1882 



GLEAlsilKGS IN i3EE CULTUUE. 



391 



to this rcpositorj-, and the weather being fine on the 

 14th of A pril, they were removed, nil but one swarm, 

 which was left to t< st the plan, niifl thus remained 

 until the "d of June, making- over 200 days with no 

 lly. May 4tli I rf(,'eivcd a visit from Mr. G. F. 

 Wheeler, of Mexico (to wh<im much credit should be 

 given iis inventor of the prize box), and we went for 

 the experimental hive, which was brought to the 

 door in bright da3 light, and after giving a whilT of 

 smoke, the frames (three of them containing brood) 

 were (xamincd and set into another hive, and 

 the bottom-board closely examined under the micro- 

 scope, which would, it seems to me, convince any 

 observer of the truth of the dry-powder theory. A 

 frame of swectenetl water was given them, and they 

 were put back for two weeks, when they were again 

 overhauled, wi.h no sign of dysentery. They were 

 again set back until June 3, when they were set cut 

 for a jubilee, and in about 2 hours they commence I 

 bringing in pollen. As there were not more than 

 one pint of dead bees in all, it shows pretty well that 

 bees sometimes live at least 7 or 8 months. During 

 the winter they were entirely open at top, and en- 

 trance also open, showing the bees at all times, 

 when going into the cellar, which was about every 

 week, which exposure they scarcely noticed. 



For the ventilation idea I am much indebted to 

 Mr. Dines, of Fulton, N. Y., who has been extremely 

 successful in wintering for some j'cars past. Has 

 he not kept his light under a bushel? 



WATER FOR BEES. 



About the middle of March, some hives showed 

 signs of uneasiness, and were given water with 

 gratifying results; and when removed to summer 

 stands, as the weather was unfavorable, combs were 

 filled with honey and water, and placed beside the 

 brood. They were very soon empty, and were re- 

 filled, and placed in the center of the brood-nest, 

 and the first we knew they were filled with brood, 

 and the process repeated as often as they could take 

 care of them until nearly fruit bloom, when my 

 ?ior!ej/ was all gone; but as the well did not fail, 1 

 would fill my sprinkler with water and fill the combs, 

 putting a frame of water into every hive, and in the 

 strong ones I put it in the center of the brood-nest, 

 and in every case, with strong swarms, the water 

 would be gone in two days, and then thousands could 

 be seen loading with water at a stream near the bee 

 yard. These I knew were our own bees, as there are 

 no other Italians around here. 



I think I have given 80 hives at least two barrels of 

 water, and still they go for the creek. Who knows 

 how much bees suffer for water? In one large 

 swarm a frame was placed outside the division- 

 board, filled with water, having access under the 

 division-board. F. H. Cyrenius. 



Scriba, New York, Juae, 1882. 



Friend ('.,your communication is a most 

 valuable one, especially that part of it per- 

 taining to the sub-earth ventilation matter. 

 I feel sure the time is not far off when we 

 shall have a summer temperature all winter 

 long, and save fuel, too, by bringing our 

 fresh air under ground before it comes into 

 tlie house. I am a little surprised at the 

 good results you obtained from a tile only 

 40 feet long. Will you please tell us the di- 

 ameter of this tile V — Your account of giv- 

 ing t' (■ liets so much water makes me feel 

 as if 1 should like a running brook that I 

 could conduct right through a bee-hive, and 



then I would place a barrel of granulated 

 sugar where it would run down as fast as 

 used, riglit by the side of the water-trough, 

 leaving the bees to combine the two at their 

 pleasure, and in just such proi)ortions as 

 they saw lit. In the winter time we should 

 need a barrel of tl)ur on tlie side of the 

 trough oi>posite the sugar, and then, with 

 the sub-earth pipe, we should have an auto- 

 matic bee-raismg machine. I am i^.ot really 

 sure we should need any greenliouse foi' 

 them to tly in, for you have proved they can 

 live, do well, and raise brood, for at least 200 

 days without any tly at all. Now in sober 

 earnest, dear friends, I feel the time is fast 

 coming when, instead of this great ti'onble 

 to get bees to start with in the spring, it will 

 be only a question as to the price of Hour 

 and granulated sugar. Water and air are 

 free, thanks to our kind heavenly Father. 



A WORD AGAINST CUPPING QHKENS* 

 AVINGS. 



WILL IT ENI).\NGER THE STBENGTR OF THE WORK- 

 ERS' WINGS? 



MAM in the ABC class in bee culture, and feel 

 that I am hardly entitled to a place in that; at 

 — least, not far from the foot; and in about the 

 same position in regard to writing any thing for the 

 public eye. Yet I feel constrained to say something 

 on the ifbovc heading. 



It is a well and, I thought, generally known fact, 

 that there is a principle that like produces like, run- 

 ning through all organized creation, both animal 

 and vegetable; and it is by the recognition of this 

 fact, and the judicious use of it, that our domestic 

 animals and farm and garden products have been 

 brought to their present high standard of excellence, 

 the most perfect of its kind being always selected 

 for propagation. Yet in this matter of mutilating 

 the wings of the queen-bees, this principle seems to 

 be entirely ignored. In the town of Wytheville, Va., 

 where I lived many years, was a breed of tailless 

 dogs, and this was produced by a custom which pre- 

 vailed there of bobbing the tails of that variety of 

 dogs. I have seen whole litters of puppies, eight or 

 ten in number, with hardly any more sign of a tail 

 than a guinea pig. One writer goes so far as to say 

 that persistent practice of planting only the middle 

 grains of cars of corn will result in ears without 

 grains on the ends. Certain it is, that I have seen 

 many such ears. I can almost hear some one say, 

 " But bees are not dogs or corn." If the principle is 

 correct, it will produce the same effect on queens 

 as on dogs' tails. Already we hear ominous reports, 

 such and such per cent of queens hatching with 

 imperfect wings, or without any wings. 



I have only three purchased Italian queens of the 

 most reputable breeders in the country. They have 

 all the good points generally claimed for them, ex- 

 cept power of wing. Wife and I were looking at a 

 very strong colony of them one day in May, when 

 they were driven in by a coming storm. Wife, who 

 is enthusiastic for the Italians, exclaimed, as they 

 fell in myriads in the grass, some as far as eight or 

 ten feet from the hive, " Oh what loads of honey 

 they are bringing in! They can't get to the hive 

 with it till they rest." Well, now, the condition of 

 things inside did not warrant any such praise or in- 



