Vol. XI. 



JUNE 1, 1883. 



No. 6. 



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NOTES FKOIfl THE BANNEK APIARY. 



No. 43. 



FROM 60 TO 16. 



REMEMBER that'one of my former articles was 

 headed, "From 3 to 30," and [thought the above 

 would be an appropriate title for an article at 

 the present time. You will remember that I told 

 you last month that I had 29 colonies, the most of 

 them in pretty fair condition, and so 1 did; and, as 

 the weather^was warm, they started out well. Even 

 the weakest had sealed brood in two frames, and 

 unsealed brood in two more combs; and consider- 

 ing that I had lost more than one-half of my bees, I 

 felt quite jubilant. One morning I wont out of 

 doors and found the mercury down to about 38°. 

 Of course, the bees had all crawled Into the center, 

 and rolled themselves up into a ball, and some of 

 these " balls " were not so large as your double fist. 

 All of the brood outside of the cluster was, of 

 course, killed; not only that, but the cold seemed 

 to bo[.the "last straw that broke the oamcl's back" 

 with the old bees, whose health had been broken 

 down with dysentery during the winter. Each day 

 added a new layer to the dead bees upon the bottom- 

 board, and the cluster of bees grew " smaller by de- 

 grees and beautifully less," until only a mere hand- 

 ful remained. Sometimes I took out the queens and 

 used them in filling orders, and united 3 or 4 clusters 

 into one. The bees didn't quarrel; but in a few days 

 there would be only a handful left. I believe this is 

 what is'called.sprlng dwindling, and I also believe it j? 



the result of imperfect wintering. There may be a 

 goodly number of bees in the hive, and, to all ap- 

 pearances, they may be healthy; but the dysentery 

 from which they have suffered has so weakened 

 them that they can bear neither cold nor hardships. 

 Oh what a comfort it was to take a peep into those 

 colonies that had been fed granulated sugar ! sealed 

 brood in five combs, and the hive crammed full of 

 bees. The cold seemed to have no effect upon them: 

 there were so many bees that they could resist the 

 cold. Well, I have stored away the combs inside the 

 depopulated hives; have bought a few more of 

 friend Robertson, of Pewamo, and shall commence 

 the season with about 25 colonics, the same as I had 

 last season. 



I received the Juvenile last evening, and, when 

 reading of the rush and hurry and amount of busi- 

 ness that your mind had to deal with and manage, I 

 could not help comparing it.with my own quiet life. 

 During the rainy diiys that we have had, brother 

 and I have been worliing in the shop, putting to- 

 gether those nice white sections that friend Heddon 

 furnishes, making cases to hold them, making hives, 

 and doing our sawing with that home-made buzz- 

 saw. And what comfort we are taking, friend Root! 

 I sometimes find it a little difficult to '\make both 

 ends meet," yet I.'am satisfied with myself and my 

 surroundings, and am perfectly contented. There 

 is a very comforting thought" for you, friend R., and 

 that is, you are giving employment to and 'helping 

 others. Oh, yes! there is one more thing that I wish 

 to mention, and that is, brother and I have, I believe, 

 got every thing here at home that we shall_need in 



