THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



January 



want in our hives the fore part of the 

 season instead of honey. If by the 

 process given, our bees run short of 

 stores, of course we must feed them, 

 and money thus spent in feeding will 

 return a large interest if the season is 

 anything like favorable. There is no 

 time in the whole year that it pays as 

 well to put a little money in feed for 

 the bees, where they need it, as it 

 does at this time, yet how few seem to 

 realize it. I often hear it said if the 

 bees cannot get a living now — during 

 the first half of June — let them die. 

 No greater mistake could possibly ex- 

 ist. When any of the sections are 

 filled take them off before soiled 

 and put empty ones having a starter 

 of nice, white comb or thin comb foun- 

 dation in their places, and thus you 

 will avoid the difficulty, so often ex- 

 perienced, of getting the bees to work 

 in a second set of sections after a full 

 set has been taken off. 



As the season draws to a close place 

 the unfinished sections together, and 

 as near the brood as possible, contract- 

 ing the amount of section room to suit 

 the number of bees, and thus you will 

 secure the most of your honey in a 

 salable form. 



Borodino, N.jY. 



— ^ ■■■ m^ 



Condition of Bees, Etc. 



BY CHA8. H. THIES. 



Through southern 111. we have as 

 yet not had much c '1 weather. Usu- 

 ally we do not have n. 'h if any severe 

 cold weather until soon after Christ- 

 mas. As the weather has usually 

 been warm enough for bees to fly a 

 little most every day, I have taken 

 several opportunities to study the 

 winter problem. 



I find that ray bees are much weak- 



er in numbers than for many years, 

 and I think other bee keepers will find 

 the same conditions whose locality, 

 late honey flow, etc., is and has been 

 similar to mine. The spring of 1895 

 was unusually wet here, so much so 

 that we failed to get any honey from 

 white clover. The summer months 

 were very dry, but when time came 

 for our fall flow conditions were more 

 favorable, and bees stored honey very 

 fast. They soon filled up, bees wore 

 out soon and very few bees were rear- 

 ed. So bees are in good shape for 

 winter so far as honey is concerned, 

 but unusually weak in numbers, and 

 should we have very severe cold 

 weather many colonies will " turn up 

 missing " before spring unless they 

 have been put up in first class shape, 

 i. e., unless we give them especial 

 care they will not live through. It 

 may not be too late yet for some of us 

 to give our bees better protection. A 

 good strong colony, in a good close 

 hive, will stand a good deal of cold if 

 honey is where they can get at it, 

 while a weak colony in the same kind 

 of a hive would not pull through. 

 Bees should have been prepared for 

 winter long ago, but better do what 

 you can for them late than never. 



Now a word in regard to something 

 else. Every little while I get a letter 

 or card asking certain questions, which 

 answers they wish by mail, but often 

 the name is left off. Again the ad- 

 dress is missing. Now I would ask 

 all to be more careful. I always try 

 to answer all letters when possible, al- 

 though I can hardly spare the time. 

 If friend J, W. M., of Canada, will 

 be so kind as to send his address I will 

 gladly give the desired information. 



Steeleville, 111,, Dec, 1896. 



