424 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 2, 1903. 



any part without having: to pass all along the inside. But 

 there was enough space behind the hives to work freely and 

 even to pile some empty hives from place to place. The 

 front was entirely removable at will. This front was in sec- 

 tions, like large shutters, and was entirely closed during the 

 cold days. On warm winter days, and during the summer, 

 these shutters were removed and allowed the air to circulate 

 freely. This made the shed pleasant for work, in fact 

 nearly as pleasant as the shade of trees. But there were 

 drawbacks even in this apiary. The hives had to be placed 

 in close proximity to one another, and this made trouble 

 when the young queens went out for their bridal flight. It 

 is well known that, not only the young queens, but the 

 young bees as well, often riiake a mistake and enter the 

 wrong hive when the hives are too numerous and alike in 

 appearance, especially if they are crowded together. The 

 mistake of a worker-bee, or even of a hundred workers, has 

 but little importance, but the mistake made by a young 

 queen is of vital importance to the colony, as they usually 

 have no brood of proper age to replace a queen that has not 

 returned from her bridal flight. 



Then we have another objection to house-apiaries which 

 is insuperable in many instances. It is when we establish 

 out-apiaries. The bee-keeper who has many bees does not 

 have several farms of his own. So he is compelled, when 

 establishing out-apiaries, to place them on some other 

 man's laud, and he does not know how long his bees may 

 remain there. He cannot go to the expense of building a 

 house in such circumstances. We had the experience of 

 this ourselves once. We had a very good friend on whose 

 farm we had had bees for years, and we finally decided to 

 build a bee-shed, feeling sure that we would never be com- 

 pelled to remove the bees. Within two years, changes hap- 

 pened in that man's family which compelled him to leave 

 the farm and go to live in the city. His home was rented to 

 a tenant, and the management of that tenant was such that 

 we very soon decided to remove our bees. 



The European who keeps bees as a business is rare, 

 while here, especially in Colorado, California, etc., he is met 

 everywhere. Land in Europe is high and in great demand. 

 The spot occupied by an apiary is necessarily confined, 

 while in our land we pay but little attention to the amount 

 of space needed. In fact we waste land, and will probably 

 waste it for many years to come, our country being so large. 

 What will do for us is not acceptable to them. 



Hancock Co., III. 



[ Our Bce-Meepin$ Sisters | 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



Work Done by the Sisters. 



I am just beginning to find out what an amount of work 

 is being done by our bee-keeping sisters. The energy, 

 courage and fortitude displayed by so many of them is truly 

 inspiring, and surely ought to meet with success. Some of 

 the letters I have received were not meant for publication, 

 but they are so interesting and helpful that I trust I will be 

 forgiven for giving all the sisters the benefit of them. 



Price of Hives — Removing' Honey, Etc. 



My experience is very limited in bee-culture. I have 

 seven colonies, and keep them only for home use. I lost 

 two swarms this week, and had ordered hives and they 

 came, but they were not set up, as I had no one who could 

 do so. 



The way I take my honey is to take the top of the hive 

 off that holds the pound boxes, and carry it a short distance 

 from the main hive. The bees will all leave and go to the 

 hive again. Then we take the honey and replace new 

 pound boxes in place of the old, and place the top on again. 

 I have not been able to attend to my bees myself of late, 

 having been sick for six months with sciatic rheumatism, 

 and my right arm nearly disabled. 



1. What are hives worth there all set up and crated, 

 ready to be shipped, say six at a time ? 



2. I take my honey only as stated above. How do you 

 take yours? and in what months ? 



I should like to know more about bees, for I think they 

 deserve all we can do for them. S. M. P.WXE. 



St. Mary's Co., Md., May 22. 



Answers. — 1. An 8-frame hive, all complete, nailed 

 and painted, and crated ready to ship, will cost you $2.50 at 

 Chicago. The 10-frame is $2.65. These have one super for 

 comb honey. 



2. We use T supers to hold our sections, and take each 

 super ofl^ any time from June to September, whenever 

 finished. 



I hope that troublesome rheumatism is better. A few 

 bee-stings might be of benefit. While the treatment is 

 rather heroic, some claim to have been greatly helped bj' it. 

 You might try a few by way of experiment. 



A Busy Sister. 



I like the American Bee Journal ever so much, and what 

 little I know about bees I have learned from the Journal. I 

 have nine colonies. Yes, I do my own work. My husband 

 does not like to be among the bees, and we do our own farm 

 work so far, but the work is too hard for us two. But I hope 

 to have some help so that I can take care of more bees. I 

 do like them, for they are as busy as myself, and the hum- 

 ming is so sweet and healthful. 



I have not asked questions because I am so poor a writer, 

 being German, and never having gone to the English 

 school, so I listen to those who do write, and learn that way. 

 There is no one here who likes to tell what he knows about 

 bees. We built a new house last summer, and put a furnace 

 in the cellar. It is nice and dry for bees. Mine came out 

 in good shape this spring, and are working well. 



Waupaca Co., Wis., May 24. EouiSA Thilke. 



Please don't hesitate to ask questions. This depart- 

 ment is for you just as much as if you were a good English 

 scholar. Some of us may envy you your knowledge of 

 German. 



Again With the Bees. 



When we sold our home in Virginia and came to Cali- 

 fornia I was obliged to give up my bees, until about six 

 weeks ago, when I happened on a tramp swarm, as they are 

 termed here, near Arch Beach, in Orange County, where I 

 was staying, and brought them home in a box, then trans- 

 ferred them successfully into a Langstroth hive. 



California is a great country for honey, but the last 

 month has been so cold and foggy that the poor bees have 

 had rather hard work. But now the real California weather 

 is here, warm and bright, and as the hills around about us 

 are covered with black sage, followed by several other varie- 

 ties, and wild buckwheat, there is splendid pasture for them, 

 and I hope for great things from my small colony. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif., June 4. Martha White. 



A Ranch Bee-Keeping- Sister. 



I am not much of a hand to ask questions, because if I 

 wait quietly some one always asks just what I want to 

 know, and the bee-keepers have all been very kind to tell 

 me and help me in every way possible. I like the American 

 Bee Journal, and have learned lots of good things from it. 

 I am going to get Dr. Miller's book. I like the way he an- 

 swers the questions, and I feel as if I were acquainted with 

 him. 



I have been keeping bees only a short while. My hus- 

 band bought 5 colonies and let them out on shares two years 

 ago this spring. Then I helped a little and learned a few 

 things, and I thought that common-sense was a good thing 

 to use. So last year I took them myself, increased them to 

 31 colonies, but got no honey, as there was no honey last 

 year. 



I fed three sacks of sugar, and brought them out nice 

 and strong this spring, and have 64 colonies in good shape. 

 When a swarm came out I went to the hive they came from 

 and cut out all of the queen-cells but one good one, in order 

 to keep down the increase and to keep them strong. I also 

 sent back some small swarms by killing the queen. 



Now I am getting ready to extract just as soon as my 

 extractor gets here. I am a little late about it, but I could 

 not get an extractor sooner. I have had to put on two and 



