REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 219 



THE APIAEY. 



In the autumn of 1893 arrangements were made, in response to several represen- 

 tations made to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, to institute an Apiary at the 

 Central Experimental Farm. At that time, 10 swarms of the Common Black Bee were pur- 

 chased. In the spring of 1894 a suitable space was chosen near to the house of Mr. John 

 Fixter, the farm foreman, who had some experience in the "care of bees, and who un- 

 dertook the practical management of the apiary. He has had the sole charge of the 

 bees during the season, and has carried out most carefully with the assistance of his 

 brother, Mr. George Fixter, such experiments as I considered it wise to undertake the 

 first year. I beg to acknowledge gratefully much assistance and valuable advice re- 

 ceived from Mr. R. F. Holtermann, of the Goold, Shapley & Muir Co., Limited, Brant- 

 ford, and Editor of the Canadian Bee Journal. In consulting with Mr. Holtermann as 

 to the most useful experiments which could be undertaken with such swarms as we had 

 and under the existing circumstances in our apiary (with which he was well informed) 

 he was good enough, not only to suggest a useful line of experiments to compare the 

 different kinds of foundation comb used by beekeepers in the Dominion, but himself to 

 prepare the foundations for these experiments. 



On receipt, these specimens of foundation comb were kindly weighed accurately by 

 Mr. Frank T. Shutt, the Chemist of the Dominion Experimental Farms, and then at the 

 end of the season were again weighed after the honey was extracted. Mr. Shutt has 

 been good enough to prepare a report submitted herewith on these comparative weigh- 

 ings, and has drawn some deductions therefrom which will be read with interest. I 

 also submit an interesting report on the management of the apiary by Mr. Fixter. 



The two Italian queens referred to, which were substituted for two of our own, were 

 of a race procured from Mr. Holtermann, of which he says : " They are of a set very 

 light in colour which are at present so freely praised on one side, and on the other as 

 freely condemned. It would be a good experiment to try them at Ottawa for wintering 

 as well as for worker qualities next season." 



The annual meeting of the County of Russell Bee-keepers' Association was held on 

 October 16, at Chard, Ontario. This meeting was attended by Mr. Fixter, and he 

 gave an account of the work being carried on with bees at the Central Experimental 

 Farm, which was listened to with pleasure and interest. 



We have now in the apiary 20 hives of bees, and preparations have been made for 

 repeating the experiments undertaken this year with foundation combs, with different 

 bee-fodder plants, and as to the best method of preventing injury of the bee-moth. 

 I append herewith reports prepared at my request by Messrs. Fixter and Shutt. 



REPORT OF MR. JOHN FIXTER 



First steps were taken in the Bee department in the autumn of 1893, when several 

 swarms were purchased. They were weighed in the autumn before being put into the 

 cellar, and again in the spring of 1894. In spring they weighed on an average 20 

 lbs. less per colony ; this reduction is considered large and resulted from the temper- 

 ature of the cellar being very low during the winter which necessitated the bees con- 

 suming more honey than if the cellar had been a few degrees warmer. Duiing Novem- 

 ber and December, 1893, the temperature varied from 34 to 38 degrees Fahr. ; during 

 January,1894, 32° to 34°; February, 32° tu 34°; March 38° to 40°; April 1st to 12th, 40° to 

 48°. • These temperatures are considered too low; from 40° to 46° has been found the best 

 temperature for the whole winter. On April 12th, 1894, the bees began to get uneasy, 

 and, the weather being very fine, they were taken out of the cellar and placed on the 

 summer stands. The first ten days they gathered pollen very freely ; after that a very 



