1870.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



11 



ventilating tube, from the top of the hive (but 

 under the toi3 board) to carry oif the moisture. 

 That tube, (thei-e being but one to a hive) 

 seemed to be without good effect. I think with 

 two tubes, the one at the bottom and the other 

 at the top of the hive, the latter extending high- 

 est in the air (as described in a former number 

 of the Bee Journal,) a good ventilation would 

 be effected, and the mould prevented. 



In burying previously, I gave my bees no ven- 

 tilating tubes, and as that applied this time was 

 evidently without effect, if I should ever try 

 more, I would either give them two tubes, or 

 none at all. One thing is plain to me, namely 

 that bees will not die for want of air, by being- 

 buried in winter time. 



Alonzo Barnard. 



Bangor, Maine, May 13, 1870. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Experience with roulbroocl. 

 Carolina. 



Bees in North 



I have been contending with putrid foulbrood 

 some ten years ; have tried various experiments ; 

 put the bees in new clean hives, with new combs 

 and i^ure honey, starving the bees two or three 

 days. But I have had the best success by re- 

 moving' the queen in its first stages, keeping the 

 colony queenless from one to three months, ac- 

 cording to the aggravated appearance of the 

 malady, then double up to make strong. I have 

 had stocks treated in this manner, do well for 

 three years after in succession, while other rem- 

 edies failed. 



But where the malady does not show itself till 

 late in the season, or has assumed a malignant 

 and advanced stage, I have yet to learn of any 

 sure remedy but fii-e. I deem it very conta- 

 geous. 



Since removing to North Carolina, I have not 

 as yet found any case of foulbrood of either kind, 

 and hope I shall not. I have examined stocks 

 in various parts of Wake county. 



Apiculture, I am glad to say, is receiving in- 

 creased attention in this section, though it does 

 not command the attention it deserves. Only a 

 small part of those who keep bees standing about 

 their premises, have left the squaxe box or hol- 

 low log. A few are trying the movable comb 

 hives. Among these are Messrs. Hunter and 

 Shultz, of Salem, who, I learn, are successful 

 apiarians. The western part of the state seems 

 at present to yield larger .supplies of honey than 

 the middle or eastern portions. Alsike clover 

 will aid very materially in iiicreasing the quan- 

 tity and imjiroving the quality of honey here and 

 elsewhere, as well as add largely to the fodder 

 crop. 



I am pleased to see by the correspondence of 

 the American Bee Journal that people are find- 

 ing out that all is not gold that glitters, in re- 

 gard to the Italian queens and bees, impregna- 

 tion by one drone, and that for life, &c. I have 

 had some careful experience in these matters, 

 and perhaps will report in the future. 



T Ottrtt^ 



Baleigh, iV. C, May 23, 1870. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Table of Days. 



The following table is not, of course, infallible, 

 as every bee-keeper knows ; but it is an approxi- 

 mation. 



After collating many books, the following is 

 believed to be a fair average of the times so fre- 

 quently desirable to know. If the inquirer will 

 place the word about before these figures, he will 

 not be far out of the way. 

 Twenty days from the laying of the first drone 



egg the queen cells are begun. 

 Eight days after queen deposits an egg in a 



queen cell it is sealed. 

 One day after the queen cell is sealed the first 



swarm goes off. 

 Seven days after the (first) swarm leaves listen 



for piping. 

 Two days after piphig is heard, look for second 



swarm. 

 Fourteen days after the first swarm the virgin 



queen leaves to meet the drones, if no second 



swarm issues. 

 Two days after wedding tour the queen lays 



eggs. 

 One day after hiving, the virgin queen of a 



second swarm leaves to meet the drones. 

 Thirty days after hiving a large early swarm, 



the same swarm may throw off another. 



Apis. 



Eolmcslurg, Pa. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Natural and Prolific Hardy Queens. 



Hoio to secure them in quantities, for commercia,l 

 purposes. 



Ha\-ing tried and failed to secure either pro- 

 lific or long-lived queens, by the usual means 

 mentioned by all authors and writers on bee- 

 culture, at any season or under any circum- 

 stances, when queens were raised in divided 

 stocks, or stocks deprived of their queens— they 

 being queenless at the time of starting and raising 

 the young queens — my experience corroborates 

 the statements of Bidwell Bros., of St. Paul, 

 (Minn.), of A. Grimm of Jefferson, (Wis.), and 

 of E. Gallup of Orchard, (Iowa), and of nume- 

 rous others who have given direct evidence on 

 this important question ; besides that furnished 

 by the indirect evidence of correspondents in 

 the Bee Jotjrnai,. The corresiiondents say 

 that after the safe introduction of an Italian 

 queen, "in from one week to two months, as 

 the case may be," we find them queenless, the 

 queen having been superseded, and queen cells 

 started. And the desire is to know why, after 

 having once accepted a queen, they should kill 

 her and i-aise another. Such being forced 

 queens are without true vigorous vitality, their 

 course was soon run, their part i^layed out, and 

 they died. Their death has always been regarded 

 as an' accident, and explained away as such 

 by queen-raisers. 



This has always been my experience with 



