294 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Sept. 14, 



Dwindling;.— I had a small second 

 swarm the lirst part of June, which I 

 put in a Langstroth improved. As I 

 was moving from that part of the 

 county, the bees were removed half a 

 mile. I went to see them and others 

 which I left about the 12th of July. 

 They appeared to have decreased con- 

 siderably. I took the top box of an- 

 other, and drove the bpes from that 

 into the weak hive. They appeared 

 to be doing better for some time, but 

 of hue they seem to be decreasing. A 

 large swarm which came out about 3 

 weeks ago was added a few days since. 

 They have plenty of combs but no 

 honey, and in order to winter them 

 they must be fed. I see Prof. Cook 

 recommends coffee A sugar. I do not 

 know it by that name ; is it the com- 

 mon Sc. sugar? Can you recommend 

 a simpler feeder than that which Prof. 

 Cook describes? I am in a country 

 where the old straw " skep," as they 

 call the hive, is in use. Their method 

 is to kill the bees in the fall, and those 

 they do not wish to treat so cruelly are 

 left on the summer stand, without 

 more protection or care than in sum- 

 mer. I wintered but two colonies last 

 season, which were the first I ever had. 

 What was the cause of the dwindling? 

 J. Roaduouse. 



Lakefield, Quebec, Aug. 17, 1881. 



[Your moving the swarm but half a 

 mile would cause the dwindling, as 

 most of the field- workers probably re- 

 turned to the old location; it is also 

 probable the queen is worthless— she 

 should have filled the hive with brood 

 after the first dwindling occurred, and 

 you should have investigated her value 

 when you examined the hive in July. 

 Coffee A sugar is the best grade, and 

 next to granulated in price. It is pre- 

 ferred, because less liable to contain 

 glucose, and is easily dissolved. The 

 simplest feeder is an old fruit (or simi- 

 lar) can with the top removed, fill with 

 sugar syrup or honey, tie a cloth over 

 the mouth, place two square half-inch 

 sticks on top the frames, and invert 

 the feed cans on these.— Ed.] 



The Drouth— Cyprian Bees, Etc.— 

 The drouth continues all over our 

 state. In the most favored localities, 

 the corn and hemp crops are cut at 

 least 50 per cent, below the average, 

 and the tobacco crop is nearly ruined. 

 In many places the condition of things 

 is simply desperate. Our line blue 

 grass pastures would burn like a dash. 

 Stock water is failing rapidly ; no rain, 

 no dews. The case of the poor honey 

 bees is gloomy indeed. Not a flower 

 is to be seen m the land, except the 

 tough iron weed. Few colonies will 

 live to see the flowers open next 

 spring. Of course progressive bee- 

 keepers will feed those under their 

 care. I am now feeding 6 or 7 colo- 

 nies that have come to want at this 

 early stage of the game. I would like 

 to reject the doctrine of " partheno- 

 genesis " if I could find a more reas- 

 onable theory. The substitute offered 

 by Mr. C. J. Robinson, is simply mon- 

 strous. Sexual impregnation through 

 and by means of the digestive organs, 

 is too unreasonable and improbable to 

 entertain a single thought. It is even 

 worse than blind parthenogenesis. 

 Mr. Dadant's evil report concerning 

 his Cyprian bees, imported " by way 

 of Italy," don't sound well after ad- 

 vertising and selling them. I suspect 

 that he has got them mixed with those 

 " gentle dark Italians" of his. If I 

 wanted to breed up a game race of 

 bees to engage in a prize light. I would 

 commence by crossing the Cyprians 

 with Mr. Dadant's 'dark Italians." 

 The robust Cyprian joined witn the 

 ferocious " dark " hybrids, would cul- 

 minate in just such a storm as friend 

 Dadant describes. In justice to the 

 Cyprians, 1 wish to say that I have 

 handled them for a year past, im- 

 ported stock, and crossed with pure 

 Italians, and although they have a 

 rather dangerous, inquisitive appear- 

 ance when the hive is lirst opened, 



if handled gently, they submit nicely. 

