Wholesale and Retail Bee Hive Factory
Sections, Hives, Smokers, etc.

IJ story Langstroth Hives, with ten brood

frames, as low as 63c. 2 story Lang.--troth

Hives with ten brood-frames, 80c. each.

PRICE LIST FREE TO ALL.

SMITH & SAllTH.

4S7-tf. Ktuton, Ohio.

A GREAT SCHEME !

Can We Sell Honey to the Millions?

Investigate our new, peculiar 5 ct. package
for extracted honey. Eaten from the hand
ivithout knife, sijoon or stick us cleanly as to
bite an apple. The first and only cheap suc-
cessful package ever invented. We also have
W\e first chromo card especially for beekeepers.
Bees, implements, etc., elegantly printed in
eight colors. A big move to extend reputa-
tion. Italian Queens, Splendid Foundation,
Bees in Heddon Hives lor sale, and all repre-
sented on our card. Circulars and card, giv-
ing full inforinatiou free. Package of cards,
10 cts. Sample honey package Jilled with
honey, mailed for 12 cts. Xow is the time to
look these things up for the coming season-
Address,

J. H. MARTIN,
4-S7-tf. Hartford, N. Y.

The American Apiculturist.

% Journal b^bottb ia practual ^tchwping.

EXTKKED AT THK POST-OFFICE, WEXHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.

I'ublislicirMonthly. Henry Alley, Mana(;ki:.

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., MAY i, 1887.

No.

We deal in first-class apiari-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest
pric^es. Promiit delivery.

Send for price list.

I Established in 1883. Terms:! Any yearly snbscriber is en-
$1.00 per year, SO.cents per six | titled to one of our selected
months, 2.t cent's per three I queens anytime between .Juncl
months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. l", by remitting .50 cts.

Address all Gommunications, AMBRICAW APICULTURIST, Wenham, Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICUL-
TURIST is not a local paper. Its
circulation extends into every state
in the Union and largely in the
western and middle states. We also
have a good number of subscribers
in Canada, and our fo7'eign circula-
tion equals that of any American
bee paper. The Api is as nuich a
national paper as any bee journal
published.

For the American Apiculturist.

HONEY PRODUCING AS A^
BUSINESS, ETC.

(i. W. Demakee.

I was gratified to see that so
prominent au apiarist and apicul-
tural writer as Dr. C. C. Miller has
not been carried away by tlie great
number of articles that have been
published of late urging l)eekeep-
ers to repeat the folly of producers
in other branches of agriculture ;
that is, organize in aclannish way to
force consumers to pay more than
the market price for their products.
In this way 1 said that nothing-
can, or ought to be done.

The rights of the consumers
must be respected when it comes
to taking the advantage of the
times and circumstances. When
the supply is below the demand the
producers hold for a stiff price, and
0

they do not fail to get it, and when
the supply is above the demand
it is the consumer's turn to reap
the benefits. Suppose consumers
should band together to obtain your
produce at figures less than the
market price (when I say market
price, I mean the price resulting
from the amount of produce on
hand, and the demand for it for
consumption) would you not resent
it as little less than robbery? You
see the boot is on the other foot
this time. I think that Dr. Miller
might have gone farther and said
that beekeepers if in solid mass
meeting, would quarrel and separ-
ate without agreeing upon a fixed
price. There are beekeepers now
in the United States who get 25
cents per pound for their honey ; do
you suppose these are going to take
less as long as the demand justifies
it? I am now selling liquid honey,
granulated, at 12^ cents in my home
market, when I could not get the
half of it in Cincinnati. Does this
not show that our honey market is
undeveloped, and that the city mar-
kets do not govern the price of
hone3% because honey is not (juoted
along with groceries generally ? If
this ever takes place, so that honey
is as prominent as other articles in
the grocery line, then honey will
likely take a rise in the cities, and
the price will go down in the rural
districts.

(105)

106

THE AMERICAN APWULTUEIST.

Perhaps the time will come when
honey will be quoted along with
other groceries, and travelling mer-
cantile agents will carry honey ev-
erywhere in their schedule of arti-
cles, and the people will become
posted as to the price of honey.
This would make the price of honey
much the same everywhere, as is
the case with other groceries.

Some people imagine that be-
cause great railroad corporations,
iron dealers, millers, etc., can force
artificial prices for their products,
honey producers can do the same.
They forget that these gigantic
concer)is are in the hands of com-
paratively few in number, who can
be wielded as one man, and with
their combined wealth the\' are
able to do anything but shut the
portals of the heavens.

The very nature of the agricul-
tural business precludes any such
power in combination. Perhaps
people who depend on the cit}^
markets might be benefited by
knowing the supply on hand as sug-
gested by Dr. Miller, but it would
do me, and I guess many others,
no good. Just let the berry crop
fail and I will sell all my honey at
good prices. You see the point :
we must have demand for our pro-
duce or it will not sell, whether we
have much or little on hand.

Men, like the bees, are creatures
of habit, and we can habituate our
neighbors to the use of honey, and
we may spread out business till
we find sale for all the honey we
can produce. The whole country is
before us and unoccupied except a
few cities that have been over-
worked. Permit me to say here
that any man who expects to get
rich by selling a few pounds of
honey at an extravagant price will
fail at anything he goes at. Such
men as Messrs. Forncrook and
Hatch of Wisconsin have become
well off by producing honey cheaply,
and turning it into money at prices

that consumers can afford to pay
for it. Such men succeed because
they have the pluck to work and
wait.

Christiansburfj, Ky.

QUEEN CELLS: HOW TO
CARE FOR THEM AT «
SWARMING TIME.

Macedon, N. Y.
Amkkican Apiculturist:
Mr. G. U. Doolittle in reply to A. T. Trow-
bridge's question on page 56 in March niini-
ber of ''A))iculturist" tells very clearly and
satisfactorily how he manages his bees at
swarming time.

Now, some of the beekeepers who do not
rear queens and who consequently have no
young queens to ])Ut into the old hives, would
be'veryglad to havejiini tell i/tem what is the
best way for them to' manage at sucli times.
A. J. W.

ANSWER BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.

Well, A. J. ^V.. ihisis just what
I would do if I wi're in the place
of those "beekeepers who do not
^'■rear queens;" by a little coaxing,
by means of stimulation, by feeding,
spreading of the brood, or better
still, by giving brood from other
colonies, I would get the colony
having \n\ best queen to swarm a
week or so in advance of the rest.
Having done this I would hive the
swarm on a new stand leaving the
old hive undisturbed for eight days,
during which time or previous I
would procure, by making or other-
wise, one of Henry Alley's queen
nurseries. At the end of the eight
days (by which time the first young
queen will be hatched), 1 would
open the hive and cut out all the
queen cells in the hive, fitting them
in the cages according to directions
in Alley's queen book. ,Ygu will
want to put each cell in a cage as
fast as cut out ; for doubtless sev-
eral will be ready to hatch at once.
If you do not find that any (jueen
has hatched, of course a cell is to be
left to furnish a queen to the old

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

107

colony ; but in nineteen cases out of
twenty tlie first swarm of the sea-
son issues witli the sealing of the
first queen cell so that the first
young queen hatches seven clays
"afterward. If there is any danger
of the colonies destroying the cells
and giving up casting a second
swarm on account of bad weather,
etc., either feed them a little, or
cut off all cells but one in six days
after the swarm issues. However,
if you are not used to this work
the nearer mature the queen cells
are, the better success you will
have. Having the cells in the
cages, hang it (the nursery) in the
centre of some colony of bees,
near by (when you will iiave
queens i*n it good for using) as I
gave on page 56, for the next eight
or ten da^'s. As the queens will not
probably all hatch at once you
can use the oldest first and so on.
I do not like to use a virgin queen
over seven days old for this pur-
pose, but they may be as good older.
Who can tell us about this ? Queens
generally commence to lay at from
seven to ten days old, and if kept
in a nursery till older so that they
cannot be fertilized till from twelve
to eighteen days old, will they
prove good? [Yes. — Editor.]

Before the nursery-full of queens
from the first colony is used up,
save cells from some other colony
as you did before and so on through
the season as long as wanted. In
this way, you are not raising
queens (only allowing the bees to
carry out what they started to)
proi)erly speaking, yet are accom-
plishing just what you want, and
beside getting an experience of
much value to you. Now, if you do
not wish to do as above, the only
thing left is to purchase queens or
let the bees have their own way,
neither of which is as good or as
profitable as the first in my opinion.

Borodino^ N. T.

For the American Apicultiirist.

LETTER FROM MRS.
H. HILLS.

La Petite has lieen my neighbor,
ever since she was a •'wee mite of
a tot," and a charming ueighljor
she has been. I always envied La
Mere her possession, and finally
fell to thinking how I might entice
this fair maid into beekeeping, and
thus secure more of her society.

Circumstances favored. La Pe-
tite's school-days having lately
closed ; so a year ago, when I was
nwving my bees from the cellar,
she appeared on the scene, follovved
b}^ Philander with the wheelbar-
row, and took home as fine a col-
ony as I had in the cellar. Then
opened up a charming period of
running back and forth from her
apiary to mine, until swarming
time, when each became more
strictly confined to her own prem-
ises.

It was interesting to see how
rapidly the deft fingers of La Pe-
tite accustomed themselves to the
new business of wiring frames,
cutting and fitting foundation, ar-
ranging surplus cases, and all the
rest. As to the bees themselves,
hardly anyone could be expected
to get to like them as I do : but
she soon became quite friendly with
them, and looked forward to swarm-
ing day, with all the eager interest
of the unitiated. Finally, one hot
afternoon (May 29), the ever-smil-
ing — this time, slightly excited —
face of La Mere, suddenly greeted
me, above the fence of the apiary,
and a slightly nervous voice quietly
informed me, that the bees had
been accidentall}^ discovered clus-
tered in an immense swarm, on
the grape arbor, and that it was
altogether uncertain how long
they had remained there ; also that
pater familias had been telephoned
for, and in the uncertainty as to
his exact whereabouts, my com-

108

TUB AMEIUCAN AinCULTUEHST.

pany would be acceptable. Leav-
ing Starrie to watch the apiary, I
was soon on the ground, and if
ever I enjoyed any one event more
than another, it was certainly the
assisting to hive that swarm of
bees. They behaved beautifully,
and I wa$ just familiar enough with
the work, to understand perfectly
well how to handle them, but not
familiar enough, to make the hiv-
ing of a swarm, an old story. La
Petite had given them a nice, shel-
tered, sunny corner, and they had
thriven remarkably under her care.
She seemed very proud of her new
colony, and finally decided to al-
low a second to issue. A third,
and, I think a fourth came out and
were returned.

By this time, my own apiary was
wide awake with swarms, and I
seldom visited La Petite. She be-
came proficient enough to hive and
return the later swarms, with the
assistance of La Mere, and finally
to cut the queen cells. From the
prime swarm and the old colony,
she took 125 pounds of surplus, in
one-pound sections ; and in Novem-
ber, placed three colonies in winter
(juarters.

Sheboygan Falls, Wiscoyisin.

For the American Apiculturist.

HIVES I HAVE USED.

W. F. Clarke.

I respond to Mr. A. Norton's re-
quest on page 54 of the March is-
sue of the American Apiculturist,
and cheerfully give my experience
with different styles of hives. This
I do, mainly to set the ball rolling,
for 1 tliink, with .him, a friendly
discussion on this topic likel}^ to
do good, and I think, with you,
that a perfect hive has never l)een
invented. Perhaps it never vv^ill
be, but I believe we shall yet ap-

proximate more closely toJi)errec-
tion in this matter, and what more
likely to bring this about, than a
comparison of the defects and ex-
cellences.

The Thomas Hive.

This was the first I tried, :uid
for its day and generation it was
an excellent hive. It was in the
spring of 1864 that 1 began its
use, and 1 continued using it for
several years, meantime tiyiug
some others. The objections to it
were its large size, great de[)th,
complicated swivel cleats at each
end of the top-bars, and non-adap-
tation to raising comb honey.

The Mitchell Hive.

Not the American of that name,
but a Canadian, S. H. Mitchell of
St. Mary's, Oht. The frames were
shaped thus : —

They were very large, did not
balance well, and the hive had
most of the same objections as the
Thomas.

The American Hive.

Too large, not convenient for
opening and handling, and the
outer case slipping down over all ;
objectionable.

The Quinby Hive.

Too large, too clumsy ; too heavy
to move around ; with a boiling-
over full stock of bees, hard to
close up without killing some ;
difficult job for me to fix up it 11
serene after opening out ; and,
withal, too costly.

The Jones Hive.

A simple, cheap, handy, com-
mon-sense hive, but too deep to
suit my taste, which has always.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

109

ami I think always will run in tlie
direction of preferring to raise
comb hone}^

The Langstroth Hive.
1 was almost ready to cry "Eu-
reka !" when I first got liold of the
Langstrotli hive. Frames not too
deep ; easiW handled, held, turned
and looked over ; shallow enough
to secure a yield of surplus honey
on top ; cheap, easily put together,
and with portico, very neat. I
have used several styles of Lang-
stroth, and will briefly give my
views concerning them.

Simplicity.
A good hive having much to rec-
ommend it, but two frames too
large, and the bevelled edge a de-
cided objection.

Root's Chaff Hive.
Very pretty, liked to see it on
any lawn, but in this rigorous cli-
mate not an infallible winter hive.
In the working season, the high
walls were sadly in the way of the
elbows in handling frames. More-
over, too costly, except for a lawn
ornament.

The Falcon Hive.

This hive is the best of the chaflT
Langstroths that I know of. It
is easily handled by means of
one side being removable. It is
held firmly in place by neat clamps.
I like to handle bees in this hive,
and when I exhibit an interior to
visitors, this is the one I prefer
to open. The peculiar arrange-
ment seems to excite the bees very
little, and they settle down into
quietness at once when you get
through. I consider this a splen-
did hive for amateurs, but it is
rather costly for a working apiary.
It is also too large, being a ten-
frame hive. But I use two dum-
mies in mine, which makes it better
for wintering. There is a pajjcr
linino" which is a good non-conduc-

tor, and ray bees have wintered
better in this than in any other
hive for "all the year round" that
I have tried.

The Chautauqua Hive.

This is made l\y the same manu-
facturer as the preceding one, with
a view to cheapening cost. I think
it is an equally good wintering
hive, but I have only had trial of
it this winter, which is not quite
over. It is open, however, to the
same objection as the Root Chaff
hive, the high walls are in the way
of the elbows, when handling
frames.

The Lake Hive.

Another form of Langstroth with
some advantages about it, but
rather heavy and costly, and not
protected enough for a Canadian
winter. I should think it an ex-
cellent hive for the south where it
it made, and chiefly used.

The Heddon Langstroth.

This pleases me better than any
of the Langstroths I have tried.
Its chief defect is the fixed bottom-
board, and this is needed properly'
to stiffen the body of the hive,
though I have made some that have
stood usage well with a movable
bottom-board. This hive is light
to handle, eas}' to make, cheap,
neat in appearance, convenient for
putting into the cellar, and the
niost convenient I know of for
chaff-packing out-of-doors.

The New Heddon Hive.

I am supposed b}^ many to have
this hive on the brain, but I
haven't. So far, I prefer it above
any I have tried yet. It gives
complete control of the bees, ena-
bles you to perform all operations
on the double quick, exposes you
less to stings, and is the best I
know of for getting the most comb
honey.

110

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Other Hives.

There are niaii}^ other hives be-
fore the beekeeping public, some of
which I woukl like to try, but it is
such a nuisance to have several
sizes of frames in one's apiary,
that I have about concluded to try
no more. Still, if a hive-maker
sends me a hive with the polite
request tliat I will try it, how can
I well refuse? I wish a museum
could be got up containing all
hives in use by good practical bee-
keepers, and that I could have
about a month quietly to inspect,
and compare them, putting down
every point of excellence, and try-
ing to combine all in one.

The Hive I want.

Perhaps my hive ideal is Utopian,
but such as it is, here it is.

1. One that I can make myself,
and I am not by any means a "boss
mechanic."

2. One in which it is necessary
to disturb the brood-nest little or
none.

3. One light to handle.

4. One large enough to give otf
rousing big swarms, and yet not
so large as to store a needless quan-
titj^ of winter supplies.

5. One in which a colony must
store surplus honey w^hen it is to
be had in the fields.

G. One equally good for sum-
mer and winter.

7. One requiring the least pos-
sible attention at the change of
seasons.

I do not use the extractor, hence
do not want a hive especially adapt-
ed to it. If some one were to
poke me up to do so, I might per-
haps tell why ; but it would be apt
to stir up a hornet's nest.

Gueljyh, Ont.

[Wonder ii' Uie B. S. Hive woulil not suit
Mr. Clarlv ? It just fills tlie bill lor "The Hive
I want." Some one ought to stir up a liornei's
nest it' it will be the moans of preventing? the
general use of the extractor as in our opinion
the extractor is the cause of low jirices for
honey.]

For the American Apicttlturist.

REPLY TO MR. IIEDDON.

A. L. SWINSON.

On pages 93 and 94 of the "An,"
Mr. Jas. Ileddon in his reply to
Mr. O. O. Poppleton, acknowledges
quite an astonishment on my arti-
cle on page 51. (?) He says "that
this reversed peculiarity is con-
fined to Mr. S's locality [probably],
or at least a few localities in the
south ; for during the past eight-
een years of discussions regarding
the characteristics of the two races,
during which time the Italians
have been charged with the clog-
ging and swarming fault, over and
over again, and the Germans as
often praised for their meritorious
conduct in this respect [never
from any southern breeder of prac-
tical experience, though], I do
not now remember of any southern
beekeeper rising and declaring that
it did'nt work that way in the
.south. There have been a few who
haven't noticed that Italian bees
are bad on this account, but it
turned out they were not looking
hard enough to see it:" (How do
you know that?)

I don't think that it is confined
to any particular locality in the
south, certainl}' not to a few local-
ities only. As to Mr. Heddon not
remembering of any " southern
beekeeper rising and declaring that
it did'nt work that way in the
south " (" during the past eighteen
years"), there have never been,
until four or five years past, but
very feio Italian bees ever kept in
the south eastern part of the south,
and even now when introduced
here they are Italian but a very
short time with but a few excep-
tional cases. Consequently but
few men in the south have Italian
bees and therefore not competent
to pass on their qualities ; even in

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Ill

many cases when they do so, it is
nothing move or less than hyhrids
that they are chissing as pure Ital-
ian bees. This pemdiarity is not
alone confined to southern bee-
keepers, but is as often applicable
to nortliern and western beekeepers
and more so, compared to tiie num-
ber there are in the two different
localities who claim to have pure
Italian bees.

I think Mr. Heddon's pet ( ?)
hybrids are and according to liis
own classing of them, well worthy
to go along with his Revolutionary
Hive ( ?) and bettor suited to his
own purposes than to those of any
other person.

CkMshoro, Wayne Co., N. C

For the American ApicuUurist.

NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

Samuel Simmins.

In your comments upon Mr. S.
Cushman's review of my pamphlet,
you state that there are many
points upon which you do not agree
with myself. Well, sir, that is as
it should be, and I am glad to
know that it is so. How little
progress would be made in this
world did we all think alike ; in
fact we should have come to a
"dead lock" long since. Neverthe-
less, I earnestly hope that any
difference of opinion among our-
selves may not be the result of any
misunderstanding or prejudice ; but
rather let it be caused by varying
experiences carried out upon differ-
ent lines, and so resulting in con-
clusions being drawn by each, ac-
cording to his own capabilities, his
surroundings, or powers of obser-
vation.

PREVENTION OF SWARMING.

Here, allow rae to say you have
somehow got upon the wrong
track. You. cousidcr that I "pre-
vent swarming by often remov-

ing some of the combs near the
entrance of the hive, and com-
j)eUi7ig the bees to fill the space
with new combs." The fact is that
the beekeeper's skill is shown, not
by often meddling witli the stock
chamber, but by managing that the
V)ees are kept so busy in the sec-
tions above that the combs between
brood-nest and entrance are never
finished. At the same time hav-
ing in mind the many long hives
in use in this country, with our
small standard frame, it will be
found on referring to my pamphlet,
p. 12, that I state, "if the bees are
kept busy in the sections, very
little comb will be built in the
empty frames at front." At the
same time I add this caution, " on
no account should any of such l)o
allowed to become fully wor!;ed
out." I am quite aware that the
small empty frames on the same
level as the brood-nest, would be
more likely to get filled than deeper
frames so arranged, or any frames
where the whole set with starters
can be worked under the brood
nest.

For the treatment of hives such
as are in general use in America,
turn to p. 15, There you will ob-
serve that the empty chamber is to
be placed under the brood-nest be-
fore the bees get the desire to
swarm, and then " as soon as the
weather is favorable, put on sec-
tions all filled with new combs ;
remove as fast as completed, add
others, and the lower combs will
not be completed all the season."
Yes, sir, this is solid fact, as proved
by my own experience and tliat of
many others who have given their
unsolicited testimony in favor of
the plan.

Your largest producers of ex-
tracted honey will tell you they
liave little difficulty in preventing
the issue of swarms, by giving the
bees plenty of store combs in ad-
vance. By so doing they have been

112

THE AMERICAN APIGULTXJRIST.

able to get along with little trouble
in that direction, but I have _yet to
see that anyone has explained the
true reason. The fact is, without
knowing wh)^, they have managed
to keep the swarniing fever in
check. In a future paper I may
go over the whole ground, but in
the meantime the matter might be
passed through the query depart-
ment, something in this form.
*■' Why are bees little inclined to
swarm when an unlimited number
of store combs are given them for
the purpose of obtaining extracted
hone}'?" Now please do not say
without further consideration that
the question answers itself; be-
cause as a matter of fact it does
not.

INVERSION.

Well sir, you do surprise me
when 3^ou say, "The idea that bees
will cut a passage way along the
bottom-bar when combs are re-
versed, is most absurd." Surely
I have not been blind, for it is a
thing I have noticed over and over
again. A few years since I was
using a frame 16"X10". Then
came the British Standard 14" X
8i", and having a large trade in
bees and queens I was obliged to
adopt the latter size and you can
imagine how beautifully those large
combs could be made to fit into the
smaller frame, close to the wood all
round so that no tying was needed.
But, alas! at this day I can find,
hardly one which has not been
either cut clear away from the thin
bottom rail or touching it along-
less than one-third of its length.
Combs used for storage during the
honey season only would not of
course be treated as above ; but it
is the brood-nest that we have
been advised to invert, and it is
the combs of that part of the hive
which sooner ©r later will be cut
away from the bottom rail. The
thicker and broader your rail the
more often will it be done. My

own used in transferring were I'
thick and f". As a rule I use no
liottom rail with our "Standard"
frame.

DRY SUGAR FEEDFNG.

You are right : my experience
does diffei- widely from* all who had
(not '••have") tried it in America, as
well as in England. You say " It
has been found that a large per-
centage of sugar fed dry will be
removed by the bees." As prac-
tised hitherto by others such had
been thecasQ. Herein is where I dif-
fer, and if you will just imagine a
soft, moist sugar with the finest
grain possible, you will see how
readily such can be pressed into one
solid mass which the bees are con-
tinually licking, while all the time
there are no loose grains that t\\Qy
can carry out. In fact, with ni}' orig-
inal dummy-feeder, which is not
more than one inch wide inside,
every particle of sugar is cleared up
being kept down by the bees all the
time in a compact bod}' under a high
temperature. This is theonl}' kind
of feeding that I can rely upon to
produce new combs or for drawing
out sheets of foundation rapidly
before the season opens.

Another frame feeder I use holds
nine or ten lbs. at a time, is three
inches wide, with an arched bot-
tom of finel}' perforated tin, under
which the bees cluster and reduce
the sugar with no waste whatever.
In this case, the weight of the su-
gar keeps the lower surface tight
upon the perforated plate, always
within reach of the bees. Either
feeder will be found of immense
value in the queen-rearing apiary ;
placed at one side filled with the
right kind of sugar, the owner need
have little anxiet}' about his nuclei
in the way of feeding. If intended
to be stored as a winter food, the
only kind of raw sugar I have
found suitable is that known as
Porto Rico; but for continuous
supply while bees can fiy freely

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

113

for qaecn-rearing purposes, almost
any raw sugar will do.

EGGS.

You consider " The fact that
any worker egg will produce a
queen when the larva is properly
nursed, and also that queen cells
are liuilt directly upon the side of
a comb," upsets my theory. "Dur-
ing swarming time the combs are
loaded with brood, pollen • and
iione3% and the queen is hard
pushed for room in which to de-
posit eggs, etc." Why, sir, we are
entirely agreed about every word
of this if you will only say "cells
may be" instead of " are built up-
on the sides of a comb ; because I
find it to be the rule for them to
be built around the edges of a
comb during the swarming im-
j^ulse. Where do we differ? when
you admit that the queen lays the
eggs directly into the queen cups ;
therefore, three kinds, queen
worker and drone eggs respec-
tively. At the sanie time I have
not the slightest intention of say-
ing that a worker egg will not give
a queen, as that would be quite
contrary to my own experience.
All I wish to show is that each is
deposited with the distinct under-
standing that it shall develop into
an insect having very different
functions to either of the others.

QUEEN INTRODUCTION.

Without being too critical, I am
sure Mr. Cushman will allow me
to correct him upon one or two
points. For instance, mentioning
one method of direct introduction
followed by myself he gives one
part of much im\:)ortance. " The
queen is first kept warm, and
alone without food for thirty min-
utes," but he omits the grand
point, which is to " insert the
queen under a quilt after darkness
has set in." Daylight, or even
twilight will noti do ; whereas the

former tinie takes the bees at !i
complete disadvantage. Indeed.
one of our noted beekeepers, well
known to yourselves, sa3's that the
bees are simply " fooled" by this
plan. It provides for every con-
dition that can be named, wliethei-
the stock has been long quecnless
or oidy recentl}' made so.

INTRODUCING TO CONFINED BKKS.

My first notice of this was given
in tiie American Bee Journal sev-
eral years since. I had long made
a practice of making up small lots
of bees to send away with newly
arrived queens; and being i)laceil
with the strangers at the moment
of closing the package none of the
queens were ever molested. This
save<l me mucli time in place of
preliminary introduction, and I
then resolved to adopt the same
for ordinary use in the apiary.
For this purpose I believe that em-
inent writer, Mr. G. M. Doolittle,
first shakes the bees Into a box
without combs, gives them the
queen and in due course puts the
bees ijaek on to combs again to
form his nucleus.

This appears all too much labor
to me and I could not afford the
time to do it. My own plan is
simply to make up a three-frame
nucleus of brood, combs and bees,
shaking none whatever from their
combs. Give plenty of ventila-
tion in dark, cool room, insert the
queen, and on the third day tliere
is your nucleus ready to stand any-
where you desire, while in the
meantime the queen has laid many
eggs. Receiving as I do, as many
as twenty-five to thirty impoited
queens at a time, they are very
soon placed in comfortable rpiar-
ters in this manner. They aic
given a fair chance without l)eing
overworked and are ready for cus-
tomers without having interfered
with queens presiding over Hour-
ishinu' colonies.

114

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

"THE AMKRICAN AriCULTUllIST."

And last, but by no means least,
there is this valuable publication
to speak of. To say that it not
only stands in the first rank, but
is equal to any of the most promi-
nent l)ec periodicals, is but a sim-
ple statement of truth. The first
number sent me gratuitously gave
the impression that it was to be a
thing of sterling worth, and I am
glad to see that the paper keeps
up the high-class style it started
with. I am more than pleased
with the two volumes bound in
one book, sent me, according to
order, a few months since.

Jiottingdean, Brighton^ England.

For the American AplcMlturist.

THE COMING SEASON,
BEE-HIVES, ETC.

E. W. Alexander.

As we are now on the eve of an-
other season of hard toil with our
bees, let us see if we cannot shun
some of the ruts of ignorance we
have as beekeepers so often dropped
into. First, which will it be this
season, extracted hone}^ at five
cents or comb hone}^ at about nine
cents per pound? I don't think
the large producers who have to
send their honey to commission
men will realize much better prices
than the above. Now, in order to
pay expenses at such prices, we
must look close to our business.
As the day is now past when
slack, shiftless management will
pa}' expenses, it becomes necessary
for us to bring more practical
knowledge to bear on our business,
and the present prices make it a
sharp race for success, which must
decide who the producers will be
in the future. As in my experience
in the business for the last twenty-

five 3'ears I have quite often en-
countered heavy losses, I feel it
my duty to warn some of the inex-
perienced to go slowly and care-
fully, and here let me say there is
some of the best advice given to
beekeepers in the Am. Apicui/ru-
RisT that I have ever seen in print.
It seems to have an unlimited num-
ber of practical apiarists as its
contril)utors, who have placed it
in the front ranks of American l)ee
literature, and as they help their
brother man to shun some of the
ruts of ignorance, that so many of
us have lost our hard-earned dol-
lars in, they cannot help but feel-
ing rich in doing good, if not in
dollars made from the sale of their
honey .

As the most practical form of a
hive, all things considered, is still
a question which a large number
of beginners are anxious to see •
discussed, I will give my prefer-
ence in as few words as possible ;
and here I will say I have no inter-
est whatever, in an}' patent con-
nected with beekeeping, and that
I have tried almost all kinds of
hives imaginable, in handling an
average of 200 stocks a year for the
past fifteen or twenty years, dur-
ing which time I think I have mh,de
some mistakes as great as most
any beekeeper. In regard to the
best size and shape of hive, I pre-
fer one like the following : made of
good pine lumber planed to I in.
thick, 10 in. deep, adapted to the
hanging frame ; 9 in. deep in the
clear, and long enough to take
frames about 13 in. inside measure,
and wide enough to hold nine of
these frames, a little scant 1^ in.
from centre to ce;itre, with one or
more clamps the same size as the
hive, except the depth, to set on
top for sections, and a close-litting
division-board to be used when
rearing (|ueens. Now give this
hive a fiat, water-tight cover that
can b(! made fast or loose in ;i nio-

THE AMERICAN A PIC UL TURIS T.

115

inent, and a bottom-hoard flush
with the hive all round, also a f in.
entrance extending across the front
oi" the liive at the bottom. This has
pi'oved with me to be the most
l)ractical hive I have ever used.
Having used over 100 Langstroth
and as man}' Quinb^- hives for sev-
eral years, I have discarded them
on account, principally, of their
long, nnnatural-shaped brood-nest,
and, as for a hive with anj' side-
])ox arrangement, I consider them
a thing of the past.

With due respect for all who dif-
fer with me on these principal
points of our business, I leave
these unconnected remarks to ))e
criticised bj' all.

Esperance, N. Y.

For the American Apiculturist.

A FEW QUERIES.
J. E. Pond.

Mr. Editor :

Have you not made a mis-
take in Bro. Heddon's answer to
question No. 16? It nowhere
touches the point, and is not at all
relevant. If a mistake has been
m.ade it should be rectified,

BLACK BEKS FROM PURE ITALIAN
QUEENS.

Will Dr. Tinker demonstrate the
matter that he says is a fact, viz. :
" that a very black bee can be
raised from the \Q\'y best strains
of pure Italians, in the space of
three or four years." Both you
and myself, Mr. Editor, have rea-
son to believe no such demonstra-
tion can be made, as we both had
directl}' the contrar}'^ experience.
I assume that Dr. Tinker's "facts"
must be demonstrated with pure
Italians, so kept that there can be
no possible admixture with any
other race, otherwise there would
he no demonstration.

1 will give tiieDr. $1.00 each (or

every very black worker he will
produce to me reared under tiic
above conditions, and will give him
six or eight years instead of three
or ibur in which to do it. Facts,
not theories, were called for in
quer^- 16; now give us the proofs
Dr., if you can.

In answer to query 17, Bro. Hed-
don replies that " bee diarrhoea is
not the only cause ol bees dying in
winter," all of which is very true
as a matter of generalization ; hut
it does not touch the vital point of
the question, as is shown in the
third paragraph of answer, where
he says "■ properlj' prepared cane
sugar ... in connection with
proper temperature renders our
certainty" (meaning of safe winter -
ing) "asg^reaf asor greater" (italics
mine) "than that of wintering our
horses and cows," viz., absolutely
certain. Then he speaks of the
uncertainty of sugar and its liabil-
it}' to crystallize, etc.

Now, my own experience has
been that bees properly prepared
will winter safel}' on summer stands
no matter how severe the winter;
the matter of food, if the same is
pure, making no difference, and
that pure natural stores both of
honey and pollen, if there is honey
enough to subsist on, is equally as
safe as prepared sugar syrup, and
safer wlien its liability to crystal-
lize is considered. In othei' words,
I believe that the measure of safety
will be found in proper preparation.
Foxboro, March 25, 1)S87.

For the Americnn ApicuUiirint.

DEAD BEES IN THE
CELLAR.

Will M. Kellogg.

I have had many years' experience
in wintering bees in cellars, so will
give my answer. I inxve at present

116

THE AMERICAN APtCULTURIST.

(March 20) 54 stocks of bees in
our cellar. I could probably- sweep
up three pecks of dead bees from
the lloor, yet my stocks are strong,
healthy, and in good condition.
We must remember that bees go
on dying in winter, as well as in
summer, though not to so great an
extent ; but in winter every dead
bee shows, while in summer, few
are seen of the thousands that die.
The peck of bees from oG stocks
in nine weeks is nothing unusual
and need occasion no alarm. The
temperature, 48° is all right. My
bees have been in the cellar over
sixteen weeks.
Oneida^ 111.

For the American ApicuUnrist.

THE CARNIOLANS.

C. L. riSHER.

I received the March number of
the Apicultuhist and was much
pleased with its contents, with one
exception. In the department of
"Questions and Answers," Query
No. 14, second question, which
calls for a description of the Ca.--
niolan bees, their good and bad
qualities, etc., in justice to that
superior race of bees and to the
few men that are breeding and in-
troducing them, I would criticise
the answer by Ur. Tinker. In
his answer he says the Carniolans
are hardly distinguishable from
the common black bee ; if that is
the color of the Carniolans as Mr.
Tinker knows them, then either
he or I have never seen them in
their purity. As I know them,
they bear no more resemblance to
the common black bee than do the
Italians; and in size, the fertile
queens are a very little longer than
the blacks but perhaps no huger
round, and I he drones :ir(» as la.rg(>

as an}- I have ever reared. Dr.
Tinker says the race is, no doubt,
a cross between the common black
and Cyprian races, but he didn't
quote any authority to back the
statement. I give the following
reasons why I very much doubt Dr.
Tinker's statement :

The disposition of the Carniolans
is much milder than that of either
the blacks or Cyprians ; and then
the C^'prians, as I am informed,
are gatherers of propolis, as also
are the blacks, while the Carnio-
lans are not. As to their honey-
gathering qualities, the Carniolans
stand first in my yard, and I have
had them side by side vvith Italians,
blacks and their crosses. They
are better nurse bees than the Ital-
ians, hence much better for cell
building. 1 fully agree with Brotiier
Tinker that they are excessive
breeders, long-lived and hardy.
They enter the sections readily and
cap their hone}' snowy white and
they don't bother me al)out swarm-
ing, but perhaps they would if I
let them follow their own inclina-
tions.

In conclusion, I will say my or
iginal stock was imported, and I
have no idea that a person as well
informed in apiculture as the one
who shipped the queens to me,
would waste his time on :ni ordi-
nary hybrid race of bees.

So. Deerfidd, J\fass.

[We tliink it is quite ovidt'iil, tii;U.
Mr. Fisher never saw a pure Caniiolaii
bee. We were the lirst to import, tliis
new race, and we find that Dr. 'riiikcr
<rave a j^ood description of them and
we a.i>ree with the Dr. in all his state-
ments but the point regardiriir tiie
oriijjinality of the Carniolans. We do
not think they are a hybrid variety, as
the queens we imported did not pro-
duce one l)ee that siiowed any yellow
bands. Their color was an iron-nray:
but as the l)ees jjrew older, the white
hairs came oil and they resembled the
conunon black bees. Don't take too
nmcli stock, my friend, in import<'d
(pH'cns. ]

THE AMERICAN APJCULTUIUIST.

117

For the American ApicnlUirist.

VENTILATION OR NO VEN-
TILATION.

C. W. Dayton.

As I julvisecl in the November
lunnher of last year, I prepared for
winter 112 colonies by removing
everything from the brood- cham-
bers but the quilts and then cov-
ered the hive with leaves and then
with dirt.

In that article it was directed to
leave a space of the leaves at the
top of the mound uncovered with
the earth and also provide an en-
trance to the outside air. I did
more than I advised as 40 of the
colonies were covered entirely with
eartli so as to stop all upward ven-
tilation (a la Tinker). Yesterday,
April 3, the 112 colonies were ex-
amined and I will herewith give the
report lor that apiary. The bees
were confined without a flight just
150 da3's ; not on account of the
leaves or dirt, but because they
were located in the northern part
of Iowa.

Of the forty colonies none sur-
vived— all are dead. It is death
with a vengeance. I believe there
have not been live bees in many of
them for months. Some of tliem
left the hone}^ almost untouched —
none of them consumed one-half of
it. Of the remaining sevent^'-two,
live or six in bad order and three
are dead outright, one of which
starved. Of the sixty-four good
colonies many are very strong and
reminded me of swarming time
when taking their flight. Tliis is
only another of the dozen times I
have wasted a large share of an
apiary by experimenting on venti-
lation. Every time I have "paid
the fiddler." Now that I realize
the loss and the circumstances by
which I tried the experiment, I
wonder if I was not crazy last fall.

I found some of the combs that

contained no honey that were so
loaded with condensed moisture as
to be as heavy as a comb of honey.
The cells were entirely filled.

The bees in the "chaflf hive api-
ary" have wintered without loss.

Those in the cellar at the "home"
apiary all appear to be in gooil or-
der except two which have dwin-
dled some.

Bradford^ Iowa.

HO W TO GEO W BASIS WOOD
TREES.

Cor n't II g^ Iowa.
Will ba.sswood sprouts grow ? If not, wli.it
is the best way to get a start of that woiidurfiil
houcy-plant? There is none at all very near
my location, but plenty of it at a distaiice of
three miles. How far do bees go in search of
honey ?

Jas. a. Russell.

HOW FAK WILL BEES FLY IN SEARCH
OF FOKAGK ?
ANSWERS BY A. E. MANUM.

I have never had any experience
in growing basswood trees from the
seed, nor from very young sprouts.
We have basswood in abundance
here, growing on our inoinitains
and wooded ridges, hence it is not
usually thought necessary to plant
any. Though I have transplanted
young trees along the roadside the
whole width of my farm for shade,
ornament and use, I have had no
difficulty in making ever3' tree grow.
I go where young bass woods are
plentiful and take up trees of a uni-
form size, say about 2^ to 3 inches
through ; these are usually very tall.
I cut off the top, leaving nothing
but a stub with roots. This stub I
aim to have about 12 feet long. I
take pains in setting out and then
bank up around it with hard wood
shavings, sawdust, chip-dirt or any
substance that will hold moisture.

In this way I have set out a nice
lot of them and have never lost a
tree. I have no doubt but young
sprouts one or two years old might
1)6 successfully transi)lanted if care

118

THE A31ERI0AN APWULTURIST.

istiikcn to keep the ground around
Lliem moist. — Youv correspond-
ent asks " How far will bees go in
search of honey?" That is a ques-
tion I cannot answer. 1 have
known my bees to go seven miles,
l)ut how much farther they went 1
cannot say. Several j-ears ago,
when I first got my Italians, the
first in this vicinity, they were
discovered by a party of bee hunt-
ers seven miles from my apiary ;
they caught a few, thinking they
were " a new race of wild bees, "
as the hunters afterw^ard told me,
and set them at work and lined
them to my apiar3^ I was not at
home at the time, and one of the
party lieing well acquainted with
me took the liberty to open a hive
for the purpose of satisfj'ing his
curiosity. I have often known my
bees to work on bass wood five
miles away, but of course the gain
in honey was small compared with
the gain when they worked nearer
home. To illustrate : when bass-
wood near one of my apiaries was at
its height two years ago, my scale
hive would gain 30 to 33^ lbs.
per day ; in four days the gain was
1231 ibs. At this time there was
plent}^ of basswood in bloom with-
in one mile of the apiary, and as
this gradually passed by they were
obliged to go farther off and at the
same time the gain correspondingly
decreased ; until, when the bees
were obliged to go five miles away,
the gain was but three lbs. per
dozen. I have one apiary where
there is no great amount of bass-
wood nearer than three miles, yet I
usually get a fair crop of basswood
honey in that apiary, though their
l)cst day two years ago was but
15 Ibs. against 33^ in the apiary
mentioned above. I keep one col-
ony on scales all through the sum-
mer in each yard in order that 1
may know from day to day what
the gain or loss is.

1 will state that I am located at

the base, and on the west side, of
the Green Mountains. The foot
hills (so-called) all about me are
more or less covered with bass-
wood which blooms some days ear-
lier than that which is on the
mountains ; hence near the close of
the season, when the bees are
obliged to go to the top of the
mountain to forage, the increase of
honey in the hives is much less
than when they can get it at a
much less distance.

Basswood is the best honey plant
we have here and 1 am sure that
were it not for basswood, bee-
keeping would not receive much
attention in this part of Vermont.

P. S. My experience is that
young basswoods are much more
sure to hive and grow after trans-
planting than are fruit trees. 1
find them very hardy.

Bristol, Vt.

For the American ApicuUuri^t.

SPRING MANAGEMENT.
J. E. Pond.

Upon the management employed
in early spring in the apiary, will
depend almost entirely the question
of whether we shall gain or lose in
the business. One thing we must
constantly bear in mind, viz., that
we can't obtain a large crop of
honey, and a large increase of bees,
at the same time, and consequently
we must determine early whether
it is bees or hone}^ we most desire,
as the management for a honey
crop is in some respects different
from that required for an increase
in colonies.

Whichever is worked for, the
early management will be the same.
To get an increase at the least ex-
pense requires a large force of for-
agers at the exact time when honey
can be gathered freely, and not to

THE AMERKjAN APICULTUIUIST.

119

liiive a large force when there is no
hone}^ for them to gather. Tlie
bees themselves understand this
point so well, that they carry on
comb-making and brood-rearing
simultaneously with honey gather-
ing and cease when hone}' is no
longer found in the fields. There
is an exception to this, however,
and that is in early spring ; then
they seem to realize that their de-
pleted forces must be strengthened,
and rear brood just so long as any
stores are found in the hive, but
will continue if fed as long as the
feeding is kept up.

To get our colonies up to full
strength in time to gather the first
secreted nectar, is the point to work
for as soon as the weather will ad-
mit. On the first day when the
bees can fly out safely, the exact
condition of each hive should be
ascertained, queens supplied, or
the means of rearing them given,
ample stores for both bees and
brood furnished, the hives con-
tracted to suit the size of the col-
ony, all upward ventilation shut
off, and the hives well packed so
as to retain the heat needed for
the maturing brood. It takes
twenty-one days from the egg be-
fore the worker emerges from the
cell, and about fifteen more before
it becomes a forager ; now if the
flora of one's locality is known,
it is easy to determine how early
brood-rearing should be begun in
order that the forager may get the
earliest honey crop. One axiom
must be remembered here. A large
colony will gather far more honey
and rear far more bees than will
the same if split up into three or
four. So care should be taken
that colonies do not accumulate so
rapidly as to spoil all chance of
success. The secret of success
lies simpl}' in strong colonies sup-
plied with young and prolific
queens.

In building up in spring, if feed-

ing is needed to be done, care
should be taken not to feed too
rapidly or in too large a quantity.
If the hive contains sealed stores,
a few cells uncapped each da_y will
be ample ; if the stores are minus,
only enough should be fed to keep
the bees alive and hive w^ork }>ro-
gressing. Too much manipulating
at any time is undesirable and in
early spring is positively injurious.
The young beekeeper for some rea-
son seems to think he must be con-
stantly pulling his hive to pieces,
and overhauling the brood-cham-
ber to see if the queen is laying or
not. There is no need of a full
examination after the first is made,
if that was made thoroughly. Hav-
ing learned the condition of each
colony and supplied its wants,
there is no further need of over-
hauling a hive, except to add a
frame of brood as needed, where
a weak colony is being built up.

It is onh' by practical expe-
rience that much of the knowledge
of how to manage in spring is ac-
quired, but the careful study of
''Alley's Handy Book," and the ar-
ticles in the Apicultuhist will aid
the beginner amazingly. These
hints are not given with the idea
that one can learn the business
from them, but as a sort of help in
the right direction ; and if any one
is so aided, I shall feel well repaid
for giving them.

Foxboro, March y, 1887.

[The Jibove was intended for the April issue.
but caine too late.]

WHAT KILLED THE BEE^?

Shipleifs I'uiiU, Mo.
Mk. Alley :

Please send nie the eleven essays on
"How to Winter Bees?" I lost one-
tliird of my bees last winter. Some
left fifty pounds of honey. Can you
give me the reason for it? The l)ies
were on the summer stanils, souic
were in log hives and others on eight-

120

THE AMERICAN APWULTURIST.

Limgstrolli fraiiics. Snow piUd up
ijvur the eiilraiice.

Allkx Stokksbuky.

[Tlie snow may have had sonie-
l\\\\\\f to do vvith killing the bees;
liiink it did in some cases. Other
colonies had too much honey, and
probably did not have sufficient
room for the queen to lav, as the
combs were so full of stores ; thus
the colonies went into winter quar-
ters, weak in numbers, and then
the large quantity' of honey made
the combs colder than ice, and
as the bees could not get into a
compact cluster, they of course
died by freezing. Other colonies
may have lost their queens in the
fall, and in consequence died, as
bees will not winter without a
queen.

Read the essays on wintering
bees sent you and you probably
will have better success in the
future.]

THE STANDARD FRAME
OF AMERICA.

Woodcock, I'a.
Mk. Allev:

An cHlilorial may be found in a bee paper
piiblislied in New" York state criticising the
liritish Bee Juurnal for saying the "Lang-
stroth IVanie is'the standard in America, "and
the editor also says '• tlie British Bee Journal
would have come nearer the truth if it had
said that there are more American frames
in use in America than all other sizes put
together." Some of our best authorities say
that ninety per cent of the hives in America
take the Langstroth frame. What is your
opinion in llie matter?

Aly bees are wintering well in chaff-hives
on the summer stands. Last year was al-
most a lailurc. My bees averaged only thir-
ty-six pounds i)er colony, spring count, and
no increase.

I like the ■' Ai)i" very much; wish it \vas a
weekly. Yours,

John H. Rux'ekt.

ANSWKU BY HENRY ALLEY.

The British Bee Journal is cor-
rect and so also are our best
authorities regarding the Lang-
stroth frame as being the standard
frame of America.

The i)a[)er you allude to has
tried a gooil many years to con-
vince the beekeepers of the world

that Mr. Langstroth was not the in-
ventor of the movable-comb frame.
P2very fair-minded person, as also
those well-informed in bee matters,
well know that to Mr. Langstroth
belongs the credit of inventino- the
inovable-comb frame.

A former editor of that New-
York paper spent thousands of
dollars and man}' months' time in
a futile attempt to prove that Mr.
L. stole his ideas of the movable-
frame ; but the said editor lost the
money and time spent in investi-
gating the matter, and the more
he tried to disprove the fact the
stronger he found the evidence
that Mr. Langstroth was the origi-
nal inventor of the movable frame
system as applied to beehives.

Finally, Mr. H. A. K. gave up
the chase in disgust, and soon
thereafter found it convenient to
retire to private life or to engage
in same other pursuit other than
that of an editor of a bee paper.

The " American" frame which
Mr. King devised for the sole pur-
pose of evading the Langstroth
patent, had no practical merits
about it and was little better than
the old-style frame used years
before.

Mr. King soon found he could
not evade the patent claims of Mr.
Langstroth, nor could he get
around it by the clap-tr»p arrange-
ment which he called the "■ Ameri-
can Hive," and when called upon
to pay a royalty for infringing
upon Mr. L.'s patent, he (King)
undertook to invalidate Mr. Lang-
stroth's claims. For this purpose
Mr. K. spent much time in visit-
ing Europe and other places in
search of evidence that would fur-
ther his scheme, but the enterprise
was unsuccessful, as Mr. Lang-
stroth still held the fort till his
patent expired.

At that time Mr. Langsti'oth
also was looking up the evidence
Mr. Kino; said he had obtained

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

121

liure in Essex county, Mass., and we
had the ploasui'e of aiding Mr.
Langstrotli, and well know tliatMr.
King found no points here that
would in the least benefit him if
the case went before a jniy.

No doubt when this comes under
the eye of our friend who conducts
the New York bee pa[)er, he will
howl well and think some pretty
. hard things even if he does not men-
tion them. Nevertheless, the facts,
as above stated, will probably not
be disproved by any evidence that
that paper can produce.

They may bring out their old
books and go back to the days of
Adam and Eve, but the fact that
Mr. L. invented the most practical
movable-comb frame will remain
all the same.

A few years ago we sent out
circulars in order to gather certain
data needed. One of the ques-
tions was : What kind of hives do
you use? Ninety-nine out of every
hundred said the " Standard Lang-
strotli."

Several hundred of these circu-
lars were sent out and were ad-
dressed to beekeepers in every
stale in the union.

<|IJEIIY IJEPA.RTMEWT.

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

ULAClv BKES VS. THE YKIXOW liACES.

Query No. 22. If luiueen-breeclcr
shoulil cease to rear tho yellow races
in preference to the bhick, would not
the former soon become extinct and
the latter entirely occupj' the field?
Certahily the blacks seem to have great
staying qualities in the unequal con-
test. How about the survival of the

fittest? RHADKK.

ANSWKKS liY K. L. TAYLOK.

Many have expressed" more or
less astonishment at the fact re-
ferred to in the above question,
but to my mind if the fact were

10

different the cause for astonish-
ment would be great indeed. If a
farmer stall feeds three, say four-
year-old, steers apparently equally
well he may reasonably indulge a
hope, if he feeds them skilfull\',
that their increase in weight will
, be nearly equal, because their food
is sure and regular, every comfort
is attended to, and they are just
approaching maturity, the period
at which health is the most stable
and life the most certain ; and yet
it would not be wondered at if the
farmer finds at last that he has
been feeding one of them at a
great profit, one at a fair profit
and one at a positive loss. Again,
let the farmer take cattle well
past their prime, when their health
and vigor become uncertain, and
he would be surprised if they re-
sponded equally to food and care.
On the other hand, the pros-
perity of a colony of bees depends
not only on the vigor of the queen,
but also upon the food supply and
upon what I may call 'the mental
characteristics of the t)ees — all
matters which are beyond " what
can be seen," as the phrase is used
in the above query. Let us see
whether the conditions resulting
from a variation in these particu-
lars in different colonies do not
abundantly account for all the dif-
ference there ever is in the "work-
ings of two colonies" apparently
alike in the spring.

1. The bees of different colonies
vary greatly in their mental char-
acteristics, and no " stock" has
ever yet been so highly bred that
great differences in this respect
cannot be readily seen as the sea-
son progresses. Some colonics
want to prolong their winter sleep,
others " rise early ;" some have a
penchant for beginning active
brood-rearing early, others prefer
to delay ; some are born economi-
cal and are parsimonious of their
stores till new food is coming

122

THE AMERICAN AFICULTURIST.

freely IVora the fields ; others live
in the present and trust to the fu-
ture to supply future wants ; some
are bent on the multiplication of
their race and their minds are ab-
sorbed in new homes and " going
west ;" others keep all their
thoughts at a tension on the ques-
tion of the future food supply.
Each of these points is a subject
in itself for a long article, but it is
not necessary to elaborate them
to enable any one at all acquainted
with apiculture to see that these
differences in their characteristics
must make a great difference in
their •' workings."

2. The food supply — and by
that I do not mean the amount in
store, but the " increase" — during
the spring often varies greatly in
colonies standing side by side.
One colony finds a better -'patch"
of willows or maples or hickories
than another, and where the amount
to be collected is small, so that
the gathering is principally done
before noon, the colony tliat be-
stirs itself earliest in the morning
has manifestly a great advantage.
Again, one colony may fortunately
find and appropriate the stores of
a colony tliat has perished, or may
find means of " borrowing" from
some weak colony in the neighbor-
hood, and it may be to absorb the
weak colony itself; and any of
these inequalities in " early" ad-
vantages would easily account for
a great disparity in results.

3. Finally, in seeking a solution
of the problem, it must not be for-
gotten that the queen bee leaps
almost at once to maturity ; her
prime lasts l)ut a few brief months,
which is at best a period of uncer-
tain length, when she enters upon her
decline which may be very gradual
and prolonged, or rapid with an
early termination to her uselul ser-
vice's. Indeed, though a prolific
queen is generally an advantage,
yet she may cease to be prolific at

a time when that would prove a
great help to her colony so far as
the result in surplus is concerned.
Suppose the surplus season lasts
thirty days, and the queen sudden-
ly loses lier vigor at the opening
of this season, the saving in food,
the reduction in the necessary
housework and the consequent
large reinforcement of the field
workers would make a very favor-
able, comparative showing in the
amount stored ; but space forbids
details, and these suggestions must
suffice.

Lapee'i\ Mich.

ANSWER BY UR, TINKER.

As the query is stated I should
answer yes. If any queen breeder
should cease to rear the yellow
races and rear only the blacks, the
former would soon become extinct
ill that locality il no other apiaries
of the yellow bees were near. The
querist evidently wishes to know
if a queen breeder had an equal
number of colonies of the black
and yellow races and should leave
all breeding to nature, would not
the black race predominate and
soon occupy the field? This query
must be answered no, if it is meant
that all traces of the yellow stock
would be eventually obliterated.
I dare say that if such a trial was
made and the; bees were isolated as
on an island, that one thousand
years would not suffice to obliter-
ate all traces of the yellow stock.
There is no doubt, however, that
the blacks would almost wholl}'
predominate at the conclusion of
such a trial. But the traces of the
yellow bees would be still there
and manifest in the breeding of
queens and in the color of an occa-
sional drone. The Italians are
believed Jjy many noted queen
breeders to be an impure race, that
from the beginning had a trace or
admixture of black blood that more

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

123

than a thousfind years of natural se-
lection have failed to breed out. So
much for the staying qualities of
the black race. It is vigorous and
strong in vitality and the drones
are large and active and adepts in
tlio art of wooing young queens,
but the black worker i? sluggish
and indolent as compared with the
average yellow worker.

If I am right in the above con-
clusions, there is little hope of es-
tablishing a fixed strain of hybrid
bees by natural selection that will
duplicate themselves in markings.
The intelligent queen breeder,
however, has the power to select
the drones and queens and to breed
to a t3'pe in almost any direction,
so that what cannot be acconi-
l)lished in a thousand years of nat-
ural selection can be accom[)lisheil
in less than one man's lifetime
through artificial selection. I have
proved to my full satisfaction that
it is possible to produce a distinct
strain or race of bees having defi-
nite markings in a reasonable time.

Labor in this direction has been
(]uite limited, but we m^y expect
in the near future great progress
in developing new strains of bees
as well as in cultivating their most
desirable traits. The survival of
the fittest will not be left wholW
to natural selection, we may be
sure ; for, in that case, the fittest
for the purposes of man may not
survive. The use of porforatcil
zinc and drone traps is going to
aid us in this work materially.

New Philadelphia, 0.

QUEKNS BY MAIL. MKTIIODS KOI!

TREATING THEJI WHEN UECEIVED.

Query No. 23. About 25,000 (|ueeu-
bec'S are reared aud sold in the United
States and Canada each year.

Many of those who purchase queens
are inexperienced l)eekcepers and do
not understand how to treat a queen

in order to preserve her hfe tilJ she can
be introduced.

Please give your method for carinir
for queens that were shipped by mail
as hundreds of beekeepers will appre-
ciate the favor and be greatly benefited
thereby. Sometimes queens sent l)y
mail are in bad condition when re-
ceived. Some arc daubed by tlie food,
others are chilled or injured by rough
usage. Please consider these points
in reply. Novice.

ANSWER BY P. R. RUSSELL.

It is true that valuable queens
are often received in bad condition
from various causes, and it is very
important to give them proper
treatment as soon as possible after
being received.

I have practised the following-
method with good results. When
a queen arrives and is badly
daubed with hone}'^, or nearly
starved, or chilled, or exhausted or
is out of condition from any cause,
I allow her attendant bees to es-
cape one by one, by holding my
thumb over the hole in the cage ;
any dead bees are also shaken out.
I then take the caged queen out to
some hive in the yard and put in
about a dozen fresh bees. If bees
are getting honey, I prefer to pick
them up from the alighting-board
as they return from the field.
These fresh bees will give the queen
proper attention and the cage is
then placed in the hive where the
queen is to be released in the usual
manner. I have never known
strange bees to attack or injure a
queen when introduced into an or-
dinary shipping cage, and I do not
think they will. In case a queen
is chilled, first take them into a
warm room and they will often re-
vive, even when apparently dead.
In any case, I think it is well to
cage her with fresh bees. Try it.

Lipin, 3Iass.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

In this matter I am not posted.
I have received but few'qucens by

124

THE AMFAUCAN APICULTURIST.

mail, coniparativel3% but the plan
I biivc adopted is simply to set
them one side in the shade till 1
wish to introduce them, if the
weather is warm ; if cold I put the
cage on top the frames of the hive
the queen is to be introduced to,
and leave her there. I have kept
queens in confinement in cages with
"Good Candy" for from two to
three weeks without trouble. My
method of introducing is to re-
move the old queen about noon of
a warm day when the bees are all
flying, leave the colony alone till
dusk when the bees have all re-
turned ; then I either allow the new
queen to run in at the entrance, or
drop her on top the frames and let
her run down. This is done of
course only when honey is being
gathered freel}'. When no honey
is being gathered I usual h' re-
move the old queen, put the new
one, cage and all, between the
frames ; the cages usually used now
have a hole in the side plugged
with "Good's candy, and the bees
in the last mentioned way will lib-
erate the queen b}' eating out this
candy-plugged hole.
Foxboro, Mass.

ANSWKK BY WILL M. KELLOGG.

I have had but little loss in
queens received. When honey is
coming in plentifully, nearly all
stocks will feed caged queens, and
queenless stocks do not fail to do
so. On receipt of the package, if
I have a stock that is ready to have
a queen introduced, 1 simply place
the cage on top of the brood-
frames and cover wai'm with quilts ;
then introduce as required. Other-
wise, 1 place the cage under the
quilt of some strong stock till I
can use the queen. In casetiie bees
are daul)ed with the food. 1 change
into a clean cage and proceed as
before. I sometimes feed tiie
(piecn first, if she k)oks dumpish.

with a drop of warm honey, which
enlivens her.
Oneida, III.

ANSWER HY 11. ALLEY.

When 1 have received (j[ueens in
bad condition, the bees accompa-
nying her are removed, and if the
cage is not badly daubed with
honey, I introduce about a dozen
young bees, not just-hatching bees,
but those that are a few days old,
as the latter are much better for
nursing a queen than younger bees.

If the bees have not a good sup-
ply of food, a fresh lot is inserted,
and then the cage is placed under
the cushion that covers a good
strong colony of bees. If possi-
ble, so place the cage that the bees
in the hive can feed the queen
through the wire-cloth, yet cannot
have access to the food in the
caoe.

ANSWKRS UV C. W. DAYTON.

I know of no better place to keep a
caged queen thiui in the centre of a
strong and queenless colony. When
the attendant bees arrive, mostly dead,
I substitute very young bees in their
places. If the queen was daubed by
the food they would remove it as their
contact with the queen woultl have a
tendency to better her condition. In
no case wou'd I allow an old bee in
the cage before it had remained in the
colony thirty-six or forty-eight hours.

Anything that would cause the cen-
tra of the colony to be very warm
would be advisable, and I can recom-
mend nothing better for this than to
feed the colony gradualiy so as to cause
the bees to be good-natured and busy.
When it was time to release the queen
I would aim to do it slyly, unknown to
the bees or her majesty. Tliis can be
accomplished by arranging a block of
honey in the opening of tlu; cage to be
removed by the bees. In feeding, great
caution should be exercised not to ex-
cite robbing as it would make trouble
and the chance for safe introduction
worse than it would have been had no
food been given.

If the shipping cage is daubed, a clean
one should be used.

Bradford, loica.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

125

FKItriLIZATIOX OF QUEK.XS IX
COXFIXKMEXT.

Query No. 24. In Vol. II, p. 05.
will he found a st:iteineiit by J. R-
Caldwell, Hoop(;ston, 111., saying- he
coiikl mate his stock as he wished in
conlinenient. Has lie followed up the
plan there described? llow many
queens can he thus "et mated in a sea-
son? Has any other of your many
readers tried tlie same and with what
results? Judniiiii- by my own experi-
ments in this line, ext(>iidinji' over a
numlxn- of years, we have much yet to
learn before the matter is reduced to a
practical certainty.

S. SiMMOXS.
ANSWER BY J. R. CALDWELL.

Sicknes.s has prevented us from
rurlhcr experiments. Oiu' humble
opinion is, tliat there are too many
(contingencies to warrant a general
succiessof fertilizing queens in con-
finement.

Iloojyeston, III.

ANSWER r.Y J. E. POND.

I have not seen any reports
from Mr. Caldwell in relation to
his success in the matter. The
question of mating queens in con-
finement has been a matter of
study and labor for many years by
some of our most scientific bee-
keepers, but not one of them has
as yet met with success. A few
reports have been made of indi-
vidual cases where queens were
mated in confinement, but the tests
us given are not considered strong
enough to warrant the conclusion
that any real practical or beneficial
results will grow out therefrom.

There are so tnany chances for
mistakes in the matter, that unless
successful mating in every instance
follows, or in a sufiflcient number
of cases to warrant the finding,
that no possible error has been
fallen into, that we must go slow
in our belief and call for positive
proof of the strongest, possible
(character before we accept the;
conclusion thai queens can be

mated as we choose to have them
and in confinement.

He who matures a i)lan by which
such inating can be accomplished,
will be doing beekeepers an im-
mense benefit and place his own
name high up on the roll of apia-
rian princes.

Foxboro, Masfi.

ANSWER BY WILL 31. KELLOGG.

I can't say anything as to Mr.
Caldwell's work as 1 know nothing
of it. I have tried several of the
plans for mating queens in confine-
ment, but with no practical success.
I have had good success by raising
early drones from a favorite queen,
by placing drone comb in the centre
earl}^ and stimulating, raising young
queens to be of similar right age
(drones about two weeks, 3'oung
queens four or five days old) then
inciting both young queens and
drones to fly early in the da}' b}'
sprinkling both stocks with sweet-
ened water. In this way I get a
large per cent mated with the de-
sired drones.

ANSWER IJY C. W. DAYTON.

I think the plan mentioned must not
have been very advantageous or more
wouUl have been said about it. It
would have been adopted and advised
more.

HOW TO INTRODUCE A QUEEN.

The safest and best metliod ever tested in
the Bay State Apiary lor introducing queens,
is as follows :

The colony to which a strange queen is to
be introduced sliould remain f|ueenless tln-ee
days (72 hours). Then the colony should be
thoroughly smoked and the queeii allowed to
run in over the combs during the excitement;
or the cage, in which the queen is shipped, may
be so placed that the queenless bees can re-
move the food and rc^lease the (luecn. To do
this, t'irn back the wire-cloth that covers the
foo(l, just enough to allow the queen to pass
out when the food is removed.

If one of our ftimigators, such as we have
used for thirty years, is used to fumigate the
bees with tobacco smoke, not one queen in
one hundred will be lost in introducing,
whether the queen be a fertile or an unfertile
one. Wc si)enil about five minutes in smok-
ing the bees and lilow in only a small amount
at each pulV. lntrodn<'e <iueeiis just at sun-
down, as the bees will not rob then, and
I'verything will bo all right in the moi-ning.

.126

THE AMERICAN APICULTUIUST.

THE MANAGERS GOBNER.

Must the Extractor go? Some
one lias suiiiresled, and we think it was
Mr. lleddon, that the use of tb.e ex-
tructor should be discontinued. This
seems to us to be one of the wisest and
most imporiaut suggestions yet ad-
vanced by any one. Looking back
some eiglit or ten years we think the
price oflioney l)egau to decline as the
extractor came into general use.

Messrs. Heddon, "iJoolittle, Miller
and several others have given in the
"API," cases which occurred some
eight or ten years ago, when dealers
would call at the apiary and pay almost
any price for honey and in some in-
stances were ready to bargain for it
before the crop was secured, and ofl'er
a very high price for it.

Now that most every beekeeper uses
an extractor the price of honey is less
than one-half what it was ten years
ago. Is this not largely, yea, wholly
owing to the general use of the ex-
tractor?

If this state of things continues not
only the extractor must go but the
large honey producer also, as he will
be compelled to abandon a business at
which it is impossible to make both
ends meet. We say the large dealer
must go, as the large dealer cannot
drive the small beekeeper from the
business, from the fact that the latter
docs not give his whole time to the
business. Small dealers are farmers,
mechanics, professional men and wom-
en, therefore they are not wholly de-
pendent upon a crop of honey for an
existence. In our opinion the people
last mentioned are the only ones who
can make beekeeping profitable and
successful.

We believe better prices would be
realized in less than one year, could
the general use of the extractor be dis-
continued. Is not this the most prac-
tical and only remedy ?

Another point presents itself here.
Cannot honey in the comb be produced
at half the cost of time and labor that
it can be by the use of the extractor?
Is not the experiment worth trying?

We really believe that if the price of
honey was not less than twenty-five
cents per pound, that much more would
be used by families generally. People
do not desire and will not purchase
cheap luxnries. When they pay a good
round price for an article it seems to
jilease them, aiul they really l)elieve

that it is much better than if the price
had ])oen less than half they were
charged for it. It is so the world
over.

We have dealt in fruit some, and when
fruit seemed to be scarce and high,
everybody wanted it, but when it was
cheap and so plentiful as it has been the
hist two years, nobody wanted it. and
1 could not even give away some fine
pears I had.

Perforated Zinc— Dr. G. W.

Tinker of New Philadelphia, Ohio, has
sent to this ofllce a sample of perfo-
rated metal made by a machine which
he constructed himself.

The sample is very nice, and we
siiould say the metal is as good as that
niaiuifactured by any one. In one re-
spect it is better for the drone-traps
than that we have been using; in that
the perforations or slots, for the bees
!') j)ass through, are an eighth of an
incli longer than in any metal we have
used.

Doctor Tinker says he can make
it only seven slots wide at one time, and
his machine is only designed to make
perforated metal for use in honey-
boards

Questions and Answers.— The
only importance and value any Question
and Answer department has is the
fact that the questions are answered
by well-known and practical men.
One of our exchanges has an idea
that theyjiave stolen a march on all
other bee papers by giving out ques-
tions a month ahead and permitting
any one who chooses to send in an-
swers.

If they pursue such a course, there
will be more confusion and disagree-
ment in the answers tliau there now is.
We guess our young brothers will soon
learn by expeiience what is ^really
needed.

Surplus Swarms.— The best way
to manage when one has all the colo-
nies needed is to double up, put two
and even more new swarms in one hive,
and place the sections on the hive at
once.

Last season we had two very large
swarms issue at the same time; hotii
were placed in oiie hive. These two
swarms not only filled tlie brood-nest,
but ninety-six one-pound sections, and
!is some of the cases used had no sep-
arators between the sections, more

THE AMERICAN APICULTURT8T.

127

than 100 pounds of honey were taken
from these two new swarms.

Low Prices. — If the people wlio
are nianufacturino; beekeepers' supplies
continue to cut i)rices as they have in
past seasons, tlie bee business will soon
be run into the iiround. Hundreds of
men have bought a few hives of bees
and as soon as they have gained a little
knowledge of the bee business, have
at once come out with a flashy circular
and a big advertisement, offering sup-
plies for sale. The novice is allured
into the supply business with the idea
tliat when he enters it he soon will be-
come; rich. Poor fellows. It. takes l)ut
a few months' time to convince all sucli
people of their mistake.

Now, very few people would care
about the number who enter the supply
lousiness, were it not for the fact that
all inexperienced persons commence at
the start to cut the prices, thinking l)y
so doing they can steal the trade other
parties have alreadj' secured I)y fair
dealing and promptness. In this they
mistake again.

The large dealer is obliged, on ac-
count of so much competition, to re-
duce his prices, which were already too
low, in order to hold his trade.

Mr. A. I. Root set the low-price
liall in motion and since he commenced
to manufacture goods at sucli figures as
ho alone could live upon, the prices of
all kinds of beekeeping supplies have
steadily decreased, till to-day there are
not half a dozen dealers in the country
wlio are getting a new cent for an old
one. These people are keeping along,
and hoping against hope, that some-
thing will soon turn tip that will better
the condition of things.

We sometimes look over the adver-
tisements found in the bee papers.
One-pound sections are advertised at
$3.00 per 1,000. We contend that no
man even with the most improved ma-
chinery can manufacture 1,000 one-
piece flrst-class sections and pack them
for shipment, for the small sum of
$3.00, and get a profit by so doing.

Why do business for nothing or for
the fun of the thing? One more point
we wish to speak about in this connec-
tion. Are the low-priced goods the
cheapest? One man who has been ad-
vertising one-piece sections at .$3 per
1,000 sent us a sample lot of about 300
sections, on which we paid $1.50 ex-
press charges. When the sections
came we looked them over and found
them worthless and tlirew the entire

lot into the fire. They were as value-
less as so much brushwood.

Take the matter of bee-hives. Some
l)eople advertise the L. hive at less
tliaii one dollar each, all complete.
Well, such a hive will last about one
year, l)ut a hive that can l)e bmight for
.1i!2 50 will last a man a life-time. We
have SOUK! L. hives in the Bay State
.Vpiary that were made thirty years
ago. They are, to all appearances,
good for thirty years more.

The names of new dealers are being
added to the list every year. They
come out with flaming advertisements
and circulars. Ninety-nine out of
every hundred discover the first year
of their experience that there is " no
money in it," and they soon disappear
from sight, only to give place to otliers
who must go through the same mill in
order to be convinced that there are
not millions in iL

Save your money and time, friends,
for we can assure you that the bee-
keepers' supply business is thoroughly
overdone.

Albino Bees.— Some time ago w^
gave our experience with the Albino
ijees. Our remarks had reference to
l)Ut one strain of Albinos, and that
strain originated in Maryland. Albino
l)ees produced by a cross between the
Syrians and the Italians such as Dr.
Tinker has developed, is a far dirt'er-
ent bee from those Albinos bred by
in-and-in-breeding the Italians. It
must 1)6 evident to any beekeeper, that
a strain of bees whose only good point
is in its beautiful color, and that pro-
duced by in-breeding, mu.st l)e worth-
less. At least we have found it so.

Cheap Bee Papers. —There is
much rivalry going on among some of
the bee journals; and, in order to get
ahead and secure the largest circula-
tion, some of the parties engaged in the
strife have reduced the price of their
paper to a figure far less than what a
first-class journal can be printed for.

Now, as a matter of course, any on»;
will readily see that the publisher must
have a fat pocket-book, the price of
the paper must be raised, or the publi-
cation discontinued at no distant day.
We do not question the fact that some
of the journals can stand the pressure
for a long time so ftir as money is r<'-
quinul. Will tliey? is the question.

Tliis lively competition reminds us
of two groceryuKMi whose placets of

128

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

business were in a town but a few miles
from Wcnliam. One of tiie parties re-
ferred to reduced tlie price of sugar to
the actual cost. Not to be outwitted
by such a move, the other merchant did
the same thing. As soon as grocery-
man No. 1 heard of the reduction his
rival liad made, lie at once put the price
of sugar at less than cost.

Groceryman No. 2 said he did not
care for that as he was willing his
friend should sell all the sugar, and the
more he sold the sooner he would have
lo close his shop. Well, this proved
to be the fact. Now, suppose it costs
tjfty cents to print twelve copies of any
paper, and the price it is sold for is but
twenty-five cents, or fifty per cent less
than cost : it is evident that the more
subscribers a man has the more he will
lose. Go ahead, gentlemen, put out
your money. We are not sorry that
we have none to pnt out in that foolish
way.

How to winter Bees. — If any of

our readers have not seen the Essays
"IIow to winter Bees" as printed in the
"An", October (18S(!)issue, please state
tlie fact on a postal card and send your
address and a copy will be mailed to
all who apply.

We have just printed a large edition
of that (October) number, not only to
supply I hose eleven essays, but also to
place our price list of apiarian supplies
in the hands of all who desire it.

The essays on wintering bees are by
Dr. G. L. Tinker, P. R. Russell, Prof.
Cook, J. E. Pond, G. M. Doolittle,
Chas. Muth, J. F. Bingham, G. W\
Demaree, A. E. Manum, James Hed-
don and C. W. Dayton, all well-known
among us as the best and most practi-
cal beekeepers in tlie world.

The essays are printed and issued in
a Special Edition of the "Api."
Sixteen pages of which are entirely
new matter that was not given in the
188G issue.

This special, or extra, number of the
ApiCULTuniST will be found to contain
a large amount of most valuable infor-
mation regarding the care of bees
and we hope to i)lace a copy of it in
the hands of every beekeeper in the
country. Sent free by mail, until fur-
ther notice, to all who apply.

Those who receive the special num-
ber will find what will appear to be in-
consistency in prices, discounts and
oflers of premiums. We will say in
reference to that matte'r that the Oct.
(1880) issue was plated, or stereotyped

more properly, and no change could be
made unless the entire ptige was reset.
After all the new matter was ready
for the press we found there were
18 pages where 10 pages only Avere
needed, anil so pages 241 and 242
of tlie phites were left out, but in do-
ing so the index was not changed to
coVrespoud. In order to lind the right
page the reader must count two pages
back, (if the one given in the index
when it occurs after ptige 240.

Who believes it?— A fellow trav-
elling in New York state was shown
some honey iu the comb said to be
twenty-live years old. This may be
true, hut when it is slated that the
honey had not changed in taste or ap-
pearance not having granulated even,
then we beg leave to say we do not be-
lieve it, and iVstrikes us not one man in
a million acquainted with honey will
believe one word of it.

The fact is the man who published
the statement was sold.

To advertisers. — One of tlie ad-
vantages in advertising in the AMKiti-
can Aricui/runiST is the fact tliat the
proprietor or manager of the "Api"
lias no advertisements in its columns;
thus none of those who advertise in our
paper do so in competition with us.

Bear in mind that the Amiciucan
Apicultukist is not a local bee paper.
We have more subscribers in any one
of the western states than we have in
all six of the New England states to-
gether.

' We shall undertake to rear a few
more Albino queens the coming sea-
son, for the purpose of testing some
strains which have been brought to
our notice.

Mr. Svvinson and others claim that
they have Albino bees superior to any
heretol'ore tested in the Bay State
Apiaries. We will rear a few hundred
queens, antl give our friends and cus-
tomers a chance to test them with us.
If these bees will winter as well and
come up to the work in all respects as
the strain of Italians recently de-
scribed in the "Api," we shall be satis-
fied that all Albinos are not alike.

THE AMERICAN AlUCULTURIST.

129

The following slip was taken from a
l)oe paper and .sent to the "An" l\v a
friisnd.

iMr. Henry Alley has iei|uestcii us to stop
oxchaiigins with l\\c.''- Aplculturist" iwnK will
not iiormit us to subscribe to his paper, even
tlic)u.i;li we have sent the money twice. The
onl) cause to which we can lay the orijrin of
this remarkalile decision of Mi'. Alley, is our
piihiishiny cmnmenildtioii.i of the so called Al-
bino ItaUitn. All we want' is to know wlien
Mr. Alley publishes anything relative to our-
selves or the .Magazink; and since we are
unable to keep our eye on hini by being a
sul)scriber to his paper, we would request
those lew of our readers who take his paper,
to send us any copy, alter they are tlirough
with it. containing such matters as we have
referred to, and we shall reimburse them for
the trouble, and return the paper.

No, we dill not accept of money from
the author.s of the al)ove for subscrip-
tion to the Ameuican Apicultukist,
Init they forgot to state the fact that I
offered to send them the "A pi" for
nothing as long as they desired it. The
reasons they give why I wished to dis-
(•ontinue the erxchange is a falsehood, as
I gave my reasons in plain words and
they coiiid not misunderstand them.
Publishing the article they refer to
never gave me any concern ; at anyrate,
I have hi no way indicated that it did.
My reasons for discontinuing to deal
with that paper are the same as a good
many other parties give ; and that is
abuse, which the editor of the paper
from which the above was taken is
continually dealing out, and in most
cases, to liis l)est friends. They seem
to be in a good deal of troul^le because
we publish a much l)etter l)ee paper than
they do. No one will forget how the
young man who edits the New York
l)ee paper abused Mr. Locke when he
was editor of the "Api."

Well, we will let it all pass. We do
not propose to use our columns to reply
to charges of irresponsible parties.
This is the first and the last time aj-c
shall notice anything of the kind.
To show how much the paper referred
to values its reputation for truth and
veracity we refer our readers to the
item "Figures don't lie," as that refers
to the same publication the item at tin;
head of these remarks was taken from.

One of their correspondents, a Mr.
A])l)ott, .stated in tltc April issue of the
pajier in ([uestion that it had reached
9,000 copies. To this the editor says :

"[Mr. Abbott sve are soriy to .sjiy overrati s
our circulation. He has in mind our Decem-
l)er issue of 0:jOO. We have not reached iioiiii
yet, but wc .•irtigeltingthi'rogradually. — Ki). |''

Whew 1 lliere is (|uite a difference be-
tween If). 000 and 11,000, and so there is
cpiite a difference lietween 9,000 and
8.000. The "An" will pro])ably get
there as soon as our neigh])or. As tiie
editor of the paper having tlie ])ig cir-
culation (on paper) "cannot keep his
eye on us" we will mail him several
copies of this issue of the "An."
Wliat few of our retidcrs take tlie B.
K. M. will please notice.

Figures don't lie.— The proprie-
tors of a lice paper pul)lish(Hl some-
where in the state of New York, iiave
stated in ))ig red letters that their cir-
culalioii IkkI reai'ib'd 15,00(1 copies.

Dc'S Moines, Jnwn.

P'lilKXD Al.I.KY :

III your reply to A. Norton, "Api
cnlturist" No. 4, current vohinie, par-
graph two, you unintentionally do the
invertible hive an injustice. Tlie
frames are not spaced "by blocks of
wood or blocks of any thing else ;"
they are spaced precisely as are Lang-
stroth frames, and have the same lat-
eral play as do those justly celebrai.ed
frames. The frames of tlie invertible
hive hang from the centres of thin
ends, in rabbets cut into the mating
edges in the middle of the hive.
When it is necessary to move the
frames, the Van Deusen clasps at each
end ol the hive are loosened and the
upper half of the case may be lifted
or taken off entirely, and the frames
manipulated, spaced or re -spaced at
will. J. M. Shuck.

[You are correct, frieiul Sliuek.
I had not seen the hive for a year,
you sent P. H. Morant & Co., till
to-day. When your letter caine, 1
at once went and examined the
hive and found 1 was wrong in the
statement made in tlie Api, and iind
the impression tliat tlie frames were
spaced as statcul in my remarks.
We elieerl'ully make tlie correction.]

130

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

GLEANINGS FBOM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

Newport, R. I.
Mr. Alley:

Is the l)ook, "Alley's Queen-Rear-
ing," that I sec advertised, the same as
the "llaiKly Book?"

W. S.

[Yes. The full title of the book is
"The Beekeepers'* Handy Book, or
Twenty-two Years' Experience in
Queen-Rearing."]

Hamilton, Minn.
Editor " Ai'i :"

Your Question and Answer depart-
ment in the " Apiculturist" is complete
and very instructive.

I thank you very much for inserting
my questions and having them an-
swered so well.

Yours,

Howard Babcock.

Harrison, Ohio.
Mr. Alley :

The " A pi" arrives on time with its
hints .and suggestions for the mouth.
It is an intellectual feast that the mod-
ern beekeeper can not afford to be
without.

Respectfully,

James A. Scott.

DeKalb Junction, N. Y., April 7, 1887.

Bees in northern New York are all
in cellars yet, and in line condition.

The weather is clear and cold, and
the mercury hovers too close to zero
nearly every morning to please bee-
keepers.

No snow except in fence corners,
and the fields are frozen as solid as a
I'ock every morning. Poor show for
clover. Ira Barber.

Skowheyan, Maine.

THE CYPRIAN BEES.

Last season I had presented to me a
fine Cyprian queen, by A. Norton of
Gonzales, Cal. I found them very
mild to handle, as gentle as the Ital-
ians. I can say they were the mildest
Cyprians that I ever saw. The queen
was very prolific. I am not fully de-
cided as to their honey-gathering qual-
ities compared with other kinds of bees,
as it was a poor honey season with me
last year, and 1 could not give them a
fair test.

AV. II. Norton.

Hampden, O.
Mr. Editor :
I am a novice in beekeeping and a
subscriber to the Apiculturist, and am
well pleased witli it; think it is the
best bee journal published.

W. D. Ballard.

I consider the "American Apicultu-
rist" invaluable to apiarists.

A. G. W.

Chitlenaiujo., N. V.
Editor Am. "Api,"

Please do not take it as flat-
tery if I give you my reasons why
I admire the Apiculturist.

1. For the Editor's plain, ont-
spoken and independent manner of
conducting a public journal.

2. For the plain, practical com-
mon-sense articles from its able
contributors.

Last, though not least, there is
less trash enters its columns than
those of any other bee journal.
A. F. Smith.

CIRCULARS RECEIVED.
Prime & Gove, Bristol, Vt.

E. M. Youmans, Andover, Conn.
W^. Vy. P.liss. Diiartc. Cal.

J. B. Murray, Ada, Ohio.

C. W. Costeloo, Waterboro. Maine.

.loseph E. Shaver, North River, Va.

Smith & Smith, Kenton, Ohio.

Edw. R. Newcoml), Pleasant N'.illey, \. ^'

W. E. Clark. Orislianv, N. Y.

F. A.Snell. Millodgeville. 111.
John Nel)el & Son, Hiarh Hill, Mo.
Frank A. Eaton. Bliiffton, Ohio.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Yeinon, low.-i.
Arthur A. Davis, Clark's Green, Pa.

Our Club Rates.

Am. Apiculturist and Am. Weekly Bee

• Joui-nal, $1

Am. "Alii" and Gleanings (semimonthly) 1

•' Bee Hive (bimonlhly) " 1

" " Beekeepers' Handy Book 1

•' '• Cook's Manual " 1

'• •' A Year among the Bees 1

" " Alley's drone and queen

trap 1

VINEGAR FROM HONEY.

Friend Root : — Having seen, in
Gleanings, an article on honey
vinegar, I shall express you a sam-
ple of ours; and if you ever saw
a better article, let us know it,
please. We have l)eeii making

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

131

lioney vinegar for the last four
years, and find a ready sale for it.
It eclipses the best A'ine vinegar
for all purposes for which vinegar
is used. Below I will give my
modus operandi.

When making vinegar, one must
know that water will turn into
vinegar providing it contains the
necessary quantity of sugar stuff,
and is exposed to fresh air and a
warm temperature. The warmer
the temperature and the better the
circulation of air, the sooner vine-
gar forms. A barrel is laid down,
and an inch hole is bored in the
upper end of each head, near the
upper stave. This admits of a
good air-passage over the body of
the honey water. Tins with fine
perforations nailed over these
holes, with the rough side out-
ward, exclude flies and skippers.
Take about one pound of honey to
one gallon of water, thoroughly
mixed up, and nail a perforated tin
on the bung-hole. We take thir-
ty-five to forty pounds of honey
for a barrel containing fort}- to
forty-five gallons of water. The
warmest place in the yard is the
best place for the barrel. If the
sun shines on the barrel all day, it
requires from the beginning of
April to the end of October to
make vinegar satisfactory for all
purposes. If not sour enough ])y
fall, it will be all right by Christ-
mas or spring, if placed in tlie cel-
lar or a w^arm room.

No vinegar should be exposed
to frost before the sour fermenta-
tion is complete, as such would
tui'n the sour into a foul fermenta-
tion, and the vinegar be lost. We
made last summer, on our bee-roof,
ten barrels of honey vinegar like
the sample I send you. The re-
tail price is thirty- three and one-
third cents per gallon, which gives
us a better profit than the produc-
tion of honey, as you w^ill see.
Chas. F. Mutii.

Cinci7ivuti, O., Feb. 5, 1887.

Gleavings, Mch. 1, 1887.

In addition to the above Mi-.
Muth says : Water sweetened in
the projiortion of about one pound
of honey to one gallon of watci-
and standing in a warm [)la(;e will
turn into vinegar in a stone-j;ir as
well as in a l)arrel. A barrel with
one head out and standing in the
sun will answer the i)urpose. But
the transformation is hastened by
the larger surface being exposed
to the air, as is the case with a
barrel lying down and an air pas-
sage over the top of the liquid.

We prefer, as a summer diink, a
mixture of honey-vinegai-, water
and honey or sugar, to the l)est of
lemonade.

[Mr. Miitli mailed us a sami)l(' oI'Mic
lioncy-vinesiiir. It is very nice. Ilnncy-
viiieiiar will l)e one of the tliiiiijs iiiaii-
uracliired at llic Bay State Ajiiary in
the future.]

NOTE>S FROM THE BAY
STATE APIARY.

Henry Alley.

Spring has come, or rather wo
have some warm days about this
time (April 4) when the bees can
take a flight, and we can now know
the true condition of each colony.

As stated in the "•Api" last fall,
a part of our colonies were put in
the cellar and the balance packed
on the summer stands. Of the
two methods of wintering we much
prefer the out-door one. One or
two of the colonies in the cellar
died from the loss of queens, and
one by dysentery'. I cannot think
that it was pollen that caused dys-
entery as ail our colonies had nn
ef(ual chance to gather i)ollen and
the same kinds of honey. A vigor-
ous queen will produce vigorous
and hardy progeny. A weakly

132

THE AMERICAN APICULTUUIST.

queon in:iy be very prolific and yet
lior ol!sj)i'ing far (Voin being strong
and har(l3\ Unhealthy bees can-
not properly digest food of an in-
ferior qiuilit}', say such honey as is
gathered late in the fall. The con-
sequence is, disease is sure to devel-
op long before spring and the col-
ony dies of dysentery. The sickly,
weakly l)ee cannot digest the un-
suitable food gathered and stored
in the combs. A strong, hardy
queen is pretty sure to carry her
colony through the winter in good
condition.

DEAD BEES ON BOTTOM OF CELLAR.

On March 14, I removed all the
thirt3'-six colonies of bees from the
cellar to the stands. They had a
chance to fly four hours in the
brigiit and warm sunshine, the
weather was very warm and no
bees were seen on the snow. The
dead bees on the cellar bottom were
all swept up and I found not far
from three pecks. It strikes me
that such a large number of dead
bees from thirty-six colonies was
more than there should be. Not-
withstanding tlTe large quantity of
dead bees, the hives were very full,
and before the bees were done fly-
ing everything within a dozen rods
of the apiary was pretty well be-
spattered with the excreta of the
bees.

Before dark all the colonies were
placed in the cellar again where
they remained till April 4. Con-
sidering the fact that a large num-
ber of our colonies are used late in
the season for queen-rearing which
of course is a damage to them, we
do not think our loss a heavy one.
Some of the colonies which were
used for queen-rearing after August
tenth died, while those so used be-
fore that time came through in ver^^
good condition. In future all col-
onies, used for queen-rearing after
Aug. 8, will be united, that is, the
combs containing brood will be
o-iven to other stocks, and in so do-

ing the loss in winter will be very
much lessened.

BKES ON THE SUMMER STANDS.

All the colonies wintered on the
summer stands, that were in good
condition in the fall, came through
the winter in splendid ordei-. Tiie
hives are very full of bees, and so
far as I can judge not 20 per cent,
as many bees have died out-of-
doors as died in the cellar.

1 luirdly think I shall ever winter
any more bees in the cellar. Am
satisfied that the hive described in
the "Api" last fall, is far better to
winter bees in than any cellar.
The advantages of wintering bees
on the summer stands are many
over those claimed for the cellar ;
and out-door wintering is far the
best method in the long run. With
a good hive, a strong vigorous
queen and suitable food, one is
pretty sure to have as many strong
colonies in the spring as he had in
the fall. When the above condi-
tions are not complied with, then a
good lot of empty hives will ho on
hand in the spring.

WIKE-CLOTH HONEY-BOAHDS.

The cloth honey-boards which
were on all our out-door hives dur-
ing the winter, were removed and
replaced by wire-cloth ones in-
stead. This change is made so
that the bees can be \'q<\ at an}'-
time, and their true condition
known at a glance without openino-
a hive. A small amount of gran-
ulated honey can be placed on the
wire-cloth, all covered up warm
and the bees will take the food
through the meshes of the wire.
Our hives, you will remember, are
so constructed that this method of
feeding can l)e practised with little
or no trouble. The brood-cham-
ber consists merely of the eight
frames and two side-boards, and
then all is covered and protected
fi-om the weather by an outer c.-ise.
The packing still remains between

THE AMERICAN APICULTUlilST.

133

the two hives, and will so remain
till June, or till the bees are ready
tu enter the sections.

One of the advantages in using
the wire-cloth honey-board is this :
l)y raising the cushion one can see
at a glance when the bees com-
mence to build brace-combs be-
tween the tops of the frames, and
that is about the time to place the
sections on the hive. All this can
be seen, too, without getting stung
or having any bees tly out at the
toj) of the hive. Now, such an ar-
rangement is not an actual necessi-
ty, but it is nevertheless a grand
idea ; and, notwithstanding I can
handle bees and not get stung, and
do not fear a bee any more than I
do a house-tly, I certainly like the
wire-cloth arrangement as above
described, for a honey-board. Mr.
P. R. Russell, one of our most
practical and well-known beekeep-
ers, uses these wire-cloth honey-
boards during the entire winter
and there is not the least objection
to doing so. If you have read Mr.
Russell's essay on wintering bees,
as given in the Oct. (1886) No. of
the "Api," you will understand
how he prepares his hives in the
fall, and he always winters his
bees successfully, too.

QDEEN-KEARING IN THE bAY
STATE APIARY.

By May lOtli, queen-rearing will
be well under way, and about June
1st, untested queens will commence
to be sent out by mail, at the rate
of 100 each week.

We hoi)e to be able to supply
about 2,000 queens of the strain
described on page 101 in Ai)ril is-
sue. We are very enthusiastic
over this j)articular strain of the
Italians. Yet we will not claim for
them that they are the "best strain
of l)ees extant" or that we are the
most ^'ficientijic queen -breeder in
the world" but we will claim that
the strain of bees in question will

winter in any climate and on the
summer stand to the satisfaction
of any person, and we will also
claim for them that, so far as can
be, this strain of bees is perfect in
every respect and in everything de-
sired or expected of bees.

Our colonies of this strain are
very fine, and it would be hai-d to timl
twenty more beautiful, healthy and
hardy colonies of bees. It is our
intention to build these colonies
up to the swarming point as early
as possible ; and, if possible, Ibrce
each one of them to swarm. Thus
we shall secure neai'ly two hundred
fine queen cells just at the time
when they will be most needed.

By using the drone and (pieen-
trap, we shall have no trouble in
getting a large number of cells
built. When the bees swarm, and
while they are in the air, the hives
will be opened, and the queen cells
removed to the nursery. The re-
turning bees will then l)e kept
queenless seven days when another
set of cells will be ready to be re-
moved and then a queen will be
introduced, and no more swarming
will be attempted by that colonv
during the season.

This plan will be found one of
the best and most practical to con-
trol swarming, and queen-breeders
will find it one of the best methods
to practise in cell-building. The
honey producer would have no
trouble in keeping the swai'ming
fever down by such a [)ractice.

Use the drone and (]ueen-trap.
Catch the queen when the colony
swarms. Keep her away from tlie
colony (bees) that has swarmed.
In seven days after the first swarm
issues, remove the queen cells, in-
troduce the queen that came off
with the swarm and no more svvarni-
ing need be exi)ected that seas(jn
from a colony thus treated.

If the trap is used to catch the
queen, she may be kept in it tbi
several weeks by merely [)lacing

134

THE AMEEICAJSr APICULTURIST.

llie trap in a box, or in some place
lluiL will protect the bees from the
Sim and I'ain. Several hundred bees
will remain with the queens, and it
will amuse the beekeeper very much
to see the bees perform that stick
to the queen. Each day, find sev-
eral times some days, the bees in the
tra[) will swarm, go into the air and
as the queen cannot leave, the bees
soon return again. In this condi-
tion the queen and bees will live for
a long time, or as long as they can
gather food from the fields ; thus you
will see that there is no better or
more convenient wa}^ to control
swarming and also for preserving
a queen than by the methods here
given. If your apiary is away from
home, or if one has business and
cannot visit the apiary but once or
twice each week, the trap will pre-
vent any colonies from absconding
to the woods, antl to know that a
colony has cast a swarm during the
absence of the beemaster, all that
is necessary is to examine the trap
and the queen may be seen on the
wire-cloth by disturbing those in
the trap a little. If a queen is
found, remove the trap to some safe
place, open the hive and destroy
the cells, and in the course of a
few days (say six da3s) destroy
any new cells, let the queen run in
at the entrance and use smoke
freely for a few moments.

