189b. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



233 



much we may enjoy the latter in conversation, they somehow 

 fall flat when printed. So, then, there is a limit beyond which 

 print cannot go, in making things lively, and at the same 

 time preserving its standard of value ; but has that limit yet 

 been reached ? I think not. 



The semi-occasional reviews of Mr. Demaree, and the 

 notes and comments on every issue that Dr. Miller made 

 awhile ago. and the occasional back-and-forth talking by 

 other contributors, were read, by me at least, with a peculiar 

 interest, which differed only in degree, but not in kind, from 

 the regular convention feeling. And the final result was that 

 my mind had a clearer perception of some things than would 

 otherwise have been the case. But we cannot depend upon 

 the old stagers to keep up that sort of thing. They have too 

 much else to do. And, besides, we want to know once in 

 awhile what everybody thinks about something, as well as the 

 leaders. 



The "improvement of bee-literature" movement is, in my 

 opinion, quite as important in this liue as any other. We can 

 91010 depend upon the editors (whether we could or not several 

 years ago does not concern us) to keep out most twaddle. It 

 would be asking too much to expect them to keep it all out, 

 for that is an exceedingly difficult matter; and tastes differ, 

 anyway. 



If contributors would not only occasionally, but often, tell 

 what they thought of other contributions, either by confirming 

 or criticising, it would be the nearest approach we could make 

 to a convention all the year around. Healthy criticism hurts 

 nobody ; it is the diseased, cantankerous article that is worse 

 than none. And confirmation is sometimes just as necessary. 

 It has often been my experience, in reading the bee-papers, 

 that a practical hiot was passed unnoticed until attention was 

 called to it from another quarter. Arvada, Colo. 



[The American Bee Journal is quite willing that the 

 "continuous-convention idea," approved by Mr. Thompson, 

 shall find a place in its columns. But let all " talking back " 

 be done in a courteous way, and with the intention of adding 

 some real good to the general store — not simply for the sake 

 of finding fault, or just to show ability to " talk back." 

 Wheu properly done, much good will result, just as suggested 

 by Mr. Thompson. — The Editor.] 



A Few Home-Made Convenieiices. 



BY A. F. CROSBY. 



I want to tell how I handle my bees from the time they 

 swarm until they are in the cellar. A few years ago, in 

 swarming time, I had 4 swarms come out, and all went to- 

 gether iu spite of all that I could do. It was a great perplex- 

 ity to me. I worked with them nearly all day, got very tired, 

 and I told my wife that I would have some way fixed that 

 would relieve me of such perplexity. I got my supper, started 

 down town, which is about 14 mile away, bought a handcart, 

 the box of which is about 30 by 48 inches. I took out the 

 tailboard, set in a Langstroth hive clear back, with the en- 

 trance forward toward the handles. I set up a side board on 

 either side, of ?a boards, as high as the box against the side 

 boards, with a board nailed on the back end of each at right 

 angles, that goes in tight against the side of the hive clear to 

 the front end, so that the bees cannot get back under the hive. 

 I key it up if necessary, so that the hive cannot move. This 

 leaves the opening in front of the hive about 30x30 inches. 

 Now the hive is all ready, in the cart. 



Now when the swarm begins to cluster, as mine generally 

 do, on the lower limbs of a fruit-tree, I run the cart (the open- 

 ing in front of the hive) under the cluster. If I see another 

 swarm coming, I give the limb two or three shakes, 

 and the queen is down in front of the hive. I take the cart 

 and start for the stand, and by the time I get there the greater 

 part will be in the hive. I set the hive on the stand, and 

 brush the remainder out in front of the hive. The bees that 

 are in the air when I start for the stand will mostly follow up 

 and go into the hive while I am going to the stand. Now, in 

 10 minutes after they begin to cluster, at most, it's all done. 

 I have had no more trouble with swarms going together. 



I want to tell about ray wheelbarrow. I made it very 

 light for holding one colony of bees. It is on springs. It 

 stands level when at rest. I put the scales on it, and run it 

 wherever I want to weigh, and I had a good deal of that to do 

 last fall. 



I have a railroad for putting the bees into the cellar. It 

 is 8 feet in and 8 feet out of the cellar window. I put on the 



cart four hives. The cart is also on springs. I run it up to 

 the cellar window, set the hives on the car, which also holds 

 four hives. I run them inside, then go in and put them 

 around. I put in 60 colonies in a few hours last fall without 

 help, with ease. Now, without this I could not do half as 

 much, for I am about 77 years old. I hope some one will be 

 benefitted by my experience. That 86-year-old man men- 

 tioned in the Bee Journal awhile ago, would find it much 

 easier to handle his 61 colonies of bees. 



Later I may tell about my solar wax -extractor, bee-es- 

 capes and honey-room with window to turn the bees out-doors 

 — all my own make, and lots of other improvements. My bees 

 seem to be doing nicely so far (Feb. 7). I am taking on new 

 courage and interest in reading the improved American Bee 

 Journal. I have not much else to do now. 



Sheffield, Iowa. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. C. C. iUXZ-J-ER, lilAREIfGO, ILL. 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.! 



Carrying' Out Immature Bees, 



A certain colony of my bees have for several days been 

 carrying out a few immature bees, dead. These bees seem to 

 have been capped over a day or two, judging from the size. Is 

 anything wrong, probably ? The colony has plenty of honey 

 and workers. I would examine, but they are in a box-hive, 

 and have not yet been transferred. W. L. G. 



Forest City, N. C. 



Answer. — I hardly think there's any serious trouble. It 

 is nothing remarkable to see immature bees carried out, and 

 this is caused sometimes by the depredation of the wax-worm. 



ftueen-Bearing — Basswood — TJnwired Combs. 



1. What is the best book on queen-rearing, and by whom 

 published or sold ? 



2. I have 6 colonies. If they go through the winter can 

 I rear enough queens to sell to pay me to advertise, and also 

 to increase to about 12 colonies, if the season is favorable ? 



.3. Will the basswood thrive and produce honey as far 

 down as southeast Kentucky ? 



4. Can the extractor be used where frames are not wired, 

 without injuring the combs ? J. J. W. 



Mayking, Ky. 



Answers. — 1. Doolittle's "Scientific Queen-Rearing" is, 

 I think, the only work exclusively devoted to that subject, and 

 is to be had from the office of the American Bee Journal. 



2. I don't know. Something depends on the season, and 

 still more upon yourself. If you have never reared many 

 queens, I should hardly advise any advertising till after 

 you have had considerable experience. There are a great many 

 queen-breeders, and a new man coming on the field has less 

 chance than those with established reputations. If you have 

 such a season as many bee-keepers had the past year, you'll 

 not be able to double your number without heavy feeding. 

 Now I'm not going to offer you any direct advice, for some- 

 times that's dangerous in such cases, but if some beginner 

 should ask you whether you advise him to sell queens, just say 

 to him, " You let that sort of thing alone till you know more 

 about rearing good queens." 



3. I think it will. 



4. Yes, I used them for years before anything was known 

 about wiring. But with new combs unwired you have to be 

 very careful. If I had good unwired combs, I wouldn't dis- 

 card them, but I wouldn't think of startiug any new ones with- 

 out wiring, whether to be used for extracting or not. 



Queen Iiaying on the Outside of a Comb — How 

 Colonies Can be Profitably Kept P 



Many 



1. Last summer, in one of my old box-hives that has a 

 glass in the back of the hive to look at them, I noticed the 

 queen right inside the glass, and looking closely I saw that 

 she was laying eggs, and the workers taking the eggs into 

 their mouths and disappearing, then took another one without 



