76 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



drop of honey will betaken anc the combs 

 piled away for another season. 



To successfully winter or run your 

 chances to winter a colony of bees, will 

 require very much more than fifty pounds 

 of honey, from July 15th, till June ICth, 

 the next season. It will take less than 

 forty pounds of honey to place a good 

 colony of bees on those combs again in 

 June, from the South. 



Another car of bees will be shipped to 

 West Bend, and one to Jackson, Wis- 

 consin. These 600 colonies will be run 

 for clover and basswood honey. At the 

 close of the harvest they will be taken at 

 once to Illinois again. 



I predict that there will be a time when 

 the shipping of bees from the South to 

 the North in the spring will be practiced 

 very extensively. 



A man owning two or three carloads of 

 bees, or more, in the North can select one 

 carload having his choicest queens, and 

 ship them South in the fall, increase them 

 300 per cent., and know that every 

 colony is strong when he ships them 

 back in the spring. All old queens should 

 be replaced with choice young ones, 

 which cost little to raise when making 

 increase. The balance of the apiaries 

 should be dequeened at the proper time, 

 and all the honey taken. It will be easy 

 to produce a large crop of honey with all 

 young queens, and an unlimited number 

 of combs. 



It is necessary to have at least three 

 sets of combs for every colony, to make 

 a success with bees. If you find two set; 

 enough for you, there is something wrong 

 with your bees, or your locality. You 

 can't make a change too quickly. 



West Bend, Wis., Dec. 28. 1910. 



[Since the foregoing was put in type 

 the following letter has come to hand 

 from friend Ahlers. — Editor.] 



Saint Rose, La., Feb. 8, 1911. 

 Friend Hutchinson: — 



We have rigged up four beds, writing 

 table, reading table, dining table, and 

 very numerous chairs (60- pound can 

 boxes.) 



We live up stairs in an old plantation 

 house. Front gallery — view on Missis- 

 sippi river. Rear gallery — view of three- 

 fourths of apiary. Back ground- 

 ancient pecan trees ( 15) four feet thick, 

 with a ton or mare of Spanish moss on 

 each tree. I must have some photos, 

 made if I can get them before I leave. 

 The lower story is used for a warehouse 

 and extracting room. The workshop is 

 under a wide gallery, on the north side 

 of the building. Have already nailed and 

 wired 3,000 frames. Bees are getting 

 lots of pollen, and enough honey to sup- 

 ply daily needs. The season is unusually 

 early and warm. Today, while you are 

 freezing, the thermometer reads 75 de- 

 grees at 1 1 :S0 a. m. After a light rain, 

 it is very sultry. I am splendidly located 

 and can live reason ibly cheap. Have a 

 good general store one mile away and 

 the merchant is very accomodating, and 

 delivers all our provisions. 



Everything is working according to 

 schedule, with the exception that many 

 of my colonies were very much weakened 

 while being closed in, and in my cement 

 cellar from November. [It is very sel- 

 dom that bees can be fastened in and 

 not suffer while in the cellar. I think 

 Mr. Ahlers would have been the gainer 

 not to have fastened them in until the 

 time came for shipment. — Editor.] Some 

 were dead when loading. But all colo- 

 nies were so thoroughly shaken, that the 

 energy derived therefrom will make up 

 the loss in short order. 



The hives were opened here 16 days 

 ago. Some colonies now have brood in 

 seven combs. Almost every colony has 

 young bees hatching from the centre of 

 capped brood. The queens are laying 

 beautifully and regularly. I am looking 

 for a small crop of h^ney here this 

 season, yet I may be agreeably surprised. 

 But, I'll have the bees, of the right age, 

 right number, at the right time, and at 

 the right places for the rest of the season. 



Sincerely yours, 



H. C. Ahlers. 



