(§) (^OLDEST BEE PAPERfoP' "* 

 IN AMERICA -^ 



ESTABLISHED ^) 

 IN 1861 1 



DEVOTED TO SCIENTIFIC BEE-CULTURE AND THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PURE HONEY. 



VOL. XVII. 



CHICAGO, ILL., DECEMBER 21, 1881. 



No. 51. 





Published every Wednesday, by 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



Editor and Proprietor, 

 974 WEST MADISON ST., CHICAGO, ILL. 



TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION! 



WEEKLY"— (62 numbers) S>8 a year, in advance. 

 Three or Six Months at the same rate. 



SEMI-MONTHLY"— The first and third numbersot 

 each month, at JSl.OO a year, in advance. 



MONTHLY— The first number of each month, at 

 SO cent* a year, in advance. 



%F Any person sending a club of six is entitled 

 to an extra copy (like the club) sent to any address 

 desired. Sample copies furnished fret. 



K4T" Remit by money-order, registered letter, ex- 

 press or bank draft on Chicago or New York, pay- 

 able to our order. Such only are at our risk. Checks 

 on local banks cost us 25 cents for collecting. 



Free of postage in the United States or Canada. 

 Posture to Europe 5© cents extra. 



Entered at Chicago post office as second class matter. 



pvjSfiM/ 





Hints for a Beginner. 



Mr. W. D. Smyser, Nineveh, Intl., 

 under date of Dec. 9, writes that he 

 has three colonies, partly prepared for 

 winter, and wants the best method of 

 treatment at this late date. He asks, 

 "Ought bees to roar if they are all 

 right V I have one colony that I can 

 hear roar in the gum down through 

 two feet of chaff. Will it do to look 

 at them in cold weather V Must they 

 be kept shut up during the cold days 

 of spring ?" 



If weather is warm enough to allow 

 the bees to fly freely, the following 

 will be the best course to pursue : Con- 

 struct a box six inches larger each 

 way than the hive ; put in about four 

 inches of chaff ; cut a hole in the side 

 opposite the entrance ; set the hive in 

 the box, and put in a wooden tube to 

 connect the entrance with the hole in 

 the side of the box, to allow the bees 

 to go in and out at all times, and to 

 supply fresh air ; pack chaff inside 

 the box around the hive ; remove the 

 cover of the hive, and spread two or 

 three thicknesses of old gunny cloth, 

 carpet or drilling over the bees, fill 

 up the box, over the hive, with chaff, 

 put a cover on the box to keep out rain 

 and snow, replace where the hive for- 

 merly stood, and the work is done. 



If the weather be very cold the 

 quickest, and perhaps as safe a plan 



as any, will be to stand cornstalks 

 around eacli hive, being careful to turn 

 over and bind the tops, to keep all dry 

 inside. Great care must also be taken 

 to part the stalks at the foot, opposite 

 the entrance of the hive, to afford an 

 opportunity at all times for an unob- 

 structed flight. 



In the methods advised above, we 

 make no recommendation regarding 

 the interior of the hives, for, witli the 

 season so far advanced, and the lia- 

 bility of a change in the weather from 

 one extreme to another at any mo- 

 ment, any unusual disturbance of the. 

 cluster will be attended with risk, and 

 no plan should be attempted which 

 cannot be accomplished without the 

 knowledge of the bees. Bees should 

 not be " looked at " nor otherwise dis- 

 turbed in cold weather, and should be 

 left with their winter preparation till 

 settled weather in spring. The en- 

 trance should never be entirely closed, 

 and should it become closed with dead 

 bees, they should be gently drawn out 

 with a bent wire. 



In view of the advanced season, the 

 unusually favorable weather hereto- 

 fore experienced, the general preva- 

 lence of an abundance of good, whole- 

 some honey, and with our present 

 impression regarding the remainder 

 of the winter to come, with strong 

 colonies of bees, we should experience 

 but little uneasiness even though we 

 had been wholly derelict in preparing 

 them for a long, cold siege ; and we 

 would not be at all surprised if the 

 majority of loss this winter was the 

 result of well meant, but injudicious 

 kindness, in contracting too much and 

 packing too warm, thereby causing 

 restlessness, or inducing flights when 

 the temperature of the atmosphere 

 would not justify it. Up to this date 

 (Dec. 16) the winter has been unusu- 

 ally propitious, the bees have had nu- 

 merous flights at favorable intervals, 

 and indications of dysentery or other 

 disease are very rare. 



The roaring referred to by our cor- 

 respondent, is occasioned by packing 

 too warm, obstruction of entrance, or 

 jarring and frightening the bees, and 

 is very unfavorable. 



(^ After New Year's day, money- 

 orders are to be exchanged between 

 the United States and the Australian 

 colonies. The change will greatly 

 facilitate commerce. 



