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1S91
ETTS
fRAL
Jan, 10, i89i,
At Fliqt, Micl^igaq Oqe Dollar a Year.
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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
AlDVEf^TISIISlG t^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 jines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 8 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
The Production of Gomii Honey.
Although this neat little book contains only 45
pages, it furnishes as much practical, valuable in-
formation as is often found in a book of twice its
size. It is "boiled down."
It begins with taking the bees from the cellar
and goes over the ground briefly, clearly and con-
cisely, until the honey is off the hives; touching
upon the most important points; and especially
does it teach when, where and how foundation
can be used to the best advantage; when combs
are preferable and when it is more profitable to
allow the bees to build their own combs. It tells
how to hive a swarm in an empty brood nest, and
yet secure more honey than when foundation is
used. Price of the book, 25 cents. i'or$1.15
We will send the Keview one year and "The
Production of Comb Honey."
Stamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint. Mich.
BEE
KEEPERS'
A Monthly of 32 Pages.
Devoed to Bees & Honey
GUIDE
Subscription Price, 5o Cents Per Year.
We manufacture Bee Hives, Sectional Honey
Boxes, Honey and Wax Extractors, Comb Foun-
dation, etc. We alio breed and sell Italian Bees.
Illustrated Catalogue free. A. G. HILL,
Kendallville, Ind.
Please mention the Review,
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
UiMVEIlSAL
BATH.
Vapor and Water—
flesh, sail" *''"«'■'''•.
- g, Cfn.enninI Aw.ir.l. f^^.^'iig.:-^'-. — iJ^js^i-i-K-^^/- -i I ?
■^2 Medal ati't Diplnmr
'3S acninst the world. _
5 iVIinlemle Ji Retail. ' Old H:vth< Re
Send for Tinuiar*. E, J. KNOWLTON, Ann Arbor, Mich.
CHEAPEST AND BEST BATH "^
FREE CIRCULARS EXPLAIN ALL.
Address E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann A,..)r, Miclv
1-91-12t
Pteast mention the Reuieui.
Hurrah for the Carniolans ! They take the
lead; win the race; secure the prize. If you want
TOJ^S OF HO^EV,
Try the Carniolans. Hardiest to winter ; pleas-
antest to handle: best honey gatherers. Our stock
is the best that can be procured, and is bred
miles away from other races.
FK.ICES : 1 untested queen, $1.00; 6
for $5.00 ; 12 for $9.00. 1 tested queen, $2.50. 1
imjiorted queen, $3.-50. THE BEE-keeperS' ADVANCE
and an untested queen, for f 1.S5.
J. S. f/lRSOJi, IVIeehanie palls, JAe.
THE O.A.2SrJ^IDI^3Sr
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts.'a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD BY W.C.G. PETFR.
75 cts. a Year,
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited hv live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writfrs. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals on" year to one addrefis, $1.00
Until .lune Ist Pill,,- Journal jj -.il,, BE .1.
we will send iHfleP trial trip for Q UllflS fiO ClSi
THE D. A. JONES CO., Vd, Beeton, Ont.
B
EE. keepers: guide. Revised,
enlarged improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keejier oui/lit to have it. Price $1..50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
Bee- Keepers' Supply Company,
90 & 92 DEARBORN ST., A TOPEKA,
N
CHICAGO, ILL., D KAN.
Manufacturers of and dealers in bee-keepers'
supplies. Ff>r jirices of bee hives, sections,
shipping crates, frames, foundation, smokers,
etc., write for circular and special prices be-
fore placing your order. 1-91-tf
FnilNRATinN And Sections are my
U U W U n I I U W Specialties. No. 1 V-Kroove
Sections at $3.00 per thousand. Special
prices to dealers. Send for free price list
of everytliing needed in the apiary.
1-91-tf 61. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
DOTIGE GHADGE ofFIRm.
The partnership heretofore existinjj; between Wm. W. Gary and F. M. Taintor, under the
name of Wm. W. Gary ct Co., has been dissolved. The business will be carried on by the
senior partner, who has had thirty years exi)erience in the manufacture of
See - Keepers^ Supplies.
HIS NEW HIVE AND CLAMP SYSTEM beats them all. The sales in 1890 were simply
enormous. All who have tried the new system seem well pleased with it. AVrite and see
what Mr. Gary has to offer for 1891.
2.90.12 Wm. W. Cflt^V, Colet^aine, JVIass.
Discounts
On orders for queens.
1 liave bought the
Hearn queen that, to-
r-thpr with her bees.
took the first premium lant fall at the Detroit
Exposition. Her bees are the lightest cokredl
have seen. Anotlier season 1 sliall offer her daugh-
ters at fl.OO each, before July list. After July 1st,
single queen, $l.i 0 ; t) for S-'i.OO, I also' have 20
queens, reared last season, by Alley, from_ his
"one liundred dollar" (jneen, that I will sell at
$2.00 each. Upon all ordeis received in Dec. and
Jan., accompanied by tlie cash, I will make a
discount of ten per cent. Orders filled in rota-
tion. Make monev orders payable at Flint.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
Kogersville, Genesee Co., Mich.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BINGHAM & HETHERIN&TON
Honey \^nWes^
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, 3"2 inch.
Conqueror Smoker, .... 3
LargH Snidker, 2',4
Extra Smoker, 2
Plain Smoker 2
Little Wonder Smoker, 1'
$2.00
1.75
L.-iO
1.25
1.00
65
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, . 1.15
Upon receipt of price. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descrii)tive Circular and Tes-
timonials sent upon application.
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
-90-tf.
Abronia, Michigan.
Before placing your order for supi)lies, send
Ih cts. for a sample of my
in the flat. 7 per cent, discfinnt on Dec. and Jan.
orders. JNO. G. KUNDINGER,
12-!)0-tf Kilmanagli, Huron Co., Mich.
— Established in 1864. —
"We are now r-vinning
OUR NEW FACTORY,
The most extensive steam power factory in the
West, used exclusively for the manufacture of
Bee Su-pplies.
We make many articles not made by other
manufacturers. Dovetailed and improved Langs-
troth Simplicity hives. We can furnish, at
whole.sale or retail, everything of practical con-
struction needed in the apiary, and at the 'LtO'W-
est Price. Satisfaction guaranteed. Send
for our 40 page, illustrated, free catalogue.
E. KRETCHMER,
1-91-tf Eed Oak, Iowa.
Please mention the Reuieuf.
Utility Bee -Hive.
Unexcelled for SI MFL CITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every part
INTERCHANGEA BLE, RE VERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
change with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For infrnd^tctory prices, etc.,
address LOWRY JOHNSON,
1-91-tf Masontoiun, Pa.
(iiiiJanted:
To correspond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promi)t]v answered.
Best of reference. EARLE CLICK l-:N(ii:il.
ll-«)-tf Columbus, Ohio.-
Reference: Editor REVIEW
EXCELSIOR
INCUBATOR
SiiiipU-, IVrfcct !.n<1 Sclf-lI.jniIjitlnB.
HimdrP(iHin Biioccssfui (i[)Hr.iti'it\ (iiiar-
anteed to h.'itch a InrRPr i)t>i<-i-iitape of
fertile egsK at les^ cost tiiiii any ■ther
hatcher. Send tic. tor lUus. Catalc^ne.
^"F^^r GEO. H. STAHL, guinci 811.
THE BEE-KEEPERS^ REVIEW.
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.^_^^_^^^
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOK CATALOGUE, PBIOES, KTO.,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St . Rookford, Ills.
Pratt's FerMioii Queen Cap
Is the best shipping and introducing cage m
use Only $10.00 and $20.00 per 1,000. Sample free
to any queen breeder. It is manufactured and
for sale by C. W. COSTELLOW,
g gQ_^j Waterborough, Me.
Please mention the Reuh
Before purchasing your supplies forl891, get
get my prices and discounts. Price list free.
J. m. Hil^^i^'
Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
ll-90-6t
Please mention the Reu
Comb - Foundation.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.
"Langstroth on the Sonsy Bee. Revised "The book
for belinnors; the most complete text booK on
the subject in the English language.
Bee-Veils of Imported Material, Smokers,
Sections, Honey Pails, and Bee-
Keepers' Supplies.
Pamphlet oti "flandlitig Bees" 8 ets.
Aflvioe to beginners, circulars, samples etc.
frij Send j^fifr address on a postal card to
CHAS. DADANT & SON, HAMILTON, Illinois.
4.90-1 2t Please mention the Rewew.
Ill liKffl^E
WILL BE CALLED
The American Bee-Keeper.
The first issue wiU aPP-r J.- 1st, contaming
United states and Canada. Sample
fumiJh the best goods at lo»6.t pncen.
Are you thinking of buying a queen this year?
TRY AN ALBINO.
They can't be beaten. Send for price list.
L L. KILDOW, Sheffield, Ills.
Please mention the Review.
We are now building our new factoiT^which
-^^^?fo"ZScttr'ool"aUhe'llSp^
expect to manufacture ooa ^^^ placing
^L"oX-fo?TuipUesf^Our former address was
Douglas, OM- ,-^Y^^^^^ER BROS., ^, ^, .^
12-90-tf Ft Jennings, Putnam Co., Ohio.
ntlon the Reuiem.
'seautifuTBees^"-''''' '%¥ eye.
Good Qualities '"' ''^'pUfitable.
If you wish for bees and queens th^tjombin^
buckwheat for sale. (HAS \^^;^,^^Vlle, Md.
Please mention the Reflew.
Illustrated AdYertlseinets Attract Attention,
cuts rnrnisled tor all iUnstrating Piirpses.
VTOMOLO^a^-
~\\)c (gee-fxeepeps' jAeVieOj
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to t^e Interests of Hoqey Producers,
$1,00 A YEAR,
HUTCHlHSOri, EditoP & Pfop.
The special topic of this issue is
" Buildiqgs for the Apiary,"
That of the next issue mill be
" Separators."
COn^ESPOrlDErlGE.
Cost of a Good Shop.-Buildings Usually
Too Small.— A Symposium for
Uorresponaents,
DR. C. C. MILLER.
ff VE spent more time looking at the
^' picture on the cover than in studying
your leader. It's a gem. I mean the
1 he picture. The other isn't as good as usual.
It can't always be best.
My shop was built some seven years ago,
18x'>4 two stories and cellar, cost ^391. /O.
I don't know that it is as good as it should
be, but I don't know that I could better it if
I had it to do over again.
My honey room is a separate affair, being
an addition built to the dwelling. It's bad,
so In the course of the summer it's sure to
be filled up with things that don't belong
there, and if you have as good a wife as I
have, you'll not like to say anything. Still,
it's a pity not to have it used for something
when there is no honey in it, and it is very
handy to go into it without going out doors.
Wherever a honey room is, the one special
thine, is a floor so well supported that a train
of Tars can run over it. I don't think I
should like a honey room in a shop, it
should be on the ground floor, for it would
be a big job to carry all the honey up and
down stairs, and it should be near the roof,
so that it can have the full benefit of the heat
of the sun. So it is perhaps best to have it a
one story building, and 1 never would think
of having a shop only one story high, for the
second story costs comparatively little, and
is always needed to store m.
I don't know about your idea that a honey
room should be warm, with non-conductmg
walls It is true it would be nice to have a
place where you can keep honey through the
winter, still, your honey will generally be
out of the way before late winter, and after
it is taken from the hives it should be m a
place as hot as the sun or thin walls can
make it.
Estimate how much room you 's^iH need
and then add fifty per cent, to it. You 11
need it all.
Decidedly, put the building at one side of
the apiary. If you do much, you'll want to
drive up to it with a team.
My shop runs the longest way north and
south. On the north end, ten feet is cut off
for a work room. This has four good sized
windows,-a good bit of light for a room
10x18, but it's none too light. One window
does for the other room, and one for the
whole of the up stairs which is all in one
room. A door opens from the outside into
vA
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the middle of the east side. Immediately as
you enter, a door at the right opens into the
work room, and directly in front of you is
the stairs.
The ground slopes to the south, and you
enter the door of the cellar at the south end,
walking in on a level. An inside and an
outside door nine inches apart, four feet
wide. I would have it wider rather than
narrower. The cellar bottom is clay. Gravel
might be better. I tried a cement bottom
once, and I thought I didn't like it.
If you don't want rats to undermine the
cellar walls, dig a trench a foot deep under
the wall, that is, the bottom of the trench
will be a foot lower than the cellar bottom.
Fill the trench with small stones and grout.
No rat can gnaw through, and no rat knows
enough to dig under it.
You've had a number telling what should
be done on the part of the editor and pub-
lisher. Wouldn't it be a good idea to have
at least part of a number devoted to telling
what ought to be expected of correspond-
ents ? The editor could tell what he wants,
and perhaps that would be all that's neces-
sary.
I thank you for deposing the "we." The
figs will be entrusted to Uncle Sam. You'll
make an editor yet.
A wild idea has just struck me. If a sym-
posium could be gotten together from all
the different editors, telling what is desirable
in contributors, both in matter and manner,
also some of the things that most commonly
annoy editors, it might be a benefit to said
editors Vjy causing improvement in contri-
butions, and I am sure would make very in-
teresting reading for that large class who
have something to write — and that includes
all who keep bees.
I like your short editorial items. Do more
of it — free and easy. I like that picture on
the cover so much. I never dreamed you
could make so good a paper.
Maeengo, 111., Dec. 17, 1890,
Have a Large Building, with Cellar Tinder
It, at One Side of the Apiary.
fN laying out an apiary for even a few
hives the thing to be considered next is
to store the various " traps " as the bee
keeper usually expresses it. And in our
rambles among the fraternity we have found
such storage in all imaginable places. The
corn crib, the wood shed, the loft over the
shed, a corner in the horse barn, and the
smoke house, and when the apiary increased
the traps were distributed in several of these
places.
In some apiaries the " traps " were truly
appalling, and I opine that nearly every bee
keeper has been more or less surprised at
the accumulation of a useless pile of lumber.
In our own apiary we have been heroically
weeding out all of these accumulations, and
we think bee keepers should make more of a
study of this point, " How to get along with
the least number of ' traps.' "
The bee keeper usually builds too small.
A little tucked up building 8x10 will do very
well for a dozen swarms, but when the lawn
is covered with a hundred or more, storage
must again be sought in the various out
buildings. Our Vermont brethren set a very
good example in relation to buildings.
Many have erected commodious buildings
nearly 30x40, and two stories high, which
gives an abundance of room.
According to our idea of a building for an
apiary, in our northern climate, it is not
complete unless a cellar is provided for win-
tering, and we cannot better explain our
ideas for a building than by referring to page
61(), Vol. 1.5, Gleanings, where will be found
a diagram of a portion of our own buildings.
Our first building was a cellar 12x18,
where we stored our bees in the winter and
worked in the summer. As our apiary in-
creased two additional rooms 15x21 and
15x1.') were added. Then a shop was to be
added 15x25, but has not up to the present
time. The modifications we would make in
our house if we were to build again is the
enlargement of every room except the shop,
and instead of using an expensive engine, I
think a Barnes foot power would be ample
to do our sawing. The various supplies can
now be purchased at such slight advance
over the mere cost of the lumber that it will
not pay to put in expensive machinery for
the purpose. Another point overlooked by
myself and several bee keepers, is a proper
roadway to the very doors of the building.
This can hardly be accomplished if the
building is in the center of the apiary. We
would, therefore, for this reason, if for no
other, have our building upon the extreme
edge of the apiary. Another extremely
handy feature in a building is to have the
main doors quite large to admit the wheeling
in on a barrow of the various articles to and
from the yard and house. Another conven-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
ience, especially on the windows of the room
for honey storage, is tight board bliuds.
Ours are made of ^ inch ceiling, and our
building can be closed up as dark as a cellar,
which cannot be accomplished with Venetian
blinds. With tight blinds only one window
in the entire building needs to be supplied
with a bee escape.
If the building is used for rendering wax,
melting candied honey, and performing sev-
eral other operations where much water is
required, a cistern is a very handy append-
age, saving much travel to and from a dis-
tant well or spring. Where the grounds are
laid out tastefully and flowers are cultivated,
running water is a desideratum.
And even i-f we did not cultivate flowers
in the yard we would cultivate a pretty vine
over a door or window. To beautify with
flowers of a bright color is restful to the eye.
A barrel sawn in two and half of it filled
with various colored geraniums in the center
of our yard, was an attraction and pleasure
to our eyes all summer.
One more point, what color shall we paint
our house ? I have found them painted all
colors. Allowing me to express my opinion,
a red and white is the most detestable, but
an all white, or a light drab with dark trim-
mings, looks well with the surrounding hives
if they are painted the same color.
A tasteful apiary and a pretty house adds
much to the reputation of the bee keeper,
and will attract trade, while the Slovenish
and unkempt surroundings will drive it away.
Rambles.
Have Only One Building, and at the Side of
the Apiary. — Have Doors and Windows
Slide. — Keep Up the Discussion
of Special Topics.
OHAS. H. GEEEN.
[RIEND Hutchinson. — In a brief uotica
I will endeavor to describe such a
building as I prefer for use for an
apiary at the home yard. I would have but
one building and that large enough for work
shop and store room. One building can be
built cheaper than two or three small ones,
and is much handier. As to size, one must
be governed by the extent of the business,
the same as the farmer would be in building
a barn to store his crops. It should be two
stories high, and, on the lower floor, I would
partition off a room as large as is needed for
an extracting room and place to store comb
honey. There should be one window in this
room and that should have only one sash
and made to slide to one side. The outside
of this window should be covered by a wire
screen extending above the window six or
eight inches and held out bee-space by strips
of wood. I would have but one door to this
room and that a slide door opening into the
other part of the building.
The balance of the space below may be
left in one room, which is for a work shop
and supply room. The room above is also
used for storing supplies. I would have
sliding doors wherever any doors were need-
ed, and all windows arranged on the same
plan as described above, and the building
made bee and mouse proof as far as possible.
I would locate the building at one side of
the apiary, and, if possible, so it would not
obstruct the view from the house.
I would have this building large enough to
store all supplies from out apiaries that
need to be housed. In locating out apiaries
I have been fortunate in having some build-
ing or shed near by where I could store a
few supjilies and which afforded protection
in case of a storm. If a person is producing
extracted honey in the out apiaries, a tent,
such as is used by E. France, would suit me
best, I think.
Last fall I built a bee cellar cave at one of
my apiaries and I expect this to answer all
purposes that a building would be used for.
For a place to store extracted honey I now
prefer a cellar, and I usually take it there
the same day it is extracted. The casks are
filled as full as it is possible to get them and
sealed air tight at once. I have a good cellar
under my dwelling which answers my pur-
pose very well.
Now just one word of praise for the Re-
view in closing. While its title is perhaps
somewhat misleading, the special topic fea-
ture is just what suits me ; for, in the busy
season, when I have but little time to read,
I often find it very convenient to refer to ;
for, in one No., I am able to get the views of
several of the most successful honey pro-
ducers, on a subject which, perhaps, at that
time, would be of the greatest importance to
me ; while, perhaps, it would be best to de-
vote a greater part of the journal to extracts,
I think I would still retain a corner where
special topics may be discussed each month.
Waukesha, W'is., .Jan. 1, 1891.
[The discussion of some special topic will
always remain the prominent feature of the
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Review, so long as topics can be found that
are worthy of such discussion, and it does
not seem that there need be any apprehen-
sion upon this score. — Ed.]
Why Separators Increased the Yield — 3est
Weight for Foundation and Widths for
Sections. — Working Bees to Death.
C. W. DAYTON.
^j|?N replying to your foot notes to my arti-
5w) cle on page 215, the reason I did not ex-
""^^ plain more in detail my experiments
with foundation and separators, was because
when the arrangement of the brood chamber
had been explained the article was as lengthy
as I care to read.
In each of my experiments care was taken
to have the conditions of each colony alike ;
but there were numerous other things to in-
terfere with the test besides " were the bees
allowed their liberty ? could they gather any
honey ? " etc., which you ask.
None of the colonies were confined ; nor
could they find honey to gather, but were
arranged in darkened rooms where they
must travel a long distance, on foot, to reach
the open air, and the feed was placed along
the route. In time these bees that had not
much brood to care for remained contented-
ly at work and flew out very little.
There is a vast difference in the comb
building and honey storing qualities of dif-
ferent colonies ; also the disposition to work.
Some colonies would not work with so little
as one or two combs of brood, while another
having not any brood would astonish by its
work. It seemed worth while to have one
colony draw foundation and another fill it
with honey. Often a colony will work vig-
orously for a time and then utterly refuse to
labor at all.
The foot notes say "these statements ap-
pear very unreasonable without a more com-
plete explanation," as " arguments have
been that separators lessen the honey yield "
while, in my experiments, they increased the
yield.
There are two ways to understand this
point.
It is well known that bees with several
combs of brood are loth to go behind parti-
tions to work upon foundation. Having
one comb of brood in the center or one on
each side and the sections sandwiched be-
tween them there is so small loafing space
that the sections are always occupied. If
the combs in a colony are put an inch apart,
the space will be filled with comb even in a
dearth of honey, and it is the same with the
sections if they are arranged to occupy the
center of the hive.
Separators increased the amount of honey
obtained by preventing the leugthening of
the honey cells after the wax in the founda-
tion had been used.
Probably 'J-feet-to-the-pound foundation
is drawn into cells about one-half inch deep ;
this produces comb one inch thick. Heavier
foundation may cause deeper cells and thick-
er comb, but the base also remains thicker
so that 9-feet-to-the-pouud produces as much
"fish bone" as consumers care to buy.
The most economical width of sections is
that which, when the foundation has been
drawn and tilled with honey, will be full
enough to cap, and the combs are not capped
until they approach within a bee space of
each other or there come^ a dearth of honey.
My expariments point toward a trifle less
than 7-to-the-foot sections with separators,
and 9-to-the-foot sections without separators,
and I prefer separators because it renders
the section a better protection to the comb.
In the case of thick combs considerable
quantity of wax is literally piled upon the
short cells next to the wood which is not the
case with the lighter comb.
Some of my deductions were made from
feeding honey of different kinds and colors ;
the amount required to draw out the founda-
tion ; to fill the same with honey ; and how
much to have the comb extended and filled
with honey ; and how much to cap : and the
periods of building were measured lineally
by the different color of honey or comb.
It took about 1% pounds of feed to get %
pound of honey in sections with separators.
Where the separators were left off it took
more than 2^., pounds of feed for II4 pounds
of honey in the sections. There was thirty
per cent margin in the first case but none in
the last.
The experiment was tried to find a way to
work to death the great force of bees ratlier
than brimstone them in the fall.
We had no honey in my locality, conse-
quently the hosts of brood and bees which
had been raisui became idlers and consum-
ers if a way was not found to utilize them.
Clinton, Wis., Dec. 2i), 1890.
[If I understand the matter, the use of
separators enabled friend Dayton to place
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the sectious in the center of the hive, where
work was performed more expeditiously and
better results secured.— Ed. 1
A Good Building Saves One-Half tl e Labor.
— How One was Built.
E. p. GIBBS.
?^^0\V to build a building for use at an
apiary, is a subject that has given
me no small amount of thought ;
and, because 1 did not feel able to build such
a one as I thought I woald like, I did not
build any for a long time after I saw the
need of one, but used a part of a barn for a
shop and stored and scraped houey in tl.e
dwelling, but it was very incon\ enieut and
caused a large amount of extra labor. I got
along in this way until the fall of 1889, when
I concluded if I could not build oue as I
wanted it I would build something ; and, as
I have been largely benefited in the past by
the experience of others given in the bee
journals, I will give you my ideas in regard
to a house for the apiary.
My apiary is situated about fifteen rods
back from the road, and back of my otlier
buildings, and tlie honey house is situated in
oue corner of the apiary. This location I
think preferable for several reasons. First,
I can take in at one view the whole apiary ;
next, I can drive to the building at any time
with a te;im for the purpose of unloading
supplies or taking them away or loading
honey from the house for the purpose of
marketing it.
The building is 12x24 with 14-foot posts.
The roof is given a pitch between }{ and 3^,
and the collar beams are run up on the
rafters so that we have nine feet in the clear
in the center of the room up stairs, and this
we use as store room for hives, supplies, or
anything we wish to put up there. The
space below is eight feet in the clear and
divided into two rooms ; the larger one is
12x14, used for a shop. The smaller is used
for a store room for honey or for putting
together sectious, and is 10x12 less the stair-
way, which is three feet, and we get what
room there is under the stairs to store things
in. The larger room has three windows and
one door and the smaller room two windows
and one door. Up st;iirs we have one win-
dow in each end and two frieze windows on
the south side. All windows and doors are
provided with screens and bee escapes.
The frame of the building is what is called
balloon, studded up and down with 2x4
studding. Sheeting is put upon these and
I)aper on the sheeting, and the whole is
covered with drop siding, which makes it
almost frost proof. It is lathed and plastered
two coats on inside, and painted two coats
of lead paint on outside. The chimney
comes down into the lower rooms at the par-
tition, and there is a flue for stovepipe in
each room, also one up stairs. There is no
cellar, but the building is underpinned with
stone.
Now this does first rate, and it seems as
though it lessened our work for the apiary
one-half.
But now you say, if you were to build
again, how would you change it ? Well, in
the first place, if I were certain that I could
make a cellar that would not freeze, I would
put a cellar under the whole of the building.
Next, I would make it fourteen feet wide,
and if I had plenty of money, sixteen feet
wide, and then I think I would give the roof
>2 pitch, and get a little more room under
the rafters. It is hardly possible to have too
much room to store hives, frames, cases, etc.
Lyndon, 111., Dec. 23, 1890.
Buildings for the Apiary.— A Few Odd
Points Concerning Them.
.JAMES HEDDON.
MNOWING full well that the kind of
buildings and the way I should ar-
' range them would likely be different
in different climates and different localities,
and in the production of different kinds of
honey ; that is, comb or extracted, I will
leave to others, if they wish, the outlining of
details of everything, and only attempt to
mention a few points, which are dear to me,
having been used by me during about a
quarter of a century's experience in honey
production.
In the first place, build all of your build-
ings about double the capacity you expect to
need. Put your honey house and shop,
whether they be two separate buildiigs or
both in one, at the side of your apiary, never
in the center. Thon you or your help can
watch the swarms much easier. The south
side of your apiary is best, so that, in over-
looking your bees you will have the northern
sky for a back-ground. It will also be shady
on the apiary side of your building. Make
to
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
your honey house mouse-tight, and make a
good building if you arc able. Mine is lined
on the inside with tightly matched basswood
and painted i)ure white. This aids us greatly
as regards light. The outside weather-
boarding is what is called drop-siding, it
being all ''s of ii" i"ch thick, and this wall is
filled with dry sawdust, solid full clear up to
the second story and shoved back as far as
we could between the ceiling and floor of
the upper room. Build two stories if you
can, if not, at least 1 Sj stories, (or this room
up stairs will be ever so handy for storing
away stuff. Ours is full nearly all the time,
and kept in perfect order. My honey house
is 18xH0, two stories, with an eight-foot-deep
stone cellar under the entire building. In
this cellar I have a stove in one end, parti-
tioned off with a board partition, which
serves the double purpose of warming up
the bee repository in winter, and of melting
honey. I have a coil of inch gas pipe in the
top of it which runs three and one-half times
around on the inside of the stove, one end
running up through the floor on one side,
and the other the same on the other side of
the stove, both being tightly connected with
a large galvanized pan, or tank, wliich sets
on the floor in the honey house. ( )ver this I
have a box. I can raise the lid of this box
and place fourteen ,58-pound cans of honey
in the tank of water, and this water goes
down through the pipe S^o times around in
the stove, and back up again, in a constant,
slow current. I can build a fire in the stove
in the cellar, when it gets well going throw
in a chunk of wood, close the stove tight,
and come back the next day and find my
candied honey all beautifully liquified, with
no frothing, no discoloration and no change
of flavor. The whole arrangement cost me
about $25 or t|;50, and it is worth more than
that to me every season, for reliquifying
honey, alone.
I have four (piite large windows in the
honey house, each in one sash, and the sash
is hung on center i)ivots at the center of Ihe
top and bottom, so that the window will re-
volve around horizontally. Outside is a wire
cloth bay, in which the outer half of the
window revolves. This keeps out all bees,
and if any do get in, I can revolve them
right into the bay, which has a pencil hole
in the top, and the bees soon leave and none
ever get back. We can have all the ventila-
tion we want without any trouble from bees
or flies.
All my door and pad-locks are spring locks.
We never have time to stop to lock a door.
It takes time enough to unlock it. That is
another little thing that will save its cost in
a single season's operations. We keep a
high board fence with two strands of barbed
wire around the top, around both of our
apiaries, because we do not propose to tempt
sneak thieves. I consider it a moral duty to
keep everything securely out of the reach of
the morally weak. Of course we have wire
screen doors at each end of the honey house
with an automatic arrangement to open and
shut them, without touching them when we
are passing through with a load.
These are all the points I think of just at
present, and probably quite enough from
one correspondent.
DowAGiAc, Mich., Dec. 24, 1890.
Full Sheets of Foundation Preferable.
B. L. TAYLOK.
f CANNOT as yet accept the notion that
more honey can be produced by allow-
ing starters only, in the brood chamber.
I do not mean by that that I question the
correctness of the accounts of the few experi-
ments that have been made in this direction,
but I am unable to accept their sufficiency
as final proof on the point. The experiments
are too few to establish a conclusion, and
reason points all the other way. I think no
one will deny that in years of scarcity, like
the last, swarms put on full sheets of foun-
dation make very much more progress than
those compelled to build their own comb.
But it may be said that such years are ex-
ceptional, and that in ordinary seasons the
wax necessary to make the brood combs is
involuntarily produced and in the absence
of empty brood frames is wasted. So far as
I have been able to observe, all the indica-
tions tend to show that this notion is without
foundation, and that a lack of emi)ty combs
for the storage of honey and not a good
honey flow alone is the chief reason for an
abundant wax secretion. It is not an unusual
thing to see the bottom boards of hives into
which swarms have been put on empty
frames nearly covered with the unused wax
scales wasted on account of the too rapid
production induced Ijy the haste of the bees
to provide comb room. I have never seen
this phenomenon in the case of hives filled
with foundation. Then the festoons of quiet
bees so familiar to all old bee keepers seen
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ii
wherever wax production is undertaken
largely are seen to a very limiled extent if at
all in hives fully supplied with foundation.
These facts and their corollaries which each
one can deduce for himself, lead ine to con-
tinue to hold for the present that more honey
will be produced when frames and sections
are tilled with foundation.
But granting that the experiments referred
to disclose the truth in the matter with re-
spect to the advantages of using starters only
in brood frames, there are other facts upon
which at present I feel safe in resting a con-
clusion to use full sheets of foundation.
Some of these are the following : Combs
built from starters are not uniformly all
worker, even under the most favorable con-
ditions ; nor are they uniformly straight, and
they always lack more of tilling the frames
than do those built from full sheets of foun-
dation.
These facts might not be very serious if
the combs were to be used only for the year,
but they are to be used indefinitely, and the
question presents itself what will be the effect
on the honey harvest, the following year, of
the smaller combs and the increased (luauti-
ty of drone comb ? Will not the disadvan-
tage here more than offset every supposed
previous advantage ? Some one may say
cut out the drone comb. But every one
knows who has tried it that in ninety-nine
cases in one hundred if left in the same hive
it will be replaced by the same kind of comb.
Of course the more defective coml)S may be
replaced by good ones, but in that case the
disadvantage will be learned to the serious
discomfort of the manipulator. A crooked
comb is in itself no great disadvantage so
long as all the others in the hive accommo-
date themselves to it l)y crooking in like
manner, but a rub comes when it is attempt-
ed to change places with the combs either in
the same hive or from different hives.
I tried the plan of using starters one sea-
son extensively and know whereof I speak,
at least so far as my own bees are concern( d.
It is no small labor to sort and straighten
such combs, and it is generally so inconven-
ient to do it when it ought to be done that
it is more than likely to be neglected.
I do not wish to be understood as intimat-
ing that a very large quantity of drone comb
is to be looked for in each hive, but enough
to be troublesome in from two to four combs
amounting in all to a piece from the size of
the hand to one and a half new Heddon
frames, nor that many of the combs will be
found very crooked, but that few will be en-
tirely straigiit, and that very many will be
such that unless they are straightened they
must always be kept in the order in which
they were Ijuilt to prevent interference.
Again, granting the advantage claimed in
using starters only, it is to bo remembered
that that advantage is to be had only once in
a (juarter of a century, /. c, the combs thus
T)roduced are to be used thereafter for twen-
ty-five years. Will it pay, for the sake of
the temporary advantage, to be compelled
to straighten and perfect the combs, or be
put to the inconvenience of using imperfect
and often practically non-interchangeable
combs for so long a period when it is re-
membered that at best they can hardly be
made first class ? It requires but a short
time comparatively for the apiarist who
produces honey, not bees, for sale, to secure
as many colonies as he desires ; when no
more bees are wanted no more combs are
required. It needs but a small profit from
each of the succeeding twenty-five years to
wipe out that which is supposed to accrue
from using starters in the first. If one
counts time, labor, the greater number of
workers and the less number of drones, will
he not easily secure it V From the stand-
point of my own experience I do not hesi-
tate to say that perfect combs secured only
from full sheets of foundation will yield the
required amount of increase in profit be-
sides solid satisfaction and convenience.
Lapeeb, Mich., Dec. 3, 1890.
Advantages of Foundation. — If Used Light
no Wax Secretion is Wasted. — Some
Very Practical Ideas.
J. A. QBEEN.
IRIEND H.— When you first brought
before the public your theory that
^**'^ there was an advantage in allowing or
compelling bees to build their brood combs
without foundation, except in the shape of a
narrow starter, it seemed quite plausible to
me. I had noticed that at times the pro-
duction of wax seemed to be greater than
was required for the combs being built, and
thought perhaps you were right and that we
had been overdoing the matter of assisting
the bees in their labors.
Surely, if I could save the cost of the
foundation I had been using in the brood
li
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
chamber, and at the same time increase my
crop of marketable honey, it was worth
trying.
So I filled a number of frames with half
inch starters and prepared to take advantage
of the new departure.
Somehow, though, it didn't seem to work
as it ought to, and before long I found my-
self scraping out these narrow starters from
the remnant of that lot of frames and put-
ting full sheets of foundation on wires in
their place. I was led thus to return to my
old practice by several considerations.
Granting that bees sometimes seem to
work with greater zeal when allowed to build
their own combs (though this is not by any
means always the case), it does not necessa-
rily follow that it is always profitable to allow
them to do so.
■\Vhen all the products of the colony are
counted up it may turn out that a gain in
one direction is counterbalanced by a loss in
another.
I consider combs one of the most valuable
products of the apiary. I have never had
more than I could use profitably, and for
several years I have been obliged to get
along with a much less number than I would
like. Considering them in the light of an
important part of my working capital — al-
most in the light of tools — I think it profit-
able to have them of the best quality. A
sheet of all-worker comb, straight and fiat
as a board, filling a well braced wired frame
clear to the bottom and corners, is much
more valuable than the average comb which
the bees build for themselves. I use frames
at fixed distances, with narrow spacing,
therefore I want my combs straight. For a
variety of reasons I want my combs built on
wire, and this is not practicable without full
sheets of foundation. I do not want the top
bars to sag, giving room for unnecessary
and vexatious brace combs, and as I want
thin top bars, I must wire and brace them,
I do not want any bees to raise a lot of
useless consumers, and I want to have some
control over the drones raised for breeding.
Last season I bought a lot of brood combs
from one of the principal advocates of let-
ting the bees build their own combs, and
the majority of them contained more or less
drone comb — some so much as to unfit them
for use in the brood chamber.
Above all, I want to be able to hive a
swarm with the full assurance that without
any further looking after the hive will be
speedily filled with straight, strong, all
worker combs.
I do not think it profitable to use very
heavy foundation. The foundation I use in
the brood chamber is very light — not much
heavier than that used in the sections. To
complete it the bees are obliged to add a
great deal of their own wax. In the sections,
of course, only the thinnest foundation is
used, and in building out the combs and
capping them I think the bees find use for
all the wax they will produce under ordinary
conditions.
If bees during a honey flow produce wax
whether they have any use for it or not, one
would suppose that colonies run for extract-
ed honey where they have no use for wax
except in capping cells, would be the ones to
show most the plethora of wax, but this is
not the case. If given plenty of room they
actually seem to begrudge the time and wax
required to cap the honey. Some successful
producers do not allow the honey to be cap-
ped at all, but the bees do not seem to be
troubled with surplus wax. It is only when
bees have more honey than they can readily
find room for. that they secrete wax to any
extent. If it is a " physical necessity " for
bees to secrete wax when gathering honey,
it ought to be a physical necessity for a cow
or other mammal to secrete milk when well
fed. We know that this is not so. The
secretion begins only when nature requires
it, and the secretion of wax by the bee is
probably only as required.
We cannot afford to dispense with founda-
tion in the sections and it must be in full
sheets, too. If of proper thinness, not one
in a hundred could tell the difference be-
tween it and natural comb. In fact, some
of the thickest and toughest comb I ever ate
was made entirely by the bees. At one time
I followed the plan of having full sheets of
foundation drawn out in the brood chamber,
then cut up and put into sections. I thought
it was drawn out somewhat thinner than
when the foundation was placed directly in
the sections, thus permitting the use of
heavier foundation, and this freshly drawn
foundation sometimes had a wonderful
effect in getting the bees at work in the
sections and facilitating their labors. There
is too much work about this plan for the
professional or for anyone with more than a
few colonies, and I doubt if the extra labor
is profitable, anyhow, unless with a few sec-
tions in each hive. If I wanted to get the
THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW,
IS
largest possible yield of comb honey from a
single hive, I would have another colony
draw out all its foundation. This would
perhaps be hardly fair, as it would put the
colony a long way toward the position of
one storing honey in empty combs for ex-
tracting. Do you say, " Why not have the
foundation drawn out in advance of the
regular harvest by feeding, or during dull
times in the summer and kept over?"
Well, jast because the process needs to be a
continuous one to secure anything like the
best results with it. If there is an interval
of only a week or two between the drawing
out and filling with honey these starters are
little if any better than fresh foundation,
and if they are kept for several mouths they
are not nearly as good. It is possible that
the system can be made profitable just in
advance of the honej harvest, but the man
with his hundreds of colonies would find it a
gigantic undertaking to attempt to supply
all with such starters, though a few for
" baits " in the first super would not be very
hard to supply, and they are the best things
for the purpose.
In regard to Alley's " fact " on which you
comment in "Extracted," isn't he the one
that claims that there is no danger of races
intermixing if they are kept half a mile
(perhaps he said a mile) apart? See? Of
course under such conditions Italians will
turn black in a black neighborhood and
Carniolans yellow in an Italian neighbor-
hood. Perhaps I haven't given the subject
the "study and serious thought" that the
editor of the .4pi. has, but I know that the
races will intermix if kept four miles apart.
Dayton. 111., Dec. 4, 1890.
Criticisms of Mr. Hasty's Experiment.— How
and When Wax is Secreted.
CHAS. DADANT.
^HEN, in 1885, I read in Glean-
ings the article of Mr. Hasty, in
which he tried to prove that a
pound of beeswax cost the bees less than
three pounds of honey, my first thought was
to demonstrate the flaw in his experiments ;
but, after reflection, I was hindered by the
idea that, as I am in the foundation business
some would think that my answer was dic-
tated by selfishness. Our revision of the
Langstroth book had not been published yet.
But now, as in this book, page 4;^1, para-
graphs 753 to 75G, we advise the beginners to
produce extracted honey instead of comb
honey, and, as this advice is opposed to our
own interests, since the combs used to pro-
duce extracted honey can be used indefinite-
ly, while the wax of comb honey is destroyed
and must be replaced, I feel free to criticize
these experiments without incurring the ac-
cusation of supporting " a venerable false-
hood " for our " self interest."
I desire to say to Mr. Hasty that I am not
one of the "' wise men " who wrote in the
American bee books that beeswax costs the
bees twenty pounds of honey, since he can
read in our Langstroth revised, page 101,
paragraph 223, that, from the experiments
made by Mr. Viallon, in the U. S., and Mr.
DeLayens, in France, it seems that, in good
circumstances, bees use only seven pounds
of honey to produce a pound of wax.
Mr. Hasty says : " In fact I am not sure
that thick honey declines in weight any more
in being transformed into wax than molasses
in being transformed into candy. Why
should it ?"
Such a sentence shows in my opponent
very little knowledge of the science of chem-
istry, for, while such candy is but dried
molasses, beeswax is no more honey than
the fat of a hog is corn ; both having been
chemically transformed by the digestion.
Honey is not as dry as corn, yet Mr. Hasty
has never seen the weight of a pig increased
100 lbs. after the pig had eaten 100 or even
300 lbs. of corn ; the chemical transforma-
tion performed in the stomach being impos-
sible without waste.
Now I will examine the experiments, which
seem to you, Mr. Editor, the most satisfac-
tory.
Mr. Hasty weighed the hive containing a
swarm every morning before the exit of bees,
and every night after their return from the
field. It was in July, when the days last
sixteen hours and the nights eight hours only,
and he concludes that the difference in
weight gives the weight of the honey used in
building combs.
But he forgets to notice that a bee that
starts from the hive in the morning, and
comes back as soon as her sack is filled,
being unable to find empty cells in the
empty hive, remained idle for twelve or
fifteen hours, digesting her honey, getting
rid of the water contained in it and of the
excrements after digestion.
Then, if bees consume 2J-2 ozs. of honey
during the eight hours of a July night, as
ii
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
their stomachs work during twenty-four
hours, they consume really three times 2}^
.ozs. or 73i ozs. in the twenty-four hours.
Then the experiments of Mr. Hasty confirm
those of Messrs. Viallon and De Layens,
who found about 7 lbs., instead of contra-
dicting them.
In your article of Nov. 10 you quote Mr.
Heddon, who wrote : " A clear understand-
ing of the works of evolution, must, I think,
convince one that, where, for ages, comb
building has, from necessity, gone hand in
hand with honey gathering, the secretion of
wax has become a ' jihysical necessity,' and,
if we do not give room and opportunity for
comb building, material for that purpose is
wasteiv" yet, for fifteen years or more, we
have not given our bees either room or op-
portunity for comb building, and, like Dr.
Miller, we have never seen this material
wasted. Our bees seem to have enough
room and opportunity in lengthening and
capping I he cells of the combs used to get
our extracted honey.
Such a result can be easily explained.
Nobody can contest that beeswax is a fatty
substance, i)roduced as the fat of animals,
although it serves for another purpose, and
that this fat is produced by conditions about
identical : viz., plenty of food, wasmth and
rest.
When we hive a swarm in an empty box
the bees conglomerate in groups, to keep
warm, and digest the contents of their honey
sacs to produce wax.
You write also : " When feeding back
honey to secure the completion of unfinished
sections, we have noticed that the bees of a
colony that has been fed lavishly for a week
or two show an abundance of large wax
scales, and that they soon begin to daub the
wax upon the wood-work of the sections and
cases, and upon the inside of the feeder.
We have seen the latter completely be-
plastered with wax."
This fact shows not only that bees do not
get rid of their scales of wax by throwing
them away, but it proves also my theory, not
yours. The bees thus "lavishly" fed were
able to get honey without any work to do.
They were in the same conditions as animals
fattened in the stable.
But it is not the same when bees go over
the fields to gather honey. They do not
make any more wax than a horse, well fed,
working every day in the field, accumulates
fat on his ribs. Of course, bees working
from flower to flower do not need to make
wax as long as they find room in the combs ;
l)ut as soon as all the combs are full, the
workers are compelled to wait, they remain
idle, digesting the honey accumulated in
their sack*, and this surplus of food is
changed into wax, as the food given to ani-
mals destined for the butcher is changed
into fat.
As to the bee keepers having gone " foun-
dation crazy." When Father Langstroth
invented his hive the more progressive bee
keepers sent their old box hives to the wood
pile, while the old conservatives criticised
the hive and its admirers. Please tell me
which of them was the most "crazy?" It
is the same with comb foundation. You
give a swarm a hive full of foundation, at
an expense of thirty or forty cents, since the
wax, of which the foundation is made, is
not destroyed. If the next day gives honey
your swarm will gather several times enough
to pay for the expense. Besides, all your
combs will be straight, and the bees will not
build drone combs.
The demand for foundation is increasing,
(we know it, since our sales from 59.000 lbs.
in 1889 have reached 84,500 in 1890), and this
demand proves that those who are " crazy "
about foundation are of the same stock as
those who were called "crazy" by the too
conservative bee keepers thirty years ago.
Hamilton, 111., Dec. 27, 1890.
Early Experiments with Foundation.— Ad-
vantages of Wires.— Hiving Swarms on
Starters.— Value of a Review.
JAMES HEDDON.
<^W£ T one time, C. O. Perrine, well re-
a^) membered by our older honey pro-
ducers, owned the first made and only
practical comb foundation machine in this
country. While in his hands and while he
was anxiously experimenting with its pro-
duct, he loaded his satchel with it and came
to my apiary here, and stayed five days to
watch the work of the bees upon it, and
when reluctantly compelled to return to his
home in Chicago, left the matter in my
charge, and from that day until the present
time has the comb foundation problem been
one of great interest to me. The next sea-
son I put the use of foundation, both as
guides and full sheets, into practical use in
both of my apiaries, but soon abandoned its
use in full sheets in brood frames, because
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
15
of no method known at that time by which
we could hold the sheets straight and in the
center of the frames while the bees were
drawing out the cells. Quite a number of
other bee keepers had " no difficulty in get-
ting perfect combs " without the use of
wires (not then thought of) by simply hang-
ing the foundation from the top bars. We
couldn't do it, and for same very mysterious
reason no one claims nor tries to do it now.
It was likely all a question of what we con-
sidered " perfect " combs. But finally one
of our New York brothers (I think it was)
devised the use of wires to hold full sheets
in true position while the bees transformed
foundation into comb^, and then we were
all right — the use of full sheets saving the
bees so much expense and hard work would
add greatly to our annual profits. But,
somehow, it didn't add. We could plainly
feel the added expense, but we could not
count with any certainty on realizing the
added profit.
From what we knew of the laws of evolu-
tion, we hatched up the theory as stated by
our editor in his leader in the November
Review. Still, for a long time, we could not
let go of our former devotion to full sheets,
and really, we have never used other than
full combs or full sheets of foundation, ex-
cept for experiment, up to the present time.
The reason is that we have always had one
or the other on hand, made several years
ago. We now have at least 125 sets of rever-
sible frames (eight to the set) filled complete
with full sheets of Given comb foundation,
made and pressed into the wires right in the
frames ; and, right here, in relation to age
deteriorating foundation, let me say that I
consider these frames of foundation worth
just as much as the day they were made, but
when I use them it will be in supers for the
extractor. Of course I would not use them
at all if I had not them on hand, for you
know I much prefer another style of frame
and super. For super use I consider these
frames of foundation practically frames of
comb. In forty-eight hours, at a time when
honey is coming in very slowly, at that,
when the time of the l)ees is of no special
value to me, these frames will be transform-
ed into perfectly straight, all worker combs.
But to return to the use of full sheets of
foundation for the brood chamber, upon
which to hive swarms, I am now in accord
with the theory put forward in your valuable
little book, " Production of Comb Honey."
All who wish to get down to the bottom of
this subject, should carefully read that book.
I find your experiments unique and conclu-'
sive. The subject is a most important one,
as it aims directly at our dollar and cent
success. During all that time that 1 be-
lieved full sheets of foundation to be a wise
investment to place in brood chambers, in
which to hive swarms, I always did maintain,
and do still, that for use as guides, in the
brood frames, and sections as well, it is
worth |5.00 per lb. We couldn't do without
it, that is all.
Just here I wish to say that when we aban-
don its use as a material, and retain it for a
guide, the narrower pieces we use the better.
The reason is obvious — the narrower the
piece the better it will stay in position while
the bees are at work upon it. I would rather
have a strip in my brood frames three or
four cells wide, than two or three inches
wide, at the same price. Well I have said
enough for one essayist, and will leave some
other points to be better said by others.
I have just read what Dr. C. C. Miller says
about the Review reviewing. I am glad he
hit you. That is just what I contemplated
when I expected to start the Review, Make
the paper $1.00 or $5.00, but give us the
wheat separated from the chaff of all the
bundles and shooks of the entire preceeding
month. That is what I call a review. If
you will do this you will save me ten dollars
worth of labor every year. I could then
keep up with the times whether I took any
other bee journal or not. Yes, as Dr. Miller
says, you are a good reviewer, not only be-
cause you have the literary ability as the
Doctor intimates, but have proven yourself
a money making honey producer. That is
the main point, in my estimation,
DowAGiAC, Mich., Dec. 4, 1890.
Where the Review Circulates.— How Jour-
nals can Lead Their Readers.—
Impartial Editors.
SAMUEL. CUSHMAN.
IRIEND Hutchinson :— The Review re-
ceived and its contents read. I will
not say what I think of it ; I fear to do
so, thinking there may be a great deal of
truth in what you say in your explanations
on page 218 about " How a journal will im-
prove after you begin corresponding for it."
If my article appearing in it has had such
an effect upon my appreciation of its con-
ie
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
tents and appearance. 1 think I have never
fally understood myself. But there is an-
other reason why I fear to do so. I think
the humblest and niont self esteem lacking of
all editors would get a little conceited if
everybody sent him such complimentary let-
ters. Not that I object to conceit, by any
means. The more a man has the better,
and the greater his chances of success, if he
can succeed in not showing it to others, but
there's the difficulty.
I must take exceptions to a part of your
explanations. I did not say that you had
taken especial pains to secure correspon-
dents whose ideas were in accord with your
own, and did not intend to give that idea. I
intended to say that men differing in some
of their ideis with those "who stand by the
Review and help make it what it is," do not
care to send in their views on the other side
and be in the minority, and then after the
discussion, and upon the dismission of the
•topic, see the weight of the editor's opinion
given against them. In other words, no one
likes to stand up wlien they are sure to be
knocked down. Further discussion has
seemed to be oat of order in the next num-
ber as the space is needed for the next topic.
This has a strong tendency to shut up all
who do not thiuk the same as these regular
contributors previously mentioned. Right
here I would say that I somewhat doubt the
advisibility of giving your own decision,
after all is in, unless you wish to keep the
subject open in future numbers.
Do I understand you to say in the last
paragraph that the Review is a local journal
and seeks for its principal support from
subscribers in the central and northern parts
of the U. S. and in Canada, and therefore
the views of some of the most extensive and
experienced producers in the world, those in
New York State, as well as a few in Vermont
and those in the South and on the Pacific
Coast are not therefore as valuable to your
readers ?
If so, then I must admit that part of my
article is settled, but I hope you don't mean
that, and would remark that Mr. Ernest
Root has of late realized more than ever
that New York men know considerable,
though many years have passed since the
ideas recently adopted by him were new.
To make it clear I repeat, I think that not
only do bee keepers in the East, South and
West, but those in the Central Northern
States, who, on many subjects, have differ-
ent views from you and those of the majority
of your regular contributors feel in spite of
your cordial invitations, that it is wisdom
for them to keep out.
As to the one-sidedness of contributions, I
can attribute much of this to the reaction
caused by other bee editors in the past hav-
ing gone so far the other way. If I had
favored the closed-end frame hive for the
past ten years and read a certain journal
meanwhile, and several years ago had started
a bee journal, I should at once have called
out all the closed end frame writers possible,
not because I wanted to be unfair or push
that frame and not give any other a fair
chance, but to help counteract the one-sided
writings ' and teachings that had thus far
appeared before the majority of the bee
keepers of the country. All these years the
most extensive producers that used hanging
frames have opposed the bevel joints or
edges, and other features of a much adver-
tised hive, that only beginners that knew no
better would as a rule use.
The journal that pushed it had the largest
circulation, and perhaps the majority of its
readers looked upon the bee keeping world
through no other source. It almost had a
monopoly.
It could lead the ideas of the bulk of its
subscribers and start beginners with what
was decided upon, no matter what the lead-
ing apiarists thought. We know that an
editor whose paper has a large circulation
can start the hive fashions, boom any new
fixture, overwhelm its readers with attract-
ively written and illustrated articles in favor
of them, and follow one with another in
such quick succession that the average bee
keeper is carried away in spite of himself.
Or the opposite may be done : articles not in
favor of certain things may be laid on the
shelf so long that they lose interest, or may
be used separately one by one, and without
plain illustrations, and thus give no strong
impression.
After the editor of a certain journal deci-
ded to come over in favor of the closed end
frame hive we saw how quickly its influence
was felt among bee keepers.
I have used the Hoffman frame since 1879,
and from an idea received from Mr. Alley I
widened my top bars in 1885 to 1% inches
wide. It makes a grand frame but somehow
it has not yet been shown up or illustrated
in any journal in a way to suit me. Now if I
were to become the editor of a new journal
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
n
I naturally would make a special call to all
usiug the Hoffmau frame to write for it, and
would illustrate it in the very best manner.
I should do all I could that bee keepers
might have a chance to appreciate it. This
would be the natural reaction. Then some
one might say I was all Hoffman frame, and
that no other had a chance. So you see I
can make an allowance if you seem to be
running ideas in a particular dii ection.
Some editors are not always impartial.
I don't say intentionally so, but it is human
nature to look out for one's own interests.
It may be we fear usiug an article because
some person of intiueuce or some friend
may be shown in error by it. Or we may
use an article from such a person or give
them more license in writing that which is
personal, because we do not wish to offend
them. This as I said is natural, but to say
nothing about right, is not wise. If editors
had been more broad and liberal we sho^ld
not now have so many bee journals it seems
to me. To the credit of the Canadian Jour-
nal I would say that in this resiject, as far as
I can see, it has always been impartial
and has shown no fear or favor. Articles
are used on their merits and all writers and
hives have an equal chance, if the firm does
sell special patterns. Though the C. B. J.
has beeu rather slim in couteuts at times, on
the whole, as it has been managed, I would
have given up all other bee journals before I
would that. Why ? Well, I am pretty cer-
tain that if a really good article or idea
comes out in the Review, Gleanings, Guide,
or Ajji., it will also appear very soon in the
C. B. J. I feel more sure of getting the cur-
rent news and do not fear that some things
will be withheld or passed unnoticed for
reasons best known to the editor.
Though, when I find fault I expect to get
it in return. I hope no one will get the im-
pression that I think I am capable of point-
ing out just what are the errors and falla-
cious ideas that appear in the Review or its
management, to say nothing of those of our
current apicultural literature.
I was much gratified by reading the articles
from the pen of E. E. Hasty, in last Review.
Kingston, R. I., Dec. 18, 1890.
[It is true that there may be a disposition
not to write upon a subject, after it has been
closed up in one number, but it sometimes
seems as though better articles might be,
and often are, written after one number de-
voted to the subject has been published.
Bee keepers become aroused upon the sub-
ject. Lack of room has prevented a contin-
uance of the discussion ; but now that the
Review has been enlarged, there is no neces-
sity of considering a subject closed for dis-
cussion so long as anybody has anything of
value to offer.
Let those who hesitate about entering the
columns of the Review bring " knock down "
arguments with them, and then there will be
but little danger of their being " floored."
It is true that an editor can, to a certain
extent, "lead" his readers, particularly so
if they are inexperienced ; and this is one
reason wliy I think it better that an editor
have no financial interest in any hive or im-
plement.
Perhaps I did not make my meaning clear
in regard to where the Review finds its
readers. It is in Canada and the United
States ; but there are few subscribers in the
Southern States, or west of the Mississippi
valley. — Ed.]
How Mr. Hearn Eaises His Bright Yellow
Bees. — Some Te£f.monials. — A
Reply to Mr. Alley.
li. L. HEABN.
.T S to in-breeding, if Mr. Alley calls it
») such, I select one of my best queens
to raise queens from, and usually two
queens to raise drones from, the latter queens
about three years old, the former from one
to two years old. These are the best queens
to be found in from fifty to seventy colonies,
and as little akin as possible. Now if you
call that in-breeding, that is just what I do.
In the Review for September I said I had
not practiced in-breeding more than was
necessary to keep in view four distinct char-
acteristics, viz., honey gathering, prolific-
ness, gentleness and color. How I have
succeeded in these respects hundreds of tes-
timonials are on file to show.
To which Mr. Alley replies in the Apt. for
November, that he does not believe I can
show a testimonial from any one to whom I
have sold my five banded bees, that says
they are good honey gatherers ; and adds,
"Trot 'em out, Bro. H." Now, I don't like
to attempt to monopolize the pages of a bee
journal in giving testimonials. It looks too
much like advertising without pajing for it,
but by the permission of the Review I will
" trot in a few of 'em : "
18
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
" The two Italian queens you sent me ar-
rived all O. K., and were introduced on the
28th of June. It now looks as if my bees
were at least three-fourths Italians. Besides
being very prolific they are perfect beauties.
The bees are gentle and quiet and show no
disposition to fight. I have had the pleasure
of examining your bees in the apiary by the
side of queens costing from $2 to jfT.SO, and
for beauty, size, color, etc., yours surpass
them all. Your bees embody all the fine
traits that the fancy raiser can boast of, aiid
any one can purchase them for practical and
profitable bee raising and have all the fancy
points thrown in."
T. K. Massie,
Concord Church. W. Va.
This testimonial alone covers all the points
referred to. Call the next witness, Bro.
Hutchinson.
C. M, Goodspeed, of Skaneateles, N. Y.,
under date Nov. 27th, 1890, writes as follows :
" For the last three years I have been buying
queens of you, and for several years before
that my yard was well supi)lied with the same
strain. I have done this because after re-
peated trials I have found them superior to
anything I could get. The colony that did
the best in honey this season had a queen
from you put in last fall. I am not ashamed
to put my name behind such a strain of
bees."
C. M. Goodspeed.
[Mr. Hearn also sends testimonials from
J. H. Done, of Vinzee, Me.; W. L. E wing, of
Vincennes, Ind.; and E. C. Eaglesfield, of
Berlin, Wis. ; but, as they are in the same
strain as those given, I hope Mr. Hearn will
pardon me for omitting them, as there are
so many things that will be crowded out of
this issue. — Ed.]
So, Mr. Alley, you see your boasting about
killing us comes too soon. Remember the
old bible advice : '* Let him boast who taketh
off the harness," etc.
You garble my proposition in your reply,
and twist out of it by saying how bad you
would feel when you should reach out your
hand to " scoop it in, (the $200.00). If you
can "scoop" in my money, Mr. Alley, on
this proposition, all right, you are welcome
to it, but I think you are more afraid of
losing ,|200.00 than you have scruples about
"scooping it in."
Then you add, " How foolish to propose
such a way of settling an important question
like this."
How can it be settled, Mr. Alley, except by
actual tests ? But you desire your " thous-
ands of customers to decide the matter."
Would that be fair ? Perhaps your " thous-
ands of customers " have never tried my
strain of bees. Certainly your method of
settling this question is unreasonably fool-
ish, but let us take another witness who has
tried both your bees and mine side by side,
and see what he says :
G. S. Wheeler, of New Ipswich, N. H.
under date of Aug. 27th, 1890, writes : " The
queen you seat me is doing well. Her bees
are the most yellow I ever saw. They are
great workers." Again, under date of Sept.
10th, 1890, he says : " Mr. Alley says he can
show handsomer bees from his yellow Car-
niolans than those W'estern fellows can of
their five banded Italians, and that they are
not produced by in-breeding as in their case.
If in-breeding produces such workers as the
workers are from the queen you sent me,
then I say breed them that way. Alley's
work well, but yours are a long ivays ahead.
Under date Sept. 29th, 1890 he further says :
" The bees from the first queen you sent me
are very fine in color and about as gentle as
flies, and fine workers." Here, Mr. Alley, is
where the "fly" proposition comes in, in-
stead of in honey gathering. If you want any
further testimonials and will publish them
in the AjJi. I shall be pleased to send them.
Fbenohville, W. Va., Dec. 8, 1890.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHINSOfl, Ed. & PPop.
Terms : —$1.00 a vear in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 : tliree for $2.7i ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each, ts^ The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, JANUARY 10, 1891
Two OB THREE excellent articles on honey
houses are necessarily laid over until next
month.
Gleanings has a new department, called
"Stray Straws," conducted by Dr. Miller.
It consists of spicy little items of from one
to ten lines. In one sense it is " bee gossip,"
and the Doctor proves him self to be a most
excellent "gossiper."
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
19
In the Colwick advertisement in the Dec.
issue the price of three tested queens ought
to have been ^rt.OO, instead of $-i.m.
NoBTHEASTEBN MioH. bee keepers will hold
their annual convention Wednesday, Feb. 4,
at the Commercial House in Port Huron.
Mbs. L. C. Axtell writes that they have
never lost a colony when there were enough
bees to cover two or three combs, not one
comb, as the types make her say on page 1(J2.
The Editobial department is crowded
pretty hard this month by correspondence ;
and there is a pigeon-hole full of good arti-
cles yet on hand. Now is the time of year
when bee keepers have time to write. Wait
until next summer, and there will probably
be plenty of room for the editorial pen.
THE BEE WORLD.
This is a new journal that, judging from
the contents and editorial>^. is to be made up
largely of extracts and comments upon the
extracts, something after the style of the
"Extracted" department of the Review.
It is edited and published by W. S. Vandruff ,
at Wayuesburg, Pa., and, considering that
this number was gotten up hastily, I think
he has done exceedingly well. It is well
printed, has sixteen pages, and its subscrip-
tion price is fifty cents.
THE CHA.NOES IN THE BEVIEW MEET WITH
FAVOB.
Notwithstanding the doubling of the price,
twice as many subscriptions to the Review
have been received since the December issue
was mailed, as came during the correspond-
ing period of last year: and, best of all,
nearly every subscription is accompanied by
congratulations and cheering words in e-
gard to the changes made. Some are very
enthusiastic in their expressions of pleasure.
I wish I could write a personal letter of
thanks to each kind friend, or, better still,
take each by the hand and express my thanks
in person ; but this connot be ; the best I
can do is to say " thank you," in this whole-
sale manner, and then work the harder to
make the Review more deserving of the
praises showered upon it.
CANDY FOB QUEEN CAGES.
Mr. Manum adda glycerine to his candy
for use in shipping queens. With this addi-
tion the candy will not dry up for years ; at
least so says Mr. Manum ; and it appears
reasonable. He also adds flour. Mr. Alley
objects to the addition of the glycerine, say-
ing that it contains more or less arsenic. If
it contains enough to injure the bees, Mr.
Manum would probably have discovered it
long ago. As most of you know, I, for sev-
eral years, made a specialty of rearing and
shipping queens, and I never found anj thing
any better than pulverized sugar and honey
for provisioning the cages, and I don't ask
for anything better. A "batch" made in
the sprinijc always kept moist enough for use
the entire season.
THE AMFBICAN BEE KEEPEB.
When I got out the little book, " The Pro-
duction of Comb Honey,^'' I was living at
Rogersville. The printing was done at
Flint ; and, that I might keep watch of the
work, I was in town several days. While
here I boarded with an old lady who had
once lived neighbor to father when I was a
boy. When I went to supper one evening, I
carried with me the first copy that was com-
pleted. As the old lady looked it over she
said : " Why, Will, how clean it looks ! "
A few days ago the first issue of the Amer-
ican Bee Keeper came to hand, and, as I sat
turning over its pages, this remark of the
old lady was brought to my mind most for-
cibly : " How clean it looks."
Bee papers are expected to ay something
complimentary of a new journal, but I can
say a good word for the Bee Keeper without
feeling that it is simply courtesy. When I
say that it is a nice looking journal, very
neatly and cleanly printed, full of articles
from well known apiarists, and well worth
its subscription price, it is said with lileax-
ure. It is published, at fifty cents a year, by
the W. T. Falconer M'f'g Co., -Jamestown,
N. Y.
AN OLD FBIEND IN A NEW FIRM.
Ever since it became known that the Re-
view was " home made," some of the friends
have been writing to le«rn if I could print
their circulars and price lists. I have no
time for this kind of work, but I'll tell you,
friends, where to send it to get good work
20
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
done at a fair price, and, at the same time
help two young men just starting in business.
Send it to Date & York, Room 1,110, 334
Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Mr. York, with
whom I am well acquiinted, was. for several
years, compo.-^itor and proof reader on the
A. B. J., which is sufficient guarantee that
the work will not be " botched." This firm
has all new material, and the specimens of
work that I have seen are very neat.
THE DOVETAILED HIVE, OE THE HIVE WITH
LOCK JOINTED COBNEB8.
Dr. Miller takes " W. Z." to task in Glean-
ings because he objected to the use of ♦he
word "dovetailed" as a name for hives
having lock-jointed corners. He says :
"Why didn't you lift up your voice years
ago against the * so-called dovetailed ' sec-
tions?" There would have been just as
much sense in it. Doctor, and I presume I
should had I thought of it. The name,
" dovetailed " has been given to sections and
hives having lock-jointed corners, and, al-
though not entirely correct, it will probably
hang to them.
Dr. Miller aho asks if there is any law to
prevent Bro. Hill and myself from making
onr hives with corners like store boxes ? No,
there isn't, but the point is just this : No one
should be led to believe (unless it is true)
that this method of putting together the
corners is of so much importance that hives
will be ordered from a distance when those
with simple square corners might be ob-
tained cheaper at home.
I have a long, kind letter, from Ernest
Root upon this subject, also one from Mr.
John G. Kuudinger ; and I had hoped and
expected to give them both in this issue, but
the finishing uj) of the discussion upon
foundation has taken up so much room, that
I hope these two friends will excuse me if I
give the gist of their letters instead of pub-
lisliing thetn in full.
Bro. Root says that the dovetailing really
cheapens the hive, because it can be crated
for shipment in the flat, at less expense, and
that the peculiar manner in wliich it is
crated allows it to be shipped at lower rates.
Closed end frames accompanied by com-
pression are coming to the front, hence an
extra strong corner is desirable.
Mr. Kuudinger says there is no trouble
from shrinkage, as all the wood shrinks and
swells alike. Experienced mill men, car-
penters and joiners, and the like, have told
him that this joint is the strongest that can
be made, and with proper machinery it need
noL be a " botch job." A No. 1, ten-inch ma-
chine costs only $195.00, and, when once set
up and adjusted, it can be run by cheap help
and turns out about forty hives an hour. At
the recent meeting of beekeepers at Detroit,
Mr. Kuudinger had with him a sample cor-
ner, simply driven together, the ends pro-
jecting about four inches, and no one could
"budge " it with the hands. If I remember
right, Mr. Kuudinger sold about 7,000 of
these hives last season.
Now, I have no interest, one way or the
other, in this method of making hive corners.
I have no doubt that it is a stronger corner,
but the question in my mind is, is it a needed
strength ? Ever since I have kept bees I
have u-ed hives with the simple, old fash-
ioned, square joint, and I have never seen
the necessity for a stronger joint. When the
hives were nailed up with the heart side of
the lumber out, I have seen no trouble from
warping. For five years I have used the
Heddon hive made in this manner, and the
compression has never even started the cor-
ners.
SEPAKATOES.
This is to be the subject of our special dis-
cussion for next month. Is it always best to
use them ? If not, when shall they be used ?
Shall they be of wood or tin ? How shall
they be adjusted ? etc., etc.
If the honey flow comes on with a rush,
rushes while it lasts and stops suddenly,
there is little need of separators, if the col-
onies are strong in numbers. Quite a num-
ber of ifs, isn't there ? The point is just
here. If the combs are all started at once,
and continued and completed at about the
same time, there is almost no bulging, par-
ticularly if llie sections are not wider than
seveu-to-the-foot. Eight-to-the-foot sec-
tions furnish combs a trifle straighter. but it
is only a trifle.
I have used very few separators, and have
been rather inclined to argue against their
use ; but, even if I don't use them myself, I
now believe that, as a rule, it would be bet-
ter if they were generally used. That little
item that J. A. Green gave us a few months
ago about crating sections that went together
like one of those sawed out puzzles, hit me
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
21
pretty hard. I could take them apart again,
aud it seems as though any one with common
sense might do tiie same tiling without in-
jury to the comb , but it must be remem-
bered tliat everybody isn't experienced in
this liiud of worli. I think, perhaps, I ought
to use separators if I don't. Even thouyh I
have rai-*ed thousands of pounds of lioney
without separators that was so straight that
it could be put into aud taken out of a case
with no danger of injury, I have raised a
few — well, perhaps a /(^(c hundreds of pounds
that needed care in crating and in removing
from the crate or case. Now I either ought
to use separators or else not put any bulged
combs on the general market — either use
them myself or sell them direct to consumers
and show them how to " do " the puzzle.
Is there any objection to the use of sepa-
rators, aside from their cost ? That is, does
their use lessen the yield of honey ? I don't
know, but I doubt if it does. We hear a
great deal about bees delighting to work in
a body, but I tell you their instinct for gath-
ering and storing is greater than their delight
at working in a body.
If separators are to be used, which shall
they be, wood or tin V I believe the gener 1
decision is that tin is preferable with wide
frame ■ and wood with the T supers. When
used with wide frames the separators are
nailed lo the frames. Wood is likely to be-
come split or injured and thus necessitate
the trouble of removing the separator from
the wide frame and the nailing on of an-
other. When used with the T. super, the
separators are placed between the seciions
without any fastening ; simply resting ui on
the tins. If one of the separators is injured,
simply throwing it away and picking up a
new one ends the matter. Some have said
that when wood separators were used there
was less likelihood of the combs becoming
travel stained, as the bees would use t:.e
separators as a stairway instead of using the
combs. Whether there is anything in this I
don't know, but I guess not.
Dr. Miller and I have had one or two little
tilts over the matter of tin separators being
colder ( ?) than wood. That is, tin is a better
conductor of heat than is the case of wood,
and he says, or intimates, that the bees
draw back away from tin separators on cold
nights, because the tin feels cold to them. I
fail to see how that part of a separator
enclosed in the cluster can conduct away
any heat. Any heat passing through it
would simply be re-conducted into the clus-
ter. It would be just the same as though the
separator was not there. The power of the
separator to conduct heat out of the cluster
would be that of the intinitismal surface
represented by the edye of the end of the
separator — too minute to be worth noticing.
But, supposing the tin separators did cause
the bees to draw back from them during
cool nights, would we secure any less honey ?
When the honey harvest opens gradually,
and the bees commence in the center of a
case, attracted there, perhaps, by a " bait"
section, and gradually work to the outside,
separators are needed. When partly linished
sections, gathered together from different
supers, are put together in one super and
returned to the hive, separators are needed
unless very great care is used in putting
them in the super. In feeding back to
secure the completion of unfinished sections
a man's ingenuity will be put to the severest
test in matching sections to prevent bulging,
unle.-s separators are used. Friends, if you
don't use separators, why don't you ?
WHEN SHALL WE USE FOUNDATION ?
Last month I had in type an editorial of
half a dozen lines explaining that the dis-
cussion upon foundation would be continued;
but when I came to " making up " the forms
this little item and the correction in regard
to Mrs. Axtell's article, had to be left out.
This gave the impression that the discussion
upon foundation was at an end ; and, as it
happened that most of the articles rather
favored its non-use, some of the readers felt
that the discussion was an unfair one. A
few have objected to the intimation by Mr.
Hasty that supply-dealing journals were in-
terested in keeping alive the " venerable
falsehood." One correspondent says: "I
feel satisfied that you mean to be fair, but
your dislike of the supply trade is carrying
you into the other extreme." I think an
editor ought not to be held responsible for
tlie views of his correspondents, even if he
does not take the trouble to say, in a foot
note, that his views are different. His re-
sponsibility, as I understand it, is in regard
to whether the article shall be admitted ;
but, if it is admitted, the admission need not
imply that he agrees with the correspondent.
Now that attention has been called to the
matter I will say that I don't agree with
friend Hasty on this point. I think that the
?HE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
editors of our supply-dealing journals are
willing that the truth, whatever it may be,
in regard to wax production and foundation,
shall be known. Because I dislike to mix
the supply business with that of journalism
is no reason why I should not wish supply
dealers to prosper. In fact I am glad to see
them prosper ; I am happy in seeing supply-
dealing editors prosper ; I like to see any
man prosper who is deserving of success,
even if he is what the world calls my rival.
I have been earnestly, honestly, downright
glad to St e Gleanings get a new press and
new type and embellish its pages with en-
gravings ; to see the A. B. J. improve itself
by change of form and a new " dress " of
type ; to see the Falconer M'f'g Co. come
out with such a bright, clean magazine — but
I am digressing.
It will be seen that this issue gives what
might be termed the "other side" of the
foundation question. While I haven't a
particle of doubt that bees may often be
allowed to build combs at a pi'ofit, and while
I know that I have for j ears practiced hiving
swarms upon starters only in the brood nest
and secured more surplus honey in conse-
quence, I am forced to admit that, in the
face of all this, it may be advisable under
some circumstances to furnish newly hived
swarms with foundation. One thing is cer-
tain, we must have perfect brood combs,
even if they cost something.
When the brood nest is contracted lateral-
ly, it reduces the number of combs, and the
result is that work is commenced in all of
the frames at the same time, and all combs
grow alike. For this reason a Langstroth
hive contracted to five frames will, other
things being equal, lead to the building of
straighter combs than will be found in a
hive contracted vertically and furnished with
eight frames. I certainly have had some
as perfect, naturally built combs as it is
possible to secure with foundation, and I
must admit that I have had some imperfect
ones. It seems to me that the suggestion of
Mr. J. A. Green, that very light foundation
be used, is worth considering and trying.
To those who prefer no increase, yet wish
to allow swarms to build their own brood
combs, the plan described in the December
issue hy Mr. Boardmau, is most excellent, as
I know by experience. It is that of uniting
new swarms, at the end of the season, with
the old colonies that have swarmed and thus
furnished themselves with young queens.
This allows the newly built combs to be as-
sorted at leisure, when the imperfect ones
may be melted into wax.
We can hive a swarm in a contracted brood
nest upon the old stand, transfer the supers
to the new hive, and practice the Heddon
method of preventing after swarming. This
forces all of the surjilus into the sections on
the new hive. It is all in a " lump." There
is only one set of unfinished sections where
there would have been two if the old colony
had been kept strong and storing in the
sections. The old colony will be moderately
strong in numbers, have a young queen and
plenty of stores in the brood combs. The
swarm will be moderately strong in numbers,
have an old queen, and but very little honey.
Now, at the end of the season we can kill the
old queen, give the bees to the old colony,
and take away the newly built combs to
assort at leisure.
As I think over my own experience, and
the reported experience of others, it seems
impossible to lay down any set rules in re-
gard to when foundation should be used.
The best summing up I can give is, if you
can secure perfect combs without it, allow
swarms to build their own combs in the
brood nest, but give them foundation in the
sections ; if you can secure mostly perfect
combs and wish to unite the bees in the fall,
and then sort the comb, do that ; if you can
do neither, then use light wired foundation.
It is difficult to sum up the matter in a few
words, because, even now there comes to my
mind the plan of having combs built by
feeding in the fall, as mentioned by Mr.
Boardman, and of having them built by
weHk colonies and nuclei. It is one of those
subjects upon which a man needs to do a
whole lot of independent thinking.
EXXRT^OXED.
Large, Versus Small, Papers.
Those who think that the larger the paper
the greater its value, will find food for
thought in the following item clipped from
that wide awake weekly. Printers^ Ink : —
'' I'rinfers' hik is interested in watching
the evolution of the small paper. Even now
it is the large paper to which most persons
give preference. The majority of people
want to feel that they get the worth of their
money — in bulk. The standard is gradually
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
shifting, however, from quantity to quality.
Nowadays, one can buy for a dime enough
printed matter to keep him busy for a week.
Yet the public is beginning to realize that
reading matter is not like other kinds of
merchandise. One can read only a limited
amount of matter, and the coming man will
insist upon having it served in crisp, con-
densed form — without padding. The big
paper prints a vast amount of matter that it
could dispense with if its editor were not re-
quired to till a certain amount of space.
The advertiser, too, finds himself buried out
of sight. There is a place for the paper that
will print as little as possible instead of as
much as possible."
Educating Advertisers,
The Review has had quite a little to say
about advertising, but its editor believes,
with Printers'' Ink, that : —
" It is a duty which every newspaper owes
to itself to assist in educating advertisers up
to making the best use of their space. When
newspaper advertisements are better con-
structed than at present and made more in-
teresting, advertising space will be more in
demand and worth proportionately more
money."
Wliy We "Wish to Know Who is Talking.
" I can't for the life of me see why so
much fuss is made over so many trivial little
things in bee literature, and in the conduct
of the journals which depend on the pursuit
of bee keeping for their living, such as nom-
de-plumes, putting the names of the writer
at the beginning of each article, etc. It
would seem as if some of those who write
in such a strain, have decided that they must
know who writes an article before they will
take the trouble to read it, and some articles
they wouldn't read at any price, just because
the right name wasn't at the head of the
article. Away with such childishness. — Ob-
server in C. B. J.
Well, Bro. Observer, I can tell you why /
wish to know who it is that is doing the
talking. I have learned from experience
that, although some editors may think the
writings of certain men are worth printing, /
don't think them worth reading. They may
be worth something to others — to me they
are valueless. Another man may discover
that the contributions of some other corres-
pondent are of no value to him. On the
other hand, there are some men whose names
at the head of articles are of sufficient guar-
antee to me that they are worth reading.
Some men never have written anything that
I would care to read, while others have never
written anything that I didn't value. Every
one who has kept bees and read the journals
for a number of years, has. I presume, had a
similar experience.
Keeping Honey Over Winter.
" Hon. R. L. Taylor is an exasperating
customer. In his President's Address he
spoke of the "fact" that honey "maybe
ke])t in perfect condition from one year to
another," but didn't tell how. I wrote,
challenging him to tell. Back comes a pos-
tal, saying, " I have kept honey over in per-
fect condition, and it sold without question
at the same price as new honey, and it was
really decidedly better," and a few words of
sauce, but not a word about the "how." If
comb honey is meant, I have known of only
two or three cases of keeping over in good
shape, and that on a very limited scale.
Whether he has a different or the same plan,
it is important to know about it, and Bro.
Taylor is not the sort of man to make a
statement without solid foundation. Let's
make him tell or put him out." — C. C. Miller
in Gleanings.
I had intended to ask Mr, Taylor to de-
scribe his honey house, in this issue of the
Review, but so many articles already on
hand must be left out from lack of room,
that it seemed like folly to ask for more.
His honey house is at one side of the apiary,
and is built against the end of the barn,
Under the honey house is a cellar in which
part of his bees are wintered. The honey
room is tightly ceiled upon the inside.
Whether the walls are filled with any pack-
ing I don't know. I have been over there
in winter when there was a ton of comb
honey in this room^ I was there once in
February when there was, I believe, two tons
in the room. This room is kept warm by
means of a fire in a stove in the room, and,
if I am correct, that is all there is to it. If
a universally large crop of honey should
cause the price to go unusually low, it might
be advisable for those who could afford to
do so, to keep their crop over in this manner.
Carniolans as Honey Gatherers.
Quite a number have written asking why
I did not report in regard to the honey gath-
ering qualities of the Carniolans. Simply
because no surplus was gathered either l>y
them or the Italians. As the Review re-
ported what Mr. S. A. Shuck said about
them, it is no more than fair to clip the
following from an article sent, in reply, by
Mr. J. B. Black, of Pattonsburg, Mo., to
the A. B. J.
" I had four colonies of Carniolans in the
spring. No. 1 gave me .W pounds of surplus
honey, and one swarm. No. 2 yielded 40
pounds of surplus and one swarm. No. 8
gave .% pounds of surplus and two swarms.
No. 4 produced 13 pounds of surplus and
one swarm.
24
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
I had 19 full colonies (3 blacks, 12 of or-
dinary Italians. ) They stand on my register
as follows : No. 5, 5 pounds of surplus. No.
6, 20 pounds. No. 1 gave one swarm, ine
bees in a five-chamber hive, containmg three
queens, gave 20 pounds. The rest gave
^°My''object is to satisfy myself and those
who keep but one kind of l^ees. If my Ital-
ians fall behind next year, I shall procure
stock from another breeder, and give them
one more trial. I have no advice to give
and no queens to sell."
Carniolans and Their Crosses.
In reply to a correspondent in the C.B. J.
Mr. Jones has the following to say concern-
ing the Carniolans :
" Pure Carniolans have not the cross dis-
position you speak of, neither have they, as
far as I can see, the disposition to rob. 1
never had pure Carniolans do it, but 1 have
had crosses that would rob like everything.
It is a very difficult matter to tell a cross be-
tween the Carniolans and the black bees ex-
cept by those who have given the matter
much attention, and I think that hybrids are
often mistaken for the pure races. A cross
between Carniolans and Italians is much
better than between Carniolans and blacks.
There is no doubt of what you say that the
pure Carniolan is not equal to our best Ital-
ians, or what we term Italians m this coun-
try, which have a slight tinge occasionally ot
Syrian."
Extracting From Brood Combs.
Some one wrote to Mr. G. M. Doolittle as
follows: "When I am working for section
honey, my bees are prone to store more or
less honey in the brood combs. Had I bet-
ter extract this honey occasionally ? " Years
ago we used to hear about " extracting honey
from the brood combs to give the queen
room to lay," but I did not suppose that, in
this day and age any practical bee keeper
would ask such a query as the foregoing.
Mr. Doolittle gives an elaborate answer of a
column or more, in the .4. B. J., from which
these extracts are taken :
" I have been a careful observer, and find
that when bees are at work best in the sec-
tions there will be scarcely a pound of honey
in the brood frames, providing that the body
of the hive is not too large. I mistrust that
the trouble with this correspondent is, that
his brood chamber is too large, so that the
first honey which comes in goes into the
brood combs instead of the sections Hut
the extracting of this honey would only
make matters worse, for it would give the
bees a chance to put more honey below, in-
stead of going into the sections as we wish.
If any one expects to get a large yield ot
comb honey and use the extractor on the
brood comV)S at the same time, they cer-
tainly will not realize their expectations.
After the bees get thoroughly at work in the
sections, let the brood combs alone, and you
need have no fear of the queen being crowd-
ed for as soon as the bees are thus occupied
they will carry the little ho^^y .they may
have in tlie brood combs, with a hive of tje
proper size, up into the sections, thus giving
the nueen abundant room.
B.^es will always store honey in the brood
chamber, in preference to the Bfrt^o??^' ^^e^
there are empty combs or empty cells there
and the more extracting of these brood
combs the more empty cells we gi^e, unless
the queen has the cells occupied with brood,
in which case there will be no honey to ex-
tract Again I repeat it, if you wish a large
yield of section honey, keep Prolific queens
and let the brood combs alone, after they
are once filled with brood in the spring.
Doolittle's Shop and Honey Room.-How to
Keep Honey and Have it Better
for the Keeping.
The following is an extract from an excel-
lent article written by Mr. G. M. Doolittle,
and published in Gleanings in 1888. Mr,
Root kindly loaned the cuts illustrating the
article :
" I have been asked to give a description
of my shop, and also to tell how I keep my
honey so as to have it growing better after it
is taken from the hive as I have spoken of
in back numbers of Gleanings. To do this,
friend Root thought it best to have some en-
gravings made, so that the description would
be better understood.
DOOLITTLE'S SHOP AND HONEY HOUSE.
Fig. 1 shows the shop as viewed fro™ *"«
southwest side of the apiary- It is 32 feet
long iTiW wide ; butif I were.to build again
I think I would have the width at least 24
feet. In this shop, during the wmter season,
I do all of mv work, such as getting out sec-
ions? hives, wide frames honey boards, and
all that is necessary to be d^ne along thi
line, besides doing much work in the line oi
getting out bee fixtures for my bee keeping
Sei"hbors, and sawing and planing for all
who wish it for all ordinary purposes.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
25
In the uoitheast corner of the shop is the |
nffin« in wliich I write hU of my contnbu-
?£'to"ti:'airterent b- l.apers and tor a
few a-ricuitural journals, while *»« " °^\i*^; 1
mv private correspondence l^ done in in«
S;\,.'e!a, »™ ...he le'^V.^^de^wm no,' £
i',!i^-„rr3-,.'~rr;;'or.he .I.OP
fSfhonesisaoa i. r. i< ^e,
and to those who .gro^y the mc.s from nr •'. frame nuclei, ot his Five Joanaeu,
rioiritt Bees with breediut; queens ; tour
?^?Hme nuclfi with selected, tested queens;
indtree3-frame nuclei wi.h tested queens.
Look fo? his ad. in n.xt Review, or send tor cat-
alogue Should you desire any queen bees, let
him book your ordea now and he will make you
liSf !/icoi'f. n/W^, Grand Ledss, Mich.
Pleife mention the Review.
S03IETHIG NEW,
AGAIN, IN
SEND FOR HEDDON'S CIRCULAR
FOR 1S91.
Address JAS. HEDDON,
Doivagiac, Michigan.
Please nrention ll.e Review.
AN INIEKIOK VIEW INTO THE HONEY KOOM IN
THE SHOP.
We are now ready for Fig. 2, which shows ,
the mt'erior of the honey -om as seen
through the open door, trom the mside oi
the shop. This room is 7 feet wide by 10
ion- it being 8 feet high. In this room I
had'n 1877 Nearly 11,0U0 pounds of honey,
which is about all it will hold and give room
7or the operator. To the left, through the j
door canC seen one of the Platforms on
wh°ch the honey is stored, and the pile as it
irink^-wheii first started. ,
Both the outside door to the ^hop and the
one into the honey room are made lai^f a^*{
wMe so a wheelbarrow can be run m full^f
honev and out when empty. Now, it we
keep\he temperature of this room at from
80 to 100 degrees our honey ^tU grow better
better and riper every day till it gets so
thick and good that the <.uce thm honey m
the open cells, around th. edge of the box,
wiU not run out, and the whole will be like
^iackwax-' as we boys used to term thick
maple molasses put on snow. Itthu, tem-
perature is kept up, the honey, will not de-
terforate one ilarticle for all time to come
a^ I said in the Query I>epartmeiit not long
as at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpas-^ed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Please mention the Reuiew.
PATENT, WIRED, COMB FOUNDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
THIN, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Being the cleanest is usually worked
the quickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN DEUSKN & SON'S,
(SOLF, MANUFAOTTIREKS),
3-90-tf Sprout Brook, Mont.Co.,N.Y.
Phase mention the Reoieuf.
And get your supplies now, at the following
prices, in the flat : —
8-f rame L. hive, 2 T supers, 8 frames, 80
Brood frames, thick top bars, per 100, 90
Brood frames, V top bars, per 100, 1.00
T supers complete, each, 13
One-piece V groove sections, per M 3.00
Four-piece, dovetailed sections, per M, 3.00
Clark Smoker, 48 cents. "Jaxon" direct
draft, 2'A inch barrel. 90 cents Bee veil, '28 cts.
No. 30 wire, 2'i cents a pound. Novice honey
extractors, 5 per cent discount. All honey
knives, 5 per cent off. Parker foundation fas-
tener, 20 cents. All bee books at reduced rates.
Japanese bnckwheat, 60 cents a bushel.
Five per cent off for cash. Give references,
and address, with list of goods wanted,
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washingtt>n St., Jackson, Mich.
Bee - Hives and Sections.
Largest Bee-Hive Factory in the world. Best
Goods at lowest prices. Write ff>r Illustrated
Catalogue. G. B. LEAVIS & CO-,
1,'-; 0-tf VN atertown, Wis
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOTl 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue anrl price list.
J. P. H. ISKOWN,
1-88 tf. Augusta, Georgia.
Phusc r.ifi.'.oM the Rt-fi.-w
Printers' Ink.
JOURNAL FOR ADyERTISERS.,
^fvjafra, on aAe^pwrf^ee
of more wiatt^tSenty-five yean in pi
ing adve^^s/^ig conttmjit%,for many of
the largest (und tnos^^^Kcssful adver-
tlaera. A ycar'a aubsW^iption coats 6-uft
Two dollars : a^mple copies Free.
Address : —
I*J8^M. CEO. p. ROWELL & CO..
Newspaper Advertising Bureau,
lo Spruce St., Newjforjj.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
n
THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH
Wants to Exchange
Witl^ Ljou. He wants, AT ONCE, 4 good horses aqd some cattle,
He paid Pifteeq hundred dollars for a 100 acre farm near the farrjous
Saratoga Springs, N, Y,, and now he doesn't want the farm but does
want some stock for his Pittsfield place, Write h^im aqd see wh[at
l^e has to say for himself,
A,,r.s. p,a;n,, C H AS. H. SM IT H , Pittsfield, Mass., Box 1267.
7-89-12t. Please mention the Reulew.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. 8.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf.
Please mention the Review
IiEflHV'S FOUNQflTIOl^,
Wholesale and t^etail,
Smokers and Sections,
ExtPaetoPsand Hivgs>
Queens and Bees,
t^.B.Iieahy and Company
Higginsville, (TiissoUPi.
l-90-tf Please mention the Review.
Prices Reduced!
SELECT, TESTED QUEENS. $1.25. Warran-
ted queens, 75 cents— 6 for $4.00. By return
mail. Make money orders payable at Nich-
olasville, Ky. J. T. WILSON,
■4-90-tf Little Hickman, Ky.
GLOBE BEE-VclIL
A center rivet holds ,5 8' ing-steel
bars like aslolje to suppop 'the bob-
inetVeil. These button i,o a brass
' neck-band, hoKliiiK it firmly— $l.oa
t^ We have s, mie damasjert Ve'.is
~ whichwewillmail liireo cents— Just
asguodasaiiy but son, EU by smoke
in a recent fire. Two t'orfl.lii.
Special rates to dc;ilcrs, by tlie doz.
THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,
246 East Madison Street, CHICAGO, ILL.
The Bee WoMd.
A journal devoted to collecting the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through-
out the world, containing, as it were, the cream
of apiarian literature. Valuable alike to the am-
ateur and veteran. If you wish to keep posted,
you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe
now. It is a 30 page monthly at 50 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is published by
W. S. VANDRUFF,
Waynesburg, Greene Co., Pa.
Please rifention the Review.
CARNIOLAN QUEENS.
^ I expect to continue the breeding of Choice
Carniolan Queens next season, and orders wiU be
booked from this date. No money sent until
queens are ready to ship.
JOHN ANDREWS,
Patten's Mills, Wash. Co., N. Y.
9-90-tf
See^l^eepeps' Supplies.
Before placing your orders for supplies, send
for our Illustrated Catalogue We are now
making best goods at lowest prices.
PAGE, I^EITH & SCHIVIIDT CO.,
12-nO-Bt New London, Wis.
Please mention the Review.
as
TRE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW^.
t=|]=^rur][3
=:i
The distinctive features of the Bee - Keepehs' Review are those of reviewing current
apicultural literature (pointing out errors and fallacies and allowing nothing of value to pass unno-
ticed), and the making of each issue a "special number "—one in which some special topic is dis-
cussed by the best bee-keepers of the country. If you wish for the cream of the other journals,
already skimmod and dished up, and to learn the views of t)ie most experienced bee-keepers upon the
unsolved, apicultural problems of the day, read the Review. Price of the Review, §1.00.
Topics Discussed in Back Numbers.
VOLUME I.— 1888.
Jan., Disturbing Bees in Winter.
Feb., Temperature in Wintering Bees.
Mar., Planting for Honey.
Apr., Snring Management.
May, Hiving Bees.
June, Taking Away the Queen.
July, Feeding Back.
Aug., Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs.
Sep., The Food of Bees in Wiijter.
Oct., Ventilation of Bee-Hives and Cellars.
Nov., Moisture in Bee Hives and Cellars.
Dec, Sections and their Adjustment on Hives.
VOLUME II.— 1889.
Jan., Bee Hives.
Feb., Mistakes in Bee-Keeping.
Mar.v Which are the Best Bees.
Apr., ("ontraction of the Brood Nest.
May, Increase, its Management and Control.
June, Shade for Bee HivQg.
July, Queens and their Influence upon Success
ill Bee-culture.
Aug., Migratory Bee-Keep'ng.
Sep., Out-Door Wintering of Bees.
Oct., Bee Conventions and Associations.
Nov., Specialty versus Mixed Bee-Keeping.
Dec, Bees Aloue or "Mixed;" if the latter,
what with?
VOLUME III.— 1890.
Jan , Brace Combs and their Prevention.
Feb., Foul Brood. .
Mar., Qneen Rearing and Shipping.
Apr., Tlie Production of Comb Honey.
May, Raising Good Extracted Honey.
June, (.Comforts and Conveniences for tlie
Apiary.
July, From the Hive to the Honey Market.
Aug., Marketing.
Sep., Management after a poor Season.
Oct , Out-Apiaries.
Nov., Apicultural Journalism.
Dec, Use and Abuse of C-omb Foundation.
As the supply of volumes I. and II. is quite limited, the price is five cents a copy, except for the
Jan, 1889 No., which is ten cents, there being only a few copies left. Of volume III. there is a fair
supply, and the price is four cents a copy. Remember that each number is, in one sense, a little
pamphlet giving the views of the best bee-keepers upon the topic mentioned.
AV^HA^T OTHERS SAY.
The Review is not very mucli given to the pub-
lication of " testimonials," but, as this issue will
fall into the hands of many who have never seen.
a copy, it may be well to allow them to see in
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THE PRODUCTION OF COMB HONEY, is a neat little book of 45 pages, price
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atamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON, FLINT MiCH.
Feb. 10, 1891
At Fliqt, Mich[igar| Oqe Dollar a Year,
30
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
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The Production of Comb Honey.
Although this neat little book contains only 45
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formation as is often found in a book of twice its
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It begins with taking the bees from the cellar
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XX THIN FOUNDATION,
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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
31
HILL'S BEE- FEEDER AND SMOKER.
This Sinokor Ijiirns cliips or liiinl wood
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Thi' feed is taken by the bees without leav-
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full may be fjiven a colony at one time whicli
will b ! stored in the combs in ten or twelve
hours.
Smoker, 3 inch barrel, freight or expre' s, each. $1.20. By mail,
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SEND FOR HElJDON'S CIRCULAR
FOR 1H9L
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VOL IV, FLINT, MICHIGAN, FEB. 10, 1891. NO. 2.
The special topie of this issue is
"Separators."
That of the next issue ujill be
"Protection for Siqgle- Walled
Hives,"
The Inflaence That Separators Have on the
Honey Market.
J. A. GBEEN.
MAM glad to see you admit that it would
be better if separators were generally
used, and I hope yet to see you admit
that it would be better for your own interests
if you used them yourself.
I freely admit that when the circumstances
are all favorable, the sections will be filled
with comb so straight and even that separa-
tors seem altogether unnecessary. The
trouble is that circumstances are not always
favorable. Some colonies never build
straight combs. Sometimes the hive gets a
little out of plumb. Honey may come in
slowly or unevenly, or there may not be bees
enough to fill the super. All these things
and others tend to produce crooked and
bulged combs.
Then the supers may be partly full of
finished sections with honey coming in so
slowly that we want to remove them before
they become travel stained. Even during a
good honey flow the outer rows of sections
are usually finished much later than the
inner ones and it is better not to wait until
they are finished.
Without separators there is always apt to
be trouble unless all the sections in each row
in the super are alike, and this is especially
the case when some work has been done on
them. If it is near the end of the honey
flow the best way to dispose of these partly
finished sections is to place all of them on
a few of your best colonies.
When this is done, if separators are not
used, the greatest care in arranging them
will hardly prevent crooked and bulged
combs.
Suppose you have secured a crop of honey
without separators and are ready to ship it
to market, let us say, to be sold on commis-
sion. It will take more care and time to
scrape off the propolis and pack it in cases,
and you are much more likely to injure it in
doing so. It is more likely to be broken out
of the sections in shipment because there is
a greater weight of honey with very little
more fastening. I like to use separators in
the shipping cases as well as in the supers.
Then if one comb should break out it does
not injure those adjoining.
This I consider very important. It does
not cost much and several times it has saved
me a great deal of loss. Of course, it is
impossible to use these unless the honey was
built between separators.
When your honey has reached the com
mission store and is stacked up in a tall pile
8i
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEWi
beside a lot produced -with separators, it suf-
fers from contrast.
It may be just as white anid nice in every
other way, but the uneven reflecting surfaces
of the combs destroy its uniformity and
make it look worse in the aggregate than
the smoother, more uniform separatored
sections.
Then comes the would-be purchaser, and
as he wants to see what he is buying, the
cover is pried up and he proceeds to inspect.
He has not been drilled in the mysteries of
unpacking bulged honey and he does not
know that there is only one row of sections
in the case that may be moved with safety,
so the one he picks out at random
has the projections scraped off as it comes
out.
There are about three chances to one that
he will put it back sidewise or upside down,
which gives chance for more scraping, and
so of every one he examines. After it gets
to his store, his clerks and customers haul it
over in the same way. When a section is
sold it is wrapped up in a piece of paper just
as a bar of soap would be, laid in a basket,
probably bulged side down or with some-
thing on top of it, and rattled off to its des-
tination. If it reaches the consumer's table
without bruising and leakage it is a wonder.
The dealer finds by the time three fourths of
the case is sold, that the remainder is in
almost unsalable condition. The bottom of
the case is covered with liquid honey, oozing
out on the counter or wherever it is set. His
customers do not call for more and he has
hard work to sell the rest of the case without
loss ; so he concludes he does not care to
handle any more honey.
Perhaps you think I have gone unnecessa-
rily into details, but you must remember
that little things count and that it is the
careful attention to details that brings suc-
cess in business.
I have watched the progress of honey from
the apiary to the consumer, and I know
whereof I speak. The past season I have
bought and sold a great deal of honey built
without separators. I bought it for less and
sold it for less than good straight honey was
worth, but I would rather not handle it
at all.
The producers of other goods intended
for the retail trade take the greatest pains,
not only that their i)roduct shall reach the
consumer in the most attractive and perfect
condition possible, but that the retailer and
all who handle it may do so with as little
trouble and waste as possible.
The honey producer by careless methods
discourages the sale of his product and
makes it unnecessarily expensive and unat-
tractive to the consumer, thus diminishing
his market to an extent difficult to estimate.
There is another reason just in this line
for using separators, which is that they
make the sections more uniform in weight.
Almost all dealers prefer to sell honey by the
section rather than by weight, and most
consumers, too, prefer this way.
In the long run they do not lose by it and
it simplifies matters very much to say that
honey is 1,5c a box instead of saying that it
is 20c a pound and that there are about three
quarters of a pound in a box, and then
weighing every section. If separators and
full sheets of foundation are used, there will
be but a trifling variation in weight.
When the sections are filled with founda-
tion I do iiot think the yield is at all de-
creased by the use of separators.
It may be thought that when only narrow
starters are used and honey is coming in
slowly, with cool weather, that separators
make the bees a little slower about begin-
ning work in the sections. After they have
once begun work, though, this disadvantage
disappears.
As to whether tin or wood should be used,
the general verdict that wood is better for
loose separators and tin when nailed to wide
frames, is correct.
I use both. Both have their advantages
and disadvantages, but I prefer the tin.
Datton, 111. Jan. 29, 1891.
When to use Separators ; Comparative Merits
of Wood and tin; Tin Conducting
Heat ; Dovetailed Hive.
DK. O. O. MILLEK.
^OU ASK about separators, " Is it al-
ways best to use them ? " No, if I
were raising only what honey I would
use on my own table, or if my market were
close by and would be satisfied to take my
honey directly from the hives without any
scraping, I think I should use no separators.
" When shall they be used ? " Whenever
you want your honey, (comb honey, of
course) to be packed for shipment in some
receptacle other than the one that was on the
hive.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
35
"Shall they be of wood or tin? " If loose
separators are to be used , wood ; if fixed, tin.
"How shall they be adjusted?" Doesn't
that depend altogether on the place in which
they are to be used ?
You say, " If the honey flow comes on
with a rush, etc., there is little need of sepa-
rators." I have an impression that another
item bears heavily on the case. If the bees
are somewhat crowded for room, I suspect
they will make pretty straight work with-
out separators. For this reason those who
favor natural swarming, are likely to have
straighter work without separators, than
those who try to discourage swarming by
giving plenty of room.
Please remember that in the answers I
have given to your questions I have answer-
ed only for myself. But I have had much
experience with and without separators. At
first I didn't need any separators, because I
could haul in a wagon directly to my cus-
tomers all the honey I had to sell. After I
had for some time used separators, the suc-
cess of others without, by means of the old
Heddon super, induced me to try it. I saw
sections raised by Heddon himself, and,
with the self-same appliances, I was quite
sanguine of success. But I didn't succeed —
much to my regret. I suspect an important
reason was that friend Heddon allowed his
bees to swarm and didn't mind crowding
them, while I gave each colony about one
more super than he did. Even with the
best success that any have had without sei)-
arators, I suspect that more time must be
spent, when packing, to get all in straight
than I should like to spend.
" Is there any objection to the u.-e of sep-
arators, aside from their cost ? " Well, sep-
arators may not lessen the yield, but they
don't make it anymore, and I'm afraid the
Ijees will do just a little worse for liaviug a
lot of wood or tin in their way. Another
thing is, that, compared with a nice, straight
section raised without separators, one raised
with them has a " lean " look, as Heddon
says"
When you bring together from different
places a lot of sectious not quite finished,
if no separators have been used you'll have
a sad job. If you've never tried it, just think
of the pleasure it will be to take the same lot
if they have been separatored, every one of
them as straight as a board. Well, let me
tell you, that's nicer in theory than in prac-
tice. For some reason, they never work quite
so well as if left just where the l)ees started
them.
The reason you give why wood is not good
on wide frames — because it is split or injured
—is not the principal one. I have used tin in
T supers, and many wood on wide frames,
and in neither case would they keep straight.
That's the objection. Put a tin separator in
a T super, and not being fastened at either
end it makes use of its freedom to bend a
little here and there, instead of keeping
stretched out straight, and every now and
then you'll find one end of your separator on
the inside of your section. The wood sepa-
rator will not bend in the direction of its
length.
Put a wood separator on a wide frame,
and as it is constantly shrinking and swell-
ing, the nails, trying to keep it in one place,
will make it curl sidewise. Wood separa-
tors should not have even a suspicion of a
knot in them. They'll curl if they have.
There you go again about tin conducting
heat. Of course no heat will be conducted
out of the cluster if no separator is outside
of the cluster. But every bit of the separa-
tor that's outside of the cluster, not merely
the edge but the full broadside, will be con-
stantly dissipating heat just so long as the
heat of the cluster is greater than that of
the surrounding air. Just think how it will
be on a cold night with a tin separator in the
cluster. One end of the separator, or rather
each end, will not be entirely surrounded by
bees, at least, I think I never knew it so.
Tliis projecting end will be cold, and tlie
bees will draw awa> from it, leaving more
exposed, and, in turn, the bees will leave
that, until, if the niglit is cold enough, I
don't believe a bee will be left on the sepa-
rator.
Bro. H., your experience differs from
mine. I have "seen the necessity for a
stronger joint" than the common sciuare
joint. I've had plenty of nails started and
sides or ends of hives warped so that the
bee space was made smaller or larger. Nei-
ther was it because the heart side was in.
But my hivis are not painted. Then I like
the Dovetailed corner because it keeps the
hive more rigidly square when the bottom
board is not fastened on. It's very much
easier to put it together just right. I think
that a pretty big item. No matter how
much care you take with the square joint,
something will be just a little out, and if any
pieces are warped, the difficulty is increased,
se
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
whereas a bungler can put the dovetails to-
gether just right.
Mabengo, 111. Jan. 21, 1891.
[Yes, Doctor, the surface of the tin radiates
heat, but it can radiate no more than comes
to it through a piece of metal (the separa-
tor), the conducting power of which is rep-
resented by the edge of the end of the sepa-
rator. I have used a few separators, but I
have never noticed any of this "drawing
back" of the bees away from the tin. I
watched with interest to see if you were go-
ing to say you had seen such action on the
part of the bees. I am yet in doubt on this
point. You ask me " to think hovt it will be."
All the hives I ever had were made by my-
self from nicely seasoned lumber. They
went together nicely and squarely; were
kept painted, and they stayed square ; and /
ask for no better joint. But then , I am not
everybody. — Ed. ]
Separators Don't lessen the Yield, but
They are an Expense From Which
There is no Cash Returns.
E. L. TATLOB.
|0 THE question of using or eschewing
separators I am more inclined, than
upon almost any other question relat-
ing to apiculture, to say, with Dr. Miller,
"I don't know."
I use hundreds of cases without separa-
tors and hundreds with them, both of wood
and tin and each plan is so satisfactory that
I am quite disinclined to give up any of
them.
With the extended experience I have had I
have been unable to find any indication that
one method has any advantage over the
others in the matter of the amount of honey
secured.
If the question were solely as to the point
of financial profit — economy of money and
time — I should clearly be compelled to de-
cide against separators, but we all have our
little weaknesses in the matter of taste.
Fine appearance, satisfaction and comfort
always count to some extent. Every one
would sacrifice something to produce what
" suits " him, so I am unable as yet to de-
cide that way.
The advantages of cases without separa-
tors lie principally in their greater compara-
tive cheapness, the greater rapidity with
which sections may be put in and taken out
and in the greater amount of honey which
sections so filled will contain. The first
cost is only about one third of that of single
tier cases with wide frames and tin separa-
tors and about one-half of that of cases
with T tins and separators.
The first cost, to one who has some sur-
plus funds and who is certain that he shall
want to use the cases till they or he wears
out, is not so important, but to one whose
purse is slender, or who is not certain that
he will remnin long in the business, or that
he may not soon want to throw them aside
for a new kind, the question of cost becomes
a grave one.
T cases have the advantage only of per-
uj t ting the use of separators and thereby of
securing combs of superior straightness, but
with single tier cases holding wide frames
with separators there is the additional ad-
vantage of better protection to the sections
against staining and propolis at times when
they must be left on the hives a consider-
able length of time to be finished.
This case, if the sections and the wide
frames be properly made — time and money
aside — is perfection. The sections are eas-
ily cleaned, are as white as new, and are
very rapidly crated. The combs are per-
fectly straight, fill the sections better than
those produced in any other way, and if the
honey flow be good are nearly as heavy as
those produced without separators. An-
other remarkable advantage is that the pro-
portion of partly filled sections is very much
less. The bees follow the frames begun on,
out to the ends, before spreading out lateral-
ly when the honey flow is not abundant, so
that three or four frames are sometimes en-
tirely filled while those outside are scarcely
touched.
The drawback to these beautiful sections
is that I can discover no appreciable addi-
tion to the wholesale selling price.
There are some who complain that with-
out separatoi's they cannot produce combs
sufficiently straight to readily crate. I can-
not understand it. I have produced many
tons without separators, and almost every
section was crated. Except that a little
more time and care are required, there is no
difficulty.
In conclusion, I think the whole matter
may be correctly summed up in a word.
For profit alone use no separators ; if
straighter combs are desired use the T super
with separators ; if the eye and the taste are
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW^-
37
to be gratitied nt the expense of financial
profit use single tier wide frames with sep-
arators.
Lapeek, Mich. Jan. 80, 18'Jl.
The Review Does Review — Advantages of
Foaudation.
JOSHUA BULL.
§()ME have said that the Review does
not review ; but is not this a mistaken
conclusion ? Although it does not pro-
ceed in exactly the way in which many of us
at first expected it would, that is, by sifting
out the chaff and giving us the clean, meaty
kernels of the ingrained, valuable thought
which may perchance be found in the vol-
uminous bee literature of the day, yet, in-
stead of this, the editor writes up the topic
for the next issue one month in advance,
and invites all correspondents to review his
leader, criticise, and enlarge upon the sub-
ject. By this means is obtained a compila-
tion of the collective wisdom of many minds
concentrated upon one theme. It seems to
me that this might very appropriately be
called a grand review.
Now, in regard to the question as to the
advisibility of using foundation at all pos-
sible times, there is likely to be some diver-
sity of opinion, inasmuch, as results which
by some would be considered quite satisfac-
tory and profitable, would by others be
regarded as insulficient to justify the neces-
sary expense.
Besides this, there are some other prob-
lems which have an important bearing upon
this matter, which need to be settled, or
better understood, before we can intelligent-
ly decide just how far it is profitable or un-
profitable to use foundation at all possible
times, and in all places. Perhaps first
among tliese will arise the question as to
whether the secretion of wax by bees is a
"physical necessity " over which they have
no control ; or, have they not the predomi-
nant volition to produce wax or not, accord-
ing to their will and i)leasure, as circum-
stances may require ? I am inclined to
favor the latter proposition ; and in support
thereof will refer to what every observing
bee keeper must have noticed, viz., that
when bees are supplied with ready built
empty combs, all they can occupy, tliey will
not build new comb, except in very rare
cases. Therefore the proposition does not
hold good that " comb building must of ne-
cessity go hand in hand with honey gather-
ing" at all times. It is only when the comb
which they already have is being constantly
removed that they need to be continually
building new. With these facts in view, it
seems to me that the idea that the secretion
of wax is a " physical necessity " over which
the bees have no control, is quite out of har-
mony with the economy of nature.
Again, I believe that it is universally con-
ceded that in order to produce much wax,
the bees must of necessity consume an extra
quantity of honey over and above what would
otherwise be necessary. Now will anyone
presume to say that the bees cannot desist
from consuming this extra amount of honey
to be converted into wax, when they have no
use for the wax ? That they secrete wax to
some little extent involuntarily when hand-
ling large quantities of honey, there is not
much room for doubt, but all that would be
produced in this manner could readily be
utilized in drawing out foundation, and cap-
ping brood and honey, without allowing any
to go to waste.
You intimate in your leader that bees will
work with increased zeal when allowed to
gratify their instinct for comb building.
But can it be proved that such is the case ?
If two new swarms of equal strength be
hived at the same time, and to one be given
drawn combs, to the other empty frames
with starters only, when there comes a honey
flow will not the one having the drawn comb
manifest equally as much zeal in gathering
honey as the dther one which has new combs
to build ? The former can send a much
larger force to the fields than the latter, and
therefore will be able to store a proportion-
ately greater quantity of honey. However
much it may gratify their instinct to indulge
in the operation of comb building, the fact
remains that it is a serious tax upon their
time and energies to have to build all new
combs wlierein to raise brood and store their
honey. We should l)ear in mind that they
do not ordinarily engage in comb building
to any considerable extent only when there
is honey to be gathered to put into it, unless
they are being fed. How then are we to
know whether it is their desire to build comb
or the opportunity to gather honey that in-
spires their zeal ? I am inclined to believe
that it is the latter. I fully agree with your
idea that the reason why more extracted
than comb honey can be produced is "be-
cause the bees are furnished with drawn
38
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
combs, hence are not delayed by lack of
storage." Or, in other words, are not de-
layed by having to build new comb. And
what better argument can be offered than
this in favor of giving the bees all possible
advantage by the use of full sheets of foun-
dation ? Although there may be some minor
considerations in favor of allowing bees to
build natural combs, yet about the only way
that I have ever been able to get all worker
comb satisfactorily built without the use of
full sheets of foundation, has been in nuclei,
or weak colonies, according to the Doolittle
plan. I have tried hiving swarms on starters
only in the brood frames, according to in-
structions given in your little book, " The
Production of Comb Honey," and persisted
in trying, hoping to avoid the expense of
foundation, but the result has been almost
invariably too much drone comb, therefore
I have discontinued the practice. A young
and vigorous queen is no sure guarantee
against drone comb in such cases if the
swarm be a very large one ; and I generally
manage to keep them from swarming until
they are large.
Another objection to this plan is found in
the fact that where narrow starters only are
used in the brood nest, and partly filled
supers put on above, that pollen is sure to be
carried into the sections, and many of them
will be rendered unfit for market thereby.
These difficulties can be obviated by the use
of full sheets of foundation, or drawn combs
in the brood nest. Then if partly filled
supers are at once put on, the bees will carry
most of the honey brought in right up into
the super and store it with that which is
already there. If they do at first put some
of it into the brood combs below, so soon as
the queen needs to occupy the room with
eggs and brood, they will readily remove the
honey "up stairs," and by this time it will
have become pretty well ripened and ready
to cap over as soon as placed in the sections.
I use full sheets of foundation in sections,
and think that I get more honey by so doing,
and the comb is built out and fastened to
the wood, generally much better than when
only starters are used. I use full sheets in
brood frames, and thereby get good worker
combs.
The principal objection which I find to the
use of foundation is the expense. But my
experience in using it has led me to the con-
clusion that I can obtain enough more honey
by using it liberally, than I could get other-
wise, to more than pay all the extra expense,
besides getting better built Ijrood combs,
and much more satisfactory results in a
general way by having things more as I
would like to have them.
In closing I offer this recommendation :
Fill every section and frame with founda-
tion, and when all the sections are filled with
nice honey ; take them to the market and
exchange them for money.
Seymoub, Wis., Dec. 5, 1890.
Bejoiuder to Dadant's Criticism on the Wax
Experiment.
E. E. HASTY.
fT OFTEN happens that we make rejoin-
ders when it would be better to simply
let the matter rest ; but I think my ex-
periments, as to the amount of honey re-
quired to secrete a pound of wax, are im-
portant enough that they should be defend-
ed at every point where they are capable of
defense.
First, a word as to manners. It seems to
me that I would rather a man would fling an
ungentlemanly epithet at my head than to
call me ignorant of a science I think I have
a fair general knowledge of. 'Spect most
people feel the same way. Let us have one
more inch of reform all around the shanty.
Friend Dadant imagined he saw a little peg,
on which the charge of ignorance of chemis-
try might be made to hang, in this sentence
of mine, " I am not sure that thick honey
declines in weight any more in being trans-
formed into wax than molasses does in
being transformed into candy. Why
should it ? " I thought at the time of ex-
plaining the chemical bearings of the thing,
and decided not to. No man can turn
aside to take up every slightly relevant
point — to stop every gap where dullness
might misapprehend, or an adversary start
a cavil — without ruining the force and use-
fulness of his page.
As he has '"drawn" me on the point, I
will explain. Honey and wax are two differ-
ent substances, it is true ; but they are two
substances with the same inyredients, name-
ly, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. There is
a difference in the proportion of the ingredi-
ents ; and therefore when one substance is
transformed into the other there is neces-
sarily a percentage of loss in weight.
Whether there is a further loss, beyond what
the physical conditions of the problem de-
TEE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
mand, is not a matter for us to dogmatize
about. Our rightful business is to experi-
ment and find out. What I said I was not
sure of amounts to this. Is the water of
very thick honey (twelve per cent, some one
says), plus the necessary loss by the read-
justment of the three elements named,
greater in the aggregate than the loss thin
molasses sustains when being boiled into
candy ? Were honey and wax definite com-
pounds the matter would be easier to get at;
but neither is so. Three different waxes, in
varying quantities, each with a different
proportion of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen,
are bound together in beeswax. As to honey,
if I am right, science cannot yet tell cer-
tainly how many different sugars there are
in it. The proportions of each vary greatly
in different samples. I may as well confess
I had not in mind how large a sacrifice of
oxygen was necessary in transforming honey
to wax. There are some indications that
the actual secretion of wax is from the cane
sugar which abounds in fresh nectar, but is
hardly found at all in ripe honey. In 100
lbs. of cane sugar there are over 42 lbs. car-
bon, over 51 lbs. of oxygen, and nearly (>3^
lbs. of hydrogen. In 100 lbs. of wax, as per
Cook's Manual (whether from a single sam-
ple, or an average of several samples I can-
not say), there are over 79 lbs. of carbon,
over 13 lbs. of hydrogen, and of oxygen only
83^. So the necessary loss of substance ap-
proximates to one-half, exclusive of the
water.
But how about friend Dadant's chemistry?
He says : " Beeswax is no more honey than
the fat of a hog is corn." Beeswax and
honey have identical ingredients. Corn and
lard have not. A considerable part of the
corn is not nutriment at all. Another con-
siderable part is nutriment with nitrogen in
it, and therefore of doubtful avail in making
lard which has no nitrogen.
Hearty thanks for the concession of seven
pounds instead of twenty. " The world does
move." The former figure will not, like the
latter, impel every beginner to think every
ounce of foundation he can make his bees
use must be used at a profit, whether he can
see any profit or not. Now give us the bet-
ter conditions of fresh natural nectar instead
of old honey, or concocted feed, a natural
sivarm of bees instead of a disgruntled old
colony, mid-season instead of the time of
year when bees are becoming semi-torpid,
and liberty, and then we shall all get on
further, little by little, clear to the ultimate
truth that there is, practically, no mysteri-
ous loss at all.
Mr. Dadant says my bees remained idle in
the hive to hold honey. Let us see. Please
confine attention for the moment to the ex-
periment which gave the best results. These
are the four days' gatherings. First day, 5
oz.; 2d, 5 oz.; iJd, 22 oz.; 4th, IG oz. The
third and fourth days there was, no doubt,
comb to put the honey in. If there was any
staying at homo to hold honey it must have
been the first or second days. Does not Mr.
D. know that a four pound natural swarm
has young bees enough, that do not yet go to
the fields, to hold a great deal more than five
ounces of honey ? and that the field bees
prefer to give it to them, even if there was
ever so much empty comb ? He knows
these things very well indeed. He seems to
be objecting without paying any careful
heed to the matter before him. Moreover,
notice the queer mathematics by which he
makes the experiment support the 7 to 1
ratio. I said my experimental bees lost
weight, four ounces each night, on the aver-
age, and that I equally divided this between
food and wax. He says, " If bees consume
two and a half ounces of honey during
the eight hours of a July night, &c."
This is not a slip of the pen, or a typograph-
ical error, for he directly multiplies it by 3
and makes 7}4 the product. Now, why does
Mr. Dadant, one of the ripest practical
apiarians in this or any country, deliver
such wild blows ? A charitable theory oc-
curs to me that he went over the experiment
with some approach to care years ago, and
that he now sets his conclusions before us in
a mixed and half-remembered state.
But, to return, there is a real difficulty at
this point, on account of honey that escapes
the scale, by being gathered in the morning
and digested before night. My critic says,
" Mr. Hasty forgets." How did I forget?
By expressly stating in these plain words —
Some honey gathered at morn is eaten and
dissipated before night, and so escapes the
scale, while the wax product of it remains.
To balance this, on the other hand, all
these pounds and ounces are pounds and
ounces of rather raw nectar, not of ripe
honey." Now, it was open to Mr. Dadant
to say, if he chose, that I did not make al-
lowance enough for digestion by day. He
might even object to the whole plan of off-
setting one thing against another. But to
40
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
say I forgot what I stated at length was not
proper criticism.
If he insists on reading the elements of
the experiment in a different way, without
any offsets, he must make a reasonable al-
lowance for the reduction of nectar to
honey. Note that this nectar was all weigh-
ed the first time inside of fifteen hours after
gathering ; but when cut out and weighed
the second time part of it had been ripening
in the hive a much longer time, and was
still quite thin. My first extractings one
year bothered me by being thin ; and on one
occasion I boiled down 6 lbs. to 3)4 • This
was a reduction of 42 per cent. If we take
the final 11 ounces of the second experiment
and add to them If) ounces for nectar gath-
ered but not weighed (the amount being in-
dicated by the night losses) we have 26
ounces of nectar. Reduce this 40 per cent,
and we have 10 ounces of ripe honey. The
wax it made was 4 ounces, indicating a ratio
of four to one. If complaint is made about
too much estimating, let me remind the
reader that approximating the work of bees
at work in the natural way is worth some-
thing, while exact figures on work that is un-
natural are constantly liable to be worth just
nothing at all.
As to the Simmins experiments, it is to be
regretted that we have not the exact method
of procedure (at least not in the Review's
quotation). Apparently he waited till there
was no more honey in the fields, and then
fed in the open air — colonies not in the ex-
periment being shut into their hives. If so
the ratio of O^a to 1 is excellent indication
that 3 to 1 may yet be found none to small
for perfectly normal work. Mr. Simmins
wishes a considerable allowance to Vje made
for the low temperature at the time. An-
other thing not mentioned occurs to me as
likely to affect the result even more than
the temperatnre. At that time of the year
bees strongly incline to go into a semi-
dormant state. This is noticed even in
Cuba, where it is warm all the time. This
sluggish inclination is a source of uncer-
tainty, and we cannot be sure that we have
anything like their best accomplishment
during the months when it prevails. Again,
we cannot at this time of year have fresh
nectar from the fields. If kept for the pur-
pose it will be (}uite sure to be damaged
more or less. If we try to fabricate a feed
equal to it we shall incur risk of falling
short. Chemistry may be satisfied when
practical results " kick." Yet again (and
possibly the most important of all), we can-
not late in the season take down a natural
swarm from the bough and set them at the
experiment the first work they do. To take
a settled colony, and plunder them of all
their brood, and fix their interior so they
must needs turn their main attention to
comb building immediately, is a fearful
overturn of their affairs, the best that can
be made of it. And bees are among the
most contrary of living creatures. With a
new swarm matters are just the reverse of
this. A swarm is pleased to have their new
home without broOd, pleased to begin comb-
building with all their might in an empty
domicile, and would be displeased to have
things otherivise. To have our little fellows
plastic in our hands, and anxious to do just
what we want them to do, is an advantage
we cannot afford to dispense with if we want
the best work done.
Richards, O. Jan. 21st, 1891.
[In the Simmins experiment the bees were
not confined to their hives but allowed to fly
in a room 10 x 50 feet in size ; but the season
was autumn, when the weather was far from
warm, and a " made up " swarm was used.
Ed.]
Workshop, Honey-House and House-Apiary.
JOSHUA BULL.
fHAVE three buildingB for the use and
convenient management of my apiary.
The first is a work shop, KixlG feet, with
14-foot posts, and two floors. The frame is
sheeted up on the outside with matched
lumber, then papered and clapboarded to
make it warm ; and painted " warm drab "
to preserve the clapboards and make it look
nice. On the lower floor is a work bench,
foot-power saw, and such tools and imple-
ments as are needed for the construction of
hives, supers, and other fixtures for the
apiary. It is provided with a large box-stove
to heat it up in cold weather. The chamber
is used for a store-room, also for paint shop,
when the weather is not suitable for out-door
painting.
Building No. 2 is a honey house 20x25 feet.
This also has two floors. The outside is
clapboarded and painted "lemon-yellow;"
trimmed with slate color. The floors are
made of white ash and oak, each alternate
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
41
board being ash, and oiled, without paint.
As we enter this building the stairway is im-
mediately in front of us, just far enough
back so that the stair door will not clash
with the outside door if the two are swung
open at the same time. At the right is a
room 12x10 feet, which is wainscoted from
the floor up about four feet, above which it
is lathed and plastered. This room is used
for general purposes, such as folding sec-
tions, setting foundation, filling supers,
emptying supers, scraping sections, extract-
ing honey, etc., etc. It is provided with a
section press, a honey extractor, a machine
for removing sections from supers and wide
frames, and a work table. Near the outside
door is a wash-bowl and towel-rack ready
for use when the hands become smeared
with honey or anything that needs washing
ofif. Back of the door on some three cor-
nered shelves that just fill the space behind
the door when it stands open, is a place for
smoker and other tools used in the manipu-
lation of hives, frames and supers.
In one corner of the room arrangements
are made so that, if desirable, seven colonies
of bees can be placed upon shelves with
passage-ways through the end wall of the
house for the bees to go out and in. These
colonies can be employed when necessary to
complete partly filled and unfinished sec-
tions, and if found necessary to " feed back "
for that purpose, it can be done more con-
veniently than to go out into the open yard
to do it. If the feeding is done inside, the
suspicions of the inquisitive passer-by will
not be aroused by catching a glimpse of the
(to him) mysterious operation.
This room is well lighted by three win-
dows, each containing twelve panes of 9x14
inch glass, and all are covered with wire-
cloth screens nailed on to the casings out-
side, with bee escapes at the top. If the
windows were set open, and a whole swarm
of bees let loose inside, they could all find
exit in a very short time. Back of the stair-
case is a dark closet, or sulphur pit, large
enough to contain 400 or 500 brood combs,
where they can be smoked with sulphur
when necessary for the destruction of moth
worms. A ventilator allows the smoke to
escape when it has done its work, without
letting it into other parts of the building.
In the other end of the building, at the
left hand as we enter the outside door, is a
room 10x20 feet. This part is sheeted uij on
the inside of the studding with % inch
boards, then lathed and plastered over the
boards. If at any time it is found desirable
to make it warmer, the walls can be packed
with sawdust or other material by pouring it
down between the studding from the cham-
ber above. This room has two windows, one
in the front and one in the back end. These
are also covered with wire-cloth, same as the
other windows. This is my store room
where I keep my honey until it is sold. A
part of my plan (not yet carried into execu-
tion) is to arrange shelves crosswise in the
center of this room on which to place sec-
tions which may need further ripening, and
by opening the windows on both sides ex-
pose them to a free and rapid circulation of
air when the weather is warm and dry.
The chamber to the honey house is all in
one room, and is not finished ofif any further
than that it has a good matched floor laid
down. I use it for a miscellaneous storage
•oom for supplies of whatever kind ; and in
winter for empty hives, supers, honey boards,
etc., etc., where all are kept dry and free
from vermin, all ready for use when needed.
The whole building is made impregnable
against mice and rats, unless they happen to
slip in at the outside door when it is open.
I do not claim that these buildings are
models for others to imitate, but have simply
described them just as they are as near as I
can ; and would say that I have found them
quite satisfactory so far as I have used them.
The honey-house was not completed until
last spring, and, therefore, has been in use
only one season. I have not yet proved the
utility of having hives of bees right in the
honey-room, on which to get partly filled
sections finished up ; but I now have a num-
ber of colonies packed therein for wintering,
and, if all goes well, expect to give the mat-
ter a practical test next summer.
Building No. 3 is a bee-house, or house-
apiary, built in form of a half hexagon,
being twenty feet long on the north side,
the other three sides measuring ten feet each,
and facing the south-east, south, and south-
west. It is arranged inside to accommodate
ten colonies, with entrance to hive through
side wall of the building. (No colonies are
placed on the north side). The platform
upon which the hives stand is about twenty-
four inches above the ground, (there is no
floor). The bottom boards upon which the
hives rest are made six inches longer than
the hives in order to admit of moving the
hive backward and forward thereon, and are
4d
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
nailed permanently in place; a strip is nailed
on at each side to hold the hive up % of an
inch above the board. In the center of each
bottom board an opening is made 2x8 inches
leading into a funnel-shaped tube which
passes downward through a box containing
eight inches of packing and extends fifteen
inches below the brood nest. At the lower
end of this funnel is an opening 1x8 inches
for winter ventilation. By means of a slide
which is attached to the under side of the
bottom-board, the amount of ventilation can
be regulated at any time to suit the require-
ments of the bees. It may be entirely closed
during the working season, and the hive
moved close up to the wall of the house in
order to save as many steps as possible for
the faithful little workers when they labor
so hard to gather in the harvest.
To prepare them for winter, the hives are
drawn backward, and a piece of board six
inches wide and as long as the width of the
hive, is laid across in front and rests down
upon the rim of the bottom board upon
which the hive rests ; this provides a covered
passage-way out. Movable boards prepared
for this purpose are placed about eight
inches in the rear, in such manner as to
form a sort of bin a little deeper than the
depth of the hives. Then the space at the
back, in front, and between the hives is
tilled with sawdust, chaff, or any other suit-
able material for winter packing. The hive
covers are removed, a piece of cotton cloth
is spread over the top of the hive, a folded
newspaper is laid on over this cloth, and
then a sawdust cushion four or five inches in
thickness and of sufiicient length and breadth
to extend two inches beyond the wall of the
hive on all sides in order to lap well on to the
other packing, is placed on over all to com-
plete the job. When continuous cold weather
sets in, I close the outside entrances as near
air tight as I can make them, and draw back
the slide in the bottom board to give what-
ever ventilation is necessary from below
through the afore named funnel. Thus the
bees are warmly packed, have plenty of
fresh air, and are not exposed to the chilling
blasts of the wintry winds. No attempt is
made to make the body of this house warm ;
on the contrary it is made open and airy in
order that there may be no accumulation of
moisture inside. The protection for the bees
is in the packing around the hives. If, at
any time during winter, there comes a time
when the weather is suitable, the outside en-
trance can be opened and let the bees have
a flight, and then close them up ag in. By
this arrangement bees can be restrained
from flying in unsuitable weather in the
spring of the year, and possibly thereby pre-
vent spring dwindling to some extent.
My intentions are to have those bees re-
main here winter and summer. Of course,
the packing will be removed when warm
weather comes. I am aware that house
apiaries are objected to by some people be-
cause when a hive is opened for any purpose,
many bees wiil fly inside, and cannot be
readily gotten out of the house again.
To obviate this difliculty, I have provided
an opening 4x10 inches directly in front and
above the entrance to each hive which can be
opened or closed in a moment at pleasure.
When manipulating a hive, if this is set
open and all other lights excluded, except
just enough to enable the operator to see
what he is doing, I think that nearly all of
the bees which take wing .will fly immediate-
ly to this opening and pass out ; and, if any
young bees are among them, which have
never before been out to take a flight and
mark their location, they will find themselves
right at the entrance of their own hive and
will likely enter there instead of going else-
where.
This house apiary having been built since
the close of the last honey season, I have
not, therefore, had an opportunity to test its
practical merits. Meanwhile, I feel quite
sanguine in regard to its utility, and shall
take pleasure in reporting results another
year.
Seymour, Wis.,
Dec. 5, 1890.
Whitewash vs. Paint.
JOHN HANDEL.
. IVES painted with lime and ochre, if
done right, will last as long as those
painted with oil.
In the first place, the lime should be
slacked, as for plastering, at least a week
before use, a month is better. It should
have more body than oil paint. The thicker
the better, so long as it will spread. By mix-
ing yellow and red ocher with it different
shades can be given.
The painting must be done in a damp
place, and the work left there for at least
one week. The lime should dry as slowly
as possible, so that the whitewash will soak
i'^E BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
^
into the wood. A damp cellar, or wet straw
thrown over the hives, will do.
I also have my honey house painted with
lime and ocher, and just enough oil to form
a film over the work to keep the water from
evaporating. The work was done two years
ago, and looks better than oil paint.
Savanna, 111.
Jan. 24, 1891.
Building Cellar and Honey-House Walls of
Concrete.
8. A. SHUCK.
IDITOR REVIEW.— At the time of
building ail the honey house I have, I
did not own the premises and did not
know that I should ever own them. Then,
too, my purse was quite small, and con-
sequently the building was made small,
10x14 feet. As I had a hundred colonies of
bees before I built a houey house, it became
necessary to do as I had l)een doing with my
empty hives, stack them up out doors. With
the past season's crop in this little room
there was scarcely standing room for two
persons to say nothing about storage for
surplus extracting combs.
So I have just completed the walls of a bee
cellar, IGxSO feet, over which I hope to build
a shop and storage room next summer. The
principal thought I wish to present in this
communication is concerning material. But
before I enter into this I wish to say that I
want my buildings at one side of my apiary,
especially the honey house, as in addition to
the objections mentioned in your leader, I
do not like to have my work all around the
house. Then, too, I think there is such a
thing as having things too convenient some-
times. Especially is this true when there
are several hives close to the honey house
door. It is so handy to pick up a super,
walk to a hive and place it on and go back
into the honey house, get another super and
go to another hive, itc. ; while, if the hives
were a little farther away, we would place
several supers on our wheelbarrow, or what-
ever we have to carry them on, and thus
save time and labor, by making fewer trips
to and from the honey house.
Now about my cellar and the contempla-
ted work shop.
The brick for my cellar walls would have
cost me not less than S75.00 laid down on
the ground, but the materials used, which are
lime, cement, and cinders from an old fur-
nace, cost me less than .120.00. The work of
excavating the cellar, putting in the walls,
including cost of material, all combined,
except my own lal)or, cost me less than the
brick would have cost me.
While one of our townsmen, who spends
considerable time sitting at our village store,
has wagered a "forty dollar trotting rooster"
with the young man who helped me do the
work that my walls will fall down in less
than a year, I do not feel uneasy about it.
The walls were put up with what is known
as concrete, using the cinders instead of small
stone. Owing to the time of year, I have
braced the walls and will not plaster them
until next summer. I have put on a set of
joist and covered the cellar over so as to
prevent freezing, and intend to put my bees
in there for the rest of the winter.
