1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



153 



hive. I do not think that this looks like failing 

 to work in boxes. 



I had stocks that gave tvro sets full of box 

 honey, equal to sixty-six (66) pounds, and a 

 swarm besides. The best stock I had gave two 

 swarms artificially made, and, with tliese swarms, 

 one hundred and forty-six (146) pounds of box 

 honey. I used fifteen frames full of comb to 

 secure that result. 



Doubtless those beekeepers who report a failure 

 of Italian bees to work in boxes, have not the 

 genuine Italian bees, such as we get direct from 

 Italy. They have tried only the shining, beau- 

 tiful, gentle Italian bee that does not sting, and 

 is valued so highly by queen breeders, as it proves 

 most satisfactory to i^urchasers, who consider it 

 purest because of its beauty. I have repeatedly 

 reported my experience with these bees in the 

 Journal. I found the same fault with them, 

 and will concede that they are not worth keep- 

 ing, if kept to secure box honey. There seems 

 to be one great fault with them. They cannot or 

 will not produce wax as the black bees, the hy- 

 brids, or the unrefined Italian bees from Italy. 

 They are usually very weak in the spring, and 

 recover too late to do much. The same observa- 

 tion has been made by other beekeepers. During 

 last summer I received orders for queen bees 

 from two customers that had got queens from mo 

 two years ago. Both write that the workers 

 reared fi-om these queens were much crosser and 

 not as fine looking as their other Italian bees, 

 but proved to be very productive. "Send me 

 another queen," says one, "of the same brood. 

 I do not care how cross the bees maybe. I want 

 bees for business, and not for show." 



I have been experimenting this summer with 

 the coming bee, as a correspondent of the Journal 

 names it, and will send a report respecting it in 

 a short time. 



A. Grimm. 



Jefferson, Wis., Nov. 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journ»l.] 



The Honey Extractor, Side Boxes, &c. 



Mr. Editor : — I see in your valuable Journal 

 that some prefer the use of the honey extractor, 

 to the entire exclusion of boxes. Others prefer 

 boxes entirely, and will not allow even a place for 

 the Extractor. Now, I take the ground that 

 both are advantageous. I have one of J. L. Pea- 

 body's machines, which works to perfection. 

 The machine is easily cleaned, and will last a 

 lifetime. 



I am frequently asked what proportion of the 

 honey I can get from the comb. I would say, 

 without fear of contradiction, that I can take 

 ninety-five per cent, of old or ninety-eight per 

 cent, of new honey from the combs, without in- 

 juring them in the least, and that with less labor 

 than would be required to take the same amount 

 in boxes. The honey when taken as it is gathered 

 seems quite thin, and looks as though it might 

 sour ; but it gradually becomes thick until it has 

 the same consistence as other honey, and as cool 

 weather advances it becomes candied. At least 



such is my exi^erience. As to obtaining more 

 honey with the Extractor than can be seciired in 

 boxes, I will give an instance to prove that such 

 is the case. Quite late in the season (about the 

 time basswood commenced to bloom) I made two 

 artificial swarms, as near alike as possible : one 

 black, the other Italian. On the black swarm I 

 placed boxes, and used the Extractor with the 

 Italians. Now for the result. I took from the 

 black swarms (they filling their hive with comb 

 and honey sufficient to winter) twenty -four 

 pounds of box honey. The Italians have comb 

 and honey the same as the others, and I have 

 taken one hundred and twenty-four pounds of 

 honey, making a difference of one hundred 

 pounds in favor of the Extractor. Now, if we 

 allow one half for the superiority of the Italians 

 over the common bee, we still have fifty pounds, 

 or twice the amount stored in boxes, in favor of 

 the honey extractor. I admit that with iis the 

 extracted honey is not so salable as box honey, 

 and therefore I prefer to produce both. H. Alley 

 and some others recommend using boxes on the 

 sides of the hive, and say these are a success ; 

 but with us, this season, they have proved other- 

 wise. From the 25th of June to the 25th of 

 July, the weather was quite cool, and within 

 that time we had most of our surplus honey 

 stared. The nights were very cool, and every 

 morning the boxes placed at the sides of the hive 

 would be found almost or entirely deserted, while 

 those on the top would be well filled with bees. 

 The consequence was that I obtained double the 

 quantity of honey Jrom the top boxes that I did 

 from those placed on the sides. There was no 

 difference in the size of the swarms that I could 

 perceive. Had the weather been very warm, I 

 presume the dilference would not have been so 

 great. Boxes holding about six pounds are 

 those in general use here ; yet they do not sell 

 for as high a price as smaller ones holding two 

 or three pounds, with but a single comb in each 

 box ; there is an objection to these small boxes, 

 because the bees cannot keep up the requisite 

 warmth in them, or work to so good advantage, 

 unless they are constructed on the plan of those 

 of Mr. Geo. T. Wheeler, of Mexico, N. Y. He lias 

 the boxes so arranged as to secure the required 

 amount of animal heat, and still have each comb 

 built true and even in each small box when 

 separated. The glass, if any is used, is put on 

 after the box is filled. There is also another ad- 

 vantage about these boxes, that is, the bees 

 always finish the combs in the center of a large 

 box first. All that you have to do is, to open 

 the case of boxes, and so soon as any are full 

 take them out and place empty ones in their 

 stead. This stimulates the bees to greater activ- 

 ity, and overcomes the difficulty so often expe- 

 rienced of getting bees to work in a second set 

 of boxes. 



I am highly pleased with the American Bee 

 Journal, and do not see how any beekeeper can 

 do without it, even if not keeping more than two 

 or three stocks of bees. Would it could come 

 twice as often. Wishing you and the Journal 

 much success, I remain yours, 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Borodino, N. Y., Nov., 1871. 



