1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



18 



By this time the fall yield of honey had come, 

 and 1 still bad some cases of foul brood. T shook 

 these from their combs into a new hive with a set 

 of sections tilied with foundation above, separated 

 by a gueen-excluding- honey-board from a contract- 

 ed brood-chamber haviiijj;- only narrow starters of 

 foundation— in short, Hutchinson's plan of hiving 

 swarms. All these colonies not only went actively 

 t<i work, filling- brood-chamber and 38 sections in a 

 very short time, but none of them showed any 

 traces of foul brood. This was in accordance with 

 the theory I liad formed on the subject. Investiga- 

 tion showed that Quiiiby used a plan embodying 

 the same principles, .50 years ago, and which Doolittlc 

 has more than once recommended in our journals. 



Meantime a number of nuclei used in queen- 

 rearing were attacked by the disease almost 

 simultaneously. T overlooked them carefully, 

 washing out all affected cells with an atomizer, 

 then sprayed bees and combs with thin syrup con- 

 taining one-seventh per cent of carbolic acid. 

 This ended the disease. 



It is not at all impossible that foul brood may 

 reappear in my apiary, but I feel that, with the 

 knowledge I have gained of the disease, I shall be 

 able to speedily conquer and finally e.\terminate it. 



With the permission of the editor I shall have 

 something more to say on this subject in the next 

 number of Gleanings, detailing what I consider 

 the best methods of cure according to varying cir- 

 cumstances, with reasons therefor, and giving the 

 exact steps so that a novice may not err. 



Dayton. 111., Dec. 10, 18bfi. J. A. Gkeen. 



I Hill very, very glad, friend G.,to have 

 you indorse father (Juinby's sensible views 

 of so many years ago ; and it is not very 

 much to our credit that we have discussed 

 the matter all this time without even think- 

 ing of looking into our old standard text- 

 books. I am glad to know, also, that you 

 find carbolic acid, or phenol, at least a par- 

 tial remedy. Let us have your best methods 

 of cure. 



REPORT FROM L. C. ROOT. 



Something in Regard to his Honey Yields 

 For the Past Twelve Years. 



THE POSSIBILITIES BEFORE AN INTELLIGENT AND 

 SKILLFUL apiarist: 410.5 LBS. OF LINDEN HON- 

 EY FROM 40 COLONIES IN ONLY 7 DAYS. 



iW EVERAL years ago, after having spent five 

 ^' years with father Quinby, I decided to com- 

 i^ mence bee-keeping by myself. With the ben- 

 ■^ eflt of our combined experience I located 

 here, considering it the best location we 

 eoulil select, with all the experience we had gained 

 in purchasing bees, honey, etc., during the years 

 that had passed. In order to locate just where, and 

 as I desired, I purchased the land without build- 

 ings, and arranged all with especial reference to 

 conducting this business. The facts are, this is a 

 very fine location, and it is a rare chance for some 

 one who desires to take advantage of it. Under the 

 advice of a physician. I am to remove to a salt- 

 water location. I have purchased a place at Stam- 

 ford, Ct., on Long-Island Sound. I am quite anx- 

 ious to dispose of my property soon, as I have pos- 

 session of my place in Connecticut Feb. 1. 



L. C. Root. 

 After receiving the above from friend 



Eoot. I wrote him that a report of his woik 

 for the past twelve years would be exceed- 

 ingly interesting to the readers of Glean- 

 ings ; and although this report may favor 

 him in securing a customer for his place, we 

 are glad to get it nevertheless, for it is sel- 

 dom that friend Root has been induced to 

 write on bees for any other journal than the 

 American Agriculturist : 



both sides. 



Tu answer to yours of Dec. C, I would say that I 

 have not repoi-ted my yields of honey of late, for 

 two reasons. First, because many people who are 

 in less favorable locations will not ci-edit such re- 

 ports; and, second, because reports of such yields 

 often cause the inexperienced to engage in bee- 

 keeping, with the anticipation of unwarranted re- 

 sults. Let me say, then, first, that such yields as I 

 have secured can be gained only in very favorable 

 locations, and with much practical experience. Be- 

 ginners should not expect such results. During 

 my first five years in keeping bees as an exclusive 

 business, while associated with the late M. Quinby, 

 he would frequently remark, when I made mistakes, 

 that I was paying for my license. This we must all 

 do before we shall attain success in any calling. I 

 shall not only give some facts in regard to the best 

 yields of honey I have taken, but also some of the 

 reverses. 



My first season, 1869, was a most disastrous one. 

 There seemed to be absolutely no nectar in the 

 blossoms, and nearly all stocks had to be fed for 

 winter. The following year was a correspondingly 

 good one, and we obtained what seemed to be an 

 incredible yield. Some stocks gave us over 200 lbs. 

 of box honey, and from one stock we extracted 3fil 

 lbs. 



In 1874 I came from St. Johnsville to my present 

 home. I selected this location because it offered 

 more advantages than any other which I had seen 

 during several years of experience in purchasing 

 bees and honey. I commenced here with 100 colo- 

 nies, in but medium condition. The first part of 

 the season afforded me just honey enough to in- 

 duce breeding, as a result of which I was able to 

 make my stocks very populous. My first surplus 

 was taken July 20, when linden came into bloom. 

 During the next 40 days I secured 10.271 lbs., about 

 one-third of which was comb honey. Since that 

 time I have averaged good yields until the present 

 season, which has been the poorest since 1869. Had 

 it not been for experiences gained during that year 

 I should not have been able to secure even the 6000 

 lbs. that I did from 100 stocks. If we do not become 

 discouraged during such reverses, experiences may 

 be gained which we can not get in any other way. 



In referring to some of my best yields during the 

 time mentioned, I do so in the belief that it may en- 

 courage some to investigate the methods by which 

 such results may be attained. My largest average 

 yield from an entire apiary was 9727 lbs. from 40 

 stocks. The largest in a given time was taken a 

 year ago last summer, when I ecured from 40 

 stocks 4103 lbs., all gathered in just seven days. 

 This was gathci-ed from linden. It is little wonder 

 that this source of honey should fail the present 

 season, following as it did one of such extreme 

 abundance. This entire failure of linden honey 

 has furnished us a great opportunity for testing 

 some of the other sources of honey. 

 I have never been so thoroughly conviaced of the 



