224 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



REPORT OF MR. JOHN FIXTER. 



Season op 1897. 



April 5. — Hives all taken out of their winter quarters and placed on their summer 

 stands. The bees came out at once and iiew well. 

 6. — Cloudy, but not cold ; no flying. 

 7. — Fine but cool ; flying well. 



8, — Fine, cool toward evening ; bees flying about three hours. 

 9. — Dull day ; no flying. 

 10. — Warm ; some flying. 

 11. — Warm; bees flying well, some bees attempting to rob; openings closed to 



one bee's space. 

 13. — Cold and wet; little flying. 

 16. — First pollen gathered from swamp willows. 

 17-20.— No flying. 



21. — All bees flying and gathering pollen off different species of willows. 

 22. — All flying and working on the flowers of the Siberian squill. 

 22-May 11 — Working well, gathering pollen, 

 jilay 11. — Plum trees and dandelion beginning to blccm. Bees very thick on both. 

 " 13. — Bees working well on wild cherry. 



" 19. — Cherry and apple trees in bloom, very attractive to bees. 

 *' 25. — Bees working on the Siberian pea tree {Caragana). 

 June 1. — Many dead drones and some worker bees were carried out to the entrance 

 of several hives, a most unusual occurrence at this season of the year, a 

 result probably occasioned in some instances by scarcity of new honey. 

 A very close inspection being made, several hives were found to be short 

 of stores and had to be fed, although there were many plants and shrubs 

 at that time blooming. 

 " 9. — The Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera Tatarica grandijlora) came into bloom. 

 " 13. — White clover coming into bloom ; notwithstanding the abundance of bloom, 



no increase in honey was observed. 

 ** 13-15 and later. — Bees working on white clover, alsike clover, Alder Buck- 

 thorn {Rhamnus Frangula), also raspberries and Mock Orange (Philor 

 delphus). All hives fed on syrup, very little new honey having been 

 gathered. 

 " 15-20. — Weather very fine. Bees flying well but no honey appeared to be 



gathered. 

 " 25. — All flying and working well on white clover and alsike, carrying in some 

 pollen, no surplus honey being stored at this date. Several hives fed 

 with syrup (made by dissolving two parts sugar in one part water, the 

 sugar being added to the water while hot and stirred until dissolved). 

 Bees beginning to improve, showing signs of greater vigour. 

 «* 30. — Fine weather ; bees flying freely. Some new honey was stored by the 

 strongest colonies ; it was, however, found necessary to feed some hives. 

 July 1-6. — Bees working well ; all hives gained rapidly in weight during this period. 

 " 6. — Bees working well. 



" 11. — Basswood just coming into bloom; flowers scarce, and, on account of the 

 extreme heat of the weather there was but little gain in weight from this 

 source. 

 " 18. — Bees working on basswood, buckthorn, Catalpa and also on asparagus. 

 " 24. — Bees working on hotse beans. Buckwheat in bloom and bees working on it. 

 Aug. 1. — Buckwheat honey was gathered freely. 



1-28. — The weather was very tine and bees were flying well, but very little 

 surplus honey was stored. All supers were removed ; 212 partly filled sec- 

 tions taken off, which were afterwards returned for winter stores. 



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