Nov. 29, 1906 



981 



American Ttee Journal 



tools consist of a smoker and a chisel, 

 except at harvest time. 



A European writer using the nom- 

 deplume of " Sylviac," has written a 

 treatise on bees concerning his method 

 which he calls "Simplism." To my 

 mind, he carries simplism too far, us- 

 ing neither movable-frame hives, Ital- 

 ian bees, comb foundation, extractors, 

 nor any of the new implements. But 

 within certain limits simplicity is a 

 good thing. 



If you find an inferior queen in your 

 apiary — a queen that can not fill a de- 

 cent number of combs after being 

 given a good chance, supersede her. 

 You will be the gainer. But, believe 

 me, do not pinch the head off a first- 

 class queen because she has already 

 given good service for 2 years. I have 

 seen good queens do service 4 years, 

 and then be superseded by their own 

 bees before I had time to notice that 

 they were getting old. Do not feed 

 your bees for stimulation without re- 

 gard to conditions every spring, but if 

 you have seasons when they are slow 

 to breed, remember that a little warm 

 feed, given in proper time, will induce 

 vigorous laying, even in colonies that 

 would have enough without it. I can 

 cite you hundreds of instances where 

 judicious feeding has caused an extra 

 harvest. 



Get your colonies in good shape for 

 winter, and you will find them in good 

 shape for spring. Of course, you will 

 have drawbacks with any method, and 

 no system you may try will put honey 

 in the flowers, or flowers in a dried-up 

 field ; but when the crops do come, be 

 ready to harvest them. Don't disdain 

 empty worker-combs, no matter how 

 much comb foundation you may have. 

 Comb foundation is good, but worker- 

 combs already built are better. But 

 keep the drone-comb out, unless you 

 want breeders. 



Keep the hives warm in spring, fall 

 and winter. But when the hot summer 

 comes give the bees all the room and 

 all the ventilation and the shade that 

 they seem to need. Don't let your bees 

 hang out all over the hive, unless the 

 season is over, and they have nothing 

 to do anyhqw. Even then, if the combs 

 are heavy, you may find it advisable to 

 give them enough ventilation to put 

 them at ease. 



Don't leave everything to " Nature." 

 Remember that your bees are being 

 domesticated, and that you must look 

 after their welfare if you want them to 

 cause yours. There is nothing in rural 

 economy more profitable for the 

 amount invested than bee-culture, if 

 properly conducted. 



Hamilton, 111. 



Our Wood Binder (or Holder) is 

 made to take all the copies of the imerican 

 Bee Journal for a year. It is sent by mail 

 for 30 cents. Full directions accompany. 

 The Bee Journals can be inserted as soon as 

 they are received, and thus preserved for 

 future reference. Or we will send it with the 

 American Bee Journal a year — both for $1.10. 

 Address the office of the American Bee Jour- 

 nal. 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



A Colorado Sister's Good Report 



Dear Miss Wilson:— I have just finished 

 my honey-packing: Comb honey, 1-pound 

 sections, 6000 pounds; over 250 large culls 

 (% capped), say equal to 200 pounds; and 

 extracted honey from small culls, 130 pounds 

 —total, 6330 pounds. 



Number of colonies, spring count, 43, or 147 

 pounds per colony. The best colony did work 

 equal to 325 sections. How is that for— 



Oct. 8, 1906. Colorado? 



That fairly takes one's breath away. 

 Think of starting with 43 colonies and 

 harvesting more than 3 tons of honey ! 

 No telling, either, how much she has 

 done besides in the way of cooking, 

 sewing, and the thousand and one 

 other things that fall to the lot of a 

 woman to do. Not much time left to 

 primp, but doubtless being a woman 

 she has found time for that, too. 



A Good Report from New Hampshire 



A note from Mrs. J. J. Glessner says : 



"I had 978 pounds of comb and extracted 

 honey from 7 colonies, spring count." 



As her bees are located at "The 

 Rocks," in New Hampshire, one would 

 hardly suppose an abundant honey- 

 flora ; but an average of 140 pounds 

 per colony is enough to make green 

 with envy us poor mortals, " in this 

 locality," who didn't get any " aver- 

 age " this year. 



Bee-Talk Before the Horticulturists 



For the third time Mrs. A. L. Amos 

 " talked bees " before the Horticultural 

 Society which met this year at Broken 

 Bow, Nebr. Her subject was, "Bee- 

 Keeping as Affecting Horticulture." 



It will probably not be her fault if 

 fruit-trees are sprayed while in bloom 

 in her county. 



Honey Granulating or "Waxing" 



Dear Miss Wilson:— Is it a common 

 thing for extracted honey to " wax " where 

 comb honey keeps well? I had the honey from 

 one colony extracted for medicinal purposes 

 in August. It was all capped over and thor- 

 oughly ripened before extracting, but now it 

 is waxing. The temperature of the room is 

 from 70 to "5 degrees, and the comb honey 

 kept in the same place is keeping perfectly. 

 Also the extracted honey last year kept all 

 right in the same room. Does the kind of 

 honey cause it to wax? Last year the honey 



was white clover almost entirely, while this 

 year it is all sweet clover. The little granules 

 form, but they are not hard or sugary, but 

 "waxy." It may " sugar" later, but it has 

 not changed so far. Can you kindly enlighten 

 me on this question? Also, whether the 

 fault is mine or not? 



I have my bees all ready for winter, and 

 hope the coming year will bring a good honey 

 season. I would like to 6ee what you " old 

 people in the business " call a good honey- 

 year. (Miss) Elsie A. Cutter. 



Grand Rapids, Mich., Nov. 12. 



It isn't the easiest thing to under- 

 stand clearly the condition of your 

 honey. The first thought on reading 

 your letter was that when you spoke 

 of honey " waxing," it merely meant 

 granulating, but aferwards you say the 

 little granules are not hard or sugary, 

 but waxy ; that would suggest simply 

 that the honey had reached that desir- 

 able state where it was exceedingly 

 thick ; but that view is ruled out by 

 the presence of "little granules." 



There is no little difference in the 

 condition of different honeys when 

 granulated. Sometimes very coarse 

 grains form, when the very thin liquid 

 portion can be drained off, leaving the 

 grains as dry as sugar. Sometimes 

 there is hardly any appearance of 

 grain, the whole being of the consis- 

 tency that candy-makers would call 

 "creamy," when no liquid portion can 

 be drained off. Very likely this is what 

 you have on hand. 



Coming directly to your question, it 

 is a common thing for extracted honey, 

 where comb honey keeps well, to gran- 

 ulate with the grains more or less 

 coarse, even down to the fineness of 

 the granules that you probably have, 

 the character of the granulation de- 

 pending upon the kind of honey. One 

 reason why extracted honey granulates 

 sooner than comb honey is probably 

 the churning or disturbance that it 

 gets while being extracted, for it is 

 found that occasional stirring hastens 

 granulation. Another reason may be 

 greater exposure to the air, for ex- 

 tracted honey hermetically sealed in 

 bottles is slow about granulating, and 

 if sealed at the right temperature may 

 not granulate at all. 



A higher temperature than 75 de- 

 rees would retard granulation. 



The kind of honey makes a great 

 difference as to the time required for 

 granulation. Some honey begins to 

 granulate almost as soon as it is ex- 

 tracted ; some will keep a whole year 

 without granulation, both honeys be- 

 ing in the same room. 



Neither of these kinds of honey are 

 to be found " in your locality," but you 