I intend to continue the concrete for the
walls of the shop, and accomplish two pur-
poses in so doing, that of making them fire-
proof and perfectly safe against rats and
mice.
If my man loses his " forty dollar rooster "
I will let you know at once.
LiVEKPOOL, 111.
Jan. 1, 1891.
What I Think I Know About Honey Houses.
ABTHUB O. MILLEK.
!!HE FIRST consideration is the loca-
tion of the building. In what part of
the apiary shall it be put ? Put it
where Pat put the handle to his jug — on the
outside, and on that part of the outside that
was nearest to him.
If it is in the middle of the apiary it is
frequently inconvenient and sometimes un-
safe to approach it with a horse and wagon,
and it is folly to put the building where
everything must be lugged or wheeled to and
fro by hand power.
In planning the building, let the first con-
cern be the honey room.
Bro. H. says in his leader, " there must be
a shop proper, a storage room for hives and
fixtures and perhaps a special room for
storing honey."
Bless my stars I What earthly use is the
rest of the building, the hives, or the bees,
if I have not a prosier place for caring for
my honey, the product of my labor, the ob-
ject of all this investment.
id
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
It may be necessary, and it is generally
best, for me to hold my crop for awhile, and
shall I store it in the room where my hives
are, where it can get dusty, soiled, and more
or less injured ? No, sir. I will have a room
on purpose to put it in — a room where I can
keep it dry and warm — and into this room
it goes from the hives, and there it stays
until sold.
In this room is done all the extracting,
cleaning sections, and preparing it for mar-
ket, and nowhere else. Then the sticky is
all in one place, and will stay there if I am
careful.
The workshop and store-room for hives
and fixtures may be all in one, but I prefer
to store my hives out of the way, so that I
can have full swing in my workshop for any
work, whether it is a bee-hive, a wagon, or
a house.
My shop is roomy, light, dry, and can be
warmed when necessary. My bench is in
the best light in the shop and my tools are
in a convenient place. I have a place for
everything, and everything is in its place —
occasionally. Sometimes I forget where the
place is.
For storing combs I shall build a closet
where I can treat them to a dose of bi-
sulphide of carbon when necessary. The
closet will be of such size as to hold the
frames to best advantage, and is to be ven-
tilated from out of doors, so that none of
the dangerous gas can enter the house or
room where any one could breathe it or
where it might be ignited. The closet doors
must necessarily shut tight.
So far as possible I have everything on one
floor. No running up and down stairs for
me, thank you. Laud is too cheap in the
country to pay to put things up into the air
where I must climb for them.
A cellar I do not need, as my bees winter
well on the summer stands.
Pkovidenoe, R. I. Jan. 4, 1891.
Experiments at the Mich. Agricultural Col-
lege— What they are to be, and who is
to Conduct Them.
A. J. OOOK.
IT S PER request, Mr. Editor, I gladly
ai) give the facts regarding our plans
concerning experiments in apicul-
ture here at the College. Not long since, Dr.
C. V. Riley visited our college and wished to
know if I would give attention and care to
experiments in bee-keeping, in case the De-
partment would furnish a good assistant to
care for and manage details. I said I would
do all I could to make such experiments suc-
cessful. In discussing the matter. Dr. Riley
and I thought best to press the work of
special planting for honey, that it might
soon be decided whether it would ever pay
or not. It was also thought wise to take every
care and pains to breed up a superior variety
or strain. It is also proposed to try experi-
ments to find all the factors that enter into
the matter of ill success in wintering. Other
experiments will be conducted, but the above
will receive the emphasis of our care and
effort.
In making inquiries, I was led to decide
upon Mr. J. H. Larrabee, Secretary of the
Vermont State Association, to assist in this
work. Mr, Larrabee is very intelligent ; a
hard worker ; neat and methodical in his
work ; has proven his ability by that best of
tests, real success ; and is of that judicial
turn of mind that can carry on an experi-
ment and give results — the real facts — with-
out prejudice or bias. At least, I was led to
that belief after many inquiries ; and now
that Mr. Larrabee is with me, and I have
become acquainted with him, I am more
assured that I made no mistake in deciding
upon him to assist in this important work.
Let me add that we shall be very glad at
any time to receive suggestions from bee-
keepers, either as to ways to conduct these
exijeriments, or regarding other experi-
ments that it may be thought wise to prose-
cute.
Agbioultueal Col., Mich. Jan. 19, 1891.
[Let's all give Bro. Larrabee a hearty
welcome and encourage him all we can in
his important work. I shall look with in-
terest to the results of these experiments,
particularly those that have a bearing upon
the wintering question.
In a private letter, Mr. Larrabee suggests
that one issue of the Review be devoted to
the discussion of " Progress." He says :
"Many issues have been devoted to what
has been done and how to do this or that,
now have one devoted to ' Experiments I
should like to try.' Let your writers look
into the future of bee culture, especially upon
inventions, discoveries and methods."
What do the readers of the Review think of
such a topic ? I think that now that we
have succeeded in catching a real live bee-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
46
keeper, and he is to be jmt to work under
Prof. Cook, let us tell him what experiments
we would like to have him try — let's use
him.— Ed,]
Pure ads. — No Articles Ought to be Skipped.
The Review is for Advanced Bee-Keepers;
But has Been Almost too Topical.
ARTHUE C. MILLEK.
f DARED not venture an article on the
subject of bee journalism, lest I should
be overwhelmed bj' the others, and, as
it turned out, I am glad I did not ; but, now
that the rest have shown their hands, I can
safely show mine, just for your own perusal.
I like the idea of pure " ads.," and of stop-
ping the paper when subscriptions expire.
Don't quite like the sentiment shown in
regard to skipping (by readers) articles not
having a "leading'" name at the top, for
there is, or ought to be if the editor admits
it, good grain there.
Don't forget that the Review if for ad-
vanced bee-keepers ; there are enough of
them to well support it ; let other papers
cater to beginners.
Dr. Miller's remarks concerning the name
of the Review are a little contradictory, for
he is "reviewing." What was that very
Nov. No. but a good review of bee papers ?
The best review should suggest an advance,
and that is what vou are constantly doing.
One trouble with the Review is that it
doesn't give a fellow a chance to "talk
back." It is so topical that one feels it is
useless and out of place to try to answer
contributors through its columns until a
kindred topic presents the opportunity, and
then the iron is cold and " I's dun forgitit
all."
If my advice is good for anything, don't
oh donf, go into the supply business.
Pbovidence, R. I. Nov. 20, 18i)0.
[Yes, friend Miller, the Review has been
a little "too topical," in the sense in which
you use the words. Ijack of room was the
trouble. This has now been remedied, and
as I said last month, no discussion need be
considered closed, so long as anybody has
anything of value to offer. There will now
be an opportunity to " talk back," and it
often happens that some can "talk back"
better than they can start the conversation.
—Ed.]
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHINSOfl, Ed. & PPOp.
Tebms : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 : three for $2 Jr ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each, tif" Tlie Review i.s stopped at
the exijiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN. FEBRUARY 10, 1891.
The Apt. thinks bee escapes will have a
short run. The Review doesn't.
Five excellent articles upon " Separa-
tors" yet on hand. If others wish to write
upon the subject, let them do so. Now that
the subject is "up," let's do it justice.
The Hukon, Tuscola and Sanilac Go's
(Mich.) Bee-Keepers will meet in Oaro,
March 11 and 12, 1891. The editor of the Re-
view expects to be present and read a paper
on the " Different Varieties of Bees."
Me. Timpe, of five-banded bee fame, sent
enough of the new potatoes, that he is adver-
tising, to enable each member of the family to
have a potato. They are certainly very nice.
They have a taste that, mixed with a vivid
imagination, would about enable them to
pass for sweet potatoes..
SUPEES THAT COMPBESS THE SECTIONS.
I have often thought, if we could have a
super that would compress the sections both
ways, something after the style of the Foster
case, for instance, but free from any accom-
panying disadvantages, it would be a grand
thing. Mr. Heddon's new style of case and
wide frames compress the sections sidewise
by means of a screw. Geo. E. Hilton has a
case in which the sections are similiarly
compressed : and Wm. W. Gary has just sent
me a super, or "clamp,,' as he calls it, in
which the sections and section holders are
pressed together with screws. Wood sepa-
rators are used. Of course, the closer to-
gether we get the sections the less oppor-
tunity is there for using propolis. Mr. Gary
also sent me a shipment of foundation last
year that was very nice, and the whitest I
ever saw.
4s
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
AUXIIilABY OOIjONIES.
Geo. A. Stockwell urges, in the American
Bee-Keeper, that we have auxiliary colonies;
colones to aid others by building comb for
them. I don't believe this would be profit-
able. This everlasting fussing and puttering
is one thing that makes some of us say " bee-
keeping doesn't pay."
STBENGTHENING WEAK COLONIES IN THE FALL.
A. 0. Tyrrel says, in the ^pi., that he
strengthens weak colonies in the fall by giv-
ing them the young bees that it is some-
times so difficult to drive from the sections.
The bees of the colony, as well as those in
the sections, are thoroughly smoked before
uniting. After bees have thus been intro-
duced to a colony, he says more young bees
may afterwards be given from any colony
without the use of smoke, as the colony has
become accustomed to the influx of stran-
gers.
EEVEKSIBLE BOTTOM BOABDS.
Dr. Miller, in the American Bee-Keeper,
describes a reversible bottom board. It is
simply a shallow box (minus one end) IX
inches deep, as wide as the hive and a little
longer. The open side is used uppermost
in winter to furnish an empty space under
the bees. In summer it is turned over. I
furnish this space below the combs in win-
ter by simply raising the hive and putting
sticks under it. This is the management in
the cellar ; out of doors, a little rim of lath is
placed under each hive.
A TRADE MABK FOB HONEY PEODUOEE8-
At the Detroit meeting of Michigan bee-
keepers it was proposed that the Bee-Keep-
ers' Union get up a "trade mark " for the
use of its members in labeling their honey.
The idea is that the public will thus be en-
abled to distinguish between honey put up
by members of the Union, and that put up
by outsiders. If dishonest men could be
kept out of the Union, there might be some-
thing in this scheme ; but there is nothing to
prevent a rogue from joining the Union and
then pointing the finger of assurance at the
"trade mark" adorning his adulterated
goods. If he is "exposed," then the Union
and its boasted "trade mark" is brought
into disrepute.
AMONIA FOB EEMOVING GBEASE FEOM TIN
CANS.
Gleanings protests against the shipping of
honey in tin cans that have been used in
shipping kerosene, a practice largely in
vogue in California. Hot water alone will
not clean such cans. If they must be used,
says Mr. Root, add two tablespoonfuls of
amonia to half a cup of water, put the mix-
ture in the oily can, screw down the top and
give the can a good shaking. This will re-
move the black, greasy, inky looking sub-
stance and leave the tin as bright as a dollar.
THE AMEBIOAN BEE-KEEPEB BUYS THE
" ADVANCE."
Simply buying up the subscription lists of
other journals will not enable a man to es-
tablish a successful paper. If I remember
aright the Bee-Keepers^ Advance absorbed
five other journals, yet it was not a success,
and has just been sold to that enterprising
firm, The W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co. Some
men might have the most successful journal
in the country put into their hands, and it
would be dead in a year. Such, however,
will not be the case with the American Bee-
Keeper. That had " success " stamped upon
the first issue.
THE A. B. J. PUBLISHED AT COST.
In one of his " straws " in Gleanings, my
old friend. Dr. Miller, was inclined to take
me to task just a little, because he thought I
had hinted that all bee papers, except the
Review, were published at cost. When I
said, in the Dec. issue, that "an extensive
dealer in supplies can well afford to send out
a journal at cost," I had no intention of
hinting that all or even any of them were
thus sent out ; as I didn't know but some of
them might be published at a small profit.
It would seem, however, that such a hint
would not have been far from the truth, at
least so far as the A. B. J. is concerned, as
Bro. Newman says, in a recent issue, "That
there is not one cent of profit in publishing
the Bee Journal. The only profit there is
comes from the sale of books and supplies.
New periodicals, if they intend to compete,
really have great difiiculties to encounter."
As an encouragement, let the editors of
new periodicals remember that price is not
the only element in competion.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
47
WHEBE AND HOW TO lUJILD HONEY HOUSES.
A honey house should be at the side of
the apiary. There seems to be no
question upon this point. The bees are more
easily watched, and it can be more easily
approached with a team when bringing in
supplies, and in shipping honey.
If in a locality where a cellar is needed in
wintering the bees, the place for the cellar
is under the honey house. The cellar ought
to be near the apiary and needs a cover over
it. The honey house must also be near the
apiary and needs a good foundation. Put-
ting the cellar under the honey house accom-
plishes both objects.
It costs but little more to build two stories
high, and the upper story furnishes an excel-
lent store-room for hives, supers, sections,
empty combs, and the thousand and one
things that accumulate in an apiary.
A large share of the lower floor is needed
for a shop, and the balance is for a honey
room. There is one point upon which I
neglected to touch in my leader on this topic,
and none of the correspondents have touch-
edit, and that is, shall the extracting be done
in the honey room ? If we are too keep the
honey room at a high temperature, a la Doo-
little, when it contains comb honey, such a
room would not be a very comfortable place
in which to extract the honey. Aside from
this, I see no objection to having the ex-
tracting room and honey room all in one.
As to materials used and methods of
building, much depends upon circumstances,
and what is available in each locality. I was
quite interested in the plan proposed by
Mr. Shuck, that of making the cellar and
house walls of cement.
PBOTEOTION FOB SINGLE-WALL HIVES.
Mr. A. I. Root believes that no method of
protecting bees that calls for loose pieces
and packing to be put on in the fall and
taken off and stowed away in the summer,
will ever become popular. I think anyone
will admit that there is one objection to this
method, that is, the labor of adjusting, re-
moving and stowing away the packing ma-
terials. We must rememt)er, however, that
this labor comes, not in the hurry and rush
of the honey harvest, but in the compartive
leisure of the spring and fall ; and need not
be skilled labor, at that. Mr. A. I. Root ar-
gues for a chaff hive, one in which the walls
are permanently packed with chaff or saw-
dust. The advantage claimed for this hive,
and it is an advantage, is that it is always
ready for winter. There is no packing nor un-
packing and no litter. Once packed, always
packed. But to go into the harvest with
bees in chaff hives brings to my mind the
figure of a man burdened with an overcoat,
but striving to keep up in the harvest field
with his fellows who are working in their
shirt sleeves — perhaps these are rolled up.
We need our overcoats, wraps and furs in
winter, but when returning warmth calls us
to the fields to labor, these outside garments
are laid aside — we pull off our coats, roll up
our sleeves, and enter the contest unincum-
bered. As extra clothing would hamper our
movements, so is the mangement of an api-
ary hampered by the use of heavy, cumber-
some chaff hives. I know there are methods
of management in which the unwieldy, stand-
still character of the chaff hive proves no
obstacle, but such methods are not the most
expeditious. It seems as though there has
been, if there isn't yet, a disposition to look
upon the idea of " handling hives instead of
combs " as though it were more theoretical
than practical. It isri't. Gradually, meth-
ods embodying this idea are coming into
use. There is the plan of hiving swarms by
allowing them to return to the old location ;
how it is simplified if the hive is readily
movable. The Heddon method of preven-
ing after-swarming is practically impossible
with chaff hives. Chaff hives are illy-adapt-
ed to tiering-up, either in raising comb or
extracted honey. As the years go by, spe-
cialists are establishing out-apiaries ; and
some are beginning to practice moving their
bees to better pastures, when circumstances
warrant the move. The chaff hive com-
pletely blocks the road to progress in these
directions. In short, I can't understand
how anybody, all things considered, can
prefer a chaff hive.
Earnestly as I advocate the use of light,
readily movable, single-wall hives, I am by
no means inclined to leave them unprotected
in the winter or early spring. My favorite
method of protecting them in the winter is
that of placing them in the cellar, but I want
them out on their summer stands as soon as
it is warm enough for the bees fly. A flight
in the open air, a little freshly gathered
pollen, honey and water seem to put new
life into the bees and encourage brood rear-
ing as nothing else will ; but, as we always
have cold snaps after this, I would protect
48
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the hives by outside packing. I have seen
the mercury remain at 35° for a week at a
time in May, after there had been three
weeks of fine weather and the combs were
filled with brood. Some fair colonies (un-
protected) actually starved; being clustered
closely upon the brood which they were un-
able or unwilling to leave to bring honey
into the cluster. It doesn't seem to me that
there need be any doubt that spring protec-
tion is beneficial, that it is often needed,
and, if it can be secured cheaply enough,
always profitable.
I know some are now ready to ask, if
spring protection is so important that it is
advisable to pack the hives after they are
taken from the cellar, why not winter the
bees out of doors, giving them the needed
protection in the fall, thus saving the expense
of a cellar and the labor of carrying the bees
in and bringing them out ? The saving in
honey, by wintering in the cellar, will pay
for the expense twice over ; besides, taking
one winter with another, the cellar has prov-
ed to be the safer place in this locality. In
a severe winter the cellar is superior ; in a
mild winter it is no worse than in a cold
winter ; but out-doors may be, usually is,
a better place for bees in a mild winter. If
we only knew in advance what the winter
would be we would know just what to do ;
put the bees in the cellar if it is to be cold,
leave them out if it is to be warm. But we
are obliged to take our chances ; and, while
my choice is the cellar, I wish to say that it
by no means has all the advantages. What
kills our bees in winter is the overloading of
their intestines. Sometimes one winter
flight, that may be secured if the bees are in
the open air, is their salvation. If this
flight doesn't come, then the advantage is
with the cellar. At the recent meeting of
bee-keepers in Detroit, Mr. Heddon said :
"J. B. Hall said, at Brantford, last year,
that scarcely anyl)ody wintered their bees
out of doors. ' One man puts all his bees in
one big cellar ; another builds a little cellar
over each colony. What's the difl'ereuce 'i '
I tell you, frieuds, there is a big difference.
Ttiat little cellar built over a colony has an
entrance. A week ago my bees on their
summer stands had a flight. As I under-
stand it, their term of confinement for the
winter dates froui that flight."
But this is digressing a little. We are not
to spend very much time discussing cellar vs.
out- door wintering, but narrow the question
down to. shall we protect our bees out of
doors in permanently packed chaff hives, or
with temporarily protected, single-wall
hives ; if the latter, what shall be the style
of the protection ? Probably enough has
been said, in this leader, upon all these
points, unless it is the last mentioned.
I have for several years wintered a few
colonies out of doors, and protected others
in the spring, by setting a rim of cheap
lumber, six inches larger, each way, than the
hive, over the hive, filling the space around
and over the hive with dry sawdust, putting
on a cover and weighting it with a stone to
keep it in place. It will be seen from an
item in the Extracted Department that the
Roots are experimenting with a similar pro-
tection. For this locality I think the space
for packing ('^4 inch) is insufficient. I hard-
ly know what to think of the plan of having
the packing material enclosed in a long,
thin cushion to be wrapped around the hive
before the outside shell is slipped down over
the hive. It will save the scattering of litter,
and will, I think, expedite the labor of pack-
ing and unpacking, but it will also add a
little to the expense.
When I first advocated spring protection
for bees wintered in the cellar, Mr. Heddon
was my opponent. Knowing that he had since
changed his views upon this point, I wrote a
few days ago and asked him to describe the
boxes in which he packed his bees, and also
to tell how the work of packing was done.
Here is his reply : —
" The boxes are two inches bigger, all
around, (three inches in front, in order to
accommodate the alighting board) inside
dimensions, than the hive is outside meas-
ure. There are also l^i inches under the
bottom in front, which is necessary on ac-
count of the front cleat, and 2 or 2}2 inches
l)ehind, because the hive has a tip forward
in the box. ( )n top tliere are thi'ee or four
inches of space packed with sawdust as solid
as we can pack it. The cover is made abso-
lutely water tight and weighted solid on the
sawdust on top, so that the sun's rays on top
can be felt right through. The whole busi-
ness faces the south, and the packing box is
tipped forward towards the south, and in
my opinion this is the best packing material,
the best thickness of it, and the best arrange-
ment of it that I know of. Of course we use
the bridge arrangement for the passage of
the bees. We want our hives heat-reflecting
in summer, so we paint them white or near-
ly so, and in winter, you see, we use the
dark color which is heat-absorbing.
Now I have become a convert to what I
once opposed you in : that is, in packing the
bees in just such packing boxes as these after
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
49
they are takeu out of the cellar. I have iu
use 200 of these boxes, ami 200 a great deal
larger and deeper, with four or live inches of
space around the hive and seven or eight
above. I prefer the smaller boxes. They all
have tight bottoms. My bees that are now
in the cellar will all be packed in such boxes
when they come out iu the spring. You were
right and I was wrong. When you oppose
me in anything connected witn our chosen
pursuit, I at once become suspicious of my
premises ; consequently, after the discus-
sion of that point several years ago, I began
watching closely and carefully and found
you were right. I forgot to mention that
these smaller sized packing boxes are
made of % material, all around, except the
ends, which are Ig. The cover is cleated
like a trunk cover and these cleats shut right
down over the outside, about two inches,
so no water can get in, as the cover board
covers all cleats and everything. The saw-
dust is poured right iu between the walls in
the ordinary way, and packed down wiith a
little board.
Two men will pack about 100 in a day, I
think, if they have the sawdust all ready.
We have a large rain-proof shed in which
the boxes are stored in summer, and the
sawdust is left in the boxes from year to
year. We are highly pleased with these lit-
tle boxes."
Years ago Mr. Hill of the Guide protected
his bees by a cap or outer case covered with
sawdust held in place by a band of cotton
cloth. From a circular lately received, I
should judge that he now protects them by a
double-wall cap, of thin lumber, filled with
chaff, that slips down over the body of the
hive. I believe -J. A. Roe of Union City,
Ind., makes an outside case of wood to be
used with packing over single-wall hives.
" Rambler " has advocated some sort of felt
covering. Cork is an excellent material.
It is my opinion, however, that wood is the
best and cheapest material of which to make
an outside shell for holding packing mate-
rial around a single-wall hive, and that saw-
dust or chaff — substances easily obtainable
in most localities — will answer every pur-
pose as packing material.
I presume some of you have already no-
ticed, from the heading on the first page,
that this matter is to be made the subject of
our special topic for the March Review. Per-
haps some will wonder why such a topic is
taken up at this time of tlie year. It is done
because I wish you all to try taking some of
your bees from the cellar as soon as it is
warm enough for them to tiy, protecting
them until it is nearly time to i)ut on the
supers, and I wish to help you to make a
wise choice when deciding in what way that
protection shall be given.
eXXRMOTED.
Feeding Sugar and Honey in Winter.
Mr. Alley recouimends using the Good
candy (pulverized sugar and honey) for
feeding needy colonies in winter. He gives
the following directions.
" A frame not less than two inches wide
should be made, one side covered entirely
with thin boards. The other side should not
be wholly covered: space should be left at the
top for placing the food in, also for a pass-
age way for the bees to reach the food. The
frames should be made sufiiciently large to
hold ten pounds of food each. The brood
nest should be contracted to about four or
five frames, and the food placed at the sides
of the hive with the open part of the frame
next the combs."
Wood-ftueen-Excluding Honey-Boards.
Gleanings says : — " These have been made
before with the slots parallel to the grain,
but they were discarded because of the
shrinkage of the wood and the consequent
moisture of the hive. But the G. B. Lewis
Co. are now making them with the slots to
go across the grain, and they predict their
success."
I believe I was among the first, if not the
first, to use a wood-queen-excluding honey-
board. I still have some in use, but don't
like them. With me, the trouble is not in
the shrinking and swelling of the wood,
but the bees plug the holes with hard wax.
Whether they do this because of the nature
of the material used, or because of its thick-
ness, I cannot say, but think it is the latter.
I have often thought of chamfering off the
wood around the edges of the openings,
until the wood, at the edges, was about l-l(i
of an inch thick, but I never tried it, fearing
these thin edges would be too easily broken.
Perhaps making the openings across the
grain would allow this thinning of the wood
around the openings without danger of
breakage.
Candied Honey Easily Scorched.
In the A. B. K., E. E. Hasty tells how
easily the reputation of a honey producer
may be injured, at the same time his honey
is "scorched" in being re-liqufied by the
consumer. He says :
"Nearly every one seems to think that so
long as honey does not boil, of course it can
not burn. That is an awful mistake.
Let us consider the state of things when
a large can is set on a stove. What is the
temperature of the iron under the can ?
Perhaps 2.50° or :500 ". The under side of the
50
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
tin speedily rises to nearly the same, and
the upper side to over 212°. lu contact
with this high temperature the honey re-
mains about as long as it can without boil-
ing. It then springs off, and gives place to
another film of the same, which in turn is
heated to about 210" and sent off. If the
whole contents of the can were fluid and
warm, regular currents might set in which
would modify things and prevent over-heat-
ing. But tlie bulk of the honey is solid and
cold and cannot flow back and forth. It is
plain that a considerable part of the honey
in a can (if not all of it) may be subjected
piece-meal to the temperature of 210°, while
the mass is not at any time much over blood-
warm. It is very unsafe to heat honey to
210°. There seems to be a very great ditt'er-
ence in the amount of heat different samples
of honey will stand. Some honey can be
boiled vigorously with but a moderate degree
of damage to its quality, while other sam-
ples are ruined without coming to a boil. I
am inclined to think that every can of honey
ought to go out to its destiny with a plainly
printed warning stuck upon it, and a very
emphatically worded one, too, ending up
with, ' Sample this honey before you heat it,
or I will not be responsible for its quality.
Billy Faibplay.' "
Newly Settled Localities the Best for Bee-
Keeping.
One time when I was visiting at Mr. Hed-
don's, he showed me some stereoscopic views
taken in Vermont in the vicinity of Mr.
Manum's apiary. It seemed as though the
whole country was mountains. " I tell you.
Hutch.," said Mr. Heddon, " that's the
place to keep bees. They canH ploiv up
your ponies.''''
This little incident came to my mind as I
read the following from "Rambler," in the
Ajyi. : —
"From our observations upon the honey
resources of our country, it is evident that
there must be a radical change in methods,
or a change in bees to increase the yield, or
bee-keeping as a busmess will l)e among the
things of the past. This applies especially
to the Eastern states, or in localities either
east or west, where a high state of cultiva-
tion t-xists. Where the country is compara-
tively new, an abundance of wild flowers aid
in the general yield. Basswood, sumach and
millions of raspberries, of themselves, give
an excellent yield. But the destruction of
all these, and the substitution of fruit and
clover, makes the yield too unreliable for
the patience of the average American. We
discover in our rambles that good localities
where the yield has been 100 pounds, have
fallen to forty, and in some instances to
only an average of twenty pounds per col-
ony. Where our yields are so light we nat-
urally turn our eyes to a more certain field,
and just now the Alfalfa fields of the far
West have a charm for bee-keepers. For
what greater cliarnis can there be than a
steady flow, an equitable climate, and a
ready sale. ? "
" Rambler " then goes on to say that we
must either emigrate or else develope a bee
that can suck honey from the bottom of the
red clover tubes. I have no hope in thus
stretching the bees' tongues, but there is a
great deal of sense in the idea that, other
things being equal, a comijaratively newly
settled country is more reliable in furnish-
ing good crops of honey. This fact was rec-
ognized long ago, as there is an old German
adage that runs thus : —
" Bells' dius dong,
Antl choral song,
Deter the bee
From industry :
But hoot of owl,
And ' wolf's long howl,'
Incite to moil
And steady toil."
Hives with an Outer Case for Winter.— No
Packing at the Sides Until Spring.
There seems to be a disposition at present
to " get up " a hive with an outer case for
use in winter. Bees in our Northern states
certainly need protection in winter and
spring, and, just as surely, we need to have
that protection out of the way in the working
season. Upon these ijoints, E. L. Pratt has
the following to say in the American Bee
Keeper:
" Very few bee keepers seem to understand
the principle of wintering l>ees out of doors
successfully. I am decidedly in favor of
double wailed hives, but not as generally
made. I am not a Chaff hive man, never
was, and doubt if I ever will be. They are
too ponderous, too expensive and not what
is claimed for them. We want hives that
not only winter the bees but spring them
also, and this cannot always be said of a
Chaff hive. The Chautauqtia hive has the
correct principle, but I want a hive that I
can work single or double as I choose, there-
fore there is nothing that suits me so well as
a thin winter case with gable cover made to
telescope over the case, allowing about % of
an inch ventilation at each gable end. As
cold weather comes on, the outside cases can
be slipped on over the hives and they are
safe until Thanksgiving, when final prepa-
tions are usually made. There should be no
packing material used between brood cham-
ber and case until breeding commences in
the spring, as the heat generated by the
cluster is not sufficient to throw off the
moisture until then, and the sun does not
get a chance to dry and to warm up the hive
so thoroughly when packed at the sides as it
does with no iiacking. A good, thick cush-
ion made of cut hay or straw, large enough
to fit snugly inside the case, should be pro-
vided for each colony. Lay a section box,
or a small block of some kind, on the top-
bars where the bees are clustered the thick-
^HE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
hi
est, throw over that a piece of burlap or old
carpet, and crowd the cushion suusly down
over all, put on the winter roof, and either
nail or screw it down so as to be sure the
wind cannot remove it, and I warrant the
bees in that hive to come out sweet and
clean in the spring, and all alive, provided
they have had stores enough.
When breeding commences is the time to
pack at the sides, as then the cluster has ex-
panded and the heat is sufficient to throw off
all damjmess. At the time the packing is
put at the side the cushion should be raised
and a thin board laid over to cover the brood
chamber, as now we wish to retain all the
heat possible so that brood rearing will pro-
gress very rapidly."
I cannot agree with Mr. Pratt that it is
better not to protect the sides of the brood
nest in winter. When there is an opportu-
nity for the moisture to pass oflf at the top I
have seen no trouble from dampness.
The Solar Wax Extractor and Honey
Evaporator.
In Gleanings for Jan. l.o, is illustrated and
described what strikes me as the best solar
wax extractor of which I have seen any ac-
count. H. R. Boardman is the man who
" got it up " and from his description I copy
the following : —
" The improvement consists in mounting
upon rockers instead of wheels, by which
means it can be adjusted, or turned, with
perfect ease. It also dispenses with the
chamber at the lower end, for holding the
wax-pan. In fact, it is little more than a
plain shallow box with a few modifications,
covered with glass, and adjusted at an in-
clination to the sun, for its heat. The con: bs
are thrown into this box, when the wax is
melted and runs down the inclined bottom,
leaving the residue. The wax can be drawn
off or allowed to cool, when it can be re-
moved. The lower end of the extractor is
covered, so that it leaves it in the shape of
A. I. Root's bread-pan feeders with sloping
sides, so that it really combines the wax-jjan
with the extractor.
There are ventilators in each end covered
with wire cloth, that can V)e opened or closed
at pleasure, when used as an evaporator.
I am sure that Mr. Newman does not
over-rate its merits. It has been a success
with me, not only as a wax-extractor, but for
evaporating and melting honey.
It is an old chestnut, that granulating is
the test of purity in honey. I am using
honey on my table now that is clear and
limpid, that has been treated only by being
placed in this evaporator for a while at the
close of the honey season. This is the only
extracted honey I have ever been willing to
say I thought equal to comb honey. Isn't
this the secret of some of the California
honey not candying ? I suspect it is.
I have had some difficulty in finding just
the right material for the inside, or lining.
Wood seems to do as well as any thing I
have tried. It must be of narrow stuff,
matched, and well painted a drab color.
The only objection I have found to wocjd is,
it shrinks, from tlie constant heat it is sub-
ject to. Tin does nicely, but does not absorb
heat as does something of dark color. I
have tried paint on tin and iron linings, but
they do not hold paint as well as wood. The
hot wax dissolves or softens the paint, and
it scrapes loose in cleaning out the residue,
or "slum gum," as our California friends
say. Mr. Doolittle advises the use of Rus-
sia iron ; but iron will not do. I have re-
jected a lining of Russia iron, after giving
it a thorough trial, on account of its dis-
coloring the wax. It won't do to use iron
when it comes in contact with melted wax."
Two points in the above I wish to empha-
size. Granulation is not a test of purity.
I have seen pure honey that would not gran-
ulate, and I have seen honey mixed with
twice its weight of glucose, and it did gran-
ulate. Never allow wax to come in contact
with iron.
Contracting the Brood Nest and the Use of
Queen Excluders.
Dr. Tinker tells the readers of the Ameri-
can Bee Keeper that : —
"The principal of contracting the brood
nest at the right time in producing comb
honey is a measure sanctioned by the major-
ity of leading apiarists in this country, and
it is universally conceded that if the brood
nest is contracted to any considerable extent
a queen excluder is a necessity. The reason
why there is any difference of opinion in the
matter is because in certain localities no
contraction of the brood nest is ever advis-
able excepting under rare circumstances af-
fecting nectar secretions. There are locali-
ties where there is an almost continuous
flow throughout the season, and wherever we
find such localities, whether in this or any
other country, the most profitable bee keep-
ing is with large brood nests and large hives.
In quite a number of districts in France, it
is stated by Mr. Cowan, in his recent inter-
esting address before the British Bee Keep-
ers' Association, (B. B. .1., i)p. .'")18,) that
there is an almost continuous flow of nectar
from Spring to Autumn, and he found the
bee keejters there nearly all using Dadant's
and DeLayen's large hives, the latter con-
taining from sixteen to twenty-four brood
frames, about double the size of our standard
frames. No one in their right senses would
talk about contraction of the brood nest in
such localities, but unfortunately they are
few and far between in this country. Where
we have one such locality there are a hun-
dred where the season for surplus ends with
white clover or the basswood bloom. It is in
these localities, which so largely predomi-
nate, that we must contract the brood nest,
both during the honey How and during the
balance of the season, if we would make the
most of bee keeping, and whoever admits
the advantage of such contraction in his
b2
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
locality will be compelled to admit the value
of the queen excluder in the production of
comb honey."
With an 8-frame hive I have seldom found
it advisable to contract the brood nest of an
established colony ; but I would contract the
brood nest of a newly hived swarm. I would
do this to force the white honey into the
sections.
A Dovetailed Protection for the Dovetailed
or any Single-Walled Hive.
Mr. W. A. King has been arguing in
Gleanings for an outside, protecting case to
be used over single-wall hives in winter.
In reply to one of his articles, Ernest Root
says : —
" Hundreds of bee-keepers have the eight-
frame Dovetailed hive, and they may take a
notion to winter outdoors either a half or all
of their colonies, because the cellar, if they
have one, is too damp, or because some
other condition is not right. They have the
hives on hand, and desire to winter out-
doors. Now, how shall we fix them up? If it
is practicable, and sulisequent experiments
justify it, we propose i)uttiug on the market a
winter case made of >^k lumber, dovetailed at
the corners. This case will be % inches
deeper and larger all round than the
eight- franae Dovetailed hive, and it is to have
a tin- roof cover. By dovetailing the corners
we find we can make it of much lighter lum-
ber, and we are also able at the same time to
dispense with corner-posts. Well, this win-
ter case, or cap, is to be set directly over the
regular eight-frame Dovetailed hive, and is
deep enoiigh so that the edges may be push-
ed down into the sand or sawdust around
the hive. We then virtually have a double-
walled hive, with a dead-air space so called.
This air-space will be sufficient for moder-
ate climates ; but for colder regions, possibly
even for the locality of the Home of the Hon-
ey-bees, we shall be obliged to use additional
packing. To accomplish this, we make a
cushion in the form of a ring, just large
enough to put around the eight frame Dove-
tailed hive, and another cushion on the
cover. The case would be then just large
enough to slip over the whole snugly, and
crowd down into the sand or sawdust, as be-
fore mentioned. The expense of the case,
when i3ut on the market in lots of 100, would
be about .3i"> cents each in the flat. As the
chaff, or some absorbent, can be obtained
cheaply in most localities , each bee-keeper
can make for himself the cushions he would
need. Now, please bear in mind that we
have tested a similar arrangement only one
season, and on a rather limited scale.
While it was successful last winter, the
weather was too warm to prove any thing.
This will make the cheapest double-walled
arrangement ever before offered in the mar-
ket ; and if successful, I do not see any rea-
son why it should not supersede all other
naore expensive double-walled hives, because
it can be so readily adapted to eight-frame
hives already in use, that have no porticoes."
To the above, A. I. Root disagrees in th^
following language.
" I do not believe that any hive will ever
become popular that is made with the inten-
tion of removing the packing or winter cover-
ing in summer time. After >ou have once
protected a hive suitably for wintering, do
not think of removing the proteetion in the
summer time. The bother, complication,
loose pieces, litter, etc., is too much, especi-
ally where hives are handled by the hundreds
or thousands. Sooner or later, putting on
packing will be neglected, and a great many
times it will be off at the very time it is
needed. Make your protection in the shape
of something good and substantial. Have it
painted and nice : and if you do this, it will
come pretty near a chaff hive made a little
smaller, with the view of having only eight
instead of ten combs in the brood nest."
Bro. Root, if you will make your*' good
and substantial " protection in such a man-
ner that it can be pulled off in summer,
about as easily and quickly as a man does
his overcoat, there will be but little argu-
ment between you and I.
ADVERTISEMENTS
Colonies, Nuclei, Queens (tested and untested)
at living rates. Send for circular and price list
to C.C. VAUGHN & CO.,
3-91-3t Columbia, Tennesee.
See-Keepers.
We have increased our facilities )jy the addi-
tion of the latest improved machinery, and are
now in a position to Kive you as low figures on
supplies as any factory in the country. One-
Piece, V Grooved, Bassurood Sec-
tions a Specialty. Send for price list.
2-91-3t NOVELTY CO., Kock Falls, lUs.
Bee - Hives and Sections.
Largest Bee-Hive Factory in the world. Best
Goods at lowest prices. Write for Illustrated
Catalogue. G. B. LEWIS & CO.,
12-90-tf Watertown, Wis.
EXTRACTOR for SALE,
OR
EXCHANGE.
In the way of a trade, I have come into the
possession of a new, Stanley, Automatic, Honey
Extractor, that I should be ghid to sell, or would
exchange it for honey. It has two baskets that
will take combs as large as 12 x 18. Price, $15.00.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
53
Timpe's Jieun Seedling
POTATOES.
f^ead What the JVIich. Rg'l Col. Says.
In Bulletin No. "iT, tlu> Micliif^ran, A^'ricultuial
College has tlie followiuK to say ot my new seed-
ling potatoes.
"TIMPE'SNO. I i::iily,yiel(1185 1)usliels.
lloiUKl, Hat, red." i'liis was also critit'aily treated
against .-eab, and wliere untreated it was entirely
FKEE F1U)M S('A15. Per llj. 73 cts.
"TIMPE'S NO. 2 Long, round. Eyes
few, saiail, sluulo«-. Color nearly white. Flesh
wiiite. Mtdiiun early. Yield per acre, 340 bush-
els. A VEllY HANDSOME AND VALUABLE
VARIETY." Per lb. 75 cts.
/'TIMPE'S NO. 4— Bather long, round.
Eyes few, very laige, siiallow. Yellowish pink.
Elesh wliite. Earlj. Yieki i)er acre. 4O0 bu.
Quality good. A tine looking poiato and by far
ttie MOST PEODUC'TiVE ot the EAKLY VAlll-
ETIES. Leaves medium green. Plants 16 to 18
inches high, with a spread of 3 to S'i feet, VlGr-
OKOUS." One pound rt") cts. ; two pounds $l.oO.
IN CONCLUSION, the Bulletin adds:
"TLMPES SEEDLlNixS iiave been grown here
for F0UJ{ YEAiiS, and liave shown themselves
to be VERY PKOiMlSlNti varieties, worthy of
general introduction.''
FOR $2.00 I will send 1 lb. each of Nos. 1,
2 and i For ^z xJ5 I will send 1 lb. each of Nos.
1 aud 2, and ;ilbs. of No. 4. All potatoes sent
prepaid. If convenient to receive them by ex-
press, mention express office when ordering.
IN A D D I T I O N to my offer in Jan. Review,
page "Z.'), 1 will give to the person growing the
largest potato one S-frame nucleus with $5.00
queen, on EACH variety ; and for the best name
proposed 1 will give one 3 frame nucleus with
$f).W queen, on EACH variety, proposed names to
reach me by Aug. 1.5, and premium bees will be
sent in time for the fairs. Competition open to
all purchasers.
A TESTED QUEEN FREE or your
money refunded, aud the order filled free. I
must get tliese potatoes all put up and ready to
mail by April ist, as 1 idready have orders booked
for uver 50u queens, and must devote my whole
time to queen rearing after that date ; therefore,
to induce you to order AT ONCE, I will give a
tested queen free or return the amount of the
order to the one sending the order, of $1.00 or
more, that is first received from each state or
province. To all others ordering at onee, 1 will
give two or more packets of my choice seeds,
free. Catalogue now ready, but you better order
from this advertisement. Order at once.
JACOB T. THWPH,
(irand Ledge, Mich.
Please mention the Review.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOR- 1391.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. HKOWN,
1-88-tf. -Vugusta, Georgia.
Please mention the Reun^w.
■a Big Blue Cat-
alogue for 1891 ? Fifty-one illustrated pages,
sentFUKEto any l)i'e-keei)er. Our new factory
four times larger than evci' before, is now turn-
ing out Carloads of Dovetailed Hives
and large (juaiitities of other styh s. Alternat-
ing Hives, improved L mgstrotli - Simplicity,
Plain Ijangstroth, Simplicity and Ciialf Hives,
Sections, Smokers, I'oundation, Italian Bees ;
in fact, EVEKYTHiNr; needed in the apiary, at
LOWEST prices, always on iiand. Established
in I8i4. E. KRETCHMliR,
2-91-tf Red Oak, Iowa.
cc
TAKE NOTICE.
•)")
If you wish the best lioney gatherers and the
gentlest bees to handle, order ALBINO
QUEENS from the original producer of the
Albino bee, D.A.PIKE,
12-90-4t e o Smithbarg, Wash, (^o., Md.
Bee-K^epeFs' Supplies.
Before placing your orders for supplies, send
for our Illustrated Catalogue We are now
making best goods at lowest prices.
PAGE, i^ElTH & SCHJVIIDT CO.,
12-90-Bt New London, Wis.
Please mention the Review.
Names of Bee-Keepers.
Tlie names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sample copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a book, ihere are several thousand all
arranged alphabetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2..i0 per tliousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any iiKjuiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied into a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON. Flint, Mich.
iPE€lftiflGS.
DOCTOR
TINKER'S
The Nonpareil Bee Hive and Winter Case,
White Poplar Sections, Wood-Zinc Queen Ex-
cluders, and the finest and best Perforated Zinc
ever made.
Send for Catalogue of prices, and enclose 25 cts
for the New Book, Bee Keeping for
Profit.
Df^. G. U. TIflKEI?,
1-yi-tf New Philadelphia, Ohio.
IVI A tfll a 'T'TIM IT Six months free, to
iyV±WS±\Z^M.Y;^ tL introduce. Adddress
"special crops," WKaneateles, N. Y, 8-90-tf
54
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
SEND $1.75
And Ket a MHiiiple "f .<>ui"
8-fame ( 'liaff Hive, nailed
up and painted. The light-
est, cheapest, and most
practical Chaff Hive ou
the market, Weislis less
tlian the Simplicty hive.
A full line of Supplies,
Hees and Queens. Price-
list free. ROE & kirkpatrick,
2-91-tf Union City. Ind.
FDilNnATinK And Sections are my
U U W U n 1 MJ ri Specialties. No. i V-groove
Sections at $3.00 per thousand. Special
1> rices to dealers. Send for free price list
of everything needed in the apiary.
1-gi-tf M. H. HUNT, BeU Branch, Mich.
Pleuf" mention the Reu'tew.
Send 25 cts for my book of Discovery and
Invention, the
Queen H^stpictop.
C. W.DAYTON,
l-9l-12t Clinton, Wisonsin.
IiEflHV'S FOONQflTIOfl,
CUholesale and Hstail,
SmokePs and Sections,
ExtPaetoPs and Hivgs>
Queens and Bees,
I^.B.Iieahy and Company
HiQQinsville, (Tlissoum.
l-90-ff Please mention the Review.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Poj)-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sid- s at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Please mention the Review.
PATEHT, WIRED, COMB FODNDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
FLIT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Being tli('cl(':iu"st is usually worked
t]ie (luicke^t of any foundation made.
J. VAN DKIISKN & SONS,
(sole MANUFACTTTllERS),
3-9n-tf Sprout Brook.Mout.Co.,N.Y.
riense mention the Review.
And get your supplies now, at the following
prices, in the flat : —
8-f rame L. hive, 2 T supers, 8 frames, PC
Brood frames, thick top bars, per 100, 90
Brood frames, V top bars, per 100, l.UO
T supers complete, each, 13
One-piece V groove sections, per M, 3.00
Four-piece, dovetailed sections, per M, 3.00
Clark Smoker, 48 cents. "Jaxon" direct
draft, 214 inch barrel, 90 cents Bee veil, "^'S cts.
No. 30 wire, 2 1 cents a pound. Novice honey
extractors, f> per cent discount. All honey
knives, 5 per cent off. Parker foundation fas-
tener, 'iO cents. All bee books at reduced rates.
Japanese buckwheat, (50 cents a Inishel.
Five per cent off for cash. Give references,
and address, with list of goods wanted,
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
Please mention the Rvuieiv
If
YOU WISH
■^^ Advertise
Anything
Anywhere
^^ Any time
WRITE TO
Geo. p. Rowell&Co.
No. 10 Spruce Street,
NEW YORK.
Western Bee-Keepers' Supply House
Root's Cnocts tM'i t'l'l'ail
Xciwa, ut Root's Prices
Tiie lart^i'St suplilv l..::..ins.
in Iho West. Estalilivh. d 18 .5
Dovrtailed Hives, .S. ,
ti'iiis, Fuundalioii, Kv
fnictcirs.Sninl.-c i-.-,. Veils, "J
Cr.'ites, Fc eilei-s. Clover \
Herds, ete. Imported
M.-dian Queens. Queens an
Itees. Rani))l<' eopv of on
}!ee .lo.imal, "The WeSt
ern Bpe - Keeper. " ard Latest
Catalogue "i-il' 1 Free !•> r.eci.-. cpers.
JOSEPH i;Y:EWi.l-:DIE, I)ES MOINES, IOWA.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
55
A SWAP !
OwinK to press of other business which demands his attention. " That I'ittsfield Smith " oflFers for
Hale, upon easy terms, his fjrowint? supply bnsiness (the largest in the state), including all buildings :
house, barns and mill, also all machinery, stock, lumber, 40 horse power water privilege, and all
rights appertaining thereto. New stone dam, plenty of land, also the good will and trade of the busi-
ness. Trade has more than doubled each year. Have kept eight or ten men all winter. Business is
well advertised, iinoly locatwl where the trade of the New England slates can be controlled, (lood
local trade. Correspondence or personid inspection invited. I will make terms so a POOR man can
handle the business ; or I will exchange for retd estate free from incumbrantie, or for good Western
mortgages bearing seven or eight per cent
Address Plainly
7-89-12t.
CHAS. H.SMITH, Pittsfield, Mass., Box 1267.
Please mention the Review.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf .
Pletise mention the Reuieui
J. FOf^^lCHOOK &^ CO.,
MANUFAOTUBERS OF THE
"BOSS" ONE-PIEOE SECTIONS.
I 1I^^F=1 I
Will furnish you, the coming season, one-piece
sfctions, sandpapered on botli sides, as cheap as
the cheapest and better than the best. Write for
prices. Watertown, Wis. 12-90-8t
Please mention th-i fieuieiv.
Prices Reduced!
SELECT, TESTED QUEENS, SI.25. Warran-
ted queens, 75 cents— 15 for $4.00. By return
mail. Make money orders payable at Nich-
olasviUe, Ky. J. T. WILSON,
t-CtO-tf Little Hickman, Ky.
i^sBEESf HONEY
PKODUCTION, by the most economical and
practical methods, eend for FREE sample of
THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL
A large quarto, 16 pages, published Weekly
at ONE DOIjIiAR a Vear. Address plainly,
THOITIAS G. NEWDIAN & SON,
Madison St., OHICAGO, ILL.
THE Oj^IsTJ^JDXJ^I^T
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts. a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD^Y W.O.G. PETFR.
75 Cts. a Year.
These are_ published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both, journals one year to one address, $1 .00
Until June Ist PJll,,. Journal p ,-11.. flB .1.
we wiU send ttWm trial trip for Q miflS iO ClSi
THED.A. JONES CO., Vd, Beetun, Ont.
CAMIOLAN QUEENS.
I expect to continue the breeding of Choice
Carniolan Queens next season, and orders will be
booked from this date. No money sent until
queens are ready to sliii).
JOHN ANDREWS,
Patten's Mills, Wash. Co., N. Y.
9-90-tf
Fruit Growers and Bee -Men,
Please take notice. Wo make Fruit and
Berry Baskets and Crates in the flat, or
set up, as well as Apiarian Supplies.
Please send us a trial t)r(|pr. Sections very cheap.
Samples free. J. B. MURRAY, Ada, O.
66
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
t^Tpyu
Li
The distinctive features of the Bee - Keepers' Review are those of reviewing current
apicultnral literature (pointing out errors and fallacies and allowing nothing of value to pass unno-
ticed), and the making of each issue a " special number " — one in which some special topic is dis-
cussed by the best bee-keepers of the country. If you wish for the cream of the other journals,
already skimmed and dished up, and to learn the views of the most experienced bee-keepers upon the
unsolved, apicultural problems of the day, read the Review. Price of the Review, $1.00.
Topics Discussed in Back Numbers.
VOLUME I.— 1888.
Jan., Disturbing Bees in Winter.
Feb., Temperature in Wintering Bees.
Mar., Planting for Honey.
Apr., Spring Management.
May, Hiving Bees.
June, Taking Away the Queen.
July, Feeding Back.
Aug., Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs.
Sep., The Food of Bees in Wiuter.
Oct., Ventilation of Bee-Hives and Cellars.
gov.. Moisture in Bee Hives and Cellars,
ec, Sections and their Adjustment on Hives.
VOLUME II.— 1889.
Jan., Bee Hives.
Feb., Mistakes in Bee- Keeping.
Mar., Which are the Best Bees.
Apr., Contraction of the Brood Nest.
May, Increase, its Management and Control.
June, Shade for Bee Hives.
July, Queens and their Influence upon Success
in Bee-culture.
Aug., Migratory Bee-Keeping.
Sep., Out-Door Wintering of Bees.
Oct., Bee Conventions and Associations.
Nov., Specialty versus Mixed Bee-Keeping.
Dec, Bees Alone or "Mixed;" if the latter,
what with?
VOLUME III.— 1890.
Jan., Brace Combs and their Prevention.
Feb., Foul Brood.
Mar., Queen Rearing and Shipping.
Apr., The Production of Comb Honey.
May, Raising Good Extracted Honey.
Jane, Comforts and (Conveniences for the
Apiary.
July, From the Hive to the Honey Market.
Aug., Marketing.
Sep., Management after a poor Season.
Oct , Out-Apiaries.
Nov., Apicultural Journalism.
Dec, Use and Abuse of Comb Foundation.
As the supply of volumes I. and II. is quite limited, the price is five cents a copy, except for the
Jan, 1889 No., which is ten cents, there being only a few copies left. Of volume III. there is a fair
supply, and the price is four cents a copy. Remember that each number is, in one sense, a little
pamphlet giving the views of the best bee-keepers upon the topic mentioned.
A\rHA^T OTHERS SA'Y^.
The Review is not very much given to the pub-
lication of " testimonials," but, as this issue will
fall into the hands of many who have never seen
a copy, it may be well to allow them to see in
what estimation it is held by some of its older
readers.
PROF. COOK says" You are giving us a
SPLENDID paper."
ERNEST ROOT writes :" The last Review
was a good one, as usual. As an editor you are
a success."
WM. F. CLARKE writes: "The Review
fills a niche all its own, and has fairly earned the
right to live. It more nearly comes up to my
ideal of what an apicultural journal should be
than any other, and I think it well represents the
best thought of our most advanced bee-keepers."
G. M. DOOLITTLE says : "I wish to say
that I consider the Nov. Review a wonderful pro-
duction. There is something inspiring and ele-
vating in every paragraph. Don't know that 1
could add to it, and there is nothing 1 would
have left out. You have certainly placed the Re-
view where no live, practical bee-keeper can do
without it. Each number is worth the price of a
year's subscription."
EUGENE SECOR writes as follows : "I
have just laid down tlie Review for Sep. What
a delightful, cliatty spirit pervades your editori-
als. I want to encourage yon in your work. I
presume you get enough criticism, even if you do
not deserve it. It is no easy task. I 'oelieve, for
an editor to publish a journal like yours— so
nearly always right, and in such a kind ep rit to-
wards all. I congratulote you. I believe that ed-
itors, like orators, are born, not made. Many a
man, educated to the i)rinter's trade from boy-
hood up, fails to present !^o clean a sheet as yours.
Few proof readers, devoting all their time to that
one branch of business, leave so few errors unde-
tected. Rarely do editors, who dream tliey are
born to write, excel your style in clearness and
force "
THE PRODUCTION OF COMB HONEY, is a neat little book of 45 pages, price
25 cents. (See advertisement in another column.) The Review one year and this book for $1.15
Stamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian. VV- Z. HUTCHINSON, FLINT
Mar, 10, 1891
58
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ADVEI^TISH^G l^ATES.
All advertisemente will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be giveti as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 percent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 1 5 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
Bee -Keepers' Supply Company,
65 CLARK ST., ROOM 14, A TOPEKA,
N
CHICAGO, ILL., D KAN.
Manufacturers of and dealers in bee-keepers'
supplies. For prices of bee hives, sections,
shipping crates, frames, foundation, smokers,
etc., write for circular and special prices be-
fore placing your order. 1-91-tf
Please mention the Reuieiv
EXTRACTOR for SALE,
OR
EXCHANGE.
In the way of a trade, I have come into the
possession of a new, Stanley, Automatic, Honey
Extractor, that I should be glad to sell, or would
exchange it for honey. It has two baskets that
will take combs as large as 12 x 18. Price, $15.00.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich
IT BEATS ALL
How That Gary Fellow's
new STYte CLiiMP
SOliD LiflST YEAR.
He could not get them out fast enough, but
says he now has a big stock on hand. Write him
at once for his ■10 page catalogue, which gives a
full description, also tells how to manage bees,
to control the swarming fever and secure the
largest yield of honey. He also makes a specialty of
XX THIN FOUNDATION,
from white wax, which every one wanted last
year. See what Mr. Hutchinson says in the
Feb. Review, page 45.
Wm. W. GARY,
(Successor fo Wm. w. CARY & CO.) Coleraine, Mass.
2-91 -^f
Please mention the Reuieu
Colonies, Nuclei, Queens (tested and untested)
at living rates. Bend for circular and price list
to C. C. VAUGHN & CO.,
2-91-3t Columbia, Tennesee.
Please mention the Reuieiv.
WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE ALWAYS LATE?
They never look ahead nor think. People have been known to wait till planting season, rtin to the gro-
cery for their seeds, and then repent over it for 12 months, rather than stop and think what they will want
for the garden. VICK'S SEEDS never disappoint, is the verdict from the millions who liave jilanted
them, 'if it is Flower or Vegetable Seeds, Plants, Bulbs, oranything in this line, 3IAKE NO MISTAKE
this year, but send 10 cents for Vick'S Floral Guide, deduct the la cents from first order, it cOStS
nothing. This pioneer catalogue contains three colored plates, Grandest Novelties ever offered,
;p20o in cash premiums to those sending club orders. J,iooo cash prizes at one ct' the State Fairs. Grand
cffei, chance for all. Made in different shape from i-i-er before ; 100 pases 8!( x i> ' ■ inches.
JAM2S VICK. SEEDSMAN, Rochester. N. Y.
THE BEE KEEPERS' REVIEW.
59
HILL'S BEE- FEEDER AND SMOKER.
This Smoker burns chips or hard wood
without any upeciiil ^/reparation Very reli
able, (ireatesi smoking capacity. Eqsie^t
to start and ciieapest because it saves time
Tti" Hcst Hei^-Fecder. Most convenient
•"or the bn.'s. No drowniiiK or danbins bpe«
Th • fi'cil is tak"M by ihe bees without leav
in>' thn chistt-r. From two to seven feedprs
fnfl niav b > given a colony at one tune wlii< h
will 1) ■ 'slori'd i:i the combs in ten or twei\e
hours.
Smoker, S inch barrel, frfigiit or express, each. $1.20. By mail,
$1.40. Per dozen, »10.80, Feeders, one (luart, .freight or excess,
per pair, 30 cts, by mail, 40 cts ; per dozen, »l.b'i. Address A. d
HILL, KendaUviUe, Ind., or H. M. HILL, Paola, Kansas.
BROKK DOyVN !
I O Per Cent Off
On all orders received, before April .'ith, for the
eight or ten-framn
IDovetaileci Hliv-e.
Special prices to dealers. '2t-|);ige price list free.
JNO. G. KUNDINGER,
12-00-tf Kilmanagh, Huron Co.. Mich.
White Poplar Sections.
We have N>w Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish Wliite Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Woo(i Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sami>l • and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
BINGHAM
AND
k HETHERINGTON
\'i Honey \^n'\^/zs,
Lti-?AHE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker HVa iiicli, ....
Coii'iueror Smoker, .... 3 " ....
I;arg>- Smiiker, . 2'.2 "
Extra Smoker, 2 " ....
Plain .Smoker 2
Little Wonder Smoker. I'j
Bingham ■
tio
. 1.15
The Bee WoMd.
A journal devoted to collecting the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through
t)ut the world, conlaiaiiig, as it were, the cream
of apiarian literature. Valuable alike to the am-
ateur and veteran. If you wish to keep posted,
you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe
now. I is a 30 page monthly at 50 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is published by
W. S. VANDRUFF.
Waynesburg, Greene ('o., Pa.
Please mention the Reuiew.
HIVES and SUPPLIES.
We are prepared to furnish bee-keepers with
supplies at low prices.
ijjp= Take notice, and don't forget that the
ALBINO BEES are ahead an I that our
quf-ens are as tin ■ as th • finest and as good as the
best. We also have the golden Italians which
are very good honey ga' hirers. Send for circular
and price list and se ■ tiow low we sell them.
S. VALENTINE,
3 91-lt liag.^rsiowu. Wash. Co., Md.
Please menOon the Reuieia.
Wanted:
To cor. espond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Hr>ney for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promi tlv answered.
Best of reference. EARLE CLICKENGER,
11- 0-tf Columbus, Ohio.
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
ITAIIAN QUtENS AND SUPPLIES
FOPl 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and i)rice list.
J. F. H. IJROVVN,
1-88-t?, Aujrusta, Georg^ia.
Pliatt man t ion tht Ifwi^^x
60
THE BEE-KEEPERS'' REVIEW.
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.
4-90-76*
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOE CATALOGUE, PBIOES, KTC,
Address W. F. & J NO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rock ford, Ills.
Pratt's Perfection (jiieeii Caie
Is the best shipping and introducing cage in
use. Only $10.00 and $20.00 per 1,0(10. Sample free
to any queen breeder. We manufacture a full
line of bee-keepers' supplies, and send cata-
logues free to any address,
C. W. COSTEL.LOW,
8-90-tf Waterborough, Me.
liOOK HEf?E.
Before purchasing your supplies for 1891, get
my prices and discounts. Price list free.
J. m. KiN^iE,
n-90-6t
Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
Plecise mention the Review.
Comb - Foundation.
WHOLESALE AND KETAIL.
"Langstrotli on the Honey Bee, Eevised," The book
for beginners ; the most complete text book on
the subject in the English language.
Bee-Veils of Imported Material, Smokers,
Sectio7is, Honey Pails, and Bee-
Keepers^ Supplies.
Pamphlet on "Handling Bees" 8 ets.
Advice to beginners, circulars, sa)nj)les, etc.,
free. Send your address on a postal card to
CHAS. DADANT & SON, Hamilton, Illinois.
4-90-12t Please mention the Review.
SUPERIOH WORKMANSHIP
Low Prices
Hiive brought us many tliousand customers. We
do not claim that our prices are below all others;
there are some parties we cannot compete with.
They do too poor work—but quality of goods and
workmanship considered, our prices are " way
down." We " guai'antee perfect satisfaction"
We have built up our business on this guarantee,
and shall continue to stand by it. If you have not
received one of our 1H91 Catak)gues, send for one,
and also for a sample rojiy of the " Amf rican Bee-
Keeper,"a20-pagc monthly magazine, illustrated.
Every bf^e-kpepci' slimild siil)scribp. Only -"0 cts. a
year. W. T. FALCONER Mfg. CO.,
Jamestown, N. Y.
HOW, SEE HEl^E,
If you wish to try my
flEW POTATOES,
See descriptions in my ad. in Feb. Review; also
read what the editor thought of a sample, as
given on nage Ifi. I guarantee safe arrival of po
tatoes. Orders will be filled the first week in
Aoril. Only five states have tried for the FREE
QUEEN, and Mich, was not one of them. Order
now. JACOB T TIMPE,
3-90-16t Grand Ledge, Michigan.
Beautiful Bees ^i-^^y^ ^^Vh¥ eye
Good Qualities ^^^ ''""VRlnjABLE.
, If you wish for bees and queens that combine
beauty and good qualities to a marked degree,
write for descriptive
DETROJLT,
Cits Fnrnislied for all illustrating Purposes.
ee-
\ee|^eps' jHeViecu.
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tlqe Iqterests of Hoqey Producers.
$L00 A YEAR,
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Editon & Prop.
VOL, IV.
FLINT MICHIGAN, MAR. 10. 1891,
NO. 3.
The special topie of this issue is
"Protection for Sit)gle- \A/alled
Hives."
That of the next issue ujill be
" Introducing Queens. "
Double - Walled Hives and Closed - End
Frames.
S. COENEIL.
f ADVOCATE the use of permaneiitly
packed double-walled hives. The ob-
jectioa that they are heavy and cum-
ber.some depends for its force upon their
construction. I have a siuyle-walled eiyht
frame LanL'stroth hive, made in Mr. Hed-
don's factory. Its outside dimensions are
l.'ixlifsxlO inches, without the bottom board.
It weitrhs 91.2 lbs. I have two others of the
same kind, only they are double-walled, and
are half an inch wider inside. Their out-
side dimensions are l<;\x28^xl'^ inches.
Their weight is 10 lbs. each, without the
packin70 "
Cork-packed hive, - <)7.") "
As to the material for permanent packing,
I tliink there is nothing available as goQd a^
62
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
cork. I don't like chaff. I would prefer cut
straw, but I think I would prefer the long,
stringy sawdust, made in cutting cedar
shingles, to either chaff or any other kind of
sawdust. I regret now I did not test it with
the others. ^
The cost of such hives would not be an
objection to those who are willing to go to
the expense and trouble of giving either
spring or fall protection. I think they need
not cost more than about double as much as
single-walled hives of the same kind.
An overcoat worn by a laborer in the har-
vest field has been used as an illustration to
show that in the heat of summer double-
walled hives are too warm. They are not
analagous cases. One of the purposes
served by perspiration in animals is
to keep the blood at an equable tem-
perature, because when the body is kept
covered with moisture there is rapid eva-
poration, and evaporation causes cooling.
The overcoat encasing the body of the har-
vest hand would interfere with rapid evapor-
ation, but there is nothing analagous to this
in the hive.
The effect of a good double-walled hive is
to prevent rapid changes of temperature.
At all times when the temperature of the air
in the shade is lower than the normal tem-
perature of the brood-nest, non-conducting
walls are advantageous, because the bees
will require less food, and exert less labor, to
keep up the proper heat for vigorous brood
rearing.
Objection is taken to double-walled hives
because in certain quarters there is talk
about handling hives instead of combs. The
leading bee-keepers in the Mohawk Valley
in York State have conveniences for the
rapid handling of combs which the bee-
keepers in Michigan do not seem to appre-
ciate to any great extent. These York State
bee-keepers use closed-end frames, but they
have no such nonsense as rims with thumb
screws, or iron rods with nuts, to clamp
their frames together, limiting the number
of frames one can use to the requirements of
the clamp. They hold their frames together
with cords, and the number of frames they
can thus clamp together may be two or
twenty, in fact limited only by the length of
their string. I can take up three such framfs
at once and hook them in place, take up and
place three more the same way, and so on
till the story is full, and then fasten the
gtrings, I have a strip of band sheet iron at
the upper edge of one of the side boards, and
on this I hook another story crosswise of the
first. I often have four storys of ten frames
each, and the strings are sufficient to hold
frames plumb, if the bottom boards are
level. These frames have other advantages
" too numerous to mention " in my limited
space.
If any of your readers are thinking of
trying the closed- end frames allow me to
advise them to send for a sample frame or
hive to W. E. Clarke, Oriskany, N. Y., or
some other reliable person who has got past
the experimental stage in their manufacture.
Let them adhere to the pattern rigidly, and
not fall into the usual weakness of bee-
keepers of trying to make improvements
before they understand what they already
have. It is unnecessary to discard other
hives now in use. By a little ingenuity
closed-end frames may be used for surplus
on almost any hive. For instance, with very
little trouble an upper story of fifteen closed-
end frames may be placed crosswise on the
double-walled L ingstroth hive described
above, but want of space prevents my going
into particulars.
It is in the surplus storys we handle
frames most, and for cheapness, conveni-
ence, and saving of time in manipulation, I
do not know of anything as good as the
closed Qiiinby frames.
Lindsay, Ont. Feb. 27, 1891.
[It is evident that I did not make my
meaning clear in regard to the harvester
encumbered by an overcoat. I did not in-
tend that the figure should be used to illus-
trate any iihase of the /ipa^ question, but that
the bee-keeper whose bees are in chaff
hives, is as badly hampered in his man-
agemenf of the apiary, as the laborer would
be in his movements, by the wearing of an
overcoat. 1
Protecting Single-Wall Hives Permanently
with Planer Shavings.
L. O. WHITING.
OUR special subject for March is of
great importance to bee-keepers in
this part of the State, on account of
the level country, which makes it almost im-
possible to have cellars free from overflow.
I have tried chaff hives, air spaces, tarred
paper, building paper with air spaces added,
and have, after experimenting largely, come
tHE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
63
to the conclusion that five or six inches of
planer shavings between the hive and outer
shell suits me best. The bottom of the hive
requires the same protection as the sidt s. I
used to make this protection in a temporary
way each fall, and would remove it after
warm weather had fairly set in. This pro-
tection is also found to be of great benefit
in the spring, especially with weak swarms.
A protected swarm will raise much more
brood, other conditions being equal. After
making these temporary protections during
several years, I began (like others about
here) to make them in a permanent fashion,
and leave the hives in them summer and
winter, in this way saving nearly all of the
packing in the fall, and the unpacking in
spring. This protection I found to be of
great benefit also in the hot weather, as no
shading was required.
The packing was left in, even with the top
of the frames, summer and winter, and all
the addition necessary in the fall packing
was the six inches of shavings over the
frames.
I make the outer shells sixteen feet long,
holding eight hives. The cover is hung on
hinges, opens from the back side, and is
divided in the center so as to open to four
swarms at a time. A board ten inches wide
at the back of the box is also on hinges, and
turns down even with the top of the hive.
When the bees swarm they are caught in a
light swarming box and brought to the hive
I wish them to enter. The manipulations
are the same as in any other way of manag-
ing bees, except when I want to hive the
swarm on the old stand ; then I remove the
sections and take out the brood and bees,
place them in an outer hive and put them
where wanted, fill the hive with empty
frames, put on the sections and let the
swarm run in. I sometimes place the hive
of unhatched brood near the entrance of the
old swarm, and when all is hatched, shake
the bees off the combs and let them run into
the old hive.
East Saginaw, Mich. Feb. 24, 1891.
Chaff Hives Presuppose all Seasons.
T. F. BINGHAM.
^^PRING protection for bees implies,
"^^ among bee-keepers, many things ;
^^ while, to those not familiar with the
methods resorted to by bee-keepers, it would
seem a simple and easy matter.
Nature did not essay to keep bees in this
northern belt of latitude, and the effort to
cultivate exotics is now, as it ever will be,
attended with many unmeasured obstacles.
To overcome those obstacles is impossible ;
but by having a skillful physician constantly
at the service of the family, climatic and
dietetic la grippe in many cases may, to a
certain extent, be rendered harmless.
The conditions subject to the bee-keeper's
control, so far as winter warmth is concern-
ed, are easily met by the ready use of capi-
tal, but the spring conditions, necessarily
due largely to the unnatural winter necessi-
ties, are not so readily doctored. So far,
capital has not, with the genius at its com-
mand, become master of the situation. It
has been able only to watch and pray, while
the fruits of a misspent winter has deter-
mined the harvest as by foreordination.
No doubt it would be well to protect, as
you remark in your editorial chart, when
you would like to have the soundings made
and the currents defined in such a manner
as to enable any one to steer his argosy of
bees to a safe and hospitable port : but bee-
keepers, like sailors, often have to abide the
old saw, " any port in a storm."
The multiplicity of hives, the complexity
of manipulation, and the so-called evolution
of apiculture, demonstrates too well that
bee-keepers have not as yet been able to
meet their necessary wants, to say nothing
of the needs of their families.
Much has been written and said of chaff
hives, and it has been well said, no doubt,
and many results have been attributed to
such hives, some on specific points peculiar
to such construction, and so far it has not
been controverted. On general principles,
no one can complain.
Of course, a chaff hive presupposes all
seasons, and does not lay much stress upon
spring or any other particular season, or
special management ; as such, all the pres-
ent types of chaff hives meet many of the
practical bee-keepers' wants, with no more
labor or expense, one year with another,
than with single-wall hives.
Those who weigh and begrudge every drop
of honey one superfluous drone may chance
to consume, or envy the poor, black queen
the generous comfort of scattering her eggs,
must, in their desire to have all the honey,
consent to take some risks and do some
things others would not do.
A man's mind and strength, as well as the
cold of winter, and the winds of spring, and
64
tHE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the lumber and material with which he is
environed, must determine the practical
method for him- to pursue. A few things in
Michigan must be kept in view. First of
all a location sheltered from winds ; abund-
ance of good honey ; a large space between
the bottom of the combs and hive floor, and
an entrance somewhat above the bottom.
Abeonia, Mich. Feb. 24, 1891.
Protecting Hives With Paper.
KAMBLEB.
jROBABLY one of the main fascina-
tions of bee-keeping is the many
problems to be solved as we progress
in the practice. Twenty years have made a
remarkable revolution in appliances and
methods of management ; yet the problems
come up to us as rapidly as ever.
One of these problems of long standing,
and much study, is that of proper winter
and spring protection.
That the cumbersome chaff hive is not the
ideal or final method is evident from the
continued unrest for something better. To
speak broadly, the method is not flexible
enough, for ease and range of work.
The permanently packed, cumbersome,
chafl' hive stands, in relation to all points of
management, just as the box hive did to the
higher movable frame system. And the
tendency of the hour is to lighter and less
cumbersome methods in hive management.
We find much variety of opinion upon the
amount of packing, or of even dead air
space, and when a person is not too firmly
wedded to his methods he finds that a thin
packing, or even the so-called dead air
space, all properly applied, is as successful
in wintering the colony as is a vast amount.
Our Vermont bretheren are very successful
in out-door wintering in packed hives, as
far north as the 45th parallel, and, if they
are successful, others can do the same
under like temperature, from the Atlantic
to the Pacific.
But cellar or house protection has gained a
high reputation also, in not only saving the
lives of the bees but in the greater economy
of stores. But, even in cellar wintering, we
are confronted with spring trials. The
packing is therefore needed, even up to the
month of June. To take bees from the cel-
lar and pack in chafl' or sawdust is an in-
tolerable nuisance, and if such cumbersome
things are to be used, why not make them a
permanent fixture and have done with it ? I
am happy to say, however, that we have a
cheap and plentiful material that will answer
the purpose full as well, if not better than
chaff and sawdust. I will call it condensed
sawdust, or, giving it a more familiar term,
I call it paper. While the above cumber-
some materials have been crowded around
the hive to the extent of several inches, the
same material in the form of paper has been
despised.
For the protection of bees in the spring I
use a hood of waterproof manilla building
paper, lined with several thicknesses of
newspapers. This hood can be put on or
taken oft" in a few seconds, and can be folded
up into a small space, and if protection in
the spring is necessary, and the protection
can be applied so handily, then it can be
put on to advantage in the fall, as soon as
the bees are prepared for wintering, say in
September.
For wintering out-doors a more permanent
covering is used. I have used oil cloth suc-
cessfully, but perhaps a light woolen case
and tin cover would be better for permanent,
use. Such a case could be easily made to
fold up and to be packed away during the
three or four months when it is not required.
With a light protecting case I would also
use a lighter hive made of boards not thick-
er than one- half inch. In conclusion, I
would say to the bretheren that I have not
outlined mere theory in the above, but have
put it to practical test, with the exception of
the half-inch hive body. If I should ever
use a hive of this thickness I would prefer a
dovetailed corner. Let us study for few
parts and condensation in our work.
Protect Single-Wall Hives by Packing Them
in Clamps.
O, E. BOYEB.
Jo DO THIS successfully, the bees
must first have plenty of good stores
to last them through the winter and
spring. If they lack honey, feed sugar
syrup, making all colonies strong by uniting
the weak ones. Select the most sheltered
and dryest ground in the apiary, and, just
outside of where the bees are placed, make
the clamp by first laying down scantling to
set the hives on. About six inches outside
of these, drive two rows of stakes, placing
them about one foot farther apart than the
hives are long, and about six feet apart in
rows. Boards are now lightly nailed inside
these stakes; the boards being left 1}4 inches
TUt: BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
65
.ipart where the entrances of the hives will
come. Place a board tliree or four inches
wide at the entrance of each hive, so that it
will hold the chaff above the entrance, thus
allowing the bees to pass out and in.
The hives are then set in on the scantling,
placing tiiem about four inches apart, with
their entrances adjusted to the openings left
in the boards. Dry clover chaff is to be
snugly packed all around the hives, cover-
ing them about three inches deep. This
iiives a space of four inches in front and six
inches back of the hives tliat is filled with
c-haff.
Another tier of hives can now be set on
top of these, and packed as the first, only
above the last tier use about eight inches of
the chaff.
The stakes are kept from spreading by
nailing cleats across on tof) of them. On
these cleats place good sound boards for a
roof, allowing good lap and sufficient pitch
to turn storms readily.
If the bees have been supplied with an
abundance of stores to last them until honey
comes the following spring, they can be left
in the clamps until nearly swarming time
and will need but little attention. I have
been able to winter bees quite succsssfully
in this way, more so than I could in the cel-
lar, or than I have ever seen them wintered
in the cellar. They should be put in the
clamps about October 10th to 25th.
I expect to try some packed cu hions
around the hives this spring, covering them
with painted manilla paper, tied down close
around the sides.
AiNGEK, Ohio. Feb. 27, 18'.)1.
A Cheap Outside Wintering Case.
H. L. HUTCHINSON.
)AKE the bottom board 2>^ inches
larger all around tlian the body of
the hive. Make a box, of V^ inch
lumber, without top or bottom, of the same
dimensions of the bottom-board, for the
outside case. There will be a two inch space
between walls for chaff. The cover is made
like a chaff hive cover with gable ends.
This style of packing cases costs but a
trifle more than those made of shingles,
looks neat and tasty, besides being handier
and stronger.
( )f course, there should be a bridge at the
entrance, and an alighting board nailed to
tlie front edge of the bottom board.
Matville, Mich. Feb. 23, 1891.
Spring Protection Needed, but Chaff Hives
are Unhandy.
A. li. KILDOW.
IROTECTION for single- wall hives vs.
chaff hives is the March subject.
Eut you have so thoroughly gone over
the subject, there is very little to say, ex-
cept to tell whether you prefer chaff hives or
single wall hives, with or without protection.
For the past two years I have successfully
wintered a part of my bees on the summer
stands, without protection, farther than a
quilt or burlap over the frames.
And those in the cellar are not taken out
until the last of March or first of April,
when pollen can be gathered, and are then
placed on the summer stands. On removing
from the cellar, contract the frames so the
bees will quite well cover them, placing a
section case tilled with burlap or other ma-
terial over them, which should be left on
until time for sections. This I prefer to any
chaff hive of which I have knowledge.
My objections to the chaff hives are, first,
you cannot move them ; second, they are too
hot for summer. I have had my bees, in a
two-story chaff hive (Roofs make), melt
down and kill the entire swarm, before I
could help them ; while in the single- wall
hives I would seldom have a comb melt.
Ttiird, they are a very unhandy hive to get
to the lower frames, especially if the bees
are blacks or hybrids, and it is very difficult
to work over a hive where you are obliged to
either stand astride one corner or get your
knees against the side and your heels braced
on the ground to keep your balance.
And as to bees in a chaff hive breeding
earlier, my experience does not confirm it.
For time and again on taking my bees from
the cellar, the hives have seemed to be bet-
ter filled with bees than when put away in
the fall, and they would swarm just as early
as those in the chaff hive.
But I do prefer some kind of spring pro-
tection for single-wall hives. If the spring
should be early, your protection will do no
damage, but if a cold, backward spring, it
will be dollars in your pocket.
A good cheap protection can be made from
banana boxes, which cost little, or often
nothing. They are about the right width,
but too long, saw them off to the right
length, place the end back, make a cover
for it, and you have a good, yet cheap,
protection. These will last several years if
taken care of when removed from the hive.
THE BEE-KEEPERS ' REVIEW.
I have 110 colonies on their summer
stands, without protection, and 54 in the
cellar. Those in the cellar are keeping, ap-
parently, the best I ever saw, there is not a
gallon of dead bees in all.
Sheffield, 111.
Feb. 21, 1891.
When Separators Are Needed.
BAMBLEK.
T^N THE production of comb honey in
m) my own apiary I have secured several
thousand pounds in sections without
the use of separators. The crate employed
was a combined hive and shipping crate,
and the honey, though quite uniform, was
off -weight so much that the dealer disliked
to handle it. The demands of the market
then called for new shipping crates, and an-
other crop of hoDey was repacked, and,
though this was accomplished, it required
much time and patience to fit bulges and
hollows. Since passing through such an ex-
perience, I have used separators. I found in
using a crate without separators that a
steady flow of honey and close contraction
gave me the best results in uniformity,
while the first and last filled sections, and a
slow honey flow, gave the most trouble.
I prefer a wood separator. I dislike any
thing metallic in the interior of a bee hive ;
and, as far as my observation goes, the in-
sect world avoids things metallic.
I can arise in the night and walk in my
room upon the carpet with comfort even in
the coldest weather, but if I step on the oil
cloth around the stove I get off instanter ;
and metal would be still more uncomfort-
able. Even in warm weather there is a
difference in favor of the carpet, and did you
ever notice that the wood separators, or any
wood about the hive, has a sort of a mat sur-
face, like a carpet, which must be very con-
genial to the bees ?
I have always disliked to use separators
permanently fastened to the frame, and now
use a case that enables me to insert the
separators as I desire. I can leave them all
out if necessary until the bees get well start-
ed in comb construction, and then insert for
finishing up. But I think if the weather is
warm and the honey arriving rapidly, I am
sure it makes but little difference in the
yield whether separators are used or not,
even from tlie beginning to the end of the
season.
I have been interested in the discussion
upon the subject of foundation, and wish to
break my silence upon the subject by saying
that I am in favor of full sheets in the brood
chambers and in ttie sections. I also have
just as good authority for saying that it
takes twenty pounds of honey to make one
pound of wax, as our missionary friends
have for saying three or seven. The latter
are mere assertions not founded upon care-
ful experiments. Oh ! for a careful, un-
prejudiced experimenter ; where shall I find
him ?
Thin Wood Separators Preferable.
JNO. S. EEESE.
IJY EXPERIMENTS with separators
for the past few years may interest
some. Of course, there are a large
number of us who are ready and willing to
admit that they must be used (the city re-
tailers of our honey want us to use separa-
tors), and that when honey is to be had the
bees gather it regardless of the separators,
and the question with me was, which are the
best kind ?
Heavy tin was first used. Cost too much.
Very light tin next. Cost still too much.
One-sixteenth inch wood was next used,
which was liked better than tin, but was too
thick. The next season I used several differ-
ent thicknesses of press board, such as is
used largely in manifold copy books. This
press board is made of paper, is very hard,
and has a good deal of oil in it. One thick-
ness runs (J8 sheets to the inch, and another
over 100 to the inch. This press board gave
promise of good results, but I soon found,
when the cases were left on any length of
time, as is often necessary, that the bees
would gnaw or bite them badly, and when
another little yield of honey came the sec-
tions would be uneven. The next thing used
was wood again, about '28 to the inch, and
for this I have discarded all other substances.
The thin tin and press board allowed the
sections to come closer together, and less
propolis was used, but I found the sections
had to be gone over any way, and the slight
difference cut no figure. The wood separa-
tors are good to wedge up the sections in T
cases by placing them at the sides. Wood
separators are better for use the second year,
if you have time to clean them, which can
be done very rapidly.
WiNOHESTEK, Ky. Jan. 22, 1891,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
67
Protection Needed for Single-Walled Hives
all the Year Bound— The Light Movable
Chaff Hive!
Mr SEEMS to me there are several got)d
reasons wlij it will pay to protect siugle-
walled hivtis all the year round. Do we
want the hot sun pouring down on a flat
cover only a bee space from the sections ?
If you don't think this will drive the bees
out of the sections, I do. Have you not seen
such cool nights during a h6ney flow that
the bees left the cases ? I have. If the win-
ter case is high enough to take in the sur-
plus arrangements, it may be left on all
sutnmer, theu the hive is protected from the
hot sun Hud cool nights ; and the labor of
taking it off, storing it away and puttiug it
back on in the fall is saved.
If the outer case is to remain on all the
time, the inside hive can be made from thin
lumber, and need not cost over one-half the
price of ordinary singh -walled hives, and
could be worked the same as any single-
walled hive, by simply lifting it out of the
case, as when hiving swarms on the old
stand, or wintering in the cellar. When
moving these thin hives to an out-apiary the
outer cases would have to be moved along,
but the advantage gained by their protec-
tion would pay well for the trouble.
I would have these outside cases made the
same as the outside of a good chaff hive,
with a tin roof and nicely painted.
A.S to i)ackiug, I prefer to put it in the
brood nest, in the shape of chaff dummies,
with a cushion on top. This contracting the
brood nest serves several important pur-
l)oses. It puts the packing next to the bees,
where it will do the most good, and thus en-
ables them to rear and protect more brood ;
and it confines the bees to their stores. In
severe winters bees often starve with plenty
of honey in the liive. I saw a case of this
kind the other day in a Root chaff hive, and
this has been a very mild winter ; but the
bees happened to consume all the honey in
the cluster, just at a time when it was too
c^ld to move over on to other frames con-
taining honey. Contraction of the brood
nest on plenty of stores would have saved
this colony. So I prefer to place the pack-
ing in the brood apartment, and when the
room is needed for Ijrood rearing, it is waro)
enough to take the dummies out.
In regard to chaff hives, I agree in all you
say against biirit that I saw my supply
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
71
dealing friend, and asked him how he had
succeeded with the Heddon case that season.
He assured me that everything was lovely
with him, and he could not understand why
I had the trouble. " It must be that I put
on too many sections at onetime." (He
used an eight and 1 a ten-frame hive).
Well, as the saying is. 1 was just knocked
out.
But in the fall I went to Chicago, and the
commission man that liad his honey had a
part of mine, and I got permission to look
through that honey that was so straight that
he had had no trouble in packing, and
imagine my surprise when I could not find
a single case from which I could take a sec-
tion from the center without scraping the
comb. I came home, made some more wide
frames, and put tin on them. I have not
used any more Heddon cases since then,
except to set hives on. They do very well
for that.
Well, what did my supply dealing friend
do that winter ? He said to me: "Ed., I
think I will make some wide frames to hold
one tier of sections and tin them, and try
some of them next season." He did so. In
the fall I asked him, " How do you like your
wide frames with tin ? " The answer was,
■' They are the boss.''' The next season he
cleaned out what is now known as the old
style Heddon case.
The next thing I knew Mr. Heddon was
using wide frames and tin ; and now comes
the editor of the Review and says, "I think
perhaps I ought to use separators, if I
don't."
I use separators because I can't get
straight combs without, and it is hard to
make me believe that any one else can.
Which shall it be, tin or wood ? So far as
the honey is concerned, I think it makes no
difference. I have seen as nice honey pro-
duced with one as with the other. The tin
is the thinest and takes less room out of the
surplus arrangement, and I think would be
the cheapest in the end, on account of its
indestructability. So far as to tin being a
good conductor of heat, and would conduct
the heat from the bees, I doubt whether this
would cut any figure, from the fact that
when the weather is so cold that the bees
would need the heat that they (tin sepera-
tors) would conduct awaj , it would be too
cool for the secretion of honey, and the bees
would be in a cluster in the lower part of
the hive.
Now, Mr. Editor, the only objection that I
can see to the use of separators is their cost,
which in a large apiary is not triding, and I
would be glad to get along without them on
that account, but until there is some plan
hit upon that is better than anything that I
now know of, I shall continue to buy them
as I need them.
Lyndon, 111. Jan. 81, 1891.
Separators Needed Where the Honey Flow
Fluctuates.
GEO. F. BOBBINS.
[JRIEND H. — I want to touch briefly on
two items regarding the subject of
separators. If you i.ave no room for
it, just light your cigar with it. I prefer
separators. The pros and cons would be
pretty easily and equally balanced but for
two things. First — Although I have raised
much beautiful honey without separators,
yet I can, as a rule, secure more even comb
surfaces and equal weights by their use.
Swarms hived in contracted brood chambers
with empty sections on the hive and plenty
of room are prone to bulge the central row
or rows of sections. But the principal
trouble is due to the characteristics of my
locality and honey flow. Almost my only
source of surplus honey is clover, which
never comes in a prodigious shower, and
seldom stops very abruptly. But in regard
to the elements we might say literally, " It
never rains but it pours." We are apt to
have either a drouth or a flood, either one of
which will curtail the honey yield. A good
harvest here must last from six to eight
weeks. But it is very seldom that we ever
have an uninterrui)ted flow during that time.
One or two weeks, perhaps, after the har-
vest begins, and the bees get pretty well
started in the sections, we will have a week
of rain, which keeps the bees at home so
much of the time and dilutes the nectar so
much when they can get out, as to check the
flow considerably. Then about the time
farmers think that corn begins to suffer for
rain the income reaches its best, but let the
drouth continue for a week and again the
yield gradually diminishes. About the first
step then is to draw in the surface of the
combs. The next is to omit the outside sec-
tions and build on the central ones only.
Now, if a little more honey comes in a day
or two, if there are no separatoi s, they pro-
ceed to lengthen the unsealed cells of these
central combs. You see, separators are the
-J^
^tlE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
only safeguard against these consequences
of the ebb and flow in the honey yield.
Now the second item. You say that wood
separators are preferable for T supers. I
think not, if the tin should be nearly as
cheap in the long run. We want to reduce
the propolis nuisance to the minimum, if
we can afford to do so. With tin separators,
if the sections are keyed up tightly as they
should be, scarcely more propolis will be
used than where any two surfaces meet.
But with separators 1-16 to X i^i- thick
there is space enough to ram in a whole lot
of the stuff. Still, if wood separators are to
cost us 30 cents per hundred and the tin
i|1.90, perhaps we had as well use the wood.
Meohaniosbueg, 111. Jan. 22, 1891.
Separators and Leaders — How Can the
Review be Improved T
JAMES HEDDON.
lO HAVE a practical bee-keeper, a suc-
cessful, doUar-and-cent honey pro-
ducer, for the editor of a bee journal,
is a very good thing, and no one was more
pleased than I when you took up apicultural
journalism. But there it is again ; this rose
bush has thorns on it. You know all about
the practical facts relating to nearly every
topic you bring up, and in the number just
previous to the one in which the discussion
is to appear, you go over all of the ground,
and leave us fellows who have kept bees for
years, nothing to do, except to say, " Yes,
we think just as you do." If you would sim-
ply ask questions and not write an essay
- yourself a month in advance of all the rest
of us, we would have something left to say,
that would not be second hand. The way
you are doing the business, we would rather
you were entirely impractical, so you would
print a lot of false assertions, then we could
have something to throw clubs at. We have
no objections to your essay, but we want it
in the same issue with our own.
How do you like to be scolded in this way 'i
How do you like my essay on " Separa-
tors," anyhow ?
DowAGiAO, Mich. Jan. 2(J, 1891.
[Accompanying the above was the follow-
ing private letter. — Ed.]
Friend H.— I mapped out, in my mind,
what points I would touch on the Separator
question, and then got out the Review and
read your leader, and found it led all over
my entire ground, so I put in the enclosed
squib, for it contains food for thought, and
may make a little spice to the general dish.
I can't say a word about Separators, except
to repeat just what you said one month pre-
vious. J* ^*
[What a time I do have trying to suit you
all. Awhile ago Dr. Miller said, " Whatever
you do, don't give up your comprehensive
leaders." Still longer ago, Mr. Boardman
complained because I expressed myself so
freely in advance of the discussions, because
some might hesitate to express their opinion
when it opposed the editorial opinion. Now
Mr. Heddon says that I tell everything in
advance, so there is nothing left for him or
anyone else to say.
The Review is published for the purpose
of securing and scattering the most reliable
information pertaining to practical, success-
ful, financial bee keeping, and its editor is
always willing to take into consideration
any scheme whereby it can be made to more
successfully fulfil its mission. Instead of
stating my views upon this question of writ-
ing exhaustive leaders in advance of dis-
cussion, I most urgently ask everyone who
has the interest of the Review at heart, to
write me his views upon the subject. Not
necessarily for publication, but simply that
I may in this manner get my finger upon the
public pulse. I know that we have recently
had quite a discussion upon apicultural
journalism, but, for all that, I should be very
glad to have the personal opinion of each
reader as to what might be done to improve
the Review. Would you be pleased to have
more correspondence, or more editorial, or
more extracts V Don't hesitate to say " less
. editorial," if you feel that way, as it will
not hurt my feelings a particle. Tell me
with whose writings you are particularly
pleased, with what number you were parti-
cularly pleased, with which feature of
the Review you are the most in love, etc.,
etc. Say what topics you would like dis-
cussed. In short, write a free, chatty, can-
did letter, telling me just what you would
like to have me do. Such letters will be con-
sidered confidential, and will not be pub-
lished—unless permission is given. You
don't know, friends, what a treat it would
be to receive such a letter from each of you.
All would be read, and the suggestions con-
sidered, and it does seem as though good
would come from thus getting so near to my
readers as to know exactly what each want-
ed. Write to me.— Ed.]
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
73
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Ed. & Pfop.
Tkhms : -$1.0(1 a year in ailvauco. Two c'oi)ieK,
$1,110 : tlirco for $2.7' ; five for $4.00 ; teu, or more,
70 cents eaelu i:*?" The Heview is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FUfln, MICHIGAN. MARCH 10, 1891.
Dr. Mason says he always " yoes for " the
editorials in the bee journals. That's me.
What is there so peculiarly attractive about
editorials, 1 wonder ? It can't be because
an editor knows so much more than anybody
else, can it ? I guess not. I think it is just
this : It is his business to write and to say
things in an interesting way, if he can. If
he can't, he gets to be something else besides
an editor.
THE CALIFORNIA BEE-KEEPEB.
Once again California has a bee journal of
her own. Its name is The California Bee-
Keeper, and its editor is Wm. Styan, of IHO
Post St., San Francisco, it is a l(j-page
monthly, at $1.00 a year. Evidently, Bro.
Styan does not intend that his natty little
bark, newly launched upon the tossing sea of
apicultural journalism, shall founder upon
the rock of low prices. Like the editor of the
Review, he probably looks upon the publish-
ing of a bee journal at cost as a rather somber
sort of amusement, unless there is an enor-
mous supply business to be fostered thereby.
Success to Bro. Styan.
THE influence OF FBEE 8UGAK ON THE
CONSUMPTION OF HONEY.
After April 1st next, the present duties on
foreign sugar, which average 2J4 cents per
pound, will no longer be imposed, and a
bounty of two cents a pound will be paid on
sugar made in this country. This will cer-
tainly lower the price of sugar, and probably
have some effect upon the price of honey,
more particularly upon the lower grades of
extracted honey now used by bakers and
other manufacturers. (3omb honey is a
thing of itself ; in one sense it has no com-
petitor, in another it has. Cheap sugar will
encourage the production of fruit preserves,
and they will compete, to a certain extent,
even with comb honey. Thei-e is also an-
other light in which this matter may be
viewed. Sugar may become so cheap that it
will be more profitable than ever to force all
the white honey into the sections, and feed
sugar for winter stores. I know from ex-
perience that with the proper methods of
management, and the right kind of feeders,
that this can be done very easily and cheap-
ly. The obstacle in the way of using sugar
for winter stores has been its high price.
PUT ONLY STBAIGHT COMBS ON THE MABKET.
It does not seem as though very much of a
summing up is needed upon the Separator
question. I think all will admit that only
straight combs ought to be put upon the
market. If the condition of the honey flow
and colonies, or of the management, result
in straight combs without separators, then
they are a useless expense, otherwise they
ought to be used. Combs need not neces-
sarily be as straight as a board, but so
straight that they may be readily removed
from the case without injury. If a bee-
keeper can secure nearly all straight combs
without separators, and has a local market
— in which he can sell direct to consumers —
for the few bulged combs that he may have,
separators would still be a useless expense.
If honey raised with separators brought a
higher price in the market, I think their use
would soon become almost universal ; but
Mr. Taylor gave what seems to me to be the
chit of the whole matter when he said :
" The drawback to these beautiful (straight)
sections is that I can discover no appreciable
addition to the selling price." Notwith-
standing this, no bee-keeper ought to put
honey upon the market so bulged as to cause
any trouble for those through whose hands
it may pass. Such a course must have a bad
effect upon the sale of honey.
When separators are needed, it appears to
be settled that wood is preferable for loose
separators and tin for those to be nailed fast
to wide frames.
HOW A BUSINESS MAY BE BUILT UP BY PEB-
SISTENT AND INTELLIGENT ADVEBTISING
IN A GOOD JOUBNAL.
That old-time friend, "Pittstield Smith."
wants to sell out. When he sent in his pres-
ent advertisement it was accompanied by
74
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the following letter, which, at last, I venture
to give, even if it does praise the Review, as
it shows what can be accomplished by well
directed and 'continued advertising in the
right medium :
PiTTSFiELD, Mass., Jan. 28, 1891.
Friend Hutchinson, —
The Dec. Review has been received, and
for me it comes just at the ivrong time, for it
looks so neat and handsome, and takes hold
so kinder firm like, that it makes me feel
bad to think of leaving it : but, owing to a
steady press of real estate business. I am un-
able to give my growing supply trade the
care and push needed, so I have decided to
dispose of the latter. You can readily
imagine that I dislike to do this, as I have
S|)ent time, money and work in building up
a good business, and I know that at least
one- half of my success has been due the
clean, clear-cut p'ages of your Review 1 I
should have advertised more extensively had
I been able to have properly filled the orders,
hi.t the Review has kept me busy with a
select custom.
I know I can sell to the right party and
make it a profitable investment to the pur-
chaser, and whoever buys will, and must,
continue with the Review as a part of the
necessary expenses.
Yours truly,
C. H. Smith.
light, single-wall hives ; cellar wintek-
ing, and spking pboteotton.
The old, heavy, cumbersome, two-story,
double-wall, chaff- packed hive is rapidly
losing friends. The advanced methods of
bee- keeping demand a light, readily-mov-
able hive ; a hive with thin walls and fixed
frames : one that can be handled almost as
readily as we can handle a frame. The old
style of ■ li.iff hive is to modern bee-culture
what the box hive was to bee-keeping of
olden times. Single story chaff hives, with
thinner walls and less packing are better
than the old style of chaff hive, but they are
better only in a decree. Give me the naked
hive during the harvest. I don't want any
{)aoking cases standing over the hives in
the summer time to reach over into or to lift
off out of the way. Yes, I know they shade
the hive, but they also prevent the circula-
tion of air around the hive. How many of
you remember about Mr. Doolittle killing
the hen by putting her under a box out in
the sun ? A colony of bpes is a living, heat-
creating body, and would probably meet the
same fate as the Doolittle hen, were it not
that its mouth (the entrance of the hive)
reaches open air. The way to keep the V)ees
from suffering from heat In summer is to
have them shaded, and in hives having thin
white walls. Shade them with a shade-
board laid over the top of the hive, a space
intervening between the board and the top
of the hive. Then the cool breezes can
reach every part of the hive. Yes, it is some
trouble to take off the shade board every
time a hive is opened, but no more so than
to remove the cover to an outside case. If
the case is used without a cover, then the top
of the hive, that part that receives the
most direct rays of the sun in the hottest
part of the day, is left unprotected. I don't
put a weight on shade boards any more ; it
is so seldom they are blown oft' that it is not
worth while.
After reading all that has been written on
the subject, I am still in favor of thin-wall
hives ; and, in this locality, I would winter
the bees in the cellar, and protect them upon
their summer stands in the spring. I am
also of the opinion that wood is the material
from which to make the outside case, and,
where it can be readily obtained, sawdust
the material to use for packing.
Don't think I am '' stubborn " over this
matter. Didn't I "modify" my views re-
garding the hiving of swarms on founda-
tion, and that, too, after I had written a
book upon the subject V When a man can
do this, it seems to me that he might be con-
sidered open to conviction upon any sub-
ject.
INTRODUCING QUEENS.
To introduce a queen to a colony of bees,
two things must be well considered — the
condition of the bees and the condition of
the queen. The condition and behavior of
the queen is very important. If the queen
will only walk about upon the combs in a
quiet and (/Heenlu manner, and go on with
her egg laying, she is almost certain to be
accepted if the other conditions are favor-
able. Let her run and " squeal " (utter that
sharp '• zeep, zeep, zeep,"') and the bees im-
mediately start in pursuit. Soon the queen
is in a ball of tightly clinging bees, and the
only course is to smoke the bees severely
until they release the queen from their em-
brace, when she must be re-caged for
another trial. Dropping the ball of bees in
a cu[) of water has been recommended to
induce them to release the queen. To th§
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
75
inexperienced this may be the better plan,
as, when driving the bees away with smoke,
it often happens that one oJ' the bees will
grasp the queen and endeavor to sting her,
smoke or no smoke, and, in his attempt to
rescue the queen, the novice may injure her.
To introduce a queen from one colony to
another in the same apiary does not call for
the skill needed when tlie queen has been
absent several days from a colony, and is
jaded by a long journey. I have frequently
taken a queen from a colony, and caged it
to send away, and then immediately taken a
laying queen from a nucleus and placed her
upon the spot upon the comb from whence I
had removed the other queen, and had the
satisfaction of soon seeing her surrounded
by a circle of admiring retainers. I believe
there are times, particularly when honey is
coming in freely, when a colony with a lay-
ing queen would accept another fresh laying
queen, simply by having her placed upon
the combs ; and all would go well until the
queens came in contact. Then there would
be a conflict in which the chances of the new
comer would be equally as good as those of
the old queen. I have sometimes doubted if
bees recognized each other, or the queen, by
the scent. I have clipped a queen's wing,
and, upon returning her (placing her direct-
ly upon the combs), she was attacked by her
own bees. Perhaps she acquired a different
scent by being handled. If so, then the
hundreds of other queens that I have clipped
must also have acquired a different scent,
yet they were not attacked.
So far as the queen is concerned, it is im-
portant that she be brought before the bees
in a natural manner, in such a place and in
such a way as they would expect to meet
her. When clipping queens I have replaced
them by dropping them upon the top bars,
or at the entrance of the hive, when the bees
would immediately pounce upon them as in-
truders. A puff of smoke would cause the
bees to "let up," when the queen would
walk majestically down upon the combs, or
into the hive, as the case might be, and here
she would not be molested, because the bees
here found her where they exjMcted to find
their queen. When I wish to introduce a
queen by allowing her to run in at the en-
trance, I first shake off the bees, from two
combs, in front of the hive ; as they are run-
ning into the hive, I allow the queen to run
in with them. At such times as this there
are no guards at the entrance, the bees that
are crawling in will not attack the queen, and
by the time that the colony has recovered its
tranquility, the queen is quietly parading
the combs.
When a colony has been queenless long
enough to build a batch of queen cells, I
usually introduce a queen by simply taking
a comb, with the adhering bees and queen,
from a nucleus and hanging it in the queen-
less colony. By means of smoke, or a
feather, I drive all the bees from the inside
wall of one side of the hive, and against
this side of the hive I turn the side of the
comb upon which is the queen. Thus she
is not immediately brought in contact with
the excited, strange bees ; but the bees in-
termingle, and, almost unconsciously, the
whole colony has accepted the queen. If
any of the queenless bees stray near the
queen, they find her surrounded by a cortege
of her own bees. She is also attending to
her duties, and is almost cjrtain not to be
molested.
When queens come from a distance they
are more diiiicult to introduce. They have
not layed any esgs in several days, and are
in a jaded condition. It is for this reason
that it has always seemed to me that the Peet
cage ought to be an unusually good cage
with which to introduce queens. This cage
can be attached to the surface of the comb,
when the withdrawal of a tin slide allows
the queen access to the surface of the comb
that is covered by the cage. Care should be
taken to select a spot where the young bees
are just gnawing out. If a few cells of un-
sealed honey can be included, so much the
better. The queen can then walk about upon
comb, and with the Scotchman she can sing :
" My foot is on my native heath."
She can drink nectar from the unsealed
cells. She will soon have a retinue from the
newly hatched bees that are ready to accept
her, as they have never known any other
queen. She will begin laying in the few
cells at her command, and when she is re-
leased, will be in a nearly normal condition,
and surrounded by a few followers. Usually
the bees release the queen by eating under
the cage. If they do not, she can be re-
leased by thrusting the blade of a pocket
knife through the comb from the side op-
posite to the cage, and giving the knife a
twist or two. The bees will clean out and
enlarge the opening, thus letting out the
queen. One objection to the Peet cage is
that the bees may release the queen sooner
76
TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
than is best. Of course, this may be reme-
died by leaving in the tin slide, but this
defeats the advantages, or supposed advan-
tages, arising from caging the queen against
the comb. I say "supposed advantages,"
because, as favorable as the Peet cage
appears as an introducing cage, I have been
equally as successful with other cages. I
have had excellent success with a cylindrical
case, made from a piece of wire cloth four
inches square. Ravel about two wires from
one edge of the wire cloth, roll it up, thrust-
ing the projecting ends of the wires through
the meshes of the opposite edge, and clinch
the ends by bending them over. This forms
a round tube about an inch in diameter and
four inches long. The ends may be stopped
by plugs of wood, corncob, or cork, or the
ends may be ''squeezed" until they are
closed. When the queen is confined in such
a cage, the cage should be placed between
two combs just over the brood nest, and the
combs pressed together until their pressure
holds the cage in place. That the queen
may not perish for want of food, should the
bees neglect, or refuse, to feed her, see that
one side of the cage is pressed against some
part of the comb containing honey.
No definite length of time can be given as
to how loi^g a queen should be caged before
she is released. The behavior of the bees is
the best guide. If they are " balling " the
cage, clinging to it in masses, like so many
burdocks, their behavior indicates what the
the queen would have to endure were she
within their reach. The operator must wait
until the bees are in a different mood ; until
they are walking quietly about over the cage,
as unconcernedly as upon the combs of
honey — perhaps the bees may be offering
food to the queen and caressing her with
their antennas. This shows that the bees
are favorably inclined towards the queen,
and that it is safe to release her.
When Mr. S. W. Morrison was in the queen
business, he sent out bees in a cage that was
an excellent one for use in introducing
queens. Its opening was covered with a
piece of zinc in which was a perforation just
large enough to allow a worker to pass, but
not a queen. Over this was a slip of unper-
forated tin. As soon as it was discovered
that the bees were favorably disposed to-
wards the queen, the tin slide was turned,
admitting them to the cage. For some
peculiar reason, the bees will not attack the
queen, in the cage. Perhaps it is because
she cannot run, and perhaps it is because
the bees don't feel as courageous when they
find themselves cooped up in a cage. W^ith
this arrangement a large number of bees
can go in the cage, a few at a time, and pay
their respects to her majesty ^ After the bees
have been on their good behavior for a day
or two, the queen is finally released by turn-
ing aside the slip of zinc. As the queen
emerges she is accompanied by a little com-
pany of bees that has virtually accepted her
as sovereign of the hive.
There is probably no method of releasing
a queen, let the cage be what it may, that is
equal to that of stopping the entrance to the
cage with Good candy, and allowing the bees
to eat it out. The bees that first meet the
queen are in good humor from the candy
they have eaten. The queen is released
quietly at a time when the colony is undis-
turbed.
Until quite recently a few of the leaders in
apiculture advised bee-keepers to examine a-
colony within an hour after the queen was
released, to see how she was being treated.
If she was found in a ball of bees she must
be re-caged. No worse advice could be
given. The disturbance frightens the queen;
she begins to run and "squeal," when the
bees immediately "ball" her. W'hen a bee-
keeper rescues his lately-released queen
from a ball of bees, it m-iy be natural for
him to conclude that his interference saved
her life ; but the truth in nine times out of
ten would be that it was this very meddling
that put her life in jeopardy. After a queen
has been released the colony should be let
entirely alone for three or four days, or a
week, until the queen has become fully
" established as queen of the hive.
To be successful in introducing queens
that have come from a dista^ice, the condi-
tion of the colony must be well looked after.
It is better that it should be hopelessli/ queen-
less. Let it build a batch of queen cells, and
remove them after all the larvae are too old
to be developed into queens, then the bees
are almost certain to accept a queen if given
to them in a proper manner. I would sooner
release a queen after the bees had discovered
the loss of their old queen, and before they
had begun the construction of queen cells,
than to release her after the cells were under
way, unless I waited until the cells were
sealed over and had been removed.
When engaged in queen rearing, I did not
lose one queen in 100 that I attempted to
TME BEE-KEEPEkS' REVIEW.
n
introduce to a colony that had built a hatch
of cells.
Bees are in a umch more amiable mood
when honey is coniing in freely. Don't at-
tempt to introduce queens when no honey is
being jjathered, without feeding the bees
two or three days before the queen is re-
leased.
There is one method of introducii g queens
that ncret- fails ; it is that of contining the
queen in a hive with several combs of just
hatching bees. Go over several hives, and
select enough combs, from which the bees
are just emerging, to fill a hive. Choose those
combs having the least unsealed brood,
as the most of this will perish. Shake otSf
every bee and hang the combs in a hive,
closing it up bee-tiyht. Allow the queen to
run in at a small opening, closing it behind
her. This work should be done in the fore
part of a warm day. In a few hours enough
bees will have been hatched to make quite a
little cluster, with which the queen is abso-
lufeli/ safe. It might l)e well to carry the
hive into the house at night, for two or three
nights. In a week the hive may be given a
stand in the apiary, and the entrance opened
enough to allow the passage of a single bee.
So much trouble is not advisable unless it is
with a very valuable queen.
If bees are shaken from their combs into
a box, and kept confined, without a queen,
several hours, Mr. Doolittle says they will
invariably accept a queen if given one in the
box. In other words, they are hopelessly
queenless, and away from their home, and
will accept anything in the shape of a queen.
Mr. D. A. Jones is successful in introduc-
ing queens by using chloroform. Use a
small Bingham smoker. Put a dry sponge
at the bottom of the fire barrel. Wet a
sponge will chloroform and put on top of
the dry sponge. Over this put another dry
sponge. Put on the nozzle and then drive
the vapor into the mouth of the hive, the
same as smoke would be driven, by working
the bellows. When the bees begin to drop
down on the bottom board, allow the queen
to run in, and the work is done. I have never
tried either the Doolittle or the chloroform
method.
In recapitulation I will say, if you wish to
be sure of success in introducing queens, re-
ceived from a distance, observe the following
directions. If the bees are not gathering
honey, feed them. Have the bees hopelessly
queenless. Before releasing the queen, see
that the bees are favorably inclined towards
her. Allow the bees to release her by eating
candy out of the entrance of the cage. Don't
disturb the bees for several days after the
queen is released. I am aware that success
is often achieved when some of the points
are neglected, but each has its weight.
There, friends, I have aone over the
ground as faithfully as I could in the space
I have used. Now will you tell me where, in
your opinion, I have made mistakes, and
what of importance I have omitted, and I
will print your replies in the April issue.
Many will be ready to introduce queens by
that time, hence a discussion of the subject
will be "in order." Let us have a thorough
interchange of ideas and experiences.
EXXRT^OTEO.
Painted vs. Unpainted Hives — Whitewash
as a Substitute.
Wm. G. Hewes tells the readers of Glean-
ings how important it is to have hives
painted white, or whitewashed, unless they
are shaded. From his article I make the
following extract :
•'In March loth Gleanings, 1889, Mr. Doo-
little has an article advocating unpainted
hives, saying that, as the paint prevents evap-
oration of moisture, painted hives are much
more damp and cold, and that bees in the
unpainted ones will swarm from one two
weeks earlier in the spring. A. I. Root, in
his foot-notes, recalls the fact that he had
often seen water running out of painted
hives, and says that he is pretty sure there
would have been no such ice and condensa-
tion had the hive been unpainted. Think-
ing over the matter I remembered that, in
my painted hives, I had had many combs
rotted by mildew. I was increasing my
apiary rapidly at that time, and had many
hives to build. I decided not to paint them.
The interior valleys of California are hot.
Where my apiary is, the mercury often regis-
ters in the shade 110° Fahrenheit for eight
hours a day and eight days at a time. Well.
this heat on my black unpainted hives causes
the combs to melt down en masse unless the
hive is shaded or very much ventilated. One
day in July, one of these hot days came. I
had wilted in the morning as soon as the sun
hit me : and, though knowing that my bees
needed extra ventilation, I lay under the
dense shade of an oak and read ' King
Solomon's Mines.' In the evening I crawled
off to look at the bees, and it seemed to me
there was a creek of honey running out of
the entrance of all the unpainted hives in
my apiary. I lost some forty colonies out-
right, and there were many others badly
78
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
damaged. The white painted hives stood
the ordeal vastly better, though even in
them, when the entrance was not full width
of hive (like your Dovetailed hive), there
were some combs melted down. My combs
were mostly new ones, and very full of
honey. After that disastrous experience I
whitewashed my hives, and now I believe
that that is the proper treatment for them,
as it comV)ines both the advantages of the
painted and the uupainted hives. The
whitewash does not prevent evaporation of
moisture ; and by giving a fresh coat each
spring the hives much surpass in whiteness,
and therefore in coolness, a painted hive,
especially if it has not Vieen painted for two
or three years. Mr. Doolittle, too, se ms to
have had some unfavorable experience with
unpainted hives since writing his article of
March 15, 1889 ; for, May 15, 1890, one year
and two months after, he closes a letter by
saying he now ' prefers to paint his hives
and let them stand in the sun.'
Your Dovetailed hives, both in body and
style of cover, are well suited for this cli-
mate, as nails alone will not prevent boards
from warping here."
I should be willing to leave hives unpaint-
ed, if they were to be shaded, were it not
that it is an advantage to have all hives ex-
actly alike in appearance. Some operations
are greatly simplified by this uniformity in
appearance. For instance, that of hiving a
swarm by allowing it to return to the old
location. If a man could have all of his
hives made at one time, and never need any
new ones, this objection to leaving off the
paint would not hold good. But when new
ones are added and none of the hives are
painted, there is a decided difference be-
tween the old and new as regards the color.
Grading, Shipping and Marketing > Honey.
At the recent meeting of bee-keepers
in Albany, N. Y., Mr. Segelken, of the firm
of Hildreth Bros. & Segelken, commission
merchants of New York City, read a paper
upon grading and shipping honey, that was
unusually meaty, so much so that it is a
difficult task to condense it ; but I am going
to try and see what I can do in that line, and
give the result below :
" In these days of sharp competition it is
necessary to put goods on the market in the
most attractive style.
The single-tier case is better than the
double-tier. If a section leaks in the double
tier, those below are daubed.
Put only the net weight on the cases, and
put it in plain figures on the end of the case.
Never have any odd ounces ; the dealer is
obliged to "throw off" the odd ounces.
Changes some of the sections from one case
to another, until each case has an even num-
ber of pounds.
Put heavy paper in the bottom of each
case, and turn it up half an inch pn the sides.
If any combs break down, the paper catches
the drip and prevents it from running out
and daubing other cases.
Heavy pasteboard boxes (the Schofield)
are preferable to the folding box made of
light paper.
In the New York market, glassed sections
still find a ready market, in fact the demand
is increasing and promises to be permanent.
Of course, it is profitable to put up honey in
this shape. The nailed or dovetailed sec-
tions are preferable when the sections are
to be glassed. The glass is attached by tin
tags or wire nails. Glue is sometimes used,
but the glass sometimes drops off if the glue
is not good.
It is of great importance to have sections
weigh not more than a pound. From 14 to
1<) ounces is preferred. It is slow work sell-
ing heavy sections. Make the sections nar-
rower— not more than 13^2 inches, or l^y,, so
when glassed the section will not weigh
more than a pound.
Two grades are sufficient for white honey.
Never mix dark and white honey. Straight
buckwheat honey finds a readier sale than
mixed honey.
For extracted honey, basswood, white
clover, or buckwheat, a keg holding 150
pounds, a half barrel of 300 pounds, or even
a barrel of 500 pounds is preferable. Tin
cans are expensive, and the honey in them
will not sell for any higher price.
All honey should be sent by freight.
There is less likelihood of its being broken,
and the cost is less. As the transportation
companies will carry it only at owner's risk,
why pay express companies three times
freight rates ?
Ship in the original cases. Don't put six
or eight cases into one large crate. [Here I
must disagree. If the honey is put into an
ordinary box or crate, that may be tumbled
about either side up, then Mr. Segelken is
right ; but if the crate is made with slats at
the side, allowing the honey to be seen, and
of such size that it will hold about 150
pounds, and provided with handles that
tempt freight handlers to grasp them, then
the safety of transit is enhanced. — Ed.]
The best time to ship honey to market is
in September and the first part of October.
Be the crop large or small, early shippers
get the best prices and quickest returns."
Outside Cases for Winter.
Gleanings for March 1st, comes just in
time for me to copy the following most ex-
cellent and timely article from the pen of
that old-time friend and correspondent of
the Review, J. A. Green :
"From the refermces that have appeared in
Gleanings lately in regard to outside shells
for packing bees that are to be wintered on
their summer stands, the novice would al-
most be led to think that it is a new and un-
tried device. 1 liave used such packing-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
79
cases for four years ; and at present I have
over a hundred colonies protected in this
way. In fact, with the exception of a few in
your chaff hives, every colony that I am
wintering out of doors is siiuyly [)acked in
leaves or shavings held in place by an outer
case. Besides this, there is a great stack of
them waiting to be put over the bees now in
the cellar when they are brought outdoors.
"What," you say. "do you go to the
trouble of packing bees that have passed
through the winter safely in the cellar ? "
Yes, that is just what I am going to do. I
believe that it pays to protect bees, and I
think there is no time when they need pro-
tection more than in the spring, when we
want them to rear as much brood as possi-
ble. Thin-walled hives are too easily affect-
ed by changes of temperature at this time,
and brood-rearing suffers in consequence.
To make my packing cases I use ordinary
lath cut into two pieces, 20 and 28 inches
long. These are nailed to three-inch corner
strips to form the ends and sides of a box
without top or bottom. It is made of such
height that, when set over the hive on its
stand, the outer case resting directly on the
ground, it will be five or six inches higher
than the hive. The end pieces should be
nailed to the flat side of the uprights, and
two or three left off at one end for the en-
trance. Now put a " bridge " over the en-
trance, set the packing-case over the hive so
that the front rests on the bridge, holding it
firmly in place, and put in your packing
material. This may be whatever is conveni-
ent. I generally use leaves. Soft leaves,
such as those of the soft maple, are excel-
lent. Planer shavings or sawdust are more
easily handled, and better.
We now want a roof over it. Above all
other qualities it must be water-tight. Wet
packing is worse than none at all. I have
given considerable thoucrht to the matter of
making a roof that would be cheap, durable,
and effective. All these qualities are hard to
combine. A very good and cheap roof may
be nlade by nailing barrel-staves crosswise
to a three-inch strip a little longer than the
packing-case, putting over them a sheet of
roofing-paper, then nailing on another layer
of staves so as to break joints with the first
ones. ' ,The most satisfactory covering,
though, and the best, all things considered,
is a sheet of corrugated iron, large enough
to cover the whole. An ordinary sheet (96
in. long) makes three pieces just right.
Nothing further is required. .Just lay the
sheet of iron on top. and lay a stone on it to
keep it from blowing away ; or, better, lay a
short piece of board across the top. and the
stone on that. This makes a roof that can-
not leak ; and with ordinary care it is prac-
tically indestructilile. With a coat of paint
occasionally, it will last as long as the
owner. When not in use thev can he stored
in a very small space, as they nest into one
another. They make the best of shade-
boards for summer, if any are desired. Cut
the corners off rounding, so clothing will
not get torn on them.
These corrugated iron covers cost me a
trifle less than 20 cents each. A bunch of
lath, costing 15 cents or less, will make two
packing-cases. I think these are practically
as good as if made of more expensive lum-
ber. If you desire, you can turn them into
excellent chicken-coops for summer use. If
you want them more ornamental, paint them
with a mixture of skim milk and hydraulic
cement, or other cheap paint. Really,
though, I don't think they look very bad un-
painted. They ought to be of a dark color,
so as to absorb as much of the sun's heat as
possible whenever it shines. This helps
brood-rearing in the spring wonderfully.
One of the principal arguments in favor of
unpainted hives is, that bees build up in
them better in the spring. I think this is
mostly due to the dark color. With a dark
outer case you have all this advantage, and
more, as the packing retains the heat."
Rendering Combs with Sulphuric Acid.
When rendering wax with a steam wax ex-
tractor, or with the sun extractor, it is well
known that all of the wax will not run out of
the refuse of cocoons and pollen. Two
things not usually employed are needed to
extract the wax from this refuse. One is an
acid to " cut " or disintegrate the cocoons so
as to free the wax, and the other is a press
to squeeze out the wax. Mr. F. A. Salisbury
contributes to Gleanings so valuable an arti-
cle on these two points that I think best to
copy it entire, together with the editor's
comments :
" After reading E. France's article on
rendering old combs into wax, on page 1.5. I
thought I could give you a better plan, and
one which would take that dark-colored wax
and make it into as nice wax as any you
ever saw. It will be so clear, that, when
melted, you can see to the bottom of a dip-
perful, looking like wine. By this plan you
can take the refuse of cakes of wax, that
which is scrBped off the bottom after cool-
ing, and looks like sand, and make it into as
nice wax as can be made. This last season
we had a barrel of this dark stuff, which
looked like dirt, and you would have said it
was not worth the trouble : but I put it
through the process, and got from it GO lbs.
of yellow wax, worth at least $!,'>.
I know that iron or tralvanized iron will
turn wax a dark color. I went to quite a lit-
tle expense rigging up steam-pipes, and
tanks of galvanized iron for my foundation
business. The first melting did not show
much, but aft-r melting the scraps over
three times I stopped making and tried to
find out what was the matter. I knew the
wax at first was all right, and concluded,
after a while, it was either the galvanized
iron or steam of too high pressure. I then
went to work, tore down all the fixtures, and
went back to melting in a large wooden tub.
This wax. which was almost a dark green. I
put through my process of melting, and had
yellow wax again. My plan, whereby I can
render 100 lbs of wax from old combs in
^ three hours, is as follows ; Get a barrel that
80
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
is good and stroDg, and % steam-pipe, long
enough to reach from a steam-boiler to the
bottom of the barrel. Copper pipe would be
better, but I find the small surface of the
pipe touching the wax does not make any
appreciable difference. You want a valve to
shut off the steam, four pieces of pipe five
inches long, an elbow, a cross, and three
caps. In the pieces of pipe five inches long
drill three l-l(j-inch holes, spaced about two
inches apart ; screw an elbow on the bottom
of the pipe coming from the steam boiler ;
then one of the short pieces of pipe in the
elbow ; now screw on the cross, then the
three pieces of pipe, and put a cajj on the
end of each. Turn the pipes until the small
holes point all one way, so the steam in
issuing will et the water whirling. Now fill
the barrel one-fourth full of clear water.
Put in one pound of sulphuric acid ; turn on
the steam, and when boiling put in the old
combs. Let all boil until heated thoroughly,
and stir with a large stick at the same time.
Now you will want a press. Mine is sim-
ply a box made large enough to hold three
racks, made of -'sxi.j-inch square sticks 15
inches long, nailed to two end pieces l,"")
inches long, so there will be \s inch between
the slats. In the bottom of the box I have a
tin dish one inch deep, and it just slip'^ down
inside nicely. At one side the tin is turned
down, and a hole is made in the bottom of
the box for the wax and water to run out.
Get a rim two inches wide and twelve inches
square made from ''fi-inch stuff, and three
pieces of burlap three feet square. Lay one
of the racks in the tin dish in the bottom of
the box ; on this the two-inch rim ; over this
one of the pieces of burlap. Press the bur-
lap down in the rim, and dip the melted
wax over into it until full to the top of the
rim. Bring the burlap over the top: take
out the rim ; lay another rack on top of this,
and so proceed until you have the three
, filled ; then place a follower on top of all,
and a common jack-screw on toi) of the fol-
lower. Make a frame out of 2x4 scantling
to go under the box and come to the top of
the jack-screw. You will want two bolts to
go throu gh the top and bottom pieces of the
frame. Have them of % round iron, and
screw the nuts up tight. Put the top piece
of the frame over the jack-screw, and turn
the screw slowly so as to give a chance for
the wax to run out. After it Jias stopped
running, take out the refuse, and you will
find the wax nearly out. You could not get
out of a barr.l of comb, after pressing, if it
were possible to iret it out, over a tea cupful
of wax. We have tried a number of ways,
but the above is the best.
I tried an arrangement inside of a barrel
to continually stir the comb ; and over the
com!), underwater six inches, I had a screen
to keep refuse from rising. I thought all
tiie wax would in time rise to the top, but
more stayed under the screen than came to
the to]). I also tried keeping two barrels of
comb, that was thoroughly broken up, moist
with water for two years, to see if 1 could
not rot the cocoons and pollen so it wouklbe
like dirt. If I could rot it, I could get out
all the wax, and not make me a press, but
simply melt it iu water, and the dirt would
settle. This was a failure. The smell of the
stuff when melting would fairly knock a man
down at ten rods. I was very sick with
malaria shortly after. Some thought I
caught it from that bad-smelling boiling
mixture. The wax I did get out of it was all
right. I had to use the press to finish up.
No more jobs like that for me. I can take
cakes of wax that come to me dark, and,
after rendering, they will be a nice yellow
color. You simijly want to melt them in
the acidulated water, cover the barrel over
tight, and throw an old horse-blanket oyer
the whole ; let it stand five hours, and then
diti out in pans carefully, so as not to dis-
turb the dirt at the bottom. Save all the
refuse from scraping the bottom of cakes,
and put through the same process.
F. A. Salisbury,
Syracuse, N. Y., Dec. ,5, 1890.
[Thanks for your valuable article. When
I visited the Dadants a few weeks ago I
learned that they treated their refuse, that
would not refine by ordinary methods, with
sulphuric acid. I do not remember just ex-
actly the i)roportion of sulphuric acid they
use with the water, but I think their method
and plan was very similar to the one you
describe. If I am wrong they will please
correct. Mr. Dadant told me when they
first used sulphuric acid, the man who used
it earned for them $7.^ the first day, and a
smaller amount the second day. until all the
cast-away wax refuse which could not be re-
fined by ordinary methods was used up.
The price at which wax now sells renders
this a very important matter. Mr. C. P.
Dadant told me not to throw away old
refuse ; that a great deal of first quality of
wax can be gotten from it by the use of the
solar wax-extractor and sulphuric acid. The
action of the acid seems to be to rot or dis-
integrate the cocoons and other matter, so as
to free the wax.] E. R."
ADVERTISEMENTS
XcSLIiISLH 1891. Send for pr^ce list.
Queens for
_-_—_——— ic.i.i. .j,_.i,^. .or pr^ce list.
3-91-2t D. E. JACOBS, Longley, Wood Co., Ohio.
COMB FOUNDATION.
If beeswax is sent me, I will work it up into
foundation -it the lowest price iu the world. For
sample^ and price, address 3-91-3t
JACOB WOLLEKSKEIM, Kaukiuna, Wis.
Bee - Hives and Sections.
Largest Bee-Hive Factory in the world. Bout
Goods at loweKt prices. Wite for Illustrated
Catnlosue. G. B. LEWIS & CO-,
1 •_ 0-tf Watertown, Wis.
1 will give ten per cent discount on all
orflers received during March.
Don't wait /« f TJUVTrf^ ^^'"^J' «etison
until the JW^tyVV^VJ before you
order your queens, as it sometimes causes delay.
U'-9J-tf A. I^. lilX^PQW, Sheffield, 111,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
81
Now milking
car-loads of
Dovetailed
Lansrst roth-Si 111 plicity liives, plain IjanRstrotli
hives, Alt«>ruatin« hives. Chaff hives, Sections,
ami many articles not made by others
We can furnish, at wholesale or r'-tail. every-
thing of practical construction ni eded in the
apiary; and at IjOWest Frices.
Satisfaction guaranteed. Send for our New
Catalogue of 51 illustrated |)ages. free to all.
E. KRETCHMER,
2-91tf Red Oak, Iowa.
P/.MX ■ mention Ihe Rfiuieui.
iBee^i^eepePs' Supplies.
Before placing your orders for supplies, send
for our Illustrated Catalogue We are now
making best goods at lowejst prices.
PAGE, KEITH & SCHMIDT CO.,
12-im-iit New London, Wis.
Ptease mention the Reuiew
Names of Bee-Keepers.
The names of my customers, and of those ask
ing for sam pie copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a bo >k. I'here are several thousand all
arranged alpliabetically and according to states ;
and. although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense f)f hundreds of dollars, I would furnisli it
to my advertisers at $2.:")0 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inquirv in regard to the number
of names in a certain state. f>r st .tes, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied iu'oa book, and blank spaces left for the
wri'ing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON Flint, Mich
GLIMPSE Five ©anded.
OF OUB
F'fKTl.iDV I have bought the Hearn (|ueen that, together
iiblUnl wirh her bees took the FIRST PREMIUM last
fall at the Detroit ICxposition. Her bees siiow
five yellow bands, with no dark bands between,
are very gentle and great workers Next season
I shall oiTer her daught- rs at SI. 00 each, or ti for
»o.O". 1 also liave 20 tested (jUPfns. reared last
season liy Alley, from his "hundred dollar"
f)neen, that I wlJ] sell at $2.i 0 each. Get up a
club, and secure a good i>aperand your
Queens
at a reduction. To secure a few orders EARLY,
I will make the following offeT. To each person
sending me $1.75, I will give one year's supscrip-
to the Review and one queen : for $2.75, tiie
Review one year and one of the Alley queens ; for
$5..'>0, six (jueens and the Review one year, or ti
q'leens and ti copies of the REVIEW one year for
$10 00. Thisoffer will not hold good after May
1st. The Review will b" s^nt on receipt of order;
tested queens tlie last of May. and untested in
.Tune. Orders filled in rotation. Make money
orders payable at Flint.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
.3-ftl-2t Rogerssille, Genesee Co., Mich.
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
is,s
UMVERSAL
BATH,
1891
Early Italian queens from bees
bred for liusiness. Each Sl.Oi^ : six
.$t."ii. ( )rim
we wiU send Mlm trial trip for Q flllllS a9 ClSi
THE D. A. JONES CO., Ud, Beeton, Ont.
(.(.
TAKE NOTICE.
•)■)
If you wish the best honey gatherers and the
gentlest bees to handle, order ALBINO
QUEENS from the original producer of the
Albino bee, D.A.PIKE,
12-90-4t e o Smithbarg, Wash. Co., Md.
Please mention the Revieiv.
84
THE BEE-KEEPEnS' REVIEW.
RDVRHCED BEE-GUliTUf^E;
Its IVIethods and fflsxnsxQement.
I am now engaged in writing and printing a book that is to bear the above title.
It is to take the place of my other book, The Production of Comb Honey, which
will not be re-published. Although the new book will contain at least five or six
times as much matter as The Production of Comb Honey, yet the price will be only
.50 cts. The book is already partly printed and will probably be out sometime in
April or May. If any of the friends would like to "help me along" in meeting
the expenses of getting out the book, they can do so by sending their orders in
advance. Such orders will be most thankfully received, and filled the very day the
book is out. I will send the Review one year and the book for .f 1.25. The Review
will be sent on receipt of order (I have plenty of back numbers to send it from
the beginning of the year) and the book as soon as it is out. Stamps taken, either
U. S, or Canadian.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOfl, piint, IVIiehigan.
The new, Automatic Perforator niakps the best
perforated zinc ever made. Sixteen styles of
spacing in oppoi^ife and .••Itemating perfora-
tions Makes any size of she t, with border, up
to 24 X 44 inches. Prices very low. Samples for
stamp. Also sole manufacturer of two-rov. s of
zinc, ("atalogue giving valuable informatioi. on
hives, sections, etc., sent free.
Send 2.'i cts. inrihe New Book, Bee Keep-
ing for Profit.
DI?. G. U. TIflKER,
1-91-tf New Philadelphia, Ohio.
P/rase mention fiif f^fuietu.
B
££- KEEPERS' GUIDE. Revised,
enlargf^d. improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price $1.50.
A. J. ('OOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
BEES FOR SALE.
125 colonies that have bet-n wintered in the
cellar and are in good condition, are offered for
sale ; the sale to take effect from thi' 1st to the
I5th of April. Write for particiilnrs
A. J. ACHER,
3-91-2t Martiney, Mich.
BUV YOUI?
Italian Queens
Ff?oivi THE
lione Staf fipiapy.
I breed from choice, imported stock. Leather
colored.. Write for price list.
OTTO J. E. OI?Bflf*,
2-91 -tf Thomdale, Texas.
Please mention the Review.
t'$ Foundation Factory.
Samples free. Send your beeswax .uid liHve it
made up. ffiglieet prices paid for beeswax
3-91 -6t M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich. (Near Detroit.)
Ho for California!
For sale, lUO colonies of bees, full c<>l<)nie8, at
$3.50, and supers tiirown in. Stanley exti actor,
Vandervort mill and other tixtnr< s. Senri for
descriptive pri< f list and realize the bargains
J. H. MARTIN,
3-91-2t Hartford, Wash. Co , N. Y.
Please mention the Review
Utility Bee -Hive.
Unexcelled for SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every part
INTERCHANUEA BLE, RE VERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
chantje with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WRY JOHNSON.
1-91-tf Masontowv, Pa.
t^eady to IVtail.
Tested Italian (jueens, $2.00 each, or three for
$5.00. Ready to mail NOW, and safe arrival
guaranteed. Untested, $1.00 eacli, three for $2. . .5;
$9.00 a dozen ; sent after March 20. Send for
price list. Make money orders payable at Cliffton.
COLWICK & COLWICK,
3-91-tf Norse, Bosque Co., Texas.
April iO, 1891,
Dollar a Year,
86
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
AdVEt^TISIlSlG t^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
Five JSanded.
I have bought the Hearn queen that, together
with her bees, took the FIRST PREMIUM last
fall at the Detroit Exposition. Her bees show
five yellow Ijande, with no dark bands between,
are very gentle and great workers Next season
I shall offer her daughters at $1.00 each, or 6 for
$5.00. 1 also have 20 tested queens, reared last
season by Alley, from his " hundred dollar "
queen, that I will sell at $2.00 each. Get up a
club, and seciu-e a good paper and your
Queens
at a reduction. To secure a few orders EARLY,
I will make the following offer. To each person
sending me $1.75, 1 will give one year's supscrip-
to the Review and one queen ; for $2.75, the
Review one year and one of the Alley queens ; for
$5.30, six queens and the Review one year, or 6
queens and 6 copies of the Review one year for
$10 00. This offer will not liold good after May
1st. The Review will be sent on receipt of order;
tested qiieens the last of May, and untested in
June. Orders filh>d in rotation. Make money
orders payable at Flint.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3-91-8t Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich.