I can give another method for
controlling swarming by tiie use of
the trap, but it is not as practical
as the one given, as a colony would
have to remain queenless nearly
fourteen days.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

Send for our 32-page

Pill CE- LI ST.

H. Alley,
Wenham^ Mass.

A GREAT SCHEME !

Oan We Sell Honey to the Millions?

Investigate our ucw, peculiar 5 ct. package
lor extracted honey. Eaten from the hand
irithoul knife, spoon or stick as cleanly as to
hite an apple. Tlie first and only clieaii .siic-
c:essful [lackage ever invented. We also have
\hiijirst chromo curd especially for beekeepers.
liee?^, implements, etc., elegantly printed in
eiglit colors. A big move to extend reputa-
tion. Italian Queens, Splendid Foundation,
Bees in lleddou Hives lor sale, and all repre-
sented on our card. Circulars and i;ard, giv-
ing lull iid'ormation I'rec. Package ol' cards,
10 cts. Sample honey package lilled with
honey, mailed for 1'2 cts. Now is the time to
look Miese tilings up for the coming season.
Address,

J. n. MARTIN,
4-S7-tf. Hartford, N. Y.

EXTRAOEDINAEY EXOHAN&E !

Having disposed of my bee-supply business
at Dcs Moines. Iowa, to Jos. Nysewander, I
hope my friends and customers will be as gen-
erous with him in orders and good will us they
have been with me. I am no longer in the
supply trade here after March 1, IS87.

J. M. SHUCK.
5--27tf.

LOOK HERE!!

Do you want choice colonies Italian Bees
cheap? Full colonies in Carey Improved L.
hives, lOJXI-t inches, at $8.00 per colony.
Also a few colonies in Kidder hives, frames
lOJ and \\% inclies, at only $7.00 per colony.
Those in want of choice colonies of line Ital-
ian bees will do well to send tlieir orders to
W. G. HILLMAN,

5-87-2 Green River. Vt.

BARNES' FOOT POWER MACHINERY.

Read what J. I. Par-
ent, of Chahlton, N.Y.,

says — " We cut with one
ot your Combined Ma-
chines, last winter, flfly
chaff hives with 7-inch
cap, 100 honey-racks. .")00
broad frames, -2.000 hon-
ey-boxes and a great
deal of other work. This
winter we have double
the amount of bee-hives,

etc., to make and we expect to do it with this

saw. it will do all you say it will." Catalogue

and Price-list Free.

Address, W. F. & JOHN BAIl.NES,

•2-S7 6 mo. No. 484 Ruhy St., Rockford, 111.

The American Apiculturist.

KXTKRED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.

Published Monthly. . Henry Alley, Manager.

VOL. V. WENHAM, MASS., JUNE i, 1887. No. 6.

We deal in flrst-class apiari- I Establislied in 1883. Terms:! Anv yearly subscriber is en-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest | $1.00 per year, 50 cents per six | titled' to one of our selei'ted
prices. Prompt delivery. I months, 2.') cents per three I queens anytime lietween June!

Send for price list. | months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. 1, by remitting 50 cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN" APICULTURIST, "Wenham, Mass.

For the American Apiculturist.

COMB HONEY.

METHODS A.S PRACTISED AND AD-
VISED FOR THE PRODUCTION' OF THE
LARGEST NUMBER OF POUNDS
IN ANY SEASON AT THE LOWEST
COST OF LABOR AND TIME
AND IN THE BEST MARKET-
ABLE STYLE.

METHOD NUMBER ONE.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

In order to produce good results
by way of getting plenty of well-
filled sections of comb honey, the
first requisite is plenty of bees
when the honey harvest arrives ;
for, whatever else we may have,
success cannot be obtained with-
out plenty of bees. Then one of the
greatest objects looking towards
an abundance of bees is a good
queen, for without such a queen it
would be impossible to get the re-
quired force of bees at the time it
was positively necessary that we
have them, if success is to crown
our efforts. These bees must be
on hand in time for the honey har-
vest, else the}' become merely con-
sumers instead of producers. How
often we find people keeping bees
on this consuming plan, getting
nothing from them in the time of
section hone}' except perhaps a
little fall honey of inferior quality,
for the reason that they do not have
anything but colonies weak in bees

11

at the time the harvest of white
honey occurs. Such beekeeping
does not pay, and if we would suc-
ceed, our first step is to get plenty
of bees in time for the honey har-
vest.

Wliite clover is the principal
honey-producing plant in most
localities, which blooms about
June 15, and is at its best fi'om
June 25 to 30, hence our bees must
be in readiness at that time if we
wish to succeed. After years of
trial I find that it takes about six
weeks to build up an ordinary
colony in the spring, to where they
are ready to get honey to the best
advantage, so we should commence
active operations about May 1,
where clover produces our white
honey crop. There are several
ways of working our bees to get
the greatest possible number at the
right time, the best of which as I
consider them, after years of trial,
is the spreading of the brood in
connection with chaff" packing as
given to us by J. H. Townley in
1877.

For this packing some prefer
one kind of material and others
a different kind, such as sawdust,
leaves, the many kinds of chaff
and hay. After trying nearly all
of them I find that oat straw is
fully equal to anything, and less
objectionable on account of litter
and scarcity. Having the colonies
(135)

136

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

all warmly packed we must reverse
the brood at the time pollen be-
comes plentiful, in all of the good
colonies, but leave the poorer ones
till later because they might suffer
from such a procedure if a cold
spell should occur. By reversing
the brood, I mean the placing of
the combs having but little brood
in them at the outside of the brood-
nest, in the centre, which brings
the combs having the most brood
in them on the outside. Thus,
■while the colony has no more brood
than it had before, the queen finds
plenty of empty cells in the centre
of the brood-nest, in combs having
some brood in them, and she at
once fills these combs with eggs,
so that in a few days they will con-
tain more brood than those which
were moved to the outside, while
the bees have fed and taken care
of this as well as though its posi-
tion had not been changed. In
this way quite a gain is made in
regard to increasing the brood.

In about a week, if the weather is
favorable, a frame of honey is taken
from the outside of the cluster, the
cappings to the cells broken, and
after separating the brood-nest in
the centre, the frame of honey thus
prepared is placed therein. In re-
moving this honey and carrying it
to the outside of the brood-nest
the bees are made happy, which
causes them to feed the queen an
extra supply of egg-producing food,
so that in a short time this frame
is also filled with eggs. In a week
or so as the bees increase in
strength another frame is placed in
the centre as before, and so we
keep on till every comb in the
hive is filled with brood.

In proceeding as above it is es-
sential to know that each colony
has suflficient hone}- to supply all
its wants for at least two weeks,
for if we wish to obtain the largest
auiount of brood possible, the bees
nnist never feel the necessity of

feeding the brood sparingly on ac-
count of scanty stores. If plenty
of honey in the frames is not at
hand, a feeder and some sugar
syrup will be a necessity, but I
consider the frames of honey pref-
erable for this purpose. Having
the hive filled with brood, the next
thing to be done is to put on the
sections. Of course these are all
in readiness, for a successful bee-
keeper will always work at this
getting-ready part at odd spells
during winter and early spring.
After several years of experience
and testing of various plans I con-
clude that it is best lo fill the sec-
tions with thin foundation, not so
much to help the bees, as to get
nicer looking combs and those
wliich will stand shipment better.
Some think that the bees will not
work so well on foundation a few
months old as the}' will on that
just made, so defer this getting-
ready part till at the time wanted.
I think the idea a mistaken one,
but even if there was some truth
in it I still should put the founda-
tion in during winter believing
that tlie gain would more than
overbalance the loss. The best
way wliich I know of (after try-
ing nearly all the jilans and fast-
eners recommended) to fasten this
foundation in sections is to take a
board of suitable width and length
and fasten to it five or six little
boards of the right thickness to
come half way or to the middle of
the sections. Now slip the sec-
tions over these little boards and
lay the foundation in its place with
one edge coming closel}' to tlie un-
derside of the top piece to the
section. Set the board angling
in two directions so that when
melted wax is poured from a si)Oon
at the upi)er corner of the V-shaped
trough, formed by the foundation
and section, it will slowly run to
the otiier side, thus fastening the
foundation securely to the section.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

137

If we begin at one end and put on
a section and foundation till we
get to the oilier, the first will be
cool and ready to take off when
we get to it so that no time is lost
waiting for the wax to cool. In
this way I can put in foundation
almost as quickl}' as I can handle
foundation and section. The sec-
tions filled with foundation are
next put in wide frames holding
but one tier of sections deep, and
having separators nailed to them,
for after repeated trials I consider
the no-separator plan a move in
the wrong direction. Other wide
frames are filled with sections con-
taining comb left over from the
season previous, which combs I
consider of great value in getting
the bees at work quickl}- in them.
One or two are claiming that these
combs shoukl be cut out and melted
into wax, the sections being burned,
but it seems to me a person advis-
ing such a proceciure cannot be in
his right mind, for with me they
are of great value and when filled
are in no way inferior to that built
from foundation the same season
it is put on the hive.

Having all in readiness I take
one wide frame of sections con-
taining the empt}^ comb and place
it over the centre of the brood-
nest, when two wide frames of
section tilled with foundation are
placed on either side of it, thus
giving a capacity of about twenty
pounds, which I consider ample for
the largest colony at first, for if
too much room is given on the
start, it seems to discourage the
bees. On either side of the wide
frames two thin boards are placed
to close the whole like a box, the
boards being held in place, and the
wide frames as well, being clamped
together by coil brass wire springs.
It takes but a few moments to put
them on as a whole load is wheeled
right into the apiary alongside of
any hive you desire. In a week or

so, as soon as the bees are well at
work in what sections have been
given, unclamp them and put in
two or four more wide frames of
sections, putting them where four
are used, in each alternate space
after spreading the five wide frames
apart, when the whole nine are again
clamped together as before. When
a colony is not strong enough to
work to advantage in so many, put
in only one or two, putting these
on either side next the one filled
with comb. In this way the bees
are coaxed to work with all the
energy possible, and I much pre-
fer the plan to tiering up, because
only so few as two wide frames
can be used on the smaller colonies
while my hive room allows twelve
for the largest, or about sixty
pounds capacity, which is as large
as I ever wish to use, for often the
second time putting on there are
wide fi'ames full of honey coming
off every time more is put on. I
formerly used side boxes, but since
I have adopted chaff hives I find
that the bees work to just as good
or a little better advantage where
the sections are spread out lateral-
I3', and to much better advantage
than when tiered up. As the season
draws to a close the empty sections
are placed at the outside of those
partly filled, so that when the sea-
son closes there are few unfinished
sections and but few inch frames
on each hive.

After two years testing of this
lateral movement of wide frames
of sections, I consider it far in ad-
vance of any plan yet devised for
comb honey, as you can accommo-
date the size of the hive to suit the
size of the colon}' in a very few mo-
ments, from a two-frame nucleus up
to a powerful colony. Some seem
to think that bees will not work in
sections that spread out beyond the
brood, but father Langstroth gave
us the real facts when he said bees
would work to advantage anywhere

138

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

where the heat and odoi* from the
hive reached.

The sections being all on and
the bees well at work in them, the
next thing we may expect will be
swarming. It will be rememl)ered
that for 3'ears I have called foun-
dation in the brood-chamber an
"expensive luxury," for I could
get comb built below while the bees
were at work in the sections, at
apparently no cost whatever. For
thus opposing foundation in the
brood-chamber I have been ridi-
culed and called a fanatic for years,
but novv I am glad to see that
Brother Hutchinson and others are
adopting my plans so they will
help bear some of the criticisms
I have borne all alone for years.

Before a queen-excluding honey
board was used, I hived my swarm
in a hive containing ten frames
with a division-board in the cen-
tre, under which the bees could
run, so that in whichever side the
queen chanced to go there the bees
commenced work. In twenty-four
hours after the brood-nest became
established I put on the sections
from the old hive, which were im-
mediately taken possession of;
then securing the five frames filled
entirely with worker comb, for if
any drone comb was built it was
built in the sections, but since I use
foundation in the sections I get lit-
tle drone comb built anywhere.
When the queen-excluding hone}'-
board was thought of I adopted
the following : while the swarm
was in the air a frame of brood
and the few adhering bees were
taken from the hive and put in an
emi)ty hive and five empty frames
having starters in them (of foun-
dation) were put in where they
came from, the rest of the hive be-
ing filled out with dummies. The
queen-excluding honey board is
now put on, the sections re[)laced
and the swarm returned. In these
two ways I have worked for more

than ten years, securing two ob-
jects, lots of comb honey, and all
worker comb built without the use
of foundation. If the beekeeper
wishes to keep these swarms for
winter he will spread the combs
apart after twenty-four days and
insert fouv empty combs, as I gave
directions in the Api for 1886. If
not he will use them up, getting
honey according to the plan ad-
vised by friend Demaree of Ken-
tucky.

As soon as the old colony gets
a laying queen two or more wide
frames of sections are jDlaced on
these according to their strength,
so that all are kept adding their
mite to the aggregate season's
crop. I might go on and multiply
words regarding this great subject
of getting comb hone}', but as this
article is already too long, I will
stop here, trusting that I have
made all sufficiently plain to ena-
ble the reader to secure a good
yield of section honey.

In closing, let me emphasize that
of all other things the getting of
the bees in time for the harvest is
the most essential point, and the
next is keeping of all hands to
work by adapting the size of the
brood-chamber and amount of sur-
plus room to the size of the col-
ony. Failing in these two you
fail of a crop. Succeeding in these
you are sure of a good harvest if
the flowers secrete honey.

Borodino, N. Y.

For the American Apicultiirist.

METHOD NUMBER TWO.

Dk. G. L. Tinker.
HOW^ TO GET STRONG COLONIES.

The success of the apiarist in
producing comb honey depends
much upon getting strong colonies
in time for the harvest. Where
the harvest is from the clovers

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

139

chiefly, colonies must be got in
proper condition early by June Ist
at the latest, in this locality. If
the main crop is derived from the
basswood, at least three weeks'
more time is given to bnikl up
strong colonies. Those that have
wintered well and are provided
with plenty of sealed stores and a
good queen will require little at-
tention and will usually be strong
enough to take in tlieir share of
the first honey flow.

The most needful requisite in
building up colonies in the spring-
is to see that all have plenty of
stores to last at least till fruit
bloom. Five Langstroth brood
frames will contain the necessary
stores for wintering and for brood
rearing until May 1st, if the bees
have proper winter protection.
Then if the beekeeper will add sev-
eral combs of sealed honey at the
sides and cover all up warm, breed-
ing will go on rapidly.

Protection is not only necessary
in winter but valuable in spring.
It always saves in stores to pay
the cost and it invariably secures
earlier spring breeding than in
other methods of wintering. In
any locality where bees can have
a few flights in the month of March
out-door wintering is the most de-
sirable, since it is these early fliglits
that are the inducements to breed-
ing. As a rule cellar-wintered col-
onies do not breed much till set
out in spring. If this should be
late in April it will often be found
that they have not a particle of
brood ; at the same time many
young bees may be seen flying
from chaff-hives. And it always
turns out that the colonies that
have the most young bees in April
will swarm first and make the most
comb honey. But if cellar wintered
colonies are taken to the summer
stands and packed in the latter
part of February oi" in early March
they will do equally well.

Bees may be successfully win-
tered out of doors on a full set of
brood combs in a large packing
case, but more protection is re-
quired than in cases where the bees
are placed on just enough combs
to contain the necessary stores.
I prefer a brood comb capacity of
about 8U0 square inches of comb
surface for winter and to have the
combs in a case made to contain
no more nor less. During fruit
bloom a similar case of combs hav-
ing sealed stores, is placed beneath
the lirst, when the queen and bees
will extend their work downward
very rapidly. Indeed, with such
cases properly constructed, and with
proper management, it is desirable
to have a larger brood space than
is usually [jrovided ; since a prolific
queen can be made to quite All
with brood before June 1st from
1 ,400 to 1 ,800 square inches of comb,
or nearl3'^ as much as two ordinary
eight-frame Langstroth hives may
contain. This very large area of
brood can be obtained after a col-
ony becomes numerous b}^ simply
exchanging, with proper judgment,
the combs between two such brood
cases. It is quite probable that
the eight-frame Langstroth hive
could be very successfully managed
in this way. The essential point
is to have a numerous colon^^ by
fruit bloom, but I have already in-
dicated how such colonies can be
obtained. In developing these
large colonies the beekeeper must
see that after fruit bloom the bees
have plenty of stores. The inter-
val between fruit bloom and white
clover is one in which we cannot
artbrd to stint the bees in the least ;
for every cent invested for needful
food to feed a large amount of
brood just before clover bloom will
be returned with great profit.

The advantages of this system
of management can hardly be es-
timated as compared with the usual
methods. First, we are able to get

140

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

a great force of workers at a time
to be of practical use. And again,
the queen will be so much exhausted
tliat hiter on in the season she will
not lay so many eggs at a time
when they will hatch out non-pro-
ducing workers. We thus obviate
any necessity to limit the work of
the queen by cooping her up on
one or two combs as has been sug-
gested. Necessarily there will be
swarming; but I would ask, why
not let bees swarm ? For myself,
I would not give a fig for a non-
swarming hive. If hives are con-
structed for easy operation it is
rather desirable to have bees swarm,
as the ciioicest comb honey is al-
waj's obtained from the swarms.

THE SECTIONS AND SUPERS.

The most comb honey can be ob-
tained by using full sheets of foun-
dation in the sections and it no
doubt pays to use them, but there
is no denying the fact that the
nicest comb honey is made where
starters only are used. It is best
to use separators but not without
open side sections. I do not ad-
vise nor would I use separators
with closed side sections for better
I'esults are obtained "without them.
The sections should be so wide
that the bees will not be disposed
to store pollen in them. I use and
prefer a section 4^X4^ X Ig with
separators. Without separators
the 4^ X 4i X 7 to the foot sec-
tions are no doubt the best. A
section of less width if filled over
shallow brood cases, or even over a
contracted case of deep frames, is
very liable to contain more or less
bee-bread. And it is hai-dly need-
ful to add that no wise beekeeper
will ever put such honey on the
market, at least during warm
weather, as it may be infested by
moth worms.

The supers should be adjusted
as soon as the colonies becomes

strong in bees, and it is better that
they be adjusted at least a week
before the honej' flow begins. The
first supers put on the hives should
always contain one or more sec-
tions having one comb built the
previous season. These partly
filled sections should be put away
by every good beekeeper at the
close of the season with scrupulous
care as they aie A^ery valual)le. As
soon as the first case is half filled
with comb, if honey is coming in
fast, an empty super should be
placed beneath it and the tiering
should continue until three cases are
adjusted, if meantime the bees do
not swarm. By the time the third
case is read}' to tier up the upper
one will be fully sealed and ready
to take off". In none of the opera-
tions here described should the bees
be smoked unless the}' prove to be
intractable. Any bees that can-
not be handled during a honey
flow without smoke are undesirable
and should be superseded by a bet-
ter strain. The practice of man}''
beekeepers of always smoking their
bees whenever the}' open a hive is
not a good one. It is far more
hurtful than molesting the brood-
chamber where it can be done with-
out the use of smoke. But as to
opening colonies for any needful
purpose I have not been able to
see that it ever did any harm, if
done with care.

INVERTING BROOD-CHAMBERS.

The practice of inverting brood
cases is no doubt one that has come
to stay. There is no other method
of placing the brood close up to the
sections with equal facility and ad-
vantage. It is, however, a question
of the proper depth of brood frames
as to the propriety of this meas-
ure. Cases of very shallow combs
may be interchanged with about
the same effect, but I desire
hei'e to enter an objection against
the use of very shallow brood

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

141

com])s. A frame less than six
inches in depth inside is too shal-
low for anything. It is not a ques-
tion of wintering on snch frames,
for I think that bees can be suc-
cessfully wintered on combs three
inches deep ; nor is it a question of
breeding when the hive is once full
of bees ; but the trouble is in mak-
ing the start at breeding in the
early spring. The whole season's
operations are dependent on this
start. A very shallovv frame is not
deep enough to allow a cluster of
reasonable size to rear sutBcient
brood to push on the work at fruit
bloom. From April 1 to 10 are
laid the eggs that will hatch out
the nurse becb for the greater part
of the brood reared during fruit
bloom and early May that we rely
upon to gather the harvest. We
must have these early nurse bees
or fail. We cannot get them on a
frame less than six inches in depth
in the clear, which is about the
depth of the cluster on the cold
days of early spring.

With a deeper frame, inverting
becomes a practical measure that
may be depended upon in extend-
ing the brood area and for the re-
moval of the honey to the supers
at any time before the queen be-
comes exhausted by egg-laying.
After that it is of no use to invert
brood combs. But in any case, if
the queen continues to lay exten-
sively after the time when the eggs
laid would hatch out non-produc-
ing workers, I should confine the
queen on the case of brood contain-
ing the most sealed honey by the
use of the honey-board, placing tiie
other case above it with the brood
as near the supers as it is possible
to get it. Or, if the combs are not
too old and dirty, I would place the
case on the top of the supers, in
which case the drones will find their
way out of a very small i)assage
near the top of the hive if they can
see the light.

THE SYSTEM OF CONTRACTION.

In hiving swarms into iiives with
a contracted brood space, we have
a measure at once simple, practical
and efficient for ihe purpose of in-
creasing the production of comb
honey. The system originated
with and was first made known to
the public by Mr. G. M. Doolittle.
In developing it there is, perhaps,
as much credit due to the writer, as
to any one, who first gave the
outlines of the modern sj^stem of
producing comb honey, from exper-
iments made in 1883 and in 1884,
with queen-excluding honey boards
in connection therewith, in the
"•American Bee Journal," Vol. xxi,
l)age 101. As I now practise it, a
brood case of the proper size
(wliich may contain anywhere from
750 to 850 square inches of comb
surface), a wood and zinc queen-ex-
cluding hone3'-board (which is also
my invention but now given to the
public), and one or more sec-
tion cases are used in which to hive
all swarms. It is only by the use
of such a hive that we can take full
advantage of natural swarming and
turn it at once to practical account.
In my experience the work going
on in the supers of the old colonies,
when transferred to the new ones
after swarming has been accelera-
ted and a larger product is ob-
tained from those that swarm than
Irom those that do not swarm.

The brood frames in all cases
are provided with starters as
advised originally by Mr. Doo-
little. They are cut from brood
foundation one to two inches
wide and fastened in the frames
with melted wax. As there are i'evf
combs to build we have never had
much drone comb built, certainly
not more than every colony should
have ; and as the combs are shal-
low they are always built straight
and regular, the s[)acing being al-
ways 1| inches from centre to cen-
tre of frames.

142

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

After hiving a swavm, the new-
hive is placed on the old stand and
the old one left close by for about
three days when we shake as many
bees from the combs in front of
the new colon}^ as can be spared
and remove it to a new stand. If
we delay this operation later there
are often many bees killed from
fighting. The old colony may not
swarm again ; if it does the queen
cells are cut out and the swarm
returned. If it is made up of two
brood cases, we can at this time
elevate one of them to the top of
the supers taking care that the
young queen is in the lower case,
or we can simply place the honey-
board between the brood-cases.
When the bees have hatched out of
the upper case and the combs are
all sealed up we may extract them,
but the preferable course is to leave
the case on the hive till fall. In
making ready for winter we shall
then find use for it and if not then
it is to be put away for next sea-
son's use in building up colonies.

After the harvest is over and the
honey taken from the hives, the
bees in the new colonies having
only one brood case should be
united where increase is not desired
To unite full colonies of bees pro-
ceed as follows : — take from one
of the colonies (after being moved
a few feet each day until near each
other) the queen : in nine days cut
out the queen cells when one hive
can be set upon the other ; there
will be no quarreling or necessity
to cage tlie remaining queen. In
this manner the entire stock of the
beekeeper can be reduced to any
desirable extent. We consider
this course infinitely preferable to
the use of non-s warming hives,
even if such hives could be made,
as the net result in comb honey
and honey in brood combs is inva-
riably larger by this management.

1 have found lliat a hive or brood-
case'that is just right for a swarm

is also just right for wintering but
only about one-half as large as it
ought to be in the spring. If the
contracted brood-case is too shal-
low, or if it contain less than 760
square inches of comb surface, the
bees will store mucii pollen in the
sections. The above space is
therefore the limit of profitable con-
traction. But if the brood-case
contains over 850 square inches of
comb surface another evil appears
in the form of too much drone
comb that will be almost certain to
be built where starters alone in
brood cases are used as advised.
If the ordinary ten frame Lang-
stroth hive is used in which to hive
old swarms we may get a little sur-
plus comb honey from it but oftener
none. Division-boards should be
used in such hives or the unnec-
essary space filled up with dummies.
Then to make the contraction sys-
tem a success, a queen excluder
should be put on the hive in all
cases before hiving a swarm and
at least one super of parti}' filled
sections. In fact the practicability
of the system is only fully assured,
by the use of the new wood and
zinc honey-board.

CONSTRUCTION OF HONEY-BOARDS.

A simple frame is made as large
as the hive or brood-case liaving a
groove cut on the inside to receive
the ends of the slats and the side
slats and the slats are. so spaced
as to cover the spaces between the
brood frames. They are set in the
frame so that they will rest not
over one-fourth of an inch above
the top bar of the brood frames.
The zinc is let into thin saw cuts in
tlie edges of the slats. Four strips
of zinc with a single row of perfo-
rations are used, two on each side,
and four strips having two rows of
perforations, are placed in the mid-
dle of the boards for an eight frame
hive. This gives twelve rows of
perforations for the bees to pass

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

143

through. I Iiave made the boards
with strips of zinc having only one
row of perforations or eight rows
in all for an eight-fi'ainehive. These
have done very well but I feel sure
that eight rows of the perforations
are not enough on very strong col-
onies. The boards as here advised
are no hindrance to the passage of
the bees in storing honey in supers,
nor of bees with pollen for that
matter. Fully as much honey will
be stored through them as without
them. They also prevent brace
combs from being attached to the
cases of sections so that the opera-
tion of tiering up the cases is al-
ways quickl}-^ and easily done. I
believe their use to be indispensable
to tlie most successful producer of
comb honey.

New Philadelphia., 0.

For the American ApicuUurist.

METHOD NUMBER THREE.

Bt a. E. Manum.

HOW TO MANAGE NEW SWARMS AND
INTRODUCING QUEENS.

A large crop of honey is much
desired by every beekeeper, and as
each beekeeper has his own pecu-
liar method it is desirable that each
should give his method that we may
all learn as much as possible from
the experience of others. In a
good season a fair ciop of comb
honey ma}^ be secured hy most any
method. But, to obtain the bes't
results possible, one season with
another, the apiarist must take ad-
vantage of conditions. While a
large crop is desirable the quality
of our honey should be looked after
as well as tiie quantity. The pres-
ent depressed condition of our mar-
kets makes it quite necessary that
we turn our attention to cleanliness
and style of package in order to
gain favor with the consumer.

Hence the beekeeper who sends his
honey to market in the finest and
most attractive style is the one who
will make the quickest sales and
get the highest price.

Having been aware of this fact
for a number of years, 1 not only
aim to secure a large average
number of pounds per colony, but
I try so to manage while securing
it and afterwards preparing it for
market, that my honey when in the
market may appear as attractive as
possible.

I will now as briefly as possible
give my method of securing comb
honey.

In the first place I use the 4iX
4| X 1| — or 1-pound sections —
and secure my sui-plus wholly from
the top of the brood-chamber.
Years ago I practised side-storing,
but that plan did not work satis-
factorily with me, as our nights are
usually so cold as to cause the
bees to desert the sections dur-
ing the night, so I was obliged to
discontinue this practice and de-
pend upon top boxing altogether.

1 use full sheets of foundation in
the sections and have always used
— and still use — wood separators
between the sections. I know that
some beekeepers say that they can
secure as perfect combs without
their use, but I am not far enough
advanced in the science of bee
culture to dispense with separators
and at the same time obtain satis-
factory results, hence I continue to
use them.

I manage my bees in the spring
to the best of my ability to get
them up as strong as possible by
the lime raspberries and white
clover come into bloom, and as I
allow natural swarming, preferrino-
it to any non-swarming plan, I
aim to have swarming commence
as soon as clover begins to bloom.
Although I do not desire much in-
crease yet I find that I can get
more comb honey by allowing the

144

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

bees to swarm naturally, than I can
b3^ trying to prevent it.

MANAGEMENT OF SWARMS.

My management of swarms be-
ing somewhat dilierent from Ihat
of most beekeepers, I will here
give my method in detail.

Not wishing a large increase, I
aim for best results in comb honey.
Therefore I allow but one swarm
to issue from each hive, and it is
well known by all beekeepers that
if a full swarm is taken from a
hive, the old colony is so reduced
that but little is done in the sec-
tions for some time after.

For some years I was puzzled to
know how this loss of time in the
old stock might be avoided. But
1 am happy to say that a few years
ago 1 hit upon a plan that pleased
me so well that I have practised it
ever since. It is this: I always
have on hand a few hives ready to
receive new swarms. Now, when
a swarm issues, I at once go to the
hive and look for the queen (I
have allof my queens' wings clipped
so that I am always on tlie watch
for swarms) and as soon as she
makes her appearance I put her
into a small wire cage made for the
purpose, of which 1 always have a
few in my pockets during the
swarming season. This cage has a
piece of wire so fastened to it that
it forms a hook. Now, this cage with
the queen is hooked to one of my
swarm-catchers, wliich I set up in
some convenient place so tlie bees
may readily locate tlieir queen and
tliere cluster. As soon as all have
clustered nicely, I take the catclier
with the swarm and carry them
back to the old hive and brush oft"
al)out one-third of the bees and al-
low them to return to their old
home. These returned bees and
those in the field in search of honey
will keep the old hive well stocked
with bees, so that work in the sec-
tions is but little retarded. Now

I take the balance of the swarm
and the queen, and hive them in a
new hive that is awaiting them, as
stated above, and the next swarm
that issues is served in the same
way — if it issues within forty-eight
hours — except that I return this
queen with the one-third of the bees,
and the other two-thirds are hived
or united, with the two-thirds of
the first swarm that are in the new
hive. If both are hived the same
day, I dump them all together with-
out ceremony ; but, if the next day,
the queen is caged before uniting
and is kept caged for at least six
hours. Now 1 go to the hive where
the second swarm issued, to which
the queen was returned, and take
out two or three combs of brood,
usually eggs and larva, and put in
empty combs or foundation, after
having removed all queen cells.
The sections are now returned and
work in them goes on as though
nothing had happened. The brood
that I have taken out is given to
the new swarm or used for other
purposes. Jt is not always neces-
sary' to cut out the queen cells, as
stated above, but it is safer to do
so. The hive that cast the first
swarm I allow to remain undis-
turbed for four days, at the end of
which time I examine the combs
and cut out all queen cells but one,
or all of them if I wish to give
them to some other stocks ;or, which
is better, to give tliein a laying
queen, or even a virgin queen, is
better than a cell. By this method
these two colonies will not be
likelv to swarm again, especially
the one with the young queen, and
it is seldom that the other will if
they are furnished plenty of room
in the sections.

I practise the above plan in all
my apiaries, when swarming is
done up early in the season, but if
it lingers along later so that a por-
tion of my bees do not swarm until
the honc}' season is half through I

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

145

manage somewhat differently. In
this case I return one-half of the
bees instead of one-third and in the
new hive I put in three new one-
half swarms and sometimes as many
as four one-lialf swarms, returning
or destro^ung the surplus queens as
before.

Perhaps I ought to state that I
hive all new swarms on ten frames
filled with foundation or empty
combs, but if on empty combs the
cells should be shaved off about
one-half their length before hiving
the bees on them. My hives take
twelve frames, 9i inches deep X
12 inches long, hence when usin";
only ten frames I till up the space
with division-boards, thus crowding
the bees below so that they are
forced up into the sections, and as
I aim to have nn^ combs but \-^'^
inches from centre to centre there is
but little room in the brood-cham-
ber for the bees to loaf in. It will
be observed that by the above plan
all my colonies are made and kei^t
strong, just at the time when strong
colonies are most needed and at tiie
same time the bees have the fun
of swarming and the apiarist the
pleasure of hiving the swarms.

The next morning after hiving
the bees, and while I have time be-
fore swarn)ing for the day com-
mences, I put one tier of sections on
the new swarm. It is often the
case that I hive three such parts of
swarms as mentioned above, into
one hive, making the same as two
prime swarms in one hive. When I
do, and the season is a good one,
it is often necessary to tier up after
thirty-six or forty-eight hours.

My object in managing, as I have
stated al)Ove, is to keep all colo-
nies so strong that they may fill
the sections as quickly as possible,
which means, when finished, detai,
white comb hovey.

In the fall, if I wish to reduce iny
stock, I unite two of these new col-
onies that were hived on ten frames,

as they have been managed in such
a way through the honey season
that they have stored but little
honey in the brood-chamber. Oth-
erwise I would have to feed up two
colonies for winter instead of one,
which at present prices for honey
would hardly pay. considering that
I am not desirous of increase ;
making, as will be seen by my
method of hiving and then uniting,
an increase of only 25 per cent in-
stead of 100 per cent as practised
by some beekeepers.

Perhaps I should have stated at
the outset that I put my sections
on all strong colonies- as soon as I
see that honey is coming in freel}^
By putting on one tier at first and
as soon as these are well advanced
tiering up by sli])ping another set of
sections under the first and so on
as conditions require, I have had
as many as six sets of sections on
one hive at one time ; making 192
sections that the bees were work-
ing in.

Let us remember that in order
to obtain the best results either in
a good or poor season, we must so
manage in tiie early part of the
season as to get the colonies very
strong by the time white clover
blossoms. It is my experience
that one good strong colony, early
in the season, will give more sur-
plus honey than ten light ones.

I frequently find it necessary
during the honey season to "jump"
the sections. This is done b}- taking
those at the ends of the clamps that
the bees usually do not fill until
those at and near the centre are
nearly or quite completed, and ex-
change places with those that are
the neiirest filled at the centre. If
this "jumping" is oniitted, we are
liable to have the centre combs
somewhat colored by the bees pass-
ing over them while completing
the end ones ; hence it is important
that we "jump" at the proper time,
in order to have our honey white

146

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and nice, and besides I consider it
quite a help to tlie bees.

As the hone}' season draws to a
close, I sometimes tindit necessar}'
to invert the sections in order to
get all finislied, as the bees are
sometimes slow to finish up the
lower edge of the combs when
forage begins to slack otf. Though
all these little things make extra
work for the apiarist, I find it pays
me to attend to them and keep the
bees at work to the best advan-
tage. As the honey seasons with
us here are very short, it is neces-
sary that we keep the bees at work
by giving them every advantage
possible.

INTRODUCING QUEENS.

I am asked how I introduce
queens. My reply is, tliat tljere are
many ways in which queens may
be successfully introduced. But
what 1 consider to be the safest
method is the way I propose to tell
the readers of the "Api."

The cage I use is made of wire
cloth, eight meshes to the inch ;
this is cut into squares 4X4 inch-
es. I remove two strands from
each of the four sides, then I turn
np each edge five-eighths of an inch
forming a square box, as it were,
without a cover. These are called
surface cages. Mr. G. M. Doo-
little has described them several
times, only he uses wire cloth of
much finer mesh. 1 like mine
much better for their having a larger
mesh. I now go to the colony to
whicli I wish to introduce a queen
(no matter whether the colony has
long been qucenless or has recently
been made so, the method is the
same) and take out a comb contain-
ing hatching brood (if they have
such) shake off all the bees, then
I lay the comb down flatwise and
place the queen u[)on it and at once
cover her with the surface cage mov-
ing it along carefully with the queen
until the cage covers some uncapped

honey and hatching brood, but the
brood may be omitted if it is not
convenient to get at. Now I crowd
the edges of the cage into the
comb, enough so it will not drop oflT,
and return the comb and queen to
the centre of the cluster, close the
hive and leave them in that condi-
tion twenty-four or thirty-six hours
(during the honey season twenty-
four will answer) at the end of
which time I take out the comb
containing the queen and with my
knife-blade I rim out a hole through
the comb into the cage from the op-
posite side from the cage. The hole
should be just large enough so the
queen or bees can pass in or out of
the cage. 1 then at once return the
comb and the bees soon pass
through the hole to where the queen
is, when the queen will, in a short
time pass out and go about her
duty as though nothing had hap-
pened and whenever convenient the
cage may be removed. I will state
that I often allow the queen to run
in at the entrance during the height
of the honey flow, but I do this only
where I have removed their old
queen from two to six hours previ-
ous, or as soon after removing the
queen as I notice they have missed
her which is indicated b}^ the un-
easiness of the bees. In such a
case a queen may be introduced
with comparative safety.

Some colonies seem to be deter-
mined not to accept a queen. In
such a case I would advise the fol-
lowiug method : Shake the bees all
out on a sheet and place an empty
box on one edge of sheet and cause
them to run in the box. Allow
them to remain thus one or two
hours and shake all on the sheet
again and this time drop the quoen
among them and allow them to run
into their hive. This plan has
never failed with me, though it is
so much work that I do not prac-
tise it unless forced to it.

Bristol, Vt.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

147

For the American Apimlturist.

METHOD NUMBER FOUR.

Dr. C. C. Miller.

PLENTY OF BEES AND PLENTY OF

PASTURAGE, THE TWO REQUISITES

OF SUCCESS.

To tell all I know about the pro-
duction of comb honey would
make a fair-sized book. To add
to it all I don't know, but would
like to know, would make it
much larger. So I can only-
touch upon some of the points
here. The first two requisites are
plenty of pasturage and plenty of
bees.

I doubt if there are many local-
ities where as large an average per
colony can be had from one hun-
dred as from twenty-five colonies.
The largest number that can be
ke|)t in one apiary for the greatest
profit depends upon circumstances,
but is not likely to be much over
one hundred.

In my own locality' about the
only source to which I look for sur-
plus is white clover, so the great
point is to have colonies strong-
enough at the opening of the clo-
ver harvest. In striving to secure
this, whether it pays to meddle
much with the brood-nest, I am not
prepared to say. To spread combs
of brood and insert between tliem
empty combs, or combs of hone3%
may, in many cases, lead to disas-
ter. If one of the outer combs of
the brood-nest have the side of the
comb toward the centre of the
brood-nest well filled with brood,
and the outer side containing lit-
tle, it may hasten its being filled
to reverse its position, 'providing
there are plenty of bees to cover
it well. Or, sometimes, the brood-
nest in a Langstroth hive may be
toward one end, and by reversino-
the central comb of the brood-nest
we may force the bees to work
the full length of the frame, always

providing we do not chill brood
by it.

In the majority of cases, how-
ever, if bees have abundance of
honey, I believe the queen will lay
about as fast, in spring, as the bees
can care for the brood, and I think
I prefer to have this abundance of
stores left in the hive from the
previous August. Of course, if I
depended on a fall crop of honey
the case might be different.

I would rather be too early than
too late in putting on supers, and
so I begin to put supers on the
strong colonies before the bees be-
gin to work very mucfi on clover,

I have lately used the T surplus
holding twenty-four one-pound sec-
tions each, and in the first super I
put on each hive I generally put a
section containing, or which has
contained, some honey. The bees
are quite prompt to occupy this
section, and although they may
entirely empty it, they will be
pretty sure to re-fill it at once. A
few sections partly filled are easily
kept over from the previous sea-
son, and after the first two or three
colonies have fairly commenced on
nearly all the sections in their su-
pers, these sections may be taken,
bees and all, to be put, one each,
in the supers of colonies commenc-
ing later. This matter of urging
the bees to commence work iirthe
supers as early as possible, I con-
sider of importance. There seems
to be something in getting bees
into the habit of storing in supers.

The time for putting on the sec-
ond super depends somewhat on
circumstances. If the colony is
strong, and there are plenty of
bees to fill two supers, I do not see
why they may not have a second
super as soon as the first is one-
fourth filled.

On the other hand, if a colony
is so weak that it can only fill "a
twenty-four-pound super dui-ing
the whole season it would be a

148

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

waste to give it a second super at
an}'^ time. As fast as tliey need
more supers, tliey are added by
putting under those already nearly
filled till toward the close of the
honey flow, when an empty super
is put on top if there is any likeli-
hood that additional room may be
needed. In case it is not needed
the bees will not occupy it, whereas
if put under the other supers they
would make a start in it even if no
more room were needed. The Hed-
don slat honey-board is put on the
hive before putting on supers and
is a necessity, unless bridges of
comb are desired between the lower
combs and the brood-frames.

When a super is tilled, or so
nearly filled that only the outer
sections lack a little of being fin-
ished, it is taken off, and the unfin-
ished sections of several such
supers are put into a super to be put
back on a hive for the bees to finish.

As the honey harvest ends vviih
white clover in my neighborhood,
all supers are taken off whenever
the bees cease to store from white
clover. All the bees gather after
that time they are welcome to
keep for their own use ; and, if an
occasional year comes when they
get buckwheat or something else
to such an extent as to crowd the
brood-nest too much, the extractor
is brought into play. If, on the
other hand, they are scarce of stores
they are fed quite early in the fall.

Marengo, III.

For the American Apiculturist.

METHOD NUMBER FIVE.

G. W. Demaree.

STOKING COMB HONEY : BEST METH-
ODS.

The first point to be discussed is
"preparation."

J would commence the year be-

fore, always keeping a year in ad-
vance. If my bees are well
managed the season before, so as
to be strong in young bees, and
bountifully supplied with good nat-
ural stores for winter, I may rea-
sonably expect my bees to be
strong in the early spring and fully
up with the times, and readj^ for
efficient service.

These needful preparations in
my locality are well nigh essential
to good strong colonies ready to
take the advantage of the entire
harvest. After I have insured these
conditions I have onl^^ to close
np all upward ventilation in the
early spring, by putting sheets of
paper between the quilts at the
top of tlie brood-frames and con-
tract the entrances to the hives so
as to economize the heat, without
which the Jbees cannot breed rap-
idly. There is no danger of moist-
ure accumulating in the hives at
this season of the year. I think
that this is all I can do to help the
bees through the trying season. It
is all that I can do to promote
rapid brooding, provided the bees
have an abundance of stores so as
to feel free to use them for their
most rapid growth into strong
efficient colonies.

Some good beekeepers have re-
ported excellent results from
"spreading brood," and inserting
empty combs between, and others
think that inverting the brood-
chambers has hastened the results,
but such ti'eatment is positively a
disadvantage in my locality, and
therefore I advise that each apia-
rist seek to be his own judge as to
what is best in his particular case,
in the light of his locality and sur-
roundings.

The next point is the hive, and
the sui'plus arrangements. All
good movable-frame hives not less
than seven, nor more than ten
inches in depth, if they have ample
room for top storing will give much

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

149

the same results if they are prop-
erly nijinaged. I have used frames
from four and seven-eighth inches
in depth, to ten in depth. I have
used the former size frame for tak-
ing liquid hone}' for eight or nine
years, adjusting them in cases ar-
ranged to duplicate each other on
the tiering-up plan, and I have
used them from the bottom-board
up. A deeper frame is not suita-
ble to the tiering plan. But, when
it comes to the deep brood-nest
and the shallow tiering brood-
chambers, the choice is not made
from the results obtained, because
there is but little dilference in this
respect. Cost and labor must set-
tle the matter.

We want a brood-chamber that
can be enlarged and contracted
Avilhin certain limits. This may
be accomplished bj' tiering up and
down, using the shallow frames, or
it may be done b}' contracting at
the sides of the deep frames. I
luive found from careful trial that
the results as pertain to the honey
crop is much the same, but the
latter is cheaper and requires less
fuss and real labor.

In the one item of tiering the
sur[)lus cases on the brood-cham-
ber and on each other, and the
removing of the finished honey,
shows a marked difference in favor
of the vertical or deeper contracted
brood-nest. When tiering up, or
removing full cases of honey I
wish to make the bulk of the bees
retreat below so as to be out of the
way. This is done by means of
the smoker. It is a fact that with
a brood-nest below the cases of
some depth the bees handle much
better than they do where a very
shallow brood-chamber is under the
surplus cases. For in the one case
the bees may I'etreat downward,
di'iven by the smoke, while in the
other case they can only spread out
to be in the way of the operator
or run out at the entrance.

Bees are very annoying when
they spread out over the edges of
the hive when tiering the cases or
performing any needed work with
them. Hence I prefer side con-
traction and enlargement. An
important point in comb honey
producing is contraction of the
brood- chamber. The brood-cham-
ber must be contracted at the be-
ginning of the honey season or in
an early stage of it, if the best re-
sults are to be hoped for. But
what is the best way, is the impor-
tant question. I claim, and I have
tried it side by side, that a brood-
chamber "contracted" with combs
of sealed honey is as etfective as if
contracted with division-boards or
dummies. The aggregate results
are much the same. In the one
case you have more honey in the
honey store-room, but a poverty-
stricken apiary. In the other case
you have less surplus honey, but
you have the entire crop, and your
apiary provided for, without the
wear and tear of feeding back
your supposed gain. I want my
apiary self-sustaining.

The rest of what I have to say
in this article is plain sailing. I
want my section cases made just
one tier deep and so made that
they will duplicate each other. I
use full sheets of foundation in the
sections or on!}' starters, owing to
the fitfulness or steadiness of the
honey flow. If the honey flow is
rather slow, but steady and contin-
uous, bees will build their store
combs as fast as needed and at a
profit over foundation. But if the
honey comes in a fitfid rush, full
sheets in the section pay well. When
my colonies become strong and the
brood-chambers are ''contracted,"
that is, have no storing room in
them, one case of sections goes on
immediately, and wiien the case is
about half full, if the bees show
signs of being crowded for room
the case is raised and an empty

150

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

one is put under it. If there is no
crowding of tlie bees at the en-
trance of the hive, the first case is
left in position till it is about two-
thirds filled before it is raised.

I am not in a big hurry to re-
move the finished honey at the top,
unless I am scarce of section cases.
It improves the keeping quality of
honey to leave it with the bees
awhile after it is sealed, and honey
in the top tiers is not likely to be
soiled in a short time. It is a mat-
ter of good judgment to know just
how long to "tier up," as our sea-
sons vary as to length of time.
Now comes the nice point. We
want as few partly-filled sections
at the close of the season as possi-
ble, and to reduce the number as
much as possible, I must guess at
the proper time to begin to tier
down^ that is, collect from the
cases all partly-filled sections and
group them together so as to leave
the bees to finish them up, instead
of spending their time in starting
new work to be left half finished at
the close of the season. In tiering
down, I reduce the number of cases
till only one case is on each hive.
For instance, if there are two
cases on a hive and one of them
will hold all the sections that have
honey in them, they are transferred
to the one case, and the other case
with the empty or merely-started
combs, set aside for the next sea-
son.

By this management nearly all
the sections are completed.

Christiansburg, Ky.

For the American Apiculturist.

WILL INVERTING THE

BR 0 OD NES T PRE VENT

S WAR MING f

S. CORNEIL.

I notice that Prof. Cook's article
on the above subject is going the
rounds of the bee papers. He says
that swarming can be precluded by
this simple work of inversion, that
the bees at once cut away or re-
move all queen cells as soon as the
combs are turned upside down, and
that by thus inverting the hives
once a week swarming is prevented.
I think it proper to say to bee-
keepers who may have confidence
in this " innovation," because it
is advocated by so high an author-
ity as Prof. Cook, that if they hope
to run their bees without swarming,
by simply inverting the brood-nests,
they will certainly be disappointed.

Last season I ran sixty-four
stocks for comb honey. Before
any swarming occurred I inverted
all the brood-nests except one. This
one was allowed to cast a swarm
which was returned without the
queen, and the brood-nest con-
taining sealed cells was at once in-
verted as an experiment. Two days
later the combs were examined and
a living queen was found in a cell
which happened to be in a nearly
horizontal position between the
comb and what had been the bot-
tom bar, but now the top bar, of
the frame. Another sealed cell,
now pointing upwards, was cut
open and the queen was found to
be dead. At the end of another
day the remaining sealed cells were
examined and the queens were all
dead, but the cells were still unin-
jured. In other hives which had
been inverted before the cells were
sealed, it was found that before cap-
ping the bees had turned the points
of the cells either horizontally or

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

151

slightly downwards. In some cases
sealed cells were torn down and
otiiers pointing in the opposite
direction were started instead.
While I was engaged in making
these examinations a swarm issued
from a hive which had been invert-
ed a second time only the day be-
fore. On opening the hive I fonnd
that the bees swarmed leaving only
queen cells containing eggs. I
said to m3^self " that settles the
question. Inverting brood nests
won't prevent swarming in my own
bee-yard and I don't believe it ever
did prevent it to any considerable
extent in the yard of any one else."

A few years ago I lost Si 00
worth of bees by following Prof.
Cook's theory that while in winter
quarters bees require little or no
air. In 1885 I lost, I do not know
how much, by hiving swarms run for
comb honey on em|)ty frames hav-
ing starters only, as recommended
by Mr. Hutchinson. The results
were that I had brood and pollen
in my sections and one-third drone
comb in my brood-nests, which con-
sisted of only four frames of 160
square inches each, besides being
annoyed by the swarms repeatedly
swarming out. Last season, I in-
verted the brood-nests to prevent
swarming and not only failed, but
the comb in my beautiful sections,
intended for exhibition in England,
was darkened by being placed so
near the blackened combs, after the
brood-nests were inverted. I have
resolved, for the hundredth time
that in the future I shall stick to
the methods which have been
proved reliable and allow others to
follow the new-fangled " innova-
tions."

Lindsay, April 25, 1887.

[While Mr. Corneil has selected Prof. Cook
as a target to shoot at. I I'eel like taking a
large shaie of the above remarks myself, as
J'rof. Cook's experience and my own regard-
ing inverting the hrood-nest has been the
same, and I have said as much as any one in
favor of inverting the combs as a prevent-
ive of swarming.

Instead of inverting the combs once a week

12

to prevent swarming, the operation should be
performed as often as once in each four days.
However, I have but little to say in favor of
such apian; as, like all other methods for pre-
venting swarming, inverting the brood-nest is
not tlioroughly pi'actical, as only the e.xperi-
enced beekeeiier would i;are to practise it, un-
le-<s the meiliod given by me last year in
"Gleanings" and the "Api" is used.]

For the American AiJlruUurist.

A FEW COMMENTS.
Z. T. Hawk.

BROWN BEES.

In the March number of the
Am. Apicultdkist, in reply to
query No. 11, Mr. C. W. Dayton
speaks of "brown bees in this
country that are not Germans ;
perhaps they came here when the
Indians came. They are natives
of this country as the Italians are
natives of Italy," etc. Is Mr.
Dayton correct in this statement?
Years ago I read somewhere that
in the westward march of set-
tlement the honey bee preceded
the white man as the advance
guard of the civilization that fol-
lowed close behind ; that, like the
white man, it was new to them
and on account of its steady march
toward the interior, heralding with
absolute certainty the near ap-
proach of white settlements, it was
known among the Indians as the
''white man's tly." I have long-
been under the impression that
none of the domestic races of the
honey bee were indigenous to this
continent. Perhaps the editor of
the AprcuLTUKisT, who resides so
near the locality from which the
strongest current of civilization
has flown, can give us something
delinite.

REVERSING FRAMES.

I have read with interest Mr.
Siminins' account of results from
inverting combs. I do not call to
mind that an}' American writer
has complained of the bees cutting

152

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

awa}' the comb from the bottom-
bar of reversed frames. Perhaps
there have been such complaints,
but I have not seen them in print.
There are combs in some of my
hives eleven inches deep by thir-
teen long that have been in use
two seasons, during w^hich time
they have been inverted several
times, but they sliow no signs of pas-
sage ways cut l)y the bees. They
are solid sheets from top to bot-
tom. Some of these were built
on foundation and some are trans-
ferred combs. No, they are not
quite solid sheets of comb either,
for each has a hole about half an
inch in diameter right through the
centre. Perhaps tliat is what
saved the edges from being cut
away. Mr. Heddon has undoubt-
edly reversed more combs than
any other man in America, and we
would like to know what has been
his experience in this matter.

THE editor's advertisements.

It is a cause of regret to me,
and I doubt not to many others
among your subscribers, that you
have withdrawn your advertise-
ments from the columns of the
Apicultukist. You place your-
self at a disadvantage with your
advertisers, when, in fact, you
are entitled to the place of great-
est prominence in the columns of
your journal. You have the ex-
pense of publication to bear, and
if, as you say, it is necessary for
a bee journal to be backed by the
supply business in order to live,
then why not make a reasonable
use of the advantage at your com-
mand ? Are you not also placing
the Apicui/ruRiST at a disadvan-
tage with contemporary journals?
Surely a vigorous, paying exist-
ence, like that enjoyed by '•'Glean-
ings" and the '■'■Am. Bee Journal,"
tliough undoubtedly depending up-
on the supply business to the ed-
itors, is much to be preferred to
the sickly, uncertain life of a jour-

nal that is a continual expense to
its owner. It is the everlasting
"puffing" of an editor's goods as
better than those offered by any
one else that is objectionable. A
page or two occupied by a simple
price-list is surely 3'our due and
could hardly be objected to by your
most radical advertiser.
Denison, Iowa.

For the American Apiculturist.

NOTES FROM CALIFORNIA.

A. NuR'rox.

The season is so far rather dry,
though the time for rains is not yet
passed.

The question of adulteration can
hardly be raised against our honey ;
for honey here is cheaper than glu-
cose.

Bees were bringing in pollen at
this place on New Year's day,
probably from the Australian blue
gum tree Eucalyphis cUiaria (a
pasture plant of geranium family
and as abundant in growth as
white clover) which blossoms in
February, followed soon by the wil-
low. This year neither blossomed
till March. These make dark
honey ; together with miscellaneous
bloom, they keep bees busy till sage
and buckeye, which furnish abun-
dance of thick but nearly water-col-
ored honey. I consider sage honey
the finest flavored I have ever seen.
It is sometimes so' thick as to be
poured with difficulty from a small
vessel.

It is not alwa_ys when bees are
prone to take wing that tliey are
most vicious. The bees that cling
to the comb however, can not be
called ill tempered. An argument
that they are so might be carried
further tlms : — Dog number one is
more ferocious than dog number
two. Yet when an intruder comes,

THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST.

153

number two leaves the door-yard
and comes in contact with the in-
terloper, and a case of biting- re-
sults. But ferocious number one
clings to his position in the yard
paying no attention to an}' one and
all goes well. Now the tendency
to go out of the gate is tlie ciiief
factor, etc. Carniolan bees dis-
lodge from the comb as easily as
any others. Yet they will seldom
sting so vve are told. I have seen
of this race only half-blood Carni-
olan and black bees which could
scarcel}' be handled so as to keep
on the comb, yet no stings. Have
handled pure Cyprians when they
wei'e not viciously inclined ; yet
the faintest breath, or slightest jar,
would nearly clean the comb, and
they would fly around me like a
swarm. But they would shortly
return to the hive without giving
me a sting. Have had this occur
often. When they do want to
sting (Cyprians) the}' dart at me
from comb, entrance, or anywhere
without waiting to be dislodged.
It seems to me there is as much
difference between dropping (or
jarring) from the comb and dart-
ing from it as between running
from a thicket like the deer, and
springing from it like the panther.
With Italians or any other bees
while remaining quietly on the
combs, you can place and move
your hand among them with impu-
nity ; and so long as you pinch
none, though they cover your
hand, none will sting.

1 am a little surprised that so
respected an authority as Dr. Tin-
ker should say that the Carniolan
is a cross between Cyprians and
blacks. How can they be? and
why? Carniola is in extreme west-
ern Austria. Bees could not of
themselves have emigrated over
the vast intervening country
ridged with many independent
systems of high mountains. In
the days of Roman supremacy,

Carniola was out in barbarism;
still more so was this the case in
earlier days of PluBnician com-
merce. Hence there was no chance
for transportation. Even if some
Cyprians had been transported,
the type would have been (jiiickly
lost, for a few bees taken among a
great many don't make much
change. Still again, the predomi-
nant feature of Carniolans — gen-
tleness— is as hard as ever to ac-
count for because it is in excess of
that trait in either Cyprian or
black. Carniola in west Austria
and Lignria in northeastern Italy,
the stronghold of Italian or Ligu-
rian bees, are closely adjacent. In
a state of nature races and species
are not formed by crossing, l)ut by
variation and natural selection.
The Carniolans might be less mod-
ified descendanis of the same off-
shoot that in Lignria developed
still farther into the Italian. Or
they may be from another offshoot
still. We don't know whether na-
ture produced black or yellow bees
first. We cannot know the an-
swers to any of these questions,
and it don't matter much ; for so
long as we know correctly the
merits and demerits of the bees in
our hives to-day, we don't care so
much what their ancient progeni-
tors were like, unless we can leai-n
with some certainty. I beg Bro.
Tinker's pardon ; for I don't like
to (piestion the views of one whom
I regard as vastly better versed in
bee matters than myself.

A close counterpart of the Simp-
son honey plant (or Scrnphularia
nodosa of the East) grovvs here.
It is the Scroplinlaria Californica.
It so much resembles the former
that I cannot see hew botanists
call it another species. In the
morning up to sunrise I can shake
large drops of honey from the blos-
som, by striking it against my
hand. Yet bees work on it but
sparingly. Hence I am led to

154

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

wonder whether good reports of
the Simpson honey plant don't
spring from its blooming during
times thiit other honey pasturage
is scarce.

Gonzales, Cal.

For the American Apiculturist.

GOOD NATURE.
James Heddon.

Good nature is one of the cheap-
est and easiest obtainable com-
modities in the world. It is one
of those splendid stocks, which,
like love, pays a large per cent to
both donor and receiver.

I had no intent nor thought of
arousing the ire of Mr. Swinson.
" Whom the gods would destroy
they lirst make mad."

1 should be much better pleased
to see one or two writers, who
make it their business to prejudice
the public against me and my in-
ventions, many of which they claim
as their own, adopt the policy of
good nature.

I want to commend you for your
■words of wisdom, uttered in your
editorial concerning the use of the
extractor, cheap bee papers and
cheap supplies. Your statements
are true, and your reasoning good.

Doivagiac, Michigan.

''MUST THE EXTRACTOR

GO?"

what avould be the effect if the ex-
tractor were laid away ?

Editor Am. Apt.
Please get some of yoxir numerous cor-
respondents to itnswer the following ques-
tions.

In your oi)ini(>n would it be },'-oo<l i)olicy to
discontinue tlie use of the extractor as sug-
gested l>y the editorial in the Way No. of the
"Apiculturist ?"

Do you think tlic price of honey would ad-

vance, or what would be the probable efl'ect
should tlie extractor bj' general consent be
laid away ?

An old reader.

opinion of prominent beekeepers re-
GARDING the MATTER.

ANSWER BY R. I.. TAYLOR.

" An old reader's" questions
concerning dispensing with the
extractor deserve consideration.

ANSWER BY DR. J. L. TINKER.

I have never been favorable to
the use of the extractor and think
it has done beekeepers more harm
than it has good. I fully agree
with the editor on this question. If
the extractor were laid aside there
is no doubt but that there would be
a general advance in the price of
comb honey.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

Yes, if it could be agreed upon
by beekeepers, it would be a good
thing for our product if less than
one-tenth of the extracted honey,
now being produced, was raised in
the future.

I have no doubt of an advance
in the profits of honey-producing,
if extracting were nearly all aban-
doned. I have grave doubts of
such beino- done.

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

No. I can hardl}' believe the
intelligent use of the extractor
should be discontinued. I make
very little use of the extractor, but
I suspect in some places it is the
wise thing to raise little or no
comb honey.

I doubt if comb hone}' would ad-
vance in price if the extractor
should be stricken out of exist-
ence, but it is hardly worth while
to speculate upon this, for the ex-
tractor will not likely be laid aside
by those who find its use most
profitable.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

155

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

Wliy not propose to discontinue
the honey business altogether? It
would be as possible to regulate the
one as the other. " Strained"
hone}" has been in use more than a
thousand years ; and there are men
in tlie mountain counties of Ken-
tucky now swashing honey out of
the combs, brood, pollen and all, by
the barrel. The honey machine
gives us liquid hone}^ in its purity ;
why then should we want to get
rid of it? Those persons who
can not produce honey at present
prices had better retire and tr}''
something else. I am selling my
honey at a price above other com-
modities.

ANSWER BY R. R. RDSSELL.

If the extractor had never been
invented, beekeepers in general
would have made just as much
money without it. It has had the
effect to lessen the price of honey
to the minimum by increasing the
supply perhaps beyond the legiti-
mate demand.

The extractor comes under the
general law of all labor-saving ma-
chines and tends to benefit the
consumer rather than the producer.
However, it has come to stay like
all important inventions and to
kick against it would be like kick-
ing against the wind. It will
never be laid aside by general con-
sent, therefore I would use it if it
seemed to be for my individual in-
terest so to do.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

I have long been of the opinion
that the use of the extractor has
been detrimental to the best inter-
est of. the honey producer. It has
caused rivalry between competitors
in the matter of obtaining the
largest surplus, and as a conse-
(juence much unripe honey has been
put upon the market, of course

with bad effect. The extractor,
however, I consider the best friend
of the beekeeper, and one which
he cannot do without, but it must
be used with discretion ; and to ob-
tain the ver}^ best results in con-
nection with the obtaining of sur-
plus comb honey, I do not think
it would be good policy to discon-
tinue the use of the extractor en-
tirely, but must insist that unless
it is used with judgment it will
greatly injure the business.

I do not think either that the
price of honey would be affected
at all either hy the use or non-use
in a respectable way of the ex-
tractor, neither do I think if it
should be laid away by general
consent, the price of honey would
advance. As yet, honey is consid-
ered a luxury, and as such its price
will fluctuate greatl3^ At the pres-
ent time, or in fact at any time,
we must expect that the same laws
and rules will apply to the sale of
honey, that apply to the produc-
tion and consumption of any other
article of merchandise, and the
sooner we realize that fact, and
confine ourselves to the task of
producing it the most economi-
call}^ and putting it upon the mar-
ket in the best possible shape, the
sooner shall we put it upon a sound
basis as a staple article. As yet,
the world as a whole knows but
little of the value of honey as an
article of food, or as a medicament.
Our bee journals are doing all they
can in this direction, but with the
lack of support they find from
those chiefly interested, viz., the
beekeepers themselves, it is a won-
der to me that the}^ do not get dis-
gusted and quit publishing their
papers. In this matter 1 speak
whereof I know, for I iiave had
some little experience in this very
direction. My advice is, stick to
the extractors, but use them with
judgment and discretion.

156

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ANSWER BY W. M. KELLOGG.

"In 3'our opinion would it be
good policy to discontinue the use
of the extractor as suggested by
the Editorial in May number of
Api? 1 had intended to send an
article on that same editorial, and
I will say a great big ISO. Each
one will answer from his own lo-
cality and market. With my crop
of over 7000 lbs. from season of
'86 to date, I have sold of comb
914 lbs. out of 1,360 lbs., and of
extracted 4,181 lbs. out of about
5,940 lbs. Of this the comb has
gone slowly, by coaxing and much
talk, in little dribs at fifteen cents,
with considerable protest at its
being so high, while with the ex-
tracted it has been an easy sale at
ten cents and not a word against
the price, man}' wondering why I
chaige more for comb than for ex-
tracted. Again, it has been poor
people who bought, as a rule, the
extracted, while it is mostly the
town people who bought the comb
as a dainty dish to set off the table
for company. Of course a few of
the poorer class bought comb, and
some of the better able bought ex-
tracted. Now suppose I had pro-
duced only comb honey, and sold
only at the same price of fifteen
cents. I should probably have sold
comb honey to some who wanted
extracted but could not get it.
My sales would not have gone
above 1,500 lbs. at that figure.
Well, what if I had put the price at
twenty five cents as suggested?
The result would have been a few,
and a very few, of the better-able
class would have bought, under
worse protest than now, a few hun-
dred pounds ; the poorer class,
scarcely a pound. With first class
sorghum, good enough for any one
to eat, at fifty cents per gallon,
maple syrup plenty at $1.25, and
good sugar from five to seven cents
per pound, the sale of comb honey

at twenty-five cents in this vicinity
would be ver}' small. I think all
this discussion in regard to forcing
people to buy what they don't feel
at)le to buy, by reducing the pro-
duction among those who are al-
ready in the business, by combina-
tion or otherwise, is time and
woi'ds lost. Our products will have
to stand the test of demand and
supply like any other. In my
opinion, instead of the extractor
being the cause of the decline of
the price of honey, I think it is
more to be laid at the door of those
who have "boomed" beekeeping to
its death. The more producers the
less consumers. I used to sell
comb honey at twenty-five cents,
and extracted at twenty cents and
had no trouble till others got at it
and knocked the bottom out with-
out the asking by consumers. But
the cheapening of everything is the
main factor in the case. The lai-ge
producer is spoken of. Where is he?
Point him out (don't refer to Cal-
ifornia). Name one man who lives
entirely bj^ the sale of honey alone.
I don't know of one, do you ? No
sir, they each and every one add
something else to the production
of honey. Comb honey with me
costs more than twice that of ex-
tracted. The question raised as to
fruit, in May Api is a queer one
to me. When berries, here, are
scarce and high, we all buy less, and
my honey sales are very much lar-
ger. AVhen fruit is ver}' plentiful
and cheap, 7H?/ family get all we can
possibl}' use and put away. But
when strawberries are twentj'-five
cents a box, we can get but few.
Last season several barrels of cran-
berries were sent to our city with-
out orders, with the injunction,
"seZ/ them" . The grocers put them
at five cents a quart all over town
and they went like hot cakes to
hungry men. I am willing to fall
into line in any way to make bee-
keeping more profitable, but it is

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

157

profitable enough to rae us it is,
and I don't ever expect to see the
extractor laid on the shelf.

NOTES FROM THE BAY
STATE APIARY.

Henry Alley.

We stated in our last notes that
in all probability^ no more of our
bees would be placed in a cellar to
winter. Our experience since the
bees were taken from the cellar
has been such that we have finally
resolved never to put another col-
ony of bees into a bee-house, cel-
lar or other place, except on sum-
mer-stands, to winter. Those
wintered in the cellar, where the
temperature did not go below 45°
and stood for one hundred days at
50°, are not at this date half as
strong in numbers as those that win-
tered on the summer-stands. Al-
though the colonies seem weak,3'et
they work vigorously, and perhaps
by the time the honey harvest be-
gins they may be as strong as any
in the yard. The colonies tliat
wintered on the summer-stands, are
very full of bees, and as they
were packed in double-wall hives
consumed no more honey than
those colonies placed in the cellar.

APRIL WEATHER.

The weather during the entire
month of April was very unfavor-
able for bees. We had several
snowstorms, and it froze hard, at
least eighteen nights during the
month, and what was worse than
cold nights, were the cold north-
west winds which blew almost a
gale nearly one-half the time.

QUEEN-REARING.

Ovving to the unfavorable weath-
er during April the bees were kept
back and none of our colonies
were as strong at the usual time
queen-rearing is commenced as we

like to have them ; consequently
cells were not started until about
one week later than we generally
commence queen-rearing. At this
date (May 20) cell-building is go-
ing on rapidly, and no doubt
should the weather continue favor-
able we can commence to ship
queens daring the first week in
June.

THE OUTLOOK FOR HONEY.

Fruit trees give promise of blos-
soming very lieaAaly, and as this
vicinity is a fruit-raising locality,
our bees vvill find plenty of em-
ployment in a few days. We do
not look for a heavy crop of white
clover, as last season we had an
unusual heavy blossom of that best
of all flowers for the bees to gather
honey from. A succession of such
blossoms seldom follows, though
there may be enough of white
clover to furnish all the forage
several hundred colonies can work
upon. Though there was more
clover last year than ever known
before, the bees did but little in
gathering honey from it. The
weather did not seem to be just
right for the nectar to secrete
in the blossoms. I have known
bees to gather honey very fast
when little or no white clover
could be seen, and on the other
hand have seen the fields almost
white with clover, and the bees do-
ing nothing. All depends upon
the state of the weather.

THE FIRST NEW HONEY.

Tuesday, May 3, was a very
warm day, and the bees gathered
the first new honey from the blos-
soms of the soft maples. There is
very little nectar secreted in soft-
maple blossoms, and the show of
honey in the combs, even after the
bees have worked on them a week,
is quite small.

AN EXPERIMENT.

The following experiment will
be tested in the Bay State Apiary
the present season :

158

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

The first swarm that issues will
be hived in the usual waj'. In
case another swarm comes off the
same day or on the day thereafter,
it will be hived on the combs that
the first swarm came from, but not
till after the first hive has been
opened and the queen cells re-
moved, lu this way increase may
be prevented and the bees kept at
work in the boxes.

Of course the combs must be
examined very closely for queen
cells and all destroyed or cer-
tainly all removed, — though it is
my opinion that the bees will per-
mit the old queen which came off
with swarm No. 2 to destroy them
instead of swarming again from
their new home.

If this plan works as well as I
think it will, I have no doubt it
will be generally adopted by bee-
keepers who have all the bees they
desire to keep.

I will suggest that the readers
of the " Api" test this method and
report in the fall.

So far as I know, this plan is
new ; if not, there is no great dam-
age in thoroughly testing it the
present season.

Wenliam, Mass.

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

BBOOD-liEABING vs. HONEY
GATHEBING.

MANAGKMKNT OF COLONIES JUST BE-
FORE THE HONEY HARVEST BUGINS.

Query No. 25. In Mr. C. W. Day-
ton's article on pajje 89 of April issue
he says that in his st-ction the honey
harvest lasts but thirty-seven days, the
length of time it requires to get bees
from the new-laid egg to work in the
field.

The above stiggests the following
query : how would it do to confine the
queen to one or two combs at sucli a
time, by using perforated-zinc divisiou-

boards, keeping the queen on the few
combs for about three weeks? Would
not such a method retard or prevent
swarming wholly? What objection can
there be to such a practice? Reader.

ANSWERS BY IRA BARBER.

In answering query No. 25, I
would recommend feeding thin
hot food for three weeks before
the honey season commences in all
sections where the honey season
lasts only twenty or thirty days.
In this locality, it is quite a com-
mon thing to have the season cut
down to ten da^^s that the bees get
more than a living, and in that time
get a large crop of honej^, but if our
bees were not on hand in strong
forces, failure would have been the
result.

I have never confined a queen
on a few combs near the swarming
season and cannot say what the
effect would be.

ANSWERS BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

" Reader " has a large field be-
fore him, but I hope he'll keep to
work at it. If he reaches a desir-
able plan to prevent swarming,
(and I think it will sometime be
reached) he will lay beekeepers un-
der a heavy debt of gratitude ; but
his present plan will not be a suc-
cess. In the first place, he can
hardly take a surer course t^o make
the bees swarm. As soon as the
queen finds no room to lay, the
swarming fever will almost surely
be induced if the harvest continues.
Secondly, the young bees seem to
be needed, and without fully un-
derstanding all the reasons, 1 have
found by a large number of ti'iais
that taking away the queen as long
as three weeks will not give good
results.

What is wanted is a plan that
will prevent the bees from wanting
to swarm while the queen keeps
right along laying.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

159

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

We are not to count thirty-seven
days from the egg to the working
bee, as inferred in the query, al-
though we do not get field workers
for about thirty days from the egg.
We should count onl}' twenty-one
daj's in making all calculations
about non-producing workers. For
instance, the main honey flow in a
localit}^ ceases about July 10th, as
in this section. Eggs laid twenty-
one days before or June 19th,
would give us non-producing work-
ers. Young bees begin work in the
hive very soon after hatching, first
as nurse bees and then as wax
workers, and it is my opinion that
by far the greater part of the work
performed by a colony of bees is in
the hive; hence it always happens
that the more young bees in a col-
ony the more field workers can be
spared.

As to limiting the work of the
queen, it is well known that Italian
and black queens begin to contract
their egg-laying about June 20,
and for the next forty days, it will
be at the minimum rate. About
Aug. 1, the brood area is again en-
larged as there is also usually a
second crop of drones reared. With
these races of bees it certainly could
not be very profitable to interfere
with them in the height of the
honey harvest with perforated zinc
division-boards. I doubt if the
advantage gained would pay the
cost of the zinc, let alone the mat-
ter of time and labor. The objec-
tion, therefore, would be that it
would not pay.

With vSyrians, Cyprians, and
Carniolans, and all cross-bred bees
on the maternal side from these
races which rear brood extensively
as long as a hone}' flow lasts and
never clog the brood-chamber
with honey, the practice of con-
tracting the work of queens at
proper times is advisable. But ni}^
experience is against contracting

with division-boards, dummies or
anything of the kind, on the score
that it does not pay, if we take into
consideration the cost of the appli-
ances, and the time and labor to
use them. Right here comes in
the question of hives and the
great advantage of sectional hives
and queen-excluding honey-boards.
Any revolution in our method will
be in this direction for in no other
way can we so profitably manipu-
late brood-chambers and limit the
work of queens without serious dis-
turbance of the bees in the active
working season. I should not care
to confine queens in any case in-
side the hive with a view to pre-
venting swarming. An arrange-
ment like Alley's trap to control
swarming, that we can get at read-
ily, is another thing. But it does
not prevent swarming or even re-
tard it. It simply traps the queen
in coming out and makes the at-
tempt to swarming abortive, if the
apiarist is not on hand to attend to
it. Confining the queen in the
hive on one or two brood combs,
leaving brood in other combs, would
not prevent the rearing of queens
cells either in- or outside the
presence of the queen, and swarm-
ing or the attempt to swarm in
due time.

THE AMERICAN APICUL-
TURIST is not a local 2->c(,per. Its
circulation extends into every state
itt the Union and largely in the
western and middle states. We also
have a good number of subscribers
in Canada, and our foreign circula-
tion equals that of any American
bee palmer. The Api is as much a
national paper as any bee journal
published.

160

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

THE MANAGER'S CORNER.

We wish to give notice that no more
hives of auy kind can be supplied troni
the Bay State Apiary without consid-
erable delay after th e order is received.
We also wish to say that all the colo-
nies of bees in the Bay State Reversi-
ble Hives wu had for sale have been
disposed of.

Our thirty-two-page price-list is the
October number of the Apicultukist,
which we are sending out as a special
edition. Prices of all supplies we
have for sale may be found in that
number, which is sent free to all who
apply. If this meets the eye of auy
one who has not received that most
important number of the Api, by all
means send your address on a postal
card, for it, and at the same time if you
have a friend who keeps bees send his
address also.

Bees in some sections of the country
have wintered badly, while in other
localities reports most encouraging
are being received. On the whole,
bees have wintered better than the
average for the past ten years. Many
complain that the bees seemed to de-
s(!rt the hives and leaving the combs
well tilled with honey while but few,
and in some cases no dead bees were
found.

One well-known beekeeper writes
that he is about discoui aged on account
of loss of bees in winter and low prices
for honey. Wonder if our friend would
not be in favor of throwing the ex-
tractor to the dogs.

Our friends have no idea how much
it would help us if each reader for
the Api would send us the name of one
new subscriber for the Anci-'LTumsT.

Of coarse, no one has forgotten that
we send the Api one year for one dol-
lar and also mail free to eacii subscrib-
er, new or old, one of our Drone and
Queen-traps. If you never have seen
and examined one of these most use-
ful apiarian implements you have no
idea how much hav been lost to you
without its use. Send and get one or
more. Don't l)e annoyed by your bees
miming away, or going up on a high
tree when they swarm. Use the trap
as it will save time, trouble, expense

and bees, and you will have a most
comfortable time during the swarming
season.

Our friends who desire to visit the
Bay State Apiary will be welcome to do
so. It gives us pleasure to talk of and
explain our methods for rearing queens,
or to give information concerning bee
culture to the extent of our tiiirty
years' experience, to all who may call.
Our method for fastening foundation
in frames and sections, opening a hive
and finding the queen in full or nucleus
colonies, and in fact hundreds of things
too numerous to mention here will be
shown all who visit our apiary. The
manager of the Api does not have an
office from which he excludes his
friends nor does he employ boys to wait
upon and show visitors about his api-
ary. Generally from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
we are at liberty to attend to all who
call. If those who intend visiting the
Bay State Apiary will send us acai'd
several days before they come they
will be most likely to see us. About
June 15 several hundred nuclei hives
will be in running order, then we can
show and explain queen-rearing and
interest our visitors to almost any ex-
tent.

We have received, through mistake
of some one, 1000 4^ X 4^ sections.
There is no name of the shipper or
other mai-ks to indicate from whom
these came. We found them at the de-
pot with other goods. Who can ex-
plain?

We can say this much regarding
the sections. One package of 500 has
been opened and although we have
bought and used thousands of one-
piece sections I never saw such fine
sections before. Who ever sent them
will get an order from here as soon as
the shipper's name is known.

Some person in Whitehall, III., sent
one dollar to this office in January last.
We cannot fill the order as no name
was given.

Some people do not seem to know
where they live, as several calls for the
wintei' essays have been received, and
mailed to the address given. In a few
days they are returned inscribed "no
such post-ofhce in the country."

The mannger of the Apicur.TtTRrsT
tenders thanks to tliose who have so
liberally favored him with orders the

THE AMERICAN A PIC UL TUB 1ST.

161

past few months. We assure our
patrons, that the Api has been hiuhly
favored by its numerous friends and
suijscribers by orders for supplies of
all kinds. It really does not appear to
us that there are many of our readers
who are opposed to the manager and
publisher dealing in beekeepers' sup-
l)lies.

Our own advertisements have been
removed from the pages of the Api
in order that all who favor us with ad-
vertisements may reap the full benefit
of the money they invest in the Avi.

A uood many have sent for our price-
list and took the occasion to express
regret that we have taken our adver-
tisements from the Api. I am not sure
that the movement was a wise one, but
the experiment seemed to me to be
worth ti-yiug, for a while at least.

If any one desires our price-list, and
also tlie essays on wintering bees, just
send your address on a postal card for
it. Tlie essays are the same as sent
out in the October number for 1S8G,
which occupy seventeen pages, with
the addition of fifteen pages of our
l)rice-list.

The special number is neatly printed
and is likely to be preserved for a long-
time for the valuable essays it con-
tains.

We cannot furnish any more Bay
State Hives or Reversible Section
cases this season. The large stock
which were gotten out last winter have
been sold For the next four months
our attention must be given to rear-
ing queens; though most other goods
found in our Price-list can be furnished
promptly. Price-list of such things
sent to any. Send address or a postal
card for it.

"Subscription Expired" will be
stamped on the wrappers of all
whose subscriptions expire with any
luiniber of the Apiculturist. If
the reader desires the paper con-
tinued w^e shall be glad to do so,
provided he makes known his wishes
by dropping us a postal card,
dlhervvise the "Apicultukist" will
be discontinued when the subscrip-
tion expires. We invite all to le-
new and send us with their own
subscription at least one new one.

NOTICE.

We find that not one copy of the
Apiculturist, number 12, Vol. IV, is
left in our oftice.

Will some of our readers who do
not care to preserve that particular
number return it to us? We will
gladly pay twelve cents each for twen-
ty-five copies, or in return will mail a
copy of this issue to any friend whose
address may be sent us.

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

One of the best-known beekeep-
ers in the world, wrote us a few
days ago, as follows :

" I wish to congratulate you on the
excellence of the Api. It is one of
our most valuable beepapers I w^as
especially glad to read what you say in
reference to Mr. Langstroth and his
hi\'e. What folly for an_v one to saj' that
Mr. L. was not the inventor. Such
statements confront truth, justice and
the intelligence of the beekeeping
world."

DeaPv Sir :

Your drone and queen trap just re-
ceived by express. Thanks. To those
who practise clipi)ing the queens'wiugs,
it will be a great help in swarming
time in automatically caging the queens
and thus preventing them from getting
lost in the grass.

Jas. Erwin.

Hitchcock, Ind.
Mr. Ali.ky :

I would not take $5.00 for the
queen you sent me last year. Please
send me the Api and another queen as
soon as you can. $1.50 enclosed.
VVm. R.

Ghristianshurg , Kij.
Frikxd Alley :

The Api is certainly an liouor to
its proprietor; you have made it a
great success. Your plan of having a
set of articles published in a single
issue on "Wintering" and another set on
"Storing Comb Honey," etc., is a mas-
ter piece of wisdom, as any one of such
numbers is worth more than any book
ever published on any single topic on
bee culture. G. W. Dealvkee.

162

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Ida Grove, Iowa.
Friend Alley :

I moved my bees on April 5 and 6
according to your directions in the
January number of Api. I liave fifty
of your drone and queen-traps. I like
them first rate.

E. R.

Lawrence, Mass., Aj)r. 4, 1887.
Mk. Alley: My bees have had a
good flight to-day. I iiave loolced them
over, and found them in good condi-
tion. I saw one chap bringing in pol-
len.

The APICULTURIST is far ahead of
any bee publication I have ever seen,
and I have seen quite a number.
Yours truly,
Chas. E. D.

Walton, Ky.

Friend Alley :

Tlie queen I purchased of you two
years ago is still doing active business
and has about twenty daughters in my
yard, duplicates of herself, besides
many others elsewhere. One of those
sent last fall is prospering finely. I
have two ot her daughters, very fine
ones.

Bees came through the winter in fair
condition, but the spring is wet, cool
and frequcait frosts, and I am afraid the
colonies will not get strong enough to
make good use of the honey harvest.

L. J.

\ Farmington, Mich.

Mr. Alley :
Please continue the Api to my ad-
dress. I can't get along witiiout it, it
beats them all. Register my order for
a queen to go with it.

A. II. W.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
QUEENS.

To Advertisers.— One of the ad-
vantages in advcriisiu." in the Ameri-
can APICULTURIST is the fact that the
proprietor or mantiger of the "Api"
has no advertisements in its columns;
thus none of those who advertise in our
paper do so in competition vvitii us.

Bear in mind that the American
APICULTURIST is not a local bee paper.
We have more subscribers in any one
of the western stales than we have in
all six of the New England states to-
gether.

C. W. Dayton.

The report in early spring in my
locality was that bees had win-
tered well. Manj' removed them
from the cellars early in March
without an}' losses, but since that
time spring dwindling has been at
work, so that the losses are quite
numerous up to this date.

Many report the disappearance
of queens from some unknown
cause.

These losses may be partly ac-
counted for from the handling of
the combs and opening hives in
cloud}' or not very pleasant weather.

From the timd the colonies are
removed from the cellar until the
15th of June it is dangerous to
queens to handle the bees at any
time other than in clear and pleas-
ant weather.

I have opened hive after hive on
a cloudy day and on the next day
found Ihem minus queens and I
have known that rule to work in
two colonies out of three.

In one instance I opened a hive
ten times on ten different cloudy
days and the queen was balled ev-
ery time before I left the hive.
Each time tlie queen was placed in
a cage for an iiour or two when
slie was again released and re-
mained unharmed. At last to as-
certain wliether she was balled for
protection rather tlian harm she was
allowed to remain balled and was
found dead at the entrance the
next morning.

In my first season of beekeeping
being much interested in the worlv-
ing of the hives they were exam-
ined often and at any time, and by
June 1 only eight queens out of
thirteen remained alive. The fol-
lowing seasons such losses were less
and less until at present I seldom

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

163

lose queens that come through alive
and that out of hundreds of colo-
nies.

At one time having just fifty
colonies in fine condition, and set
out in an order five hives wide and
ten hives long, thinking to test tlie
fact, on a cloudy and misty day I
went to a central colony took the
combs out and returned them.
The next examination revealed a
queenless colony.

This expei'iment I have tried sev-
eral times and while the loss is not
absolutely certain it averaged three
out of four. I might give many
other instances that have come un-
der my observation, but deem it
useless to multiply words and ad-
vise all not to look into the hive
unless the sun shines brightly and
it is warm.

Knowing of some apiarists who
choose to handle the combs when
it is cloudy and are heard to com-
plain of such losses of queens "
caused me to give the above expe-
rience.

Bradford, loiva.

AD VER TISEMENTS.

TERMS FOR ADVERTISING.

Daring the balance of the j'ear we
shall insert advertisements at 'the rate
of ten cents per line for one inser-
tion, or three insertions for seven
cents per line. All advertisements to
run six months or lonjjer will be
charged but live cents per line.

We are sending out each month
about 2,000 sample copies of the Api-
cuLTuiiiST. In our experience we
have found that those who receive
sample copies are most likely to an-
swer advertisements.

In proof that the Api is a good ad-
vertising medium we have only to re-
fer to those parties who keep their
ads. running in our columns the year
round.

1910 Germantown Ave., Phila., Pa.

Colonies of Bees, Queens, Hives,
Fonndation.

A full line of Supplies always on hand.
187-tf. ARTHUR, a?ox)r).

All who Subscribe for the Aricur,-
TUiasT, at any time, will receive one
of our combined Drone and Queen-
traps free by mail. This is our method
of introducing the Apicui/ruitiST and
our Drone and Queen-traps into every
apiary in the United States.

Those who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expect to get tiie Handy
Book or a queen for fifty cents, as the
protits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscriber.

TO ADVERTISERS.

We will accept of bees, sections or
foundation in exchange for advertising
space in the Apicultuijist.

H. ALLEY.

A CHEAP SMOKER.

Martinsville, Ohio,AiJr. 11, 1887.
Messrs. Bingham & IIethehington,

Abronia, Mich.

Enoloseil fliul $2.50 for two large '2J inch
Bingham smokers (wide .sliield). Tliey are
for my neishbors. 1 have one of the Biiifiliam
smokers that I have used six years and it is
as good as ever. Send ^ doz. rates.
Kespecifully,

6-87 2t AMOS R. GARNER.

4®- Any one who will cut this out and
send if to us with 60 cents, will receive
the "American Apiculturist" one year;
or one of our best warranted queens for
50 cents; or a selected queen for 75
cents; or a tested queen for $1 00; or
one copy of the "Beekeepers' Handy
Book" by mail for 80 cents.

If the queens are not perfectly satis-
factory in every respect, we will return
money or send others. No premiums
will KO with the "Api" where this offer
is accepted. Show this to your friends.

This copy of the "Api," unless you are
a regular subscriber, will cost jiist 10
(^euts in postage stainps.<£(r

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

TO BEEKEEPERS:

We will luniish you with Rdhbkk Stamps
to iii;iik your section boxes and all your api-
arian sii|i|)lies at tlie lowest prices. Send lor
special price list.

S. & S. RUBBER STAMP CO..

117 Third Street.
CS7-3t. Hamilton. Ohio.

FOLDING BOXES.

Ol'u Cartons for enclosing: Section
IIoNEV are the hest and lowest pkiced in
the market. Made in one-piece. WItli or
witlioiit Tape Handles. With Mica Fronts
or without, in tlie Flat or set up. Pri.vted
or not. Any way to suit. We are bound to
satisfy you. We have just put in sijecial
Machinery for their niaiuilacture and are pre-
pared to till orders promptly.

Price per 1000,
•' 10,000,

I 7.75, printed.
60.00.

Full Price- List Free, Samples 6c.

1+ oz. Glass Jars $.i.-25 per frross, includ-
injr Corks & Lahils. 1 1-2 & 2 gross iu a
Case. Catalogue of Honey Laljlesfree.

A. O. CRAWFORD,

6-87-6 S. Weymouth, Mass.

IIPPINCOTT'S • • LIPPiCOTT'S • • LIPPINCOTT'S

I,eads all other Magazines 4

" In Tales of Fiction A New Departure

■• Poems of Interest ———^———^.^—
^ pleasing Short Stories

~ Interesting Miscellany 25 CtS.

" JJo'ss of Progress '

NEARLY ^ Choice Selections
200 ^ Original Contributions

rAGES IN each issue ^ Xopics of the Times
■■ '£eTse Gems
A Complete New Novel -■ ' Superlative Merit
By some favorite author in each No. ■■

Giving a library of 12 new and valuable works, worth
from $15.00 to $18.00 annually, at the nominal sum
of 25 cents per month. Subscription, S3.C0 yearly.
Stories by John Habberton, Frances Hodgson Bur-
nett, Julian Hawthorne, Lucy C Lillie, etc., etc.,
will appear in early issues

Circulars, giving details, etc., mailed on application
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

715 and 717 Market St., Philadelphia

THE GREATEST WONDER

OF THE J^Grjr.

is liow J. B. MASON k SOi\S, Meclianic Falls, Me.,
can publish the

BEE-KEEPERS' ADVANCE,

a sixteen paj;e Monthly Journal devoted to
Modern Beekeepinj; for only '25 cents per
year. We can also sell you

BEES, QUEENS,

and all kinds of Ai)iarian Supplies as low as
the lowest. Send for Illustrated Catalogue
and copy of Advance free to

J. B. Mason & Sons,
G-S7 It. iMechanic Fails, Maine.

After Forty years'
experience in the
preparation of more
than One Hundred
Thousand applications for patents in
the United States and Foreien coun-
tries, the publishers of the Scientific
American continue to act as solicitors
for patents, caveats, trade-marks, copy-
rights, etc., for the United .States, and
to obtain patents in Canada, England, France,
Germany, and all other countries Their experi-
ence is unequaled and their facilities are unsur-
passed.

Drawings and specifications prepared and filed
in the Patent Office on short notice. Terms very
reasonable. No charge for examination of models
or drawings. Advice by mail free.

Patents obtained tiirough MunnACo. are noticed
inthe SCIEiVTIFIC AMERICAN, which has
the largest circulation and is the must intluential
newspaper of its kind published in the world.
The advantages of such a notice every patentee
understands.

This large and splendidly illustrated newspaper
is published "WEEKLiY at $3.00 a year, and is
admitted tc be the best paper devoted to science,
mechanics, inventions, engineering works, and
other departments of industrial progress, pub-
lisiied in any countr.v. It contains the names of
all patentees and title of every invention patented
each week. Try it four months for one dollar.
Sold by all newsdealers.

If you have an invention to patent write to
Wunn & Co., publishers of Scientific American,
361 Bro.idway, New York
Handbook about patents mailed frea.

EXTEAOEDINARY EXCHANGE !

Having- disposed of my bee-sujiply bnssines.s
at Des Moines, Iowa, to Jos. Ny.s'ewander, I
hope my friends and customers will be as gen-
erous with him iu orders and good will as they
have been with me. I am no longer iu the
supply trade here after March 1, 18S7.

J. M. SHUCK.
5--27tf.

LOOK HERE!!

Do yon want choice colonies Italian Bees
cheap? Full colonies in C.i rev Improved J.,,
hives. lOJXlf inches, at $8.00 per colonv.
Also a few colonies in Kidder hives, frames
lOJ and 115 inches, at only $7.00 per colony.
Those in want of choice colonies of line Ital-
ian bees will do well to send their orders to
W. G. HILLMANf,

5-87-2 Gree7i River, ft.

BARNES' FOOT POWER MACHINERY.

Kead what J. I. Par-
ent, of Charlton, N.Y.,
says — •• We cut with one
ot your Combined Ma-
chines, last winter, fifty
chafl' hives with 7-in<'li
cap, 100 honey-racks, .oOO
bro.id frames. -2,000 lion-
cvbu.xes and a ureat
de.il of other work. This
winter we have double
the amount of beediives,

etc., to make and we expect to do it with this

saw. It will do all you say it will." Catalogue

and Price-list Kree.

Address, W. P. & JOHN BARNES,

2-87 6 mo. A'o. 484 liubi/ St., Rockford, III.

The American Apicultiirist.

% lournul bcbofcir ia praxtual gcclur|3in0»

EXTERED AT THE POST-OFFICK, WKNirAM, AS SECOND-CLASS JIATTEU.

Published Momhlv.

Henry Alley, Manager.

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., JULY i, 1887.

No. 7.

We deol in (irst-class npi.iri- I Establislie.l in 1SS3. Terms : I Anv yearly Mibscriber is en-
.insupphes of Mil k,„,ls.lo^vest $1.00 per year, 50 cents persix titlcf to o i o our sele -tJ
prices Prompt -ie ivery. months, 25 cents per' three queens anytime between June I

Send tor price list. | months. Cash in a<l yance. :lnd Oct. 1 by remitting 50 cs

Address all communications, AMEKICAW APICULTURIST, -Wenham, Mass

For the American ApiculUirist.

COMB HONEY.

METHOD NUMBER SIX.
R. L. Taylor.

PLENTY OF STORES, VIGOROUS QUEENS,
SPREADING BROOD, ETC., ETC.

It is to be presumed that every
one who enters upon beekeeping
in any of its branches is possessed
of bees and of a range that will
supply proper pasturage.

