1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



205 



Strange Bees, etc. — Mr. W. <;. Me 

 Lendon, Lake Village, Ark., propounds 

 the following questions : 



1. How can I find the queen ¥ I often 

 look through the hive 3 or 4 times, and 

 do not find her. 



2. How can I prevent the moths de- 

 stroying my empty combs? 



3. From the following description can 

 you give me the name of the bees V 

 They are very small — one-third smaller 

 than the black bees -with one broad 

 yellow band just back of the thorax, the 

 balance of the body is of a dull red 

 color. They have worked remarkably 

 well, filling their hives three times 

 while my blacks and Italians Idled but 

 twice: they are very cross ; the queens 

 arc short and plump, and very prolific, 

 keeping the lower story of a 10-fratue 

 Langstroth hive full of brood. I bought 

 them from a bee-keeper that wished to 

 quit the business. Each of them cast a 

 swarm, which are doing well. I do not 

 think I ever saw more bees in a hive 

 than are in my old colonies now, after 

 swarming. 1 think they are a distinct 

 race. I nave looked carefully among 

 my other bees, and can find none of these 

 mixed in with them. 



1. Move the hive a little to one side 

 and place a duplicate on the stand, now 

 carefully scan each comb and place in 

 the duplicate, and the probabilities are 

 that you will discover her; if not, trans- 

 fer the combs back, looking carefully as 

 you proceed. 



2. Give them the sulphur treatment 

 recommended on page 204, this number, 

 in the article entitled "The care of comb 

 honey." 



3. We cannot name them ; but think 

 you are wrong in supposing them a dis- 

 tinct race. 



gg° We haye received the Annual Cat- 

 alogue of the Michigan State Agricul- 

 tural College, which shows a very 

 satisfactory condition of the affairs of 

 the College. Among the means of illus- 

 trating the various studies, it mentions 

 " An apiary, with specimens of Italian 

 and Syrian bees, various styles of hives 

 and honey extractors, and other ap- 

 proved apparatus ; also noted honey 

 plants— shrubs, trees and herbs." Such 

 a College should be in every State, to 

 aid progressive and scientific work. 



I® - The Northwestern Illinois and 

 Southwestern Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its next meeting 

 Aug. 30, at Rock City, Stephenson Co., 

 111. Jonathan Stewart, Sec. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Seasonable Advice. — Mrs. L. Harri- 

 son, in the Prairie Farmer, gives the 

 following seasonable advice :' 



There is a magnificent bloom of white 

 clover ( Trifolium repent) in central Illi- 

 nois, and, judging from the reports 

 from different sections, must be gen- 

 eral throughout the country. It is es- 

 sential for the production of honey that 

 there should be abundant bloom of the 

 same kind at one time, yet a flow of 

 nectar does not always follow these re- 

 quisites. Nature's laboratory must be 

 in right condition to secrete sweetness 

 from the flowers, or the honey crop will 

 be a failure. During the blooming of 

 white clover, if a balmy south wind 

 blows, following a hot night, we may al- 

 most with certainty expect a big yield 

 of honey while these electric conditions 

 continue. Since the advent of June 

 the weather has been cold and wet, so 

 that the production of honey from white 

 clover has been meager. Occasionally 



for a few hours, when the sun would 

 shine very hot. bees would do a good 

 business. Those who have their "dishes 

 right side up" when the flow of nectar 

 comes will c&tcb an abundance ; hives 

 thai are full and running over with bees 

 are the ones that will "make hay while 

 the sun shines." 



A large increase in the number of 

 colonies, and a big yield of surplus can- 

 not be obtained at the same time. If 

 those bee-keepers who let their colo- 

 nies swarm naturally will put back all 

 swarms that issue out the first, their 

 apiary will then be in fine condition to 

 store surplus. The second swarm that 

 issues is accompanied by a virgin queen, 

 and if the queen cells are all removed 

 from the old colony, and it returned, it 

 will remain, as it then has no means of 

 rearing another queen. 



Many bees died last winter leaving 

 hives full of comb, and if after-swarms 

 are put into these, they will make good 

 colonies before, winter. By feeding at 

 night, and also during cold and wet 

 weather, the number of bees can be 

 greatly increased. 



Increase by Division.— An exchange 

 gives the following advice concerning 

 the increase of colonies by dividing : 



