our fall rains, and the trees take a second 

 growth. During the summer of 18(50, we 

 had a very dry summer; from Marcii to 

 August no rain fell. All vegetation took a 

 second growth, and honey-dew was so 

 abundant that it dripped from the hickory 

 trees. Those of us who have noticed these 

 things can generally tell when honey-dew 

 will appear, and in what Cfuantities. If the 

 season is very favorable for vegetation, and 

 the growth very rapid, honey-dew will eer- 

 taiidy appear in profusion. It never does 

 appear in the season when vegetation is in a 

 suspended state. 



In the winter of 1862, honey-dew was 

 abundant on the pine trees, most of the 

 winter. It was an open winter, and the 

 season of growth for the pine trees. My 

 bees gathered honey all winter, of a ligiit, 

 thick character, and which candied very 

 readily. Bees gather honey very rapidly, 

 when the honey-dew is on the leaves. 



It is of different color and consistency, 

 according to the color or nature of the 

 source from whence it comes. 



From the leaves of the post oak it is dark 

 and thick; from tlie hickory it is lighter 

 and thiner. The honey from the liickory 

 leaves, I think, would be considered No. 1 

 honey. From a close examination of the 

 leaves with a microscope, 1 think I have 

 demonstrated the origin and nature of 

 honey-dew. It is the same nature and 

 color of the honey made from the tiower of 

 the same tree. For instance, honey-dew is 

 found frequently on the peach leaf, after 

 the flower has gone, and is of the same 

 taste and color as that made from the 

 bloom. In this country in 1862, the honey- 

 dew could not have been from the aphis, 

 for it abounded in the winter when they 

 were not out, and they could have had no 

 connection with it. I am inclined to think 

 that where the aphis have been found in 

 connection with honey-dew, they were 

 attracted to it as a food. In this country, it 

 is certainly the saccharine matter of trees 

 and plants exuded through the leaves. 



My theory, I think, will account for its 

 presence in every country. The facts, 

 which I have stated, certainly overthrow 

 the theories which have been advanced to 

 account for its appearance heretofore. 



W. K. Marshall. 



Marshall, Texas, Jan. 3, 1878, 



For the American Bee .Tournal. 



Cellars versus Summer Stands. 



"Experience is a dear school" Is an old 

 saying, and "fools will learn in no other" 

 belongs to it. The latter I hate to apply to 

 myself, but it hits me some this time. Last 

 winter reduced my stocks from 139 in the 

 fall to 12 in the spring of 18T7. It was no 

 bee cholera either, or dysentery, but starva- 

 tion with plenty of honey in the hives. It 

 came about in this way: I commenced bee- 

 keeping about 8 years ago, and bought a 

 few stands; I had one presented to me. — 

 The first winter, I left them on their sum- 

 mer stands in box hives, made a roof over 

 them, and the house protected them son)e 

 from the north winds, but every warm day 

 that they could fly, they came out and got 

 down on the wet, cold ground, or worse, in 

 the snow, and never again saw the inside 

 of the hive. Next year I transferred them 



into Langstroth hives, and put them in my 

 cellar, and they did well, loosing but a tVw. 

 Last winter I intended to (piit my occupa- 

 tion, milling, for a while, so I made calcu- 

 lations to move my bees H) miles, to a small 

 farm I owned, where there was no cellar. — 

 Thinking I could move them best on a sled, 

 I left them on their summer stands, waiting 

 forgood sleighing, but it did notconie. Itgot 

 cold about Dec 1st and kept getting colder, 

 and did not let up, so the bees could nf)t get 

 at new stores, and all but 12 of my 139 colo- 

 nies starved to death. 



I want no more wintering on summer 

 stands, without ample protection. I have 

 now dug a cellar, and am going to try again. 

 I now have 24. D. H. Keller. 



Fulton Co., 111., Jan. 3, 18T8. 



For tbe American Bee Journal. 



Management of Box Honey. 



Box honey should be taken from the hive 

 as soon as it is finished, or as soon there- 

 after as possible. No apiarist can expect to 

 have his honey sell for the higliest market 

 price if he allows it to stay in the hives for 

 weeks after it has been sealed over, allow- 

 ing the bees to give the combs a dirty, 

 yellow color, by constantly traveling over 

 it. We go over our yard once a week in the 

 honey season, and the past season, it took 4 

 days to get over it, leaving us but 2 days to 

 attend to other duties in the apiary. 



It is often asked: "What shall we do 

 with our honey after it is taken from the 

 hive?" All box-honey-pro<lucers know 

 that there always will be cells next to the 

 box that are partly filled with honey, but 

 not sealed over, and when taken from the 

 hive, if the box is turned.over sidewise, the 

 honey being thin, will run out, making 

 sticky work. 



We also see in the papers, questions like 

 this: "What shall I do with my honey? — 

 The honey is oozing out of the cells, and 

 tlie whole comb has a watery ai)pearance." 

 While in New York, last fall, we saw 

 honey by the 1.000 lbs. that looked as if that 

 question should have been asked some time 

 before, as it had been kept damp so long 

 as to become soured, and smelled badly. — 

 The remedy for this is a small, warm room: 

 and this answers the above questions per- 

 fectly. Bees evaporate their honey by heat, 

 and therefore, if we expect to keep our 

 honey in good condition for market, we 

 must keep it as tlie bees do, in such a posi- 

 tion that it will grow thicker, instead of 

 thiimer all the while. Our honey room is 

 situated on the south side of our shop, and 

 is about 7 ft. square, by 9 ft. high. We 

 have a large window in it, and the whole 

 south side is painted a dark color, to draw 

 the heat. In it the mercury stands from 80 

 to 9,5 deg., while our honey is in it, and 

 when we crate it for market, we can tip our 

 boxes as much as we please, and no honey 

 will drip, neither will any of the combs 

 have that watery appearance spoken of 

 above, but all is bright, dry and clean. A 

 small honey house, separate from any other 

 building, painted dark, with tin roof, would 

 be still better, but would not be as handy. 



But if we keep honey thus warm, the 

 moth will make its appearance, and make it 

 unfit for market, by gnawing off the sealing 

 to our beautiful combs, and also by their 