 My Cyprians have passed through the 

 most trying ordeal in the last 6 weeks 

 of drouth and famine, and their be- 

 havior has differed but little from 

 that of my Italians and hybrids. If 

 they once get the taste of stolen sweets 

 however, their energy is simply terri- 

 ble. G. W. Demaueb. 

 Christiansburg, Ky., Aug. 27, 1881. 



Explanation of Mailing Label.— My 



time is out at the end of September, 

 but the label on the paper shows it 

 out now ; it ought to read Oct. 1, as I 

 paid to that time. My 32 colonies 

 have given 1000 lbs. comb in sections 

 white, 500 lbs. extracted white, and 

 200 lbs. dark, and more coming now. 

 John L. Davis. 

 Holt, Mich., Sept. 5, 1881. 



[The mark on the wrapper label is 

 all right. Subscribers are entitled to 

 the Bee Journal till the end of the 

 months printed on the label. — Ed.] 



130 lbs. of Surplus Honey per Colony. 



— I enclose slip From the premium list 

 of the Chickasaw Co. Fair. You will 

 see they have offered the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal as premiums, but 

 they have made a mistate in giving it 

 lor a second instead of first premium, 

 as i suggested. They have promised 

 to change that another year : 



Division J— Class No. 21. 



Best sample box honey, quality and 

 style of package considered, S2.00 ; 2d 

 best do., American Bee Journal. 



Best sample of extracted honey, 

 SI .50 ; 2d best do., American Bee Jour- 

 nal. 



Best display of honey by one exhi- 

 bitor. S2.00; 2d best do., American 

 Bee Journal. 



The honey yield has not been as good 

 since the 15th of July, as it was before 

 that time, yet I shall have at least as 

 large an average yield per colony, as I 

 had last year, viz: 130 lbs. per colony. 

 1 am sure of at least 14 000 lbs. from 

 my 108 colonies, and will have more if 

 September should be as favorable for 

 honey as it is sometimes. 



O. O. PoPPLETON. 



Williamstown, Iowa, Sept. 1, 1881. 



Getting Rid of Fertile Workers.— I 



have had some experience with getting 

 rid of fertile worker, and have con- 

 cluded that the most profitable way is 

 to let them work on what combs they 

 can take care of until the close of the 

 honey season, and then take away 

 their combs and let them go. But if 

 a person is anxious to increase his col- 

 onies I will say that, like introducing 

 queens, yon may succeed in all of the 

 different ways, but none of them are 

 always sure. They are like all rules 

 in bee-keeping — have many excep- 

 tions. The way I have done this year 

 is to take a strong colony that has 

 plenty of brood, and after smoking 

 both colonies thoroughly, mix all to- 

 gether and divide equally, putting eggs 

 in each hive. This has not failed me 

 this year, but may next every time ; so 

 with all rules in the business. Some 

 of my tender-hearted bee friends may 

 think it cruel to take away their honey, 

 but they must remember that these 

 bees, with the best nursing, will not 

 live until November. 



E. B. SouxnwicK. 

 Mendon, Mich., Sept. 3, 1881. 



Honey Season in Florida. — We com- 

 menced in the spring with 250 colo- 

 nies. From about 50 of these no in- 

 crease or surplus ; 200 have given us 

 80 swarms, 83H gallons of extracted 

 and 1,850 lbs. of comb honey, in 2 and 

 3 lb. sections. We expect 200 gallons 

 more of extracted. It has not been a 

 very favorable season with us, as the 

 spring was backward. We will not 

 mention our wax, as we intend work- 

 ing it up into foundation, on the Dun- 

 ham machine, which we find upon trial 

 is good enough for us. We find our 

 Italians, which we bought from Dr. 

 J. P. II. Brown, have given us about 

 J3 more honey than the natives. We 

 will Italianize all as soon as we can. 



