American ^Bgc Journal j 



ture for us. We hope to have a much finer 

 exhibit at the next State Fair. 



J. T. Measer. 

 Hutchinson, Kans., Jan. 13. 



Pattern After Successful Bee-Keep- 

 ers — Bulk Comb Honey. 



First, I wish to give credit to the American 

 Bee Journal for the most of my success the 

 past year, if you would call it a success. And 

 I think 70 pounds average per colony a very 

 nice success. It is very essential for a novice 

 like me to pattern after those who have been 



companions ever since, as I think I could not 

 well get along with one without the other, 

 and being a lover of honey, I would not be 

 without a few bees at almost any price, al- 

 though the honey-business is a little like the 

 money business at present — a little in the dark. 

 But thanks to the American Bee Journal for 

 enablmg me to operate for honey so as to be 

 much above the average the past year in this 

 locality; while my average was 25 pounds of 

 comb honey, many others and some who have 

 kept bees over 30 years, had less than 5 

 pounds per colony. 



My bees bad a flight December 13 and 27th, 



J. J. Mea.ser's Apiarian Exhibit at the Kansas State Fair. 



successful, such as Hilton, Doolittle, Root, 

 Alexander, and many others. I run my yard 

 for comb honey. But I use an extractor to a 

 great advantage. I fill the honey cans about 

 half full of nice, white capped comb honey, 

 then pour extracted honey over this till the 

 comb rises to the top of the can. This I sell 

 for first-class comb honey. All combs that are 

 a little dark go to the extractor. Hence my 

 honey is all first grade. My fall honey, or red 

 honey, is set away and put back in the hives 

 in the spring. Everv 10 pounds of red honey 

 put in the hive in the spring is 10 pounds of 

 white honey assured. G. F. ToNES. 



Elkin, N. C, Jan. 20. 



Poorest Season in Years — Mild 

 Winter. 



Last season was very poor. I had 65 colonies, 

 and got only about 80 pounds of honey from 

 the whole apiary. I had to feed about 700 

 pounds of sugar last fall for winter. My bees 

 did as well as any around this section. I did 

 not get any swarms last summer; it was the 

 poorest season in many years. We are having 

 a very mild winter so far, not much snow. 

 The bees had a flight Jan. 21. I hardly know 

 how they will winter. I expect there will be a 

 big loss in bees this winter, but I live in 

 hopes that we will have a good season in 1908. 

 Geo. H. Adkins. 



Ticonderoga. N. Y., Jan. 2.). 



Honey Crop Total Failure. 



The honey crop in this locality for 1907 

 was a total failure. I fed back to the bees 

 what little honey I got, with 13 pounds of 

 sugar syrup per colony extra. Quite a num- 

 ber of bees in this part of Ontario starved to 

 death right in midsummer, but that was mostly 

 among farmer bee-keepers. But we are looking 

 for a crop next summer. We can not tell 

 anything as to the prospect at present. 



Wcstbrook, Ont., Jan. 13. A. M. Bridge. 



Mr. Alberts Bees and Bee-Paper 



Companions. 



The pictures which 1 send were taken the 

 second year after starting with bees. The first 

 swarm of this apiary was hived by the road- 

 side near my home, in a box. Afterwards I 

 got a movable frame hive and sent a dollar for 

 the American Bee Journal the same day, and 

 the two — bees and Journal — have been close 



and the 29th I put them into the house-cellar, 

 where they usually winter well. 



The accompanying picture is that of one 

 family at least who is interested in apiculture. 

 They are all there except my good wife, 

 who made the exposure without breaking any- 

 thing, and who also takes an active part in 

 the apiary in my absence. The apiary is pretty 

 much in the snade of the old apple-trees, 

 facing the southeast. The north end of it may 

 be seen back of "Charlie" and "Dewey," who 

 seem to think they hear a swarm. 



Chas. Alberts. 



Sun Prairie, Wis., Jan. 24. 



[See the first page for the pictures. — Edi- 

 tor.] 



Many Bees for Much Honey. 



I have been in the bee-business 9 years. I 

 began with one weak colony in a box-hive, 

 which was the nucleus of the apiary I now 

 have. I think I have advanced by leaps and 

 bounds. I have learned that in order to get 

 much surplus, the colonies must be strong in 

 bees. Therefore, I have kept down increase as 

 much as possible. My object has been honey, 

 not increase. I produce comb honey only. So 

 far we have a home market for all we pro- 

 duce. The season is short and our main crop 

 is buckwheat honey. J. E. K1.INE. 



Indiana, Pa., Dec. 30. 



Bees Did Well. 



My bees did well after cold weather was 

 oyer, in 1907. In April I lost 2 colonies out 

 of 6, and increased to 12 colonies. I secured 

 222 pounds of comb honey. A colony whose 

 queen I bought in July produced 48 pounds of 

 comb honey. J. C. Cunningham. 



