1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



239 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



We notice in onv article in the Febrnary No., 

 page 187, after reading it carefully, that we left 

 it a little foggy, and with your permission we 

 will try to explain. 



We said in our example we should make fifteen 

 or twenty double swarms. This is providing 

 that an increase of stocks is desired ; if no in- 

 crease is desired make only two or three, just to 

 give room to return. 



In 1870, we made only six new swarms from 

 83 colonies ; all the rest were returned and the 

 season was not very good, yet most all our re- 

 turned swarms filled the boxes, and some of 

 them two sets of boxes. But our neighbors 

 that hived their swarms single got no honey, 

 and the young swarms did not store enough to 

 live till spring. 



Another blunder. We said evei'y stock in the 

 yard will be storing honey. It should read, 

 *' except a few at the end of the swarming season 

 that I had no bees to return back to." I made 

 no count on second swarms. I do not allow any 

 to issue from those I return bees back to. 



Thanks to Mr. Grimm, we shall in future 

 adopt his plan of doubling all stocks that remain 

 in our yard after swarming, that we have no 

 bees to send back to, then all will be strong 

 enough to store honey while the clover is in 

 bloom. 



In 1871, we made quite an increase in our 

 stock. We had a very serious misfortune or else 

 a very beautiful blunder, we think the latter 

 name the best. It cost us about $3, out. We 

 would not like to tell it just now but sometime 

 will give it in a chapter on blunders. 



Joseph Butler. 



Mich., March 4, 1873. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Queen Kaising- 



Mb. Editor :— The demand for Italian queens 

 this coming season seems to be greater than any 

 past season. At least I find it so with me from 

 the way orders come in. There is evidently a 

 growing interest awakened in the culture of the 

 bee. 



Would it not be a good thing for the readers 

 of the .Journal at present, if the old and most 

 experienced queen raisers, such as Longstreth, 

 Quinby, Alley, Benedict, Mrs. Tupper and 

 others, would give a full and detailed account of 

 their method of rearing queens ? Many of them 

 have at various times given parts of their 

 methods, but as the Journal is designed for the 

 education of novices and not graduates they 

 should give fall detailed accounts, something 

 like that of Alley on page 100, November No. 

 current volume of Journal. Will Friend Alley 

 have the kindness to comjilete that account for 

 the next No. of the Journal, by way of answer- 

 ing the following questions : 



You say you had two hundred and eighty 



nuclei! (queen boxes), in operation in August, 

 besides the full stands, &c. How many full 

 stands do you generally use to supply that 

 number of nucleii boxes with bees, brood and 

 honey, or do you hy liberal feedinr/ de\^e.iid on the 

 nucleii boxes to produce the amount of brood re- 

 quired to keep u]) their own strength without 

 any aid from the full colonies ? 



What probable number of black bees are with- 

 in three miles of you, and how far are the 

 nearest, and are not some of your queens mated 

 with bad drones? 



Do you use many black bees for rearing 

 queens, and how early in the spring do you com- 

 mence in j'our latitude, &c. ? 



1 generally raise in full colonies, but in 

 summer I use about 20 nucleii boxes the same 

 size as Alley, only I rear my cells in full colonies 

 and introduce them in the boxes on the tenth or 

 twelfth day. I am compelled to reinforce my 

 boxes with young bees from full stocks every 

 three weeks in oriier to keep them strong. 



After writing the above I have just received 

 the February number of the Journal, and while 

 on it, would like to answer a question asked me 

 by S. W. Loud, of Virden, Illinois, on page 184. 

 "Asking me if I kill more bees by my close 

 fitting frames than I do by loose ones." I have 

 only tried one triumph hive the past season, and 

 I do not think I killed as many bees as by loose 

 frames ; for the hive is so arranged that if used 

 with care you need not kill a single bee. With 

 the exception of the Longstreth, I never handled 

 another hive, but that would kill five times as 

 many bees. 



The distinguishing feature of the February 

 No. now before me, is the good news of the 

 recovery of "Novice's" health. What would 

 the Journal look like withoiit him and Gallup, 

 Grimm and a few others. 



I must now close, wishing all the readers of 

 the Journal the greatest success in 1873, and as 

 Novice says "rows of barrels of honey." 



R. M. Argo. 



Loioell, Ky., February, 1873. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Mr. Editor : — Kind sir, according to promise, 

 please find enclosed two dollars for my subscrip- 

 tion for another year to the Journal ; the longer 

 we take it the harder it appears to do without it. 

 Mr. Editor, you have been trying to buy some 

 of the back numbers, how you have succeeded I 

 do not know, but one thing I do know, twenty- 

 five cents won't buy any of my back numbers, 

 although it looks like a big price. They are 

 worth as much to me as to any other awkward 

 ignoramus, if I would only obey their teachings 

 better. I sometimes think I know something, 

 and pay dear for finding out I know nothing. 



You recollect I told you in the Journal that 1 had 

 packed my hives away with their backs together, 

 stufiing hay in between and on top, made a tight 

 fence on the north and west sides, covei'ed with 

 boards ; the weakest hives containing thirty-five 

 pounds of comb and honey. Now, I thought they 

 were all right, but I did not give them upward 



