1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



61 



MISCELLANEOUS 



Feeding Bees.— Mr. L. 0. Root, in the 

 American Agriculturist, gives the follow- 

 big as his views on the above subject : 



The frequent inquiries at. this season, 

 as to the best feeder to be used, proves 

 that many have not furnished their bees 

 with sufficient stores to carry them thro 1 

 tin' winter. I am positive that our good 

 yield the past season was very largely 

 due to the fact that our bees were in tine 

 condition in the spring. Still if I had 

 bees without sufficient honey at this sea- 

 son of the year, I should make an effort 

 to save them. 



The first thing necessary is good food. 

 Do not take the advice of some and use 

 cheap food, made from grape sugar, 

 which they recommend. We know of 



nothing better than best "A" sugar. 



Next in importance is the manner ot 

 preparing and feeding it, as this should 

 differ according to the season. In win- 

 ter, the food should be as free from 

 moisture as is possible, and be placed ( 

 where the bees can have ready access to i 

 it. Prepare a piece of board of suitable I 

 thickness, just large enough to cover J 

 the top of ttie frames, and not allow the 

 warmth to escape. Nail cleats on one 

 side, at each end, to prevent warping, 

 and with a sharp chisel scoop out the 

 centre of the board, forming a trough 

 large enough to hold as much as it is de- 

 sired to feed. Then make a quantity of 

 candy as follows : Put the sugar in a 

 sauce-pan with a little water and a small 

 proportion of flour and boil, stirring it 

 until it begins to grain. Pour this can- 

 dy into the trough described, and when 

 sufficiently cooled remove the cover of 

 the hive and invert the board upon it, 

 so that the food comes over the cluster 

 of- bees. This being the warmest place 

 in the hive, the bees can secure the food 

 most readily. 



As to the best method of feeding 

 liquid food, there is a variety of opinion. 

 I would not advise the feeding in liquid 

 form at this season, but as in spring a 

 feeder for this purpose will be needed, 

 I give my preference. I think that the 

 Van Dusen feeder, shown in the engrav- 



and put in a cool or damp place the 

 honey will granulate, and the little wa- 

 ter that is left in the honey will rise to 

 Ilic top of the cell, and will gather just 

 enough sweet from the candied honey 

 to sour and press oil' some parts of the 

 capping, and thus form a leak. Now 

 on the other hand, if the honey is taken 

 from the hive and put in a warm or 

 tight room, (as the honey will keep the 

 temperature up to 90 or 100 if the room 

 is well tilled with honey), the process of 

 curing goes on the same as in the hive ; 

 and as the honey becomes ripened, the 

 mercury will begin to fall and in about 

 two weeks you will see no difference 

 from the honey being in the room. In 

 1879, my honey room, 12 ft. square and 

 ! 8 ft. high, was kept at 90, (having 4,000 

 pounds of honey in said room), when 

 the mercury stood at 60 to 80- outside, 

 and none of my honey troubled me by 

 becoming granulated or souring. Honey 

 cured in this way will show no signs ot 

 candy before March or April, and not 

 then unless subjected to a great amount 

 of very cold weather. 



Extracted honey is more liable to 

 granulate than comb honey, as it is tak- 

 en from the bees usually as soon as it is 

 stored, and before they have had time 

 to evaporate the water that is in it, and 

 so there is more water and less honey. 

 This can be cured by putting it on the 

 stove and bringing it nearly to a boil, 

 skimming off the impurities, and the 

 honey will keep until very cold weather 

 before it will show any sign of granula- 

 tion. When extracted honey becomes 

 hard with no water to be found, it is am- 



change of blood, and were often mated 

 with drones from the same mother, it 

 is a great wonder that we find our stock 

 occupying so high a position as it does 

 at the present .lay. Well may We leel 

 gratified thai the great progress that has 

 been made within the past few years, 

 has arrested this hindrance to bee cul 

 ture, and turned the attention of bee 



this theory, but strong ground was then 

 taken in opposition to it. Many years 

 of actual practice have proven the cor- 

 rectness of the position then assumed. 

 It is also confirmed by the experience of 

 those who have noticed that colonies 

 containing young queens are most vig- 

 orous, other conditions being equal. I 

 am often asked if imported bees are 



lure, ana lumen uio .incmiu" «. w~~ i ..... „—..— ..... -- '.,,..,. 



keepers to this all-important demand, preferable to home-ored. [think not. 

 Let us notice first the condition under ' but I am tar from discouraging the mi- 

 which queens were reared during the portation of queens. We need the new 



nast In many instances we must ad- blood, but let it be selected with great- 

 nit that during poor seasons only the est care. All of us who are m any way 

 best stocks would swarm, which secured! interested in the Improyemenl of bees 

 the young queens from the best colonies , in America, are largely indebted to the 

 only. Another fact in connection with | many enterprising men, who at much 

 this method, which resulted in advan- risk and expense have so successfully 

 taee was that in the uncared-for condi- ; introduced new and desirable strains, 

 tion of our bees in those days, only the Their labors should be generally appre- 

 most vigorous survived the winter, thus! ciated. 



destroying the poor stock, and perpet- 1 The skill and thought which have 

 uating only the best, which had sue- 



■ Millie k'liij "'v «w~-, ■■ -— 



ceeded in gathering sufficient stores. 

