1882 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllE. 



345 



combs, and replaced them with some empty ones 

 and some larviv; found the old queen in the clus- 

 ter, and hived her with a part of the bees, and re- 

 turned about one-half to the old hive. In the morn- 

 ing I removed the larvit and replaced with the new 

 just received. I kept a close watch of them, but 

 thoy seemed to be less and less until there was left 

 only a pint or so of a good swarm only a few days be- 

 fore. I removed all but two cells. One of these I 

 removed just as it was hatching. The other was just 

 about ready to hatch, l)ut had not, I am quite sure. 

 The next day I found her out, cell-cover hanging 

 loose, and a lot of eggs, 500 or more; now, where did 

 they come from? There was no other queen, nor 

 any way they could have raised one; no larva' nor 

 brood, and but two frames, and but about one pint 

 of bees. Could that queen have hatched and begun 

 to lay in less than 34 hours? It was fine and warm. 

 Fred V. Sargent. 

 Hubbardston, Mass., Jan. 13, 1883. 



From recent developments, it would seem 

 that bees, if not queens, may fly seven or 

 eight miles, or more. I should advise Ital- 

 ianizing all w^ithin -■) miles, if it can be done. 

 — A queen could not begin to lay the same 

 day she was hatched ; but another queen 

 must have got in by some accident. It is 

 not uncommon for bees to keep a young 

 queen, when they have a laying qtieen al- 

 ready in the hive. 



gUNSHINE OR SaADOW FOR BEE-HIVES IN WINTER. 



Mrs. D. A. Donnelly, Valmont, Col., inquires about 

 bees in shade or sun, etc. I am sure it will not do 

 to have bees out so the sun can shine on them in 

 the middle of the day in the winter in Colorado. The 

 sun shines out very hot oftentimes when there is a 

 light snow on the ground, and the air is too cool for 

 the bees to get back to the hive again, and many 

 would perish. Most bee-keepers here shade their 

 hives If they stand exposed to the sun. Mrs. D.'s 

 bees are all right as they are; and whenever it is 

 warm enough for them to start out it will be safe for 

 them to fly. The best results in wintering bees in 

 Colorado have been attained by covering them with 

 straw all but just room enough for them to get out 

 in front; and when it comes very cold for a daj' or 

 two, cover them in front. My bees are covered all 

 over with straw, and when a day comes warm 

 enough for them to fly I take it away in front. This 

 is the best country to winter bees in I ever saw. 



Denver, Col., Jan. 17, 1883. J. L. Peabody. 



MRS. cotton; honey FROM THE SPANISH NEEDLE, 

 ETC. 



Your humble servant was humbugged to the 

 amount of four dollars by sending for one of Mrs. 

 Cotton's "controllable" hives, but I "cut my eye 

 teeth " by so doing. Perhaps it would be somewhat 

 interesting to you to know what our bees gather 

 their honey from down here in Egypt. When the 

 winter ia not too severe, for honey we first have 

 peach-blossoms, then apple, then comes the ground 

 ivy, or coltsfoot, which grows on the low land in 

 abundance. This keeps them humming busily until 

 white clover makes it appearance about the middle 

 of May; then honey abounds till the middle or last 

 of July, if no drought, but which we suffered severe- 

 ly from the past season ; then perhaps ten or twelve 

 days not doing much, when the stubble fields are 

 made golden with the Spanish needle. This and the 



blackheart, or heart-weed, being our dependence for 

 fall honey— to my taste and judgment being the 

 richest and best of the season, and with which my 

 hives are well stored. K. R. Curtis. 



Albion, III., Dec. 30, 1881. 



THEY " SWARMED AND SWARMED." AND WHAT TO 

 DO WITH THEM. 



In your answer to friend Hutchinson, Oct. Glean- 

 ings, page 500, j'ou don't say which swarm. No. 1 or 

 No. 3, J'OU wish to put back. I always saved No. 1, 

 but returned all after-swarms. No. 3 I hive in caps 

 8 inches high. It inches square, on a good bottom- 

 board. This cap I set on top of the old swarm. Now 

 if the old swarm is done swarming the third or 

 fourth morning after No. 3 came out, they will kill 

 their surplus queens and bring them out in front of 

 the hive. I look on the ground in front of hive 

 every morning. When I flud dead queens I raise up 

 the cap, take out the bottom-board, and set cap to 

 its place: if there is more than No. 3, they are hived 

 in boxes, and shaken out in front of hive at same 

 time No. 3 is returned. I never knew them, when 

 served in that way, to swarm out again. The old 

 swarm and a'ter-swarms will fill such cap, holding 

 35 to 50 lbs., for home market. It is worth 15 to 30 

 cents. Of course, the upper story of Simplicity can 

 be used instead of cap. Fred Zimmerman. 



Fayette, Iowa, Feb. 16,1883. 



cellar vs. chaff hives, ETC. 



My bees are a cross of the large brown bees and 

 the Italian. My loss last winter was 30 swarms out 

 of 31; were all in chaff hives, on summer stands, well 

 packed in chaff. It was my first experience in win- 

 tering outdoors, and I think my last. My 16 stands 

 are all in cellar in chaff hives, all in fine condition. 

 For my part, I don't think it pays for a man to tinker 

 along with a few colonies; he will spend too much 

 time for the income. I want all I can see to or 

 none. I intend to make it a business. 



REPORT OF THE " FOUR." 



April 1st, 1881,— 



To 4 stands of bees, $5.00 each $30.00 



June 1, to 600 sections 3.60 



" "tolShivcs 18.00 



" " to 130old combs 6.00 



Nov. 1, to crates 3.40 



Total Dr $50.00 



Nov. 1, by 500 lbs. comb honey, @ 16c $80.00 



" " by 13 new swarms 60,00 



" " by 4 old swarms 20.00 



Total Cr $160.00 



50.00 



Net balance $110.00 



My bees had no care from the tenth of July till 

 Nov. 1. I was away in the western part of Iowa, and 

 could have got more honey if they had care, say a 

 third more. J. J. Hurlbert. 



Lyndon, 111., June, 1883. 



No wonder you want all you can see to, 

 friend II., if you can make them all do as 

 those four did. But, hold on! How do you 

 know it was not outdoor wintering that 

 made the four such extra good ones? Why, 

 a good many would have l)eeii satisfied with 

 that crop of honey and increase from the 

 whole thirty-four, and yet you say that, with 

 care, you could have got one-third more! I 

 am sure we will let you winter any way you 

 choose, if you can do so every time. 



