__ BEE-KEEPING &-

a | ~® BEGINNERS.

A PRACTICAL

i ‘Condensed Fae ut
; =. wat ON THE Honey-Be-

- Giving the Best Modes of Manag ment in
- Order to Secure the Most Profit.

J. P. H. BROWN.

Coyrighted.

PRICE 50 CENTS.

AUGUSTA, GA.::
RICHARDS & SHAVER, PRINTERS.
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BEE-KEEPING o~-- —

——FOR——

~® BEGINNERS.

A PRACTICAL

——AND—

Condensed Treatise .#
ot ost ON THE Honey-Bee.

Giving the Best Modes of Management in
Order to Secure the Most Profit.

J. P. H. BROWN.

Coyrighted.

PRICE s0 CENTS.

AUGUSTA, GA.:
RICHARDS & SHAVER, PRINTERS.
1898.

2nd COPY,
1898.

¢
i ' r : a en
| a “We

oF oF

INTRODUCTION.

I have written ““BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS’ not only
to supply a want long felt by the bee-keepers of the South,
but to promote an industry that adds to the wealth of the
country and administers to the comfort and pleasures of its
people.

In its preparation I have endeavored to concentrate the
gist of the science of modern apiculture, and to embody in it
the practical experience of thirty years as a practical bee-
keeper. While its modes of practice and methods of
manipulation are fully tested for the Southern bee-keeper,
its principles can be applied and used wherever the honey-bee

is cultivated.
J. P. H. BROWN,

AUGUSTA, GA.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE
History of Bee-Keeping—Profits and Pleasures—Luck and
Pluck—Requisites for Success—Bee Literature ..... ila I

CHAPTER II.

Varieties of Bees in the Hive—Workers, Drones and Queen—
Undeveloped Females—Duties of Workers—Size of Worker
Cells—Length of Life of Workers—Object of the Drones—-
Length of Life of Drones—Size of Drone Cells—The Queen
or Mother Bee—Her Appearance, Sting, Size of Ovaries, and
Difference in Size of Abdomen at Different Seasons, and
when Placed in Different Size Colonies—Duties of Queen—
Fertilized Eggs, Unfertilized Eggs, Number of Eggs a Queen
Lays, and Length of Time to Hatch—lLarvee, Royal Food,
and Development of Queen—Impregnation of Queens—Par-
thenogenesis—Spermatheca—Fertile Workers.:........., rer)

CHAPTER III.

Locating an Apiary—The Best Pasture—Distance Bees Can Go
for Forage—Arrangement of Hives—Shade—How to Start
in the Business—Mistakes of Beginners in Making Purcha-
ses—Bee-Keeping for Invalids—Handling Bees—Protection
Against Stings—Structure of Sting—Antidotes—How to
Open Hives—A Good Smoker Indispensable—How to Use
It—Disposition of Different Varieties of Bees—Iufluence of
Color on Temper of Bees—Length of Tongue—Best Honey
(GATS ETRETESL ee rho -o Ic eiy lets Se ESSE ication a eS 13

CHAPTER IV.

Hives—Patents—Langstroth Hive—Size—Top Bars of Frames—
Self-Spacing—Narrow Top Bars—Division Boards—Hight
Frame Hives—Rabbetted Corners versus Dove-Tail—The
People’s Hive—Excelsior Langstroth Hive—Paint—Leaky
shops OoSe Bottom BOATS fae ac ae sak Meese aclhs dv tees viele _ 22

ii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V. PAGE

Swarming Instinct—Condition of Colony at Time of Swarming—
Rearing Drones—Queen Cells—When First Swarms Issue—
Hanging Out Not Always an Indication of Swarming—Ap-
pearances that Indicate the Time of Swarming—When the
Queen Comes out—Clustering—How to Prepare the Hive
for the Swarm—Hiving—Straight Combs—How to Separate
and Hive Swarms that Cluster Together—Balling Queens—
Piping of Young Queens—After Swarms—How to Take
Swarms Clustered in High Places—Absconding Swarms—
How to Make Swarms Settle—A bnormal Swarms, and Cause
of Their Swarming—Swarm Catchers—Ringing Bells....... 27

CHAPTER VI.

Weak Colonies—How to Dispose of Them—Uniting—When to
Unite—Feeding and When to Feed—Cost of Feed for Winter
Stores—How to Feed—Feeders—How to Feed a Colony in a
Starving Condition—Stimulative Feeding—Egg Production
and amount of Brood Influenced by the Honey Flow—Advan-
tages of Strong Colonies Rich in Stores in Spring—Individ-
uality of Bees—How to Make Sugar Syrup—Care Required
in Feeding—Robbing—What Colonies Do the Robbing—How
to Detect Robber Bees—How to Prevent—How to Arrest the
iia bite Witenes orale diner eee eee Eee ene 36

CHAPTER VII.

Transferring from Box Hives Into Frame Hives—At What Time
to Do It, and Where to Do It—Tools and Implements Re-
quired—Transfer Sticks—How to Proceed—The Kind of
Comb to Select—How to Get the Bees Into the New Hive—
When to Remove the Hive to Its Stand—A Good Plan for
Begin Mersey oie Se es ee ee ee eee 42

CHAPTER VIII.

What is Honey?—Honey From Other Sources than Bloom—
Adulterations—Do Bees Injure Fruit—Pollen and Its Uses—
Propolis—Wax and How Formed—Comb Foundation and
How Made—Brood Foundation, How Best to Use It and How
to Fasten It in the Frames—Section Foundation, and How
te HastenAlty cents stock ois on eo ee 48

CONTENTS. iii

CHAPTER IX. PAGE
Which is the Most Profitable, to Run An Apiary for Comb
Honey or Extracted ?—Size of Brood Chamber when Work-
ing for Comb Honey—Crate to Hold the Sections—Bee-
Space—When to put on Sections—How to Work to the Best
Advantage—Wide frames—What Colonies will Work in
Sections—How to Dispose of Partially Filled sections—
Swarming and Great Surplus Incompatible— Place to Store
Sections that are Filled—How to Keep Out the Worms—
Fumigation—Best Hive for Extracted Honey—When to Ex-
tract—How to Take the Frames of Honey from the Hive—
How to Extract—Rules to be Observed—Uncapped Brood
Injured—Time When the Extractor Should be Used with

CAMO TIME Panny Gee reer Munich, ois ee aumi Deena yeas on oe RS

CHAPTER X.

Artificial Swarming—How to Make Swarms by Division—Cy-
prian and Syrian Bees Great Queen Cell Builders—Honey
Production and Queen Breeding Antagonistic to Each Other
in Practice—Which is the Most Profitable-—The Queen the
Prime Factor in the Colony—Capable of Improvement—
Highest Type of a Queen—Necessity for Select Breeding
Queens and Drones—The Proper Condition of a Colony to
Make Good Queen Cells—How to Procure the Eggs to Get
the Larve— The Right Stage for Use—How to Prepare it and
Fix it in the Frame—How to Prepare the Hive—How to Get
Bees of the Right Age to make the Queen Cells—How to
Keep the Dates—When to Remove the Cells—How to Make
Nuclei for the Reception of Cells—How to Insert the Cells—
Bees Cutting Cells—How to Prevent—Introducing Virgin
Queens—How to Introduce Fertile Queens—Mailing Cages
—Candy for Food—How Prepared.............. 0... cece ee eens 64

; CHAPTER XI.

Diseases of Bees—Dysentery—Cause—Foul Brood—Appear-
ance—Cause—Treatment—Infection—Treatment of Infected
Combs and Hives—Bee, Paralysis—Causes—Remedies........ 79

CHAPTER XII.

Enemies of Bees—The Wax Moth—When Introduced into this
Country—Description—Its Eggs and Larvae—Galleries and
Cocoons- -Moth Proof Hives— Mallophora—Braula Coeca’ or
Bee House—Ants and Termites—How to Exterminate—Pro-
tection Against Mice—Toads Depredators—Spiders—Birds.. 82

iv CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIII. PAGE

Bee Pasturage—Diversity of Mellifluent Plants in the Southern
States—How to Form an Estimate of the Honey-Value of a
Plant—The Proper Conditions for Honey Secretion—South-
ern Honey-Flora—Classed as to Value—Honey Resources of
Florida—Honey Dew and its Formation...... ..............

CHAPTER XIV.

Marketing Honey—The People must be Educated to a full Ap-
preciation of the Uses of Honey—Strained and Extracted
Honey—Granulation no sign of Impurity—How to Prepare
it for Market—How to Offer it—To Whom to Ship—Glutting
the Marketi. skcst ang seuss See wie sera eee eee

CHAPTER XV.

Uses of Honey in Medicinal Preparations, in Cooking andin the
Arts—Remedies for Diseases of the Mouth, Throat, Bronchi
and Lungs—Lagrippe and Colds—Receipts for Honey Cakes,
Ginger Snaps, Cookies, Puddings, Vinegar, Metheglin,

CHAPTER XVI.
Apiary Work'Planned for the Year. . 5-525: san eae

88

96

Bee-Keeping for Beginners.

CHAPTER I.

History OF BEE-KEEPING—PROFITS AND PLEAS-
URES—'' LUCK’’—PLUCK—REQUISITES FOR SUC-
CESS--BErt LITERATURE.

ROM THE FACT that the hive bee, apis mel-
EL lifica, has been a subject of deep study by the

learned in every age, and that apiculture has been
successfully conducted by the ancients, it may sound
strange when’ I assert that it has only been within
the last fifty years that bee-culture has been developed
into a science. Before Huber conducted his observa-
tions in the hive, through his assistant, Burnens, the
natural history of this wonderful little insect was very
imperfectly understood; but since the invention of
movable comb hives, the introduction of the Italian
bee, honey extractors, comb-foundation, and numer-
ous other appliances to make easy and to facilitate
apiarian operations and observations, the economy of
the hive is now well understood.

Bee-keeping, when intelligently pursued, affords
more profit in proportion to the capital invested, more
pleasure, and a greater field for mental exercise than
any other of the small ruralindustries. Poultry keep-
ing soon becomes monotonous. It requires no great
amount of judgment to mate up your fowls, to gath

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

the eggs, to set hens, to feed, &c. It soon centres
down into a sort of routine task work ; but not so with
the culture of the huney bee. Here every day gives
rise toa new problem for your solution. It is one of
nature’s grand novels, where the plot is so well laid
that the farther you read the more deeply you become
interested in the subject.

Bee-kKeeping is like any other sort of business that
is subject to failure and success It does not follow,
neither can it be expected, that every one who takes
hold of it is going to make it a success. In this busi-
ness there is no such thing as that abstract something
called ‘luck.’ Luck in bee-culture is always meas-
ured by ‘‘pluck,’’ and by an observance of all those
conditions upon which its suecessful prosecution de-
pends.

Bees can not gather honey unless there is honey in
the flowers; and the honey secretion 4s dependent
upon certain atmospheric conditions for its full devel-
opment; or, in other words, the season must be fav-
orable for the production of a good honey crop, the
same as a full crop of cotton, corn, oats, &e.

‘While it is true that bees ‘‘work for nothing and
-board themselves,” it is also true that in order to se-
cure the best results, it is necessary that the labor of
these industrious insects be directed by the intelli-
gence and apistical knowledge of the bee-keeper. No
one can keep bees profitably without a thorough
knowledge of the economy of the tive. He must
know what to do, how to do, and when to do; for
everything pertaining to bee culture must be dateqie:
at the right time.

Along with the purehase of bees, hives and supplies,
the beginner should get books treating of the subject,

‘ BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 3

sa

and should subscribe for a bee journal, and read up,
and thoroughly study the question as he progresses.
He will in this way combine theory and practice
and as he proceeds will become proficient and expert
with all details of management and manipulation,
otherwise he will find it an up-hill business attended

with no profit.

4 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER II.

VARIETIES OF BEES IN THE HIVE— WORKERS, DRONES.
AND QUEEN—UNDEVELOPED FEMALES—DUTIES.
OF WORKERS—SIZE OF WORKER CELLS—LENGTH
OF LIFE OF WORKERS—OBJECT OF THE DRONES—
LENGTH OF LIFE OF DRONE—SIZE OF DRONE
CELLS—THE QUEEN OR MOTHER BEE—HER AP--
PEARANCE—HER SYVING—SIZE OF OVARIES—
DIFFERENCE IN SIZE OF ABDOMEN AT DIFFER-
ENT SEASONS AND WHEN PLACED IN DIFFERENT
SIZED COLONIES—DUTIES OF QUEEN—NUMBER
OF EGGS—FERTILIZED EGGS—UNFERTILIZED
Eoos--LENGTH OF TIVE To HATCH—LARVZ
FoopD—DEVELOPMENT OF QUEENS—ROYAL FooD-
—IMPREGNATION. OF QUEENS—PARTHENOGEN-
ESIS—SPERMATHECA— FERTILE WORKERS.

N every normal colony there are worker bees, a
queen or mother bee, and during the swarming
season, more or less drones or males.

The workers are undeveloped females with ovaries.
in an imperfect condition. They are the ‘‘bone and
sinew” of the hive. They do all the work—gather
the stores, clean out the hive, secrete the wax, make
the comb, feed the young, stand guard at the en-
trance, ventilate the hive, and when necessary defend
their home at the risk of their lives. During the
busy season of honey gathering, the length of life of

BEF-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 5

a worker wiil not average more than sixty days.
Those that pass over the winter live much Jonger.
The cells in which the workers are developed are a
trifle over one-fifth of an inch in diameter, or, they
will average about 50 to the square. inch including
both sides of the comb.

DRONE.

The drones are large, lusty fellows, rather awkward
in their movements, have great power of wing, and
and make a loud coarse noise when they fly. Their
primary object would seem to be to fertilize the young
queens. They have no stings, are great cowards, and
are not provided with any organs to gather pollen
and honey, therefore nature never intended them to
work in the fields. It is the opinion of many observ-
ing apiarists, and I think they are correct, that the
drones assist in maintaining the normal degree of

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

heat of the colony, and consequently contribute to
the curing and evaporation of the honey; but, on the
other hand, he is a consumer of honey and not a pro-
ducer, hence it is advisable for the bee-keeper not to
allow too many drones in his colonies. This can be
regulated by cutting out the drone comb and replacing
with worker comb or foundation.

The drone has a very precarious tenure upon life.
In queenless colones or in colonies with old or defective -
queens, he may live a whole season, while in other
eases he may be allowed to live only a few days.
When the swarming season is over, normal colonies
destroy their drones, and cease to rear others. They
also destroy them during a dearth of honey. Hence
when you see the workers chasing and pulling the
drones out of the hive, you can rest assured that
swarming is over with that colony, at least for a
time.

The drones are reared in cells larger than those in
which the workers are, and when capped over are
much more prominent and conspicuous. They will
average about thirty two to the square ineh
counting both sides of the comb. In diamerer they
are a trifle more than one-fourth of an inch.

The queen is the mother bee of the colony. In

appearance she resembles a wasp more than a worker

bee. Her abdomen is a third larger than that of the
worker, and when her ovaries are fully developed she
presents a graceful and majestic appearance when
crawling over the combs. She is provided with a
sting, which presentsa slight curved appearance, thus
indicating that it wasintended more for stinging rival
queens than other objects. I have handled thousands
of queens, but have never been stung by one. The

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 7

size of the queen’s ovaries depends much upon the
demand made upon them for eggs. Thus, a queen in
a strong colony, other conditions being the same,
looks much larger than the same queen would look,
after a short time, if placed ina small weak colony
where little brood could be reared. For the same
reason the abdomen is larger in the spring during the
breeding season than it is in the fall when breeding
is over.

The universe ismade up of wonders. Every object
proclaims the touch of an omnipotent hand. ‘The
littie honey bee bears this divine impress as wonder-
fully and as powerfully as the largest animal. When
we trace the queen through all her stages of develop-
ment we are most forcibly reminded of this.

It is the mission of the queen to lay the eggs that
are to hatch and develop into the perfect inmates cf
the hive. During the breeding season, whenin a
large colony, she lays from 2,000 to 3,000 eggs every
twenty-four hours. Those eggs that are fertilized or
impregnated and deposited in worker cells produce .
worker bees, and the eggs that are deposited in drone
cells are not impregnated and hatch outdrones. Afier
the queen deposits the egg in the cell she devotes no
further attention to it, and leaves it to the care of the
workers. In three days, a little sooner if the weather
is very warm, it hatches out a tiny little grub or larva.
The workers stand ready at this stage to supply it
with a whitish gelatinous looking food which they
abundantly deposit around it. If a worker larva, it
will come forth a perfect worker in twenty-one days
counting from laying the egg. It takes twenty-four
days for the perfection of a drone. The time is some-

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

what influenced by the temperature—if very warm,
the development is slightly hastened.

When a colony is deprived of its queen, and there
are in the hive worker eggs or larve not over three
days old, the bees go to work to rear another queen
from the just-hatched larve. These little grubs, fed
and nursed in the ordinary way, would develop in
twenty-one days into common workers ; but the bees
intend othewise. They now go to work and enlarge
the cell around the little worm-looking mite, and fill
up around it with the gelatinous food ; in fact, the
embryonic insect literally floats in this substance.

The cell is still enlarged and elongated until aboat
the fifth day from the time the bees started the cell,
it is capped over. It now presents the appearance of
a ground-pea or goober. The transformation that.
takes place in this cell is wonderful. Under ordinary
feeding, the grub would come forth a worker ; but by
the great abundance of the rich food, called royal jelly,
deposited in the cell, the anatomical structure of the
common worker grub is changed—the abdomen is
elongated, the ovaries are completely developed, the
sting and mouth organs are changed, the hind legs
have not the pollen baskets of the worker, and the
very instinetsand habits are changed from the worker
bee.

Instead of crawling forth a perfect worker in twenty-
one days from the egg, she emerges forth a perfect
queen in about twelve days from starting the cell, or
in sixteen days from the laying of the egg.

The approximate time occupied in the development
of the worker, drone and queen bee is given in the fol-

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 9

lowing table, tabulated by Frank Benton, in his work
on ‘The Honey Bee” :

eg FROM DE-
| ‘POSIT OF
T | >
Bar| DARVAG } PUPA a ayy

| IMAGO.

