1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



211 



whereas I didn't sea tu moths lain' in 

 front of the Mack beas hive anl sum- 

 mer, them Italians hedn't ben thare a 

 weke before i seen s in front uv them. 

 How is thet fer lii V Tell me that 

 black bez is trubled moar with moths 

 than Italians be. Tha wuz purty gen- 

 tle until after tha Bwarmed, and then 

 tliii wuz az cross az the dickens. Tha 

 woodn't no moai let nie cum neve the 

 hive than a hive uv blacks wood let 

 me take hunny awa from um when 

 tha wuz alive. Tank about Italians 

 bein' gentle ! And then a nuttier 

 thing, ef i ever go tu strain hunny 

 out-doors them pesky Italians is allcrs 

 round stiekin' there tungs inter nie ; 

 or if iset eny frute out doors to dri it 

 is jist covert! with bez, and these bez 

 is alters Italians, and neaw what moar 

 kin yen sa agin bez than this : full of 

 moths, cross, and trublesum ? Didn't 

 i git moar hunny frum them than i 

 did frum the rest V Yes, I did ; but 

 what does that amount to V Don't 

 yen ever git moar frum wun hive than 

 yen du frum a nuther V 



And now, Mr. Editor, i wish I hed 

 time tu extend this instructive artical, 

 fer i no that yen wood rather heve ar- 

 ticals frum wun uv the feu old be- 

 keapers like me than the trash which 

 at present fills yeur colums ; but, you 

 must no, men uv mi ability heve all 

 there time took up with other mat- 

 ters, and Ms with the greatest uncon- 

 venyence that i take time tu pen this 

 artical, and on conclusion I wood say 

 wun wurd tu the supply dealers. I 

 suppose you will be awful hot at 

 me fer spoilin yeur trade in Italian bez, 

 but I don't fel'e a bit sorry fer ye, and 

 if I hed time tu rite on the superiority 

 uv box hives I'd brak ye up in that 

 wa, tu. 



If, Mr. Editor, yeu wood like mi fo- 

 tograph tu sell with those uv uther re- 

 mained be-keapers, I can supply yeu 

 with a negative. 



Hillsdale, Mich., May, 1880. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee Items from Eminence, Ky. 



W. T. STEWART. 



As reports are now in order I will 

 give in mine, and as I am one of the 

 successful ones as far as wintering 

 bees the past severe winter goes, I 

 shall attempt to give a few items as to 

 my method of bee-keeping, 



I put 74 colonies into winter quar- 

 ters, and in April I had 69, a loss of 5 

 colonies; 8 were queenless in April, 

 and I doubled them up with others ; 

 cause of death starvation. All were 

 wintered on the summer stands, 

 packed in tine hay, dry sand, or chaff 

 and sweepings from a flour-mill floor. 

 Those that wintered best were in Hi- 

 ram Hoop's winter protector (of Car- 

 son City, Mich.) ; 40 of them were 

 Hoop's, and 20 Langstroth's; none 

 died in the Roop hive. A description 

 of it will be found in a back volume 

 of the Bee Journal and in this 

 year's Gleanings. I made them from 

 the description in the Journal. After 

 trying all hives fairly and without 

 prejudice, giving all the same atten- 

 tion, in the same yard, and under the 

 same circumstances, I have adopted 

 Hiram Roop's. I do not know Mr. 

 Roop nor have I hives to sell, or axe 

 to grind in any way, but I do know 

 that Roop's winter protective hive is 

 the very best that I have ever tried 

 for summer or winter ; the frames are 

 10 inches square in the clear, 12 frames 

 in the brood-chamber in summer and 

 as few as possible in winter. 



I use in each hive a feeder of my 

 own make, that is in the brood-cham- 

 ber all the year round ; it is simply a 

 trough under the top-bar of one of 

 the brood-frames, the length and 

 width of the frame and 2 inches deep; 

 it holds one pint ; the balance of the 

 frame is filled with brood and honey ; 

 it has a hole through the top-bar and 

 quilt to pour in syrup, with vacant 

 space under the top-bar for bees to go 

 in and out. I fed some colonies dur- 

 ing all the past cold winter every week, 

 and they are as good as the best to- 

 day. I fed them warm syrup of A 



sugar the very coldest time we 

 had, and never disturbed any bees; it 

 is suitable for any hive. 



