9() 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



FEB; 



To supplies, including- circulars, postage, advertis- 

 ing, use of hives, buildings, machinery, horse and 

 buggy, etc $236.00 



To hired help 110.00 



Total expenses *346.00 



By 16 colonies increase (full count) # 80.00 



"249 " sold (average $3.54 each) 881.40 



" CO queens by mail 59.60 



" 1000 lbs. extracted honey (8'cts.) 80.00 



"3t0 " comb " (15 c.) 45.00 



Total 11146.00 



346.00 



Net profit $800.00 



I now have 296 colonies in two apiaries, all packed 

 on summer stands, and they could not be in nicer 

 shape, apparently, at present writing. 



I have been e.xperimenting extensively on the 

 wintering problem as well as on the different lines 

 of summer manipulation, making improvements, as 

 1 think, each year, and I intend to publish my 

 methods whenever they can be considered perfect- 

 ed, for it is demonstrated facts that we want, rath- 

 er than theories. 10— Oliver Fostkr, 250—296. 

 Mt. Vernon, Iowa, Jan. 13, 18S6. 



Why, friend Oliver, I had some way got it 

 into my mind that you were a small bee- 

 keeper.' and liere you are with 29H eolonies, 

 and doing nicely, even during a dull season. 

 Best of all, you seem to he pleasing your cus- 

 tomers right straight along; and, friend F.. 

 it does my heart good to have you speak of 

 lioney-yieids as blessings from (Jod. To be 

 sure, they are blessings ; and if more of us 

 were in the habit of taking tiiem that way. 1 

 shouldn't wonder if it would be safer for 

 (Jod to send more of them. 



OUB OWN APIARY. 



THE fUNDlTION OF AFF.VIHS UP TO D.\TE. 



"Up ROUT a week ago, duiing a warm spell, our 

 9H^ bees were examined and were found to be in 



jPP good condition. Yesterday Jan. 27, while 

 ■*•■*■ strolling through the ai)iary 1 noticed that 

 the entrance of one of the hives was spotted 

 considerably, indicating dysentery within. The 

 slate showed that this was an imported Hol.v-I..and 

 stock. At the beginning of the winter season I had 

 noticed that these bees were very uneasy, and after 

 a fall of snow they flew out even then. The snow, 

 everywhere in the immediate viciniYy of the hive, 

 was spotted with little holes made by their chilled 

 bodies. The apiarist says they acted like that last 

 year, and that they barely pulled through the winter. 



ir.rSTERING Ol'T IN .IANlT.\ltV. 



Toward evening of the same day my attention 

 was called to another hive where there was Quite a 

 bunch of bees hanging out at the entrance. Peer- 

 ing down into the hive after lifting one edge of the 

 cushion up, we found that the liees were scattered 

 through the interior of the hive, when seeraingl.v 

 they should have been quietly bunched up. Lift- 

 ing one end of each frame separately, showed that 

 there was scarcely 3 lbs. of hone.\', when, about two 

 months ago, they had 25 lbs. of choice sealed honey. 

 When put into winter quarters, inasmuch as it was 

 a large swarm, it was supposed that they were in 

 prime condition for wintering. Their restless con- 

 dition, coupled with the fact that they had consum- 

 ed such a large amount of stores, seemed to indicate 



that they did not then and had not enjoyed that 

 quiescent state, or hibernation, as W. F. Clarke calls 

 it. 



BREEDING IN CHAFF HIVES IN JANUARV. 



Jan. 28.— Today the swarm mentioned in the above 

 was overhauled to ascertain the trouble. It was a 

 rousing big swarm when put up for winter, and the 

 apiarist found that they had been breeding heavily. 

 This accounts for their consuming so much honey; 

 and when the weather warmed up they just crowded 

 out at the entrance for more room. 



POLLEN NECESSARY FOR BROOD-REARING. 



A careful examination of each comb showed 

 that considerable pollen had been stored in the bot- 

 tom of the cells, although the combs, when given 

 them in the latter part of the fall, apparently con- 

 tained nothing but choice honey. The presence of 

 the pollen, together with the fact that it was a 

 strong colony, well packed, undoubtedly induced 

 the brood-i-earing; and inasmuch as the honey was 

 running short, the bees were probably compelled 

 to consume more polien than was consistent with 

 healthful wintering. As a proof of this, the neigh- 

 boring hi\'es were considerably spotted. This would 

 also account for their uneasiness. A report of 

 these will be given later. 



Ernest R. Root. 



BBUBHES FOR PAINTING BEE -HIVES. 



ALSO SOMETHINfi .A.BOl'T LOW-PRICED BRUSHES 

 FOR OTHF.U PURPOSES. 



two or three years ago we wrote to one 

 of the largest brush-manufacturers in 

 the East for prices of brushes suitable 

 for bee-keei»ers. At the time, tliey 

 declined to give us ligures, but refer- 

 red us to dealers in the large cities. I ob- 

 jected, and proposed to give them an order 

 as large as the city jobbers ; but as our in- 

 stitution was something not laid down in the 

 books, they preferred not to sell to us direct. 

 Of late, however, they have modified their 

 views a little. I do not know whether it is 

 because the Home of the IIoney-Bees has 

 grown bigger, or because the general depres- 

 sion in business has made manufacturers 

 more anxious to open trade in almost any 

 avenue. However, they sold me the brush I 

 wanted. Providing I would take live gross 

 at a single lot, they would let me have them 

 so I can offer them to you at 10 cents each, 

 lielow is a picture of— 



OUI! TEN-f EXT PAINT-BRT'.SH. 



Perhaps I should not call this a paint- 

 brush, but it does very good service for many 

 kinds of painting. It is really a small-sized 

 paint-brush or a large-sized sash-tool, and is 

 very convenient for ptitting on mucilage, la- 

 beling honey-jars, moistening sections wiien 

 they are too dry to fold otherwise, and many 

 other like things. If wanted by mail, add ;'. 

 cts. each extra for postage. We can furnish 

 larger-sized paint-brushes at corresponding- 

 ly low prices. Our best one is worth oO cts.; 

 by mail, 8 cts. each extra. 



