THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



65 



[For the American Bee Journal . ] 



Red Clover, King Birds, &c. 



Mr. Editor: — I have a few items relating 

 to bee-culture, which I wish to communicate 

 for the columns of the Bee Journal. 



First. About bees working on red clover. I 

 have seen it stated that none but Italians were 

 in the habit of working on the blossoms of this 

 plaut. I think it a fact that bees of any sort 

 gather very little honey from that source ; but 

 according to my observation, all work alike on 

 it At this date, August 1st, the second crop of 

 red clover is covered with little busy bodies. I 

 have both the Italian and the black bee, and 

 find them all at work alike. Some weeks ago, 

 while mowing the first crop of red clover, I 

 found the bees at work abundantly on it, and 

 they seemed to be doing a good business. Both 

 varieties were at work on that field also. 

 Hence I think it is all fancy that Italians alone 

 work on red clover. 



The honey season this summer has been very 

 variable. The bees did poorly on white clover, 

 filling their hives slowly, and up to the 20th of 

 July, the prospect for surplus honey was very 

 poor. But at that time the bees began to work 

 on the bass-wood blossoms, and I never before 

 saw so great a crop of honey from that source. 

 They now promise a full supply of box honey. 

 I have never been able to realize such great 

 returns of surplus honey as some of your cor- 

 respondents tell of. From twenty to fifty 

 pounds I call a great yield, for this section, un- 

 less from non-swarmers, bass-wood blossoms 

 being the last source of supply. Buckwheat is 

 not raised to any extent in Vermont. 



Do King birds feed on working bees? If any 

 body knows the facts, I should like to hear 

 them. It has been said by some writers on the 

 subject, that it is only the drones they catch. I 

 am inclined to think so too. There is a family 

 of those birds that frequent the vicinity of my 

 apiary; but I notice that it is always in the 

 time of day that the drones are flying, and the 

 old ones are constantly snapping up either 

 drones or workers and feeding them to their 

 young. If drones only are their prey, they are 

 benefactors; but not, if they destroy workers. 



A word about hives. I have been using, in 

 part, for the past three or four years, the Lang- 

 stroth hive. I like it well when I have a good 

 strong swarm in it, in the midst of the honey 

 season. It is very convenient for obtaining 

 box honey, on account of the large top space 

 for placing boxes. I have no trouble in winter- 

 ing bees in them in cellars. They come out in 

 the spring as strong as any of my hives. But 

 now comes the failure. Bees do not breed and 

 multiply in them as they do in a hive of the 

 square form. Such is my experience, at least. 

 Suppose you should make a hive with the same 

 amount of space in it as the Langstroth hive, 

 and have the frames only four or five inches 

 deep. Anybody must see at once that bees 

 spread out as they must be in such a hive would 

 fail ; and the reason is easily seen. The nearer 

 to a square form, the more heat can be main- 



tained in a hive. If we do not get a good start 

 early in the season, we are nowhere. This 

 spring I had eight swarms — four in Langstroth 

 hives ; the others in various kinds of square 

 hives. The latter four filled up with bees, and 

 were ready to swarm, a week or ten days ear- 

 lier than the first mentioned. Only one of the 

 Langstroth swarmed at all; though I made one 

 good artificial swarm from them, and gave a 

 few combs to several swarms that came out. I 

 am satisfied, however, that the Langs'roth 

 principle, in a nearly square hive, is the best 

 lor practical use. C. S. Paine. 



East Bethel, Vt. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bee Feeding.— Those Exceptions. 



In Mr. Gallup' s article, Bee Feeding, page 

 30, of the August number, he says : — I do not 

 use a bee feeder — neither do I feed bees, 



Except in the spring, 



Except to young swarms, to keep them build- 

 ing combs, 



Except in small quantities, 



Except in the summer, 



Except when there is a temporary cessation 

 of pasturage. 



On looking over the above exceptions and his 

 method of feeding bees, I should think that he 

 not only fed them, but fed them heavy ; that he 

 fed them often ; and that he fed them under all 

 circumstances. If there is any other reason, 

 except starvation, that he has not enumerated, 

 and that he does not feed them for, I would like 

 to know what it is. 



It also seems that he does use a feeder, as he 

 gives a description of his method, with an in- 

 vitation to use and report through the Jour- 

 nal. 



Why a man of Mr. Gallup's experience should 

 recommend putting a plate in the main body of 

 the hive, I cannot imagine, except to be odd. 

 The sprinkler I have used a good deal myself. 

 It is the only way that I can get the bees to 

 feed on pure molasses. They eat it, to get rid 

 of it. I would rather pay any reasonable price 

 for the right to use the Harrison Bee Feeder, 

 than be annoyed by any other contrivance; and 

 the sprinkler is wasteful. 



John M. Price. 



Buffalo Grove, Iowa. 



Bees delight to play abroad before the hive, 

 flying in and out as thick as if they were fight- 

 ing or swarming, in breeding time, once a day 

 usually, if it be fair weather, and ordinarily at 

 a set time ; each hive observing the same hour 

 of the day, if it be fair. And then they will 

 expatiate and "dance the hay" in circling mo- 

 tions and surrounding vagaries ; and at other 

 times, when they have been long shut up with 

 cold or closer weather, the first fair day they 

 will thus abroad, both to recreate themselves, 

 and to ease their bodies, for they evacuate for 

 the most part flying.— Purchas. 