Tlie next thing and tlie most im-
portant of all, in order to success
in tiie production of comb honey,
is to secure a crowded population
in each colony at the opening of
the surplus honey season, with
colonies populous enough at the
right time. Only the grossest neg-
lect can ordinarily prevent the
securing of an abundant crop. To
attain this condition, attention must
be carefully given to the following
particulars. First: the bees must
have been wintered well. In win-
tering, let every one pursue the
course in which he has had the
greatest success ; but let him be sure
that each colony has not only suf-
ficient good stores, but enough and
more tlian enough. I believe more
colonies are destroyed or rendered
worthless by starvation or senii-
13

starvation during winter and sprino-
than Irom anj' other cause. Sec-
ond : each colony must have a vio--
orous queen. A queen is at her
best in her second year and there
are oidy exceptional ones that can
be profitably Icept beyond that age ;
and I have no doubt it would jiay
well to remove a large pi'oportion
of them at the age of one and a
half years. I find in my own ex-
perience that the bees themselves
supersede queens declining in vigor
promptly in exceptional cases only ;
the apiarist must do the work, or
else be content with having a con-
siderable percentage of his colo-
nies worthless, so far as sui'plus
comb hone}' is concerned.

Third : we must consider spring
management. Spring protection is
valuable and I have no doubt that
" spreading the brood" may some-
times beindulged in profitably ; but
I do not wish to emphasize these
points here, for I would put all the
stress possible untler this head
upon the absolute necessity of hav-
ing continually an abundance of
stores convenient to the brood
nest. To secure this is better than
to furnish protection : it is pi'otec-
tion and much more. It is prefer-
able to the " spreading of brood :"
it is a substitute for that and bet-
ter. President Wilder, when asked
to state the three most important
things necessary to be done to se-
(165)

166

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

■care a good crop of stravvbenies,
replied: First, give them plenty
of water; secondly, give them
more water ; thirdly, give them still
more water. A bonntiful sn[)ply
of proper stores in the spring has
dne eiffct on a colony of bees cor-
responding to that of an abundance
of water on strawberries. Give
such a supply of stores and a vig-
orous queen to a good colony well
wintered and there need be no fur-
ther concern about its getting
ready to take advantage of the
Avhite clover as soon as it appears.
Now have the surplus receptacles
in place on the hives as soon as
the bees begin to work on the
flowers which furnish the surplus,
and your reward is sure unless the
flowers fail to yield nectar.

The next point that claims atten-
tion is the best management dur-
ing the surplus season. I would
advise every one to use the sur-
plus case that pleases him best, for
then my advice will 1^ i)retty gen-
erally followed. I ufe both those
with and those without separators
and like both kinds. At present
1 am inclined to favor the case
holding single tier wide frames
with separators. A case should
never hold but a single tier of sec-
tions, and should set square upon
the top of the hive with no outside
shell or hive to interfere with the
rapid handling of the cases. Give
the bees additional room as fast as
required by tiering up. To a very
strong colony give a second case
as soon as it gets well started in
the first one ; let a colony of mod-
erate strength have a second when
the first is about half full and al-
low a weak colony nearly to finish
the first before giving another.
Always raise the first case and put
the second under it (except it may
be near the end of the season),
and in like manner give a third
and fourth case as needed ; but,
toward the close of the season for

surplus, be cautious that 3'ou do
not give so much room as to have
too large a proportion of unfin-
ished sections. Do not be in great
haste to remove the honey, though
the sections are finished. Never
tr}^ to take sections one by one
from the case on the hive ; alwa^'s
wait till you can remove the entire
case at once. It will improve the
qualitj' of the honey more than it
will injure its color to leave it on
the hive as long as convenient. I
would aim, however, to remove most
of the honey just before the close
of the season so as to avoid
trouble from robber bees. The color
of the hone}^ will be but very little
affected if the tiering-up plan be
pursued.

I clip m}' queens, and when
swarming begins I hive the swarm,
(after Heddon,) on the old stand,
remove the cases from the old hive
to the new and from the old hives
whence swarms issue earliest, I
would select those containing bees
having the most desirable qualities
and divide them into nuclei to util-
ize their cells for the production
and fertilization of queens to be
used in replacing old and undesir-
able queens that issue later.

I advocate and practise con-
tracting the brood-chamber to the
capacity of about five L frames,
and either fill the fi-ames with
foundation or use frames with only
starters of foundation. For con-
traction I esteem a hive divided
horizontally very much preferable.
Such a hive is much handier in
ever}' way and is especially desir-
able because the bees, occupying
the wholfe of the space beneath the
section case, work in all parts of
it more equally and satisfactorily.
I use foundation of full size in
the sections. I fasten the founda-
tion, into the sections with a ma-
chine invented by my assistant,
Mr. Millen. In working it, one
foot gives the proper amount of

THE AMERICAN A PIC UL TURIS T.

1C7

pressure and on the instant the
other foot pnshes the section out
rubbing in the wax. It is superior
to any tiling I know of.

If these directions have been
properly/ followed, at the end of
the season of clover and basswood,
if there lias been a good flow of
nectar, our hives will be found
loaded with a lieav}'^ crop of comb
honey, the choicest possible at that
time of the year ; but we are now
only in the position of the farmer
when he enters his meadows with
the mowing maciiine : our crop is
still to be cured, only we have this
advantage ; that we may, if we will,
cure our product with certainty
and under cover. Our honey is
produced to sell, and to sell well it
must be palatable. Honey not
cured or cured improperly is a
poor thing with which to tempt the
appetite. Purchasers cannot dis-
tinguish the good from the poor at
sight, so one purchase of the poor
prevents a dozen sales of the
good. Poor honey is the bane of
our markets. When all honey is
thoroughly cured it will all be
taken with avidity. It would then
be a real luxury and would be irre-
sistible. Purchasers would not be
able to get enough. How should
honey be cured? Stack it up in the
cases as they come from the hive
in such a manner that the air can
circulate through it freely, in a
well built, thoroughly diy, room
with a stove in it; do not rely on
the heat of the sun to do the
work. A fire will be needed only
occasionally during the warm
weather ; but as cold weather ap-
proaches, keep the room dry and
wai-m by more frequent fires and
in November you will have honey
that can be shipped anywhere with-
out breakage or leakage. It will
be hard to tear it out of the sec-
tions and yet consumers will work
eagerly to get it out.

1 consider this matter at present

the weak point in comb-honey bus-
iness. However it may be in some
other thingSj in this we help our-
selves in helping others. Let there
l)e a move forward in this direc-
tion.

Lapeer, 3Ilch.

[The above was not received in
time for the June number, so
space is made for it in this issue.]

For the American ApicuUurist.

WORKING FOR EX-
TRACTED HONEY.

WiUimantlc, Conn., Jan. 3, 1887.
Editor A.mekica.v Apiculturist:

In your last issue of the "Api" I saw a letter
from Mr. G. M. Doolittle who says "when
swarming' time arrives 1 simpiv exchaii<;e the
brood in the liive from Avhich the swarm is-
sues lor empty frames or fiames of lounda-
tion (generally the loimer; the plan is known
as the Hutcliinson plan alUiough itoriginaled
Witli nie) wliile the swarm is in tlie air and
hive tliem on the returning plan." What I
would lilie to know is, what doe.-) Mr. Doolittle
do with the parent stock; also what is done
with the new swaim ?

I am not at all acquainted with what is
called the "Hutchinson plan." I have oltea
read of it.

Yours trulj-,

A. T. Trowbridge.
Reply by G. M. Doolittle.

Just at the present time there
seems to be a " craze" among bee-
keepers on the subject of comb-
honey production, many who have
heretofore worked almost exclu-
sively for extracted honey chang-
ing their tactics and are'now ad-
vocating and talking comb honey
to the exclusion of that which
tliey formerly endorsed. I fear
this is not a wise policy, for it can
only result in soon lowering the
price of comb honey and advanc-
ing the price of extracted, this
causing an expensive changing of
fixtures the second time. It seems
to me that the well-balanced apia-
rist should produce both comb and

168

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

extracted lioney, and as he sees
the tide swaying toward the side
of the one he should go a little
heavier in the opposite direction,
but not enough as to throw aside
all his fixtures along the line the
tide is moving. \Ye have man}'
farmers in this locality who when
mutton and wool are lovv sell out
their sheep for a song and go into
the so-seeming, more profitable
business of beef and butter, pay-
ing a high price for cows in high
tide, for everything in tlie cattle
line, In a few years times change,
and cattle are at low tide ; beef
and butter are sold for a song,
while mutton and wool are now
bringing a good price again.
These farmers now I'or a second
time become discontented and
change their cows for sheep, only at
a great loss again. So they keep
on doing in a sort of will-o'-the-
wisp chase losing money at every
change. Others keep both sheep
and cows, never running out of
either, but in time of good prices
with the flock raise a little more
from the sheep, and these again
increase the herd when high prices
are paid for the production along
that line. In this way a steady
growth is maintained, while b}' the
other plan a downward tendency is
a sure result.

As I have worked for years for
both comb and extracted honey
and believing that the present
time is favorable to the produc-
tion of more extracted honey and
best comb, perhaps I cannot do
better than to tell the readers of
the Ameuican ApicuLXUKibx how I
proceed to accomplish what seems
to me to be the best results. The
first thing necessary in the suc-
cessful production of extracted
honey is a gootl queen to produce
hosts of workers to gather the
harvest. In fact, whether all real-
ize it or not, the whole of bee-
keeping centres in the queen.

Without the queen it would be im-
possible to produce a pound of
extracted honey, hence it be-
comes apparent that the better
the queen is the more honey we
obtain. When all come to realize
the great value of reall}'^ good
queens we shall have taken a long
stride toward successful honey pro-
duction. But good queens are
only of value when we surround
them with favorable circumstances,
thus getting large numbers of
eggs laid at the right time and
causing each egg to be nourished
to a perfect bee, so that we can
have the bees in our colonies by
the tens of thousands at the right
time. Failing in this, the flowers
will bloom in vain as far as filling
our surplus combs with honey
ready for the extractor, is con-
cerned.

But " Avhat are favorable cir-
cumstances" is asked, to which I
repl}', an abundance of food and
warmth. The abumlance of food
is quite easily secured in this day
of bee feeders, and especially so,
if the apiarist has set aside the
previous season, as he should,
combs solid with honey which are
ready to be set in the hive at any
time. But the warmth is not so
easily secured, especially when our
honey harvest comes early from
white clover which requires the
getting of a large quantity of eggs
laid early in the season in order to
have the bees in time. Several
years ago I tried artificial heat to
help forward things, but after
numerous experiments which re-
sulted only in harm I gave it up.

About this time (1878, I think
it was) J. H. Townley, a then
noted beekeeper of Michigan,
came out with his chaff" packing,
claiming that there was heat
enough generated by an ordinary
colou}^ of bees to promote safe,
early breeding if said heat was
not lost by radiation. He claimed,

THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST.

1G9

if I remember rightl}'. that this
chatf packing answered tlie same
purpose to the liees whicli bed
quilts and coverlids do to a man, in
which case if a man is "covered up
warm enough," as the expression
goes, he would be as warm in a
zero temperature as in June.
Tins looked reasonable to me and
after that I set my bees when
taken from tike cellar into chaff
hives or rough boxes filled in with
chaff, sawdust or cut straw, al-
ways contracting the hives with
chaff division-boards, quilts, etc.,
to suit the size of the colony. In
this way colonies of bees would
go right on breeding through cold
days and nights, keeping warm
and nice till the combs would be
full of brood down at the bottom
corners, while those not protected
would be clustered closely to keep
warm with very little brood. I
here give credit to Mr. Townley
for this plan and think all using
it should be willing to do the
same.

As soon as all the combs are
filled with brood which were first
given them more are added till the
hive is full of comb and brood.
In adding these combs, I prefer to
add two at a time, using one
which is empty and one filled with
lionejf such as spoken of above.
The empty one is placed at the
outside and the full one in the
centre. Before putting in the full
one I break the cappings of the
cells by passing a knife over it
flatwise, for by this means the
bees are obliged to remove the
hone}^ and in doing so are stimu-
lated to apparently greater activ-
ity than by an}^ plan of feeding
with which I am acquainted. As
the hone}' is removed over to the
outside empty comb, the queen
fills the emptied comb with eggs
which when hatched into larva re-
quire the honey brought back by
the nurse bees to feed said larva,
and as the honey is now being

carried again, activitj^ is still kept
up and the queen now goes over
and fills this comb with eggs also.
In this way one hive is soon filled
with eggs, brood and bees just in
time for the harvest.

Having the hive filled as spoken
of, and the honey harvest at hand
or just commenced, if we wish no
increase from our bees, no time is
to be lost in putting on the surplus
arrangement, otherwise the bees
becoming crowded may get the
swarming fever. For extracting, I
prefer another hive of the size of
the first, but some prefer one of
only one-half the depth. As to
results there is probably no great
difference, but I consider it quite
an object to have all hives and
frames alike in the apiary. In
putting on this surplus arrange-
ment I prefer to use empty combs,
if possible, instead of comb foun-
dation. I also prefer to use two
large or wi<le dummies, one at each
side, for a few days, so tiiat one-
half of the room is taken up which
leads the bees along gradually in-
stead of thrusting a large amount
of surplus room upon them at
once. From experience I believe
them less liable to swarm where
this course is taken, for they seem
to bend every energy to till this
small, additional room, while,
where a large amount is given at
once, they are injured should it
become cool ; or, if warm, they
swarm from being loath to enter it.
As soon as the half of the hive
given them is partly filled with
honey, the dummies are taken out,
the combs spread apart and frames
filled with foundation put between
them. At this stage I would just
as soon have foundation as empty
comb, for the bees are now ready
to work u[)on it, while before they
were not. The time for taking
out the dummies is when 3'ou see
the cells being lengthened out
with new comb along the tops of
the combs.

170

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

How you will proceed in the fu-
ture depends upon whether you
■wish your lioney all ripened in the
hive till the harvest is over, or
ripened in a warm room by evapo-
ration. Sometimes I think that
hone}' left on the hive through the
season is of a better quality than
that extracted every week or so ;
then again lam not so sure about it.
Of one thing I am certain, more
honey can be secured with less
hives and fixtures where it is ex-
tracted when the bees first begin
to seal it, than can be gotten by the
other method.

As to the labor there is little
dilTerence, except that when we
extract often the labor conies at a
time of 3'ear when we are the most
crowded. To be sure the opera-
tion is gone through with oftener,
but to offset this there is little or
no uncapping to be done, while the
honey leaves the comb more clean
with less than one-half the labor
in turning the extractor. If the
season is warm and dry, I would
just as soon have honey extracted
as above as that left on the hive
the season through, but if cool
and damp I prefer it ripened all
that is possible by the bees, and
even then it is not as good as the
other. In my opinion the season
has more to do with the qualit}' of
the hone}' than the process of ri-
pening. If we decide to exti'act
oftener, the hive we have already
added (if both contain two thou-
sand or more cubic inches) is
probably all the room the l)ees
will need, but if left on during the
season, one more and probably
two will be needed. In putting on
the third story I do not use the dum-
mies, for by this time the weather
has got so warm and the bees so
numerous that they will spread
out so as to occupy the whole of
the extra hive. This hive should
be put on when the bees have the
combs in the second story sealed

along the tops of the frames, or
soon after you would commence
extracting if working the other way.
Many say raise up the second sto-
r}' and place this third hive be-
tween the two ; but after repeated
trials of both I prefer placing it
on top, for I think the bees will
occupy it just as quickly if the
honey flow continues, while if it
from any cause shoidd be cutoff at
this time or soon after, we are in
much better shape in not having
the honey scattered through the
three hives with few if any combs
full. If a fourth story is needed,
put on the same as the third, when
after the season is over 3'ou will
begin to carry the honey to the
hone}' house and extract.

To get the honey off I find it is
the best way to go to a hive and
blow a perfect deluge of smoke
down on the bees from the top of
the combs, and as soon as the bees
have run below take off that story
and set it on your wheelbarrow or
honey cart, not attempting to get
more than one story from one hive
at the same time ; for, if we do, the
bees will return to the next story
before you can get it off, when
smoke is of little use to drive
them. Before extracting save
plenty of good, full combs for
wintering and spring feeding. If
the weather is cool, when you wish
to extract, {)lace the combs of
honey in a small I'oom for three or
four houis previous, in which the
temperature is kept as warm as
100°, vvhen you can take them out
as you wish to uncap and extract
them, doing this work as easily as
on a hot day in July or August.

In the above I have given a brief
outline of how I work for ex-
tracted honey, and as a proof that
it is an average plan at least, will
say that I have taken as high as
566 pounds of honey from a single
colony in one season.

In conclusion I will say that

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

171'

the getting of multitudes of bees,
just at the right time, has more to
do with the successful working for
honey than anything else, and when
all realize this and work for the
same to the fullest extent, one-
half of the colonies will gather as
much surplus as the whole do under
one present management.
Borodino, N. Y.

For the American Jpicullurist.

NUMBER SIX OF THIS
YEAR.

J. 5r. Shuck.

The June, 1887, " Apicultu-
rist" is worth a great deal to the
l)ractical producer of honey. If
50,000 intelligent beekeepers
would read this number tiie honey
crop of the United States, the sea-
son being favorable, would be
twenty-five per cent larger b}'^ the
reading and consequent practice
than it would without it.

The series of articles starts out
with Doolittle (what a misnomer!
it ought to be Do(o)much) at the
head. Some men are born to lead.
If you would put Doolittle with
his burly form, his accurate, never
failing mental vision far in the
backgi-ound, the natural sweet fer-
mentation and agitation of human
thought would work and push him
to the fore. The writings of Doo-
little are simply monumental as to
the vastness of their truths and the
lilliputs of their errors. What a
volume they would make and how
well they could l)e relied upon by
those who desire to learn and
never unlearn.

Then follows Doctor Tinker who
makes the nicest sections in the
world and who prides himself on his

nice, accurate-working machinery,
"if he don't make a cent." If
rightly informed, the doctor is not
such a noted producer of honey as
some, but if his experiments in
the production of honey are con-
ducted upon the same careful,
painstaking basis, as are those he
employs in the manufacture of
hi\GS, sections, etc., his conclu-
sions must be valuable. One item
of interest in the doctor's article
will attract attention antl that is,
that " inverting the brood-nest has
come to stay." The doctor has
not always believed this. We are
thankful to the doctor for this ; it is
always a pleasure to see a good man
also right, and aside from the doc-
tor's article in question he is right
in another thing : he hates " cheap
John" goods in our line as the
devil hates holy water. He doesn't
make anything merely to sell, he
makes things to be used, so that
he who buys gets the worth of his
mone3^

Next in the list comes A. E.
Manum, It is a nine days' won-
der how this beekeeper was got-
ten into the public view. He
has been so busy for years taking-
honey, " dead loads of it," that
no one supposed he could be in-
duced to tell about it. He still
sticks to separators, cli]is his
queens' wings and jumps his rows
of sections to insure even work in
the cases and tfniform color as to
tiie combs. INIr. Manum gives
much of the detail of his practice,
but the article is so cut off here
and there and elsewhere, tiiat it
shows in the plainest manner pos-
sible that he has not begun to tell
wliat he knows about getting comb
honey. Everybody should read
Mr. Manuni's article.

Next comes Dr. Miller who
apparently looks over the field,
takes in a long breath and says,
'' I have just told all about this
thintr in a book and what more

172

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

shall I sny now?" so be goes on in
a pleasant way and works a large
number of ycvx nsefiil bints into a
short article. The doctor's chatty
style is agreeable and works in-
strnction in a charming wa^'. He
has probably been a teacher in his
younger days : he is, to say the
least, one now.

Next comes Brother Demaree
from Kentucky, the only represen-
tative in this series from the
"Sunny South." It is noticed
that he makes a point on locality,
as affecting different operations in
the production of honey. This
word is more and more used in our
literature from day to day, and it
may be remarked that we can
never have a manual of general
instruction in beekeeping and
honey-getting until we get the re-
sults from experiments conducted
at two or three apicultural stations
in each state and territor\f in our
Union. Many of the disappoint-
ments in beekeeping arise from
the attempt to make a plan which
succeeds in Maine apply in Cali-
fornia oi' somewhere else, when
the conditions surrounding the two
cases may not at all be similar.
Mr. Demaree is a veteran of about
forty years in beekeeping, and his
work has probably been laigel}'
devoted to investigation and ex-
periment, and his suggestions are
entitled to great respect.

Taken all in all,4,liese five articles
are a remarkable collection to find
in one single number of any bee
])aper, and they ought to go far to
the establishment of the "Apicul-
tukist" upon a permanent basis, if
it has not already attained the de-
sired goal.

Des Moines, la., May 31, 1887.

For the American Apiailturist.

MANIPULATION OF BEES,
ETC.

G. W. Demaree.

The beginner must learn to han-
dle his bees, so as to learn practi-
cally the natural history and hab-
its of bees and to learn to know
just what goes on inside of the
hive, after which a i)ractised eye
will tell at a glance when anything
is wrong with a colony from ex-
ternal " signs." After the deep
snow we had the latter part of
March (which by reason of its
depth lay for several days), vvhen
the weather cleared up and the
bees were able to stir, 1 discovered
by walking through the apiary
about ten colonies, one of the best
in the apiary among them that had
"balled" and killed their queens
during the bad spell of weather.

They do not often go so far
in their desperation as this, but
they did it for me this time.
Part of these colonies were saved
by making them lear queens and
heli)ing them with some capped
brood. The}' will not be in time
to do much this season. 1 have
found that it pays to give bees
plenty of stores in the fall, so that
they need not be disturbed in the
early spring till fruit bloom comes,
after which there is no danger in
handling bees. Last season
(1886) in March, after going
through ni}' bees to give them a
" looking over" and providing for
those colonies that might need as-
sistance, I had occasion to return
to one colony that had been exam-
ined, and when 1 opened the hive I
found the queen " balled." 1 per-
formed whatever I had reopened
the hive for, smoked the bees off
of the queen, closed the hive and
went my way, but that hive turned
up queenless afterwards. I now
make it a rule that vvhen I find a

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

173

" laying queen balled" 1 cage lier
till the bees giAC up their evil in-
tentions on her life. By these
proceedings I have found to my
satisfncLion that the fault of "ball-
ing" is most generally "pure curs-
edness" on the part of the worker
bees.

By close observation in con-
nection with this curious and seri-
ous freak of bees destroying their
queens in the eavXy spring, I find
the main cause to be discourage-
ment. I rarely ever see it occur if
tlie colonies are fairly populous and
have plenty of stores, hence the
remedy is to provide tlie bees witli
an abundance of stores if ^-ou must
keep less of them.

I have found that the advice of
the standard books on bee culture
are misleading when they advise
building up weak colonies by
drawing brood from the stronger
ones. It pays me best to depend
on the strong colonies for surplus,
and leave the weak colonies to
build up themselves if they get no
surplus at all.

Well, what I wanted to say
most in this connection is, after
one has learned the internal work-
ing of the bee hive and gained
sufficient knowledge of external
appearances, it is a waste of time
and labor to open hives often.
The hives should be so arranged
as to be susceptible of manipula-
tion without going into the
brood department except when ab-
solutely necessary. In an apiary
located in a })ul)lic place like my
own, where many persons visit it
as sight-seers, it pays me to keep
a hive or two, in proper condition
for rapid and easy manipulation,
that the queen can be exhibited
readily, the brood and drones, work-
ers pointed out, etc. One or two
hives can be made to pay in this
way in a large apiary. 1 use them
to draw brood from, using the
purest stock in the apiary for the

purpose, as we like to "show" ou^'
best stock, and such bees make the
best of nuclei and work well any-
where.

The swarming season is late here
this spring ; I had but one swai-m
in ]\Iay. The weather has been
too fitful for swarming up to this
date (June 4). I have found a
shorter wa}' to prevent after
swarms than the plans I have here-
tofore practised. Instead of de-
laying as heretofore, I now succeed
by moving the hive from which the
swarm issues immediately to anew
location, and this saves time and
"fuss." When a swarm issues, an
emi)ty hive is set by the side of
the " old hive," and the combs are
all lifted out and the few bees that
are left are shaken off into the
" old hive" and are placed in the
new hive. If I have young queens
one is run into the new hive, after
destroying all queen cells ; if not,
one good cell is left and the bal-
ance destroyed. The now empty
"old hive" is filled with empty
combs or frames filled with foun-
dation, A queen excluder is put
on, and on tliis is placed plenty of
surplus room including the case or
cases that were on the hive when
the swarm issued. Tlie new hive,
with its contents, is now moved to
a new location in the apiary, and
the swarm is hived in the " old
hive" on the old stand. Not one
time in a dozen will a second
swarm issue under this manage-
ment, and " never a one" if a
yoinig queen is given immediately.

Hiving swarms in hives that
have just cast prime swarms, as
suggested by brother Allej-, " is
not new." Several persons have
spoken of the plan heretofore, and
I have tried it without satisfactory
result. In our great swarming
season (1883) I tried it on a large
scale, and it did not work satisfac-
torily. It seems to place the bees
in too much the same conditions

174

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

from which the}' had swarmed to
escape. Some swarms, if tlie
queens were okl, would start queen
cells and swarm again in five or
six days. Others would "sulk"
and do hut little good, while a few
would light out for the woods in
high disgust ; others would do very-
well. I hope the plan will be
tested, thoroughly tested under the
experienced eye of brother Alley,
and we shall be favored with a re-
port.

Christianshnrg, Ktj.

For the American JpicuUurist.

BLACK BEES FROM PURE
ITALIANS.

A. L. SwiNSOX.

In the Api, page 115, Mr. Pond,
(J. E.) takes Dr. Tinker to task
for asserting that black bees may
be produced of pure Italians by
selective breeding for that particu-
lar object, and calls on the Editor
of the "Api" to sustain the fact
that the}' have reason to believe
that no such demonstration can be
made, as they both had directly the
contrary experience. Mr. Alley
did not sustain Mr. Pond's asser-
tion, at least did not do so in con-
nection with the aforesaid article.

In reply to Mr. Pond, I desire to
say I think Dr. Tinker is pei-fectly
correct, and ray opinion is leased
on practical experiments all made
since 1884. I think this is so with
any race of bees and I have im-
ported direct, and bred myself, the
Cyprian and Syrian. I find the
same rule applicable to them. On
the other hand, I can take any
strain of black bees and breed them
up to three- banded workers. I
have had two Carniolans, imported,
from Benton ; then I have had
plenty of Germans to observe.

The queen of any race of yellow

banded bees, that will produce any
dark-colored queen progeny, can
be run into black bees, by se-
lective breeding, and I have never
found a single queen of any race
clear of that fault. I advanced
these deductions to Dr. Tinker in
the fall of 1886, and also another,
that I could breed workers that
were clear of all dark rings around
their abdomens; leaving the color
of the abdomen yellow, of various
shades ; and the usual rings of fuzz
alone, to make up the marking of
the abdomen of the workers.

Dr. Tinker replied that so far
as running the yellow races into
blacks, he could, or had had the
same experience as myself. That
in the breeding out of the black
rings of bees around the abdomen
of the workers, he had never
thought of and could notsay. Since
advancing the said theory, I have
practicall}' demonstrated that it is
a certain fact that it can be done.
And 1 have done it. Novv, if Mr.
Pond wants to paj' for workers
that show no black rings around
their abdomens, I will send him
some and go over and select
every one I can find in my apiaries.
I say ??i?/, for I don't think any
one else has such workers in Amer-
ica. All tliat is needed in this
case is to show the bees. In the
other case, when black l)oes would
be produced, Mr. Pond could easily
say they were not kept out of reach
of black bees, and it could not be
proved in hardly a single instance
or case that they were.

Goldsboro, N. C.

For the American Apiculturist.

CARE NEEDED.

Prop. Geo. G. Groff.

In the June number of the Amer-
ican Apiculturist, Mr. Cornell

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

175

complains of losses whicli he has
sustained from following unreliable
advice. Beekeepers, it would seem,
are often so enthusiastic of the
success of new ideas, that they
publish for facts, what are only 'un-
tested theories. We see this in the
hundreds of inventions about hives
and in the management of bees. The
bee papers are full of untested
theories, all laid down, as though
proven. Tlie losses resulting from
attempts to carry out these theories
must, in the aggregate, be very
great. But those prone to ex-
periment with every new idea,
should remember the injunction :
"Prove all things, hold fast to that
which is good." Let the experi-
ments be first tried on a small scale
and later we may embark our all iji
them.

In a recent number of the "New
York Tribune," a noted beekeeper
and college professor tells how to
destroy moths which ma}' be in
empty combs. If followed out, his
directions are ver}' excellent for
burning down the house, if per-
formed in-doors. They are, in
short : put the combs in a box in
Avhich are live coals, on which
sprinkle some sulphur. The fumes
will do the work, also the flame
melt and set fire to the wax and
the house. A friend of mine had
just such an experience this spring.
I told her to dig a hole in the
ground, put some coals in it, sprin-
kle sulphur on Ihein, and set the
hive over the hole. But to im[)rove
on m}' plan, she put the coals and
sulphur on a flat vessel on a brick
floor in the wash kitchen, and set
the hive over them. The result
was a nari'ovv escape of the house.

Leivisburg, Pa.

Fur the American Apiculturist.

A DULL DAY IN MAY.
WEEDS.

Mrs. H. Hills.

I HAVE often wondered how one
would get through with the dull,
dark da3's which sometimes come
in this month, were it not for the
weeds. One, finally, becomes tired
of remaining in doors and putting
up sections, even the white, deli-
cate, pearl-like things, sent b}''
Doctor Tinker.

We wander out and take a look
at the bees, but they seem to par-
take of the universal dullness.
Now and then one, more alert
than the rest, starts out on a lone-
some journey, and another comes
quietly home, looking, as though
after all, it were hardly worth the
trouble. A few are dozing at the
entrances, while now and then
one comes slowly out and takes a
view of the prospect, then deliber-
ately turns back and disappears
again from sight.

We ramble off, under the dull,
gray sky, to where the lettuce,
young onions and cabbages are
congregated. We have not been
here for several days, but the weeds
have. Are weeds matter out of
place? Some of them must feel
that they somehow placed them-
selves in a wrong position, if they
judge from the manner in which
they are immediately and effectu-
ally rooted out. We are well ac-
quainted with them all ; and as we
saunter on, by the palings and
hedge-rows, many, which were for-
merly doomed to early death, are
now spared. Dandelion, catnip,
motherwort, mustard, jill-over-the-
ground and others, so long as they
do not intrude on the garden beds,
are not molested. Now and then,
Ave see a solitary bee taking his
lonely dinner. On other days,

176

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

nrxwy bees visit here, and the nir
will be filled with their drowsj^
droning.

Each weed possesses its own in-
dividnality, and all soon become
sentient objects to us. When we
first made their acquaintance, the^^
had become, through long and un-
disturbed occupation of tlie land,
quite lords of the domain. Tlie
docks and the horseradish were ri-
val feudal lords, occupying by
right of conquest and granting
what seemed meet of the common
territory to lesser vassal weeds.
If one of these two powerful ri-
vals occupied more ground than
the other, it was made up for by
the remarkable tenacity' with
which the other held possession
when once it had gained foothold
and on account of its very unnat-
ural and illegal methods of propa-
gating itself.

These nionarchs of the field
hardly condescended to notice the
insignificant efforts of one small
pair of hands, attempting to dis-
turb the foundation of their an-
cient rights. As hopefully might
the mouse attempt to remove the
mountain ; but monopolies shall
not always prosper. The bur-
docks waxed high for many sea-
sons and annually presented their
Avonderful crop of bright burrs.
Sometimes it seemed wicked to
further attempt their demolition.
The thought of other and long
past dull daj's in childhood which
had been made tolerable by these
and kindred blossoms, together
with a feeling of utter incapacity
to cope with their remarkable
growth, often discouraged from
further effort. Yet, as time passed,
they gradually took on a less
haughty demeanor, until, finall}^,
one l)egan to feel a sort of pit}^ for
the baby plants which were ruth-
lessly cut off", and the parent
plants, doomed by their nature to
an early death, seemed to foresee,

in the loss of these little ones, the
decay of their ancient grandeur.

The da}^ at last came when no
one individual of the species could
be found in all our borders. All
their strength and pride had not
been sufficient to withstand the in-
roads which were so constantly
kept up by the one small pair of
hands. They have taken refuge
in a neighboring, unoccupied lot,
from which they attempt, by all
manner of devices, known only to
themselves, to regain a foothold in
their ancient realm. But the war-
fare is now insignificant and af-
fords a pretext, on these dull daj^s,
for many a lazy, dreamy saunter,
among the tangles of fences and
hedge-rows.

Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

THE HONEY MARKET IN
THE WEST.

G. C. Stewart.

I have sold comb honey in a town
in northwestern Missouri for four
years from 20 cents at first to 15
cents last year. The last sale I
made there was at 13 cents, because
honey had been shipped in and
sold at 13 cents as California
honey ; but I know by the style of
package it was from Iowa or Mis-
souri but it was sold by a commis-
sion man. I know I could have ob-
tained 15 cents for the same, and
not call it b}' a wrong name either.
Bee men, you are to blame for the
low price of honey. The commis-
sion man will sell quickly if he sells
for § the value. Why not sell to the
retailer direct? My plan is to go to
the ])ank and get the name of the
reliable dealers in good towns, from
Bradstreet, then write a postal and
state the quantit}^ quality, and
price delivered in good order, guar-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

177

antee safe arrival by freight, and
trust the party for a short time Cor
pay. 1 liave 8okl to parties I have
never heard of any other way. A
safer way wouUl be to liave the
cash, but do not think much would
be sold so, for a busy dealer would
not take time to lind out your stand-
ing. Extracted honey I sell at
home if possible. I will peddle all
my hone}' before sending to com-
mission men. They may do the
best wa}' they can but we are the
losers. The season is discourag-
ing ; bees are light and clover dy-
ing from drought. Have hopes of
a good linden flow for the trees
are full of buds. The Api is a fine
paper. The June number is worth
§5 to a practical bee owner.

Mr.W. F. Clark.— ''The hive you
want " would be a chaff-hive, witii
movable upper story, and movable
bottom, I think.

Hoplcins, 3io.

For the American Apiculturist.

LETTER FROM TEXAS.

Mrs. Sallie E. Sherman.

GLOOMY BUT BETTEK PROSPECTS
FOR BEEKEEPERS IN TEXAS.

The prospect for a good yield of
honey in this part of Texas is in-
deed gloomy ; though 1 am happy
to say thatour terribledrought has
come to an end. We had on the
2nd inst. a glorious rain and I am
in hopes that our bees will be able
to gather a living. Hoarhound is
in bloom now. Our only hope of
surplus, if we get any, will be from
fall flowers. I am just in receipt
of a letter from a beekeeping friend
in an adjoining count}- asking me
if I think it would pay him to move
his bees (about thirty colonies)
twenty-flve miles to good pastur-

age. I think it would, but would
prefer Mr. Alley's answer to ni}'
own judgment. The drought has
cut off all prospect for any suri)lus
with him as well as myself. He has
quite a lot of little ones dependent
upon him for sustenance. Quite a
number of persons in and about
town that owned only a few colonies
of bees have lost all and would now
be glad to sell their empty hives for
a mere pittance, and let beekeeping
severely alone hereafter. Those
who have never passed through
such a severe drought as we have
just had cannot imagine how bad,
how terribly distressing, it was.
Water hauling was about all that
could be done. It looked like star-
vation staring us in the face, look
which way we would. Merchants
refused to credit, turned off their
clerks, reshipped their goods that
had been ordered and in many cases
closed their doors. Stock was in
danger of starvation. Horses that
were worth §100.00 could not be
sold for $2,3.00. There was no
demand for cattle that had hereto-
fore been cash in the si)ring. Every-
thing in the provision line went up.
Negro women were trying to hire
themselves out for their food and in
many instances failed. AVith all
these discouraging things to con-
tend with and witness, how could
I write for the dear " Api?" But
all is changed now. We have had
a good rain which made more glad
hearts in Bell Co., I dare say, tlian
ever was at one time before. Every-
body you see now wears a broad
smile and looks happy and all are
as busy as bees.

Salado, Texas, May 5, 1887.

[r advise moving bees if by so doing, a
good i)asUii;ige can be had. It is not an un-
usual tliiisg ror beul;eepers at the noitli to
move bees. Mr. L. C. Root, a lew years ago,
moved several hundi-ed colonies a lew miles,
and in about two weeks he was well paid lor
the trouble, as by moving the bees to a new
location, several tons ol' surplus honey were
sec-ured.

We are glad to learn that the terrible drought
which has prevailed so long in Texas has
been broken at last.l

178

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

For the American Jpiculttirist.

THE WINTER PROBLEM.

J. E. POND.

An article upon the above sub-
ject may not be considered exactly
seasonable, still it is one of the
greatest importance, and one to
wliiuh too much thought cannot be
given, and of which none too much
can be written. In this article I
propose to deal solel}' witli the
question as it relates to New Eng-
land and its climate, but belie\e
that whatever is applicable to a
New England winter will apply
equall}' well to any changeable cli-
mate ; and I say as a matter of fact
that 1 have solved the problem to
my own satisfaction at least, and
that satisfaction is owing to the
fact, that during the last sixteen
years, wintering on summer stands
with the temperature showing from
40° F. above, to 20° F. belovv"o,and
with from 130 to 175 days when
bees could hardly fly, I have not
lost a single colony that had stores
enough on which to live, during the
period above stated. And, further,
that during that time, only two
colonies were lost, and those could
have been saved had not illness
confined me to the house from
Februar3' to June, preventing me
from caring for my apiary as I
should. During the whole time I
have kept bees, 1 have experi-
mented largely in this matter, and
in the course of those experiments
have used hives of all kinds, shapes,
and sizes, and have found that
Avhile there is a great difference in
hives in the matter of economy,
there is but little in the mere mat-
ter of safe wintering. For reasons
that I need not explain here, I will
say incidentally, that the ten frame
" L " hive is the one I prefer to all
others, and is the one 1 recommend
for that reason. I have experi-

mented with single and double-
walled hives, with chaff filling, and
dead air spaces, with sides 1^ inch
to I inch thick, and I find no trou-
ble in wintering in any of them. I
do find, however, that a double-
walled hive, with walls from | to
f inch thick, and with a dead air
space of 1 to 1^ inch, gives the
best results, in the matter of econ-
omy in use of winter stores ; but,
even in this matter, I have not
found that degi'ee of regularity,
that one would suppose should
exist. The smallest amount of
stores consumed in my own apiary
was in the winter of 1885-86, and in
a single walled f inch ten frame "L
hive," the bees liaving free access
to all the frames ; the amount con-
sumed from October 15, 1885, to
Feb. 20, 1886, being 11 1 lbs. and
the colony came through in the best
of condition, and gathered 72 lbs.
of honey from apple blossoms in
four days in the following May.
I don't consider that there is any
particular quality either in myself
or in my bees, that should produce
tlie results stated above ; but 1 do
believe that these results were
brought about by the careful meth-
od of management I have adopted,
and which is the same that I
have made public many times dur-
ing the last few years, and will be
lound in the " Api," with those of
several others. I am forced to the
conclusion that, while perhaps a lit-
tle honey can be saved by " cellar
wintering," take it all in all,
the safest place is the summer
stands ; that is to s:iy, bees will
"spring" better when kept on
summer stands, than when win-
tered inside, and as a rule will live
till spring no matter how packed
for winter, if the}' have stores
where they can reacli them. I am
convinced, too, that chaff-hives af-
ford no better real protection than
do single walls, and that in spring
they are far less safe ; and then

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

179

again I am of the opinion that in
many cases, chaft' hives have proved
an injury, for the reason tliat de-
l)en(lence has been phiced on them
alone, and such care as is an actual
necessity has not been given for
that reason. We can all remem-
ber the warm discussions that have
been lield in regard to the winter-
ing qualities of deep and sliallow
frames, and I su[)pose some of the
readers of the "Api" can remember
the assaults that have been made
upon myself because I insisted tiiat
the "• L " frame was amply deep
enough. Now 1 presume that many
will differ from me in the matter of
chaff protection ; to all such I can
only sa3% " I speak whereof I
know." It is not guess-work nor
theor}' ; it is a matter of careful
experiments and thorough tests,
and I claim and make the claim
boldly that, with [)roper prepara-
tion in the fall, better results will
come in tlie way of earl^^ brood,
and earl}' honey-gathering, by the
use of double-wall dead air space
hives witli sides | to f incli thick,
than with the most approved chatf-
hives ever made. Tlie first double-
walled hive I ever used was made
by our Editor, and of f inch stock,
with an inch dead air space. This
hive I have used some sixteen
3'ears ; a colony lias been wintered
in it every winier during that time,
and not only safely, but so well,
that I have always found from
three to five frames well filled with
brood by the first of March each
year.

I have not written the above in
the interest of any dealer, or of
any hive ; but have stated these
facts for the information of such
readers of the '• Api" as maj^ pos-
sibly be desirous of learning the
truth, and are in doubt from what
they have read, whether to use sin-
gle walls, or to go to the expense
of procuring chaff-hives as a mat-
ter of precaution.

1 could theorize upon the mat-
ter of natural law as applied to bee
life, and show argumenlatively wli}^
the residts stated above will alwa3's
follow if the same general i)lan is
adopted ; and also show in the
same way, why single-walls even
are better than chaff-hives. But the
facts are what is wanted by the
practical man ; and he can theorize
to suit himself. It may be asktd
what experience I have had. To
that I will say, I have kept bees
and carefully studied Iheir habits,
etc., since 1864, anil daring that
time have kept from five to fifty
colonies ; that, in the course of
my study and experiment, I have
never hesitated to sacrifice one or
a dozen colonies, if necessary, to
disprove or prove and establish a
a given point. Mau_y hive deal-
ers make the claim that only with
their hive can successful wintering
h^ fully assured. Mv' claim is
that except in an extraordinary
winter bees can be kept as safely as
can horses and cattle, and that too
on their summer stanJs and in sin-
gle-walled hives. I claim also, that
there is no safer winter stores for
bees than their own natural food,
if the same be pure ; that cold does
not of itself kill our bees ; that they
will safely resist exposure of great
severity and of long continuation,
that the main point of protection
is to prevent exposure to sudden
changes in temperature, and that
this can be better and more cheaply
done by other means than by in-
creasing the thickness of the walls
of their habitations.

I shall be pleased to have my
views discussed, and if any one
can make a better practical show-
ing than I have been able to do, I
shall be pleased to learn how it is
done. My [)osition needs no argu-
ment in its support. I give the facts
for what they are worth. This
biidge has carried me safely all
these years, and will prove equally

180

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

as safe for an}^ and all who travel
over it in the same way as I do
myself. If any wish to know my
l)hins and methods they will find
them general!}- stated in the " Api,"
and 1 shall be happy to give fur-
ther information to all who apply
personally or by letter.

Foxboro, Mass., June, 1887.

tBisisee

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

15KST TIME TO INTKODUCE QUEENS.

Query No. 26. Wlien is the best time to
change or supersede oki queens ?

Novice.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

I prefer to change queens just at
the close of the white clover har-
vest.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

I let the bees supersede all old
queens. All good queens usually
remain prolific and valuable to the
last.

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

Perhaps at or near the close of
the honey harvest. Possibl}', it is
best to leave such matteis in charge
of the bees.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

During the swarming season and
not much earlier than four weeks
before the close of the white clover
and basswood seasons.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

As soon as you feel the need
of such re-queening, during the
months of May, June, July and
August, when good queens can be
produced in this latitude.

ANSWER BY H. ALLEY,

At any time when queens can be
procured. 1 would not disturb a

colon}' at work in the sections for
the purpose of changing queens.
Introduce queens at any other time
when desirable.

ANSWER BY AVILL. M. KELLOGG.

When there is a good honey
flow, when you can leave dripping
honey exposed in the apiary and
bees will not take it up, queens
then can be introduced by almost
any method, so they know they
are queenless.

ANSWER BY P. R. RUSSELL.

Well, that depends. Generally
speaking, the best time is as soon
as we can get ready (when the
season is suitable) and young
queens are to be had. Queens are
more safely introduced during the
honey harvest and at night fall. I
am seldom obliged to supersede
old queens, especially Italians, as
the bees attend to that matter them-
selves and too often supersede
them when it seems uncalled for.
I have changed queens frequently
while a natural swarm was being
hived and al\va3's with success.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

I do not consider it advisable or
necessary to re-queen a colony or
supersede a queen, so long as the
old queen is doing her duty sat-
isfactorily, unless it be desirable
to do so for the purpose of chang-
ing from one race to another ; in
such case it may be done at any
time under proper precautions,
but the novice will find it safer to
make the exchange when honey is
being gathered freely.

I had a queen last year in her
fifth year, procured from our edi-
tor, that was to all appearances as
good as ever last fall, both in
strength and prolificness. She was
a very light yellow Italian, not Al-
bino.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

181

QUEENS MATING.

Query No. 27. At wluit age do young
queens ii.-ually become I'evtile? ;inrl alter
liaving met the drone, when do they coin-
meuce to lay ? Querist.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

1. From five to fifteen (la3^s.

2. From two to three days.

ANSWER BY AVILL. M. KELLOGG.

Usually from five clays to two
weeks old, and the\' begin to lay
within three or four days.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

Young queens usually become
fertile when about a week old and
begin to lay in about two days
thereafter.

ANSWER BY DR. G. L. TINKER.

At from eight to twelve daj-s old
usually, but if the weather is too
cold, as in early spring or in the
fall, they often do not mate for
twenty days. After meeting the
drone they mostly begin to lay on
the third day.

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

My observation does not cover
the whole of this question, as I have
only noticed that I find young
queens laying at ten or twelve days
old. The other part of the ques-
tion is answered in "Alley's Handy
Book" and other text books.

ANSWER BY F. R. RUSSELL.

Naturally', queens become fertile
when six to eight days old and
about four daj^s thereatter will be-
gin to lay. This is a season of
peculiar peril to the young queen
and colony from extraneous causes,
and I have often discovered the
loss of a queen by the agitated
manner of the bees about the en-
trance at night.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. Queens emerge from their
cells about the sixteenth day from

the egg, depending upon the
strength of the colony and state of
the weather, as to heat and cold.
Tdey usually take their wedding
fiight from five to ten days there-
after, though in one instance, com-
ing under my own observation, the
queen did not meet a drone till the
twenty-eighth day after she left
her cell.

2. They usually begin la^Mng in
a da}' or two (but sometimes long-
er) after they have successfully
mated.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

In my locality young queens us-
ually mate at seven or eight da3's
old and begin to lay at ten days
old. There is really no fixed rule,
however. The ordinary limit of
time for them to begin to lay eggs
is from nine to fourteen days old.
They generally lay eggs in three
days after they mate, but not al-
ways. I have had 3'oung queens to
lay eggs in two days after mating,
and I have had them to mate late
in the fall and lay no eggs till
the February following, over three
months after mating.

ANSWERS BY H. ALLEY.

1. Young queens will certainly
take a flight for the purpose of mating
during the hone^'-gathering season,
when they are five days old, provided
the weather is suitable. After the
honey harvest, they will be from
ten to fifteen days about it, unless
the bees are treated according to
directions given in my work on
"Queen-rearing." Although 1 have
reared over 60,000 queens during
the past twenty-eight years, I never
knew a queen to make the mating
flight until she was five days old,
and I think I have watched the
process as closely as any one.

2. If she is a good queen, eggs
will usually be found in the cells
on the second morning after fertil-
ization.

182

THE AMERICAN A PICUL TURIS T.

The American Apiculturlst.

Published Monthly.

MANAGER,

TEBMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE INDUCEMENTS TO SUBS0EIBEE5.

Wenham, Mass, July 1, 1887.

THE MANAGER'S CORNER.

W. Z. Hutchinson's Book has hiin
on our tal)le some lime, but owing to
pressure of spring work In our apiary,
to which we have to attend, we have
not been able to review it sooner. We
have read the very flattering reviews
■ of this work, and are sorry to say we
cannot quite agree with them. We in-
tend to express our views fully and
freely on bee matters and shall en-
deavor at all times to do exact justice,
and in the present instance shall live
up to that rule.

The meclianical and typographical
part of the book is good, the cover
quite unique, and the style excellent.
The price, twenty-five cents, seems to
us rather high for the small amount of
matter it contains; and when we rec-
ognize the fact that it is largely a
compilation, or in other words, an ex-
pression merely of the best thoughts
of our best writers, it strikes us that
the general public will be inclined to
think they are paying dear for what
they have already read in the bee
journals. From the reviews we have
read we supposed we should find some-
thing original at least; but when on
reading we found the gi'ound travelled
over was the same that Townley,
Doolittle and others had worked over
and over again during past years, we
could only say to ourselves, how easy
it is to write a book if one has an en-
cyclopoedia to fall back upon ; and
then again, we must say we don't like
to see any book, not intended as an
advertisement, start out as does this,
with a clean-cut certiticate in favor of
some hive. Advertisements are all
right in their proper places, but Mr.
H. has in our judgment overstepped

the bounds of propriety in this respect.
We wish it distinctly understood
that we consider the ideas contained
in the book to be valuable; and were
they original with Mr. H. we should
have no fault to tind, other than with
the price. Mr. H. as a writer gener-
ally is terse and vigorous, and many
of his articles are of value to beekeep-
ers. We hope all our readers will read
the book, as it will prove to them when
they tind nothing that has not already
been told in our journal, that the "Api"
still leads, as we shall always endeavor
to make it.

Close Attention should now be
given the bees. Do not relax in the
least till you have secured every ounce
of comb honey it is possible to secure.
When one set of sections is a little
over half filled raise them up and
place another set under these. When
the first set is nearly capped over re-
move it to a colony too weak to work
in the sections and let them finish it
and at the same time place another
new set of sections on the hive from
which the full set were taken. If
dull weather sets in for a few days, feed
the bees with thin syrup made of su-
gar and honey; this will have a ten-
dency to keep the bees from desert-
ing- the sections.

A Curious Fact.— One of the

queer things about wintering bees
last winter is the fact that colonies
that were weak in the fall came
through in splendid condition, wliile
the strongest colonies in manj' apia-
ries died. Now, here is a chance for
Mr. Heddon, Professor Cook, J. E.
Pond and some others to give us their
ideas as to this very singular condi-
tion of things. It looks to me as
though these eminent apiarists liave a
problem that will for a long time puz-
zle them. Take right hold of it, broth-
ers.

Preserving Empty Combs.—

Empty combs may be kept in good
condition by placing them in a dry, cool
cellar. If possible, arrange it so that
there will be a free draught of air
through the cellar at all times. The
temperature will be kept so low that
the moth eggs will not hatch, and the
ventilation, as above advised, will pre-
vent the combs from moulding.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

183

More Ventilation is certainly
needed wlien bees " lay out." This
may be supplied by placiii<? more sec-
tioBS on the hive, enlarguiii" the en-
trance; or by raisiii<r the body of the
hive an inch at the front from the bot-
tom board.

Many beekeepers suppose their bees
are intending to swarm when they
cluster outside the hive. Well, that
is an indication, but it is a stronger
indication that the bees need more air
or more storage room for honey.

Queens when they have had a
chance to lay to their full capacity for
two seasons will be wortliless for a
third year. There are exceptions to
this rule, but not one queen in fifty is
of much value at three years of age.
Therefore, all queens should be con-
sidered old wln-n they have been in
the hive two years.

Combs Melting Down.— One of

the results of improper ventilation is
the melting down of the combs in the
brood-nest; when this occurs the Ijees
should be attended to at once.

Remove all the bees from the combs
and hive, to a new hive and fix up
things as quickly as possible. By so
doing, the damage may soon be re-
paired ; but left alone the colony will
be mined.

When the combs break down, the
bees will rush out and cover the out-
side of the hive; many of them will be
daubed with honey. If the hive con-
tained much honey it will run out at
the entrance.

Encouraging. — We are in daily
receipt of most encouraging letters
from the friends of the An. Words
of praise of the fine and timely arti-
cles in the June number come in from
all quarters. Subscriptions, too, are
coming in rapidly, as about every bee-
keeper who sees a specimen copy of the
API at once sends for our journal and
one of the drone and queen-trnps or
fine queens, all of which we ofl'er at
such low prices.

Bear in mind we give each sub-
scriber one of our improved drone nnd
queen-traps, free by mail, or send
them a select queen for 50 cents in ad-
dition to the $;l.00 for a yearly sub-
scription to the Apicultuuist.

Returning Swarms.— Do not fail
to test the method for returning swarms
as given in the June issue of the Api,
and do not forget to send us a report of
your success or failure whichever it
may be. I am pretty sure it will be
successful in most cases.

If Queen-rearing is going on
while for;igeis scarce, the bees sliould
be fed liberally each day until the cells
are capped with syrup made of three
parts susar and honey and two parts
water. Hear your queens according
to directions given in the "Beekeep-
ers' Handy Book" and you will cei'-
tainly succeed. I defy any peison in
the world to rear queens by any
other method that will insure a certain
number of cells to each colony or to
rear such fine queens as can be reared
by the methods given in the " Handy
Book." I also challenge any bee-
keeper in the world to advance a more
perfect system of queen-rearing, or
practising one by which as perfect and
hardy queens can be reared.

By practising the methods given in
the " Handy Book" better queens can
be reared provided the bees are sup-
plied with not over fifteen eggs, not
larva, to each large colony. I can
give this number of eggs to a colony
and am just as sure of fifteen fine
queens as I am of one ; and every time,
too.

Send $1.10 and get a copy of the
book, and if our instructions are fol-
lowed and you do not succeed the
$1.10 will be returned to you. We
also promise to return the money if
the book does not give perfect satis-
faction in all respects.

Introducing Queens.— Much is

now being said in all the bee journals
about introducing queens. I know no
way so sure and one that requires so
little time and trouble as the three-day
method given in the back numbers of
the Apicultuiust.

The Season here thus far has been
unusually poor for bees. The warm
weather in early May brought forward
the fruit blossoms early, but the trees
were in bloom but a few days when
dull weather set in, and nearly all the
early honey hilrvest was lost.

184

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

White clover commenced to bloom
by the tenth of June, but the weather
was so cold that the bees did but little
on that. Therefore, the prospect for
a good crop of honey here in New
England is far from encouraging.

Hard Luck.— It is not often that
■we liave to cry '-hard IulIv," but we
have had quite a set-back this spring
in tlie queen-rearing business.

Out of two hundred tine queen cells
less than tifty per cent hatched, and a
feet-back like this, so early in the sea-
son, compels me to ask our customers
to be patient for a few days or till
about the time this issue of the Api
reaches them.

By July 1 we shall have plenty of
queens, so that we can ship by return
mail. The cause of the non-hatching
of the early queen cells was soon dis-
covered, and the remedy at once ap-
plied. It was ray opinion that the
trouble w-as caused by feeding the bees
with honey-dew honey which was
taken from some hives of bees I had
bought over tifty miles from my apiary.
I use no such honey now without lirst
scalding.

While bees all about me, say within
a dozen miles, gathered houey-dew
freely last year, none of it was taken
by my bees.

A BIG BATCH OF QUES-
TIONS AND ANS WEBS
THERETO.

Hamilton, 0.
Mr. Henry Alley : —

1. AVould it hurt a queen to
handle her by the thorax ? Some
say take her by the wings, but if
we get hold of the wings on one
side she would flutter and the wings
might be torn.

2. Could you tell us how to
transfer the queen from the ship-
ping to the introducing cage?

[1. No. Handle queens by the wings
taking hold of both wings at same
time.

2. Let the queen out of shipping
cage on the window, handle as above.]

Ha m ilton, Minn.

1. What is the best distance from
centre to centre to space combs for
extracting in upper-story ?

2. Wiiich is preferable for ex-
tracting, Victor frames 5| inches
deep or those 8| inches deep?

3. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of drone foun-
dation for extracting?

[1. i'rom an inch and three-eighths
to an inch and a half. It would, in
my opinion make but little difference
whether it is more or less.

2. I know nothing about "Victor"
frames, but will say that there would
be less danger of the combs breaking
if a shallow frame is used. Old combs
would not break in extracting even
were tiiey twelve inches deep.

3 No advantage that I know of,
but the more drone comb the more
drones unless the queen is excluded
from them. Very little foundation is
made or used having drone cells.]

Hope Valley, R. I.
Mr. Alley :

1. Should I use enamel cloth
or other cloth over frames in con-
nection with a honey-board?

2. In putting queen cells in the
nursery, do you lay them down or
fasten them up in their natural po-
sition ?

3. To remove a queen from the
combs and nut hurt her doj'ou take
her up with the fingers or use a
"catcher?"

Wm. M. Chapman.

[1. No.

2. Fasten the cell in, small end
down, in one of the small holes in the
cage. One of the apertures is for the
sponge, the other for the cell.

3. AVe use no queen catcher. Al-
ways handle an old or fertilized queen
by the wings. When removing a queen
from the comb, take her by the wings
and pull ahead and no injury will re-
sult; if pulled backwards the legs
would be injured. A person who is
not nervous can handle a queen most
any way without injuring her, but
a timid, nervous person should use a
catcher, or handle a queen by the
wings.]

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

185

Mr. Alley:

I wish you would tell me if
there are any good reasons for not
returning a swarm that has issued
back whence it came and setting
them to work in old hives, thus
preventing increase. Am willing
to pay for having my questions
answered if you will set your price.
W. W. F.

[The objection is this : if a swarm
is returned without first destroying the
queen cells, the bees would come off
again the next day, or would kill the
queen and swarm again when the first
young queen emerges from a cell. Try
our method given in the June "Api."
It is a part of our business to answer
questions, consequently no charge is
made for so doing.]

Telford, Pa.

Mr. Henry Alley :

If I am not asking too much will
you please tell me how wood sep-
arators are made that are used to
keep the comb separate in the sec-
tion boxes ? ]My object is to get
as much surplus as possible in one-
pound sections. Would it be de-
sirable to give the bees twenty
bi'ood-frames or only ten?

A. Paul Gerhart.

[Wood separators are thin pieces
sawed from thiclv lumber. They can
be made for one section or for more.
These separators are placed between
each two rows of sections to mal^e the
bees build the comb within each sec-
tion. The separators are made nar-
rower at the middle than at the ends,
so that the bees can get into the sec-
tion.

If you want to get all the section
honey possible, don't use over eight
frames (seven will do much better) ^^ in
the brood-chamber. The larger the
brood-chamber the less bees will enter
the sections. Keep the brood nest con-
tracted by using few frames and that
will compel the bees to enter the sec-
tions and wliile they are in them, if
forage is plenty, they will build comb;
and the field bees, or honey gatherers,
will fill the new comb with honey. J

Yardly, Pa., 1887.

Friend Alley :

Received your Oct. Apicultu-
RiST ; in it saw advertisement of
Alley's Nursery for Queen-rearing.
You say virgin queens can remain
in it for weeks. Now, friend A., I
have some questions to be an-
swered by 3'ou.

1. How long may a virgin queen
remain unmated and after being
mated become a fair queen? 2. Do
those cells in your nursery cages
answer for the second brood of
queens or do new cells have to be
put in ever}' time? Will the old
queen deposit eggs in the cells in
the nursery cages or not ; or do you
have to let her lay eggs in brood
frames and then cut them out?
How many queens can be hatched
at once in one nursery?

Elmer E. Grey.

[1. A virgin queen may remain in
the cage from twelve to twenty-flve
days, and as soon as given a cliance
to fly after being introduced to a nu-
cleus colony, will become fertile.

2. Certainly not; you do not seem
to understand the workings of the
Queen-nursery. A Queen-nursery is
merely a set, more orless, of small cages
in which are placed queen cells to
hatch. The cells must be built by the
bees, in full colonies, and when they
liave been capped seven days trans-
ferred from the combs to the Queen
nursery. The cages are provided with
food for the bal^y queen. When all is
ready, a frame of brood is taken from a
full colony of bees and the frame, in
which the cages containing the queen
cells have been placed, is inserted in its
place. The honey-board or cushion is
tlien placed over the frames or brood-
nest, and in a few days the queens will
have emerged from the cells; but as
the cages are well supplied with food,
the queens need no attention until the
nuclei are ready for the reception of
the.queens, which will be when the bees
have been queenless three or more
days. Old queens will not deposit eggs
in cells from which a young queeu has
just emerged.

Our nursery contains 21 cages, and
21 queens may be " hatched" at one
time. We removed several nurseries
to-day from full colonies, and found 21

186

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

flue young queens in each. Pretty
good luck to coinnu'iice with. You
should ivacl the Eeukeepers' Handy
15o()k. Tliink you would get more iu-
lonualiou tVuni it in one hour than you
will be likely to learn otherwise in sev-
eral years.]

Walioorth^ Wis.

Am. Apiculturist :

Can bees be wintered in a cave
or root house near their sn miner
stands? J. L. Hall.

[Yes. just as well as in a cellar, pro-
vided the cave is not too damp. No
roots nor other vegetal)les should be
in the cellar at the same time the bees
are.]

3Iorgantoivn, Pa.
Mr. Alley :

Do you consider the brown
bees a better strain than tlie Ital-
ians? E. R. fSxYER.

[No, tiiere is no strain of bees as
good as the best strains of Italians.
But there is a great difference hi the
Italians.]

Newport, B.I.
Mr. Alley :

What is the best way to prevent
moth worms, more especially in
sale honey after it has been re-
moved from the bees and is stored
away, or is out being ottered for
sale? Also in spare either empty
or full combs? I had trouble last
season and would like advice before
the trouble begins anew.

Walter Sherman.
[Read the back numbers of the Api-
cuLTruiasr and you will find replies to
your questions. The worms do not
trouble full colonies of bees. When a
hive becomes queenless in the spring
or at any time previous to Sept. i,
Avorms are pretty sure to devour the
combs].

Gonzales, Cal.
Am. Api.

Query : — Do you find that C3'-
prians and Syrians have the same

characteristic with tlie Italians, of
being slower than blacks to go up
into the sections, when working for
comb honey ? Is that a feature
of the yellow races in general, or
of the Italians in particular?

Would specially like an answer
from Henry Alley.

A. Norton.

[I And the Cyprians and the Syrians
are very uuich alike so far as entering
the sections, and very much unlike the
Itnlians. While the latter are very
quick to enter the surplus boxes, the
former are very slow to do so. I have
not one word to say in favor of the
Cyprians and Syrians, or any other
imported race of bees but the Ital-
ians.]

Plainfield, Mich.

1. Is there any way to tell
witliin a day or two when a new
swarm is going to come out, so as
to put on the queen-trap in time,
provided you don't want to keep
it on all the time?

2. Is there any particular time
to catch and kill off the drones,
or a part of them when there are
a good n:iany of them ?

3. Is there not some way to
extract honey from the comb with-
out any kind of machine extract-
ors.

4. Would like to know liow to
tell the rigid time to divide a swarm
or hive instead of having them
come out.

A. T. W.

[1. The only thing to judge by is to
open a hive, and if there are qneen
cells capped or nearly capped, a swarm
is very likely to issue within a day or
so if the weather continues favorable.

A colony that is intending to swarm
is not generallj' at work :is smart as
the others on the day of swarming.
There will be considerable many bees
about the entrance ; many will be slow-
ly working into the hive and while not
doing much work seem to be some-
wliat uneasy. A swarm maybe expect-
ed from a \\\vq that is full of bees,
and at any time when honey is plenty
and the bees doing well, as it is called.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

187

2. Would place the trap on the hive
at any time when there appears to be
a large number of drones in any par-
ticular colony. Place the trap on the
hive from 11 a. :\r. to 3 p. M. Let the
drones remain in the trap till next
morning, then dig a hole in the ground,
dump the drones in and cover them
over.

3. None that I know of without
mashing the combs asbeel^eepers used
to do thirty yeais ago, or before the
advent of the extractor.

4. Divide at swarming time, or
later if you want to feed.]

Asliton, R. I.

Editor Api :

1. I would like to ask you about
two hives of bees tliat 1 lost last
winter. There is quite a lot of
honey in the couibs sumewhat soiled
Now will the old combs do to use
for new swarms?

2. If bees are put on such combs
will not some of the old hone}^ be
worked over and stored for winter
and injure the bees?

[1. Wash the combs thoroughly in
warm water and place them where they
will dry quickly. All the thin, sour
honey will be removed by the opera-
tion and the combs will be sweet and
clean and will not injure the bees if
used again.

2. Some of the old honey might get
stored and capped and not used next
winter, but nut much of it if the
combs are treated to a good cleansing
as advised.

Barton, Vt.

HUNTING bees; INTRODUCING

QUEENS.

Please give directions and de-
scription of apparatus necessary to
hunt bees.

What is the best way for a nov-
ice to introduce a laying queen,
having but one swarm and no other
bees within two or three miles.

[Read the back numbers of the
" Api ", also the methods given in this
issue for introducing queens l)y Dr.
Miller and G. W. Demaree.

Some one of our readers made this
inquiry :
" Will a queenless colony carry in pollen ?"
[Yes, during the early stages of the
queenless condition of a colony the
bees will carry considerable pollen ;
but, as the bees grow old, less pollen
will be seen going into the hive, and
Avhat is being carried in will be in very
small pellets, so small, in fact, that it
can hardly be seen.]

GLEAmNaS
FB03I COBRESPONDENCE.

Cedar Springs, Mich.

Mr. Alley :

I like your strain of Italian bees, and
all who have seen them admire them.
Please give price for i dozen queens.

I packed my bees in the following
manner : Half-inch bee space over the
brood frames, wire screen on top,
wooUeu blankets on screens and chaff
cushion over all.

Wm. McL.

Angelica, N. Y.

Friend Alley : —

Have never wintered bees so suc-
cessfully, as during the past winter.
Hav'n't lost a colony ! Each one
stronger, if anvthing, thau it was last
fall : \V ho can' beat "that ?

I wintered my bees on their summer
stands, and have come to the conclusion
that is the way to winter them. The
air around the apiary is fairly "yel-
low," to-day with the" "little fellows,"
and I think the prospects are yuod for
a heavy flow of honey this season.
Now. if some aspiring bee writer
would only tell us how to get rid of
our honey at a remunerative price,
what a blessing it would be for that
" aspiriug bee-writer" I But, as it is,
" it might be worse," and certainly both
bees and beekeeper ought to be happy.
Reader.

Argijle, Xeio York.
Please send your 32 page catalogue.
Am sorry you have left your Price-
List out of the Api. It has been a
destructive winter to bees in this sec-
tion ; no matter whether Avinlered in
cellars or on summer stands. Tiie
loss has been from I, to |. There was
a heavy honey dew last fall. Some at-
tribute the loss to that.

0. L. WiincoJiB.

188

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Gonzales, Cal.
FltiKND Ar.i.EY:

I have a linbit that, in spite of my
efforts to suppress it, souietinies crops
out; in writlnj; vapidly. I misform
letters, make omissions of words and
punctuation marks tliatcount much for
the worse. I si^e that I did so in my
last. By leaving- out a period after
Eucaliz/i'tis which ends in a sentence
and niakiiio- my capital " F" look like
a " C," I made myself seem to say that
the blue gum tree is a plant of the ge-
ranium family, etc.

]?lue gum is EncaJjiptif! {/lobjilns, a
tree from Australia; Filaria ov'alfilaria
(the accent on syllable " ri" which
sounds like " re") is the Spanish name
for a plant of the geranium family
Avithout the English name, except the
corruption " fllaree," etc. The mis-
take is mine, but if you will please to
correct it you will oblige me.

The season is still "dry, only about
one-half crop of general products.

Accept congratulations on June is-
sue and its articles on comb lioney.
Truly yours,
A. Norton.

Ai, Ohio.
Mr. Alley:

Please send me i dozen Drone and
Queen-traps. I bought some last year
and would not do without tlum.

S. S. MUKSON.

Hamilton, 0.
The Apicultcrist is far ahead of any
bee journal I have seen for practical
iuformation.

J. K.

Stratford, Ont.
Mr. Alley :

The queen I got from you
last season has brought through the
winter the strongest colony of bees I
have in my apiary.

E. W. Panton.

Denison, loxoa.
Accept my congratulatiou on pub-
lishing that most excellent array of
articles on comb-honey in the June
AncuLTURisT. You have struck the
key note of " lielpfuluess " in your
journal.

Z. T. H.

East Templeton, 3Iass.

Mn. II. Alley:

I see you advertise to send essays
"How to Winter Bees." I can give
you something better. Use the^Bay
State Hive. I have the one now that
I bought of you I don't know how
many years ago. It has wintered bees
every time as no colony ever has died
in it yet, and it stands in the same
place now that it has stood for years.
RuFus Sticknky.

Ohio, III.
Dear Sir :

I received the drone and queen-traps
and all were sold within one hour.
Send me 25 more.

R. M. Knight.

Lawndale, III.

Mr. Alley :

Please continue the Apr. There is
not a more thoroughly instructive bee
journal published, and the articles are
timely and to the point.

The (jueens I procured of you last
season are uncommonly fine.

F. C. Blout.

Upper Jay, Essex Co., N. Y.
June 7, 1887.
Henry Alley.

I -received your Queen and Drone-
Trap and like it very much, for yester-
day the first queen that you sent me
led out a large swarin and I did not
have to climb trees after them.

A. D. Knapen.

HIS WIFE LIKED IT.

Mr. Alley :

We bought one of your
drone and queen traps last season
and m}' wife likes it so well that
she wotdd like about one dozen
more of your improved traps.
Please ship them, $3.50 inclosed.
J. G. Hill.

[We have sold several thousand
traps the present season, and of the
50,000 in use not three customers have
found any fault or made any complaint
of them. We guarantee the traps to
work ami do all we claim for them.]

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST,

189

Sprinyville, N. Ca.
I take four bee journals, liut like the
'Afi" best of all.

Jonx Baptis.

I consider the Amkiucan Apicultu-
RiST invaluable to apiarists.

A. G. W.

Christianshurg, K;/., June i, 1887.

Frikxd Alley, — Though ever so
busy and half sick, I have prepared a
hasty MS. for your July issue. Tlie
June issue of the "Api" is decidedly a
success. It would be hard to beat the
general make-up of your paper. I am
glad to see it prosper.

Our bees have got on slowly and
badly till a week past ; weather unfav-
orable, wet, cloudy, cool in turns.
Bees are right now gathering honey
rapidh', "kind of pouring it in."
G. W. D.

NOTES PROM THE BAY
STATE APIARY.

Hknry Alley.

SHIPPING BEES.

I have received several lots of
bees from parties residing a long
distance from Wenham, and from
men who ought to be considered ex-
pert beekeepers ; j-et not one lot
out of all sent me were properly
packed, as all the combs in some of
the hives were broken off at the top
of the frame and more or less of
the combs were broken in all of
the hives but one. In one case a
very large colony was shipped to
me from a place which required a
week's time in coming ; yet, this
colony was not given half as much
r»om as the quantit}'^ of bees it
contained should have had. The
consequence was that two-thirds of
the. colony and all the brood were
dead.

A large colon}^, even though it is
to be transported but a short dis-

tance, should have a space of
not less than two inches under the
frames, and certainly four inches
above them. Unless plenty of
room is given the bees to cluster
off from the combs, the heat created
by the bees and brood combined,
will certainly destroy the entire
colony. The hive in question was
covered with wire-cloth, both top
and bottom, which Avas just right ;
and, had sufficient space been given
for the bees to cluster away from
the comb, there would not have
been one half a pint of dead bees
in the hive, notwithstanding the
fact the bees were on the road five
days. Another full colony was
shipped from Vermont ; the condi-
tion was very fair, but had the
weather been warm as it was a few
days previous the colony would
have been ruined, as the combs
were new, and there was nothing
between the bottom of the comb,
and bottom of the frame, nor be-
tween the bottom-bar and ])ot-
tom of hive to keep the combs
from breaking. As it was, onl}'-
two combs were broken and all in
a heap in the bottom of the hive.
One 3-frame nucleus came bj^ ex-
press, and as the packing was
about the same as with the full
colony all the combs were broken,
the brood dead, and all ruined but
a pint of bees and the queen.

If this reaches the eye of any
of those parties, who shipped those
bees, I hope they will not forget
when they pack and ship more
bees to give plenty of ventilation,
and by all means, place some pieces
of wood between the bottom of the
combs and bottom-bar of the frame
as well as under the frame. Bees
thus packed will go safel}' hun-
dreds of miles.

When I have a colony packed
and all ready to deliver to the ex-
pressman, I then dash about a pint
of cold water in among the bees
and combs. This will supply the

190

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

colony with water, for twenty-four
hours at least and it also has a ten-
denc}^ to keep tlie bees cool and
quiet.

I once received a colony of bees
from the west wliich were packed
splendidly. Above tlie combs was
a space of about three inches, and
water was supplied the bees by
rolling up some burlap and tho-
roughly saturating it with water.
This bundle of old bagging was
fastened in the space over the
combs. It was the best method
I ever saw for supplying water to
bees while being transported.

MARKING HIVES.

The beekeeper who has a large
apiar}', or who is rearing a large
number of queens cannot stop to
make a written record of eveiy tiling
going on in the apiary. Mr. Doo-
little has given his plan for keep-
ing a convenient record of each
colony of bees in his 3'ard, but such
a method would not do for me. I
must have something more conve-
nient and easy to handle. Mr. D.
uses small stones placed on each
hive to indicate the condition of
each particular colony ; that is verj^
good, and I sometimes use stones
myself for certain marks. I carry in
my pocket some large flat-headed
tacks, or nails. Should the reader
visit my apiary he will notice that
each nucleus hive has one such nail
sticking in some part of the cover
of each hive but not all are placed
in the same position. When a nu-
cleus is known to be queenless the
nail is invariabl}^ placed in the
front edge of the cover of the hive.
A nail has been thus used in my
apiary for nearly twent^^-seven
years. When the nail is placed
on the front of the hive it indicates
that a queen-cell was recently put
in the hive. Now if a lot of cells
are introduced, say to-day, the nail
is placed in the centre of the front
of the hive. If another lot of cells

is given other hives the next day
the nail is placed at one side of
the center of the front, and so on.
The different |)osilions of the nail
when placed in the cover of the hive
indicate the dift'erent lots of queens
or cells that have been introduced
from day to day. When I want a
lot of queens to ship I am not com-
pelled to open every hive in the
yard to find those laying. I keep
the run of all the queens that are
likely to be laying by the position
of the nail. For instance, when
the nail is sticking in the centre of
the cover I know that that queen
has been in the hive long enough
to become fertile. I open the hive
and find that the queen is laying.
Well, now if those hives that have
the nail in the centre of the cover
are opened, twenty-four out of
twenty-five queens will usually be
found laying. The advantage of
the nail system will readily be
seen b}' an\ one, as it saves much
time and labor, when one has 300
nucleus hives in his apiary to at-
tend to. Some one will say, "won-
der how one can know what hives
contain tested queens or a very fine
queen?" Well 'tis easy enough.
When a hive contains a very choice
queen two nails are placed side
b}^ side in the cover of that hive or
three nails as the case may be. It
is no trouble to keep a lot of nails
in one's vest pocket for use at any
and all times. One nail is gener-
ally all that is needed for a hive
during the season.

QUEIiN-REARING.

Although we had a set-back
early in the season by the cells not
hatching, Ave are now doing well,
and can forward queens by return
mail.

This spring we have purchased
several quite large lots of bees of
various strains. Some pure blacky
hybrids and some fine and very
pure colonies of Italian bees. The

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

191

latter were purchased of Mrs.
Mary E. Pray of Greenland, N, II.
The husband of Mrs. Pray was one
of the most enthusiastic beekeepers
in New England but by the merest
scratcli to liis foot from a rusty nail
in August last, while he was re-
pairing his house, he lost his life
by lock-jaw in just nine days after
the wound was made. Mrs. Pray
could not care for the bees and so
we bought the lot, and moved them
to Wen ham.

We found among the bee fixtures
of Mr. Pray all sorts of modern ap-
pliances used in the apiary. He
was a beekeeper who kept up with
the times as all beekeepers do who
take an interest in apiculture.

BLACK BEES IN SHIPPING CAGES.

As we have stated in our manual
of queen-rearing, black bees are
far better for nurse bees than the
Italians, and so when we can find
such bees for sale at prices to suit
us, we purchase them. Nearly all
our nuclei are made up of black
bees, and when we ship queens
more or less dark bees will be put
in the cage with the queen. This
fact is mentioned to save some of
our customers from writing thus :
"If the bees in the cage with the
queen 30U sent me are some of her
progen}' she must have met a black
drone." Oh dear ! how many times
we have had to write and explain
this same thing during the past
thirty years.

Don't lorget that we have per-
fect control of the drones in our
apiary by tlie use of the drone-trap.
No black drones ever fly during
the queen-rearing season about
here.

SMALL QUEENS.

Sometimes a patron for a queen
will write and say "the queen was
received in gootl condition but
looks small." Of course the queen
is small ; wh}' shouldn't she be after

being confined in a small cage for
nearly a week and having in the
meantime travelled nearly 2,000
miles in some cases? When the
queen has l)een introduced to the
colou}^ a week, then your opinion
concerning her will be in order.
Wenliam, Mass.

All who Subscribe for the AricuL-

TUHiST, at any time, Avill receive one
of our combined Drone and Qiieeu-
traps free by mail. This is onr method
of introdiicini;' the Apicultuuist and
our Drone and Qneen-tnips into every
apiary in the United States.

Tiiose who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expect to get the Handy
Boole or a queen for lifty cents, as the
profits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be "iven each subscriber.

NOTICE.

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us, and if you choose to give the agent
a profit instead of sending direct to us,
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192

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Bees by the pound. — If one has

some nice combs, a good colony of bees
may be reared in a few weeks by pur-
chasing a pound of bees and a tine
queen. Sugar can now be purchased
in most places at the rate of 15 lbs. for
^1.

"We can fill a few orders for bees,
and queens with them, at the rate of
^1.50 for bees and $1.00 for the queen.
They will be packed in good shape and
safe delivery guaranteed.

The June number of Api should
be read by all who take an interest in
apiculture. Our readers will find

METHOD NUMBER SIX lU thlS iSSUC by

R. L. Taylor. All the essays will be
Stereotyped so that they can be sup-
plied to all who desire them, by and

by.

FACTS ABOUT HONEY.

Honey is the only purely natural
sweet in a commercial form. It is the
nectar of flowers gathered and stored
by the bees, and changed by them to
the smooth, mellow sweet known as
honey. It furnishes the same element
of nutrition as sugar and starch — gives
warmth and energy. Starch and sugar
Avhen eaten undergo a digestive change
before they are assimilated. In honey
this change has been made to a con-
siderable extent by the bees. It is
partly digested, easy of assimilation,
and concentrated. The longer honey
is on the hive the more complete is
this change. It derives its flavor from
the blossoms from which it was gath-
ered. There is as much diflerence in
honey as in milk or butter, and the
same liability of adulteration. Owing
to low prices, caused by improved
methods and increased production, it
is less adulterated than formerly, prob-
ably no more than other food products.
Now every producer's name is on each
package, and he thinks as much of his
reputation for producing a good arti-
cle as does the producer of choice fruit
or butter.

Ahnost all pure liquid honey will
candy or become hard at the approach
of cold weather, uidess sealed while
hot. This is one of the best tests of
its purity. Candied honey can be lique-
fied by placing the jar in water or an
oven and heating until melted. Over-

heating injures the flavor. Adultera-
ted honey will not completely candy.
Comb honey can be adulterated only
by the producer. Its wax furnishes an
agreeable non-irritating l)ulk so desir-
able with concentrated food, and as
chewing is necessary proper digestion
is promoted.

As a table ornament which appeals
to both eye and palate a plate of deli-
cate comb honey is unexcelled.
Extracted honej' is the liquid honey
thrown from the combs, pure and
bright, Ijy a machine called an ex-
tractor. Strained honey is obtained
by mashing combs of honey, which of-
ten contain immature and dead bees,
and bee bread and straining : this is in-
ferior in flavor and appearance. Ex-
tracted honey can be sold for less than
comb honey, as the combs which are
more valuable than honey are saved,
and used time after time.

As a medicine, honey has great value
and many uses. It is excellent in most
throat and lung aflections, and is often
used in place of Cod Liver Oil with
great benefit. Occasionally there are
found people with whom it does not
agree, as is the case with other arti-
cles of food, but the majority can learn
to use it with beneficial results. Chil-
dren, who have more natural appetites,
generally prefer it to butter with their
bread. Honey is laxative and sedative,
and in diseases of bladder and kidneys
is an excellent remedy. It also par-
takes of the medicinal properties of
the plant from which it was gathered.
It has much the same eflect as wine or
stimulants without their injurious ef-
fects, and is unequalled in mead and
harvest drinks. As an external appli-
cation it is irritating when clear, and
soothing if diluted. In most country
places the qualities of honey are appre-
ciated, and it is much used for croup
and colds.

In preserving fruit in a natural state
the formic acid it contains makes it a
better preservative than sugar syrup.
In cooking and confections it is also
used.

fTlie above was talcQii from a circular pub-
lished by Mr. Samuel Cushman of Pawtucket,
R. I. These circulars are given to each pur-
chaser of his honey and is one of the best
metliods for increasing tlie sale of honey.]

Mr. Arthur Todd has been unwell
for several weeks. As soon as he re-
covers his usual good health he will
furnish tlie readers of the Api with
some fine articles under the head of
Foreign Notes.

The American Apiculturist.

% Journal btbotrb ia prattuul ^^tb^ptng.

ENTEKKU AT THK I'OST-OFFICE. WKNIIAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.

Piiljlislied Jlontlily. IIknry Allky, Maxagkr.

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., AUGUST i, 1887.

No. 8.

Wc deal in flrst-class ai)ijiri- I Established in 188:5. Terms: I Any yearly subscriber is en-
an sii|)i)lies of all kinds, lowest I $1.00 per year, SO cents pel' six I titled to one of our selected
pril^es. Prompt <lclivcry. I nionllis, 0.5 cents jier three I ((necns anytime between .Tune 1

Send lor price list. | months. Ca.'-h in advance. | and Oct. l,by lemittinfr .')() cts.

Address all communications, AMEEICAN APICULTURIST, "Wenham, Mass

For the American Apiculturist.

CAliNIOLAN^, NEW
RACES, ETC.

DU. G. L. TiNKEK.

Tut: im[jrcssion seems to [tiuvail
that cross-bred and h3'bri(l bees are
not very desirable ; yet the al-
most universal testimony is that
they are superior workers, often
making the largest surplus. Many
beekeepers prefer a hybrid strain
of bees, paying no regard to color,
temper or traits, caring only fur
first-class working" qualities and
the dollars and cents of the busi-
ness ; and man}' of our best au-
tiiorities, like Professor Cook,
have held for some years that the
best bees of the future are likely
to be an intelligently selected,
cross-bred bee, made up of the
blood of a number of our present
races of bees. Such is also my im-
pression as well as that of quite a
number of queen-breeders, all aim-
ing and working for a high-bred
bee, combining all the more desir-
able qualities minus the objection-
able ones of the best races.

In characterizing the Carnio-
lans as hybrids, that through long
interbreetling have become an es-
tablished race, I had not antici-
|iated the friendly criticisms ol"
Mr. C. L. Fisher on page IIG, and

15

Mr. A. Norton on page 152, or I
should have made myself better
understood in regard to what con-
stitutes hybrids among bees.

It is a well recognized fact that,
excepting the blacks, not one of
the laces of bees breeds strictly
to a type. The black or Gei'man
bees are no doubt a lix'cd and oi'ig-
inal race, as indicated by thesliglit
variation in the breeding of(]iieens
and di'ones. All the otiicr races
are, strictly speaking, hybrids, or
the result of the interblending of
two or more of the original and
distinct races, which may have been
Germans and Egyptians as some
writer has already suggested. Tiie
dill'erence, then, in the recognized
races of bees in the .south of Eu-
rope and in the Orient, is siin|)ly
in the relative preponderance of
the original races blended in each,
lluw do we know? Wh}', by the
fact that by intelligent!}' pursuing
the variations found, we may de-
velo[) a 1)1 ack strain of bees from
any of these yellow races or a
more distinctive yellow type. The
(pieens and drones all i)resent
marked variations. Each race has
marked characteristics, but never
breeds strictly to a type. The
variations arc leadily accounted
for by supi)osing an original ad-
mixture of the black and yellow
races in their make up, .so that
both theory and experiment con-

(190)

194

THE AMERICAN APICUL TURIS T.

firm the i)rob:ibility of such an lul-
mixtiue.

The ox[)crieiico(.l queen-breeder
does not look lo the worker bees
of Mijy race or strain of bees I'or
typical markings. He will inva-
riably scan the queen and drone
progeny. II they present consid-
erable uniformity of markings he
knows that the stock is a fair repre-
sentative of the race-type or strain
to which it belongs. For instance :
the Carniolans, as I have seen,
and as Mr. Frank Benton has stat-
ed, present quite uniformly marked
workers, but many of the queens
are "as yellow as Italians." See
his briellct entitled " Bees," dated
Jan. 20, 18yG. I have also seen pure
Carniolan drones finely marked
with yellow similar to Cyprian
drones. My inference that the
race is an original cross with the
C3'prians is founded upon the state-
ments of Mr. Benton in regard to
the results of crossing these races.
I have been unable to find them
among my papers, but they prove
coiiclusivel}' the close relationshi[)
of the Carniolans to the Cypri-
ans.

It would be useless to speculate
how the original crosses were made
whether by the hand of man or in
the course of nature ; most proba-
bly the former. The introduction
of a few Cyprians into Carniola
within the last thousand years
would be sufiicient to modify the
existing strain of black bees, if a
small Cyprian a[)iary had been es-
tablished as would have been prob-
able in case of an importation.

As, to the Italians, not only are
there black bees and "natives,
too," as Mr. Benton remarks, in
Italy, but Italian queens and drones
present unmistakable admixture of
black l)lood. I have yet to see
the Italian ((ueen, and I do not
believe such a queen can be found,
either high-bred or imported, that
will not produce an occasional

(pieen, say one out of fifty (gener-
ally more) having one, two or
more dark stripes across the top
of the abdomen and among her
drones a few that are dark. All
such (queens and drones will speed-
ily develop black bees, and it will
not ])c necessary to carry out the
ex[)eriment to satisfy any experi-
enced queen-breeder ot the result,
whether my friend Mr. J. Ya. Tond,
jr., believes it or not. The so-called
leather-colored Italians simply rep-
resent a greater per cent of black
blood than do the light-colored
bees.

The above facts will convince all,
I think, that no harm will come
from the crossing of any of our
present races of bees. They will
further show how very great is the
field for improvement to the in-
telligent queen-breeder. There is
one other fact in this connection
that I must not fail to note, and
that is that a very gentle strain of
bees can be produced from any
two of our races of bees that may
be selected, although the first ^e\\
crosses will be often ugly. This I
have proved with blacks and Ital-
ians, with Syrians and blacks, with
Syrians and Italians and with Cyp-
rians and Syrio-Albino bees.

The writer is particularly inter-
ested in cross-bred bees, believing
that the most valuable and the
most beautiful bees of the future
will be produced by intelligent
crossing. But let no one think
that I do not value the Carnio-
lans. They have many good traits
and some very bad ones. They
have the marked characteristics of
the black race, one of the most
objectionable being the disposition
to rear too many drones ^^^he
building of too much drone comb.
Though they be given a full set
of worker combs they find no dif-
ficulty in rearing hosts of drones.
In this respect the Carniolans can
easily discount every other race.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

195

III iTKukeil coiiU-usL ure the 'Syri-
ans :iii(l CypiMMiis which Mr. Bt'ii-
toii loiiy, ;i.ij,'(» oi».sfr\cil rearcti low
(Iroiios. Aiiti all crosses madi; on
Ihe nuilernal side from llicse races
continne these inariicd eliaractcris-
tics thai are so vahiable in the pro-
duction of conil) lioney.
New Philadelphia, 0.

For the American ApicuUurist.

CARE OF COMB HONEY.

R. L. Taylok.

In a former article I have given
it as my opinion that it is better to
leave comb honey on the hive as
long as convenient, but intimated
that it should be taken ofl' at or
soon after the close of the clover
and bassvvood season. This hitter
point is important, for while the
bees will not discolor the honey to
any great extent while they aie
actively engaged in gathering nec-
tar, yet as soon as nectar is no
longer to be found they turn their
attention to the collecting of pro-
polis which they bestow freely, not
only upon every exposed part of
the sections but also upon the cai)-
pings of the honey.

It is also to l)e observed that the
appearance of comb honey ist)ften
permanently injured in taking it
from cases or wide frames during
warm weather and before the pro-
cess of curing has hardl}' be-
gun. At this stage the comb is
soft and the honey comparatively
thin and it requires but very little
force to vvrench the section slight-
ly when of course the honeycomb
yields with it. The result of this
wrenching, though so apparently
trilling that there is no resulting
leaking and no cracking of the
cappings to be seen, is that the

honey in its still uncuivd state
soon runs down against the cap-
pings in every disturbed cell, giv-
ing the honey an ;i[)pear;i,nce of
having '' sweat" which no sul)se-
(juent curing, however perfect, will
reined}'. So I (.lei)recate the re-
moval of honey from cases or wide
iVames except in case of necessity
until it is well cured.

Again, if one does not succeed
in inducing the bees to leave the
cases of honey soon ai'Ler taking
them from the hive, a, Ihiid defect
in the ap[>earance of the honey
which cannot be subsequently rem-
edied is caused. It is the fouling
of the honey by the bees when
coo[)ed up in the cases for a day or
two. The way to prevent this is
of course to get the bees out of
the cases as expeditiously as pos-
sible. To do this the lirst process
is always to smoke out and brush
off as many as possible in the two
or three minutes required to take
the case from the hive; then, if
the bees are actively engaged in
gathering honey, allow the case to
stand on end on the top of the
hive from which it came for llfleeu
or twenty minutes when it will be
Ibund free from bees.

Another way is to pile the cases,
so as to give the light free access
to each, under a bee tent with a
small hole in one or more of the
upper corners, when the bees will
soon leave the honey and the tent.

A third method is by means of
a honey house with windows and
screens thereto, so constructed, as
to give the bees free exit but so
as to forbid them entrance. In
such a house, stack up the cases as
above so as to admit the light
IVeel}'. The honey will soon be
deserted by the bees, but if the
quantity of honey is great the bees
will cluster in the windows and
go out slowly, resulting in the soil-
ing of the windows and more or
less dead bees scattered about. I

196

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

so dislike this method that I seUluiu
employ it.

The last method I shall give oC
dislodging the bees is one I dis-
covered last season and so far I
like it best of all. The process is
as follows : smoke out and In'usli
olf the bees as before and place
the cases in compact, bee-proof
piles twelve or lifteen high, then
upon the open top of the pile
place a covered, bottomless hi\'e
containing a few combs one or
more of them filled with brood
not yet capped. The brood will at-
tract the bees and in a few hours
they mil be found clustered in the
hive when they can be removed,
leaving the honey ready for stor-
age.

Having observed these prelimi-
nary cautions, we are [)repared to
attend to the process of curing
our crop, with the satisfaction of
knowing that, with a good honey
house and ordinary care, we may
now have our honey not only
fine in appearance but excellent in
quality and capable of being kept
in store for a year at least, with
its quality all the time improving.
To accomplish this, both warmth
and dryness arc indispensable in
ortler to induce the atmosphere to
take up and carry away as much
as possible of the moisture con-
taineil in the lioney. The honey
house therefore should be con-
structed with this object always in
view.

In the first place, I deem it of
the highest importance that it be
built throughout so that the inside
temperature will not be easily af-
fected by the changes outside, in
order that it may not be necessary
to keep up constant fires in it dur-
ing cold weather. From my own
expei-ience 1 do not hesitate to say
that the fioor, the ceiling and all
the walls should be double and
packed with dry sawdust or with
some other substance equally good

for the purpose ; the walls should
receive in addition a thickness of
buihling paper, and the windows
should l)e neither numerous nor
large. In such u house one fire a
day or even less often will pre-
vent freezing during zero weather.
Then in planning the house an eye
should be constantly had both to
the foundation and to the inside
linishing with the view of securing
dryness. I should finish it inside
with wood which would look much
better with paint but is better for
the honey without paint. The
house will, of course, be furnished
with a chimney and a stove, both
of which must be thoroughly safe,
and the windows should be fur-
nished with some good device per-
mitting bees to go out but pre-
venting their entrance. One part
of the honey room ma}' well be
equipped for a work shop to be used
during wintry weather. In this
room the cases of honey should
be stacked up in such a manner
as to give the air a chance to cir-
culate freel}'' through ever}' one.
The warm, dry air of summer
may be allowed to circulate freely-
through the open windows Ijiit
never admit damp air, particu-
larly it' it is of a higher tempera-
ture than that of the room. If a
free circulation of the air is per-
mitted, a (ire will seldom be needed
during the summer months ; but.
as the raw da3's of autumn draw on,
kindle the fire more frequently.
Keep the temperature up to 70" or
80° F. as much of the time as pos-
sible, and never pei'mit it to go
down to 32°. It would be all the
better, if convenient, to keep the
temperature even higher than 80°.
Honey treated in this wa}' for four
or five months becomes a real del-
icacy, not at ail to be compared
for table use with new hone}', nor
with honey less carefully handled.
More attention ought to be paid to
the quality of honey and buyers

THE AMERICAN APTCULTURtST.

lO?

should leuru to disci-iminato in this
regard.

It soems to me that ther(! is no
action within the reach of hoekoop-
ers that woidd do so much to
stimulate the honey market as a
general, decided movement of the
fraternity for the purpose of se-
curing the more perfect of conil)
honey.

L(q)cpr, Mich .

A HOT DAY IN JUNE.
BEES.

Mrs. H. Hills.

