010 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Dec. 



SOME REPORTS ON FOUNDATION, ETC. 



Bees did better than I expected. They averaged 

 about 15 lbs. surplus to the coloDy, three-fifths comb 

 and the rest extracted, and the brood combs bulging 

 with honey for winter stores. Previous to August it 

 looked as If I should have to buy sugar to winter on. 

 Aug. 11th I visited friend Dougherty, an extensive 

 apiarian of Indianapolis, and saw the Given founda- 

 tion press; bought a few pounds of the round-cell, 

 American-size Given fdn.; hived next day, Aug. 13, 

 a swarm on it; examined two days after, and found 

 one outside frame broken down, and the other out- 

 side frame partly done; but the other eight frames 

 were beautifully finished. I examined the same 

 again last week, and found every comb true and 

 straight — not a cell stretched; rich in honey and a 

 little brood. Two years ago I bought 10 lbs. of Dun- 

 ham fdn., and it stretched and tore down fearfully. 

 Last year I had only a few swarms, and I put them 

 on old comb; this year I used some Dunham fdn. 

 again from the old lot. In May, some stretched and 

 some broke down again. In July and August I filled 

 some hives again from the old lot of fdn., and it was 

 built out straight and beautiful. Formerly all my 

 hives inclined a little forward; but at present they 

 all stand true, leveled with the spirit-level. That 

 probably accounts for all. If true, 1 believe there is 

 no use for wire. We often blame foundation, when 

 loe are the cause. Geo. L. Hollenbach. 



Noblesville, Ind., Nov. 6, 18S3. 



But I think, friend II., we have great use 

 for wires, even if we can get fdn. that won't 

 stretch without it, for we want combs that 

 are secure from injury, no matter what we 

 do with them. 



QUEEN-CELLS GIVEN TO NUCLEI WHEN AT WORK. 



In each of the last three years we made from 15 to 

 30 nuclei by taking two frames of brood in all stages, 

 giving them bees from several hives, and not one 

 queen-cell was torn down. We had given them cap- 

 ped queen-cells immediately, which, as you know, is 

 not as G. M. Doolittle does. 



ITALIANS. 



We have now tried them, and the blacks must give 

 place. We will speak of two of their good traits: 

 First, they do not rob, nor will they be robbed. Dur- 

 ing the last flow of honey, while several black colo- 

 nies were being robbed, not a yellow bee could be 

 seen at this low work. And as for blacks robbing 

 Italians, it is simply out of the question; it is ludi- 

 crous seeing them being cleaned out by the Italians. 

 Second, they store more honey. Our Italians, on an 

 average, made twice as much as the black bees. 



OUK HONEY REPORT. 



Commenced in the spring with 44 colonies; many 

 of them weak; increased to 56. Comb honey in sec- 

 tions, 305O lbs.; clover honey but little, as the drought 

 of 1881 had killed it nearly all. About 200 lbs. was ap- 

 ple-blossom honey; a small amount locust and pop- 

 lar, and the rest buckwheat and goldenrod. 



Middaghs, Pa., Oct., 1883. J. H. Johnson. 



WHY DO HEALTHY YOUNG QUEENS SOMETIMES DIE 

 SUDDENLY ? 



On page 489, Oct. Gleanings, Mr. J. E. Pond, Jr., 

 after relating the circumstances connected with 

 the loss of four of his queens, puts the following in- 

 quiry: "Has any one else had the same trouble in 

 his apiary?" I have. Although I lost but one queen, 

 the circumstances in connection correspond very 



closely With those narrated by Mr. Pond. She was 

 introduced to a made-up colony about six weeks ago. 

 She was received without any trouble, and perform- 

 ed her functions to my satisfaction. I had watched 

 her very closely from the time she was received by 

 the bees, until the 12th of this month, when I found 

 her, on the morning of that day, on the alighting- 

 board, nearly lifeless. On opening the hive, I found 

 the brood combs well stocked with eggs, and brood 

 in all stages of growth. My loss was quite a disap- 

 pointment, as I had begun to feel encouraged in my 

 efforts to get something out of that indolent colony. 

 As to the cause of her sudden demise, I "guess" she 

 was stung by robbers, or by the bees of her own col- 

 ony. James F. Latham. 

 West Cumberland, Me., Oct. 17, 1882. 

 They may die from over-exertion, as friend 

 Pond suggests, but I am inclined to think it 

 is only the usual mortality that comes to all 

 life, human as well as animal. 



bees spotting the hives in OCTOBER, ETC. 



My October Gleanings has not come yet, and I 

 should like to know what is the matter. Have you 

 burned out, or gone a fishing? Pome of my bees have 

 got to spotting their hives, and will you be so kind 

 as to tell me the cause of it at this time of year, and 

 what to do for them to stop it? J. S. Shastid. 



Oneana, Macon Co., 111., Oct. 19, 1883. 



No, sir, we aren't burned out; and if we 

 were, I think you would get your Glean- 

 ings just the same, for we are fully insured. 

 I haven't gone a fishing, for I cannot tind 

 any body for assistant Editor, so that I can 

 go. 1 do not think the spotting need cause 

 any great apprehension, for I have often no- 

 ticed it, and still the bees came out all right 

 in the spring. A diet of sugar syrup will 

 cure it. 



When two swarms ?.re united, do ihcy usually ball 

 the queen? I united some about two weeks since, 

 and one of them balled the queen, and I had to cage 

 her, and she is in the cage at this writing. Every 

 time that I let her out the bees ball her, and they 

 are building quecn-cclls up very near the cage. 

 What would you do in such a case? When you unite 

 do you cage the queen before you unite, or do you 

 let her remain loose with the bees? 



Kavenna, Ohio, Oct. 17, 1883. J. C. Converse. 



If the bees put in have been some time 

 queenless, there is usually but little trouble, 

 bmoke them vigorously, and I think they 

 will soon behave. It is proper to cage any 

 queen when they ball her. We do not cage 

 queens in uniting, as a rule. 



HURRAH rOR HYBRIDS! FROM 9 TO 33, AND 2786 LBS. 

 OF HONEY, 



Our "blessed bees," 9 in number, iLcreased this 

 summer to 33, and made 2786 lbs. of honey, all in 1- 

 pound sections, except 140 lbs., which is extracted, 

 making an average of a little over 309 lbs. per hive, 

 spring count. We had old empty combs to give each 

 swarm. Late in the season a number of swarms 

 were returned, and when they persisted in swarm- 

 ing, three stories were given, the top-bars of frames 

 for middle story being same width as bottom-bars, 

 so the bees could get through. Our bees are mostly 

 hybrids; but some are pure blacks and Italians. All 

 swarms were first swarms. J. Sykes Wilson. 



Penrose, III., Nov. 6, 1883. 



