1*74. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



71 



to decide to what particular circumstance the 

 credit belongs. Strong colonies would doubt- 

 less get along well prepared in that way, but 

 we have so man j times seen the evil results of 

 depriving weak stocks of the benefit of the di- 

 ved rays of the sue, that we thin k y consider- 

 able caution should be used in dexridingto 

 adopt such methods as applicable to our North- 

 ern winters generally. 



FRIEND NOVICE:— I am tiOt an expert in Bee- 

 keeping, and ! don't know that I can write anything 

 that will be very interesting. I have kept a few 

 stocks of bees for eight years in the old box hive. I 

 thought ail that bees" wanted, was a hive and a super 

 and they would do the balance of the work themselves. 

 Kor six "years J didn't get enough honey to pay for Che 

 nails I vised to make their hives; I got hold of a Bee 

 Journal and read it. and soon found I was in the dark 

 in bee-keeping. I have been using the American hive 

 for two years, the first year I got from three stocks 

 Blacks) "61 lbs. of surplus and no Increase, in 1873 I 

 took 135 lbs. surplus, and made tour new swarms. 

 Bought two stocks Italians last fall and have now 9 

 -.locks all told. Am going to Italianize all my Blacks 

 this spring, they are all in good condition". I have 

 none with less than 4 cards of brood, one extra stock 

 has 9 cards brood that will average 6x10 inches square. 

 Wintered on summer s,tairas— -got extractor calcula- 

 ting on taking, well I'll say (500 His. this season If fa- 

 vorable; for tear of being "too tedious I will quit for 

 this time. Long life and success to Novice and 

 Gleanings. n. W. Kershaw. 



Hope. O. April 24tti, 1>'~4. 



Kor the Simplicity hive (Langstroth what sized 

 blocks would you use provided the entrance was the 

 tame as hi Langstroth hive? I think of trying one 

 each way. the bottom-board could project a little as 

 in the old form of Langstroth. 



Would it not be better for me to adopt the old L. 

 frame as a beginner, and for Nucleus hives have 

 frames just one half the size? 1 ask you because it 

 seems the most natural to my mind, easily transferred 

 etc. How deep is a simplicity hive (exact; when 

 completed ? Enquirer. 



Bolivar, N. Y. Apr. 25th, 1871. 



Blocks tor the L. hive should be made so as 

 to just close it, when both are turned with 

 longest side toward the entrance. Dimensions 

 given in Mr. L.'s book are 7 8 x4x5| 4 x7. In 

 using double width hives, with entrance at 

 side of combs, entrance blocks must be used of 

 considerable length, especially with the L. 

 frame. Where division boards are used, there 

 js a decided advantage in the latter, for are- 

 adjustment of this board, in no way interferes 

 with the entrance, as it does with the ordinary 

 L. hive. We cannot see that the L. frame is 

 more especially suited for beginners than some 

 <#thers. Simplicity (Langstroth) is just 10 inch- 

 es deep when ci i r is raised. 



April Sfiih — Prospects look very discouraging for 

 bees, worse than ever since I have kept bees; had rye 

 and oats ground March 19th, and there has been but 

 one day on which they have worked on it to any ex- 

 lent, snow, wind or cold, every day, snow now over 

 a foot deep, snowed all day to-day, and blows like fun 

 now. Examined two or three hives last week, they 

 have stopped breeding, not even an egg to be seen. 

 Have lost 4 stocks out of 27, saw a man the other day 

 who has lost 10 out of .'52, another, 5 out of 13 ; have 

 not heard from others lately. 



In regard to sending Queen eggs, it seems to be con- 

 sidered a failure, but I think it can be done 

 eight years ago I bought 20 Italian Queens, from St. 

 Albans, Vt. they were sent 10 at a time, in small box- 

 es holding a frame 4 or 5 inches square ; after taking 

 the Queens out a number of the bees collected in one 

 irt" the boxes in which a Queen had laid eggs on the 

 passage, and reared a Queen. 



