1883 



GLEAHIKGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



321 



Our bees have come out through this long winter 

 in fine shape, and good average strength. We com- 

 menced the winter with 60, and have 59, losing but 

 one— chaff packed. J. Butler. 



Jackson, Mich., March 23, 1883. 



Thanks, friend B. The section you men- 

 tion is the old Harbison section. Judging 

 from the number of 1-lb. sections we have 

 sent to California, I should think there 

 ought to a few there somewhere. 



SYRIO-ITALIANS. 



I think a cross betweea the Italian and Holj'-Land 

 bees the " coming bee." We all know the hybrids 

 are the best, and when we can get hybrids as beauti- 

 ful and gentle as albinos, and as good honey-gather- 

 ers as the dark imported Italians, we ought to be 

 satisfied. A cross between the Italians and Holy- 

 Land bees will do all this. 



IS QUEEN-REAIUNU NECESSARILY BAD FOR WIN- 

 TERING? 



1 see '.hat you and friend Good attribute your loss- 

 es to queen -rearing. I do not think that was the 

 cause. Of course, old bees will die; but you did not 

 manage rightly; if you did not have young bees in 

 your queen- rearing nuclei, why did you not let 

 your young queens fill their combs with eggs before 

 selling them? Wait till you see sealed brood, then 

 there will be no danger of selling unfertile queens. 

 And especially toward the end of the season, let 

 them fill their two combs chock full; feed them if 

 they will not do it without, and then three nuclei 

 will make a rousing swarm, and two more heavy 

 combs of honey from other stocks will prepare 

 them for winter when united. 



SMOTHERINd, ETC. 



This is the plan I follow, and we have not lost any 

 the last two years. We used to lose them when our 

 doubled-up swarms were all old bees; we lost one 

 swarm this winter, the strongest swarm wc had. 

 The bees had not been used for queen-rearing either; 

 they smothered; they were in a chatf hive, and an 

 ice storm closed the entrance. Our bees gathered 

 natural pollen for the first, day before yesterday. 



Ila Michener. 



Low Banks, Monck Co., Ont., Can., Apr. 16, 1883. 



Our bees were fed, friend M., and they 

 raised brood in the fall too ; but I presume 

 not to the extent they ought to have done. 

 We shall try again another winter, and hope 

 to do better. 



REFUSED admittance. 



I am entitled to a space among the Blasted Hopers. 

 I had 23 stands last fall. I put 6 in a cellar; 3 died; 

 the rest I left on the summer stands; lost 5 of them 

 this spring; lost 3 by robbers. This leaves me to 

 start with 12 this spring, but I will try not to give 

 up hopes yet. A. II. Hunter. 



Adyeville, Ind., April 15, 1883. 



Can't let you in, friend 11. You have too 

 many bees left; and besides, you haven't 

 got the right sort of spirit for a " Blasted 

 Hoper." 



SAFE wintering WITH FOREST-LEAVES. 



Having now "come safely through the woods," 

 I can consistently send in my report. The past 

 winter has been the most steadily severe of any for 

 the last seventeen years, the thermometer ranging 

 close to zero (sometimes a little below) nearly the 

 whole time. I wintered my bees on their summer 

 stands in standard L. frames, and they- had no op- 



portunity to flyfromthemiddleof Nov. till Feb. 17th. 

 In preparing for winter I left seven frames in all 

 hives except one that had but three. I put a two- 

 inch division-board on each side of each hive, cover- 

 ed the frames with a sheet of burlap, and filled an 

 upper story with forest-leaves, giving an entrance 

 of about 4 inches for the bees to fly in or out as 

 they chose; they all came safely through, and to- 

 daj' are in as good shape and condition as I ever saw 

 bees at thi? time, and this, too, notwithstanding 

 they were kept on that much-decried shallow stan- 

 dard L. frame. 



My belief, gained by seventeen years' experience, 

 is, that with proper precautions in the way of up- 

 ward ventilation, the L. frame is as safe to winter 

 in as any other; and I prefer to take my experience 

 as my own guide, rather than all the theories that 

 have ever been disclosed; and from my own ex- 

 perience I think I am fully warranted in advising 

 all, and beginners especially, to choose the standard 

 L. frame, no matter what theoretical objections may 

 be made to it. J. E. Pond, Jr. 



Foxboro, Mass., May 3, 1883. 



STOPPING UPWARD VENTILATION, ETC. 



I have lost 4 swarms out of 12, but have learned a 

 good lesson; that is, I did not spread enough heat- 

 contining substance, such as paper or enameled 

 cloth, over the frames under the cushion. I had 

 only one thickness of woolen cloth on, and a chaff 

 cushion on the ones I lost; but where they had a 

 number of sheets of paper, as did one of them, they 

 came out in splendid order. And another, where I 

 left the summer cloth on, and spread on three 

 woolen cloths and a cushion, they came out far bet- 

 ter than all others, and only about half a pint of 

 dead bees; but these were in a chaff hive. I kept all 

 the entrances open only about y of an inch. I also 

 found that the ones that were covered entirely with 

 snow were in better shape than when they were ex- 

 posed; so in a long run I shall not lose, for I shall 

 learn from such losses. I take lots of pleasure with 

 my bees, and find that by kindness, and yet firmness, 

 they grow more gentle, and they do show so many 

 cunning ways that I don't see how any one can live 

 and not have one swarm at least. I am exceedingly 

 pleased with Gleanings. I can read it all night 

 with pleasure and profit. 



I have always worked and planned to the best of 

 my ability, and have often been told that I could get 

 a living on a rock; but I rather live on a hive. 



E. P. Churchill. 



North Auburn, Me., April 16, 1883. 



Friend C, you maybe right in thinking 

 your bees had too much upward ventilation, 

 but so many say they have had experience 

 almost in the contrary way, that I am some- 

 what loth to agree with you. Is it possible 

 that bees sometimes require much ventila- 

 tion, and when, in a different state of health, 

 do not require it? 



honey vinegar. 



Tell Mr. R. I. Fox, 1 pound of honey and 3 gallons 

 of water will make good vinegar in six weeks. We 

 have made it. Put the honey in water, and put it In 

 a warm place. One teacupful of good apple-cider 

 vinegar will make it fit for use sooner. We got the 

 recipe from the Rural New Yorker years ago. I 

 think you are right about not keeping our light un- 

 der a bushel. I won't for one. Hugh White, Jr. 



Broad Run, Va., April 24, 1883. 



