AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



243 



Difference in Colonies— Other Matters. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY WM. M. BARNUM. 



I wish some one would give a satis- 

 factory explanation of the marked dif- 

 ference existing between different colo- 

 nies of bees. If theory (fine-spun, at 

 that) goes for anything, two queens 

 reared from the same mother, at the 

 same time, and under exactly similar 

 circumstances— ouy/it to produce prac- 

 tically similar workers. But they don't. 

 There are' not two colonies of equal 

 value, in this sense, in the State — and 

 what I want to know is, how can we 

 recognize and alleviate this most impor- 

 tant "discrepancy," with the least 

 trouble. 



Alley says " there are weak strains of 

 bees ;" and many of us have noticed 

 that some colonies were later at work 

 and earlier to return than others; more 

 excitable natures among some colonies, 

 and so on. We find, in fact, that bees 

 differ most materially. Now, why 

 wouldn't it be a good idea to endeavor to 

 breed out the bad points, and breed in 

 the good ones ? A superior race of bees 

 would surely result-— and that's just 

 what we are all looking for ! 



deadman's picture and apiary. 



Did you notice that picture of Dead- 

 man and his apiary in the July Cana- 

 dian Bee Journal ? It shows a model 

 apiary, and a good-looking man. Dead- 

 man is a good writer, and we would like 

 to hear more from him over on this side 

 o' the line. 



SHADE FOR HIVES. 



The hot wave which swept over the 

 country last month, makes the shading 

 question pertinent and interesting. I 

 would like to know, among other things, 

 what will shade a hive effectually, as 

 well as conveniently. The grape-vine 

 does not prove at all convenient with 

 me — too much in the way. A shade- 

 board is liable to blow over against 

 another hive in a heavy wind ; and the 

 fact is, I don't know so much about this 

 subject as I used to think I did. Dr. 

 Miller, try your hand at this conundrum! 



CONFLICTING REPORTS. 



Reports are conflicting this year, as 

 usual. A recent bee-paper contained a 

 report from Bro. Alley, of Massachu- 

 setts, who says "Bees are booming; 

 best honey year we ever had !" Another 

 man, from " 'way down in Maine," says 



in the same paper, " Bees starving — 

 must feed for winter." And so it goes. 



SAYS " BEE-KEEPINC4 PAYS." 



Thies, " the man from Illinoy," makes 

 the assertion in the last American Bee- 

 Keeper, "that bee-keeping pays;" and 

 he really ought to know. He says : 

 "Lets stick to our bees, and do our por- 

 tion of the work well, and they will pay 

 as well as anything else." Every busi- 

 ness has its ups and downs, and when 

 one considers time and money invested, 

 there are few better occupations than 

 bee-keeping. It should be made a side- 

 issue to some other good business, how- 

 ever ; which will assist materially in 

 helping out on poor honey seasons. His 

 advice is good ; whatever you do, don't 

 give up your bees ! 



Denver, Colo., Aug. 1. 



Maling Snpr Synu for Feeling. 



Written, for ^- Glemd/igti in Bee-Culture'' 

 BY B. TAYLOR. 



Feeding intelligently is, in my opin- 

 ion, the key to certain success in honey- 

 production. It now appears certain to 

 me that it is impossible to winter bees 

 with certainty in our Northern country, 

 where they are confined five or six 

 months, unless the hives are well filled 

 with young bees when winter commences. 

 Sometimes the usual fall flow of nectar 

 from flowers fails ; and the colonies, es- 

 pecially those that have made a large 

 amount of surplus white honey, will 

 cease to rear brood when their store of 

 surplus is taken away, and I am now 

 certain that such colonies cannot be 

 wintered by any perfection of quarters 

 or preparation, so as to come out in the 

 spring sufficiently strong in bees to 

 breed up strong for the white honey- 

 flow; and without this, profitable bee- 

 keeping, as the conditions and demands 

 of markets now are, is impossible. 



The remedy is, to feed the bees in the 

 fall, when the flowers fail from any 

 cause ; and I know that, by expending 

 50 cents to $1.00 for sugar, and mak- 

 ing it into suitable syrup, and feeding it 

 intelligently, it will cause a colony to 

 continue brood-rearing, and have the 

 necessary force of young bees that can 

 live until another season begins. 



Granulated sugar is the cheapest ma- 

 terial to make this syrup of, as a dollar 

 will now buy about 20 pounds at retail, 

 which will make 30 pounds of syrup — 