MGRIT TBLLS.
IT BEATS ALL
How That Gary Fellow's
=Li-^-
KCW S7YJL€ ClAM?
SOLiD IlAST VEAI^.
He could not get them out fast enough, but
says he now lias a big stock on hand. Write him
at once for his 40 page catalogue, which gives a
full description, also tells how to manage bees,
to control tlie swarming fever and secure the
largest yield ( >f lioney. He also makes a specialty of
XX THIN FOUNDATION,
from white wax, which every one wanted last
year. See what Mr. Hutchinson says in the
Feb. Review, page 45.
Wm. W. GARY,
(Successor to Wm. w. CARY & CO.) Coleraine, Mass.
2-91 -*f
Please mention the Review.
• The Missouri Bee-Keeper
Three months on trial free. We want you to
see it. 'Tis a journal of seasonable hints.
Valuable to all. Twenty pages, monthly.
50 cents a year. Send address on postal card
to BEE-KEEPER PUB. CO.,
Unionville, Missouri.
Half a Million Pounds SoM in THirteen Years. Over $200,000 in Yalne.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FREE to ALL. SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' IiangstPoth on the Honey Bee. t^evised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which they will find, without difficulty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for this work. Its arrangement is such that any subject and ;dl its references can
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
■LiTTl^f^T^yi^/^ to'P'PQisa chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
C^-'^-t*-*^-'-*-'-! "'"^ J3.COO to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Imported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
free with Circular. 4-91-12t
Mention Reuiew. CJlHS. ORORfiT & SOJ4, HanoHton, Haticock Co., Ills.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
87
HILL'S BEE- FEEDER AND SMOKER.
This Smoker burns chips ()r hard wood
without any special ijreparation Vpry reli-
able, (ireatcsi smoking capacity. Easiest
to stirt and cheapest because it saves time.
The Best Ree-Feeder. Most convenient
for the bees. No drowning or daubins bees.
Ttie feed is taken by the bees without leav-
ing the chaster. From two to seven feeders
full may be siven a colony at one time which
will b' s ored in the combs in ten or twelve
hours.
Smok'T, 3 inch biirrel, freight or express
each. $1 20. IJy mail. $1.40. p,.,- dozen, $10.80. Feeders, one qi, fr't-
or express, pc^r jiair, 30 cts, by mail, 40 cts ; per dozen, Sl.ti '.
A. (t. HILI., Ki-ndallville, lud , or H. M. HILL, Paola, Kansas.
Tnese smokers and feeders are kept in stock by Thos. (i. New
man & Sou, I'liicago, 111. ; tj. B Lewis & Co., Wati-rtown, Wis.;- '
W. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn ; and C'has. Dadant & Son, Hamilton, Hancock Co.
Illinois.
ite Poplar Sections. Names of Bee-Keepers.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, t'lamps. Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsarpas-;ed. Send for sainjile and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
l-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Tested Queens $1.00
Some have complained because queens have
been sold at such low prices. While I have no
desire to lower the price of queens, I feel that,
under the circumstances, I am justified even in
otfering tested queens early in the season at f 1.(0
each. For three years I have practiced introduc-
ing young, laying queen, early in the spring, to a
large share of my colonies. This was done to
prevent swarming. That it is effectual has been
proved by the fact that, of all the colonies so
treated, only one swarmed, and in this case
something was wrong with the queen. To be
successful, this change of queens must be m ide
early, before the bees ?ven begin thinking about
swarming. I can get young laying queens from
the South at Sl.oC each, but the question is. what
shall be d seai-f'n will
admit. Those preferring the young, laying
(jueens from the South, can hnve them at the
same price— §1.' 0. Can furnish a few tested Car-
niolan queens at S2 00 each.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
The names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sample copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a bo >k. there are several thousand all
arranged alphabetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2. .50 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inquiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied info a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON. Flint, Mich.
WANTED: BEE- KEEPERS,
To send for our 1891 circular which gives infor-
mationabout SUPPLIES, BEES, etc.
Golden, Italian Queens, bred for
business as well as purity. Supplies very Idw.
Bees and queens lower. All No. 1. 4-91-lt
JNO, NEBEL&SON High Hiil, Mo,
Wanted:
To cor(esp9nd with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspontlence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE CLICKENGER,
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio.
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
\mm QUiiENS AND SUPPLIES
FOE, 1891.
Befoie you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for citalogue and price list.
J. P. H. BROWN,
1-88 tf Augusta, Georgia.
iMPORTED AND tl
ITALIAN gUEE^'S.H
St-nrf for Prices. i J.
OME - BRED
W. C. FRAZIER.
Atlantic. Iowa.
Please mention the Rauleiu,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represente our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw. which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.
4-90-T6t
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOB CATALOGUE, PBIOES, KTC,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rockford, Ills.
Pratt's Perfection Oiieeii Cap
Is the best shipping and introducing cage in
use. Only $10.00 and $2\00 per 1,000. Sample free
to any queen breeder. We manufacture a full
line of bee-keepers' supplies, and send cata-
logues free to any address,
C. W. COSTELLOW,
8-90-tf Waterborough, Me.
TIMPE'S NEW POTATOES
TOOK THE LEAD
At the Mich. Agricultural College
For Five Years,
As the " BEST EARLY POTATOES." Bulletin
No. 70, just out, praises them. See description
in my ad. on page .53 of Feb. Review.
In addition to my offer therein, 1 will give to
the second, the Amehican Bee-Keepee one
year ; or, if preferred,, and the order amounts to
$2 00 or over, tlie Review one year.
Up to the time of writing tfiis ad., only nine
states have sent in orders. As Mich, has sent in
one order, I will give to the next one, a Selectj
Tested Queen, FREE ! Who wants it? And to
EVEEYBODY I Will give a certificate which will be
accepted as i lai-t payment on an order for queens
as follows : For $1.00 1 will t^end two lbs. of my
No. 4 potato and a 50 ct. certificate. For $2.00 I
will send one lb. each of Nos. 1, 2 and 4, and a
75 ct. certificate. For $'2.','5 I will send one lb.
each of Nos. 1 and S, two lbs. No. 4, and certifi-
cate for 81.00. All charges will be preiiaid by
me. Give express oilice. Order at once. Can
ship by return mail if you will be prompt.
.JA(^OB T. TIMPE,
3-90-16t Grand Ledge, Blichigan.
BEE SURPl^lES
Leoiw Prices
Have brought us many thousand customers. We
do not claim that our prices are below all others;
there are some parties we cannot compete with.
They do too poor work — but quality of goods and
workmanship considered, our prices are " way
down." We "guarantee perfect satisfaction."
We have built up our business on this guarantee,
and shall continue to stand by it. If you have not
received one of our 1801 Catalogues, send for one,
and also for a sample cojiy of tlie " American Bee-
Keeper," a 20-page monthly magazine, illustrated.
Every bee-keeper should sul)scribe. Only .W cts. a
year. ^^. T. FALCONER Mfg. CO., ,^
Jamestown, N. Y.
CARNIOLAN QUEENS
A SPECIALTY.
That Andrews man has just the bees.
That he manipulates witli ease,
And will the most exacting please.
They're bred from pure and gentle stock.
With tempers even as a clock,
And seldom rise at any shock.
Now please remember, if you will.
These bees are bred at Patten's Mill,
In New York State, just down the hill.
And if you want one, two, or more.
Send on your orders as before.
And you will find your needs in store.
At THE appointed time.
Last August, tested queens, June 1st, S2.C0
Untested queens .. " .... 1.00
Tested queens, July 1st, 1..50
Untested, after July 1st, six for 5,00
JOHN ANDREWS.
9-90.tf Patten's Mills, Wash. Co., N. Y.
S03IETHING NEW,
AGAIN, IN
BEE-HIVES.
SEND FOR HEDDON'S CIRCULAR
FOR IS91.
Address JAS. HEDDON,
Doivagiac, Michigan.
Illiistrateil Aflvertiseients Attract Attention.
JE:iNiOR^?k^^I#C^
aBaTasNigcuuniglBi
'■LUSTRATI.
D EO^ROIT,
Cuts FurnisM for all Illnstratlng Pnrposes.
ee-
\eepeps' JieViecu.
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tlqe Iqterests of Hoqey Producers,
$L00 A YEAR,
W. Z. HUTCHlJ^SOfl, EditoP & PPop.
VOL, IV,
FLINT, MICHIGAN, APRIL, 10, 1891.
NO, 4,
The speeial topic of this issue is
" Introducing Queens. "
That of the next issue cuill be
"Adulteration of Honey,"
A Sermon on Introducing Queens.
W. r. OLA EKE.
^^ CALL this a "sermon," not because I
^J am going to preach or "talk shop,"
but because I wish to preface what I
have to say on the text with an " exordium,"
after the manner of sermon- makers. A ser-
mon is supposed to require a vestibule, or
preface, like a modern railway car, or a
book. "By way of introduction," as
preachers are in the habit of remarking, I
want to express my admiration of your
method of "introducing" atopic. Itisone
of the features that have helped to make the
Review unique. True, you are apt to go
over all the ground, leaving others little else
to do but fulfil the injunction, " let all the
people say, ' Amen ! ' " A sermon is edify-
ing in proportion to the extent in which it
voices better than we can do it, our own
views. So is an editorial. The pulpit does
not so much mould the opinions of a con-
gregation, as express them. If a preacher
fails to do this, he will soon get his walking
ticket. He is the mouthpiece of the people.
So with a journal and an editor. I hope,
therefore, that you will not follow Mr. Hed=
don's advice in last Review, and " simply
ask questions." Henry Ward Beecher used
to say, the true use of advice is to make us
more set in our own way. If Mr. Heddon's
advice Has this effect on you, I for one, shall
be glad. Personally, I dislike question
boxes and catechisms.
You have given us a discourse on intro-
ducing queens, under two heads : the condi-
tion of the colony, and the condition of the
queen. It reminds one of a preacher who
once announced to his congregation three
divisions of the subject he was going to
treat : I. What I know, and you don't. II.
What you know, and I don't. III. What
neither you nor I know. You have told us
what you know about queen introduction,
and what certainly many bee-keepers do not
know. It will now be in order for Dr. Miller
to tell us what he does not know, and quite a
long article might be written on what none
of us know, for there are "mysteries in bee-
keeping" yet, that none of us know. I
would si)ecially emphasize what you say
about the condition of the queen. Almost
the only thing that justifies the retention of
the term "queen" for the mother-bee, is
the regal majesty with which she marches
over the combs. As the old Latin proverb
has it: ^' Ilia incedit rer/ina," — "she walks
a queen ! " Democratic as they are, the l)ee8
appear to admire this (]ueenly air. It is like
the reverence many Americans have for
foreign titles and aristocratic manners.
Now, as you say, if a queen behaves like a
common bee when she is introduced into a
90
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW
hive, the bees are apt to take a " sconner"
at her, as the Scotch say. After a ([ueen has
been confined for some time in a little box,
tumbled about in mail bags, and then sud-
denly exposed to the light for awhile, it must
give her a kind of shock to find herself in a
populous hive again. She is still kept a
prisoner for what must seem to her a long
interval. She wants to promenade, but can-
not. She wants to lay, but there are no
cells within reach. Her instiiicts are com-
pletely repressed. Whea, at length, she is
liberated, is it any wonder that she is dis-
concerted at first, and acts umiaturally ? It
is for these reasons that I have come to the
conclusion not to buy any more queens to
be sent through the mails. When I get a
queen, I want one that is tested and choice,
that I may improve my stock. I have so
many times had them arrive in an enfeebled
and languid condition, and needing to be
nursed and invigorated, that I have pretty
much concluded never to order a queen any
more except in a nucleus. The bees do not
want their hive turned into a royal hospital.
They are nervous and excitable. They have
been longing for a worthy occupant of the
vacant throne. If "Her Majesty" is flur-
ried and acts strangely, they will probably
be similarly affected. The aspirant does
not behave as a queen should. They regard
her as a pretender, and do not care to crown
her.
Prolificacy is a great point in a queen.
Our seasons are short, and we want the hive
stocked with workers in the shortest time
possible. Must it not be a severe check on
a laying queen, and likely to injure her
powers of reproduction to put a sudden stop
to her egg-laying function ? I do not think'
it hurts a queen for egg-laying to be
gradually lessened, and at length suspended.
She is used to that. It is one of the laws of
her being. But it is " agin natur " to call a
sudden halt just when all the energies of her
being are concentrated on egg-produftion,
and I do not see how it can be done witliout
temporary, and perhaps permanent injury
to the very function which makes her most
valuable. Of all the methods of queen in-
troduction, I prefer that of taking a comb
with adhering bees and queen from a
nucleus, and hanging it in the queenless
colony, as described by you so wpU in the
first paragraph of second column, page 7,'>.
So I would have my nuclei composed of
frames the same size as those of the work-
ing hive to facilitate this plan of introduc-
tion. The next best mode, in my opinion,
is to use a large cage, as described in the
second paragraph of the same column. I
have sometimes made a cage of wire cloth
more siiacious than the Peet, and placed it
where it would cover empty cells, and cells
with some honey in them. This gives the
queen a chance to walk around, gratify her
laying instinct somewhat, and prepare for
the ausi)icious moment when she is given a
larger liberty.
I do not see any " mistakes " in your pro-
gram, and if I thought any opinion express-
ed erroneous, would have some hestitation
in saying so, but would be inclined to bow
to the superior editorial wisdom of one who
is an exi^erienced, practical bee-keeper, and
as Mr. Heddon says, "a successful doUar-
and-ceut honey producer." I also approve,
under befitting circumstances, of all the
methods of introductiou specified, save and
except that of chloroforming. I tliink that
whatever stupefies bees so that they drop
down on the bottom board, is objectionable.
When they recover from such stupefaction,
they feel somewhat as a man does on sober-
ing off after a drunk. In early days of bee-
keeping experience, some of us tried tobacco
and Devil's puff-l)all as bee- controllers. I
did, and found it made the bees irritable.
They were up in arms on a repetition of the
dose. Insects and the lower order of
animals are not like man. One drunk
suffices them, and as a burnt child dreads
the fire, so they shrink from another ordeal
of the same kind. Old Aristotle sang : "He
found it a foretaste of heaven to get drunk,
but a foretaste of hell to get sober." A sin-
gle lesson of that kind is enough for them.
Would that it were the same with man !
I believe that in all our operations with
bees, we should conform to nature as closely
as we can. Some bee-keepers deride the
idea of being at all swayed by considera-
tions of what is natural in the case of bees.
They are going to bend this insect to their
will, and whatever in their habits does not
suit them, they are going to obliterate. If I
believed that the bee was evoluted by acci-
dent or some blind material force, I should
see no reason why we should not amend,
change, and revolutionize them at will.
But every existent being is made conform-
able to certain laws, and I firmly believe
that the Creator knew what he was about
when he made the honey-bee. Hence I am
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
91
averse to imprisoning bees in a little cage
during a honey flow ; have no faith in the
inversion of combs ; and think it best when
it is necessary to transport laying queens to
a distance in the working season, to do it in
full colonies or nuclei.
GuELPH. Ontario. March, ID, 1891.
Introduction of Queens, Viewed in the
Economics of the Hive.
F. H. AND E. H. DEWEY.
fHE word economy primarily and lit-
erally means housekeeping, and in
that sense we may do well to examine
how the economy of the hive is related to
the absence of its familiar directress, and
amidst a jostling of furniture, the sudden
appearance of a new and perhaps alien mis-
tress. There is the same touch in a bee hive
as runs through the kinship of the world.
Why does a stranger attract about him a
staring crowd as he alights at the depot in
an idle town. The same number of persons
in a manufacturing place pass him to their
shops without a thought or a glance. In the
curious community the good people had no
absorbing occupation on their hands. Sup-
pose this stranger to be an object of suspicion
as in times gone by an Easterner was in a
raw town of the West, his stiff hat might be
saluted by a volley and his shining wardrobe
assimilated without leave or ado into the
prevailing styles of the region, because the
people there had no all-absorbing business.
In the bee hive we find less pilfering, less
vain ornament in burr-combs, generally
speaking a more forbearing temper and
quicker adaptability at the time of the honey
flow than in any other season. Passion and
energy are engaged and devoted. When we
disarrange the economy of the bee hive,
supplant not a chief servant, a head steward,
but the very mistress herself, unless the pas-
sion and energy of a race all energy and all
feeling be diverted from the savage, can we
expect anything else than an irascible con-
dition ? Some all-possessing influence must
prevent a fatality, whether it be stupefaction
by drugs, the despair of self-preservation
which makes a promising queen, though a
stranger, acceptable, or some other state of
self-complacency or indifference.
A queen's "expectations of life" may be
improved if a colony is fed a day or so
before dequeening and on until the new
queen is accepted and Installed, unless nectar
comes with a strong flow from the fields.
Care must be taken against robbing. Let
none suppose that the practical affairs of
the hive ever can become so absorbing by
the storage of sweets, that a queen may be
removed or a new crowned head come in
unremarked or unsaluted. There never was
a business in the hive or out so entrancing
that a common calamity did not shock each
individual and move the whole body politic;
but the new conditions are more charitably
viewed and new elements more cordially ac-
cepted when we are occupied in other ways
with golden blessings. Life is full of com-
pensations, and we should not tolerate even
in a hive utter despair or utter malignity.
We may then conclude tliat a happy diver-
sion by generous feeding, though not an
infalliljle course of successful introduction,
yet may still be the agreeable handmaid of
other means.
Whatever the method of introduction
facilitated by feeding, the most annoying
and time-devouring part, the preliminary
capture of the old queen, will be yet as diffi-
cult as ever. Perhaps the following proced-
ure may be deemed worthy of trial. The
first move is always to close the adjacent
hives by zinc. Slide a zinc strip before the
entrance inside the operated hive after all
the combs have been removed from the
same and hung near by in some receptacle.
The bees are all brushed to one side of the
hive and a space sufficient for two combs
encloses them there by means of a zinc par-
tition. There two combs are placed, which
might well be of unsealed laryje. Two or
three combs of the fewest bees should then
be brushed off into the compartment, hung
beside the zinc in the main part and covered
with enameled cloth supported now by these
combs. The remaining bees may be brushed
with a little smoking upon the cloth and
into the smaller compartment, the combs to
be hung with the others under the cloth.
The old queen can be caught there at leisure
and found without much trouble as if in a
two frame nucleus. In a day or two the bees
beyond the zinc will be anxious for a queen
to replace the hatching brood and a new
mother may be introduced as seems best, a
regulated self-releasing cage adaptable to
the period desired, is quite generally satis-
factory. Each veteran has his own way,
rapid and easy, particularly if he owns
Italian queens ; others, who must spend an
hour or more peering about for a small
92
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
black queen among bees that habitually
clump together in festoons, may be assisted
by the use of zinc. All will find advantage
in feeding.
dewey's impeovbd peet cage.
This is a standard Peet cage, save in the
facts of a guaze slide beneath the tin slide
and three openings upon the edge into the
candy. The original cage gave just cause
for complaint. We lost time, occasioned
robbing, mutilated combs and hazarded
queens, and sometimes found them chilled
in transit. So the Benton & Pratt cages re-
cently came into quite general use. The
Benton cage is a good shipijer, but for in-
troducing it presents to the bees only one
circular face one inch across. It must lie
upon the combs and offers only one avenue
to the queen ; there is no expedition with
this cage, only a few bees can tunnel into it
at a time. The new Peet cage is lowered
into the heart of the colony, two faces of
guaze the size of a dollar afford rapid ac-
quaintance— a slow release is effected by
uncorking one opening, or more speedy
work by opening two or all three approaches;
a paper between the slides gives protection
in bad weather. The tin tongues remain,
and the cage may be fastened upon the
combs by the old method, if this is desired.
Westfield, Mass. March G, 1991.
Introducing Queens with Hatching Brood —
Correspondents Don't all Agree with the
Editor — Continue the Leaders.
O. O. MILIiEK.
^0W you have gone and done it.
Covered the whole ground so thor-
oughly that, like Heddon, I can only
endorse what you've said, with a single ex-
ception. You say when a queen is intro-
duced into a hive with only hatching brood,
" in a week the hive may be given a stand in
the apiary, and the entrance opened," &c. I
have opened them in five days and on that
day I've seen them bring in pollen.
Now, a comment or two. A little better
plan, if you don't care for
a little trouble, is to put the
hive of hatching brood, just
mentioned, over a strong
colony, with a two - inch
hole in the bottom board
that separates them. A
piece of wire cloth covers
the upper side of the bot-
tom board, at least covers
the hole, and another piece
IS put on the under side. This allows the
hatching lirood to have the benefit of the
heat arising from the strong colony, and you
don't need to carry the hive into the house
at night.
When you smoke a ball of bees to release
a queen, don't hold the nozzle of the smoker
too near the bees. The heat, instead of
frightening the bees away, will make them
sting. Try it some time when a bee is on
your hand.
Now, I've said all that you left for me to
say about introducing, and here's the private
letter you want from each of your readers.
You can publish any part of it that you
think of general interest, if such part there
be.
I haven't (luite forgiven you for going on
and making a good paper without any con-
sultation with me, when I knew you would
be sure to suspend publication within 18
months. True, you asked me once whether
I would write for you if you started a bee
journal, and I didn't know whether you were
in fun or earnest, but, for fear you might be
in earnest, I didn't make any reply, for I
didn't want to say anything to encourage
you in any such foolishness. But you had
the audacity, not only to go ahead, but to
keep on at it after the regular time for giv-
ing it up as a failure.
Well, I've just leafed over the March num-
ber pretty carefully, and one of the things
specially noticeable is the very familiar way
in which you talk to your readers. I like
that. It makes a body feel so much at
home.
The only other thing that particularly at-
tracts my attention is Heddon's say and your
remarks thereon. I suspect that squib of
Heddon's is only his sly way of saying you
couldn't do anything better than to con-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
93"
tinue those advance leaders. If bee-keepers
were a set of uiiinies and could only repeat
parrot-like whatever some one else might
say, then the leader business would not do.
No one would dare to disagree with you, and
there would be no independent expression of
opinion. But your correspondents seem to
have opinions of their own which they do
not hesitate to express. If they differ from
you, they say so ; if they have additional
light, they give it.
Let's see, how would it be, supposing you
should cover the whole ground correctly.
Then some fifteen correspondents, one after
another, say " I agree." Isn't that better
than for the reader to have to wade through
fifteen different articles to get the same
ideas. In other words, isn't it better to have
the thing boiled down ? After all, when you
have gone over the whole ground never so
carefully, there still seems to be enough left
for the correspondents to say to fill up each
number. How would it be if each one, in
addition, should go over the whole ground
covered by the leader ? No, whatever you
do, don't give up writing a leader each time
which you try to make exhaustive.
Long life to the Review and the reviewer.
Mabengo, 111. March l(j, 1891.
Queens Injured by Hot Smoke — Getting Two
Queens in a Hive — The Peet Principle
Enlarged Upon.
J. A. gkeen.
|HE use of smoke to compel a ball of
bees to release the imprisoned queen
is not advisable. I have known queens
to become so stupefied by a heavy volume of
hot, damp smoke poured upon them at the
nozzle of the smoker, that they never re-
covered from it. Likewise I have seen
queens so scorched by a single hot blast
from a smoker full of live coals that they
died from the effects of it.
You say you believe there are times when
a colony with a laying queen will accept an-
other laying queen simply by having her
placed upon the combs. Last summer I
introduced a queen by caging into a colony
where I supposed a virgin queen had been
lost. Two days later she was released by my
assistant, who remarked several hours after-
ward that there were eggs in that hive. On
examination I found both queens going
tranquilly about their business of egg lay-
ing.
The principle of the Peet cage is a very
good one, but in practice it is a very poor
cage for introducing, and I think many
queens have been lost by relying on it. A
much better introducing cage is made by
taking a piece of wire cloth four or five
inches square, having the edges turned up
all around about seven squares from the
edge. Ravel out one wire all around the
edge. Put the cage on a square piece of tin
having two adjoining edges slightly turned
up. Out of the corner opposite the turned
up edges cut a piece about ^^ in. square.
Slide one corner of the cage out over this
opening and bees and queens are readily
put in. Usually it is best not to put any bees
with the queen, especially if they have come
from a distance. Select a place where there
are both hatching brood and honey, lay the
cage on it, remove the tin slide and press the
wire cloth slightly into the surface of the
comb. If this is carefully done the bees
will seldom dig under the cage too soon.
Last summer a queen that had been over-
looked remained thirty-one days in such a
cage before I found and released her. If
desired, the cage may be made large enough
to cover the whole side of a comb, thus put-
ting the queen in the most favorable condi-
tions. The plan of introducing by having
the bees eat out a plug of candy, I have used
mostly in introducing virgin queens. I have
had a number of failures, which is probably
no fault of the method. Doolittle's plan of
introducing has been much used by me in
introducing virgin queens, and I think I
have never had a failure with it.
Dayton, 111. March 27, 1891.
Protectors for Single-Wallea Hives.
A. G. HILL.
"^ TRAVELLED in Northern Indiana
5w/ about seven seasons, selling bee-keepers'
supplies, and during this time there oc-
curred two or three unusually heavy losses
of bees during the winter. Whenever I came
across colonies of bees successfully wintered
I availed myself of the privilege of making
the closest examinations in regard to how
such exceptions come about, as indeed some
springs the live colonies were so few that
they could be called by no other name. I
found the hives protected in all manner of
ways, and some colonies alive that had no
protection at all. I am not expected to give
a detailed account of all I saw, but rather
94
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
what my conclusions are after so long a
time for thought and investigation. I soon
found that cold cellars, houses above ground
of any kind where an even temperature of
40° to 45° could not be maintained throughout
the winter, were usually more destructive to
colonies of bees than when left on summer
stands without any protection except the
inch walls of the hive. I discerned that such
a colony in a common box hive, sealed up
tight on top and raised up % of an inch
from the bottom board by blocks under each
corner, would stand cold weather much
better than when set tight down on the bot-
tom board, and the reason for this I discov-
ered was that cold did not kill the bees, but
the melting of the frost, during the iirst
thaw, that had accumulated in the hive in
four or six weeks of zero weather, was what
chilled the brood and killed the bees. You al-
ways put the lid on if you want the cream to
freeze in an ice-cream freezer, and you
should be just as careful to raise up from the
bottom a hive that contains frost, that the
frost may melt without freezing the bees. I
protect colonies on summer stands to- pre-
vent frost forming on the inside walls of the
hive and between the combs. A little straw
or corn fodder set up around a hive, or a box
set over it, does not amount to anything at
all for this purpose during zero weather,
but rather has a tendency to kill the bees
quicker than if nothing of the kind had been
put around the hives, because if we have two
weeks of very cold weather followed by a
slight thaw the hives exposed to the sun get
rid of the frost within them, while that in
the slightly protected one remains, and the
following periods of cold weather keep add-
ing to it, until when the warm weather
comes there is so much frost that it chills
the brood aiid kills the bees while melting.
Damp air and damp frost at 31° to 33°
around a cluster of bees will reduce its tem-
perature faster than dry air and frost at 25°
below zero : because the former condition is
an excellent conductor of heat and the latter
is not.
To protect colonies of bees on summer
stands by means of boxes, chaflf quilts or
cushions sufficient to keep all frost out of
the hive, is too much work and expense to
be profitable or practicable, hence I give a
large opening at the bottom of the hive with
protection sufficient for fall and spring, and
depend on the snow banked around the hives
during December, January and February to
keep the frost out. New York, Wisconsin, .
Michigan and Canada are excellent States I
for wintering bees, because the snow comes *
in the fall and remains all winter. Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois are the very worst
localities because the snow cannot be de-
pended on, and more protection must be
used than farther north or south. An outer
case sealed air-tight on top, surrounded two
or three inches thick with dry clover chaff is
the least that can be used with any safety in
such a latitude. I find by a test of eleven
CQnsecutive years, which involved the care-
ful weighing of 597 colonies of bees, that
the average shrinkage on summer stands
when protected in this manner from Novem-
ber 1st to April 1st was 12 pounds and 14
ounces. During three years I put about half
of the bees in an excellent cellar and I found
the average shrinkage for the same time to
be about Ija pounds less, but the bees win-
tered out of doors were more thrifty and
seemed to have more brood. I do not think
the cellar has any advantage over out door
wintering when properly done.
Kendallville, Ind. March 1, 1891.
The Wax Experiment.
OHAS. DADANT.
fWAS glad to see, in the February num-
ber of the Review, that Mr. Hasty is a
better chemist than I had inferred from
his unfit comparison of evaporating molasses
with the production of wax ; yet I cannot
receive, without rejoinder, the lesson on
manners that he gives me, and which he
closes with the phrase: "Let us have one more
inch of reform about the shanty." It seems
to me that a professor of deportment ought
to give a good example first ; while Mr.
Hasty can copy the old parson of my village,
who used to say : " Do as I say, don't do as
I do."
If I was deficient in good manners in say-
ing that he was not a good chemist, what
am I to think of his manners when he writes
that we have supported a falsehood for our
self interest ? Besides, in his article of De-
cember 10, page 213, he writes : "The cur-
rent statement that it takes 20 lbs. of honey
to make one of wax is not, if I am right,
the result of an agreement of experiments.
It is the result of a mere substitution of the
ratio of twenty to one for a very much
higher ratio which the experiments gave.
. . . . By common consent the writer
came down to the twenty to one ratio, in,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
96
order to secure belief." Aud on page 214,
he accuses "the wise men who wrote the
American bee books, the serene philosophers
who wrote the British bee books, the pro-
found thinkers who wrote the German and
French bee books, .... of having
jumped to conclusions without reasonably
reliable experiments."
Let us open the books of thf se writers,
so much condemned by Mr. Hasty, in order
to see whether they agree as to 20 lbs. of
honey to produce one lb. of wax.
Huber, who was the lirst to experiment,
found from V.i to 17 ounces of sugar, accord-
ing to qualit;-, to produce one ounce of wax.
He says that honey produces less wax.
Donhoff and Berlepsch, in Germany,
found from 10 to 13 ounces of honey when
bees had pollen, and from 15 to 19 when they
were deprived of it.
Langstroth wrote from 13 to 20 oz, Quinby
says : " I am satisfied, from actual experi-
ence, that every time the bees are obliged to
renew their brood comb, they would make
from ten to twenty-five pounds of honey in
boxes."
Cowan says, thirteen to twenty.
Prof. Cook says that, according to his ex-
periments, bees consume 20 lbs.
Dumas and Milne Edwards, in France,
found 11) lbs. of sugar and 25 of honey ; but
as their experiments were made in winter
they are unreliable.
Collins, in France also, found two or three
lbs. of honey for one of wax, but I have
demonstrated, in the French bee-journals,
that his experiments were of no value.
In my Petit coiiHs d'apiculture, published
in France in 1874, I wrote that although it is
conceded that a pound of wax does not cost
the bees less than 10 lbs. of honey, it is about
certain that it does not cost very much more
than G lbs. The experiments of Messrs.
Viallon, Simmins and De Layens prove that
I was not far from the truth.
These so diversified quantities do not prove
any agreement between the writers to sub-
stitute the ratio of 20 lbs : they do not prove
any more than that these experiments gave
a higher ratio than 20 lbs., but they show
that Mr. Hasty had relied more on his
imagination than on the facts, when he ac-
cused, not of error, but of falsehood, the
experimenters, the writers, and the manu-
facturers of comb foundation,
I would have let all this matter rest, but
for some affirmations of Mr. Hasty, which I
desire to review. He writes : " A swarm
is pleased to have their new home without
brood, pleased to begin comb-building with
all their might in an empty domicile, and
would be disjjleased to have things other-
?«isf."
According to my experience, if you hive a
primary swarm on comb foundation, bees
are so much displeased that, within an hour,
you will find honey and eggs in some already
lengthened cells.
If the queen of the swarm is young and
not yet fecundated, the bees will follow her
when she flies out to mate, unless you
take the trouble of giving them a comb con-
taining unsealed brood. Is not that a proof
that they are far from being displeased
with the brood, as Mr. Hasty presupposes ?
No doubt, he saw some swarms leaving or
refusing to take possession of a hive in
which he had inserted a comb of brood, and
he came to the conclusion that a swarm dis-
liked to find comb in its domicile. I
have seen such occurrences, but I studied
the matter and discovered the cause of such
conduct. (See our Langstroth revised, page
216. ) When you take from a hive a comb of
brood, this comb always contains some cells
filled with honey, which, in time of scarcity,
attracts the robbers, and these, not the
brood, are unpleasant to bees. Hence the
precept that we give in our book, to give the
comb in the evening of the day when
the swarm was hived, not before.
Mr. Hasty is a very agreeable writer, but
I think that, his character being too much in
conformity with his name, he does not take
the time to study his subject, and is a little
too hasty in drawing his conclusions.
Hamilton, 111. March 5, 1891.
Queens may be Looked After if the Opera-
tor is Very Careful.
JACOB T. TIMPE.
tr FTER telling your readers so plainly
a ) how to introduce queens, and cover-
ing the ground so thoroughly, leaving
hardly any chance to "pick a crow," (by
your "but's" and "it's") you now wish us
to tell you what you have left out, or where
you were wrong. I shall differ with you
only in one part and it may be that the con-
dition of my colonies account for it but I think
I have introduced queens under all sorts of
conditions and have yet to find one cause of
complaint,
96
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
I cannot ayrco with you on the "letting
alone" plan, for as soon as I think (and I
can tell very nearly) that my queen is re-
leased I examine my colony to see how she is
accepted. The letting alone plan will do
where anyone has more money than time,
but I always have lots of time. Strange to
say, I have never yet introduced a valuable
queen except to my most vicious colony.
Many no doubt would not do it but the only
reason that 1 can imagine why I do so is to
supercede the pesky hybrids. I have yet to
find the first queen "balled." Probably if
you were to call upon me and see how my
hives are fixed and how I handle them you
would do as I do and put a "provided" in
your advice. For the inexperienced or be-
ginner your advice is best, but I say there is
no harm in looking after a newly iniroduced
queen in one hour after she is released pro-
vided you can be careful; yes, very careful.
Your frames should not snap and crack, nor
should you kill a bee. I know old bee men
that have never witnessed the laying of the
(lueen, yet it is nothing uncommon for me
to lift the frame that the (jueen is on, and
she keep right on with her laying all the
time. If you can bo tliat careful, do not
hesitate to look after a queen no matter if
she is not worth more than $1.00.
Probably one secret of my success is that,
as a rule, I never leave a colony (lueeuless
more than two hours and do not give them
a chance to construct cells. By this method
I have never lost a queen even when she
was "jaded" as you say. It is customary
for some writers to advise people to have
their colonies queenless for several days be-
fore they intend to introduce a queen; in my
opinion it is the worst possible advice that
can be given. The worst cases that I have
over had were where the bees luid once had a
virgin queen( but were broodless) and she
was lost. It seemed as if she would never be
accepted. Don't say that it was caused by
the hive being opened too soon, as 1 am
satisfied that was not the case, as I
found the queen on the bottom of the hive
in a ball, and she was there before the hive
was opened.
The condition of the colony is of more im-
portance than anything else, and the right
conditions are justfis apt to be i)resent when
no honey is coming in, if the hive is opened
carefully without a jar.
If a queen will l>e accepted it can be told
very easily by taking your cage containing
the queen and placing it on top of the frames
of the colony after having the old queen re-
moved for one hour. If the bees stick tight
to the cage, there is danger, and no pro-
vision should be made to release the queen
till the following day; but if only a few are
inclined to bite on the wires you can let the
bees begin liberating the queen, at anytime.
For the novice it might be best to feed, but
I never liave, and have never lost a queen on
that account.
The best all-purpose cage in my opinion is
the Peet, and the best method to use it is by
clinching it on the comb and letting the
bees release the queen by cutting away the
comb ; that is, if the comb is old. If placed
over honey, it has a tendency to sweeten
sour bees before they reach the queen ; but
it is not a success when the bees are inclined
to "show their temper " towards the queen;
nor is it safe at any time to place the cage
on new comb, as the queen might be released
too soon. In my estimation, the candy
plan is too rapid, unless there is a plug of an
inch in dei)th to be eaten out.
The best method of introducing a virgin
([ueen is to let her run in loose, after queen
cells are started. She should be taken as soon
possible after she emerges from the cell, al-
though I have had good success in letting
two-days-old virgins run into colonies tliat
had been qeenless only one hour ; still the
chances are against success in such cases.
(Henry Alley makes a sure thing of this
method of introducing old virgin (jueens by
first partly stupefying the bees with tobacco
smoke. Ed.)
Always try and see how well a colony
would like a queen, then, if you can be care-
ful, don't hesitate in looking at them when
you think she is released ; and never un-
queeu a colony before you have another
queen on hand to give it.
Gkand lAiiHiK, Mich. Mar. i;5, 1891,
Honey Just as Salable and no " Grumbling "
When Separators Are Not Used — Dealers
Must Learn How to Handle Bulged
Combs.
MJiS. li. C. AXTELL.
\K HAVE used separators, but not
very extensively, for the past six
years. We have less in use each
year, until we have now almost wholly dis-
carded them.
{
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW-
97
We began using them when we used the
2-lb. section that was two inches wide, and
found their use of great benefit. Then we
used a 4^4 x -li^ section that was 1% inches
wide and wider, and still we found it neces-
sary to use separators ; but after we began
to use the 4I4 x i}^, 7 to the foot, we found
but little use for them.
The greatest reason for leaving them off,
was they made so much more unnecessary
work. In all our shipping honey no com-
plaint was ever made to us of bulged combs.
We found that if the starters were put in
true in the center and the bottom ends of
the starters pointed to the center of the bot-
tom bars of the sections, we generally got
straight sections.
If any wereba dy bulged, they were sold at
home. The worst bulged went upon our
own table or were sold at the house, and
those slightly bulged went to ou^ hv^me
groceries ; and we have sold year after year
to the same commission man in Chicago,
who made no complaint of our honey, and
some of it had to be packed with care in the
same position in which it came out of the
hive, or two slight bulges would come to-
gether, causing breakage.
Too much stress is laid upon its becoming
"injured and unsightly before being soid,"
for if one buyer injures a comb by pulling
it out and scraping it, so that it breaks, he
will not be likely to do so again, and will
caution his clerks, or the clerks will be like-
ly to learn the lesson of carefulness in hand-
ling honey the same as the producer does.
At any rate, there has never been a year but
what we could have sold much more honey
than we had to sell, and some years more
than twice the amount, aud that buiit with-
out separators.
Uur home grocery men who buy of us from
year to year learn to handle it carefully, so
as not to scrap the bulged side (a section is
seldom bulged on both sides), and when
wrai)ped up in paper the bulged side can be
kept uppermost. For my own table I prefer
a bulged comb, as it looks so fat and gener-
ous. Combs built between separators look
so lean and thin, especially the small sec-
tions of an inch and a-half to an inch and
three-quarters wide.
It is a little more trouble to pack them for
shipment, but when we are packing them we
generally are not rushed, and as it takes less
time to scrape a section that has been built
without a separator, because we can wedge
them up tighter together, we .an on the
whole prepare them for shipment just about
as quickly.
The expense of separators is no small
item, and if we can do just as well without
them, produce honey that sells readily, Mr.
Axtell and I can see no reason why we
should use them.
In the use of tin separators we often cut
our hands in handling, both in the hives and
in scraping the wax oft' the tin, which was
one unpleasant feature of tin separators.
RosEViLLE, 111. Feb. 18, 1891.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
w. z. HUTCHiNsofi, Ed. & Pfop.
Terms : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 : three for $2.70 ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each, i£W° The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, APRIL 10, 1891.
Jacob t. timpe writes that his offer of
free queens and papers will be withdrawn
twenty days after the date of this issue of
the Review.
Articles, upon "The Introduction of
Queens," are yet on hand from W. J. Ellison,
.1. H. Larrabee and " Rambler." If anyone
else has an idea to offer upon the suject,
now is the accepetable time.
Mb. and Mrs. E. R. Root are rejoicing
over the adveint of an eight-pound boy.
Grandpa Root, yes, and I guess all the rest
of " Rootville," is rejoicing with them. Lee-
land Ives, is the baby's name.
That the new smoker put upon the mar-
ket by Bro. Hill of the Guide, is a good one,
I feel just as sure as I can be without having
put it to actual use month after month in
the apiary. I shall try it the coming season
A Bee-Keepees' Convention will be held
in Ionia, Mich., May (Ith. Special atten-
tion will be given to the exhibition of hives,
bees, fixtures, etc. The editor of the Review
expects to be present and read a paper on
"Increase, its Management and Control."
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
To PBEVENT bees from finding their way
back into the supers through a bee-escape,
is the great difficulty to be overcome in the
use of escapes, says Mr. Dibbern in Glean-
ings. He says it is practically impossible
for them to return through his latest escape.
The Porter spring escape is perfect in this
respect.
T. K. Massie, of Concord Church, W. Va.,
favors the Review with a copy of the Farm
and Fireside, containing a well written ar-
ticle which he contributed to that journal.
While there are a few points upon which I
should feel like taking issue with him, the
article as a whole shows that he is " well up"
in the bee business.
J. A. Geeen writes that no one will use
long thin cushions more than two or three
times in packing bees, as advised by Ernest
Root, before deciding that they are utterly
impractical. That is the way it seemed, to
me. He also says that bottoms to packing
cases add to the expense and increase the
labor of packing and unpacking.
A BILL for an act to protect bees from
poison through the spraying of fruit trees
while in bloom, is before both the Illinois and
Michigan Legislatures. It ought to become
a law. Even fruit growers, if well informed,
will vote for its passage ; as the spraying of
trees while in bloom fails to accomplish the
desired results. After the blossoms have
fallen is the proper time.
CLOTH INSTEAD OF TIN FOB OOVEBING HIVE
OOVEBS.
Some styles of bee hives are so large that
the covers must t)e made of more than one
piece. To prevent leakage, they have been
covered with tin. This is expensive, and
some bee-keepers have been trying heavy cot-
ton cloth instead of tin. The cover is first
painted, then the cloth laid on, and another
coat of paint put on over the cloth.
A NEW VAEIETY OE BEES — THE PUNIC.
In the C. B. J., "A Hallamshire Bee-
Keeper" describes a new variety of bees
— the Punic — Apis Niger. This variety is
from Africa, is very difficult to obtain, but.
according to this " Hallamshire Bee-Keep-
er," who has tried it, no other bee is its equal.
He is going into the business of importing
them, but the price will be high at first — $40
for an imported queen.
OPEN END FEAMES.
When at the Ohio State convention, Ernest
Root said there was no difficulty in finding
a name for closed end frames, they were
closed end frames, but he was at a loss for a
name for frames that were not of the closed
end style. It would not answer to call them
hanging frames, as some of the closed end
frames are also hanging frames. Why not
call them open end frames ?
BEES, NOT HONEY, WANTED IN THE SPBING.
In the Am. Bee-Keeper, Mr. Doolittle
says it is bees, instead of honey, that we
need in the hives in the fore part of the sea-
son. Too many stores in May and June
will just as surely spoil a colony for section
honey, as it will to keep the bees so short of
stores that they keep their brood in check all
the spring. There is no such thing as having
the combs full of honey during the fore part
of the season, and then having the sections
filled with clover honey.
THE MISSOUBI BEE-KEEPEE.
Those Western fellows seem to have a
disposition to name their bee-journals after
the State in which they live. The Missouri
Bee-Keeper is the last example. "Vol. I.
No. I." lies before me. It is published at
Unionville. The price is .50 cents a year,
and E. F. Quigley is editor. With the ex-
ception that the type is rather coarse, it ie
well gotten up, and shows the " ear marks "
of considerable editorial work. The Review
welcomes it to its exchange list, and wishes
it success.
STONES ON BEE HIVES.
(F. A. Green lays stones on the covers of
his winter cases, to prevent the wind from
blowing them away. He says, in Gleanings,
that he considers a stone a necsesary part of
a hive's furniture, summer and winter.
Ernest Root quotes the editor of the Review
as dispensing with stones. He (the editor of
the Review) does not use them for holding
shade boards in place, preferring to replace
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
99
the shade boards when they are occasionally
blown off, but it will not answer to leave a
packing box cover without some kind of a
fastening, because the consequences would
be far more serious if the covers should be
blown off in a storm, than would be the aase
if simply shade l>oards were blown off. In
the spring and fall I sometimes use a stone
on a hive, if the cover has recently been
loosened, but in warm weather no stone is
needed, as the propolis holds on the cover.
If a fastening i.s needed, nothing is so cheap,
simple and convenient as a weight of some
kind — a brick or stone.
THE HUBBARD SECTION PBESS.
One by one the little helps, comforts and
conveniences come along. Among the late
arrivals in this line, is the Hubbard, Section
Press for putting together one-piece sections.
As usually put together, the notched corners
must be forced partly into place by the
hands, then a mallet must l»e picked up and
the corner driven firmly t ogteher. With the
Hubbard Press it is only necessary to bring
the notched ends together, give the section a
push outward from the person, taking care
that the section strikes the press in the
proper place to receive the pressure, and the
work is completed instantly. The engraving
explains the matter so fully that little more
need be said, except that the machine is
nicely made, costs only $2.50, and can be ob-
tained of G. K. Hubbard, Ft. Wayne, Ind.
PKINTEES' INK.
Business can't be done without advertising.
The better the advertising, the better the
business. To advertise costs money. How
to secure the best returns for the money ex-
pended is the problem. Those interested in
its solution should read Printers^ Ink, a
weekly journal for advertisers, at |2.00 a
year, published by Geo. P. Rowell &Co., No.
10 Spruce St., New York. It is bright,
breezy, wide awake and practical. It over-
flows with advertising ideas. Its publishers
have managed an advertiseing bureau more
than twenty-five years. Its correspondents
are experienced advertisers. Its brief, con-
cise editorials contain information that may
be put to some use. Even its advertising
pages are helpful. They are unique object
lessons from which the shrewd advertiser
may gather many a hint. The man who
spends only $10 a year in advertising will be
the gainer by first investing two of those
dollars in Printers' Ink, and many a pub-
lisher would find it to his advantage to fur-
nish each of his advertisers with this same
stimulus to intellectuality in advertising.
MAKE ADVERTISEMENTS SO COMPLETE THAT
GOODS MAY BE ORDERED DIRECT FROM
THEM.
Whenever possible, it is better to have an
advertisement so complete that goods may
be ordered direct from the advertisement,
without the delay, expense and annoyance
of first sending for a circular. A dealer in
a great variety of goods cannot attempt to
give in an advertisement, a complete descrip-
tion and the price of each article he has for
sale. The only place in which these can be
given is in a catalogue or price list. But
wheii a man has only one class of goods for
sale, as smokers, or queens, or sections, for
instance, it is better to give a brief and con-
cise description, together with the prices.
Other things being equal, such an advertise-
100
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ment will bring more custom than one that
omits the prices and simply says, "send for
circular." It is well enough to have a circu-
lar in which descriptions are given more in
detail, and the queries of would-be-customers
are anticipated.
Don't think friends, that I am giving this
advice to induce you to make your advertise-
ment larger, in order that I may be able to
send you larger bills. Many a time have I
figured to cut down the size of an advertise-
ment and yet leave it just as effective. It
pays to do this, even from a selfish motive.
No business relations are long sustained un-
less there are profits at both ends, unless
each party finds it to his advantage. That
my advertisers make a profit upon their ad-
vertising is fully as much to my interest as
to theirs, hence it would be folly to give any
advice the following of which I did not be-
lieve would be of mutual advantage.
MAKING A SWAKM OLUSTEH AND STAY UPON A
STAKE IN FBONT OF ITS HIVE.
Every bee-keeper knows of the disposition
of bees to crawl uj)wards. To induce a
queen to leave a cage, turn the opening up.
Those who have watched the motions of a
clipped queen in front of the hive from which
a swarm has just issued, have probably notic-
ed her disposition to crawl up a spear of grass
or anything of this nature that she can find.
At the recent meeting of t'le Huron, Tuscola
and Sanilac Co. bee-keepers', a Mr. West told
how it was possible to take advantage of this
climbing disposition on the part of the queen,
to induce a swarm with a clipped queen to
cluster and remain upon a stake in front of
the hive from which it had issued.
This discovery was the result of an accident,
or rather of a lucky " happen so." In front
of one of his hives a mullein had been allowed
to form a stalk. Coming home one day he
found a swarm from this hive clustered upon
the mullein stalk. He at once reasoned that
the queen, as she alighted in front of the
hive, found and climbed the mullein stalk,
and the swarm, upon its return, found and
clustered about her. Taking a hint from this
he cleared away all rubbish from in front
of all the hives, and a few inches in front of
each hive he thrust into the ground a branch
of an apple tree. He used branches perhaps
an inch in diameter and two feet long with a
few short twigs at the top. The twigs were
cut off to a length of four or six inches. The
branch was not planted in an upright posi-
tion, but leaning away from the mouth of
the hive. Then it was not in the way of the
workers as they passed out and in the hive,
while a swarm clustered at the top would
be held so far from the entrance of the
hive that there would be no danger of its
being enticed back into the hive.
This plan proved a perfect success. He
had practiced it for three years, and one year
had as many as sixty swarms, and it had
never failed. It seemed to me that the
queen might not always find the tree to
climb, but would crawl off in some other di-
rection, but he said not ; that the stake was
planted just about where she would naturally
strike the ground when leaving the hive, and
she invariably found and climbed the pole,
and that the bees clustered about her and
remained. As the queeen could not take
wing and the bees would not desert her, it
naturally followed that they would remain
until removed by the bee-keeper.
If this plan only proves as successful as
represented, it will be a great thing for the
bee-keeper with a small apiary who cannot
always be present with his bees in the mid-
dle of the day.
THE "public pulse."
To give each reader of the Review an op-
portunity of seeing how the other readers re-
gard the Review and its management, I
give the following scraps selected from the
letters of those who have so kindly replied
to the request in the last Review. Some are
from those who are regarded as leaders in
apiculture, others from the rank and file.
As I ijromised to regard these communica-
tions as confidential, no names are given. I
only wish that more would write.
"I feel inclined to advise you to take no-
body's advice. Don't allow yourself to be
advised clear out of yourself. — Go right on
and do as you have been doing. — Don't give
up your leaders. Your last one was as nearly
exhaustive as possible, yet you will have
plenty of good articles. See if you don't. —
I should not like to see you give up those
lengthy leaders. They bring to one's mind
many things that would otherwise be over-
looked.— Can't say which number suits me
best. They are all best. Why not give a
special number on the production of extract-
ed honey in the South V Our seasons, re-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
101
sources and management are quite different,
than those at the North? — [Tell u how the
mauayemeut differs. Ed.] Your leaders are
all right. — I would like to have some infor-
mation from extracted honey men about
tanks for evaporating and storing honey be-
fore barreling it. — [See June Review for
1888. Ed.] Keep tobacco, whisky, religion
or anything not pretainiiig to bees, out of
the Review. — By all means continue your
method of reviewing in advance, as at pre-
sent. It is just the right key. A great many
of our most practical apiarists are not skill-
ed as writers, and your elaborate leader acts
as an outline by which may be drawn out the
most practical ideas. If you state all there
is to he said upon a given subject, it is very
easy for your correspondents to say: 'them's
my sentiments.' This gives the same in-
formation in a smaller space. — The subject
of fastening foundation (full sheets and
starters) in brood frames has been, and is
still, a perplexing and unsolved problem
with me. I have yet to find a method by
which it can be rapidly fastened in the
frames, and fastened so firmly that it will
not fall down, especially when hired help do
the work.— [If any of the readers of the Re-
view can help this brother, let them allow
their advice to appear in the Review. Ed.]
If I were a writer, like Mr. Heddon, I should
hate to have you go over the ground so thor-
oughly in advance; but, as I have but little
time for reading, it will suit me if you
'lead,' 'sum up' and 'boil down', as then
a busy man can get at the mentof the mat-
ter in less than no time. — Keep the Review
as it is as nearly as possible, unless you c n
enlarge the editorial departments For those
who are keeping bees as a business, you
come very near to publishing an ideal jour-
nal.— Keep up the "special number" idea,
and treat in advance, editorially, even if it
does make it hard work for some to add to
what you say. — Your list of contributors is a
good one. Add to it from time to time. — If
possible keep out of the supply business.
The absence of the supply trade certainly
gives greater weight and force to what you
say. — As most of the wide awake bee-keepers
take nearly all the journals, the 'Extract-
ed' department should be kept within limits.
You don't know how much I prize the Re-
view, nor what a real help it is to me. — You
can count me as in favor of the leaders. —
Double your subscription price, if necessary,
rather than deal in supplies — I would like a
lot of extracted items boiled down, so as to
give the current monthly news. This with
the special topic would make the Review
about perfect. — I would suggest that you dis-
cuss the inferiority and superiority of close
end frames in a case a la Heddon, or the
Quinby style, compared with open end
frames — I am in love with the Review. The
topical plan is 'boss.' So very convenient
for reference; when you find the numbers
wanted, it is all there and summed up too. —
I read every editorial. Don't care for more
correspondence unless it be the ''creain" —
Am glad you put up the price of the Review,
for the Review has gone up with it. — The
Review doesn't come often enough, but no
doubt greater frequency would destroy some
of its best features. — I am interested in fixed
distances with less manipulation of frames
and more of hives. — The number devoted to
'the removal of the queen during the honey
flow' was extra good. It gave me the key
to a grand success. I used it last season
and 'astonished the natives.' In the spring
give protection every time. Get all the bees
possible in each hive in time for the honey
flow, then take away the queens and work
the bees to death. Let each colony re-queen
itself. — Leave out the 'Extracted,' (We get
all that in the other journals) and give us
more editorials. ^Don't give us any less edi-
torials, they are the main thing. — I do not
suppose there is a reader of the Review that
would be willing to have the editorials on
special topics omitted. But sometimes, as
one vainly tries to think of some point that
has not been gone over in those exhaustive
leaders, he wonders how it would do to re-
verse the present order and after allowing
the correspondents to have their say, to let
the editor review the whole. You see, that
in that way you would get rid of two classes
of grumblers — those who believe as Heddon
does, that you have already shaken all the
plums off of that particular tree and those
who complain that the Review is not true to
its name. — I try to get my neighbors here
(Tex.) to take the bee journals but they say
tliere is nothing in them but how to make
cellars, winter bees, 'spring,' them, etc.
etc., and they don't want to read them. The
moth make sad havoc with our empty combs,
and even with our Ijeeswax and foundation
and we should be glad to know how to pro-
tect them. We should also be glad to know
how we can induce the commission men in
New Y'ork, Chicago and other cities to stop
102
THE BEE-KEEPERS ' REVIEW.
calling our honey "Southern strained" when
it is extracted and put up just as other folks
doit — I don't see how the Eeview can be
improved, as it is the best paper on the sub-
ject that I read. — My preference is, iirst,
editorials; second, correspondence; third,
extracts. The first number of the Review
was good, and every change has been an
improvement. — When using a shallow frame,
isn't there trouble from pollen being carried
into the sections? Would not that be a good
topic for discussion? — By all means let us
have the leaders. It might make it a little
easier for some of your correspondents if
the leaders were left out, but I hardly think
any of your readers would wish them ex-
cluded."
Friends, I know this little "by talk" is in-
teresting, but it must be cut off for this
month, at least. That leaders are needed
there is no question. In my leader of last
month, I omitted to mention the plan of
covering a large surface of comb with a wire
cloth cage, the same as with the Peet cage,
only on a larger scale. More than half of
the articles sent in, mention this plan, and
go into details. There is no use in publish-
ing several such descriptions. No corres-
pondent can know what the others will say,
but no one will describe in detail what has
already appeared in the leader. The leaders
will be continued, covering the ground as
clearly and concisely as possible and also as
exhaustively as space will admit. Then I
wish the readers of the Review to review the
leaders. If there are mistakes, errors, omis-
sions or fallacious ideas, point them out.
In return I will review the work of my re-
viewers, giving a general suniming up. In
this way we shall get at nearly all of the
facts in the case.
I am grateful to those who have written so
kindly, and I wish more would do so. The
advise of one correspondent, "that I don't
allow myself to be advised clear out of my-
self," is timely; but there is no danger of
that. A man might be capable of making
a journal that would suit a large class of
people, yet fail from a lack of knowledge of
what this class of people desired. It is an
advantage to ;in editor to be in touch with
his readers, to know when he is {)leasing
them and icliy.
Another thing. I wish each reader would
write to the Review the moment he finds
something with which he does not agree;
write when he is remii'ded that he knows
better, than the one who is writing, how this
thing should be done; write when he wishes
information upon any point, be it ever so
small; write when information is asked for
that he can give. Oftentimes, all that is
necessary can be written upon a postal.
Readers, the Review is as much yours as it is
mine, and if you will only allow me to be one
among you, to become so near to you that I
can feel your needs, the Review will be the
more helpful for such acquaintanceship.
THE ADULTEBATION OF HONEY.
The suggestion of a "trade mark" has
again brought this topic uppermost. Before
touching upon the trade mark, let us try and
get at some of the basic principle ; under-
lying the whole question.
Why is honey adulterated ? Simply because
there is a profit in the transaction. If honey
is ever raised at so little expense that it can
be sold as low as glucose or as sugar may yet
be ?old, adulteration of honey will at once
cease. I believe this point has been reached
in California. I once thought that we were
paying too much attention to methods of
management for cheapening the production
of honey, as compared with our attempts at
improving our methods of marketing and
the maintaining of high prices. Probably
it would be a difficult matter to convince
some of us that we were ever getting too
much for our honey. But the point I wish
to make is this : Large crops of honey sold
at low prices are more desirable than small
crops that cannot be sold at prices that are
higher in proportion to the diminished
quantity of honey. In other words, honey is
a luxury, and the price loill »of advance in
proportion to its scarcity. Supply and de-
mand affect the iirice of honey in the same
manner that they do other commodities,
with this exception : after the price has gone
up until it has reached a certain stage, it can
be forced no higher, let the quantity be
never so small. People simply do without
it. Not so with flour, butter, potatoes, coal,
or any staple commodity that people must
have. Hence it will be seen that large crops
of honey, cheaply raised, are more to be de-
sired than small crops raised at a greater
expense. Although it is not the usual prac-
tice of essayists to state their conclusions at
the beginning of their essays, I am going to
say right here that I have more faith in
cheap honey to prevent adulteration than I
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
103
have iu anythiut,' else that can be employed.
I presume many of my readers are uow all
ready to spriny to their feet aud shout,
' Mr. Chairman." Yes, I know very well
that we can't raise either cheap or hiyh-
piiced honey, if none is to be gathered, but
many and many is the year and locality iu
which fair crops are secured, and in
thousands of apiaries twice as much honey
mifjrht have been secured if enough bees had
been kept, and enough might have been
kept if it had not been for the labor of car-
ing for them. There is no other factor in
the production of honey that can begin to
compare, in expense, with that of labor.
I think few realize this. If our appliances
and methods were so improved that one man
could manage several apiaries of 150 colo-
nies each, and our knowledge of wintering
was so perfect that losses were the exception,
what chance would glucose stand against
honey ? I may be a visionary enthusiast,
but I firmly believe that cheap honey will be
the only thing that will effectually put a
quietus on its adulteration ; and all of our
talk, and resolutions, yes, and conviction of
adulterators, if any have been convicted, are
so much mis-directed energy. The injury
that bee-keepers have suffered from the
actual adulteration of honey, is but a drop
in the bucket compared with that resulting
from this everlasting clack about it. If
adulteration could be stopped it would be
an advantage to bee-keeping, but the ad-
vantage would be very slight compared to
what would result if, by seme hocus pocus,
the public could be made io forget all it ever
read or heard about adulteration.
Why are bee keepers opposed to the adul-
teration of honey? It isn't because they
dislike to have the public cheated. It
doesn't seem to arouse their opposition to
any great extent, because other articles are
adulterated. It isn't because they are so
solicitous for the dear public. It is almost
wholly upon selfish grounds, if not wholly
so, that bee keepers are opposed to the adul-
teration of honey. In what way does it in-
jure the business of bee keeping? In the
first place it increases the amount of honey
(?) on the market. This has a tendency to
lower the prices. Next, these adulterated
goods can be, and sometimes are. sold for
le=!s than "straight" goods. In short, the
principal objections, almost only, objections
to adulterating is that it has a tendency to
lower the prices. "What about its effect up-
on the consumer?" says someone. "Will not
this 'vile stuff' disgust the consumer and
cause him to discontinue the use of honey?"
In some instances I think it might. But,
let's be honest, friends, even in this matter
of adulteration. For one, I will say that I
have several times tasted of samples of
adulterated honey, or of honey supposed to
be adulterated, (I am well satisfied that some
of it was adulterated) and I have yet to find
any that tastes as bad as some gathered by
the bees from natural sources. (That from
boneset for instance.) I would much rather
have any adulterated honey I ever tasted
than to have that from buckwheat honey. If I
were an unsophistocated purchaser of a
bottle of buckwheat or boneset honey, it
would be quite a shock to my belief in the
deliciousness of honey. Glucose mixed with
buckwheat honey would actually improve it
for me, and it would for many others. No,
I am not pleading for adulteration. You
ought to know me well enough for that. I
am simply trying to clear away some of the
rubbish, so that this matter may be viewed
in its true light. Bee-keepers are opposed
to adulteration, because it has a tendency to
lower the price of honey, that is the reason,
but the stir that has been made about it, a
stir that has reached the ear of the public,
has caused a prejudice or fear in the mmd
of the public, which has lessened consump-
tion to a more injurious extent than actual
adulteration has lowered prices.
Shall we oppose adulteration? Yes, if a
man finds that adulterated goods are in
opposition to his own, let him go quietly to
work and bring such forces to bear as will
rid him of this competition. In this State
we have sufficient laws upon the subject. It
may be difficult to secure conviction. To
prove that a sample of honey is adulterated,
is exceedingly difficult. If this can't be
done, what good comes of making an outcry?
None, it simply says to the public: "Be-
ware, there are adulterated goods on the
market."
It may seem strange advice, but I hon-
estly believe that the wisest conrse is to keep
perfectly still about the matter of adultera-
tion. But very little honey is now adultera-
ted. Two factors have combined to bring
about this state of affairs. Producers are
putting their goods upon the market in
smaller packages— suitable for the retail
trade. Honey does not pass through the
hands of packers to the extent that it did.
104
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
The difficulty of securing glucose in small
quantities out in the country, and the dan-
ger of detection where " everybody knows
everybody's business," leaves but little in-
ducement for producers to " mix," when the
price of honey is so little above that of glu-
cose. It is just as I have already said, cheap
honey is the most efficient weapon with
which to light adulteration.
If this project of a "trademark" were
put into execution, it would not 'prevent
adulteration, it would simply advertise it.
Very poor honey, pure at that, would be
sold under its cover, and the reputation of
this vaunted "trade mark" would soon be
"N. G." If a bee-keeper did not use the
"trademark" then /i/s goods might be li-
able to suspicion. The whole thing would
soon be in a muddle.
Under the circumstances, the best thing
we can do is to just keep quiet, and bend all
our energies to raising honey so cheaply
that no one can afford to adulterate it. If
any of my readers differ from me, I shall be
glad to hear from them, and will make this
subject the special topic for May.
EXTRKCXEO.
Garniolans Are Prolific, Great Swarmers,
but Good Workers.
Dr. S. W. Morrison writes (Ueanings : —
"I am not now and do not expect again to
be in the queen-rearing business. Having
also sold my entire apiary of Garniolans at
Oxford, Pa., I can now give my opinion of
Garniolans as a disinterested person: the only
fault that has been urged against them with
any show of reason at all is, that they swarm
too much. Well, the same has been charged
to every other race with just as good reason,
as I well know from experience. I am very
sure it is a more prolific race, and they are
better honey gatherers. Give a colony
twenty, or, better, thirty brood combs in a
Simplicity hive about the middle of April,
and on the first of July extract all, and com-
pare with any other race as to honey gather-
ed ; and if the start was fair, the product of
the Garniolans will be ahead."
Sheds for Shade.
Wm. G, Hewes, of Galifornia, advises per-
manent sheds for shade for bees and bee-
keepers. He writes to Gleaniwjs as follows:
" One 5 feet high in the front, 4 feet at the
rear (which should be to the south), 3 feet
wide, and ir> feet long, can be built for
$5.50, reckoning lumber at 8 cents a foot
and shakes at ,|;14 per thousand, allowing ^
cents for the nails, and charging nothing for
putting it up, the roof to be one layer of
shakes. This makes enough shade, but
does not shed rain. By moving the hives to
the southern side of the shed in the spring,
they will get the desired sunshine. In sum-
mer, place them to the north side, and they
will be in the shade all day. Under sheds,
however, in order to economize, we are apt
to put our hives nearer together than is
good."
Ventilation Not Needed in Bee Cellars.
In telling the readers of Gleanings how
he built and managed his bee cellar, Mr.
Doolittle says :
" When I built my cellar, I constructed a
sub-earth ventilator 160 feet in length, in
connection with a direct upward ventilator
of the same size. Either of these could be
controlled at will, and every change of
weather found me changing these ventila-
tors. After a little I began to leave the
upper one closed all the while for a month,
while the sub-earth ventilator was often
closed for days together. Not seeing that it
made any difference with the bees, I now
left them closed all the while ; and as this
gave me a more even temperature in the cel-
lar, neither ventilator was opened at all dur-
ing the winter of 1889 ; so this fall, when I
came to re-roof my cellar with flagging, I
left out the upper ventilator entirely, allow-
ing the sub-earth ventilator to remain, but
it has been closed all winter so far. In this
way I have no trouble with the temperature,
as it will vary only from 41' to 4o° during
the whole winter, or only two degrees."
Whose Experience is Most Valuable T
The editorial department of Gleanings
has improved wonderfully of late. It is no
uncommon thing now to be able to cut out
wisdom in solid chunks like the following : —
" We do not despise the small bee-keeper —
oh, no! He often gives us some of the best
ideas and short cuts ; but when a large bee-
keeper, who owns over r)00, GOO, or, if you
please, over 1,000 colonies, is enthusiastic
over a certain device, and he knows from
long, practical experience of its successful
working, we feel as if his statement could
not be lightly esteemed. Editors have been
accused of overlooking the little bee-keep-
ers, and seeking articles from the big bee-
guns. There is some truth in it, but they
naturally go where they can get the best in-
formation— that which rings with experi-
rience, and is redolent of the aroma of honey
and the wax, and the much-despised pro-
polis. If a man with his thousand colonies
finds a thing to be a success that is a money
maker, it will probably work pretty well,
even with as small a number as ten colonies ;
but, mind you, you cannot reverse this.
What gives good satisfaction with ten or
even a hunilred colonies may not necessarily
do for several hundred stocks."
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
105
Glue for Labeling Tin.
Oliver Foster sends (llrcmings a recipe for
inakiug a glue that will hold a label on tin.
He obtained the recipe of D. E. Brubaker.
Here it is : —
" Stir two ounces of pulverized borax into
one (luart of boiling water. When dissolved,
add four ounces of yum shellac. Stir while
it boils, until all is dissolved. Apply with a
brush in the usual way.
I prefer using a little less water, especially
if the labels are small and stiff ; then if it
becomes too thick to apply readily, warm it
a little or add a little hot water. After ap-
plying the label I press a damp cloth over it
to press out and wipe off any surplus glue
that may come to the edge."
How Water May Get Into the Dovetailed
Corner.
In Gleanings for March 1"), I tind the fol-
lowing editorial :
"Said our painter, who had just finished
up a lot of Dovetailed hives, ' Those joints
will never gap to the weather, like halving
and mitering, and hence they will outlast
any other joint ever brought out. Keep the
weather out of a joint, and it will never rot.'
There is a good deal of pith and point in
this.'"
This reminds me of a conversatioi' I had
a few days ago with a bee-keeper of this
city, Mr. M. S. West. In his opinion, the
dovetailed joint was a very poor one to
"keep out the weather.'' Lumber does not
always shrink and swell alike. This brings
in openings, and the worst of it is that these
openings are horizontal, and the water, as it
runs down the side of the hive, soaks into
the openings and stays there. It does not
run down and out as in the case of a
straight, uj:) and doivn joint. I have often
noticed, in sidewalks, bridges, and the like,
that are alternately wet and dry, that decay
creeps in the soonest at those points where
two pieces of timber cross each other in con-
tact. If two pieces of wood are in contact
in such a manner that the grain of each is
parallel with the other, decay is much
slower in coming. I suppose the dampness
is retained longer where the grain crosses.
For the reasons given, it seems to me that
the dovetailed joint would be a difficult one
from which to keep the weather or damp-
ness, and one in which the dampness would
be long retained. Mr. West suggests that
the dovetailed corners be painted before
they are driven together, and I think the
suggestion a good one.
Having Apiaries Readily Movable.
How we do advance I Years ago a great
step was taken by the invention of movable
combs. During the last few years some of
us have been trying to manage our apiaries
by manipulating hives instead of combs —
using "readily movable " hives, as Mr. Hed-
don calls them. At last we are beginning to
talk about movable apiaries ! In a recent
issue of Gleanings there was an editorial
from which I clip the following :
" Experience has shown, in many in-
stances, that a yard that has in years gone
bj^ furnished tons of honey is now practi-
cally worthless, or so nearly so that the
moving of the bees to some location more
favorable is a necessity. For instance, four
or five years ago an apiary furnished an
abundance of basswood honey : but the
basswoods have all been cut off : there is no
clover, and the field is worthless. Again, a
locality has once furnished immense quanti-
ties of white clover ; but extensive agricul-
ture has set in, and clover pasturage has
given way to immense wheat-fields. The
inroads of civilization sometimes damage
the honey-bearing resources of a locality ;
and, conversely, sometimes makes them
more valuable. There are a few locations
in York State that formerly gave but very
little honey ; but the farmers, in recent
years, have introduced buckwheat to such
an extent that these are now splendid buck-
wheat countries ; and the yield of this dark
rich honey plays a considerable part in the
net profits of the season. In a word, we
want our apiaries so we can load them up at
a moment's notice, and move them at prac-
tically little expense to any new field that
may be more inviting. We can- not always
tell at first whether it will be a favorable
location or not. If it does not come up to
our expectations, we can ' pull up stakes '
and try elsewhere again. If j^ou can locate
near swamp land you are fortunate."
Prevention of Swarming.
Geo. F. Robbins, 'in Gleanings, calls at-
tention to a discussion of this subject that
took place in Gleanings for 1889. The gist
of that discussion is well given by Mr. Rob-
bins in the following paragraph : —
"The swarming impulse is the general
restlessness of prosperity and enterprise,
and the consciousness of powers within,
which are not being fully occupied. The
thing that most induces swarming is a turgid
condition of the vessels in the bee-anatomy
in wliich are stored the supplies for future
brood-rearintr. This turgid condition is due
to the fact that there is an undue proportion
of house-bees to brood requiring feed, caus-
ed by the bees storing honey in the brood-
nest. Meanwhile, this state of things causes
a check of egg-production, which in turn
causes the blood of the queen to assume a
106
THK BEE-KEEPERS' HE VIEW.
peculiarly enriched character — intensity, I
should say. These are some of the condi-
tions that impel bees to swarm out — a sort
of hydraulic pressure."
Mr. Robbius then takes the ground that
large hives alone will not prevent swarming,
but it is the giving of empty comb that ac-
complishes this object. He says : —
" Now, don't you see where the value of
empty combs comes in ? Why, there is a
vast system of storehouses above, already
built, ready to garner the inflowing riches.
And what can make a field-bee happier than
a copious flow of nectar and plenty of room
to receive it ? It is not tlie disposition of
bees to hamper the queen. That bees, when
given combs above at a time when they are
crowding the brood-nest with honey, will re-
move it and store it above, even much of
that which they have already sealed, I have
ample proofs. Hence the queen is allowed
her full capacity ; and to feed the larvae,
carry the honey above, ripen and seal it,
seems to give the house bees sufficient em-
ployment. Thus the swarming fever is al-
layed, or prevented altogether. Does it not
all look reasonable, probable, all but cer-
tain ? This system, over a small brood-
chamber, might not prevail to prevent
swarming ; but I am very certain that a
large hive, and working for comb honey,
would not do it."
A "Wooden Wax Boiler With a Tin Bottom.
Here is a description of an inexpensive
wax boiler, that will not discolor wax. The
description is from Gleaninrjs :
" After reading E. France's experience in
melting beeswax I feel inclined to give your
readers an account of a much cheaper boiler
that answers the purpose very well. I have
been using for some years, for a wax-render-
ing boiler, a wooden box about two feet
square and one foot deep, with a tin bottom.
The box was made several years ago, as part
of an outfit for making foundation on plas-
ter-of-Paris casts. It is made of pine lum-
ber ; and in order to get the corners water-
tight, the end pieces are let into gains or
grooves, across near the ends of the side
pieces, and well nailed.' The tin bottom
should be about an inch larger all around
than the outside of the box. To put the bot-
tom on so that it will not leak, paint the
bottom edge of the box heavily with thick
white lead and oil, before nailing on the tin.
Then turn up the projecting margin of tin
and tack it securely to the wood, having pre-
viously used a liberal supply of white lead
in this joint also.
The box, or boiler, is used on an old cook
stove in the shop. The combs and cappings
are put into a sack of strainer cloth. And I
may remark here, that a large bulk of combs
can be put into a moderate-sized sack when
the lower part of the later is immersed in
boiling water. After the comb is all in and
much of it melted, the sack should be tied
up, and a slatted honey-board placed over it.
This can be kept down under water, and a
strong pressure brought to bear on the sack
of comb by the use of a small pole or prop
cut just long enough so that, when one end
is pressed down firmly on the honey-board,
the other end will rest against the ceiling
above. At this stage of the proceedings, if
the water is boiling, I remove the fire from
the stove, as a precaution against the wax
boiling over, and leave it to cool. The wax
can be re-melted in more clean water — the
more water the better — and allowed to cool
slowly, if a very light color is desired.
Farina, III., Jan. 6. T. P, Andrews.
[We used to employ the same method of
melting wax in a common second-rate wash-
boiler. A boiler could be made in the way
you describe, and such a receptacle would be
a capital thing in which to scald foul-broody
hives. A boiler made entirely of tin, and
large enough for the purpose, would be
rather too expensive.] "
Queeu-Excluders and Bee-Escapes.
In a paper written by J. H. Martin, and
read at the Vermont convention, I extract
the following : —
" When I wish the storing of honey to
commence, I remove the upper cases, put on
the queen-excluders and the extracting
supers, and get solid combs of honey. From
actual experience I know that the bees will
store at least one-quarter more honey than
where the queen has free access to all the
cases.
If I have reduced the queen to only one
case, I enlarge the brood chamber by insert-
ing another case below the queen-excluder
at any time, preferably, toward the close of
the harvest of white honey. The queen-
excluder is kept below my extracting supers
until I wish to remove them. I then remove
the queen-excluding board, and insert a
board with a bee- escape, and the next morn-
ing walk out with my wheelbarrow and
wheel in the full cases, with scarcely a bee
in them ; and here I wish to say that the
best escape I have thus far found is the in-
vention of E. C. Porter, of Lewistown, Ills.
The Heddon hive, the queen-excluder, and
the bee-escape, enable me to conduct an
out-apiary with much less labor than with
old methods."
Dr. Mason says that he has secured more
extracted honey when using queen-excluders.
I think the explanation is that the queen-
excluder curtails the amount of brood-rear-
ing during the harvest, and the amount of
surplus is thereby increased.
Does Foundation Ever Contain Live Spores
of Foul Brood ?
From the reading of a well-prepared arti-
cle, written by S. Cornell and published in
the C. B. J., one would be led to fear that
there might he danger of introducing foul
brood into the apiary from the use of
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
107
foundation made of wax rendered from foul
broody combs. The article sliows much
thou xcept about %
inch of the candy : this is left for introduc-
ing purposes, and, by the w-ay, this idea, I
think, belongs to onr friend Mr. Alley. A
thin piece of wood, haviiiLT a ^e hole opening
into the hole near st the tin slide, is fasten-
ed will) wire nails over the wire cloth cover-
ing the cage. Tlius prepared, it is ready for
the mails, without any wrapping, tying or
other prejiaration.
A case on this plan is also made only one-
half inch thick. This latter requires but
one-half the postaue of the thicker cage and
is also more cheaply made."
ADVERTISEMENTS
Vn^^ Trade, bees for buildins material, good
■Ai U books or offers, s. T Baldwin, Marion, ind.
TT-frsa 1 ^ 2» ■¥» Bees and Queens for
il&cL&.l«ftXl isitl. Sfii.i for p 10.- list.
8-'tl.Jt D. E. .JACOBS, Luiinloy, Wood Co., Ohio.
Bee - Hives and Sections.
Largest line-Hivf Fact<>r\ in the world. Best
Goods at lowe.--t pric-s. \* iie for Illustrated
Catdogue. G. B. LEWIS & CO.,
1 -• 0-tf Watertown, Wis.
COMB FOUNDATION.
11 I) eswax IS sent nv. 1 will work it up into
foun.lMtioii .t tlic loNvst price in the world. For
sauiplf'K and price, address 3-9l-3t
.JA(^OH WOLLEltSKEl.Vl, Kaukauna, Wis.
Wanted at Once^
Your aildress, that I may s •nd yon my Msto isili-
int-'ly low niic.'.- on Hives, Frames,
Sections, Ci'ates, etc. l-9i-tit
C. p. wlLiUCUTT, Exipa, louta.
108
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
uur ijdi«»piii'^^i«»^tijUbL
But tlio beH-ktH^ptu- who fails to wml for one will
be ; especially if li" wishes to buy the best Hives,
Frames, Sections, Crates, Foundation, etc. Our
Italiiin Queens and Bees are the best— none are
better. I5uy thcni, try tlioiti, and you'll need no
other.
An article on BEE MANAGEMENT is an in-
terestins feature of our Cataloijue, that will
help the novice. Send youi' address for a free
copy to day.
E. STRHTOH &
4-91- 12t
llazardville, Conn,
Please mention the Reuieui-
Italian ^ Queens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - Circular.
J. T. ^WILSOKT,
4-91-tf Pinl<, Kentucky.
1891
Early Italian queens from bees
l)red for business. l"]ach $1.00 ; six
$1.51). Order now. pay when queen
arrives. W. H. LAWS, Lavaca, Ark.
The Bee Wonld.
A journal devoted to coUectiui; the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through
out tlie world, containinR, as it were, tlie cream
t)f aijiarian literature. Valuabhi alike to the am-
ateur and veteran. If you wish to kt-ep posted,
you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe
now. It is a 20 pase monthly at .')0 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is pul>lislipd by
W. S. VANDRUFF,
Waynesburn, (ireene Co., Pa.
SBlg Blue Cat-
alo^'ue for 1891? Fifty-one illustratt'd pases,
sent i''UKK to any bee-keeper. Our new factory,
four tiiiicM larger than over beff)re, is now turn-
ins out Carloads of Dovetaled Hives and
larse ((uantiticH of other htyh's. Allernatins
Hives, Iniprovetl Lanswtriith-Siiiiplicity, Plain
Lansstroth, Simplicity and ( ludT Hives, Sec-
tions, Smokeis, Foundation, Italian Bees; in
fact, EVEiiYTiiiNO needed in the ai>iary, at lowest
prices, always on hand, Estahlislied in 18(J4.
E. KRETCHMER,
2-91-tf Red Oidi, Iowa.
Please mention the Reu'iew.
Bee-leepers' Supply Companf,
(.1. B. Klin(\ Secretary,)
65 CLARK ST., ROOM 14, A TOPEKA,
N
CHICAGO, ILL., D KAN.
ManufactuT-<>rs of and dealers in bee-keepers'
supplies. Foi- prices of bee hives, sections,
shipping crates, frames, foundation, smokers,
etc., write for circular and special prices be-
fore placing your order. 1-91-tf
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
DlMVERSAI; fci""VM5 V.,H,run.Water-
BATH. 0 '■■""■■ rJ ..>.>l■...ll.^'■■•«^".,
Ci>n.«nniH: Awai.i. W.^ i; ^-~"?'5~'~~
Sp; r,./:iiiistthe w..r!.i. t/=ij ^ jjS "
5 i.-!,nlesahJc Itetail. Ol.l M!ith« Rnifweii, J.
>.n,i for rim.inrs. E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann Arbor, Mich.
S^=- CHEAPEST AND HI'Xr RATH "^^a
i<::ve:r. k.ivowi«j"!
FREE CIROITLARS EXPLAIN ALL.
Address E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann M...)r. Mich
1-91-12t Please mention the Review.
H
IGH Scoring Birds. Blk. Minorca, S.
ilutte, tS. S. Handjuig, B. Ltghorn.
S.Wyan
:i ess.s, Tlic; 'J'), $1.00
C. M, Goodspeed, Shamrock, N. Y.
Have you heard that Oliver Hoover ct Co. have built, at Riverside, Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in tile East, lidJy iHiuiiipcil with thn latest, improved uiachiuery ? Tliey are
now prepared to send out the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kind.s of bi'e-ki'fper.s' su; piits al\v;i.\s on iiand. Tlieir location will en-
able t ii'Mu to nhij) S'li'ds by cirect lint* lo more points than any other man-
ufacturer, wliicn will f-dve the advantage of Low Freight Rates and
quicii transportaton. Send for free illustrated catalosur. 2 9'-tf
OUIVEf? HOOVER & CO., F^ivenside, Pa.
rieaso mention tlw Rei/itttv.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
109
Friends Look Here.
If .v(>u want Hybrid or Black Bees,
in Api'il or lVl;iy,ii( $l.iMia poiuHl, k'v<' nic your
order. For ten yciirs 1 liavc hccii siiccossliilly
sliippiiiu been t«>tli(> Nortlicni slatcH and to Can-
ada. Safe arr val and halislaciion j,'iiarau1(>('d.
Untested l(alian cineeiif., after April 1st, $1.00
eacii. or six for Sr).(iO. 7.") ets. each alter May Ist.
r)-'.U-2t
MRS
JENNIE ATCHLEY,
Box V, Farmersville, Texas.
p. H. and E. H- DeWeV,
Si'iinl Westfield,|VIass.
Bond stamps for iusiiuctive jianiplilet descril)-
ing Dewey's Peet Cage and Winter Device.
s
C%)lonie8, Nuclei, Queens (tested and untested)
at living rates. Send for circular and price list
to C. C. VAUGHN &CO.,
i.'-'.)l-:{t
('olimil)ia, Tetilli
Bee^i^eepeps' Supplies.
Hefore placing your orders for supplies, sent!
for onr lllnstrat<>d Ciit.dogia; We tire now
making best goods at lowest prices.
PAOB, KEITH & SCHIVIIDT CO.,
12-90-Bt New London, Wis.
Before purchtising your supplies for IS'.ll, get
my prices and discounts. Price list free.
J. m. KiN^iE,
1 l-.
4-9Ult
GEO. RALL,
Fren.-liville, TrempCo., Wis
100,000 Strawberry Plants.
per 100 per 1000
( 'rescent, .'iO %-i.f>a
Sliarpless, Cumberland, Bubacli.
Mt. Vernon, iVl.ancliester, Warfield,
.Jessi(i and Sucker State, ,50 3.00
M ichaei's Early and llaverland (iO 5.00
Crawford 75 tJ.OO
Also a full assortment of Fruit and Ornamen-
tal Trees, Kaspbi'rry and Blackberry Plants,
(irapevines, etc, Send lor price list. l-!tl it
D. G. EDMISiON, Adrian, Mich.
Please mention the Reui'eiu,
Another Hundred Dollar Oueen.
During the season of 1890 we purchased of
fi. M. Doolittle one of his best (jueens which
one hundred dollars would not buy if we could
not get another like her, and we aie going to
rear l,O0ll (lueeris from her this season. Send for
descriptive circular-.
LEININGER BROS.,
Kt .Jennings, Ohio.
Pleiise nwnlion tlw Rnww
4-91-()t
Beautiful Bees ^i-^^^^ ^''tW eye
Good Qualifies ^f^^ always
uuuu i/uuiiuti> PROF/TABLE.
If you wish for bees and (iu(.'ens that combine
beauty and good (lualities to a marked degree,
write for descriptive (•ii-cular giving low prices.
No circulars sent unless asked for.
(•HAS I). DUVAL.
3-90-tf Spencerville, Md.
Please mention the Reuieui*
Early Queens From the South.
SOUTH CAR01Jir*R UEADS IN FINE QUEENS AND BEES.
Heing n.^irer the Northern markets, they can be delivered nearly two days earlier than from any
other Southern state. Fine tested and untested Italian queens, bees and nuclei a specialty.
Queens sent invariably by return mail, from April 15tli throu-^^h the season. " I.OI-lt
MENTION REVIEW. ^. J- EIc^Ii^ISOD, Gatchall, S. G.
110
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
t^eady to JVIail.
Testnl Italian queeuB, $■-' (JO ea>li, or three for
$5.(1.'. Keuly to mail NOW, ami safe arrival
Kuaranteed. Untested, fl.uH e-tcli. i href' for $-'. •" ;
$9.i'0 a dozen: s-^nt atter March 2 ». S'od for
pric - list Mnki' money orders !iav:d)|p at. t'lifftoii.
COLWICK &. COLWICK,
3-91-tf NoI■-.^ i;os,|Ue * o., TexBs
Fn il M n A T 1 n IJ And sections are my
l,.yj.£liJJ,.r* Speciallies. No. i V-f,'r.,ove
S'-ctioiis at j-i.O ' per thousand. Hpecial
prices to tlealers. 8end for free price list
of everytlung needed in the apiary.
1-91-tf M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich.
Pleaf^ mention the Review.
Send 25 cts for my book of Discovery and
Invention, tlie
Queen H^stPictop.
('. VV. DAYTON,
l-i)l-12t Clinton, Wisonsin.
LiEflHV'S FOONDATIOfl,
UUholesale and t^etail,
Smokeps and Sections,
ExtPaetoPsand Hives,
Queens and
Bees,
I^.B.Lteahy andCon^pany
Higginsville, fnissoupi.
l-90-tf Please mention the Reineiv.
We lifive iIl(■r^a^ed our facilities by tlie addi-
tion of the lat^^st improved macliinirv, and are
now in a position to give yon as low fi^nr' s ■ n
snpf)lies ;'s an^■ factory in th coniitry. One-
Pi<« V Grortv d Bassitrood Sc-
tions a Specialty. -Send lor pric list.
2-91 -8t NOVELTY CO , Hock Falls, Ills.
PATENT, WIEED. COMB FODBDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
THIN, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
BeinR the cleanr'st is usually worked
the quickest of any foundation made.
■J. VAN DEUSKN & SONS,
(sole MANUFACTtTRKRS),
3-<)0-tf Sprout Brook,Mont.('o.,N.Y.
Please mention the Review.
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turningout hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-frame, L. hive, 2 T supers, $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, 1 .00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto, 25.00
Clark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $2.00. Bee veils, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Parker foundation fastener, 25 cents. Japanese
buckwlieat, tin cents a bushel ; bag 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents ; thin for
surplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circulirs free.
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPER& CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
P/eiisc mention the Review
It YOU WISH
■^^ Advertise
Anything
Anywhere
AT
Any time
WRITE TO
^jeo. p. Rowell & Co.
No. lo Spruce Street,
NEW YORK.
The universal favor ao-
COrdod TiLLlNGIlAST'S I'UGET
Sound Ciibbagc Seeds leads
me to offer a P. S. Grown
Onion, the finest Yellow Gtube
inexiacnce. To introduce It and
showi: capabilities! will pay
$1{K) for the best yield obtain-
eit from 1 (iniice of sied wliioh
I will mail U,r 80 cts. Onta>
loiriie Iree.
Isciac F. TMIinghast,
La Plume, Pa.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Ill
THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH
He has sold his entire bee and supply business to a man who will fully sustain
past reputations, therefore it is with pleasure that he gives his consent to the use of
the old name, " That Pittsfield Smith," for future advertisements.
His successor will be prepared to fill all orders promptly and to deal a little
better by you than he a^'iees, 7-90-12t
ADDRESS "THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH,"
Box I003, Pittsfield, Mass.
Please mention the Reuieiu.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf .
J. FOt^rlCHOOK St CO.,
MANUFACTTJBERS OF THE
"BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.
I I^El^^
Will furnish you, the coming season, one-piece
sections, sandpapered on both sides, as cheap as
the cheapest and better than the best. Write for
prices. Watertown, Wis. 12-90-8t
Did You XZver
Get as low prices and as good workmanship as
yon can get by dealing witli John G. Kundinger ?
He beats 'em all. Ten per cent off on all orders
received Jjefore the first of May.
Send for his 24 page price list, sent free.
JNO.G. KUNDINGER,
12-90-tf Kilmanagh, Huron Co., Mich.
D0YOUK£EPBEES
If BO, send your nameaud address for a Free
Sample of the A1CX:SICAI7 B£E JOVUSJLL
Weekly— J2 pages— One Dollar a year.
^OlIAS,
/a
. JB USHERS
24G East Madison Street, CHICAGO, ILL.
HOW IS THIS?
Chaff Hives, SI. 2 5
(TWO SUPERS)
DOVETAILED WINTER CASE,25C.
DOVETAILED HIVES, 70 0.
(two supers)
Send for price list. 1-91-tf
ROE &KIRKPATRCK, Union City, Ind.
THE OJ^l^J^lDXJ^lsr
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts. a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD BY W.C.Q. PETFR.
75 Cts. a Year.
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals one year to one address, $1.00
Until June 1st fii;,,- Journal A -.iV. BE .1.
we will send MlWl! trial trip for 0 ullilS M ClSi
THED. A. JONES CO., Ud, Beeton, Ont.
LL
TAKE NOTICE.
")")
If you wish the best honey gatherers and the
gentlest bees to handle, order ALBINO
QUEENS from the original producer of the
Albino bee, D. A. PIKE,
12 90-4t e o Smithbnrg, Wash. Co., Md.
Ph'Ai^r mention (ne Review.
.,rfeMAgg'.ACi^m 4iAJ»«:
112
TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
RDVAflCED BEE-CUliTUf?E;
Its ]V[ethods and ^Vlanagement.
I am now engaged in writing and printing a book that is to bear the above title.
It is to take the place of my other book. The Production of Comb Honey, which
will not be re-published. Although the new book will contain at least five or six
times as much matter as The Production of Comb Honey, yet the price will be only
50 cts. The book is already partly printed and will probably be out sometime in
April or May. If any of the friends would like to "help me along" in meeting
the expenses of getting out the book, they can do so by sending their orders in
advance. Such orders will be most thankfully received, and filled the very day the
book is out. I will send the Review one year and the book for $1.25. The Review
will be sent on receipt of order (I have plenty of back numbers to send it from
the beginning of the year) and the book as soon as it is out. Stamps taken, either
U. S. or Canadian.
W. z. HUTCHH*lSOr4, piint, JWIiehigan.
The new, Automatic Perforator makes the best
perforated zinc ever made. Sixteen styles of
spacing in opposite and alternating perfora-
tions. Makes any size of sheet, with border, up
to 24 X 44 inches. Prices very low. Samijles for
stamp. Also sole manufacturer of two-rows of
zinc, (catalogue giving valuable information on
hives, sections, etc., sent free.
Send 35 cts. for the New Book, Bee Keen-
ing for Profit. ^
D^ G. U. TH^KEI?,
1-91-tf New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Please mention the Keuieui.
B
££- KEEPERS' GUIDE. Revised,
enlarged, improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price $1..50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
BEES FOR SALE.
125 colonies that have been wintered in the
cellar and are in good condition, are offered for
sale ; the sale to take effect from the Ist to the
15th of April. Write for particulars.
A. J. ACHER,
3-91-2t Martiney, Mich.
BUY YOUf^
Italian Queens
PHOfli THE
Iione Staf Apiary.
I breed from choice, imported stock. Leather
colored. Write for price list.
OTTO J. E. OI^Bfifl,
2-91-6t Thorndale, Texas.
P/ease mention the Reuiew.
t's Foundation Factory.
Samples free. Send your beeswax and have it
made up. Highest prices paid for beeswax.
3-91-6t M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich. {Near Detroit.)
— I manufacture —
HJY£S, SeCTJOHS,
and everything needed in the apiary. Catalogue
free. It will pay you to send for one.
J. C. SAYLES,
4-91-tf Hartfort, Wisconsin.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BIN&HAM & HETHERfflGTON
Honey l^nives,
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, S'/o inch, $2.00
Conqueror Smoker, — 3 " 1.75
Large Smoker 2'/2 " l.SO
Extra Smoker, 2 " 1.25
Plain Smoker, 2 " 1.00
Little Wonder Smoker. IV2 " 65
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, 1.15
Upon receipt of price. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descriiitive ( 'ircular and Tes-
timonials sent upon application.
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf. Abronia, Michigan.
At Fliqt, Micl^igaq Oqe Dollar a Year,
114
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ADVEHTISiriG f^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
Five Sanded
My strain of five banded bees and queen were
awarded FIRST PREMIUM last fall at
the Detroit Exposition ; Thos. G. Newman, ed-
itor of the A. B. J., being the judge. They are the
HANDSOMEST AND GENTLEST
bees I have ever seen. After June Ist I willhave
untested, iive banded queens ready to ship at
$1.00 each, or six for $5.00. I still have a few of
the Alley, tested queens that I can furnish at
$2.00 each. Orders booked now Safe arrival
guaranteed. Make money orders payable at
Flint. Mich.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3-91-2t Rogersville. Genesee Co., Mich.
BEE - HIVES,
Sections, Comb Foundation, and general Sup-
plies.
Bees and Queens.
Remember, we are headquarters for the Albino
bees. Tt>e best in the world. Send for circular
and prices. S. VALENTINE.
5-91-2t Hagerstown, Wash. Co., Md.
Please mention the Reuiew.
Wanted at Once^
Your address, that I may send you my astoninh-
ingly low i>rice8 on Hives, Frames,
Sections, Crates, etc. 4-yi-Bt
C. F. WlULiCUTT, Exifa, louia.
GOLDEN
CARNIOLANS,
The " coming bee " is liere. If you want bees
possessiDg all the esirable points, send an order
at once for one or more young queens of this
wonderful new strain of bees. They are beauti-
ful, gentle, the best honey gathoiers, and winter
as well as the best Carniolans. The queens are
large, prolific and easily found on the combs.
The Golden Carniolans have been thoroughly
tested in our yards the past season, and we kiiow
whereof we speak.
The price is a httle higher than for the com-
mon races, but at $5.00 each there is money in
them for any beekeeper. For the Golden Carni-
olan queens, we must ask $2.00 each ; $10.00 per
' 2 dozen ; and $18.00 per dozen Bur one grade
is offered and that is A Nol. ; strictly first class.
Purity, safe arrival and sati.'-f action guaranieed.
Send for descriptive catalogue and price list of
bees, queens and apiarian implements.
We are making arrangements for the agency
of those wonderful
RUNIC
brought to England by "A Hallamshire Bee-
Keeper," antl we are now booking orders at the
following rates :
Imported queen, $40.00 jS
Tested, pure home bred, 5.00 ■
Virgin, 1.00 1
'■ per dozen, 10.00
E. L. PRATT.
5-91-2t Beverly, Mass.
Please mention the Reuiew,
COMB FOUNDATION.
If beeswax is sent me, I will work it up into !
foundation at the lowest price in tlie world. For ^
samples and price, address 3-9l-3t ,
JACOB WOLLERSKEIM, Kaukauna, Wis.
BEE - HIVES, SECTIONS, FTC.
BEST GOODS AT LOWEST
PRICES. WE MAKE 15,000 SEC-
TIONS PER HOUR. CAN FILL
ORDERS PROMPTLY. WRITE
FOR FREE, ILLUSTRATED CAT-
ALOGUE. G. B. LEWIS <& CO..
5-91 -tf Watertown, Wisconsin.
Pleas.' ...,>... , - i;.,uiPLo.
To
Trade, bees for building material, good }
books or offers, e. T. Baldwin, Marion, ind.
The Porter SDrii Bee - Escaye. •
We guarantee it to be the best escape known
and far superior to all others. If ou trial of ,
fiom one to a dozen you tlo not find them so,
or if they do not give entire satisfaction in ev-
ery way, return them by mail within three
months after receiving them and we will re-
fund your money.
FRIC£S : Each, by mail, postpaid, with full directions, 20cts. Per doz., by mail, postpaid, $2.25.
Send for circular, testimonials, etc. Dealers send for wholesale prices. 5-91-tf
K.. sored in the combs in ten or twelve
hours.
Smoker, 3 inch barrel, freight or express
each. $1.20. By mail J1.4(). P.'r dozen, $10.80. Feeders, one qt, fr't,
or express, per pair, 30 cts, hv mail, 40 cts ; iter doz( n, $1.6'l.
A. G. HILL, Kendallville, Ind., or H. M. HILL, Paola, Kansas.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock by Thos. G. New-
man & Son, ('hicago, 111. ; (J. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown, Wis.; ''
W. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn. : and ('has. Dadant ct Son, Hamilton, Hancock Co.. Illmoie.
E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, Iowa. H. McWilson & CO., 202 Market St., St. Louis, Mo. F. H. Dunn,
Yorkville, 111. W. U. Soper A ( o , Jackson. Mich. Chas A. Stoekbridge Ft. Wayne. Ind. A. F. fields,
Wheaton, Ind. W. S. BeUows, Ladora la. E. F. Quigley, Unionville, Mo. (Gregory Bros. Ottumwa, la.
BEESWAX
ADVANCED
Three cents per pound, ahd still going higher,
but having secured several tons l)efore the ad-
vance. I will sell during the next thirty days, at
the following low prices ; Brood foundation, 40
to 4.") cts, ; yellow thin, ■')0 to .5.5 cts. ; my brand of
XX, white, thin, 55 to ISO cts., according to quan-
tity ordered. Write at once for free samples, and
state the quantity you want. Will guarantee fdn.
equal to any make.
Simplicity hives 7n cents each, and all other
goods equally low. Write for 40 page catalogue
of bees, aueens and all implements for the apiary.
Wm. W. CARY,
(Successor to Wm. W. CARY & CO. ) Coleraine, Mass.
2-91-'f
Please mention the Reuiew.
The Five Banded
Are the prettiest, gentlest, best working and
most prolific bees. They will work on red clover.
Warranted queens , $1.25 ; six for $6.00. Tested,
$2.00 ; select tested, |3.00 to $5.00 Sample of
bees, five cents. Prices will be lower next
month. If preferred, I will send, at the same
price, three-banded
ITALIANS.
Bees by the pound wanted in exchange for
queens. I will give a tested queen in June for
every pound of bees sent me ]irepaid. Bees to be
sent at once, as I need tliem now. Drop me a
card if you send any. JA( '( )B T TIMPE,
3-yOltit Grand Ledge, Mich.
Names of BcG-KsspGrs,
The names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sample copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a book. There are several thousand all
arranged alphabetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of doUars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2..50 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inijuiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied into a book, and blank .spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
tAiJanted:
CHEAP EflOOGH
Our eight-frame, Ciiaff
Hivr, nailed and painted,
witli eiglit, heavy top-bar
brood frames, and one T
super, for only $1.75.
The neWj dovetailed,
winter case in the flat 35 c.
THIN, ■ ovetailedhive.
two supers, or section
holders, and eight heavy
top bar brood frames, only 70 cents. Agents
wanted. Write for price list and terms. l-iH-tf
ROE & KIRKPATRCK. Union City. Ind.
To correspond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE CLICKENGER
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio,
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOI^ 1891-
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. BROWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Georgia.
Please mention the Reuieui.
31 a r t i n\s P r o I ifi c
BUCKWHEAT.
This buckwheat, advertised in April Ist^and
Apr 15th Gleanings, is apparently a sport of the
Japanese. Will yield 50 to 75 bushels per acre
under favorable circumstances. $1..)0 per bushel,
85 cents per '2 bushel. Sacks included. Deliv-
ered on board cars here. 5-91-2t
WM. MARTIN, Cass City, Tuscola Co., Mich.
116
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.
4-90-16t
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOB CATALOGUE, PBIOKS, KTC,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rockford. Ills.
Pratt's Perfection Oneeii Cap
Is the best shipping and introducing cage in
use. Only $10.00 and $20.00 per 1,000. Sample free
to any queen breeder. We manufacture a full
line of bee-keepers' supplies, and send cata-
logues free to any address,
C. W. COSTELIiOW,
8-90-tf Waterborough, Me.
DON'T SLEER
Until you have sent for my 16 page, illustrated
catalogue of supplies. Extra, No. 1 sections,
$3.50 per 1,000. Dovetailed hives, 7.5 cents each.
Italian, Carniolan and Albino queens for sale.
5 91-3t F. W. LAMM,
Box 106, Somerville, Ohio.
HOOK HEt^E.
Before purchasing your supplies for 1891, get
my prices and discounts. Price list free.
J. m. i^ii^ziE,
ll-90-6t
Rochester Oakland Co.. Mich.
»»
"GOOD NEW^S,
In rolls of 100 feet, 50 cents ; 1,0(0 feet, $4,00 ;
10,000 feet, $30.00. It is 1-64 to H-64 thick and 18
inches wide. The above answers the purpose for
berry baskets, separators and honey boards.
5 91 It J. B. MURRAY, Ada, Ohio.
ay^ Pj . TJ^B^iif"^
i*
BEE SUPPLIES
r6S»gcoi.wiEis
SUPERIOR WORKMANSHIP
.A.NID
Lopv Prices
Have brouglit us many thousand customers. We
do not claim that our prices are below all others;
there are some parties we cannot compete with.
They do too poor work— but quality of goods and
workmanship considered, our prices- are " way
down." We "guarantee perfect satisfaction."
We have built up our business on this guarantee,
and shall continue to stand by it. If you liave not
received one of our 1891 Catalogues, send for one,
and also for ;i sample cojiy of the " American Bee-
Keeper,"a20-iiaLri' monthly magazine, illustrated.
Every bee-kpcpt^r should subscribe. Only .50 cts. a
year. ^^. T. FALCONER Mfg. CO.,
Jamestown, N. Y.
CARNIOLNAN QUEENS
A SPECIALTY.
That Andrews man has just the bees.
That he manipulates with ease.
And will the most exacting please.
They're bred from pure and gentle stock.
With tempers even as a clock.
And seldom rise at any shock.
Now please remember, if you will.
These bees are bred at Patten's Mill,
In New York State, just down the hill.
And if you want one, two, or more.
Send on your orders as before.
And you will find your needs in store.
At THE appointed time.
Last August, tested queens, June 1st, $2.00
Untested (lueens " .... 1.00
Tested (luecns, July 1st, 1.50
Untested, after July 1st, six for 5,00
JOHN ANDREWS,
9-90-tf Patten's Mills, Wash. Co., N. Y.
What's the Matter
WITH
lEINIHCERBHOS.!
They are going to raisr l.noo cjueens this sea-
son from oneof(i.M. Doolittle's best (jueens.
Quoens in June, $l.op ; tested, $1.70 ; select,
$2.50 ; the very best, which will produce four and
five bandt-d bees, $4.5ii. Descriptive circular free.
4-91-6t LBININOEE BEOS., Ft. Jennings, Ohio.
Illnstrated Aflvertisements Attract Attention.
I >l Q I rcrrtachfciS
ElVi^I^
^^' USTRA TIO/vs
y"''y'M
cuts FurnlsM for all illastratlng Purposes.
7b
e (5)ee-
\eepeps' fveViecu
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tl^e Interests of Hoqey Producers,
$L00 A YEAR,
W. Z. H^TCH^NSOfl, EditoP & Prop.
VOL, IV, FLINT, MICHIGAN, MAY, 10, 1891, NO, 5.
The special topie of this issue is
''Adulteration of Honey,"
That of the next issue cuill be
A Continuation of the Subject.
Honey can Never Compete Witli Glucose.—
The Bee-Keepers' Union Ought to
Prosecute Adulterators.
BYKON WALKF.K.
^ S you call on those of your readers,
whose views on the adulteration of
honey do not agree with your own, to
t ke part in this discussion, and having fre-
quently had my attention drawn to this mat-
ter in the last six months, while marketing
honey in all of the large cities of the West,
east of the Mississippi, and west of Cleve-
land, lying between and including Minne-
apolis and Cincinnati; I venture to accept
the invitation.
There is no room to dispute the truth of
your first leading proposition, that if honey
can be produced so as to be sold as low as
glucose, or as sugar may yet be sold, that its
adulteration will at once cease; but I can
hardly agree with you when you tell us that
all that is needed in order to secure this re-
sult, is to so perfect our appliances and
methods that we can winter our bees without
loss, and so that one man can handle several
times as many bees as he now can with ordi-
nary methods and appliances.
No doubt there are rhany localities where,
in good seasons, an increased number of
colonies can be handled with the same labor
now employed, and that without overstock-
ing, but it may be safely said that the re-
verse of this statement, except as to the item
of labor, is equally true of just as many
localities in })oor seasons. During the last
ten years, new hives, systems of management,
and methods of wintering that were to com-
pass all of these desirable results, have been
brought forward only to be discarded by
even their inventors. I presume you will
admit that Mr. Heddon's new hive and sys-
tem is as good as any that is likely to be
generally adopted in the future, and he tells
us, see A. B. J. for April 16th, "that bee-
keepers can't afford to submit to any further
reduction in the price of honey."
Now for the sake of argument, let us sup-
pose that the fixtures and system of man-
agement adopted, have been so perfected,
that in all good localities, with good seasons
honey can be produced so as to compete
with glucose, what will become of that large
class of bee-keepers who are not favored
with such localities when their markets are
supplied with this cheap honey; and what
about competing with glucose, such seasons
as we have had lately in nearly all localities?
Does it require any argument to show that
when bee-keepers if ever must have a good
price for honey, the markets will be filled
with glucose honey, and they must sell for
glucose prices? You have showed us that
the price of honey will not rise in times of
118
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
scarcity above a certain point. Let that
price once be lowered to that of glucose and
it will not be an easy matter to raise it
again as high as it once was.
But we are told that bee-keepers are op-
posed to the adulteration of honey almost
wholly on selfish grounds. This may or may
not be true, but I know of at least one bee-
keeper who has been quite prominent of late
in opposing this business, that has made
himself eciually notorious in this community
as a grocer who would not sell tobacco, glu-
cose-sugars and syrups, adulterated baking
powders, etc., and I have no reason to believe
that he is more conscientious in this respect
than numerous others of the craft that I
could mention. Be that as it may, bee-keep-
ers would be more than human, if they did
not oppose a trafHc, which threatens to ruin
the occupation they depend upon for a liv-
ing. Right here may I be permitted to ask,
what better reason any bee journal can give
for its existence than that it is published to
promote the interests — the selfish interests
if you please of bee-keepers?
Let it be understood hereafter, that we do
not ask that the sale of these goods be pro-
hibited, so that you and others who prefer
them to l)uckwheat and certain other kinds
of honey, can't buy them; hut that when
offered for sale, that the packages shall tie
labeled, just as butterine is stamped, to in-
dicate the character of the goods. Good
dairy butter has been selling at retail in
Detroit, at from 2r>c. to 30c., per pound, and
often hard to get at that. Does any one be-
lieve that this would have been the case, if,
when the markets were flooded with butter-
ine, farmers had concluded to just keep quiet
and bend every energy to raising butter so
cheaply that no one could afford to produce
butterine? You ask us to believe that nearly
all the loss that bee-keepers have suffered in
consequence of the adulteration of honey,
they have themselves to blame for, because
they would talk when they should have kept
quiet. Now is it reasonable to suppose, that
a market can be flooded with such goods
year after year, without consumers finding
it out, and talking freely about it too? I do
not remember that I ever heard a bee-keeper
discuss this matter before those not posted,
without pointing out the means whereby the
purchaser can commonly distinguish between
the pure and the impure article. The resolu-
tions passed by our late State convention,
that have been referred to in this connection
in rather disparaging terms, were carefully
worded with this end in view; and it is not
very complimentary to the intelligence of
city people, to assert that either they cannot
or will not make this distinction, when the
characteristics of each are so clearly pointed
out; neither has this assertion but little
foundation in fact. Previous to the meeting
of the Detroit convention, I had one sample
of what proved to be adulterated honey,
tested l)y Health Officer Duffield, and the ap-
pearance of the package was so accurately
described in one of the daily papers, as to
result in entirely stopping the sale of these
goods to retailers, to whom up to this time,
a large quantity had been sold; but who soon
found their customers would not buy such
goods. My own honey, a sample of which
had been tested at the same time as the
other, and iiublished as pure, in the article
alluded to above, now found a ready sale.
Quite a number of grocers who had pre-
viously refused to buy, as they said they had
plenty of honey (referring to the stuff I had
analyzed and descriljed) now bought mine
in quantities and sold it too; while the fac-
tory goods were either returned to the whole-
sale, or for the most part yet remain on their
shelves. No doubt the label I used helped to
secure this result. It read in part. "If your
chemist finds these goods adulterated, pub-
lish B. Walker, Capac, Mich., (who puts
them up,) as a swindler, in your daily paper."
Now friend H, if your view of this matter is
a correct one, how will you explain the fact,
that my sales of extracted honey in Detroit
this season — mostly taking place soon after
this publication occurred, have been nearly
five times as great as any previous season
for ten years although my comb honey sales
were only about equal to those of last sea-
son. Bear in mind, that it was mostly fall
honey, such as you would doul)tless pro-
nounce inferior in flavor to the adulterated
product, and that it brought several times
as much per pound as the glucose mixture
could l)e sold at profitably at the time. So
much for "everlasting clack."
Again we are told "that very little honey
is adulterated now, since producers are
putting their honey on the market in smaller
packages." Are you quite sure that you are
correct in this statement? I can hardly be-
lieve you have reached this conclusion
through personal observation. At any rate,
I have reached just the opposite conclusion
through a somewhat extended use of that
I
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
119
method. In fact, the only hirge city that I
found well supplied witli pure extracted
honey is Cincinnati. It is needless to men-
tion to whom belongs the credit of this
state of the honey market iu this instance.
Suffice it to say, that there are very few
grocers indeed in that city, who do not
handle the goods put up by Chas. F. Muth &
Son, whose sales must be immense, although
no attempt is made to compete in price with
glucose goods, which are met with so seldom
as to be regarded as a curiosity.
Now friend H, if you are correct about
there being but little adulterated honey, and
al)Out the reason why there is but little on
the market, isn't the remedy you suggest for
getting rid of what little there is likely to
prove a rather dear one for bee-keepers to
adopt? You say: "If a man tinds adulterated
goods are in opposition to his own, let him
go quietly to work" etc. Fancy a man try-
ing to carry out this plan in the Detroit
market for instance, at the present time. In
order that his honey may I >e in shape for the
retail trader it must of course be put up in
small packages. These should be of glass,
if the honey is white, and as he must buy
glasses in small quantities, while his competi-
tor buys these as he does his glucose, in car
lots: he will commonly pay about twice what
the other man does for his. Now, if the
goods are put up for shipment at the apiary,
he must be to the expense of packing care-
fully and pay a high rate of freight to reach
the market. If he ships in bulk to the city,
and puts it up in packages there, he must
rent a room at no trifling expense for the
purpose. If he has once tried putting such
goods in the hands of commission men, he
is not likely to repeat the experiment now.
In canvassing the grocery trade, he will find
nine out of ten dealers, eitlier supplied with
the other man's goods, or else they are too
suspicious of being gulled, to buy of one
whom they do not know, and as you must
say nothing aboutadulteratedgoods, it won't
do to make any comparisons with the other
fellow's lioney, and of course you can ask
no more for your goods than he does for
his.
Now suppose he actually succeeds in get-
ting a few orders each day. These as a rule
will be small ones, and as the parties who
order will commonly be located miles apart,
the expense of delivering the goods, will be
very apt to use up what little margin there
is remaining, after paying railroad fare,
freight, board and rent bills; especially as
there are always some who are more ready
to give orders for goods, than to pay for
them when delivered. On the other hand,
the seller of adulterated goods takes liis or-
ders while selling a great variety of e(iually
desirable food products, selling and deliver- .,
ing at the same time (from wagons wliich
call on each customer twice a week) as small
quantities as tlie grocer sees fit to order, and
selling on time to insure sales. As these
wagons would run whether any honey was
sold or not, the expense of selling is a small
item?
May I not safely affirm that for every
pound of honey that a bee-keeper can pro-
duce and market in this way under these
conditions, his competitor can produce and
sell twice, often tiiree times as much of hie
goods for the same amount of money in-
vest3d.
Now friend H, if you know of any silent
forces that can be set in motion to rid us
from such competition, you will be doing
your readers a great service by telling them
what they are and liow to engineer them.
For my part I havn't a particle of faith in
such a course. Bee-keepers have tried tliis
"say little, and do nothing" policy quite
long enough. What we need is a bee-keep-
er's Union of at least five thousand members;
then we can comiiel these corporations to re-
spect the laws inacted for our protection.
We need, also, in every large city, an estab-
lishment devoted to the interests of bee-
keepers and having sufficient capital and en-
terpise to handle such of their products as
may seek a market tliere. Another reason
given for not making an outcry is, "that it
is exceedingly difficult to prove that any sam-
ple of honey is adulterated." If this state-
ment is a correct one, how does it happen
that the leading encyclopjedias tell us that
even the l)est specimens of the glucose, of
commerce, alivat/s contain some sulphuric
acid, and any chemist will inform you that
the presence of this acid can be invariably
detected by means of chloride of barium.
Several suspected samples that I submit-
ted for inspection to Dr. Duffield, formerly
State chemist, were subjected to this test,
and pronounced mixed with glucose, in about
as little time as it has taken me to write this
mention of the fact. In conclusion, while
you may be right and I may be wrong about
this entire business, I assure you that when-
ever I am convinced that such is tiie case,
120
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
I will have no other use for bee-journals,
than to help me advertise a lot of bees for
sale cheap. Then, if you will kindly furnish
me the names of a few large cities where but
little adulterated honey is sold; as soon as I
can get rid of what promises in this instance
tp be a rather troublesome conscience, I ex-
pect to locate in the city and engage in busi-
ness, when if you conclude to publish your
leader on the subject of this article in pamph-
let form, I will order a few thousand copies
for distribution among my prospective cus-
tomers.
Capac, Mich. • May r>, 1891
First-Class Goods Must be High Priced.—
The Policy of Silence Disapproved.
W. V. OLABKE.
OT him at last!" was the
naughty, gloating expression
that rose to my lips on read-
ing the April leader. Here, now, 89 times
I have read these plaguey leaders, and could
not find a flaw sufficiently glaring to call for
correction. This is too one-sided altogether!
Editors ought to give their critics a chance
once in a while. Well, I have got one at
last, after waiting over three years; and I
mean to make the most of it, lest I skould
not get another in a hurry. You tell us that
adulteration of honey ie practiced because
there is profit in it. "Right you are! " But
what proof have you that if honey were as
cheap as glucose or sugar, adulteration
would cease? None whatever. There would
be just as much honey on the market when
the yield is meager as when it is abundant.
It would be as it is in regard to port wine,
the production of which is equally abundant
when the vineyards fail as when they are
laden with grapes. Most of the port wine
of commerce never saw Oporto, or any other
place in Portugal. Your argument if it
were sound, should presuppose that honey is
put on the market cheaper than its rivals.
At the same figure, glucose and sugar would
be its rivals still. Only by cut rates could it
run the adulterated products off the field.
That would give the honey business its final
quietus, for to sell it as low as glucose or
sugar, would entail a dead loss. It would be
like cut rates on railroads. Wealthy cor-
porations cannot stand that sort of thing
long, and it would soon deal a death blow to
bee-keeping.
There is a kind of "Eureka" air about
your leader. Yes, you have found it, and
you are in such a hurry to exhibit your dis-
covery that you cannot wait to introduce it
by due process of argument, and so the con-
clusion arrived at is given at the beginning
of the article. It is done too in a gladiato-
ri;'.l fashion. "I am going to say right here
that I have more faith in cheap honey to
prevent adulteration than I have in anything
else that can be employed." Well, I am go-
ing to say right here, that I haven't a parti-
cle of faith in that way of preventing adul-
teration, and farther, I don't think W. Z.,
when he comes down to hard pan, has any
more faith in it than I have. Let us see,
coffee is adulterated with dandelion and
chicory. How do we guard against adulter-
ation? By cheapening down .Java and
Mxjcha to the price of the inferior articles?
No, but by taking more vigilant precautions
against imposition. Cloth and silk fabrics
are adulterated. How do we guard against
this evil? By getting the best woolen goods
and the richest silks down to the price of
shoddy? Not much. But by obtaining the
goods from direct importers who order
them from the manufacturers, and can give
a guarantee of quality. There is no line of
business in which a pure and genuine article
can compete at the same figures with the
inferior imitations. A gullible public,
caught by flaming advertisements, will waste
its money at cheap stores where it is pre-
tended that the best goods are sold at less
than cost, and low as the lowest, but sensi-
ble people know that a really good article
must be paid for, and that in all honest
trades, quality settles value, and fixes price.
The mercantile world is chockful of this
kind of humbuggery that preys on the
credulity of customers who are made to be-
lieve that a good and genuine article can be
offered as low as inferior and worthless
goods. There is no "hocus-pocus" by means
of which this can be done.
We had a discussion in one of the bee-
journals not long since as to the actual cost
of honey production. I cannot take time to
hunt it up, and can only give my general
impression on the subject, which was, that
there is only a very moderate margin of pro-
fit, at current prices. Now, talk about
cheapening production, and finding out
methods by which one man can take care of
several apiaries of 150 colonies each, no man
knows better than the Editor of the Review
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
121
that this is romauce. He almost admits it
for lie gives expressiou to a passiuy thought
which tutted across his iiiiud, aud which he
ought to have detained for close exainiua-
tion. "I may be a visionary enthusiast.'"
That's what your are, Mr. Editor, in this
particular, without a doul it. I am down on
all superficial, hurried, slip-shod ways of
doing business. Whatever is worth doing
at all is worth doing well. I do not want to
see our apiaries filled with all kinds of cheap
gim-crackery, hustled up for the purpose of
pouring out tloods of low-priced honey on
the market; and running out glucose, but I
want to see them respectable business estab-
lishments, fitted up with the best appliances
for producing the highest (quality of honey
and putting it on the market in the most at-
tractive shape. I doubt if the actual cost of
honey production can be got down much
lower than at present, and I am sure it can-
not be got down low enough to run the
bogus article out of the market.
How does the Editor of the Review pro-
pose to outrival the cheap adulterated bee
literature of the day? By making the best
as low as the worst? J3y so reducing the
cost of getting up a bee-journal that he can
give us cream at the price of very blue skim
milk? No, indeed.
I think you do the bee-keeping public in-
justice in saying that it is almost wholly on
selfish grounds that they oppose adulteration.
It is not selfishness to demand honest deal-
ing between man and man. When this is
denied, there is that in human nature which
bristles up and becomes indignant. A virtu-
ous anger is awakei^ed. Right is right, truth
and equal justice ought to prevail. I shall
make no apologies, and take no blame to
myself for hating all mean frauds, al! lying
,'rin and bear it.
Now suppose that it is thoroughly under-
stood that adulteration can go on without
let or hindrance, that openly and above
board there cau be put on the market pure
glucose labeled "Pure Honey," and I know
as well as you that there are thousands that
cannot tell the two apart, don't you think
adulteration would largely increase? Have
you forgotten that a little stirring up made
one large firm come out publicly and confess
and promise not to do so any more?
How is it in other lines of business? The
man who sells a pound of glucose for a i)ound
of honey is in a business of precisely the
same kind, different only in degree, as the
man who passes a piece of pewter for a sil-
ver dollar. One is counterfeiting as much
as the other. Now, is the kiud of policy we
have been talking about adopted in the case
of the man who is detected handling coun-
terfeit money? Do we talk after the follow-
ing fashion? "Well, it does no good to say
anything about it, there is not such a great
amount of spurious money in circulation,
and if this man is prosecuted for counter-
feiting it will only make people suspicious
of all money and the consequent lack of con-
fidence will militate against the public in-
terest. The best poli.y is to say nothing
about it." Do we talk after that stylo? Do
we say that it is so hard to convict of coun-
terfeiting that we better not try it? Do we
say, "What good comes of making an out-
cry? It simply says to the public: "Beware,
there is counterfeit money in circulation ? "
Sj far frotn that, we make the peaalty so
severe that wheu conviction is secured it
serves as a wholesome restraint.
Friend Hutchinson, I give you credit for
trying to be perfectly fair, but in this case
it looks to me as if you had started on a
theory tliat your good sense and kind heart
would not allow you to follow out to the bit-
ter end. You say, "I honestly believe that
the wisest course is to ket>|' perfectly still,"
and in the very next paragraph preceding
you say, "If a man finds that adulterated
goods are in opposition to his own, let him
go quietly to work and bring such forces to
bear as will rid him of thLM'ompetition." No
matter if you do contratli(!t it in the very
same paragraph, there stands good advice,
aud if it's right for one man to follow it, it
is right for two men, or for any number of
men con.biued.
No, I don't believe in a policy that says we
must keep still and help deceive the public
into the belief that glucose is white clover.
I believe in letting the whole thing come
out. The interests of the public are identi-
cal with ours. Say to them if you will, "Be-
ware, there are adulterated goods on the
market," and then ask them for their own
interest as well as yours to help prosecute
the conterfeiters, making better laws for it if
necessary.
Makengo, 111,, April 15, 1891.
Adulteration of Honey.
PBOF. A. J. COOK.
f WRITE WITH some hesitation on
this subject as I differ with many
whose opinion and judgment rank,
in my mind, among the first, of whom
Mr. Editor, I include yourself. But I
have thought a good deal upon this
subject, and believe it is a matter of
much importance, and one that we should
consider.
I think we saw enough at Detroit to con-
vince us all that adulteration is extensively
carried on. This is never the work of bee-
keepers— the real producers of honey, but of
some middle man : some '^manufacturer"
whose stock is in Detroit, Chicago, or some
other usually large city. A little honey and
very much glucose which often sells for half
the market price of honey is mixed and all
is sold as '^pure strained honey," This is
sent out in such large quantities that the
business is very profitable. Thus men will
engage in what they know is unlawful and
fraudulent, because there is money in it. As
long as we have saloons and worse places,
just so long will men engage in such nefari-
ous work as adulteration, unless we say
them no, so emphatically that all will listen
and heed. I do not believe we should ever
defend any such article. I regret Mr. Edi-
tor, that you and one other of our honored
and justly loved editors have done so. You
say it may be better than honey. I say
never. Honey is honest; this a lie? A lie
never can be as excellent as truth. But this
''pure sfrained honcif is sold under a false
name. We do not know what it is. It may
be poison. Because a mixture is sweet and
pleasant to the taste is no surety that it is
124
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
either good or safe. I fully believe that we
were all better off if fraudulent or even secret
compounds like patent medicines were all
hurled into the bottomless pit, which would
be in a very fit receptacle for them. Such
stuff is not safe; its manufacture is not
right; its sale is iniquitous. I speak strongly
but I feel that every word is the truth.
Again, I do not l)elieve we can gain by
smothering the truth or hiding evil. So
many say, don't talk about it, it will hurt
sales. Sin never takes rebuke kindly, but
the rebuke is good nevertheless. To hide
evil practices that we know exist and are in-
jurious to society, is really cowardly and
wicked. The better way as it seems to me,
is to face the evil, bring it to the light and
squelch it.
But is it bad policy? In the highest sense,
do ng right is never bad policy, and decry-
ing fraud is right. But, again, as long as
such manufacturing is carried on people
will know it; many will go without honey
rather than risk the purchase of, they know
not what. I have a case in point. A wealthy
gentleman in Detroit sends to me each year
for his extracted honey. He says he wishes
to know what he is eating. Thus many re-
fuse honey because of this fact. I say fact
for it is a fact, and there is no need to dis-
guise it. Others will blazon forth the fact
even if bee-keepers open not their mouths.
Is it not then wiser to acknowledge the
evil and try to cure it; or else counteract its
effects? I believe this to be our wisest
course.
THE PBOOEDUBE.
I believe that we should all publish far
and wide that honey is adulterated, but
never by bee-keepers. They can not afford
to do it It is never policy for a bee-keeper
to practice such fraud, never safe or profit-
able. Thus let us spread the information
that honey stamped with the name and local-
ity of the producer is sure to be pure. Such
knowledge will help not hinder our sales.
Again if we have not laws against such
adulteration and fi-aud — Michigan has a
good law — let us have them. Let us see that
any man who sells any product under a
wrong name is rendering himself liable to
fine and imprisonment. If he stamps his
product "glucose and honey" or "manufac-
tured honey," no one will be wronged, and
he is welcome to his profits. Then having a
good law, let us set the law to work, through
the Union to stop the nefarious business.
We had a good chance in Detroit last win-
ter. I would have the Union employ a good
lawyer and have the m atter pushed to the
bitter end. A few convictions would not
only stop the frauds but would educate the
people to the truth that only pure honey
could be sold as such. The Union through
its able manager has done right royal ser-
vice already. There is here a grand oppor-
tunity to win even brighter laurels, and to
confer, as I believe, a greater benefit upon
the bee-keeping industry.
Agbioultueal Col., Michigan, Apr. 22, 1891.
The Part That Odor Plays in Q,aeen Intro-
duction. The Manum Hive.
J. H. LABBABEE.
|HE removal of one queen and the in-
troduction of another to a colony of
bees is one of the most delicate opera-
tions of the apiary. Its success all depends
on the condition of the bees and the action
and scent of the queen. That the bees dis-
tinguish their queen by the sense of smell
there is no doubt. That the bees notice any
unusual actions on the part of the queen and
that the queen is not slow to observe the
same in the bees, has been observed by
many.
I think that perhaps I can best state my
belief on the subject of queen introduction
by giving the plan I have many times used
successfully.
I remove the old queen (or rather the for-
mer queen) and cage her in a small, round,
wire cloth cage, such as is described in the
editor's leader, and carry her to the honey
house, run her out and run in the queen to
be introduced. The mouth of the cage I
close with a cork or with wax and hang it
between two combs near the brood and on
the honey. In 24 to 48 hours I take off the
cover carefully and, removing th§ stopper,
insert a chunk of soft candy in the mouth
of the cage and close the hive. Of course if
the bees are clustered around the cage and
are smoked away with difficulty I delay the
candy for another day, but this is seldom
necessary. The only thing about this differ-
ing from the common method is m placing
the ne . queen in a cage scented by the for-
mer queen.
Perhaps this looks to you like a small
point but I believe it is one worth consider-
ing. The extremely delicate scent of the
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
125
queen is noticed by the bees blended with
that of their own sovereiyu. I know that I
have been extremly successful by this
method. I have not found it necessary to
feed colonies to which I have been introduc-
ing queens and cannot see why it should be
necessary. If there is [)lenty of food in the
hive and the colony in a normal condition,
with plenty of young bees, the colony should
be in just as amiable a disposition, except
when resenting man's intrusion, as at any
time.
The idea that a cage giving the queen ac-
cess to the cells is superior to the round cage
is all right in theory, but my experience has
been that in practice there is very little dif-
ference; the main idea being to accustom
the colony to the changed scent of their
queen.
The cheap outside wintering case describ-
ed in the Review for March, by H. L.
Hutchinson, is almost exactly the outer case
of the Manum hive or Bristol hive as it is
called. If Mr. H. will make an entrance to
his hive through the boftoiii board, arranging
a stand and sloping alighting board under-
neath he will avoid the necessity of a
"bridge" with its other contrivances, and
will have the Bristol hive.
My own bees in Vermont, wintered as
usual out of doors, are through the winter
with a loss of only two in about one hun-
dred. I cannot tell exactly how the bees
here at the college have wintered as they are
yet in the cellar. I anticipate but little loss,
however, as the thermometer has stood at
between 48° and 40° about all winter. There
has been considerable moisture in the cellar
and it has condensed upon the interior of
the hives so ihat I have noticed it to run
from the corner of a hive cover iust raised.
Ag'l,., Col., Michigan, April Gth, 1891.
Getting Large Yields by Raising Plenty of
Bees and Preventing Swarming.
■ URING the past few months I have
been in correspondence with a "West-
ern man," (and that is as near as I
have liberty to say who he is) and his writ-
ings have been so graphic, and his success so
wonderful that I begged him to write for
the Review. With tlie following article
came the information that the writer was
managing bees for another man, and the
owner objected to his giving the locality in
connection with the report, as many would
conclude that that locality was a bee-keeper's
l)aradise, and would flock in there and over
stock the locality which was well stocked
now. As this article shows how to get plenty
of bees at the right time, and then hold them
to their work, I think best to publish it,
even if the writer's name and locality must
be with held. — Ed. Review.
As our experience may help some of your
readers to attain success in the matter of
getting large honey yields from their apia-
ries, I will try to make plain, as briefly as
possibly, how we made a success last season.
The bees were wintered on the summer
stands, or rather packed in chaff in long
rows made up as follows: Place 2x4's on
the ground, or on blocks just high enough to
be dry. Set the hives on these about six
inches apart. Boar^ up all around with
rough lumber, with 4 to 6 in. space at back.
Boards in front, against hive, just above en-
trance and leaning out at top to give packing
space of 2 or 3 inches in front. Chaff under
the hive. Scraps of boards split up to about
% square, placed on top of frames, 2 sticks
to each hive. Two to three ply of burlap,
(gunny sack) spread over the chamber. An
empty brood chamber set on top, and about
}4 tilled with chaff. Then put on lid, with a
chip under to let out the moisture, but not
enough to let mice in. Then all is packed
full of chaff about the hives clear to the top.
The packing left about them until in May.
If a colony began to hang out we gave more
ventilation.
Last of March, or first of April, every
colony was examined to see that they had
stores. As the weather became warmer, we
would remove some of the packing about top
of the hive, to facilitate work. We finally
left the chaff out that was in the upper
chamber, and placed the lid down on the
quilt. The last packing removed being that
immediately about the brood chamber. But
all were kept packed in whole or in part —
enough for protection — until weather was
warm and hives full of bees.
When a colony could spare brood, it was
made to help the weaker ones. By the last
of May we had lots of bees, and many colo-
nies would rear drones, if any drone cells
could be found, but we "cut their heads off,"
ditto queen cells if any were started.
The last of May and fore part of June, we
spared no pains to get large quantities of
126
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
brood. If a colony was short of honey, we
gave them a card or two. About once a
week, or perhaps ten days, every colony was
examined, and brood spread, "drones
shaved," and honey given if needed. About
the 10th of June, (chaff had now been all re-
moved) some colonies seemed bent on
swarming, but we nipped the cells. We
now lifted each brood chamber and placed a
chamber underneath, some entirely vacant
and some having one or two combs, just for
climbers or ladders. This was done to give
room to cluster, and to keep them cool. No
comb was built in these lower chambers, be-
cause no honey was in the fields.
Up to this time, the bees had not made a
living, but were dependent on the honey
within the hive, but, by evening up stor.es
and feeding about 1000 pounds of honey, we
had kept all in good shape. Honey, how-
ever, was very nearly gone in the whole
apiary, and our reserve in the honey house
nearly exhausted. We expected the How to
begin about June 15 to 20th, or possibly
later. We wanted each colony to have one
or two supers on before the flow opened, so
they could get acquainted, chink up cracks,
etc., so we put on one super to each hive.
Now observe, we were stretching them both
i«ays; an empty brood chamber below, and
a super above. We used but nine frames in
the regular ten-frame Simplicity hive, so
you see there was lots of room in between
the combs and in empty cells, for bees to
cluster.
The supers we put on at this time were ar-
ranged as follows: Of last year's unfinished
sections, "extracted and dried," two rows
against side of super, then a separator, then
two rows of new section with full sheets of
foundation, then a separator, then two more
rows of old sections, and all wedged up with
a follower. Thus we had sixteen sections all
ready to put honey in, and twelve new ones.
June 15 and IGth, the bees made* their living.
The 17th the flow opened and then there was
some flying around done. Every brood
chamber had to come out from beneath,
(those emptys I mean) and more room given
on top. We gave another super full of new
sections and full sheets of foundation, lift-
ing up the one already on, and putting tlie
new one under it.