"Oh, ni}' prophetic soul !" When
friend Ashcraft asked about the
bees, on the day after the^^ were
removed from the cellar, I answered
him that the prospect was discour-
aging.

" How so? I thought they were
wintering finel}'."

" Ah, yes ; much too finely for
one woman to manage at swarming
time."

The fact was, the hives were
running over with bees, on that
very first week in April, and the
prospect of my ever being able to
control them in June looked dis-
couraging enough. Thirty-one
colonies, nearly all heavy, and the
little nucleus, on three crosswise
L. Irames, as sauc}' as any of them.
P^ven a novice like myself coidd
foresee trouble ahead.

It is certainly a fact, that the
bees thrive wonderfully with me.
1 do so love to I)uild up the colo-
nies and the nuclei, and see them
increase and multipl}'. I cannot
endure to have a single one in the
apiar3' that is not thrifty and hap-
py, and well-to-do. Plenty of food
and warmth, with a good queen,
and all will thrive l)eautifull3-. But

wlmt shall I do witli all the bees?
It was just so when I used to keep
hens, and raise chic;kens. Fifteen
eggs placed under a hen almost
invariably meant fifteen chickens.
But there was no market for chick-
ens, at that time, and liesides,
Mo[iliisto declared he would no
sooner kill one, than he would kill
a man, and he believed it equally
wicked. What could I do? They
Hew over their palings, and were
the terror of the neighbors' gardens,
and we could not give them awn}-
unless they were dressed. I sus-
pect it will lie so with ni}' bees. I
certainly would never destroy a
colony, neither would I give one
away, in the fall, to be starved by
unsuccessful beekeepers.

Well, by May 20th tho bees had
gathered enough spring honey to
winter on. if I venture to use it for
that purpose ; and were ready to
swarm. Then came a set-back of
two weeks of bad wea,ther. Finally
on June 3, the first one got out;
two weeks later than last year.
The weather continued unfavor-
able, and the morning of June Gth
did not look at all promising. I
kept crowtling on surplus, and as
the sun appeared to peep out, was
just starting out with a case when
neighbor Crocker and his good wife
appeared ; come to have a t'^lk
about bees. As we stood at the door,
out came a swarm. The weather
had been so unfavorable, that I had
not yet put on the queen-traps, and
while hiving this one, another is-
sued. Then the sun came out so
hot, that it seemed like an oven.
Then more swarms came out, till
we had five. Strangely enough,
they showed no inclination to unite
though there were all of the time,
as many as, or more than, two in the
air. Such a forenoon as it was.
Neighbor Crocker assisted as best
he could, while Mrs. C. stood on
the piazza and gave notice of the
swarms. Finally, the}' were all

IDS

THE AMEllICAN APlCULTVlilST.

safely hived, as noon struck. As
foi' myself, what with the excessive
heat, and extraoidinaiy exertion,
I was fit for nothing hut to go to
bed at once. But the beekeeper
never rests in June. I dreaded
what would come next, and imnie-
dialely began dividing. But in
sjiite of my utmost exertions, five
more issued on the eighth and four
on the eleventh and so on ; but I
had got on queen-liaps, so far as
Ihey went; if 1 had had enough to
•'go around," and i)ersisted in keep-
ing them on, bf)th before swarm-
ing. aii<l on the prime swarms, I
should proliably have been quit(>
safe, as there \mis no alter-swai'ui-
ing as yet.

In my last report, I v<mt proudly
said, that 1 h:i(l iiexer lost a colony
from any cause \\ li;iU\ ci-. Wlial
I wish 1o ask at this writing is,
whether a priuK' swanii is :i colony.
How does one lose bees, svlien they
winter perfectly, and loblnng Ihem
is an im|)ossibility ? ^Vc]l. ;ins\ver
for yourselves; I shall not say
how. l^erhaps tiie fastnesses of
Tamarac swamp could tell. " Oh,
my pi'0[)hetic sotd !""

Those first ten days of .Iiuie
seem like a troubled, painful
dream. I felt somewhat displeas»Ml
last season, at what Mr. lleddon
said about women keeping bees.
But I tiiought of him with dilfercut
thoughts on those hot days. There
was no respite, no safety, even in
queen-traps and clipped queens,
without a contimied, and still con-
'jinued cutting of (lueen-cells. And
then such multitudes of bees —
such heavy swarms. Sometimes
they would have the good luck to
lose their queen, for which event,
may all good Christi.ans pray ; for
surely, we do not want any more
eggs laid.

I am glad, al- least, that the awfully
cross hybrid colony is not in the
apiary, even if INIephisto and I did
run half a mile in the directifui of

Tamarac swainj), at high noon, of
the hottest day, a spectacle for
gods and men. " Oh, my iiropheiic
soul I"

Such swarms! why, they would
stay in nothing smaller than a two
or three-story ten-frame L. hive,
and even these had to be filled
with extracting combs, with the re-
maining honey u[)on then), (o en-
tice them. They could not see a
card of brood. Talk of section
cases ! They would stay in no snch
if you gave half a dozen ; and they
would no more stay in the Heddon
hive than in a teacup. Now, what
am I to do with all these l)ees?
They are all on their thirty stands,
souu- double, some ti'el)Ie ; and they
have all got to get themselves l)ack
into their thirty hi\es, after the
season is over, hy some means.

Meanwhile, do j lil<e beekeei)ing?
Often, at the close of the most
<1illicult <lays. there conies like a
vision of delight, a white nu^ssen-
ger from Starrie, who whiles aw.ay
the long (ielicions days among the
cool I'ctrcals (,r iIh« "hills and val-
leys and islands of New Hamp-
shire, with dear friends of early
years ; and, to-day I would not ex-
change places with her.

Sliebojirjcin Falls, Wisconsin.

From •'Glenninffa.''

A HOUSE FOB THE
APIARY.

Prof. A. .1. Cook.

Mr. Root : I have been giving
much thought of late to the plan
for an ideal house for the apiary.
You will lemember we talketl of it
while you were here. 1 have also
conferred with such authorities as
Messrs. Hutchinson, Doolittle,
Doctor Millei-, Heddon, etc. It
bccms to me thai this is a question

THi: AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

199

of exceeding importance, and I
wish to submit my drawings and
reasons for this plan for criticism,
tliat we may secnre the very best.
The house is three stories — a cellar
7 feet deep ; first fioor 8 feet and
chamber 0 feet at tlie lowest part.
The cellar is for wintering bees;
the rooms above are for honey-ex-
tracting and shop ; the chamber is
for storage. The cellar has two
rooms. One, for bees in winter,
is 18 X 24 feet. This is entirelj-

ground sub-earth ventilation-pipe
which runs two hundred feet or
more underground. Thus this pipe
of four-inch glazed tile serves for
sub-earth ventilation, ovorllow-
pipe for a cellar cistern, and it can
lie made to empty the cistern and
cool the bee cellar at any time, the
water passing through the small
gutter.

In the other room of the cellar,
which is 8 x 24 feet, there is a cis-
tern 8 X 14 feet and 5 feet hisfh.

Cellar, 7 feet high,
grouted on the bot-
tom, and plastered
with water-lime or
ceiled above.

30 leet, outside ineasur

FiCx. 1.

D, 4 ft. double doors.

I, gutter.

J, stouo wall 4'j, or all the way uii.

L, double wall lined with i)aper.

M, iiawsage way from cellar, witli stone
abutments on each side aufl level with out-
side, so a wheelbarrow can be run in and
out.

(), drain of f;-incli tile— Pr. ]\[iller says 10 -
in(>h— I'ollowing the dott(!d nnes two hundred
feet, and aM the way lielow frost or variable
tenip('rature mark.

W, cellar windows, 1 x 2.^ ft., double, outer
glass and innei' wood. Both are hinged
above so as to oi>on it easilv.

under ground, with a good stone
wall, grouted below and plastered
above, with a double tloor grouted
between — to secure against mice
and cold alike and with the parti-
tion wall double with double doors.
At the centre of the partition wall
a small chimney runs from the bot-
tom of the cellar up to and through
the roof. Just within the wall of
this room is a small gutter which
extends nearly around the room,
as seen in the drawing, from one
end of a cistern to the under-

As will be seen, this extends two
feet into the bee cellar, yet the
partition is tight, except a small
hole just at the bottom, so we rainy
say we have two cisterns — one a
small one in the bee cellar, the
other a large one in the other cel-
lar, though they are connected at
the bottom. The other room,
which is a sort of vestibnle for the
liec cellar, has two windows — one
(1x2) by two feet and stairs to
the room above which arc covered
by double trap-doors. This room is

200

THE AMERICAN APlOULTURIST.

entirely iin<]eroroiinc1, though the
outer (loul)lo dooi- which is four
feet wide is, ])ec.iuso of a natural
slope of the ground, on a level
with t.iie outside, or else is in-
clined so we can easil}' run a
\vheell)arro\v into the cellar. The
windows nia_y I'eceive light by a
half circular excavation, or, if de-
sired, may be above the earth at
this southeast corner of the house.
Here, then, we have an arrange-
ment by which we can control the
temperature perfectly, from Octo-

bees can be wheeled into the cel-
lar, their removal to or from the
cellar is a very light task.

On the ground floor, which is on
a level with the earth outside,
there are three looms. One on
the southwest, 12 x ] ;j feet, is for
extracting and extracted honey.
It has a hard-wood door, wide
outer door and onl}' one thickness
of wall, so that in summer it is
kept veiy warm, and so enables
us to ripen honey without leaving
it in tli(! hive till it is all capped.

30 It., outi^df lULvisuii

Ceiling 8 ft.

.■?i<r-ft

stairs.

1

1

•A

If

tt.

0

Pumii.

o

. T*- (^hiiiiiiev.

•\y Hardwood Floor.

A Tl

■ \ V

This Room
L.athed and -^y

lastered.

Fig. 2.

1), doov.'!, I.lio double one .it the bottom h.iv-
ing .a sill .sd \n\\ a wliecllianow can lie run
over it, oiil.siilo docir being of gauze.

W, window.'^, all or wliicli have wire gauze
screens outside and hinged to swing ou(.
Screens on loni' south windows to extend
four inclios aliove uiiper jamb, with one-hall'
incia spacp.

ber to May ; and from an experi-
ience extending now over eight
years, 1 am sure that, with enough
good food, bees are entirely safe
in such a cellar. By aid of the
cistern there is no occasion to use
ice to reduce the temperature in
the spring; and we can, by aid of
sub-eart,h ventilation and cistern
water, keep the temperature just
to our liking all through the win-
ter, with almost no trouble and at
no expense. Tiiis is no theory ; it
is a demonstrated fact. As the

Posts, 11 I't. studding, to chamber, alter-
nate VI and 18 iindies apart ( ?). Side stud-
ding 12 feet long and 1 ibnt apart.

Floor, double, one foot apart, and with
grouting.

Cellar and house mouse-proof.

This is also a demonstrated fact.
The joists above are just so wide
that they serve as frame-supports.
The windows are poised with
weights, and these and the door
have an outer gauze hinged frame.
In case of the win<lows, this ex-
tends three inches abov(^ the outer
wall, leaving a half-inch space, so
that bees can easily pass out, while
they do not pass in.

A second room on the southeast
is also of the same size, but is dou-
ble walled, lathed and phistered. It

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

201

contMins :i slovo, but has no outer
door. It. is for eomb honey, for
:in ollicc, ami lias trap-doors to
cellar stairs. 1 liiid that some are
not in favor of this room, hut I
think it very (k^sirahle.

The entire nortii side of the
biiiidini;' is for a shop. Tiiis is
12 X 30 feet. It has a [Mimp from
the cistern below and stairs to the
chami)er aliove. It has an ontside
door, four windows and a door in-
to each of the otiier rooms. There
will also be a stove in this room.
In winter, then, when we have a
fire in either room, the chimney
will be heated, and the air drawn
from the bee cellai'. The wind,
too, passing over the chimney,
will suck the air from the cellar.
In both cases the air is siii)})lied
through the long, sub-earth [)iiH',
and so is tempered liy the tempor-
tnre of the earth and is kept sweet
and pure. This is l)oth theory and
demonstrated fact. This room is
large enough so that asmall engine
and some machinery can be intro-
duced if desired. I find that this
house, large enough for a large ap-
iary, can be built for S500.00 ; and
for safety and convenience I be-
lieve it fills the bill. I cannot
agree with Mr. Ileddon that we
had better have double-walled
houses above ground. I think the
cellar far belter and more conven-
ient. I shall be very glad to have
this plan criticised in the next
number of "Gleanings," for, as stat-
ed before, this is a matter of great
importance to all beekeepers in the
northern states and in Canada.

Agricnhural College, Mich.

[ProlesRor Cook forwrirdoj Uk; above ar-
ticle to lis I'or iMililii'jilioti. (Criticisms on
tlie same aie now in older. Tliose disposed
to sive tlieir oiiiiuons ui the aljove jdan for
a bee liouse and worii-sliop are invited to do
so lor the "Api."]

For the American Apicnlturi.il.

BEE MATTERS GEN-
ERALL Y.

G. W. I'OUTEK.
A GOOD WOIM) KOR TIIK API.

I congratulate the manaiier on
the improvement visible in all the
late numbers of the Apicultu-

KI.ST.

The progressive bee master who
desires to keep abreast of the times
cannot fail to appreciate it. You
deserve the thanks of all.

The best thoughts of the liright-
est workers in the field of scien-
tific apiculture as it is now being
developed, conveyed in clear type,
must ever be welcome to tliose who
are seeking for new light.

Our friend Demaree in the .Jul}
issue says he finds that "the advice
given in the standard works on bee
culture are misleading when tliej'
advise building up weak colonies."

In this I think he is open to the
same cu'iticism, for it will be apt to
mislead some who are not experts.

It is excellent management to
deplete strong swarms und(M' cer-
tain conditions : as, for instance,
when forage is not sufficient to sus-
tain new swarms ; and, when queens
can be had, the "ne'er do wells"
can by such aid, and with young
queens added, be made very pro-
ductive colonics.

He well says, "it pays me best
to depend on the sirong colonies
for surplus." But, we want to in-
crease the number of such colonies
and it can be done very frequently
in that way.

A general movement for equali-
zation, without the precaution of
providing good queens, wonld be
detrimental and in that way I take
friend Demaree's words.

All agree that success depends
upon the queens. We all know
that, tinker as we may, and coddle

202

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

till the season is clone, some colo-
iiios never yield a pi'olit ; and we
realize when too late tliat we failed
to remove sueh queens.

In the hiving of new swarms he
has o'ot the thing mixed badly un-
less the types are at fault, as they
sometimes are.

He shakes off all the l)ees from
the combs into the old hive and
the combs are placed in the new
hive. But the now empty old hive
(empt}' with bees in it) receives
the new swarm.

"Queiy." What is to people the
new hive and take care of its
brood ?

"Not one time in a dozen will a
second swarm issue ! !" We reckon
not.

The plan I have practised sev-
eral j'cars is to take about one-
tliii'd to one-half of the brood from
the old hive and adhering bees, to
the new hive and hive the swarm in
that, putting on surplus cases from
the old. I have not had a swarm
leave nor an after-swarm in all the
time I have practised this way ; and
I keep from eighty to one hundred
and twenty colonies. My policy
has been to check increase and
avoid swarming. I have so far
succeeded in that not more than
one-fourth of my colonies have ever
swarmed in one year.

The old idea that bees never
swarm except when lacking room is
disproved completely.

In fact, if science be knowledge
systematized, then apiculture may
hardly be considered a science as
yet; for there is nothing certain,
so tliat a few "anarchist" bees
may not tip all of our wisely laid
plans.

For instance, knowing that
friend Manum practises clipping
queens' wings, and having a greatly
valued souvenir of that master's
triumphant skill, in the shape
of a photograph repi'csenting him
with three great swarms strung on
the ends of so many poles, caught

in the manner he so aptly describes
in your June number, with many
very tall trees near mj' apiar}-
I resolved to try it.

My Oi'st swarm came out May 2.
Having a prime young queen I
(dipped her wings. In five weeks
she issued with a swarm and fell
near the entrance and was found
too late to catch the swarm and so
she was put back and the colony
reduced by two combs of brood all
cells being cut out.

Twelve days later a swarm again
issued and I found a lot of capped
cells and no 3'oung larviie.

They had (proiiably it was a
squad of "nihilist" l)ees did the
job) balled the queen .and then
raised a new queen. The one cut
cell evidenced the fact that a vir-
gin queen led the last swarm out.

Again : destroying a black
queen preparatory to introducing an
Italian I found two days later that
a fine Italian had already entered
upon her regal sway. AVhence
came she? She must have entered
without a letter of introduction.

I am sure that most observing
a[)iarists can record freaks which
upset all calculations and often
run counter to all law. They often
move without rhyme or reason it
would appear.

We have had a most singular
season here in Virginia. With
abundant natural flora in field and
forest, there was no secretion of
nectar or next to none till the last
week in June.

Fruit bloom very alnindant ; lo-
cust bloom and poplar also very
abundant (and all generally a fruit-
ful source of nectar here) were fol-
lowe<l by white clover, yet no nec-
tar. Now they are just booming in
white clover and blue thistle hone3''
of the finest quality at a season
when we usually begin to wind up.

We had a very wet May and sev-
eral heavy rains early in June so
thatgrass and grain crops' are fine.

C harlot t esv ill e, Va.

THE AMERICAN AFIGULTURIST.

203

For tlie American Ai>iculturist.

THE SOLAR WAX EX-
TRACTOR.

Mks. Saf.lii-, K. Sueuman.

I WANT to lell tho readers of Llie
" Api," l>ut more especially the
ladies, what a ureat convenience
the solar wax extractor is. I
thonglit the Swiss extractor a great
lalior-saviiig arrangement, hnt it
does not compare with the solar ;
as we neither need wood nor wa-
ter, Sol doing all the work. All
3'ou have to do is to raise the lid
and put in your pieces to he melt-
ed into Ix^autifid wax by the rays
of the sun. Be carefnl and not
\mt in too much at a time, for in
that case the siieet iron docs not
become hot enougii to melt it, and
it requires a mucli longer time to
extract all the wax thoroughly
from the comb tlian wiien put in in
smaller quantities. This I found
out in a \'>i\\ days alter getting
my extractor, as a neiglihor seeing
what a good thing it was bi'ougiit
over nearly a bushel of old com!)
from several hives in which the
bees had died. I put it all in at
once and thus early found out my
mistake ; hence the caution to oth-
ers. My extractor was made from
directions given by Mr. Demaree
in the "American lice Journal," ex-
cept that the workman said he did
not see tho use of making the sash
like a shallow box two inches
deep as directed by Mr. D., so he
just made it even or level on top ;
of course it is not as good to con-
centrate the rays of the sun. but
the sun shines so hot here tliat it
acts like a chai'm as it is. The
sash is fastened on with hinges .'it
the back, and in front is fastened
with two brass hooks. It was made
nine miles from home or I should
have had it made exactly' accord-
ing to instructions. I wish now

to thank Mr. D. for giving the in-
structions how to have one made.
One other convenience I will men-
tion, tliat I have added to my api-
ary this spring, and I am througii ;
that is, the l)eekeepers' statf ; just
have one made and be convinced.
Scdculo, BpU Co., Texas.

June 7, 1887.

For the American ApicnUnrittt.

THE HONEY SEASON IN
KENTUCKY.

G. W. Dejiarke.

The honey season in Kentucky
has been below the average. In
many locations no surplus has
been taken, while in other places
the bees have done better and a
small crop of surplus has been se-
cured. Never before has it been
better demonstrated that a full and
complete outfit for apiary work is
the only sure way of esc:i|)ing a
total failure in such a season as the
present one. The season was so
un[)ropitious that it was out of the
question to have comb honey
stored in my locality. I discovered
this in time to put on cases with
empty combs and in this way se-
cured some surplus. Althongh I
ii.ad a No. 1 outfit for comb
honey, and commenced the season
with the ho[)e of taking comb
honey largely, the season would
have been a total failure to me
without a good stock of ready
built combs on hand. After ad-
justing on the hives a number of
section cases and leaving tliem in
position long enough to see that
bees could not, or woidd not, build
combs or draw out foundation, the
section cases were raised and cases
of empty combs were put under
them and from thirty to fifty

204

THt: AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

pounds of lionoy was taken from
the best colonies ; though the sea-
son was so slow and poor that bees
refused to build eombs in the sec-
tion. How powerfully this experi-
ence illustrates the foil}- of relying
on a system that recommends
starters only in brood combs ! In a
gooil season l»ees will build combs
with disi)atch and profit, but in a
poor season it is a waste of time
to undertake to succeed without
empty combs, or at least with full
sheets of foundation. With strong-
colonies of Italian bees and a full
outfit of read}^ built combs the
season must be poor indeed if I
fail to get honey in paying quan-
tities, though I ma}^ be unable to se-
cure comb honey at all without
parth' filled sections brought over
from the previous season. The
honey crop in Kentucky in 1887
will not be one-fourth of the aver-
age year. And of comb honey
there will be the smallest crop
ever produced in our season since
the advent of movable frames.
Some favored localities have given
some comb hone}', but they are few
and wide between. Many apiarists
who had only a comb honey ouxFrx
have lost the season entirely.
Swarming was very light. The in-
crease will not exceed ten per cent.
There will be no mighty complaint
al)out a "glutted honey market"
this year, and that august assem-
bly, that proposes to legislate on
questions of "too much" lionc}'
this fall, may turn its attention to
•'patent bee gums" and "sich."
The honey crop will not be forth-
coming.

WONDERS NEVIiU CEASE.

The present season 1 have had
a queen mated that was borii with
a deformed wing. It was a l)hysi-
cal impossibility for her to lly.
Still she was mated in some wav,
and is fairly prolific. These ex-
ceptional cases indicate that a plan

to have queens mated in confine-
ment may yet be discovered.

FERTILE LAYERS, AVIIAT ARE THEY?

Some years ago some writer sug-
gested that the "balling" process,
might have something to do with
fertile laj'crs. Some observations
of late have caused me to suspect
that worker bees are preparetl to
la}' eggs by the balling and sweat-
ing process. Time and observa-
tion may prove this to be true.

Christ iansbnrg, Ky.

A PLEA FOR THE BEES.

J. >I . Hicks.

In many experiments and tests I
have made duriug the last lil'teon
years at this my home apiary
(which I will state consists of about
seven and a half acres of ground,
and a bee-house 100 It. long in
which I keep my bees on a plat-
form properly constructed for the
stands, so that the bees can at all
times in the working season go and
return at will, and as a means of
protection from the forenoon sun),
1 have arranged grape vines prop-
erly planted fifteen feet apart at
each front post, so they are thus
supported and branch out each way
on the front of said bee-house fur-
nishing a magnificent shade for the
hives, as well as raising plenty of
the finest of grapes each year,
which are often left remaining on
the vines quite late in the fall ; and
not a grape have I ever discovered
as yet being destroyed by the bees,
although some seasons liavc been
very unpropitious for honey caus-
ing nn; to feed several stocks, quite
short in stores for their winter
supply. Not a grape have 1 ever
noticed being punctured or harmed
by the bees, although many times
the vines would hang very near the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

205

hives with plenty of tlie ripe IVuit
on them. This howl uguinst the bees
harming ripe griipes must surely
come from those who tire not posted,
or by those who through some irate
prineii)le of natural hatred liave
concluded to make war on the bees.
It .seems to me that any fair-minded
and unprejudiced fruit grower, who
would take the time and i)ains to
investigate the subject as he
shouUl, could without much dilli-
culty learn the facts as stated above
and not condemn and charge the
honey bee with such false procliv-
ities as being guilt}' of destroying
fruits of any kind while growing or
ripening on the vines or trees ;
while, on the other hand, there is
plenty of proof in favor of the
bees, as being of great value in
bringing about ijroper and much
needeil fertilization in many of the
finest grown fruits of all parts of
tlie United States, as well as in all
Europe, it has been practically
denionsti-aled that bees are of great
use and benelit in bringing about a
proper fertilization in many of the
fruits and berries grown, which
could not be successfully matured
without the aid of the honey bees.
Let us hear from the opposing par-
ties with such I'actsas are true, and
not hearsay evidence which is not
good in court, nor will not be ad-
missible. More anon.

Battle Ground, Ind.

For the American Jinculturist.

ALLEY' JS QUEEN AND
DRONE-TUAPS.

Dij. C. C. Miller.

I have never seen any ver}' full
descrii)tion of the workings of the
queen anil drone- traj). Tiiis year
I have been tiying them. I don't

kn(nv that they serve their purpose
any better for being neatly made,
but I confess I admire the work-
manship of these tra[)s. This
season having been one of utter
failure of the honey harvest I have
not been able to try them to the
fullest extent, l)ut will tell what I
know.

When lirst put on a hive, the
workers show some little excite-
ment at the hindrance to their
usual free passage ; soon tiiey be-
come accustomed to passing
through the perforated zinc, and
mind it little. Sometimes they get
into the ui)i)er part of the trap and
are annoyed by not being able to get
out through the wire-cloth not hav-
ing sense enougii to go at once to
the perforated zinc above, where
they can easily get out. As a
trapper of drones the success is
perfect. Of course it is better to
have all worker comb in a hive and
raise no drones only where they
are wanted, but with the utmost
vigilance some drones will be
raised.

The bees will build drone cells
in out-of-the-way places. If you
are not careful, mice will make
holes in combs in the hive in win-
ter to be tilled up with drone comb ;
and, if given all worker i'ounda-
tion, some of it will be sometimes
changed to drone, so that after all
some drones are apt to be present
and I cannot imagine any better
way to get rid of such, than by
means of this drone-tra[). On
coming out of the hive, the drones
are not long in finding their way
y\\) through the cone into the upper
part of the trap and then they are
out of the way of the workers' full
passage. The trouble is that the
l)eekeeper nuist empt}' the trap
every few days or the dead bodies
of the drones raise a bad stench'.
If he does not object to the labor,
the tin slide might be taken out
each day after swarming time is

20 6

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

over for the day, letting tlie ilrones
come out themselves. Or, if there
is no (lunger of swarming, or if he
does not care to catch the queen
in ease they do swarm, the tin slide
could be left out altogether and
then you have perfection in the way
of destro3'ing drones, i)roviding
there are no other hives without
traps where the drones may he al-
lowed to enter.

I was most anxious to try the
traps as queen -traps, but although
1 had them on six of my strongest
colonies, never a swarm issued,
owing to the extreme drought. I
had al)out four inches of the south
end of the trap covered with thin
boai'il, according to Mr. Alley's in-
struction, so that if a queen was
caught she would be in the shade.
It is a pretty clear case that if a
swarm issued, the queen would be
caught, the same as the drones, in
the trap. For those who cannot
be with their bees in the middle of
the day this ought to work like a
charm, and perhaps it would work
just as well if the bees were unseen
for several days. If, however, the
trap should be left on till a young
queen hatches there migiit be trou-
ble in the camp. I do not like to
have so little ventilation as the
trap allows. That might be reme-
died by having ventilating space at
the entrance or elsewhere covered
with perforated zinc.

I do not fully understand the ob-
ject of the hole that, when un-
closed, allows passage from the
upper to the lower part of the trap.
I have kept mine closed not know-
ing of what use it could be open.
W'ill Mr. Alley tell us about this?

Marengo^ III.

[Diroctions lor using tlit; trajjs are
sent Willi cucli one, but in Doctor Mil-
lar's case we tliink none were sent.
Conrerninir tlu; object of the hole
whicli Doctor IMiller does not uiider-
stanil, we quote the following Irom tlie
directions :

"If yoii examine the trap, you will notice a
■^niall hole at one end ol' the division-board.
'J'liis is provided, so the (jiieen can return to
the hive in case a colony swarms dining the
al)8en(;e ol' the hec master. It swarming is
desired, a nail should be pushi'd in llirough
the side of the trap, thus clnsing tlic aperture
and preventing the queen iVoui going ciut. A
nail is sent with each tr.t)) lor this piiii)o.se."

Tlie (iireclioiis also say :

'■11' the trap iloes not quite cover tlie entrance,
close tlie open i)art by n;iiling a idece of
wood <u- ))erJorated zinc over it. The en-
trance to the hive should lie as long as the
opening in tlic tra|) and not less than half an
inch high."

When the directions are followed the hive
will be amply ventilated and there will be no
trouble about the traj) working .satisfactorily
in ninety-nine ca.^es out of one hundred."

Here let me say to those who use the traps
that the opening in the small end of the cone
tube through which llie bees p;iss into the
traj) sJKiuld be about three-eighths of an iiK'h
in diameter. It is easily and quickly en-
largeil by anything tli:itis siilliciently small at
one eiiil to enter the tube. 1 use the butt end
of;i bit of any size, which is tin; handiest thing
I know of.

When large numl)eisol' drones are trapped
they should be cleaned out. Karly in the
morning is the best time for that work.

About live liundrcd new ciisidniers liave
tlie trap in u>e tliis ye;ir. We invite reports
from all as to liow it works. 1

THE NATIONAL BEEKEEP-
ERS' UNION.

The following is an extract tiom
the re()ort of General Mainiger,
Thos. G. Newman, Etlitor of the
"•Am. Bee Journal."

CALIFOUNIA FKUIT-BKES TKOUBLli.

The Bolin case, mentioned in my
last rei)ort, was ap[)ealed to the
Superior Court. The decision there
given was on technicalities, and
practically ended the ditliculties.
The expenses of the suit and ap-
peal amounted to $384.50 ; of this
the Union has paid one-half, and
Mr. Bohu the other half.

In this case the resistance of the
Beekeei)ers' Union was too much
for the fruit-growers — and that
trouble, which was proclaimed by a
Nebraska a[)iarist to be "too much
for the Union to c()mi)ete with," is
now all conquered ! the raisin-grovv-
ers admitting that they were in
error !

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

207

Foolish wurfiiro against bees
seems lo be the rage ! The idea
that fniit suft'eis because of the
preseiiee of bees is simply ridicu-
lous ! The good they do in fertiliz-
ing tiie fruit trees far outweighs
any possible evil that may follow
from their presence.

THAT SCIKNTIFIC PLEASANTRY.

Dr. J. II. Kellogg, of Battle
Creek, Mich., in his book entitled
"•Good Health," had reiterateil the
Wiley lie about the manufacture of
combs from paralline, and Idling
them with glucose, ca2)ping
them l)y machinery, etc. The
manager oU the Union wrote to
him concerning the matter, and
asked for a retraction. Dr. K. re-
plied, thanking the manager for
calling attention to the error,
promising to correct the plates of
his book, and by every means in
his i)ower to counteract the in-
fluence of the false stateiVient,
which lie had copied from Prof.
Wile}'. He retracted tlie matter in
his paper entitled Good Healthy
for August, 1886.

The wibj part played by the
originator of that so called ''■scien-
tific pleasantr}'," will cause his
name to be execrated by honest
persons all tin; world over. And
if he should live a thousand years,
and devote all his remaining life to
atone for the damages he has al-
ready done to an honest pursuit,
he would die an inlinite debtor to
it ; I'or the multiplying tongue of
slander and falsehood never can be
controlled or made to cease its vil-
lanous calumnies ! His name will

'go ilovvii

To the. vile tlust IVoin whence he spruug.
Unwept, unhonorerl, and unsung."

REMOVAL OF CEES FROM CITIES
AND VILLAGES.

M. Darling, of Waterbury,
Conn., was sued for $5UU damages
by a neighbor, and to compel the
removal of his bees. The case was
instigated by malice and jealousy.

and was dismissed as soon as it
was discovered that he was '"backed
up" by the National Beekeeijeis'
Union ! The expenses were $50.
of which the Union paid one-half.

S. W. Rich, of Hobart, N. Y..
was sued by a jealous and disa-
greeable neighbor lor Si, 500 dam-
ages, and also to compel him to
move his apiary outside the city
limits. This suit is delended by
the Union, and is as yet undecid-
ed !

C. C. Richardson, a gardener,
was sued for keeping honey bees
on his land in Tipton, Ind.. alleg-
ing that they were a nuisance. This
was also defended by the Union,
and as a result, it was dismissed
by the court. The costs were $20 ;
and one-half of it was paid by the
Union. This is the "case" which
was so badly Viisrejircsented at the
Indianai)olis convention, by an
ollicious neighl)or, and it is with
m<tc/i satisfacliu'ji that 1 am now
able lo stiy that the "Union" was
"too much" for the enemies of the
pursuit of beekeeping !

The city council of F(nt Wavne,
Ind., passed an ordinance against
keeping bees within the city limits.
If enforced, it would jjractically
wipe out the pursuit of beekeep-
ing there, Such a pressure was
brought to bear by the beekeepers,
backed up by the Union, that the
ordinance is a dead letter, and it
is expected that it will soon lie re-
pealed, if it has not already been
done.

In Arkadel})hia, Ark., the city
council ordered Z. A. Clai'k to re-
move his bees from within the city
limits within thirty tlays. Major j.
L. Withersi)oon, ex-attorney gen-
enertdof Arkansas (who stands at
the head of the bar of the state),
was employed to attend to the mat-
ter on behalf of the bees. Tiie
National Beekeeijers' Union backs
ui) Mr. Z. A. Clark to light the
case on its merits.

208

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

The thirty' days have expireil,
and the bees are still there. Piib-
lie opinion is strong against their
removal, and the ne\vspai)ers are
teeming with ridieule of the order
to remove them.

The Union will stand by Mr.
Clark in this matter, and see it
throngh, for it woidd be very det-
rimental to the pnrsuit to allow a
decision against beekeeping to be
put upon record on the plea of its
being a "nuisance."

PKOl'OSED LEGISLATION IN MICIII-
(iAN AGAINST BliEKEEPING.

Tiie McCormick bill introduced
into the Legislature, intending to
"wipe apiculture out of Michigan,"
as Prof. Cook stated it, raised such
a buzzing about his ears that it
was tabled on his own motion, tuid
there died. The President of the
Union (Mr. llcddon), as well as
Vice President Cook and the Gen-
eral Manager all labored with Mi'.
McCormick to bring about the be-
fore mentioned result.

Mere we have another result of
the benelits to be derived from or-
ganization and combined elfort.
The members of the Beekeepers'
Union have many triumphs to feel
proud over, and this adds another
laurel.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOK TIIE 2 YEAKS .

Krom July 1, 188", to June 30, 1887.
From (yo ineinborshiii.s at $L25 c:i<;h, $775.00

PaiilS. I. Freeboi-n's suit $l;;i.00

Paiil (i. r.olm's suit 1!)2.'2.')

Paiil M. Mailing's suit '25 00

Paid U. C. Uicharclson's suit. . 10 00
Printing, stamps, stationery, etc. rj2. 50

$550.75

Del'ence Fund— CV $251.25

General Fund — Dr :;7.00

Balance on IkuuI July 1. ISS7 $221.25

For the American Apiculturist.

INTRODUCING QUEENS.

The first is Siniinins' method but
I used it long before 1 ever heard
of iSimmins.

If I want to introduce a queen
from a nucleus or colony into
another nucleus or colon}', I sim-
ply take the frame containing the
queen, bees, brood and all, and put
it in the desired colony. I ;im not
sure that this would work ;it all
seasons, but I generally do it when
honey is yielding and am not i)ar-
ticular al)out how long the colony
has been (pieenless.

If I want to introduce the queen
with no other bees, I wait till the
colony shows its a[)i)reciation of
the situation by having started
queen cells, then take out a frame
of brood, i)lace the (pieenupon the
brood and put it at once in the
hive. This plan rarely fails.

JIarewjo, lU.

Dk. C. g. Miller.

In my haste I overlookfd your
request for my way of introducing.

Bv G. W. Dlmakee.

I have tried almost every method
that has been given to the public
in the past ten years, which prom-
ised to make the introduction of
queens to strange colonies a uni-
form success. I have been a
breeder of fine bees for a number
of 3'cars [jast, and have had ample
opi)ortunity to satisfy myself that
there is no infallible way to intro-
duce. The conditions are not al-
ways the same, and this makes
uniformity of results out of the
question. Still queens can be in-
troduced with as much certainty
as is common to good judgment
and skill in any diflicult perform-
ance in manual labor. I lay down
the i)roposition, that no [)lan will
succeed so uniformly :is the one
that is under the immediate con-
trol and ol)servation of the skilled
apiarist. To attempt to introduce
in any other way is simply to guess
at it, i. e.f take the chances, and I

THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST.

209

am not willing to risk niy property
interest in tbat way.

I introduce 013- queens on top of
the frames caged, and arranged so
that I can raise the quilt and ob-
serve the action of the workers
towards the queen. If they clus-
ter about the cage with raised
■wings and make a hissing sound I
just leave them to vent their wrath
all alone, and wiien they quiet
down and move about the cage in
a listless way, as tliough a queen
was doing duty among them, I
know the queen can be safely lib-
erated. I now reuiovc tlie stopper
to the food department, and leave
the bees to remove the soft camly
and receive the queen among theui
when the bees are alone and undis-
turbed. The secret is told in a few
words : reconciliation to the queen,
and her reception when the bees
are all alone and not excited from
any cause. I make all my ca^es
suitable for this metliod of intro-
ducing, but any cage will answer,
if the bees can liberate the queen
at the will of the apiarist, by eat-
ing out a plug of soft candy, and
thus opening her prison door.
Christiansbu rg^ Ky.

^eiEiMg,

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

PACKING HIVES FOR WINTER.

Query No. 28. 1. Is packing with chaflf
or other dry muierial really necessary dming
the wniter in hives that have dimble-vvalls ?
3. Does not tlie packing absorb and retain
moistuie, thus ki'eping the hive cold aiul
damp ail the time? A. Would it not be better
to leave llie space between the outer and in-
ner hives unpacked till the Hist of April and
then pack and cover all up warm in order to
retain the animal heat generated by the bees ?

J. D. D.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

l.^Yes.

2. No, not if the packing is
properly protected.
'6. No, sir.
16

ANSWERS Br R. L. TAYLOR.

1. Yes, in order to secure the
greatest success.

2. Yes, if the packing is im-
properly done.

3. No,

ANSWERS BY DR. G. L. TINKER.

1. I think it is.

2. The moisture is driven to the
top of the packing which is usu-
ally damp or wet. The covers of
chaff-hives should be taken off on
pleasant days in winter.

3. It is better to pack the hives
in the fall, in all cases of out-door
wintering in double-walled hives.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

1 . It would depend on the cli-
mate I should think.

2. The packing would not make
a chaff-hive any worse than it is.
It is a mean thing any wa^^ and
could not be made worse. I would
prefer a single-walled hive, though
it required a little more labor to
protect it by "■ packing" in the
winter months.

ANSWERS BY P. R. RUSSELL.

1. Packing is a benefit in double-
wall hives, but the}' will usually
winter without it all right. But I
think I would have at least a good
chaff-cushion or its equivalent on
top of frames.

2. If the hive does not absorb
dampness from without, through
imperfect construction, there will
be no dampness to do any harm.
The packing becomes useless or
harmful in proportion to the moist-
ure it contains.

3. I should prefer to pack them
in the fall, but would pack them in
April rather than not at all. Doubt-
less the protection it affords is more
valuable in spring as breeding ad-
vances.

210

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ANSWERS BY WILL. M. KELLOGG.

1. Yes, I think so; at least I
have not had good success leaving
them unpacked.

2. No, it absorbs and allows to
pass oft' moisture. M}' chaff'-hives
are never wet anywhere, except
about one inch deep of chaff" on
top where the escaping moisture
comes in contact with cold air.

3. No; that means disturbing
and fussing with bees at a time
when it does the most liarm. Pack
in tlie latter part of September and
let tliem alone till time to put on
sections. I aim to retain all that
"animal heat" all winter to keep
the hive dry and save honey.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. I have a double-walled "Al-
ley L-IIive,'"' with one inch dead
air space all around, that has been
in use for fifteen years, during
which time it was never packed,
and I have never lost a colony
from it, though I always winter on
summer stands.

2. If a hive is properly made
and packed, it will not absorb and
retain moisture, consequently will
not keep it cold and damp. The
double-wall hive with dead-air
space is preferred by myself, and I
think the novice will find it more
satisfactory than a chatt' hive as
it is ordinarily constructed.

3. Concerning the first part of
the question authorities differ, but
one thing is certain sure, the col-
ony must be so covered as to re-
tain heat in late winter and eax\y
spring in order that brood-rearing
may be carried forward rapidly.
The objection I have to chaff-hives
is, that it requires an immense
amount of external heat to warm
them up so that the bees can take
a cleansing flight, if the weather in
mid-winter is such that they can
safely do so.

HOLVLAND AND PALESTINE BEES. BEST
WIDTH OF SECTIONS.

Query No. 29. 1. Are Ilolyland, Pales-
tiue, and Syrian each a different race of bees,
or are they all different names of the same
race?

2. Whixi is the best width for section
boxes ?

E. B. S.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

1. The bees of the Orient differ
somewhat according to locality
but the}' all have the same general
characteristics. They do not breed
strictly to a type and I am very
sure have a trace of black blood.
The theory that they were descend-
ants of Egyptian bees originally,
slightly mixed with the blacks, is
entitled to a respectful considera-
tion. The names Holyland, Pal-
estine and Syrian are practically
of the same race but from different
localities.

2. The best width for section
boxes is one and seven-eighths
inches, and I have tested every
width from one and three eighths up
to two inches. The narrow sections
are open to the serious objection
that unless placed over very deep
brood frames, they are sure to be
made depositories for pollen. Be-
ing about the thickness of the
brood combs the bees store pollen
in them in view of the possibilities
for brood rearing in them.

SUGAR STORES. HIVING SWARMS.

Query No. 30. A writer in the April is-
sue dI iiie An .says in substance: "To get
sugar i^tores ready for use in wintering bees,
FClect colonies at the beginning of ttie sum-
mer dearth, reiluce the brood-cliamber to live
frames and then give eacli empty combs, and
syrup as last as the bees will appropiiate it."
Wdl such feeding have a tenilenoy to make
the l)et's l.izy or indolent?

2. Whicli is the best way to hive swarms if
comb honev is wanted; on empty frames,
empty combs or foundation, or on frames
witli starter?

G. P. Smith.

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

No, at least not more than would
the gathering of a like quantit}' of
sweets from the fields. Bees al-
ways become apparently less active
when their hive becomes largely

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

211

filled with hone}^ so that a large
amount of capping requires to be
done. The quiet neeessar}' to se-
crete the wax requisite for the cap-
pings and the time required for tlie
work causes the seeming inactivity.
Removing the combs when filled
and capping begun and supplying
more einpt}' coml)s will disclose the
fact that the zeal of the bees is
undiminished.

2. I don't know ; but I "guess"
on frames with starters. I practise
this method in the main, and think
at least as much surplus is obtained
as in any other way, with the ad-
vantage of the saving in founda-
tion ; but the combs thus produced
are not always so straight and
sometimes have too large a propor-
tion of cells of drone size. 1 am
inclined to think that a swarm is
less likely to desert its hive if
frames with starters are used in-
stead of frames filled with founda-
tion. The onh' advantage I see
in frames filled with fountlation is
that the combs resulting are always
perfect. I suspect that empty
combs if restricted to the capacity
of five L. frames and given to a
swarm having a vigorous queen
would answer nearly or quite as
well if the colony is otherwise
properly managed. I should ad-
vise one having spare combs to use
them with swarms having such
queens.

I should never use empty frames
without starters or a good substi-
tute for them.

of the four colonies, so far as caa
be seen by my apiarist, Mr. Frank
Curl, has to exceed six diseased
cells. Is there anything I can dO'
but to run them this summer and
then destroy them ? I don't want
to trouble you, but if you can give
any profitable advice, I assure you
1 shall appreciate it.

S. W. Lakin.

[If but four colonies are iurected, we
cerrainly advise cremiition as tlie best,,
speediest and most effective remedy.
Don't spend time tryinu' to cure it, as
not one case of Pennine foul brood was
ever cured. Mr. A. I. Root has beeu;
tryin": a long time to rid his apiary of
tills disease, but he never can do it,
except by the above plan.

Some twenty years ago, Mr. C. B.
Cotton ol West Gorham, Maine, hus-
banil of the illustrious Lizzie Cotton,
sold us some bees. When tliey came,
we found them badly diseased by ibul
brood. Well, an attempt was made to
cure it. Tlio result was when fall came
that every colony in my yard was dis-
eased, and batliy diseased, too. As
my apiary was not very extensive at
tliat time, I made a bontire of hives,
bees, comljs and all ; in fact, everything
that was used in my apiary tluit year
was couverted into ashes. This is the
way, my friend, to get rid of foul brood.
This plan is being generally adopted ;
and, as a remedy, should be applied by
all who are so unfortunate as to be
troubled by this worst of all bee dis-
eases.

I " went for" Cotton for sending me
the vile disease. Soon thereafter his
advertisement was dropped and that
of his wife appeared. 1 am inclined
to think Cotton is yet at the head of
that tirm.]

A BATCH OF QUESTIONS.

ANSWERS BY THE MANAGER.

Eureka, III., June 15, 1887.

Henry Alley, Esq.

Dear Sir : I find four of ray
colonies out of eighty are diseased ;
have foul brood. The disease is
evidently in its incipiency, but of
course will in time spread. Neither

WoodstocJc, Va.

Mr. Alley :

Do bees gather honey and pol-
len from the same flowers at the
same time?

N. WiSMAN.

[Yes, while they are sucking the
nectar from the flowers the pollen
seems to cover their bodies. It is then
woriced into pellets on the bees' legs
and taken to the hives.]

212

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Cross River, N. Y.

Mr. Ai.lkv :

Denr Sir :

I wish you would answer through
the Api whether it is common for a
queen to stop laying two or three
weeks and then go on all night
afterwards; also if anything but
old age or injury (including chill)
•will stop a queen laying.

G. H. Churchiix.

[A queen seldom ceases to lay from
March to Sept. 25. In your case, it is
my opinion that the bees superseded
an old queen. Unless nearly frozen, a
• queen would not be injured by a chill.]

Mr

Hunters Land, N. Y.
Alley

Please answer the following
.questions in the American Apicul-

TURIST.

1, What is the best breed of
bees?

2. What is the best bee hive?

A. Dings.

[1. The Italians by all odds.

2. Best bee-hive is tlie one that
suits the beekeeper best. I cannot say
^which of the thousand and one differ-
■ ent styles would be most likely to suit

you.]

Glenbrook, N. S. W.,

May lb, 1887.
Mr. Hekry Alley.
Dear Sir:

Will yon kinilly answer the enclosed
through vour journal. . , j ^

What is the proper Avay to mix food for
Bliiiiijing bte-'? In most cases the Igod be-
comes liquid and runs all over the case.
How can this be prevented ?

Major A. Shallard.

[Take five pounds of pulverized

(not powdered) sugar and add to

it one pound of the best quality

honey. Then knead it the same

as a good bread-maker does her

dough for bread. Add sugar enough

to keep it from sticking to the

hands. When you have worked

and kneaded it an hour and call it

done, just knead it half an hour

longer. The more it is kneaded

the less it is liable to soften or

to become sticky during damp

weather.]

Prairie du Chien, Wis.

Henry Alley.

Dear Sir : Please find ten cents
for the June number of your valu-
able journal. 1 wish to be posted
in the kind of work of which the
June number treats.

I was a Bay State boy raised in
Franklin county.

[It will be noticed that there is no
natne signed to the above. We print
it as it is only a sample of many such
letters which come to hand during the
year. This Bay State boy is probably
telling his friends that the manager
of the API has cheated him out often
cents. Please be more careful in sign-
ing your name and full address.]

Late last fall I purchased a
swarm of bees with a fair quantity
of bees. I packed them for win-
ter on summer stands ; on opening
them early this spring, 1 found
plenty of honey, bees all detid,
with but very few in or about the
hive. What was the cause of their
death and especially of their dis-
appearance ?

Subscriber.

[Should say the colony lost its queen
la.st fall and the bees gradually died of
some disease developed during the win-
ter. Perhaps honey- dew had something
to do with it. Lots of beekeepers were
troubled the same way last winter.]

Bodiester, N. Y.
Mr. Alley:

If brood is chilled when
transferring, or from any other cause
should not'hatch when the proper time
arrives, will the bees take care of it,
or should it be removed from the hive?
W. G. TowKii.

[The weather is not cold enough
at any time when bees shonld be
transferred to chill the brood.
Capped brood will not chill nor die
in the cells unless the temperature
is below 50° and the brood exposed
for twenty-four hours. People have
a queer idea about brood chilling.
The combs may remain out of the
hive several hours, even at a tern-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

213

pevature of 50°, and the brood not
damaged. Some of the large un-
capped brood would die and work
out of the cells, but the smaller
larva and eggs would not be dam-
aged in the least.

All unheaUhy brood will be
promptly removed by the bees, but
then if there is any such brood in
the combs they should be re-
moved.]

The American Apiculturist.

I^ublished Monthly.

MANAGER,
'VVJffilS'JHAlM, JMA.SS.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE INDUCEMENTS TO SUBSCSIBEES.
Wenham, Mass, Aug. 1, 1887.

THE MANAGER'S CORNER.

Mr. Ivas S. Young of ChristiaHa,
Norway, has writlen us that he would
like to visit our apiary when he comes
to America. Of ctxirse we extended to
hiin a most cordial invitation to do so.
Mr. Young expects to be here in
August, and if lie has any new points
ou beel<eeping we shall try to draw
them out.

By the way, this reminds us that
Mr. Young has published a bee book,
though we liave not seen a copj^, and
could not read one word of it if one
had been sent us, as the work is print-
ed in the Norwegian language. We
did notice ^Ir. Knot's criticisms of the
work. Mr. Root cannot read it, but
he saw therein an illustration of a
smoker for burning tobacco. Mr.
Root does not like tobacco and so he
just went for that smoker and author.

Well, if u\rr. Hoot does not like to-
bacco he has the privilege of letting
it alone. If his neighbor wants to use
it it is none of Mr. Root's business or
concern.

We have a pipe in which to l)urn to-
biicco which has been used in our
apiary every year since we began bee-

keeping. This pipe is one of the most
useful instruments and most used of
any we have. From May 1 to Oct.
15, this pipe comes into play several
times each day, yet we never use to-
bacco in any other way. When the bee
season is over the pipe is laid away till
the coming spring.

Every time a queen is introduced the
pipe is used. With the use of this won-
derful instrument, we can introduce
one hundretl queens in one hour. To
introduce an equal number of queens
by any other method would require a
a whole day; then again, by using the
pipe and tobacco, not one queen is lost
in introducing, even though a new
queen is introluced the moment
another is removed.

People with extreme notions about
tobacco and intoxicating drinks are
pretty apt to be inconsistent on these
points. So far as temperance is con-
cerned, I am quite sure Mr. Root and
myself would agree.

The reader will please excuse the
rambling ideas as expressed in the
above item ; they seem to come in place
here.

Cheap-made Goods. — A friend
who lives in the Canadian dominion
gave us a call the other tlay. He said
he purchased a Hedtlon hive of a well
known manufacturer in Canada and it
was the "meanest made up thing" he
ever saw. Mr. Heddon has a patent
claim on ju-t a bee space between the
two sets of frames. The hive above
alluded to could not be considered
an infiingement of Mr. Heddon's as
the space tliat ought to have been not
over i",; of an inch was 5 of an inch.
We would like to see those hives sep-
arated when bees have been in them
one season.

I cautioned Mr. Heddon against let-
ting liol), Dick and Harry manufuct-
ui'e his hives, as not one nnin in tive
who advertises such things for sale at
a low figure will make an article that
will be any credit to the manufacturer.
How can a man make a hive that is
worth .$4 for about half that sum?

The craze for cheap goods, and a
desire of everybody who manufactures
supplies to furin>h them as cheap as
the man who sells a carload every day,
have brought us to this state of affairs.

The only remedy is to send your
orders to some one who will furnish a
good article at a fair price.

Perhaps we ought not to say that
the friend spoken of above said he

214

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

liked the Bay State hive the best,
nevei'tlieless lie so expresses himself.
We liave so improved the construction
of the Bay State Reversible liive tliat
they can be sold for about $;^ for a
siuijle one, the coming season.

Perforated Zinc. — T)i: G. L.

Tinker lias certainly succeeded in mak-
ing perforated metal that is as near
perfect as can be. "We have some of it
on several drone and queen-trnps, and
have watched the bees as they pass
through it. They do so with perfect
ease; and the metal does not seem to
obstruct tlie entrance in the least.

This perforated metal is different
from any other in several important
points. Tlie slots are longer than
those in any other that we have
used. The lines between the perfo-
rations are very narrow which not only
provides more passage room for the
bees to pass out and in, but much bet-
ter ventilation, also. Nor does the
zinc have that rough edge on one side
as most metal of this kind does, caused
by the dies when the slots are made.

Ill order to get suitable perforated
zinc for his celebrated honey-ljoards,
Dr. Tinker found that he must manu-
facture that article himself. The price
of this metal is about the same as it is
sold for bj' other manufacturers.

Supersede old Queens.— If a col-
ony has a (lueen two years old, it is
good policy to remove her and intro-
duce a young one. An old queen may
give out during the winter, or early in
the spring. In either case, it would be
ruinous to the colony unless the fact
could be known and a new queen pro-
cured before April 1.

It is rather difficult to introduce a
queen to a colony that lias been queen-
less from six to eight weeks, as lertile
workers get possession by that time,
and if the queen is accepted, the fertile
worker bees continue to fill the cells
with eggs, thus interfering greatly
with the rearing of brood.

When fertile workers have once ob-
obtained possession of the brood
combs, a queen should not be intro-
duced. The better plan is to destroy all
the bees and later in the season use the
combs for a new swarm.

A few days ago we read a long arti-
cle in an e.xchange "How to get rid of
fertile workers." It is nonsense to

write about such matters, as every-
body who has kept bees knows that a
few quarts of old bees are as worth-
less as so man}' grains of sand.

Prepare for Winter.— Early in
Auyust is the time to prepare bees for
Avinter. Thehivesneed notice packed,
l)nt see to it that each colony has a good
fertile queen and that tlie food is in
full supply. Colonies short of stores
at this season should be fed a sufficient
amount of syrup to keep up breeding,
as it is the bees that are hatched be-
tween August 10 and Oct. 10, that will
compose the colony during the winter.
Early in September every colony that
has not stores suflicient to carry them
through the winter should be supplied,
either frpm the fall flowers or by a
feeder. •

Do not feed much in October, as then
the bees should be at rest, which is-
one of the most important conditions
necessary to successful wintering.
The less bees are disturbed from Oct.
1 to April 10, the better.

Behind the Times.— The July is-
sue of the American Agriculturist con-
tains an article on "Transferring Bees."
Any experienced beekeeper will notice
that the author of that article is behind
the times. The use of sticks, pieces of
tin and wire in fastening combs in
frames is an old time arrangement.

If a great imblication like the Amer-
ican Agriculturist cannot aflbrd to
employ competent persons as teachers
in bee culture, it ought to drop "Bee-
Notes" altogether. Think it would be
a good idea for that publication to
again employ Mr. L. C. Koot.

National Beekeepers' Union. —

The report of the general manager
of the National Beekeeper's Union
has been received. We have on
several occasions called attention to
the importance of every beekeeper be-
coming'a memiier of this organization.
The report of Manager Newman seems
sufficient to convince all who keep
bees that they are liable to be prose-
cuted.— perhaps persecuted is the more
proper term to use — at any time. A
man with plenty of means can stand
the expense of a lawsuit, a poor man
cannot; hence the necessity of joining
the Union. Manager Newman can sup-
ply the proper papers.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

215

The Honey Crop of 1887.—

Early in July we addressed cards to a
large number of prominent lionej' pro-
ducers inquiring what the prospect
was of a crop of honey the present
season. Most of those to whom
these cards were addressed answered
promptly, and what they say may be
found elsewhere iu this issue of the
Api.

As is usually the case, there are lo-
cations where no honey was gathered,
and in other places an average crop
was stored.

That the crop will be far below the
averaiie for several years past is evi-
dent from the reports received.

The rains that have visited nearly
all parts of the country since June 25,
will most likely do much towards a
fairly good fall iiarvest, though the
lioney gathered late in the season is of
an inferior quality.

Don't get discouraged, friends, as
these ofl'-years do not come very often.
The beekeeper will most certainly get
good returns for his labor four years
out of five.

The Honey Market Reports will
be given in the Septemlier issue of the
Api, which will be mailed August 2.5.
Of course good honey has l)een scarce
for several mouths, but prices have
not been quoted. By Sept. 1, the new
crop of honey will be ready to ship,
then quotations vs'ill be iu order.

The supply Trade.— The season
just ended has been a busy one for all
supply dealers. At this date we have
not an unfilled order on our book for
goods of any kind.

We have fine queens in abundance
and can fill an order for most any num-
ber promptly.

All who Subscribe for the Apicul-

TUiusT, at any time, will receive one
of our combined Drone and Queen-
traps free by mail. This is onr method
of introducing tlie Apicultuiiist and
our Drone and Queen-traps into every
apiary in the United States.

Those who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expect to get tiie Handy
Book or a queen for fifty rents, as the
profits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscribei".

Am.
Am.

Our Club Rates.

Apiculturist and Am. Weekly Ree
Jouriiiil, $1.80

"Api" and Gleanings (semi-monthly) 1.90
" " Bee Hive (bi-niontlily) 1.00
" " Beekeepers' Handy Book 1..50
" '■ Cook's Manual 1.70

" " A Year among tlie Bees 1..50
" " Alley's drone and queen

trap 1.00

GLEANINGS
FROM COBBESPONDENGE.

Providence, B. I., July 7, 1887.

Mr. Alley.

Dear Sir:

We bought last July a hive of Italian
bees and kept them nicely through tlie
winter. Last week an immense swarm
came off, lighted on a tree in a neigh-
boring yard for a while, then sailed ofl"
to a second and a third tree, each one
farther off and more lofty than the last,
I know where they are now; but the
lady wlio bravely hived them — iu an
old tea box — claims them. I suppose
she has nine points of the law, so I
must make her welcome to them. It
was a disappointment to my little boy
who is much interested in the little
creatures. I was ill at the time, but
had I been able to pursue them the re-
sult would probably have been the
same. I had never heard of a queen-
trap until a day or two since I chanced
upon a copy of the American Apicul-
turist.

Mrs. G. a. Siiattuck.

[Yes, the person who liived the Ijees has
nine jioints of the law ami nine points of
downrioflit meanness and dishonesty by not
giving tlie bees^up. We don't care to say
that under the circumstances it is stealing to
keep the bees, but then it is the next tiling to
it.

Had you had a drone-trap on the hive the
bees never would have left your yard.]

Hopkins, Mo., July 1, 1887.
Dear Api: July number is at hand;
I, too, like Mr. J. M. Shuck, want to
speak the appreciation I (eel for the
June number. I am partial to Mr.
Doolittle, for his article and all his
writings, for my hive and plans are so
much like his. Mr. Shuck's criticism of
Mr. Manum I cannot indorse. I have
read the article and am using his plan
on new swarms witiiout trouble. I
tell my neighbors the June nnmi)er is
worth $.5 to any one having bees. J.
H. Martin said "do you know of one

216

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

"Who raises lioney for a business?"
Yes, I do know of seven in New York
who do, and a day's drive will take
you to all of them. I shall be satisfied
to make as much as they do.

Swarming has begun in earnest. I
can manage all the crooks and turns
■with a degree of satisfaction except
swarming. I have no trees for them
to cluster on and think trees are a ne-
cessity in handling eight and ten
swarms a day. I clip my queens, nse
a swarniing box, pole, etc., but seven
out of ten will return to the hive whence
they can-ie. We had a drought all
througii clover till now we are having
a good long rain. TJiis made swarming
too late. I should have divided on
clover but the drought made things
look gloomy.

I am trying the plan of hiving No. 2
in No. 1 sent me by Mr. Kretchnier,
of Iowa. Two out of ten, so hived,
swarmed in a few days. But l)y the
swarm returning to the old stand, as it
is most sure to do, I would carry the
hive that cast a swarm and place on
the old stand, then hive the swarm and
release the queen. The two that re-
swarmed were of this kind. I think
it works better when the swarms clus-
ter on the queen and then hived in tiie
one that cast a swarm, not moving
either hive. I often have two and
three swarms cluster together ; others
dive into a hive that has swarmed.
This week one flew three-quarters of an
hour before returning. I mean to
change my location to one having a
■wiHd-V>reak of trees.

No surplus finished on clover. Clover
bloomed early, May 20. Linden began
blooming Jane 2«th. July 1st, the l>ees
are doing well on it. For four years I
have got no honey from linden ; this
year it is loaded with bloom and may
do wonders.

I must take issue with Mr. Pond on
the chafi'-hive question compared with
single-walled hives unless protected
as he does, but look at the work ne-
cessary to fix up 100 colonies as he
does, each year. This alone would soon
pay the expense of the chatl'-hive, and
I think a chaff-hive can be made as
good protection as the leaves and dirt
he uses. My hive is a one-slory chafi"
packed hive, with one story wide
frame, tin separator for surplus. Mr.
Alley, why can't one make a business
of producing honey if lu; is the riuht
3)ian and in good location? If Ican't do
so I will quit, for it is whole loaf or
lioue for me,

J. C. Stewakt.

Hopkinsville, Ky.

Friknd Alley: The two copies of
the A.VI that you sent me are very ac-
ceptable and instructive, though we
have no "winter problem" and do not
aim to get much comb honey. We ai'e,
however, securing more comb honey
this season than ever, as the people
are becoming accustomed to the nice
white sections and will no longer be
satisfied with the promiscuous mess so
long pahned olf a.s comb honey.

I aui rearing a few queens this sea-
son to replace some that are past
their prime and others that are inferior
or mismated. I have a large number
of daughters of the qneen you sent me
two years ago. Some are tinerthan the
mother, some different; but where
purety mated the workers are al!
equally handsome and enterprising. I
notice in these bees at times, a nervous
trait reminding one of the Holy Land
race. I think some of my queens were
matfd by Holy Land drones bnt not
enough to warrant the supposition that
the mother was cross-mated, though
there might be trace of such blood.
However, [ do not wish my bees to be
so gentle as to be lazy.

The great abundance of white clover
that promisiEH:! so much has been a
failure so tar as honey is expected,
owing to long-continued dry weather,
but since about the first of June the
bees have ijrought immense quantities
from red clover and are still booming
on the second crop. In July and Au-
gust the yield from various soui'Cis,
though moderate, is kept up without
intermission and in Septemlier and
October the fall harvest becomes
abundant such as it is. For the first
tiuse in three years we shall have a
large crop of white hone)) a thing un-
usual here and unattainable without
Italians. I like the plan which you
suggest in Handy Book, p. 242, of
removing the queen from the hive a
few days before shipping, and have
myself sometimes done tiie same where
they had a long distance to go. If I
remember riiihtly the qneen I had from
you two years ago was three days on
the way, came all bright and fresh,
was iatr&dnei'd to a pound or two of
bees in a l)ox a few hours after arrival,
a la DooJittle, remained with them all
night, in the moreiug were put in a
hive with two or three brood-combs
aud all serene.

D. F. Savage.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

217

THE HONEY CROP OF 1887.

REPORTS FROM A LARGE NUMBEH OF
LOCATIONS.

De Kalh Junction, N. Y.,

Jtdy 9, 1887.
Friend Alley :

It is too early to give a current re-
port of tlie honey crop, as bass wood
is in fuil bloom yet. If we get favor-
able weather for the nest week the
crop will be fully one half what it
Avas two years ago. Last year we got
no honey. The weather has been too
hot for "the last week for the secretion
of basswood honey.

Respectfully,

Ira Bahrer.

Lapeer, Mich., July 8, 1887.
The early honey crop this season is
almost an entire failure. Only the very
strong colonies furnish any surplus.
White clover yielded but little nectar,
and basswood, now nearly past, has
done little better. The surplus may
average ten pounds per colony. So far
as honey is concerned, the season has
been unpropitious from the beginning;
willow, soft maple, hard maple, and
fruit blossoms yielding but scantily.
AVithout a fair fall yield, bees will have
to l)e fed largely to supply stores for
winter.

R. L. Taylor.

Hartford, N. Y., July 6, 1887.

Friend A :

In relation to the honey crop I would
report as follows : We have had a
moderate but continuous honey flow
ever since clover commenced to bloom,
and strong swarms have stored a good
amount of honey. Basswood has just
commenced to blossom and the trees
are loaded with flowers. The weather
thus far is favorable for the secretion
of nectar, and we are hoping for a
good yield from this source. The yield
will be above the average here.

Swarming has been profuse and I
hear of many beekeepers losing
swarms by absconding.

J. H. Martin.

Cincinnati, July 7, 1887.

Friend Alley : There will be but
little honey raised in Ohio, Kentucky,
and Indiana. During the month of
June white clover blooms in this part
of the country and is almost our sole
resource for honey. Almost every
nigjit was cool from beginning of June
to about the 20th. Experience has
taught us that no honey is secreted in
white clover during day time when-
ever the thermometer went down to
55° the previous night. It went down
to 47° one morning about the middle of
the montli. Cold nights in June seem
to have been tlie cause of the failure of
our honey crop.

I have reports from several friends
that the crop is good in the southern
states.

For the first time that I know of, my
bees failed to make the wonted good
use of .Alsike clover of which I had a
splendid stand.

Chas. F. Muth.

Hamilton, Hancock Co., III., July 9, '87.
The honey crop is a failure. We
shall not have 5000 pounds from 400
colonies. Weather dry and uo hope
of a fall crop.

Chas. Dadant & Son.

Bristol, VL,
July 11, 1887.
Mr. H. Alley.
Dear Sir:

You ask " what my .honey crop
will be this year?" I am sorry to say
that it will be very light again. For
the first time since I have been in the
bee business (seventeen years) we
have had two poor honey seasons in
succession, last year and this, though
in May and June the prospects were
never more flattering nor were my bees
ever in better condition, but a cold and
wet June prevented the bees working
on raspberry and clover. But as bass-
wood promises to bloom in great
abundance we still hope for a partial
crop as the bees are nearly through
swarming and are in excellent condi-
tion to gather honey ; but, lo ! basswood
has been in bloom five days and but
very little honey have we got from it
yet, and the prospect is that we shall
not get nmch more. It does not seem
to secrete honey except in the morn-
ing and just at night, as the bees only
work on it about three hours in the
morning and about two hours at night.
I attril)Ute tlie cause to a lack of elec-
tric shocks, and I have noticed for
several years past that whtn we have
a good deal of thunder and lightning
we get lots of honey; though we have
had plenty of rain this year, but have
had but very little lightning.

218

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Now, ill answer to your question, I
have to say that my honey crop will
not be over one-ei^ihth of an avera.iie
crop. I never worked harder in my
life to get the bees ready for the har-
vest and in tliis I liave succeeded bet-
ter tlian ever before; lience, I feel that
I have done all I could to secure a
crop of honey.

Yours, etc.,

A. E. Manum.

P. S. As far as I have heard from
other bee-men around me they are in
the same boat as myself.

Oneida, III.
Friend Alley :

In reply to your query, as above, in
one word, nothing. I have not had a
swarm this season nor a pound of
honey. Sections that were put on are
only worked euouiiii for nice starters
for next season, many not even that.
One or two stocks have a few sections
nearly filled, not one finished. The
extracting hives and cases have only
been cleaned of sticking honey, bro-
ken places mended, and a little hon-
ej' here and there scattered through.
I am putting on all my empty extract-
ing combs now to have them cleaned
up and mended, but have to do so late
in the eveliing as bees would rob
anything at all exposed.

We may get some fall honey if we
have rain enough, but we have en-
dured a long drought, and a heavy
shower makes but little impression. I
am lucky enough to have nearly a ton
of honey on hand from last season to
help bridge over a short crop.

W. M. Kellogg.

Borodino, iV. Y., July 7.
No honey except for breeding pur-
poses. As to basswood, which is now
opened, bees are doing moderately on
it so far. Too early to tell for certain
what the crop will be.

G. M. D.

Medina, O.,
Juhj 8, 1887.
Friend Alley :

In answer to yours of above date as
to what the honey crop will l)e, we
will say that the flow of honey in our
locality from white clover has been
very light. Basswood, however, has
given us a good yield, rather better,
perhaps, than usual.

A. I. Hoot.

Chicago, 111., July 7, 1887.

Dear Sir:

From reports at our command we es-
timate the white clover and basswood
honey at not over one-quarter of the
usual crop. The prospects for a "fall
crop of honey " have materially im-
proved since the late copious rains
all over the northwest. Swarming
has not exceeded ten per cent.

Thomas G. New.man & Son.

Oxford, Pa., July 7, 1887.
As to the honey crop in this section
I can only answer for myself as my
apiary consists of Carniolans entirely
and they have brought my honey crop
up to an average. The white clover
season is usually at an end here about
this time, and if it ends now the sea-
sou will be of only half tiie usual time.
S. W. MouKisox, M.I).

Dps Moines, Iowa, July 8, 1887.

Mr. Alley :

From the best information lean get,
not over one-third of a crop as com-
pared with 188(5. Secretion of nec-
tar in this locality has entirely ceased
and bees are trying to rob each other.
J. M. Shuck.

Abronia, Mich., July 7, 1887.
A very light crop of very fine clover
and linden honey. Not more than one-
fourth the usual yield here. Linden has
yielded slowly, fourteen days, an un-
usual length of time. Still the bees
have no day gathered as they some-
times do.

Eespectfully, etc.,

T. F BiNGUAsr.

Bradford, Vt., July 8, 1887.
FuiEXi) Alley :— Owing to a cold
spring, which delayed the white clover,
honey has been coming in slowly.
There is, however, every indication of
a heavy flow from basswood and all
looks favorable for a medium crop of
honey. All that has been taken off
is of a very fine quality.

Hilas D. Davis.

Coleraine, Mass.
Honey crop so far has been very
good. Basswood yet to come and if
weather is favorable expect a large
yield.

W. W. Gary.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

219

High Hill, 3Io.
Our bees have done very poorly this
season. Started with 308 colonics in
the spring; have not received a single
swarm yet, nor takcu one pound of
surplus honey. Hives are full with
bees and brood but no linncj'. White
clover and basswood did not yield any
honey in our locality. We hear of
like complaints from all the adjoining
counties.

Yours truly,
Jno. Nebel & Son.

Midland, Mich.
Prospect is good for a crop of honey
here.

S. E. Boyd.

The Honey Market. As honey
will not be in such abundance the
present season, would it not be a good
idea to try and work up prices, say
about 15% or perhaps 20%.

If one has a quantity of honey for
sale, bj'^ all means have some leaf-
lets printed instructing people how to
use honey, whether for preserving-
fruit, as a medicine, or to work into
confections. Scatter these leatlets
everywliere. Get your local papers
to publish them. Keep the fact be-
fore the people that honey is health-
ful as well as one of the cheapest lux-
uries in the market. Have your name
and full address on each package, and
also in large letters say: " I warrant
this package to contain, so much, pure
honey." By doing so no one will be
afraid to purchase honey, and the per-
son who buys it and rinds it good will
call for that i)articular brand every-
time.

Don't be afraid to acquniut your
friends, neighliors, and all the people
within several miles of your apiary
that you have honey for sale.

NOTES FROM THE
STATE APIARY.

BAT

Hekky alley.

SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT ONE MAN

CAN DO.

Some of our readers have an
idea that we have a large factory
and employ lots of men to make
up supplies for the trade ; such is
not the fact, we employ several ex-

perienced hands during the winter
and keep thorn at work till aliout
June 10 ; after which date we man-
age to do the work alone. This
however, we could not do alone,
did we not work during the winter
months getting e^■ery thing in or-
der, so that nothing will be want-
ing during the bus}' season.

The principal business going on
at the Bay State apiary from
June 1 to Oct. 10 is queen-rear-
ing. There are in full operation
at this time in our apiary over 260
nuclei and 60 full colonies of bees.
"We are rearing about 100 queens
each week ; of this number about
75 queens are shipped to customers
in ever}' state in the Union. The
work required to rear 100 queens
each week is no small affair, as any
queen breeder can testif}'. It is
not quite as much work to care for
260 nucleus hive while the bees are
gathering honey, but Avlien this
number of colonies must be fed as
often as twice each week, one can
have a faint idea of the work to be
done in such an apiar}'. P^very
morning one or more colonies of
bees are taken into the bee house
and every bee removed from the
comlis and treated according to di-
rections given in the "Handy Book,"
— l)roparatory to cell building.

The brood and combs are then
placed in the hive again and taken
into the beej^ai'd and other bees
that have just built and capped a
lot of cells from eggs given them
but four da3's previous are shaken
from the combs in front of the lat-
ter hive, and the queen given them,
when all goes on as usual. This
same performance is gone through
Avith each day from May 8, or 10,
till Aug. 15, after which time uo
more cells are "started."

OTHER AVORK WE HAVE TO DO.

Each day we receive about
twenty-five letters and postal cards.
All of these have to receive per-

220

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

sonal attention at once. These
letters do not all relate strictly to
business. A large number of
questions coine to hand b}' every
mail, all of which must be an-
swered [)ersonall3' or through tlie
Api. At any rate we liave to an-
swer- nearly all of them, and of
course it takes time to do it. Let
no one think by this that we are
not read}' and willing to answer
all.

Every order received is regis-
tered, numbered, and before all is
finished the name and full address
of each customer have to be writ-
ten not less than four and some
five times. This is necessary in
order to keep a straight account.
Not only do we attend to all the
correspondence, care for 260 nu-
clei, 60 full colonies, rear and put
up for mailing all the queens,
address the hundreds of sample
copies of Apr, but we have the pub-
lishing of the Api to attend to each
month besides. The reader will
notice that we supply several pages
of the reading matter each month,
as well as make all the blunders in
its make-up. Some of 3"ou must
have noticed one mistake made last
month. We refer to the letter of
Mr. Trowbridge at the head of Mr.
Doolittle's article. Well, we had
iust four hours' time in which to
make the "dummy". As all may
not understand what the dummy
is we will tr}^ and explain. It is
made in this wa^- : all the matter in
the Api is sent to us on strips of
paper, each of which when cut up
will fill three columns of the Api.
This is called "galle}'" proof. On
these strips all corrections are
made on the margin at each side of
the reading matter. The manager
of the Api is furnished two copies
or proofs of each galley : one is to
make all needed correction on and
is returned to the printer ; the other
copy is to cut u[) to make the dummy
for a model for the printer to work

by. When enough has been cut in
strips it is then cut off into pieces
one column long and pasted over
the columns of another copv of the
Apr. This part of publishing a
journal is not a small job by any
means, and if a fellow is in a hurry
or does not keep his eyes open he
will find when the pnper is ready
to mail to his subscril)ers, that sev-
eral mistakes have been nnule. It
is impossible to get an}' printed
matter perfect. In our great haste
to get the July Api out on time,
the mistake above referred to was
made.

In order that all may know why
Mr. D. wrote that most excellent
article "Working for Extracted
Honey" we have had printed the
letter" of T. K. to which Mr. D's
article is an answer ; and a slip
containing the same will be found
in this number of the Api. Those
who care to preserve it can cut it
to the proper size and paste it
over the letter of Mr. Trowbridge.
Had I spent as much time in read-
ing the make-up of the Api as I
have in explaining how such a mis-
take happened it would not have
occurred. Please excuse us for
doing so, and we will assure the
reader that more will occur late.i
as the}' are sure to do in all publi-
cations.

DIFFERENT METHODS FOR REAR-
ING QUEENS.

As is natural with us, I have
been experimenting more or less
this season on the different methods
for rearing queens. Have tested
five new methods, not one of which
is down in the books. I need not
say none of them were satisfactory.
There is no other method by which
one can rear queens that equal
those reared under the swarming
impulse except the one given in
the "Beekeepers' Handy Book."

Wenham, Mass.

The American Apiculturist.

KNTKRED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.
Published Monthly. Henry Alley, Manager

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., SEPTEMBER

No.

We (leal in first-class apiari- I
an stii)plies of all kinils, lowest |
prices. Prompt shipment.

Send for price list. |

Established in 1883. Terms : | Any yearly subscriber is en-
$1.00 per year, 50 cents per six I titled to one of our selected
months, '25 cents per three I queens anytime between June!
months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. l", by remitting 50 cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN APICULTURIST, ^^enham, Mass.

For the American Apiculturist.

HYBRIDS OR NOT.

J. E. Pond.

The questions of "What race of
bees are the best?" and "Are h^'-
brids better than pure bees?" have
been called quite prominently in
times past to the attention of the
readers of the various bee journals,
but there has been a lull upon the
subject until quite recently. If it
were not for one important point, I
myself should give more credence
to the expressed ideas of the cham-
pions of hybrids, and that point is,
that they either are breeders of hy-
brids themselves under the cloak of
a strain, or are anxious for some
reason or other to boom the hy-
brid strains thus advertised. As
a lact, however, the Italian forms
the basis on which these wonderful
strains are built. In the first
place we heard of a strain, built
up by crossing the German or
black bee with the Italian. This
cross it was said produced a bee
that was gentle and a first-class
hone}' gatherer. The fact, however,
that this strain was not so gotten
up that it could be identified by any
fixed markings prevented from
fear of imposition its general ac-
ceptance. Seeing this important
point, another breeder of queens
started the boom on a so-called
Syrio-Italian, claiming that it was

17

not only perfection in possessing
the gentleness of the Italian, and
the smartness of the Syrian, but it
had the distinguishing marks of
the yellow races, viz., the three
bands.

The argument was then made,
" How shall we be able to distin-
guish this new race fi-om those from
which it was built?" and, further,
Will the hybrids hold their own
or will they by continued crosses
go back to their originals? Seeing
the importance of these questions,
and the bearing they must inevi-
tably have upon the boom being
made, it is now attempted to cry
down the Italians b}' saying they are
hybrids, that the only pure bees we
have are the blacks, and that it
makes no real difference which hy-
brid we adopt, so long as we have
good, clever working bees. Now
for myself, it is well known that I
have for years been a champion of
pure Italian bees, and that I have
fought for them to the best of my
ability. I must say, however, that
the Italians need no champion.
They have been before the public
foi- more than thirty years, and
while they met with the severest
opposition on the first attempt at
introducing, yet they have won
their way to favor against this op-
position, till now the}- are admitted
by all disinterested beekeepers of
experience to stand at the head and
front of them all. This being the

(221)

222

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

case, is there an}^ legitimate rea-
son, why we should throw them
aside? and have we any guarant}'^
tliat we shall gain by so doing?
So far as the attempted argument
is concerned tiiat Italians are hy-
brids, tliere is no proof whatever
to support it, and the only reply
that is needed is the simple asser-
tion that statements, not based on
proof, are of no value whatever as
arguments. I can assert safely,
and defy proof to the contrary, that
the Italians are the originals of the
race of honey bees.

My proof is found in Virgil, who
speaks of two races of bees, black
and yellow, and who says the yel-
low are far superior. For twenty
years I have tested both the yel-
iow and the black, and the various
crosses they are capable of pro-
ducing. 1 have found the yellow
Italians the superiors every time,
and that crossing them injured the
strain ; and also that crossing the
blacks improved them in the ratio
of the Italian blood added. I
trust that no one will be deceived
then by any specious arguments in
favor of crossing ; and that all
will remember they come from par-
ties who advertise such crosses for
.sale.

Foxboro, Aug. 2, 1887.

For the American Apiculturist.

■"' INS" AND ''OUTS" OF THE
APIAliY.

LUCr C. CUEHORE.

As I find that human nature is
more fond of looking at the brighter
side of life than at the darker, per-
haps it would be better for me to
name some of the " ins" first.

Were you to ask me what I
thought was the first "in" of my
apiary, I should say a lively, pro-

lific strain of bees. Not too lively,
however, for I should be apt to
consider that trait a decided "out."
Some novice might inquire, what
kind of a hive to use. I should
reply, the very best ; which is the
kind which best suits the manipu-
lator. " Many people have many
minds," so, to please all, there are
many hives. Another great " in"
is the situation of my hives, which
are placed facing south.

It is an amusing " in " to accom-
pany the boastful visitor who re-
bels against the bee veil, into the
apiary, and see him make himself
suddenly "in"-visible among the
bushes. In the course of five min-
utes he appears from the other
side of the house and says, with a
triumphant ring in his voice,
"Well, I didn't get stung, did I?

I studied beekeeping under two
apiarists who are among the best
in New England, and the past
summer took care of an apiary
containing over one hundred colo-
nies. If their (the bees) views and
mine had not disagreed, I fully be-
lieve they would have increased to
five hundred colonies. When cut-
ting out queen cells to prevent
afterswarms, I removed from
twelve to sixteen queen cells,
hatching and nearly ready to hatch,
from each ; and often, at the same
time, found another set started
with larva in them.

Certainly I know of no more
healthful and profitable employ-
ment for ladies than beekeeping,
and, if rightly managed it will not
interfere with either domestic or
intellectual pursuits. A novice
might tliink from reading the "ins"
that there were no " outs." Not
so, my friend. Take stings, for
instance. They are annoying, but
as I make quite free use of soft
soap (not the verbal kind, how-
ever), I am not much afl["ected by
them. I know of no severer "out"
than, after working patiently and

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

223

diligently (as I did the past sea-
son) to find the honey crop minus.
Tliis year it averages only about
twenty pounds per colony. There-
fore, I also am among those who
mourn, especially as two poor sea-
sons have come in succession.
Another "out" is to view with
despairing gaze a swarm clustered
on the topmost branch of a tall
elm or locust. But I find that dif-
ficult}' may be obviated by clipped
queens, and tlic prevention of
afterswarms by cutting out queen-
cells. The bees were so delayed
in swarming b}' tlie rainy weather,
that I was obliged to remove queen
cells in five days after the issue of
the prime swarm, or else find the
hive overrun with 3'^oung queens.
If a single cell is skipped you must
make up your mind to climb to
" supernal heights." The past
season, two of the swarms took
their "out"-ing in the midst of
a heav}' rain. Both were first
swarms. There was no need of a
" fountain-pump " to secure them.
Altogether, we have had a very
trying season. I would advise any
lady wishing to make a business
of beekeeping to spend, at least,
one year under the instruction of
some practical apiarist.

Bradford, Vt.

For the American ApicuUurist.

DIFFICULTIES OF A

NOVICE.

Mrs. H. Ilirxs.

It is surprising, it is simply
amazing, that one should willingly
work as liard as I have this sum-
mer, for a matter of a couple of
thousand pounds more or less of
honey ; but there is such a fascina-
tion in the work, that one would not
give it up, even if not enough for
winter stores were secured.

The great trouble seemed to be
in getting comh honey stored, and
much of tlie difficulty was doubtless
due to the light honey flow. I wish
we could have had Mr. Demaree's
article in the last Api, touching
this point, earlier. Probably if the
apiary had been worked for ex-
tracted honey, exclusively, a much
larger crop miglit have been secured
and with far less work.

Again : such heavy colonies as I
took from the cellar last spring
frighten me. I cannot control
them. The little nucleus, on its
three crosswise L. frames, wintered
so remarkably well, and also built
up, and stored so goodly a quan-
tity of extracted honey, that I am
strongl}'^ tempted to winter more
such. I can get these little nucleus
hives in and out of the cellar with-
out assistance; and as tliey build
up in the spring, the frames can be
removed to larger hives. There is
very strong temptation to invest in
Heddon hives, one-half story of
which would hold just the sized
colony I should like to handle.
But what could be done with the
nice, new crosswise L. hives, and
the four crosswise chaff-division
boards for each, which form such a
perfect two-inch lining of chaff, all
around the hive, affording such
facilities for contraction of brood-
chamber, and spring protection?

What work Mr. Schwartz did
make getting my bees out of the
cellar last spring. One colon}' of
hybrids, which certainly deserves
further mention, stung him to a
frightful degree. 1 thought he would
run and leave me, but we finally
finished the job, just at noon, and
looking up, found Mephisto grin-
ning surcasticall}'-, from the piazza
where he stood waiting for his un-
cooked dinner. He remembered
his own experience of last Thanks-
giving da}^ with this same colony,
when he, innocentlj^ enough, tried
to take away their entrance blocks,

224

THE AMERICAN A PIC UL TUB 1ST.

preparatory to removing them to
the cellar. The colony now inhab-
its the solitar}' recesses of Tamarac
swamp, but their queen never left
the trap alive. What did they do
fdr a queen ? Ah ! thereby hangs a
tale.

Last year at the close of the
hone}'^ flow, there were forty-one
colonies in the apiary, which were
doubled up toSlJ-, with the result
that those united were so full of
bees in the spring, that, — well, as
mentioned above, the Tamarac
swamp solved the problem for, at
least, some of them. This season
I have tried to run the old colonies
as nuclei, by the side of the prime
svv^arms, on the double stands.
Curiously heavy nuclei they are,
though their field bees weva repeat-
edly drawn ofl', into the primes, by
moving them from one side to the
other of the latter, a la Heddo7i, or
to the back of them, — anywhere,
so their field bees should not find
them. Think you, that the primes
also, were thus made heavy or light,
■with their half dozen or less stories
of extracting frames? These very
heavy colonies worked right along,
cold or hot, when it rained, even,
so long as they were allowed to oc-
cupy their meeting houses. But
what resulted if an attempt was
made to contract their brood-cham-
bers, and give section cases? And
how about the one thousand lovely
three-fourth pound sections received
from Dr. Tinker? Such devices,
without number, were emi)loyed to
induce them to fill those sections.
No matter how many cases were
given, they would either refuse to
stay in the hives at all (and this
was most usually the case) or
otherwise, store about fifty pounds
in the sections, and then prepare
to swarm. This would never do.
Even if I could have put up with it
myself, and let them doze along,
Mephisto's eyes were everywhere.
Each noon he went over the apiary,

singling out the delinquents the
moment they showed signs of slack-
ening speed ; and I had to employ
some device to, at least, keep them
inside the hives ; though it is my
private opinion, that, when within,
they often loafed all the same.
Sometimes the comb honey of a col-
ony, grown lazy, was exchanged
for the extracting-frames of one
just made up, taking bees along.
Sometimes 1 made up a colony
with young queen in the hive from
which the prime swarm had issued,
and put in place of the prime when
that grew slowly ; giving the newly
prepared colony, all the surplus
and returning bees, and taking
away the sleepy lower story to be
looked over, and stirred up from
its lethargy. Giving drone brood,
which had been uncapped, alwaj's
seemed to rouse the very laziest
colonies.

Sometimes, when wishing to draw
bees from the old colony, to pre-
vent after-swarming, and unable to
move the heavy hive, a stor^^ of ex-
tracting fi'ames was placed above
it, and when well covered with bees,
removed to the prime.

Well, after all this work and
worry and study, it is certainly
rather disheartening, to be haunted
by a private suspicion that every
movement made was probably
about the worst that could have
been made. Raising comb honey
is, 1 fear, too difficult a problem for
me to solve ; thougii I did succeed
in getting about 700 of my 1,000
sections very tolerably filled, and
capped, — some of them most beau-
tifully. This latter clause points
to my difficulty. I want all the comb
honey to be most beautiful. And
again, I feel sure that with one
quarter the work, double the amount
of honey might have been obtained
from those colonies, if worked for
extracted honey.

Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

225

For the American Apiculturist.

ITALIAN BEES.

A. M. FlKMAN.

Italian bees were accidentally
discovered, during the wars of Na-
poleon, by Captain Baldenstein,
who carried the first swarm across
the Alps in 1843. In 1853 Doctor
Dzierzon introduced them in Ger-
many, and in 1860 into the United
States. The honorary degree of
doctor was conferred on him by the
University of Munich, and he was
decorated by the Grand Ducal Hes-
sian Order of Ludwig and the im-
perial order of Francis Joseph, I
mention this to shovv that govern-
ments and learned institutes and
agricultural societies now acknowl-
edge the importance of beekeeping.
Doctor Dzierzon says, "The Ital-
ian bee forms a distinct race of ^p<s
mellifica, differing from the English
or German bees, being different
in color and having other marked
characteristics ; this beautiful gold-
colored bee was known by Virgil
(4th book of his Georgics) as pos-
sessing positive advantages, which
bold good to-day.

HOW I BEGAN KEEPING BEES.

First, I read A. J. Cook's "Bee-
keeper's Guide ;" became very much
interested. Then I got Doctor
Dzierzon's "Forty Years among
the Bees", read it, followed up with
"A B C in Bee Culture," bought
two colonies, started, and learned
to manipulate, handle, divide and
unite. Succeeded, and noiv for a
queen. My book sa^^s, " July 7,
1883, received a beautiful queen
from Henr}'^ Alley, Wenham, Mass."
Succeeded in introducing her, and
in raising some beautiful golden
colored bees and queens, as di-
rected by Alley's "Twenty-two
Years in Queen-Kearing," In 1884,
desirous of starting with the best
strain of bees I possibly could get,
I got of A. I. Root, one queen,

a daughter of an imported mother,
also an imported queen from Bian-
coni direct from Italy, and one
from Doolittle. From these I
raised three queens each. In

1885, I took the best of these and
raised the queens of my seventy-
five colonies now in m}'^ apiary. In

1886, by careful crossing of the
best, I had a fine quality and
strain of pure home-bred bees, ac-
climated for wintering purposes
and fine honey gatherers, and I do
firmly believe, I am going towards
the coming bee. How I succeeded
in breeding up will form another
chapter.

Qaasqueton, Btichancm Co., Iowa.

From 'Gleanings.^'

THE PAST AND THE
PROSPECT.

BRIGHTNESS THROUGH DISCODR-
AGEMENT.

Most of the readers of " Glean-
ings " are aware by this time, no
doubt, that the honey crop of this
season is likely to be exceedingly
short. My locality is no exception
to the general rule, unless it is in be-
ing rather worse, if anything, than
the average. In fact, the season here
has been most exceptionally bad.
It opened badly. Fruit-blossoms
produced scarcely a ripple on the
apiarian sea. White clover came
in abundance, but, except for two
or three da3's,its blossoms remained
almost unvisited by the bees. Bass-
wood bloomed early and freely, but
the taste of basswood honey never
became perceptible in the hives.
Mustard and sweet clover came at
about the same time. For about
two weeks the bees worked well on
these in the early morning, contin-
uing with less vigor on sweet clo-
ver throughout the da3^

Mustard is gone now, and sweet
clover, in the intense drought that

226

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

prevails, yields scarcely any honey.
Strong colonies, devoted to ex-
tracted honey, are gaining very
slowly. Colonies run for comb
honey are doing nothing, except that
some of them are putting a little
into the brood-chamber. Ordinary
colonies are not gaining at all ; and
many, I think, have less honey in
their hives than they had in the
spring. I have heard of several
cases where bees were found starv-
ing duiing what is usually our best
honey-flow.

As a matter of course, there has
been little or no svi^arming. Only
one colony in my apiary tried it :
and that, on being returned, thought
better of it and did not repeat the
attempt. All colonies are unusually
weak. Unless we have heavy rains
soon, heart' s-ease will fail, and with
it our only hope of any income
from bees this year.

What is the lesson to be learned
from this? Dark as the prospect
is, it is not without some points of
brightness. In the first place, the
markets will probably be cleared of
all of last year's honey. This of
itself is by no means a small thing
in the establishment of better prices
for this year's crop. Only those
who have had a large experience in
selling direct to retailers can have
an adequate idea of the depressing
effect on the market exerted by
even a small quantity of unsalable
honey. I can recollect instances
where it would liave paid me to
have bought out a retailer's stock
of honey at his own price, rather
than let it remain on his hands,
spoiling his trade, preventing the
sale of other honey, and lowering
its price. Now, if those who have
any honey for sale this year would
only hold it back until the market
is bare of all old honey, and the
demand for new begins to be urgent,
they might realize almost, if not
quite, as much for their short crop
as they would have for a full one :

at the same time preparing the way
for better prices next year. Honey
will probably be in greater demand
this year than last, for the same
drought that made a failure of the
honey crop produced a great short-
age in the yield of small fruits, so
that there should be an unusual de-
mand for honey as a table-sauce.

Many bees will probably starve
the coming winter, which, I think,
will be a good thing for beekeeping
as a whole. In fact, I know of only
one thing that would do more to
put beekeeping on a sound and re-
munerative basis than a wholesale
reduction of the number of bees
kept and that is a corresponding
reduction in the number of careless
and incompetent beekeepers. I
know this idea is not popular with
some, but it is my honest opinion.

Although many of those who
meet with losses will become dis-
couraged and give up the business,
there will be enough who will go at
it again to make the irade in bees
and queens good.

Look at it which way we will,
I think there is much of encourage-
ment to the careful and energetic
apiarist. The present loss may be
hard to bear ; but when all things
are considered, it may give greater
results tlian a more apparent suc-
cess.

So failure wins : the consequence
Of loss becomes its recompense.

At any rate, good management
will go far to retrieve our losses and
prevent them from becoming de-
feats. Stick to the bees, then, and
give them the best of care. If there
is any chance for a fall crop be sure
that the bees can make the most of
it. Above all, be sure that your
bees go into winter quarters in as
good condition as you know how
to put them. To insure that, begin
now.

J, A. Green.

Dayton, III, July 14, 1887.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

227

For the American Jpiculturist .

PRICE OF HONEY.

