1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



21 



very small, not over one per cent. 

 During the cool days in the latter 

 part of September I select those colo- 

 nies I Avish to unite, always choosing 

 two colonies of about equal f^lrength. 

 If possible the hives should l)e select- 

 ed two and two, those which aie near- 

 est. No. 1 should be moved i)iirt way 

 between, and the toj) removed and 

 smoke blown on them. No. 2 should 

 then be lifted from the bottom boaid 

 and a little smoke blown under and 

 then placed on No. 1. Stop up the 

 second entrance at once and remove 

 the other stand, bottom board &c,. 

 Bees seem to be better satisfied if 

 each have some stores, although I 

 have united them when one was 

 destitute and placed the feeder on at 

 once, feeding- the required amount 

 for winter during the night. I find 

 those colonies that are united are al- 

 ways the strongest in the spring, and 

 strange to say they use less stores 

 than the single colonies. 



Henry Alley says that bees from 

 two queens die off more rapidly when 

 united. I find this a mistake in this 

 locality, and contrary to his advise I 

 find we have just so many more bees. 

 These are the colonies that can be di- 

 vided with profit long before the 

 swarming time. 



I pay no attention to queens with- 

 out there is a difference, in that case 

 I always remove the oldest one the 

 day before, marking the hives to be 

 united. I will say right here that I 

 believe the Carniolan crossed with 

 our native bees, for all purposes are 

 the bees for this northern climate. 

 I have bought several of these 

 Queens from Mr. Lockhart the past 

 season and find them all very prolific. 

 I believe their crosses are an improve- 

 ment. I find the crosses are not in- 

 clined to swarm more than other bees. 

 N. A. Blake. 



Beebe Plain, Vt, Jan. 15, 1895. 



farmers' institutes and their 

 relation to apiculture. 



Institutes have already become in 

 some States a prominent factor in 

 the promotion of a certain kind of 

 knowledge, and they will grow in 

 number, aod increase in influence all 

 over the country as the general pub- 

 lic becomes better acquainted with 

 the manner in which they are con- 

 ducted, and the great good they may 

 accomplish. Missouri held forty in- 

 stitutes this year, and I am informed 

 that Illinois has made an appropria- 

 tion of $50 for each institute and is 

 to hold one in each county in the 

 State. Other States are sure to fol- 

 low in the footsteps of those already 

 holding such meetings, just as soon 

 as they realize how much benefit they 

 are to the general public. In fact, a 

 large number of the States are now 

 holding such instituths every year. 



There can be no question but what 

 these institutes offer an excellent op- 

 portunity for the promulgation of a 

 general knowledge of apriculture. 

 From my standpoint there is no better 

 opportunity than they offer for reach- 

 ing the people of small towns and 

 rural districts. I may remark in 

 passing that I am not a very strong 

 advocate of bee-keeping as an in- 

 dependent industry, especially in some 

 localities. Take a State like Missouri 

 for example, and I am inclined to 

 think that the future of apriculture 

 rests with the farmers and the fruit 

 growers. In other words, I am con- 



