288 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



time, and found her imprisoned in a knot of 

 workers. I then rescued her and caged her 

 and returned her to her own hive, and in 

 two or three days I released them hoth the 

 same as introducing a strange queen, and 

 both were received all right. This proved 

 to me beyond a doubt, that the cold weather 

 had the influence on them to takp revenge 

 on something, but why they want to take 

 the life of their queen is more than I can 

 understand, when they seem to realize that 

 their very existence depends on their queen, 

 and will put forth every effort to rear others 

 as soon as one is lost ! 



Some apiarists seem to think that bees 

 destroy their riueens by being in a different 

 part of the hive a considerable length of 

 time, getting a different scent from the other 

 part of the colony, and when they pass over 

 the workers will destroy them: but it is 

 readily seen that this is a mistake, for they 

 will destroy their queens when overhauled 

 in disagreeable weather, when we know by 

 the brood nest that they have been in all 

 parts of the hives every day, for weeks. 



As for virgin queens the case is different. 

 I never yet have had a virgin queen com- 

 mence laying, though I have never tried the 

 the experiment in the fall. I have had them 

 hatch in the sjiring in advance of the drones 

 — or rather before drones were of any use— 

 and nearly every one that was not impreg- 

 nated in a reasonable length of time, was 

 destroyed without disturbance. 



Palo, Mich. S. K. Maksh. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Is Bee-Keeping Unreliable? 



Yes; but not more so than farm products 

 generally. The w^heat crop, for instance, is 

 no more reliable, and when it is a good crop 

 the prices are liable to run down so low that 

 a fair estimate of the use of land, manure, 

 labor, seed, interest, taxes, etc., will equal 

 or exceed the market value of the entire 

 crop through the State. So it is with the 

 corn crop, while an average honey crop in- 

 telligently managed will sell at a fair price, 

 and although the original stock has not 

 dimished in value, the receipts will pay full 

 lOOiier cent, on all investments. 



We are often reminded of the obstacles in 

 the way of prosperity in bee-keeping, such 

 as millers, moths, robbing, going to the 

 woods, etc. These are all imaginary, and if 

 properly managed need not be feared. 

 Keally the greatest obstacle in the way of 

 progress is ignorance, followed (as the 

 swordfish and shark swiftly follow the 

 Wounded whalej by swindling impostors 

 who live and feed on ignorance and who 

 have bled and nearly devoured our bee- 

 keeping interests. Just in proportion as 

 bee-keepers, or any other class, are inform- 

 ed, they cease to be easy game for sharpers 

 and kiiaves, whether they be venders of 

 complicated non-swarming bee hives, with 

 moth traps, or whether tliey vend morus 

 multicaulis, Chinese yams, wine plant, 

 branching corn, with the ears nicely glued. 

 in, or choici! varieties of a|)[)l(' trees, grafted 

 on miserable crab roots, sdid at douhh; the 

 usual price, to double the sales and quaiiru- 

 ple the profits. The rule holds good, apply 

 it where you will. 



Bee-keening is now reduced to a science 

 and though in its infancy has its main i)rln- 

 ciples ascertained and lixed. Only those 



who learn the science and become familiar 

 with its application will be likely to suc- 

 ceed. As m all other avocations, especially 

 rural pursuits, the unskillful and unscien- 

 tific will fail to realize their expectations. 

 Franklin Co., Vt. O. C. Wait. 



Surplus Honey and Care of Bees. 



EXTRACT FIIOM AN ESSAY READ BY MR. J. 



A. CRANE BEFORE THE BOARD OF 



AGRICULTURE OF VERMONT. 



As fast as boxes are filled and capped 

 they should be removed, and replaced by 

 new or empty ones if the harvest will war- 

 rant it, and as soon as the harvest fails, all 

 should be removed, as the combs become 

 soiled by the bees, if they remain very long 

 in the hive after being tilled. And just here 

 I want to say a few words abwut boxes. 

 For market, they should be with glass sides 

 and ends, with top and bottom of wood, and 

 of a size that when filled will weigh about 4 

 pounds. I make mine 634' Inches long by 

 4}4 in. wide, and 5)4 In. high outside. Two 

 nice, white pieces of comb should be at- 

 tached to the top before the box is nailed to- 

 gether, to induce the bees to commence, and 

 guide them in building straight combs 

 lengthwise of the box; such combs being 

 the most suitable size for tiie table. When 

 ready to ship to market these boxes should 

 be made tidy in appearance by removing all 

 propolis, and if the glass side of a box is 

 badly soiled it shoula be removed and re- 

 placed by a cleaner one. Cases should be 

 made with open sides, that the quality of 

 the honey may be seen at a glance, and 

 large enough to hold 12 boxes. In these 

 carefully pack the boxes, three in width 

 and four in length, and on one end nu^rk 

 the net weight, with the owner's initial let- 

 ters. October and November are the best 

 months to ship to mai'ket. 



After the honey harvest is past and all 

 the boxes removed, the bee-keeper should 

 again go over his hives to see that all have 

 abundance of honey for winter. If any hive 

 is found that is lacking in food it should at 

 once be supplied, or else the stock must be 

 broken up later in the season and united 

 with some other colony. If there is a defi- 

 ciency of bees in any hive, they must be 

 supplied with brood from hives that can 

 spare it, or else they must be stimulated by 

 feeding to rear young bees, or two or more 

 such united. Also at this inspection the 

 age of every queen should be noticed. If 

 any queen is found that is three years or 

 nearly, it should be destroyed and replaced 

 by a young queen. A queen three yeai's of 

 age may winter well, but is apt to fail early 

 the next spring, which is very injuricms to 

 the prosperity of the colony. 1 prefer after 

 the liarvest to destroy all old (lueeiis over 

 two years of age, and give the colony a 

 young one instead. If a hive contains a 

 young,fertile (iueen,an abundance of young 

 bees hatched out the last of the snnnner, 

 and plenty of honey, it i)ossesses the niost 

 essential requisites for successful winter- 

 ing. Comb two or thn-e years old is prefer- 

 able to new comb, as it is warmer. 



It^^Please look over "Our Clubbing List" 

 before subscribing for a'uy paper, it will 

 l)ay you to avail yourself of the advantages 

 there ottered. 



