1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



85 



four combs of brood amd I think not less than 

 twelve pounds of honey from hive fed, increased 

 rapidly, so that I took a swarm from it, while 

 the other queenless stock which received no 

 more help than to supply it with a queen soon 

 as possible, has given no swarm or honey. "When 

 boxes were removed from hive fed, I took off a 

 swarm as there were too many bees. Last season 

 I had a hive arranged with section boxes for 

 trial. After waiting a long time for swarm to 

 put in it, I took one off for it. It came off very 

 dry soon after, and honey failed. So I had to 

 feed to winter them. This spring they were 

 queenless, and as boxes did not fit other hives, 

 I have not used them. Next season by feeding, 

 and adding combs as the bees will cover them, 

 increasing size from seven to twelve or more 

 sections, and when ready for boxes, reduce size 

 of brood chamber to seven sections, moving them 

 over against side of case. This will leave a 

 space as large as brood chamber, which will be 

 filled with boxes, then turn hive halfway round, 

 making space occupied with boxes the front of the 

 hive, open entrance on that side, shake off bees 

 from combs removed, using combs for swanns. 

 By this arrangement I will get a large cluster of 

 bees at once in front end of hive, and I am con- 

 fident honey will be stored more rapidly. When 

 the boxes are removed, brood chamber will be 

 moved back to middle of bottom board and 

 hive turned back to its former position. 



" Wintering." — A correspondent of Novice's 

 Gleanings, who tried out door wintering "with- 

 out protection," writes in April number, that 

 he had made up his mind decidedly, that in this 

 climate out door without protection is very un- 

 safe. Novice adds. We have been obliged to 

 come to the same conclusion in regard to out 

 door wintering. I think it due the readers of 

 the Journal that Novice's conclusion should ap- 

 pear in its columns, after what he has written 

 on this subject in former numbers. 



" Introducing Queens." — Upon releasing a 

 Milan queen to the bees, I was anxious to be 

 sure that she be well received, so I removed a 

 comb from the hive, and let the queen go out 

 on it among the bees, and was at once satisfied 

 all was right. I introduced a second Milan 

 queen same way and others since. Being at 

 Mr. Barclay's apiary when he was about releas- 

 ing a queen, I suggested the same way, with like 

 results. If one has a valuable queen I recom- 

 mend this way of releasing, as should the bees 

 pack on her, scrape them off into a basin of 

 water, when the workers will scatter and the 

 queen be recaged. I saved one this season this 

 way. This plan of scraping a wad of bees into 

 water was suggested to me by Mr. Barclay. I 

 think it first-rate, as there is great danger of 

 losing the queen in trying to pull off the bees. 



J. E. Moore. 



Rochester, Pa., Aug. 13, 1873. 



[For the American Bee Journal.! 



Out-door Wintering. 

 Article II. 



In wintering bees out of doors we have al- 

 ways aimed to have all the stocks strong with 

 plenty of honey and bee-bread. Each hive is 

 allowed to remain upon its summer stand, 

 which is four inches in height. We do not al- 

 low much upward ventilation — some hives that 

 are a little weak, but healthy, none above. 

 Strong hives, unbalanced in some particulars, 

 for going into winter quarters, we allow a little 

 upward ventilation through a small hole, cov- 

 ered by one or two thicknesses of blanket ma- 

 terial. 



The hive in winter rests down tightly on the 

 bottom board. 



The lower ventilation of each hive (which is 

 through the entrance hole) is gaged in pi'opor- 

 tion to the strength of the colony and the age 

 and condition of the bees and honey. But 

 close observation and practical experience are 

 necessary to the attainment of a knowledge of 

 the proximate amount of lower ventilation 

 needed in each particular case. 



In addition to the foregoing we use a protec- 

 tion board the width of the front of the hive, 

 which we lean up in front of the entrance hole, 

 one end of which rests upon the ground while 

 the other rests against the front of the hive 

 two-thirds of the way up to the top of the brood 

 chamber. At right angles to this we usually 

 attach other boards (so as to fasten up the cor- 

 ners) which rest on the ground and against the 

 hive in like manner to the first. Any kind of 

 rough boards answer the purpose. 



When the weather is calm and not too cold, 

 or is suitable for the bees to fly out, the front 

 protection board is removed. 



We attach a great deal of importance to the 

 idea that bees should never be disturbed so as 

 to cause them to break up the cluster in freez- 

 ing weather, and we govern ourselves accord- 

 ingly. 



We have never had occasion to feed in the 

 fall, as the principal honey harvest here is 

 during the fall months, continuing until frost, 

 and there is usually very little uncapped honey 

 in the hive when frost comes, unless the extract- 

 or has been used too late in the season, which 

 we think has been done in many instances, 

 to the great disadvantage of the bees as well as 

 their owners. Any stimulation by way of feed- 

 ing out of season should, if possible, be avoided. 

 During winter, bees require sealed or capped 

 honey in the hive, and so contiguous to them 

 that its very existence there is a part of their 

 reality and normal condition as a colony. Much 

 damage is often done by feeding, but at proper 

 times and under proper circumstances we are 

 very much in favor of it. As it is natural for 

 each variety of vegetable life to have its jDroper 

 season for development, fruitage, and decay, 



