124 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Wintering Bees. 



I read with much interest the report of 

 the Michigan Bee-keepers' Association. 

 That noble band of brothers Is still ahead 

 of all other associations in the country. 

 But as usual, their great burden is the 

 wintering. I have always wintered my 

 bees with entire success, in all sorts of 

 winters, both cold and mild. Tlie present 

 winter has to this date been one of the 

 mildest I ever saw. My bees are all right 

 to-day — had a fine fly and cleansing out. 

 Whetiier I could winter my bees witli suc- 

 cess in Michigan, I will not pretend to 

 say ; though I see from back numbers of 

 the Journal that a few have wintered 

 their bees on tlieir summer stands, in that 

 State, with entire success. I believe in 

 very little upward ventilation. The best 

 plan I have ever found yet, is to remove 

 the honey board and spread warm quilts 

 over, after laying a few splints across the 

 frames. If I were to winter say 20 stands 

 in Michigan, I would do it on summer 

 stands, as follows: 1st, I would by means 

 of buildings or board fences, etc., break 

 the force of the fierce winds on three sides 

 east, north and west; 2d, I would in Oc- 

 tober overhaul them all, cut winter pass- 

 ages, and if over SOfts of honey, in a hive 

 not less than 2,000 or over 2,500 cubic 

 inches, I would remove one frame and 

 place the others at equal distance in the 

 hive and see that there is plenty empty 

 cells about the brood nest. But should 

 there be only about 25 lbs, I would leave 

 all the frames in; 8d, I would lay three or 

 four half inch splits across the frames, 

 then spread a piece of blanket or woolen 

 cloth over, large enough for the ends to 

 project about an inch, so as to be held 

 firmly down by the cover or cap, tlien 

 stuff the cap with soft hay or straw and 

 put it on. This makes a splendid ab- 

 sorbent of moisture, without a draught of 

 air; 4th, I would have the bottom of the 

 hive at least eight inches from the ground, 

 and if the hive stood on legs, would place 

 straw under it. Tlie rear end of the hive 

 should be raised about three inches higher 

 than the front, so as to enable the bees to 

 clear out dead bees on all warm days, and 

 to carry off water. The hives should be 

 well sheltered and kept perfectly dry, and 

 if convenient, facing the south. Tlie en- 

 trance should be regulated with the 

 changes of the weather. I would not 

 only regulate it to lialf an inch in the 

 coldest spells, but would put a loose piece 

 of wool in so as to prevent the cold 

 draught. The bees would get plenty of 

 fresh air through the loose wool. 



If bees cannot be wintered safely on 

 the above plan in the cold North, would 

 it not pay to bring them South? lam 

 glad to see by the same report that friend 



T. F. Bingham is now in the South with 

 his bees, making the experiment. He 

 will give us a good report in time. I 

 would here make one suggestion to him: 

 Had he not better keep them here until 

 the white clover season is over, extract all 

 the honey, put up for shipment as he ex- 

 tracts, and take them North in time for 

 the linden bloom? 



I have thought of going North with a 

 car load of bees about the 15th of June, 

 when the honey season here begins to fail, 

 and return with them in October. I 

 could start just after the last extracting 

 with empty combs that would ship safe. 

 But I would have to return with the hives 

 full of winter stores, or feed on sugar 

 syrup for winter. I do not know how this 

 plan would work. I would risk it any- 

 how, were it not for the discouraging 

 price of honey, especially extracted, by the 

 barrel. I am not inclined to run for honey 

 at that low price. If it is asked why 

 move my bees so far, I answer there is no 

 such linden and poplar wood here in 

 Kentucky that can be reached by a rail- 

 road yet. Nothing but awfully bad 

 mountain roads. The reckless Kentucky 

 farmers have felled nearly all the linden 

 and poplar in the blue grass regions, as if 

 their life depended upon it. 



I will close by asking the Northern bee- 

 men's opinion of the plan I have in view, 

 of moving bees by rail, so far as Michi- 

 gan, twice in a season. R. M. Argo. 



Lowell, Ky., Jan. 18, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee-Keeping, No. 1. 



Mr. Editor: — Having been a constant 

 reader of your valuable Journal, almost 

 from from its beginning, without having 

 contributed anything to its columns, I 

 will endeavor, in the future, to contribute 

 a few items, from time to time, upon bee- 

 keeping. I am not doing it for notoriety, 

 but merely to exchange notes and observa- 

 tions with my bee-keeping brethren. I am 

 not one of the old ones: I belong to that 

 class called " small fishes," in bee-keep- 

 ing. For comparison, — a tadpole among 

 whales. Nevertheless, perhaps a few sug- 

 gestions from the small-fry will greatly 

 assist the older heads in remedying some 

 of the present difficulties attending suc- 

 cessful bee-keeping or management. Tlie 

 greatest difficulty at present is, in winter- 

 ing. I shall state nothing but wliat I be- 

 lieve to be facts, — which iiave come under 

 my own personal observation. 



I read, in your last issue, the discussions 

 at the recent Michigan Bee-keepers' Asso- 

 ciation, upon the subject of wintering, 

 and as they are so very similar to those 

 })receding, and contain so very little 

 good, ))rac'tical information, I think it 

 would be just as well for my bee-keeping 



