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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 7, 



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Miiltum in Parvo.— Please answer 

 the following questions in the monthly 

 edition of the Bee Journal, and en- 

 lighten a beginner: 1. Will a colony 

 of queenless bees, or one vvitli a virgin 

 queen, if given brood late, live through 

 the winter, and will the drones of snch 

 qneens possess fertilizing power ? I 

 am anxious to secure a number of 

 Italian drones early in the spring, as 

 I want to Italianize all of my bees. 2. 

 If I keep her, will she produce drones 

 sooner than any other queen under 

 the same treatment? 3. If I place 

 drone comb in the middle of the brood 

 chamber as soon as the queen begins 

 to deposit eggs in the spring, will she 

 occupy those cells ? 4. We have had 

 two severe frosts, and only a few of 

 my colonies have brood, do you think 

 they will winter r The qneens stopped 

 laying after the first cold spell, and 

 some even before, I suppose on ac- 

 count of the drouth. 5. Will a colony 

 if queenless, and without larva?, build 

 queen cells? 6. Is there any such 

 thing as fertilizing in confinement. 

 and if so, please give us the modus op- 

 erandi f 7. Is it well to winter bees 

 in a warm place out-of-doors, or sim- 

 ply protect them from the wind ? 



E. M. Gresham. 



Carlton's Store, Va., Oct. 20, 1881. 



[1. If given brood late, they should 

 winter through, but will dwindle so 

 rapidly in spring that it is doubtful 

 about rearing drones. Scientists gen- 

 erally agree that drones reared from a 

 virgin queen possess procreative pow- 

 ers, and though inclined to doubt itat 

 times, we are not prepared to deny it. 



2. No ; most likely not so soon. 



3. Yes. 



4. Yes; with intermitting cold wea- 

 ther, all queens will cease breeding 

 in the fall. 



5. Ho; they frequently start them, 

 but soon abandon the work, before 

 completion. 



6. Fertilization in confinement has 

 not been practically accomplished: 

 exceptional cases have been so few. 

 and attended with so much uncer- 

 tainty, as to make it unsatisfactory. 



7. Such a winter as the last requires 

 something more than a mere protec- 

 tion from the wind. Several of these 

 points have been very elaborately dis- 

 cussed in the weekly editions of the 

 Bee Journal, and we can only an- 

 swer queries in the briefest manner 

 possible, to save going over familiar 

 ground in giving reasons why.— Ed.] 



Off Year for Honey.— Though this 

 has been an " off year" witli us as re- 

 gards honey, our faith in the "blessed 

 bees " as a source of permanent in- 

 come, is unshaken. The Weekly Bee 

 Journal is as invaluable to the prac- 

 tical as well as the amateur apiarist. 

 Geo. A. Temple. 



Santa Barbara, Cal., Nov. 23, 1881. 



Poor Season for Honey.— The un- 

 favorable weather of last winter for 

 bees, has been followed by a poor sum- 

 mer about here. The bees were able 

 to gather but little honey after July 

 15, owing to the severe and protracted 

 drouth ; hence those who waited till 

 after swarming time, before putting 

 on the surplus honey boxes, failed to 

 secure anything in them, and many 

 colonies will starve out if not killed. 

 A J Still. 



Pattenburg, N. J., Nov. 2.5, 1881.' 



Wintering, Cyprians, Etc.— I put my 

 bees into winter quarters in the cel- 

 lar before the cold weather set in. 

 I put away, in good condition, 72 col- 

 onies in all. Of these, 50 colonies 

 were in good condition as to quantity 

 of bees and honey, while 22 were weak 

 in bees and light in stores. I shall 

 observe next spring if any difference 

 is observable in the wintering quali- 

 ties of Italians and Cyprians, as I 

 placed in the same repository 56 colo- 

 nies of the former and in of the latter. 

 I will also have a good opportunity 

 to observe as to whether the Cyprians 

 are so verv much more prone to sting 

 than the Italians, for in setting out 

 on summer stands, if a warm-like day 

 in the spring, any bees, if at all dis- 

 posed to sting, will manifest it then. 

 That the Cyprians make much freer 

 use of their business-end than the 

 Italians, is almost a foregone conclu- 

 sion with me, from my observation in 

 handling them the past summer, but 

 I will suspend judgment till spring. 

 J. W. McKinney. 



Camargo, III., Nov. 28, 1881. 



About Preparing Bees for Winter. 



