THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



191 



between, and above the hive ; and have yet to 

 learn that I have ever used two much dry straw 

 for this purpose. Let the straw thus used be 

 thoroughly dry, and then use it freely. 



In this repository, and in this manner, I have 

 successfully wintered several colonies of bees, 

 which had not over eight or ten pounds of stores 

 on hand when deposited therein about the first 

 of December. Such colonies, however, gener- 

 ally need feeding a few days after being set out 

 on their summer stands in the spring; and, with 

 care, often prove to be the most profitable colo- 

 nics in an apiary. 



After repeated and successful experiments on 

 wintering bees in this manner, on the 3d of De- 

 cember last, I stowed into this special repository 

 twenty-three colonies of bees, giving the weaker 

 colonies central portions therein. So far, they 

 have remained quiet, making little noise either 

 in very cold or in moderate weather. 



This manner of wintering bees is not a new 

 discovery with me. I got the idea when quite 

 a boy from the following incident. It was when 

 it was yet common for farmers who kept bees 

 to condemn all weak colonies, that had not ac- 

 cumulated what was supposed to be an abund- 

 ance of stores, in the fall season, to the brim- 

 stone pit. The writer, when a boy, became 

 the owner of a late swarm, in consideration of 

 hiving it in hay-making time. It was placed 

 on its summer stand, with several other colo- 

 nies, in the family garden. In the fall, as was 

 then the custom, all the hives were carefully ex- 

 amined and lifted up to ascertain their respec- 

 tive weights. Such as were condemned, being 

 marked, a day was set apart for the slaughter. 

 About the first of the next April, this colony 

 was found in an old-fashioned gum, in which 

 grain had formerly been kept, in the barn. 

 Around the hive and in the gum there was 

 found considerable straw, which had the ap- 

 pearance of having been pretty well tramped 

 in, rendering it necessary to literally dig out the 

 bee hive. On bringing it to light the beeswere 

 found to be alive, and ready to resist any sup- 

 posed unjustifiable interference. The result 

 was that the colony was replaced on the sum- 

 mer stand, and did well duriDg the following 

 summer. 



I may give you the result of the experiment 

 now being tested, sometime in April next. 



Belmont. 



January 30, 1869. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Borage. 



Who has borage seed for sale ? And who 

 will sell it the cheapest ? 



I see no advertisements this winter, and have 

 lost those I had, the binder having thrown aside 

 the covers when he bound the last two volumes 

 of the Journal for me. 



By the way, the two volumes of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal make a very neat book. I 

 would not take ten dollars for volumes 2 and 3, 

 if I could not replace them. 



Querist. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Several Items from Novice. 



Mr. Editor :— Querist, on page 148, thinks 

 we may be mistaken in thinking that the rye- 

 flour in some way saved the honey, and asks us 

 to give our revised views, after hearing his rea- 

 sons why it could not be so. 



Nearly all that we have written for the Bee 

 Journal have been facts from actual experience, 

 not theories. In the above case we had a num- 

 ber of hives uearly destitute of sealed honey, 

 as ice opened them daily to see, and had made 

 preparations to feed them. But after they "went 

 in" for the rye flour, they scarcely used their 

 honey at all, even though breeding was very 

 much increased; and we did not feed them at 

 all, for they did not require any. Does not this 

 look as though the meal answered in place of 

 honey, as others who have tried the same ex- 

 periment have observed before ? 



We do not think they use honey for packing 

 the meal, unless largely diluted with water at 

 least ; and did not suppose they used anything, 

 until a writer in the Bee Journal suggested it; 

 and cannot discover that they do now, although 

 we have studied the operation considerably. 



Mr. Editor, will you please tender our thanks 

 to Mr. Gallup, for, listen, our two-story "brag 

 hive" has been getting very uneasy of late, since 

 the warm weather began ; and the very evening 

 after rccei vine; the Bee Journal containing his 

 article on "Wintering," our "better half" re- 

 marked that they had a way of coming out 

 when a light was carried near ; and were buz- 

 zing in front considerably, though the honey- 

 board was off entirely. But, as the cap was 

 pretty tight, we commenced raising it up, and 

 discovered that when it was clear off, they went 

 in and behaved themselves like the rest. Mr. 

 Gallup gave us our first clear ideas on the sub- 

 ject of ventilation. 



Our small experimental swarm, last winter, 

 that consumed so lb tie, we happened to get 

 just right; but this winter has been so much 

 warmer, so far, that some of our bees are rather 

 restless with all the ventilation the American 

 Hive can give them — another thing in favor of 

 the Langstroth. 



Does any one succeed in inducing bees to use 

 meal inside of their hives ? We never have 

 succeeded, even when wet up with honey ; and 

 yet those having patent feeders tell us about it. 



When we first started to feed meal in the 

 spring, we used honey and water ; but after 

 they got "a going" we doubt if they would no- 

 tice it at all. We are getting in our meal now. 



Mr. Editor, hurrah for 1869, says 



Novice. 



It is certain that 16,000 bees in one hive will 

 collect more honey and wax, than the same 

 number lodged in two different hives could pos- 

 sibly do. 



In handling bees gentleness and boldness arc, 

 at all times, equally necessary. 



