10 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 1, 1903. 



foundation in the sections — but still I am willing to assume 

 that at least some of the folks in the other boat have ad- 

 justed themselves correctly to their own locality, bees and 

 circumstances. Page 732. 



BEES AND A RAINY CLIMATE. 



And so in the most rainy county of the most rainy State 

 (where the inhabitants are accused of having fins and 

 scales), a good many farmers keep a few bees — sure sign 

 that a rainy climate is not a total bar to honey-storing. 

 Page 749. 



MANY KINDS OF PHACELIA. 



Thirteen species of phacelia in one section of Califor- 

 nia. Thanks to Editor Cowan for posting us about the 

 phacelias. Evidently the tansy-leaved phacelia is a great 

 producer of honey ; but whether the amount and quality of 

 the green forage it can be made to yield will tempt our 

 farmers to raise it — aye, there's the rub. Page 750. 



A LOT OF DONKEYS ! 



My, what a lot of donkeys gaze out upon us from the 

 title page of No. 48 ! 



Questions and Answers, i 



CONDtJCTBD BY 



OR. O. O. aULLER, Afareng-o, HZ. 



[The Qnestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal office, or to Dr. Miller 



direct, when he will answer them here. Please do not ask the 



Doctor to send answers bv mall.— Editor.1 



Moving Bees by Railroad in Winter. 



Could I move a few colonies of bees to Alcona, Mich., 

 about the middle of January ? It being cold at that time, 

 would the combs break down in transportation ? 



Would the bees freeze before I could get them on their 

 new stands and fixed for cold weather ? 



Please tell me all that is required for such handling. 



Ohio. 



Answer. — The weather, the condition of the combs, 

 and the manner of handling, all have a bearing on the case. 

 The colder the weather, the more brittle the combs. If the 

 combs are old and tough, there will be less danger of break- 

 ing. Wired combs arc safer than those not wired. Unless 

 the colonies were very weak, there would be no danger 

 from freezing the bees. The distance is so great that you 

 would probably move them by rail. Place them in the car 

 so that the frames run parallel with the railroad tracks. 

 Fasten them securely so that they cannot move about in the 

 car. The entrance closed with wirecloth will give them all 

 the ventilation needed for such cold weather. 



Spacing-Anchor for Brood-Prames. 



I have noticed complaints as to spacing-staples used in 

 the ends of the brood-frames. I herewith enclose a cut of a 

 home-made "spacing-anchor" which I hope will satisfy 

 complainants' taste, as it is very simple and made of the 

 same size wire as the common staples comes in. 



The spacing anchor is inserted through small holes 

 pierced through the ends of the top-bar, and the sides of the 

 frame. The holes are put in the middle of the bars, about 

 '4 inch from the side-bars in the top-bar, and one inch from 

 the top-bar in the side-bars. J. HillER. 



Answer. — The " spacing-anchor " as explained, passes 

 through the top-bar '4 inch outside of the end-bar, and is 

 then bent to pierce the end-bar an inch lower down. This 

 makes the frame practically a wedge, which if let down 

 evenly must automatically go to the right place. It cer- 

 tainly looks all right, and before I ever tried any end- 

 staples I invented and used the same thing. In actual prac- 

 tice, however, it does not work so well as the staples. The 

 very feature that commends it in theory is against it in 

 practice. IT ntil it is very nearly down in place, it allows 

 one end to drop down inside, whereas the minute the staples 

 strike at all, it prevents the possibility of the other end 

 dropping down. This dropping down is the thing that has 



been complained of, and the staples prevent it more than 

 any other plan. It is possible that those who have had 

 trouble about dropping down do not have the most accurate 

 work, as others have no trouble of that sort. 



If any one wishes to try the plan proposed he can easily 

 try one or more frames by driving in a thin wire nail 

 through the top-bar, and then bending it in to the end-bar. 



Bees Humming in tfie Cellar— Odd-Size Frames. 



1. Do bees always keep on humming in the hives all 

 winter when in the cellar, in which the temperature is 45 

 degrees ? If not, please tell me the cause. 



2. What will be the price, per hundred, for frames of 

 these dimensions? Langstroth length bottom-bar, but 13 

 inches deep from top to bottom, outside measure. 



Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. I believe there are some who say their 

 bees are found entirely quiet, but I think mine never are. A 

 humming, more or less pronounced, may always be heard. 

 They seem to go somewhat in waves, occasionally stirring 

 up so as to make quite a little noise, but almost entirely 

 quiet during the rest of the time. These periods of occa- 

 sional waking up differ in the different hives, so that when 

 one stands to listen at the door of the bee-room there is a 

 constant, gentle murmur, which I confess I rather enjoy 

 hearing. 



2. I don't know. Such a frame, being an odd size, is 

 probably not listed in any catalog, and would have to be 

 made to order; but if you will apply to any manufacturer 

 he will no doubt quote a price. 



Piling Up Hives with Bees for the Winter. 



Would it be safe for me to stack up the hives with bees 

 each upon the other in a warm room, without any fire near 

 by, for the winter ? Also, would it do to stop up the 

 entrance with some small strips of wire-screen to keep the 

 bees in ? If so, would they need water before the winter is 

 over? I am a beginner in the bee-business, just began last 

 spring. North Carolina. 



Answer. — The probability is that it would not work 

 well. Something depends on what you mean by a warm 

 room. It is generally considered that 45 degrees is warm 

 enough. If, however, you could have them in a room 

 with steady heat, in perfect darkness, with pure air 

 all the time, it might do to have them a good deal warmer. 

 Don't think of fastening the bees in the hive. Some have 

 tried it to their sorrow. When a bee tries to leave the hive 

 in wititer, if it finds itself penned in, it will raise a commo- 

 tion and set others trying to get out, whereas if the entrance 

 is free it will quietly go without disturbing any one else. 

 The thing to do is to try to keep bees from wanting to leave 

 the hive, not to fasten them in. 



Sowing for Bee-Pasturage— Moving and Wintering Bees 

 —Shower-Grass. 



1. Just adjoining my place is a railroad right-of-way, 

 and on it a very high field, a quarter of a mile long. What 

 can I sow on this right-of-way best for bee-pasturage ? Of 

 course the seed cannot be worked or cultivated, it can only 

 be sown on top of the ground, and take the chances on 

 growing. 



Then, again, the weeds on this right-of-way are cut 

 twice during the summer, by the section-hands. Now, as 

 the seed cannot be worked in, and as the weeds and grass 

 are cut twice a year, what would I better sow ? There are 

 several acres, and I would like to turn it into a bee-field. 



2. Is it best to move bees when thej' have to be moved 

 several miles now, or wait until spring ? I prefer to move 

 them now. 



3. My home is built with an L,, facing the south, and 

 in that L I can put several colonies of bees. The house will 

 protect them from both north and east winds. The sun can 

 shine right into the face of the hive. Will that be a good 

 place for bees in winter ? I cannot keep them there in sum- 

 mer. 



4. What do you think about " shower-grass " for Ken- 

 tucky ? Kentucky. 



Answers. — 1. I don't know. I think I should take my 

 chances on sweet clover. Seed sown either spring or fall, 



