70 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



J INK. 



FHIKM> NOVICE . Please 

 lei me know through Glean- 

 ings, how a frame like this 

 would be. I>. N. Kekn. 



Shimersvihe, Pa. 



Well, we should think it would be tri-angu- 

 lar ; ho far as practicability is concerned, we 

 have known such hives to give very lair yields 

 id' honey, as in fact we have, hives containing 

 frames of every size, shape and dimensions, 

 almost. The principal objection is, that it does 

 not enable the bees to keep in a compact clus- 

 ter, the sharp corners being very unfavorable 

 in that respect. The idea has formed the basis 

 of several "patents," but we believe it has been 

 invariably abandoned after a short trial, like 

 the great bulk of the patented devices in gen- 

 eral. 



What time of day do you consider best for examin- 

 ing hives, or extracting ? 



Any time of day when the bees are at work ; 

 and the more they are flying the better, always 

 providing no robbing is going on. 



How do you examine a hive in early soring and as- 

 certain condition, when it is continually cold, as it 

 has been this soring? 1 waited week* to see what 

 condition mine were in after being moved twice. They 

 told trie I must wait for a warm day, so as not to chill 

 the brood. It was so cold most of the time that in 

 trying to examine them, lots of bees would fall down 

 chilled. I read about persons examining in early 

 March, but can't see how they do it unless they have 

 different weather. About how should the thermom- 

 eter stand to make it safe to expose brood ? 



Manchester, Iowa. Mrs. E. M. Micki.ek. 



In this last matter, we fear we are really un- 

 able to give any advice that would help you, 

 unless it were "don't." Of course if bees are 

 starving they must be fed, but otherwise we 

 should not open the hives unless the weather 

 is warm enough for them to fly. Such days 

 usually occur in March and April, but when 

 we have such unfortunate seasons as the pres- 

 ent, we really know of nothing that can be 

 done. We have no reports from those having 

 kept their bees in the cellars until the "flowers 

 bloom," as Quinby advises, but feel sure ours 

 would all have died ere this time. If we could 

 manage to have brood-rearing go on while the 

 be< s were yet confined to their hives, it might 

 do. We have utterly failed in such attempts. 

 but should be pleased to hear from others. 



There were 40 stocks of bees of the Apiary I am now 

 managing, wintered in the cellar without loss (natural 

 stores). Were put in '28th of Nov. '73, and put out 

 March 18th, '74. Cellar was quite damp and many 

 combs moulded on that account. They are doing fine- 

 ly now and taking in dampened sugar whenever they 

 can fly (honey also at times) without showing signs of 

 robbing. W T e brought them to this condition grad- 

 ually by feeding dry sugar first, and robbing that was 

 being carried on extensively, before commencing to 

 feed, by some bees brought from Tenn., has now en- 

 tirely ceased. 1>. I.vons Brown, 



Indianapolis. Ind. 



My bees of which 1 have 13 stands (all Black) are 

 doing well. I intend to get some Italian Queens this 

 summer, but think it will be impossible to breed 

 pure Queens from them, as our woods are full of Black 

 bees. J. S. Rogers, 



Columbia, Texas, April 13th, 1874. 



So far as honey is concerned, yon need have 

 no fears but. that you can get the full benefit 

 of the Italians, even under the circumstai 

 yon mention. Rear all Queens from one ti 

 one; persist in this every season, and Italians 

 will soon be the rule and blacks the exception. 



I want to Italian fee as soon as possible. Have 

 thought ) would like to get the dollar Queens. Some 

 have told me that they would be poor things and 

 would on; pay. Iiut 1 ' feel jusl .is though 1 could 

 trust Novice, and it you are going to nave dollar 

 Queens, 1 think 1 will cry a few. if l can gel them in 

 season. MRS. E. M. Mii ki.kh: 



Manchester. Iowa. 



What we have advised as "dollar Queens.'' 

 were to be precisely the same as other Queens. 

 only that they were sold as soon as fertile, and 

 before they were tested, lie who would sell 

 Queens known to be poor, as "Novice Queens" 

 as one advertiser expresses it. would be doing 

 a dishonest act, for our purpose was to have 

 them sold before the producer had an opportu- 

 nity Of knowing whether they wen' of extra 

 value or not. Of course we should expect any 

 honorable man to tell us if a Queen were poor 

 or worthless, if he knew such to be the case. 



We do not expect dollar Queens can be rear- 

 ed early in the season. Those who want 

 Queens in May and June, must expect to pay 

 such prices as those fortunate enough to have 

 them for sale, may choose to ask. 



Oh yes! About my bees; as I told you. thej wer< 

 killing their Queens. I lost (i out of 80, in a day or 

 two, but the very day thai 1 wrote you I tilled one 

 frame With syrup for "each hive, and have done the 

 same twice since, and had no more trouble in thai 

 way. The Queenless ones all pegged out but one. 

 which is hatching eggs very satisfactorily at present. 

 1 think how that low stores and as you say ••nothing 

 to do" was the trouble. Cold. cold, nothing but cold, 

 and the bees nothing to do but to eat what you feed. 



Valley Mills. Ind. Apr. '23rd. 1874. J. J. WHITSON 



Friend W. wrote us in March, that his bees 

 were killing their Queens every day. We ad- 

 vised that they should be t\'>\ — kept busy a' 

 something, whether they had plenty of food 

 or not. 



DEAR NOVICE: -I feel aa though I wanted to take 

 right hold of your hand, but I suppose I can't, so 

 please send me all the GLEANINGS in Bee Culture. I 

 should have sent on last year but my health was -.. 

 poor that I had little ambition for "anything. The 

 season was very short last year, the honey harvest 

 only lasting about three weeks, but during that time 

 my' hundred stocks (I had about 112, but the surplus 

 came from about UK)) were able to store enough for 

 winter and give me 4500 lbs. in boxes for market. I 

 have all my bees in one place. In the fall I packed '.to 

 colonies in' saw-dust, or packed saw-dust at the sides 

 and on top in place of honey boxes, and left them on 

 their stands; I put '24 colonies vs. the cellar, and on 

 the 1st of Dec. I left for California where 1 spent the 

 winter, leaving directions to have each hive examined 

 once in two weeks, to see that the entrance, did not 

 get clogged with dead bees.' 



It was hard to leave my little pots thus behind me 

 in the cold, and although I enjoyed the pleasant cli- 

 mate of that strange land, it" was most pleasant to 

 return home again, which I did on March 16th, after 

 an absence of three and a half months. On reaching 

 home on the evening of the Kith I went to one hive 

 out of doors and gave it a little thump, whereupon 

 the bees inside set up a joyous welcome, as much as 

 to say "we are all right, don't worry." Next day I 

 examined every hive out-doors and in the cellar ; all 

 responded, and' later 1 carefully examined every hive 

 anil found all alive and in good condition, except ;: 

 few that were Queenless and those had plenty of bees 

 The 9(5 out of doors wintered much the best 1 believe 

 Some of my stocks wintered in-doors showed some 

 signs of dysentery, those out of doors no signs of it. 

 Those stocks wintered out of doors appear to be much 

 the strongest in numbers this spring. April has been 

 very cold, but little brood in hives yet, especially, 

 those wintered in cellar. 



Hurrah! lor a bag of saw-dust over the brood 

 chamber, and saw-dust at the sides, as well as on the 

 ground in front. Yours in all brotherly love. 



Bridgeport, Vt. Apr. '29th, 1874. J. E. Crank. 



Wc should have more faith in the "bags of 



I ust," were it not that bees so often winter 



will under almost all circumstances, 'tis hard 