We had taken cards of brood from the
more prolific, placing them in the hives of
less prolific and failing queens, so that, with
very few exceptions, each colony had about
eight combs of brood, some having the whole
nine filled, some having but seven; but the
average was between seven and eight solid
combs of brood. All cells in brood chamber
free of brood, were at once filled with honey
and lengthened. The old sections in the
supers ditto, while the foundation was being
drawn.
The thickening of the combs and the in-
creased activity and heat only crowded more
bees into the supers, so we had to add more
supers, until four and five supers would not
keep some colonies from lying out. The
weather was not exceedingly hot, seldom go-
ing above 95° in the hottest part of the day ;
the nights always being cool. We also gave
ventilation, by blocking up the hives in
front, 1.2 to ^H of an inch; ^g however, is too
much, because some combs will be built un-
der frames.
By clipping cells we thought to hold them
perhaps ten days longer, but in this we made
a mistake, for after the cells were clipped,
they would swarm without waiting to rebuild
the cells. The bees were in three apiaries,
and to make sure that no swarms would get
away, we had previously clipped the queens'
wings. When we saw we could no longer j
hold them we at once began to remove I
queens, killing some and making nuclei
with others, building the nuclei up to full
colonies as the season passed. Nine or ten
days after removing the queens ( every cell
being carefully clipped at time of removing)
all cells, save one, were clipped from each
hive, and each colony allowed to requeen.
After the final clipping of cells, we would re-
move finished supers and put on emptys, al-
ways putting the fresh one at the bottom,
until toward the end of flow, when some
were added at top; much depending on
strength of colony.
No sections were handled singly, each
super being left on until finished. As supers
were finished they were removed to the honey
house and stored just as taken from the hive.
At the wind up, whatever sections were un-
finished were extracted and kept over for the
next season. If a colony failed to re-
queen itself because of losing a yoimg queen,
we took away the honey and let the bees
work themselves to death laying in a new
supply of honey or trying to do so.
Here is the result of our work: Bees
were in three apiaries; home yard. No. 1, and
No. 2. Home yard run for extracted honey.
Nos. 1 and 2 for comb honey.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
127
Yard No. 1.
G5 Colonies.
2 Colonies gave each 28 pounds
2 " " " m
12 " " " «4 '•
14 " " '• 112
21 " " •• 140
10 " " " 1G8 "
3 " " " 19« "
1 " " •' 224
Average 127 lbs. (Increased to 80 colonies. )
Yard No. 2. (JO Colonies.
28 Colonies gave each 212 pounds
23 ** " " 140
9 " •' " 168
4 " '' " 224
1 " ♦' " 252 "
Average 140 lbs. (Increased to 70 colonies. )
Took some extracted from increase in
both apiaries. Average for the three yaids,
loO pounds, spring count. The total crop
was twelve tons and brought us $2,700 last
fall at wholesale.
Now, don't say this success was because of
location or an extra honey flow. It was not.
The flow lasted about fifty days. The bees
never made a living up to the opening of the
flow; neither did they after the close of it.
All the surplus and their living for the suc-
ceeding ten months, was put in during that
time. If it had been the result of an extra
honey flow, why did not other apiaries in the
same fields show it? The very best yields
from other apiaries were only about one- half
the above. Summed up, here is what ^ gave
us success. Winter and spriny protection,
getting rousing colonies by spreading brood,
evening up and feeding when necessary, al-
lowing no colony to swarm, removing the
queens during the honey-flow and by doing
everything at the right time.
Remember that "work well done is twice
done. ' ' Observe in the report, that 2 colonies
gave each 28 pounds. One of these swarmed
and skipped (we must have missed queen in
clipping) and the other superceded its queen
just when the queen ought to have been do-
ing her best. Had all swarmed; how it would
have lessened the yield. There was lots of
work about this, but the increase in yield
more than paid for all the work done secur-
ing the whole crop.
Don't slight your work. AVhen you get a
strong colony don't divide or allow it to
swarm. Those bees tliat would be kept at
home in the new hive should be sent to the
fields to gather honey and the expense of a
new hive saved. Doulile gain, do you see?
Take away queens during the flow, you can't
hold them unless you do.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. }4UTCHir*SOrl, Ed. &. Pfop.
Terms : —$1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 : three for $2.7(> ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each, i^^ The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, MAY 10. 1891.
Beeswax is going up, but VVm. W. Cary
writes that he shall not raise the price of
his foundation during the next thirty days.
Three cents a pound is worth looking after.
This issue of the Review is a little late
because I have been devoting so much time
to that forthcoming book, " Advanced Bee-
Culture" which will be out before I begin
work on the June Review. The June Review
probably will also be late, but, after the book
is out, I can then " catch up."
A COPY of the last edition of Prof. Cook's
Guide is added to my library. The price of
this book is now only $1.00. Those tvho
bought this book a few years ago have but
little idea of what may be found in the last
edition. It contains the latest in science and
practice, and is really the choicest book for
American bee-keepers.
Wm. F. Clarke is the projector of a Bee-
Keepers' College, at Guelph, Ontario. An
apiary of several difi'erent varieties of bees
will be kept, and modern appliances and
methods will be in use. The Institution
will be conducted very much after the plan
of a Commercial or Business College. Those
interested will please address Mr. Clarke for
further particulars. The Review hopes the
new scheme will be a success.
martin's prolific buckwheat.
Wm. Martin, of Cass City, Mich., in 1888,
noticed one plant of buckwheat in his field
of Japanese buckwheat, that was taller and
heavier loaded witli grain than tlie other
plants. He saved the seed from this, and
sowed it by itself ever since. This sport
has retained its original good qualities ; and
its fortunate owner now has enough of the
seed so that he can otter some for sale.
128
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
THE ADULTEBATION OF HONEY.
If the last two issues of the Review have
done notliing else, they have shown most con-
clusively that fear of opposing the editorial
opinion does not prevent a free and full ex-
pression of opinions by correspondents.
It is as I would have it. I wish to be able to
freely express my views with the feeling
that any mistakes I make will be as freely
corrected. I am glad that correspondents
have been so outspoken, although I fear
that I have been slightly misunderstoood on
one or two points. Wkeu I said that bee-
keepers were opposed to the adulteration
of honey almost wholly upon selfish grounds,
I did not have in mind a sordid, grasping
selfishness, but one that is wholly honorable,
the selfishness that prompts a man to attend
to his own business instead of that of his
neighbor.
There also seems to have been a sort of
feeling, almost unconsciously expressed,
that I failed in my duty by not condemning
adulteration as wrong — by not saying
that it ought to be opposed because it is
wrong — by not admitting that keeping still
may be " winking " at an evil practice.
Why bless you ! friends, of course, it's
wrong, but not so much so as hundreds of
other practices against which we, as bee-
keepers, give ourselves little or no concern.
Mr. Walker gives the first instance of
which I have learned in which newspaper
notoriety of adulteration has helped the
sale of genuine honey and at the same time
worked against the bogus article ; but, in
this case, it was possible to describe the
spurious and the genuine honey. And right
here is where lies the greatest difficulty in
fighting adulteration — describing the adul-
terated article. Does any one suppose that
the public would buy adulerated honey if
there were some easy way of detecting it ?
Government chemists have analyzed pure
honey and pronounced it adulterated ; and
Prof. Cook has repeatedly said that he be-
lieved it impossible to say positively that
any certain sample of honey is adulterated.
This is why I have considered the conviction
of adulterators almost hopeless. Counter-
feit money, butterine and other substances
that have been mentioned, can be distin-
guished, at least, by experts. Mr. Walker
says that encyclopaedias agree that all com-
mercial glucose contains sulphuric acid, and
that its presence can be very easily and
quickly detected by chloride of barium.
Past experience makes me a little sceptical in
regard to the correctness of encyclopaedias,
but I should be glad to know that they are
correct in this instance.
Right here comes in another point. A
syrup of granulated sugar can now be made
that will cost no more than glucose. This
will contain no acid. Can it be detected ?
Perhaps some will think I am trying to aid
adulteration. No, I am not, but, as bee-
keepers, we cannot afford to shut our eyes to
facts, even though they are unpleasant.
If there is some method by which the
adulteration of honey can be detected, I am
in accord with the views expressed by sever-
al correspondents, that the Bee-Keepers'
Union should assist in prosecuting adultera-
tors. As I understand it, a change in the
constitution of the Union would be neces-
sary before money could be used for this
purpose ; but, if the Union could put an
end to what adulteration there is, and, what
is of far more importance, convince the pub-
lic of this accomplishment, I believe its use-
fulness would be increased a thousand fold,
and members would flock to it in about the
same proportion — they could then see where
its existence was of some benefit to them,
I wish to explain more fully my views in
regard to the " policy of silence." I do not
advise that adulteration shall be denied, or
even an attempt made to conceal the fact.
Perhaps, I can best illustrate my meaning by
relating one or two incidents. At a Chicago |
meeting of bee-keepers, a certain man, >
styling himself a Dr. Somebody, (I have
forgotten the name) said that he was en- _
gaged in selling honey, but found that he ■
was obliged to compete with adulterated ■
goods, and he was very persistent that some
sort of resolutions should be adopted, a com-
mittee appointed, etc. He brought up the
subject on two different occasions, occupied
an hour or more each time and finally car-
ried his point by the " skin of his teeth." Of
course, reporters for the daily papers were
present, and everything of a sensational na-
ture was carefully jotted down and then
spread before thousands and thousands of
readers. After the meeting was over Bro.
Newman said to me, " This fellow with his
adulteration business has done bee-keepers
more harm than ten such conventions can do
them good." He was correct. This is the
kind of '• clack " to which I object. In this
connection it would be well to remember,
also, that the discussion in the bee journals
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
129
of adulteration does not reach the general
public, hence can do no harm — nor good —
in that direction, but these garbled reports
of " resolutions," appearing in the dailies of
large cities are read by consumers, and often
reach as many people as all of the readers of
the bee journals combiii«>d and then multi-
plied by five. Besides, articles appearing in
this class of papers are likely to be copied
far and wide.
When attending a bee-keepers' convention
held May G, at Ionia, Mich., Mr. Harm
Smith told me that upon learning that a can
of adulterated honey had been sent a grocer
of his town, he went to him and said, " The
first pound of that stuff you sell, I'll prose-
cute you." The "stuff" went back to the
mixer. There was no blow nor bluster —
no publishing of the matter in the papers. It
was a case of " silent influence."
This holding up of the hands in holy hor-
ror, and exhausting the vocabulary in de-
nouncing the " vile adulterators," may have
a very righteous sound, but it doesn''t stop
adulteration. Adulteration will cease only
when it is no longer profitable : but it would
be greatly lessened if those who practice it
could be detected and punished.
I have little faith in teaching consumers
to discriminate between pure and adulterated
honey. We cannot tell them to buy only
granulated honey, as pure honey does not
always granulate, and glucosed honey often
does. Neither do I believe that it would
help matters much to advise the purchase of
only such honey as bears the name of the
producer. In the first place, it will be
well nigh impossible to convince people
that bee-keepers are more honest than other
folks. In the next place, injustice would be
done honest dealers. Who of us would be-
lieve that Chas. F. Muth would adulterate
honey ? I will say this much, however, that
the public might be told to view with suspi-
cion all honey put up in retail packages
without any name or address whatever, ei-
ther as producer or dealer. With the present
condition of things, I know of no better plan
than that of each bee-keeper, or dealer, mark-
ing his goods and then establishing u reputa-
tion for them.
There are many arguments brought up by
correspondents, to which I would gladly re-
ply, in fact, I feel as thcnigh I could write all
day upon the subject and then leave unsaid
much that I would like to say, but lack of
space prevents, and, as this subject proves to
be broader than I anticipated, I think best
to devote another num ber to its discussion.
If the Review can be instrumental in
helping to rid bee-keepers of the evils aris-
ing from adulteration, it will have done an
act of which it may well be proud ; and if
there are any who can help in the matter,
let them not hesitate to write, even if they
have written before. If there is little more to
say, then there will be room in the June
Rbview to give some valuable correspond-
ence, upon a variety of topics, that has been
crowded out for some time.
EXXRT^OTED.
Secretion of Wax.
"Wax scales are found, plenty of them,
wasted on the bottom boards, when a swarm
is hived in an empty hive without founda-
tion or comb. Few or no wax scales are
found on the bottom-board of a colony run
for extracted honey, if they have abundance
of empty combs. The case should be exact-
ly reversed, if bees secrete wax whether need-
ed or not." — C C. Miller in Gleanings.
Bro. Miller, the explanation is just this: A
swarm always goes with a lot of wax scales
already protruding from the wax pockets.
Not only this, but the sack of every bee is
filled with honey. It seems as though the
bees intended to carry all the material possi-
ble with which to furnish a new home.
When there is no comb nor foundation in
the hive, then wax scales "get ripe" if the
expression is allowable, and drop to the
bottom of the hives, before there is opportu-
nity to use them. If the bees are hived upon
combs, the scales are stuck upon the combs.
Didn't you ever notice how white the mouths
of the cells of an old black comb appeared
soon after bees had been hived upon it?
This comes from the scales of wax that have
been stuck on it, for a lack of somewhere else
to put them.
Oar Bees are big Enough.
Every little while somebody starts the in-
quiry if it would not be an advantage to
have larger bees; those that could carry
bigger loads, fly farther and faster, and
forage on red clover. It has been suggested
that comb foundation be used having cells a
trifle larger that those of natural comb, in
order that the bees may have more room to
grow. This matter of develvoping a larger
bee is now "up" iu the Api. This whole
question has been so thoroughly, soundly
130
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
and sensibly treated by Cheshire that I be-
lieve it will be wisdom to quote what he has
to say upon this point.
" The last point (size) is one upon which
great misapprehension abounds, The idea
that it is desirable to increase the dimensions
of our bees is all but universal, and, since I
have ventured, more than once, to stand
alone in condemning it, I must give my
reasons for so doing. Aiyisdorsata has been
hunted up, although it is know to lie a use-
less savage, simply because it is big, and
that by the very persons who claim that the
smaller hive bees are the best, in that they
give their vote generally to the yellow varie-
ties. Fortunately, it is in the very nature of
things impracticable to 'hybridize' our hive
bees with dorsata, over which we may in-
scribe 'Rebuiescat in pace.''
But it is still necessary to point out that
the smaller the creature, the greater, rela-
tively, are its powers, both for a mechanical
and physiological reason. First, other things
being equal, as an animal i^ enlarged, its
weight increases as the cube, and its
strength as the square only, of the ratio of
the lineal increase. Thus, if a man could be
developed until his Gft. stature became 18ft.,
his weight would be increased no less than
twenty-seven times; while his muscles, be-
cause three times their former width and
thickness, would have only nine times their
former power. Such a man would be just
able to stand: but if he were to stoop to pick
up a pebble, he would be too weak to rise
again to the erect posture. This aspect of
the question is quite mechanical, and may
be further illustrated thus: An ordinary
lucifer match, supported horizontally at the
ends, will bear about 70CK) times its own
weight suspended from its centre; but by en-
larging it 240 times, it becomes a great baulk
of timber, which would be broken by once
its own weight similarly suspended. Here
we have the reason why ants can build nests,
which, in relative size, utterly transcend
anything bigger creatures can accomplish;
why some insects can jump even a hundred
times or more their own height, while the
gazelle can, at a push, do twice, and man
and the horse once theirs, leaving the ele-
phant to disdain jumping, as unsuited to his
ponderous dignity.
The economies of the question must not
be overlooked. In gathering from clover, it
has been shown that about l-U.'SOth grain is
secured at each visit. Let us imagine that
our bee is enlarged twice, by which its weight
has growu eight-fold. As it flies, carrying
its large I lody from clover-bloom to clover-
bloom, an amount of wear and tear is in-
volved which is eight times as great as that
accompanying similar movements in the
normal bee. This wear ai.d tear is replaced
by food — of course, proportionately aug-
mented, and which has to be deducted from
the l-.^.Wth grain se(!ured. The net increase
to the stock is, therefore, less at ea h visit,
in the case of the large bee, than in that of
the normal one. The formpr, however, has
the advantage of being able to decrease its
return visits to the hive to unload, because
its honoy-sai5 is larger; but this is the only
gain, and it is much more than counter-
balanced by the fact that, with normal bees,
eight independent gatherers would be at
work simultaneously for only the same wear
and tear that would permit of the efforts of
one if the bulk were increased as supposed.
Selection has gone on for ages regulating
the proportions of the wondrous insect be-
tween those extremes in which the loss by
excessively frequent returns to the colony,
and the loss through excessive bodily weight,
balance each other, and has thus given us a
bee whose size yields the best possible re-
sults.
The botanical reason for desiring no altera-
tion was expounded in Vol. I. Flowers and
bees have been constantly interacting. The
build of every floret is adapted to that of its
fertilizer, and, could we suddeidy increase
the dimensions of our hive bees, we should
throw them out of harmony with the floral
world around them, decrea'^e their utility, by
reducing the number of plants they could
fertilize, and diminish eiiually their value as
honey-gatherers. Mechanics, physiology,
economics, and botany alike, show any crav-
ing after mere size to be an ill-considered
aud uuscientido fancy, for which it would be
even difficult to tiud an excuse."
Manum's New Methods of Running Several
Apiaries Alone.
Some have been inclined to laugh at me
because I was so visionary as to think that
the time would yet come when one man
could care for several apiaries; but even now
Mr. E. A. Manum proposes to care for six
out -apiaries and one at home, and no help
to be hired. From an article in Gleanings
I clip that part that tells how he proposes to
manage.
"First, I shall do all in my power, through
the month of May — by contracting and feed-
ing— to stimulate brood-rearing, in order to
get a large force of workers hatched out by
the time clover blossoms, which is usually
about June 10th; and as then is the time
swarming commences, I shall remove the
queens from such colonies as have started
queen-cells, or that show any signs of pre-
paring to swarm: then in eight days I remove
all queen-cells found in these hives, except,
perhaps, from one or two that I wish to rear
queens from. In these I allow the cells to
remain until they are old enough to transfer
to the queen-nursery to hatch, and perhaps
at this second visit I remove fifteen or twenty
more queens, and in six or eight days more I
again visit this yard and cut out queen-cells
as before, both from the first lots where the
queens were taken out— should there be any
— and the second lot and remove queens
from as many more as I find preparing to
swarm. Now, by the time I make the third
visit I shall find a lot of young queens hatch-
ed in the nursery: and tiie colonies from
which I removed the first (jueens will be in
condition to receive and accept a virgin
queen, so that I will run in a virgin queen in
each colony. All this time I must manage
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
131
to have a supply of virgin 0 feet diameter
with a smaller circle within each large one.
The hive-stands, holding two hives each, are
placed around these circles, ](> on the outer
circle, 8 in the inside smaller one, and all
facing outward. This is the most satisfac-
tory arrangement I have ever tried, as it
gives a distinct individuality to each stand.
In setting out the bees in the spring, I select-
ed one of these circles and tilled the 24 stands
with 48 of my best swarms as nearly equal
in (luality as possible. I then took lath and
made 1*2 handsome outside cases large
enough to set over two hives, with foui-inch
space on all sides for packing, and six inches
on top. I placed one of these cases on every
other stand, leaving one-half of the hives
unprotected. The cases were then filled
neatly with excelsior sawdust from the sec-
tion machine. There were double bottom-
boards, and bottom protection to the packed
hives. The cases were made in four pieces,
so that, by tacking four small finishing nails,
one in each corner, the whole case coul i be
knocked down in a moment and laid away
in the flat when not in use; and when the
12 stands were packed in their neat cases
and securely covered with a waterproof roof,
I said to myself, "Well, this is just splen-
did." The 24 other hives were left entirely
unprotected, except that each hive was cov-
ered with a shallow rim three inches deep,
with building-paper nailed on one side for a
bottom. Each of these shallow boxes were
filled with sawdust. A square of burlap was
spread over each hive, the boxes set on these
and covered with a good roof. The spring
was exceedingly cold and late — just such a
one as would give spring protection its best
chance to prove its value. I then gave
watchful care to all alike, and awaited re-
sults with great interest. I resolved at the
start that I would let all those bees swarm
naturally, and then keep strict account of
the time of swarming as well as the honey
produced by each class of swarms. They all
did swarm somewhat late, as the season was
the poorest for honey in all my 45 years' ex-
perience.
I will not lengthen this article by giving
details of the results of this experiment. It
is suQicient to say, that, while the cost of
material for making the cases was only 2.5
cents each, and the work of making them
was not very great, yet the increased result
was not great enough to warrant this small
outlay. I shall try t he same experiment with
some new ones again this year and again
note results. But my present impressions
are, that plain hives, cellar wintering, with
spring protection in the shape of warm
bottom-boards, and warm covers for the top
of the hives, are the thing. The bottom is
where the cold enters, and the top is where
the heat escapes. Both of these points
should be carefully protected. My observa-
tion has led me to fear that the danger of
enticing the bees to leave their warmly pack-
ed hives on unsuitable cold days, and perish-
ing in the cold winds will counterbalance all
the good they will do.
Baknett Taylor.
Forestville, Minn., March 23.
[Look here, B. Taylor. You have given
us the result of a very valuable experiment
just now; but as you prepared your bees, I
am sure they all wintered pretty well, for, in
fact, both those that were chaff-packed and
those that were not, were in very good shape
for winter. You have omitted to say to our
readers that you have them in these shallow
half-depth frames; but the fact is, in those
shallow brood chambers, with a good warm
bottom-board, and your chaff packing on
132
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
top, you really have a pretty good chaff hive;
and I should not wonder that, with such
good protection for both top and bottom,
and then allowing the sun to strike directly
on the sides of the hives whenever it shines
we shall have an arrangement pretty nearly
as good as a regular chaff hive.]"
Mr. Taylor is one who makes a specialty
of bee-keeping, and never makes the mistake
of conducting experiments upon too small
a scale. Mr. Taylor writes me that he is ex-
tending his experiment this spring by pack-
150 colonies. He adds: "I have the means
to experiment; and I am going to know
what's what. After I know, the Review
readers shall have the benefit."
Bee-Escapes and How to Use Them — Will
Their nse Enable as to Indulge
in House Apiaries'?
Mr. C. H. Dibberu sends to Uleaninqs such
a valuable article on bee-escapes that I copy
nearly the whole article.
"The first thing required is the escape it-
self; and it should be so made that it will fit
into a board without any projections, and no
empty boxes or supers should be required.
The next thing is the escape-board, to cut
off the bees in the super from the main hive.
This should be made of boards not more
than half an inch thick, and should be pro-
vided with bee-spaces, so that, when it is
placed under the super, there will be a bee-
space on both sides. The escape should be
removable from the board, so that a piece of
board can be substituted for the escape
when desired. There must Ije neither brood
nor queen in the super, or the escape will
not clear it entirely of bees. If a wood-zinc
honey-board is used, there will be no trouble
on this point. The escape should be made
with not too many or too large openings, as
the bees are no fools, and readily find their
way back through them where there is a fair
chance. The escape should also be so placed
that there will be no more than a bee-space
under it, for the bees to cluster in, for I have
learned that where they can cluster on the
cone, they are much more apt to find their
way Ijack through it. I have also found that
bees can not cluster and hang on to a piece
of smooth tin as they do on a wire-cloth
cone. If cones are made of wire cloth I
would place them on the upper side of the
board, with a piece of tin, with small holes
punched in it, for the bees to pass out, for
the lower side. This is a form or escape I
shall experiment with this season. I have
many other experiments in view on this line
having no less than a dozen forms of escapes
ready to try as soon as there is any chance
to test them.
I do not see that there can be any doubt
as to the advantages of the bee-escape. It
makes it not only easier and pleasanter for
the apiarist but irritates the bees much less
than any other method. The escape-board
can be slipped under the super in less than
a minute, and the bees will escape into the
super or hive below, so gradually and peace-
fully that they do not seem to know what has
happened. Cases can he placed over the es-
capes, and in a few hours the honey can be
carried away without disturbing the bees
from their workin the least.
The escape is particu!nrly useful in the
management of out-apiaries. Last fall,
when I got ready to remove what honey there
was in the supers at my out-apiary, I found
that robbing was "just fearful," as there
was no honey coming in: and as I had
neither shop nor honey-house there, I hardly
see how I could have managed without the
bee-escape. I was digging a "bee-cave" at
the time; and as I had many other things to
look after when out, I had to make good use
of my time. When I got out there in the
morning I would place these escapes under
as many supers as I could haul in my light
wagon, and then go about my regular work.
When I got ready to go home I would load
up my honey, with scarcely a single bee to
bother. Once I placed the escape-board un-
der a super that had a small knot-hole in it,
that had escaped my attention. A few hours
after, I heard the shrill note of the robber,
and soon found that the bees were robbing
through this knot hole, there being no longer
any bees there to defend it. I fully believe
that the escape will prove as valuable for ex-
tracted as for comb honey. W^hit we want
is to get the "hang" of the proper manage-
ment. Last year some of our California
friends objected, on account of the honey
becoming too cold if left over night on hives
over the escapes. But why not put the es-
capes on in the morning, and at intervals
during the day, so that there would be a suc-
cession of supers that the l)ees had just
vacated? The sun, which I believe nearly
always shines there, would certainly keep
them warm enough. ( )f course, the bee-es-
cape presupposes a super of some kind; and
such bee-keepers as remove their honey in
single wide frames or sections, like Doolittle,
will not find much use for them. It is not
strange that all bee-keepers do not take
readily to the bee-escape. When we remem-
ber that we are not at all agreed as to the
advantages of comb foundation, the extrac-
tor, and many other things, it is not to be
wondered at. All the same, the bee-escape
has "come to stay" and many who are now
shaking their heads will "come into the
agency" l)y and by.
There is yet another use for the l)ee-escape
besides removing the surplus, that is in hiv-
ing swarms, that promises good results.
Last year I tried a sort of combination Hed-
don-Tinker bee-escape system, that pleased
XB" greatly. I simply hived the swarm on
the old stand and removed the partly filled
super to it from the old hive. I then put on
the escape-board, with escape in place, and
the old hive on top of that, giving them a
small entrance of their own. I would leave
it there for seven days, during which time
bees were constantly escaping to the now
colony. On the seventh day the old hive
was removed to a new stand, and a hive-
cover laid on the escape-board, still leaving
the small entrance for the returning bees to
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
133
enter the bee-space under tlie cover, and es-
cape to the new colony below. To my no-
tion this works much better than the Hed-
dou system, as you are not reciuired to shift
the hives every day, and having them stand-
ing around in all sorts of awkward positions.
Then, too, the bees from the old hive are
never at a loss to know where to go. and the
old hive is so reduced in bees that the
chances of any further swarming are very
small. Perhaps there are yet other uses for
the bee-escape. Time only can tell.
Milan, 111., April 1. "C. H. Dibbeen.
[Years ago, neighbor Dean and myself
rode 20 miles to see a house-apiary all com-
plete and in running order. The thing
seemed to work very well with the exception
of the difficulty of taking honey from tlie
bees. During that whole twenty-mile ride
we two talked the plan over, with the view
of getting the honey away from the bees,
without shaking or brushing them off. My
neighbor thought it might possibly be done
by waiting until cold weather drove the bees
out of the supers. He said he didn't believe
it could be managed profitably in any other
way. I presume such a thing as a bee-escape
was at that time used to some extent; but we
did not think of it, or did not know one
could be made to do the work that they are
now doing. Who knows but that bee-es-
capes may finally revive house-apiaries? I
suggest in the ABC book that one might
have a hive of bees in one corner of the
pantry, letting them go out through the wall
of the house. Then the good wife can take
a section of honey right out of the hive and
put it on the table, provided she can get it
without getting the bees also. Can't a bee-
escape be arranged so as to accomplish
this?]"
At the last meeting of the Ohio State Bee-
Keepers' association, I tried to get some-
body to tell me why home-apiaries had been
abaidoned, but as nobody knew what I was
driving at, the replies were far from satisfac-
tory. At last I explained that, as I under-
stood the matter, the principal objection
was that the l)ees were let loose in the room
when removing the surplus, and I had often
wondered if the bee-escape would not remedy
this objection. Ernest, did you go home and
tell your father what I said, and that is
where he got his idea of bee-escapes reviving
home-apiaries? I presume you didn't. Itis
simply a case of "great minds — you know
the rest. Candidly, though, I have for near-
ly a year had this thought in my mind, that
bee-escapes might allow us to operate house-
apiaries successfully; in fact, I have several
times almost decided to make house-apiaries
the subject of special discussion, and I may
yet. What do my readers think?
After the above was in type, along came a
sample half dozen escapes from Mr, E. C.
Porter of Lcwistown, 111., accompanied by
tins engraving.
PATENT PL^lL/INl..
THE PORTER, SPRING BEN-E80APE.
The upper part of tin is partly cut away,
showing how a bee can pass down
through the opening at the left, and then
pass on out between the two delicate
springs. It will be seen that it is inqwssible
for bees to return through this escape.
From the circular sent by Mr. Porter, I copy
the following directions.
"The escape-board should be made from
,^2 or Sg inch lumber, the former being pref-
ferable, of the size of the top of the brood
chamber or super and provided with a suit-
able bee-space or half bee-spaces formed by
nailing strips about '„ of an inch wide and
of propier thickness around the board and
even with its edges, so that when on the
hive there will be a bee-space both above
and below it. The hole to receive the escape
should be in the center of the board, made
by boring two 1^{ inch holes S^a inches from
center to center and cutting out the wood re-
maining between them. One escape to the
board is sufficient.
When the surplus honey is ready to be
taken from the hive, at any time of day
when convenient, raise up the super, bees,
honey and all, place the escape-board, with
escape in place on the brood chamber or
super if one remains on the hive or has been
put on after removing the first, and place the
super taken from the hive on the escape-
board. If this is done early in the forenoon
and there is no brood or queen in the super,
ordinarily in five or six hours, frequently
much sooner, the bees will be practically all
out, or if done late in the afternoon, by 8 or
9 o'clock the next morning. If there is
brood' in the super, a few bees will remain
clustered on it for some time, but if they
have a queen with them, which very rarely
occurs, even though queen-excluders are not
used, a large proportion of the bees will
usually stay with her and she must either be
removed or some other means of getting
them out restored to.
Owing to the varied dispositions of the
bees of different colonies, under the same
conditions, there is a great difference in the
length of time occupied by them in passing
from the super and with the bees of the
same colony, the time of the day, the state
of the weather, the presence or absence of a
honey-flow all have their influence to vary
this time. As a rule they pass out most
rapidly when all conditions are such that
they are naturally the most active.
134
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Should it be desired to get the bees out of
the super as quickly as possible, part of
them may be smoked down before applying
the escape, and the few remaining will pass
out much sooner than if all were left in.
On excessively hot days care should be
taken not to have the supers from which the
bees are escaping exposed to the direct rays
of the sun.
If it is ever found necessary to clean the
escape, drop it into boiling water or pour
boiling water through it."
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Sample of the AMERICAN BEE JOUIUrAJb
Weekly— 32 pages— One Dollar a year.
246 East Madison Street, CHICAGO, ILL.
To All Bee-Keepers,
If You Want The
BEST SMOKER
Made, semi and get the QUINBY. Send for
illustrated price list. Dealers should send for
wholesale list of smokers.
W. E. CLARKE,
Dealer in Apiarian Supplies,
^■fll-2t Oriskany, Oneida, Co., N. Y.
THE o.A-isrj^iDiu^isr
Bee Journal,
Poultry Journal,
EDITED BY D. A. JONES. ED'TD BY W.C.G. PETFR.
75 cts. a Year.
75 cts. a Year.
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals (me year to one address, :$! .00
we will "^emi Eltllfir triaftrip for S fllthS 25 CtSi
THE D. A. JONES CO., Vd, Beeton, Out.
a
TAKE NOTICE.
11
If you wish tlie best honey gatherers and the
gentlest bees to liandle, order ALBINO
QUEENS from the original producer of the
Albino bee, D. A, PIKE,
5 91-U Smithbarg, Wash. Co., Md.
136
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Send Five Oents
f,,r a sample of my golden
BEES.
One queeu,..y mail, in June, $1.00; in July and
August, 75 cents.
5-91-3t
J. F MICHAEL,
German, Ohio
Beautiful Bees ''^''' '%f eye.
Good Qualities "^^ ^'^f.llnTABLE.
Tf vou wish for bees and queens that combine
beautv and go d qualities to a marked degree,
wHte'for descriptive circular giving low pnces.
No circulars --^^-^ess asked^for^^
3.90-tf Spe^cerviUe^
FOR/ S^AuIjE Surveyor's Railroad
_Also a Solar C'ou.pass. W. C. PELHAM..^^^^ ^^
o-yl-it
Bee - Keepers' Supplies.
Send for illustrated price list, free. My pam-
T,hlet " How I Produce Comb Honey," by mail,
Xjhlet,^ now 1 I HILTON,Fremont, Mich.
five cts.
Please mention the Reui(
E3sta.t>lis]n.ea. IST'S-
Wholesale and Setail Manufatursrs cf
BEE - KEEPERS'
Sia ID lilies.
KENTON, OHIO.
Price list free. 5-91-2t Mention the Review.
Bees and Queens.
My bees have wintered well and I can spare a
few colonies at the following prices : Single col-
ony; $6.00 ; five colonies, $5.50 each; ten. or more,
colonies, $5.00 each. The frames are Langstroth,
eight in a hive, and the hives old style Heddon
with loose bottom ))oards. They are similar to
the Root Dovetailed hive. Bees m the new,
Heddon hive can be furnished at an advance of
fifty cents jior colony upon above prices.
1 am now receiving weekly shipments of young
laying, Italian queens from the South. These I
will sell at $1.00 each. If ca^toin>r< prefer, they
may have tested queens from my own apiary at
the same price ; I replacing them with the young
queens from the South. Thete tested tiueens t hat
I offer were all reared last season, and are fine
queens right in their prime.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
fl ^€xPe Chancel
If you desire a good home within stone's throw
of railway, express and postofiice, in one of the
best
HO^EV
locations in the United States, write me for par-
ticulars. Excellent neighborhood An apiary ot
90 colonies, with fixtures, will be sold or leas d
with the place. Terms easy. JAS. HEDDOJN,
Dowagiac, Mich.
The Missouri Bee-Keeper
Three months on trial free. We want you to
see it. 'Tis a journal of seasonable hints.
Valuable to all. Twenty pages, monthly.
50 cents a year. Send address on postal card
to BEE-KEEPER PUB. CO.,
Unionville, Missouri.
FOR SALE.
5-91-2t
colonies of pure Italian bees at
ny. S. C. Perry. ,.. , g
Portland, Ionia to., Mich. |
O \J $3.00 per colony. S. ( :■ Perry.
Utility Bee -Hive.
Unexcelled for SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every part
INTERCHANGEABLE, REVERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
change with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WRY JOHNSON,
1-91-tf Masontown,Pa.
Don't Do It!
I mean tlou'i buy queens of L. L. HEARN,
Frrnchvillc, \Y. Va. unl.ss yon want the yellow-
est queens, the brightest, gentlest and best work-
ers, and the reddest drones m the world.
This strain ,.f bees took first Spremiura at ttie
Detroit Exi.osit ion in is-m. ))ut were " ruled out
at the Mich. State Fair becauee they hatl four
and five yeUow bands just a little too wide.
Prices in May, untested $1.25 ; tested $3.50 ;
select tested, $3.00; after Jane 1st, untested. $1.00,
tested, $2.00 :splect tested, $3.00; special breed-
ing queens, Jii.oo each.
(I M Doolittle wrote me in 1890 that of 100
untested queens of this strain, bought of me, not
one proved impurely mated. Safe arrivid and
satisfaction guaranteed by L- L.^HEARN,^_ ^^
PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION.
A. E. MANUM,
BRISTOL, VT.
JTAl^UK QUC£KS.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW-
137
Friends Look Here. The Record Broken
If you want Hybrid or Black Bees,
in April or May, at Jl.dna pnuud, fjive iiu» your
order. For ten yearn 1 liav(> been succenKfully
sliippiuK bees to tbe Noi tlK'rii states and to ('an-
ada. Safe arr val and butislaction guaranteed.
Untested Italian queens, after April 1st, f 1.00
each, or six for ».5.(K). T.") cts. ..;u-li after May let.
MRS. JENNIE ATCHLEY,
l-!H.2t Box V, Farmersville, Texas.
Qees for Qale.
COLONIES
NUCLEI £ QUEENS
At Living Rates. Send For
J^ Circular and Price List to
C. C. VAUGHN,
COLUMBIA, TENN.
2-91 -4t Mention the Review.
Bee - l^eepeps' Supplies.
Hefore placing your orders for supplies, send
for our Illustrated Catalogue We are now
making best goods at lowest prices.
PAGE, KEITH & SCHIVIIDT CO.,
12-90-6t New London, Wis.
Please mention the Reuieui.
B
E£. KEEPERS' GUIDE. Revised,
enJargrd improvetl, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price Sl.iiO.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
BUY YOUR
Italian Queens
FROIVI THE
Uone Stai< Apiary.
1 breed from choice, imported stock. Leather
colored. Write for price list.
OTTO J. E. Uf^BAfJ,
2-91-6t Thorndale, Texas.
Please mention the Reuieui.
And The Race is Won by The Albinos.
They out-stripped even the Italians in gentle
ness, beauty, honey gathering and proliticness of
queens This rare was brought about i)y the re-
production of an Italian sjjort ; and greatest
care has been taken to get them pure, and the
result is a race that ranks first in the bee world.
Try one of these queens. Ucscriptive catalogue
free. A. L. KILDOW,
21-90-tf Shetlield Illinois
Hunts' Foundation Factory.
Samples free. Send your beeswax and have it
made up. Highest prices paid for beeswax
3-91-6t Nl. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich. [Near Detroit.)
Send for my 23rd annual catalogue of
ITALIAN AND CYPRIAN
BEES, QUEENS,
nuclei and full colonies. Apiarian supjilies and
eggs for hatcliing. H. H. BROWN,
9-91 2t Light Street, Pa.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
BIN&HAM
Honey l^nives, ||||i
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, S'i inch,
Conqueror Smoker, .... 3 "
Large Smoker, .. . ZYz "
Extra Smoker, 2 "
Plain Smoker, 2 ''
Little Wonder Smoker, l',4
$2.00
1.75
1.50
1.25
1.00
65
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, 1.15
Upon receipt of price, Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descriptive Circular and Tes-
timonials sent upon application.
BINCHAIVI & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf. Abronia, Michigan
FIRST REPORT FOR 1891.
()n Saturday, March 28, I^'.U, I placed one of Mr. Alley's self-hivers at the entrance of a hive from
which I knew tlie bees would swarm in a ew days ; neiir this hive was one iirepared to receive the
new swarm when it issued. On Sunday afi. rnoon, about four o'cock, in walking through the apiary,
1 saw the liees at work in the new liivc. Tioy had swarmed and hived themselves and were working
nicely, without any assistance whatever on my part except to make the necessary preparation for
th m. Tiiis self- hiver will certainly bo a w..aderful help to beekeepers. Mr. Alley, th(> inventor,
should receive not only the heartfelt ti. ii.k, v.f all who are interested in beekeei)ing, i)Ut sometliing
more substantial in the way of our lil>"ral patronage. Bj the use of the drone trap and (lueen cage
combined, I secured 48 swarms out of 41', in I88.>, without so much as having to cut a single twig in
hiving them. Mns. S.vllie E. Sherman, Salado, Rell County, Texas.
I3r' Full description of the Self-IIiver mailed free. Sample Hiver, bj mail, $1.00.
138
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
U U 1 \)(X\) Supplies is not JJU IJ I
But the bee-keeper who fails to send for one will
be ; especially if he wishes to buy the best Hives,
Frames, Sections, Crates, Foundation, etc. Our
Italian Queens and Bees are the best— none are
better. Buy them, try them, and you'll need no
other.
An article on BEE MANAGEMENT is an in-
teresting feature of our Catalogue, that will
help the novice. Send your address for a free
copy to day.
R. STEATTON & SON,
4-91-12t
Hazardville, Conn,
Please mention the Reuieut.
Italian -- Queens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - Ibr - Circular.
J. T. 'WILSOl^r,
4-9l-tf
Pink, Kentucky.
ntion the Reuiew.
The Bee WoMd.
A journal devoted to collecting the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through
out the world, containing, as it were, the cream
of apiarian literature. Valuable alike to the am-
ateur and veteran. If you wish to keep posted,
you cannot aflford to do without it. Subscribe
now. It is a 20 page monthly at 50 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is published by
W. S. VANDRUFF,
Waynesburg, Greene Co., Pa.
Please mention the Reuiew.
/o
BLACK QUEENS, at 25 cts each.
Tliey are yf)ung and vigorous.
H. LATHHOP, Browntown, Wis
■SBig Blue Cat-
alogue for 1891? Fifty-one illustrated pages,
sent FREE to any bee-keeper. Our new factory,
four times larger than ever before, is now turn-
ing out Carloads of Dovetaled Hives and
large quantities of other styles. Alternating
Hives, Improved Langstroth-Simplicity, Plain
Langstroth, Simplicity and Cliaff Hives, Sec-
tions, Smokers, Foundation, Italian Bees; in
fact, EVEEYTHING needed in tiie apiary, at lowest
prices, always on hand. Established in 1864.
E. KRETCHMER,
2-91-tf Red Oak, Iowa.
mhl CHEAP!
By Foster's tested methods. See his new cata
logiie of Bees, Honev and Hew Things. 5-iil-lt
OLIVER FOSTER, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
HIGH HILL, MO.
Send for IHltl circular which gives information
ahoxn SUPPLIES, BEES, ETC.
GOLDEN ITALIAN QUEENS, un
tested, in May, $1.00 ; three for $'.'vi. Tested,
$1.50 ; three for |4 00. 1, 2, and 3 frame nuclei,
with queen, $2 25 to $4.00. Bees by the pound,
brood and full colonies at LOWEST figures.
Have your OfPOHA^S booked early 5-91-tf
JIVO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo,
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
mn DITTO,
SSS
Vapor aod Water —
fresh, salt, Mineral.
..> ^ Centennial Award,
"^ S Medal and Diploma,
• S asrainstthe world. _
fe n'/ioloalt A Retail. ^ Old Baths Renewed.
Send for Circulars. E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann Afbor, Mich.
8®» CHEAPEST and BEST BATH "^g
ICVJEJK. ItPfOWJVI
FREE CIRCULARS EXPLAIN ALL.
Address E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann Aroor, Mich.
1-9I-I2t Please mention the Reuiew.
K
IGH Scoring Birds. Blk. Minorca, S.
S.Wyandotte, S. S. Hamburg, B. Leghorn.
,3 eggs, 75c; 2ti, $1.00. C. M, Goodsfieed, Shamrock, N. Y.
Have you heard tliat Oliver Hoover & Co. have built, at Riverside, Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the East, fully equipped with the latest, improved maciiinery ? They are
now prepared to send out the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
ill en-
All kiuds of hee-kei'ptT.s' sui-plies ahvaj
.ihlc tliciii to ship goods by direct liu(^ t.
nliu^tui'cf, which will give tlie advaiitjigi ... _, ^
■ luicK tnuisportaton. Send for fn>e illustrated catalogue. __ „
OLtlVER fiOO^Ef? & CO., Riverside, Pa.
I' lease mention the Reuiew.
on hand. Their location wil
more ])<>intK than any other man-
if Loiw Freight Rates and
2-91-tf
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
139
ITALIAN QUEENS AND BEES.
May June Jnly to Oct.
s..|.-ct *n.r.o $3.00
IVst.'.l $3.00 2.r)0 2.110
Fertile, 'iM 1.50 1.00
Six fertile at one order, ><.i)(! fi.OO
Send for circular. W. J. ROW,
5-91 4t (jreensburK, Pa.
Plunge mention y the first of June.
Order early but don't instruct us to send queens
before you really wish them. .Make money orders
pavalile at Cliftrm. Semi Tor price list of early
queens, etc. COLWICK & COLWICK,
3-91-tf Nurse, Bosque Co., Tex.
A SPECIALITY.
. . $1.00
. 5..50
•l-OO
5.00
0.00
Untested queen, in J une,
Six
Twelve *' " " "
After June, six tjuoens
' " twelve "...
Tested queens double the price of untested
A few hybrid queens at .")0 cents each. 5-91-tf
S. A. SHUCK. Liivefpool Illinois.
Ple.iae mention the Review.
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turning out hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-f rame, L. hive, 2 T supers, $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, .... 1.00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto, 25.00
Clark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $2.00. Bee veils, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Pailier foundation fastener, 25 cents. Japanese
buckwheat, 60 cents a bushel ; bag 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents ; thin for
surplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circulars free.
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPR i. CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Ontario Bee - Keepers' College.
Circulars sent on application to
Wm. F. CLARKE, Principal,
(iuelph, Ont., Canada.
The universal favor ao-
corded Tilunghast's Puget
Sound Cabbage Seeds leads
me to offer a P. 8. Grows
Onion, tit finest Yellov) Globe
in existence. To introduce it and
show it- capabilities 1 vrill pay
SlOO for the best yield obtain-
«rt from 1 ounce of seed which
1 will mail lor 80 cts. Cata-
lotrue free.
Isaac F. Tilltnghast,
La Plume, Pa«
Please mention the Rauieu
140
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
ADVflHCED BEE-COliTUt?E;
Its JVTcthods and JVEanagement.
I am now engaged in writing and printing a book that is to bear the above title.
It is to take the place of my other book, The Prodnc^ion of Comb Honey, which
will not be re-published. Although the new book will contain at least five or six
times as much matter as The Production of Comb Honey, yet the price will be only
50 cts. The book is already partly printed and will be out before the June Review
is printed. If any of the friends would like to "help me along" in meeting
the expenses of getting out the book, they can do so by sending their orders in
advance. Such orders will be most thankfully received, and filled the very day the
book is out. I will send the Review one year and the book for $1.25. The Review
will be sent on receipt of order (I have plenty of back numbers to send it from
the beginning of the year) and the book as soon as it is out. Stamps taken, either
U. S. or Canadian.
W. z. KOTCHiriSOTi, piint, JWietiigan.
m DADANTS' COMB FOU?\DATION. 181!
Half a ffillioii Poiiiiils SoM iii TMrteeu Years. 0?cr $200,000 in Value.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FREE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' IiangstPoth on the Honey Bee. {Revised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which tliey will find, without difiiculty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send fi.r this work. Its arrangement is such that any subject and all its references pan
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the mo.st complete treatise in English.
|J Q l^*%T . t-kJ ^ totStSQ is a chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
r»""-4»*-'-'-»A|XVJ J3C2BO to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Hnported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
free with Circular. 4-91-12t
Mention Rnuieu,. C}iRS. DADAflT & SOfl, lisxtniltoTx, }ianeoelt Co., Ills.
Early Queens From the South.
SOUTH Cflt?OLilflfl liEflDS 1^1 FH^E QUEElSiS RfiD BEES.
Being nearer the Northern markets, they can be delivered nearly two days earlier tlian from any
other Southern state. Fine tested and untested Italian queens, bees and nuclei a specialty.
Prices fob May : One untested queen, fl.OO; three untested queens, $2.50 ; one tested queen, SL.'iO;
three tested queens, $4.00 ; very best, selected, tested queen, for breeding, $8.00; two-frame nucleus,
with any queen, $1.50 extra. Safe arrival guaranteed.
Queens sent invariably by return mail, from AprillSth through t)ie season. 4-9 Ult
MENT,oN REVEw. ^' ^ EIc^MSOH, GatchaH, S. G.
1891
Early Italian queens from bees
bred for business. Each $1.00 ; six
$4. .50. Order now, pay when queen
arrives. W. H. LAWS, Lavaca, Ark.
IMPORTED AND
1 ITALIAN QUEENS.
I Send lor Pnues.
OME - BRED
W. C. FRAZIER, \
Atlantic, Iowa. i
P/«a«» mention the Review^
JUNE 10, 1891.
\\\Qar\ Oqe
142
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ADVEf^TISIflG f^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 percent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
Wm. W. Cary, of Coleraine, Mass. has one of
the very
Best 5tr2^ios
OF
ITfllilflfl BEES
In America, produced by crossing with queens
from all the best breeders, and he is now pre-
pared to furnish you with choice, large, yellow
queens, reared in full stocks, at the following
low orices : —
Tested queens, each, $1,50
Warranted queens, each, 1.00
'■ " per '2 doz., 5.00
" " " dozen, 9.00
Untested queens, each 75
" " per I2 doz , . . 4.50
" " dozpu. . 8.00
Safe arrival, by return mail, guranteed. Send
your orders at once and secure these low prices.
Wm. -W. CARY,
(Successor to Wm. w. CARY & CO.) Coleraine, Mass.
2-91-^f Please mention the Review.
BEE - HIVES,
Sections, ('omb Foundation, and general Sup-
plies.
Bees and Queens.
Remember, we are headquarters for the Albino
bees. The best in the world. Send fpr circular
•jand prices. S, VLENTINE.
5-91 'It Hagerstown, Wash. Co., Md.
GOLDEN
CARNIOLANS,
The " coming.bee " is here. If yf)U want bees
possessing all the . esirable points, send an order
at once for one or more young queens of this
wonderful new strain of bees. They are beauti-
ful, gentle, tlie best honey gatherers, and winter
as well as the best Carniolans. The queens are
large, prolific and easily found (m the combs.
The Golden ('arniolans have been thorouglily
tested in our yards the past season, and we know
whereof we speak.
The price is a l.ttle higher tlian for the com-
mon races, but at $.5.00 eacli there is money in
them for any beekeeper. For the (iolden ('arni-
olan queens, we must ask $2.00 each ; $10.00 per
Va dozen ; and $18.00 pi-r dozen. But one grade
is offered and that is A Nol. ; strictly iirst class.
Purity, safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed.
Send for descriptive catalogue and price list of
bees, queens and apiarian implements.
We are making arrangements for the agency
of those wonderful
RUNIC BEES,
brought to England by " A Hallamshire Bee-
Keeper." Owing to difficulties in getting im-
ported queens we are obliged to advance the
prices. To offset this we sliail guarantee safe
introduction of virgin queens. We are now
booking orders at the following rates : —
Imported queen, $^0.00
Breeding (jueen, 25.00
Tested 0 $3.00
Tested, $3.00 2..=>0 2.CV
Fertile, a.OO 1.50 1.00
Six fertile at one order, 8.0C 5.00
Send for circular. W. J. ROW,
5-91-4t Greensburg, Pa.
carnkmOueens.
A SPECIALTY.
That Antlrews man has just the bees.
That he manipulates with ease.
And will the most exacting please.
They're bred from pure and gentle stock.
With tampers even as a clock.
And seldom rise at any shock.
Now please remember, if you will.
These bees are bred at Patten's Mill,
In New York State, just down the hill.
And if you want one, two, or more,
Send on your orders as before.
And you will find your needs in store.
At THE appointed time.
Last August, tested queens, June 1st, %'^MQ
Untested queens "■ ••■■ 1-00
Tested queen.s, July let, 1.50
Untested, after June 1st, six for 5,00
JOHN ANDREWS.
9-90-tf Patten's Mills, Wash. Co., N. Y.
What's ths Matter
WITH
lEINIHEEESHQS.!
They are going to raise 1,000 (jueens this sea-
son f'om one of G. M. Doolittle's best queens.
Quoens in June, Sl.i'O ; tested, $1.70; select.
$2.50 ; the vei-j' best, whicli will produce four and
five banded bees, $4.-iii. Descriptive ciicular free.
4-91-6t LEININGEE BEOS., Ft. Jennings, Ohio.
rr n cents each tor untested queens
/ V\ from imported or 5 - banded golden
I ^ Italian mothers. lmiK)rted queens
W. C. FIIAZIEK, Atlantic, Iowa.
4.gi.6t Please mention the Reuieui
Illustrated Advertisements Attract Attention.
i'5?^^'^
m^^imimM^mm&.
DETROirr,
Cuts rurnislied for all Illustrating Purposes.
e (|)ee-Keepeps' fveViecu
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tl^e Interests of Hoqey Producers.
$L00 A YEAR,
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOfl, Editor & Pnop.
VOL, IV, FLINT, MICHIGAN, JUNE, 10, 1891. NO. 6,
The special topie of this issue is
"Adulteration of Honey"
That of the next issue 'vuill be
" Bee- Escapes. "
Producers Can't Afford to Adulterate Hon-
ey.— Chemists Can Usually Detect Adul-
teration.
PBOK. A. J. COOK.
V'N DISCUSSING this question there are
rjT two or three points that should not be
^ he lost siyht of.
1st. There is no small amount of this ne-
farious business carried on. Often in the
smaller towns, and always in the large cities,
it is easy to tind adulterated honey on the
market, often in large quantities. This is
always in liquid form, as comb honey can
not be adulterated.
2nd. This work is not doue by bee-keepers,
but by unprincipled vendors in our cities.
No bee-keeper could afford to do it, as with
the present low price of honey the profit is
so slight that a profitable business must be
at the same time a mammutli i)usines8. The
bee-keeper could not do tliis without speedy
detection. Detection would mean ruination
to reputation and business.
3rd. Adulteration may be accomplished by
either mixing glucose — grape sugar of com-
merce— or our cane sug.ir with the honey.
As both these products are now cheaper than
honey, either can be used in this way at a
slight profit, and with large sales, may make
a very profitable business. Thus the outlook
for adulteration is too promising to please
either the right-miuded or the honey pro-
ducers. Except that bee-keepers step to the
front and throttle the business, as I believe
they may, we may expect to see it waxing
strong and more and more mischievous and
damaging to our pursuit.
4th. As I have often said, it is, in my opin-
ion, impossible at the present stage of scien-
tific research to surely detect adulteration in
all cases, and as impossible to prove that
every pecial sample is pure. Thus the best
chemist may say that a sample of pure, gen-
uine honey is adulterated, or that some sam-
ple of adulterated honey is pure. Yet, in
many cases, indeed most cases, he could pro-
nounce positively in the matter. You, Mr.
Editor, could not in every case detect au-
tumn from summer honey, yet in nearly
every case you could decide with no hesita-
tion and with no doubt.
Honey adulterated with cane sugar could
be detected in nearly if not quite every case.
As nearly all commercial glucose contains a
little sulphuric acid, and often some of the
lime used to clarify it, in nearly every case
the chemist could say at once of honey adul-
terated with glucose, this sample is adulter-
ated.
Thus, while an occasional sample might
he beyond detection, so many would be ea-
sily determined that, practically, this point
146
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
is no hindrance to our detecting such frauds,
puuisliiny the perpetrators, and winding up
the ivhole business. Suppose an occasional
sample were beyond detection. Such glucose
would rarely be secured by the man wlio was
engaged in the manufacture, and still more
rarely would such samples be seized by the
person eugaged in detecting the iniquity.
Thus the chemist by use of reagents, aided
by the polariscope, could and would bring
the evil to the light. I tell you the Union can
and must kill this arch enemy of apiculture.
I believe this is to be its greatest conquest.
AoKiouLTUKAii CoL., Mich., .]nue 0, 1K)1.
Selling Honey Under One's Own Label. —
The Diificulties When the Crop is
Large.
B, WILKIN.
)R. EDITOR, I am glad you continue
this subject of adulteration of hon-
ey, which is intimately related to
the variations m the quality of ihe genuine
article. I have seen much more harm from
uurjpe and off grades of honey than from
adulteration. So indiscriminate has become
the purcliase and sale of honey that there is
but little encouragement to the bee-keeper
here to aim at excallence in his products, as
it is mainly sold from all parts of the State
through commission men of San Francisco.
The main test being that of color; strictly
white commanding 1 to 13^2 cents per pound
more than dark amber. It is shipped East
by the car load and manipulated there to
suit the interests of the dealers. Owing to
the variations in the color, flavor and con-
sistency of honey, and the many tastes and
fancies to be consulted, it is very difficult to
grade according to merit, and when we add
to this what seems to me the almost insur-
mountable difficulty of readily detecting
adulteration, it is not strange tiiat the con-
sumer gets his honey in a hap hazard sort of
a way. If bee-keepers were convinced that
in most cases we could have the experience
that Byron Walker had when Health Officer
Duffield tested the honey, we could in a short
time raise the necessary thousands of mem-
bers to the Bee-Keepers' Union, which would,
if necessary, employ an expert to travel and
look after this matter of adulteration. But
can we rely on its being so i)ractical?
Last season the man on whose place I kept
bees, bought nearly a car load of my honey
to take with him to his old home in Mis-
souri to sell to his acquaintances as honey
that he knew was made on his farm in Cali-
fornia. It did not sell so fast as he expect-
ed, and he left it with a commission man in
Kansas City to sell for him. Soon after, the
commission man reported that he had the
honey tested by a chemist who pronounced
it 28 per cent, glucose, and consequently
sold it at a sacrifice. (I know it is possible
that the chemist never saw the honey as it
was represented he did. ) But from what I
understand of the composition of honey, it
would be an easy matter to make just such a
blunder and bring the force of science to
bear cujainst the innocent bee-keeper.
Being of the same faith with yourself, that
the most practical thing was for each 1 see-
keeper to work up a trade for himself, I liave
made three efforts at it. In 1H79, I went to
London, England, with MO tons of extracted
honey. With much labor it was sold at some
profit. I formed an acquaintance with Pel-
ling, Stanley & Co., of Liverpool, extensive
grocers, who expressed themselves inclined
to deal in California honey, but were dis-
couraged by their experience in buying
from Cutting &, Co., extensive packers of
honey in San Francisco, as they found Ijoth
good and bad honey under the same label
marked orantre blossom honey, ('i) But in
1881 I succeeded in getting their order for 10
tons in 2-gallon tins with my label. Tlie
next season they ordered 32 tons, and the
third year they ordered 48 tons, one-half in
1-gallon tins, the other half in 2-gallon tins,
but here set in trouble. la this region, honey
was scarce and none of it so fine as I had
been furnishing. I informed them of the
fact, but they had their demand created, and
I filled the order as best I could, but it, was
not satisfactory; and about that time honey
poured into London from all p'lrts of the
world, running the price away down, thus
killing our trade there. In 1884 the price of
honey came down to 3 cents here; 4 in San-
Francisco. I took a car load to Boston,
where I sold it at an average of i\l-^ cents per
pound. Taking the cost of transportation
and my expenses from it, reduced it to 3
cents, wlrile the cost of package and hauling
from the mountains, reduced it o le cent
more. But Boston was far awa>, iiuikingit
difficult to follow up the trade aire idy start-
ed.
In 188(; honey was very abundant and ex-
ceedingly fine, but only brought 'A% cents in
THE BEE-KEEPERS' RFAIEW.
147
San Francisco. I put my honey in 10-galloti
tins with my label on it, showing it to De
from the producer in California, and took it
with me to Texas. I had no difficulty in
persuading dealers that they were getting a
genuine article, and thas created a good de-
mand for our honey.
The next season the orders came in freely,
but the bees that season, and the following
one, yielded almost no liouoy, and what there
was, was of a poor quality, as it usually is
here when scarce. This disconcerted all our
plans, and now, without going back there as
a honey dealer, myself, I could not sell a full
crop of honey. To hold one's custom, it
seems necessary to be near enough to give it
one's personal attention.
Thanks to Byron Walker for his stating
the condition of the honey market in Cincin-
nati. It would seem a solid basis of business
to have a Muth & Son in every large city, who
have suificient integrity and tact to so select
and put honey on the market that the public
may know just where to go to get what they
want; then glucose and syrups would be sold
pure, and while we would not be resisting an
evil, we would be overcoming evil with good:
although I think a few heavy lines of adul-
terators would have healthful influence in
working up a legitimate trade.
I still think the putting of our honey in a
retail package and sending it as direct as
possible to the consumer, is most desirable,
if we can have the proper dealer in each city
to act as a kind of balance wheel, selecting
and selling according to merit, so that when
there is a failure in one locality, he may buy
a choice article in another to supply the de-
mand. What shall we do, advertise for such
dealers?
\'entura, Cal., May 29, 1891,
Compel Adulterators to Label Their Goods.
OTTf) J. E. UKHAN.
'URRAH for W. F. Clarke! He struck
the nail on the head in regard to
adulteration of honey. If the bee-
keeper had to come down on his price in or-
der to kill adulteration, he would kill his
business before adulteration would even feel
sore. It is an utter impossiliility to produce
and sell honey as cheap as glucose. It is
also impossible to put a stop to the making
of the "stuff," as the law gives nobody a
right to stop anybody's business, so long as
it is a legitimate business, and here is where
the point comes in that moat all your writers
overlooked. There is a law that compels
oleomargarine manufacturers to sell their
product under label, with the proper name
of the article on. This very same law could
be used to compel adulterators of honey to
label their product as such and sell it as
such. Make them call the child by the right
name. If it is a pure angel, call it an angel
of the light, and if it is a devil's sprout, call
it a devil I Compel the manufacturers to tell
the people what they make and offer for sale,
and then let the consumer choose what he
wants. If he chooses to eat glucose, or
honey and glucose mixed, let him do so. If
he wants pure honey, he knows how and
where to get it. Nobody will be hurt by this
policy. We cannot stop anybody from imi-
tating anything. Imitations will be made
and sold as long as this world stands. Let
anything which is good and useful come on
the market and it will be only a short time
when imitations of the article are put out to
sell, which are made cheaper, and, of course,
are of inferior quality, and may be sold a
trifle cheaper. This we know to be a fact,
and we can't stop it so long as they don't
claim their imitations as genuine. The sum
and substance of the whole cry about adul-
teration is, according to my opinion,: Let
the Union find out all th§ manufacturers of
adulterated honey and compel them, by law,
to label their product with its proper name
and let it be sold as such.
Thorndale, Tex., May 30, 1891.
The National Bee-Keepers' Union not Cre-
ated to Prosecute Adulterators.
THOS. G. NEWMAN.
IRIEND HUTCHINSON:— In reply to
your card asking me to write for the
Review, what I think of the plan of
having the Eee-Kee?)ers' Union aid in the
prosecution of adulterators, making such
changes in the constitution as would be
necessary to allow it to use money for this
purpose, I would offer the following
thoughts: —
Byron W'alker starts out by saying that
"the Bee-Keepers' Union ought to prosecute
adulterators." On page 119 he adds: "What
wo need is a Bee-Keepers' Union of at least
.'),000 members; then we can compel these
corporations to respect the laws enacted for
148
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
our protection." We must entirely disagree
with Mr. Walker in this matter.
The National Bee-Keepers' Union was not
created for such a purpose. It was consti-
tuted simply for "defense," and not to wage
an aggressive warfare against adulteration,
or any other moral or social evil!
Remarking on this subject, the editor of
the Review, on page 128, says:
As I understand it, a change in the consti-
tution of the Union would be necessary be-
fore money could be used for this purpose;
but, if the Union could put an end to what
adulteration there is, and, what is of far
more importance, convince the public of this
accomplishment, I believe its usefulness
would be increased a thousand fold.
Brother Hutchinson is quite right — a
change in the Constitution would be neces-
sary before it could undertake any such a
super human task. More than that, it must
also change its executive officer. The pres-
ent General Manager could not consent to
undertake any such an impracticability!
While, perhaps, it should not be publicly
admitted, it is nevertheless a fact, that there
is no sure "method by which the adulteration
of honey can be detected."
Pure honey has very often been analyzed
and pronounced adulterated by chemists in
New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, and other States,
and even the United States Chemist has
blundered in many ways when endeavoring
to enlighten the public on the matter of
honey-adulteration. Samples which we
know were genuine, have been branded as
either "adulterated," or "proliably adulter-
ated"— simply because there is no reliable
test for such analysis.
Honey varies so much in its component
parts that no analysis of it can be reliable!'
That from the hillsides varies in color from
that in the valleys. Atmospheric conditions
soil and climate even change the color as
well as the body, flavor and ingredients.
In view of these facts, it would be a wild-
goose chase to start the Union after adulter-i
ators — especially if there are as many as
Byron Walker avers — several hundreds of
retailers of such stuff in a city no larger
than Detroit! The Union is in better busi-
ness, and should never leave that in order to
delve into the slums of abominable sophisti-
cations!
Let us build on the other wall. Produce
honey of such fine flavor, put up in such ad-
mirable condition for market, and properly
labeled with the' producers' name and ad-
dress, so that a demand will be created for
that honey, and the guarantee for purity
shall be the name of the apiarist, and not "a
trade-mark," or the endorsement of any so-
ciety or periodical.
There are plenty of laws on the statute
books in Michigan and other States, and the
local bee-keepers can attend to the matter
of prosecution without the aid of the Union.
Let them follow the example of Harmon
Smith, at Ionia, Mich., as is shown on page
129 of the Review, in these words:
Upon learning that a can of adulterated
honey had been sent a grocer of his town, he
went to him and said. "The first pound of
that stuff you sell, I'll prosecute you."
The "stuff" went back to the mixer.
There was no blow nor bluster — no i)ublish-
ing of the matter in the papers. It was a
case of "silent influence."
If such is done promptly, we shall soon
hear no more about adulterated honey.
Chicago, 111., June 5, 1891.
Raising Cheap Honey.
E. O. AIKIN.
jX I- ROOT tells us of the new method
a) of onion culture, by which we may
raise 1,000 bushels per acre; Terry
tells us how to grow big crops of potatoes,
strawberries, etc., and I will try to tell you
how to raise big crops of honey.
Your leader seems to me to lead in the di-
rection of getting large crops from large
apiaries, rather than getting large returns
from small apiaries or limited capital.
In improving "appliances and methods,"
let the first effort be to get greater yields of
honey and greater net profits from a limited
number of colonies.
Is it not a fact that, to-day, one man can
manage from two to five times as many
acres of land as he could forty years ago?
The improved machinery, etc., that makes
it possible for one man to farm so much
land, together with the fixtures and taxes on
a large farm, eat up all the gain. There are
large investments of capital, large gross
earnings, but very small net profits.
Am I not safe in the statement, that one-
half more labor and care bestowed on each
acre would double the crop; and treble, if
not quadruiile, the net profit? A harvester
will cut fifty bushels of wheat from an acre
almost as easily as twenty-five. Would it
not cost you, Mr. Editor, much more in pro-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
149
portiou to get out 200 copies of the Review
thau to get out 400? Peiliaps the first 200
would pay expeuses and all the profit come
ou the second 200.
When we have invested iu a colony of bees,
and built tiiem up to where they are able to
send to the fields a reasouablo force of work-
ers, (and right here is where man's reason
must come in, in opposition to the instinct
of the bee; for that instinct does not lead the
bee to provide for man's wants, in addition
to her own, but leads the colony to swarm
and increase. No violence need be done
nature, but reason may produce conditions
that will change the course of instinct, and
make it serve reason), why not, instead of
investing in another hive, doubling the lab-
or, and keeping a lot of bees at home to care
for a new house, send those bees out for
honey? For, we have just now neared the
point at which the business will pay expen-
ses and, instead of making a new colony, just
a little extra work, with a slight additional
capital invested in surplus fixtures, will
will greatly increase the net crop and con-
sequently net profits.
But what of increase? Any experienced
apiarist can quite easily make ail the stock
he wants. Suppose yon have what stock you
care to work, you will want enough increase
to make up for winter losses. There need
be but little winter loss except from two
causes, dysentery and loss of queens. The
latter need not be heavy. Estimate your
probable loss, and when the honey flow
comes, take away queens from every colony
strong enough to swarm, putting the best
(lueens in other hives, with just enough bees
to care for them, and one comb of hatching
bees with each queen. In estimating losses
don't forget that some of your old colonies
will lose their queens at mating time.
Each of those old colonies should be al-
lowed to reqneen itself, either from the
brood left when queen is removed, or its
equivalent, the giving of a ripe cell or virgin
queen at the time of cutting out cells, nine
days after removing queens.
After the flow is over, look at your queen-
less colonies, take away all honey and give
empty combs. The brood combs taken can
be stored for spring feed, or used to fill out
the nuclei if nteded. Those old queenlesfi
bees can wear themselves out trying to fill
the empty combs given tluin.
Those old queens with tlu- bees given them
will build up to full colonics for winter and
have a lot of young bees. Such colonies will
gather almost as much honey and care for as
much brood as twice as many bees would do
in the same hive. Why? Because they have
to. At that time of year the queen will
"spread herself" beyond the cluster, and the
bees will work hard to keep up with her.
Those who have tried it know that a very few
bees can be made to rear a large amount of
brood during a honey flow and at the same
time put lots of honey in the brood cham-
ber. This plan leaves nearly all the old bees
in the old hive, at work in the supers, just
where we want them.
This removing queens to control swarm-
ing, and keeping all the bees in the old hive,
I believe will give as much honey, yes more,
for the investment of capital and labor, than
any other system yet in use.
I believe it possible to produce from two
to four times as much honey per colony as
is now produced.
Two days work will remove queens, cut
out all cells from twenty colonies, and eight
or nine days later remove all cells but one.
Can any man watch for swarms, or divide,
and furnish new hives, and do it at the same
expense of time and cash? I say no; neither
can he get so much honey nor have his bees
in so good shape. Let him who doubts this
try it.
This is not all theory with me. By ob-
serving Doolittle's teachings to have a hive
full of bees during the honey flow, I have not
failed, save once, in fifteen years, to get a
fair crop of honey. I seldom get less than
r>0 lbs. and usually 75 to 100, and one season,
227 lbs. average per colony, spring count.
That was not done in Colorado either, but in
Iowa. Neither did I at that time remove
queens; but my crop would have been in-
creased by so doing. I did, however, clip
cells and return swarmsi
Thanks to Elwood and France for the plan
of removing queens.
I have tried to briefly point out the princi
pies, but all the "hows," etc., would fill a
book. Let each apply the principles to suit
location and circumstances, then adopt the
best trade mark of all, "an honest name,"
and the adulteration scare will disappear.
Ft. CollIns, Colo., May .5, 1891.
1 Whether it will pay a man to prevent
increase, or modify it to a certain extent, all
depends upon circumstances. I know of a
man in this State, who, years ago, was very
150
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
extensively engaged in bee-keeping. He
raised good crops of honey; at the same time
he took good care that there should be a
quite a little increase. He had a splendid
cellar and usually wintered his bees success-
fully. In the spring he frequently had 200
or 300 colonies of bees to sell, and he sold
them at fair prices. "I tell you," he has
said to me more than once, "that's where
there is money in bee-keeping — selling bees
in the spring." A man, to succeed, ought to
look the ground over carefully, and then de-
cide in what manner, all things considered,
he can make the most profit. — Ed. Review.]
Spring and Summer Management with
Small, Divisible Brood-Chamber Hives,
and Swarm Catchers.
B. TAYLOB.
fN ATTEMPTING to describe my meth-
od of using my small hives, I scarcely
know where to begin. The possibilities
with such hives are so great, and the useful
things that can be accomplished with them
are so many, that it would take a small vol-
ume to tell it all, and I will only attempt in
this article to explain my method.
Where no increase is desired, the bees are
placed upon their stands in the spring about
the time soft maples bloom. After a good
flight they are examined to ascertain if they
have a queen and sufficient stores. If so,
they have a shallow box of sawdust, 2% in-
ches deep, placed between two bottom boards
under the hives to keep the cold out at that
point, which is where the most of it enters.
Another similar box, with building paper
nailed or. one side for a bottom, is filled
with sawdust and placed on top to keep the
heat from escaping. (I rom the top is where
most of it does escape. ) The bees are then
left undisturbed, until near swarming time,
unless something should seem to need es-
pecial attention.
The hives, when placed on the stands in
the spring, are composed of two sections
of my small hive. Each section is IG-inches
square, outside measure, and contains 10
combs 13 inches long and ^y, inches deep.
Near swarming time, when they are of prop-
er strength, the top section is placed below
and the bottom one on top, a case of sec-
tions put on, and swarming time awaited.
The swarm catchers are made ready, and,
when a swarm is seen issuing, a catcher is
quickly adjusted to the entrance of the hive
and in five minutes the bees are all in, when
the catcher entrance is closed, and bees and
all are carried into the wintering cellar near
by and leaned against the wall, where they
may remain until a convenient time for hiv-
ing them, even if it should not be for two
/// """""~7'^\
— -^Mff
TATLOK S SWABM OATOHEK.
days. When I am ready to hive them I go
to the hive from which they issued, set it on
the ground, put an empty hive filled with
foundation or starters on the old stand, place
the under section of the hive that swarmed,
with its brood and young bees, on top of
this, and the case of sections from the old
hive on top of all, with a queen excluding
honey board under it. If needed, an extra
case of sections is given. A sheet is spread
in front and the bees brought from the cel-
lar, the coolness of which has Vjy this time
hushed them to deathly stillness. We shake
them upon the sheet, when they march in
without fifty bees taking wing. Three cheers
for the swarm catcher, worth its weight in
clover honey, for a single season, to any ex-
pert bee-keeper.
The remaining section of the old swarm
with its brood and queen cells are removed
to a temporary stand in any convenient
place, and within a day or two all queen
cells are carefully destroyed. And I will say
right here that after many years of experi-
ence and handling of thousands of this kind
of hive, I have never known a case where the
whole of the queen cells were not in the top
section of the hive, and this is the reason for
putting the bottom section with the new
swarm, as we want no queen cell with it.
The section on the temporary stand is ex-
amined for (lueen cells and kept hopelessly
queenless. When all the bees are hatched,
they are shaken out in front of any swarm
where most needed. And please remember
that these young queenless bees will be re-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
151
ceived by any swarm, and will stay wherever
placed. It is uot ueot'ssary to wait for all
the bees to hatch; they may be shakeu out
every few days until all are out.
The section with its empty combs is kept
uutil the fall flow of dark honey com
mences, when it is placed on top of a strong
swarm, with a queen excluding honey board
under it, and filled with dark honey for ex-
tracting, or for fall or spring feeding, as
needed. I use mine for raising young bees
for the following white honey harvest, and I
have found it the best market for dark
honey.
Now this may look like a great deal of
work. But with the small hives, it is done
with the least possible amount of work, for
in using these hives, we handle hives and not
single frames. In using j!00 of them in the
home yard in the seasons of 1889 and 18i)0, I
never lifted one single frame, and I do my
work with an ease and dispatch that the fol-
lowers of old fashions know nothing about.
The system resembles Dr. Tinker's, except
that he uses his brood in strengthening the
parent swarm, and I use it in strengthening
any swarm that needs it most. Some new
swarms, for instance, as we all know, com-
mence work in the sections with great en-
ergy, but their numbers soon diminish. Such
swarms I keep reinforced with bees and
"booming strong" until the end of the
white honey harvest. Th^e are two other
distinct methods of managing the small
hives, viz., where we wish very moderate
increase, and when we wish all the increase
we can get. They are unsurpassed for both
cases of the management, but of the meth-
ods I will write at another time.
Forestville, Minn., March 28, 181)1.
[In a letter recently received from Mr.
Taylor, he, in referring to the excellent
yields reported in the last Review by the
Western man who did uot give his name,
says, "In 1881) I obtained 14;> pounds of comb
honey per colony in an entire apiary without
any tedious fus-ing; still, I am greatly pleas-
ed with the story." I tell you friends there
are great things in store for those who will
be progressive; who will adopt such hives and
methods that the tedious handling of combs,
sitii/ly, may be dispensed with, and will learn
how to use, understandingly, queen-exclud-
ers, self-hivers, queen-traps, bee-escapes and
all profitaV)le labor saving implements.
And now a few words about the swarm
catcher. It is practically the same as the
Bailey catcher which I laughed at when I
saw it illustrated several yeafe ago. At that
time, however, I had never been through the
experience of having several swarms in the
air at the same time — nd more a coming.
When Mr. Heddon has all the swarms in the
air that he can manage, he removes the su-
pers from the hive of the next colony that
begins to "spout bees," and "douses" the
bees with water. Mr. Taylor has several of
these catchers scattered about the yard, and
when a swarm is seen issuing, a catcher can
be adjusted to the mouth of the hive instant-
ly. There is no climbing of trees, no hunt-
ing for queens, no mixing of swarms, but
everything is lovely. Mr. Taylor sent me a
catcher from which I had the accompanying
engraving made. The catcher is a very simple
affair; simply a frame of light wood with
cotton cloth tacked on the sides and painted.
The upper or larger end is of wire cloth in-
stead of cotton cloth; and is removable, be-
ing held in place by two buttons. The few
bees that get into the air before the catcher is
adjusted will join any swarm that is in the
air, or else return to the old location. — Ed.)
A Modest Man Brought Before tlie Public.
EARS AGO, I can't stop to figure
fO up how many, probably nine or ten,
when I was living at Rogersville and
enjoying myself rearing queens, I was one
day perched upon one end of the work bench,
writing letters at a little desk I had fixed up
against the wall, when a young man stepped
in at the door and asked if my name was
Hutchinson. I said that it was.
"W. Z.?"
"Yes." t
"Well, my name is Root." *
"Ernest?"
"Yes, sir."
We shook hands, and about the next thing
on the programme was the request for a
drink of water. 1 told Ernest that we
brought our water from a spring about twen-
ty rods away, and, if agreeable, we would go
directly to the spring. To the spring we
went, and if ever I saw anyou^ enjoy a
"drink," it was Ernest at the spring. In or-
der to reach me early in the day, he had
"pounded ties," as the boys say, on the rail-
road for a distance of six or eight miles with
a July (I guess it was) sun overhead. No
wonder the boy was thirsty. I have never
152
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
seen him siuce that he did not refer to that
drink at the spring.
My brother was with mc then, his first
season with bees, I believe, and we three had
one of those best of bee conventions for the
remainder of the day and evening. I re-
member I was getting things in readiness to
make my first exhibition of bees and honey
at our State fair, and that Ernest was much
interested in the "fixins."
I liked Ernest then and have liked him
ever since; and it has been a genuine pleas-
ure for me to meet him at conventions: also
to see Oleanings- show, more and more, as
the years go by, the touch of its new master's
hand. Considering the excellent work that
Ernest has been doing so long upon Gleiui-
ings, I have felt for some time that bee-keep-
ers would be pleased to "see how he looks"
and know more about him; and, after study-
ing over the matter a little, I decided that I
knew of exactly tJie person to tell us about
him. The following sketch shows that my
judgement was not at fault in this in-
stance:—
ERNEST K. BOOT.
Mr. Hutchinson has requested me to write
a few lines relative to the junior editor of
Gleanings in Bee Culture; and it is very sel-
dom that I comply with a request more
cheerfully. Still, I realize that a sensitive
mind shrinks from saying any thing com-
mendatory of a friend directly to his face,
lest the expression of honest friendship cross
that fine line where praise ends and fiattery
begins. Rut if the person we are now dis-
cussing were subje .t to that malady which
makes a larger hat necessary to fit a swelling
head, the disease would have broken out long
ago: so I feel safe in saying what I shall say
regarding a man who is even now well known
to the whole apicultural world.
Ernest R. is the eldest child of Amos I.
and Susan Root, and was born in Medina in
-June, ISi'i'I, consequently he has just entered
his ;50th year. Fortunately his early history,
which I could not write, has been written by
himself in Gleanings. But it might be well to
note that his first recollection of things ter-
restrial was when his father mounted that
hobby of his (apiculture) which will always
connect their names with the production of
honey. In fact, apiculture and mechanics
constitute the atmosphere in which Ernest
has been reared to manhood. By way of
education, he enjoyed all the advantages of
our excellent schools here, and graduated in
1881. In August of that year he went to
(Jberlin College, and remained four years.
•John T. Calvert, who is now Ernest's broth-
er-in-law, was also with him at Oberlin. In
ISSf), the work of managing his father's bus-
iness was far beyond the power of any one
man; and the boys were told that, if they did
not wish to see the editor of Gleaniiigs break
down entirely, it would be necessary for
them to come home immediately, which they
did. Mr. Calvert assumed the responsible
position of l)usiness manager, while Ernest
devoted his time to Gleanings, and to a rigid
exHiniuation of implements designed for use
in the apiary.
Almost any man can find heirs enough to
wliom lie can give his property: but seldom
indeed does a man throw off the heavy bur-
den of the details of a great business, and
see it "blossom and shake like Lebanon," or
grow like a traDsi)lanted hert) in new soil, as
did A. I. Root when he put his two "boys,"
as he calls them, into the traces, inside of
brick walls, and thps put himself at liberty
to pursue high-pressure gardening, etc., out-
side. But in no sense have his boys usurped
any of his i>rerogatives. Nothing is done
without his full knowledge and consent,
though, of course, he is not so conservative
as to try to keep them in any one groove,
oblivious of all human progress. In fact,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
153
tho conclusions of Ernest in regard to the
Hoffman frame and tixed distances were
revolutionary so far as the ''traditions of the
elders" were concerned here; but when he
saw what others could do with those frames
he immediately published what he knew to
be facts concerning them, and so far he is
not sorry for having done so.
But that "tixed distance" of 20 miles be-
tween Oherlin and Medina finally liecame
intolerable to Ernest: and the idea of reduc-
ing it to less than a bee-space tended to mit-
igate the grief which he would otherwise
have felt on being obliged to leave college
before the fall of "laurel leaves." His
"(lueeu" was in Medina. All this was evi-
dent from the fact that, on the ir)th of De-
cember, li^S.'j, he was married to Miss Lizzie
Humphrey, one of his father's valued helps
in the ofhce. The offspring of this marriage
is a son, Leland Ives, born March 2!), lSi)l;
and it would be difiicult to mention anything
that has added more to Ernest's happiness
for years than the advent of this cion. Its
middle name is the same as its grandfath-
er's.
In early life Ernest suffered much from
earache and kindred head troubles, and even
now he finds that to be his most vulnerable
part. Increasing astigmatism has compelled
him to wear specially ground glasses for a
number of years; and he says he is still
forced to favor his eyes all he can.
In manners, Ernest is very open and
friendly. In fact, one knows him about as
well after an hour's talk as he ever will.
But this friendly urbanity does not prevent
him from seeing the quack and impostor in
an instant, so he is seldom if ever imposed
upon. He is utterly destitute of selfishness;
and his library, his camera, microscope, gun,
or whatever he has, is entirely for the good
of any who can be benefited thereby. His
picture shows, phrenologically, an even bal-
ance of temper, which is well known to us
here; for it is just as safe to ask a favor of
him before dinner as after, which is not the
case with most men.
In speech our junior editor is very rapid,
with frequent interruptions, or going back
to get a better word. In this respect he is
just the opposite of his father, who seldom
changes a word in dictating even two pages
of Our Homes, containing 1^)000 words. A. I.
has all his editortials tally matured and
ready to put together, like the stones in Sol-
omon's temple, while Ernest goes more on
the cut-aud-try plan.
But the best thing I can say about Ernest
is the unchanging attention which he pays
to his father and mother. With him, noth-
ing must stand in the way of their conveni-
ence and pleasure. In fact, no consideration
would swerve him a i)article from what he
believes to be in harmony with the Bit)le, or
even what all men agree to be right and
square; and this is equally true of his father.
The unkind tiings which sometimes appear
in print, intimating that so and so has been
fleeced out of a nickel by dealing with A. I.
Root, are very painful to his hands here, es-
pecially as his business is all in the hands of
persons who would never consent to fraud
on a customer.
The first intimation that Ernest will have
of this article will be when he comes across
it in fumbling over the pages of the Review;
and the fun of seeing him peform on that
occasion will be ample remuneration for
the Stenog.
Medina, -Tune, 1S!»1.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSO[4, Ed. & PPOp.
Tebms : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 : three for $2.70 ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each. j^° Tlie Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, JPNE 10, 1891.
Lettebs from the South indicate that a
honey flow is on its way North.
The Am. Bee-Keeper has decided that
its forte will be that of catering to the needs
of beginners. 'Tis well.
Gleanings again has a "Ladies' Conversa-
zione" which at present is well sustained
and, as might be expected, interesting.
Thebe seems to be a perfect mania among
bee journals at present to have a department
for giving sh(jrt items, such as "Stray
Straws," "Chips and Shavings," etc. Such
a department ca)i be made very interesting
154
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
and instructive; but let no editor imagine
that simply putting in a whole lot of short
items is going to place his paper in the front
rank. It all depends upon the character of
the items.
Now that the now book, "Advanced Bee-
Ciilhire," is out, I shall put in my " best
licks " to catch up and have the Review out
on time again.
Gleanings is now trying to persuade its
readers to tell how the paper ought to be
" run ; " the same as the Review has been
doing. Speak out, friends, but while show-
ing up its faults don't forget that it has
some glaring virtues.
"bkaoe" combs and "buee" combs.
Writers have been using these terms in-
discriminately, but J. A. Green says, in
Gleanings, that the combs between the top
bars are brace combs, and those above the
top bars may be called burr combs. J. A.
is correct.
Vasaline, when rubbed on the joints of
hives, supers, etc., will prevent the bees from
sticking the different parts together with
propolis— at least so say the British bee
papers. -Just think what a comfort to take
off supers without any disagreeable prying
with knives accompanied by that unpleasant
"snap" as the propolis gives away.
INFLUENCE OF DOMESTICATION.
Domestication of bees, so says Mr. C. H.
Murray in Gleanings, has its effect upon
their habits. In time they will become
more tractable ; also less inclined to swarm.
To use his own words : " Bees that have
their own hives provided for them genera-
tion after generation will in time cease to
hunt up new localities, and will quit swarm-
ing if they have a fair chance at home."
DIVISION BOAEDS " no good.
Dr Miller reports in Gleanings the result
of an elaborate experiment, recorded in the
Bevue Internationale, which goes to show
that the division board, as ordinarially used
in packing up weak colonies, is of no advan-
tage. A comb is a poorer conductor of heat
than is a board. It's what I have often
thought, that a good comb is the best divis-
ion board. Its nonconductability makes up
for the fact that, with open end bars, there
is an open space at the ends.
The most peefeot perforated zincis made
by Dr. G. L. Tinker, of New Philadelphia,
Ohio. For the last two or three months I
have been promising myself and the Doctor
that I would give an illustration of his work,
printed from the zinc itself, and at last I
have l>een able to fulfil my promise. The
tinted work on the cover of the new book,
Advanced Bee-Culture, was printed from
zinc furnished by the Doctor.
MB. cowan's new book.
An apology is due Mr. Cowan for not hav-
ing mentioned his latest book, The Honey
Bee. I have been so busy getting out my
own book that I have not had time to read
it through. I have read enough, however, to
show me that I am incapable of reviewing
it. It treats of the natural history, anatomy
and physiology of the bee, a subject to
which I have never been aide to give scien-
tific attention. All my bee keeping has been
from a bread and butter standpoint. I have
never dissected a bee or examined one with
a microscope. Mr. Cowan's book is very
nicely gotten up, neatly printed, profusely
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
155
illustrated, very tastily 1 >ouiid. aud contains
a vast amount of knowledge upon the sub-
jects discussed.
YELLOW OARNIOLANS.
The yellow Carniolans get a "black eye"
in thjB last issue of the Missouri Bee-Keeper,
several correspondents showing them up as
a fallacy, but the editor of the Am. Bee-
Keeper claims to have given the matter as
thorough an investigation as possible, and
he says that the part of the country from
which come the gray bees is situated well up
the mountains, and it seems that in descend-
ing the mountains the less gray the bees be-
come ; aud. finally, in the valleys they are
almost entirely of a yellow or golden color ;
hence, Carniolans may be either gray or
yellow and yet be jnire.
THE NUMBEE OF OPENINGS NEEDED IN A
QUEEN EXCLUDEK.
Just at present there is being more argu-
ment used to show that two rows of perfora-
tions are an advantage in the strips of
zinc used in making the wood - zinc honey-
boards. There is also argument on the
other side. It is claimed that a large num-
ber of openings are needed for ventilation
and for passageway for the bees. In a
queen excluder with eight rows of openings
(for a Langstroth hive) there are 200 open-
ings, and their combined capacity is equal to
a space l^i inches high aud 14 inches wide !
Just compare an opening of this size with
the entrance of the hive, through which a
whole swarm can pass in less than two
minutes.
THE INFLUENCE OF SCENT IN INTBODUCINQ
QUEENS.
Mr. A. E. Morgan, of Chippewa Falls,
Wis., writes to recommend the plan of in-
troducing queens that was lately given, in
the Review, by Mr. J. H. Larrabee, that of
first caging the removed (lueed a few min-
utes in the cage that is to be used in confin-
ing the new queen. The theory is that the
old queen leaves a scent in the cage that the
bees recognize and thus mistake the new
queen for their former sovereign. Mr.
Morgan stops up the entrance to the cage
with Good candy, and allows the bees to at
once begin the work eating out the candy.
He says he has practiced this method three
years, sometimes in a terrible dearth, and
never lost a queen — has often found a queen
laying in three hours from the time that
the old queen was removed.
Of course, / can't say that the scent has
nothing to do with the queen's acceptance,
but I should like to see the same method
tried with the caging of the removed queen
left out.
NEAT JOB TYPE FOE DISPLAYING ADVEETISE-
I believe the Review can honestly claim
whatever honor attaches to having been the
first bee journal to pay particular attention
to its advertising pages. It encouraged ad-
vertisers to bestow more care on their adver-
tisements, it brought to their notice a jour-
nal devoted exclusively to the subject of ad-
vertising, it used new type of neat designs,
and care and thought were exercised in its
display, not only to make all advertisements
as attractive as possible, but to give each ad-
vertisement a distinctive character, some-
thing different from the others, so that read-
ers would be almost unanimously led to read
all of the advertisements. It is a pleasure
to notice that Gleanings is beginning to pay
more attention to this matter. Just look
over its advertising pages and see how they
have been brightened up by the new faces
(of job type) that have made their appear-
ance during the last two or three months.
Gleanings recently remarked, editorially,
that "It takes extraordinarily good editing
to boom a bee journal that uses poor paper
and ink, and is otherwise slovenly in typo-
graphical appearance." This is equally as
true of the advertising pages as of the read-
ing matter. The time has passed when ad-
vertisements can bo set up in any manner
with any type that happens to be on hand,
and then "slapped" together hap hazard in
their "make up," with the thought that "no-
body will ever notice the difference." To
have bee journals very neat typographically
is now the fashion, and I believe the Review
helped to set that fashion.
THE ADULTEEATION OF HONEY .
It is gratifying to notice the decrease in
the use of violent language when referring
150
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
to the adulteration of honey. The idea that
we must fight adulteration because it is an
evil is not logical. Please lay aside all
prejudices and listen to reason for one mo-
ment. If we are to oppose evil we ought to
use our resources in such a way that they
will do the most good. We ought either to
attack the greatest evil, or else one that is
the easiest overcome. What folly to pass by
scores of crying evils, those that are causing
untold miseries, and go on a wild goose
chase after an insignificant evil that is grow-
ing less as the years go by. Some bee-keep-
ers may thi)ik they are opposed to the adul-
teration of honey because it is an evil, but
the supreme indifference that they exhibit
towards other and greater evils that don't
effect them directly, shows that they delude
themselves. As good citizens we are all op-
posed to any form of evil; as hee-keetwr^ we
are opposed to the adulteration of honey be-
cause it strikes at our pocket books.
Another gratification (to the editor) is the
admission that producers can no longer af-
ford to adulterate honey. The difference in
price between honey and glucosie is now so
slight that the expense of mixing does not
pay unless the business is carried on upon a
grand scale. This greatly simplifies the
matter of fighting adulteration. Instead of
having a thousand and one little mixers all
over the country, there are only a few and
they are in the business quite extensively.
The business must be extensive or there are
no profits. If rightly managed this state of
affairs is really an advantage to bee-keepers.
Instead of l)eing compelled to hunt up a
thousand rills and build a dam on each,
there are only a few broad streams that need
"damming." But the dams must be longer,
higher and stronger, greater in many cases
than one man can build, and a union of bee-
keepers is needed. There is already a Bee-
Keepers' Union, formed for the purpose of
defending its members against unjust perse-
cution, but its constitution could be so
changed that it might aid bee-keepers by
aggressive as well as defensive measures.
Its present Manager says that such a change
must also be accompanied by a change in its
Manager. I trust not, if the Union only
could and would (as it should) pay its Man-
ager liberally for all time spent in its ser-
vice. There would be no running after a
thousand and one petty adulterators, as Bro.
Newman fears would be the case. It would
not be policy to prosecute every dealer, per-
haps few if any of them, but reach for the
adulterators, the mixers. Stop the mixing
and there will be no dealers. Let each bee-
keeper, when he finds his market infested
with adulterated honey, trace the adulterated
goods to the adulterator. With a reasonable
amount of shrewdness this can be done with
no great amount of trouble and expense.
Let some of the "stuff" be bought, direct
from the mixer if possible, or secured in
such a manner that its source can be ^n'oved.
When proofs of adulteration have been se-
cured, let the adulterator be informed that
prosecution will result unless he stops this
"evil" practice. Bring to his notice the
Bee-Keepers' Union, formed expressly to
aid bee-keepers in such matters, and that it
will be called upon if necessary. If neces-
sary prosecute and continue to prosecute for
each offense, until the practice of adultera-
tion is abandoned. A few convictions un-
der the auspices of the Union, proofs of
which could be shoved under the noses of
other adulterators, would have a rather de-
pressing effect upon adulteration. The very
name of the Union would be a,power against
adulteration. They would no longer ask:
"What are you going to do about it?" The
assurance of Prof. Cook that adulteration
can umiaUy be detected leads me to hope
that, with the aid of the Union, the few large
adulterators could be made to "shut up
shop."
Whether the above course is adopted or
not, I still believe, in the face of all that has
been said, that honey will yet be so cheap
that it will not pay to adulterate it. Dr.
Miller says in his "Stray Straws" that
"Hutchinson's remedy for adulteration is
cheap honej' — too cheap to be good." Now,
Doctor, I protest. I have never intimated
that the honey should be poor in quality. I
would raise only the best of honey, but I
would raise it more cheaply. Many are the
inventions that have been made in bee-keep-
ing, but that industry is still in its infancy
as a business; is still big with possibilities.
Just consider the effect that one or two dis-
coveries would have. I^et us be able to con-
trol swarming and what would be the result?
Suppose that the wintering of bees should be
reduced to an exact science, where would the
price of honey go to? Both of these are
among the possibilities. In one sense bee-
keeping resembles manufacturing. When
the raw material costs a manufacturer noth-
ing, what show is there for a rival that
THE BEE-KEEPERS' hIA lEW.
157
must pay for his raw inaterinl? We have
ouly to perfect our uianufacturiuy facilities
to be able to crowd all rivals from the Held.
W'u are doiug wouders uow in the way of
fretting up labor saving implemeuts, and the
beauty of it is that the lower the price of
honey goes as the result of such inventions,
the more safe and pleasant will become the
business of bee-keeping.'
It is true that there will Ije poor ssasons
when, even with all the advantages I have
mentioned, it might pay to adulterate hon-
ey, but these "mix shops" do not start up as
tlie result of one poor honey season; it is
when tlie average price of honey, one year
with another, is above that of glucose.
In the meantime, before honey is so cheap
tliat it drives out glucose, what shall bee-
keei)ers do? Do as Chas. F. Muth & Sou,
and many others have done. Sell only good
honey and sell it under their own name.
Establish a reputation.
BEK ESCAPES.
When bee escapes were first illustrated
and described in the bee journals they at-
tracted but little attention. I well remem-
ber the first one that was sent me. When I
went out to the apiary I took it out and
showed it to my brother. I kept a straight
face as I explained its use. My voice may
have had a laughing or contemptuous tone,
although I tried hard to control it, but my
brother commenced laughing as soon as he
"caught on" to the idea. The more I tried
to explain to him its advantages, the harder
he laughed. "If I can raise the honey, I
guess I can get it off the hives," was his
comment. I must confess that I felt that
way myself. It seemed like "too many oats
for a shilling" — too much riaging for the
work to be accomplished. For the moment
I forgot the smoking and brushing of bees
out in the hot sun, the accompanying stings
from the irritated bees, and the robbers
gathering around in such crowds that the
work umst be suspended. The crowds of
"stragglers" that escaped from the cases of
honey when brought into the honey house,
and buzzed and bumped about on the win-
dows until they finally escaped at the top,
and robbers sometimes fcmnd their way in
at the same entrance, all these, and the time
spent in these mani[)ulations, seemed to
count for nothing, so strong is the force of
habit.
I presume others had similar thoughts, for
it was not until some of the more progressive
bee-keepers had tried tlie escapes and called
attention most emphatically to these points
that the general bee-keeping public took
much interest in bee escapes. I intended to
give them a trial last season, but had no
honey to remove, hence am compelled to rely
upon the experience of others, but the inter-
est in them is becoming so great, and so
many are inclined to give them a trial, that
I think it best to gather all the knowledge
t at I can in regard to them, even if 1 have
not tried them.
To Mr. Jno. S. Reese, of Winchester, Ky.,
belongs the honor of inventing the bee es-
cape. It was a cone, or a double cone, and
an empty super was needed to give room for
the cone. This made some complication,
and some have reported that the bees clus-
tered in the empty space and built combs
there. To remedy this, Mr. C. H. Dibbern,
of Milan, 111., laid the cone on its side and
flattened it out, making a pear shaped ar-
rangement. The bees pass in at a large and
easily-found entrance at the large end of the
"pear" and pass out through the smaller end
and in doing so make a few complicated
twists and turns. The whole arrangement
is such as makes it easy for a bee to find its
way out, but difficult to find its way back.
The Dibbern is placed in a board not more
than half an inch thick and does away with
all empty cases or space. It is said that the
bees sometimes find their way back through
these escapes, in fact Mr. Dibbern himself
admits that this is the one great objection to
be overcome, and R. & E. C. Porter, of Lew-
istown. 111., have now invented an escape
that remedies that difliculty. The bees pass
out between two delicate springs that close
together to such an extent that a bee cannot
pass in the opposite direction. It certainly
looks now as though the Porter escape is
ahead of all others.
Many who have never tried bee escapes
will try them this season, and they are anx-
ious to know which is the best escape and the
best methods of using it. If I am not cor-
rect in saying that the Porter is the best, I
shall be glad to be corrected.
Bees pass down through an escape much
more readily when tliere is plenty of room
in the hive or supers below. Usually, in the
working season, when a case of honey is
ready to come off, it is also well to put on
another super. When such is the case, the
158
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
new super should bo given at the time that
the escape is put in place, as this gives room
for the bees to "escape" into.
Queen excluders are almost a necessity if
bee escapes are to be used; that is, if the
management is such that the queen is likely
to invade the supers.
The escape is fitted into a thin board (3^
inch) that is the size of the top of the hive.
With the ordinary hives in use, a rim, bee-
space in height, is tacked to the upper edge
of the board. This arrangement leaves a
bee space both above and below the board.
The super from which it is desired to remove
the bees is slightly raised, a puff of smoke
driven in, then the escape-board slipped in
and the work is done. In a few hours the
super will be free from bees. Two men
ought to place escapes in position at the rate
of four a minute. It is said that smoking
the bees down out of a super as much as pos-
sible before putting the escape in place
greatly hastens the escape of the bees.
As I have never used the escapes, I cannot
go on and give in detail all the little points
of management, hence must trust to corres-
poidents to do this, and in the July Review
will be published what they say.
eXT'RTXCXED.
Bright Yellow Bnes.
Mr. W. J. Ellison writes me as follows:
"I have several colonies of five-banded bees,
and if they don't do better another season,
they will have to take the next seat lower. I
like their beautiful color, and their queens
take better every tim e than the dark ones.
I believe some people would rather have them
for their color, even if they had to put up
with other deficiences. I wish you could
have seen some of the queens I sent out last
month, during swarming, that were reared
from these yellow bees. They surpassed
evrcytliirxj for beauty, and the question now
is, shall we raise these queens, because they
please our customers, even though we feel
we have their sujieriors in the three-banded
bees?"
If you write to your customers, friend
Ellison, just as you have written to me, I
think it all right to sell them the yellow bees.
Several times have these bright yellow bees
been brought before the public, but they
have never seemed to stay a great while.
Just now they are being boomed as never
before and it may be well to give them a
little consideration. / have never had
enough of them to give them a reliable test
as regards their honey gathering qualities,
but s^me men in whom I have confidence
have given good reports in regard to them.
My own opinion in the matter is that there
are different strains of them, varying in
character, the same as is the case with the
ordinary three-banded Italians or with the
black bees. I think the difficulty is just
here: when a man begins to breed for color,
he is likely to neglect other qualities. The
brightest bees are continually selected
to breed from, regardless of whether or not
they are good workers. I know that these
bright yellow bees are very beautiful and
very gentle, and they are not iiecessarially
poor woikers. As to their purity as Italians,
I am in accord with Mr. Doolittle as he ex-
I>resses his views in the Missouri Bee Keep-
er. In reply to the query: "Can Italian V)ees
have more than three yellow bands?" he
says: —
"They can not only have three bands, but
they can have six in a few years, if the im-
provement as to color should continue as
great during the next ten years as it has dur-
ing the past decade. Not only can they
show what is termed six yellow bands, but
the abdomen can become a solid yellow its
entire length, the same as some of the best
specimens of aueens and drones now do.
There is nothing impossible with any animal
or vegetable that is hybrid, or that will
'sport.' But the question naturally arises,
are these yellow bees as good for honey
gathering as the darker Italians? Where
properly Yn-ed, I can see no difference in
favor of either along this line. Admitt ng
both to be alike as to honey gathering qual-
ities, we find the reason why the yellower
bees are so eagerly sought, in the thought
expressed in the beginning of this article,
that 'most of us want something nice,' and
beauty is a thing to be desired, where we
can have it without lessening other valuable
qualities. Some seem to think that these
yellow bees have been bred in-and-in-more
than any other Viees, but this is, I think, a
mistake. There were plenty of four banded
bees as early as 1871 in an apiary near me.
These bees were crossed with other four
banded bees from apiaries in the West, and
these in turn crossed with very yellow Ital-
ians in the Southwest; and so the crossing
of the yellowest bees in the United States
has been kept up till we have to-day bees in
the New World whose abdomens are three-
fourths a solid yellow, and yet so far as I
can see they are just as good honey gatherers
as those bees formerly called Italians, show-
ing but very little yellow, that would sting
the 'socks' oft' any man."
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
159
Involuntary Wax Secretion.
E. France says, in Gl('a)ii)igs, that bees se-
crete wax whenever they have more honey
than they have combs in which to store it
away. At such times they have to hold their
honey in their sacs — they have no other
place to put it. The wax is secreted as a
consequence of holding the honey in their
sacs. This is the whole sum and substance
of wax secretion. Mr. Doolittle, in a later
issue of (HeanLnfis, says: —
"Exactly. That is as I have always ar-
gued. Now, if Bro. F. will closely watch a
single-comb observatory hive, he will see
that the old bees, on returning from the field,
give their loads of honey to the young bees,
and that these young bees hold these loads
of honey till they are sulhciently evaporated
to be deposited in the eelis: hence it comes
about that it is the youny bees, very largely,
which secrete wax, and that wax must be se-
creted to a greater or lesser extent, from the
standpoint of Bro. F. and myself, whenever
there is a flow of honey of any great amount.
Prof. Cook might as well haul down his flag
when such 'weighty' men (avoirdupois) get
after him."
Spacing Loose Frames.
In order to prevent, by accurate spacing,
the building of brace combs, it has been
thought necessary to use fixed frames, or use
some device for spacing the loose frames.
Mr. B. Taylor, of Forestville. Minn., recent-
ly sent me a model of the rabbet to a hive
having little "gains" cut upon the upright
side of the rab jet. Each "gain" is exactly
the width of the space to be left between
frames, and the space between any two
"gains" is exactly equal to the width of a
top-bar. With such an arrangement there
is little diflBculty in spacing the frames ac-
curately. Mr. E. H. Whitaker tells, in
Gleanings, how he manages this business; it
is as follows: —
"Some five years ago 1 conceived the idea
of spacing by pencil-marks across the edge
of the hive, just above the frame-rabbet,
said pencil-marks to coincide with the cen-
ters of the frames. I still use this method,
and can space the frames quickly and accu-
rately thereby."
of an apple tree in front of each hive. Com-
menting upon this, Mr. Jones, in the C. B. J.,
says: —
"We have frequently had queens running
up sticks and little bushes set in front of
hives in that way; and if the swarm is issuing
sometimes they stayed on the stick, but if
the swarm got fairly into the air, and there
were few or no bees Hying around, they
would run up the stick and try to fly off and
then flutter to the ground again. If the
bush stuck down is sufiiciently high, with
plenty of twigs on it, some of the bees will
climb it with the queen, and others if they
wish to rest after flying, will light on it, so
that the queen will soon have an escort, and
in that way will remain on the bush. We do
not like the short stick principle, but the
bushes may be from 3 to G feet high, and
will stand from 3 to F> feet in front of the
hive. A narrow strip of thin board running
from each corner of the hive to the butt of
the tree is an improvement, as it guides the
queen directly to the bush where she
climbs."
Catching Swarms on Sticks.
Awhile ago the Revikw gave a plan of
catching swarms by having the queens clip-
ped and then driving a short stake or branch
When Queen Excluders are Necessary in
Raising t'omb Honey.
The following is from Gieaninxjs of .June
1:—
"On page 380, May 1, you state that queen-
excluding honey-boards are entirely unnec-
essary in the production of comb honey. I
have just gone over r>0 hives from which I
left the queen-excluding zinc. On the .W
stands I secured 3 good sections. All of the
others had more or less brood. I cut out the
brood, returned the supers, and the bees
have since cleared out all of the remaining
honey in the sections; so I lost my first crop
of honey through not using queen-excluders.
My supers were of the T pattern, tilled with
2-lb. V-groove sections, with }i to ^A inch
space between frames (8), and the bottom of
the sections. E. H. Sohaeffle.
Murphy's, Cal., May 11.
[Your experience is peculiar and phenom-
enal— especially so when those extensive
bee-keepers, Hetherington, Elwood, Dr.
Miller, and, I believe, J. F. Mclntyre and L.
E. Mercer, of your own State, produce good
clean comb honey without queen-excluders.
Two-pound sections would be a little more
inviting for the queen to enter than the one-
pound. Either you contract your eight
frames down to three or four, or else you
have queens more prolific than we usually
have. There is some screw loose somewhere.
Will some of our large comb-honey-pioduc-
ers who do not use queen-excluders please
tell where it is?l E. R."
With established colonies in eight-frame
Langstroth hives, I have had no trouble from
the queen entering the sections. I have
never used a queen-excluder under such con-
ditions and see no use for it. But when a
100
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
swarm is hived in a contracted brood nest,
the frames of which contain only foundation
or starters (no drawn comb) and the supers
are transferred to the uewly hived swarm,
the queen will almost invariably invade the
the sections unless restrained by an excluder.
As Ernest says, "There is a screw loose
somewhere" with this California man. If
all the circumstances were known, I think
the cause of the trouble might be pointed
out.
Another Queen Cage. — The Dixie.
Last mouth the Review contained an ad-
vertisment of the above cage, made by J. M.
Jenkins, Wetumpka, Ala., and I intended to
notice it editorially, but I am glad I did not,
as I now find, in Glcanings,so much better a
notice than I could have written. It was
written by Mr. .Jenkins himself, at the re-
quest of Mr. Root, and reads as follows:—
"I believe the Dixie queen-cage is little
enough and big enough, simple enough,
cheap enough, light enough (1 oz.), has
rooms enough, and all that. I also think the
printed directions about right for the guid-
ance of the timid novice, and the other fel-
lows don't need any. So far as I know, this
is the only cage that has contents, breeder's
address, etc., printed on it; and I believe the
request to the postmaster, 'Deliver quick,'
may at times expedite matters, especially in
the country, where the consignee may live a
few miles away, and the queen or 'word' may
bo sent by some wayfarer. This printed re-
quest, and notice of contents, gives the coun-
try i)08tmaster a pointer as to the care he
sliould take of it, and the desirability of
effectiag a speedy delivery. Some of its best
features were borrowed from other pages,
especially your Benton cage.
"While I am about it, I might say I like to
see the printed name and address of the in-
dividual or firm doing a business, on every
letter, wrapper, package, or shipment he, she,
or it sends out by mail or otherwise; for, be-
sides the little feeling of pride in it, a knowl-
edge of the sender sometimes enables the
postal and railroad folks to correct errors
and straighten things that 'ain't' straight,
and thereby save loss or long delay; and it is
a way of advertising too."
Paper for Covering Hive Covers.
I prefer hives so small that the cover can
be made of one board. Such covers, proper-
ly cleated and painted, I have used for years
and found them entirely satisfactory. But
some bee-keepers wish for larger hives, and
must use covers of more then one board. To
get a joint that is weather proof is well nigh
impossible. To remedy the difficulty such
covers have been covered with tin. They have
also been covered with paper, and the paper
kept painted. Mr. C. V. Coffin tells, in
Gleanings, of having excellent success with
Fay's ceiling manilla. Here is what he
says; —
"Several years ago, early in my bee-keep-
ing experience, my Simplicity covers crack-
ed in the sun, and began to leak. So far I
had purchased no tin, and, having some
pieces of Fay's manilla at hand, I fitted it to
the covers just as you do your tin, except
that it was first made wet and pliant, then
pasted on, and tacked around the corners
and sides. After it was dry it was painted
two coats, and since that day it has had the
same treatment the tin covers have had, and
you would have to look very closely to de-
tect these covers from the tin ones. They
have never leaked, and, so far as I can see,
are as satisfactory as the others.
Now, this is^ whst this manufacturer sells
as inside, or ceiling felt; he makes a roofing-
felt of still better material, all ready painted,
for roofing houses; and I have thought that
this latter could be used, not only for the
purpose above named, but also, perhaps, in
making Ernest's light cases for outdoor win-
tering; then, if the cases could be so con-
structed as to nest together when not in use,
by having the shape somewhat like some of
your honey-buckets, or even like a house-
roof, it might prove quite an acquisition in
your climate. Bnt as I am totally unfamil-
iar with this branch of bee-keeping I will
venture only a suggestion as to the above
material. I am sure it is of very lasting and
weather-resisting character. I think the
firm is now \V. F. Fay & Co., Camden, New
Jersey. The cost of ceiling-manilla is one
cent per square foot. I inclose a bit of the
ceiling, such as I used."
The Best Bee Escapes.
Bee escapes will probably be used to a
greater extent this season than ever before,
and, in giving them a trial, it is well to start
out with the best. I have never used bee es-
capes, as I had no honey to remove last year,
but all who have tried the Porter spring es-
cape in competition with other styles, un-
hesitatingly give it the preference. S. A.
Shuck has recently published his experience
in the matter, in Gleaninys, and I quote the
part bearing upon the different styles: —
"During the season of 18!K) I removed all
my comb hones', about ,2.'i(X) lbs., from the
hives by the use of escapes, and experienced
less inconvenience and annoyance by robbers
or bees in my honey-house than I have fre-
quently experienced in removing a couple of
hundred pounds l)y the old method of smok-
ing, shaking, and brushing of the bees from
the supers.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
1(51
I used four different patterns of escapes
— the cone, trap-door, Porter spring, and
Mr. Dibbern's latest pattern. Triple-cone
escaj)es made of perforated tin work quite
well at times. Occasionally quite a number
of bees tiud their way back through the cones
into the super.
The trap-door escape^; work nicely for a
little while, but they are soon rendered use-
less on account of propolis.
Mr. Dibbem's new escape gave very poor
results, as in my first trial with it there was
very little decrease in the number of bees in
a T super in 24 hours after adjusting the
escape on the hive. My second trial was but
little better, as only about half the bees were
out of the super in 24 hours. In subsequent
trials it worked some better, but not any
better, if as well, as the cone escapes, as the
bees are slower in passing out through the
Dibbern. I very much dislike the Dibbern
escape, for two reasons; i. e., it is just as
liable to clog up with dead bees as the cone
escape is, and there is no way of clearing it
out or knowing that it is oris not in working
order without taking it apart.
"While the bees have shown a disposition
to propolize the perforations in the perfora-
ted tin cone escapes, and plaster over those
made of wire cloth, and glue the doors of the
trap-door escapes fast, they have put but
very little propolis into the spring escapes,
but not enough to interfere with the working
of the springs in the least."
Bee-Escapes Help to Make Cheap Honey.
Last month the Review gave a long article
on bee-escapes, but, as this implement
promises to play such an important part in
the future of bee-keeping, I think it is en-
tirely in order to again give another extract,
from Gleanings, on the subject: —
"Both the Dibbern and Reese escapes are
a success with me. Like others I met with
failure when first using them; but a little ob-
servation soon put me on the right track.
The main secret of success is in the fact that
bees will not all desert thi'ir queen or brood,
sealed or unsealed ; therefore to succeed with
the escape, surplus supers must be free from
all lirood, and the queen below. This can be
accouii)lished to a certainty only by the use
of zinc queen-excluders.
The space between the escape-board and
the top of the frames below should not be
over a bee-space {% inch): for if, as some
recommend, a space of one to three inches is
left, the bees will cluster in this, filling it
with brace-combs, at the same time cluster-
ing on the escape, thereby forming a com-
munication back to the supers. To secure
the best results, supers of empty combs, or
sections, should be placed under the escapes,
as the bees are slow in going down into a
crowded brood-chamber below — especially
in eight-frame hives. I generally place the
escape on just before night, and take the
supers off by seven or eight o'clock next
morning. As a rule there will not be more
than a dozen or two bees left in the supers,
in two or three instances it cleaned them
out completely. Half-depth supers are freed
from the bees much (juicker than full ones.
A free use of the smoker when putting on
the escapes will hasten the bees in going be-
low. It takes me about one minute to each
hive in i)utting on the escapes, they being
made in a board just the size of the hive; and
all there is to do is to raise the super and
slip this between; give a few puffs of smoke
in the top of the super, and go to the next.
In the morning take your wheelbarrow and
wheel your supers, now free from bees, to
the extracting-room, where you can extract
at your leisure. This is a long way ahead of
the old plan of sliaking and brushing the
bees off each individual comb, with an army
of cross robbers following you around in the
hot sun all day.
A few points of great advantage in the
use of these escapes, overlooked by some, are,
that, when extracting every week or 10 days,
as some do, you do not disturb the working
force of bees in the jields. This is quite an
item; for, often-times, by the old way you so
excite the bees that it causes them to lose the
best part of the day, right in the midst of a
good honey-flow, which means 8, 10, or l.'S
lbs. of honey less. I am confident that large
amounts of honey are lost each year in just
this way. Who has not seen colonies cluster
out on their hives, all day, sometimes long-
er, just from being disturbed in the way
mentioned? When taking off honey after
the flow has passed, you avoid all that
troublesome robbing, which is sure to annoy
one at this season. Again, after using the
escapes one season, you can not fail to note
the change in the temper of your bees com-
pared with what it was when managed in the
old way.
1 would not part with the escapes for a
good deal; for by their use one saves three-
fourths the labor of taking off a crop of
honey.
Give me a hive having frames at fixed
distances, with a plain zinc queen-excluder,
these escapes, and a good reversible extrac-
tor, and I will show you how to produce
honey at less than half the cost nowadays.
A. F. Bkown.
Huntington, Fla., May 18.
[You have given us one of the most valu-
able and seasonable articles of the season;
and there is many a l>ee-keeper who is cran-
ing his neck to see how these "new-fangled
things" are coming out. It is i)leasant to
know that these innovations not only work
nicely on paper, but in actual practice. I
have thought, for over a year back, that the
bee-escai)e and fixed distances were going to
revolutionize present methods in the produc-
tion of comb and extracted honey: and the
way reports are coming in, it begins to seem
as if I had not surmised amiss. In fact, it is
difficult to see how any one could come to a
different conclusion who would be willing to
lay aside his old-time prejudices.
Your next to the last paragraph, unless
you are an ardent enthusiast, contains an
162
TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
idea that it may be well for some of those
who are holding back, to think over and di-
gest a little. Instead of raising such a hue
and cry about the low selling price of honey,
let us pay a little attention as to how the
product may be lessened in co.s^,. We need
to exercise all reasonable means lo keep the
price up; but let us not forget that there is a
good deal of sense in reducing the cost of an
honest pound of honey.]"
Deep Top-Bars Don't Prevent Burr-Combs.
Folded Tin-Bars Objectionable.
If the discussion that ran through the
journals a year and a half ago led any one to
believe that deep top-bars would prevent the
building of bnrr-combs, let them read the
following that appeared lately in Glean-
ings : —
"Three years ago, depending upon the tes-
timony and advice of those who claimed to
know,! put into my apiaries several thou
sand combs with top-bars IhX%, the object
being to diminish burr-combs by the extra
depth of top-bars. Two years of practical
work with these has fully demonstrated that
at least twice as many burr-comlis are de-
posited between them as there are between
the old-style top-bars which are !^-lC)X%.
Why should we expect any different re-
sult, since the vacuum to be plugged is }4:ii.%
between the former, whereas that between
the latter is only loX.^-lC), the spacing in each
case being IV from center to center? So I
am satisfied that extra depth of top-bars is
in no case a prevention of burr-combs be-
tween them. But if the spaces between
them are too wide, it has an opposite effect,
as it increases the unoccupied space, which
is the chief cause of burr-combs. If extra
depth ever has any effect in diminishing
them in the bee- space above the bars, I have
failed to notice it. But if they are ever de-
posited in a bee-escape of proper dimensions,
they do not originate there, but are simply a
continuation of those extending from the
combs below through the spaces between
the top-bars. If we make these spaces and
the bee-space above uniformly about I4 inch
there will be no burr combs deposited in
either if the top-bars are only 5-16 thick.
The use of a thousand or more wide top-bars
last season has settled me in this opinion,
and I fail to find any report that conflicts
with it. But we should not overlook the im-
portance of having the spaces between the
slats above the bee-space as narrow and as
accurate as the others.
I now make my top-bars .^)-16xl 1-lG
throughout their whole length, and! space
them 11-32 from center by using an end-bar
that wide at the top. This form of frame is
much cheaper than the Hoffman, and it is
stronger, and I think equal to it in other re-
spects. Oliver Foster.
Mt. Vernon, la., April 2.
[Your testimony, friend Foster, it seems
to me, does not conflict with the discussions
on thin and thick top-bars that occurred a
year and a half ago, when the discussion
came up in our journal. It was not then
agreed that a top-bar % square would pre-
vent burr-combs (see Gleanings, Nov. 15,
1.S89; also Jan. 1, 1890, page 20). Mr. Hall,
and all the rest of those who spoke in such
high praise of the new top-bars, recommend-
ed extra width in addition to extra thickness
(see pages 20 and 131, 1890); besides that, a
small bee-space and accurate spacing were
later suggested as very important factors.
You may remember, in answer to your arti-
cle a year and a half ago, I told you that a
top-bar % square, alone, would not accom-
plish the desired result (see Gleanings, p.
12c, 1890); and your experience above is just
about what I should expect. Where did you
see in the journals, three years ago, that top-
bars % inch square would prevent burr-
combs? Three years ago was about a year
and a half before the discussion in Gleanings
came wp. Extra width, careful spacing, and
a small bee-escape, will prevent burr-combs.
You say, then, 'What do you want an extra
thickness for?' Because, on the Langstroth
frames, a 5-1(1 top-bar, a % — yes, even a ^^■
inch top-bar — will sag; and just as soon as
the top-bar sags, the bee-space above is
changed, and away go the burr-combs again.
Let me repeat again: The extra thickness is
intended to prevent sagging, and so preserve
the very important factor—bee-space. You
say, use folded tin bars. In our apiary, on
L. frames it does not accomplish the result.
In order to keep it from dropping out, the
folded bar must be a little long. The result
is, it has to crowd up the top-bar, or push
down the bottom-bar a trifle. If the diagon-
al wires are drawn too tight, the trouble is
aggravated. We have several thousand of
such combs in our apiary, and there are very
few of them indeed that have level top-bars.
If you use a square frame, then a top-bar ^^
inch will probably answer; but even then, the
folded tin bar is a thing the bees do not like.
I have just been out in the apiary looking
over some combs, and about half of them
have the folded tin bar naked on one side,
and the cells adjacent to it are practically
useless, either for honey or for brood. Now,
why not have these cells taken up by a top-
bar that won't sag, and one that won't have
to have a folded tin bar to keep things
straight? We have made our top-bars for
loose frames, for a year and a half back,
1 1-32 wide and % thick. We do not make
thick-top frames ''<< wide, because we know
there would be burr-combs, sure. Our fixed
frames have top-bars only % thick and 1 1-32
wide. Top-bars to the loose frames might
be also % thick, but the lumber comes in
such shape that it is about as cheap to make
the extra V4 inch as to make it only %. Af-
ter all, friend F., after taking all the facts
together, you see we do not disagree unless
it is in the use of the folded tin bar and the
extra thickness. I notice that you have
adopted the Hoffman widened end. We
tried them last year, but have abandoned
them and now use the top-bars widened at
the ends, as well as the end-bar, as Hoffman
has them.] E. R. R,"
THF. BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
163
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Factory in Michigan
Is turningout hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-frame, L. hive, 2 T supers, $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, .... 1.00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto. 25.00
C'lark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $2.00. Bee veils, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Parker foundation fastener, 25 cents. Japanese
buckwheat. 00 cents a bushel ; bag 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents; thin for
surplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circulars free.
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
Fleitie m.-n(/on f/ie Reuiew
Send for my 23rd annual catalogue of
ITALIAN AND CYPRIAN
BEES. QUEENS.
nuclei and full colonies.
eggs for hatcliing. H
5-91 2t
.\piarian supplies and
H. BROWN,
Light Street, Pa.
Please mention the Reuiew.
Beautiful Bees ^i-^^^^ '"''W eye
Good Qualities ^^^ "-^{.U^table.
If you wish for bees and queens that combine
beauty and good qualities to a marked degree,
writef or descriptive circular giving low prices.
No circulars sent unless asked for.
('HAS D. DUVAL,
3-90-tf Spencerville, Md.
The universal fovor ac-
corded TiLLlNOUAST'S I'UGET
Sound Cubba^c Seeds Uada
mo to ofTer a P. S. Gkowk
OnIo:i, the finest i'tUow tili'he
in txisir:ice. Toiutroduccitand
show it;;cap.'il)ilities 1 will pay
$tOO for the l)est yit'ld obtaiu-
1(1 fronil oiincoof seed whii-h
1 will mail fur 80 ctii. €utu-
]4i|;uc free.
Isaac F. Tllllnghast,
La Plume, Pa.
;/ie lieuieu,
in4
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
Smoker burns hard wood cliipn without spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. Greatest
smoking capacity. Easiest to start. Cheapest
because it saves time. Price, $1.20. By mail,
$1.40. Per dozen, $1(1.80.
Best Bee - Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may be
given a colony at one time
which will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 30c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz., f l.liO. Has a sale of
2,000 per mouth. Address
A. G. HILL, Kendallville,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by ThosG. Newman & Son, Cliicago, 111.; G. B.
Lewis & Co,, Wutertown. Wis.; W. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Minn.; Chas. Dadant & Bon, Hamilton,
Hancock (^o., 111.; E. Kretchmer, Med Oak. Iowa;
H McWilson & Co., 202 Market St. St. Louis,
Mo.; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.; W. D. Soper &
Co., Jackson, Mioh.; ('has. A. Stockbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A. F. Fields, Wheaton, Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. Quigley, Union-
ville. Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
We Are Honest
When wo say that the WHITE MOUNTAIN
APIARIST is one of tlie brightest ami best of
bee journals in the United States. It has Iti
pages of well selected articles, and cannot fail to
instruct. Published by
A. D. ELLINGWOOD,
Berlin Falls, N. H.
Ai? Apizvry for 52^Ic.
An apiary of 100 colonies of Italians, with fix-
tures, in a never failing locality, is offered for
sale, and at a bargain if taken at once. For par
ticulars, address U. WERfiER,
6 91 -It Edwardsville, 111.
To coriespond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence iironiptly answered.
Best of reference. EAKLE CLICKENGEU,
114H)-tf Columbus, Ohio,
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
ITALIAN QUtEKS AND SUPPLIES
FOU 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. P. II. liKOWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Georgia.
Ranted: J;
Carniolan Queens.
FINEST IN THE LAND!
All reared from imported stock. Warranted
purely mated, 7.5 cents each. Six for $4.00.
Tested queens, $1.00 each ; six for $5.00. 6-91-tf
J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.
P/ease mentiun the Reuieuj.
CHICAGO
Bee-Keepers' Supply Co.
Jobbers and manufacturers of bee supplies.
Write for circular with special prices before
placing your orders. 1-91. tf
(J. B. Kline, Secretary,)
65 CLARK ST., ROOM 14,
CHICAGO. ILL.,
Please mention the
A TOPEKA,
N
D KAN.
Reuiew.
DID YOU EVER
SEE OUR CAT-
alogue of BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES, ITALIAN
Queens, Bees, Etc? if not, send for it at
once njoditied Benton and Pra't QUEEN
Cages, $20.00 and $10.00 per thousand. Dis-
count to' the trade. Sample catre free to queen
breeder or dealer. A. A. WEAVER,
.')-()l-2t VVarrimsburg, Mo.
yATT Can Now Get Your
IV/U Supplies From The
BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLY HOUSE,
N'ew 'X'ork. City.
Bees, Queens, Sections, Foundation, etc., etc.
Send for circular aud price list.
.V91-3t J. H. M. COOK, 78 BARCLAY ST
Please mention the Reuiew.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality aud Price
unsurpassed. Send for samjile and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Please mention the Reuiew.
PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION.
A. E. MANUM, BRISTOL, VT.
njil\AH QU€€KS.
PUiisc mention the Reuieui.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
1(55
Type Writer for Sale.
1 hiivo a World typewriter, taken ii> a "dicker,"
that I would sell for 8G.(K>, or would exchautio
for honey. Cost $8,00 when new and could not
be told from new now. Specimen of writing
sent on application.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON. Flint. Mich.
J. FOHNCROOK ducing bees tliat will
just please you fully? Well, my
It'dians are in the lead — so my
cListoiiiers say. BiiO queens sold
and have iieard of only one mismatod one.
Your orders will be appreciated and quickly
tilled. Warranted (lueen, 75 cts.; 3 for «2. 00. A
beautiful, selected breeder, $l..'>!i.
3 81-6t W, H, LAWS, Lavaca. Ark.
1891
ITALIA/SS
Are the gentlest and handsomest bees in the
world. Tliey are good workers and less ini lined
to rob than are the three-banded Italians. The
queens are very prolific. My breeding queen,
that, together with her bees, took the FIRST
PREA\lUyA last fall at the Detr.-it Exposition,
filled a len-frame "simplicity hive with brood and
l)ees this spring by May 1st, and May 7th had
cells starteii for swarming.
1 can now fill ord^'r8 ior untested queens at
f l.ttO each ; six for $5.00 ; or $9.00. per dozen.
Tested queens, .$2.00 each. Selected, tested, $3.00
each. Breeding (lueens, when 1 have them to
spare, $1). Oil each. Safe arrival guaranteed. Make
money or(ier,s payable at Flint, Mich.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3^*l-'^t Kogersville, (Teiiesee Co., Mich.
Please mention the Reu'tew.
HIGH HILL, MO.
Send for 1891 circular which gives information
about SL'>=f=I-/E'S, BEES, ETC.
GOLDEN ITALIAN QUEENS, un-
tt'sied, in May, $1.00 ; three for $...5n. Test(>d,
$1..50 ; tiiree for $100 1, 2, and 3 frame nuclei,
with queen, $2 25 to $1.0'J.P.ees by the pound,
brood and full colonies a' LOWEST figures.
Have .vour ORDERS Ifooked early 5-91-tf
J/VO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill. Mo.
Ple.^s .... -
Our Catalogue of B^^-
5upplie5. S^r? lati'st, imiiroved inachiuer.\- ? They are
now iirepared to send .mt the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kirid.s of bee-kfi'pers' suiiplies (dways on hand. Their locatitm wiU en-
able them to shij) goods by direct line to more points than any f)ther man
iiFacturcr, which will give the advantage of LiOiv Freight Rates and
,iiiok transportaton. Send for free illustrated catalogue, 2-9i-tf
OUIVEf^ HOOVER & CO., l^ivefside, Pa.
Please mention the Hevieiu,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
167
THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH
He has sold his entire bee and supply business to a man who will fully sustain
past reputations, therefore it is with pleasure that he gives his consent to the use of
the old name, " That Fittsfleld Smith," for future advertisements.
His successor will he prepared to fill all orders promptly and to deal a little
better by you than he atrrees. 7-90-12t
ADDRESS "THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH,"
Box I003, Pittsfield, Mass.
Please mention tfu- Reuiew.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-.Iars, Tin Buckets,
Itee-Hives, llimey-Seiis, &c., &c.
I'erfoeHon Cold-ISInst Smokers.
Apply to CFIAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati. O
V. S.— Send lO-cent staTnp for "Practical Hints
to K<>p-Kpppers. 2-88-tf.
ITALIAN QUEENS
{f\ Frorp tbe Finest Stock. |>
*y» ( )ni' nntpstcil qiieon, 7.'. *^
^ Tliree " qneens $2.{)0 ffj
^J One tested queen, 1.50 \j
tf\ Three " queens 4.(in
Two - frame nucleurt, with any queen, Qj
I .Si-rifl extra. Safe arrival and satisfac- JT1
I tion gnarantf-ed. R-ill-'^t i-.
";: w. J. ELLiso/s, n|
lU CzvtcJjMl, 5. C. Ul
.T. W. Taylor has pure Italian and Albino
QUEENS
for sale at tlie followins; pricis : untested, 7.") cts,
ivtch : six for f.').(0;twelvi- for $8.(0. Tested
queens, $!.">'> each, or$Ki.les
free. Both journalsone year to one address, $l.oO
we wilf^send £111101 triaf tHp for S HlthS 25 CtSi
THED.A. JONES CO., Ud, Beeton, Out.
— I manufacture —
KiY€S, SeCTJO^tS,
and everything needed in the apiary, ('atalogue
free. It will ))ay you to send for one.
J. C. SAYLES,
■t-91-tf Hartfort, Wisconsin.
168
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ADVANCED BEE-COliTUlRE;
Its JVIethods and Management.
Tliis book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is bound with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and tlieir Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Control, and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after which Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and *' Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The intluence of Food, Ven-
tilation, Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
vers\is Mixed Bee-Keeping. Comforts and
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc., etc. — ;?'J chapters in all.
PRICE of the Book is SO ets. The I^EVIEW and the Book fon $1.25.
Stamps taken, either U. S. op Canadian.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, JVIieh.
1878
JOadants' Gomb Foundation.
Half a Million Poiiiids Sold in TMrteeii Years. Over $200,000 in Value.
It is the best, atul iiiiamnttH^l overy iuch equal to sample. All dealers who \\i\\o trieil it
Imvf iiUM-oased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FREE to ALL. SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' Liangstroth on the Honey Bee. f^evised. 1891
Those who wish a Iwuik in wliicli they will find, witl\out ditticulty, whatever infcinnation besiimers
desire, should seud for this work. Its nrranseiuent is such that Juiy subject and ;dl its references can
be foHud very readily, by a syetf'ui of iudexiuK uuml)er8. It is the most complt'te treatise in EukHsI)
iJ Q 1^ i^ T I T 1^ />■ la'CCC if* !> chapter of the Lanpstroth nn-ised, ami contains instructions
l*''^4**^-'-*^4^>-* tOEEO to iH'ffinners on tl>e handling and taminj; of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best hnportetl Muterial. Sample FliKE. Insti-ucfions to Heijinners sent
free with Circular. ' 4-91- IJt
Mtntion Keuiem. CHAS. DADAflT & SOf4, Harnilton, HaneoekCo., Ills.
July 10. I89i.
At Fliqt, Micl^igaq — Oqe Dollar a Year,
170
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make 1 inch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
Wm. W. Gary, of Coleraine, Mass. has one of
the very
Best 5tr2iir7S
OF
ITfllllAfl BEES
In America, produced by crossing with queens
from all the best breeders, and he is now pre-
pared to furnish you with choice, large, yellow
queens, reared in full stocks, at the following
low prices :—
Tested queens, each, $1.50
Warranted queens, each, 1.00
per V" doz., 5.00
dozen, 9.00
Untested queens, each, 75
" '• per !4 doz., .. 4.50
" " dozen, . 8.00
Safe arrival, by return mail, guranteed. Send
your orders at once and secure these low prices.
