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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



broader than the depth of two worker or drone 

 cells. Now, as the main difficulty resides in 

 drawing the upper four or five inches of the 

 comb out of the hive, it is no matter whether 

 the narrow part is some two or three inches 

 larger. Mr. L. has therefore sacrificed a ma- 

 terial advantage to one quite imaginary. 



What is the matter. 



In August last, one of my neighbors traded 

 with me twenty-five ruchees for six Italians. 

 Many of his rucliees being weak, I put six of 

 them in place of six hybrids. 



The first few days my hybrids sremed discon- 

 tented. Yet as they were working freely, I 

 thought they would soon become accustomed to 

 their new company. But after five or six days, 

 they began to kill the black bees. In vain did 

 I give them honey, smoke, or scented sugar 

 water ; the struggle, restrained through the day, 

 was resumed again at night, and continued till 

 all the black bees in the six hives were killed. 

 Some fifteen days after, I found two black 

 queens dead in front of two of the hives, having 

 evidently been killed by my hybrids. 



Can any of the readers of the Bee Journal 

 tell me what was the cause of this massacre ? 



Wintering Bees. 



Many extensive bee-keepers, Messrs. M. 

 Quinby, J. Marvin, A. Grimm, Bidwell Bros., 

 *nd others, concede that the ruchees winter bet- 

 ter in some conservatory than on their summer 

 stands. 



I advise Mr. Abram Brundage not to put his 

 scheme in execution. Every warm clay, his 

 .'■>ees, finding the entrance of the hive shut and 

 becoming excited, would gorge themselves with 

 noney, and being prevented from discharging 

 their feces, would perish. A better way is to 

 put all his hives in a cellar, if possible ; or put 

 .some straw around the hives, except in front, to 

 give the bees a chance to avail themselves of 

 ^very sunny day. 



Perhaps the article in the November number 

 of last year, on wintering bees, if republished, 

 would benefit some of your new subscribers. I 

 have never lost a colony treated in that way. 



Ch. Dadant. 



Hamilton, III., Oct. G, 1868. 



Consider the wisdom and happiness which 

 »re found among a swarm of bees ; a pattern 

 ■io all human societies. There is perfect allegi- 

 ance, perfect subordination ; no time is lost in 

 disputing or questioning; but business goes for- 

 ward with cheerfulness at every opportunity, 

 and the great object is the common interest. 

 All are armed for defence, and search for work; 

 so that in every member of the community the 

 two characters of the soldier and the laborer are 

 united. If you look to the fruits of this wise 

 economy, you find a store of honey for them to 

 feed upon, when the summer is past and the 

 days of labor are ended. — Jones op Nayland. 



[For l;ho American Boo Journal.] 



E. Gallnp's General Rejoinder. 



Mr. Editor:— Some of the readers of the 

 Journal have done as I invited them to do; in 

 other words, they have pitched into Gallup good 

 in the October number. Now, I do not care 

 anything about having the last word; but some 

 explanation seems called for, especially where 

 the parties have misunderstood me. 



We will begin with friend Price, about those 

 exceptions. To illustrate, I will give this sea- 

 son's feeding, &c. Last fall, I had thirteen 

 swarms of bees, and consequently had thirteen 

 this spring. I have increased them up to thirty- 

 five swarms. As I am commencing in the busi- 

 ness here, my object has been increase of stocks, 

 rather than surplus honey. Two of said swarms 

 lost their queens in May, so I had no increase 

 from them. Some time in the month of June, I 

 fed one swarm twice, three tablespoonfuls each 

 time. One swarm that I had a queen in from 

 which I was raising queens, I fed at three differ- 

 ent times, two spoonfuls each time of thin sweet, 

 made from common sugar. This I sprinkled on 

 the frames and bees from the spoon. I never 

 used a sprinkler in my life to feed bees. That 

 is the extent of my feeding this summer. Now 

 for the result. I have sold one swarm, which 

 leaves thirty-four; and on the 5th of October I 

 examined every swarm, and found one without 

 sufficient honey; but I likewise found three 

 swarms with too much, so that all I had to do 

 was to exchange combs — the very best w r ay for 

 winter feeding that I ever tried. Our supply of 

 honey was all obtained before the 25th of July, 

 with the exception of six days in September, 

 three days at one time, and three more after an 

 intermission of five days. The swarm that need- 

 ed feeding was a natural swarm. I had three 

 natural swarms this season — the first for the last 

 ten years. I also found one swarm destitute of 

 a queen, and with very few workers remaining, 

 but as the hive is well filled with honey, I shall 

 keep it for spring feeding, or to put a swarm in. 

 Every one of my swarms, deducting the queen- 

 less one, is now in the very best condition for 

 wintering, and on the 20th of July, twenty-six 

 of said swarms were in excellent condition for 

 storing surplus honey; but as the honey harvest 

 was cut off so suddenly, I have only obtained 

 about 200 lbs. in all. In ordinary seasons here, 

 our honey harvest commences about tho 20th of 

 July. One more illustration: A Mr Harding, 

 living about half a mile from me (he is an in- 

 valid,) took a swarm of bees last fall for one half 

 the increase; and, under my direction, he has 

 increased them to five, all in excellent condition, 

 with comb built all right — all worker comb. 

 They are strong in numbers, and heavy with 

 honey. I asked him last week how much sugar 

 he fed his bees, and his reply was, "Not over 

 one pound." Now, as he was gone from home 

 part of the time, his w T ife took charge of the 

 bees, and the way she fed them was this: She 

 took a common sauce plate, with a small piece 

 of comb on it, poured the feed in, and set the 

 plate in the vacant side of the hive, for it is only 

 young swarms that need feeding. (You under- 



