206 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



pumed 60 pounds, gave one half of the honey 

 they guthered to the Iseeper, in surplus. The 

 107 colonies, with their 105 new colonies — to- 

 gether 312 — consumed 12,720 pounds and gave 

 the keeper 2,030 pounds. — While the lirst-class 

 gave one-half to the keeper, in surplus, the 

 second-class gave 208 pounds less than one-tilth 

 iu suiplus, and consumed 202 pounds more than 

 four-fitths of the honey gathered. 



Is the consideration given to this view of the 

 Hubject which it deserves ? Thus, l;]0^ colonies 

 in the first-class of hives, would have gathered 

 ][.'5,G40 pounds, giving 7,820 pounds in surplus 

 instead of about 4,000 pounds. This dilference 

 in surplus would pay for change of hives several 

 times over — a difference, at thirty cents per 

 pound, of more than 1,000 dollars. 



I this spring had four colonies in a new hive, 

 which I patented July 2, 18G7. The product of 

 the four colonies, this year, was four new co'o- 

 uies and 500 pounds of surplus. One of the 

 four T/as an Italian swarm; three of them na- 

 tives. The product of the Italian swarm was 

 two new swarms and lOG pounds of surplus; of 

 one of the natives two new swarms and 97 

 pounds of surplus. The other two natives gave 

 DO swarm, but one gave 123 pounds of su'plus 

 and the others 174 pounds. Each hive has 

 eighteen surplus honey boxes, of the capacity 

 in the aggregate of 135 pounds. It will be no- 

 ticed that the two that gave no swarm gave 57 

 pounds more than two-thirds of all they gather- 

 ed, and consumed 57 pounds less thanone-tliird. 

 My honey was more than two thirds of it from 

 white clover, and most of it sold for forty cents 

 per pound. 



Every field is limited in its produc'ion. It is 

 of some consequence to the bee-keeper whether 

 he uses hives in which his bees will give him 

 two-thirds of the product or only one-lifth. 



Albany, N. Y. Jasper IIazex. 



Handling Bess. — "No Protection used. 



[For tne American Bee Jonraal.] 



Room for Surplus Boses. 



Mr. Editor : — In the Bee Jour>'Al for Feb- 

 ruary, I saw in a communication from Mr. 

 Langstroth, a plan for a Langstroth hive with 

 deep frames, giving at the same time extra 

 room for surplus honey boxes. I have a plan 

 which I like better. Last summer I put a 

 swarm in a hive made as follows : Take a 

 Langstroth hive IC inches long, 12i inches wide, 

 and 10 inches deep, Vv'ith frames. And, instead 

 of a honey-board, make a triangular top with- 

 out frames ; the base the right size to fit the 

 liive, and lars of lath tacked on to prevent the 

 bees from building combs to the frames. A top 

 of this kind will hold eight six-inch boxes and 

 makes a hive 13 inches deep. I got the idea 

 from a hive patented by T. F. Bingham, of 

 Gowanda, N. Y. 



I am wintering thirty-six hives in different 

 ways, and may report in the spring. Yester- 

 day, February 19, was the first time the bees 

 flew out, of any account, since winter set in 

 about the last of November. 



'V' J. WiNPIKI/D. 



Canfield, Ohio. 



" I had bees creeping in my ears last season, 

 nndcr my veil. I would therefore advise put- 

 ting cotton in, before commencing operations." 

 Bee Journal, vol. 8, page 100. 



No, no, friend llulman, don't advise us to do 

 any f:uch thing. We want to use our ears, 

 so that we can know when our bees are in a 

 pleasant mood. 



That veil of 5'^ours, please give it to your wife, 

 if you liave one. low don't need it. No prac- 

 tical bee-keeper should wear a veil, or a bee-hat, 

 save in extreme cases. Some pains will then 

 be taken to handle the bees properly ; and 

 where this is done, they will keep in good liu- 

 mor throughout the season. I write from many 

 years' experience in handling bees, and therefore 

 know what I have afQrmed. 



My friend Marvin, of this place, is as success- 

 ful as myself in handling bees without protection. 

 His experience is also quite extensive, as his 

 apiary is one of the largest in the Western 

 States. It now consists of 300 colonies of very 

 choice Italian bees, and just now they are in 

 winter quarters, and wintering finely. He has 

 no Italian bees that do not show three yellow 

 bands distinctly. Those showing a less number 

 of bands were banished last fall. 



To return. We both use wood smoke, and no 

 further protection than what the smoke affords, 

 in our manipulations with the honey bee. We 

 have no trouble iu accomplishing with that kind 

 of smoke, all that we desire. Its pungency, 

 when rightly used, will subdue any hive of 

 bees, whether Italians, natives, or the ill-tem- 

 pered hybrids. Friend Marvin, I believe, keeps 

 a supply of bee-hats, made of wire, for the use 

 of visitors, of whom he has a great many from 

 all parts of the country. These bee-hats arc 

 worth many times their cost to him every year. 

 They are first-rate for " caging his visitors," 

 so that they cannot pitch into his choice fruits ! 

 for be it known that Mr. JMarvin is not only a 

 practical bee-keeper, but likewise an amateur 

 fruit grower. So it seems a bee-hat is of some 

 use. 



We have, of course, no use for the celebrated 

 "bee charm," and in this connection let me 

 inform the .Journal readers that the discoverer 

 is reported to be dead ! I hope, therefore, they 

 will henceforth let him "rest in peace." My 

 informant may be mistaken. If so, we would 

 like to have the report corrected by the "Prof." 

 M. M. Baldridgk. 

 St. Charles, III . 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Centre Passages. , 



There is much said about bees cutting or 

 making centre passages. It is found that iu 

 some hives there are many such passages, iu 

 others but few. Many are at a loss to under- 

 stand how this is ? My opinion is that all such 

 passages are made by the bees iu their attempts 

 to remove the larvrc the moth. Hence those 

 hives which arc most affected have the most 

 centre passages. J. H. Thomas. 



Brooklin, Ontario. 



