274 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



experience with sucli, we tliitik wise men 

 will let them alone." 



BEE-KEEPER8' MAGAZINE. 



Tiie Kev. J. W. Shearer gives an excellent 

 article on Wintering, in which he gives the 

 following remarks on 



Uniting Weak Stocks. 



" It is much better to unite all weak stocks 

 in the fall and keep the extra comb in a good 

 dry place to be given in the spring to build 

 up swarms. Bees do not unite so readily 

 after the honey harvest is over as they do in 

 the summer and during swarming time. A 

 little preparation is necessary. Proceed as 

 follows: Select the two hives to be united 

 and take away from each half the combs 

 leaving those that are the largest and best 

 filled with honey and pollen. If these are 

 lacking one may be taken from some old 

 hive which is able to spare it. These two 

 hives will have just the amount of comb 

 necessary for the new. The next day pro- 

 ceed as follows : Preserve the youngest 

 queen for the united colony. To do this hnd 

 the oldest queen and cage her, to be used 

 should accident befall the other. Then 

 smoke both hives well until they fill them- 

 selves with honey. This serves to give 

 them the same scent. They may then be 

 treated in two ways. First, take the combs 

 with adhering bees and place them alter- 

 nately into the nevk^ hive. Second, shake 

 the bees from all the combs in front of the 

 new hive and let them enter after placing 

 the comb alternately in the hive. 



The latter is perhaps the best plan. Then 

 close up the hive so soon as the bees have 

 entered, giving good ventilation. It will not 

 do to open them at once for many of the old 

 bees would return to their old stands and be 

 lost. To prevent this proceed as follows: 

 Keep the new hive closed until about sun- 

 set. Close it the next morning and open 

 again at suiiset. On the second morning 

 open again and give the hive a few sharp 

 raps. The bees will then take their bearing 

 and return all right to the new hive. It is 

 sometimes a great assistance in uniting, to 

 first sprinkle both hives with sweetened 

 water, into which a few drops of some per- 

 fume has been added." 



Feeding. 



"Where the winter harvest cannot be 

 relied on the bee-master should feed all the 

 stocks which have not a supply, with good 

 sugar syrup made of the consistency of 

 honey. It should be fed as rapidly as pos- 

 sible to prevent the use of it to too great an 

 extent for making wax and raising of brood. 

 It is not well to encourage the layingof eggs 

 after the last of September when winter 

 food should be given. Up to this time they 

 should b(; stinuilated if no iioiK^v is obtained, 

 by regularly feeding a very little syrup at a 

 time so as to have a good supply of young 

 bees for wintering. Tlie syruji should be 

 given about sunset to i)revent fighting, and 

 they will take it much more ra])i(ily esi)eci- 

 ally if Uw evenings are cool if it be given 

 wliilst a little warm. It should be fed in 

 tlic cap or top box of the hive in some good 

 feeder. Periiaps the simjjlestis an inverted 

 frnit can with a i)iece of thin cloth tied over 

 the top. Two or three of thes(\ may be 

 given, a hive at a time. In a very few even- 



ings, if fed properly, they will receive 

 sufficient, a teaspoonful of cream of tartar 

 added to a quart of syrup will assist in pre- 

 serving it from crystalization. It should be 

 first dissolved in a little warm water before 

 pouring into the syrup." 



Wintering out of Dooks. 



" About the first of November, when cold 

 weather seems about to set in, bees should 

 be fully prepared for winter. If wintered 

 in the open air the following are important 

 points to be attended to. Each hive should 

 m some way be prepared against sudden 

 reverses of heat and cold. The entrances 

 should be towards the south or east with 

 good protection on the other sides. A good 

 evergreen hedge will check the force of 

 winds and prevent disturbance. The hives 

 should sit firmly on legs or benches a little 

 way above the ground to prevent the combs 

 from molding'. If large hives are used, 

 division boards on either side closing up to 

 about nine frames of comb will leave an air 

 chamber on each side of the bees. This 

 with a similar protection in front will 

 greatly aid in avoiding sudden changes. It 

 is very important that the front end or 

 entrance should be properly closed. Much 

 the best plan is to have a portico enclosed 

 all around for the aligting board. Into this 

 fix an outer door having at one end a small 

 exit for the bees, so that mice cannot enter, 

 and at the opposite side from the entrance 

 into the hive so that no sunshine will fall in 

 the entrance and tempt the bees out when 

 it is too cold to fly. Some fine day in winter 

 this outer door is removed so that the sun 

 can shine full into the hive when the bees 

 will fly out, void their fajces and return in 

 better condition to their hives which are 

 again to be closed." 



GLEAIVINGS IN BEE-CIILTIRE. 



This season Novice has decided to winter 

 his bees on their summer stands. He says: 



"Our bees are to be wintered on their 

 summer stands; not a bee is to be bothered 

 bj^ being lugged about, and if they die, it 

 will not be of home-sickness. The gi'eater 

 l»art will have only the chafl:' cushions press- 

 ed closely ilowu on the frames; some will 

 have clialf on all four sides, some on tliree 

 sides, and some on only one side. A dozen 

 or more, will be entirely surrounded with 

 chaff, bottom board and all." "Painting bot- 

 tom boards we find to answer quite well for 

 preventing their being covered with wax 

 and propolis. Some that liave been in use 

 two years, are almost as nice and clean as 

 when first given the bees." 



Giving Bees Bits of Comb. 



"We have tried giving bees bits of comb 

 in front of the hives, and find that if the 

 distance is so great they are compelled to 

 take wing, they pack the comb on their 

 pollen baskets; if so near the hive that they 

 can carry it on foot, they bite ott' bits as be- 

 fore, and then stick them together in a 

 lump, holding this lump as it appears to us, 

 under the chin, with the aid of the tongue. 

 With this lump of wax, when the bee has 

 about as much as it can carry, it starts into 

 the hive iinrriedly, and go'es directly to 

 where comb buildiiig is in progress, or may 

 be to where cracks ami crevices are being 



