1917 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



385 



proven to be debalable. Scarcely a 

 winter passes tliat beekeepers all 

 over the United States do not lose 

 10% of their colonics and usually 75% 

 of the remaining colonies are re- 

 reduced so that they cannot do their 

 best the following summer. 



For proper development in the 

 spring, a normal colony of bees needs 

 plenty of protL'ctit>n from cold and 

 wind. In winter they need only the 

 stores and protection, but if abundant 

 protection is tlien given, the room 

 for spring breeding may also be pro- 

 vided at this time. If bees are prop- 

 erly prepared for winter there is 

 nothing a beekeeper can do which 

 will Ijcnefit a normal colony from Oc- 

 tober 1 to swarming time. 



It is suggested that each colony be 

 given two hive bodies (preferably 10- 

 frame), the top body being well sup- 

 plied with stores in addition to what 

 honey may be in the lov^'cr body. This 

 arrangement will provide abundant 

 breeding room and stores. Beekeep- 

 ers hesitate to leave so much honey 

 when they feel that they might sell 

 it, but this honey is not wasted. In 

 almost every locality strong colonies 

 can gather enough extra honey in the 

 spring to more than replace what is 

 consumed in winter and by spring 

 breeding. It often costs more to win- 

 ter weak colonies than strong ones, 

 because weak colonies cannot take 

 advantage of the earliest flows. 



Explicit directions for making win- 

 ter packing cases are not necessary, 

 for any beekeeper can devise a suit- 

 able box. It is suggested that colo- 

 nies be packed in groups of four with 

 the hives touching each other, two 

 facing east and two west, to reduce 

 expense and labor. Packing should 

 be provided on all sides, top and bot- 

 tom. Four inches below, six inches 

 on the sides and a foot on top will 

 not be excessive. If the bottom or 

 front of the hive is left unprotected, 

 the bees will not receive the full 

 benefit of the other packing. Any 

 packing material, such as sawdust, 

 planer shavings, finely cut straw or 

 packed forest leaves, may be used and 

 the case should be water proof. 

 Roofing paper over the cover is de- 

 sirable. Some sort of tunnel through 

 the packing is necessary for ventila- 

 tion and to permit flights in good 

 weather. With abundant packing a 

 small flight opening is best. Do not 

 make an alighting board on the out- 

 side of the case for it only serves to 

 catch snow. Ventilation through an 

 absorbent cover will do no harm, but 

 is not essential if abundant packing 

 is provided. Wind protection is 

 necessary, and unless this is pro- 

 vided heavy packing is of little value. 



The principles of outdoor wintering 

 are discussed in Farmers' Bulletin 

 695, a copy of which may be had on 

 request. Every beekeeper should pay 

 special attention to wintering this 

 year, for the Nation needs a large 

 honey crop next year. It will always 

 pay to give attention to this part of 

 beekeeping, which is too often neg- 

 lected. Remember that proper win- 

 tering is simple and inexpensive in 

 time and money, since stores are 

 saved and spring manipulations are 



eliminated. The winter cases pay for 

 llKMiselvcs every year. You can car- 

 ry no better insurance for a crop 

 ne.xt year. 



E. F. PHILLIPS. 



Michigan Meeting. — The annual 

 meeting of tlie Michigan Beckers As- 

 sociation will be held at Saginaw 

 on Tuesday and Wednesday, Novem- 

 ber 27 and 28, 1917. A program is 

 now in course of preparation. Men 

 prominent in the beekeeping industry 

 both from within and without the 

 State will be present to offer to 

 those attending the benefit of long 

 and very valuable experiences. Ev- 

 ery beekeeper is invited to attend. 

 B. F. KINDIG. 



Don't Miss It. — The Minnesota 

 Beekeepers' Association holds its an- 

 nual meeting December 4 and 5, 1917, 

 at Minneapolis, Minn. We expect an 

 exceptionally good meeting, as usual, 

 with many Minnesota beekeepers and 

 outsiders taking prominent parts on 

 the program. 



Every possible Minnesota bee- 

 keeper should plan to attend and stay 

 the two following days for the last 

 two days of the 1917 session of the 

 Minnesota Horticultural Society. 

 Send to the Secretary, L. V. France, 

 University Farm, St. Paul, Minn., for 

 a program if you do not receive one 

 by Noveiiiber 10. 



Boneset Yielding Honey. — -I am 



sending you a sample of a couple of 

 weeds that grow here and are get- 

 ting scattered far and wide. I can't 

 find anyone who knows what they 

 are. One kind grows from two feet 

 to five feet high and comes from the 

 root like the ironweed, but the other 

 weed does not. 



The two plants are the finest honey 

 plants I ever saw. The bees work on 

 them from early till late. 



I have 82 colonies, but will only get 



about 2,000 pounds this year. Last 

 year I had 62 colonies and they made 

 5,300 pounds. This season has been 

 the poorest in twenty years. 



If you know what these weeds are 

 please answer through the American 

 Bee Journal, of which I am a sub- 

 scriber. 



Newton, 111. 



These arc both "thoroughworts" or 

 "boneset." They are fairly good 

 honey plants, but the honey is not of 

 very good quality. They blossom in 

 August-September. The one is Eupa- 

 torium urticaefolium, the other Eupa- 

 torium serotinum. The first is also 

 called "white snakeroot." 



White snakeroot is supposed by 

 some people to cause milk fever or 

 trembles in animals feeding upon it. 

 (Dr. L. H. Panmiel's Manual of Poi- 

 sonous Plants). 



Beekeeping in Virginia. — Virginia 



beekeepers are getting interested. 

 The Brunswick County Beekeepers 

 Association came into being at Law- 

 renceville, Virginia, Saturday, Sep- 

 tember 29. This new association be- 

 gan because of the efforts of County 

 Agent J. B. Lewis, and the assistance 

 given him by Entomologist W. J. 

 Schoene and Kenneth Hawkins, of 

 the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture, who have been doing ex- 

 tension work in Virginia several 

 weeks this summer. The officers named 

 are J. T. Holloway, President; W. D. 

 Kates, Vice President, and Dr. Rich- 

 ard Manson, Secretary and Treas- 

 urer. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT 

 OF AGRICULTURE 



Bureau of Markets 



Semi-Monthly Market News Bulletin 



This is the eighth of a series of 

 similar reports which will be issued 

 by this Bureau on the first and fif- 



WHITE SNAKEROOT IN PELLETT'S WILD GARDEN. 



