1873.] 



iTHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



37 



to use frames or the extractor for surplus honey, 

 who would have no use for the upper story, and 

 the single lower story would be of no use to 

 them, and they could doubtless buy the same 

 kind of hive, arranged with cap for surplus 

 boxes, for less money. 



For my own use I want the two stories com- 

 plete, so that I can use cither frames or boxes 

 as I like, for I always wish to have some box- 

 honey for my own family use, if not for sale. 

 And I think that " Novice " deserves great 

 credit in getting up such a hive in its simplest 

 form, and that it well deserves the name of the 

 " Simplicity Hive " if not that of the " Dollar 



Hive," T. S. 



« » 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bees by Mail. 



Mk. Editor. — Can you not say something 

 more to the purpose to the P. M. G-. than the 

 Hon. B. B. said, relative to sending bees by 

 mail ? Does it not belong to you, as a person 

 likely to be listened to? According to your 

 report, Butler plead for the right of sending 

 "humble (?) bees through the mail." Very 

 many want to send honey-bees, with the queen, 

 in that way. I saw a report that the Assistant 

 Postmaster had decided adversely; that some 

 postmaster and his clerks all got stung, and the 

 honey put in with the bees leaked out and 

 soiled other postal matter. This, of course, was 

 objectionable. Suppose you examine, for him, 

 a little further. See if the " bees invariably 

 become released from their stronghold, and 

 cause the postmen annoyance and trouble, by 

 being stung by the bees." Ask him how they 

 become released, except by unwarrantable inter- 

 meddling. The package can be examined 

 through the wire cloth ; the bees seen, and not 

 one escape except let out intentionally. As for 

 their stinging, while shut up, every one ac- 

 qviaiuted with them knows that, in ordinary 

 handling in the postoffice, not a sting will be 

 received. This objection, then, can be dis- 

 missed. That honey may run out and soil other 

 matter, when improperly put up, is the only 

 real objection stated. This can be obviated. 

 It is no longer necessary to put in the honey to 

 sustain the bees. I have repeatedly proved that 

 two or three lumps of loaf-sugar, half an inch 

 square, and a small piece of sponge, moistened 

 with water, is all-sufficient for several days. To 

 satisfy you that this will sustain them, and the 

 package be no more objectionable to the mail 

 carriers than a thousand other things that they 

 dare not exclude, I will send you a package con- 

 taining a queen and a few bees, put up in this 

 way. You can then have confidence to appeal 

 to headquarters. Our postmaster is willing, 

 and does his duty. If you think it would be 

 any advantage, and receive attention, I would 

 send one to headquarters, that they might have 

 oracular demonstration that the matter had been 

 misrepresented. M, Quinby. St. Johnsville, N. T. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Out-door "Wintering. 



On page 4 of the July number of the A. B. 

 Journal, " Indiana " asks : " Can we not have, 

 through the Journal, some more definite in- 

 struction for out-door wintering, from men who 

 have had good success the past two winters," 

 etc. We I think that the troubles of the bee- 

 keeper would diminish surprisingly if all the 

 conditions necessary to successful out-door 

 wintering were better understood. Our opinion 

 is, that many of the ills to which bees are inno- 

 cent victims, are the result of improper man- 

 agement and the consequent abnormal relation 

 in which they are placed to their natural habits 

 of life. 



We have been keeping bees here in Kansas 

 for six years, and have always had the best of 

 success wintering them out-of-doors. Occa- 

 sionally we have put a few of the weakest stocks 

 in the cellar during the severest weather, but 

 with all our attentions to them they have gen- 

 erally proved to be about worthless in the 

 spring. Robber bees are peculiarly attracted 

 to them-not so much, apparently, in conse- 

 quence of the scarcity of the bees, or superiority 

 or inferiority of their honey, as from the lack 

 of energy to defend themselves. We think that 

 banging them around, when they ought to have 

 been kept quiet is what did it, subjecting them 

 to too many climatic conditions, thereby causing 

 them to do much that they would not have done 

 had they fully realized all the facts in the case. 

 We know that vegetation sometimes springs 

 forth in the early spring, only to be cut down 

 by the frost. The warm sunshine and showers, 

 with balmy breezes, were conditions that made 

 the tender plant peep from the sod, but to it 

 they were illusory. 



The honey-bee partakes, we think, to a more 

 or less extent, of the susceptibility to surround- 

 ing conditions manifested in plant-life, and is 

 influenced greatly in all it is and does by these 

 causes. Hence, we should here learn an impor- 

 tant lesson about the proper care of bees in 

 winter. All that we learn about taking care of 

 our orchards and their products, should stimu- 

 late us to analogize regarding those natural 

 conditions under which the honey-bee should 

 be placed. 



To treat bees as mere animals falls far short 

 of what their normal relations to their sur- 

 roundings would seem to require. We do not 

 claim to be annunciating anything new to bee- 

 keepers, but we claim that successful out-door 

 wintering results mostly from practical con- 

 formity to the natural wants of the bees. But 

 a further consideration of this subject will have 

 to be left for another article. 



M. A. O'Neil. 



Black Jack, Kan. 