Wm. AV. CARY,
(Successor to Wm. w. CARY & CO.) t'oleraine, Mass.
2-91 -*f Please mention the Review.
A. I. Root Sz^ys
my 5-banded Italian bees '■ Are about the
yellowest we ever saw. For any who want
fancy bees, these will be the bees."
One untested queen in August and Sep. 75 cts.
Type Writer for Sale.
I have a World type writer, taken in a "dicker,"
that I would sell for $6.00, or would exchange
for honey. Cost $8,00 when now and could not
be told from new now. Specimen of writing
sent on application.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
5-91-4t
J. F. A\ICHAEL.,
German, Darke Co., Ohio.
MANUFAOTUBERS OF THE
"BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.
Will furnish you, the coming season, one-piece
sections, sandpapered on both sides ae cheap as
the cheapest and better than the best. Write for
prices. Watertown, Wie. 12-90-Ht
Please mention the Reuieui.
Italian ^ Queens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - OircialarJ
J. T. ■WILSON,
4_gi_tf Pink, Kentucky.
Please mention the Reuiew
Hunt's Foundation Factory.
Samples free. Send your beeswax and have it
made up. Highest prices paid for beeswax.
3-91 -6t M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich. (Near Detroit, t
P/,,nse mention the Reuieu
BEE - HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC
BEST GOODS AT LOWEST
PRICES. WE MAKE 15.000 SEC-
TIONS PER HOUR. CAN FILL
ORDERS PROMPTLY. WRITE
FOR FREE. ILLUSTRATED CAT-
ALOGUE. G. B. LEWIS <& CO..
S-gj-tf Watertown, Wisconsin.
The Porter Spig Bee - Escape.
We guarantee it to be the best escape known
and far superior to all others. If on trial of
from one to a dozen you do not find them so,
or if they do not give entire satisfaction in ev-
ery way, return them by mail within three
months after receiving them and we will re-
fund your money.
^^^^^^^==^^g*_-=^— ^ss^^s^es/ fund your money.
PRICES : Each, by mail, postpaid, with full directions, 20 cts. Per doz., by mail, postpaid, $3.25
Send for circular, testimonials, etc. Dealerssend for wholesale prices. Tin^^-i«='
R,. & B. O. FOK.TBR/, Liewisto-wrL, Illinois.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
171
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
Smoker burns liard wood chips without spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. GreuteBt
HuiokinK capac^ity. Easiest to start. Cheapest
because it saves time. Price, %\.'iQ. By mail,
$1.40. Per dozen, $10.80.
Best Bee - Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may be
given a colony- at one time
which will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 80c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz., $1.6(3. Has a sale of
2,iXM) jier month. Address
A. G. HILL, Kendallville,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by ThosG. Newman & Son. Chicago, 111.; G. B.
Lewis & Vo„ Watertown. Wis.; W. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Mino.; ('has. Dailant & Son, Hamilton,
Hancock Co., 111.; E. Kretrhmer, Red Oak. Iowa;
H. McWilson A: Co., 202 Market St.. St. Louis,
Mo.; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.; W. D. Soper &
Co., Jackson, Mich.; ('has. A. Stockbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A. F. Fields, Wheaton, Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. Quigley, Union-
ville. Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
We Are Honest
When we say that the WHITE MOUNTAIN
APIARIST is one of the brightest and be.st of
bee journals in the United States. It has 16
pages of well selected articles, and cannot fail to
instruct. Published by
A. D. ELLINGWOOD,
Berlin Falls, N. H.
B
E£. KEEPERS! GUIDE. Revised,
enlarged improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ouglit to have it. Price $1.50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
Please mention the Reuieui.
Ranted:
To correspond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE (^LICKENC+ER,
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio.
"Reference: Editor REVIEW.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOIi 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. ISKOWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Georgia.
Please mention the Review,
Carniolan Queens.
FINEST IN THE LAND!
All reared from imported stock. Warranted
purely mated, 7.j cents eadi. Six for $4.00.
Tested queens, $1.0<) each ; six for $5.00. 6-91 -tf
J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.
Please nwntion the Reuieui.
lUU Supplies From The
BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLY HOUSE,
New ITor-lc Oity.
Bees, Queens, Sections, Foundation, etc., etc.
Send for circular aud price list.
5-91-3t J. H. M. COOK, 78 BARCLAY ST
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, (^rates and Wood Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
ICilTKCR COtOR€»
PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION.
A. E. MANUM, BRISTOL. VT.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BICHAM & HETHERIN&TON
Honey J^nives,
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, 'iy% inch,
Conqueror Smoker, 3 "
Large Smoker, 2Vi "
Extra Smoker, 2
Plain Smoker, 2
Little Wonder Smoker, l'/4 "
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, 1.15
Upon receipt of price. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descriptive Circular and Tes-
timonials sent upon application.
$2.00
1.75
1..50
1.25
1.00
65
BINGHAIVI & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf.
Abronia, Michigan
172
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Winter Bees
Safely 2vninOi z^P'J Gol ; August
and September, S^TjO.
1 select-testpd Albino, Aug, and Sep. $2.50.
1 uuteat'ci It.'lian, July to Sep.. 7.5 cts.
1 tested Italian, July, $1.50; August and Sep-
tember. $1.25.
1 select -tested Italian, $2.00.
For particulars, send for descriptive circular.
Illnstratea AdTertlsements Attract Attention.
Cuts FurnisM for all Illnstrating Pnrposes.
e (|)ee-
\eepeps' jHeViecu
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tlqe Iqterests of Hoqey Producers.
$L00 A YEAR,
W. Z. HOTCHlNSOfl, Editop & Pfop .
VOL, IV, FLINT. MICHIGAN, JULY 10. 1891. NO. 7.
The special topie of this issue is
" Bee- Escapes. "
That of the next issue tiiill be
" House Apiaries,"
Bee Escapes, their Origin, Requisites,
Advantages and Improvements.
C. H. DIEBERN.
fAM GLAD the ]!etiew has chosen
this topic for the -luly issue, as it is one
of the live subjects of our business.
During the past few years I have experi-
mented a great deal with escapes, and given
much thought and study to the matter. For
this reason I will jjresume that an article
from me will be welcome.
I do not claim to have originated the idea
of bee escapes, that is, to compel bees to de-
sert the supers for the hive below. I think
Mr. Reese is fairly entitled to this honor,
although an escape for doing this very thing
was patented more than thirty years ago.
I do clai'i), however, tliat I was the first to
make the idea practical, in my horizontal
escape, and do away with the objectionable
features of the Reese and other escai)es.
It is not my object, however, to quarrel
about priority, as I am perfectly willing
to let bee-keepers settle that question for
themselves.
Now let us see what is really required in a
perfect bee escape. First, we must have a
board with which to cut off the supers from
the hive. It has been suggested that there
should be a rim of various dimensions im-
mediately under the board, leaving a vacant
space between it and the hive or super.
This is not at all necessary, as I have proved
by many experiments. What any one wants
of such a sfjace, for jees to cluster and
buikl comb in, I cannot understand. It was
this very difficulty with the Reese that led
me to plan the horizontal escape. The es-
cape board should have only % bee space on
each side of it when in place. Any escape
that will not work in such a board is of no
account. I use only a J^ inch board, but I
am inclined to tliink that a % or 3^ would
be better on some accounts. All seem to be
pretty much agreed as to the kind of board
required. I find many other uses for these
boards. In summer they are used for inner
covers to the honey cases and in winter they
are covers to the liives in the cellar.
Since I first illustrated the horizontal es-
cape in the A. B. J. for November 15, 188'J,
many forms of escapes have been brought
out; some showing great ingenuity.
It may be asked, if this form of escape is of
such importance, why was the one of thirty
years ago lost sight of ? Well, to judge from
the cut publishe'd in Gleanings, it seems to
have been a kind of trap door arrangement,
and it is likely that the bees soon " fixed "
the door with propcjlis. We must remember,
too, that the surplus arrangements of those
174
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
times were mostly five-pound boxes — not
very suitable for using bee escapes. Their
time had not come. I wish to say right here
that any escape with trap doors, springs or
other working parts will always be a slow
process and unsatisfactory in the long run.
The escape should be as plain as possible
and instantly removable from the buard.
It should be provided with abundant ventila-
tion so that in hot weather, with crowded
hives, the bees in the supers will not smoth-
er and the honey be ruined. I would sug-
gest that where escapes are defective in this
respect, a few inch holes be bored through
the board and covered with wire cloth. The
escape should also be made so that all parts
where it may become clogged with bees or
drones may be seen from the top. I find
that drones are particularly likely to die in
escapes, even where there is plenty of room.
Some of these things I have only lately
learned, and I admit thai some of my older
escapes were defective in these respects. I
am now experimenting with a very plain
little escape that seems to answer all require-
ments. I shall give it a severe test upon
strong colonies that are run for extracted
honey, and when I know it is all right I
will make it known, and there will be no
" patent applied for " either.
As to the uses and advantages of escapes,
little need be said. They will soon speak
for themselves. Take an armful of escape
boards with escapes in place, and place one
by the side of each hive from which you
wish to remove a case. If honey is still
corning in, place an empty case beside it.
Now have an assistant blow in a little smoke
as you pry up a case and slip in the board
and super in place, and you will be surprised
to see how quickly the work is performed.
Now, when, in a few hours, you can go and
carry in all the honey, with no bees to
bother with, you will be still more surprised
that you could ever have put up with the
old " smoke-out-brush-'em-off " plan.
Most of us have some defective bee spaces
in which burr comb will be built, especially
in good years. Now, in the " good old way "
we would pry the case off and drip the honey
over the hive and all over the apiary, making
a sort of " free tight " for the bees and often
a red hot time for ourselves. By the use of
escapes there is not a particle of drip out-
side the hives, the bees will save all that
drips in the hive and the supers will come
off dry and clean. This is a 6(V/ point.
There are yet other uses, aside from the
removal of surplus, to which bee escapes
may be put. I am now practicing what I
call the bee escape system of swarming.
The plan is to hive the swarm upon the old
stand, remove supers from the old to the
new hive, put an escape on top and the old
brood chamber on top of that, giving it a
small entrance of its own. The bees con-
stantly escape into the lower hive, and, on
the seventh day, the old hive is given a new
stand. Of course this is the Heddon idea
divested of its bunglesome features. In
connection with the self hiver, I am now
practicing this system with great success.
As I have intimated, I think that a perfect
bee escape is not yet In the market. I have
a number of devices ready as soon as I can
give them a severe test in actual use. I feel
confident that I have the coming escape,
but no matter, the person who can give us
the simplest, cheapest and best device is the
one we are looking for. The escape that we
now have, however, will do the work, and we
will make good use of it until a better is
found.
Milan, 111. June 30, 18'J1.
Great Value of Bee Escapes — Most of Them
Work Under Right Conditions— The
Porter the Best.
J. A. GBEEN.
PHE bee escape is the greatest of recent
inventions in bee-keeping. Since the
invention of comb foundation and
the introduction of queer excluding metal
nothing has been brought forward of greater
practical value than the bee escape.
One of the greatest of labor savers, it will
do more to simplify and cheapen the pro-
duction o£ honey than anything brought for-
ward in years. It is equally valuable in the
production of comb and extracted honey.
It is of greatest value in the out-apiary, and
by its use I think even the house-apiary may
be made a practical success.
I have just returned from an out-apiary
run for extracted honey. Yesterday I put
bee escapes under such supers as were full of
sealed honey — the work of only a few
minutes. To day all I had to do was to pick
up those supers — not a bee in any of them
except one — load them on my Wagon and re-
move the escapes. In the one case the queen
had found her way through the honey board
and there was brood in the super.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
175
Bees will not leave n super when there is
brood or a queen in it, so that queen exclud-
ers are a necessity in producing extracted
honey.
When removing a super an empty one
sliould be given at tlie same time.
Bees will pass through the escape most
readily when it is left on over night, espe-
cially when the nights are cool. Five or six
hours through the day time, will usually get
all, or nearly all the bees out.
When extracting supers are left this way
over night the honey sometimes becomes too
cold to extract well. Pile it up out iu the
sun or keep it for a time in a warm room.
Most of my honey is not extracted until
after the rush of the honey-flow is over —
sometimes not for two or three months after
it is removed from the hives.
I have in use a number of devices. When
eveything is favorable they all work well.
The old style vertical cone escape is too
bulky and sometimes the bees make trouble
by clustering on the under side, building
comb if left on too long.
The Porter spring escape, which I tried
thoroughly last year, is the best. The bees
sometimes find their way back through
other kinds, but the Porter escape is positive
in its action and they cannot get back
through it.
Paint the edges of the escape boards some
d rk color, contrasting strongly with the
white of the hives, so that you can see at a
glance just where they are.
Dayton, 111., July 9, 1891.
History of Bee Escapes.
G. W. DEMABEE.
^-M:C FRIEND of mine has suggested that
an article from my pen, on the his-
tory of bee escapes, would be read
with interest, now since the device has been
made a practical help in the apiary. There
is some responsibility attached to such an
undertaking because of the difficulty the his-
torian finds in the way of doing justice to
all.
The first hint we have of a " bee escape "
as a nomenclature was printed on a device
to permit bees to escape from a dark closet
and prevent them from returning to carry
away the honey. This device was invented
by the writer of this article and exhibited by
him at the National Convention, at Lexing-
ton, Ky., in 1881. Mention is made of
this device in the report of the com-
mittee on exhibits as may be seen by re-
ferring to the report of the proceedings of
the Convention as given in the Americmn
Bee Journal of that year.
The concern was made of wood and glass
and wa in the form of a V and had a spring
at the apex for the bees to " escape." After-
ward I substituted the wire cone; and in 1887
I began to experiment with an entirely new
principle. This new principle consisted of
a delicately adjusted trap door, or swinging
gate in what I call a chute. This tiny swinging
gate was so finely adjusted in the passage
way or chute that the slightest touch from
the inside would swing the under part of the
trap door outward and let the bees "escape,"
but when pressure was brought to bear from
without, a " stop " at the bottom of the chute
prevented the door from swinging inwardly
and no bee could force his way back.
When I was experimenting with this tiny
swinging trap door, Mr. J. S. Reese, of Win-
chester, Ky., sent me his wire cloth device
applied to a horizontal division board.
Thus he became the first to apply the "bee
escape " to a honey board, and is now the ac-
cepted father of the present, practical bee
escape — one of the greatest helps known to
modern bee culture.
With this new idea I revised my tiny trap
door plan, and having adjusted it in a small
tin chute so as to fit it in a honey board it
became a perfect success.
While Reese and Dibbern w«re working
to perfect their labyrinthin plan I was hope-
ful that they would succeed, till experience
taught me that nothing but mechanical
force would prevent bees from returning in
numbers suflicient to annoy the apiarist.
Now it seems a little singular, but the facts
seem to warant the conclusion, that Mr. Por-
ter was at the same time experimenting with
his delicately adjusted spring device, which
he has patented and therefore brought into
general notice.
Some friend sent me two of Porter's
escapes and I immediately adjusted them in
suitably made honey boards and have given
them the severest trial, right beside my
swinging door device, and I have no hesita
tion in saying that nothing can be more sim-
ple, and few devices will ever be more efii-
cient in performance than the trembling lit-
tle springs which ctmstitute the Porter Bee
Escape. But it is my opinion it will meet a
176
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
rival in the subtle, swinging trap door, when
I have procured machinery that will make
the little gates perfect.
Now, in conclusion, I have to say that from
the Keese labyrinthin idea, the bee escapes
of to-day, and of the future are, and will be,
a progression of ideas.
Chbistiansbueg, Ky.. July 10, 1891.
Antiquity of Bee Escapes. — Advice in Re-
gard to Their Use.
H. L. JEFFBBT.
fSEE that you now have Bee-Escapes on
the brain, and you very honestly let
the fever have its full raving in your
first two paragraphs on page 151!. The first
paragraph was at its full height and the
second showed the result of a weakened and
spent force and returning rationality.
I have seen quite a number of just such
cases as you describe as yours, I have told
dozens of bee-keepers about the escapes and
quiie often met the reply: " Do you think
us fools or are you lying to us?" Right
here I must say that it is easier to make the
majority of people raving mad or set them
thinking that you are lying to them by tell-
ing the exact truth and the whole of it, than
by any other method, and I have many times
enjoyed myself in that way and then watched
for the chance to hector some one concern-
ing the results. For three or four years I
used the bee-escape as a means of that kind
of enjoyment.
The first bee-escape I ever saw was the re-
sult of a little opposition in that line. One
John H. Tanner, helping me one day in 1877
when I was taking off some of the old style
of sections, asked if "the sections could not
be put into a case like a fly trap made wrong
end first and attached to a hive so that the
bees could go into the hive out of the sec-
tions and not get back upon the honey again,
and if it would not work? " I dared him to
try it and for some days hectored him about
it. I often congratulated him on making
his everlasting fortune and such like com-
pliments, knowing that he would, if really
stirred up, produce something that would
lead to a practical api^aratus, and out of an
old cottage fly trap he made the first suc-
cessful apparatus that I ever saw. I tested it
in 1877 and used it until I was satisfied of its
usefulness, but before I was allowed to ex-
amine into its make, yes, before I was really
informed of its existence, I was bound by
promise not to write to any one about it and
I kept my promise faithfully until now. It
worked perfectly; and parts, if not the whole,
of the original escape are in my possession.
In principle the Reese escape is the same.
For six or seven years quite a number of in-
ventive geniuses have made various forms
of escapes, but they all had to go back to the
original Tanner principle. The Porter plan
and principle have been used more than six
years ago, but is not equal to the Reese, and
I do not believe that there ever will be one
that is its equal. I have tried dozens of
modifications of escapes but the first Tanner
principles are all in all and perfect, and I
will. enumerate some of the reasons.
If a single cone is used the bees will feed
through and then will work back and forth.
If there is but little space between the board
that holds the cones and the hive or sections
below they will not go down so readily, and
they will soon learn the way back and forth
to the crate of sections.
Your advice to place a case of new sec-
tions beneath the escape when putting it on
would be in error just often enough so that
I would not advise it. A new case of sec-
tions placed on the top is quite often deserted,
thereby causing a crowding of bees in the
brood chamber and either swarming or lazi-
ness would be the result just often enough
to be perplexing and expensive. To remedy
that trouble use a deep space of not less than
4 inches or even 5 or G inches under the es-
cape board and let the bees have it from 1 to
.3 days. They will hang in there quietly, (I
like 2 or 3 days better than 1) will secrete
some wax and will be in fine condition for a
. case of sections and in no way will it prevent
them from finishing up those they are
already working in. On the 2nd, 3rd or 4th
day as is conevnient set a crate of empty sec-
tions on a hive body or something near the
hive with the escape on, take the escape
carefully from the hive, strike it heavily
down upon the section case, then set both
back upon the hive. The bees are jarred
into the sections and go to work immediate-
ly building comb, when they would other-
wise have been idling around for days or
perhaps not doing any thing at all in them.
Now, a word about the rapid using of the
escapes. You say in your leader that "two
men ought to place escapes in position at
the rate of four a minute." Not a reason-
able beekeeper would ever expect 240 es-
capes per hour as the work of two men. 40
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
177
would satisfy me and I doubt that that mauy
would be work well "doue all day loug. I do
uot wish to discourage the iuveutivo genius,
because, from the many but few will be
chosen or stand the test of time and ex-
perience, but the Reese escape in principle
and form is the one. Neither do I wish to
detract from Mr. Reese the honor and credit
due to him by writing tlie trutii of what I do
know and can prove to be true, but 1 write
to show how slowly the tiuest and most valu-
able things develope. Through the modesty
of the inventor an invention may be known
only locally and the tirst case is a verifica-
tion of the second and vice versa.
You say you have not tried the escapes. I
have used them by the dozen, and find it
pleasant to go out late in the afternoon,
sepai'ate two crates, place the escape be-
tween them, and, when the escape is proper-
ly adjusted, raise one end of the board cover-
ing the sections, as you advise, give the bees
a few deluging puffs of smoke then shut it
down and in the morning go out with my
wheel barrow for my crates of honey.
When using the escapes always give them
plenty of space beneath; always give the
bees time enough, and always take time to
do the job and do it well and leave no cracks.
Hurried work. is always slighted somewhere.
Bro. VV. Z. H., don't, with a helper, put on
four escapes per minute; just take four
minutes to put on one. Such rapid work
might surprise the bees and arrest all work
for the day.
The full appreciation of the escape is at
the stinging part of the season and when
they sharxjly and pointedly insinuate "bet-
ter leave us alone you honey thief." I can
handle more honey aloue with 20 escapes
properly made, than I can with a helper,
without the escapes.
WooDBUBY, Conn., July 1st, ISDl.
Those who Have Used the Porter Escape
and What They Say.
K. & E. C. POUTEB.
^OUR postal of yesterday at hand. I
think Mr, John S. Reese, of Win-
chester, Ky., if requested, would
give you an article on escapes in general and
ours in particular and he may do so without
being asked. He has tested our escapes
thoroughly and gives them his hearty in-
dorsement. On June >Sth he writes us:
" Having given the escapes a practical test it
gives me great pleasure to say that they are
absolutely perfect, and beyond all question
of doubt, will do their work under all circum-
stances. 1 can not tolerate my own make
any more after using yours, and I enclose
$2 for as many as this amount will buy. I
will write an article for Gleanings and
give the facts as I know them." Since our
escapes have been advertised we have re-
ceived orders for something more than 2,000.
Many who ordered but one as a sample to
test have ordered more— all the way from .')
to 40 each for their own use. But very few
of these, however, are beekeepers who write
for the journals. So far we have not re-
ceived a word of complaint from our cus-
tomers but many of praise. They will be
handled by the leading supply dealers next
year. We did not expect to sell many, if
any, to supply dealers this year but have
already received orders from Root, Kretch-
mer. Tinker, Gary, the Falconer, Co. and a
number of others.
I think J. A. Green has tested our escapes
quite thoroughly and ' could probably give
you a good article.
"Rambler" also would probably do the
same thing, if he hasn't rambled too far
away.
Some time ago we sent a half gross of
escapes to A. N. Draper, of Upper Alton, 111.
and he probably knows something about
them by this time.
W'e enclose a copy of a letter received from
J. F. Mclntyre which you are at liberty to
use as you wish. Will write you some more
when we get time.
FiLLMOEE, Cal., June 23rd, 1894.
R. & E. C. Porter,
Messrs. — Lewistown, 111.
I have- tried your bee-escapes under
various conditions to see what they would
do and will now submit my report. In the
first place your escape is far superior to any
other bee-escape which I have tried and I
have tried several. Being positive in its
action it will finally clear the bees out of
any super no matter how large. I find that
the length of time taken to clear a super of
bees depends on tlie number and kind of
bees and the size of the super. A T super
full of comb honey will be cleared of bees in
about ;") hours. Extracting supers with small
frames like Heddon's or Dr. Tinker's are
cleared nearly as soon, say 6 hours; with a
full depth, 10-frame Langstroth super it
takes much longer, from 12 to 24 hours,
178
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
owing to the number of bees in the super.
The bees seem to be more contented to stay
in a large super or else they get discouraged
trying to find the way out and give it up.
Our nights are always cool here no matter
how hot it is in the day time, and if the escapes
have to be left on over night the honey gets
cold and does not extract so well. I shall
use your escape to take off what comb honey
I produce and brush the bees from my ex-
tracting combs, as before, while I use Lang-
stroth supers. Very Truly Yours,
J. F. McIntyee,
P. S. — You may send this report to Glean-
ings or use it as you please.
Origin of the Reese Escape. — The Porter the
Acme of Escapes. — Don't Use Smoke,
but Shade the Supers.
JNO. S. KEESE.
^3[0ME plan of getting the bees away
^^1 from the honey, or honey away from
^■^ the bees, without having a big fuss
about it, was one of the first important
questions with the writer soon after he be-
gan to keep bees. The wire cloth, cone fly
trap principle flashed into his mind one day
while trying to take from the hive a case of
sections, and in a very few minutes a cone
was formed and fastened around a hole in a
thin board and placed as a movable bottom,
in a T super. The next morning there were
not more than a few dozen bees left in the
super, and they were not disposed to fight.
A longer and slenderer cone was afterwards
made and attached to a board the size of the
super with a bee space above and below,
and this cone was so placed on the board
that it would fit into the lower case of sec-
tions when one section was removed. This
same board works nicely to take ofl: the last
case or super by placing the empty super on
next to the brood chamber, then the escape
board, amd then the super with bees and
hone^f.
The vertical cone escape is simple, cheap,
easy to make, not patented, and works as
well under all circumstances as any of the
horizontal escapes that have been made or
used at the Highland apiary, except the
Porter spring, which is certainly the acme
of escapes, and will take ijrecedence in said
apiary, where a number of them have been
in practical use all this season.
Escapes, like perforated zinc, will be ap-
plied in many ways, such as changing the
bees from extracting cases to cases of sec-
tions at a proper time to get choice comb
honey, and other uses which lack of space
forbids mention.
The bee keeper who does not use escapes
at this " stage of the game " might well be
classed with the men who do not use foun-
dation or perforated zinc.
Do not use smoke to hurry the bees down
through the escape, but use instead a little
patience and a good deal of shade over the
surplus cases, as the heat of the sun might
melt down your choice honey when the bees
have unwillingly deserted it and cannot
ventilate it.
WiNOHESTEB, Ky., July Gth, 1891.
Moderate Increase with Divisible Brood
Chamber Hives. — Handling Hives
Instead of Combs.
B. TAYLOB.
fN MY former article I gave my method
of managing the small hives when no
increase is desired ; in this I will ex-
plain my practice when a moderate increase
is desired. A small increase is a necessity,
as, with the most skillful management, a
small loss will occur during the year and it
must be made good.
Up to swarming time, I proceed the same
as explained in my first article. Near
swarming time I determine the n umber of
new colonies that I will make and then pre-
pare to provide suitable young queens for
them. In choosing material for these queens
I follow Nature's law of "Natural Selection."
The swarm that, under average treatment,
becomes powerful and casts an early swarm
holds Nature's certificate of superiority; so I
take a suitable number of the first swarms
to provide the queens needed and proceed as
follows : The new swarms is hived with that
section of the old swarm that contains no
queens cells, and is placed upon a new stand.
The top section of brood containing the queen
cells is left on the old stand. This gives it an
abundance of bees to insure the queens
being kept properly warm and perfectly de-
veloped. The swarms that come after these,
from other colonies, are hived with one
section of the old hive and one empty sec-
tion containing foundation or starters and
are placed upon the old stand. The other
section of the old hive is placed upon a new
stand. This management is continued
until the number of swarms desired is pro-
i
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
179
vided with one sectiou each on a new stand.
As the queen cells provided are about to
hatch, I give one good cell to each of the
sections on tho new stands, placing the cells
in plain sight, under tho onameled cloths,
between the combs on top. I pay no atten-
tion to the queen cells already in the combs
below, as the cell given will hatch tirst
by several days and the tirst queen out will
attend to the other cells. In three or four
days after the queen is out I examine the
combs until I find some of the first queen
cells destroyed which I accept as proof that
the choice cell is all right and make no fur-
ther search until the que(>n should V)e laying,
when I look again to be sure that all is well.
As the bees continue to swarm, the one
section of brood left from each swarm is
placed upon one of the sections containing
a young queen, until eacli has a full hive of
two sections. A queen excluding honey
board is now placed upon each, and upon
this is set the section of brood left from
each swarm, care being taken to destroy the
queen cells in them. On top of these swarms
I often pile up these sections of brood until
they are five and six high. In a few days
such colonies are the most powerful in the
yard ; and by removing the hives above the
honey boards, when all tlie brood has hatch-
ed, shaking the bees from them at the en-
trance below, and putting on supers, first
class results in comb honey may be secured.
I usually leave the hives piled up just as
they were placed to be tilled with honey to
be extracted or saved for feeding as may be
desired.
Who says now that we cannot make the
bees, left in the old hive after swarming,
productive of honey V I have freiiuently
^found four to six hives (sections) solid full
of honey in the fall and a first class colony
in the hive below the queen excluder.
I see in Gleanings for May 1st, page 3r)G,
that Geo. F. Robbins tries to explain nearly
the same system that 1 have outlined in
this article ; but with the old-fashioned,
full-brood-chamber hives. I have no doubt
that he is a skillful apiarist, yet how clumsy
his management seems to one accustomed
to using small, divisible-brood-chamber
hives. My management may seem tedious
and fussy on account of my poor way of
explaining it, but in all this work, with an
apiary of KJO colonies, siiring count, there is
no necessity of lifting a single comb, all the
work being done by handling hives. After
an experience of twenty-five years with
small, divisible - l)rood - chamber hives I
could no more think of giving them up than
cities could give up their street cars and go
back to hacks anel coaches. In another
article I will give my method where large
increase is desirabie.
Ep the way, I see that Bro. Root is begin-
ning to talk of the necessity of handling
hives instead of frames; verily, the world does
move. As soon as the importance of hand-
ling hives instead of frames is fully recog-
nized, the full brood chamber is doomed.
FoKESTViLLE, Minn. May G, 181)1.
Bee-Escapes a Success With Shallow Su-
pers.
J. F. m'INTYBE. .
"^j^AST SEASON, to have it just right, I
^t)jl purchased one of Dibbern's four
cornered escapes, and I made several
double cone Reese escapes, putting from one
to four escapes in each board. In all my
experiments with escapes I always put a
super full of empty comb below the escape,
to give room for the bees to get out of the
super above the escape. Early in the season
the bees would nearly all get out of the
supers in about eight hours, or during the
night, but the supers were not full of bees
or honey. When we were ready to extract I
thought I would try them again, so I placed
them under some supers that were full of
bees and honey. They were full depth
Langstroth supers, fourteen inches wide in-
side. I examined them every day for three
days. At the end af that time the supers
were still about half full of bees, so I took
the escapes off in disgust and put them
away. This spring I received three escapes
from R. & E. C. Porter. I was pleased with
the positive principle of these escapes and
tried them in various ways to find out some-
thing definite as to the time it would take to
empty different sized supers. The single
tier section supers were always emptied first;
average time five hours.
I consider this escape thoroughly practi-
cal for removing comb honey; saving per-
haps two-thirds of the work, to say nothing
of stings, robbers and other disagreeable
things connected with the old way. The
small extracting supers come next, taking
about six hours on the average to clear the
bees out. It may be practical to use these
escapes in connection with small frames and
180
THE BEE-KEEPERS' BEVIEW,
supers in working for extracted honey, es-
pecially when one is not obliged to extract
from morning until night. On the full
depth, ten fi-ame, Langstroth supers, they
were not so successful; when the supers were
full of bees it took about twenty-four hours
for all the bees to liud their way out. The
honey gets cold during the night here and
does not extract well the next day; besides
those large supers are not easy to handle. , I
did not try smoking nearly all the bees out
of the super Ijefore putting the escape on; I
think that would be more work than brush-
ing the bees off in the old way.
FiLLMOKE, Cal., July 8, 1891.
Praise for the New Book. — The Value of
Swarm Catchers.
B. TAYLOK.
^ANY thanks for the new book. Af-
ter a short examination, I said to a
boy who is learning the trade, " You
just learn to practice what this little book
teaches, and you will be master of practical
honey producing, so far as present knowl-
edge goes." I regard it as the best instruc-
tion book yet published for the real honey
producer.
Terrors of swarming time are changed to
a pleasant pastime. Yesterday I left the
yard for a day's rest, and on returning
found the two boys left in charge had cap-
tured and ni .ely hived seven swarms. To-
day, so far, we have taken four, and I am
now able to declare that all I said about it
being perfect is fully demonstrated by prac-
tice. I have made some very small changes
from the one I sent you as I informed you
by letter.
The three last days of June were so cold
here that bees scarcely Hew at all. July 1st,
at ten o'clock, the sun showed his face, and
the swarms rushed out like a Johnstown
flood. Swarm catcher.s in hand we moved
"immediately upon their works;" and after
a very pleasant and exciting contest we se-
cured an "unconditional surrender." We
secured and hived without loss, or a single
mix, every swarm; and during the four first
days of this month we have caught and hived
forty-live swarms without a single failure.
During the season we caught and hived
about ninety-five swarms, with an case for
muscles and nerves hitherto unknown. A
bright boy or girl of ten years can use the
catchers as easily as the strongest man, and
I assert that they are a complete cure for
the hardest place in managing a large apiary.
I believe I have saved from $10 to .$25 a day
for the last four days in direct loss, besides
the wear and tear on ourselves. I can handle
100 swarms easier with them than twenty-
five without. A word of prophesy and I am
done. Any kind of machine that catches
the queen and allows the bees to fly out, is
a fraud against bee keepers.
FoBESTViLLE, MiNN., July 4th, 1891.
Introducing Virgin ftueens — Doubts About
the Influence of Scent — Escort Bees
Ought to be Left Out.
EAMBLEK.
^PON reading over your leader on the
Introduction of Queens, I noticed
one omission, the introduction of
virgin queens, and upon that point I shall
feel perfectly free to write.
The virgin is the first one we have to deal
with in the rearing of queens, while many
breeders traffic to quite an extent in this
species of live stock. As to whether it is ad-
visable to put these queens upon the market
I shall not at present consider, except to say
that such queens, unless the purchaser is
quite sure of his drones, are quite sure to
raise an inferior straii of bees, in relation
to color if not in other respects.
The introduction of a virgin queen to a
full colony is quite difficult. Although it
can be done it is preferable to introduce to
a nucleus. A method not sure every time is
to cage with a good supply of candy in the
entrance to the cage. The entrance ought
to be longer than usual, then by the time the
bees eat out the candy and reach the queen
she is treated with the resi^ect due to her
station. Another ^ure way to introduce to
a nucleus is with tobacco smoke. The bees
are stupefied and drop down upon the bot-
tom board, and the virgin is then dropped
in with them. When couciousness returns,
the queen is accepted without complaint.
This is the method that Mr. Alley employs
when introducing virgin queens.
As an experiment I have successfully in-
troduced a virgin queen by removing the
occupant from an uuhatched queen cell,
tucking the virgin down into the cell and
plugging up the opening at the rear of the
cell where the (lueen was put in. As she has
gnawed out of one cell she is an expert, and
soon has another " borning " into the little
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
181
bee world, to the evident delight of its citi-
zens. The same plan has been practiced by
8inimius witli this modification, the Doo-
little queen cell cage, witli a piece of foun-
dation at the entrance, was used.
In the introduction of fertile queens it
would seem that the various methods had
been before the public so long that nothing
more could be said upon the subject, but the
continual unrest shows that more perfect
methods are needed. It seems that nearly
all methods are too wasteful of time for
this fast age. To wait 72, 3(), or even 24
hours, means the loss of several thousand
bees, and the frateuily will not .be satisfied
until we reach the perfection of introduc-
tion— ira mediately .
The nearest and safest method yet prac-
ticed is to unqueen the colony at any time
during the day, then in the evening turn
back a corner of the quilt, and, with a puff
of smoke, send in the queen. Simmins and
I have practiced this with complete success.
As to all ordinary methods, long or short,
in the honey flow or out, there is one to
which I have never taken kindly, and that is
to roll the queen in honey. A thorough
daubing with some kinds of honey results
disastrously to the queen by closing the
breathing spiracles.
(^ne point touched upon and always re-
ferred to by bee keepers, is the scent. " The
queen must get the same scent as the col-
ony." How do we know it is the scent? If
a bee meets another bee, or a queen, the
ac(iuaintance is made by touching antennje,
and, as I understand, the point of the anten-
nje is only a feeling instrument while the
sense of smell or scent is further up on said
organ. Now, it appears to me to be the
same as when several ladies meet, the deli-
cious practice of kissing commences and it
is all harmonious until something objection-
able comes up. If a male should kiss the
prettiest woman what a commotion there
would be — and a lawsuit. So in the bee
hive, it is when this delicious intercourse,
which is neither smell or mere feeling, is
interrupted, that the balling commences.
If a queen is to be introduced with a cage,
I prefer a simple, flat cage, that will hang
between the combs; and there is one vital
point not touched upon in the leader: What
is to be done with the escort bees? Any one
would suppose from reading the leader that
these escort bees were to be introduced with
the queen. I always remove them and have
only the queen in the cage, for I am sure the
escort bees endanger the life of the queen
upon introduction, either by long or short
methods.
Another point that has come up in my
experience is, allowing a bee to enter the
cage through a small opening, a la Morrison.
I have seen such bee s stung to death imme-
diately by the queen. I wish also to put in
a demurrer against Doolittle's invariable
box method. I have given such box of bees
a queen and jolted them over a road for
seven miles from an out apiary and then
had them set to and ball the queen. There-
fore, to sum up the matter, no set rules can
be given to the fraternity for the introduc-
tion of queens at all times and under all
circumstances.
Three Methods of Fighting Adulteration.
E. L. TAYLOB.
fHESE are three ways in which it might
be reasonably suggested we can deal
with the fact of the adulteration of
honey.
1st. By letting it alone so far as open hos-
tility is concerned.
2nd. By actively prosecuting the retail
vendors of adulterated honey.
'i>vd. By taking active steps for the detec-
tion and suppression of all concerns that
concoct and send out adulterated honey to
retailers under false labels.
But it is well to understand that it is an
exceedingly difficult matter to deal with in
the way of legal prosecution. It may be
claimed to be somewhat analagous with the
business of counterfeiting money, but there
are wide differences between the two so far
as the ease of legal suppression is concerned.
The feelings, convictions and idiosyncracies
of the public must be considered, because
successful prosecution can be had only
through juries and jurors who come from
the public. All honest people, yes, and most
of the dishonest people, have an ineradicable
conviction that the emitting of counterfeit
money is a direct menace to their own finan-
cial interests, while it brings no honest ad-
dition to the wealth, support or comfort of
any individual, and so convictions readily
follow where evidence is to be had.
How different is the case with the adulter-
ation of honey. The public cares nothing
about it. Everybody uses butter, but how
little do the people care about the sale of
182
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
oleomargarine. But when not one in a hun-
dred use honey with any regularity, what
can be expected when it is not claimed that
any one is greatly injured except it be the
bee keeper, and that only in the cheapening
of his product so that those who want pure
honey may get it all the cheaper. With the
public it is a mere question of which is the
sharper of two classes of producers. The
people have no sympathy to expend on bee
keepers. During the last few months in
attempting to secure legislation asked for by
bee keepers I have had abundant opportun-
ity to discover the illy concealed contempt
for those who get their profits by pasturing
their bees on the fields of others.
In view of the situation I have described,
together with the fact that it is confessedly
impossible to determine with certainty by
any known method whether a given sample
is pure honey or not, I think the plan of
prosecuting retail vendors of adulterated
honey for the purpose of suppressing the
business, should be dismissed as not promis-
ing sufiicient success to warrant the effort.
The third plan stands on a somewhat dif-
ferent footing. With stringent laws against
adulteration and false labeling, or against
the latter alone, perhaps something could
be done toward the legal suppression of the
business. Here it would be possible to get
evidence of actual adulteration without the
element of uncertainty attending chemical
analysis in such cases, and doubtless success
in suppressing the business could be attained
in proportion to the amount of settled deter-
mination enlisted in the prosecution.
But, after all, I am inclined to favor the
first plan; that is, of fighting the base mix-
tures with pure honey instead of legal writs.
I do not look upon the fight as a hopeless
one. Everything is in our favor. The pure
article is much superior, everybody prefers
it, and everyone sufliciently informed with
relation to the matter need have no difiiculty
in obtaining it. It follows that the only
thing necessary is the dissemination of in-
formation among the consumers, and the
intelligent apiarist need not be told how this
is to be done. It is only necessary to say
further that I think no evil can come from
admitting that honey has been adulterated
and will continue to be. Everybody knows
that what is desirable is imitated if it can
be, so few will be surprised at the admission
or lost as purchasers of honey.
Lapeee, Mioh., July 3rd, 1801.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOfl, Ed. & PPOp.
Tebms : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 ; three for $2.70 : five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each. |^°" The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, JULY 10. 1891.
Honey dew is being gathered in large
quantities. How would it answer for mak-
ing honey jumbles ? Or isn't it fit for even
that?
Caeniolans crossed with Italians are
good workers but I find them unpleasant to
handle. I have one colony that objects even
to having anybody come near the hive.
Old subsokibees can have their sub-
scriptions extended one year and the new
book, "Advanced Bee Culture," sent for
$1.25. Several have written in regard to
this.
Thos. G. Newman & Son have moved
again ; this time to more commodious
quarters— 199, 201 and 203 East Randolph
Street. This more than doubles their floor
space, of which they now have over 10,000
square feet. They are now in the third
story instead of the fifth as formerly.
The Detboit Exposition opens August
2.'), closes September 4. As the time draws
near again I am greatly tempted to make
an exhibit — presume I shall " go " as usual.
M. H. Hunt writes that he will put up a $2.W
building on the grounds. H. D. Cutting
will be Superintendent again. For pre-
mium list address Geo. M. Savage, No. 7
Merrill Block, Detroit, Mich.
" handsomest and one of the best."
A lady, bee-keeping friend of mine, upon
presenting me to an acquaintance, remarked
that " Mr. Hutchinson is the editor of the
handsomest and one of the best bee journals
published." Of course I agreed with her,
but a little bird has whispered in my ear
that one of the other journals is having a
neat engraving made for the front page of
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
183
its cover. If this thiii^' keeps on, no indus-
try will be able to boast of much handsomer
journals than that of bee culture.
A OOMPLETE SUEPBI8E.
Upon receipt of the -I uue Revikw Ernest
Root wrote me as follows:
" I wish to tender you my thanks for the
very neat biographical sketch that appears
in your last issue. It was a complete sur-
prise to me and I cannot imagine how the
folks here at home got ahead of me. I sup-
pose you are responsible for the heading
' A Modest Man.' I don't believe it is true
but it pleased me all the same. If there is
anything that comes near being an abomi-
nation in society it is a swelled head on
young shoulders."
A VISIT FBOM "KAMBLEB."
I had been working hard to get things in
readiness for moving the office into another
part of the house where there would be less
verandah and trees, and, consequently, more
light, and was very tired. I had gone to bed
early and Mrs. Hutchinson was about to fol-
low, when " ching!" "ching!" went the door
bell. Wife went to the door and was met by
the inquiry: "Does W. Z. Hutchinson live
here?"
" Yes, but he has been working hard all
day and has just gone to bed."
" Well, I hardly know whether to come in,
or go back down town."
" Let's see, what's the name?"
" Martin."
" Why, come in, of course.^'
So the " grip " containing that ever present
" Hawkeye " was set down inside the hall
door and "ye editor" was invited to " get
up and see if you know this man."
Yes, I knew him, as I had seen his picture
in Gleanings and had also come into pos-
session of his photograph.
Well, we talked bees and Rambler told of
places he had visited, until Mrs. Hutchipson,
knowing that late hours do not agree with
her husband, sent us off to bed.
The next day we went over to Lapeer, ex-
pecting to find R. L. Taylor at home, but
were disappointed. ^^ e poked about and
examined the usual "traps" thai iv ill ac-
cumulate where there is an apiary. Two or
three " shots " were taken at the apiary, a
Za " you press the button, we do the rest,"
only I believe Raml)ler does the " rest," (de-
velopes the picture) himself.
Rambler went on to Lansing, from there
to Dowagiac, then to Chicago, and then he
will probably make few if any more stops
until he reaches Sacramento, California.
He does not expect to engage in the pro-
duction of honey; he has a cousin there in-
terested in a berry, or fruit box, factory, and
there is a probability that the manufacture
of some lines of bee keepers' supplies will
be added. If this is done, Rambler will
have charge of this department and will also
handle Root's goods. This will probably
prove a good thing to all concerned.
Rambler will write up and illustrate, for
Gleanings, this last great ramble of his, and
those who have read his other rambles need
not be told whether or not it will be interest-
ing.
I have had so much to say in regard to
continuous advertising, that I cannot forbear
repeating a remark that Rambler repeated
to me. When visiting the W. T. Falconer
Co., its manager said that he was greatly
astonished at the folly exhiVjited by some of
the manufacturers of and dealers in apiarian
goods, in that they advertised only during
the selling time of the year — about three
months. The Falconer Co. has found it ad-
visable to advertise contiuously — that was
the way in which they had built up their
enormous business.
THE MULTIPLICATION OF BEE JOUENAL8.
It has now been so long since a bee journal
has been born, that I think I may venture a
few remarks upon this subject without fear
that any editor will imagine that I have his
journal in mind.
In the first place I would remark that this
is a free country, and every one who wishes
to publish a bee journal has a perfect legal
right to carry out his wishes. It may not be
pleasant for the editor of some old, estab-
lished journal to have some new-born rival
outstrip his paper in usefulness, but one of
Nature's laws is that the fittest shall survive.
So long as a journal fills a niche all its own,
there is no fear of rivals; but if there is an
"opening " left, in comes a rival, and then
the best man wins. I have no sympathy
with the idea that new bee journals ought
not to be started because they may draw
some patronage from already established
journals. Existing journals will not lose
184
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
patronage by the advent of a rival, unless
said rival is more deserving of said patron-
age. Without the least thought of boasting
I can honestly say that, since beginning the
publication of the Review, not a bee journal,
old or new, has so much as thrown the
shadow of a jealous pang across my breast.
I have no reason for jealousy. I doubt if the
journals already in existence when the Re-
view made its debut, or those that have
since " come upon the carpet " have robbed
it of a single subscriber.
And yet, how few are the bee journals
started within the last half a dozen years
that the laying of "Vol. I, No. 1," upon my
desk has aroused other feelings than those of
sorrow and sympathy. The fact that they
could not live was too apparent. They filled no
niche. Why they were started was an enigma.
The field that they attempted to occupy was
already filled with laborers who were doing
the work in a better manner than the new
comer could ever hope to do it. The paper,
the ink, the press work, the type, the "make
up," the subject matter, and, above all, the
editorial spirit that prevades the pages of a
journal, all combine to tell the practical eye
whether or no the new venture will be a suc-
cess. Some journals now dead, beamed
with hopeful promises in the earlier issues.
Their editors were full of enthusiasm,
bound to make a success, and the result of
this condition showed most clearly upon
the pages they sent forth. But the starting
of a bee journal, and the building of it up
into a paying business, is a slow process; one
requiring pluck, energy, determination,
skill of the right kind and money. When
but few subscribers come in and advertising
patronage is meager, there seems to be a
disposition to retrench expenses; to use
poorer paper and ink, to pay less attention
to the securing of first class correspondence,
and the discouraged state of mind into which
the editor falls is refiected upon his paper.
When a paper reaches this stage it is practi-
cally dead; and everybody knows it except
the poor fellow who is kicking against fate.
Nine-tenths of the bee journals have been
started with no conception of the require-
ments of successful journalism, of the down-
right hard work, both mental and physical,
of the time, patience, perseverance, skill and
money required. Many bee journals have
been started from unwise motives. Perhaps
a man already in possession of a printing
office starts a bee journal because he can do
the printing so cheaply. Unless he has the
stuff in him from which apicultural editors
are formed, such a venture is so much capi-
tal and labor wasted. Another journal is
started that its proprietor may thereby ad-
vertise his business. Unless he can make a
journal that would be a success aside from
its aid as an advertiser, said proprietor will
find said advertising the most expensive he
ever bought. Other journals are started
with a view to catering to the needs of a
single State or locality. From the very
nature of things, such journals cannot suc-
ceed. There are not enough bee keepers in
any one State, or two or three States, that
will subscribe for a bee journal, to enable a
"local" journal to succeed. Neither can a
journal devoted to one single branch of bee
keeping be successful. To succeed, a journal
must be broad in its scope, and gather its
subscribers from every State in the Union;
its editor must have a thorough knowledge
of bee-keeping and be well and favorably
known. There is more in this last point
than many would-be editors dream. Lastly,
bee journals fail because they are not good
enough. Instead of seeking for new fields,
where ordinary ability might hope to suc-
cess, they enter fields already occupied and
then fall behind in the competitive race.
He who strikes out in a new path has a
great advantage over those who attempt to
follow. / should never have attempted the
publication of a bee journal upon the same
plans as those already in practice.
I presume but few will realize the amount
of courage required to enable the editor of a
bee journal to write as I have done, but, con-
sidering the mania there has been for start-
ing bee journals, it seems as though some-
thing ought to be said. Before a man
starts a bee journal let him search diligently
for a new field. Failing to find one, let him
be sure that he can out-do some of the old
journals before spending time and money in
entering a profession in which will be found
stings as well as honey.
MISGXnDED CRITICISM.
To review a book fairly and honestly, to
point out its faults and foibles, to enumerate
its virtues, to show where it is lacking and
where it is overflowing with wit and wisdom, to
do all this fearlessly,yet in such an honorable,
straight forward, manly way that even the
Author will admit that it is fairly done, is a
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
186
dillicult iiud delicate task. I am reminde of
good stores, properly protected out of doors,
or placed in a cellar or other repository hav-
ing the proper temperature, and precautions
taken against depredations by mice, bees re-
quire almost no care in winter."
Of this Mr. Hill takes no notice.
Under the heading of "The Care of Bees
inWinter" it would not have been appropriate
to have described in detail the treatment
they oufjht to have had the previous season.
This was done elsewhere under aijpropriate
headings, and, in fairness, Mr. Hill ought to
have mentioned this. If he did not approve
of the methods of preparation advised it
would have been entirely proper to have
said as much, giving his reasons — that would
have been fair criticism.
There is no use in discassing here why
bees are sometimes short of stores in winter,
why the cellar may not afford sufficient pro-
tection in severe weather, why it may some-
times become infested with mice, etc., etc.,
the fact remains that these conditions are
sometimes found, and the aim of the chap-
ter is to tell how best to remove these diffi-
culties when they aie encountered. Had M r.
Hill confined himself to the praise or con-
demnation of the methods adopted, giving
reasons, it would have been fair criticism
and called for no protest.
In justice to Mr. Hill I will say that so/ne
of his criticisms are fair. By this I mean
that his views differ from mine, and I may
publish his entire article in the August Re-
view and reply at length upon the points
where we differ. Go on with the review of
the book, Bro. Hill, only be fair about it,
and I shall really enjoy having a discussion
with you.
BEE ESCAPES AND WHAT MAY BE DONE WITH
THEM.
Other men besides .John S. Keese have in-
vented bee escapes. They invented them
before he did, but they did not discover their
value; or, discovering it, kept that knowledge
tj themselves. To the man who invents and
makes knovjn belongs the honor. Mr. Reese
is the one to whom modem bee culture is in-
debted for its bee escape. Mr. Dibbem im-
proved it but it was still imperfect in that
bees could and sometimes did find their
way back. Mr. Porter then developed the
spring principle which seems to answer
every requirement. This number of tJie Re-
view contains more unqualified praise of
the Porter spring bee escape than any other
issue has ever contained of any other impli-
ment, but, so long as it is deserved, who
cares? That's what these discussions are
for, to try and decide what implement or
method is best, and the clearer the decision
the greater the satisfaction.
To get " the honey away from the bees or
the bees away from the honey " with but lit-
tle labor and not many stings, is really more
than it seems to be at first. And that is not
all. The bees are not disturbed at their
labors, there is no annoyance from robbers,
if there are any " burr " combs built between
186
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the supers there is no drip from them, as
the " muss " caused by their breakage is all
cleaned up before it is time to remove the
supers and there is no gnawing of holes into
the cappings as sometimes happens when
honey is removed by the old methods after
the harvest is over. Possibly, too, escapes
will allow bees to be successfully and pleas-
antly managed in house apiaries.
One of the correspondents, Mr. H. L.
Jeffrey, says that my advice to place a case
of new sections beneath the escape is not
always advisable. He says that a new case
of sections placed on top is quite often de-
serted, thereby causing a crowding of the
bees in the broud chamber and either swarm-
ing or laziness results. Friend Jeffrey has
misunderstood me. I did not advise put-
ting the new super on tov. Here is what I
said: " Bees pass down through an escape
much more readily when there is plenty of
room in the hive or supers below. Usually,
in the working season, when a case of honey
is ready to come off, it is well to put on an-
other super. When such is the case, the new
super should be given at the time the escape
is put in place, as this gives room for the
bees to 'escape' into. " Nothing is said
about putting the new case on fop. As a
matter of fact it would be put at the bottom,,
unless near the end of the season (see ex-
tract from C. B. J. in the Extracted Depart-
ment). In other words, the supers would be
manipulated exactly as they would if no es-
capes were used. All the difference being
that, instead of smoking, brushing, blowing
and shaking out most of the b jes and carrying
the stragglers into the honey house, the bee
escape is slipped in place when a case is
ready to come off, and when the bees are
out the honey is taken away. Mr. Jeffrey
objects to putting a case of sections just be-
neath the escape, but would leave an empty
space there, equal to a case of sections, for
the bees to cluster in. Why not let them
cluster in a case of sections? If the case of
sections is placed next the brood nest, when
honey is coming in, the bees will not only
cluster in it, but will at once commence
work in the sections.
Mr. Jeffrey also objects to escapes being
put in place so rapidly as four per minute.
If the supers and their contents are to be ex-
amined to determine whether an escape is
needed, and, if so, whore it is needed, such
rapid work might not be possible; perhaps a
minute to each hive might be needed.
When I said " four a minute for two men "
I had in mind simply the placing in position
of the escapes after the locations where they
were needed had already been decided upon.
If there is anything more to be said on
this subject, space will be given in the
August Review.
HOUSE APIAEIE8.
How frequently it happens that one little
invention brings a whole lot of changes in
its wake; also brings into use discarded
methods and implements — perhaps causes
others to be cast aside. The bee escape
seems destined to belong to that class. One
reason why I greatly favored black bees in
V raising comb honey was because they could
■?be so easily driven from the supers. With
vJbee escapes, this point would lose its value.
§Years ago, quite a number of bee keepers
fc built house apiaries only to abandon them
■inafter giving them a thorough trial. Of
f:.sCourse, a house apiary has its advantages
;: , and disadvantages, but one of the greatest
■{Idifficulties, if not the greatest, was that of
• premoving the honey. This could not be
j^accomplished without allowing the bees to
i escape inside the building, which was a
•never-ending annoyance. The bee escape
will entirely remove this disagreeable fea-
ture, and it remains to be seen if, with this
objection out of the way, the desirable fea-
tures of the house apiary outnumber its
faults.
; The first, and perhaps the most important
objection to a home apiary, aside from the
matter of removing the surplus, is its cost.
Without any close figuring I should " guess "
that it would cost three times as much to
house bees in a house apiary as it would in
ordinary, single-walled hives. Having writ-
ten thus far, I have sat for some time, pen
in hand, trying to think of the next objec-
tion, and I declare I can't think of another
objection. Is it possible that the only ob-
jections to house apiaries have been their
expense and the difficulty of removing the
honey? Who is there already possessed of
an abandoned house apiary and of some ex-
perience in its management who will now
re-stock it with bees because of the ease of
removing the surplus with bee escapes? I
came very near mentioning, as one objection
to the house apiary, that it would be unpleas-
ant to work in such a cooped-up place, that
most bee keepers would prefer to work out
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
187
in the open air with the blue sky overhead
and the breezes on the cheek, then it came
to my mind that the hot sun and the rain
were sometimes overhead, and the wet grass
under foot, and I conchided that, all thiuf^s
considered, the house apiary would be fully
as pleasant a place to work as in the open
air. Mr. Root, in his .1 B C of Bee Cul-
ture, says that the house becomes unpleas-
antly filled with smoke from the smoker,
but that it might be remedied by having a
box in which to set the smoker, a small
smoke pipe communicating with the open
air. If the bees were worked for honey,
and bee escapes used, there would really be
but little handling of bees, and but little
use for smoke.
Another point comes to me. How would
swarming and hiving be managed? I don't
remember having read how the hiving of
bees is conducted in a house apiary. It
would be a difficult matter to shake a swarm
down on the outside, as the entrances, at
least some of them, are some distance from
the ground. It would seem that the plan of
allowing the bees to hive themselves by re-
turning to the old location would be neces-
sary. If the queens were clipped they would,
of course, drop oft upon the ground. The
use of the queen trap would probably be
advisable. If the bees are allowed to hive
themselves by returning to the old location,
the combs at the old location must be taken
away while the bees are in the air. This
would be rather a fussy job. Well, I am be-
ginning to find objections, or what seems
like objections to me. Perhaps it might be
advisable to use regular hives in a house
apiary, the bottom boards being stationary,
the entrance to each hive being through the
bottom board. In this way a hive of bees,
could be picked up and placed upon a new
stand the same as in the open air. If we
must have regular hives, why go to the ex-
pense of a house apiary? Why have a house
apiary, anyway? That's the question.
What are the advantages of a house apiary?
The colonies, apiarist and his tools are
brought close together under shelter. Empty
combs, sections, etc., everything needed,
can be stored in the room, almost within
reach of every hive. In taking off honey it
is the same. When the honey is off the
hives it is already stored under shelter.
Furthermore, wet weather does not stop
work if there is any to be done. Neither
can robbers give any trouble. These last
two points are particularly valuable in queen
rearing. In fact, it seems to me as though
a house apiary offers unusual advantages to
the queen breeder. It frequently happens
that queen cells must be removed, or nuclei
started for the reception of hatching queens,
upon a certain day. If that day proves to
be a rainy one, such work is almost impossi-
ble in the open air. I have sometimes car-
ried colonies into the honey house, divided
them up into nuclei and introduced queens
when it was raining too hard to handle bees
in the open air. I have bcveral times had
nuclei in my shop, fastened to the wall, the
bees flying from an auger hole bored through
the side of the shop. I was always well sat-
isfied with such an arrangement for queen
rearing.
Ernest Root has been experimenting lately
with their abandoned house apiary, and in
July 1st Oleanings reports as follows: —
"I have been conducting, during the past
two weeks, quite a series of experiments, to
prove or disprove some of the latest ideas,
and among them the bee escape for the
house apiary. You will remember that W.
Z. Hutchinson, of the Review, as well as the
senior editor of Gleanings, suggested that
the escape might overcome some of its most
serious objections. I had been thinking the
matter over for about a week: and the up-
si ot of it was, I told the boys to clean out
the upper story of all rubbish and unused
traps, for this is all the use the building has
had for six or eight years. When in use it
had two-inch auger hole entrances. We
tacked Reese cone bee escapes over a dozen
of these entrances so that the bees in the
dark would see these holes if they got inside
of the room, and escape. Those entrances
which we expected to use were closed tem-
porarily until we could put in nuclei. There
are windows on three of the eight sides,
hinged at the top, opening on the inside.
These were darkened by nailing black tarred
paper on the sash. To make the room com-
fortable while working in the building,
these sashes are hooked to the ceiling above;
and to prevent robbers from coming in from
the outside, wire cloth was nailed on the out-
side window casing. This wire cloth must
permit the escape of the bees from out of
the room, but prohibit the entrances of bees
from the outside. Accordingly, it was cut
eight incl^ps longer than the casing, and
allowed to project that length above the top
of the window. The upper rim of the casing
was cut away a quarter of an inch deep and
clear across, so as to allow the bees crawling
up inside to pass up and out. Those on the
outside would not, of course, think of run-
ning down the passageway eight inches, and
then entering the house apiary — at least,
very few would do so.
Well, now, how does it work? Nicely, so
far. The screened windows make the room
nice and cool, and the small Reese cone bee
escapes nailed to the entrance permit what
188
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
few beeB there may be in the building, to
escape after the room is darkened and closed
up. You see, there are about a dozen en-
trances that have Reese bee escapes on.
After the room is darkened there are a dozen
holes that shine dimly. The few bees that
may be inside fly to these holes and pass out.
Years ago, when we used to work in the
house apiary, we were troubled by bees that
collected on the floor making their way
toward the door when it was opened, as
there was no means of their escaping; and,
furthermore, as we did not then know of the
window bee escapes, we had to work in a hot,
sultry room, poorly lighted, and, more often
than not, filled with smoke. The bees that
crawled on the floor, somehow managed to
crawl up our trousers legs, and get mashed
under foot; and this, with the heat and
smoke of the room, was unendurable. All
these things forced us to abandon the house
apiary. When we go to work now, we close
the door behind us, open up the darkened
windows, and let the breezes of summer pass
through. The smoke passes out of the win-
dows so as to make no serious inconvenience.
Still further to obviate the difliculty, I have
in my mind's eye a ventilating shaft to con-
nect with the peak of the building, under
which to set the smoker when not in use.
From present indications this will not be
necessary; but should it be required it can
be put in at very little expense. I have not
yet tried the bee escape for taking off comb
honey inside. It is, however, too late to
make this experiment; but if the bee escape
works outdoors, I know it will inside; there-
fore the house apiary is not such a terrible
place in which to handle bees, after all,
judging from the present outlook. Subse-
quent developments may cause me to be
disgusted with it,^ however.
Oh, yes! I forgot to say that each colony
or nucleus in the house apiary should be
thoroughly fastened in by itself. Each com-
partment should be made as tight as any in-
door hive. They are not yet quite bee tight,
but this fall I propose to have them fixed so
they will be, if I continue to like it as a place
for working with bees as I do now.
There is another thing that I did not men--
tion; and that is. that there is no grass to
mow — no long, wet grass and weeds to wade
through; no burning sun and no running in-
doors when it rains.
Do not imagine that I have gone so crazy
on the house apiary that I am going to re-
commend it in preference to hives out- doors
—not at all. But there are a good many
who, years ago, at considerable expense,
built house apiaries, and now they have them
in disuse. I simply wish those who have
them to see how they can be made availat)le
again. There are others located in cities,
perhaps, where land is expensive, and a
room or house apiary on top of a building
could be used very nicely."
It will be seen that the Ree e cone escapes
over some openings in the wall, wire cloth
over the windows with escapes at the top, an
arrangement for darkening the windows
when the operator leaves the building, bee
escapes to use on the hives when removing
surplus, all combine to remove the discom-
forts connected with the use of the house
apiary.
There is another point in connection with
house apiaries that is of some importance in
some localities, and that is that everything
can be kept under lock and key. This would
seem especially desirable for out apiaries.
One would scarcely like to go to the expense
of building a house apiary at an out apiary
unless very positive that that locality was to
be permanently occupied. If the building
was so small that it might be readily hauled
to some other locality it might answer.
As to the wintering of bees in house apiar-
ies it would seem that the bees might be
readily protected with cushions, as there
would be no storms or water to guard
against.
I know that house apiaries have been well-
nigh universally abandoned, and the object
•of this discussion, to which the August Re-
view is to be devoted, is to try and decide if,
with the advantages offered by the bee es-
capes, it is worth while to revive their use.
exTRT^oxeo.
The Manipulation of Sections.
During the past two or three months it
seems as though a new hand, or rather an
old hand, had gotten hold of the Canadian
Bee Journal. It has more life and vim and
some excellent, practical, helpful editorials.
The July 1st issue contains the best advice I
have yet seen upon the management of sec-
tions upon the tiering up plan, and, with
my most hearty endorsement, 1 copy the en-
tire article:
"Several have written us in reference to
putting on and taking off of sections. There
seems to be a difference of opinion in re-
ference to this. But we prefer, after the
bees are sufficiently strong, and the white
clover commences to yield, to put on one
case of sections first, and as soon as the bees
commence to work in them nicely, aid get
them partially drawn out and a little honey
in the most of them to raise up the first case
of sections, and set another under it next to
the brood. The bees continue, if they are
strong enough, to store in the top sections
while they are drawing out those below. As
soon as the second case of sections is drawn
out and partially filled with honey, the next
above will be about full, and sometimes the
bees will just commence to cap a little in the
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
189
centre rows. This will probably be about
six or uine days from the time the lirst case
was put on. We then raise up the two and
put a third case of sections tilled with foun-
dation under, next to the brood. In this
way we keep adding some every few days in
proportion to the strenytli of the colony, in-
ducing the colony to store in the top sections,
and leaving an empty space, or rather sec-
tions only partially filled just above the
brood chamber. This keeps down the
swarming fever very much better than to
have fully tilled sections that only require a
small corner to be filled and sealed here and
there over the frames before they are ready
to be taken off. The bees are not so inclined
to swarm out when they have what appears
to them an empty brood chamber. Then
there is another advantage in so placing the
sections. If the empty sections are placed
on top of those being tilled, the partially
filled will have to remain on for some days
to be tilled, and the bees travelling over
these capped sections to get to the ones
above, soil the sections and mar their ap-
pearance. The bees are also less inclined to
daub the sections with propolis if they are
placed as we suggest, because they are rais-
ed a little up in the hive, and they are not
nearly so badly daubed as when down next
to the brood chamber. According to our
method a number of cases may be put on
equal to the strength of the colony and the
length of the season.
If, however, at the latter part of the honey
season you find that you have not room
enough in the hive, it is not advisable to put
an empty section next the brood chamber,
as the bees will not cross over the empty
ones to carry honey to the top, but will be
more apt to bring down the honey from the
top sections to the lower ones as the honey-
flow ceases. In order then to give them
plenty of room, induce them to work, and
prevent swarming, put a crate of partially
filled sections or empty sections with foun-
dation in them on top of the sections which
are being filled and capped over instead of
underneath, thus bringing these latter down
next the brood chamber. The bees will 1)e
sure to till and cap these and should the
honey-flow continue longer than you expect,
the bees can work in the upper sections and
the work done there is by no means lost to
you. Besides the stimulating effect which
these empty sections have on the bees, in-
ducing them to work to fill all up before the
honey-flow ceases, it gives you a good start
the following season, and you can make no
better investment. This system will keep
the largest possible force of working bees
fully occupied, and prevent swarming
through the honey season, and at the close
will induce the bees to complete their work,
and what they may do over is not lost, bat
can l)e used next year.
We may say that sometimes the honey
season is suddenly cut off, and leaves us
with one super of sections with foundation
scarcely touched, and another with perhaps
the foundation only partially drawn out, and
a little honey in. Instead of leaving these
empty spaces between the brood chamber,
and the sections being completed above, you
should lift lyj the filled sections; take out
these two crates, and put the sections that
are being completed down next the brood
chamber, and set these two partially filled
supers on the top. A little careful manipu-
lating in this way will leave very few empty
sections in the fall. To carry on this work
it is best to have a stand made of light strips,
about an inch square, and the top so ar-
ranged that you can lift off your crates and
set them on top of these stands. The top of
the stand should be large enough so that you
can put down three sets of crates. This en-
ables you to change them as you desire, re-
move sections, or manipulate in any way you
wish. This stand should not weigh more
than from five to ten pounds, and be about
two and a half feet high. If built of slats,
there will be no place to mash bees in set-
ting on crates and it can be carried about
the yard in one hand."
The style of cover that I use has a cleat at
each end. This cleat is wider than the cover
is thick, hence it projects (3-2 inch) both
above and below the cover. By turning a
surplus crate in a diagonal direction, two
diagonally opposite corners will just nicely
"catch on" to the up-raised edges of the
cleats on the ends of the cover. I have yet
to find a better place to set a super filled with
bees and honey than upon the cover of an ad-
joining hive, turning the super in a diagonal
manner as mentioned. The cleats raise the
crate so that no bees are crushed.
Not a Fair Trial of the Effects of Unsealed
Brood in Holding Swarms.
The following is an extract from June 15th
Gleanings, and was written by Ernest:
" Day before yesterday I visited the Shane
yard. I wheeled it down; and just the mo-
ment I arrived, a fine nice swarm was in the
air. I had contemplated sitting down in the
shade of a large apple-tree, and eating my
lunch before beginning work; but that had
to be postponed. This swarm, likewise,
started out for the woods: and then, oh how
I wanted the fountain pump and a good big
pail of water! In despair I ran to the hive
whence they came, to see whether they had a
clipped queen. Yes, there she was — a two-
year-old queen, with both wings clipped.
Before I could pick her up she went in at the
entrance; and the bees, on recounoitering to
discover their queen, finally settled in two
clusters. Although there were many tall
trees in the vicinity, they were obliging
enough to settle on the two smallest trees in
the orchard, and on two of the lowest limbs
at that, so I could reach them very conven-
iently. I soon hived them in two empty
hives on empty combs. "Now," said I, "I
will see whether those fellows will stay con-
tented without brood, for some old veteran
has said that brood has no efifect either way."
In a few minutes they both swarmed out
again, and clustered. Again I put them back
on dry combs, and again they both swarmed
190
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
out. This time I gave each a frame of cap-
ped brood and unsealed larva?. Agam I put
the bees back, and, presto! they both stayed
just as quietly as if that had always been
their home. Before they had their brood,
they vpere crawling all over the hives m wild
confusion, flying out at the entrance and
then back. I am aware that unsealed larv*
will not always hold them. I have had
newly hived swarms vacate in fifteen min-
utes, even after having given them larvffi.
But as a general rule, in our experience, un-
sealed brood is a mighty good detainer.
It makes them contented, and sort o at
home."
The above, as I understand it, is not a fair
test as to the efficacy of brood in retaining
a newly hived swarm. The bees were queen-
less. Their queen was clipped, and not
being able to follow them she had returned
to the old hive. A swarm having no queen
with it will never stay hived unless given un-
sealed brood, but will continue to swarm out
as often as hived, hence I say that the above
was not a fair test. I should expect that un-
sealed brood would invariably hold queenless
bees, but my faith in its detaining bees hav-
ing a queen has been terribly shaken. Bees
having a queen can snap their fingers at
brood. They are independent. They can
rear brood and establish a colony wherever
they please. Not so with a queenless swarm.
It is doomed. The bees are ready to catch
at anything to save the community from de-
struction, and a comb of unsealed brood is
hailed with delight and " stayed by."
parts of Carniola, and from adjoining dis-
tricts toward the centre of the province. I
have seen a railway train bearing five thous-
and hives of bees and their attendants to the
buckwheat fields. Some colonies are even
brought over the mountain range which sep-
arates Gorizia from Carniola, whose eleva-
tion is from 1,200 to 2,.500 feet. Bearing in
mind that Gorizia borders on Italy and that
its surface slopes toward the Italian line and
the Adriatic, and, in fact, that between the
Oarnic Alps and the great valley of the Po,
which drains nearly the whole of the north-
ern plain of Italy, there is no mountain bar-
rier to prevent an admixture of the bees
native to these districts, it is easy to under-
stand how it is that the bees southwest of
the Carnic Alps shade off or merge gradually
into Italians, since migratory bee keeping is
not practiced to any great extent in the
northwestern province of Italy. With these
mixed bees more or less yellow blood has
been brought from Gorizia into Carniola
and scattered about. In buying or breeding
bees in Carniola I have always avoided
queens whose workers showed any yellow or
rust-colored tinge. Such bees are generally
more irritable than the pure Carniolans;
they do not breed true to type, and in fact
are more like hybrid bees. Nor have I been
able to discover that they possess any traits
superior to those shown by the distinctively
gray bees which are so largely in the ascen-
dency all over the province of Carniola.
The bees offered for sale in this country
under the name of "Yellow Carniolans,"
or " Golden Carniolans," are simply hybrids;
are bees having blood of some of the yellow
races— Italians, Palestines, Syrians or Cy-
prians—in their make up. Verily, some do
love the color of gold."
The True Color of Carniolans.
It is as I suspected. The yellow that crops
out in Carniolan bees comes from an ad-
mixture of Italian or some other yellow race.
These conclusions are arrived at from read-
ing an article by Frank Benton in the July
Am. Bee Keeper. I copy that part of the
article that relates to this point:
" The purest type of the Carniola race is
dark gray, or steel colored, larger than our
common bees, and wholly free from yellow
bands. Whenever yellow is found among
bees in Carniola it is to be taken as an evi-
dence of Italian blood. Carniola is located
in the southern part of Austria, near the
head of the Adriatic sea, and is only sepa-
rated from Italy by a single narrow province
— Gorizia.
The line between the last named province
and Carniola follows a range of mountains
extending in a southerly direction from the
main part of the Carnic Alps. The history
of bee keeping in Carniola shows that the
migratory system has been followed there
for some centuries. During the buckwheat
yield many thousands of colonies of bees
are brought by rail and by wagon from all
The Porter, Spring, Bee Escape— The Best
One Yet Devised.
Last month I desired to give the whole of
the following article, contributed by S. A.
Shuck to Gleanings, but lack of space com-
pelled me to be content with a short extract.
I now give the article entire:
" Engraving No. 1 shows the escape com-
plete, which, when placed in an escape-
board, is ready for use. The bees enter the
escape at F and pass out at D, as shown in
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
191
cuts 2 and 3. The escape proper, as shown
at A, is 8'4 inches lont^ by l'>i wide and %
inch deep. The top piece C is 4^4 in. long
and 1^4 in. wide. The part B, containing
the springs as shown in cut No. 2, is 1% in.
long. 1 in. wide and I4 in. deep. The object
of tliis inner part, B, is to admit of a de-
pression under F for the reception of dead
bees that may chance to get into the escape.
A dozen or twenty dead bees may get into
the escai)e and not interfere with the bees
passing out between the springs. To pre-
pare the escape for use, make a plain board
of 'o inch material, the size of the top of
the hives on which it is to be used. Cleat
the board at sides and ends so as to provide
tlie necessary bee space above or below the
board. Bore two holes :^'4 inches a{)art from
center to center, and near tlie center of the
board, with a l^s in. bit, and cut out the in-
tervening wood: drop the escape into this
opening and it is ready for use.
To adjust the escape -board on the hive,
remove the hive cover. A few puffs of
smoke are necessary to prevent the bees
from becoming angry. Raise the super,
place the board on the liive, and set the
super on the board, and return the hive
cover. All is done in less time than is re-
quired to write this sentence, yet this is all
the time that is required liy the bee keeper
to remove the bees from the super, as the
bees pass out at their leisure, and the super
is taken to the honey house at any conven-
ient time after the bees have deserted it.
During the season of 18!K) I removed all
my comb honey, about 2, .500 lbs., from the
hives by use of escapes, and experienced
less inconvenience and annoyance by rob-
bers or bees in my honey house than I have
frequently experienced in removing a couple
of hundred pounds Vjy the old method of
smoking, shaking and brushing of the bees
from the supers.
I used four different patterns of escapes —
the cone, trap-door. Porter spring, and Mr.
Dibbern's latest pattern. Triple-cone es-
capes made of perforated tin work quite
well at times. Occasionally quite a number
of bees find their way back through the
cones into the super.
The trap-door escape works nicely for a
little while, but they are soon rendered use-
less on account of propolis.
Mr. Dibbern's new escape gave very poor
results, as, in my first trial with it. there
was very little decrease in the number of
bees in a T super in 24 hours after adjusting
the escape on the hive. My second trial was
but little better, as only al)0ut half the bees
were out of the super in twenty-four hours.
In subsequent trials it worked some better,
but not any better, if as well, as the cone
escapes, as the bees are slower in passing
out through the Dibbern. I very much dis-
like the Dibbern escape, for two reasons; i.
e., it is just as liable to clog up with dead
bees as the cone escape is, and there is no
way of clearing it out or knowing that it is
not in working order witliout taking it apart.
The only objection I see so far to the Por-
ter spring escape is, that it has no automatic
principle that will extract the bees from the
supers in a given time; and the bees of some
colonies, under certain conditions of weather,
are very slow to move out; but once they are
out, they are certain to stay out.
While the bees have shown a disposition
to propolize the perforations in the perfor-
ated tin cone escapes, and plaster over those
made of wire clothj and glue the doors of
the trap-door escapes fast, they have put but
very little propolis in the spring escapes, but
not enough to interfere with the working of
the springs in the least.
But little need be said concerning the
utility of a practical bee escape for remov-
ing comb honey from the hives. Any bee-
keeper who has gone through the vexations
of removing his comb honey from the hives
during a honey dearth will agree with me
that it is anything but a pleasant task;
while with a practical escape the vexations
are all removed — no lirushing, no shaking of
bees, no robbing, and no bees in the honey
house. The escape boards can be adjusted
at any time of day, and it is done so quickly
that the robber bees have no chance to get a
start. The supers can be tRken off at the
bee keeper's leisure after the bees have de-
serted them, which is usually from five to
eight hours. Many of my supers were car-
ried in early in the morning, without hat or
veil, while the good wife was setting the
breakfast.
Concerning the inventors and manufac-
turers, R. and E. C. Porter, of Lewiston,
Ills., of the Porter spring escape. I will say,
that, so far as 1 have been able to learn,
they are the oldest practical bee keepers in
this part of Illinois. At present they do not
keep a very large apiary, only some sixty or
eighty colonies, on account of so many bees
near them. In 1882 they obtained between
9.000 and 10,000 lbs. of extracted honey from
about eighty colonies. In 188(5 they obtained
10,000 lbs. from about the same number of
colonies.
Their escapes havf> been as thoroughly
tested as one season's work can test them,
and they are well enough pleased with them
to manufacture several thousand of them,
and I presume they will advertise and put
them on the market at once.
S. A. Shuck.
LiVEKPOOL, III., April 9.
[Many thanks for your valuable article.
We are all anxious to know what we may ex-
pect of the bee escaj)e; and, according to
your experience, our hopes of its practical
utility are not disappointed. If others shall
have exTierience similar to yours, it does in-
deed promise to work a revolution in the
methods of taking off honey, and we have
already had some good rt^ports. We, too,
have been experimenting with different
styles of bee escapes: but none do the work
so perfectly as the Porter, illustrated above.
It would get every bee out of the upper story,
even off combs of brood. With the Reese
and Dibbern escapes, a few bees would be
left, they having evidently found their way
back; and once or twice we found them
clogged with dpad bees. We have just re-
ceived a few samples of the Porter escape.
They are beautifully made, and the price is
moderate. If this escape shall do as well as
192
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
it has done for you and ourselves, the two
Porters deserve a vote of thanks for a perfect
bee escape, aud the right of exclusive manu-
facture, whether they have a patent on the
same or not. We presume a good many of
them will be sold, and we should like to
have reports of where thorough tests have
been made. The propolizing feature of the
Reese and Dibbern, as well as their occa-
sional clogging with dead bees, is rather
against them. The two brass springs at the
point D, in the Porter, are so exceedingly
sensitive, that, if a bee were to touch them
with its mandibles, I imagine they would
tremble so that the little propolizer would
become cross-eyed in tr.\ ing to keep track
of the oscillations, and give the matter up
in disgust. E. R. R."
Advantages of Bee Escapes.
"I tried a iiu;tiber of different devices last
season. Almost all of them worked very
satisfactorily. The one we liked best, though,
was the Porter spring escape. It cleaned
the supers of bees almost as rapidly and
thoroughly as any, and they stayed out.
With some of the other escapes the bees
would sometimes liad their way back; but
with the Porter escape they can not do this.
Having been the lirst one to call the atten-
tion of the bee keepers to the fact that they
were neglecting this valualile invention, I
can say that the bee escape is no longer an
experiment with me, but an appliance of
great practical value. By its use some of
the most laborious and disagreeable work of
the apiary is almost done away with. This
reduction of labor makes it invaluable in
large apiaries: but even iu the smallest it
will save time, stings and annoyance. The
bee keeping world owes a debt of gratitude
to Mr. Reese for giving his invention so
freely and generously to his fellow men." —
J. A. Green, in Gleanings.
AD VE RTISEMENTS
— Send for —
H^cldoo's Circulars
— OF —
Bee-Hiv«5 and all USEFUL supplies for the
apiary. JfKS. HEDDO/H,
DowaKiac, Michigan.
f/.r;se nientinn '.■ ^ -•,.■,«-
The Missouri Bee-Keeper
Tiiiee mouths on trial free. We want you to
Bee it. 'Tie a jonrnal of sen.-onable hints.
Valuable to all. Twenty paws, monthly.
.50 cents a year. Send address on postal card
to BEE-KEEPER PUB. CO.,
Uiiionville, Missouri.
Phase mention the Reuieuj.
ITAlilflHQlJEEHS
fl SPECIRIlTY.
Untested queen, in June, $1.00
Six " " " " 5.50
Twelve ' " 10 00
After June, six queens 5.00
" twelve " 9.00
Tested queens double the price of imtested
A few hybrid queens at 50 cents each. 5-9 -tf
S. R. SHOCK, liivePpool Illinois.
F;<;,i5<; mention tin- r.euiew.
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turning out hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-framo, L. hive, 2 T supers, $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, 1.00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto, 25.00
Clark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $3.00. Bee veil^, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Parker fouadation fastener, 25 cents. Japanese
buckwheat, 60 cents a bushel ; bag 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents ; thin for
surplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circuhrs free.
12-9 -tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
Please mention the Reuiew
Send for my 23rd annual catalogue of
ITALIAN AND CYPRIAN
BEES, QUEENS.
nuclei and full colonies. Apiarian supplies and
eggs for hatching. H. H. BROWN,
5-91-2t Light Street, Pa.
Please meftion the Review.
Beautiful Bees ^^'^^''^ ^i-^Tif eye
Good Qualities ^^^ ''-T/ofitable.
If you wish for bees and (lueens that combine
beauty and good qualitiew to a marked degree,
write for descriptive circular giving low prices.
No circulars sent unless asked for.
CHAS D. DUVAL,
3-90-tf Spencerville, Md.
The universal favor ac-
corded TiLUNGHAST'S I*tJGEr
Sound CubbuKc Seeds leads
me to offer a P. 8. Growk
Oiilo:i, Me finest yelloto Globe
ineii:,!ince. Toiuti'oduceitand
show i'l ■ciipabilities 1 will pay
§100 for the best yield obtain-
ed fniinl onneeof seed which
1 will iiKiil for SO eta. Oata-
iie rroe.
Isaac F. Tilllnghast,
La Plume, Pa.
Please mention the Reuiew.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
193
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents oar
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.
■ 4-90-16i
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOR CATALOGUE, PRICES, ETC.,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rockford, Ills
FmiNnATinM And sections are my
H"':i".f' ■'.,',!/" Specialties. No. i V-groove
Sections at $3.00 per thousand. Special
prices to dealers. Send for free price list
of everj-thing needed in the apiao'-
1-9 1 -tf M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich.
Pleu?" mention the Review.
Unexcelled for SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every part
INTERCHANGEABLE, REVERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
change rvith the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WR Y JOHNSON,
1-91-tf Maso7itoivn, Pa.
We've Got 'Erp!
(j'^lden Italian queens— bees work on red
clover. Tested queen. $1.10; three for $3.ro.
Untested, 7' cts. ; three for S2.00. Circular of
supjjlies sent free.
JNO. NEBEL. 6- 50N,
5 91-tf lU^h Hill, Missouri.
P. S, Tlie Hon. J. M. Hambaush. of Sprins,
111., says : " Your queens are daisies. Send 12
more.-'— for $7.00.
LtEflHV'S F0lJNt)flTI0r4,
LUholesaie and {Retail,
Smokeps ana Sections,
Extt^aebopsand Hives,
Queens and
Bees.
I^.B. Iieahy andCon^pany
Higginsville, Hlissouri.
l-90-tf Please mention tlte Review.
BUY YOUJ^
Italian Queens
FROffl THE
Ltone Stai» Apiat»y.
I breed from clioice, imported stock. Leather
colored. Write for price list.
OTTO J. E. URBflfl,
2-fi'-6t Thomdale, Texas.
Naroes of Bee-Keeper^
_ The names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sample copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a book. There are several thousand all
arranged alphabetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at 82.50 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers iu his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inquiry iu regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied info a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
VV. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
E D
Q Q E^ E^ n S
$1.00.
I am now receiving weekly shipments of young
laying, Italian queens from the South. These I
will sell at $1.00 each. If customers prefer, they
may have tested queens from my own apiary at
the same price ; I replacing them with the young
queens from the South. These tested queens that
I offer were all reared last sason, and are fine
qutens right in their prime. Can furnish a few
Carniolan queens at $1.00 each or six for $5.00.
150 empty combs, in the New, Heddon frames ,
at eight cents each. Also a Stanley automatic
extractor for sale or exchange for honey.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
UiMVEKSAL
BATH.
Vapor and Wat«r —
fresh, sail. ^l'""*'.
S i:'/,-'/etal5»
This is by far the gentlest and most prolific
race of bees known, while the workers are ex-
cellent honey Kathurers. They enter the sections
readily and seal the honey with the whitest of
cappings.
PRICES.
Select, tested queens, $2.00 each. Tested, $1.50
each. Six tested (juoens, $8.' 0. Untested, 90 cts.
each; six for $5.50. Nucleus colonies, Langs-
troth frame, 50 cts. per frame. Don't fail to
send for circular.
A. J. LiriDLEY,
6-91-2t
Jordan, Indiana.
Nice, wliite, V groove, Sections, $3.00 per
1,000. 12 lb. Shipping ('ases, in the flat, with
glass, $7.00 per 100; without g.aes, $6 00.
Twenty page price list free.
Jf r\. KIWZIE,
ll-90-6t Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
The Bee WoMd.
A journal devoted to collecting the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through
out the world, containing, as it were, the cream
of apiarian literature. Valuable alike to the am-
ateur and veteran. If you wish to keep posted,
you cannot afford to do witliout it. Subscribe
now. li is a 30 page monthly at 50 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is published by
W. S. VANDRUFF.
Waynesburg, Greene Co., Pa
A /\ f\ A Don't you want large, beautiful
/J V 11 ^ queens, producing bees that will
I 1^ ij I iust ijlease you fully? Well, my
X V/ X/ JL Italians are in the lead — so my
customers say. ti5t) queens sold
and have heard of only one mismated cme.
Your orders will be appreciated and quickly
tilled. Warranted queen, 75 cts.; 3 for $2.00. A
beautiful, selected breeder, $1.50.
3-81-6t W, H, LAWS, Lavaca, Ark.
Five JSanded
ITALIANS
Are the gentlest and handsomest bees in the
world. They are good workers and less inclined
to rob than are the three-banded Italians. The
queens are very prolific. My breeding queen,
that, together with her bees, took the FIRST
PREA\IUAV last fall at the Detroit Exposition,
tilled a ten-frame simplicity hive with brood and
bees this spring by Slay 1st, and May 7th had
cells started for swarming.
I can now fill orders for untested queens at
$1.00 each ; six for $5.00 ; or $9.00. per dozen.
Tested qiieens, $2.00 each. Selected, tested, $3.00
each. Breeding queens, when I have them to
spare, $6.00 each. Safe arrival guaranteed. Make
money orders payable at Flint, Mich.
3°rl-2t
ELMEE
HUTCHINSON,
Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich.
ntion the Reuieiv.
PATENT, WIRED, COMB FODBDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
TM, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Being the cleanest is usually worked
tlie quickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN DEUSEN & SONS,
(SOLE MANUFACTUREBS),
3-90-tf Sprout Brook,Mont.Co.,N.Y
Our Czvtevlosiu^ of B^^-
5upplie5. S^nd for it.
Contzvin^ 2^11 you Need.
Prices to suit the tirpe^.
Your Success in Beo-Keeplng depends
very much on the queens, hence yon see that
only the best queens are really cheap. We have
the best and want you to try them. As for
prices— well, you'll find them reasonable
R. 5TR/VTTON 6- SON,
4-91-13t Hazardville, Conn.
Have you lieard tliat Oliver Hoover & Co. have built, at Riverside, Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the East, fully equipped with the latest, improved macliinery ? They are
now prepared to send out the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kinds of liee-keepers' sui)ii1ies alwa.xs on hand. Their location will en-
able them to shii) goods by direct liue to more j)oints th;in any other man-
ufacturer, which will give the advantas,'e of Low Freight Rates and
quick Iransportaton. Send for free illustrated catnh)KUe. 2-91-tf
OliIVEt? HOOVEf? & CO., f^ivePside, Pa.
Please mention the Reuieu/.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
195
THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH
He has sold his entire bee and supply business to a man who will fully sustain
past reputations, therefore it is with pleasure that he gives his consent to the use of
the old name, " That Pittsfield Smith," for future advertisements.
His successor will be prepared to fill all orders promptly and to deal a little
better by you than he agrees. 7-90-12t
ADDRESS "THAT PITTSFIELD SMITH,"
Box I003, Pittsfield, Mass.
Please mention the Reuieiv.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-lilast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf .
ITALIAN QUEENS
(^ Frorr) tbe Finest Stock.
*y0 One untested queen, 75
Three " queens, $2.00
^j One tested queen, 1.50
>
2
D
J^ Three " queens ^■'^'^ »•«
2m Two - frame nucleus, with any queen, Iji
. 1
$1.50
extra. Safe arrival and
satisfac
m
J
lU
tion
guaranteed.
6-91-2t
w.
J. ELLISON,
Catcljzill
5. C.
Please mention the Reuieui.
ggg SUPPLIES
RETAIL
— AND —
WHOLESALE
Everything lined in the Apiary.
Greatest variety and lart;est stock in the West.
New catalogue, 54 ilhistratcil pages, free to bee-
keepers. E. KRETCHMER. Red Oak, Iowa.
Please mention tlw Reuieui.
O0YOM£EPBEES
If BO, send your name and address for a Free
Bample of the AMSBICAN BEE JOVBJXAIi
Weekly— J2 pages— One Dollar a year.
*P LIB LIS HERS
24G East Madison Street, CHICAQO, ILL.
By careful breeding we have secured a strain
of bees that are yellow all over. If you want
bees that will work on red clover, try one of our
yellow queens. Untested, in July, 75 cts. ; one-
half dozen, $3.60. Tested, $1.50 ; select, $2 00;
the very best, that will produce 4 and 5 banded
bees, $4.00. Descriptive circular free.
LEININGER BROS.,
4 91-6t Et. Jennings, Ohio.
THE O.A.IsrJ^IDIA.2Sr
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts. a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD BY W.C.Q. PETFR.
75 Cts. a Year.
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals one year to one address, $1 .00
Until June 1st pjil|,_ Journal p i«,11.. flC .1.
we will send §11116" trial trip for Q lUlAS M ClSi
THED.A. JONES CO., Ud, Beeton, Ont.
1/Vanted at Oxice^
Your address, that I may send you my astoninh-
ingly low prices on Hives, Frames,
Sections, Crates, etc. 4-91-6t
C. F. WIliLiCOTT, Bxifa, louta.
WASHINGTON, N.J.
196
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
flDVfll^CED BEE-CUbTOt?E;
Its JVLethods and ^VTanagetncnt.
This book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is bound with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and their Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Control, and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after which Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and " Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The influence of Food, Ven-
tilation, v Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
versus Mixed Bee-Keeping, Comforts and
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc., etc. — 32 chapters in all.
Pl^ICE of the Book is SO ets. The 1?EVIHW and the Book foP $1.25.
Stamps taken, either U. S. op Canadian.
W. Z. HtlTCHlNSO^^, Flint, IVTieh.
Dadants' Gonab Foundation.
Half a Million PouiiJs SoW in TMrteen Tears. Oyer $200,000 in Value. I
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FRFE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 IliangstPoth on the Honey See. l^evised. |1891
Those who wish a book in which they will find, without difficulty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for this work. Its arrangement is such that any subject and all its references can
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
fJ Q 1^ toLkTl^ r* ttPP ^ ^® ** chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
^ *-*^4"-*^-'^A< »VJ ^^xs.jS to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Imported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
free with Circular. 4.91.12t
Mtntiot, Reuieu,. . CHAS. DADAflT & SOj^, (latnllton, Haneoek To., Ills.
AUGUST 10, 1891.
/ / r
/
At Flii^t, Micl^igaq Oqe Dollar a Year.
198
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
fllDVEHTISirlG f^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make linch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 percent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
I CAN SEND UNTESTED
ITALIAN QUEEiSS, BY RE-
TURN f\f\lU P®R 75 CENTS
EACH. W. Z. HUTCHIN50N,
FLINT, niCH.
The Missouri Bee-Keeper
Three months on trial free. We want you to
see it. 'Tis a journal of seasonable hints.
Valuable to all. Twenty pages, monthly.
50 cents a year. Send address on postal card
to BEE-KEEPER PUB. CO.,
Unionville, Missouri.
Please mention the Reniew.
IMPORTED ITALliN OUEENS.
Aug., $3.50 ; Sep., $3.00. Untested, 75 cts. Send
orders now. W. C. Frazier, Atlantic, Iowa.
A. I. Root Says
my 5-banded Italian bees ' Are about the
yellowest we ever saw. For any who want
fancy bees, these will be the boos."
One untested queen in August and Sep. 75 cts.
J, P. niCHAEL,
5-9l-4t German, Darke Co., Ohio.
Type Writer for Sale.
I have a World typewriter, taken in a "dicker,"
that I would sell for $6.00, or would exchange
for honey. Cost $8,00 when now and could not
be told from new now. Specimen of writing
sent on application.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint,
Mich.
J. FOnrlCt^OOK ^ CO.,
MANUFAOTUBEBS OF THE
"BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.
reoTN
3L
Will furnish you, the coming season, one-pjece
sections, sandpapered on both sides, as cheap as
the cheapest and better than tlie best. Write for
prices. Watertown, Wis. 12-9(i-Kt
Please mention the Reuieui.
Italian ^ Qaeens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - Ciroialar.
J. T. WILSON,
4_91.tf Pink, Kentucky.
Please mention the Rcuieui
Hunt's Foundation Factory.
Samples free. Send your beeswax and have it
made up. Highest prices paid for beeswax.
3-91-6t M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich. (Near Detroit)
Pk
mention the Reuieu)
BEE - HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC
BEST GOODS AT L.OWEST
PRICES. WE MAKE 15.000 SEC-
TIONS PER HOUR. CAN FILL
ORDERS PROMPTLY. WRITE
FOR FREE. ILLUSTRATED CAT-
ALOGUE. G. B. LEWIS & CO..
S-91-tf Watertown, Wisconsin
"Tlie Porter Sprli Bee - Escaiie.
\ We guarantee it to be the best escape known
and far superior to all others. If on trial of
from one to a ilozen you do not find them so,
or if they do not give entire satisfaction in ev-
ery way, return them by mail within three
months after receiving them and we will re-
^ fund your money.
PRICES : Each, by mail, postpaid, with full directions, 20 cts. Per doz., by mail, postpaid, $2.25
Send for circular, testimonials, etc. Doalerssend for wholesale prices. 5-91-tf
R,, &: E. O. I=OK»THIR», Ij©-wisto-wrL, Illinois.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
199
Barnes* Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
Tliis cut represents our
Combiufd Circular and
Scroll Saw. which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
2i?' sections, boxes, etc.
-^ 4-90-76t
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOR CATALOGUE. PRICES, ETC.,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rochford, Ills.
FflllNnATinM And Sections are my
UUHUa I lU W specialties. No. 1 V-groove
Sfctioms at $3.00 per thousand. Special
prices to dealers. Send for free price list
of everything needed in the apiary.
1-itI-tf M. H. HUNT, BeU Branch, Mich.
P/Pii,'- mention tlw Review.
Utility Bee - Hive.
/ 'nexcelled for SIMFIACITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every imrt
INTERCHANGEABLE, REVERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
change with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WRY JOHNSON,
1-91-tf Masontown.Pa.
We've Got 'Erp!
(ioldeii Italian queens- bfes work on red
clover. Tested (lueen, $1. Hi; three for fH.OO.
Unt<-Rt(>d, 70 cts.; three for $2.00. Circidur of
supplies si'nt trf-e.
JNO. /SEBEL 6- 50N,
rv91-tf High Hill, Missouri.
P. S, The Hon. J. M. Hanibaugli. of Spring,
111., says : " Your queens are daisies. Send 12
more.-'— for $7.00.
LiEAHV'S FOONt)flTIO|^,
Uiholesale and t^etail,
Smokers and Sections,
ExtPactoPsand Hives,
Queens and
Bees,
t^.B.Lieahy and Company
Higginsville, Hlissoupi.
UyO-tf Please mention the Review.
ITRIilRN QOEE^S
A SPECIALITY.
Untested queen, in June, $1.00
Six ' " r)..50
Twelve ' " 10.00
After June, six (pieens .5.00
" twelve " 9.00
Tested queens double the price of untested.
A few hybrid queens at 50 cents each. 5-9 -tf
S. R. SHUCK, liivePpool, Illinois.
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turning out hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-frame, L. hive, 2 T supers $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, 1.00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto, 2.5.00
( 'lark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $2.00. Bee veils, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Parker foundation fastener, 25 cents. Japanese
buckwheat, tjO cents a Imsiiel ; bag. 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents; thin for
surplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circulars free.
r2-9'-tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
Nzifo^s of lSee-i\eepers
The names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sample copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a liook. There are several thousand all
arranged alphabetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2.50 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inquiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied into a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
-> W
^ 00
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
3 = 0
- >, Cen..euuia:
^ S MeH.ni nnM 1
S irl.-UiahJt Uaa>l. Ol.i l>.-.ll,Ot.-ii,-w.fii. "i
-^.n.i forCirrnhr*. E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann Arbor, Mich.
S^" CHEAPEST AND BEST RATH "®a
1-:: V ETi li IN <> w IV :
FKER CinCULARS EXPLAIN ALL.
Address E. J KNOV/LTON. Ann A,..)r, Mich
1-91-12t Please mention the Reuiew.
200
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Winter Bees
Szifely zipd Cheaply
By using our ficw Outsik of Discovery and
Invention, the
Queen HestPictop.
C. W. DAYTON,
l-91-12t Clinton, Wisonsin.
For A'binOf ^nsted Albino. $L00 ; six for $5.0ii.
1 tested Albino, June and July, $.175 ; August
and Septemlier, ,'f;'.50.
I select tested Albino. Aug, and Sep. $2..50.
1 untested Italian, July to Sep.. 75 cts.
1 tested Italian, July, $1.50; August and Sep-
tember, $1.25.
1 select-tested Italian, $2.00.
For particulara, send for descriptive circular.
lUnstrated Advertisements Attract Attention.
E!3VfO;K /yi^lKiO;
' ^ inches and extend through
the wall and join the slielf. They slant
enough to prevent rain from driving into the
hives. The lower alighting-boards are a
foot from the ground. There is a door, or
rather two doors, in the south end. The in-
ner one with glass opens in, the outer one is
tight and opens out. There is a window, 4
feet high and 1^' feet wide in the north end,
hung on pivots at top and bottom, and re-
volves. This makes one bee escape. The
other is formed by sliding the glass up 3^2
inch in the door and shutting the blind over
the window, wheji the bees will work out
through the door. There are 8 inches of
sawdust in the iioor, and 14 inches overhead.
The non-8warming features consist, first,
m a cellar 6 feet deep, walled up to the top
of the ground. The building stands on the
wall on (i iron pins driven in the sills; which
leaves 1^.3 inch space between the walls and
sills, all around. In the center of the floor
is a ventilator 4 feet long by 2 feet wide,
with flue same size running down to within
0 inches of cellar bottom: also two flues 10
inches square in the ceiling connected with
the air shaft and running up through the
roof 5 feet above the peak. There are venti-
lators through the shelves; in the bottoms,
and near the back side of the hives. These
ventilators are covered with wire cloth.
In hot weather, when the house is closed
with the exception of the lower ventilator,
the bees fanning at the mouths of 20 hives
will raise the cool air from the bottom of
the cellar and pass it over the bottom of the
hives, and maintain an even temperature
inside, night and day, which is an advantage
when the bees are working in sections. It
is not a perfect non-swarmer as I have had
three to six swarms from it every year.
To prepare the house for winter it is only
necessary to bank around the top of the
202
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
wall with litter or coarse mauure; to prevent
the wind from blowing into the cellar, close
all ventilators, and each entrance to a small
lly hole, and put chaff cushions on all hives.
Of course the bees in 20 hives assist in keep-
ing an even temperature; but sometimes,
when we have a protracted spell of extreme-
ly cold weather, I put in an oil stove for a
few days, which assists materially. I find
that in a mild open winter the house apiary
winters bees better than chaff' hives; but in
an extremely cold winter, especially long
spells of cold, the well packed chaff' hives
come out the best.
In spring, as soon as the bees begin to
raise brood, the temperature of the house
rises and it is readily seen that many weak
stocks that would be of no value outside are
enabled to breed up, on account of the tem-
perature maintained by the other bees. For
this reason, also, it is not necessary to
spread brood as in outside hives.
Having such a nice handy place to take off'
surplus I run ray bees both for extracted and
comb honey; generally extracting all the
late honey. I use a hive with a closed end
frame, the ends of frame a»e lijX^axD's
high and tlie top and bottom bars are nailed
in so as to leave I4 inch bee space. The
frames are reversible. Eight frames and
two paunels are set into a rim ^4 inches
deep, with strips ^^ inch thick naiied under
for the frames, which are hugged up with
wedges or screws, to rest on; this gives %
inch space between the bottom bars of
the frames and the shelf. The comb space
in each frame is about T^sxlT inches. Every
hive has a zinc (^ueen excluder whether it is
run for section or extracted honey. My sec-
tion case holds 7 single-tier wide frames. I
aim to have whole cases finished at
once so as to not have much handling of sec-
tions. When the surplus is ready to come
off I can go in the house and take it all oft"
the 20 hives in 20 minutes. I commence by
putting one or two light cases near the win-
dow and then stand all cases on end with
both top and Ijottom open. If there are no
roV)bers the bees will all work out through
the window in an liour or two. If there are
robbers, I close the window and the outside
door and then open the window once in ;>0
minutes, not oftener, and brush out with
brush and dust pan all bees tliat have clus-
tered on or over the window. In an hour or
two the bees will all have worked out except
a few young bees clustered in the light cases
near the window. These can be carried out
and shaken down before a nucleus or weak
colony. The honey can be taken to the
honey room and the door and window left
open so all straggling bees can come out. I
formerly had 50 stocks of bees outside and
always carried the surplus in the bee house
to clear it of bees. If good Italian bees,
such as remain quietly on the combs, are
used, they handle nicely in the bee house.
The light is sufficient with door and win-
dow open: with door and window shut it is
necessary to step to the window to see eggs
in the cells. The upper ventilator carries off
smoke.
There are many places where a bee house
would be an advantage. They can be con-
structed very much cheaper without the non-
swarming feature simply with a ground
floor and the corners hooked together so as
to be removaljle. I have heard of several
constructed in that way in Pennsylvania
that were a great success.
A house apiary is a handy place to keep
tools, such as smoker, smoke-wood, matches,
etc., etc, and when the ;ipiarist goes in to
handle bees there are no outside covers to re-
move and the hives all are handy. In swarm-
ing I clip the queen and remove the hive
while the bees are swarming.
BiNGHAMTON, N. Y. July 20. 1«)1.
In a private note accompanying the above,
Mr. Moore says: " 1 can't see why folks
have so much trouble in taking off the sur-
plus in the house apiary. It is the nicest
place in the world to take off surplus. I
presume the trouble comes from letting in
the light from thres or four different direc-
tions. Let the light in fi-om only one direc-
tion if you want to get the bees out."
Securing Abundant Increase "With Small
Divisible Brood Chamber Hives. — The
Value of Swarm Catchers.
B. TAYLOK.
!l\lEND Hutchinson, in complying
with your request for an article ex-
plaining my method of obtaining
large increase when using small doulile
hives, 1 will tell what I have done in that di-
rection since July 1st.
The burden of handling large numbers of
liees in the swarming season liad made me
resolve to extend my colonies no further. 1
had parted with about 200 colonies jn the last
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
203
year, so as to uarrow down my business in
harmony with my advancing years, bnt the
success of controlling swarms with tlie swarm
catchers, opened new possibilities and 1 at
once resolved to increase my colonies and
establish one or more additional out apiaries,
as I can now employ a boy of 10 or Vl years
to catch the swarms, so I proceeded as fol-
lows:
When a swarm issued 1 caught it and set
it in the cellar. 1 then went to the hive from
which it issued and removed the supers.
Then I set the top section of the hive on a
new bottom board and removed it to a new
stand. The sections were then returned to
the under half of the old hive, with an empty
super under them if more room was neces-
sary. A young, just hatched, queen was now
liberated in this hive, or sometimes a queen
cell just ready to hatch was used. The
reason for giving a young queen here is that
the swarn is liable to swarm out again, on
account of the small quarters to which they
are returned, but with a virgin queen this
trouble is avoided. Sometimes I returned
the bees in two or three hours if they became
sufficiently quiet. At other times they were
left :5fi hours. When ready to return, a sheet
is spread in front of the prepared hive, the
bees brought from the cellar, and, as they
have clustered on the movable end of the
catcher, they are lifted out and shaken on
the sheet well away from the hive. The
cool cellar liaving allayed the excitement,
they can be spread out on the sheet and kept
there for two hours, if necessary, in order to
find the old queen. When found she is re-
turned to that section of the old hive that
was removed to a new stand, and all swarm-
ing is now over with tliis colony, and it is
built up into a first-class colony for winter-
ing. Sometimes it makes ^*) or more pounds
of surplus honey.
The colony on the old stand with the new
queen will not swarm again tliis year and may
make large (juantities of honey if any is in
the fields, and will be a lirst class colony for
the next year. This doubles the number of
colonies which is the largest increase I ever
practice.
If you wish to make artificial colonies,
hunt up the queen, divide the hive as above,
placing one section on a new stand, return
the old (jueen to it after waiting 2 or :'• hours
to allow all the old bees to return to the old
stand, which they will not all do if the old
queen is returned immediately on removal.
The virgin queen is given to that part left on
the old stand which gets all the old work-
ing bees and one-half the brood. The sec-
tions are placed ui)on it just as in the first
case and it will make a booming colony for
any purpose.
If I wanted still larger increase I would
hive the new swarm in an empty hive on the
old stand, remove the sections to it, divide
tlie two sections of the old hive, place them
on separate stands, cut out all queen cells
and give each a just hatched (jueen or ma-
ture queen cell. Each will make a first class
colony and this makes all the increase any-
one should want.
You will notice Friend Hutchinson that in
all these ways of making increase I do noth-
ing to interfere with securing a first class
crop of honey the present year and the work
is short enough to handle 25 swarms a day
without trouble.
I wrote you on July 4th of having caught
(if) swarms since the first day of this month.
The next day, July .'ith, "l^y swarms issued in
three hours and we caught and hived them
all without trouble and without two swarms
getting together. Without the catchers it
would have been impossible to have done any-
thing with them. I never saw such a rush
of bees in all my experience, and I am safe
in saying that the catchers were worth fifty
dollars to me on that one day. We have
now caught over 100 swarms, since July 1st,
without a single failure, and have done it all
with an ease hitherto unknown.
I am now preparing to greatly increase my
colonies and start further out-apiaries as it
is now possible to catch and hive the
swarms with cheap labor. I pronounce the
catchers perfect and invite anyone interested
to come and see for themselves.
FoKESTViLLE, Miuu., July 14th, 1891.
A Successful House Apiary. How the Bees
are Hived by the Use of a Catcher
and Feed Board.
J. A. GOLDEN.
IRIEND Hutchinson, I see by your last
J(^ leader that the August Review is to be
devoted to house apiaries. I sliall l)e
very glad to read tliat number, from the
fact that much has been said in abuse of my
ideal of bee-keeping, or the house apiary.
Your leader suggests far more to be con-
sidered than this article should contain.
204
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
May there not be much in the plan and
managment of the house apiary as regards
the comfort and pleasure of the apiarist? I
suspect this is one of the main causes why
house apiaries are unpopular; therefore I
will give you my experience.
<'Ai'i'inN in
this locality. I enclose a photogra ph of the
INTEEIOB OF HOUSE APIABY SHOWING COLONIES
PACKED FOB WINTER, CUSHIONS, ETC.
exterior and interior of my house, also one
of my good wife catching her first swarm
with her catcher.
Reinebsville, Ohio., July 24th, 1891.
[For view of exterior of house apiary see
Extracted Department. — Ed.]
A Tall House Apiary With an Elevator
and Cellar.
OLIVEB FOSTER.
NY repository for bees to be generally
practical, must be economical. The
" McKinley bill" has so cheapened
all table luxuries into which sugar enters,
that honey must also be produced cheaply if
it finds a ready market.
Were it not for one or two ditiiculties I
think a house apiary miglit be devised, that
would be, in the end, all things considered,
as economical as a yard apiary.
.\t present the most serious objection I
think of is that it will not admit of my
present ideal method of wintering, which is,
in brief, under ground, with access to the
open air.
The next objection is tiiat to be sufficient-
ly economical, the hives must be too close
togetlier for easy manipulation.
I cannot do better here than to refer the
leader to a description and illustration of the
only liouse apiary, properly so called, that I
have used. It is found on page 2:^1, Glean-
itigs ill Bee Culture for May, 1882. (See Ex-
tracted Department of tliis number. )
This apiary for 14 hives, was most economi-
cal. On the whole, it was successful, but the
bottom of the hive apartments, being thin
and near the ground, soon rotted out. Also
the great weight of the tiers of seven hives
each, caused them to settle in the middle,
which caused openings through between
the apartments which were only separated by
^2 inch boards. It was also diffiult to re-
move colonies or interchange their places.
About the time the house gave out I adopted
the standard simplicity L. frame, which
would require a change in the details of con-
struction. I still use some important fea-
tures of this system.
Were I to build another house apiary, I
should want each hive, including its bottom
board, aeparate and reuiovable. I should
want tlie entrance of the hive a foot or more
from the wall of the building, through
which, in front of each hive entrance, I
would have an opening, a foot or more
square, only I would not have the openings
all alike, but of different shapes, round, tri-
anglar, oblong etc., to assist the bees in mark
ing their own entrances. No other windows,
doors nor escapes would be required, except
for the entrance of the operator, and for his
convenience while working, as no bees will
remain on the floor but will strike for the
entrance and the light.
The bee escape will assist in taking off
honey, but no escape will cause all the bees
of some colonies to leave the combs at once.
A week or ten days often finds many still
clinging to the combs, especially those for
extracting, so that, to expedite matters, not
only when removing honey but also in
various other operations, it often becomes
very convenient to shake bees in front of the
hive. Also whenever a hive is opened that
is crowded with bees, many of them are left
outBide. These soon find the entrance if it
206
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
is accessible, but the young bees will uot
readily pass out of a bee escape.
Wore it not for the wintering problem, I
might reconsider a partially developed plan
for a large house apiary, with four or live
tiers of hives extending all around the side
walls, one tier tliree or four feet above the
other. An elevator, communicating from
cellar to the upper tier, with a platform
large enough to extend to all the hives in a
tier would be needed. Any hive could be
shoved back ui)on tlie platform to be opened
and manipulated, which would give ample
room all around it. The colonies could be
carried to and from the cellar l)elo\v on the
elevator if wintering in that way were de-
sired. I fear the bees would often get too
warm in winter if kept above, and in my ex-
perience, a great many bees in one reposi-
tory will often do so below ground.
Mt. Veknon, Iowa.
July 20, 1W>1.
A House Apiary that is a Regular Bee
Killer — Some of Its Other Disadvantages.
,1. 15. UAINS.
|HE subject of house ai)iaries is just
now attracting conaideral)le attention.
Articles have recently appeared in the
columns of journals devoted to apiculture,
many commending the use of the house
apiary in such a manner as to be likely to in-
duce apiarists who have abandoned its use to
again stock it with bees and endeavor to
make it practical and profitable. A writer
very recently recommended them for (lueen
rearing. Now ivs silence on the sul)joctby
one who has had experience along that line,
might be regarded in a degree an approval
of its use, I may be permitted to give my
opinion and back it up with a statement of
my experience.
In tlie outset I desire to say that I regard
the house apiary worse than useless and a
very expensive establishment to keep up,
even though the house had been furnished
ready made and stocked with bees free of
cost to the apiarist.
In the year of ]S7!> T erected a house apiary,
fitted it up in the most modern style, i)ut in
forty-eight colonies of bees whic.li winteied
fairly well but dwindled so in the spring,
especially on the north side, that I was com-
pelled to draw on the yard ai)iary to make
them good. I secured about half as much
honey from the house ai)iary that season as I
did from the hives outside, but was unwill-
ing to abandon the experiment. The second
spring was a repetition of the first, the bees
on the north side dwindled as l>efore, some
were lost in the winter and I removed them
from the nortli side and doubled them up
with the weak ones on the south side of the
building, drew from the outside hives to keep
up the strength of the co'iistantly failing
colonies, cousecpient on the loss of bees
through falling to the ground outside, and
being crushed on the floor inside of the
house.
From that time to the present I have been
compelled to add bees and brood each year,
and I have no doubt that had I placed the
original forty-eight colonies outside in suit-
able hives, and added to them as 1 have to
the house apiary, they would to-day number
more tlian one liundred, whereas they are
now less than one dozen, and should they
survive the next winter I shall surely remove
them to the yard.
My house apiary is well provided with bee
escapes as I have a wire screen in tlie upper
I)art of the doors fastened at the center of
both top and bottom with wooden pins, so
that it will whirl and tlius get the bees which
are inside of the door on the outside so they
can fly away. In addition to this 1 have a
row of cone l)ee escapes, made of perforated
tin which are placed in openings made in the
vipper part of the screen and fastened along
the top to the frame of the screen. These
are very satisfactory so far as getting the
bees out is concerned.
Tlie loss of bees is a small matter com-
pared to the loss of labor in caring for them,
and the injury to the eyes and lungs resulting
from smoke confined in a comparatively
close room. I have tried it for the produc-
tion of extracted honey, for comb honey and
also for rearing (lueens, while for the two
former it is a failure, for the latter it is
simply intolerable as it is dillicultto find the
tjueen, andimpossiljletolook into the combs
and see eggs without running to the door
witli eacli frame of comb. If you have no
" house apiary, " my advice is, build none.
If you have one, turn it into a honey
liouse, a storeliouse for implements, a corn
house, a ciiicken house, in fact anything ex-
cei)ting a bee house.
Eedi'oku, Ohio.
July 29, 1891.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
207
Combining a House Apiary With a Shop,
Honey House and Store Room —
Having the Hives Movable.
JAMKS UKUDON.
^ ® ^(i^lf OCISE APIAIIY." That is, a
biiildiuK wit hiu which the bees
are placed .Mud from which
tliey lly out through the walls into the big,
l)road world. The building is so large tliat
the apiarist goes in without "scroochiug,"
turus around aud tiuds store room for uten-
sils, honey, etc. I built one in l.S7(! at my
Glenwood yard, kept bees in it two seasons,
then set them out ; not because the inside
was not a good enough place in which to
keep them but because 1 needed the whole
inside of the building as a store room for my
growing apiary.
Tise biiildiug was one story, hip roof, IS
feet long and twelve feet wide. The walls
were 4 inches in the clear, made of l-iuch
matched pine both inside aud out aud the
space between tilled witli sawdust. The
ceiling was also covered with sawdust to the
depth of about one foot. Of course the
room was cooler in hot weather aud warmer
in cold weather than other rooms. i)G colo-
nies were placed in the room, 48 on each
side, in two rows, 24 in each row. The bot-
tom row was raised about 8 inches above the
floor, while the upper row was placed at such
a height above the lower tier as to admit of
tiering-up the supers upon- the lower row.
Witliout going into details regarding how
tiie hives were adjusted to the wall, tiie en-
trances to the hives, etc., I must tell you,
Mr. Editor, that for once we have caught
you nappiug ; I see you are not experien ed
in regard to house apiaries. Now, see here,
never allow any one to advocate in your
paper the use of' auy hives, frames, cases or
brood chambers that are jlxed within the
building. I used the same bottom board I
now use — fast on my modification of the
L. hive aud loose on my new patented hive.
My hive could be adjusted to the house ai)i-
ary with a single motion. Now don't you
see that this arrangement, while having no
objectionable features, made all the hives
aud colonies in the house intercliangable
with those outside ? Do you not see, still
further, that your objections to hiving
swarms are washed away, because the
swarms are hived out of doors in any con-
venient place, and, when the bees are all in.
the brood chamber is carried into the house
and placed where desired 'i Of course, this
manipulation, like most mauii)ulatiou, is
best adapted to fixed frames, yet it was a
practical success with the 1j. frame.
You mention the never ending anuoyance
of the bees escaping in the room. Your
whole thought seems to be directed 8imi)ly
to the removing of surplus honey. Pshaw,
now, couldn't we, without any bee escapes,
carry the surplus cases out of tlie room, or
into a little closet, made in the room, aud
fitted with a cone escape V rerha[)s you
will ask how about the few bees that escape
while moving the auri)lus cases. Suppose I
ask you about the bees that escape wliile you
are adjusting your bee escapes, or handling
your brood frames, or cases, or during the
various other manipulations sometimes nec-
essary. Well, let mo answer for you. We
used a bridge to drop down upon the
alighting board the same as we do when
packing the bees for winter in big boxes. In
the top of this bridge was an inch hole with
a little loose block to cover it up. When a
lot of bees got outside the hive, if they did
not fly around the room and out of doors
(and, by the way, very few bees take wing
in the room) this block was removed, aud in
a little while all the bees would be back in
the hive. By the way, we used to rid the
surplus boxes of bees in the same manner,
and instead of bee escapes settling the
house apiary problem, I doubt if they would
pay for their cost in a house apiary. An-
other thing : if we forgot to drop on this
bridge, leaving the alighting l)Oard all open
to the inside of the room for a space of .'5 x 1^
inches, the bees never flew up into the room.
They passed in and out without seeming to
notice the opening. But it is best to have
the alighting boards closed as when the bees
are haigiugout, and the entrances are only
a siiort distance apart, a lot of returning
bees may enter the wrong hive.
I think I made a mistake in not making
my house apiary wider. Had 1 made it 18
feet wide I could have had my hive accom-
modations aud plenty of room besides, and
would not have Ijeen crowded out for want
of store room. But I am not " possessed of
an abandoned house apiary " to experiment
with, for the one in (luestiou burned last
spring from sparks from a saw mill. The
house is gone, the mill is gone, and I am left
with my experience and the insurance upon
the building and its contents which consisted
of apicultural implements — no bees.
The house apiary possesses some splen-
did advantages. ( )ut of the sun, out of the
208
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
rain, out of the wind, out of the reach of
thieves, implemeuts and bees close together,
and last but not least, out of the reach of
robber bees. The annoyance from robbers
is the one great cause of irritability among
the bees of an apiary, and I want to tell you
that if you have a colony that is so con-
founded mean that you expect to be stung
even when using a smoker, set it in the house
apiary and the bees will behave perfectly ;
it would almost be safe to open the liive
without smoke.
A house apiary ought to have its doors
and windows so arranged that Che house can
be made perfectly dark when desired.
The floor upon which the hives rest may
be connected with the walls, but the central
portion of the floor ought to be disconnected
from that upon the hives rest. This allows
one end of the building to be used for a shop
and the other for a honey house.
Make the building about one-third larger
than it is expected that it will be needed and
fill the walls with sawdust. The second
story will be found valuable for all kinds of
storage room. Have an outside stairway to
this second floor and there may also be an
inside stairway or a trap door.
When a swarm is issuing it can be quickly
discovered by any one inside the building
on account of the peculiar roaring that may
be heard all over the room.
The main objection to a house apiary is
that the bees, especially the queens, in
returning, enter the wrong entrances where
the hives are so close together. I found
more queenless colonies than I ever had out-
doors. I had four different figures in four
dififerent colors painted around the en-
trances, and the bees certainly learned them.
Every fourth entrance was alike, and when
stragglers came back from where a swarm
had been hived, and did not enter their own
hive, they were almost certain to go into the
fourth entrance which was like their own in
form and color.
On the whole, I think the house apiary,
when rightly made and managed, is, in many
localities, a thing of comfort and profit.
It is an easy thing to pack colonies for win-
ter, and after being packed I can see what
splendid advantages can be gained from
stove heat on the inside during extremely
cold weather ; although I have never exper-
imented with this feature as my out-apiary
is six miles away.
DowAGiAO, Mich. July 80. J8;»l.
Cleaning up Empty Combs.
PELHAM & WILLIAMS.
J'AVING about a thousand empty
combs from which the honey had
been extracted, we were desirous of
having them cleaned up quickly and put
away in the comb closet for the winter, but
the bees seemed to think there was no hurry,
at any rate they were provokingly slow. The
combs were hung in supers and put on top
of the hivGS and tiered up four and five high,
but as a little honey was coming in, it being
the latter part of September, the bees would
collect the cleanings in the central combs of
each super leaving only the outer combs dry.
Finally a large box was procured that would
hold four or five dozen Langstroth frames in
two tiers. This was set in the rear of a col-
ony and connected with the hive by a tin
tube an inch and a half in diameter and
about eight inches long. The box was hung
full of combs and covered with a heavy cot-
ton cloth, a board cover to keep out rain be-
ing propped up several inches above the
cloth. The bees seemed to think: "Well,
this is somebody else's store house we have
got into and we'll just take what we can get
and carry it home." At any rate they
cleaned up extractor combs and unfinished
sections very rapidly.
The tin tubes are readily made from old
fruit cans by unsoldering the joints and roll-
ing the tin about a^ round stick. They
should be a little over size so that when com-
pressed and put ill the holes they will spring
out and fit tightly.
We prefer the large box to a stack of su-
pers as it will hold sections either loose or in
the racks, or cappings in shallow boxes or
anything from which we want honey cleaned
off by the bees. Two or three of these "clean
ups" make quick work of the usual fall job
of putting away empty combs for the winter.
The arrangement is due to the ingenuity of
Mr. M. L. Williams.
Maysville, Ky., July 1.^), 1891.
[i have frequently seen this condition of
things when I wished to have sections
cleaned up and have succeeded by stacking
them up out of doors, in supers, and allow-
ing the bees to enter through a small en-
trance. If a large entrance is given, so
many bees will crowd in that, in their quar-
rels to see who shall have the spoils, some of
the combs will be literally torn to pieces. If
only one or two bees can pass through the
entrance at a time, no such results will oc-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
209
cur. I believe 1 learned this plan of Dr. C.
C. Miller. No, this practice has caused no
trouble by inciting robbing. The bees are
allowed to " grub away " at the combs until
they quit the business of tlieir own accord. —
Ed. J
Preventing Increase by Returning the Swarm
to the Parent Hive— Too Many Drones
Cause Swarming.
DADANT & SON.
'M'^RIEND Hutchinson:— In reply to your
in(iuiry concerning our article in
Uleaninfjs page iA\, on the question
of preventing increase, by returning the
swarm to the parent colony 48 hours after
the swarm is hived, we will say that we are
not the originators of this method. It has
been recommended years ago by French
writers, Hamet, Collins and others.
The great drawback of box-hive bee-keep-
ing lies in the fact that during good seasons
the bee-keeper gets too many swarms to get
much honey and during bad seasons he
loses them and finds himself as poor as be-
fore. For this reason Collins and Hamet,
who were the champions of Ijox-hive bee-
keeping, as you perhaps know, in spite of
all the last half century's improvements,
were compelled to study the best means of
preventing swarming and returning swarms
to the parent hive.
Hamet had noticed what we found our-
selves after him, that if the swarm was re-
turned at once to the hive, the bees were
more than likely to swarm again as early as
possible. When the swarm is held in an
empty box for 24 to 48 hours, the old colony
gets over the swarming impulse, cools down,
and when the old queen is returned she is
allowed to destroy the queen cells much
more rapidly. This does not do away with
swarming, altogether, as much depends on
the season, and many other causes may in-
duce further prepartions for swarming
again, but it has a tendency to put an end to
the swarming fever, and is much more suc-
cessful than the returning of the swarm at
once even if the queen cells are taken out
before returning the swarm, as the excite-
ment of 8. \ arming is not over in the latter
case, and new cells are very soon reared.
As a matter of course it is still more ad-
visable to remove the queen cells or the
young hatched queen, as the case may be,
before returning the swarm, or if preferable,
to kill the old queen when the swarm is be-
ing returned, as she may be old and begin-
ning to fail. There are, however, other mat-
ters of great importance which are too often
disregarded by bee-keepers, especially be-
ginners, who wish to prevent swarming. One
of the most important points is the drone
question.
They say that when Louis the Fourteenth
was contemplating war, his Prime Minister
Colbert said to him: "Sire, to make war we
need,firstly, money ; secondly, money ;thirdly,
money." Well, to raise honey successfully
and prevent swarming, we need, firstly, to
prevent drone rearing, secondly, to pre-
vent drone rearing; and thirdly, to prevent
drone rearing. This is not all we need, as
money is not all we need for war, Ijut it is
one of the great needs that are too often dis-
regarded. The drones are expensive to the
bee-keeper, more so than many believe, and
unprofitable and annoying to the bees. They
are in the way, being out of the hive
only a couple of hours each day, get in the
path of the bees at the busiest time and
keep the hive hot when it most needs to be
cooled. One frame full of drone comb will
furnish all the drones that are needed for a
full apiary of 100 colonies. The others
should be removed from the hives in early
spring and replaced by worker comb. True,
some people will tell you that if you remove
the drone comb, the bees will cut down
worker comb and put drone comb in its
place. Don't listen to them. One great
draw-back to progress lies in the fact that
many people go by hearsay and not by their
own experiments. Let our readers take out
all the drone comb that they see in all their
hives except in one or two of the best
colonies, (they will be sure to leave small
patches of it here and there, liut this is un-
important) and they will find it much
cheaper than rearing drones and using some
queen trap or other to catch them afterwards.
They will also find that their V>ees will swarm
much less, provided they also try to keep
the hives well shaded, with enough venti-
lation to prevent the bees from lying out in
the hottest weather, and room enough for
the bees to harvest as large a crop as may
be expected.
We speak of ventilation. Did you ever
stop to think that when the bees of a hive
are lying out in clusters during a good flow
of honey, it is because they feel ill at ease
inside? This is one reason why we are in
favor of loose bottom boards. We want to
210
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
be able to raise the hive suflficiently off its
bottom to do away with the clusters of bees
that lie idle on the outside. We waut to
give them enough air to enable them to
make the whole hive comfortable in any
part of it. The less drone traps, queen ex-
cluders, partitions, separators etc. you have
in your hives, the better the bees will feel
and the less swarms you will have.
Hamilton, 111., July 23, 1891.
[Upon inquiry in regard to the treatment
of the swarm until is returned I learn that it
is hived upon the old stand and the parent
colony set to one side for the time being.-ED. j
The Three Leading Methods of Introducing
Queens.
W. J. ELLISON.
C^^ S THE introduction of queens by any
mode will not be for the instruction
of the "vets," I think we should
make the best way we know of as plain and
simple as possible, that the most unskilled
and nervous juvenile in the art could not
make a failure.
We have three old, standard methods, all
tending to or involving the same principle,
that of causing the queen to act as careless
of the presence of any strangers as if she
were in the home from which she had just
been transposed. I have always held that,
in successful introduction, every thing de-
pends upon the action of the (piem. If we
could persuade a virgin of four or live days
to act as much like a laying queen as does
one of a few hours, we would have as little
trouble getting the bees to accept her as we
do the laying queen. But we can't. Al-
most the first antennae that touches one
of that age she starts, throws up her wings
in a " touch me not" manner, and is next
seen racing over the combs with a few old
veterans of the field in her wake. Finally
she is captured and held tight by each hind
leg. This is the beginning of the end. The
result is she is balled and if not aided is
killed. I think it pays a queen breeder bet-
ter not to fuss with virgin queens more than
twenty-four hours old.
The first, and I think the best, of all plans
is that of caging the queen on one of the
combs, allowing the bees to liberate her by
cutting away the comb, and it matters little
where she is placed, whether over hatching
bees or not, only that she is put where she
can get honey from the cells, if she is not
provided with food in the cage. After she
is so placed do not disturb the bees for at
least 48 hours. It is well to ob erve this in
any way we give a new queen to a colony,
unless they have been queenless at least
seven days or until they have had time to
build and seal a batch of cells. Then they
will accept almost any well behaved queen.
The next best way is in having a cage with
a place of exit filled with "Good candy," the
• bees will eat it away making a clear passage
for " Her Royal Highness" to stroll out at
her leisure. Some one has said by the time
the bees have eaten away the food they will
be in a good humor and will accept the
queen, but I believe the bees are always in a
good humor when in the presence of a queen
that knows how to behave herself.
The third way is that of having the queen
altogether confined in any kind of a cage and
placed in a queenless colony for forty-eight
hours, then liberate her. She is by this
time very apt to be accepted; if not well re-
ceived then recage her for another term of
imprisonment.
With any plan we must first be sure the
colony is queenless before attempting to
give them a new queen. There may be
many other ways, according to books, to in-
troduce (lueens but the forgoing are the chie"f
and only safe ways.
In my own apiary I adopt myself to cir-
cumstances more than to any particular
mode of introduction. I introduced a se-
lect tested queen to-day. Suppose I tell you
how I did it. It took ten minutes. The col-
ony was one that had raised a batch of cells.
In taking them away the robl)ers became
very troublesome; I feared to open the hive,
after closing it in their presence, so I
placed the queen, (she being in an empty
cage without food) directly at the entrance.
In about a minute the cage was covered
with bees, some feeding her througli the
wire cloth. I quickly removed the cage
about G or 8 inches away and opened it, when
the same bees that adhered to it acted as an
escort to lead her to the entrance, where she
walked boldly in followed by a lot of merry
bees all buzzing a real hearty note of wel-
come from each of their little wings. All
this with dozens of robbers flying around.
I am not much of a believer in any particular
cage for introducing queens, as we have only
to allow the queen, if a laying one, to become
acquainted or used to the bees, and all trouble
is over. Sometimes it takes one hour and
sometimes forty-eight.
Catchall, S. C, April 2nd, 1891.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
211
Do "We Want House Apiaries'?
OLD TIMEB.
[HAT depends. First and foremost,
we want uothiny by way of adjunct to
our business that involves the outlay
of much capital, as tlie present condition of
the honey market will not justify the invest-
ment. Nothing that does not, either direct-
ly or indirectly, embrace the volume or cer-
tainty of income, which requires any con-
siderable amount of money, will be indulged
in by the prudent apiarist whose bread and
butter depends on the products of his apiary.
Years ago, when the house apiary problem
was iirst broached, the writer gave it careful
attention and thought he discovered many
advantages by its use. The absolute shelter
from storms, the luxury of being able to
manipulate bees with perfect freedom from
the aimoyance of robbers, the protection
afforded from the extremes of hot days and
cool nights, the security from loss of honey
by thieves, all seemed in favor of the house
apiary. Being located where lumber was
cheap and abundant, I built two of these
houses in the spring of 187G, each 12x25 feet
in size, at a cost of .$:>00. They were made
with six-incli, filled walls, were substantially
built, and would each accommodate r>2 colo-
nies. My anticipations regarding their desir-
ability in summer were fully realized, but
both were destroyed by fire the following
January, which gave me no opportunity to
test their capacity for carrying bees safely
through the winter.
From former experience I am of the
opinion that where cheap lumber can be
obtained the house apiary can be made a
success. I would build them about 8x13
feet, with a single roof sloping to the south.
Such a house would accommodate 13 col-
onies, four on each end, and five on the
south side. If a double row were put in,
one above the other, the capacity may be
doubled; but as a matter of convenience,
and for speed in manipulation, the single
row is preferaljle, while economy would dic-
tate the larger number. Built of rough, un-
painted lumber, the cost of materials will
cost from ijilO up, according to location.
Anyone handy with tools can do the work
without the assistance of a carpenter.
The projection of the roof will shade the
upper row of hives, if one is put in, while a
coui>le of boards, running lengthwise the
building, and nailed to figure 4 supports,
will ward off the sun's heat from the lower
row. A loose floor above will give storage
room in the "attic," a convenience every
bee-keeper can appreciate. I would have
the door in the center of the north side.
Ventilators at each end are necessary in hot
weather. All things considered, single walls
are better than double, as they afford ample
protection, make a dryer room and are far
more cheaper. When built upon dry soil no
ground floor is necessary.
The advantages of the house apiary are
many. Hives need no paint, no shade
boards are necessary. The absolute freedom
from annoyance \>y stings and robber bees
is something all can appreciate. I have
worked for days without veil or smoker, or
even without a hat, never receiving a sting.
Those who have never handled bees in such
buildings, where they are not compelled to
contend with the depressing influence of a
sultry summer's sun cannot realize their ad-
vantages in the way of manipulation, as the
amount of work that can be accomplished
in a day is simply surprising. The bees
cling quietly to the combs and seem to take
little notice of what is going on, especially
in the honey season. The only objections to
the house apiaries, so far as my experience
goes, are the cost and liability to loose young
queens when returning from their wedding
flight. The plan I have outlined overcomes
the first, and the second can easily be avoid-
ed by taking a little care in giving hive en-
trances a dissimiliar appearance. Where a
proper non-swarming system is followed
these little houses enable the specialist to
establish out-apiaries with much greater
security, largely augmenting his annual cash
income. July 27, 1891.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOrl, Ed. & PKop.
