REPORT OF MR S. A. BEDFORD 345 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



COXCLUSIOXS. 



First, pen 1 consumed 4 pounds more feed than tlie others. 

 Second, pen 1 gained twenty-five per cent more flesh than No. 2. 

 Third, the ground feed produced flesh at 6 cents per lb. and whole grain at 7 cents 

 per pound. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH BEES. 



Owing to the unusually open fall last year the bees were not placed in their win- 

 ter quarters until November 28. One corner of the dwelling house cellar is used, for 

 this purpose; it is partitioned off from the r)8st of the cellar and kept quite dark, the 

 temperature is regulated by means of a chimney flue, which is opened or closed as re- 

 quired. The bees are not placed in the cellar until the temperature here is below 50° 

 above zero. During the winter the temperature is kept between 32° and 47°, it usually 

 registers about 40°. 



All of the 14 colonies placed in the cellar survived the winter, and with few ex- 

 ceptions they were in excellent condition when placed on their summer stands, on 

 March 24 of this year. All were weighed whan placed in their winter quarters and 

 also when set out. There was a large variation in the amount of honey consumed by ' 

 each colony, the highest was 28 pounds and the lowest 6 pounds. The average con- 

 sumption per colony was 14 pounds. 



The first pollen was obtained from the Anemone patens on April 7. Willow pollen 

 was first gathered on April 21. The first honey was removed from the hives on June 

 12 and the first swarm appeared on June 28. 



Thirty-eight pounds of extracted honey was produced per colony, spring count, 

 and eight new swarms obtained. 



Bees were noticed for the first time working on the Buffalo berry {Shepherdia 

 argentea). 



A TEST OF WINTER VENTILATION. 



When placed in the cellar 9 of the hives were without cloth coverings and the 

 board covers were raised half an inch above the hive sides, thus giving free ventila- 

 tion through the hive. These 9 hives consumed an average of 15J pounds of honey ^er 



hive. 



On the other 5 hives the cloth covering was removed also, but the board covers 

 rested tightly on the sides of the hive, thus allowing very little air to pass through 

 the hive. These 5 hives only consumed 12^ pounds of honey, or 3 pounds less than the 

 others. In both cases the entrances were left wide open. Apparently it is not neces- 

 sary to have a current of air passing through the hive, providing the cellar is kept 

 well ventilated. 



WORKING FOR A LARGE YIELD OF EXTRACTED HONEY. 



The summers of this province are short, and one of the greatest apiarian problems 

 is to produce the maximum yield of honey in this short period. Last summer two of 

 our colonies, Nos. 3 and No. 4, were in excellent shape for a large production, they 

 were both large early swarms of this summer from two pure Italian colonies ; they were 

 hived on empty combs and were given another super of empty combs a few day? after 

 swarming. These combs were extracted as follows : — 



