THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



239 



ANSWERS BY P. 



ELWOOD. 



1. Move them home this month. 



2. No. 



3. Am not familiar enough with the 

 diflferent races to say. 



4. Supply and demand will regulate 

 the honey market as everything else. 

 I did not know that the price of honey 

 fluctuated more than that of butter 

 or cheese, recognized necessities. I 

 again assert that at present prices 

 more honey is sold below cost of pro- 

 duction than above, counting every ex- 

 pense including a reasonable price for 

 beekeepei-s' salary, and prices are 

 still tending downward. 



5. Have proved beyond a doubt that 

 a given number of bees in this section 

 would have gathered more surplus 

 honey. 



AXSWEUS BY L. C KOOT. 



1. With me the last part of the pres- 

 ent season has been very poor for bees 

 and as a consequence, breeding was 

 discontinued early and the stocks are 

 somewhat reduced in numbers. I have 

 united all light stocks to make them 

 sufficiently populous. I have also fed 

 all that were not heavy enough. All 

 have choice queens and are in as favor- 

 able condition for winter as the season 

 will allow. 



The season being so unfavorable, 

 most of the bees are old, which I con- 

 sider unfavorable for successful win- 

 tering. 



2. I have no Holylands or Syrians 

 at present. I have two queens of a 

 cross between the Caucasians and Ital- 

 ians. They are the only two stocks 

 that continued breeding up to the pres- 

 ent date on a limited amount of honey. 

 I shall look with interest for the suc- 

 cessful wintering of these stocks. 



3. To the first part of this question 

 I would say yes. It is difficult to give 

 one's views clearly in the space allowed 

 this department. I have not had suffi- 

 cient experience with other races than 

 the Italian to be a competent judge. 

 With the Italian, the clear distinct 

 bauds and gentleness of disposition 

 when properly handled are best proof 

 of purity. 



4. That we need a more substantial 

 and better regulated market for our 

 honey no one can doubt. 



I think there is no one question of 

 more interest to beekeepers generally 

 than this. As a rule beekeepers are 

 men of moderate ifieans and their prod- 



ucts must be sold promptly. If they 

 would do more in the direction of es- 

 tablishing a home market, instead of 

 sending their honey to the commission 

 merchant with directions to sell it at 

 once, better prices would be realized. 



5. This question covers a vast 

 amount of ground. One could hardly 

 pass through a season of practical 

 operations without learning some 

 things which are of value to himself 

 and would be to his brother beekeepers 

 if they could come to them in a practi- 

 cal way. I have but one suggestion to 

 ofl'er in connection with this question 

 and that is in regard to increase of 

 stocks when surplus honey is desired. 



Some of our best beekeepei'S advise 

 allowing bees to swarm naturally ; 

 others advise doubling the number of 

 stocks by artificial increase. I hardly 

 see how pi'actical beekeepers can re- 

 commend such practically. I am aware 

 that it will work satisfactorily when 

 the season is extremely good, but with 

 such a season as we have just passed, 

 it cannot be practised if surplus honey 

 is to be secured to any extent. 



With me it would have been far pref- 

 erable to have united all light stocks 

 in June rather than divide the stronger 

 ones at the same date. 



We must have populous stocks if we 

 are to secure much surplus honey dur- 

 ing a season like the present. 



LETTER BOX. 



Jenkintown, Pa., Aug. 12, 1884. 



Dear Sir, 

 Enclosed please find one dollar 

 ($1.00) for renewal of my subscription 

 to the Apiculturist with which I am 

 well pleased. 



The honey crop in this neighborhood, 

 I think will not be more than about 

 two-thirds of an average one, owing 

 chiefly to too much rain in June. 



One colony of hybrids stored some 

 honey of a deep red color, having a 

 very bitter taste ; as did also another 

 hybrid colony, though in smaller quan- 

 tities, while my three colonies of Ital- 

 ians gave me only fine white honey, 

 thick and rich. Can you inform me 

 what the above mentioned red honey 

 probably was? It looks almost like 

 blood in the cells ; and would you con- 

 sider it safe to feed it back in winter, 

 if needed. 



Respectfully yours, 



W. J. Rasin. 



