'fi 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



741 



cents in those sections than I can at 10 cents a pound in the 

 others. I can get so much more of it. Tbey go to work 

 quicker, and finish it faster.'' I took this year 900 finisht 

 sections from 14 colonies, and it has been the driest year I 

 have known since I have been keeping bees. One of ray 

 neighbors who had 300 colonies with the other sections 

 didn't get a single super filled, and ho was right in the same 

 locality. This year I didn't get the honey quite as white as I 

 wanted it, because the blue thistle was a failure. This honey 

 that I have is a mixture of sumac and other flowers. I sell 

 my honey in Washington, and I get 15 cents for all I grade as 

 No. I, and 13 cents for No. 2. lean go into Washinlon and 

 buy the other for 11 cents, while I am getting 13 and 15 

 cents for mine, and I have a good market all the while. If 

 you will try the change, you will find the difference. I would 

 like to ask if there is a single man in the United States who 

 has ever used the tall sections that was willing to go back to 

 using the square sections. 



A Member — I bought the Danzenbaker hive a couple of 

 years ago, and 1,000 of the tall sections, and I went to work 

 and got them filled and took them into the Salt Lake market. 

 They lookt well, but I couldn't sell them as I could, the others. 



The convention then adjourned until 1:30. 

 [Continued next week.l 



OONDUCTBD BY 

 DR. C. O. mZLLEie. AfAieBNGO, ILL. 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee Journaf. or to Dr. Miller direct. 1 



An Explanation of the Delayed Ansiver§. 



Some of the friends will find their questions answered in 

 this number which they expected answered several weeks ago. 

 Please don't lay the blame on any one in Chicago. It lies some 

 60 miles Northwest of that wicked city. The questions were 

 promptly answered, put in the envelop to be taken to the of- 

 fice, and by some mysterious process hid themselves out of 

 sight in the vehicle in which they were to be carried, only to 

 come to light when a snow-storm made it necessary to shake 

 out the carpet on the floor of the vehicle. I can only say I am 

 exceedingly sorry for the delay, but ask that you will lay no 

 blame on the shoulders of the already overburdened editor. 



C. C. MiLLEK. 



-^ — ■ 



Two Hive-Storie§ for Winlerins. 



I have noticed in recent issues of the American Bee Jour- 

 nal that you speak favorably of the plan of wintering strong 

 colonies of bees in two-story hives. Without knowing any 

 thing about your practice in this matter, I venture to presume 

 that you place a hive filled with frames of comb under the 

 colony in the fall and leave it there until it is time to put on 

 supers the following spring. In the absence of frames of 

 comb, would you fill with frames of foundation ? And in the 

 absence of both frames of comb and foundation, would you 

 venture on the use of frames having starters of foundation 

 only ? 



I have a good many hives in which the bees seem to be too 

 numerous to winter comfortably without more room. My 

 stock of combs is used up, and I have no sheets of foundation 

 on hand, but can procure them if necessary. I have some 

 foundation cut into wide starters. What would you do under 

 the circumstances ? Iowa. 



Answer. — One of the reasons for having a second story in 

 winter is to have more room for a strong colony. I don't be- 

 lieve, however, that this counts for such a great deal. The 

 strongest colony you have will very likely have no difficulty 

 getting inside the hive, come cold weather. Another object is 

 to have combs below to contain extra stores, so there need be 

 no sort of question as to whether the bees will need feeding 

 before flowers yield. Still another object — and I'm not en- 

 tirely sure just how much weight it should have — is to have 

 the cluster of bees somewhat removed from the outer air, so 

 that a cold blast of wind will not strike so directly on them. 

