38 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 16, 



frames drawn out, but no signs of a queen. About this time I 

 had received some queens, and put one of them into this hive. 

 Some time in September I again examined them, and found a 

 thriving colony of yellow bees, the whole weighing 67}^ 

 pounds — about 35 pounds of brood, bees, and honey. To-day 

 — Nov. 16, 1895 — it appears to be a strong, healthy colony, 

 in excellent condition. If the same can be said of this colony 

 next spring, the fact may be worth reporting. B. J. C. 

 Notre Dame, Ind. 



Answer. — Bees clustering on an evergreen is nothing un- 

 usual, but it isn't so certain that bees can make wax from 

 sugar syrup alone. The fact that comb was built in an empty 

 hive by a swarm at a time when bees were apparently gather- 

 ing nothing is hardly conclusive, for bees are not likely to 

 swarm unless there is at least a little something to be had 

 from the fields in the way of pollen and honey. Experiments 

 have been made that show that sugar syrup can take the 

 place of honey, more wax really coming from a pound of 

 sugar than from a pound of honey, brown sugar excelling 

 white, but pollen is also needed — at least Cheshire says that it 

 is terribly exhausting for bees to be obliged to secrete wax 

 without pollen. 



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Dried Cattle-Duns as Smoker Fuel. 



I have tried linen rags, shavings, rotten wood, rotten 

 sacking, and all sorts of things, but I find nothing nearly 

 comes up to dried cattle-dung. It smoulders slowly and 

 surely, one charge lasting three or four times as long as any 

 of the first-named, while the odor is most powerful and 

 effective. Try it ; you'll like it. S. D. 



Answer. — Although very old, this sort of smoker-fuel 

 may be new to many, and has tlje advantage that it may be 

 more easily obtainable in some places than other material. 



A " Crooked Commisslon-IVIan " Experience. 



What do you think of a commission man that will send 

 out his flaming circulars to bee-keepers, stating that he is in a 

 position to get the very top figure for honey, will sell for 5 per 

 cent, commission, has a call for more than he can get. quotes 

 you prices of 16 and 17 cents for white honey, and after 

 three months reports to you sold at 8 cents, then charges 

 drayage at the rate of .S2.70 per load for delivering the same, 

 and 10 per cent, commission ou top of that, and tells you that 

 your snow-white basswood and clover honey was dark ? If I 

 had the power, I would prevent such men from ever receiving 

 another pound of honey. E. A. M. 



Chippewa Falls, Wis. 



Answer. — I don't know for certain just what I'd think, 

 for 1 never was in exactly that position, but I'll tell you what 

 I think I'd think, and that is, that a man who would do the 

 things you mention would not be a safe man to sit up with a 

 corpse if the eyes of the departed were held shut with copper 

 cents. And I am not in sympathy with the idea that we must 

 keep so terribly silent about any one who is crooked in his 

 business transactions. 



I wish some one would tell us whether any commission 

 house in Chicago regularly charges 10 per cent, commission. 

 I have an impression that it's something entirely new, if it is 

 done. 



But please don't come down so hard on the whole frater- 

 nity of commission men. While there may be scoundrels 

 among them, there are also those for whom I have high 

 respect as honest men. If you should hear of me abusing my 

 wife, that wouldn't justify you in saying all bee-keepers 



were brutes. 



m w 



Comb Honey or Extracted — Which '. 



Would you advise a beginner in bee-keeping to produce 

 comb houey, or extracted? H. F. M. 



McFall, Mo. 



Answer. — That question can't be answered by a single 

 word without knowing about circumstances and surroundings. 

