286 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



4. Do you intend to winter them on 

 the summer stands or in the bee house 

 or cellar, and what method do you 

 adopt in preparing them? 



5. How many pounds of honey or 

 sugar syrup food have the bees per 

 colony and what kind? Is any por- 

 tion of this food fall honey? If so, what 

 proportion ? 



6. What percent of bees do you lose 

 on the average during winter, and at 

 what period in tlie winter do they gen- 

 erally die? 



7. What do you consider to be the 

 proper requisites for successful winter- 

 ing? 



8. Do you use any artificial methods 

 for keeping the temperature in the cel- 

 lar or beerhouse even? If so, what? 



9. How long do you keep your bees 

 confined to winter quarters and how 

 many pounds of food per colony clo 

 they generally consume during that 

 time ? 



ANSWERS BY J. E. POND, JR. 



1. Nine. ^ 



2. Italian, Carniolan, Syrian-Pales- 

 tine crossed. 



3. Langstroth hive frame ITlXOJ. 



4. On summer stands, I put them on 

 7 frames with division boards each side 

 of hive. Hdl's Device on frames, cov- 

 ered in with woollen blanket, and upper 

 story filled with forest leaves. En- 

 trance as wide as the width of 7 frames 

 will spread. A high, tight, close hedge 

 protects the north and west side of my 

 apiary. 



5. I have left in each hive about 25 

 lbs. of golden rod honey, gathered this 

 fall. Two colonies I have prepared 

 experimentally, and shall report in the 

 spring. 



6. I have not lost a colony for over 

 eight years. 



7. Answered generally in No 4, viz. 

 Large entrance, plenty of stores so 

 placed that the bees can get to them ; 

 space above the frames for intercom- 

 nuinication, and absorbents on top of 

 frames that will allow moisture to pass 

 off, and still retain the heat generated 

 in the hive. 



8. I don't winter in special deposi- 

 tory. 



9. I allow my bees to fly whenever 

 they choose. They use from 5 to 10 

 lbs. of stores prior to middle of Feb'y ; 

 after that it depends upon the season, 

 and the rapidity with whicli brood is 

 reared. About 15 lbs. are used ordina- 

 rily from middle of Feb. to frnit bloom, 

 wliich appears latter part of May. 



Foxboro, JSfov. 14, 1884. 



ANSWERS BY J. B. HALL. 



1. 283. 



2. Grades, about two-thirds Italian 

 and one-third German blood. 



3. The old Quinby eight frame for 

 comb lioney, and two story hive for ex- 

 tracting. 



4. In two cellars, and one bee-house. 

 At the Ontario apiary 122 stocks in acel- 

 lar cut into a bank, with workshop 

 above and underground ventilation 156 

 feet. Last winter the glass in this re- 

 pository stood from 48 to 54 degrees 

 above zero. At home apiary 81 stocks 

 in celhir, 12 by 12 feet under dwellinir, 

 with 2.i inch ventilating pipe attached to 

 stove pipe above, and running within two 

 inches of the cellar bottom. A 10 inch 

 ventilator in top of cellar door to let out 

 warm air if too warm, this repository 

 I like the best of the three. The tem- 

 perature last winter was 48 to 56° 

 above zero. 



Last and least liked, in a house with 

 16 inch walls- packed with sawdust, I 

 have put 80 stocks; glass stood last 

 winter from 42° to 62°, above zero. 



Have no method of preparing bees 

 for winter; let the bees do that, as I 

 am sure it will be done much better 

 and less trouble to me. 



5. I like at least 20 lb. per stock of 

 clover or basswood honey (have no 

 fall honey here). 



6. About six per cent, but if those 

 that are queenless and those that starve 

 are not reckoned, the loss will be 

 al)Out two per cent, and that between 

 April 20 and May 10. 



7. 20 pounds of good honey, and 

 that put in the combs in June or July, 

 queen not more than two seasons old. 

 Jlivcs nut to be opened after the lioney 



