284 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 5- 



them a flight at any rate. My hives face 

 the east, so when the snow was melted 

 enough so that bees would not sink in it 

 and be frozen, and the air was warm 

 enough so they would not chill, I began 

 work. This did not come till about March 

 4. I began my work after dinner, by tak- 

 ing the hives out and placing them on the 

 snow-drifts, behind the chaff hives, facing 

 the west. Then I scratcht out enough dead 

 bees so the live ones could get out. How 

 they did fly 1 The whole apiary was in a 

 delightful hum. I lost scarcely any bees 

 that day. Those that lit on the snow 

 would rest and then take to wing again. 

 From this time on the queens and bees 

 went to work. So as to keep the bees 

 warmed up I soon took out one wall on the 

 east side of the chaff hive — I put from (i to 

 8 hives in one long chaff box — so the morn- 

 ing sun could warm them on fine days. 

 This spring, so far. my bees are ahead"ot 

 anything I ever had before. Remember, 

 after I removed one wall there were two 

 left— the hive itself and one wall of the 

 chaff box. 



March 14 I began to feed chop to my bees 

 — ground corn and oats. I called ju^t one 

 man in to see them work on the chop. He 

 said it beat anything be ever saw. This 

 affords a good .'-upply of pollen for begin- 

 ning brood-rearing. I think this may be 

 given as soon as they will work on it. 



This is the second year that 1 am feeding 

 ground corn and oats. Fresh chop should 

 be given every day. Those who are curi- 

 ous to know something about this should 

 try it as soon as they read this if pollen is 

 needed. I had honey beside one box of 

 chop one day. but the bees did not touch 

 it. So I took it away. D. J. Blocher. 



Stephenson Co., 111., March 2.5. 



Wintered Well. 



Bees have wintered well, and we have .300 

 strong colonies to begin the season with. 

 We are in hopes to have a good season. 



F. A. LOCKHART. 



Warren Co., N. Y., April 3. 



Have Wintered Well. 



Bees wintered finely here. I put S3 colo- 

 nies into winter quarters, and all have 

 come through in fine condition so far, and 

 the prospect for a honey crop is good. 



A. W. SwAS. 



Nemaha Co., Kan., April 7. 



Five-Banders Winter Well. 



My bees have wintered splendidly, and 

 are in the best condition that I have ever 

 had them at this time of the year. Tell 

 some of the brethren to stand aside a little, 

 as I might step on their toes in regard to 

 the 5-banded Italians not wmtering well. I 

 had 73 colonies of the .>banded. and 2 of 

 the 3banded Italians, wintered on the 

 summer stands in single-walled hives, and 

 lost only one colony, so I don't think ,5- 

 bands or 3-bands. or no bands, have much 

 to do with the wintering problem. 



W. S. Feeback. 



Nicholas Co., Ky., March 31. 



Cutting Alfalfa for Honey. 



On page ',17. I understood Prof. Cook to 

 say that alfalfa is better for hay when cut 

 just before it blooms. This is a sad mis- 

 stake for both the stock and bee-men. Many 

 have had the sad experience of dragging 

 out a lot of their tinest steers, killed by 

 bloat, or a lot of washy hay by starting 

 the mower too soon, and attempting to use 

 it at the stage referred to by Prof. Cook. 



About 20,000 head of mountain steers are 

 brought down from the mountains to feed 

 on the alfalfa hay put up in the valley each 

 fall and shipt during the winter and spring. 

 We also ship out 15 to 20 carloads of honey 

 annually. I believe every one of our stock- 

 men—and I know all of our bee-men — will 

 agree that the experiment stations were 

 correct in their statements when they 

 tested the question referred to by weighing 

 three different lots of steers and cutting 



BRANCH OF THE A. I. ROOT COMPANY, 



10 VINE STREET ==^=^=— 

 PHILADELPHIA, PENN. 



We keep here everything in the Supply line of latest improvement. 



Cleated Separators, Improved Smokers, Weed Foundation, 1S9S Goods of all kinds. 



Business conducted same as at Medina. 



Dealers can order here, as well as consumers, at factory prices. 



Save freight and gel orders filled at once. Also as fine a strain of 3 and -i-banded 



Italian Bees as ever gathered honey. 

 Full S-frame colonies, S6.00 ; 3-frame nucleus, S'3.75. 



