432 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



URAPr: SUGAR NOT ALAVAYS " DEAIJ- 

 L.V" FOR BEES. 



ALSO SOJIE IDEAS ABOUT VENTILATION. 



fllE writer of the following, while mak- 

 ing us u visit, remarked that he win- 

 — ■ tered 49 out of 50 colonies last winter, 

 and thatfthey were all fed on grape sugar 

 except one, and that one died. I asked him 

 to give it me for print, and here it is: — 



FRIEND NOVICE:-W"e comply with your re- 

 quest, while visiting you lately (at the "Home of the 

 Honey-Bees"), to tell you all about how we fed 

 grape sugar to about 50 colonies of bees hist winter, 

 with loss of but ((Hc. W^ell, the facts are these: After 

 the burning of our farm house, .June 8, lS8t), we 

 found our apiary, which was located near the house, 

 reduced by the heat about one-half. In September 

 we procured a lot of grape sugar, and fed about 50 

 stocks. We fed onUj when the weather would per- 

 mit the bees to tiy firehj. Part <if our frames are 

 Gallup and American, but mostly L. The two for- 

 mer are closed-top. We put the chaff cushions right 

 on top the frames, and wintered on summer stands. 

 The apiary was located on low ground that was sub- 

 ject ;o overflow. The hives were put down on about 

 one foot of sawdust, and were in no manner dis- 

 turbed till March, when the weather opened up 

 some, and the bees took a good fly. At that time 

 we again "poked in" that "irrepressible" grape 

 sugar. The colony that "petered out" was in a box 

 hive, 21x13 inches; had plenty of thick pure honey 

 and pollen, and )io grape sugar; hole in top of hive, 

 -t.vi inches. The loss of that colony, we charge to 

 excess of "ventilation;" and right here I would 

 caution you to be careful how you "go off" on 

 "ventilation," for we once lost the best colony of 

 bees we ever had by allowing the slide to remain out 

 of an opening ixi in. umkr the brood chamber. 

 That mijlect killed that powerful 12 L. frame colony 

 by Christmas. We don't have any cold currents of 

 air up through the cluster a tcr we go into winter- 

 quarters, and not, on an average, half as much in 

 the summer as some bee-keepers we could name. 

 We believe that all fresh air necessary for any col- 

 ony of bees in winter can be got into the hive at a 

 3x"B inch entrance, and out of it through a good 

 thick chaff cushion, placed right on top of the 

 frames — u'i:?ioi(( any "round" or "square" hole in 

 its center. 



As to your query, how our bees were prospering, 

 etc., I will say we about doubled our stocks by di- 

 visions and natural swarming. We have the strong- 

 est colonies, and healthiest-looking bees we ever 

 had. 



Our crop of extracted and comb honey will foot 

 up well, as at this date our red-clover bees are bring- 

 ing in considerable surplus of finest quality, from 

 the after or second crop of red clover. 



In concluding this hastily written article, I will 

 add that, for a radius of 4 miles from our apiary, 

 there is not one living colony of bees that came 

 through last winter. AVouldn't this be a splendid 

 place, friend Harrington, for those shy Holy-Land 

 virgins, that want to extend their wedding tours? 

 Next month all of our colonies that teay be found 

 in need of winter stores shall have plenty of good 

 pure grape sugar, while the weather is yet warm 

 enough for them to exercise well in the open air. 



We feed it in the solid state over the frames, and 



in body of hive; sometl flies moisten it a little. Fur- 

 ther inquiries will be cheerfully answered. Some 

 time we hope to be able to tell all about what we 

 learned during our visit to the " Home of the Honej'- 

 Bees." 1 return thanks for favors received. 

 Smithfleld, O., Aug. 15, 1881. D. H. Tweedy. 



1 have ])nblished the above to show that 

 grape sugar is not necessarily the cause of 

 bees dying, even if those fed on it die, and 

 no others. A few months ago a f rieml wrote 

 that the queens we sold him last year were 

 certainly poor, for every colony where he in- 

 troduced them died, but none" of his others. 

 Was it the queens tliat killed themV To be 

 sure, not. It was the disturbing and stir- 

 ring up the colonies at a particular time in 

 the fall, in my opinion. We have often had 

 reports of colonies that died after being 

 moved in the fall, while the rest of the apiary 

 that was not all so moved, all lived. Again, 

 the moving seems to make no difference. 

 Friend T. thinks too much ventilation killed 

 j them. In view of what has been said about 

 j leaving sections over the hives all winter, I 

 I can hardly think this is so. AVhatever may 

 j be the truth in regard to so many conflicting 

 I reports, I think it stands out strong and 

 clear, that it is best to tix our bees all up be- 

 fore cold weather sets in. and then let them 

 alone until it is warm again. I think it is 

 also well decided that coffee or granulated 

 sugar is much safer than grape sugar, hon- 

 ey, or any thing else, providing you must 

 feed to give them the requisite stores. 



AST fall my brother had 19 swarms; some of 

 I them were Italians, and some blacks. There 

 were 5 swarms which came and stopped in the 

 trees near the bee-yard. We put them into hives, 

 and gave them a place in the bee-yard. Through 

 last winter we lost all but 4. My brother has been 

 in poor health for 2 years, so he has taken a trip to 

 Lake Superior, and I take care of the bees. We take 

 Gleanings. Mother and father like to read the 

 Home Papers, and I like to read it, and look at the 

 pictures of Mr. Mcrrybanks. I will be 12 years of 

 age the 23d of December. Our bees are doing well. 

 Willie A. Young. 

 La Salle, La Salle Co., 111., July 18, 1881. 



I am a little girl ll) years old. My pa keeps bees. 

 This is the first letter I ever wrote. I like the bees 

 pretty well when they don't sting. I go to Sunday- 

 school. I get a little paper every Sunday. I like to 

 go pretty well. My teacher's name is Alice Crady. 

 Elizabeth Leeper. 



Dysart, Tama Co., Iowa, July 10, 1881. 



Pretty well, Lizzie. Give my respects to 

 your teacher, and tell her I am glad she has 

 got a little girl in her class who can write 

 letters for print when she is onlv ten years 

 old. 



I am a little girl ten years old. We live on a farm 

 in the country, seven miles from town. I don't get 

 to go to Sunday-school, but I would like to. We live 

 too far from any. Pa has had bees several years, 

 but we never get much honey. Last year pa sent 

 and got one of your books, and made some hives ac- 



