THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



139 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



Operations for the mouth of Sep- 

 tember form a very important part in 

 the successful wintering of your bees. 

 Where there are plenty of fall flowers 

 (which there are in many sections), and 

 most of the season's honey is gathered 

 this month, the management would be 

 the same as given for August — only 

 the bees must have prompt attention 

 at all times. In our section we expect 

 a tine crop of golden rod and aster to 

 be harvested this month, and, in fact, 

 it generally runs through the greater 

 part of October. As for August, or at 

 least the fore-part of that month, it 

 now being the 15th, there has been no 

 honey to speak of, except sweet clover, 

 which has about run out except in 

 places where it was cut down in July, 

 such places are in full bloom and bees 

 working nicely. As for the golden 

 rod, it is just commencing to bloom 

 and I look for it to throw off honey 

 daily. 



The past month I shall put on 

 record as being the worst month of 

 my experience with robbers. They 

 were simply horrible, and would rob 

 from morning until night and take 

 advantage of every loop hole, until it 

 really began to get serious and I look- 

 ed around for help — but I am leaving 

 the subject, as I believe I said all there 

 was to say about robbers last month, 

 and only hope that beginners have not 

 had the same experience that I have 

 had, for it would certainly try the 

 patience of a saint. 



Unsealed late honey is very pour 

 food to winter on, and if close extract- 

 ing has been practiced it will be nec- 

 essary to feed, unless good sealed 

 combs (which have been set away for 



the purpose) can be inserted — this I 

 believe I recommended the beginners 

 to do in the summer honey flow — how- 

 ever, if you nave no sealed combs take 

 a Hasling's feeder, fill it with spring 

 honey,which has been set on the stove 

 until it comes to a boil, and feed 

 at night, hot. This feeder causes 

 no robbing whatever. Where fall 

 flowers abound I think it hardly prob- 

 able to get it into the boxes, as the 

 cold nights will drive the bees from 

 the cup and thus leave the curing pro- 

 cess undone, the result can only be 

 a lot of boxes partially filled and un- 

 capped, and of no use only to feed 

 back. Hence I would say, by all 

 means use the extractor and throw 

 this honey out just as fast as it is 

 gathered, for instinct tells the bees 

 winter is coming on, and these combs- 

 must be full for stores, and it will as- 

 tonish one unfamilar with the extract- 

 or what a vast amount can and will be 

 gathered by the little fellows you are 

 fooling so nicely. 



September, like August, is a good 

 time to introduce good young queens, 

 for it is all important that to be a suc- 

 cessful bee-keeper you must have new 

 blood, as well as in all other stocks. 

 Keep up brood rearing as long as 

 possible, even if you have to feed for 

 stimulation, as the more young bees 

 you have the better they will winter. 



Look well to your surplus honey 

 and get it up in nice neat cases, and, 

 knowing what the market demands,. 

 the smaller the shipping crates the 

 quicker the sales and far better prices. 

 Fumigate box honey before sending to 

 market, and do not be in a hurry to 

 get it there, for, as a rule, the bee- 

 keepers in general rush their honey to 



