22 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Jan. 



and larvae with syrup for neighbor II. I 

 feel quite sure you will find a great part of 

 that 400 lbs. stowed away in the brood- 

 combs, from what experience I have had in 

 a similar line. — Thanks for your kind con- 

 cluding words ; and when you write your 

 father, send him that Dec. No. with this 

 one, and I will give you a couple of extra 

 ones. 



1 ^ I I B! 



REPORT FROITI OEORGE! GRIMIU. 



THE MAN VraO WINTERS HIS COLONIES BY TUE HUN- 

 DREDS, AND NEVER HAS SPRING DWINDLING. 



fJlHOUGH my report is not a very brilliant one, 

 yet I am well satisfied with my season's work. 

 — ' About 200 per cent net on the capital invest- 

 ed is not a bad gain. Last winter left me ;303 colo- 

 nies; but though my loss was lo^s than 10 per cent, 

 the remainder, after the ordeal they had passed 

 through, could not all be in good condition. The de- 

 mand for bees was so great and so urgent, that al- 

 most before I knew it I had sold 2-18 of my best colo- 

 nies. This left me but ll-i — and, of course, the 

 poorest of the lot. The season opened up with the 

 best prospects for a honey crop, and I began to wish 

 that I had back the good strong colonies that I had 

 -sold. Finding several parties not far distant, whom 

 the past poor season and the truuhlc of last winter 

 had entirely disgusted with the business, eager to 

 sell out, I bought the weak, half-starved, and partly 

 queenless remnant of their stocks at a bargain, and 

 was enabled to face the new season with about 190 

 colonies; or, perhaps, I had better say, nuclei and 

 colonies. Anticipating a good demand for bees next 

 spring, and having a large number of hives and 

 about 2000 combs on hand, I determined to increase 

 as much as possible. I divided them up- into five 

 apiaries. At home I started some 80 small nuclei to 

 raise queens. Myself with one assistant did all the 

 work. Nov. 19th to 2l3t, my bees were put into cel- 

 lars— CIO colonies. Two were left outdoors. Nine- 

 tenths were supplied with young queens during the 

 season, and ail have a good supply of honey. Oct. 

 Ist I returned from atrip to northern Dakota. Not 

 a cell of brood was to be found in any of the hives. 

 What feeding I did was done after that time. The 

 colonies are, as a rule, of medium strength, and pre- 

 sent a good appearance. I believe they will winter 

 well. 



I increased by dividing; but, don't ask me how. 

 There are too many ways, each adapted to its pecu- 

 liar circumstances. It depends upon the time of 

 the season; the flow of honey; your expectation as 

 to its continuance; the strength of the colony; 

 whether they are hauled to a different location; 

 whether there are queens at hand to introduce; and, 

 I suppose, often upon simple notion. And, though 

 considering every thing, one is likely to make mis- 

 takes or miscalculations for which he feels like 

 kicking himself afterward. By the way, friend 

 Koot, will you please tell me how j'ou manage your 

 bees about Oct. 1st to 15th, or thereabouts, without 

 using tobacco smoke, and protector too? When I 

 got home from my northern trip I started as usual 

 with my rotten-wood smoker to make examinations. 

 My examinations were not very extended or very 

 minute, and I suppose— upon cooler reflection, it was 

 cowardly for me to run; but I didn't stop to consid- 

 er at the time, I thought of Satan io the swine, and 



began to wonder if ho hadn't got into my bees. Or 

 Is it because ray bees are so much crosser than those 

 of other people? Yet they were so exceedingly gen- 

 tle during the whole season that I thought I had 

 discovered a new trait in their character. Then, I 

 could handle them with no smoke; now, you could 

 blow smoke, cinders, and hot air at them, and they 

 would simply "go for you." But tobacco smoke 

 will make them sensible (don't give them too much, 

 or it will make them insensihlc). By using a little 

 tobacco smoke they can be handled with ease at any 

 season; and for the fall of the year I advise its use, 

 notwithstanding any conscientious scruples some 

 people (possibly friend Hoot is one of them) may 

 have against the weed. But I tell you I have one 

 colony upon which even tobacco smoke (unless h7j- 

 eralhj given) has little effect. He is a terror to the 

 hens at all seasons of the year — and to careless vis- 

 itors too — a "simon-pure" hybrid. Vet I wish my 

 612 colonies were all like that hive. He gave mo 108 

 lbs. comb honey, and increased to seven, always 

 raising his own queens, and the young swarms have 

 now at least 00 lbs. of honey to spare. Nor was this 

 in my best location. 



Does it pay? Well, I should say so! 200 good 

 swarms can be bought for §1400. In a poorer year 

 than this, an average surplus of 50 to 100 lbs. per hive, 

 and an increase of 50 per cent, would not be extra- 

 ordinarj'. The increase would easily pay for ex- 

 penses, and 10,000 to 20,000 lbs. honey at 20c would he 

 better than 4 per cent on TJ. S. bonds. Or take my 

 case this year: 190 not good colonies; increase, 422; 

 prospective loss during next winter, 10 per cent, or 

 61 colonies (but I am certain 5 per cent to 8 per cent 

 will be the limit), leaves a balance of 3(51 in spring at 

 $7.00 per colony is $2527, and honey $300, gives total 

 gross gain, $2827. My expenses were between $500 

 and $600; leaves balance of at least $3227. If I esti- 

 mate good colonies worth $7.00, my 190 were worth 

 on an average not more than $5.00. It is not hard to 

 do twice or three times as much with good colonics 

 as with poor ones. I think we'll stick to the busi- 

 ness a few years more, even though every winter 

 should equal the last. Geohge Grimm. 



Jefferson, Wisconsin. 



Friend Grimm, I suspect the reason your 

 bees are so cross at the dates you mention, 

 is because they cease gathering honey at 

 that time, 0(f)- hard tussle with stings 

 comes in July, when the basswood ceases ; 

 and at such times it does seem as if they 

 were possessed of the very spirit of evil. 

 The way we do is to use the mosquito-bar 

 tents, and be very careful about leaving a 

 drop of honey anywhere. After a few days 

 thev get accustomed to it, go off to the 

 corn-fields after pollen, and finally settle 

 down to pretty fair behavior.— Now a word 

 to the boys in regard to the bright visions 

 friend Grimm shows up ou paper in regard 

 to the profits of bee culture. It is all true, 

 every word of it, and I am quite sure bees 

 will do all he mentions, in almost any locali- 

 ty ; but the sad part of it is, that the owners 

 won't do all he mentions or implies in any 

 locality. The average boy or man can not 

 be intrusted with 2oO colonies of bees. I 

 know you all think you can ; but you are no 

 good judge of your own self. Look at some 

 neighbor of yours who is a bee-keeper on a 

 small scale, "or a man unused to handling 

 much property of any kind, and think over 



