AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



701 



The object in this is to feed without dis- 

 turbing the bees, through letting out the 

 warm air by removing their winter pack- 

 ing. As I have had experience enough 

 at opening up colonies of bees in early 

 spring to feed, I consider it up-hill busi- 

 ness — business that is not pleasant or 

 profitable. 

 Nye, Ind., Nov. 1, 1892. 



Experience with Different Bees, 

 Hives, Etc. 



Written tor the American Bee Journal 

 BY W. M. SCRUGGS. 



I have given my entire attention to 

 the apiary this season, and have learned 

 a great deal, though I think there is 

 still more to learn. I have several kinds 

 of bees. The black bees, I will have to 

 confess, are good honey-gatherers, 

 though I like the five-banded Italians 

 better, because they are gentler, and 

 keep the moths out better than the 

 blacks do. As for the amount of honey, 

 I have found little or no difference. 



I have the dark or steel-colored Car- 

 niolan bees, which I believe to be the 

 best. They are gentler and easier to 

 handle than the Italians ; they are some 

 larger, and very hardy. 



I have a variety of hives for experi- 

 menting, and find the shallow hive the 

 best for comb or section honey. The 

 bottom story should be wide enough to 

 take frames 21 % inches long by 6 inches 

 deep. They should be long enough to 

 use 18 frames when full, and the hive 

 should have a division-board so as to 

 give room just as the bees need it. This 

 style of hive will admit a case with 90 

 one-pound sections. It will surprise 

 you to see how quick the bees will fill the 

 sections in this style of hive. 



I have some hives with tin-plate large 

 enough to cover the entire bottom-board, 

 and nailed on the bottom of the hive be- 

 fore the wood bottom is put on. I call 

 this hive " moth-proof," as I have not 

 seen any sign of moth about them, and 

 the bees keep the bottom so clean and 

 nice. A great deal of pains should be 

 taken to make a hive air-tight — all ex- 

 cept the entrance, and this should be at 

 one end of the hive at the bottom. This 

 enables the bee to carry out any matter 

 without climbing up to get out with a 

 heavy load. A hive ought to be placed 

 in a shade from 9 to 3 o'clock in the 

 daytime, and in a clean place, and salt 

 should be sprinkled around the hives. 



If our farmers, who have girls, and 

 think they are expensive, will only spend 

 a few dollars for bees and good bee 

 books and papers, and turn them over to 

 the care of the girls as their own prop- 

 erty, those farmers will find their store 

 account much less, and a dish of nice 

 honey on the table. Besides, the girls 

 will have money to spare in a few years. 



I am pleased to read the writings from 

 Mrs. Jennie Atchley and other women 

 who have been writing for the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal. I am glad to see 

 our sisters taking an interest in a busi- 

 ness that pays so well as does bee- 

 keeping. 



This, being in the Cumberland Moun- 

 tain region, is a fine place for bees. It 

 is healthy, and land is cheap here. 



Tracy City, Tenn. 



The Development of Apiculture 

 in Colorado. 



BY H. KNIGHT. 



The honey-bee is not a native of 

 America. The first were brought here 

 and landed in Boston in 1670. Since 

 that time the little honey-gatherer has 

 traveled either by natural swarming, or 

 some enterprising bee-keeper has taken 

 them, hive and all, into every State and 

 Territory in the Union. 



The first brought to Colorado was in 

 1862, by Isaac McBroom, of Fort 

 Logan, who hauled one colony across 

 the plains by ox-team. They did not 

 increase any, but after one season died. 

 In 1866, ex-Gov. A. C. Hunt brought a 

 colony to Denver by wagon. These also 

 died without increase, the second winter. 

 Shortly after the railroad reached Den- 

 ver, in 1870, a carload of bees were 

 brought here and sold to several that 

 wanted to buy, at $25 per colony. 

 From these the industry grew. 



The object of bringing them to Amer- 

 ica, and later to Colorado, was two-fold. 

 First, because of their healthful and 

 delicious product, and second, the great 

 benefits derived from their work in the 

 fertilization of blossoms. The great 

 naturalist, Darwin, truly says: "The 

 more bees, the more flowers ; the more 

 flowers, the more seeds; the more seeds, 

 the more flowers; the more flowers, the 

 more seeds." If all the bees were taken 

 out of the country, less seed would be 

 raised, and less fruit grown, because the 

 honey-bees are the principal agents by 

 which the pollen is carried from one 

 flower to another, and thus the bloom is 

 fertilized and becomes seed-bearing. 



