April, 1912. 



121 



with screws, and all must be soaked with 

 water before the cement is poured in. 

 Dr. a. F. Bonney. 

 Buck Grove, Iowa 



Following Many Advisers — 

 Swarming 



How long would it take a beginner to 

 get rich if he read and undertook to fol- 

 low all the writers that contribute their 

 ways of managing bees? I think some 

 of them would come out about as I would 

 if I undertook to send a twenty-dollar 

 by one of our northeasterners. The re- 

 sult would be about the same. For in- 

 stance, destroying brood to stop swarming. 

 There is lots written on that. Now, I 

 would like to know how to viake them 

 swarm, as I think in this section I could 

 get just as much money and more in- 

 crease, as a rule. 



I have about 120 colonies, spring count. 

 I run one-half for comb-honey ; from 

 them I get 5 to 8 new swarms ; from 

 those I extract. For the last 13 years 

 I have had 2 — one came out with a vir- 

 gin queen, the other in September after 

 the honey-tlow was over. I never extract 

 until August, after the white honey sea- 

 son is over. 



I have tried not putting sections on 

 some of my best colonies until I saw I 

 was losing the best of the honey season, 

 they hanging out all over 3 sides of the 

 hives, and it made no difference — the re- 

 sult was the same. Now, I don't think 

 it is the location, for when I used to 

 have black bees, almost every strong col- 

 ony, if a good year, would send from one 

 to seven swarms — as a rule, one to three. 



The first queens I ever got were 20 

 from New York. They swarmed them- 

 selves to death the first season after 

 putting them in. They had no honey in 

 the fall, while the black bees did well. 

 I wrote to the party and he told me what 

 kind they were, and thought I would be 

 well pleased with them. I think he called 

 them Holy Land queens. My bees are 

 quite darkj as they get older. I sent for 

 the lighter colored queens. 



C. M. Lincoln. 



West Rupert, Vt., Feb. 24. 



Asphalt Felt for Wrapping Hives 



The following conclusions on the sub- 

 ject of winter hive-wrapping may be of 

 use to some one open to suggestion : 



I regard tar-paper of any kind and 

 every kind as objectionable when ex- 

 posed to the weather, by reason of 

 shrinking, hardening, cracking, dribbling, 

 too, in hot weather, and brittleness when 

 cold. The tar odor is very disagreeable 

 while it lasts. 



Tar-roofing felt is too stiff and heavy 

 for hive-wrapping, and the tar-sheathing 

 paper is too flimsy and unsubstantial. 

 Three-ply tar-roofing is very effective for 

 damp-proofing a cement floor or cellar 

 wall applied while building, but as a roof- 

 ing material it is far surpassed by ready 

 roofings which are composed of asphalt 

 compounds without a trace of tar. I am 

 using a roofing felt of this character for 

 hive-wrapping, and a heavier grade 

 (otherwise the same) for the roof of the 

 honey-house, with great satisfaction. 

 Also my hive-roofs are coveted with the 

 same lighter grade, which has stood the 

 weather and handling without damage. It 

 is not brittle in cold, nor mussy in hot 

 weather. 



This material is 32 inches wide. My 

 method is to slit it lengthwise, making 2 

 strips 16 inches wide, then cut off lengths 



American Hee Joarnal 



sufficient to go around the hive and top 

 3 or 4 indies. Place around the hives, 

 tie with a couple of turns of strong 

 twine, slit down at the covers to the 

 top of th§ hive, then fold the free edges 

 in over the hive, lay a piece of the felt 

 on the turned-in ed^es, and put on the 

 cover with the weight on top. The lap 

 should be placed at the front of the hive. 



These wrappings can be worked out, 

 cut and creased over an empty hive in 

 the shop, rolled up with the right length 

 of string around each, all ready for use. 



Flat sheets of paper are not an effective 

 insulation unless a considerable thickness 

 is used, say one-half inch or more. A 

 single sheet of paper will stop the pas- 

 sage of air, but cold will strike through 

 many sheets almost instantly. 



This question of insulation deserves 

 consideration separately. Old carpet, or 

 burlap (which is not so good) can be 

 made into jackets to pull down over the 

 hive, the wrapping being put on over it, 

 with care, to cover the jacket effectively 

 to keep it dry and snug. A few tacks 

 can be used to advantage around the bot- 

 tom. I use a super-cover on each hive 

 the year around, tacking it down with 

 Ji-inch wire nails in the fall. In the 

 spring these wrappings are carefully taken 

 off. rolled up, the string tied around each 

 roll, and then put away on end until fall ; 

 the top pieces are laid flat ; the jackets 

 are folded tightly and wrapped in paper 

 to keep out moths. I would consider 

 this sort of winter protection practicable 

 up to say 20 hives ; beyond that number, 

 double-walled hives or cellar-wintering 

 might be more convenient. 



