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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



March 1, 1906 



Reports cmb 

 (Experiences 



Fine Winter for Bees 



We are having a fine winter for bees that 

 have plenty of stores, as 2 degrees above zero 

 is the coldest this winter. E. G. Guthrey. 



Malta Bend, Mo., Feb. 11. 



A Discouraging Season 



Last spring was apparently a most promis- 

 ing one for a bee-keeper. I don't remember 

 any other spring when my bees were in a 

 more promising condition. White and alsike 

 clovers were most abundant and promising on 

 all sides. But a cold, wet spell at the time of 

 the height of the honey-flow changed com- 

 pletely the outlook. Fifty-6even colonies, 

 spring count, and about 2000 pounds of 

 honey is the story— 1200 pounds of comb 

 honey and 800 pounds of extracted. I don't 

 remember the bees, on the whole, swarming 

 so hastily. They commenced early for this 

 section— May 22. Some of the first colonies 

 insisted on swarming again as soon as they 

 could rear brood and queen-cells in hives of 

 mere foundation. H. H. Moe. 



Woodford, Wis , Feb. 8. 



Winter Well in the Cellar 



My bees are very quiet in the cellar. I do 

 not meddle with them after putting them in. 

 The hive-bottoms are all tight, with only a 3 8 - 

 inch opening in front, so that mice can not 

 enter the hives, and there is practically no 

 ventilation. My losse6 have been very light 

 in the la6t 20 years that I have been keeping 

 bees. I had more honey than any one else in 

 this county last year. We had no fall honey. 



put 5 colonies in the cellar, and will re- 

 port again after I get them out and examine 

 them to 6ee how they are. 



In publishing my account last season, an 

 error wa6 made in stating that I was getting 

 24 cents for honey, instead of having had 2400 

 pounds for the season. I am now getting 11 

 cent6 at the store, and 12} 2 ' cents when I ped- 

 dle it. My honey is of very fine quality. 



Algona, Iowa, Feb. 12. Wii. Cleart. 



Poorest Year for Honey 



Last year was the poorest for honey in my 

 recollection. A great many bees starved 

 during the fall of the year, and more will 

 perish before spring. I started in the spring 

 with 35 colonies, and did not get a pound of 

 honey. A. T. Mull. 



Cleveland Mills, N. C, Feb. 1. 



hive-stand, which allows no harm from swell- 

 ing of the boards. The boards for the bottom 

 are all common % stuff, except that the front 

 end has a '..-inch board nailed on, that pro- 

 jects V. an inch. 1 find this style of bottom- 

 board is ever so much better to keep snow and 

 ice from shutting off the ventilation of the 

 hive. 



I hope this style of bottom-board will be 

 tried, and those that use it report to the Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal. C. A. Bunch. 



St. Joseph Co., Ind. 



Wax from Bur-Comb for Testing 



For once Mr. Hasty was too hasty and 

 jumped at conclusions. On page 143 he criti- 

 cises the report of wax-test on page 10. Mr. 

 Hasty says: 



"Look a little out how you use bur-comb 

 pinched up into a lump as a standard," etc. 

 If he will take the trouble to read it once 

 again, he will find I said, '"A piece of wax 

 that I secured from some bur-comb." 



Tbe wax was extracted from the comb as 

 carefully— in fact, more so— than any regular 

 extracting. 



I think Mr. Hasty's " specs " are too young 

 for him. He would better get a pair more 

 suited to his age. C. R. Russell. 



Worcester, Mass. 



Hive-Covers and Bottom-Boards 



I have 75 hive-covers for 75 12-frame Lang- 

 stroth hives that are made thus: 

 I always U6e common matched flooring 

 white pine), I 6aw off the boards the right 

 length, turn them upside down and nail a 

 cleat on each end. Then turn the board right 

 side up and tack on some newspapers or 

 building-paper. Then nail a sheet of galva- 

 nized iron along the edge with about 5 six- 

 penny nails on each side. The ends of the 

 metal sheet should project over each end 

 about l. 1 .j inches. It is now complete except 

 the painting of the end cleats. The paper 

 tacked on the top of the board before the 

 metal is put on is to keep the hive cool in 

 summer. 



I began making this style of top-board 14 

 years ago, and for my purpose it is nearly per- 

 fect. These top-boards are somewhat expen- 

 sive, but I expect them to outlast almost any 

 other style of hive-cover that I know of. 



My bottom boards are made thus: I take 2 

 ->ieces of 2x4 and cut them 2 inches longer 

 than the hive, so they will form a projection 

 in front of the hive of 2 inches. I take floor- 

 cng and cut it to be nailed crosswise of the 



Fears Bees Will Starve 



I started last spring with 50 colonies, in- 

 creased to 66, and got only 700 pounds of 

 comb honey. About July 15 the honey-flow 

 ceased. On Sept. 1 I examined the apiary to 

 see how the bees were fixed for winter, and 

 found about 20 light colonies. To these I fed 

 about 150 pounds of sugar, and thought I had 

 them in good condition, but, to my surprise, 

 I found them very light by Dec. 1. I fear I 

 will have a heavy loss from starvation. I 

 moved away from the place where they are in 

 winter quarters, consequently can not feed 

 them in winter. I make my own frames, and 

 use a cover that I think is all right. It is 

 simply a board-cover covered wiih asphalt 

 roofing. I have used these covers for several 

 years; they never leak, and with reasonable 

 care will last a long time. 



