THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



299 



Large Hives.— With the Langstrotli 

 hive I see it recommended to use only 

 7 frames for brood, to induce bees to 

 talie surplus honey np into sections. 

 Again, it is said for wintering crowd 

 bees on 6 or 7 frames. 1 . If all this be 

 true, why not use a Langstrotli hive 

 of only seven frames, instead of 10 V 

 Some recommend stringing dead bees, 

 a piece of black stocking, etc., sus- 

 pended to a pole for bees when swarm- 

 ing, to cluster upon ; we are also told 

 that if a nail keg or box is put directly 

 over a swarm of bees, when clustered, 

 that they will go np into it. 2. Why 

 not keep the box or keg over the de- 

 coy branch of dead bees, so that the 

 bees, when they swarm, will get into 

 the box themselves without any aid 

 from the bee-keeper V If all this 

 would work. Pdo not see why any 

 swarm should lie lost, for the bees, ac- 

 cepting the box or keg for their home, 

 would be there when the bee-keeper 

 came. G. M. Alves. 



Henderson, Ky, 



[1. There are several successful 

 apiarists whouse 8-frame Langstroth 

 hives, and one we know in Indiana 

 who uses only 5 frames in the brood 

 chamber, during the honey harvest, 

 but he uses 10 frames in building up. 

 Last season we had a two-story Lang- 

 stroth hive which contained 1-i frames 

 of eggs, lai'va' and sealed brood at one 

 time. The combs were not full, but 

 certainly contained enough to moder- 

 ately fill 10 frames. We think it bet- 

 ter in breeding up, to employ all the 

 frames that the queen will utilize ; 

 then, if necessary, cramp the brood 

 chamber with division boards to force 

 the bees to the boxes. This is perhaps 

 more especially necessary with the 

 Italians than with hybrids or blacks, 

 as their attachment to the young is 

 more marked. 



2. Your scheme with swarms might 

 work — we have never tried it. In the 

 case of large apiaries, however, where 

 several swarms frequently issue at 

 once, much confusion would ensue 

 from the doubling of several swarms 

 in one box or keg. The keg is better 

 tjian a box for running swarms into, 

 as the roaring noise, which is so at- 

 tractive, is much louder.— Ed.] 



ProspeetUnusuallyGood.— The pros- 

 pect tor a large honey crop is unusu- 

 ally good with us. The cool weather 

 has prevented the bees from gather- 

 ing the usual amount of surplus honey 

 from the fruit bloom, but it has staid 

 in bloom double the usual length of 

 time, and the bees have been able to 



father a sufficient amount of nectar to 

 eep brood-rea.ring up all the time. 

 The result is an unusually large n"m- 

 ber of young bees in the hives for the 

 time of year. White clover looks well, 

 and I think will bloom 2 weeks ahead 

 of the usual time. The demand for 

 bees is the largest I have ever known, 



and the interest in bee-keepingiisgood 

 in proportion. I have always run my 

 aiiiary for honey, but have had so 

 many calls for bees this spring that I 

 have changed my plans, and will run 

 the entire apiary for increase this 

 year. I have heard of but 3 colonies 

 of bees dying during the winter. I 

 cleared over §300 from 16 colonies last 

 year. I have never been able to sup- 

 ply the home demand tor honey or 

 bees, and I do not think I can for 

 some time to come. I think many of 

 our bee-keepers are too much afraid 

 of selling bees near home, and allow 

 others to supply tlieir neighbors. I 

 know of some such cases. 

 Rocklane, Ind. L. II. Jackson. 



When to Divide.- 1 have 2 colonies 

 of bees. Took them out of the cellar 

 about the 1st of April. They are in 

 good condition and strong m bees — 

 the bees covering nearly all of the 

 frames, with brood in all stages of 

 development. I am a beginner in the 

 business, having obtained my first 

 colony last July, after the swarming 

 season was over. I wish to run my 

 bees for comb honey rather than in- 

 crease, and have determined to adopt 

 the method of dividing suggested in 

 your editorial, on page 210 of the Bee 

 Journal for 1882, as being the sim- 

 plest and most easily understood of 

 any I have come across ; but the ques- 

 tion with me is (and with other begin- 

 ners in this vicinity), just when is the 

 proper time to do it to subvert any 

 future swarming V Will you please 

 give some rule whereby a beginner 

 can tell when to divide— a rule appli- 

 cable to different latitudes and differ- 

 ent seasons. By so doing, you will 

 much oblige one, and probably many 

 subscribers. J. M. B. 



