288 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



in readiness to put in frames of honey 

 very early in the spring if it is needed. 

 Probat)ly more than half of the winter 

 store this year is fall honey. I think 

 late honey very bad for winter use; 

 but my bees must iiet alonji with it 

 somehow or other. The peculiarity of 

 my location is small runs of honey in 

 spring, and a pretty good fall supply. 

 Some years the surplus is nearly all fall 

 honey. The amount of my harvests 

 will neither admit of buying sugar nor 

 of reserving early honey to winter on. 



G. The " period in the winter" when 

 bees mostly die is April ; and by report- 

 ing how many colonies got through to 

 the first of March " ye truthful apia- 

 rian " gets a reputation for wintering 

 bees. I have had some severe losses. 

 During our worst winter, which was 

 1880-1, I came down from 104 to 17, or 

 84 per cent., some bad blunders help- 

 ing on the destruction. Last winter 

 Avas a hard one, but I am not aware of 

 any great l)lunders, althougli some col- 

 onies were sacrificed in expei'iments, 

 and I went down from 150 to 111, or 26 

 per cent. Losses during the winter of 

 1881-2 were, if I remember aright, 6^ 

 per cent. Losses for 1882-3 were 10 

 per cent. About 27 per cent, has been 

 my average loss since I owned the api- 

 ary. 



7. First and foremost by far, good. 

 purfe food. Next to that a quiet, patient 

 disposition among the bees themselves. 

 Worrying will soon destroy a colony; 

 and if the food is not good they will be 

 pretty apt to worry. All things that 

 tend to make the bees comfortable and 

 contented come in as requisites. Pure 

 air, secured without draughts, is prob- 

 ably third in importance. Fourth, pro- 

 tection from cold. Fifth, sufficient 

 moisture in the atmosphere of the hive 

 to obviate thirst; but not enough to 

 have the interior dripping wet. Sixth, 

 reasonably quiet surroundings. Sev- 

 enth, occasional periods of extra 

 warmth and light. 



In the above there is presupposed a 

 colony of healthy bees, not weak in num- 

 bers, not all aged, and not queenless. 

 Economv of honey depends on quiet 

 and warmth — and don't tempt them 

 with two hu'ge a stock on hand. Win- 

 ter t)reeding is usually a detriment; 

 but the progeny of one queen, the best 

 Avinterers that I have, seem to hold 

 some sort of a patent on winter breed- 

 \\vx. and raise large amounts of winter 

 brood. 



8 & 9. Never wintered a colony in 

 cellar. 



ANSWERS BY lUA BARBER. 



1. Nearly 200. 



2. Italians and hybrid. 



3. OldQuinby, eight frames, 11X18. 



4. In cellar. 



5. 30 lbs. per colony ; no fall honey, 

 all clover and basswood. 



6. Less than 2 per cent for the last 

 eight years while in winter quarters; 

 what few fail to get through all right 

 starve in April. 



7. A good prolific queen, plentv of 

 old bees, 30 lbs. of honey, or syrup 

 made of granulated sugar, and a good 

 warm cellar. 



8. I do not use any artificial means 

 foi- heating or cooliugthe room ; a three 

 inch pipe is on draft all the time, be it 

 hot or cold. 



9. From the middle of November to 

 the first of May as a rule, and they con- 

 sume from 12 to 20 lbs. per colony in 

 that time. 



De Kalb Junction, N. Y. 



ANSWERS BY L. C. ROOT. 



1. 68. 



2. Mostly Italians. 



3. Quinby and Langstroth. Size of 

 fi-ames, 10X15^ inside. 



4. See article ou "Wintering" on 

 page 266. 



5. Usually from 20 to 25 lbs. (a few 

 more one or two pounds less), all pure 

 honey mostly early gathered. 



6. About 10 per cent late in the win- 

 ter; our heaviest losses are in bees 

 wasting after being set out. 



7. See article ou page 266. 



8. Yes, coal fire and proper venti- 

 lation. 



9. Usually from the 15th of Nov. 

 to the first of May. From 10 to 20 lbs. 

 according to where they are wintered. 

 My experiments during the present 

 winter will tend to answer, to some 

 extent, many of the above questions. 



