THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



queens, increase the number of ouv stocks 

 artificially, and we feel like addinir, how 

 to winter successfully, and with certainty 

 also, but wc should feel lost to attempt any 

 of these without the extractor, most esi)e- 

 ciall}' the latter. Before the advent of 

 the extractor, even with movable con\bs, 

 the progress in the interior of the hive was 

 mostly g-uesswork, and only viewed at 

 rare i'ntei'vals and with the feeling that it 

 Avas an intrusion. 



Now we watch the progress of honey 

 storing and comb building, even to seeing 

 every comb that is built and whether it 

 be worker comb, strait, etc. ; our queens ■ 

 are seen, their fertility noted, progress of 

 i)rood rearing, amount of pollen on hand, 

 what becomes of it, etc. Swarming is 

 ki'pt under almost entirely by its use, and 

 the disorderly work that follows almost 

 always where natural swarming is allowed, 

 is avoided. 



Last and not least, without the use of 

 the extractor we should be almost power- 

 less to avert the consequences of Bee Mal- 

 ady in wintering. By removing natural 

 .■stores entirely, and suppljang them with 

 food of knoivn and invariable quality, we 

 are no farther depending on the chance 

 that may perhaps have provided whole- 

 some food for Winter. 



For The American Bee Journal. 



How to Feed and Winter Bees. 



Messrs. Editors : In response to many 

 inquiries in regard to keeping and winter- 

 ing bees, please give the following an in- 

 sertion in the American Bee Journal if 

 found worthy. 



To each quart of sugar add one pint of 

 hut water, heat to the boiling point and 

 skim ; or to every three pounds of sugar 

 add two pounds of hot water, stir, heat, 

 and skim as before directed. As soon as 

 cool enough it is readj" for the bees. 



For feeding in the Spring, Summer or 

 early in the Fall, a common grade of good 

 sugar does very well ; but for late Fall or 

 Winter feeding, use, the most refined 

 grades. Feeding for Winter should be 

 done during warm weather, soon after the 

 tirst killing frosts and as fast as the bees 

 can store away the syi-up, and until the 

 brood combs have been well filled. Mo- 

 lasses, sorghum, or the poorest grade of 



sugar should never be used. Good sugar 

 is the cheapest, and is also health}' for the 

 hees. Honey from other hives often proves 

 fatal to them while confined to their hives. 

 When bees are fed late in the Fall, or dur- 

 ing continued cold weather, place their 

 hive at an o])en window in a room kept 

 constantly warm, Avhere the bees can 

 crawl back into the hive after flying. 

 Kci^p the room warm until they have 

 stored, evaporated^ and sealed over enough 

 syrup to last them until Spring. With 

 the Universal Hive, as patented Aug. 26, 

 1873, I accomplish the same thing with- 

 out letting the bees out, by placing a 

 screen in front of the hive, securing a 

 space for the bees to fly in. A frame of 

 empty comb filled with syrup, poured in- 

 to the cells from a suitable hight, may al- 

 so be placed between the screen and the 

 end of the hive, which, being exposed to 

 the light and the open air, will cause the 

 bees to remove the syrup to the interior. 

 By this means the bees may be kept in a 

 parlour, or an}' other suitable, warm room 

 while being fed, and at any season of the 

 year. When feeding bees in the Spring, 

 or any other time, care should be taken 

 not to give them much more syrup than 

 they will consume in preparing food for 

 the young. 



In judicious feeding lies one of the great 

 secrets of success. Plenty of flour also 

 should be given to the bees as early and 

 late in the Spring as they will use it. It 

 may be protected from robber bees by 

 means of the screen arranged as already 

 pointed out. In the sunshine is the most 

 favorable place for the flour, which may 

 also be made of different kinds of grain. 



A cool, still, dry, and perfectly dark place, 

 with thorough ventilation to the hive, is the 

 most favorable place and condition in which 

 to winter bees. They should be kept as 

 quiet and free from disturbance as possi- 

 ble. To prevent the accumulation and 

 retention of dampness or water, the hive 

 must be well ventilated, and should also be 

 so arranged and protected that the bees 

 can economize their animal heat to the 

 best advantage. Proper conditions will 

 ever secure success in wintering bees. The 

 required conditions may be enumerated as 

 follows : 1st. A productive queen, with 

 bees enough to rear brood. 2d. Suitable 

 combs stored with wholesome food. 3d. 

 A pure atmosphere of a suitable tempera- 



