1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



203 



resembled the hollyhock more than any other that I can com- 

 pare it to. 



I woufd have sent the sample to Friend York, but I am 

 afraid of editors, but not of doctors. S. M. B. 



Aspen, Colo. 



Answer. — It's a great shame that at your age you're not 

 able to tell so simple a thing as to say what honey is made 

 from! But it may be some comfort for you to know that 

 you're not alone, for I'm not yet old enough to tell what the 

 honey is that you were kind enough to send me. Indeed, it 

 isn't the easiest thing to say always from what source honey 

 is obtained. There are a few kinds, such as linden and buck- 

 wheat, so distinctive in character that one can name them at 

 once, but many others it's hard to be sure about. The section 

 in question is nicely filled out and capped, but quite yellow in 

 color, making one feel sure that the honey is rather dark. On 

 cutting in, however, the honey is found to be very light. It 

 is candied solid, but there are no cracks in the comb as when 

 it has been frozen. I should judge it was strongly inclined to 

 granulation. Nothing very remarkable about the flavor, but 

 I don't know it. A Colorado man would be more likely to 

 spot it. 



I've no idea what the plant is of which you speak. When 

 next in bloom, send leaves and flowers to the editor, and he'll 

 probably have it named for you. Don't be afraid to send to 

 Editor York. If you'd see his pleasant face once you'd never 

 be afraid of him again. 



Who produces honey at a higher elevation than 7,874 

 feet? 



Something for Swarms to Settle On. 



What is the best to put up in a bee-yard for bees to settle 

 on when they swarm ? H. M. P. 



Answer. — That isn't so easy to answer, especially without 

 knowing what's already in your yard. If trees are there now, 

 it may be the bees will have their own notions about it, and 

 will not take your hint to settle on something else. You might 

 suspend from a tree or a pole something to look like a cluster 

 of bees. Some use a bunch of dried mullein tops, and some 

 string on a lot of dead bees. If no trees at all are present, 

 you might get a good-sized bough of a tree and plant it in the 

 ground, say one five or six feet high. Of course the leaves 

 would die and wither, but it would still answer the purpose. 



CONDUCTED BY 



AfRS. JEJSrSIB ATCHLEY, BBEVILLB, TEX. 



Thinks the 8 -Frame Hive Too Small. 



Mrs. Atchlet : — I write to find out a few points about 

 the 8 and 10 frame hives. I have 20 colonies of bees in 8- 

 frame hives, but I don't believe they are large enough for this 

 locality. I hived several fine swarms last season, and they 

 worked all the time, but kept their hives filled with brood 

 until the honey-flow had stopped, and then had barely enough 

 honey in their hives to winter on, and will have to be fed in 

 the spring. Now, if I had used 10-frame hives, would they 

 have filled the two extra frames with honey, or would they 

 have reared more brood in proportion to the size of the hive? 

 I would also like to know which you think the best for comb 

 and for extracted honey. 



Bees are doing well here, what few there are. The wild 

 peach will soon be in full bloomT and if the weather is favor- 

 able, then they will go to rearing brood right sharply. Our 

 best honey-flow comes about May 10, and is principally from 

 the holly, willow, yellow-wood, etc. I am going to try some 

 b-banded Italians this year. I have tried the 5-banded, and 

 must say that while they have some very good habits they 

 have some very bad ones. I have several colonies of hybrids 

 that are the best honey-gatherers I ever saw. If they only 

 wouldn't swarm so much ! One colony swarmed flve times in 

 two weeks, last season, and they are all doing very well, too, 

 and haven't been fed an ounce of anything. I can say one 

 thing for the Italians — the robber-bees and moths will soon 

 starve around them. J. B. Spurlock. 



Spurger, Tex., Jan. 31. 