 These conditions which arose from nat- 

 ural causes and not from the incelhgent 

 care of the bee-keeper have tended to 

 elevate rather than to hinder. 



But let us notice some of the hin- 

 drances. All who are familiar with the 

 habits of bees are aware of the large 

 number of queens which are, or would 

 be superseded during the season, when 



been given to this subject in this coun- 

 try for several years past, have resulted 

 in an improvement upon imported stock. 

 Who would think of breeding from an 

 imported queen to any extent without 

 first testing her ? 



And by this I do not mean a test of 

 color of her queens or workers. I have 

 known equally desirable stock both in 

 dark and light colored bees. We have 

 stock at present of dark workers that 



pie proof of its purity. 



I have given the most common way 

 for extracting, but will now give 

 the correct way. Leave the honey 

 in the hive until it is all capped 

 over, and then it will be cured as well 

 as box honey ; then with a sharp knife 

 for the purpose, remove the capping and 

 throw out with the extractor, putting 

 the honey in a warm place, covered with 

 a fine cloth or screen, to keep out flies 

 and to admit the air, and your honey 

 will become thick, and keep for a long 

 time. 



left to their natural tendencies. The are second to none as honey-gatherers, 

 oueensofsuchcoloniesareinferiorinva- and are of extra disposition. I speak 

 rious ways some of them so poor that ' of this to discourage too strong effort in 

 they have' just enough fertility to de- : the direction of color without due con- 

 nosit an egg from which a queen may sideration of other qualities, 

 he reared. Compare the quality of a: Let us round up our standard of ex- 

 uueen produced under such circumstan- 1 cellence until all valuable qualities shall 



be attained, not ignoring beauty, but 

 let those appear handsomest which 

 prove themselves best. 



wmA 



North-Eastern Convention. 



ing, answers all the requirements better 

 than any other. This is filled, as shown 

 at the left hand, and when inverted and 

 placed over the opening at the top of 

 the hive, no honey or syrup will escape, 

 except as it is taken by the bees. 



As I am an earnest advocate of in- 

 door wintering, I urge the readers of 

 these notes to carefully observe the re- 

 sults of the severe weather of the pres- 

 ent winter .upon the bees being win- 

 tered out of doors. I admit that they 

 may be safely wintered out of doors 

 during milder winters, but I think the 

 experiences of the present season will 

 convince many bee-keepers of the ne- 

 cessity of adopting some system of win- 

 tering their bees adequate to the 

 emergencies of our uncertain northern 

 climate. 



How to Ripen Comb Honey.— In the 

 Agriculturist, Rochester, N. Y.. Mr. G. 

 W. Stanley remarks as follows on the 

 • above subject : 



Comb honey is capped over by the 

 bees just as soon as it is sufficiently 

 evaporated so that it will not sour in the 

 cell if the temperature is kept at 100 or 

 102°, as that is just the heat of the hive 

 when the honey is stored. If the honey 

 is taken from the hive as soon as capped 



We regret to say that the third day's 

 proceedings have not yet come to hand, 

 although sent us by Secretary House 

 some ten days ago. The " snow block- 

 ade" is the cause we suppose. 



President Root's annual address on 

 the subject of "Queen Bees," is as fol- 

 lows : 



It is not my purpose at this time to 

 discuss the merits of the different races 

 of bees, or their crosses, neither to give 

 the processes of rearing queens, which 

 have many times been set forth; but 

 rather to call attention to the all-impor- 

 tant consideration of good queens. 

 When we remember that the one queen 

 of each hive must deposit all the eggs, 

 and that when the weather is suitable, 

 she will, if an opportunity is afforded, 

 deposit all that her qualifications will 

 allow, and when we also remember 

 that the amount of honey which will be 

 stored depends so largely upon the nuni- 

 I ber of bees which are present to gather 

 I it, we catch a glimpse of the extreme 

 importance of securing superior queens. 

 Let it be understood that I am looking 

 at this question from the standpoint of 

 one who desires such bees as will secure 

 the largest quantity of honey. This 

 means, first, such colonies as will breed 

 latest in the fall to secure the largest 

 number of young bees to go into winter 

 quarters. Second, such as are vigorous 

 and will defend themselves best and 

 also winter best. Third, such as will 

 go through the spring months, and suf- 

 fer least from spring dwindling. Fourth, 

 those whose queens are very prolific du- 

 ring the entire season. 



