658 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi-. 



from the leaves of the maple and beech trees, which were quite thickly spattered. 

 It lasted only six or eight days, then suddenly ceased. It was quite dark in color, 

 but after ripening, it was preferred by some to clover honey. 



My bees stored a total of 300 pounds in the sections the past season— all, with 

 the exception of honey-dew, being No. 1 honey. This was taken from 5 colonies, 

 spring count, and I increased to 13 ; 65 pounds in one-pound sections was the 

 largest yield from one colony. 



There was no fall honey here, and late swarms need to be fed, if not already 

 looked after. There are but few bee-keepers in this most northern county — the 

 "garden of Maine " — and comb honey in one-pound sections brings a fair price — 18 

 to 20 cents per pound. 



After reading Jennie Atchley's article on page 525, I think I shall give the 

 Carniolans a trial. One bee-keeper here, after giving the Italians and Carniolans a 

 trial in the same yard, prefers the latter. 



Mrs. Atchley speaks of the disposition of the blacks to run off to the woods as 

 soon as possible after swarming. My bees I have supposed to be nearly, if not 

 quite, full-blooded blacks, and they often hang for sometime in the apple-trees near 

 which they are placed, and in one instance a swarm remained in the tree all night ; 

 when shaken down the next morning, they fairly tumbled over each other in their 

 efforts to get inside their new home. Is it possible I may have a better strain of 

 blacks ■? or is it more probale that have a little Italian blood in them ? Perhaps the 

 apple-trees so near them have something to do with it. I have never had a swarm 

 go off to the woods. 



The largest producer of honey in this locality is, I think, Mr. E. E. Tarr, whose 

 crop, the past season, was about 7,500 pounds of comb honey in one-pound sections. 



What a treat it would have been for us beginners in bee-keeping to have been 

 at the St. Joseph convention ! Caribou, Maine, Oct. 29. 



SOItlETHIXG FROM A BIG BEE-MAN. 



BY C. DAVENPORT. 



Bee-keeping is my only business — I have no side-lines of any kind — it is all bees 

 with me. I have at present 367 colonies. During the spring, summer, and early 

 fail they are located in three yards— one 6 and the other 13 miles from the home 

 yard. For about six months I employ three men — one for each yard; the rest of 

 the time I have one, and sometime two, and we all have all we want to do. This 

 will make the sixth year I have put into winter quarters about 350 colonies. 



Wintering Bees. — My bees are all hauled home in the fall, and wintered in two 

 cellars, built for this purpose. They are made somewhat like Mr. B. Taylor's, only 

 larger, and not so complicated. There is a stove in each one, so they can be warmed 

 if necessary. The cellars were built six years ago the past summer. My winter 

 losses in them since has been from 4 to 18 per cent. I have bees enough so that I 

 do not save any colonies for winter that are not strong and in good condition. 



The honey in the brood-nests of two-thirds, and sometimes all, these colonies is 

 extracted in the fall, and they are fed from 20 to 30 pounds (some colonies requir- 

 ing more than others) of granulated sugar syrup for winter stores. Now this is not 

 done because I think that sugar syrup is better than natural stores, because I do 

 not. It is done for profit. I sell extracted honey at from 8 to 15 cents per pound, 

 according to the kind it is. My crop of comb honey, this summer, was a little over 

 60 pounds per colony, spring count. 



