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THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



a new swarm a hive full of empty comb, and 

 that they gathered 30 pounds in two days by ac- 

 tual weight. In this case, which was an artifi- 

 cial swarm, the bees were all of such an age 

 that they were all honey gatherers, and as we 

 gave them no brood they had nothing else to 

 do. Such a yield could be kept up but a few 

 days, as worker bees are but a short lived in- 

 sect, especially in the working season, and 

 some provision must be made for a rising gene- 

 ration, else our "big swarm" would soon dwin- 

 dle out. 



After the experiment just mentioned we be- 

 came convinced that could some plan be devi- 

 sed to take the honey from the comb so as to 

 return the latter uninjured to the bees, and thus 

 obviate the necessity of that laborious operation 

 of building comb in the busiest part of the sea- 

 son, that the result would be a yield of honey 

 totally unheard of heretofore. We mentioned 

 last spring that we had constructed a machine 

 for removing the honey, and have only room to 

 add that its operation has proved a success, far 

 beyond our highest expectation. In obtaining 

 the large results mentioned below, we brought 

 in play a combination of facts in bee-keeping of 

 late years, as follows : 



In the spring we selected a strong stock, with 

 a very prolific queen, and, first, removed every 

 bit of drone comb from the breeding apartment 

 and supplied its place with clean straight frames 

 of worker comb ; second, we arranged the sec- 

 ond story, as it was a Langstroth hive, so as to 

 hold frames above as well as below ; third, the 

 honey was removed by the machine at intervals 

 of from three days to a week, or just before the 

 bees were about to seal it up ; fourth, as the 

 swarm soon became very populous, we were 

 several times obliged to remove comb from the 

 centre and supply its place with empty frames, 

 to prevent their clustering out and "loafing," 

 so that they have in reality built several frames 

 of comb, besides yielding us 203 pounds of pure 

 honey up to this date, July 21st, and from ap- 

 pearances we think they are not near through 

 yet. 



Of course all our stocks have not done equally 

 well, yet we think we could have made them 

 do so with the same treatment. From 20 stocks 

 in the spring, some of which were quite weak, 

 we have taken just 1,000 pounds of honey, and 

 increased our number to forty stocks, or an 

 average of 50 pounds of honey and one swarm 

 for each. 



We shall feel happy to show our bees, honey, 

 and apparatus to any who may feel interested 

 in the subject, at any time. 



Respectfully, 



Medina, Ohio. A. I. Root. 



Having partaken of some of the honey made 

 by Mr. Root's bees, we can cheerfully recom- 

 mend it as being among the finest we have ever 

 seen. — Ed. Gazette. 



The Egyptians by the hieroglyphic of a bee 

 signified a king, because it becomes a command- 

 er of a people to mingle with the sting of jus- 

 tice the honey of clemency. — Purciias. 



[Far the American Bee Journal.} 



Wintering Bees. 



I have seen a great many plans in the Bee 

 Journal for wintering bees, but I prefer the 

 one I adopted last winter to any that has been 

 suggested. Out of seventy-six hives wintered 

 (amoug them some pretty weak colonies) I did 

 not lose one. Whereas, winter befoie last, out 

 of sixty-eight hives wintered on their summer 

 stands, I lost thirty-eight, and the remaining 

 thirty were weak. I came to the conclusion 

 that what is good to keep ice in summer is good 

 to keep bees in winter ; and I went to work 

 and built an ice Jiouse, 16 feet by 20, and 7 feet 

 high. I used six-inch studding siding on the 

 outside, and lined with inch boards inside ; put 

 a tight floor overhead, and then filled all 

 around with saw dust. I also put six inches of 

 saw dust above, on the floor. I had in each 

 corner a four-inch opening, or chimney, through 

 the floor, but not through the roof ; and a dou- 

 ble door in front, which kept the room perfect- 

 ly dark. We had pretty cold weather last win- 

 ter, yet water would not freeze in that room. 

 Towards spring, it was getting rather warm in- 

 side, and I noticed that some colonies were be- 

 coming uneasy. I then left the doors op n af- 

 ter dark and shut them again before daylight — 

 which operation made all quiet. 



I can winter a hundred colonies in that room, 

 and it did not cost over forty dollars to build it. 



My bees commenced swarming the first week 

 in June, though one swarm issued on the 28th 

 of May, I only let them swarm once. Six or 

 seven days after swarming I would cut out all 

 the queen cells, and insert one Italian in place 

 of black ones. I have now one hundred and 

 thirty-five colonies; and I think when I put 

 them in winter quarters, I shall have Italian- 

 ized every one of them. 



I use the Langstroth hive, and prefer it to 

 any other form. Any one must acknowledge 

 that the frames are easier handled than in any 

 other hive — besides the grand place for surplus 

 honey, which no other hive can equal. 



As for wintering bees out of doors, I do not 

 believe in it any more. We must provide shel- 

 ter for all our stock in the winter ; why can we 

 not afford to do the same for our bees. 



My bees are doing well, and some of the first 

 swarms have filled six boxes of honey. Those 

 with frames on the top have done still better. 

 I believe bees will store double the quantity of 

 honey in frames, as compared with boxes. 



P. Lattner, 



Lattner's, Dubuque Co., Iowa. 



In valor and magnanimity bees surpass all 

 creatures. There is nothing so huge and 

 mighty that they fear to set upon; and when 

 they have once begun they are invincible, for 

 nothing can make them yield but death ; so 

 great hearts do they carry in so little bodies. 



A bee cannot live alone ; if she be alone, she 

 dies. 