A. Norton.

The question of selling honey,
like all questions vital to industrial
or political economy, is a hard one
to agree about. And, in the dis-
cussion of this question, we find all
kinds of ideas coraing before us
and many tlieories urged as cer-
tainties, wlien, in reality, they are
only fancies. One of these is the
belief that producers can combine,
witlihold the supply and increase
the price. It cannot be questioned
that all business is governed by
natural laws.

Method shapes so completely
every, channel of our modern busi-
ness and social fabric that any ar-
tificial obstacle thrown in to stem
the current will soon be swept
away. And this plan to increase
the price of honey by lessening the
sale is an artificial one. ' It is
founded simply upon a conception
of one side of the subject of sup-
ply and demand.

If the supply fall short, and the
demand remain the same, the price
will advance. Thus far it looks
well ; but, if the supply is large,
and offerings are withheld, let us see
what follows. An artificial condi-
tion parallel to that of short supply
is temporarily produced and prices
may rise. But there exist the
same crop, the same total reserve
supply to be sold. The slower
rate of ott'erings and sales to keep
up high prices involve a longer
time that the reserve holds out.
If this time extends over a year,
then a new crop comes in and the
reserve accumulates.

This condition evidently cannot
last. We therefore have but two
ways to choose between : 1. To
offer the whole reserve before the
new crop. 2. To produce so little
for new crop — about as much as

has been sold — as to leave the re-
serve no larger than at the outset.

The first method will bring down
the prices after all. For it makes
no difference whether a hundred
men throw each his little or one
man his great mass upon the mar-
ket ; increased offerings make lower
prices.

The reserve might be sold out
evenl}', one-twellth of it every
month, so to speak ; and thus the
price for the year might always be
kept at the average. But this
average would only be higher than
the lowest and lower than highest
prices that would prevail in the
natural order of things.

The second method means idle
colonies and retiring from the busi-
ness.

It would be a suspension of the
workshops to produce an artifi-
cially short supply, and would in-
volve (]uestions about each indi-
vidual share of the shortage in
production which it would be a con-
stant vexation to adjust. Again, if
the sales are to be gradual, that
prices may keep up, whose honey
is to be sold first? Either an
immense reserve capital must be
raised to buy the crop directly of
the producer whenever he wants re-
turns, or another troublesome ques-
tion comes up almost incapable of
settlement. For a pro rata ol sell-
ing whereby each one sold his little
fraction and received his little drib-
let— a given proportion of his crop
each day, or week, or month —
could not be made practicable at
all. The former method would
take it from the hands of the pro-
ducers and transfer it to those of
speculators, thus destroying the
original plan at once. Space will
not admit of my enlarging upon
this subject. Much of the talk
about it is based upon the farmers'
ideas of the dishonesty of com-
mission houses. Let me say that
commission houses have their ideas

228

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

about the dishonesty of farmers, —
taught by many a lesson, too. In
these days of modern business
ideas, an established business
house expects to make its money
by its business and to depend upon
maintaining and extending its
business. Few are so shortsighted
as to expect to make a living by
little steals of a dollar or two here
and there. Acting myself, in a
middle capacity between the com-
mission mei'chant and the farmer,
that is, sampling and buying grain
of the farmers for the city firms, I
have found first, — that many far-
mers, if they could get me to buy
their grain on tlieir own samples,
■would deliberately sell a poor lot
on a falsely good sample and, in
cold blood, see me or the San
Francisco house lose any sum what-
ever to their own gain ; while I was
never yet wronged by a regular
grain firm in the city. I am only
speaking now of the dishonest far-
mer. I am not calling all alike.
And I only want to illustrate that
the claims of dishonesty are not
all against the commission house.

But the question of actual sup-
ply and demand without any arti-
ficial element is very clear. No
one is going to continue producing
an article when the price is less
than it costs him. Hence if peo-
ple throw large quantities on the
market at a low price you may
know that there is still a living in
it. The only exception would be
where multitudes produced ex-
pecting to get some former price
only to see their mistake when the
article has to be sold at a loss.
But this condition would be tem-
porary.

If so many are in the business as
to render it unprofitable this year,
you may depend that enough will
drop out to equalize it next year.
I will close this letter by asking-
space for the opinion of Costigan,
Cohen & Co., of San Francisco,

an upright, sagacious and success-
ful commission firm. Having writ-
ten them for their views upon this
question, they replied as follows :

To Mr. a. Norton.
Dkau Sir :

The writer is not snfficiently
fiiniiliar with tlie cost of production of
honey here and elsewhere to give you
all the information asked for in your
letter of the 4th in.st.

There is no doubt that should an as-
sociation be formed, incliuliiii; all the
apiarists in the state, they could estab-
lish higher prices for honey under cer-
tain conditions. These would be, that
the honey all be marketed through the
agent of the association, and that all
members live up to its rules. That is
one side of the question ; the other is,
that there has never been any such
body formed, which has been more than
temporarily successful.

The writer knows of just such cases,
Avhere men have banded together and
signed written agreements not to sell
their produce for less than a given
price, and in less than an hour someone
of them has ofl'ered to sell for less than
the price agreed upon.

If all the members lived up to their
agreement, it would make producing
profitable, and outsiders would go into
the business and undersell them. This
alone would break up the association
as its goods would not meet with ready
sale and the individual members would
themselves sell their honey for what
they could get.

We never yet have seen a combina-
tion of any kind where some party to
it would not undersell the established
price.

After all, the question of supply and
demand will regulate prices in the long
run.

Yours truly,
Costigan, Cohen & Co.

Gonzales, San Francisco, Cal,
June G, 1887.

CAUSE OF DROUGHT AND CY-
CLONES.

Thos. E. Hill.

During a recent journey to Europe
the passage across the ocean was es-
pecially unpleasant, because of fogs,
the only consolation in contemplating

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

229

them beinj? that they represented the
work of Nature in drawinji; moisture
from the water, which, wafted inhiiul,
fell upon the soil in refreshing rain,
gathered in the brooks and rivers and
flowed to the sea, to be again thus sent
back to freslieu and brighten the
parched earth.

The speed of our vessel was mater-
ially retarded by winds from the west,
a common occurrence in the summer
season. The fogs and moisture through
these winds are driven upon the Con-
tinent, where drought seldom prevails,
and particularly do they freshen the
verdure of Ireland, and hence the bril-
liant green of the Emerald Isle.

In reflecting upon this subject, I
contemplated the drought then prevail-
ing in several of the western and mid-
dle states of the Union. "What had
they to gather rains from? Alas, what
have they ? For a generation our far-
mers have been draining their lands
of moisture. They have run their til-
ing through every slough; they have
drawn out the water from every
swamp; they have dried up the pond ;
they have obliterated the beautiful lit-
tle lake. In doing this they have made
such easy and rapid egress for rainfall
from the soil as to endanger the homes
and farm lands of all the settlers along
the great rivers in the southern re-
gions of our country, already inflict-
ing great distress, loss of life, and
property equalling in value many mil-
lions of dollars — an evil which is grow-
ing in magnitude each year.

The result of this wholesale drain-
ing of the upper country of water is
not only thus disastrous to life and
property along the larger streams,
from frequent overflow, but there is
such absolute drainage of moisture
from the earth as to produce severe
drought, accompanied by such intense
heat and dryness of atmosphere as re-
sults in the hurricane, the cyclone, and
innumerable village, prairie and forest
fires.

In the early days when the process
of evaporation of moisture went for-
ward from the swamps, the ponds and
lakes of our western and middle states,
an extended drought, with extremely
intense heat, was a rare occurrence.
In those days sunstroke was very un-
common, and the cyclone was compar-
atively unknown. This year we are in
the second season of drought in various
portions of the country, while every
year brings its devastation from wind,
the result of an excessively dry and
frequently disturbed condition of the
atmosphere.

With the land thus denuded of nat-
ural water supply, there is but one
course for our farmers to pursue to
save themselves from these evils.
They may drain their soil, but they
should gather the rainfall in ponds and
lakes scattered throughout their lands.
Instead of running the drains through
and out of the swamp, they should
lead to an excavation of such size as
circumstances will permit, which
should be made at a depth of three or
four feet, where the water can gather
and will remain throughout the year,
quenching the thirst of animals, giv-
ing drink to birds, a reservoir in case
of fire, a home for fish, a place of
beauty on which one may sail the boat,
an opportunity for the bath and for
teaching the young people to swim.
This will yield ice for the family, pro-
vide skating for the happy youth in
winter time, and moisture, which,
through evaporation, will pass into the
cloud to be returned again through
rainfall to the needy earth.

No fear need be entertained of stag-
nation from water thus held in reserve.
Fish will of themselves purify it.
Every rain will change it, while, if the
lake covers an acre or more in area,
the wind will constantly keep it pure.
In proof of this, the writer has an ar-
tificial lake on his farm, the result of
dredging aswainp, which is filled only
by rainfall, the water being, in the dry-
est season, always perfectly clear and
fresh.

On the low lands the general aban-
donment of farms and homes from
river overflow will be the inevitable
outcome of this water wastage in the
high grounds. Such is already the
fact, while the expenditure of many
millions of dollars by the government,
in the construction of levees and em-
bankments along the great rivers, will
be necessary for the further protection
of adjoining property. Vastly better
that this expenditure be made in hold-
ing the water where it is required in
the up-country.

Dot the faruis of our inland states
with ponds and miniature lakes, and
while they will afford health, attraction
and pleasure in a thousand ways, they
will give us back the uniform rainfall
we had in the early settlement of the
country, when successive seasons of
drought, forest fires and cyclones were
unknown.

[Those of our readers who live in that part
of the country wliere cj'clones and drought
prevail will be particularly interested in
reading the above.]

230

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

(Selected.)

RECEIPTS FOR DESTROY-
ING ANTS.

Henry T. Williams.

1. Tuke four ounces of quassia-
chips; boil for ten minutes in a
gallon of water, dissolving in the
liquid while cooling four ounces of
soft-soap.

2. Take one pound of black soap,
dissolve it in four gallons of water,
and sprinkle the solution through
a fine hose over the runs and nests,
taking care, however, not to water
the roots of the plants with it.

3. The following is a successful
poison : Ferrocyanide of potas-
sium, one drachm ; raspings of
quassia, one drachm ; sugar in suf-
ficient quantity to form a syrup.
The ants are said to devour this
greedily and die almost immedi-
ately.

4. Fresh Peruvian guano will
drive ants from any spot, however
firm a hold the}^ may have obtained
on it. ParafRne and benzoline oil
are said to have the same effect.

Turpentine, gas- water, flowers of
sulphur, lime-water, a decoction of
elder leaves, chloride of lime dis-
solved in water, and camphor have
all been used.

5. For ants in a lawn put a large
flower-pot over their hole or place
of operations. The ants will build
up into the pot, and in a short time
it may be lifted up and carried
away and dropped into a vessel of
water, which will be the end of
them.

6. For ants on fruit trees put a
line of gas-tar all around the tree,
and that will stop their progress.

Ants in flower or garden beds
may be destroyed as follows :

Take two ounces of soft-soap,
one pound of potash, and about
two and one-half pints of water.
Boil the whole together for some
time, stirring the ingredients oc-

casionally. The liquor ma}' then
be allowed to cool.

With a pointed stick or dibble
make holes wherever the soil is in-
fested. Drop the mixture, filling
the holes once or twice.

Fill small vials two-thirds with
water, and add sweet-oil to float
on the water to within half an inch
of the top. Plunge these upright
in the ground, leaving only half an
inch standing out, near the nest or
runs of the ants. The ants will
come for a sip and go home to die.
No insect can exist with oil stop-
ping up its spiracles, or breathing
pores.

Boiling water and arsenic are fa-
tal ; coarse sponge dipped in trea-
cle-water, and afterwards dipped
in scalding water, will catch thou-
sands.

May be destro3'ed b}'^ a few fresh,
unpicked bones being placed for
them, or sponges wetted and filled
with sugar, or treacle in bottles or
pans.

FOREIGN.

HOW COUSIN JONATHAN GETS COMB
HONEY.

Most of our readers have beard of
Mr. Henry Alley, of Weuliam, Mass.,
of queeu-rearing fame; lie Is the
present editor of the American Api-
CULTUIUST, a moiitlily bee-paper that
is second to none in tlie value of its
articles on points of real practical in-
terest to beekeepers. The number for
June h;is live articles on comb honey
from the pens of the following well-
known American beekeepers : — G. M.
Doolittle, Dr. G. L. Tinker, A. E.
Mannm, Dr. C. C. Miller, and G. W.
Demaree. To reprint them in extenso
would be beyond the limits of these
columns, so I will endeavor to give
you a digest of them : the information
is too late to be of benetit for the pres-
ent honey crop, but as our minds are
now occupied with honey-getting, the
facts will probably be more lirmly fixed
in our memories at the present time
than they would be in the winter when
bees are quiet. — Amateur Expert in
British Bee Journal.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

231

[The above shows how our efforts
as a publisher are appreciated in a
foreign land. We believe that the
June, 1887, issue also the October
number of 1886 of the Api, were
two of the most valuable papers
of any publication devoted to bee
culture ever issued from any office,
yet not one of the papers here in
America, so far as we remember,
has ever mentioned the subject to
its readers, notwithstanding the
fact thafa^Z" bee journals are pub-
lished for the benefit of their read-
ers. Most of the editors and pub-
lishers of American beepapers are
mighty afraid that they will do some
free advertising for their neighbor.]

From the Australian Beekeepers^ Journal.
THE DEOXE-TRAP.

WHAT IS THOUGHT OF IT IN AUSTRA-
LIA?

Among the now numerous conven-
ient inventions for beelveepers, the
Alley drone trap, or swarm arrester, is
likely to prove of the greatest value
to those who don't care about losing
swarms. This arrangement is a little
movable porcli to go in front of the
hive on the entrance. It is closed with
zinc, perforated witli oblong holes
large enough for the worker bee to
get tluough quite easily, but too small
lor drones or laying queens to get
til rough. The porch has an upper
story, which can be entered from the
lower one through two cones of fine
wire net, with holes in their apex large
enough for queens and drones to get
tlu'ough easily. When once in the up-
per story they are caged, for, although
they could go back the way they came,
tliey never do, because the wa}' out is
on the top of a cone or pyramid, and
bees seldom or never enter an opening
situated at the end of a cone or tube.
Now if one of these "traps" is on a
hive when a swarm issues, all the bees
get throuiih the zinc front, but the
queen cannot, and she crawls up
through one of the cones into tlie up-
per story of the trap, and is thus
caged ; the bees soon find she is not
out, and cluster around the cage,
whence the swarm iseasily taken. Mr.

Bonney, of Adelaide, writing to us his
experience of these useful little ar-
rangements, says : — "Do you use the
Alley drone trap? It is a capital in-
vention. I keep one on each of my
pure Italian colonies during swarming
time, and can then go to business
without any fear of loss of swarms.
If the bees swarm, the queen goes into
the trap and remains there with the
swarm hanging about the hive till I
come home in the evening, when mat-
ters are easily arranged."

Mr. Alley himself says : — " You can
go to church on Sundays in swarming
time without thinking of your swarms
all prayer time."

From the Australian Beekeepers' Journal.

FIXING FOUNDATION IN
WIRED FRAMES.

The methods usually adopted
for fixing foundation in wired
frames are either to rub the wires
into the foundation with a grooved
button Jiook, or some tool of the
kind, or to press it in with '■'■Blood's
roller" (an American device), or,
better, with Mr. Root's " rocJdng
tool" an instrument like a poi'-
tion of the periphery of a wheel,
with a few sharp teeth on it. Each
tooth is rolled on to the wires em-
bedding the wire in the foundation.
Foundation fixed by any of these
methods is apt to part from the
wires and curl up in very warm
weather, or when used for newl}'
hived swarms. The fact is. there
is no real union between the wax
and the wires unless the wires are
heated. I have tried several plans
for doing this, but none so satis-
factory as warming the wires with
a galvanic current from a good,
large single-battery cell. The
mode is very simple. Lay the
foundation on a board which fit
inside the frame ; now lay the frame
horizontally over the foundation,
so that the wires lie nicelj^ and ev-
enly on the foundation ; take the

232

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

wires from the two poles of the
battery, one in each hand, and
touch the two ends of each frame
"wire for a moment, one end with tlie
positive and the other witli the
negative wire of the battery, and
the frame wire becomes heated
and melts its way down to the sej)-
tum or midrib of the foundation ;
touch each wire of the frame in
succession in this way, and the
whole is fixed more quickly than
by any of the other modes, and so
firmly that you can only tear the
foundation away piecemeal. If your
battery is not strong enough to
heat the wire the whole width of
the frame, do it in steps, and you
will find even that you can do it
more quickly than by any of the
other plans, with the satisfaction
of knowing that the wires are as
firmly attached as is the case with
the foundation where the wires are
embedded during the process of
manufacture.

Mr. Spurgeon and thk Hornet's
Nest. — Mr. Spurgeon, speaking at a
Blue Ribbon Society meeting, rehited
the following anecdote: — He had once
had a hornet's nest in his garden. He
tried to kill the hornets singly, but it
took hira a long time to dispose even
of one. At last, on a fine night — he
did not previously tell them of his in-
tention— he heated a poker red-hot
and dropped it in the hole where they
■were. He did not stay any longer,
but at once went in for meditation.
He never saw another hornet. They
seemed to be so pleased with the poker
that they stopped in their hole forever
afterwards. The living fire of the
Gospel was wanted to burn, not one
special sin only, but all sins from the
human heart. — British Bee Journal.

Melbourne, May 27, 1887.
Mr. H. Alley.
Dear Sir :

I have a number of inquiries
whether or not I import any of your
best queens. Until now the distance
has in some way prevented me. How-

ever, I am anxious to try a small con-
signment of them, say six, if you could
manage to forward them so that they
■would reach San Francisco a day or so
before the steamer leaves there for Aus-
tralia. I am importing large quantities
of bee supplies from America every sea
son. I receive the Amkhican Apicul
TUUisT every month and I hope soon to
take orders to supply copies to several
beekeepers here. Although not well
adapted to our season, it gives a large
amount of useful information. The
queries and answers in the same num-
ber are indeed a very good thought.
The answers are always well to the
point without any darkness about
them.

The industry in Australia is advanc-
ing steadily; to a certain extent, the
sale of good honey is retarded by large
quantities of bush honey which is sent
into the market. However, I suppose
that Avill not last long, as the comb
honey in section boxes is coming into
general use, and is now fetching from
nine to twelve cents per dozen pounds
wholesale. The Australian Bee .journal
published here is doing good work in
imparting the science of modern bee-
keeping, but I am sorry to say it has
been a dead loss to the publishers.
However, it is their intention to give it
another twelve months' trial. Indeed it
would be a great disaster to beekeeping
to be without a journal. I also post you
an October number of the Journal giv-
ing an account of a method to embed
wire in foundation, and is now used
by a number of beekeepers.

J. M. Lloyd.

Honey-Lemonade.— J. M. Shuck,
Des Moines, Iowa, uses this recipe for
honey- lemonade.

Make it in the usual way, using
lioney instead of sugar; nothing can
be used as a summer beverage that is
more grateful and refreshing. Try it,
Many thousands pounds of honey may
be used in this way, and the users all
be benefited.

Answers by Practical Apiarists,

Feeding Bees.

Query No. 31. The present season having
))e('n one nf the poorest for many years tor
l)ees, it will be necessary to cIo nuioh leeding
this fall. I •would be pleased to see the I'ol-
lowiug questions answered in the "Api."

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

233

1. Wlien sliall I commence to feed ?

2. How shall Heed? that is, what sort of
a feeder is best?

3. Ought not all colonies to be fed suffi-
ciently early in oi'der that the syiiip given
them may be capped ? It strikes me that late
feeding never ought to be done, say later tlian

Oct. 1. SUBSCKIBEK.

ANSWERS BY HILAS D. DAVIS.

1. Bees should be fed about the
middle of September.

2. A wooden feeder, so made
to prevent drowning. It is placed
over them in place of the section
case.

3. By all means.

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

1. As soon after Sept. 15 as
I30ssible, or when there is no more
nectar for the bees to gather from
the fields.

2. Heddon's large feeder is the
best and a tin milk pan the cheap-
est.

3. That is best, but bees which
are to be wintered in a good
cellar will do well if fed so late
that the syrup is not capped.

ANSWERS BY C. C. MILLER.

1. As soon as you feel pretty
sure the bees will not gather
enough stores for winter, even if
that comes in August, although
September may do as well.

2. Any feeder that will allow
the work to be done safely and
rapidl}'. One good way is to fill
empty combs with syrup.

3. Late feeding is very unde-
sirable.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

If your bees need it, feed them
a little from time to time to keep
them from want, and just after the
first killing frost feed them as fast
as you can get them to take the
syrup till they have a supply for
winter. Common fruit jars that
will hold a quart or half gallon
are good substitutes for a feeder.
Fill them with syrup and tie a thin
cotton cloth over their mouths and
invert them on top of the frames.

Four or more may be inverted over
a strong colony at the same time.
I have fed on a slatted board at the
entrance of the hive after dark,
using the fruit jars with good re-
sults.

ANSWERS BY J. H. MARTIN.

1. Feed up in September ; feeding
can be done in October, but for my
locality, I prefer to have equalizing
and feeding all out of the way dur-
ing this month.

2. A simplicity feeder is a good
enough feeder for me. I use them
singly and several together. To
feed only a few pounds, I use one
feeder holding about two pounds.
If I wish to feed a quantity I hang
several feeders in a special frame
in an upper story.

3. It is well to have the syrup
capped, but we have had bees win-
ter finely' where much syrup was not
capped. The bees were put in a dry
repository. Dampness would prob-
ably sour such uncapped stores.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

1. It depends upon the latitude in
which you live. If about the same
as my own, which is 42° north, the
ideas offered in your last sentence
are about right. In many seasons
I should prefer to feed as earlj^ as
September.

2. 1 use a top feeder which cov-
ers the entire top of hive making
a complete story of itself. It holds
nearly twenty pounds of syrup or
honey and can be refilled without
the use of smoke or coming in con-
tact with the bees of the hive and
be closed so quickly that robbers
cannot get a taste. It is so con-
structed as to be almost odor-
proof, cannot leak outside the hive
nor can the bees become daubed
while taking the feed. I consider
the feeder nearly perfection ; many
of your readers have no doubt
seen cut and description in my
circular or book.

234

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ANSWERS BY DR. G. L. TINKER.

1. October 1 is soon enough to
feed in this locality unless the bees
fail to get enough honey in Sep-
tember to keep up moderate breed-
ing.

2. I have discarded all other
feeders but the bottom-board feed-
er. A hole is bored in the back
end of the hive and an elbow-
shaped funnel inserted. The hive
is then tipped backward slightly
and blocked. The feed is poured
in, a pint or half pint at a time,
ever}' few hours till ten pints of
thick sj'rup are fed, which is enough
to last till April 15 the following
spring, if the colonies are well pro-
tected. Most of our hives have a
hole bored in one end of the " un-
der cover " to the brood frames,
and the feeding is done through it.
A bottom-board made like that of
the Bay State hive makes a splen-
did feeder. I make all loose bot-
tom-boards with a raised rim so
that may be used for feeding.

3. It is not necessary that the
syrup be capped in the combs for
bees to Avinter well. It is much
more important that the colony is
well protected. The feeding should
all be done in this locality by
October 15th.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. Commence feeding at once so
that the brood-nest may be fully
formed at as early a date as possi-
ble.

2. Use frames the upper third or
half of which are (illed with capped
stores. In the absence of such
combs use any good feeder of large
size, and feed pure honey, or sugar
syrup.

3. Most certainly. For mj^self,
I want all feeding tor winter stores
finished up In' the first of October
sure ; but as seasons vary I take
golden rod as a guide, and finish
feeding by the time it ceases to
yield nectar.

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY.

1. Don't put off" feeding later
than September 1, unless as much
syrup as the bees will need during
tlie winter can be given them at one
time. If only a few pounds can
be supplied each day, feeding should
be begun early.

Feeding bees induces brood-rear-
ing. If feeding is put otf till Oct.
1, .young bees will be reared ; they
will not take a flight till they are
ten days or two weeks old, that
would take the season to Novem-
ber, and at that time many bee-
keepers have their bees prepared for
Avinter and in some localities bees
have no chance for a flight after
Nov. 1. In such a case the young
bees reared after Oct. 1 would be
the means of destroying the colony
before spring.

I do not think it is a good idea
to keep a colony excited during
the month of October by feeding.
A colony fed late will not winter
well. Bees should not rear brood
in October under any conditions.

2. I find nothing as good and
convenient as the Mason fruit-jar
for feeding bees. Get jars that will
hold two quarts, those having all
metal tips ; with a wire nail or an
awl, punch from six to twelve holes
in the metal. Fill the jar and turn
it bottom upwards over a one and
a half-inch hole in the honey-board
or top of the hive so that the bees
can take the food from under the
feeder. A good colony will take
half a gallon in less than twenty-
four hours. Should it rain, no
water can get in the feeder or into
the hive, provided the hole is made
in the honey-board net far from the
back end.

The best granulated sugar is
none too good to feed bees. To
each ten pounds of sugar add three
quarts of water and when the sugar
is thoroughly dissolved fill the feed-
ers. Have the syrup as near the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

235

consistency of honey as possible,
so that the bees will cap it as soon
as placed in the cells. Thin syrnp
ought not to be fed in the fall, un-
less fed very early ; the water must
be evaporated before the bees will
cap it, and, unless capped, the syr-
up would sour long before spring,
run out and destroy the colon}'.

3. Colonies that need feeding
should be reduced to six or seven
combs for winter. Then all the
syrup will be placed in those few
frames. When thus arranged the
bees will cover all the combs and
winter nicely. Tr}' it.

Latest Swarms. Queenless Colonies.
Fertile Workers.

Query No. 32. 1. Suppose a swarm is-
sues in 8e(jtember, slioulit the bees be placed
in an empty Inve, or the queen cells removed
from the parent stock and the bees returned ?

2. Is not late swarming induced bj' the bees
superseding an old queen ?

a. II' this is the case should not a young
queen be introduced?

4. How long may a colony remain queen-
less after September I, without apparent
damage to the stock ^

5. Su|)pose a colony to remain queenless
two months from September 1, wdl fertile
workers develop? C. 1*. \V.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. I should re-hive it in the col-
ony it issued from, for the reason,
that even if I had filled frames of
combs sufficient for winter stores,
I should fear that there would not
be brood enough reared after Sep-
tember 1st to make a good colony.

2. Sometimes it is, and probably
such is the usual cause. It may,
however, arise from other causes.

3. Yes ; still it might not relieve
the trouble.

4. It would depend upon the
amount of brood. If the frames
were full of brood, it would go
through the winter probably, but
there are so many matters to be
taken into consideration that it is
impossible to lay down a rule.
Every colony must be judged by
itself, and from its own circum-
stances and condition.

5. They may and they may not.
Fertile workers have never troubled
myself, but I judge from informa-
tion and reading, that they are not
so apt to turn up in the fall as in
the spring. I should hardly ex-
pect to see them in the fall after
September 1st, and should onh' ex-
pect to find them the following
spring.

ANSWERS BY HILAS D. DAVIS.

1. Return to parent stock. I
believe in strong colonies to put
into winter quarters.

2. Sometimes by superseding
an old queen and sometimes by the
stimulus of the fall honev flow.

3. Yes.

4. I have never had occasion
to experiment in that direction as
I always keep my stocks well
queened.

5. I do not know, as I never
had a fertile worker in any of my
apiaries.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

1. If there were drones on hand,
I would kill the queen and return
the swarm. If I had no drones, I
would kill the queen and introduce
another if I had to bu}^ one.

2. Yes, no other cause under the
sun, and that is the reason I would
dispatch the queen.

3. Yes.

4. I could keep the colony till
March without apparent injury, if
I was bound to do it.

5. They may and they may not.
Generally, they will not at that
season of the year.

ANSWERS BY C. C. MILLER.

1. That depends: as a gen-
eral rule it might be best to return,
but in a locality with a heavy and
long continued flow of fall honey,
the swarm might be hived.

2. I think hardly, but I don't
know much about it.

236

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

3. I think not. When they
commence the superseding busi-
ness, they'll get through with it
about as well to be let alone.

4. If little or no honey is yield-
ing, the damage might not be ap-
parent without examination till the
next spring.

5. Generally not, but season
ma}' have something to do with it.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDUON.

1. Whether you accept or re-
turn the swarms depends upon cir-
cumstances and the latitude in
which you live. Here, we should
return the swarm, but not until
after the bees had destroyed the
cells themselves. We cannot af-
ford to spend so much time and
to handle our colonies over so
nnich as to go into the cell-clipping
business. There is a much surer
and less laborious way which I
have described in former articles.

2. Quite apt to be so induced.

3. It would be well for the col-
ony to replace the old queen with
a 3'^oung one.

4. Until April 1 of the next
year.

5. I think I have had fertile
workers develop after Sept. 1.
That is the time bees cease breed-
ing here.

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

1. Tiiat depends ; if you want
increase and the swarm is strong,
hive it on foundation. If the old
queen is not valuable kill her and
put the swarm back.

2. Sometimes I think, but not
as a rule.

3. No, if that is the case let
them rear a young one from one of
the cells.

4. A colony, having plenty of
brood on September 1, would not
be greatly damaged if deprived of
a queen for three or four weeks ;
but if the colony have little or no
brood, the absence of the queen

for one day would, I think, be a
damage.

5. They would in some colo-
nies ; in many colonies the}'^ would
not.

ANSWERS BY J. H. MARTIN.

1. For my localit}^ a swarm in
September would be an unheard-of
case, and would be returned to the
parent, stock.

2. Our bees never swarm or have
the swarming fever except when
getting hone}' freely. Swarms hav-
ing an old queen will swarm at
such times but, if the queen is very
old and unprolific, she will be su-
perseded and, ten times in one,
there will be no swarm, or if a
swarm issues it will be a small one.

3. It is a good plan to super-
sede all old and unprolific queens
in August or September.

4. I don't know. I have had
bees winter from September to
February with no brood, but how
much longer they would hold out
without damage and no queen I am
unable to say. It is well known
that a qneenless colony is usually
very uneasy and the bees are con-
stantly leaving the hive until it is
completely depleted.

5. I have had fertile workers
develop after Sept. 1.

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY.

1. Destroy the cells, return the
bees and give the colony a new
queen. I would kill all queens that
should lead off a swarm in Septem-
ber.

2. In my opinion, late swarm-
ing is owing, as a rule, to the su-
perseding of an old queen ; this is
why I would destroy the queen
that leads a swarm so late in the
season.

3. Yes, as stated above.

4. A queen should be introduced
late in the fall, as soon as it is
known that a colony is queenless.
Such a colony would winter unless

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

237

the queen was lost in July previous ;
but it would be in bad condition
in the spring, so far as the number
of bees is concerned, as the bees
would be very uneasy all winter
and continually getting out the
hive ; the sooner re-queened the
better.

5. No: fertile workers would
not take possession till spring. As
soon as the bees can fly, in March
or April, the fertile worker will
commence to lay eggs. At that
time the best plan would I)e to
destroy all ; as, if a queen is in-
troduced, the worker bees would
continue for a while to fill the cells
witli eggs, and, before any brood
could be reared, the entire colony
would disappear.

Old Bees as Nurses.

Query No. 33. We read in tlie bee jour-
nals that old bees cannot I'ear brooil for tlie
reason that they cannot nurse the larva.
When a colony has been queenless a long
time tlie worlicr bees lay ejrss and drones
are reared in worker cells. Do not old bees
do the nursing for those young drones ?
Querist.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

Certainly, I think no one claims
that old bees cannot nurse larvae,
but only that they cannot do it as
well as young bees.

'ANSWER BY HILAS D. DAVIS.

Old bees are capable of nursing
the larva as long as the queen lays
eggs for them, young bees are
needed and they have properstores.

ANSWER BY J. H. MARTIN.

Old bees can rear brood, as I
have repeatedly proven, by taking-
old bees from one apiary to another
and giving young brood which was
reared as carefully as though young
bees were at work.

ANSWER BY C. C. MILLER.

You make a good point. Per-
haps the better way would be to
say that as a general rule old bees
do not feed larvse, but under press

18

of circumstances msiy do so.
Tliere are exceptions to general
rules. The rule is that a bee does
not work in the field till more than
two weeks old, but I have seen
bees only five days old carrying
pollen when no older bees were in
the hive.

ANSWER BY HENRY ALLEY.

Old bees can act as nurses for a
few weeks only, and then they will
cease to nurse and rear brood.
As the bees grow old, their interest
or desire to rear brood is lost. It
is not generally known that, even
if a colony is left queenless several
months, the worker bees will not or
cannot lay eggs and did they do so
no brood would be reared, as the
bees remaining in the hive have lost
their power as nurses and fertility
on account of old age.

ANSWER BY DR. G. L. TINKER.

Yes, old bees may do the nurs-
ing in colonies having laj'ing work-
ers but they are unable [)roperly to
feed the larvae. Stinting the food
supply of larval bees results in
untleveloped and undersized work-
ers, queens and drones. An ex-
amination will show that the larval
food is scantily supplied in such a
colony. But a colony that has
been queenless only two or three
weeks will feed the brood of a new
queen prodigally, and produce
larger workers than at other times.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

Old bees can and do successfully
nurse larva, as we have seen dem-
onstrated many times. It is fair
to suppose that such bees are not
as good for the purpose as young
bees, because where the colony
contains both, the young bees al-
ways attend that duty. It might
be urged that such does not prove
tliem better, but merely that the
older bees do not do it because
otherwise occupied in work which

238

THE AMERICAN APICUL TURIS T.

they alone can perform, but again
the law of evolution teaches us
that if the young bees have been
the nurses for thousands of genera-
tions the}' are at this time best fit-
ted for til at purpose.

ANSAVER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

I frequently winter colonies of
bees without queens and make
them rear queens in March. The
old bees of course rear their own
queen and then care for the brood
till young bees are hatched out.
This answers your question as to
whether "• old bees" are capable of
.rearing brood or not.

If fertile layers are developed in
a hive it is done before the bees
•" get old ;" never afterwards. So
far as my experience goes, I have
inever seen a fertile layer in a hive
where the colony was wintered
without a queen. But when tlie
queen dies and leaves brood in the
latter part of winter I have had
fertile layers to appear.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

I don't know what bee journals
"querist" read, but it is news to
me that any apiarist of experience
has ever said "•old bees cannot rear
brood." It has been often stated,
that the young bees for some fif-
teen days after they emerge from
their cell "attend to the housework
■of the hive, and act as nurses."
As a matter of fact this is so, and
that old bees act onlj' as foragers
when there are young bees in the
■colony. My experience, however,
teaches me that old bees can and
do rear brood when occasion re-
quires, but that they do not do
this as well as their younger sisters.
This is the reason why queens
sliould only be reared in colonies
containing a large number of young
bees.

A House for the Apiary.

Please give yoiii- opinion ol Prof. Cook's
"House for the Apiary." Manager.

A house for the apiary such as
Professor Cook describes, would be
a great convenience and well worth
the cost to a large beekeeper.

DR. G. L. TINKER.

Bee houses are not favorites with
myself. I consider the bees much
better off when sitting in the open
field, with such shading either nat-
ural or artificial as ma}^ be needed.
Prof. Cook's model is perhaps as
handy as an}', and to follow it will
save the time and bother of getting
up another that might be no more
if as handy.

J. E. POND.

There might be some improve-
ments in Prof. Cook's house for
the Apiary. I would prefer to
have it built upon a side hill, so as
to have a drop of three feet from
the extracting room to the honey
room, also a convenient door for
rolling out barrels ; and it seems
to me the cistern is too large. The
house, I have no doubt, would an-
swer the wants of beekeeping on a
limited scale for comb honey.

J. H. MARTIN.

In the first place, I neither prac-
tise nor approve of indoor winter-
ing. A simple storage building is
all that is necessary and should
not cost over fifty dollars. It should
have two rooms. It is absurd to
think of a man having from five to
ten apiaries and furnishing each
with a house costing $500.00. I
believe in a hive so constructed as
to winter without loss and with less
consumption of honey than when
wintered in a cellar. Bees win-
tered thus will have more vitality,
be in better condition and build up
more quickly for honey gathering.

HILAS D. DAVIS.

THE AMERICAN APTCULTURIST.

239

As usual Professor Cook has hit
a great many nails square on the
head in his description of a house
for the apiary. On some of the
points, however, we differ. I do
not want my house cut up into
small rooms, prefer each story all
in one room. I have a house, built
three years ago, which cost $500 00
which suits me better than any-
thing I have ever seen or read de-
scriptions of. It is two stories,
18 X 30 feet, with an all stone
cellar under it, 8 feet deep, which
cost $225.00. Here, again, I dif-
fer with my friend Professor Cook,
in so much that I would not again
build a cellar, but rather a double
wall house above ground, in which
to winter bees. Such a room, of
the size of my cellar, could be well
built for the same cost and would
be worth much more in summer,
and I believe better and more con-
venient in which to winter bees. I
have changed mj' views on the sub-
ject of cellars vs. houses above
ground, in which to winter bees,
after having tested several of each.
With more time and space I will
in future give my reasons and
the management which makes the
room above ground the safest and
best.

JAMES HEDDON.

now, and a thirty dollar honey crop
to sell over its counters, I should
think one ought to appreciate the
old saying in vogue in my boyhood
days which sounded something like
" A fool and his money is soon
parted." Bee culture is an humble
pursuit, and the cases are very rare
where it is safe to invest money
by the hundreds of dollars in dead
fixtures. For handiness and prac-
tical usefulness I woukl prefer a
one story house built just as wide
as I wanted the widest room to be,
and extended in length till I had
all the room needed. Such a house
might have a good cellar, and yet
the cost need not be great.

G. W. DEMAREE.

The American Apiculturist.

Published Monthly,

MANAGEK,

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE INDUCEMENTS TO SUBSOEIBEES.
Wenham, Mass., Aug. 1, 1887.

Having once been a practical
mechanic and house builder it is
natural that I should feel a deep
interest in Professor Cook's plan
for building a honey house as de-
scribed by him in the " Api," Au-
gust issue.

His plan is unobjectionable so
far as the science of house con-
struction is concerned.

The trouble is, the cost of such
a building puts it out of the
reach of nine out of ten of all the
beekeepers in the land, if they are
as cautious as I think they are and
ought to be. With a five hundred
dollar honey house on hand just

THE MANAGERS COllNER.

That New Bee Disease.— Some

two 3'ears ago we described a new bee
disease of wliich more or less has been
seen in nearly every apiarj' in the
United States. At that time we gave
our experience with two colonies that
were diseased ; and also gave a remedy
tliat has been a sure cure and most ef-
fective in every case. The remedy is
this : The honey-board or cloth that is
phiced over the frames is removed and
tlien a handful of flne table-salt is
thrown over the frames. In order to
get the bees to take it quickly, ai)out a
pint of water is dashed among the bees
and combs. In every case where this
remedy has been tested all signs of the
disease disappeared in the course of

240

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

two weeks, or as soon as what bees
were diseased had died.

I have been much surprised of late
to see how much complaint of this dis-
ease has appeared in some of the west-
ern bee journals. Now if Bro. A. I.
Hoot, W. Z. Hutchinson. J. E. Pond
and some fuw others, will read the
above carefully they need not acknowl-
edge tlie fact in print, as they have
lately done, that they know nothing
about a remedy for bees having the
above disease. It will pay you all to
read the A pi with more care.

Bee Feeders. — Feeders are in
great demand just at this time. Bee-
keepers who have never had any need
lor such things have been obliged this
year to use them.

We can supply the Mason fruit-jar
feeder in any quantity at $2.25 per doz-
en for quart feeders. These jars can
be placed on any hive and no syrup
will run out nor will they leak at all.
When placed on the hive no water can
gtt in about them as they are made of
glass. It is known, without much
trouble, when the feeder is empty.

Post yourself up on "feeding bees"
by reading query No. 31. This query
has been inserted in the An before,
but as so much feeding must be done
this fall, many new readers will be much
interested in reading the answers
again. Don't put off feeding too late ;
attend to it early in September. Late
feeding is a decided disadvantage to
any colony of bees.

Fertility of Queens.— Complaint
is sometimes made that queens do not
live as long as is claimed in the books
and bee journals. Smie claim that a
queen should live and keep up a strong-
colony for about three years. Let us
look at the matter lor a moment and
see whether a queen ought to live three
years.

Queens that have been known to live
three years were kept in box-hives, the
brood-capacity of which was not over
40,000youngbees each season. Now, if
a queen is capable of laying only 150,000
eggs during her life and if cell room
is furnished so that she can deposit
newly 100,000 of those eggs in one
year, it is a plain matter to see that slie
would give out during the second
year; in fact she would not keep the
colony up in point of numbers during
the second season. If this same queen

was in a box-hive and so cramped for
room that she could lay but 40,000 eggs
a year, she would be likely to live
three years.

We think experienced beekeepers
will concede the fact that there is a lim-
it to the egg-producing capacity of a
queen bee. They are not a machine,
but come under the general laws of all
animals or insects that reproduce and
propagate from eggs. During our ex-
perience of thirty years in bee culture
we have transferred 500 colonies from
box-hives to movable frames.

We seldom ever found over four-
L. frames of brood in any box-hive
and oftentimes not over two frames of
brood. Those who use the L. hive or
other frame hives know that there are
from seven to ten frames of brood in
each hive. It would be unreasonable
to suppose that a queen could keep up
such a supply of eggs for more than
two seasons. Of course there will be
some exceptions to this, but three-
year-old queens are rather scarce.

For the above reasons it is not pol-
icy to keep a queen in any colony over
two seasons, as nine out of every ten
such queens would fail before the
honey harvest commences the third
year.

Experienced beekeepers are invited
to send us their opinions on the above
subject. We also invite beekeepers
of experience to send us articles on
any subject relating to bee culture.

Uniting Bees. — There is no better
way to unite bees than the following:
Let uniting alone till all the brood has
hatched. Then have at liand a box
that will hold a bushel and having a
wiie cover as well as a wire bottom to
give ventilation.

Brush all the bees from the combs
of the colonies to be united into the
cap of a Langstroth hive or any box
which is as convenient. When all is
ready, dump the bees into the wire box.
Let them remain queeuless for a few
hours or till about dark, then turn them
down in front of the hive they are to
occupy. Three days later give them
some tobacco smoke and let a queen
run in. Do this at night or you may
have a case of robbing.

For such work as the above, that is,
removing the bees from the combs, we
always take the hives into a bee-room
and use the tobacco fumigator to
quiet the bees, then nearly all of them
will stay in the box when brushed from
the combs.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

241

The process is this : go to the hive
and blow in some tobacco smoke, then
cover the entrance with a wire-screen,
such as all beekeepers should liave at
hand for keeping bees in tlie liive and
giving proper ventilaUon at the same
time. After closing the hive it is taken
into the bee-room and a little more
smoke is given the bees, at the same
time liglit thumping on the hive is kept
up to make the bees fill with lioney.

Then they are allowed to remain
quiet for a few moments or until the
loudest humming ceases ; then the lion-
ey-board or cloth covering is removed,
the frames taken out, and all the bees
brushed into a box as stated above.
When in the box, if they attempt to
run up and over the sides, more to-
bacco smoke is blown among them and
they will keep quiet.

If the queen is not found as the
combs are removed, she can usually
readily be found in the box. In order
to find her, the bees should be "poked"
over with a piece of a section box and
in no case with a brush of any kind.

The above is a process we go through
every day from May 8 to Aug. 15.
Sometimes as many as four colonies
are gone over each dav.

Instead of uniting the bees, we place
them on four combs with a few eggs
to rear queens. If you want to know
the rest of it you should read the "Bee-
keepers' Handy Book." In its pages
will be found more that is new about
bees and queen-rearing than in all other
works on bee culture combined.

Blasted Hopes. — Many beekeep-
ers think they have reason to be dis-
couraged by the experienee of the
present season. We have kept bees
thirty years and never saw but one
such season during that long experi-
ence. Although the present season is
very discouraging and especially so to
the beginner, we think there is no rea-
son for all to feel that way, as the fail-
ure of the present year is most likely
to be followed by one of the very best
honey harvests. At any rate such has
been our experience. Get your bees in
good condition for winter and make
every preparation to harvest the ex-
pected large crop of honey in 1S88.
Don't let even one colony starve, give
each one dollar's worth of sugar and
all will go through the winter safely.

The next thing to do is to read all
the tirst-class bee journals the coming
season. In this way you can post
yourself up regarding the best methods

of bee culture and of the best apiarian
fixtures. Keep abreast of the times,
this you cannot do unless you read the
experience of all others as given in the
various bee-journals.

Destroyed by Fire. — In comment-
ing on a tire which recently destroj^ed
property to the amount of S3, 000. 00,
belonging to a beekeeper in Maine, ed-
itor Newn>an remarks as follows :

" We sympathize with our friends in their
loss, and are very miioli surprised that wliile
they say the loss "amounts to $3,000.00 they do
not intimate whether or not tlie property was
insurerl.

It seems to us that it borders on " criminal
carelessness" for anyone to neglect to insure
their property against fire, etc., wlien they
have dependents who would suffer by their
inattention to the duties of life. We do not
know that tliis is the case with friend Sfason
(and liope it is not the case), and these re-
ni;irks are not intendeil to be personal; but
thev sliow our views of the importance of
insuring nroperty against a calamity.

We will also state that we do not think a
man has the riglit (in the light of tlie pres-
ent), to neglect to insure his life, when he has
a dei^endent family leaning on him for sup-
IJortl He sliould provide for them by an in-
surance on his life, and carry it, it it need be,
to tlie personal sacrifice of some luxury (or
even necessity), so that his offspring may
not be " beggared" in the event of his death.'

Mr. T. W. Cowan, Editor of the
British Bee Journal, and lady, are
now '• doing America." On Ttiesday
August 2, they were entertained by
Capt. J. E. Hetheringtou of Cherry
Valley, N. Y. Mr. P. H. Elvvood and
Mr. J. Van Deusen, two prominent
beekeepers, joined the company.

Our distinguished visitor should not
return to England without visiting Mr.
Doolittle. They will not of course
have time to visit all our prominent
Iseekeepers, as it would take a long
time to do so. We hope their visit to
this country will be a pleasant one.

Those western Agricultural pa-
pers that copy from the An should be
more careful and not credit them to
the "Am. Agriculturist." People who
read our articles must have an idea
that the "Am. Agriculturist" is pretty
well tilled with matters concerning bee
culture.

We have just received No. 1, Vol. I,
of the Australian Bee Journal, pub-
lished by Hopkins, Hayr & Co., Auck-
land, N. Z. It is gotten up in good
style and we wish it success.

242

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Take Courage. — Reports most
discoura,<iin,i>- of the failure of honey
crop come iii from every quarter by
every mail. Beekeepers should be pre-
pared to take the bitter with the sweet.

Take courage, friends, and get ready
to harvest the crop of 1888. A fellow
who cannot stand a little set-back such
as all have experienced the past season
will not make a success in any enter-
prise.

Brothers Pond, Heddon and others
have not told the readers of the Api
why it was tliat weak colonies win-
tered better than strong ones last win-
ter. We all give it u^). It would be
all theory to explain.

Mr. Ivar S. Young, of Christl-
ania, Norway, expects to be at the Bay
State Apiary on Sept. 5. We tiiink he
never will regret that he travelled so
far to meet the beekeepers of Amer-
ica.

GLEANINGS
FROM COBBESPONDENCE.

Stratford, Ont.
If you will pardon the liberty, I
would suggest that you resume adver-
tising your own goods in your journal
as formerly.

E. W. P.
[Prices of most of the goods we
have for sale, will be found in each
issue of the "Api." Just what we
shall do in regard to our price-list
for another season we cannot now
sa}'-. We shall issue no new price-
list till Jan. 1, 1888.]

Walton, Ky., Aug. 1, 1887.
Priknd Alley:

The queens were received all right
July 29. I am very much pleased with
them. They are safely introduced to
strong colonies and I hope will soon
be all right. We are almost burnt up
with drought and hot weather — 104° at
noon. Yours truly,

L. Johnson.

Orangeville, Out., June 20, 1887.
Dear Sir :
I received the queen and was very
much pleased with her looks ; she ar-
rived here on the 15th inst.

My first swarm for the season came
out on the 12th of this month and have
lia<^l four since, making five; the bees
seem to be doing well on clover here
now. I am more than pleased with
the June number of the "Api."

Yours very truly,
Wm. I. Robinson.

Yo7'k, Penn.
Mr. Alley :

I find the drone and queen-trap,
which I received as a premium when
I subscribed to the Apiculturist, a
great convenience for regulating
swarms and trapping drones.

I take tliree bee journals and prefer
the Am. Api. for its general make-up
and the solid facts we learn from its
well-filled i:]fages.

Morris W. Strick.

Hitchcock, Ind.
Mr. Alley :

We have had no use for the drone-
trap this year, but I think none the
less of it for that, for I would not be
without it for twice what it costs me.
I like the Api very much so far as I
have read it.

WiLLiAJi Bundy.

Hamilton, Minn.

Bees have done very poorly. No
clover honey whatever. Basswood
came to empty hives. The drought
makes a slim prospect for buckwheat.

I had only one swarm from fifty-
eight colonies. The Api, "Handy
Book" and drone-trap are indispens-
able.

C. H. Barcock.

Marion, N. Y.
I like the Api very much, also the
drone and queen-trap; they have saved
me much more than the cost.

G. p. Howard.

Florence, W. Va.

I am a beginner; commenced with
one hive last year; it swarmed four
times; wintered three colonies and
have nine colonies now ; six are in home-
made Langstroth hives; expect two
more swarms soon.

There are no Italian bees within
forty or fifty miles around me that I
know of, and I am acquainted with all
the principal beekeepers. They use

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

243

the common box-hive and kill the bees
in the fall. I -wiil try to work a little
different. Yours,

J. W. Hautman.

Morrill, Kan.
Mr. Hknry Alley.

I liave to-day received the three
queens, all in good shape, not a dead
bee with them. They are very fine
queens; many thanks. Inclosed is
§1 00 for the Api for another year. I
could not do without it.

Bees not doiui;. anything this year.
Everything dries up; this makes the
third year it has been too dry here. If
we do not have rain soon shall have
no show for bees.

John "Wetschy.

Morgantoxon, Pa.,

Aug. 3, 1887.

Dear Sir : The honey crop this sea-
son in our locality is very light indeed.
Early in the season the prospects were
flattering, and the bees seemed to be
in good condition.

Raspberry was plentiful and the bees
worked on it early and late. White
clover was plentiful also, but it yielded
but little nectar. We expected some-
thing from bass wood, but were disap-
pointed in that, the bloom only lasting
a few days. Sumach followed. The
bees seemed almost crazy over it. We
counted as high as twenty or more
bees on a single bunch of blossoms.
What the mints, buckwheat, etc., will
yield we cannot tell. We expected
every colony to swarm, but only got
two prime swarms.

A colony of black bees gathered ten
pounds of white honey during June,
and an Italian colony about ten pounds
during July. The balance made no
surplus and will have to be fed for
winter. There are plenty ol bees and
brood. The foundation in the sections
that were put on is fastened and partly
drawn out, some altogether, so we will
have a start for the next season.

The month of July was the hottest
we have had for many years, and
yet we had quite a number of re-
freshing showers. I have learned
from my friends in the bee business
throughout the country that they had
about the same results.

Good, white comb honey commands
twenty-five cents per pound, ready
sale at that.

Yours truly,

Evan R. Sty^er.

West Walioorth, N. T.

Henry Alley'.
Dear Sir :

I had two swarms come off on which
I used the drone and queen trap.

By the time I had changed hives put-
ting the new one in place of the old,
the bees came back to find their queen.
They entered the new hive like a flock
of sheep. I opened the trap whea
the bees were joined by the queen, and
all seemed happy.

I had taken a seat within two feet of

the hive. The bees were like a cloud

about me, but did me no harm. I shall

not keep bees without using the ti'aps.

S. Hopkins.

Woodcock, Pa.
The honey crop is very small here.
My bees averaging only 20;'^^ per col-
ony, spring count. The box-hive men
are as usual selling their honey at
whatever prices they can get, because
they are too stingy to take a paper.
Good honey will bring a good price as
soon as the other is out of the market.
J. H. R.

Lancaster, Pa.
My bees up in York State have done
splendidly this year. The queens I
had of you last year and two years
ago turn out immense swarms and
ahead of any I ever saw
Yours truly,

B. G. Dodge.

South Chelmsford, Mass.
Mr. Alley' :
The Api is the most instructive
and interesting paper on the manage-
ment of bees of any I know published
in the English language.

John B. Melvin.

Fawtucket, B. I.
Friend Alley : Since July 1, bass-
wood has bloomed and the shade trees
about town have yielded well and a
few extra strong colonies of Italian and
Syrians have yielded, and given me
from twenty to forty pounds of nice
white honey in sections. Bees are now
kept busy on a field of sweet clover and
another of buckwheat. In the coun-
try, chestnut yielded well and boxes
were well filled with this rather dark
honey. Raspberry, white and alsike

244

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

clover were a failure. Hope the sec-
ond crop will yield and shall try for fall
houey. Yours truly,

Samuel Cusiiman.

Gonzales, Cal., Aug. 2.

Fkiknd Alley:

lu answer to your question I will
say that our honey crop this year is
extremely small, such as it is. It is
too early to give accurate figures; but
soon as I can I will do so.

Last year the state produced 800,000
lbs. comb honey and 6,000,000 extracted
This year my correspondence in most
southern counties (the real honey
region) several more northern parts
•where rain seldom falls, all show the
same condition : little nectar in the
flowers. I repeat, I will give figures
when I get them.

A. Norton.

Christiansburg, July 24, 1887.
Mr. Alley.
Dear Sir :
I would like to inquire through
your paper of tliose who have tried the
close-fitting Heddon brood frames, if
they have been troubled l)y the moths
hiding and burrowing in between the
ends of tiie frames and the end of the
case. Very truly yours,

Jas. Erwin.

[We never used, nor yet ever
saw a Heddon hive and can make
no reply from experience. Will
those who have used that hive an-
swer the above question? A few
moths will most likely be found
hidden away in the out-of-the-way
places in any hive ; their presence
there can do no damage.]

Constantia, 0.
Mr. Alley : —

The last trap you sent has arrived
in good sliape. 1 lilce its appearance,
but liave liail no opportunity to test it.
We lost one swarm (on the 4th) that
probably would have been saved if
that first trap had come. Can you not
give, in the An, an article on trapping
drones? Is it best? If it is, when to
do it?

Respectfully,

Mrs. W. O. Caulkins.

[The time to trap and destro}'
drones is when they are not needed.
We think it is best to destroy all
drones save those in one colonj',
and let those be of the best strain
in the apiarj'. The best waj^ to
improve the apiary is not to use the
drones of an}'^ undesirable strain.
If you have a colon}' of bees that
possess all desirable qualities, pre-
serve the drones and cross the
queens of the othe'r colonies from
that strain.]

I have some Albino bees and like
them very much for their gentle
disposition, and energy. They are
afflicted, however, with the tremb-
ling disease, while the best Ital-
ians and hybrids are not. Can you
give me any light on this subject.
C. H. b.

[Eeference is made to the above dis-
ease in another column. Salt will kill
the disease in a few weeks.

Two years ago we purchased twenty
colonies of bees afflicted with the
nameless disease. Salt was applied
freely, and in the course of a few weeks
all signs of the disease had disappeared.
Apply the salt as stated elsewhere in
this issue of the An.]

Hamilton, Ohio.
Editor An.

I suppose I shall have to take some
of the capped honey from my hives iu
order to give the queen room to deposit
eggs. The combs are full of pollen.

Could you advise us in the Sept. issue
of the An how to manage our bees to
keep up brood-rearing till Oct?

T. K.

[Brood-rearing may be kept up
by feeding about one pound of
syrup each day. Feed at night.
Here in New England the bees have
more or less brood till Oct. 10.
The queen usually stops laying
about Sept. 20.]

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

245

NOTES FR03T THE BAY
STATE APIARY.

Henrv Alley.
FILLING ORDERS FOR QUEENS.

On Suturday, Aug. 6, we put up
and mailed fifty-two queens and
cleaned up every order we liad on
our books.

Tliis is one of the years when
the rearing of queens is an easy
matter, as with one exception we
have had no drawback. Even the
weather has been favorable all the
time. Nearly all our 260 nucleus
hives now (Aug. 20) contain a
beautiful queen, while there are 200
queens in the nurseries and 200 cells
neaily ready to hatch.

We had not long to wait for more
orders as the evening's mail brought
a fresh lot of orders as does each
mail that comes in.

FEEDING BEES.

We find that feeding bees is a
thing that must be followed up in
our apiary through the entire sea-
son. The golden-rods are coming
into bloom, but the bees do not
gather any honey from them. A
glass fruit-jar may be seen on n)any
of our hives, as that sort of a feeder
is the most convenient one we know
of for feeding bees.

Our inicleus colonies have al-
ready made way with nearl}' 800
lbs. of granulated sugar, and be-
fore the season is over it will re-
quire nearly as much more sugar to
keep the bees in good running or-
der.

HATCHING QUEENS IN NURSERY
CAGES.

Nearly all our queen-cells are
placed in the luirsery to hatch.
There is one advantage in doing
so. Every queen dealer knows
that many cells are worthless.
Well, if such cells are placed in the
nucleus hives to hatch, it cannot be

known that a queen does not emerge
from them till the hive is examined.
All this is a loss of time. By
placing the cells in the nursery each
queen may be seen and examined
before introducing and if any one
is not up to the standard they should
not be introduced, and here is a
saving of several days' time again.

INTRODUCING VIRGIN QUEENS.

We never lose any queens by
introducing. Every virgin queen
is introduced by fumigation of to-
bacco smoke. This is a method
that has been in practice at the
Bay State Apiary upwards of
twenty-seven years. Our method
of introducing is this : No queen is
introduced until the nucleus has
been queenless three days, and then
just before sunset the old tin fumi-
gator is loaded with fine tobacco
made from the ends of cigars, dried
in the sun and ground up very fine
between the hands. This burns
freely and is not as strong as chew-
ing tobacco, which latter would kill
the bees if used. Last night, Au-
gust 20, sixty-three queens were in-
troduced in less than one hour's
time, and from past experience I
can safely say that not one of
those queens will be destroyed. If
one goes along by these hives the
next morning nothing will be
noticed out of the way except a
small wad of grass may be seen
at the entrance of each hive which
was used to close the entrance to
keep the bees and queen in after
fumigating.

PLACING HIVES ON THE GROUND.

All the nuclei in the Bay State
Apiary are placed on the ground.
We cannot furnish stands for so
many small hives and it is not con-
venient to use them in such large
numbers. One advantage in plac-
ing the hives on the ground is that
the grass protects the colony from
being robbed, as robber bees can-

246

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

not find the entrance to the small
hives when they are partly hidden
in the grass. Then again, it is
often necessary to " vamp up " the
small hives with bees. This is easily
and quickly done by dumping a
pint of bees down in front of the
hive and they soon run in, but if
they had to climb up a foot or more
to reach tlie entrance many bees
would take wing and rofeber bees
would be there also.

BEES MARKING LOCATION.

Mr. Doolittle has had consid-
erable to say about painting hives
and marking them so that when
the queens and bees take a flight
they* will be sure and return to the
right iiive. My opinion is, that
bees do not and cannot distinguish
between one color and another, —
color blind, perhaps. Tiie bees
seem to mark the location by the
surroundings more than by color.
The visitor who comes to my yard
does not find my hives, especially
the nucleus hives, all placed in
rows and everything up in fine ship-
shape order as the fancy beekeeper
has things. Should my nuclei be
arranged in rows as some people
who do not understand think they
should, not one queen in a dozen
would enter the right hive on her
return after a fliglit. Therefore,
my hives look as though they might
have been shot into my yard from
the mouth of a big gun. Well,
we never lose a queen by her mis-
taking the hive, though it would
seem to a stranger that not one bee
in the yard could find its home as
the ground is so completely cov-
ered hy small hives. The location
and position of the hives make it
an easy matter for the bees and
queens to know their own home.

IN-BREEDING.

Not one drone has been reared
from the queens that are used as
queen mothers, and not one queen

has been reai'ed from the drone
mother, so you see there is no in-
breeding in our apiary.

THE TRADE IN QUEENS.

Orders for queens come to hand
eveiy month during the year, l)ut
the shipping season is from April
to Oct. 20. We ship more queens
between Aug. 1 and Oct. 1 than
from April 1 to Aug. 1. Hundreds
of beekeepers discover late in the
fall that some of their colonies are
queenless. Then, again, the month
of September is a good time in
which to renew queens. It is all bosh
to say a queen cannot be success-
fully introduced unless the bees
are gathering honey. Introduce
by the three-day method, and it
will make not one particle of dif-
ference when you introduce queens.

BEES ROBBING.

Although we have such a large
number of small colonies in our
apiary and from thirty to fifty full
colonies, we have not had one case
of robbing in our apiary this year,
notwithstai^ding that the natural
forage has been so scarce all the sea-
son. We feed mostly sugar, nothing
else to the nuclei, and do most of
the work in opening hives in a bee
house ; therefore we do not give the
bees any occasion to rob. When
w^e have had robbing, it is most eas-
ily checked by placing a strip of
glass over the entrance and com-
pelling all the bees to pass out at
one end of it. No robber bees dare
to enter, and if one happens to be
in the hive before the glass is used,
on his return to enter again it dis-
covers the obstruction and will
hesitate some time before it will
even attempt to pass through the
narrow aate.

THE DRONE AND QUEEN-TRAP.

[A coKitESPONDKNT wislies me to re-
port my experiments with tlie Alley
trap, as I promised last year I would

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

247

do. In response to this request I will
say that, just before the swarming
season opened, I attached Alley traps
to the entrances of a dozen or so of
the strongest colonies in the Hyde api-
ary, of wiiich I have made frequent
mention. On all hives, whether por-
tico or Simplicity, I found it necessary
to secure the traps to the front of the
hives, " toe-nail " fashion. I then di-
rected the lady who was to watch for
swarms that, when one came forth,
she was to fasten the trap (if the
queen entered it) among the flying
bees, on a rake. After being clustered,
the bees were to be hived in the ordi-
nary way. Some two weeks after,
when I went down I saw that about
half the traps, under the influence of
the sun and rain, and the consequent
shriidiage and swelling, had become
partially detached from the hive —
enough so to allow the bees to pass in
and out, back of the traps. As queen-
catchers, these, of course, were use-
less. Upon inquiry, Mrs. Hyde told
rae she had caught two swarms by
placing the trap among the flying bees,
and that the Alley trap, with these
two, was a success. The other swarms,
in consequence of the loosening of the
trap, had to be hived in the good old-
fashioned way.]

The above was taken from
" Gleanings." It strikes us tliat
tlie person wlio liandled the traps
above spoken of is not one of
those practical fellows whom we
read about. One statement strikes
us as being peculiar. He says :
" The influences of the sun and
rain had shrunk the wood so that
the queens could pass out without
going through the trap." Those
particular traps (not made by us)
must be made of a queer kind of
wood to have them shrink as much
as stated. A piece of wood but two
and one-half inches wide to shrink
nearly one-half an inch must be of
a variety that does not grow in
this country. Certainly the wood
did not shrink all from the edge,
nor did it shrink nearly one-fourth
of an inch (which it must do to
leave sufficient room for a queen
to pass) from the back edge ; of
course it shrunk full as much at

the opposite edge or side, which
would make nearly one-half an inch
in all. Can a man be found in the
world who will believe such an im-
probable story? Well, we will let
that pass.

One other point : " I found it
necessary to secure the traps to
the front of the hives, " toe-nail
fashion." Wh}'' could not the writer
of the above have been honest
enough to have informed his read-
ers concerning the kind of an
alighting-board he uses? If the
alighting-boards to his hives are
flat and two and one-half inches
wide, there would be no need of
fastening the trap to the hives,
"toe-nail" fashion, as the traps
would stay in place without nails of
any kind. We have from twenty to
forty of the traps in use all the
time and never have found it nec-
essary to fasten them to the hives
in any way.

We have no porticos to our
hives, and the sun and rain have
full play during the entire season
on the traps and not one of them
has ever shrunk one-sixteenth of
an inch, and we will guarantee to
place fifty traps of our make on
fifty hives, and they shall be ex-
posed to the weather, unprotected
by anything for three months, and
if one of these traps shrinks or in
any way without hands gets out of
place we will pay ten dollars for
each one found in such a condition.

The above shows to what extent
we bel\,eve the story which is cop-
ied from "Gleanings." We care not
who makes such a statement, the
whole story is ver}^ improbable.

SPECIAL NOTICES.

Now is a favorable time to subscribe
for the Ameiucan Apicultuuist. You
can get it for one year and as fine a
queen as we can rear for $1.50. The
queen alone is worth $2.00.

248

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Our supply of queens, in all proba-
ability will last till Oct. 1, but do not
wait to order till then. Send tlie $1.50
at once and secure one of the finest,
yolden-colored queens you ever saw.

llenieniber that any yearly subscrib-
er, or those who renew, can get one
queen for fifty cents.

TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS.

We have on band several hun-
dred beautiful golden-colored Ital-
ian queens as an}' one ever saw.
We will guarantee every queen to
be perfect in every respect. The
bees from these queens are beauti-
fully marked and when a pint of
them are togetlier they resemble
so much corn meal, the}^ are of such
a bright, golden color.

Any subscriber to the Api can get
one of these tested queens for $ 1 .00 ;
or three queens to one address
$2.75, or five for $4.50. If these
queens are not perfect and satis-
factorj^ in every respect we will
return the money or promptly send
other queens.

Now is a chance for an}^ reader
to improve his apiary by infusing
new blood. We guarantee tiiese
queens to live in the cages, at least
three days after being received by
the purchaser, and if you will intro-
duce them by the following method
we guarantee safe introduction :

HOW TO INTRODUCE QUEENS.

Eemove the queen from the hive
you desire to re-queen and in just
sevent^'-two hours later (three days)
fumigate the bees with tobacco
smoke or even with spunk and
the bellows' smoker, and during
the excitement let the new queen
run in. Do this just before dark,
or after sunset.

Do not open the hive for a week.
Queen cells will be started, but pay
no attention to them. The new
queen will dispose of them before
any will hatch.

Send in 3'our orders promptly
and tlie queens will be sent by re-
turn mail. Ever}' one of these
queens will produce as handsome
a colony of bees as can be found.

These queens are from our new
winter strain, and were it not for
boasting would say that their equal
cannot be found in the world.

All money received after the
suppl,y of queens has given out will
be returned at once.

An}' one who desires can come
to our apiary and select his own
queens ; no extra charge.

All who Subscribe for the Apicul-
TUULST, at any time, will receive one
of our combined Drone and Queen-
traps free by mail. This is our method
of introducing the Apicultuuist and
our Drone and Queen-traps into every
apiary in the United States.

Those who I'eceive the trap as a pre-
mium must notexpectto get the Handy
Book or a queen for fifty cents, as the
profits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscriber.

Our Club Bates.

Am. Apicultuvist and Am. Weekly Bee

Journal, $1.80

Am. " AiJi" and Gleanings (semi-monthly) 1 .90
" " " Bee Hive (bi-monthly) l.UO

" " " Beekeepers' Handy Book 1.50
" " '• Cook's Manual 1.70

" " " A Year among the Bees 1.50
" " " Alley's drone and queen

trap 1.00

Now would be a good time to test
the PkrkectionJ Feedek advertised \n
this issue by J. E. Hastings.

The American Apiculturist

% Journal b^bol^^ ia gradual '§nhtti^mQ,

ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.
Published Monthly. Henry Allkt, Manager.

VOL. V.

WENHAM, MASS., OCTOBER

No. lo.

We deal in first-class apiari- 1 Established in 1883. Terms : I Anv yearly subscriber is en-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest I $1.00 per year, 50 cents per six I titled to one of our selected
prices. Prompt 8hi|)ment. ' *''" "' — •- ... ...

Send for price list.

. I 5,i.uu (.ici yciir, oucenis persi.x | titled to one of our selected
I months, 25 cents per three I queens anytiniebetweenjunel
I months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. 1, bv remitting 50 cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN APICULTURIST, "Wenham, Mass.

For the American Apiculturist,

EXTRACTING.

John H. Martin.

ARTIFICIAL SWARMING, ETC.

The outlook over the beekeeping
field gives us a view of many apia-
rists giving their energies to some
special feature of the business, and
for which experience has taught them
they are especially fitted.

For instance, here is a man who
has a special gift for raising beautiful
comb honey. The sections and the
honey seem to have an extra nice
look about them, that puts them all
within the class denominated gilt-
edged. If we look in another di-
rection we find a person who is
producing extracted honey in large
quantities and in qualities that charm
the most sesthetic taste. Another
person is devoting attention to the
rearing of fine queens, and if there
were sale for bees at all seasons of the
year we should soon find men en-
gaged in raising bees for the market,
but that industry is evidently for the
man of the future.

Another view, and we find a very
few trying to develop the honey mar-
ket.

Locality may have much influence
upon these various branches of our
industry, and to those who frequently
ask which they shall raise, comb or
extracted honey, I always tell them
19

to raise just what taste, skill and lo-
cality point out that they should
raise. It is my impression that a lo-
cality that has a short and sudden
rush of honey is the locality for the
extractor. My own locality is such
a one, and for several years I have
made the business of obtaining ex-
tracted honey a specialty.

How frequently we hear of some
farmer who, having caught a stray
swarm of bees, has secured a large
amount of honey to the astonishment
of the entire neighborhood. When
a single swarm can thus accomplish
wonders, our aim should be to make
many swarms do the same. In
order to give them a chance to do
this, the first thing to be considered
is the wintering of the bees in such
a manner as to have them come out
very strong in the spring. But I am
willing to confess that I have many
weak colonies in the spring, and there
is much nursing necessary to bring
our colonies up to the required
strength. My first move is to get all
of the brood to the front of the hive.
My frames hang across the entrance
and the entrance is contracted. I
try to winter each colony so that
there is no necessity of contracting
the brood-nest witli cumbrous divi-
sion-boards. But where contraction
is necessary I usually tuck the quilt
down between the combs, and if the
litde swarm has plenty of honey there
is no use to give frequent examina-
(249)

250

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

tions until young bees begin to hatcli
freely. There is also no advantage
gained in stimulating, for the queen
cannot enlarge her brood-nest until
there are young bees hatching to
protect and care for it. Of course
many of our swarms come out with
hives full of bees, and several frames
of brood. Such colonies can bear
stimulating and spreading of brood,
and will soon be so strong that they
can spare frames of brood to aid the
weak. If every swarm was equally
strong I would not care to stimulate,
for if left to themselves with the ex-
ception of giving the queen plenty
of room, each colony would be
crowded with bees as soon as the
honey season opened.

I use a II X 14 brood comb and
just as soon as the brood apartment
is crowded with bees, the upper or
surplus story is adjusted, and having
a quantity of empty combs every
hive receives its full complement. I
have two methods of management
during the extracting season ; one is
to prevent increase as much as possi-
ble and the other to increase by
artificial swarming. With the first
method I put on a queen-excluding
honey-board and extract the honey
as fast as the combs are well filled
and about half sealed. The swarm
will settle itself down to a specialty
of honey getting and will seldom
swarm unless they have an old or an
unprolific queen they wish to super-
sede. Young and prolific queens
are therefore the ones we try to have
in every hive. If the season is over
prolific in swarms (as some seasons
are) a drone-trap can be applied to
advantage.

In the management for increase
and honey, I leave off the queen-ex-
cluding honey-board and give the
queen full liberty to all the laying
space she can occupy. As before
stated, we try to have only vigorous
queens, and as a result we have many
that will fill fifteen of our combs with
brood. If the queen seems to crowd

the second story with brood, I put
on a third story filled with empty
combs. This extension capacity of
a hive has given me a thousand
pounds of honey extra in a season in
an apiary of one hundred colonies.
When I commence to extract I com-
mence to increase, wholly by artificial
swarming. From every hive that has
an abundance of brood, are taken
two or three brood-combs with ad-
hering bees, being very careful to
leave the queen in the parent swarm.
The brood is selected with care.
The hive contains ten brood-combs
and at least six brood-combs with
hatching bees are selected for the
new swarm ; the other four contain
eggs, larvce, sealed brood and honey.
These ten combs from several differ-
ent hives make a full new swarm
immediately, and it is an immediately
working swarm ready for a surplus
story, if you have an out apiary to
which to remove it, so as to retain all
of the old bees, a queen cell can be
given to it in a day or two as queens
can be reared especially for them. But
under certain circumstances I prefer
to have them rear their own queen.
For instance : if the swarm is made
early in the season, say in June, a ma-
ture or cell queen should be given, but
when made later in the basswood or
buckwheat season, let them rear one.
If a queen is given the young swarm
at this time she will immediately fill
all available space with eggs and
nearly all honey gathered will be
used in brood-rearing. If no eggs
are deposited for two weeks or more,
much honey will be stored and the
swarm will go into winter quarters
with plenty of honey and young
bees, for as soon as the queen is fer-
tile she will try her new powers if it
is in October. Our first drawing of
brood from the old colony can be
followed by another drawing in eight
or ten days. In our second drawing,
brood is taken from the lower story,
and eggs and larvae from the upper
story are put in their place below. I

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

251

have thus continued the drawing and
making increase until the middle of
August and had the late swarms
store a surplus for winter.

My method of extracting is not
materially different from the practice
of many others. I advocate extract-
ing as fast as the bees gather the
honey ; if it is partly capped it is
ripened enough. Locality may make
a difference in this respect. If the
honey is extracted as fast as gathered
there is but little trouble from robber
bees, and each quality of honey is
kept distinctly separate.

My appliances are a Stanley Auto-
matic four-frame extractor. The
honey is brought to this on a cart
that will carry thirty surplus combs
or 150 pounds. My helper will un-
cap and extract as fast as I can sup-
ply the combs. From my honey
extractor there is a drop of three
feet, and the honey is run directly
into half-barrels ; for an improve-
ment I shall put in a tank holding
several hundred pounds ; this will
save much straining and give all im-
purities a chance to rise to the sur-
face.

During the past season I have
simplitied the work in the apiary so
that much time is gained and I have
run three apiaries with but little aid.
I think the time is near at hand when
one man can run several large apia-
ries with but little help.

Hartjord, N. V., Sept. 12, 1887.

For the American Apiculturist,

THE MARKETING PR OB-
LEAL

W. M. Woodward.

A PLAIN WAY OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY.

The strain upon the honey market
is effectually relieved for the pres-
ent year. Perhaps the coming year

may not see it so tight as it was the
last year ; but who can doubt that
the tide will turn toward low prices
just as soon as ever one good crop is
realized ? But why bring up the sub-
ject of marketing honey now when
we have no honey to sell ? I answer,
now is the time to save our honey
market. Higher prices will be es-
tablished and it is far easier to main-
tain prices than to make them. We
have found it impossible to make
prices. Fair prices will rule this year.
Can we maintain them for time to
come ? To this question let me call
the attention of the beekeepers.

HONEY producers' UNION.

It has been proposed to organize a
"Honey Producers' Union" and es-
tablish prices. It never can be done.
Beekeepers are scattered everywhere
over the whole land. Almost every
state now produces a surplus above
its consumption. Many beekeepers
have families depending upon the
proceeds of the apiary for their
bread, and such must sell. If they
cannot get what they want they must
take what they can get. But it has
been said the "Union" must prepare
to advance money to such on their
crops. This it will be found will be
dangerous business both to the lend-
er and to the borrower. Let me
recommend a thoughtful re-reading
of Mr. Norton's article in September
number, page 227 ot the Api, and to
the point that such an argument in
the end must fail. Do not under-
stand me that such an organization
would be altogether useless ; but that
the idea of bulling or bearing the
market in so general a commodity,
so widely distnbuted, must of neces-
sity be a total failure. If a union
can be made of any use to us it will
rather be in the way of finding an
outlet for our honey in places not
fully supplied by the local crop, or
perhaps in reaching foreign markets .
If beekeepers can be generally in-
duced to work up the home market

252

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

both in town and country, and, when
their own supply fails, to take orders
for some reliable friend, or firm, as
through the Union, it will justify its
existence.

CURTAILING PRODUCTION.

This plan has been put forward as
a means of solving the difficulty.
Now, if we live by beekeeping, two
elements are necessary to the suc-
cess of the business : the amount
and the price of the product. A
large amount strikes directly at the
price, and vica versa, a large price
encourages the larger production.
Of the two the larger price would be
far preferable were it not for the fatal
fact that it inevitably breeds a new
lot of beekeepers and thus defeats
itself.

Again, it has been urged that the
extractor be done away with. As to
this it is conceded that the beekeepers
cannot be induced to do it. I, for
one, do not deem it desirable if they
could. Here in the west, and I sup-
pose also in the east, our market is
overstocked with comb honey now
( /. e., has been) as well as extracted.
Add to this the equivalent of the ex-
tracted honey crop and who can fail
to foresee a ruined comb honey
market? Why ! prices have already
rated at about what extracted honey
ought to bring during the last year.
Prices for comb honey, a fair article
too, have ranged at large, in country
towns, as low as ten cents per lb.
But, here in the west in particular,
the extracted honey does not enter
into competition to a greater extent,
if as great, as sugars. No one here-
abouts ever says "I can buy extracted
honey so and so," they rather say
"sugar is cheaper."

Working up the home market is
one of the things to be done. Do it
thoroughly. If you have to peddle,
then peddle ; it will pay. Besides, I
have found honey one of the best
things to peddle I ever handled. It
sells itself. But we must not only

work up the home market to sell our
own honey, but must keep it worked
all the year round, in order to relieve
the strain on the general market.
But when we have done all we can
in this line, we shall still see a large
surplus of honey accumulate to run
down prices. Now, how can we
prevent this is the main question of
which I designed to write.

CONVERTING THE HONEY CROP.

There is yet one resource. We
must turn manufactui-ei's of such
products as can be made of honey.
We want, not less extracted honey,
but more honey vinegar instead of
some of the unwholesome acids now
so general on the market.

Fellow beekeepers, let us now turn
our attention to what can be inanu-
factured from honey and hozv it is
done; let receipts for honey cakes
and every kind of product be the or-
der of the day. We need not so
much to produce less or to give up
extracting as we do ways and meth-
ods and energy to work up our crops
within ourselves into products which
command paying prices. But we
must work up our honey ourselves
or take low prices.

Custer Park^ III.

For the American Apicultiirist.

IN-BREEDING OF BEES.

Dr. G. L. Tinkee.

The liability to in-breeding is the
most serious drawback to the im-
provement of the honey bee by the
ordinary methods of haphazard mat-
ing. Nature's remedy for it is run-
away swarms, but now man catches
the swarms and all are kept in one
apiary so that one often has the most
objectionable forms of in-breeding.
Were it not for the extensive traffic
in queen bees and the numerous

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

253

apiaries in our land with more or less
run-away swarms, the results must
be worse.

I find that virgin queen bees do
not fly far at any time of the season.
Although the thorax of the queen is
larger than that of the worker, and
no doubt contains more powerful
muscles to propel the wings, I doubt
if they fly usually over one-fourth
mile from the apiary, and often not
over one hundred yards away. The
drones with their large chests, pow-
erful muscles and large wings, not
only fly exceedingly swift, but are
able to make long flights, and re-
main on the wing for three hours at
a time without ever alighting once !
There is every reason to think that
in swarming time, and the warm still
days of mid summer, they often fly
five miles away and meet queens. In
the fall of the year and early spring,
I have found that, owing to the cooler
air and winds, drones do not often fly
over one-half mile. At all events, at
such times, an isolated mating sta-
tion, one mile from other bees, is not
troubled with drones of hives at a
distance.

In producing my strain of Syrio-
Albino bees, late fall mating, the use
of drone-traps and an isolated mating
station in the country have been the
only measures at my command
against promiscuous in-breeding. I
have found that queens mated to
brother drones, and all close in-breed-
ing has proved highly detrimental.
The queens lose prolificness and the
workers energy. I have, with few
exceptions, been obliged to kill hun-
dreds of queens mated in the home
apiary during the swarming season ;
some mismated to undesirable drones
from other apiaries, and many from
close in-breeding, resulting often in
pretty bees but worthless workers.
But five years of careful selection of
both queens and drones, avoiding
all close in-breeding, has accom-
plished all I could ask, and has shown
greater possibilities in the future.

I have produced the largest drones
and the largest bees I have ever seen.
The former have wings a little over
^^2- of an inch broad and -^-^ of an
inch long. The average black drone,
including Carniolans is not over one-
half inch long, and few Italian drones
exceed ihis by ^'j- of an inch. In
addition to being large, they have
presented every desirable point of
beauty and are the offspring of the
best working colonies I have ever
owned. I only allude to these facts
as an encouragement to others in
their efforts to improve their strains
of bees, and that it can be done by
well-directed effort. But there can
be no success from haphazard mat-
ing and other disappointment from
close in-breeding.

It has become evident to me that
a cheap and practical method of
mating queens, to select drones would
prove of inestimable value to bee-
keepers, and I shall hope that Pro-
fessor McLean, with the facilities at
his command, may be able to find a
reliable method. His efforts, already
crowned with partial success, deserve
the encouragement of all beekeepers.

At present, I know of {ew queen
breeders that are giving the question
of in-breeding the attention it de-
serves. The advantages resulting
from the crossing the best strains of
unrelated Italians, or of either of the
yellow races with each other, is fully
as great as in the radical crosses of
black to yellow ; and the effect of all
such crosses is, first, more prolific
queens, and secondly, greater activ-
ity in the workers.

Neia Philadelphia, O.

For the. Amtrican Apiculturist.

THE SEASON IN IOWA.
FEEDING BEES.

C. W. DAYTON.

This has been the poorest season
for bees known for many years.

254

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Not enough hone}' for winter stores
is the result. Many have asked me
if it will pay to buy sugar for the
bees, to whicli I answer, b}^ all
means it will, if the bees are
managed well when there is honey
for them to gather. If they are
run in a slipshod manner it would
be Avell, and I don't know but I
might sa3^ better, to give them to
some one who can run them as they
ought to be run.

I know of no one here who has
taken a surplus beside myself and
that is not more than twenty pounds
per colony. I have heard of no
swarming out of 1,200 colonies
around. One of my apiaries of
fifty colonies cast about twenty-five
swarms. It was caused by contin-
uous feeding during the spring.
There was not enough honey and
pollen in the flowers all the spring
to keep up brood-rearing, so I sup-
plied the deficiency artificially, by
feeding in the open air in a large
shallow pan. I fed to fifty colo-
nies fifty pounds of syrup each day,
letting them carry it liome tlie same
as though they were gathering
from the flowers. It took twelve
pounds of honey to ten pounds of
water to make the feed the right
consistency. Sometimes I gave
them a double dose and it was a
real enjoyment to hear them roar
as they transferred it to their hives
and then the music as they were
evapoi'atingthe water from it in the
evening! By mixing so much
water with the feed it enables them
all to get a taste and be busy.

To have something to do, es-
pecially with honey, is what brings
joy an(i encouragement to the heart
of the bees, and to increase that
quality in the bees with as little ex-
pense in honey as possible, I have
experimented to find out how large
a share may be water and yet the
bees carry it to their hives ; and, it
was found that under certain con-
ditions, they would carry it eagerly

where it was only \ part honey.
It must be quite sweet to begin
with and to get them started ; but
after they get the habit of carrying
it from tiie pan, it don't make much
difference wliat it is if it only con-
tains a little honey. I don't think
I fed more than three pounds per
colony all the spring, .yet many of
the hives were destitute of honey
aside from the feed all the time ;
and needed the feed regularly to
prevent starvation. Where they
were fed, I could find large patches
of unsealed larvae, without the feed.
I believe there were many colonies
that did not average 500 unsealed
larviB in tlie whole hive, yet they
had several pounds of old stores
to fall back upon. It is slow busi-
ness the bees will do at brood rear-
ing when honey and flowers are as
scarce as they were last spring, and
unless the beekeeper can give them
some real encouragement at that
time the honey will be scarcer still.
New Hampton, Iowa.

For the American ApicuUiirist.

FERTILE WORKERS.

A. Norton.

I don't know whether many per-
sons have observed fertile workers
in the act of depositing eggs or not.
I have never read of any who had
actually seen them. If it is not
rare, then the following will be of
no interest and you can throw it
aside.

The other day, opening a colon}''
which had been made qneenless,
and ttie capped queen cells all de-
stroyed, and wliicli I had found a
week before to have fertile workers,
I chanced to discover the identical
ones — or two of them. I found
one in the act of laying, crammed

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

255

way down into the cell, only the
head and part of the thorax show-
ing (llie part below the wings l)e-
ingalsoin thecell),and with wings
crumpled against the comb, she
presented a comical appearance.
She remained motionless for a min-
ute or so, not turning partly around
as does a queen. Caught her before
she could mix with the bees. She
would not sting. Handled her and
rolled her in my fingers with impu-
nity for several minutes and she only
protruded her sting as a queen will.
Finally, she stung me just as I was
putting her in a cage. Then I al-
lowed her to run on the comb.
Could tell her by her having lost a
sting. Bees paid little attention to
her, but I observed a faint show
of extra respect in the way of feed-
ing, etc. The cell I took her from
was literally sprinkled with eggs,
but so was ever3^ other cell near.
Opening another time, I found an-
other fertile worker in the act of
laying. She was as long about it as
the one before seen. When she fin-
ished, I saw her drop two eggs after
leaving thecell as you will often see
a queen do when she is laying rapid-
ly. Tills was the only missing link
needed to complete the proof. This
one I also caught. I induced her
to sting me sooner than I did the
other. Both of them were just like
other bees. They seemed past their
prime and were faded and gray
looking. Were Cyprian hybrids.
As I said at the outset, this will
be of interest or entirely wortliless
according to whether it has or has
not been often seen before. Have
not read of it myself, hence I send
it for you to do with as you please.
Gonzales^ Cal.

[The above is not new but interest-
ing. We have seen worker bees iu the
act of laying eggs, and others have re-
ported the same experience].

For the American Apiculiurist.

PLAINNESS IN COMPOSI-
TION, ETC.

G. W. Demareb.

To write plainly is a talent of
higher order tliaii to write elegantly.
No one can hope to make himself
understood in all things by all who
may read his writings. What ap-
pears quite plain to one person,
may be obscure and perplexing to
another. The fault then is not al-
ways with the vvrvter.

In both law and theology men
dispute over the obscurity of lan-
guage. Were I to take up Brother
Porter's article and criticise it, I
could point out as much ambiguity
in the language he uses in his crit-
icisms as he has pointed out in my
article. But all this would be of
no earthly use, just as I think
Brother Porter's criticism was of
no use to anybody. In modern
bee phraseology, a hive without
frames or combs is properl}' spoken
of as being " empty," and if any-
body understood me otherwise it
was Mr. Porter. I had just said
that the combs were removed from
the " old hive " to the " new " one,
and " the now empty old hive."
Empty of what? Wiiy ! empty of the
combs of brood that I had just re-
moved. The grammar itself shows
this too clearly for any one ac-
quainted with plain English to mis-
take it. But there is one point that
brother Porter has raised that needs
explanation, as it may raise doubts
in the minds of some persons who
have not studied the economy of
tiie bee hive. Following the rZt;-eci
depletion jJ^^m, of preventing after
swarms as practised by me, Mr.
Porter asks, "What is to peo[)le the
new hive and take care of its brood ?"
I might answer the question by
saying, " try it and see." But I
might have asked this question my-

256

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

self 3'ears ago when I was less
versed in bee economy than now.

When bees prepare to swarm, the
queen is moved by instinct to pre-
pare for her flight with the swarm,
and hence she lays but sparingly
for several days previous to the is-
suing of the swarm. And prepar-
atory to the sudden desertion of
the brood by the swarm, which may
result in a greater or less depletion
as the conditions may be, the nurse
bees feed the larvae to last them
for several days. Besides, at this
stage of things, j^oung bees are cut-
ting out with the greatest rapidity.
With these wise provisions of na-
ture, it is easy to see how the new
hive is to be "peopled." By my
direct depletion plan, the swarming
impulse is broken at once, and the
old colony will be ready for work
in the Held much sooner than if the
depletion is delayed for seven or
eight days as when following the
Heddon plan. No one would un-
derstand me to say that there were
no bees left on the combs. Bees
do not " shake off" of combs per-
fectly, as the merest tyro has not
failed to observe. The plan, in a
" nutshell," is to put the parent
colon}', immediately after the
swarm issues, in the condition of
an artificial swarm. This is done
by removing the combs from the
hive from which the swarms is-
sued, and placing them in a new hive
in a new location. But it must be
borne in mind that the parent colony
is laboring under the swarming im-
pulse, and tiierefore too man}^ bees
must not accompany the combs as
there may be danger of an after
swarm. The swarm is hived on
the old stand so as to catch all the
flying bees. I know that this plan
works perfectl}' if the work is prop-
erly done, and the entire job is
completed at the time of hiving
the swarm. ,

Some may be ready to ask. Why
not resort to the shorter way of

moving the old hive with its con-
tents to a new location, and hive
the swarm in a new hive on the old
stand ? The reason wh^^ this shorter
way cannot be relied upon is, the
number of bees left at home, when
a swarm issues, is very uncertain ;
besides, bees stick to the combs
with queen cells, when under the
swarm fever, with greater tenacity
than if their queen was present.
The bees of a colony under these
conditions, if moved to a new loca-
tion, hive, combs and all, are so
absorbed in the one idea of swarm-
ing that the}' hardly realize that
they have been moved at all. It
is the " breaking up " process that
contributes most to the curing of
the swarm fever.

So far as I have tried it, Mr.
Porter's plan of dividing the combs
of brood between the parent colo-
ny and the swarm has not worked
satisfactorily in my apiary. It
has a tendency to cool the swarm
energJ^ and aggravate the swarming
impulse. The natural condition of
a " swarm " is the absence of brood
in its new quarters at the outset,
a wise provision of nature to give
the swarms entire energy to comb
building and honey storing for a
season, till the brood needs their
attention. I never allow my swarms
to have a cell of brood at the start.
Brother Porter comes to the de-
fence of the exploded old S3stem
of building up weak colonies in the
spring, at the expense of the strong
colonies. I have no doubt but
this feasible looking plan has ruined
the prospects of hundreds of apia-
rists. I was once carried away by
its feasibility myself, and the plan
hurt my early hone}' crop till I
found out better. If any man or
woman ever had a colony of bees
"too strong" at the connnence-
ment of the early surplus harvest,
please " hold up your hand." If
you can't hold up your hand, I
would advise you to trust to your

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

257

strong colonies for 3'our surplus,
and let the weak colonies build up
into good colonies at their own ex-
pense. Perhaps they will be your
strong colonies the next j'ear.
I am not to be understood that I
do not advise the use of brood in
necessary cases, to save weak col-
onies.

Christiansburg, Ky.

From '^Gleanings.'"

CELLAR vs. OUTDOOR WIN-
TERING.

W. Z. Hutchinson.

It is a pleasure indeed to dis-
cuss apicultural problems with such
a man as O. O. Poppleton — one
who can lay aside prejudices, and
calmly and fairly tr}'^ to find truth.
I am glad to note with what unan-
imity most of the bee-journals and
their contributors are dropping
personalities — discussing irrinci-
ples instead of men.

It is true, that these matters un-
der discussion between friend Pop-
pleton and myself are foreign to
the main topic of my little book ;
but they are important and season-
able.

In regard to caring for bees in
the cellar, there may be a grain of
truth in what Mr. Poppleton says.
If a man wishes to leave his bees
uncared for all winter, and go off
to the land of flowers, it may be
better to protect them thoroughly
upon their summer stands. Most
of our beekeepers, however, stay
at home winters, and to them this
question of supervision is not a
weighty one. Take my own case,
for instance. My bees were kept
in a cellar under the sitting-room ;
hence there was no expense for a
fire on account of the bees, or else
there was no expense for a fire to

keep ourselves warm. I presume the
majority of beekeepers are situated
in exactly this manner. And now
about the supervision in regard to
temperature. We ripped apart,
for a short distance, two breadths
of the carpet, bored a hole in tlie
floor, and suspended a thermome-
ter b}' means of a string attached
to a cork that just filled the hole in
the floor. A rug was kept over
the slit in the carpet. Our little
girls kept watch of the tempera-
ture. It seemed to afford them
considerable pleasure to have each
one guess what the "tempuchary"
(as the youngest one called it; was,
and then look and see who had
guessed the nearest. The "tem-
puchary'" varied from 40° to 48° ;
most of the time it was 45°. When
we had extremely cold weather,
accompanied by high winds, the
mercury would sink to 40°. Upon
several occasions I kept a lamp-
stove burning all night in the
hatchway, and burned, perhaps,
between one and two gallons of
oil. Had there been a double door
to the hatchway I do not think this
burning of lamps would have been
necessary. The mercury reached
48° during warm days upon the ap-
proach of spring. Nearly all cel-
lars need a drain, and it is just
about as easy to make the drain so
that it can be used for a sub-earth
ventilator as not. My own cellar
drain is so arranged ; but I have
not allowed the air to pass in
through the drain for the last two
winters. Do you ask why? Well,
I had my doubts as to its benefits ;
and, besides this, it lowered the
temperature. Had the pipe been
longer it might not have done so ;
it is only about seventy feet. I
had twenty colonies buried in a
clamp last winter. They were put
in about the middle of November.
A wooden tube, three inches square
and about eight feet long, extended
from near the bottom of the clamp

258

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

up through the covering of earth,
and projected four or five feet
above tlie surface. At the bottom
of this tube was kept a thermome-
ter, wlience it coukl easily be drawn
by means of a string. When the
bees were first put up, the temper-
ature in the clamp was 47°. It
gradually sank, and in a week had
reached 45°. Here it remained
until steady cold weather came on,
when it again gradually fell until
it reached 42°, where it remained
unchanged for nearly four months.
"When the warm days of April
came on, it again graduall}' fell
until it reached 42°, where it re-
mained unchanged for nearly four
months. When the warm days of
April came it gradually rose to 45°,
at which point it was when the bees
were removed. Now, the bees in
this clamp wintered splendidly,
and there were no supervision, and
the conditions were the same as
though they had been in an out-
door cellar. I am aware that some
beekeepers use a fire to warm their
bee-cellars, and, with some cellars,
this may be necessary ; but with
an underground cellar that receives
a steady supply of heat from the
earth, fires are wholly unneces-
sary ; and all the supervision that
is needed does not amount to any-
thing practically, so far as cost is
concerned — at least, not to the
man who lives at home winters.

