AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



87 



solved here. Can you ever remember 

 when on July 4 there was not a poand 

 of honey in many of the hives (save 

 what you had fed. the night previous), 

 and strong with bees ? Think for a 

 moment — no stores, and no surplus on 

 July 4. These are the conditions of 

 the writer's bees at the present time. 

 But three days in June and two days in 

 July thus far, in which bees could do 

 anything. Despair and famine stared 

 me in the face, and seeing Dr. Miller's 

 words of encouragement, I immediately 

 ordered a barrel of sugar, and continued 

 feeding. See what virtue there is in 

 " Stray Straws." Thanking the Doctor 

 for the words of encouragement, I shall 

 in the future (if successful in this) ever 

 be a thorough peruser of the American 

 Bee Journal and " Stray Straws." 



A. Y. Baldwin. 

 - De Kalb, Ills., July 6, 1892. 



Very Wet Season. 



Bees have not done very well thus far. 

 Basswood is to blossom some, and we 

 hope for some honey from it. June was 

 one of the wettest on record — but eight 

 days that it did not rain. 



W. H. Scott. 



Barre, Vt., July 4, 1892. 



Combed and Extracted. 



Bees as Weather Indicators. 



An old apiarist, who has been a close 

 observer of the habits and movements of 

 bees, declares that bees are quite re- 

 liable weather indicators. He says that 

 if the day is to be lowery and wet, the 

 bees will be sluggish, stupid and inac- 

 tive in the morning, while on the con- 

 trary, if the day is to be bright and fine, 

 they will be full of life and activity. — 

 Selected. 



Good Prospects for a Big Crop. 



The losses of bees the past winter and 

 spring make the bees that are left of 

 double value, and each owner of one or 

 more colonies should aid the bees with 

 food, if necessary, to enable them to 

 become strong in numbers as early as 

 possible. Swarming will be late this 



year at best, but the prospects for a big 

 honey crop are in many respects the best 

 for years. The wet weather started an 

 extra heavy stand of white clover, and 

 all kinds of blooming plants that yield 

 honey, and this will probably be a year 

 for a big basswood bloom. So let us get 

 everything ready, and we will score a 

 victory, as honey is sure to bring a good 

 price. 



Since writing the above, we have been 

 walking in the bee-yard, and the sight 

 presented to-day (June 4) is most inspir- 

 ing ; the sun is shining, and the bees 

 are bringing in both pollen and honey 

 at a great rate. Many of our colonies 

 are very strong, and we expect to report 

 a big yield this fall. — B. Taylor, in the 

 Farm, Stock and Home. 



Shade Important for Bees. 



Bees get heated in the excitement of 

 swarming, and like a cool, shaded hive. 

 If the sun shines hot upon it late in the 

 afternoon, they will desert it. One day 

 a large swarm was hived in our apiary, 

 and placed under the shade of a large 

 cherry tree. The next morning was very 

 hot, the sun shone upon the hive, and the 

 bees came out and left. It is not only 

 necessary to place bees in the shade, 

 when they are first hived, but to keep 

 them shaded until they are firmly es- 

 tablished in their new home. If they 

 come out, try by all means to learn the 

 cause, and remove it if possible. 



Where there is a spraying outfit at 

 hand, it might be used in wetting down 

 bees, to prevent their absconding. A 

 farmer acquaintance has a few colonies 

 of bees, located near large oak trees. 

 These trees make a great deal of trouble 

 during swarming, as the bees clustered 

 in their tops. Now when a swarm issues, 

 he throws water upon them. This 

 causes them to cluster low down. A 

 spray of water can be used to good ad- 

 vantage to prevent uniting. — Mrs. L. 

 Harrison, in Orange Judd Farmer. 



To Quiet Bees When Swarming. 



One of the best and most effectual 

 ways of handling a swarm of bees when 

 swarmed or settled, is to give it a good 

 sprinkling with a watering can. After 

 that a person can handle them with 

 satisfaction. — National Stockman. 



A Prayer delivered at the handle of 

 a sharp hoe, kept in rapid motion, will 

 keep the weeds out of your garden. 



