136 



THE AMEEIOAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Dec, 



In all, my colonies have made about seventy- 

 five (75) pounds surplus, each, this season. The 

 drought was too severe and protracted for much 

 houey gathering. 



THE ITALIANS, AND THE BEE JOURNAL. 



I am fully satisfied of the superiority of the 

 pure Italian bees, over the common black bees. 

 Also, satisfied of the successful career of the 

 American Bee Journal. More anon. 



H. W. WixoM. 



Mendota, Illinois, Oct. 9, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal] 



Large Surplus Honey Boxes, or Small? 



Mr. Editor : — I have been a reader of your 

 valuable Journal for several years, but never 

 attempted to contribute anything to its columns. 

 As writing for the public is out of my line of 

 business, I considered myself excused from that 

 duty. Yet, after reading " Scientipic's" article, 

 on page 59 of the December number, I thought 

 I would comply with his wish, and give my ex- 

 perience with large boxes and small. I may have 

 to do a little axe-grinding, Mr. Editor, before I 

 get through, but will bear on as lightly as 

 possible. 



My first experience was with large boxes, 

 holding from twenty to forty pounds each, 

 placed on the frames without honey boards. By 

 this method I could get a satisl'actory yield of 

 surplus honey, but I found it would not bear 

 transportation as well or sell as i-eadily as in 

 smaller boxes. 



Next I tried six-pound boxes, and from that 

 down to three pounds, with one comb. The 

 three pound boxes I found would sell in the New 

 York market five cents per pound higher than 

 four to six pound boxes. But, after using the 

 three pound boxes two years, I learned that bees 

 would not work to as good advantage in them 

 as in the larger boxes. Then I decided to use 

 the large boxes again, thinking I should get 

 enough more honey to balance the difterence in 

 price ; but when it came to selling time again, I 

 had more trouble than ever to dispose of the 

 large boxes. 



This convinced me that we must combine the 

 advantages of both large boxes and small, if 

 possible. This I tried to do, by using the small 

 frames, which secured the advantage of the large 

 boxes in full, but that of the small ones only in 

 part, for the frames will not handle or ship as 

 well as the small boxes, because the combs in 

 the frames will vary in thickness, so that they 

 will not pack promiscuously without marring 

 the combs. 



Not satisfied with this method, I experimented 

 still further, and at last hit upon a plan of ar- 

 ranging small boxes, so that they secure the ad- 

 vantages of both sizes so near to perfection that 

 after three years' trial, I am satisfied to use them 

 altogether. Bees will store as much honey in 

 them proportionally as in large boxes, and the 

 combs are all built of the same thickness and 

 perfectly straight, one in each box, so that they 

 can be packed promiscuously in any sized pack- 



age for shipping, and the combs cannot touch 

 each other. If desired, each comb can be en- 

 cased in glass, making a nice two pound box 

 that will sell for five to seven cents per pound 

 more than five or six pound boxes would. Last 

 year I sold in this shape eleven hundred and 

 sixty (11 GO) pounds, in the Oswego market, at 

 seven cents per pound above the market for 

 other styles. 



These boxes are ai-ranged in rows, in a shallow 

 case secured by keys, so that the whole set can 

 be handled as one box. The outside boxes are 

 closed by glass. A tin partition is placed be- 

 tween each box, leaving a half inch open space 

 on each side for communication. Finished 

 combs can be easily removed, and empty boxes 

 put in their place at any time. 



This article is getting longer than I intended, 

 so that I will leave further description of the 

 improved boxes till I get cuts. They were 

 patented November 22d, 1870. 



One word to Novice. We have the basswood 

 orchard fever here also, and would like to hear 

 more on the subject in the Journal. Mr. A. 

 Battles, of Girard, Penna., advertises tulip and 

 linwood trees at two doUai's per thousand. That 

 is cheaper than we can raise them here from the 

 seed. Geo. T. Wheeler. 



Mexico, iV. F. 



[For the American Bee Journal,] 



To Prevent Bees Eobbing. 



Dear Journal : — I have read of and tried the 

 use of gum camphor and kerosene oil, to pre- 

 vent bees robbing, and find they have good qual- 

 ities for the purpose. I have also read of a piece 

 of glass being stood before the entrance of the 

 hive being robbed, for the robber bees to strike 

 their heads against it, in their hasty flight. But 

 the only complete and easy remedy I know of, con- 

 sists in making a little ante-room in front of the 

 hive being robbed, through which the bees must 

 pass before they enter the main hive. This has 

 proved eft'ectual ; for while the bees belonging 

 to the hive have no fears in passing the ante- 

 room, the robber bees by no means like the idea 

 of being caught in such a trap. Like any other 

 robber, they want a fine easy chance of retreat. 

 To be cornered up, with only a small aperture to 

 escape by, is contrary to their common sense ; 

 and so they seem to be about as much afraid of 

 entering this ante-room, as a bear is of putting 

 his foot in a trap. If, however, the strange bees 

 have got so full jjossession of a hive, that they 

 come with a rush, like soldiers storming a fort, 

 it may be necessar}"- to first break the jam by 

 other means. This can be done by covering the 

 hive with a sheet, and tucking it under the bot- 

 tom board. The bees can then come out of the 

 hive, crawl around, get the air, and go back 

 when they please. They cannot, however, fly 

 away ; and robber bees coming can see nothing 

 b\it a sheet— an undesirable object for them to 

 hang round. The force of the attack will prob- 

 ably be broken in two days, when the sheet may 

 be removed, and the ante-room applied in the 

 morning. The bees in a hive robbed being 



