268 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



July 26. — Bees very thick on St. John's wort. 



" 27. — Buckwheat plot No. 1 in bloom ; bees working well. 

 Aug. 4. — Workers first noticed killing drones. 

 " 6-18. — Very hot and dry; this weather lessened the flow of buckwheat nectar 

 considerably, so that the bees worked on this plant only early in the morning. 

 " 18-Sept. 1. — Weather very fine, with occasional showers ; bees flying well, but no 

 increase in weight of honey. 

 Sept. 1. — Removed all supers, and weighed brood chambers ; all the hives of a weight 

 less than 55 pounds were given extracting frames with good sealed stores, so 

 that they might go into winter quarters weighing about 50 pounds. For this, 

 the frames that were empty, or nearly empty, were taken out and replaced by 

 full frames with well-capped honey. When it was not found advisable to 

 replace the frames, but feeding was necessary, a super containing partly-filled 

 sections, or extracting frames, was placed on the top on the propolis quilt, a 

 corner only — about one inch — of the quilt being turned back to provide a 

 passage for the bees, so as to make the bees believe they were taking the 

 honey from another hive. It is important to uncap the whole of the sections 

 or frames in the super, or the bees will not take the honey down to their own 

 combs so readily. If this mode of feeding is followed, there is little danger of 

 the bees robbing. 

 The above excellent plan of placing a quilt under the super, as explained above, 

 was suggested to me by Mr. William McEvoy, of Woodburn, Ont., Foul Brood Inspec- 

 tor, and proved perfectly successful. This plan prevents robbing, and uses up any 

 sections wliich may be only partially filled. 



Those who have no extra sections or frames of honey should feed granulated sugar 

 of the best quality, two parts, by measure, in water, one part. The water should first 

 be boiled and then, while still on the stove, kept thoroughly stirred while the sugar is 

 put in and until all is dissolved. This syiup is to be fed lukewarm, great cai-e being 

 taken not to allow any to leak or be spilt around in the hive. We generally use a 

 Miller feeder. 



Buckwheat. 



Two plots of Silver-hulled buckwheat were sown last season on the Experimental 

 Farm, primarily as pasturage for the bees, but also for the grain. 



Plot No. 1. — The ground was partly sandy, partly clay loam. A dressing of wood 

 ashes — about 150 bushels to the acre — was applied during the early part of the winter 

 and ploughed under in spring. The buckwheat was sown on 20th June, three pecks to 

 the acre. It camn up 27th June, was in bloom 26th July, when the bees began at once 

 to work on it ; its growth was strong and even, and the seed was ripe on 25th September. 

 A heavy frost on 22nd September injured this plot so that it was of no further use for 

 the bees. Yield of threshed grain per acre, 29 bushels 26 lbs. 



Plot No. 2. — Soil similar. Sown, 29th June ; came up, 5th July ; in bloom, 30th 

 July and 1st August, when the bees began at once to work on it; it made a strong and 

 even growth. It was injured by frost on 22nd September, and cut on 25th September. 

 Yield of grain per acre, 23 bushels 32 lbs. 



Five-Banded Italian Bees. 



There is in the apiary but one colony of pure Five-banded Italian bees. It has 

 again this year given very good returns. It was one of the colonies of tlie wintering 

 experiment No. 1, and came out of winter quarters fairly strong, having consumed only 

 1\ pounds of honey. During the summer it made 20 sections of honey and 53 pounds 

 of extracted honey, and swarmed once in July. A swarm from another hive, which came 

 out at the same time, was very much mixed with this one, but the Italian queen came 

 through safely. These two swarms together made 22 sections and 37^ pounds of 

 extracted honey. 



