104 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 

 Novice. 



Dear Bee Journal : — A few months ago we 

 mentioued, in one of oui' articles, that one of 

 the subscribers to the Journal came quite a dis- 

 tance to see how artificial swarms are made, 

 and when asked if he did not understand the 

 plans given in the Journal, replied that he had 

 not had time to read them. (We feel secure in 

 saying all this about him, as he wont have time 

 to read it.) Well we did not think at the time 

 that anybody would ever say that had we read 

 the Journal as carefully as we should, we 

 would not have asked the question in regard to 

 wintering'that we did in tlie last number. But 

 such we really believe is the case, and we here- 

 by notify all correspondents that we don't want 

 to be told of it, as we know it now already ! 



The fact "leaked" into our head in this wise. 

 The next Sunday (if it is wrong to read the Bee 

 Journal on Sunday, we really can't help it), 

 we gathered all our Journals from No. 1, vol. 

 1, up, and prepared ourselves to collect and 

 classify all that was said on the subject of win- 

 tering. (Do you know, Mr. Editor, whata|;j7<; 

 of valuable experience those same Journals 

 furnish on that subject?) Before we could get 

 our materials in order, Ave began to wish that 

 our Journals were bound ; but as we wanted 

 them "right off then," we, after placing each 

 volume in proper order, pushed some large pins 

 through the top, bottom nnd middle of the mar- 

 gin of each one, and, after clinching over the 

 point, found we had a very fair book for ouroton 

 use, (they might not do to lend). 



The index we find very convenient, and long 

 before we got to Mr. Gallup's excellent article 

 on page 129, January number, we understood 

 that it was quite as desirable, or more so, to 

 keep the warm rain away from the hives, as to 

 keep the cold out ; and in the article just men- 

 tioned Mr. Gallup finishes the subject, at least 

 to our notion. 



So we too are going to build a house for our 

 forty-seven (we have concluded that we would 

 rather have forty-seven than forty-eight) 

 swarms ; and as we may be so unfortunate as to 

 have a hundred some time, we are going to 

 make it large enough for that number. 



Mr. A. 0. Atwood, on page 78 of the present 

 volume, describes almost exactly what we have 

 determined on. 



The pile of boards, debris, &c., which Mr. 

 Gallup mentions when attempts are made to fix 

 up such structures cheaply, has made us feel 

 that we must have a nice house, where we can 

 take our friends. We are going to have the 

 boards planed and painted, and ^me kind of 

 neat cornice ; and would like some one to sug- 

 gest an appropriate emblem to top it off with. 

 We want a large window and a large double 

 door, so that our "help" wont bump the hives 

 against the door-posts, as such a catastrophe 

 might be harassing to our feelings. And we 

 want it clean and nice enough inside, so that 

 we can persuade our "better half" to come in 

 and " take a turn" at our melextractor in the 



summer time. Ten inch sawdust walls will 

 make a nice cool place in hot weather. 



We find a statement in the JouRNAL,that a 

 house large enough for one hundred stocks, will 

 not cost over forty dollars. Why, Mr. Editor, 

 our carpenter thinks it will cost about two hun- 

 dred dollars ; but as the bees we lost last Avinter 

 were worth more than that, we sa}^ let it cost. 



We have been to pay a visit to a friend in an 

 adjoining county, who built a house we think 

 fourteen years ago ; and he says he never lost 

 a bee in it while they had honey left. If our 

 house Avill serve to do that, we shall be well sat- 

 isfied. Our whole f6rty-seven stocks have got 

 nice queens, and we are sure we can ji^ them 

 honey enough, and then stand out of^k way. 



Now after all that has been said on the sub- 

 ject, we should like to ask the following ques- 

 tions. Mr. Gallup's opinion would be quite a 

 favor. 



How can the most honey be realized, say with 

 the melextractor, in a season ? By absolutely 

 preventing swarming ? By an increase of one 

 lialf, by earljr artificial swarming ? Or, by 

 doubling the whole number of strong stocks, as 

 mentioned ? 



Mr. Jasper Hazen's figures on the subject we 

 cannot admit, as we must think, even if it seem 

 harsh, that he grossly if not wilfully misrepre- 

 sents the matter, more with an idea of getting 

 people to inquire about his hive, than of com- 

 municating one real fact. 



Our experience would be that a proper in- 

 crease of stocks, made early in the season, in a 

 locality not overstocked, Avould give more 

 honey, than an absolute prevention of swarm- 

 ing. 



We forgot to add that we intend in the spring, 

 as soon as our bees are removed from their 

 house, to fix in it a suitable stove and make 

 some further experiments on artificial incuba- 

 tion. Such a room once warmed up, we think, 

 would keep warm a long time. 



Now, friend Argo, don't let your fifty-two 

 stocks play out wintering, or we shall get that 

 queen yet ! 



Hurrah, for the winter ! Our naturally hope- 

 ful disposition begins again to reassert itself. 

 Will our friends on the subject at least give us 

 their sympathies, and in return receive those of 

 ^ Novice. 



A large fruit grower says that his cherries are 

 a very uncertain crop, a cold northAvest storm 

 frequently prevailing when they are in blossom. 

 He had noticed, that if jthe sun shone only a 

 couple of hours, the bees secured him a crop. 



In winter, if bees are kept in a dark place, 

 which is neither too warm nor too cold, they 

 are almost dormant, and require very little air ; 

 but even under such circumstances, they cannot 

 live entirely without it. 



A sweaty horse is detested by bees, and if 

 assailed by them is apt to be killed— being in 

 such case, a very helpless animal. 



