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23 



We sire afraid some of our friend's 

 money went for "patent rights." If so 

 it's gone, but friend H. don't let any more 

 go that way. Before warm weather 

 comes we'll try and tell how not to lose 

 queens. 



G. W. Stokes, Atchison, Kan.: "I kent 

 the weight of two hives and they kept within 

 one or two pounds of each other all summer, 

 the best one gave 140 lbs. I took 70 lbs, of 

 hnsswood honey, at one time, from one hive." 



We feel quite sure that the latter colony 

 must have labored at a considerable dis- 

 advantage with 70 Iba, of honey in the 

 way. 



•lolm A, Buchanan, Wintersrillo, 0., 

 writes : "All my bees had to be fed heavily 

 to carry them through the winter except six 

 that were in long hives with long frames; and 

 fney averaged no better in the spring than 

 the rest of the stocks that are in hives with 

 short frames. Some of my hives are tall, the 

 gatepost kind, (American Bee Hive we presume 

 — .hD. Glkaxixgs,) with divers sticks of wood to 

 Utr' i Tae s ' )rin 7 being cold and unfavora- 

 ble tor breeding, bees increased slowly save 

 under the most favorable circumstances, and 

 this is the case when bees are in long hives 

 containing long combs, so the brood can be 

 extended horizontally without the necessity 

 <>t having to divide the cluster to take in 

 more frames until they have increased in 

 strength sufficient to permit such a change. 



S. Hathaway, Muncie, Ind : "From the 

 best information that lean gath«r in regard 

 to the present status of bees in this section of 

 he fctate, 1 am led to believe that three- 

 tourths of all the colonies are dead, and the 

 remaining one-fourth very weak in numbers. 

 h.>mo of the colonies appeared to have dysen- 

 tery; others looked as though they had frozen 

 to death ; and those the best supplied with 

 stores appear to have suffered most." 



If things are really as bad as the above, 

 we don't wonder that beekeeping is con- 

 sidered precarious. We trust, however, 

 to learn better. For reports as to what 

 may be done with bees that are wintered 

 see the following: 



Novice:— I put into winter quarters last 

 winter 4'i hive*, sold two in th 3 spring, and 

 had 38 left, the rest having died. From the 

 .S stocks left I got 112 swarms, and we esti- 

 mate they had 7,000 pounds in stores. This 

 may not be interesting. N. B. -We give our 

 whole plan for anew honey extractor only by 

 request: the same also of our new hive 

 which, we think, will do away with Mr. Palm- 

 er a troubles with propolis. Our own opinion 

 is, we have the best hive ever invented, and 

 the cheapest. Will never have it patented, 

 nor anything we may happen to invent. 



J. L. Davis, Delphi, Mich. 



P. S.— Send "(Jleanings'' quarterly. Your 

 mode of managing bees is not adapted to 

 this locality. I have an extractor very simi- 

 lar to yours, but 1 will not use it except to 

 give room for the queen, which necessity 

 does not occur oftener than once in four or 

 five years. I use the Langstroth hive ( heighth 

 ten inches) and but one size frame for hive. 

 and but one size small frame for surplus and 

 nucleus hives. W. J. Davis, 



Youngstown, Pa. 



Many thanks, Mr. !>., even if your crit- 

 n isms be .somewhat strong, for how are 

 we to improve unless weiiave kind friends 

 to tell us of our failings. If you are as 

 ready to learn as we are, which we can- 

 not doubt, we hope to show you that your 

 extractor can be used profitably every 

 year, and on the other hand we admit 

 that comb honey in some form will be in 

 such demand for years to come that its 



production must be considered ; and Mr. 

 I), gives a most excellent idea, viz. : us- 

 ing the half length frames, mentioned on 

 another page, for nucleus hives, for box 

 honey also, or rather for comb honey, 

 and these small combs can be removed 

 one at a time as soon as sealed, and bees 

 brushed oir without trouble. We have 

 been informed by those having sold hon- 

 ey in this shape that it brings the highest 

 prices in the market and sells readily 

 singly, or in suitable boxes by the quanti- 

 ty. 



-♦ » > _ 



AKi; E.VTKACTOKS "!>AN€iEROl IS P" 



A; 



N effort is being made by patent 



7^ hive men and others to make it ap- 

 pear unsafe to trust "beginners" with the 

 extractor. "They'll make mischief by 

 throwing out the brood, starving the bees, 

 etc." How is this, fellow novices ? How- 

 many years experience will it be neces- 

 sary to have before we learn that bees 

 will starve if all their honey be taken 

 away at times when they are gathering 

 none? If you wish to 'have the same 

 number of colonies in the spring that you 

 had the fall previously, invariably, w>> say 

 remove all their hone}' in September, and 

 replace it with sugar syrup which at pres- 

 ent cost does not exceed 10c per lb. 

 When you can't, sell your honey for that 

 write to us. 



In extracting if you turn considerably 

 faster than is necessary to remove the 

 honey, you wiH throw the unsealed brood 

 out. If our Young American bee keep- 

 ers are not bright enough to learn the two 

 above simple points in a few weeks, they 



ought to be ahem, obliged to come 



and see "Novice" and let him talk to 

 them. We say give us the extractor the 

 first thing : " We want to see the folly 

 on't too," as we once told our grand- 

 mother. 



When we have thrown out some brood 

 and starved a colony or two, (<> see hoiv 

 il teorks, we'll learn. 



We can give you the addresses of bee 

 keepers who have bought, bees and ex- 

 tractors and made a fair profit (lie first 

 year: and so can you, each and even 

 one of our readers if you only think so, 

 and are willing to w.uk, study and learn 

 We should have much greater fears of 

 your bees starving il you took advice 

 from bos hive I tee keepers or venders .it 

 "closed top or side frame" hives, than it' 

 vou used your own "common sense" ud 

 aided. 



Cut from n large sheet of coarse brown 

 paper, a piece two inches larger than the 

 quilt each way. Lay this over the quill 

 and then push down the cap, or upper 

 story, and all the upper ventilation is 

 closed completely, as we waul it, in spring 

 as soon'as the bees are on their summer 

 stands. 