I make all my fixtures for the apiary 

 myself and save many dollars by it ; 

 1 made my own extractor, of a molas- 

 ses barrel, an apple peeler for the 

 gearing, and the wire bottoms of 2 

 triumph hives for comb baskets, and 

 it worked all right; it cost me $1.26 

 complete. 



I get extra pasturage for my bees by- 

 saving all the seed that I can get from 

 the Simpson honey plant, which is the 

 best plant I ever saw ; motherwort is 

 the next best; catnip and melilot are 

 good, too. I save all the seed from 

 these 4 plants that I can get, and 

 every time I go out in the vicinity I 

 take my pocket of the seeds mixed, 

 and drop some of them in every 

 available spot, and some come up ; 

 the Simpson honey plant comes up in 

 the spring only ; the others will come 

 in the fall or spring either, and I im- 

 prove my location all the time. It is 

 but little trouble if we have the will 

 to do it, and don't cost anything. 



I put my honey up in the best shape 

 for market, nicely labeled, and I sold 

 every pound last year for 20 tents per 

 lb. in my own town ; while some were 

 offering it at 12J£ to loots, mine would 

 sell first at 20 cts., because it was at- 

 tractive. Mr. Diane and myself are 

 informing people in these parts how to 

 get up and buy honey, and we are get- 

 ting people's eyes open on the subject. 

 The season for surplus here is nearly 

 closed and we have but little honey; 

 it is a long way behind last season. 

 No honey and but few swarms, is the 

 order of the day here. Will not Mr. 

 Heddon's doctrine about "bacteria" 

 have a tendency to injure the sale of 

 honey V Some may conclude that if 

 honey will kill bees that it is not 

 healthy for man, and will not use it ; 

 Mr. Heddon is right in most tilings, 

 but I wish he could drop that notion 

 until he can prove it. Mr. Doolittle's 

 writings have benefitted me a great 

 deal ; his head is level on hives ; I 

 know by my own experience. 



Eminence' Ky., June 27, 1881. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Honey Season in Georgia. 



A. F. 3IOON. 



The present season, this far, has 

 been more favorable, both in the pro- 

 duction of honey and swarming, than 

 for several years ; however, the swarm- 

 ing has not been so great, except in 

 some localities. The principal cause 

 of this was that in some parts the 

 honey-dew was so great that the bees 

 filled up the hives with it, and the 

 queens were deprived of the amount 

 of space necessary to deposit eggs suf- 

 ficient to keep the colonies strong and 

 throw off swarms. In some localities 

 bees have not swarmed at all, but have 

 stored large quantities of surplus. 

 Had the extractor been used freely, a 

 much better yield could have been ob- 

 tained. I have examined several col- 

 onies, and find them filled below, 

 almost crowding the queen out. This 

 could only happen when honey-dew 

 was so plentiful. The honey gathered 

 is of superior quality, more so than 

 usual, being a light straw-color instead 

 of a wine-color, as it sometimes is, and 

 is very thick and finely flavored. The 

 main honey season is about over until 

 the fall honey crop sets in, which is 

 usually in August, or the latter part of 

 it, and the month of September. I 

 have had good strong swarms conic off 

 the last of August and the first of Sep- 

 tember, and fill their hives with plenty 

 for winter. This, however, is an ex- 

 ception, not the rule. 



But little or no buckwheat is sowed 

 here in comparison with the North. I 

 am sure that it would almost astonish 

 a Southern man to look at one of the 

 Northern buckwheat fields, both in 

 full bloom and in full " ripening." The 

 growth of buckwheat varies so greatly 

 here from that in the Norjh, that it is 

 quite a curiosity. It is covered with 

 bloom from its earliest growth until 

 killed by cold weather; blossoming 

 and ripe buckwheat can be seen the 



whole season, but it does not afford the 

 amount of honey here it does in the 

 North. This grain requires a peculiar 

 atmosphere, wherever winter fruit 



does well I have observed more buck- 

 wheat grown, and it secretes much 

 more honey. 