Streator, 111., Jan. 29. 



More Bees or Better Yields— Which? 



The above subject, bv G. M. Doolittle, at- 

 tr.-icled my attention as i started in bee-keeping 

 by taking bees on shares, .and have advanced 

 step by step, knowing no limit, adopting Hutch- 

 inson's idea before he advocated it so strongly. 

 I have figured that if it pays to keep 200 

 colonics in one yard, that I could with the 

 same extracting outfit, by hiring more help, 

 keep 2000 colonics of bees in 10 yards, and 

 I have proved it by actual experience. 



In our large alfalfa fields in the Southwest, 

 surrounded by mesquite and desert flowers, it 



is possible to add out-apiaries, being governed 

 by the amount of reliable help for handling 

 the crop, as the amount of nectar to be gath- 

 ered when conditions are favorable is almost 

 unlimited; while during a poor season, my 10 

 yards average as much per colony as my 

 neighbors' who have but one yard. It is 

 true our honey-flow is prolonged for many 

 months, and does not usually come with a 

 rush. 



Mr. Doolittle's argument might fit over- 

 stocked portions of the East, but does not 

 apply to bee-keeping in the Southwest. 



B. A. Hadsell. 



Buckeye, Ariz., Jan. 20. 



Loss of Queens in Mating and Super- 

 seding — Improvement of Bees — 

 Catalpas for Apiary Shade. 



We had quite a heavy loss of young queens 

 the past season. It came about by the young 

 queens not being able to locate their own 

 hives. Our apiary is located in a peach-or- 

 chard. The trees were nearly all killed by the 

 frost in October, 1906, and were cut down last 

 spring, which left an open lawn with hives in 

 pairs, all painted white, 75 in number, which 

 rows about 9 feet one way by about 5 feet be- 

 tween the 2 hives the other way. I know this 

 loss of queens came about by their not being 

 able to locate their hives, as it is the first 

 loss \ye have had along this line to amount to 

 anything since our bees have been here at this 

 farm, which is 5 years. It has given light 

 on one point which is worthy of note; that is, 

 these young queens were reared by the colo- 

 nies to supersede the mothers which were near- 

 ly all 3 years old last season. The bees did 

 their own superseding. I now believe that a 

 queen should have her head pinched off when 

 3 years old, unless she is a choice breeder, 

 and even then it is a very good plan to look 

 for failing queens at any time, and fill their 

 places with young queens of choice stock. 



Iri selecting a queen-bee, first, she must be 

 prolific and the mother of industrious workers. 

 If this colony produces the most honey and 

 are first-class comb-builders, and gentle to 

 handle, and winter well, there is no use to 

 measure their tongues, but call them the best. 

 Who sells the best queen-bees? Answer: It is 

 not the person that candles the cells a great 

 while before the queens are due to come out 

 of the cells. How do you tell who sells such 

 queens? Answer: Such queens are not pro- 

 lific. As I buy a good many queens each sea- 

 son and introduce them into 12-frame Lang- 

 stroth hives, I have a chance to know, and 

 as Dadant has well said, "A queen must have 

 a good size hive in order to find out if she is 

 prolific." 



To test queens for breeders: Last summer 

 I bought a lot of leather-colored queens from 

 one of the most noted queen-breeders in the 

 United States, as well as golden queens from 

 another noted queen-breeder. All these queens 

 are wintering on the summer-stands to test 

 hardiness, and next season will be tested care- 

 fully for honey, gentleness, etc. The best will 

 be used for a breeder in 1909. These are 

 what are known as American Italians. So far 

 the best and most profitable queen I ever 

 owned first saw the light in northern Italy. 



We have just set out about 40 catalpa shade- 

 trees in the apiary. The trees are set about 

 9x10 feet apart and will be kept trimmed up 

 high enough to let the morning sun shine in 

 on the hives, but make a nice shade in the heat 

 of the day. C. A. Bunch. 



St Joseph Co., Ind., Dec. 26. 



Bad Spring— Good Fall Flow. 



Bees came through last spring in bad 

 condition owing to lack of stores, the 

 continued cold weather and lack of 

 bloom, it having been killed by the late 

 freezing. So bees scarcely got a living 

 until early buckwheat began to bloom. 

 Then they began to gain a little in stores 

 until the first of September, when the 

 fall weeds began to yield in good earn- 

 est so I got an average of 70 pounds 

 of fine honey to the colony. Good for- 

 a fall flow. So the bees have gone 

 into their winter quarters in fine condi- 

 tion, with 45 pounds of good, sealed 

 stores for their share. 



A. J. McBride. 



Mast, N. C, Nov. 4. 



