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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 27, 



I prepared 200 colonies for winter quarters, and this 

 spring, on examining the same, I found my loss was 10. I 

 winter bees on the summer stands, no feeding back being re- 

 quired. I leave about 30 pounds of honey to each colony, and 

 none of the loss was occasioned by starvation ; the main cause 

 of the loss can no doubt be attributed to a very severe and 

 rigid winter that prevailed in this locality, it being the coldest 

 ever known here. 



In my tour of inspection I foutid three queenless colonies, 

 one of these showing indications of laying workers. I inserted 

 a frame having six queen-cells, and two frames with larva; in 

 all stages, and in about two weeks the laying workers had dis- 

 appeared and this colony had a queen, and was in a prosper- 

 ous condition. I introduced a queen in each of the other two 

 colonies, and they are also prospering. 



To date, I have had 75 swarms from my spring count, 

 and they are in fine condition. My first swarm came out this 

 year April 10 ; last season the first to issue was March 15. 



In my experience I have never seen any foul brood in this 

 locality. Bees are sometimes troubled in the spring with 

 dysentery, but I have not noticed any extent of the same this 

 season. 



I have had as many as five swarms to cluster on one limb 

 at the same time, and desiring to produce more honey, I 

 made four colonies out of the five. I divided by placing a 

 portion of the bees in a hive, and placed this hive about oO 

 yards from the cluster, in order that the remaining bees 

 would not be attracted by the noise of this hive. In the same 

 manner I placed a second and third hive about 50 yards 

 apart; and this distance from the cluster. The fourth hive 

 I let remain near the clustering place. I placed more bees in 

 the hives situated at a distance from the place of the cluster 

 than the one near the clustering place, because a portion of 

 the former would naturally find their way to the place of the 

 cluster. 



I always insert in my swarms one or two frames of brood 

 in all stages, and not one of them ever missed their queen. I 

 had an old box-hive, and cut out of it four or five pieces of 

 dark-looking comb, enough to fill out three Hoffman frames ; 

 I then placed one of these frames in one of the previously 

 mentioned four hives at 3 o'clock p.m., and at 6 o'clock the 

 same evening I looked to see if the bees had waxed it fast to 

 the frame, and to my surprise I found they stored four pounds 

 of nectar in that frame. 



As far as the crop of this year is concerned, all indica- 

 tions point to an abundant yield, and the quality even better 

 than the last crop. The Dees seem to work with greater 

 activity and renewed energy, after their winter confinement. 

 Fairfield, La., May 9. Alex. Weight. 



^ I m 



Lamar Co., Tc.\., Bce-Keepcri^' Association. 



Thirty people from Lamar and Red River counties, Tex., 

 met recently at Lone Oak, Lamar county, for the purpose of 

 organizing a bee-keepers' convention. The meeting was called 

 to order, and officers elected as follows: President, J. C. Mc- 

 Connell ; Secretary, W. H. White. It was decided to call the 

 new society the Lamar County Bee-Keepers' Association. 

 Various questions were considered as follows : 



TRANSPERKING — STARTING IN BEE-KEEPING. 



The best methods of transferring were discussed at con- 

 siderable length, and two colonies in box-hives were trans- 

 ferred, which gave some valuable ideas. 



How many colonies should a beginner commence with ? 



G. A. Gilliam — As many as he has money to buy. 



J. R. Hutchinson — He would better go slow till he gets a 

 little experience. Buy a few, and learn to handle them be- 

 fore investing too much. 



W. H. White — Two or three, and get a good book and 

 learn their habits, and how to handle them before investing 

 much. 



J. G. Barnett— It doesn't make any difference, for it won't 

 be long till he will just have a few. 



RACES OF BEES — PLANTING FOR HONET. 



In what do the Italians excel the black bees? R. G. 

 Seay delivered an address on the superior traits of Italians, in 

 which he did the subject justice. 



Which is the better, the 3 or 5 banded bees ? After a 

 short discussion the subject was dropped without any decision. 