Mr. P. gpeaks of the "wear and
tear" of putting bees in the cellar
and taking them out again. I fail
to see wliere there is any "wear
and tear." He further says, a cel-
lar won't last always, and must be
repaired. This is true of some cel-
lars. A cellar stoned up, and un-
der a building, such an one as Mr.
Taylor's or Mr. Heddon's, will re-
quire no repairs for a lifetime.
You, friend Root, speak of the cost
of preparing the cellar for winter-
ing bees ; that the windows must
be darkened ; sub-earth ventila-

tion furnished, etc. Candidly, my
friend, do you, or does anybody
know that all these things are
needed ? Do we knoio that a cel-
lar must be dark? and if w^e do
know it, is it expensive to daiken
the cellar? Where is the man who
knows that sub-earth ventilation,
or any ventilation for a bee-cellar
is needed ?

Friend P. saj^s there are two
"ifs" in the quotation from Prof,
Cook ; and then in the next sen-
tence he (Poppleton) says, "Chatf
hives are safe in severe winters if"
(there it is again) "they are prop-
erly constructed and handled ;"
but the really weak point in this
part of the argument is found in
this sentence : "Many of us older
heads have supposed that we had
found the ro3'^al road to success,
and would reach it, too, for a series
of years, when some climatic or
food chavges would occur, and the
goal would be still ahead." I wish
to call attention to the part I have
italicized. The two "ifs" in my
quotations from Professor Cook
are surmountable. We can have
the cellar right; ditto the food;
but in outdoor wintering, those cli-
matic changes are an element of
uncertaint}^ the damages from
which can be only partly averted
by chaflT hives or protection of some
kind. In the cellar we can have
the conditions the same every win-
ter. I have yet to lose a colony
having cane sugar for stores, and
wintered in a warm cellar, and by
the methods that I now employ I
can have the winter stores consist
of so large a per cent of sugar, and
that, too, in such a position that
it will almost surely be used dur-
ing the winter, and all with so lit-
tle labor that the damage of loss
from unsuitable food practically
amounts to but little. It is so
slight that I prefer to take the risk
rather than to perform more labor
and take no risk. I will admit,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

259

that some honey is equal to sugar
for wintering purposes ; and I sin-
cerely wish that friend F. could
give us an article upon the subject
of getting good honey for winter-
ing our bees, and also tell us why
he thinks that colonies worked
upon the top-story plan do not
winter so well ; yes, and point out
"the very obvious reasons" why
neighbor Doane's bees did not
winter so well as mine.

Yes, friend P., it is an experi-
enced apiarist who can make it
pay to spread the brood, if anyone
can. It is also true, that the time
for doing this work comes before
the rush of the honey harvest ; and
I do not doubt that, combined with
spring protection, many apiarists
might find it profitable ; but I feel
satisfied that the same results, or
nearly as good results, may be se-
cured with no labor ; and certainly
no beekeeper need spread the
brood in the spring, simply for a
lack of something to do. What I
mean b}' accomplishing the same
results with no labor is, using hives
having a brood-nest of such capac-
ity that a queen of ordinary pro-
lificness can and will keep the
combs filled with brood without
"horsewhipping" her by spreading
the brood. We can often increase
our profits b}^ increasing the num-
ber of our colonies rather than by
increasing the average products of
those colonies we already possess.
In other words, "securing the great-
est amount of honey with the least
expenditure of capital and labor"
does not necessarily mean secur-
ing large yields per colony.

I will explain why I consider it
more profitable to winter bees upon
sugar when raising comb honey.
The prices of extracted hone}' and
sugar are very nearly the same,
or, at least, the}' have been ; hence
the profit could not be very great,
while the price of comb hone}' is
twice as great. I am aware that

many believe that twice as much
extracted as comb honey can be
produced, and perhaps this is true
in a majority of cases ; but those
who are well up in the production
of comb honey, and employ the
best methods, know that they can
secui-e at least three-fourths as
much comb as extracted honey.

I feel now very much as though
I had had my "say" upon this sub-
ject ; and I should be very glad
indeed to let some one else speak.
Bogersville, Mich., July 20, 1887.

"From the American Bee Journal."

HO W BEES KNO W ONE
ANOTHER.

George f. Robbins.

When I first began to study bee-
books and beekeeping, I was taught
that bees recognize one another by
the sense of smell. I took it for
granted that that was true, for that
seemed to be the general assump-
tion. After awhile I saw doubts
of the theory expressed, and at
length decided, from watching the
habits of bees, that the view could
not be sustained. I have never
seen the assumption proven.

My view is, that bees recognize
one another more by actions than
by all things else. Two facts in
bee-nature are well known, first,
their senses are far more delicate
than ours. They and their little
world are so much less than we and
ours, that what to us is so infini-
tesimal as to escape notice, to them
is a matter of some magnitude.
They can perceive what we cannot,
and it may be that in some way we
would scarcely imagine all their
senses aid in mutual recognition.

Certainly we know that, second,
bees know their own home, and that
chiefly by sight. They carefully

260

THE AMERICAN APICULTUMIST.

study their hive and its surround-
ings ; every little mark is cognized
and remembered. Now, when a
bee enters her home, she knows it ;
she feels at home and acts accord-
ingly. Her sisters know by the
way she acts that she is at home.
If she goes into a strange iiive, she
goes either designedly or by mis-
take.

Novv nature is spontaneous. In
whatever form manifested, it wells
out as a matter of instinct. A plant
or an emotion sjirings up with the
same spontaneity. The man or bee
that follows his instincts, shows
guilt or innocence — caution or
fear. It is generally to be supposed
that no bee will enter a strange
hive except for purposes of plunder.
The bee that seeks ingress to a hive,
for the pui'pose of robbing, knows
that she is a robber ; she seeks to
steal her way with fear and dread.
The home bees perceive the signs,
recognize her as a robber, and treat
her accordingly.

Mr. Schachinger thinks that, after
the robber has been successful a
few times in entering and leaving
a hive, that she can go and come
with im})unity, because she has ac-
quired the scent of the colony. If
so, why do not her sister bees per-
ceive the foreign scent, and, if gov-
erned by that in recognizing one
another, repel her as an intruder?
Likewise, how can she succeed
that few times until she acquires
the scent? Evidently the3^ do not
judge by smell alone, if at all. It
is easier to assume that the bee
that can walk in as though she be-
longed there — makes herself at
home — can go and come in safety.
To attribute so much design to a
bee may be assuming a great deal,
but bees are certainly creatures of
volition. They will, and do. Hence,
it is reasonable to conclude since
some do enter, load and return, that
partly perhaps in obedience to the
instinct that prompts her to steal,

the bee wills to go into the hive she
means to rob, with an air of busi-
ness and familiarity that disarms
the inmates. If there is anything
suspicious about her, the home bees
simply examine her carefully, she
submitting innocently, and if they
do not find sufficient evidence of im-
posture, she is allowed to pass.

But if a bee or bees go into a
strange hive with no intention to
steal, what then? In certain cases
they often do, and generally with
perfect safety. It is safe to say
that bees never fight except in case
one part}'^ has reason to regard the
other as robbers or trespassers.
The entire secret of uniting suc-
cessfully is to do it at a time or
under circumstances when that will
not occur. I never could unite two
colonies safely at a time when bees
are living. Each part}' takes the
other to be intruders, and they will
fight to the death. But on a cool
or cloudy day, or in early morning
or late evening — any time when
bees remain quietly at home — I
may unite them in any way I may
desire. The fact that no bees are
flying — that it is no time to be out —
seems to preclude the idea that
either party can be intruders. If
they recognize one another as stran-
gers at all in such cases, they can
at least do so as readily by actions
as by odor. But the following exam-
ples indicate, if they do not prove,
that bees do not recognize one an-
other by scent :

I can put a new swarm into a
hive with another colony generally
with perfect safety. They know
no home, and they go into the hive
with the intention to make it their
home — not as enemies. I have
often known a swarm that issued
and then returned to the same hive,
in returning to be joined by another
swarm and no fighting be done.
Young bees out of the hive for the
first time, often by mistake go in-
to the wrons hive unmolested. If

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

261

I move a hive to some other lo-
cation, and leave the old stand va-
cant, the flying bees, when they
return and find their old home gone,
after soaring around the place
awhile, will quietl}' and safely enter
some contiguous hive. They ap-
parently think either that this must
be their home, or they will, like the
homeless swarm, make it their
home.

In the above cases they at least
do not act like intruders. We have
no certain evidence that they are
recognized as foreigners. If they
judge by odor alone, strangers
would be certainly known as stran-
gers, and promptly met as trespass-
ers.

3Iecha7iicsburg , III.

IMie

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

W^INTER PASSAGE OVER THE FRAMES.

Query No. 34. Is it a good plan to leave
a paffbage Way between top ot IVanies auU the
lioiie) -l)o:ird, mat or cushion used to cover
the lianies? What objection can there be to
placing the mat direct on the top-b>ir ?
.I.H.J.

ANSWER BY C. C. MILLER.

Yes. Generally bits of comb pro-
ject above the top bar allowing the
bees to pass over, in which case
there is no objection to laying the
mat on top-bar.

ANSVS^ER BY K. L. TAYLOR.

Yes. Not to leave an open space
over the brood frames prevents the
bees from having easy access to all
their stores and would often cause
starvation with plenty of honey in
tlie hive.

eral occasions I have thoroughly
tested it on quite an extensive
scale, and these experiments showed
that it did no good, nor harm.

ANSWER BY H. ALLEY.

I think it is, provided too much
space is not left, as that would
permit of too much ventilation dur-
ing the winter. By April 1, the
mat should be placed directly on
the Irames to prevent loss of heat
and too much ventilation when the
bees commence to rear brood.

ANSWER BY PROF. COOK.

I think so. This certainly gives
a readier ingress of the bees to all
parts of a hive, when confined for
a long period in winter. It is no
argument against this that the bees
leave no such passage. Bees are
natives of a warmer clime where no
such passages are needed.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

Theoretically it is a good plan.
It reasons out first rate. On sev-

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

When I prepare my bees for win-
ter I use pieces of corn stalks
split open, laying two pieces side
by side across the tops of the
frames, and over these go the
quilts, etc. This arrangement per-
mits the bees to cross over from
one comb to another right wiiere
the greatest warmth of the hive is.
The objection to having the quilts
close down on the frames is, they
prevent the bees from passing from
one frame to another over their
tops.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

1. Yes. I have prepared my
bees in this way for years, winter-
ing always on summer stands. I
give from one to two inches of
room over the tops of frames. 2.
The objection to placing the mat
directly on the frames is that the
bees cannot pass freely from one
comb to another, unless winter pas-
sages are made, and these not only

262

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

disfigure the combs, but it is diffi-
cult, without spoiling such combs,
to malie these so-called Avinter pas-
sages, large enough to be of much
use. It is an advantage also, to
have ample room for the bees to
cluster on tops of frames.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

Yes, but simply a passage — no
large space as is provided by the
" Hill device." In out-door winter-
ing I use what I term an " under-
cover." It is made the same size as
the section super and used to cover
the same when in use. When the
supers are taken off it is placed over
the brood frames for winter. It is
made as follows : A thin board or a
number of pieces of the proper length
and width are cleated on top with
three cleats one inch square, and
cleated beneath at the outer edges
with one-fourth inch strips to form a
bee space. With this " under cover,"
no cushion is needed, as the chaff or
other packing may be placed upon
it to the depth of four or six inches.

In cellar wintering, no bee space
over the brood frames is at all nec-
essary. I prefer to lay stout muslin
directly on the frames and over it a
frame of chaff, /. <?., a frame of the
proper size with muslin tacked on
the bottom and filled with chatT. If
two thicknesses of cloth do not inter-
vene, the bees will often eat through
and let the chaff down among the
conibs.

The difference in these modes
is that free upward ventilation in a
cellar of proper temperature is desi-
rable, but in out-door wintering, free
upward ventilation allows the ready
escape of enough heat to endanger
the life of the colony in a long, cold
winter, as the coming winter promises
to be.

2. If tlie combs will hold but twenty pounds
of I'ood outside those used for brood, and
there are bees enough in the colony to con-
sume twenty-five pounds of honey, is tliere
not danjrer of the colony starving before
spring? 3. How would it do to divide tliose
strong colonies about October 1, and place
them on six L. frames ? would they not winter
well if properly prepared ?

Apis.

ANSWER BY C. C. MILLER.

1. Yes, unless a good fall flow of
honey.

2. Hardly, for there will be con-
sideral^le honey in the frames of
brood. Something, however, de-
pends on plan of wintering.

3. I would not divide, but take
away, as they are emptied, some of
the frames, leaving six full ones..

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

1. Y^es.

2. Yes.

3. It would be best to give the
colonies additional stores without
dividing ; but, if increase is very
much desired, colonies as strong as
tliose described could be success-
fully divided and wintered by a
person of experience. Of course
queens and additional stores would
have to be supplied.

ANSWERS BY PROF. COOK.

1 . Despite the general tendency
of modern beekeeping thought, I
like good large colonies for winter.

2. Then I would see that they
have at least thirty-eight pounds of
stores ; of course, if we have but
limited stores, we better use a divi-
sion-board and then it were better
to have smaller colonies.

3. I have wintered nuclei, but
there is more risk.

TOO MANY BEES FOR WINTER.

Query No. 35. I find that many of my
colonies liave eiglit and ten L. frames almost
solid with brood, and very little honey.
Is tlieie any danger tliat the hive will have
more bees tlian the combs have honey for?

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

1. That depends upon how much
honey the bees will gather during
the time they wind up breeding.

2. In my experience twenty
pounds of honey is enough for any
colon}', and half that if wintered
in doors, and the whole ten pound
is accessible.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

263

3. I have had good success in
wintering small colonies, but very
poor success in wintering any that
had been manipulated late in the
season. October 1 is too late here.

ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAKEE.

1. There is no danger of your
colonies being too large. Breeding
will cease in time for your bees to
store fall honey in the combs after
the 3'oung bees cut out — for winter
stores, otherwise 3'ou will have to
feed enough stores after the first
killing frost, to make up what is
lacking.

2. Brooding will cease later on ;
and, as the young l)ees hatch, there
will be room for winter stores.

3. It won't pay. You will be
surprised to see how the size of
your stong colonies will whittle
down when winter sets in. If you
will provide 3'our strong colonies
with plenty of stores for winter,
they will pay you best.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

1. You need have no fear in re-
gard to the brood ; the lack of
hone}' can be easily supplied by
feeding.

2. If you feed so that every
comb has its upper half filled with
stores, there will be an ample
quantity. Begin feeding at once,
and there will be no trouble.

3. I have never 3'et seen a col-
ony too large for wintering ; you
will find on the approach of cold
weather that the clusters will call
the bees snugly together. Use eight
frames in a ten frame hive evenly
spaced, and give from one and a
half to two inches space over tops
of frames and you will find there
will be room and to spare, the first
cold night.

contain twenty-five or more pounds
of honey or sugar stores.

3. It would do very well if di-
vided by the 10th of September,
giving each colony then one-half
the brood, which ought to be not
less than three frames each ; not
three frames full of brood, but the
middle portion of each comb of six
frames should have more or less
capped brood in them, on Septem-
ber 10, and in my opinion they
would certainly winter well. It is
said that a large colony of bees
consume no more honey in winter
than a small one ; the difference
being in the ability of the large
colony to keep the temperature at
a comfortable point at a small
consumption of honey, while the
small colonj' must consume a large
amount of honey to maintain the
prc^per warmth to keep from freez-
ing;.

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY.

1 & 2. I don't think the bees
would starve, provided the combs

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

1. No, the combs will hold at least
thirty pounds of food, and not over
fifteen are equired to winter any
properly protected colony, leaving
fifteen pounds for brood-rearing in
early spring.

2. As stated, the bees would starve,
but by the time the brood all hatches
there will be plenty of room for more
stores.

3. Very strong colonies may be
divided and successfully wintered,
but I do not think it advisable to do
so. The reason that very strong
colonies do not winter as well, usually,
as average sized ones, is because of
insufficient ventilation. Very large
colonies of bees in winter are too
warm, do not cluster and are unable
to hibernate. They wear themselves
out in constant activity and by the
time spring comes are not so strong
as the colonies that were able to hi-
bernate. The proper solution of
this question was first made known
to the public in my article on win-
tering in the October number of the

264

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Apiculturist for 1886, to which the
reader is respectfully referred. Since
that time Prof. N. W. McLain of the
U. S. Experiment Station has con-
firmed my position after many obser-
vations and well conducted experi-
ments on bees in winter quarters.
Under the Professor's able manage-
ment, the Experiment Station is a
success as every report from his hand
of new and valuable discoveries am-
ply demonstrates.

QUEEN WITH PARALYZED LEG.

Query No. 36. I have a fine queen, very
beiiutiJul and large. She came from a ceil
taken IVom one of my best colonies when it
swarmed. She is now in a nucleus. Was
looking at her and saw that one hind leg was
useless. This defect does not seem to imiiair
her fertility as I noticed that there were eggs
in every cell.

1. ^Vill the bees in a full colony accept her?
2. Would they be likely to supersede heron
account of her lameness ? 3. Would you hes-
itate to introduce her ?

Novice.

ANSWERS BY R. L. TAYLOR.

1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. I would
not use her except as a makeshift.

ANSWERS BY C. C. MILLER.

1. They have accepted such a
one for me.

2. I think not.

3- No.

ANSWERS BY PROF. COOK.

Yes, so long as she is prolific I
think they would. I do not think
they would try to supersede her,
so long as she is a good layer, and
so I should not hesitate to intro-
duce her.

ANSWERS BY H. ALLEY.

1. Yes, the bees will accept such
a queen ; but 1 dislike to introduce
a crippled queen.

2. In some cases the bees
might supersede her, but will not
as a general thing.

3. AVould use such a queen if
all right otherwise than lame leg,
and no others were at band.

ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON.

1. Although this queen maybe
a good layer and if very carefully
introduced be accepted, I think
that any physical imperfection in-
creases the danger of her being
destroyed b}^ the workers.

2. Other things being equal, bees
are more apt to supersede a queen
having any deformity.

3. 1 would try introducing her
if I needed her.

ANSWERS BY J. E. POND.

I don't think the useless leg will
cause the bees to reject her, and
do think they will accept her as
soon as another whose legs were all
right, and not supersede her on
that account alone.

I should not hesitate a moment
about introducing her, unless I
had a perfect queen equally as
good. If I did not have as good
a queen that was perfect, I should
certainly hang to this one for the
present.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

I have had two queens that had
paralyzed legs from being stung. One
had two limbs so paralyzed and sub-
sequently mated ; both were ordina-
rily prolitic and the bees showed no
inclination to supersede them. Bees
in full colonies do not so readily
accept such queens, though once
accepted they are not likely to su-
persede them on account of the
lameness. I would not hesitate to
introduce such a queen if she was
otherwise valuable.

ANSAVERS BY G. W. DEMAREE.

Queens sometimes get one or
more of their limbs paralyzed in
their conflict at mating time. It
may be caused by the bees " ball-
ing" her, and I knew one case
where it was done by a conflict with
a rival queen. The two or three
queens I have had in that condition
were as prolific as other queens but

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

265

were superseded in the course of a
year.

1. Yes: if she is properly in-
troduced.

2. They will finally supersede
her, but 1 have had them to do
good service first.

3. I would not, if I really
needed her service.

GRANULATED CORK FOR WINTER PACKING.

Query No 37. Mr. G. B. Dodfre of Lan-
castei", Pa., has a.sed "granulated" cork for
winter packing. Is sucli a material as good
an absorbent as sawdust or chaff? Will it
retain the lieat as well as other packing usu-
ally used in winter?

G. P.

ANSWER BY R. L. TATLOR.

I have had no experience with
cork.

ANSWER BY PROF. COOK.

I can only judge from what I
know of cork. If the cork is cut
tine I should expect it to be ad-
mirable.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

Yes, it is the best of an absorb-
ent ; and, if cut fine enough and
closely packed, a splendid non-con-
ductor of heat.

ANSWER BY C. C. MILLER.

I have had no experience in pack-
ing to amount to much, but have
heard ground cork highly com-
mended by successful Canadian bee-
keepers.

ANSWERS BY DR. TINKER.

Theoretically, granulated cork next
to sheep's wool is the best winter
packing for bees ; but, in practice,
good chaff and dry sawdust are found
quite as good.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

If the cork shavings are fine
enough, they have no equal as an
absorbent, and they will retain
heat as well as any other like ma-
terial.

20

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

It is a good material for the pur-
pose, but no better in my opinion
than cliafF or sawdust. I find as
good results from use of a dead-air
space, as with packed walls.

ANSWER BY H. ALLEY.

Cork, it seems to me, must be a
much better material for winter
packing than any other material I
know of. Tlie objection I have to
sawdust, shavings and chaff is that
if the smallest crack is not closed
the water will enter and wet the
packing long before spring. I had
all the experience in that direction
I wanted last winter. The above
materials are too much of an ab-
sorbent for the purpose for which
they are used. Cork, it seems to
me, will not act as an absorbent,
and yet it is a non-conductor of
heat and cold, if I mistake not ;
it should be considered the best,
if not the cheapest, material to use
for packing bees.

The American Apiculturist.

Published Monthly.

MANAGER,

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE INBUCEMENTS TO SUBSSEIBEES.
Wenham, Mass., Oct. 1, 1887.

THE MANAGER'S COENER.

OUR VISITOR.

After a long and unusually rough
passage, Mr. Ivar S. Young landed
in New York on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Being delayed there several days on
account of his baggage he did not
reach the Bay State apiary until Sept.
8.

Mr. Young is, probably, the most

266

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

prominent beekeeper in Norway,
and is editor of the only bee paper
published in that country. His visit
to America is to learn our method of
beekeeping, and he comes not only
on his own account but in the inter-
est of the Norwegian government.

Mr. Young arrived at Wenham at
noon time, and as soon as we had
taken in a good dinner we were
ready for business. After spending
a while in the office talking over bee
matters, we soon discovered what
points our visitor was most interested
in, and at once went out among the
bees.

We regret very much that Mr.
Young arrived so late in the season,
as we had but little to show him
about our method of rearing queens,
as the cell-building season was over.
Nevertheless, there was a large num-
ber of our beautiful queens in the
apiary, and hive after hive was opened
until brother Young said, " You
shall open no more, I have seen
enough."

Mr. Young expressed his pleasure
at what he had seen and learned
while here. We could hardly make
him believe that the bees he saw
were Italians as he had never before
seen any so beautiful for he seemed
to have an idea that the Cyprian and
Syrian races were the handsomest
bees known.

Mr. Young speaks quite good Eng-
lish, but said he could better under-
stand us than some others he had met,
as most of the Americans speak so
rapidly he could not interpret as fast
as they talked. Mr. Young left here
for Niagara Falls, and after spending
one day there intended to visit the
Exhibition at Toronto, Ca. There
he would meet the prominent bee-
keepers of Canada, also Mr. Cowan,
editor of the B. B. J.

Mr. Young spoke of the little tilt
between D. A. Jones and Mr. New-
man, regarding his visit to American
beekeepers and laughed heartily over
the matter, remarking at the same

time that he supposed that he had
included Canadian beekeepers with
American beekeepers.

From Toronto, Mr. Young will go
to Chicago, thence to Minneapolis,
Minn, to visit a brother. On his way
back a visit will be made to Mr. Hed-
don and other prominent beekeepers
at the west whom he can reach readily.
On his return to New York, Mr.
Young will visit the Knickerbocker
bee farm, Aspinwall and Treadwell,
and Mr. L. C. Root at Stratford,
Conn., also the apiary of Mr. Cush-
man at Pawtucket, R. I., as Mr.
Young, on his arrival at our place,
found some very cordial invitations
from most of the above named parties
to visit them.

Mr. Young is a very large man,
should say he would tip the balance
at about 300 pounds, and is more
than six feet high. As a smoker,
Mr. Young will find but few rivals in
this country. When he visits our
good friend Root at Medina, and
takes out the old pipe, and gets up
steam, we kind o' imagine that we
can see brother Root going for one
of those bellows smokers and pre-
senting it to Mr. Young on condition
that he quits smoking. We would
be willing to bet a small sum that
brother Root has not smokers enough
in his extensive establishment to in-
duce friend Young to throw away that
old pipe. If the writer could enjoy
and take so much comfort in smoking
as Mr. Young seems to, we would
smoke. Our friend and visitor no
doubt finds more pleasure and com-
fort in smoking now while he is 4,000
miles from his family and home, than
ever before. Who would care to de-
prive a man of such comforts under
the circumstances.

We assured our distinguished vis-
itor that he would receive a most
hearty and cordial welcome from all
the beekeepers whom he could visit.
Beekeepers are noted for the cordial
and brotherly feeling existing among
the bee fraternity.

THE AMERICAN APIC UL TURIS T.

267

A STROLL AMONG THE HONEY DEALERS
OF BOSTON.

On Saturday, Sept. lo, we were in
Boston and took a notion to go a-
mong the honey dealers. I must
confess that, after reading all the re-
ports in the Api and other bee pa-
pers of a failure of the honey crop,
I was much surprised at what I saw.

We saw in one store about seven
tons of honey in nice i-lb. sections
from beekeepers in Vermont. Some
of the crates were marked "Light
Weight." These crates I found
contained sections which were not
quite filled, and, in ordinary years
would not be sent to market. All
the first-class honey was in splendid
condition and very fine. The apiary
of A. E. Manum, of Bristol, Vt., was
well represented by the large lot of fine
honey. We concluded that brother
M. had but little time the past sum-
mer to spend in mourning over the
failure of the honey crop.

The prices, also, surprised me as
much as the quantity and quality of
the honey. The second quahty is
selling at wholesale at 18 cents, and
the best section honey at 2 2 cents, and
is retailing at 25 cents per pound.
Not a very heavy boom in honey after
all. The demand for honey is fair but
not brisk. We are of the opinion
that prices must advance in the course
of a few weeks, as nearly all the
honey, we learn, is on the market,
and long before spring the entire
crop will be sold. Therefore those
who have forced their crop on the
market will be losers to a consider-
able amount.

An experiment. — For a long time
we have been tliiiikiiig to test the mat-
ter regarding tlie length of time a bee
would live after its sting wasextracted,
If the fact has been stated in any book
or other publication, it has never come
to our notice, so we concluded t ) test
the matter ourselves. Accordingly, the
sting was removed Ironi seven t)ees
with no apparent injury at the time.
All the bees were bright and lively

from noon till we had retired at night.
The next morning two of tlie number
were dead, but the live remaining alive
were active and seemed all right. On
the second morning all had died but
one bee ; and although that one seemed
as smart as ever, it soon died.

These little experiments, although
of no account, add to the general lund
of uiformation and facts, concerning
the honey bee. We intend to try some
further experiments in this same direc-
tion. One is to remove the sting from
a number of bees, and then give them
a strange queen. Should think it would
he kind of funny to witness some sting-
less bees trying to sting a queen bee.

When the bees finti tliey cannot sting
a queen they will try to bite her. We
have often been stung and when the
bee found it could punish its victims
no more by stinging, then it would
try and bite.

Generally, when a bee has stung
some one it seems to appear as tiiough
it had done something it was ashamed
of. The fellow who gets stung don't
feel that way. He generally makes a
lew remarks which indicate that he is
mad clear through. To what use could
a bee put his sting unless he can tiad
a felhjw's nose to insert it in? We
have been stung so many times that we
rather like it. Everybody would keep
bees if it were not lor the stings and
we poor fellows who publish bee jour-
nals would be worse otfthan now.

The Apiculturist.— When we took
charge of the x^Pi in August, 188G, we
did so under circumstances most dis-
couraging. We never had had much ex-
perience as a publisher, but we thought
tliat as inanayer, the Api," if rightly
conilucted, could be made to pay its
running expenses at least. Well, un-
der the present management the Api
has appeared for fourteen months ; and
with one exception every issue has
been placed in tlie hands of its reailers
on the first day of each mouth and so
it will continue to appear as long as
its hosts of friends help us to tlo^so.
Our subscription list has more than
doubled within a year, and although
the profits derived from the Api are
small, yet we are content with what
we get.

Several persons who had predicted
that the Api would soon be numbered
with the things of the past, have had
reason to change their minds. Some-
how we have got along very well ^vith-
out their aid. One man, and an old

268

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

friend of the Api, has stated in a pub-
lic letter that 'Mr. Locke published the
best l)ee journal ever published in the
history of the past." Well, the Api
was flrst-class and no mistake, but, if
the opinions of some of the foremost
beekeepers in the world (and we know
they are competent to judge) are of
any value, the An is far ahead of what
it formerly was. Now, the present
manager onl}' claims credit for this
in the clioice he has made of the con-
tributors.

We never did approve of publishing
the old history of bees, such as may
be found in the columns of the Api of
several years ago. Our readers want
something new and fresh every issue ;
we have given it to them.

W^e shall now have more time to de-
vote to the API and hope to make still
furtlier improvements in its general
make-up.

Mating queens in confinement.

— We can s(.e no good to couie from
the experiments wliich Prof. McLean
is couducliug iu order to have queeus
mated iu coutinement. Wliat is to be
gained even could it be shown that
queens can be mated to any drone se-
lected?

The manager of the Api has been
rearing queens nearly thirty ye irs, but
no trouble has been experienced by us
in getting queens mated in the open
air, by the drones from any parlicuhir
queen desired. Since the advent of
the drone and queen-trap we have per-
fect control of both queens and drones.
With the use of the traps, hundreds of
colonies of black bees may be kept in
the .same apiaiy with a few colonies of
pure Italiaii bees, yet not one of the
young queens will be mismaled. It a
person has plenty of time and money
he can afford to waste in such useless
experiments, it is well enough to en-
joy sucli a pastime, but we see no real
practical advantages to come from
such experiments. It is to be lioped
that Prof. McLean will not waste much
valuable time in trying to tind some
way to have queens mated in coutine-
ment but will turn his attention to
something that will beuetit the bee-
keeper.

Notes and Queries.— AVell, Bro.
Root has come in and joined tliose
other bee journals who have adopted
the improvement method of the Ai'i-
CULTUKiST. Mr. Locke has said that
the API was the tlrst in the field

with a " Note and Query " department.
No one has disproved this statement.
It is a big thing, don't you think so,
Bro. Editors?

'• Gleanings " is doing the thing well,
but it has too many replies in yes and
no style. Yes and no do not, as a gen-
eral thing, explain questions on bt-e
cultu re to the satisfaction of all. When
you say yes or no, give your reasons
for not doing or for doing such things.

Can't some of the other bee journals
follow the Api in otlier respects be-
sides the "Note and Query" depart-
ment? Bro. Jones permitted some
one to use several columns of his pa-
per for abusing a brother editor in Can-
ada. We don't claim that it is any
business of tlie manager of the Api,
but we will say that when we cannot
find anything but personal matter to
fill our journal, the Api will not be
issued till something of more impor-
tance comes in. If anything can dis-
grace a publication of any kind, it is
articles reflecting on some person.

Bro. Jones, you know, does not feel
kindly towards the "Canadian Honey
Producers." Let your motto be "Live
and let live," Bro. Jones.

Fine Bees. — We have one colony
of the most beautiful bees that can be
found. The combs at this date (Sept.
5) are solid with brood and the liive is
very full of bees. The queen is one year
old, very large, handsome, and one of
the best breeding queens that ever
graced the Bay State apiary. This
queen brought a colony, containing not
over three pints of bees through the
winter of 1886-7, and on the summer
stand. We have taken nearly 100,000
bees from her colony since June 1,
and also have reared 300 queens from
lier beside. If perfection can be
claimed for a queen it can for this
one. To-day the weather is beau-
tiful and the bees are gathering honey
from golden-rod. I took a notion to
remove one of the middle combs from
the hive, and did so. Not one bee took
wing nor seemed to be disturbed in the
least. We have introduced twenty
young queens from the queen in ques-
tion, and they seemed to have inherited
the qualities and characteristics of
their mother.

Wliere this particular queen came
from, we know not. In August, 188(5,
about three quarts of bees were found
clustered upon the ground in my gar-
den. They were hived. Wiiile the bees
were running into the hive we noticed

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

269

two fine fertilized queens and the one
described is one of the two.

If more beautiful and docile bees can
be found we should be glad to have a
look at them. Those of our customers
who received queens of this strain were
fortunate, as they have somethin.i!: fine.
We have at tliis date (Sept. 5), about
forty of her dauiihters, and about 200
other queens. This strain is so much
diflVrent from any other in shape and
color we have, it is an easy matter to
select them when putting up queens.
We still have other strains that it is
hard to equal. One queen in particular
is worth mentioning. A nucleus reared
a queen which w;is very fine in appear-
ance; she was introduced to a full col-
on}'. Her worker progeny are now
hatching. They are beautiful to look
at. The price we set upon such a
queen is $100. Our customers will get
something from her next season that
will make them laugh right out. This
queen is not for sale. Don't send your
cheek for .$100 thinking you can get her.

Sony that space will not allow a de-
scription of aboivt fifty other queens iu
our apiary, all of which are of the best
in every point that goes to make a first-
class queen.

Those of our readers who think we
are boasting have a cordial invitation
to call and look over our bees. If we
cannot back up the above statements,
we will give any one the privilege to
say so in the Api. Our strain of Ital-
ians for beauty, prolificness and work-
ing qualities cannot be equalled in the
world. We mean it.

The Price of Honey is booming.
Well it might, as but few beekeepei's
have any honey for sale. The boom in
prices is of little account; nevertheless,
the failure of the honey crop will have
a wholesome influence upon the mar-
ket and price of honey forseveral years.
When honey is plentiful and chenp, a
customer pays the jirice and says noth-
ins. Now, when one steps up and
calls for a package of honey, he will
be surprised to know that he has to
pay nejirly double for it that he paid in
years past. " Why is this?" they will
inquire. " Where does honey come
from?" " How came the crop to fail?"
etc. It will open their eyes. Many
people who never knew where honey
came from, will learn something about
it this year. Many people who eat
honey think it is obtained from some
kind of fruit, nnd is pressed out the
same as cider is from apples.

We have no doubt that the experi-
ence of this year will teach people to
appreciate the value of honey better,
and th;it in consequence thereof, bet-
ter prices will prevail in the future.
It is " an ill wind that brings good to
no one." Let us all be tliankl'ul for
what we have had and enjoyed from
our bees, and let us look forward to
the season of 18S8, when, no doubt,
all will be m:ule happy again by an
abundant houev harvest.

It has come. — Vol. i, No. 1, of

"The Poultry and Beekeepers' Jour-
nal," published by the •' Sun Publish-
ing Companv," came to hand a few
days ago. We have looked it over and
think it is a pretty gootl thing, and we
are well pleased wiUi its cou'tents. It
strikes us, however, that it would be
as well for the success of the publica-
tion should the name of some one con-
nected with that new bee paper be pub-
lished therein.

Subscribers and readers generally
have a desire to know who is editor,
manager or proprietor, and who is i-e-
s|)ousil)le for the contents of any pub-
lication. We have no doubt that the

Sun Publishing Company is 0. K.,

but who is at the bottom of it?

In-breeding of bees is one of the
queries sent to the Api. The answers
are quite lengthy and most interesting
and are from the pens of Prof. Cook,
R. L. Taylor, James Heddon, G. W.
Demaree, J. E. Pond, Dr. C. C. Mil-
ler and by the Manager.

This query was crowded out of the
present issue, but will appear in the
November number.

The Apiculturist for September
came a few days ahead of time. Un-
der the able management of Mr. Alley
it improves each month. So far as
valuable matter is concerned, it is
one of our best apicultural periodi-
cals. It is well printed. — American
Bee /oiirnal.

No frost has visited this vicinity
up to date (Sept. 20) and the fall
flowers are as bright and flourishing
as in August, though the weather has
been cool all through the month.

270

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Eighteen hundred pounds of sugar
and several hundred pounds of honey
have been used in the Bay State Api-
ary since July i, 1887. Our bees
were fed sufficiently to take them
through the winter by Sept. 18. We
believe in feeding early.

Golden rod was in great abundance
from the last of August to October i .
The bees gathered from it more or
less each pleasant day, but many cold
and rainy days prevented them from
getting enough for winter.

Our hives are full of bees and finer
colonies cannot be found. So say
all our visitors. Call and see them.

QUEEN-BEES TO CANADA —A cor-
respniHlcnt wiites us a coniplaini. that the
postmaster at Detroit lias retiinieii two pack-
ages (containinji' queen-bees) for iusulBcieiit
postage when thev were to be sent to Canada
and stamps bad been placed upon them, the
same as required lor the U. S. iiostage. Our
correspondent is at fault, and as others may
be misintonned we make this explanation.
Queen-bees have to be sent to Canada as mer-
chandise, and according to the law, it requires
ten cents postage on every package weighing
eight ounces or less. As the postage must be
lire|>.nd, the postmaster at Detroit was re-
quired to return them, or retain them and let
them i\\e.— American Bee Joiirnal.

[We have sent a large number of
queen bees to Canada this year, but
have paid only four cents postage on
each queen. The postmaster at Sus-
pension Bridge returned the first
package of bees put up and sent as
merchandise on which ten cents for
each eight ounces had been paid. We
were informed that queens would not
go when thus packed and further in-
formed that the cages must be placed
in envelopes the same as a letter
and then they would go all right.
Since then we have packed queens
as instructed and all have been deliv-
ered safely to our Canadian custom-
ers. We pay letter postage on the
packages, which amounts to four
cents per queen.

It really looks as though the post-
master at Suspension Bridge was of
more importance than any other man
connected with the postal department
of Canada.]

Mr. Ivar S. Youns, in his letter to us and
other editors says: "1 am going to visit the
first and greatest beekeepers of the world—
the Americans— in order to study practi<-al
beekeeping." We did not state h's language
in our notice on page ii."), but the Canadian
Bee Journal did so, and its editor remarks
thus:

"While he may consider the Americans the
greatest beekeepers in the world, we hope to
show him th t the Canadians can make a
much liiier displ ly of their product. Before
Ins visit is over, we expect to be able to hear
him say that he sliould have couiiled Canada
with America in the statemect which he has
made."

The following is just received from a sub-
scriber of our Canadian contenipoi-ary, and
fully explains it-^elf:

"Frikxu Xewman:— What is the matter
with D. A. Jones? Is he jealous or crazy?
See page 350 of the Canadian Bee Journal lor
July 20. Is not Canada a part of America?
His talk is tUter nonsense, and tends to make
'hard feelings;' like the 'Canadian linden
honey and United States basswood article of
a year ago. I do not like such talk."

Bro. .Jones is at fault in his knowledge of
geography; that's all 1 He evidently thinks
that Canada is bigger and of more importance
than the whole continent of America; when
in fact it is but a small ))ortion of that conti-
nent. The article about "Canadian Linden
Honey vs. American Basswood" was. no
doubt, a great blunder! as was the naming of
his paper? But we must overlook such little
tilings in him. It is his nature to heimpulsive,
and to make very inflated statements. We do
not think he intended to be discourteous to
the apiaiists south of the great lakes, even
though his language made it so ai)pear.

That Canada obtains a good crop of honey;
tliat it is of excellent quality ; that they make
grand exhibits; and that they have some of
the best apiarists of the world, we freely ad-
mit, without even a thonglit of jealousy, or
feeling of envy I And when Americans are
referred to as '-the greatest lieekeepers ol the
world," as they are by Mr. Ivar S. Young,
we never think of depriving Canadians of
tlieir full share of the honor; or imagine for a
moment that thev desire to secede Irom the
rest of the Continent, or wish to detract from
the glory and reputation of America, or Amer-
ican apiarists.— No! We all say most enthusi-
asticallv —

" No pent-U)) Utica contracts our powers;

The whole unbounded continent is ours."

[The foresoinff was taken from the
American Bee Journal. We are uot
going to be so sparing of our modesty
as Bro. Newman, tjut will claim that
the beekeepers in the United States
are far ahead of those in any other part
of the world, and we do not intend to
make any exception, no, not one — and
we shall iucUide all parts of the bus-
iness, from a patent bee-hive to pub-
lishing bee books and bee journals,
Who has over made any very great im-
provement on the well-known Laug-
stroth hive? who publishes better bee
journals and better bee books than
are published in the United States?
Who has ever produced more honey to
a colony than a beekeeper of the state
of Texas? Where can be found more
successful beekeepers than Doolittle,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

271

Manum, Hetheriugton, El wood and
thousands of others we mijrht mention ?

No, the Yankee beekeepers do not
make such a big: public display of their
products as do some others, but they
have the honey just the same. When,
in New York city a few years a,a:o, we
saw piled up in one room sixty tons
of honey, all in prize packai>os; to us
it was quite a show. It misht look
small to other people's eyes. There
was no gt'eat excitement in that local-
ity, and no one seemed to be boasting
about how much honey he could raise
per colony or in one year.

The fact is, the Yankees have as
good hives and facilities, generally, for
raising- honey as any beekeepers in the
world. When there is any honey to
be had we cau get it. When the flow-
ers yield none, we go without it. The
present is one of the years when we go
without it. We guess Bro. Jones has
discovered that the Dominion of Can-
ada is iu North America.

INFORMATION WANTED.

M. M. Baldkidge.

On pages 227 and 228, Septem-
ber number of the "Api," I find a
four column article on the "Price
of Honey," in which the writer
sa3^s — "The question of selling
honey, like all questions vital to
industrial or political economy, is
a hard one about which to agree.
And, in the discussion of this ques-
tion, we find all kinds of ideas com-
ing before us, and many theories
urged as certainties, when in reality
the}' are only fancies. One of these
is the belief that producers can com-
bine, withhold the supply and ad-
vance the price."

Now, will the party who wrote
the foregoing be so kind as to tell
the "Api" readers who has even
advanced the idea, in any bee pub-
lication that "producers can com-
bine," and "withhold the supply,"
and thus "increase the price" of
honey? Please give us the name
of just one advocate and where he
can be found. Unless this can be
done, it seems to me that two pages

of the "Api," are altogether too
much space to be wasted in the dis-
cussion of a theory that exists pos-
sibly only in the imagination of
your California correspondent.
St. Charles, III.

PROF. COOK'S HOUSE FOR
THE APIARY.

R. L. Taylok.

In almost every essential re-
spect I think Professor Cook's
plan of a "House for the Apiary"
to be correct. I cannot suggest
anything that would improve the
cellar for the safe wintering of bees,
unless it be that the grouting of
the cellar floor be omitted. Does
not the bare earth absorb much of
the impurities thrown off by the
bees and so keep the air sweeter
and purer? The only other thing
about the bee-cellar, to which I wish
to direct attention, is the little cis-
tern in the apartment for the bees.
I have considered how Professor
Cook expects to get compensation
for the expense of building it by
any advantage to be derived from
it.

To the plan of the shop and
honey-house I have three objections
to make :

1. If I understand the Profes-
sor's plan for preventing bees from
entering the hone^'-house by the
windows, without preventing those
inside from going out, I must say it
proved a failure with my bees.

2. If one is to have as many as
one-hundred colonies, the division
of the honey department into two
rooms would be a serious mistake.
The division wall will surely be in
the way.

3. But, in my opinion, the most
serious defect in the plan is its
failure to call for outside walls as
nearl}' as possible impervious to
the outside temperature. The heat

272

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

of the summer sun can be very
well got in by the doors and
windows but only tlioroughly good
walls will keep tliat heat in during
the cold nights of late summer and
early autumn. So even if no stove
is to be used I should have good
thick walls ; but if a stove is ever
to be used for heating purposes I
should certainly want them to keep
the heat in. On this point see my
article on page 196, August num-
ber, current volume of Apicultur-
iST. Lapeer, Mich.

MR. CO WAN'S VISIT TO
AMERICA.

Dear Mr. Editor :

We have been honored b}'' a most
pleasant visit from Mr. and Mrs.
Th. AY. Cowan. I cannot express
the pleasure and profit I have de-
rived from Mr. Cowan's stay with
us. I have long known of Mr.
Cowan and appreciated very highly
his ability and learning. Here-
after, there will be coupled with
these as great an admiration for him
as a man. Our entire family, even
the children, have found every min-
ute of Mr. and Mrs. Cowan's stay
with us, a delight. There was
only one unpleasant feature, the
week was so short.

Mr. Cowan is not only one of
the best — I think the best, living
authority on bee literature and the
bee industry, but he is at the same
time an expert microscopist, and a
very fine botanist. Add to these
the entire absence of ostentation,
and you describe Mr. Cowan. His
visit is certainly a red letter day
in American apiculture. How for-
tunate it is that one of the best
and most influential bee journals
in the world has so wise, so com-
petent, and so courteous and gen-
tlemanly a man for its editor !
A.J. Cook.

[We hope Mr. Cowan will not consider the
above a sanu'le of Americau taffy.— Ed. J

FOUL BROOD.

The British Bee Journal oi Sept.
8 contains several articles upon foul
brood. The editor, in commenting
on those articles, says :

"Now, so far as our knowledge at
present extends, / e., according to
our present light, stamping out by re-
ducing to ashes every contaminated
hive, comb, or other article, and de-
struction of the diseased bee^, would
seem to be the only safe plan of deal-
ing with this dire pest, which is al-
ready decimating our apiaries, and
bids fair, if strenuous means are not
adopted, to stamp out English apicul-
ture itself at no very distant date.
Has Mr. Cheshire no word of com-
fort for us ? Why is he silent so long ?
In our opinion the fell disease will
never be conquered by change of
queens, phenol, salicylic acid, nor by
any other known remedy. Our ad-
vice would therefore be ' Stamp it
out, as the Rinderpest of apiculture.'

We recommend the perusal of an
article on this subject entitled ' The
Creatures we Breathe,' by Dr. Percy
Frankland, published in the August
number of the 'iV/VW<f^«/'/i Century.' "

[The above meets our views exactly
and is just what we have advised tor
twenty years past. It is the only
way to treat such a disease if it is to
be annihilated. Don't hesitate one
moment to apply the fire.]

Union Convention at Chicago.

— The North American Beekeepers'
Society and the Northwestern Bee-
keepers' Society will meet in joint
convention at the Commercial hotel,
cor. Lake and Dearborn streets, in
Chicago, 111., on Wednesday, Thurs-
day and Friday, Nov. i6, 17 and 18,
1887. Arrangements have been
made with the hotel, for back room,
one bed, two persons, ^1.75 per day,
each ; front room, $2.00 per day
each person. This date occurs dur-
ing the second week of the fat stock
show, when excursion rates will be
very low.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

273

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

Mulberry, Pa.
Am. Apicultukist :

Our honey flow was short and sweet.
Last winter two-thirds of all the bees
in old gums and boxes were killed by
cold. The spring was late, but my
bees were in fair trim for the fruit
blossom which amounts to some sec-
tion honey with us by proper manage-
ment and good weather. The fruit
blossom came and was immense ; every
twig was loaded with blossoms and
filled with nectar. Bees worked at it
about two good days and tilled the
brood-chamber, when it began to rain
until the fruit and fruit blossoms were
all ruined. No fruit now. Next came
the locust and full of nectar too, but
the bees hardly got started when the
cold rain began again and continued
nearly two weeks. By this time, the
fields were covered with white clover,
but it was too cold for the honey to
secrete. After the rain was over and it
grew warmer, we had seven days on the
white clover and such a white clover
honey shower I never witnessed in
this part of Pennsylvania before. Then
the white clover was at an end and the
bees have hard work to keep even ever
since. During that short honey flow
I doubled stock and secured twenty-
five pounds of honey per colony. We
may get a good fall flow from the as-
ters, boneset, etc. Honey is begin-
ning to come now from catnip, horse-
mint and various other flowers. Most
persons who did not encourage their
bees in. the spring, by stimulative feed-
ing and protection, secured no surplus
whatever. We had very little of the
great drought of the west but still the
season was very unfavorable for the
bees.

L. W. LiGHTY.

Lake George, N. Y.

Mr. Alley

The queen I got from you last year
was the best one out of all I bought of
other dealers. They are very gentle,
and the best houey gatherers I have
yet had.

Yours,

F. A. LOCKHAKT.

Fine Plains, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1887.
Dear Sir :

The honey crop in this section is
almost an entire failure on account of
the extreme drought. In June, clover
yielded but very little honey, and notv
we are having so much rainy weather,
together with cool nights, that we shall
get no surplus from buckwheat. Poor-
est season I ever saw.

Yours respectfully,
G. H. Knickerbocker.

Bidgewa]!, Ont.
The honey season of '87 was like
some young men of the present day :
promised well, but did'nt pay worth a
cent. The drought which wns general
from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mex-
ico cut short what would have other-
wise been a splendid crop. Abundant
rains, however, for the last few weeks
will insure a fair supply of fall forage,
perhaps enough for winter stores.
G. F. Dunn.

Dundee, Mich.

Friend Alley ; The queen I received
from you came through all riylit and
she isa daisy and you may expect my
orders for next season's queens.

The queen and drone trap is perfect
inall the points for which it is designed.
Go on, Brother Alley, and help on the
cause of apiculture.

Respectfully,

D. C. Buck.

Fort Wayne, hid.
Henry Alley.
Dear Sir :

Please send me a sample copy
of the " American Apiculturist " and
oblige. The honey crop is a failure in
this section and there are lots of bees
that will have to be fed or they will
starve the coming winter. This is my
first season and I feel a little discour-
aged.

E. A. Miller.

Corning, Iowa.
Mr. Alley.
Dear Sir:

Received queen all right. I in-
troduced her and she is laying. She is
the first queen I ever saw. Have also
received Api.

Yours respectfully,

Jas. a. Russell.

274

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Orangei'ille, Aug. 25.
Mr. Alley.
Dear Sir:

The queen I received in June
from you is sivins the very best of sat-
isfaction ; wnslayinji' the second day af-
ter I received her. Every person tliat
sees her bees says they are the nicest
bees they ever saw. Siie came in good
time and I am well satisfied with her.
Yours very truly,

Wm. J. Robinson.

Davenport, la.
Henry Alley, Esq.

Dkak Sir:— The queen you sent me
was duly received and it is a nice one;
so say all beekeepers who have seen
her.

I had no trouble in inti'oducinp; her.
The bees could not help llkiuf;: her, she
is so nice. Of course I have not seen
any of her progeny yet, but if they ai'e
as nice as she Is, it will do. I find I
have another queenless colony. Please
send me another nice queen at once.

M. D. HUGGINS.

Prophetstoion, El.
Mr. Henry Alley.
Dear Sir:

The honey crop is a failure with
me. I put forty-five colonies in the
cellar last fall and put out forty-four
in April in good condition. They bred
up early in May and used up all the
honey they had. I commenced feeding
a few in June and fed regularly twice a
week through July. I intend to in-
crease the feed about the middle of
August to get them in condition for
winter. We have had the most ex-
treme drought we ever saw in this part
of Illinois.

William Hill.

South Middleton, Ont.
Mr. Alley :

The queen I bought of you two
years ago is the best I ever saw.

John A. Wilson.

Richland Centre, Wis.
Am. Api. Honey crop venj light in
this part of Wisconsin. From 147 colo-
nies. May count, we secured but 3,000
lbs. extracted and many have not done
so well.

E. R. HOLBROOK.

Mulford, Pa.
Mr. Allky.

Dear Sir:

The six queens you sent me are
very nice. They reached me in just
four days from the time I sent the or-
der. Please accept thanks for prompt-
ness. I introduced them according to
directions found in the " Beekeepers'
Handy Book," and think they are all
right.

RusLiN DeWitt.

Newark, New Jersey.
Friend Alley :
The two queens you sent me are so
beautiful and large and keep their hives
so full of bees, that they look like little
lumps of gold when flying and sporting
around the hive, and are such good
workers and winter so well that I have
concluded to try more.
Yours,
Chas. H. Theberoth.

Beinersville, Ohio.
Mr. Alley :

Bees did reasonably well here
up to July 15. I took from forty to
forty-eight pounds of comb honey to
the colony. Bees seem to be gather-
ing honey briskly the last few days and
a great deal of pollen.

G. A. Golden.

Hutchinson, Ky.
Mr. Alley :
I like your paper better than any

I have ever read.

J, N. S.

St. Charles, III.
Friend Alley : Thank you for the
"Api." I read every number as soon as
received and find many things therein
very instructive. You have a right to
feel proud over its contents. Success
to you. Truly yours,

M. M. Balduidge.
[We have known the writer of
the above upwards of twenty-six
3'ears and have alwa3's considered
him one of the best writers upon
apicultural matters. Merely to
say that we appreciate such a tes-
timonial as the above does not ex-

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

275

actly express our opinion. We
often set words of encouragement
from Professor Cook, Dr. G. L.
Tinker, James Ileddon and from
hundreds of our readers, but some-
bow, we consider the one from Mr.
Baldridge the best of all.]

NOTICE.

Bristol, iY. H.
Mr. Alley :

Herewith find $2. Please sejid me
the Am. Apiculturist and your Handy
Book on Queen-rear:ug. I have
bought several bee-books. They all
tell how to rear queens ; hut not one of
them tells how to keep the queens after
they are reared, until wanted to use or
sell. Do the authors think because
they know how to do it, everybody else
ought to ?

G. B. Sanborn.

[We have often told the readers
that the Beekeepers' Handy Book
would tell them more about queens
and queen-rearing tlian all other
books combined. Mr. Sanborn
will find this out.]

Edgar, Neb.
Henry Alley.

Dear Sir : — The drone trap received
and works all right. This has been a
poor season here for honey. Too much
dry weather; but the bees are doing
well now.

When can I get some of the Bokhara
or sweet clover seed {Melilotus alba).
Respectfully,

Ezra E. Howard.
[Any one who can supply the
seed called for above will please
answer.]

All who Subscribe for the Apicul-
turist, at any time, will receive one
of our combined Drone and Queen-
traps free by mail. This is our method
of introducing the Apiculturist and
our Drone and Queen-traps iuto every
apiary in the United States.

Those who receive the trap as a pre-
mium must not expectto get the Handy
Book or a queen for fifty cents, as the
profits are so small that only one pre-
mium can be given each subscriber.

We do not advertise to give premi-
ums to those who subscribe through
other parties. We pay news' agents a
percentage on all subscriptions sent
us, and if you choose to give the agent
a profit instead of sending direct to us,
it is no fault of ours.

TO ADVERTISERS.

We will accept of bees, sections or
foundation in exchange for advertising
space in the Apiculturist.

The Qixinby Smoker. — A de-
scription of the improvement made in
this well-known smoker was given in
the "Api" some time ago. We now
have a lot of them on hand. This
smoker, as now made, is the most
perfect of any bellows-smoker in the
market. The good points are these :
if the fuel is dry, a smoke can be had
in a minute's time by merely apply-
ing a hghted match to the "fire-hole"
at the base of the barrel. Those who
use the old style Quinby smoker are
obliged to go to the stove for a coal
of fire in order to ignite the punk.

NOW IS THE TIME.

Send $1 .50 and get the Am. Api-
culturist one year, and a copy of
the Beekeepers' Hanut Book.

The book contains 300 pages,
100 fine illustrations, is handsomely
bound in cloth and sent to each
subscriber by mail, for fifty cents
in addition to one year's subscrip-
tion to the " Api." Regular price
of book, $1.10 by mail.

This work treats of the best
methods for rearing queens, and is
pronounced by Rev. L. L. Lang-
s-troth to be " the best authority on
this important branch of beekeep-
ing."

276

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

THE TWO-PART SUPER.

J. M. Shuck.

The cuts show veiy clearh' the
different parts of this section case.
It is divided horizontally ; the two
parts may be equal or they may
not, but to be perfectly inter-
changeable, as parts in an apiary,
they should be equal or half and
half.

fast. The super is now invertible
and is provided with the necessary
bee spaces on both its open sides ;
or, to be better understood, bee
spaces under the sections and over
them.

The T-shaped supports may be
made of wood and metal, by nail-
ing hoop iron to the outer edges of
the partitions, or wholly of tin as
shown in the cut. The partitions
may be full depth of the half case,
or only a half inch as may be de-

To prepare for use, starts or full
sheets are put into the sections,
the sections are then put in rows
in the super, and the separators
at the ends of the rows put in

sired, and they may be fixed per-
manently in the case or detachable
at will. If the tin supports are
used, full length separators can be
utilized if the beekeeper desires.

place, or separators placed between
the sections if desired, and then
the remaining half of the case is
pressed down over the exposed
half of the sections and clasped

The blank protectors on the tops
and bottoms of sections may be
used or dispensed with by choice.

Des Moines, loioa.

The American Apicul

ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENIIAM, AS SECOND-CLASS

Publislied Monthly. Henry Ali-et"

VOL. V. WENHAM, MASS., NOVEMBER i, 1887.

We denl in first-class apiari- I Established in 1883. Terms : I Any yearly snbscriber is en-
an supplies of all kinds, lowest I $1.00 )ier year, 50 cents per six I titled to one of our selected
prices. Prompt sliiimient. mouths, 25 cents per three I queens anytime Isetween June 1

Send for price list. | months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. 1, by remitting- 5U cts.

Address all communications, AMERICAN APICULTUmST, "Wenham, Mass.

For the American ApiculUirist.

SHALL WE PLANT FOR
HONE Y.

R. L. Taylor.

Much has been written to dem-
onstrate that it is profitable for
beekeepers to raise honej' plants for
the nectar to be obtained from
them. Much mone^'' has been ex-
pended for seed, scores of apiarists
have planted and now many years
have elapsed since the sowing be-
gan. Is it not time to inquire
about the harvest? Who has gath-
ered a paying crop? By this time
some one should be able to show a
good result or else beekeepers
should no longer be advised and
importuned to spend their money
for the seed of honey plants and
their time sowing the seed. I have
as yet heard of no paying yield of
honey from plants sown for that
purpose alone ; indeed what possi-
ble reason is there that any one
should ever have expected it?

AVithin two and a half miles of
my home apiary are 12,000 acres
of land and at a fair estimate per-
haps one-fourth of that territory or
3,000 acres are fairly well stocked
with honey producing plants : wil-
lows, maples, apples, plums, cher-
ries, thorns, raspberries, clovers,
basswood and autumn flowers.
With 150 to 200 colonies of bees

21

in good order and well managed I
may reasonabl}^ expect to obtain
from that apiary in a fair season
about 10,000 pounds of surplus
comb honey or at the rate of 3^
pounds per acre.

But some one would double the
number of colonies in the apiary
and double the supply of nectar by
planting. Let him consider how
many acres of sweet clover, mig-
nonette, catnip and Chapman's
honey plant he must cultivate to
produce nectar to equal in quantity
that produced by the 500 acres
white with clover and the 100 acres
solid with basswood within reach
of the bees to say nothing of the
maples, willows, and the rest. If
he were assured that his plantation
would produce 100 pounds of sur-
plus to the acre he must plant 100
acres. If he knew it would pro-
duce a ton to the acre he must
plant five acres ; and could he afford
to do that, when within five miles are
six other stations equallj^ as good
as the one he occupies which he
may have almost for nothing? Who
may hope to win in a race with
nature in the production of honey
plants? His reply when he con-
siders must be : no, we cannot com-
pete with nature.

But some one wants to (ill up
the " gaps " and so have a contin-
uous honey flow. That seems en-
tirely impracticable except per-

(277)

278

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

haps to an extent that would onl}^
prove a stimulant to excessive
breeding at an untimely season of
the year and we may well inquire
whether Ave can aftbrd to be at
much expense to effect that result.
I have secured a surplus tlie present
season of 6,000 lbs. of comb honey
, from 300 colonies ; and I calculate
that, if the honey flow from which
this was obtained had been spread
over the entire season, I should
have had not only no surplus but
that my bees from the continual
incitement to breeding would have
been in greater need of stores than
they now are. So I reason that a
honey flow, after basswood is past,
that "merely conduces to an in-
creased spread of brood, is not very
desirable. After colonies once be-
come strong in the spring I believe
that the greatest profit is to be
found in the flow of nectar that
comes in floods even though for
limited periods. Certain it is that
in this way only can we get the
finest honey and avoid the rearing
of unprofitably large numbers of
bees.

There is certainly much food for
thought in the various questions
which arise touching the subject
upon which beekeepers would do
well to ponder.

It is to be observed that I have
written nothing against the raising
of plants that are profitable for
other purposes than honey, and that
I have not been considering the
interests of those who make it their
business to produce not honey but
bees.

Lctpeer^ Mich.

For the American Apiculturist.

TROUBLE WITH THE BEES.

Mrs. H. Hills.

If this number of the Apicul-
TUKiST does not please all who read
it they must be hard to satisfy.
Show it to your friends and explain
the advantage to those who be-
come regular subscribers.

Mephisto says he is sick and
tired of seeing my nonsense in the
Api, and he believes the other
readers are, also ; I merely referred
him to lieadquarters, with his com-
plaints. There is a pouring rain
this morning, and as I can do noth-
ing towards worrying the bees,
shall proceed to worry the "keep-
ers."

One thing puzzles me greatly : we
have had abundance of fall bloom,
since the copious rains, following
the protracted drought, and the
bees have seemed to work well, al-
though the weather has been cool.
To my surprise, on opening tlie
hives, colony after colony was
found, almost absoluteh'^ destitute
of stores. When, finally, I opened
one, in which, not one single cell
of honey could be found, the sight
fairly made me shudder. If I
should allow a colony of bees to
starve, I should be so sick of my-
self, that I should want to hide
away from sight forever. Never
before, have 1 seen empty hives in
my apiary ; and never l)efore, have
I seen such quantities of brood
reared in the fall. If plenty of
young bees is a prime factor in
successful wintering, certainly they
have secured this point.

Another thing : I have never seen
bees so full}' set on robbing, as
this season. I have never been
troubled with attempts at robbing
before, to amount to anything ;
but while trying to double up col-
onies this fall, have often fancied
there was danger. Have also, this
fall, received the first complaints
from grocery-men as to annoj'ance
caused by bees. One day, a bee-
keeper from just across the village,
a very good triend of mine, came,
in all haste, to inquire if my bees
were fighting. Finding all quiet,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

279

except that they seemed remarka-
bly busy at work, — also, tliat I
had not opened a hive, hardly dur-
ing the past ten days, he seemed
puzzled. Said that, as for himself,
he had, unfortunately, left some
honey in hives, where bees had
died last winter ; and that the bees
had pulled a piece of lath out of
the entrance, and thus gained ac-
cess to it, with results that came
near being quite serious ; also, that
there was, at that moment, a
whole swarm of my bees at Mr.
Smith's grocery. That he had just
assisted the latter, in rescuing all
the fi'uit, kept outside the door,
from their inroads ; that the bees
followed the fruit into the build-
ing, where Mr. Smith was doing
"what he could to protect himself,
by tr3ing to poison tliem ; also,
which appeared to me natural
enough, talking some pretty hard
talk, about so many bees being-
kept in the village. Now, two years
ago, all this would have alarmed
me be3'ond measure ; and was at
present, a serious trouble ; but I
could not possibly help smiling "in
my sleeve," all the time he was
telling the stor}', at the thought,
that Mr. Smith was, perhaps, at
that very moment reading the an-
nouncement in the local paper, that
I was proposing to increase my
apiar}', another season, to the ex-
tent which the neighboring '-past-
urage " would admit of. 1 was also
amused, and, of course, somewhat
pleased, on the whole, that the dep-
redators were surely mine; though
my almost, three neai'est neiglil)ors
hardly a block away, are all bee-
keepers ; — to say nothing of those
of my beekeeping friend, who
brought the news. The latter had
used rather rough language to the
grocer, for destroying my bees.
However, I at once assured him,
that, though it seemed too bad to
poison the poor things, the loss
of the bees would not trouble me.

Next morning, bright and earl3%
1 proceeded to interview the gro-
cer. Found him as smiling as pos-
sible, and proceeded, almost with
tears in my eyes, to tell him how
much I regretted the trouble caused
b}' my bees. Of course 1 knew
nothing of the poisoning, — though
he was very anxious to learn just
how, and how much, I had heard.
I told him, what was ver}' true,
that Mr. Hills had spoken of his
show of fine fruit, and of its being,
a credit to the village, — and what
a shame it was, the wretched bees,
should cause such annoyance. He
said that they did cause him some
trouble yesterday, — and that lie
lost the sale of fruit, for the whole
day, people being afraid to pur-
chase, and take away the fruit, at
the risk of being stung. I, of
course, offered to repair damages,,
and also to pay for wire screen-
ing to make a receptacle outside ;
but he would not listen to it, say-
ing it was only a few days in the
season, that bees were trouble-
some ; — that we all had somethino-
of the kind to get along with and
must do as well as we could. He
also, finally said, that the bees got
at some poison, placed for Hies,
and that quite a little handful had
died ; and that a little girl, daugh-
ter of a neighboring grocer, on pass-
ing the window and seeing them,,
had exclaimed, "Oh ! how Mrs. Hills
Avould cry, to see her poor bees
poisoned." Finallj', I assured him,
that I should send an extra case of
honey, and he assured me that he
should give me credit for it. The
honey was sent, and probably
credited, though I see no reason
why he should not be paid ; and
shall attend to it at the time of
settlement.

INTRODUCING QUEENS.

The queens, received August 25,
are laying finely. I triocl intro-
ducing one to a nucleus, made after

280

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

the "Doolittle plan." Shook bees
into a wire cloth box, placed them
in a cool room over night, let the
queen run in, next day, and
"dumped" them in front of a hive
at night ; at the same moment, find-
ing the queen balled — whether from
good or evil intention, on the part
of the bees, is more than I can
tell — caged the queen in Klimitz
cage, closed with '' Good" candy,
and the bees appeared to ball the
cage. Then closed the cage en-
trance firmly with wax, and left
above the fi-ames three days. Bees
appearing somewhat more quiet, 1
then removed most of the wax, and
replaced the cage, and did not
touch the hive for a w^eek. What
was my surprise, at then finding
the cage entrance sealed up nicely,
queen inside, brisk as a cricket.
Again removed most of the wax,
replacing cage, this time leaving
cnl^' a few particles of wax. Some
two weeks after found, what I took
to be, an immature queen, thrown
out at entrance. Supposed, of
course my fine queen had been su-
perseded ; but later, found her all
right with quantities of brood in
all stages. Also found several im-
mature drones in worker cells, on
a comb taken from hive containing
laying worker. I had mistaken
one of these slender immature
drones for a queen. In introducing,
I tried to follow Mr. Doolittle's di-
rections. But Mephisto, who can
always be depended on to do the
right thing at the right time, opened
the blinds and curtains of the room
where the bees were ; — also the
door to an adjoining warm room, —
as he said, — to give the poor
things light and warmth.

For introducing a second queen
I went to a very heavy colony, —
two story — with zinc-board be-
tween the two. Carried away the
lower story to a stand, where was
a laying worker, and united it with
that, thus safely settling that

trouble. The returning bees, Avith
those in the upper story, made a
fine nucleus, to which, after three
days, the queen was safel}'^ intro-
duced, by being placed over the
frames, in cage closed with candy.
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.

CURRENT TOPICS.

Samuel Cushman.

THEORY AND PRACTICE.

The articles on the "Production
of Honey" in the June number of
the "Api" were a great treat.
Without doubt this collection of
essays represents the best of the va-
rious methods followed in this coun-
try. As Doctor Tinker described
a system similar to the one I have
followed, his article was the one
most appreciated by me.

For two seasons I have used
shallow hives of closed-end, hanging
frames (Hoffman style). Cases or
hives are aliout the depth of the
regular Langstroth hive and the
more I use them the better I like
them. I can remove, interchange
and tier up hives with much great-
er ease than with the full depth
hive, as there is but half the weight
to lift. These shallow hives take
brood-frames or wide frames, hold-
ing one tier of sections, as may be
needed. I also use the full depth
Langstroth hive in my apiaries,
and these shallow hives may be
•used on them for surplus stories,
either with brood-combs for ex-
tracting or wide frames of sections
and two empty bodies will hold
the regular L. -frame, leaving a
double bee space below.

By the use of division-boards a
shallow case may be quickh' made
to hold three nucleus colonies, one
to tl}^ out at each end and the other
at a hole in the side. This we have

THE A3IERICAN APICULTURIST.

281

practised for two seasons with no
loss of queen from imperfect sep-
aration.

In using wide frames of sections
these same division-boards are
used to limit the size of surphis
room according to the number of
frames given.

As no frames fit tightly, both
brood and wide frames are re-
moved and replaced as readily as
from the ordinary Langstroth
brood-chamber without shaking out
or removing the bees. To say that
I am pleased with my arrangement
and this system would be saying
little. I have to thank Mr. G. W.
Demaree, James Heddon, Doctor
Tinker and Oliver Foster for
points which enable me to follow
out this plan successfully.

Mr. Heddon's book showed me
advantages and the possibilities of
this system that I had not thought
of, and I believe that in the future
in large apiaries, when little manii)-
ulation is to be given, this will be
the system followed.

With these shallow hives of
hanging frame I claim I can follow
the Heddon system and get all the
practical and desirable features
and do it better and easier than
with the new Heddon hive, and
that without having anything in
the apiary that will not work on
my regular depth L.-hives. I have
several Heddon hives in the apiary
and am studying their merits and
defects.

The " shake out" feature I find
is no easy thing to follow with a
full case of honey ; with only
brood and empty combs it is less
trouble. 1 imagine the ''■ smoke
out" feature will stand the test
better, but with each plan or both
combined, some bees are left on
combs and must be allowed to
leave at their leisure in the screen
house.

When a case is to be cleared
quickly and surely, I believe the

"brush off" plan will be the "short-
est way across,"

Thumb-screws I like and do not
like. They are in the way and are
exposed to the weather, but are
convenient to crowd up both wide
and brood frames. I am undecid-
ed whether to order next season's
hives with or without them; I
think it will be without.

FINDING THE QUEEN.

To find the queen in my hives
we can set one case on another
bottom-board, and then it is just
the same as looking through two
ordinary hives, except the frames
are light and easy to lift. This
will do in early s[)ring, but when
colonies are populous would be
tiresome. To shake them on the
ground and watch for the queen as
they run in, I find unsatisfactory ;
and have followed a plan this sea-
son which is original, and although
I tliink others must have thought
of it and followed it I have not yet
seen it described in the bee jour-
nals. To do it I sift the bees ; the
drones and queens are left. The
queen excluding honey-board is
the sifter.

I free one brood-case of every
bee, place it on a bottom-board,
on it the zinc honey-board, above
this an empty hive and then the
brood-case of bees. Tliey are
then smoked and driven down into
the empt_y hive and through the
zinc into the lower brood-case.

In most cases the frames in the
top story are taken out and shak-
en, but it is often unnecessary.
The queen is found trying to find
her way through the honey-board.
I have not failed to find her in a
short time except on my last trial
a few da3'S since. Whether the
queen was small from lack of eggs
and was able to go through or
was not clipped and took wing, or
the zinc was imperfect, I cannot
say.

282

THE AMERICAN APWULTURIST.

INVERTIKG.

Inverting brood-cluimbers seemed
to us from the first uuniitural juid
ol>jectiomil)le, and as we were able
to attain the desired end more read-
il}' other ways we have not prac-
tised it. Witli Langstrotli's frames,
uncapping- honej', spacing frames
close and crowding broodcliam-
bers were sufficient. Inverting
shallow hives is often of little use.

In his pamphlet " How to Raise
Comb Honey" Mr. Foster says :

''As we have observed, the main
object of inverting and transpos-
ing is to bring the brood as close as
possible to the surplus boxes. It
is obvious that none of these plans
accomplishes the object perfectly
since the honey very often reaches
from top to bottom of brood-cham-
ber at sides, while the brood does
the same in the middle. If we
were to adopt this principle we
would divide the brood-chamber
into shallow stories. Then, by sort-
ing the combs containing most
brood above, our object would be
nearest accomplished and there
would be no need of inverting."

Interchanging is sufficient when
an upper story is nearly filled with
honey and nearly all the brood is
in the lower, but when brood is in
centre frames and honey in the
outer frames of both stories, in-
verting or interchanging will not
help matters? then it is very desir-
able that frames are readily mov-
able.

I believe Mr. Heddon now places
little importance on the inverting
feature of his new hives.

CASES OF BROOD ABOVK SUPERS.

It has been proposed by several
to place a surplus case between
two cases of brood, the queen be-
ing confined to the lower one by
the zinc honey-board. I first heard
of this from B. Walker, Capac,
Mich.

I hesitated to follow it, fearinir

sections would be soiled ; that the
confined drones would die and that
as bees would feed larvae for a
time above sections, pollen would
be stored in them. Doctor Tinker
has given a point on getting rid of
the drones, and if it works nicel}''
it will do away with one objection ;
and the other I overcame hy rais-
ing the case above the honey-board
and under the sections at first,
until the larvae were all sealed,
then it was placed at the top above
the sections. AVhen bees are
well at work in sections and be-
fore they are capped, this brood-
case is removed and is extracted ;
or, if it contains brood, it is placed
upon a weak colony. I do not
think this jjlan of arranging brood-
cases will be largely followed.

We find one case of brood abov§
the honey-board brings the bees
through it and then there is no bar-
rier between them and the sections ;
this case also catches the pollen
and keeps it out of the sections.

PERFORATED ZINC.

I do not feel ready to believe
that queen-excluding zinc is ab-
solutely no hindrance to the bees
and it is a question with me
whether it would not be better to
leave more room in brood-chamber
except with new swarms and use
slat hone^'-boards without the zinc.
I should get less pollen in sections
than with contraction and 2)robably
less honey in boxes and more to
extract but there might be a greater
crop with less labor and less risk of
insufficient stores at an^^ time of
the year.

Mr. Cowan has discarded the
use of perforated zinc. If a colony
is contracted too much, pollen will
go into sections whatever the hive
used and I prefer to give more
room than less. With me new
swarms, hived on a few frames con-
taining startei's with drawn-out
combs in section above honey

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

283

board will, in most cases, store pol-
len in sections. I suppose the
honey-flow has much to do with it,
I believe it both profitable and de-
sirable to let bees build their own
brood combs at swarming time ;
and, with a contracted brood-nest,
and a young queen I do not appre-
hend any trouble from getting
more drone comb than I wish. But
in the future I do not expect to
put on sections until brood combs
are partlj^ built or (with the shal-
low hive) place a case of empty
brood combs above honey-board
between sections and brood-nest.

SIMMINS'S NON-SWAUMING SYSTEM.

We have managed fifty colonies
on the above plan and although
this has been a poor season for
swarms Ave are as favorably im-
pressed as at first. Have had two
swarms from the fifty and in both
cases the extra room was given
above and only an empty half story
placed beneath. These colonies
were very powerful and built combs
in centre frame clear to the bottom
before swarming. The hives from
which I wanted swarms that I
might get queen cells were man-
aged as usual and with one excep-
tion threw out strong swarms. I
never kept so raan}^ in one hive or
had all my swarms so powerful.
Some colonies occupied same as
three and four Langstroth hives.
Large entrances were given and ex-
tra room added before it was quite
needed. I have taken both comb
and extracted honey from these
hives. When full depth frames
vf'xih. starters were placed under-
neath brood-nest, and boxes given
as required, combs were not built
below. Unless sections contain
drawn out combs, or at least a few
are given, bees prefer to work out
new combs in empt}' brood frames
to working in sections even when
full sheets of foundation are used.

This non-swarming plan 'if a suc-

cess, and I do not see wh}'^ not with
a young prolific queen, will be a
great help to comb-honey pro-
ducers.

Mr. Cowan by tiering-up and
giving plenty of empty combs be-
low prevents swarming and takes
honey in sections. Much of his
yield is removed in brood combs
and extracted however ; and in
working solely for comb honey
the empty space may increase the
amount stored in sections and still
prevent swarming.

I believe there is no hive better
suited to follow this s^ystem than
these shallow hives nor any system
so in accordance with the Simmins'
plan as that given by Mr. Heddon
and advocated and followed by Dr.
Tinker, myself and many others
with various moditications in the
hive used.

PawtucTxiet, R. I.

For the American Apicvlturlst.

''AN EMPTY BAG WITH A
CHEESE IN IT."

J. W. Porter.

The above w\as the amusing de-
scription of a "lost" article adver-
tised b}^ an honest countryman.

Friend Demaree's explanation of
his empty hive in the last number
calls it to mind. But he must not
think my letter did no good. It
certainl}^ brought out his letter
which is good and suggestive.

Now a word as to the "exploded
idea" as he calls it, of l)uilding u[)
the weak colonies "at the expense
of the strong," as he styles it. No
wise manager would do it at the
expense of weakening unduly
strong colonies. But there are
hundreds and perhaps thousands
who do not wish to increase their

284

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

stocks and none of ns wish to man-
ipulate or keep unthrifty, profitless
colonies.

Wh}'^ are some of that character
to be found in every apiary?

I replied to this question once
asked by friend Heddon, by say-
ing— "for tlie same reason that we
find 'ne'er do wells' among men,
and in all animated nature, as
well as in the vegetable kingdom."
We plant trees apparently alike,
and give them the same cax'e and
attention, and often find that while
some reward us richly, others never
do well.

There are deep questions in-
volved in the inheritance of vital
forces which affect the productive
powers of animals, and of vegeta-
ble life as well. Breeders of horses,
cattle, sheep and swine understand
well the importance of this sub-
ject. They know the value of a
parent that can invariably trans-
mit to progeny its own high qual-
ities. They also know that some
progenitors will not do this sureh'.

Without question this is true
with bees. Just ivliy one of a
batch of queen cells shall provide
a parent queen whose qualities are
all desirable, where others, coming
out under the same conditions and
so mated for aught we know
shall prove worthless, is one of the
secrets we may never know.

Man}' of the laws of develop-
ment we master. Some we have
not.

Now then, very many, as we be-
lieve a great majority of these weak,
profitless colonies, are such from
inherent defects of the queen
mother. If this be so the true
policy is to replace her. And to
make up for delays and lost time
we would use the redundant ener-
gies of other colonies, in preference
to encouraging natural swarming.

We all note the increased energy
of newly hived swarms. All who
have their yards and fields as they

believe fully stocked, and are pre-
pared for and actuall}' making fine
comb honey, know how provoking
it is to have it all broken up by the
issue of powerful swarms. We
have failed to note any diminutiou
of energy caused by adding sheets
of broo(l and the honey case with
all its bees to the new swarms, in
many years' practice. And we
never had but one case where a
prime swarm, thus treated, casta
swarm the same season. And we
have never had one desert, where
even one comb of brood was put
into the hive with a swarm.

I am well satisfied that no rule
will work equally well in all apia-
ries. Different management is re-
quired as environment varies, and
as the races and habits of bees
vary.

We doubt if many apiaries will
show less natural swarming than
ours. As to results in honey
product they are always satisfac-
tory in good seasons. 300 pounds
to the colony is the highest ever
attained b}^ the best, 200 pounds
being often had. No master of the
business ever had colonies too
strong.

It is an open question, however,
as to the attainment of the best re-
sults in a given field by the use of
a larger number of small hives in-
stead of the larger ones which may
to a certain degree, be made non-
swarmers.

This is doubtless to be tested by
the Heddon hive. It appears to be
an important feature of his system.
It is a subject worthy of investiga-
tion and trial.

We have alwa^'s believed that
40,000 bees will store more honey
in one colon}' than in two. But
will the same rule hold good for
60,000 ? If not, it is because of fa-
cilities being curtailed by numbers.

We cannot believe that, under
like circumstances, an eight- frame
Heddon hive can be made to pro-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

285

diice as large results as a ten frame
Lansfstrotli. But ease of manip-
ulation, and the ability to keep a
larger number on the same field,
are important factors. We are
making some experiments in this
direction here.

For 3'ears we have been build-
ing up in two frame hi vest ill hon-
ey harvest, tlien contracting to
force bees up into the sections and
tiering up cases with sections, and
have colonies which have never
swarmed and have had manj^ tiered
up three high.

That must involve some loss
travelling up so high, and we aim
to avoid it and do generally.

The season has been a [)oor one,
the worst ever known, and strange
to say my bees made an average
of forty pounds surplus, nearly all
of it after June 25 when our sea-
son usually begins to wind up.
Just now they are storing much
honey from golden rod and other,
fall flowers.

Charlottesville, Va.

American Bee Journal.

U. S. HONEY PRODUCERS'
ASSOCIATION.

J. M. Hambaugh.

To organize a controlling per
cent of the honey-producers of the
United States, aiid thereby brino-
them under the controlling influ-
ence of the association, is a task
not easily accomplished. Can the
north, the south, the east and the
west, be brought together under
one bond of brotherhood, so that
there will be no infringing of
rights, one upon the other, in the
financial transactions of the entire
honey tralHc of the United States?
Can our organization be so strons;

that we can successfully " bull "
and "bear" against the laws of
supply and demand?

We will suppose for argument's
sake, that we are now organized,
and have proclaimed to the world
that the prices on our product shall
no longer be trailed in the dust,
and consumers must pay us fifteen
cents a pound for extracted honey,
and twenty-five cents per pound
for comb honey, or go without it ;
what does any one think would be
the result? I believe the mass of
the consumers would argue that
they can obtain granulated sugar
at fifteen pounds for a dollar, be-
ing equivalent to less than seven
cents per pound ; fiom this they
will say they can make syrup cost-
ing less than six cents per pound.
Hence the folly of paying fifteen
cents per pound for honey when
they can get a fair article of
syrup for six cents per pound.
Sorglmm molasses can be bought
from forty to sixty cents per gal-
lon, and the larger per cent of the
consumers will live on sorghum at
those figures rather than to pay at
the rate of $1.65 per gallon for
extracted honey.

Can any tell how this state of
affairs can be benefited by an as-
sociation of honey-producers? We
might be able to raise a " corner"
on our product, but at the present
low rates of other sweets, it would
eventually succumb, and at last be
governed by the laws governing
the supply and demand.

To me, there appears to be but
one remedy, and one road out of the
mire, and that is expressed in this
short sentence : Increase the con-
sumption of honey !

Do away with commission men
entirely and sell only to the retail
dealer and the consumer. Let
honey seek its level along w-ith
other products of man's labor, and
when we cannot produce it at the
prices, the times and circumstances

286

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

justir3', let us step out aud surreu-
dei' to those who can. We should
endeavor to increase the demand
by giving tiie consumer soraetliing
to " tickle his taste," and by our
honest, square dealings, let him
know tliat he can rely upon our
word, and feel that he gets value
received for his money.

We should endeavor to maintain
good prices by placing a superior
article upon the market, put up in
such shapes as will attract atten-
tion and suit the convenience of
the purchaser ; but until the farm-
ers, cane and sugar producers,
wool-growers, etc., effect a "corner"
on their products, I believe it use-
less for the hone^'-producers to
organize with that end in view ;
on the other hand, I believe it to
be detrimental to their interests.
While I believe in organizations to
defend our rights, elevate and in-
crease our industry, I do not be-
lieve in "corners," monopolies,
etc.

Sj^rings, Ills.

For the Ainerican Apiculturist.

LONGEVITY OF QUEEN
BEES.

Joshua Bull.

On page 240 of the An for Sep-
tember, 1887, you solicit reports
upon the longevity and continuance
of the fertility of queens, in re-
sponse to which I submit the fol-
lowing :

I have two queens which have
rendered good service for four sum-
mers. One of them is of the Italian
race, was hatched in June, 1884,
and superseded her mother ; has
always been ver_y prolific, and had
all the brood space she would oc-
cupy until swarming time ; has led

out a large swarra every summer
except the first, after swarmiag has
been restricted to eight frames 11
X 12 inches inside measure during
the remainder of each season. This
year she did not come out with a
swarm until the fifth day of Jul_y,
at which time her colony occupied
twenty-two frames, eighteen of
which were well filled with brood.
This is her fourth season and she
has been more prolific this year
than ever before, and is apparently
still vigorous and healthy thus far,
and goes into winter quarters with
a strong colony and plenty of hon-
ey. Her bees are excellent honej'
gatherers, but are stubbornly op-
posed to storing it in sections ; T
have to take their surplus in the
form of ejected (extracted) honey.

The other queen alluded to is of
the l)rown German race, with just
Italian blood enough in her (or the
drone with which she mated) so
that about one out of every hun-
dred of her offspring will show one
or two yellow bands. She has
never been so very prolific as the
one above mentioned, yet her prog-
eny are excellent workers and
good comb builders, and seem just
as willing to store honey in sections
as in any other part of the hive ;
they have sometimes produced as
much section honey as some other
colonies of equal strength did of
extracted at the same time.

Perhaps you will think that these
queens have been superseded at
some time when I did not know it,
but that could not well be the case,
for both of them have one wing
clipped, therefore if they were su-
perseded by a young queen the fact
would be easily discovered.

Seymour, Wis.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

287

For the American ApiculUirist.

A GOOD QUEEN AND A
GOOD REPORT.

J. W. Tefft.

I have no reason to complain of
this season's work, as my bees
have done well.

The queen you sent me in Aug-
ust, 1886, was introduced success-
full}^ but to my disappointment
she did not la}^ an egg. I wintered
her and they came through with
only about a pint of bees, all old
bees probabl3\

I should have lost her had I not
gone to a neighbor and purchased
a pound of young black bees. I
put them on two frames, tucked
them up warm and fed them with a
little honey and water. To mj^
surprise and delight she commenced
to lay and kept it up until she
filled twelve frames full of eggs.
I never saw but one queen so pro-
lific before. I have taken away
from her six frames of honey and
hatching brood and sixty-six one-
pound sections of as beautiful
honey as I ever saw, and expect to
take twelve more pounds of golden
rod hone}', as twelve more sections
are almost finished.

I shall winter them on eight
frames ; four of them will be solid
honey in frames 10 x 15 inches;
the honey in the four frames
weighs twenty-eight and one-half
pounds ; the other four frames may
contain three pounds of honey
each. The hive is full of bees and
I am well pleased.

Collamer, N. Y.

[The bees could not rear brood until tbe
yoimtr black bees were iiddcd to llie colony,
;is ihe bees that had surviveil the winter were
too old to nurse the larva. Your report
plea&es us very niiicli. — Manuger Api.]

For the American ApicuUurist.

ANOTHER GOOD REPORT.

Selden B. Hitchcock.

The queen ordered of yon was
received !Sept. 1 all right ; was suc-
cessfull}' introduced by the three
day plan given in the Api. I could
not well get along witliout your
valuable paper. The plan for in-
troducing queens is well worth the
price of subscri|)tion. I have this
season introduced several virgin
queens by the above plan, thus pre-
venting after swarming.

My report for this season is as
follows : Took twelve colonies fi'om
the cellar after a confinement of
170 days, increased to nineteen;
amount of comb honey taken, 815
lbs., mostly in one-pound sections.
I run for comb honey ; do not ex-
tract any.

Bees in general have done very
poorly in this section ; many bee-
keepers are getting no surplus. A
neighbor, a half mile away, with
fourteen colonies, gets about sixty
pounds surplus. My best colony
made 102 pounds honey liesides
finishing one set of twenty-eight
sections that had been commenced.

Westjield, Vt.

"American Bee Journal."

MARKET REPORTS OF
HONE Y.

Eugene Secor.

I have heretofore been in favor
of the market quotations in our
bee-periodicals ; and when the storm
of indignation gathered about the
heads of commission men last win-
ter, I felt inclined to avert it, think-
ing, or wanting to think, that they
were doing the very best that they

288

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

could do under the circumstances,
to sell our product for all it would
bring.

But on looking over the quota-
tions of hone}^ recently, I am
forced to one of three conclusions :
First, honey must be more plenti-
ful in the United States than we
have been led to believe ; or, sec-
ondly, that too nian3' of our pro-
ducers must be ignorant of the true
state of affairs, and are rushing
the new crop on the market before
it recovers from last year's depres-
sion ; or, thirdly, that the large
dealers in the cities are trying to
keep prices down until they shall
have stocked up.

Now, as a honey-producer ni}'^-
self, and with some facilities for
observation by travel, and a reader
of nearly all the bee-pai)ers, I know
that this year's honey crop in
America will not be one-half as
great as it was last. Many good
judges place it much lower. Tak-
ing the state of Iowa as a whole,
I doubt if there is one- fourth as
much ; and from all I can learn,
there appears to be very little new
honey on the market as yet, or, in
fact, any honey.

I have recently visited some of
our large western cities, and find
the market bare. Therefore, I
conclude that the old-fogy bee-
keepers are not demoralizing the
market this year. Indeed, when
w^e think of it, we might know that
would l)e the case ; for in such
years as this they do not have any
to sell. Now wliat can be said to
avoid the conclusion — that the city
jobbers are "bearing" the market
in order to buy ?

Let me quote from the American
Bee Journal market report, on
page 589, Sept. 14, as to price of
honey in some of the leading cities.
I will only notice the quotations
for white honey in one-pound sec-
tions : Chicago, 18 cents ; Detroit,
17 to 18 cents ; Cleveland, 17 cents ;

Boston, 20 to 22 cents — good for
Boston! — New York, 16 to 18
cents ; Milvvaukee, 17 to 18 cents ;
Kansas City, 16 to 18 cts. ; St.
Louis, 12 cents, and Cincinnati, 15
cents.

If "the old crop is all sold out,"
"no white clover in market," "of-
ferings small of all kinds," "short
crop indicated," and "demand
large," prices ouglit to be a little
better than most of the quotations.
I believe, as a matter of fact, they
are better. I think some of the
best commission men are among
those who advertise the least. They
let their, sales and returns speak
for them. I have in mind one
house who have sold our dairy but-
ter for top creamery prices, and
above quotations right along. I
sent them a trial shipment of honey
a ^e\Y days ago, and instructed them
to hold for 20 cents. It had barely
time to reach the city when I re-
ceived a telegram saying, "Honey
sold — 20 cents — send more quick."
These men told that they sold sev-
eral carloads last year for beekeep-
ers who would have none to sell
this year.

In conclusion I will add, don't
sell hone}' at less than Boston
prices.

Forest City, loioa.

Introducing Queens.— Early hi
Auiiiist we trausferrecl .several hives
of bees for some parties who reside
fifty miles from Wenliam. At the
same time, Italian queens were intro-
duced to some of the colonies by the
following method: After the combs
and biood were all fastened iu the
frames, the cages (the same as we
have used several years for shipping
queens) were inserted in one corner
of one of the frames. The part of the
wire cloth which covers the food in
the cage was bent back so the bees of
the colony could remove the food and
thus release ihe queen. This plan
worked perfectly.

Will our customers who have so
much trouble in introducing queens
take a hint from the above?

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

289

fBMElSI

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

IN-BREEDING.

Query 'No. 38. As I nm a i-ender and
gie;it liieiid 1)1 tlie "API," I would like to
have the lollowing questions answeied in its
columns by some ol the practical bee men.

As a general rule it is adopted that with all
animals, as horses, cattle, hogs and dogs, no
mating should occur between what can be
called brothers and sisters, nor is any in-
breeding allowed at all.

How is it with the bees? When a swarm
issues a young queen is lelt in the old hive
and is lertilized by drones reared I'rom the
Bame queen in which the young queen was. Is
not that mating brother and sister? By such,
lertilization will not interior descendants be
the result?

Jacob Wagner.

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

Possibly in-breeding is not so
bad with bees as with horses, still
it is not likely to occur in the way
you mention unless there is no
other colony within, some sa}- three
miles, some say half a mile.

ANSWER BY PROFESSOR COOK.

1. Is the iirst statement correct?
Has not our ver}' best stock been
produced by careful in-breeding un-
der the close inspection of a wise
and expert breeder? 2. Do we
know that queens and drones from
some hives meet? 3, 1 doubt if
any one can answer this question.
"We simply do not know. Much
can be said on both sides.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

It is not at all certain that the
same laws apply to in-breeding of
bees which apply to the higher or-
der of animals.

