189d. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



117 



and kill two birds with one stone — while we are looking after 

 the wants of the bees, we will be at the same time looking 

 after our own needs — pocket-book. Do you understand ? 



Jennie Atchley. 



Fair Warning. 



Friends, have you been reading this winter ? If so, have 

 you noticed that California has lost more than half her bees, 

 Florida is frozen out,no honey crop anticipated, and the coldest 

 weather known for years in the North, which means good-bye 

 to all the bees carelessly put up for winter ? Now, this is one 

 of the years for those that have bees left to look out for No. 1, 

 and have all your supplies ready, and push your bees when the 

 right time comes, as more than likely honey will be pretty 

 high next fall. So look out ! Jennie Atchley. 



Bees Dying — Camiolans, Etc. 



Mks. Atchley : — 1. What is the matter with my bees ? 

 They come out when the weather is at 20^ above zero, and 

 die, of course. 



2. What are the Carniolan bees? What is meant by 

 " steel gray," black or blue? Do you consider them better 

 than Italians ? 



3. What bees do you think are best for honey — Cyprians 

 and Syrians excepted ? Isaac Hays. 



North Yakima, Wash., Jan. 25. 



Friend Hays, I think your bees must have a touch of the 

 diarrhea, and are so uneasy that they cannot stay inside. I 

 think that trouble will all pass off as soon as warm weather 

 comes, or when they get a chance to fly. 



2. I do not know what gave the Carniolan bees the steel- 

 gray name, but I suppose it is because the bees are about the 

 color of steel, where a piece of steel is broken in two. You 

 know it will show a kind of bright silver-gray appearance, 

 which is about the color of the genuine Carniolan bees, and 

 they are neither black nor blue, but a rusty gray, and I think 

 simply "gray Carniolans " would be more proper. I am not 

 able to say whether they are better than Italians. I have 

 tried them three years, and like them, but I could not yet say 

 whether they are better than Italians. But you might try 

 them and report. 



3. I would not turn around for difference for honey-gath- 

 ering, between the 5-banded Italians, 3-banded, or Carnio- 

 lans. I think that a good strain of either race is safe for a 

 bee-keeper. It is not the bees every time at fault, but the 

 keeper. Jennie Atchley. 



Report of the Southwest Texas Bee-Convention. 



BY F. A. LOCKHART, SEC. 



(Continued from page 106.) 

 NUMBER OP colonies FOR A BEGINNER. 



As nearly all present were beginners, or wanting to begin, 

 Question No. 1 was, " How many colonies should a beginner 

 start with ?" It was answered as follows: 



Mr. Graham — 5 colonies. 



Mr. Lockhart — 5 colonies. 



Mr. Bankston — I began with 50 colonies, and made it a 

 success from the start, and I think if a person is going to 

 make a bee-keeper he can manage 50 colonies the first year. 



Mr. Victor — One to 10 colonies. 



E. J. Atchley — About 3 colonies will be enough for the 

 average beginner. 



Jennie Atchley— 5 to 10 colonies. I think that if a per- 

 son has the right turn of mind for a beekeeper, he or she will 

 not be content to start with 2 or 3 colonies, but will neces- 

 sarily need more to hold them down. 



Willie Atchley— I think about 20 colonies, if the begin- 

 ner is in reach of a good bee-keeper where he can run for 

 advice when he gets tangled. Otherwise, about one colony 

 will be enough. 



Dr. Marshall — About 10 colonies, if he can get help from 

 a neighbor, as Willie says. If not, better have less. 



Mr. Lord — 1 to 5 colonies. 



C. Theilmann — 1 colony, and let him have a side-issue 

 whereby he may make a living till his bees are increased with 

 his knowledge. 



Mr. Theilmann, of Theilmanton, Minn., was then called 

 onto give his report, which is as follows: 200 colonies, 

 spring count, and 45 pounds per colony, all comb honey 



except 1100 pounds of extracted. His whole crop was about 

 9,000 pounds. He had 75 pounds of wax. 



Fred Cooke also came in and reported. He lives in the 

 vicinity of Austin, Tex. He had 50 colonies, averaging 150 

 pounds of comb and extracted honey per colony. 