Friend Spurlock, I do not think it was the 8-frame hive 



that caused you to get no honey — it must have been your sea- 

 son, or the bees not in proper condition to gather it. You do 

 not say whether you used single or double stories. Of course, 

 if you only used single-story hives, a 10-frame hive would be 

 best. But this question, 8 or 10 frame hives, is a hard one, 

 and I do not think there is as ranch difference as some bee- 

 keepers imagine. You say the bees worked all the time, and 

 kept the hive filled with brood. Maybe you had a season that 

 just gave honey enough for the bees to build up and breed 

 with, and not enough to store any surplus. 



I think if you will try 8 and 10 frame hives side by side, 

 putting on upper stories or section-cases, you will not find 

 much difference in the two hives. For plenty of room, tier 

 up, and you will get plenty of room with either hive. 1 used 

 to think that I could get more honey with a 10-frame hive, 

 but maybe it was because I only used them, and did not try 

 the 8-frame when I was producing comb honey. I do not 

 think now that I would have much choice in the 10 and 8 

 frame. I think you would have gotten more brood with more 

 frames, and about the same amount of honey you did get. I 

 like either hive for both comb or extracted honey. I think 

 your bees swarmed too much to gather honey. 



Bee-Culture in Mexico. 



I consider this a splendid field for bees, but the natives 

 are far behind in bee-culture. In fact, I have never seen any- 

 thing but a common gum owned by a native. There are some 

 foreign bee-keepers here who are doing well, but none in this 

 section. This is an elegant climate for bees ; very little cold 

 weather during the entire winter, with early spring. I own a 

 very nice, small orchard, 3i oranges, and H deciduous fruits. 

 I only recently came here for my health, and I am highly 

 pleased so far. W. H. Covington. 



Monte Morelas, Mexico. 



Saw Funny Doings in the Bee-Business. 



My bees did fairly well last season. I sold 1,480 pounds 

 of honey from 28 colonies, and increased to 55. I left them 

 on Aug. 1, and did not see them until Dec. 14, when I found 

 two colonies dead, but the rest were in good condition. I was 

 all through the South and East. I saw some very nice api- 

 aries, but generally kept on the " rustle for yourselves " plan. 

 Some were in the old box-hives with " king-bees '." When I 

 told of gathering as much as 130 to 180 pounds from one 

 colony, they thought I was telling a rather big fish-story. I 

 saw some very funny doings in the bee-business: if I could 

 only tell them, but I am no writer. A. Bisher. 



Baird, Tex. 



.*-»-^^ 



Honey to Produce One Pound of Bees. 



Mrs. Atchlet : — Seeing in the bee-papers some time ago 

 about how much honey it takes to produce one-pound of bees, 

 I wish to make a suggestion. If you will try the following, I 

 think there will be more certainty in it : 



When honey and pollen is coming in plentifully, take 

 about three pounds of bees, give them one worker-egg to rear 

 a queen ; then take three pounds of bees and give them all the 

 worker-eggs they will care for. Then when the brood is 

 sealed, weigh each lot and see what the difference is. Of 

 course, everything must be equal — the same amount of honey, 

 same size combs, etc., same age bees. Give both the same 

 amount of honey, and keep them confined, and ventilated, and 

 this will give about as near an even test as we can well get. 

 Try this, and report. H. Vogeleb. 



Paso Robles, Calif. 



Friend V., I am too busy just now to give your scheme a 

 test, and have given it out to the readers of the American Bee 

 Journal, to see who will try it and report. I suppose you 

 allow the broodless, or the one with only one egg, to rear a 

 queen to keep them quiet. Somebody try Mr. Vogeler's plan, 

 and report. Jennie Atchlet. 



Xlial :\e>v Song-— '• Queenie Jeanette "—which is being 

 sung everywhere, we can send vou for 40 cents, postpaid, or club 

 it with the American Bee Journal for one year— both for only 

 $1.10. Or. send us one new subscriber for a year (with §1.00), and 

 we will mail you a copy of the song free. 



Pleaso Reinenibei' that I am twt a dealer in bee-keepers' 

 suppUes, so do not send to me for a catalogue, etc.— Edftor. 



