Mar. 23, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



181 



able to the apiarist with a little timely feeding. Some of 

 my readers may have occasionally noticed in the spring- a 

 colony or two in any apiary running over with bees, and 

 fairly roaring with activity %vhile the others are only slowly 

 progressing. A close watch would ha.ve shown you that 

 these two or three colonies have had a little extra feed in 

 the shape of stores from deceast colonies whose condition 

 had not been perceived in time to prevent the strong ones 

 from robbing the little honey remaining in their combs. If 

 such accidental feeding is productive of so wonderful re- 

 sults, what may not be achieved by judicious provision ? 



But in spring management, such as I have described, I 

 repeat it, much discernment must be used. It is only the 

 careful man who will succeed by constanc3' and persever- 

 ance ; but his success will be gratifying when he compares 

 his results with those of his more careless neighbor. 



As to question No. 2, in Mr. Gray's inquiry, I would ad- 

 vise to use the full combs on which to hive swarms, and 

 the foundation for the estracting-story, if a choice is to be 

 made. In hiving a swarm on sheets of foundation there is 

 always more or less danger of its being pulled down by the 

 weight of the bees, before it is fairly fastened at the top ; 

 while in producing honey the bees gradually occupy the 

 combs and have ample time to fasten the edges to the wood 

 before loading them with honey. 



For extracting'-supers we use combs only six inches in 

 depth, and have never had any trouble in using foundation 

 for this purpose. AVe would not alternate built combs with 

 foundation except where an additional brood-comb is acci- 

 dentalh- required, because it usuallj- happens that the bees 

 lengthen out the combs while also building the foundation, 

 and the one becomes out of proportion in thickness to the 

 other. Hancock Co., 111. 



Report of the Chicag-o Bee-Keapers' Convention. 



BV A SHOKTH.\ND REPORTER. 

 [Coulinued from paire 163.] 

 The questiou-box was then taken up by Dr. Miller, as 

 follows : 



\V.\X-SCAI,ES IN FRONT OF A HIVE- 



QuES. — I have noticed a considerable quantity of wax- 

 scales, like sawdust, before each hive — what is the reason 

 for it, and of what import ? 



Dr. Miller — I remember very distinctly the time when I 

 went off some little distance to ask that question of a neig-h- 

 bor ; I was somewhat exercised over it. One thing you will 

 notice, if the bees have not been disturbed, you will find it 

 in streaks along under the frames in rows. In Germany they 

 take that, carefully sift it. melt it up and get what wax they 

 can ; we don't do it in this country ; the Germans are much 

 more careful about saving anything than we ; it is simply 

 cappings and remains that are thrown down by the bees. 



HANDLING BEES ON A HOUSE-ROOF — FOUI, BROOD. 



QuES. — What is the best method of handling bees in a 

 city on the roof of a house ? What number of colonies 

 would be the most profitable ? 



Dr. Miller — C. F. Muth. who unfortunately committed 

 suicide not long ago, possibly had more experience in that 

 line than any other man in the countrj-. I don't know that 

 the handling of bees in his case was any different from 

 what it would have been on the ground. There are some 

 things that make a dift'erence, for instance, the swarms — 

 and I would like to know more particularly what the ques- 

 tioner had in mind. When an apiary is kept on the house- 

 top, for instance in the city as Mr. Muth's was, it would not 

 be so convenient for him to have them swarm, and perhaps 

 a little different practice would be used in that respect. Let 

 me see, how many are there here who have had experience 

 with bees on housetops ? I don't see anj- hands, I should 

 certainly have all queens' wings dipt. I should take the 

 same course as with the bees on the ground. 



Hundreds of colonies might be kept in one apiary in 

 some places ; and per'naps it might not be profitable to keep 

 more than a small number for lack of pasturage in some 

 places and some States. Chicago is one of the best cities. 



where its suburbs give so much sweet clover, and perhaps a 

 hundred colonies might be kept. I don't believe you would 

 feel ver^- safe in going over that. Perhaps not over 75. 



QuES. — Are bees in any particular climate affected by 

 foul brood more than another? 