Queen....... eee lint 7 154
Worker .... 3 eee eects 21
Drone.. .... 3 6 | aig aes 24

In from six to eight days, on an average, the young
queen will go out on her ‘bridal tour,’’ as it is termed,
to meet the drone. One trip is usually sufficient, but
in ease she fails to meet her mate, she will go out
again until she succeeds. When fertilized, herovaries
commence to expand and her abdomen increases
in size, and in from four to six days she will
be laying. If shedoes not become impregnated inside
of seventeen days, she will rarely leave the hive for
this object after that, and will be a drone layer. Of
course, now and then, there may be an exception to
the rule, but all such cases of delayed fertilization are
attended with defective ovi-production. Unimpreg- .
nated queens can lay eggs, but these unfertilized eggs
will only hatch drones. Hence drone eggs are not
fertilized with the malesperm. This law of partheno-
genesis—of a virgin queen laying eggs that will hatch
without impregnation—seems wonderful, but thesame
_law applies to some other species of insects. The fact
was first observed and confirmed by Dr. Dzierzon, a
celebrated German bee-keeper and scientist.

10 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNEKS.

OVARIES OF QUEEN.

After the queen becomes impregnated, it is for life,
and she never leaves the hive unless to go out with a
swarm. During copulation the male spermyis de-
posited in a sac called the spermatheca, located on
the side of the ovi-duct. The mule is killed by the act
of copulation. * This sac eontains sufficient sperm.
cells or spermatozoa to fertilize all the worker eggs
that the queen may lay during her lifetime; and
whether the egg laid shall be a fertilized one to pro-
duce a worker, or an unfertilized one to produce a
drone, is a matter of volition of the queen.

Sometimes in small queenless colonies there , are
what are termed fertile workers that really do lay
eggs that will hatch out drones, and those hatched in
worker cells will be of small size. In such cases the

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 11

bees seem to be so intent on having a queen that some
workers, by engorgement of food calculated to stimu-
late the ovaries, become capable of Jaying eggs. These

Fig. 5.

NERVORS SYSTEM OF THE BEE.

eggs are deposited in the cells without the regularity
of those laid by a fertilized queen. Some are placed
here and there—lying across each other—piled on top
of each other without order or system. In such ab-
normal colonies there are usually more tban one fertile

12 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

worker. In appearance they can not be distinguished
from ordinary workers. ‘The only way to tell them is
to catch them in the act of laying. This I have re-
peatedly done, and have found the underside of the
abdomen of these bees a trifle more pendulous than
that of the common worker.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 13

CHAPTER III.

LOCATING AN APIARY—THE BEST PASTURE—DIs-
TANCE BEES CAN Go For FORAGE—ARRANGE-
MENT OF HiIvEs—SHADE—HowW TO START—
MISTAKES OF BEGINNERS IN MAKING PUR-
CHASES—BEE-KEEPING FOR INVALIDS—HAND-
LING BEES—PROTECTION AGAINST STINGS—
STRUCTURE OF STING—ANTIDOTES—How to
OPrf£Nn HIvEs—A Good SMOKER INDISPENSABLE
—How To Uss IT—DISPOSITION OF DIFFERENT
VARIETIES OF BEES—INFLUENCE OF COLOR ON
TEMPER OF BEES—LENGTH OF TONGUE--BEST
Honty GATHERERS.

“77 HERE are very few places in our country where
there are no honey yielding plants. The loca-
tion should, if possible, be near the forage. In

our Southern country the best forage is found along

the water courses, and in the swamps and bottoms,
but on account of malaria that usually abounds in
such low places it would be best to locate it on higher
ground. Oneortwo miles are not too far for bees to

- go for forage. I have known them to go four miles,

but this distance is too great to enable them to store

much surplus.

In our climate hives should be arranged with
special reference to shade. I prefer the shade of fruit
trees. An arbor of the scuppernong grape vines
makes a grand and dense shade. Other varieties of

ie! BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

grapes often shed their leaves so soon that they an-
swer a poor purpose. Fora shade tree that :does not
get overly Jarge but has a close compact foliage, I can
recommend the Caradeue plum. While it is a shy
bearer, the fruit is very delicious. The Mimosa,
Chinaberry or Pride of India tree (particularly the
low umbrella variety), and sterculia platanifolia
or varnish tree, are fine for shade, for forage, and very
ornamental. These trees are only suited for culture
in the Southern States. The honey locust makes a
dense shade and at the same time it is a grand honey-
yielder. This tree grows wellin the Middle States.
Where natural shade can nct be had, the next best
shade is obtained by using pieces of boards for extra
covers. The hives should be set with reference to
avoid having the hot afternoon sun glaring upon the
entrance. In fact it is best not to allow this sun to
strike the hive at all; for nearly all the damage to
combs by melting is caused by the sun pouring on the
hive between the hours of 12 m. and 3 p. m.

When starting to keep bees it is best not to com-
mence with too many colonies. A half dozen in well
arranged hives would besufficient to start with. You
iiust learn to handle them. Practice must be com-
bined with theory. Then, as you gain knowledge
you can enlarge your apiary to a profitable size. As
knowledge in bee-culture can be conveyed and ob-
tuined more rapidly by the eye than by any other
means, a few days spent in some well conducted
apiary under the direction of an expert apiarist
would be of immense benfit.

Beginners often make great mistakes in making
their first purchases. Instead of consulting some
skilled, practical and reliable bee-keeper as to the arti-

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 15

cles they need, they resort to some voluminous cata-
logue of apiarian supplies, and pick out at random
articles that are not worth a pewter sixpence to any
practical apiarist. Of course their money is spent to
no purpose, and quite likely they will soon abandon
the business in disgust.

Bee-keeping is often recommended to invalids as a
source of outdoor exercise. An invalid might suc-
cessfully. manage a few hives, but it requires a great
amount of hard work to properly care for fifty or one
hundred colonies. Opening hives, removing frames
of comb, hunting queens, extracting honey, forming
nuclei &¢., &c., is not quite as easy as you might sup-
pose. ‘There is much lifting to be done, stooping over,
and often with the hof sun pouring down upon you.

One of the very first requisites towards successful
bee-Kkeeping is a Knowledge of the nature and temper
of the honey-bee, and of the means by which the in-
sect’s irascibility can be controlled.

The bee when out foraging never acts on the offen-
sive —always on the defensive. But when its hive is
threatened to be disturbed, or its stores taken, or
when excited by disagreeable odors, or by persons
standing in its range of flight, or by striking at it, or
pinching it, &c., its actions may be both defensive and
offensive. Its weapon of defense is its sting, which is
located at the extremity of its abdomen. This organ
does not consist, as many suppose, of one solid point-
ed body, but is made up of two sections that fit closely
together along their edges, while there isa groove
running along their inner side through which the
poison is injected. ‘The sting is enclosed in a sheath
when notin use. Its extremity is barbed, which
causes it to stick fast in the object stung. The bee

16 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

can only release itself by the sting pulling out of its
body, along with comes the poison sae and usually
some of the intestines. Hence this insect gives also
its life along with the blow it strikes.

Fig 6. shows the sting and its parts. C. is the poison sac. U. sheath.
A. sting proper. B. B. Transverse section of sting. Fig. 7. Barbs of
sting very greatly magnified.

When stung, the sting shouid be immediately re-
moved, or the strong muscles that drive it and still

adhere to its base, will force it deeper into the wound.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 17

It should always be scraped out with a dull knife, and
not pulled out with the thumb and finger which
would squeeze the sae and inject more poison. When
I am stung I do not wait for the blade of a knife to
remove the sting, but I rub it out with my hand, or
if stung on the hand I passit quickly against a corner
of the hive.

In many eases the sting of a bee is attended with
much pain and swelling; while in others there are no
ill affects produced whatever.

There is no doubt that the system can soon become
inured, as it were, to the poison so that no bad effects
are produced. The writer well recollects the time
when a bee-sting was very painfu) to him, and was
always attended with much pain and swelling; but
now he would rather at any time be stung by a bee
than be pricked by a thorn:

Many remedies have been suggested for stings, and
while they all may do good in some cases, in others
they fail. As formic acid is the principle constituent
of the poison it seems that those remedies that con-
tain an alkali, such as ammonia, soda, &¢., prove
effacacious. An application of the tincture of iodine
to the wound is said to afford great relief. A contin-
ued application of cold water to the part stung is
most excellent, and usually prevents the pain and
swelling. It can be applied to the part by a wet
towel or by pouring from a pitcher.

While it is impossible to work much among bees
and never get stung, it is also possible, in most of
cases, to keep them ‘‘ peaceably inclined,’’ so that
stings need be ‘‘ few and far between.’’ One person
possesses no more ‘‘charms’’ in handling bees than
yen if the same laws and rules are observed. :

18 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

Nevertheless, the odour or emanations from the
bodies of some persons seem to be mcre disagreeable
or exciting to them than those of others.

In all our operations with our bees we must use
gentleness. Ali quick sudden jars and motions irri-
tate them. So does breathing on them. Bees are
always more gentle and less inclined to sting when
they are gathering honey; and at such times hives
can be opened with very little danger; whereas when
a dearth of honey prevails the inmates of the same
hive might show a great spirit of resentment. I have
observed that color exerts some influence on the tem-
per of this insect. I have found that dark shades of
clothing, particularly red, are more distasteful to them
than white. Hence when working among them I
always go in shirt sleeves or in light colored clothes.

When opening a hive always stand on the side
opposite to the wind, and never in front of the en-
trance. It is bee-nature, that when alarmed, for the
insect to take to its stores and gorge itself with honey.
When in this condition they never sting unless struck
at or squeezed. Most writers tell us that this engorge-
ment of the honey sac soothes the anger of the insect
and makes it peaceable. While this is partly true, in
the main it is incorrect. When the honey receptacle
is engorged, the abdomen is much distended, which
deprives the bee of making the necessary muscular
action of this portion of the body in order to bring
the sting into a proper position for a thrust.

Before you start to open a hive it is necessary that
you go prepared. I advise a bee-veil for a protection
to the face, but itis best to have the hands unprotected,
as gloves are much in the wayin handling the frames.
Rubber gloves are hot and retain the perspiration ;

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 19

besides, the propolis on the frames soon softens the
rubber and destroys them. Woolen gloves covered
on the back of hand and fingers with white muslin or
homespun answer a pretty good purpose. In order to
guard against bees crawling up the arms and legs, it is
best to confine the sleeves at the wrist with elastic
bands, and to pull the socks over the bottom of pants.
Itis best not to work among bees after dark, for then
they can not see to fly, and ‘are great at’’ crawling,
and will poke their ‘‘noses’’ in every little opening
about the clothing.

A good smoker is indispensable. See that it is in
good order. Whep the fuel in it is well ignited,

Fig. 8.
2 Direct-Draft Perfect
BINGHAM
BeeSmoker

PATENTED
1878, 1882 and 1892.

approach the hive and blow a few whiffs of smoke in
at the entrance. Wait a minute, then blow in a littie
more smoke until the bees set up a sort of roaring

20 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

noise. Then gently commence to open the hive, and
if the bees showa desire to come up, blow a little more
smoke over the tops of the frames, which will run the
bees back. Bees can be smoked too much, particu-
larly when queens areto be found. Just how much to
give depends upon the humor and disposition of the
insect ; as a general thing, Hybrids, Syrians and Cyp-
rians require more smoke to subdue them than blacks,
Carniolans and Italians. Italians are the most easily
handled. When using smoke care should be taken not

torun the bees off the combs. Blacks and Syrians are
~ easily run off to the sides of the hive, or will collect in
a pendulous mags on the edge or corner of a frame that.
is being handled, and will possibly loose their hold
and drop at your feet, which is not very pleasant to
the operator, Cyprians can stand a broadside of
smoke unflinchingly, and will only yield after con-
tinued blasts. When a bee gets under the clothes,
give it room und do not crowd it, and it will make for
the light and crawl out without offering io sting.

There are quite a number of varieties of apis milli-
jica, among which I may name the black bee, which
is the most common. This variety was introduced, it.
is said, into Pennsylvania from Germany about the
year 1627, and was transported to South America in
1845. The Italian, Cyprian, Syrian, Egyptian, Car-
niolan, &e¢., are also only varieties, and are undoubt-
edly of common origin. For beauty, honey- gathering
capacity, docility, and most desirable qualities, the
Italian is to be preferred. In cultivating any of these
breeds of bees, there is a continual, though slight dis-
position to sport from a precise standard of physical
and psychical characteristics to an assumption of
some of. the peculiarities of some other breed. This

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 21

seems to be a rule attending the breeding of all cattle,
horses, sheep, swine, and fancy breeds of poultry, that
lack that fixedness and individuality of character
sufficient to stamp such breeds as a distinct species.

The Cyprian, Syrian and Egyptian bees are very
excitable varieties, and are great fightersand swarm-
ers, and are therefore not desirable.

From a series of experiments that I conducted with
delicately adjusted instruments a few years ago with
a view to ascertain the length. of tongue of the dif-
ferent varieties of the honey bee, I found that the
Cyprians and Italians had the longest tongue, and
I practically found them the best honey gatherers in
my apiary.

22 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER IV.

HIVES—PATENTS—LANGSTROTH HIVE—S1IZE—TopP
BARS OF FRAMES—SELF-SPACING—NARROW
Tor Bars—Division BoARDS—EIGHT-FRAME
HIVES—RABBETTED CORNER VERSUS DOVE-
TAIL—THE PEOPLES’ H1ivE—EXCELSIOR LANG-
STROTH HIVE—PAINT—LEEKY Tops-—LOoOSE
BorTroMs.

T is not the province of this little book to go into
I the history of bee hives, nor to enter into the details
of their manufacture, for at this date there is so
much competition in the manufacture of bee-keepers’
supplies that hives can be purchased either set up or
in the flat much cheaper than a bee-keeper could
afford to make them himeelf.

Many years ago the Rev. L. L. Langstroth took
out a patent on a bee hive which covered all the val-
uable features that a hive could possess.. This patent
is now public property. Since then hundreds of
patents have been issued on bee hives, but their
claims, in the majority of cases, have been for some
little contrivance devoid of value to any practical bee-
keeper.

Many modifications have been made of the Lang-
stroth hive. The frame used by Mr. L., was 172
long by 93 inches deep; a size that seems to give the
most general satisfaction, particularly in the South.
In this climate a deeper frame is not desirable for
many valid reasons. The top bar of the Langstroth

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 23

frame is { inches wide, while the distance between
the centre of one comb to the centre of the other is
near 1,, inches; this necessitates the spacing of
these frames with the fingers. In this way they often
get too near together, or too wide apart, particularly
at the ends, and the result is crooked comb.

Fig. 9.

EXCELSIOR LANGSTROM HIVE AND
FRAME.

' In 1870 I adopted a frame with the ends of the top
bar 1,4 inches wide and close fitting. This frame I
have used ever since and it gives great satisfaction,
as it perfectly spaces the combs. Since then the same
style of close-end top bar, with a partial closed end of
frame, has been offered to the public as the Hoffman
frame. There is another style of Hoffman frame
manufactured with the top part of ends close fitting

24 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

and a narrow top bar. This style I do not use, nor
recommend.

Some bee-keepers contend for a top bar 13 inches
wide at ends, but this gives rather too little bee-space
between the combs.

_ With the close end top bar frames it is necessary to

have some little space on the side of hive to remove
them. To secure this room, some usea division board
held by a wedge on the side of the hive. 1 formerly
used this board myself, but it proved very unsatisfac-
tory from the fact that it affords a harbor for spiders,
roaches ond. other vermin. I find those with a bee-
space at the bottom and ends the least objectionable.
I nail a narrow top bar to this board and it hangs in

the hive as a dummy frame.
A hive holding nine or ten frames is the best. Nine

frames may be best suited for most of localities. An
eight-frame hive is most too small. If the queen isa
good layer she soon crowds the hive and there will be
too much swarming, and consequently too little sur-
plus honey.

Hi |
in ay ii
1 i; il

iL i

AN EIGHT-FRAME HIVE WITH SELF-
SPACING FRAMES.
_ A nine-frame hive arranged like the People’s Hive,
'with surplus department, and cover proof against

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 25

leaks, has more advantages and fewer objections than
any other. It can be run for either comb or extracted
honey ; and the section crates will admit of taking
sections of different widths.

THE PEOPLE'S HIVE.

If the apiary is to be run exclusively for extracted
honey, a ten or twelve-frame hive can be used to ad-
vantage. The Excelsior Langstroth hive is one of
this description. It holds ten frames in the lower
story and the same number can be used in the second |
story, and admits of tiering up one story on top of
another. .

It is necessary for hives to be well put together in
order to stand the continued warm sun of a Southern
climate. If not well nailed at the joints they will
warp and open. The very best joint is one that is
rabbeted and nailed both ways. Such joint is prefer-
able to the locked or dove-tail. Unless kept weil

26 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

painted, wood rots quicker in a warm climate than
it does in a cold one.

There is a great diversity of opinion among apiarists
;n regard to the advantages and disadvantages of
fixed or loose bottom boards. The advocates of loose
bottoms contend that they are more easily cleaned.
This muy be correct; but fixed bottoms are the best
for a warm climate, and for large apiaries where mov-
ing hives is frequently required.

Tops of hives unless covered with tin or some metal
will be certain to leak after a few years of exposure to
the weather.

As an object for amusement and pleasure, I would
recommend an observation or uni-comb hive that con-
tains a single comb with glass on both sides, protected
by movable sides or doors. By this arrangement all
the movements of the queen and bees can be seer.
You can see the queen deposit her eggs, the workers
unload themselves of honey and pollen, &c. This
hive will hold a small colony that will- carry on all
the operations of a large one. The hive can be placed
on the piazza, or in some shady nook or recess, or in
a room, and the bees allowed to pass out and in
through a tube in the wall.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 27

CHAPTER V.

