THE AMEBIC AN APICULTURIST. 



47 



ANSWERS BY A. 



COOK. 



1. Ill cellar vvinteriug, which I 

 think mucli the most desirable in our 

 cold climate the form of the frame is 

 immaterial. In the cold spring, when 

 set on summer stands, a square frame 

 like Gallup form, gives most compact 

 brood chamber. Then there are few 

 bees, and must l)e rapid brood rearing. 

 This requires a warm brood chamber, 

 and I have found it best secured in the 

 square frame. 



2, 3. Answered above. 



4. Yes, for reasons stated above. 

 We make brood chambers smaller and 

 so the space to be kept warm is les- 

 sened. Nothing so prevents spring 

 dwindling as a small close brood cham- 

 ber. 



5. Yes, as we can contract brood 

 chamber. 



6. I think very much more. 



ANSWERS BY E. E. HASTY. 



1. The objects of tall frames are to 

 get the bees well above the level of the 

 entrance, and so out of the way of di- 

 rect draughts of air; also to get the 

 store of honey directly over the bees, 

 so that they can always have sure ac- 

 cess to food during long cold spells. 

 Practically, however, the first of these 

 seems to be of very slight advantage 

 if any al all ; and the second appears 

 to bring with it a very decided disad- 

 vantage. 



2. Reasons can be given on both 

 sides ; but my experience is that bees 

 on Langstroth frames winter best. 



3. Yes, in too many ways to recount 

 in an answer like this. To mention 

 one, if there are three or four inches of 

 solid honey above the cluster frost will 

 collect there heavily during severe 

 weather; and every mild spell this 

 frost will melt and run down among 

 the bees. 



4. I have doubts. As there is much 

 less honey to keep in order, the bees 

 do not have to make slop-buckets of 

 their stomachs in so much "mopping 

 up." The extra combs of honey keep 

 much better in the comb-closet. 



5. Probably not. 



6. Yes. Forty years ago people 

 thought bees became dormant by cold, 

 and ceased to eat. The apiarists of 

 to-day generally know that there is 



much yet to learn — a very great ad- 

 vance. Those of forty years ago 

 strongly inclined to think they knew 

 it all. Although much of our experi- 

 mental knowledge is in rather a cha- 

 otic state just now, order and truth 

 will come out of it. The insinuation 

 that all is nonsense, tit only to be 

 dumped overboard, is a very foolish 

 and mischievous one. 



QUESTION BY J. B. HALL. 



I would like to ask through the "Api. 

 culturist" of any that have had any ex- 

 perience with Caucasian bees, if they 

 find the queen prolific and the bees as 

 good honey gatherers as other races 

 tried by them." 



questions by w. .j. rasin. 

 Dear Sir: 



I have had a rather strange expe- 

 rience with one of my colonies, the 

 cause of the trouble being a mystery to 

 me, but hope through the medium of 

 your paper and your assistance, to have 

 some light tlirown on the subject. 

 The facts of the case are as follows : 



1. About the middle of last Octo- 

 ber, I obtained an Italian queen from 

 Mr. Alley, and introduced her to a col- 

 ony which had been queenless about a 

 week. There being no brood left by the 

 old queen, there had been no cells 

 started; but, to be sure of that, I care- 

 fully examined every comb at time of 

 introducing the new queen. 



2. New queen was apparently ac- 

 cepted as many eggs were found upon 

 next examination, about one week af- 

 terwards ; the eggs were evenly dis- 

 tributed, one in a cell, so that I am 

 satisfied they were not laid by fertile 

 workers. 



3. On January 31, the thermometer 

 stood at 40° Fahr. in the shade, at 

 noon, and 68° on the slope of the hill 

 where the sun shines on my apiary; 

 but did not notice any bees flying from 

 any of my chafl" hives, in one of which 

 this particular colony is (No. 8). Hav- 

 ing looked at them all at that hour, 

 later in the day about 3 o'clock I hap- 

 pened to see, on the large alighting 

 board in front of No. 8, the queen 

 nearly dead, but apparently from the 

 effect of the cold, the sun having then 

 ceased to shine there, the general tem- 

 perature of the air being about 40°. 



4. Alter taking the queen into the 