We often get letters inquiring about 

 our transportation and market. First 

 we transport our honey 14 miles in 

 row-boats down the Chippola river, to 

 its junction with the Appalachicola, 

 where we reship on steamboats. The 

 nearest market is at Eufala, Ala.. 300 

 miles distant, where a fine quality of 

 extracted honey bringsSl a gallon. and 

 10@15c. per lb. for comb; Columbus, 

 Ga., 000 miles, same price; Macon, 

 Ga., freights are higher, as it leaves 

 the river, and a fine quality is worth 

 $1.10@1.20 ; Atlanta. Ga., is about the 

 same. We have packed this crop in 

 M gallon, and 1. 2 and 5 gallon cans. 

 Our returns so far have netted from 

 87>2 to S1.05 per gallon for extracted, 

 and about 12c. per lb. for comb. We 

 have a disease among our bees similar 

 to that described by Quinby as foul 

 brood. Success to t he good old Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal. 



Alderman & Roberts. 

 Wewahitchka, Fla., Aug. 20, 1881. 



Melilot and Spider Plant.— I inclose 

 two specimens, the seed of one of 

 which was purchased for spider plant. 

 Ithasbeen in fullbloom for one month, 

 and the terrible drouth has no effect 

 on it, but I have the first bee to see on 

 it yet. I think it may be there is some 

 mistake about the seed. The other 1 

 bought for melilot, and I have never 

 seen a bee on it. Are they the genu- 

 ine plants? R. W. Keene, M. D. 



Versailles, Ky., Sept. 3, 1881. 



[The specimens sent are true to 

 name. We do not know how to ac- 

 count for the bees not working on 

 them, unless it be that there is very 

 little of it in bloom, and bees are not 

 yet attracted to it. We had a few 

 cleome plants in bloom last summer, 

 and again this season, and have never 

 seen a bee on them, although the mel- 

 ilot in close proximity was alive with 

 bees all the season, yet we know the 

 cleome is a good honey plant, and a 

 favorite with the bees where it grows 

 in large quantities. — Ed.] 



Poor Honey Season.— About all the 



bees in this county died last winter, 

 and what few are left are doing poorly. 

 Last spring I had 8 left out of 23 good 

 colonies. I have increased to 18 now. 

 and they are storing buckwheat honey 

 very rapidly now. I have no extractor, 

 and some of them are crowding the 

 queens out of all but 1 comb. I have 

 to take the full combs out and replace 

 with foundation. I use ahive I3%xl4 

 with a super cap that covers all ; the 

 frames are 12x12 inches, and the sec- 

 tion boxes are 0x6 inches. Bees done 

 better in these hives last winter 

 than any other. I have known of but 

 4 natural swarms out of about 00 colo- 

 nies in this county. It has been very 

 dry until this week, we have had 2 

 good rains. I have had 5 years' study 

 and 3 years' experience with bees, and 

 am 20 years of age. I found one 

 colony in the timber late in the fall of 

 1878; this I Itilianized in 1879. and 

 have obtained a new queen every 

 season for cross breeding. The Bee 

 Journal cannot be beat. 



Thos. Chantry. 

 Casey, Iowa, Aug. 30, 18sl. 



Size for Nucleus Hives.— In the Bee 

 Journal for Aug 3, I notice a ques- 

 tion is asked by Mr. S. Coulthard, of 

 Preston, Ohio, who wishes to know 

 the best size for nuclei holding Lang- 

 stroth frames. I make all my nucleus 

 hives to hold 4 Langstroth frames, and 

 think that they are the handiest, espe- 

 cially where we want to rear bees to 

 sell by the pound. 1 observe many are 

 giving their report for the season. 

 Mv bees have earned mean average of 

 $17.29 for each colony I had lastspiing, 

 and each colony has increased to four. 

 How is that for Indiana? We had the 

 heaviest yield of linden honey I have 

 ever seen. I am looking for a good 

 fall crop. I like the Bee Journal 

 best in its weekly form ; success to it. 

 Geo. W. Baker. 



