12 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



would make their way to great distances. Such 

 Is, no doubt, the fact, but when bees are thus 

 compelled by sheer necessity to uudenake dis- 

 tant excursions, they may possibly manage to 

 " live along," but no profit can be rcalizedlrom 

 their labors. All the gratification which the 

 bee-keeper can hope for in such localities, is the 

 pleasure of seeing his industrious favorites flying 

 out and in very busily, without accumulating 

 a particle of surplus honey ; and in unfavorable 

 years he may have the mortification of seeing 

 them perish from hunger, unless he considerate- 

 ly and seasonably makes provision for their 

 wants. Dr. Blxjmhof. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Questions and Answers. 



Questions intdligently and briefly asked, and 

 answers carefully made, based upon actual ex- 

 ferience^ will no doubt add verj^ much to the 

 life and interest of the Bee Journal : 



1. As regards straight combs, there can be no 

 doubt but that bees have certain unaccountable 

 vagaries. Langstroth's movable bars, on a 

 level, will not ensure straight combs ; neither 

 will an elevation of 45° have the effect without 

 failures occasionally. Guide frames are too 

 troublesome and disturbing. The writer has 

 found guide combs, or surplus combs from va- 

 rious hives, the surest way. Every other bar 

 with a straight comb will ensure straightness in 

 the others ; but even then, sometimes, if the 

 combs are not all complete, the lower part, or 

 side, will be too thick, at the expense of its 

 neighbors. Infallibility is not yet attained. 



2. Eggs and brood of bees and moths can be 

 destroyed hj freezing in an ice house. 



3. The third ciuestion is too indefinite. No 

 short or easy road for a novice in bee-keeping. 

 If by " dividing bees " is meant to separate a 

 swarm, then even a novice, by noticing their 

 behaviour, would soon see that where the quetn 

 is there will be comparative quietness and readi- 

 ness to enter the hive prepared for them ; while 

 the others would soon take wing. 



If a Jiive is meant or a number of bars, the 

 presence of brood in each portion precludes any 

 one plan by which " a person of ordinary intel- 

 ligence need not search for the queen." 



4. Nuclei carried beyond the ordinary flight 

 (say two miles) would raise more queens than 

 one full hive — that is, supposing they are sepa- 

 rated. 



5. The fifth is an echo of question No. 1, on 

 page 165. Well, any one can ask questions, and 

 the reason this one has not been replied to be- 

 fore is because, perhaps, the writer is less 

 modest than his apiarian brethren. But we shall 

 ■QOtpYesnme to answer. (Who can?) We only 

 reply. 



Will it pay to cultivate any plant expressly 

 for honey ? 



We can only say that the fact of keeping bees 

 might very fairly be the turning point with a 

 land-holder, whether he would put a certain 

 field into buckwheat or white clover. Beyond 

 this, it is doubtful if it would pay : even sup- 

 posing he did not feed his neighbor's bees as 

 well as his own. 



Which plant is best ? 



White clover, most Certainly. 



How many acres would keep 100 colonies busy 

 while in bloom ? 



One— on the principle that it is with all bees, 

 as with some men : "keep what you get and get 

 what you can." 



How 7nany days in average seasons, and how 

 long each day, does it yield honey ? 



Give it up. 



The other two questions are easily answered, 

 supposing that clover (white) is the only avail- 

 able plant. 



******* 



Now, Mr. Editor, I would like to ask one 

 question. Have any of your readers ever tried 

 iminting the top of bars and the under part of 

 the honey board— that is, in order to prevent 

 the bees from building comb between ? 



Apis. 



Burying Bees. 



A bee-keeper in the vicinity of Hitchin, in 

 England, buried a hive of bees, in the first week 

 in Movember, about a foot deep, amongst dry 

 leaves, &c., and disinterred it in the last week 

 in February, when it was just tioo pounds lighter 

 than it was in No-vember, and the bees in a lively 

 and heal'hy condition. Another person residing 

 in Leicester, immured a hive of bees in the 

 earth, four feet deep, in the second week in 

 November, and at the end of January, it was 

 removed, and weighed only three ounces less 

 ilian it did before i' was buried. 



These experiments are worthy of further 

 consideration. The principal points by which 

 there might be cause for fear of failure, would, 

 as in other cases, be from dampness, want of 

 fresh air, access of vermin, &c. But these 

 might be guarded against by a person of ordi- 

 nary ingenuity. Siill it would be imprudent 

 for any one to risk the loss of an entire apiary 

 bj this mode of wintering, at least not until he 

 had obtained knowledge and skill, by trials on a 

 small scale. 



Whek, from any cause, or under any circum- 

 stances, it becomes necessary to feed bees, pure 

 honey is much the best and most suitable food 

 to give them. But if you have not a supply of 

 honey at hand, and cannot procure it, you may 

 form an excellent substitute by boiling ale and 

 sugar together, gently, in a clean and well-tinned 

 vessel, over a clear fire, for about five minutes. 

 One pound and a half of sugar may be added to 

 each quart of ale ; the mixture to be skimmed 

 as the scum rises to the surface during boiling. 

 When the syrup is taken from the fire, add to it 

 about a tcaspoonful of common table-salt for 

 each quart of syrup. 



Some people defer feeding until the bees are 

 absolutely in want. This is very wrong. The 

 assistance should be rendered several weeks be- 

 fore the hive is in a state of positive destitution, 

 otherwise, when you feed, the bees will be too 

 weak to avail themselves of your bounty. 