 If the question means which will be easier for a beginner to 

 manage, an apiary run for comb or extracted honey, I should 

 say extracted. And on the face of it I should take your ques- 

 tion to mean that. If one with little or no experience works 

 for comb honey, there are a good many things about the busi- 

 ness in which he could make mistakes that could not well be 

 made with extracted honey. For example, we could so man- 



age as to have at the close of the season a lot of unfinished 

 and unmarketable sections, with none in good shape for mar- 

 ket. Simply as a result of tiering up too much. If the same 

 thing were done with extracted honey the same loss would not 

 occur, for even if the honey were scattered through a lot of 

 combs instead of haviug a smaller number of combs well 

 packed, the honey could still be extracted all right. If the 

 sections were not taken off early enough they would become 

 darkened, and on that account less valuable ; but the same 

 thing would only make extracted honey better. 



But the question may have a wider scope. Suppose it 

 comes in this shape : I am about to commence producing 

 honey to make all I can out of it in the next five or ten years; 

 do you advise comb or extracted ? The proper answer would 

 be. That depends. If extracted houey will bring in your 

 market just as much per pound as comb, then by all means 

 work for extracted. In some places the honey is so dark that 

 it will bring only a low price as comb honey, and you may 

 make more money by running for extracted. It may be that 

 your home market is so poor that you want to ship, and ship- 

 ping facilities may be such that you cannot safely ship comb. 

 These and other considerations must be taken into account. 

 On the other hand, your honey may be all light, and it may be 

 that you can get two or three times as much for comb as ex- 

 tracted, throwing the balance in favor of comb. Your own 

 skill and experience in the matter may have something to do 

 with it. A may exceed B in working on the same ground for 

 extracted honey, while B may be ahead on comb. 



Possibly it may be so difficult to properly determine the 

 matter that the best way will be to commence working for 



both. 



^ I ^ 



Increase b}' Dividing^ or by Natural Swarming. 



I wish to increase my colonies in the spring. Would you 

 advise natural swarming, or would I better divide ? If you 

 advise dividing please tell me just how to do it. My bees are 

 hybrids, and good enough for me. I use the 8-frame hive. 



South Avon. N. Y. M. D. 



Answer. — It's hard to tell what would be best without 

 knowing how far you have gone in your education as a bee- 

 keeper. Some of those who are thoroughly versed in matters 

 apicultural prefer natural swarming, while others prefer to 

 take the matter in their own hands. Something depends upon 

 circumstances, as whether a man expects to be on hand to see 

 swarms when they issue. 



But, from part of your question, I suppose you are some- 

 thing of a novice, and very likely your safer plan will be to let 

 the bees swarm naturally. But as you intend to increase, the 

 probability is that you intend to go into the business more 

 fully, and it would be a fine thing for you to inform yourself 

 during the winter by getting a good text-book and reading up. 

 Then you will better judge for yourself as to what is best for 

 you ; and after becoming familiar with what is given in the 

 books about dividing, it will be a safe thing for you to under- 

 take it if you think that the best way in your case. But for 

 one with little knowledge of the general principles of bee- 

 keeping, to make artificial colonies would not be the safest 

 thing, as it is an easy matter to do some little thing wrong 

 and thus spoil the whole job. 



A Nc'w Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 

 American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 

 subscriber who sends us 20 cents. It is called "The Wood 

 Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 

 arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 

 Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 

 Journal as fast as they are received. Why not begin with 

 Jan. 1 to save them ? They are invaluable for reference, and 

 at the low price of the Binder you can afford to get it yearly. _ 



If any one desires two of the Binders — one for 189.5 

 and one for 1896 — send 30 cents, and they will be mailed to 



you. 



— ^ -*-•-*• 



Honey as Food and Medicine. — A new and revised 

 edition of this 32-page pamphlet is now issued. It has 5 blank 

 pages on which to write or paste recipes taken from other sources. 

 It is just what its name indicates, and should be liberally dis- 

 tributed among the people everywhere to create a demand for 

 honey. It contains a number of recipes on the use of honey as 

 food and as medicine, besides much other interesting and valuable 

 information. Prices, postpaid, are : Single copy, 5 cts. ; 10 copies 

 35 cts. ; 50 for $1.25 ; 100 for $2.00. Better give them a trial. Send 

 all orders to the Bee Journal oflSce. 



