290 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



^maitcii( l^^e ^fouiHtil 



W.F.CLARKE, U^nTTOP^ 



Mrs. E. W. T upper, ^^ditoPvs. 



DECEMBER, 1874. 



CONTENTS. 



Western Bee Plants 2fi9 



Packing Bees for AYinter 270 



This year's Honey Season 270 



Pure Queens working in Boxes 271 



Old Harry's Report 271 



What I have Done 272 



INIy Exj)erience 272 



N. A. B. K. Society Report 273 



What killed Re])logle's Bees 286 



Death of Dr. L. J. Dallas 287 



Toads and Bees 288 



What shall we Report 289 



liength of Flight of Bees 289 



Seasonable Hints 290 



Auxiliary Societies 291 



Premium for Rearing Queens 291 



Close of the Volume 292 



Business Department 203 



.-^ ♦^•-« 



Seasonable Hints. 



This montli is peculiarily tiae season 

 of rest to tlie bees. Whether housed 

 or on summer stands, tliey sliould re- 

 main quiet and be undisturbed. No 

 colony in its normal state lias either 

 brood or eggs in the combs now, and 

 the queen is small and appears to re- 

 ceive little aUention from the bees, 

 even if you stir them up by a light or 

 too great a degree of heat. It is al- 

 ways best to have them in good order 

 before this time and then leave them 

 undisturbed. 



Even if you have colonies in a doubt- 

 ful state no good comes from inter- 

 ference now. Let them take their 

 chances, until a month or two later, 

 and then tho}' may be fed and stimu- 

 lated. (Of course this advice does 

 not apply to those who are wintering 

 over qneens in small boxes or nuclei. 

 If any one are doing this, they no 

 doubt understand how to do it.) 



The question whether it was neces- 

 sary to allow bees a flight in winter 

 "was well discussed at the Pittsburgh 

 meeting. Mr. Benedict described a 

 cover made of wire cloth or musquito 



netting, with which he covered his 

 hives ; and bringing them into a warm 

 room allowed them to fiy within it af- 

 ter which they settled back quietly iu- 

 to the cluster. 



Mr. Zimmerman also stated that he 

 had treated his colonies in a some- 

 what siiiiiiar manner, after they began 

 to be afiected with dysentery, audit 

 was effectual. 



Though we have no doubt of this, 

 our advice still is, to have bees put 

 away in the dark, where they are com- 

 fortable and leave them so. 



If fo*r any reason they have been fed 

 •or unduly disturbed, so that they feed 

 themseles freely, it will no doubt be 

 well to bring them to a place where 

 they can fly and discharge the fcecal 

 matter. But we do not advise be- 

 ginners to trj^ any experimenti, es- 

 pecially in the winter. 



During these long evenings, we may 

 all find time to study our business; 

 see where we have failed in the past 

 and plan for the future. 



There is nothing in which fore- 

 thought and care will pay better than 

 in this. Decide how your hives shall 

 be made, and make them. They will 

 cost you much less now than later. 

 Iiead the Journal and during this 

 holiday season endeavor to procure 

 one new subscriber, if no more, and 

 remit for them Avhile renewing your 

 own subscription. 



We mean to improve it, in all pos- 

 sible ways; but you must bear in 

 mind that we can no more do this 

 without mouev, than the bees can 

 make wax when there is nothing for 

 them to gather. Remember, too, that > 

 our income is all made up of small 

 sums ; just as the bees pile up their 

 great wealth — little by little. 



The article on Bee Prospects, in the last 

 issue, should have been signed S. Porter. 



The extreme length of the Report of the 

 Annual Convention has crowded out our 

 '• Notes and Queries " and *' Voices fi'om 

 among the Hives." They will appear in the 

 January number. 



