380 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



An Editor's Experience with Bees. 



I am amusing myself with 7 colonies 

 of pure Italian bees, and find it a 

 more interesting pastime than writ- 

 ing double-leaded political editorials. 

 I am not an expert, but know how to 

 get stung as well as any one. My 

 ifather was a bee-keeper, and that 

 gives me an advantage ; but the bees 

 do not seem to take this fact into ac- 

 count- do not respect my pedigree. 

 " Honey dew " on maple trees has 

 been abundant for a week — the pro- 

 duct of turtle-shaped insects wliich 

 adhere to the bark of the tree as 

 thickly as three in a bed. Wliite 

 clover is coming on apace, and the 

 prospect for an abundant yield of 

 " sting-bug juice '' never was "better. 

 D. B. GiVLEU. 



Naperville, 111., June 4, 1884. 



Bee-Notes from Utah. 



The Utah Convention, rej)orted on 

 page 324, was held in Salt Lake Citv 

 instead of Tooele City. During April 

 the weather was very bad for bees, 

 and tliere were quite a number of 

 losses during the month ; but early in 

 May I found my bees showing signs 

 of swarming, in several of the colo- 

 nies, and I lost one colony during 

 April, which makes 2 in all. Most of 

 my bees are working in upper stories, 

 but I have not yet extracted any 

 honey, although the apple, peach, 

 plum and other fruit trees are in full 

 bloom, and along the bed of the creek 

 of Settlement Canyon, the willow is 

 the great attraction to the bees. They 

 have about finished with the cotton- 

 wood bloom. We have splendid pas- 

 turage for bees, so the prospects are 

 very promising where bees are in a 

 condition to take advantage of the 

 harvest that awaits them. 



John Dunn. 



Tooele City, Utah, May 24, 1884. 



How to Separate Swarms. 



In theWeekly Bee Journal of 1881 , 

 on page 171, "Messrs. Bray & Seacord 

 gave a description of a swarm-separa- 

 tor as follows : " Make a box 3 feet 

 long, wide and deep enough to hang 

 the frames in, from the hive you use ; 

 place the frames in the box, the same 

 spaces apart as they are in the mov- 

 able comb hive ; make one entrance 

 for the bees on the side of the box, 

 twice the length and of the same 

 height as tlie entrance to the liive ; 

 make 3 or 4 division-boards to fit tlie 

 box. then make a cover with cleats 

 on both sides (no end cleats) to fit the 

 box." Now, when two or more 

 swarms unite, put them into swarm- 

 separator in a cool place in the even- 

 ing ; and the next morning you will 

 find them separated. Push the cover 

 back even with the division- board, 

 close the entrance and take the bees to 

 hives. Having tried this plan, I wish 

 to say that it works with entire satis- 

 faction ; and all bee-keepers who de- 

 pend upon natural swarming should 

 have a swarm -separator of the above 

 description. I find tlie Bee Journal 

 good for a reference in times of need. 



Monterey, Cal. John L. Secor. 



Local Convention Directory. 



1884. Time and place 0/ Meeting. 



June 19.— Northern Mich, al Ionia. 



F. A. Palmer. Sec. 



June 20.— Iowa Central, at Winterset, Iowa. 



J. E. Pryor. Sec. 



Oct. 11, 12.r-Northern Mich., at Alma, Mich, 



F. A. Palmer, Sec, McBride. Mich. 



Oct. 15. 16.— Northwestern, at Chicago, ni. 



W. Z. Hutchinson. Sec. 



Nov. 25.— Western Mich., at FrPmont. Mich. 



Geo. E. Hilton, Sec. 



Dec. 3.— Southeastern Mich., at Adrian. Mich. 



A. M. Gander, Sec. 



Dec. 10, 11. — Michltian State, at Lansing. 



U. U. Cutting, Sec, Clinton. Mich. 



t^~ In order to have this table complete, Secre- 

 taries are requested to forward full particulars of 

 time and place of future meetings.- El>. 



Itiliat and g^oiu. 



ANSWERS BY 



James Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich. 



Sundry Questions. 



1. Do you tliink it possible to cut 

 off drones' heads when examining a 

 colony y 



2. I have my bees (8 colonies) on an 

 iron shed-roof. Is that as suitable a 

 place as on the ground— ground room 

 is very scarce with me ? 



3. I, last season, put an extra hive 

 under the brood-chamber of one col- 

 ony ; they did not swarm ; the queen 

 did not go into the lower hive. I ex- 

 tracted 80 pounds from the bottom 

 liive, and got 150 pounds from supers 

 over the brood-chamber in IJ^-pound 

 sections. Can I reasonably expect 

 like results, if I manage the same way 

 with all my bees this season V 



4. I desire very much to avoid in- 

 crease by swarming ; for they are al- 

 most sure to cluster on tall oaks out 

 of my reach when they swarm natur- 

 ally. How can it be done '< I am 

 having an unusual quantity of drones 

 this season, and have no use for any 

 that I know of. 



.5. Is it profitable to use old combs 

 from }-i to li filled with pollen? I 

 have used several, and they appear to 

 remain as when I put them in. It 

 seems hardly profitable. 



G. J. Pease. 



Ann Arbor, Mich., June 2, 1884. 



Answers. — 1. Yes; and probably I 

 shall do some of it right away. Of 

 course I mean before they are hatched 

 out of the cell. 



