COS 



GLE2LNINGS IN BEE CULTUIIE. 



Dec. 



hollow log ; but with the latter it might have 

 caused you a great amount of labor that 

 would have been saved by a simple-frame 

 hive. 



DIFFICULTT OF FEEDING EVEN CANDY, IN WINTER, 

 ETC. 



I went into winter-quarters last fall with 2t col- 

 onics, all of them nicely packed in the Root chaff 

 hives of my own make, most of them in fair condi- 

 tion, as I supposed; but the long severe winter was 

 too much for them. By the middle of Feb., most of 

 them were short of stores, and the best T could do I 

 could not get them to take feed readily. I tried 

 both candy and syrup made from A sug-ar. I saved 

 8 colonies, 6 of them strong and 2 weak and queen- 

 less ; so in reality I had only 6 in spring, as it took 

 about all they were worth to keep them up by sup- 

 plying brood from the others until they could raise 

 queens. I think I would have got them all through 

 except 2 or 3, if they had not been short of stores, as 

 but 2 or 3 showed any signs of disease. From the 

 above, I have this summer increased to 40 colonies 

 by artificial swarming. I raised all my own queens 

 except.!, which were bought of Mr. Oliver Foster; 

 but I have sold more than that number. My 40 col- 

 onies are all nicely packed in chaff, and all strong in 

 bees and honey, except two which I am feeding. 

 Besides the above increase I got 300 lbs. of extracted 

 honey. This is my first report; but as I consider 

 myself one of the ABC class, I hope it will not be 

 the last. J. K. Snyder. 



Tiffin, Johnson Co., Iowa, Nov. ", 1881. 



I have taken 1100 lbs. extracted, and 225 of comb 

 honey. A. G. Willows. 



Carlingford, Ont., Can., Nov. 8. 1881. 



FRIEND TOWNSEND'S REPORT. 



Commenced last May with 62 colonies of Italians; 



extracted 2415 lbs. white honey, and took in sections, 



1200 lbs. ; also some extracted fall honey of which we 



kept no record. Most of our honey was gathered 



from first crop of red clover. Of the 63 colonies in 



May there were 7 colonies which did not help gather 



our surplus, as W. Z. Hutchinson sent for them to 



help him rear queens (I should like to know how 



much they helped him). Our sales of bees and 



queens amount to S44T.00; last sale of the season, 



Sept. 7. I have 86 good colonies now on hand. Now, 



Mr. K., or any other bee-keeper, when you pass 



through this part of our State again you must not 



slight us, but give us a call at least, for now you will 



not have to walk 10 or 12 miles, as it is not more than 



I'/i miles from our apiary to any of the depots in 



town. Wishing all husij bee-keepers good success, 



we will close our first scraps from Kalamazoo. 



O. H. Townsend. 

 Kalamazoo, Mich., Nov. 10, 1881. 



CROSS BEES, BUT GOOD HONEY-GATHERERS. 



My bees have been very cross this year. A person 

 could hardly be within two rods of the hives for five 

 minutes without being stung. The second swarm, 

 on the 26th of May, Ciime off while I was away from 

 home, and they were so cross that the folks dared 

 not attempt to hive them. Father went near them i 

 at first, but they attacked him with such fury that 

 he had to beat a hasty retreat with about a dozen 

 stings about his head and neck. They hung in an 

 apple-tree about two hours and then left for parts 

 unkivown. My queens were nearly all from a se- 

 lected tested queen purchased from you in 1880. 

 She was replaced this summer, and the progeny of 

 the young queen are almost pure Mick. I com- 

 menced the season with 15 colonies. I have now 50. 



CHAFF CUSHIONS AND VENTILATION. 



And so the chaff hives do not give enough ventila- 

 tion! wish I had known it last year, and I might 

 have saved all my bees. Late in the season I con- 

 cluded that the cushions (6 in. thick) gave too much 

 ventilation; took them out; filled upper story full 

 of fine chaff. Kesult: of 43 colonics (one of them a 

 2-f rame nucleus, and several 3 and 4 frame), two lost 

 their queens; one starved; one, a strong colony, 

 died of dysentery; caused, I think, by excitement 

 and unnatural heat, caused by chaff getting among 

 combs. The rest came through in fine order. 



M. Frank Taber. 



Salem, Columbiana Co., O., Nov. 11, 1881. 



I can't quite agree with you. friend T., 

 that your loose chaff made trouble. The 

 best wintering I ever had was where the bees 

 ate through their covering, and the chaff 

 came down all among them, so they were 

 nosing around in it like a lot of mice. I can 

 hardly think loose chaff ever smothers bees; 

 but I should be more afraid of the cloth that 

 holds the chaff in the form of a cushion. 



BIGHT OR WRONG? (SEE NOV. NO., P. 567.) 



On page 567 of Nov. Gleanings I notice the loss 

 of a queen bj' fire in a postoffice, which also burned. 

 I inferred that the customer wished j'ou to stand 

 the loss. I think he might as well ask you to bear 

 the loss of an absconding swarm of bees simply be- 

 cause he bought the hives of you. Now, if the post- 

 master saw the cage of bees tr.lien from the mail the 

 night previous to the fire, he should stand the loss, 

 as it appears that your part of the contract was 

 filled; viz., to "deliver at the nearest post or ex- 

 press office." Whether she was dead or alive, it 

 would have been all the same in that case. I take it 

 that perhaps it was afl.OO or f 1.50 queen (for I don't 

 think any other kind of a customer would growl), 

 and if it was, and he still insists on having his money 

 refunded, just send his name to me, and I will pay it 

 to him. 



And now, friend R., I don't know but that you 

 are " tempting " sr>me, in your proposals to " make 

 things good." I think the fair way is for each to be 

 willing to bear his part, and the one to stand it who 

 is to blame. Perhaps you may feel delicate about 

 sending his name; if so, let him send it, and I'll 

 send him his money. J. J. McWhohteb. 



South Lyon, Mich., Nov. 8, 1881. 



Many thanks, friend M.. for your very 

 kind words ; but if you will excuse me, I 

 fear you are such a very warm friend and 

 champion of my poor self, that your judg- 

 ment is a little biased. I decided at once as 

 you have, and it seemed then to me prepos- 

 terous that any one should take any other 

 view. But as the matter did not lie easy on 

 my conscience, I put the question to the 

 boys and girls at our noon service. Mr. 

 Gray and Neighbor II., sifter a little thought, 

 both to my surprise, decided rather against 

 me. They put it this way: The spirit of 

 my aflvertisement is to the effect, that I will 

 faithfully deliver the queens where they are 

 easily accessible to my customer, as he de- 

 livers my money where it will be easily ac- 

 cessible to me. The loss occurred so "near 