There is another matter to be
taken into account, and that is the
drone is a son of his mother onl^^
(see the Dzierzon theory) and can-
not be a full sister to the queen.
2. If you will set an Italian col-
ony of bees in a large apiary of
black bees, you will be surprised
to see how difficult it is to get a

case of in-and-in breeding. It is
a rare case that a queen is mated
by a drone of her own hive.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

I do not understand that it is a
general rule wuth careful breeders
to avoid in-breeding — rather the
eontraiy.

The young queen would, I sup-
pose, be only half-sister to the
drone and even if they were full
brother and sister, inferior descend-
ants would not necessarily result
form such a cross. The fear of
deterioration among bees through
in-breeding is utterly groundless.

But how do you secure the fer-
tilization of a queen by a drone
from her own hive? I would give
a good sum for a practical way to
do that.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

There is this difference between
bees and human beings. Such in-
breeding as you speak of in the
human race would at once produce
direful results. If it produces any
evil results among bees they are
so slight that I have never heard
any one say tiiat they had actually
discovered them. I know that
many believe that bad results come
from in-and-in breeding among bees
but there are many things tirmly
believed by men which are not
true and for which they never had
the least evidence. Great natura-
lists tell us that with many kinds
of animals in-breeding is well wiien
it takes place upon the native soil
of the animals, but the same in-
breeding on foreign soil produces
bad results.

ANSWER BY H. ALLEY.

This is a question that upsets all
hands. Sui)i)ose some one pur-
chases a colony of bees and they
are kept three or four miles from
all others ; ^es, or even but one

290

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

mile distant. I am pretty sure tliat
tlie 3'oimg queens would mate witli
a brotlier drone. Well, now suppose
tins one colony increases to one
hundred colonies, nine out of every
ten of the young queens reared in
that apiary will be fertilized by
drones in the same yard even
though tliere are other drones with-
in one mile of the same apiary. I
do not believe a queen goes twenty
rods Irom the hive when she takes
her mating flight. Consequently,
if there are thousands of drones in
the same yartl with the queens,
they will meet a drone in the
same apiar3\

Under such circumstances, in-
breeding will go on lor years. But
do the bees deteriorate b}' such
close mating? This is a question
that but few people can answer. I
have known large apiaries, that is,
say titty colonies, to be built up
from one colony when there were
no other bees near, yet could not
see that the health of the bees suf-
fered by such a long process of in-
breeding. 1 consider it just as much
breeiling-in when there are lifty
colonies in the yard (that is, if all
the bees come from one colony), as
when there is but one colony. It is
all the same family. Yet there is
a possibility that one out of fifty
young queens might meet a strange
drone from some wild colony or a
drone from a distant apiary. Such
mating would upset in-and-in
breeding for a time at least.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

In this matter Mr. Wagner is
mistaken else I am not vei'sed in
the rules of breeding. In-and in
breeding is, as 1 understand it,
made use of to a large extent for
the purpose of fixing essential
points that fancy or otherwise may
call for. It nuist not be carried
too far but when used judiciously it
is of great value.

Now with bees : in theory it is de-
cided that in-and-in breeding should
be allowed ; in practice there is no
way to prevent it, and I have yet
to learn of any ill results that fol-
low therefrom. It is well settled
that in the human race, near rela-
tives should not intermarry, as it
is claimed that mental or physical
deformities will surely follow.

1 have known of a single colony
being kept far from the tlight range
of an}' other known bees, and in-
crease from the same original stock
"up to thirty or more colonies, and
did not see that the last colonies
were worse than the original stock.
The idea of close breeding is more
a.business scare on the part of some
queen breeders, than of any real
injur}'. Then again there is no
certainty that the fertilization will
come from a brother drone. The
question opens up a big field, and
to answer it as it deserves calls for
far more space than can be given in
this depaitment. If Mr. W. desires
information on the whole subject
he should get some good work on
"■ comparative anatomy," and there
he will find the subject fully treated.
There are also several works on the
subject of breeding horses and cat-
tle that will give some light, and
prove mighty interesting reading.

The subject is very little under-
stood by the majority, as only those
study it up who are interested in
building up their stocks.

The American Apiculturist havhig
iuvitcd essays on this Subject from
several of the most experienced apia-
rists in Americii, publish iu their last
issue several ol" these papers. These
are so pnictical, useful and suggestive,
that we intend giving pretty full ab-
stracts of them in our coluiiiiis of suc-
ceeding numbers for the benefit of such
of our readers as are working, or in-
tend to work for comb houey. — Aus-
tralian Bee Juurual.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

291

The American Apiculturist.

I'uhlislied Montlily.

MAjNTAGER,
AVEISTJa^fVIVI, JVIASS.

TEBMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE IOTI70EME1IT3 TO SUBSOSIBERS.
Wenham, Mass., Nov. 1, 1887.

THE MANAGER'S COBNEB.

Mr. C. W. Costellow, of Water-
boro, York Co., iMaiue, lias a very
crediiable exIiibiL of beekeepers' sup-
plies at tlie Meeliaiiics' Fair now beiiiy
lieUl ill Boston. We were pleased to
know that a supply tlealer could be
found in the stale of JNIaine who does
such tine work as shown in the bee
hives and other apiarian articles exhib-
ited by Mr. Costellow. Our friends in
the stale of Maine should not send to
parlies at the west for tlieir supplies,
when such a good article can be had so
near home.

The Australian Bee Journal

which we all supposed had passetl out
of existence, has revived and is as
good as, yes, niucii better than before.
Its new editors, Messrs. li. L. G. Kl-
lery and G. H. Kitchen, certainly de-
serve success.

Extracted honey is darker dur-
ing a drought, and a correspondent
asks us to explain why this is so. Wa
hardly think that tlie linden or white
clover honey is darkened iu color by a
tirought, but being short, the bees
may gatlier honey from some other
bloom, and thus mix it. The red clo-
ver heads may be retarded in growth,
and the bees may gather from that
source, and thus darken the color. Al-
sike clover honey is of amber color, and
when compared to basswood is very
iiuicli darker. In many places during
the past season the basswood yield
was exceedingly short. — Am. Bee Jour.

[All honey gathered during cool
and wet weather is much ilarker
and poorer in qualit}' than honey
gathered during hot, dry weather.
This has been our experience.]

BEES PUXCTUKING GllAPES.

Last fall, as I was gathering grapes, I no-
tiiied Uiat a great many ol iheni weie cnt and
bees were sipping the juice. J itid not get to
see any of the bees in the act or cutting the
skin, bnt J noticed tliat tlie holes got larger as
they worked on. Finally, I caught one of the
bees to see if it could cut one of the grapes,
and after its temper was aroused enough I
applied its mouth to a grape and it cut it like
a knife with apparent case. After repeating
this experiment many times I came to the
conclusion that bees do injiii'e gravies.— C E.
I'leas, Indiana, in Xew York World.

[A man who will sit down and
pen such a bare-faced lie deserves
to be exposed. The idea of get-
ting a bee *■' mad " and then hold-
ing it in the hand while the bee
"champed up" a grape is too silly to
laugh over. Bees do not touch
grapes until rain has rotted them,
or some wasp has first punctured
the skin. What sort of a mouth
have the bees to "cut like a knife ?"

A man in Wenham went to mar-
ket the other day with several
bushels of pears and offered them
to a dealer. " I don't want Ihem "
said the dealer, " bees have made
little holes in them and they will
rot in less than a week." Which
of the two might be the bigger fool
we will not say, but both believed
the silly yarn.]

Mr. Ivar S.Young gave the "Bee
Journal" a call last week. He is now
with Professor Cook. From there he
goes to visit Mr. A. I. Root at Medina,
U. He is a thoroughly practical apia-
rist, and is sent here l)y the govern-
ment (we understand) to gather iiifor-
inalion that may be made of practical
use in Norway. He is genial and
speaks the English language fluently.
He is a gentleman and a scholar. — Am.
Bee Jour.

THE APICULTURIST SUB-
SCRIPTION AGENCY.

If any subscriber to the Api-
culturist desires a good weekly,
semi-weekly or month!}' publication
they should consult the list of
periodicals found on another page
of this issue of the Api.

From 15 percent to 25 per cent
will be saved to all who send their
subscriptions to us.

292

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Giving Credit.— Several parties
■\vlio we supposed were honest liave
ordered goods from the Apiculturist
Supply Department and promised to
pay promptly. Although they have
several times been requested to remit,
no notice whatever has been taken of
the demand.

Now, we wish to say that the mana-
ger is one of tiie liardest-worked fellows
connected with the bee business and
can assure debtors that he earns every
cent he gets at hard labor. We also
can assure our customers that the sup-
ply business has not been as remuner-
tive for several years as it ought to
have been, therefore we need the
inouey due us to meet our bills.

Notice is hereby given that unless
said parties either "pay up," or give
some good reason why they do not,
their names are likely to api)ear in tlie
advertising columns of the " An" aud
there remain until the bill is paid.

Bro. Jones of the Canadian Bee
Journal is a funny fellow. In a re-
cent issue of that paper we And the fol-
lowing editorial remarks : —

"The readers ol'the liee Journal will please
excuse Us il the Journ;il is not as intereslnig
as It shouM be."

After reading the foregoing remarks
we looked tlie Journal over with a view
to tind what miglit be wrong, and con-
cluded that the C. B. J. was rather
more interesting than usual. When we
came to the last few pages we found
that Bro. Jones had copied nearly three
columns from the Api. Now, Bro.
Jones, did you really mean what you
said in the abovej editorial remarks?
We are inclined to think that your
i-eaders will agree with us in the opin-
ion that that particular number of the
Journal was more interesting than it
commonly is. Bro. Jones is very
funny.

The Rev. L. L. Langstroth ap-
pears to have improved in Health again.
His son-iu-law (with whom lie resides)
has moved his family to Dayton, U.,
and Mr. L. writes us that the change
has been of some benetit to him. lie
adds: "I hope for relief Irom the
head trouble." llis numerous friends
throughout the world will be glad to
know that he has had even a sWiht re-
lief in the malady from whicii he has
so long suffered. His address is 928
Steele Ave., Dayton, 0. — Am. Bee
Jour.

OUR ADVERTISEMENT.

At the request of a l.ii-ge number of the sub-
scribers ol the APicui.TUHiST our price-list
of apiarian supplies will, in future, be in-
serted in each issne of the journal.

This publication cannot be run inrlepen-
dentof a supply trade to back it nj); as, like
most all other puljlications devoted to bee-
culture, the subscription list of the API does
not support it. No paper of this kind can be
published with profit with le^s than lO.OuO
subscribers. Yet, there is not a bee-journal
in existence that has or ever had 8,0U0 sub-
scribers.

Manj- of our readers desire to purchase
supplies of some sort during the season. We
can say to our friends that the manager of
the API lias received a liberal shaie of pat-
ronage from those who lece've the API regu-
larly, as well as noui those who hiive received
samiJie co|nes only. In (;onclusion, allow us
to thank you all for past favors, ami we hope
by promptness in filliiig orders to continue
to receive your future orders.

ntlZE ESSAYS.

To the person who will send us the best es-
say on "Prevention of Increase" we will pay
five dollars and mail the API one year.

For the best essay on " Fastening Comb
Foundation" in frames and sections one of
the Hay State Reversible hives complete and
one copy of the Apicui.i'L'rist one year.

For the best method tor " Introducing Vir-
gin Queens" to nucleus coUiiiies we will give
one copy of the " Beekeepers' Handy Book."
send the API one year, also one combined
drone aud queen-trap by mail.

For the best article on " Advice to Begin-
ners," said article not to exceed in length
three columns of tin- API, one dozen drone
and queeutraps in the Hat, also the API one
year.

To the first fifty beekeepers who will
send to the Api articles of one and not
over two columns in length, on any
subject of interest to beekeepers, we
will mail the Api free one year. There
are hundreds of beekeepers who can
give from experience much valuable in-
formation regarding bee matters.

The above oilers are made, hoping
that some of tiiose who are competent
to furnish articles will do so.

None of the above prizes will be
paid to those who are considered ex-
perts. What is desired is articles from
tlie "rank and tile" of beekeepers.
Other arrangements will be made for
compensating those who are called up-
on to use their time for regular con-
tributions. Let no one say '* I don't
know how to write for publication."
Put your ideas on paper just as you
would communicate them wlien talk-
ing to another person. We do not
desire " higii-toned" literary produc-
tions. Send us facts gleaned from ex-
perience and they wilfbe put in good
shape for publication.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

293

BEE NOTES.

A virgin qneen may be removed
from a colony of bees and a fertile
queen introduced immediately, pro-
vided smoke is used in the opera-
tion.

A virgin queen two days old
cannot be introduced to a colony
of bees unless the colony has been
queenless three or more days.

A queen just hatched may be
given to a full colony which has a
fertile queen and she would in
some cases not be molested for
some few hours after being intro-
duced ; nevertheless her destruction
is certain by the time she is forty-
eieht hours old.

A colony of bees will winter
better, build up and increase fast-
er and do better in every respect,
if but seven combs, Langstroth's
standard size, are used. Mr. Lang-
stroth made but one mistake in his
hive and that was in using too
many frames.

No doubt had Mr. Langstroth
possessed good health he would
have discovered this one defect.
Nevertheless, no one has done so
much for beekeepers as has Mr.
L., in giving his invention to the
public.

Hives during winter should be
placed, two feet at least, above the
ground. If placed only half that
distance from the ground a very
liglit snow will completely block
the entrance. Hence it will be seen
that much work can be dispensed
with, in the way of shovelling snow
during the winter. Then, again, it
is not quite as cold and damp sev-
eral feet above the ground as it is
directl}'^ on the ground or on the
snow.

22

One of the colonies we had used
in a small four-frame hive had
swarmed out. While " cleaning
up" such hives a few days ago, not
less than four striped snakes had
taken possession of one of the hives
and seemed to be housed snugly
for the winter. Of course they
were despatched.

Do not expect a colony to go
through the winter in good condi-
tion tliat has been in a bad way
during the summer. The best thing
to do with such colonies is to brush
the bees from the combs and de-
stroy them. The combs will then
be in good condition for a new
swarm the next season.

Colonies that had combs well
filled with brood the first day of
September will winter well even
though no eggs were laid by the
queen after that date. A queen
may be given such a colony at any
time in the fall and it is likely to
come out in good condition in the
spring.

On another page, Mrs. Hills
gives her experience in introducing
queens by a plan Mr. Doolittle
recommends. We do not think
such a method is a reliable one.
Had tested such a way for intro-
ducing queens many years ago. In
some cases it was a success and in
others a failure.

Other parties have written us
that they have tested this and other
methods for introducing, as given
in the ditferent bee journals, and
failed. Only one person has ever
reported that a failure had been
made by the " three-day method "
as given so often in the Api by the
manager. ]t is the only relial)le
plan ever practised in ^the Bay
iState Apiary.

294

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

A NE W BEE PLANT.
Pleuris}'' root (Asdepias tube-
rosa) is a, honej'-bearing plant in-
digenous to nearly all parts of the
United States, but its growth has
not been encouraged for the reason
that its value to the hone^'-producer
has not been generally known.
The plant is a perennial, the top
dies and rots, a new growth spring-
ing up each year. It is commonly
regarded as a harmless prairie
■weed. The deep, red blossoms
hang in clusters. The plant is very
hardy, and of a rugged growth,
growing luxuriantly in all kinds of
soil. The honey is of the finest
quality, both as to color and flavor.
Mr. James Heddon, of Michigan,
speaking of the pleurisy root, sa3's :
'' If there is any plant to the grow-
ing" of which good land may be ex-
clusively devoted for the sole pur-
pose of honey production, I think
it is this. I would rather have one
acre of it than three of sweet
clover. It blossoms through July
and the first half of August, and
bees never desert pleurisy for
basswood or anything else. The
blossoms always look bright and
fresh, and yields honey continuous-
ly in wet and in dr}' weather. Bees
work on it in the rain, and during
the excessive drought of the past
season, it did not cease to secrete
nectar in abundance.

The above was taken from the "Southern
Farmer" and was sent to JNli'. Ileildon lor Inr-
tlier int'orniation. Tlie following reply was
duly received.

Dowagiac, Mich., Oct. 10, 1887.
Friend Alley :

It was about five j^ears ago when
my attention was first called to the
pleurisy plant as a honey producer.
At that time specimens of that
plant were exceedingly scarce in
this locality.

I noticed from year to year that
it not only increased very rapidly,
but that it was the best honey
yielding plant with which I am ac-

quainted, white clover and bass-
wood not excepted.

It is eminently adapted to light
sandy soil, doing splendidly upon
land too poor to produce ordinary
farm crops.

Notwithstanding the great num-
ber of colonies I keep, 1 can hardly
find blossoms which do not contain
so much nectar that it is visible to
the naked eye. The honey is very
light colored and of excellent
flavor.

It has now become so plentiful
here that we have no honey dearth
between basswood and fall flowers,
neither drought nor continued rains
prevent its secreting copiousl3^

It is not obnoxious as a weed,
yet very tenacious as a plant, and
above every thing else, perennial.
It is a favorite of waste places and
only has to be started in a locality,
to become soon of great value to
neighboring beekeepers. It re-
quires no coaxing. In my opinion
it is the best honey plant known to
beekeepers. James Heddon.

[Now if some one who can I'nrnish tlie de-
sired infornniLion regarding the cultivation of
pleurisy will tell llie readers of the Ari how to
grow tlie plant, when the seed should be sown
or roots planted, and where either can be ob-
tained, they will do our subscribers a great
lavor. Mr. Heddon lelt out of his reply this
most important part of tlie question.

If this new liouey producing plant is all Mr.
Heddon claims, beekeepers shoiil<l cultivate
it. A plant from which bees can gather honey
" in wet weatlier " was much desired the past
seasou.J

HONEY-CAKK.

Work together equal weights of
houey and tiour ; acid spice to taste,
and the right propoitiou of bakiug
Ijowder. Keep this dough iu the cellar,
and bake it as you need it, iu a very
slow oven. The cakes will be all the
better if the dough has stood lor a long
time. Honej'-cakes ate very healthful
aud digestible, and their use is to be
recoiumciuled to persons suffering from
colds or sore throat.

Mr. lioot, would it not be a good
idea to iuduce all the housekeepers who
read "Gi.kanjngs," to send you items
about some of the ways in which honey
is used iu their family? — Gleanings.
Mus. E. J. Baxier.

Nanvoo, 111.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

295

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

CKOOKED COMBS.

Angelica, iV. Y.

Have not been able to attend to my bees IVii-
some time, anit my new swaiins have
"buljied" and "crooked" tlieir combs in a ter-
rible manner.

(:Souie of the swarms were hived on founda-
tion aiulottiers on "empty frames;" but, as to
diU'erence in ettect, it appears to be about
"six one waj' and half a dozen the other,' as
lor as 1 can see I)

Have trieil widening, narrowing aijd "trim-
iniug" the combs, making things worse every
time, if anytiiiiig. So, here I come again to
tlie old API, for advice.

W. M. Baknlfm.

[Wlien we have bulgy or crooked
combs, they are niucle to lill tlie
frames by shaving, trimming and
more generally by pressing the
combs between two boards. Any
combs, it matters not liow bulgy
and crooked they may be, can be
straightened and made to till the
frames nicely by the pressing proc-
ess. We take such combs and
hiy them down on a perfectly flat
board and then with a thin knife
detach the comb from tlie frames in
the bulgy and crooked places ; an-
other piece of board is placed on
the comb and then we get upon
that and thus press the comb into
the frame. Cotton twine is then
bound around the frame to keep
the comb in place. Incase the comb
is new and does not rest on the
bottom-bar, a piece of wood is
placed between the bottom-bar and
comb so that the latter will not
sag. This operation, of course,
must be performed while the comb
is warm.

If the combs are full of brood in
all stages, the brood will not be dam-
aged in the least by the pressing
it will get, provided the boards usetl
are larger than the frame so that
they will rest on the end pieces of
the frame, which should be seven-
eighths of an inch thick, or just tlie
thickness of the comb used for
brood-rearing.

This process has been practised
nearly thirty years in the Bay
State apiary, and we find crooked
combs can be made as straight as

a board by this operation. In all
cases when we have transferred a
colony of bees to frames this press-
ing method has been used.

Combs that are but slightly bulg}'
maj- be straightened by pressing
the bulgy parts down by using the
flat side of a large knife or with a
thin board while the combs are
warm. The first process given
will give perfect satisfaction and
the result after one trial will
convince all who test it that any
one can have combs as straight as
desired.]

FEEDING BEES. DISEASED BEES.

Hamilton, Ohio.
Mr, Alley:

Dear Sir:— The most of the answers to
Query So :^1 given in the 'Ari" recommend
early feeding the winter stores. But there is
nothing said about the condition of the brooa
chamber. We will suppose there is consid-
erable brood m the coiul)s, and they are put
on six or seven combs. How can they rill the
combs with stores? It seems to me liiat tlie
combs shoulil be nearly clear of brood, so
that they can put their stores in the middle of
the brood-chamber where they will cluster
in winter.

Witli regard to that trembling disease, is it
a motion of the abdomen back and forth? I
thought that was breathing motion. Could
you describe tlie symptoms ?

T. K.

[The condition of the brood-
chamber should not be considered
at all when bees must be led. All
the cells in the brood-nest do not
contain brood, and there is al-
ways room in abundance for the
storage of food, even in a seven-
frame hive. The bees will store
the food given them in the empty
cells, and as the brood emerges the
cells will at once be. utilized for
the storage of syrup. You do not
seem to realize that one comb the
the size of the Langstroth Stand-
ard frame will weigh, when full,
from seven to ten pounds. Such
is the fact ; we have weighed them
on many occasions and found them
to contain ten pounds of hone3%
Of course, such frames are some
thicker than they should be for
brootl-rearing. You can see by
this that there is a large amount of

296

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

room in seven Langstrotli frames
for storing hone}', and still plenty
of room left for all the brood
needed to keep the colony up in
point of numbers.

Bees afflicted with the "tremb-
ling" disease, shake their entire
bodies. They seem to act as
though they would go into the air
without the aid of their wings, un-
less they held on something by
their feet and with all their might.
The disease is a mystery, and no
-one has discovered its true cause.]

after the first swarm issued. The
best plan would be to destroy all
the cells and let the swarm, queen
and all, return to the hive again.
Other cells might be built and the
bees swarm again in four or five
days, and they may not swarm at
all. Should they do so, the cells
should be destroyed again and, in
all probability, the bees would not
attempt to swarm the third time
unless the queen was quite old.

The above plan is very good for
a small apiary, but considerable
work and trouble where several
hundred colonies are kept.]

QUEENLESS COLONIES.

Is a colony of bees queenless that has no
tbrood or eggs on the first of October ? The
reason I muuUI like to know if tliey are queen-
less, is tliat 1 may not have to look ior the
.queen in a colony that I have to introduce a
• queen in. If vou cannot answer this liy letter,
Will you let us know iu the Apiculturist.
Simon V. Veeder.
[Most healthy colonies will have
'brood in all stages on the first day
.and generally as late as the tenth
day of October. If a colony has no
brood Oct. 1, it should be examined
to see whether it is queenless or
not ; there is no other way to know
.certain about it. Uon't introduce
a queen until you are sure the col-
ony has none.]

STRENGTHENING COLONIES.

Voluntown, Conn.
Mr. Alley:
Bees have done well here for to wet a
-season.

The API speaks of making strong colonies
before the clover season. Could it be done
by returning an issuing swarm to the parent
,hive minus the queen which your trap would
secure ? Would they rear another queen and
issue again? Should like to know how it
■would work. Yours respectfully,

F. S. BiTGOOD.

[The colonies can be kept strong
'by returning the swarms. The
'bees would be likely to swarm out
again in eight days unless all the
queen-cells are destroyed ; yet, if
no queen is given them, they would
not swarm, in case all the cells are
destroyed, until about twelve days

PACKING BEES FOR WINTER.

La Belle, Mo.

Mr. Alley :
Tlie queen I received from you was a fine-
looking one, but I lost her in introducing (in-
experienced;. I will try it ag;iin in the spring
when 1 can tend to it more closely. I would
like to liave you give your opinion on packmg
bees fir winter. How would it do to pack
them til is way ?

Put about'a two-inch thickness of papier
around the brood-nest except on the front
side and put a tliin cliaff cushion on top to
absorb the dampness should tiiere any ac-
cumulate, and spread paper over tlie cushion
one-half inch or so in tliickness. You know
paper is about the best non-conductor of lieat
and cold. Please answer and oblige.

F. E. Bagby.

[We see no objection to packing
a colony of bees as proposed above ;
nevertheless we refer Mr. Bagby
to the essays on "Wintering Bees "
found in the October, 1886, issue of
the Api.]

FOREIGN NOTES.
Brother Jonathan.

It would seem from the jottings
of " Amateur Expert " culled from
the American Aptculturist, that
there is as much diversity of opin-
ion among our American cousins
as among ourselves regarding the
royal road to success in bee-culture,
and I do not think any of them
can give us much start in the race
for honey ; indeed, were we to ex-
change places, i. e., take our bees to

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

297

their climate find pasturage, and
let them bring theirs to ours, I al-
most dare stake a dollar on ours.

I see one or two of them put a
parti}' built-out section of the pre-
vious year to entice the bees into
the racks of sections. This is a
plan I have adopted for the last few
years and find it very successful.
If I have plenty I put one in each
corner of the rack, and if they con-
tain any honey I uncap it and it
quickly fetches the bees up. A
partly filled section of heather
honey is so powerfully scented, the
bees cannot resist such a bait, and
they rush up at once.

I notice Mr. Manum tiers a large
nunil)er of sections on a hive at
one time ; this is, in my opinion,
a retrograde plan. I have tried it
and don't think I shall soon do so
again, after seeing the state of the
sections. What with the heat of
the hive and the constant travelling
of the bees over the lower sections,
to say nothing of the propolis, they
are so discolored as to be nearly
unsalable ; besides, where is the
advantage ? Bees don't like travel-
ling over sealed honey so much,
and tlie lower racks being filled
and sealed notliing is to be gained
by leaving them on the hives, and
tlie plan necessitates a large out-
lay in racks.

On the other hand. Dr. Miller
removes the middle sections as
soon as sealed. This is bad policy ;
I think it upsets the bees and tiie
breaking up of the cluster, when
comb-building is decidedly a back-
ward movement, besides the loss of
time incident to such frequent ma-
nipulation. I find nothing better
than the plan advocated by the
writer of "Useful Hints" in the
Journal^ viz., to give a rack beneath
when tlie first one is about half
finished. I never have more than
three racks on a hive at once and
seldom more than two, and I ma}'-
add seldom less. I see our cous-

ins use full sheets of foundation
in supers. No doubt the sections
are more quickly filled by this
mode, but those who adopt it in
this country must remember that
American super foundation is very
much tliinner than oar English is,
and the latter leaves too thick a
midrib for some people when used
in full sheets, and is expensive
too. — F. BoYES in British Bee Jour.

APPLIGATIOJV OF WAX IX MED-
ICINE.

(a) Benifidies for coughs, expectora-
tion, erysipelas of the head. — Breathe
the vapor of wax which has been
melted in a hot iron or a brazier.

(6) Healing Salve. — Honey, oil and
wax melted together into a salve hast-
ens the healing of old wounds and fls-
tiilas.

(c) Marigold-flmoer plasters for
xonnnds. — Out of marigold flowers a
plaster can be made b.v bruising the
flowers and the stalks and mixing ifc
with as mucii lard as will cover them,
letting it boil over a moderate fire for
an liour, and is then squeezed through
a cloth. The stufl" that is presseil out
is put over the tire, aud as mucli yel-
low wax added as will make it of the
consistency of a plaster. If less wax
is used, marigold-flower salve is ob-
tained. Both preparations are useful
in all kinds of wounds.

(rf) Remedy for diarrhcea. — In France
the following remedy is found of fre-
quent use : Scoop out the core of a
quince, filling it with hot water, let it
roast for a long time by the fire, and
eat it night and morning for three days
consecutively.

(e) S'lloe for wounds left after remov-
ing warts. — Prepare a salve of white
wax and fiesh unsalted butter, equal
parts, and mix a little white wine with
it.

(/) Salve fur burns. — Wax and lin-
seed oil give an excellent plaster for
burns. Stahl's burn-salve is made of
equal parts of butter and yellow wax.

(.'/) Corn plaster. — For corns a good
plaster is made of wax, tallow and
some verdigris.

(/t) Tooth-stopping. — The tooth-stop-
ping is prepared by melting together
three parts of pure white wax with
three and one-half parts of mastic and
a few drops of oil of peppermint and
making it into the pill on a marble

298

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

slab. The hollow teeth are filled with
this so that the food may not lodfre in
them and irritate the nerves of the
teeth.

(t) Wax salve for sJdn diseases. — Five
parts of white wax, five parts of sper-
maceti, five parts of sweet almond oil,
are melted together in an enamelled
vessel, and are poured ont into little
paper boxes, and when cold are cut up
into little slixhs.— British Bee Journal.

TASMANIA.
News has come to us from the south.
Foul brood has found its way into
some of the best apiaries, and has al-
ready destroyed or hopelessly weak-
ened a large number of stocks. Mr.
Lloyd Hood informs us that his small
apiary has been almost destroyed with
this pest, and his best stocks lost. He
states he persevered with the phenol
cure, as well as with the salicylic acid
mode of treatment advocated by Prof.
McLean, of the United States Apicul-
tural Station, but without success.
Foul brood in his case was evidently
accompanied by the disease often
noticed in this colony in some cases to
precede, in others to exist contempo-
raneousl}^ with foul brood itself, for he
mentions heaps of dead bees outside
the hives every morning. Mr. Hood
further informs us, "it is the same
tale of disaster all through the South
Island with few exceptions." The
Marinook Apiary of Mr. Wright, at
Glenarchy, has suffered severely, but
wliether from bad season or disease is
not f^tatad.— Australian Bee Journal.

[Try cremation for foul brood.
It is tlie only remedy. Make a. bon-
fire of the entire lot of bees, hives
and all — then select other colonies
from an apiary in which fonl brood
has never invaded. Once more let
us advise all not to try an}' exper-
iments with a disease, so conta-
gious and destructive when it
once gets a hold in the apiar3^]

The manager of the Apicultu-
RIST will pay a premium of $5 in
cash or in any of the goods adver-
tised in our list for the best essay
on feeding dry sugar to bees. The
experiments to be conducted be-
tween April and November, 1888.

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

San Buenaventura, Cal.
The honey crop was an entire failure
here this season. I have five hundred
colonies of bees in two and three story
L. -hives; they are full of honey now,
but I did not extract a pound this sea-
son. IVIy neighbor, Mr. K. Wilkin, ex-
extracted about three tons from a
small apiary near the coast, but the
great apiary (that you see pictured in
so many books and papers) gathered
scarcely enough to last them till
spring.

G. E. Mkrchh.

Chillicothe, Ohio.
Mr. Alley :
The queen you sent me is one of
tlie finest and most prolific queens I
ever saw and her bees are truly beauti-
ful.

Felix B. Mace.

Mention, 111.
H. Alley,

Dear Sir : — I am so well pleased
with the sample copy of the "Api"
you sent me, I cannot resist the temp-
tation to subscribe although I now
take two other bee papers.

Yours truly, Edwin Baldwix.

Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Mr. Alley :

Thanks for two fine queens, which
are safely introduced. I am awfully
busy, and fairly at my wits ends, trying
to double up, and prepare for winter.
Jnst noiv, the control of increase ap-
pears the all-important question. Per-
haps nert spring, I shall see the matter
in a diflereut light.

Ilespectfully,

Mrs. H. Hills.

Lynn, Oct. 6, 1887.
Miv. Alley :
Dkar Sir:

I l)ought one dozen of your drone
and (luccn-traps last spring, and we
think them an extra good article. My
husband says he would not be without
them for twice their cost. I had eight-
een new swarms after getting them
and they worked like a charm. I could
feel quite easy Avhen I saw the bees in
the air, knowing my queen was safe.
Mrs. E. a. Hopper.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

299

Wakefield, Mass.
Mr. Allky.
Dear Sir :
Enclosed please flnd one dollar
to pay for the Apr another year, and
fifty cents for one of those Italian
queens. The one you sent me is doin<^'
finely. I am more than pleased with
her.

Geo. R. Tyzzey.

Moncton, N. B.
Mr. Alley :

If your Journal is always as jjood
as the specimen sent me, I must have
it.

J. B. Fraseu.

We are glad to see and also proud
to note the fact that so many of the
foreign bee journals quote extensivety
from the columns of the Apiculturist.
Even Brother Jones finds it convenient
to select from our columns. That is
right, brother ; we are much pleased and
feel honored in having any brother edi-
tor copy from the A pi provided the
Editors do not apologize because the
general make-up of their paper "is
not as interesting as common."

THE BAY STATE REVERS-
IBLE HIVE.

"I do not think j'oii will always
be satisfied with the size of frames
of _yonr reversible hive," wrote a
well-known beekeeper a few days
ago.

The above i"emarks were ad-
dressed to the manager of the
"Api" and had reference to the
hive used in our apiary. The au-
thor of the remark has never used
one of the Bay State hives nor has
he had any experience with them.
The hive in question has been used
in our apiarj' some fifteen years ;
the last two years it has been used
with a reversible brood-chamber.
We have about as much notion of
abandoning it as we have of going
out of the bee-business, and that
will not be as long as we have
health and strength to handle bees.

A large number of Bay State Re-
versible hives were sold last spring,

and while many have written us that
they are well pleased with them,
not one complaint has been made
by any one who has them in use.
There is no hive that will give bet-
ter satisfaction than the Bay State
hive. It has more good points
than most other hives. Wliile the
brood-chamber can be reversed in
a body, or each comb reversed
singly it is not of course necessary
to reverse often, if at all.

We do not intend to say one
word against any hive in use, but
will claim that the Ba}- State has
no equal as a hive for wintering
bees. Nor is there an}' other hive
known to us in which a colony of
bees will build up so quickly in the
spring. When properly packed,
the inner hive or brood-nest can be
made almost as hot as a stove oven.
With our experience we know it to
be a fact that two quarts of bees in
one of these hives will have doable
the amount of brood that the same
quantity of bees will have in most
any other style of hives.

Tliis hive is so constructed that
the heat from the bees must escape
at the entrance, if at all, as all ven-
tilation is completely checked at
the will of the beekeeper.

A hive thus constructed contain-
ing six quarts of bees will so re-
tain the animal heat generated by
the bees that at least four quarts
of the colony can go to tiie fields
for forage, but in most hives the
four quarts of bees have to stg,y at
home to protect the brood, thus
leaving but two quarts of bees to
gather stores.

All the colonies in the Bay State
apiary that are in Reversible hives
have had more brood and bees
through the season than the colo-
nies in the Langstroth hives. Now
this is a fact worth noting and the
practical beekeeper will appreciate
the advantage given him in using
such a hive.

In rearing queens, we remove all

300

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

of the bees from the combs of the
colony to be used for cell building.
We find the bees can be taken
from the reversible frames much
more easih' and quickly than from
the common Langstroth frame, as
there is no hive about it, — but
frames merely which form the
brood-chamber.

We claim that the sections can
be placed nearer the brood than in
any other hive, as no honey-board
is used, and tlie section racks
have a bottom and top-bar only
one-eighth of an inch thick, while
the top-bar of the brood-frames are
but one-half an inch thick, and the
bee-space between the frames and
section racks is but three-six-
teenths of an inch. Hence it will
be seen that it is impossible to re-
duce the distance between sections
and brood.

In some of the back numbers of
the ''Api" we have described the
manner of tiering up the sections
on these hives to any desired ex-
tent, so we need not repeat here.

Another advantage the Bay
State hive has over others is that
the outside case can be removed
and not used at all during the
summer. None have been used in
the Bay State apiary this season,
but all will be replaced and the
bees packed for winter, early in
Octoljer.

Visitors at the Bay State Apiary
have seen with what ease the
franjes can be removed from the
Reversible hive. No bees are
killed or crushed, and there is no
need of moving laterally any of
the adjoining frames in order to
take out any particular frame, as
any of them can be removed with-
out disturbing the bees on the ad-
joining combs.

Almost any practical beekeeper
will concede that the advantages
described here are important and
worthy the consideration of all
who desire to make beekeeping

and the raising of honey a success.
Last season we made these hives
of heavy lumber (| inch thick),
but experience has demonstrated
the fact that such thick stock need
not be used, and all the hives
shipped the coming season will be
made of thin boards. This not
only reduces the cost of transpor-
tation, but also the weight of the
hive nearly one half as compared
with those made last year. Only
one set of sections will be sent with
each hive, and the price of the hive
will be reduced accordingly. Test
these hives for yourself and be
convinced that they are all we
claim for them !

HOW TO RAISE COMB
HONE Y.

If the readers of this have not
read the essays on "Comb Honey"
as given in the June issue of the
Apiculturist by some of the best
practical beekeepers in the coun-
try, they should send and get a
copy at once, as it is conceded by
all who have read the fine essays on
the above topic that they contain
more solid information than any
other work on the same subject.
Price, by mail, 10 cents per cop3'.
Sent free to all subscribers.

Don't fail to read the supplement
sent w^ith this number.

JUST PERFECTION.

Scotch Bidge, Ohio, Sept. 19, 1887.
Mil. Alley: Dear Sir: In answer
to James Ewins' enquiry about the
Heddon hive, I will say I have used
the Heddon for two years and so far I
have not found any moths in them, and
I also have the Bay State hive and it
is as near raotli-proof as any hive I
ever saw or used, and a No. 1 hive in
every respect. I tlimli the latter hive
is just perfection.

L. Shanks.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

SPECIAL NOTICES.

All who subscribe or renew their
subscriptions at once will get the
Apicdltuhist fourteen months for
$1.00 as Jill subscriptions coming
in during November and December
will be dated to expire January 1,
1889. In addition we give each
subscriber one of our improved
drone and queen-traps, also choice
of any of the goods mentioned in
another place of this issue.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.

Please bear in mind that we stop
sending the Api to all subscribers
when the time paid for has expired,
unless requested to continue it, or
the subscription is renewed.

If by mistake, the journal is
mailed to you, and is not needed,
please say on a postal card " dis-
continue Api to my address."

Some of our subscribers have
had rather " hard luck" with their
bees and are not prepared to re-
new their subscription ; to such the
Api will be continued if they re-
quest us to do so, — and if paid for
inside of one year it will be per-
fectly satisfactoiy.

BOUND VOLS. OF THE API.

We still have a few bound copies
of Vol. I and II of the American
Apiculturist. The book contains
288 pages, and every part of bee
culture is treated upon and by the
best apicultural writers in the
world.

The work is handsomely bound
in cloth and will be mailed to any
address on receipt of fifty cents.

Vol. Ill is also handsomely
bound and contains 290 pages of
A'ery interesting and most instruc-
tive matter pertaining to every
branch of beekeeping. The two
books will be mailed for $1.00.

double-walled langstroth hives.

Our old style Bay State hive is
the same as the Reversible hive.
One has reversible frames, and the
other is adapted to the standard
Langstroth frame. This hive has
ever}^ good feature in its construc-
tion tiuit the Reversible hive has,
except reversing the combs.

It can be used with or without
the outside case in summer ; the
sections can be tiered up the same,
and the section case is exactly as
near the brood as in the Reversible
hive. We have used this stjde in
the Bay State apiary fourteen
years and with good results. The
price is the same as for the com-
plete Reversible hive.

newspapers.

A good weekly paper is highly
prized by every famil3\

Before sending in your subscrip-
tions for 1888, consult our club list
of some of the best papers, and
periodicals published in the coun-
try.

Do not forget that our nearest
money order office is at Salem,
Mass. Make all money orders and
postal notes payable at that office.
Money may be sent in registered
letters, or remittance may be made
by express money orders or cash-
iers' checks. Fractional parts of a
dollar may be sent in two-cent post-
age stamps. We also accept of
Canadian stamps for odd change.

In future, credit will be given to
none unless personally known to
the Manager of the Api. This
does not apply to those customers
who have promptly remitted when
a bill has been sent them. No
others need apply.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

After reading this copy of the
Api will you kindly hand it to some
beekeeping friend and call his at-
tention to the unusual inducements
offered those who will become sub-
scribers at once ?

We would like the names of a
few live bee men from each county
in the United States, to whom will
be mailed a copy of the Am. Api-
CULTURIST. Please send the names
of only those 3'ou are quite sure
will be likely to subscribe for a
bee journal.

The subscription book of the
Api is in the hands of a member
of the Manager's family and we do
not often look it over. Should the
journal lie discontinued before the
time paid for expires, kindly state
the fact on a postal card and the
mistake will be promptly rectified.

Every yearly subscriber to the
Am. Apicultukist is entitled to one
of the best selected queens reared
in the Bay State Apiar}', at any-
time between June 1 and October
1, by remitting fifty cents in addi-
tion to the one dollar for the Api.

AD VERTISEMENTS.

TERMS FOR ADVERTISING.

One incli,
Two "
Half column,
Whole "

each insertion, $1 00

" 1 80

" " 4 00

" " 7 00

" " 12 GO

CASH WITH COPY.

Tie Beebepers' HaDfly Booi

HAS HAD AN EXTENSIVE SALE THE
PAST FEW MONTHS.

It will tell you all about Queen-
rearing and how to keep bees aud
make beekeeping pay.

300 Pages, Boniid in clotli, liy mail $1.10.

jeS" See Club Kates (on another page;.

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, 3fASS.

IIPMCOTT'S • • LIPPMCOTf S • • LIPPINCOTf S

IjCads all other Magazines

" Jn Tales of Fiction A New Departure

^ I>oems of Interest ~^~~

^ pleasing Short Stories

■■ Interesting Miscellany 25 CtS.

" Jfotes of Progress ■

NEARLY ^ Choice Selections
200 ^ Original Contributions

PAGES IN EACH ISSUE "• ToP'cs of the Times
'^ X^i'se Gems
A Complete New Novel " ' Superlative Merit
By some favorite author in eacti No. ■"

Giving a library of 12 new and valuable works, worth
from ^15.00 to $18.00 annually, at the nominal sum
of 25 cents per month. Subscription, S3.C0 yearly.
Stories by John Habberton, Frances Hodgson Bur-
nett, Julian Hawthorne, Lucy C Lillie, etc., etc.,
will appear in early issues

Circulars, giving details, etc., mailed on application
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

715 and 717 Market St., Philadelphia

BARNES' FOOT POWER MACHINERY.

Read wliat J. I. Par-
ent, of Charlton, N.Y.,
says — '• We cut with one
ol your Combine<l Ma-
chines, last winter, iitty
chaff hives with 7-inc,h
cap, 100 honey-racks. 500
broad frames. 2,000 hon-
eyboxes and a great
deal of otiier work. This
wniter we have double
the amount of bee-hives,

to make and we expect to do it with this
It will do all you say it will." Catalogue

Price-list Free.

Address, W. F. & JOHN BARNES,

fi mo. No. 484 Ruby St., nockford, 111.

etc.,
saw.
and

2-87

After Fort.v years'
experience in the
preparation of more
than One Hundred
Thousand applications for patents in
the United Slates and Foreign coun-
tries, the publishers of the Scientitio
American continue to act as solicitors
for patents, caveats, trade-marks, copy-

rights, etc., for the United States, and

to obtain patents in Canada, England, France,
Germany, and all other countries _ Their experi-
ence is unequaled and their facilities ore uusur-

Drawings and specifications prepared and filed
in the Patent Office on short notice. Terms very
reasonable. No charge for examination of models
or drawings. Advice by mail free.

Patents obtained through Mnnn& Co. are noticed
inthe SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, which has
the largest circulation and is the most influential
newspaper of its kind publislied in the world.
The advantages of such a notice every patentea
understands.

This large and splendidly illustrated newspaper
is published WEEKIiY at $3.00 a year, and is
admitted to be the best paper devoted to science,
mechanics, inventions, engineering works, and
other departments of industrial progress, pub-
lished in any countr.v. It contains the naniPS of
all patentees and title of every invention patented
each week. Try it four months for one dollar.
Sold by all newsdealers.

If vou have an invention to patent write to
Munn & Co., publishers of Scientific American,
861 Broadway, New York.

Handbook about patents mailed free.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

BEEKEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

FOR MAI.E

AT THK

BAY STATE APIARY,

WENIIAM, MASS.

Tiee Hiv^es.

■Lanfjcsti'dtli standinrl.
One hive ni.-ule up, veafly for use, in-

cliKlinaril one-pound sections $3 00

The same, iu the flat, ready to mail... 2 50

Sections.
Falconer one-piece sections per 1.000 5 ^0
" " " •' " 500 3 00

•' " « " " 100 75

X»a,ngst:rotla Frances.

Mnterial for (hans-inp:) frames for Standard
L Hive tier 100 $3 00

The frames we ii*e are so constructed that
the bees will not build comb between or over
them at the top, nor fasten tlie section case
and frames together as is the case when the
common top-liar ts used.

JVailiiig: ISloclc for IVairies.

No one can do grood work at nailinjr frnnies
Tvittiout a proiier board to nail tlieni on. We
can send one, by express, that will do the
work nicely, price 50

Coml> "Foxiiiclatloi'i.

We can supply the best brands at manufac-
turers'(irices, and ship direct to our custom-
ers from the nearest factory. We also keep
a quantity in stock to fill small orders.
1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames, •'55 cts per lb.
1 " '■ " " flections, 65 " " •'

Parties ordering foundation for brood-
frames should be particular to give exact
size they wish the slieets cut.

Perforatecl Zinc.

This we can supply only in small quantities,

shipped with other Roods, tier foot 20

If sent by mail, aild 10 cents per foot.
Honey Extractors.

Muth's standard, with knife $11 00

" No. 2, " " 10 00

E. T. Lovis & Co., Ex-
tractors.
No. 22. 28 inches in diameter, 25 inches
high. 2frame lor any size up
to 12^x19: room for 25 lbs.,
honey below reel, and the
best "extractor ever made for $10 00
We sell this size only as it is the most con-
venient to use. This extractor is adapted to
the L. frame.

ITonej^ ICni^ves.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" " bymail...... 75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rubber Avhich draws tlie
toil together; it is then placed over any liat
and drawn down until the elastic is over the
band.
Common net, bymail .35

Smokers.

Alley's improved Quinby, 2^ inch,
by mail, 1.75; by express," $1 50

Feeders.

Allev's perfection winter, one of the best.

Bymail, $ 50

" express 40

12 " " 3 75

Qixeens and. Full Colonies.

Queens.

I'rices.
Untested queens, each $1 00

Selected " each 125

Tested " each 2 00

Exti-a breeding queens, the best we
have, each 3 00

Our untested queens are sent out before
any of their brood hatches. 05 per cent will
jirove to be pure. Safe arrival and purity
guaranteed in all cases.

We make a s|)erialty of Italians.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight L frames well filled with
brood and covered with bees a f\il! colony.
Price of such in B. S. R. hive including one set
of sei'tions, $12.00. Purchasers to pay ex-
press charges.

TJooks.
Qiiinbv's New Beekeeping (cloth) post

paid 1 50

Cook's Manual, (cloth) 1 25

Tliird Edition of tlie

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or 22 ye.irs
experience in queen rcarinsr. 300
p.'ijres, 100 fine illustrations, hand-
somely bounil in cloth, by mail,. . 1 10

Qiieen-Ttearingj Appnratns.

Beekeciiers who rear qcieens, w both or by the
Allevmethod orbvanvotlier, shoulilhave the
anparntus here described. The S\v.4RMIKG
Box and QuEEN-NUR-SKTiV are articles that
no person who rears queens can dispense
with.

Bv using the swarming-box a large colony
of bees can be confined a long time or trans-
ported saCelv hundreds of miles. It is a very
useful article about the apiary at all times
durinar the season.

Sent only bv express, price $1.25.

When a colony swarms and it is desirable
to iireserve the fjueen-cells. and no nuclei are
at hand, the Queen-nursery in such cases will
be found invaluable; the cells can be placed
in them and tliey need no further care for a
week or ten ilays later. Virgin or fertile
queens can be k^tit in the nursery for several
weeks. We have sold a large number of
queen-nurserie* in years tiast.

We use the following articles in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be
found in the

** Beelceeiaers' Handy
Boole."

Express. Mail.

Oueen-nnrsery (of 21 cages) $1 25 $1 60

Swarming-box 1 25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) 50

Fumigator foi- using tobacco... 25 30

Cone-feeder 15 20

To make the lot complete, we put in each
package one drone and queen-trata, one cotiy
of the THiuP edition of the "Handy Book."
and send all for $4 .50

All these articles can be packed in the
swarming-box and sent safelv by express or
freight.

Brooms foi* Brnslning Bees
from Coml>s.

We find a small " corn-broom " best for this
liurpose as it does not injure or irritate the
bees, and will do the work better and quicker
than anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom bymail, 25

" " " ex|iress, 20

HOW TO REMIT MONEY.
Remit by registered letters, cashier's check
or ex))ress orders. It sent by money orders
or iiostal notes, have them niade payable at
the Salem, Mass., P. O.

Address,

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, Essex Co., Mass,

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

America:n^ Apiculturist Club-List for 1888.

DesiriiiiT to do a good thing for those who subscribe for the ApicuHurist, we have pre-
pared the following newspaper and magazine club-list. All yearly subscribers for the API,
can get any paper on the list at the rates given in the right hand column.

Subscribers who accept of any of these papers are not debarred from receiving any premi-
ums offered to yearly subscribers for the Api. If you want any paper or magazine not found
on the list, and are a subscriber for the API, we will get it for you at club rates.

The following list was prepared especially for the benefit of our readers. We can furnish
any or all of the papers named to those who subscribe for the API. If any one desires to sub-
scribe for i^everal of the papers in tlie list, they can do so. Note the prices.

Not only do we make a liberal discount to those who subscribe for our journal, but each
subscriber is entitled to one of our drone and queen-traps, free by mail, as well as to a dis-
count on other goods, as per notice in another part ot tliis issue.

Any publication wanted which is not ou tlie list, will be furnished at a reduced rate.
Please name the paper you desire.

Weekly publications are designated by the letter 'w" following the name ; Semi- Weeklies
" s-w"; Bi- Weeklies, "b-w"; Monthlies, "m"; Bi-Monthlies, '-b-m"; and Quarterlies, "q."

Publisher's
Price.

Kame of Publication,

My
Price.

$ 50
1 00
1 00
1 50
1 00
1 50
1 00
1 00

1 25

1 00
1 50
I 00

1 70

2 00
2 00

Agriculturist, Racine, Wis m

Albany Argus w

Albany .Journal w

American Agriculturist, N. Y m

American Bazaar, N. Y m

American Dairyman, N. Y w

American Farmer, Baltimore.. s-m
Am. Kindergarten Magazine, N. Y.

m

Am. Poultry Adviser, Zanesville,

O. (witli premium) m

Am. Poultry Journal, Chicago.. .m

Am. Poultry Yard, Hartford w

American lielormer, N. Y m

American Wesleyan, Syracuse.. w
Arkansas Traveller, Little Rock, w
Arthur's Home Magazine, Phila.

35

08

98
1 10

80
1 30

90

85

90

85

1 20

90

1 00

1 60

.m 1 40

B

1 50 Babyhood (care of infants)

1 50 Ballou's Magazine, Boston m

1 00 Baliimore American w

1 00 Baltimore Sun w

2 00 Bismarck Tribune, Dakota w

50 Bistoury, Elmira. N. Y q

1 00 Bookmart, Pittsburg m

1 00 Boston Journal w

1 .50 Boston Traveller w

1 00 Breeder's Journal, Beecher, 111., m
1 00 Buffalo Commercial Advertiser. w

1 00 Buffalo Courier w

1 00 Buffalo Express w

1 00 Burlington Hawkeye w

c

1 00 Carpentry and Building, N. Y...m 80

1 50 Chattanooga Times w 1 25

1 00 Chicago Herald w 85

1 00 Chicago Inter-Ocean w 90

1 00 Chicago Journal w 1 00

1 ^0 Chicago Ledger w 1 25

1 00 Chicago News w 95

1 00 Chicago Times w 80

1 00 Chicago Tribune w 90

1 20

1 30

1 00

90

1 90

40

85

1 00

1 00

80

95

95

85

90

Publisher's ' My
Price. Name of Publication. Price.
$1 00 Christian Woman, Philadelpliia, m 85
1 50 Church's Musical Visitor, Cincin-
nati m 1 20

1 00 Cincinnati Gazette w 90

1 15 Cincinnati Enquirer w 1 10

50 City and Country, Columbus, O., m 40

1 00 (Jlevelaiid Leader w 90

1 00 Cleveland Plaindealer w 1 00

1 00 Clinique, Cliicago m 90

1 50 Coleman's Rural World, St. Louis

w 1 20

2 50 Country Gentleman, Albany, N. Y.

w 1 95

75 Dairy and Farm Journal, West

Liberty, la m 60

1 75 Davenport Gazette. Iowa w 1 10

I 00 Delineator, N. Y. (Buttrick's)..m 1 00

1 25 Denver Times w 1 10

1 00 Detroit Free Press (literary ed.).w 95

1 00 Detroit Post w 95

1 00 Domestic Fashion Plate, N. Y... 90
1 00 Drake's Traveller's Magazine, N.

Y m 85

1 00 Elmira Advertiser w 95

50 Empire State Agri., Rochester,. m 35

1 00 Family Herald and Star, Montreal. w 90
1 25 Fanciers Gazette, Indiana|iolis..m 90
1 50 Farm, Fiehl and Stockman, Chi-
cago, 20 packages seeds w 1 30

.50 F'arm and Garden, Philadelphia. m 35
50 Farm and Home, Springfleld, Mass,

Ill 45

50 Farm Journal, Pliiladelpliia m 53

1 25 Farmers' Review, Chicago m 1 10

2 00 Florida Agriculturist, DeLand..w 2 50
50 Forest, Forge and Farm, Albany. ra 45

4 00 Forest and Stream. N. Y w 3 25

2 25 Frank Leslie's Budget m 2 00

1 75 Frank Leslie's Pleasant Hours.. ra 1 fiO
25 Frank Leslie's Almanac. ...annual 25
1 00 Frank Leslie's Holiday Book,

annual 75

AMERICA:^ APICULTURIST CLUB-LIST FOR 1888.

50 Gems of Poetry, N. Y ni 50

1 00 Uleason's Monilily Coinp'n Bos., m 65

1 25 Uoldeii censer, Kockloid, 111 w 1 10

50 Good Cheer, Grueufleld, iM;iss...m iO

2 50 GoodllousekeeiJing, Holyoke,

bi-w 2 15

1 00 Grand Army Gazette, N. Y ui 90

50 Green's FriiitGro\ver,Rijclieoler.q 3u

H

4 00 Harper's Bazar, N. Y w 3 30

25 Harper's llaiuly Series, eacli 20

4 00 Harper's Majf^'zine ni 3 20

4 00 Harper's v\ eekly w 3 30

2 00 Harper's Young People W 1 70

1 oU Harllord Couraut w 1 35

1 50 Hartlord Post \v 1 35

1 10 Houseliold, JJrattleuoro m fe5

I

1 25 Illinois State Jour.. Springfield.. w 1 10
1 00 Jllus.Fannly Herald, Anguata, Me.

(25 clironios; m 75

1 50 Indiana SclioolJour, Indianapolis,

ni ni 1 25

1 50 lowii Homestead, Hes iMoines ..\v 1 15

jr

75 Junior Am. Mechanic, Phila m 65

1 00 Kansas City Times w 95

1 25 Keokuk Coustilution, lovva w 1 25

1 25 Ladies Floral Cabinet, X. Y m 1 10

50 Ladles Hume Jour., Phila m iO

1 00 Leaven worili Times w S5

1 00 Lever, Chicago w So

1 00 LexiuglonPress, Ky. (new 65)...\v 90

3 00 Lippiucott's lUaguzine, Phila... m 2 40
5i) Literary liuUetiu, N. Y 50

2 00 Literary Life, Clucago m 1 25

30 Little Caii:-tian, Boston s m 30

1 50 Little Folks, N. Y . (illustrated), .m 1 25

1 00 LouibVille Commercial, Ky w 90

1 50 Lowell Journal, Mass w 1 45

1 .50 Manufacturer and Builder, N. Y.m 1 30

1 00 Maryland Farmer, Ballimm-e m 85

1 00 Maoonic Chronicle, Columbus, O.m 70

1 00 Mechanics, N. Y in SO

1 00 Medical Bulletin, Phdadelphia..m 90
1 00 Metalworker. New York(iiew90Jw 1 00

1 25 xMichigan Farmer. Detroit w 1 15

2 00 Mind and Matter, Pluladelphia..W 1 90

1 00 Modern Miller, Moline, 111 m 90

1 00 Montreal Gazette, Canada w S5

1 10 Montreal Witness w DO

1 50 Mother's Magazine, JS. Y' m 1 15

2 00 Muscatine Jouriial> Iowa w 1 90

1 00 Nashville American, Teiin w 1 00

1 00 National Puultry Monitor, Spring-
Held, G ni 90

1 00 National Kepublican, Washington

Vtr 75

40 New Dominion Monthly. m 30

1 00 New Haven Hegister w 90

1 50 New Orleans Picayune w 1 15

1 50 New Orleans Times-Democrat, .w 1 15
1 00 New York Herald w 9S

3 00 New York Independent w 2 65

1 00 New Y'ork Sun w 93

1 00 New York Times w 98

125 New York Tiibune w 95

1 00 New York Witness w 95

1 00 New York World w 90

1 00 Norfolk Virginian w 85

o

1 00 Ohio State Journal w 85

1 00 Oil City Derrick, Pa w 90

2 00 Olive Branch, Utica.N. Y m 85

1 00 Omaha Herald w 95

1 50 Orange Co. Farmer, Port Jervis.w 1 S6

P

1 50 Painter's Magazine, N.Y m 1 20

1 00 Pansy, Boston, Illustrated vv 90

2 00 Peck's Sun, Milwaukee, Wis w 1 75

1 00 People's Fireside J our., Boston, .m 75

60 People's Magazine, l^hiladelphia.m 55

1 50 Peoria Transcript w 1 20

2 00 Peterson's Magazine ni 1 50

1 00 Philadelphia Press w 95

1 00 Philadelphia Times w 1 60

75 Picture Gallery, Chicago m 60

1 50 Pittsburg CoiiMnercial Gazette. ..\v 1 35

1 06 Portland Advertiser, Me VF 90

1 00 Poultry Biillttin, N. Y m »0

1 00 Poultry and Farm Journal Minne-
apolis m 75

50 Poultry Iveeper, Chicago in 45

1 25 Poultry Monthly, Albany m 95

1 25 Poultry World, Hartford, Conn.. m 95

2 00 Practical Harnier, Philadelphia. w 1 15
100 Practical Teacher, Chicago ...s-m 75
1 00 Providence Press w 90

50 Purdj'o Fruit Recorder, Palmyra. m 50
65 Piirdy's Fruit Recorder, Palmyra,

with choice of preni m 65

4t

1 50 Quiver, N, Y., illus. reprint m 1 25

It

1 00 Richmond Dispatch w 1 00

60 Ridley's Fashion Mag.izine, N.Y., q 45
1 00 Rochester Democrat and Cliron., w 85

1 00 Rochester Herald w 90

1 00 Rochester Post Express w 85

1 00 Rochester Republican w »f

100 Roller Mdl, Butialo, N. Y m 90

1 50 Rural Calilornian, Los Angeles.. in 1 15

2 00 RuralNewYorkerandseeds, N.Y.w 1 70

50 Sabbath Reading, N. Y w

1 00 Sailor's Magazine, N. Y' m 50

1 25 Savannah News, Ga w 1 40

2 00 Saturday Night, New Y'ork w 1 15

1 00 Science Observer, Boston q 29

1 00 Scientilic American, N. Y' w 3 75

1 00 Selma TimesAigus, Alabama.. .w 1 05
1 60 Shakespearians, Philadelphia. ..m 1 00
1 50 Soutaern Cultivator, Atlanta ...m 1 30
1 25 Southern Planter, Richmond m 1 13

50 South and West, St. Louis s-m 16

1 50 Spirit of Misuioiis, N. Y m 1 95

1 00 St. Louis Globe-Democrat W 00

1 00 St. Louis RepiiOlican w 75

1 UO St. Paul Pioneer Press w 00

1 00 Stoddard's Magazine, N.Y,chro.m 00

1 00 Street's Monthly, Waco, Tex in 45

1 25 Swine Breeder's Journal, Indian- 96

apolis m 1 00

1 50 Syracuse Journal w 1 05

T

1 90 Texas Farm and Ranch, Austin, s-m 75

1 00 Toledo Blade, Nasby's Paper w 90

1 00 Toledo Telegram w 95

1 00 Toronto Gloue, Canada w 95

1 OU Toronto Mail W 90

1 00 Torrey BotanicalBiilU'tin,N.Y.s-in SM>

1 00 Tiibune and Farmer, N. Y w 85

1 00 Troy Telegram, N. Y w 80

1 00 Troy Tunes w 95

u

1 00 U. S Miller, Milwaukee.- m 90

85 U. S. Gazette, Washington, D. C,

peusious lu CO

AMERICAN APICULTURIST CLUB-LIST FOR If

1 fO Utica Herald ,w 1 40

1 50 Utica Observer (new 1 oO; w 1 50

V

1 00 Vesper Dells, Phihidelphia w 90

3 00 Wallace's Monthly, N. Y m 2 65

1 00 Wa-hington I'o.^t \v S5

2 ;")() \Vasliinj;t()ii Republic w 2 15

1 00 Wasliiii^'ton tjlar W 'Jo

1 OJ Wayne County Courier, Detroit, .w t?5

1 10 We-t'ii Atcricultul■i^t, Quiucy, lll.m 85
(iO Western Macliiiii^t. Cleveland. ..m 55
50 Western I'lowuian, Moline, Ill...m 40

2 00 West Shore, Poitland. Oregon... m 1 U5
1 00 Wheeling lutelligencer w 'Ja

Y

3 00 Yankee Blade, Boston (with prem.)

w 1 10

1 00 Y. M. C. A. Watchman, Chicago m 95
30 Young Folks' Circle, Springli'd, O.

m 30

2 50 Young Men of America, N. Y w 2 00

1 75 Youth's Companion, Boston, new

subs w 1 25

Special to Beekeepers.

1 00 American Bee Journal w 85

1 00 Canadian Bee Journal w 85

1 00 Gleanings in Bee Culture s-m 90

50 Kays or Light m 40

1 25 Apiary Register (by T. G. Kew-

man) 90

75 Bees and Honey (by T. G. New-
man) 65

1 25 Beekeepers' Guide (by A. J. Cook) 95
50 Diet, of Frac. Apiculture (by John

Phin) 45

15 Extracted Honey (Dadant & Son) 15
05 Honey as Food and Medicine (by

Xe w man ) 04

2 00 Langstroth on the Hive and Houej'

Bee 1 50

1 50 Quiuby's New Beekeeping (by L.

C. Root) 1 15

THE m STATE BEE HlfE

WITH REVERSIBLE BROOD-CHAMBER
AND REVERSIBLE SECTION RACK.

ALLEY'S

DRONE AND QUEEN-TRAP.

KELIABLE, CHEAP, PRACTICAL.

a.

THIS CUT REPRESENTS THE WINTER
CASE OF THE BAY STATE BEE HIVE.

We believe this hive will prove satisfactory
to 90 per cent of all who test them.

Hive complete, 3.00

" in flat, 2.50

H. ALLEY,

Wenham, Mass,

PRICES FOR ALL THE MATERIALS IN THE
FLAT.

One-half dozen, one made up (seven In

all) $2.00

One dozen, one made up (thirteen in

all) $3.50

Those who purchase the traps of us can sell

them to whom they please, and where they

can find a market for them.

METAL PARTS FOR THE TRAPS,

By express, 15 cts. per trap. By mail 22 cts.
per trap.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.

Any beekeeper can purchase a farm or in-
dividual right of us for $2, and to all who do
so will be sent by mail, one of the latest im-
proved traps.

Address

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

The Drone and Queen Trap.

Ml?. Alley :

Your drone and queen-trap has
robbed swarming of all its terrors.
Miss G. P. S.

The drone and queen-traps came all
right. I have tried one of them in
hiving a swarm of bees and it worked
all right.

J. S. Bakb.

Price 65 cts. by mail.

FOLDING BOXES.

Our Caktons for enclosing Section
HoNEV are tlie best and lowest pkiced in
the market. Made in one-ijiece. Willi or
without Tape Handles. With JMiCA Fronts
or without, in the Flat or set up. Tkinted
or not. Any way to suit. We are bound to
satisly you. We have just put in special
Machinery for their inanuliicture and are pre-
pared to till orders proniplly.

Price per 1000,
" 10,000,

$ 7.75, printed.
00.00,

Full Price-List Free, Samples 6c,

li oz. Glass Jaks §5.25 per gross, includ-
ing CoKKS & Labels. 1 L-l & 2 gro»s in a
Case. Catalogue ol Honey Lables free.

A. O. CRAWFORD,

G-87-0 <S'. Weymouth, Muss.

BEES AND QUEENS.

Here is a chance for all iliat want to buy

Italian, Hybrid or German Brown Bees

No foul brood, and prices low. Send two
cent stamp lor price list to

THOMAS GEDYE,

3-87-lyr. LaSalle, LaSalle Co., HI.

HDEJ^LIBS-S' Lisa?.

NEW YORK.

■W. T. Falconer, Jamestown, supplies,
etc.

C. M. Goodspeed, Thorn Hill, Onon. Co.,
bees and queens.

J. Van Deusen & Sons, Sprout Brook,
Mon. Co., liat bottom comb foundation, whole-
sale and retail.

F. J. Crowley, Batavia, supplies, founda-
tion, bees and pure queens of any race.

MAINE.

E. B. Leighton, Falmouth, supplies,
breeder ol choice Italian bees and queens.

ILLINOIS.

F. A. Snell, Milledgeville, Carroll Co.,
Italian bees, beeliives, sections, extractors,
veils, smokers, comb foundation, etc.

MICHIGAN.

A. J. Cook, Lansing, Pub. Cook's Manual,
or Bee-keeper's Guide.

OHIO.

C F. Muth, 97C-978 Central Ave., Cincin-
nati, supplies.

D. A. McCord, Oxford, Butler Co., bees,
queens and suiiplies.

E. T. Lewis & Co., Toledo, apiarian sup-
plies, isso.

Frank A. Eaton, Blufl'ton, Allen Co. Bees,
Queens and Poultry.

IOWA.

J. M. Shuck, Des Moines, Patentee, and
Manutacturer of the invertible hive and
surjilus case.

Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, bees, queens,
adjustable honey-case and sujiplies.

INDIANA.

A. B. Miller & Son, Wakarusa, Elkhart
Co., supplies.

MASSACHUSETTS.

"Wm. W. Gary, Colerain, successor
to Wm. W. Cary <S Son, breeders, bees,
queens, and dealer in upiurian supplies.
Price list free.

WEST VIRGINIA.

C Ii. Makin, Wadestown, Monongalia Co.,
W. Va. Italian Bees and Queens.

<t IT £ £ M S !
UIINTOIN'H UEfeT BEES.

Select, choice, tested Queens, each ^o.
Sample bees from queens advertised, by
mail, 10 cents. 75 full colonies. No cheap
queens.

A. M. FIRMAN,
Quasqueton,
3-87-Iyr. Buchanan Co., Iowa.

The Beekeepers' Handy Book,

Providence, li. I.
Hknry Alley, Esq.

For beekeepers, generally, I believe
your "Handy Book" is the best "bee
book" extant.

Geo. a. Stockwell.
Price, bound in cloth, postpaid, $1.10.

TEE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

DR. TINKER'S SPECIALTIES

ri'^HE liiiot WHITE POPLAR Sections
J. and the best, PEKFORATED ZINC
ever ottered to beekeepers. Our new machine
makes SO.OUli ijerlbralioiis in a day. We also
claim the tinest strain of BEKS for comb
honey — tlie Syrio-AIbinos. Price-lists ol
QUEENS and Supplies free. Sami)les of
sections and zinc, three cents.

Address, DR. Gr. L. TINKER,

KEW PHlLADELrHIA, O.

A YEAR AMONB THE BEES.

A work of 128 closely i)rinted pages. Beins
a talk about some ol the implements, plans
and practices of a beekeeper of 25 years ex-
perience, wito lias for 8 years made tliepro-
cluction of lioney his exclusive business.

Bound in clotli, by mail, 75c.

de. c, c. miller,

Marengo, III.

HEAD(1UARTERS FOR BKEKEEPEKS.

CAKDS AND STATIONERY.

Besides our beautiful eiglit color instruc-
tive (Jhromo card, we have plain designs;
also Fancy cartls, and line two and tliree let-
ter moiiogrdma, all at astonishingly law prices,
suitable lor business and amusement lor old
and young. 300 envelo|)es 300 note heads $1.
Circular and Samples free. Package 25 cards,
10 cents, neat box Cards and Sample honey
candies 15 cents.

Address

J. H. MARTIN,
Hartford, N. Y.

SAVE PRINTERS' BILLS

BY USING A

SELF-INKING RUBBER STAMP

2,000 impressions
for lOcts. Will last
a life time. It prints
Envelopes, Lettei"-
heads, postal cards,
Sections, Clothing,
— everything. Your
name, occupation
and address, with
the machine and
bottle of ink, sent
by mail for $1.00;
Extra bottle of ink
for 12 cents. Show
this advertisement
to your friends.

Send me an order for 10 stamps, and get
your own free. Agents wanted everywhere.
Send for catalogue and terms.

GEO. T. HAMMOND,

Address,
Oct.. 1887.

Brockport, iV. Y.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

AND GET

The American Apiculturist

PERFECTION BEE FEEDER.

PAT. APPLIED-FOR.

It is
entife

.The "PERFECTION" having been thof-
oughly tested, and proved of inestinialjle
value in Bee Culture, the undersigned, a prac-
tical apiarist, is prepared to furnisli the same
at reasonable prices, and the usual discounts
to dealers. Among the many points in wliich
tiiis Feeder excels all others are the follow-
^^^^!| ing.

The supply of food can be perfectly regu-
lated.

The food will not become rancid, nor sour,
and is strained before it reaches the bees.

The same method is used in feeding as
provided in nature.

The "PERFECTION FEEDER" is simple
in construction, well made, readily cleansed

— and durable.

most admiralily adapted to the use for which it is intended, and will give
satisfaction to those who will give it atrial, as its merits are unquestioned.

Prices for sample Feeder, by mail, postage paid:

4 lb. Fe<Mlers 50 cf s. © ">. «« <ts. lO lb. ^« «*»• „
For one tUtxen rEKFEC TI<»X *EKI»fliK« F. O. B.

41b. Feeders, 3.50. O lb. 4.50. lO lb. .».»0.

Address, M. E. HASTINQ-S,

12— 86— ly. ^e^<' York Hills, Oneida Co., N. Y.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Wknham, Mass., Novkmbkk 1, 1887.

Remember that all who subscribe or renew at once their sub-
scriptions to the Apiculturist will get the journal, including this
number, fourteen months, for $1.00. Also, free by mail, one of the
latest improved Drone and Queen-Traps.

This is the first supplement ever issued from the office of any bee journal.

For the American ApiciiUurist.

NOTES AT RANDOM.

A. Norton.

a good wokd for the bay statk
reversible bee-hive.

Friend Alley :

As I have not time to write
much and cannot think fast only
when an idea oi- subject takes pos-
session of me, I will confine myself
to a few notes on ivvo or three mat-
ters.

Candor demands that I should
acknowledge my mistake in doubt-
ing the advantages of your new
hive. I have used eight or ten of
the Bay State bee-hives this sea-
son, and the result has been quite
favorable. Briefly, I can recount
the following points in its favor:
1. Simplicity and cheapness are im-
portant features. 2. Reversing ei-
ther the frames singly or the whole
brood-nest in a body is equally
eas3\ 3. It is easily moved without
disarranging frames. 4. One num-
ber of frames is about as conven-
ient as another, either more or less.
Hence you can expand or contract
laterally at pleasuie without need
of cumbersome division-boards. 5.
For tiering up, the projecting end
bars secure the right space between
chambers with the least trouble,
and the least danger of change by

shrinking. 6. Frames are easily
removed and replaced. Main dan-
ger of crushing bees is at bottom
where frames rest. 7. Sectional
chambers or deep ones can be used
at option. And I believe that good
fit and interchangeability of parts
cannot be more easily attained in
any hive than in this one. 8. No
building comb between ends of
frames and ends of hives at odd
and idle times. And, in case of
bridged or bulged combs, frames
can be taken out with a minimum
of danger to bees and trouble to
yourself. 9. A sectional chamber
may itself be made into a fair swarm-
ing box from which you do not have
to dump the swarm. This is, of
course, where one does not use the
queen and drone-trap and uses only
narrow foundation starters.

MARKETING HONEY.

I consider that two propositions
in Mr. Woodward's article, last
issue, cover the principal part of
the marketing problem.

These are: 1. Cultivate the de-
mand at home and abroad leaving
the supply to be regulated by the
demand ; and 2. encourage the man-
ufacture of various articles from
honey. I cannot add anything new
to these ideas. In fact several
persons have advanced them before.

(1)

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

I will only recall attention to them
for the sake of em[)hasis, and this
at the risk of some critic pinning
me down i)y asking ''and who saitl
it wasn't?"

HIT THK NAIL ON THK HKAD.

I think that Mr. Robbins has hit
the nail on its head in liis article
in the October number about bees
knowing each other. I can support
his argument by observations of a
similar nature.

For instance, on one occasion 1
removed a breeding queen, lor a
specific purpose, to the strongest
colony I could find not five minutes
after their own queen had been re-
moved. She was large and heavy
with eggs, and I had no sooner
placed iier carefully on a comb in
her new residence than she began
looking for a cell to lay in as if
nothing had happened, while the
bees received her as if they did not
know the difference. And so the
affairs of that realm went right on
without any interregnum. 1 have
had similar experience more than
once ; while, on the other hand, I
have replaced queens in their own
hive after a few minutes of absence
when their excited actions would
cause the bees to ball them at once.

THE HONEY CROP IN CALIFORNIA.

The few reports that I receive
from time to time continue to show a
remarkably short crop, even in the
most favored parts of California.
It is a noteworthy coincidence that
this scarcity should occur all over
the United States and Canada at
the same time.

Gonzales^ Gal.

The Apiculturist for September
came a few days ahead of time. Un-
der the able management of Mr. Alley
it improves each month. So far as
valuable matter is concerned, it is
one of our best apicultural periodi-
cals. It is well printed. — American
Bee Journal.

Diseased Bees. In looking
our bees over a few days ago, a
colony was noticed to have strong
symptoms of the '-shaking palsy."
or the nameless disease. The
queen in that hive came from Ver-
mont, but was fertilized in the
Bay State Apiary. The colony
diseased was one of the best in
the apiary and we did not care to
lose it, and so salt and water,
(quite a strong brine), was applied
iuimediately. The top-board, or
honey- board more pi-operly, was
removed and about a pint of the
salt brine was dashed over the
bees and combs. That })articular
colony was watched closely for
about a week, lii the course of a
few days all the diseased bees, per-
haps two hundred in all, were driven
from the combs and were clustered
at the bottom of the frames near
the entrance. The diseased bees
are known and distinguished from
the healthy bees by their bright
and shiny bodies. One warm day
(Se[)t. 23) the bees seemed to be
driving the shiny bees out. As they
came out they v^^ere destroyed ; and
on Sept. 27, there were only two
diseased bees to be seen about the
hive. The brine had worked an
immediate cure.

The black and shiny appearance
of infected bees is not owing to the
disease with whicli they are troub-
led but by the constant work and
gnawing which the healthy bees
are doing to them for the purpose
of ejecting their sickly companions
from the hive.

Since writing the above we find
that Professor McLaiu has used
brine as a remedy for the nameless
disease, a fact showing that the
Professor has read the "Api" care-
fully.

We need not say that what Pro-
fessor McLain sa3's of foul brood
is correct.

All who Subscribe for tlie Apicul-
TUKiST, at any time, will receive one

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

of our combined Drone and Queen -
traps free by mail. Tliis is our method
of introducing the Apicultuuist and
our Drone and Qaeen-traps into every
apiary in the United States.

Dundee, Mich.

Deak Sii: : — The queen came last
niijht and is a beauty. Hope she will
prove as good as the one I got of you
six years ago. I sohl the colony she
was in and it swarmed four times in
May. I am not mistaken in the queen,
as I clipped her wings when she was
iuti-oduced. Three years ago all my
bees died but the colony above re-
ferred to.

I have one colony of those worth-
less Albinos. The Ijest bees I have
for wintering are those I bought of
you. Yours,

Mixer Fleming.

Patterson P. 0., Tex.
Mr. Alley : *

I want to get a good queen of your
strain, as I see they are praised very
highly by many beekeepers. As for
the Apicultuuist, I cannot give it too
much praise, judging from what I have
seen of it.

Out of twenty-four young queens I
reared to supersede some black queens,
only two or three were mismated. I
think I did well, as I am only in the
A B C of bee culture.

N. M. Middlebkook.

NOW IS THE TIME.

Send $1.50 and get the Am. Api-
cultuuist one year, and a copy of
the Beekeepers' Handy Book.

The book contains 300 pages,
100 fine illustrations, is handsomely
bound in cloth and sent to each
subscriber by mail, for fifty cents
in addition to one j'ear's subscrip-
tion to the " Api." Regular price
of book, $1.10 by mail.

This work treats of the best
methods for rearing queens, and is
pronounced by Rev. L. L. Lang-
stroth to be " the best authority on
this important branch of beekeep-

We do not advertise to give premi-
ums to those who subscribe through
other parties. We pay news' agents a
percentage on all subscriptions sent
us, and if you choose to give the agent
a profit instead of sending direct to us,
it is no fault of ours.

Tnstiii City, Gal.

Mr. Alley:
The queen and bees came to liaud,
all right, nary dead bee in the cage.
Came to the office on the 20th of Sept.,
fifteen days from the time I sent the
order. Thank you for such a fine look-
ing queen.

Introduced the queen according to
your printed instructions and she is
laying all right. Jeff Williams.

AGENTS FOR DRONE-TRAPS.

Messrs. Thos. G. Newman & Son,
925 West Madison St., Chicago, 111.,
are our agents for the sale of the Drone
and Queen-traps. Parties west of Chi-
cago, as well as those residing within
a radius of a few hundred miles of that
city, who desire from one dozen to
several dozen traps, can save some-
thing in freight and express charges by
ordering of the above firm. All who
can conveniently do so should order
traps early, as the trade in them the
coming season will be immense, and
there may be some delay in filling or-
ders later in the season.

Sir;

Sevita, Tex.

I received the queen, introduced
her all right. She is very prolific and
her progeny is very nice. Many
thanks. The bees are doing very well
now, but did very badly up to Aug. 1.
Shall make plenty to winter, and per-
haps have a surplus. M. Simpson.

COOK'S MANUAL

OJ^ THE JlJPIA.RY.

it should be in every beekeepers

LIBRARY.

iPiaiaE $1.25,

A. G. COOK,
Author and Proprietor.

Agricultural College, Mich.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES

MANUFACTURED BY

W. T. FALCONER, - JA^IESTOWN, N. Y.

Are unsurpassed lor fine QUALITY uih] WORKMANSHIP. A
specialty made of all styles of the SIMPLICITY HIVE. The
"FALCON" CHAFF HIVE with Movable Upper Story Contin-
ues to Receive tlie Highest Recommendations as Regards its Superior
Advantages for Wintering and Handling Bees at all Seasons.

The CHAUTAUQUA HIVE, being a winter hive with absolute
dead air spaces, in place of chaff, is rapidly gaining favor.

It is nearly as cheap as the ordinary Simplicity Hive. Is light and con-
venient for both winter and summer management.

Also manufacturer of

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WILL PAY HIGHEST PRICE FOR BEESWAX

My large factory will soon be ready to occupy. In this factory I shall
have facilities for manufacturing treble my former capacity.

I have two rooms of 8,000 square feet each of floor surface, and have
over 20,000 square feet that will be used exclusively for the manufacture
of wood work for Hives and their belongings.

Office, Store House, Wax Room and Tin Shop, being in adjacent
buildings.

The power consists of a 60 horse power, high pressure, automatic en-
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The foregoing brief description shows that my facilities will be un"
surpassed for turning out large quantities of Goods, and my reputation
for quality and excellence is already established.

DEALER IN A FULL LINE OF BEEKEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

Send for Large Illustrated Catalogue Free.

The American Apiculturist.

% Journal bcbotfb ia practical gccluf|3in0»

ENTERED AT THE POST-OFFICE, WENHAM, AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER.

Published Monthly. Henry Alley, Manager.

VOL. V. WENHAM, MASS., DECEMBER i, 1887.

No.

We deal in first-class apiari- I Established in 1S83. Terms : I Any yearly subscriber is en-
an supplies dfall kinds, lowest I $1.00 per year, 50 cents per six | titled to one of our scle.-ted
prices. Prompt shipment. I months, 2.5 cents per three I queens anytime between June!

Send tor price list. | months. Cash in advance. | and Oct. 1, by remitting 50 cts.

Address all communications, AMEKICAW APICULTURIST, -Wenham, Mass.

I'or the American Apiculturist.

SOMETHING ABOUT BRIT-
ISH BEE-HIVES.
My dear API :

We are ever on the alert for some-
tiling new in the way of bee-gear,
and our eyes are in a state of ten-
sion westward to see what the
states have to show us. We had
heard of the latest thing in the way
of hives that had evolved from the
brain of our clever friend Ileddon,
and had wondered what it was like ;
until, last October, when Mr. D. A.
Jones of Canadian fame gave us
an opportunity of discussing its
shape and make at a conversazione
of the British Beekeepers' Associ-
ation, held at the Indian and Colo-
nial Exhibition, London.

"yVhen staged on the platform,
the resemblance between the"Hed-
don" and a hive known for many
years in England as the " Cari--
►Stewarton" was at once apparent.
This hive is seldom seen now but
was thought much of when first
brought out. Mr. Jones evidently
knew nothing then of the existence
of such a hive, but he has had an
opportunity of seeing it since, 1
believe, at Liverpool. But as I as-
sume few beekeepers in the states
know anything ot its existence, his-
tory or characteristic* features, I
purpose giving them to the frater-

23

nity through the columns of the Apr,
first to show my appreciation of
your enterprising journal and also
to express my regard for American
beekeepers generally.

I have often wondered when bees
were first kept in this old country ;
it was evidently a very long time
ago. The other day I stumbled
upon a cut taken from some old
tapestry, illustrating our early
Saxon beekeepers, which I thought
would interest you so I had it re-
produced and here it is (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.

The artist that designed the tap-
estry was no very great naturalist,
his bees are more like birds than
bees, but in some out-of-the-way
})laces they are even now called
''bee-birds" by some of the old-
fashioned people.

It is swarming time evidently,
and the hives are the old-fashioned
straw skeps covered with straw
hackles as you will often find pic-
tured in old books, or on the title

(301)

302

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

page of the British Bee Journal
or the cover of Gleanings. In these
days beer was unknown, sugar there
was none, except nature's pure
sugar "Mel," whicli was used for
all sweetening purposes as well as
for making the popular beverages
"mead" and "methylin" (the drink
of the gods (?). A bonnie people
were those old Saxons ; they wore
short garments and short hair, close
shaved their beards, were as strong
as giants and nearl}'^ as big in com-
parison to the Britons whom they
conquered ; they were brave, chiv-
alrous and generous ; they loved
war but hated diplomacy, preferring
to settle matters by their strength
of arm to the more civilized (?)
methods of palaver. They were
somewhat vain, as they practised
tattooing and wore ornaments ;
their greatest foe was their stom-
achs, for they fell victims at last
to strong drink " which biteth like
a serpent and stingeth like an
adder."

There are many thousands of
these straw-skep hives in use in
this conntrj' yet ; I have some my-
self for "auld lang syne," hackles
and all complete, but it is seldom
yon see a hackle nowadays. These
straw hives are evidently a copy
fro-m the bees' natural lodging
place — the crown of a hollow tree
— and were the only kind of hive
in use for some hundreds of years.

In 1609 Dr. Chas. Butler wrote a
book about bees and hives entitled
the "Feminine Monarch," and these
straw hives are the only kinds he
mentions. He is called the "father
of British beekeepers." He prac-
tised "inverting," as he gives direc-
tions how to invert the old stock
and place another on it and so get
the top one filled with hone}^ ; and
he also gives instructions how to
remove it when filled. Later he
omitted this from his book, so prob-
ably he found it did not answer.

In the year 1652, octagon-shaped

boxes made of wood were used as
bee-hives by the Rev. Wm. INIewe,
minister of Eastlington, in Glouc-
estershire. They were also used in
Scotland. In April, 1675, king
Charles II granted John Geddie
letters patent for his octagonal-
shaped wooden beehives. This was
the oidy patent granted for beehives
in England, until very recently ;
and in the matter of patents in bee
gear, we haul down the flag to the
U. S. beekeepers. This was the
step from straw to wood and with
it came "storifying."

Geddie's boxes. Fig. 2.

Geddie's boxes (fig. 2) were sim-
ply octagon in shape with a crown
board, in the centre of which was
cut a five-inch square liole ; the
boxes were Also fitted with handles
and had doors in front lined with

THE AMERICAN APTCULTURIST.

303

glass for observatory purposes.
The size of these boxes I have not
been able to ascertain, but four
3'ears later Rusden wrote a book
describing the same kind of boxes,
giving the sizes as sixteen inches
across and ten inches deep. The
bottom box was used for wintering,
and tiie others were placed on tlie
top ill summer as required, thus
securing the surplus on wliat we now
know as. the "storifying" system.

About the year 1819, Robert
Kerr of Stewarton, or Stuart town,
Ayrshire, Scotland, a clever cab-
inet maker, took these octagon
boxes in hand and greatly im-
proved them. He was known as
"Bee-Robin." He removed the
crown boards and placed bars dis-
tanced IJ- in. from centre to centre
that the bees might attach their
combs to them. Between these bars
were spaces % of an inch vv^ide, into
which were fitted movable strips
called slides. They ran in grooves
and were capable of beingwithdrawn
entirely. This hive had three
brood boxes, each six inches deep ;
the super boxes were three and one-
half or four inches deep only ; the
cut (Fig. 3) gives you three brood
boxes and one super box and the
slides are partly withdrawn to show
the three-eighths spaces in the hon-
ey board ( ?). Kerr's hive was also
fitted with shuttered windows
front and back ; each brood box had
an entrance closed with a slide one
of which is shown parti}' witlidrawn.
This made all the brood-boxes in-
terchangeable, and the grooves in
the top of each box, from which
the strips were withdrawn, were
stopped at the ends by short plugs.

We have no record that Kerr
ever practised "inverting," al-
though his boxes admitted of be-
ing interchanged. So far we have
had " inverting, storifying, bars, a
divided brood-nest, interchangea-
bility of brood-boxes and a honey-
board."

This hive was farther improved
about thirty years ago b}' a Scotch-
man who is known among bee-
keepers as " a Renfrewshire bee-
keeper" who made two brood boxes
only, each nine inclies deep, and fit-
ted them with moval)le bar frames ;
the slides were still retained be-
tween tlie top-bars of the frames,
and the frames were distanced one
and one-half inches from centre to
centre. The super boxes were also
fitted with bar frames which were
distanced two inches from centre
to centre and were also fitted with
slides. These super boxes are

Fig. 3.

made 3, 3^ and 4 inches deep
whichever the beekeeper ma}' pre-
fer, and the bees have filled as
many as seven such in one season.
The illustration (Fig. 4), from a
photograph, shows a "Renfrew-
shire Stewarton" in full work. It
rests on a six-inch drain pipe sunk
in the ground, a long bung of
wood fitted into the upper end of
the pipe, to which the floor-board
is securel}' fastened. In exposed
places this hive has been secured
with guy ropes to prevent its be-
ing blown over. This hive is sel-
dom now seen out of Scotland ex-

304

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

cept where it is kept by a few as
a novelty, but it has frequently
given 200 pounds surplus comb
honey free from brood in one sea-
son.

Fig. 4.

We next get the " Stewarton"
hive altered from its octagon shape
to square, but the other features
were preserved. This was done
about the year 1872 by the late
Mr. C. W. Smith of tolteridge,
Herts. He named it the " Curr-

Stewarton" as a compliment to his
friend Mr. Carr of Clayton Bridge,
Manchester. (The Carrs formerly
spelled their name " Kerr.") The
two body boxes were 15 inches
square and 6 inches deep, the super
boxes 4 inches deep only, and the
frames in the super boxes were set
two inches apart as in the " Stew-
arton."

Externally, it looks like a "Hed-
don" with a sloped, ornamental
roof; and when Mr. Jones exhib-
ited his " Heddon" in London last
year many of us at once cried,
" that is our old friend the " Carr-
Stewarton" which was not far
wrong, as with the exception of
the screws for compression there is
nothing new in the " Heddon" that
is not to be found in the " Carr-
Stewarton." '"Inversion" is given
up for " interchanging," and the
" bee-space" is now liglitly valued.

We have at least one able advo-
cate of the shallow frame in Eng-
land who uses a hive very similar
to the "Carr-Stewarton." It is Mr.
W. B. Carr, one of the coeditors
of the Beelceepers' Record. I
maintain it is with hives, as it is
with ploughs and with men, one is
as gootl as the other and more so.
Given a hive that is capable of be-
ing expanded and contracted and
in which the bees can be kept
warm and dry, and the rest de-
pends more on the owner than on
the particular kind of hive.

I need scarcely say I have not at-
tempted to give you a sketch of
the history of the bar-frame hive
in England, that has run on side
by side with what I have given
you ; which is but an imperfect ac-
count of a storifying, interchange-
able-shallow frame, divided brood-
chambered hive which we have
among us, and which lias given
good results, especially before the
days of sectional supers. The lat-
est move with us seems to run in
the direction of a deeper frame

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

305

than our "standard" size which is
eight and one-half inches deep.

1 hope the perusal of these notes
will aifoid some pleasure to the
readers of the Api as writing them
has to one who is known among
British beekeepers as

Amateur Expert.

For the American Apiculturist.

HOW I WINTERED MY
BEES.

Z. T. Hawk.

Previous to the winter of 1886-7
I wintered ray bees very success-
fully by packing on the summer
stands. Each colony was left with
a plentiful supply of golden-rod
honey and was prepared for winter
by placing an arrangement some-
thing like a " Hill's device" on top
of the frames and then covering
snugly witli a quilt. Some of my
colonies will tiiis winter be tried
with an inverted wooden butter
dish on top of the frames and a
quilt over tiiat.

The packing was done as fol-
lows : A dry-goods box was stood
on end and three or four inches of
chaff were sprinkled in. The hive
was then set back in the box and a
bridge placed over the hive en-
trance. Tins bridge was full widtli
of the entrance, two inches high
and long enough to reach from the
hive to an inch beyond the edge of
the packing box. A board was
then fastened across the front of
the box and rested firmly on top of
the bridge so as to hold the latter
in position. Chaff was then filled
tightly in on all sides of the hive
and other boards added until the
whole box was firmly closed up so
that no snow could enter. Before
putting all the chaff in, however, I
was careful to see that the quilt

was tucked in tightly all around and
that a thin chip was placed under
the edge of the cap or upper story.
I ■ tried some colonies without the
cap but they did not seem to do so
well. Others were tried with the
cap fitted down tight, but moisture
gathered in them and the quilts
got wet. An inch auger hole in
each end of the cap covered with
wire cloth would do as well as the
chip, but the latter was more con-
venient. I wintered from five to
twenty colonies this way for four
winters and lost onl}' three. The
rats got under two of those colo-
onies and by their digging and
thumping so anno3'ed the bees that
they scattered over the combs and
froze to death ; the third colony
was lost b}^ iTiy carelessly leav-
ing the snow banked over it two or
three weeks. Just here I want to
say that whenever 1 have left snow
drifted over my bees more than
two or three da3's they have be-
come uneasy and immediately
showed signs of dysentery.

If you have a small ajiiary and
plenty' of time the plan I have de-
tailed for wintering is, I believe,
as safe as a cellar. The greatest
objection is the cost of boxes ; but
if the hives were close together in
the summer one can economize
some by laying a long box on its
side and packing two colonies in
it ; and by exercising a little care
the boxes may be made to do duty
several winters.

Last year, having but little time
to devote to my bees, I concluded
to try my luck at cellar wintering.
Having no cellar suitable for the
purpose one had to be constructed.
Various matters delayed me and
the work was not commenced until
the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile a heavy snow had fallen
and my bees had passed through
their first experience of the winter
buried four feet in the snow with
not even the quilts on the frames.

