228 



TUB AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Apeil, 



[For the Araoriean Bee Journal.] 



Side-Box Hive Wanted. 



Mr. Editor : — The summer of li^71 was very 

 poor in this section for honey ; the months of 

 June and July were too wet; in fact we could 

 not get more than one or two good days out of a 

 week to gather honey. The blossoms do not 

 f^eem to yield much honey after a day or two of 

 rain ; eitlier the water washes the honey all out 

 of the blossoms, or the cool nights after a rain 

 are not favorab'e for the secretion of honey ; at 

 all events the bees were very cross for a day or 

 two after a storm, then they would seem to enjoy 

 it better for a day ; then another rain, and so it 

 kept repeating during the months of June and 

 July. 



The consequence of this was, the bees were 

 confined to the hive so much and had so little 

 comb occupied with honey, that tliey produced 

 an immense amount of brood and bees ; so that 

 we were obliged to increase more than we in- 

 tended and more than we should have done had 

 the honey yielded more steadily. 



August and September were so dry and cool 

 that bees gathered no surplus from tlie buck- 

 whe.it blossoms, althougli stocks that were 

 nearly destitute gathered enouuh to winter on 

 in the cellar. Considering the season we were 

 satislied with tlie result ; we increased twelve 

 stocks to twenty and took 455 pounds box honey 

 and a little over 100 pounds machine honey. 

 The box honey was nearly all taken from nine 

 old stocks, as we broke up one stock in May for 

 queen cells and nuclei, and one old queen failed 

 in June (an artificial queen according to Price), 

 and one stock we had in an experimental side- 

 box arrangement (since abandoned), from wliich 

 we took but little surplus. The machine honey 

 was taken mostly from the nuclei and young 

 stocks. 



Now, Mr. Editor, we would like to inquire 

 through the medium of your valuable paper 

 (which we consider to be the exponant of intel- 

 ligent beekeeping in this country), what is the 

 latest plan to arrange a hive for side-boxes ? We 

 have seen considerable said in the Journals lately 

 about side-box hives, but mostly by patent hive 

 men, or those interested in the sale of hives, and 

 we do not always place implicit reliance on the 

 Btatements of these gentltmen. 



We judge, from what we have seen of it that 

 ■Mr. Alley's is a good hive, but it is most too ex- 

 pensive and is not as easily handled as we could 

 wish. We believe there are those who have liad 

 experience with side-box hives, who could give 

 the desired information, if they chose to let 

 their light shine. We do not like to say we will 

 give a dollar a piece for description, lest we 

 should get more descriptions tlian we have dol- 

 lars, but would be willing to give 25 cents each 

 for a limited number, say twenty five or so, by 

 as many different individuals, if they will send 

 the descriittions to the editor for publication. 

 What we want is something that can be worked 

 on the non-swarming or nucleus system of man- 

 agement (for a concise of said system see page 

 bU, present volume A. B. J.). Having practiced 



that plan successfully the past two seasons, we 

 are satisfied that there is no other system of 

 management where boxes are used tliat can be 

 as successful in this section for obtaining sur- 

 plus. The frames should be easily handled, and 

 should be arranged for side boxes exclusively, 

 and we would prefer that it should be worked 

 under the Langstroth patent, believing as Ave 

 do, that the Langstroth patent covers all the 'de- 

 sirable points in the movable fi-ames. 



Thinking there is such a hive in existence, 

 and having failed in our own side-box experi- 

 mental hive, after three years' trial, not through 

 any fault in the principle, however, but probably 

 on account of an improjier arrangement of tlie 

 hive, we are prompted to make this inquiry, as we 

 believe that a side-box hive, properly arranged, 

 would require less reduction by taking away 

 brood, to prevent swarming ; because it would 

 give more ready access to the boxes than a top- 

 storing hive, and consequently would emjiloy 

 more bees and give more surplus. We do not 

 care anything about their ability to winter on 

 their summer stands, as we prefer to winter our 

 bees in the cellar. We know that there are 

 many who are interested in this subject and we 

 would those who have had success and have 

 tested a side-box hive, to send a brief descrip- 

 tion to the Journal. J. P. Moore. 



Binghainton, N. F., Feb. 3, 1872. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Basswood beats the World, for producing Honey. 

 That is simply Gallup's opinion. 



Mr. Hosmer's statement of the immense yield 

 of basswood honey, made at the Cleveland Con- 

 vention, calls out considerable private corre- 

 spondence on the subject ; as also does Gallup's 

 paper read at the Iowa Beekeepers' Convention. 

 I understand from one of our townsmen who 

 was there, that Mr. Furman stated he did not 

 believe such statements — that they were false, 

 &c. ; for the greatest yield he ever had from a 

 single swarm in one day, was only fifteen (15) 

 jwunds. The reader will understand that Mr. 

 llosmer stated that one stock gathered fifty- 

 three (53) pounds in one day. I know that I 

 took out five gallons at about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon from my large hive ; and at the same 

 hour on the following day the same combs 

 were again comjiletely filled with honey, fully 

 equal to sixty (60) pounds. But T had then no 

 vessels to put it in, therefore did not take it out 

 till the following day. 



On one Sunday morning during this immense 

 yield, I noticed my bees coming in loaded and all 

 smeared over with what appeared to be honey, 

 and I supposed that a wild swarm soniewhere 

 had eitlier meeted down its combs, or their tree 

 had fallen and smashed the honey. But on re- 

 pairing to the basswood (the nearest clump of 

 trees is within a few rods of our apiary), 1 found 

 them swarming with bees, and every cluster of 

 blossoms was completely covered with nectar, 

 not only inside but outside also. The bees and 

 other insects, in crawling over them, had com- 

 pletely smeared the whole blossom. Take a 



