62 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 23, 



before they can again reach the cluster. 

 Therefore axiom four : To winter bees 



is one of the requirements of nature. 

 Bees that are prepared for winter on 



suddenly, when many bees are caught 

 away from the cluster, and perish before 



up, and here, as all through spring man- 

 agement, the apiarist must necessarily 

 use his own judgment, but always aim- 



-"SESSfS'S fevoSbleTp^ "i- S M" areduSecf To L 

 attentive ' obviate this difficulty, bore a i inch hole 

 ' in the side of the hives a little above 

 always open. But those wintered in- 1 the centre of the frames; then with an 

 door, if not permitted a flight from No- iron spear pierce through all the combs, 

 vember to April will become uneasy n 

 and in almost every instance they will 



the different parts of the hive 



It is an admitted fact that a worker 

 bee with three months of busy life, is 

 aged and infirm ; that a worker bee 

 hatched in October will be in better con- 

 dition at the age of six months than the 

 one just mentioned at the age of three 

 months ; furthermore, old bees cannot 

 generate as much heat as young ones, 

 and as winter is the Irving ordeal for 

 bees, and with them the great struggle 

 for life ; no apiarist should expect that 

 a colony of old bees will be able to stand 

 this struggle, and in the spring build up 

 the staggering colony to the desired 

 strength, anv more than they would ex- 

 pect an aged person to perform the man- 

 ual labor of a robust healthy young 

 man. Hence axiom live : To winter 

 bees well they must be strong in num- 

 bers, as well as young and full of vital- 

 ity. 



Experience shows the importance of 

 proper absorbents over and above the 

 bees in winter. What experienced apiar- 

 ist has not noticed the moisture in his 

 hives during the winter, which often 

 produces mouldy combs, and during 

 cold spells changes into frost, and often 

 approximates too near the cluster, keep- 

 ing them from the needed stores ; while 

 in higlier temperature it produces damp- 

 ness, causing the bees to gorge them- 

 selves with honey to keep up the desired 

 animal heat, and this in turn will result 

 in a loss to the bees through the so- 

 called disease, dysentery. Therefore to 

 prevent any ill effects from an accumu- 

 lation of these elements of destruction, 

 we must cover them with some absorb- 

 ing material that will not permit a draft 

 of cold air through the hive, and at the 

 same time a non-conductor of heat. 



Thus far we have shown that the re- 

 quisites to safe wintering are embraced 

 in the following self-evident truths, viz: 

 1st— A sufficient quantity of well rip- 

 ened honey. 



2d— One or more purifying flights du- 

 ring the winter. 



3d— A proper protection from the ex- 

 tremes in temperature. 



4th— An easy access to all parts of the 

 hive. 



5th— Sufficiently strong in numbers 

 and young bees. 



6th— Proper absorbents over the hive 

 and above the bees. 



Now let us see how we can best sup- 

 ply the necessary requirements. 



Our first requisite is a sufficient quan- 

 tity of well-ripened honey. 



If we do not extract the honey from 

 the brood chamber, we will have but very 

 little to look after, unless it beat the 

 end of a poor season or with late swarms. 

 Here the apiarist must use his own 

 judgment, as circumstances alter cases. 

 Some late colonies will want to be unit- 

 ed, while others with a good family of 

 bees and a sufficient quantity of comb 

 will pay best to feed enough to carry 

 them through until spring, or exchange 

 combs with those that have to spare. 



I am not in favor of extracting the 

 unsealed honey from the brood-cham- 

 ber in the fall. Our experience is such 

 as to convince me that this is all useless. 

 Bees will not seal the honey unless it is 

 sufficiently ripened, and when we reach 

 the middle of November, their stores 

 will be all sealed honey, as every observ- 

 ing bee-keeper knows that the bees 

 move the honey from the outside combs 

 to the middle of the hive. 



