THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



41 



Manum, with the exception of the 

 double entrance, and known as the 

 Bristol Langstroth hive. The 3-inch 

 space surrounding the brood-chamber 

 is packed for winter, and the entrance 

 is adjusted with slides to suit the ideas 

 of the bee-keeper regarding bottom 

 ventilation. 



Now for the summer management: 

 During the spring the back entrance 

 is kept closed, and previous to the 

 swarming season thepacking,together 

 with the two sections of the outer- 

 case, are removed, and the roof used 

 for shading. The outer cases may re- 

 main, however, if the bee-keeper pre- 

 fers, but 1 consider it more liandy to 

 have them out of the way. When a 

 colony swarms, the brood-chamber is 

 simply pushed around at right angles 

 to the former position, even with the 

 back of the stand and covering the 

 back entrance only, which is now 

 opened. A new brood-chamber is now 

 placed over the front entrance, in 

 which the swarm is hived. We now 

 have two hives on the same stand 

 placed back to back, each having a 

 separate entrance, one facing south, 

 the other north. After six days this 

 north or old colony is moved to a new 

 stand (Heddon's method), and the 

 other brood-chamber is turned back 

 to its original position, both entrances 

 now opening into it. Thus you see I 

 save all that lifting and "moving a 

 little each day," as described by Mr. 

 Heddon, while to the bees no visible 

 change has been made in the outside 

 appearance. 



In forming nuclei, rearing queens, 

 dividing or doubling up colonies, the 

 experienced apiarist will readily see 

 the many advantages possessed by 

 this arrangement. While I believe, as 

 stated in my article on page 709 of the 

 American Bee Journal for 1885, 

 that " a small, light hive, designed to 

 be used on the tiering-up principle," 

 and allowing expansion and contrac- 

 tion with little labor, will eventually 

 supersede the cumbersome hives in 

 use at the present time ; and also that 

 these little hives will be placed in cel- 

 lars during winter, yet, for the many 

 who will continue the use of the 

 Langstroth frame and out-door win- 

 tering, I offer the above suggestions, 

 hoping they may receive as much com- 

 fort from their practical use as I have 

 during the past few years. 



Haverhill, (^Mass. 



WOT tne American Bee Journal. 



Bee-Keepiiig in Neliraslia, etc, 



REV. G. T. WILLIS. 



I do not think that it will pay to 

 keep very many bees here, as the 

 country is new, and farmers have not 

 given much attention to sowing white 

 clover yet ; still, I must have some 

 bees, as much real pleasure would be 

 lost without them, and I must have 

 the American Bee Journal so I 

 may know what is going on in the api- 

 cultural world. 1 was very much in- 

 terested in the report of the recent 

 convention held at Detroit, Mich.; in 



fact, I am always deeply interested in 

 any and everything that pertains to 

 apiculture. Allow me to say a few 

 additional words in regard to Mr. D. 

 S. Given, who was mentioned in that 

 report. I lived within one block of 

 him for several years before he went 

 to California, and learned from him 

 my ABC of apiculture. Any infor- 

 mati(m that I desired or help needed, 

 he was always ready to give freely. I 

 have never known a more kind- 

 hearted, generous man. I knew when 

 he was working to make his founda- 

 tion press, as he made no secret of it, 

 and I am inclined to think that his 

 close application to the work of get- 

 ting up his press hastened on the 

 dread disease (consumption), of which 

 he died. A faithful Christian, gener- 

 ous and noble-hearted, with many 

 friends and comparatively no enemies, 

 enthusiastic in the pursuit of Apicul- 

 ture—his name will go down to pos- 

 terity as one who did much to advance 

 its interests. He and I were among 

 tlie first to try the experiment of using 

 fine wire in foundation ; and how we 

 almost cried "Eureka!" when we 

 discovered how nicely and perfectly 

 the bees would draw out the founda- 

 tion over it. I feel pretty sure that 

 this was what suggested to him the 

 idea of constructing the dies so as to 

 make the foundation and press the 

 wires in at the same time ; and those 

 who have used his press can testify 

 how well he accomplished his pur- 

 pose. I think that all who are en- 

 gaged in the pursuit owe him a last- 

 ing debt of gratitude. 