SWARMING INSTINCT—CONDITION OF HIVES—REAR-
ING DRONES—QUEEN CELLS— WHEN FIRST
Swarms IssuE—HANGING Out NoT ALWAYS
AN INDICATION OF SWARMING—APPEARANCES
THAT INDICATE THE TIME OF SWARMING—
WHEN THE QUEEN CoMES OUT—CLUSTERING—
How TO PREPARE THE HIVE FOR THE SWARM
HIVING—W HEN “To Pur on THE SECTIONS—
STRAIGHT CoMBS—How To SEPARATE AND
Hive SWARMS THAT CLUSTER TOGETHER—
“BALLING’’? QUEENS—PIPING OF YOUNG QUEENS
—AFTER SWARMS---How TO TAKE SWARMS CLUS-
TERED IN HIGH PLACES—CLIPPING QUEENS
WINGS—ABSCONDING SWARMS—How TO MAKE
SWARMS SETTLE--ABNORMAL SWARMS--CAUSE
OF THEIR SWARMING--SWARM CATCHERS—
RINGING BELLS.
HE instinct to swarm seems to be a desire im-
planted in the bee to propagate and distribute its
race. Wherever the honey-bee is cultivated the
swarming season is of intense interest to the bee-keeper.
The cry of ‘‘ bees swarming !” with the old time bee-
master, was attended with great excitement. It excited

the old and the young—the cat and the dog—-out come
the tin pans the horns and the bells. It was beat,

28 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

rattle and toot, until the circling, buzzing, roaring
insects settled.

In the spring when bees are breeding rapidly and
honey is-coming in plentifully, the hive becomes very
populous, and they make preparations for swarming
long before the swarm issues. They rear drones with
a view to secure the fertilization of the young queens.
Usually after drones are hatched and flying, and
drone larvee capped over, they commence to construct
queen cells. After the first queen cells are capped, if
the weather is favorable, a swarm may issue. First
swarms generally come out in the forenoon, but in-
case the forenoon should be unfavorable, and they
should be ready to issue, they might venture out in
the afternoon. In these matters bees do not always
follow an invariable rule as many suppose. For
instance, there are generally plenty of drones flying
before the appearance of aswarm; but I have known
swarms toissue when the drone brood was only capped
over. Hanging out is not always an indication that
the bees are going toswarm. They frequently hang
out when they are building comb and rapidly storing
honey. Weak and demoralized colonies frequently
hang out, and have all the appearance, to a novice, of
an over-crowded hive. Too much heat inside may
cause them to hang out.

The bee-keeper can not always tell the day the col-
ony is going to swarm by simply looking at the hive;
but generally if watched on the morning of the day
itis going to castaswarm, he will find a great many
bees flying with their heads toward the en-
trance, and will pass in and out, not like the work-
ers going to forage, but showing anxiety and a dispo-
sition to hurry up the event.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 29

Se ——, — Sea

Just before the departure of the swarm the whole
colony is greatly excited. The hive seems to be
all confusion, .bees scampering in all directions
over the combs, and filling themselves with
honey—now there is a rush for the entrance—-old and
young—-out they come, peill-mell, tumbling over each
other, and then circling in the air with a loud roaring
noise. The queen may be among the Jast to get out
(particularly if she isan old one); and often comes
out, as it were, reluctantly. The workers are the mov-
ing spirits in the matter. The idea that the queen
leads the swarm is not correct.

After whirling around for some time they will gen-
erally settle at some placein acluster. If the queen
is old, or heavily laden with eggs, they usually settle
on some low object like a bush, vine, &c.; but if the
queen is a young one the swarm may settle ata more
elevated place.

In case the queen does not come out with the bees,
or they fail to find her, they will return to the hive
to come out at another time. When the bees com-
mence to settle you should map out in your mind how
‘ you are to proceed in hiving them. Procure your
hive and prepare it ready for their reception. Go to
the parent hive and take out a frame of brood
(see that no queen cells are on it), and place it in the
new hive. Take out a frame to make room. This
frame can be placed in the old hive in place of the
one removed. I would advise filling every other
frame in the new hive with sheets of foundation.
When arranged thus, it is not so apt to sag and break
down by the weight of the bees. Tack a cloth to the
edge of the alighting board for a smooth roadway for

30 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

the bees into the hive. A board, if carefully set up
will answer for the cloth.

Before you proceed to hive the bees, sprinkle the
cluster well with water, which you can do with a
small broom if they are within reach ; but if the clus-
ter is high up, put a rose-nozzle on a fountain purp
and spray them. This is an instrument that all bee-
keepers should possess ; it answers an excellent pur-
pose for extinguishing incipient fires, watering
plants, &e.

If you can not shake the bees directly in front of
the hive, procure a tin bucket and a cloth; and with
a whisk broom brush orshake the bees into the bucket ;
quickly throw the cloth over it and carry it to the
hive and tumble them into the hive by first removing

the cover, or pour them out in front of the entrance.
~ Tf the bees are slow to crawl in the hive, take a tuft
of grass, a young sprout, ora long handle spoon and
stir them toward the entrance. Make them run in
lively. Allow no clustering on the outside of the
hive--brush them toward the entrance. When the
queen goes in the rest will march in like a flock of
sheep into the fold. After the great bulk of the swarm
is in, you can carry the hive to the place you intend it
tostand. This is better than waiting till evening, as
is often done. What few bees are out foraging will
either find the new location or return to the old hive.

When preparing your hive for the swarm, if you
want the bees to confine themselves at first to the
brood frames in the lower story, cover the tops of the
frames securely with a cloth and over this place the
cap or cover. Do not put on the sections or second
story, otherwise they might go up into the top of the
hive and commence operations. I have known them,

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 31

owing toa want of care in confining to the lower
story, todo this. In two or three days after the bees
are hived, they should be looked at to see if they are
making their combs straight in the frames. Straight
combs are essential in every well-conducted apiary.
When you find the bees not making them straight
with the comb guide, you must presstheminline It
may be necessary to cut some points loose with a
knife and secure them with transfer-sticks, as done in
transferring. At this time place on your sections and
give the bees access to them.

Sometimes severalswarms may cluster together, and
you may want to divide them. In such a case, pre-
pare as many hives asswarms, and place them within
easy reach of the cluster. Place an assistant at the
entrance of each hive. After sprinkling the cluster,
proceed with a long-handle dipper to dip it full of bees
from the cluster, and pour in front of one of the hives;
then a dipper full in front of another, and so on until
you get them equally divided. Your assistants must
have each a queen cage at hand and look out for the
queens, and see that only one goes into a hive. If
more than one is placed before the hive, she must be
caged and given tothe hive that is queenless. In case
several queens should get in the-same hive, one will
get killed, and sometimes I have known both to get
“balled” to death by the bees.

Bees have a strange way of getting rid of strange or
objectionable queens. They collect around her in an
angry mass, forming a ball or cluster, with the poor
queen in the center, and bite her wings and pull her
legs until they worry her to death. If_you wish to
release the queen from the angry bees, the safest plan
is to drop the ball of bees into a basin of water. When

32 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

they turn loose, you can pick out the queen. Smoke
often makes them more angry. If you use smoke to
disperse them, rapidly blow a large volume of it upon
the cluster, and as soon as they scatter, pick up the
queens. When the queens are valuable and the bee-
keeper is unwilling to take any risk, he had better put
them in introducing cages, and only release them after
the bees settle down to business.

In about six or eight days after the first swarm is-
sues, a second swarm may come out with a young
queen recently hatched. Sometimes when several
queens are hatching at the same time, they make a
peculiar sound called ‘‘piping.’’ The noise is like the
‘‘neep’”’ of a young chicken, and sometimes can be
very distinctly heard if the ear is placed against or
near the hive on the evening of.the day before the
departure of the swarm. One ‘‘peep’’ is a little
coarser than the other, and is a reply to that made by
a rival queen.

A third and even a fourth swarm frequently come
out within a day or two of each other. All swarms
after the first are called “casts,’’ and should be dis-
couraged by the bee-keeper, as they often leave the
old colony in such a poor condition that it often fails
to secure enough honey to winter on. One swarm
from a colony is sufficient ; best to return such swarms
to the parent colony. All swarms after the first have
young queens, and as such queens are not very mat-
ronly or steady, but good flyers, the swarms may be
slow to cluster, and settle in elevated places. In such
cases, resort to the small fountain pump; and if the
cluster is too high to reach, and the object they are on
cannot be removed, you can dislodge them and collect
them in a bag prepared as follows: Take a bag or

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 33

sack and sew an iron boop (a keg hoop will answer)
around the mouth so as to keep it distended. Geta
pole sufficiently long to reach the bees; saw a kerf in
the upper end deep enough to admit the hoop ; crowd
your hoop into it. Of course, the hoop will be at right
angles with the pole and the mouth of bagopen. Now
take the pole with the bag, and place the mouth of
the bag immediately under the cluster, then with the
end of the pole give the Jimb a good solid lick, which
will shake the bees into the bag. Immediately lower
the pole, which will also close the mouth of the bag.
Shake the bees out in front of the hive. The first
time you may not get all the bees ; repeat the opera-
tion until you secure the bulk of the swarm.

Sometimes aswarm may abscond and take to the
woods in spite of all you can do. Casts are more apt
to absecond than first swarms. Quite a number of
observing bee-keepers contend that bees often send
out runners or scouts to secure and prepare a place for
the swarm days before it issues In my experience, [
have never had any observations that would confirm
or reject such conclusions; and I have no right to dis-
believe them; but | am pretty certain that the major-
ity of absconding swarms fail to observe these precau-
tions and are notso provident. Swarms that are slow
to settle, and show a disposition to abscond may often
be brought to cluster by throwing fine dirt in front of
them. The reflected light thrown among them from
a mirror is said to settle them; also the firing of a
gun. These remedies I have never tried.

Clipping the wings of queens is practiced by many
bee-kKeepers in order to prevent swarms from abscond-
ing, and to facilitate in operation in the apiary. This
evpping is not to be resorted to until after the queen

34 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.
——— = a

is fertilized and becomes an established layer. To
perform this operation, the queen should be held by
the thorax, between the thumb and fore finger of the
left hand, and about one-third or one-half of one large
or primary wing on one side cut off with a sharp
pointed scissors. Do not hoid the queen by the abdo-
men. There are objections to clipping. Clipped
queens, say nothing of the disfigurement, are liable
to get lost in the grass when they come out of the
hive; besides, when they get on the ground, they are
liable to get devoured by ants. Hence it is necessary
to be on the look out for such occurrences.

Newly hived swarms frequently refuse to stay in a
hive because it is too hot. The empty hive should be
kept in the shade, and should be clean and cool when
the swarm is put in it, and then it should be protected
from the rays of the sun. When the inside of the
hives becomes too hot, the bees can not build comb,
and must hang out.

Abnormal swarms are those that desert dhioke hives
because the bees become demoralized or discouraged
for want of stores, have too few bees, &c. Weak colo-
nies in early spring frequently swarm out, and desert
their brood, even when they have some stores. Hence
in such cases it would seem to be demoralization,
You may hive them, but they will swarm out again,
probably the same or next day. Your only way to
treat such swarms is to unite them with some other
weak colonies. Such demoralized bees often get angry
at their queen if she refuses to accompany them, and
will ball her to death.

To save swarms that may issue when we can not
be watching for them, contrivances called ‘‘swarm-
catchers’’ and ‘hivers’’ have been invented that seek

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 35
to direct the queen, after she gets out of her hive, into
an empty one placed in close proximity to the full
one. Were all queens alike in size they could be more
easily and more certainly controlled by slots, perfor-
ated zinc, &c., but some queens that are very prolific
are of small size, and could pass an opening that would
admit a worker bee.

The practice of ringing bells, beatings pans, &c., to
make swarms settle is a very old but useless custom.
It does no good, for they would settle of their own ac-
cord. The custom originated in the old country,
where there was a law that required you to makea
noise in order to notify your neighbors that your bees
wereswarming, otherwise if the swarm settled on your
neighbors’ possessions you could not claim it.

36 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER VI.

WEAK COLONIES—How TO DISPOSE OF THEM—
UNITING—WHEN TO UNITE—FEEDING-- WHEN
TO FEED—COST OF FEED FOR WINTER STORES—
How To FEED—FEEDERS—HOw TO FEED A COL-
ONY IN STARVING CONDITION——STIMULATIVE
FEEDING—EGu PRODUCTION AND AMOUNT OF
Broop INFLUENCED BY HONEY FLOW—ADVAN-
TAGES OF STRONG COLONIES RICH IN STORES
IN SPRING—INDIVIDUALITY OF BEES—HOwW TO
MAKE SUGARSYRUP—CAKE REQUIRED IN FEED-
ING—ROBBING—WHaT COLONIES DO THE ROB-
BING—How 10 DETECT ROBBER BEES—How
TO PREVENT—How To ARREST THE HABIT
WHEN FORMED.

T does not pay to attempt to carry weak colonies
| over the winter, because after feeding dollars worth .
of sugar to them they would probably either swarm
out or perish before April. Unite as many of these to-
gether as required to make a fair colony. If there is
any choice in queens, preserve the best. In order to
guard against the bees killing her, she had better be
caged. Select for use the best of the combs, the nicest
and straightest, and the ones that contain the most
stores, brood, &c. Smoke both sets of bees until they —
set up a roaring sound, and then proceed to carefully
lift out the frames of the hives with the adhering bees
and place them alternately in the hive selected. Shake

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 37

the bees off the extra combs that you cannot use in
front of the hive, and they will enter allright. Itis
always best to make all such unions late in the even-
ing after sun down ; then they unite peaceably, with
no extra flying, and no danger of robbers. To assist
them to mark their new home, set a board up in front
ofthe entrance, or place a few weeds up in front until
they adapt themselves to the new order of things.

There are many times when it is necessary to feed
bees in order to save them from starvation, to build
them up, or to promote their breeding. Unless feed-
ing is conducted with judgment, and done at the
very time needed, the sugar syrup and the labor are
often as good as thrown away. An averaged size col-
ony thatis deficient in stores in October will require
fully two dollars worth of granulated sugar to carry it
over the winter till the first of tne following April,
or until the bees can gather plentifully from natural
sources.

Fal} feeding should be done rapidly, and in as large
quantity as the bees can take up at a time. Always
place the feed inside the hive. When placed outside,
it frequently leads to robbing, a demoralized condi-
tion more easi/y prevented than cured. If the nights
are warm enough to allow the bees to crawl to the
sides of the hive, use a feeder that can be attached to
the side or end of the hive and pour in a pint ora
quart at night. This feeder is very convenient. It is
screwed to the hive on the outside—the feed is poured
in from the top—no opening of the hive or disturbing
the bees in the least. The bees pass tothe feed from
the inside of the hive through holes in the hive and
corresponding ones in the feeder.

If the weather is too cold for bees to fly out, itice

38 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

the feed under the quilt over the cluster so they can
readily get it. For feeding over the cluster, I prefer
an atmospheric feeder with a perforated lid through
which the bees suck the feed. When applied to the
hive, the lid is turned down over the cluster. The
objections are to this feeder; the becs have to be dis-
turbed more or less every time they are fed.

Tn cases of emergency a feeder may be improvised
out of a quart fruit can. Cut off the top, and place
in the can a dozenor so of small sticks for floats
and supports for the bees to keep them from drown-
ing and falling in the syrup. Nice clean shavings
make good floats. .

When the colony is in a starving condition, and the
bees are only able to crawl, they can best be fed by
filling a frame of comb with the feed and placing it
gently in the middle of the cluster. The comb can
easily be filled by pouring a small stream from the
spout of a coffee-pot into the cells. In very early
spring we may sometimes find a colony of bees ap-
parently dead, but when the hive is carried intoa warm
room the bees will gradually revive. Hence never be
too fast to condemn bees in this condition.

Many good bee-keepers recommend feeding in the
spring to promote breeding. The object is to excite
the queen to increase egg-production. This function
of the queen is aways governed in a great measure
by the honey-flow. When the workers commence to
gather honey in the spring the whole hive becomes
infused with activity, the eggs in the queen develop
rapidly, and she deposits them in a corresponding
ratio; but when there is a dearth of honey, egg-pro-
duction is checked, and there is less brood reared.

As regards the matter of young, there is more wis-

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 39

dom displayed by the honey-bee than by the human.
These insects regulate the amount of brood by their
ability to sustain and take care of if, but with man-
kind the number of children is greater among the poor
than among the rich.

The object, therefore, of early spring feeding is to
stimulate the bees to greater activity, and to deceive
the queen into a belief (so to speak) of a honey-flow.
When this sort of feeding is started, it must be kept
up till the bees can gather plenty of honey from nat-
ural sources, for it Jeads to a great amount of brood
which would perish if the feeding be left off without
any other supplies at hand.

If your colonies are strong and go into winter quar-
ters, as they should, with from 25 to 30 pounds of
honey, this stimulative feeding is not necessary. All
you have to do is to uncap the honey in an outside
frame, and they will remove.and deposit the honey at
‘such points where they most need it. It must be ob-
served that bees have an individuality of their own,
and they generally know best how and where to de-
posit their stores, how much brood they can take care
of, when they want to rear drones, etc. It is left for
man to assist and guide their instincts to administer
to his benefit.

For feeding I use a syrup made by adding one gal-
lon of water to fifteen pounds of granulated sugar. I
have never known syrup made from this formula to
granulate in the cells. All danger from granulation
can be prevented by adding to it two or three pounds
of honey. For spring feeding it can be made a little
thinner than for use in winter. Always use granu-
lated sugar if you can get it, for most all the brown
sugars are adulterated with glucose, a vile preparation

40 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

which makes it objectional for winter feed. In fact,
40 to 50 per cent. of glucose can be added to brown
sugar (and the light shades), aud the ordinary con-
sumer cannot detect it. You can use honey for feed
by adding one part of water and thoroughly mixing.

