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aud snakes ; and the window is covered 

 with wire-gauze. 



WINTEKING OUT OF DOORS. 



The apiarist in charge of the bees of 

 the Messrs. Dadaut & Son. showed us 

 how he prepared bees to remain upon 

 their summer stands. Straw mats. 

 that wej"e made by wea\ing straw with 

 strong twine, were used to cover the 

 combs — tliese woven mats are also 

 used, in like manner, by the Muths. of 

 Cincinnati. O. Above the mats, dry 

 leaves are used for packing, and a 

 light fence, made of little boards, and 

 fastened together with twine, is driven 

 into the ground, around three sides of 

 the lower liivo, and the space tilled 

 with dry leaves. I liave used dry 

 leaves for packing, and the bees win- 

 tered well. 



Peoria, Ills. 



NECTAR. 



Some Observation* Altoiit tlic 

 Flow of Honey. 



Wrttten for the American Bee Journal 

 BY JOSHnA BDLL. 



In Prof. A. J. Cook's essay read at 

 the Convention at Keokuk, on "The 

 Requisites Necessary to Secure a Honey 

 Crop," as appears in the American 

 Bee Journal on pages 776 and 777, 

 he puts forth the theory that the 

 cause of the partial failure of the 

 honey crop, this year, was due to a 

 want of vitality in the clover roots, in 

 consequence of unfavorable conditions 

 for this preparatory' work last year. 



Now, whilst there may be some 

 philosophy in the Professor's theory, 

 yet I do not think that it covers the 

 whole ground, and may not be even 

 the primary cause of failure ; at least 

 not in this locality during the past sea- 

 son, for clover had a lu.xuriant growth, 

 and an abundant bloom, with us, last 

 summer ; aud sometimes it yielded 

 nectar freely ; at other times, it did 

 not. 



I do npt wish to take issue, or in 

 any way stand in opposition to our 

 highly-esteemed friend. Prof. A. J. 

 Cook; but inasmuch as he has invited 

 an expression of opinion upon this 

 subject, "in the hope that we may 

 reach a solution," I will venture to 

 oflfer for consideration some facts 

 gathered from my own experience. 



On June 18, 1889, I hived a swarm 

 of bees, and set them on scales ; clover 

 was then just getting well into bloom. 

 On the next day the thermometerwent 

 up to 92° ; on the 19th, they stored 10 

 pounds of lioney ; on the 20th. it rained 

 all day, and bees did nothing, but no 

 lightning and thunder accompanied 



the rain. (Please make a note of this. 

 for I think this has an important bear- 

 ing upon the subject under considera- 

 tion.) 



On the 21st. the rain being over, the 

 thermometer stood at 72°, and the bees 

 stored 9 pounds of honey. On the 

 22d. the thermometer stood at 86-.and 

 they gained 8 pounds. On the 23d, 

 the thermometer stood at 82'"*, and 9 

 pounds was gathered. On the 24th. 

 the thermometer stood at 96° and 9 

 pounds was added. Thus in five days 

 (counting out the rainy day) they had 

 stored 45 pounds of honey, the scales 

 being balanced anew every morning, 

 on account of shrinkage by evapora- 

 tion during the night. 



But now there comes a change in 

 the atmosphere. On the morning of 

 the 25th, a dense fog settled down 

 upon us ; this, however, soon cleared 

 away when the sun was well up in the 

 sky, and then the day became bright 

 and clear ; but the bees were slow in 

 going to the fields. The atmosphere 

 was sultry. At 2 o'clock the tliermom- 

 eter rose to 102'-' in the coolest shade, 

 on the north side of the honey-house. 

 At night, we found that the bees on the 

 scales had scored only 3 pounds of 

 honey on that day. During tlie night. 

 between the 25th and 26th. we had a 

 shower, accompanied witli sharp, 

 piercing flashes of lightning and heavy 

 thunder, which shook the very earth. 

 The next day, the 26th, was clear and 

 calm, but not an ounce of honey did 

 the bees gather. From this time on- 

 ward, for the next three weeks, this 

 colony on the scales made an average 

 gain of only one pound per day, or 

 just 20 pounds in twenty days. Mean- 

 while we had. occasionally, heavy 

 thunder. 



