1885 



GLEANINGS IN BKE CULTUKE. 



383 



stance, as we often see them), then it would 

 be very plain and clear why you had such 

 troubles with your queens. I watched care- 

 fully while going over your article, to find 

 mention somewhere that you had the A B C 

 book or some other guide to go by. If you 

 have not, your first duty is to get one. Tak- 

 ing a bee-journal will' not compensate for 

 the lack of a good treatise on bees. Our 

 bee-journals take it for granted that their 

 readers are posted on the fundamentals be- 

 fore they commence taking a journal. 

 Should we do otherwise, it would be a con- 

 stant repetition of the rudiments of tiie 

 science vear after year. 



SWARMING TIME, 



HAD 5 swarms from 6 stands; saved 4. all large 

 ones too. I had i-ather lively times last Sunday. 

 One new swarm 1 |)ut in a box gum until my 

 Simplicity hives could git here. Well, I tried 

 to get them into a Simplicity, but go they 

 would not. So on Sunday they came out and set- 

 tled nicely, and then [ got them into the Simjilieity 

 hive. About that time a new swarm came from 

 on(! of my bo.\ hives, and settled near the others; 

 and by the time I got them fixed, another came out 

 of another bo.x hi\e, and settled in two trees. Well, 1 

 fixed a Simplicity hive for each, and shook them 

 down, when they liolh got into one hive. Well, 

 about that time an absconding swarm of my neigh- 

 bor's came over, and they, too, went into the 4ii\'e. 

 Now a comn)otion was caused, and the second 

 swarm began to be troubled, when it and the first 

 one from the box hive I had been trying to get into 

 a Simplicity hi\e went together; so, instead, as I 

 first thought of having four hi\cs with five swarms, 

 by night 1 had only one hive of bees. They (dl went 

 together before sundown, and on Monday, by 

 o'clock, they were flying about as if they all intend- 

 ed to swarm and get righted up. But, no; they (a 

 great many) went back into the old box hives they 

 came from, but leli a gieat many bees in the Sim- 

 plicity. 



At dark I took a look into the hive; .and, ui>on my 

 word, the Simplicity was chock full of bees. Only 

 one frame out of the U I could get out. The bees 

 were clustered over the rest and clear to the bottom 

 of the hive. Do you think the swarm from the box 

 hive I was trying to get into a Simplicity hive could 

 have united with the absconding one, and the other 

 two young swarms went back to their parent hive? 

 I can not see how else they could have done. It 

 puzzled me considerably, now I tell you. 



Please tell me how long they will begin to store 

 honey in the section boxes after they swarm and 

 are put into a Simplicity hive; and wliat do you 

 think of my putting a board over the old box hives, 

 with a hole or holes open over those in top of box 

 hive, and placing one of the honej'crates and bo.xes 

 on, and cover with half-story cover? Think they 

 will make me any box honey that way? I should 

 not like to try to transfer them unti II get a little 

 more used to them. I thought I would try that 

 plan this summer any way. R. J. Watkus. 



New Madrid, Mo., May U, 1885. 



Friend W., just such troubles and mixing- 

 up of matters is pretty sure to ensue where 



natural swarming is allowed, and this is one 

 reason why I do not like it. I should think 

 the most of it was caused because your hives 

 were full, and your bees had no room to 

 work. Boring holes through the top of the 

 box hive is not quite the thing. It does not 

 afford opening enough, unless there are a 

 great many holes, and they are pretty large. 

 Better pry off the top of the box hive and 

 I set your case, of sections right over the 

 I combs. If the bees have been some time in 

 I the box hive, there will be no danger of the 

 ; combs breaking, even if the whole top is re- 

 moved entirely. AVhen bees get the swarm- 

 ing mania there is no accounting for what 

 they may do. They will push out and push 

 • in everywhere, under all circumstances, and 

 j get all in a heap, as yours did. and I do not 

 know how to lay down any verv precise 

 rules of management. A better way is to 

 I 1)6 sure that our bees have plenty of' room. 

 I and by this means discourage swarming as 

 much as we can. 



I KEPOUTS DtSCOURAGIXfi FKOM IOWA. 



HAVE been looking in Gleanincs for a report 

 from Iowa, clescrijitive of our present condition 

 |l in the " beesncss," but I foun<l none. 1 suppose 

 he brethren all feel too bad to "get up and 

 si)eak in mectin'. " The losses of the i)ast win- 

 ter exceed any thing ever befojc known in this sec- 

 tion. Three-fourths of the bee-keepers lost all. The 

 few that remain are mostly miserable weaklings. 

 Out of 09 I saved ;K); only (i of that number arc in 

 good condition; live of the latter are in chaff hives. 

 Every few days we "git a sarm," but after every 

 " sarm " we have one " sarm " less. The severe win- 

 ter accounts for the trouble. Our winter set in Dec. 

 2, and continued almost solid until March 2t). From 

 Jan. 1st to April 1st we had only 9 days that the 

 mercury stood above freezing at 7 a..m. On 25 days 

 during that time the mercury showed below zero at 

 some time of day. From Jan. 15th to 22d inclusive, 

 from zero to 20 below; from 9th to 13th inclusive, 

 from zero to 18 below. From Feb. 1.5th to 2ad inclu- 

 sive, from zero to 18 below. Jan. 21st, 7 below zero 

 at 2 P.M. Feb. 12th, 12 below zero at 1 p.m. No suj)- 

 plies wanted. If this doesn't do lor HIasted Hopes, 

 I would suggest that you send some one to Green- 

 land to try bee-keeping. G. [{. KEPLOCiI.E. 

 Udell, la.. May, 1885. 



TURNED OVER THE BEES TO THE WOMEN, A.NI) 

 GONE TO FARMING. 



I am not a fit subject for Blasted Hopes, but my 

 hopes are " busted." I went into winter quarters 

 with 53, and I now have 13; those 13 I turned over to 

 a female friend of mine who writes her name Mrs. 

 Snyder, and I have gone to farming. If I should 

 get the bee-fever again, I will let you know by send- 

 ing for goods. Thebeekeepers in this part lost ful- 

 ly 75 per cent. F. L. Snyder. 



Orion, Wis., Apr. 25, 1885. 



The winter of 1879 put me in Blasted Hopes. The 



past winter jiuts me there again, along with most 



of my neighbors. I have a nice lot of combs to use 



in building up. I shall have my hives full by July. 



1.5— J. P. C. Steddom, 1.5—1. 



Webster, Ind., May 1], 1.S8.5. 



