1898. 



THE AMEKICAN BEE JOURNAL., 



215 



than the full number of frames, I'm inclined to think I should use 

 a full super, but I do so little at hiving swarms that I really don't 

 know what I would do. 



3. I verj- much doubt whether you can use those sections in 

 any possible way to produce first class comb honey. Certainly it 

 wouldn't be flrstclass if you leave candied honey in them — and the 

 bees will not uncandy it— and you probably can't get the sections 

 emptied in any way so there will not be granules left, and the least 

 trace of that kind will affect the fresh honey stored in them. If 

 you think best to use one of them as a bait in each super, be sure 

 to keep it out of any honey you may sell as lirst-class. 



4. Excellently. Indeed, that's just what the B. Taylor Handy 

 leveler is, with the very important addition that it automatically 

 stops the melting when it gets to a certain depth. 



.5. In most cases the swarm will return, whether the bees re- 

 main altogether with the queen, or all go into the hive, or compro- 

 mise the matter by dividing up and going both places. Ventilation 

 is important, and additional ventilation will be well unless the trap 

 be made very large and open. I think it might be well to give Doo- 

 little's plan a fair trial. It must be remembered, however, that 

 what seems to work all right at one time may fail another. Also 

 that a plan may be entirely successful in Doolittle's hands, and in 

 some other person's hands a failure, just because some little kink 

 is not followed up in one case as in the other, and the kink may be 

 so little that Doolittle himself would hardly suspect it would make 

 any difference. For instance, Doolittle said to put sealed queen- 

 cells in supers and the young queen would batch out, kill the old 

 queen and take the reins of government into her own hands. I 

 tried it on a pretty large scale. The young queens hatcht out all 

 right, and in at least one case that I watcht closely the young 

 queen was found on the combs in the brood-chamber a day or two 

 after emerging from the cell. A day or so later she was gone. In 

 every single case the old queen remained and the young queen was 

 removed. I learned later, what perhaps I might have known in 

 the first place if I bad mere carefully read instructions, that the 

 work should be done at or near the close of the honey harvest. I 

 had done it much earlier. So in trying any new thing we must not 

 condemn the plan as a failure unless we know to a dead certainty 

 that we have fulfilled every condition. 



Spring Feeding — Smarlweed Honey. 



1. I had four colonies wintering on the summer stands, and 

 have lost the strongest one from dysentery. They filled the brood- 

 combs and 30 one-pound section-boxes of just such honey as I send 

 you a sample taken from a section. Now, as I have these sections 

 and the eight frames, of which the outside ones are solid, and the 

 others more or less filled with this black honey, I would like to 

 know if it would be safe or advisable to feed it when the weather 

 permits the bees to work every day. I would like very much to 

 use the brood-combs, as they are straight and almost free from 

 drone-comb. They were drawn last season from full sheets of 

 foundation. My bees are within one-half mile of the city; possibly 

 they got into an old molasses barrel. 



2. What kind of honey does smartweed yield ? We have quite 

 a lot of it here. 



This honey was gathered in September. My three remaining 

 colonies seem strong, and are flying now almost every day. 



New Hami'suiue. 



Answers. — 1. It is safe to feed almost anything bees will take 

 when they have frequent flights and are not storing in supers, un- 

 less it be honey from a foul-broody colony, I should not hesitate 

 to use such as you have sent. 



2. There is a difference in what is called smartweed. What is 

 perhaps properly called smartweed has an exceedingly acrid taste 

 when the leaves are chewed. The plant, however, which yields the 

 most of what is called smartweed honey, if I am rightly informed, 

 has no smarting taste at all, altho the two plants look very much 

 alike. Its right name is heart's-ease. Heart's-ease honey, altho 

 dark, is very much liked, generally, where it abounds, as in the 

 Mississippi bottoms. The sample you send is probably a mixture 

 of fall flowers and molasses, as there seems to be present quite a 

 strong odor of the latter. 



M ■ 



Starling in Bee-Keeping. 



We expect to be novices in the bee-business this spring. We 

 want to start in )•/(//((. We are located a little south of the center 

 of the State of Minnesota. Please tell us in plain English what 

 kind of a hive to get, how made, bow many frames, size of frames, 

 how many stories, etc. Any other iuformation about hives that 

 would help a beginner would be thankfully received. Now having 

 the hive all complete, what kind of bees shall we stock up with ? 

 We want the standard, the very best for this section. A thumb- 

 nail full of your experience as a starter. Brotheus. 



Answer. — First and foremost, and by all means get a good 

 textbook. May be you better get two, so you needn't quarrel 

 about which shall have it first, for it isn't pretty for brothers to 

 quarrel. There's no harm in having different kinds of books, but 

 whatever you do, don't have more than one kind of frame. At 

 least only one size of frame, and probably the nearest to a stand- 

 ard size is what is called the Langstroth or Simplicity-Lnngstroth 

 size (in reality every movable frame is a Langstroth) 17"'^' inches 

 long and y't, deep, outside measure. It doesn't matter so much 

 just what the hive is if you're all right on the frame. Perhaps the 

 dovetailed is as good as any. 