— I have watched with much interest 

 the different methods given for pre- 

 paring bees for winter, but as yet 1 see 

 nothing that is of any practical value 

 to me or any of my neighbors. Now, 

 if I had the various improvements 

 that most writers speak of, or upper 

 stories, or a cellar, or any amount of 

 other paraphernalia, some of the arti- 

 cles in the Bee Journal could be 

 practically carried out. Most of the 

 bees in this country are blacks, in the 

 old-fashioned box or log hive. Some 

 have introduced the Italian, and claim 

 points of superiority for it over the 

 black bee. The winter most generally 

 puts in a claim for from 25 to 50 pel- 

 cent., and has almost stripped the 

 country of bees. A new era is dawn- 

 ing, aiid daylight appears. A little 

 knowledge concerning their habits and 

 wants, and man, heretofore their 

 greatest enemy, will be their best 

 friend. I have quite recently bought 

 my bees, and have not had time to re- 

 duce the business to a system of profit 

 or pleasure. Please suggest some sim- 

 ple and practical way that I may at 

 this late hour adopt to protect them. 

 Wm. T. Sturoill. 

 Pickering, Mo., Nov. 22, 1882. 



[If, as we suppose, the bees are in 

 box hives and gums, and you have no 

 cellar, the simplest method of prepar- 

 ing them will be to place them in a 

 close row running from northeast to 

 southwest— entrances to the south- 

 east; at each end plant a post with a 

 forked end up, lay on a pole reaching 

 from one fork to the other, and care- 

 fully stand up cornstalks to the front, 

 ends and rear, slanting them to leave 

 the entrances clear and binding at the 

 tops to run off the rain. This is the 

 simplest and cheapest method we can 

 give, and perhaps at this late day, and 

 for this winter, will prove as effica- 

 cious as any. If you desire to realize 

 both pleasure and profit from your 

 bees hereafter, would advise you to 

 transfer them into movable-frame 

 hives in the spring, at the beginning 

 of fruit bloom.— Ed.] 



well performed is a sufficient recom- 

 pense to any high-minded apiarist. 

 It certainly would be quite desirable 

 to have a good society organized in 

 New Jersey.— Ed.] 



Sweet Clover on Bottom Lands.— In 

 the Bee Iournal of Nov. 2d. A. J. 

 Norris wishes to know whether sweet 

 clover will do well on lands that are 

 overflown once or twice a year ? It 

 does well here on the Maumee river 

 bottoms, which are overflown every 

 time of high water. I am transplant- 

 ing it on my grounds. Bees are in 

 their room in the cellar, enjoying their 

 winter's rest. L.Eastwood. 



Waterville, O., Nov. 28, 1881. 



[This removes the last doubt. Mr. 

 W. J. Stewart says "sweet clover will 

 grow anywhere except on a flat rock," 

 and it will be necessary to keep that 

 pretty clean of dust. — Ed. 



Bee Pasturage on Bottom Lands.— 

 We have had a very poor honey har- 

 vest here during the fore part of the 

 season ; bees have done very well but 

 the drouth cut off all of the fall liar- 

 vest. I have 8 acres of bottom land. 

 I wish to put in some kind of clover 

 that will make the best forage for bees 

 and the best pasture for cows. The 

 land is rather wet; what kind would 

 you recommend ? E. Doty. 



Macksburg, Iowa, Nov. 26, 1881. 



[Sweet clover, by all means.— Ed.] 



State Society for Sew Jersey.— With- 

 out saying anything about " the baby" 

 other than that I hope to see its face 

 weekly, in its new pinafore for 1882, 

 I would like to know what are the 

 privileges and prerogatives of State 

 Vice Presidents ? Allow me first to 

 sav that. I am not after the loaves and 

 fishes — bread and honey are good 

 enough. I was just thinking that it 

 is time some one got up to speak his 

 piece about a bee-keepers' association 

 for New Jersey. I think it is about 

 time she was befederalized. What do 

 you think about it ? 



G. W. Thompson, 



Stelton, N. J. 



[The " privileges and prerogatives" 

 are not so lucrative as in many posi- 

 tions filled by not so good men ; but, 

 then, the consolation of a noble duty 



Premiums. — Those who get up clubs 

 for the Weekly Bee Journal for 

 1882, will be entitled to the following 

 premiums. Their own subscription 

 may count in the club : 



For a Club of 8,— a copy of " Bees and Honey." 

 3,— an Emerson Binder for 1882. 

 " " 4,— Cook's (Bee) Manual, paper. 



" " 5,— " " cloth. 



" " 6, —Weekly Bee Journal for 1 year. 



