66 



TPIE AMEEICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



seized upon with the greatest avidity, but sub- 

 sequent to that occuireuce it was at once dis- 

 carded. 



In my opinion, attention to this flour-feeding 

 at the proper time, is one of tlie essentials of 

 success in bee-cuirnre, at least in tlie vicinity of 

 this lake. In earlier, warmer, and less chilled 

 climates, it may be of less importance.— J. P. 



[Foi-tl 



icanBeej,^, 



[From the "Prairie Farmer.''] | 



A Honey Machine. j 



The Messrs. Marvin, of St. Charles, have one I 

 of the most extensive and bc^st managed apia- j 

 ripsin the West, if not in tlie whole country. | 

 They have over three hundred hives in their 

 apiary over half of which are tlie increase of 

 this season. They expect to market two and a 

 balf tons of houpy, if the flowers continue as 

 plentiful as they now promise to do. 



Tins season they have introduced a novel fea- 

 ture into their apiary in tlie form of a centrifu- 

 gal machine for removing the honey from the 

 comb. Tlie idea of this method of clearing the 

 cells of their honey, was proposed in Germany, 

 some years since, though little has been done to 

 utilize the principle lilUhe present season. ■ 



The machine which we saw in operation here, 

 ■was constructed by Mr. Baldridge, and answers 

 an excellent purpose where many swarms ot 

 bei-8 are kept. It is a plain box of wood firmly 

 secured together, trad is mounted on legs. With- 

 in it is a frame having board sides and bottom, 

 and the ends are made of strong wire cloth 

 This frame is made to revolve at. any ■ desited 

 velocity by means of a crank and multiplying 

 cogwheels which are placed above the machine. 

 The combs of a movable hive are placed against 

 these wire cloths, the cnps being opened by a 

 sharp knife, the frame turned and the honey 

 striking against the end of the outer box runs to 

 the bottom where it is drawn otf and put in jars 

 for the market. After the honey has been re- 

 moved from one side of the combs, they are 

 reversed and the same operation repeated. A 

 nunute's time is all that is required te remove 

 the honey from one set of combs. 



We witnessed the experiment of removing 

 honey from the combs, a part of the cells of 

 ■which were filled witii larvae, from three to six 

 days old. More care is required to remove the 

 honey from these combs than from those that 

 are all filled with honey, yet at least eighty 

 per cent of it may be removed wiiliout disturb- 

 ing the larvfE in the least 



The great advantage of the use of these ma- 

 chines is, that the same combs may be used over 

 and over again the same season, and thus, ex- 

 cept the time needed to repair ihem, the bees 

 may gather and store honey continuously. The 

 Messrs. Marvin estimate that the increase of 

 honey by the use of this invention, will be 

 nearly one-half. Should these machines meet 

 with the fAvor of bee keepers, which we think 

 they may, and be generally introduced, we may 

 look for cheaper honey; but it is plain that we 

 must find a substitute for beeswax, or purchase 

 it only at a greatly increased price. 



A Voice from. West Virginia^ 



The past season, up to August 1st, ^ag p ?* 

 lent for the "busy bees." They made a 

 start on the fruit blossoms, and" then -whe^^t! 

 tulip tree expanded its thousands of honevV« 

 ducing pods, they had a glorious feast day af 

 day, from early dawn to late at nia^t ,V*' 

 continued for about a month, with bm' u,, 

 interruption owing to the state of the wcatli 

 Then came in bloom the linden tree y 

 gave them rich stores. 



Notwithstanding the favorable season 

 in the old fashioned gams did but little 'b^ 

 in the way of swarming. Nearly all miuet 

 in Langstroth hives, at their different localij 

 some eight miles distant from each othe^ 

 more than doubled the number of my colon 

 and have '■'■piles''' of honey, which 

 " old logy" bee neighbors begin to conq 

 that "scientific" bee-men and patent hive;., 

 not such a " nuisance" as they once, and'^ 

 long since, thought. 



We have some" wise men" here in Ueok 

 Fome who still contend that the queen is ai 

 that the drones are the ones that lay all tliei 

 and that when a colony become queenlesai 

 is, without a king), if a large wasp be cavg ^ 

 heel in the top of the hive, they wl.ll go to worli] 

 do as iDcll as ever! Also, that the motluvo; 

 comes in the honey comb without any egg hi 

 been laid there, or anywhere else near it; 

 many other such nolinus. 



The Italian bee, after several unsnccea 

 attempts, has been introduced into this "dai. 

 corner by the writer, and caused mnnyay 

 citizen to shake his head and say "humbug 

 But they are "working out iheir own salvatioft 

 and gaining a wortliy name. Their superio" 

 over the natives, this season, with me, IiasJ 

 more than two to one ; and yet 1 have noli 

 show for them, as I have only one old qiieei 

 breed from. But she is a prize to me. 

 astonishing the quantity of brood comb slidj 

 filled with eggs. I gave her every advaa 

 to do all she was able. She has a beautiful ( ^ 

 and her progeny, workers and drones, sKi"^" 

 well markecras any lever saw in the Ws^ 



The queens I have raised from her ar^fi • 

 color, if possible more beautiful than hen 

 So much for getting queejfte from a reliables 

 and from one that knows what siie isdoir 

 has special care Jioto she does it so as toj 

 I got my queen from Mrs. E. S. TupperJ 

 ton, Iowa, and hope to get more from m 



More anoD, relative to wintering lieeiitts 



Langstroth hive— having b een very sdttMaiu 



in that thing ^ , 



J. S, FLORt 



Fatetteville, West. Va. 



As the life of the drones is usually cut sho - 



by violence, it is difficult to ascertain itspw ; ^ 



limit. It has been estimated not to exceea i j 



months. ? 



