THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



189 



Hotjes mxiX ^xxcxits. 



" Is alsike clover a good forage plant for 

 honey?" J. M. Good. 



On moist ground it does well, but cannot 

 be depended upon in a drouth. Honej' 

 from it is good, both in quality and quan- 

 tity.— Ed.] 



Fort Atkinson, Wis., May 1, 1877.—" Will 

 you please tell me in the next number of the 

 Journal, how to keep comb until time to 

 use it ?" L. M. Egberts. 



[ Keep combs in a close box. In our col- 

 lege apiary we have a box 3 ft. high and 5 or 

 6 ft. long; this will hold three rows of Gal- 

 lup frames. The box is just as wide as the 

 top bar is long; hence by nailing J^ in. 

 strips 113^, 23, and 34>^ in. respectively from 

 bottom, we have support for frames, 

 which of course must be turned a little to 

 put them on lower strips. The boards are 

 matched, and set in paint, and the covers 

 hinged on and fastened in front by tlu-ee 

 hooks, that draw it down very close. This 

 keeps even the wee ants out. As the box is 

 only a foot wide it takes little room in any 

 building.— A. J. Cook.] 



Kane Co., III., May 7, 1877.— "Last fall 1 

 had 6 colonies. I took an old box and put 

 them in. In Feb. they were all dead but 2. 

 This spring, when it was time to set them 

 out, they were all dead. We got 6 more 

 from J. Oatman & Co., which are in splen- 

 did condition, breeding very fast. Will you 

 please tell me what you mean by foul 

 brood; also how to tell when it is among 

 the bees '? How many colonies can we 

 make out of those 6 this season ?" 



F. Perry. 



[ For a description of foul brood and its 

 cure see an article by friend Muth on page 

 196 of this issue. You can double them 

 with safety, perhaps more; but you must be 

 careful not to allow colonies to become 

 weak from an over-desire for increase. — Ed] 



Pleasant Unity, Pa., May 3, 1877.— "I am 

 not a novice in bee-keeping, but almost a 

 novice in using the extractor, taking care of 

 honey, etc. I intend to use a double hive— j 

 one hive on top of another. Please inform ! 

 me, through the Journal, what condition ! 

 the honey should be in before extracting, S 

 i.e., capped or not cai^ped? 2. — What kind 

 of a vessel it should be kept in. 3. — Would 

 a syrup barrel do ? 4.— Where should it be 

 kept ? 5.— Will honey be likely to sour 

 when extracted ?" J. H. Kelly. 



[If honey is reasonably thick, and to be 

 used at once, extract before capping takes 

 place, as it saves much time. We have 

 done this for years and no fault was found 

 with honey. If honey is thick there is no 



use to wait for capping, even if honey is to 

 be kept. 



2. Keep in any good, strong, close barrel, 

 after waxing the same. To wax the barrel, 

 put a little hot, melted beeswax in to the 

 same and roll the barrel vigorously. 



3. Syrup barrel will do well. 



4. Keep in dry place. If in glass covers, 

 in a dry, dark place. 



.5. No, not if it is thick when thrown out. 

 —A. J. Cook.] 



"Do you know of a good cure for bee 

 stings?" John Joslyn. 



[Yes; to extract the sting press the hol- 

 low of your watch key, or any small tube, 

 over the sting, and then bathe the place 

 with aqua-ammonia, or moisten salaratus 

 and apply to it. The poison is acid, and an 

 alkali will neutralize it. Soft soap is often 

 used with success.— Ed.] 



St. Paul, Minn., April 24, 1877.—" I have 

 just started an apiary with 2 colonies of hy- 

 bi'ids. 



How may I know that bees returning to 

 the hive are ladened with honey? 



Do the hives require any upward ventila- 

 tion now ? 



Have mine covered with honey board and 

 carpet on the board. No ventilation through 

 honey-board. Is it right ? 



Is 3 feet space between the hives too lit- 

 tle ? 



Can honey accumulate in the hive from 

 willows and maples ? 



One of my queens is 3 years old; ought I 

 to introduce a young one this season ? 



My bees are gathering pollen nicely. 



Quiz. 



[If honey is being put into combs, of 

 course the bees are gathering. By catching 

 a bee by the wings, as he comes to the hive, 

 and pressing the thorax, the honey will 

 issue from the proboscis, if the sucking 

 stomach is full. 



2. No, keep perfectly tight above till 

 nights are warm, and even then if you 

 shade the bees or keep them packed in 

 chaff. 



3. Better leave off your board and just use 

 carpet, or quilt. If you use the board your 

 way is good. 



4. I prefer more; some do not. 



.5. Yes, and very rapidly too, if the 

 weather is warm and dry. We have done 

 better on willow and soft maple than on 

 fruit blossom this spring. 



6. Not if she is doing well. Never super- 

 cede a good prolific queen. — A. J. Cook.] 



"Thinking it not desirable to permit after- 

 swarms — it it can be avoided; please tell me 

 how to do so." C. K. Menz. 



[The best way to prevent them is to in- 

 troduce a young fertile queen. — Ed.] 