Morrison 111., May 2, 1882. 



[It will be a hazardous matter to 

 fix an arbitrary time for making di- 

 visions, even in a single locality, and 

 much will depend on the judgment of 

 the apiarist, as it is a matter of fre- 

 quent occurrence that some colonies 

 will be very much stronger and more 

 prosperous than others, and that, too, 

 when the chances are apparently 

 equal. Therefore, it does not follow 

 that division is always practicable, 

 unless the conditions are favorable, 

 and no invariable rule can be estab- 

 lished. We would, however, advise 

 that when there are, say 7 or 8 frames 

 of brood, larvffi and eggs in the hive, 

 and if the weather be favorable, that 

 when hawthorn [Cratcegus cordata) is 

 in bloom, the division be made. In 

 case of plentiful fruit and spontaneous 

 bloom, if the weather be warm and 

 the nights not chilling, the division 

 may safely and profitably be made 

 when the Siberian crab is in blossom. 

 This gives the benefit of most of the 

 fruit for building up, and will gener- 

 ally give opportunity for rearing and 

 fertilizing youug queens before the 



usual week of wet, chilling May 

 weather sets in, which in this latitude 

 most frequently occurs during the 

 last week. Let the division be made 

 when it will, however, it will not do 

 to leave anything to chance. Fre- 

 quent examinations should be made 

 as to the progress being made, and 

 with a view to supplying feed, in case 

 it should be needed.— Ed.] 



Shaken Loose. — " Open confession 

 is good for the soul." I suppose I am 

 beaten in the "best bees" contro- 

 versy. It is now decided that nature 

 made a hybrid that man and nature 

 combined cannot improve upon. That 

 traits of character in bees (different 

 from all other animals) are not heredi- 

 tary. That there is no use to breed 

 for qualities, but for marks, and these 

 marks are three yellow bands. By 

 their bands ye shall know them. The 

 days of " deeds" are past. American 

 honey producers must now realize 

 that bright yellow bees are the open 

 sesame to success. For all this knowl- 

 edge, together with the " 'possum " 

 story, are we indebted to the assidu- 

 ous labors of Mr. G. W. Demaree, of 

 Ky., my late victor. It is economical 

 as" well as comforting to discuss with 

 a man who has not only the time and 

 ability, but kindness to act as both 

 chief disputant and judge. 



James Heddon. 



Dowagiac, Mich. 



Taking- Off Sections.— 1 see by dis- 

 patches from the Northern States,, 

 that you are still having cold weather. 

 How strangely that sounds to us here 

 on 29J.<- latitude. It is warm here 

 and rather dry for April ; our bees are 

 storing honey now from horsemint. I 

 took off box honey on April 12, stored 

 from spring flowers. It is beautiful 

 honey, and of very tine flavor. We 

 luive no wintering troubles here. A 

 small swarm of blacks came to ray' 

 apiary and settled on a limb Xov. 17 ; 

 liived them on a frame of brood from 

 Italians. They at once began to form 

 queen cells (as they were queenless). 

 The queen mated about Dec. 5, and 

 began at once to rear brood, and now 

 they are as flue a colony as any I have. 

 Apiculture is coming to the front in 

 this land of sunshine and flowers. 

 Much has been said in regard to the 

 viciousness of the Cyprians. We have 

 them from a tested queen bought of 

 B. F. Carroll. They are the' most 

 docile of any composing my apiary, 

 which consists of pure Italians and 

 hybrids. They are so much in favor 

 with ns by their good qualities in 

 general, tliat we reared queens for 

 our own use from them, rather than 

 from the Italians. Climate, no doubt, 

 has much to do with the different 

 races of bees, as also with the yield of 

 honey from various plants. Our 

 country is healthy, and our crops are 

 very tine. This is a fine farming 

 country, and a siilendid country for 

 bees. Nothing troubles them liei'e 

 but ignorance. I suppose that is the 

 name of it. It is indigenous with us. 

 A good dosing with the Ameuican 



