268 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Chickasaw Co., Iowa, Sep. 4, 1876.— "I 

 want to sow an acre of mignonnette in tlie 

 spring. How much seed should be sown 

 per acre? Where can it be found, and at 

 what price? 1 sowed some Alsilve clover 2 

 years ago and pronounce it a No. 1 honey 

 plant. Basswood, white clover and buck- 

 wheat are our best sources for honey in this 

 section. Basswood only lasted about five 

 days this year. The hot weather blighted 

 it very bady. I had 14 stands to start with; 

 have increased to 28 strong stands, and 

 taken 900 fts. of honey from them— 200 Sbs. 

 box and 700 lbs. extracted." 



E. J. SCHOFIED. 



[Mignonnette seed can be obtained at this 

 oflflce at .|!1.50 per lb. We do not know the 

 number of pounds per acre, but as the seed 

 is very small, possibly 5 pounds would do. 

 Can any one give the number of pounds per 

 acre?— Ed.] 



Erie Co., N. Y., Sept. 6. 1876.—" Can two 

 small swarms be united for wintering? If 

 so, how can it be done? Both are Italians, 

 old swarms from last year. Both have 

 queens, but they did nothing this year." 

 Chakles Hack. 



[Leave them till the time of putting into 

 winter quarters, then put into one hive the 

 franKJS from each containing the brood and 

 bees. Being in a nearly dormant condition, 

 if the transfer is quietly made they will not 

 quarrel and by spring will have acquired 

 the same scent. Of course one of the 

 queens will be killed.— Ed.] 



Grand Meadow, Minn., Aug. 18, 1876.— 

 Mr. Newman: The comb foundation was 

 received some time ago. Am using it suc- 

 cessfully. I believe it is a benefit even at 

 $1.50 per lb., but hope it may soon be with- 

 iii the reach of all. I send you two flowers 

 that grow on our prairies by millions. Are 

 just coming in bloom now, and my bees are 

 working busily on them. These flowers 

 bloom until frost. Will you please answer 

 telling me their worth. I think they are 

 good, or why should the bees work in al- 

 most endless nimibers upon them. *I call 

 them a spieces of golden rod, by the des- 

 cription of flowers in Quinby. No. 1 grows 

 from 1 foot to IS inches high. No. 2 from 

 18 inches to 2 feet high, and they bloom to- 

 gether. No. 1 lasts a little longer than No. 



Aug. 16, 1 liad a pure Italian swarm of 

 Mr. Ingmundsou and set them among my 

 black swarms, at noon the same day, after 

 moving them by stage and rail 20 miles. At 

 3 p. M. they were working admirably, 

 carrying pollen and honey, and yesterday 

 at 3 p. ji. (17th inst.) I found my Italian 

 workers 23^ miles from home, working on a 

 tall gumweed (I call it) with a flower like a 

 small sunflower, sin)ilar to button ball 

 flowers, only it grows about 4 feet high. I 

 was surprised to find my bees so far from 

 home on the second day, but I know they 

 were miiu^ as there are no Italians but mine 

 within 2.5 miles, or tree large enough for 

 bees inside of 4 miles. I shall endeavor to 

 Italianize the rest of my bees, believing 

 they are far superior to blacks. Have been 

 troubled with worms in my black hives. 

 Mr. Ingunmdson has 76 swarms and is do- 



ing finely. He has extracted over two bar- 

 rels of honey already. To those who say 

 the Italians are so much better natured than 

 the black bees, tell them they have not be- 

 come acquainted with the genuine article 

 yet. C. F. Greening. 



No. 1 is SoUdago Rigida, No. 2 Solidago 

 Nemoralis. These are two of our many 

 species of Golden Eods which are very val- 

 uable as honey plants. Our bees have been 

 gathering from golden-rod since August 10, 

 and very plentifully too. The honey is 

 darker than first quality, but much lighter 

 than buckwheat, and is pronounced by all 

 here as excellent in quality. Our president 

 pronounces it first-class in fiavor. 



I planted a large bed of migonnette the 

 first week in May. From the last week of 

 June till about the second week of August 

 the bees were constantly gathering from it. 

 From the middle of July — after basswood — 

 till Aug. 10th our bees were comparatively 

 idle. Several acres of migonnette would 

 have kept them busy. Our black mustard 

 was sown the second week of May. Com- 

 menced to bloom the middle of July and is 

 not quite gone now. Has been covered 

 with bees. This fills the time of usual 

 dearth. Borage commenced to bloom July 

 1st, and is still in bloom, constantly covered 

 with bees. 



Tell your subscribers to send good flowers, 

 good leaves, and to state height of plant and 

 locality. Just a short flower is not always 

 sufficient for analysis. 



Sept. 13. — The second lot of plants sent 

 by Mr. Greening are species of aster. As 

 there are about a score of species in the U. 

 S. the specific determination would be quite 

 difficult, especially as the flowers would 

 need to be soaked, and then subjected to a 

 most careful and painstaking scrutiny. Still 

 this would not deter me, if it were of any 

 practical impoi'tance to know the exact 

 species. All of the asters are very valuale 

 as honey plants, and so Mr. Greening niaj- 

 rest assured that with favorable weather he 

 will secure great (luantities of that for 

 which the apiarist thirsteth. I speak of 

 weather for true it is that though very wet 

 weather will give much bloom, yet it as ef- 

 fectually cuts off the honey. 



We had a very wet June here, and not 

 enough white clover lioney for a sample. 

 We have had a dry fall, though suflicient 

 early rains to give us plenty of flowers, and 

 I never saw such a rich yield of honey. 

 Why if there is anything in development 

 by use, especially if Lamark's view of evo- 

 lution be correct, that development is pro- 

 moted by desire. Our bees nuist haye 

 honey stomachs that are fairly stupendous, 

 and by the way the honey comes in I verily 



