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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



273 



with 44 colonics and S2T lbs. extracted honey and 217 

 lbs. comb honej', and our bees all in g-ood shape for 

 winter. We wintered .?8 colonics in the cellar and 

 in chatf hi\es on their summer stands. All came 

 throujj'li in f^-ood condition. We weighed and placed 

 thom in the cellar Dec. 10, 188."). We took them out 

 March i;5th, and, weig-hing- them again, found they 

 had lost, on an average, '> lbs. and 6 oz. per colony. 



The season of 1885 was a peculiar one— cold and 

 wet in the spring-, and cold and wet during- the 

 honey-tiow in September, Avhich cut ovir crop short. 

 Althoug-h not as g-ood as some seasons, yet it was 

 better than others, and we are well satisfied with 

 the season's work. We have to work against a 

 great many disadvantag-es in this locality, having 

 no white clover or basswood; but for all that we 

 have made mo.ney every season that we have kept 

 bees. Nearly all who have tried the business here 

 have failed, and given it up as unprofitable. 

 " Doesn't pay," is the cry. Our success, though 

 moderate, has not been through superior knowl- 

 edge of bee-keeping, but to giving a strict atten- 

 tion, to details, and doing a thing when it should be 

 done, mi.ved with a good deal of enthusiasm and 

 hard work. Had the others who have failed worked 

 as hard as we, they probably would not have failed. 

 Many times we have felt like giving up, as have all 

 bee-keepers sometimes. I don't mean all, but some 

 of them have been, and others yet will be, the 

 worst-disgusted mortals that ever lived, and will 

 almost wish they had never seen a bee. The dark 

 clouds pass away, and we feel renewed strength 

 because we have conquered, and rejoice thereat. 

 During the past season we have formed a few opin- 

 ions as follows: 



That the Heddon method to prevent after-swarms 

 has never failed with us, and is the best; that wide 

 frames to procure surplus are as good as any. Last 

 season our opinion was in favor of the Heddon 

 ease; our opinion is i-eversed this season; that there 

 is little or no ditlerence in the amount of honey 

 gathered, whether bees are working on the L., Gal- 

 lup, or our own size of frame, size 10X12\i, every 

 thing being equal; that the Cyprian bees gather 

 more honey than the Italians, but they are poor 

 comb-builders; that hybrid Italian queens, crossed 

 with German drones, produce better honey-gath- 

 erers than pure Italians, but perhaps no better than 

 a pure Italian queen mated with a pure Italian 

 drone of another strain; that we don't like clipped 

 queens, but might change our opinion if our apiary 

 ran up into the hundreds; that we shall have a 

 good chance to test the merits of our five aci-es of 

 alsike clover sown last season as a honey-plant, as 

 nothing else yields honey at the time it blooms. 



Rossville, Kan., Feb., 1886. Mrs. M. F. Tatman. 



BEES DOING WELL— ONLY ONE COLONY LOST OUT 



OF 105. 



My bees are doing well. I lost only one out of 

 1(15. I tliink we shall have swarms by April 1. My 

 bees are all very strong, and have a large amount 

 of brood. I think it will be advisable for me to 

 extract from my upper stories, as they have whole 

 frames of sealed honey. They are now bringing a 

 great deal of pollen and some honey. 



I think from the present indications that we arc 

 going to have the greatest honey-flow since 1882. 

 I am getting a good many of my neighbors to quit 

 the old log gums, and adopt in their stead the mova- 



ble-frame hive. The bee-fever seems to be advanc- 

 ing- to a very high point in this portion of the State. 

 I tliink from this, if for no other cause, I can get 

 them to improve their bees. M. Simpson. 



Gatesville, Te.\'., March 16, 1880. 



WINTERING NICELY. 



I have 48 good strong healthy colonics of Italian 

 bees in two-story chaff hives, all wintering well so 

 far on the summer stands. They have plenty of 

 stores to winter on. I fed each colony one dollar's 

 worth of sugar last fall. I lost but one swarm, and 

 the queen was a dronc>-layor, which was the result 

 of losing it. We have had nice warm sunny days, 

 so the bees would get a flight eveiy now and then. 

 From all apiwarances we may have a good sum- 

 mer for honey here this summer. 

 Lower Salem, ()., Mar. 5, 1886. Charles Haas. 



KEEPING A RECORD WITH THE BEES. 



I went into winter quarters in 1884 with 2fl, and 

 came out with one strong and Vo weak colonies. 

 The strong- one was the one to which I introduced 

 the Italian queen I bought of you. She had more 

 bees than three of the others put together, and I 

 got 105 lbs. of comb honey from this one— as much 

 as from all of the rest. Tu 1885 I incrca;-,ed to 38. I 

 doubled up to 35, and sold one. I then went into 

 winter quarters in 18S5 with 34 in good condition. 

 I have lost three from freezing. My bees had a 

 good fly the 7th and 8th of February. I winter on 

 summer stands. It was e.vceedingly cold here this 

 winter. The mercury was 20 below zero. 



Total receipts on bees S.53.00 



E.vpense 25.15 



Net profits $27.85 



I keep a record of all expenses and receipts, the 

 same as dealing with my neighbors. 

 Cowden, III., Feb. 18, 1886. A. W. Spracklen. 



I,OST 4 OUT OF 15 COLONIES. 



Bees are in good condition at this time; they are 

 having a good fly to-day. I have lost 4 out of 1.5, 

 fall count. I began the spring of 1885 with 5 weak 

 colonies in old box hives; increased to 15 and took 

 140 lbs. of comb honey, pi-incipally from red clover. 

 I hope to do better this season. J. N. Davis. 



Moreland, Ind., Mar. 18, 18^6. 



20]0 LBS. OF HONEY FROM 16 SWARMS T,\KEN 

 WITH A HOME-MADE EXTRACTOR. 



We have had throe or four frosts this winter, 

 which reminds nic that I have made no report yet 

 for last season. I commenced last spring with 26 

 hives of bees, nearly all in old bo.xes, which I trans- 

 ferred to Simplicity hives. I made my own extract- 

 or and extracted 2C0;) lbs. of honey from 16 hives, 

 and from the other 10 I got about 250 lbs. comb hon- 

 ey. I sold four stands, and have twenty-four to 

 commence with this year. I received the saws you 

 sent by mail, and was glad to know that you are so 

 prompt in business as to correct the mistake at 

 your own expense. I have never dealt with any 

 one whom I would rather deal with than j'ou, for I 

 believe you to be honest. 



Uvalde, Texas, Jan. 3, 1886. 



Walter B. Fisher. 



FROM 4 TO 9, AVU 400 LBS. OF HONEY. 



I started in the spring of 1885 with 4 colonies— 3 

 strong, one weak; increased to 9, and took 400 lbs. 

 of comb honey, nearly all from basswood. 



Georgetov/n, Iowa, March 9, 1886. Ira Williams. 



