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THB BEK-KEEPKK.S' REVIEW 



5 to 8 cents. Careful experiments dem- 

 onstrated that in that locality only about 

 one and one-half pounds of extracted 

 honey could be raised to one of comb, 

 and of course all our hives and manage- 

 ment were arranged for producing comb 

 honey. Some years ago it seemed best 

 to move to our present home, in the great 

 fruit belt, close by old I^ake Michigan, 

 where there are frequent cold winds, 

 mists and fogs, and cold nights are the 

 rule. The natural timber has been nearly 

 all removed, and fruit-growing is the 

 main industry. As but little stock is 

 kept here, there are few pastures. But 

 little clover grows, and there is no bass- 

 wood. The only source of honey to 

 speak of is from fall bloom, from which 

 the flow is short but usually abundant. 

 An average colony weighed yesterday 

 (September 7), showed a gain of 10)^ 

 pounds for the day's work. The hives 

 were arranged for comb honey produc- 

 tion, so we tried to raise that, but the end 

 of the first season found us with a small 

 crop of dark, cheap, comb honey. The 

 cold nights drove the bees from the sec- 

 tions, and they were slow to return. The 

 short season left many poorly-finished 

 sections; and the nights were too cool to 

 make it practicable to have them finished 

 by feeding back. 



At Bangor it was necessary to get col- 

 onies built up strong early for the rasp- 

 berry and clover harvest; here it is just 

 as well if they are strong by August 15th. 

 Here, at least three pounds of extracted 

 honey can be secured to one of comb 

 honey; and, of late years, extracted 

 brings nearly as much as comb; so we 

 now raise only extracted. Of course, it 

 took time to learn these things. It would 

 have been worth considerable to us had I 

 known them at tirst. 



How best may we thoroughly learn the 

 characteristics of localities? In the first 

 place, make a thorough study of all its 

 features. Observe closely, and keep care- 

 ful records of everything; know when 

 bees conmience to work in the spring, 

 and what they are working on; know the 



flora of the locality, and the average time 

 of its bloom throughout the season. I 

 think it was Bro. Doolittle who told us 

 years ago about following his bees to the 

 fields to see what they were bringing 

 honey and pollen from. Know what 

 blossoms are abundant enough to yield a 

 surplus, and so manage as to have hives 

 overflowing with bees at the right time to 

 make it count, and be sure and "have the 

 dishes right side up when it rains honey." 

 It helps greatly in arranging work to 

 weigh hives daily in the working season, 

 and it is better to weigh several than one. 

 The swarming fever, loss of queen, or 

 some other unforseen cause may throw 

 one colony off the track. I have used 

 with much satisfaction a device for weigh- 

 ing which sits on three legs, and, with 

 short ropes and suitable clamps, suspends 

 and weighs a hive while it hangs on old- 

 fashioned steelyards. The machine is 

 light and easily moved from one hive to 

 another, and a hive is easily raised by 

 turning a crank, in the same way that a 

 well bucket is raised from a well. If the 

 honey flow is commencing and likely to 

 be abundant, we know how much room 

 to give, and how little room, or none, if 

 the flow is drawing to a close, as the 

 weight record and our knowledge of the 

 flora will readily indicate. If the honey 

 flow is short, it is best to so manage as to 

 have no swarming at this time. The 

 surest, practicable way to do this is to 

 have a young, prolific queen of the cur- 

 rent season's rearing in each honey hive. 

 This is readily accomplished if the flow is 

 late. If very early, perhaps the best way 

 is to get queens from the South. If the 

 honey flow is long, swarming is all right, 

 with good management. 



Enter upon this work with a firm de- 

 termination to succeed, and leave no 

 work undone, to accomplish the object — 

 go to the foundation of the matter and 

 scrape the roots. Have faith in your 

 business and yourself. Half - hearted 

 methods won't win best results with bees, 

 or anything else. 



South Haven, Mich., Sept. 8, 1900. 



