1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



497 



A GOOD LONG "NOTE AND QUERY." 



T am going to ask you a question. (I haven't ask- 

 ed many so far). 



SWARMING OUT IN THE FALL. 



What was the matter wit h my friend's bees? Last 

 week, I looked over his liees for him (I mean those 

 which I transferred into Simplicity- hives for him). 

 They were all right; at least, I ih<>nght so. They 

 had plenty of honey and bee*, and g-ood queen*. 

 L-ist Sunday his best hive swarmed out and left 

 while he was away from home. .At the time I looked 

 1hem over, they had a good-looking- queen and plen- 

 ty of brood and eggs, and Ihey left a fine M of hon- 

 ey and si me ur hatched biood in the hive I think 

 this question will "stick " you as it did me: and I 

 do not think any man can answer it, because our 

 season is so unusual. 



[That is a rather hard quest ion to answer, friend 

 W., especially if ihe colony was a go< d strong- one. 

 If a part of the bees remained, to build up another 

 colony, I should call it natural swarming in Novem- 

 ber; but, if the bees all left, I sh uld call it abscond- 

 ing, such as we have had. of late, in the sp'ing-. I 

 think we shall, for the present, at least, eonelude it 

 was on account of the queer warm fall weather, and 

 1h-.it the bees imagined it was spring time, and the 

 proper season for cutting- up such tricks.] 



FRUIT-BLOSSOMS IN THE FALL. 



My bees were working- on apple and pearblonm to- 

 day. What do you think of that? This is a fact 

 which make* many a man in ihis county draw a 

 long- face. 1 h«- long faces include, too, not only 

 bee-raisers, but those who raise fruit and whe'a^and 

 with good reason; because, if this weather con- 

 tinue*, we will have no fruit, and, consequently, no 

 bloom for the bees In the early spring. 



[I, too. have seen bees work on fruit bloom, to a 

 limited extent, in the fall. I do not think it will do 

 any material harm.] 



My 32 hives of bees will average 25 lbs. of sealed 

 honey now- enough to last till March if it would 

 only get colder; if it doesn't, T shall have to do some 

 feeding in ihe spiing. My bees cleared me $15.00 

 this y< ar. but they are in debt still on last year. I 

 only credit my apiary with the honey actually sold (I 

 give m< re or ks- away fur sickness). I actually sold 

 400 lbs. of honey from 18 hives, and this has been a 

 very pi .or year: but from what I was t< >ld while 

 visiting- the A.B. J. office, in Chicago, last month. I 

 may feel quite hopeful. This is my second year in 

 the business, and 1 am "green"; 1 ut I hope to learn 

 more. W. J. Willard. 



Jonesboro, 111., Nov. 13, 1879. 



I wintered 10 swaims last winter without any loss 

 and sold 7 of them this last spiing, which left me 

 only 3 colonies. Those that I kepi for my own use 

 were Italians From those 3 colonies, I got 14H lb*. 

 of comb honey in section-boxes, and 286 of exti acted 

 honey, making, in all, 435 lb*., and increased to 8 

 colonies. All aie in good shape for winter. 



C. M. Trunkey. 



Vernon, Trumbull Co., O.. Nov. 15, 1879. 



does it pay to feed them? 



Bees are all right yet. One of my neighbors has 

 lost some by starvation already; he says he won't 

 feed » 8 the J did not do anyihing for him this last 

 sea*on. I rather guess he will lose most all bef ore 

 spiing. I fed all of my blacks as long as I C' uld on 

 account of cold weal her. B. F. Pratt. 



Dixon, 111., Nov. IS, 1879. 



[It might satisfy one's feelings a little to let them 

 starve, but it seems tome it will be rather slim sat- 

 isfaction to find ihem dead, when the profits of the 

 year come to be f noted up. It reminds me of one of 

 our boys who bought several queens to Italianize a 

 black swarm. I heard he gave the swarm away, and 

 asked him why he did not sell it to me. His reply 

 wasthat, as they wouldn't accept aqueen, hedid not 

 consider them good for anything to anybody.] 



SUBSCRIBERS CHANt.ING THEIR ADDRESSES. 



Please send my monthly Gleanings in Bee Cul- 

 ture to Millertoh, Tioga Co., Pa., and oblige 



Frank Sheffer. 



Mlllerton, Pa., Oct. 24, 1879. 



