I would again caution novices to consult 

 the older bee-men, of long experience, 

 before leaping into the dark. 



BROOD NEST. 



It should never be disturbed. I used to 

 extract brood frames and all ; but of late, I 

 have discovered it to be very injurious. If 

 the 6 middle frames of every 10 framed 

 Langstroth hive were let alone, and never 

 disturbed, the colony would be stronger, 

 and winter better on good, ripe honey, and 

 consequently, free from dysentery and 

 other disease. If it was not for finding the 

 queen, and knowing what was wrong with 

 a colony, &c., I would recommend a hive 

 without frames for brood nest. 1800 cubic 

 inches inside, oval at top, to a space of 2 or 

 .S inches, instead of a flat top. The upper 

 story of a double Langstroth can be placed 

 on top of them. The brood nest being too 

 small to store honey, will force the bees to 

 the top ; and that being oval, instead of fiat, 

 gives them more rapid access to the top, 

 and concentrates the iieat to that point. I 

 shall try a few of them the coming season, 

 but wonder if they are already invented 

 and patented unknown to me. 



DIVISION BOARDS. 



I read that some one has a patent on divi- 

 sion boards. I have been using them since 

 1866. Did his patent commence previous to 

 that year? R. M. Argo. 



Lowell, Ky., March 7, 1878. 



[ Certainly not. N. C. Mitchell claims a 

 patent on the use of the Division Board, in 

 connection with " lugs," (i. e., small pieces 

 of iron, for legs ), and rubber strips at the 

 sides, &c. A plain Division Board is 

 neither patented nor patentable. His claim 

 covers that combination only. That patent 

 was not issued till March 9, 1875—9 years 

 after friend Argo began to use them.— Ed.] 



«♦>■♦( 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee-Keeping in Minnesota. 



As the bee season is about to open for 

 1878, perhaps it would be in order to report 

 last season's business, I commenced, a 

 year ago, with one colony, all that I win- 

 tered, out of 5. Bought one more of Ch. 

 Dadant & Son, and 3 of I. Ingmundson, (the 

 most successhil bee-keeper in Mower 

 county). Two colonies did not swarm, but 

 the other 3 increased my stock to 33. One 

 giving me 7 swarms, and all filled their 

 hives ; and between them, over 100 lbs. of 

 surplus. All wintei'ed well, and are strong 

 in bees, brood, and stores now, and hard at 

 work every fine day on piles of fine saw- 

 dust, old bits of comb, and coarse flour. — 

 Hundreds of them go a quarter of a mile to 

 sugar barrels and refuse, around grocery 

 stores, working like beavers. Some of my 

 best colonies do not appear to have used 5 

 lbs. of honey all winter ; while others, 

 equally strong and prosperous, have taken 

 15 to 20 tt)S. Who can explain why it is ? — 

 They are both strong in bees, not only 



apparently but certainly, after careful 

 examination. 



This is the most singular winter ever 

 known in Minnesota. Only three or four 

 times has the murcury run down below 

 zero, and only once did "it reach 11° below. 



Bees would have wintered finely on their 

 summer stands, but who supposed they 

 would plow, every month in tne year, as 

 farmers have done here. 



I buried my bees, by digging a pit, 3 feet 

 deep ; with board floor, sides and roof ; 

 filling up all spaces between hives with dry, 

 oat straw, and putting about 6 inches deep 

 over hive, leaving a space above for air to 

 circulate; put in 2 stove-pipes for ventila- 

 tors, one extending below the bottom of the 

 floor, and the other just reaching through 

 the roof, for foul air to escape. Covered tJie 

 roof with 6 inches of straw, 6 inches of earth, 

 another coat of straw, and about 4 inches of 

 earth to finish off ; regulating the tempera- 

 ture with dampers in ventilators, and keep- 

 ing a thermometer in the escape ventilator. 

 I visited my bees as regular as the day 

 came, and listened for their cheerful hum 

 very anxiously, during the warm, foggy 

 weather of December. At last, the temper- 

 ature began to raise, and all the ventilation 

 I could give them was of no avail ; it run 

 up to 70°, and it seemed as though they 

 were swarming below. Opened out the pit 

 and gave them air, cooled down to 48°, and 

 covered up again, where they remained 

 quiet until March first, when I began to 

 take out 6 a day, until all were out. Have 

 not a mouldy comb or hive in the lot. — 

 They were buried 114 days. 



I think I have found the secret of safely 

 wintering. Thanks to very valuable sug- 

 gestions from I. Ingmundson, Esq., and by 

 using a little common sense, with consider- 

 able labor. But where is the true bee cul- 

 turist who does not love to work among his 

 beautiful pets! I can sit and watcli my 

 little laborers for hours at a time, and learn 

 something of them every day, helping a 

 poor, loaded, tired worker into his home, 

 when he drops exhausted, a few inches 

 from the entrance, unable to rise on tne 

 wing again ; and a bee does not like to 

 crawl far, preferring to light at his own 

 door, close by the sentinels, who stand 

 there to receive the password. 



I figure up my bee experience as follows, 

 to date : 



Total cash outlay for bees, hives, guide-comb. 

 Journal, extractor, Bingham smoker, cans and the 



whole paraphernalia $117 45 



I have 23 Italian colonies, well worth |12.00 each, 



here, but we will call them @ $10.00 $230 00 



Extractor, cans, «Stc., on hand 20 00 



Eight extra hives " complete 8 00 



Comb honey, 100 lbs. " 20 00 



Honey sold, cash 47 00 



One queen sold 2 50 



Transferring, and hive furnished a beginner 2 50 



Total 330 00 



Less total outlay 117 45 



Total net profit 212 56 



This makes a very satisfactory showing, 

 and I think demonstrates that bee-keeping 

 will pay, with " good luck." But don't rob 

 these faithful servants so that they must 

 starve before another spring ! Leave them 

 enough, ox more than enough ; it is not lost, 

 and It will encourage them to build up 