Or they may deduct 10 per cent in cash 

 for their labor in getting up the club. 



i^" We are sometimes asked who 

 oar authorized agents are ? Every 

 subscriber is such ah agent; we have 

 no others, and greatly desire that each 

 one would at least send in one new 

 subscriber with his own renewal for 

 18S2. The next few weeks are the 

 time to do this. We hope every sub- 

 scriber will do his or her best to double 

 our list for 1882. 



<gi" New subscribers for the Weekly 

 Bee Journal, for 1882, will have all 

 the remaining numbers for 1881 free 

 from the time the money is received 

 at this office. Therefore, the sooner 

 they subscribe for it, the more they 

 will' obtain for the $2. 



igT Subscriptions may commence 

 with the first number of any month in 

 the year. 



ij£l° The South Eastern Michigan 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, will hold 

 its annual meeting at the Court House 

 in Ann Arbor, on Thursday (and per- 

 haps Friday), commencing Dec. 15, 

 1881, at 10 a. m., for the election of of- 

 ficers for tlie ensuing year, and such 

 other business as may be brought lie- 

 fore the Association. A good attend- 

 ance and interesting meeting is ex- 

 pected. Several subjects of interest 

 will be discussed by able men. 



N. A.'Prudden, Pres. 



G- J. Pease, Sec. pro tern. 



Special IJoticcs. 



igy Single copies of the Journal 

 sent postage paid for 5 cents each. 



l^The Nebraska State Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its annual 

 meeting in Ashland. Neb., on the 12th 

 and 13th of January, 1882. A cordial 

 invitation is extended to all who are 

 interested in bee-culture. 



T. L. VonDorn, Pres., Omaha. 



G. H. Hawley, Sec, Lincoln. 



Advertisements intended for the Bee 

 Journal must reach this office by 

 Saturday of the previous week. 



Ribbon Badges, for bee-keepers, on 

 which are printed a large bee in gold, 

 we send for 10 cts. each, or $8 per 100. 



l^" Articles for publication must be 

 written on a separate piece of paper 

 from items of business. 



Photographs of prominent Apiarists 

 — Langstroth,I)zierzon. and the Baron 

 of Berlepsch. — Price 2-5 cents each. 



l§g" When changing a postoffice ad- 

 dress, mention the old as well as the 

 new address. 



(®" Those who may wish to change 

 from other editions to the Weekly,can 

 do so by paying the difference. 



IgT Constitutions and By-Laws for 

 local Associations $2.00 per 100. The 

 name of the Association printed in the 

 blanks for 50 cents extra. 



The Color and Lustre of Youth are 



restored to faded or gray hair by the 

 use of Parker's Hair Balsam, a harm- 

 less dressing highly esteemed for its 

 perfume and purity. 49w4 



A Sample Copy of the Weekly Bee 

 Journal will be sent free to any per- 

 son. Any one intending to get up a 

 club can have sample copies sent to 

 the persons they desire to interview, 

 by sending the names to this office. 



Examine the Date following your 

 name on the wrapper label of this 

 paper; it indicates the time to which 

 you have paid. Always send money 

 by postal order, registered letter, or 

 by draft on Chicago or New York. 

 Drafts on other cities, or local checks, 

 are not taken by the banks in this city 

 except at a discount of 25 cents, to pay 

 expense of collecting them. 



Rheumatism is the most terrible 

 disease that has ever afflicted human- 

 ity, yet it instantly yieftls to the 

 powerful drugs that Kendall's Spavin 

 Cure is composed of. 



♦-•-•-•-• 



$gF It would save us much trouble, 

 if all would be particular to give their 

 post office address and name, when 

 writing to this office. We have letters 

 (some inclosing money) that have no 

 name, post-office, County or State.— 

 Also, if you li"e near one postoffice and 

 get your mail at another, be sure to 

 give the address we have on our list. 



IU° It will pay to devote a few hours 

 in getting up aclubforthe Bee Jour- 

 nal. Read the list of premiums on 

 another page, and take advantage of 

 the fall gatherings to get up clubs. 



It is Worth Remembering that no- 

 body enjoys the nicest surroundings if 

 in bad health. There are miserable 

 people about to-day with one foot in 

 the grave, when a bottle of Parker's 

 Ginger Tonic would do them more 

 good than all the doctors and medi- 

 cines they have ever tried. See adv. 



49w4 



fe have a SPECIAL EDITION 

 of the Weekly Bee Journal, just as 

 it will be published in 1882(16 pages), 

 for distribution at Fairs, Conventions, 

 etc. Any one who may desire to dis- 

 tribute them to bee-keepers will be 

 supplied free, in any quantity they 

 may be able to judiciously use. 



