790 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



December 15, 



increase of colouies I shall feed the hatching bees back into 

 the working colony, and finally use the combs for hiving 

 another swarm. However, the brood from colonies first cast- 

 ing swarms will be used in strengthening up light colonies 

 until every one has all the brood they can hold. 



The past season 1 tried to have a few colonies build their 

 own brood-combs from starters an inch wide; but I do not 

 like the plan — too much bother. I contracted to five frames, 

 and let them work awhile, then I found they were building 

 too much drone-comb ; theu I gave to each, on e or two frames 

 of drone-comb ; this helpt matters out, and, finally, when they 

 had finisht their combs I Jook away the drone-combs and filled 

 up with full sheets of foundatiou. 



But I found that colonies hlvad on full sheets of founda- 

 tion were ready for work in the sections first, and there was 

 so much less work about it that I decided that as a rule I shall 

 hive on combs or full sheets of foundation. If I want combs 

 built by the bees I will have it doue by small colonies, as Mr. 

 Doolittle advises, by crowding the bees on two or three combs. 

 By this plan they build beautiful combs, and I think pay well 

 for their keep and the labor expended on them. 



My honey crop this year was about one-third of what it 

 was last, the flow being short, and that only from basswood. 

 I tried the new Ideal super with tall sections, but could not 

 see any advantage in them. When I went to the convention 

 of the Southwestern bee-keepers, I took a well-filled section of 

 each size along, and placing them side by side askt a number 

 of ladies which they would prefer at the same price, and they 

 invariably chose the square section. It seems that in this 

 part of the country the tall section does not take as It does 

 farther east ; but I will continue to experiment with it next 

 year. Monroe Co., Wis., Nov. 18. 



Eating Houey aud Cream — A Report. 



BY A. F. FOOTE. 



In the report of the convention at Omaha, I see there was 

 considerable said about honey making some people sick, to- 

 gether with some suggestions as to the possible cause, etc. I 

 used to think that there was only one way that honey could 

 make me sick — that was for the want of It ; but 20 or more 

 years ago I learned that I could take no quicker or more cer- 

 tain emetic than to eat honey with porkor pork gravy ; and to 

 this day I will lose my dinner In five minutes if I do it. For a 

 nice, delicate meal — supper for Instance — there is nothing, to 

 my notion, that quite equals honey and cream, with bread, 

 instead of butter. It Just "touches the spot," and, better yet, 

 It stays there. 



Do I hear some one say that this Is extravagance? On 

 the contrary, my wife says — and I am quite inclined to agree 

 with her — that it is economy, for the same amount of cream 

 churned into butter will not go as far ; besides, it saves the 

 churning. 



I do not suppose every editor, even of a bee-paper, has 

 an everyday supply of cream, but if " ye editor" will come up 

 to our farm, which "flows with rrearn and honey," I will 

 guarantee him at least one good, square meal of the mixture.* 



My bees stored no surplus honey till the last week of 

 June, and during the next three weeks I secured about 30 

 pounds of section honey to the colony, spring count, of fine 

 quality white clover, Alsike and basswood. Then dry weather 

 came on, and the bees never stored another pound of surplus 

 — no buckwheat or fall honey of any kind. Cold and wet put 

 them back the forepart of the season, and dry weather cut 

 the crop short the latter part. 



I secured 25 new swarms, which I put into 15 hives. 

 Now, out of 58 colonies, I find about 25 with sufficient stores 

 for winter, 10 doubtful, 3 dead — one devoured by worms — 

 and the balance with very little honey. 



For five weeks, at a critical time, my bees had no care, as 

 Sept. 9 myself and wife went to our old home in Winnebago 

 county, Wis., where we had a delightful visit with old friends 

 and neighbors in that and Green Lake county. 



' Mitchell Co., Iowa, Nov. 7. 



