THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



245 



Allen Co., O.. Aug. Ki, 1876 — "My bees 

 have done well this siunnier so far, and are 

 yet getting sufficient to keep them working 

 in boxes, and are swarming some." 



J. E. Richie. 



Barren Co., Ky., Aug. 17, 187(5.—" This 

 was the finest sumac harvest 1 ever saw, 

 but it rained every day for three weeks and 

 ruined its honey-producing qualities. Bee- 

 culture is greatly on the increase here." 

 I. N. Greek. 



Chicago, Aug. is, 1S7G.— "Ed. A. B. J.— In 

 answer to numerous letters of enquiry, and 

 for the general information of bee-keepers, 

 I will say tliat of all methods tried by me to 

 fasten comb foundation in frames, 1 prefer 

 to do so with wax. I take a board % i»ch 

 thick, the size of inside of frame, and fasten 

 it in flush witii one side of frame, and then 

 put the foundation in the frame laying on 

 this board, fitting the underside of top bar 

 and about }^ inch from either end piece, 

 and' say 3-^ or % inch from the bottom bar. 

 Pure bees wax will stretch but a trifle; that 

 mixed with parafline stretched so as to be 

 worthless in every experiment I have tried. 

 I would not advise heavy swarms to be put 

 into hives filled only with foundation, as 

 this weight might pull down even pure bees 

 wax, but know that if alternate combs and 

 foundation be put in, even for the strongest 

 swarms, they will stand, as the bulk of the 

 bees will go on the combs first and a few 

 bees will first fasten the foundation more 

 securely, and then more bees go to work in 

 extending out the cells. I would advise 

 taking out outside frames which are gener- 

 ally filled with honey and making room for 

 •I or 3 frames with foundation in the middle 

 alternately, as before mentioned, in tlie 

 midst of the fullest brood frames. I have 

 had about 13.5 thus built this season. Most 

 queens prefer new comb to lay in but I had 

 one that seemed to prefer old comb. 1 have 

 r.i stocks in ten 7x18 inch frame hives, near 

 the city limits; increased from 10; but lit- 

 tle surplus. I hope we will have a full and 

 candid expression from all who have used 

 foundation. C. O. Perrine. 



Palo, Mich., Aug. 14, 1876.— "I have dis- 

 covered that wlien cold, freezing weather 

 comes on in October tliat the queens not 

 only stop laying, but that the majority of 

 the brood and eggs in tiie cells are destroy- 

 ed by the workers. This to me looked like 

 a considerable loss of bees, especially when 

 I was anxious to increase my colonies as 

 fast as possible. 1 concluded that a colony 

 without a queen would not be likely to des- 

 troy their brood and that it would be much 

 better to have them hatch and use them to 

 make new colonies than to have them lost. 

 In doing this it is necessary to rear (pieens 

 tor them early eiiougli that they may be- 

 come impregiKitcd while the weather is 

 warm and drones are i)lenty. For this pur- 

 pose 1 rear a lot of (jueens in August and 

 keep them in a hive containing a small 

 nucleus colony until they are needed. 

 When cold weatiier and liard frosts come on 

 in October I place an empty hive by each 

 of my nucleus colonies until I have hives 

 enough to make new colonies of the brood 

 that would otherwise be lost. I then pro- 

 ceed to overhaul my colonies and select all 

 the good combs of brood and place them 

 together with adhering bees in the empty 

 hives and put in then- place other combs 



containing honey. Care mustlbe taken not 

 to take the «iueens along and not to allow 

 them to rear (pieens, as they would not be 

 likely to become impregnated and would 

 make trouble to hunt them out l)efore intro- 

 ducing a fertile queen. The combs from 

 various hives may be mixed up together in 

 one hive and there will be no trouble about 

 the workers lighling as they are all in a 

 strange jilact' and stiange to each other; 

 each one seems to In- liai)py that she is ad- 

 mitted in peace. I now let them remain 

 quietly about three weeks when the (pieens 

 in the nuclei may be introduced to them, 

 and the nucleus colonies united with them 

 and if, as some assert, your workers are tlie 

 best to winter, they are in the best possible 

 condition to go into winter ([uarters. The 

 advantage in building them up close by the 

 side of the nucleus colonies is tliat they can 

 be united with them, and the hive they are 

 united to placed midway between where 

 the two sat, and they are right at home and 

 none need be lost." JS. K. Marsh. 



We would advise none but those of much 

 experience to attempt this late work, lest 

 mischief be done to the depleted colonies. 

 Our own observation hardly coincides with 

 that of Mr. Marsh, as the eggs thus taken 

 from the parent hive at any season are al- 

 most invariably destroyed soon after being 

 taken away.— Ed. 



Brown Co., Wis., Aug. 15, 1876.— "I have 

 lately commenced raising bees. Had some 

 practice several years ago with the old 

 fashioned box hives, but had poor luck. 

 Am now using the Langstroth with Hart's 

 ! patent, with good satisfaction. The latter 

 I I think to be a great improvement and by 

 I far the most preferable. I intend to make 

 i this my principal business now and desire 

 j to acquire all the knowledge I can in the 

 I business. The climate being severe here in 

 winter I desire to know the best plan for a 

 store house for bees in winter. I have a 

 plan of my own, but may be defective there- 

 fore I want the studied plans of others of 

 more experience in the business. This 

 being near the right time to begin prepara- 

 tions for building their store houses for 

 winter, will you please furnish through 

 the columns of the Journal the desired in- 

 formation? Chas. K. Clough. 



[A full answer to this inquiry would oc- 

 cupy several pages and then might not be 

 perfectly satisfactory. A review of back 

 numbers of the Journal will show that 

 there is a great diversity of opinion about 

 the matter of wintering bees. Some advo- 

 cate letting them remain on their summer 

 stands, with or without protection; others 

 keep them in cellars or in buildings above 

 the ground, etc. Among the main points to 

 be observed in providing any winter de- 

 pository are these: to keep out the light, to 

 preserve an even temperature always above 

 freezing, avoiding sudden changes, and to 

 keep the air pure. If you have been a care- 

 ful observer and reader, your plan will 

 probably suit your own special wants as 

 well as any other.— Ed.] 



