THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



[July, 



Our first honey was from hickory tree blossoms — 

 much of it — wliich gave it so dark a liue that we 

 emptied all our hives, June (Jth and 7th (over 

 four hundred pounds) to make room for inwe 

 white clover honey, which comes in now pretty 

 well. On the night of the 6th, Ave had a very 

 heavy, long rain, and as we were very busy, we 

 commenced removing honey early next morning, 

 but were surprised to find the bees — especially the 

 full blood Iialians—\ery cross ; robbers in abund- 

 ance, and no bees at work until afternoon, 

 although the day before everything had been 

 tranquility. Why was this? Did the rain 

 wash out all the honey from the clover, so that 

 the bees had to wait for more to be secreted, or 

 were they lazy ? It did not seem to us that they 

 even went to look whether there was honey to 

 be had, or not. We were advised to mount the 

 ''Railroad Car" (we have really got a railroad 

 car in our apiary to save " sore backs,") and de- 

 liver an address to them on the sinfulness of 

 being idle and vmthrifty. 



The Jiine number is full of good things, but 

 why in the world is there no more said of re- 

 sults of experiment^ with non-flying fertiliza- 

 tion? Has anybody succeeded? (As we hear 

 no response, we shall have to think that all have 

 utterly and miserably failed, as we have.) We 

 have tried all plans given, and some that were 

 not ; in darkness, and in light ; and light for 

 thirty minutes at two o'clock p. m. ; in large 

 cages, and in small ; with one drone and v»'ith 

 a dozen ; with brood, and with no bi'ood ; with 

 queens from five days old to twelve. And yet 

 all the satisfaction we ever had was in letting 

 out queen, drones, and all, after the queen was 

 ten days old ; whereupon one drone did jiursue 

 the queen round and round, in circles larger and 

 higher, until we nearly twisted our neck ofl" in 

 trying to follow them, and stretched our eyes so 

 wide that they have scarcely "got level" yet. 

 W^e presume that the pursuit is still kept up, 

 with the same alaci'ity, as we have never seen 

 queen — she was a fine one — nor drone since. 



A few days after this we heard most positively 

 that a bee friend had succeeded, and was raising 

 queens "all right," for $2.00 each. We did not 

 sail our hat (we have a new one now, and our 

 better half won't allow it, ) but sailed ourselves, 

 via horse and buggy, quickly, ten miles to the 

 scene of action. Weil, he hadn't succeeded, 

 but— was going to. He had with much pains 

 made a lot of very neat cages, but as he had 

 been successful in raising only about half a 

 dozen Italian drones for every dozen queens, was 

 in a quandary until we gave him since a whole 

 box full of drones — and all the faith we have left. 



Mr. Langstroth's sawdust pile only lost us our 

 clept virgin queen, as we felt sure it would, from 

 former similar experiments. If the queens can- 

 not fly, they go "a-foot" and, with us, always 

 away from the hive. 



We do so enrnestly hope that, side by side with 

 this article, some record of success will be given ; 

 for since wo have recognized the many advan- 

 tages that are to accrue from success, we feel as 

 though wo must succeed. Trusting that the 

 Creator has provided some means of attaining 

 it, as Mr. Langstroth says, we leave the subject. 



We regret that a description of our queen 

 nursery did not reach the editor in time' for the 

 June number, as we have full faith that it will 

 be a great acquisition. We think that, with it, 

 there will be no trouble in getting laying queens 

 from a single hive every two days at least, thus : 



After a stock has started as many queen cells 

 as it Avill, cover them all with cages as directed, 

 and insert fresh brood. More cells will then be 

 built, as we have repeatedly demonstrated. 

 Cage all these as before, and so on. When the 

 first queen has hatched, let her loose, after cov- 

 ering all the cells. When you see marks of fer- 

 tilization, or she begins to lay, remove her and 

 let ovit the next in age. By watching the hive 

 constantly, we are not sure that a queen might 

 not be fertilized any hour, when drones are very 

 plenty. Ours have been fertilized very speedily. 

 In a locality where there are no black drones, 

 we think two dollars, each, would be a great 

 remuneration. The bees will continuously raise 

 queen cells, if supplied with brood, if they have 

 none but caged virgin queens. 



On page 269 of the June Journal are some 

 questions for Novice. Wd are always pleased 

 with questions asked through the Journal, as it 

 indicates that our experience or opinion is re- 

 garded as of some weight by some one at least. 



Our frames are, inside measure, 16^ by 8^ in- 

 ches. Ten above and ten below. Although the 

 upper story is broader, we prefer inserting only 

 ten frames, as we want as thick comb for sur- 

 plus as can be handled. Taking out frames of 

 comb two inches thick, full of honey, makes us 

 perfectly happy, unless the wire cloth should be 

 so poorly supported in the extractor, that the 

 combs all break down ; and then we usually 

 vibrate to the other extreme of perfect misery, 

 until all is made whole again. 



Distance across frames (or hive inside) below 

 14^ inches, above 16 inches. We use the old 

 triangular guide, because our frames were so 

 made ; but as we now always have all combs 

 built between two good ones, we should pot care 

 much about it. 



We never had any honey get really sour; 

 although a little, taken out last year when it was 

 wry thin, looked much like it, and tasted a little 

 that way, but became much thicker by keeping. 

 We always leave the combs till nearly ready or 

 partly sealed. 



We have never scalded any honey, only when 

 it had candied. 



Our glass jars were only closed with corks, 

 and were not air-tight. 



We are now putting our honey in barrels, for 

 the present We have been oftered fifteen cents 

 per pound for it in that shape ; but as that 

 is not more than first-class syrup sells for, 

 we have ho])es of getting considerably more. 

 Twenty cents would be as good or better than 

 putting it in jars at twentj^-five. 



3Ir. Quinby challenges Novice, or any one 

 else, to specify where or when he had intimated 

 that L. L. Langstroth was not entitled to his 

 patent and the benefits he should receive for his 

 invention. If we do not word it right, we think 

 the idea is conveyed. 



Well, Mr. Quiuby, if the public have misuu- 



