THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



297 



supplying wax shavings in the hody 

 of the hive when surplus honey is 

 being stored above tlie frames, and if 

 floats are supplied for each trongli it 

 makes an excellent inside feeder when 

 feeding syrup preparatory to winter. 

 The wax used is clarified and bleached 

 in the usual manner and shaved with 

 a sharp knife. If very thin comb 

 foundation with shallow walls be used 

 in the sectious, a superior quality of 

 comb will be quickly built. 



I have used the same device with 

 great satisfaction in feeding sugar 

 syrup. A rim of tin reaching within 

 half an inch of the cover is soldered 

 in the holes, through which the bees 

 enter the feeder, and a raft or float 

 made of thin strips of wood supports 

 the bees when taking their food. The 

 advantages to be gained by using such 

 a device when building up colonies in 

 the spring, or during the working 

 season, when time is lioney, will be 

 appreciated by those who give it a 

 trial. 



WINTERING BEES. 



Each of the ditterent methods of 

 ■wintering bees, whether in cellars, in 

 houses, or upon the summer stands, 

 has its advocates among experienced 

 and progressive apiarists. Success 

 by any method depends largely upon 

 the proper observance of a variety of 

 conditions. Failure to comply with 

 essential conditions brings failure by 

 any method. 



The lack of water during long con- 

 finement has been accredited with 

 due consideration as a prime cause of 

 the frequent severe losses in winter. 

 Observation and experience suggests 

 the inquiry as. to whether as many 

 bees do not perish each winter from 

 the lack of water as from the lack of 

 food. In the northern half of the 

 United States bees are often confined 

 to the hive continually from 100 to 

 150 days. Frequently the suffering 

 from thirst is intense, as is evidenced 

 by the bees going from frame to 

 frame, visiting every comb and un- 

 capping the honey in search of water. 



I have frequently observed these 

 chips of cell capping distributed all 

 the way through the pile of dead bees 

 in the bottom of the hive, and on the 

 bottom-board, showing that the bees 

 were suffering for water when they 

 began to die. Perishing from thirst 

 day by day the cluster dwindles until, 

 a mere handful being left, they suc- 

 cumb to the cold. 



Excessive thirst and prolonged low 

 temperature cause what is called 

 " roaring in the hive." Disquietude 

 from any cause induces excessive 

 consumption ; diarrhea follows ; death 

 usually results. I have frequently 

 quieted roaring in the hive and re- 

 stored the bees to their normal condi- 

 tion of quietude by supplying water. 



For furnishing the bees water in 

 winter without disturbing the clus- 

 ter, across the tops of two comb 

 frames, and above the intervening 

 space between, I place a block 3 

 inches or 4 inches square and 2 inches 

 thick, through which is a 2-inch auger 

 hole. In the hole in the block is 

 placed a sponge dipped in water and 

 squeezed out sufliciently to prevent 



the water from dropping on the bees 

 below. The blanket being replaced, 

 the heat from the bees prevents freez- 

 ing, and usually the sponge will be 

 sucked dry in 24 hours. 



Tlie sponge should be thoroughly 

 rinsed before reflUing. The water 

 given the bees should be lukewarm 

 and brackish. The salt is relished by 

 the bees and acts as a corrective. If 

 cushions are used above the frames, 

 the sponge may be suspended between 

 tlie frames above the cluster by means 

 of a fine wire. A mild day should be 

 selected for watering the bees. If 

 after the bees have been confined 50 

 days a sponge full of water be given 

 every 30 or 40 days during their stay 

 in winter quarters, in many cases 

 valuable colonies will be saved which 

 would otherwise be lost. Whether 

 the bees are to be wintered indoors or 

 on summer stands, the arrangement 

 of the hives should contemplate the 

 practicability of giving water. 



IMPOKTANCE OF APICULTURE. 



As the economic importance of this 

 industry is more generally realized, a 

 wide-spread and growing interest is 

 manifested in this much-neglected 

 brancli of rural husbandry. The lack 

 of practical knowledge is the main 

 hindrance now existing in the way of 

 the very general adoption of this pur- 

 suit among agriculturists, as nearly 

 all parts of the United States are well 

 adapted to profitable bee-keeping. 



All idea of the present importance 

 of this industry can be gained from 

 the following figures, taken from the 

 report of the statistician of the North- 

 western Bee-Keepers' Society for 1884. 