[*Thank you, Mr. Foote, for your kind invitation. We 

 would like to accept, seeing you would furnish us with "a 

 good, square meal," and also "Foote" the bill. If we were 

 " Foote "-loose we would start right off. But as we are not, 

 we will just ask you to be our "proxy," and fill up on that 

 rich diet — honey, cream and bread. — Editor.] 



CW~ See "Bee-Keeper's Guide" offer on page 797. 



OONDUCTBD BY 



DR. O. O. JUXLLER. MJUtENGO, ILZ,. 



[QueBtlona m&j be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct. 1 



Using Frames of Granulated Honey. 



I am an amateur, working for increase. Last spring my 

 bees had two to three frames of honey left in each hive (some 

 candied) when spring flowers and fruit-bloom appeared, and 

 the storing of new honey commenced. If the conditions are 

 the same next spring, would I make a mistake to put these 

 frames of honey In another story and fill the brood-chamber 

 with frames of foundation (previous to any bloom) ? If not, 

 should the second story be above or below ? and should they 

 be uncapt to stimulate breeding? What can be done best 

 with brood-frames filled with candled honey? 



Washington. 



Answer. — If given the chance, the bees will make closer 

 work than you probably suppose in using up the candied 

 honey. Put It right close to the brood, so that they will be 

 obliged to empty the cells for the queen. It will be no harm 

 to uncap It. Of course this refers to next spring. If you put 

 It in an empty upper story and fill the brood-chamber with 

 foundation, the possibility is that it may be left over, only to 

 be worse the next year. If there is much of the granulated 

 honey, and it is badly granulated, it Is possible that the bees 

 may throw out some of the granules, letting them fall on the' 

 bottom-board. You may save these, melting them to feed to 

 the bees. Put an empty story under the brood-chamber, hav- 

 ing no entrance at the bottom of the empty chamber, but 

 above, and the granules will be saved, more or less. In the 

 empty story. Probably you can make no better use of brood- 

 combs containing candied honey. 



When a second story is added to increase the brood-nest, 

 give it below. That saves heat. 



Covering Knots — Quinby Frame. 



1. Will you republish the recipe for covering up the knots 

 In hives before painting, so the pitch will not show through ? 



2. What are the dimensions of the Quinby frames? 



3. What size is the hive the Dadants use, and how many 

 frames ? Minn. 



Answers. — 1. I don't know where to turn to It, but I 

 think it is shellac dissolved in alcohol. 



2. The hanging Quinby frame is 18^x11^. The closed- 

 end or standing Quinby frame is I9;'sxll. 



3. The Dadants use the hanging Quinby, with hives to 

 hold 11 frames. 



■ — ^^ I ^^m 



Wants the Best Apiarian Fixtures. 



I sold my large apiary laat spring, aud am now going to 

 start anew. What is the best size hive to use? Also best 

 frame, best frame-spacer, and best size of section ? What do 

 you think of the fence-separator and plain section ? 



Please tell me just what kind of a hive you would use If 

 you were going to start in the bee-business again ; just the 

 frame you would use, the section, and all there Is to a hive 

 that would suit you best. I make my own hives and frames, 

 and so don't care for standard sizes, nor any supply dealer. I 

 just want your candid opinion. Michigan. 



Answer. — If I could wave a magician's wand over all my 

 hives and fixtures and have them changed so as just to suit 

 me, I think I would settle upon the 8-frame dovetail hive. If 

 I were making them myself, I would probably do without the 

 dovetail corners, for I wouldn't have the proper machinery 

 for it. 



The frame should be the one I am now using, which, I am 

 sorry to say. Is not on the regular list of any hive manufac- 

 turer, but there is no regular frame that suits me. If it 

 came somewhat near the mark, I should prefer a frame such 

 as others use. The top-bar of my frame is \%'s.%, with a 

 saw-kerf to admit the foundation. The saw-kerf runs the 

 length of the top-bar on the under side, and is J^ inch deep 

 and 5/32 wide. End-bars are l^^x^'. The bottom-bar Is in 

 two parts, each 17y^x!^xM- The second part of the bottom- 



