68 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For the American Bee Jour] 



Tke Honey Season, &c. 



[For the American Bee Joumj,.J 



Tliat Paper Hive. 



The season in this part of New Eugland has 

 been the most unfavorable for honey since 1863. 

 The spring, np to the first of June, I think was 

 better than' the two previous ones. At this time 

 the hives -were well tilled with bees and brood ; , 

 swarms commenced issuing, and swarmed too j 

 much generally. Many colonies swarmed as | 

 many as three or four times each ; and some of : 

 the virgin stocks swarmed also. | 



June, up to the last week, was very favorable 1 

 for honey. The red raspberry blossomed pro- I 

 fusely, and the weather was such that the bees ; 

 obtained honey Very fast, and the early swarms ^ 

 filled their hives with comb, while the queens i 

 worked us aiduously, filling their combs with i 

 eggs. Consequently there was not much honey , 

 sio"ied. Since the first of July bees have done 1 

 noLliing— hardly gathering enough for their daily j 

 consumptiou. i 



While clover has been abundant, and bass- 

 wood blossomed well generally. But we have 

 had a severe droun;]it ; the atmosphere has been 

 dry, and the nights cool. This has checked the 

 flow or the secretion of honey in tbe flowers. 

 And here I would say that I believe unless the 

 atmosphere is right, bees will secure but little 

 honey, although there mny be many honey-pro- 

 ducing blossoms at hand. I have known some 

 seasons when bees did not work on buckwlieat, 

 which I believe was in consequence of the at- 

 mosphere being too dry. 



To-day (August 16th) I have examined some 

 of my stocks. In the old ones, I found a good 

 supply of honey ; but the young swarms thai 

 have filled their hives witli comb are very difl'er- 

 ent. Many of them have probably not over 

 one-half enough for wintering purpdses. There 

 is little uncapped honey to be seen ; and the 

 common bees are uncapping that wliich was 

 sealed. Unless there is a good supply of lull 

 forage, or feeding is resorted to, I tear many 

 colonies will " come up missing" befure next 

 spring. 



1 see by the correspondence in the last Bee 

 JouiiNAL, that in many parts of the country bees 

 are swarming too much, and storing but little 

 surplus honey. I learned from Mr. Langstroth, 

 several weeks ago, that his bees were storing 

 remarkably well— obtaining large quantities of 

 honey. Last season, I think, bees in many 

 parts of the West, did but little. 



Bee-keepers' Conventions. 



As I read the doings of the Conventions in 

 the different parts of the country, tbe thougkt 

 occurred to me — Why cannot New" England 

 have something of the kind.'? Wbat say you, 

 brother bee-keepers of New England ? 



C. B. B:glot7. 



Pekkinsville, Vt. 



Tbe paper hive and its inventor, as getf« 

 by Mr. Fairbanks, in the August.nutnber of^ 

 Bee Journal, shows the doctor's new theorvj 

 in rather unfavorable light, or does not ah 

 him up at all. I dare say the t'octor might ha 

 played sharp on some of the GentileSj^hadl 

 felt so disposed. But the true believer ■ ' 

 manded to watch, and this is quite essemioil 

 this age. Facts arc wbat we want. 



We carefully weighed three hives on tliet 

 of December, 1868— one paper, and two ^jl 

 hives; placed one wood hive in the cellar- 

 the other, with the paper hive, was left omij 

 doors. We weighed them again on the fir 

 April, and the result was that the liivein 

 cellar had lost ten pounds ; the wood hive( 

 doors (which was double-wall) sixteen pou 

 while the paper hive, in a more exposed si^ 

 tion, had lost but nine pounds. The bees i 

 combs in the latter were perfectly dry 

 healthy, while those in tlie wood hive weraj 

 from it. 

 , The paper quilt described in the Aueusti 

 j ber of the Journal, we hope Mr. Fairbi 

 ; as well as others, will test the coming -vyii 

 j It will not kill the bees, but, on tlie other! 

 protect them from both damp and cold. ? 

 I We do not approve of the doctor's foBJ 

 i hive, or style of top bar, as we think we | 

 j a better form and style ; but papir in J 

 I form, we cannot dispense with. ~ 



About the use of movable top bars, 

 I frames, we have only lo read the JouRSi 

 learn that some of the most eminent Gei 

 j apiarians prefer them to frames. 

 I I hope the doctor's new theory of i 

 i growth, if not true, will lead to mure lig 

 I we believe the old theory is wanting foi^l 

 i dence in all its claims. 



Yours, for better success in wintering, 

 Chas. Hasti] 

 Dow^AGiAC, Mich , August 12, 1 



The Orientals call the honey-bee, " Deborah : 

 She that speaketh." 



It may generally be ascertained so 

 hiving a swarm, whether or not- it ' 

 remain. If, on applying the ear to tb 

 the hive, a sound be lieaid as of gn 

 rubbing, the bees are getting ready f^ 

 building, and will rarely decamp— Lai 



The hinder legs of the worker , 

 nished with a spoon-shaped hollow^ 

 to receive the pollen which she gati 

 flowers. 



The queen bee usually dies of o| 

 fourth year, although she has hei 

 live much longer. 



'Notched and ragged wings, instead 

 hairs and wrinkled faces, are the signs ^ 

 in the bee. 



