J*obIishecJ WG&Jily, at 9i*00 per aniau/n. 



Sample Cop3' sent on Jk.jyj^Uc'at ion. 



36th Year. 



CHICAG-O, ILL., MARCH 12, 1896. 



No. 11. 



General Hints on a House-Apiary. 



BY B. TAYLOR. 



(Read at the Wiscomin State Convention, Feb. 6 and 7, 1896.) 



I will give a few thoughts upon the subject of house-api- 

 aries, drawn from six seasons' experience with that method of 

 caring for bees. 



To make bee-keeping pay, we must have good crops of 

 surplus salable honey, and to get that we must have plenty of 



it would furnish all the prime conditions for perfect winter 

 quarters. I reasoned by having the hives near together, and 

 packing a number of them properly with a cold-excluding and 

 warmth-retaining blanket of dry sawdust, that each single 

 hive would co-operate with its neighbor in retaining heat, and 

 thus secure mutual warmth, even temperature at all times, 

 and especially protection from sudden harmful changes of 

 temperature in the critical breeding season — early sprlny. I 

 reasoned that the bees would be at liberty to take a cleansing 

 flight several times during winter, on warm days, and that 

 such flights would be more healthful for the colonies than five 

 or more months of cellar confinement. Yes, theoretically, the 

 house-apiary furnishes all the couditions that reason demands 

 for successful fall, winter, and spring protection. ztttj 



I have not been disappointed, for five winters' practical 

 experience has proved the house a good, safe place to winter 

 bees in. I have, it is true, had some loss each winter in the 

 house, but there was each year still greater loss, with equally 

 good colonies, in a (irst-class cellar. I have each season got 

 better results in surplus honey in the house than in the open 

 yard. Perhaps this may have come from giving the bees in 

 the house a little the best care. Feeding, and many other 



,u 



:! JiSiSI^ 



Mr. B. Taylor, of Forestvllle, Minn., and Hlx House-Apiarij. 



healthy bees in early spring, so a large army of workers may 

 be bred in time for the white clover harvest, and in order to 

 have those early bees, successful wintering is indispensable. 

 Moses Quinby long ago declared what our experience has 

 proved true, viz.: That two-thirds of the failures in bee-keep- 

 ing come from failure in successful wintering. The house- 

 apiary, then, to be practical must be a good place to winter 

 bees in. 



When first resolved to try a house-apiary, I reasoned that 



necessary things are more easily done in the house. Robbing, 

 cross bees, wet grass, hot sun, and many other nuisances are 

 unknown in the house. It is a great comfort to be able to 

 open a hive at any time, and not be troubled with robbers. 



I put my bees into the cellar last year on Nov. 8; the bees 

 in the house have had two splendid plays since then. They 

 were out Jan. 8, and yesterday (Jan. 30) they were out 

 en masse. In both of these flights not enough bees chilled to 

 speck the snow. 



