402 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



hive, and took the black queen out of the large hive, 

 lifted off the cover of the small hive, and threw her 

 on the frames, little expecting' she would be receiv- 

 ed; but she went to work as did my tested queen. I 

 used scented water. How is this for my first ex- 

 perience with bees? I hope you won't get disgusted 

 with your ABC scholar. James Shore. 



Germantown, Pa., Sept. 3, 1879. 



Never fear, friend S., that I shall get tired 

 of hearing from my pupils, especially, when 

 they push ahead with the energy yon have 

 shown. I would like to have been there 

 when you had your sleeves rolled np, taking 

 the combs out of that tree. 



STRANGE FREAK OF AN ITALIAN QUEEN. 



Having hived a first larg-e swarm of Italians, Mon- 

 day, Aug-. 18th, in a hive containing- 5 frames of comb 

 and 5 of fdn., 1 examined the hive the next day, and 

 found all quiet. I saw a beautiful Italian queen, 

 and, it being- a first swarm, thought all was right. 

 On Saturday, Aug. 23d, I examined them again, and 

 found no queen and no eggs, but a few queen cells 

 started, which proved the colony to be queenless. I 

 gave them a frame of Italian' brood. On Friday, 

 Aug. 29th, I examined them again, and found the 

 same Italian queen, with two frames filled with eggs, 

 and two queen cells started on the frame of brood I 

 had inserted, which have been destroyed since. 

 Could she have been a virgin? or what could have 

 been the cause of her absence such a length of time? 

 If I had overlooked her, which I am certain I did 

 not, why did they build queen cells, which is a proof 

 of a queenless colony? James A. Pritchard. 



St. Gabriel, Iberville Par., La., Sept. 1, '79. 



I have met with similar cases where the 

 queen, apparently, would be gone several 

 days, and then return as yon have narrated, 

 but I have generally concluded I had missed 

 her in looking over the combs. Although 

 the fact of their starting queen cells seems 

 to indicate her absence, it is not always pos- 

 itive evidence. I have wondered if such 

 queens did not get into some other hive when 

 on a wedding trip, and then get back into 

 the right one after a subsequent trip. She 

 might have been a virgin queen, even if she 

 did lead out the first swarm ; but it is a rare 

 case, unless the colony is just about renew- 

 ing their queen, when several are often 

 raised in the swarming season. In such 

 cases, the first swarm is, of course, led out 

 by a virgin queen. 



"HANDLES" FOR PACKAGES OF BEES OR QUEENS, ETC. 



Let me suggest that you attach a handle of some 

 sort to the side of the cage you wish to be upper- 

 most, as the express agents pay no attention to the 

 notice you put on them, and they seem to be afraid 

 of the bees. There was a string attached to one end 

 of my cage, where the cord crossed, and the express 

 man on the steamer brought it out dangling by this 

 string. It was a wonder to me that there was not 

 more damage done. Not having received the hives 

 I ordered, 1 made a nucleus hive, and had it ready 

 with partly drained combs when the queens came. I 

 lost no time in taking the hive to the stand it was to 

 occupy, when I loosened the wire cloth a little at 

 one end, placed the cage on the frames, and tried to 

 drive them down with smoke; but they would not 

 stay and were soon all flying in the air. In a few 

 minutes, they thickened about a stick in a brush 

 pile near by, where I found the queen, clipped her 

 wing, took her back to the hive, and put her in; but 

 she was determined not to stay, and came tumbling- 

 out in the attempt to tiy. I had to put her back 

 several times before she would stay. Then all went 

 well for a while, until the blacks undertook to rob 

 them, but they defended themselves bravely. It 

 was soon dark though, and that put a stop to rob- 

 bing, but, by daylight next morning, they were at it 

 again, and 1 had to nearly close the entrance. They 

 are all right now. The queen commenced laying 

 this P. M. On opening my black hive to-day, I found 

 some Italians in it, and they are larger than my 

 blacks, and are such beauties alongside of them. I 



beg to be allowed to disagree with Mr. J. E. Dean, 

 on p. 270, July No. of Gleanings; the sun doe3 not 

 shine more on the north side of a hive or house in 

 N. Y. than in Miss. N. R. Fitz Hugh, Jr. 



Pieolata, Fla., Aug. 27, 1879. 



