258 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



April 27, 1899. 



not then unless we are a little too slow in getting over the 

 j-ard. I mean bees trying to rob one another. I usually 

 give them something else to think about at that time. 



As fast as the combs are extracted they are spaced and 

 piled crosswise of one another so the bees can get at them 

 freely. Soon the bees find that there is honey to be had in 

 the back part of the honey-house, and they start in to clean 

 those combs. By the time the last one is piled away there 

 is a scent like the one Ernest Root so graphically described 

 after one of his visits to W. L. Coggshall, but there is no 

 robbing in the yard. 



Perhaps if one workt slow enough the bees might get 

 started on colonies that were opened any time when there 

 was not a honey-flow, but life is too short and honey too 

 cheap to spend that amount of time over any one bee-hive. 



I cannot better sum up the question than by quoting a 

 remark made at dinner at a recent bee-convention: "No 

 good bee-keeper is troubled by bee-moths or robbing." 



Tompkins Co., N. Y. 



Methods of Introducing- Queens. 



BY FRANK COVEKDALE. 



SOME years ago I sent to a Massachusetts queen-breeder 

 for six queens, and they were to be introduced accord- 

 ing to his plans, and if any failed to become safely in- 

 troduced the dead would be replaced by living queens. His 

 instructions were to remove the old queen from the hives 

 that were to receive the new stock ; and bare of the candy, 

 at once lay the cage over the frames and close the hive for 

 five days — a thing which I did, and found only one queen 

 that had been accepted. 



Two or three years later I received an albino queen 

 from an Iowa breeder, but this time I made the colony 

 qeenless that was to receive the queen 48 hours before in- 

 troducing, and lost my queen. I could not understand why 

 it was that these queens, coming from a distance, were re- 

 jected b3- my bees when I had no trouble in introducing my 

 own stock among my own. May be some one can tell. 



I sent South last spring for SO queens, and when they 

 arrived all were laid on the shelf, and 48 2-frame nuclei 

 were made, and all shut up tight with wire-screen until 48 

 hours had past, then the 48 queens were laid on top of the 

 frames as before, and every single one was accepted. All 

 had started cells in abundance, but when the queens were 

 set free all cells were destroyed. I didn't wait five days, 

 either, to see what was going on, but took a look at anj* of 

 them at any time I chose. The remaining two were in- 

 troduced in full colonies, but not confined with equal safety. 

 I think I would not be afraid of introducing any number 

 when done as above. Tho others may have plans that 

 work equally well, I am not afraid of this plan in my hands. 



Jackson Co., Iowa. 



Strawberries and Bees for Women — Propolis, Etc. 



BY MRS. L. C. -AXTELI.. 



I THINK strawberries as a side-issue go well with bee- 

 work for women. The question is often askt, What other 

 work can women do besides caring for bees, as honey 

 sometimes fails ? Strawberries never fail with us. 



In the first place, she needs to dress suitably for out-door 

 work. This is of the utmost importance, for if she tries to 

 dress as "she does for house-work, her health will suffer. 

 She should have a good, strong pair of boy's boots, warm 

 underclothing, and a dress of strong material like gingham 

 or flannel. I like flannel for cool weather, as it -does not 

 catch the dirt like cotton goods, and alwaj-s looks neat. 



Most farmers' wives expect, and almost always have, 

 lettuce, onions, beans, etc. Let them deicrmiyie to have 

 strawberries, also, and they will have them in abundance. 

 I do not speak from theory, but from practice. I know they 

 are not so hard to raise as most people think, and what a 

 bountiful crop they do repay, if we only know how to grow 

 them ; and then they are so appetizing, so luscious, coming 

 so early in the spring before other fruits and most vegeta- 

 bles are ready for use. 



STBAWBERRIES IN THE BEAN-BED. 



To make a beginning send 25 or 50 cents to a nursery- 

 man, or some one who has good plants for sale, and get 

 half in staminate and half in pistillate plants. Ask him to 

 send you his best kind for your locality and for fertilizing. 



As soon as received open them and put the roots in thin 

 mud in a basin, but don't get the leaves muddy. 



