316 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



hive and convey them to another, or to a 

 surplus apartment away from the hive 

 where bees of different colonies work to- 

 gether in perfect harmony, without dis- 

 turbing the comb or injuring the bees. 

 Having made this discovery, I am enabled 

 to have my colonies of a uniform strength, 

 form new ones, and control swarming. The 

 old plan of getting surplus honey over a 

 queen is an uncertain trust, as experience 

 has proven. Jas. H. Davis. 



Wood- Ashes for Winter Packing. 



A good material to fill chaff hives is dry 

 wood-ashes. I have used it for two winters 

 with good results. The ashes, being a non- 

 conductor, they will also preserve the 

 wood, and no vermin will hatch in the fill- 

 ing. The ashes ought to be perfectly dry 

 when put in, and about II4 inches thick 

 will be sufficient. No ashes should be used 

 for winter protection on top, as I lost one 

 colony last winter on that account. -I think 

 that dry sawdust on top is the best. 



I have 14 colonies this winter, and they 

 are wintering all right so far, on the sum- 

 mer stands. Wm. Brimmer. 



White Creek, Wis. 



Haphazard Bee-Keeping. 



I like the Bee Journal very much, as it 

 gives the experience of practical bee-men, 

 such information as all bee-keepers need. 

 I have 19 colonies of hybrid bees, and 

 would like to Italianize them, but they 

 build their own comb, and it would be a 

 hard matter to change the queens. 



Some of my neighbors have bees, but 

 they take very little interest in them. They 

 let them go haphazard like, and if they 

 store honey, all right; if not, they curse 

 them and say they are not worth keeping. 

 But not so with me ; I take all the care I 

 can of them, and if so unlucky as not to 

 have enough stores to keep them, I feed 

 them until they can supply themselves. 

 Last year was a poor honey year here, and 

 not so much honey, especially late. My 

 bees are all right now. 



Jett, Ky., Feb. 12. J. L. Crutcher. 



Dividing Colonies of Bees, Etc, 



My bees are in fine condition. I winter 

 them on the summer stands. I have kept 

 bees for over 50 years, but am learning 

 still. The American Bee Journal helps 

 me out a good deal. 



Mu('h has been written about dividing 

 bees, but I will explain my way of dividing 

 two colonies into three. I take two colo- 

 nies, and will call them No. 1 and No. 2. 

 No. 1 I drum into a new hive containing 

 frames with starters ; when all are in, I 

 examine them by putting the hive on a 

 black cloth ; when tlie queen is present she 

 will lay eggs on the cloth in 5 or 10 min- 

 utes—the sooner she lays, the better tlie 

 queen. Then 1 put them back on the same 

 stand, but keep them cool a couple of days 

 by covering them over. 



I then take No. 2 and remove them to a 

 new location, and put the drummed-out 

 hive, with all the brood and honey, in the 

 plase of No. 2. The most of the working- 

 force will go to the old location. I give 

 them a young queen. By this method all 

 three colonies are about even in strength, 

 and all right for the honey-flow. 



Thayer, Ind., Feb. 10. A. Roorda. 



Bees Wintering Well. 



The bees are shut in just now by a cold 

 spell. They are wintering very well. I 

 have not lost any so far. I will move them 

 next week to Crystal Spring Farm Apiary, 

 where I will do a more extensive business 

 than I did formerly. Edw. E. Smith. 



Carpenter, Ills., Feb. 18. 



Later. — March 1st.— I moved my bees on 

 Feb. 26th, and lost several queens. We 

 have had fine weather every day since, and 

 the rest seem to be doing well. E. E. S. 



Alone, but Contented and Happy. 



I have been entirely alone since Dec. 28th. 

 It keeps me busy all the time looking after 

 and attending to everything around the 

 place. I milk two cows, feed my horse and 

 harness it when I want to drive, attend to 

 fine poultry — 88 in 10 different yards, 

 houses, etc. ; and do all my house-work. 

 My friends come to see me almost every 

 day. I don't know another place in the 

 whole world at which I would feel as safe 

 and secure from harm or molestation, as in 

 our own beautiful, quiet little village of 

 Salado. I have never seen but one tramp 

 at my home since I have lived here (now 

 going on 19 years) , and that was seven or 

 eight years ago. Mrs. S. E. Sherman. 



Salado. Tex., Feb. 20. 



Moving Bees — Wintering Tip-Top. 



In answer to C. H. Coleman's inquiry on 

 page 249, I would say: First secure the 

 combs by notching two slats and dropping 

 the same at each end of the frames. Then 

 raise the cover and bottom 1-1(3 inch, and 

 secure it by boring three holes in i.^-inch 

 strips the length of the depth of the hive — 

 one screw in the top board and one in the 

 bottom, also one in the middle of the hive ; 

 use 1-inch screws. Cover the entrance with 

 wire-cloth, and place the hives in a wagon 

 and go ahead. Place the hives lengthwise 

 of the wagon. 



Bees are wintering tip-top. We had a 

 very short season last 3 ear. yet they did 

 well for the time they were at work. July 

 20th closed the honey season in this vicinity, 

 and but very little honey came from linden 

 or basswood. I know of no reason why 

 basswooil did not yield, as the trees blos- 

 somed well. Bees paid but little attention 

 to it during l)loom. My yield was a little 

 over .')0 pounds to the colony, spring count, 

 lam well satisfied. A. Y. Baldwin. 



DeKalb, 111., Feb. 20. 



