1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



245 



in good condition for later flora. In 

 my opinion this honey is nnsurpassed 

 by any goods produced in any part of 

 the country, not excepting white clo- 

 ver. The bloom is perfection, bears 

 a strong resemblance to red clover 

 bloom, and in some localities on the 

 St. Lucie river, (where we have two 

 apiaries), during the season of bloom 

 the scene at once suggests a northern 

 meadow, while it sheds its sweet aroma 

 upon the balmy winter air. 



I may have more to say regarding 

 bee-keeping in the South, in a future 

 issue when time will better permit ; 

 but in compliance with the editor's 

 request for a few' notes on the season 

 in Florida, I am writing this aboard 

 of a boat loaded with bees and my 

 camping outfit, on my return to the 

 St. Lucie river, 50 miles south, after 

 having spent seven weeks camped with 

 our bees on an old bulk-head in the 

 narrows. Though the move has not 

 been a financial success, only getting 

 about 1,800 pounds of honey, we do 

 not dispair, and as 1 hear the low, con- 

 tented hum of the bees, well contented 

 and supplied with water, and the 

 creaking of the heavy boom against 

 the mast, as breezes fair and fresh 

 against a " free sheet," carries us 

 speedily southward, passing the beau- 

 tiful villas and semi-tropical scenery 

 for which the Indian river is famed, 

 and the inlets which give us a view of 

 the ocean's breaking surf, I do not 

 find my task unpleasant, reclining 

 upon the fore-castle deck, with pencil 

 and tablet, especially when writing 

 under the ispiraiton always imparted 

 by the thought of being "homeward 

 bound." 



Amount of Honey Required to 

 Winter a Colony of Bees. 



BV CHAS. H. THIES. 



In the July number of the Bee- 

 Keepers' Review, C. P, Dadant amongst 

 other things, says : "If I remember 

 rightly, the quantity of honey needed 

 to carry a colony of bees safely through 

 the winter, has been estimated at dif- 

 ferent times by different writers, at 

 amounts ranging from 5 to 40 lbs." 

 This is my recollection also of the va- 

 rious estimates given, but there surely 

 and undoubtedly is something wrong 

 somewhere. I must admit that the 

 amount of stores consumed by differ- 

 ent colonies, vary greatly ; some colo- 

 nies consume a great deal more than 

 others. Often, if not usually, the col- 

 onies that consume the most honey, 

 later prove to be amongst the poorest 

 colonies, i. e., in regard to strength of 

 colony, and usually, if not always, the 

 colonies consuming the least stores are 

 amongst our best colonies when the 

 honey harvest arrives. Now I think, 

 that while I admit that there is a great 

 difference in the quantity consumed 

 by different colonies, from 5 to 40 lbs, 

 is too great a difference. When I 

 speak of the amount of stores required 

 to winter a colony of bees, I mean the 

 amount of honey they will consume 

 from the time honey ceases coming in^ 

 i. e , enough to supply their daily 

 wants until more can be had in the 

 Spring, in sufficient quantities for their 

 daily use, aud not the amount of hon- 

 ey required to keep them from starv- 

 ing from cold until warm weather. 

 As bees are not really wintered until 

 they are again able to gather at least 

 as much as they consume. Therefore^ 

 the most honey required to winter a 