I see by the Bee Journal that 

 there still exists a difference of opinion 

 regarding the great mortality of bees. 

 Some attribute it to one thing and 

 some to another. 1 intend to test the 

 matter, or, rather, have some experi- 

 ments made. I propose to send to 

 three or four editors of bee papers each 

 a swarm of bees from the Sunny South; 

 they will be. in old box hives, rather 

 open, but good and strong ; these hives 

 to set upon their summer stands, un- 

 protected from the cold weather. By 

 this method we may learn where the 

 disease rests — whether in the food 

 gathered or in the cold weather. I 

 think they will stand the test ; at least, 

 we can know whether cold weather 

 kills them. 



The Weekly Bee Journal comes 

 to hand regular as clock-work, and 

 does not seem to be much exhausted. 

 Its smiling pages are read with pleas- 

 ure. Long may it continue a regular 

 missionary to all parts of the world. 

 To-day I received 3 bee papers from 

 the old country. The bee-keepers 

 there, as well as here, are doing a good 

 work. 



Rome, Ga., June 21, 1881. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Honey Bloom in California. 



J. D. ENAS. 



The young queen I mentioned in the 

 Bee Journal of Feb. 9, did not lay 

 or have any brood until January 10. I 

 clipped her wing to keep her from 

 leaving, in case she was so inclined. I 

 was not aware that I had any drones 

 at that time, but on Feb. 19 she had 

 several combs with good worker brood. 

 I think she is pure ; her workers are 

 hatching and look fine. I had several 

 young queens at the same time ; they 

 are doing well. I helped the bees out 

 in the spring by uncapping my dark 

 pale honey from golden rod (it has a 

 tine flavor but is too dark to sell), aud 

 feeding it to them in the comb be- 

 tween the wet spells. My Italians fly 

 between showers, and very often get 

 caught. They appear to be heavily 

 laden, and we frequently see them 

 alighting to rest. They are very quiet, 

 and but seldom trouble either human 

 beings or stock, though at times the 

 air seems full of them. 



I wish to make a few corrections in 

 my, last article, which says my hives 

 "have no portico, but the front pro- 

 jects." It should be, the top projects 

 at the front, which partly shades the 

 entrance. For " on the 15th I took 

 away 20 frames " read I took away the 

 7 empty frames. Instead of "magan- 

 ita" read mauzanita. 



The mauzanita is regarded here as 

 a good honey producer. I have 

 watched it closely and fail to perceive 

 that it shows itself that way. I have 

 seen but few bees on it at any time, 

 and those appear to get pollen. The 

 hills have been covered with its bloom, 

 but there appears to have been very 

 little stored in the hives. I have seen 

 wasps and humble bees on it, but if 

 there is as much honey in the bloom 

 as many persons about here seem to 

 think, bees ought not to starve every 

 winter, for it generally blooms about 

 Nov. 1. The willows look different, 

 when fine enough to fly anyone can see 

 swarms of bees on the bloom. The 

 idea here, too, isthatthechemisal fur- 

 nishes honey. When it is in bloom 

 the hills look to be covered with snow, 

 but the bees only occasionally visit it. 



We have a bush that bears clusters 

 of red berries in the fall ; it is called 

 here bear bush, as the bears eat the 

 berries ; while in bloom the bees ap- 

 pear to get intoxicated over it. I have 

 seen, in a cluster of flowers as large 

 as my hands, 50 bees, all busy and 

 peaceful. If the evenings are cool 

 many get belated and stay all night, 

 and thousands of old and young bees 



ran lie seen on the ground lev its 



branches, apparently dead. When 

 the bloom of it is over, then look out 

 for robbing. 

 Napa, Cal. 



