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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Winter Shelter for Bees. 



Ed. Journal:— Although I have bought 

 six different works of you on "the manage- 

 ment of bees," and have read them all, 

 thoroughly, and have been taking and read- 

 ing the JouRNAi>, yet I have never kept 

 any bees. The bee business seems to be 

 quite an uncertain business, judging from 

 tne reports made through your Journal, 

 but 1 think it is mostly made so from mis- 

 management of tliose engaged in it, especi- 

 ally in the wintering of tlie little "bugs." 



Now, I have an inquiry to make of you 

 and the readers of the Journal, which if 

 you think worth it, you will please insert. 

 Will it not pay to make about as much of 

 an outlay for sheltering and housing a 

 swarm or colony of bees, as it would for 

 sheltering and housing a cow? Is not the 

 net profit on a colony of bees about as much 

 as it is on a cow? If so, why not make as 

 much of an outlay and thereby save the 

 bees? 



What consistency would there be in raising 

 a calf to a cow and then keeping it in the 

 winter in a condition that would cause it to 

 die from the effects of cold? 



Why would not a box quiltj 4 or 5 inches 

 thick, placed over the hive, with proper ar- 

 rangements for ventilation, and over the 

 whole place a sheet-iron hive or case, well 

 painted, and let the colony stand on the 

 summer stand, be as good an outlay for 

 wintering as could be desired? The sheet- 

 iron case would keep all dry within, and 

 could conveniently be taken off any time 

 when it becomes necessary to examine the 

 bees. O. J. Vincent, M. D. 



Noble Co., Ind., June 29, 1876. 



[We have read over again for the third 

 time the statement that so many works on 

 bees have been read by a man who has 

 never kept any bees. We are sure the Doc- 

 tor's interest would be highly increased if 

 he should have one or more colonies to 

 manipulate, and he could then test for him- 

 self the plan he proposes. We are not sui-e 

 about his plan, but are open to suggestions 

 on the whole subject of wintering. We 

 think the question is yet an open one with 

 the majority of bee-keepers.— Ed. J 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Extracted vs. Comb Honey. 



Yes, friend Heddon, I hear the noise; but 

 you forget that you acknowledged to me 

 only last season that you would contract 

 your extracted for 10 cents, to be taken at 

 your door, pay for packages, etc. Be care- 

 tul and remember you live near Kalamazoo, 

 and there is an asylum there. The farmer 

 pays $3.50 per day for harvest help and sells 

 his wheat for one dollar per bushel. There 

 is a false price put on everything in the 

 mercantile line in these days; and it costs 

 us almost one cent per pound to produce 

 extracted honey, and I can produce ten 



Eounds of extracted to your one of comb 

 oney. Dare you try ine? If so, make your 

 offer and I am your man. Yours in swarm- 

 ing time, Hiram lioop. 

 Carson City, Mich., July 5, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Comb-Building. 



Editor Bee Jorrnal:— I cannot for- 

 bear giving you for print what it pleased 

 me so much to see. I have long felt much 

 curiosity to see just how the bees build 

 comb, and for the purpose of watching 

 them, have a small glass hive. Last Sab- 

 bath, taking a newspaper and my footstool, 

 (not wicked, was it?) I went to sit with the 

 bees awhile. I had left the comb rather 

 near one of the glass sides and they had 

 commenced building comb on the glass, 

 thus working with the underside of the 

 body toward me. One bee first attracted 

 my attention by some queer contortions of 

 the body, and a tumble oackward among a 

 cluster of some half dozen just below where 

 the new comb was being started; when he 

 again found his feet he had a wax scale be- 

 tween his mandibles. Now, I thought, per- 

 haps here is an opportunity of seeing what 

 I have thought so much about. The scale 

 was held upright between the mandibles 

 and lapped against the inside of the cell on 

 which the bee was working. The scale 

 was not left whole, but after being fastened 

 at the lower side, a part was broken from 

 the top and carried to the other side of the 

 cell. When this had been disposed of, he 

 commenced rubbing the side of his body 

 with the hind leg, at the same time curving 

 the body toward the side rubbed as if to 

 loosen the scale. One could not help laugh- 

 ing to see the quick, funny way in which 

 this little fellow carried the scale fi'om body 

 to mouth. I suppose the hairs or bristles 

 near the pollen basket, or perhaps the little 

 claw-like appendages are stiff enough to 

 catch into the scale thus holding it until 

 placed in the mandibles. I have often ques- 

 tioned how the scale was taken from the 

 body, supposing it was done by other bees, 

 and to see this gave me much pleasure. 



All bee-keepers must have noticed the 

 way in which bees hang clustered, almost 

 motionless, when building comb. Now, are 

 the scales passed upward from one to the 

 other to those building at the top, or do the 

 bees change place, each taking care of the 

 scales produced on his own body? M. 



Medina, Ohio. 



[Here is a very interesting question and 

 we hope "M." will continue her investiga- 

 tions in the same direction. We had always 

 supposed (though this was from reading 

 and not from observation) that bees were 

 neighborly in this wax business, the bee se- 

 creting the wax allowing others to help 

 themselves, but "M's" observations point to 

 a different conclusion. Another (juestion 

 in this connection: Why is it that so many 

 scales are wasted and found lying on the 

 bottom board, or thrown out of the entrance 

 when bees are busy building comb? If the 

 bees took these scales from one another 

 why should they not pick them up from the 

 bottom board? But if each one uses the 

 scales directly from its own body then we 

 should not so much expect them to pick up 

 those that are dropped. We shall be glad 

 to hear further from "M."— Ed.] 



