3-2S 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JUIA' 



to the hive, getting- a good many of them buzzing 

 around; but I covered them down, and they all very 

 soon got in at the entrance, but did not seem in- 

 clined to go to work, even till the next day. So I 

 took u frame with brood and honey-eclls on it, and 

 put it into the hive with them, and soon had the sat- 

 isfaction of seeing them get to work in good earn- 

 est. They are now doing well, having nearly filled 

 frames, leaving Imt one in the lower compartment 

 for me to put fdn. on ; but I intend to place some in 

 the frames in the upper story, ready for them. The 

 old stocks are also doing well. 



On the 25th of May I was surprised to see bees 

 again coming out of the old hive as though they 

 were about to swarm. I again called my wife to 

 keep watch until I could get up a temporary hive, 

 but had scarcely begun when she came to my work- 

 shop and told me the swarm was out, and had 

 alighted on a small apple-tree about two rods from 

 the t^tand. I asked her to still keep watch until I 

 had got my hive ready, which I made from an old 

 packing case, and put into it some frames from up- 

 per story of chaff hive, then cut off the small branch 

 with the bees: but many of them Hew around, but 

 soon gathered in a cluster on another branch of the 

 same tree, which I also cut down and got them into 

 the hive. I think this swarm is about two-thirds as 

 large as the tirst turned out, which was a very large 

 and strong stock. I took another frame from the 

 old stock, and put it into the temporary hive, and I 

 find they have got to work like good busy bees, and 

 are doing first rate. I am now making an upper box 

 to put on the top of the first old hive so as to give 

 the bees more room until I can get a chaff hive made 

 for them. I intend to make one of the same kind 

 for the last swarm, and I am in hopes they will do 

 well. 



I have got me a bee veil, but I find it necessary to 

 also get me a smoker. I believe the Lord has blessed 

 and directed me in my efforts with these busy little 

 folks, for which I olf er him my very grateful thanks. 

 I like your ABC book; have found it a great help. 

 I also like Gleanings. I find many very useful 

 hints, and some good and interesting articles in it. 

 My wife and children like to read it, and they feel 

 interested by its perusal. We all like Our Homes; 

 we also like your manner of doing business, and ap- 

 preciate your very kind manner of treating your 

 customers and correspondents. I wish you well. 

 "Wife and children join me in kind wishes for little 

 Blue Eyes. Geo. W. Buruidge, P. M. 



Saint John's, Tooele Co., Utah, June 9, 1881. 

 Very good, friend 13., but I can not say I 

 (luite admire your plan of ''sawing off" ev- 

 ery thing the bees happen to alight on. It 

 is a sure way, I admit, but I think you will 

 have no trouble if you hold your swarming- 

 box right over the cluster, and then drive 

 them into it with smoke, or whip thein very 

 gently with a little sprig of a leafy branch. 

 Don't strike so as to hurt them, but keep 

 patting them gently, and you can drive them 

 as you would a flock of sheep. Give them a 

 little time to move, and you will find they 

 will soon be all in the box. In the aljsence 

 of a swarming- box, I often use a common .5c 

 market basket. When you carry them, keep 

 it still upside down, and they will stay safe- 

 ly until you go a mile or more. Thanks for 

 your kind Avords. 



HOW TO WINTER BEES. 



BY ONE WHO DOES WINTER THEM. 



gp ET me tell you right here at the beginning, be- 

 fore I make any remarks on the above sub- 

 ject, that the ideas that I shall herein present 

 to you were not all originally conceived by me. 

 They were mostly the outgrowth of the long expe- 

 rience and close observation of my father. The fact 

 that, for many successive years, he wintered his 

 bees with such good success, and that I can claim 

 by the same means, in that respect, so far to have 

 followed in his footsteps, ought to give some weight 

 to the following remarks on the above subject. In 

 March No. of Gleanings I stated many things in 

 reference to the subject of " cellar wintering," but 

 did not then state as fully as should be all that must 

 be done to insure success. If it will not bore you 

 too much, just read once again what I there said, 

 and combine those and my present remarks togeth- 

 er, and perchance a little seed wheat may be found 

 among all the chaff. 



We will anticipate time a little ; till July, the time 

 Gleanings reaches you. Your first move to make 

 is to secure at once a lot of combs, well filled with 

 basswood or white-clover honey and perfectly fin- 

 ished. Store them away in a warm dry room till 

 fall. Tf you do not need them they can be extracted 

 at any time later as easily as now. Endeavor to ob- 

 tain at least two combs (about ten pounds) for every 

 colony you expect to have in the fall. This you can 

 do very quickly by taking some of the side combs of 

 every hive, already partially filled with honey, and 

 placing them in an upper story of another hive to 

 seal. When this is done there is nothing more to do 

 till the beginning of September. At that time every 

 colony must be earefuUj' examined, all old and fee- 

 ble queens killed and replaced by young ones, of 

 which every bee-keeper can have a supply on hand 

 at that time. See to it that all are breeding well to 

 the end of September. If the fall honey-crop is 

 good, the extractor may be used to advantage to 

 make room for the queen to lay; but this can be 

 dispensed with by removing the outside combs and 

 placing empty ones in the center. Do not stimulate 

 breeding in October, but endeavor rather to have 

 the queen quit laying eggs by the tenth. If neces- 

 sarj", do not contract the entrance, which should or- 

 dinarily be done at this time, but allows the cold to 

 enter the hive. It is far better to have them quit 

 breeding four or five weeks before removing them 

 to the cellar, than that your bees should hatch after 

 they are removed. 



In the early part of October, another important 

 factor must be kept in view, and that is, winter pro- 

 visions. Every colony should then be strong in 

 bees; but if they are not, then double up all weak 

 ones; unless, indeed, you prefer to run more risk 

 in wintering, offset by the chance of wintering over a 

 number of good queens. I always pursue the latter 

 course, and in ordinary winters with good success. 

 In spring you will always have gome become queen- 

 less, when you can double up to more advantage. If 

 your bees are otherwise in good condition, the only 

 thing that remains to be considered is provisions. 

 Now go to your storeroom and bring forth your 

 combs of honey gathered in July, and give to each 

 colony according to its wants, placing the honey on 

 each side, and as near to the cluster of bees as possi- 

 ble. This is the only division-board I ever use to 



