1884 



GLEANtKGS IN BEE CULTUUE. 



nn 



MBS. JENNIE GULP'S APIARY, 



AS REPORTED TO THE BEE-KEEPERS CONVENTION 

 LAST WINTER. 



COMMENCED the season's operations with a 

 stock of 28 colonies; and as ray chief object 

 was honey rather than increase, I prevented 

 early swarming by pinching: out queen-cells; 

 wanted but little increase, as I felt that, for an 

 ABC scholar, I had already an " elephant" on my 

 hands. 



I commenced examining' them the 6th of Feb., 

 and increased their stores of honey as I thought 

 they needed it, by inserting frames of honey; and 

 as I had an abundance, 1 continued to supply them 

 until the flow of white clover set in. I used noth- 

 ing for stimulating to keep up brood-rearing but 

 natural stores, and that in the frames iis put up hy 

 the bees. To those who have not natural stores for 

 feeding, I will say I carried my bees through the 

 spring of 1882 very successfully on maple sugar in 

 the cake. Meanwhile I built up weak colonies by 

 giving them frames of brood from strong colonies, 

 thus equalizing and keeping in vigorous action the 

 whole apiary. As a result of such treatment I had 

 every hive booming with bees when the flow <if hon- 

 ey set in from white clover. 



My first swarm issued June 15, the last one July 

 2;$, having an increase of 20 colonics, which was 

 more than I desired; but multifarious duties, and 

 light supply of help, led to my neglect of them, for 

 I find the successful management of bees is what 

 Patrick Henry termed the price of Uhnty. 



June 18th and 19th I e.\tracted 120(t lbs. of honey 

 from the upper story of hives. I did not take any 

 from the brood-chamber during the season. The 28 

 colonies not only furnished .5000 lbs. e.vtracted hon- 

 ey, but furnished the increased colonies with from 

 two to four framts of brood and honey to com- 

 mence housekeeping with. The new colonies being 

 immediately furnished with honey-bo.xes in order to 

 give them working room, they not only filled their 

 brood-chamber, but made 300 lbs. of comb honey in 

 sections. 



I attribute my success to having every thing in 

 readiness, and bees in liealthy vigorous condition 

 on the opening of the honey season, and having sur- 

 plus frames filled with comb so as to furnish each 

 colony with a full supply, so that there was no time 

 lost by workers in building comb, nor consequent 

 waste of honey, as it is estimated that it requires 20 

 lbs. of honey for the production of 1 lb. of comb. 



The time arrived when I had to say, " Enough 

 honey; go to work and build me some comb." I re- 

 moved 75 frames of honey from the upper stories, 

 giving them empty frames with only inch starters, 

 and the majority of them were built full of comb, 

 and filled with honey. 



Another element of success in profitable bee-keep- 

 ing, I find to be keeping your bees busy. I think in 

 their habits they approximate us beings of a higher 

 order of intelligence, in that, when every wish is 

 gratified, we are disposed to say, " Sovil, take thine 

 ease; thou hast much goods laid up for many 

 years," or, in other words, when they have about 

 filled their home they appear to settle down to a 

 listless, lazy condition. 



I often, when my bees become indolent, go to 

 their hive, take away a part of their stores, or good 

 comb, and, if possible, give them old broken or dirty 

 comb (tor you know they will not tolerate dirt), 



smoke them in if they are hanging out, and then 

 witness with what renewed energy and diligence 

 they assume the task of putting things to rights; 

 and it will be a lesson, if properly appreciated, that 

 will do the soul good (what a lesson to some of us 

 housewives)! Give the stores, thus taken, to dis- 

 couraged colonies, and thus stimulate' them to ac- 

 tion. It is asked by some, " How can you tell when 

 they are discouraged"/ " Brother A. 1. Root says 

 he can tell a robber by his looks—" A robber has a 

 sly, guilty look." I am not that far advanced; I 

 have to judge by action, and there is, in my opinion, 

 quite a diflerence between the actions of a content- 

 ed, lazy bee, and one that is discouraged. You will 

 soon learn by observation, and so modify your treat- 

 ment. 



I am so often asked by my correspondents for a 

 description of the hive I use, that a brief descrip- 

 tion here may save time to all parties; and I there- 

 fore crave your indulgence. The hive I am using is 

 a departure from the " Langstroth," designed by 

 my husband as an improvement, but he was eithe- 

 more honest or less sanguine than most inventor , 

 for, after a fair trial, he acknowledged it was not an 

 improvement, the brood -chamber having in it h 

 frames 17 inches long, 11 deep, upper storj' having 

 10 frames same length and depth (frames too deep). 

 My hives and frames are imiform in size. I use the 

 chaff, or cut-straw hive for winter packing. A very 

 good idea of the general appearance may be had 

 from accompanying plate. 



Being a tyro in reporting as in bee - keeping, 

 please accept in the spirit intended, and I remain 

 respectfully yours,— Mrs. Jennie Culp. 



Hilliards.-Ohio, April 4, 1884. 



Our friends will remember we spoke of 

 Mrs. Ciilp's wonderful yield of honey on 

 page 8S, and we now take pleasuie in pre- 

 senting the full report, together with a pic- 

 ture of her pretty ajiiary. Perhaps I should 

 explain that the above should have appeared 

 some time ago, but we were kept waiting ft r 

 the engraving, whieh, we trust, will lepay 

 for the delay. 



Perhaps 1 should add, that Mrs. Culp's 

 hus])and, before his decease, was a grower of 

 small fruits, and on this account he possess- 

 ed the taste and skill needed to give us a 

 pretty view. As a rule, I do not like hives 

 in long straiglit rows, as there is such a lia- 

 bility of both bees and queens getting into 

 the wrong hive; but in the picture before us 

 the shrubbery would likely tnable the bees 

 to fix a locality so as to avoid this difficulty. 

 The shrubbery !-hown in the picture is much 

 of it small fruits, if I am correct, interspers- 

 ed with evergreens and fruit-learing trees. 

 Friend Culp, before his death, was a warm 

 friend of Gi.eanincjs, and my accpiaintance 

 with him, which extended over nuiny years. 

 was very pleasant. It is a little sad tothink 

 that his apiary never, during his life, gave 

 the results in honey that it has since he was 

 taken away. xMrs. C. says that he planned 

 the work for her, told her repeatedly what 

 to do, had hives and frames in readiness, 

 and busied himself during his last working 

 hours before his death, to provide imple- 

 ments and necessaries that he knew she 

 would need when she should be obliged to 

 take up the work herself without her life- 

 long companion to teach and suggest. Even 

 during the pain of his sickness, his work and 



