226 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. 



larily by tlie two inside rims before men- 

 tioned. These are then nailed. Next, the 

 two end rims are fitted into position, and 

 nailed. The whole hive is then inverted, 

 and two strips, 2 x 5, in length equal to the 

 width of the hive, are nailed on to the bot- 

 tom of the inside shell. Over this is laid a 

 piece of tarred paper large enough to cover 

 the inside of the hive. Over the whole we 

 then nail temporarily some rough boards. 

 The hive is then ready to be packed. When 

 enough are put together, as just describ- 

 ed, they are taken out to some convenient 

 place, the false bottoms removed, and the 

 dead- air spaces packed with chaff, after 

 which the tarred paper is replaced, and the 

 rough boards are then nailed to J J, Fig. 1, 

 permanently. 



The upper portion of the hive will be ap- 

 parent from the diagram. D D, Fig. 1, are 

 the two ends of the Simplicity hive ; F E F 

 is the cover. You will observe that the 

 Simplicity body just fits upon the water- 

 table of the one-story chaff. We are thus 

 enabled to secure all or nearly all of the ad- 

 vantages of tlie Simplicity hives, together 

 with one or two other additional advan- 

 tages ; as. for instance, a wintering hive. 

 For points of superiority of this chaff hive 

 over the two-story, the reader is referred to 

 page 189, last year's volume. 



'JllE ONE-STOKY CHAFF A.S A WINTER 

 HIVE. 



AVe have sold a good many of these hives 

 during the past year, and they have given 

 universal satisfaction. During tlie time 

 that they have been in use, now over 7 

 years, we do not remember to have received 

 one adverse report in regard to them. That 

 bees may die in them during winter, may 

 be true. Bees also die in two-story chaff 

 hives. Since the mention of them on page 

 189 of our volume for 18S7 we have had quite 

 a number of very favorable reports. 



PROSPECTS ENCOURAGING FOR TEXAS. 



TjFOU wish to get prospects lor honey. In this 

 Mhj section it is very good: plenty of" rain this 

 ^^ winter, and spring is here now with peaches, 

 ^ plums, box-elders, and barb-berries in full 

 bloom; willows, and water and slippery elm 

 are past blooming; but we are not past danger of 

 frost until about the time when spring commences 

 by the almanac. 



Gleanings is becoming much improved now, 

 with the Question-Box. I got behind the times, not 

 seeing it for 11/2 years. 1 will not miss it again as 

 long as I keep bees. I would rather stop farming 

 than to be without bees. A number of bee-keepers 

 lost their bees last year, mostly from the want of 

 water, I think; but the information I had from the 

 ABC book and Gleanings saved my 40 colonies. 

 They are in fine condition now and may be swarm- 

 ing in two or three weeks. G. Oberkampf. 

 Crane's Mill, Tex., Feb. 27, 1888. 



more good prospects fob TEXAS. 



Prospects for a honey crop are excellent here. 

 We had plenty of rain this winter. Bees are gather- 

 ing pollen and some honey; thej^ are in fine condi- 

 tion. L. Stachelhausen. 



Selma, Bexar Co., Texas, Feb. 23, 1888. 



NONE LOST OUT OF 140. 



I went into winter quarters with 140 colonies in 

 the cellar; up to this date there is no sign of any 

 disease. R. A. Weir. 



Clayburg, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1888. 



wintering well. 



We have 17 swarms of bees. They appear to be 

 wintering well. Honey is all sold at from 13 to 15 cts. 

 We could sell more if we had it. E. G. Dodge. 



Turin, Lewis Co., N. Y., Feb. 21, 1888. 



wintered well, and new pollen. 



Bees have wintered well in this section of North 

 Carolina. I have heard of but very few dying this 

 winter. My bees are all alive to date, and gathering 

 pollen ^■ery rapidly. I will give all the information 

 I can from this section, free. J. H. Burrage. 



China Grove, N. C, Feb. 20, 1888. 



POLLEN FROM CEDAR. 



We have had several warm days, and my bees 

 are gathering pollen rapidly from the cedar. I 

 never saw bees woi'k on cedar before. The trees 

 are literally covered with bees. I believe they are 

 getting honey also. Lots of them go without pol- 

 len. I don't remember of ever having seen in the 

 A B C or Gleanings where cedar is mentioned as 

 a honey-tree. It would make your eyes sparkle to 

 see them on the cedar to-day. K. B. Wilh.\ms. 



Winchester, Tenn.. Feb. 13, 1888. 



Of 68 stands of bees packed, all are flying to-day. 

 Of 26 stands not packed, 4 are aead. A. E. Mayer. 

 Burket. Ind.. Feb. 23, 1888. 



THE FIRST DRONE ; PROSPECTS GOOD FOR NEXT 

 SEASON. 



Yesterday, Feb. 19, was a warm day, and the bees 

 were flying out and seemed to be working. I saw 

 one drone. What does it indicate, to see drones at 

 this time of year"? The Italian queen that I receiv- 

 ed from you last May is doing finely. I saw young 

 Italians out yesterday, taking- their playspell. I 

 have ten hives in apparently good condition; lost 

 none this winter, yet I think that this will be a 

 good year for bees, as last year there was scarcely 

 any thing for them in this locality. 



Glencoe, O., Feb. 20, 1888. P. M. Sutton. 



One or two drones are often found in the 

 hives in the winter time ; but it seems to be 

 a sort of accident, and indicates nothing, so 

 far as I know. 



FROM 13 TO 32, AND 50_ LBS. PER COLONY. 



I commenced in the spring with 13 swarms in a 

 weak condition. They pricked up a little, and I got 

 WO lbs. of milkweed honey, extracted. As we have 

 no clover or basswood, nor any early honey to 

 speak of, we have to depend almost entirely on fall 

 honey, which is almost wholly from heart" sease. I 

 increased altogether by artificial swarming, and 

 think it the best way for our locality. I increased 

 to 33, and had them all good and strong; then I put 

 the boxes off lor section honey. Two swarmed on 

 the 4th of Sept.; the other the 13th; they both filled 

 their hives ready for winter, in good shape. I got 

 about 50 lbs. per colony, spring count, of comb 

 honey. F. C. LeFevre. 



Juniata, Neb., Feb. 20, 1888. 



