1875. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



how the bees behaved when it ^^j^^^'^ • ^^J|^^ 

 to tell thev did not i)eliave at al . Tiiey %\eic 

 simnlv perlectlv still, "dead as door nai s as 

 G U piSd to siv. We approac-hed on tip-toe, 

 am eianuncd them by day light and by amp 

 ii^..ht bnt it was all the same. We hxed oui 

 eve on a sin-le bee, and watched it^ untd our 

 teeth chattered, but it seemed f^-f^'^tly com- 

 fortable on the outside of the cluster Wl e 

 the temperature became lower, quite a hum 

 c' me apparently from the center of the c us e 

 but we could see no movement that sho 

 , roduce this ; the bees that were visible, did 

 o eve their wings, and did not chaii^e 

 Sees. Now then, when do these bees get 

 food and if they change about, why could we 

 hive not seen jhxt on, in the act of so doing ? 

 wJ confess we do not know, will some one else 

 help •> During the experiment once or tw_ice, a 

 iL^would crawl out of the cluster ajjd fly oft 

 in the cold and fell down and die. We then 

 ook a distant position, and saw the same phe^ 

 nomena, and from the number of bee. found 

 Stered about, we think it occurs about the 

 same whether thev be disturbed or not. A bee 

 S is sick crawls out of tlie cluster, aiid out 

 of the hive if he can, and dies. As they die 

 Uuis most in the forcing house, we may infer 

 that brood rearing aggravates the trouble, or 

 what is more probable to us is, that sudden and 

 wide changes of temperature, such -^^ we al- 

 ways have in the spring are severe on bees as 

 weU as on vegetation. The Arcing house va^ 

 ries from 40 to 70°, now, almost daily, it tnib 

 be true, our bees had, better be kept in doors 

 until April, or even later, if we can mana^?e to 

 CO so • and those using the cold frames, should 

 keep them covered and dark, except at inter- 

 vals, until the days get pretty warm. A col- 

 onies have a pretty fair patch of brood, in the 

 forcing house, it is true, but the old_ ones are 

 dvin- oft-so fast, we fear we are gaining little. 

 ■ p^l 16«/i— Found Queen in lamp nursery 

 dead on bottom. The bees looked bright and 

 all ri<'ht, and she looked natural, except that 

 her body was somewhat distended. Our utter 

 helplessness, in the matter is illustrated m the 



^""iJurhi- Uie last three winters, I have suflfered heavy ! 



lo^e' an I the matter has been a great puzzle to ne. 



Mvre^ons of the last three ^?=««n^,^;«" ^^ fh\ve <^- 



11 nfh better had mv bees wintered well. 1 nave loi 



he last six winters kept my bees in an exceeding dry 



reUar with an average temperature for the who e 



time of about 3P For" three winters they did well, 



t en came disaster. To mv mind, none of the causes 



andmelhodsor theories advocated cover the wh^^^^^^ 



■n-ound or seem absolute remedies tor this tataiu> in 



wintering I firmly believe that it was an epulemic lor 



IT. rhapTnore properly an "api<lemic") sent l.y Provi- 



U^nee for inirposes His own. The most curious part 



nyexVeHenc;! is. that stocks so nearly alike that 



V'uld detect no sliqht diflerence in .,uality. were at- 



V • ed so differentlv-one dying or becoming very 



-eakVhile the other, wintered.iu fine conditio,^^^^ 



J. H. NelM'*, Canajoharie, N. 1. i-eb. lutn, .o. 



me more towards success than did "»c Q«}"Vj/';f,^^^,: 

 by the use of which I .•onid contract or enlaige space 

 iii broodchaniUer at pleasure. risnberrv 



The yield ol lioiu-y IVmn willow. 'Mn'.le, r.aspberi > . 

 nnd clover was light. Mv i)rliicipal business up to th' 

 fir ol^JuIy was taking co'mbs lilh.l with brood ron. 

 strongest swarms to h'^b', weak ones aid ngt^^^^^^^ 

 nlMcc with cnnitv combs. Basswooil (-omnituiAi. 

 blossomln^iboilttheeothofJulv. Then came on> 

 fiush. I increased my stock to l-.:? swai nis. 



SVhole amount of box honey - - - '»;;",..- 

 •' extractecl - - - i-'i 



10-271 r..>-- 



Have in winter quarters 1-21 swarms. So far the:, 

 seem to be in fine condition. 

 Mohawk, X. Y. Feb. 1st, 1875. ^ 



REPORT FROM L. C ROOT. 



sfpiiiDITORS GLEANINGS :-You ask me to report 

 m\ results of the past season. I started ast spring 

 ^ S 100 swarms, thinking this about the number 

 onfmanshZld attend to, an<l considering it about as 

 many Ts should be kept in one place especially as 

 there arc over 150 swarms within o»e 'ni c o us 



A ftpr nlicin"- bees on their summer stands wnicn i 

 ,Ma i».S thJmiafllc 01- A|.rll. my <■.■■•' l>»«»th«"S? 



QUINBY HIVE. 



The followiiis 111 icSivrti «« *« Q>"n'>y ''"' 



iif>i-t tn onen ami close tliese ni\is. -^"" ' „. 



'be Sid to say that M- nl^l'^-";^,^^' S^^'e^ "e 



mmsmm 



compliment. jm. ytiMii, ■ i- ,. ^ 



It seems to us Mr. Q. writes a little unkind- 

 Iv but perhaps we deserve it. In a matter of 

 somucirimportance there should be no argu- 

 ino an no strife. Even should there be a test 

 trilil of the two hives, made by two experts, 

 he result would be of 'ittle use to our nsmg 

 bee-keepers. The question is, how will the 

 neople at large succeed best. At present we 

 ?ea know of no better way than for those 

 wo are undecided, to try one hive of each 

 Tiid- what suits vour neighbor exactly, may 

 not suit you. Our having the Corners for sale 

 should inake no difference in our oP"non aM 

 we try not to let it, but we cannot help won- 

 ^Lriiig if Capt. Hetherington has ever tried a 

 hive with these Corners. ^ninlw 



In the Am. Agncidturist for Feb., ^f}"^^ 

 hive is described with illustrations. The frame 

 difters a little from the one we described last 

 month in having the top bar also, dropped a 

 S below the ends of the side Pjec- ;^ls° 

 the top and bottom bars are both alike aiicl 

 li4ter Dimensions there given are uprights, 

 IKl ^ X ' . Top and bottom, lS■^n^'(^, ^'l^,^'^"" 

 iichlioards. Ends are nailed tirmly with fln- 

 hllig nails into top and bottom Imt projecting 

 bevond them as has been mentioi td, >4 incli. 

 The loop iron hooks to hold the frames m an 

 i x;pri.'ht position, if they be used, can probably 



1 e bougdit cheaper of Mr. Q. than they can be 

 i made The sides and top of the hive are made 

 I of Winch boards, planed ^nioothly, just the 

 ! si/e of the frames, with cleats nailed on each 

 i md S prevent warpinJ?- The bottom board is 

 1 nx'>Oxl, also cleated on under Mde to present 



wai-pin. Mr. Q. says tie all together with a 

 i TtSut rubber c-ord, but it seems to us this can- 

 I not prove a very durable tastenmg. 



