THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



87 



The season is extremely backward, 

 and as yet there are no flowers. The 

 trees have not put forth their leaves, 

 and the buds have only just begun to 

 show on the earliest shrubs. The 

 bees have lived out their allotted time 

 waiting for the approach of warm 

 weather to bring forth the necessary 

 elements to invigorate and sustain 

 brood rearing. 



• Yours, etc., 



P. L. Dwtght. 



De Ruyter, N. Y. 



Editor American Bee-Keeper: 

 nclosed please find 25 cents for the. 

 Bee-Keeper for the balance of the 

 year. Sample copy for April received. 

 On page 57 Mr. Win. Partridge asks 

 about Alsike clover. Your reply is 

 not in accordance to our experience, 

 and as I sit here by the window I can 

 look at fifty acres grown for seed 

 alone or hay, for my neighbors do 

 not keep bees. Near Flint, in this 

 county, the home of the Review, it is 

 raised extensively ; does not winter- 

 kill as red clover does, is finer and 

 better hay, but for seed it is the first 

 crop that seeds and gives no after- 

 math to speak of. For seed it is cut 

 when quite green. The chaff is good 

 feed. One man last season cut six- 

 teen acres that threshed five and one- 

 fourth bushels per acre ; sold it for 

 $6.75 from the machine before seed 

 advanced, then sold the straw for 

 $4.20 per ton . 



Bees are in good shape with us 

 this spring. 



Yours respectfully, 



H. R. Van Wagoner. 



Linden, Mich., May 2, 1892. 



Don't put in too much time talking 

 politics at the village store during 

 swarming; time. 



HINTS TO BEOTNNERS. 



This month being the great swarm- 

 ing season, those depending on natur- 

 al swarms must keep constant watch 

 on their bees, lest they swarm out and 

 leave them. When a swarm leaves the 

 hive get your new hive, which should 

 be cool and clean, go to some strong 

 stock and get a frame containing both 

 brood and honey, brush off the bees, 

 place this in the new hive, filling bal- 

 ance of space with frames containing 

 foundation. Now, if the swarm is 

 hanging on a small limb that can be 

 sawed off easily, saw it off, being very 

 careful to jar them as little as possi- 

 ble, carry the limb to the hive and 

 shake the bees on to a sheet which 

 should have been placed in front of 

 hive, before taking the swarm. If 

 they do not start in at once take a 

 small twig and work a few up to the 

 entrance, when they will all follow. 

 As soon as the bees are all inside 

 move the hive to the stand it is to oc- 

 cupy, should any bees remain outside 

 they will give you no trouble, as they 

 will return to the old stand. 



In order to avoid the above trouble 

 and at times difficulty in securing the 

 swarm, proceed as follows: When bees 

 are ready to swarm, bring your new 

 hive close to the old one, take ont two- 

 thirds of the frames with the adhering 

 bees, place them in the new hive, till- 

 ing up balance of space with frames 

 of foundation, putting them alternate- 

 ly between the frames of brood and 



