692 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



My last feeding was after reading of the hard 

 candy method given in Gleanings for Jan. 1, and 

 I can say it was not at all satisfactory with me be- 

 cause on examination after feeding the hard candy 

 I found the bees letting it alone. It proved to be so 

 liard that I removed it and fed them my own way, 

 which is so simple and effectual that I have never 

 been able to improve on it. I prepare the feed by 

 working pure granulated sugar into a smooth stiflf 

 dough with as little wateV as possible. Then to feed, 

 I put a batch of this on three or four thicknesses of 

 paper, giving each colony what it needs. I smoke 

 the bees down a little from the tops of the frames, 

 and place the feed directly over the cluster ; then I 

 push a long-bladed knife through sugar down be- 

 tween the frames in one or two places; turn up the 

 edges of the paper, put on oilcloth, and then they are 

 fed. I have taken out sugar prepared this way 

 weeks after, and found it a nice soft case, the bees 

 eating as they wanted it. I think the dryness of the 

 air here is the cause of the candy becoming so hard. 



We have ten-frame hives, all hand-made by my- 

 self. I agree and disagree with W. L. Porter 

 (Gleanings, Nov. 15, 1913). If the beginner has 

 ready cash and can get factory-made supplies with- 

 out unreasonable expense, freight, etc., and knows 

 what to get, all right; but if not, and he can get 

 lumber cheap, and is determined to make a start, go 

 ahead ; make supplies and keep bees. I have never 

 had first-class supplies, but have always made some 

 profit. 



Valliant, Okla. Fred Myers. 



[There have been some other complaints in regard 

 to the candy being unsatisfactory, but never because 

 it was too hard, always because it was too soft. We 

 are pretty well convinced, now, that, while the candy 

 such as we describe is all right when it is made just 

 right, nevertheless it is difficult to get it exactly he 

 right consistency. We ourselves are having quite 

 good results from the hard candy with the exception 

 of some cases where it grew too soft. — Ed.] 



Small's Candy Given a Test 



The severe weather in February and March caused 

 quite a large number of colonies to die. They flew 

 almost every day until Feb. 7. I tried candy for 

 feeding, as per A. V. Stnall, page 141, Feb. 15, as 

 late as March, and found it a success. It is easily 

 and quickly made, and I recommend it to any one 

 needing feed as a first-class feed, and one that fills 

 every want of the bees. 



Wading River, N. J. S. Powers. 



Less Water in Making Hard Candy 



Regarding the time required to make hard candy 

 for winter feeding, it requires about four hours of 

 boiling over a hot fire, with equal parts of sugar and 

 water, in lots of 5 lbs. of sugar and 15 minutes of 

 boiling, with six parts of sugar and one part of 

 water. With the thicker mixture, care must be ex- 

 ercised at the start ; and in either case the last five 

 minutes of boiling is a critical stage. The quicker 

 method is entirely safe and manifestly cheaper, and a 

 matter of moment if much candy is made. 



A. Wheeler, Jr. 



West Falls Church, Va., March 9. 



[We have tried using less water, but have felt 

 that the danger of burning is so great that it is 

 hardly safe. — Ed. ] 



as it retains the heat. Place sugar with enough 

 water to start, add small amount of lemon juice. 

 When it boils place a cover on same and let boil for 

 five minutes; remove cover, and wash down sides of 

 kettle to get all the sugar off. Place a thermometer 

 in batch, and cook to 315 or 320 degrees. Pour 

 on oiled marble, let cool, run knife under same, and 

 when cold sprinkle with plenty of sugar which keeps 

 it from sweating or dries it off. 



Modesto, Cal. F. F. Turner. 



On Disturbing Bees in Winter 



In reference to the editorial, page 84, Feb. 1, 

 giving the article copied from the American Bee 

 Journal, I think your summing-up was wrong. 1 

 would sum it up like this: Mr. Doolittle picked out 

 the only colony, in his opinion, that was worth buy- 

 ing, and left those that were worth very little with 

 the farmer. The farmer's bees all died. If the 

 farmer's colonies had not been disturbed at all, I 

 wonder if a good number of them might not have 

 been alive in the spring. In my opinion it all de- 

 pends upon what condition bees go into winter quar- 

 ters whether they can be disturbed or not. 



In 1912 I put five colonies of bees in Danzenbaker 

 hives, doubling up, making one hive out of two. All 

 five were full of bees, and there was from 80 to 100 

 lbs. of honey in each. These colonies were in my 

 cellar next to the furnace, where we passed them 

 twenty times a day, and disturbed them a good deal 

 more than I had been taught was good for them. 

 Yet they came out of the cellar May 2 and swarmed 

 May 29, leaving the two Danzenbaker hives full of 

 bees and brood in all stages, with queen-cells in both. 



This was the mildest winter (1912-'13) we ever 

 had in Quebec. We were able to go canoeing on the 

 St. Lawrence in February. The winter of 1913 '14 

 was the coldest on record. We had 56 days from 

 20 to 35 below zero in January and February. I 

 put 15 colonies in winter quarters in the fall in two- 

 story Danzenbaker hives with from 80 to 100 lbs. 

 of honey stored in each hive. They were disturbed 

 in January by moving them into the cellar; besides, 

 we had to bring wood into the cellar next to them 

 with only a board partition between. We had to 

 fire the furnace right next to them. The cellar froze 

 every vegetable in it solid. My bees were without 

 bottom-boards. To-day being fine and springlike we 

 took them out, although it is too early for us. We 

 were anxious to see if any were alive. To our sur- 

 prise all were alive, and in fit condition to divide, 

 if we had had queens ready to divide them. 



It is my opinion that, after two years like these, 

 we can disturb bees in winter quarters and benefit 

 by it, if they are well supplied with bees and honey 

 in the fall — a much greater supply, though, than is 

 generally allowed. Just how much they can be dis- 

 turbed, I am not prepared to say. 



C. A. Stevens. 



Bromptonville, Que., Can., April 22. 



Another Way of Making Hard Candy 



I have been reading of trouble in making hard 

 candy. I have followed the candy trade and made 

 liundreds of pounds, so would be glad to help our 

 brother, page 153, Feb. 15. A copper kettle is best. 



A Colony Nearly Destroyed by Mice 



Last fall when I put my bees away for the winter 

 I did not turn the bottom-boards, but left the % 

 entrance side up, and slipped in the sticks with the 

 % by 7 slot, making the winter entrance. Some of 

 the sticks were somewhat loose, and a few days later 

 I noticed one end of one had swung out of the proper 

 place. This did not seem unusual, as there was 

 more or less wind, and I thought the hive might 

 have vibrated enough to cause it. However, this 

 occurred several times, so that I suspected that 

 something was moving them. The fall here was a 

 very open one. Bees flew every day, almost, up till 

 a few days before Christmas. Owing to this I did 

 not put the winter cases on till after t'hvistiiias. 



When I was ready to wrap the hive tliat had the 

 entrance stick moved I concluded to look in and see 



