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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



another of less importance. 1 fully agree 

 with Mr. Dadant, when he says: "that bees 

 are not only kept for color but for their 

 qualities as honey gatherers." 



I gave prominence to color in the drone, 

 because it is a subject little spoken of and 

 less practised in breeding, and I was satis- 

 fied that by using our best-colored drones it 

 would have a tendency, in some degree, to 

 fix the markings of a very unstable race. It 

 was this drone subject that formed tlie bur- 

 den of my article, and the only point that 

 he failed to notice. Again, he does not con- 

 cur with me when I say "that queens are 

 aliviiys prolific enough when the conditions 

 are all right." I do not think Mr. Dadant 

 shows a very connnendable accuracy in 

 making this quotation. I said, "As a rule 

 queens are prolilic enough;" and 1 know 

 many old bee-keepers who think so too, and 

 as soon as an unproltfic queen is discovered 

 she is as soon as possible replaced by a bet- 

 ter. 



In conclusion I would say if any one 

 works for proliiicness in his queens, energy 

 and miJtlness in her workers and color for 

 all, h(^ is on the right track. How much do 

 we differ? I hope from the above I «hall 

 be better understood. Geo. Thompson. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Our Resources for Honey and Pollen. 



We have several varieties of the willow, 

 the earliest one beginning to bloom as soon 

 as the weather becomes warm in the spring; 

 even in winter, during a warm season, it 

 will commence to bud. Willows are in 

 bloom here from the beginning of April till 

 the middle or end of May. They yield an 

 abundance of pollen. Some iibney is 

 gathered at the same time from the bloom 

 of elms or soft maple. 



Sugar maple comes next, but there is not 

 much in this vicinity. 



White oak and similar trees are abundant 

 here. Last year I found my bees getting 

 pollen in large quantities from the tassels, 1 

 to 2 inches long, that hung in bunches on 

 the oak. It was of a brown color. 



From the apple bloom bees gather con- 

 siderable honey, of a fair color and medium 

 quality. 



Red raspberries bloom in the latter part 

 of June, and give honey for sometime. It 

 is clear and the quality good. 



White clover is abundant here nearly the 

 whole season, but bees work on it "very 

 sparnigly. 



Motherwort and catnip blooms for a long 

 time, and bees work on it from early morn 

 till night. It is not plenty here. 



Thorns of various kinds are abundant, 

 and are covered with bees when in bloom. 



Mustard makes excellent pasturage. By 

 sowing both black and white mustard in 

 the spring, and some later, it produces good 

 pasturage for some six weeks. The white 

 blooms first and lasts about 15 days; then 

 the black comes (about July 1st) and lasts 

 about a month. Bees work on the white all 

 the forenoon, and on the black nearly all 

 day. 



Basswood (linn or linden) is plenty and 

 blooms from July 10 to 15, lasting 8 or 10 

 days. From this we get our largest yield 

 and best quality of honey. 



Red and alsike clover bloom about the 

 middle of June, and last 15 or 20 days, until 



it is cut. Neither of them yield much 

 honey here. 



Corn tassels produce pollen. Pumpkins 

 and squashes produce considerable honey. 



Golden-rod is plenty, and yields a little 

 honey here for a long time. 



Buckwheat yields honey in the forenoon 

 during August. 



Wild flowers also yield honey to some ex- 

 tent here. S. K. Maksh. 



Ionia Co., Mich. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Winter Transfering. 



On Jan. 4th, I was asked by a friend if 1 

 would like to cut a bee tree. Of course,! 

 was delighted to hear of such a treat. On 

 the next day I went to his house, situated 

 in the centre of tlie city. I took a hive with 

 some empty comb, and he informed me that 

 the bees were in the next house to his. It 

 was very cold, and they could not fly. I 

 found them between the plaster and the 

 siding boards. I took ofi:' some of the siding 

 boards, which exposed the bees and comb 

 to view. I carefully cut out each piece of 

 comb and shook the bees into the hive, and 

 gave my friend the honey, as I only wanted 

 the bees to experiment with. On the second 

 comb I found the queen and some brood. I 

 put this piece with queen and all the bees 

 into the hive, and placed them in the cellar 

 the same night. I then fastened the piece 

 of brood into a frame, the same as transfer- 

 ing in June, and gave them some cards of 

 honey and pollen, and a week ago I had 

 them out for a fly and found them in 

 splendid order, and the queen laying. 



W. G. Walton. 



Hamilton, Ont., Feb. 19, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



My Experience with Bingham Hives. 



Many ask: " How long can bees live in a 

 healthy condition, shut up by cold weath- 

 er ?" 



Some of ours were under snow 3 ft. deep. 

 We had near 100 swarms put away for win 

 ter, all on their summer stands but 4, which 

 were in the cellar. All came out, so far, in 

 good order, excejit one in a box-hive that 

 smothered by — well — carelessness, that's the 

 truth of it. I covered a board sloping over 

 most of the doorways to keep the snow and 

 wet out, but neglected that one. I pack 

 with chaff. I use the Bingham hive most- 

 ly; have a few Langstroth, some single, 

 some two-story, and 3 old barns, I call 

 them — deep hanging frames. 



I prefer the Bingham hive. It is a com- 

 plete hive, and not as a writer in the A. B. 

 J. says, "three little sticks," etc. I use it 

 the way it was meant to be used by Mr. 

 Bingham. It is the leading hive in Allegan 

 County. Its chief advantages over the 

 Langstroth are: 1st. — It is much easier to 

 manipulate in every way. 3iid.— It is much 

 safer to winter in on summer stands. 3d. — 

 It is more likely to produce a good average 

 yield of honey, either large or small apiary. 

 4th.— It is less liable to get "millered up." 



As the whole set of frames are clamped 

 together, by taking ofi' the wire clamp at 

 each end, leaves is free to be opened in the 

 middle of the hive or anywhere, witliout 



