218 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



10 per cent, as I had expected. Immccliately after 

 removiug them from the cellar I examined them 

 carefully. I found them even in better condition as 

 to bees than they usually are when removed from 

 the cellar, but having little or no brood. They have 

 been in the cellar Q'A months, and have consumed 

 from 10 to 13 lbs. of honey, according to the size of 

 the swarm. Those that were in good condition, and 

 had sufficient honey for the present I did not dis- 

 turb, but allovved them to clean out their own hives, 

 which work they have by this time nearly complet- 

 ed; those that were weak I transferred into clean 

 hives, and strengthened up with bees got from 

 another apiary; and those that were short up for 

 honey I feed sufficient to last them for several 

 weeks. I found several that were quccnlcss, and 

 supplied them with queens taken from hives that I 

 had counted dead, but a few of which had the queen 

 and about a dozen bees left. I may possibly lose 

 one or two more, but think not, as all the poor ones 

 have been well strengthened up, and brood-rearing 

 has generally begun. Yesterday I fed some rye 

 Hour, as many were short of pollen; but to-day it 

 was unnecessary, as they brought both honey and 

 pollen from soft-maple, which are just beginning to 

 blossom. 



And now I will lake the liberty to say a few words 

 upon the much-discussed subject of "wintering- 

 bees." But hold! I forgot to state that, in my 

 chalT-hive apiary (consisting of one colony), I Inst 

 100 per cent. The question, " How can I winter my 

 bees successfully in both mild and severe winters? " 

 has lately gained in importance with a great many 

 readers. As far as concerns myself, I have solved 

 it. The thought of winter as connected with bees 

 has lost its dread with me. Many different theories 

 have been advanced, experiment after experiment 

 made; the novice has hastily adopted every plan 

 that seemed feasible, and usually abandoned it after 

 the first trial. Cellar wintering and chafC packing at 

 present lay the largest claims to success. This win- 

 ter has been a severe trial for both, and tested well 

 the soundness of their respective claims; and I be- 

 lieve that, for this climate, cellar wintering wears 

 the laurel wreath. That a great many bees were 

 lost in cellar this winter does not disprove the fact 

 that bees can be wintered there successfully every 

 winter. The experience of our veterans in bee cul- 

 ture is a better guide than the little-sought-after 

 and gratuitous advice of our novices. Compare the 

 success of masters in the profession that winter in 

 cellars with the success of masters in the profession 

 that winter by chaff packing or any other way, if 

 you wish to arrive at the truth. Komember this in 

 all cases. If you compare the success of the former 

 with that of the latter for the last five years you 

 win become convinced that bees can be wintered in 

 cellar with almost perfect success every winter, and 

 that they can not in any other known way. The 

 reason why so many failed is simply because all de- 

 tails had not properly been attended to, all condi- 

 tions had not been complied with. One thing more: 

 It has been stated that bees wintered in. cellar are 

 less hardy and more subject to spring dwindling 

 than those wintered out of doors. I dispute this; 

 my experience has led to no such conclusion. Im- 

 mediate, proper, and continued attention from the 

 time of their first flight to the time when they bo- 

 gin to work will prevent all loss in^priug. Cleaning, 

 gtreagtheninff, equalizing, feeding, guarding against 



robbers, should be the order of the day. If this rule 

 is closely followed, the complaint of many bee-keep- 

 ers, that they lose more bees in spring than in win- 

 ter, will cease. Geo. Grimm. 

 Jefferson, "Wis., April 33, 1881. 



Many tfianks, friend Grimm. Your points 

 are excellent, and I agree with yon, that 

 careful cellar wintering is, on the whole, the 

 safest, in the long run. I have felt anxious 

 to know whether you consider artificial heat, 

 in connection with cellar wintering, so very 

 important as our friend L. C Boot seems to 

 consider it in his book. If I gather correct- 

 ly from your article in our March No.. I be- 

 lieve you do not. 



A NEW STARTER MACHINE. 



HEM you published a cut of Parker's little 

 machine for pressing in starters it came 

 in my mind that it would be better to work 

 it by foot, and have both hands free to handle sec- 

 tions. I therefore made one and used it last year with 

 much satisfaction. I inclose a drawing of it. It is 



CLARK'S STARTER JIACIIIXE. 



made of 's pine, except the prcsser-block, which is 

 hard wood with rounded edge, which dips down f^c- 

 casionally into the V-shaped cut in the end of the 

 board which contains honey. Some small pieces of 

 wood are tacked on each side as guides for the sec- 

 tions; the horizontal piece is fastened by one screw 

 to the table, with the end projecting over enough to 

 work the lever by placing the foot on the pin at the 

 bottom. A 3-16 or }i inch wire is sufficient to put 

 through on which to hang the lever. 

 Sterling, 111., April 20, 1881. Norman Clark. 



Many thanks, friend Clark. Your ma- 

 chine is quite ingenious, and where one has 

 a great many starters to put in. it will doubt- 

 less be quite an acquisition. We formerly 

 used a similar one, as you may remember, 

 for putting in whole sheets. This machine 

 was illustrated in one of our former volumes. 



CIRCUIiARS AND PRICE LISTS RE- 

 CEIVED. 



C. K. Ticimltt. AVhitriiove Lake, Mich., sonils us a Ipag'P cir- 

 cular of liives, frames, etc. 



■Win. Ballantine & Son, Sa^o, 0., issue a 1-pagc circular and 

 price list of Italian bees. 



S. D. Buell. Union City, Mich., has sent us a 12-page circular 

 of apiarian fixtures. 



J. v. CaUlwcll, Camhridpc. III., sends out a postal circular 

 and price list of l)ccs and queens. 



H. U. r.roun, Lidht Street. Pa , sends us a 12-page price list 

 of things needed in the apiai-j-. 



15. S. Underhill, "Willi.amson. WayneCo., X. Y., scudsusanS- 

 page circular of supplies for the apiary. ^ 



G. M. ■Wetherbee. San Fr.ancisco, Cal., sends a neat postal 

 price list of bee materials . 



n. A.Pike. Smithsbnrg. ^6., seii^s us a 4-page circular of 

 Italian queens and bees. 