Dividing bees when properly done is 

 a much better plan for increase than to 

 allow them to swarm naturally. But 

 improperly done, has been the ruina- 

 tion' of many an apiary, for it seems al- 

 most impossible to convince some peo- 

 ple that success depends on the strength 

 of the colonies and not numbers. The 

 better plan is to wait until the bees are 

 making preparations to cast a swarm, 

 and then they can be divided with ben- 

 efit. When you find they are making 

 ready or have queen cells capped, then 

 divide. Take a frame of honey, bees, 

 brood, and the queen, hang in an empty 

 hive, fill up with frames of comb or 

 foundation. Move the old hive to anew 

 location, placing the new hive contain- 

 ing the queen on the old stand, and the 

 work is done. Nearly all of the old 

 bees and those in the fields at work will 

 return to the old stand, which now con- 

 tains the new hive, and make quite a 

 colony. The young hatching bees will 

 soon fill up the old hive. The empty 

 place from which you removed the 

 frame of brood and the queen should 

 be rilled with a frame of comb or foun- 

 dation, for if an empty frame be hung 

 in place the bees will fill it with drone 

 comb. This work should be- done in 

 the middle of the day when the larger 

 part of the bees are in the fields. Noth- 

 ing can be done for 7 or 8 days with the 

 old hive. By that time they will have 

 capped the queen cells ; if the cells 

 were capped at the time of divid- 

 ing they will need looking after sooner 

 than this. The queen will hatch in 15 

 days from an egg. When the young 

 queens are ready to hatch, all queen 

 cells should be removed but one ; those 

 removed can be used in nuclei pre- 

 viously prepared or be given to colonies 

 divided a few days in advance of the 

 hatching queens. If no other colonies 

 are ready to divide, make nuclei by tak- 

 ing 2 or 3 frames of brood and bees from 

 prosperous colonies and to them give 

 the hatching cells. The. nuclei should 

 be made the day previous, as they will 

 then more readily accept the cells. 

 Young queens will hatch and become 

 fertile while occupying these nucleus 

 colonies, and can then be built up from 

 other colonies or be given to divided 

 swarms, keeping the old colony to- 

 gether and at work until the young 

 queens are ready. 



£g" Success is the reward of eternal 

 vigilance. Do not neglect colonies 

 hived on empty frames. Be sure that 

 the combs are being built straight in 

 the frames. See that the hives are level 

 from side to side. Should you rind that 

 they are running the combs to one side 

 push them back into place, if not too 

 far gone. Otherwise cut them loose 

 and fasten in place with sticks, in the 

 manner of transferred combs. New 

 combs are very tender, and when filled 

 with honey and brood are easily broken. 

 Handle them carefully, but be sure to 

 have them straight in the frames. — In- 

 diana Farmer. 



Curiosilics of Red Clover.— Mr. C. 



Aldrich, in the Hamilton Freeman, gives 

 the following curious facts on this im- 

 portant plant. The tardy germination 

 of many kinds of field and flower seeds 

 is of frequent occurrence, and does much 

 to perpetuate the most obnoxious weeds: 



In 1879 our crops of red clover ( Trifo- 

 lium pratense) were very luxuriant. Af- 

 ter the haying season it made a second 

 growth, little inferior to the first, and 

 the seeds of this " aftermath " fully 

 ripened. But to the surprise of all the 

 farmers hereabouts, the following spring 

 (18801 found the clover dead— com- 

 pletely killed out ! Of course this 

 was very much of a discouragement to 

 many of us who had just begun the cul- 

 tivation of this excellent fodder plant. 

 The causes of this mortality in the clo- 

 ver seemed to me to be that, after a 

 most vigorous summer growth, we had 

 an autumn of drouth, followed by a 

 dry cold winter, but with little snow. 

 This state of things killed out clover, 

 without doubt. We all thought, how- 

 ever, that the seeds would germinate in 

 the spring and make us another set of 

 plants. But this did not occur, and in 

 many meadows where the clover was 

 very profuse and thick there were 

 bare patches of ground all summer 

 long. During the spring of 1880 the 

 supply of moisture was rather limited, 

 while the summer and early autumn 

 was unusually dry. To the surprise of 

 most people now — after the seeds have 

 laid upon the ground two winters and 

 one summer — they have germinated, 

 and promise to make our meadows as 

 luxurient with clover as they were in 

 1879 and previous years! The little 

 plants have sprung up by millions, so 

 thickly, in fact, that not one in a score 

 can live. "The fittest will survive," 

 and not only beautifully illustrate the 

 great doctrine of " natural selection," 

 but, what is of much more practical 

 moment, will gladden the hearts of our 

 farmers, who were greatly disappointed 

 in the spring of 1880, to find that their 

 clover would never wake up from its 

 winter sleep. 



The Honey Crop.— The Indiana Far- 

 mer remarks that " with the use of the 

 many improvements in bee-keeping 

 within the last few years the honey 

 crops of this country may be increased 

 ten fold. And yet none need fear over- 

 production. Honey has become a sta- 

 ple. The home demand arid consump- 

 tion is on the increase largely every 

 year. The exportation of honey to for- 

 eign countries has become a success, 

 and American honey is in good demand 

 at paying prices. The California 

 honey crop will be quite small this year, 

 while last season's crop is all consumed, 

 The prospects are favorable for good 

 prices and steady demand for all the 

 honey that we can possibly get." 



