86 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



the bees only what combs they can 

 cover when the nights are cool ; 

 see that the bees have stores enough 

 to winter on ; place the chaff pack- 

 ing on the sides and the cushions 

 over the frames as soon as the first 

 frost comes ; and then let your bees 

 remain quiet. In queen-rearing, 

 the preparations will differ from 

 this as there will be nuclei to unite 

 and other work which belongs 

 strictly to queen-rearing. All sur- 

 plus combs should be hung in 

 racks in the bee-room prepared for 

 the purpose, where they may be 

 kept clean and secure for next 

 season's use. The honey should 

 be slung from unfinished sections, 

 or, which is perhaps better, they 

 may be given to tlie bees to 

 clean out, after which they should 

 be carefully piled up in the store 

 room. 



Remember that system is a 

 " sister to success." When neces- 

 sary, contract large entrances and 

 stop upper ventilation. Provide 

 against robbing and be careful not 

 to have loose honej^ or pieces of 

 comb around the apiary with honey 

 in them, or there will be " war in 

 the camp." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Editor .of American Apiculturist : 

 Dear Sir, 



The weather with us has held 

 cold and unfavorable since bass- 

 wood lias been in blossom, so much 

 so that it is a surprise that bees 

 could accomplisli much, yet in 

 spite of these unfavorable circum- 

 stances, they are doing fairly well. 



In one week during which time 



the thermometer went down to 50° 

 the warmest night, and varying 

 from that degree to a slight frost 

 one night, one of our yards of forty 

 stocks gave us over 2800 lbs. 



This does not favor the theory 

 that warm nights are essential for 

 the flow of honey. 



We have never realized the bene- 

 fits of extremely populous stocks, 

 managed on the non-swarming 

 plan, as during this unusuall}^ cold 

 season ; while stocks of medium 

 size do not commence work until 

 late in the day and accomplish but 

 little, very populous stocks give 

 results as above. 



For the past two or three days 

 the weather has continued as cold 

 during the day as during the night, 

 with cold rain, and the bees have 

 hardly ventured from their hives. 



Unless we have a change soon 

 the basswood will be out of bloom 

 and our crop of light honey cut 

 very short. The prospect for fall 

 blossoms is good, particularly from 

 golden rod. 



L. C. Root & Bro. 



3fohaw]c, N. T, Aug. 6, 1883. 



EXCHANGES. 



Bee Pastures in Florida, by 

 Dir. H. S. Allyn. — In nearly 

 every item in the papers in regard 

 to bees in Florida, the statement 

 is made that the coast is the only 

 part of the state where bees do 

 well. Now, while it is well known 

 that the Florida coasts are among 

 the best bee-fields in the world, it 

 is but just that the facts in regard 

 to other parts of the State should 

 be known. 



While I do not claim to be an 

 authority on beekeeping, and have 

 only resided in the State two years, 

 as no one else has seen fit to do so, 

 I wish to make a few statements 

 in regard to the industry in this 