In view of the foregoing facts, and 

 many other observations of a similar 

 nature which have come within my 

 cognizance in years past, I am of the 

 opinion that the flow of nectar in 

 flowers is almost entirely dependent 

 upon certain atmospheric conditions. 

 When the conditions are right, nectar 

 will flow freely, even though the 

 bloom may be meager ; when they are 

 wanting, nectar will not flow, to any 

 considerable extent, no matte)- how 

 abundant the flowers may bloom, or 

 whatever other conditions may exist. 

 Other things being equal. I think that 

 the bees will store honey faster, and 

 of better quality, when the weather 

 is ((uite dry, even too dry for a thrifty 

 growth of vegetation. At such time 

 the nectar is thicker, and does not 

 shrink so much by evaporation, as 

 wlien, by frequent showers, it becomes 

 diluted with rain-water, which also 

 injures the flavor and color. 



Just what the necessary conditions 

 are to insure a good honey crop, I 



will not attempt to explain, for " I 

 don't know," but I am of the impres- 

 sion that electricity has very much to 

 do with it. If there be just suflicient 

 quantity of that element present in the 

 atmosphere to produce the needful 

 quantity of rain, without much thun- 

 der, we get more honey than when we 

 have frequent heav}- thunder-storms. 



I have noticed that bees will some- 

 times store honey quite freelj' when it 

 rains almost ever}- day. if there is not 

 much thunder. On the other hand, 

 they will gather it more rapidly when 

 the weather is quite dry. I have 

 noticed many times, that a violent 

 thunder-storm would (if I may be al- 

 lowed to use the expression) seem to 

 frighten the nectar out of the flowers ; 

 and it generally takes several days, or 

 a week, for them to recover their 

 normal condition. The logical con- 

 clusion of my observations would stand 

 thus : When we have frequent storms, 

 with heavy discharges of electricity, in 

 the form of lightning and thunder. th6 

 honey-How is apt to be light ; but when 

 there is less thunder and lightning, 

 there is more honey in the flowers. Or, 

 in other words : 



When pealing thunders .shake the ground. 

 And rend the air with fearful sound ; 

 Much nectar will not then be found 



Within the timid flowers. 

 But if the gentle rain descends 

 Without the lightning-flash, which rends 

 The drops of nectar from their kens, 



The honey crop is ours. 



That is the way it seems to work in 

 this locality, and I would like to know 

 if any one has observed similar results 

 in other places. Who will be the next 

 to rise and explain ? 



Seymour, Wis. 



Xliose Wlio Have any honey to 

 dispose of should use the Honey Almanac 

 as a salesman. We have a few left for this 

 year, and offer them at X price. See 

 page 813 of this paper. 



ConTenti»n IVotices. 



B^~The8th semi-annual meeting of the Susque- 

 hanna County Bee-Keepers' Association will be held 

 at Montrose, Pa., on Thursday. May 7. 1891. 



H. M. Seklet. Sec. 



J^" The Carolina Bee-lCeepers' Association, will 

 hold the last session of XS'jt> in the Town Hall, Pine- 

 ville, N. C. Dec. IS, 19. A pood prograrame. All 

 wlio feel an interest in modern bee-culture are cor- 

 dially invited. Bring or send a full report of the 

 season. Kntertainment free. 



(Other papers please copy.l 



N. P. Lyles, Sec, Derita, N. C. 



ffS^ The Annual Meeting of the Northern Illinois 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will be held in the Super- 

 visor's Room of the <'ourt House, at Rockford, Ills., 

 on Dec. Ifvl7, IHWi. The president has a good Pro- 

 gramme in course of preparation. 



D. A. Fuller, Sec. 



8^~ 'I'he annual meeting of the Huron. Tuscola, 

 and Sanilac Counties Bee-Keepers' Association, will 

 be held at the Court House at Bad Axe, Huron Co.. 

 Mich., on Wednesday, Dec. 10. I8iM\ Al! are cordially 

 invited to attend. Joh.n G. Kdndinqek. Sec. 



