18S6 



GLEANINGS iiN liEE CULTUilE. 



dl 



from the four. The other lot of 51 was hauled 9 

 miles on lumber wagons, without springs, over a 

 very rough road, then unloaded in my pasture-lot. 

 He commenced to move them March 19, and moved 

 when the roads were passable. Most of the bees 

 were moved the 14th and 15th of April. On the 21st 

 da.v of April, and tlie following night, the bees were 

 all loaded uj) again on lumber wagons, and moved 

 U.i mile.«, and put on a car. The next day I went 

 with them to Brodhead, 80 miles, then again they 

 were moved one mile and set up and turned loose to 

 work in a new location. One of the hives had a 

 leak in it. As they were packed in a cattle-car, I 

 could not get to them to stop the leak; and when we 

 opened it there were only a few young bees in the 

 hive, so we put the brood-combs and young bees in 

 with another swarm. 



One colony swarmed out and went off, leaving 

 him 49 colonies to commence with. From these 

 he extracted iWO lbs. of honej'— an average of 301 

 lbs., spring count— a pretty fair record for a boy, 

 for his first year, by himself. 



A GOOD REPORT FOR BI.ACIC BEES. 



It seems to me I hear you say, "They must have 

 been a pure strain of Italians, or some other fancy 

 bi-eed." Well, they were a pure race of blacks, or 

 brown bees, as you choose to call them— those fel- 

 lows that some writers say " live only from hand to 

 mouth "— poor despised blacks. They are not so 

 poor a bee, after all. Who has got 49 colonies of 

 any other race that has done any better (take a 

 whole apiary through, not pick out 49 of the best)? 

 Do I think the brown bee is as good a honey-gath- 

 erer as the Italian? Yes. I don't think there is 

 very much difference, and I have been handling 

 them both for several years, and have had several 

 strains of Italian bees in that time. I am sure that 

 there is more difference in a location for an apiary 

 than there is in the race of bees. Take, for instance, 

 that same lot of bees that I sold and moved to Brod- 

 head, this last spring, where they were before I 

 moved them. They never gave as good an average 

 as my other apiaries. They had jiienty of basswood, 

 but were short of clover. In their new location 

 they had plenty of white clover, and a fair range 

 for basswood besides. As the weather was so dry, 

 and he had only the one apiary to attend to, he ex- 

 tracted ofteuer than I have ever done, and iliat 

 made a big difference in the amount of honey gath- 

 ered. Perhaps the Italian bee in the same place, and 

 handled the same, would have done as well, but I 

 don't thinkthey would have done any better, so you 

 see the Italian is not a favorite with me. I have a 

 good many pure Italians and a good many more- 

 hybrids, I think. The hybrids are the best workers; 

 and as for their stinging qualities, they can do their 

 share of it. The brown bees are the most peaceable, 

 and less liable to sting, of any bees I ever had. 



Now, I know that I may be treading on some- 

 body's sore toes, but I can not help saying just 

 what 1 think. I wish I could get a race of bright 

 Italians^ that are as peaceable to handle as my 

 brown bees, and I am ready to give $3.5.00 for a 

 queen or queens from which I can raise those bright 

 Italians that will be as peaceable, and as good hon- 

 ey-gatherers, as my brown bees. Why? Because 

 we have about as many bees as we cai-e to handle, 

 and would like to sell off our increase, and 1 think 

 Italians would sell better. 



I have some other things to aay at some future 



time, r will just say here, if any one wants my 

 views on any point in the bee-business, let me know 

 what it is. Edwin France. 



Plattevillc, Wis. 



Many thanks for yoin' excellent report, 

 friend F., and we are very mnch obliged to 

 you for this last invitation. Jn accordance 

 with it, I want you to tell ns a])out that' 

 home-made extractor tliat suits you better 

 than any you can buy. Tell us" iiow it is 

 made, and your objections to those that are 

 in the market.— Barreling your honey, and 

 bunging it up just as it is taken from the 

 hives, would be in accordance with friend 

 Bingham's views. I believe you are right in 

 saying that honey that is corked or bunged 

 up will keep longer without candying. Doubt- 

 less you remember what has been said about 

 the crop of alsike-clover honey which we 

 found at the Cokimbus State Fair. Well, 

 we are greatly surprised that, even after oin- 

 zero freezes of late, it has not candied a par- 

 ticle. You can cut it with a knife, and it is 

 really liquid amber, but no candying.— I am 

 very glad indeed to know that you have suc- 

 ceeded so well in teaching the boys A\ho 

 help you, tliat tiiey make the excellent re- 

 port you give us. Yes, I am glad to get it, 

 even if it i.s a good report from black bees. 

 But, look here, old friend ; even if you have 

 found as good results from black bees as 

 from Italians in the way of honey, how 

 about repelling moth millers— repelling rob- 

 bers, and ever so many other points that 

 have been brought out in the last 20 yearsV 

 JS'ever mind about treading on toes. "We 

 Avill pull our toes back out of the way. if you 

 get to tramping too close and too hard. At 

 the recent Michigan Convention there was 

 some talk about rearing black and hybrid 

 queen? for those who prefer them, and I re- 

 plied that we were ready to supply all de- 

 mand at the Home of the" Honey-Bees ; that 

 is, when it is settled that anybody wants 

 blacks and hybrids in preference to Italians. 



A GOOD REPORT FROM SOUTHERN 

 lOW^A. 



ITS Kl.dRA .VND RESOITRCES. 



HAVE located here in the southeast part of 

 Page Co., Iowa. I came here last March, 

 hence I have had the opportunity of noting 

 the character and result of the past honey- 

 season. The people here claim that it was a 

 very poor season, on account of the extreme 

 drought that prevailed, lasting from June 9th lui- 

 til Aug. 13th. This had the effect to cut short, 

 somewhat, the clover and basswood yield. It also 

 impaired the growth and development (.f the au- 

 tumn and fall flowers. The fall rains resulted 

 favorably to the secretion of nectar, and, as a re- 

 sult, bees are in a good condition f(n- the apju-oach- 

 ing winter. My yield for the season was 131 lbs.; 

 clover and basswood, and 98 lbs. autumn. Total, 

 317 lbs. per colony, for the season. 



If 1 am not mistaken, this is an excellent place 

 for bees and honey. The industry, however, has 

 been neglected, as nearly all use the box hive, or 

 some substitute. I brought fifty Simplicity hives 