Shall we resort to the planting for bee-pasturange ? If 

 so, what shall we plant? It was thought best to insist on 

 farmers planting the clovers best adapted to pasture, hay and 



honey-yielding. A stalk of sweet clover was exhibited. From 

 the experiences given it was thought a good honey-producer 

 in tnis country. Each member who had bees was advised to 

 plant what he could, and by so doing we could secure a good 

 pasturage all through the season, with but little expense to 

 any. 



FARMERS AND BEE-KEEPING. 



Should farmers keep bees in the improved plan ? 



R. G. Seay thought not, that it belonged to specialists, 

 and would be too much trouble. 



Dr. D. D. Craddock thought the boxhive plan best for 

 farmers generally. 



W. H. White— If they keep bees at all, keep them on the 

 improved plan, as they are the greatest class of specialsts we 

 have. They should keep bees by the improved methods, as 

 they raise their poultry, grain, cotton, and other products of 

 the farm. Each being a special product, each should be kept 

 and worked by the latest and best plans, for if the improved 

 is best for one it is best for all. 



Shall we continue our meetings? was asked. It was 

 agreed that we should. As it was getting late, the election of 

 officers was deferred until the next meeting, which will be 

 held the third Saturday and Saturday evening in July, at 

 Lone Oak, 3 miles south of Deport, in Lamar county. All 

 bee-keepers are invited to come. No hotel bills. 



Deport, Tex. W. H. White, Sec. 



CONDUCTED BY 



Rev-. Emerson T. J\.bbott, St. iZosepJi, JVTo. 



Do PJot Fuss With the Bees.—" Do not keep 

 pulling the hive to pieces to see now much brood there is, or 

 do worse, spread the brood to induce the queen to lay.'' — 

 Canadian Bee Journal. 



This advice is given for the benefit of beginners, and they 

 will do well to give heed to it. I know the temptation is very 

 strong to open the hives and see how things are coming on, 

 but in nine cases out of ten this will be done at a loss. If one 

 feels that he must see what is going on from day to day, he 

 would better select a colony for experimental purposes, and 

 let the rest severely alone, aside from the attention they need 

 in order to know when to put on the surplus arrangements, or 

 when to expect a swarm. If one will make it a point to study 

 the bees carefully he will soon learn how to judge of the con- 

 dition of the colony from what he can see at the entrance. Of 

 course there are times when it Incomes necessary to open the 

 hive and remove most, if not all, of the frames. A beginner 

 will find the middle of the day the best time to do this work, 

 and he should make it a point to work as rapidly as he can, so 

 as to disturb the bees as little as possible, and at the same 

 time guard against robbing. Those who are always fussing 

 with their bees are apt to have a good many practical demon- 

 strations of what robbing means. 



As for spreading brood, this may work all right in the 

 hands of an export, but the beginner would better let the 

 queen do the spreading. 



Place to Keep Honey. — "When honey is removed 

 from the hive, never place it down cellar ; that is the worst 

 thing you could do, because there is always more or less moist- 

 ure in a cellar." — W. H. Putnam. 



At first thought one might be inclined to think this a use- 

 less statement, as it has been repeated in various forms a 

 great many times, but it is far from useless. In fact, I know 

 it to be very important, for there is not a season passes but 

 someone says to me he cannot see what hurt it will do to put 

 honey in the cellar. The truth of the matter is that there are 

 a great many who have not learned that it is just as important 

 to take proper care of the honey, and put it on the market in 

 first-class condition, as it is to use the best and most econom- 

 ical moans of securing it. One of the essentials of proper care 

 is keeping the honey in a very dry and warm place ; especially 

 is this true of comb honey, or extracted honey in open cans. 

 Honey taints very easily, and for this reason I prefer that as 

 little smoke as possible be used when extracting. I remember 

 getting extracted honey once of a first-class producer that had 

 been so tainted with tobacco smoke that I could not eat it. I 

 have no taste, or use, for that matter, for tobacco in any 

 form, and I surely prefer not to have it mixed with my honey. 



