1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



159 



swarm (which had been transferred tvvo weeks 

 previous and were working well) were coming 

 into this hive, and all went to work as peaceably 

 and quiet as any single swarm. The swarm that 

 left its own hive had several pounds of honey 

 and plenty of brood in all stages. It made a 

 good thing for the new swarm, for it gave them 

 a queen at the start to go to work with. Who 

 can account for this occurrence ? 



I consider the Journal an invaluable aid to bee- 

 keepers, and could not think of being without it 

 now. You may count me in as a regular sub- 

 scriber, and I shall probably not inflict so long 

 a communication on you very often. 



J. W. Cramer. 



Oneida, Ills., Dec, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Lessons of the Past Season. 



Mr. Editor : — As an inducement to others to 

 report their summer's work through the .Journal, 

 I have concluded to send you a statement which 

 approximates very nearly what I have done for 

 my bees, and what they have done for me. 

 "Old fossils," as a matter of course, will pursue 

 "the even tenor of their way" despite all "book 

 larnen" and reports, but to the wide awake, live 

 apiculturist, the experiences of others form a 

 "bed rock" \\\>o\\ which to rest secure from 

 defeat and disaster. 



I used the honey-slinger only a little, by way 

 of experiment, and that near the close of the 

 season. 



I commenced last spring with ten hives of 

 bees, which have increased to twenty. 



Box honey procured 510 lbs. 



Extracted 40 " 



550 lbs. 



I have sold 248 pounds of it at an average of 

 27 cts. per pound, making $66.96. The remain- 

 der, for the sake of carrying out this calculation, 

 we will estimate at 25 cts. per pound, making 

 for it $75.50. 



Total value of honey $143 46 



Value of colonies 200 00 



Aggregate worth of honey and 



colonies $343 46 



From which deduct, 



Cost often new hives $25 



" " honey boxes 10 



" " 10 old colonies 100-135 00 



Net balance $207 46 



Being about 153 per cent, on the investment. 

 Seven of the colonies furnished no box honey. 

 The average yield of the remaining thirteen 

 colonies was 39:^ lbs. each. Greatest yield from 

 any one of the thirteen was 98 lbs., least yield 

 from any one of the thirteen was 18 lbs. I might 

 have taken more honey, even in boxes, but as 

 bee-keeping is a collateral business with me, I 

 failed to give my apiary sufficient attention 



during the honey harvest. The colonies are all 

 in good condition for winter, 



PRINCIPAL HONEY HARVEST. 



I commenced taking honey the last week in 

 August. Swartweed or "heart's ease," as it is 

 called here, furnishes the best honey and the 

 most of it. The last run was upon the golden 

 rod, and the "thousand and one" other yellow 

 blossoms that deck the prairies late in the fall. 

 The last combs built are of a yellowish cast. 

 All those from the "heart's ease" are light col- 

 ored, and very rich and attractive in appearance. 



The President of our State Association, Dr. 

 L. J. Dallas, of Baldwin, has about four thousand 

 (4000) pounds of it bottled up and for sale ; so that 

 if any one is curious to know just how nice this 

 '^ Extrart of Kansas Swartweed''^ tastes, he will 

 know where to get it. I do not design this as 

 an advertisement for the Doctor, as he will have 

 no trouble in selling it at a fair piice^ without 

 such notoriety. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



I am using some hives of my own "getting 

 up ;" some of the Hoosier ; some of the Adair ; 

 and some of the Quinby box hives. 



I have one stand of Italians, and four hybrids ; 

 the others are large, light colored blacks. The hy- 

 brids have done better than the pure blacks, and 

 as well as the pure Italians, but I think that the 

 pure blood Italians, everything else being equal, 

 are better adapted than the blacks or any cross 

 with them, to the climate, as well as to the great 

 variety of the pasturage found upon the plains 

 of Kansas. M. A. O'Neil. 



Black Jack, Nov., 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



A Bee Feeder. 



Dear Journal : — We are an ardent advocate 

 of stimulating bees in early spring, and through 

 August and September, let the hive contain ever 

 so much honey. Novice's idea of "cash capital" 

 in the form of capjsed honey in frames, is good — 

 nothing better for strengthening weak stocks; 

 yet we do not always have as much as we need, 

 and if we had, we want to give it more in the 

 form of natural supplies to induce breeding. 



We have been using a feeder this fall which, 

 for cheapness and utility, we deem the tie plus 

 ultra of feeders ; and with your ) ermission, Mr. 

 Editor, will try to give a description sufficiently 

 plain that those "who run may read." 



We make a frame say six inches square of 

 slats one inch or more wide ; cover this one side 

 with thin muslin, drawing the edges of the cloth 

 up all around the frame on the outside, and 

 tacking them to the top. Then we make an- 

 other frame of slats half an inch wide and six 

 inches square. This is nailed on the bottom, 

 leaving the muslin between the frames. The 

 feeder may be placed over any sized hole in the 

 honey board, where the bees can readily pass 

 under it, without obstruction or having to climb 



