192 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Feb. 



not do -without it. I thinlv every number worth more 

 than the subscription price. — G. Thkasher. 



Silver Creek, Minn., Jan. 11. — I set out twenty- 

 nine swarms of bees last spring, some of whicli were 

 quite wealv. My best stock stored twenty-one pounds 

 ot honey in the' hive before the middle of April, be- 

 sides fifteen or twenty pounds in the main hive that 

 I did not take out. Bees did well till the middle of 

 July. After that they gathered very little surplus, 

 and built no comb, though they filled their hives for 

 the winter. — S. Rowley. 



South Brookfield, N. Y., Jan. 13. — I consider 

 the American Bee Journal second to no publication 

 of the kind published in America ; and no apiarian 

 who keeps bees for pleasure or profit, can afford to do 

 without it. 



RocKFOKD, Iowa. Jan. 15. — The past season, in tins 

 vicinity, was both good and poor. During nearly the 

 whole of May the south wind blew furiously nearly 

 every day ; and though bees were brooding rapidly, 

 j-et in most localities there were not as many bees in 

 the hives on the first of June, as there were on the 

 first of Alay. This nearly ruined the swarming for 

 the season. The yield of basswood honey was the 

 best I ever saw, and if Novice was favored with as 

 good, I don't wonder he came so near having to use 

 his " cistern " to save his honey. The full yield was 

 excellent, and bees have gone into winter quarters 

 with generally too much honey. Inclosed please find 

 two dollars for the Journal another year. I don't 

 know how I could possibly get along without the 

 A. B. Journal. — E. Benjamin. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Hives at the National Convention. 



There was any quantity of patent bee-hives 

 represented at the National Convention at In- 

 dianapolis. They were worthless — that is, tliey 

 were not calculated for the honey extractor, and 

 a hive that is not so adapted now-a-days is cer- 

 tainly behind the times. When will people 

 learn that it is impossible to get the same amount 

 of surplus box honey (where the surplus room is 

 on the top of the hive) in a tall hive, that can be 

 fjot from a hive of medium depth of frames ? 

 Then, again, a hive should be so constructed 

 that it can, with the standard comb, be divided 

 lip into four apartments for queen raising and 

 wintering surplus queens, and still have the 

 comb in a compact form, so that every part of it 

 can be occupied with brood in the breeding 

 season. This cutting up comb to tit into small 

 nucleus boxes dues not pay the common bee- 

 keeper. Take, for illustration, the Alley frame, 

 ten inches wide and eighteen inches high. Who 

 cannot see that it is impossible to get a queen to 

 breed on all parts of such a comb, when placed 

 singly in a nucleus box '? And the same can be 

 said of the long, shallow Langstroth frame. 

 Now, cut those frames in two, and place the two 

 halves together, side by side, and we have the 

 same comb in good sliai)e for breeding and queen 

 raising. I think any one can understand this 

 without further illustration. Now, gentlemen, 

 you wish me to recommend your hives to new 

 beginners. I cannot do it, with my understand- 

 ing of what a hive should be. All your little 



fixtures are made to gull the uninitiated. Prac- 

 tical bee-keepers want none of their added ex- 

 pense. 



Elisha Gallup. 

 Jan. 5, 1871. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Response to Inquiries. 



Mr. Editor : — In answer to W. P. Hender- 

 son's five questions I will give my experience. 



1st. Honey Extractor. I use one with wooden 

 case, rack with wooden bottom and ends, sides 

 wire, geared, home-made. Cost $4.00. Works 

 well with full frames, but very inconvenient for 

 emptying broken combs. Besides, I do not like 

 any wood about honey ; it will shrink and absorb 

 the honey, etc. 



This honey extractor question 1 would like to 

 see discussed in the Journal. I want a machine 

 that will accommodate any size of frame, empty 

 broken comb — with close top to keep out flies, 

 ants, wasps, etc. ; the honey to run into an 

 outer case, so that the operator may save honey 

 in small or large quantity, as may be desired ; 

 the frame to hang within the case in the same 

 way it would hang in a hive ; the wire frame to 

 open at the side by some contrivance to jiermit 

 broken comb to be placed side by side, and then 

 closed and put on the arms for revolving. Tliese 

 are my requirements for the honty machine. 

 Can I have them ? 



2d. Most persons prefer to let the bees begin 

 to cap the honey before emptying with the ma- 

 chine. My experience this fall has convinced me 

 it is a waste of honey. I sliall emjtty, next sea- 

 son, fast as filled. I emptied one hive about the . 

 7th of September, and twice after that date. 

 After that they filled and capped over sixteen 

 frames, 9^ inclies by I'U. 



;3d. Honey must be evaporated by the bees in 

 a natural way, or it must be done artificially by 

 putting it into jars, tying over the top open do- 

 mestic muslin, placing the jars in a shady place, 

 and kept at the same temperature it would be in 

 the hives. The best and cheapest way would be 

 to have a vessel made so that a washing boiler 

 would fit into it steamer fashion, bring the honey 

 to boiling heat, and then put it into air-tight 

 jars so it will not candy. 



4th. Yes, turn slow. The brood will remain 

 in the comb. 



5th. Yes, when honey is scarce, and you have 

 to operate at such umteasonable times. When bees 

 gather honey abundantly they do not trouble. 

 Frederick Cratuorne. 



Bethlehem, Iowa, Dec. 14, 1870. 



These bees which are exclusively inter- or sub- 

 tropical seem furnished with larger capacities for 

 fulfilling the special mission to which the family 

 is appointed. Their pollenigerous and honey- 

 collecting organs are peculiarly adapted both to 

 the structure and the luxuriance of the superb 

 vegetation of those regions, and to which they 

 seem distinctly limited. — Shuckard. 



