228 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



REPORT FROM AN A B C SCHOLAR. 



I see it is quite common to report progress, 

 through the Gleanings, especially by A B C schol- 

 ars. One year ago 1 bought of J. L. Lewis, Windsor, 

 Mich., two colonies, one Italian and one hybrid. 

 They came by express when cherries were in full 

 bloom. There was no honey in either. In Septem- 

 ber following, my report stood as follows: 



Good working colonies 8 



Sold 1 



Gone to the woods 2 



11 



At this writing I have six; five splendid, and one 

 weak. I wintered as follows: 



PUTTING A SMALL NUMBER OF COLONIES IN A SPEC- 

 IAL REPOSITORY. 



I built a house doable, and filled it with sawdust, 

 in which I put 3 swarms. One of them died in Feb- 

 ruary leaving fully 20 lbs. of honey, comb bright and 

 dry. 1 lost one swarm, before winter set in, which 

 left fully 25 lbs. of honey, comb bright and new. The 

 weak colony I have was wintered in this house. The 

 other four I inclosed in large dry goods boxes with 

 straw and chaff over and around them. A good 

 shingled roof fitted to each box so the straw and 

 chaff came out as dry (one week ago) as when it was 

 put in. The four, and one of those in the house are 

 as good as could be desired, being fully at work as 

 in midsummer. I think they are working on soft 

 .maple; they have been very busy for nearly two 

 weeks. Will some one inform me (through Glean- 

 ings) whether or not huckleberry blossoms are 

 honey producing- flowers? 1 have acres of them 

 near my place. More anon. A. R. Williams. 



Muskegon, Mich., May, 1879. 



If I am correct, a house packed with saw- 

 dust for wintering bees, can hardly succeed 

 unless a large number of colonies are kept 

 in it, say 40 or 50. With only 3, they would 

 be deprived of the sun and have none of the 

 benefits of the accumulative warmth of a 

 large number of colonies together. .With 

 small apiaries, the out door packing will cer- 

 tainly give the best results I think, unless 

 we have a good cellar, dry and warm, and 

 even then, there are serious disadvantages 

 to be taken into consideration. 



SMOKERS, mats, etc. 



I have 21 stands left out of 40, and all but 2 had 

 plenty of honey if not too much. I was watching 

 Gleanings to see some complaint of Clark's cold 

 smoker, but see none. Mine did not make smoke 

 enough to suit me, so I made some holes in the 

 tube with an awl, and I think it will now make all 

 the smoke I want; so you can't put me in the 

 Growlery. The mat I like, but would prefer the 

 slats running crosswise the frames instead of length- 

 wise. I made one from yours as a pattern, with 

 comb guides I had left. I think they are much bet- 

 ter than enameled cloth for winter, under cushions. 

 The enameled cloth holds all the moisture. My bees 

 were all on their summer stands, with wind break. 

 So far as I have heard, my loss has been the great- 

 est in the county. Some haven't lost any even in 

 box hives. Abram Grabill. 



( hikley, 111., April 29, '79. 



The strips for the mats can be made to 

 run across the frames, if you choose, but I 

 do not see how you can then fold it smaller 

 for a nucleus, or for getting a bee-tight fit, 

 when you contract the hive by division 

 boards." Comb guides make very good slats 

 for the purpose. 



A GOOD REPORT FROM MITCHELL S HIVE. 



1 have 75 stands of bees to transfer. I shall com- 

 mence to-morrow, and am going to use Mitchell's 

 Paftent Hive. I have 100 hives made. 1 had several 

 stocks in the Mitchell hive last year and the year 

 before, and thought I would make a business of it. 

 If I can succeed as well with a large amount, as I 

 did with a small one, I can do well at the business. 

 I had stands last year from which I took 200ft. of 

 surplus honey, and if I can make 100 stands turn 



out that amount, I think bee business will pay. My 

 bees came through the winter without the loss of 

 one. I bought one of your smokers last year, and 

 like it very much. I think it the best I have ever 

 seen. E. A. Summers. 



Champaign, 111., May 4, 1879. 



I am very glad to get such a good report 

 of the Mitchell hive, but it is in truth no 

 more his than your own, friend S. It is 

 simply the long hive that so many invested 

 in and afterward discarded, 5 or 6 years ago. 



ONE OF THE ABC CLASS. 



I have 6 swarms wintered on summer stands, 

 which came through all right. I am satisfied that 

 if the bees are all right in the fall, by removing one 

 or two frames on each side, and then placing over 

 them a quilt which will come down to the bottom of 

 the hive, there need be no fear of their freezing. 



Just before the season closed last summer, I 

 found a small sw:.'rm, put them in a new L. hive, 

 with f'dn., and gave them half filled sections to 

 empty of honey, for they could gather but little. 

 They only partly drew out 5 frames. I fed them 

 again early this spring, and now the hive is half full 

 of young, smart bee-. 1 am only a greenhorn, but 

 one swarm earned me $40.00 last year. I don't 

 know as you have time or care to hear from strang- 

 ers, but 1 don't charge any thing for writing. 



Mitchell, from Sandusky, has an agent here for a 

 patent hive, but I don't see that it is enough better 

 than the L. to pay for changing. K. T. Chapman. 



Cleveland, O., April 2(5, '79. 



I am always glad to hear from strangers, 

 friend C, especially when they belong to the 

 A 13 C class. In fact, I have been accused 

 of being partial to those having only a half 

 dozen colonies or less. Perhaps I am, but 

 you see these older fellows can take care of 

 themselves. A beginner with a few colo- 

 nies seems to have a zeal and enthusiasm 

 that those who number their colonies by the 

 hundreds do not, and perhaps this, many 

 times, is more important than even great 

 wisdom and experience. One who does all 

 he knows how to do, even though he be in 

 his A B C, is a safer man than one who 

 knows a great deal, and is too lazy to put it 

 into practice. Now you are to be as faithful 

 with each one of the six, as you were with 

 the one that gave you $4U. 



WILL TWO QUEENS CAUSE BEES TO ABSCOND? 



My bees have come through the winter in good 

 condition. All but 2 were strong. I lost those 2 

 rather foolishly perhaps, by uniting them without 

 taking away either queen, and they absconded. I 

 have 16 left. 



ABOUT FEEDING WHEN BEES ARE GETTING PLENTY 

 OF HONEY AND POLLEN. 



You recommend feeding candy made of sugar and 

 flour, to promote brood rearing: do you think the 

 flour necessary when bees are bringing in pollen 

 plentifully? When bees have plenty of honey, don't 

 you think that to uncap one or more outside combs 

 will answer as well for breeding purposes as feeding 

 candy? In feeding a frame of candy where do you 

 place it? near theoutsideornearerthecentreof hive, 

 when rapid breeding is the only object? When a 

 colony is strong and has plenty of honey and pollen 

 or is bringing in pollen rapidly, do you think feeding 

 of much advantage? 



MATS FOR COVERING THE FRAMES. 



I notice you advertise mats made of thin bass- 

 wood; will not the bees cover these with propolis 

 after a while as badly as the quilts, and gnaw off the 

 twine as easily as the enameled cloth? 



ONE OR TWO TIERS OF SECTIONS. 



Do you think, judging from experience, that bees 

 will All both tiers of sections as readily as if but one 

 tier was used in a shallower frame? and do you 

 have your frame of sections started at the side or 

 over the brood nest? S. H. Mallory. 



Decatur, Mich., April 26, 1879. 



