514 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



add many dollars to the value of the 

 crop. 



The first seeding may be allowed to 

 remain on the ground during the third 

 and fourth seasons, and possibly fair 

 crops may be had ; but, on the whole, it 

 is probably better to turn it under after 

 the first cutting, and use the ground for 

 some other crop — potatoes for instance. 



The past season was an exceedingly 

 poor one for clover in this locality ; but 

 Alsike yielded double the amount of seed 

 obtained from red clover when the latter 

 was worth the cutting. Many did not 

 cut it at all. — Oleaninys. 



Flint, Mich. 



Ttie featlier ani llie Italian Bees. 



.JOHN D. A. FISHER. 



We have had enough warm weather 

 the past few weeks to bring the maple 

 blooms out. Bees have been carrying in 

 honey and pollen for the past 10 or 12 

 days ; they have been gathering enough 

 honey to make them quite lively. 



The strongest colonies are beginning 

 to get up that pleasant hum at night, 

 which, when it greets the bee-man's ear, 

 he knows the bees are getting honey, 

 and the queen is laying. But to-night 

 they are compelled to hug up close, and 

 that sweet hum cannot be heard. This 

 morning, about 8 o'clock, a dark cloud 

 came up in the west, peals of thunder 

 greeted our ears, the wind commenced 

 blowing cold, and is still blowing to- 

 night ; it is very cold. I fear this sud- 

 den change from pleasant to severe cold 

 weather will give the bees a set-back. 



ITALIAN VS. BLACK BEES. 



I am very much interested in the pros 

 and cons in regard to the discussion of 

 Italian and black bees. I thought that 

 question had been settled long ago. I 

 wonder if those who advocate the black 

 bees as a superior race of bees to the 

 Italians, ever gave the Italians a fair 

 trial. We must believe that they are 

 honest in their opinion, for we cannot 

 believe that they are "talking just to 

 to hear themselves talk," or to be differ- 

 ent from the great mass of bee-keepers. 



A large majority of the bee-fraternity 

 claim that the Italian bees are far 

 ahead of the common black bees. The 

 Italians have fully stood the test, side 

 by side, with their "sisters in black," 

 and have come out victorious, carrying 

 off the medal, and are now the stand- 

 ard bees of the world, and will remain 



so until some other race of bees is 

 brought to light that can excel those 

 with the yellow stripes. To do this, a 

 bee will have to be produced with a 

 wonderful "get up and get.'' 



It is my opinion that there never will 

 be a race of bees introduced that will 

 excel the Italian bees in their improved 

 state. Mark what I say ! I may refer 

 to this some time in the future. Give 

 the Funics and all other races a fair 

 trial (never condemn any race of bees 

 until they have had a fair and honest 

 trial), for the next ten years, and see if 

 at the expiration of that time the Ital- 

 ian bee is not on the top round of the 

 ladder, bearing a large gold medal, and 

 saying, "I won this by keeping the 

 moths out of _ my home, and gathering 

 more honey for my keeper than any of 

 my sisters." 



Woodside, N. C, March 10, 1892. 



Transferring Bees to Frame Hlyes. 



MRS. L. HARRISON. 



All bee-keepers of experience agree on 

 this one point, that the best time to 

 transfer bees is when the apple-trees are 

 in bloom. At this time there are but 

 few bees, honey and brood to be in the 

 way. If it is just at the commencement 

 of the bloom, there will be honey coming 

 in to repair breakage, and fill up 

 vacancies. 



Get everything in readiness before 

 you disturb the bees. You will need 

 probably a cold-chisel and hammer to 

 cut off the nails, to take off the cover, 

 and a long, sharp-bladed knife to cut 

 the comb from the sides of the gum. 



It is taken for granted that you in- 

 tend to put them into a movable-frame 

 hive. Little splints and tacks to fasten 

 them on the frames, and cord to wind 

 around combs will be needed ; also- an , 

 old sheet, table-cloth, or something of 

 the kind to fold up and make a soft bed 

 to lay the brood on to prevent bruising 

 it. You will need a table to work on, 

 and, if you have a shop, that will be the 

 handiest place to do the transferring. 



You will need a receptacle of some 

 kind, called a forcing-box, to drive the 

 bees into. Whatever fits the size of the 

 gum will answer the purpose. If you 

 have not a bellows smoker, roll up some 

 cotton or linen rags and tie them at 

 short distances so that when a tie burns 

 off they will not unroll ; also a pan to 

 lay pieces of honey in, and wash-bowl 

 and water to wash the hands. Every- 