Tehms : — $1.00 a year in a(lvanc(\ Two copies,
$1.90 ; threo for $2.70 ; five f<)i$4.<)0; ton, or more,
70 cents each. i^W Tlie Keview is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FUNT, MICHIGAN, AUGUST 10, 1891.
I HAVE DECIDED to make an exhibit at
the Detroit Exposition, also at our State
fair. This will make the September Review
a little late.
212
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
The Missouri Bee-Keepeb is improving.
The last number shows most clearly that it
has an editor.
Several Articles on " House Apiaries "
are crowded out of this issue. They will ap-
pear in the September number.
Rats of Light can no longer be classed
as a bee journal. It has been changed to a
local newspaper and looks as though it might
be more of a success in that direction.
Words of Praise were spoken last month
by the Review for the C. B. J. They were
deserved. In fact, the last two issues show
that the praise is more than deserved. It
really seems as though Bro. Jones had been
in hiding for months and months and had
now been found, l)rought out into the com-
pany and made to " talk turkey."
The American Apicultubist for August
is but little more than a great big booming
circular for the business of E. L. Pratt and H.
Alley. By actual nteasvrement, more than
three-fourths of of its reading matter is de-
voted to the describing, praising, puffing
and pricing of those "wonderful Punic
bees," the " golden Carniolaus," or to berat-
ing those who have criticized said bees or
the methods of their breeders.
YELLOW (?) CARNIOLANS.
Some of the discussion upon the so-
called "yellow Carniolans " reminds one
quite forcibly of the bee journalism that has
past and gone.
There is no doubt that yellow bees can be
found in Carniola, but it has been explained
how they came there, that they have inter-
mixed with the yellow bees of Italy. The
point is right here. Carniolans are a dark
variety while Italians are yellow. To secure
bees from just inside the border of Italy,
bees that had received a dash of dark blood
from an adjoining country, then breed out
the yellow blood and sell the result as black
Italians, would be exactly in line with what
is being done with the Carniolans. That
the bees sold as " yellow Carniolans " are
good bees no one has expressed a doubt,
that their immediate ancestors came to this
country from Carniola may be equally true,
but to call them typical Carniolans would be
as absurd as to call an octroon a typical
African.
CLOSED-END FRAMES IN A TIGHT-FITTING HIVE.
Ernest Root, in Gleanings for July 1.5,
contends that the deeper are close fitting
frames the greater is the difficulty of man-
ipulating them in a tight fitting case, a la
Heddon. He says that deep frames catch
and draw out by "hitches" as in the case
with a bureau drawer if it fits snugly and is
not pulled out perfectly straight. I am in-
clined to agree with Ernest in this matter;
not so, however, when he says that the right
amount of " play " or space cannot be main-
tained between the ends of the frames and
the outside case on account of the effects of
moisture. Lumber does not swell endwise,
and by halving together the corners of a hive
in such a manner that the inside of the end
pieces comes against a shoulder cut in the
ends of the side pieces, the hive can never
be any smaller inside in the direction of its
length, no matter hotv much the lumV)er
swells. Now for the frames. Their top and
bottom bars extend their extreme length and
can never be any longer from swelling. The
ends of the top and bottom bars fit into
notches cut into the ends of the end bars, or
uprights, and are nailed fast, the nails being
driven within ^g of the end of the top or
bottom bars. The end l)ars are V thick and
perfectly free to swell in either direction
from where they are fastened by nailing. In
other words, they can and do swell both
ways from the nailing. Outside of the nail-
ing, at each end, is % of wood that can swell
in such a manner as to lessen the distance
between the ends of the frames and the out-
side case. This is all the wood there is
about the ivhole hive that can swell in such
a manner as to lessen this space. V inch of
ordinary pine wood will never swell until it
is more than r)-l(> thick, while ^s play can be
allowed if necessary.
My Heddon hives and frames are made
exactly as I describe them. When I put
them in the cellar in the fall I always loosen
up the screws as I well know that the end
bars will swell crosswise of the hive. Ordi-
dinarily the screws press the frames back
about r^-lG from the sides of the hive.
When taken from the cellar the end bars
have sometimes swelled so much in some
hives that this r)-l(> space is entirely closed up;
but between the ends of the frames and the
ends of the outside case there is ample space
to allow the manipulation of the frames. I
allow only I-IG " play " yet the blade of an
ordinary case knife might be easily thrust
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
213
dowu between the cuds of the frames and
the ends of the case in the most swelled set
of frames I ever saw. If hives and frames
were made as I have described, and '>, play
allowed, they mifjht be sunk in the millpond
a week without the frames being swelled
against the ends of the case — it couldn't be
done.
DISPLAYING ADYKKTISEMENTS.
Dr. Miller, in his " Stray Straws," says:
" Hutcliinson sits up nights studying how to
make his advertisements look nice." Doc-
tor, you guessed pretty near the truth that
time. I do sometimes wake up in the night
and study over the matter of arranging the
display of some advertisf ment the •' make
up " of which is not entirely to my liking.
I know every style of type in my cases as
well as a mother knows the faces of her chil-
dren : and, after studyiuy over an advertise-
ment the night before, I often step up to the
cases and set it up exactly as it was i^revi-
ously planned in the night.
As a rule the work of displaying adver-
tisements falls to the compositor, but some
advertisers indicate the style of display that
is desired. No one can take as much inter-
est in an advertisement as can the man who
pays for the space it occupies, and with a
knowledge of the rules governing the dis-
playing of advertisements many an adver-
tiser might at least word his advertisements
in such a manner that they could be most
effectively displayed.
In displaying an advertisement, its cen-
tral thought, its leading feature, should be
given the most prominence. What is it that
is offered for sale '? Is it queens ? Then
" queens " is the word for the most promi-
nent display. The khal of queens comes
next. Then the price, who has them, etc.
If everybody is offering queens, then the
kind of queens might \<& made the most
prominent. If the breeder is a prominent
bee keei)er, then his own name might be
made the most prominent. What applies to
queens applies to other offerings.
There is no necessity for the amount of
display that many imagine there is. A sin-
gle line or even a word, something of a
" catchy " character that will attract atten-
tion is enough, then let the rest of the ad-
vertisement be so well worded that, if the
reader has any interest in the subject, he
will read it through. The idea that the
throwing into an advertisement of a whole
lot of display lines of different styles of
type is the making of a handsome and effect-
ive advertisement is wholly erroneous. In-
stead of trying to see how many different
styles of type can be worked into an adver-
tisement, strive to use as few as possible.
If the compositor has a series of varying
sizes of the same style of type he can often
display an advertisement handsomely with
only this one style of display type. If dif-
ferent styles of type are used, let them be such
as harmonize. The selection of neat and
tasty wearing apparel and the displaying of
advertisements are somewhat akin. No
lady with an eye for beauty ever dresses in
discordant colors. Her dress, her gloves,
her bonnet, her ribbons are of the same color
or shades of the same color — at least, they
harmonize. It should be the same in ijutting
together type in forming an advertisement.
This matter of harmony should be carried
even into the making up of the advertising
pages. The cuts and heavy, displayed mat-
ter should not be "bunched " in one part of
the page, but scattered or so arranged that
the page will appear balanced. In making
up the forms it is also well to notice which
pages will appear best when placed opposite.
How beautiful is beautiful printing, but,
as some one has said, " to raise beautiful
roses one must first have beautiful roses in
the heart." It's the same with — anything.
HANDLING HIVES INSTEAD OF FKAMES.
To choose the best topic for discussion is
no easy task. Of course it is well to have a
seasonable topic, but, sometimes, the dis-
cussion of one topic bring up another ; as
the discussion of bee escapes brought up
that of house apiaries. Some little happen-
ing, some expressive expression, somebody's
toes trodden upon, and the tongues and pens
are wagging. Everybody is interested and
the time is ripe for a discussion. When a
topic is uppermost, then is the time for the
Review to make it the subject of special
discussion. Never has there been such a
disposition, as at present, to take " short
cuts across apicultural fields." This is the
subject in which bee keepers seem* the most
interested at present, and the one particular
"short cut" that seems ready for a more
thorough investigation, is that of " Hand-
ling Hives Instead of Frames."
Movable frames were needed, are needed
yet, but not for the purpose they once were
214
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
needed. They were needed that the myste-
ries of the hive might be 1 id jare, and they
are needed yet that beginners may observe
tliese mysteries, but how seldom are they
needed in the brood nest in an apiary man-
aged for honey by an experienced' apiarist.
If a colony needs feeding it is a great con-
venience to be able to give it a comb of
honey ; aside from this it is possible with
suitable hives to perform nearly every need-
ed manipulation without handling a frame.
I well remember how I handled frames
the lirst year I kept bees. To one who lias
been an enthusiastic beginner it would be a
waste of words to tell all that I saw— I act-
ually became acciuainted with each comb in
my eight hives. As I soon drifted into queen
rearing, the handling of frames was contin-
ued, but when the production of comb
honey began to engross my attention the
handling of frames was largely dropped.
Later, when the Heddon hive allowed me to
practice contraction of the brood nest with-
out handling frames, my handling of frames
in comb honey production was practically
over. I presume that in two-thirds of my
hives, not a frame has been taken out the
past three or four years. There has been no
necessity for it. In the production of ex-
tracted honey, surplus combs must be han-
dled, but, thanks to the bee escape, there is
no longer any necessity for handling them
singly when freeing them from bees.
In the spring, a lifting of the hive, togeth-
er with a peep down between the tops of
the combs, driving the bees out of the way
with smoke, will usually show if the bees
have sufficient stores. By driving the l^ees
down with smoke the operator can also see
if the colony is the possessor of a queen —
the sealed brood disclosing the fact. If
possessed of a queen and plenty honey a
colony needs no internal manipulation in
early spring. There is no doubt that, when
rightly managed, more brood i)er comb may
be secured by what is termed " spreading the
brood " just before the opening of the clo-
ver honey harvest ; but to do this by frame-
manipulation is too slow, when by simply
transposing the sections of a horizontally
divisible brood chamber hive, the brood
nest may be turned " inside out." Just stop
and think a moment. Here is the brood nest
in the shape of a big round ball. Now slice
it in two horizontally and put the lower sec-
tion at the top, the upper at tlie bottom.
Don't you see that the outside or spherical
parts of the brood nest are brougiit together
in the center of the hive, while the broad,
flat surfaces are thrown to the outside — at
the top and bottom ? In their endeavor to
again bring their brood nest into the spheri-
cal form, the bees fill with brood the brood-
less comb that was brought into center. If
this transposition is performed at the right
time so that all the combs will be full of
brood just as the main harvest comes on, it
is a great big advantage, and it can be se-
cured without handling a frame.
In hiving swarms, this same kind of hive
(divisible brood chamber) enables the apia-
rist to contract the brood nest without han-
dling a frame. The different methods of
preventing increase, allowing a moderate
increase, or securing abundant increase,
without the handling of a frame, have been
so recently given in these columns that it is
not necessary to repeat them.
To find queens it is not necessary to handle
frames. With a little practice with the
Heddon hive queens can be shaken out and
found at the rate of one in three minutes ;
or they may be found just under a queen
excluder as has been several times described
by R. L. Taylor. Queens can be introduced
without handling frames. Simply lay the
cage over the frames, or press it up between
the combs from below and allow the bees to
release the queen by eating candy out of the
entrance. I have often introduced queens
in this manner.
Weak stocks in hives with shallow combs
may be united in the fall by simply setting
one over the other — no handling of frames.
Again I say, why handle frames ? Why
cling to those hives, fixtures and methods
that compel the handling of frames ? Care-
fully, thoughtfully, honestly give the rea-
sons and allow them to be published in the
September Rkview.
Hiving Bees in a House Apiary: Its Ad-
vantages When Escapes Are Used.
In 188;) Mr. .1. A. Golden, of Reinersville,
Ohio, contributed the following article to
Gleanmgs:
" Friend Root: — I enclose you a picture of
my plan of keeping bees, also how I hive
them. If you look at the further house, and
at the lower right-hand bee-entrance, you
will observe what we call a feed-board. On
each side there is a wire hook that fastens
into two small staples placed in the alight-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
215
iiig-board at tlie proper iilaces, the staudard
l)eiuy hiuyed to the uiuler side of the feed-
board, witli a uail drove into the h)wer end,
tiled sharp, aud, when swung against tlie
house, will hold the board very rigid. It is
one of the handiest tools one can have about
a liouse-apiary for hiving l)ees. 1 use the
wire basket that shuts autouuitically when
the bees drop into tlie basket, sliould the
bees cluster on a tree: but I usually catch tlie
queen when she comes out, and place her in
a trap, and hang the trap on a pole or tree,
as you will observe in the picture. The bees
will soon cluster, aud may be shook on the
feed-board, the queen liberated aud hived
without the least trouble. The small dark
spots above the entrance are two-inch auger-
holes with funnel-shaped wire-cloth bee-es-
capes. A three-inch sj)ace between the hive
and weather-board is packed solid with saw-
dust, answering the same purpose as the
chaff hive. During the winter I till the
porticos with straw, having an air-chamber
on the inside of the house to the hive, cover-
ed with wiie-cloth, that affords abundance
of air for the bees. I' also have a three-inch
tiling, (K) feet in length, passing about six
feet under the ground, and conducted thence
up through the floor of the house, having a
small ventilator at the roof; and on a cold
day one would be surprised to see how mild
tlio air seems to be, passing from the ground.
My floors are carpeted, and no jarring is
noticeable when one desires to examine the
htees."
In the last issue of (UfanimjH he has the
following:
" Permit me to say a word from my ex-
perience with the Reese bee-escape placed in
the bee-liouse, as you will observe by refer-
ring to page 990, 1H89. After reading E. K.'s
short experience in this line on page r>(Jl
(IWtl) I am not surprised at the facts he has
given. I have often wondered why it was
that persons abandoned the house-apiary.
Well, since reading K. H.'s article I presume
there was good reason: and as I have always
used the escape, and never had any incon-
veniences from the bees in the house outside
of the hive, it ought to be a good reason why
I thus pondered over the problem.
I have frequently seen articles condemn-
ing house-apiaries, and I frequently thought
of writing you for the reas(m: but, thanks to
E. R. for the explanation. I want to say
that anyone having a house-apiary can, by
putting in a two-inch hole, with the cone
bee-escape just over eacli hive, henceforth
continue to call l)lessings down ui)on the in-
ventor of that most valuable gift, the bee-
escape, to the bee-fraternity.
In rny article on i)age 990 I did not say
anything about inside manipulation. I have
an abundance of light from a revolving win-
dow in the south end, sufficient to catch a
(pieen, see eggs, or for any work: also blind-
ed when not at work. Of course, I use a
spring blind. To be handy, the ventilator,
or escape, above, carries the smoke away at
the roof: and the cone escape— why, it's just
grand. Put them on over a three or four
inch rim, and the crate on the top in the
evening, and in the morning no bees, or
scarcely any, are found in the crate. If any,
they are ([uite young. Yes, the escape works
tiptop in the house, and I want to predict
the most pleasant manipulation of bees you
have ever enjoyed in your life. If you thus
arrange your house-apiary, however, you
must not forget to have plenty of light while
manipulating or looking ft)r queens and
eggs. The spring-blind is the handiest, and
most convenient in working the house-
apiary. I use so little smoke one would
hardly perceive it, aud the ventilator draws
it away when you are not using the smoker.
One thus working with the house-apiary
does not or can not know what robber bees
are to a certainty— at least, that is my ex-
perience."
A 14-Hive House Apiary.
In his contribution to this number Mr.
Oliver Foster mentions the house apiary
that he described years ago in (Ueatnngs.
Here are the article and illustrations to which
he refers:
"Here is a sketch of the house apiary I
promised to describe. It is TjxIO, and 7 ft.
high : 4 feet at sides. The roof is of inch
boards, matched to turn water. They are
nailed at top to a '>\\ scantling,which passes
under the ridge the full length, and at the
lower side to a similar piece shown at A.
These are supported in tlie middle by posts,
B B. Between these posts are hung trap
doors which open out as shown at C.
There are seven two-story hives on each
side, with a space of two feet between the
rows. The frame used in this apiary is
9;;4xl2V4 inches. The inside walls of hives
are of half -inch stuff. The stven hives of
each row are all built together in one box 9
216
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
ft. long, and wide and high enough in lower
story to take the frame crosswise. The par-
titions between the brood nests are half-inch
board, and 1.') in. from center to center. The
top stories are built to take the frame across
the other way. and are 'JO inches lony, which
makes it easy to remove lower frames. The
spaces at sides and ends, and below each
row of hives, are tilled with chaff. Chaff
cushions are used in top story in winter.
The entrances pass out from under the
brood-nests something like this:
The portico on Nos. 3 and .5 prevents bees
mixing. As I said, this house is a success
summer and winter. I would rather handle
bees in it any time than elsewhere. When
it is warm, and I want to work in the "open
air" with a nice shade overhead, I just open
all the doors. When robbers are trouble-
some, I open one door in front of the hive I
am working, and all the bees that take wing
fly out. In extracting, bees can be skaken
into top story or in front of entrance. When
I said that I intended to adopt this prin-
ciple unanimously, I meant that I would
place the colonies close enough together in
winter to keep each other warm. But I re-
serve this subject for another time.
Oliver Foster."
Bro. Hill's Beview of Advanced Bee Cul-
ture.
Last month I gave a short extract from
the review of " Advanced Bee Culture " as
Bro. Hill, of the C/wft/f, is giving it to his
readers. This extract was given to show that
the work was not being fairly done. I will
now give the article entire and then take up
the task of i-eplying to Bro. Hill upon those
points where we differ.
" We have received a copj'of the new book
with the above title written by W. Z. Hutch-
inson. It contains 100 pages the size of the
Guide. Price r)Oc., paper cover. It is got-
ten up in the finest 8tyle,and the typographi-
cal features are an honor to our profession.
The title has a tendency to lead the pur-
chaser to expect something new and superior
to any other book published. We fear that
friend Hutchinson has undertaken more in
giving out this impression than he
can fulfil. The first topic in the new
book is " Care of Bees in Winter."
We have reviewed it carefully and fail to
find anything in it either advanced or new
and the good things practical and sensible
are entirely omitted. The subject is nicely
treated from a literary or rhetorical point of
view, but is of no practical value as an in-
structor for bee-keepers because it lacks de-
tail and system. A greater part of the article
is made up of how to do things wrong in-
stead of telling how to feed and prepare bees
for winter at the propei time. He takes so
much space telling how to do the work out of
season in a disagreeable, impractical way,
and at times is apt to leave the impression
with the reader that neglected bees can be
just as well cared for in January as in Sep-
tember and October. It looks to us as if a
book calculated to teach advanced bee-cul-
ture should tell how and when to do the
work, and not devote two-thirds of its space
telling how to patch up old sores causediby
neglect of slow, afternoon bee-keepers.
To give directions for opening hives in a
cellar or on summer stands during cold
weather, for the purpose of robbing one hive
to help another is not even advanced or
sensible. Considerable space is used in tell-
ing how to feed candy to bees during cold
weather. This is not new or advanced, be-
cause A. I. Root fifteen years ago boomed
the candy feeding, enthusing bee-keepers
to use it until he had large sales of it at a
profit to himself and at a loss to his custom-
ers. About the most amusing thing we have
heard was of a bee-keepers' wife figuring up
the Root candy bill, with the ridiculous
losses of colonies and failures of surplus her
husband had sustained.
Advanced practical bee-keepers now a-
days feed during October granulated sugar
syrup, mixed with honey, warm, and in good
bee feeders. This food is stored in the
combs around and above the cluster con-
venient for the bees in the natural way. The
idea of a man's writing up advanced bee cul-
ture and tell about robbing and spoiling a
good colony to fix up a poor one, and then
daubing around with candy, carpet rags, etc.,
all wiutei', is, to say the least, bad taste.
One-fifth of the article is devoted to killing
mice, making this one of the most im-
portant features in wintering bees. He gives
the temperature at which the cellar should
be kept but does not say anything about
what the results or effects would be if such a
temperature is not maintained. He says
nothing about a stove in the cellar fired
with hard coal to keep up the tempefature
and to ventilate. He says nothing about an
ice box the full height of the cellar with a
door to put in the ice and a ventilation at
bottom and top. The box should have heavy
ribs nailed perpendicularly inside to keep
the ice away from the sides so that the air
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
217
will pass up around the ice, causiuK a cir-
culation, both cooliiiij and drying the air.
Botli of the al)ovo are rather new. scitmtific,
advanced, practicable and profitable. These
are crowded out to make room for mice,
candy business, bees crawling up trousers
legs, sleeves, down his collar and under his
coat, giving the reader the impression that
to care for bees in winter is equal to chal-
lenging Kilrain for a jiri/.t' fight.
The next subject, 'Securing AVorkers for the
Harvest,' will be reviewed in the August
fi«ii/('."
The naming of a book is a task requir-
ing much care and consideration. "Ad-
vanced Bee Cultuie " was not chosen lightly
nor iiastily. For a week or more the matter
was in my mind a large share of the time;
even causing me to lie awake nights and
study over the matter. The titles that were
considered, revised and changed about be-
fore the one chosen was fixed upon, were not
a few. If others, like Bro. Hill, have been
led to believe that all the book contains is
new, I hasten to dispel the illusion. I have
attempted to describe the methods and im-
plements that are thought to be best by the
most advanced bee-keepers. Or, to be very
exact, those that / consider the most ad-
vanced. Some of these implements and the
best way of managing them may have been
in use several years, but that does not pre-
vent them from being the most advanced.
Bro. Hill speaks of " robbing one hive to
help another," of "spoilinga good colony to
fix up a poor one." I can best answer this
by quoting exactly what I said upon this
point in "Advanced Bee Culture." Here is
what I said:
"Probably the best method of feeding
bees in winter is to give them a frame of
honey. Perhaps all the honey is in the hives,
what shall be done with them? It is well
known that all colonies do not consume the
same amount of stores. The variation is
very gre t, and by examining all of the
colonies, or a large number of them, the
bee-keeper can usually find com js of honey
that may be spared to furnish needy colonies
with stores."
If Bro. Hill would allow good colonies to
starve in winter rather than feed them, I can
only say I would not. 1 know he will say
that he would have fed them the previous
autumn. Yes, so would I, but if, by some
hook or crook, bees were found short of
stores, perhaps starving, in winter, what
would you do Bro. Hill':' As I have said in
the new book, it is no unusual thing to find
some colonies that have consumed less stores
than others, and by carefully removing the
cover and working with care an outside
comli of honey can be removed without
greatly disturbing the bees. By removing
one comb from a needy colony and spread-
ing the others apart the comb of honey can
be given. I am aware that such work is un-
pleasant, but it is better tiian allowing
very many colonics to perish of starvation.
If Bro. Hill thinks otherwise, let him give
his reasons and I shall be glad to publish
them. If the bees nmst be fed in winter
and none of the colonies have any honey to
spare, does he know of any Ijetter or more
" advanced " plan than the feeding of candy V
If he does, let him give it.
Again I am taken to task because I used
so much space in telling how to guard
against the depredations of mice. Let
those who think this matter unimportant,
read the following extract from an editorial
that lately appeared in the C. B. J.
" When we went to set out the bees this
spring, we noticed that all the bees on the
floor appeared to be chopped up or cut in
two and noticed the mice scampering away.
The first hives we commenced to lift ofif the
shelves convinced us that something was
wrong and we ventured the statement that
half of the bees were destroyed. Our sur-
mises were correct as examination proved
there was scarcely a hive in the bee house
that had not from one to five mice in it. We
carried oufr one hive into the yard and stood
around it with sticks and as they came out,
killed twenty-nine mice. We did not kill any
bees in that hive as the mice had taken the
contract and finished it. Two-thirds of the
bees in the bee house were similary treated,
and those living were very much injured.
We used to think that mice did not touch
live bees or kill them, we are now convinced
that they do. We noticed on the bottom
boards of most of the hives, bees bit in two
at the thorax, not one, but many, life still
being in them. Their feet were moving
showing clearly that they had been very
recently destroyed."
It is true that I said nothing about a coal
stove in a bee cellar, or about an ice box ar-
ranged as Bro. Hill describes, but here is
what I did say, yet no one would ever have
dreamed it from reading Bro. Hill's review.
" Quite a number have reported excellent
results by warming up the bee repository to
summer heat, say once a week or ten days,
if the bees become uneasy towards spring.
This enables the bees to throw off any sur-
plus moisture, and, as the temperature goes
down, they quiet down and remain so for
several days, when they may be warmed up
again. So long as the bees remain quiet, I
should not disturb them by artificial heat.
If the cellar becomes too ivarni iu the spring,
befor it is time to remove the bees, it may be
cooled down by carrying in snow or ice or
the windows or doors may be opened at
night and closed in the morning."
218
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Handling Hives Instead of Frames.
In Gleaninqs, for July If), in a (luite lengthy
article upon the above topic, by C. J. H.
Gravenhorst, of Germany. I have read it
over twice with a view to cutting it down,
but considering the importance of the sub-
ject and the manner in which it is liaudled,
I liud that it cannot be satisfactorily con-
densed, so 1 give it entire:
" Friend Root:— I was much delighted in
reading UleanuKjs for May 1, p, ;»«, where 1
found a letter from Mr. A. 1^\ Brown, and
your foot-note to it. Yes, you and Mr. B.
liave undoubtedly int the point exactly and
never I think, was a word truer than yours:
'Sooner or later bee-keeping lias got to re-
solve itself into the liandling of liives more
and frames less.' You say furtlier: 'It may
be truthfully said, that old bee-keepers do
not spend the time they once did over their
bees; and we think it is e.qually true, that,
as our industry progresses, bee-keepers as a
class to-day, or in the near future, will not
spend the time over their bees they did a few
years ago; in other words, they will get a
thousand pounds of honey witli less labor.'
Now, friend K., let me tell you why I re-
joice over your words. First, tliose words
came from one whose name is known to bee-
keepers all over the world; and because you
fully know, I believe, what you are speaking
of as an authority in bee-matters. Second,
because I have fought for that principle to
whicli you give expression in those words,
nearly as long as i have kept bees in mov-
able-coml> hives. Descended from a family
which was in the bee-business for genera-
tions, 1 kept bees at tirst just as did my fore-
fathers in the old Luneburgian straw skeps;
and, I may say, with no less success than
they. Our crop from 0 to «0 lbs. of wax
—a yield that is to this day not uncommon
among our old-fashioned bee-keepers in
Nortli Germany, especially in the province
of Hannover: and, what is the main thing,
tliey get it at less cost of labor and time than
the bee-keepers do to-day with their mov-
al)le-comb liives.
At the time I became well acquainted with
Dzierzon's writings and witii Inmself, I got
some Dzierzon and Berlepsch liives, and
kept bees in them by way of trial. But 1
found out sometliing l)y this new method
tliat did not satisfy me in contrast with the
old one. In the course of several years I
always got more honey and wax in the old-
fashioned way, vnth my old Luneburgian
straw skeps than with my accurately con-
structed and skillfully handled Dzierzon and
Berlepsch hives; and last, but not least, with
undoubtedly less cost, labor and time. What
was the reason? Not taking into the account
that the bees did not do as well in the win-
ter, nor thrive early in the spring in this
frame hive, experience soon convinced me
that the principle point was, that I could
handle my old skeps instead of individual
frames, and get a thousand pounds of honey
with less labor. Of course, my experience
would have prompted me to have abandoned
the movable-comb hive totally had I been
blind enough to misunderstand the great ad-
vantages of the latter. What was to be done
under such circumstances, not to fall out of
the frying-pan into the fire? All things con-
sidered, 1 thought: How would it be if you
combine the great advantages of the Lune-
burgian straw skep with the superiority of
the movable-comb hiveV This idea was
strengthened by Dzierzon and Berlepsch.
Both of them wrote at that time in their
works as well as in the Bienenzeitnnij (Bee
Journal), that, if it were possible to furnish
the Luneburgian straw skeps with suitable
frames, there would be no better hive than
such a one, in regard to wintering bees, rapid
increase in the population of colonies in the
spring, and, not least, ease in manipulation;
but the cylindrical shape and the arched top
of the old hive would not permit this. All
right, I thought; but, why not alter the shape
and enlarge the hive to a moderate movable-
comb hive? The result of my endeavor was
the construction of a hive of which you will
find some pictures in Dadant's Revised
Langstroth. It is this: The old Lunebur-
gian skep with the arched top, only larger,
and not in the shape of a cylinder; but by
means of this it is furnished with 10 mov-
able fixed frames, nearly as large as the
Laugstrotii frames. Although Dzierzon,
Berlei)sch and other prominent bee-keepers
in Germany acknowledge the great value of
this hive, it is adoi)ted, with few exceptions,
only by such bee-keepers as have kept bees
in the old straw skeps, and therefore they
know by experience the great advantages in
handling bees V)y turning the hive over and
manipulating the whole hire. On the other
hand, this hive has met more vehement op-
position than all others. But this is easy to
underst ami. He who has never handled bees
in the Luneburgian straw skeps, especially
in the rational way, like the bee-keepers of
North Germany, can not have the slightest
idea of the advantages bees may be handled
with in such hives.
The greatest objection to this hive has
been the inverson, or turning over, before
one can manage the bees. But by doing it
in the right way it is not a bit more trouble-
some than to take off a well-filled super from
a Dadant hive. If you have those skeps
standing on the ground (as is always the
case in America), you do not have to lift the
whole hive— only to turn it toward you. Let
it first rest on the front edge, then on the
front side, and at last on top.
Now, 1 don't intend to urge any of my
brother bee-keepers in America to accept
fliis moval)le straw hive— no, not in the
least. Their honey-market and other cir-
cumstances are different from those in Ger-
many in more than one respect; and, besides
that," I am fully aware that the hive used in
America is tlie most suitable one for the
wants of the Americanbee-keepors. But as
there is nothing perfect in tliis world of
trouble, and progress must take place every-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
219
where, I am conviiicid that very decided
prof:cress will be put forward iu that liue
which has heou pointed out l)y you, friend
Koot, and by Mr. Hrowu — IkiiiiIUiiij hires
tiiorc, itislcdil i>f frtditfs. How is this to be
done iu the most suitable way, in your
country, will, no doubt, l)e shown by Ameri-
can bee-kei'pers witlK)ut any assistaiu^e from
other countries. -lames I leddou has already
taken a yreat stei) forward; and other steps
of importance, to further your idea are, 1
think, the accession of the fixed Hoflinan
frames and the movable bottom -board.
After these preliminary words, let me ex-
l)lain what you, friend Root, and Mr. Brown
have advanced a most valuable idea iu the
bue-keepiuy; world by advocatinj,' the hand-
ling: of hives instead of frames. You will
allow me to describe this by rcferriny to the
hive, as I lay great stress tiiereon. Ameri-
can bee-keepers do not think ill of my hive;
but 1 wish to convince them that it is not the
production of the writing table, luit the fruit
of careful experience, and such a one as has
heli)ed me to raise a crop of honey not sur-
passed by any other bee-keeper iu Germany,
unless l>y one of my disci i)le8.
The handling of the hive, and not touch-
iug of auy of the frames, can be accom-
polished if the colonies are in a normal condi-
tion, as the colony will l)e if the bee-keeper
did his duty at the close of the [)revious
season, and the wintering was good. Of
course, there will he exceptions to the rule;
but of such I shall speak by and by. As for
these colonies, the movable comb aud hand-
ling of frames is of the greatest benefit. I
handle hives: 1. After the first cleansing
flight in the spring. I do not have to re-
move any warming materials, quilts, nor to
open a door, as is necessery with side open-
ing hives. I simply turn my hive over, in
the way before mentioued. This gives a
most complete view of the interior of the
hive, not limited by wide top-bars aud thick
houey-combs, or one single comb, as is the
case with Germau hives. I see how many
spaces between the combs are filled with
bees, aud how large»the colony is. No one
will deny that an exact knowledge of this is
of great importance every time. If the bees
come up briskly from a compact cluster be-
low, then I take it for granted the colony is
not iiueeuless. Should the bees not sit in a
compact cluster, but more scattered l)ctween
and on the comlis, then the colony is most
probably queeuless. A few puffs from the
smoker will drive the bees dowu. I now let
the bright daylight in, aud see whether there
is brood in the coml> or not; aud then should
I not see what I wish to, I push aside two
combs from those in the middle of the clus-
ter, aud take them out of the hive to look
after the ijueeu or eggs. Iu the same way I
find out how it is with tlie provisions, pro-
viding lifting the hive and weighing it in my
hands has not told me what I wish to know.
Finding all is riglit, as a good normal colony
always will be, the whole task is done with-
out handling any frames. In less than a
minute the hive stands again in its old posi-
tion— no replacing of ii quilt or warming
materials, nor a window: no loss of heat from
the brood-ne&t, no tearing up of the nicely
glued cover to cause a draft of air from the
entrance througli tile cluster of the l»eesto
the top of the hive. If not prevented by loss
of time, there is no disturbing the bees by
handling frames. To let the bees aloue
until a time of mild weatlier would be
judicious. The sooner I know the wants of
a colony, the sooner 1 can help. I do not
need more than three hours on the day fol-
lowing a cleansing flight, to know tlie
minute conditions of hundreds aud more of
my colonies; besides having swept with a
brush the dead bodies and the cappings of
the honey-cells from the floor-board, saving
more than four pounds of wax from a hun-
dred colonies in this way. All colonies that
need my further attention (and these are
always a considerable part) get oue, two,
or three sticks on the front side, according
as the brood-chamber is to be contracted,
(lueeulessuess is suspected, or stores are sup-
plied. In these colonies, as exceptions to
the rule, I do not avoid handling the frames;
on the contrary, in such cases it is a benefit
to help them by means of the movalile
combs.
I handle only the hives, to know whether a
colony is on the swarming point, or fit to
swarm artificially. No oue will deny that it
is of great importance to kuow this. I sim-
ply turn the hive over, give a few whiffs of
smoke; and now, as the true workiugplace
of the colony lies open before me, I see
whether (pieen-cells are started, whether
there are eggs iu them or larv;e, or on the
poiut of being cai)ped over, or have reached
maturity.
All my hives have a space of from two to
three inches beneath the small bottom-bars
of the frames, as such a space secures a
good wintering, and shows me whether a
colony is ripe for artificial swarming, or
whether I have to extract honey. As soon
as I see, by simply turning over, that the
bees begin to start combs beneath the bot-
tom bars, I know for certainty that tlie col-
ony is ripe for artificial swarming, or that I
have to take out some capped houey-frames,
and insert other full combs to be again
filled with honey. You see, friend K., the
chief point iu most cases is to learn the true
condition of the colonies, without handling
frames, covers, quilts, doors, etc.
TO CONTROL COMB- BUILDING SWAKMS.
AVhether I have given only starters or full
foundation, I must always strive to secure
perfect combs. Without such combs, the
movable-comb hive is nonsense, and more
objectionable than an old skep or box hive.
All my thousands of combs iu frames are
perfect — not crooked iu any way, nor do they
show any drone-cells where I did not allow
them to be built. Therefore I have no more
drones in my hives than I wish. A drone-
trap is for me a useless thing, and not to be
seen in my apiary.
To avoid faulty combs, one must have the
easiest control of the comb- building swarms;
and that is to be accompolished in the most
complete way by turning tlie hive over. And
then oue has a view of the actual workhouse
of the bees. Here is performed comb-build-
ing; and there is to be seen the busy life of
220
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
the colony: here are hanging the wax-secret-
ing and comb-building bees. A little smoke,
and one sees the new combs built on the
starters, or the finishing of the foundation.
In most cases I remove the beginnings of
drone-combs, and also regulate crooked
combs by a so-called drone-knife — a hooked
knife with a long handle. Of course, in
some cases the drone-knife will not do all
that is to be done to secure perfect combs;
but then, one may handle one or two
frames to do the rest. If I had before me a
normal colony, or such a one as has worked
according to my wishes, I need not handle a
single frame. An inversion of the hive, a
few pufifs of smoke, a peep at the combs, an
inversion of the hive to its normal position,
and the work is done in less than a minute.
Now, friend Eoot, I could point out to you
far more advantages in handling hives in-
stead of handling frames; but it may he
enough to show of what great importance
your and Mr. Brown's suggestions are for
the advancement of bee-keeping. As I have
said before, I am of the opinion that Ameri-
can bee-keepers will themselves soon iiud
out in what way this is to he carried out
with their unsurpassed Langstroth hive: and
I should be very glad to learn from them
how they in future handle their hives instead
of frames. C. J. H. Gravenhokst."
WiLSNACK, Germany.
To the above Mr. Root replies as follows:
" [Friend G., we are obliged to you for
your very kind and very valuable informa-
tion. It were no more than fair, however, to
say, especially as Ernest is at present absent,
that to him belongs the credit of the quota-
tion you make. Notwithstanding, however,
I emphatically endorse what he says. The
glimpse you give us of the way in which ^ ou
manipulate your hives is to me very interest
ing indeed, and I can understand now, as I
never did before, why it is that you prefer
such an arrangement. You have got accus-
tomed to it, and the whole process is, as it
were, at your fingers' ends: and then we
must admit, as you explain it to us, that
there are some very important advantages
indeed in handling bees without uncovering
the brood-nest at all. In fact, I remember
many instances where positive damage has
been done by some awkard manipulator in
tearing open the top of the brcjod-nest dur-
ing cool weather, and then leaving it only
partially closed up again after he went away.
Nay, further, I have seen colonies get the
' spring dwindling ' and actually die out-
right (in my opinion), simply by this kind
of unseasonable and unreasonable tinkering.
If we don't use the same kind of hives, friend
G., it is comforting to know that we agree
on general iirinciples in the jiroduction of
honej'. i"
Upon another i)age Mr. Root has the fol-
lowing:
" We would call especial attention to a
valuable article on handling liives instead of
frames, from the pen of that veteran bee-
keeper, C'. J. H. (xravenhorst, editor of the
lllnstrated Hiexor.dhnitj, a (iernian bee-
paper of no ordinary standing. This is a
vital subject, and we are glad Mr. Graven-
horst has given his experience along this
line. Close competition and poor honey-
seasons, such as we have had, mean that we
must produce a ton of honey with less labor,
and that is, handling hives instead of frames.
Mr. .James Heddon deserves no little credit
for advancing this idea of late: but he is by
no means the pioneer in it. Since we have
been handling fixed frames we have seen the
possibilities in handling hives, and the time
is fast approaching among jyrogressive (not
conversative) bee-keepers when they will
find queens, ascertain the amount of stores,
aud diagnose a colony in a dozen other
ways, w ith a tenth part of the labor. Old
fogies need not poohpooh ot this: if they
do, they will be left in the race on profits.
Let this subject be discussed. AVe have lots
of room for such articles."
I am glad to see that Mr. Graven horst and
Mr. Root are willing to give Mr. Heddon
credit in this matter of handling hives in-
stead of frames, but it seems to me that
they do not give him sufficient credit. I cer-
tainly believe him to be the pioneer in this
field. For a dozen years or more I have
been an attentive and careful reader of our
American bee keeping literature, having
read nearly every journal from the first
number up to the present time, and never
until Mr^ Heddon described his plan of pre-
venting after swarming did I get so much
as a hint of handling hives instead of frames.
Can Mr. Root point to anyone else who wrote
uijon the subject previous to that, or very
much since then, unless it is myself, (and I
got my idea of Mr. Heddon) until during
the last two or three years? Since then Mr.
Heddon has brought out his new hive and
system whereby this idea of handling hives
instead of frames may be carried to greater
perfection than ever before. If Mr. Heddon
is not the pioneer who is? Mr. Barnet Tay-
lor, of Forestville, Minn., who has been giv-
ing us such excellent articles of late showing
the wonderful things that cai' be accom-
plished by handling hives, may have been
the pioneer in this country and he may not,
but I believe it is conceded that the honor
rightfully belongs to the one who //;-.s^ /)((/»-
lislies the discovery. The one who makes a
discovery, then discovers the val}(c of the dis-
covery and imihes it known, is the one de-
serving of all honor. I presume our cousins
across the waters may have handled hives in-
stead of frames long before Mr. Heddon ad-
vo{!ated it, but was it not in this way?
'I'hcy, many of them, iiandled hives, straw
or box hives, years and years ago, and have
continued to handle them up to the present
TEE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
221
time. By a lucky accident, their system of
management and such hives were well
adapted to each other. But movable combs
were needed to enable us to learn the mys-
teries of the hive, having learned them,
frames are seldom needed; but the idea of
handling hives more and frames less, as the
matter is ooir understood in this country,
did not come to us from across the waters.
One word more. Years ago, when Glean-
i)}(fs was in its infancy, or cliild-hood I
guess it was, Mr. Heddon advocated box
hives in its columns, and thereby called
down upon his head the condemnation of
nearly the whole Gleain'tigs family (of bee-
keepers). I know of one old bee-keeper
who has frequently said to me: "I have
never taken much stock in Mr. Heddon
since he advocated box hives." I don't
know as Mr. Heddon ever publicly described
the particular style of box hive that he had
in mind, but he has several times told me
about it and it was to have been a shallow
hive and managed twartly as Mr. Graven-
horst says that he manages his. If Mr.
Heddon neglected to describe his peculiar
liox hive and its method of management —
well, ho must take the consequences,
that's all. But it is sonu'tinies convenient to
be able to handle frnnies, and Mr. Heddon
has given us a hive in which the frames can
be handled as well as in any hive, while for
handling hives instead of frames his hive is
the ne pli>s ultra.
If I am wrong in any of my conclusions I
hope to be corrected and will " own up like
a man."
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
AD VE RTISEMENTS
B
£E. KEEPERS! GUIDE. Revised,
enlarged, improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ousrht to have it. Price JL.TO.
A. J. COOK. Agricultural College, Mich.
Please mention the Reuiew.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
inps, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Hides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Please mention the Review.
Smoker burns hard wood chips without spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. Greatest
smoking capacity. Easiest to start. Cheapest
because it saves time. Price, $1.30. By mail,
$l.t(l. Per dozen, $10.80.
Best Bee - Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may be
given a colony at one time
which will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 30c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz., $1.60. Has a sale of
2,(X)0 per month. Address
A. G. HILL, Kendallville,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by ThosG. Newman & Son, Chicago, 111.; G. B.
Lewis & Co,, Watertown. Wis.; W. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Minn,; ('has. Dadant & Son, Hamilton,
Hancock Co., 111.; E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, Iowa;
H. McWilson & Co., 202 Market St.. St. Louis,
Mo.; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.; W. D. Soper &
Co., Jackson, 'Mich.; Chas. A. Stockbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A. F. Fields, Wheaton, Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. Quigley, tjnion-
ville. Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION.
A. E. MANUM, BRISTOL, VT.
HJkUJkH QU€€WS.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON
Honey I^nives,
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, SVi inch,
(^onqueror Smoker, .... 3 " ....
Large Smoker, 2'/2 " . . . ,
Extra Smoker, ....2 " ....
Plain Smoker, ....2 '' ....
Little Wonder Smoker, I'/i "
Biiiglia!ii & lletherington Knife, ....
$2.00
1.75
, 1.50
1.25
1.00
ti5
. 1.15
Upon receipt of i)ri('i'. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Drhcriptive Circular and Tes-
timonials sent upon a])plication.
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf. Abronia, Michigan
222
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Carniolan Queens.
FINEST IN THE LAND!
All reared from imported stock. Warinnted
purely mated, 75 cents each. Six for $-t.(Ki.
Tested queens, $1.00 each ; siz for f.'i.OO. tJ-Hl tf
J. A. ROE. Union City, Ind.
ITALIAN QUtENS AND SUPPLIES
FOPl- 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. v. H. liKOVVN,
l-88tf. Augusta, Geors:i»-
liOOK HEfJE.
Nice, white, V groove. Sections, $:5.00 per
1,000. l:i II). Shipping Cases, in the Hat, with
glass, $7.00 per 100; without, glass, fti 00.
Twenty page price list free.
J, r\. KiysziE,
ll-90-13t Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
The Bee WoMd.
A journal devoted'to collecting the latest api-
cultural news discoveries and inventions through
out the world, containing, as it were, the cream
of apiarian literature. Valuable alike to the am
ateur and veteran. If »you wish to keep posted,
you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe
now. If is a 30 page monthly at 50 cts a year.
Stamps taken in one and two cent denomination.
The Bee World is pulilished by
W. S. VANDRUFF,
Waynesburg, G reene < 'o.. Pa
i f\ f\ i Don't you want large, beautiful
/^ V II /^ queens, producing bees that will
I A ^ I just please you fully? Well, my
A. ^/ V X Italians are in the lead— so my
customers say. t>.50 t^ueens sold
and have In ard of only one mismated one.
Your orders will be appreciated and iiuickly
filled. Warranted (lueen, 75 cts.; ;{ for $2.00. A
beautiful, selected iireeder, $1..'')0.
3-81-6t W, H, LAWS, Lavaca, Ark.
Five Sanded
ITALIANS
Are the gentlest and handsomest bees in the
world. They are good workers and less inclined
to rob than are the three-banded Italians. The
(jueens are very prolific. My hre('ding queen,
that, together with her bees, took the FIRST
PREA\IU/A Ifiet fall at the Detroit Exposition,
filled a ten-frame simplicity hive with brood and
bees rliis spring l)y May 1st, and May 7th had
cells started for swarming.
1 can now fill orders for untested queens at
*I.II0 each ; six for $5.00; or $9.00. per dozen.
Tested queens, $2.(K) each. Selected, tested, $a.00
eacli. Breeding queens, \vh<^ll 1 have them to
spare, fti.OOeacli. Safe arrival guaranteed. Make
money orders payable at Flint, Mich.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3^-1-^t liogersville, (xenesee Co., Mich.
Please mention the Reoieiv.
PATENT, WKED, COMB FOUNDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
THIN, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Being the cleanest is usually worked
tlie (iiiickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN UKUSKN & SONS,
(sole manufactdrees),
3-iKUf sprout Brook,Mont.Co.,N.Y
Our CatEvIosiu^ of B^^-
5upplie5. S^nd for it.
Cootair?? 2vll you Meed.
Prices to suit the tirocj.
Your Success in Bee-Keeping depends
very much on tiie queens, hence yon see that
only the best queens are really cheap. We have
the best and want you to try them. As for
prices— well, you'll find theni reasonable
R. 5TR/VTTOW €r SOM,
4-91-li!t llazardville. Conn.
Have you heard that Oliver Hoover & Co. have built, at Riverside, Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the Fast, fully (^(juipiied with the latest, improved machinery P They are
now prepared to send out the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kinds of l)('e-k(>i'piTs' supplies always on hand. Tlieii' location will en-
able them to ship goods by direct linn to more points than any other man-
ufacturer, which will give the advantage of LoTxr Freight Rates and
(luick transjxirtaton. Send For free illustrated catalogue. 2 O'-tf
OLilVEf? HOO^EI^ & CO., FJivefside, Pa.
Please mention the Review^
TrIE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
223
Tbe J-Batpcled.
By careful breoding wo liavo secured a Ktraiii
of bees that are yellow all over. If you want
bees that will work on red clover, try one of our
yellow queens. Untested, in July, 7ii cts. ; one-
half dozen, 83.60. Tested, ??l.r>0; select, $2 00;
the very best, that will protlnoe 4 and 5 banded
bees, $4.00. De.scriptive circular free.
4 91 6t
LEINIMGER BROS.,
El. Jennings, Ohio.
VA^^j To con espond with
VJCX«.a.J. 4»^^^V-A. . ,^^^^^ rabbitge. Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE C'LICKENGEK,
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio,
[Reference: Editor REVIEW.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Gl.iss Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
I'erfection Col
M One untested queen, 7.5 ^l
^ Three " queens, $2.00 JZJ
^j One tested queen, I."i0 \J
(A Three " queens 4.00
2m Two - frame nucleus, with any queen, Qi
I $1.50 extra. Safe arrival and satisfac- Ml
I tion guaranteed. 6-91-'2t i-.
7, W. J. ELLISON, ni
lU CatcDMl, 5. C. V/J
Please mention the Review.
gEE SUPPLIES ^^^
■^"^ Everything used in the Apiary.
Greatest variety and largest stock in the West.
New catalogue, 54 illustrated i>aKC8. free to bee-
keepers. E. KRETCHMEK. Red Oak, Iowa.
DOYaDKIEPBEES
If BO, Bend your name and address for a EYe©
Sample of tbe AMEBZCAH BEE JOUBNAJb
Weekly— J2 pages— One Dollar a year.
C'TIITAGO. TIT.
-^ K S "T K XD
Q Q E^ E^ n S
$1.00.
1 am now receiving weekly shipments of young
laying, Italian queens from the South. These 1
will sell at 75 cts. each. If customers prefer, they
may have tested queens from my own apiary at
$1 .00 each ; I replacing them with the young
queens from the South. These tested queens that
I offer were all reared last season, and are tine
queens right in their prime. Can furnish a few
Carniolan queens at seventy-five cents each.
1.50 empty combs, in the New, Heddon frames,
at eight cents each. Also a Stanley automatic
extractor for sale or exchange for honey.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
lATanted at Once^
Your address, that I may send you my astonish-
ingly low prices on Hives, Frames,
Sections, Crates, etc. 4-yi-t)t
C. p. IliLtCOTT, aitiPa, Ioci4a.
Please mention the Review.
— Send for —
H^ddoo's Circulzirs
— OF —
Bee-HiV99 and all USEFUL supplies for the
apiary. JfKS. HEDDO/S,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Reuiew.
THE O^A^lsTJ^DI-A-N
Bee Journal,
Poultry Journal,
EDITED BY D. A. JONES. ED'TD BY V/.C.G. PETFR.
75 Cts. a Year.
75 cts. a Year.
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals one year to one address, $1.00
Until .June 1st flilV,- .Journal p i-ll.. IE ,im
we wiU send kWm trial trip for 0 lulflS AO ClSi
THE D. A. JONES CO., Ud, Bee ton, Out.
Please mention the Review.
224
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
ADVRflCED BEE-CUliTUt^E;
Its ]V[ethods and Management.
This book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is bound with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and their Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Contro" and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after which Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and " Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The influence of Food, Ven-
tilation, Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
versus Mixed Bee-Keeping, Comforts and
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc.,. etc. — 32 chapters in all.
PI^ICE of the Book
Stamps taken, eithep
SO ets. The t^HVlEW and the book foP $1.25.
OP Canadian.
Z. H^TCHlNSOl^, Flint, JWich.
Dadants' Gomb Foundation.
Half a Million Poniite Sold In Tlilrteen Years. Over $200,000 in Value.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year,
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FRFE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 I Iiangstt'oth on the Honey Bee. Revised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which tliey will find, without difficulty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for this work. Its arrangement is such that any subject and all its references can
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
|dQT^-f^T|T|^fv •fc>T5'F5C;i8a chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
^^'^■(*^^-'^-*^4^'*^ J3.^^>0 to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Imported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
free with Circular. 4-91-12t
Mention Reuiew. CfiRB. DRDRfiT & SOJi, Hamilton, Haneoek Co., Ills.
SEP. 10, 1891.
At Fliqt, Micl^igaq Oqe Dollar a Year
226
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Rt>VEHTISiriG t^ATES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of Nonpareil space make 1 inch.
Discounts will be given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
I CAN SEND UNTESTED
ITALIAN QUEENS, BY RE-
TURN f\fK\U FOR 75 CENTS
EACH. W. Z. HUTCHIN50N,
FUNT, nicH.
Ranted:
To correspond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE GLICKENGER
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio.
iReference: Editor REVIEW.
Wanted at Once^
Your address, that I may send you my astonish-
ingly low prices on Hives, Frames,
Sections, Crates, etc. 4-yi-6t
C. p. WlLiLiCUTT, Exifa, louua.
Please mention the Reuieui,
BEE sDPPUEs
RETAIL
— AND — ■
WHOLESALE
Everything used in the Apiaby.
Greatest variety and largest stock in the West.
New catalogue, 54 illustrated pages, free to bee-
keepers. E. KRETCHMER, Red Oak, Iowa.
Please mention the Reuieui.
Italian >- Queens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - Oirc^ilar.
J. T. 'WrilLiSOlSr,
Pink, Kentucky.
4-91-tf
Please mention the Review.
IVITJTIi'S
Honey - Extractor,
Square Gl^ss Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical^Hmts
to Bee-Keepers.
Please mention the Reuieui.
2-88-tf.
— Send for —
H^d don's Circulars
— OF —
Bee>HiV9$ and all USEFUL supplies for the
apiary. JPiS. HEDDO/H,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Review.
B
EE- KEEPERS' GUIDE. Revised,
enlarged improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price $1..50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
Please mention the Reuieui.
BEE - HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC
BEST GOODS AT LOWEST
PRICES. WE MAKE 15,000 SEC-
TIONS PER HOUR. CAN FILL
ORDERS PROMPTLY. WRITE
FOR FREE, ILLUSTRATED CAT-
ALOGUE. G. B. LEWIS di CO.,
5-91 -tf Watertown, Wisconsin
Please mention the Reuiciv.
m Porter Spii Bee - Escape.
We guarantee it to be the best escape known
and far superior to all others. If on trial of
from one to a dozen you do not find them so,
or if they do not give entire satisfaction in ev-
ery way, return them by mail within three
months after receiving them and we will re-
fund your money.
PRICES : Each, by mail, postpaid, with full directions, 20 cts. Per doz., by mail, postpaid, $3.25
Send for circular, testimonials, etc. Dealerssend for wholesale prices. 5-91-tf
■R. & E. O. FOR.TBK/, Ijewisto-wn., Illinois.
"—'igcs^^^c^rg'',
THE BEK-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
227
W^ 5eII,
We Excb2vr?sie
Re2il Est2ite.
F/\RA\5, STORES, HOTELS.
< )utNivtf Wusloru proptTty a .spuciiilly.
Improved and vacant property iu
('lucatjo cau ofteu be exchauyed for
farm land.
WRITE US. No charges will be made
nutil sales are effected.
E. W. WlCKERSHAn»
Suit 412,-82 Dearborn St.,
9-91 -2t Chicago, Illinois.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOTl 1891.
B(>f()r(> you purohaHt', Un)k to your interest, auri
si-'ud for c itaJoKue and price list.
J. P. H. BKOWN,
1-8H tf. Augusta, Oeorgia.
liOOK HEf?E.
Nice, wliit<>, V groove, Sections, $:i.OQ per
1,(HJ(). 12 lb. SliippiutJ Cases, in tlie flat, with
ul;i-s. ST.i'O period; witliout K.ass, $t) 00.
Twenty pajje price list frro.
J, f\. KI/HZIE,
ll-90-13t Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
A Stove for $600.
Since liviui; in Flint my office has been
warmed part of the time by an oil stovi^ made by
the Monitor i 'o„ of Clevi'land, nxi)ressly for
heating [iurposes. This company makes what
are probably the best stoves miide for burning
keroscme oil. We have, for several y^'ars, used
an oil cooking stove of this make and like it very
much. The heating stoves that I have will com-
fortably warm a room 12 f)r Ki foet square, unless
it nnght be m the most seviu-o weather, and is
particularly adapted ft)r usinir nights^and nu)rn-
iugs or on cool days in the fail before it is cold
enough to niicd a steady coal fire, and again in
the spring, or for warmiiii: bath rooms, bed
rooms, etc
The stove cost $12.00 when new, but, as the
office has been moved to another parr of the
house where It will be warmeil from the sitting
room stove, I would gladly sell it for$li.Oii, and
it is really as good now as when bought. An
illustrated, descriptive circular will be sent on
application. W. Z. HUT(-HINSON,
Flint, Mich.
Golden Italian
QUEENS
By Return A\ail.
The gol,,en Italiaus are cctnsidered tlie most
liaiulsome and geuth^ bees in the c uiitry. As
worki-rs they are second to none. Mv breeding
■ lueeu ;Lml her bees tooi< FIRST PREMIUM
a year ago at the Detroit Exposition, and one of
her daugiiters received similar honors tliis year
at the same place I cm now funiisii untested
queens, by return mail, at Jl.ti'i eacli ; H for ¥2..M).
Tesied (jueens $2.00 eacli. Selected tested, $H.OO
each. Make money orders i)ayable at Flint.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3411-:iT Koger.sville, (xeuesee Co., Mich,
Please mention the Heuieu).
PATENT, WIRED, COMB FOUPiTION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES-
THIN, FLiT BUTTOI FlIliNDATli
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Heing the cleanest is usually worked
'he quickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN UKUSKK & SONS,
(SOIvE MANUFACTUIIEKS),
3-90-tE Sprout Brook,Mont.Co.,N.Y
HIeuse muntion the Reuiew.
Our Cevtalo^u^ of B^^-
5upplie5. S^ncI for it.
Coptairj^ zvll you Need.
Prices to suit tbe tirpe^.
Vour Success in Bee-Keeping depends
very much on the queens, hence yon see that
only the best queens are really cheap. We have
the best and want you to try them. As for
prices — well, you'll fitjd them reasonable
R. 5TR/VTTON fir SON
Hazard vi He, Conn.
BASSWOOD
HONEY.
Ejciia Quality,
USUAL. LOW PRICES.
A ddress
JAMES HEDDON,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Review.
228
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Tbe Value of iSezit, Hapdsoroe
PRmriNG.
Many dealers look upon the style of
their printed stationery and the " yet up "
of their circulars and price lists as un-
important matters. In this tliey are mis-
taken. Nothiufj is more certain to preju-
dice a would-be customer tlian a slovenly,
poorly printed circular or to receive a
communication written upon stationery
the printing of which is a " botch job."
While the sending out of handsomely
printed matter does not always bring the
desired orders, it is an aid in that di-
rection. In other words, we judge of a
man and of his business by what we
receive from him ; hence, the receipt of
a neat, well printed circular, or of a com-
munication written upon stationery that
awakens our admiration, leads us (uncon-
ciously, perhaps, but none the less irub )
to conclude that everyfhuKj from the
sender will be of a like artistic nature.
To turn out first class printing, live
things are necessary. 1st. good type of
neat and artistic styles ; 2nd, good paper ;
3rd, good ink ; 4th, a good press ; and,
.5th, the skill to use all these things.
If one of these factors is wanting, it is
like taking a link from a chain. In what
degree the above necessities to good printing
may be found in the Rkvtew offiice. the
Review best shows.
Since it became known that the Review
was "home made" many of its readers
have offered it the job of doing their
printing. While I have most thoroughly
appreciated this kindness, I have been
compelled to decline the work, simply
from lack of time. Since enlarging the
Review I have found it impt)ssible to
set all of the type myself, while there is
not work enough to keep a compositor
all the time. I am obliged to depend
upon "picking up" a man for a week
or two each mouth. This is ratlier un-
pleasant, as I am obliged to put up with
Tom, Dick and Marry and sometimes
I have trouble in finding even these.
For these reasons 1 have decided to keep
a man all the time and then do job work
that he may be kept busy when not at
work on the Review.
Now, friends, if you wish for good
printing I shall be glad to do it for you.
Nothing will induce me to send out a
poor job, but if you want nice work
and are willing to pay for it (not an
exhorbitant price but what it is really
worth) I shall be glad to liear from you.
W. Z. HUTCHBN50N, Fliot, A\icb.
Have you tioard that Oliver Hoovor & Co. have bnilt, at IJivor^iflo. Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the East, fully e(iuipped with tho latent, improved iiiacliiiuT.v ? Tliey are
now prepared to send out tlie latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kinds of l)ee-kei'|ieiK' hiippUes always on hani). Their localion will en-
able them to Hhip f^'oods by direct line to more iK)intH than any other man-
II 1.,-tuier, which will f,'ive the advaiitaKe of LiOiw Freight Rates and
i|iiick traueportaton. Send for fr(>e illnstraled catalogue. 2-9'-tf
OUIVEl^ HOOVEF? & CO., RivePside, Pa.
Pleuse mention the Review-
N'vli'^U'd 'c-.ii. A/rA'AA '-V
r)>;s
.,jt >,, 1. . ....
V
t 11 r ml
I'.'iA- MONTHLY JOURNAL
ioD -tin' . ■ :,.■: '. 'i:
Til tjiil If, ii',ii)»3;
tfjU^W UIJ! 1 iuU
)e (i)ee-Mepeps AcViecu.;:
Devoted tPwJIl?. 'i0kfi^sts of Hoqey Producers:
uni.noo o^^iu^-Q^^ ^ YEAR,
VOL, IV, KutNij:;BJ
N, SEP, 10, 1891.
NO, g.
1-. b'.iVOiii'jt sij} SSf:
. . , — ^ ; : pr'l
after getting notches in the ends of the sides
and ends, has come to have quite a boom,
but tliey are not covered by a patent. How
can .such in on as Dr. Miller so frecjuently
and seriously discuss the beauties of the'
Hoffman frame, and such men as E. K. Root
gravely discuss the endwise swelling of the
new Heddon frame and propolis behind the
end bars as serious obji^ctionsto that frame?
Tieel sure theii faces toust relax into smiles'
sometimes when they contemplate their ef^i
fusions'on these tojji s, or is it because the'
cnetoraers of the one and the help of -the
other have so miich time on their hands' and
so deliyht in working over hives in the hot
sun that they j) refer to handle frames rather
than not? Or perhaps it is a love of theoriz-
ing-^some men are affected in tliat way. It'
is said that such find great pleasure when'
writing on practical toxiics in drawing en-
tirely on their imagination for their facts.
Theory indee.l is a great thing. How it
helps ainan out when he is beaten on the'
facts! Wlvon the facts are against him he
can maintain his position on the plain of
theory and still feel that he is not a bit
stubborn and entirely bpou to et)iivictioii;'
By the' way; did > on ever notice how the
man' who IR sti'ivinit with tense muHcles ti'
exclude the light and conceal th6 fact«prO';'
tests hisifreedom frbin 'blaa tuid «ttibbomi'
ness? 'i - i ■ ■:! .n . . :- ■ ■ ' .il)
Well, in view of these things, 1 often feef^
liJvo dropping- back in the harness and refus-'
ing to make further exertion. BpliPaim'iS'
joined to his idols, let him alonei " i ' a
The speeiat topie o^ tti'fk'issd^ Lfy 0(t
•i' MmI t,o. -nt ...it ](•]
H .Hid I Hig Hi ve-S' Inste^d^ of-'f't^a'n^©©;^
, .lllij ii .'JVJll .(ll! Uy ll../il
That of the,,n€!?ft,.i^g6iS,H^iM-^4SB..loo
„ <.l .\i\\\'!: .iv3.\ilr.:,|j);. "■■yniii:
' Rencfer,i.;vg>i.-.tJ/iVa^n..-)ioi.nm
I'll Tiiir. uAjtiu oi H!)ui;l'>inoH
.;■. i';:l- ..; '.ii« .;*vui K ill Jhil
Why the Pr«judi'ce Ag*ifrsir!(!i|JKll ^O
i!,.,|_.,„l^. SL.lIAYLOUi .,t,.;, .,i ;, :i„hij
fl' if ^itli-#!tirtle''eijiba'rifafehiii'^ln! thMr^T
uiikTert.-l'k'e'to write 'ui>6ti' 'the -subject 'of
liaiidling hives instead of frames, for it
really brings lis to thfc point'of the New Hed-
don Hive agtiinst the world, and you knoi^
that it is "understood" tiiatthere is a clique
in Michigan formed for the purpose of
botiiiiiiii'g thlit hiVe i-i^lit or'^^roii'g, aiut vthV
knows but I may be classed among that
number.
Then again it seems a thankless t^sk/Bo
un.^ertake to give information which \l)ae
keepers wilfully shut their eyes against— ^in-
formation which they would rather not liuve,
and the destru tion of which would cause
them to rejoice. Is it because there is a
patent on the hive or on account of jealousy
of Mr. Heddon that so few are willing when
hives and frames are umloT codsideration to
open their eyes to his hive and his frame ?
To be sure after almost endless captious
criticism the Heddon honey board lias come
to be recognized, and the old Heddoii' hive,
230
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
But I am wandering from my subject, or
rather, I tiave not touched it. To-day as I
write the sun i.? intensely hot, and it helps
me to appreciate the advantages of a hive
th.'it is capable of beiny handled bodily in
place of handliufj; the frames separately, for
it helps me the more distinctly to recall the
times I have sweltered all day long taking
out frames one by one for extracting, to the
days when swarms where coming out galore
and every moment was precious. How I
have perspired over the ramshackle hives to
which so many coutiime to be wedded in
readjusting the frames every time one was
moved, and to the many other occasions
when queens we^e to be caught or the condi-
tion of colonies was to be determined, or
brood was to be spread, or hives were to be
contracted when some other duty demanded
a share of my time, or when tlie shade of a
friendly tree was found to be more grateful
by a large percentage than the direct rays of
the sun.
In the matters specified as well as lu many
others I have demonstrated the utility of
hives that can be handled instead of frames,
by the use for several years of several hun-
dred of tlie now Heddon pattern.
It would seem to require no argument to
show that a hive suitable to be handled in
the manner suggested must be a sectional
hive, and it would further seem a matter of
course that only the new Heddon hive or
some infringement thereon can answer the
requirements. Is it not safe to say: Hinc
ilia' lachry mae ? "
It will require no extensive illustration to
show to the unprejudiced mind tl»e advan-
tages of hive handling over frame handling.
Using as 1 now do the hive mentioned, if J
wish to remove honey which is ready for ex-
tracting, a few puffs of smoke drive the
bees below, and with one motion I lift off
the whole section. If I wish to catcli a queen,
if it be at a time when there is little honey
in the upper section, a few puffs of smoke
will drive the queen up, when I take the
upper section and with two or three vigorous
shakes deposit the queen with tlie bees on
tlie ground in front of the hive, where she is
readily captured. If the upp(!r section is
heavy with honey drive her down and shake
the lower story in like manner. If it is de-
sired to determine whether a laying queen
be present, or the amount of brood, or
whether preparations for swarming are
making, or any other of the particulars of
the internal condition of the colony, raise
one end of the upper section to the angle
desired and all is disclosed. If a rapid ex-
tension of brood is wanted just t the ap-
proach of the honey season, when the bees
are numerous enough to keep the entire hive
warm, simply place the lower section on top
of the upper one, and the work is done in
the best manner possible. If you wish to
increase your colonies by division take one
section of the hive with the bees in it and
put it on a new stand, and in three or four
days give a queen to the colony that has
begun the construction of queen cells, all of
which is easily accomplished without touch-
ing a frame. If you desire to contract cer-
tain hives at the beginuiiagof the early honey
season in order to get as much as possible of
the white honey in the sections, take one
section from each, shaking out the bees, and
put the removed section above the honey
board of a colony that needs strengthening
till the brood hatches. In like manner to
get the best results hive swarms in one sec-
tion of the hive. By kindred mauiimlation
colonies may be united in the fall, and winter
stores equalized. What is left? Frames
must of course be taken out to be extracted,
sometimes to make sure no queen cell is
left in a hive, and to straighten a comb
wlien one is out of shape. A bare statement
is all that is necessary to show the advantage
of handling hives instead of frames. I
think it is safe to say that one-half the ne-
cessary labor is saved thereby, and that the
most disagreeable part. (Some will not
agree, but wlio that has tried it to any
extent questions itV Let practical results be
the criterion.
■ Lapeeis, Mich., Sept. 17, bS!)l.
Persuaded at Last to Handle Hives Instead
of Frames.
GEO. F. BOBBINS.
SRli. B. TAYLOR, on page 17!», July
*• Review, pays his respects to me in
a courteous way that tempts me to
reply. I thought at first I would write to
him personally, but it occurs to me that
what I have to say should go into this same
magazine, if there is room for it.
Mr. Taylor refers to my article in Glean-
ings of May 1st, in which I outline the sys-
tem of hiving in contracted brood chambers,
and says: " How clumsy his numagement
seems to one accustomed to using small,
divisible brood-chamber hives." My reply
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
231
is not to him only, but also to the very ones
to whom the system appears cumbersome.
I do uot thiuk Mr. Taylor's motiiods
tedious aud fussy. For three years there
has been a growiug dissatisfaction on my
part with the hive and frame I liave been
usin^. I am as much wedded to the system
of contraction as ever, but not to my old
methods of practicing: it. So louj^ as I use
the Lantjstroth frame I shall contract as I
have ct)ntracted in the i)ast. But this year
1 have been testing a few shallow, divisible
brootl-chamhors, and, although the test is
not completed, I am, so far, so well satisfied
with them that 1 aui determined hereafter to
invest in no other kind. I may run figainst
something that will change my mind, but, so
far, my face is set. I have two or three
times in the [)ast given, in my writings, inti-
mations of my trend of mind toward shallow
frames, but I have hesitated to invest in
them for several reasons, of which I will
mention only two. One is a sort of dread
of — perhaps simple prejudice against — so
great an innovation upon my accepted hive
and system. The other stump in my way
has been the not insignificant matter of cost.
But every year has increased my disgust
with the laborious and tedious manipulations
of dummies and single hanging frames.
Finally, I decided I would hesitate no longer
to test in combination the divisible brood
chamber and closed end frames. I believe
now wiiat I have suspected before that either
one of these two principles will work best in
combination with the other. Such is the
results thus far of my trial of divisible brood
chambers.
The burden of Mr. Taylor's article in the
Review, and mine in Gleaniiigs, is not (luite
the same, one leading thought of mine being
contraction, something which he does not
mention; yet the general idea of both are
pretty much the same. To overrule in-
crease and get the bulk of the honey in the
surplus receptacles, are the two great objects
to be attained, whatever may be the methods
employed.
MEOHANiosnuBG, 111., .July ;U, 1S91.
Methods, Hives, Frames, and the Honey Flow.
J. H. LAliRABEE.
fN the production of honey, where it is
not sought to produce as much as jiossi-
l)le from a limited number of colonies,
the handling of frames to an extent to inter-
fere with the manipulation of many colonies
with a certain amount of labor, is unneces-
sary and I believe to-day but little practiced.
I once took a number of colonies on shares,
as the lady of whom I took them was tired
of the labor of caring for them. And no
wonder. She thought it her duty to examine
them all once a week through the summer,
and, of course, as she had read, it was the
proper thing to remove more or less of the
frames each time.
But the day when the bee keeper who pro-
duces honey at the market price can profit-
ably handle his bees on the above plan, is
past. Messrs. Elwood, Manum, Coggshall,
Boardman and Miller, as well as Heddon,
Taylor and Tinker, are, I believe, employing
less labor than years ago, and are caring for
more bees in i)roportion to the labor. This
for the reason that they have learned that
bees will to an extent care for themselves,
only requiring man's aid at certain critical
periods. And we who are following them
are learning, first, that if cf)lonies are strong
and have itlenty of bees and a queen with a
goodly amount of good honey, man cannot
by handling hives or frames better their
condition; second, that the bee keeper is not
a manufacturer nor a producer, but simply
acts as a shepherd, gathering them into
comfortable quarters for winter, giving di-
rection to their breeding, and "fleecing"
them at intervals.
I once followed the fashion aud practiced
clipping, but after a time came to the con-
clusion that it did not pay nie, and now my
apiary in Vermont contains few clipped
queens. Also ten frame hives are my favo-
rites, as bees in them seldom require feeding
or the removing of honey to give the queen
room. We have (I now speak of my Vt. lo-
cation) no fall fiowers that yield honey, and
never but once did my bees gather fall
honey, and that I regretted. Thus if they
are wintered on honey, as seems best, it
must be of the white honey crop. Whence,
you see, partially arises my preference for
the large hives. With Dr. Miller I believe
in expanding or giving the bees plenty of
room in the spring, and like him I don't
know so well about the after contraction.
If I contracted when hiving swarms, or at
any other time, my bees would need feeding
for winter, and that don't pay me, and per-
haps, like friend Hutchinson, I would then
need some (piick way of uniting weak
swarms in the fall.
m2
THE BEE-KEEPERS^ HE VIEW.
f' "Where one if* almofit stire of a fall crop, as
-iiere at the eolleKe, the f uuotioii of the Hed-
• 'dOn hive which allows i^ to be readily con-
."tmcted when hiA'ing swarms, elo,, is valii-
'j"ahle, as the fall houey is then put iu the
o place where it is wc)rth the most, and all the
"iwhite honey goes to the sections.
,' I practice out door wintering and use a
'practical chaff hive, yet I believe bees can
"be wintered well in a cellar, though I think
more care is necessary. By using a chaff
' hive I probably lose some time by occasion-
'ally handling frames where hives could be
handled more rapidly, yet there are compen-
sations. I gain spring and fall protection,
supers not exposed to weather, and there are
so many other nice things about this chaff
hive that for the present I prefer to work
my bees upon this old plan, handling frames
little and hives less. I guess, friend H.,
that from year to year, I can manage as
many colonies with a certain amount of
labor as you can. The half days labor lost
in one place is gained in another, and the
man who manage 200 colonies of bees
Bi)ends three-fourths of the working days of
the year outside of the yard preparing for or
disposing of the crop, or doing the thousand
and one duties that make up the sum of life.
Practice, with common sense, and a knowl-
edge of one's hive, bees, and location, make
it possible, 1 believe, for one man to manage
with about as little labor as another the care
of an apiary in different locations and on
different plans.
I believe that the one great impediment to
rapid and smooth manipulation, whether it
be of hive or frame, is the non-maintenance
of the f)ee space, and I think this fault is
present in nearly every hive in use. We can
never urge too strongly the necessity for
accuracy in the making of hives and the ad-
justment of the parts so that everywhere
tliere may be at all times a proper bee space.
This is foreign to the subject, yet even the
bars of the Heddon hive sag and warp,, and
the separation of tire parts is mjid^.Jess
rapid. ha .uu-.l viit
The GKEAT unsolved j)riQble,iiiji' ()f,,)[)e/9 ,^jul-
ture to-day is the pr^veption of swarjqitig,
or some plan.tp. attfuu the i*ame i)ract4cal re-
sults, and' when /this.isi solved I will [1)^1 as
willing; as the.irwt otyfm tp.mHlertek^ijthe
ij)irOpor ;iud pAofitablia ixwmagem,ent,pt'/H,h|alf
11 itliouiSand cplauiesiofibeesiexitjrely/^on^,!
>lii'i/Xni;ttH)iiiinea»timfiy w,ht}t<>er.,H',*,. uf^, ,pne
method or another, luuJL(pjl#i UiMeHiOffito*>l*>s,
we can nolie of us get honey crops unless
nectar is secreted by the blossoms, and un-
less' we have the blossoms to secrete the
nectar. This question of location and the
honey flow is assuming more importance
with each successive season's failure here
and there, or ever,vwhere.
Agk'l College, Mich., Aug. 28, 18!)1.
Handling Hives Instead of Frames.
J. A. GKEEN.
HE novice, especially if he is enthu-
siastic and has a genuine attack of the
"bee fever," handles the frames of
his hives a great deal. Almost every day,
and sometimes oftener, his colonies are
overhauled and minutely inspected. When
he cannot imagine any necessity for it, he
does it just for the fun of it. This is all very
well for him. In no other way can he gain
that accurate knowledge of the interior of a
bee hive so necessary to the successful bee-
keeper, and in no other way will he so
quickly tire of tiie business if there is not in
him an abiding love for it. If his opera-
tions are carefully iierformed and not car-
ried on at improper times the bees are but
little injured by them. As he grows older
in the business he ceases to handle bees for
the fun of it and he does not find it neces-
sary as often as he used to. Some, having
but few bees, or plenty of time, or from
having started out witli a wrong system,
continue in the l)elief that a periodical over-
hauling of the brood nest is necessary.
Many of the most successful bee keepers can
point to hives the frames of which have not
been handled for years, ^s long as a colony
remains in a normal condition there is no
necessity whatever for handling the frames
of the brood chamber. I Jtnow that many
will feel like combatting this stjiteinent, but
dispi^pve^ jt if you ca,u. , ( , , , ;
,^ , Inhere is up, doiibt that b^f cai^qf j^l managc-
, , m,«ijt sprea,ding the, brood in the si)^ing may
b(^ m^ide to yield very good results. The
most experienced, though, will ofteti make
mistakes in this, and, in the |i{jjuds, of the
inexperienced it is often i)roductive of very
decided harm. Because of this uncertainty
''^of^feMl'f^' '^ N)velr'h,fi' iht^t-fe^<^ ■.'ii^uSWit of
labor required, many of tlie l)est beo-kee[iers
hiivc decided that it does not pay. VV-i^ a
i .Be,C|tiQnj?,l ,Vrpod qljiiinlHir liandljng ^,fif^iies
,_. jfli.mujepessary, thus , f>avjpg lHU9r,,j^ntrS;he
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
233
ing the brood before they can stand it.
Colonics are often injured or destroyed by
improper handling early in the spring.
Even if the position of the combs in the hive
is not changed the breaking of the sealing at
the top of the brood chamber allows heat, so
necessary at that lime of the year, to escape,
and many a colony has its life ventilated out
in this way. Instead of this, turn the hive
over and make your examination from the
bottom. Of course all hives cannot be
turned over, but even those with loose,
hanging frames, may be tipped back far
enough to get a good idea of the condition
of the colony.
Queens are usually found by looking them
up on the combs. I usetliis method less and
less as I learn more of the various methods
of finding (lueeus without handling frames.
Queens may be smoked down and found on
the liottom board, as recommended by Hed-
don. This is a good way when there are not
too many bees.
A better plan for ordinary use is to set the
hive on a queen excluding honey board
having several inches space under it and
then drive the bees down with smoke.
With the Heddou hive, or any similar, the
queen may be shaken out of the hive as
meutioiied in your leader.
These three metliods make a good comlji-
nation. < )r the bees may be driven upward
and the queen cauglit under a queen excluder
a Id Taylor. A nietliod that I use a great
deal, and that is api)licalile to any kind of a
hive, even box hives, is to drive the l)ees out
of the top of the hive by smoking and drum-
ming and catch the queen as she comes up.
Sometimes I lind a iiueeu in this way in less
time than I could remove a single frame,
and I have frequently found a (jueen, intro-
duced her successor, and had the hive closed
up within two minutes and without touching
a frame. For introducing queens in this
way I use a wire cloth cage %\%\h. A strip
of heavy paper 2,1.3 inches wide is rolled up
with tiie wire cloth making a tube half the
length of the cage, which is filled witii candy.
The other end is ck)sed with a wooden plug.
The cage is usually placed between the top
l>ars of the frames, though it will go almost
anywiiere in the hive. I have introduced a
gieat many many entrances on a side as. can be dis-
tinctly marked. It gives room for manipu-
lation, extracting, etc, and some storage
room. I shall tile drain and fill six inches
with earth for floor, to avoid jarring bees,
and shall ventilate and light from all sides.
The building will be balloon frame, barn
sided, lined with waterproof (rosinized)
paper, flat roof finished with roofing paper,
made of good material, painted, etc. Com-
plete it will cost about !f;20, and will hold
thirty-six colonies, hives for which, att'ording
the same protection, would cost ij^.TO. There
will be no outside cases, shade boards,
covers, etc., to handle, and all needed arti-
cles will be in easy reach, and there will be
much less cost for repairs. It certainly will
enable me to do the work quicker, easier,
and with more pleasure. Walls packed with
sawdust are not necessary, if not a disad-
vantage. They hold dampness, do not let in
enough heat for evaporation, curing, etc.
But few days are too hot in the shade for
bees. If thin outside cases are the thing for
single stands, why not for more? For win-
ter and spring they will be packed with cush-
ions. It certainly will cheapen the cost of
production.
Berlin, Mo., Sept. 9, 1891.
House Apiaries Must be Close and Warm in
Winter.
J. p. MOOBE.
'^jp THINK Mr. Hains has too many holes
m/ in his scimmer. With all those bee es-
capes and screen doors open all winter
he might as well have his bees in a barn.
Of course they are better ofii out of doors
without protection than in a barn, for out of
doors they will get the benefit of the sun. A
building for bees in this climate should be
thoroughly packed on all sides so as to shut
out all cold as much as possible, and it must
not be too large for the number of colonies
it contains — not over thirty cubic feet to the
colony. There should be no bees on the
north side in winter. If loosely built, with
wind blowing through, it is a bee shed and
not a house apiary.
BiNGHAMTON, N. Y., Sept. 4, 1891.
House Apiaries and Bee Escapes.
C. E. BOYEE.
!!HIS is the subject I have wished to see
discussed. My idea for the past three
years has been that a warm house
apiary would be the most practical place for
wintering bees here in the North. A fire
could be kept in the building in cold and
damp weather, thus preventing moisture in
the hives. No paint would be needed on the
hives, which, according to the experience of
238
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
some, would prevent dampness. It would
lessen the cost of hives also. Cheaper and
lighter lumber would be used; no stones
would be needed on the covers, and no shade
boards to make and use. Hives would not
blow over, and would always be level.
Bottom boards should not be fastened on,
for when swarms issue I would wish to hive
them on the stand they came from, setting
the old hive with the queen cells on top, with
a queen excluding honey board between it
and the swarm, and in about twelve days
after, or when I knew the queen cells had
hatched and been destroyed, I would remove
the top hive with virgin queen to a new
stand.
If sections are given the swarm, a bottom
board with a three-quarter inch hole through
it and a piece of excluding zinc over this
must be placed between the sections and the
top hive.
I think, though, that I would not allow
much swarming, but give or raise young
queens before swarming commenced, or di-
vide, as seemed best.
I think hives should be set in pairs, placing
two close together and leaving a space of
eight. or ten inches between these and the
next two hives, thus giving room to adjust,
remove and replace cases. A cone escape
placed in front of each pair of hives (through
the wall) would probably be all the escapes
needed.
Here is my way of using bee escapes: I
use flat covers the same size of hives in
length and width. I make a rim of this
size, one or two inches high, placing a cone
escape in or near one corner; remove the
surplus cases, smoking the bees down partly,
putting on other surplus cases at once, and
replace the cover; now place the rim on the
cover with the cone coming to front end of
hive. Set on the cases removed, putting on
cover and shade board, and in two hours
time the bees will be practically all out of
them. I have only used a single cone. But
robbers bother some in a dearth, so that
perhaps a double cone would be better.
When honey is plenty, no robbers bother
and bees come out promptly, except the few
very young bees. It is on the same principle
as Manum's escapes. By this means the
colony is disturbed but once, as the cover
is put in place and left there when removing
cases.
I wish J. F. Mclntyre, Fillmore, Cal.,
would try this method and report how it
suits him. I think it will allow him to ex-
tract all his honey without holding it over
night, and more than he could by brushing
each comb. Any one having out apiaries
should try it.
AiNGEE, Ohio, Aug. 5, 1891.
The House Apiary in Process of Development.
—Some of Its Advantages.
JOSHUA BULL.
fAM glad you have chosen house apiaries
for the topic in the August Review. A
free discussion of this subject will be
interesting and instructive; and doubtless
productive of much good and valuable in-
formation. Although bee houses have been
tried, condemned, and abandoned in the
years that are past, because of some unsatis-
factory features about their workings, yet
all that should not prevent further effort to
overcome and remove those objectionable
features. Let us remember that some of
the most valuable and useful conveniences
now in use were, in their first stages of de-
velopment, but crude, imperfect, and some-
times bungling affairs; yet, as their defects
became known they have been improved
upon btep by step, their workings perfected
until they have become indispensable neces-
sities in the business life of this fast age.
Just so it may be in a measure with bee
houses; and I believe that the ideas have
already been conceived and are now being
worked out which will render the house
apiary one of the most commodious and
desirable features in practical bee keeping.
The cost of building need not be great; a
cheap one will answer a good purpose if
properly constructed. It should be large
enough to allow sufficient room so as not to
feel " cooped up " when at work therein.
I should prefer to have regular movable
hives the same as for open air, only the bot-
tom board stationary in the house; then the
hiving of swarms can be managed the same
as when all is in the open air. If the queen
is clipped she can be caged and the bees
allowed to return to their old location,
where an empty hive can be placed in wait-
ing for them (first removing the old hive, of
course), or the swarm may be hived wherever
it clusters and then placed in the house at
pleasure.
In your "leader," on page 187, you ask
" What are the advantages of a house
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
239
apiary ?" and then proceed in a concise
manner to enumerate many of the principal
advantages, which I will not try to improve
npon, but would like to corroborate your
statements by adding my testimony thereto.
And further, in case of cool nights during
the honey harvest bees will not be so much
disposed to withdraw from the supers to the
brood nest, not being so iiuickly affected by
the night air as those out of doors,
" A covert from the burning heat,
A shelter from the cold."
About a year ago I constructed a small
house apiary, an outline description of
which is given in the last February Review,
page forty-one, and now with one year's ex-
perience in the use of it, I am well pleased
with the results both for winter and summer
use, and am more than ever in favor of
house apiaries.
Seymoub, Wis., Aug. .5, 1891.
House Apiaries, and What I Have Been
Thinking of Them.
K. C. AIKIN.
fHAVE no experience to record in regard
to bee houses. During the past year or
more I have been thinking over the
problem, and hoped some day to experiment.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Build a honey house, bee house and shop
in combination. Have the shop on the north
side. Have the honey room in the center,
leaving a hall or passage-way about six feet
wide all around the south, east and west.
Make shelves to place bees on, so as to fly
out on the three sides last mentioned. Make
the walls of the house decidedly good and
warm. A warm house in winter is cool in
summer. If the bees are to remain perma-
nently in the house — not removed to out
apiaries — make permanent chambers against
the wall, and hang frames parallel to the
wall, the house wall being one side of the
liive, and each division between chambers
of one piece only. Mak^ inside hive wall
movable like a follower. Thus, except the
brood frames and surplus fixtures, the hive
is composed of but two pieces, viz.: One
end and one side, the shelf forming the bot-
tom, the house wall the other side. This
plan would leave but one board between
each colony and its neighbor. Above, have
windows all around to give plenty of light
and ventilation when needed.
I have thought, when colonies became
strong, a hole might be so arranged between
chambers, with excluding zinc, that the
stronger colonies might pass through and so
intermingle and even up. Thus, the colonies
occupying one side of the house might prac-
tically become one colony and do grand
work in the supers.
Now, for winter, just have a heating ar-
rangement and keep up the temperature in
this bee room on the outside, and the honey
house would be snug and warm in the center.
The whole house might be kept warm with
but little expense above the heating of shop
for work. I believe better work could be
done in the house than outside in hives. At
nights, shut the door to keep up an even
heat. No deserting of supers, or check in
brood rearing; no stoppage of work for
winds, rain or robbers. And don't you see
it would be so easy to contract, expand, and
feed at will?
I used bee escapes some last year, mostly
of the Dibbern pattern, but not his latest.
Twenty-four hours will usually clear a super;
sometimes twelve hours will. Did not try
them on extracting combs. Have not used
any this season yet, but will when the flow
ceases and robbing time comes. So far I
smoke and brush, and can get ten to twelve
cwt. off per day. I think, however, it would
be speedier and better to use escapes, leaving
them on from twenty-four to forty-eight
hours. Twenty-four hours would no doubt
be sufficient with a good escape.
Ft. Collins, Colo., Aug. 6, 1891.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
published monthly.
W. Z. H^JTCHir^SOfl, Hd. & Ppop.
Teems : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 ; three for $2.70 ; five for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each, ^f The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, SEP. 10. 1891.
The Amebioan Beb Keepeb has bonght
the Bee World. This makes the third peri-
odical that has been absorbed by this enter-
prising journal.
Maekied, Sept. ir), at Bangor, N. Y., Mr.
Augustin E. Manum and Miss Hattie C.
Barnum. The Review wishes them happi-
ness and prosperity.
240
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Epilobium, the great willow herb, has
been found growing in small quantities near
Mr. Heddon's, and he is hopeful that it may
yet grow in sufficient quantities to be of
some benefit.
the one convention that sails in without any
essays or even so much as a printed pro-
gramme ?
"Handling Hives Instead of Frames" is
a topic that really deserves a more thorough
discussion than it gets in this issue. If what
has been said incites others with a desire to
write upon the subject, I shall be glad to
receive and publish their communications.
Wheee the woed gallon appears in the
article of Mr. Wilkins, in the June Review,
it ought to have been pound. Mr. Wilkins
used that peculiar double cross that may
mean pound, or gallon, or yard, or what not.
There was not time to write him and I was
obliged to guess " gallon."
HONEY DEW FOE WINTER STOEES.
Mr. Heddon, in the Missouri Bee Keever,
says he thinks we have no reason whatever
to fear any disastrous results from wintering
our bees on stores of honey dew. He relates
an instance of where Dr. Southard, of Kala-
mazoo, once fed honey dew to five colonies
until they had no other stores for winter, yet
they wintered perfectly.
IMPOETATION OF BEES NOT NEOESSAEY.
A dozen or more leading bee keepers
answer the query, in the C B, J., if further
importation of bees is necessary, and the
majority say "nay." We certainly have as
good bees here as anywhere, and further im-
portation is really unnecessary. As Prof.
Cook wisely says, " Importation of new
blood if not better blood is of no use."
THE NOETHWESTEBN CONVENTION.
The Noethwesteen Bee Keepers will hold
their annual convention Nov. li» and 20, at
the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake and
Dearborn streets, Chicago,. 111. This date
occurs when excursion rates on the railroads
will be one fare for the round ti-ip. I have
tried several times to analyze my feelings
and decide ivliy I always look forward with
unusually happy anticipations to these an-
nual meetings of the Northwestern Bee
Keepers. Can it be that it is because it is
deep feames and close fitting cases.
Mr, C. F. Thomas, of Dorchester, Nebras-
ka, writes as follows: —
" I am a little surprised at your agreement
with ' E. R.' on page 212 in regard to his
theory on 'frames' and 'bureau drawers.'
It seems to me that a man with just a little
mechanical 'knack' ought to know that
the greater the depth or length of a drawer
or frame in comparison with the width of it
the less ' hitching ' in drawing it out. If
he don't know it he ought to think he does,
and that would amount to the same thing."
Mr. Thomas is correct, and I can only say
that in my former article I did not give the
matter sufficient thought.
In connection with this subject I may say
that my editorial on this subject was copied
into Gleaninqs, and its editor defended his
position by saying that his Heddon hive was
made differently from mine— that lumber
does swell endwise, slightly— that the frames
are sometimes diamond shape and the cor-
ners touch the ends of the case— that propolis
works in and reduces the space— and, I be-
lieve that is all.
In reply I will say that hives can be made
as I described them; that, if lumber does
swell endwise, the more it swells the larger
will be the hives; that frames made as I de-
scribed (sawed square and nailed, not dove-
tailed) are never diamond-shaped; if a
frame is diamond-shaped, a little lift on the
upper corner that touches the end of the
hive will bring the ends of the frames paral-
lel with the inside of the ends of the hive.
I have handled large numbers of these hives
that have been in use several years, and the
propolis has yet to accumulate in such
quantities that the frames will be swelled
fast in a damp atmosphere. It is not a
matter of theory with me but of actual prac-
tice with a large number of hives for several
years, and I know that my frames are not
swelled against the ends of the hive and
cannot, be swelled against them.
Mr. B. Taylor in an article published in
Gleanings for Sept. 15, says that he has had
frames swelled fast in hives made on the
Heddon 2ilan, but just how they were made
he does not say, and that is all-important.
THE BEE KEEPERS' REVIEW.
241
AT THE KAIKS. — MB. HUNT S CASTLE.
As mentioued iu the August Rkview, I
made an exhibit at the Detroit Exposition,
also at our State Fair. It is very hard work
to attend these fairs three weeks at a stretch
and I was nearly sick for a week after
reaching home. My absence at the fairs
and my indisposition since my return have
made this issue late. I am quite well now,
however, and shall probably pull through
without my " usual" fall sickness.
There is not room iu this issue to give a
detailed account of the exhibits at the fairs,
and perhaps it would not be advisable to do
so if there were room. With the exception
of Mr. Hunt's castle of wax and honey, the
exhibits were about the same as usual.
This castle was 8 x 32 feet with a central
tower about 20 feet high. With the excep-
tion of the tower, the castle was about S ft. in
height. The lower part was simply a counter
like a store counter, except that into the
panels along the front were fitted sheets of
queen excluding zinc. Above the counter,
all was open ( except the posts at each front
corner and the central tower, which was at
the front) until within about two feet of the
top. This space of two feet around the top
was covered with comb honey interspersed
with panels of nicely molded yellow wax.
The corner posts and central tower were
covered with comb honey. It resembled a
a castle built of comb honey and wax, and
was really unique. Upon the lower part, (the
counter) extracted honey in fanciful glass
packages was arranged in artistic forms.
Mr. Hunt had eight varieties of bees ( includ-
ing Funics from Pratt and a nest of bumble
bees shown in a glass case.) This reminds
me that, over at the Port Huron fair, where
I went to award the premiums, Mr. R. O.
Gould had a nest of large, white-faced hor-
nets on exhibition in a glass case.
In one respect the fairs seemed different
to me this year : I missed my old friend and
chum, H. D. Cutting, wlio. for the last year,
has been working for the Muskegon Chemi-
cal Fire Engine Co., and could not get awav
as he had expected to be able to do. For 10
years I had had him for a companion at all
of the fairs. We had tented, cooked and
eaten together, slept in the same bed, helped
each other through tight pi ces, sympathyzed
and rejoiced with each other, and without
him I felt like a bird that had lost its mate.
I must not neglect to mention that Mr.
•J. Van Deusen came all the way from
Sprout Brook, N. Y., to make an exhibit of
his foundation, and that he was rewarded
by seeing the blue cards dangling from his
exhibit.
HOUSE APIAKIES A SUCCESS.
The Review has brought out the most
complete knowledge that it is possible to
gather in regard to liouse apiaries. That
they are a success, or, at least, can be made
such, there is no longer any doubt. The
first expense is the only drawback; the ease
and quickness with which work may be per-
formed will repay the interest on the invest-
ment.
If I were to build just such a cellar, honey
house, shop and house apiary as I wanted, 1
think now that they would all be combined
in one building. I see only one objection to
the plan, and that is the increased risk of
loss from fire. If the building burned, bees,
honey, tools, implements and all would be
lost, but I should exercise every care against
fire and keep everything fully insured. I
should keep everything insured anyway,
whether under one roof or a dozen, and as
an insurance company will pay two-thirds or
three-fourths of the loss, I should prefer to
take the risk of losing one-third or one-
fourth in exchange for what would probably
be years of greater convenience in the man-
agement of the apiary.
It is superfluous to more than enumerate
the advantages of such a house apiary.
Hives, tools and bee keeper always under
shelter; everything right at liand, no carry-
ing of honey; bees always ready for winter,
or so nearly so that their preparation is a
very slight job; no carrying them in and out
of the cellar; while they enjoy the advan-
tages of both out-door and in-door winter-
ing. In other words, by having a cellar
under the building, the walls packed with
sawdust, and using stove heat when neces-
sary, the temperature of the room may be
kept above freezing, the same as a cellar,
while the bees are in a position to take ad-
vantage of any warm day in winter by en-
joying a cleansing flight.
One thing shown most clearly by the dis-
cussion is the folly of having the hives
stationary in a house apiary. The old style
was to have the side of the building form
one side of each hive, the shelf under the
bees formed the bottoms of the hives, while
242
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
stationary division boards formed two more
sides of each hive. A movable division
board, or follower formed the back side of
each hive. As I think the matter over I do
not wonder that, with the bee keeper ham-
pered in this manner— the hives all tied to-
gether—house apiaries failed to become
popular. The hives and fixtures used in the
house apiary should be exactly like those
used in the open air. This enables the oper-
ator to do something. His hands and hives
are no longer tied. He can manipulate
hives instead of frames the same as in the
open air.
BENDEKING AND PUEIFYING BEESWAX.
How well I remember the first beeswax
wife and I made. We worked all day over
the hot kitchen stove, dipping, melting and
re-melting and straining wax. We were re-
warded with three pounds ! of wax, and the
stove, the floor, and I honestly believe half
the dishes in the house were daubed with
wax. But we learned wisdom. The next
time I made beeswax only one dish was
coated with wax, and that not seriously.
This dish was the wash boiler. I put the
refuse combs in a large sack made of burlap,
put the sack in the boiler, filled the boiler
with water and set it upon the stove. As the
water boiled the sack and its contents were
turned and poked and pressed with a hoe.
When I thought the wax was all melted and
as much as possible had been pressed out,
the boiler was removed from the stove, or
the fire allowed to die down, and a weight
placed upon the sack to keep it at the bottom
of the boiler. When the water and wax had
cooled, the latter would be found in a cake
upon the surface of the former. I have
since tried the steam wax extractor, also the
solar extractor, but I honestly find myself
debating, in my own mind, whether these
methods are better, for rendering small
quantities of wax, than the sack and hot
water.
A solar extractor is very convenient for
throwing in small bits of wax or odd pieces
of comb. No more handy, perhaps, than a
box or a barrel, but, unless this refuse comb
is frequently made up into wax, it is almost
certain to become infested with the bee
moth's larvie. I have known of a barrel of
such refuse coml), pounded down solid at
that, to be forgotten, no, neglected, until it
was one mass of cocoons. Enough wax
wasted to have paid for a solar extractor,
and if a solar extractor had stood in the
apiary it would have been exactly as easy to
have thrown the refuse wax into it as into a
barrel.
As already mentioned, I have extracted wax
with steam; using the extractor sold by A. I.
Root. The emptying and re-filling of this
is not pleasant and the comb basket does not
hold very much. Of course it is not neces-
sary to empty out the refuse each time be-
fore filling the basket, but when it is emptied
the refuse is always soaked full of melted
wax, as full of wax as a sponge can be filled
with water. I never emptied it without
thinking, "what a waste of wax," as I
poured the mass out upon the ground. It
needed squeezing. Some kind of a press is
needed. I believe many of those who make
wax on a large scale do have a press of some
kind, but the man who makes but little wax
cannot afi'ord a press. There is too much
cost and paraphernalia connected with it.
At least that is how it appears to me. An-
other thing. When making wax by boiling
the combs in water, the refuse seemed almost
entirely free from wax. It seemed as though
the water had soaked into the cocoons, bee
bread and other debris and crowded out the
wax.
When wax is made in the solar extractor
the residue is more free from wax than when
an ordinary steam extractor is used, but I sup-
pose it is because more time is allowed the
wax to run oflP. In making wax with the
sun extractor it is doubtful if the heat is
sufficient to destroy any germs of foul brood,
and it would probably be a better plan to
render foul broody combs with boiling water.
Of late much has been said about render-
ing and clarifying wax by the use of sulphu-
ric acid. The acid seems to "cut" or disin-
tegrate the cocoons and other refuse so as to
free the wax. There is some discussion in
Gleanings in regard to whether the use of
acid is of any injury to the wax. When the
acid is used in so diluted a manner — one
part acid to 800 or 400 of water — it does not
seem as thougli the wax could be injured,
and all are agreed that it is greatly improved
in color.
I am well aware that I cannot write a
leader upon this subject commensurate with
its importance, but I well know that I have
readers who can come to my aid and make
the October Review a symposium for the
man who has wax to render, let the quantity
be great or small.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
243
EXTR7^0TeP>
Who Shall Have Credit for an Invention ?
Mr. Koot is not iiioliutd to give all the
credit to the mau who first imblishes an in-
vention. He closes his argument with the
following: —
" Now, let lis siniinor this discussion
down into this illustrutiDu: Mr. A, a quiet
sort of mau, has been using a bee escuije,
say ten years. Mr. B, quite independently,
a prominent bee keeper, some ten years
later, invents the same thing, patents it, and
publishes it to the world. Is it fair or just
that Mr. B should go to Mr. A and say,
' Here, you have got to stop using that. 1
was the first one to put)lisli that bee escape.
To )He. belongs the credit and royalty?' That
is the way we look at this ' firet publishing '
matter."
It may not be right that A should pay
royalty to B, as he has received from him no
benefit, but to whom shall the general public
give credit, or royalty if royalty is given?
Of what benefit is it that inventions be made
and then "kept still about?" Has Bro.
Root so soon forgotten the parable of the
unprofitable servant who hid hia talent in a
napkin?
A Warning of Swarming.
Bro. Jones, in the ( '. 7>. J., tells of a pecu-
liar action on the part of a few l)ees in front
of a hive from which a swarm is almost sure
to issue during the day. All colonies do not
give this warning, but all giving it swarm
within a few hours. Here is an extract from
an interesting little article on the subject
taken from the issue of -luly 1,5th: —
"On looking round we pointed over to a
colony, perhaps eighty feet away, and said,
there is one that will swarm very soon.
' How do you know ? ' was the reply, and we
remarked, do you not see those two or three
rows above the entrance, running up the
hive, apparently biting with their mandibles,
and hacking down again, that is, they move
backwards and forwards, continually work-
ing their feet and their mandibles, or hold-
ing their heads down closely to the hive, and
we noticed them doing the same thing on
the entrance board. One of our students
once named it the bee dance, or balancing
to their partners. ' Well,' he said, ' that
movemeiit is di'^tinct, and we shall never
fortret it,' for while standing there the swarm
issued."
CI leanings for Sept. ir> has the following:—
"On page 72H. current issue, J. A. Oreen
doubts the statement made by some, that
the raking motion on the iiart of the bees in
front of their entrances is prognostic of
swarming. We have observed this s(Taj)ing
or raking, hundreds of times, and it usually,
with us, occurs some three or four weeks
ufter the honey season is closed, and swarm-
ing ceased. Almost any time during the
latter pail of July and all of August we can
find a good many of our colonies doing this
' washboard act; ' and yet, so far as we can
discover, it means nothing. The bees at the
entrance evidently have nothing to do, and
think they must clean off the paint from the
alighting-board, as the paint to fhr.m is for-
eign."
Successful Advertising.
An editorial in the American Bee Keeper
for August describes so well my own experi-
ence in advertising, and contains such good
advice upon the subject that I copy it entire.
Before doing so, however, I wish to say that
one of my advertisers, who begun last De-
cember to advertise queens, withdrew his
advertisement in July, saying that there was
no use in keeping it running when it was
impossible to keep up with orders. At the
same time some queen breeder who had had
hia advertisement in for perhaps two or
three issues only, but right in the height of
the season, would be complaining that it
didn't pay him:
" To be a successful advertiser reure Carniolan
bees which are yellow. Mr. Frank Benton,
who has been among the Carniolans, in their
home in Carniola, and examined them,
should be undoubted authority on that point.
He says there are no yellow Caruiolaus. We
liave bred them for years on our isolated
islands in the Georgian Bay, and there were
no traces of yellow, so long as they were
kei)t isolated, V)ut wheu bred in our own
apiary, or in the most isolated places we
could find on land, we were unable to breed
pure ones, aud traces of the yellow race
could fre(|uently be found, proving that they
were hybrids. While some of our Carniolans
give consideraVjJe promise, we do not think
that they in their purity, are equal in all
points to our best Italians, or the liest yellow
races, as tliere has been so much Cyprian
and Syrian blood scattered through our
country, also through Italy, the home of the
Italians, that we believe there are very few
pure Italians, altliough called pure Italians
from their general appearance. It is easily
seen how difficult it is to keep a race of bees
pure, when there are unquestionable cases
of mating between different races, for ten
or tifteen miles apart, but the crossing is no
detriment so far as honey-gathering and
dollars and cents are concerned. Hybrid
l)ees of the best strains give as good or better
results as the pure bees of any strain."
Clarifying Small ftuantities of Wax With
Sulphuric Acid.
J. A. Green, in Uh'animjH, tells how sul-
phuric acid may be used in clarifying oven
small quantities of wax. Here is what he
says: —
'"I'he articles on this sul)ject, while very
valuable to those handling large (piantities
of wax, have been, as some one has com-
plained, of very little use to the average bee
keeptir, because they conveyed the idea that
exi)ensive apparatus, and esjiecially steam
under pressure, was necessary. Small quan-
tities of wax can be clarified in this way
just as well as large ones, aud by the simplest
means, though of course with a little more
trouble and labor, proportionately.
Take the ordinary earthenware milk-crock
or stew-pan, such as are found in most
households. Put into this about a quart of
water, and add a dram or two of sulphuric
acid. Put in wax enough to fill within an
\w\\ or two of the top, and bring to a boil.
Care must be taken not to heat the crocks
too rapidly, or to have the stove too hot
where they are. You will save time by heat-
ing the water, crocks, and wax, separately,
but great care is necessary in uniting sul-
phuric acid aud water. The union of sul-
phuric acid and water, even cold water —
generates a large amount of heat: and if the
water is already hot there may be an explo-
sion, which might be dangerous. Let it boil
gently for fifteen or twenty minutes, stirring
it well meanwhile. Watch it very carefully,
that it does not boil over. Kee]) a dipperfnl
of cold water in oi e liand, while you stir
with the other, and add a little whenever
there is any sign of boiling over. Let it cool
in the crocks; or, the top may be carefully
dipped or poured off into moulds. You will
be surprised to see what nice yellow wax you
can make from the blackest and dirtiest
scrapings. With crocks enough, a great
deal of wax may be clarified in this simple
way without much labor, though if you have
much to refine you will want something less
fussy and more expeditious.
Packages for Shipping Extracted Horn y.
I have used barrels, half barrels, kegs, and
the (iO-lb. square, jacketed tin cans for ship-
ping extracted honey, and it has always been
a puzzle to me how (iiiyhndy could prefer
anything except the last mentioned. GU'ayi-
iiiijs for Sei)t. 1 has the following upon the
subject, and it is reproduced with pleasure:
" From our experience, we say emphati-
cally, (10-lb. S(iuare cans, not kegs or barrels.
Several years ago, when the square cans
were first brought i)rominently before bee
keepers as a convenient package in which to
ship extracted lioney, we were continually
having trouble by the barrels and kegs
springing a leak; and before we knew it the
bees would find it out and be set to robbing.
We had so much of this that we well nigh
made up our minds that we would not buy
honey in kegs or barrels at all, or, if we did,
we would transfer it into cans as soon as it
arrived. About a year ago. inquiries were
sent to the commission men to find out what
kind of packages they preferred for honey,
both comb aud extracted. Sonu^ few favored
the cans; but the majority said that, while
tliey preferred cans for California honey (be-
cause they could not get it in any other way)
they would rather have extracted honey, so
far as possible, in kegs and barrels. From
tiiese reports we concluded that, maybe, we
were prejudiced, and have gone so far as to
offer honey-kegs for sale. This year we
have .eceived five or six lots of honey in
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
245
kegs and barrols, and iti evory iustaiice they
were leaking on arrival, while we very r.eldoin
have a cape of leaking with cans. Is this
merely accidental, or are the cans really bet-
ter ? We certainly Kavt- good grounds for
thinki-ig so. And if we rut- aside this mat-
ter of leakage, are not the cans a much more
convenient package for the retailer to draw
from than a keg or barrel, especiidly if he
uses the screw-top hom-y-gate? For storage
the cans take less room: and thongh they
camiot be rolled around like kegs and bar-
rels, yet on the whole they are convenient to
handle. We are much inclined to think that
the commission men or thoir customers pre-
fer the barrels, for the same reason that
some of ns stick to old thiiigs and notions
that we are used to, sim[)iy because we are
used to them and dislike to try new things;
and yet if they liave had the same ex[)erienee
we have with leakage, it would seem as if
they would welcome sometiiing better.
Leaky kegs and barrels can usually be reme-
died for the time being by driving on the
hoops; while if a can springs a leak a tinner
has to be (tailed in, oi' the can emptied to
stop the leak. Mayi)ethis is the explanation
of it. We greatly prefer to contend with an
occasional leaking can than to be continu-
ally tinkering with leaky barrels and kegs."
Honse Apiaries ; How to Make Them a
Success.
"The last Bee Keepeks' Review is an ex-
cellent number. It discus^es the subject of
house apiaries. In oar judgment, the best
article on the subject is from the {len of
.lames Heddon, and it covers every point.
Among other good things, he says, " Never
let any one advocate the use of any hives,
frames, cases, or brood cliambers that arc
fixed within the building." You are quite
correct, Mr. Heddon; and you might have
added that they [irevent tlie bees from es-
caping into the room, for all outside hives
are supposed to be bee-tight. One great
reason why the house apiary was abandoned
was because the hives or compartments for
holding the frames are fixed to the sides of
the building, and it is not easy to make
these so they are bee-tight. Again he adds:
"The annoyance from robbers is the cue
great cause of irritability among the bees of
an apiary ; and I want to tell you that, if
you have a colony that is so confounded
mean that \,on exi)ect to l)e stung even when
using the smoker, put them into the house
apiary and the bees will behave jierfectly."
I have noticed this very thing myself: and,
in fact, it is a very rare thing indeed for
bees to sting inside of a building. To sud-
deidy fmd themselves indoors takes all the
fight out of them. In winding uj), Mr. Hed-
don concludes: "On the whole, I think the
house ai)iai'y, when rightly made and man-
aged, is, in many localities, a thing of com-
fort and profit. It is an easy thing to pack
colonies in for winter: and after being
packed, 1 can see what splendid advantages
can be gained from stove heat during ex-
tremely cold weather. — (Hcanings."
Punic Bees.
Th^^ so-called Funic bees have been so ex-
travagently i)raised by thee
keei)ing to catch at anything new whether in
appliances or bees, and endeavor to invent
something, or to give their opinion as if they
had a long and varied experience. Readers
of a technical paper, particularly those who
are novices, naturally look to its editor, who
is supposed to be 'well posted,' as the
Americans put it, to be their guide, and not
allow them to be misled by admitting arti-
cles or statements of a questionable kind
without giving some word of caution.
It often happens that after some glowing
account of a new hive, a feeder, or a iirw
kind of her, i)ufTed up by some person having
such to sell, or by some friend whom he gets
to write for him, and in some cases not even
a bee keeper, that those anxious to have the
right thing part with their money, and in the
end find that what they already ])ossessed
was far preferable. In this way, what was
taken up with an idea of making a i)roiit,
turns out to be a dead loss. If this is fol-
lowed by one or two bad seasons, novices
get disgusted with bee keeping and give it
up — tell their friends and those they meet
that it is a delusion and a snare.
To return to Punic bees. ' Hallamshire
Bee Keeper ' (by the way who is he, and what
is Ids real name?) says, ' I first received
these bees safely in 18s. for them in this country for what I
have to '^ijare, and 1 must say that 1 consider
them cheap at the price.' One can hardly
think that any one could be found so rich
as to pay this amount for the queen of a
246
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Punic race, of which so little is known after
seven years in this country.
Will you, Messrs. Editors, for the benefit
and protection of your readers, give us any
information as to the value of this bee, and
what is known of it in its own country ;
Reference is made to Gleanings, the Ameri-
can Bee Journal, and the Canadian Bee
Joifrnal. Could you give any of the arti-
cles ? — iNqUIBER.
[As a rule we do not like to import into
our columns controversies originating in
other journals, but as our correspondent
asks for information for the benefit of our
readers we will give all we know about Afri-
can bees. We know nothing of the experi-
ence of the persons mentioned, and have
received no reports from any of our numer-
our correspondents about Punic bees. We
know of no such race. Amongst African
bees with which we are acquainted are those
from Algeria, Moroco, and Tunis— all vari-
eties of ^^>/.s nicllifica. They are prolific
black bees, said to be good workers, but
which have not sustained their reputation
when introduced into Europe. (Queens of
any of these varieties could be purchased for
a few francs, and some years ago Algerian
•lueens were offered for ten francs ajiiece by
M. Feuillebois at Beni-Amran. The variety
cultivated by the Kabyles is shiny black, and
the workers much smaller than the avera :e
European bee; the drones, however, are
quite as large. The Kabyles inhabit the
mountains lying towards the desert of Saha-
ra, where they live in small village*, and
derive a considerable income from honey,
and more particularly from wax. These
bees are called ' Uiiziznna tliik'' arriiii,'' and
are cultivated in cylinders of cork-bark,
basket-work, or earthen-ware. Some of the
natives have as many as rM) such hives.
They were first imported into Prance in
1874, and, by their behavior, showed that
they came from a warm climate. They are
great propolisers, wliich shows that they are
not used to the cold. Although quiet at
times, if stimulated they become very sav-
age, and not only attack persons, but, even
enter the houses in their vicinity. They
have not proved satisfactory in Europe, and
we know no one now who cultivates them.
We know nothing about the so-called
Punic bees a'ld can give no information as
to their value. Possessing as we do one of
the largest libraries of bee literature in the
kingdom, it is strange that we have never
found such a race alluded to. The word
I'linic means faithless, treacherous — neither
of which should be considered good qualifi-
cations for bees. Punic bees are said to
come from Africa, but the only varieties of
African bees we know of are those alluded
to above, besides the various species men-
tioned on page IJGG of B. B. ./. for 1888.
With regard to the American i)ai)ers above
referred to by onr correspondent, tlie only
other person besides 'A Hallamshire Bee
Keeper' (otherwise .John Hewitt) who has
written in favor of Punic bees, is E. L.
Pratt, a queen breeder and deahu-. who is
advertisiniz queens imported by ' Hallam-
shire Bee Keeper ' at 80 dollars (!(!/.) each.
We wonder how many bee keepers will be
induced to give this price, or even hi. r)s. for
one. As so little is really known about these
bees we hardly think it necessary to advise
our friends in their own interests to wait for
reports from experienced and well known
bee keepers. We shall take care to give any
reliable information that may come to hand
and be of value to our readers. — Eds.] "
I have received a queen of this variety
from E. L. Pratt. She looks like a Carnio-
lan queen, and the bees accompanying her
look exaclly like Carniolans— have the char-
acteristic bands of whitish gray fuzz. Of
course we ought not to say what kind of a
queen a dark queen is, judging simply by
her looks: and the accompanying bees may
not h^iye been her bees — may have been
Carniolans. Mr. M. H. Hunt had some
Punic bees and a queen on exhibition at the
Detroit Exposition. They came from E. L.
Pratt. They certainly were different from
the Carniolan. They were blacker and more
shiny— almost a jet black.
Securing Workers for the Harv St.— ^Hill's
Review of Advanced Bee Culture.
In accordance with his promise, Bro. Hill,
of the Ut(i(h', has reviewed the sei-ond chap-
ter of " Advanced Bee Culture." I am hap-
py to say that it is very fairly done. Here
is what he says: —
" "J'his article contains three pages of non-
pareil type. We have road it carefully and
we do not think a single prominent feature
of it is true, nor are the directions generally
followed by bee keepers. He commences
with the old Hosmer theory of wintering
weak stocks in the cellar to save stores, and
then by st>ecial fine manipulation and pro-
tection build them up in the spring in time
for the surplus honey yield. It is too bad to
have our bee books filled up with such dam-
aging theories.
If we contract the hive or so manage as to
cause less than the usual amount of brood
reared during -luly, August and September,
our bees will l)e just that much weaker the
following .Tune and our surplus just that
much loss, and there is no advanced bee
culture known that can change the results.
Small colonies can be kept healthy and
breeding well but they cannot be made to
show much gain in bees until after warm,
settled weatiier, about the first of June,
then they gain very rapidly. To take bees
out of the cellar in sjiring and pack them
in sawdust and boxes as recommended to
build up weak colonies, is a thing not prac-
ticed by advanced bee keepers. Then why
should we fill up (jur bee books with direc-
tions that no bee keeper evvr follows. Is
the object just to injure tlie novice and cause
him trouble and cost for notliing? He says
he favors wintering in the cellar and
then packing with sawdust on summer
THE BEE- KEEPERS' UK MEW.
247
stands duriu}^ the spriufj, because he saves
stores by wintering in the cellar. This is
not true. I have demon striiled this by a test
of fourteen years, wei^hiny a whole apiary
twice each year. The scales show a pound
or two in favor of the cellar wintered bees,
but those wintered out doors always Hew
and ooniiuenced breedintr before the cellar
bees were set out and were that much better.
Experience and facts v)rove that a weak or
inediuni colony consumes as much or more
food during winter us a strong one does
when neither one rears any brood, (^uinby
in his Masteries of Bee Keephuj recommends
uniting two weak colonic.^ in the fall because
they would not consume iiiiich more stores
double than each would separate.
Had Mr. Hutchinson written these pages
telling bee keepers how to keep their colon-
ies strong and in good condition all the year
and advised them to take no chances on let-
ting them become weak we would have had
no occasion to criticise. If we pack bees in
the spring with sawdust we i>revent their
receiving the warmth of the sun. The only
way to protect them profitably and make
them do their best is to protect them with
sugar syrup and have them on good deep
S(|uare frames. Sugar syrup is a good non-
conductor of heat, and if on the first of
April we put the feeders on and let the bees
fill the combs above the cluster, side edges
and side combs next to the brood, we tlien
have them in the best poss^ible condition to
.stand a freeze. The Viees have only to clus-
ter between the combs around the out edges
of the brood, and with the aid of the syrup
or honey can easily keep comfortable, and
as fast as they grow in stretigth and the
weather becomes more mild they will move
the syrup from around the edges of the cir-
cle of brood putting it farther out so they
can increase the brood.
When the weither is warm and the sun
shines the liees leave the hive, and the brood
and hive are warmed up by the sun: if cool
and cloudy the bees cluster in the hive and
keep all comfoi-table. With sawdust packing
the sun heat would not reach the brood dur-
ing the day. The great point I wish to make
and l)riug out is that it is just as, important
to feed to keep the bees warm as it is to
supply necessary food. Every bee keeper
will be convinced if he will slop and consider
for a moment how much better colonies
breed during April and ^I ay that have the
combs well filled with stores, than tho<5e that
only have sufticient for daily use as food.
Really, a colony of t>ees with plenty of
stores in April does not seem to ever need
any advanced bee culture to get the workers
ready for the season. I suppose it i^ in-
tended only for those that have been worked
on the advanced contraction brood chamber
system during the fall. I (!au see under such
circumstances how a visiontiry man would
see the need of boxes, sawdust packing,
quilts, cushions and a host of other worthless
trash."
Hosmer's plan of wintering was to reduce
each colony to about a pint. If there were
more bees than that he shook them off. All
that I said that would entitle me to be ac-
cused of advocating the Hosmer theory was
that by cellar wintering it was not necessary
to have such strong stocks for wintering,
that it enabled the bee keeper to reduce the
number of consumers Q)ees) during the non-
producing time of the year, but I had no
idea of reducing any colony to a ])i)it of bees
or anything like it, and no one would get
that idea from reading the book. I would
have each colony in a good, healthy condi-
tion in the fall, not weak in numbers as
that term is understood, but with perhaps
half or one-third as many bees as there are
in the hive at swarming time; and then by
cellar wintering and by "special fine man-
ipulation and spring protection bring them
up in spring in time for the surplus honey
yield." In the wintering of bees in the open
air a weak colony may consume nearly as
much food as a strong one, because with the
greater p ^pulation of the strong colony the
requisite amount of heat is more easily kept
up, while the weak colony must consume
more food in proportion to its numbers in
order to keep up the temperature. When
the i)ees are in a warm cellar not so much
food is needed as fuel, and the difference in
the amount of food used by a weak and a
strong colony is quite marked.
I have not kept bees so long as has Bro.
Hill, neither have I resorted to so careful a
system of weighing, but this I have done :
weighed the bees in the fall and fed all that
needed feeding, giving those to be wintered
out of doors (protected) five pounds more
stores, and both classes would come out in
the spring with about an equal amount of
stores. Sometimes I have taken honey from
the cellar wintered bees to help out those
wintered out of doors, but never the reverse.
The saving of five pounds of honey pays
four times over the cost of cellar wintering,
but this is not the most important point;
cellar wintering in northern latitudes is more
certain of bringing the bees through in bet-
ter condition. I well know that in some
localities, and in open winters, bees winter
as well, if not better, in the open air, but on
an average they do not.
Bro. Hill speaks about those bees that are
wintered out of doors flying and beginning
breeding in the spring before the others are
set out. One of the reasons why I would
protect the bees after setting them out is
that it allows them to be placed upon their
summer stands as soon as there are occasion-
248
'M:^IA3U .S}ISd33H-333 a[HX
ally days warm enough for them to fly, l)ut,
this is not the main reason, it is that the
warmth may be retained, which enables the
bees to bieed more rapidly, and averts any
danger of loss by a culd .snap.
It is undoulitodly true, that combs filled
with honey or sugar syrup surrounding tlie
brood would absorb and retain the heat from
the bees, but for retaining the heat they
would be nothing like a coating of some non-
conductor entirely surrounding the hives.
If combs of stores answered the purpose of
protection there would l)e no necessity of
protecting the hives in winter.
Surrounding the hives with sawdust does
not rob the bees of the heat from the sun,
unless the sawdust is used in too large quan-
tities; it simply equalizes the heat; it absorbs
heat from both the bees and the sun during
the day and gives it up at night. We wish
our hives white that they may reflect the heat
in the summer, but we would have our pack-
ing boxes dark that they may aVjsorb the heat.
There is no doubt that the sun can more
quickly and more thorouglily warm up the
inside of a hive when the hive is not pro-
tected, but this heat lasts only as long as the
sun shines. It does not help much on a
frosty night. Without protection, it is first
hot and then cold. Packing is an equalizer.
With ordinary weather packing is not im-
perative, but right here allow me to quote a
little from this chapter in Advanced Bee
Cxdture:
"I have learned from repeated experi-
ments that protection allows or enables the
bees to develoj) greater quantities of brood;
but I do not consider this the greatest ad-
vantage of protection. The point is just
here. We often have nice, v/arm weather
for three weeks. The alders, elms and
maples bloom, i>ossibly the cherri^^s, and all
this has encouraged the bees to extend their
bi-ood until the combs are well filled. Then
comes a cold "snap." The mercury goes
down to freezing, or nearly there, and re-
mains so several days; perhaps the ground is
covered by two or three inches of snow — a
veritable " snuaw winter." More than once
have I and my bees passed through such ex-
periences, and to our sorrow. The cold
drives the bees into a compact cluster in the
center of the hives. Half of the brood, per-
haps more, is outside of the cluster, where it
perishes. The newly hatched bees, if any
there are, are tender, like a newly hatched
clucken, and easily succumb to the cold.
The old bees have lost their vitality in bring-
ing into existence the hive full of brood, and
the cold snap is the "last straw " needed to
send them to the bottom of the hive. Weak
colonies, in passing through such severe
weather unprotected, almost invariably die.
Ordinary colonies are rendered practically
wcjrthless for the season, and strong colonies
are not improved. Hiich low temperature
does not usually come so late in the season.
l)ut it is liable to come any year; while
"cold snaps," even if not so severe, come
almost every spring: while the loss that may
occur from an unusually severe spell of
weather late in the spring, will be sufficient
to f)ay for the exi)ense of protecting the h< es
each spring for several years. Several
times, when protecting the bees m the sj)ring
after taking them from the cellar, I have
left a few of the most populous colonies nn
protect 3(1. In the early morning, or during
cool days, tlie bees in the unprotected hives
would be found closely clustered, while those
in the iirotected hives would be found crawl
ing actively about all over the combs, and a
puff of smoke would drive them down an
inch or two and exi)ose large quantities of
sealed brood. When the honey harvest came,
a majority of those protected were actually
stronger than those left un(>rotected. Some
have cotnpared this packing of bees in spring
to a sfiritulmd. It is not a stimulant, as we
understand the word. It simph confines
the heat of the bees, allowinir them to spread
out and rear and yirotect larger quantities of
brood. Give them the proper conditions for
followinf^ their instinct in the direction of
brood rearing, and no additional stimulus is
needed."
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TxJE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
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Wliite Poplar Ssctions.
We have New St»>aiu I'ower, and New IJuild-
in«s, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar S<:ed. Srmd for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
l-'.'O-tf Bristol, Verm?e Smoker, 2'/4 "
Extra Sim>ker, ....2
Pliiin Smoker, 2 •'
Little Wonder Smoker, l'/2 "
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, .
Upon receipt of price. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descriptive (Trcular and Tes-
timonials sent ujion ai)i>iication.
»2.(MI
1.7.5
1..50
1.2.5
1.00
. 6.5
. Lin
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf.
Abronia, Michigan
250
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, wliich Ib the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
.^^, sections, boxes, etc.
./ 4-90-1 6t
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOB CATALOGUE, PBI0E8, KTC,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rockford, Ills.
n n I 11 'i 400 Gohlen Italian
By Return Mail, s-uKiii"'
' 3 for $l.«i». Sections,
Hives, Foundation and all Bee - Koopers' Sup-
plies kept in stock. Catalogue free, „.,^*-^l-l''
JNO. NEBEL & SON, Hi^h Hid, Mo.
IF you wish to advsrtisc anything aiiyw''Pr(* '•■*
any time write to GEO. P. ROWELL & CO.,
No 10 Spruce St , N. Y.
IC'VERY (me in need of information on the
JSSm t^ubject of advertising will do well to obtain
a copy of "Book for Advertisers," 3()S pa^os, price
$l.(iO.' Mailed, jiostpaid, on receipt of price Con-
tains a careftU compilation from the American
Newspaper Directory of all the best papers and
class journals ; gives the circulation rating of
every one, and a good deal of mformation about
rates and other matters pertaining totlie busi-
ness of ailv(\rrising. Address KOWI^jLiIj b
ADVEKTISING BUREAU, 10 Spruce St., N. Y.
iGG - ELive.
Unexcelled for SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every part
INTKUCHA NGEA BLE, RE VERSIBLE
and INVEHTIBLE. Adapted to inter-'
change with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WR Y JOHNSON,
l-!)l-tf Maso7ito^(m, Pa.
LiEflHV'S FOUNt>flTIOfl,
LUholesale and l^etail,
Smokers and Sections,
E X t P aetot^sand Hives,
Queens and Bees,
t^.B, Lteahy andCompany
Higginsville, Cnissoupi.
l-90-if Please mention the Heview.
Gold, Gold, Gold,
Is the color of the queens, drones and workers.
The leading bees of the world for beauty and
business. Sold by L. L. HEARN,
9-91-lt Frenchville, W. Va.
Untested, 75 cents each. Per dozen, $7.50.
P/easi' mention th^ Rvuieu'^
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turning out hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-frame, L. hive, 2 T supers, $1.00
Ten x-
pense of hundreds of dollars, 1 would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2..')0 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Any inquiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or stntes, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will be
copied into a book, and lilank spaces loft for the
writing of adilitional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
I'MVEliSAL
BATH.
Vapor Riid Water —
fifsh.snll. iMiD'ral.
; >, CenoHiiiial Aw.-.r.t. WU;^^^^^''"''-'"^*^*'^
y,g MHilalan-lDij.lonia NZ (1 'ii-'^^ l-^^ititi. V
;?= .i.-ini-it Ihe v/<.rM. J-il ^ 3 S
'li y. t,:h.mh & n.lail. Ol.i R:»lh. K,.iiewf.i. g.
'-.M„i inr cim.inrs. =. J. KNOWLTON. Ann Arbor, Mich.
ii^=° CHEAPEST AND BERT BATH "®a
10 ^^ 8-": R. J<: r^ < » ^' IV 5
FRKK CntniLARS EXPLAIN ALL.
Address E, J. KNOWiTON, Ann A, cor. Mich.
l-97-12t Please mention the Reuiew.
rilE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
251
Winter Bees
Safely 2ii7cl Cheaply
By usiiif; onr fiz-w Outsi^i? Winter Czvsc
on your Dovrtnili'tl Hives, or with our /S?>Af
Ttjin-'wall«.
1 tested Albino, June and July, $.175 ; August
and September, $1.50.
1 select-tested Albino, Aug, and Sep. $2..50.
1 untested Italian, July to Sep., 75 cts.
1 tested Italian, July, $1.50; August and Sep-
tember, $1.25.
1 select-tested Italian, $2.00.
For particulars, send for descriptive circular.
lUnstrated AilTBrtlsements Attract Attention.
^fS^^sJ^
S^HC
vi^f-^^^^
^c%/^^^rt^
"^^^
E,(mG:mj%:\^m&,
Cuts Fnrnislied for all illnstrating Purposfls.
252
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
flDVnjlCED BEE-CUliXUl^E;
Its Methods and ^VLanagement.
This book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is boand with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and their Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Control, and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after which Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and " Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The influence of Food, Ven-
tilation, Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
versus Mixed Bee-Keeping, Comforts and j
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc., etc. — 32 chapters in all.
PI^ICE of the Book is SO ets. The f^EVlEW and the book foi» $1.25.
Stattips taken, either U. S. ot» Canadian.
W. Z. H^TCHlNSOl^, Flint, JVIieh.
Dadants' Gonab Foundation.
Half a Million Poiiiifls SoM in TMrteeu Years. Over $200,000 in Value.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FRFE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' liangstPoth on the Honey Bee. {Revised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which they will find, without difficulty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for this work. Its arrangement is such that any subject and all its references can
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
tJ TT 1^ ♦nt ^ti^ f*- -to ■C5'C( c i** ^ chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
r^**-4**-'-*-^-'-4 »>^ J3d30 to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best hnported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginhers sent
free with Circular. 4-91-12t
mention Reuieu). CHAS. DnDA|MT & SOfi, }latniltoa, }isin<3oeit Co., Ills.
OCT. 10, 1891.
I^igaq — Oqe Dollar a Year
254
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
flDVEnTISI^G {^RTES.
All advertisements will be inserted at the rate
of 15 cents per line, Nonpareil space, each in-
sertion : 12 lines of I^onpareil space make 1 inch.
Discounts wilibe given as follows : —
On 10 lines and upwards, 3 times, 5 per cent ; 6
times, 15 per cent ; 9 times, 25 per cent ; 12 times,
35 per cent.
On 20 lines and upwards, 3 times. 10 per cent ; 6
times, 20 per cent ; 9 times, 30 per cent ; 15 times,
40 per cent.
On 30 lines and upwards, 3 times, 20 per cent; 6
times, 30 per cent ; 9 times, 40 per cent ; 12 times,
50 per cent.
THE OA.2Sr.A.IDI.A.:iSr
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts. a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD BY W.C.Q. PETFR.
75 Cts. a Year.
These are published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals one year to one address, $1.00
we^wiir^send EltllCr trial trip for Q ffltllS 25 CtSi
THE D. A. JONES CO., Ud, Beeton, Ont.
Ranted:
To correspond with
parties having Pota-
toes, Cabbage, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consign. Prompt
returns. All correspondence promptly answered.
Best of reference. EARLE CLICKENGER,
11-90-tf Clolumbus, Ohio,
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BINGHAM & HETHERIN&TON
Honey l^nives,
ARE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, 31/2 inch, $2.00
Conqueror Smoker, — 3 '' 1.75
Large Smoker, 2V4 " 1.50
Extra Smoker, 2 " 1.25
Plain Smoker, 2 " 1.00
Little Wonder Smoker, 1 i4 " • • 65
Bingham & Hetherington Knife, 1.15
Upon receipt of price. Smokers or Knives will
be sent postpaid. Descriptive Circular and Tes-
timonials sent upon application.
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
1.90.tf. Abronia, Michigan
Italian >- Queens.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - Oirciilar.
J. T. "VSTIXjSON,
Pink, Kentucky.
4-91-tf
Please mention the Retiieui.
]5wa:"crTics
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical^Hmts
to Bee-Keepers.
Please mention the Review.
2-88- tf.
— Send for —
H^ddoo's Circulars
— OF —
Bee-HiV9S and all USEFUL supplies for the
apiary. JPiS. HEDDOJH,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Rp.uiew.
EE - KEEPERS ' GUIDE. Revised,
enlarged, improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price $1.50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
Please mention the Review.
B
BEE - HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC
BEST GOODS AT L.OWEST
PRICES. WE MAKE 15,000 SEC-
TIONS PER HOUR. CAN FILL
ORDERS PROMPTLY. WRITE
FOR FREE. ILLUSTRATED CAT-
ALOGUE. G. B. LEWIS <& CO..
5-91 -tf Watertown, Wisconsin
Western Bee-Keepers' Supply House
Root's Goods cnn be lad ' '^" " -^ -
io\»a, at Root's Frices
The largest supply Imsm. s
in the West. KstaLlM'i d 18 !^
Dovetailed Hives, Sec
tions, Foundation. Kx
traetora.Sniol; ITS, Veils,
Crates, F> edei-s. Clover \
Seeds.ete. Imported
Italian Queens. Queens and
Bees. Sample copy of our
Bee Journal, "The West- , .
ern Bee - Keeper. " and Latest
catalogue. -.u..i^Fre^^y^D^^^
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
255
W^ Purcbzvse,
W 5cII,
W^ Excbzvo^e
Rea^I Estate.
