THE jfEMERICKJH BElif JOPRPtKlL. 



649 



winter, and see how it works. I am 

 aware that my method is pretty much 

 the same as tliat used hy many oilier 





g|'^>--^^.^^- 



Hoi-izontal Section. 



bee-keepers, but just how it should be 

 done is not elear to the majority. 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



ROBBING. 



How to Remove the !§iurplii$ 

 Hoiicy. 



Written for the Prairie Farmer 



BY MRS. L. HARRISON. 



"Mamma ! Mamma ! The bees arc 

 on top of the portico, and under it, and 

 trying to go into the parlor, through 

 the shutters ; and just look, thej' are 

 all over the honey-house. Oh, my ! 

 oh, my ! these is one in my hair ! come 

 <|uick and get it out, mamma. How it 

 buzzes !" 



The bees were stinging the chickens 

 and they pitched into me, when I went 

 out. There was a reign of terror for 

 awhile, all produced bj* robbers at- 

 tacking a queenless colony. The bees 

 tliat could not find where the hone}- 

 was obtained, w-ere trying to enter 

 other hives, and were repulsed with 

 vengeance, which caused all this sting- 

 ing commotion. 



Wo obtained some cases for holding 

 sections, that were too short, and left 

 an opening at the end of the hives, 

 during the honej--flow. This was no 

 objection, rather to the contrary, as it 

 assisted in ventilation ; but now, rob- 

 bers were trying to enter through these 

 openings, and it appeared as though 

 the whole apiai-y would soon be de- 

 moralized. 



I uncovered the queenless colony 

 and let the robbers take possession : 

 and the other bees soon found where 

 the honey came from. I then fast- 

 ened up the openings made by the 

 short cases, by stuffing in rags ; and, 

 to drive off the bees, wet them with 

 kerosene. They dislike the odor of 

 this so much that they soon left on the 

 double-quick. 



RriiiOTin^ llinrpliis. 



Surplus honey can now be removed 

 whenever convenient. 



In England, in order to drive tlie 

 bees from the sections, bee-keepers 

 spread on a cloth wet with carbolic 

 acid, which cau.ses the bees to retreat 

 below in the brood-combs ; but in this 

 country, smoke is generally used. I 

 go out into the apiary in the early 

 morning, before the bees are (lying, 

 and caiefullj' drive the bees below with 

 a bellows smoker, prj' up the case, re- 

 move it, cover up the hive securely, 

 and put the case into the honey-house. 



When the bees get stirred up in that 

 part of the apiaiy, I goto another part, 

 and do not persist in working a long 

 time each day, as I live in the city and 

 must be careful that persons and 

 horses are not stung. Sometimes in 

 the evening I pry up cases so that I 

 can easily remove them in the morning. 



Those that I remove one morning, I 

 scrape off the propolis and store away, 

 and am thus prepared for another lot 

 the succeeding day. Working slowly 

 in this way the bees do not get de- 

 moralized, and I can work with them 

 comfortably. » If they get vei-y ex- 

 cited, I stop removing surplus for a 

 few days. 



As for myself, I do not care how 

 cross they get when I am working 

 with them, as I am protected against 

 their javelins ; but at the same time, I 

 must consider the safely of other per- 

 sons and animals. Thfere is a great 

 difference in the handling of bees, to 

 keep them on their good behavior, as 

 the following will show, taken from 

 the Wef:tern Apiarian : 



" I hired a California man one sea- 

 son to handle my bees ; he donned a 

 white linen coat, buttoned up to the 

 chin, put on a bee-hat, gloves with 

 gauntlets up to the elbow, and tied 

 with cords at the elbow, and cords 

 around his pants above his shoos, so 

 that it was impossible for a bee to get 

 at him ; then he would pitch right into 

 them, with verj' little smoke, and the 

 consequence was, in a few days we 

 could scarcely stay on the place for the 

 bees. So I discharged him, and took 

 them in hand myself, and in two days 

 I had them as tame as ever." 



When bees get greatly irritated the}- 

 do not always quiet down in two days, 

 and seem to have good memories. 

 This man had probably worked in 

 California canyons, away from any 

 human habitations, and as they could 

 not sting him, did not care how cross 

 he made them, and thej- would be in 

 fine condition to drive off bears, and 

 other marauders. Some persons are 

 better adapted bj' nature to gentle, 

 quiet handling of bees than others, 

 but all who engage in this pursuit 

 should try to improve in this respect. 



HONEY. 



I>ige>ited IVeelar or Honey, as 

 C'luimcd b} Prof. Cook. 



Written for the American Bee Jvunuil 



BY L. A. ASPINWALL. 



I have been deeply interested in the 

 above subject ; also the gentleman in 

 question. I say gentleman, because I 

 know liim, and have met him upon 

 several occasions. I have been highly 

 entertained by him at the Michigan 

 Agricultural College. He is not only 

 a gentleman, but a thorough scholar. 

 not in one particular line or depart- 

 ment, but his knowledge is diversified 

 and general. 



Now that so much controversy is 

 growing out of the subject of hone}' 

 being digested nectar, let me beg of 

 our fraternity to discuss the subject 

 with all enthusiasm, but not forget that 

 men who are constantly overworked, 

 often in a burst of enthusiasm forget 

 themselves, and perhaps use an ex- 

 pression which, although harsh, may 

 not have been intended as such. I am 

 quite sure the word " digested " can 

 be distorted and made to mean other 

 than what tjic Professor intended. We 

 know that to digest is to pass into the 

 chyle stomach, and undergo such a 

 chemical change or assimilation which 

 renders it ready to be appropriated 

 to the system. But when used in a 

 sense th.at the Professor intended it, 

 we understand it quite differently. 

 When the Psalmist said, "Rivers of 

 water How down mine eyes because of 

 the sins of my people," he did not 

 mean more than tears. 



As yet, I do not quite accept the 

 Professor's theory, although I am 

 much nearer to it than I was a year 

 ago. I have used the litmus paper for 

 certain tests, although not for honey, 

 therefore I cannot speak with much 

 assurance yet. May it not be possible 

 that thoroughly-evaporated nectar 

 leaves an inherent or natural acid so 

 insoluble as not to act upon the paper ? 

 Let us hear from our friends on this 

 point. 



Perhaps Prof. Cook was a little 

 hasty in requesting Dr. McKinney to 

 ask the brother bee-keepers' pardon, 

 but I can see his burst of energ}' and 

 enthusiasm more than any feeling that 

 such language would seem to indicate. 



IVootlen C«IIs— I^on-Swarminsr. 



I want to correct the Professor in 

 his article on page G16, which I know 

 occurred through his multitude of 

 business. He speaks of myself and 

 a neighbor bee-keeper having used it 

 for " two or three years." It should 

 read, " two seasons." I also wish to 

 speak of tearing the comb slightly by 