This asphalt felt, under various trade 

 names, is not as cheap in the beginning 

 as tar-paper, but there is more satisfac- 

 tion with it, and I expect it to outlast 

 the paper many times over. I have had 

 2 years' experience with it. I piece the 

 jackets together over an empty hive-body 

 in the shop at odd times, using a bag 

 needle and grocer's twine. When made 

 in this way there is no difficulty, and 

 the jackets fit any similar hive. 



New Jersey. M. Spacer. 



More Rain Needed in California 



We had a splendid rain here 8 days 

 ago, and tonight it is raining again, ac- 

 companied with the worst windstorm of 

 the season, which is doing considerable 

 damage. It will take much more rain 

 to give us honey. Bad north and east 

 winds have taken all of the moisture 

 previous to 8 days ago. It is hard tell- 

 ing what the season will be. March 2d 

 there was over 3 inches of rain at the 

 Coast, and 4 to 5 and 6 inches in the in- 

 terior; tonight will add another or more, 

 but this will still not give us a honey 

 crop. It will take much more rainfall. 

 M. H. Mendleson. 



Ventura, Calif., Mar. 9. 



Bees Wintered Well 



Our bees have wintered well, as far 

 as I can hear from all around me. My 

 own have come through the winter in 

 good shape, though they have consumed 

 more stores than they did up to the same 

 time last year. I think they will need 

 close watching to keep up their strength. 

 They are out almost every clear day now. 



I could not think of getting along with- 

 out the -American Bee Journal. I can- 

 not see how any one interested in bees 

 could get along without so valuable a 

 helper which it certainly is to all, novice 

 and veteran alike. E. V.\nderwerken. 



Stamford, Conn., Mar. 13. 



A Gold-Nib Fountain Pen 



This is really a euod Kounlain 

 fl|\ Pen. As far as true usefulness 

 is concerned, it is equal to the 

 higher - priced, much • advertised 

 pens. If you pay more it's the 

 NAME you are charged for. The 

 Gold Nib is guaranteed 14 Karat 

 cold. Iridium pointed. The liolder 

 or ink-barrel is hard rubber, well 

 finished. The cover fits snugly, 

 and cant slip off because it slight- 

 ly wedges over tlie barrel at each 

 end. This I'en is non • leakable. 

 It is very easily cleaned, the pen- 

 point and feeder being quickly re- 

 moved. The simple feeder gives 

 a uniform supply of ink to the 

 pen-point without dropping, blot- 

 ting or spotting. Every bee-keep- 

 er should carry one of these Pens 

 in his vest-pocket right along. It 

 is mailed in a neat box with plain 

 directions and a filler. Each Pen 

 is guaranteed. 



Price, postpaid. Si.oo ; or with 

 the American Bee Journal for one 

 year— both for $1.70; or given FREE 

 [or Two New yearly subscriptions 

 at $1.00 each. 



m 



mi 



£%'< 

 £%>'' 



Queen-Clipping Device 



This OueenClipping Device was 

 invented by Mr. C. Monette. a big. 

 practical bee-keeper in Minneso- 

 ta. It is a fine to use 

 in catching queens 

 for the clipping of 

 their wings. No need 

 of touching queens 

 with the fingers at 

 all. Fine thing for all 

 nervous beekeepers 

 or those who fear to 

 injure queens when 

 clipping them. It is 

 used by many bee- 

 keepers. Plain and 

 full printed direc- 

 tions for use accompany every 

 Device. 



Price, postpaid. 25 cts.: or with 

 the American Bee Journal for one 

 year— both for Si. 10. 



GEORGE W. YORK & CO. 



117 N. Jefferson St., CHICAGO, ILL 

 Pkise mention Am. Bee Journal when writinc. 



Bee-Keepers' Supplies, 



Berry Baskets, Crates, Etc. 



Sold at Rock Bottom prices. From Factory 

 to Consumer. Send for prices. 



W. D. SOPER,tJackson, Mich. 



323 to 325 Park Ave., on L. S,.^; M. S. R. R. 

 ^i^aA^ mention Am. Bee Journal when writing. 



=' The Honey-Money Stories " 



This is a H4-page and cover booklet, 

 534 by 8J4 inches in size, and printed 

 on enameled paper. It contains a va- 

 riety of short, bright stories, mixed 

 with facts and interesting items about 

 honey and its use. It has 31 half- 

 tone pictures, mostly of apiaries or 

 apiarian scenes ; also .3 bee-songs, 

 namely: "The Hum of the Bees in 

 the Apple-Tree Bloom," and " Buck- 

 wheat Cakes and Honey," and "The 

 Bee-Keeper's Lullaby." It ought to be 

 in the hands of every one not familiar 

 with the food-value of honey. Its ob- 

 ject is to create a larger demand for 

 honey. It is sent postpaid for 25 cents, 

 but we will mail a single copy as a 

 sample for 1-5 cents, 5 copies for 60 

 cents, or 10 copies by express for $1.00. 

 A copy with the American Bee Journal 

 one year— both for $1.10. Send all or- 

 ders to the American Bee Journal. 



