Our nearest neighbor lost 25 out of 28 

 colonies, last winter. They stood on 

 their summer stands with corn fodder 

 around, but not in front, and the upper 

 story filled with straw. Since the adop- 

 tion of chaff-packing my bees have 

 come out all right every spring, except 

 as above mentioned. 



Allen, Ind., Dec. 10, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Fertilization in Confinement, &c. 



K. M. ARGO. 



I rejoice to see the American Bee 

 Journal keep up its good reputation, 

 and improve for the better each year. 



We have just passed through one of 

 the worst honey seasons in this section 

 I have experienced since 1868. This has 

 been general throughout the country, 

 and almost a total failure in California. 

 Last year was also a tolerably poor 

 honey season in this section, and I have 

 observed that, as a general rule, a good 

 honey How always follows two poor 

 ones. It is said that good corn years 

 are always bad honey years, and the 

 season just past would seem to confirm 

 this assertion, for, notwithstanding the 

 great drought this year, I never saw a 

 better corn crop. 



I see from the report of the National 

 Convention, that Prof. J. Hasbrouck 

 has succeeded in his experiments with 

 fertilization of the queen in confine- 

 ment. Among the various modes in 

 which I experimented, one was very 

 near like the one he succeeded with, the 

 only difference being that I used a large 

 store box, instead of a barrel. If I live, 

 I shall try his plan again next season ; 

 but I fear, if I report the plain truth for 

 the Journal, I will have to write 

 failed ! Should I be so fortunate as to 

 succeed, I will send out queens that I 

 desire to have tested as to markings, 

 fertility and honey-gathering qualities 

 with any in the United States. I said, 

 in a former communication, that the 

 man who discovered a safe and practical 

 method to fertilize queens in confine- 

 ment with select drones, should have 

 one dollar given him by every queen- 

 breeder in the country, ho matter how 

 great the number. I repeat what I then 

 said, but am not ready to pay my pro- 

 portion till I am satisfied from actual 

 experience that it is a success. I do not 

 mean to say that Prof. Hasbrouck is 

 mistaken, but I do mean to say, that as 

 I took the word of over 200 (or perhaps 

 500) a few years ago that they had suc- 

 ceeded, I never will take any evidence 

 but my eyesight. 



The weather to this day has been the 

 mildest I have seen for many years, and 

 should it continue, the bees will winter 

 splendidly. But it may turn out as it 

 frequently does here, that our winter is 

 in March and April. 



I have said in former articles that an 

 average colony of bees could winter 

 from October till the middle of February 

 or the first of March, on 5 lbs. of honey. 

 I have frequently proven this true, and 

 have wintered many a colony on from 10 

 to 15 lbs., and thought it was a good plan 

 not to winter on more than 18 or 20 lbs., 

 for fear of having too much honey in the 

 way. But none of us will ever be too 

 old to learn from experience. I now 

 think it better to leave 30 or 35 lbs. in a 

 10-frame Langstroth hive, if you want 

 them to come out very strong in the 

 spring and be ready for the harvest. I 

 believe I may safely say, that not 1 

 colony in 20, wintered on say about 15 

 lbs., will be ready until the season is 

 about half through, unless fed regularly 

 in the spring, and that is very trouble- 

 some. I have worked with neighboring 

 bees every spring, and I find that except 

 with worn out or unfertile queens, such 

 colonies as had an abundance of honey 

 came out the strongest. If they have 

 an abundance of honey early in the 

 spring, feeding is simply useless. I used 

 to think differently. I do not deny that 

 some colonies can have too much in Oc- 

 tober to give the bees room to cluster 

 out of sealed combs, and that there can 

 be too much in the way in the spring to 

 allow the queen room to spread her 

 brood-nest; but these cases are very 

 rare, and where they do occur we have 

 only to exchange a few empty frames 

 for full ones. 



Bees wintered on little honey know by 

 instinct their condition, and will not 

 begin to breed till very late in the spring; 

 while those colonies that have an abun- 

 dance will begin in January, and fre- 

 quently in the first week if the weather 

 is moderate. Those who have time and 

 patience to feed regularly in the spring, 

 can afford to winter on from 15 to 20 lbs. 



Lowell, Ky., Dec. 17, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



How I Prepare my Bees for Winter. 



H. S. HACKMAN. 



As soon as practical after taking off 

 the surplus boxes or sections, I fill the 

 cap with clean, dry, oak leaves, held in 

 by tacking over them a piece of bur- 

 lap. I then put the cap over the frames. 

 When cold weather comes I see that 

 the bees are supplied with clean stores 



