1888 



GLEA:^lNGt5 iii BEE CULTURE. 



355 



THE COMBINED SHIPPING AND HONEY CRATE. 



I want to know more about the combined shipping 

 and honey crate that j-ou describe on pag-e li) of 

 youj- catalogue. Is it intended to go inside of the 

 li4-story S. hive? Tt seems to me that the bees 

 would seal it to the honey-board or frames below 

 until it would be impossible to get the sections out 

 or the crate oil' the hive. My hives are lV4-8tory 

 Simplicity, with the sections in one-half-depth 

 frames; but I don't like them. What would you 

 advise m» to use? T. J. Fokd. 



Morgan, Texas, March 14, 1SS8. 



Yes, the combined crate is designed to be 

 used inside of the half-story cover. It has 

 just the disadvantage you niiention, and we 

 always recommend our T super with our 

 honey-board as being cheaper and more 

 easily managed. The combined crate can 

 not be tiered up inside the Simplicity hive. 

 The reason the word " combined " is at- 

 tached to its name is because it is used by 

 some, both as a hive-crate and a shipping 

 and retailing case. Usually it is not advis- 

 able to retail from the same crate in which 

 the honey has been secured. 



THE GERMS OF FOUL BROOD IN THE DROPPINGS 

 OF BEES ; A CAREFULLY CONDUCTED EX- 

 PERIMENT. 



T am sure that the germs of foul brood are con- 

 tained in the honej', and T base my assertion on 

 the following: I had some colonies infected with 

 foul brood, and determined to experiment. I there- 

 fore collected about two grains of the droppings 

 of some of the bees from the diseased hives, put 

 them in syrup, and fed it to a healthy colony that I 

 had purchased, and left ten miles from my own 

 bees. It is unnecessary to say, that the bees from 

 the colony so fed were not allowed to fly, except 

 under cover, where there was no means for them 

 to escape. In just 13 days the brood began to show 

 unmistakable signs of foul brood, and in 4 weeks 

 the colony was in a very bad condition of foul 

 brt)Od. They were fed only about Vi pint of the in- 

 fected syrup. This shows the potency of the fun- 

 gus (?) which produces foul bi-nod. 



Montrose, N. Y. J. S. Gumming. 



Your experiment is a valuable one, friend 

 C, and it seems to be conclusive ; but we 

 can not help pitying the poor bees, even if 

 it is necessary that they should lose their 

 lives in the " interests of science.'" 



anxious TO DO SOMETHING TO EARN MONEY. 



I am a farmer's wife, anxious to do something to 



earn some money. I have thought of keeping bees, 



but am entirely ignorant of their culture or care. 



If I go into the business, I wish to be entirely 



independent of masculine aid, and wish to make 



it a success. What is your advice? 



Mrs. S. D. Ford. 

 Romford, Conn., Mar. :l, 1888. 



If I understand you, my good friend, you 

 have not, as yet, niuch capital to put into 

 the business. As you are situated, I would 

 advise you to purchase two swarms of bees, 

 not more, of somebody in your vicinity; 

 then get a bee-book. If you are going to 

 follow my instructions, perhaps you had 

 better get the A B C l)ook. Don't buy any 

 thing more until you get acquainted with 

 your bees, and acquainted with your book ; 

 and 1 would not purchase very much until 



the two swarms of Ijees have furnished the 

 money wherewith to make the purchases. 

 If you go slow and- sure in that way, the 

 masculine element in your vicinity won't 

 have a chance to laugh, and say,"'" I told 

 you so ! '' 



WHEN AND HOW TO STIMULATE ; COVERING FOR 



FRAMES, ETC. 



1. I should like to have as many young swarms of 

 bees as possible, and also prefer early swarming. 

 How shall I get them quite early, say in June? 

 Would not feeding do this? When shall 1 begin to 

 feed, and how much and how often? 



'i. Would not some porous and coarse material, 

 such as grain-bags, cut to suit, be best to lay over 

 frames and under the packing over bees when in 

 winter quarters? I think, if bees would not cut 

 through, this would soak or inhale all moisture 

 from bees, which gum or oil cloth would not. 



:i. Has it yet been known that bees would smoth- 

 er or die when drifted entirely over with snow? 



4. What was the cause of a colony of bees dying 

 during winter? They were all right in the fall. In 

 the spring I found them dead in the bottom of the 

 hive, mixed with what looked to be a handful of 

 yellow corn meal, with an odor coming from it. 

 The hive had about 30 lbs. of honey in it yet. 



W.E.DOWLING. 



Drover's Home, Pa., Apr. 5, 1888. 



1. You can start brood-rearing by feeding 

 about i pound of sugar syrup daily. You 

 can begin now, if necessary. 



2. you can use old grain-sacks or burlap 

 for covering the frames. We prefer enamel- 

 ed sheets, as given in our price list, for sum- 

 mer use, for the bees are less liable to gnaw 

 holes in it. In winter we prefer burlap. 



o. As this question is so fully answered 

 on page 138 of the Feb. 15th issue, in the 

 '' Question-Box " department, we would re- 

 fer you to that place. Most bee-keepers are 

 of the opinion that the snow does no harm. 



4. The bees you speak of as being dead in 

 the bottom of the hive, doubtless died from 

 dysentery. Such bees often look very much 

 as you describe. 



GROWING VEGETABLES IN FLORIDA. 



Our bees are doing very well. I have taken some 

 honey from the orange-blossom; very fair, thick 

 honey; comb white, but rather heavy; not so crisp 

 and tender as white clover. I have had several 

 swarms. My location is not the best tor honey, it 

 being high pine lands. Vegetable-growing is going 

 to be a greater industry in Florida tlian the orange. 

 There is being shipped daily now from our station 

 two and some days three car-loads of cabbages. 

 Prices paid at depot, spot cash, $2.-.") per barrel, or 

 crate of same size. Some tomatoes are shipped 

 from here. There are several thousand acres of 

 them within ten miles. New potatoes are com- 

 ing in some, and will be shipped soon. Beans are 

 plentiful, and peas are about all shipped. Prices 

 for i>eas have been good— from $4.0i) to $nM per 

 crate, net cash here. Florida is bound to win. Her 

 resources are great; hut time will develop them. 



Altoona, Fla., March :iS, 1888. John Ckavcraft. 



Friend C, when the cabbages you men- 

 tion come to Medina, they bring about $4.50. 

 Why do you say, " Peas are about all ship- 

 ped''? Can't you raise peas all summer 

 long, as we do here? 



