THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



217 



I have been here. My bees were put away from 

 frost, as we expected it woukl be as cold as 

 osual; and they have been very warm in spite 

 of all I could do. If they all perish, all well. 

 They cost me but little, as I got them from the 

 woods, and can do the same again. 



John A. Ford. 

 Newport (Minn.) March 9, 1869. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



The Season and Bees in Mississippi. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



J. M. Beebe's Bee Feeder. 



Mr. Editor : — I have to report that the last 

 season, in this vicinity, was a poor one for bees, 

 though I cannot complain much. I started with 

 seventeen colouies, and increased their number 

 to about forty, besides getting about four hun- 

 dred pounds of honey. 



My greatest difficulty was with my bees build- 

 ing drone comb. Nearly all my stocks would 

 build more or less drone comb, at all times 

 during the summer ; the new swarms, whether 

 natural or artificial, the same as the rest. My 

 queens are all young, and I think prolific. I 

 have increased my swarms in the way Gallup 

 directs, in his article on straight combs in the 

 February number of the Bee Journal, by 

 using division boards and putting one empty 

 frame between two full ones ; but still I got 

 nearly as much drone as brood comb. The bees 

 would generally begin worker comb, and build 

 down from two to four inches, and tbeu change 

 to drone comb — nay, would oftentimes begin with 

 drone comb. The strongest swarms built as 

 much drone comb as the weakest, if not more. 

 My only remedy was the free use of the knife, 

 using the comb cut out for the honey boxes. 

 Of course this retarded the work of the bees ; 

 but, it was better than raising so many drones. 



My bees filled only a few boxes, preferring to 

 store in the body of the hive. They would not 

 fill boxes, as in other seasons, although strong 

 in numbers and gathering honey. 



An infallible rule, by which beekeepers could 

 compel their bees to build all worker combs, 

 and those all straight, would be worth a great 

 deal of money. I think friend Gallup must try 

 again to fit my case. 



As to straight combs, I will relate my expe- 

 rence, when younger. At that time I was san- 

 guine, and ready to try every new thing that 

 offered in the shape of hives. Among other 

 hives that I tried was one, in which the bees 

 entered at the top; at the ridge so to speak, as it 

 had a double roof like a house. It had no par- 

 ticular advantage that I know of ; but I well re- 

 member that, in all those hives, the combs were 

 invariably worker comb and straight, and built 

 across the roof the way rafters are placed in 

 houses. This would indicate that frames 

 which come to a point at the top, would secure 

 straight and worker combs, better than any 

 other form. I intend, the coming summer, to 

 make some experiments with this end in view. 



J. Tomlinson. 



Newbury, Miss. 



Mr. Editor : — In compliance with many in- 

 vitations received by letter from readers of the 

 Journal, I will attempt to describe my bee- 

 feeder, as I promised to do. 



The illustration represents the feeder with the 

 glass top partly removed. It is composed of a 

 box containing three compartments for furnish- 

 ing the bees with water, rye flour, and sugar 

 syrup, at the same time. Each compartment is 

 provided with a tin vat movable at pleasure. 

 The vats to contain the liquids are furnished 

 with floats to prevent the bees drowning. C 

 represents a central passage way, through 

 which the bees gain access to the food. A rep- 

 resents a slide door by which the passage way 

 is closed when the feeder is to be filled. D rep- 

 presents a movable glass top, for the purpose of 

 closing the top of the feeder, attracting the bees, 

 and readily discerning when the food is gone. 



This feeder is cheap, simple in construction, 

 and may be used on any hive. 



Early in spring I feed each colony of bees one- 

 fourth pound of sugar daily, to promote breed- 

 ing. If their store of honey is light, I feed a 

 little more. They work readily on rye flour, 

 until pollen can be obtained abroad. Bees re- 

 quire a considerable amount of water when they 

 are rearing brood largely. Last season my 

 thirty colonies consumed three pints daily, 

 averaging one day with another, as long as I 

 fed. It will be readily seen that by furnishing 

 bees with water, rye flour, and sugar syrup in 

 early spring, we not only promote rapid breed- 

 ing, but we save the lives of many old bees, 

 that might otherwise be compelled to go in 

 search of the necessary food, and fall victims to 

 the chilling winds of spring. I am fully confi- 

 dent that by feeding, my bees commence swarm- 

 ing much earlier. I have had my hives so 

 crowded with bees, that they hung on the out- 

 side of the hive before the apple trees were in 

 bloom, and drones were flying on the lOtli day 

 of May. When feeding is once commenced, it 

 should be continued every day until white 

 clover or other honey-producing plants yield a 

 sufficient supply, or the bees may kill off their 

 drones and even destroy the unmatured brood, 

 wha h would be a great disadvantage. If any 

 r>*" the readers of the Journal do not fully un- 

 derstund the description given, by writing to 



