294 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



two to four weeks earlier than in a sliallow 

 top opening hive. 



Fifth: I winter bees in a repository, and 

 try to liave the temperature as near 35 deg. 

 as possible, if in cold weather I keep at the 

 above temperature, I can keep it cooler in 

 very warm weather, so that it becomes more 

 even in temperature than if kept at either 

 GxtrGiiiG 



Now, Mr. Editor, I have given some of 

 my notions in regard to wintering bees, and 

 if it does any good I shall be very thankful 

 as 1 owe The American Bee Journal. 

 for nearly all I know about bee-keeping, 

 aside from experience. 



I do not know that the bee-keepers of the 

 country, are any nearer agreed as to " what 

 ails the bees" than ever; but it is time the 

 circle grew smaller. I believe every bee- 

 keeper should be a sort of naturalist and 

 philosopher, and unless we are, we shall not 

 succeed in this age of improvement. So I 

 think Mr. Editor, tliat the question of "how 

 shall we winter our bees successfully" will 

 be overcome, as well as all others essential 

 to success. C. C. A. 



Rice Co., Minn., Oct. 13, 1876. 



^oUs $c ^utxits. 



When do bees stop breeding in the fall? 



G. Hunt. 



When all kinds of forage give out, then 

 breeding will cease. 



Hickman, Ky., Sept. 23, 1876.— Please tell 

 me, through The Journal, the name of 

 the enclosed plant. G. Iliscm. 



The fragment of a plant sent by G. Ilisch, 

 of Hickman, Ky., is a species of Thorough- 

 wort, and as nearly as can be determined 

 from the specimen, it is Eupatorium sero- 

 tinuvi. A very near relative is known as 

 White Snakeroot. C. E. Bessey. 



State Ag'l College, Ames, Iowa. 



Which is the best hive for all purposes? 

 W. Lamb. 



The Langstroth hive is more in favor 

 than any other, and we think that the 

 nearer you come to it, the better. There 

 are a few things that may be improved a 

 ti-itle, but they are not essential. 



I want some good works on bee-culture: 

 what would you recommend me to get? 

 Please state the prices. C. Dodge. 



Langstroth on the Honey Bee, $2.00; 

 Quinby's Mysteries of Bee-Keepiug, :ft;i.50; 

 Vol. I American Bee Journal, I?!. 25, and the 

 "manuals" as advertised in this Journal, 

 arc among the best things to be obtained. 



How far should the frames be apart? 



Joshua Coleman. 

 From centre to centre, these should be 

 about l}4 inches. 



.Owensboro, Ky., Sept. 34, 1876.— " Dear 

 Editor: Enclosed you will tind a sample 

 of the top of a plant that appears to yield a 

 vast amount of honey. It commences 

 flowering in August and bids fair to con- 

 tinue until frost. The main stem attains 

 the height of 6 or 7 feet, and near the 

 ground is about ^ or % of an inch in di- 

 ameter, and square-fluted on the sides; the 

 flowers are purple, with only one petal, and 

 that only on the top side of the flower pod. 

 The bees visit it by thousands from early 

 morn till night. Will you please to give it 

 a name in the columns of the Journal. I 

 also send you a few pods of rvpe seed from 

 the same." G. M. Woodward. 



The plant enclosed by Mr. Woodward is 

 Scrophularia nodosa, called also figwort. 

 It is abundant on low ground throughout 

 most parts of the country. Not only is it 

 interesting from Mr. Woodward's stand- 

 point, but its mechanism is very curious, 

 and has long been an object of study to the 

 botanist. C. E. Bessey 



State Ag'l College, Ames, Iowa. 



"Is there not so:ne fear that we shall soon 

 stock the world with honey, and that it will 

 become a drug in the market?" 



John Emerson. 



No! The market has not yet been de- 

 veloped to one-tenth of its capacity. Every 

 locality should be v/orked,till this wliole- 

 some article of diet shall find a place on 

 every table. The price will come down, 

 but there is no doubt that it will become a 

 staple article like sugar, at no very distant 

 day; and there will be more made than 

 now by the raiser. The law of supply and 

 demand will regulate that. 



Please tell me which is the best time to 

 commence bee-keeping? Is it not as well 

 to buy now, when bees can be obtained 

 cheap? Joseph Scammon. 



No. It requires skill and care to carry 

 them through the winter, and you should 

 prepare yourself by "reading up" the sub- 

 ject of bee-culture during the winter, and 

 then in May you can safely begin byjpur- 

 chasingone or two hives. Go slow. Un- 

 derstand that to be successful you must 

 study the subject well, and thoroughly. If 

 you cannot get the larger works, procure a 

 copy of tlie first Vol. of this Journal, and 

 one of the manuals, as advertised elsewhere 

 and you can from them get sufficient infor- 

 mation to connnence. 



Pointe Coupee, La., Oct. 10, 1876.— "I send 

 you a specimen of a fine honey plant. I 

 never saw but one stock of it. The bees have 

 been on it from sunrise until sundown for 

 over a month, and to-day it seems only just 

 begun. They Just swarm on it. It grows 

 six feet high, the top from this one root is 4 

 feet in diameter." W. B. Ilusii. 



It is Eupatorium scrotinum, a common 

 plant in alluvial ground; it is a relative of 

 . bone-set and also of white snake-root. 



Ames, Iowa. C. E. Bessey. 