Why could not boxes be made of thin boards or 

 paste-board, and enough bees used to keep eggs 

 warm ? even if it cost more than 25 cts. for eggs from 

 a choice Queen customers could well afford it. 



May 1st— Have been shoveling open road ! how is 

 that for early swarms? 



Min/ imi < do!, lots of snow yet. 

 Am not discouraged at the poor prospect. Hers 

 ' have paid well heretofore, and believe Hum will yet. 

 Gallupviiie. v v. Benjamin Finch. 



Such a plan might be made to answer, '(in 

 I fact we attempted it last season) but so many 

 bees will be required that -with the brood to 

 sustain them on a long journey, 'twould lie 

 rather bulky l»y mail. As the Queen in such a 

 case must generally be a hybrid, would it not 

 be better to put in laying Que* n after we have 

 everything ready, am! charge a dollar? 



Two years U jr I found a wild swarm, and another a 

 \ ear ago. and one this year on 24th of March, on a 

 bush bo't two Italian Nuclei less than nine yeai ago. 

 Now have 10 Italian stocks with Queens- most of 

 them not very strong and T> common stocks. Just 

 now bought 7 common stocks. I wrote you I lost m\ 

 first Queens except what I used, and sold only one. 



I am taking great pains for puritv ; I breed from 

 warranted stock and coujd give the beat testimonials 

 of integrity— will soon have more Queens but who 

 will buy them from me ? < >f course I must have them 

 laying and sell for one dollar. Some of them are 

 dark, shall 1 reject them ? 



I am the tirst beginner in Italians and movable 

 ciimbs. here bm sir there is a perfect furor of excite- 

 ment at my success etc. J. B. RAMSEY, M. I>. 



Abbeville, Vermilion Parish. La. April 27th, 1871. 



Unless the Queens are quite dark, we should 

 assuredly use them, if we were satisfied they 

 were from a good mother. The most profit- 

 able Queens are often rather dark in color, but 

 we should be suspicious of a mother, that nave 

 many dark colored Queens. 



Friend R. asks "who will buy them?" now 

 cannot we '-kill two birds with one stone" by 

 giving the following: 



A. 1. ROOT&CO.-Please on receipt of this send 

 me word whether you have any of those '-One dollar 

 Queens." I want one immediately for a Queenless 

 stock belonging to a friend. I got two of you last 

 year through S. s. Sinister; this friend of mine also 

 got a Queen ; we, like them very much, will you please 

 answer this and tell me the earliest time you can send 

 a Queen and I will send the order for SI. 00. 



Frenchtowh, X. Y. May lib, 1874. A. W. Lundv. 



I moved my Apiary this last winter about two miles 

 from its former place, and put it up on the hexagon 

 plan eight feet apart, and have lost one third of my 

 colonies by my bees gradually quitting or losing their 

 hives, and entering others. I almost dally see laden 

 worker-bees, seeking to enter hives thai are closed. 



Now I would like to know what the matter is, and 

 what to do. Yours truly, Jno. J. Jones. 



Culleoka, Tenn. 



If your hives are eight feet apart, we feel snre 

 the arrangement can have nothing to do with 

 your trouble. Bees are many times kept suc- 

 cessfully, in strait rows, as close as two or 

 three feet apart, although this is perhaps not 

 advisable. The hexagonal plan as we have 

 given it, gives six feet distance from center to 

 center, and we have never seen any trouble 

 from bees mistaking their hives, nor have we 

 ever before heard of a complaint, although 

 many such are now in use. As this shape 

 very materially lessens the labor of the Apia- 

 rist, our friend should be quite sure he is not 

 mistaking the cause of the trouble, before he 

 draws a conclusion. 



Our hives are all painted one color — white, 

 and we prefer this color because dark colors 

 are apt to become too hot if the* sun should 

 chance to strike them in very hot weather. 

 We believe friend J. that experienced Bee-keep- 

 er's can give you ample testimony that 6 feet 

 apart is perfectly safe-. Most Bee-keepers are 

 aware, thai stocks when first set out on a new 

 location, soi mixed up, even 



