THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



If there had been bad weather for a few 

 days previous to the occurance, it is possible 

 that the swarm had been kept back so that 

 a young queen hatched the same day the old 

 queen left with the swarm. 



This second solution is, however, not as 

 probable as the first. Either may be the 

 true one, however, without conflicting with 

 the teachings of any practical bee-keeper. 



Do you think my bees, prepared as you 

 have advised for wintering, need water to- 

 wards spring ? I have left the caps on, 

 with quilts under them over the frames. 

 Have thev sufficient ventilation ? 



Blair, Pa., F. M. G. 



They need no water. Do not disturb them 

 in any way until you set them out in the 

 spring. 



As to ventilation, we have always left off 

 the caps from the hives. Others report good 

 results, who have left them on, j ust as you 

 described. We are inclined to think that 

 when the quilts are on, they need less venti- 

 lation than we supposed formerly. 



We saw a hive last spring on the top of 

 which (the quilt being on) another hive had 

 been set, and remained so all winter, cutting 

 off entirely any upward ventilation. We 

 thought it would be ruined, but it was to 

 our surprise in good order ; bees lively, and 

 combs free from mould, with some brood 

 in thom. The quilt, however, was as wet as 

 if it had been wrung out of water. Our in- 

 ference is that, it would have been better, 

 had the cap been on that hive. In that case 

 the quilt would have been dry ; but it shows 

 also that there is air enough in a cap for all 

 premises. 



Mrs. Tupper :— I am indebted to you for 

 the information I have, and shall give ; for 

 if I get my bees safely through the winter, 

 it will be entirely due to the advice I have 

 received from your writings. All I see 

 from your pen seems to be to the point. Too 

 many connect their advice with the adver- 

 tisement of a patent hive, or something else, 

 and it sounds too much like the old Deacon 

 who said "he knew there was a reality in re- 

 ligion as well as he knew he had flour to 

 sell at four dollars and a half a barrel." In 

 describing my bees, I forgot to mention one 

 thing which I am not certain about, and that 

 is, I nave stopped the entrance nearly up — 

 so close that a bee cannot get out witfi a 

 view to stop a draft of air. The theory 

 which I have adopted, after reading your ar- 

 ticles in the Bee Journals, is, that there 

 should be upward ventilation to let the 

 moisture escape, but if it is left open below 

 the heat of the bees will cause the air to as- 

 cend, and cold air rush in below, and in or- 

 der to keep up the necessary heat, will make 

 an increased consumption of honey. 



O. B. BUKROAVS. 



Close the entrance except a passage for a 

 bee or two at a time, just so they know they 

 can get out, if they wish. Then with the 

 quilts on there will be no draught. 



Our great want here is a plant that will 

 produce honey from the 1st to the middle of 

 June. For two seasons now I have had to 

 feed in June. It looks to me like the wrong 

 time of year to have to feed strong stocks. 



Riverton, Iowa. Ed. Wellington. 



While we lived in Washington county, we 

 always sowed buckwheat as soon as possible 

 in the spring. It would bloom in time to 

 just fill in that time of scarcity which is a 

 trouble in many parts of the West. Some 

 years it is true, there seemed little honey in 

 it ; other seasons, it was very valuable. 



We are told that rape and rapp may be 

 made to bloom early in June. We liave 

 not tried it. Will some suggest a plant that 

 blooms at that season. 



If bees are not gathering honey from 1st 

 to 15th of June, it "pays" to feed them then, 

 above all other times. You will then have 

 them in good condition for the best honey 

 yield, which comes late in June, lasting un- 

 til the middle of July. 



Is there any way to evaporate honey that 

 has been extracted before capping ? 



1 have heard of setting it near a fire, 

 where it will keep warm, in a wide mouthed 

 can or jar with netting tied over it, but this 

 seems a very slow way. 



I have heard, also, of evaporating in shal- 

 low pans in the oven ; but when we have 

 one or two thousand lbs. to evaporate, this 

 method is impracticable, it is said, also, that 

 •heat destroys its flavor. Is this correct ? 

 How would it do to put it in a large but shal- 

 low kettle, and heat it up almost to the boil- 

 ing point, and let it stand there for liow 



long ? 



There would be some danger of burning it, 

 I suppose. Here in Texas the time saved 

 in uncapping is a great desideratum ; we 

 have no expert cappers here ; ank a good 

 hand opening can keep two of our best 

 hands capping. B. H. Ives. 



We have no experience in the matter and 

 cannot think it pays to take honey from the 

 hives until at least, it is ready to be sealed 

 over. Others may know more about it than 

 we do, and to them we will leave this cor- 

 respondent. 



Cincinnati Industrial Exposition. 



Cincinnati, Sept. 29. 1874. 

 To the Board of Commissiomrs : — 



(Jentlkmen, Being ai)p()inted jurors in 

 Dei)artment B, Class 21, we have examined 

 the different entries for competition, and re- 

 port as follows : 



Best Apiary of not less than 50 hives. Sil- 

 ver medal. J. S. Hill, of Mt. Healthy, Ham- 

 ilton Co., O. 



Best Apiary of not less than 10 hives. 

 Bronze nicdal. Jos. A. Savage, Ludlow, Ky. 



Best Honey Extractor. Bronze medal. 

 Henry AV. Stephenson, Cincinnati, O., 



Bi'st Disjilay of Honey in Comb. JRronze 

 medal. James H. Anderson, Hillsboi-o, O. 



Best Display of Extracted Honey. Bronze 

 m.cdal. Clias. T. Mutli, Cincinnati, O. 



Howell Gang. ^Ji-uorb. 



