1881 



GLEAXIXGS I:N BEE CULTURE. 



237 



hfrsolf, just as she had seen him do. Isn't she a dear 

 little girl? I'm so sorry that her papa didn't bring 

 her to Cincinnati with him, for then I should have 

 taken her in my arms and loved her, and kissed her 

 In aunt Luoinda's sweet plaoc, which is under her 

 chin, where no one else ever thought of kissing her. 



Who will tell me next month who are going to take 

 care of the bees when those are gone who arc taking 

 care of them now? Mas. L. Haukison. 



Peoria, 111.. April, 1881. 



HOW AN A B C SCHOLAR MANAGES. 



FRIEND PHEIiPS' APIARY. 



^^OD have frequently expressed a desire to visit 

 W the homes and apiaries of your many friends 

 — ' and subscribers. With your many and in-- 

 gent duties, that would of course be an impossibili- 

 ty, and it remains for us to do the next best thing; 

 i. 0., send you the homes and apiaries— on paper. 

 Inclosed, find a rough drawing of mj'' apiary, show- 

 ing also a rear view of my home, etc. The arrange- 

 ment of my hives may interest some of your readers. 



APIARY or W. G. PnELP<;, QALEXA, MU. 



They are laid out in blocks of 9, six feet apart 

 from center to center, with entrances facing in- 

 ward. A 12-foot center avenue runs the entire 

 length of the apiary, with the honej--houso at the 

 upper end. Intersecting this at right angles are 

 similar avenues which communicate with outside 

 ones. Each hive in each block is painted a different 

 shade from its fellows, and run in colors from light 

 red to pure white. Thus any confusion among the 

 bees is avoided, and each can easily mark his own 

 dwelling. The apiary, likewise, presents a very at- 

 tractive appearance from the street, which is al- 

 ways a desirable point. A cedar hedge protects the 

 apiary on the north from the wintry blasts, and a 

 large apple-tree affords a delightful shade for the 

 honey-house in summer. Last year I planted grape- 

 vines in front of each hive, with a view of shade; 

 but the intense drought killed 9i of them. I 

 shall try it again. Hitherto, tomato-vines well 

 trained on trellises have proved excellent protec- 

 tion for my bees, but it is some trouble to renew 

 them year by year. My bees have wintered finely, 

 and without the loss of a single colony, which, consid- 

 ering the mortality every where, is very flattering 

 to my methods of management, packing, etc. I 

 have many items in reference thereto which would 

 doubtless interest your readers, and I may give you 

 some of this when I have leisure. 



Galena, Md., March 1, 1881. W. G. Phelps. 



f BOUGHT the bees that I asked your advice 

 about, and am well satislicd with them so far. 

 ' — ' I moved them to my home on the 2d day of 

 March, and found onlj' one stand dead; they had 

 starved to death, as there was not one cell full of 

 honey in the hive. I cleaned the combs all out nice- 

 ly and hung them back in the hive for a new swarm 

 when they come out. I have taken the C empty 

 gums and made frames for them, so that I can try 

 my hand at transferring when it is time. I had 6 

 wagon loads of fine coal cinders hauled, and laid off 

 two seven-hive apiaries as directed in A B C, and 

 made a mound of cinders about S or 10 in. high un- 

 der each hive, and put a strong thrifty Concord 

 grapevine to each mound. I have ordered a load of 

 sawdust, to go in front of my hives, and also my 

 scantling, 2x4 in. for the trellises. I have made one 

 chaff hive from dimensions in A B C, and it is some- 

 thing of a curiosity around here, as none of the bee- 

 men have ever seen any thing like it. I have also 

 made me a honey-knife like the pictures in your cii-- 

 cular, with blade 15x1 ;i in.; is that too large to be 

 handled with care? I also made a Simplicity 

 cold-blast smoker that works like a charm. I don't 

 know but I can smoke the bees clear off the place 

 with it. I shall try it if they sting me much, I as- 

 sure you; but I hope I shall not have to use it at all. 



I have 14 stands to commenc e with, and only 4 of 

 them in movable-frame hives, and I presume that 

 the combs are built in all directions in those 4. 

 Eight of the others are good box hives, with two 

 boxes in upper story, some thing like the Farmer's 

 honey-box. Would you transfer them, or would you 

 fill the upper story with frames for this season, and 

 get what you could out of them? I want to adopt 

 the chaff hive altogether as soon as I can; but, as 

 you say, I want to "go slow" until I see my way 

 clearly. I don't think that I am out any thing yet, 

 as my bees are alive, and working every day that is 

 warm enough, and I could sell them to-morrow for 

 more than they cost, if I would, but I am going to 

 have a little fun myself watching them work this 

 summer, if it is the Lord's will. 



Union Mills, Pa., Apr. T, 1881. TiM. Calveb. 



Well done, friend C. I think your lioney- 

 knife a little large, but it may be all the bet- 

 tei', if you get used to it. I would by all 

 means transfer them if I had time and want- 

 ed to learn. As long as you can sell out so 

 as to pay all expenses, you are on safe 

 ground. 



Last season I told you of the progeny of a black 

 queen that was up earlier in the morning on the Spi- 

 der plant, than any of the Italians. Well, we had an- 

 other black colony that, for a time, seemed to equal 

 any stock in the yard, and the queen did about as 

 good business in filling the new fdn. with brood as 

 any I ever saw. Do you wish to know what the 

 point is of all this I am saying? it is this: When I 

 find another such queen, I am going to keep her; 

 and if you think there is danger of getting hybrids if 

 yen send your orders to me, send them to somebody 

 else. I am going for the most energetic queens and 

 bees I can find; and if 1 lose my queen trade, I shall 

 be happy raising honey. The most of our queens 

 this season Avill ba reared from our red-clover strain, 

 probably. Of course, we do not propose to let such 

 black queens as we choose to tolerate, rear drones. 