 He says : "According to conserva- 

 tive estimates we have now a total of 

 three millions of colonies of bees, 

 which annually yield 120,000,000 

 pounds of honey. The value of the 

 annual product, at an average of 15 

 cents per pound,would be $18,000,000." 



The estimated annual product 

 ranges from $15,000,000 to $20,000,000, 

 and the annual product of wax is 

 about SI, 000,000 in value. Not more 

 than 8 or 10 per cent, of those favor- 

 ably situated for the cultivation of 

 bees are engaged in the pursuit. If 

 even one-half of those favorably 

 situated were so engaged, the annual 

 product would not fall below $"5,000,- 

 000 or 880,000,000 in value. The United 

 states imported 2,400,000,000 pounds 

 of sugar, at a cost of $94,923,500, in 

 the year 1884. 



A large percentage of these im- 

 ports do not bring with them a char- 

 acter above suspicion. Instead of 

 being importers we should be ex- 

 porters of sweets, with the balance 

 largely in our favor. Instead of pay- 

 ing their money for the vile adultera- 

 tions of foreign importations, our 

 agriculturists should gather the pure 

 and wholesome nectar annually 

 wasted in their ow«i fields. 



The degree of skill necessary to en- 

 gage successfully in the cultivation 

 of bees and the production of honey 

 is not greater than that required in 

 keeping a dairy and producing good 

 dairy products. The difference is in 

 kind, not in degree, of skill, and one 



is as easily acquired as the otlier. 

 Tliat reliable reports concerning this 

 industry may be furnished in the 

 bulletins and annual reports of the 

 Department of Agriculture is earn- 

 estly wished for by all progressive 

 bee-keepers. Reports giving the num- 

 ber of colonies in the several States 

 and Territories on the first day of 

 June, and crop reports of apiarian 

 products the first day of August and 

 the first day of October of each year, 

 would be of very great value. The 

 facilities possessed by the Depart- 

 of Agriculture, through their corres- 

 pondents, furnishes the best means 

 for obtaining reliable statistics and 

 crop reports. That such facts and 

 statistics may be furnished in the 

 bulletins and reports of the Depart- 

 ment is earnestly desired. 

 U. S. Apicultiiral Sta., Aurora, Ills. 



For tne Amencan Bee JoumaJL 



Feeding Supr to Bees. 



R. F. HOLTERMANN. 



The question of feeding sugar has 

 been brought up in many lights. I 

 do not think the apiarist can take 25 

 or 50 colonies in his apiary and feed 

 them sufficient honey for winter 

 stores to advantage, assuming that he 

 can realize Hi cents per pound for his 

 honey, and obtain sugar at 8 cents 

 per pound. I have had large and 

 somewhat extensive experience in 

 feeding syrup, and not by any guess- 

 work, and I am satisfied that however 

 rapidly (rapidly it should be done to 

 obtain the best results) the syrup is 

 fed after the honey season has closed, 

 the difference between the weight fed 

 and the quantity left in the combs 

 after the bees have quieted down, and 

 the syrup is ripe, is astonishing. I 

 have never attempted to feed syrup 

 directly ; at the close of the honey- 

 flow it might be less then. I have 

 generally fed it before frost, however. 

 Then the idea advanced that to feed 

 sugar syrup means so much more 

 honey thrown upon the market, is 

 decidedly practical, and no theory. 



Again, the fact that many look with 

 suspicion upon such quantities of 

 sugar going to the apiary is also a 

 sound, indisputable fact. If I were 

 to theorize, I would account for the 

 loss of weight as partly owing to the 

 undue excitement of the bees when 

 storing the syrup, the increased con- 

 sumption necessary to perform the 

 work, evaporation, etc. I should say 

 that this revival of activity debilitated 

 the bees and decreased their powers 

 of coping with the coming winter. I 

 also believe that we will yet learn 

 that in order to enable the system of 

 the bee to excrete and add certain 

 constituents to the honey or syrup, 

 they require conditions other than 

 confinement to the hive— cool nights, 

 perhaps, or cool days. Who will an- 

 swer this question V Why does honey 

 extracted, then fed to the bees and 

 sealed by them, granulate in the 

 comb, when honey in the same comb 

 not so re-fed will not granulate ? 



Brantford, Ont. 



