DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEE CULTURE. 



Vol. XIII. 



Chicago, Illinois, April, 1877. 



No. 4. 



Hints to Beginners. 



The pleasant weather of February and 

 the cold and blustering spasms of March 

 being now over, we may reasonably expect 

 a pleasant April. But still, its proverbial 

 " showers," which are said to " bring forth 

 May flowers," accompanied with cold and 

 chilling breezes (and in the North even 

 snow) may be looked for. In tlie Northern 

 latitudes, therefore, do not be in any hurry 

 to set bees on their summer stands. To err 

 on the side of delaying to remove them 

 from their winter quarters, will be by far 

 tlie most pardonable. Keep the temperature 

 of your winter repository as low as 50 deg., 

 if possible; and if you can do so, the latter 

 end of April or first of May will be quite 

 soon enough to remove them. 



After their first flight they need no venti- 

 lation, and the entrance should be contract- 

 ed—leaving only about an inch opening. 

 Contract the brood chamber, so that the 

 bees can cover all the frames. If mats are 

 used, let them be put down snugly on the 

 frames, to economise the heat. 



If you find a colony without brood, it is 

 probably queenless. Give such a colony a 

 frame of brood from another hive, or unite 

 it with a weak colony that has a good 

 queen. 



If you find a weak colony infested with 

 robbers, sprinkle flour on them, and if they 

 belong to a strong colony, exchange places 

 with them. See that every hive has a 

 queen, contract all entrances, and the 

 trouble will usually cease. 



Quickly dispatch all moth-worms, if any 

 are found, as it may save a large progeny 

 in the fall. 



In the districts where willows, maples, 

 and alders are plenty, bees will gather con- 

 siderable pollen. As this is so important 

 both for their own sustenance and the 

 nourishment of their brood, if they do not 

 gather it, give them access to flour. 



There will now be a constant increase of 

 brood in all healthy colonies, and conse- 

 quently a daily increasing consumption of 



honey. Should the supplies be running 

 low, it will be necessary to feed them with 

 honey, sugar, or candy, in order to stimu- 

 late them to breeding, as well as to save the 

 existing brood from destruction, for when 

 threatened by famine, bees will often sacri- 

 fice their brood. Water is also essential to 

 them ; where it is not accessible, it should 

 be furnished to them, as they need it in the 

 preparation of the jelly on which the larvae 

 feed. 



Care should be taken to prevent the bees 

 from building drone comb in the brood 

 chamber. If honey be the object of the 

 bee-keeper, he needs a large army of work- 

 ers to gather it, instead of a multitude of 

 consumers. 



Reports, so far, are that bees generally 

 liave wintered well, notwithstanding the 

 unusual severity of the season. Those that 

 were properly cared for will probably come 

 out of winter quarters in good condition; 

 while, as is ever the case, those that had an 

 insufficient supply of honey, or honey of 

 poor quality — uncapped, sour stuff— or those 

 that were too weak in the fall, or queenless, 

 will be the sutt'erers. If care is taken not 

 to allow spring dwindling, the prospects for 

 a good honey season are very flattering. 



11^° Friend Alley, it seems, is on "a dog 

 hunt," and sends us the following for publi- 

 cation : 



The country is full of mad dogs. There 

 are probably fifty persons in the State of 

 Mass., who have been bitten by rabid dogs, 

 within one year. No less than seven deaths 

 have occurred in this State since May 9th, 

 1876. Most of these deaths were caused by 

 the bite of what is known as the white 

 spitz dog. The poison of their teeth seems 

 to be as deadly as that of the rattle-snake. 

 Beware of him. The question is this: Do 

 any of the readers of the Journal know of 

 any cure for hydrophobia ? H. Alley. 



■ We desire to have a report from as 



many as possible, for the year ending May 

 1st. It should be short and concise, giving 

 the number of colonies, how wintered, and 

 their condition at that date. Don't give us 

 any coloring. We only want the bare facts 

 and circumstances, to make a valuable table 

 for future reference. 



