GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Nov 



FROM 9 TO 30, AND HALF A TON OF HONEY IN ONE 

 SEASON. 



Eeport for 18S1: Began the season with 9 colonies; 

 artiflcial increase, 11; wild swarm, 1; July 10th, a 

 cast, 1; nucleus with virgin queen, one. Total, 23 

 colonies. 



Extracted over 1000 lbs , and have left them all in 

 good order for housekeeping till next spring. I had 

 no trouble in introducing a Cyprian queen, but 

 failed with a Holy-Land. She was killed in the cage 

 by the bees from the hive. The same nucleus has 

 since reared a queen from a cell which R. Wilkin 

 gave me from his Holy-Land queen. Two or three 

 of my neighbors have queens of the new breeds; 

 and so next year we shall see how they compare with 

 the Italians as honey-gatherers in California, which, 

 in many points of climate and general aspect, must 

 strongly resemble their native haunts. 



My good fortune this year in increase and honey 

 crop is largely to be credited to the situation of my 

 apiary, a little over 3000 ft. above sea-level; pastur- 

 age extending about 1800 ft. higher up the mountain 

 slopes, having a line range all to myself, with an 

 abundance of late pasturage; and having but a 

 small number to see to, I was careful to have each 

 colony in full strength at the beginning of the 

 season. E. G. Sobey. 



Santa Paula, Ventura Co., Cal., Sept. 16, 1881. 



cross bees from ax mPORTED QUEEN. 



I think It about lime I reported to you in regard to 

 that imported queen. Well, she has quite a stock of 

 young bees, rather dark ones at that, and, oh such 

 cross ones I worse than blacks. I believe I would 

 rather have that dollar queen I got of you a year 

 ago last July; she raises nicer-looking bees, and I 

 can handle them without getting stung, they are so 

 gentle. 



It has been so dry in this locality that bees hardly 

 make a living this fall. I have about a ton of splen- 

 did comb honey on hand; have an offer of 16c per 

 lb., think I ought to get more. Do you hear any 

 thing against putting foundation in sections? Some 

 of my neighbors think this honey is not as good, for 

 it is tougher. 



GETTING BEES OUT OF A BEE-TREE. 



My brother found a bee-tree, about three miles 

 from here, and wanted me to go with him to cut the 

 tree and save the bees, if they were worth it. Sept. 

 ITth we started, with horse and wagon, ladder, smo- 

 ker, hive, etc.; got to the tree about 11 a.m. They 

 were In a dead chestnut-tree, about 13 feet from the 

 ground. We cut them out and succeeded in getting 

 comb enough to fill two L. frames; got a good 

 swarm of bees; had to stay until dark to get them 

 into the hive; set them in the wagon, and brought 

 them the three miles over a very rough road; set 

 them right in my apiary of 80 strong colonies, and 

 to-day they are a good working colony, building 

 comb and storing honey. How's that for an ABC? 



I am busy making chaff hives now, to pack my 

 bees in for winter. I like the plan of wintering on 

 summer stands. 



I came very near forgetting to tell you something 

 that perhaps you never heard the like of before. 

 You say in your A B C (if I am not mistaken), that 

 where two queens fight, one or the other comes out 

 victorious, but they never both die. I shall -beg 

 leave to differ with you for once. On the 30th day 

 of June, 1881, 1 had a very large fiist swarm come 

 out of No. 23. Having a few empty combs on hand. 



I gave them 3, 1 think, July 1st. I was up early; I 

 saw there was something wrong with my large 

 swarm, and on examination I found two dead 

 queens in front of the hive. July 2d they had queen- 

 cells started, so one of these queens must have laid 

 a few eggs in this empty comb the same night they 

 were put in the hi\'e. They raised a queen from one 

 of these cells. Albert Brush. 



Susquehanna Depot, Sus. Co., Pa., Sept. 2), 1881. 



The disposition of the bees from imported 

 queens varies considerably, as well as the 

 color : and it is not unlikely that the prog- 

 eny of a dollar queen may give better satis- 

 faction, in every respect, than that of some 

 imported queens. — I think you should get 

 more than Hi cents this year, for nice coml) 

 honey. I would l»e glad to get it for that 

 price' myself. Our grocers have been pay- 

 ing as high as ii4c liere. — I should say your 

 feat of taking the bees out of the tree was 

 pretty good for an A P» C scholar. We have 

 no complaints now of comb honey made on 

 foundation. 



CYPRIANS; ARE THEY HARD TO HANDLE? 



1 see friend Hayhurst and Dadant & Son (through 

 whom I procured my imported Cyprian queen; are 

 " down on them." For my part, I don't want gentler 

 bees. I have at least a dozen pure Italian colonies 

 that are far worse to handle than my Cyprians, and 

 I am surprised that such veterans in bee culture as 

 the Dadants and Hayhurst should give them up after 

 .so short a trial. I can not speak with authority in 

 regard to their honey-gathering qualities yet, but 

 this I know: that the young queens raised from my 

 imported queen, whether mated with Cyprian or 

 Italian drones, are ahead of any I have ever seen in 

 proliflcncss, and all are uniformly gentle to handle, 

 if handled as bees should be. The season that 

 opened with so much promise has about ended in the 

 greatest drought that has visited this section for 

 many years, and careless bee-keepers will lose the 

 most of their bees this coming winter from starva- 

 tion, or all signs fail. If I can get my young col- 

 onies fed up in time, I will puU through. The old 

 ones are all right, having plenty of honey stored in 

 June. E. T. Flanagan. 



Bellvllle, 111., Oct. 1, 1881. 



My bees have not done very well this season; have 

 taken out about 400 lbs. honey — 300 lbs. extracted, 

 100 in 1-lb. sections. I have sold it for 16'; cts. for 

 extracted, 23 for comb. Best swarm gave 86 lbs. 

 (queen I had of you June 1st, J879;) second best, 60 

 lbs. Had 11 swarms in the spring; increased to 15; 

 have doubled down to 12 now. They have not gath 

 ered much honey since the 4th of July. I had fine 

 swarm come out Aug. 10th, one the 11th, and an- 

 other about the same time that went to the woods — 

 all first swarms. There is no honey coming in, nor 

 much in the hive. I think I have a red-clover queen. 

 I have one swarm that has filled its hive with honey 

 since the rest have been eating theirs up. 



Guy Clark. 



Bellows Falls, Windham Co., Vt., Sept. 13, 1881. 



You must not let your first SAvarms (nor 

 second either for that matter) go to the 

 woods, friend C. The loss of just those you 

 mention has made all the difference between 

 a loss and a gain in your season's operations 

 probably. Hold on to your red-clover queen, 

 and see if you can rear others from her that 

 will do likewise. 



