1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



199 



working force of many an apiary till little honey is secured. 



On the strength of the colony early in the spring depends 

 the honey crop. One bee lost now, means just so much less 

 honey. If colonies are weak, many double them up till a good 

 strong colony is formed, saving the best queen and destroying 

 the rest. More brood will be reared in one good strong colony 

 than in several weak ones, for the larger the colony the more 

 brood-combs can be covered, and the less the danger of brood 

 or bees becoming chilled. Then, too, the bees from a strong, 

 thrifty colony, when they leave the hive for the necessary 

 supplies of the family, go out with a vim and rush that can be 

 easily distinguished from the timid, half-hearted manner in 

 which their sisters in the weak colony go forth. Should the 

 weather be a little chilly, they will not come out and go shiv- 

 ering back several times before venturing to make the journey, 

 nor are they as apt to become chilled and drop down before 

 they reach the hive in the return light. This is the way so 

 many bees are lost; and the colony dwindles away, as not 

 enough bees are left to cover the brood, and young bees do not 

 hatch as fast as the old ones die. 



By having all colonies strong, there is less danger; but 

 our care should not stop here. Bees need pollen and water to 

 rear brood, in addition to the honey which they have in the 

 hives. We can in a great measure supply this near to their 

 homes so that when for a short time the sun comes out and 

 they can fly, they need not go long distances for what they 

 need, and run the risk of never being able to return. Corn- 

 meal and rye or wheat flour placed in a shallow pan or dish 

 where the sun shines warm in some sheltered place, will fur- 

 nish them with pollen. Here they will work with a will that 

 will well repay for the trouble of furnishing it for them. 

 When the weather is warmer and natural pollen plentiful they 

 will pay little attention to the artificial substitute. To attract 

 their attention and help them find the dishes of flour or meal, 

 put a little piece of honey in the dish till they find it. 



Now all their wants are supplied except water. This they 

 may be obliged to go a long w;i.ys to find, and then carry it, 

 ice cold, perhaps, back to the hive. Is it any wonder that the 

 poor little water-carrier becomes chilled and drops down 

 before it reaches home ? Any ingenious person can devise a 

 dozen different ways in which water may be provided only a 

 few feet from the door of the hive. Anything that will hold 

 water will answer to water them, provided it has plenty of 

 floats so they can drink without getting wet themselves. 

 Place the drinking-vessels in a warm, sunny spot where the 

 water will get all the heat possible, and if you doubt whether 

 the bees like it or not watch them awhile as they carry it home 

 to the hive. 



These are the methods I use to prevent spring dwindling, 

 and adding sugar syrup to feed when it is necessary, I am not 

 at all worried about losing any colony that survives the win- 

 ter; and should there be any honey to gather, they will be 

 ready to carry it in when it comes. Millard, Nebr. 



Profit in Growing Alsike Clover, Etc. 



BY FRANK COVEKDAXE. 



The growing of Alsike clover for seed, hay and pasture, 

 pays me better than any other crop on my farm. Last year, 

 from 25 acres, I hulled 75 bushels, which was worth at least 

 3T.50 per bushel, and enough good hay after the seed was 

 taken out to feed my 72 head of two-year-old steers until 

 February, 1895, at least, and this feed is excelled by none. 

 When it is thrown into the manger a gluttonous rush is made 

 for it. The seed — 75 bushels — at S7. 50, or $6. 50_ clear, per 

 bushel, is S487; 25 tons of good hay, $G per ton, .':;150, or a 

 total of S637 as net proceeds, not counting the labor of sowing 

 and harvesting. Twenty-five acres of corn, yielding 40 

 bushels per acre, at 45 cents, is worth just .S450, and the 

 stalks for the cattle to pick are not worth as much for fall 

 feed as the after-growth of the Alsike. The corn crop robs 

 the soil, and the Alsike builds it up, and it is ready when 

 plowed again for 50 or 60 bushels of corn per acre. 



Now, Mr. Editor, these are cold facts, and well worth 

 any Iowa farmer's attention. The growing of Alsike clover is 

 a sure success, that is, if a good stand is secured, and I know 

 from eight years' experience that it is much easier to get a 

 stand of it than of the common red clover. In the previous 

 two very dry seasons I was able to get a moderate stand, and 

 last year a good stand, while farmers on each side of me had 

 none worth saving, but plowed up their ground to try it over. 