Of course our surplus arrangement 

 should be in place during a flow of fall 

 honey, that the bees do not crowd the 

 queen in her labors. Then again there 

 are some who charge the heavy losses 

 to the bees sucking the juice from grapes 

 and the refuse from a cider mill. 1 am 

 thoroughly convinced from experience 

 that this is not so. 



One of our apiaries is located close by 

 a large eider mill, hut our percentage of 

 losses is no greater in this apiary than 

 with the others, everything equally con- 

 sidered. In regard to grapes, I would 

 say that there are hut few localities that 

 produce more than are grown in the im- 

 mediate vicinity Of our home apiary, 

 yet I can discover nothing that is in any 

 way injurious. 



Our second axiom : Bees to winter 

 successfully must have one, or more pu- 

 rifying flights during the winter. This 



flights 



nity offers, providing the 



apiarist is careful to keep the entrances 



be attacked with dysentery, causing 

 dwindling and heavy losses. 



Undoubtedly we have one of the best 

 winter repositories that could be con- 

 structed. It is very dry, and has the 

 desired ventilation; the temperature 

 never falling below 37 degrees when 

 only partially occupied. We have win- 

 tered ISO colonies in this cellar without 

 losing a single swarm. Then again, if 

 confined four months without a flight, 

 they would surely come out in bad con- 

 dition ; but if they secured a good light 

 during January or February, or both, 

 they were just as sure to come out in 

 better shape. The oftener the flights 

 the better they winter. Therefore I am 

 convinced that bees wintered in repos- 

 itories should be allowed a flight at every 

 favorable opportunity. It gives them a 

 chance to discharge the feces and clean 

 up the hive. Here we have another ob- 

 jection to in-door wintering. As we 

 many times have such opportunities of 

 short duration, an apiarist with from 

 100 to 500 colonies, could not give his 

 bees the desired flight, while if prepared 

 on their summer stands they would 

 enjoy the desired flight and return in a 

 healthy condition. 



The third requisite : A proper protec- 

 tion from the extremes in temperature. 

 Those wintering in repositories are ena- 

 bled to guard against these changes 

 without much trouble, but those win- 

 tering out-door must necessarily give 

 sufficient protection. 



Perhaps I can best illustrate by giving 

 our method of out-door wintering. 

 First build a temporary shed facing to 

 the south, by driving stakes in the 

 ground, nailing up the back ends with 

 any odd boards. Lay on the roof-boards 

 in such a manner as to carry off the 

 water, that it may not leak down on the 

 packing; the roof should slant towards 

 the back. It can be built any desired 

 length, and just high enough to admit 

 of easy packing around the hives. Now 

 lay some scantling or poles on the ground 

 and on these place a bed of straw or 

 chaff, treading it well down between 

 and over the poles, so that the hives 

 should set 8 or 10 inches from the ground. 

 Place the hives on this bed of straw 

 about 6 or 8 inches apart, leaving about 

 10 inches space at the back. Now pack 

 chaff or fine straw firmly between the 

 hives and at the back, packing as high 

 as the tops of the hives. (The method 

 of preparing the hives I will give a little 

 further along). Contract the entrances 

 and your bees will improve the first op- 

 portunity for a Highland they will have 

 no desire to fly out under unfavorable 

 circumstances. Prepared in this man- 

 ner we are guarded against the extreme 

 in temperature, and with the benefit of 

 over twenty years' experience in in-door 

 wintering, and various other methods, 

 I am satisfied that this method is prefer- 

 able to all others, giving the most satis- 

 factory results, besides being the cheap- 

 est, attended with the least labor, and 

 by far the most practical mode of win- 

 tering in this latitude. I will winter 

 bees in this way with as little trouble, 

 and as successful as any living man. 



4th— To winter bees safely, they must 

 have easy access to the different parts 

 of the hive. 



I contend that this is an all-important 

 factor in successful wintering, After 

 the fatal winter of 1878-79 I examined 

 many hives in our neighborhood that 

 had "been wintered on their summer 

 stands without protection. I found 

 many hives where the bees had actually 

 starved to death with plenty of honey 

 in the hives. During the long continued 

 cold they were unable to pass over the 

 tops of the frames to procure the needed 

 supply, while if there had been passage 

 ways through the centre of the combs 

 many would not have perished. 



