so 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



May 



offspring. Under like conditions we 

 find some queens more prqlifie than 

 otliers, consequently their hives will be 

 overflowing with bees when others are 

 only moderately populous and some even 

 below the average of populousness. 

 Thus we find again, at or just before the 

 beginning of the honey-flow, three classes 

 of colonies: First, those that we know 

 (or at least expect) will work in supers : 

 second, those that we know will not; 

 and third, the doubtful ones. To supply 

 the first with properly prepared supers — 

 if possible, with a row or two of bait- 

 sections — and await results, Is about all 

 we can do. The same may be the case 

 with the latter kind, if we prefer to run 

 the risk of an extra good honey-season, 

 such as we have now and then. We 

 have had such abundant flows from bass- 

 wood that, to use a common phrase, 

 most "any old thing" in the shape of a 

 colony could be induced to work in 

 sections. It is the second class that 

 needs our attcuition unless we can man- 

 age in some way to bring them up to 

 the above mentioned requirements, they 

 will be of very little benefit for that 

 season. By uniting two or more,, the 

 same as we did in the spring, we can 

 succeed in changing their condition to 

 nearly this standard, whereby a positive 

 failure may be turned into an almost 

 positive gain. 



When preparing our bees for winter, 

 we meet the same feature ; some of our 

 colonies are strong — in fine condition to 

 go into winter quarters, while others arc 

 not what they should be. We know 

 from experience that strong colonies 

 only can be wintered with any degree of 

 certainty, especially if wintered out of 

 doors. It is therefori; of greater impor- 

 tance to have our colonies strong at this 

 time than at any other of the year. On 

 account of the advaiiccid season, there is 

 no practical way of building them uj*. 

 and here, again, •'uniting" comes to our 

 rescui'. If we have a good bee-cellar at 

 our disposal, (juite weak colonics can be 

 'Safely wintered: but unless wd havi' an 



especial object in wintering such colo- 

 nies, there is no gain in doing so. Under 

 the most favorable conditions they will 

 be weak in the spring, liable to spring-' 

 dwindling; and the old saying: "One 

 strong colony is better than a doz(!n 

 weak ones," cannot be too strongly 

 emphasized. 



LaSalle, N.Y., March. 1U01. 



"The Orientals called the honey-bee ' De- 

 borah ; She that speaketh.' "' 



UNPAINTED HIVES. 



Being an Analysis of Mr. Miller's Recent 

 Article Upon the Subject. 



BY (i. M. DOOI.ITTI.E. 



UNDER the above heading, in the 

 January Amekican Bee-keeper, 

 I find an article by my much- 

 respected brother bee-keeper, Arthur C. 

 Miller, in which he takes issue with me 

 on the subject of painted hives. I am 

 quite loth to notice this matter again, 

 having written so largely on it in the 

 past, and would not do so were it not 

 that I think much help can be brought 

 to the bee fraternity by bringing out a 

 few facts which Bro. Miller's article 

 does not touch. 



Brother Miller lives in the City of 

 Providence, where riches, trusts and 

 combines hold forth to quite a large ex- 

 tent, so that the people there can lux- 

 uriate in paint and rubber coats; and 

 therefore he conceives the idea that 

 those wlio cannot thus luxuriate must 

 go it slipshod. This idea, when tested 

 amongst the masses, is a false one, for 

 I have very often found that where 

 poverty pinches the closest, tlu' most 

 tidiness and neatness of appearance is 

 manifest, many an unpainted hive and 

 floor looking more neat and tasty 

 than those on which paint and money 

 was used lavishly. No, no. Brother 

 Miller, do not insinuate that poverty of 

 paint brings about shabbiness, disorder 

 and slovenly appearances, as a rule, for 

 such is not the case everywhere, outside 