F/\Rn5, STORES, HOTELS.
Outside Western property a specialty.
Improved and vacant property in
Chicago can often be exchanged for
farm land.
WRITE US. No charges will be made
until sales are effected.
E. W. WlCKERSHAn»
Suit 412,-82 Dearborn St.,
y-91-2t Chicago, Illinois.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOIi 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
Bend for catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. BROWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Georgia.
liOOK HEf^H.
Nice, white, V groove. Sections, $8.00 per
1,000. 12 lb. Shipping Cases, in the fiat, witJi
glass, $7.00 per 100; without glass, $6 00.
Twenty page price list free.
J, I^. KmziE,
ll-90-13t Rochester Oakland Co., Mich.
A Stove for $6.00.
Since living in Flint my office has been
wanned part of tlie time by an oil stove made by
the Monitor Co,, of Cleveland, expressly for
heating purposes. This coi7ipany makes what
are probal)ly the best stoves made for burning
kerosene f)il. Wo have, for several years, used
an oil cooking stove of this make and like it very
much. The heating stove tluit I have will com-
fortably warm a room 12 or I.t feet square, unless
it might be in the most severe weather, and is
particularly adapted for using nights'and morn-
ings or on cool days in the fall before it is cold
eirough to need a steady coal iire, and again in
the spring, or for warming bath rooms, bed
rooms, etc.
The stove cost $12.00 when new, but, as the
oflice has been mov(^d to another part of the
house where it will be warnicd from the sitting
room stove, 1 would gladly sell it for $(i.O0, and
it is really as good now as wtien bouglit. An
illustrated, descriptive circular will be sent on
application. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,
Flint, Mich.
Golden Italian
QUEENS
By Return A^ail.
The golden Italians are considered tiie most
handsome and gentle bees in the country. As
workers they are second to none. Mv breiuling
queen and her bees took FIKST PREMIUM
a year ago at the Detroit Exposition, and one of
her daugliters received similar honors this year
at the same place 1 can now furnish nntcsd'd
queens, l;y return mail, at 7.5 cts each ; ;H for $2.C0
Tested queens $2.00 each. Selected tested, $3.00
each. Make money orders i)ayabie at Flint.
ELMER HUTCHINSON,
3-91-2t KoKersville, Genesee Co., Mich.
Please mention the Reuieiu.
BASSWOOD
HONEY.
Extra Qualltfj.
USUAL LOW PRICES.
Address
JAMES HEDDON,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Review.
Our CavtEvIo^u^ of B^^-
5upplie5. S^od for it.
Co^tzvio^ all you Need.
Prices to suit tbe tirrje^.
Your Success in Bee-Keeplng depends
very much on the queens, hence yon see that
only the best queens are really cheap. We have
the best and want you to try them. As for
prices — well, you'll find thi^m reasonable
4-91-12t
R. 5TRATTON & SOM,
Hazardville, Conn.
Please mention the Review.
DOYQUKMPBEES
If so, send your name and address for a Pre©
Sample of tbo AMERICAN BSE JOUSHA&
Weekly— J2 pages— One Bollar a year.
'PUBLISHERS '•'^
CHICAGO. ILL.
256
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Tbe Value of Neat, Hapdson^c
PRINTING.
Many dealers look upon the style of
their printed stationery and the " get up "
of their circulars and price lists as un-
important matters. In this they are mis-
taken. Nothing is more certain to preju-
dice a would-be customer than a slovenly,
poorly printed circular or to receive a
communication written upon stationery
the printing of which is a " botch job."
While the sending out of handsomely
printed matter does not always bring the
desired orders, it is an aid in that di-
rection. In other words, we judge of a
man and of his business by what we
receive from him ; hence, the receipt of
a neat, well printed circular, or of a com-
munication written upon stationery that
awakens our admiration, leads us (uiicon-
ciously, perhaps, but none the less truly)
to conclude that everything from the
sender will be of a like artistic nature.
To turn out first class printing, five
things are necessary. 1st, good type of
neat and artistic styles ; 2nd, good paper ;
3rd, good ink ; 4th, a good press ; and,
5th, the skill to use all these things.
If one of these factors is wanting, it is
like taking a link from a chain. In what
degree the above necessities to good printing
may be found in the Review office, the
Review best shows.
Since it became known that the Review
was "home made" many of its readers
have offered it the job of doing their
printing. While I have most thoroughly
appreciated this kindness, I have been
compelled to decline the work, simply
from lack of time. Since enlarging the
Review I have found it impossible to
set all of the type myself, while there is
not work enough to keep a compositor
all the time. I am obliged to depend
upon "picking up" a man for a week
or two each month. This is rather un-
pleasant, as I am obliged to put up with
Tom, Dick and Harry and sometimes
I have trouble in finding even these.
For these reasons 1 have decided to keep
a man all the time and then do job work
that he may be kept busy when not at
work on the Review.
Now, friends, if you wish for good
printing I shall be glad to do it for you.
Nothing will induce me to send out a
poor job, but if you want nice work
and are willing to pay for it (not an
exhorbitant price but what it is really
worth) I shall be glad to hear from you.
W. Z. HUTCH1N50N, Flint, A\icb.
Have you heard that Oliver Hoover & (^o. have built, at Riverside, Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the East, fully equipped with the latest, improved machinery ? Tliey are
now prepared to send out tlie latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kiuils of bee-keepers' supplies alwajs on hand. Their location will en-
;il)lc I hcin to ship f,'oo(ls by direct line to more points than any other man-
ufacturer, whicli will ^ive the advantat;e of Low Freight Rates and
4ni(^k transportaton. Send for fr(>(> illustrated catalo^'Ue. 2-91-tf
OUIVEI^ HOOVEE? & CO., r{ivePside, Pa.
Plt-u^e mention thv Review-
ee-
eepeps'
eCu
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tl^e Iqterests of Hoqey Producers.
$1,00 A YEAR.
W. Z. HUTCHlflSOri, EditoP & PPop.
VOL, IV,
FLINT, MICHIGAN, OCT. 10, 1891
NO. 10.
The special topic of this issue is
" Rendering Wax,"
That of the next issue tuill be
Moving Bees Into the Cellar.
Adapting the Ways to the Circumstances.
E. E. HASTY.
["OW do I make beeswax ? Why, " all
sorts of ways," — and that's as how
yon all ought to do. don't you know V
In the different sorts of wax material there
are several very different sorts of refuse to
be dealt with, and get rid of; and they re-
quire different sorts of treatment. One lot
is full of dead bees crawled into the comb;
another is full of old pollen; another is
simple old comb, four-fifths cocoons and
dirt; another is scraps and scrapings, nearly
half propolis; another is cappings, and honey
well dried or candied is the main refuse,
with fiber and dirt and propolis as auxili-
aries; and still another sample is comb with
young brood in it. If I should tell you all I
know, and all I don't know, about proceed-
ings in these six different cases — well, I ain't
a going to.
To dip in a little around the edges, there
are the chunks of drone brood you cut out
and fill the place with worker coml) — or
vainly hope the bees will do so. My, what a
lot of it I had the first year I owned the
apiary! I was green then, and thought I
must have my combs all worker cells, and,
moreover, that I must not let any drones be
raised except by the choicest queens. All
comb with brood in it must be dealt with
promptly or it will become putrid. It is a
part of my apiary morals, that comb with
decayed brood in it must be buried, not ex-
tracted. To digress a little, is it not possible
that some of the brethren need a little reform
along this line? No way I have tried yet of
extracting wax from comb with brood in it
satisfies me. I squeeze out the white juice
with my hands, thus making the remainder
into wads, and then boil up the wads.
Nearly all wax material may as well be made
up into hand wads, on hot days, or by first
putting the material into hot water. Much
more can thus be got into the same space;
and space is valuable in wax rendering.
I guess I must tell you about my pail ren-
dering. Take a tall tin pail and devote it
to boiling up wax, and absolutely nothing
else. Then you won't have to wash it much,
but can let it remain varnished with beeswax
all the while. It wants a false bottom of
tin, punched full of big holes, and fixed to
rest about a "bee space" above the real
bottom. A yard square of cheese-cloth is
also devoted to the same purpose, until worn
out or spoiled. You need never do it up as a
pocket handkerchief; but it is to be rinsed
and dried always as soon as the warm refuse
is turned out of it. Then you want a big
wire, like a coiled up snake half uncoiled,
and sized to go in the top of the pail. Dent
the cloth down into the pail; put in wads of
258
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
wax a sufficient quantity; gather up the edges
of the cloth and tie the stuff in tight; put in
a few quarts of hot water, and set the pail on
the stove. Unless it is to be watched closely
it should not be very full. By the way, if
you have a superannuated stove out in the
bee shanty, the moral atmosphere of home
may at times be less sultry if you do the
boiling out there. When the water begins to
boil, the bag is to be diligently punched and
mellowed with sticks. Let the boiling go on
a good spell, with divers punchings. When
the batch is cooked enough the pail is set
away in a quiet corner; the bag of refuse is
punched down to the bottom; the wire snake
is laid in, and weights enough are put upon
it to keep the refuse from rising. Then pour
in hot water enough to fill the pail full, and
let it alone till the cake of wax is cool enough
to lift off. Usually such cakes will need re-
melting. When I go in for a regular "time
of it " making beeswax I run two pails; and
instead of setting them away to cool, I turn
the liquid contents out into a big crock of
cold water. Instead of letting it get cool
there, however, I make it again into hand
wads, to be re-melted at leisure.
At times there is honey enough in the
material to " bewitch " your wax, and it
cools in a mush-like mass resembling fine
shot. Remelting, and boiling in plenty of
water will bring it to its senses. The scrap-
ings from the bottoms of wide frames need
re-boiling from this cause sometimes. (Yes,
the burr combs and I are still so old-fogyish
as to stick to wide frames. )
Another form of refuse is that in the or-
dinary " old comb " — cocoons and dirt. Ab-
solutely nothing will please 'em but some-
body to squeeze 'em. The solar extractor
gets out very little, thorough boiling and
panelling somewhat more; but nothing less
than a good, solid squeeze will make clean
work. And don't you Imy old brood comb
at any price. The manipulator earns what-
ever he gets out of it. And comb which a
queenless colony has rammed full of hard
pollen, in the present state of my cerebrum
I don't know but I must advise you to give
it away rather than render it. Fuss with it
if you choose, but don't mix it with better
material.
Another form of refuse is propolis. When
this superabounds in the material to be
worked it is much inclined to capture your
utensils and cloths, as molasses captures a
fly. Keep propolized scraps entirely by
themselves, and free as possible from all
non-meltable dirt. Melt it up in an open
pail with plenty of water, stirring it well,
and the propolis and part of the dirt will go
to the bottom, and the wax with the lighter
dirt will rise to the top. All that comes to
the top must of course be subjected to a
second operation. A better method I will
speak of when I come to mention my solar
extractor.
Just now let me drill the apicultural young
idea on the properties of propolis. One
noted writer on bees gravely maintains that
there isn't any such thing; and we need not
be surprised if some of the boys have not its
qualities very clearly in mind. Probably
some of them think it swims on the water
like wax. The fact is that it sinks in water
quite decidedly. Most of us speak about its
melting. Propolis never melts, strictly
speaking — will burn up first. What it does
when heated is to grow salvy, and run a little
in a jelly-like way. Often when propolis
seems to be nearly pure we find, on heating
it, that the bees have kneaded considerable
wax into it. This of course rises to the top,
and leaves the daub of propolis at the bottom.
One redeeming quality of the vexatious
stuff, and one we should keep in mind, is
that iti^ stickiness is gradually destroyed by
boiling in water, until it becomes like a
brown chalk. A cloth that gets soaked in it
can be recovered by boiling awhile, and
then roughly crumpling it in cold water, and
shaking out the pulverized material.
The solar wax extractor I did not add to
my possessions till last year. Didn't fancy
the little things offered for sale, and didn't
get around to make one. When I finally
made one the plan of it was to use only such
material as I already had. I had plenty of
lath and tin and chaff. Also I had two glazed
window sash, and a big dish-pan which had
developed a hole in the bottom, and was not
a promising subject for mending. I com-
bined 'em, and the result is a pretty good
extractor — renders the wax, and threatens to
do plain cooking without a hired girl — least-
wise you would think so, on putting your
hand inside. I can remelt cakes of wax,
and get them ready for market in it. It is
shaped like a large lath chaff hive, with one
tall side, and with the two sash as a double
cover. One great sheet of tin is permanently
hinged on to the tall side as a reflector, and
two others can be placed by two other sides
when I wishk The interior is large; but
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
259
space, uot at the time needed, is filled with
chiiff cushions to prevent the loss of heat
which would otherwise result from so much
exposed wooden wall. Tlie valuable novelty
of the thiut^ is the old dish-pan. A cheese-
cloth is drawn over the top, not so tight but
it can be dented in some, aud the material
to be melted is heaped upon the cloth. The
wax works through in th'^ course of time,
while propolis scarcely any of it runs
through. What little does drop remains on
the sli;^htly slanting bottom, and does not
run through the hole into tlie wax-pan below.
The solar is no good for old brood comb;
but it just occurs to me tliat I have never
tried it oq drone brood. Maybe the roasted
brood will furnish grease enough to prevent
the wax from soaking into the refuse, and
score a cheerful success on that kind of
material. Complaint is made of other so-
lars that they are hard to clean. Mine cleans
in a jiffy. Leave it till next morning when
cold, and the cloth can be peeled off from
the propolis aud refuse, like the enamel
from the top of a hive. The cloth is fastened
to the dish-pau by a lot of great tacks which
rest in corresponding holes in the rim of the
pan. Removiug the tacks releases the cloth
aud its load of refuse at once.
Richards, Ohio, Oct. 9,*18yi.
Making Small Quantities of Excellent Wax
With Little Labor and Few Utensils.
CYULA LINSWIK.
*E HA^'E a steam wax extractor.
I mention this at the outset, that
no one may conclude that it is
from necessity rather than choice that we
render our wax in the primitive way which,
at the editor's request, I am about to de-
scribe.
Our refuse comb is seldom allowed to ac-
cumulate in large quantity, and I cannot
remember that an ounce was ever destroyed
by the larvte of the bee moth. When our
collection of cappings, gleanings from the
hives, extracted combs not quite so good as
they should be, etc., etc., has become suffi-
ciently large to warrant our taking the time
and trouble to put it in shaiie for storing away
safely, we usually dedicate some cool, rainy
morning to the work. We begin by building
a tire in the old kitchen stove ; aud as the
kitchen is an old, unused ai)artment adjoin-
ing our work-sliop, there is no intrusion
upon household comfort. In two bright tin
pans upon the capacious top of this stove,
we melt all our refuse comb. There are no
dead bees or brood in this comb, and we
take reasonable precaution to keep it free
from dust. A liberal allowance of water —
hot water if we have used proper forethought
— is put in the pans, and enough comb is
added to fill them as nearly full as may be
safely handled.
From the moment the melting begins, the
wax is under constant supervision — one pan
standing in a somewhat cooler place than
the other. We hasten the melting process a
little by punching holes through the thicker
portions of the comb, and occasionally pres-
sing it down beueath the surface of the
liquid. If due attention be given the fire,
which should be steady but not too hot, and
if doors and windows be closed so that no
cool draught strikes the surface of the wax,
the contents of the first pan will soon be
ready for straining. But should there be
discernable the slightest film of cooled wax
upon any part of the surface, it is not hot
enough to strain out well and requires more
heating.
It is now poured through new cheese-cloth
into another bright tin pan. At this stage
of the process an assistant is needed. The
refuse is lifted up in the cloth, each gathering
up one end and with a little care at first that
none of the contents escape over the edges,
the mass is squeezed by twisting the ends of
the cloth in opposite directions. If thi be
done in a warm place — opening the cloth and
stirring its contents once and then re-twist-
ing hard — if it be done as quickly and vigor-
ously as possible, finishing the operation
while the refuse is still nearly boiling hot,
there will not be enough wax left in it to
sigh over.
W'hen cooled the wax is not in what we
consider salable shape, but it is ready to
pack away for months, sometimes for years.
When ready to offer it for sale we re-melt
it very carefully, but in much the same fash-
ion as before, except that we use less water.
We put several of the thin cakes together,
using them in such proportions that the
finished cakes may be somewhat uniform in
size. This time we strain the wax through
muslin considerably thicker than cheese-
cloth. We cool it very slowly that the cakes
may not crack — usually covering the pans
during the cooling i)rocess. The pans are
the same used when we melted the comb;
they never need washing. They are simply
260
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
heated and rubbed smooth and clean with
soft paper— never use printed paper about
wax !— and then, with edges turned together,
they are set away till next time. We deem
it essential that they bo good, bright tin.
This is not a very laborious, difficult,
lengthy, or even disagreeable process, if
rightly managed, and is the best method we
know for rendering wax in comparatively
small quantities.
"OuK Clearing," Oct. 13, 1891.
[Wax mrde by the above correspondent
has twice taken the first premium at the De-
troit Exposition; in fact, Mr. M. H. Hunt,
who has handled tons of wax, pronounced it
the finest wax he ever saw. It has a beauti-
ful, pearly yellowness, that is good to see.
I presume that the cleanliness observed,
both as regards the refuse comb and the
utensils, joined with the double melting and
straining, all combine to produce such excel-
lent results.
What a simple press this wax maker has !
Only a woman would have thought of squeez-
ing the boiling hot refuse by twisting it up
in a cloth.— Ed.]
Melting Old Combs.— Sun, Steam and Hot
Water Wax Extractors.— Several Hints.
DADANT & SON.
Friend HUTCHINSON.— in reply to
your request, we will give you our.
views on rendering beeswax, as the
clarifying of beeswax is not a question of
general interest. If we can get bee keepers
to render their combs properly, there will no
longer be any need of clarifying. In the
first place, allow us to say that there is a.
great deal of beeswax wasted all over the
country because many people think that it is
not worth while to save little bits of it at a
time. But a careful bee keeper will save
every particle, clean or dirty.
I would advise every man to have a sun
extractor, but every man should also be pre-
pared to melt wax over water. The reason
of this is that old combs when put into the
solar extractor will yield nothing, the cast
skins, residues and old pollen absorbing
every bit of wax as it is melted. To succeed
in getting everything out of the old combs,
they should be well mashed in cold weather,
at a time when they are brittle. This de-
stroys the shape of the cells and avoids the
lodging of particles of beeswax in the cells.
Any one who has melted old combs has
noticed that it is in this way that the greatest
waste takes place. After the combs are well
crushed they should be put to soak in water
till all is thoroughly soaked. This is to pre-
vent the wax, when it melt?, from soal.ing in
the refuse, and it helps it to separate from
the refuse as the latter becomes heavier than
water and settles to the bottom. One need
not be afrr.id that the wax will rot, for bees-
wax cannot rot, at least it does not during
any reasonable time, as we have proven time
and again.
As to the wax extractors for melting the
combs over water, we think most of those in
use are good, but a very cheap one can be
made by using a common wash-boiler in
which the combs are melted with a great
deal of water. The wax, as it liquifies, comes
to the surface. A piece of wire cloth about
a foot square is made into the shape of a
small round basket and forced down into
the mixture and the wax can be dipped out
of that strainer with a ladle. A great deal of
water will be dipped out with the wax, but
the whole is put into some flaring vessel and
allowed to cool. These cakes will not be en-
tirely clean, especially if the wire cloth
strainer has coarse meshes, but with another
melting very nice cakes are secured and the
smell of the hive and of the honey is well
retained. The wax must not be boiled much,
but it must be thoroughly hot before it is
removed from the fire. Soft water must be
used. Propolis will not mix with wax, but
will settle to the bottom of the kettle during
the first melting. When the wax is melted
for the second time, it should be placed
where it can be allowed to cool very slowly,
undisturbed, so that all light foreign sub-
stances may settle freely to the bottom.
Bees and flies should be skimmed off when
the wax is hot, as they will usually remain
at the top. If there are any particles of
beeswax left in the top of the residue or if
anything has to be scraped from the bottom
of the cakes, it should be preserved to be put
with the next lot of combs. Cappings and
pieces of light colored combs should not be
melted with the old combs, as they will
make a better grade of beeswax, which can
be used for diflierent purposes, but the very
dirtiest, ugliest combs will make a fair arti-
cle of golden colored or red wax, according
to the locality, if properly rendered.
Cappings may be treated in the same way,
or can be rendered in the solar extractor, but
it is a mistake to render them before having
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
261
washed tJiein of all tlie houey that they cou-
taiu. Each year we usually get two barrels
of capi)iuy water which can be used for
either wiiie, cider, or to make the very best
of viueyar. To tost the strength of the cap-
ping water the cheapest nittliod is to try it
with an egg. To make good strong vinegar
an egg should float in it so as to just show
itself at the top.
The solar extractor is necessary for two
purposes: first to render out the little bits
that may be picked up during the season at
different times and which might run the risk
of being consumed by the moth if preserved
during hot weather. It is also useful to ren-
der any wax that has been damaged by melt-
ing with very hard water or by over-boiling.
Beeswax which has a grainy appearance and
which some people have mistaken for grains
of pollen is wasted by many and can only be
recovered by tlie sun process. It contains a
great deal of water, sometimes half of its
weii?ht, and this must be evaporated before
the wax is fit to be used.
Wax extractors should be nearly fiat and
so made that every nook and corner be ex-
posed to the rays of the sun through a glass.
Beeswax can be melted in them, from May
to October, but the best month for.their use
is June. They give a first class article of
beeswax without much labor, and for this
reason they will be much more extensively
used in the near future.
Hamilton, 111.,
Oct. ly, 1891.
Advantages of the Solar Wax Extractor.
E. 0. AIKIN.
pY EARLIER experience, friend H.,
AIlP was like yours. However, it was my
mother's kitchen floor, stove and
utensils that were besmeared with wax. It
was melt and dip: boil both in and out of
sack; next a steam apparatus, imjiroved and
changed several times. Then again I made
a big boiler in the shape of a letter U with a
wire cloth cylinder submerged in it. It
looked nice, but no amount of turning would
get the wax out of the refuse and dirt. Then,
again, I tried the gunny sack. But, oh, my !
The time and wax wasted, and the dirt and
litter all about.
Then Demaree's solar came out. I read
his description in the .4. B. J., then picked
up an old trunk, minus the lid, got the re-
mains of a worn out ton gallon tin can to
make the concave bottom, invested forty
cents in glass, and made an extractor.
I have never tried acid, but I thiok the
solar ahead of any process I have tried.
Some seem not to succeed with it. There is
usually a tendency to use tools and appli-
ances that are i-.ot adequate to the work re-
quired. I have ol)served this to be the case
with extractors as well as other appliances.
Let me suggest to those who want to make
a solar extractor, that they make it two or
three times larger than they think they will
need, and then it won't be a bit too large.
It does not pay to save a few cents in first
cost, and then always be in " hot water "
because your machine won't do your work.
Have the whole arrangement large enough
to give abundant sun, and to hold a large
amount of wax at one filling. When once
filled, let it stand for days, yes for weeks,
and the wax will gradually work down out
of the refuse.
For a small apiary I think it will not pay
to bother with water or acid, but use the
refuse for kindling fires.
There is, however, so much wax left in the
refuse that, in larger apiaries, it may pay to
save it and subject to some other process.
If this refuse be kept in some old crock, can,
or even a box, moths will cause no trouble in
it; and at the end of the season it can be
again worked over with water or acid at
some convenient time.
The wax cakes that are removed from time
to time from the drip pan should be broken
up and again put into the extractor, having
the incline very slight, and allowed to melt
again and cool with an inch or two of water
in the pan that receives the wax.
Again, the extractor comes very handy at
times to reduce candied honey.. Scraps of
comb containing honey, " and all such," can
just be thrown into the solar and all saved,
with almost no waste at all.
Others have laughed at me for saving
scraps of comb, even that which seemed to
, be nearly all propolis ; but later they were
astonished to see the amount of nice wax I
got from it. I save even the propolis scraped
from sections when crating honey; and from
the scrapings of nine tons of honey have
two or three pounds of nice wax, done by
sun heat in October.
When bees are secreting wax freely they
often use quite a little of it in the place of
glue.
262
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Make the solar a catch all for all such
things, and it will soon pay for itself in the
saving of wax, to say nothing about time
saved.
FoBT Collins, Colo., Oct. 13, 1891.
Handling Hives More and Frames Less.
JAMES HEDDON.
^HY, you have written an ar-
ticle on this subject several
years ago," says my steno-
grapher, as I begin dictating under the above
heading. " Yes, more than oue," is my
reply.
Several years back will be found articles
in different journals upon the above subject,
one or two of which I believe are headed
almost exactly as above, as well as those
headed " Readily Movable Hives." At that
time I had been in the business for years,
and constantly under a declining price for
our product. I began to see that cost of
production must in some way be lessened,
else I must withdraw my capital and labor
from the business which I always preferred
to all others. These thoughts led me to ex-
perimenting, and that experimenting to the
invention of the hive which I patented, and
which Senator Taylor describes and properly
credits to me on the first page of your last
number. Ever since the advent of that hive,
it has gone without saying, among my lielp,
that we can manipulate double the number
of colonies that could be handled equally
well in any of the previous styles of hives,
because, as Mr. Taylor truly states, this di-
visible brood chamber and style of close tit-
ting frames, in combination with the rests
and set-screws, allows us to make nearly
every useful manipulation quickly and with-
out moving a frame; neither must it be
understood that the frames are not ' ' readily
movable " as well as all of the sections of the
hive.
Mr. Doolittle (page 23.'), last No.,) seems
to carry the idea that a hive specially adapted
to cutting away one-half of our labors and
doing our work so speedily as to thwart rob-
bers, was of no special advantage because of
the expense in a change of hives. He seems
to forget that there are new bee keepers en-
tering the field and that ni any of the older
ones are increasing their colonies, necessi-
tating new hives, and that the advantage in
the improvements in hives are many times
great enough to warrant introducing a new
pattern, especially when the same honey
board and honey receptacle fits all equally
well. I would like to enquire what kind of
a new divisible brood chamber hive he can
have been using that he can see no special
difference between it and a common L. hive
with the bottom knocked loose ? If the
frames used by Mr. Doolittle were such that
two of them could be worked back into one
of his old style, and other things about his
hive were as badly disarranged, I don't
wonder at his failure and the difference of
opinion between him and Senator Taylor.
But one thing must be remembered, Mr. D.
has all these years schooled himself, as his
articles show, to a tedious, round-about
method of manipulation; much more so than
methods used by others who have used sus-
pended frames; so of course he must feel
like a bird liberated from a cage, not know-
ing what to do when out in the broad field of
speed and safety.
Mr. D's statement of the twenty thousand
dollars his bees have paid him in the last
twenty years is no argument; there are very
many other conditions to be considered; and,
better than I know that they have paid $20,-
000, do I know that they would have paid
$30,000 had he kept double the number of
colonies in hives that would have necessitated
no more work in his apiary.
DowAGiAC, Mich., Oct. 12, 1891.
Crystalization of Sugar Syrup.
F. A. GEMMILL.
fHAVE repeatedly had to feed sugar
syrup to my bees in the fall to make up
the deficiency in stores necessary for
wintering them safely and successfully.
You will observe, I feed to make up the defi-
ciency, leaving any honey there might be in
the hive. Now, I never had any ditllculty
worth mentioning in the syrup crystallizing
in the coml)S, as I used tartaric acid a la
Heddon, until this season, when I found
thirteen colonies with honey (fall flowers)
which I desired to remove completely. Five
drawn combs, containing neither a drop of
honey nor a grain of pollen, were placed in
each brood chamber, and the bees from the
thirteen colonies shaken off upon the empty
combs. A Miller feeder was given each col-
ony and never allowed to be empty till
twenty-eight pounds of granulated sugar
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
263
syrup (with tartaric acid added as usual)
were given. The syrup was fed the last week
in September, aud it was fed hot enough so
I could put my hand in it. The weather was
also hot. After feeding I looked the combs
over aud found ^he syrup completely granu-
lafecl in each hive ; in fact, so little remained
in a liquid state that I fear the bees would
starve if they were wintered on it alone.
Little or none of it is sealed. It was the best
of sugar, and was made by putting two
pounds of sugar to one of water.
Do you think by closing all upward venti-
lation and giving plenty of lower ventilation,
there would be sufficient moisture retained
in the hive to moisten the sugar without in-
juring the bees, until spring, when I could
then feed or give combs of " fall flowers " to
them for brood rearing ? Do you consider
aster honey, sealed, a safe winter food ?
You can send this to Mr. Heddon for his
opinion, if you choose.
Stkatfobd, Canada, Oct. 6, 1891.
P. S. — I know you prefer honey to tartaric
acid. 1 have ten more to feed, but they have
clover honey, only not enough. I think I'll
try the sugar syrup and honey instead of the
acid. I shall try one colony on the granu-
lated syrup as an experiment.
[I have had no trouble with sugar syrup
crystallizing in the combs, although the feed-
ers and utensils in which the syrup was made
would become pretty well coated with sugar.
I prefer to add honey. It is more effective
than acid in preventing crystallization. I
think bees would die with crystallized stores
alone. If I remember correctly, C. E. Boyer,
of Ainger, Ohio, once reported a heavy loss
from this source. I should give each colony
one or two combs of honey, and I don't knoiv
why sealed aster honey would not be safe.
I sent the above to Mr. Heddon and he re-
plies as follows: — Ed.]
DowAGiAO, Mich., Oct. 9th, 1891,
Tell Mr. Gemmill to use plenty of the best
tartaric acid ( that is, increase the dose fifty
per cent) and put one part of honey (amber
preferred) to every three of syrup, and he
will be all right. For the honey mixture,
give Doolittle credit. I tlnd the granulated
sugar much different from what it used to
be onee. Then the regulation amount of acid
would hold it every time ; noiv, hardly any
of the time. I get caught, with all of my
former experince.
James Heddon.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOri, Ed. & PPOp.
Terms : — $1.00 a year in advance. Two copies,
$1.90 ; three for $2.70 ; five for$4.ii0 : ten, or more,
70 cents each. iW" The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for,
FLIIVT. MICHIGAN. OCT. 10, 1891.
Bko. Newman, of the A. B. J.,ie an excel-
lent punster. He asks " will the Am. Bee
Keeper be satisfied now that it has got the
' Worldf ' "
Dk. Millek says: "Shake hands with me
at Albany." All right, Doctor. Health and
iveaUli permitting, I'll do that. If necessary,
I can wear the old overcoat another winter.
Extracting honey by the aid of a steam
engine is what A. W. Osburn does in Cuba,
using an extractor with a reel seven feet
three inches across. The whole machine
weighs 1,730 lbs. J. F. Mclntyre runs his
extractor with a water motor.
A new bee paper is the Bee Journal of
Winona, Minnesota. (Better get a new
name Bro. What's-your-name? Bee Journal
is not very distinctive.) This new comer is
a monthly, at fifty cents, has sixteen pages,
is well printed, and is going to try hard to
be " second to none." Good.
The Headings to nearly all the articles in
the Review are furnished by the editor.
Not one correspondent in ten sends a title to
his communication. The headings to an
article ought to be an index of its character,
and to give this in a few words is sometimes
quite difficult. If you think otherwise, just
try it.
The Am. Bee Keeper asks what has be-
come of the California Bee Keej)er. That is
exactly what the Review was going to ask,
as it has not been received since -Tune. It
must be unpleasant to suspend publication,
but when it becomes evident that a paper is
264
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
being run at a loss and can never be a suc-
cess, it is the height of folly to continue its
publication until the last cent is expended.
Eknest Root says that he is misunder-
stood in regard to the "hitching" and
" catching " of deep frames when attempting
to draw them out of a case. He says they
are liable to " catch " because the frames are
not always exactly square, are diagonal, and
the deeper the frames the greater the oppor-
tunity for " diagonal-ness." I fail to see
the point. Suppose a frame is diagonal,
aren't the opposite sides just as parallel as
though the frame was exactly square? See?
SwABMiNG OUT sometimes causes some
trouble to the queen breeder. After the
queen has filled the cells of a small nucleus
with eggs, and perhaps gone over them the
second time putting a second egg in many
of the cells, she becomes discontented and
swarming out is the result. J. F. Mclntyre
prevents loss from this source by covering
the entrance with queen excluding zinc as
soon as the queen begins laying. I find this
in a very interesting account of Mr. Mcln-
tyre^s apiary written by Geo. W. Brodbeck
and published in Gleanings. Two splendid,
full page illustrations of the apiary accom-
pany the sketch.
Carniolans, at least some strains of them,
are good workers and not such great swarm-
ers as some say they are. Mr. Andrews, of
Patten's Mills, N. Y., writes that one colony
gave him 120 pounds of coml) honey, and
three others over ninety pounds each, and
they made no attempt to swarm. He agrees
with Dadant that the presence of many
drones incites the bees to swarming. What
he wrote was not intended for publication —
"just for a chat with you," he wrote — but
when the Carniolans give a good yield of
honey the bee keeping world wishes to
know it.
NORTH AMERICAN CONVENTION.
The North American Bee Keepers' Society
will hold its annual meeting at Albany, N.
Y., Dec. 8 to 111 Reduced railroad rates
have been secured from the West and South
and the indications are that the meeting will
be well attended. For further particulars
address the Secretary, C P. Dadant, Hamil-
ton, 111.
LABEL YOUR HONEY.
When over at Port Huron this fall, award-
ing the premiums in the apiarian department
of the fair, I had quite a little chat with G.
G. Baldwin, one of the exhibitors, who is
quite an extensive bee keeper. Among other
things he told me that he always labeled his
honey, stamped each section, I believe he
said, with a rubber stamp. At first he sold
his honey through commission men, but
soon the retail dealers and even the con-
sumers began writing to him for prices, and
the result is that now a large share of his
honey is sold direct, without passing through
a commission man's hands, thus leaving the
commission charges in the hands of the pro-
ducer who has the necessary enterprise to
label his goods.
THE APICULTURIST A CIRCULAR FOR THE
BUSINESS OF ITS EDITOR.
Bro. Alley of the Api. admits that the
August issue of his paper was intended to be
but little more than a " great, big, booming
circular for his business," and boasts of its
effectiveness in that direction. He says he
pays the bill and asks why he shouldn't
boom his goods in the Ajyi. Yes, he pays
the bills, that is true, but the money with
which they are paid comes from the pockets
of those who are foolish enough to pay him
75 cts. a year for his circular. Awhile ago
his paper was good; so good that it was sev-
eral times praised by the Review ; but it
has degenerated into what is but little more
than an advertising sheet for the business
of its editor and a medium through which
he can publicly abuse those with whom he
does not agree.
THE NORTHWESTERN CONVENTION.
The Northwestern Bee Keepers will hold
their annual convention Nov. 1!) and 20, at
the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake and
Dearborn streets, Chicago, 111. This date
occurs when excursion rates on the railroads
will be one fare for the round trip.
There is no city that offers greater facili-
ties than Chicago for the getting together of
a large number of successful, practical
honey producers. It is the railroad center
of a great honey producing country, and at
the time when the convention is held a man
living 200 or ;?00 miles distant can go and
return for only $r,.{)0 or $('..()() car fare. Re-
duced rates can be had at an excellent hotel,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
2(55
and a room for holdintj the meeting is fur-
nished free by the same liotel. The result is
that tliese Chicago meetings are always well
attended, interesting and prolitable. For
Western bee keepers there is notliing like a
convention in Chicago. The Northwestern
has suffered from dropping some of its
meetings because the North American held
its sessions either in or near Chicago. This
year the North American holds its convention
so far P^ast (Albany, N. Y.,) that few West-
ern men can attend, hence the Chicago con-
vention will be the convention this year for
Western bee keepers, and a good meeting
may be expected.
ALFALFA FAKMING.
The CoamopoUtan for November contains
an illustrated article upon " Alfalfa Farm-
ing." It was written by John Brisben
Walker, who was for ten years an alfalfa
farmer in Colorado, and prominently con-
nected with the introduction of alfalfa into
that State, beginning with a few acres and
experimenting until his crop exceeded 3000
tons p( r annum. He believes that " over at
least one-third of the United States, alfalfa
may be grown to so great an advantage that
it is doubtful whether any other crop can
equal it in productiveness." He describes
very fully the processs of sowing, irrigating
and curing alfalfa, but, strange to say, if he
has been an alfalfa farmer for ten years, not
one word is said in regard to its value as a
honey producing plant. When the area
cultivated reaches 1,000 acres the process of
harvesting goes on constantly from the first
of June until the last of ( )ctober. There are
three cuttings during the year, " the second
crop being ready for the cutting, where the
machines were first put to work, by the time
that the last field of the first cutting has
been cleared." I should suppose that this
course would result in a continuous bloom,
and, if this is the case, it is not to be won-
dered that Colorado can furnish car loads
of alfalfa honey.
OLD BEES CAN SEOKETE WAX AND KEAK BKOOD.
Mr. E. France sends to Gleanings a most
interesting account of an experiment made
by himself the past seasoQ, that of removing
the brood (just before it hatched) from a
swarm of bees hived .Tune 10th, until the
bees had been rearing brood and secreti^ig
wax for a period of ninety days, yet not a
bee had been hatched in the hive. Except
the stragglers that may have entered from
adjoining hives, the hive contained no bees
that were not hatched at least three months
previous, yet quite a fair swarm remained,
and, Sept. 14, they were yet building comb
and rearing brood. Mr. France says he is
not sure but that they would pass the winter
if allowed to hatch the crop of brood that is
coming on.
The experiment seems to prove that bees
can live longer thau some very good author-
ities have said they would. It also shows
that old bees can secrete wax and rear brood,
but it does not show that they can do so to
so great an advantage as can the younger
bees. It must be remembered, however,
that in this experiment the colony was not
exactly in a normal condition. The hatching
of young bees would have sent all of the old
bees into the fields where their wings would
have been worn out sooner than in the hive.
As it was, a large share of the workers were
kept at home by the lack of younger bees for
nurses, and thereby saved the wear and tear
on their wings. Ttie introduction of an
Italian queen into a black colony June 1st
shows that, ordinarily, the life of a worker
in the working season is less than ninety
days, and that the work of brood rearing,
wax secretion (voluntary) and comb build-
ing falls to the young bees.
SHALL THE SPECIAL TOPICS BE CONTINUED IN
EVERY ISSUE ?
With the end of this volume the Review
will have taken up and discussed forty-seven
of the leading debatable topics connected
with apiculture. As I look the ground over
it appears as though it had been pretty well
covered. It seems as though, if the Review
continues to take up, each month, some sub-
ject for special discussion, that many times
it will be necessary to choose some quite
trivial topics. I think it would not be ad-
visable to drop these special discussions en-
tirely, as new things are being brought out
quite often (like the bee escape, for in-
stance), while other topics seem to come up
almost of themselves, as, for instance, that
of adulteration of honey. When there is
any occasion for an extensive discussion let
it be held, but it seems to me as though, now
tliat the Review has discussed most of the
important, unsolved, apicultural problems,
that its usefulness would be impaired by
266
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
keeping it tied down to these special discus-
sions ; by compelling its editor to choose a
subject for discussion each month whether
there is an appropriate subject or not. An
editor needs plenty of latitude; at the same
time it will not answer to ignore the wishes
of his readers, I feel sure that one reason
why the Review has prospered as it has is
because it has taken its readers into its con-
fidence, asked for their advice and sugges-
tions and tried to profit thereby.
And now I have reached the point I had in
view when I began writing this editorial, that
of asking the advice of my readers in regard
to the advisability of the proposed change.
Shall the Review continue to make each
issue a special number, as heretofore, even
though the topics taken up may sometimes
be unimportant, or shall its editor be allowed
to devote a number to the discussion of some
special topic only when he thinks it advis-
able ? I wish every subscriber would write
me on this subject. Will those who wish
each number to be a special number, (yes,
and those who don't, for that matter), send
a list of subjects they would like discussed ?
Before doing this, however, let each one turn
to the last page of the cover and look over
the topics already discussed.
If the Review does not have some special
topic discussed in each issue what will it
give in place of this feature ? This is a
question that may be asked. I don't wish to
discontinue this feature, simply not be
obliged to introduce it into ei-ery issue. I'll
tell you what I had been thinking of giving
next year instead of these special discussions,
or in place of those that may be dropped,
and that is a series of seasonable articles
from some three or four of our most practi-
cal and successful bee keepers. A single
article from a man does not always show
him nor his methods to the best advantage.
If we could see what had come before, and
what was to follow, the present might appear
to better advantage. How is it, friends,
wouldn't you like to have a few of our best
bee keepers tell you, in a series of articles in
the Review, how they manage their bees
from the time they are wintering in the cel-
lar until they are again stored in the same
place, each article being given a month be-
fore the information it may convey will be
needed ? If so, please say whom you would
like to have write such articles ; as in the
selection of the writers I should be guided
largely by the preference of my readers.
I have introduced this subject now that I
may have time to hear from my subscribers
and decide upon the matter in time to
announce the decision in the December
Review.
Friends, I wish you would consider this
appeal just as personal as though written
with a pen and you were compelled to puzzle
over it to " make it out." Think the matter
over carefully, and then write me your views.
MOVING bees into THE OELLAE.
The main points to be considered are when
to do it and how to do it. Two or three
years ago the question of when bees ought to
be carried into the cellar was considerably
discussed. The drift of the matter at that
time was that we were leaving our bees out
of doors too long, that the one or two flights
that possibly might be secured by the delay
were of no particular benefit. The bees had
ceased to store honey or to breed, they sel-
dom flew and consumed but little food,
either honey or pollen : in fact they had set-
tled down into a quiescent state and were
ready for their winter's nap. No cleansing
flights were needed. The intestines were
not loaded, because almost no food was being
handled or consumed, and nothing was
voided in these late flights, if the bees did
fly. It was argued that it was better to carry
the bees in before they had even felt the
touch of Winter's stern hand, and before the
hives were dampened by frost or snow or ice.
Instances were mentioned where bees were
carried into the cellar unusually early, yet
they wintered well. Some bee keepers said
that, as time went by, each year found them
. putting their bees in the cellar at an earlier
date. All this appears reasonable, and, for
ought I know, is good doctrine, I have put
bees in the cellar as early as Novemlier 10,
and as late as December la, and, so far as
results were concerned, I could see little
difl'erence. It is my belief that after bees
have ceased active labors ( honey gathering
and brood rearing) for a sufficient time to
allow their systems to get rid of the waste
matter resulting from such labors, and they
have had one or two flights after cool fall
weather has set in, that any slight accumu-
lations may be voided, I say it is my belief
that nothing is gained by leaving them upon
the summer stands. That anything is gained
by putting them in unusually early I doubt.
I believe it has been argued that it disturbs
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
267
them less to put them in early. That they
have not yet reached so advanced a staye of
"hibernation" as my friend Clarke calls it.
Rousing a man just as he is on the point of
falling to sleep is not so uuich of a shock as
it is to awake him from a sound sleep, is tlie
idea, but I don't take mucli stock in it, un-
less we are to use it in comjiaring the bring-
ing in of bees early in the fall with that of
bringing them in at mid winter. In short,
I think it unimportant when the bees are
brought in, provided they have really settled
down for winter's inactivity and they are
not left out until freezing weather sets in.
When the time arrives for carrying in the
bees how shall it be done? If there are only
a few colonies and they are near the cellar
they may be picked up and carried in by
"main strength," but if there are many to
carry or the distance much, some other plan
is needed. If there are two persons to do
the work it simplifies matters, as the hives
may be carried between them upon a hand
barrow. The barrow used by my brother
and myself is made of two pieces of fencing,
each six feet long, the ends being shaved
down to a convenient size for handles. The
two pieces of hoards are placed upon their
edges, about fifteen inches apart, and then
fastened together by two cross-pieces nailed
in between them. As the bee cellar is in a
side hill, four hives could be placed upon
the barrow and carried directly into the cel-
lar. Where the cellar is under a building
and must be entered by going down stairs,
this sort of a barrow would not answer very
well unless there were stakes put in to keep
the hives from sliding, and the frames were
not of the swinging style. Mr. H. R. Board-
man has a cart behind which he can walk
and from the front of which project arms
that may be thrust straddle of a hive and
the hive thus raised from the bottom board
and wheeled into the cellar without so much
as touching the hive with the hands. Mr, F.
H. McFarland, of Vermont, has a sort of
neck-yoke to each end of which a hive may
be attached by wire loops that pass under
the hive. Mr. Doolittle and Dr. Miller have
each, I believe, some sort of a device that
enables them to use their strength to the
best advantage when carrying bees into the
cellar. I have forgotten just how their ar-
rangements are arranged, the same as I have
in regard to quite a number of other devices
that have been devised for this purpose.
Carrying bees into or out of a cellar is hard
work at best, and if there is any "best way,"
either for one man or for two, let us find out
what it is.
If an attempt is made to carry bees into
the collar during warm weather, or when the
temperature is rising and the cluster expand-
ing, there is trouble from the bees leaving
the hives on account of the disturbance.
When the temperature is falling and the
cluster contracting is the time to move them
in. If the bottom boards are loose (and
they ought to be) and there comes a day
when " its growing colder all the time," just
raise each hive an inch or two, putting a
block under each corner. This will allow the
cold to " get at " the bees, causing them to
cluster more quickly and compactly, when
they may be carried into the cellar without
leaving a little cluster upon the bottom board
or very many bees leaving the hive.
No, I would not bring in the bottom boards
with the bees, and I would stack up the hives
as practiced by Mr. Boardman. That is, if
I had room enough. Set the bottom row of
hives a foot or more apart. Let the distance
apart be such that when the next row is
placed upon the first, each hive may set over
the opening between the lower hives. In
other words, the ends of the upper hive will
just nicely "catch on" to the upper ends of
the two lower hives. Each row would be
placed in a similar manner, thus leaving a
space below each hive. For the lower row I
would use empty hives. I would manage in
some manner to have an empty space below
the combs, for, without being able to say ex-
actly ivhy, I have noticed for several years
that colonies so prepared, whether in doors
or out, have wintered better than where the
bottom boards came up close to the bees.
Pat the weakest colonies at the top.
Friends, this is to be our speci 1 topic for
November; you will please criticise what I
have written.
THE WINTEB PEOBLEM IN BEE KEEPING.
This is the title of a new fifty cent book of
seventy-seven pages written by G. R. Pierce,
of Blairstown, Iowa. It is exceedingly well
written and well printed. In fact the work
might be taken for that of a professional,
scientific writer. It is also evident that the
writer has had some experience in bee keep-
ing, and is somewhat conversant with current
apicultural literature, yet he decides that bee
diarrhtea is simply a cold — intestinal catarrh
268
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
— and will soon disappear if nothing is pres-
ent to irritate the intestines while they are in
a sensitive and inflamed condition. He at-
tributes this condition — diarrhcea — to the
combined influence of cold and Jack of food.
It seems strange that anyone who has read
the bee journals and books as faithfully as
Mr. Pierce appears to have done, could ar-
rive at such a conclusion. Were it simply
lack of warmth and food that causes bee
diarrhcea, the wintering problem would have
been solved years ago. Time, and tune and
TIME and again have bees been abundantly
supplied with food and kept warm, so warm
in some instances, after Ira Barber, at De-
troit, advocated such a high temperature,
that they even clustered outside the hives,
yet have they died of diarrhcea. For a pre-
ventative of diarrhcjea Mr. Pierce recom-
mends covering the hives with newspapers, a
dozen thicknesses at the sides and thicker
yet on top, then setting a box over the hive
and filling the space between the hive and
box with leaves, chaff or similar material,
tightly packed. He advises a two-inch space
for the packing material. He also advises
the inclining of the hive well to the front
that the warm air from the cluster may be
forced towards the stores at the rear. In
short, he advises thorough protection, and
says that a colony of bees prepared for win-
ter as he has directed will not show signs of
diarrhcBa unless the stores fail. I cannot
understand how an author can shut his eyes
to the fact that thousands of colonies as
thoroughly protected as he advises, and
sometimes more so, have died like "rot"
and left their combs well filled with stores.
In many instances they died with stores
above the cluster, for, be it known, Mr.
Pierce places quite a little stress upon the
importance of having the stores above the
bees.
Our author also lays much stress upon the
instinct of the bee in choosing a suitable
home. The thick walls of the hollow trees
afford great protection. He calls attention
to the fact that the colony is gieatly pro-
tected at the top, which is all-important.
The honey is also above the bees. But bees
do not always choose a hollow tree for their
home. There have been frequent reports of
some swarms entering an empty hive stand-
ing in an apiary, and swarms have been
caught by putting up decoy hives in the
woods. Neither do the bees always find the
ideal hollow in a tree. Often they are found
occupying a nearly horizontal hollow in a
limb with only a thin shell of wood above
them and the stores to one side of the cluster.
But all this is neither here nor there when
we remember that the same causes that
sweep the life out of our apiaries leave deso-
late the tree-top homes. If bees did not
perish in the homes to which they have been
led by their instinct, the " woods would have
been full of them " long ere this. Mr.
Pierce inadvertantly admits this by saying :
" When the runaways (swarms) are numer-
ous, bee hunters tell me that every hollow
tree contains a swarm." Why not at other
times, unless because the bees have died off?
Mr. Pierce lays but little stress upon the
quality of the food. He admits that fall
honey in some districts may possibly be a
factor in winter mortality, but not if sealed.
He says " the cap of a honey cell is a reason-
able guarantee that the contents are ' pure
and free from all deleterious substances ' —
as far as the bee is concerned." I don't un-
derstand how he can ignore the many experi-
ments by which it has been proven that food
is all -important. I don't remember that a
case of diarrhosa has been reported when the
bees had cane sugar stores, while thousands
of cases have occurred with natural stores.
Scores of colonies with natural stores have
died with the diarrhoea while those with
sugar stores, wintered in the same cellar,
have not even specked the hive covers when
they flew in the spring. Because Mr. Pierce
wintered bees upon honey mixed with sweet
cider, or upon honey-dew, isn't proof that
the character of the stores plays an unim-
portant part.
( )ne objection urged by Mr. Pierce against
the wintering of bees upon sugar alone, is
that it has never been proven (so he asserts)
that nitrogenous food is unnecessary in the
winter diet of bees. I am neither scientist
or chemist, I can't argue these points, but
this much I know, I have many times win-
tered bees perfectly upon sugar syrup alone ;
have never failed in the attempt, but have
often lost them when they had natural stores.
In justice to Mr. Pierce I must admit that
he admits that the consumption of [)ollen is
a factor in the subject under consideration,
but he will recognize it only as an intensify-
ing cause — making the trouble worse after
it has once set in.
It seems to me that if we know anything
in regard to bee diarrhcini it is that it is the
result of an overloading of tiie intestines in
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW-
209
contiuement. If the tempcrjiture ia such
that the bees are comfortable, that they siuk
into a quiet repose, but little food is cou-
puuied. The less food consumed the longer
cau contiuement be borne. If extra food
must be consumed to keep up the animal
heat, the sooner are the intestines over-
loaded. The advice to thoroughly protect
the colonies is excellent, perhaps none bet-
ter could be given, but to say that it will
always, or nearly always, prevent diarrhiea,
is a statement not in accordance with the
experience of hundreds of bee keepers.
There are many excellent minor points in
the book, and much good advice, and it is
with real regret that I see the author, appar-
ently at least, ignore facts with which every
advanced bee keeper is well acquainted.
One excellent point that he makes is in
showing the objectional features of absorb-
ents about the bees in winter. Water is an
excellent conductor of heat when compared
with air, and when the absorbents become
wet they conduct away the heat very rapidly.
In cellar wintering he thinks a complicated
system of ventilation unnecessary.
He calls attention to the necessity of pro-
tecting colonies on top. To illustrate, he
calls attention to the melting of snow in a
circular spot on the top of a hive just over a
cluster. I have noticed the same thing even
on the roof of a packing box inside of which
was packed a colony.
If colonies are weak in the spring crowd
the bees to such combs as they can cover,
protect well and let them alone. Don't add
brood from strong colonies.
Stimulative feeding is discouraged. A
prolific queen, enough bees, plenty of food
and a warm hive is all that is needed.
EXTRMOTED.
Ernest replied as follows: —
"It is not a very difficult matter to pro-
duce a jet of steam. Take an ordii ary square
tin cau, and have your tinner attach to it a
tin pipe, and let thi^ same communicate with
a barrel near the stove. I have tried a tive-
gallon tin boiler on the stove, and find that
it will generate
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* Torn down, t Lost.
You will see that the plan is to write the
number of nucleus down the side, and the
condition along the top of the page, and the
day of the month where the two lines come
together. It requires three sets of names to
run a whole month; and one sheet of letter
paper is plenty large enough to keep the
record of twenty nuclei for thirty-one days.
Now, suppose I want some laying queens.
Instead of running all over the apiary and
reading all the slates and cards. I run my
eye down the two last laying columns and
find that numbers 1, 4, !». 14, 1.5 and 18 con-
tain laying queens, and I go straight to the
hive for them. You will understand that all
the figures except the first column, which is
the number of the hive, are the days of the
month on which the hive was examined; and
I claim that it is easier and quicker to put
down one or two figures, in the column
which represents the condition of the hive,
than to manipulate the pins of a queen
register on the hive. Now, suppose I go
over 100 nuclei with queen registers, and
mark the condition of each nuclei on the
registermg card: when I get through I have
forgotten which hives have laying queens
and which are queenless, and must run over
the apiary again to find them. With this
system you have the condition of every hive
in your hand in the most condensed form,
and can go straight to a hive having a laying
queen, if you want one, or to a queenless
hive, if you have a cell to put in, and no
false moves are made, and no unnecessary
steps taken. I rear all my queens now by
Dlacing the Doolittle prepared cells in the
brood chamber of colonies that are super-
seding their queens; and the young queens
bred from the best in the apiary are so large
and fine it makes me feel happy.
J. F. MoIntyre.
Fillmore, Cal., Sept. 1.
[You have scored some good points for
the record book. The system as you use it
may be much better than ordinary records
made on the hive where tho position of the
slate does not indicate anything; but where
the position of the slate, tablet, or card on
the hive cover indicates whether the colony
is queenless, or possessed of a .ell, virgin
queen, laying or tested, I think I should pre-
fer the slates. The system which we use is a
written record on slates, and the same indi-
cated by the position of the slate on the hive
cover. From any part of the apiary I can
tell at a glance which colonies are queenless,
which ones have cells, which ones have vir-
gin, laying, or tested queens. Ther? are ad-
vantages in both systems. With the record
book it is possible to say which colonies
iieed attention, even though they may be
miles away.] E. R."
My greatest objection to the use of a
record book is the book itself and its ac-
companying pencil. They must be carried
about and kept track of. That their use
would sometimes save a few steps I will
admit, but, with my plan of queen rearing,
not many would be saved. I visit about one-
third of my nuclei each day, carrying with
me a box with pieces of comb containing
unsealed brood, queen cells ready to hatch,
or hatched virgin queens and shipping cages.
I take a regular route, examining each
nucleus that shows, by the registering card,
that it stands in need of attention. It will
be seen that I pass by each nucleus as often
as once in three days, and, as a rule, this is
as often as attention is needed. When hand-
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Ill
liug little pieces of comb containing brood,
or Imudliug quosu cells, the lingers usually
become more or less daubed (yes, that is the
word) and in handling a memorandum book
it will eventually become soiled, and then
how it looks 1 Tlie pencil must dangle from
the book by a string, or else be fished up out
of some place. If that place is the pocket
the soiled fingers sjil the clothing around
the pocket, and if there is anything that
mikes me feel more uncomfortable than to
have my hands " stuck up " it is to feel the
stickiness of honey on my clothing. I still
think I should prefer to dispense with record
books, although I must admit that they have
some advantages, but Mr. Mclntyre has
given the most simple and compact method
of keeping a record of nuclei with a pencil,
and I certainly think it worthy of a place in
the Review.
Alley's Self-Hiver Does Not Fill the Bill.
One of my own townsmen, Mr. M. S.
West, writes to Gleanings giving his own
experience and that of his customers with
the Alley sjlf-hiver. He says: —
" In response to your call for reports con-
cerning the Alley automatic hiver, I submit
the following:
In the year 1889 I pui-chased a number of
the queen and drone traps, and found them
useful in hiving new swarms. In 1890 the
automatic hiver seemed to promise so well
that I purchased fifty as a trial venture.
That year being an extremely poor one in
this locality, though a few purchased them,
no one had a chance to give them a trial. I
could not try them myself that season, as I
had not a single new swarm.
This spring, after selling the rest of the
fifty, I sent for twenty-five more, about half
of which have been sold, so that there are
now in use between fifty and sixty among
my customers.
I have not from this number had one really
favorable report, but a number have re-
ported unfavorably. A common complaint
is, that the hiver becomes so clogged with
drones as to interfere with the passage of
the field workers.
Early in the season I placed three on the
three strongest out of ten strong colonies be-
longing to a neighbor. Those colonies cast
no swarms, though all tiie others did so.
While most bee keepers have had a fair
amount of swarming, it lias not been an
old-fashioned swarming season, or I should
be inclined to recommend tlic Kiver as a non-
swarming device. I have noticed the same
effect in my own yard, where hivers were
early placed on colonies showing strong
signs of swarming. Days went by before
the swarms issued, and then the bees went
back instead of into tiie new hive prepared
for them. It was ten days before they came
out again, probably with a new queen. That
time the hiver was off. so they were gathered
off a tree. The next time a weak swarm
was caught, the most of the bees returned to
the old hive. At another time, with an after
swarm, several young (lueens got through
the hiver, rendering if of no use in that case.
The later form of the hiver may be made
to serve an important purpose, aside from
its main object. The two small sections,
with perforated zinc in the front, may be
used in retaining swarms after they have
been hived.
I am very sorry that I am not able to make
a favorable report on the hiver. A device
that will effect its purpose every time will be
eagerly purchased by the farmer members of
the bee keeping fraternity, especially as it
will enable them to keep bees without inter-
ruption to other work in swarming time, and
consequent loss of time demanded by other
interests.
I hope Mr. Alley may yet give us a really
practical hiver; but this one, at least with
me so far, does not fill the bill.
M. S. West.
Flint, Mich., Aug. 24.
[This report may be exceptionally bad, but
it rather strikes us that these automatic
swarmers were boomed pretty heavily before
they were even tested. If the majority of
the others who have tried them have had
similar failures, it means a big disappoint-
ment."— Ed. Gleanings.
I presume some of my readers will wonder
why I, as owner of an apiary and editor of a
bee journal, have not given the hiver a trial.
The main reason is that the past two seasons
have been so poor that there ha^ not been
enough swarming to give it a test. For my
own use I sliould not care for it, even if it
were always successful, and this would ^
probably be the case with every bee keeper
who is constantly among his bees during
swarming time. If the hiver would always,
or nearly always, hive a swarm that issued,
and do the work well, it would be a great
help to all who own a few colonies that they
are obliged to leave unwatched. Their use
would also be a great advantage in the man-
agement of an out apiary. That these hivers
have sometimes hived swarms there is no
doubt, but with my knowledge of bee keep-
ing I can see two objections to their use.
Mr. West mentions luth of these. One is
that the hiver becomes clogged with drones,
thus interfering with the passage of the
workers. So long as the hiver is on the hive
no drones can leave the hive. Of course
they try to leave it, and the crowd of great,
l)ig burly fellows crowding and pushing to
get out, must seriously hinder the workers.
It is different with the drone and queen trap.
In their efforts to escape the drones pass up
through the wire cone and never come back
272
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
again. They may buzz and bump about as
much as they please in the upper part of the
trap to whiah they are confined, it does not
interfere with the workers as they pass out
and in below. The other objection to the
hiver is that a large portion of the bees will
return to the old hive in spite of the fact
that the queen is confiaed in the new hive.
When a swarm returns because of the ab-
sence of its queen, it comes back with a
rush: fairly pouHciHg upon the entrance of
the old hive, and a large share of the bees
will enter the old hive even though the
queen is soon found. To a returning swarm
of bees there seems to be something pecu-
liarly attractive about their old home. In
hiving bees upon their old stand by putting
a new hive there in place of the old one, the
queen being clipped and then caught and
caged, I have learned that it will not answer
to simply set the old hive to one side a dis-
tance of two or three feet. The returning
bees will find it, set up the "call" of "home is
here," and many of the bees will return to
the old hive, even with the (lueen at the
entrance of the new hive. I have found it
necessary to not only set the hive to one
side but the entrance must be turned in an
opposite direction to that of the new hive.
Even with this precaution I have been
obliged to pull grass and throw it over the
entrance of the old hive.
In a large apiary, where several swarms
are likely to issue at one time, a self-hiver
would be of little value. Under such condi-
tions a swarm catcher is what is needed.
Be Sure They are Carniolan Bees.
In the A. B. J. Mr. J. A. Green has the
following to offer in regard to the discussion
upon the " Golden Carniolans:"
" The editorial comments on Mr. Andrews'
article, on page 400, would seem to indicate
a belief in the genuineness of the golden
Carniolans. If this belief is well founded,
the breeders of these bees are much maligned
individuals, and the scores of prominent
apiarists who ridi ule their claims should be
labored with in order that justice may be
done. On the otlier hand, if these (lueen
breeders are wrong, and their oi)ponents
right, justice to the public demands that the
facts should be as auickly and widely made
known as possible. This I trust will be suf-
ficient excuse for a continuation of the dis-
cussion.
If the Carniolans are better than the bees
we have had before, we want them. If they
are inferior, let us discard thorn. Hut whnt-
ever they are, let them stand or fall on their
own merits, and when we are testing them.
let us be sure they are Carniolans, and not
something else.
-Mr. Alley claims, on page 830, that ' The
Carniolan race of bees are the original yel-
loiv bees.' and in the article containing this
statement, and elsewhere, he argues that the
Carniolan race has a natural tendency to
become yellow.
If this were true, as has before been
pointed out, they would long ago have be-
come a yellow race in their native land;
whereas, Mr. Alley himself testifies that the
progeny of imported queens showed no yel-
low whatever. The variation does not begin,
as he admits, until we come to the progeny
of queens reared in his own apiary.
The explanation of this is furnished by
Mr. Alley himself, when he tells us that these
queens were mated in an apiary but little
over a mile away from a large apiary of
Italians. Now, it is agreed by most authori-
ties that the meeting between queen and
drone may take place at some distance— a
mile or more— from the hives. If they flew
only a mile away, apiaries would need to be
at least two miles apart to keep them dis-
tinct. I have evidence which I consider con-
clusive that different races will intermix if
kept four miles apart. More than this, I
believe— and this belief is shared by many—
that a queen is more liable to be mated with
a drone from an apiary a mile away than
from the one in which she was reared.
At a time when all my bees were Italians,
and no other bees were within a mile— except
possibly a few in the woods— and even at
that distance there were not over one-tenth
as many as I had, a large proportion of my
queens were mated with black drones.
When I establish an apiary in a new place,
although my Italian bees far outnumber all
bees within several miles, experience shows
me that nearly half the queens reared there
will produce hybrids.
On the other hand, the common bees have
become so mixed with the Italians, that in
this part of the state it is diiBcult to find a
colony of pure black bees.
To sum the matter up, the " golden Carni-
olans have been produced by crossing Carni-
olans with Italians, then breeding for yellow
bees.
They may be very good bees. Probably
they are, as the greater share of their ances-
try (the Italian side) are known to be, while
the remaining share certainly has some good
points. But to cross Carniolans with Ital-
ians, and then breed out as much of the
Carniolan blood as possible, is hardly the
way to produce 'typical Carniolans.' Let
those who wish to test the ' wonderful Punic
bees ' get them before the striped variety
makes its appearance. It is all very well to
test new varieties of bees, but let us call
things by their right names.
Dayton, Ills.
[The editorial comment, on page 400, ex-
pressed no oiiinion on the controversy. It
quoted Mr. Alley's language on page liHO only
to show that he had already answered the
question again propounded by Mr. Andrews.
This was done to save space for a reply, and
not to endorse any views presented by either
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
273
party. Our own views do not materially
differ from those of Mr. Green. — Ed. A. B. ./.
It seems as thongh no more discussions
wore needed in regard to golden Carniolans.
In developing the golden Carniolans Mr.
Alley depended upon having Carniolan
queens mated with (Carniolan drones by
isolating them only odc mUc from Italians.
Because all of the young Carniolan plies and sample copy
of Amkuic AN liEE-KEKi'Eii free (The Am.
Bee - Keei'EU is a 24 ■ pa^e monthly at 5ii cts.)
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
Pleas
ntion the Reuii
my fieixi, Thin,
Double - Wall Hive
Is the best summer and winter hive yet devised.
Takes regular " L." furniture. Is lighter than 's
single-wall hive; may be storified to any extent,
etc, Send for descriptive circular Special low
prices for is;il to introduce it. A full line of bet -
keepers' supplies always in stock. Catalogue free-
C. 'W. COSTELLOW,
8-90-tf Waterborough, Me.
It's Got the SNAP.
That is what our subscriljers say, and tliey are
coming in by every mail. Send M cents for a
year's subscription to the A\issouri Bee-
K«?P?r. Monthly ; 16 pages and cover ; nicely
printetl on good paper. Money returned if you
don't like it. Sample free.
Address BEE-KEEPER PUB ("O.,
UnionviUe, Mo.
Beautiful Bees ^^-^'^^ "-'/h¥ eye
Good Qualities ^^^ '"'''pJ.lriTABLE.
If you wish for bees and ijueens that combine
beauty and good qualities to a rnarked degree,
write for descrii)tive circular giving low prices.
No circulars sent unless asked for.
(^HAS D. DUVAL.
3-90-tf
Spencer ville, Md.
Smoker burns hard wood chips without spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. (iroatest
smoking capacity. Easiest to start, ("heapest
because it saves time. Price, f l.'.iO. By mail,
$1.40. Per dozen, $10.H0.
Best Bee - Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may be
given a colony at one time
whi(-h will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 30c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz., $1.1)0. Has a sale of
2,000 per month. Address
A. (t. hill, Kendallville,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by Thos G. Newman & Son, Chicago, 111.; G. B.
Lewis & Co,, Watertown. Wis.; W. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Minn.; Clias. Dadant & Son, Hamilton,
Hancock Co., 111.; E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, Iowa;
H. McW^ilson & Co., 202 Market St. St. Louis,
Mo.; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.: VV. D. Soper &
Co., Jackson, Mich.; ('has. A. Stoc'cbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A. F. Fields, Wlie;.ton Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. Quigley, Union-
viUe, Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
Send 25 cts for my book of Discovery and
Invention, the
Queen H<2StPictop.
C. W. DAYTON,
l-91-12t Clinton, Wisonsin.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New St«iTn Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice. Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
tition the Review.
BEE SUPPLIES
feSNiN^^,^-CUlT»l\E]
Plva&e mention the Reuiew.
lUnstrated Adyerliseinents Attract Attention.
'0?y-
Cuts Furnislied for all Illustrating Purposes.
278
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Barnes' Foot and Hand
Power Machinery.
This cut represents our
Combined Circular and
Scroll Saw, which is the
best machine made for
Bee Keepers' use in the
construction of their hives,
sections, boxes, etc.
4-90-16t
MACHINES SENT ON TRIAL.
FOR CATALOGUE, PBICES, KTO.,
Address W. F. & JNO. BARNES CO., 384 Ruby St , Rockford, Ills.
Everything used in the Apiary.
Greatest variety aiid lart^eet stock in the West.
New catalogue, 51 iJlnst rated pascee. free to bee-
keepers. E. KRETC'HMER, Red Oak, Iowa.
IF you wish to advsrtise anything anywhere at
any time write to GEO. P. ROWELL & CO.,
No 10 Spruce St , N. Y.
EVERY one in need of information on tlie
subject of advertising will do well to obtain
a copy of "Book for Advertiserb," 368 pages, price
$1.00. Mailed, postpaid, on receipt of price^ Con-
tains a careful compilation from the American
Newspaper Directory of all the best papers and
class journals ; gives the circulation rating of
every one, and a good deal of information about
rates and other matters pertaining to the busi-
ness of advcrrising. Address ROWELL'S
ADVERTISING BUREAU, 10 Spruce St., N. Y.
i®e
lV6i
Unexcelled fur SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE and CHEAPNESS. Every imrt
INTERCHANGEABLE, REVERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adaj)ted to inter-
change with the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LO WRY JOHNSON,
l-'Jl-tf Masontown, Pa.
liEflHV's FPU NDflTi qrl^
Uiholesaie and t^etail,
Smokeps and Sections,
ExtPaetoPsand Hives,
Queens and
Bees,
t^.B. lieahy andCon^pany
Higginsville, fnissoum.
l-!}0-tf Please mention the Review.
SONTINUED.
Life and health being spared, I shall, in the
spring of 1892, continue the breeding of Carnio-
lan bees and queens. You can order now or
when the queens are bred.
10-91 Ht Patten's MiUs, N. Y.
THE LARGEST B. HIVE
Factory in Michigan
Is turning out hives and bee-keepers' supplies at
the following prices.
One 8-frame, L. hive, 2 T supers $1.00
Ten ditto, 8.00
Brood frames, per 100, 1.00
One-piece, V-groove sections, per M, 3.00
10,000 ditto, 2.5.00
Clark, cold blast smokers, each, 50 cents; five
for $2.00. Bee veils, best on earth, 35 cents each.
Parker foundation fastener, 2.5 cents. Japanese
buckwheat, 60 cents a busliel ; bag 18 cents extra.
Foundation, medium brood, 43 cents; thin for
sniplus, 48 cts. Alsike clover seed, $8.00 per
bushel. Extractors, books, etc., in stock.
Circulars free.
12-90-tf W. D. SOPER & CO.,
118-120 Washington St., Jackson, Mich.
Please mention the Reuieiv.
NEvn7es of Bee-Keeper^
The names of my customers, and of those ask-
ing for sami>le copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a book. Tliere are several thousand all
arranged ali)habetically and according to states ;
and, although this list has been secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, I would furnish it
to my advertisers at $2..50 per thousand names.
A manafactnrer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-ke(>|iers in his own state only, or,
po8Kil)ly, in tlie adjoining states, can be accom-
modated. Anj inquiry in regard to the number
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Eacli list furnished will be
copied into a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
Vapor and Water —
fresh, snll.'^''"'!™'.
- >. Ceni _
fc« Mortal .inM Piplnnn
uS iciinst th.-- mirl.i. _ __
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-..,rt for nrr..iar.. P. J. rlNOWLTON, Ann Arbor, Mich.
;;^» CHEAPEST and liEKT BATH "©a
FRRE Cir?CULARS EXPLAIN ALL.
AJJress E. J. KNOWLTON, Ann A,o.)r, Mich.
1-91-12t Please mention the Reuiew.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
279
ADVA He ED BEE-CUliTUtJE;
Its JVTethods and JWanagement.
This book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is bound with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and their Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Control, and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after whicli Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and " Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The influence of Food, Ven-
tilation, Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
versus Mixed Bee-Keeping, Comforts and
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc., etc.— 32 chapters in all.
PI^ICE of the Book Is SO ets. The l^EVIHW and the book fof $1.25.
Stah^ps taken, either O. S. ov Canadian.
W. Z. HtJTCHirlSOl^, Fli t, Mieh.
Dadants' Gomb Foundation.
Half a Million Foiiuils Soli iu TMrteeii Years. Oyer $200,000 In Valne.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year.
SAMPLES and CmiOGUE FRFE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' LiagstPoth cd th € oney Bee. {Revised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which they will find, without difficulty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for thiw work. Its arrangement is such that any subjfct and all its references pan
be found very readily, by a syatem of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
iJni^t^T^TI^r*" tor-KQ^*** chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
Ia^^^I^A^-UAI^v* OCB.^ to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Imported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
free with Circular. 4-91-12t
Mention Reuiew. CHAS. DADAflT & 30)4, Hamilton, Hot^eoek Co., Ills.
280
p=r^
"uni
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
The distinctive feataree of the Bee - Keepebs' Review are those of reviewing current
apicultural literature (pointing out errors and fallacies and allowing nothing of value to pass
unnoticed) and the making of " special numbers "—those in which special topics are discussed by
the best bee-keepers of the country. If you wish for the cream of the other journals, already
skimmed and dished up, and to learn the views of the most experienced bee-keepers upon the
unsolved, apicultural problems of the day, read the Review. Published monthly at $1.00 a year.
Topics Discussed in Back Numbers.
VOLUME I.— 1888. VOLUME III.— 1890.
Jan., Disturbing Bees in Winter.
Feb., Temperature in Wintering Bees.
Mar., Planting for Honey.
Apr., Spring Management.
May, Hiving Bees.
June, Taking Away the Queen.
July, Feeding Back.
Aug., Apiarian Exhibts at Fairs.
Sep., The food of Bees in Winter.
Oct., Ventilaiion of Bee Hives and Cellars.
Nov., Moisture in Bee Hives and Cellars.
Dec, Sections and their Adjustment on the Hive.
VOLUME II.— 1889.
Jan., Boe Hives.
Feb., Mistakes in Bee-Keeping.
Mar., Which are the Best Bees.
Apr., Contraction of the Brood Nest.
May, Increase, its Management and Control.
Jane, Shade for Bees.
July, The Influence of Queens upon Success.
Aug., Migratory Bee-Keeping.
Sep., Out-Door Wintering of Bees.
Oct., Bee Conventions and Associations.
Nov., Specialty Versus Mixed Bee-Keeping.
Dec, What best Combines with Bee-Keeping.
Jan., Brace Combs and their Prevention.
Feb., Foul Brood.
Mar., Queen Rearing and Shipping.
Apr., The Production of Comb Honey.
May, Raising Good Extracted Honey.
June, Apiarian Comforts and Conveniences.
July, From the Hive to the Honey Market.
Aug,, Marketing.
Sep., Management after a poor Season.
Oct., Out-Apiaries.
Nov., Apicultural Journalism.
Dec, Use and Abuse of Comb Foundation.
VOLUME IV.— 1891.
Jan., Buildings for the Apiary.
Feb., Separators.
Mar., Protection for Single- Wall Hives.
Apr., Introducing Queens.
May, Adulteration of Honey.
June, " " "
July, Bee Escapes.
Aug., House Apiaries.
Sep., Handling Hives Instead of Frames.
Oct., Rendering and Purifying Wax.
Nov., Moving Bees into the Cellar.
As the supply of volumes I and II is quite limited, the price is five cents a copy, exept for the Jan.
1989 No., wliich is twenty cents, there being only a few copies left. Of volume III there is a fair
supply, and the price is four cents a copy. With volume IV the Review was enlarged and the price
raised to $1.00. Copies of volume IV are eight cents each. Remember that each number is, in one
sense, a little pamphlet giving the views of the best bee-keepers upon the topic named.
W^HA^T OTHERS SA_Y.
^^ O. H. TOVrtSE/HD, Alamo, Mich., writes :
" never waited here for any other
paper to be read until the Review commenced
coming."
ARTHUR C. iAiLLER, Providence, R. I.,
writes tliat " tliere is no paper the coming of
which I look forward to, or miss so much wlien
over-duo, as that of the Review, and I take
nearly all the bee papers published in the Eng-
lish language, as well as several other ueriodi-
cals."
O. 5. COA\PTOyH, Goshen, Ind., writes :
" The Review lias been worth— well, I will not
attempt to place a value upon it— but this much
I must say, it is looked for days before its time
and no matter how many otlier bee papers or
oven letters are received at the same time, the
Review is opened first."
" Af reference. EARLE CLICKENGER,
11-90-tf Columbus, Ohio.
Reference: Editor REVIEW
For Simplicity and Durability,
Bingham Patent Smokers,
AND
BINGHAM & HETHERIWGTON
Honey P^nives,
AUE WITHOUT QUESTION
THE BEST ON EARTH !
Doctor Smoker, 3V2 inch, —
Conqueror Smoker, .... 3 "
Large Smoker, 2^4, "
Extra Smoker, 2 "
Plain Smoker, 2 '' ....
Litthi Wonder Smoker, 1V4 "
Biugliam & Hetherington Knife," —
Upon receipt of price, Smokers or Knives
be sent postpaid. Descriptive ("ircular and
timouials sent upon application.
$2.00
1.75
1..50
1.25
1.00
65
. 1.15
will
Tes-
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,
l-90-tf.
Abronia, Michigan
Italian *- (^uzzns.
6 Warranted Queens, $5.00.
Send - for - Circvilar.
J. T. -WILiSON,
4-91-tf
Pink, Kentucky.
Please mention f/ie Reuieu
Honey - Extractor,
Square Gldss Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold- Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. 8.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf .
Please mention the Review.
— Send for —
•H^ddoo's Circulars
— OF —
Bee-HiV95 and all USEFUL supplies for the
apiary. JRS. HEDDO/>|,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the Reuiew.
B
££. KEEPERS' GUIDE. Reviseil,
enlarged, improved, illustrated. Every bee-
keeper ought to have it. Price $1.50.
A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich.
Please mention the Reuiea.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOTl 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send f OT- catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. BROWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Georgia.
Please mention the Review.
BsG HiYSs^ Sections, Etc,
We make the best goods and sell them cheap.
Our sections are far the best in the market.
Our works turn out the most goods of any
factory in the world.
Our goods are known as the best throughoat
the United States and Europe.
Write for free, illustrated catiUogne and price
list. G, B. LEWIS & CO.,
11-91-tf Watertown. Wisconsin.
Please mention the Review.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
283
/Narp^s of Bee-Keeperj
The names of my customer^;, and of those ask-
ing; for sample copies, have been paved and writ-
ter. in a Iwrnk. J liero are several thousand all
!in"i!itred alphahetioally and accoiiiii!;; to stat( 8 ;
and, allhoijf^li this list lias hreii secured at ■■in ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, 1 would furnish it
t(t my advertisers at ?2.r0 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wislie^i for a list of the
names of hee-keepers in his own state only, or,
l)osi-i!)iy, in the adjoinin;; stiites. can be accom-
modated. Any inquiry in rejiard to the number
of names in a eertiiin state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. Each list furnished will bo
Cf)i)ied in'oa book, and blank spaces left for the
wri'iuK of ading in the boards how to dispose
of at least a part of them to better advan-
tage than piling them up. Put them down
to set the hives on instead of stringers at the
bottom. Set an extra board in the corner at
the end of the row where you will begin to
set the hives. Then your first hive brought
in set just where you want the second board
to remain, leaving the desired space between.
Now lift the hive from the board and move
it over the open space between the boards.
The hive will now rest with one edge upon
each of the two boards with the open space
below. Proceed with the next in the same
way and so on. Then in carrying out you
have only to reverse the process. See how
much time and fussing this saves.
I use bottom boards ( which are my regular
hive covers) for this purpose entirely, just
in this way, only I have extra covers which
I place in position before I begin carrying
in, and then I leave the bottom boards where
they stand until I set out the bees again in
the spring.
If handled right the bees are disturl)ed
less in this way than by trying to confine
them to the hive. The fresh, cool air, only
makes them cluster up the closer. They
make a fuss very quickly on finding them-
selves shut in, and the disturbance is com-
municated very quickly to the whole colony.
The temperature should be falling as you
say. In an article in Gleanings two years
ago i gave .onsiderable emphasis to this.
As you have call 3d attention to it in your
leader I will only add, it is important and
illustrates again that there is a right way to
do everything.
I make the open space between the hives
about two-thirds of the width of the hive.
It seems to be as good as more.
This plan of an open space below the col-
ony for wintering, which I commenced sug-
gesting in a very modest way to my brother
bee keepers a good many years ago, I con-
sider valuable both for indoor and outdoor
wintering. I have been experimenting for
several years along this line, and recommend
it with confidence. This principle was em-
bodied in the plan of friend Clark's hiber-
nating hive.
I use a hive cart. I consider it a success.
It has come to stay with me. It converts
the laborious work of carrying into a plea -
ant exercise, a mere pastime. If the yard is
not smooth enough for this purpose I would
advise by all means to make it so, not only
that you may use the hive cart, but because
it makes the other work in the apiary more
pleasant.
When I am ready to set the bees in I letter
and number each hive with a piece of chalk,
lettering the rows and numbering the hives
in the row, so that I may be able to set each
hive back on the stand from which it was
taken. I have always practiced doing this,
and I think it saves much confusion among
the bees on taking their first flight.
East Townsend, Ohio, Nov, 6, 1891.
Carrying in the Bees Without Labor Saving
Devices. — Arrangement of the Hives.
K. m'kNIGHT.
Roving BEES; when to do it
and how to do it," seems a
simple subject to treat, and
may be answered in a few words. Move
them into the cellar, or bee house, at the
proper time and by the shortest and most
convenient way. The proper time cannot
be well defined, as it depends upon locality
and the condition of the weather. Here in
Ontario I consider the proper time is the
second week in November if the weather is
suitable. They should be dry when put
away. I consider five months as the limit
that bees should be confined, and this should
regulate to some extent the time they are
put away.
How to move them is a question that will
remain open. The man of devices will con-
trive something he thinks may aid him in
the work (and the devisors amongst bee
keepers are legion). The man of good sense
and muscle will pick them up and carry
them off without fussing much over devices.
My method of moving hives is to remove the
cover, bend my back, turn the first and sec-
ond joints of my fingers under the bottom
board, then straighten my back and walk
off with them. I have frequently an assist-
ant in the work, and then sometimes we use
the old fashioned hand borrow. Where
there are no abrupt descents to be made I
consider the hand barrow the best aid avail-
able.
You tell us of people who use hand-carts,
slings and neck-yokes as aids in the work.
I think we have seen Dr. Miller, Mr. Board-
man, Mr. McFarland and others depicted in
bee papers, each harnessed to his hobby, and
the situation appears to me a trifle silly.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
293
That yoke is au old device. I saw it used by
butter-milk venders and water carriers forty
years ayo, but that was wliere porridye was
a staple article of food and wells aud pumps
few aud far betweeu. It was generally on
the shoulders of an old woman in those days.
Mr. Boardman's horned cart would be a
good thing if hives were all cleated at top
and bee yards as level and smooth as an
asphalted avenue: but they are not. In most
yards I fear the jolting of the wheels would
create an uncomfortal^le commotion among
the tenants of the impaled hive.
Your method of arranging the hives in a
cellar diflfers somewhat from my practice.
Instead of leaving a vacant space between
the hives when piling them up, I place mine
as close together as I can put them when the
first row is completed. I remove the honey
boards (there is still a cloth covering on top
of the frames). I then spread two or three
thicknesses of old carpet on top of the entire
row. Upon this I put twt) tixi scantling, one
along the back of the hives and the other
along the front. Upon these I place the next
tier, and so on to the top. After trying a
number of devices I have settled down to the
above plan and have practiced it with satis-
factory results for six or seven years.
Owen Sound, Canada, Nov. 9, 18!tl.
Trying New "Fads." — Double Wall Hives
Objectionable.— Advantages of Divisible
Brood Chamber Hives in Winter. —
A Little House Apiary.
B. TATLOK.
IRIEND HUTCHINS( )N.— The press of
work has eased up a little and I have
concluded to write you a line or two.
In a late number of Gh'anings the junior
editor gives it as his opinion that I am given
to trying all the new " fads." Thank you,
friend Ernest, for the compliment. What a
skeleton this world would be if there were
no cranks to try the new "fads;" for
how can we know things unless we do know
them ? For instance, I have been for thirty
years using a fixed frame that is pronounced
by all who have fairly tried it in comparison
with the Hoffman frame to be incomparably
better than the one friend R. believes in and
recommends. But how could I have known
this unless I had given his favorite frame a
fair and exhaustive trial ? I did so and can
now speak as one having authority.
The small outside clusters of bees in good,
tight hives chill to death in large numbers
even when the weather is no colder than
frosty nights in ( )ctober. But I should have
never known this if anew "fad" had not
caused me to lift the combs and bees of l.W
colonies out of their hives into other cheap
ones for wintering. I made 100 nice double
walled hives last spring for the very purpose
of having the bees kept warmer in late fall
and early spring. But how would I have
found out that there were more chilled bees
in the double walled hives than in single
walled ones of the same size and number of
frames, had I not made this experiment ?
But such was the fact. I am greatly sur-
prised at it and should never have known
this strange truth if the new " fad " had not
led me to look into every part of the many
hives. I can account for the fact only by
supposing that the double walls cut off the
benefit of the warm rays of the sun during
the day. Now these same hives as well as
single walled ones when used two stories to-
gether, as double brood chambers, had no
dead bees on the outside of the clusters, and
this was easily accounted for by the fact that
there was a bee space through the center of
the hive, and this gives all parts of the swarm
easy connection with the center of the warm
cluster. Yes, the double brood chambers are
splendid hives for winter for this reason, and
I am trying a new " fad," that of putting a
rim one-half inch deep between the brood
chambers, making, with the bee space, a
three-quarters inch chamber right through
the center of the hive for the bees to cluster in
and thus bring all the small rooms of the
hive into immediate connection with each
other by a warm Iiall in their midst. Dr.
Miller once said he would like the " warmth
that the entire closed-end framee would
give." No sir, a deep closed-end frame is
cold and bad just because it cuts the brood
chamber into many small rooms having no
convenient connection with each other ex-
cept around the cold outside, and on this
very account shallow frames are good for
wintering even in single brood chambers,
because it is less distance around them.
Yes, I have the new " fad " ready to set
the hives into. It is a nice little house 0x8
feet, 7 high, nicely made and painted in
fancy colors. The hives, twelve in number,
are placed eight on the south side and four
on the east end. The entrances are made so
as to use the swarm catchers on them. My !
Do you suppose that after last summer's ex-
perience I am going to have any kind of
294
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
hive that I could not use the swarm catchers
on ? No sir, I am not going to plow my
ground with a forked stick when I can have
a good swarm catcher to do it with. The
hives are to be packed with fine planer
shavings and excelsior sawdust one and one-
half inches thick next the building. I want
the benefit of the warm sun near the hives
there, and on top, bottom and back ends the
packing is five inches thick. I have it fixed
for a small stove in the space back of tlie
hives to warm and dry up with occasionally if
needed. I have a three inch hole over each
hive closed by a slide. There is one window
with both wire cloth and glass. I can slide
one or both out of the way. I shall place
twelve of my very best swarms in double
hives in it, and next year I shall know things
that I only guess at now, for I shall pack six
or eight hives in first class shape on their
summer stands, shall bury six or eight more
in a clamp, notwithstanding I have plenty of
No. 1 cellar room. " Fad." Don't you see ?
Half past nine p. m. Adieu, friend H., un-
til the Chicago N. W. Convention on the
19th and 20th Nov.
FoBESTViLLE, Minn., Oct. 23, 1891.
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOfl, Ed. & Ppop.
Terms : — $1.00 a year in advance Two copies,
$1.90 ; three for $2.70 ; iive for $4.00 ; ten, or more,
70 cents each. 1^= The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for.
FLINT, MICHIGAN, NOV. 10, 1891.
Fresh, Bright, New, crisp, original ideas
are what the world is clamoring for.
Medina, Ohio, is a place I have often
longed to visit ; and on my way to the Albany
convention I expect to stop off there a day
or two.
In the cellar is where my bees were put
Nov. 13. The hives were stacked up a la
Boardman.
In the State or N. Y. is where I was
born and lived until I was four years
old. Since then Michigan has been my
home, and I have never "been back East"
farther than Cleveland, Ohio ; lience I am
looking forward with pleasurable anticipa-
tions to a trip through my native State when
attending the North American Convention
at Albany, December 8 to 11.
Gleanings for November 1 gives a bird's
eye view of the " Home of the Honey Bees,"
accompanying it by a brief description of its
size and growth. The manner in which Mr.
Root's business has grown is really some-
thing wonderful. There are probably sever-
al reasons for this, but none have been more
important than those of jrro))iptness and
fairness. Goods are not misrepresented,
are sent promptly, and every customer is so
treated that he comes back again and again.
Two Conventions, the Northwestern and
the North American, will probably be visited
by the editor of the Review ere the Decem-
ber number is gotten out. It will be desir-
able to have as much as possible of the
December issue in type before leaving for
Albany, so correspondents will please send
in their communications as soon as possible.
A generous space will be left for giving some
of the freshest, brightest things that can be
gathered at these two national gatherings.
How interesting and piquant (at least, to
me) are the extracts from the letters sent in
reply to my request for suggestions in regard
to how the special topic plan should be
treated. If every subscriber would only
write, if only on a postal, when he had some
little item or suggestion to give, what a spicy
page or two might be given each month in
something the same style as this "advice"
to the editor has been given. If you will
help, I'll start such a department. What
shall it be called ?
Mr. Larrabee, who has charge of the apia-
rian experiments at the Mich. Agricultural
College, rode over from Lansing on his bicy-
cle and made us a short visit a few days ago.
I went out in the road in front of the house
and tried, for the first time, to ride a bicycle,
while the "folks" gathered at the window
to "see the fun." I went down "ker slap,"
"full length," just once; and after half an
hour's rather exciting exercise I found my-
self dripping with perspiration and went
back into the house. "Honest -John" ad-
mitted, however, that it seemed as though I
had learned how to get o(f'.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
295
Mr. Larabee says he shall experinieut no
more with plautiujj for lioney, aud he would
be very glad if bee keepers would write and
tell him what experiments they would like
tried.
I
THE NORTHWESTEKN CONVENTION.
The Northwestern Etc Keepers' Conven-
tion will be held in Chicago, Nov. I'J and 20,
at the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake
and Dearborn Sts. This date occurs when
excursion rates on the railroads will be one
fair for the round trip, aud there will be re-
duced rates at the hotel. This meeting
comes at the pleasantest time of the year in
which to take a trip — no heat or dust nor
cold or snow — and I feel sure that many
will take advantage of all these pleasant
features. In fact, almost every day brings
me letters from some one who will be in at-
tendance from Ohio, lud.. 111., Mich., Wis.,
Iowa, Ark. or Minn.
MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION.
The season of conventions is here. Let
no bee keeper allow it to pass without at-
tending at least his own State convention.
Michigan bee keepers will hold their con-
vention at Grand Rapids, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1,
thus allowing those in attendance to take
advantage of the holiday rates on railroads.
The meeting will be at the Eagle Hotel,
where rates to members of the Association
will be only fl.2.5 per day.
The Secretary, Geo. E. Hilton, after writ-
ing me the above particulars, continued as
follows : " Now if you are willing to sacri-
fice a new coat to go to Albany, you can
spare a pair of pants to go to our own State
Association. Please don't say no." Fortu-
nately, Mr. Secretary, my " pantio " are in
pretty fair condition, so I can go without
making another sacrifice.
OARNIOLANS VERSUS ITALIANS.
The editor of the Mu. Bee Keejjer says that
for three years he has been comparing tlie
Italians with the Carniolans, keeping them
in the same yard. He says that with a steady
flow of honey the Carniolans stored more
surplus than the Italians, with about the
same per cent of swarming. With a poor
season, the Italians came out ahead. He
says the Italians, as we all know, were prolific
up to the commencement of the honey flow,
then checked brood rearing and filled a part
of their combs with honey, while the Carnio-
lans kept up brood rearing until late in the
fall, using up their stores and in many cases
requiring feeding for winter. The Carnio-
lans swarmed many times when no honey
was coming in. He did not find them as
gentle as the Italians. During the three
seasons the Italians gave more honey with
less labor and stings.
CARRYING IN THE BEES.
.Judging from the correspondence in this
issue, the only real objection to carrying in
the bees, soon after the young bees have all
hatched and had a cleansing flight, is that a
warm spell of weather may come and make
the bees uneasy in the cellar. If the cellar
is deep in the ground a few days of warm
weather will have but little effect upon its
temperature, especially if it can be opened
nights to allow the entrance of cool, fresh
air. If left out too long there is danger that
bees in the outside spaces will be chilled. It
is a somewhat difficult question to decide
just exactly when is the best time. The best
we can do is to wait until the prospect of
having any more warm weather is very slim,
but not wait until there is danger of snow
storms and weather cold enough to freeze
the ground. I prefer to run the risk of put-
ting them in too early rather than too late.
As a class, bee keepers are always " in
for " anything that makes work easy, and I
must admit that while I enjoyed the " fun "
poked at those who used labor savers for
carrying their bees, I was surprised that
such contrivances should bo laughed to
scorn.
A NEW SYSTEM OF BEE KEEPING.
A Mr. Alpaugh, of Canada, has devised a
new system in bee keeping. Mr. D. A.
•Jones says that Mr. A. has not yet decided
when to bring the new system before the
public, but he (Jones) thinks there will be a
charge of $.5.00 for full printed instructions.
Mr. .Jones devotes considerable space in the
last C. B. J. to telling what he knows, or
thinks he knows, about the new system.
From this I gather that it is that of placing
a hive between two colonies and starting a
colony in the central hive. The qplony in
the central hive is to je devoted to tlie stor-
ing of surplus, while the two outside colonies
are to be "feeders" to the central colony.
296
TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
These outside colonies are to be manipulated
something as the old hive is managed in the
Heddon system of preventing after-swarm-
ing. When the three hives are standing all
in a row close beside each other, the en-
trances all facing one way, the outside hives
are to be reversed — their entrances turned in
the opposite directions. This would throw
the working force all into the central hive.
The outside side hives are again brought
gradually around so that their entrances are
the same as that of the central hive, only to
be again reversed, throwing another force of
bees into the central hive. Swarming is pre-
vented and great crops secured. .Just how
all this shall be managed to make of it a
success Mr. Alpaug . has not yet told, but he
is wonderfully enthusiastic over his plan.
MOVING BEES IN COOL WEATHER.
I went out to Rogersville the first of Nov.
and brought home a load of l)ees — twenty-
five colonies. I had never moved bees in
cool weather, and it required considerable
confidence in the reported experience of
some of my fellow bee keepers to induce me
to leave off the usual wire cloth covering
over the hives. I knew that when bees are
moved in warm weather they need room, as
well as ventilation, so I compromised by
putting two empty supers over each hive and
nailing the covers on top of these. The su-
pers were held in place by pieces of sections
tacked on. one at each corner. The en-
trances were closed up tight. About two
feet of clover chaff placed on a hay rack
made a nice cushion for the hives to ride on.
Covers to packing boxes (about J?!., feet
long) were set up on end all around the
hives, a rope put around to hold all in place,
then empty supers, covers, honey boards,
feeders, empty hives, etc., etc., were piled
on top of the hives of bees until
the load resembled a load of hay in size.
Usually, when I have moved bees they would
roar ; but this time the day was cool (about
40") and it was necessary to listen carefully,
when the team stopped, to hear even a faint
hum from the bees. When the load arrived
in Flint and the covers were removed for
examination, it was found that not a bee
had crawled up into the supers — all were
down in the brood nest. From this 1 should
judge that in cool fall weather bees might
be moved a few miles with no more ventila-
tion than would come through the few cracks
and crevices about the hives.
OPINIONS OF BEADEBS ON CONTINUING THE
SPECIAL TOPICS.
Most sincerely thankful am I to those of
my reaaers who have so kindly written me
in regard to continuing the special topics.
There seems to be a feeling, and I feared
there might be, that the discussion of special
topics is to be dropped, or, at least, seldom
taken up. Nothing is further from my mind.
They will be continued whenever there seems
to be an undecided question of sufficient
importance to warrant devoting a number to
its discussion. All that I contemplated was
that of being allowed the privilege of occa-
sionally dropping this feature when it seem-
ed that only trivial topics remained undis-
cussed. Occasionally some new invention
or method compels us to entirely remodel
our plans in many respects, and the Review
will always hold itself in readiness to discuss
these changes. I have not yet decided 2)osi-
tively that the proposed change shall be
made; so long as there is plenty of time it is
best not to decide too hastily; in the mean-
time I will give a few extracts from letters
received: enough to show the drift of opinion.
If others wish to write after reading these
extracts, I shall be glad to hear from them,
as I have gotten some excellent hints from
the ideas already sent in. Remember,
friends, that to a certain extent the Review
is what you make it:
" The discussion of special topics has been
the making of the Review; if compelled to
continue them in eve7-y issue, it will be the
death of it. — I long ago wondered if you had
looked forward to the time when you would
run out of topics, and I smiled when I read
the heading of your editorial, ' To topic or
not to topic, that's the question,' and my
opinion regarding it is, to make the Review
topical when the subject in hand can be best
treated in that way. — The best advice / can
offer is for you to use your own judgment; it
does not seem to have led you estray in the
past, and I don't think it will in the future.
— 'A series of articles from some of our
most practical and successful bee keepers
(I am glad you did not say noted) will be ex-
cellent, j9j'oi'i(/<'t7 they emphasize the special
features to which they think the success of
their system is due, thereby avoiding a re-
hash of the text books. ' Who shall write
such articles ? ' Can anyone judge better
than the editor of the magazine that is to
publish them ? Be they who they may, don't
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
297
depend eutirely ou the si)ecialist for 'copy.'
Let us hear from the ineu aud women who
keep bees for profit aud who have to care for
them at such times as cau be spared from
their rejjular busiuoss. They are the men
who have to use short cuts, aud they fre-
quently have valuable oues. Let us also
hear from the prcu-tiful, enthusiastic ama-
teur (not novice) who rides his hobby at its
best paces. — By all means don't discontinue
entirely the special discussions. The con-
clusions arrived at frnui the discussion of a
single subject are more satisfactory and cor-
rect for practical use than can be reached
in any other manner. I would suggest that
you allow your regular correspondents to
select their own topics until, in your judg-
ment, some subject is brought up that might
be improved on by a joint discussion; then
announce it for special discussion in the
next issue. This will be a compromise on
the two alternatives. — I would say, do just
what you think will make the Review the
interesting, instructive paper it has been in
the past. If the important topics become
exhausted, and it seems to me that they cer-
tainly will in time, then just introduce some
other style into it occasionally. There is
one thing I would like to see in the Review
for a time, and that is the photographs of
your principal correspondents. I would like
to see ' Uufiuished Sections' diicussed.
Would it not be best to extract the honey,
cut out the comb and melt it up and burn up
the sections ? It seems to me that nothing
in the way of comb honey can be obtained
that is so nice as when everything is new
and fresh. — About continuing special topics.
No other paper has followed up the plan so
continuously and persistently, and if the
Review changes from it, it will, to just that
extent, be no longer a review. In that line
it has been a success. Will it be equally a
success in any other line ? But if the topics
run out they can't be continued. Well, even
the more unimportant topics are worth dis-
cussing. Even so tritiiug a thing as the best
smoker fuel may be worth discussing, if in
the discussion I can learn how to save a
dollar a year in fuel, or a dollar's time in
preparing and lighting. But if the minor
topics run out Y Well, then go without spe-
cial topics, but as soon as a topic turns up,
specialize it. At any rate, the discussion of
special topics is the special feature of the
Review, and I would not give it up until I
had to, and then only as long as I had to. —
Make each number of the Review as inter-
esting and good as it is possible for you to
make it, regardless of topics or special num-
l)ers. If by making a number a special
topic number you can make it more inter-
esting and more valuable, make it a special
number regardless of advice; but refuse to
be ' hide bound ' al)Ove all things else. Re-
tain your liberty to make each succeeding
number the best, in regard to a series of
articles, get them from the best a2)iarisfs in
the country. Don't select the old, hackneyed
writers, whose writings we have seen for the
last fifteen years in all the bee aud agricul-
tural papers, who make their living writing
advice to others instead of striking out into
new and untried fields and methods. If you
could get a series of articles from some
number one man in each of the irrigated re-
gions of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico,
one who counts his colonies up among the
hundreds and his honey by the tons, I think
it would be a taking series, especially if these
writers would go sufficiently into details.—
When I met you at the Brantford convention
I asked you what you would do when the
topics were exhausted. Your reply was: 'It
is time enough to cross the bridge when we
come to it.' Well, you seem to have reached
the bridge, and I think it will be well for
you to follow the course you have mapped
out. I have no fear, however, that, if the
matter is left to your own judgment you will
always furnish us a first class journal. — By
all means keep the character of the Review
as it is. Get opinions from all sources.
For the good of all, don't engage one man
only to write up a series of articles, if that
plan is adopted. A few old by-gones are
leading us around by the nose; get some new
writers. Again I say, give me a paper simi-
lar to what the Review has been.— While it
is perhaps best to give up the special feature
in every number, it is hardly best to do so
altogether. New suijjects will come up and
old ones can occasionally he worked over at
a profit. It is very convenient to have all of
the one subject together in one pamphlet.
If you get a series of articles get them from
men who have uothing to sell and no special
hobby to ventilate, as a suspicion of either
destroys their interest and usefulness in a
great measure. Let them contrast well with
one another. Make the Review broad.
While one gives his methods and results with
the divisible brood chamber, let another
state his way aud success with the Quinby,
298
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Langstroth or Hoffman frame as the case
may be. Let these men give their views
from both a comb and extracted honey view.
Let these articles come from different honey
districts, but not be much given to detail
that applies only locally. After all, corres-
pondence should make us think, it is not
simply to be followed blindly. Keep out
personalities and interested articles. What
I value about the Review is that everything
in it is worth reading, and it is so compact
that it is easily read through. I say, as
some of your other readers have, don't mix
in anything on other subjects. — In its field,
I think the Review the best journal I read,
because of its practical articles on advanced
bee culture, and because of its pure, correct
English. As to the change you propose, I
think it will be a good one. — One thing I
wish to call your attention to in particular,
and that is, of what use are the experimental
stations to bee keepers unless that which is
being done is laid before them from month
to month, as the work proceeds. Michigan
probably has the best station and I would
like to have its apiarist tell the readers of the
Review each month the progress made — the
failures as well as the successes. I suppose
these stations are kept up to advance the
science, then why not let us know what is
going on without waiting for the yearly re-
Dorts? I think all would be glad to aid, and
would take more interest in the work at the
station if they were kept informed of the
work as it progresses. If the stations can
give any light, let it shine ! — The unvarying
special topic rule is a narrow, contracted
one, which interferes with a broad, free dis-
cussion of the data of advanced bee culture.
I believe this is a better reason for making
the proposed change than the one you give.
True, as you intimate, it is by no means ne-
cessary to abandon the special topics alto-
gether, only the ride. You have been break-
ing into this rule some the past year— that
does not look well— better alter the rule. New
and living questions will come up to which
it will be well to devote an issue exclusively,
and old subjects will occasionally need a
thorough re-sifting. So you can still keep
the topical idea prominent, yet allow your-
self a greater freedom in making up the
journal. Ever since the discussion of api-
cultural journalism I have wished you would
take up a companion subject— writing for
bee journals, I would call it. Take up the
making of bee journals with special refer-
ence to our end of the double-tree. Who
should write, when, why, how, etc. The dif-
ferent editors could give us some wholesome
lessons on this point. The keeping of apiary
records is something that bothers me, and I
would like to see the subject thoroughly
aired."
remedies fok pooe seasons.
For the ten years previous to beginning
the pul)lication of the Review, I had never
failed to get a fair crop of honey. When
raising comb honey I had obtained at least
fifty . pounds per colony, usually about
seventy-five pounds, and one year more
than one hundred pounds. In those years I
had trouble in winte'ring my bees ; but if
I could only get the bees I could get the
honey. Now the conditions seem reversed.
I have little trouble in wintering the bees,
but can get no honey. The bees come
through the winter and spring in splendid
condition. At the opening of white clover
the hives are literally pacfa'ci with bees, some-
times to overflowing, yet the end of the har-
vest shows but few finished sections in the
supers. In 18S8 the average yield in my api-
ary was ten pounds per colony ; in 1889 it
was twenty iiounds ; in 1890, not one pound;
in 1891, five pounds.
My wife has several times said : " I guess
we commenced publishing a bee journal
just in time to keep from starving." She is
right. The honey stored in my apiary the
past four years would not have kept us in
food more than one year. I am forced to
believe that hundreds of bee keepers could
make a similar rei)ort. The last four years
have been, practically, failures in a large
share of the apiaries in the Northern States.
Every spring there have been prophesies
that "//lis year would be a good one ; " but
it was not, and some are beginning to ask,
in all seriousness, '' will we erer have any
more good years?" No, I'm no croaker;
any one who kii >ws me knows better than
that ; but the first step towards removing a
difficulty is to acknowledge its existence.
Some man in Ohio has several times writ-
ter me that we were discussing hives, imple-
monts and methods and neglecting a far
more important topic, that of why tlie flow-
ers fail to secrete honey. I will admit that
a good honey flow is of more importance
than all else, but right on top of this comes
I
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
299
the question, if the tlowers don't " give
down," " what are you going to do about
it?" It seems, on the face of it, like a
foolish topic, but I am going to propose,
for discussion in the December Review,
" Remedies for Poor Seasons."
Of course there are conditions under
which the failure of the honey crop is easily
explained. When a large swamp is drained
and its acres of bloom supplanted by fields
of grass, there is no occasion for wonder be-
cause there is no longer a fall honey harvest
in that vicinity. When all the basswoods m
a locality are transformed into broom han-
dles, buggy boxes or barrel heads, the fail-
ure of the basswood harvest is easily ex-
plained. When a wooded country is being
strii>ped of its forests, there are often acres
and acres of land that lie unplowed several
years, " while the roots are rotting." These
newjy cleared fields are plowed as seldom as
possible. They are kept in grass, and often
used for pasture. In these new fields and
"clearings" white clover has a chance.
When there are no longer any forests to
be cleared away, and the cleared land is
largely devoted to wheat, corn, oats, potatoes
or red clover, it is not to be wondered that
honey crops become slim. " Rambler " has
repeatedly called attention to the fact that
in many places in N. Y. beekeeping as a
business is no longer profitable. On the
other hand, Ernest Root mentions that the
extensive raising of buckwheat in some
parts of this same State (N. Y.) has again
made beekeeping profitable where it had be-
come an uncertain business. I think we
make a mistake in ignoring the changeabil-
ity of many localities as regards their honey
producing flora. I am sometimes led to
wonder if the failure in my own locality
might not be attributed, in part, at least, to
the" scarcity of uncultivated fields and the
cutting away of so much of the basswood.
What puzzles me in this direction is that I
had good crops for ten years and then poor
ones for four years. It seems as though the
change ought to have been more gradual.
I would give quite a Utile to know whether I
am to have any more good seasons. If I am
not, I should give up trying to raise honey
and devote the whole apiary to (lueen rear-
ing ; in fact, that is what I am seriously
contemplating. About how many years
must a man wait, and hope, and have faith
that there will be a change, before he changes
his plans, methods or business ? This may
be a difficult query to answer, but it is a
living, burning (luestion of the day with
hundreds of beekeepers. I have mentioned
what / am thinking of doing, raising queens,
but it is not every beekeeper who is cut out
for a queen breeder, while, of late, the mar-
ket has been so well supplied with queens
that a beginner would experience some dif-
ficulty in selling. Then there is the busi-
ness of selling bees, either by the pound,
nucleus or full colony. A honey season
affording but little surplus will often admit
of an increase in stock. A little feeding
may be necessary to bring all colonies up to
the proper condition for wintering. I have
never known a spring when bees could not
be sold at a fair price— sometimes at high
prices.
I have always plead for specialty, and my
faith in its advantages is as strong as ever,
but I cannot shut my eyes to facts, and one
of these facts is that honey production is not
adapted to specialty where it is liable to fail
four years in succession. Something else
must be made a specialty and honey produc-
tion changed into a by-play or else dropped
altogether. The difficulty with this change
is just here : many men have kept bees for
years ; they are adapted to the business and
have learned it thoroughly to the neglect of
other pursuits ; they have an apiary, together
with tools, buildings, etc., and to change is
loss, at the outset at least. Bat if a man is
ivell satisfied that his apiary no longer yields
a profit because of the lack of pasturage-
lack of flowers— he must either go to the
flowers, or bring them to him, or else throw
up the business. There are localities where
failure seldom comes. In the article on
alfalfa, in the Cosmopolitan, as mentioned
last month, I was much interested in the
fact that the bloom lasts the whole season.
Think of this in connection with the car
loads of alfalfa honey that have been shipped
from Colorado. One great trouble with many
localities is that there are only one or two
sources from which honey may be gathered
in quantity,and these are of short duration.
But little more than a month is as long
as the white clover harvest can be ex-
pected to last, while a cold rain, or cold
without a rain, or a parching drouth, cheats
us of any surplus from this source. Bass-
wood seldom yields honey longer than ten
days and is very easily "upset" by the
weather. In other words, we usually have
enough "honey weather " during the year,
300
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
if it would only come wheu our honey plants
are in the riglit stage of bloom to furnish
nectar. If we could only prolong their
bloom, as is done with the alfalfa, or add
some other source to our locality, as in-
stanced in the buckwheat fields of New
York, and, in other instances, by the raising
of alsike, the risk of disappointment from
poor seasons would be greatly lessened. As
I have often said, I have no faith in plant-
ing for honey alone, but if farmers can be
induced to raise some honey producing crop,
well and good. A letter received to day
from Geo. E. Hilton contains the following
sentence : " For twenty -five miles north of
here (Fremont, Mich.) there are thousands
of acres of the great willow herb." ) You
will remember that Mr. Heddon has found
this most excellent honey plant growing
within a few miles of his place, and is hope-
ful that with proper care it may spread to
such an extent that it will be of some benefit.
There is such a thing as having a good
honey flow and not securing any surplus,
because the bees are not in readiness for it,
but when they have been kept in good con-
dition by care and feeding if necessary, and
the flowers bloom but yield no nectar, or
yield but sparingly, I must admit that I
know of no remedy. Sometimes we know,
or think we know, that the failure is due to
wet or dry weather. So far we have not been
able to control the weather, although enough
has been done in the way of producing rain
to enable the funny men to crack their jokes.
I must be pardoned for repeating one I saw
lately in a comic paper. It was entitled :
'• A Scene in 1929." There was a picture
showing the interior of a country store.
Around the stove, seated on benches and
soap boxes was the usual group of loungers.
An old graybeard, glancing out of the win-
dow at a drizzling rain, removes his pipe
long enough to remark: "Yes, this does
purty well fur one o' them cheap machines.
I tell you boys, I kin remember when we
used to hev to wait fur it to rain." .Joking
aside, the time may come when the amount
of rain-fall in a certain district may be in-
creased at will. In the meantime, what can
beekeepers do to guard against poor sea-
sons ?
Well, I'll give a recapitulation. First, study
your field most thoroughly. Before selecting
a remedy we must know the cause of the
tiouble. When the clover is in bloom, go
about and examine into its quantity. Do
the same with basswood ; with fall flowers,
or whatever sources there are. If at any
time the bees store honey rapidly, learn its
source and consider well the abundance of
the bloom. Strive to learn, if jiossible,
whether the poor seasons result from a lack
of bloom or from meteorological conditions.
If a drouth kills the clover, take that into
consideration the next year. If satisfied
that the poor seasons result from a lack of
l)lossoms, then reduce the number of bees or
else increase tlie number of blossoms. The
former course may be the more profitable,
and in this case, unless the surplus bees are
used in establishing an out-apiary, it will
probably be advisable to take up something
else in connection with bee keeping. If you
can raise bees and queens for sale, well and
good. It is impossible to give specific ad-
vice, as there are so many varying circum-
stances. If you decide to attempt to increase
the number of blossoms, don't, I hey of you,
devote good soil to the raising of plants that
produce honey alone. Neither be led into
the folly of raising, at some sacrifice, a field
of buckwheat or alsike, thinking it will ben-
efit a large apiary. If the natural condi-
tions are such that some honey producing
crop, alsike, buckwheat, or alfalfa, can be
raised at a profit, by the hundreds of acres,
on surrounding farms, if farmers can raise
these crops to better advantage than they
can any others, and by calling their atten-
tion to the matter you can induce them to
engage in their cultivation, if you can ac-
complish this without at the same time en-
couraging others to engage in bee keeping,
well and good. If there is sufficient waste
land near you upon which you can, without
too much expense, induce the growth of sweet
clover, or some honey producing plant that,
once it gains a foot-hold, will spread and
take care of itself, once more I say, well
and good. If none of these plans are feasi-
ble, yet you feel that you must raise honey
for a living, then I see no opening except
that you go to the flotoers. Go to some lo-
cality that has several sources from which a
crop may be secured, or else to one having
one source "long drawn out," as the alfalfa
fields of Colorado.
The bearing that out-apiaries have upon
this subject ought, perhaps, to receive a
little more consideration. Putting the bees
in two or more apiaries gives them access to
a larger territory, and this alone may make
the difference between success and failure.
THE HEE-KEEPEttS' HE VIEW,
301
Then, again, it often happens that one of
two apiaries a few miles apart will yield sur-
plus when the other doos not. And this
brings up migratory beekeeping. When the
blossoms begin to •'giv(> down " plentifully
at one apiary, and not at the others, ''bunch"
tiie bees where the neetar is flowing: that is,
if it is tiowing in such quantities that there
will be no danger of overstocking. Moving
an apiary in the fall to the vicinity of a river
bottom or a swamp is often a most effect-
ual remedy for a poor season.
I hope what I have written will not induce
any one who has passed through one or two
I)oor seasons to hastily conclude that bee-
keeping does not pay in his locality, and for
tins reason to drop it or sell out and seek
for pastures new. Such decisions should be
arrived at only after the most thorough in-
vestigation. My object is to encourage in-
vestigation; to stir up my readers to tJiiDk;
to plan and to try and discover some way
in which they may lessen the risk of loss
from poor seasons.
Write to me friends, tell me how i/ou have
managed to tide over poor seasons ; tell me
what you think of the plans advised and the
views advanced. Let us make the Decem-
Ijer Review a sort of text book for the man
who does not know whether next year is to
be a good one or not.
starting Bee Journals.
" It is now approaching the time to start
another crop of bee journals. Perhaps a
suggestion to prospective editors may not be
out of iilace. If you think there is a mint of
money in bee journalism, you may be disap-
pointed; and if you think it will advertise
your supply Vjusiness, and lead you on the
highway to success, you maybe disappointed
again. At any rate, do not put out the first
edition poorly printed with poor ink or poor
paper. If you do, its doom is sealed at once.
Bee keepers as a class have come to be quite
fastidious. — " Gleanings.
Opposing the Editorial Opinion.
Ever since the beginning of the publica-
tion of the Review I have striven to eradi-
cate the feeling that seemed to pervade the
minds of some that I preferred articles con-
taining views in accordance with my own.
I came across an item the other day in the
Household, a supplement to the Michiga))
Farmer, that expresses so nicely my views
on this subject that 1 take pleasure in repro-
ducing it. The Household has a lady editor,
and, as might be expected, it is well edited.
A correspondent in venturing to differ from
the editor remarked: "I am aware of the
hazards we run in entering into a controver-
sy with an editor." The editor's reply was
prefaced with the following : —
"I sincerely hope I am 'too much of an
editor' to take offense or feel pique or ill-will
toward any person who dili'ers from my
views. I emphatically object to being re-
garded as the autocrat of the Household or
to having its readers infer that there must
be no dissent from my opinions because I
exercise a supervisory right over the little
paper. An editor often finds it necessary to
refuse articles wliich are outside the field
and beyond the scope of his paper: the edi-
torial adaptability lies in power to discern
and courage to live up to this principle.
But to refuse publication simply because an
article does not agree with the editor's views
on the subject would be deserved death to
any newspaper. I can say truly that I have
never refused an article which came within
the field of the Household because of a per-
sonal feeling or opinion; I hope I never shall.
And articles criticising my opinions have al-
ivays been given space — in the interest of
fair play if for no other reason."
Small Combs for Ncclei.
In queen rearing I have used only two
sizes of frames — American and Langstroth.
I have often thought that I should like to
try rearing queens with smaller combs.
With the large combs the bees cannot cover
the brood to so good advantage as they can
in a greater number of smaller combs. As I
have several times remarked I should like to
try queen rearing with pound sections for
combs, using an old style Heddon super for
a nucleus hive. I would use from four to
six sections for each nucleus. I think now
that I shall give it a trial another season. I
believe Mr. Alley makes a success of these
small combs; but Mr. S. F. Trego seems to
have had some difficulty in using them.
Here is what he writes to the A. B. J.: —
"I want to say that small nuclei are a
nuisance. In 18!)0 I used nineteen of the
Pratt style until the bees absconded, and, if
I remember right, I got three queens from
those nineteen nuclei.
Then I reasoned that if I had some to work
on the Pratt system, with frames twice as
large, they would work O. K. So in Feljru-
ary, 18'.)1, I had 200 hives made to hold three
frames one-third as large as the liaugstroth
frame. These worked some better, but I
was kept busy from noon until two p. m.,
hiving absconding nuclei, and sometimes I
would put in half a day trying to keep them
from leaving.
302
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
I fed them whenever there was any danger
of their starving, but still they swarmed.
The following are a few of their tricks : Fol-
lowing the queen when she Hew out to mate;
absconding a few hours after I had shipped
their queen; absconding if I did not take
the queen out before she had all the combs
full, and refusing to accept virgins— killing
twice as many as larger nuclei.
I shall remodel the bodies of those small
hives into feeders, melt the combs, and use
the frames for kindling the fire.
The next hives I have made will be four-
frame Langstroth, and I claim that with
them I can rear more queens from a certain
number of colonies with less work, and when
fall conaes two or three of these nuclei will
make a colony, while the small ones will not
be worth uniting.
It is a waste of bees and loss of money to
use these small hives. A good nucleus will
gather ten to fifteen pounds of honey in
September here, and seal it up so that it
makes good winter stores.
No man can yiv3 me any more of those
small hives, even if he fills them with bees,
provided I have to use them one season.
SWEDONA, Ills. Oct. 14, 1891.
I well know that weak nuclei cause all the
troubles that are mentioned by Mr. Trego,
but two Langstroth combs as thoroughly
covered with bees as they are in a full colony
would furnish sufficient bees for two nuclei
if tlic two combs could only be transformed
into four combs, the area remaining the
same. The introduction of an odd sized
frame into an apiary is objectionable for
many reasons, and in a locality where there
is a probability of a good honey harvest it
may be well to use only regular sized frames
for nuclei, keeping the nuclei quite strong
with bees, and depending upon a crop of
extracted honey from the nuclei as a recom-
pense for making them so strong.
Mr. Heddon's Views on Closed End Frames.
Mr. Heddon puts himself on record in re-
gard to closed end frames by means of the
following article in Gleanings:
" I believe we all entertain a just pride in
forming correct conclusions. I am very
glad there have been bee journals through
which we may not only aid each other, but
on whose pages I miglit place my opinions,
v/hich I believe to be advanced opinions, on
record. You know, Mr. Editor, that the man
who really believes himself a true prophet,
really capable of laying down such truths to-
day as, although not accepted now, will
surely be in the future, desires to make liis
prophesies public.
The above thoughts are suggested by the
article of brother Stachelhausen, on page
.^>i)2. You know very well tliat the mechani-
cal construction and devices of apiarian fix-
tures and implements, especially of the hive,
have been my hobby for twenty years; and
probably from the great importance of hav-
ing a good hive have flowed forth the bitter
jealousies between inventors. I desire to
make this article short, although devoted to
a very long subject.
While for fifteen years a user and admirer
of the laterally movable suspended L. frame,
never for a moment did I cease to study into
and look after the merits of close-fitting
frames. I have gone slowly and carefully,
and made my experiments on a comprehen-
sive scale: and I desire now to go on record
for the following:
1. The Hoffman frame will never come
into general use and remain so. It is not as
worthy as the L. frame. If I must use a
Hoffman frame or a Langstroth frame, I
will have the latter.
2. A closed-end frame in a close-fitting
case is the only arrangement that will super-
cede the L. frame with practical honey pro-
ducers. As you say in your foot-notes on
page .562, such an arrangement works more
perfectly in shallow cases like those used in
my divisible brood-chamber; but, please
place me on record, here and now, as affirm-
ing that this same arrangement in a case
ten inches deep makes a more worthy hive
than the L. hive with the suspended frames;
and don't fail to record me as saying that no
other close-fitting style of frame does.
Some of your readers may say that some
of the above are strong statements, and
savor of conceit in the writer, to which I
take no excel ition. I meant to make them
strong; for, when I go upon record, I desire
to go squarely so, and I think I know that
every statement above is true: and have I
not a right to some conceit? I think that,
as long as ten years ago, and perhaps longer,
I foresaw that the practical, money-making
bee culture of the future must desert the
rules laid down in text books and bee jour-
nals; that the future bee keeper who would
succeed in honey producing must abandon
all work except that absolutely necessary,
and this he must be able to accompli h in
the shortest space of time. This demanded
a different system of management, and that,
in turn, different implements, especially dif-
ferent hives. Then I began making and ad-
vocating lighter hives, recommending the
manufacture of the brood chamber and
supers of thinner material. Of course, I
was met with plenty of opposition. My
lumber was 'too thin for winter' and ' too
thin for summer.' My recommendation of
eight instead of ten L. frames was also
heresy. Very few, at least, agreed with me,
even if Adam Grimm did use eight frames.
' Handling hives more and frames less ' is
also a part of the reform above referred to,
and was the title of an article of mine nub-
lished more than ten yeai'S ago, and yet I did
not get on record in letters large enough and
ink black enough.
Let me refer you to many numbers of the
American Bee Journal and Gleanings, away
back as above mentioned. Please get me on
record strong, this time, Bro. Root, and
record me as saying that there is nothing
superior to or eoual to the L. hive system
except the close-fitting frame as arranged in
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
803
my liito iuvcntion; juul that is so much l>et-
tor that any apiarist who tiiorouyhly under-
stands it and knows how io use it can handle
doublo tho nunilior of colonies with thu same
labor required with auj other style of hive.
Are tho alcove statements any too strong, if
true':' Now let the future decide: and wlien
it comes, don't forget the past, I pray you.
•I AMES Heddon.
DowAGiAO, Mich., July 22."
Tho great trouble with Mr. Heddon's pro-
phesies is that they are made so far in
advance of their fultillment that they are
forgotten before fulfilled.
Securing Workers for tho Harvest,— Hill's
Review of This Topic.
Bro. Hill, of the Guide, copied ray last
reply to his criticism upon this chapter from
Advanced Bee Cultufe. My first reply he
has not noticed. Here is what he has in the
October Guide:
"It is true that Ho.^mer did talk about
reducing the colonies to a pint or quart of
young bees but we never got it down to ex-
periments on so fine a scale, and the idea
wo wished to convey was that any manipula-
tion of boes that tended in this direction
was unprofitable and undesirable. Keep the
colonies strong at all times is our motto and
then they are always ready for business.
We never found any profit in wintering a
five comb hive well filled with bees. We
could seldom l^uild them up sufficiently to
store surplus on the bassv/ood bloom, besides
the risk was double that of a good, strong
colony on nine combs or frames.
We do not care what experience Mr.
Hutchinson has had. ^Ve have weighed too
many colonies of bees fall and spring and
too many years in succession to have any
respect for the assertion that there are five
pounds of honey saved par colony by winter-
ing in a cellar. Neither have we any more
respect for the statement that bees are win-
tered safer in the cellar in northern districts
than protected on summer stands, because
in the northern States and Canada we have
the snow to aid in their protection. Wliat
wo call a protection is a hive and cap one
inch thick, the cap to telescope down over
the hive with a dead air space between, and
the cap to be so tight that it will hold water
when inverted, no uppei- ventilation or quilts
or cushions, this to be surrounded with three
inches in thickness of dry clover chaff, the
bottom board four inches from the grotind
with an opening dire tly under the cluster of
bees 7x7 inches, covered with a wire cloth,
eight wires to the inch : tliis arrangement to
be covered with snow so deep, as soon as it
comes, that potatoes would not freeze in tlie
hive. This is what we call protecting the
bees on summer stands, and anything less
than that is simply lal)or wasted, as half
protection kills or injures the bees quicker
than no protection at all.
^Ve did not expect he would agree with us
in regard to protecting the bees with honey
or sugar syrup, because he can't do it in the
hives he recommends in his book. It re-
quires a square, dtcp frame to get good
results. The honey or stores do not protect
the bees very much on a frame eight inches
deep as there can be no honey above the
cluster where it is needed most. \Ve are not
sure but if colonies in hives with combs
twelve inohes deep were fed an alnindance of
stores sealed air tight on top with plenty of
ventilation below (raising the hive up from
the bottom board '4 of an inch) they would
be as safe to winter as in any other manner
even with the temperature below zero. We
have noted some remarkaVdo cases where
bees have wintered safely in this condition,
during some very severe cold winters.
We have protected our bees in the fall and
usually leave it on urlil May first, so that
we have had a great C-erd of experience in
protecting bees during April as recom-
mended by Mr. Hutchinson, and we know
that what he says is simply theory and
speculation. It will not pay to protect the
bees for the month of April alone with any-
thing else but feed. Plenty of stores will
enable an ordinary colony to stand any
April weather. ^Ve think anyone will get
better results if they spend the cost of spring
packing in buying sugar and feeding the
light colonies. Packing around the outside
of the hive is too far from the edges of the
circles of brood to do any good. The feed
is put right in the spot where it is needed.
The sun then warms the hives and brood
during the day while the bees are at work,
and when they are at home at night and
during the cold spells that Mr. Hutchinson
tells about, they, with the aid of plenty of
stores, can keep all snug and warm. It is
plain that we do not agree at all in this
matter. We leave it now for the readers to
draw their own conclusions as to what is
right. — Editoe."
The above is a pretty fair criticism. The
most glaring unfairness that I see in it is
where he says : " We do not care what ex-
perience Mr. Hutchinson has had." I should
not expect to prove that I was right by re-
marking that I did not care what exiierieuce
Mr. Hill had had. In keeping with the
above is the following : " Neither have we
any more respect for the statement that bees
are wintered safer in the cellar in Northern
districts than protected on summer stands,
because in the Northern states and Canada
we have the snow to aid in their protection."
I am acquainted with and have met most of
the prominent bee keepers of the Northern
States and Canada, and the majority favor
cellar wintering.
I most heartily agree with Bro. Hill that
"half protection kills or injures the bees
quicker than no protection." Something
that shuts off the sun's rays yet has but little
effect in confining the heat that radiates
from the colony is a damage.
304
THE BEE-KEEPERS' BEVIEW.
As 1 said iu a previous number, I have no
doubt that stores surrounding the cluster
are a protection, but not the equal of three
or four inches of dry sawdust. I remember
distinctly one spring when there were two
weeks of honey weather the last of April,
and one week in May. The bees just boomed,
spread out their brood and had it well sur-
rounded by stores, and, by the way, it was
when I was using the American frame.
Then there came a snow storm. Snow and
cherry blossoms hung upon the same limb.
The snow remained four days. Half of tiie
colonies unprotected died outright, notwith-
standing the stores surrounding the cluster.
A peep into the protected colonies, showing
the bees crawling about*actively all over the
combs, was so aggravating. If I had only
protected all of them was what I thought,
and that was what aggravated me. When I
think of such experiences as this, and I have
had one or two others nearly as bad, it
makes me feel like saying "I don't care
what experience Mr. Hill has had."
Right in line with this subject comes
another editorial in the Guide upon " (Jut-
side Winter Cases." It contains so much
that is valuable that I give it entire :
" Mr. E. F. Quigley, editor of the Missouri
Bee Keeper, makes the following comments :
' Bro. Hill, of the Bee Keepers^ Guide, sets
down on Bro. Root's outside winter case.
He says why not put a bushel of potatoes iu
one of these cases to prevent them freezing.
Well, there is considerable difference be-
tween a colony of bees and the potatoes.
We like a thin winter case if made right,
although we believe they are of more value
for spring protection.'
We do not think there is much difference
notwithstanding the opinion of the editor.
It is true that a colony will sometimes live
through the winter where a bushel of pota-
toes would become frosted, but the bees al-
ways suffer and are injured more or less, if
they are not an entire loss.
Right here is where all novices make the
greatest mistake, not thoroughly under-
standing the i)rinciples that permit of
healthy bees. A bee cellar with an eight
inch brick wall is a death trap to almost
three-fourths of the colonies i)ut into it any
severe cold weather. Yet it would seem that
that would be suiticieut protection until
tried and found wanting. We lost very
heavily in this way in our early experience.
We road (ininby's book and thought we fol-
lowed his instructions, but we now see we
did not do it at all, because ho recommended
frost proof repositories and we could not
understand why a little frost in the cellar
would do so much harm until we had actual
experience. A dry goods box set over a hive
containing a colony of bees iu such a manner
that the edges rest in the grass around the
hive is sure to kill the bees if the winter is
cold for a month. Corn foddtr set up
around the hive is sure to kill the l)ees in the
same way that the box does. ^Ve look on a
three-eighths of an inch winter protecting
case as another similar trap to destroy bees.
We are positive that more bees will perish
with it on than with it off. AVe have written
before at considerable lengtli to demonstrate
why such unexpected results should be ob-
tained. An even temperature of from thirty
to forty degrees is very chilling to all animal
life, because it is the lowest tercpeialuie at
which the air can contain moisture in a con-
dition suitable to the rapid conducting of
the heat from the cluster of bees, and a
slight protection is liable to maintain just
the temperature with the air fully saturated
with the moisture from the cluster, causing
the very best combination to cause the bees
to sutler. This is the only true principle or
theory that will satisfactorily explain all the
queer freaks of wintering that occur every
cold winter. In conclusion we will say to
the editor of the Missouri Bee Keejier that
we meant just what we said, 'Why not put
a bushel of potatoes in one of those cases to
prevent them from freezing ? ' We coijsider
it just as sensible to put one over a colony of
bees. — Ed."
There is just one weak point in the above,
and that is in comparing a colony of bees to
a bushel of potatoes. A colony of bees is
heat producing, while a bushel of potatoes is
not. The latter might be enclosed in the
thickest and best wall of non-conducting
material possible to secure, and, if exposed
to a freezing temperature, it would only V)o
a question of time when the potatoes would
be frozen. The temperature of a cellar re-
mains aVjove freezing only because the heat
is constantly replenished from the earth.
ADVE RTISEinENTS
Money in Cabbage and Celery.
" Blood will tell." Good crops cannot be
grown with poor strains of seed.
For sixteen years Tillinghast's Puget
Sound Cabbage, Cauliflower and Celery
Seeds have been gaining in popularity.
The most extensive growers all over the
Union now consider them the best in the
world. A citalogue giving full partic-
ulars regarding them will be sent free
to any one interested. When writing for
it enclose 20 cents in silver or postage
stamps and we will also send " How to
Gbow Cabbage and CELErv," a book
worth its weight in gold to any grower
who has never read it. Address
SEED-TIME AND HARVEST,
D-iJl-lit La Plume, Pa.
Please mention the Revie^v.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
305
Winter Bees
Szvfely ai? size as au 8-frame Dovetailed hive, con-
taininy; the same inside furniture. tSend for
pecial illustrated circular.
The W. T. FflLiCOriel^ ivifg. CO.,
Jamestown, New York.
Catalogue of all bee supplies and sample copy
of Amkuic.vs Bee - Keepkr free (The Am.
Bee - Keeper is a 24 • page monthly at oO cts.)
Please mention the Review
Cny fieixx. Thin,
Double - Wall Hive
Is the best summer and winter hive yet devised.
Takes regular " L." furniture. Is lighter than 's
single wall hive; may be storified to any extent,
etc. Sentl for descriptive circular Special low
prices for 1891 to introduce it. A full line of bee-
keepers' supplies always in stock. Catalogue f ree-
C. W^. COSTELLOW,
8-90-tf Waterborough, Me.
It's Got the SNAP.
That is what our subscribers say, and they are
cf)ming in by every mail. Send 50 cents for a
year's subscription to the 7*^lssouri Bee-
K??P9r. Monthly ; 1(5 pages and cover ; nicely
primed on good paper. Money returned if you
don't like it. Sami)le free.
Address BEE-KEEPER PUB, CO.,
Dnionville, Mo.
Beautiful Bees "-^^^s ple^js^^ ^^^
Good Qualities ^^^ "-""'Citable.
If you wish for bees and queens that cond>ine
beauty and good qualities to a marked degree,
write for descriptive circular giving low prices.
No circulars sent unless asked for.
('HAS D. DUVAL,
3-90-tf Speucerville, Md.
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
Smoker burns hard wood chips witJiout spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. (iroalest
smoking capacity. Busiest to start. Cheapest
because it saves time. Price, ^l:iQ. By mail,
%\AQ. Per dozen, f 10.80.
