July 16, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



455 



group of colonies for some of which much honey was ex- 

 tracted in the fall, and some others which were left un- 

 touched : 



" The colonies that had crooked combs, were left with 

 all their stores— 10-frames [Ouitiby frames.— A. C. M. |, be- 

 cause we could not disturb them Without breaking combs, 

 and causing leakage and robbing, and it was not the proper 

 sfeason to transfer them. These colonies did not have to be 

 Jed the following spring, became very strong, and yielded the 

 largest crop. [My italics.— A. C. M.] This untried-for re- 

 sult caused us to make further experiments, which proved 

 that there is a 'profit in leaving, to strong, colonies, a large 

 quantity of honey so that they will not limit their spring 

 ^n?(frfj«^. " (Mr. Dadant's italics). Revised Langstroth, page 

 329. 



Compare this paragraph with the other, and see which 

 system Mr. Dadant found most profitable. 



If we conduct any work so that it yields less profit than 

 if conducted in another way, we are losing. Mr. Dadant 

 says the fall-supplied colonies were the most profitable. As 

 it is cheaper in time and labor to fill up the colonies in the 

 fall than to dabble along food in the spring, and as the fall- 

 filled colonies pay the most, I am justified in saying that 

 spring stimulative feeding is conducted at a loss. I did not 

 say, nor intend to imply, that colonies could not be built up 

 by such feeding, but that it is not profitable. 



Providence Co., R. I. 



[ Our Bee-Keepin§ Sisters j 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



Feeding- Syrup in the Spring. 



The corner allotted to us is very nice. I hope it will 

 grow and prosper in the future as it has in the past. I 

 should like to ask through your department if I can feed 

 bees in the spring with syrup, and how much I am to feed 

 them at a time when they are short of stores ? 



Lake Co., 111., June 8. Nettik A. MuNSON. 



Answer. — Yes, you can feed them in the spring with 

 syrup. The amount depends somewhat upon how short of 

 stores they are. If they are entirely out, 10 or IS pounds is 

 none too much. 



Managing Colonies that Store Watery Sections. 



A few years ago we had a couple of colonies of Funics. 

 They were hardy bees and good gatherers, but filled the 

 sections so full of honey that they left no air-space, and 

 when capped they looked black and greasy. We had con- 

 cluded that we could not use them for comb honey, when 

 one day a bright idea occurred to us to let them fill the sec- 

 tions full of honey ready to seal, then take them away and 

 give to a colony that did extra-white work in sealing, and 

 the result was very satisfactory, and we had a lot of beauti- 

 ful white sections. If you have any trouble in that way, 

 just try it and see how nicely it works. 



Keeping Bees With a Baby. 



I do all of my house-work, not including washing, and 

 have a young baby, and no help but my little Syear-old son. 

 I am one of the " sisters "" who paddles her own canoe " 

 with the bees. My husband does not like to " fuss " with 

 them, but sometimes I am just obliged to have him. For 

 instance, I had a swarm in the top of a tree, and I told him 

 if he didn't want to see me up that tree he would better go 

 after them. Well, he went. 



I had a letter partly written to you some time ago. but 

 have been sick for a month, so it was not finished. Yes, 

 there are questions I want to ask, and lots of things I want 

 to discuss with some one who actually knows something. I 

 am grass-green on bees, and my neighbor bee-keepers are 

 even greener. I have only 10 colonies (3 new swarms), and 

 haven't the chance to attend to them as I should. I rush 

 out to them when the baby takes her long nap, and then 



often have to slop in the "thick of the fight" if she 

 chances to awaken. I love the bees though, and dearly love 

 to attend to them. Our department is all right. I enjoy it 

 much, and wish I could say something of value to some one 

 else. 



I have had some success, but it was not due to anything 

 smart that I did, I don't believe. Failures? O yes, a plenty 

 — scored another this forenoon, when I undertook to get 

 ahead of the baby by getting up before day in order to get 

 breakfast in line, and be ready to take off some honey by 

 the time it was light enough to see. Not having enough 

 supers, and not wishing the bees left without anything for 

 supers, I thought to take out sections and refill at the hive, 

 but those bees were all at home and made a bold stand for 

 their ground, regardless of smoke. I was afraid to smoke 

 them too much for fear they would uncap the honey (as a 

 colony did last year). Therefore, I retreated in disorder, 

 and resolved to renew the attack when the bees were busy 

 in the field. We have kept bees for about five years, but 

 paid them very little attention until recently I have taken 

 them for my " hobby." 



The American Bee Journal has been of great benefit. 

 It comes to me on Saturday, and I sit up and read it through 

 that night. I don't want to be tempted to read it on Sun- 

 day. I hope to add another "sister" to the subscribers' 

 list soon. I received a nice queen from Editor York last 

 year, and reared some queens from her. These bees are 

 doing the best work this year. By another year I hope to 

 have all Italians, and all queens clipped— that is, if the 

 baby consents. 



There is so much I want to say, tut this is already so 

 long ; but I hope you will let me come again. 



Mrs. C. D. Mkars. 



Princess Anne Co., Va., May 26. 



That blessed baby will be helping you with the bees 

 one of these days. 



A Poor Honey-Year. 



This is a poor honey-year so far. We had a hail-storm 

 that ruined the alfalfa bloom, so we get no honey from the 

 first crop. Bees are working on white sweet clover. We 

 have three acres in full bloom. We have a few bunches of 

 the yellow also. It blooms two weeks earlier than the 

 white sweet clover. I had to feed my bees until June 15 

 this year. Last summer two of five supers were filled 

 nicely on June 14. This is the 29th, and the first sections 

 are about half full. Mrs. Ben. Ferguson. 



Ford Co., Kans., June 29. 



Six Years],With the Bees. 



I started bee-keeping six years ago with one colony of 

 Italians, and at present I have 10 colonies, all in 8-frame, 

 single-walled hives. I am running for comb honey, ex- 

 tracting the unfinished sections, and sometimes sell colo- 

 nies on the frames. I do not have much time to spend with 

 my bees, but I do all the work connected with them myself, 

 unless a swarm clusters too high, when my father takes 



care of it. . . ,_ ^, 



I have been quite successful in wintering bees on the 

 summer stands (provided they have plenty of stores in the 

 fall), by placing an empty super on the hive and filling with 

 oat-chaff, with, of course, the usual cloth and Hill's device 

 under. And, by the way, I make my own " device " from 

 barrel-hoops. 



Last season the colonies that did not swarm stored some 

 honey, and the others sent out their swarms so late that 

 none gathered more than enough to winter on. I fed two 

 or three in the fall. 



I like to read the articles in the " Sisters " department, 

 but wish there were more of it. 



I aim to keep my bees strong rather than to increase in 

 number. Emma A. Lyon. 



Fairfield Co., Conn., May 28. 



Amerikanische Bienenzucht, by Hans Buschbauer, is 

 a bee-keeper's handbook of 138 pages, which is just what 

 our German friends will want. It is fully illustrated, and 

 neatly bound in cloth. Price, postpaid, $1.00 ; or with the 

 American Bee Journal one year— both for $1.75. Address 

 all orders to this oflice. 