Now towards evening set these out in the bean or radish 

 or lettuce bed, or early cabbage bed. Set them in just deep 

 enough so the ground will be level around them, and the 

 roots well spread. As these plants grow to need the room, 

 pull out the lettuce, radishes, etc., and give them room. Cut 

 off all the flowers that bloom on them the first spring, for 

 if they should fruit the first year they would not amount to 

 much — would be small and hard. 



Keep all the runners cut ofl^ until the first of July, then 

 after that time set the runners by spreading them out in all 

 directions from the main plant, like the spokes of a wagon- 

 wheel. What is meant by covering up the runners is to put 

 a little fine dirt on the end of each runner, and press it into 

 the ground so it will take root. 



The reason I speak of planting the strawberries in the 

 beds of the vegetables is because the ground is generally in 

 good condition for planting the vegetables, and will be 

 likelj' to be kept mellow the first part of the season ; but if 

 the strawberries can be given a bed all by themselves, all 

 the better ; and if the ground could be gotten ready in the 

 fall, by being made very rich with barnj'ard dirt, and 

 plowed or spaded in, and the .ground made very mellow, all 

 the better. Then plant the strawberries as earlv in the 

 spring as you can get the ground ready, as earlj- planting 

 is alwaj's the best. Now, do not think this too much work 

 for you, as it is no more work to raise strawberries than 

 flowers, and they pay ever so much better. Besides, the 

 strawberries have beautiful flowers upon them, almost as 

 beautiful as any raised in the flower-bed ; and then, the 

 plant itself, when raised on rich ground, makes a fine foli- 

 age plant. If I could find no other room I would plant it as- 

 a border along my flower-bed, or have that unsightly back 

 yard spaded up and strawberries planted there. They will 

 bear considerable shade and yet fruit some, but will not 

 fruit much if continually trampt over by children or chick- 

 ens, but will look ever so much better than weeds. 



Strawberries for profit should be fenced away from 

 chickens, the ground kept very rich and mellow, covered 

 slig-htly in winter with straw or other covering, and good 

 plants taken from beds that have not fruited, both pistillate 

 and staminate varieties. They will pay largely' for work 

 on them, and it may all be done by women at times when 

 the bees do not require attention, by getting the bees ready 

 for white clover honey before strawberries are ripe. 



If one succeeds in raising more strawberries than are 

 wanted in the family, there is always a good sale for them, 

 people' coming to your doors for them at good paj'ing prices ; 

 or, if you have no time to pick them yourself, they will pay 

 by letting others pick and pay for them at a reduced price. 

 But it should be understood that no children are wanted to 

 trample the vines, and if others besides yourself pickt them 

 they should be kept in narrow rows. 



The early, such as Mitchell's Early and medium kinds 

 go best with bee-work where many are raised. The latter 

 ones, like the Gandy, do not ripen until swarming-time. but 

 it is so nice to have strawberries even in swarming-time for 

 table use, as they can be pickt morning and evening, and 

 do not have^to be cookt, and if one has a large dish of 

 strawberries and a plate of honey, bread and butter, many 

 a meal can be made out when there is little time for cook- 

 ing in swarming-time. 



If one raises berries for market, of course the quart 

 boxes should be made before wanted, in leisure time in the 

 winter, just as bee-work, such as getting sections ready for 

 the bees, should be done in winter-time, or before wanted. 



PROPOI.IS AND WHITE CI.OVER. 



Last spring I took time when clipping queens' wings 

 and scraped the inside of our hives and edges of combs very 

 clean and carefully. I supposed it was nearly all propolis. 

 I had nearly a half-bushel when I got around with all the 

 the 160 hives. I thought it not worth saving, but did not 

 want it thrown upon the ground to stick to the bottoms of 

 our shoes, so I thought I would throw it in the sun wax-ex- 

 tractor, and was much surprised to see a nice cake of bees- 

 wax when all was melted in a day or so. It was not so light 

 yellow as honey-comb would be, but lookt like dark bees- 

 wax with a greasy appearance, but softer than beeswax, 

 and smelt of rosin. I think it would make a good ointment, 

 but would not do for foundation, even for the brood-nest. 



Bees are flying nicely to-day (March 9). Just after the 

 severe cold weather I examined all our bees that were out- 

 of-doors, and all were alive, and apparently wintering well, 

 altho they have not had a flight for a good while. I threw 

 out many dead bees. One colony was injured by the mice 



