754 



GLEANINGS IX BEK CULTURE. 



Nov. 



these little trieuds, fed the weaker swarms, and 



goon they regarded me as a last friend, and I often 



open the hives without gloves, protector, or smoker. 



Rockport, O., .Sept. 18, 18*5. G. A. F.vrhand. 



.\LSIKE (LOVKIi; ITS VALUK AS .V HD.V KV-PI.AXT. 



Prtif. A. J. Cooli, 7vr»ii*i7iff;— Will you not kindly 

 say how many colonies and acres of nisikc your 

 brother had isee p. •>!•". Oct. l.'nV also whether the 

 alsiko bloomed during white-clover bloom oi- later. 



Terre Haute. Ind.. Oct. 18, IW.. T. II. Ki.or.it. 



Prof, ("ook replieis : 



I will say that mybrother had about wt colonics ol 

 bees, and nine acres of alsikc clover. .\t the time 

 mentioned, our white clover here at the college was 

 in full bloom. My brother, however, cut his alsike 

 early, to delay the time of bhwmiiig. While I much 

 doubt if alsike clover is ecjual to the common red 

 clover as a farm crop, 1 do think that for bees it is 

 just admirable. It can be made to conic late in the 

 white-clover harvest, and just before the linden. 

 A. .7. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich.. Oct. 2-.3, 188.'). 



FKO.M 71 TO SO, Axn .35^*4 r.BS. of hoxev. 

 fflEHE is my report for the past season of 1885, 

 in the apiary of .\. M. Matthews, Pope Co., 

 Ark. Out of 71 colonies in the middle of 

 March, 18 were in Vjallon Simplicity hives, 

 io of which were queenless. The queens 

 were lost in extracting the previous fall: 16 colo- 

 nies were in box hives, with;a Simplicity on top for 

 surplus, and 37 in box hives, so T had to transfer 53 

 outdoors, late each evening. I increased by nat- 

 ural swarms to 80; and after doubling in the fall 

 I hey counted 76. I took 3.524 lbs. of honey— 3136 ex- 

 tracted, and :J88 lbs. comb. Our partnership has 

 succeeded first rate, on account of both of us trying 

 to do right, which the future will prove better. 

 Pittsburg, Texas. Oct. 19, 188.5. c. J. Dorfma.n. 



I have had good success with my bees this year, 

 and have sold a " right smart " of honey. 

 .Jackson, Tenn., Aug. Hi, 188.5. G. B. Cautmkm.. 



KUOM 31 TO .50, AND ICJO LBS. OF HOXEV. 



Here is my report. As I am only an A B C schol- 

 ar you must not expect too much of me. I bought 

 30 colonies last fall, and wintered in all kinds of 

 boxes. They came out this spring with 16. I trans- 

 ferred all into the Triumph hive. I make my own 

 I hives now. 1 have increased to .50, and have taken 

 lOtX) lbs. of honey in one and two p-iund sections. 



Dunkirk, o.. Oct. :>, 188.5. W. A. M autin. 



|{Kro!(T l)K ONI-; SWAIIM OK lU'.KS IN T H 1. HANKS OK 

 A HK(iiNNi;it. 



.My bees a|.|icar to be in excellent cmidition. 

 From the colony I bought of you in Ma\- T ha<l a 

 ; swarm July 5tli. This swarm made about IJO lbs. of 

 honey in^KI days, and have been wf)rking in the sec- 

 ond story for nearl.\- a month. The original colony 

 swarmed again about .Jvily 30th, a smalt swarm, but 

 good workers. I also hived a swarm of black bees, 

 which alighted near my place. 1 have given them 

 away, because I did not know what the result would 

 be to work black and Italian bees together. My ex- 

 perience has been very pleasant and interesting so 

 far. E. .7. WifrTEHEAi). 



Southington, Conn., Sept. 3, 1885. 



AX EXCOUlJAGINfi KEPORT KRO.M TE.NAS. 



The basswood, our main dependence for nice 

 honey, was so near a complete failure that I shall 

 ; ha^•e but little honey to put on the market this sea- 

 son. My bees, however, are in excellent condition. 

 j and are working with a rush and will. 1 think they 

 j will gather an abundance of stores for fall and win- 

 I ter supplies. I have a flue lot of young gueens 

 i from the last imported mother received of you, and 

 i they are turning out beautifully niarked Italian 

 j bees. I am highly pleased with them. 



Palestine, Tex., Sept. 8, 188,5. C. Brvaxt. 



I have taken, this season, from 16 hives, actual 

 count, 748 lbs of honey, about one-third comb. I 

 will report fully later. M. Brofr. 



Gonzales, Tex., Sept. 28, 1885. 



KRO.M 75 TO 14.5, AXD 131 I.BS. rEII ( OI-OXV. 



Began with 75 colonies: increased to 145. and 

 have extracted about i:J0 lbs. per colony so far, with 

 the fall honey - How yet to come. Wc ha\ c had a 

 %ery wet season. < . M. Hiogixs. 



Hahnville, I,a., Sept. 8, 1885. 



FROM 28 to 44. AND 2200 LBS. OK HOXEV. 



This is my first year in handling bees, although I 

 have studied bee culture for three years. I started 

 in June with 28 coloni«'S. 1 have gathered 2200 lbs. 

 of honey, and have now on hand 44 colonies, all in 

 good wintering condition. 1 think I shall be able to 

 rob at least ten of my colonies again. I lijive sold 

 here about 100 lbs. of honey, and have on hand 1200 

 His. of extracted honey. Can you tell me a good 

 niarket to sell? 



Fofsytl}, Ga., Sppt. ^', 1885. K. f. Brooks. 



Hoiipy Column tells nil wp knovy. tVieii(l [5, 



KROM 9 TO I'J, AXD 60J LBS. OF HOXEV. 



As the time of year for reports has come again. [ 



, will send in mine. I opened the spring with !t colo- 



; nies, in moderate order: increased to 19 by natural 



! swarms, except two 1 divided, and obtained 600 lbs. 



j of choice comb honey, mostly in lib. sections. My 



j best yielded 100 lbs., and second best 90. I will give 



the record of one colony. About the tenth of May, 



i No. 1 swarmed: and as 1 had old combs, the swarm 



i had nothing to do but gatbei- and clean uj). In 



j about three weeks I <iivided swarm No. 2, making 



I No. 3: then in about two weeks No. 2 swarmed, and 



one week later No. 2 swarmed again, both of which 



have gathered i)lenty to winter on, and No. 2 ga\ e 



44 lbs. choice comb honey; and its mother, No. 1. 



I 90 lbs. of surplus. Is not that good for a home-bred 



Italian queen, and not an acre of clover of any 



i kind within range? All they had to work on was 



Avild flowers, heart's-ease, and Spanish needles. 

 I 5— S. C. Frederick, 9—19. 



j Coal Vale. Kan.. Oct. 4, 1885. 



541 LBS. OK HOXEV FRO.M OXK COLOXV. 



.\s I have .just Hnished up taking honey. I will let 

 you know, for the first time, how I am getting along 



, with my bees. I have3(i hivesof bees in good shape 

 for winter, and huvv taken 1967 lbs. of honey from 

 them, and they have plenty to winter on. My best 



; hive has made me 541 lbs. of extracted honey. Of 

 course, they did not all do that, or I should have to 



I dig a pool to put it in. They have averaged 65 11)6., 

 counting thp p»pital hive. Now for the Clark smo. 



I Hers. Sopif? IT*' ''otjiej-ed with t'lf'tP ''vehokjng up, 