Lewisville, Ind., Sept. 3, 1881. 



About Winter Temperature. — Wish- 

 ing to increase the heat in my cellar 

 at times, as in extreme cold weather 

 the frost sometimes makes its appear- 

 ance, can I do so by means of a kero- 

 sene oil stove, or not, for reason of 

 the odor? 2. How best can I venti- 

 late where no flue is at hand? 3. I 

 notice the best temperature given is 

 42° to 50°; suppose frost is seen by 

 condensation overhead, or a slight 

 frost on the bottom of the cellar, does 

 it materially affect the bees ? 4. Are 

 bees disturbed unless hives are 

 touched, or are they sensitive upon 

 the approach of a person, while in 

 their winter quarters ? 5. How small 

 a nucleus will do well in the cellar 

 with sufficient stores ? 



Wm. Wakefield. 



St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 5, 1881. 



[1. We do not think the oil stove 

 would be advisable, because of the 

 odor. 



2. By putting in a tube running to 

 the outside. 



3. No ; if but slight. 



4. No; unless jarred. 



5. Two frames well supplied with 

 bees, and with sufficient honey.— Ed.] 



Fair Increase, hut Little Surplus. — 



I bought 3 colonies in the spring of 

 1880. which gave me two swarms and 

 125 lbs. of surplus honey. Being sick, 

 I lost all but two colonies in the winter 

 and spring for want of proper atten- 

 tion. I bought 10 more colonies, giv- 

 ing me 12 to commence this season 

 with. I concluded to let them swarm 

 naturally, as I wanted increase more 

 than honey. I now have 30 colonies, 

 all but2in good condition, which Ishali 

 unite. Surplus crop will be light, on 

 account of dry weather. One swarm 

 that came off June 17th, which filled 

 a 30 pound crate in 4 to 5 days after 

 filling their hive, and last week I took 

 off the same hive 18 sections 5xfi, 

 weighing about 35 lbs., and they will 

 work some yet. I have not taken all 

 my surplus off yet, but think I will 

 have some 400 lbs. I am now prepar- 

 ing a cellar to put them in this winter 

 where they will be by themselves. 

 J. Dibble. 

 Breakabeen, N. Y., Aug. 30, 1881. 



Seeds for Honey Plants.— Please in- 

 form us through the Bee Journal, 

 who has melilot clover seed for sale, 

 also seed for other honey plants, and 

 young basswood trees, and oblige 

 many subscribers. 



J. Vandervort. 



Laceyville, Pa., Sept. 5, 1881. 



[See our advertising pages.— Ed.] 



Rev. Mr. Langstroth's Promise. — On 



page 218 of current volume of the Bee 

 Journal, Mr. Langstroth wrote in 

 strong commendatory terms of Mr. 

 Hill's plan of preparing his bees for 

 passing the winter, with a promise to 

 communicate it to the Bee Journal, 

 in season for us to adopt, if we ap- 

 proved of it. Having great confidence 

 in Mr. Langstroth's opinions in apiar- 

 ian matters. I feel quite anxious to 

 have it appear in the pages of the 

 Bee Journal, so as to give ample 

 time to make the necessary prepara- 

 tions, and not be hurried to do it when 

 the time has arrived for its use, as 

 most things done hurriedly are apt to 

 be slighted. The flattering prospects 

 in June, and the forepart of July in 

 this vicinity for a good yield of honey, 

 was cut short by the hot and dry 

 weather. Two weeks ago, we antici- 

 pated that a few filled boxes of honey 

 we had received would constitute the 

 crop for the season, but, in spite of 

 the dry weather, when the heartease 

 came into bloom the bees began to 

 wake up and stir themselves, and for 

 the past week have been storing in 

 the boxes again, and as we have had 

 a light shower of rain recently to re- 

 vive vegetation, we may yet, perhaps, 

 secure Jy of an average yield, if frost 

 does not interfere with it. 



L. James. 

 Atlanta, 111., Sept. 7, 1881. 