Best Bee - Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may bo
given a colony at one time
which will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 30c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz., f KJO. Has a sale of
2,(J0i) per month. Address
A. Gr. HILL, KendallviUe,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by ThosG. Newman & Son, Chicago, 111.; G. B.
Lewis & Co,, Watertown. Wis.; W. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Minn.; (has. Dadant & Son, HamiUon,
Hancock Co., 111.; E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, Iov\a;
H. McWilson & Co , 202 Market St.. St. Louis,
Mo.; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.; W. D. Soptr &
Co., Jackson, Mich.; ('has. A. Stockbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A..F. Fields, Wheaton, Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. (Juigley, Uniou-
ville. Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
Send 2.5 cts for my book of Discovery and
Invention, the
Queen i^estpictop.
l-91-12t
C. W. DAYTON,
Clinton, Wisonsin.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice, Workmanshij), Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Sen1C0 per
1,000. 12 lb. Shippina; Cases, in the flat, with
glass, $7.00 per 100; without glass, $6 00.
Twenty page price list free.
J, r^. KWZIE,
Kochester Oakland Co., Mich.
ll-90-13t
"H^VERY one in need of information on the
■fio^ Kubjont of advertising will do well to obtain
a c;)i)y()f "Hookfor Advortisers," 3i;S paeres, price
§1.(0. Mailed, postpaid, on receipt of jjrico. Con-
tains a careful compilation from tlie American
Newspaper Directory of allthe best papers and
class journals ; gives the circulation rating of
every one, and a good deal of information al)out
rates and other matters pertaining to the busi-
ness of advertising. Address HOWELL'S
ADVERTISING BUREAU, 10 Spruce St., N. Y.
Utili
!©© ^ Hiw©!
Unexcelled for SIMPLICITY, CONVEN-
IENCE cmd CHEAPNESS. Every 2^art
INTERCHANGEABLE, REVERSIBLE
and INVERTIBLE. Adapted to inter-
change tvifh the Simplicity and other frames
and bodies. For introductory prices, etc.,
address LOWR Y JOHNSON,
1-91-tf Alasonfoivv, Pa.
FnnfiniiTinN And sections are my
iLHJlJLLLLEJ specialties. No. 1 V-groove
Sections at $8.00 per thousand. Special
prices to dealers. Send for free price list
of everything needed in the apiary.
1-91-tf M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich.
WASHBMCTON, M.J. I
Life and health being spared, I sliall, inthe
spring of 1892, continue the breeding of Carnio-
lan bees and queens. You can order now or
when the queens are bred.
J/MO. ANDREW5»
10-91 3t Patten's Mills, N. Y.
PATENT, WIRED, COMB FOUNDiTIOH
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
THIN, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus Honey.
Being the cleanest is usually worked
the quickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN BEUSKN & SONS,
(sole manufacturers),
3-yO-tf Sprout Brook,Mont.Co.,N.Y
Please mention the Reuieiu.
Kq^^ Has S2^ES^33 ibLb VBIftSB ^||l Hill I II 1 ISASI H^M «4aa N^^
for only 15 cents.
White Mountain Apiarist.
This offer seems to have hit the right cliord.
Everybody wants to see what the APIARIST is
like. Try it. WHITE MOUNTAIN APIARIST,
Groveton, N. H.
LtBflHV'S FOUr^DflTIOj^,
CJCiholesale and l^etail,
Smokers and Sections,
Extt^actot^sand Hives,
Queens and
Bees,
f^.B. lieahy and Company
HiQQii^sville, missoum.
l-OO-tf Please mention the Revieiv.
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
UNIVERSAL ^eL"."V/5* vapor and Water-
BATH. Dh--J4fresl,,.dt,Mioe™.
, Centennial Award. M:«g^^ "'"' ' '^>f^^^'^^^^'^^&^ -^S Co
■as Medal and Diplo
"3^ a!rainst tho worl) _
fe Whohmh [J^TDTJiJI^
Bee Journal,
EDITED BY D. A.JONES.
75 cts. a Year.
Poultry Journal,
ED'TD BY W.C.G. PETFR.
75 cts. a Year.
These are_ published separately, alternate weeks;
edited by live, practical men and contributed to
by the best writers. Both journals are interesting
and alike valuable to expert or novice. Samples
free. Both journals one year to one address, $1.00
Until June 1st fl.'lTi,- Journal (J -.ll,, flg .1.
we wiU send illJlBr trial trip for 0 UllfiS AO ClSi
THED. A. JONES CO., Vd, Beeton, Ont.
1692. 1892. 1892. 1892.
In 1892 LEININGER BRO'S are going to
devote their entire time to raising
5-BANDED
Golden Red Clover Bees.
For further particulars write for our descrip-
tive Catalogue, which will be ready about Janu-
ary I5th, 1892.
LEININGER BRO'S,
12-91 tf Fort Jennings, Ohio.
ITALIAN QUEENS AND SUPPLIES
FOI^ 1891.
Before you purchase, look to your interest, and
send for catalogue and price list.
J. P. H. BROWN,
1-88-tf. Augusta, Oeorgia.
BsG HiYSs^ Sections^ Etc.
We make the best goods and sell them cheap.
Our sections are far the best in the market.
Our works turn out the most goods of any
factory in the world.
Our goods are known as the best throughout
the United States and Europe.
Write for free, illustrated catalogue and price
list. e. B. LEWIS CO.,
11-91-tf Watertown, Wisconsin.
Half Million
No. 1 Sections and 350
colonies of bees must be
sold. Send for catalogue. E, T. FLANAGAN,
Box 783, Belleville, 111. 12-91-6t
Please mention the Reuiew.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
311
Naroes of Bee-Keeper^
Tlic nameti of my cuatoiiiors, and of tlioHe ask-
inn for wain pie copies, have been saved and writ-
ten in a hook. i'lien> are several thousand all
arranged alphal)etieally ai.d ace<>rdins to states ;
and, althoupli tliis list lias l)ien secured at an ex-
pense of hundreds of dollars, 1 would furnisii it
to my advertisers at f2.r,0 per thousand names.
A manufacturer who wishes for a list of the
names of bee-keepers in his own state only, or,
possibly, in the adjoining states, can be acctom-
modat^'d. .\ny inquiry in regard to the nundjer
of names in a certain state, or states, will be an-
swered cheerfully. p]ach list furnished will be
copied info a book, and blank spaces left for the
writing of additional names.
W. Z. HUTCHINSON. Flint, Mich
BASSWOOb
HONEY,
Ejctra Quality,
USUAL. LOW PRICES.
A Mr ess
JAMES HEDDON,
Dowagiac, Michigan.
Please mention the R^uieui.
IF yon wish to advsrtise anything anywhere at
any time write to GEO. P. KOWELL & CO.,
No 10 Spruce 8t , N. Y.
Our Cevtevlosiu^ of B^e-
5upplie^. S^od for it.
Contzvipj evil you Need.
Prices to suit the tirpej.
Your Success in F.ee-Keeping depends
very miK-h on the cjiieens, hence you see that
only the best queens are really cheap. We have
the best and want you to try them. As for
prices— well, you'll find them reasonable
R. 5TR/\TTON & SO/S,
l-ai-l-.H Hazardville, Conn.
Please mention the Reuiew.
P WD 'KEEP BEES
If so, send your name and address for a Free
Sample of the AMEBICAN BEE SOWBAIt
Weekly— J2 pages— One Dollar a year.
"PUBLISH tlRS
cHirAGo. n,r.
^'SflN!
natural Gas
FOI^ PUEU AJMD liIGHT.
other things being equal, the manufacturer
who does not use natural gas cannot compete
vyith the one who does. I am just putting the
iinishiug touches upon an apiarian supply fac-
tory that will be the nn)st complete of any in the
State and furnished with the best recjuirements
for t urning out first class goods at the lowest
possible iH'ices; one of the requireineuts being the
use of natural gas for fuel and light, which will
be a big item in keeping down exiienses and en-
abling me tf> make low prices. If you wish to
SAVE MONEY, send for my price list. 1
will also furnisii supplies at my okl factory in
Findlay, Ohio, but all communications should be
addressed to J. J. BRAD/SER,
Marion, liid.
Please mention the Reuieiu.
MV SUPPLIES
-•^ AJ ^LJ T71„„„,„n„.r-»T« 1 ;_
RETAIL
— AND —
WHOLESALE
Everything used in the Apiary.
(jreatost variety and largest stock in the West.
New catalogue, .54 illustrated pages, free to bee-
keepers. E. KKETCHMEK, Red Oak, Iowa.
Pleas" mention the Review.
THE NEW WEBSTER
Successor of the Unabridged.
WEBSTER'S
INTERNATIONAL
DICTIONARY
A GRAND INVESTMENT
For tJie Family, the School or the Library.
The work of revision occupied over ten
year.s, more tlian a liundred editorial la-
borers liaving been employed, and over
»300,000 expended before tlie first copy
was printed.
SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.
A Pamphlet of specimen pages, illustrations,
testimonials, etc., sent free by tlie publishers.
Caution is needed in purchasing, a dictiona-
ry, as pliotograpliie reprints of a comparatively
worthlessedition of Webster are being marketed
under various names, often by misrepresentation.
GET THE BEST,
The International, whieli bears the imprint of
G. \' >l. STAHI., IJuiiu-y, IIIh-
J[NNI[ mm HAS MOV[0, Dealers in Supplies
111 order 'o sc^ fartlicr luit on *lie prairie 1
sliall cliaiiKc my pos; office from Farmerville to
Flo.vd. I am preparing to run my entire apiaries
for queen rearinij. In order to liavo the use of
my four- frame nuclei early in the season I offer
tine, tess'ed, 1 alian (jueens in March and April
a $1.25 each. A few tine breeding queens at
$.").() I eacii. 1 liave some of the finest breeders
in the Uui'ed States, both of 'he five and three-
banded %-arie^ies; kep'^ and reareil in .separate
yards. Untested queens in March, April and
May, eitlier variety $1.(KI each; six for $5.00;
twelve for $8.00. June and af'er, TScts. each;
six for S.S.OO; twelve for $7. ."lO. Orders may b(!
booked now and "^he pay sen wnen ■'he queens
are ready. Special prices to dealers who take a
certain number of queens per week. My money
order office will be Greenville, Texas. 124tl-tf
JE1.E ATCHLEY, Floyl Texas,
Please mention the Review,
— are requested to
SEND FOR PRICES.
Those wlio contemplate handling bee-keepers'
supplies tlie comins season canob'ain lowest
wholesale prices by enclosing their business
card or printed letter head and stating tli(^ goods
wanted. If you are a mauufac'urer, see if we
canno*^ furnisli goods ciieaper than you can
make them. We make all s*yles of
Hives, Frames Sections, Etc.
Workmanship and material equal *o any and
superior to many.
Special Discounts from catalogue prices
in Dec, 4 per cent; Jan., 8 per cent; Feb. -i.
Ask on a postal for our LARGE ILLUSTRA-
TED Catalogue andpncelist, and copy of
the American Bee -Keeper, a 24 page
montlily for beginners.
THE W. T. FALCONER Mfg. CO.,
Jamestown, N. Y.
A HEW BROOM Prevent Svarn,ing
sweeps clean, and on the same principle, if you
want good work, patronize a new supply dealer,
31r. 1. J. Stringham, 92 Barclay St.. New York
(^ity. His price list has just been printed at the
Review offic(\ and its editor can testily that he
is offering a full line of excellent goods at rea-
sonable prices. They will be shipped promptly
and the location will secure low freight and
quick transportation. Send for his price list bo-
fore buying ANYTHING neeiled in the apiary.
12-91-12t
Please mention thf Reuieui.
DON'T SEND
Ac OSS several States after (ioods that can be
bought just as cheaply near home, but write to
GREGORY BRITS (i: SON,
Ottuinwa. Iowa, for their large, 12-page, illustra-
ted cat-ilogup of everything needed ni the apiary —
Hives, Sections, Shipi)ing Cases, Smokers, Foun-
dation, Bees, Queens, Bee Veils, etc., etc., etc.
And increase your honey crop the coming season
by replacing OLD QUEErtS with YOUWG
ones before the season opens. Look to your in-
terest, order now and secure a discount. 10 per
cent off on orders booked before February Ist.
Queens ready to mail March 1st. Best strain
Leather-back Italians, $12 00 per doz.; $1.35 each.
Purity and safe arrival guaranteed.
12-91-tf. A. F. BROWN,
Agent So. Express Co. Hiuitingtcm Fla.
— I REAR AND 5ELL
5-BANDED
Italian Queens and Bees, Circular and Price List
sent free. T C. Stanton, Rochester, N. Y., writes:
'■ I have bought several queens of different breed-
ers in various localities, but the one bought of
you is the brightest golden color of any."
Address, J. F. MICHAEL,
12-91-8t. Gennan, Ohio.
Please mention the Reuiew.
Cheap Freight and Quick Transportation.
Being located at the most central point of railroad and express companies enables us to furnish
bee keepers with supplies at less cost to tliemselves than any house in the country. We furnish
everything need«l in the apiary, as low as the lowest and as good as the best.
COOiC'S OOl!s*IFI_iETE3 KCI'VE com Innes all the most approved methods
of hive making. It is a complete arrangement for out (U)()r wintering and is equally well adapted to
producing comi) or extracted honey Send for illustrated circular and price list.
J. H.M.COOK,
SUCCESSOU TO
KIN« & ASPINW.^LL
78 Barclay St., New York City.
314
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Tbe Va^lue of Ne2it, Heipclsorne
PRINTING.
Many dealers look upon the style of
their printed stationery and the " get up "
of their circulars and price lists as un-
important matters. In this they are mis-
taken. Nothing is more certain to preju-
dice a would-be customer than a slovenly,
poorly printed circular or to receive a
communication written upon stationery
the printing of which is a " botch job."
While the sending out of handsomely
printed matter does not always bring the
desired orders, it is an aid in that di-
rection. In other words, we judge of a
man and of his business by what we
receive from him ; hence, the receipt of
a neat, well printed circular, or of a com-
munication written upon stationery that
awakens our admiration, leads us (uncon-
ciously, perhaps, but none the less trulj )
to conclude that everything from the
sender will be of a like artistic nature.
To turn out first class printing, five
things are necessary. 1st, good type of
neat and artistic styles ; 2nd, good paper ;
3rd, good ink ; 4th, a good press ; and,
5th, the skill to use all these things.
If one of these factors is wanting, it is
like taking a link from a chain. In what
degree the above necessities to good printing
may be found in the Review office, the
Review best shows.
Since it became known that the Review
was "home made" many of its readers
have offered it the job of doing their
printing. While I have most thoroughly
appreciated this kindness, I have been
compelled to decline the work, simply
from lack of time. Since enlarging the
Review I have found it impossible to
set all of the type myself, while there is
not work enough to keep a compositor
all the time. I am obliged to depend
upon "picking up" a man for a week
or two each month. This is rather un-
pleasant, as I am obliged to put up with
Tom, Dick and Harry and sometimes
I have trouble in finding even these.
For these reasons 1 have decided to keep
a man all the time and then do job work
that he may be kept busy when not at
work on the Review.
Now, friends, if you wish for good
printing I shall be glad to do it for you.
Nothing will induce me to send out a
poor job, but if you want nice work
and are willing to pay for it (not an
exhorbitant price but what it is really
worth) I shall be glad to hear from you.
W. Z. HUTCHIfH[50N, Flint, A\icb.
Have yon heard that Oliver Hoover k Co. have btiilt, at Rivernide. Pa.,
One of the Largest Bee-Hive Factories
in the East, fully ecjuipped with the latest, improved luacliiuery ? They are
now prepared to send out the latest styles of
Hives, Sections, Crates and Foundation.
All kinds of hoe-keepers" snpi)lies al\va.\s on liand. Their location will en-
ahlc them to ship Roods by direct line to more points than any other man-
ufacturer, which will give the advanlane of Low Freight Rates and
quick transportaton. Send for free illustrated (^ataloyue. 2-9'-tf
OUIVEf^ J-IOOVER & CO., f^ivefside, Pa.
Please mention the Review.
7b
e (5)ee-
\eepeps' jAeViecu.
A MONTHLY JOURNAL
Devoted to tlqe Iqterests of Hoqey Producers.
$L00 A YEAR.
W. Z. HUTCHlNSOIl, Editop & Ppop.
VOL, IV,
FLINT, MICHIGAN, DEC. 10, 1891,
NO, 12.
The special topie of this issue is
Remedies for Poor Seasons.
That of the next issue ixiill be
Writing for tine Bee Journals
Poor Seasons, Their Lessons and Remedies.
Alfalfa Not a Success in Illinois, i |
J. A. GREEN.
HE sul)ject for
I discussion this
month is one that
dt^serves the most
t irnest and care
till attention from
all whose income
is wholly or largely
ili-rived from bee
keeping. Especi-
ally to the former
the experience of
the past four years
has brought home the hard fact that if this
sort of thing is to continue or to be often
repeated, he must make a change. Every"
one of these seasons was a poorer one than
I ever knew in the years preceding this
period, and no doubt the majority of bee
keepers have had the same experience.
Now, if we can learn the causes responsi-
ble for this state of affairs, we may be able
to find a remedy. Or, if there be no remedy,
we may learn how to make the best of it.
In the first place I believe that climatic
conditions over which we have no control
have been the principal cause of the failure
in honey secretion. It begins to look possi-
ole that the amount of rainfall may be in-
fluenced by man. Even if this be done —
and I must confess to considerable skepti-
cism— I think we must go further.
There have been seasons when I thought
that too much rain, or a lack of it, was the
cause of failure. But iu this locality the
past season was neither unusually wet nor
dry, and our principal honey plants blos-
somed freely, yet almost totally failed to
secrete nectar.
I have laid it to the unusually cool summer,
yet I may be mistakeu iu this. It is worth
remarking that during this period of scarcity
the winters have been unusually mild and
open, and it is possible that this may have a
bearing on the case.
Undoubtedly there are many localities
where bee keeping has ceased to be profit-
able, and must continue to grow less so.
In nearly every locality, and especially in
the prairie countries, the number of honey
producing plants is continually decreasing
as the land is brought more and more under
the subjection of man, and better methods
of farming prevail.
To a very considerable extent the interests
of the bee keeper and the farmer are opposed
to one another.
Here the basswoods have been cut down
and their places occupied by fields of grain.
In the stubble fields and among the rows of
316
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
corn the heartsease formerly grew and gave
us our fall crop. Now the almost universal
custom of fall plowing destroys the hearts-
ease in the stubble, and a better cultivation
keeps it out of the corn fields. The old rail
fences, with their corners filled, often with
honey bearing plants, have disappeared.
The wire fence which has taken its place
readily allows the weeds of the highway to
enter the field, hence the highway must be
kept free from weeds.
Swamps and low places have been drained
and almost the last remnant of the indige-
nous honey plants swept away.
To offset this increasing tendency we can
only try to induce the farmer to raise some-
thing that will produce honey. The princi-
pal crops that seem adapted to this purpose
are alfalfa, alsike and buckwheat. Alfalfa
is at present confined to a few of the western
states, though some authorities claim that it
may be made profitable over at least a third
of the U. S. Those who have tried it in this
locality have invariably met with complete
failure. Alsike and buckwheat are profit-
able in some localities but not in all. They
do not seem to be here. I have never cared
to have buckwheat planted in my neighbor-
hood, because whenever buckwheat yields
honey, heartsease, belonging to the same
family, yields honey in greater abundance
and of better quality. The most we can do
in regard to such crops is to see that they
have a fair trial in the neighborhood. It
will not pay to offer inducements for their
cultivation, and even the farmer bee keeper
will not be justified in raising a crop that is
not profitable aside from the honey that may
be obtained from it.
Well, what are we going to do about it ?
I do not believe that bee keeping has ceased
to be profitable except in some localities,
though I do believe that it must be less
profitable than in the past. I think that it
is only by specialism that the most may be
made of it, and yet I could not advise a poor
man to undertake the business of Ijee keej)-
ing as a speciality unless he has a thorough
knowledge of the Ijusiness and is the owner
of an apiary in first class shape. Perhaps
you will say if he has these he ought not to
be called poor, but unless he has something
more than these to fall back on it would not
V>e wise for him to start in bee keeping as a
specialty.
Much may be done to avoid poor seasons
by a careful selection of locality. Every
season impresses on me more strongly the
great difference there is in localities. One
locality may be unprofitable and another
only a few miles away a very good one.
This variation is true as to both quantity
and quality of honey. In one of my apiaries
the average was thirty pounds of extracted
honey to the colony, two-thirds of which
was light colored honey, mostly from sweet
clover. In another nine miles away only
five pounds of comb honey per colony was
secured, and this nearly all honey dew, of
the darkest and rankest description — much
woi-se than the honey dew gathered in the
other apiaries. At the home apiary, midway
between these the results were a medium
between the two. It did not seem to me
that a pound of surplus was gathered from
white clover in any of these apiaries. Less
than fifteen miles from any of them there
was a fair yield of white honey, largely
from white clover, and with little or no
honey dew.
By a system of out-apiaries located as far
as may be under varying conditions of envi-
ronment, much may be done to guard against
the effects of the poor seasons, and if these
apiaries are capable of being easily trans-
ported to other localities where the condi-
tions may be more favorable, the apiarist
is prepared to do all that may be done in
the way of securing a honey crop. If he gets
but a small amount of honey then let him
bend all his energies to making the most of
it. Let him put his honey into the most
salable condition possible and let him de-
velop evei'y home market to the fullest pos-
sible extent. He will have time to do this
now, and the market so developed will stay
by him and will be valuable when the time
comes that he has more honey to sell. Let
him buy from others so as to hold every bit
of this market, at the same time getting
fair returns for the time and money so in-
vested.
Although there may not l)e any immediate
returns from it, the apiarist may use a poor
season very profitably in getting his apiary
in the best possible condition to secure honey
when it does come. Let him remodel or
throw out all defective appliances or imple-
ments, melt up or otherwise dispose of all
crooked or drone combs, Italianize his apiary,
replace all poor queens, and do many other
things which he may not have time or oppor-
tunity to do when honey is more abundant.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
317
Queens may be reared almost as well dur-
ing a time of scarcity as at any other time,
but we eauuot all become breeders of queeus
for the market. A glance at the advertising
columns of our journals should show that
the business of selling queens has very
nearly reached its full development, and a
begmner would have very little chance.
There are some places no doubt where it
will pay to raise bees for sale during poor
seasons, but there are many places where
poor seasons cause bees to be sold for much
less than it would cost to raise them.
The foregoing article is written from the
standpoint of a specialist whose living has
been made entirely from bee keeping. To
those who have some other business to help
them out, he can only advise, don't neglect
the bees. Get rid of them entirely if you
will, but if you are going to keep bees at all
take care of them. The next turn of For-
tune's wheel may bring up a good sized dish
of honey to be emptied right in your apiary.
Be ready for it when it comes. Taking good
care of bees during poor seasons is like in-
surance. It may come hard sometimes to
pay the premiums, but on the whole it pays.
Dayton, 111., Nov. 17, 1891.
Specialty Not Always Best. — Keeping Out of
Debt. — Planting for Honey,— Going to
the Flowers. — Caution Needed.
N'
K. O. AIKIN.
OW, Mr. Edi-
tor, you have
touched a burning,
living question,
one that is not con-
lined to bee keepers
alone. The farmer
says, " What shall
I do ?" The same
cry comes from the
wage laborer ; and
so it is all along
the line, " Our biz
dou I I'a,. .'■ No, specialty won't always
work. You, Mr. Editor, say you " have al-
ways plead for specialty." What is your
"specialty':"' Producing honey? (except
when you fail) or running a bee paper? Or
is it "convention work?" Perhaps 'tis in
writing books ? You seem to have a special
liking for going the "rounds of the fairs."
You just added the Review to your list of
specialties in time to " keep the babies from
starving." You see it doesn't pay to have
the " eggs all in one basket."
Who is it that fares the best at all times
and in all places? Is it not. the "all around
sort of man," the one who can "turn his
hand to almost any kind of work?" It
pay a to be an " expert " in at least one or
two lines. It also pays to be able to make a
reasonable success in several lines.
I have had but one entire failure in getting
a crop of honey, in fifteen years of experi-
ence. However, I had other interests, so I
was not entirely " left." But that very year
that I failed of getting a crop, I said, in the
spring, "this year I will give all my atten-
tion to the bees," so I leased other interests,
and by close attention to the apiary had the
hives "packed with bees," but they just
"camped out" in the shade, and most of
them starved to death the following winter
while I "rustled " for my own living.
I have never depended entirely on one
thing, except for two years, and then I
labored for wages ; my employer having
accumulated abundant means, so that he
could pay his bills, crop or no crop ; his
moans being accumulated in various ways,
and not all from one line of business.
There is one line in which it will pay,
ninety-nine times out of one hundred, to be
a specialist, and that is keeping out of debt.
Never! never ! ! NEVER ! ! ! go in debt.
But you will say, there are times that we
must go in debt ; (I have thought so, too,
but experience has taught me different).
" We depended on a crop of honey and didn't
get it ; what else can we do ?" If bees are
worth .fo.OO per colony and you have .<;.")0.00
to invest, buy only ten colonies instead of
twenty, and mortgage the whole lot for the
other !3>.50.00. If §.")0.00 is your whole capi-
tal, then don't buy even ten colonies. Al-
ways keep a reserve fund to fall back on in
case of failure. Have not less than a year's
provision ahead.
Again I want to say, a poor man, or the
man of small means, can't afford to " carry
his eggs all in one basket." He can't afford
to invest his all in bees, (or any other one
thing), and live up the income as fast as it
does come. Just one crop failure and he is
"flat."
I think, as a rule, an apiary carefully man-
aged will pay running expenses, especially
if we take Doolittle's advice and don't put
any more into the business until something
318
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
comes ont. When the apiary fails the poul-
try, dairy, garden, grain, or other pursuits
will bridge over the " poor season."
Yes, "study your field most thoroughly ; "
know just when and from what you get your
honey ; know just as much as possible of
your sources, and the whys and wherefores,
and govern yourself accordingly, for therein
often lies the secret of the difference between
a crop that only pays expenses and one that
pays a profit.
Planting for honey alone I have no faith
in, neither in a combination crop, i. e., both
honey and grain, or otherwise, unless such
crop be extensively cultivated and adapted
to soil, climate, etc. An acre of buckwheat,
clover, alfalfa, or whatever it may be, is as a
drop in the bucket, so far as getting a sur-
plus yield is concerned. But it will help just
a little in a general way.
Going "to the flowers" may help out,
even in the matter of out apiaries — dividing
the eggs you see — for when one apiary does
poorly, another may do well. But when it
comes to pulling up stakes and moving to
"the Alfalfa fields of Colorado," or else-
where, or moving to any entirely new field,
be sure you know what you are doing, or
that you have a "bank account." That
"long drawn out" alfalfa bloom may prove
" a snare and a delusion." But I will speak
of that in another article. " Thorough in-
vestigation " is the only safe way when going
to new fields, or into a new line of business.
As for " migratory bee keeping," I have
great hopes in that line, but, as yet I have
not capital to carry out my ideas. He who
depends on his small capital and own labor
for his bread and butter, can't afford to do
too much experimenting, nor to be a spe-
cialist to the extent of putting his all into
one thing. A man with capital can be a
specialist, can make specialism pay, because
he can go right along, even with several fail-
ures in succession, while the good and extra
good seasons make the whole average fair,
so that he has ruade money in the end.
These thoughts I have written especially
for the benefit of those who "live by the
sweat of their brow " in producing honey.
But, brethren, don't " labor " and "sweat"
all the time. Do some thinking. Carefully
count the cost of everything. Look your
field over, and if it won't support many col-
onies, keep only a few. Have a garden, even
if it be but a few sciuare feet of ground.
Make everything count and pay its own way.
I know a man of wealth, with over 1,000
acres of land ; and yet, with all his wealth
and farms, he has, the past two years, raised
almost all the vegetables and truck used by
a large family, in "truck" season, and did
it on only three square rods of ground. He
raised onions, beets, cabbage, lettuce, rad-
ishes, peas, beans and corn, and the time
spent on it was scarcely noticed. Just a few
minutes every now and then, but always
when it was needed. So, friends, do you
likewise ; and when the apiary does pay, lay
up a bank account, which will always be a
source of comfort.
LovELAND, Col., Nov. 20, 1891.
What to Do if the Bad Seasons Keep on
Coming Indefinitely.
E. E. HASTY.
fF the flowers do not resume business we
may have to feed syrup of white sugar
as the basis of our nice white comb
honey. Shockingly heretical as this propo-
sition will be considered by many, let us
take a candid look at it. It has long been
taught us l)y high authority that bees do not
" make " honey, but only store what they
find. Bluntly, this doctrine is not true. If
bees do not make honey no mortal creature
makes anything. God alone can make
things creating the material in the operation.
All other makers take material that comes to
hand, and by manipulation form a product
of a distinctly diflfereut character from the
raw material. E. g.. Material, iron ; the
maker makes nails. Material, clay ; the
maker makes brick. Material, cider ; the
. maker makes vinegar. Material, granulated
sugar ; the makers make comb honey.
Whether the thing made be beneficient or
pestilent in character does not affect the fact
of the making. Bees take the nectar of
flowers, or they take other sweets their
keeper furnishes them, and make honey
therewith. Nectar has lots of cane sugar in
it, honey none, or next to none. Honey is
understood to be in part secreted matter
from animal glands of the bee anatomy;
and of animal secretion nectar has none.
Nectar often lias a very " silly " and unat-
tractive taste. Honey has a ripe and desir-
able taste. There are plainly material,
makers and product; and the product de-
cidedly different from the material. In fact,
so far as the term "making" goes, there is
THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW.
319
no sliow at all for the dictum, " Bees do not
make honey."
I am not, however, eufjaged in a mere
strife about words and terms. I wish to
carry the war much farther into benighted
Africa of book-beedom aiul re-open practical
(luestions as to what is desirable, and what
is honest. It is not honest to sell your
neighbor honey from the sugar barrel while
you cause him to think he is buying liotiey
from the flowers. But it is honest if you
say to him, " Here is golden-rod honey for
ten cents a pound; and here, at eleven cents
a pound, is honey I got by feeding syrup last
July." If he likes the looks of the fed honey
best, likes the taste of it best, and takes it
deliberately at a higher price, there is in
such a transaction no dishonesty. I am not
talking from practice, for I never fed sugar
except to supply tlie wauts of the bees, ( and
all I ever fed for that purpose would not
aggregate fifty pounds), but I think I know
how some things would work. I feel sure
that the article in question is essentially
honey, and that customers who have confi-
dence in a bee keeper, upon having the mat-
ter fully explained to them, would readily
buy it.
Now, as to the cause of the established
errors. Writers do not set forth absurd fal-
lacies just from the love of falsehood. Ex-
cepting by queen breeders, little sugar has
ever been fed other than to furnish poverty
stricken bees with food for winter. This
work is done in September, sometimes later.
The business is rushed by feeding the syrup
warm, and putting it inside the hive; making
them take, say twenty-four pounds in forty-
eight hours. The bees, having been mainly
idle for weeks, are not in condition to furnish
any considerable amount of secretions. As
they never fly with it at all their bodies are
not fully inflated with air: and consequently
they are not in normal honey-making trim.
The semi-dormant state comes on soon after
the job of moving it is finished. Small won-
der, then, that any time during the fall or
winter the syrup may be found in the combs
only slightly changed from its condition be-
fore feeding. Now what does this prove ?
What should any reflective man say that it
proves? Only that bees <•««, when pressed
to it by abnormal conditions, move syrup
from feeder to comb witliout transforming
it. Feed it to them in -Tuly when they are .
"up and shaved; " feed ff)ur pounds a day
instead of twelve pounds a day; make them
fly at least h If a mile with it, and they will
make it into honey.
From what I have seen, and what I have
read, and what I have "smelt," I think I
can say with tolerable certainty this much
more. Your twenty-four pounds of syrup is
practically all cane sugar and water. After
being fed in the natural way indicated, and
sealed up, there will not be a aS'< of one
article; but it seems to me that the time has
about come to agitate it a little. After agi-
tation will come experimentation. Perhaps
we shall go all to pieces at that point. We
remember the gentleman who on due agita-
tion established his right to shear his Berk-
shires. Proceeding to exi)erimentHtion he
found the exercise of his rights laborious and
decidedly unpleasant; and the wool crop
didn't pay. Possibly our fed honey may not
pay after all— except in stings, vexation,
hard work, and chaff from our fellow me'.i.
There is one corner of our topic this month
that your leader overlooked. Comb honey
in a poor season is closely bound up in the
swarming question. The present season was
a poor one at my apiary. Most colonies that
swarmed filled no sections at all. New
swarms the same, except a little from early
and great swarms, such as where more than
one hive contributes the bees. Yet really
first rate colonies which refrained from
swarming gave me an average of about
twenty pounds each. If I could have kept
all my colonies from swarming the result
would have been almost a cheerful one. If
all of them had swarmed my crop would
have been just about a flat failure, so far as
comb honey was concerned. (My total crop
was 808 pounds, nearly half extracted, from
sixty-seven spring colonies.) Now we've
got to do some more digging and scratching
and gnawing around this stubborn problem
of non-swarming. And we must keep on
digging and scratching and gnawing— and
barking — until the game develops himself.
My present impression is that a bran new
frame and hive has got to be invented to
control swarming. (Just hear once !) It is
not probable that the swarming impulse is
absolutely and entirely beyond control.
When we understand the whole thing thor-
oughly and know Just what to do, and just
when, we shall, without much doubt, be able
to reduce swarming to a very low minimum,
and direct ihe energies heretofore wasted to
storing honey in the sections. But the happy
day is a long time coming, that's a fact.
RiOHAKDS, Ohio, Nov. 18th, ] 891 .
"Go West, Young Man, Go West!" and
"Seek Pastures New."
RAMBLER.
¥
;HE very title
of your leader,
and the the fact
thai such a subject
i^hould be discus-
sed, is evidence
that there is a rest-
lessness in the
ranks of the bee
keeping fraternity,
and though this
unrest is more pro-
n o u n c e d in the
East, it more or less pervades the whole
country. One great cause for this unrest is
from the fact that bee culture as a special
pursuit calls for special and unremitting
labor for only a small portion of the year.
The balance of the time is spent in drifting
from one pursuit to another, and no business
in particular, and as a result a better and a
longer season is sought after.
This article is written under the balmy
skies of California, and I find that same un-
rest here. Every season is not a good one
here, and though the yields are most bounti-
ful when they do come, still, the actual
labor with the bees, even with the largest
yields, is less than in other portions of our
country. About four months cover the busy
season, after which no wintering troubles
vex the apiarist, and the bees are left upon
a lone mountain ranch for months with no
supervision, and the only eyes that look
upon the city of hives is that of the coyote or
some other wild animal. Meantime, for the
seven or eight months, ttie bee keeper is a
carpenter, a fruit packer, or clerking here
and there for some tradesman. An unceas-
ing flow of honey or some favorable land
where the apiary work will cover a greater
portion of the year, would put to rest much
of this discontent, especially in the far West.
There is, however, good reason for unrest
in our Eastern States in recent years because
the area of honey pasturage is suffering from
gradual contraction. Hillsides that were
formerly covered with basswood and other
honey producing flora are now cultivated
fields. A cleaner system of farming is
cleaning out the hedgerows and fitting waste
places for the growing of grain or for pas-
ture land,
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW-
321
Theu wheu our yield is dependent upon
any one plant, see how a few hours of ad-
verse weather will put the producer into the
blasted hopes condition. If there are any
mysteries in nature tliere is not a greater
one than the atmospheric conditions neces-
sary for the secretion of nectar. There is no
sure method of forecasting the output of our
honey crop for the coming season, as there
is for grain or even dairy products. The
right conditions one season will result in
failure the next, and there is no product so
dependant upon atmospheric conditions, and
these conditions cannot be changed until
some genius learns how to bombard the
skies for nectar, as we now do for rain.
Add to the foregoing train of evils that of
uncertainty in wintering, and the causes are
enough to produce the ett'ect we often wit-
ness, of removal to a more genial clime.
To increase a waning pasturage would
seem to be the first duty of the apiarist, and
of all questions before the bee keeper to-day
this is the most vital one. Many have real-
ized this, and have striven for a remedy. A
good housewife called attention to a large
bed of blue harebells in her front yard, and
said they were planted for the bees, they
seemed to get so much honey from them.
If the remedy could thus easily be found,
our troubles had ceased long ago. The rem-
edy is, however, herculean in its nature and
requires the agreement of hundreds of
people. To materially increase a pasturage
nearly every farmer in a radius of three
miles of the apiarist must be induced to sow
some honey i)roducing crop to the amount of
several acres. It was thought that Alsike
clover was the plant with which to work the
revolution, but while some farmers can be
induced to sow it others prefer the good old
red clover, and bar it out. -lapanese buck-
wheat is now helping out in many localities,
but the honey is unsatisfactory in quality
and price.
My advice, then, to the young Eastern bee
keeper whose good honey harvests have di-
minished to one in live, and who cannot
work up a good pasturage, is to " seek pas-
tures new."
I firmly believe that the great honey pro-
ducing region of the future is west of Den-
ver. From Denver to the Sierras irrigation
is reduced to such a system that there is no
(juention about good crops, the invigorating
water makes it a sure thing. In all this
region Alfalfa is grown extensively, and four,
and sometimes live crops are cut. Add to
this in many localities sage and other plants,
and something of a honey crop is assured
every year.
Here in California Alfalfa is not so much
thought of for honey, climatic influences
give the honey a dark or amber color. The
sage, however, revels here in all its glory.
An eastern man has no idea of the acreage of
honey producing Hora on these mountains
and in these wonderful canyons. To be a
week, as the Rambler has been, where
scarcely anything else could be seen, smelled
or tasted, will gradually produce the idea.
There may be other fertile valleys and less
unoccupied fields in the great basins east of
us, but for a balmy climate, and the capabili-
ties for beautiful homes, and where ten acres
of land in fruit is enough, theii California
stands at the head, as she does in all things
great. The great and only remedy then for ^
the discouraged Eastern bee keeper is found
in the immortal words of Horace Greely,
"Go West, young man, go West."
Sacbamento, California, Nov. 11, 18!)1.
'Condition Powders" (1) for the Weather. —
Select the Best Location, Stay by It and -,
Tide Over Poor Seasons by Some-
thing Aside From Bees.
B. L. TAYLOB.
njHIS is the
j/ problem and
it is a problem.
Tf we knew the
cause of poor sea-
sons it would no
doubt be easier to
solve it, but who
can tell? If it
were a want of
honey plants, that
might be remedied
to some extent by
securing the production of alsike clover,
buckwheat, etc. But that seems to me not
to be the chief source of the difficulty. If it
could be settled otherwise the solution would
be at hand — simply move the bees to the
place where the honey plants are flourishing
and success would be secure.
But more likely it is a lack of a flow of
nectar in the bloom we have. Who could
move bees to overtake that ? It is as facile
in its movements almost as the winds or the
322
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
storms. You locate it fifty miles away and
hasten to move your apiary thither. It skips,
meets you on the way and strikes the earth
again at the very place whence you have
moved your bees. This must remain the
despair of honey producers unless — a great
idea has struck me — where is Prof. Dyen-
forth ? If with balloons and dynamite he
can produce such a condition of the atmos-
phere as to compel it to deposit dew and
rain, why of course one would think by
smaller or larger or more widely distributed
doses of his explosives there could be no
difficulty in his producing such a condition
of the atmosphere as would compel the
flowers to yield a bountiful flow of nectar.
So a final solution of the matter may not be
so far off. I shall take out no patent on the
discovery and hereby freely give it to my
brother bee keepers in return for the many
benefits received. Now whom do I hear
claiming a prior right to this discovery ?
The Professor is already dubbed the Cloud
Compeller, and I take it that if he can com-
pel the clouds to gather, he must be just as
patent to compel them to retire or to stay
in the background ; of course all done thro'
his power to control the condition of the
atmosphere ; and his more comprehensive
title would be the Atmospheric Coiditioner.
So having control of the condition of the
atmosphere we may have it charged with
moisture or electricity or with the warmth
and serenity of the perfect day. We can
compel the honey plants to grow, the nectar
to flow, and the bees, by superlative weather,
to gather the nectar in. The modus operan-
di will no doubt be greatly simplified, and
we may reasonably expect that the Professor
within a few weeks will have on sale in con-
venient packages condition powders for the
weather, warranted effective or money re-
funded.
In this connection it will be instructive io
relate a bit of my own experience during
the past season. In May I had more than
100 colonies moved twenty-five miles and
more to a place where good honey seasons
have been the rule for so long a time that
the memory of man runneth not to the con-
trary. Did I get a good croi) V No, not a
pound. I could not thus escape the decrees
of fate. The place lay a little beyond the
line of the early rain fall, and in June and
July there was a great drought. There was
afterwards a good prospect for a fall crop,
but during the last half of August and the
first part of September there was almost
continual rain, so I was very thankful to
find the bees had about enough for winter.
If I had had my discovery in working order
I should have had a surplus of about two
hundred pounds of comb honey per colony
or twelve tons in the aggregate. But that is
only one of the might have beens.
I might close here, trusting to the redemp-
tion to be wrought by my discovery, but my
wife says: "You had better go on. You
know the remark you made the other day
about Mr. Root in connection with inven-
tions, and somebody will be sure to get a
patent on it and Mr. Root will fight it, and
you remember you said when Mr. Root takes
sn — , red pepper, they 'most all sneeze, so
they'll all laugh at you ; and then think of
Mr. Root, who is so opposed to the use of
drugs, countenancing the giving of condition
powders to the weather."
On reconsidering the matter I think my
wife is right. Dr. Miller or Dr. Tinker will
claim prior discovery, for how could a lay-
man invent a new medicine ? Then some-
one will get a patent on it and the pulling
and hauling will begin, and no good will
come of it for many years. In about twenty
years, when I am too old to enjoy it, Mr.
Root will send me seven and a half or eight
dollars for the privilege of making and
vending the powders ; but in the meantime
bee keepers can be saved only partially from
loss by getting what aid they can in the old
way, so I will proceed.
From the item from my own experience
given above it appears how futile it would
be to expect certain success by moving
either to the flowers or to the place where
nectar is supposed to flow. Oue might cal-
culate that I had almost a sure thing in
moving my bees, but an enumeration of the
chickens hatched shows the calculation false.
If I had kept the bees at home they would
have secured surplus honey enough to have
paid expenses. As it is I have to charge the
expenses, greatly swollen, to profit and loss.
In looking for a remedy it is to be remem-
bered that there is a wide latitude for the
exercise of choice in the matter of locations.
There are many places in northern Michigan
where bees from a single apiary could reach
clover, basswood, epilobium and fall flowers
in abundance. To one who is free to change
the place of his apiary what better advice
can be given than this : Select the best point
possible, settle down and keep your cup
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
323
right side up there all the time. I know of
nothing better. In such a place failures
will not be frequent. To migratory bee
keeping there are to my mind serious objec-
tions. It is the source of much additional
labor and expense without securing corres-
pondingly greater certainty in results, and
besides, it largely prevents the adoption of
any of the usual avocations chosen to pre-
clude the total loss of income in case of the
failure of the honey crop.
If one is not free to change his location
and has no income except from his labor and
plant, he must almost from necessity have
something to turn his hand to for living ex-
penses when there is no honey to sell. What
this shall be everyone can best determine for
himself. I wouldn't rely on deriving a living
profit from the invention of hives and api-
cultural devices. Inventors are a hungry lot
on the average. Perhaps running an apicul-
tural journal might do. They say there is
plenty of room at the top. There is at least
one advantage belonging to that business,
judging from the past, and that is, it seems
easy to get out of it when one finds it doesn't
pay or takes a dislike to it. The Editor, no
doubt, can inform us about it. Secor does
well writing poetry and Dr. Miller grows fat
singing it, or, will the Doctor tell us, has the
publishing of the Bee-Book something to do
with that ? The publishing of a political
newspaper as a side issue seems to keep life
in Heddon, 'tho' it has no fattening effect.
A knowledge of the carpenter's trade would
furnish a very good "remedy" for many.
For myself I like a few acres of ground for a
potato patch, a cow pasture, a clover and a
corn field, with an acre for vegetables and all
kinds of fruit. With this and willing hands
two or three years of scarcity may be bridged
very comfortably.
I will close with the suggestion of one
other possible remedy. In my home apiary
the past season I had one swarm for about
every twenty-five colonies and an average of
about five pounds of comb honey to the col-
ony. But there was one colony that cast a
swarm and gave a surplus of seventy-five
pounds of comb honey over and above sufii-
cient winter stores for the two colonies.
From all appearances during the spring it
was no better than fifty others in the same
yard, and at no time would I have chosen it
as the best colony except as judged by the
results. There was no accession of bees
from other colonies nor any robbing.
Wherein was the power of this colony ?
f Was it in the fortuitous conjunction of con-
ditions at the most favorable times so as to
produce extraordinary exertion at the nick
of time y Did it possess a secret knowledge
of some rich acre of clover in a sunny nook ?
. or was it possessed of in-bred characteristics
which gave it the power to excel ? If the
first, or the last, as seems most likely, we
have in them a rich field for exploration.
He who finds out how to time the conjunc-
tion of conditions and to perpetuate the
most desirable characteristics, will abolish
poor seasons, not simply find a doubtful
remedy therefor.
Lapeek, Mich., Dec. 1, 1891.
The Law Governing Honey Secretion is a
Puzzle. — Poor Seasons Bear the Most
Heavily on the Specialist.
C. O. MILLEK.
ArERY wisely,
A you inquire as
to the cause in or-
der to know how to
apply the remedy.
So you want me to
tell why we have
had several years
of failure. Now,
there are some
men who are in-
clined to keep to
themselves the re-
sults of their investigations, but I am not
one of that sort. Moreover, if I were in-
clined to be secretive, I should hardly want
to keep a secret from one who, like you, has
always shown to me such a very friendly
spirit. Therefore I could not be asked to
tell you anything that would give me more
pleasure to tell than the cause of so many
poor seasons, and I would tell you in a min-
ute, but the fact is, I don't know.
But if you had continuously good crops up
to the time of commencing the publication
of the Review, and have had nothing but
failures since, isn't it pretty clear that the
Review is at the bottom of all the trouble,
and that if said Review is squelched we shall
again have good crops ?
After all, it's too serious a matter to laugh
about, and I, for one, am glad you have
selected it for your special topic. Perhaps
we may get some light on it, from some one,
324
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
even if it's only a little. So far as my own
experience goes, I must confess that I am
utterly in the dark as to the cause of the
failures here. The season of 1891 was better
than the average of the last few years,
giving something more than thirty pounds
of surplus per colony.
And yet a great part of the season was a
dead failure. Everything looked promising
at the start. At the opening of the clover
harvest the hives were full of bees, and I
never saw clover in greater plenty. I had a
good supply of sections all ready to put on
the hive, but there was such a remarkably
abundant prospect that I ordered an addi-
tional stock. The bees did not commence
storing with such a rush as I thought I had
reason to look for, but I expected to see
them commence doing so, day by day. But
day by day the flood of honey seemed to be
put off. Linden came, and I think they did
a little better, although I never thought
there was enough linden to amount to much.
Then about the first week in July robbers
began to trouble. But I didn't despair, for
I had known the same thing to occur in pre-
vious years, and then a fresh harvest to
come. Besides, there were more than 400
acres of cucumbers coming nicely in bloom,
and surely they ought to yield quite a harvest.
But they didn't. Clover remained abund-
antly in bioom, but the sections didn't fill
up, and the harvest was over. I have no
kind of an idea why. It didn't seem too dry.
It didn't seem t^o wet. The honey just
didn't come.
Years ago I held the ground that no one
should make honey raising his exclusive
business till he had enough ahead to suppoi-t
him in idleness one full year. Then I
changed it to two years, and at present I
don't know just how many years. Possibly,
to make it entirely safe, he ought to have a
life annuity sufficient to meet all his reason-
able wants.
But we are not sure about the future. It
is entirely in the range of possibilities that
we may now have a succession of years of
abundance. Why not ?
In the meantime, what is the remedy for
bad seasons ? Is there any ? There may be
a remedy in some cases, providing enough
can be done to bring in other plants, but
what good will that do if no plants yield ?
You mention the difficulty of giving up the
business where a man has invested in it, and
is making it his exclusive business. Very
true, but that's the very man that will be
first frozen out. The man who makes bee
keeping a side issue can keep on at it indefi-
nitely, no matter how unprofitable, but the
one who has no other business must succumb
to the years of failure or starve.
One discouraging feature in the case is
that the scarcity of the product doesn't seem
to have the effect on the price that it seems
it ought. Still there is some improvement.
I think I'll stick it out a little longer, and if
the bees don't yield me a living, my remedy
for poor seasons will be — now, really, I
don't know what it will be.
Marengo, 111., Nov. 11, 1891.
The Apiarist in a Poor Location Must Engage
in Something Else, or Seek New Pastures.
.7. H. liAKKABEE.
"n nj^^ ^^^ keeper
T^ who is satis-
fied that his local-
ity is no longer
profitable for
honey production,
and who, laying
aside all senti-
mentalism, is in
the business for
the bread and but-
ter for wife and
" kids," has before
him but two alternatives, he must engage in
something that does pay, or move to a better
honey location.
I have very little faith in the bee man's
ability to change a poor to a good locality.
To be sure man's aid has often done this
very thing, but has the apiarist a finger in
the pie 'i Very seldom ; he is too poor to
build pickle factories or stills for flavoring
extracts. He may sow buckwheat or alsike
or other less valuable honey plants, or he
may scatter the seeds of sweet clover or
epilobium in waste places, but he won't
make a naturally poor honey locality into a
good one. R. L. Taylor well expresses the
true state of affairs in the Review for
March, 1888.
Which of the alternatives spoken of above,
the unfortunate apiarist shall adopt, each
must decide for himself according to his
circumstances and opportunities. I will
only attempt to give a few hints that I hope
may aid him in making his choice. In the
TSE 6EE-ktit]PERS' REVIEW.
325
past, anyone and everyone has been advised
to take up bee culture without regard to
locality or adaptability. As a result there
are many bee men who, while waiting with
commendable tenacity for a "good year,"
are turning their hands to other branches of
business. As a rule this other branch of
business is not taken up with the energy and
interest it would be were it the only issue,
and as a result neither brings very profitable
returns, and the poor hopeful lives from
" hand to mouth."
Therefore, to those who have good oppor-
tunities outside of bee culture, I say, don't
hesitate to improve them, for the energy
necessary to success with the bees will gen-
erally bring fair success in other callings.
If the ties of home and loved ones are strong,
another incentive is added to keep the bee
keeper from migrating.
Bee culture has sprung up with a mush-
room like growth, and as a paying industry
it has not yet attained its balance. Poor
localities are often overstocked with bees
while tons of honey go to waste in places
where bees are not kept, but would pay well.
If you are bound to keep bees, are satis-
fied that your own locality is not profitable,
and are quite sure you know of a place where
they would pay, load up your bees and move
there. But if you mean to be honorable and
fair, don't move into other people's territory
already occupied, and, laying aside the moral
aspect, it would not be policy to be obliged
to enjoy (?) half of some other fellow's
field.
Wr at constitutes a good locality for honey?
Well, judging by my observation and experi-
ence I should say that in the Eastern and
Central States, a locality where seventy-five
colonies will average forty lbs. per year for
ten years would be very good. But if, on the
other hand, half of the ten seasons should be
practical failures, and the other half indif-
ferent successes, I should say it was not a
proper place for bee culture to flourish.
Mr. Hutchinson has brought up the point
that localities once profitable are so no
more. This Is true, and it is equally true
that no reasonable cause for this state of
affairs has been assigned, in all cases.
Whatever the cause, the fact remains, and
the more we talk this the sooner will we be-
come satisfied that such is the case and act
accordingly.
In some localities, transient causes pro-
duce, for a year or more, oceans of bloom.
Fires or floods or the clearing of land or
cultivation of special crops, and even drouths
cause certain locations to be for a time very
profitable, and it is one of the rising ideas to
hold one's apiary in readiness to migrate to
these favored fields. It is becoming more
and more evident that such opportunities
often occur, and that we should know and
watch the pasturage for miles about our
apiaries.
As our country grows, and its industries
develop and its character is changed by the
hand of man, new conditions are present
that often present golden opportunities to
the bees. Chief among these is the growing
of alfalfa in the West under irrigation.
Then there are the basswood forests of Wis-
consin, the sage and filaree of California,
the mesquite and cactus of the Southwest,
the orange and mangrove of Florida, fur-
nishing honey to large and paying apiaries,
and with which the apiarists of the poorer
fields of the Northern and Eastern States
have largely to compete.
After all, this question of remedies for
poor seasons is one that each man must set-
tle for himself, according to his ambitions
and abilities.
Ag'l Col., Mich., Nov. 15, '91.
Atmospheric Conditions Affect Nectar Secre-
tion.— Scattering Honey Plant Seeds. —
Overstocking. — Plant Your Guns
and Stay by Them.
JAMES HEDDON.
( ), Bro. Hutch-
inson. you
can't rightfully
credit our late poor
seasons to any
changes in the sur-
face of the earth,
whether natural or
irtificial. You
liave given one
reason, when you
said that six sea-
sons were all good,
and then down goes the ax and chops
squarely off four very poor seasons, right in
succession. Another fact which presents it-
self on our side of the argument, is that
after you have carefully considered the
changes in the cultivation and clearing of
your location, from the good to the poor
326
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
seasons, you will find a big crop somewhere
in just such a location as your latterly poor
seasons have had. No, sir, I say it is owing
to conditions of the atmosphere, which may
change from year to year, or may continue a
term of years, as has been exceptionally the
case during the past years ; what others say
I shall look for anxiously.
Now I want to know, Mr. Editor, if you
are going to get scared out of the most
profitable part of bee keeping — honey pro-
duction— just as the tables are ready to turn ?
What you mention regarding planting to
aid the honey flow, I agree to, provided said
planting is judiciously done. I have no
faith in buying or renting ground to use ex-
clusively for honey. I have materially aided
my honey flow by year after year scattering
in waste places the seeds of pleurisy, and am
now adding epilobium or great willow herb.
But, see here, Mr. Editor, aren't you raising
most too many " bees and queens for sale "
in your leader ? Who will be left to buy ?
If there were nothing to be done except to
exchange cash for these bees, that might do,
but there is cost of packing and delivery,
risk and express charges to be whittled off
from the deal, and, at present prices, that
cost is sufiicient to make your proposed ex-
change of bees impracticable, I think.
Again, by what right do you decide that
poor honey seasons may be made good ones,
or even better ones, by reducing the number
of colonies in a given field ? That is not in
keeping with my experience, observation or
reading. As James M. Martin said at one of
our N. W. conventions in Chicago some
years ago, " When the season is poor for 200
colonies, it is poor for four, and when good
for 200, it is good for 600, all in one yard, is
my experience."
I am very glad to get a chance to quarrel
with you once over your errors. But you
redeem yourself in your advice to bee keep-
ers not to fuss around among farmers about
planting honey producing crops until every
farmer within five miles gets the bee fever.
Again, I kick on your theory of " bunch-
ing" your bees to the apiary which is doing
good work, if you have several. That looks
all right after a season has passed, but do
you forget that it often happens that a good
yield lasts just long enough to get your
migratory colonies set down in the new lo-
cation, when up goes the sponge, and the
good flow ceases. I believe it pays best to
plant your guns and then stay by them, not
only for the year, but for a term of years.
But if anyone thinks differently, I have a
good apiary and choice location for sale,
either with or without bees and implements.
DowAGiAc, Mich,, Nov. 10, 1891.
More About the Self Hiver— How It may
Help in a Poor Season.
O. H, DIBBEBN.
fN the November number of the Review
I gave my experience with the self-hiver
as I have improved it, but so much was
left unwritten that I think some further ex-
planations will prove of interest to your
readers. I do not claim that the hiver is yet
entirely perfect, as I have already adopted
some improvements for the next year, and
have others under consideration, but that it
is entirely practicable, and that it will prove
of great benefit to bee keepers, there is not
a shadow of a doubt.
THE DIBBEKN - ALLEN SELF - HIVEJJ.
The cut shows the hiver attached to a hive,
ready to cast a swarm, with one super be-
tween the wood zinc honey board, and the
bee escape board, used as a bottom for the
empty hive, that is to receive the swarm.
You will notice that my hives are made with
a bee space in the bottom board, and to get
the bees into the empty hive, I remove the
front strip on the upper side of the bee es-
cape board. In fact this strip is cut into
three pieces, for the diflfereut uses I have for
it. Should it happen that the bees do not
swarm, and they need additional room, I add
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
327
another saper under the one already on, and
simply exchange the leader for the (jueen
for a longer one, reaching past two or even
three supers. If the hivo:^, supers and honey
boards are all of an even width, there is no
trouble in making the leaders tit, but to
guard against their getting out of place, I
usually tack them on the supers with little
bits of tin. The tubes of wire cloth for the
queen and drones to pass through, seem out
of proportion, but it is very important that
they be not less than -'i inch, or they will
become clogged with dead drones.
At first it was a mystery to me why they
became stopped up with drones when there
was plenty of room for them to get through,
but I soon discovered that the bees in trying
to expel the dead drones from the hive
would try to drag them up through these
tubes, and just as they came to the top, the
stiff, outstretched wings would catch in the
wire cloth and stick there. This was the
most serious difficulty I have had with the
hiver. I now have a plan of boring, say two
1^4 inch holes through the bottom board in
front of entrance, and inserting a tin tube
extending two or three inches below for the
bees to drop all dead bees, drones and rub-
bish through. I will arrange this so it will
be dark, and I believe there will no danger
of the queen escaping through these tubes.
I have closely watched the actions of queens
in the swarmers, and find they persistently
go to the light, and run upwards.
In my former article I said that the part of
the hiver on the empty hive was like the one
on the swarming hive, except as to the tubes,
That was the way I used them last year, but,
for several reasons, I will next season make
them only the width of the super.
One serious objection urged against the
hiver is that where perhaps twenty-five per
cent of the bees swarm, we must have one
hundred per cent of empty hives. Now you
see this upper part will tit on an empty super
just as well, and the bees can be put into
hives afterwards, and fixed up to suit. On
one occasion I found the entire swarm in
the upper part of the hiver, and they had
filled it more than half full of comb. From
this experience, and the fact that it is
cheaper, I conclude the smaller size is best.
Then, too, the swarming bees, on their re-
turn, finding the queen in this smaller space,
will be more apt to go into the hive, and
stay there. It often happens that we have a
lot of hives with good empty combs, or per-
haps with some honey in, that we wish to
use for some of our very first swarms, but of
course we can not use them to receive swarms
like empty hives, with the hiver, without ex-
posing them to robbers, and moths. Now,
by hiving the bees in an empty super we can
afterwards hive them just when and where
we want them.
Great care must be taken not to liberate
the queen too soon after swarming, as she
will surely take wing, and the swarm will
immediately follow. To guard against that,
I usually remove the escape board, (now
doing duty as a bottom with the empty hive),
when I place the hived swarm on the old
stand to receive the returning swarm.
Should I wish to hive them (when I am
present) in a hive containing comb, I place
this hive on the old stand, removing the old
hive some distance, so the swarming bees
will not find it. Now, when I see the queen
in the upper hiver, I unhook it and slip a
piece of sheet iron between it and the hive
so that no bees can escape, and carry it to
and hook it upon the hive to receive the
swarm. Now, when the bees have been thus
nicely hived, I put the old colony on fojJ,
over a bee escape, as described last month.
Don't be in any hurry to remove the swarmer
from the new hive, as bees will often take a
notion to abscond even when hived in the
old way, and I have saved several swarms by
keeping the swarmer on. Wtien I remember
how I lost twenty swarms one season by
their absconding for some unaccountable
reason, I know that the hiver is worth some-
thing for that purpose alone.
Some may object to lifting oft an empty
hive whenever they wish to see how the bees
are getting along in the supers, but an empty
super with the hiver part attached is about
as easily handled as a cover. The cut shows
how I fasten hive, supers and coyer together
by wires to keep all tightly together and pre-
vent the wind from blowing them ofif.
The special toi)ic in the December number
of the Review is to be, "How to tide over
the poor seasons." This is indeed a vital
(luestion with most bee keepers. I believe
that the hiver will play as important a part
in solving this problem as any one thing.
This question has been a disturbing element
with me for many years. In the "(iO's and
even in the '70's we used to be reasonably
safe in counting on a good honey year : at
any rate the poor seasons were the excep-
tions ; but since If^W they have rather been
328
THE BEE-KEEPERS^ REVIEW.
the rule. This, too, without any apparent
cause ! There are no more bees in my vicin-
ity now than there were then. No great
amount of ground has been broken up, and
the basswood trees and fruit have certainly
greatly increased. During the last ten years
I have cultivated from three to five acres of
sweet clover, which has now become scat-
tered far and near, and yet my average yield
is getting less all the time. My bees are
certainly a great improvement over what
they were ten years ago. And my hives and
fixtures are not to be compared to what I
then had. Then where is the trouble? I
hope some of our heavy bee men can tell me.
To be sure the bee business is not my only
bread and butter, as I can live without it ;
but I like the business as it affords a great
scope for new thoughts and devices. But
then, all these things become very tiresome
if the business does not pay.
But how is the self hiver going to help us
out of this difficulty ? I believe that in our
section where there are more than 100 hives
in a radius of three miles, the locality is
overstocked, especially in poor seasons.
This fact was forcibly presented to me some
four years ago. I then had about 175 colon-
ies at my home place, and not over ten lbs.
surplus to a hive, and I thought that the
same condition was general. About this
time a friend invited me to his place some
six miles away to help him remove the sur-
plus honey from four hives that had received
no attention except putting on the sections.
What was my surprise when I found these
neglected, weed grown hives, each contain-
ing over fifty pounds of fine sections of
clover honey. The country was as dry as in
my vicinity, but upon inquiring I found
there were less than fifty colonies of bees in
that neighborhood. With the self hiver I
had no difficulty in running my apiary of
about 100 hives at home and another of
about the same number seven miles away
without help. Now, I could just about
as well have taken care of them had I put
them in four places of fifty each. But I do
not think 100 is too many if the locations
are judiciously selected. I am sure had I
kept my 225 colonies all at home I would not
have had a single pound of surplus. I got
but a few thousand pounds as it was, but I
did not have to buy sugar to feed for winter.
Of course this is only a pointer, and I hope
others will give us something better.
Milan, 111., Nov. 23, 181)1,
Bee-Keepers' Review.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
W. Z. HOTCHHSLSOfl, Ed. & PPop.
Terms : — $1.00 a year in advance Two copies,
$1.90 ; three for S2.70 : five for$+.<>0 : ten or more,
70 cents each. ^^ The Review is stopped at
the expiration of the time paid for,
FLINT, MICHIGAN, DEC. 10, 1891.
Eight extra pages this month.
Give the Mo. Bee Keeper credit for hav-
ing been the first to show up the fallacy of
"Golden Carniolans."
A Report op the Albany convention is
what I expected to give in this issue, but
when I reached home I found more matter
in type than the Review would hold. How
I did hate to throw out a page or more of
little interesting items, but they had to go.
In the Jan. No. I will tell about the Albany
trip.
The Alfalpa Fields of the West are now
attracting much attention. What is now
needed is reliable information in regard to
the true state of affairs in this much-lauded
region. This is to be given the readers of
the Review in a series of articles written by
R. C. Aikin, of Loveland, Colorado.
portraits or writers.
With this issue of the Review a new feature
is added, that of accompanying each article
with a portrait of its author. Of course, it
will not always be possible to do this, but
when it is, the reader will be allowed to en-
joy a picture of each writer's face while
reading the words he has written.
HOW the review is prospermjg.
During the first year of its existence the
Review brought in $50 more than expenses.
The second year the profits were $650. The
third year they reached $813. I have not
yet " figured up " for this year, but I know
the profits will not be far from $ 10t)0. A
large share of this money has been used in
reducing the indebtedness on my home
TUP. BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
329
from $1750 to $850, and this balance is now
in such shape that I will have only the inter-
est to pay until I am prepiired to pay on the
principal, which arraiiyemeiit will allow me
to put more money into the Review than I
have heretofore.
HIVING 8WABM8 ON STABTEKS ONLY.
At the Chicago convention B. Taylor told
me that he never secured better results in
comb honey production than when he fol-
lowed the plan given in my little book on
the " Production of Coml) Honey." I called
his attention to the fact that the combs were
not always perfect. He admitted that some
of them were sometimes imperfect, but as-
serted, in a sort of jocular manner, that the
profit was so great that we could afford to
throw away the combs. But, of course, he
added, this isn't necessary. They can be
sorted over and the imperfect ones melted
into wax.
HOW 8UB80BIBEKS MIGHT HELP THE REVIEW
I have sometimes seen in other journals
very earnest, I might say in some instances,
almost frantic appeals to subscribers to help
extend the circulation of the journal, to
" get up a club," to " secure one subscriber,"
etc., etc. While the Review has never asked
for such favors, it has received many sub-
scribers through the personal influence of
its friends, and is truly thankful for the
same. To Mr. R. B. Leahy it is probably
indebted for nearly half its subscribers in
Missouri. At conventions and upon every
possible opportunity he urged the merits of
the Review, and secured a subscriber when-
ever he could. One or two such men in every
State would double the Review's subscrip-
tion list within a year or two. For once I
am going to ask the friends of the Review
to do all they can in the way of getting sub-
scribers. Anyone already a subscriber may
retain thirty cents on each new subscription
sent in. Remember that each additional
subscriber enables me to make the Review
just a little better — gives me just so much
more money with which to improve it.
TEMPEBATUBE AND MOI8TUBE.
Now that the bees are in the cellar the
matter of temperature is all-important.
Don't forget that moisture has a great l)ear-
ing on this point. The drier the air the
lower may be the temperature without injur-
ious results. Have a wet and dry bulb ther-
mometer in the cellar, as was explained in
the Review for Oct., 1888. The greater the
difference in the markings of the two instru-
ments the drier the air. Next month I expect
to publish a table, furnished by Mr. S. Cor-
nell, which will enable bee keepers to deter-
mine the percentage of saturation in their bee
cellars from observing the markings of a wet
and dry bulb thermometer. If the atmos-
phere of a cellar is too moist, unslacked
lime will absorb the moisture. The proba-
bilities are that more cellars are too moist
than there are that are too dry, for the wel-
fare of the bees.
MICHIGAN BEE KEEPEES ASSOCIATION.
The Michigan State Bee Keepers will hold
their annual convention at the Eagle Hotel,
in Grand Rapids, Dec. 31, 1891, and Jan, 1,
1892. Hotel rates will be only $1.25 per day,
and there will be reduced rates on all roads.
The following is a list of the topics that are
to be found in the program :
Tlic Best All-Purpose Brood Frame,
J. H. Larrabee, Agr'l College, Mich.
Tlie Bicycle vs. Tlie Horse for Out-Apiary Trips,
E. R. Root, Medina, Ohio.
Bees, Poultry and Fruit,
J. A. Pearce, Grand Rapids, Mich.
" Trying New Things,"
W. Z. Hutchinson, Flint, Mich.
Cellar vs. Out-of-Door Wintering,
A. J. Acker, Martiney. Mich.
What Biisin(^M8 can be Profitably Ct>nibined with
Bee Keeping ?
Wm. E. fiould, Fremont, Midi.
Cause and Cure for Foul Brood,
Dr. A. B. Mason, Aiibiirndale, Ohio.
The Uses and Abuses of Foundation,
M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch, Mich.
Carniolan Bees, H. D. Cutting, Clinton, Mich.
Ernest Root has promised to come via.
of Flint, when going to this convention,
and give the Review a call.
SMALLEB sections.
Those who have read the contributions of
•T. A. Green may remember that he sells most
of his honey direct to grocerymen. These
dealers sell the sections by the piece. When
sections are built between separators, as
they are in Mr. Green's apiary, and are as
carefully graded as he grades them, there is
no injustice in selling them by the section,
instead of by weight, and it is handier to
330
TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
sell them by the piece. Mr. Green is going
to try having sections of such a size that
they may be retailed at ten cents each. I
think he told me that he had already done
something in this direction, but did not get
the sections quite small enough to allow
their sale at ten cents. He will, the coming
year, reduce the sections in breadth until six
will occupy the space of four 4^4 x4^4 sections.
Mr. Green is satisfied that no honey is lost
by using smaller sections, while sales will be
helped by a ten cent package.
E, E. HASTY WILL WBITE A SERIES OF ABTIOLES
FOK THE REVIEW.
Knowing that, of late years, our friend
Hasty has not been given to much writing
for the bee journals, it was with a feeling
that I might " get the mitten " when I " pro-
posed" that he write a series of articles for
the Review for 1892, but I was overjoyed to
receive the following " yes:"
" Now about the serial. I was a bee keeper
for my father and his estate since my child-
hood ; but in the old, unenlightened way.
Along in the seventies I brightened and read
the papers, and in 1879 bought the apiary.
At that point I began a day book in which I
recorded pretty faithfully each day's doings
in the apiary. I have long thought- I should
like to write a serial entitled, 'Comments
on a Beginner's Day Book,' quoting an
entry here and there and giving my present
opinions about such 'doin's.' I think it
would convey some instruction and possibly
occasional merriment. What does W. Z.
think of it?"
W. Z. thinks had he known of that gold
mine (that old diary) he would have been
after it long ago. By all means, friend
Hasty, write us the serial. Those who are
acquainted with friend Hasty's past writings
need not be told there is a treat in store for
them.
PROTECTING THE GLASS IN SHIPPING OASES.
Bee keepers west of Chicago have suffered
loss and annoyance because of a freight
ruling compelling them to cover the glass in
the shipping cases, thus defeatng the very
object for which the glass is used—that of
showing railroad men the fragile nature of
the merchandise tliey are handling. Evi-
dently the railroad men did not understand
the purpose for which the glass was used.
It would seem that they thought its chief
use was to show off the honey to the best ad-
vantage to prospective buyers. This is, of
course, one reason why glass is used, but not
the only one. The transportation companies
feared that the exposed glass would be
broken, hence the ruling which resulted in a
large increase in the breaking of comb.
This ruling has now been so modified that
crates protecting but not concealing the glass
may be used. Narrow strips of wood are
fastened to the sides of the crates in such a
position that they are opposite, or over the
glass, yet they stand out an inch or such a
matter from the glass, thus protecting it yet
allowing a view of the glass and the honey
behind it.
HANDLING HIVES INSTEAD OF COMBS.
Bro. Hill, of the Guide, says "There can
be nothing new under this heading because
before movable hives were invented all bee
keepers handled hives instead of frames."
It is true that frames were iiot handled be-
fore they were invented, and, at that period,
neither were hives handled in the sense in
which the matter is now under discussion.
The bees were simply hived and left " sitting
so." As has been before mentioned, mov-
able combs were needed to enable us to learn
the mysteries of the hives ; having in a large
degree mastered these, there is little need in
practical bee keeping to handle combs.
Evidently, bee keeping is on the eve of a
change. One man will own and manage
more bees. They will be scattered about in
different apiaries, and self-hivers or some-
thing that will eliminate the swarming diffi-
culty, will enable one man to care for them
all. When a hive and system pre-eminently
adapted to handling hives instead of frames
is ofifered to bee keepers, most of the criti-
cisms offered come about as the result of
viewing said hive and system from the old-
style, frame-handling point of view.
WINTER REPOSITORIES ABOVE GROUND. — VEN-
TILATION NOT NEEDED.
Some maa with a small bee house, or win-
ter repository above ground for bees, has
been having troable in wintering his bees in
the hoase. The house was only 7x10 feet in-
side, and 73^ high. The walls were of earth
ten inches thick. He says the frost got in
badly and he was obliged to use an oil-stove
in the latter part of the winter. He had
tubes, with slides in, for ventilation, and lie
watched closely, opening and closing the
tubes when necessary, trying to keep the
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
331
house warm, but failed, aud lost nearly half
of his bees. He has added a sub-earth ven-
tilator hopins? that the air will be warmed
by passing through the underground tube.
He has finally written to Mr. (i. M. Doolittle
for his advice, and Mr. Doolittle has given
his views of the matter in the A. B. J.
In the first place, Mr. Doolittle says the
house is too small, that a larger number of
bees is required to keep up the necessary
heat in a building above ground. He calls
attention to the fact, as I did last month in
reviewing Mr. Hill's article, that there is no
warming principle in a bee house above
ground ; that all the heat must come from
the bees or from an oil-stove or something
of that description. All that the walls do is
to confine the heat ; they do not originate
any heat. The only thing that can be done
with such a repository is to resort to artifi-
cial heat. For this purpose Mr. Doolittle
thinks an oil-stove as good as anything, but
he would have a pipe arranged to carry ofi'
the gases of combustion.
If the house cannot be arranged to keep
the temperature between 40° and 4.5% Mr.
Doolittle would advise the wintering of the
bees in the open air.
In regard to the underground tube, he says
that it will modify the temperature of the
air to a certain extent, but not sufficiently.
He says the cold air so chills the earth sur-
rounding the tube that even with a tube 100
feet long and buried three feet deep, air will
sometimes be below the freezing point when
it enters the repository.
Mr. Doolittle has had experience with sub-
earth ventilators and upper ventilators. He
began closing them little by little until he
learned they were of no value, and, after
two winters with no ventilation except sucli
as comes through walls of masonry and
earth, he can say his bees need no other ven-
tilation.
A VISIT TO MEDINA.
This is written sitting at Ernest's desk at
the "Home of the Honey Bee," in Medina,
Ohio. Around me is the click of type setting
and type writers, while from below comes
the whirring sound of machinery in motion.
For a long time I have desired to visit this
establishment. I have often tried to imagine
how I should feel when walking over from
the station and looking up at that stone bee
hive over the inscription, " In God we trust."
Yesterday morning I experienced that sen-
sation and found it fully as pleasurable as I
had expected it would be.
The first man to discover and welcome me
was W. P. Root, the proof reader and steno-
grapher. We had often corresponded in
short hand. In fact, I once wrote an article
in short hand for (lleanings and VV. P. put
it in type directly from the short hand man-
uscript. He grasped my hand and said :
" You are the man I have long been wanting
to see," and led the way up to the office.
I had heard that nearly every visitor to the
Root establishment had been surprised at its
magnitude, consequently I had made up my
mind that / was not going to be surprised,
but I was. I was not surprised at the out-
side of the buildings— the illustrations in
Gleanings have shown these quite fairly — but
it seemed to me as though they were about
three times as large inside as they were out-
side. Medina is not a large city — about
2,0t)0 inhabitants — and almost from necessity
many trades must be represented at tiiis one
institution. The sending away for repairs,
and the delays from getting out of many
things, would be too expensive. There are
many things that Ernest said he would glad-
ly drop, and rid himself of so much worry,
but it seemed well-nigh impossible to do so.
Ernest showed me over the establishment,
then by a sort of tacit agreement he went
about his work and allowed me to roam
about at my own sweet will. You see, we
were to go on together to Albany and we
both knew that we would have plenty of op-
portunity for visiting while on the road.
The beauty of my visit was that everybody
seemed to know me at once. This may be
accounted for by the fact that every employe
receives a copy of Gleanings. In five min-
utes the pressman and I were deep in a dis-
cussion of hard and soft "packing" for
cylinder presses, of the kind of paper needed
for the various kinds of work, the best inks,
etc., etc. Then he fished out his printers'
magazines and we looked them over. This
is a fair sample of how I put in my time.
I don't remember ever going through such
a large establishment where everything was
quite so neat and clean. Ernest remarked,
in a joking way, in a recent issue of Glean-
ings, that if folks would only let them know
when they were coming, they would have a
"clarin'up" spell before their arrival. Of
course, my visit was known in advance, but
somehow I feel just as though there was no
332
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
" clarin' up " spell on that account. Most of
the rooms were just as clean as a dwelling
house ; yes, far more so than some I have
seen. Then everything was so handy and con
venient — so systematized. Each had a par-
ticular duty to perform, and the manner in
which these duties were performed pleased
me exceedingly. It was with a sort of pride
in the work.
Yes, I went out with Ernest and looked at
the bees. The apiary is very pleasantly lo-
cated. The view lately given in Gleanings
of the Shane apiary, after it had been
brought home, is the only one that does jus-
tice to the beauty of the yard. This view,
however, does not show the whole yard.
The evergreens on the north and west sides
stand in as neat and symmetrical rows as I
ever saw. As an ornament and wind-break
they are a success. Ernest is experimenting
quite a little now in regard to the use, or
non-use, of absorbents. It looks now as
though absorbents might be an actual detri-
ment. Let the bees seal the covers down
tightly, so no moisture will escape, then use
protection of some kind outside the hives,
where the moisture cannot reach it. The
management of the apiary and of Gleanings
is left largely to Ernest, while the business
management is in the hands of Mr. Calvert.
Gardening is Mr. A. I. Root's hobby now ;
the "boys," as A. I. calls them, being al-
lowed a wide latitude in their departments.
They are more given to the " trying of new
things " than is the case with A. I., although
no momentuouR step is taken without his
advice or consent.
One of the new things that are about to be
brought out is a reversible honey extractor.
It is not automatic, but the baskets can be
reversed so (luickly that but little time is
lost, while much is gained in the way of
making the can smaller and in lessening the
expense.
Yes, I saw that bright youngster of eight
months, Leland Ives, who is now able to sit
up in a high chair and make a noise in the
world. I did feel a little guilty for coming
away without calling on his new cousin,
Howard Root Calvert, but he is so young
that I feared he wouldn't take much notice
of me.
As some of you may know, Ernest's hobby,
or one of his hobbies, is that of photograpliy,
and when I tell you that he brought home
his fourth or fifth camera on the day of my
arrival, it is not to be wondered that his wife
said, " What ! another one ? " using the same
tone and expression that my wife sometimes
uses when I bring home a new font of dis-
play type.
When I woke up in the night it took me
some little time to decide that it was A. I.'s
windmill that was going " squeak, squeak,
s-q-u-e-a-k." "Yes," I thought to myself,
"it's master's hand is away in the West.
If it were here that windmill would be —
greased."
But enough of incidents. I could fill the
Review with them, but there are so many
things that must go in this issue that I must
close by saying, success to the " Home of
the Honey Bees," and those who work
therein.
WKITING FOK THE BEE JOURNALS.
Only the editor of a bee journal realizes to
the fullest extent how dependent he is upon
his subscribers for interesting and instruct-
ive matter with which to please and instruct
his readers. Some people can tell more than
they know : others know more than they can
tell. Editors belong to the former class.
Perhaps this is putting it a little too strong,
but an editor ought to be able, at least, to
tell all he knows. If he can't do this he has
missed his calling. As a rule, an editor
could easily fill every issue of his journal
with his own pen. But that wouldn't do.
People tire of the same style, and the same
way of looking at things. Variety is the
spice of life. We crave variety in our
victuals and it is the same with our mental
food. Even though an editor possessed the
knowledge which would enable him to credit-
ably till the paper, there would be much
greater satisfaction if this knowledge came
from dift'erent sources and was served up in
a variety of styles. It is evident that bee
keepers are a little "tired" of some of the
old writers. They have "told their story"
so to speak, and the clamor is, " give us
something new." There seems to be a desire
to hear from those who "know more than
they can tell." In my opinion there is little
fault to be found with those who do write.
The only trouble is to get all to write. It's
something the same as it is at a bee conven-
tion. In a meeting of 100 members a dozen
will do all of the talking. I know from ac-
tual experience how hard it was once for one
man I know of to get up and "speak in
meeting." When he got up everybody was
" looking at him," and he could only say a
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
333
few words in a confused way and then sit
down. If that is the way some folks feel
when they pick up a pen, I know how to
sympathize with them. The cure in both
cases is simply to persevere ; to continue to
write and speak until the embarrassment
wears away.
One excuse given for not writing, is lack
of education. So far as penmanship goes,
this is not the shadow of an excuse, because
one would have to travel far and wide to find
worse copy than that furnished by some
editors, so far as chirography is concerned.
Thousands and thousiouls of letters have
passed through my hands, and I have yet to
tind one I could not read. So far as the Re-
view is concerned there need be no hesitancy
in sending articles for fear they can't be
read, and I think the same is true of other
offices. In fact, the men who write the most,
often, I had almost said usually, write in a
manner that makes their writing more diffi-
cult to read than that from a non-profes-
sional. The man who writes seldom, writes
slowly and forms his letters with care, and
his manuscript is easily read. Friends, you
need never hesitate to write fearing that
your writing will be illegible.
Some urge as an excuse for not writing
that, although fair penmen, they are poor
spellers or poor grammarians, or not used
to writing, etc., etc. Ijet me say to such
that of all the correspondents to the Review
only two or three send such perfect manu-
script that it can be turned over to the com-
positor without revision, and occasionally I
am obliged to re-write an article to make it
presentable, but I am thankful for the priv-
ilege of doing this if it only contains infor-
mation of value. If it does not, it goes in
the waste basket, no matter how well it is
written. This trying to " write like a book "
is the great stumbling block to those who
first attempt to write. Write just as you
would talk. Don't attempt to write like
someone else whose tyle you admire. At a
railroad station I once saw a man's whiskers
trimmed in a style I greatly admired. I
went home and had mine trimmed in a simi-
lar style. I never trimmed them that way
again. It spoiled their appearance. This
illustration may be far fetched, but it is
quite illustrative.
Someone, I think it was Horace (ireely,
said that most articles needed to have the
head and tail cut off before they were " any
good." Don't waste words on an introduc-
tion. Plunge in boldly, and begin on your
sul)ject at once. Keep right at it until you
have told all that is necessary and then .stop;
that is all there is to it. Some can write bet-
ter l)y making a sort of skeleton of the article
before beginning to write. That is, write
down the different headings, or points to be
remembered, then take them up in their
regular order and enlarge upon them.
The one great point is, have something of
value to write about. You may think you
have not when you have. You are so accus-
tomed to your implements, methods, etc.,
that it seems to you that everylnxly knows of
them. It isn't so. Occasionally an editor
takes a trip among bee keepers and then
prints an account of what he has seen.
Sometimes he describes something that is
important but has not been generally known.
Upon reading of it I sometimes think to
myself. " Why, I have been doing so and so,
or using such and such an implement for
years, and supposed everybody knew about
it." They had not. This is the case with
many bee keepers.
Many plead lack of time. I think I know
something about this. When our little twins
came, wife and I took care of them and did
the house work, without a girl, the first
winter. We did nothing else, and that was
enough. It seemed one while as though 1
should be obliged to give up writing for
Gleanim/s, but I kept a pencil and paper
lying on top of the organ, and whenever I
could snatch even a minute I stepped up and
wrote. Most of the sentences were composed
and committed to memory, while I was
rocking a baby to sleep. It was hard work
writing an article by piece meal in this man-
ner, and it was usually several days before
one was completed.
There are one or two minor points that
might be mentioned, and one is, don't write
with a i)encil if it can be avoided. Use white
paper and black ink if you would save an
editor's tired eyes. Some use a tinted paper
and pale ink, and it is almost impossible to
read the writing. When a pencil is used,
the rubbing together of the sheets of paper
while being handled in the mails, often blurs
the writing to such an extent that it is de-
ciphered with difficulty.
As I have said before, a journal is largely
what its readers make it. It is their journal
as well as the editor's. If you have an inter-
est in the Review, if you wish to see it boom
as it has never boomed before, just take it
334
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
into your head to write for it, and you will
be surprised to see how it will improve.
Don't think your communication will be un-
noticed. Everything that comes to this office
is read by the editor, and if you can send any
information, hint or suggestion, be it ever so
small, it will be welcomed and put in proper
shape if any changes are necessary. Don't
think an editor does not appreciate carefully
and correctly prepared manuscript ; he does,
but if he can only secure valuable informa-
tion (that is what he is after) he is more than
willing to prepare it for the press.
I have taken considerable advice from my
readers in regard to how the Review should
be conducted ; I have been thankful to get it
and I think the Review has been improved
thereby : now turn about is fair play, let my
readers take my advice and write for the
Review and see if it will not be still further
improved.
Bro. Editors, I wish every one of you would
write an article on this subject for the Janu-
ary Review. If we can help our readers to
furnish us better written and more valuable
articles, all will be benefitted thereby. Any-
one who can say a helpful word on this sub-
ject will be just as welcome even if he is7tH
an editor.
Notes from the Northwestern Convention.
I expected to write a condensed report of
the Chicago convention for the Review, but
I have found one already written, in such a
happy vein, by Dr. Miller, that I copy it from
Gleanings. Scattered through this issue
will be found several items that are the
result of my attendance at the Northwestern,
and you may expect to find items of a simi-
lar nature scattered through several issues
as space allows and occasion demands.
" The Chicago convention was good. It
always is. Nine states were represented,
and a crowd of good workers were there. I
think a little more solid work than usual was
done. A business trip to the North by (). ().
Poppleton gave us a representative from as
far away as Florida. A. I. Root, who for-
merly did not favor conventions, has been
converted from his errors ; and as he never
does things by halves, he is now a convention
man all over, and was a faithful worker
through every session.
I saw there for the first time J. H. Larra-
bee, the representative of the United States
government. 1 like him. He is modest
enough not to think he knows everything,
and I don't see any reason why he should not
be a real help to the fraternity. He was
urged to communicate more frequently and
more directly with bee keepers, and he ex-
pressed himself as desirous to hear from
them, and especially to know upon what
subjects they wanted experiments made. I
think he has done this before, but, strange
to say, I believe he reported that only one
man had sent in any request as to experi-
ments. This should not continue.
The convention tackled the very important
item of grading honey. I think no conven-
tion has ever had the hardihood to undertake
it before. A committee of seven, with Dr.
Mason as chairman, were instructed to report
a scheme for grading. Several times the re-
port of the committee was called for, but
each time the report was, " Not ready." At
last the report was that they couldn't agree.
Then the convention resolved itself into a
committee of the whole, and " rassled " with
the problem in dead earnest. But the prob-
lem '"downed" the convention, and dinner
time found them without an agreement.
" Too bad that we couldn't agree upon some-
thing, and at least make some kind of a
start," was the comment of more than one
during the noon hour.
After dinner, with perhaps a little feeling
of desperation, the subject was renewed, in
the attempt to see how far there could be
any agreement. Then the good sense and
the good spirit of the convention showed
itself, and each one seemed willing to make
any reasonable concession to the views of
others. So a system of grading was agreed
upon, subject to the revisional judgment of
the assembled Albany wisdom. I think it is
far from a perfect system ; but it is a start,
and that is at least something.
Among other things, the ubiquitous ques-
tion as to Sunday closing of the World's Fair
came up. Two to one were in favor of Sun-
day closing, but in the interest of harmony
the majority yielded. It is not entirely clear
to me why it would not have been just as
graceful and proper for the minority to yield
to the majority.
Although no action was taken, there was
considerable discussion as to honey being
entitled to the same bounty from the govern-
ment as maple sugar. It was argued that
the McKinley bill had so lowered the price
of '^ugar imported that the home product
could not compete. To this it was replied
that the same action had brought down the
price of honey to meet sauces made with
cheap sugar.
The convention, backed by two commis-
sion men, recommended the shipping of
comb honey in single-tier cases holding
twelve or twenty-four sections each. The
weight of opinion seemed to favor, for ex-
tracted honey, square (JO-lb. tin cans packed
in wooden cases, two in a case, but some
were quite earnest for cheap barrels.
Publication of honey (luotations had some
attention. The practice of publishing above
f)r below what could be actually obtained
was deprecated, and it was urged that those
publishing quotations should give them
somewhat as they were given of staples such
as butter and wheat. That is, a man who
sells on commission should say at what price
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
335
honey is actually selliiit;: aud if he is a cash
buyer he sliould say what price ho is payiug.
Actiou was taken toward allowiuj,' the so-
ciety in future to be part and parcel of the
State society organized last winter. It was
the general opinion that this would be a good
thing for both sides, with no disadvantage
to either. In any case, the same members
will attend at Chicago, and, with low rates
so frequently available, and such a central
location, surrounded on all sides by live bee
keepers, there seems no good reason to sup-
pose that there will be any failure in always
liaviug a good convention in Chicago.
That prince of secretaries and bee report-
ers, W. Z. Hutchinson, was busily engaged
throughout the session in pushing his pencil,
and we shall undoubtedly have a full report
in the proper time and place.
Makengo, 111., Nov. 24. C. C. Miller."
Why the Review is Crisp.
" We were just glancing over a bundle of
letters when our eye took in the last number
of the Bee Keepers' Review whicli the clerk
had just laid on our desk. The letters were
immediately put down aud the Review
taken up. After we had glanced through it
pretty thoroughly the question came to us,
' What makes the Review so crisp V and why
is it we take it up so quick when it comes ?
Is it because the editor quotes very largely
from Gleanings in his ' Extracted ' depart-
ment ? ' No, not exactly, although that is a
delicate compliment to this journal ; it is be-
cause the editor throws his whole being into
his paper. He loves it and his readers." —
Ci'leonings.
Giving Stores of Comb Honey in Winter.
It is not often that a bee keeper is caught
with bees lacking stores, and honey in combs
of a different size. / have been in just that
predicament, and solved the trouble exactly
as D. A. Jones tells, in the C. B. J., how he
has managed in such a case. He says :—
"A friend inquired a short time ago what
he would do with a few of his colonies that
had not sufficient stores for winter, and yet
it was so cold they had refused to take up
more. He said he had plenty of sealed
combs of honey, but unfortunately they
being of a different size did not fit the hives.
We know how to sympathize with him, be-
cause we have bi>en there ourselves, but got
over the difficulty in this way : When the
hives were short of stores we took some of
the heaviest sealed combs, cut two or three
holes through the center, and placed one
over the top of the frames, first placing a
stick about half an inch thick around the
edge to raise the comb up, and leave a bee
space between it on top of frames. We
then put a few strips here and there over the
frames to prevent the center from sagging.
The bees consume all the honey in the hive
and then ascend to this comb and commence
eating it out. They will work up through
the holes cut in the comb, when they have
all the honey eaten from the under side and
commence from the top side. If we find
that they have scarcely enough we put a
second comb on top of it, with three-fourth
or inch strips run so that when it sags it will
not touch the other comb. This does not
disturb the bees, and in this way we have
wintered some colonies short of stores, and
brought them through in very tine condi-
tion."
I have never fed bees in this way out of
doors in cold weather, but presume it might
be done if the top of the hives were well
covered with carpeting, paper, etc., placed
over the added combs of honey. When
feeding bees in this manner in the cellar
I have always placed several thicknesses of
old carpet over the top of the hives to confine
the heat. When the extra combs of honey
are the same size as those in the hives where
the bees need feeding, they can be placed in
the hives, but this may not always be so
easily and pleasantly done as by laying the
honey on top of the frames as just described.
Keeping Everlastingly at It.
Mr. W. C. Frazier, of Atlantic, Iowa, is to
conduct an apiarian department in the
Huniestead, a paper published at Des Moines,
Iowa. This I learn from the .4, B. J., which
copies a few paragraphs from Mr. Frazier's
first number. ( )ne of these paragraphs reads
as follows : —
" The man who disposed of his cattle two
or three years ago because there was no
money in them, wishes now he had them
again. He that disposes of his bees will
next year be in the same predicament.
Keeping continually at it is what pays in the
long run. We have a report of an apiary of
ten colonies, nine of which gave no surplus,
but the tenth (an early swarm) tilled its
hive, and also two supers — about forty-eight
pounds."
The above is quite appropriate for this is-
sue of the Review. I certaii ly would not
advise one to drop any business because of
one failure, but if they continue to come
year after year, something must be done.
How to Keep Honey.
Honey is frequently greatly injured, if not
spoiled, in the fall and winter by keeping it
in a cool, damp place. When in Chicago I
visited a honey dealer whose honey was
stored in an upper room, but there was no
fire in or near the room. The man in charge,
however, several times mentioned that a fire
was needed and would soon be used. It
does not seem as though practical honey
producers need any more instructions upon
336
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
keeping honey in cool or cold weather, but
this seems to be one of the cases requiring
"line upon line and precept upon precept,"
so I quote some excellent advice upon this
point as given by G. M, Doolittle in Glean-
ings. He says: —
" Some seem to think that the cause of
honey becoming vyatery is because the bees
do not thoroughly ripen it before sealing it ;
but if they used a little more thought on the
subject it would seem that they must see the
fallacy of such an idea ; for, whether ripened
or not, the honey can only ooze from the
cells after being capped, on account of a
larger bulk of liquid being in the cell after-
ward than there was at the time the bees
sealed the cell. This can come from only
one source, which is always brought about
by either cold, damp weather or a non-circu-
lation of air, or both. Honey swells only as
it becomes damp ; and the first that will be
seen of that dampness will be in the unsealed
cells where the honey will have become so
thin that it will stand out beyond the cells,
or, in other words, the cells will be heaping
full. If the dampness remains, the sealed
honey will soon become transparent, while
the honey from the unsealed cells will com-
mence to run out, daubing everything below
it; and eventually, if the cause is not re-
moved, the capping of the cells will burst,
and the whole will become a souring mass.
In one or two instances I have seen honey
left in such cold rooms, where the moisture
was also very apparent, that it became so
very thin that it ran down from the comljs
and stood in puddles on the floor all around
the bottom of the nice white cases in which
it was stored. It was evident that this honey
had once been of the very best quality, from
the nice appearance of the cases : but the
grocer had put it in tlie cellar when it arrived
at his store, and there it had been left till it
had thus become very nearly good for
nothing.
When I first commenced to keep bees I
stored my honey in a tight room on the
north side of the house, where it usually re-
mained from four to six weeks before crating
for market. In crating this honey I always
found the center and back side of the pile
watery and transparent in appearance. As
that which was stored first was always the
worst, I thought it must be owing to that
being the poorest or least ripened, until one
year I chanced to place this early honey by
itself in a warm, dry, airy room, when, to
my surprise, I found, upon crating it, that
this first honey had kept perfectly, while the
later honey stored in the old room was as
watery as ever. This gave me the clew to
the whole matter ; so, when I built my pres-
ent honey room I located it in the southwest
corner of the building I call " my shop." and
painted the south and west sides a dark color
to absorb the heat of the midday and after-
noon sun. On two sides of this room I fixed
platforms for the honey, as has been illus-
trated in one of the back volumes of GJean-
hujs. The sections were so i)iled on these
platforms that the air could circulate all
through the whole pile, even if it reached
the top of the room. During the afternoons
of August and September the temperature
of the room would often be raised to nearly
or quite 100 degrees, which would warm the
pile of honey to nearly that degree of heat :
and as this large body of honey once heated
retained the heat for some length of time,
the temperature of the room would often be
from eighty to ninety degrees in the morning
after a warm day, when it was as low as
from forty to sixty degrees outside at six
o'clock a. m. By this means the honey was
being ripened each day, and that in the
unsealed cells became thicker and thicker,
when, by September 1.") or 20, or after being
in the room from four to seven weeks, the
the sections could be tipped over, or handled
in any way desired, without any honey run-
ning from even the unsealed cells that might
happen to be around the outside of the sec-
tion. By having the door and window open
on hot, windy days, the air was caused to
circulate freely through the pile, when I
found it took less time to thoroughly ripen
the honey than it did where all was kept
closed. In doing this, of course it is neces-
sary to provide screens, so as to keep flies
and bees out of the honey room. If I wish
to keep honey so late in the fall that the rays
of the sun fail to keep the room sufficiently
hot, or should I desire to keep it into the
winter, or at any time when the temperature
of the room falls below seventy degrees
while the honey is in the room, I build a fire
in the room, or use an oil stove to heat it up
to the proper temperature of from ninety to
one hundred degrees. In this way honey
can be kept perfectly for an indefinite period,
and can always l)e put upon the market in
the very best condition.
Having once obtained our honey, it seems
very foolish to me to neglect it so that it de-
teriorates to the condition of a second or
third class article. We should all strive, not
only to see how large a quantity we can pro-
duce, but also to have it of good quality,
keep it looking well at all times, and put it
upon the market in enticing shape.
G. M. Doolittle.
BoKODiNO, N. Y., Nov. 4.
[Doolittle's advice is sound, and we espe-
cially commend the point he makes, that,
after having secured a good crop, we do not
want to spoil it all by a piece of ignorance
or foolishness.] "
Cardinal Points in Bee Keeping.
Some one sent a query to the A. H. ./. ask-
ing " What are the five cardinal points in
bee keeping ? " Some of the replies are ex-
cellent. For instance, Mr. Heddon says :
"1. Select a good field, and keep it all to
yourself. 2. Get bees enough to stock it.
3. Keep them in hives that can be handled
rapidly. 4. Ripe honey, put up in attractive
form. 5. Watch the market, and hustle
around and sell honey at the right time, and
at the right place. Some will give us the
old chestnut, keep your colonies strong.
Any one knows enough for that."
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW,
337
Genet^al Inde:x^ to Volume IV.
INDE322: TO SXJBJE3CTS.
Advice in Regard to Bee Escapes 176
Adapting the Ways to the Oircumstances 257
Advanced Bee Culture, Praise for 180
Advanced Bee Culture, Hill's Review of
216. 246, 303
Advertising, What may be done by Persistent 73
Advertising. Successful 243
Ad vt rtisers. Educating 23
Advertisements, T)isplaying 213
Advertisements. Neat job type for Displaying. 1.55
Advertisements so Complete that Goods may
be Ordered Direct from them. Make 99
Adulteration of Honey,
1 2. 117. 120. 121, 122, 123, 128, 145, 147, 155. 181
Adulteration, (^heap Honey will Kill 121
Advantages of Bee Escapes 192
.\. B. J. . Published at Cost, the 46
A 14 Hive House Apiary 215
Agricultural College. Experiments of the Mich 44
Alley, A Reply to Mr 17
Alfa'lfa. Farming. 264
Alfalfa not a Success in HI 315
American Bee Keeper 19, 153. 239
American Bee Keeper Buys the "Advance", the 46
American .\priculturist 212, 264
Amonia for Removing Grease from tin cans.. 46
■ Antiquity of Bee Escapes 176
Apiary a Successful House 103
Arranging Hives in Circles . . 69
Arranging the Hives in the Cellar 285
Arrangment of Hives in the Cellar 292
Atmospheric Conditions Affect Nectar Secre-
tion. . .., 327
Bad Seasons Keep on Coming Indefinately,
What to do if "..318
Bee Killer a House Apiary that is a Regular. .206
Bee Escapes.. 98, 106. 132. ).57, 160, 171. 173. 174,
17.5, 176, 177, 17H, 179. 185, 190 192, 237
Bee E.scapes, their Origin, Requisites, Uses,
Advantages and Improvements 173
Bee Escapes, the Best 160
Bee Escapes Help make Cheap Honey 161
Bee Journals, the Wultipllcation of 183
Bees are Big Enough, Our 129
Bees not Honey Wantel in the Spring . . 98
Brace Combs and Burr Combs ...154
Buildings for the Apiary . . . ."). 6. 7, 9, 40, 43, 47, 69
Buildings for the Apiary I'sually ton Small. . . 5
Buildings for the Apiary. Location of . . . 6, 7, 24
Buildings for the Apiary. Odd Points Concern-
in? 9
Bulged Combs, Dealers must Learn how to
Handle 96
Buckwheat. Martin's Prolific 127
Burr Combs, Deep Top Bars Don't Prevent 2S2
California Bee Keeper, the 73, 163
Candy for Queen Cages 19
Cardinal Points in Bee Keeping 335
Carniolans 264
Carniolans as Honey Gatherers 23
Carniolans and Their Cro-ses 24,182
I arniolans are Prolific, Great Swarmers, but
Good Workers 104
Carniolans. the True Color of 190
Carniolans. be Sure the;*' are 292
Carniolans Versus Italians 29r>
Cage, f he Dixie Queen . 160
Cage, the Pratt Perfection 197
Canadian Bee Journal 212
Carry in the Bees after they have all Hatched
and Flown 291
Carry Hives into the Cellar. How to 288
Carrying in the Bees Without Labor Saving
Devices .... 292
Chaff Hives Presuppose all Seasons 63
Cheap Honey Easily 8old 121
Chemists can Usually Detect Adulteration... 145
Chicago Convention, the 288
Closed End Frames 61
Closed End Frames. Mr. Heddon's Views on.. 302
Closed End Frames in a Tight Fitting Case.. .212
Clamps for Protecting Single wall Hives 64
Cleaning up Empty Combs 208
Conditions.'.Most Bee Escapes Work Under the
right 174
"Condition Powders" ('i") for the Weather 324
Contracting the Brood Nest and the use of
Queen Excluders 51
Concrete, Cellar and Honey House Walls of.. 43
Covers. Paper for Coverine Hives 16
Covers. Cloth for Covering 98
Cowan's New Book 154
Compel Adulterators to Label their Goods . . 147
Combining a House Apriary with a Shop.
Honey-House and Store-Room 207
College, Ontario Bee Keepers' 127
Criticism. Misguided 184
Crystallization of Sugar Syrup 262
Cushions for Packing, Long, Thin 98
Correspondents don't all Agree with thtj Editor 92
Daetand York 20
Dadant's Criticism on the Wax Experiment.
Rejoinder to — 38
Dadaiit on Sulphuric .Acid Wax Rendering 269
Detroit Exposition, the 182
Deep Frames and Close Fitting Cases 241
338
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Deep Frames and "Hitching" and "Catchiag"264
Division Boards '• No Good " 154
Disadvantage of a House Apiary 206
Divisible Brood Chamber Hives in Winter, Ad- j
vantage of 293
Doolittle finds no Advantage in Handling Hives
Instead of Frames 235
Doolittle's Shop and Honey Room . 24
Dovetailed Hives 20,34
Dovetailed Hive Corners, How Water may get
into 105
Double Walled Hives 61,293
Double Wall Hives Ubjeciionable 293
Domestication, Influence of 154
Drones Cause Swarming 209
Early, Put Bees in the Cellar 287
Editors. Impartial 15
Editorial Opinions, Opposing the 3 1
Elevator and Cellar, a tall House Apiary with
an 205
Epilobium 240
Escort Bees Ought to be left out in Introducing
Queens 180
Experiments at the Michigan Agricultural Col-
lege 44
Extracting from Brood Combs 24
Extracting Honey by the Aid of a Steam En-
gine 263
Excluders are Necessary in Raising Comb
Honey, When 159'
Fads, Trying new 293[
Fairs, at the 241
Feeding Sugar and Honey in Winter 49|
First-Class Goods must be High Priced 120i
Folded Tin Bars Objectionable 16^
Foundation Preferable, full Sheets cf 10
Foundation, the best Weight for 8
Foundation, Advantages of ll,31r
foundation ever Contain Live Spares of FoulJi J'
Brood, Does? 103
Foundation be Used, When Shall 2
Foundation, Early Experiments with 1
Foundation is used no wax secretion is wasted,
if Light 11
Frames, Open End 98|
Getting Large Yields by Raising Plenty of
Bees and Preventing Swarming 125|
Giving Stores of Honey in Winter 38
Glue for Labeling Tins 105
Gleanings 153, 154
Glucose, it is Impossible to Produce Honey
Cheaper than 12£
Glucose, Cane Sugar now as Cheap as 12i
Go West 320!
Going to the Flowers 317
Good Seasons will come Again, 324 <
Grading Honey 78,333
Great Advantage of the House Apiary 2W
Guide, Prof Cook's 127
Guessing When to Put the Bees in the Cellar. .288
Hasty 's Kxperiineiit, Criticisms on 13
Handsomest and one of the Best 182
Handling Hives more and Frames less 262
Handling Hives Instead of Frames
178, 213, 2l'<, 229, 23 , 231, 232, 235, 262
Having Hives Movable in a House Apiary — 207
Handy, Having Things too 2d7
Heat, Tin Conducting
Heddon Hive, Why the Prejudice Against thei 9
Heading to Articles ... 263
History of Bee Escapes 125
Hives Needed When Handling Hives Instead
of Frames, the kind of 236
Hived by the Use of a Catcher and Feed-
Board, How the Bees are 203
Hiving Bees in a House Apiary 214
Hiving Swarms on Starters only 329
Honey Secretion is a Puzzle, the Law Govern-
ing ■ 326
Honey House '■ 40
Honey Houses, What I think I know about.. 43
Honey and Have it Better for the Keeping,
How to Keep 84
Honey can never Compete with Giucosa 117
Honey Dew 182
Honey Dew for Winter Stores 240
Honey Dew or Bug Juice 273
Honey Dew, Why Spleen Against 273
Home of the Honey Bee 295
House Apiaries. 186, 201. 203, 20,^;, 206, 207, 211, 214
215. 2.33, 224. 2.3';, 23S. 239. 241. 245, 293
House Apiaries, do we Want? 211
House Apiaries, will the use of Bee Escapes
Enable us to Indulge in 132
How an Old House Apiary is Managed the
Year Around 201
How to Carry and Arrange the Hives in a
Cellar 291
How the Self Hiver may Help in Poor Seasons 322
Hubbard Section Press 99
BunfsCastle 241
Increase with Divisible Brood Chamber Hives,
Moderate 178
increase with Small, Divisible Board Cham-
ber Hives, Securing Abundant 202
Importation of Bees not Necessary 240
f Interesting Items 294
Introducing Queens,
74, 89. 91. 92. 93. 95. 124, 155, 180, 210
I Introducing Queens with Hatching Brood 92
ip Ionia Bee Keepers' Convention ... 97
Keeping Still not the Bes I Policy 122
Keeping Honej' over Winter 23
Keeping H oney in Winter 336
Keeping out of Debt 317
Keeping Every lastingly at it - 335
Labor .Saved by a Good Building 9
Larrabee, J, H ' 294
Late or Early Moving in of Bees is Objection-
able 288
Label your H oney 264
Large Verses Small Papers 22
Leaders 72
(Leaders, Continue the 92
Light, Single-Wall Hives 74
Light, Movable Chaff Hives 67
Little House Apiary, A .... 29'?
Location and Stay by it, tielect the Best, Tid-
ng over Poor Seasons by Something aside
from Bees 324
Marketing Honey 78
'iMs-asie, T K 98
Manum, A. E 239
Manum Hive, the 124
Alanum's New Method of Running Several
Apiaries Alone 130
Jiethods, Hives, Frames and the Honey Flow 231
;iIethods of Fighting Adulteration, Three... 181
Melting Combs into Wax 214
Melting Old Combs 260
Michigan Convention 295
Missouri Bee Keeper 98,216
Moving Bees in Cold Weather 296
Moving Bees into the Cellar
26.), 285, 286. 287, 288, 289,291, 892, 295
Modest .Man Brought Before the Public, a 151
Newly Settled Localities the Best for Bee Keep-
ing 50
Newman. Thos G 263
Newman and Son. Thos G 182
New System of Bee Keeping, a 295
Northwestern Onvention 240, 264, 295
North American Convention 264
Odor Plays in Introducing Queens, the part
that 124,155
Old Bees can Secrete Wax and Rear Broofi — 265
Openings Needed in a Queen Excluder, the
Number of 155
Origin of Bee Escapes 178
Other Business is the Remedy for bad Seasons328
Out Apiaries a I'artial Remedy for Poor Sea-
sons 324
Outside Case for Winter 79
Outside Wintering Case, a Cheap 65
Outside Winter (!ases. Why they are Superior
to Permanent Double- Wall Hives 67
Overstocking 327
Paper for Protecting Hives, 64
Painted vs. Unpainted Hives— Whitewash as a
" ^Substitute 77
I I
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
339
Packiiip: Apparently of Little Value in the
Sprinp, f>i(le 311
Packages for Shipjiiiig: Extrac*-e(l Honey Oil
Plant your Onns anil Stay liy t hem 327
Persuaded at Last to Handle Hives Instead of
Frames 23
Perforated Zinc. Dr Tinker's ISl
Peet Principle Enlarged Upon, the 93
Poor Seasons. Their Lessons and Remedies.. :n.">
Poor Localities must Engas<> in Something else.
or Seek new Past\ires, the Apiarist in a. .327
Porter Bee Escape the Best. . the 171, 177, 178, 190
Protection for Singlo Wall Hives
47. .")(». :a 62. 03, 04. 0.". or. 74. 78.
Protect ion Needed for Single-Wall Hives all 93
the Year Round . . 07
Protecting Glass in Shipning Cases 329
Producf*rs can't afford to Adulterate Houey ..145
Prevention of Swarming 105
Preventing Increase by Returning the Swarm
to the Parent Hive '-J09
Printers" Ink 99
Proper time to Cellar Bees, the '^89
Punic Bees 98.245
Public Pulse, the 100
Queen Excluders 106
Queens may be Looked after if the Operator
is Careful 95
Queens in a Hive. Getting two 93
Queens Injured by hot Smoke 93
Quietly. Put Bees in the Cellar.... 286
Rays of Light 212
Raising Cheap Honey 148
Rambler, a Visit from 183
Review does Review, the 37
RitviKW has been Almost too Topical, the 45
Review is for Advanced Bee Culture, the 45
Review meet with Favor, i hanges in the 19
Rif.viEW Circulates. Where the . . 15
Review, the Value of a 11
Record Books Versus Qneen Registering I'ards 270
Reversible Bottom Boards 46, '.^88
Reversible Bottom Boards . . .46
Remedies for Poor Seasons. 313, 314, 315. 316, 317.
318, 319, 320.
Rendering and Purifying Wax
24'J. 444. 257, 2.59. HV). 261. 269, 274, 275
Rendering Combs with Sulphuric Acid 79
Rim Under Hives. A 287
Root, Ernest 15|
Root . Leland Ives ''7
Scattering Buildings to Avoid Loss by Fire. . . 00
Scent in Introducing Queens. Doubts about the
Influence of 180
Separators. 8. 20. 33 34. 35, 36, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 96
Separators or not? 70
separators are Needed. When 66
Srparators Needed When the Honey Flow
Fluctuates 71
Separators, Why I don't use ... 09
Separaiors don't Lessen the Yield but they are
an Expense from which there is no Cash
Return 30
Separators, Comparative Merits of Wood and
Tin 34
Separators. Why they Increase the Yield . 8
Separators and Their Influence on the Honey
Market 33
Separators are not used. Honey just as Salable
When <)6
Self Hiver does not Fill the Bill, Alley's 271
Self Hiver on top of the Hive, Advantages of
Putting a 290
Self Hiver, How to Manage the Bees when
most of them Return to the Old Hive in
Using the 290
Sermon on Introducing Queens, a 80
Securing Workers for tho Harvest 246, a03
Selling Honey Under One's Own Label— The
Difficulties when the Crop is Large 140
Sections, Manipulation of 188
Sections, the Best Width for 8
Shade for Bees 104
Shade the Supers when Losing Bee E«capes. . . . 178
Short Items 163
Shipping Honey 78
Shavings for Protecting Single Wall Hives.. .. 62
Shallow Supers. Bee Escapes a Success with. .179
Size of Buildings for the Apiary 6
Silence Disapproved, the Policy of 120
Smaller Sections - 328
Small Combs for Nuclei 3' i
Smoke when Using Bee Escapes, Don't use 178
Smoker, Hill's 97
Solar Wax Extractor, Advantages of the 261
Sol'ir Wax Extractor and Honev Evaporator,
The ■ .51
Spring Protection Needed, but Chaff Hives are
Unhandy 65
Spec'al Topics, the Discussion of 7
Special Topics be Continued in Every Issue,
Shall the? a65
Special Topics, Opinion of Readers on Continu-
ing the 296
Specialty not Always Best 317
Specialist, Poor t-easons Bear most Heavily on
the - g24
Spacing Loose Frames ]5<)
Spraying Fruit Trees ....98
' Stray Straws'' yj
Stones on Bee Hives '. gg
Streiigthing Weak Colonies in Fall Jo
Straight Combs on the Market, Put only 73
Starters. Hiving Swarms on 14
Steam Under Pressure at Little Expense .269
Starting Bee Journals goi
Sugar on the Consumption ot Honey, the .in-
fluence of 73
Supers that Compress the Sections 45
Surprise, a Complete ! . ! 183
Sulphuric Acid for Rend' ring Combs .. ". 79
Sulphuric Acid. Clarifying Small Q' antities
of Wax with 344
Sulphuric Acid Injure it for Foundation, Does
Rendering Wax with? 375
Swarm Catchers, the Value of jgo 202
Swarm Catchers, Spring and Suminer Man-
agement with Divisible Brood Chamber
Hives and .
1 50
Swarm Cluster and stay upon a Stalk m front
of the Hive. Makiug a iqo
Swaims on Sticks, Catching 159
Swarming, a Warning of 243
Swarming out of Nuclei •■■■•■ ^^^
Svpmosium for Correspondents ....... 5
Temperature and Moisture .' ^■>-^
Testimony in Kegard to the Porter Bee Escape nV
Thinking of House Apiaries, What I have been 239
Time for Putting jBees in the Cellar is Unim-^
portant . . goy
Trade Mark for Honey Producers, a 4(i
Trade Mark -'No Good "'.the .oV
Unseal, d Brood in Holding Swarms, not a fair '
Trial of.
.189
Union Ought to Prosecute Adulterators the
Bee Keepers' ' jjr.
Unions not Created to Prosecute Adulterators
The Bee Keepers' ia-
Value of Bee Escapes . 1-4
Vaseline on Hive Joints ...... <54
Ventilation not Needed in Bee Cellars. V04
Virgin Queens. Introducing '.'. jj,(,
Wax Secretion " " j.>n
Wax Secretion, Involuntary jgg
Wax Secretion not Wasted when Light Foun-
dation is used ; J J
Wax is Secreted, How and \\ hen ... 13
Wax with Little Labor and few Utensils Mak
ing Small Quantities of E cellent. . ' •>,<)
Wax Extractors, Sun, Steam and Hot Watei- Teo
Wax Experiment the '94
W by the 1^. eview is C risp 335
Why we wish to Know who is Talking i-t
Whitewash vs Paint 40
Whose Experience is most Valuable. ! '. 104
Who .Shall have Credit for an Invention'' 243
When and How to Carry the Bees into the
('ellar . .,j^-
Wiriug Foundation, Advantages of 14
Winter Problem in Bee Keeping, the 26"
340
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
Winter Repositories Above Ground 327
Wintering, Cellar 74
Workshop 40
Working: Bees to Death 8
"World", the Bee 19
Wood-QueenKxeludingr Honey Boards 49
Wood yeparators Preferable, Thin 66
Wooden Wax Boiler with a Tin Bottom, a. ... 116
Yellow Bees, Bright 158
Yellow Bees, How Mr. Hearn Raises his Bright 17
Yellow Carniolans 155, al2
Yellow Carniolans are Never Pure 244
Mex to CorresDoiKleiits.
Aikin, R. C 14H, 339,
Alley, H
Andrews. T. P
Axtel, Mrs. L. C 96,
Benton, Frank
Bingham, T, F
Black, J. B
Boyer, C E 64,
Boardman, H. R 51,
Brown, A. F
Bull, Joshua 37, 40,
Cheshire, Frank
Clarke, W. F 99.
Cook, A J 44, 123,
Coffin. C. P
Cornell. S
Costellow, C W
Cushman, Samuel
Dadant, C P 269.
Dadant. Chas 13
Dadant & Son, 209,260,
Dayton, C. W
Dewey, F. H, and E. H
Demaree, G. W
Dibbern, C. H 132,173,
Doolittle. G M 24,104,158.235,
Ellison, W J ..
Foster, Oliver 105, 162. 205, 215,
France. E 159,
Gemwill, F A
Gibbs. E. P 9
261
49
jne
2-3
190
63
23
237
291
161
238
129
120
145
160
61
107
15
275
,94
274
8
91
175
290
285
210
273
269
262
. 70
Golden. J A 203,214
Gravenhost. C J. H 218
Green , Chas. H 7
Green, J . A
11. as, 78, 93, 175, 192, 232, 243, 244, 277, 288
Handel John 42
Hasty , E E 38, 44, 257
Hains, J B 206
Hearn, L. L 17
Hewes, Wm .G 77, 104
Heddon, Jamt^s 9, 14, 72, 207, 262, 263, 286, 302
Henderson, W. P 69
Hill, A. G 93,216,246,303
Hutchinson, Elmer 324
Hutchinson, H. L 65
Jeffery, H. L 176
Jenkins, J. M 160
Jon^s D. A 34,107,1.59,188,243.^44
Kildow, A L 65
L^irrabee. J H 124. 231
Linsnwik, Cvula 259
Maiium. A. E l3'>
Mcfntvre J. F 179. 270
MoKnight. R 293
Miller. Arthur C 4.3,45
Miller. C r, 5,23 .34. 92. 12?, 129, 288
Morrison, S. W ]04
Moore. J. P 201 . 237
Newman. Thos. G , 1*7
Pelham & Williams 208
Porter. E C 133,177
Pratt. E. L 50
Rambler 6, 50, 64, 66. 180
Rense. Jno. S 66,178
Roe, J. A 67
Robbins, Geo. F 71,105.230
Root. E R .52,67. 187. 189
Salisbury, F. A 79
Schaeffle, E. H 159
Secor. Eugene 289
Shuck, S A 160. 190
Stewart, Henry 234
Taylor, R L 10,36,181,229
Taylor. B 69, 131, 150, 178, 180, 202, 287, 293
Timer.Old 2U
Timpe, Jacob T 95
Tinker, G. L, 5i
Trego, S F 3 1
Urban, Otto J. E 147
Vandervort, John 238
Walker, Byron 117
Weller Geo. K 121, 2.3'i
West. M S 271
Whiting, L. C 62
Whitaker. E H 1S9
Wilkin, R 146
Index to Snecial Topics.
Jan., Buildings for the Apiary.
Feb., Separators.
Mar., Protection for Single- Wall Hives.
Apr., Introducing Queens.
May, Adulteration of Honey.
June, " " "
July, Bee Escapes.
Aug., House Apiaries.
Sep., Handling Hives Instead of Frames.
Oct., Rendering and Purifying Wax.
Nov., Moving Bees into the Cellar.
Dec, Remedies for Poor Seasons.
Money in Cabbage and Celery.
" Blood will tell." Good crops cannot be
grown with poor strains of seed.
For sixteen years Tillinghast's Puget
Sound Cabbage, Cauliflower and Celery
Seeds have been gaining in popularity.
The moat extensive growers all over the
Union now consider them the best in the
world. A catalogue giving full partic-
ulars regarding them will be sent free
to any one interested. When writing for
it enclose 20 cents in silver or postage
stamps and we will also send " How to
Gbow Cabbage and CELEry," a book
worth its weight in gold to any grower
who has never read it. Address
SEED-TIME AND HARVEST,
S)-»1-Gt La Plume, Pa.
f\y C^talogu? of Apiziri&n
Supplies is fr?« ; njy Pan7pi7lct,
" How I frotluce Corpb Hon«y p "
Cost? Five ct5. G«o. E. HiltOHp
Frerrjoot, ^\icb. '2-9; 6t
Please mention the Reuieia.
REFUSES A PRESENT?
1 will give away to my customers, the coming
season, a number of fine
YELLOW QUEEXS,
nuclei and full colonies. Don't wait until every-
body gets aliead of you, but send at once for par-
ticulars, have y*mr orders booked now and pay
when the queens arc ready. J, A. R0£,
12-91tf Union City, Ind.
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
341
Wanted:
Hatch Chickens by Steam.
IMPROVED EXCELSIOR INCUBATOR
fcWill do it. ThouisaiKis in Buccessful oper-
IJatiim. Simple, i'ti ir,t iin.l Srir-Iifiiulilinrj,
fLowest-priced first-class Hatcher made.
I Guaranteed to hatch a larger percenta^ia
„- - . "' fertile egRsat less cost than any other,
fiend 60. for Sltis. Uatalos. tiKO. U. iSTAUL, Qaiiiej, IIL
To correspond with
parties liaviiig Pota-
toes, Cabhaee, Ap-
ples or Honey for sale or to consifju. Prompt
returns. All correspondence iiroiiiptly answered.
Best of reference. EAKLE ('LI('KEN(iER.
ll-'.tO-tf Columbus, Ohio.
Reference: Editor REVIEW.
Honey - Extractor,
Square Glass Honey-Jars, Tin Buckets,
Bee-Hives, Honey-Sections, &c., &c.
Perfection Cold-Blast Smokers.
Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,
Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints
to Bee-Keepers. 2-88-tf
Please mention the Reuietv,
my Jieux, Thin,
Double - Wall Hive
Is the best summer and winter hive yet devised.
Takes regular " L." furniture. Is lighter than 's
single-wall hive; may be storified to any extent,
etc. Send for descriptive circular Special low
prices for 1891 to introduce it. A full line of bee-
keepers' supplies always in stock. Catalogue free-
C. W. COSTELLOW,
Waterborough, Me.
8-90-tf
nti'on the Review.
It's Got the SNAP.
That is wliat our subscribers say, and they are
coming in by every mail. Send ."iO cents for a
year's subscription to tlie A\issouri Bee-
K«?P«r. Monthly ; Ifi pages and cover ; nicely
printed on good paper. Money returned if you
don't like it. Sample free.
Address BEE-KEEPER PUB ('O.,
Unionville, Mo.
Please mention the Review,
HILL'S SMOKER and FEEDER.
Smoker burns hard wood chips without spe-
cial preparation. Very reliable. (ireatest
smoking capacity. Easiest to start. (Cheapest
because it saves time. Price, $l.iO. By mail,
$1.40. Per dozen, $10.80.
Best Bee -Feeder. Most
convenient. Saves feed. No
daubing or drowning. Two
to seven feeders full may be
given a colony at one time
which will be stored in the
combs in ten hours. Price,
per pair, 30c ; by mail, 40 c;
per doz,, $1.(50. Has a sale of
2,000 per month. Address
A. G. HILL, Kendallville,
Indiana.
These smokers and feeders are kept in stock
by Thos G. Newman A- Son, ('hicago. 111.; (i, B.
Lewis & Co,, Watertown. Wis.; VV. H, Bright,
Mazeppa, Minn,; ('has. Dadant & Son, Hamilton]
Hancock Co., 111.; E. Kretchmer, Red Oak, Iowa;
H. Mc Wilson & Co., 202 Market St.. St. Louis,
Mo,; F. H. Dunn, Yorkville, 111.; W. D. Soper &
Co., Jackson, Mich.; ('has. A. Stockbridge, Ft.
Wayne, Ind.; A. F. Fields, Wheaton, Ind.; W. S.
Bellows, Ladora, Iowa; E. F. Quigley, Union-
ville, Mo.; Gregory Bros., Ottumwa, Iowa.
Send 25 cts for my book of Discovery and
Invention, the
Queen H^stPictop.
('. W. DAYTON,
l-91-12t Clinton, Wisonsin.
White Poplar Sections.
We have New Steam Power, and New Build-
ings, and are now ready to furnish White Pop-
lar Sections, Clamps, Crates and Wood Sides at
short notice, Workmanship, Quality and Price
unsurpassed. Send for sample and price list.
PRIME & GOVE,
1-90-tf Bristol, Vermont.
Please mention the Reuiew.
Illnsirated AflTertisemeDts Attract Attention,
1 E11^i per thousand. Special
prices to ilealers. Send for free price list
of everytliing needed in the apiary.
1-91-tf M. H. HUNT, Bell Branch, Mich.
©ONTlfSIUED.
Life and health being spared, I shall, in the
spring of 1892, continue the breeding of Carnio-
lan bees and queens. You can order now or
when the queens are bred.
Jt^o, AMDREW5,
10-91 3t
Patten's Mills, N. Y.
PATENT, WIRED, COMB FOUNDATION
HAS NO SAG IN BROOD FRAMES.
THIN, FLAT BOTTOM FOUNDATION
Has No Fish Bone in Surplus honey.
Being the cleanest is usually worked
the quickest of any foundation made.
J. VAN DKUSKN & SONS,
(SOLE MANUFACTUBEBS),
3-90-tf Sprout Brook,Mont.Co.,N.Y
Please mention the Reuiew.
3z:h: 2vd:oI^T^rxz3
for only 15 cents.
White Mountain Apiarist.
This offer seems to have hit the right chord.
Everybody wants to see what the APIARIST is
like. Try it. WHITE MOUNTAIN APIARIST,
Groveton, N. H.
LUholesale and t^etail,
Smokers and Sections,
ExtPaetoPs and Hives,
Queens and Bees,
t^.B. Lieahy andCompany
Higginsville, fllissoupi.
t-ffO-tf Please mention the Review.
KNOWLTON'S BATHING APPARATUS.
Vapor and Water—
t. Aliner&l. ,
- >, Centennial Awarl, fanj.p.-'r
^ g Medal an.) Diploma. W—H SsS'
S?- T"iin5t thn wnrM. (j-^Cj
3 I. './csaleJc Hcl.iil. 01,1 R.->lh< K."
^.n.i forrirn.iars. £. J. KNOWLTON, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Ji^" CHEAPEST AND BEST BATH "=©a
KVRI?. KNOW IV!
PRRK CIRCULARS KXPLAfN ALL.
Address E. J. KNOWLTOM. Ann A,.jr, Mich.
l-91-12t Please mention the Reuiew
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
343
RDVAHCED BEE-CUliTUt?E;
Its Methods and Management.
This book is now " out " and ready
for delivery. It contains 88 pages the
same size as those of the Review. It
is bound with enameled paper tinted to
resemble perforated zinc.
It begins with The Care of Bees in
Winter, and then tells how they ought
to be cared for in the spring in order to
secure the workers in time for the harvest.
Then Hives and their Characteristics,
Honey Boards, Sections, Supers and Sep-
arators are discussed. The best methods
of Arranging Hives and Buildings and
Shading the Bees are described. Varieties
of Bees, Introducing Queens and Plant-
ing for Honey are next given a chapter
each. Then the Hiving of Bees, Increase,
its Management and Control, and Con-
traction of the Brood Nest are duly con-
sidered ; after which Comb Foundation,
Foul Brood, Queen Rearing, the Raising
of Good Extracted Honey, and " Feeding
Back " are taken up. After the honey is
raised, then its Preparation for the Mar-
ket, and Marketing are discussed. Then
Migratory Bee-keeping, Out - Apiaries and
Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs are each given
a chapter. After this comes the question
of Wintering, which is discussed in all
its phases. The influence of Food, Ven-
tilation, Moisture, Temperature, Protec-
tion, etc., etc. are all touched upon.
There are also chapters upon Specialty
versus Mixed Bee-Keeping, Comforts and
Conveniences in the Apiary, Mistakes in
Bee-Keeping, etc., etc.— 32 chapters in all.
PI?ICE of the Book is SO ets. The REVIEW and the book fon $1.25.
Stamps taken, either U. S. ov Canadian.
W. Z. HtlTCHlNSOfl, Flint, jVLieh.
Dadants* Gomb Foundation.
Half a Million Pounds Sold in TMrteen Years. Over $200,000 in Value.
It is the best, and guaranteed every inch equal to sample. All dealers who have tried it
have increased their trade every year,
SAMPLES and CATALOGUE FRFE to ALL SEND YOUR ADDRESS.
1852 ' IiangstPoth on the Honey Bee. Revised. 1 1891
Those who wish a book in which they will find, without diiiiculty, whatever information beginners
desire, should send for this work. Its arrangemeDt is such t)iat any subject and all its references can
be found very readily, by a system of indexing numbers. It is the most complete treatise in English.
iJ n R.1*^T..Ti^1/>- t3t=l3C is a chapter of the Langstroth revised, and contains instructions
|^M(MULlH>lVjf dCCO to beginners on the handling and taming of bees. Price 8 cents.
Bee Veils of Best Imported Material. Sample FREE. Instructions to Beginners sent
Htntion fieuieui. CHHS. ORDRJiT & SOfl, Hamilton, Haneoek Co.. Ills.
344
THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.
PFLJl
LA
^
Tlie distinctive features of the Bee - Keepeks' ttEViEW are those of reviewing current
apicultural literature (pointing out errors and fallacies and aDowing nothing of value to pass
unnoticed) and the making of " special numbers "—those in which special topics are discussed by
the best bee-keepers of the country. If you wish for the cream (if the other journals, already
skimmed and dished up, and to learn the views of the most experienced bee-keepers upon the
unsolved, apicultural problems of the day, read the Review. Published monthly at ^1.00 a year.
Topics Discussed in Back Numbers.
VOLUME I.— 1888. VOLUME III.— 1890.
Jan., Disturbing Bees in Winter.
Feb., Temperature in Wintering Bees.
Mar., Planting for Honey.
Apr., Spring Management.
May, Hiving Bees.
June, Taking Away tlie Queen.
July, Feeding Back.
Aug.. Apiarian .F.xhi))ts at Fairs.
Sep., The food of Bees in Winter.
Oct., Ventilaiion of Bee Hives and Cellars.
Nov., Moisture in Bee Hives and Cellars.
Dec, Sections and their Adjustment on the Hive.
VOLUME II.— 1889.
Jan., Bee Hives.
Feb., Mistakes in Bee-Keeping.
Mar., Which are tbo Best Bees.
Apr., Contraction of the Brood Nest.
May, Increase, its Management and ( 'ontrol.
June, Shade for Bees.
July, The Influture of Queens upon Success.
Aug., Migratory F.i -Keeping.
Sep., Out-Door Wintering of Bees.
Oct., Bee Conventions and Associations.
Nov., Specialty Ve; sus Mixed BeR-Keeping.
Dec, What best (combines with Bee-Keeping.
Jan., Brace Coombs and their Prevention.
Feb, Foul Brood.
Mar., Queen Bearing and Shipping.
Apr., The Pr-nluction of Comb Honey.
May, Raisiug (rood Extracted Honey.
June, Apiarian Comforts and Conveniences.
July, From Mie Hive to the Honey Market.
Aug,, Markctijig.
Sep., Management after a poor Season.
Oct., Out-Apiaries.
Nov., Apicultiiral Journalism,
Dec, Use and Abuse of Comb Foundation.
VOLUME IV.— 1891.
Jan., Buildiu.'.s for the Apiary.
Feb., Separators.
Mar., Protection for Single- Wall Hives.
Apr., Introdu'^'ng Queens.
May, Adulterri* ion of Honey.
•June, " " "
July, Bee Esc pes.
Aug., House A piaries.
Sep., Handlins.; Hives Instead of Frames.
Oct., Renderi!i'f and Purifying Wax.
Nov., Moving iiees into the Cellar.
Dec, Remedies for Poor Seasons.
As the supply of volumes I and II is quite limited, the price is five cents a copy, exept for the Jan.
1989 No., whic)i is twenty cents, there being only a few copies lei'c. Of volume III there is a fair
supply, and the price is four cents a copy. With volume IV the Kkview was enlarged and the price
raised to $1.00. Copies of volume IV are eight cents each. Reraen.ber that each number is, in one
sense, a little pamplilet giving the views of the best bee-keepers up-i'i the topic named.
A^^HA^T OTHEHS SA^Y.
O. H. TOW/HSE/SD, Alamo, Mich., writes :
" — never waited here for any other
paper to be read until the Review commenced
coming." .
ARTHUR C. .^\II-JLER, Providence, R. I.,
writes that "there is no paper the coming of
whicli I look forward to, or miss so much w)ien
over-due, as tliat of the Review, and I take
nearly all the hi o papers published in the Eng-
lish language, as well as several other periodi-
cals."
O. 5- COAVPTOfi, Goshen, Ind., writes :
"The Review lias been worth— well, I will not
attempt to place a value upon it — but this much
1 must say, it is looked for days before its time
and no matter how many other bee i)apers or
even letters are received at the same time, the
Review is opened first."
sayi
>. /\. RUSSEUL, New Market, Canada,
s: "lam p>abed with the Review, as yon
have such ahanpy manner of stating practical
facts without so much of this ' what may liave
been done, or what we might have tried if our
patient had noi 'ied.' "
C. K. BiXL.eR, Hoyt. Iowa, writes as fol-
lows : "I think the Review away ahead of any
bee paper I read, and I read several. It is cer-
tainly pure and clean and free from mud-sling-
ing ; wliile, from a literary point of view, it
stands above every other bee paper. I was glad
when Dr. Miller induced you to give up that "we."
When the Review started I thought it was to
be simply a Heddon hive circular, but I am glad
to say I was mistaken. You sometimes give the
hive a lift, but such action is all right if the hive
IS the "ne plus ultra," which I am beginning to
believe."
" /\«lva.oc?
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