THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



173 



®oxa*e5^Jcrndence* 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Chips from Sweet Home. 



It has been some time since you have 

 received any cliips from us, but our onlj' 

 excuse is " I've been very busy." Last 

 fall I put in my cellar 100 hives and had 

 55 to start with this spring. I have now 

 increased to 85 — July 1. 



When we had black bees, we seldom or 

 never found two queens, (or better say 

 Mother bees) in one hive; but since we 

 have introduced the Italians it is quite 

 a common occurrence to find the Mother 

 and iier unfertile daughter and occasion- 

 ally two fertile Mother bees occupying 

 one hive. We make good use of such ex- 

 tra Mothers by dividing. 



Our Observation Hive is doing finely 

 in the sittiug room, — the bees passing to 

 and from by an entrance through the 

 wall. I wish no inquiries by mail how 

 to make; will therefore here give a few 

 general directions. 



The size and shape will depend upon 

 the frame 3'ou use. ]\Iake the bottom 

 piece enough longer than the frame, so as 

 to pass through the wall, and in this bore 

 an entrance hole; have two upright piec- 

 es and nail them to the bottom piece, on 

 the sides of the top ends nail two strips, 

 rabbet out these pieces on both sides tor 

 glass to fit in, so that the glass will be 1^ 

 inches apart; also have % inches space 

 at bottom, sides and top of frame. Mor- 

 tise a place in each upright for the pro- 

 jecting ends of frames, lay a piece on the 

 top so as to fit on the glass and end- 

 pieces. It is best to bore a hole in the 

 top piece, for feeding, etc. If we wish to 

 observe the rearing of Mother cells we 

 would put in a comb of brood in all sta- 

 ges, with all the adhering bees; then the 

 rearing of queens may be seen, and if 

 two or more should cut out at or near the 

 same time, a royal combat may be seen — 

 otherwise the first queen will destroy the 

 others by cutting an opening in their 

 sides and then sting them. 



In mine I have seen all the operations 

 of the once mysterious hive except 

 swarming, and now I have a laying 

 Mother in it, and they are getting very 

 crowded and soon I expect to see the 

 above. It is well to keep it darkened the 

 first two or three days, and covered when 

 cool. 



Up to date we have had a very cold 

 spring, except about 20 days, and during 

 this warm weather there has Ijeeu consid- 

 erable rain. Bees liave only stored 

 enough for brood raising, but we have 

 white clover still in bloom, basswood, 15 

 acres of buckwheat, and our full range, 

 (Mississippi bottom) still to come. 



To those buying Honey Slingers, I 

 would say buy none but stationary cans, 

 and have as little revolve as possible. 



No amount of freezing will destroy the 

 moth eggs, as we have frequently tested. 



I have been using for years two sizes 

 of Frames — tlie Thomas ' 12x15 and the 

 Laugstrotii HUv l'>K' '^'"^ ^"'l since hav- 

 ing many combs to save from the moth 

 that the former is destroyed the worst by 

 worms. 



I got a Universal Feeder made, 2 feet 

 deep and 18 inches in diameter. It is 

 made of heavy tin and copper bottomed; 

 the top is perforated with small holes, 15 

 to the inch or 225 to the square inch. I 

 find the holes are too large or too many, 

 but hj covering the inside with muslin it 

 answers the purpose well for a stimulat- 

 ing feeder; i. e., I feed about J^ pound to 

 each hive per day, when they are not 

 gathering honey. I also use this can for 

 melting beeswax as well as boiling the 

 sugar I make into syrup for feeding. 

 When I feed the bees I invert it over a 

 washtub, so that if it leaks any it may be 

 saved. I find it is the most economical 

 feeder in time and feed, and prevents rob- 

 bing; but a feeder for each hive tends 

 to it. 



It will be remembered by the readers of 

 this journal that I made Dadant efe Son a 

 visit last season and spent 4 days in their 

 apiary. Since then I have received sev- 

 eral letters asking me about their honesty 

 and reliability. I would say here for all, 

 that I saw them putting up bees to send 

 off, always being particular to see if they 

 would fill the bill. Of their imported, as 

 well as their home-raised Queens they 

 keep a register on a small black-board at- 

 tached to each hive. They cannot give 

 all best Queens, or all crowded stocks. 

 Those wishing an extra Queen or a full 

 hive luay depend upon getting such by 

 enclosing an extra dollar. I have nad 

 Queens from them and find them to be 

 pure, prolific, and of quiet dispositions. 

 One I now have and am breeding from I 

 think is as good a Mother as I ever had. 

 The Queens I have raised from her are 

 dark, such being the color of most of my 

 best Queens. I have had a few light 

 golden colored that were good; but gen- 

 erally the dark leather colored have given 

 me the best satisfaction. 



After over a year's trial we feel proud 

 of our slates, some of which stood out on 

 the hives all winter, and this spring the 

 writing was very legible. They are made 

 by cutting common school slates in piec- 

 es of 2}4^3 inches and by boring a hole 

 in the middle of one end ; they are hungon 

 the right hand side of the hive (facing it). 

 In the right hand upper corner I put the 

 year of Queen's birth, so that her age is 

 readily told; in the left hand upper cor- 

 ner I put H. Q. (Hybrid Queen), or I. Q 

 (Italian Queen), as the case may be ; then 



