1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



159 



swarmed out when the queens had been laying 

 about three weeks. After these stocks had 

 swarmed, three of them were permitted to raise 

 their own queens. The tlnee young queens thus 

 raised became fertile and prolific, and their pro- 

 geny hardy and industrious. 



The number of queens in the above report is 

 small ; but as the points involved are about 

 being discussed in the Journal, I give it for what 

 it is worth. As far as it goes it shows, first, that 

 the young queens raised artificially from young 

 mothers were barren ; second, that the young- 

 Italian queens introduced into strong stncks did 

 not prevent swarming ; and, third, that the 

 queens raised from young mothers in full stocks, 

 under the swarming impulse, became fer; ile and 

 prolific. Henky Crist. 



Lake P. 0., Stark Co., OUo, Dec. 8, 1870. 



[For the American Beo Journal.] 



A Swarm in an Airy Position. 



Mr. Editor : I have a cluster of cherry trees 

 quite close to my apiary, on which many of the 

 bees cluster during the swarming season. Au- 

 gust 4th, at night, we had a gale of wind, which 

 blew off a great many pears, and I went to the 

 aforesaid cherry trees, to get a table whereon to 

 spread some of the fallen pears, when I found a 

 large circular ]nece of honey-comb, containing 

 honey and brood, and covered M'ith bees. On 

 examination I found that a swarm had built 

 their combs among the branches in the centre 

 of the tree-top. F. M. Rogers. 



Nora, Ills., Dec. 3, 1870. 



[For the American Bea Journal.] 



Questions for Novice. 



HONEY EXTRACTOR, HIVES, SWARMING, AND 

 TEMPER OF Br^ES. 



Dear Novice : — Supposing your season's work 

 is now over, I avail myself of your offer to put a 

 few questions. I would much have preferred 

 addressing you directly, as my questions may 

 not be of general interest, but must thankfully 

 receive any information in your own way. 



For using the honey extractor (Vol. IV., page 

 35), you mentioned the two-story Langstroth 

 hive, and the extra set of frames ; but more re- 

 cently (Vol. VI., page 15) you say, "as soon as 

 w'e get out three or four frames, we commence 

 bringing them back. ' ' Has the latter plan suiicr- 

 seded the former? And do you mean that you 

 keep each hive open while you uncap and empty 

 all the frames? Do you use smoke in taking 

 out frames? I have never yet attempted to take 

 out more than two or three outside frames, and 

 liave not touched any with brood. Do you think 

 I may safely go further? What do you think of 

 hives with legs five or six inches from the 

 ground? This is what I am using, and I think 

 a sloping board might be made to answer the 

 purpose of the saw'dust banking. Thinking saw- 

 dust a nice, clean thing for keeping down grass 



about hives, in 1869 I commenced covering the 

 yard with it ; but as I sometimes use fire about 

 the hives, I found it dangerous, as the least 

 spark in dry weather sets it going. 



I pi'esume you are satisfied with last season's 

 yield of honey ; but Mr. A. Salisbury, page 109, 

 says, "top-storing hives are now beliind the 

 age." Will you endorse that assertion?" 



During the past season I had not much trouble 

 from swarming. The queen's wings were cut, 

 and when about to swarm she was caught and 

 removed ; and about eight days thereafter all, or 

 all but one, of the cells were removed, as was de- 

 sired. I had one or two cases, however, where 

 I supposed I had queens with cut wings, that 

 they swarmed. .In one instance the bees settled 

 on the trunk of a tree — not clustering closely, 

 but spread out. I hived them in a new hive, 

 but they at once returned to the parent hive. In 

 examining the hive the next day, I found up- 

 wards of twenty queen cells, some in the lower 

 story, but chiefiy in the upper one. 



I find a vast difference in the temper of my 

 bees. Some come at me like a shower of shot, 

 on opening the hive ; others (raised from a Lang- 

 stroth queen) I can go to at any time without 

 annoyance. Yours, truly, Tyro. 



Ontario, Canada, Dec, 1870. 



[For the American Bee Journal. 



Theory and Practice. 



Mr. Editor : — I notice a great many of your 

 correspondents, asking for instruction, say — 

 "Give us practical answers, and not theory" 

 Now, I am a great friend to theory, and di.slike 

 to hear it spoken of so lightly. Before I com- 

 menced bee-keeping, I purchased ]\Ir. Lang- 

 stroth's able work, and read it through three 

 times (together with several plagiariaus of the 

 same), and there I got my theory of manage- 

 ment. Then, without ever having seen a drone, 

 I subscribed for the '■^American Bee Journal,'''' 

 and entered on the campaign of 1808 by buying 

 forty-eight (48) colonies of black bees and an 

 Italian queen. Transferred twenty nine (39) 

 colonies, and Italianized nearly half of my 

 apiary; also transferred about thirty (30) colo- 

 nies for neighbors ; have moved all my bees 

 twice, and made all my this year's increase arti- 

 ficially ; yet I have never had a stock of bees rob- 

 bed, or in any way lost a colony, when prevention 

 was cheaper than the price of said colony. And 

 this season, I have taken moi-e honey and 

 increase from my bees, than ever was taken in 

 this county before, from the same number, as 

 near as I can learn, although we have practi- 

 tioners here with from ten to forty years' experi- 

 ence. 



Mr. Bidwell, of South Haven, (formerly of 

 St Paul, Minn,) has an odd and original way of 

 doing things, aping no one, adhexnng to the true 

 theory of bee-culture, the while ; and he no doubt 

 has been as successful an apiarian as this coun- 

 ty affords. From reports, I conclude that he 

 lias outdone all other apiarians in preventi>n <>f 

 swarming, averaging one year with another only 



