AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



449 



but I intend to have Italians during the 

 coming season. I consider them the best 

 for this country. 



I use the Langstroth hive, vi^hich I 

 believe the best, all things considered, 

 especially for extracted-honey and large 

 swarms. I have sometimes thought 

 that if the Langstroth frame was but 2 

 inches shorter and l*inchlessin depth, 

 it might be a better Winter hive, thus 

 putting the bees in a more compact clus- 

 ter, and so economize space and heat in 

 Winter. We winter our bees on the 

 summer stands here. 



There has of late been a great deal 

 said about spacing frames and having 

 them stationary in the hives. I have 

 always had frames 1% inches from cen- 

 ter to center, the top-bar !}£ inches 

 wide, taking 10 frames in the lower 

 story, and 11 in the upper. 



Much has been written about the bee- 

 space within the hive. All the space I 

 want in the hive is just space enough 

 for the bees to travel all around the 

 frames — bottom, sides, ends and tops of 

 frames — in fact, I want the bees to be 

 complete masters of the inside of the 

 hive, for unless they have full control of 

 the frames and hive on the inside, there 

 will always be a lurking place for moths 

 and worms. 



If the bees have just space enough to 

 travel around all the combs with their 

 heavy loads, and no more, we will not 

 be troubled with burr-combs. Ever since 

 keeping bees I have had some trouble 

 with burr-combs, but in working with 

 my bees during the honey season, I 

 always watch burrs and knots, and keep 

 them all trimmed with a sharp knife, so 

 that they really give very little trouble. 

 I always want the combs so straight 

 and even, that I can lift them out of the 

 hive at any time without crushing or 

 killing a single bee. From my own ex- 

 perience, which is about 15 years with 

 bees, to succeed in any part of our coun- 

 try in the bee-business. Is to study the 

 bees well ; have good, dry hives, plenty 

 of room inside for the bees to store all 

 the honey they can find, and never open 

 the hive unless for some very necessary 

 work within the hive. 



For bees to winter well, and safely 

 pass through until the next honey sea- 

 son, is to have them go into winter 

 quarters strong in numbers, in good, dry 

 hives, the bees kept in the lower story 

 with something to keep the cold wind 

 from blowing against the hives, and 

 with some kind of coyer to keep the rain 

 ofE the hive, so that it can be kept per- 

 fectly dry. Let the bees have 30 pounds 

 of good capped honey, where they can 



get to it at any time they may need it. 

 Cluster them on as few frames as pos- 

 sible, cover the frames well on top, give 

 the hive a reasonable amount of upward 

 ventilation, and disturb the bees as little 

 as possible. With the foregoing, I be- 

 lieve you will have all that is necessary 

 to carry them safely until the next 

 season. 



In 1883 and 1884 I had 40 colonies 

 of bees in Langstroth hives. (This is 

 almost the only hive that is used in this 

 part of the country.) I work almost en- 

 tirely for extracted-honey. My 40 colo- 

 nies averaged in 1883 and 1884 100 

 pounds of extracted-honey per colony. 

 The best yield I have ever been able to 

 get from any given number of colonies, 

 was from 7 colonies of Italians, which 

 gave me 2,100 pounds of extracted- 

 honey, in each of the two seasons of 

 1883 and 1884. These two were the 

 best seasons we have had in Kentucky 

 for many years. We have had none since 

 half as good. 



Our only honey resources in this part 

 of the country are locust bloom and white 

 clover. None of us ever sow any crops 

 for honey, but depend upon the natural 

 resources for our honey. None in Ken- 

 tucky make a specialty of honey or bees, 

 and while there are a great many here 

 that have bees, yet very few can be 

 called successful bee-men. 



We sell nearly all of our honey at 

 home, but the prices are too low. Comb- 

 honey is worth 15 cents per pound, and 

 extracted 10 cents, with sales slow. 

 How shall we create a better market ? 

 I cannot see how, so long as there are 

 so many half-way bee-men here. They 

 bring their honey to town and sell it for 

 anything they can get — trade, sell or 

 swap for anything they may need, and 

 thus they destroy the honey-trade. Such 

 persons ought to go to the mountains 

 and stay there. 



It is a hard Winter here. To-day 

 snow is 10 inches deep — a thing unusual 

 here this late in the Spring ; but we 

 often have " tempest and sunshine " as 

 well. 



Lexington, Ky., March 18, 1892. 



PultinE on Surplus ArranEemenls In Time 



JOHN D. A. FISHER. 



I want to say a word to those who are 

 just starting in the business of produc- 

 ing comb-honey ; also to farmers who 

 wish to produce their own honey for 

 family use. 



