American Bee Journal. 



EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Vol. II. 



t>e:ce]>3:]esii:i2, i??^oo- 



No. G. 



Bee-Culture in Cottage Hives. 



No. 0. 



An abundant honey-harvest can, of course, 

 be looked for only after the apiary has been 

 ■\vell established and organized, containing the 

 full number of store hives of which its proprietor 

 designs it shall consist ; for till then the daily 

 gatherings are largely devoted to the multipli- 

 cation of stock, and the equalization of colonies. 

 But even when that point is attained, a rapid 

 and lucrative accumulation of stores can only 

 be secured if those colonies are healthy, vigor- 

 ous, and populous early in the season, and reach 

 the culminating point as regards strength just 

 prior to the blossoming of the white clover. 

 Only when in this condition can honey be 

 rapidly and plentifully gathered by them. The 

 briefer the period during which pasturage 

 abounds in any district, the greater the neces- 

 sity of having strong colonies ready to take the 

 held at the opening of the season; and hence it 

 is frequentlj' very advantageous to stimulate 

 the production of brood at the close of Marcli, 

 or the beginning of April, by feeding them 

 moderatel}^ yet regularly, with diluted honey. 



Another chief requisite in the formation of 

 store stocks is that they should be placed in 

 capacious hives, affording ample space for the 

 storage of honey and the accommodation of 

 brood, so that swarming — always injurious to a 

 store stock — may be effectually prevented. The 

 accumulation of honey is now our exclusive 

 object. Our ample hives, having a diameter of 

 tifteen or sixteen inches, and being eighteen or 

 twenty inches high, are still regularly enlarged, 

 when pasturage abounds, by the addition of a 

 surplus honey-box ; and from many of these 

 hives we have taken from fifty to sixty pounds 

 of honey each in autumn, leaving them a full 

 supply for the winter. But this can only be 

 done, even in the case of such hives, by never 

 undertaking to winter any with a supply of 

 less than from forty to fifty pounds clear 

 honey. Such an investment is sure to yield 

 large profits. 



It is very advantageous also to be provided 

 with a liberal supply of empty combs in surplus 



or collateral boxes, in Avhich the bees may at 

 once deposit their gathering, thus saving time 

 and honey, which are indispensable requisites 

 for comb-building. The preservation of empty 

 combs is difficult at times, because they are 

 liable to bo attacked by the larva? of the Avax 

 moUi or miller. But ihe depredations of these 

 pests can be prevented by making air-tight the 

 boxes containing combs for preservation, and 

 occasionally filling them Avitli the fumes of 

 burning brimstone. In the fall, winter, and 

 early spring, they should be kept in a cold 

 room. 



In default of surplus or collateral boxes con- 

 taining empty coi;nbs, narrow strips of worker 

 combs may be attached to the interior tops of 

 the hive by dipping them in melted wax or 

 strong mucilage, and will serve both to attract 

 the bees and give direction to their labors. And 

 when no such strips are at hand, the bo^ may 

 be made more attractive to the bees by brushing 

 its interior surface with liquid honey. In 

 supering we find it useful to place the top-board 

 taken from the hive on the super, as the bees 

 will readily start combs on the comb-foundations 

 adhering to its inner surface, and are thus in- 

 duced to fill up the vacant space below 

 much sooner than they otherwise would. But 

 we must also be careful to place the top-board 

 so as to cause the new combs when built to 

 cross those of the main hive below, as the super 

 can thus be more easily taken off when filled,. 

 Bees generally refuso to build in surplus or col- 

 lateral boxes till the main hive is full ; yet it is 

 advisable always to make these accessible to 

 them a short time in advance, as that helps to 

 prevent swarming, and the bees become season- 

 ably apprised that they need fear no deficiency 

 of room in their domicile. 



Supers for surplus honey are preferable to 

 collateral boxes, where the hives used are 

 standards ; but in enlarging lagers we prefer 

 setting the surplus honey-box in the rear, 

 because in the hinder part of such hives brood 

 is .seldom found. 

 ! To prevent swarming during the gathering 

 season, and keep the bees from hanging out 

 it^ly, by moderating the internal temperature, 

 we ventilate our hives, a8 stated in a ^u-evious 



