Itmm KMSRICfEIf SSS J@)^RIfSI<. 



585 



UA^^mMA 



■— ■■'^■^^■' 



duced to diseased colonies, and some 

 of them as yet are not entirely healthy 

 in three months' time. 



No diseased bees could be seen for 

 75 days in the healthy colonies, to 

 which queens were given from dis- 

 eased colonies ; but after 80 days, 

 man}- were sick, and are so now, after 

 a time of 116 days, and after the colo- 

 nies have swarmed, and have had 

 young queens over two months. 



Next I put some swarms with some 

 diseased colonies without removing the 

 queens ; the eftect of it was charming. 

 In from 48 to 60 hours, hardly a sick 

 bee could be seen, and a week after, 

 all was healthy. A number of the 

 colonies which were diseased in the 

 spring, got well without doing any- 

 thing to them, but others became dis- 

 eased. 



The greatest harm is done by the 

 sick bees entering any hive in the 

 apiarj-, and it is a rare case when the 

 sick bees are killed ; for thej- are only 

 gnawed and bitten constantlj-, which, 

 it seems, does the sick bees good, that 

 is, they like it, and thereby the healthy 

 colonies are diseased. The sick bees, 

 a^ a certain stage, have no particular 

 home, and therefore enter any hive. 



I have come to the conclusion that 

 the disease runs in the "blood," and 

 is also contagious. Sometimes, when 

 I water the bees, it appears as if they 

 had parasites. If any one of the bee- 

 fraternity knows what the disease is, 

 or knows a cure for it, it would be 

 read with interest, if published. 



Theilmauton, Minn. 



GOLDEN-ROD. 



Is tbe Oolclen-Rod a Valuable 

 Honej'-PIant f 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



I wonder if golden-rod is not greatly 

 overestimated by bee-men. So it 

 seems to me. In this locality I con- 

 sider it of doubtful value to bee-keep- 

 ers. I have watched many times to 

 catch a bee upon it, but never more 

 than once or twice have I seen a bee 

 touch it ; and then it deserted the 

 flower as though it had made a mis- 

 take. 



The other day I walked a half mile 

 to a rich bottom where there was an 

 abundance of golden-rod in bloom, 

 but with the usual disappointment. I 

 say disappointment, because I have 

 often wished to see bees working upon 

 it. The name is associated with the 

 poetry of rural life, is rich in sentiment 

 J to every bee-keeper, and I have often 

 ' sought for the fullfillment of cherished 



hopes and life-long desires — but in 

 vain. 



I wonder if it can be that in other 

 localities it does really respond to the 

 kiss of Apis Mellijica. I hope so. Or 

 is the barrenness only comparative, 

 and on account of the greater abund- 

 ance of richer flora, the bees visit 

 other species in preference ? 



In localities where the golden-rod 

 abounds, there is usually an abundance 

 of yellow ray-flowers, eommonh' called 

 " sun-flowers," and these I know to be 

 good honey-plants. I am never dis- 

 appointed when I look for bees revel- 

 ing in their golden dust, if within 

 range of an apiar}-. 



Xlie Oodder— a Parasite. 



In my tramp the other day, search- 

 ing for golden-rod. I came across a 

 very interesting plant in full bloom. 

 It was dodder — a parasite, well known 

 to botanists, but almost unknown to 

 the common people. It generally 

 grows in low bottom-lands, among a 

 thick gi-owth of other, and over-shad- 

 owing plants, where coolness and mois- 

 ture are more sure to be present. It 

 sends up a slender, golden or silvery 

 thread which twines around a neigh- 

 boring plant, and fastens itself there- 

 on, getting its nourishment from its 

 protector. 



When I found it in bloom, coiling 

 around a wild sun-flower, like an im- 

 mense worm, and about the color of a 

 ripe white mulberry, it was indeed an 

 interesting plant. L do not know 

 whether it yields honey or pollen, but 

 it is quite fragrant. I brought home 

 specimens which were admired by all 

 who saw them. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



WINTERING BEES. 



Preparing; Bees for Wintering 

 in ininnesota. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY MISS IDA HODSE. 



I will now write that long-promised 

 article on wintering bees in Minnesota, 

 and I hope that it will help some of 

 my brother and sister bee-keepers. 



I begin at least by August 1, to look 

 through the hives, to see if all have lay- 

 ing queens, and those that have not, I 

 give laying queens, remove all the 

 combs that contain vei-y much pollen, 

 and put in empty worker-combs, as a 

 queenlees colony is apt to fill the combs 

 with pollen, and if left in the hive to 

 winter on, it will be almost certain 

 death to the colony. 



Then I mark all colonies "light," 

 that have not sufficient honey to winter 

 on. I also mark those that have too 



much honey. When the honey-flow is 

 ended 1 remove all supers and sections, 

 al.so the oil-cloth cover, which I use in 

 summer, and put on a quilt, which is 

 made bj- placing a layer of cotten-bat- 

 ting between two sheets of cotton-cloth, 

 and quilted. (I would recommend 

 these quilts to all who winter bees in a 

 cellar ; they will pay for themselves 

 the flrst winter.) 



I then go to the hives that I have 

 marked " heav}," take all but about 

 25 or 30 pounds of honey, and give to 

 the light ones. Be sure to give the 

 bees good honey to winter on. Do not 

 give them honey-dew, unless you wish 

 to get rid of them and know of no 

 other way. 



I have the bees all ready for winter 

 before the nights get so cold and frosty 

 as to candy the honey in the hive. We 

 winter our bees in an under-ground 

 cellar, 40 feet long, 7 feet high, and 6 

 feet wide, with a 6x7 inch ventilator 

 near each end; also, three well-fitting 

 doors, which leaves two dead-air 

 spaces between the bees and the ex- 

 tremely cold weather, with the mer- 

 cury often 40^ below zero, in this north- 

 ern climate. 



When you put the bees into the cel- 

 lar, remove the cover and entrance- 

 blocks, leaving only the quilt over the 

 hive. Put two blocks (2x2 inches, and 

 the length of the hive), under the hive, 

 then put two more on top, on which to 

 put another hive, and so on until they 

 are five tiers high. 



One essential thing is a J-inch en- 

 trance, full width of the hive, and left 

 open ; by so doing there will be plenty 

 of upward and lower ventilation, and 

 the bees will not smother or lack in 

 anj- way for pure air. 



The bottom have should be not less 

 than 10 inches from the bottom of the 

 cellar, to allow the foul air, if any, to 

 settle below it, and pass ofl' through 

 the uuder-groumd drain, which should 

 consist of not less than two-inch tiling. 



Some may ask how the under-ground 

 drain is made. The easiest way would 

 be to place it underneath the doorway, 

 about one foot below the surface. 



Bees placed in a cellar as I have de- 

 scribed, with a temperature ranging 

 from 40^ to 45^, will winter as safely 

 as by any other method, chaff hive not 

 excepted. The temperature can easily 

 be regulated by a slide in each ventila- 

 tor — (not a toboggan slide), but a 

 sliding door. 



In conclusion I will say, on the first 

 sunny day in April, do not rush to the 

 cellar, and take the bees out, but wait 

 until the season is fairly opened, say 

 from April ISth to the 20th, and then 

 not on a chilly, damp day, or when the 

 wind is blowing at the rate of 60 miles 

 an hour. 



Howard, Minn. 



