1886 



GLExVNINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



297 



apiaiy. Every single colony Jones keeps is a dam- 

 age to Smith; and if he increases to etjual the num- 

 ber Smith had, Jones will himself make an ignoble 

 failure. I have no desire to put a gag on any man's 

 mouth to prevent his uttering his honest convic- 

 tions; but I protest against any one of influence 

 makingastatementof asupjiosition as a fact, that he 

 does not know to be a fact, when such statement 

 may lead to damage and loss on the part of others. 

 If any brother happens to have any clear conviiJ- 

 tion on the subject, with proofs to support it, by all 

 means let such brother arise. There are a good 

 many of us who will be gldd to be convinced— our 

 prejudices are all in that direction. I, for one, 

 could afford to paj- a man well to come and satisfy 

 me that I can keep 3J0 colonies in one apiary, and 

 realize as much profit from them as from a smaller 

 number. 



If I were asked to prove that 300 colonies in my 

 apiary would be less profitable than a smaller num- 

 ber, I am not sure that I could do it, past all contra- 

 diction. I think, however, I could give some facts 

 pointing in that direction. For instance, in 1880 I 

 started with 200 colonics, spring count, in one apia- 

 rj'; took no honey to speak of {nS lbs.), and decreas- 

 ed to 162. Practically these bees secured honey 

 enough for their own living, but no surplus. Am I 

 not pretty safe in concluding that these bees got 

 about all the field afforded? If I had had only 100 

 colonies, would they not have stored as surplus a 

 large part or the whole of what the remaining 62 or 

 100 gathered for their own support? Another thing: 

 There are a good many bee-keepers who have kept 

 2,50 or more colonies. Is there one of them who 

 keeps 250 in one apiary? Does not each one show 

 his belief in overstocking by the trouble and ex- 

 pense he incurs to establish out-apiaries? 



We are still left to struggle with the question. 

 How manj' colonies are required to overstock a 

 given locality? or, rather, what is the number for 

 greatest profit? What facts can we have bearing 

 upon this? Bro. Doolittle has figured that 250 is the 

 maximum number to be located within two miles of 

 his house. This would allow a distance cf four 

 miles between the two most distant apiaries, and 

 does not say how many might be kept in one apiary. 

 About the most I can say very positively about my 

 locality is, that in one particular year 200 colonies 

 proved quite too manj'. What further light can wo 

 have? 



THERMOMETERS. 



The first thermometer you sent me was so long on 

 the way it had time to get broken; though how it 

 could be broken with such careful packing, I can 

 not imagine. The second came very promptly, and 

 is a nicer thermometer than I can buy here for the 

 same price, and, so far as I can judge, just as good 

 a thermometer as one which cost me 35 cents. Still, 

 how do I know which is right and which is wrong? 

 In the winter 1 keep four thermometers in constant 

 use, and they vary about two degrees. Now, if I 

 had one that I knew was right I could correct the 

 others by it. Possibly, what I insist upon is im- 

 practicable and too expensive; but it is so desirable 

 that I may be excused from further mention. If 

 you, Bro. Root, can not buy accurately tested ther- 

 mometers, get one in some way that you know to be 

 correct. Then test others by it, and put in one lot 

 those that prove entirely accurate. Perhaps an- 

 other lotmay be justone degree too low all through; 

 but if the purchaser knows this he can make the 



proper allowance. Another lot may gradually 

 change from being correct at 20° above to being too 

 high or too low at some other point. Now, put 

 price enough on these to pay for all trouble, and, 

 if necessary to put on treble price, I don't think 

 many of the correct ones would stay on your hands. 

 We want some place where we can all buy ther- 

 mometers, and know something about them. 



C. C. Miller, 340-324. 

 Mai-engo, 111., Apr. 5, 1886. 



Friend Miller, I think I can give you an- 

 other fact in this matter of overstocking; 

 With SOU or -lOU colonies in our locality each 

 summer, even though many of them are 

 queenless, and consequently not full of pop- 

 ulous colonies, our locality is all the while 

 overstocked. No one can keep bees within 

 a mile of us to any profit. They have tried 

 it repeatedly, and 1 think they have all given 

 it up. During great yields of honey they 

 might do tolerably well for a little time ; but 

 in the end they decide it doesn't pay. For 

 the same reason, honey-dew does us very 

 little if any damage. There are so many 

 mouths to feed that they use up the honey- 

 dew, and almost every thing else, as fast as 

 it comes. — In regard lo thermometers, the 

 manufacturers are now at work at a lot of 

 standard tested thermometers, made espe- 

 cially for us. You may not be aware that 

 the usual way to test thermometers is to 

 ivy them at the freezing-point and at the 

 boiling-point, then take it for granted that 

 they will be right at other points. Now, al- 

 though all show alike at these two extremes, 

 they may vary considerably at other points. 

 For instance, when it gets to be 20 below 

 zero they won't tell quite the same sto^ 

 ry ; and they may also vary some at or- 

 dinary summer temperatures, say 70 or 80 

 degrees. These new,ones are to be tested at 

 four different points— one down below zero, 

 one at freezing, one at CO or 70, and at the 

 boiling-point. The price will be 35 cts. each. 

 Besides the above tests, the scale will be 

 longer so the degree-marks are more easily 

 seen than the common ones. We have not 

 yet decided whether they can be safely sent 

 by mail. 



FRIEND VANDERVOBT'S HOUSE -API- 

 ARIES. 



FRIEND WRIGHT TELLS US ABOUT THEM. 



fRIEND ROOT: I have just received a card, 

 asking me to tell you about friend Vander- 

 vort's house-apiaries. I will trj' to do so as 

 best I can. From what you have said, I 

 think that you have a very incorrect idea of 

 friend V.'s house-apiaries. They are made very 

 cheap. I don't think that they will cost to exceed 

 one dollar per colony for the number of colonies to 

 be kept in each house. The house is made in sec- 

 tions; the walls are double, and are packed with 

 four inches of sawdust all around, under the bot- 

 tom and over the top. The house can be taken 

 down, loaded on trucks, and taken anywhere you 

 wish to have it. Fii-st take off the top, then the 

 sides and ends, and your tiouse is ready to move. 



Friend V. was moving one of his house-apiaries 

 when I was there. For a house to hold 40 colonies, 



