So 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



April. 



colony. Still we ordinarily consid- 

 er California as far better bee coun- 

 try than Massachusetts. 



Considering now the- production of 

 comb vs. extracted honey, we find 

 that as the above figures show that 

 nearly twice as much comb as ex- 

 tracted honey was produced. Stated 

 in terms of an average, 266 pounds of 

 comb and 186 pounds of extracted 

 honey were produced by each bee- 

 keeper who responded. For reply to 

 the inquiry, "What kind of honey 

 do you work for," five work for ex- 

 tracted only; twenty-two for comb 

 only; eleven for extracted and comb 

 both; and two for more bees in pre- 

 ference to honey. It would be safe 

 to say, even without these figures, that 

 in this state, comb honey production 

 is in the lead. 



The increase of bees, kept by those 

 who responded, as shown above, are 

 as encouraging figures as we received. 

 We did not care to learn so much 

 whether the increase was due to nat- 

 ural or artificial measures, or whether 

 it was due to purchase by the bee- 

 master; but we did want to know 

 how many more bees the bee-man 

 was willing to put into winter quar- 

 ters, than he had in the spring. 



The figures as above given, show 

 among the 38 persons who responded, 

 that no person keeps any great num- 

 ber of bees; but that a number of 

 persons keep a few. Dividing the 

 number of colonies which went into 

 winter quarters, among the number 

 of respondents, each would have had 

 fourteen colonies. But the most en- 

 couraging thing in the returns is, 

 that after a generally conceded poor 

 season in which there were very few 

 swarms, there go in for winter among 

 these 38 people, 168 colonies more 

 than they had in the spring; in other 

 words, each individual, if an average 

 be taken, increased his apiary the 

 past season, by four and one-half 

 colonies. 



Disease, while it is known to ex- 

 ist in most parts of the state, is not 

 reported but by four individuals. This 

 we feel confident in saying, is due, 

 in a measure, to a lack of knowledge 

 in the bee-keeper, of what a diseased 

 colony is. With some, the colony 

 might have to be on its last breath, 

 before it would be recognized as dis- 

 eased. 



To the query on hives, the answers 

 are too variable and too few to ena- 

 ble much of a conclusion. All man- 

 ner and form of hive, is apparently 

 in use, even the home-made box- 

 hive, I am sorry to say. Even more 

 of them would be found, I fear, if 

 the returns were from those other 

 than the progressive, who are usually 

 anxious for the opportunity to join 

 and participate in our society and 

 whom these returns represent. With- 

 out tabulating the results of this ques- 

 tion, the returns show the Lang- 

 stroth frame to be the most popular 

 and is used in both eight and ten 

 frame hives. 



Besides the returns above summa- 

 rized, we heard from three other large 

 apiaries, owned by members outside 

 of the state. 



Mr. Allan Lathan, of Norwich, Ct., 

 increased from 100 colonies to 123, 

 a large part of which are in Massa- 

 chusetts, which, of course, would have 

 much bettered our figures, but which 

 have not been averaged in the above. 

 From these he took 1,500 pounds of 

 comb and 2,000 pounds of extracted 

 honey. 



Mr. A. C. Miller, who we all know 

 something of, increased from 22 to 

 35 colonies; obtained and produced 

 upward of 550 pounds of honey. 

 (Note — ^Many of Mr. Miller's bees are 

 devoted to experimental uses. — Ed.) 



A report which we all envy, comes 

 from Vermont, Mr. R. H. Holmes, of 

 Shoreham. Mr. Holmes' product is 

 marketed chiefly in Worcester, where 

 it is considered the finest of honey. 



