262 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



especially those that were left oa their summer 

 stands, were very badly besmeared. The bees 

 were t'ouud dead in a mass, between the combs 

 and on the bottom board. The six buried were 

 in the same condition, except that the lo^wer half 

 of each comb was entirely ruined by mould. 



The forage of these bees consisted of fruit 

 blossoms and white clover, in great quantity, 

 -right at hand. No honey however on clover 

 Avith us, as most other places, on account of con- 

 tinued rain. Basswood, whitewood, and other 

 honey producing forest trees, one mile and a half 

 distant. Goldenrod, boneset, and hoarhound. 

 near by. Also, fifteen acres of buckwheat, 

 eighty rods distant. 



I can see no other cause for this mortality, ex- 

 cept unevaporated watery stores. By the way, 

 I notice some of these bees are voiding around 

 the hives and on the alighting board to-day ; 

 some staggering as though crippled. Another 

 thing new to me (as my experience is short) is 

 a white sticky substance on the upper side of the 

 abdomen, which in many cases pastes the wings 

 fast, and prevents the bees from going to the 

 fields. Has anj^ one seen anything similar ? Is 

 it common, and does it come from a flower ? It 

 remains on them for days. Many are wander- 

 ing around in the grass, trying to loosen their 

 wings. 



I would say for the benefit of Mr. Hubbard, 

 that a farmer living one- mile and a half from 

 here, near a whortleberry marsh, had two sets of 

 boxes (whose capacity is fifty pounds per set) on 

 our hives, filled nearly full from whortleberry 

 blossoms alone. This I witnessed. 



I would like to have Mr. Gallup give his 

 opinion of the mortality of bees in our locality, 

 for nine-tenths of the bees within ten miles of 

 here are dead. Apiaries of from fifteen to 

 twenty stands are sweiTt clean. I would like 

 also to have him give us a minute description 

 of his hives ; how everything is arranged ; what 

 is the shape and size ; where is the entrance ; 

 which way the frames run, how many, how large, 

 &c., and the why's and wherefore's — remember- 

 ing that some of us are onty subscribers of 1870. 



I think my next step upward will be from top 

 bars to movable frames ; but not until I have 

 purchased a right to use them. I understand 

 that Mr. Langstroth (the inventor, and I believe 

 the father to all bee-hive inventors, when the 

 truth is told) does not own the territory in 

 which I reside. 



And now, Mr. Editor, to close, I would say 

 that I have had an invitation to join the Farmers' 

 ■ Club of this village, and talk to them on the 

 subject of bee-keeping. I think I shall go and 

 try to get up an interest. Shall I take my help- 

 mate (the American Bee Journal), and read 

 a few appropriate pieces therefrom to them — 

 among them Mr. Newton's views of the Italian 

 bee ; pass round the Journal, and prove to them 

 if possible, that it will not bite. 



James Heddon. 

 Doicagiac, Mich., May 9, 1870. 



The laws whereby the commonwealth of bees 

 is ordered, are natural, not written in letters but 

 engraven in their manners.— 5u<Zer. 



[For tlie American Bee Journal.] 



In the Dark Ages of Bee-keeping. 



Mr. Editor and Fellow Bee-keepers : — As 

 I am a constant reader of the Journal and a lover 

 of the honeybee (the honey, of course, included) 

 I think it my duty to write a few lines for its 

 pages, while I profess that I have no axe to 

 grind. I commenced bee-keeping in the year 

 1859, and have been trying to get up a large api- 

 ary. I started with one stand of bees in the old 

 fashioned box hives ; and it has been I and the 

 moth for it, almost ever since, though I have 

 overcome the scoundrels after a long struggle — 

 but not until I left off using the box hive. 



Before I used the movable comb hive, I had at 

 different times as many as eighteen or twenty 

 hives, all in excellent condition. Of course I 

 looked for a large increase the following year, 

 but when the year rolled round, I was doomed to 

 disappointment, for all my bees were dead, except 

 a few strong colonies. 



My mode of getting honey to eat or for other 

 purposes when wanted, was this : I got me a 

 shovelful of live coals and a good roll of brim- 

 stone, stole upon my bees at night, and smoked, 

 them to death in a short time. I thought I had a 

 lot of as good honey as any man, and that I un- 

 derstood as much about raising bees as most of 

 them. You can imagine what a flavor my honey 

 had. It makes me shudder to think of such a 

 dish now. But we will class that as pertaining 

 to " the dark ages." 



1 have my first hive of bees yet, and have never 

 realized a copper from them, in honey or any- 

 thing else, except a few swarms every year. In 

 the year 1868 my eyes were opened, for I had 

 then the pleasure of seeing something wonderful, 

 as I thought— a patent hive ! Of course I went 

 in for one of those "tricks," for I thought tUat 

 with it, I should have bees and honey both, with- 

 out any trouble. The first swarm that came 

 forth that spring, I placed in the new wonder ; — 

 and the bees seemed to labor so industriously, 

 that I went to work and had more hives made ; 

 and now my apiary is increasing very fast. 



My bees stood the past winter very well, and 

 came out in the spring in excellent condition. I 

 have got one new swarm this spring. Who can 

 beat this ? " 



I should like to ask fiieud Gallup a few ques- 

 tions through the Journal, as he is well posted in 

 bee matters. When is the right time to feed, in 

 fall or spring? And what kind of food is best ? 

 Which is the best kind of hive to use, and where 

 can it be got ? And which is the best way to 

 winter bees, in the cellar or the open air? 



Now, hurrah for the American Bee Journal. 

 May it yet be found in the family of every bee- 

 keeper ! 



T. Woody. 

 Pleasant Valley, Mo. 



In some locations and seasons, either from 

 long and cold storms, or from deficiency of forage, 

 stocks that are not well supplied with honey will 

 exhaust their stores and perish even in May, un- 

 less they are fed. 



