496 



others' inventions, by a mere modification 

 of the patent law— by copyrighting ! What 

 iewels ! 



Letsincerityandplain-dealingdistinguish 

 the apiarist ; let the law of supply and de- 

 mand practically govern their relations ; let 

 not culture assimilate with the objections of 

 cavilers whose minds are not sufficiently 

 expanded and cultivated to comprehend 

 why men cannot act from other than selfish 

 motives, clear through to the end of the 

 chapter, especially when it relates to "Pat- 

 ents as applied to Implements of the 

 Apiary." Adolphus E. Wenzel. 



Call'icoon, Sullivan Co., N. Y. 



The Secretary read the following 

 paper, entitled 



Wintering Bee* on Summer Stands. 



Among the variety of subjects pertain- 

 ing to the science of apiculture, I think all 

 will concede that of wintering, among the 

 most important, if not paramount to all 

 others. 



After the disastrous winter of 1871, this 

 subject was freely discussed at several Con- 

 ventions botli National and State ; the loss 

 being attributed to different causes, for 

 which new methods were advocated as 

 giving promise of being more successful. 



In the aggregate of loss the apiarists of 

 the United States suffered another "Water- 

 loo" during last winter, and the questions 

 for consideration on this subject are : the 

 cause of, and remedies against such losses 

 in the future. In this discussion four points 

 claim our attention : 

 1st. Location of the Apiary. 

 2d. Preparation. 

 3d. Winter. 



4th. Examination at close of winter. 

 1st. For a location, if available, I should 

 prefer a hill-side having a northwestern ex- 

 posure, as this would not only give pro- 

 tection against high winds, but also afford 

 warmth sufficient to give the bees purify- 

 ing flights when other locations would not. 

 The ground should at least be sloping so as 

 to give ample drainage ; and where natural 

 protection against high winds is not afforded, 

 a wind-break should be made. I consider 

 the saving of bees thereby, even in an apiary 

 of fifty colonies, would offset the expense of 

 a high fence, or setting a hedge. 



2d. Preparation includes the time 

 between August and November. The cen- 

 tral combs in the hive should be examined 

 in August, and those filled with honey more 

 than one-third their depth from top-bar, 

 (which is more apt to be the case with the 

 Italians than blacks), extracted. This will 

 give the queen an opportunity of occupying 

 the combs with eggs, which will not only 

 secure an abundance of young bees for 

 wintering, but afford empty cells for the 

 cluster, giving a warm brood-nest. I have 

 often heard the following remark by persons 

 losing bees : " Well, I had no idea of losing 

 that colony of bees, the hive was so heavy 

 with honey !" 



Our experience is that hives having enough 

 stores to carry them through until they fly 

 freely in spring (and then fed until the 

 flowers afford the supply), not only win- 

 ter better, but give the largest swarms and 

 the most surplus honey. 



Old queens should be removed at this time. 

 We have occasionally retained a queen 

 during her fourth year, but as a rule do not 

 more than three, and I think better results 

 are obtained in an apiary worked for sur- 

 plus honey, if a majority of the queens are 

 superseded every thirty months. As soon 

 as honey gathering ceases, the hive should 

 be examined as to sufficiency of stores for 

 wintering ; combs of honey being supplied 

 to the needy from those having an excess. 

 The brood-nest should be in centre combs, 

 and passage ways for the bees made through 

 them. These are quickly made by pressing 

 the claw end of a tack hammer through the 

 comb up to half the length of the handle, 

 turning it with the hand as it goes. This 

 presses the wax down firm all around so that 

 the bees are not apt to draw out the comb. 

 These passage ways are made in the central 

 combs below the sealed honey. Packing the 

 hives should be done before hard freezing 

 occurs ; otherwise the full benefit of same is 

 not secured. We pack in October. 



Our attention was first called to the neces- 

 sity of packing in the spring of 1869. The 

 preceeding winter was noted for extremes 

 of temperature, going as low in Western 

 Pennsylvania as 20° below zero. After such 

 cold weather I noticed water dripping from 

 bottom-board, or ice clogging the entrance 

 of the hive ; and upon examination of hives 

 in which the bees died, found the combs 

 mouldy, also bees between ranges of combs 

 away trom the main cluster on either side, 

 showing that the bees died at different 

 times. The cluster of bees expands or con- 

 tracts as the temperature in the hive rises 

 or falls, so that where no more protection 

 than the wall of the hive is given, there is 

 danger of bees perishing away from main 

 cluster, when a quick fall of temperature 

 occurs. In the fall of 1S69 we packed our 

 hives filling the covers with straw,leaving off 

 honey boards; and having a few double-wall 

 hives, packed them between walls. The 

 result of the experiment was, the bees were 

 in good condition the following spring, the 

 combs and inside of hive being dry and free 

 from mould. W'th us this decided the 

 question as to packing hives, and for this 

 purpose we use cut wheat straw and chaff. 

 An acquaintance of ours packs successfully 

 with sawdust, and our opinion is that 

 when thoroughly dried it is equal if not 

 superior to chaff. I pack all around the brood 

 chamber, between the walls, leaving on top 

 surplus honey case, the bottom of which is 

 covered with old carpet or burlap and filled 

 with the packing, the ventilators in ends of 

 cap being left open, and entrance to hive 

 contracted. 1 have packed bees in single 

 wall hives for different persons with good 

 results, by placing the hive in a box, the di- 

 mensions of which were several inches 

 larger than the hive so as to give room for 

 the packing. 



3d. As soon as the bees are confined to 

 the hive place a protector on the alighting 

 board to exclude snow and wind from the 

 entrance. I examine the entrance two or 

 three times a month, and all dead bees are 

 brushed into a basket with a quill feather 

 and carried away from the apiary. Should 

 many be found on the bottom-board, they are 

 removed with a rake made of heavy wire, 



