OCTOBER 15, 1914 



807 



Mr. llaiul states, " 1 am a firm believer in 

 the immunity from such diseases as Euro- 

 pean foul brood, paralysis, spring dwin- 

 dling, dysentery, and kindred diseases, by 

 maintaining sanitary wintering conditions 

 with respect to pure food in abundance, and 

 suitable })roteetion out in the open." 



While there undoubtedly is much in this 

 I know that American foul brood may be 

 found in colonies of bees in the very best of 

 condition so far as outward evidence goes; 

 and I venture to say that foul-broody honey 

 fed to colonies of varying strength will 

 show no difference in results. Now, I am 

 not going to deny that, to a certain extent, 

 there may be a constitutional difference in 

 bees which makes them more or less im- 

 mune to germs of disease; but this is not 

 designated, or, rather, controlled by stores, 

 wintering, etc. 



.SIZE OP UROOD-CHAMBER. 



Mr. Hand slates, " Eight frames is the 

 maximum capacity for best lesnlts, and six 

 is nearer correct." 



If a twelve-frame colony of bees has been 

 able to cover the combs of a hive having 

 tiu'ee or four upper stories — yes, I will say 

 two upper stories — eight combs will not he 

 sufficient for their late autumn and winter 

 requirements; yet I would say the surist 

 and best results are to be obtained by con- 

 tracting the brood-cJiamber so the bees will 

 cover their winter stores and the combs of 

 the hive. 



UPWARD VENTILATION AND HIVES. 



When we touch upon the question of what 

 the instinct of the bee is, we must remember 

 that the honeybee is not a native of north- 

 ern countries, and the instinct of propoliz- 

 ing the hive may be more to keep moisture 

 out than for any other jjurpose, and that in 

 any case instinct is of value only in so far 

 as it is in natural environments. 



As to the hive being suitable for both 

 summer and winter, in my estimation the 

 requirements would be of such a nature 

 that it would add too much to the cost and 

 weight of the hive. 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



While .%-gely agreeing witli Mr. Hand 

 as to the inadvisability of cellar wintering, 

 we must remember that, to keep bees where 

 there is a " compulsory retention of fecal 

 matter during long confinement," is a " vio- 

 lation of nature's laws," be that outside or 

 inside. He states that " bees love to revel 

 in God's pure air and bright sunshine, hence 

 an enforced confinement for four months in 

 total darkness ... is not conducive to 

 health." 



Bees do come out to jDure air and bright 

 sunshine ; but give them a place secluded 

 with a small entrance, or ask them to found 

 a home in the open, even if not exposed 

 to rain, and we pretty well know what they 

 will choose. 



FEEDING SUGAR SYRUP. 



Let us take a colony which has come 

 through a season where nectar was scarce, 

 and the bees have gathered insufficient 

 stores for winter, and they ripen sugar 

 syru]) instead of honey, why has that col- 

 ony suffered any more from storing syrup f 

 1 do not think it has. The great thing is to 

 give the feed so that it will all be in the 

 comb in 24 hours. Give it as Mr. Pland 

 states, in the proportion of two of sugar to 

 one of water (I would even say 2% of su- 

 gar to one of water). Feed it when the 

 weather is cool. Feeding honey excites 

 bees more than feeding sugar syrup, and 

 therefore there should be less waste in feed- 

 ing sugar syrup. Sugar syrup should be 

 better for winter, and honey better for 

 spring. Last spring I was surprised to find 

 how few colonies reared brood before the 

 bees began to gather pollen. The most of 

 the colonies had not been fed any sugar 

 syrup the previous fall, and I had intro- 

 duced 400 Italian queens the previous fall. 

 There undoubtedly is something about hon- 

 ey which excites and stimulates the bees 

 more than syrup. If this is not believed, 

 try it in robbing time ; try it when you feed 

 the bees; try it to induce brood-rearing, and 

 you will be satisfied. This is one reason 

 why I like sugar s>ru]) as a winter food. 



Brantford, Canada. 



ALFALFA" GROWING M THREE STATES 



BY O. G. ALLEN 



Some time ago there was a request for 

 information in reference to the time to cut 

 alfalfa. I have had 15 years' experience in 

 the alfalfa of eastern Oregon, Washington, 

 and Idaho. 



The proper time to cut (he alfalfa in the 



West is when the shoots of the following 

 crop are low enough to be missed by the 

 sickle. I paid no attention to the stage of 

 bloom; but ordinarily the first crop should 

 be cut when one-eighth in bloom. The sec- 

 ond when about lialf in bloom; the third 



