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THE AMERICAI^ BEE JOURNAL. 



of brood, but fail to work in boxes to any- 

 satisfactory extent. We have one or two 

 »of tlie pure ones, out of quite a number, 

 that have cloHe well; but that is not enough 

 to reclaim the race. We conclude they 

 require black about them, to make good 

 Avorkers in boxes. We have queens so 

 bright and yellow that you cannot discover 

 any difference in color between the hip and 

 "upper part of the abdomen. When they 

 are laying to full capacity they are prolific 

 and very gentle ; their hives are full of 

 brood and bees, but they fail in the most 

 •■essential point, that is working in boxes. 



They will reproduce themselves in queen 

 progeny, as we have bred queens from 

 quite a number. We dislike to kill them, 

 because we have been trying to raise such 

 (•queens for 3 or 3 years, and have killed 

 good hybreds last fall to make place for 

 them. We think they would be just the 

 thing for extracting honey. Would these 

 queens, had they been fertilized by pure 

 black drones, been worth more to us to- 

 ■ day than they are now ? 



The black bees have failed in my im- 

 mediate neighborhood, so I have had no 

 • opiiortunity to try it the past year. 



We believe those gentle ones are the pure 

 Italian, and dark colored ones, that some 

 breeders claim to be so smart, have just a 

 dash of black mixed in ; and if such is the 

 case we can get some black drones and mix 

 them in. J. P. Mookk. 



Binghampton, N. Y. 



We have never given our Italians a 

 chance to show what they could do in 

 boxes until this year, because we do not 

 believe it pays us or any bee-keeper to sell 

 honey in the comb. This season, being 

 sick through the best of the honey harvest, 

 we were obliged (having no one to manage 

 our apiary for us) to put on the boxes and 

 let them do as they would. We certainly 

 have no reason to complain that " Italians 

 will not work in boxes." They have filled 

 many for us. Let us hear from others who 

 ihave tried it. 



Please state whether refuse hops from a 

 ibrewery are injurious to bees. There is a 

 brewery located but i of a mile from my 

 apiary ; and I see many of my bees work- 

 ing on them. What do they get from themV 



E. RiEnSAMEN. 



We do not know what they get, or if it is 

 injurious. Who can tell ? 



A little good cider vinegar, say a tea cup 

 full to a half gallon, will prevent the syrup 

 from graining. We prefer this to cream 

 of tartar which some use. 



Can you tell me what is the method of 

 "hooking together the frames" in the 

 Adair Hive, and how it is done ? I want 

 to try 3 or 4 in my own apiary. If not too 

 much trouble I should be pleased to learn 

 the method. W. Newton. 



The sections and frames in Adair's hive 

 are hooked by means of an ingenious, 

 though simple wire clamp. It is impossible 

 to describe it, but sections and wire, both, 

 can be sent by mail by applying to Adair. 

 See his advertisement. 



Query. How shall I prepare sugar syrup 

 so that it will not grain ? 



A. D. Sewakd. 



I had a long"' confab with a lady, to-day, 

 on the bee question, an idea she advanced 

 made me think her beside herself as far 

 as the knowledge of the bee went, she said 

 when a bee-keeper dies, his or her bees will 

 not prosper but die also ; what do you 

 think of it? A. McMillaij. 



This is a very old superstition, but as 

 foolish as false. Yet we have in this nine- 

 teenth century, in our own house, seen a 

 woman take a candle down into the cellar 

 among the bees, and coming up, inform us 

 that " the bees were all right, she had told 

 them the dear little babe was dead ! They 

 would stay contented now." 



1. Will it be best to house bees during 

 winter here, where the mercury rarely de- 

 scends below zero ? 



3. How do you think it Avould do to 

 cover the hive on its summer stand with 

 hay or straw, so as to keep out the eiiect of 

 warm sunny days ? 



3. How many inches should a hive con- 

 tain, wlien the design is a plain box with 

 upper and lower departments same size V 



4. If Ave hang the sash across the en- 

 trance, Avill it giv^e better ventilation than 

 to hang it lengthwise. D. A. Shelton. 



Logan Co., Ky. 



1 . Bees are housed to advantage even in 

 such a climate as you describe, because it 

 prevents their being excited by Avarm days 

 and the consumption of honey is less. A 

 friend in Kentucky writes: "My bees 

 have been by your advice placed in a frost 

 proof case for three winters and have paid 

 me a hundred fold for the trouble it has 

 cost me." 



3. If you have no frost proof house or 

 cellar they will do well ou their summer 



