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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



the corners. I believe he said that the 

 bees would not come out if kept in the 

 dark — that I have done, and I find every 

 time I go to them, that the ground is 

 covered with dead bees, and at this rate 

 I think there will not be any left by 

 spring. Why do my bees come out, if 

 others do not ? 



My crop of honey last season was 

 none, as usual, and I have had to feed 

 to carry the bees through the winter. 



St. Johnsbury Center, Vt. E. H. H. 



Answer. — Whatever may be the cause 

 of your bees dying, you may rely on it 

 that it is not likely to be caused by the 

 raising of the hive as you have done. 

 You can keep the bees from troubling 

 the cellar-bottom by letting the hive 

 down and shutting the bees in with wire 

 cloth, for in that case the bees cannot 

 get out, but they'll die just as fast as 

 ever and perhaps a little faster, for if 

 bees find they are fastened in, they are 

 all the more eager to get out. 



There must be something wrong with 

 the bees or the cellar, and knowing 

 nothing about it but that the hive is 

 raised and the bees are dying, it is hard 

 to make any kind of a guess as to the 

 cause of the trouble. If the hive is 

 spotted and daubed about the entrance, 

 then diarrhea is at work. This may 

 come from the quality of the food, or it 

 may come from the condition of the cel- 

 lar ; 45° seems to be the degree of 

 temperature that most agree upon as 

 desirable, and if your cellar is much 

 above 50° it is probably too warm. If 

 below 40O, I would try heating it up, to 

 see what the effect would be. Anything 

 that quiets the bees down may be con- 

 sidered a move in the right direction, 

 for undoubtedly bees that are coming 

 out and dying in large numbers are not 

 quiet. 



It may be that the air of the cellar 

 is bad — too close, or poisoned with de- 

 caying vegetables — but there isn't much 

 use in going on guessing. The most 

 that can be said is to try to have pure 

 air at about 45°, and see whether the 

 trouble continues. 



Increasing an Apiary — Sweet Clover. 



1. I have 12 colonies of bees, and I 

 want to increase them. Would I better 

 keep the bees confined to the brood- 

 chamber till they swarm, or would it be 

 best to give them access to one section- 

 case ? Or would I better increase by 

 dividing ? 



2. Where can I get sweet clover seed. 



that Mr. Newman recommends so highly 

 for bee-pasturage ? J. S. 



Long, W. Va. 



Answers.— 1. If you are anxious for 

 increase and care little for honey, you 

 will do well to put on no supers. Or, 

 you might let part of them have one 

 super each. You may find, however, 

 that it will not make much difference. 



If you have had no experience in that 

 line, perhaps it will be best not to med- 

 dle much with dividing colonies, but let 

 the bees swarm at their own sweet will ; 

 still, it will be good practice for you to 

 make a few colonies by dividing. In 

 any case, be sure to get some good text- 

 book and study up thoroughly, then you 

 will have a more intelligent idea of the 

 whole business. Any points that are 

 not clearly understood will be cheerfully 

 explained in this department, unless you 

 ask too hard questions. 



2. Meliloc, or sweet clover, seed can 

 be had at any large seed-store. Many 

 of the supply dealers who advertise in 

 the Bee Journal have it for sale. 



Carrying Out Dead Brood. 



I have a case of dead brood on my 

 hands, which I do not understand. The 

 bees are in a 10-frame hive that I 

 bought of a neighbor last June. At this 

 time they have a hive full of honey and 

 young bees ; they are carrying out 

 young brood that is just ready to cap 

 over. It does not appear to be foul 

 brood, and I do not know what to call 

 it. Any information on the subject 

 would be appreciated. M. F. B. 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



Answer. — It is possible that worms 

 are at work, and the brood is thrown 

 out where they have gnawed away the 

 cappings or some part of the cells. 

 Possibly a cold spell may have made the 

 cluster contract so much as to leave the 

 brood unprotected, when the brood was 

 chilled and afterward thrown out. 



Capons and Caponizing-, by 



Edward Warren Sawyer, M. D., Fanny 

 Field, and others. It shows in clear 

 language and illustrations all about 

 caponizing fowls; and thus how to 

 make the most money in poultry-raising. 

 Every poultry-keeper should have it. 

 Price, postpaid, 30 cents ; or clubbed 

 with Bee Journal one year, for $1.10. 



