62 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



pick out ten as large and yellow queens as he 

 ever saw, and I will make him a present of the 

 same, and will warrant that, if artificial, they 

 shall be as productive as he wishes them. 

 NB. — I have no cheaj) queens for sale. 



WiLLAED J. DAVTS. 



Toungsville, Pa., Aug. 8, 1870. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Novice. 



Dear Bee Journal : — That flood of honey 

 that was driving us so, when we last wrote you, 

 has ceased, and we are having a resting spell. 



About the 18th of July the basswood failed, 

 and we were obliged to desist, mostly on account 

 of the neighbors' black bees desperately attempt- 

 ing to rob our hives when we opened them. In 

 fact, the upper stories of our Langstroth hives are 

 all full now, but before we can empty two hives 

 the black bees are so thick as to threaten demor- 

 alization to our whole apiary. Though the Ital- 

 ians will sometimes sting a pint of them to death 

 around a single hive, not an Italian can be found 

 among the slain. 



In spite of all this, to which we have repeat- 

 edly called the attention of others, many are 

 busy in accusing the Italians of driving the in- 

 nocent common bees out of the land. One 

 neighbor in particular, who cannot aftbrd to 

 take the Bee Journal, has been very busy in 

 telling how our Italians have taken all his sur- 

 plus honey, and had he not vised great care, they 

 would have cari-ied off" all his honey, hives, bees 

 and all. 



It was in this way. He came to us one day, 

 quite excited, saying that our Italians were rob- 

 bing his bees at a great rate — even some new 

 swarms in movable frame hives that we had let 

 him have, (not to mention several hours' verbal 

 instruction and the attempt to answer all ques- 

 tions pertaining to bee-culture at once). 



" But that is impossible," said we. 



"Can't you believe me when I tell you so?" 

 inquired he, angrily. 



" We will go with you and see." 



On the way the conversation was resumed, 

 thus : 



'■ You are sure you left no hives open, nor 

 anytliing sweet around?" 



"Nothing of the kind." 



" When did the robbing commence?" 



" In the mornuig." 



' ' Have you taken off your surplus honey 

 yet?" 



" Took it off this morning," 



"Where is it," stopping in our walk. 



"irt the orchard, on a table.'' ^ 



"Covered up?" 



"No, 1 left it open to let the bees go out. 

 The boxes were full of them, and I could not 

 get them out." 



" Are they there now?" 



"Yes." 



"Now, C , why in th "did you 



not do as we were very careful to tell you, and 

 put the honey in a large box with a white cloth 

 spread over it, to be turned over every hour or 

 two?" 



" Well, it was too much trouble, and I did not 

 suppose it would make much difference." 



Of course we found boxes that had held about 

 forty pounds, empty, and oh, such music ! 

 There icere Italians there too, but we estimated 

 nine-tenths black bees to one-tenth yellow- 

 banded ones. Without giving the particvdars, 

 we may say that we have since heard that our 

 bees had robbed him of sixty, and then eighty 

 pounds, and we don't know what it will amount 

 to in the end. 



The whole quantity of honey taken out by us 

 this season, is now six thousand one hundred 

 and sixty- two (6,1(32) pounds. Of this we sold 

 over two thousand (3,000) pounds, in June and 

 •Inly, for thirty cents per pound, jars and all. 

 The jars do not cost us as much, in the end, a 

 boxes. 



How does that figure, in comparison with box 

 honey ? 



Besides this, our foi'ty-six (46) colonies have 

 been increased to sixty-four (64) ; and as the 

 upper frames are all full, and we have more bees 

 than the hives will hold, we propose to raise 

 queens this fall and luake swarms of the upper 

 stories, perhaps eighteen (18) more. 



How many of our co-workers in the melex- 

 tractor field have had trouble with heavy new 

 combs breaking down in hot weather? Well, 

 listen to our plan of putting them back. Throw 

 away your splints, wires, strings, &c., and sim- 

 ply lay all the pieces of comb, full of honey or 

 not, on a board the size of your frame ; put the 

 frame over rt in place, and then set the whole in 

 the upper part of some hive over night where 

 the bees have access. In the morning turn the 

 whole up in proper position, and slide your 

 board away, and as soon as the bees have re- 

 paired that side too, it is ready for the melex- 

 tractor. 



Mr. Price says Novice's feeder will not answer 

 for thin syrup. We are afraid he has not tried 

 one. Use new strong cloth, and there is no 

 trouble at all in feeding maple sap or even pure 

 water. 



Why is it that we can never have any success 

 in trying to build up a stock by feeding? For 

 instance — We commenced putting the cappings, 

 after being drained, strainer utensils, &c., in the 

 top of a iiive to be "licked off"." As the hive 

 was handy, we kept them, busy, and one other, 

 most of the time. Do you suppose it built them 

 up ? Not at all ! While other stocks were bring- 

 ing home from six to eight pounds a day, and 

 building comb rapidly, these two could not 

 "lick up" half that; and, further, would Iniild 

 no comb at all until we stopped their "rations" 

 and saved our "ti'ash" until the honey season 

 was over. Novice. 



August 9, 1870. 



Colonies that are overstocked with honey in 

 August, should have some of it removed, either 

 by the honey extractor or by sliding off" the caps 

 and laying the combs on a dish, to allow the 

 honey to drain out of the cells of the sides alter- 

 nately. When thus partially emptied, the comb 

 should be returned to the hive. 