Then again with a higher tempera- 

 ture, the bees visit the outside combs to 

 carry a needed supply of honey to where 

 the bees are clustered. At such times 

 the mercury often falls quite, low very 



This should be done during the month 

 of October. 



Axiom 5 : To winter bees vxll they 

 must be sufficiently strong in numbers 

 and young bees. This is a complex 

 question, and one that I am not able to 

 fully solve. As to being strong in num- 

 ber, I am satisfied is true. But in regard 

 to young bees I am somewhat perplexed. 

 At one apiary of upwards of 150 colo- 

 nies, the bees have not stored a pound 

 of fall honey in three years ; they were 

 fed nothing, and ceased brood-rearing 

 in September, stili they were wintered 

 with a loss of only 3 per cent. At the 

 other two apiaries fall honey was stored 

 and brood-rearing kept up into October 

 or November. The bees in all 3 apiaries 

 were prepared for winter in the same 

 manner, but the losses in these apiaries 

 were larger than in the first named 

 apiary. Then again in these two apiar- 

 ies where fall honey was stored, I have 

 noticed that some colonies that kept up 

 brood-rearing late, wintered better than 

 those whose brood ceased to hatch in 

 early September, and rice versa. I think 

 I can assign causes in many cases. 

 However a plentv of young bees is desir- 

 able, it certainly cannot be detrimental. 

 Our 0th and last truth : Proper ab- 

 sorbents over the brood-chamber is uni- 

 versally acknowledged an essential 

 point in successful wintering. There is 

 nothing equal to a straw mat for this 

 purpose. It has all the desired quali- 

 ties, is the most durable, and is cheap 

 and easily made Our hives are so con- 

 structed as to use surplus boxes at the 

 sides of the brood-chamber. In winter 

 this space (2 inches wide), is occupied 

 by a straw mat, a mat is also placed over 

 the frames, thus making the sides of 

 the brood-chambers of straw mats. The 

 second story or chambers of the hives 

 should be filled with chaff or fine straw. 

 We credit our success in wintering 

 largely to these, straw mats. From late 

 experience I am of the opinion that 

 dysentery or dwindling is attributable 

 to an excess of pollen ,instead of unsealed 

 honey. The cells being partly filled 

 with pollen, are finished up with honey 

 and capped over. The bees consume 

 the honey, leaving the pollen exposed 

 to the damp atmosphere, and when in 

 excess of their wants, becomes sour or 

 so changed as to produce the disease. 

 This element should be given the earnest 

 study and experiments by our leading 

 apiarists. I think it will solve a mys- 

 tery. 



SP1UNU MANAGEMENT. 



The whole year depends more or less 

 upon spring management. A very 

 large per centage of the losses occur be- 

 tween April 1 and May 1. There are 

 many causes to assign for these losses, 

 but we have not the time or space to 

 give them here. The most disastrous 

 cause is from dwindling, and there are 

 various causes that produce this wast- 

 ing away, among which are dysentery, 

 a lack of bees to keep up the desired 

 warmth and the changes in tempera- 

 ture. We have already spoken of dysen- 

 tery, therefore I will refer to only one 

 cause not spoken of before. It is a pos- 

 itive fact that the heavy losses in this 

 country have occurred during those 

 winters attended with a heavy fall of 

 snow. There being no frost in the 

 ground, there is a peculiar dampness 

 (varying in different soils), that arises 

 from the earth that is a sure cause of 

 this dreaded disease. I am fully satis- 

 fied from past experience that there is 

 but one way to prevent this dampness, 

 &c. Have your hives set on a bed of 

 chaff or straw, and keep the snow cleaned 

 away from the hives, so as to leave the 

 ground hare. The earth will thus be- 

 come frozen and thus cut off this damp- 

 ness, and allow the bees fresh pure air. 