306

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

M\' cellar was made 16 feet long,
5 feet wide and 6 feet deep with a
door at one end. The gronnd was
frozen a foot deep and the removal
of this crust cost us a good deal of
extra labor. Two men performed
the work in one day and partly cov-
ered the excavation. Boards were
laid along the edge of the cellar and
round cedar posts laid across, two
feet apart. On these I threw old
boards, placed a 2 x 3 inch venti-
tor near each end and covered the
whole, first with the dirt we had
thrown out and then with coarse
litter from the stable. A rough
door frame was fastened in, a door
was hung and the job was done at
a cost of $4.50, including labor,
l)Osts and all. Saturday morning
my cave was steaming, but I had
no time to wait, so in went "the
bees. The first row rested on a
board on the ground and extended
the whole length of the cave. The
caps were removed, the quilts put
on and a long board resting on
sticks covered the tops of all the
hives in the row. Another row was
placed on top of these and the
work was done. For a few days
the door was left open to give the
cellar a chance to dry a little, but
the weather turned cold and the
doorway was packed full of hay.
The frost came out of the walls
and the vapor rose from the ven-
tilators in a cloud. At first the
thermometer, lowered through a
ventilator, showed 50° ; later, when
the weather got colder it went to
45°, then to 40°. When the mer-
cury went to 20° below zero out-
side it went to 38° above in the
cellar and then I began to be
alarmed. But an inspection of the
interior showed the bees alive,
quiet and well. I now closed the
ventilators and kept them closed
through all the cold weather, but
the temperature remained at 38°
foi' three months and the bees win-
tered well, in spite of the cold

and dampness. Nearly all the
colonies had the dysentery badly,
but I never had bees in better
condition in May. My only losses
were from robbing late in the
spring.

This winter my bees will be
placed in a cellar exactly like the
one they occupied last winter, but
the soil will be given ami)le time
to dry out and the cover will be
nearer frost proof. I will report
my degree of success next spring.

Aucbibon, la., Oct. 11, 1887.

For the Aviei-ican Jpiculturist.

REPORT FROM TEXAS.

L. Stachelhausen.

I have had no time to read very
much in bee-papers this summer
(I take six of tliem) and so I did
not renew my subscription for the
Api. But now, having more time,
I see I cannot do without 3'our
journal and herewith renew mj' sub-
scription.

In our section of Texas we had
the smallest crops this year of any
since I came to this country ; in
farming nearly no crops at all. My
130 colonies of bees gathered only
6,000 pounds of surplus honey ; a
neighbor of mine has over 100 col-
onies and less than 1000 pounds of
honey. I hope for a better year
and am preparing a second apiary
this winter.

I sent to different German bee
journals articles in favor of our
American hives and management.
The German hives are generally ma-
nipulated from the sitle (we should
call it so, the}' say from behind)
and the frames are very high (16
inches about) and the hive only 8^
inches wide. Some like to have two
stories, i. e., the frames only 8
inches high and the hives 8^- inches

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

307

wide and all in one piece, to open
on one side only. They will not
believe yet that a LangstroLh hive
is more qnickly manipulated ; fur-
ther, all their hives are too small
for honey production. I kept bees
fourteen years in these hives in
Germany and now five years in
Langstroth hives here in Texas, so
I know the difference. The new
reversible-hives I do not like j'et ;
had one this season for trial. I
can get along very well without
any reversing for extracted as well
as for comb honey ; may be I am
wrong.

/Selma, Texas.

For the American ApiciMurist,

WINTER PASSAGE OVER
THE FRAMES.

Geo. F. Robbins.

On page 261 of the Api the query
is put : " Is it a good plan to have
a passage way between the top of
frames and honey board?" etc. Sev-
eral re[)ly unqualifiedly, "■ Yes."
Two of them answer, "'• 1 think so."
So do 1 ; but I only tJiink so ; I do
not know. Does not Mr, Heddon
about strike the key? "Theoreti-
cally it is a good plan. It reasons
out well." But when he comes to
test it he cannot see that a bee
space between top bars and cover
or packing does either good or
harm. I have done tlie same to a
small extent. Usually there are
bits of comb attached to the top
bars that hold the sheet above the
frames a good bee space or more.
But in a few cases these bits of
comb have been wanting and the
sheet would rest on the frames. If
there were advantage or disadvan-
tage either way, I was not able
to discern it. I like to have that
passage way there. It looks as

though it would be a good thing. It
would seem that as the tendency of
heat is upwards, bees would natur-
ally take that course when seeking
honey from the outside frames.
Such are the reasoning and conclu-
sion that occur to us almost as a
matter of intuition. It reasons out
well thus far, and here we are apt
to stop, thinking the argument com-
pleted. But an ugl}' little fact oc-
curs to me here that rather breaks
into this beautiful chain. If bees
will pass above in place of beneath
the frames because that way is
the warmer, it would seem that for
the same reason, especially if we
have a non-conductor above to
guard the heat within the hive,
they would form their clusters in
the upper part. But do they?
Mine do not. No matter at what
season of the year that the temper-
ature grows cold enough to draw
the bees into a compact cluster,
whether in rearing brood or not,
whether on full frames or empt}',
I always find the cluster more on
the lower than the ui)per half of the
frames, somewhat below the top
bar and quite down to the bot-
tom bar. And inasmuch as bees
always begin at the lower part of
the frame to use the honey, I am
inclined to think after all that they
pass more between the comb and
the bottom bar, or even underneath
than overhead.

Why is it, by the way, that l>ees
will cluster in the lower part of the
front end, begin to rear brood tiiere
and fill it up with honey last, when
according to all analogy the warm-
est part of the hive is in the oppo-
site corner? We may plausil)ly
reason that the closer the winter
packing is to the bees and the bees
to the packing the better; just as
the closer "one wraps the drapery of
his couch around him" the warmer
it will keep him. But after all to
make the analogy complete the
bees would have to be wrapped

308

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

closel}' on all sides. I fear we of-
ten argue somewhat like the miser
who reasoned that if one stove
would save half the fuel, two stoves
would save all. We are apt to as-
sume a great deal.

But grauting all assumptions in
the case there are so many condi-
tions that have their effect such as
the quantity and age of bees, qual-
ity of stores, site of hive — whether
on high ground or on a flat, whether
in the sun or in the shade — and
perhaps many minor matters about
which we know nothing and beyond
our control, that no testing of the
matter can be very conclusive, and
we can arrive at no certain conclu-
sion as to the necessity or utility
of a winter passage for bees. The
notion, like some others perhaps,
is one of our pets. We like it, but
in the light of common sense how
much is it worth to us?

Mechanicsburg , III.

For the American Apiculturist.

POSSIBILITIES OF BEE
CULTURE.

Joseph M. IIambaugh.

It would probably dazzle our
powers of conception could we lift
the veil of the future and glance at
the real possibilities in store for
the future progressive beekeepers,
should it be in keeping witli the
progressive spirit of the last fifty
years. Thirty-five years ago, a
movable-frame hive was unknown
in our section, and my father, one
of the most enthusiastic beekeep-
ers of his day, was a typical man
of that period.

He took great pride in having his
gums all clean, neat and tid}' for
the reception of the swarms in the
spring ; was ever ready to be beck-
oned from his plow by the " toot of

the horn " to hive a swarm of bees ;
had his i)latforms in obscure places
in the fence-corners ever ready for
their reception, and at nightfall
each swarm of the day was placed
in its abiding place for the season.
From ten to fifteen colonies left the
fall previous for increase, would
probably increase to from thirt^y to
foity 1)3^ August, and were left
strictly alone to " root hog or die"
till cold weather in November or
December, when each hive was
lifted, and the heaviest were treated
to a brimstone fumigation, after
which they were carried to an out-
house, where the contents were re-
moved, and disposed of. And, oh !
such honey ! the venom still hangs
in public sentiment to-day, and
people are loth to classify our beau-
tiful extracted honey wiih the
strained honey of old, and the A'ery
best use of our vocabulary' fre-
quently fails to convince an auditor
that our honey is anything more or
less than " strained lioney " at last.
Dead bees, moth worms, old pol-
len, dirty combs, etc., were thrown
in a large iron kettle, gradually
brought to a heat, and then cast
into a large gunny sack, from
which it was allowed to drip, and
frequently its contents squeezed
out in a tub or vessel, whicli wns
denominated strained hone}-, and
how the palate could endure such
stuff is a wonder, and it cannot be
wondered at that the taste of man
was turned against " such vile
stuff," and strange as it may seem
there are some in our section of the
country who still cling to these old
ancient customs, and prol)al)ly do
not know there is such a thing in
the world as a bee-paper, llovv
can we a[)propriately contrast the
past with the present? An air of
m\ stery was then thrown over the
little honey bee and its little home,
and to penetrate into its recesses
was considered as an insurmount-
able task. "Father Langstroth's"

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

309

work on " The Honey Bee," with
the valuable invention of the mov-
able-frame hive, has made all things
possible in this direction ; and with
the acquisition of the bellows
smoker the task becomes a pleasure.
From the dark and mysterious has
sprung the light, and with father
Dierzon's parthenogenesis, we are
enabled to place beekeeping on the
highest plane of scientific attain-
ment. With the broad strides of
the past what might we reasona-
bly expect in the future. As the
old stigma of " strained honey"
loses its venom, with the preju-
dice wrought by the glucose fraud,
honey will grow more and more in
public favor ; and as the demand
increases, prices will be stiffened,
and increased facilities for its pro-
duction will be the order of the
day. This will call for a more
general knowledge of bee culture,
and honey production. Tliat honey
is the purest and healthiest of all
sweets cannot be denied, and na-
ture has so amply provided this
sweet for our use, that millions of
tons go to waste annually for the
want of bees to gather it. AVithin
my own upland region, there are
thousands of acres of white clover
and no bees to gather the honej,
and upon the lowlands of the Illi-
nois bottoms, the Cercopsis or
Spanish Needle abounds till thous-
ands of acres become yellow as
gold. It is here that the future
possibilities of beekeeping abound.
Our country is undeveloped in this
particular resource and should the
people become posted in tlie art
of honey production, commensu-
rate with nature's supply, our
honey commerce would rank in
value with that of sugar and would
supersede all syrups, in the daily
consumption of life. When honey
can be produced so cheap that the
laborer as well as the lord can have
it upon his daily table, then shall
we arrive at the fruition of our

hopes and we shall be in the
promised land that " shall flow in
milk and honey."

Spring, Brotvn Co., III.

"From Gleaninffs."

BEEKEEPING AS A LIFE
BUSINESS.

Dr. C. C. Miller.

" It seems a pity he should set-
tle down into nothing but a bee-
J<ee|ier, when he might be successful
in almost any line of business he
should undertake." Such expres-
sions I have heard, when, so far as
I could see, the only reasons for it
were that it was thought the man
might make more money at some
other business than beekeeping.

I am aware that too much has
been said of the bright side of bee-
keeping in the way of ui'ging every
one into it, and I have protested
against it ; for in nine cases out of
ten, the person who chooses bee-
keeping as his life-business, mere??/
for the money there is in it, will
meet with disappointment. But for
once I want to take the other side,
and say something in the wa}-- of
urging the choice of this business
upon a certain class.

Here is a young man about to
settle down in -life. His college
course of study is perhaps finished
(and I would urge upon every
young man to get a collegiate ed-
ucation, whether he expects to
spend his life in apiary, farm,
counting-house, or pulpit) ; and the
question is, whether beekeeping
shall be his vocation. He has ap-
titude for the business ; what little
experience he has had in it has been
successful ; and he would really
like to spend his life at it if he
thought he could make as much
at it as at merchandise, albeit the

310

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

confinement of a merchnnt's life is
not to his taste. But the matter
of money stands first in considera-
tion, and he decides in favor of
mercantile life.

My young friend, you are mak-
ing a mistake. In the first place,
it is by no means certain that you
will be one of the successful mer-
chants. But suppose you are, and
that you make double or ten times
as much money as you could at
beekeeping. You go on at your
business, looking forward to the
time when you can retire, and en-
joy life. There are events tliat may
hinder the realization of your ex-
pectations. You may not live long
enough. If you do, you will find
that your tastes have somewhat
changed, and that the life to which
you have for years looked forward
with bright expectations is mainly
a disappointment. On the other
hand, if you follow your inclina-
tions, and adopt the pursuit of a
beekeeper, there is no necessity for
looking forward to a certain time
in the future for your enjoyment
of life.

You can take your enjoyment as
you go — mixed, it is true, with
pain and toil, but still a life of en-
joyment. You have one important
advantage over the merchant ; your
out-door life gives you a physical
vigor he cannot enjoy. He has
poorer food than you, even if he
eats from the same dish, for he has
not the same hunger to spice it.
The mere fact of existence is a
pleasure to a perfectly healthy an-
imal, be he man or beast ; and the
man who eats his food with a thor-
ough relish is the better man for it,
physically, mentally, and perhaps
morally and spiritually.

HIGH versus low salaries.

There is another view that is
worth taking, and it applies to all
callings — beekeeping or what not.
Compare two positions in life. A

man in Chicago has a salary of
$2,000, and his brotlier in a coun-
try village has one-half as much,
$i,000. Which has the better
place ? Perhaps the Chicago man ;
perhaps not.

Throwing aside all otiier consid-
erations, and taking just a dollar-
and-cent point of view, if the coun-
tryman's annual expenses are $600,
and those of the city man's $1,700
(and tliere may be that difference,
even when each seems to be living
equally well) the result will be that
the country man will lay by one-
third more annually than the city
man, in which case the $1,000 sal-
ary will be better than the $2,000.
Suppose, however, that the annual
expense in the city is $1,500 and
$600 in the country. In this case,
$500 is annually saved out of the
$2,000, and $400 out of the $1,000.
Is the salary that clears the $500
one-fourth better than the salary
that clears the $400 ? And it is to
this particular point I want to call
the especial attention of the j-oung.

Nine out of ten of the young will
be dazzled by the larger salary ;
and when to this is added the lar-
ger annual saving, the question is
definitely settled in their mind. If
they think far enough ahead, they
may find a factor they have omitted
from the problem. When the time
comes to retire from service — it
may never come, and it may be
forced upon one before he desires
it — when this time comes, the city
man will be so fixed in his habits
and mode of living, his family in
their social circle, that he must
continue his same life and same ex-
pense of living. Even if he had
thought of going back to his for-
mer country life, he will now find
it impracticable ; the rule is, men
do not.

Now let our two men be com-
pared afrer the same number of
years of service, say fifteen j'ears.
In that time the one saving $500

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

311

per annum has $7,500 ahead ; and
the other, saving $400 per annum,
has, SB, 000 ahead. But what is this
worth to each of them? Tiie first,
spendino; $1,500 per ^-ear, can live
on his $7,500 just five years; and
the second, spendino; $600 per year,
can live on his $6,000 just ten
years. So you see, when looked
^at from this point of view, the
$1,000 salary is worth just double
as much as the $2,000. In other
words, the $2,000 man lays by
each year enough to support him
four months, while the $1,000 one
lays by enough each year to keep
him eight months. Some of you
young men that are itching to get
into places to make money faster,
think this over. It may make you
a little more content where you
are. ^

Marengo, 111.

Practical Farmer.

THE GREAT WINTERING
PROBLEM.

Dr. W. G. Phelps.

This question is again before us,
and in spite of the assertion by one
and auotlier tiiat it is no problem to
them, that they feel perfectly safe
in wintering their bees, the question
comes to man}' of us with a good
deal of force. How shall I prepare
m}'^ bees so as to carry them safely
through the winter? Let us look
at some of the requisites that are
considered positively necessary to
successful .wintering :

1. Abundance of young bees.
The life of a worker-bee is very
short. In the height of the honey
harvest it is found l)y experiment
that the whole population of the
hive (with the exception of the
queen) will be changed in from six
to eight weeks. Bees at this time

of the year do not die of old age,
but wear themselves out, or rather,
I think, they wear their wings out,
and there comes a day when they
will load themselves up so heavily
that tliey fail to return to the hive.
We often see the old bees with but
stubs of wings trying two or three
times to rise from the entrance on
their outward flight, before succeed-
ing. During the leisure of winter,
bees live much longer, those hatched
in September and October living
through to March and April ; so if
we want our bees to go into winter
in good condition, they must be
reared during those months ; and if
honey is not coming in from the
fields during that time, they must
be fed in order to encourage brood-
rearing. Tiie older bees will die
too soon in the spring before
enough 3'oung ones are reared to
keep up the cluster and do the
work of the hive.

2. Abundance of food, and that
readily accessible to the bees.
As before stated, 20 to 25 pounds
of hone}' or syrup for each fair-sized
colony, capped over before cold
weather sets in, are considered suffi-
cient for winter, and until bloom
opens in the spring. In order that
the bees may make use of these
stores, there must be some way
provided whereby .they may shift
their cluster without having to pass
around or under the frames, either
by cutting small holes half an inch
or more in diameter, through the
combs near the middle of the
length, and about two or three
inches from the top ; or by placing
sticks across the top of the frames
an inch or so apart, provide means
for them to pass over, and so siiift
from one part of the hive to the
other. By placing an inverted
wooden butter-dish, such as the
grocers use, across the top of the
frames, a clustering chamber is
formed, which the bees will take
possession of and so gain access to

312

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

tlie frames over the top, and being
enabled to form a compact mass in
the warmest part of the hive, save
food and the wear and tear conse-
quent upon its consumption in or-
der to make the necessary heat.

3. Limited apace. The size of
the hive shouUl be regulated ac-
cording to the size of the colony,
by removing extra frames and con-
tracting the space with a division-
board, so that the bees will be
rather crowded for room, and so
have less space to keep warm.
The combs should be spread a
little farther apart for winter than
for brood-rearing in the spring and
summer, sa}^ If inches from centre
to centre, instead of 1 1 inches as is
usual, by that means allowing more
of the bees to cluster together be-
tween them.

4. Good ventilation at the bottom
of the hive; that is, the entrance
should be kept clear and open, but
no ttjnvard ventilation, except so
much as may pass through three or
four inches of chaff or sawdust
packing, which maybe placed over
the bees to keep down the heat.
Where openings are left above the
bees, either from a misplaced mat
or ill-fitting cover, it causes a
draught of air through the hive,
and consequentl}' great loss of heat,
which should- be particularly
guarded against.

Galena, Md.

Weatern Ploughman.

THE RESTORATION OF
PAYING PRICES.

C. H. DiBBERN.

One advantage that beekeepers
will secure by the very small crop
will be the restoring of prices to a
pa3'ing basis. It remains to be
seen whether they will allow com-

petition, or a lack of proper dis-
tribution, to again force ruinous
prices on them, as soon as a rea-
sonably fair crop is produced.

I do not think that the ver}' low
prices, prevailing for the past few
years, were caused by over-produc-
tion, but rather a

LACK OF JUDICIOUS DISTRIBUTION.

Here is a case in point : A few
daj's ago, while passing a store,
ni}' notice was attracted to some
small baskets of what appeared to
be very fine peaches. They were
packed in nice new baskets with
skeleton covers of alternately^ white
and red colored wood, and the
fruit itself was further covered with
salmon-covered mosquito netting,
giving to it a hazy and very pleas-
ing etfect. Upon inquiring the
price, I was somewhat surprised
to find it $1.00 per basket, holding
not more than one-half peck. I
remarked that it was pretty high ;
but the dealer produced his bill
from a commission merchant show-
ing that they cost him 90 cents.
Thinking that only a very reason-
able prolit, I bought a basket and
took them home for Sunday. What
was my disappointment upon
opening the basket to find the fine
peaches onl}' on top, about a dozen
of them, the rest being small, half
ripe, fit only for cooking. Here I
was pa\'ing $8.00 per bushel for a
very inferior fruit. I happened to
know that in the adjoining state of
Missouri, better peaches could be
bought for 15 cents per bushel.
Of course I want no more such
peaches at those prices. The nice
packages were all right, and added
greatly to their selling value. It
is also valuable to put the best on
top, just as we put the whitest
comb honey next to the glass ; but
it is dovvnright dishonesty to put
an entire!}' inferior grade where it
cannot be seen.

There is also something radically

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

313

wrong with the distribution, when
peaches are allowed to rot, or are
hauled to some neighboring "still
house" and sold at 15 cents per
bushel, which, at a reasonable
price, could be readily sold, only a
few hundred miles away. As long-
as there are no better means of
distributing this fruit, the producer
in Missouri will mourn that he
cannot get more than 15 cents per
bushel, and the man in Illinois will
lament that he cannot buy it with-
out paying $8.00 for them.

EQUALIZING THE MARKETS.

The same conditions, in a less
degree, apply to hone}'. Surely,
with all our railroad and river
transportation, there ought to be
very much less difference in the
selling and buying prices as here
indicated. How many people can
buy fruit at such prices ? How many
thousands of baskets is the deniantl
cut short? I do not pretend to
sa}' where all this difference goes ;
if to the railroads, it is certainly
a ver}' short-sighted policy, as they
could as well carry ten times the
quantit}', and by lower rates still
greatly increase their receipts. If
the trouble is with the packers or
commission men, then their meth-
ods are equally short-sighted. It
is quite likely that there are en-
tirely too many of the middle men
in the business. Wh}'^ cannot the
producer pack and ship his own
fruit or honey direct to the retail
dealer or commission man? Then
if there are over-charges they can
be more easily located and avoided.
I believe in allowing every one a
fair profit for doing a necessary
and fair business. I fail to see
Avhere anyone is permanently ben-
efited, where by any circumstances
they can force prices so high that
people cannot afford to buy, and
often let goods go to waste.

Milan, III.

American Dee Journal.

ABOUT THE FASTING OF
BEES.

yVyi. F. Clarke.

The editorial note to Mr. Jones'
article, page 681, where it is as-
serted that bees can fast for three
months without sustaining inj^uy,
invites a few words from me.

I have no idea how long bees
can safely fast, or for what periods
they abstain from food when the
weather and surrounding circum-
stances are favorable to their hi-
bernating, but I believe that their
normal winter condition, in this
climate, is one in which they be-
come dormant for certain periods
during which the}' do not feed.
Every well-authenticated case of
bees fasting for a certain length
of time, tends to corroborate my
theory. Mr. D. A. Jones, in his
experiments for the cure of foul
brood, has demonstrated that a
fast of three weeks does not hurt
bees if they are kept perfectly
quiet. He thinks if we only knew
how to regulate the temperature,
they could be safely kept without
food for a very long time.

I could not desire a better state-
ment of my theory than that given
by Mr. D. A. Jones in the Cana-
dian Bee Journal of Oct. 19, viz. :
'•There is no longer any doubt in
our mind that when a colony of
bees only consumes a couple of
pounds of food during the winter,
they must lie in a semi-dormant
state much of the time, or 'hiber-
nate,' as friend Clarke puts it ; be-
cause two or three pounds of stores
would scarcely fill the sacs of an
ordinary colony of bees, yet it is
not an uncommon thing to have
them wintered on less than two
pounds."

What we want is a thorough
series of experiments in relation

314

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

to this matter. I have never been,
and am not now, in a position to
make them. It requires a larger
number of colonies than I can keep ;
facilities for both out-door and
cellar wintering, which I have not ;
and continuous observation of re-
sults, which I am not able to be-
stow, as my duties often call me
away from home.

Dr. Tinker, Prof. McLain, Mr.
Jones and others have thrown
much light on the subject by their
investigations, and 1 am not with-
out hope that before very long we
shall get some fixed principles to
guide us as to the right tempera-
ture and surroundings to secure
the condition of dormancy or hi-
bernation— call it what yon will
— which beekeepers generally know
to be the chief prerequisites for
perfect wintering. The scarcity
of stores the present season makes
it a favorable time for these ex-
periments, and I trust the coming
winter will increase our stock and
store of knowledge on this import-
ant subject.

Guel'ph.) Ont.

^eiEllie

Answers by Practical Apiarists.

AGE OF BEES WHEN THEY COM-
MENCE WORK.

Query TsTo. 39. At what age do young
bees coiiimenee work lu the hive as nurbe
bees ? JsoviCE.

ANSWER BY J. M. SHUCK.

I do not know.

ANSWER BY J. W. PORTER.

Depends much upon the season
and activity of the bees. Two to
four days.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

I cannot say precisely, but cer-
tainly', within a few hours after
they emerge from the cells.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

I believe in less than twenty-
four hours. In rare instances I
have seen young bees gather pol-
len within forty-eight hours after
hatchino;.

ANSWER BY EUGENE SECOR.

This is a question of very little
practical value, and if answered at
all could be best answered by sci-
entific observers. I have no ac-
tual knowledge sufficient to express
an opinion.

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

I don't know. I have seen bees
carrying in pollen at five daj's of
age when no older bees were in
the colony, so I should judge they
were ca[)able of acting as nurses at
an earlier age. I suspect they may
commence when twenty-four hours
old, but we ma^' possibly hear from
some one who has made close ob-
servations.

ANSWER BY J. M. HAMBAUGH.

Usually within twenty-four Lours
after leaving the cell.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

From careful tests made by my-
self I find the rule as follows :

In twenty-one days from the egg
the worker emei-ges ; for from tea
to fourteen daj's it acts as nurse
and com!) builder, and then becomes
a fully fledged forager. Probably,
if such a case should occur that all
the bees in a given colony, were
very j'oung, they would act as for-
agers at an earlier da^', but tlie
above refers to a colony in a nor-
mal condition.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

315

ANSWER BY JOSHUA BULL.

I do not think there is any cer-
tain age at which 3'oung bees in-
variably assume the duties of
nurses. In times of a good hone}'^
flow, when all the available force of
workers are gone out in search of
nectar, they will sometimes com-
mence to feed the larvae ver^^ soon
after they emerge from the cell.
But when there are plenty of older
bees in the hive which have noth-
ing else to do except to feed and
nurse the larvre, then the 3'Oung
bees may not find it necessary to
commence their labors quite so
soon.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

Young bees upon emerging from
the cells do not begin work at once
but run about over the combs much
the same as a young queen upon
hatching. At first the3' are not fully
developed and the hairs on the body
have not 3'et straightened up. Af-
ter two days they are nearly full
grown in size and begin to feed the
larvae. After five da3's they are
fully mature and sometimes ven-
ture out thus early in search of pol-
len. At this time of the year and
in earl3^ spring they often do not
venture out for two weeks or more
after hatching;.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

The young worker bee when she
first emerges from the cell staggers
about among the busy throng of
workers till she finds a cell of un-
sealed honey to which she helps
herself. After that she appears
stronger, but still looks soft and
tender like a young bird. In about
twent3^-four hours she begins to
take on her adult appearance aild
assume the usual color of her type.
And shortly after this she begins
to nurse the young. I would set
the time in the usual course of
things at three days old, but of

course this will var3' some under a
variet3^ of conditions and circum-
stances.

REMOVING WAX-SCALKS.

Query No. 40. How do Dees remove the
little scales of wax that are secrcteil in the
lohls oi" the abdomen when needed lor use?
Do they (the scales) not drop out? and are
they then gathered up. or do the bees take the
scales of wax dhect from each other ? O. K.

ANSWER BY J. W. PORTER.

In all the wa3'S named bj' en-
quirer.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

I do not know ; presume I have
read the report of those who have
spent years solving this unimpor-
tant question to the practical bee-
keeper.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

The wax scales are conve3'ed by
the feet to the mandibles. They are
not allowed to drop out before us-
ing. In my observation they never
pick up wax scales that have fallen
on the bottom of the hive.

ANSWER BY J. M. HAMBAUGII.

The scales are removed with the
claws, kneaded with the jaws and
then woven into comb form. The
scales frequentl3' fall from the ab-
domen, but we doul)t if they are
ever gathered up. They probably
do take the wax scales from each
other, though we have never seen
them in the act.

ANSWER BY R. L. TAYLOR.

Authorities sa3' that the scales
of wax are removed by the bees,
which is no doubt correct, as the
scales are found on the bottom-
board only occasionall3', and are
then not gathered up but swept
out of the hive. In such cases
there is evidently an overproduc-
tiyn of wax.

316

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ANSWEH BY JOSHUA BULL.

Professor Cook in liis Manual of
the Apiai'}' says, "'Tliese wax scales
are looseuetl by the claws, and
carried to the mouth by the ante-
rior legs." I don't think they are
intentionally allowed to drop out
except when they are not wanted
for use. No doubt bees sometimes
take these wax scales direct from
the wax-pockets of each other.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

Each knavish fellow snatches
the little white scales of wax from
its fellow worker. Bees do not
often attempt to use the bits of
wax after tliey have fallen to the
bottom of the hive and become cold
and hard. I have never seen a bee
use its own wax. It alwa3's takes
wax from some worker in its reach.
A good observatory hive will dis-
close all these thinas.

ANSWER BV DR. C. C. MILLER.

I know little about it but what
I have read. I can hardly think
they are dropped and then gath-
ered up, because if such were the
case I think we should at times see
them more plentiful on the bot-
tom-board. Moreover, if bees were
in the habit of gathering up these
dropped scales we should not be
likely to see them thrown out of
the liive as we sometimes do.

ANSWER BY EUGENE SECOR.

For answer to this query consult
some scientific work on bees.

Common sense would seem to
teach that the scales do not "drop
out" to be gathered up b}' other
bees. Where the scales drop on
the bottom of the hive it is proba-
bly accidental. If that were the
rule where do the scales come from
that form the small combs often
started on the limbs of trees where
swarms have hung for some time ?

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

Wax is a secretion of and from
the bees themselves. Comb mak-
ing is a great myster}'. By careful
examination when comb is being
constructed, we find the bees trav-
elling back and forth, with no seem-
ing end in view and in apparent
confusion. Still the cells grow till
full}' completed. As the little scales
of wax exude from the rings of the
abdomen, I have seen the comb
builders take it direct and carry it
to where t\\Qy seemed to think it
was needed. It is a curiosity to
see the bees in the act of comb
building.

ANSWER BY J. M. SHUCK.

As far as my observation goes,
the bee that has grown the wax
stands very still, and the bee that
wants the wax for building comb,
lifts a scale with the front finger
nail a little, so it can be grasped
with the mandibles. This busy
worker then takes hold of the wax
scale and pulls a little, now this
way and then that way until the
scale loosens, and then she trots
ofl" with it and applies where most
needed. I cannot tell what the
nature of the conversation is be-
tween the bees during this inter-
esting performance, but the wax-
grower seems to enjoy it, and no
doubt offers to return the compli-
ment at the first favorable oppor-
tunity.

CANDIED HONEY IN SECTIONS.

Query No. 41. I am troubled with my
sections caiulymg after they have been re-
moved from "tlie liive about two mouths.
How can it l)e [irevented ? M. A. S.

Glenbrook, U. S, W.

ANSWER BY J. M. HAMBAUGH.

Keep 3'our sections in a diy, warm
atmosphere, a kitchen, or room
artificially heated, where the mer-
cury will not sink below 60" F.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

317

AN8WER BY J. W. POKTKR.

It cannot be prevented ; some
nectar will candy in a short time.
It rarely does in tliis part of tlie
country. We liave bad extracted
honey that would candy in lour
months time, and again that which
would keep a year without change.

ANSWER BY G. W. DEMAREE.

The only remedy is to keep the
sections in a warm place. 1 have
a sample jar of honey kept in our
cook-room for eight years that has
never candied. Honey will never
candy if kept in a temperature of
80°, and will bear a lower temper-
ature at times. #

ANSWER BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

Possibly you might leave them
on the hive a little longer. Or do
you leave them on too long so that
they freeze two months after tak-
ing otf? I think there must be
something peculiar about the case
if they canity in two months after
the time honey should be taken
otf in this reuion.

ANSWER BY EU'lENE SECOR.

I don't know. 1 should want to
know more particulars. In luy lo-
cality there is no trouble from this
source if honey is kept in a dry,
warm room. When 1 began bee-
keeping we used to put our honey
on a swing shelf in the cellar and
it very often granulated in the
cells. I have learned better, and
have no trouble now. If in a cool,
damp place I would remove it to a
warm dry one.

ANSWER BY R, L. TAYLOR.

A low temperature and the ac-
tion of the air cause honey to
candy ; so, as cool weather comes
on the change begins, uncapped
and broken cells candying hrst.
Some kinds of honey candy
sooner than others ; thus bass wood
honey sutlers much sooner than
24

clover hone3^ and the better honey
is ripened the longer it will resist
the change. The obvious remedy
is to see that your honey is well
ripened and kept in a dry room
having a high temperature, the
higher the better, up to 80° or 90° F.

ANSWER BY J. E. POND.

I do not know. Every one is
troubled more or less in the same
wa}'. Some honey candies far more
quickly than does some other.

I have found the best results
from keeping the sections in a dark
place where the temperature is equa-
ble and temperate, say from 60° to
70° F., and where there is no ex-
cess of moisture. A warmish dry
place seems to serve the best pur-
pose. Still I find all honey will
candy in time, no matter how much
care is taken.

ANSWER BY JAMES HEDDON.

There is a great difference in
different honeys about candying.
The white clover and basswood of
Adam Grimm's locality, about Jef-
ferson, Wis., would sometimes
candy in the combs almost before
you could get it otf the hives. In
such a place I should produce ex-
tracted hone}^

It is nothing uncommon for
comb honey to candy, two months
after being removed, if it is kept
in a cold place, especially if it was
not thoroughly ripened before re-
moving. Keep it in a warm, dry
atmosphere to prevent candying.

ANSWER BY DR. TINKER.

Some kinds of honey are no doubt
more inclined to candy than others.
If honey is kept in a room of the
same temperature as is the hive
from which it was taken, it will not
candy. Sealed comb honey is not
apt to candy if kept in a dry room
at a temperature of 50°. But ex-
tracted honey will usuall}' candy at
any temperature lower than that of

318

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

the hive and the lower the tempera-
ture Ihe more speedily will the can-
dying take place.

I keep m^' comb honey in a warm
upper room and it does not candy
if kept the 3'ear round. There is
a fire beneath the room night and
day in the winter time.

ANSWER BY J. M. SHUCK.

Some kinds of honey are more
liable to this trouble than others.
Usually a warm storage room, say
about 60 deg. Fahr., will preserve
comb honey in a liquid state if it
has been well ripened. Unripe
honey in this locality is sure to
granulate during the first spell of
cool weather. I have now about
a hundred pounds of linden honey
in the comb that granulated on the
hive in 1883. 1 have repeatedly
tried to " warm it up" but notiiing
less than melting the combs will
do it. It was gathered during a
heavy flow, and sealed before ri-
pening. Tlie onl}^ remedy I know
is to pile the honey on the hives
(in the surplus cases until the
warm weather is over), then re-
move to a warm storage room to be
packed and disposed of as needed.

on it all the time, it candied and
turned as white as milk in less than
four weeks after being stored in the
combs.

ANSWER BY JOSHUA BULL.

The best way that I know of to
prevent honey from candying in
sections is to keep them in a warm
place. I have never been troubled
with white clover, or basswood
bone}'^ candying in sections if kept
where it was not exposed to frost.
Some varieties of hone^', however,
■have a much greater tendency to
candy than others. I have had
honey stored in sections when ap-
ple trees were in blossom that can-
died hard in a montli's tiijie.

Honey gathered from certain
kinds of autumn flowers will candy
very quickly. 1 had some this fall
that candied in the sections before
the super was removed from the
hive ; and even in the brood nest,
where the bees were clustered up-

ANSWERS BY HENRY ALLEY,

1 do not think young bees com-
mence to do anything in the liive
until they are al)out one week old.
This is not, as Mr. Secor suggests,
an important question, the same
might be said of hundreds of other
questions or queries, and if consid-
ered alone many of them would
amount to little, yet all the ques-
tions taken collectively do amount
to something. '"The little drops of
water and the little grains of sand,"
etc.

Answering quer}'^ number 40 I
am of the opinion that most of the
wax scales are removed by the
bees, though I think the bee on
which the wax is secreted cannot
remove it. The wax scales are taken
directly to the centre of cluster
and the cells moulded therefrom.

I can add nothing new to the
answers given to query number
41. Comb honey will sometimes
granulate and as long as the bees
gather it, store it in the combs and
cap it, it is useless to talk about
a preventive.

The American Apiculturist.

I'ublished Monthly,

MANAG-OJB,

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR.

SEE INDUCEMENTS TO SUBSCEIBEKS.
Wenham, Mass., Dec. 1, 1887.

THE MANAGER'S COliNEB.

Something about making Bee-
hives.— Wlieu anyLliing comes up that
will benelit or in any way aid the bee-
keeper, we consider it our duty to
nial^e tlie Tacts public.

We don't WkQ thick, heavy boards for

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

319

beehives. When such are used the
hives are too heavy. The trouble with
boards when si)lit is that the pieces are
too thill to groove, and in case a wide
piece is needed ; two boards must be
used, and the difficulty has been to
" tongue and groove " tliein properly in
order to iiiai<e a good joint and not
weaken tlie boards. Some time in Octo-
ber, we ordered of and received fifty
hives in the flat from Mr. Falconer. Tlie
sides to these hives were to be 15 inches
wide and but i of an incli thick. As it is
very difficult to split a common board
that is 15 inches wide, one board 7i
inches wide had to be split to lorm tlie
sides. Now, wliat I wish to exphiin is
the ingenious method devised by Mr.
Falconer in order to make the sides
water and air-proof. A saw kerf was
made in tlie edges of the board where
the two came together. The saw used,
of course, must be a very thin one, say
about 3*2 thick. Tlie tongue used was
a till one, but the tin furnished l)y Mr.
Falconer was too tliin for the purpose
and so we used two strips of tin the
entire length of the kerf, and in the cen-
tre a third piece al)out sixinciies loiig.
The tin tongues were cut a little wider
than the depth of the kerf, so that
when the two pieces for a side are
driven together the joint is made per-
fectly tight.

Now this is a very simple method
formatcliing two thin pieces of boards.
Where this principle is applied, thin
boards may be used for the roofs of
hives, and if kept well painted they
never will leak.

False Prophets.— Soinewiiat over
a year since Mr. W. F. Clark made a
visit to a well-known lieeman in Canada,
and while there a scheme for the pro-
duction of queen-bees by the million
at about one cent each was uiifokled
to the visitor. Brotlier Chirk took it
all ill and gave it as his opinion that
Brother J. was about to revolutionize
the world so far as it related to rearing
queen bees. Well, we all waited and
kept our eyes on the "locomotive
while the bell rang. '-We need not say
that no big revolution oranything new
concerning rearing queen bees ever
came from that source.

Now, we are again warned to " Look
out for the locomotive while the bell
rings," as friend Clark has again ap-
peared in the role of a prophet and
predicts another revolution, and this
time one that will "shake the dry
bones and not yet extinct fossils of
beedom."

Our new Canadian prophet (you
know there are or have been several
of them in Canada such as Veniior and
Wiggiii) predicts that l)y this inven-
tion the production of comb honey will
be reduced tvventy-Hve per cent. We
wonder how sucli an invention would
have worked during a season, like the
one of 1887, when there was no honey
to be gathered.

It does not take a fellow with veiy
sharp eyes to see through the
" scheme." Fact of it is s«)me of the
bee-papers are not getting "subs" as
rapidly as they should in order to make
business pay, and so some method
must be resorted to in order to "boom"
the thing. Canada has for a long time
been affiicted with a surplus ol false
prophets. If one dies another soon
tills the vacancy and thus the supply is
kept up.

However, we sincerely hope that
Brotlier Clark's second prediction will
be fulfllled, and tnat some method is
about to develop whereby the cost of
producing comb honey may be lessened.
When the revolution coines we prom-
ise the readers of the Api that they
shall know as much about it as we do.

We are inclinetl to think the whole
scheme is one of the shrewd advertis-
ing scheme some people resort to from
time to time, in order to get up a
" boom" fur some particular object.

Renewals — With this issue a large
number of subscriptions will expire.
Judging by the past we expect at least
eighty per cent, will renew promptly.
We need not make any promises as to
what the readers of the Api may expect
during the coming year. Judge of the
future by the past.

Ai'rangements have been made with
a dozen or more of the best writers on
Apiculture to contribute to the Api.
By looking over this issue, the n;imes
of several new correspondents will be
noticed. As lo the ability of these new
correspondents to instruct and please
the readers of the Api, each subscriber
is allowed to judge for himself. "Am-
ateur Expert" whose most interesting
article may be found in this issue, will
frequently be heard from during the
coming year.

The manager of the Api has not
made it a practice to quote from ex-
changes, but in future articles of real
value found in other journals, will be
inserted in the Api, and in all cases due
credit will be given. The names of tiie
publication from which quotations are

320

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

made will be found at the head of each
urtifle.

The API is issued Ave or six days
previous to the date thereof; by so
doiiii; we place the journal in the
hands of most of its readers on the first
day of each montli. If not received by
tlie tenth of the month, notice should
be sent us at once wlieu another copy
will be mailed. Do not wait six months
before sending sucli notice expecting to
get tlie baclv numbers. In some cases
baclv numbers might be sent, but we
cannot promise to keep a stock of
Journals on hand for such a purpose.

In conclusion we will say to those
who renew or to those who subscribe
they will get one of the Drone-and-
Queeu tn"aps free by mail. Price of trap
witlioutthe paper is sixty-five cents, by
mail.

The Estate of the manager of the
API has been attached in the sum of
five hundred dollars. We do remember
that something was said to us some
three years since about endorsing a
note of several hundred dollars for a
certain young man who was at that
time publishing a bee paper, and had it
not been for our aid tlie said paper
would have gone the way of some half
dozen other such enterprises. Well,
we are now called upon to make good
that endorsement. The person by whose
earnest pleadings we were induced to
do such a friendly act has really for-
gotten the arrangement and promises
he made at that time. It would be
unwise for us to speak further upon
this subject now, but after the case has
been tlirough the courts we shall feel
at liberty to give a full history of the
whole matter.

This lawsuit, no matter how decid-
ed, will, in no way, affect the Api. We
shall continue to mail it to our sub-
scribers as regularly as we have since
we took charge of it.

Any Person who will send us the
names of three new subscribers and
three dollars will get one of our
best queens free by mail, at any time
during the queen-rearing season. Each
subscriber can also get one such queen
for fifty cents. One of the latest im-
ported Drone-and-Queen traps will be
sent free by mail to all subscribers, or
to those who renew.

The Present Number completes
Vol. V of the Apk'ui.tuuist. We return
thanks to those who have kindly fa-
vored us with articles during the past
year. That the Api has been well ap-

preciated by its numerous readers, we
need only refer to the testimonials that
have appeared in the cohiuiiis of the Api
from time to time the past year, and in
ihe support received from subscrip-
tions that come in by every mail.

Sample Copies of the Api will be
sent free to any address. If the reader
of this can place half a dozen copies of
our Journal in the hands of beekeepers
Avhere they will be of some benefit to
us we will cheerfully mail them. We
know of no better method to aid the
publisher.

Pine Honey.— The finest lot of
houey to be found in the city of Bos-
ton may be seen at the stall of John
A. Peabody, No. 112, N. P. H. M. Tlie
honey came from parties in Vermont.

The Api will be sent to any address
on receipt of 7.5 cents. Those who ac-
cept of this otter will not be entitled to
the drone-and-queen trap.

" Amateur Expert" has favored the read-
ers of the API with a most interesting article
regarding Englisli bee-hives. There seems to
be a very close similarity between one of tlie
hives described :ind the new Heddon hive.
As we have never seen either tlie Hedilon or
Carr-Stewarton hives, we have no means of
deciding wliether or not Mr. Heddon's claim
has been antedated.

One thing is certain, Mr. Heddon's first
claims did not snit him, as we understand
he has re-issued his patent. .Something must
have been wrong in the first place.

Pleurisy-root. — One of the readers of the
API will import a quantity of seed of the
above plant whicli we can supply at $i.00 per
ounce, or at ten cents per package. Direc-
tions for its cultivation will be given in a fu-
ture number of the Api.

Don't fail to read the advertisement on an.
other page, of the Beekeepers' Directory to be
issued from the office of the Ai'l. Blanks to
fill out will be mailed to all beekeepers whose
names we have.

The January API will give full particulars
regarding the contents of the directory.

One of our Bay State Reversible Hives
complete, including the surplus arrangement,
weighs but thirty-four pounds. When packed
ready for winter the weiglit of all will not
exceed forty pounds. Thus it will be seen
that most any body can lift one such hive
with ease. Another point is the fact that
when one of these hives is sent by ex|»ress
the charges will uot amouut to more than the
cost of the hive.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

321

QUESTIONS AND AN S WEBS.

BEES STARVING.

A la<ly beekeeper of West Medway, Mass.,
•writes thus:

" What am I to rlo to keep my bees through
the winter? 1 fear they have uot made honey
enougli through the summer and none for me.
I am afraid tliey are dying even now."

[Beekeepers who do not read a {rood bee-
paper generally And tliemselves in a bad fix
at some time during the year. Had this lady
been a regnlai- reader of the API. slie would
have had just the information she now de-
sires, and at the proper time too. The
middle of November is most too late in this
climate to feed bees for winter, unless an
experienced hand is to attend to the work.]

QUEEN REARED BY TWENTY BEES.

Poughlceepsie, N. Y.
In changing my bees this spring, from
one hive to another, a piece of the brood
coinl) broke down ; as it had brood that
would hatch in a few days I left it in an old
hive for a while; and onexamining it a few
days ago found tliat a queen ha<l hatcheii out.
I wish to Knowil a queen hatched under such
circumstances would be of any value. There
were only about twenty bees in with her.
She is of Syrian breed from the queeu you
sent me last summer.

Respectfully vours,

S. E. Wiley.

[This question came to liand in
June last, but was mislaid. A
queen reared under such circum-
stances cannot be of any great
value. Twenty nurse bees are not
enough to rear a good queen,
even though the weather is hot all
the time.]

DYSENTERY IN WARM WEATHER.

lioston, Mass.
]Mu. Allky :— I observe that one or two of
my colonics that I am feeding sugar syrup
seem to have a sbght dysentery Can you tell
me what it means ? I use one teaspoonful tar-
taric acid to ten pounds of best granulated
sugar to two quarts of water.

Sidney A Fisher.

[Several reports have come to
hand similar to the above. It
seems to be something new for
bees to have dysentery during warm
weather. Neither the sugar nor the
acid added to the syrup i^, it seems
to us, the cause of the trouble.

Were not the bees during the
honey dearth of the past season
compelled to gather nectar from
flowers, they would not have visited,
had forage been as plentiful as
during most years? We can give
no other opinion of the cause of
the disease which aftlicts the apiary
of Mr. Fisher.

Complaint of the same nature
has been made by some person in
one of our exchanges

In our own apiary two colonies
were affected. After several ap-
plications of brine without any
good results, all the bees were
brushed from the combs and de-
stroyed. In order to test the mat-
ter, and for further experiment,
other bees were at once placed on
the combs. Now should they die of
the same disease before spring
there would be little reason to
doubt the cause : it certainly would
point to the food stored in the
combs. A new queen as well as
new bees were placed in each hive.

Bees dying of dysenteiy in warm
weather suggest the unpleasant
thought that we are about to see
our apiaries depleted as was the
case some sixteen years ago. The
complaint was not a local one ;
nearly every apiary in the country
was more or less affected. During
that jear our bees were placed in
the cellar. The}" commenced to die
rapidly. The temperature was
raised and lowered, but all to no
purpose, as the bees continued
to die until all those of fifty
colonies had left the hives and
were dead on the bottom of the
cellar.

The writer has not forgotten the
most discouraging circumstances
under which queen-rearing was
commenced the next spring. When
spring opened, the only tiling in
the shape of a colony of bees was
one fine queen and a handful of
bees. Well, it takes a good deal
of hard luck to discourage a fellow

322

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

hound to succeed under any re-
verse, and we can say that the old
Bay State apiary never liad a more
prosperous and successful year.

To return to the text. Now if
bees are dying before cold weatlier
sets in, what may the beekeeper
expect before spring? The writer
is not an alarmist, but every indi-
cation points to the fact that bee-
keepers are about to experience
another hard winter. I really hope
that time will prove that I am a no
better prophet than our good friend
Clark, and several others of those
Canadian prophets who have made
such wild and terrible predictions
within a few years.

There is no known remedy that
can be applied to bees thus dis-
eased. The symptoms are these :
go to the hive in the morning and
from one to twenty shiny black bees
with outstretched wings will be
found on the alighting-board or
un der the frames. The bees look
as though they had been soaked in
honey. The best thing to do is to
destroy the bees ; then the combs
would be left in good condition.

The following quotation taken
from the American Bee Joiirnal is a
good description of the disease
spoken of above. As to the treat-
ment recommended for its cure :
those who can test it should do so.
It is rather late in the season to at-
tempt it here.]

Diseased Bees —There is a bee-disease in
GeniKiiiy called "Maikranklieit," because it
is usiiallV sei-n in May. The bees have dis-
teiuleil abdomens, because they have not been
able to void their tieces, alter partakinfr of
pollen collectcil in the early spring alter it had
been touched by frost. A good remedy is to
put a little salicylic acid in syrup and feed it
to ihem— keeping the hive dry, and prevent-
ing the accumulation of moisture inside.

Lyle, Minn.

Mr. IIknry ALI.K.Y:

Herewith And remittance for renewal of my
6uliscrii)tion to Am. Am.

I am well pleased with yonr Journal. The
thorough and practical methods given during
last year are what is needed and valued by all
who flesire to learn the modern ways of bee-
keeping.

K. 11. VOLSTAD.

GLEANINGS FROM CORRE-
SPONDENCE.

East Charleston, Vt.
Mr. Alley :

Not seeing anythhig from nortliern
Vermont in your Api 1 tlion':lit I
would write a few linos, altliono:h
I never wrote for pulilicalion belore. It
has been a poor jear for bees in this
locality. I pnt ten colonies in tlie cel-
lar last fall and all came out in splen-
did condition and increased to tliirty
colonies and made a lari>e amount of
sui'plus honey, wlnle a number of bee-
keepers around here jiot no surplus.

One swarm came ofl" the eightli day
of June and in sixteen days tilled a
Simplicity hive and thirty one-pound
sections of as nice lioney as I ever
saw, and by the fourth day of July
liad filled twenty more and sent out a
fine swarm, which I think was doing
quite well for this section considering
the bee pasturage. Nothing is sown
for bees around here. I received the
drone-and-queen trap all right; it was
rather late in the season for swarms,
but it cleared the drones out in short
order.

I like the Api very much; subscribed
for it in July, so missed the June num-
ber; wish very much you would mail
me a copy of that issue.

Mks. a. L. Hopkins.

Sp7'ing, III.
Friknd Allky :

The "Api" is at hand, for Avhich
please accept thanks. You have very
much improved its columns, and 'de-
serve many encomiums of praise. I
trust you may reap a financial benefit
in keeping with so worthy an eflbrt,
and that your magazine may rank sec-
ond to none in the land.
Yoiu's truly,

Jos. M. Hambaugh.

Lee, Mass.
Mr. Allky :

I have delayed acknowledging tlie receipt
of the queen for various reasons.

The queen was in fine condition when re-
ceived. A queenless colony was ready to re-
ceive her. At night I stupefied the bees with
pufl"-ball smoke and then introduced the queen
direct to the bees. Two days after I found
her "balled." I cauuht the queen and gave
the bees a second dose of pufl-ball smoke,
but the result was the same. A similar cir-
cumstance I never knew to happen before.

THE AMERICAN APIOULTURIST.

323

As the colony wouM not accept ot a queen
she was introiluced to another stock by the
same process which proved a success. In
two weeks she commenced to lay freely and
has proved herself a very proliflc queen.
Her worker progeny are very highly colored
and unilormin m:irkings. She duplicates her-
self in her queen progeny, and not a single
small or inferior queen among all I have
reared from lier. I am higlily pleased witli
the results.

In this part of the state bees have gathered
very little surplus honey and in many cases
only honey enougli lias been stored to last
the bees tlirough the fall.

I have seventy-five colonies and not over
half dozen have honey to winter. At our
county fair tliere were seven entries of honey
and not one specimen of No. 1 honey. It
looks discouraging for the long winter
months.

Alonzo Bradley.

[The "puff-ball" Mr Bradley
speaks of, and which he used to
fumigate his bees, is a sort of fun-
gous grovvth found in old pastures
here in New England. It is a sort of
dry mushroom, the smoke of which
will stupefj' bees as completely as
chloroform. It is a dangerous sub-
stance and sliould not be used by
any but an experienced hand.

Bees that have been queenless a
long time do not care for a queen
and will not readily accept one.]

Hiawatha, Kansas.
Henky Alley :

Tlie queen to replace dead one came all
right and was introduced safely.

I got hurt and was absent from business
for a shoit time, lience forgot to write you;
thanks for queen.

No honey flow or at least no surplus so far
in northeastern Kansas this year.

We had good rains Aug, 20 and since,
and bees are now beginning to work as
though they might get enough to winter on
which is all we now expect.

The API for September just to hand and
is interesting as usual.

Respectfully,

T. B. DiCKASON.

the temptation to subscribe ; although
I now take two bee-papers.
Yours truly,

Edwin Baldwin.

Forest City, Iowa.
Hknry Allky :

Dear Sir : I liave received sample
copies of tlie Api from time to time.
It is a credit to tlie editor and an liouor
to tlie pursuit. E. S.

Mendon, III.
H. Allky.

Dear Sir: I was so well pleased
■with the sample copy of the " Api"
that you sent me, that I cannot I'esist

MARKET REPORTS OF HONEY.

A short time ago, I tliought, as I was going
to St. Louis, that I would buy a lot of both
extracted and comb honey, as the prices
quoted in Mie bee Journal woulil give me
a good profit, for I could readily sell comb
lioney for 20 cents, and extr;icteil at 12^ cents
l)er pound. The price of comb honey was re-
ported at 10 to 12 cents, and extracted in bar-
rels at 45 to .'j^ cents. I called, and found the
commission house had on hand two .■> gallon
cans, and six quart jars of California honey;
but not a i)ound of comb honey in the sliopi
They tliought I could not get it in the citj', as
honey was very scarce, and none coming in.
Query: How did that firm know that 10 to 12
cents iicr pound was all that comb honey
would bring in the market?

I went to 4iearly all the dealers, and could
not fi i<l a pound of comb honey. A house
tliat has sold a great deal of honey for me
said that they could easily get 20 cents for
such as I usuallj' sent them, if they had it.
Valuable market I eport I

Carlinville, Ills., Oct. 22, 18S7.

J. V. Caldwell, in American Bee Journal.

[We long since discovered that
most of the market reports of honey
were worthless, and we also dis-
covered tlie fact that some of those
who send in such reports do so
merely as an advertisement. We
have seen in the bee-papers a re[)ort
of the honey market from a lirm
not far from the city of Boston.
We sometimes visit that establish-
ment, and the amount of honey to
be seen there is less than one ton
at any time. This same firm always
quotes prices for bees-wax but once
only had they any for sale. Since
we discovered these little ti'icks,
such reports have been excluded
from the "Apiculturist."

The Boston commission firm that
has handled nearly all the Vermont
honey for several seasons has done
one thing this year that is hardly
in keeping with strict business
princii)les and fair dealing. This
firm in order to get the advantage

324-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

of those who bought and paid cash
for honey, reduced the prices from
18 and 20 cents per ptjund, to IG
cents per pound. Tiiis of course
was very damaging to the ship-
per and to those who had bought
and i)aid cash for the honey they
had in stock.

If beekeepers will put up with
such imposition they must expect
to suffer the consequences. We do
not believe in shipping honey to be
sold on commission anyway.

BEE NOTES.

Several of the colonies in our
apiary weie caiiying in pollen as
late as Nov. 4, notwithstanding
tlie fact that the temperature has
been as low as 24° several times
this fall. If pollen that has been
"frost-bitten" in the spring will
produce dysentery, will not the
same apply to pollen gathered late
in the fall?

Our bees are all packed on the
summer stands for winter. No
filling of any kind was placed be-
tween the outer and inner hives.
The space is left clear. We are
not satisfied that sawdust or chaff
packing is of any advantage. The
honey-boards were removed, a pas-
sage way arranged so the bees can
pass over or under the frames
during the winter, and then a heaver
duck-mat w^as placed on, and a
thick chaff-cushion placed upon
the mat. The cushion was large
enough to completely fill the case
above, the brood-chamber, and
thus all upward ventilation checked
about the inside of the case. Not
a colony of our bees will be placed
in the cellar.

It may not be of any great im-
poilance whether the snow is
brushed from the top of the hives
or not ; nevertheless, we make it a

practice to remove it, and think
the saving to the hive alone pays
for the trouble. Then again, "if
the hive has a flat roof and is in-
clined forward, all the water from
the melting snow will drop towards
the entrance. On several occasions
last winter when a snow storm was
followed by a light rain and the
weather suddenly turning cold, the
entrances to the hives were com-
pletely closed, and salt had to be
used to open them. When such
a storm occurs during the night,
of course the best thing must be
done. If the sun does not thaw
out the entrance, salt must be
applied. Too much salt should not
be used, as salt and snow combined
will keep the temperature at a low
degree as long as the two are pres-
ent.

Bees should be given a chance
for a flight as late in the fall as
possible. We would not pay ten
cents per colony to have our bees
insured to winter, provided they
can have a flight at any time dur-
ing the month of January.

We make it a point to give them
a flight during the winter at any
time when tiie sun is shining bright,
the weather calm and the tempera-
ture at 45° or higher. Some ^avf
bees will drop on the snow, l)ut the
general good to the apiary will
more than offset for the loss of a
few bees in that way. AVhen the
bees do fly in tlie winter, we make
it a practice to clear all the dead
bees from the bottom-boards.

From Kansas Farmer.

A bee-hive nimle with the brood apnrtments
aiul surplus tlep;irtments in one solid body is
a nuisance; so are also all side-opening hives.

In making j-our chaff-hives, arrange tliem
so that you can remove tlie upper stoi-y.
Thiri will allow the chaff to encircle entirely
the upper part ol' the hive containing the
bees.

The apiary never fails to attract attention
and hence it follows that visitors are numer-

TEE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

325

ous; but we should never take our friends'
unaccustomed to bees, into the apiary with-
out veiling tliem.

In side-opening hives, if we want the frame
at the back of hive, all tlie others must come
out first before we reach it. All such hives
should be made into kindling wood, as they
are not fit to set hens in.

Combs should not be packed together
tightly or crowded in the box. When prop-
erly put in they should not touch one another.
Combs of honey can be put away in the same
manner during winter, but should be looked
after as soon as warm weather approaches,
at which time they should be taken out and
placed in the light.

It has been found a good practice to widen
the space between the comb frames near ttie
close of the honey-gathering season in order
that the bees may, by elongating the cells,
place a large share of the winter stores above
the cluster. When bees build their own
combs after their own design, as in box-
hives, spaces are left between wide enough
to admit of elongating the cells, in order that
a large sliaie of the winter stores may be
placed in top of the liive, easily accessible in
the severest weather.

[We do not think it a good plan to sprend
the brood combs at any time in the year. We
know of a beekeejifr in the state ofN. H. who
spread the combs in all tlieeiiihty hives of his
apiary in the fall of ISSii. 1 lieVe were but
twenty-five colonies alive the next spring.
It seems to us that it would requiie a great
amount of work in the sijring to get tlie
combs back to the proper thickness again.—
Managek of Api.J

The Xutional Stoclcman says : For contract-
ing the s|)ac,e in iiives division-boards can be
used, and doubtless are witli good results.
■We believe that it would be better if each
colony were crowded up with division-boards
on just as many combs as they will cover
nicely, as in this manner their heat can be
better maintained. Just to get tlie lequired
amount of honey on so many combs that the
bees can be confined on it, and at the same
time leave them a brood nest is the most
trouble we have to contend with. Hut if prop-
erly arranged in this manner it would be
quite an advantage in wintering.

CONTRIBUTIONS.

The following articles will ap))ear in the
January, 1888, number of the API.:

In-breeding, by Dr. G. L. Tinker; Produc-
tion of Honey, etc., G. W. Demaree; Pre-
vention of Increase, E. A. Moigan.

The above subjects are mentioned as they
are of great importance to the beekeeper.
Some of the prize essays will also find room
in the January API.

Prize Essays. — In response to the prizes
oflered for essays on any subjects relative to
bees as given in the November number, we
are already in receipt of several, some of
which will appear in the An during the winter.

We make still another offer, as follows : To
those who will send in articles which we
shall deem of sufticient interest and value to
insert in tlie columns of the API, our journal
will be mailed free, one year. This offer will
be left open until we have received one hun-
dred essays.

All writers are requested to select their own
subjects, and we also request each one who
contends for the i)rizes to i)lace the words
" Prize Essay" at the top of the first page of
copy.

It costs us twelve cents to send a drone-
and-queen trap by mail. We have arranged
with the American Express Companj' to de-
liver them at any idace, where they have an
office, for 10 cents each. Those who can re-
ceive the traps more conveniently l)y Express
will please notify us Avhen they subscribe for
the "A pi." Bear in mind that no trap will be
sent unless requested to do so.

The number of pages of the API devoted to
correspondence and general articles is twenty
four, thus leaving eiglit ijages for miscella-
neous matter, ad veitisements. etc. We claim
the right to use the last eight |)ages for our
own advertisements, or for any remarks which
are in keeping with the rules of a first-class
]iubli('ation. Sometimes we encroach upon
the twenty-four pages, but not often.

A Valuable Book Given Away— We
have made arrangements by which we can
su))i)ly the Ajiehican Apiculiukist and
the New York Weekly World— \'o\- one year,
for $'2.10, and present'lhu subscriber with one
of these hoolcs bound in Leatheiette Free Calf:

HlSTOUY OF THE UNITED STATES— from
432 to 1887.- 320 pages.— Price $2.00.

HisTOKV OF Engla.nd— from before the
Christian era to 1887.- Price $2.00.

Everybody's Book — a treasury of useful
knowledge— 410 pages.— Price $2.00.

The book must be selected by the sub-
scriber at the time of sen ding the subscription,
and cannot be afterwards exclumged.

The book selected will be mailed in a card-
board case, at the subscril)er'.> risk; if lost
it cannot be rei)laced. Be sure to write your
name, postoffice, county and state i)lainly,
and then the risk of loss is very small. The
subscription can commence at any time.

Remember, the amount is $2.iO for both
papers, and the book fi ee by mail.

ANOTHER GOOD OFFER.

We have made such arrangements with the.
publisners of the books named below that we
can furnish the readers ol the API with either
of them at a very low figure. The books are
sold only bv snbsci'iption.

1. The Popular Atlas of the World,
containnig a line map nf every state in the
Union, al^o giving climate, history and
population of each. This book contains 18.5
pages, is handsomely hound and will be
mailed on receipt of $1.00. Publisher's price
is $l.r)0.

2. The American Encyclopeedia of
Agriculture, or Peoples' Library— The
M ork contains UOO jiages, embraces 0000 sub-

326

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

jects. and has neavl v 500 illiistiatioiis. Boiind
in the most elcjraiic manner, gold and ink
back. Price $:{.(I0. As Hie book weighs 4^
lbs., it will be cheaper to send by express,
charges to be (laid by the i)iircl)a.«er.

This work is a library in itself. The author,
Mr. I'eririm, has been for forty years a pi-ac-
tical farmer, stock grower and journalist and
as sMcli is wiilely known.

The work is compact and compiehensive
anil treats of horses, cattle, sheep, poul-
try, bees, etc., with ilicir characieri»tics and
treatment in liealih and disease.

Address Arictir/n;Ki.ST.

Wenham, Mass.

SPECIAL NOTICES.

All who subscribe or renew their
subscriptions at once will get the
ApicuLTURisT fourteen months for
$1.00 as ail subscriptions coming
in during November and December
will be dated to expire January 1,
1889. Jn addition we give each
subscriber one of oar improved
drone-and-queen traps ; also choice
of any of the goods mentioned in.
another place of this issue.

COXVEN-TION NOTES.

The Subjects for discussion at the Union
Convention at Chicago, on Nov. If!, 17 and 18,
1887, came to hand too late to be inserted in
our November issue.

"Come to the Convention" says Dr. C.
C. Miller. We wish circumstances were such
that we could go to Chicago and shake tha
hand of some of those people whom we have
known for years, but have never seen. We
would go a long distance to shake even the
hand of Dr. Miller, if no other.

We met Editor Newman of the American
Bee Journal, at Philadelphia, also at New
York, and hope the day is not far distant when
we may meet in the city of New York ag.iin.
Cannot the North American Ueekeepers' .So-
ciety be induced to hold its next convention
in that city ? We would make an efl'ort to be
there.

The Su.s(|uehauiia County Beekeep-
ers Association ^vill meet at New Mil-
ford. Pa., on Januar3^7, 1888. Subjects
for discussion : The best way to pre-
vent swarming : also is it advisable to
Italianize. All beekeepers are cordi-
ally invited. H. M. Seeley, Secretary.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.

Please bear in mind that we stop
sending the Api to all subscribers
when the time paid for has expired,
unless requested to continue it, or
the subscription is renewed.

If by mistake, the journal is
mailed to you, and is not needed,
please say on a postal card " dis-
qontinue Api to my address."

Some of our subscribers have
had rather " hard luck" with their
bees and are not prepared to re-
new their subscription ; to such the
Api will be continued if the}' re-
quest us to do so, — and if paid for
inside of one 3'ear it will be per-
fectly satisfactoiy.

To Correspondents :— We are now flooded
with ••essays." That is right, frien<l8, send
them in. 'I he best and most worthy will be
published in the Ai'i, though some of them
will not appear for several months to come.

Will thosi- who send us essays or geneial
articles please write on one side of the pajier
only an<i use ink in writing? Several essays
have come to band that we cannot use as the
pencil was used instead of ink.

EX PIE A TION OF S UBS CRIP-
TIONS.
When your subscription expires
a cross, thus, X, will be made over
this notice. The same is intended
as a kind invitation lor j'ou to renew
your subscription at once. If you
need the journal and cannot spare
the money we will continue it, if
requested to do so.

THE APICULTURIST SUBSCRIPTION
AGENCY.

If any subscriber to the Api-
cuLTUKisT desires a good weekly,
semi-weekly or monthly publication
they should consult the list of
periodicals found on another page
of this issue.

From 15 percent to 25 per cent
will be saved to all who send their
subscriptions to us.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

BEEKEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

FOR WAI.E

AT THE

BAY STATE APIARY,

WENIIAM, MASS.

Tiee KCl^v^es.

Lan^sti-dtli stanilHiii.
Onp hive ni.'ulo up, veafly for use, iii-

cliulinff21 oiip-|ioiinil spctions $3 00

The same, in the fliit, reiuly to mail... 2 50

Sections.
Falponer one-piece sections per 1.000 5 50
" " " •' " 500 3 00

•' " " " " ]00 75

Iwangsti'oth Frames.

Mnteiial for (hans'ing) frames for Standarri
L Hive ))er 100 $3 00

The frames ne ii^e ave so constructed that
the liees will not Imild comb between or over
them at the top, nor fasten the section case
and fi'ames tofrethei- as is the case when the
common top-bar Is nsed.
IVaillng TSloolc for Frames.

No one cm do jrooci work at nailina: frames
without a projier board to nail them on. We
can send one. by express, that will do the
Mork nicely, price 50

C*onil> Foxinclation.

We can suiiply the best brands at manufac-
turers'prices, and ship direct to our custom-
ers from the nearest factory. We also keep
. a qviantity in stock to fill small oiders.
] to 10 lbs., for brood frame?, 55 cts per lb.
1 " '• '■ " ^^e(•lions, (io " " •'

Parties orderingr foundation for brood-
frames should be j)articular to give exact
size they wish the sheets cut.

Perforated 25ir»e.

This we can supply only in small quantities,

shipped with other a;onds, uer foot 20

l( sent by mail, add 10 cents per foot.

MToney ^Extractors.

Muth's standard, with knife $11 00

No. 2. •• •• 10 00

IE. T. LovJs & Co., Ex-
tractors-
No. 22. 2S inches in diameter, 25 inches
high, 2frame lor any size up
to 12^x19: room foi- 25 ll>s.,
honey below reel, and the
best extractor ever made for $10 00
We sell this size only as it is the mo.'t ccui-
venient to use. This extractor is adapted to
the L. Irauie.

Honey Itnives.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" bymail 75

I5ee Veils.

The veil has a rnljber wliich draws tlie
top lofrether; it is tlu'n placed over anv hat
and ilrawn down until the elastic is over the
band.
Common net, bymail .35

Smokers.

Alley's improved Qiiinby, 2J inch,
by mail, 1.75; by expre?s, $1 50

Feeders.

Alley's perfection winter, one of the best.

Bymail, $ .50

" express 40

12 " " 3 75

Queens and. Full Colonies.
Queens.

I'rices.
Untested queens, each $1 00

Selected " each 125

Tested " each 2 00

Extra breeding queens, the best we

have, each 3 00

Our untested queens are sent out before
any of thfir brood hatches. 05 per cent will
prove to be pure. Safe arrival and purity
guaranteed in all cases.
We make a specialty of Italians.

Full Colonies-

We consider eight L frames well filled with
brood and covered with bees a full colony.
Price of such in B. S. R. hive including one set
of sections, $12.00. Purchasers to pay ex-
press charges.

Booli^s.
Quinbv's New Beekeeiiing (cloth) post

paid 1 50

Cook's Manual, (cloth) 1 25-

Tlilrd FIdltlon of the

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or 22 years
experience in queen rearing, 300
pages, 100 fine illustrations, hand-
somely bound in cloth, by mail,.. 1 10
Queen-TSeai-ing: Apparatus.
Beekeeiiers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley metlind or by anv other, should have the
apparatus here described. The SwakmtnG
Box and Qtii'".EX-NURSF.RY are articles that
no person who rears queens can dispense
with.

Bv using the swarming-box a large colony
of bees can be confined a lonsr time or trans-
ported safelv hundreds of miles. It is a very
useful article about the apiary at all tunes
durinff the season,
."^ent only bv express, price $1.25.
When a'colonv swarms and it is desirable
to preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are.
at hand. tbeOneen-nurserv in such cases will
be found invaluable; the cells can be placed
in them and thev need no further care for a
week or ten davs later. Virarin or fertile
queens can be kept in the nursery for several
weeks. We have sold a large number of
queen-nurseries in vears past.

We use the following articles in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be
found in the

" lieelteepcrs' Handy
Boole."

Express. Mail.

Queen-nnrsery (of21 cages) $1 25 $1 60

Swarmingbox 1 25

Fertiliziiifrhive (complete) .50

Fumicator for using tobacco... 2-5 SO

Cone-feeder "^p ^^

To make the lot complete, we put in eacd
package one drone-and-queen trap, one copy
of the THIUD edition of the "Handy Book,
and send all for , ^ . *+ ^"

All these articles can be packed in the
swarming-box and sent safely by express or
freight.

Brooms for TSrusTilng Hees
from Comhs. .

We find a small " corn-broom " best tor this
purpose as it does not injure or irritate trie
bees and will do the work better and quicker
than anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom by mail -•

'> " '• express ■'"

HOW TO KEMIT MONEY.
Remit bv registered letters, cashier's check
or expres.s orders. If sent by money orders
or i)ostal notes, have them made payable at
the Salem, Mass., P. O.
Address,

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, Essex Co., Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

American Apiculturist Club-List for 1888.

Desirous to rlo a gooil tliinir for those who subscribe for the Apiculturist, we hnve pre-
pared the following new#pai)er and magazine club list. All yearly subscribers for the API,
can get any paper on the list at the rates given in the right hand column.

Subscribers wlio accept of any of tliese papers are not debarred from receiving any prenii-
urns offered to yearly subscribers for the API. If you want any paper or magazine not found
on the list, and are a subscriber for the Api, we will get it for you at club rates.

Tlie following list was prepared especially for the benefit of our readers. We can furnish
any or all of the papers named to those who subscribe for the Api. If any one desires to sub-
scribe for several of the papers in the list, they can do so. Note the prices.

Not only do we make a liberal discount to those who subscribe for our journal, but each
subscriber is entitled to one of our drone-and-queen traps, free by mail, as well as to a dis-
count on other goods, as per notice in another part of this issue.

I>ERIODICA.LS.

Weekly publications are designated by the
"s-w"; Bi-Weeklics, "b-w"; Monthlies, "m"; Bi

Publisher's My

Price. Name of Publication. Price.

A

$ 50 Agriculturist, Racine, Wis m 3.5

1 00 Albany Ai-gus w 98

1 00 Albany Journal W 98

1 50 American Agriculturist, N. Y....m 1 10

1 00 American Bazaar, N. Y m 80

1 50 American Dairyman, N. Y w 1 30

1 00 American Farnier. Baltimore. .s-in 90
1 00 Am. Kindergarten Magazine, N. Y.

m 85

1 25 Am. Poultry Adviser, Zanesville,

O. (with premium) m 90

1 00 Am. Poultry Journal, Chicago.. .m 85

1 50 Am. Poultiv Yaiil. Hariford w 1 20

1 00 American iteformer, N. Y m 90

1 70 American Wesleyan, i3vracuse..w I 60

2 00 Arkansas Traveller, Little Ilock. w 1 60
2 00 Arthur's Home Magazine, Phila.

m 1 40

B

1 50 Babyhood (care of infants) 1 20

1 50 Ballou's Magazine. Boston m 1 30

1 00 Baltimore American w 1 00

1 00 Baltimore Sun w 90

2 00 Bismarck Tribune. Dakota w 1 90

50 Bistoury. Elmira. N. Y q 40

1 00 Bookmart, Pittsburg m 85

1 00 Boston Journal w 1 00

1 50 Boston Traveller w 1 00

] 00 Bieciler's Journal. Beecher, 111., m 80
1 00 Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, w 95

1 00 BiiMmIo Courier w 95

1 00 Bulfalo Express w 85

1 00 Burlington Ilawkeve w 90

c

1 00 Carpentry and Building, N. Y...m 80

1 50 Chattanooga Times w 1 25

1 on Clii(;aKo Herald w 85

1 00 Chicago InterOcean w 90

1 00 Chicago Journal w 1 00

1 M Chicago Led irer w 1 25

1 00 Chicago Ni'ws W 95

1 00 Chicago Times \\ 80

1 00 Cliicago Tribune w 90

letter 'w" following the name ; Semi-Weeklies
Monthlies, "b-m"; and Quarterlies, "q."

Publisher's My

Price. Xame of Publication. Price.

$1 00 Christian Woman. Philadelphia, m 85
1 50 Church's Musical Visitor, Cincin-
nati m 1 20

1 00 Cincinnati Gazette w 90

1 15 Cincinnati Enquirer w 1 10

50 City and Country. Columbus, O., m 40

1 00 (jleveland Leader w 90

1 00 Cleveland Plaindealer w I 00

1 00 Clinique, Chicago m 90

1 50 Coleman's Rural World, St. Louis

w 1 20

2 50 Country Gentleman, Albany, N. Y.

". w 1 95

I>
75 Dairy and Farm Journal, West

Liberty. la m 60

1 75 Daven|)ort Gazette. Iowa w 1 10

1 00 Delineator, N. Y. (Biittrick's)..m 1 00

] 25 Denver Times w i jo

1 00 Detroit Free Press (literary ed.)w 95

1 00 Detroit Post w 95

1 00 Domestic Fashion Plate. N. Y... 90
1 00 Drake's Traveller's Magazine, N.

Y m So

1 00 Elmira Advertiser w 95

50 Empire State Agri., Rochester.. m 35

F
1 00 Family Herald and Star, Montreal. w 90
125 Fanciers Gazette. Iniliauapolis. .ni 90
1 50 Farm, Field and Stockman, Chi-
cago. 20 packages seeds w 1 30

50 Farm and Garden, Philadel|ihia.m 35
50 Farm and Home, Springtleld, Mass,

m 45

50 Farm Journal. Pliiladclphia m 53

1 25 Farmers' Review, Chicago m 1 10

2 00 Florida Agriculturist, DeLaiid..w 2 50
.50 Forest, Forge and Farm. Albany. m 45

4 00 Forest and Stream. N. Y w 3 25

2 25 Frank Leslie's Budget m 2 00

1 75 Frank Leslie's Pleasant Hours.. m 1 60
2.1 Frank Leslie's Alinanai'... .annual 25
1 00 Frank Leslie's Holiday Book.

annual 75

AMERICAN' APICULTURTST CLUB-LIST FOR 1888.

O

50 Gemsof Poetry, N.Y m 50

1 00 Gleason's Moutlily Comp'n Bos., in 05

1 25 Golden Censer, Kockl'oid, 111 w 1 10

50 Good Cheer, Greenfield, Mass.., m 40

2 50 Good HoiiseUeeping, Holyoke,

.% biw 2 15

1 00 Grand Army Gazette, N. Y m 90

50 Gretu's Fruit Grower, Rochester. q 30

H

4 00 Harper's Bazar, N.Y w 3 30

25 Harper's Handy Series, each 20

4 00 Harper's Majc.izine ni 3 20

4 00 Harper's Weekly w 3 30

2 00 Harper's Young People, w 1 70

1 50 HarHordCouvaiit w 1 35

1 50 Hartford Post w 1 35

1 10 Household, JJrattleboro n\ 85

I
1 25 Illinois State Jour., Springfield.. w 1 10
1 00 Jllus. Family Herald, Angusta, Me.

(25 chronics; ni 75

1 50 Indiana SclioolJour, Indianapolis,

m m 1 25

1 50 Iowa Homestead, Des Moines.. w 1 15

jr

75 Junior Am. Mechanic, Phila m 65

k:

1 00 Kansas City Times w 95

1 25 Keokuk Constitution, Iowa w 1 25

I.

1 25 Ladies Floral Cabinet. N. Y m 1 10

50 Ladies Home Jour., Phila m 40

1 00 Leavenworth Times w 85

100 Lever, Chicago w Sd

1 00 LuxingtonPress, Ky. (new 05). ..w 90

3 00 Lii)pincott's Alaguziiie, Phila.. .m 2 40*
50 Literary JJulIetiu, N.Y 50

2 00 Literary Life, Chicago m 1 25

30 Little Ciiristian, Boston sm 30

1 50 Little Folks, N. Y. (illustrated), .m 1 25

1 00 Louisville Commercial, Ky w 90

1 50 Lowell Journal, Mass w 1 45

1 50 Manufacturer and Builder, N. Y.m 1 30

1 00 Maryland Farmer, Baltimore ni 85

1 00 Masonic Chronicle, Columbus, O.m 70

1 00 Mechanics, N.Y m 80

I 00 Medical Bulletin, Philadelphia.. m 90
1 00 Metal Worker, New York(iiew90)w 1 00

1 25 Michigan Farmer. Detroit w 1 15

2 00 Mind and Matter, Pniladelphia..w 1 90

1 00 Modern Miller, Moline, 111 m 90

1 00 Montreal Gazette, Canada w 85

1 10 Montreal Witness w 90

1 50 Mother's Magazine, N. Y m 1 15

2 00 Muscatine Journal, Iowa w 1 90

1 00 Nashville American, Tenn w 1 00

1 00 National Poultry Monitor, Spring-
field, O ni 90

1 00 National llepublican, Washington

w 75

40 New Dominion Monthly. m 30

1 00 New Haven Register w 90

1 50 New Orleans Picayune w 1 15

1 .50 New Orleans Times-Democrat, .w 1 15

1 00 New York Herald w 98

' 3 00 New York Independent w 2 05

1 00 New York Sun w 93

1 00 New York Times w 98

125 New Y'ork Tribune w 95

1 00 New Y'ork Witness W 95

1 00 New Y'ork W^orld W 90

1 00 Norfolk Virginian vv 85

o

1 00 Ohio State Journal w 85

1 00 Oil City Derrick, Pa \v 90

2 00 Olive Branch, Utica, N. Y m 85

1 00 Omaha Herald w 95

1 50 Orange Co. Farmer, Port Jervis.w 1 30

r

1 .50 Painter's Magazine, N.Y m 1 20

1 00 Pansy, Boston, Illustrated w 90

2 00 Peck's Sun, Milwaukee, Wis w 1 75

1 00 People'sFiresideJour., Boston. .m 75

00 People's Magazine, Philadelphui.m 55

1 .50 Peoria Transcript vv 1 20

2 00 Peterson's Magazine m 1 50

1 00 Philadelphia Press w 95

1 00 Philadelphia Times w 1 00

75 Picture Gallery, Chicago m 00

1 50 Pittsburg Cummerciai Gazette.. .w 1 35

1 00 Portland Advertiser, Me w 90

1 00 Poultry Bulletin, N. Y m 80

1 00 Poultry and Farm Jo\iriial Minne-
apolis m 75

50 Poultry Keeper, Chicago m 45

1 25 Poultry Monthly, Albany m 95

1 25 Poultry World, Hartford, Conn.. m 95

2 00 Practical Fanner, Philadelphia, w 1 15
1 00 Practical Teacher, Chicago ...sm 75
1 00 Providence Press w 90

50 Purdj'o Fruit Uecorder, Palmyra. m 50
05 Pnrdy's Fruit Hecorder, Palmyra,

with choice of preni m 65

<t

1 50 Quiver, N, Y'., ilhis. reprint ni 1 25

R

1 00 Richmond Dispatch w 1 00

50 Ridley's Fashion Mag;iziiie, N.Y., q 45
1 00 Rochester Democrat anil Chroii., w 85

1 00 Rochester Herald w 90

1 00 Rochester Post Express w 85

1 00 Rochester Republican w Sf

1 00 Roller Mill, Bufialo, N. Y' ni 90

1 50 Rural Calitornian, Los Angeles. .m 1 15

2 UO Rural NewY'orker and seeds, N.Y'. w 1 70

50 Sabbath Reading, N. Y' w

1 00 Sailor's Magazine, N. Y m 50

1 25 Savannah News, Ga w 1 40

2 00 Saturday Night, New Y'ork w 1 15

1 00 Science Observer, Boston q 29

I 00 Scientific American, N. Y' w 3 75

1 00 Selina Times-Argus, Alabama... w 1 05
1 (iO Shakespeariaus, Philailelphia.. m 1 00
1 50 Southern Cultivator, Atlanta ...m 1 30
1 25 Southern Planter, Richmond m 1 13

50 South and West, St. Louis ....s-m l(j

1 50 Spirit of IMissions, N. Y' m 1 95

1 00 St. Louis Globe-Democrat w UO

1 Ou St. I.0UIS Republican w 75

1 00 St. Paul Pioneer Press w OO

1 00 Stoddard's Magazine, N.Y, chro m 00

1 00 Street's Monthly, Waco, Tex m 45

1 25 Swine Breeder's Journal, Indian- 90

apolis m 1 00

1 50 Syracuse Journal w 1 05

X

1 90 Texas Farm and Ranch, Austin, s-m 75

1 00 Toledo Blade, Nasby 's Paper w 90

1 00 Toledo Telegram w 95

1 00 Toronto Globe, Canada w 95

1 00 Toronto iMail w 90

1 00 Torrey Botanical Bulletin, N.Y. s-m 9(5

1 00 Tribune and Farmer, N. Y' w 85

1 00 Troy Telegram, N. Y' w 80

1 00 Troy Times.... w 95

u

1 00 U. S Miller, Milwaukee.- ra 90

85 U. S. Gazette, Washington, D. C,

Ijeusious m 60

AMERICAN APICULTURIST CLUB-LIST FOR ll

1 ;0 ITtica Hernld ,v j 40

1 50 Uticii Observer (new 1 30; '.'.\y 1 50

1 00 Vesper Bells, Pliiladelphia w

3 00 Wallace's Monthly, N. Y ni

1 00 Washington Post w

2 5(1 Wasliiiijfton Kepublic w '

1 00 WashiiiKton .Star y/

1 00 \V;iyiiu County Courier, Detroit, .w

1 10 \Ve>t'n Agriculturist. Quiiicy. lll.ni

60 Western Macliinist. Cleveland. ..m

.^0 \Vesiern Plowman, Muline, lll...m

00 West Shore, Portland. Oregon... m

1 00 Wheeling Intelligencer w

90

2 00 Yankee Blade, Boston (withprem.)

1 00 Y. M. C. a". \V;Vtcii'nVa*n,' Chicago m
30 Young Folks' Circle, Springli'il, O.

1 10
95

2 50
1 75

Young Men of America, N. Y w

Youtir.s Companion, Boston, new
subs

30
2 00

W 1 25

Special to Beekeepers.

1 00 American Bee Journal ■rt

1 00 Canadian Bee Journal .,v

1 00 Gleaning.s in Bee CiHture s-m

50 Uays oC Light „^

1 25Apiary Register ( yT. G.">,''ew.

man)

75 Bees and Honey (by T. G. New-
ni.m)

1 25 Beekeei)ers' Guide (by A. J. Cook)
50 Diet. 01 Prac. Apiculture (by John

Phin)

15 Extracted Honey (Dadant & .Son)
05 Honey as Pood and Medicine (by

Newman)

2 00 Langstroth on the Hive and Honey

Bee

1 50 Quinby's New Beekeeping (by L.
C. Root)

85
85
90
40

90

1 00
95

45
15

04

1 50

1 15

AD VERTISEMENTS.
TEBMS FOR ADVERTISING.

One inch,
Two "
Hair column,
Whole •'

each insertion, $1 00

1 so

" " 4 00

" " 7 00

" " 12 00

CASH WITH COPY.

SPECIAL RATES GIVEN.

THIS CUT REPRESENTS THE WINTER
CASE OF THE BAY STATE BEE HIVE.

We believe this hive will prove satisfactory
to 90 iier cent of all who test it.

Hive complete, 3.00

" in flat, 2.50

Address

n. ALLEY,

Wenham, Mass.

EY'S

DRONE-AND-QUEEN TRAP.

RELIABLE, CHEAP, PKACTICAL.

PRICES FOR ALL THE MATEKIALS IN THE
FLAT.

One-half dozen, one made up (seven In

•'ill) $-2.00

One dozen, one made up (thirteen in

all) $3..50

Those who purchase the traps of us can sell

tliem to whom they please, and where they

can And a market lor them.

METAL PARTS FOR THE TRAPS.

By express, 15 cts. per trap. By mail 22 eta.
per tiap.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.

Any beekeeper can i)urchase a farm or in-
dividual right of us for $2, and to all who do
so will be sent by mail, one of the latest im-
proved traps.

Address

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

The Drone-and-Queen Trap.

Mk. Alley :

Your drone-and-qiieen trap has
robbed swarming of all its terrors.
Miss G. P. S.

The clroiie-aud-queeii traps came all
riylit. I have tried one of them in
hiving a swarm of bees and it worked
all right.

J. S. Bahb.

Price Co cts. by mail.

The Beeieepers' Haifly Book

HAS HAD AN EXTENSIVE SALE THE
PAST FEW MONTHS.

It will tell you all about Qneen-
reariug and how to keep bees and
make beekeeping pay.

300 Pages, Boimil in cloili, fiy mail $1.10.

jK©" See Club Rates (on another pagej.

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, MASS.

BEE KEEPERS

Should send for my circu-
lar. It describes the best
Hives, the best Cases, the
best Feeders and the best
Methods. Address,

J, M. SHUcK,

DJES MOINES, lOWd,

BEES AND QUEENS.

Here is a chance for all that want to buy

Italian, Hybrid or G-erman Brown Bees

■FOFt 18SV.

Kg foul brood, and prices low. Send two
cent stamp for price hst to

THOMAS GEDYE,
3-87-lyr. LaSalle, LaSalle Co., 111.

U Ij K E I¥ 8 !

BENTOIS'H I5EST BEES.

Select, choice, tested Queens, each fS.
Sample bees from queens advertised, by
mall, 10 cents. 75 full colonies. No cheap
queens.

A. M. FIRMAN,
Quasqueton,
3-87-lyr. Buchanan Co., Iowa.

x:>E!^^LEi?-S' Lisa?.

NEW YORK.

"W. T. Falconer, Jamestown, supplies
etc.

C. M. Goodspeed,Tliorn Hill, Onon.Co.,
bees and (pieen-s.

J. Van Deusen & Sons, Sprout Brook,
Mon .Co., Hat bottom comb loiindation, whole-
Sale and retail.

F. J. Crowley, Batavia, supplies, founda-
tiou, bees and pure queens of any race.

MAINE.

E. B. Leighton. Falmouth, suijplies,
breeder of choice Italian bees and queens.

ILLINOIS.

F. A. Snell, Milledgeville, Carroll Co.,
Italian bees, beehives, sections, extractors,
veils, sniolicrs, comb loundation, etc.

MICHIGAN.

A. J. Cook, Lansing, Pub. Cook's Manual,
or Bee-keeper's Guide.

OHIO.

C. F. Muth, 976-978 Central Ave., Cincin-
nati, supplies.

D. A. McCord, O.xford, Butler Co., bees,
queens and supplies.

E. T. Lewis & Co., Toledo, apiarian sup-
plies. l^Sli.

Frank A. Eaton, Blufl'ton, Allen Co. Bees,
Queens aud i'oultiy.

IOWA.

J. M. Shuck, Des Moines, Patentee, and
Manuiactnrer ol' the iuverlible hive and
surjdus ca^e.

Oliver Foster, .'Mt. Vernon, bees, queens,
adjustable liuney-case and sujiplies.

INDIANA.

A. B. Miller & Son, VVakarusa, Elkhart
Co., supplies.

MASSACHUSETTS.

"Wm. W. Cary, Colerain, successor
to Wm. W. Cary & Sou, breeders, bees,
queens, and dealer in apiarian supplies.
Price hst tree.

WEST VIRGINIA.

C. L. Eakin, Wadestown, Monongalia Co.,
W. Va. Italian Bees and Qiioens.

BARNES' FOOT POWER MACHINERY.

Read what J. 1. I'Ali-

ENr, Ol'CHAIiLTON, N.V.,

says — •' We cut wiUi one
ot your Combined Ma-
chines, last winter, lilly
cliafl" hives with 7-in(;li
cup, 100 honey-racks, 500
broad tiames, '2,000 iioii-
eybo.-ces and a great
deal of other work. Tliis
winter we have double
the amount ol bce-liives,

etc., to make ami we e.xpecl lo do it with tins

saw. It will do all you say It will." Catalogue

and Price-list Free.

Address, W. V. & JOHN BARNES,

2-87 6 mo. No. 484 linby St., liock/ord, 111,

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

DR, TINKER'S SPECIALTIES

ri'HB liiio>tWHITE POPLAR Sntmus
1 ami the be=.l PKKFOKATED ZINC
ever oll"eie<l to beekeepers. Our new niaelilne
makes 50.00(1 peiloiatiiin.s in a day. We also
eliiini the linest strain of BEI'J.S for coinb
hi.nev — the Sviio-Albinos. Price-lists of
QUEENS anil Supplies free. Samples of
sections and zinc, tliiee cents.

Address, DK. G. L. TINKER,
New Philadelfhia. O.

A YEAR AM0N8 THE BEES.

A work of 1-28 clnsely printed pages. lieing
a talk about some of the implements, plans
and pra<'iices of a beekeeper of ib years ex-
perience, who lias for S years made thepro-
duction of honey his exclusive business.

ISouud in cloth, by mail, 7.5c.

dk. c. c. miller,

Marengo. III.

HEAMUAllTERS FOR BEEKEEPEKS.

GAUDS AND STATIONEUY.
Besides our beautiful eight color insiruc-
tive Chiomo card, we have plain designs;
also Fancy cards, and fine two and three let-
ter monograms, &\\ at astonishingly low prices,
suitable lor business and amusement, Jor oUl
and young. 300 envelopes 300 note heads $1.
Circular and Samples Iree. Package 2.1 cards,
10 cents, neat box Cards and Sample honey
candies 15 cents.

Address

J. H. MARTIX,
Hartford, N'. Y.

SAVE PRINTERS' BILLS

HV USING A

SELF-INKING RUBBER STAMP

2,000 impressions
for 10 cts. Will last
a lil'e time. It prints
Envelopes, Letter-
)iea<ls, postal cards,
Sections, Clothing,
— everytliing. Your
name, occupation
and address, with
the machine and
bottle of ink, sent
by mail for §1.00;
Extra bottle of ink
jfor 13 cents. Show
this advertisement
to your friends.

Send me an order for 10 stamps, and get
your own free. Agents wanted evei-ywhere.
Send for catalogue and terms.

Address,
Oct.. 1SS7.

GEO. T. HAMMOND,

Brockport, N. Y.

SUBSCRIBE

FOR

The American Apicultiirist

PERFECTION BEE FEEDER.

PAT.APPLIED-FOR.

It is
entire

most
satisf;

The "PERFECTION" having been thor-
oughly tested, and proved of inestimable
vtihie in Bee Ctiltitre, the nndersigned, a prac-
tical apiarist, i.s prepared to furnish the same
at reasonable prices, and tlie ustial disconnts
to dealers. Among the many points in which
this Feeder excels all others are the follow-
ing.

The supply of food can be perfectly regu-
lated.

The food will not become rancid, nor sour,
and is strained before it reaches the bees.

The same method is used in feeding as
provided in nature.

The "PERFECTION FEEDER" is simple
in construction, well made, readily cleansed

._ and durable.

adiniral)ly adapted to the use for which it is intended, and will give
iction to "those who will give it a trial, as its merits are unquestioned.

Prices for sample Feeder, by mail, postage paid:

4: H>. Fee<ler$« 50 ots. O 11». «0 cts. lO H». lO cts.

For oii« dozen I»liHFl<;<'Tl€>.^ FFFl^KK!* F. O. B.

4:1b. Feeders, 3.50. © lb. i.-'iO. lO lb. 5.»0.

Address, M. E. HASTING-S,

12— 86— ly. iVeto York Mills, Oneida Co., N. Y.

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