When feeding, always use great care not to spill any
feed about the hive, or allow vessels containing it to
stand near, for all sweets attract the bees, and may
lead to robbing and to a demoralization of the whole
apiary. Thieving hives of bees are as hard to control
as human thieves ; and when this habit is once con-
tracted, it causes the bee-keeper an immense amount
of work to control it. It is not always the poorer col-
ony robbing the richer one, but more frequently it is
the strong colonies robbing the wesker ones. Robber
bees can always be told from those that have been out
honestly foraging by the peculiar manner in which
they approach a hive. Like sneak thieves, they go
cautiously with their heads toward the hive, looking
fora hole to enter. They will alight at the entrance,
and then dart back as if afraid to enter, particularly
if there are guards stationed there. But if the en-
trance is not securely guarded, they will finally pass
in, and when once loaded with stolen honey, they
will pass out and make for their own hive: The bees
belonging to the hive would come m loaded and not go
out] oaded. The colony attacked at first may show some
resistance, but as the number of robber bees increase,
they give up, and frequently will join the robber force
to the destruction of the colony. You cannot well ar-
rest the evil until you Know the hive from which the
robbers come. To be certain, sprinkle some flour on
the bees passing out of the attacked hive, and have
assistants to watch the entrance of the other hives,

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 41

and the white-coated thieves can be seen entering
their hives. When you have found them, smoke them
thoroughly in order to alarm them, and to check for
the time being their outside operations, and to impart
to them the odor of smoke, which will be distasteful
to the inmates of the attacked hive. Contract the en-
trance to the robbed hive so that only one bee can
pass at a time ; and set up weeds, grass or boards in
front to obstruct the passage way. Robber bees dis-
like winding entrance ways. Tapa little now and
then on the hive to anger the bees and to get them
in fighting trim ; but some times they become so dis-
couraged that they loose all desire to defend their
home. They nearly always become thus when the
robbers have taken all their stores. ‘The only remedy
in such eases is to close up the entrance to the weak
hive with wire cloth and earry it intoa cool dark room,
like a cellar; feed; allow it to remain forty-eight
hours, and then remove it toanew stand taking the
precaution to protect the entrance as_ previously
directed. If the hive is still robbed, you had better
unite the bees with the dishonest colony. In case
where the robbers would attack in force, I have found
it of great advantage to spray them well with a foun-
tain pump. ;

When bees are gathering honey plentifully from
natural sources there is no danger from robbing, but
when there is a dearth of honey the prudent bee
keeper must use every precaution when opening hives,
and must not expose framesof comb containing honey
to strange bees. Contract the entrances to all weak
colonies and place some obstructions in front. An
ounce of prevention in this matter is worth more than
a pound of cure.

42 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

@EVAP PER) Wie y

TRANSFERRING FROM Box Hives INTO FRAME
Hives—AT WHAT TIME TO Do IT—WHé€RE TO
Do Ir—TooLs. AND IMPLEMENTS REQUIRED—
TRANSFER STICKS—How To PROCEED—THE
KinD oF ComB To SELECT—How To GET THE
BEES IN THE NEW HIVE—WHERE THERE ARE
MANY COLONIES TO TRANSFER—WHEN TO RE-
MOVE THE NEw HIVE To ITs STAND—A GOOD
PLAN FOR BEGINNERS.

T is often necessary to transfer bees and combs from
| old box hives, &c., intoframe hives. This isa very
simple operation, though laborious. The inexpe-
rienced should never perform this operation out of
doors except at times when there is a honey-flow ; for
if done when the bees are not gathering, the trans-
ferred colony would incur the risk of being captured
by robbers.

In order to secure both increase and surplus honey
from the transferred colony, the operation should be
performed as early in the spring as practicable. The
expert can transfer at any time in the year when the
bees can fly, but the tyro had better wait till about
the time of the apple bloom.

I prefer to make my transfers in a close room with
one window. Where there are more windows they
can be shaded. There must be no place for bees to
get out, nor place for strange bees to getin. In this
room I want a table, a small box without top, a

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 43

hatchet, cold chisel, saw, a long-bladed knife, a bucket
of water, a basin and a towel. In frontof the window
set your new hive with the frames removed, and the
entrance raised an inch higher than the back, so as
to prevent any drip of honey from running toward
the entrance and smearing it up, which would prevent
the bees from going in. Set the table near the middle
of the room. Have at hand ready prepared a lot of
transfer clamps or sticks to hold the combs in the
frames. These sticks should be one half inch longer
than the depth of the frame; or, in other words, their
ends should project a full fourth of an inch above the
top bar and the same distance below the bottom bar.
They can easily be split from straight-grained pitch
yellow pine. The endsof these sticks are notched to
hold small, thin wires that keep the sticks in position
on the comb. ‘They are used in pairs—two ends are
wired together with a space between the width of the
bottom bar ; while one of the other ends hasa wire
three or four inches long to be wrapped around theend
of the opposite stick when the pair is adjusted to the
frame.

Bye 12.
J
{oS
| S S
| : SE
FRAME OF COMB SECURED IN
R FRAME BY TRANSFER STICKS.

FRANSFER STICKS.

aa: BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

It generally takes from three to four pair of these
sticks toa frame. When all is ready, go to the hive
to be transferred, and turn it mouth up; throw a
cloth over it and carry it into the room and set it in
front of the table, entrance endup. The table should
have a cloth on, with one side hanging down, extend-
ing a little below the top of the hive. Set the hive
close up against the end of cloth. Place the box on
the table with the open side down, and allow it to
project one-third over the edge of table and directly ©
above the hive to receive the bees that crawl up the
cloth. Blow smoke across the top of the hive to keep
the bees down, and remove the cloth covering the
mouth of the hive and spread it over the box on the
table, allowing one edge to hang over the top of the
hive. Many persons drum with sticks on the hive to
alarm the bees and to get them to ascend into the box.
This drumming will doin warm weather, but when
the day is cool and the colony not very strong, the
bees will not ascend and the time spent in drumming
is lost

Blow plenty of smoke under the cloth, across the
top of the hive and combs to keep the bees back, and
to alarm them. When alarmed, they fill themselves
with honey and commence to crawl up toward the
top of the hive. Now remove the cloth that you have
thrown over the hive and box and proceed with the
saw to cut the cross sticks. Then take chisel and
hatchet and remove one side of the hive—the side
that runs the nearest parallel with the combs. Use
smoke, whenever the bees come in your way, to drive
them back. When the side is off, take the knife and
cut around the edge of the comb and loosen it from
the hive, and carefully remove it and lay it on wide

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 45

boards or on the table. If any bees are on brush them
off gently with a whisk broom. Proceed in this way
until the combs are all removed. After you get all
the combs out, you have to go to work to place them
in the frames. First lay your transfer sticks across a
board (called a transfer board); then place a piece of
comb on top and put your frame down and cut the
comb to fit. Pressit in the frame, and bring your
stick across and wrap the wire. Now hang the frame
containing the comb in the new hive. Proceed in
this way until all the comb is fixed in the frames.
Use only the straight worker comb, and reject the
drone and all crooked pieces that will not make a
nice fit in the frame. When inserting the combs in
the frames, try to preserve the same order the comb
occupied in the old hive. If you examine comb you
will find the cells incline a trifle upward. Place the
brood in the centre and the honey and _ pollen on the
outside. It is best not to place too much comb honey in
the frames, for there may be too much drip, and if you
get the entrance all smeared and clogged with honey
the bees will not enter. Save all the bits of comb con-
taining honey--for the bees may need it--and place it
in dishes to be fed in the second story; or, if extracted
or squeezed out of the combs, it can be placed in
feeders. Wait a couple of days before you feed, until
the bees clean up, and fasten the combs in the
frames with wax. After the bees wax the combs in
the frames, remove all the transfer sticks.

Some bee-keepers use a mixture of two-parts of
wax and one-part of rosin to hold the combs in the
frames. This works very nicely with dry comb, but
will not do with comb containing honey or much
brood.

46 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

After the frames are all inthe hive, securely cover
them with the quilt so no bees can get above them
into the second story; for sometimes they will
crawl up into the cap of the hive and commence to
make comb there, and desert the lower story con-
taining the transferred combs. This you must guard
against. Now take the clustered bees in the box un
the table-cover, and shake them in front of the hive
on a cloth that should be tacked to the edge of the
alighting board. Stir them in like a swarm. The
bees that cluster on the window, brush down intoa
pan and throw them in front of the hive. When
you are transferring a number of colonies it is not
necessary for you to wait for all the bees to get in be-
fore you can start on another hive. What few are
out will goin with the following hive. Always be
careful to have the queen in her own colony.

If the weather is quite cool the bees had better be
confined with wire-cloth, and carried into a dark
room for 24 or 48 hours, until they clean up things,
before you set them out. If the weather is warm,
and there isa flow of honey, set them out late in the
evening of the day you transferred them. Take the
precaution to contract the entrance and place some
obstructions in front to ward off strange bees. If
the colony is short of stores, you must liberally feed;
for in restoring and straightening up their combs and
in rearing brood they will need large quantities.

The following is a good plan for beginners: Allow
one swarm to issue from your box hive. Hive this in
your frame hive. Then in about twenty-one days
after the issue of the swarm, transfer the old colony.
The parent colony will now have a laying queen,
whereas had you transferred just after the departure

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 47

of the swarm, you would run the risk of destroying
all the queen cells, and probaby loose the colony.
There are other methods of transferring, but in this
treatise, I have only given the plan which I consider
the most practical and meritorious.

48 BEEK-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER VIII.

WHAT IS HONEY ?—HONEY FROM OTHER SOURCES
THAN: BLOoOoM—ADULTERATIONS—Do BEES IN-
JURE FRUIT ?—POLLEN AND Ivs USES—PROPO-
LIS—WAx—How FoRMED—COMB FOUNDATION—
How MapE—BrRooD FOUNDATION AND How TO
FASTEN IT IN THE FRAME—HOw BEsT TO USE IT
—SECTION FOUNDATION AND How TO FASTEN IT.

ONEY is a sweet substance secreted by the necta-
bp ries of flowers. It is also secreted in small quan-
tities by little glandular organs on certain plants
like thecow-pea. It is taken up by the proboscis of the
bee, and deposited in a special pouch called the honey
sac, and conveyed to the hive. It is possible that
the insect imparts to if some little acid; but honey is
not nectar digested by the bees, as some writers con-
tend. The odor, flavor and qualities of it depend upon
the source from which it is gathered. Thus, the
famous honey of Hymettus has its thyme odor and
flavor; the horse-mint honey has its distinguishing
qualities; the sage, the poplar, the clover, &¢., have
their characteristic flavor.

When natural forage is scarce, bees will gather
sweets from many sources. They will collect the ex-
cretion of the aphis, the waste of cider mills, cane
mills, the refuse of molasses and sugar barrels, fruit
juice, &c. But none of such stuff can truly be called
honey. Bee-keepers have often been charged with
feeding their bees glucose, sugar, &c., for the object of

a) ae

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 49

the insects storing it in the surplus department to be
sold for genuine honey. But such charges cannot be
sustained. In fact, for a bee-keeper to purchase sugar,
glucose, &c., to feed to his bees with the expectation
of their depositing it as surplus honey to be sold at the
price of the true article, would be to incur a loss in
dollars and cents. This has repeatedly been tried, but
only at a pecuniary loss

In some seasons when there is a great scarcity of
honey in the flowers bees will work on fruit, but it is
only when put to great straits for food that they will
attack sound fruit. When the skin of grapes, peaches,
figs, &c., become punctured or cut by wasps, yellow
jackets, birds, &c., they will proceed to suck the juice.
But as all such cracked fruit is unsable they do com-
paratively little damage. Here it should be remem-
bered that the bee is the friend of the agriculturist—
for if it were not for these insects, the fertilizing ele-
ment of many male flowers would fail to reach the
pistils of the female and consequently the plant would
produce neither seeds nor fruit. Hence the bee is one
of nature’s great pollenizers.

Honey isthe chief food of the mature bees, but
when breeding, they also consume large quantities of
pollen which they usein connection with honey in
prevaring the food for the larvee.

Pollen is a farinaceous dust adhering to the an-
thers of flowers, and contains their fertilizing ele-
ment. Bees collect this in little hairy baskets on
their hind legs;and when the little insect gets its load
well packed, it has‘a yellow ball on each hind leg.
When working in some trumpet shaped flowers like
the yellow jesmine, cotton bloom, &c., it frequently
aan its back also coated with pollen presenting the

50 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

appearance of having been in a meal barrel. Some
of the ancient bee-keepers thought that pollen was
used to make the wax, but such is not the case. It
exerts a very stimulating effect upon all the inmates
of the hive. Very little breeding is done before
pollen can be gathered in the spring, but as soon as
the bees commence to carry it in, the queen’s ovaries
enlarge, and breeding goes on rapidly. Pollen is the
principal food of the young bees; it is digested along
with some honey by the workers into a sort of chyle,
and in this form, deposited in the cell around the
Jarvee Rye flour, and other farinaceous substances,
have been substituted and fed for natural pollen, but
all such experiments have not been attended with any
great advantages.

Propolis, often ealled bee-glue, is gathered by the
bees to close up cracks and crevices about the hive.
They collect it from various trees yielding gum and
rozin. During the honey. flow, they pay little atten-
tion to this substance, but when the pasturage he-
comes scant they coramence to collect propolis and
glue up all the little openings about the hive that
would let in wind, rain and insects. ‘They also pro-
polize all inside cracks that will not admit of the
passage of their bodies.

Wax is asort of bee fat that is secreted by organs
along the abdomen, and comes out from under the
abdominal segments in thin flakes which are removed
by attending bees and, after kneading with saliva,
are worked into the wonderful structure of comb.
Bees, when necessitated, will make comb at any time
when the temperature is sufficiently warm to manip-
ulate the wax; but they always work at it with more
vim aud earnestness about swarming time. When

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 51

deprived of honey bees cannot make wax. It has
been determined by Huber and other experimenters
that it takes from ten to fifteen pounds of honey to
make one pound of wax. This has been ascertained
by taking all the honey and combs from the bees,
and then placing them, confined, in an empty hive, ©
and feeding agiven weight of honey, then the combs
built were also weighed. In all such experiments the
results can only be approximately correct, yet they
are sufficiently accurate to prove that there would be
a great saving of timeand honey if the bees were fur-
nished combs already prepared, or comb foundation
for the base of the comb.

When working in the apiary it is best tocarry along
alight box to put all the bitsofcombin. Press it into
hard balls and then the worms will not so readily
destroy it. These pieces of comb, when saved, can be
rendered into nice wax which will always command
a good price. The handiest instrument for this pur-
pose is a solar wax extractor. But when you have
ten or more pounds to render, the quickest way is to
use a wash-pot. Fill your pot one-fourth full of water
and bring toa boil. Reduce-your fire to a slow one.
Put comb into a coarse bag, gage the quantity to suit
the pot, and place the bag into the pot and weight it
down with astone. Keep upaslow fire. As the wax
comes on top dip it off into a vessel of hot water.
Keep plenty of water in the pot or the wax may burn.
Use pressure on the bag to get out the wax. After
you get out all the wax you ean, re-melt it in water
and pour into cakes. Old rusty iron and tin will dis-
color wax and spoil it.

Comb foundation is made by passing sheets of pure
beeswax through rollers whose surface is impressed or

52 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

embossed with the base of the cells of the comb. The
best brood foundation should run near six square feet
to the pound, which, if well fastened into the frame,
will not sag.

S

: nN
FOUNDATION.

When thinner than this it will sometimes sag un-
less it is secured in the frame by thin wires running
perpendicularly or diagonally across it. ‘These wires
are so objectionable to the bees that they spend
much time in trying to cut them out. Brood
frames that have a triangular comb guide will
take foundatian very securely. The best plan
that I have found to fasten foundation into these
frames is, to get a board that will fit inside of the
frameand half as thick as the width of the top bar;
lay your frame down and place your board in it, and
lay your sheet of foundation on top with three-eights
inches of top edge overlapping the comb guide.
Now, with your thumb and a thick bladed knife,
press and rub the edge of foundation down fast to the
wood. It is not necessary to fasten it to the ends of
the frames, neither should it touch the bottom bar by
a half inch.

It is not best to place swarms in hives with ali the
frames filled with foundation, for there would be a

a !

—t,
oii

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 53

liability for it to break down by the weight of the
bees, particularly if the weather should be very
warm. My plan is to alternate the frames of founda-
tion with frames of comb, or if the latter cannot be
had, with empty frames. Then the bees will havea
support aside from the foundation, which they will
soon firmly secure with wax to the frame.

The use of foundation always enables the bee-
keeper to secure nice, straight worker combs, which is
a consideration of great importance in every apiary;
besides it places him in a position to control almost
wholly the number of drones which is of great im-
portance in breeding queens.

Itis always best to use full sheets in the frames,
but narrow strips of an inch or two wide can be used
to great advantange. The bees draw out the cells of
foundation with astonishing rapidity. I have had
them to draw whole frames of it out nearly complete
in twenty-four hours, and in that time the queen had
the cells filled with eggs.

Thin foundation for the surplus department usually
runs from 9to 10 square feet tothe pound Some is
made with flat bottom cells which runs from 10 to 12
square feet to the pound, but the bees do not take to
this flat bottomed foundation as readily as they do to
that which has the natural base of the cell.

Some bee-keepers of note use only starters of this
thin foundation in the sections; but itis best to fill
the sections one-half or two-thirds full. I find thisa
gain in time and honey. 3

Quite a number of contrivances have been invented
to fasten the starters of foundation in the sections,
but I have adopted the following plan as the most
satisfactory to myself, viz: First, cut your foundation

54 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

into pieces of the size you want; then have at hand a
pan of wax over a small kerosene heater, and when
melted dip one edge of your foundation in and imme-
diately apply to the section. Todo this properly will
need some little practice. See that the foundation is
well fastened, for if it should get loose the bees would
fasten it at the point where it dropped, and would
probably make crooked comb in all the adjoining sec-
tions.

Parker’s machine for fastening starters in sections is
probably as efficient and rapid as any other. It is
simple and cheap, and can be made to do the work
well. To prevent the lever from sticking to the found-
ation, keep it moistened with honey,

BER-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 55

CHAPTER IX.

WHICH Is MORE PROFITABLE, TO RUN AN APIARY
FoR ComB HONEY OR EXTRACTED HoNEY ?—
S1Z8 OF BROOD CHAMBER WHEN WORKING FOR
ComB Honty—CraTk TO HOLD THE SECTIONS—
BEE SPACE—WHEN TO PUT ON THE SECTIONS—
How To WoRK TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE—
WIDE FRAMKS—WHAT COLONIES WILL WORK
IN SECTIONS—How To DISPOSE OF PARTIALLY
FILLED SECTIONS—SWARMING AND GREAT SUR-
PLUS INCOMPATIBLE—PLACE TO STORE SECTIONS
THAT ARE FILLED—How To KEEP OvuT THE
WorRMS—FUMIGATION—BrkrStT HIVE FOR EX-
TRACTED HONEY--WHEN TO ExtTRACr—How To
TAKE THE FRAMES OF HONEY FROM THE HIVE
—How To ExrRAcr—RUUES TO Be OBSERVED—
UNCAPPED Broov INJURED—TIME WHEN THE
EXTRACTOR SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION.

BS bac it is more profitable to run an apiary

for extracted honey than for comb honey de-
pends much upon the location and the market.

