THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



413 



manner, does not prove tliat sucli a practice 

 can be recommended as the l)est under all 

 circnmstances, for lumdreds have attempt- 

 ed to keep their bees without proper protec- 

 tion during the winter, and have lost nearly 

 every hive. 



There is one tact in wliich intelligent 

 bee-keepers will agree, viz., that a colony 

 will winter best when the hive is kept in a 

 location where the temperature will not be 

 <juickly affected by the rapid transitions 

 from warm to very cold, and vice versa. 

 One thing in particular should be guarded 

 against, that is: no hive should be placed 

 where it will be exposed, even for a single 

 hour, to the rays of the sun. When a hive 

 stands in the sunshine for a few hours, the 

 wall or sides will be heated up, the little 

 workers will be enlivened and the pleasant 

 outlook will invite thousands of them to 

 spread their wings and fly away to the 

 fields. But, alas, before they have flown 

 many yards, they will become chilled to 

 such an extent that they will drop to the 

 ground and perish, as they cannot recover 

 suflicient strength to get back to their 

 homes. 



This teaches us the importance of guard- 

 ing every hive from the fury of tierce winds 

 and also from the cheerful sunshine. When 

 the hive is in an isolated place it needs a 

 cover to turn the rain and snow, and boards, 

 rails or brush, placed on every side of the 

 hive to obscure the light of the sun and to 

 break the force of the cold wind. So long 

 as bees are kept in the shade, well protect- 

 ed, where they can discover little or no 

 light, the temperature of the interior of the 

 hive will be more uniform, and only a limit- 

 ed number will escape from the hives and 

 perish. P. H. Gibbs. 



For the American Bee .Journal. 



Sundry Thoughts on Bee-Keeping. 



It is an old saying, " In time of peace pre- 

 pare for war." The season for active oiiera- 

 tions amongst the honey bees is pasf, they 

 having been placed in proper condition for 

 winter ere the issuing of the Dec. nund^er 

 of the Journal. " Procrastination is the 

 thief of time," and one of the greatest faults 

 of the apiarist, therefore it is well to pre- 



Eare for the next season's campaign, first 

 y giving forethought to the subject matter 

 in hand, then proceed to action. At our 

 leasure hours we can repair and prepare our 

 hives and surplus honey receptacles, review 

 our bee literature, become masters of the 

 science to the full extent of all pi'esent 

 knowledge that has been published. 



There are new subjects and thoughts in 

 this connection that may be worth a pass- 

 ing notice, consideration and investigation. 

 I notice in the Journal that a Mr. Oldt, of 

 Pa., has devised a very simple process by 

 which bees may be caused to hive them- 

 selves. I have examined it thoroughly, 

 caused a model to be constructed, and have 

 full confidence that it will work every time. 

 Now comes in this connection the question, 

 hoAv can we prevent their swarming them- 

 selves to death in common box hives? 



A neighbor of mine is under the necessity 

 of destroying ten swarms in an apiary of 2.5, 

 —too small to winter. If the mother hive 

 was placed in a dark, cool cellar on the eve- 

 ning of, say the ninth day after the first 

 swarm will not all the young (queens have 



emerged, if they so remain at the end of say 

 8 or 10 days confinement, and will they not 

 have their fight out and have killed all the 

 young queens except one? At the expira- 

 tion of which time we should remove them 

 to their old stand. 



Will not the fact that they gather no 

 honey during the confinement be one cause 

 of their killing their surplus queens? It 

 may be objected that we are confining our 

 bees just at the best' honey season for the 

 term of eight days, is it not far better than 

 to let them swarm themselves to almost 

 certain destruction? 



These thoughts are for those that keep 

 their bees in the common box hive or gum. 

 I have had no opportunity to test it since 

 the suggestion, but am of opinion it will ac- 

 complish the object. E. Rood. 



Wayne, Mich., Nov. 8, 1877. 



For the American Bee Journal, 



Shipping Bees. 



My bees were prepared for shipment by 

 removing the top and super and folding 

 one-third of the honey cloth, which was 

 heavy ducking, back and replacing with 

 wire-cloth. The whole was thoroughly 

 tacked down so that no bees could get out. 

 Entrance covered with wire-cloth; top ni- 

 verted and hive set into it right side up. 

 The bees were prepared on April 32 and 23; 

 hauled five miles in a lumber wagon, and 

 placed aboard an III. Central R. R. car at 

 Alma, 111., on April r24th. Arriving here 4 

 days later in a severe snow storm, I allowed 

 them to remain in the car until May 1st, 

 when the snow disappeared, and I removed 

 them two miles into the country and set 

 them on their stands at once. The day 

 being warm, and bees but little excited, I 

 opened the entrance, which was soon dis- 

 covered and warmly welcomed by the little 

 prisoners. 



Number shipped, 72; received in good 

 condition, 67; starving, 2, which swarmed 

 out the following day and entered otiier 

 hives; and 3 were hors de combat, proba- 

 bly froze. On May ord I began to feed 20 of 

 the lighter ones and continued so until May 

 IBth, after that the flowers yielded honey in 

 sufficient quantity to enable them all to get 

 a living. J. N. McColm. 



Plymouth, Wis., Oct. 20, 1877. 



ii'ror.i Dominion Poultry Gazette. 



A Bee Hunt in Florida. 



We were all comfortably seated at " Mag- 

 nolia Grove" one evening, engaged in talk- 

 ing over the prospects of the orange crop, 

 when we were suddenly interrupted by a 

 loud knock on the outside door. " Come 

 in," said the planter. The words were 

 hardly spoken when the door was opened 

 by a large darkey, who, with hat in hand, 

 stalked into the middle of the room and 

 paused in front of our host. " Well, Pomp, 

 what is wanted?" said the planter. 'T've 

 done gone and found 'em, sure," was the 

 reply. " Found what. Pomp?" said our 

 host, forgetting a previous conversation he 

 had with old Pomp. "Why, de bees and 

 honey, doesn't you disremeniber, massa, 

 how I tole you t was goin' to look in de 

 swamp for dat swarm you has lost last sea- 

 son, massa Stevens?" "O, yes, Pomp, I 