[All right, friend S., but how in the world arc we to 

 tell where you used to be? Ve can not affoid lo 

 send it to two places, and, unless you give us your 

 former address, how are we to vet it changed? Our 

 lists are all set up alphabetically by the post-office, 

 you see. In due time comt-s ihe following, from 

 which .\ on see his foi mcr home was away off in Iowa :] 



I received your card. My old post-office address 

 was Chariton, Lucas Co., Iowa. Frank Sheffer. 



Milleiton/lioga Co., Pa., Nov. 3, 1879. 



[Do you not see, friends, how imponant it is that 

 you mention your old address as well as the new?] 



I am one of your ABC scholars, and have kept 

 bees 4 years. Until la*t year, I kept them in the old 

 way. but was not satisfied. Last winter, I sent for 

 the Gleanings and ABC bo.>k, and a n»w field was 

 opened to me. I have tested your meihort in part, 

 and am surprised at the result. This has been a 

 good season since April; that month came very near 

 killing all of my bees. 



SEVEN COLONIES AND 100 LB*. OF HONEY FROM ONE 

 COI-ONY, IN ONE SEASON. 



One of my neig-hbors bought a hybrid swarm last 

 spring, pa< ing $12. for it. It increased hy natural 

 swarming to 7, and gave over 100 lbs surplus. How 

 wa* that for " high lirids"? I think I have got my 

 money back that I paid for the Gleanings, a num- 

 ber of time*, in good suga-Hsl ions. Wm. Hoyt. 



Ripley Mills, Somerset Co., Me., Nov. 11, 18',9. 



WATERY HONEY FOR WINTER STORES. 



I find in my hive* sr me sealed honey that has the 

 appearance of h u ing b^en dipped in water, and. up- 

 on uncapping it, I find it has begun to foment Can 

 vou tell me th^ reason and a remedy? Will it d > to 

 feed with this honey? W. S. Warn. 



New Smyrna, Fla. 



IWere it up here in the North, I should fear it 

 mitrht occasion d\ se-itery, I ut in your warm climate 

 with no winter, I Think it can do no harm I suppos- 

 ed your bees never died d >wn there, unless it was 

 from i-tarvaiion; how is it, friend W. If it seems to 

 ha-m them, lift out the combs containing such 

 stores and feed them sugar syrup or candy.] 



NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN. 



T am now 72 years old, and enjoying the best of 

 health. I snppo«e vou think it is time I lu-d my " A 

 B C of Bee Cub ure." H. Rowley. 



Brighton, Ont., Ca., Nov. 14, 1879. 



BLACK ITALIANS. 



My Italian queen lhat I got of you produces nice 

 shi >v black bee*. H. Marden. 



Manchester, Scott Co., Ill , Nov. 17, 1879 

 [Well, I declare! friend M., I have had black-look- 

 ing queens that produced yellow bees, t'Ut I d > not, 

 know that I ever saw a yellow queen that p-oduced 

 black bees. Do you m< an they are till black, all 

 over? If so, I want her hack, and you shall have an- 

 other. What is the reason you don't " scold " any?] 



ANOTHER QUEEN WHO ALWAYS KEEPS A LAYING 

 DAUGHTER WITH HER. 



Last season, a neighbor purchased a colony of 

 bees and requested me to look at them. I soon dis- 

 covered two queens, the old one having her wings 

 dipped. Th s spring, they were still in the hive. 

 The first of May, he removed the old one, and intro- 

 duced her to a h've of blacks. In June, lh« last 

 part, she had another queen helping her. He re- 

 moved her the second time, and she now has help 

 as lief ore. If you want her, please inform me, and 

 I will send her. She will be two years old .June next. 

 I can give you all the evidence you want for the cor- 

 rectness of the above. S. H. Lane. 



Whitestown, Ind., Nov. 14, 1879. 



[Very much obliged, friend L. Since the one from 

 friend White died, I shall be very glad indeed for 

 her, if you *ui ceed in keeping her over until spring, 

 but I should wish one that is a daughter of an im- 

 ported queen, if I were going to rear from her large- 

 ly.] 



STILL MORE ABOUT TWO QUEENS IN A HIVE. 



I had not less than 3 colonies, in which two queens 

 were working together for sometime. Forau^ht I 

 know, two of them are still dual. I attribute it to 

 the peculiarity of the season. I could not see lhat 

 they prospen d any better than ethers. Ifthex le- 

 main in that rondlllotj until spiing, I shall give them 

 6pee1al attention f>r exneiinn nt. G. B. ReploGLE. 



Unionville, la., Nov. 21, 1879. 