I expect to move to northern Minnesota in 

 March, and intend to try to take my bees in 

 an emigrant car. How well I succeed I will 

 write later. Dr. W. H. Ellis. 



Lohrville, Iowa, Feb. 8. 



Story of a Happy Life," which is well worth 

 reading by any one desiring a moral, mental, 

 or spiritual uplift in life. 

 Harrison Co., Mo. T. A. Welden. 



Here is a Winner r 



One I <w 

 The Modern Farmer and Busy Bee. S .50 



Gleanings in Bee-Culture 1.00 



The ABC of Bee-Culture, postpaid . 1.20- 



For a Short Time Only, 

 all three, $1.70 



Do Not Send Private Checks 



You can substitute either Pearson's, 

 Cosmopolitan, American Boy, or West- 

 ern Fruit-Grower for Gleanings, or Lang- 

 stroth for ABC, if you wish. 



Act quickly, and address 



THE HODERN FARHER, 



ST. JOSEPH, MO. 



CAUCASIAN QUEENS! 



Caucasian Bees are very gentle. They are 

 easy to handle and are, therefore, suited 10 be- 

 ginners, timid bee-keepers and to those who 

 keep bees in town. If you want to try this race, 

 or if you want to improve the stock of yonr Ital- 

 ian Bees, write to 



ROBERT B. McCAIN, 



2Atf YOHKVILLE. ILL. R. F. D. 



Antique and Unique Methods of 

 Catching Swarms 



The late Rev. Samuel W. Cope, of Chilli- 

 cothe, Mo., in his book, "The Story of a 

 Happy Life," has this to say of his grand- 

 father, Josiah Hutton: 



" He wa6 a thrifty farmer, and was noted 

 for rearing and caring for bees. It was his 

 delight to work with them and to keep them, 

 winter and summer, under the most favorable, 

 conditions. Asa convenience in swarming- 

 time, he had a small knot cut from a tree and 

 attached to the end of a pole. When the bees 

 swarmed, he would tie branches from peach- 

 trees about, and holding this up among them 

 they would settle or cluster around the knot. 

 By this novel process the bees were quickly 

 and easily hived. In my imagination I still 

 see the great jars of honey sitting around the 

 pantry, which, with other good thing6, grand- 

 mother used to lavish upon me at the table 

 and between meals. The memory of it will 

 continue with me through life." 



There are no dates given as to when his 

 grandfather practised this method of catching 

 swarms, but since the Rev. Cope was born in 

 the year 1826, it must have been in the first 

 half of the last century. Other lessons to be 

 learned from this brief statement are: First, 

 he " delighted to work with them." Second, 

 he endeavored to keep them " under the most 

 favorable conditions, winter and summer." 

 Third, tbe evident indications of thoughtful- 

 ness and inventive geniu6 in Grandfather 

 Hutton— ever looking for better ways of doing 

 things— hence, " the great jars of honey " for 

 the delectation of little Sammy, and all good 

 boys with good grandmothers. Hence, "The 



CA LIFOR NIA 



Improvement of bees by selection is simply 

 the rejection of the poorest. When any real 

 advance is made, locality or the blossoms the 

 bees work upon is to blame for it. If you care 

 to learn more particulars respecting our local- 

 ity drop us a postal card. 



C. W. DAYTON, 



CHATSWORTH, CALIF. 



9D2t 



WANTED 



Young man to take care of an apiary of 300 

 colonies, and careiully pack bee supplies for 

 shipping. TRESTER SUPPLY CO. 



9Atf LINCOLN, NEB. 



AT MUSKOGEE, IND TER. 



An Apiary For Sale in a first-class district. 

 One chance in a thousand to secure an up-to- 

 date business on a home market. Address. 

 W. S. MITCHELL, 



9A4t National Soldiers' H ome, Tbnn. 



Farm and flpiaru For Sale 



Iu the Basswood Belt on the Wisconsin River. 

 Enquire, ^^ ^ KllbOttttl, Wis. 



8A3t Please mention the Bee Journal. 



The German Nurseries.— To purchasers 

 of seeds, plants and trees the name of Carl 

 Sonderegger and the German Nurseries is not 

 new. Anything that is required in the way 

 of apples, plums, cherries, peaches, grapes, 

 etc., will be supplied by the German Nurseries 

 in any quantity, and the purchaser can rest 

 assured that it will be of the satisfactory kind. 

 For the convenience of hi6 patrons. Mr. Son- 

 deregger issues two editions of his catalog — 

 one in English and the other in German. Be 

 sure to send for one of these catalogs before 

 ordering your supply of seeds for this season's 

 planting. Address, Tbe German Nurseries, 

 Carl Sonderegger, Proprietor, Beatrice, Nebr., 

 mentioning the American Bee Journal. 



The Emerson Binder 



This Emerson stiff-board Binder with cloth 

 back for the American Bee Journal we mall tor 

 but 75 cents; or we will send it with the Bee 

 Journal for one year— both for only $1.50. It la 

 a fine thing to preserve the copies of the Jour- 

 nal as fast as they are received. If you ha»e 

 this "Emerson" no further binding Is nece«- 



S " 7- QEORQE W. YORK & CO., 



334 Dearborn Street, CHICAGO, ILL. 