Dr. Miller — So far as I know foul brood will work in 

 any climate, and it is not a new thing by any means, altho 

 with a great number of bee-keepers perhaps it is a new 

 topic and a new subject, j-et there is nothing very new 

 about it. It has existed for many years, and I don't know 

 when the disease came ; I know that more than a hundred 

 years ago it was well known. 



BEE-KEEPING IN TOWNS AND VILLAGES. 



QuES. — Is it advisable to encourage bee-keeping in 

 towns and villages ? 



Dr. Miller— What is bee-keeping for? Two things- 

 getting the honey, that is one thing ; that is not the main 

 thing. The main intention. I suppose, for which God 

 created bees, was to have them fertilize the flowers, and 

 wherever there are flowers of a kind that need fertilizing by 

 bees, there it is a good thing to have bees kept. They are 

 in towns, and about towns as well. I should say it is a good 

 thing to encourage the keeping of bees in towns and cities, 

 everywhere : from a selfish standpoint I should say, "No, I 

 don't want everybody to keep bees; I want to have a mo- 

 nopoly of the honey-trade." But when you come right 

 down to it. the greatest good for the greatest number, bees 

 should be scattered all over the country wherever flowers 

 are, to fertilize them, and this includes towns and villages. 

 It is the same in villages and towns, precisely the same as 

 it is everywhere else ; it is desirable for the sake of the fer- 

 tilization of the flowers to have enough bees everywhere to 

 do that work ; it is also desirable to have everywhere 

 enough bees to secure nectar that would otherwise go to 

 waste. Now, there you have the whole thing ; there is that 

 nectar that would go to waste if there were not enough bees 

 to gather it, so it is desirable to have enough bees to get it. 



HOW M.\NY COLONIES IN ONE API.^RY ? 



OuES. — How many colonies can profitabh' t)e kept in 

 one apiar^' in a city or town ? 



Dr. Miller — Just the same as elsewhere. You can tell 

 something about it, but it's hard to know for certain ; every 

 now and then some one will say that there can be three or 

 four hundred kept in a place. I remember a gentleman a 

 few years ago ; I was very much interested in watching 

 him'; he said he was going' to keep so many colonies, nam- 

 ing about twice as many as I felt safe in keeping, but he 

 was unsuccessful. It is like anything else, you must go ac- 

 cording to your pasturage. One man in California has 

 kept 600 colonies in one place ; it is possible he ihight do bet- 

 ter with 500 ; it is one of the things you don't know about. 

 I might have 100 colonies and not get as much honey as if I 

 had only 80 or 90. The next year it may be a better season, 

 and llO'will do just as well as' 100 ; you see how it is ; if you 

 live a thousand vears you will know more about it than you 

 do now ; it is very difficult to tell in a city or town ; it 

 mav be that it is just exactly the same thing in the country ; 

 it niav be a little different ; it depends upon the pasturage. 

 If there is an v one that has any definite knowledge about 

 this, we would' be very glad to hear. Mr. Kreutzinger, can 

 you tell us how many 'colonies can be kept in one place ? 



Mr. Kreutzinger— It depends ; I have had 114 in one 

 place ; 84 have done better. I find that around Chicago 

 (Cook countvespeciallv) there is plenty of sweet clover — 100 

 colonies can be kept in one place safely ; other places where 

 thei-e is only white clover which is to be depended upon 

 every year, I would rather recommend 80 colonies, no more ; 

 in other places where basswood is you can have a thousand 

 colonies in one place. 



IS COOK COUNTY OVERSTOCKT ? 



Cues.— Is Cook county, Illinois, overcrowded with bee- 

 keepers ? 



Dr. Miller— That is not a question for me to answer ; I 

 don't know how many bee-keepers there are in Cook county ; 

 it will bear a very large number of bee-keepres. 



:Mr. Moore— There are about 150 persons keeping bees 

 in Cook county. 



Dr. Miller— If there are as many as 200 there are prob- 

 ably as many as the ground will stand ; a man can't keep a 

 very large number of bees ; if he cares for the money return 

 he becomes a little discouraged if he can't increase and 

 have a larger number. I should think Cook county differs 

 very much from other counties, because there being so 

 much larger population there is a larger number of people 

 who will be interested in bee-keeping and entirely inde- 