14Etf Tliesc InoliKic Guaranteed Italian <liieens. 



Fleas^ raention t 



BEE-SUPPLIES ! 



We have the best equipt fantory in the West. Capacity 

 1 carload ad;iy; and carry the largest stock and greatest 

 variety o I every Thing needed in the apiary, as'^iningbest 

 goods at the lowest prices, and prcmtt shipment. 

 Illustrated Calalos:^ 72 Pages, Free, 

 We also manufacture TANKS of either wood or gal- 

 vanized 8' eel. all sizes, any form, and lor all purposes. 

 Price-list Free. A<idrese, 



E:. KRETOHITIEK, Ked Oak, loiva. 

 lie .American Bee Journal when writing. 



We Arrant 



EVERY BEE-KEEPER 



To liave a copy of 



\i/Vlif 



Our 1898 Catalog 



\iif\iif 



^^ Send us your name and address and we will take pleasure in mailing you a copy. 



G. B. LEWIS CO., WATERTOWN, WIS. 



Special Agent for the Southwciiit — 



E. T. ABBOTT, St. Joseph, Mo. 



Mr. Abbott sells our Hives and Sections at factory prices. 



Ho, for Omaha ! 



As we have many customers in the Northwest, and believing" 

 They will appreciate the low trelKht rates outlined by purchas- 

 ing ^onds from a railroad center nearer to them than we are. get- 

 ting a direct through-lrelght rate, thus cnMIng the freight in half, 

 we have establisht a Ijranch bouse at ITIIO South 1 ;iih St., Omaha, 

 Neb., where we will iseeo a complete line of all apiarian Supplies, 

 the same as we do at Higginsvile, Mo. With the quality of our 

 goods, we believe most b^e-keepers in the West are already 

 acquainted, but to those who are n"t, we will S4.y that our goods 

 Hre par excellent. Polisht, snowy-white .sections, beautiful straw- 



coloied traueparent Foundation. Improved Smokers and Houey Kxtraotors. and all other first- 



ciap sgoods. are w bat we sell. Kind and courteous treatment and honorable dealing our motto. 



Od these b^see. we solicit an oider. leeling sure that if we sell you one bill ot goods you will be 



our ' n--tomer in the future. 



ISi^PnoGfttSSiVE Bee- Keeper, 50c per year. "Amateur Ree-Keeper," 2.5c. fioth for 65c. 



postpaid. Sam pie copy of the Punc. RE.'^sivt^ tree, and a Deautit ul Catalog tor the aslvlng. 



Address, j^^yijy jiaiiutaetiiriiig Company, r7fj'"o.a.V*'i3,n-it.,^[„a,.n,Neb. 



The Bee-Keeper' s Guide 



This lot h and latest edition of Prof. Cook's 

 m.'ignifleeut book ot 4t>0 pages, in neat and 

 substantial cloth binding, we propose to give 

 away to our present subsoribers, for the work 

 of getting NEW subscribers for the Amt-rican 

 Bee Journal. 



A description of the book here Is quite un- 

 necessary— it is simply the most complete sci- 

 entific and practical bee-book published to- 

 day. Fully illustrated, and all written m the 

 most fascinating style. The author Is also 

 too well-known to tbc whole bee-world to re- 

 quire any iutroductlon. No bee-keeper is 

 fully equipped, or his library complete, with- 

 out "The Bee-Keeper's GtjiDE." 



ijiiveii For 2 Xe%v Subscribers. 



The following offer is made to present sub- 

 scribers only, and -no premium is also given 

 to the two new subscribers— simply the Bee 

 Journal tor one year : 



Send us Two New Subscribers to the Bee 

 Journal (with 82.00). and we will mall YOU a 

 copy of Prof. Cook's book free as a premi- 

 um. Prof. Cook's book alone sent for $1. '35, 

 or we club it with lUe Bee Journal for a year 

 —both together for only 81.75. But surely 

 anybody can get only 'J new subscribers to 

 the Bee Journal for a year, and thus get the 

 boo' as a premium. Let everybody tty for If 

 Will you have one '-' 



GEORGE W. YORK & CO., 118 Michigan St., Chicago, lU. 



WHY NOT ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR BEE=KEEPER 

 To Subscribe for the American Bee Journal? 



