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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 17, 



I read several of the bee-papers in order to learn from 

 others all I can of the facts and true theories connected with 

 practical bee-keeping, and I think that most bee-keepers read 

 the papers for the same purpose. This fact has a tendency to 

 overcome my timidity with a sense of duty. Theories that 

 will not stand the test of the practical apiarist will not do to 

 depend upon. I will submit a few facts as they have presented 

 themselves to me in eight years' experience with bees. 



Four years ago, on opening a colony of bees about swarm- 

 tng-tirae, I noticed some very small, inferior-looking drones. 

 At first I wondered at it, for I was very sure that that colony 

 had no drone-comb in it ; yet the presence of drones aroused 

 my curiosity, and I examined the combs to see if I was mis- 

 taken. But no; there was not even a drone-cell that I could 

 find. I concluded that they must have come from some other 

 colony, but I did not understand why they were no larger than 

 workers. 



Again, last year I filled several hives with full sheets of 

 foundation, wired in, and transferred colonies from box-hives 

 into them, a la Heddon. There was a moderate honey-flow at 

 the time. In about a week I put on the supers, and about a 

 week after that I looked through the brood-chamber, and two 

 of the colonies had appropriated a piece of foundation about 

 three inches square in the corner of one frame upon which 

 to build drone-cells. They did not change the size of the cells 

 at the base, but inclined them from the center so as to make 

 the cells larger at the outer end. Every impression on the 

 foundation had a cell erected from it, except possibly a few 

 where the inclined flared cells met the perfect worker-cells. 

 These inclined and flared cells had larvaj in them that hatched 

 out drones. I feared that they might spoil more of my in- 

 tended nice worker-combs, so I gave them a full frame each 

 of drone-comb ; they accepted it, and as soon as the brood 

 hatched from the inclined and flared cells they worked them 

 over into worker-cells. 



Once more : About the middle of September we had a 

 series of rains which revived the fall flowers, and set the bees 

 to storing honey, and also to brood-rearing. Many of the 

 colonies would have swarmed had I not prevented it. One 

 colony in particular outstripped all the others in storing honey 

 and rearing brood. This colony was occupying eight frames 

 of well-drawn comb, built on full sheets of foundation, 

 wired in. 



While looking through the colony I discovered small 

 patches and scattering cells of brood with highly-raised caps, 

 or " buck-shot caps," as some would call it. I was satisfied 

 that it was drone-brood, but through curiosity and inquisitive- 

 ness I sat down with the frame in my hands and watched it 

 for some minutes ; presently I observed that the cap from one 

 of these buck-shot capped cells was being cut off by its in- 

 mate ; I watched it with interest until the cap was cut off, 

 and the prisoner emerged, and he was a drone, a trifle longer 

 than a newly-hatched worker. While I was watching his 

 awkward motions, I discovered the cap being cut from another 

 of these high-topped cells, and when he came out he was a 

 drone. 



To stop any swarming, I took one frame and gave to a 

 weak colony, and another which had, I guess, about 100 

 high-topped cells on it, and put it into an observatory hive. 

 The next day I noticed the cap being cut from one of these 

 high-topped cells, and a drone hatched from it. The other 

 cells hatched in course of time, and in a week there was quite 

 a number of these dwarf drones in my observatory hive. 



The colony from which these were taken has lots of these 

 dwarfs in it now, if they have not been killed off within the 

 last week. We have had a cold snap, and they have likely 

 disposed of their drones. The cells from which these dwarfs 

 hatched were in no way enlarged except the caps were raised. 

 This colony is the progeny of a queen whose mother was a 

 cross-mated Carniolan, and I will put them against anything 

 in the county to fight. 



Had the Doctor admitted in the least degree the possibility 

 of bees rearing drones without drone-comb, I would never 

 have taken issue with him. Milan Co., Tex. 



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

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Proceedings of the Illinois State Bee-Keepers' 



CoHventiou Held in Chicago, Nov. 18 



and 19, 1896. 



BY A SPECIAL BEE .JOURNAL REPORTER. 



LContiDued from page 786.] 

 PROSPECT FOR FUTURE SEASONS. 



Ques. 2. — What is the general prospect for future seasons ? 



Dr. Miller — Now, I suppose that means to bring up the 

 question that has been more or less discussed within, perhaps, 

 the last year or two. You know a good many say we are 

 never to expect good seasons any more — that is all past — and 

 there is some reason for it, we may not know why, but we 

 know that is the rule, and we are not to expect as good 

 years as the past. Are conditions so changed that we can ex- 

 pect no good season any more, or may we expect them to come 

 back again? Now, what is your answer to that? The one 

 who knows all about it rise and tell us first. 



Mr. York —What about the present season? Here it has 

 been very good. We don't care for any better. 



Dr. SliUer — The main point is this, as to seasons in gen- 

 eral for the future. For instance, say the next 10 years. 

 Have we a right to expect that the next 10 years will be as 

 good as the last 10 years, or not ? 



Mr. York — Here is Mr. Schrier, who has had good seasons 

 for the last 10 years and expects them to continue. I don't 

 see how we can answer that question. We cannot tell what 

 the seasons were somewhere else this year. They may have 

 been good or bad. I don't see how we can independently an- 

 swer the question except for our own individual locality. 



Dr. Miller — Tell us what the prospect is in your locality? 



Mr. York — First rate. Good this year, and good last year. 



Dr. Miller — I think, as a rule, the seasons of the last 10 

 years, take it all over the country, have not been as good as 

 those of the preceding 10 years. Are we to expect the next 

 10 years to average as poor as the past 10 years, commenc- 

 ing with 18SC> ? or may we expect them as good as they were 

 from 1876 to 1S80? or what are we to expect? 



Mr. Chapman— That might be a good question to ask the 

 weather man. I have been in the habit of going to the Kan- 

 kakee river bottoms for the last 10 years. For 10 years they 

 have had scarcely any water, but this year the river over- 

 flowed, and the honey-producers got very much honey. I 

 think if we have plenty of moisture, we will have as much 

 honey as we had 10 years ago. It is a question of moisture, 

 in my mind. 



Mr. West— Largely so ; and still there is little credit due 

 to basswood. 



Mr. Chapman — Isn't there anything to take the place of 

 the basswood ? 



Mr. West — White clover has been our main stay. I think 

 the sweet clover is taking the place of the basswood, so I see 

 no reason why it should not be as good, with the exception of 

 the water. 



Dr. Miller — Are the sources from which we formerly had 

 honey cut off ? In places where basswood has been the prin- 

 cipal supply, if basswood was cut down, we know chances are 

 poorer ; and one of the things that is brought up a good deal 

 is that cultivation has taken away the source. Now, has cnl- 

 tivation taken away the source in your locality? Tliat is the 

 question. How many of you think that cultivation — I will 

 put a pretty long range— how many of you think that culti- 

 vation has made the resources less at the present than they 

 were 15 years ago ? Let me see th,-; hands. By having the 

 plants cut off ? 



Two hands up. 



Dr. Miller — Tell us what has been cut off, Mr. Schaper? 



Mr. Schaper — We used to have more basswood timber 

 around our neighborhood than we have to-day. We had a 

 broom-handle factory there, some 15 or 20 years ago, and 

 they used to buy the basswood to saw up and make broom- 

 handles. That took quite a lot of it. 



