214 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



April 2, 



Pres. Aikin — I have shipped to many States. They all 

 said mine was fine honey. 



F. Rauchfuss — There used to be an orRanization here for 

 that purpose. Each member was a stockholder. That is the 

 only way to have it. 



L. Booth — That failed from bad management. That is 

 the trouble with stockholding. 



Pres. Aikin — The Citrus Fruit Exchange have succeeded. 

 They have controlled half the output of Southern California. 

 They have a central office controlled by managers elected by 

 stockholders. Their orders come in, and their markets are 

 worked up, before the season opens. A car goes to all mar- 

 kets. It does not have to be reshipped. The rebate in freight 

 rates goes to the producer instead of the commission-men. 



Mr. Devinny — One method would be to make a contract 

 or agreement to furnish so much honey to be shipped. If you 

 sign an agreement to furnish goods, it is just like a note. 



P. Rauchfuss — We should reach those who do not find it 

 convenient to attend, but who would receive benefit by being 

 members. 



SECUHING SURPLUS IN ADVERSE SEASONS 



was next treated of in an essay by V. Devinny. From forget- 

 fulness, Mr. Devinny's essay was not procured, but in sub- 

 stance it was as follows : 



I shall only treat one aspect of this question. Honey- 

 production requires the production of young bees early in the 

 season. When animals are in unnatural conditions we should 

 help them. Our bees are not native to Colorado. Since there 

 are many warm days in which bees fly before natural pollen 

 comes, flour should be fed. I have practiced feeding wheat 

 flour for many years, and have found nothing better. Last 

 year I fed 150 pounds to about 100 colonies. I press the 

 flour firmly down in the bottom of the vessel, and set it at an 

 angle of 45-. In this way the bees do not get in and smother. 



V. Devinnt. 



Mr. Adams — I recommend mixing the flour with an equal 

 quantity of clean chaff. It gives them plenty of room. 



Mr. Devinny — I have tried mixing the flour with coarse 

 materials, but do not like it. The bees split their wings. By 

 my method they do not get in at all. 



Mrs. Booth — I spread the flour along a table 15 or 20 

 feet in length. The bees do not smother. 



R. Patterson — How long before the honey-flow should flour 

 be fed ? Do you look at light colonies at the same time ? 

 They will be incited to use up their honey. 



Mr. Devinny — I do not feed before March 1. 



Mr. Adams — I commence to feed as soon as they will take. 



Mrs. Booth — Be careful about feeding too soon. Once 

 about April 1 my hives were overflowing with bees, and I lost 

 12 or lo colonies by starvation. It rained several days, and 

 they could not fly for fruit-bloom. 



Mr. Adams — I gave my reply on the supposition the bees 

 had enough stores. 



Mr. Alford — I would like to be troubled with too many 

 bees. I don't care how early they get strong enough. 



Mr. Tracy — Watch for lightness of stores by lifting hives. 

 Always keep full combs on band to replenish. 



Mr. Alford — I feed 4 or 5 bushels of oats. I never touch 

 the hives before April 1, then put in full combs when neces- 

 sary. There is more danger of starving about June 10 than 

 any other time. But the colonies are so strong then it is hard 

 10 get honey in. So I feed inferior honey outside on boards to 

 tide them over. 



Pres. Aikin — I feed flour as soon as they will take it, to 

 keep them from bothering my neighbors, and from going to 

 the flour-mills and getting lost, and I would feed anyhow. In 

 feeding liquid honey outside, look out. I will give an instance: 

 Last spring I took about 600 pounds of feed honey, which 

 was fully half water, to an out-apiary of SO colonies. Arriv- 

 ing at 4 p.m., I poured it over a large quantity of extracting- 

 combs outside, and at once passed along the hives, flinging a 

 few drops of honey on each alighting-board, and tapping or 

 kicking the hives to bring the bees out, and to put each colony 

 on its guard. For a few minutes they did not know where to 

 look for the source of the supply, kept nosing around each 

 others' hives, and, oh my, how cross they were ! But when 

 they began to carry the feed in, I could open hives just as in 

 a honey-flow. The honey was all gone at half-past five. 



