AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



61 



50 per cent, or more. In and around 

 Jefferson, the loss in bees in the fall 

 will not be far short of 50 per cent. 



I left Jefferson the next morning, and 

 went to Panora; here I met some promi- 

 nent bee-men, and I found by careful 

 inquiry that the loss would be nearly 

 50 per cent., cause by lack of stores. 

 Bees are not bred up here very much, as 

 I found only one Italian colony among 

 all I saw. 



At 5 p.m. I went to Yale, six miles 

 north of Panora, at one time the county- 

 seat of Guthrie county. Here I found 

 the bees doing better on account of their 

 being on higher ground, where the air 

 has better circulation in the apiaries. I 

 remained all night with Mr. C. G. Pierce, 

 proprietor of the hotel. 



At 11 a.m. I arrived at Herndon, and 

 from there I went to Jamaica, three 

 miles east. Mr. B. O. Witter, of that 

 place, obtained 40 pounds of surplus 

 honey from 7 colonies. Quite a number 

 had started in bee-culture here. The 

 loss in the vicinity is counted at 50 per 

 cent., and if all the bee-yards look like 

 the ones I examined, it is a great wonder 

 they have any bees left. I had dinner 

 with Mr. J. C. Tompson, an old ac- 

 quaintance. I then took the 5 p.m. 

 train for Perry, Dallas county, a place 

 of 3,000 inhabitants. I called on Mr. 

 J. H. Shively, and found that bee-keep- 

 ers in that neighborhood were somewhat 

 discouraged, not having taken much if 

 auy surplus honey last year, and the 

 loss in wintering was 30 per cent. 



The next morning I intended visiting 

 Jesse White, Thos. White, and John 

 Flinn, but when I arose, it was raining 

 so hard that it was uncomfortable to 

 travel, and would have been dangerous 

 to undertake examining bees ; so at 

 12:55 p.m. I took the train for Coon 

 Rapids, arriving home at 1:40. 



I looked at my yellow bees, which are 

 the best honey-gatherers that we have 

 in western Iowa, and found that during 

 all my travels, of about six weeks, I had 

 not lost a colony. What is the reason ? 

 First, because they are of the best honey- 

 gatherers, from the best queen-breeders 

 I could select. Secondly, I did not med- 

 dle with them in cold weather. Third, 

 I examined them and gave them stores 

 where such was needed. I am proud of 

 my 60 colonies of bees, which are in 

 four different yards. 



I now bid the readers of the Bee 

 Jouknal adieu for awhile, especially as 

 regards the description of travels, as my 

 bees will require my attention. 



Coon Rapids, Iowa. 



Tie Diile Self-Hiying Arrangement. 



WESLEY DIBBLE. 



I use the James Heddon bottom-board 

 and stand, %-inch rim on bottom-board, 

 except the front, and 2-inch on side 

 corner. The front I use perforated 

 metal to confine the queen on the combs, 

 and allows the bees free access to the 

 hives ; and it furnishes no roosting- 

 place for bees to cluster in the shade. 

 The 2-inch space is furnished with a 

 button which closes this space when the 

 trap is not in use. This trap hangs on 

 the bottom-board by tacking a strip of 

 tin 3 inches long on each end. On the 

 trap is a similar tin which shoves behind, 

 and firmly holds the trap to its place. I 

 use either trap as a queen-catcher, or to 

 hive bees automatically. As a queen- 

 trap I use it as shown, closing the out- 

 let. As a self-hiver, connect the outlet 

 of the trap with the adjoining hive; 

 prepare the hive with one dry comb, if 

 convenient. 



Even though I have worked hard, and 

 have been determined to get an even 

 full-sized swarm every time in the empty 

 hive, I have not accomplished the ob- 

 ject. Yet with this trap, and the man 

 who tells you he can with any trap, it 

 will probably pay you to investigate a 

 little before investing largely. I speak 

 now of hiving on the side. The results 

 I get will vary from one pint to a full- 

 sized swarm going with the queen to the 

 new hive. I don't care which when I 

 use the extra hive. I generally use it 

 for increase ; and when I find a swarm 

 of bees that has swarmed in my absence 

 (prepared as above), I shake as few or 

 as many bees with the new swarm as 

 desired, and remove the old hive to a 

 new and permanent location. 



This work can be done at any time, 

 from one hour to four days, usually. It 

 must be done before the young queen 

 hatches. If you are a farmer, mechanic, 

 doctor, or preacher, do it any time you 

 have the time to do it. 



This arrangement furnishes me posi- 

 tive proof that my queens are cared for, 

 and not returned to the hive to be killed, 

 which will often happen. It furnishes 

 me instant proof that this colony of bees 

 has swarmed, and needs attention. 

 Without extra labor I can pass down a 

 row of hives, and each hive tells its own 

 story. You have noticed, probably, that 

 a newly-hived swarm of bees works with 

 a will that you will seldom see at any 

 other time ; and if I had the time, and 

 not too many bees, I would hive all of 



