434 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi.. 



hill. The bees, also, all wDrk in that 

 direction. 



The length of time consumed in flying 

 while at regular work, is not very great, 

 as a bee can fly at a high rate of speed 

 in a still day, said to be from 30 to 90 

 miles an hour. Of course they do not 

 fly as fast when loaded, or when nearing 

 or starting from the apiary, as they do 

 when empty or fully under way. 



I have often laid down flat on my 

 back on some elevated spot, to watch 

 the flight of passing bees, and, by shad- 

 ing my eyes by placing a hand on either 

 side of the face and looking steadily up 

 for a little while, until the eyes became 

 accustomed to the strong light, the bees 

 became plainly seen against the sky, 

 while the rapidity of flight appeared to 

 equal that of our fastest passenger 

 trains. In this way some idea may be 

 formed of the flight of bees, which would 

 hardly be thought while looking at them 

 near the apiary. 



If bees did not go over 13>^ miles for 

 honey, I think that 100 colonies would 

 overstock most localities. 



In conclusion, I would say that if the 

 proper attention is paid to securing the 

 maximum number of bees in the begin- 

 ning of the main honey-flow, so that 

 multitudes of contented laborers will be 

 on the stage of action at just the right 

 time, there will be less cry about over- 

 stocking and poor seasons than there 

 has been in the past. Secure the bees 

 just when the crop is to be harvested, 

 and they will secure the honey, if any is 

 secreted within four miles of you. 



Borodino, N. Y. 



Wintering: Under Oroiind — Fast- 

 ening; Comb Starters. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY C. E. MEAD. 



Does this solve the " winter problem ?" 

 On page 47, of Vol. XXX, Mr. L. J. 

 Clark, of Wiscoy, Minn., reports taking 

 a colony of bees from a burr-oak root, 

 on the west side of a hill. The bees 

 were ttvo feet under ground, and in re- 

 markably good condition. 



Could anything have been more favor- 

 able to good wintering ? They were 

 above the freezing point at all times, 

 therefore they could breed, and not con- 

 sume much honey. Mice would And 

 them at home ! They could Qy when 

 the weather would permit. They had 

 all the advantages of cellar and out-door 

 wintering, and none of the disadvan- 

 tages. 



Why not bury bees in a side-hill, with 

 a spout the width of the hive, and %- 

 inch high, reaching from the hive to the 

 open air, and have the same conditions? 

 The hole for the hive could be bricked 

 up, and made permanent for many win- 

 ters. 



HOW TO FASTEN COMB STARTERS. 



My way of fastening comb starters 

 into sections is as follows : 



Take an earthen dish as tall as it is 

 wide ; fill it two-thirds full of boiling- 

 water ; place over an oil-lamp; and put 

 in some nice, clean beeswax. Now, keep 

 it just at the melting prnnt of beeswax. 

 (If too hot, it cuts away the comb, and 

 enough of the wax does not adhere to 

 the comb to stick it firmly to the sec- 

 tions.) 



Now have the white starter combs 

 warm enough so you can cut them into 

 the right sized pieces, and not have 

 them break into small bits, as they will 

 do if too cold. Having the starters in a 

 pan handy, turn the sections top down- 

 ward, and touch the comb to the melted 

 wax, and quickly place it in the section. 

 Have the septum in the center of the 

 section. 



I think this plan beats Doolittle's hot- 

 iron. Try it and see. I never have 

 tried fastening foundation in this way. 



Chicago, Ills. 



i^ » ' 



Importance of Keeping Records 

 of Queens. 



Writteii for the American Bee Journal 

 BY S. E. MILLER. 



How many bee-keepers and queen- 

 breeders keep a record of the ages and 

 methods of rearing their queens ? If we 

 keep no record, how are we to know 

 what methods give us the best results ? 



Here we find a queen has suddenly 

 failed, has been superseded, or here is 

 one whose colony has died in the winter; 

 if we have no life history of her, how 

 are we to know to what we shall attri- 

 bute the cause ? We know she is dead, 

 but how old was she? By what method 

 was she reared ? and has she given good 

 service for the full time alloted to a 

 queen ? Surely, with 50 to 100 colo- 

 nies, you cannot keep this all in your 

 mind ! 



Again, if we know nothing of her 

 history, how are we to know whether to 

 continue rearing queens by the same 

 method, and from the same strain ? 

 When we know that so much depends 

 upon the queen, we should endeavor in 



