868 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



What a pity we can't teach the bees to behave in a 

 similarly charitable manner to their relations who 

 happen to fall into misfortune or distress! 



^jNeas Walker. 

 Kcdiand, Queensland, Australia. 



Many tlianks for the samples of stintless 

 bees you send us, friend W. I will forward 

 them to Prof. Cook. Meanwhile I would 

 say to our readers that the bees are about 

 the size of a common house-lly — perhaps a 

 little smaller. If a whole colony yields only 

 a quart, however, we shall have to regard 

 them more as a curiosity than any thing of 

 practical value. 



A GOOD REPORT, AND FROM TEXAS TOO; FROM 

 108 TO 1.50, AND 13,000 LBS. OF HONEY. 



} HEREWITH send you my report of this sea- 

 son's operations with my bees. T commenced 

 the season with 108 colonies in medium con- 

 dition. The spring' was backward, and they 

 had used all of their honey before there was 

 sullicient new honey coming in to support them. 

 Swarming was cut off to a great extent, but I got 

 an increase of 42 colonies by natural swarms. I had 

 about 80 swarms in all, but I put back all after- 

 swarms and prime swarms that came out after the 

 :J0th of April. 



The honey-tlow commenced about the 3.')th of 

 April on guajilla' and continued about 20 days; the 

 last 8 or 10 days being from eatclaw. The cat-claw 

 honey-flow was cut short over 2 weeks. It usually 

 lasts over :i weeks. A very small caterpillar 

 webbed up and destroyed the blooms. There has 

 been no surplus gathered since to amount to any 

 thing. I have taken 5O0O lbs. of comb honey in 

 bulk, and TOOO lbs. of extracted honey. T have sold 

 it all out; also about 1500 lbs. that I bought. I also 

 took about 500 lbs. of Mb. sections. The summer 

 and fall have been so dry that Iheie is no chance 

 for any more surplus this season. My bees will go 

 into winter with plenty of stores, and strong in 

 bees. Our county is about the best in the State, 

 taking one year with another. I have been here 4 

 years, and there has been no failure of a honey- 

 crop yet. There are so many different trees and 

 plants that suit all kinds of seasons, that there is 

 not much danger of failure. '* 



4— D. M. Edwards, 108—150. 

 Uvalde, Texas, Oct. 9, 1886. 



FROM 98 TO 123, AND 12,000 LBS. OF HONEY. 



I commenced the season of 1886 with 90 colonies 

 and 8 nuclei. I increased to 128, and have taken 

 12,000 lbs. of honey-11,.500 lbs. extracted, and 500 

 comb. My honey is all sold; the average price 6 cts. 



Shellsburg, Benton Co., la. Robt. Quinn . 



NOT LARGE, BUT SWEET. 



My honey-crop was not Inrge, but it is very 

 sweet. I have 50 colonies, and have taken 1400 lbs. 

 of nice section honey. Bees are in good condition, 

 and well supplied for winter. W. H. Martin. 



Dunkirk, O., Sept. 20, 1886. 



FROM 43 TO 56, AND 1600 LBS. OF HONEY. 



1 wintered 43 without the loss of one stand. I in- 

 creased to 13, and got 1600 lbs. of honey. My bees 

 are in good condition for winter, and are working- 

 heavy now. B. -T. Wakdan. 



Plainville. ()., Oct. .'>, 1886. 



$40.00 FROM ONE COLONY, BESIDES THE INCREASE 

 OF THREE. 



I Started with 6 good swarms and 2 nuclei this 

 spring. I increased to 30, and sold 5. I took 

 646 sections. My 25 remaining colonies are all good 

 and strong, with plenty of honey. From one of 

 iny hives I sold .S20.00 worth of l)ees and *20.00 

 worth of honey, and have 3 good colonies left 

 which are worth $10.00 per colony, making $70.00 

 from one colony. Who can beat it? T got 18 and 

 20 cts. per lb. for my honey. 



Connotton, O. Charles E. Habdesty. 



FROM 4 TO 8, and 8.50 LBS. OF HONEY. 



I had four colonies, spring count. I increased 

 them to nine, and extracted 370 lbs. of light honey, 

 36.) lbs. of dark, and 123 lbs. of comb honey. Total, 

 850 U)S., all very nice. I am feeding sugar for 

 wintering. Robt. J. Lathers. 



Inkstcr, Mich., Oct. 2, 1886. 



FROM 6 to 11, AND 600 LBS. OF HONEY, AND BLACK 

 BEES AT THAT. 



1 had six hives o f blacks at the beginning of the 

 present season. 1 increased to 11, and obtained 

 about 600 lbs. of comb honey. There is no bass- 

 wood in this country. Buckwheat sown for fall 

 pasturage was a failure, and bees made no honey 

 after Aug. 1st. I have wintered a few bees two 

 winters, and lost none. T never fed any, and don't 

 know how, nor have I protected them from cold in 

 winter. The first winter I left the interstices be- 

 tween the top-bars open. Last winter I placed 

 some rags in the upper story. F. A. Minor. 



Marshfield, Mo., Oct. 5, It- 86. 



.50 LBS. PER COLONY. 



I do not see how I could get along without 

 Gleanings. I think every one who keeps four 

 or five stands of bees should take it. 



As our honey season is over I will give you ray 

 report for 18K6. I commenced in the spring with 

 40 colonies, and increased to 47. I worked for hon- 

 ey, not increase. I have taken .50 lbs. per colony, 

 spring count, about an equal quantity of comb and 

 extracted. I use the extractor to keep swarming 

 down. Bees have made no surplus honey since 

 the 15th of July. My bees have plenty of stores for 

 winter. Honey is mostly all sold at 8 to 12^2 cts. 

 per lb., according to condition and quality. I sell 

 my honey all at home. I make it my rule, when I 

 sell to one of my friends, that, when he gets out, he 

 will know where to come and get more. 



Bucklin, Linn Co., Mo. J. W. Switzer. 



I 



A GOOD REPORT FROM AN A B C SCHOLAR ; 

 156 LBS. PER COLONY, AND 25 INCREASE. 



I I herewith send you my report for this season. 

 I began with 8 swarms, in good condition, and two 



\ very weak, which were used for queen-rearing. 

 From the above 8 swarms I received 12.50 lbs. of 

 honey— 1170 lbs. in 1-lb. sections, and about 75 lbs. 

 extracted, making 1.56 lbs. per colony. Besides 

 this I now have 30 good swarms, of which 1 bought 

 5 swarms and gave one to our preacher and one 

 to another neighbor, making 27 swarms in all. I 

 attribute my success mostly to the teachings of 

 your ABC book and Gleanings, which I prize 

 very highly, and wish you the best of success. 

 Honest endeavor is always crowned with success, 

 which latter T wish you Avith all my heart, as T 

 nevej- found a squarer map to d^Pl with than 