Taking one season with another, considerably more

extracted honey can be taken than comb honey, but

when we get in the market probably one-fourth more
for our comb honey than we do for the extracted ar-

ticle. the difference is not much. It is always best to
have both kinds to suit all customers.

56 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

When we work for comb honey it is best not to have
the brood chamber too large, for when there is great
space here the bees will not go into the sections as
long as they can find room below for the surplus. A
hive with nine or ten frames is large enough for any
location in the South. The one described in chapter
fourth, is the one I recommend for comb honey. You
can place on it one or two crates of sections as your
pasturage and bees will warrant. The hive should sit
level on its stand; for if it leans to one side the foun-
dation will get out of plumb and crooked and bulging
comb will be the result.

ONE-PIEC# SECTION.

The bee-space being at the bottom, you
can use any width of section. If they
do not fill out, place in a dummy. A v

A Foundation
crate with a bee-space below has great Starter.
advantages over one that has the space on top; be-
cause with the former, you can use any width of
section, while the latter will admit of only one width.
Besides, with this crate you do not need slatted honey
boards nor separators.

Some years ago there was a plain section without a
bee passage brought to notice in the bee journals.
The bee space was secured by means of a slotted sepa-
rator. At the time very little attention was paid to
the device, and it dropped out of sight. Recently the
old idea has been resurrected in new habiliments with
a slotted separator called a ‘‘fence’”’? It isclaimed the
honey secured in these plain sections is nicer and bet-
ter capped than in the standard style of section.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 5T

Whether the trifle of gain (if any) in appearance of
the honey would make up for the extra cost of these
fence separators is a question which is not yet deter-
mined.

The sections should be made ready before you want
to use them, and as soon as you see the bees adding
wax to the upper part of the brood combs, put on
your tier of sections. When they commence to gather
surplus honey they bulge out the brood combs at the
upper part with nice white comb and fillit with
honey. If there is a good honey flow it does not take
them long to fill the crate. When it is about half
complete, raise it up and place an empty one under it
next the brood chamber. The bees will not like the
space between their surplus and the brood, and will tax
their energies the more to fill it. As soon as the first
or top tier of sections is complete remove it before the
bees discolor the capping of the honey by crawling
over it. Itis best to remove the sections as soon as
capped if we wish to preserve them white and discol-
ored. The middle sections are usually finished before
the outside ones; and if you wait till these arecapped,
the middle ones will be made dark by the
bees crawling over them with their pollen-stained
feet. Put empty sections in the place of the
ones removed. If the honey harvest will justify
it, you can raise the second crate and place an empty
one under asbefore. By this plan, carefully managed,
I am satisfied you can obtain more surplus comb
honey than by any other.

Some very good bee-kKeepers use wide frames to hold
the sections, a plan that Ido not recommend. A full
depth frame will hold eight sections 4}x4}, a half
frame only four sections.

58 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

It is necessary to use separators with these frames
if you want the bees to keep the combs straight in the
sections. You suspend the frames in the upper story.
You can get six in the upper story of an eight-frame
hive, and seven in the upper story of a ten-frame one.
In the midst of the honey flow vou can insert one of
these wide frames on each side of the brood chamber,
of aten-frame hive, and confine the brood to seven
frames.

In the greater portion of the South the bulk of the
surplus honey is gathered by first swarms. Mr.
Hedden and, I believe, Mr. Hutchinson, both expe-
rienced bee-keers of Michigan, contend that in their
location it is best to hive swarms that issue in the
midst of the honey flow, eitheron full sheets of found-
ation or on foundation starters, and not on full frames
of comb already worked out. That when the latter is
given them they fill the complete cells with honey
much faster than the queen can deposit eggs in them;
but on the other hand, that when they have to draw
out the cells of foundation or construct the comb, the
queen deposits the egg in the cell before it is ready for
honey, and consequently there is more compulsion for
the bees to place the honey in the sections.

A strong colony will generally work in the sections
before it swarms. Some sections they may complete
and cap over, others remain incomplete; but as soon
as the first swarm issues thesection boxes are deserted,
and if second swarms issue work in that crate of sec-
tions is stopped for the season so far as that colony is
concerned. In order to get these sections complete it
is necessary to practice a coup a’etat movement.

As soon as the new swarm is well to work and es-
tablished in its new hive, which will be in two or

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 59

three days, remove the crate from the old hive and
place it on the new colony, and they will scon com-
plete the job. The new colony has the queen, the
vim and the energy, while the old parent hive, fora
time, has no laying queen, and is greatly reduced in
its working force.

Over-swarming is the bane of the bee-keeper. One
swarm is as mnch asa colony should cast consistent
with surplus for the owner. Our ful/ honey erop
comes only from our strong colonies, and these must
be strong at the time of the honey flow. To secure
this condition, the beginner must get his colonies in
good shape in the fall with twenty-five or thirty
pounds o' stores, and then, if the queen is vigorous,
the colony will come out early in the spring with an
army of workers ready for the harvest. Many plans
have been sugested for the prevention of swarming,
but really I know of no certain one that will meet all
cases. When bees get the swarming fever, they will
often take it into their heads to swarm in spite of all
plans.

Cutting out queen cells, removing frames of brood
and giving frames of foundation, often prevent it for
the season. This plan works better in the prevention
of after-swarms than it does with first swarms. In
this case, cut out all queens’ cells but one. If ‘‘casts’’
issue, return them to the parent hive. after removing
a frame or two of comb and substituting: foundation.
Cage queens when there is danger of their being
killed. When working for extracted honey, swarm-
ing can usually be controlled or prevented by close
extraction and the removal of a frame or two of brood
and replace by empty frames.

The filled sections should be stored in a close, tight,

60 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

dry room, free from dampness. When comb honey is
stored in a damp place, the honey in the uncapped
cells will absorb moisture and ferment. In a few
weeks’ time the combs should be examined to see if
any wax worms are in. You can easily tell by the
flour like dust which they leave on the comb. You
can only kill them by fumigating the combs of honey
with sulphur. To do this successfully the room must
be air-tight. Place an iron pot on some brick in the
room, and putin a shovel full of live coals, and drop on
top of the coals a table spoon full of flour of sulphur,
and immediately close the room for twenty-four hours.
This amount of sulphur is sufficient for a room ten
feet square. One application will usually be suffi-
cient. The honey is not affected by the fumigation.
If the room is kept close enough to exclude the wax
moth there will be no further danger, as all the eggs
have hatched andthe larve killed. When the amount
of comb honey is not large it can be fumigated in a large
dry goods box. Nail supports around the sides of the
box to hold the sections. Cut a hole in the box near
the bottom large enough to admit a small iron pan or
skillet, and furnish it with a sliding door. Also place
at bottom a few brick to keep your pan off the wood:
Place your honey in and cover the box tight; have all
cracks securely closed so no air can get in; now place
a few live coals in your pan and sprinkle on a tea-
spoonful of sulphur; quickly pass it through the hole
into the box and close the door. Frames and sections
with empty comb can be treated in the same way to
keep out the worms.

Sections that are only partially filled with honey
and not completed had better be extracted, for if the

OE STD

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 61
comb is nice and white, they can be used the next
season to great advantage.

When we work for extracted honey it is best to have
a hive to hold from ten to twenty frames. Some bee-
keepers extract the honey before it is properly cured
in the comb, and before it is capped over, and then
after extracting they allow it to stand for some time
in shallow vessels or tanks to evaporate. These bee-
keepers very often have the mortification to find that
their honey sometimes ferments and sours, and be-
comes unsaleable. The safe plan is to allow the bees
to pretty well cure it in the hive before extracting,
Half of the comb should at least be capped over, then
the honey will keep in any climate.

Pie. 17:

A

MUTH’S HONEY EXTRACTOR.
The honey extractor is a machine made to sling the

62 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

honey out of the cells by centrifugal force. Before the
frames of honey are placed in the revolving reel of the
extractor the cells must all be uncapped with a knife
made for the purpose. |

Fig. 18.

LS"

BINGHAM’S UNCAPPING KNIFE.

The cappings should be placed in a vessel likea
colander, so the boney can drain from them. The
velocity of the machine should only be sufficient to
throw the honey from the cells, then there is less
danger of breaking the combs. If any comb should
break, use transfer sticks to hold it in place till the
bees can repair it. The extracting room should be
made close with wire-cloth door and window screens
so no bees can get in to annoy or rob. ;

A set of extra combs should be used to place in the
hive in place of the frames of honey removed. This
saves time and danger from robbers when opening
hives. After the first combs are extracted they should
be used to replace full ones from another hive.

You should havea light box with a tight lid tohold
the frames when removed from the hive and to carry

— ~

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 63

them back and forth. When you remove the bees
from the frame of comb, stand at the back of the hive
and lean over to the front with the frame, and witha
quick motion shake the bees off on the alighting
board. In this position there is less danger of getting
stung than if you stand in front. Brush off the re-
maining bees with a tuft of grass or the sprout from a
peach tree. A wing or feather irritates them very
much and is not as good as the grass.

After the honey is extracted it should stand for a
few days in some deep vessel in order to allow the
small particles of wax to rise to the top, to be skimmed
off before it is placed in permanent vessels,

While the extractor is an indispensable machine to
the successful bee-keeper, its use can be abused. It is
always well to know when to extract and when:to
stop; what frames to extract and what to let alone.
When the honey flow is very abundant, the same
frames can be extracted every five or six days, or as
often as the bees get them filled.

Years ago, when I first commenced to use the ex-
tractor, I was told, by the then hee-keeping lights, that
uncapped brood was not injured by it, but | soon
found out that it was, and I went more cautiously.
Frames containing such brood should not be extracted.
When the brood is capped over I not think it is
injured by the operation.

It should be borne in mind that in most of the
Southern States the spring honey flow is over by the
middle of June, and that July, August and a portion
of September are dull months and hardly afford suf-
ficient forage to sustain the bees; hence do not extract
too closely, otherwise your bees will be set back and
probably may not be able to gather a sufficient sup-
port for winter.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER X.

ARTIFICIAL SWARBMING—How TO MAKE SwARMS BY

DIVISION—CYPRIAN AND SYRIAN BEES GREAT
CELL BUILDERS—HONEY PRODUCTION AND
QUEEN BREEDING ANTAGONISTIC TO EACH
OTHER IN PRACTICE— WHICH IS THE Most PROF-
ITABLE?—THE QUEEN THE PRIME FACTOR IN
THE COLONY—CAPABLE OF IMPROVEMENT—
HIGHEST TYPE OF QUEEN—NECESSITY FOR
BREEDING QUEENS AND DRONES--THE PROPER
CONDITIONS OF A COLONY TO MAKE GOOD QUEEN
CELLS—HoOw TO PROCURE THE EGGS TO GET THE
LARV2Z--THE RIGHT STAGE FOR USE—How To
PREPARE IT AND FIX IT IN THE FRAME FOR
UsE—How To PREPARE THE HivE—How To
GtT BEES OF RIGHT AGE TO MAKE THE QUEEN
CrELLS—-How To KEEP THE DATES—WHEN TO
REMOVE THE CELLS—How TO MAKE NUCLEI
FOR THE RECEPTION OF CELLS—HOwW TO INSERT
THE CELLS--BEE8 CUTTING THE CELLS--HOwW TO
PREVENT--INTRODUCING VIRGIN QUEENS—-How
TO INTRODUCE FERTILE QUEENS--MAILING

CAGES—-CANDY FOR FooD—-HoOW PREPARED. |

HILE the majority of the largest honey pro.
ducers of our country prefer that their bees
should swarm naturally, there are locations

and cases where artificial swarming can be practiced

re

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 65
to great advantage. There are many plans to do
this, and each one, in the hands of the bee-keeper who
follows it, ts the best. Now I will give a plan or two
which I think best for the beginner:

The practice of the science of bee-keeping is not

' unlike the pursuit of other branches of science. You

gather an idea, and that idea enlarges and begets
other ideas that enable you to generalize your-science
and modify its modes of application.

I now suppose that your apiary consists of one col-
ony and you want to divide it, and do not care to take
the chance of losing the swarm. But you must not
think of doing it until it is near the eve of swarming.
The hive should be ‘‘boiling over’’ with bees, drones
flying, and honey coming in. Get your empty hive,
and go to the hive you want to divide and draw from
it two frames of brood, and one of pollen, and stores
with all the adhering bees, and place them in the new
hive. One of theae frames should have the queen on ;
for you wish to put her also in the new hive.
Sbake two-thirds of the remaining bees in the
in the old hive in front of the new one and make them
run in. Now fill up both hives with frames filled
with foundation, and set the new hive on its stand.
Perform the operation of dividingin the evening. The
way the hives are divided, the new hive has the most
of the bees, and the old hive most of the brood ; but
the next day the greatest number of the old bees will
return to the old hive, and its working force will be
greatly increased. The bees in the old hive will pro-
ceed to make queen cells, and in about twenty-one
days will have a laying queen. If it is desired to util-
ize the extra queen celis, proceed on the ninth day

from the time of making the division, to cut all out
(5) -

66 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

but one good one, and give them to aueenless colonies
or nuclei. Even if you do not want to save them it is
best to cut them out, in order to guard against the
colony casting aswarm. Cyprian or Syrian colonies

in this condition would be most certain to cast aswarm _

unless the extra cells were removed. If you could
give the colony a laying queen it would be much bet-
ter than allowing it to make one of theirown. With
bees, ‘‘time is honey.’’ The objection to placing empty
frames in the queenless part of the division would be,
that the bees would make drone comb in them till a
queen was hatched.

Now suppose you have five colonies in your apiary
all near the eve of swarming. Draw two frames (if
your new hive will hold 10 frames) of brood and
stores with the adhering bees from each, and place
them in the empty hive. Replace the frames re-
moved with frames filled with foundation. Be cer-
tain not to take any queen. Se{the hive on its per-
manent stand and give the bees a fertile queen. If
you can not do this allow them to make queen eells.
Here your five colonies contributed to make this new

colony, and neither of them sustained any apprecia- —

ble loss. Ina few days time the operation could be
repeated. Butit is best to bear in mid that the
wealth of the apiary must always be measured by the
number of strong colonies.

Possibly the highest attainment of an apiarist is
skill in breeding a high order of queens. Honey pro-
duction and breeding queens are to a certain extent
antagonistic to each other in practice. The producer
‘of honey must build up his colonies to the greatest
strength he is able; while the breeder of queens is
continually and unavoidably depleting his colonies

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 67

and keeping them reduced in strength. Hence the
queen breeder is liable to have, in the fall, many weak
fragments of colonies that have to be doubled up and
fed, at expense, if he wishes to take them over the
winter.

Here the question comes up, which is the most
profitable, producing honey or breeding queens? This
depends upon the extent of pasturage, location and
market. If the bee-keeper is in a fair location for

‘honey, he had better sell his honey at ten cents per
pound rather than breed queens and sell them at one
dollar; forthe care, attention, labor and expense at-
tending the production of first-class queens, are infi-
nitely greater.

As the queen is the prime factor in the colony, it is
essential that she should possess all the requisites for
successfully performing her especial functions. If
we desire to improve the qualities of our bees we must
commence with the improvement of our queens.

That there is a capacity for improvement-in the
honey bee I think can hardly be questioned. We
know that both plants and animals are endowed with
such a capacity, and why should the bee be an excep-
tion to this natural law? Our delicious and whole-
some apple of the present day was originally the sour,
miserable Siberian crab; our sweet and juicy peach
was from a bitter fruit of Asia; our improved Irish
potato sprang from an insignificant tuber of South
America. Our improved breeds of horses, cattle, hogs,
poultry, &c., have been brought up to their present
state of perfection by intelligently and carefully breed-
ing up the wild originals. How far this improvement
can be carried with the bee is difficult to determine,
as the organs of reproduction in the queen as well as

68 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

her fertilization are, I may say, anomolous—so unlike
the breeding of our domestic animals that the queen
breeder will always have immense difficulties to con-
tend with.

In breeding queens of any variety of the honey bee
there is a slight tendency to sport and revert back
towards the original, especially in the yellow varieties.
For this reason it is important to select breeding
queens that possess a strong individuality, and capa-
bility of stamping their characteristics upon their
progeny. This information cannot be obtained by the
mere appearance of the queen, but by practically test-
ing her queen and worker progeny. .

It is very important to select the most desirable
drones for the purpose of fertilization. Drones from a
vicious and irascible colony may corrupt the worker
progeny of the majority of the young qneens in an
apiary. Allimpure and objectionable drones should
be suppressed by frequently examining the colonies
and shaving off the heads of the young drones in the
cells; by cutting out the drone comb and inserting
worker foundation in place, and by the use of drone
traps. For this object I recommend Alley’s drone and
queen trap. Black drones distant four miles from an
Italian apiary frequently copulate with the young
Italhan queens.

The highest type of a queen can only be obtained
when all the conditions for her development are the
most perfect. These conditions we can learn by ob-
serving a hive before the eve of swarming. The hive
is crowded With young bees, the temperature is main-
tained at a uniform heat; honey and polleu are plen-
tiful, and the -whole colony is infused with life and

and intensity. of purpose to perpetuate the race.

rere ar

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 69
Hence it would be but natural for them to put forth
their best energies in the development of the future
queen that is to lay the eggs to produce the population
of the colony. Therefore, the breeder should study
the economy and condition of colonies at swarming
time, and endeavor to keep his breeding hives in ap-
proximate conditions.

Queen cells madein full colonies are generally fine
and well formed, and the queen correspondingly fine.
This is as they should be under the condition of full
eolonies. If the cells are examined they wi!l usually
be foud to be long, rough, with indentations on
their surface ; and the amount of royal jelly deposited
around the embryonic queen to be very abundant. In
some cells itis in excess of consumption, and a large
quantity is left after the queen crawls out.

Fig. 20

Queen cells inserted in frame of comb, and others in
process of development.

70 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

Where we have hundreds of queens to furnish, breed-
ing them in full colonies, particularly after swarming
time, would be very expensive, hence we must resort
to a plan cheaper and more practical.

When a colony is deprived of its queen they in-
stinctively go to work, as soon as the excitement at-—
tending the loss subsides, to make another. They are
ready to do the work; but in order to doit well, we
must supply them ih all the requisites and essen-
tials.

The egg of the queen is analogous to the eggs of
fowls and birds. It has its delicate coverings, albu-
men and yolk; and when the little germ within de-
velops and bursts the shell, it emerges a tiny worm or
grub, scarcely discernible with the naked eye. This
is now the perfect age of the larvee for the bees to de-
vevelop into a queen. Always select the larve as
newly hatched as possible.