-EXTRACTED HONEY WILL KEEP. 



I have just returned from our fair, having taken 

 first premium on extracted honey, over five entries, 

 with honey taken from the comb with my extractor, 

 in June last year, 1878. In fact, the same jar and 

 honey was in competition last year, but failed to re- 

 ceive its merits. The honey was left in the jar last 

 season, and when the jar was wanted this season for 

 a like purpose, the honey was found to be liquid, or 

 nearly so, and was drained off from that which was 

 candied, the jar washed, and honey replaced, and 

 taken with other articles to the fair. The jar was a 

 glass stop, druggist jar, and had been kept in a dark, 

 cool, dry cupboard, during the year. It is white 

 clover honey, very light colored, and I am inclined 

 to think that age has improved its flavor by remov- 

 ing that peculiar taMc that belongs to most clover 

 honey. F. W. Chai man. 



Morrison, 111., Sept., 1879. 



HOW AN ABC SCHOLAR INTRODUCES QUEENS AND 

 PROSPERS GENERALLY. 



I began bee-keeping in the spring of 1878, with 3 

 swarms in old fashioned hives. I sent for your 

 A BC of Bee Culture, and concluded to work accord- 

 ing to that, but, I did not transfer my bees. I had 5 

 new swarms which I nut into Simplicity hives, but 

 in August I lost one of the old swarms by moths. I 

 think they lost their queen somehow, to begin with. 

 I transferred them in the hope of saving them, but 

 they died. I wintered just as they stood in the sum- 

 mer, only I took off the sections and filled the top 

 with straw. [ lost none by spring dwindling, so I 

 came out with 7 swarms this spring, and bought 2 

 Italian swarms. I have had 11 new swarms, and in 

 August, introduced 12 Italian queens from Mr. Nel- 

 lis. In 4 days from the time I received them, I had 

 them all laying, as if perfectly at home. I made one 

 new swarm, by taking frames of brood and bees out 

 of different hives and putting them together. Now, 

 1 have sent for 4 more queens. Last year, I sold 

 more than enough honey to pay for my bees and all 

 their expenses. This year they are doing almost 

 nothing, but will probably make enough to winter 

 on. 1 have been making inquiries for 10 miles 

 around, and find every one in ihe same fix. 



John B. Carpenter. 



West Hoosick, Rens. Co., N. Y., Sept. 5, 1879. 



THE SIMPLICITY FEEDER AND DAMPNESS WHEN 

 FEEDING. 



That feeder you sent me works well. There is 

 nothing that makes me so well pleased as to see the 

 little fellows go for the syrup, when I go out at dusk 

 to fill it. They make me think of sheep crowding 

 for something to eat. The bees work well, and 1 am 

 well pleased with them. They have made two cards 

 of honey since 1 had them. Friend R., what shall I 

 do to stop the dampness in the hive? In the morn- 

 ing, the tlass in the back is covered with steam and 

 sweat. Would it do hurt to take some candy and 

 crumble it up and put it in the feeder, and put 

 enough water on to make it like syrup? 



Petersburg, N. Y., Sept. 6, '79. Dakius Wager. 



The dampness on the sides of the hive, 

 while you are feeding thin, watery food, is 

 quite usual, and will do no harm; and, if 

 you will look in the ABC, you will find that 

 your plan is exactly what I advise, only I 

 said sugar instead of candy, for no other 

 reason only that it is cheaper and just as 

 good. If they are not well provisioned for 

 winter, give them the sugar and water every 

 day, until their combs are just bulged with 

 snow white cells of capped stores. After 

 you have once seen it, you will know what I 

 mean; make the combs look like "peace and 

 plenty''' in clover time. You can easily do 

 it, if you feed constantly and regularly, every 

 night, and every warm day. If robbers 

 bother you in the day time, put the feeder in 

 the upper story, or cap. 



