THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



189 



ANSWER BY G. H. KNICKKRBOCKKR. 



Last winter my bees were left on 

 their summer stands, packed in the 

 large Quinby hives, by placing a sheet 

 of burlap over tiie frames and then til- 

 ling sides and top with buckwheat 

 chafl". I was away from home about 

 three weeks last December, and during 

 this time we had several severe storms. 

 I found upon my return, tliat the roofs 

 of two hives had leaked, the buck- 

 wheat cliaff and combs were quite 

 mouldy and botli colonies had the dys- 

 entery very bad, and were over half 

 dead. I removed the wet mouldy chaff 

 and left the roofs off so that tlie sun 

 could dry the dampness out of the 

 combs. Towards night I filled the 

 sides with dry chaff, cut a hole in a 

 clean dry sheet of burlap, filled two of 

 Houck and Feet's Twin Bee Feeders 

 with sugar syrup, and placed theni on 

 the hives under a good thick cushion. 

 I filled the feeders several times, and 

 in three or four days the bees stopped 

 dying and l)oth colonies came out in 

 spring in fair condition. I am quite 

 certain that I should have lost both 

 colonies if I had not fed the sugar 

 syrup. This fall about Nov. 1st, I 

 got two colonies that a neighbor was 

 going to brimstone. It was so cold 

 that they fed very slow, so for an ex- 

 periment I carried them to the liouse 

 and set them behind the coal stove, 

 and fed them with sufficient stores for 

 winter with one of VanDeusen's feed- 

 ers ; in five days I after placed them on 

 tlieir former stands, and they are now 

 in prime condition. In the spring I 

 will let you know how they wintered. 



The bottom of the hive had a wire 

 clotli ventilator which was opened 

 when I took tliem into the house, and 

 of course a piece of wii-e cloth was 

 placed over the entrance. I have 

 never used cakes of sugar. 



Pine Plains, N. Y. 



ANSWER TO PROF. J. HASBROUCK'S 

 QUESTION UNDER 



"CORRESPONDENCE," IN NOV. NO. 



Those who are interested in Pro- 

 fessor Hasbrouck's question should 



bear in mind that when I speak as I do 

 in "Quinby's New Beekeeping," p. 

 174, I am giving our plan of boxing 

 with the large New Quinl)y hive 

 wiiich has room for boxing at lioth 

 sides and top, and that this hive is in- 

 tended to be used as a non-swarming 

 hive. Our stocks are consequently 

 very populous. This system of man- 

 agement is almost absolutely essential 

 with us, as our flow of honey is of 

 short duration, and our surplus must 

 consequently be gathered quickly. 



Now for our reasons for supplying 

 the boxes, as the question indicates. 

 The exact language referred to is this : 



"I usually put the first set of boxes 

 on the top of the hive and when partly 

 filled remove them to one side of the 

 combs and place a fresh set at the top. 

 If the swarm is populous and the flow 

 of honey continues these may be put 

 at the other side in like manner and 

 the top refilled." You will see that I 

 do not say they are put to the side to 

 i)e completed. It is generally known 

 that during most seasons bees will en- 

 ter the boxes and commence work more 

 readily upon the top of the hive than 

 at the sides. 



Beekeepers like C. C. Van Deusen, 

 H. T. Smith and others, who secure 

 their surplus honey so largely by side 

 boxing, may not approve of this idea, 

 yet I think it will be generally con- 

 ceded. We place the boxes first upon 

 the top of the hives until partly full, 

 then remove them to the side and 

 place as many more upon the top. 

 They will certainly occupy them more 

 readily at the sides if partly filled. 

 Tliese are also placed at the other side 

 and more added at the top. In this 

 way the large stocks of bees are more 

 fully occupied. We found this desir- 

 able in preventing swarming. If the 

 top boxes are completed first as 

 would sometimes be tlie case, keep the 

 top supplied from the sides. 



Now notice one advantage of using 

 clamps of section boxes which are in- 

 terchangeable with sides and top as 

 there described and illustrated. 



In putting the foundation in the 

 boxes for guides, it should be fas- 

 tened on one side and top and so ar- 

 ranged in the clamp that when placed 

 on the top of the hive or at the side, 

 the guide will be held in its place. 

 Now place the clamp of boxes upon 

 the top of the hive and the bees will 

 commence building at the top of the 

 section. When partly filled if they 

 are turned half over as they are when 