At two day’s old it makes puny queens, saad after
the larva gets three days old it is worthless for breed-
ing purposes. It has been demonstrated time and
again, that the royal jelly is most abundantly elabor-
ated by young bees, and for this object they must be
fully supplied with both honey and pollen. The tem-
perature of the hive must be high enough not to chill
the larva.

In order to get the larvee of the right age you must
insert a frame of nice, clean worker- comb in the
centre of the brood nest of your hive that contains
your breeding queen, and if this colony is strong and
and the queen prolific—a condition in which it should
be kept—the comb may be filled with eggs by the
next day; butif the comb is not clean and has been
out of the hive for some time, the queen will refuse

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 71

to lay in it until the bees clean the cells, and, as it
were, varnish them. They frequently fill the cells
of such comb with honey, rather than have eggs de-
posited in it.

Observe closely for the eggs; then you must: note
that these eggs will hatch in three day’s time. When
hatched, cut outa piece of the comb, say two by four
inches, or enough for insertion in the frame on which
the queen cells are to be developed. Cut this comb
into strips half an inch wide, and cut down the cells
on one side to half their depth. The knife for this pur-
pose must be warmed over a lamp so it will easily
pass through the comb without clogging or dragging.

Get a frame of tough old comb, free from the eggs and
larvee of the wax-moth, and cut out pieces as long as
your strips of brood, but an inch anda half wider,
and to the upper edge of these oblong holes you must
fasten the strips of larve. To do this, havea pan of
melted wax and dip the edgeof the uncut cells.in the
wax and immediately apply to the old comb. This
will place the larvee in the cut cells directly down-
ward, with no obstruction beneath, and in the best
position for the bees to construct the queen cells. A
frame with two cross pieces of wood running from
end to end is very convenient for holding the brood.
Fasten to these cross pieces an inch strip of old comb,
and then to this comb fasten the strips of larve as
previously directed.

I make my breeding hives only largeenough tohold
four frames 172x9$. At each end I have inch anda
half holes for ventilation. These holes are covered
with wire cloth and have buttons to close them when
necessary. Into one ofthese hives I hang my frame of
selected brood, and also place in two franaes, one on

@ BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

each side of the breeding one, filled with honey and
pollen but no brood, which I draw from strong colo.
nies. It is very essential that no brood nor eggs should
be in these frames; hence observe carefully. The
fourth I fill with foundation for the bees to draw out
if they will.

To populate this hive with bees of the right age, !
go to a strong colony with plenty of young bees, and
take out three or four frameswith as many young bees
as possible and shake all the bees off the combs in
front of the breeding hive. Be careful not to get the
queen. Stir the bees into the new hive likeaswarm. Go
to another populous colony and take combs of bees and
shake them in front of the hive. Repeat this with other
hives, if necessary, until you get into the breeding hive
fully two quarts of bees. Close up the entrance with
wire cloth and open the ventilators, and carry it, with_
out jarring, into a cool and dark room. Allow it to
remain till the evening of the following day, and
then, near dark, place it on its stand and open theen-
trance. Set a board up in front of the entrance to
ward off robbers, and to assist the bees in marking the
hive. The time this breeding colony was formed must
be noted. I use a small slate for registering that: is
hung on a nail at the front of the hive. On this slate
I may write:

A.

F.--d5th March.

R.—-14th March.
Which is read: Brood from queen, ‘A’; colony
formed March 5th; cells to be removed March 14th,
which is nine days after the formation. At this date
all the perfect cells, but one, must be cut out and given

to queenless colonies. All small, defective cells should:

a_i.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 73

be destroyed, for it is better to destroy worthless
queens in the larve state than to loose time waiting
- to see if the queens prove good.

Nuclei for the reception of queen cells can be made
by drawing frames of brood and stores with all the
adhering bees from strong stocks. Select frames with
brood ready to crawl out. Two such frames that are
well covered with bees placed in a nucleus hive, with
a frame of foundation between for the bees to work
out, will be sufficient. Such colonies for the reception
of the cells should be prepared a day or two before the
cells are to be removed; and they should always be
kept supplied with brood. The cells should be re-
moved with a small-bladed knife, and with a margin
of comb around them. They should be carefully
handled, and held in the same position they occupied
in the hive.

When the weather is cool, the cells should be in-
serted in recesses cut in the comb that is in the
centre of the cluster, and held in place by thorns
until the bees wax them tothe comb. When the tem-
perature is warm enough not to chill the brood they
can be inserted between the tops of the frames directly
over the brood nest. Very frequently the bees will cut
the cells when we would suppose from their queenless
condition that they would exhibit the greatest care in
their preservation. Why they do this is often hard to
account for. They are apt to do it when they have
laying workers among them.

It is always best to get rid of these laying workers
as soon us possible. If the colony has a quart or more
of bees, give them a couple of frames of brood from
other hives. One frame should have young bees
crawling out and the other brood in all stages of de-

74 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

velopment. As soon as the hive gets well stocked
with young bees they will most likely, if brood is fur-
nished them, start queen cells. At this stage you can
give them a queen cell ora fertile queen. But if the
colony has been very much reduced in bees unite them
with some other colony.

They are also liable to cut them when not gathering
honey and are idle. They are more apt to cut them
when they have not a particle of brood in the hive
than when they have plenty. I have found by wait-
ing till their own make of cells are capped that they
will morereadily receive them. But this is too slow
for the queen breeder. Time with him ismoney when
he has orders for queens. I have successfully used a
wire cage to protect them. This is made out of a
piece of stiff wire cloth about 33 inches square. Make
an inch cut in it, one inch from each corner. Bend
up the sides to distance of cuts and ravel out two or
three of the outside wires. Take one of these wires
and secure the corners. Now you have a square wire
cup with an open top. Press it firmly into the comb
over the cell. The queen cell should be fastened near
some cells of uncapped honey so that in case the cell
hatches the young queen can get feed. Numerous
contrivances have been recommended and used for the
preservation of queen cells, but the fuss and bother
with their use generally counterbalances all their
merit.

In case the cell hatches, release the queen in the
game manner as described in directions for introdu-
cing queens. I have introduced, and attempted to
introduce, thousands of virgin queens by every plan
I ever heard of and could think of, and I find there
are more failures connected with the in troduction. of

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 75

these queens than with fertilized ones. I am aware
that there are many bee-keepers who assert that they
never have any failures in their introduction; now,
all I got to say is, that their experience must be on a
very small scale, or their ‘‘lucky star’’. must shine
much brighter than mine.

Bees will receive strange queens more readily some-
times than at others. When they are gathering
honey plentifully, fertile queens can safely be intro-
duced by most any plan, but when the honey harvest
is over, and the bees are comparatively idle, they
are often received with very little grace.

Every bee-keeper has his own method of introduc-
ing queens which he thinks the best. But it matters
not what plan is used, it must be carried out with
care and judgment or it will fail. There are many
forms and varieties of cages used for this purpose. I
prefer one made out of wire cloth with 10 to 12
meshes to the linear inch, and about one and a
half inches in diameter with one side open. It has
a tin rim soldered around it to hold the wire cloth
in position, and resembles in shape a cake-cutter.
The cage should be as deep as the comb is thick.

After removing the queen to be replaced, take a
frame that has sealed honey from the middle of the
cluster, shake all the bees off and press the open side
of your cage into the sealed honey at the upper part
of thecomb. After starting the rim of the cage into
the honey, raise up one side of the cage and place the
new queen under head foremost. Close down into the
comb but in doing so be careful not to catch the
queen under theedge of the cage and either maim or
kill her. Press the cage into the comb, only leav-
ing a space of half or three-quarters of an inch for

76 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

the queen. Now replace the frame in the hive and
at the end of 48 hours examine to see that all is right.
Sometimes the bees will cut the cage loose and kill
thequeen. To guard against this, confine the cage in
position with a pair of transfer sticks. If the bees
are clustered on the cage, biting the wires and trying
to get at the queen, it would not be safe to release her.
Wait till they are evenly distributed on both cage and
comb, and shows less anger; then with a small-
bladed knife, cut a hole through the comb from the
opposite side into the cage, and replace the frame in
the hive. Allow the cut and loose particles of comb
to remain in the hole to be removed by the bees. In
cutting this hole care must be taken not to injure the
caged queen. Before cutting the hole be particular to
look over the combs and remove every queen cell that ©
they have started. The next day examine the cage
again, and if the queen is still in, enlarge the hole a
little. Allow the queen to crawl out at will, and do
not force her out. The bees that crawl through the
hole into the cage will not attempt to hurt the queen,
for they seem to be bewildered by the environment
and lose sight of her majesty.

It isa not a good plan to use the shipping cage for
introducing. This cage becomes filled with bad
odors during its passage through the mails, whereby
it becomes offensive to the bees, and the confined
queen is only received under difficulty. Always use
a clean, fresh cage if possible. The queen can be
safely transferred to another cage in a close room
before a window. Open the shipping cage and let
her pass to the window, then catch her by the wing
or thorax and place her in the clean cage. Never

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. ei

take hold of her by the abdomen or you might injure
her. Do not put any of the bees that come with her
in the new cage.

Very valuable queens can be introduced by placing
in small nuclei, if the weather is warm enough not to
chill the brood. Take a frame of capped brood that is
crawling out, and that has unsealed honey, with the
adhering bees, carry it a few rods from the hive, give
it a gentle shake to get rid of the old bees which will
fly back to the hive. Wet the few remaining bees on
the frame by a gentle sprinkle, and place the frame in
an empty hive with entrances closed with wire-cloth.
Drop the queen in and instantly close thehive. Place
the hive in a cool dark room. In twenty-four hours
add another frame of the same sort of brood and honey,
but no old bees. In forty eight hours place the hive
on its stand; open entrance to admit one bee at a
time, and place some obstructions in front to ward off
robbers. The young bees will soon be off to work,
and if a frame of brood is added from time to time, it
can soon be built up into a strong colony. There are
many other plans of introducing queens by spraying,
sprinkling, smoking, chloroforming, daubing in
honey, &c.; but I deem the above sufficient for all
practical purposes.

Mailing cages should be neat, light, ventilated, and
provisioned to suit thejourney. For distances of 1,000
miles and under, a soft candy made by kneading
pulverized sugar into honey, until the latter will take
- no more, is the best for the trip. In fact, this food if
the weather is not too hot, will take queens from the
Atlantic coast to the Pacific. But if the weather is
very warm, I use asmall tin water can with two com-

78 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

partments, in connection with a harder candy made
by boiling granulated sugar. With this arrangement,
queens will go safely on a twenty or thirty days jour-
ney. A cage designed by Mr. Frank Benton is.a most
excellent one for either short or long journeys. The
feed is soft candy.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 79

CHAPTER XI.

DISEASES OF BEES—DYSENTERY—PREVALENT IN
THE NorRTH BUT UNKNOWN IN THE SouTH—
Cause—FouL-Broop — APPEARANCE — CAUSE—
TREATMENT—INFECTION —'TREATMENT OF IN-
FECTED COMBS AND HIiVES—BEE PARALYSIS—
CAUSES—REMEDIES.

HE honey bee is fortunate in not being subject
se to many diseases. Dysentery is a disease that
often attacks the bees during winter and early
spring in northern latitudes, where they are confined
for long spells of cold weather; but in the South this
disease is not known. It undoubtedly arises from
long confinement, with engorgement of the intestines
with improper food. The remedies indicated would
be: A cleansing flight, warmth in the hive, removal
of dampness and better stores.

Foul-brood is not a common disease, but when it
takes hold of an apiary it requires watchfulness, great
care and determined effort to exterminate it. The
cause of the disease is supposed to be a fungus bacillus
alvei that attacks the larva in the cell before it takes
the form of the perfeet insect. All the contents of
the hive—bees, honey combs, frames and inside sur-
face become infected with the spores which can be
conveyed to other hives by inter-passing bees.

The symptoms of the disease, as described by bee-
keepers who have contended with it, are: A decline
in the prosperity of the colony, and when the brood

80 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

combs are examined they emit a disagreeable smell
from the decomposition of the larve. ‘The larve

turn dark and finally assume a soft, sticky, ropy —

substance that emits a horrid stench. The capping
of the cells of young larve is sunk, and often perfo-
rated with a little hole.

Mr. Chas. F. Muth, of Cincinnati, and Mr. D. A.
Jones, of Canada, have had much experience with
this disease. To extiiminate the spores Mr. Muth
uses salicylic acid, a funcicide, first reeommended by
a German scientist. His preparation consists of eight
grains of salicylic acid, eight grains of soda-borax and
one ounce of water. The mixture is applied as fol-
lows: First uncap the brood then spray the liquid
over the combs with an atomizer. This operation
should be repeated three or four times. Mr. Muth
found this remedy to work satisfactorily in colonies
but slightly affected with the disease, but where the
disease is advanced he advises that the bees be trans-
ferred into a clean hive filled with foundation, con-
fined, and fed honey or sugar syrup Containing a mix-
ture of sixteen grains each of salicylic acid and soda-
borax, and one ounce of water to a quart of thesyrup.

The treatment of D. A. Jones is more thorough.
He removes the bees from the infected hives to a clean
empty hive closed with wire cloth. This hiveshould
be placed in a cool dark room. They remain in this
hive for 36 or 48 hours till they have exhausted all the
honey they had stored in their sacs; then he places
them on frames of foundation in a new hive, and feeds.
The honey should in no case be fed back to the bees,
even if boiled, and this should be done even if used for
any other purpose. The combs can be melted up into
wax, but the frames had better be buried in the ground

et A i aod

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 81

or burnt. The hive can be disinfected by washing
with carbolic acid, or better with Hydrogen Dioxide,
and a coat of paint given inside and out. All these
operations must be conducted at such times when no
bees can get about to come in contact with the honey,
combs, frames or hives, of the infected colony, for if
they do, the disease may be communicated to their
colony.

Bee-Paralysis is a disease the name of which does
not express the symptoms or nature of the disease at
all. The disease seems to affect the worker bees in
some apiaries at some seasons and then disappears for
a time. When first attacked they appear to shake,
loose hair, abdomen swells, and they crawl out of the
hive as though they were intoxicated and die. All
sorts of theories have been advanced as a cause; and
just as many remedies have been offered for its cure.
But the truth is, we have nothing demonstrative or
positive up to the present, either as to cause or remedy.
Salt, sulphur, spraying with a disinfectant, changing
queens, &c. &c., have had their advocates. After a
colony is attacked for a time, the symptoms usually
disappear. Some seasons it is more prevalent than at
others. From a summing up of the reports of the dis-
ease in many different apiaries, I am inclined to offer
the opinion (and it is theory) that it is quite likely
eaused by food infected with microbes, or poisonous
mycological formations. It seems to appear more fre-
quently in those apiaries where the bees have access
to cider-mills, decaying fruit juice, rotten water-
melons, &c. Cheshire claimed that it was caused by
Bacillus Gayton’, and yielded to the same remedies as
Bacillus Alvei.

(6)

82 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER XII.

ENEMIES OF BEES—THE WAxX-MOTH— WHEN INTRO-
DUCED INTO THIS COUNTRY—DESCRIPTION—ITS
EGGS AND LARV4—GALLERIES AND COCOONS
— MotH-PRooF HIVES—M ALLOPHORA—BRAULA
CortcA OR BEE LICE—ANTS AND TERMITES—
How To EXTERMINATE—PROTECTION AGAINST
MickE—ToapDs DEPREDATORS—SPIDERS—BIRDS. ~

HE wax-moth, galleria cereana, is probably the
we worst enemy that the Southern bee-keeper has
to contend with. Thisinsectis of eastern origin,
referred to by Aristotle, and is said to have been intro-
duced into this country in 1805. This miller belongs .
to the snout family of moths and isofa grey ash color,
measuring from head to tip of closed wivg about
three-quarters of aninch. The wings shut closely on
top of the back, slope steeply downwards, and havean
upward turn at the end. Thefemale is larger, darker,
and has a longer snout than the male.

As svon as evening approaches, this wily insect may
often be seen flying around the hives, seeking a place,
as near as possible to the waxen cells of the bee, to de-
posit its eggs. When the hive is densely populated
with bees so that all the combs are covered and the
entrances well guarded, the moth can not well enter,
and its larvee can seldom effect a lodgment inside of a
strong vigorous colony. But ifthe colony is weak and
feeble, and has more combs than the bees can cover,
and the approaches to the hive are not well guarded,

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 83

the moth will soon get inside and lay its eggs on the
combs,

When the colony is strong and no entrance can be
effected, the moth will lay its eggs in some crack or
recess around the hive, usually near the entrance or
bottom board. The eggs, when thus deposited, are
laid in patches varying from } to of an inchin diam-
eter, containing from 75 to 200 eggs. When first
hatched the larve are scarcely over ;4, ofaninch long,
nearly transparent, and can hardly be seen with the
unaided eye. They appear as tiny worms that run
with greatswiftness. As they can readily pass through
the smallest cranny, it is easy to understand how
worms often get into those places in the hive that are
less frequented by the bees, such as outside cards of.
comb and sections.

The larvee are voracious eaters, and grow rapidly.
When ready to spin their cocoons they vary in size
from 4 to ? inches in length, depending upon their fa-
cilities for perfect development. Their diet is wax.
They frequently develop in exposed cakes of rendered
wax, but they seem to prefer old comb, and thrive
better on it than they do on new. At first their pres-
ence can only be told by a little flour-like substance
deposited on the comb made by their excrement and
particles of wax that they cut. As they proceed with
their passage-ways, they line them with silken webs
which render them safe from the attacks of the bees.
Their heads being covered with a horny shield are
proof against stings, whereby they can protude them
beyond their silken gallery und proceed with their
destructive work with impunity.

The young worms frequently get under nearly ma-
ture brood and web the young bees down fast, so that

84 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

they cannot crawl out, and can only be released by the
bees cutting the cells away from around them and
pulling out the webs. Such webbed young bees are
generally carried out of the hive.

From a knowledge of the natural history of this in-
sect we can easily comprehend the impractibility of
all so-call moth proof bee-hives. In fact the only moth- —
proof hives that can be depended on are those contain-
ing strong colonies. In our Southern climate, with -
our mild winters and long summers,the moth is a
much greater pest. than it is in colder regions. A
greater number of millers always follow a mild winter,
and during such years they show themselves in Feb-
ruary and March, and keep up a continued series of
ege-depositing and transformations until November.
Not moth-proof hives, but strong colonies must be the
Southern bee-keeper’s watchword.

