186 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNA^. 



for more than 35 years, and can think of no 

 improvement to-day. Each section of my 

 hive has a bee-space on the top and the bot- 

 tom, whether single or tiered two or ten 

 high, without any strips oti the bottom- 

 boards, following boards, or other loose 

 parts. The bees winter in these hives to 

 perfection, and nothing will give such good 

 results in combs or extracted honey, with 

 so little work. For extracted, nothing is 

 needed but plenty of hives. 

 Forestville, Minn. Barnett Taylor. 



Wintering Exceedingly Well. 



The winter here still remains open and 

 pleasant. A year ago at this time the mer- 

 cury was below zero, and now it is from 50 

 to 60 degrees above. I have just examined 

 my bees, and find that they have consumed 

 less stores than usual, and are wintering 

 exceedingly well. The only fear now is 

 that brood-rearing will be under headway 

 too soon, and that we will have a wet. cool 

 spring. H. F. Coleman. 



Sneedville, Tenn., Jan. 18, 1894. 



Bee-Keeping in Washington. 



On page 27, Mrs. L. Harrison speaks of 

 bees having a "Merry Christmas" at 

 Peoria, Ills. I can say that mine had a 

 good flight Christmas, but have not been 

 out any to speak of since. Bees from all 

 appearances are doing nicely so far this 

 winter. I am in hopes to get more through 

 this winter than last (18 lost out of a total 

 of 41). 



My bees are in better condition, both as 

 to quality and quantity of stores. I have 

 also packed them better on top of the 

 frames. Remember that I am in the north- 

 west corner of the United States — 49th 

 parallel. We have a man here that claims 

 to be a bee-keeper, who talks about the 

 "king bee," and says he knows that the 

 old queen stays in the hive when they 

 swarm, the young queen going out. He 

 has kept 125 colonies at one time in frame 

 hives. J. B. Ramage. 



Blaine, Wash., Jan. 9, 1894. 



The Past Poor Seasons. 



The bees in this part of Iowa, the past 

 two or three seasons, have not been very 

 encouraging; especially after so many 

 good years. In the spring of 1892 many 

 apiaries were very much reduced. The 

 cause being, I think, from the want of 

 proper breeding during the fall of 1891, 

 thus dying of old age. My own 60 colonies, 

 put into the cellar in good condition, 

 dropped down to 8 (both in the cellar and 

 soon after putting out). Want of young 

 bees seemed to be the principal cause. 



The spring of 1893, as far as I could learn, 

 found the bees in pretty good condition, 

 but the late, wet spring and dry July and 

 August were against our honey crop of 

 1893; therefore, almost all report a short 

 crop, especially where working for comb 



honey. 1 began with 18 colonies, increased 

 to 40, working almost all for extracted 

 honey, and took over 700 pounds. I put 40 

 colonies into the cellar, of which 10 may re- 

 quire some feeding before spring, or when 

 put out, at least. The 5 colonies I worked 

 for comb honey were almost a failure ; as 

 were also others that were worked for 

 comb honey in this section. 

 LeGrand, Iowa. J. W. Sanders. 



Packing Bees for Winter, Etc. 



I notice that several have written about 

 how bees should be wintered. I am trying 

 an experiment this winter with my bees. 

 I had last fall 45 colonies, some of which I 

 put heavy felt paper over, and some I put 

 on oats chaff, making a box to fit the top of 

 the hive, and tacking cloth on one side. I 

 I laid two corncobs about 4 inches from 

 each end, and that gives the bees room to 

 cluster above the frames. On part of the 

 bees I used cork-dust, just the same as I did 

 the oats chaff, but I think that cork-dust is 

 the best. 



I got about 800 pounds of nice white 

 honey last year, the most of it being lin- 

 den, and if it had not turned so dry it 

 would have been the best honey season we 

 have had for some time. 



John Patterson. 



McLean, Ills., Jan. 11, 1894. 



Report for 1893, Etc. 



My report of the honey crop for 1893 is 

 this: From 26 colonies, spring count, I 

 took 4,000 pounds of honey. My best col- 

 ony gave me 415 pounds. They were Ital- 

 ian bees. I have moved my bees to Nolan 

 county, 100 miles north of my old location. 

 I moved them on a wagon. To any one 

 who expects" to move bees on a wagon, I 

 would say, do not hitch mules to it, for if 

 they happen to get stung, they will run ; at 

 least that was what they did for me. 



There are a great many honey-plants 

 here that I dont know any name for. 

 Where can I send them so as to find out ? 

 T. W. Wheeler. 



Hylton, Tex.. Jan. 12, 1894. 



[You might send specimens of flowers to 

 Prof. A. J. Cook, Claremont, Calif., who 

 doubtless would name them for you. Be 

 sure to enclose stamps for reply. — Ed. J 



Almost Harmed Harmer. 



As it seems to be in order to tell one's 

 experience with bees in the ear, I will re- 

 late mine. 



One day in the summer of 1892, just after 

 I had paid a visit to a cross colony of bees, 

 I was standing not far from an open win- 

 dow, in the house, when a bee flew in and 

 stung me in the ear. When trying to get 

 it out, it marched'on into my head. Well, 

 it seemed as if it was losing no time in 

 building its nest out of pieces of wire about 

 half an inch long. It was not a very pleas- 