Fop the American Bee Journal. 



Fastening Comb Foundation. 



.1. K. EIGHT. 



I notice in almost every number of 

 the Bee Journal an article in regard 

 to fastening comb foundation. As 

 there seems to be a great many ways 

 of fastening it, [will give mine, which 

 is as easy and rapid as any one need 

 wish for. My frames are Langs troth, 

 some with tongues and some with v- 

 shaped top pieces. Having the wires 

 all in (of which, by-the-way, 5 is all 

 that are necessary) get a board just to 

 lit the inside of your frame, then a 

 pail of water to wet the board to keep 

 the wax from sticking to it, then a 1- 

 cent piece fastened to a handle and a 

 groove cut around it with a file, or 

 what is simpler still, a shoe buttoner 

 with a notch cut in the heel of it, now 

 place 5 or 6 pieces of foundation, with 

 about half an inch in the sunshine 

 (for more will get too warm) and you 

 are ready for business. Place your 

 board across your lap (after you nave 

 wet it), and if you have a little 4 or 5- 

 year old girl let her hand you foun- 

 dation, and place more in the sun as 

 you work them; they will do it as well 

 as you can, and delight in it, too ; 

 place the edge that is warm next to 

 the top-bar of the frame and with 

 your thumb or thumbs press tightly ; 

 now turn it over, and with your cent 

 or buttoner run on each wire from top 

 to bottom, and itis done. In this way 

 my little 4-year old girl and I fastened 

 50 in M0 minutes. I have nearly SOU 

 worked out, and not one sagged or fell 

 down. 



Now for the sections, cut your start- 

 ers just the size you want them, lay 

 them handy, to your left, for instance, 

 and your sections inverted lying just 

 before you, now get a chisel anywhere 

 from 1 to 4 inches wide, and put it in 

 the fire about 20 seconds and you are 

 ready for work. If you are quick-mo- 

 tioned you can fasten about 12 before 

 your chisel is too cold ; place your 

 starter where you want it, press the 

 edge of it with' the chisel, now invert 

 again and straighten the starter, and 

 when cold it will stick like a leach. 



If any reader of the Bee Journal 

 desires to fasten foundation, give the 

 above a trial and he. will be surprised 

 at the rapidity. I would rather miss 

 my dinner when hungry than to miss 

 one number of the Bee Journal. 



1'oseyville, Ind., June 27, 1881. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



DPTKKS' QUOTATIONS. 



CHICAGO. 



HONEY— There is no new comb honey In market. 

 We quote extracted, 7}4&^c. 

 BEESWAX— Choice yellow, 18«22c; dark, 15@I7. 



NEW YORK. 

 HONEY— White extracted. 3O10C. I dark, 7@sc. 

 BEESWAX.— Prime quality, 2tKsi23c. 



CINCINNATI. 

 HONEY.— The market for extracted clover 

 honey is Rood, atHftnOc. 

 BKESWAX-18<Si22c. C. t . MlTTn. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY— A lot Of 1,2H'. cases and 3 bbls was for- 

 warded this week on a wheat ship to Great Britain, 

 the honey in cases being in fancy packages and 

 shipped by a prominent packing tlriu. The visible 

 supply of old is light and firmly held. Quotations 

 are entirely nominal. For some old extracted an 

 advance on quotations is asked, but there are no 

 buyers at our extreme figures, except in a retail 



We quote white comb, 12<S.14c.; dark to good, 9® 

 lie. Extracted, choice t" extra white. T'.'sc.; dark 

 and candied, o(s.i3c. BEESWAX— 23isi25c. 



Stearns & Smith, 423 Front Street. 



San Francisco. Cal.. June2n, 1881. 



s The Northwestern Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will meet in Chicago, on 

 Tuesday and Wednesday, October 25 

 and 26. All bee-keepers are cordially 

 invited to attend. It is desired to 

 make this one of the most interesting 

 conventions ever held in the United 

 States. C. C. Miller, M. I)., Pres. 



0. C. COFFIKBERKT, Sec. 



