itmm SLM^mmicmn mmm j&JSMumt^. 



743 



(I can put in ten frames, so it takes 10 

 wheels.) 



When I wish to reverse, I simply 

 take hold of the nearest comb, and 

 turn it, and all of the others will do 

 the same. It takes no time to change 

 sides, and it is a perfectly smooth and 

 noiseless operation. 



I am not afraid to assert that noth- 

 ing so successful has been placed be- 

 fore the bee-keeping public. The per- 

 fect facility and great rapidity with 

 which it works, will enable the opera- 

 tor to throw out 200 per cent, more 

 honey in a day than he can with the 

 non-reversible style. 



I wish ray bee-keeping friends could 

 be on hand during a honey-flow, and 

 see it work, extracting ten frames at 

 once. The handle is attached to a 

 horizontal rod extending outside of the 

 can. The motion of the crank and 

 basket being always in one direction, 

 there is no slamming or banging, as is 

 the case where the reversing of the 

 comb-pockets depends on the sudden 

 reversing of the crank and basket. 



Manitowoc Co., Wis. 



SURPLUS HONEY. 



Preparing the Bees for Winter- 

 Selling tlie Surplus, etc. 



Written for the Western Plowman 



BY C. H. DIBBERN. 



The bee-season is now entirely over, 

 and all preparations should be com- 

 pleted early this month for the safe 

 wintering of our bees. It will be 

 found vei-y difficult to handle frames 

 now, and if such preparation requires 

 this, it should have been done earlier. 



Many bee-keepers contract their 

 hives by taking away the combs, and 

 this can still be done if one goes about 

 it in the right way. I would prefer to 

 do this early in the morning, before 

 the bees begin to fly around the apiary. 

 I would also want to feel reasonably 

 sure that a day warm enough for bees 

 to fly is to follow. Blow a few puff's 

 of smoke in the entrance, then quickly 

 pry the honey-board oft' with a hatchet 

 or other tool, and blow a little smoke 

 under it, and quickly throw a rubber 

 cloth over the top of the hive. The 

 bees will generally be found clustered 

 near the center, and can be readily 

 removed by pulling the rubber cloth 

 cover to the other side. Insert the 

 division-boards. Blow a little smoke 

 under the cover as it is removed, and 

 replace the honey-board. One wants 

 to be quick about this kind of work 

 now, or the bees will be on the war- 

 path. It is also well to give them a 

 puff or two of smoke at the entrance 



occasionally, as they have a habit of 

 boiling out and making life miserable. 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



How shall we best winter our bees ? 

 That is a "condition, not a theory, 

 that confronts us." While I am de- 

 cidedly a cellar winterer, I have no 

 fault to find with those who differ from 

 me. It is all a question which is best, 

 the easiest for us to do, and the safest 

 for the bees. Could I know for certain 

 that each month of our long winters 

 would give us a few warm days, I 

 should feel perfectly safe in leaving 

 them on the summer stands with little 

 protection. But in this section we can 

 never feel sure that we will have such 

 a winter, and the only safe way is to 

 expect a hard, long winter every year. 

 If the bees can have a good flight late 

 in November, just before removing 

 them to winter quarters, I feel rea- 

 sonably safe that they will come out 

 all right in the spring. 



Should bees be packed with chaft or 

 many quilts if wintered in a cellar ? 

 I think not. A layer or two of old rag 

 carpet, or some other suitable cover, 

 is all that is necessary. Outrof-doors 

 it is difi'erent. Not only every hive 

 should be protected by every means at 

 hand, but the whole apiary should be 

 protected by a tight board fence on 

 the north and west sides. Those who 

 have but few hives can probably go to 

 the trouble of getting dry-goods boxes 

 and packing them around the hives, 

 with chaff, leaves, etc., but what an 

 endless task this would be when one 

 has two to three hundred hives to pre- 

 pare. It would certainly be much 

 easier, as well as safer, to "pack" 

 them into the cellar. The bees are in 

 excellent condition for winter, as they 

 are generallj' strong in numbers, and 

 are well supplied with a fine quality 

 of honey — no honey-dew this year, 

 and I feel no anxiety as to their safe 

 wintering. 



THE TREMBLING DISEASE. 



Some bee-keeepers still seem to be 

 greatly troubled by what is known as 

 the trembling or nameless disease. 

 We had a number of colonies aft'ected 

 two years ago. We then gave them a 

 good sprinkling of salt water a few 

 times on top of the frames, and also 

 kept salt water dripping from a barrel 

 where the bees could get all they 

 wanted, and the disease soon entirely 

 disappeared. We believe that this salt- 

 water cure is effective every time, if 

 thoroughly applied. 



SELLING THE HONEY. 



The market for our surplus is still 

 the main topic with many bee-keepers. 

 Of course, when we have a good crop 

 there is the usual talk of over-produc- 



tion, and that after all bee-keeping 

 " don''t pay." Such fellows are apt to 

 compare their hard lot with the rich 

 banker, who, they imagine, has noth- 

 ing to do but lounge in his luxurious 

 ofHce while his cashier loans somebody 

 else's money, taking iron-clad security 

 and his interest in advance. Well, it is 

 always some one else that seems to havi' 

 an easy time of it. 



But really, is the honey business so 

 bad ? Some people do not seem to be 

 able to sell anything. Many bee-keep- 

 ers belong to this class. They can 

 produce the finest queen, have good 

 hives, implements, work hard and 

 secure fine crops of honey, but when 

 it comes to selling, they are all at sea. 

 Now instead of studying the markets, 

 and looking over our vast country and 

 finding a market there, they will dump 

 it on an over-stocked city near home, 

 or try and work it all off cheap to a 

 few neighbors. Such men lack busi- 

 ness capacity. 



With me it has been different. I 

 have never yet had a season that I 

 could fill all my orders. This year, 

 since I have had honey off the hives, 

 it has gone like "hot cakes," and I 

 have not had to sell at very low prices, 

 either. Early in the season I made 

 my prices, and have not been obliged 

 to " come down." Of course I havi' 

 lost some sales by parties claiming 

 that they could buy for less from Tom, 

 Dick or Harry. But I have had orders 

 from first-class customers as fast as I 

 could pjick the honey, and my stock 

 will be gone long before Christmas. 

 Now what good would more orders at 

 low prices do me ? The ti'ouble is, 

 that there is no business about many, 

 and they do not understand proper 

 distribution. I believe there is a pay- 

 ing market for all the honey that will 

 be produced in this country for many 

 years to come, if the proper market is 

 hunted up and supplied. 



WINTER QUARTERS. 



The last week in November is the 

 time to be getting the bees into winter 

 quarters. It is a good idea to let them 

 have a flight as late as possible, as the 

 winter will be long enough, anywaj". 

 The only danger in waiting very long 

 after or about Nov. 20, is that no warm 

 day will come, and that the hives will 

 become covered with snow and ice. 

 When so covered, and in cold weather, 

 it is not only disagreeable work, but 

 the jarring and cracking in getting 

 the hives loose and removing covers 

 greatly disturbs the bees. Then, too. 

 the combs are apt to be covered with 

 ice, which will melt as soon as put in. 

 thus wetting the bees, and making u 

 bad beginning for wintering the bees 

 safely. 



Mi'lan, Ills. 