Question No. 2. — What books or papers should a beginner 

 read ? was asked. It was thought best by all the beekeepers 

 present that a beginner should have one of the leading bee- 

 books, and then he could add to his literature as he chose. 



THE REQUISITES OP A BEE-KEEPER. 



Question No. 3. — What are the requisites one should pos- 

 sess to make a beekeeper ? 



Mrs. Atchley — I think these : Push, pluck, sticktoitiveness, 

 and a love for the business. 



Mr. Graham — I think natural adaptation has a heap to do 

 with it. We are all more or less adapted for something, and I 

 believe when a bee-hive is seen by one that is adapted for a 

 bee-keeper, he will halt and make some inquiry. 



Mr. Victor — I think one should be a lover of nature. 

 Those that look after bird's-nestsand such things when young. 

 Those that love to stay around where bees are, and when a 

 bee stings him, grin and hang on. He must have nerve, and 

 stay with 'em. I think such an one will succeed. 



Dr. Marshall — Common sense and courage. 



Mr. Lockhart — I do not like to discourage any one, but I 

 am sure just every one will not make a bee-keeper. One who 

 loves the bees and has grit enough to stay with it, through 

 good and bad alike. 



E. J. Atchley — I think the requisite to a successful bee- 

 keeper is one that goes into it for love as well as money, and I 

 think that when a person goes into bee-keeping for the money 

 alone that there is in it, he will fail, very often. You must go 

 in for the glory as well as the money. 



Mr. Theilmann — I think one, or the best, requisite is to 

 look at both sides, the dark and the bright. I came to your 

 country to see the dark side, and I think I struck it at just 

 the right time to see it. 



HOW TO START IN BEE-KEEPING. 



Question No. 4. — Would you advise beginners to buy bees 

 in box-bives and transfer, or would it be best for them to buy 

 bees in the latest improved hives ? 



Dr. Marshall — Improved hives. 



Mr. Lord — Get bees in box-hives and transfer, and when 

 the experience has been bought, get frame hives. 



Mr. Victor — Get some improved hives is best, and study 

 books and bees, and when you have learned to handle bees, 

 then you can get bees in box-hives and transfer, etc. 



Mr. Graham — Improved hives. 



Mrs. Atchley — I used to advise beginners to get bees in 

 box-hives first, but I have seen some give up bee-keeping in 

 disgust by just making a mock of transferring before any 

 knowledge was known of bees, and now I say, get frame hives. 



Mr. Lockhart — I would advise improved hives. 



A. D. Hanna — My experience is this : Better start at the 

 bottom, and work up, and meet all the obstacles. Then the 

 beginner is in better shape to overcome troubles on the way. 



Mr. Theilmann — I agree with Mr. Hanna. I killed TO 

 colonies, and I find that people lose more than they gain by 

 starting with the improved hives. It is best to read and prac- 

 tice at the same time. 



E. J. Atchley — I would advise beginners to start where 

 we quit. I would let them start where we have stopped, and 

 not have to go through with all the bitter experience. There 

 is no use in beginners being so long learning to handle bees 

 nowadays. 



QUEENLESS BEES STEALING EGGS. 



Question No. 5. — Will hopelessly queenless bees go into 

 other hives and steal eggs with which to rear queens, and go 

 into the queen-rearing business ? 



Dr. Marshall — No. I would advise people to be content 

 until God makes a race of bees possessed with reason. 



Mr. Bankston — Yes, I think that Henry Alley will soon 

 be advertising such queens for sale, that will produce bees 

 that will do that. 



Mr. Victor — I do not think that I could ever expect a 

 dollar out of such bees, and do not want them. 



Willie Atchley — I do not think that bees move eggs from 

 anywhere for the purpose of rearing queens, or for any other 

 purpose. I would just as soon expect my old turkey hen to 

 go to another turkey's nest and steal eggs to hatch a brood, as 

 to expect bees to steal or move eggs. 



Mr. Lockhart — I think any one is crazy that thinks bees 

 do the like. 



Mr. Graham — Bees are too honest to steal eggs. They 