I find that Alsike thrives best on level land where the soil 

 is rather loose and deep, but mine is mostly grown on rolling 

 ground. It grows well along slough edges, where red clover 

 would not grow at all, and thrives best. I would not think of 



sowing timothy, red clover, nor orchard-grass without adding 

 2 to 4 pounds of Alsike seed per acre. I was talking to a 

 friend the other day, and he said that when he throws his hay 

 down from the mow, where timothy and Alsike are mixed, he 

 saves enough seed, both Alsike and timothy, fans it clean, for 

 all his next year's seeding, and 1 am now doing the same 

 thing myself. 



SPREADING THE BROOD. 



On page 45, Dr. Miller says he certainly wouldn't do it if 

 the queen kept as many cells filled as the bees could fully 

 cover. Now, Doctor, why not reverse the above, and say 

 when the queen fills as much comb with eggs as the bees can 

 fully cover, then I would spread the brood ? or, in more proper 

 words, change the outside combs for the center ones — not a 

 spread at all, but a changing of inside sealed brood for outside 

 uncapped larvre and eggs. That would be thus placed in 

 position to grow and hatch, vfhen, if left outside, it would 

 suffer a low temperature and be chilled, while the capped 

 brood outside is a warm wall of itself, and the thinner cover- 

 ing of bees will save it, while the combs of eggs and unsealed 

 larvM will soon develop into capped brood, and be just what 

 you want for a later spreading. This is, in my judgment, the 

 secret of spreading brood, or, in other words, changing newly- 

 laid eggs and unsealed larvas for capped larvaj that will stand 

 the next cool wave, and form walls to save that which will not 

 live through unless under the careful hand of man. 



Delmar, Iowa. 



Something About Swarming and Hiving of Bees 



BY A. C. SAXFORD. 



The bees swarm because their natural instinct is to mul- 

 tiply themselves, and because their home becomes too small 

 and warm. The bees in small hives will swarm earlier and 

 more in number if left to themselves, other things being equal. 

 Now, if we wish to control the swarming tendency, and we 

 must if we expect to get a good crop of honey, I have found 

 by long experience that good-sized hives are better than small 

 ones. I think it is better to give them room to occupy just as 

 soon as the strength of the colony will permit — don't wait 

 until your hive is chock-full of bees. By giving room in ad- 

 vance they will not be apt to swarm so early, and when a 

 swarm comes off it will be very large. Such swarms are A 

 No. 1 for making comb for extracted honey. 



A record should be kept of the date of the swarming, be- 

 cause in seven or eight days we must go through the parent 

 hive and dispose of all the surplus queen-cells, as only one 

 queen is necessary for each colony. At such times the oppor- 

 tunity is good to supersede poor stock with good. If the sur- 

 plus queen-cells are not cut out, there will nearly always be 

 several after-swarms, or casts, which are very annoying, as 

 such are often hard to manage, and unprofitable, unless we 

 want increase. By managing thus, you have only doubled 

 your stock, and your bees should be in prime order to get 

 honey. 



I will give a few thoughts about swarming and hiving the 

 bees. The old way used to be, when the bees swarmed, the 

 women-folks and all hands were out with the bells and the tin 

 pans, and there was din and clatter until the bees settled, 

 which was not nearly as soon as they would have if they had 

 been alone. It is nice to have some small, smooth trees near 

 by, but should not be allowed to get over about 12 feet high — 

 smaller are better — for the bees to cluster on. No large trees 

 should be near the apiary, as they are apt to make trouble. 

 If you have no trees, just go to the woods and cut some, and 

 put in front of the apiary about two rods. Put down as you 

 would a hop-pole. The bees will cluster on them, and you can 

 pull and carry the swarm where you choose. 



Now, I will give you my plan. When you first see a 

 swarm coming out, go quietly to the hive, stand beside it, and 

 see if the queen is able to fly with the swarm— if not, you will 

 find her on the ground, if you are on hand. If she is not able 

 to fly, place her in a cage quickly, and put her with the 

 swarm, or else remove the old hive out of the way, and place 

 a new empty one on the old stand. Place the queen in it, and 

 the swarm will hive themselves, although care should be taken 

 and not let them go into other hives, as they sometimes will. 



Now when the queen flies with the swarm : If you wish 

 them to alight quickly, don't get in their way, nor interrupt 

 them, unless they should move in a direction where there are 

 no trees. In that case, sprinkle with water, or scatter dust 

 among them. The first or prime swarm will rarely ever try 

 to run away if properly treated. 



I use a light box on a pole about 10 feet long. The box 

 is like an old-fashioned box-hive, with one end open, and lots 