8g" The Bee Journal of next year 

 will be stitched, the edges trimmed, 

 and each number will have 16 pages. 



Honey as Medicine.— On !page 402, 

 may be found a recipe for Cough 

 Syrup, from Dr. Tinker, who says it 

 may not be advisable to introduce any 

 medicinal matter into the Bee Jour- 

 nal. We think otherwise, however, 

 for we believe that pure honey is not 

 only excellent food, but invaluable as 

 medicine. The Doctor says : 



" Much of this preparation has been 

 used here with highly satisfactory re- 

 sults, and it has been the means of 

 selling several gallons of extracted 

 honey." 



We have sent the Doctor a copy of 

 our pamphlet on " Honey as Food and 

 Medicine," which we are pleased to 

 know has done much to popularize 

 honey as medicine as well as food in 

 many localities. 



How to get the Weekly Bee Journal 

 free of cost for 1882.— Until further 

 notice, any subscriber who desires to 

 obtain a good book on apiculture, can 

 have either Cook's Manual, Quinby's 

 New Bee-Keeping, or Novice's ABC, 

 bound in cloth, postpaid, and the 

 Weekly Bee Journal for one year, 

 for $3.00 ; or with King's Text- Book, 

 or Blessed Bees (a romance), bound 

 in cloth, for $2.75. The Journal and 

 all five books for $6.00. This is a rare 

 chance to get a good library on bee- 

 keeping. A person can sell the books 

 for their published price, $6.00, and 

 get the Weekly Bee Journal free 

 for his trouble. 



Those having already paid for the 

 Weekly Bee Journal for 1882 may 

 send for the books alone and deduct 

 the $2 already sent for the Journal. 



f^" If any numbers of this years' 

 Bee Journal have been lost, look 

 them over at once and send us a Pos- 

 tal Card stating the missing numbers 

 and we will send them free, as long as 

 we have any left. 



<gg" Binders cannot be sent to Can- 

 ada by mail — the International law 

 will not permit anything but samples 

 of merchandise of less weight than 8 

 ounces. Canadians will please re- 

 member this when ordering Binders. 



IBT Look at the wrapper label and 

 see that proper credit is given for 

 money sent us, within 2 weeks. If it 

 does not then appear, please send us 

 a Postal Card, and we shall with 

 pleasure make the correction, for an 

 error may occur during the rush at 

 this season, though we endeavor to be 

 careful to always give proper credit. 



Doolittle's Club List, and Catalogue 

 of strawberry and raspberry plants, 

 grave-vines, potatoes, etc., is received. 

 It is printed by Mr. A. I. Root, and 

 makes a very creditable appearance. 

 Mr. Doolittle states that he has been 

 engaged by us to write 20 articles 

 during the year 1882 for the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, and adds : 



The Weekly American Bee Jour- 

 nal for 1882 will contain 16 pages of 

 3 columns each, which enlarges it 

 one-third, as well as securing for it a 

 more attractive form, thus making it 

 more valuable than in 1881, and plac- 

 ing it at the head of all bee journals in 

 the world. As friend Newman prefers 

 to have the Bee Journal omitted 

 from all clubbing lists, we have left it 

 out. However, if you wish to send 

 your subscription to us, when sending 

 for other papers, we will forward the 

 $2 to Mr. Newman free of charge. 



On the American Bee Journal 

 and Gleanings Mr. Doolittle can make 

 no deduction. On all other bee papers 

 the price is " cut," more or less. We 

 do not approve of the practice, and, 

 sooner or later, it must be abandoned 

 by all papers that are worth their sub- 

 scription price. Any deduction given 

 to an agent, is intended to pay for the 

 time and trouble of procuring the 

 club, and should never be used to 

 " undersell " the publisher.- 



The Apiary Register will be ready to 

 send out early in January. 



It devotes 2 pages to each colony, 

 embracing between twenty and thirty 

 headings, neatly ruled and printed, 

 with space at bottom for remarks, and 

 so arranged that a single glance will 

 give a complete history of the colony. 

 Each book will also contain printed 

 rules for the apiary, and twelve pages 

 ruled and printed for an apiary cash 

 account. As each book is intended 

 for a several years' record, it is gotten 

 up on first class paper, and strongly 

 bound in full leather covers. There 

 will be three sizes, sent postpaid, at 

 the following prices : 



For 50 colonies (120 pages) $1 00 



" 100 colonies 220 pages) 1 50 



" 200 colonies (420 pages) 2 00 



The larger ones can be used for a 

 few colonies, give room for an increase 

 of numbers, and still keep the record 

 all together in one book, and are there- 

 fore the most desirable ones to pro- 

 cure at the start. We have added 

 these to our new Premium List for 

 getting up Clubs for the Bee Jour- 

 nal, as will be seen on page 407. 



Send in your orders at once, and the 

 books will be forwarded as soon as 

 completed. 



