1871.] 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



287 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



White Clover, Strong Stocks, Experiments, etc. 



During fin experience of twenty years in keep- 

 ing bees in my location, I have seldom got sur- 

 plus honey from any other source than white 

 clover. Of basswood there is very little here. 

 In some seasons the clover failed to bloom ; in 

 others it bloomed freely from the latter part of 

 May or the first of June until late in the fall, 

 but yielded very little honey. In most seasons, 

 however, it yielded honey abundantly for eigh- 

 teen or twenty days, never longer. In such 

 seasons it usually bloomed some time before and 

 after the period of abundant yield, but was very 

 little visited by the bees. I have tried various 

 methods to keep my stocks strong to work on the 

 clover. Four years ago, I tried the following ex- 

 periment, embracing eight strong stocks of black 

 bees. Four of these I permitted to swarm, and 

 as soon as a stock had swarmed, I exchanged 

 stands with the next strongest stock, and re- 

 moved all the queen cells but one, on the sixth 

 day ; and continued to do so till four stocks had 

 swarmed, and the eight thus operated upon. 

 Result : neither of the four stocks from which 

 the bees were drawn, attempt to swarm, and 

 each stored about forty pounds of surplus honey. 

 Two of the stocks, thus reinforced after they had 

 swai-med, continued to work as if nothing had 

 happened ; did not swarm again ; and also stored 

 about forty pounds of sui'plus honey, each— the 

 same as the other four. The remaining two 

 stocks were bent on swarming again. Both to- 

 gether did not store over ten pounds of surplus 

 honey, and did very little inside. Both swarmed 

 soon after their queens began to lay — the one on 

 the 17th and the other on the Ibth day after 

 they had swarmed the first time. Neither of 

 them had started any queen cells, but each raised 

 a good queen afterwards. Since I have been 

 using the Gallup hive, I have done very diifer- 

 ently. But, more anon. 



Henry Ckist. 



Lake, Stark Co., Oldo, April 8, lb71. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Frames to suit Honey Extractors. 



Mr. Editor : — As the size and shape of frames 

 for honey-extractors is a subject somewhat new, 

 we will give you an ojiinion based upon our ex- 

 perience. We ijrefer the bottom or brood frames 

 deep, from twelve to fourteen inches ; and the 

 *W^ top frames for the lioney extractor shallow, 

 about seven inches ; — for the following reasons : 

 we then seldom have any brood to handle, and 

 shallow frames of honey are not so liable to be 

 broken^ while being handled in the machine. 



These upper frames we place in a box which, 

 rests upon the hive the same as the cover for 

 boxes. (We speak of the "Thomas hive," and 

 this has a flat cover which fits closely on the box, 

 leaving a chamber one-fourth of an inch be- 

 tween the frames and cover.) If we wish to ex- 

 amine the brood department, we take off the box, 



cover, and frames at once. If we only wish the 

 honey frames, we remove the cover, take out the 

 frames, and brush the bees in front of the hive. 



Our hives are near each other, and the ground 

 is kept clean by an occasional hoeing. We 

 woiild be pleased to learn more from our friend, 

 J. Bogart, who has about IGO colonies in good 

 condition and well managed, as we found by the 

 time he had shown us his apiary. He is a prac- 

 tical "bee-man." If he will favor us with 

 another call, he will find " Bachelor's Hall" reno- 

 vated, and occupied by some of the fairer sex. 



We prefer to put our slung honey in kegs or 

 barrels for home use or shipi^ing, and let the 

 party shipped to put it in one or two quart glass 

 jars, or sell by the pound, as will .suit purchasers. 

 The scales can be placed below the faucet, which 

 can be closed when the required amount is 

 drawn ; the latter we find very convenient. 



We are asked so frequently to give a descrip- 

 tion of our honey slinger, that we have con- 

 cluded to give it in the Bee Journal, once for 

 all. We first made one, using a tin can, as 

 recommended in the Journal, Vol. V-, pages 87 

 and 169. We found the can liable to be indented 

 and become springy, and requiring, if the combs 

 were not of even weight, one man to hold the ma- 

 chine still. W^e tried again, and got an oak tub 

 made 27 inches high ; bottom diameter 35 inches, 

 top diameter 23 inches ; four hoops, tlie bottom 

 one being set low enough to allow a faucet placed 

 above it, so as to draw off" all the honey. Two 

 opposite staves should be allowed one inch or 

 more above the top of the tub, which will hold 

 the cover in place. We made the frame and 

 shaft similar to those described in Vol. V., No. 

 4, by T. C. Hill. The cover is made of tvro 

 pieces, on one of which is the gearing (we use 

 fanning mill gearing), while the other is raised 

 to put in the combs. We occupy only space 

 enough to show the difference between ours and 

 others previously mentioned. 



We would be pleased to learn the results of win- 

 tering bees in a cellar, with stove-pipe ventilation. 



Palmer Bros. • 



Ncio Boston, III. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



"Wire Gauze, and Introducing Queen?. 



On page 338 of the April number of the Jour- 

 nal, in an article headed " Wintering Bees," D. 

 P. Lane hits Gallup a dab about the wire cloth. 

 From his own showing, providing he has not 

 given his bees that purifying flight in February, 

 where would they have been now? I have a few 

 questions to ask Mr. Lane. I set my bees in the 

 cellar the first week in December, and took them 

 out the first week in April ; and in all that time 

 they were scarcely looked at. In fact, I was 

 away from home, attending conventions, eight 

 weeks during that time. I used no wire cloth, 

 and do not think it necessary. W^heu I once 

 place my bees in the cellar, they are not taken 

 out till spring is open. I think this "taking 

 out" and "returning" unnecessary; and his bees 

 cannot possibly be in better condition than mine. 



