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AMERICAN SEE JOURNAL.. 



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 HOIVEY OUXI.OOK IN THE SOUTH, ETC. 



BY DK. J. P. H. BROWN. 



This year has been a very discouraging one for the bee-keepers in most of the 

 Southern States. The honey crop has been nearly a total failure, excepting in 

 Florida where the product has been the heaviest and finest they have had in years. 



While all this is very discouraging to the bee-keeper, it is not any worse than 

 the failures that frequently occur in the production of many other crops. Because 

 adverse seasons destroy and cut short the cotton, corn, fruits, and horticultural 

 products, the farmer does not abandon the culture of these crops, but he " picks 

 flint and tries again," and endeavors to bring to bear, in his renewed efforts at their 

 culture, all the skill and knowledge he can command. Hundreds of colonies have 

 already perished, and hundreds more will " go up " unless fed before April comes 

 again. In many localities bees can gather enough winter stores from the fall 

 flowers, particularly from the asters. The golden-rods in my locality yield com- 

 paratively little honey, and we have acres of ground covered with them, while the 

 asters yield abundantly until frost. 



By the first of October all colonies should be examined, and if any have less than 

 20 or 25 pounds of stores, they should be fed until they have about this amount. 

 It is always best to place the feed, at evening, within the hive, and to give as much 

 as they can take up. 



As the patched-up tariff bill of the political solons has caused an advance in the 

 price of sugar, the honoy-producers must see that they get more for their honey. 



BENDERING COMBS INTO WAX. 



All comb that is not intended to be saved for future use should be rendered into 

 wax. For small quantities the sun-extractor is the best contrivance for doing it, 

 but where the quantity is large, a large iron pot, water and a bag properly worked 

 are the best for the business. The wax comes out bright and yellow, and superior 

 to that rendered by most of the wax extractors. 



The combs that are intended to be saved, should be well fumigated with sulphur, 

 for, unless this is done, the worms will soon destroy them. In our climate broods of 

 the wax-moth continue to develop until frost. 



SPREADING COMBS TO PROMOTE BREEDING. 



When Mrs. Ellen Tupper was in her apicultural zenith, there was started a 

 spreading-comb craze that was carried to such an extent that many colonies were 

 injured thereby. Theory and practice do not always tally. Theory is more often 

 based upon the imagination than upon solid facts. The idea advanced by Mrs. T. 

 and others was, that after the queen started to laying in the spring and established 