 Those colonies that have not a sufficient 

 family to keep up the desired heat for 

 brood-rearing, should be given a frame 

 or two of hatching-brood drawn from 

 the strongest colonies, replacing them 

 with frames of empty comb or founda- 

 tion ; while those that are queenless or 

 have a poor queen, should be doubled 



possible. The plan of taking from the 

 strongest and giving to the weaker is 

 the most practical yet known. A little 

 judicious stimulating at times is also 

 advisable. 



Bees prepared for winter on their 

 summer stands, should not be unpacked 

 before warm weather, so as to avoid the 

 change in temperature. Bees wintered 

 in cellars suffer the most from these 

 changes, and I am convinced it would 

 pay to give such a proper protection 

 after setting on their summer stands. 



Before closing I will say : During cold 

 spells do not disturb your bees, not even 

 as much as to allow walking on the hard 

 frozen ground near the hives. When it 

 is warm, that is, when it is thawing in 

 the shade, or nearly so, open the en- 

 trance to the hives, and with a wire bent 

 at right angles about two inches from 

 the end, clean out all dead bees, &c, 

 that are on the board. This can be done 

 without disturbing the bees. You 

 should also raise the second story or 

 chamber a very little, to admit of a 

 slight circulation of air; this will cause 

 the chaff or straw packing to become 

 thoroughly dry. As soon as the damp- 

 ness in the hive and chamber has thus 

 been dispelled, let the chamber back to 

 place, contract your entrances, and your 

 hives are again in a healthy condition. 



Before moving bees in the cellar or 

 repository, the hives should be thor- 

 oughly dry, and in moving, disturb the 

 bees as little as possible. When they 

 are removed from the cellar, it is impor- 

 tant that each hive shall occupy the 

 same position as in the fall before mov- 

 ing. 



In writing this essay, I have given 

 instructions for this latitude, but the 

 main principles will hold good in any 

 locality. 



Fayetteville, N. Y., Jan., 1881. 



Read before the N. E. Convention. 



The Marketing of Honey. 



L. M. WAINWRIGHT. 



" It has been estimated that there are 

 300,000 persons who keep bees in North 

 America— an average of 10 colonies 

 each will place the number of colonies 

 at three millions, and if these produce 

 so little as twenty-five pounds each, the 

 honey product amounts to 75,000,000 

 pounds valued at $12,000,000. 



" If the wax product of each colony is 

 only one pound at twenty cents per 

 pound it will amount to $600,000. 



"Now the best methods for placing 

 this enormous product upon the mar- 

 ket is a subject of vast importance to 

 honey producers. 



" Any method that will add one cent 

 per pound to the marketable value is 

 worth to them three-quarters of a mil- 

 lion of dollars ; and any error of man- 

 agement, causing a reduction of one 

 cent per pound, is to them a correspond- 

 ing loss." . 



Hence the principle object in market- 

 ing honey is to create a demand for it. 

 And to create a demand it is necessary 

 to produce it in such a style as will at- 

 tract and tempt the consumer, and so 

 pure that you may gain the reputation 

 of being honest. For it is well known 

 to each of us that adulterations have 

 been the greatest hindrance we have 

 had in striving to make honey a staple 

 article and that suspicion or distrust 

 having found its way into the public 

 mind is a very obstinate and disagree- 

 able enemy. 



As to the kind of honey we shall pro- 

 duce, whether comb or extracted, we 

 should ascertain what our respective 

 markets demand ; and then dilligently 

 apply ourselves to the work of meeting 

 that demand. 



Should it be comb honey that your 

 patrons or your vicinity favors, bend 

 every energy toward the raising of pure 

 comb honey in the most marketable* 

 shape, and leave no stone unturned. 

 Ambition is an absolute requisite to 

 success in any branch of industry, trade 

 or learning, and nothing is to be hoped 

 for without it. 



Comb honey should be put up in sin- 

 gle-comb one or two pound sections, 

 labeled with the name of the kind of 



