i!« 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



February 



Along the lanes and roadsides beneath 



a summer sky; 

 "With its white bloom full of sweetness 



to the honey bee a-beckoning, 

 Is the clover among the grass blades 



peeping at each passer-by. 



Now soon throughout the woodland 



will float the breath of basswood 

 And the bees will, much delighted, with 



its nectar fill their comb: 

 And we'll fill our hearts with sunshine 



and be glad that we are living 

 Among the bees and blossoms of our 



York state home. 



There are fields all white with buck- 

 wheat, we may count them from 

 the hill toy. 



And breathe the bounteous fragrance 

 that fills the dreamy air. 



Covering all the back-lots there's a 

 yellow blaze of glory, 



For the goldenrod, triumphant, is 

 reigning proudly there: 



And along the many fence-rows its 



golden plumes are nodding. 

 While on its bloom the small brown 



bee is working with a zest. 

 Yes. in other places buckwheat grows 



and goldenrod is blooming, 

 But among the fields of York state is 



-vvhere nature does her best. 



Lysander, N. Y., Dec. 30, 1901. 



The greater mortality resulting from 

 parah^sis among bees in the South is 

 accounted for by Mr. Poppleton in this 

 way: In northern localities diseased 

 colonies succumb during the winter, 

 and the loss is attributed to other 

 causes: while in warm countries the de- 

 stroying agent is plainly evident. Mr. 

 Poppleton has suffered heavy losses 

 from paralysis in Iowa. At present he 

 believes his apiaries to be without a 

 single case of paralysis; a condition of 

 affairs he has not enjoyed for twenty 

 vears. 



In extracting from brood combs, 

 says Mr. O. O. Poppleton, it is the 

 small extractor that slings out the 

 brood. In the hands of a careful oper- 

 ator, the large extractor, the baskets of 

 which hgve a wide, sweeping motion, 

 will not dislodge any brood worth 

 menti<jning. 



SPRING FEEDING, HIVES, ETC. 

 Waverly, N. Y., Jan. 7, 190-'. 

 Editor American Bee-Keeper: 



Dear Sir:— The remarks on hive:, 

 and stimulative feeding in your January 

 number were quite interesting to me. 

 Locality alters cases very much. This 

 should be given great consideration be- 

 fore condemning the practice or opin- 

 ions of others, or trying experiments 

 recommended by those who live in a 

 climate very different from those who 

 intend to follow the advice. 



Stimulative feeding was very profit- 

 able in my apiary. I prefer it to uncap- 

 ping honey, as the syrup may be fed 

 warm. In this locality a colony can be 

 built strong enough, by stimulative 

 feeding, to fill the surplus department 

 with bees two weeks earlier than they 

 would if left to build up on the nectar 

 from spring flowers. The most trouble 

 from spring feeding is in discontinuing 

 when it is the most necessary. One late 

 season, one of my colonies was found 

 in a starving condition. May 30th: the 

 hive was more than ordinarily strong 

 in brood, and one more feed of a pint 

 of syrup carried them through until 

 clover bloomed. That colony gave me 

 the first surplus. 



The best hive for me in this locality 

 is about Langstroth size with frames 

 arranged the narrow way. Twelve 

 frames SV:>xi2 3-4 inches inside meas- 

 ure, were used. This rather odd size was 

 used with the intention of using nine 

 frames in the center of the hive with 

 one frame at each side filled with sec- 

 tions for surplus. Although the experi- 

 ment was never carried out I am quite 

 sure it would have been a success with 

 true hanging frames, without separa- 

 tors: as the bees that gather the honey 

 are not apt to enter the sides of a wide 

 hive. Long frames are very often filled 

 with irregular combs which are incon- 

 venient and unprofitable in an apairy. 

 Shallow frames may work well where 

 the winters are mild but it would be 



