872 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1917 



or in warmer weather with robbing bees, 

 we have about decided that one such ex- 

 perience in putting in so many full combs 

 in the fall of year, when the brood-nests 

 are thus more or less disorganized, is about 

 enough. Tn other words, if a colony is 

 short ten i:)ounds I would rather make up 

 the deficiency with 15 pounds of thick syr- 

 up than to tear out three partly filled combs 

 and sulDstitute tlu'ee full combs of honey. 

 No one denies that honey is the most per- 

 fect food for bees when brood-rearing is 

 taken into consideration ; but for actual 

 midwinter use I wonder if any beekeeper 

 seriously entertains the idea that sugar syr- 

 up is in any way detrimental to the health 

 of the adult bees. Personally I do not want 

 to buy sugar except when really necessary; 

 but at the same time I think there is a lot 

 of nonsense being written as to the hurtful 

 effect of sugar-feeding of bees, granting, 

 as already intimated, that said feeding is 

 confined to winter conditions when little 

 brood-rearing is going on, and is, indeed; 

 not desired. 



Our north apiaries have had this defi- 

 ciency of ten pounds per colony made up 

 by feeding 15 pounds of syrup to each one. 

 Apiaries around home have had on the aver- 

 age three full combs of honey placed in 

 brood-nests after taking out a like number 

 of partly filled combs. No matter what 

 your attitude is on sugar- fee ding, I ask any 

 extensive beekeeper in the northern zone, 

 especially outdoor winterers, " Which lot of 

 bees would you prefer to take chances on?"' 

 There is no question in my mind as to 

 wliich Avould be the best gamble; for, other 

 conditions being equal, and with quite a 

 few years' experience in wintering a lot of 

 bees, we have found that the colony with a 

 center of s^Tup for cold-weather consump- 

 tion needs little insurance so far as winter- 

 ing is concerned. 



Sugar cost us about $9.40 on the aver- 



age, and buckwheat honey was sold for 13 

 in barrels, and 13"", '2 in tins. At that figure 

 I think the margin was sufficient to have 

 covered all costs of extracting, etc., and the 

 feeding job here at home would have been 

 much more satisfactoiy, from my viewpoint 

 at least. It is needless to say the GOO combs 

 did not suffice for all the five yards, as a 

 few hundred pounds of sugar was fed in 

 addition to the combs saved out. Most of 

 the latter were for Langstroth hives, while 

 tlie majority of the jumbo hives were heavy 

 enough without feeding. 



* » * 



liees ai'ound here are going into winter 

 quarters very strong — too strong, in fact, if 

 we happen to have a very mild January to 

 start brood-rearing and cause stores to be 

 consumed. Many colonies in 10-frame L. 

 hives actuallj' fill all the spaces between 

 tlie combs on frosty mornings even if the 

 bulk of combs are sealed solid. With such 

 a force of bees it is easy to see what might 

 happen with a warm January, as such con- 

 ditions have existed before to my knowl- 

 edge, with disastrous results in some cases. 



* * * 



ITone}^ prices are ruling high, higher, and 

 hinhest ever — at least the highast for our 

 tim.e. Speaking j-estei'day with a Toronto 

 wholesaler he stated that in a week or two 

 lie would be able to supply me with some 

 California honey. Asking what the price 

 would be, he stated that to the trade they 

 would have to ask 20 cts. a pound in 30- 

 pound tins. While we do not expect to 

 buy any of it, yet we are expectantly wait- 

 ing to sample that from the far West that 

 is going to be handed out at such top-notch 

 prices. The dealer was not sure as to the 

 Is'ind of honey, but said the sample was very- 

 fine, and that he could not get another ear, 

 so we do not know what to expect — sage, 

 orange, alfalfa, or other brand not familiar 

 to Canadian taste. 



IP over any 

 fedeial - ex- 

 tension bee- 

 worker gets 

 quite seriously ill, so that it looks for a 

 time as tho he might have to give up his 

 work, and all his friends are worried, 

 evidently the quickest road to prompt re- 

 covery is a mention of the illness in the 

 Dixie Bee Department of Gleanings. It 

 cured Mr. Hawkins, and now it has cured 

 Mr. Bartholomew. May they both stay 

 f'ured — we need them. 



THE DIXIE BEE 



Grace Allen, Nashville, Tenn. 



A live, ag- 

 gressi\e state 

 beelc^epers' _as- 

 s o c i a t i n is 

 There is such a 

 It is young, to 



something to be proud of 

 one in North Carolina, 

 be sure, but it is no sickly weakling with 

 its guardians wondering if it can survive 

 its second summer. Thriving and enier- 

 getic, full of vigor and vitality, it is 

 growing steadily. Organized in January of 

 this year, 1917, Avith about forty members, 

 it had grown bv the end of August to a 



