1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



343 



MANUM NOT INTERESTED IN SUPPI.IES. 



Frinid Rout :— It seems that many of your readers 

 think I am in the supply-business. I judge so from 

 the many letters I am daily receiving from parties 

 who are in want of supplies, and who make espe- 

 cial inquiry about the Bristol hive, asking for my 

 price list, etc. I wish to state right here, that I am 

 7iot in the supply-business, nor interested in it in 

 any way; hence my article in January Gleanings, 

 describing the Bristol hive, was a purely unselfish 

 motive, except that I like to see a good thing put 

 forward for the good of all. My successors in the 

 supply-business are Messrs. Drake & Smith, of this 

 place, whose advertisement can be found in this 

 number of Gleanings. 



BEES wintered WELL. 



Again my bees have wintered well on their sum- 

 mer stands. My loss up to date is 18 colonies out of 

 «364, being less than 3' . You will remember, that 

 last fall I was a little uneasy over the prospect, 

 owing to the fact that my bees had stored so much 

 poor fall honey and honey-dew. But, thanks to an 

 -open winter and the Bristol hive for my success In 

 ■wintering. In order to make this report full and 

 complete I should say that I have several light 

 ■colonies that will probably dwindle out unless we 

 have a favorable spring. A. E. Mandm. 



Bristol, Vt., Apr. 1.5. 



With Replies from our best Autliorities on Bees. 



All queries sent In for this department should be briefly 

 stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question 

 or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper, 

 and marked, "For OurQuestion-Box." 



Question 1.59— o. How often is it necessary, in 

 yuur experience, to visit an apiary run for the produc- 

 tion of comb honey f ik For the production of extract- 

 ed honey, would it be necessary to make the visits often- 

 er, and how of ten? 



a. Once in ten days. b. About once a week. 

 Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. 



I am in mine everyday. I know nothing of out- 

 apiaries personally. 

 New York. C. G. M. Doolittle. 



a. About ouee a week in the busiest time. b. 

 -.\bout the same, I think. 



New York. C. p. H. Elwood. 



I have not had experience with out-apiaries; but 

 I doubt whether any rigid rule can be followed suc- 

 cessfully. 



Cuba. O. O. Poppleton. 



a. Often enough to look after swarms and see the 

 colonies have the right amount of surplus room. b. 

 Not as often. 



Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. 



a. Every day during the honey season and swarm- 

 ing time, b. No. When run for extracted honey, 

 .twice or three times a week will answer. 



Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. 



We visit our apiaries twice a month during March 

 and April; about three times in May; about four 

 times in June and July, and more or less often dur- 

 ing the other months till the bees are prepared for 

 winter. 



Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. 



a. I like to get to each apiary every four to six 

 days in the busy time. b. Ask Dadant or France. 

 1 should guess once a week. 



Illinois. N. C.C.Miller. 



I have no out-apiary, and can not answer from 

 experience. If I had one, and it behaved like my 

 home apiary, it would badly need som(^ one at hand 

 most of the time. 



Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hastv. 



I find that one has to be continually in his apiary 

 during the honey-flow, either for comb or extracted 

 honey, unless it is composed of only a few colonies. 



Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viallon. 



b. We keep from 200 to 400 hives in each apiary, 

 and think it necessary to have some one present in 

 the apiary about alt the time from April to August. 



California. S. W. R. Wilkin. 



It has been my practice to visit out-apiaries once 

 each week, both when boxing or extracting. Much 

 better results will be reached when you can have 

 constant supervision of the apiary. 



Connecticut. S. W. L. C. Root. 



In the busy season, once a week, I should say. I 

 have had no experience. Of course, the hives 

 would have to be watched unless queen entrance- 

 guards were used. 



Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. 



a. That depends altogether upon the season and 

 the honey-flow. b. If. a large hive is used with a 

 full set of frames in second ^tory, it would not be 

 necessary to visit as often as if run for comb honey. 



Illinois. N. W.C. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



a. That varies so much that no rule can be laid 

 down. When you have some one to hive the 

 swarms on the premises, a visit from the apiarist, 

 during the honey season, every three to eight days, 

 say, will be sufficient. 



Wisconsin. S. W. Geo. Grimm. 



a. That would depend much on the honey-flow and 

 swarming impulse, and how you manage them 

 when you made your visits, b. In a large apiary, in 

 the swarming and honey season we find it neces- 

 sary to visit them daily. 



Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. 



Your visits to your apiary should be determined 

 by the season and not by "made-up" rules. If 

 your own experience does not tell you when to ex- 

 amine your bees, your chances are poor for a full 

 crop of honey, and for yourself to ever become a 

 good bee-keeper. 



Ohio. S. W. C. F. MUTH. 



I have had but little experience with out-apiaries 

 run for comb honey. A small one got along very 

 well with visits at intervals of about a week during 

 the producing season. For extracted honey the 

 visits need not be so frecjuent. I have run out- 

 apiaries for extracted honey, visiting them only 

 Ave or six times during the season. 



Illinois. N. C. J.A.Green. 



That depends on the kind of help you have. If 

 you have poor helpers you will find it to your ad- 

 vantage to make such visits as fretiucnily as possi- 

 ble. With reliable help, apiaries might be run 

 through the season without seeing them. b. I 

 should think not, especially with abundance of sur- 



