SlO 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



to fifteen years without re-sowiug, and yields 

 •enormous (luantities of fodder. 



('oncernluu' tlie value of rape as a farm crop, 

 I can sa,\' it is \ery great, often yielding a net 

 inciiuie of .-^:!i i)er acre. The soil however must 

 be rich and well tilled. 



August, Baron vox Berlepsch. 



P'or the American Bee Journal. 



California for Bees. 



Mil. Editor. — -I see in the February num- 

 ber of the Journal an inquiry if this part of 

 the world is good for bees, and in answer 

 would say that I believe it is the best in the 

 "world, both as to quality of honey, quantity 

 and healthiness of bees. In support of my 

 assertion will give my reasons for making 

 ■them. 



In the winter of 1871-3 I bought eight 

 stands of bees in box hives, transferred tliem 

 into the American Iua-c, and in May I divided 

 each hive, making sixteen. I put them on a 

 little place I put up at the foot of the moun- 

 tain, as I was then suffering from a cough, 

 caused from a wound receiveo through the 

 lung at the battle of Shiloli. I thought I 

 would rusticate a few years, if I lived ; but 

 when the warm weather came on I felt so 

 much better, I left the bees and ranch and 

 went to town, leaving my bees in charge of a 

 jieighbor who lived a half mile away, I in- 

 structed him to put on extra boxes, and did 

 not return until the last of Jul)-, when I found 

 them all full. I took out all the honey I 

 could, without disturbing brood nests, and 

 fitted up a lot of extra boxes, and melted out 

 the honey in the sun, as I then had no ex- 

 tractor, and left my bees again in the care of 

 the neighbor, and did not return till the last of 

 November, when I found all full again, and 

 1 went through the same process of pruning, 

 and took the honey to market, and found I 

 had 3,500 lbs. of good white honey, which I 

 sold for 13 and I'S cents per lb. 



I remained on the ranch that winter; and 

 in the spring transferred all my bees to the 

 Langstroth hive, and divided, so that I com- 

 menced the season with thirty-four swarms, 

 and increased to fifty, and by using an ex- 

 tractor and remaining with the bees through 

 the summer and giving them the attention I 

 could, which was but very little on account 

 of ill heilth, I got 7,000 lbs. of extracted 

 lioney of a very superior quality. I got from 

 ■one swarm that came out in May, 403 lbs. of 

 honey in comb, and left it in fall with twenty- 

 two frames full of honey and brood. 



I would like to make arrangements with 

 some firm in the East to ship my honey to in 

 the barrel, and have them bottle it and put it 

 on the market for me. I am satisfied that 

 the poorest honey we have will compare with 

 your best basswood. Honey Avas very dull 

 sale here last 'year. J. \V. Montoomerv. 



San Bernardino, Cal. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Feeding Bees. 



While I thank Mr. Marvin very much for 

 his proffered instruction, allow me to say that 

 our kind reporter made a mistake in report- 

 ing me to have said, "is there a remedy" for 

 irritating bees, while shaking them from 

 deep combs. I have no deep combs, and 

 never expect to have. I would much rather 

 use the Bingham depth of five inches, than 

 fourteen. 



I have all pure Italian bees (thirty-three 

 colonies), and having no blacks to contend 

 with, had thought of propagating queens for 

 the market, but now am determined to pur- 

 chase twenty or forty colonies of black bees 

 for next season's operations, and practically 

 test the superiority of the Italians (if they 

 have any) over the blacks, — all tilings con- 

 sidered. Shall allow no increase from either ; 

 shall keep all in the same yard ; give all equal 

 chances. 



I hold (with Mr. Dadant) that sugar is not 

 honey, until it goes into the honey sack and 

 becomes acidized. Hence bees should not 

 be wintered on sugar poured into the combs, 

 but on sugar Jioney made by feeding in the 

 fall. My experience leads me to say, that 

 all kinds of out-door wintering is good, that 

 will give the bees plenty of oxygenized air 

 of a temperature not lower than thirty-five 

 degrees Falirenhcit. Have not heard of any 

 such, however. 



If Mrs. Harrison will take a two-ciuart fruit 

 jar, and punch about seventy-five holes the 

 size of a pin, through the cover, and then 

 after filling the jar, screw on the cover, and 

 insert through a hole in the honey-board, or 

 cover, she will have a twenty-five cent feeder 

 that will feed as little as she pleases, and will 

 feed in autumn, enough for wintering in 

 seventy-two hours, or three such on a hive, 

 will feed the same in twenty-four hours. 

 You can see at all times, just how liusiness 

 progresses. Have used tlie Grimm feeder 

 with perforated tin, instead of wire, screen. 

 For spring feeding, punch only ten holes. I 

 have only inch holes in my covers, so T make 

 a hole just the size of the jar top, through a 

 board (ixOx^, and place this over the inch 

 hole and insert the jar, which will not blow 

 over, and leave a half inch space between the 

 hive cover, and perforated jar cover. The 

 same may be put over a slot in the honey- 

 board. I used twenty-four such, to feed 

 winter stores to sixteen colonies, the jiast 

 fall. I believe (after much experience) that 

 making hives double wall, is throwing away 

 money." They are not as durable as single 

 wall hives, and in no way any better. Have 

 tried hundreds of each, side by side, and the 

 above is our experience. 



Dowagiac, Mich. ,I.\mes IIkddon. 



