126 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



As soon as weather would permit in spring, we 

 commenced to spread tlie brood in the stronger, and 

 give brood to the lighter; and from the middle of 

 April to the middle of May they seemed to do well; 

 but the cold and wet weather then commenced, when 

 they went down hill instead of up; and before they 

 could live again, we had to feed 6J0 or 700 lbs. of 

 honey. 



We did not lose any swarms entirely by starvation, 

 but I have no doubt that more feed would have paid 

 good interest on the investment. 



White clover was a failure, having, like the winter 

 wheat, mostly winter-killed. We got 2 bbla. of honey 

 before basswood, which was largely sumac. Bass- 

 wood bloomed heavily, and we were in hopes of a 

 large yield from this source; but when I tell you 

 that we had rain on 7 days of the 16 that basswood 

 was in bloom, bee-keepers will see that it was not 

 the most propitious for a big yield;] and yet, by hav- 

 ing over 200 swarms ready with 'the second stories 

 on, ready for every drop, and giving them prompt 

 attention, we succeeded in securing 12,000 lbs. of 

 basswood and 5000 lbs. of buckwheat and fall flowers 

 mixed. The basswood was fair for quality; the late 

 was very thick, and good quality for late honey. 

 We had far too much rain for a good yield; still, for 

 this year of failure, I am well satisfied with the 

 result. 



It took a good deal of figuring, and I might add 

 traveling, too, for the seventeen thousand pounds, 

 having the bees in six places. 



If 200 to 400 stocks will do well in one place, as 

 some contend, I traveled much more than was nec- 

 essary. There may be places where 200 to 300 colo- 

 nies may thrive; but my opinion is, that 100 or less 

 will do better, and give better returns than a larger 

 number. 



I have 23 swarms that I have moved twice this 

 winter; the first time, Nov. 15th, moved them 5 

 miles, and put them in a neighbor's cellar; and Jan. 

 18th I moved them home into my cellar. 



If this lot does extra well, so that I am satisfied 

 that winter moving is what they need, I will report 

 in the spring. I will add, that my increase was 100; 

 I therefore went into the winter with 350, 35 packed 

 in straw and chaff, out of doors; the rest in cellars. 



AVe have had a very steady, cold winter, from zero 

 all the way down tQ 38° below. 



Bees are wintering only moderately well. ' I have 

 swept up about 3 pecks around 90 swarms, so far, in 

 one cellar; I can not tell as to those outside as yet. 



Ithaca, Wis., Feb. 1, 1881. S. I. Freeborn. 



STRAY THOUGHTS FKOM ORCHARD 

 APIARY. 



No. 2. 



FEEDING BACK EXTRACTED HONEY. 



^F course, bee-keepers should endeavor by every 

 means in their power, to increase the demand 

 for extracted honey at a fair price; but when 

 it falls below that, it must be worked off in some 

 other way. Even if we run for comb honey, there 

 will always be more or less extracted on hand at the 

 end of the season, from unfinished combs and hives 

 that were not strong enough to work in boxes. At 

 the present market prices, in localities where there 

 is but little home demand for extracted, I think it 

 will pay the apiarist to feed it back and let the bees 

 put it into combs. I never had very good success in 



feeding back until last year, when I adopted a new 

 plan with very good success. I selected one of my 

 strongest, heaviest hives, and took out all the brood 

 except one frame of larvjE, nearly ready to seal, 

 and changed them for frames of solid honey from 

 other hives. A colony prepared in this manner will 

 be obliged to put all the honey they get into the 

 boxes, and will not waste anj' in unnecessary breed- 

 ing. I then selected the best of my unfinished box- 

 es, and tiered up according to the strength of the 

 stock, giving all the bees a chance to work. 1 fed 

 from a closed feeder on the outside of the hive, as 

 fast as the bees would take it, keeping honey in the 

 feeder night and day. As fast as the sections were 

 filled I removed them, putting others in their place 

 until all were finished, when I removed them and 

 changed the combs in the hive back to the hives I 

 took them from. I then gave the stock brood 

 enough to make up for what they had lost while I 

 was feeding them, so that they lost nothing by be- 

 ing fed. Now for the result: Counting the weight 

 of the sections before they were put back, in with 

 the exti acted, I found that it took 155 lbs. extracted 

 honey to make 100 lbs. of comb. As I sold my comb 

 honey for 20c per lb., and as extracted sold slow at 

 9 and 10c, I think it has paid me to feed back. 



I advise bee-keepers who are not sure of a home 

 market, to try feeding back by theabove method. I 

 feel sure you will be well satisfied with the result. 



' E. A. Thomas. 



Colerain, Franklin Co., Mass., Feb. 1, 1881. 



Thanks, friend T.; bnt I am sure the 

 greater part of that 15o lbs. was put in other 

 combs than tlie sections— in the hive some- 

 wliere ; for in making a similar experiment, 

 while the whole hive, feeder and all, was on 

 scales, there was scarcely any decrease in 

 weight while the honey was being taken 

 from the feeders and sealed up, in the unfin- 

 ished sections. Even after you have a hive 

 filled with combs of sealed honey, they will 

 manage to stow away a great deal in the 

 different corners and crannies of the hive. 



CANDY FOR DYSENTERY, ETC. 

 ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT " LONG NOSES." 



EN Jan. No. Gleanings you ask for reports on 

 "candy for dysentery." I have 10 swarms out 

 of doors, and 5 in the cellar; 2 outside are not 

 packed, one of which (a very strong swarm of hy- 

 brids) became uneasy at Christmas and kept up a 

 loud buzzing until the middle of January, when they 

 showed signs of dysentery— flying out and spotting 

 the hive, and blocking up the entrance with dead 

 bees. I thought of giving them candy; and when I 

 read your advice in Gleanings I was determined to 

 do so. After making the candy I went to the hive, 

 shoveled away the snow, took out the chaff in the 

 upper story, and lifted the quilt a little; but the 

 bees were bound to come out and fly away, and so I 

 got the smoker and loaded it with rags; but the 

 smoke seemed to have no effect on them. Come out 

 they would; but I put the candy in, at all events, 

 but lost quite a small swarm of bees. After closing 

 the hive, I cleaned the entrance again; when, hap- 

 pening to get my nose (which is a rather long one) 

 near the entrance, I noticed that an awful stench 

 came out with the air from the hive. To tell you 

 that I was astonished will not express it. I was 

 electrified, and so excited that I trembled all over. 