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Bee-Keeping in Georgia. — Mr. Bled- 

 soe, of Mississippi, in speaking of the 

 different sized frames, etc., gives my 

 ideas exactly. Most of us in the South 

 are unable to purchase hives, etc., but 

 must make them, and to make a sub- 

 stantial l^gxil'g in. frame is much more 

 likely than one 17^x9%. You must 

 remember our boys in ante-bellum days 

 learned no trade as a general thing, 

 and did not learn to work. I mean, of 

 course, those owning slaves, and we 

 have had to scuffle around considerably 

 to do as well as we have, and you might 

 consider us prodigies if we could make 

 and use tools well now, having never 

 been accustomed to it in our younger 

 days. I wish we might have been let 

 down easily instead of jerking the 

 props from under, so suddenly. But 

 we are all natural philosophers, and 

 make the best of things as we find 

 them, taking things easy. And " if we 

 cannot be easy we are as easy as we can 

 be." Again, my experience in leaving 

 on the cap during winter is like that of 



Bledsoe. 1 had a line Italian queen, 

 purchased of Dr. J. P. II. Brown, of 



Augusta, that I would probably have 



lost, as the bottom combs molded, and 

 she moved everything up into the cap, 



and saved her little family, and they 



have built more comb and stored more 

 honey than any I have this season, and 

 are still in it. Industry is gradually 

 spreading over our section, and many 

 are inquiring about the improved sys- 

 tem of bee-keeping, and making prep- 

 arations to give their bees better quar- 

 ters than the old box gum. Many will 

 neglect to attend to them, I know, and 

 but few will realize any considerable 

 profit from their keeping. But. bees 

 pay well here, even in the old gum, if 

 we could keep them from dying out, 

 from over swarming, loss of queens, etc. 

 I sell, here at home, extracted 8 1 £cents, 

 comb 12' i cents. I have to compete 

 with the box gum men, and as they will 

 sell at any price— 7 cents is what they 

 gfet for comb honey now— I think I 

 am doing pretty well' to get Yl l i cts. I 

 am not offering any more comb, how- 

 ever. It pays me well on the invest- 

 ment at 12*2 cents, as I have a good lo- 

 cation for Gees, and only keep as many 

 as I can attend without interfering with 

 the work of the farm. I caught the 

 "idea" from your issue of June 1 ; had 

 it already from the pen of Mr. Doolittle 

 in the Journal for 1880, but had neg- 

 lected to remember. I am well pleased 

 with the Journal in any shape, but 

 would prefer it something like the Bee 

 Journal for 1880. Capt. Milt. McCoy 

 and Dr. Bragden,Chillicothe,Ohio,made 

 us a tour of inspection a few weeks 

 since, and have induced some to try 

 clover If successful it will revolution- 

 ize farming and bee-keeping. 



J. B. Russell. 

 Cuthbert, Ga., June 20, 1881. 



Bee Stings.— I have found the imme- 

 diate application of common salt to the 

 place stung to be very effective in neu- 

 tralizing the poison, and allaying the 

 pain, both in my own case and in oth- 

 ers to whom I have given the remedy, 

 so that I feel no inconvenience. I usu- 

 ally carry a lump of salt, and place it 

 near for immediate use. Perhaps it 

 may not prove as efficient in giving re- 

 lief to others, but it is a convenient 

 remedy when effective. My bees were 

 late in getting down to their work, but 

 they are doing well now. I have had 

 no swarms yet, and very little indica- 

 tions of any preparations that way, but 

 yesterday 1 found them preparing queen 

 cells and hatching drones. One swarm 

 became queenless, and I found a queen 

 capped in a frame well filled with 

 capped brood, and placed it with them, 

 but they tore down the cell. I then 

 found a frame containing capped and" 

 uncapped brood and eggs in nearly 

 every cell and placed that with them ; 

 yesterday I found them constructing a 

 queen cell — how it will come out I can- 

 not tell. I have given them several 

 frames of brood from hives that could 

 spare them. They are storing honey 

 freely. L. B. Walker. 



St. Johns, Mich., June 22, 1881. 



Wood Prospect for Honey.— I lost all 

 my bees (23 colonies) last winter ; over 

 % of all the bees in this locality died ; 

 but I am commencing again. Bees are 

 doing well now on clover ; the prospect 

 is fine for a good crop of honey. 



T. P. Barnum. 



Carlton, Mich., June 23, 1881. 



The True Cause of Winter Losses of 



Bees. — It is amusing to hear the reasons 

 given by bee-keepers of the different 

 causes of bees dying in winter — some 

 giving one reason and some another. 

 In my opinion, nine-tenths of all the 

 bees that died last winter died from be- 

 ing confined so long without a chance to 

 fly. I am more than pleased with the 

 Weekly Bee Journal— cannot wait 

 for a monthly in th'ese times. 



F. L. Merrick. 

 Kankakee, 111., June 23, 1881. 



Bees Doing Well.— The loss of bees 

 last winter was fearful in this locality. 

 They are doing well now, gathering 

 honey fast, and swarming freely. 



J. Stewart, 



Rock City, ni., June 24, 1881. 



