746 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



colony ; in another the queenless one 

 to those having a queen. During the 

 season the first one built up a strong 

 colony, yielding about 20 pounds of 

 surplus, and having a " liive full " of 

 stores ; while the latter, with a queen 

 apparently as good as the former, is 

 but a medium sized wintering colony 

 with stores supplied from other hives. 



The season just past has been the 

 best for bees that I have known since 

 I commenced bee-keeping. It has 

 been one continuous succession of 

 honey-flows, from the first crimson 

 glow of the soft maples, to the last 

 blossoms of the purple asters. To-day 

 (Oct. 24) I observed quite a large num- 

 ber of my bees entering their hives 

 laden witli pollen ; and in the field, 

 some 40 rods from the apiary, a patch 

 of late-sowed rape that has escaped 

 the frost, was the theatre of their 

 joyous hum — the " finale " of their 

 season's labor. 



Although not as well prepared for 

 the harvest as I ought to have been, 

 yet 1 secured from 14 colonies S16 

 pounds of white honey in 1 -pound sec- 

 tions, and some over 100 pounds in 

 brood-combs, with an increase of 12 

 colonies by natural swarming; besides 

 I feel contentment in stating that I- 

 himo that none of my colonies will 

 starve during the coming winter from 

 lack of stores in their hives. One 

 large swarm absconded during my 

 absence — several others were put back. 



As the honey season is past, the all- 

 absorbing query arises, how can we 

 best prepare our bees for the coming 

 winter V In my little apiary the 

 question is decided, as my 29 colonies, 

 with the exception of a few " finish- 

 ing strokes," are prepared (minus 

 " upward ventilation "), as I have 

 usually packed my bees on the sum- 

 mer stands. In consequence of a 

 profuse fall honey-flow, and the want 

 of an extractor, the brood- capacity of 

 the combs in some of my hives was 

 cramped, somewhat so that my colo- 

 nies are not as strong in bees as I 

 would wish to have them ; and I 

 therefore concluded to dispense with 

 the much mooted item—" ventilation 

 over the brood-nest." 



During my experience in winter- 

 ing bees, I have failed to become 

 reconciled to the idea that a colony, or 

 colonies, wintering in our Nortliern 

 climate should be allowed an un- 

 restricted supply of oxygenized air ; 

 but I am not confident enough in the 

 ripeness of my knowledge to accept, 

 in toto, the claims respecting the win- 

 ter air-supply as argued by the cor- 

 respondent on page 650. A reservoir 

 of pure air in repose, filled from " all 

 out-doors," and allowing tlie occu- 

 pants of the brood-nest a free draft 

 from the same, as the laws of density 

 governing the circulation of fluids 

 will supply, is, it seems to me, about 

 the proper arrangement for giving 

 them the privilege of quathngthe life- 

 giving elements as the calls of nature 

 demand, witli the assurance that tliey 

 will use no more oxygen than their 

 conditions require. Leaving the hive- 

 entrance open all winter, the summer 

 width, might do with some colonies, 

 in some localities, but not with all 

 colonies, in all localities. 



It is a well-known fact that the 

 respiration of air charged with an 

 excess of oxygen, has a^tendency to 

 produce restlessness, while a properly 

 balanced atmosphere will enhance 

 conditions favoring the repose that 

 evidence derived from experience 

 proves to be the normal state in which 

 bees should exist while in winter 

 quarters. Atmospheric pressure, ac- 

 companying air in motion, is a power- 

 ful circulating agent ; therefore, it is 

 very apparent that the draught from 

 the still fount will exercise a more 

 favorable influence tlian would re- 

 sult from a stimulated respiration. 



That bees buried in the ground are 

 comparatively exempt from the results 

 of sudden extreme atmospheric 

 changes, and " cold long continued " 

 (factors so disastrous to successful 

 wintering in our variable climate), is 

 evident from the writings of those of 

 unquestionable experience and quali- 

 Bcations as apiarists. When they 

 have failed, aside from other defects, 

 the main obstacle to success may be 

 attributed, very correctly, to there 

 having been a lack of properly oxy- 

 genized air in the bees' surroundings. 



My bees have been prepared for 

 every winter as nearly as possible in 

 a manner complying with the fore- 

 going requisites, as I believe their 

 hibernal requirements demand; and 

 should I lose' every colony during the 

 coming winter, I am not aware at 

 present that I should attribute the 

 loss to a defective method of " winter 

 preparation." 



