THES MUXE^KICMISC MMM J^UitlflCIr. 



57 



temperature are more alike, and the 

 ventilation of the cellar is lessened. 

 The remedy, of course is, making pro- 

 vision to allow more fresh air into the 

 cellar. 

 A Colony's I^iinierical Slrengftb. 



The bees tliemselves as to numerical 

 strength, disposition and vitality, have 

 doubtless much to do with the ques- 

 tion. I believe that a colony properly 

 prepared may winter well, even if it is 

 not what we call an average colony. 

 However, much depends upon the re- 

 maining vitality of the bees, if the col- 

 ony has become queenless early, and 

 they are old bees which have gone 

 through perhaps months of anxiety on 

 account of their queenless condition, 

 and the owner sends oft' at the eleventh 

 hour for a queen, and adds to the ex- 

 pense sufficient food for winter. I 

 should say that he will probably be 

 able to report the loss of this colony 

 by spring, at least. I destroy such a 

 colony, and until I have more light, I 

 recommend others so to do ; the risk is 

 too great. 



In a colony long queenless, combs 

 almost filled with pollen are often 

 found. These should be removed in 

 an)- case. I abhor an abnormal con- 

 dition of a colony during the latter 

 part of the season, as being liable to 

 unsuccessful wintering. 



A colou)^ which has had a vigorous 

 queen, and has not many bees, but all 

 young ones, has good chances for win- 

 tering. As to the age of the bees, we 

 do not know. Probably a fully-devel- 

 oped, vigorous bee is sufficient ; and 

 here let us remember when comfort- 

 able, not working, and with conditions 

 normal, the colouj- ages very slowly, 

 and to count the strength of a bee by 

 its age, is very misleading. The strain 

 of bees doubtless will make a differ- 

 ence. There is no difficulty in con- 

 trolling this on the female side, but 

 practically we can, in the honey-bee, 

 only aim at securing certain blood 

 upon the male side. 



Puttiii^i^ Uees in for M'inter. 



I cannot say anything about the pol- 

 len theory, only if it is correct, is it 

 practical to remove all pollen from the 

 hive ? For me there is too much 

 manipulating about it ; and next, if we 

 decide to do this, we mu.st decide that 

 we do not want the I^ees to start rear- 

 ing brood until they can tly out and 

 gather pollen, if in clamps ; or if in 

 the cellar, until they are taken out. I 

 am by no means ))repared to saj' this. 



This brings us to the lastheading.and 

 the one upon which we have by no 

 means the most light and delinite in- 

 formation. Some now say, put bees 

 into the cellar early in Octobei', and 

 the latest advocate sa)"s January. 

 Theory would lead me to say, in\t 



them in before the frost can possilily 

 penetrate the hive, and carry them in 

 at a time when the outside temperature 

 is, if anything, a little higher than the 

 inside. Stimulative feeding for brood- 

 rearing I have practiced, but I now 

 condemn it ; for spring and fall you 

 may gain a few young bees, but you 

 stimulate the old ones to death. 

 Nature pretty well regulates this mat- 

 ter — when bees through work wear 

 themselves out, the}- rear brood ; when 

 they cease working, and husband their 

 own strength, they do not require to 

 rear brood. As to the time we should 

 put bees out, I do not know. I should 

 say, when I think we, have something 

 like settled mild weather. 



In conclusion, you will see there is 

 verj^ much which I venture only an 

 opinion upon, and out of it all how 

 many of us can positively say that we 

 know this or that method is the best ? 

 And how it should speed us on to in- 

 vestigate, to be open to anything 

 whicli might give us light, and to be 

 read}' to communicate to all others 

 through the press what we are learning. 



Brautford, Ont. 



GRADING HONEY. 



Importance of Grading Honey 

 for tlie Iflarket, etc. 



Written fcrr the American Bee Journal 



BY MISS IDA L. SMITH. 



The grading of honey for the mar- 

 ket is a very important point in aiding 

 to dispose of the jiroduot. To arrange 

 it tasteful!}', so as to attract the eye, 

 and to command the highest price, is 

 the iirst thought or work. 



In selecting over the honej' it is very 

 convenient to arrange it in three 

 grades (and some one of the grades 

 will suit somebody's pocket-book) — the 

 first, second and third qualities, and 

 each should be kept by itself. 



I cannot give a description of each 

 grade, but each apiarist will best be 

 his own judge in the matter. None 

 but the whitest and best sections shoukl 

 be used, as they aid in selling the 

 honey, and all propolis should be re- 

 moved before the honey is placed on 

 the market. 



In the spring of 1888 I removed 

 from the cellar 18 colonies of bees ; 1 

 was queenless, and I united it with a 

 very weak colonj', which, with two 

 other weak ones, just built up nicely 

 during the summer. That left me 9 

 colonies to work for comb honey. They 

 weVe not in a very good condition, as 

 the previous year was such a poor one. 



From those 9 colonies I obtained 500 

 pbunds of comb honey, and sold it at 

 an average of 15 cents per pound. 



Darlington, Wis. 



ROBBER FLY. 



Value of the Bound Volumes of 

 the Bee Journal. 



lF7-itfe?i for the American Dee Journal 



BY DANA TWINING. 



I send an insect that was captured 

 last August. It appears the last of 

 July, and may be seen around on low 

 land. It is not numerous in this vi- 

 cinity. I once saw one on sweet clover, 

 amid the bees, and it held one a pris- 

 oner by its strong embrace. The past 

 season I saw one bearing away a 

 bumble-bee. In Cook's " Manual of 

 the Apiar}-," I find an engraving of a 

 robber fly, which I suppose is the same 

 as the one I send. Am I riglit ? 



My bees averaged 45 pounds of 

 comb honey per colony, spring count. 

 It is mostly fall honey, but of fine 

 quality. I use the Armstrong hive, 

 packed with chatt' earlj' in Octolier, 

 and I do not remove the packing until 

 ap])le-bloom. 



Cyclopedia of Itee-I.iiter:iture. 



I have now three volumes of the 

 American Bee Journ-^l bound with 

 the "Emerson binder." To a young 

 apiarist, with the complete index, they 

 forni an excellent cyclopedia of bee- 

 literature. 



The past season was my first experi- 

 ence with a laying worker. Turning 

 to the index of Vol. XXIII, I found 

 that topic discussed on five different 

 pages, by as many difterent authors. 



Then, that colony was without a 

 queen ; so I sent to a noted queen- 

 breeder for one, and soon received 

 her. It was my first experience with 

 queen-introduction, so I must "read 

 up." By referring to the same index, 

 I found that the introduction of queens 

 was discussed on nine different pages, 

 and Vol. XXII has as many nnn'e. 



Green Garden, Ills. 



[You are right about the robber fly. 

 The insect sent is the Asilus Missouri- 

 ensis. It captures a bee and then con- 

 sumes its fluids. When prevalent, it is 

 very destructive. — Ed.] 



BEE-CELLAR. 



Preparing tlie Bees for Cellar 

 Wintering. 



Written for the American Rural Home 



BY O. M. DOOLITTLE. 



To properly prepare the hives for 

 wintering in the cellar, they should be 

 carefully carried in on some morning 

 when itis a little cooler outside than 

 the temperature which is required for 