2. I would prefer the ground, but 

 you can succeed where you are, if you 

 have the tact. 



3. I do not think you gained any 

 thing in upper surplus-storing, by 

 placing an extra hive below. 



4. It can be done in several ways, 

 too lengthy in detail to describe in 

 this department ; but I should tliink 

 cutting down the oaks, or moving the 

 apiary to a suitable place, much more 

 practical. 



.5. Yes ; for the bees will clear out 

 the old pollen, when the queen needs 

 the room to breed in. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



Office of The American Bee Journal, \ 

 Monday, 10 a. m., June 9, 1884. S 



The following are the latest quota- 

 tions for honey and beeswax received 

 up to this hour : 



CINCINNATI. 



HONEV — The demand for all honey is very slow; 

 market dull and prices range from 6kS,S4c for ex- 

 tracted Different Ifts of choice comb honey in 

 small sections have been offered and sold in our 

 market lately at 12(g;14c per lb. As 1 predicted 

 some time ago, the preference for the production 

 of comb honey seems to be prevalent; and, as we 

 have the best prospects for an abundant harvest 

 this year, we may prepare tor low prices. 



BEESWAX— Iain good demand; choice yellow 

 brings 35c a lb. on arrival. CHAS. F. MUTH. 



NEW YORK. 



HONEY— Present quotations are as follows: 



Fancy white in 2-lb. sections, glassed, I3@14c; fair 



to good in 2-lb. sections, glitssed. ll'(^l3c; dark 



grades in 2-lb. sections, glassed, lU(j*12c No l-lbs. 



in this mirket. 



BEESWAX— Scarce, and sells readily at 36@380. 



McCaul & HiLDKETH. 34 Hudson St. 



BOSTON. 



1£0NEY-The sale of honey is almost over, and 

 we are i)bliged to sell 2-lb. combs for l5c, and2i-.i- 

 Ibs. to 2^-lbs. from I0(aii2c. No l-lbs. in the 

 market. E.\tracted, 8(3)loc. 



BEESWAX-35C. 



BLAKE & RIPLEY. 57 Chatham Street. 



CHICAGO. 



HONEV— Choice white comb honey in 1 lb. sec- 

 tions brings 18c; in IX to 2 lb. sections, quotable at 

 16c. Comb honey discolored and in undesirable 

 shape is selling at 10(gil2c. Extracted honey is In 

 light demand at 6@8c. Manufacturers of syrups 

 and bakers sav that the low price of sugar is the 

 reason why they do not use as much honey as 

 formerly. There is very little desirable comb 

 honey on the market. 



BEESWAX-Is scarce and tancy yellow brings 

 .3.SC. Good beeswax, but dark, and having more or 

 less of refuse matter m it. quotable at 3iHg;33c. 



R. A. BURNETT. Itil South Water St. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY'— A little new e.xtracted is on the mar- 

 ket, but is not receiving much attention, buyers 

 being rather timid. Several small lots of old ex- 

 tracted arrived within the week. mainly off quality, 

 and the same are offering at low flyures. Some 

 very choice old extracted was sold at Tc. which is 

 at present an extreme figure. The demand is very 

 ligilt, and the tone of the market weak. White to 

 extra white comb, l5(S18c; dark to good, 10@l3c; 

 extracted, choice to extra white, 6.a 7c: dark and 

 candied, 4(a,'',c. 



BEESWAX— Wholesale, 27i^®30c. 



Stearns & smith. 423 Front Street. 



KANSAS CITY. 



HONEY— There is now a little slackening in the 

 movement of honey in anticipation of the new 

 crop. Prices unchanged, 1.5(^h:c being the range 

 for choice comb, and a few choice H-lb. sections 

 bringing l:tc. I will be glad to receive shipments 

 of new honey as soon as practicable, after it is 

 thoroughly ripened. Remember the "early bird." 

 etc. Extracted nominal at 7ft8^c. I will be pleased 

 to send a copy of "Suggestions on Packing and 

 Shipping Honey." free to any one on application. 



BEESWAX— None in this market. 



JEROME TWICHELL. 514 Walnut Street. 



ST. LOUIS. 

 HONEY' — Steady: demand and supply both 

 small. Comb, 12<ffll4c per lb., and strained and ex- 

 tracted fitiifiViic. 

 BEESWAX— Firm at 32@32Xc. for choice. 



W. T. ANDERSON 4 Co., 104 N. 3d Street. 



CLEVELAND. 

 HONEY— The honey market is fairly active on 

 best white 1 lb. sections at l8c; 2 lbs. best white 

 not quite so active at I7c: 1 lb. sections sell quickly 

 on arrival, and often are sold to arrive. Second 

 qualities continue very dull— are hardly salable at 

 any price. Extracted is not wanted. 

 BEESWAX— Scarce at 35c. 



A. C. KENUEL. 115 Ontario Street. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 

 HONEY— We quote comb honey in 2 lb. sections, 

 18IS20C; extracted. 7(^@8i5C. 



Geo. W.Meade & Co.. 213 Market St. 



1^" Cook's Manual in cloth and the 

 Weekly Bee Journal for one year 

 will be sent for S3. Manual and 

 ilonthly, S2.00. "We have no more of 

 the old edition left, and, therefore, the 

 club price of that edition at §2.75 and 

 §1.7.5 is withdrawn. 