You say, " how made," darkly hinting that you want instruc- 



tions how to make the hive yourselves. Now I'm a good deal of a 

 coward, and dare not tell you, for if I should, one of you brothers 

 might sometime meet me with a gun in a lonely place, and a jury 

 would hardly convict you for shooting any one who should give 

 you encouragement to build a hive yourself without any expe- 

 rience, when you can get one all ready to nail together for little 

 more than the lumber costs, and everything about it made with 

 more exactness than any good mechanic could make it for double 

 the money. Even if you think you must make your own hives, get 

 one for a pattern. 



Number of frames — that's a puzzler. I'd like a chart of the 

 bumps on your heads first. If the bees are not to have very much 

 intelligent attention, not less than 10 frames, and then they're not 

 so likely to starve in winter. Even with the best attention it's 

 possible 10 frames or more are best, certainly for extracted honey. 

 But if your intention is to put all the brains you can into the busi- 

 ness (don't forget a good book) perhaps an 8-frame hive run two 

 stories part or all of the time may be best. With more than eight 

 frames to the hive, you will hardly want more than one story for 

 comb honey, and perhaps not more than one story for brood if you 

 run for extracted. 



Now, as a matter of important advice, I must not forget to 

 mention a good text-book on bees as the very first thing. If you 

 can't get one in any other way, sell out your right to the American 

 Bee Journal and invest the money in a book, and then I'm sure 

 you'll find some way to get the journal afterward, but get the 

 book in some way, and then study it thoroughly. You'll find some 

 things then that you'd like to ask questions about, and this depart-- 

 ment is always open for people like yon. 



Nearly forgot to answer what kind of bees. I can only answer 

 for myself. If it was as easy to get one kind as another, I'd have 

 pure Italian. If there were no other bees within five miles of me, 

 I'd have pure Italians anyhow. But if common blacks are within 

 a mile, it doesn't matter so much how you start, for your stock 

 will be mixt more or less anyhow, and you can get fresh blood 

 after you start. Expressage on bees costs so much, that in the 

 latter case you might do well to start with whatever kind you can 

 easily get right near you, and then you can get a pure queen after- 

 ward. Better start with the wrong kind of bees than the wrong 

 kind of frames. You can change the bees better than the frames. 

 Don't forget the book. 



Questions on Size of Krood-Cliambcr. 



1. How does G. M. Doolittle's article on page 49, favoring a 10- 

 frame hive, correspond with your experience in using two 8-frame 

 bodies for one brood-chamber ? 



2. What is the greatest number of frames you have had occu- 

 pied with brood when the white clover flow began, where the 

 queen had access to 16 frames ? 



3. Suppose we have 12 frames in one body, and reduce to eight 

 frames at the opening of white clover, as per Mr. Doolittle (re- 

 moving 1 rood if necessary), and put on a 33-section super, would 

 you consider such a colony in good condition to gather the greatest 

 possible amount of surplus ? If not. why ? 



4. It a 10-frame body will give the queen all the room needed, 

 would it not be economy both of time and mjney to use the 10- 

 frame instead of two S-f rame bodies ? 



5. Would you recommend other than the 8-frame hive, (one or 

 two story for the brood-nest) where white and alsike clover gives 

 the main surplus, and heart's-ease, Spanish-needle and other fall 

 flowers generally yield until frost ; Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. Mr. G. M. Doolittle is well informed, a careful 

 observer and a conscientious adviser, and you're quite safe in 

 trusting him. My experience corresponds in the main with his; 

 whatever of difference there may be you will find in replies to 

 your other questions and in summing up. 



2. I may have had more than 14 frames with brood in them, 

 but I hardly think I've had more than what would be called 14 

 frames of brood. 



3. One thing I should not like about it is, that a fourth of the 

 sections would be without any brood-combs under them, and I 

 never could get bees to work as well in such sections. 



4. Decidedly yes, if there is room for the queen and the neces- 

 sary stores. 



5. I don't know. 



And now I may say on this whole subject of deciding as to the 

 size of a hive, it I had to choose and start all afresh. I would have 

 some difficulty to decide. Many things are to be considered. I 

 certainly would not think of using an Sframe hive and confining a 

 colony to that the year round. In some cases a 10-trame hive 

 wouldn't be big enough, and then it would be convenient to en- 

 large to 14 or IB frames. Having a space under sections filled with 

 dummies doesn't work satisfactorily, and on that account the 8- 

 frame hive would have the preference. Other things being equal, 

 a strong man would choose a 10 frame hive, and a weak one the 

 smaller. Having two stories is more trouble than having a larger 

 hive in one story. It's less trouble to have a large hive well stored 

 for winter than a small one. The man who uses two stories must 

 count on giving his bees close attention at the right time. His bees 

 will take care of themselves better in a large hive. But if I were 

 obliged to use only one story the year round, 1 suspect I'd want it 

 larger than 10 frames. 



Every Present Sul»scril>er of the Bee Journal 

 should be an agent for it, and get all others possible to sub- 

 scribe for it. See offers on page 2"J3. 



