Oct. 11, 1906 



869 



season might knock the whole thing out. But 

 it will be seen that, granting aoy known the- 

 ory, the old colony can't swarui, and, if the 

 other does, all its brood can be given to the 

 old one without affecting the super-work, be- 

 cause it will get all back when hatched. 



It will also be plain that the daily hatching 

 force of the comb-building colony, augmented 

 from time to time by a reserve force from its 

 supporting colony, should be able to do good 

 work in the supers. Next season, 1 will try 

 to make the addition of the reserve force 

 automatic and constant by connecting the 

 hives with one or more escapes. If this can 

 be done, time and labor are almost eliminated, 

 and it looks feasible. 



In outlining my plan, I have purposely 

 omitted all such details as will readily sug- 

 gest themselves. E. W. Diefendorf. 



Missouri. 



May be Winter Loss from Short 

 Stores 



I have had to feed my bees at different 

 times the past summer. I believe there will 

 be quite a loss of bees next winter, as many 

 colonies will go into winter quarters with 

 scarcely any honey. This has been the poor- 

 est season I have ever known, and there will 

 not be more than a quarter of a crop of honey 

 in this section. Some bee-keepers are very 

 much discouraged over the outlook, but I 

 think perhaps what I lose this year I will at 

 least partially make up next year I am put- 

 ting all the spare time I can in reading good 

 bee-literature. 



The American Bee Journal is always a wel- 

 come visitor in our home. It has been a 

 source of inspiration to me. J. W. Stine. 



Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Sept. 17, 1906. 



American Ttee Journal 



a honey-plant, although I find no reference to 

 this anywhere. So far as I know, the plant 

 has no common name or medicinal qualities. 

 — C. L. Walton.] 



A Self-Made Swarm 



Has any one had an experience with bees 

 like this? Between 2 strong colonies there 

 was an empty hive, with no comb in it. When 

 the young bees began to fly around, some of 

 them went into the empty hive and they kept 

 increasing in numbers. But they left at night 

 until July 10; then a few of them stayed 

 nights. Then they began to build a little 

 comb and put in some honey. They now had 

 increased to perhaps a quart. This was about 

 the middle of July. Then I let a just-hatched 

 queen run in and she began to lay about the 

 tirst of August. When I saw they were going 

 to make that their home I gave them a couple 

 of empty combs. Before the young bees be- 

 gan to hatch they had increased to perhaps a 

 quart and a half. They are now quite strong. 



My best colony of bees for honey is what 

 some would call hybrids. I have the goldens 

 and the 3-banded Italians, Carniolans. and 

 the Adels. The second best were the Adels. 



Bees are doing very poorly. I will get 

 about 40 pounds from one colony, and none 

 from the most of the others. 



A. P. Raught. 



Round Lake, 111., Sept. 12. 



Spanish-Needle— Books on Botany 



What is the name of the enclosed (lower 

 and its value as a honey-plant? 



Please name some good books on botany — 

 some that deal more with the habits and na- 

 ture of flowers than with the long botanical 

 names. Arkansas. 



[The plant in question is Spanish-needle — 

 Bidens bipinnata — and is closely related to 

 the common beggar-ticks — a very trouble- 

 some weed about corn-cutting time, on ac- 

 count of the achenas or seed-pods sticking 

 to the clothing and pricking the skin. The 

 plant yields a limited quantity of fair nectar. 



Some of the best popular books on botany 

 are the following: "Nature'6 Ga. den," by 

 Blauchau, $3.00; "Guide to the Wild Flow- 

 ers," by Lounsberry, 11.75; " How to Know 

 the Wild Flowers." by Dana, -S2.00— C. L. 

 Walton.] 



Cut Leaved Erioearpum 



I would like to know the name of the plant 

 enclosed, its characteristics, and medicinal 

 properties. It is becoming plentiful here on 

 the plains, growing 12 to 14 inches high, and 

 as wide across the top of the plant, which is 

 full of blossoms on which the bees work. 



The honey crop this season in both Prowers 

 and Bent Counties is very poor. Bees were 

 slow in building up in the spring, and the 

 honejtl-ow was indifferent all summer. The 

 brood-chambers generally are well filled with 

 winter supplies. 



The bees 6warmed very little the past sea- 

 son — only 2 or 3 percent. There has not been 

 nearly enough natural increase to make up 

 for last season's loss; so by next spring the 

 number of colonies will be much less than 

 la6l fall. John S. Semmens. 



Prowers, Colo., Sept. 24. 



[The plant in question is Cut-leaved Erio- 

 earpum — Erioearpum spinulosum — and ranges 

 from North Dakota to Mexico, along the east- 

 ern side of the Rocky Mountains. The plant 

 is related to the goldenrods, and probably is 



Blue Aster 



I enclose sample of weed or tlower, and ask 

 its true and correct name, as it is known here 

 by the farmers as " blue-devil," or " stick- 

 weed." It is comparatively a new weed or 

 flower in this part of the country, and, in my 

 judgment, is one of the best for bees that we 

 have, from the fact that it produces honey in 

 the fall of the year. It is usually in full 

 bloom by Sept. 15 or 20. This year I did not 

 lind the bees working on it until Sept. 23, and 

 this is the 26th, and it is in full bloom. It 

 usually remains in bloom until about the 

 middle of October, and if the weather is warm 

 enough for the bees to fly they get plenty of 

 honey to winter on from this flower It evi- 

 dently came here in the clover 6eed bought by 

 the farmers, as it usually follows clover, and 

 seems to be adapted to the same kind of soil 

 as clover. It grows from 1 to 4 or 5 feet, ac- 

 cording to the soil. Stock seems to be very 

 fond of it when in bloom, but do not seem to 

 relish it much until it is in bloom. It blooms 

 about 10 or 12 days later than the goldenrod 

 in this part of the country. In looks, growth 

 and general appearance it seems to belong to 

 the Chrysanthemum family. 



West Virginia. 



[The flower is the common blue aster — 

 Aster azurius — and along with other members 

 of the aster tribe it furnishes bees with a lib- 

 eral supply of honey-producing sweetness. — 

 C. L. Walton.] 



Langstroth ™ the 

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334 Dearborn Street, CHICAGO, ILL 



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WILL ORDER 



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