When the colonies are weak, the bees should not be
put on more combs than they can cover, and the bot-
tom boards should be kept clean from dirt and the
accumulations of wax and pollen.

There are quite a number of insects that prey either
upon bees or their stores, but I shall only refer toa few
that do injury in our climate. There is a large fly be-
longing to the genus Mallophora that infests some
apiaries and destroys many bees. It looks very much
like a large bumble-bee, and flies with great swiftness.
It takes a position near the hive on some board or
limb, and when a bee returns laden with honey it is
pounced upon like lightning by this insect, clasped by
the legs and carried to some perch where the honey
sac of the bee is pierced and its contents sucked out.
The bee is then dropped and the fly is ready for another
vietim.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 85

In some portions of Europe the bees are annoyed by
a louse called Braula Coeca, but I have never known
it to trouble bees in this country. Imported queens
from Italy are nearly always infested with these ver-
min when taken out of the shipping boxes. I have
picked off as many asa half-dozen of these lice from a
single queen. AsI have been exceedingly careful to
destroy them before introducing the queen to the col-
ony, I have never found any on any queens or bees
reared in my apiary. These lice live on the bee and
suck their nourishment from it.

Ants frequently get into the hive and annoy the
bees. When they do this they mostly have a nest
close by. Huntit up, open it and scald them with
boiling water. Sprinkle around plentifally lime, and
the job is completed with a little kerosene painted
around the bottom of the hive. Wood lice or termites
sometimes cut galleries in the bottom boards and make
their nests. Rout them out with Kerosene, or by fill-
ing their passage ways with pearline.

Roaches at times take up their abode in bee hives to
feed upon the honey. A dozen of these insects will
consume during the season as much honey as would
support a pint of bees. I know of no satisfactory way
to get rid of these pests except to frequently open the
hives and kill them by hand. Borax has been recom-
mended as a remedy, but I have not found it effectual.

Mice frequently resort to bee-hives during the cold
days of winter, and make nests above the bee quilt or
honey board, immediately over the cluster, where they
can secure the warmth of the bees. When the bees are
in a quiet condition the mice cut the combs to get the
pollen which they eat; and they will pick off bees
from the outside of the cluster and eat the head and

86 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

thorax and reject the abdomen containing the poison-
sac and sting. In this way a single mouse can do
greatinjury. Keep them out by tacking to entrance
strips of tin with slots cut in just wide enough to ad-
mit a bee but nota mouse. Nail these tins on in the
fall before the mice.get in.

While toads may be of great benefit to the gardener
in the way of destroying noxious insects, they are an
injury to the bee keeper. About dark atoad will take
its position in front of the entrance and although pre-
senting the picture of innocence, it will take the unsus-
pecting bee into its capacious mouth with its long
tongue with lightning rapidity. It does not seem to
eare for stings, but gulps the poor bee down asa sweet
morsel.

Spiders are considered by some bee-kKeepersa benefit,
as they frequently catch the hee-moth in their webs;
but my observation has been that when allowed to
spin their webs about the entrance or any part of the
hive they catch more bees than moths. Keep your
hives clean of spider webs.

Certain birds, as bee-martins, cat birds, sparrows,
&c., sometimes catch bees, but as they destroy so many
other insects that injure fruit crops, &c., it is best to
bear a little with them before we resort to the shot-
gun, and endeavor to scare them away without kill-
ing them. My apiary is located amid various trees
and shrubs, and every season cat birds and mocking-
birds come and make their nests and hatch their
young in the trees. I have watched them, and at
times I thought I saw them catching bees, when I
would take my gun and shoot them, and immediately
cut open their crop, but I always found the remains

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 87

of bugs and various other insects, but very rarely a
bee and that nearly always a drone. Hence I now
never disturb the birds, but let them alone to sing
their songs, build their nests, and hatch their young
unmolested. |

88 ‘ BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS ~

CHAPTER XIII.

BEE-PASTURAGE — DIVERSITY OF MELLIFLUENT
PLANTS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES—HOw TO
FORM AN ESTIMATE OF THE HONEY-VALUE OF
A PLANT—THE PROPER CONDITIONS FOR HONEY
SECRETION--SOUTHERN HonEY FLORA--CLASSED
AS TO VALUE—HOoNEY RESOURCES OF FLORIDA— _
Honety DEW AND ITs FORMATION.

HE extent and abundance of the honey-pro-

NU ducing flora of.a country, other conditions

being equal, must determine whether apicul-

ture can be successfully and profitably prosecuted in
that locality.

Geographically considered, the southern portion of
the United States is more varied and diversified in
climate, soil and productions than any other. In the
mountainous regions of Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, the climate is cool
and temperate, and there nearly every plant and fruit
that is grown in more northern latitudes can be culti-
vated to perfection. As we proceed southward, the
climate becomes more mild and genial, until we
arrive near the Gulf coast, where we approach the
‘‘home of the orange.’’ Hence, we perceive that the
diversified climate of the Southern States admits of
an immense variety of honey-producing plants.

To form a correct estimate of the value of many of
our reputed nectariferous plants, would be a very
difficult task. In order to arrive at correct-conclu-

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 89

sions as to the worth of a flower to secrete honey, it
requires no little intelligence and accuracy of observa-
tion. Most of beginners are too prone to accept for
truth the nursery rhyme:
“How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower.’’

The simple fact of seeing a bee on a flower does not
prove that it is gathering one particle of honey. Itis
bee-nature to hunt for sweets; and in times of scarcity
it will visit flowers that it would not touch under
more favorable circumstances. Hence, many of the
favorable reports of this or that plant for honey are
often based upon very hasty ard inaccurate con-
clusions.

To calculate the value of a plant for honey, we must
have a sufficient quantity of the same within the im-
mediate range of our bees in order to enable them to
work toan advantage ‘The seasons—the atmospheric
conditions must not be lost sight of. Too much rain
may wash the saccharine secretions away; a pro-
tracted drouth may cause its suspension; while a hot,
dry atmosphere may evaporate the secretion before
the bees can gather it.

When there are many forage plants in bloom at the
same time, bees are mostly seen on the ones yielding
the most honey; while the rest although secreting
some nectar, would be nearly neglected. Therefore,
the honey value of some of the trees, shrubs and
plants that I shall catalogue as bee forage must

- necessarily be more or less conjectural.

For the sake of system as well as convenience, I
shall divide the honey flora into spring, summer and

90 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

fall forage. The time and duration of bloom are noted
in most cases for the latitude of Augusta, Georgia.
North of this point the time will be later, and as we
go South the time will be earlier.

The earliest blooming of our spring forage plants is
the alder (a/nus), which commences about the middle
of January and lasts, some seasons, till the middle of
February. It yields little or no honey, but during
bloom its pollen-laden catkins are covered with bees.
The amount of pollen that this plant affords is im-
mense, and it comes at a time when breeding should
be most.encouraged.

In some sections of the South, particularly on light,
sandy soils, there may be found some yellow jasmine
(gelseminum sempervirens). As its flowers possess
very decided toxical properties, it is not a very desir-
able plant to have in range of ones bees. ‘It blooms
after the alder, and continues from two to three
weeks. Black bees are very seldom seen working on
it; but Italians in some seasons, work on it quite
briskly. It yields mostly pollen, but very little honey.
[ have more particularly noted this plant because of
its poisonous effect upon young Italian bees immedi-
ately after taking their first meal. Since 1871 I have
observed commencing with the opening of the yellow
jasmine flowers, that there is great mortality among
the young bees, which continues until the cessation of
bloom, when it ceases as quickly as it came. The
symptoms of the poisoning are: their abdomens be-
come very much distended, and they act as intoxica-
ted; there is great loss of muscular power, and they
slowly crawl out of the hive and expire. The deaths
in strong colonies breeding rapidly in twenty-four
hours often amounts to a half pint of bees. What

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. > 91

little honey the flowers afford, the bees consume in
breeding, and it is very rarely stored, still I know ofa
few cases of poisoning by eating of gelseminum honey.
By the time the bees secure honey from other forage
all the jasmine honey, if any, is consumed, and there
can be no possible chance for mixture with the main
crop.

The wild plum usually commences to bloom the last
of February and continues for two or three weeks.
Whole acres are often covered with it, forming a
dense thicket, and offording the bees rich pasturage.
In March we have the peach, wild cherry, and in the
latter part of the month the apple, huckleberry,
sparkleberry, blackberry, and other plants of minor
consideration. Further south they have the ty-ty,
saw palmetto and orange, and black mangrove along

_ the coast. The latter affords an abundance of white

clear honey of a mild flavor.

The poplar or tulip tree, (liriodendron tulipifera),
commences to bloom in April, and continues for about
three weeks, during which time the bees are kept
‘‘booming’’ carrying in the sweet nectar. This tree is
unquestionably the best for forage in the list of south-
ern honey-flora. The honey, while a little dark, is
of most excellent flavor.

The holly blooms last for about two weeks and is at
its height about the first week in May. The honey is
light colored and of good flavor.

In May we have the black gum (nyssa multiflora)
and the persimmon. Both excellent for forage. The
blooms of both of these trees are diwcious, that is, the
male flower is found on one plant and the female
flower on another. The bees work more on the male
than they do on the female fiowers.

92 : BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

—— —

The bay (magnolia glauca) in some seasons yields
large quantities of honey of a good quality. This
tree flowers for at least one month and extends into
June. The magnolia grandifiora, linden and honey-
locust, also bloom in May. The latter I regard asa
most valuable forage tree. During its time of bloom
bees swarm on it the entire day to the neglect of
other forage.

The china tree (melia azederach) affords some
honey. Its period of bloom is about two weeks.

Sourwood, varnish tree (sterculia platanifolia),
Japan privit (lugustrum), and a few other plants of
minor consideration constitute the principle forage in
June. I have now enumerated the chief honey-pro-
ducing plants that go to make up our spring harvest.
Take one season with another, bees commence to lay
up supplies about the middle of April, and continue
till middle of June. After this date but little honey
is gathered till fall.

There is comparatively little forage during the sum-
mer months of July and August. The button bush
(cephalanthus occidentalis), sumac and asclepias tuber-
osa (sometimes called butter fly weed), are the most
important. Sumac yields honey abundantly, buta
warm, dry atmosphere evaporates it very rapidly so
that bees only work on it very early in the morning.

A noxious weed, know as hellenium tenniefolium,
that has made its appearance in the Southern states
since the Confederate war, yields a very bitter, yellow
looking honey. It blooms in July and August, hasa
yellow flower, grows along roadsides and in uneulti-
vated places. It is often taken for a species of dog-
fennel, but it is altogether distinct. The honey from
this plant will spoil the flavor of the spring crop if

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 93

any of the latter is left in the hive. For breeding
aud wintering it answers all the purposes of a better
article, but it is worthless for market. Bees are very
rarely seen On this weed after the appearance of fall
pasturage.

In some seasons the cotton bloom yields honey,
which is of a light amber color and of good flavor.
But generally they gather more pollen than nectar
from the flowers of this plant.

Bees work with considerable energy on the cow-pea,
and gather some honey, though I do not think this
plant yields large quantities. There is a peculiarity
in the honey-secreting organs of this plant, in the
fact that they are contained in little glands located
on the peduncle or flower-stem and not within the
_ flower.

Goldn rod (solidago) and the asters bloom in Sep-
tember and continue till frost. In some sections of
country the golden rod is esteemed a valuable forage
plant, but my observations do not confirm this idea.
The aster, while a modest and unpretentious little
flower, is the most valuable fall forage bloom we have.
The honey is of avery light amber color and very fine
flavor. In some seasons the bees store large quanti-
ties of surplus from this source alone.

CULTIVATED FORAGE.

I am satisfied that it will never pay to cultivate
plants exclusively for the honey. To be profitable,
they must have other uses besides the honey. Both
red and white clover do well on our clay and sandy
loam soils that are sufficiently rich for their growth,
but itis folly to expect success on light sandy up-
lands. Alsike and melilot have been successfully

94 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

grown in a few favored localities where the condi-
tions for grewth have been favorable. It is not only
difficult to get a stand, but even after a possible stand
is obtained, the plants are killed during our long, dry
summer. ;

Crimson clover and alfalfa have been tried on both
clay and sandy loam soil and have proved a success.

Buckwheat grows well, but it either fails to secrete
honey during the summer months or the honey is dis-
sipated by the dry, hot air before the bees can gather
it. If sown so as to bloom in either spring or fall, it
comes in competition with plants that are richer in
nectar, and the bees refuse to work on it.

Cat-nip, horse-mint, mustard, rape and turnip
blooms, when cultivated, yield much honey. The
first two of these plants could profitably be cultivated
in ail out-of-the-way places.

When laying out pleasure grounds and planting
shade trees, it would be advisable to keep an eye to
utility as well as to ornament. Many of the most val-
uable and ornamental shade trees are also excellent
for bee forage. I can especially recommend the pau-
lonia, catalpa, chinaberry tree, varnish tree and mi-
mosa. I think the most of these beautiful trees are
natives of Japan, a country to which America is
greatly indebted for a large number of her most highly
ornamental trees and plants.

When we get into the semi-tropical region of
Florida, the forage, as well as its time of bloom, dif-
fers from that of higher latitudes. Mr. W.S. Hart, a
most successful bee-keeper of Hawk’s Park, Florida,
writes: ‘‘The first honey flow of the season comes
from soft maple in January, followed by yellow jas-
mine, willow and orange blossoms in February and

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 95

Mareh, which is used for brood raising. April is
always dry, and but little honey is gathered. About
the second week in May the gall berry and saw pal-
metto come in, and giveasurplusof fine amber honey
of heavy body and good flavor. Early in June the
black mangrove (avicennia tomentosa) comes in, and
everything else is neglected by the bees, until the cab-
bage palmetto (sabal palmettv) comes in July
when they gather from both sources. The
honey however, is so nearly identical that only
an expert can tell them apart. The last, having a
trifle more color. I have never seen a handsomer or
clearer honey than that from the black mangrove,
and the flavor is mild and very fine. It is a honey
‘that every one likes, and will wear without cloy-
ing on the taste better than almost any honey pro-
duced in America. Its body is not as heavy as that
of California sage or white clover, yet it is not lacking
in that respect if taken after being capped, or cured
after extracting. It lasts until Ist to 10th of August.
The cabbage palmetto is about the same date. Then
comes a honey drouth until the middle of September,
when wild sunflower, and many other plants give a
flow that produces some surplus throughout the fall
and early winter.’’

There are some species of aphides or plant lice that
infest some varieties of trees and shrubs, that eject a
saccharine excrementitious matter in the form of a
fine spray that collects on the leaves and plants be-
neath them. ‘This is called honey dew, and when the
bees have no other forage, they collect large quantities
of this honey, but it is a very inferior quality.

96 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

CHAPTER XIV.

MARKETING HoNEY—THE PEOPLE MusT Be EpDu-
CATED TO A FULL APPRECIATION OF THE USES
OF HONEY—STRAINID AND EXTRACTED HONEY-—-
(JRANULATION NO. SIGN. OF IMPURiTY—HOW
TO PREPARE IT FOR MARKET—HOW TO OFFER
Ir—To WHOM To SHIP—GLUTTING THE MARKET.

N some sections of country it is much easier to pro-
duce the honey than it is to find a market for it.
Where such is the case, the producers must bring

to bear more energy and endeavor to create a market
forit. There are few places where honey can not be
sold if proper means are used to call attention to its
merits. The low dark grades of it are now largely
used in the arts—by brewers, tobacconists, bakers,
&c. Educate the tastes of the people to an apprecia-
tion of it by distributing among them tracts, explain-
ing its medicinal and culinary uses, and its great
wholesomeness and superiority over the bulk of the
common syrups on the market. The most of these
syrups are vile adulterations of cane syrup with glu-
cose, too unwholesome to be taken into the human
stomach.

The wide-awake bee-keeper will study the demands
of his market, and then secure his honey in the neat-
est condition to supply those demands. Some custo-
mers may want extracted honey, while others will
have none but comb honey. It will be necessary to
explain the difference between extracted honey and

BEF-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. ~ 97

strained honey. One is honey slung out of the comb
with a machine by centrifugal force, leaving behind
the comb, pollen and brood, while the other is strained
through a cloth or sieve from mashed combs contain-
_ ing pollen, larvee, dirt, &c. I regard extracted honey
more wholesome than comb honey, from the fact that
the wax is indigestible in the human stomach, and
would more than likely produce irritation. This is
why some persons say that honey does not agree with
them—they eat the wax.

I find for a near market that it is best to put up ex-
tracted honey in pint, quart and half gallon vessels.
Muth’s jars are excellent for small packages; so are
also self-sealing fruit jars and small tin pails or buck-
ets, Havea neat label with your name on each pack-
age.

It must be remembered that nearly all honey will
gradually granulate in cold weather. Granulation is
no sign of adulteration; but on the contrary in some
parts of Europe it is taken asa sign of purity. Gran-
ulated honey can be reduced to liquid by placing the
vessels containing it in boiling water. If heated
above a boil, it will lose its flavor and deteriorate in
quality.

Extracted honey should be shipped to distant mar-
kets in cypress kegs and barrels. These are much
better than those made out of hard wood. A very
thin coating of wax or paraffine may be given to the
inside of the barrel, but a thick coat is worse than no
wax at all, from the fact that it will crack and break
loose. A coat of shellac varnish is preferable to wax,
and is an effectual preventive of leaks; but no inside
coating can be properly applied unless the vessel is

(7)

98 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

——

perfectly dry on the inside. After the application of
the coating, the hoops must be driven up tight.

Comb-honey sells best in small frames or sections
holding about one or two pounds. When in these
small neat packages, it is more inviting than when |
offered for sale in bulk in bucket, tubs or barrels, as is
frequently done by the old style bee-keepers. A per-
son might be tempted to invest ten or twenty cents
for a pound or twoin a neat section free from daub,
when he would refuse to invest the same amount for
honey in an uninviting condition.