When we consider the many genera- 

 tions during which the queens have sus- 

 tained and perpetuated the races of bees, 

 have succeeded each other without 



ces with one reared with the attention 

 that I shall indicate as essential. 



The truest of sayings that "blood will 

 tell," is as true of bees as of any form 

 of animal life. 



Where is the bee-keeper of much ex- 

 perience who does not in many instances 

 feel the force of this difference each 

 season ? In an apiary as ordinarily con- 

 ducted, colonies will vary in production 

 of honey all the way from nearly nothing 

 up to a very satisfactory amount, and 

 this variation comes more largely from 

 the difference in the quality of queens 

 than from any other one cause. You 

 will ask, how can all these obstacles be 

 removed and the best queens be ob- 

 tained? I answer, in the same way as ; a success. With all our noted apiansis, 

 all improvement is accomplished, by an j SU ch as Quinby, Langstroth, Wagner 

 intelligent persistent application of the and others as leaders in apiculture, we 

 best views of all interested. Much has | yet find many difficulties to encounter, 

 been done already, but more remains j that their wisdom has not sufficed to 

 yet to be done. Many of us have been, | lead us to that desired goal— "perfect 

 and are still working in various ways to \ success." Hence it is that this subject 

 improve our stock. We, with many of wintering bees is of leading irnpor- 



Kcail before the North Eastern Convention. 



The Wintering of Bees. 



GEO. w. HOUSE. 



The great and all important question 

 now to De understood is, how to manage 

 the apiary so as to carry the bees suc- 

 cessfully through the interval from the 

 1st of December to the time of fruit 

 blossoms in the spring. Give this know- 

 ledge to the apiarian and bee-keeping is 

 asuccess. With all our noted apiarists, 



others, have secured stock ot the very 

 best quality we could find, and from 

 many different sources. 



Here, in brief, is the course that must 

 be pursued. Stock must be obtained of 

 the very best possible quality and of 

 different strains. Queens must be reared 

 for their actually desirable qualities, 

 and not for color or show. They must 

 be raised at the proper season when the 

 most favorable conditions may be se- 

 cured. The queens must be derived 

 from one strain, and the drones with 

 which they mate from another, thus 

 producing a direct cross. In this way the 

 two colonies which manifest the most 

 superior qualities may be used, from 

 which hundreds of queens may each 

 season be reared and fertilized for in- 

 troduction into hives in other apiaries. 



tance-and well deserves the earnest 

 thought, study and careful experiments 

 of our most practical apiarists. Then 

 in discussing this all important theme, 

 let us consider the facts that bear upon 

 it, glean what we can from experience, 

 and then see if we can arrive at justified 

 conclusions. 



With the benefit of our experience ot 

 over thirty years, I shall endeavor to 

 give facts with the practical workings 

 as derived from what knowledge we at 

 present possess. We will commence by 

 asking: "What are the requisites for 

 safe wintering ?" 



It is a fact that bees, from their con- 

 fined situation in winter, cannot excrete 

 excessively without rendering the at- 

 mosphere about them unwholesome ; 

 this, with undue fecal deposits, is sure 



ii- i.„.. j: — *..„« Tf J., f,.,.tl.a,-+i.iio Hiar 



Until the practice of fertilizing in , to bring disease. It is further true that 

 confinement comes into more general excessive excretion of the feces is cans- 

 use our location for rearing queens ed by long continued confinement, 

 must be such that drones of inferior j Therefore our ; first axiom : Bees to win- 

 quality will not interfere with the car- 1 ter successfully must have one or more 

 rying out of our plans. We must use 

 great care in every particular, even if 

 the expense is increased. It will be 

 money well spent. I am no advocate of 

 cheap queens, if reared at a sacrifice of 

 best methods. 



The question is frequently asked, to 

 what age can we profitably retain our 

 queens V This will depend upon the 

 system of management. If the ordi- 

 nary methods of the past is practised, 

 and a queen is required to deposit but 



purifying flights. 



The novice need not be told that bees 

 take food during the winter. It makes 

 no difference what the temperature, 

 more or less food is consumed. There- 

 fore our second axiom : To winter bees 

 they must have sufficient stores of 

 wholesome food. 



It is further true that bees are com- 

 pelled to move from one comb to others 

 to secure their usual amount of food. 

 This duty they cannot perform with a 



few eg"s each season, she may continue low temperature; hence our third axi- 

 orolilfcfor four or even five years; but ' om : Bees to winter well must be pro- 

 Ff she is forced to her utmost capacity tected from the extremes in tempera- 

 hi egg-laying she may exhaust her fer- ture. Furthermore it is a tact that with 

 tilitvii tw" or at most, three years. ' a high temperature bees move about the 

 At one of our meetings during the ; hive to carry their stores nearer to the 

 fir'st years of this organization, I made cluster, and with a sudden tall of the 

 a statement of my belief in the truth of mercury, many bees are frozen to death 



