THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



211 



"being replaced by u new swarm, until an- 

 otlier season. 



Bloom may be very abundant, Avilhout 

 yielding any honey. It depends on the 

 state of the atmosjihere. If there is honey, 

 the bees will lind it in all cases. 



Dear Enrrou : — I would like to know 

 something more about those small frames 

 that you use in jdace of small honey-boxes, 

 to get comb-honey. 



1. AVhat shape is best to use, in order to 

 get the bees to work in them the soonest ? 



2. How do you make them V 



d. Do you put them iu glass boxes upon 

 sending them to market? 



4. What sized boxes then? 



5. Does not honey improve in flavor the 

 longer it is in the hive above the bees, af- 

 ter it is sealed over V 



6. Does not dark honey cause the bees to 

 build dark combs V 



Mercer Co. Pa. Peter Moyer. 



1. We do not think the bees have any 

 preference for one shape or size over an- 

 other. 



2. We make the frames 6 inches deep by 

 long, as that size is as good as can be for 

 market. 



3. Make them just like the large frames. 



4. We put them iu glass boxes for show 

 sometimes, but it does not pay. 



5. The honey is best when it is removed 

 as soon as sealed over. 



6. Some dark honey is stored iu light 

 comb seemingly made from the same honey, 

 but the honey from Golden Rod is very 

 yellow in color, if bees build any comb to 

 store it in, which is not always the case, as 

 bees are loth to build comb late in the fall. 



1. What is the best manner of wintering 

 surplus queens? 



2. Is box and frame honey sold hj net 

 weight, or is the weight of box or frame 

 charged for same as honey ? 



3. Are hybreds from black queens as 

 good honey gatherers as hybreds from 

 Italian queens ? 



4. Has any one tried the queen nursery 

 with a special entrance away from the 

 main entrance to the hive ? and with what 

 success ? 



5. I am experimenting with a nursery on 

 top of the hive, with special entrances to 

 the queen cages. Has any one tried that 

 plan ? and with what success ? 



W. C. P. 

 1. We have never succeeded well in win- 

 tering surplus queens, not well enough to 



give advice in the matter. All we ever 

 brought through, except in full colonies, 

 cost us more than their value. 



2. We sell it always by gross weight, 

 but to do this the boxes and frames must 

 be made very light. 



3. We think not. 



4 & T). We have not tried any sucli plans. 

 Let those who have, report. 



Will you answer through the Journal 

 these questions. 



1. 1 have two queens that breed drones. 

 That for the first two or three weeks their 

 eyes are bluish white, the color of skim- 

 milk, I never saw the like before, nor have 

 I ever s(;en one word from -writers, on this 

 feature of drones. Their head is often white 

 as "well as the eyes ; now if this is any 

 mark of purity we all ought to know it as 

 soon as possible. 



2. I had a hybred queen ; her progeny 

 were as black as any. I killed' her. They 

 built queen cells. I destroyed all, as I 

 thought, and put in cells from &. pure 

 queen, but I had missed killing all the 

 young queens, so one day I had the morti- 

 fication of seeing a large swarm start and 

 go to the mountains. This was a young 

 queen not fertile. Now tell me will the 

 swarm stay in a tree while she goes out to 

 meet the drones ? this also is a question we 

 all ought to know. William Reynolds. 



Westmorland Co. Pa. 



We have never seen any drones like 

 those described. Should regard it as a 

 freak of nature — instead of a mark of pur- 

 ity or impurity. 



As to the young queen who went with 

 her bees to the woods — she would probably 

 be fertilized before reaching the tree ; if 

 not, the swarm would be affected by her 

 uneasiness and come out when she did, 

 flying round until she was ready to return 

 with them. 



Can bees be taken from Detroit, without 

 honey in the hive and but little combs, and 

 carried south to some good locality in 

 Northern Georgia, Alabama or Mississippi — 

 during the last half of September, and after 

 that gather honey and bee bread sufficient to 

 winter them ? 



Should I carry them on cars — tarvel with 

 them in person — feed them, &c., on route. 

 Please give your opinion and designate 

 some good localities, also give address of 

 any southern bee-keeper, and ask several 

 to write me and send particulars. 



There is no trouble in moving the bees, 

 prepared iu that way, to any point of the 