 If I am correct in these views, the best thing is to have in the 

 story that is below, combs containing more or less honey. If 

 you have no combs containing honey, then empty combs will 

 answer the purpose, only you may have to look out for feeding 



in spring, altho not necessarily so. The empty combs will do 

 to cluster on, and will serve as a wind-break. If you have no 

 combs, it is quite possible the under story may still be of ad- 

 vantage, for the blast cannot blow so directly upon the cluster 

 as with only one story. Kut I don't see any special object in 

 having frames partly or wholly filled with foundation. With 

 plenty of room below the frames, the bees will cluster as well 

 upon air as upon starters. And you may be pretty sure that 

 after the bees have wintered upon foundation it will not be so 

 acceptable to the bees. The only good I can think of that 

 would come from having starters or full sheets of foundation 

 in the lower story would be in providing so much of a hin- 

 drance to the free force of the air, and you could secure this 

 in some other way. A little board might be dropt Inside that 

 would prevent direct passage, but would provide plenty of 

 room for the bees to pass around It. A man with your inven- 

 tive turn may think of better ways, but certainly I don't be- 

 lieve you ought to let the bees have foundation over winter, 

 either full sheets or starters. If you leave a lower story with- 

 out combs or frames, you will in some cases have combs com- 

 menced on the bottom-bars, but this is a small matter, as the 

 loss is small, and the bits of comb are easily cut off. 



Oats Chaff for Winter Packing;. 



Will oats chaff be all right for packing around hives for 

 winter ? I see wheat chaff and planer-shavings are generally 

 recommended, and as I cannot get either of these. I thought 

 it possible oats chaff would do as well. Kansas. 



Answer 

 It dry. 



-Oats chaff will do very well. Be sure to keep 



Cellar Temperature for Bees. 



Is there danger of getting a cellar too warm for bees ? 

 Suppose the temperature was up to 65^ for any length of 

 time, would it do any harm ? Do you know of any case where 

 the temperature was so high that the bees did not winter well ? 



Michigan. 



Answer — I doubt whether there is much danger of a cel- 

 lar being too warm, 'providing the air in the cellar is all right. 

 With good, pure air, 65^ could be borne for a considerable 

 time, and it might do good to have that temperature for a day 

 or so when the bees become uneasy in winter. It is possible 

 that 65^ continued for a week or two might start bees to 

 breeding — an undesirable thing in winter — but with pure air, 

 darkness, and quiet, I should hardly expect it. I think there 

 have been reports of bees being kept too warm in winter, but 

 I cannot now say bv whom. It is generally considered that 

 somewhere about -±5 -' is the best temperature for bees in a 

 cellar. If you can control the temperature, keep it at that 

 point where the bees appear to be in perfect quiet. 



Hive-Entrance and Packing in Winter, Etc. 



1. How large ought the entrance of a hive to be through- 

 out the winter, when wintered on the summer stand ? 



2. I have a few colonies in a pear-orchard. How would it 

 do to put up a wall on the north and the west sides of each 

 hive, making it double, then pack with forest leaves, and also 

 put a cover over them to keep the rain and snow off ? Does it 

 make any difference how far off the wall is ? 



3. I have a colony in a box-hive that did not swarm all 

 summer; sometimes they hung out until it seemed as if there 

 was no more in the hive, but the hive was yet full and they 

 had plenty of honey. Once they were all in the hive and I 

 could see nothing but drones on the alighting-board. What 

 was the cause of all this ? 



•4. Do ants stay in the hives through winter ? 



5. My bees have been carrying pollen all summer, and up 

 to to-day (Sept. 22), they are still carrying it. Do they need 

 so much to winter them ? 



6. How much ought the body of a Langstroth hive weigh 

 with a strong colony and full of honey? Illinois. 



Answers. — 1. The general practice favors an entrance 

 the full width, and % to 3-i-inch deep. 



2. It ought to answer well. Yes, it makes a difference. 

 Let the wall be as near as convenient. 



3. It is nothing very strange that a strong colony should 

 go through the season without swarming, and many a bee- 

 keeper would give money if ail his bees were of that kind. 

 Very often you will find the drones clustered together on the 

 bottom-board, especially when forage becomes scarce and the 



