THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



43 



little consequence Avhen compared 

 with actual facts. I will not attempt 

 to theorize now, but will detail the 

 facts for the use of any who may de- 

 sire to know them. 



AVhen the honey season ends, which 

 with myself is about the 10th of Sep- 

 tember, I examine the condition of 

 every colony, crowd each colony on to 

 seven frames I intend they shall all 

 be strong enough to cover fully that 

 number) and see that each frame is at 

 least filled with sealed stores in its up- 

 per half the whole length. Later on 

 when I get ready to back for winter I 

 extract jf necessary from those combs 

 that are more than two-thirds filled 

 with stores and combs throughout the 

 brood chamber are equalized and plac- 

 ed in a position where the colony can at 

 times get at them if desired. When 

 the temperature falls so low that the 

 colony begins to cluster closely I 

 force the cluster to one side or other 

 of the brood chamber, which can eas- 

 ily be done, by moving the frames 

 on which the cluster is formed. Prior 

 to this, however, I have stimulated 

 the queen by feeding regularly each 

 day a small amount of of sugar syrup, 

 and thus kept the colony rearing 

 brood as long as possible. 



After the cluster is forced to the 

 side of the hive I place a "Hill's De- 

 vice," or some substitute therefor, over 

 the frames, and cover the bees with a 

 light porous blanket. Burlap or cot- 

 ton duck is as good as anything for 

 this purpose. The "Hill's Device" 

 under the blanket forms a means of 

 communication for the bees with 

 every frame in the hive, and that too 

 without danger of becoming chilled. 

 As the hive in use is wide enough for 



ten frames I use one and a half inch 

 division board in each side of the 

 hive, which allows the seven frames to 

 be spread apart a little more than de- 

 sirable for summer use. After cover- 

 ing the frames in closely so that not a 

 bee can show his head outside, I put 

 on an upper story and fill it one-third 

 full of forest leaves pressed lightly 

 down, and use a cover with one and a 

 half inch hole bored in each end for 

 ventilation. 



1 give a large entrance, using a 

 bridge about four inches wide for the 

 bees to crawl under, which prevents 

 the easy access of sudden draughts 

 into the hive. The only other pro- 

 tection than that prescribed above, 

 found in my apiary is a close osage 

 hedge, six feet high on the north and 

 west sides. With the above means 

 of protection my bees have withstood 

 the rigors of our eastern winters for 

 years, with a temperature vary- 

 ing from 20 degrees above to 20 de- 

 grees below zero, and some seasons 

 without a purifying flight from mid- 

 dle of November to middle of the fol- 

 lowing February. Many mornings 

 with the thermometer below zero in 

 January I have found a warm current 

 of air being forced out from the en- 

 trance, so strong as to be perceptibly 

 felt upon the back of the hand. I 

 know not and care not whether others 

 may agree with me or not, I state the 

 facts as I find them, and have no hes- 

 itation whatever in advising every be- 

 gin nei to follow the methods outlined 

 above.— J. E. P. in B. K. M, (Mass.') 



SURPLUS HONEY. 



Under the modern system of bee 

 culture we obtain two kinds of honey, 

 known as comb and extracted. Comb 