Mr. Alford — Did you visit that apiary next day ? 



Pres. Aikin — No, but I have done so on similar occasions. 

 There was no robbing. It is just as when a honey-flow stops. 

 Each colony is on its guard. 



H. Rauchfuss — Don't buy sugar for that purpose when 

 you can get extracted honey for 5 or 6 cents a pound. It 

 would be profitable to know which goes farther. 



F. Rauchfuss — To use honey instead of sugar will assist 

 other bee-keepers. 



Pres. Aikin — Outside feeding should be done in the after- 

 noon, as late as possible, so that the honey will all be in the 

 hives before the neighbors' bees know where it is. 



Airs. Booth — I have had no trouble with robbing by this 

 method. I fed to prevent robbing, and succeeded. 



Mr. Carlzeu — How close to the hives do you feed ? 



Pres. Aikin— Anywhere ; 10 to 50 feet. 



Mr. Adams — How often ? 



Pres. Aikin — As often as necessary. 



Mr. Patterson — But what need is there of such broadcast 

 feeding 'I AVhy not feed the weak colonies only, and feed 

 them inside? I have a lot of swarms which were without 

 honey in the fall, and I am trying to feed them now. 



Mr. Porter — I don't think it advisable to feed at this sea- 

 son of the year. But in June the colonies are all alike and 

 all out. , 



H. Rauchfuss — Don't fuss with weak colonies by feeding. 

 If you have not enough bees, you can buy up heavy colonies 

 in the vicinity for §2.00 apiece, and unite your weak colonies 

 with them, if you do not want to kill them. 



Mr. Alford — I didn't succeed in keeping the ground clear 

 longer than a year in my neighborhood, by buying up. 



Pres. Aikin — In outside feeding, those frames found filled 

 with honey can afterwards be put where they are wanted. 



Mr. Adams — How should the feed be diluted ? 



Mr. Porter — Half and half. Outside feeding is all right. 



Pres. Aikin— If it is too thick they will daub each other. 

 (Concluded next week.i 



CONDUCTED BY 

 DR. C. O. MILLER. MARENGO, ILL, 



LQuestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.! 



Spraying Fruit-Blossoms. 



Is there any danger to bees or honey from spraying fruit- 

 trees in bloom with poisonous solutions ? G. S. C. 



Answer. — Yes, most decidedly. The man who sprays 

 fruit-trees in bloom doesn't know his business. It can do no 

 good whatever to the blossoms, and may do harm. In some 

 places the law will not allow spraying fruit-blossoms. 



Bees Need a Cleansing FiislM. 



I noticed one of the hives in the cellar this morning had 

 the bottom-board and part of the front well smeared with 

 something like propolis. I suppose the colony has bee-diar- 

 rhea. What would you do? I do not want to put them out 

 for at least two weeks yet. There seems to be plenty of bees 

 in the hive, and they are quiet. Reader. 



Answer. — Air the cellar thoroughly, and if you can do so, 

 warm it up at the same time. But nothing will answer so well 

 as to have warm weather come so the bees can fly. 



Diridins Colonies for Increase. 



As I will not be at home this summer to attend to my bees, 

 I wish you would advise me as to the best way to divide them, 

 as I wish the increase and do not want them to swarm. 



Olympia, Wash. Subscriber. 



Answer. — It isn't the easiest thing to know what is the 

 .best way to divide without knowing all about the circumstan- 

 ces. Even in the same apiary onecolony might be so different 

 in its conditions from another that a different plan should be 

 used. In your case, if I understand rightly, the idea is to pre- 

 vent the bees swarming, and at the same time have the in- 

 crease, only being in the apiary on stated occasions. So I'll try 

 to give you one way of doing — a very easy way : 



