238 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



were not tempted to leave their hives, and always 

 more or less fiiil to return. I dread to have 

 spring come, when I shall have to witness the 

 desolation. 



Wm. M. Stratton. 

 West Troy, N. F., Feb. 21, 1870. 



P. S. — I always feel more interested in " facts 

 and figures" than in anything else, and the more 

 of them the better, and t think that J. H. 

 Townley, on page IGG of the February Journal, 

 has imitated the deacon in "spreading" on 

 Judge Chapman's titles. I judge that in a re- 

 vised edition he will be willing to reduce his 

 2,1G3 to the square foot by 2,155, leaving eight 

 to the foot ; and borrow a few bees to finish out 

 with. But do not be weary in well doing, Mr. 

 Townley, for the idea will lead to a fine train of 

 thought respecting bee pasturage. 



W. M. S. 



[For the Araeriean Bee Journal.] 



Wintering Bees. 



In nearly every number of the Bee Jotjrnal 

 there appear several articles under the above or a 

 similar heading. Some reporting their success, 

 others their, mishaps ; some advising one method, 

 and some another ; some experimenting, sanguine 

 of success ; others mourning over their failures. 

 I may be vain, and possibly conceited ; but I 

 cannot help smiling at this jargon of the doctors 

 of apiculture, while my own bees are quietly 

 sleeping away the long winter months, giving 

 me no anxiety of mind, nor causing the slightest 

 trouble. I put my bees into winter quarters, and 

 go al)out m}'- business, giving them no further 

 thought till the bright sunny days of spring, 

 when I return them to their stands lull of life and 

 vigor. If "Novice" had expended two hun- 

 dred dollars in an underground room, similar to 

 the one describee by myself in the American 

 Bee Journal, he would have no occasion to 

 open the door at night or reconstruct ten years 

 hence. 



J. H. Thomas. 



Bvooklin, Ontario. 



[For tlie American 



A Few Inquiries. 



Journal.] 



]\Ir. Editor:— I would like to ask friend 

 GaHup a few questions through your Journal, 

 as he is well posted on bee questions. 



Alter taking out bees in the spring, would you 

 keep the top of the hive perfectly tight and close, 

 so as to keep all the animal heat in, to induce 

 breeding more rapidly ? 



In case you have a light swarm of bees, would 

 you use a division board and keep the space 

 from being large, so as to create more heat ? 



Where do you have ventilation to your hive 

 in summer? Do you have more of it than is 

 given at the entrance ? 



Please reply, and oblige, Joel Dayton. 



Decorah, Iowa, 



[For tlie American Bee 



Bees in New Jersey. 



Well, Mr. Editor, I've removed, bag and bag- 

 gage, bees and bee-hives, and am going to try 

 bee-keeping, here on the sands in the pine region 

 of New Jersey. I hope to be able to give you a 

 good account in the future. We have light land 

 which is favorable for the production of honey, if 

 covered witli the right kind of vegetation. It has 

 been my experience that bees work more than 

 four times as much on clover growing on dry 

 sandy or gravelly land, than on heavy clay or wet 

 land. Some of the land here is too light, and 

 much of it is not yet covered with the right kind 

 of vegetation, as it is only four years since this 

 section was opened for settlement. Most of the 

 land was owned in large tracts ; only an occa- 

 sional farm having been cleared. 



It may be said in our favor that we have a long 

 season; and it will be seen, on looking at a map 

 showing the isothermal lines, that we have a 

 climate similar to that of some of the Southern 

 States. We can raise sweet potatoes profitably ; 

 also peanuts, and some otlier southern produc- 

 tions. Fruit growing is the main business here, 

 which will give an abundance of early blossoms; 

 and I fancy that the raspberrj' will prove of value 

 for its honey. Clover is not yet abundant, though 

 increasing. We have also willow, locust and 

 cherry ; but I do not know of how much value 

 these will be until I observe them one or two 

 seasons. Buckwheat is raised, and is of value to 

 the bees. I shall try melilot, mustard, borage 

 and alsike clover, and if you can offer any sug- 

 gestions of value to me, they would be thank- 

 fully received. 



Appearances indicate that we shall have a long 

 continuance of blossoms, though not veiy abun- 

 dant much of the time. Whortleberries grow 

 wild here in great abundance. Sometimes a 

 hundred bushels a day are sent from this place to 

 New York, for a week at a time. Some of the 

 natives think the bees get a good deal of honey 

 from the whortleberry blossoms ; some think 

 they do not ; and others do not know what they 

 work on except buckwlieat. 



Bee-keeping is at a low tide here, as is (or 

 rather was) every kind of industry amongst the 

 isolated rural population. The colony of fruit 

 growers establishing themselves here have given 

 a different look to this hitherto uninviting field. 



Last summer I hived a small swarm, and in a 

 few days found they were queenless, without a 

 jiarticle of brood. A few days later, on examin- 

 ing them, I found the work of a fertile worker or 

 workers. As they had a young queen when 

 hived, it would seem that this worker must liave 

 become fertile after being full}^ grown. I believe 

 this to be the case generally, and that they need 

 no previous preparation, such as being laid at the 

 side of a queen cell, and getting some queen's 

 food by mistake. J. L. Hubbard. 



Brkksburg, iV. J., March, 1870. 



Colonies too feeble in numbers in the spring 

 should be gradually reinforced by inserting ma- 

 turing brood taken froui.stroug colonies. 



