1894. 



Til /■: . l .1/ /•; i; iv 'A x it f. /•: k /•: /•: / • /■: i; 



of bees. Read them until you know 

 what a worker bee, drone or queen is, 

 and how they have to be managed, and 

 if you understand the management of 

 them, although a beginner, you will 

 have some prospects of success. 



The beginner should start with a 

 few colonies so as to learn to manage 

 them properly. A few years ago I 

 commenced in this way. In the spring 

 of 1893 I had 20 colonies and run 

 them for comb honey. My honey 

 crop of pound sections was a little 

 over 1000 pounds and brought me a 

 little over £150.00, hut this is by no 

 'means a very good locality for honey. 

 The value of the honey is not all to 

 be considered for the increase of the 

 20 stands for last summer was 27 natu- 

 ral swarms, thus increasing my apiary 

 from 20 to 47 stands, and the hives 

 were all full of honey and bees in the 

 fall, with the exception of one colony 

 that lust its queen and was neglected 

 until rather late before I furnished it 

 with a new queen. 1 valued the 20 

 swarms at S8.00 each, leaving out the 

 one that lost its queen. 



My bees are all in double wall chaff 

 hives, and I am wintering them on 

 their summer stands. At this writing 

 they are all alive and in splendid con- 

 dition. 2l'> stands at 88 DO each a- 

 mounts to $208.00. Adding the a- 

 mount of comb honey, *l~>o. 00, makes 

 a total of $358.00. The material for 

 26 hives cost $2600, thus leaving 

 8:;l'2.00 profit. 



I make my own hives so do not 

 think they cost any more than $1.00 

 each, not counting my work, so you 

 see from the above that the proceeds 

 really amount to £332.00 for say four 

 months' work. That is about as good 



as I can do at any other kind of work. 

 1 am a man 63 years of age. 



I learned by experience that enam- 

 elled sheets are not good to put under 

 chaff cushions to cover bees in winter. 

 I spread a piece of burlap over the 

 top of the frames on part of my stands 

 and enamelled sheets on top of the 

 burlaps. The balance of my stands I 

 left the enamelled sheet off. In De- 

 cember I examined my bees and the 

 hives having the enamelled sheets had 

 the burlaps wet and frozen, while 

 those without enamelled sheets were 

 perfectly dry. Enamelled cloth does 

 not absorb moisture and gathers big 

 drops of water, and when it turns cold 

 it freezes. Next it turns warm again 

 and it thaws and drops down on the 

 poor little bees. 



Success in wintering bees on their 

 summer stands depends a great deal 

 on keeping them dry and sufficiently 

 warm. Bees will stand a great deal 

 more cold if they are kept dry. 

 Yours truly, 



John Slaubauoh. 



Eglon, W. Va., Jan. 26. 1894- 



The W. T. Falconer M'p'g Co.,— 

 Gentlemen : I received the goods yi >u 

 shipped and they are all I could ex- 

 pect. I' like your No. 1 sections very 

 well, everything is in good shape, I 

 especially like the way you pack your 

 sections. Bees are wintering well in 

 this locality. Yours Respectfully, 



P. C. Harred, 



Crossingville, Pa. 



The W. T. Falconer Mi\; Co — 

 Dear Sirs: I received the goods you 

 shipped me on the 16th, all O. K. 

 Everything in first-elass shape. The 

 goods I received of you last Fall, I 

 have got all nailed up. Everything 

 fits to perfection. Your sections are 

 the bed 1 ever saw. You will have 

 my future orders. Yoips truly, 



W. B. Skuse, 



Geneva, N. Y. 



