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(JhEANIN(iS IN BEE CULTUKE 



Jan. 



sonoflss4. Now. I can hardly think that 

 oui- raw recruits will all expect to do as well 

 as the above; but it demonstrates tliis : 

 Tiiat there are possibilities in bee culture 

 that none of us yet dream of ; and even if 

 some do make a start, and in a little while 

 get disco urase<l and disgcnsted.it does not 

 alter the facts given above. One more thing 

 is coming out stronger with the vvonderful 

 reports we have hail in the few days past ; 

 and it is, that with these modern improve- 

 ments and appliances one may connuence 

 with scarcely more than a single colony, and 

 close the season with a large apiary, and 

 tons of honey, our readers who care to, 

 may find friend U.'s report of his first year 

 with bees on page y, 18S3. 



JONES'S ZINC H<»NEV-B0.1KD. 



ADDITIONAL FACTS FllOM ACTDAL EXPERIENCE. 



SAM glrtd to see Doolittle cnmes to the front with 

 Jones's honey-hoard, for it allows the onticisms 

 — of lesser lights with a little more grace. We, 

 too, have had an experience with them; but after 

 your indorSHment of them, we were afraid to offer 

 our objection. 



L tst spring we purchased two, at an expense (by 

 the time we received rhem) of about 90 cents each; 

 and when our hives were ready for surplus, we ad- 

 justed them to two hives for extractlug, by simply 

 removing the mats, and putting on the zinc, and 

 then the second story full of foundation, or empty 

 combs. In about a week we opened the hives to 

 note result, and imagine our surprise to find the 

 queen aftoue, busily at work. We then moved all 

 tht5 brood below, together with the queen and all the 

 bees; readjusted the zinc h<iney-boards with great 

 care, filled up the second story again, and waited an- 

 other week, when, to our disgust, we found both 

 queens above, and hard at work as at first. We then 

 removed the D. A. Jones honey-boards, and laid them 

 upon the shelf, where they have had a peaceful 

 rest. 



It ia just as well to say, right here, that these 

 queens are hybrids, and are large and prolific. But 

 our conclusions were about as follows: The zinc 

 honey-boards may do well for queens that are not as 

 prolific as we have usually found the hybrids to be; 

 or they may do for a hive that is so constructed that 

 the brood-chamber can be enlarged to suit the ca- 

 pacity of aiiy queen, without disturbing the surplus 

 arrangement. But we are of the opinion, that, if 

 the zinc board is the only obstacle in the way of the 

 queens entering the surplus, and she takes a notion 

 to go in, she will go. We are also of the opinion, 

 that a u'ooden honey-board, an inch thick, with the 

 same size of holi-s. is better for excluding the queen 

 from the surplus arrangement, for it is very evident 

 that a queen will re«dily pass through a hole in a 

 sheet of ziBC, when she would fail in the attempt to 

 get through the same size hole as long as her body. 

 If you entertain doubts, try the cxptriment your- 

 self. Cut two holes; one in an inch board that will 

 just allow you to pass through by twisting your 

 shoulders; and one the same size through a wall 

 that is about as thick as y mr body is long, and then 

 see if yi>u don't abandon the second hole before you 

 get through. ■ 



It occurs to me that the entrance-guard for exclud- 



ing and exterminating drones, is a good thing; but 

 with the knowledge of the queen's powers of dimin- 

 ishing her size almost at will, and on short notice, in 

 order to ace >mpli»h her purpose, we can not have 

 much faith in th'^m for retaining her in the hive to 

 prevent swarming; and our faith in them for that 

 purpose —although we have not tried it — is less 

 since our experience with the honey-board. 

 Kirksville, Mo. J. D. Pearce. 



Friend P., we are much obliged for your 

 testimtmy, although I am considerably sur- 

 prisetl at it. I confess that I have always 

 been a little skeptical in regard to devices of 

 this nature for restraining queens, for the 

 same thing was tried pretty thoroutihly when 

 we tried them for fertilization in confine- 

 ment. As several reports appeared, how- 

 ever, during the past season, showing that 

 they answered the purpose of keeping the 

 queen below, 1 had begun to settle down to 

 the belief they did so, and I still think that 

 many queens would be hindered by their use. 

 — I have no faith at all in wooden" separators 

 for retaining queens, and not much for keep- 

 ing out drones either; but I believe the per- 

 forated metal is a sure thing on drones, at 

 any rate. Please let us bring facts forward, 

 dear friends, with kindly and friendly feel- 

 ings. Don't let us be in haste to " sit down 

 hard" on anybody, even though their experi- 

 ence has been much different from ours. A 

 good deal more charity won't hurt us. 



FURTHER PARTICULARS FROITI 



FRIEND HOBLEK'S GREAT YIELD 



OF HONEY, 



SEE P. 712, NOV. JUVENILE. 



R. ROOT : — You request me to give a detailed 

 account as to how 1 got so much honey from 

 my bees. The bees deserve all the credit. 

 Had I done my part properly, I should have had 

 nearer 4000 than 3000 lbs. In the first place, I let 

 them make lots of brood in the upper boxes; and 

 when I found that, I cut out enough capped brood to 

 make several swarms, and made the poor bees All 

 up again with honey, which they did after awhile. 

 Then some of my first caps had too small openings 

 for the bees; and after wasting a good deal of their 

 time, I gave them fresh caps, with large openings, 

 and they went to work at once. Then again 1 was 

 delayed foi sections, and by bad luck, so that I oould 

 not always attend to them when I should. 



With all natural swarming, as mine was, there was 

 much loss of time from many swarms having only 

 virgin queens, and in ways which all bee-keepers 

 understand. They were originally Italians, but are 

 now nearly all hybrids, which I think are the best 

 for comb-building. I used only starters, even in the 

 bottom boxes, so they had all their work to do. 



Most of the farmers around here have from 2 to 20 

 swarms, and raise honey for their own use. It is 

 worth about 8c. per lb. here, but if in good shape, 

 double that in San Francisco. We use faur sections 

 to a cap, each section having 8 frames; and when full, 

 weighing from 12 to U lbs. A filled cap holds 50 lbs. 

 of honey — a convenient size to handle. 1 believe 

 this hits been a very good season for honey; but if 

 all goes well, 1 will make a report again next year. 

 Gkokge Hubler, 



Hanf ord, Tu lare Co. , Cal. , Dec. 4, 1««3- 



