730 



TWm fCME'RICMIf WMM JQ^WRKMI^. 



the hives, which is formed by means 

 of the 2-inch blocks before referred to. 

 This makes a complete, continuous 

 box around all the hives, which are 

 spaced about 6 inches apart. 



Now gather forest leaves, and pack 

 them between and around all the 

 hives. (You need not fear getting too 

 many leaves, as the tighter the leaves 

 are packed between and around all 

 the hives, the better.) The back and 

 front walls should be raised high 

 enough above the tops of the hives, to 

 admit of a heavy layer of leaves on 

 top. It will be provided, of course, 

 that the bees have free egress and in- 

 gress, the entrances fronting toward 

 the east. 



I feel certain that those who take 

 the trouble to provide their bees with 

 such winter quarters, will have no sad 

 faces on account of loss of bees the 

 coming winter. In case any are not 

 favored with a supplj' of forest leaves, 

 I recommend as the next best article 

 for packing, oat-straw, which should 

 be free from dampness. If the pack- 

 ing is well done, I feel assured that 

 each colony will winter safely on less 

 than ten pounds of honey, which will 

 pay well for all the trouble. Each 

 colony should have at least from 15 to 

 20 pounds of honey to last them 

 thi'ough the winter. I gave directions 

 last spring as to the kind of food, and 

 how to feed to all colonies that are 

 destitute of food. Bees should have at 

 least a good shed over them, and be 

 placed above the ground, out of the 

 reach of mice. 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



KANSAS. 



It i§ a Oood Field for Bees- 

 Report for 1§§9. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY REV. J. D. GEHRING. 



Is Kansas a good place for bees ? A 

 few years ago a negative answer would 

 have been given, even for this region ; 

 but now we can say, "Yes, white 

 clover, in great abundance, is here to 

 staj' ; also Alsike and sweet clover is 

 plentiful along the railroads and pub- 

 lic highways." 



In the early spring we have the 

 various vine-fruit bloom, and apple, 

 peach, plum, cherry and pear tree 

 blossoms in the greatest profusion. 

 Along the river courses, we have also 

 the linden. 



Ooltlen Rod as a Honey-Plant. 



As to the golden-rod, I can only say 

 with confident assurance that I am 

 right, that there is plenty of it in this 

 part of Kansas ; but I begin to feel a 

 little doubtful as to its honej'-produc- 



ing excellence. I have watched it 

 closely for the last four years, where I 

 had it in sight from my apiarj- every 

 day during blooming time, and I can- 

 not say that it yielded a good flow of 

 honey. However, I am not sure that 

 this is not owing to conditions of 

 weather and season. 



The main trouble with golden-rod 

 seems to be, that it begins to bloom 

 when, as a rule, the weather is very 

 hot and dry ; and, just about the time 

 it is at its best, we have cold rains and 

 frost. This was the case here this 

 season. 



During the last two days of August, 

 the bees brought in the honey at a 

 furious rate — mostly from white 

 " smart-weed." Since Sept. 1, thej^ 

 have done nothing. I shall probably 

 have to feed some of mine, for when 

 the honey-flow ceased, they had a 

 great quantity of brood, and but a 

 small supply of stores in the brood- 

 nest. 



The early part of the season, after 

 fruit-bloom, was just like the latter 

 part — cold and wet ; but the frequent 

 rains, keeping the white clover fresh, 

 gave us the " bulge" on white honey, 

 and we can report a good crop of the 

 verj' best of honey. 



I began the season with 18 colonies 

 — nearly all Italians. I desired no 

 increase, and I succeeded in keeping 

 it within 25, all told. I took from 18 

 colonies, 1,500 pounds of white clover 

 honey, and 200 pounds of yellow 

 honey — all in one-pound sections. I 

 have sold all of it in the home market 

 at from 15 to 20 cents per pound, and 

 could sell another ton of it if I had it. 



Two of my Italian colonies gave 140 

 pounds eacii, of the finest honey I had. 



<]iettin$; S^varms iiritli Sliot-Ciiin. 



My queens have their wings clipped. 

 I would not try to keep bees, where 

 large shade-trees are as numerous as 

 they are in Lawrence, with queens 

 able to go where they please. I had 

 one queen which I failed to catch, 

 after repeated efforts ; she was a 

 "harum-scarum, atom-boy." I always 

 found her when I looked for her, but 

 when I put my fingers on her to secure 

 her, like the Dutch woman's flea, she 

 wasn't there ! But she concluded that 

 she would go to seek a home where 

 she could reign unmolested, and so, 

 one day, she came out with her whole 

 family, drones and all ; I do not think 

 that there was a pint of bees in the 

 hive when I examined it — and they 

 were young ones. 



I tliink that the queeen wanted to go 

 oif at once, but she finally consented 

 to cluster in the highest top of the 

 highest limb of the highest maple tree 

 in my yard. I could not climb to 

 where they were. I stood and looked 



at them for some time ; of course I was 

 " riled a little." A squirrel or a " pos- 

 sum " I could shoot, but a swarm of 

 bees could not be — "Hold on," I 

 thought; "something must be done. 

 That pesky queeu shall not have it all 

 her own way. I'll try my shot-gun on 

 her." 



With gun in had, I ascended a lad- 

 der to the top of the house ; got a good 

 foot-hold, aimed, and fired right into 

 the body of the cluster. The limb 

 dropped, and many of the bees with 

 it ; but they soon i-eturned, and took 

 position on another near the place. I 

 shot them down again, and again they 

 came back, but this time lower down, 

 so that I could climb up near them, 

 and saw the limb oft'. Many bees were 

 killed, but the queen escaped unhurt. 

 I put them back, and clipped the 

 queen's wings. The second day after, 

 they came out again, but returned, 

 and this was repeated several times. 

 They refused to work, and were as 

 cross as hornets. Finally I " kotched" 

 that little "beast," and slaughtered 

 her, and gave the colony a queen- 

 cell. 



Another colony persisted in swarm- 

 ing-out with a queen whose wings were 

 clipped, and finallj' left — I think with- 

 out a queen ; they did not hatch one 

 out, I know. One colony built 26 

 queen-cells on one frame, and 8 on 

 another. 



On the wliole, I am well satisfied 

 with my season's work ; but I am ex- 

 ceedingly sorry that I cannot continue 

 in the business. On account of my dis- 

 abilitj', caused by a gun-shot wound of 

 the neck, I am unable to do the neces- 

 sary work called for in an apiary of 

 from 50 to 100 colonies — and less than 

 that would not pay. My left side is 

 partially paralyzed, and the left hand 

 is too weak to lift heavy frames. 



Lawrence, Kansas. 



Sublime Xiioii&rlits. 



There is a way out of every diiBculty that 

 meets us hi life. It may not be the way we 

 like, or the way that promises Rreat glory, 

 honor, pleasure or reward, but it is the way 

 of deliverauce, and we are bound to consider 

 it God's way. — Joseph Owen. 



There Is a peculiar and appropriate reward 

 for every act, ouly remember that the re- 

 ward is not given tor the merit of the act, 

 but foUows on it inevitably in the spiritual 

 kingdom, as wheat springs from the grain 

 and barley from its grain in the natural 

 world.— F. W. Robertson. 



Whenever we yield ourselves to the true 

 law, a higher principle of order enters into 

 our life; we rise out of childish weakness, out 

 of animalism and e vil ; we are renewed and 

 transformed into children of ligbt; we bo- 

 come conscious of a steady, upward tenden- 

 cy, and of a godlike and immortal quaUty. — 

 C. G. Ames in Mail and Express. 