 Gibbon, Q Neb. 



For tbe American Bee Journal. 



Degree wliere Hiliernatioii Mm, 



c. p. hewett. 



After carefully reading Dr. Tinker's 

 article on " The Hibernation of Bees," 

 on page .5, 1 would say that I have 

 been experimenting for the last 3 sea- 

 sous to find that point where hiberna- 

 tion begins. In order to do this I 

 built a cellar so arranged with venti- 

 lators that I could close or open them 

 to regulate the temperature. I started 

 in with a temperature of 46°, but I 

 found that was high and dropped it to 

 44'^, then to 42'^, and there I found the 

 bees quiet and not disturbed easily. I 

 have held the temperature for the last 

 39 days between 40^ and 44°, and I find 

 that there is perfect hibernation. On 

 Jan. 10th the thermometer indicated 

 18° below zero, and to-day 16° below ; 

 the temperature in my bee-house has 

 been 42". 



I give my bees upward ventilation 

 in the hives, but I shall close them 

 down about the first of March to start 

 the bees to breeding. Bees did noth- 

 ing here last season, and were put 

 into winter quarters in a rather light 

 condition. I have not lost a colony in 

 winter quarters for the last 2 years, 

 but I have wintered bees in a lower 

 temperature than I am doing this win- 

 ter. 



I am now wintering 74 colonies. I 

 keep a thermometer hanging in my 



bee-house and take notes every morn- 

 ing. I take no pollen from my bees. 

 I like to see them carry it in. I think 

 there are a great many false charges 

 made against it. 

 Kingston, ©Wis. 



For ttio Amennan Bee JoumaL 



Rlioiie Maud Bee-Keeuers' Society. 



The bee-keepers of Rhode Island 

 have organized under the name of 

 " The Rhode Island Bee-Keepers' So- 

 ciety." 



The Society's object, as stated by the 

 by-laws, is to advance scientific and 

 practical apiculture, to suppress the 

 production and sale of adulterated 

 honey, and to create a greater demand 

 for pure honey. No person who pro- 

 duces or sells adulterated honey can 

 become a member, and a member 

 found guilty of either, will be expelled 

 and debarred forever from member- 

 ship. 



The officers of the Society are as 

 follows : President, Dr. C. D. Wig- 

 gin, of Providence ; Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Geo. C. Greene, East Green- 

 wich ; Treasurer. Arthur C. Miller, 

 Barrington ; Secretary, Geo. A. Stock- 

 well, Providence ; and the Executive 

 Committee consists of the Vice Presi- 

 dent, Secretary, and Mr. W. O. Sweet, 

 of VVest Mansfield, Mass. 



Geo. a. Stockwell, Sec. 



For ihe American Bee Journal- 



Honey-Plauts of Texas. 



W. S. DOUGLASS. 



About Feb. 1 the little bees begin 

 bringing in pollen fi'om the elm, then 

 honey from wild-peach, which is very 

 plentiful here, and tlien comes tame- 

 peach, plum and willow. In March 

 honey is gathered from black-haw, 

 red-haw, etc., all of which yield a 

 good supply. In April we have rat- 

 tan and persimmon, for the yield of 

 which there are never enough bees. 

 In May elder and horse-mint bloom, 

 and if the weather is suitable the 

 hives will soon be overflowing with 

 beautiful honey. The flow from horse- 

 mint generally continues for 4.5 or 50 

 days, provided it rains every 10 or 12 

 days, as is usually the case here in 

 May. 



Wild China yields honey at the 

 same time, and the swamps are cov- 

 ered with it. In June, horse-mint, 

 which generally blooms until the 15th, 

 cotton, wilding or crab-apple, and 

 dog-wood; in July and August we 

 have cotton, dog-fennel, meadow- 

 piue and witch-hazel. In September 

 smart-weed, wild-sage and rag-weed 

 bloom ; in October and November 

 wild-sage, privet-bush, and many 

 others yield honey. I have mentioned 

 only the principal ones that yield 

 honey in this locality, and all of these, 

 if the weather is favorable, yield an 

 abundant supply. I would be pleased 

 to hear from others on this subject 

 who live in this State. 



Lexington,© Texas. 