Cumberland, p Me. 



Pacific Rural Press. 



Apiary Burned— A Spiteful Act. 



Some time ago I noticed an article 

 in the Press, stating that a bee-keeper 

 at Anaheim, had had his bees burned 

 while he was away from home. I 

 wrote to a party at that place, re- 

 questing him to send me the particu- 

 lars in regard to it. The following is 

 his reply : " Mr. Gooch, a painter by 

 trade, who lives one and a half miles 

 southwest of Anaheim, has kept 

 about 5 colonies of bees. His occupa- 

 tion calls him away from home at 

 times, for a few days or a week. 

 During liis absence, some person 

 broke down part of the fence around 

 tiis place and overturned four of his 

 hives. The next day a neighbor see- 

 ing the hives upset, straightened 

 them up. Xext night the destroyer 

 came again ; this time killing all the 

 bees in four hives by burning sulphur 

 among them. Kot being satisfied 

 with this, he piled the hives up under 

 a large and much-valued pepper tree, 

 covered them with brush, and destroy- 

 ing all with fire. There were several 

 hundred poundsof honey inthehives; 

 when they were tipped over, it ran in 

 streams on the ground. He and some 

 of his neighbors have kept a few 

 colonies each, for many years, but 

 have never been troubled before." 



The fact is, the fruit-growers have 

 a mistaken idea that the bees " eat 

 up the fruit," whereas it is the birds, 

 which have been very troublesome 

 this year on account of the scarcity of 



feed in the hills. Mr. G. says he is 

 quite sure that he knows wlio it was 

 that destroyed his bees, but is not 

 able to prove the fact. I have my 

 opinion of a thing (you could not call 

 him a man), who would be guilty of 

 so base a piece of business as the 

 above ; he had better retire among 

 the savages, where he belongs. 



A fruit-grower of Pasadena advo- 

 cates " the hanging of any bee-keeper 

 who has the temerity to establish liis 

 bees where they will prey upon the 

 fruits of his neighbors." Now, he is 

 worse than the one who nearly de- 

 stroyed the bees — he would hang the 

 bee-keeper. We suppose that the 

 only thing that prevents him from 

 doing so is the fear of the law, which 

 is made for just such persons. 



" The bee-keeper who would estab- 

 lish his bees!" If he is aware of 

 what be is talking about, he will find 

 the shoe pinching the other foot. In 

 nearly every instance the bee-keeper 

 was there long before the fruit-grower 

 came, but it is the bee-keeper that 

 must retreat, and he is driven back, 

 and back, like the red-man, until he 

 is cornered at the head of some can- 

 yon ; then they cry, " Away with him; 

 hang him ; burn his property !" 



There has been a National Bee- 

 Keepers' Union organized in the East, 

 and its power will yet be felt in 

 defending the rights of the much- 

 abused bee-keeper. T.T. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



[Such lawless acts of violence 

 should be dealt with promptly by the 

 authorities, if the villain could be 

 found. He should be made an ex- 

 ample of— and given the full penalty 

 of the law for such wanton acts as 

 described above. As Manager of the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Union, we can 

 assure our California brethren that 

 the Union will " aid and assist " them 

 to maintain their rights. Every bee- 

 keeper on the Pacific slope should at 

 once join the Union.— Ed.] 



Milk and Honey. 



The chronicler of old could think of 

 no language in which to clothe his 

 idea of a really-good country than to 

 describe it as " a land flowing with 

 milk and honey,'' and if the signs of 

 the times are not wonderfully mis- 

 leading, that is to be the truthful 

 description of the United States in 

 the near future. It will delight 

 thousands to learn that the use of 

 milk as a beverage is so rapidly on 

 the increase that the dairy lunch 

 rooms are numbered by tlie dozen to- 

 day where they were unknown two 

 years ago ; and that, at both the 

 hotels and restaurants milk is being 

 much more largely used as a bever- 

 age. It is an ill-wind blows good to 

 no one, and in this movement we can 

 see good to all concerned. The honey 

 will follow suit, for our apiaries are 

 annually on the increase, and many 

 can now be named that produce from 

 .5,000 to 25.000 pounds annually.— JSa;. 