Encourage and build up your home markets. Better
sell for a little less near home than ship to distant
markets and pay freights and commissions. Bee-
keepers frequently consign their honey to ordinary
grocers and commission merchants who have not the
remotest idea how to handle honey to the best advan-
tage. It frequently arrives in bad condition, and then
it goes to the cellar or back part of the store, out of the
way, where no one can see it or know that they have
it. If you want your grocer to handle it profitably to
yourself, provide him a neat tight glass case in which
to place it and exhibit it to his customers.

When shipping to distant markets, first find out the
responsibility of the party to whom you ship, and his
capability and facilities for handling the artiele. If
you have no way to get at this information, corres-
pond with producers who effect their sales through
commissions houses.

In places where there is only an ordinary demand
for honey, caution should be used not to glut the
market. Only offeras much at a time as you can
readily sell. Offer frequently, and your sales will in-
crease at a paying price, and during the year a very
large quantity can be disposed of.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 99

CHAPTER XV.

USES OF HONEY IN MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS—IN

CooKING ANDIN ARTS— REMEDIES FOR DISEASES

- OF THE MouTH, THROAT, BRONCHI AND LUNGS

—LAGRIPPE AND COLDS—RECEIPTS FOR HONEY

CAKES, GINGER SNAPS, COOKIES, PUDDINGS,
VINEGAR, METHEGLIN, MEAD, &e.

N the preparation of many medical compounds
honey plays a very conspicuous part, and in the
culinary art it can be made to occupy a most im-

portant place. In the materia medica it is classed
among the vegetable cathartics. It enters into many
pulmonary and cough mixtures for diseases of the
throat, bronchi and lungs. When combined with a
little flour, it is one of the best applications for boils,
wounds, scalds and burns. It also enters into the
composition of some of the tooth pastes or dentrifices.

In order to encourage a more general use of honey,

I append a few receipts or formulas for the invalid
and for the kitchen wherein honey forms a prominent
part. For the most of them I am indebted to the bee
journals, and some of them I have picked up as waifs
floating upon the stream of periodical literature,
while a few I have formulated and proved good under
my own “‘vine and fig tree.’’

HONEY MOUTH WASH.

This mixture is excellent in aphthous sore mouth
of children, and also for cracked tongue: One ounce

100 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

of sage leaves tc a pint of boiling water; 3 scruples of
borax and 2 ounces of honey.

FOR APTHOUS AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH.

One drachm of borax rubbed up with one ounce of
honey.

For relaxation of the uvula and as an astringent
wash in mercurial sore mouth: 4 ounce alum to 1
pint of water sweetened with honey.

: HONEY CANDY,
For lagrippe and colds attended with sore throat.
1 pound granulated sugar, 4 pound honey, two
tablespoonsful decoction of horehound; add enough
water to wet the sugar; boil without burning until
it will candy, then add teaspoonful of juniper tar.
HONEY COUGH MEDICINE.

It is especially recommended for long standing
coughs: Extracted honey, linseed oil, whiskey of
each, 1 pint; mix. Dose, one tablespoonful 3 or 4
times a day.

CROUP REMEDY.
This is good in all cases of mucus and spasmodic

croup:
Raw sbinseea-Oik kithake sect cece eee 2 OZs.
Tineture of Blood Root..........cc.0c0.00e0ee es 2 drs.
Tineture of Lobelia... 22... s.50s0Steesn nies 2 drs.
TVineture of AGOnite...2.. 20/0060 ..000 ha eds theses 4dr
POMC Y iin otk slits ie Cae tes een iran eee ane 4 ozs

RESIN CERATE.

For burns, wounds, &c.: Rosin, five ounces;
lard, eight ounces; yellow bees-wax, two ounces.
Melt together and stir constantly until cold. This
preparation is most highly recommended.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 101

HONEY CAKE.

One piut flour, one tablespoonful of butter,
one teaspoonful of soda, two teaspoonsfuls of cream
of tartar, and honey sufficient to make a thick batter;
spread about an inch thick and bake in a hot oven.

HONEY SPONGE CAKE.

One large coffee cup full of honey, one cup of flour,
5 eggs. Beat yolks and honey together, beat the
whites to a froth; mix all together, stiring as little
- as possible; flavor with lemon juice or extract.

HONEY CAKE.

One quart of extracted honey, one-half pint
sugar, 4 pint melted butter, 1 teaspoonful soda dis-
solved into4 tea cup of warm water, 4 of a nutmeg,
and 1 teaspoon of ginger. Mix these ingredients and
then work in flour and roll. Cut in thin cakes and
bake on buttered tins in quick oven. |

RAILROAD HONEY CAKE.

One cup of honey, 1 heaping cup of flour, 1 tea-
spoonful cream tartar, } teaspoonful soda, 3 eggs
and a little lemon juice; stir together 10 minutes.
Bake in a quick oven.

GERMAN HONEY CAKE.

Three and one-half pounds of flour, 13 pounds of
honey, 4+ pound sugar, 4 pound of butter, 4 of a
grated nutmeg, ¢ ounce of ginger, + ounce of soda;
roll thin, cut in sma]] cakes and bake in a hot oven.

HONEY FRUIT CAKE.

Four eggs, 5 cups of flour, 2 cups of honey, 1 teacup- ~
ful of butter, 1 cup of sweet milk, 2 teaspoonfuls of
cream of tarta, 1 teaspoonful of soda, 1 pound of
raisins, 1 pound of currants, } pound of citron, 1 tea-

102, BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

spoonful each of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg; bake
in a large loaf in a slow oven. This will be nice
months after baking as well as when fresh.

HONEY LEMON CAKE.

One cup butter, 2 cups honey, 4 eggs well beaten,
teaspoonful essence of lemon, half a cup of sour
milk, 1 teaspoonful of soda, flourenough to make it as
stiff as can be stirred; bake at once in a quick oven.

HONEY APPLE CAKE.

Soak three cups of dried apples over night; chop
slightly, and simmer in 2 coffee cups of honey, 4 coffee
cup of sugar, 1 coffee cup of melted butter, 3 eggs,
2 teaspoonsful of soda, cloves; cinnamon, powdered
lemon or orange peel, and ginger syrup if you
have it. Mix all together, add the apples and
then flour enough for a stiff batter; bake in a slow
oven. This will make two good sized cakes.

CHEAP HONEY CAKE.

One teacup of extracted honey, 3 teacup of thick
sour cream, 2 eggs, $ teacup of butter, 2 cups flour,
scant 3 teaspoon of soda, 1 teaspoon of cream tartar;
flavor to taste.

HONEY GINGER CAKE.

Three cups of flour, 1; cups of butter; rub well to-
gether, then add one cup brown sugar, 2 large table-
spoonsful of giuger, 5 eggs, 2 cups of extracted honey
and 3 teaspoonsful of baking powder. Beat it well,
and bake in a square iron pan one hour or more.

HONEY TEA CAKES.
Three pounds and a half of flour; 13 pounds of

honey; + pound of sugar; 4 pound of butter; 4 a nut-
meg grated; 1 tablespoonful of soda dissolved in a little

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 103

hot water. Rollit a quarter of an inch thick; cut it
into small cakes, and bake them 25 minutes in a mod-
erate oven.

HONEY COOKIES.

Mix a quart of extracted honey with } a pound of
powdered white sugar, } a pound of fresh butter, and
the juice of two oranges or lemons. Warm these in-
gredients slightly, just enough to soften the butter,
and then stir the mixture very hard, adding a
grated nutmeg. Mix in gradually a pound or less of
sifted flour, make it into a dough, just stiff enough to
roll out easy, and beat it well all over with a rolling
pin; then roll it out into a large sheet half an inch
thick, cut it into round cakes with the top of a tum-
bler, dipped frequently in flour, lay them in shallow
tin pans slightly buttered and bake them.

HONEY CAKE

Three cups of honey, 4 cups sour milk, $ cup butter,

soda to sweeten the milk; mix rather stiff.
HONEY GINGER SNAPS.

One pint honey, $ pounds of butter, 2 teaspoonfulls
of ginger, boil togethera few minutes, and when nearly
cold putin flour until it is stiff, roll out thinly and
bake quickly.

HONEY PUDDING.

Three pints thinly slived apples, 1 pint honey,
1 pint flour, 1 pint corn meal, small piece but-
rer, 1 teaspoonful soda, the juice of two lemons and.
thin grated rinds; stir the dry soda into the honey,
then add the apples, melted butter and a little salt;
now add the Jemon rind and juice and at once stir in
the flour. Bake one hour. Serve hot or cold with
sauce.

104 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

VINEGAR.

Stir together a half pound of honey and a quart of
water, permitting the whole to boil while mixing it;
then expose it to the rays of the sun; covering with
light muslin to prevent insects from getting in, and in 6
weeks it will become excellent vinegar, quite as good
flavored as that made from wine.

METHEGLIN.

Honey, fourteen pounds; warm water, three ,gal-
lons; yeast, half gill; two ounces hops boiled in a
quart of water. Mix the water, after straining out
the hops, with the rest of the material. Put all into
a cask or demijohn, and add enough water to make
the whole four gallons; let it work three days, then

bottle and tie corks.
. MEAD.

Twelve gallons water; whites ofsix eggs; mix well;
then add twenty pounds of honey; boil one hour; then
add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, rosemary; as
soon as cold, put one spoonful of yeast in it. Bar-
rel, keeping the vessel full as it works. After work-
ing stop close. When fine, bottle for use.

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 105

CHAPTER XVI.

APIARY WORK PLANNED FOR THE YEAR.

N mapping out the work in the apiary for the year,
l it should be borne in mind that itis done in refer-

ence to the latitude of Augusta, Ga.

In this latitude bees require no special hives or re-
positories to enable them to pass the winter in safety.
Double wall and chaff hives are not necessary.
Neither is it necessary to place them in cellars, caves,
clamps or pits, as is required in the North, in order to
carry them safely over the cold winter. Here they
winter in perfect security on their summer stands
without any protection whatever. As they can fly
out every few days during our winters and void their
faeces, they never suffer from attacks of dysentery,
a disease that often prevails among the bees during
wintering in the North. But notwithstanding our
mild winters, it is essential, in order to secure the best
results, for our bees to.go into winter quarters in
proper condition if we wish them to come out strong
in the spring. That they should have sufficient stores
to supply the demands of the colony, and to carry
them until the middle of March or first of April is a
sine qua non. Every good,strong colony will need
from 20 to 30 pounds of honey to see them safely over
the winter and bad days of spring. A weak colony
will consume more honey in proportion than a strong
one, hence it is best to have in the fall as few of the
former as possible.

In October examine all your colonies and if they

106 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

have not sufficient stores for the winter feed up at
once. Itis now too late to build up weak stocks,
hence such had better be united. Removeall sections
and cover the brood frames with a _honey-board hav-
ing a bee space beneath, or cover with a quilt made
out of a piece of coarse cloth. Burlaps answer the pur-
pose most admirably, and I much prefer quilts of this
material to enamel cloth which cost much more.

Under the cloth and across the tops of the frames,
place a couple of short sticks to afford a passage-way
for the bees to pass over the top bars from one comb to
another without crawling around at an expense of
animalheat. Tuck the edges of the quilt down tightly
so no bees can pass above. Tack slotted tins in
front of the entrance to keep out mice. When thus
prepared, do not disturb them any more until Febru-
ary, when it is necessary to examine the condition of
every hive in order to see what progress has been
made at breeding, and to clean off all deposits of wax
and debris on the bottom board.

Bees will winter safely on their summer stands with-
out extra protection anywhere south of the latitude of
Maryland. Of course it is always best to have them
sheltered from the cold winds by a fence hedge or
break. Farther nurth they should have some extra
protection. Double walled hives with space packed
with chaff, or some nonconducting substance, are now
pretty generally conceded by northern bee-keepers
to be the best for their winters. The bees are wintered
in these hives on their summer stands. On the other
hand, cellar wintering is practiced just as successfully
by others. Successful wintering does not depend so
much upon in-doors or out-doors, as it does upon an
observance of the conditions upon which the health

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 107
and integrity of the bees depend. First, the colony
must have from twenty to thirty pounds of honey well
cured and of good quality. In the South the quality
of the stores is not asimportant as it is in cold climates.
The hive or repository should be free from damp, and
maintained at a temparature of about 45°. The place
should be kept dark, and the bees free from all j Jaze and
sudden motions.

Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson, in his work on ‘‘Advanced
Bee-Culture’’, remarks on wintering bees in the North,
that. “unless the cellar is well under ground, where it.
is well beyond the influence of the outside temperature,
it is well to keep watch and not allow the temperature
to run too low in protracted cold spells. A lamp stove
burned all night in a cellar will raise the temperature
several degrees. During the fore part of winter a low
temperature is not so dangerous as it is toward spring:
when brood rearing has commenced. From 35° to 45°
will do very well until towards spring, when it should
not be allowed to go below 40°, and may with safety
go as high as 48° or 50°. In this connection it must be
remembered that moisture has an influence upon the
effects of temperature. So far as effects are concerned
a moist atmosphere is the equal of a low temperature.

If the cellar is moist, either raise the temperature or
remove the moisture. Unslacked lime in the cellar
will absorb moisture. Even when the influence of
moisture has been considered, it will not answer to tie
ourselves to a certain temperature. It is the tempera-
ture inside the hives that affect the welfare of the bees.
If the colonies are weak, their hives open and the
brood nest uncontracted, a higher degree of heat is
needed than with strong colonies in close, well pro-
tected hives. Putting colonies near the top of the

108 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.

cellar will help matters some as the air is warmer
there. The best guide in regard to this matter of tem-
perature is the behaviour of the bees themselves. If
they are closely, quietly and compactly clustered,
there is but little cause for alarm in regard to the
temperature. 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 toward spring. This enables the bees to throw
off any surplus 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 arti-
ficial heat. If the eellar becomes too warm in the
spring, before if is time to remove the bees, it may be
cooled down by carrying in snow or ice, or the win-
dow or doors may be opened at night and closed in the
morning.”’

‘‘Years ago many bee-keepers practiced taking their
bees from the cellar if there came a warm day in the
winter, and allowing them to fly, returning them
again to the cellar, but this practice has been pretty
nearly abandoned. Ifthe bees are ina quiet, normal
condition it often arouses them and sets them to breed-
ing in mid-winter, which is far from desirable. Ifthe
food, temperature and other surroundings are what
they ought to be, such a flight is not needed. If they
are very faulty, such a flight will not save the bees
from death.”’

“Tf bees out of doors are properly protected and
have abundant stores, they need no care in winter,
unless it is to see that the entrances are not clogged
with ice, snow or dead bees when there comes a day
warm enough for them to fly. Ifa rim two inches

BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS. 109

wide is put under each hive when they are packed in
the fall, and an entrance made at the upper edge of
this rim, the entrance wil) never be clogged with
dead bees.’’

“In my opinion,’’ continues this writer, ‘‘food is
the pivotal point upon which turns the wintering
of bees in our Northern States. Food is the fulerum,
and temperature the long end of the lever.’’

“The whole question in a nut shell is just this: The
- loss of bees in winter, aside from that caused by diar-
rhea is not worth counting. It is diarrhea that kills
our. bees. What causes it? An overloading of the
intestines with no opportunity for unloading them.
_ Cold confines the bees to their hives. The greater the
cold the larger are the quantities of food consumed to
keep up the animal heat. The more food there is con-
sumed, the sooner are the intestines overloaded.
Doesn’t it seem clear that the character of the food
consumed would have an effect upon the amount of
accumulation in the intestines? In the digestion of
cane sugar there is scarcely any residue. Honey is
generally quite free from nitrogenous matter, being
well supplied with oxygen, and when free from float-
ing grains of pollen is a very good and _ safe
winter food, although not as_ good as properly
prepared sugar syrup, which never’ contains
nitrogen but does possess more oxygen. The excrete
from diarrhetic bees is almost wholly pollen grains,
in a digested or partly digested state, with a slight
mixture of organic matter. What overloads the in-
testines of the bees is this nitrogenous matter that they
consume, either as grains of pollen.floating in the hon-
ey, or by eating the bee-bread itself.”’

Winter is the best time to order hives and material

110 BEE-KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS.
for the apiary. At this season supplies can generally
be bought cheaper; andit gives time for delays in ship-
ping, and time for the bee-keeper to properly set up
his hives and paint them, so as to be ready when he
wants to use them. It isa great mistake to wait till
swarming time or till the honey harvest has com-
meneced before you order your supplies.

The long winter evenings ofter an excellent time to
read up on bee-culture—to read the periodicals and
books pertaining to the subject.

THES

American Bee Journal,

ISSUED EVERY WEEK AT $1 A YEAR.

SAMPLE COPY FREE.

DEPARTMENTS.
Contributed Articles. -
Convention Proceedings.
Questions and Answers.
Beedom Boiled Down.
Editorial Comments.
The Weekly Budget.
Biographical.
General Items.
Question Box.
Market Quotations, Etc.

Everything that any bee-keeper requires in the
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Better try THE BEE JOURNAL a year. Dr. Brown
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STOCK FARM

CALHOUN, GA.

Great Reduction in Essex Hogs
FROM IMPORTED BOARS.

Having on hand an unusually fine lot of Essex Pigs, I have
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Anyone wishing to secure the best and cheapest HOG. that
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Address, N. P. BLACK, Manager, .
(8) 652 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga.

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perfection.

Standard Varieties, $1.25 Per 1,000.

With the largest stock of choice Strawberry Plants in the
world (20 to 30 million), a perfect mode of light pack-_
ing, and a special low express rate, we can
and will deliver plants lower than
anyone else.

Valuable Treatise on Strawberry Growing
FREE TO BUYERS.

Illustrated Catalogue and Copy of

Strawberry Specialist,

the only paper in the United States exclusively devoted
to the Strawberry, free to all.

Send for estimates. Wewill not be undersold.
Ouality and Condition of Plants Absolutely
Guaranteed.

Continental Plant Co.,
KITTRELL, N. C. |
0. W. BLACKNALL, - - President and General Manager.

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The best shipper and the largest Watermelon
grown in the United States;. grown all over the
South the past season; many specimens weighing
from 80 to 100 pounds each. Liberal prizes offered
for the largest melon grown in 1898. Write for
particulars; also testimonials. Catalogue free. I
have all varieties ‘of melon seed for sale. at reason-
able prices.

Giant Beggar Weed,

The great Southern Forage Plant. No farmer can afford to be
without it. Write for price of seed, with full particulars, to

Ww. M. GIRARDEALD,

MONTICELLO, FLA.

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