608 



GLEAl^IKGS IN BEE CULTtJRE. 



Oct. 



From Different Fields. 



SHOULD like to have you answer a few ques- 

 tions for me, if you will be so liind as to do so. 

 I am a beginner in the bee business. I received 

 from you, through Mr. Elstun, one tested and one 

 hybrid queen, and I can say that I am very much 

 pleased with them, especiallj' the Italian. I want 

 to ask you some questions about the different kinds 

 of hives; audit you will be so kind as to answer 

 them, I shall be obliged to you. I want the hive 

 that is the best to extract from. 



What is your opinion of the Mitchell hive? I am 

 using six of them, but I don't think they are good 

 to extract from, as all the frames are in the main 

 part of the hive, and will have more or less brood in 

 all of them. Can you extract when there is brood in 

 the frames? I find they are very good to get comb 

 honey from. Is there a patent on your Simplicity 

 hive? If not, will you be so kind as to give me the 

 dimensions of it, and the Langstroth, and how to 

 make them. 



I have a friend here who takes your Gleanings, 

 and I take the American Bee Journal. We swap 

 reading, so you see we get the benefit of both. 



Increase in bees and bee pasturage was very great 

 here. Mr. Elstun increased from 18 to 65; Mr. 

 Bowles, from 2 to 13, and several others did as well. 



Milroy, Ind., Aug. 35, 1883. J. A. Smith. 



Friend S., the Mitchell hive is a one-story 

 hive — that is, the frames are spread out 

 sidewise, instead of having a part of them 

 over the other part. That style of hive was 

 tested very extensively ten years ago, under 

 the name of the Adair, or " New Idea" hive; 

 but it has been abandoned almost universal- 

 ly. 1 hardly know of a large honey-raiser 

 who uses it now. — We can extract from 

 brood-frames just as well as any other. But 

 you will see by the price list that I have ad- 

 vised not doing so, because of the danger of 

 letting the bees starve. — There is no patent 

 on the Simplicity hive, or on any thing that 

 we make in the way of hives and imple- 

 ments. Our ABO book gives you full 

 measurements of every thing, and also very 

 plain directions how to make them. I am 

 glad to know that you and your kind neigh- 

 bor exchange journals. It indicates just the 

 kind of a neighborly feeling that ought to 

 exist, not only among bee-keepers, but 

 among all neighbors. 



SUMAC AS A HONEY-PLANT. 



Can you or any of your many readers tell me 

 whether the sumac is a good and reliable honey 

 shrub or plant ? There are places in Southwest 

 Missouri where a man could get the benefit of 

 hundreds of acres of sumac. It is in bloom from 

 the first of June to the 10th of August. I saw comb 

 honey there the 10th of August that was as white 

 and fine-flavored honey as I ever saw, that was sup- 

 posed to be sumac honey. I found no person who 

 could give me positive information in regard to it. 

 Friend Dougan, of Seneca, Newton Co., Mo., thought 

 sumac furnished large quantities of honey, but was 

 not sure. By the way, friend Dougan has a fine lit- 

 tle apiary of Cyprian and Italian bees, and is per- 



fectly at home among them. His Cyprians appear- 

 ed to be gentle and quiet, but I don't wonder at it, 

 as he appears so pleasant and agreeable that his 

 bees could not be otherwise than good-natured. He 

 has the Simplicity and chaff hives, and was the only 

 man I saw in Southwest Missouri who used the 

 movable frames and improved hives, etc. North 

 Missouri is rich, and in good trim for winter; but a 

 drought set iu about the 13th of August that cut our 

 surplus honey about a half short. 



Alexander Floyd. 

 Guilford, Mo., Sept. 13, 1883. 



Sumac has often been reported as one of 

 the best of honey-plants, and I believe that 

 large crops of nice honey are often taken 

 from it. By consulting our back volumes 

 you will find many reports. 



The three-dollar Italian queen which I ordered 

 from you arrived here on the 23d of August, and I 

 proceeded to introduce her immediately, according 

 to directions on the cage. At the end of three days 

 I made a hole through the comb, and let her out, 

 and she seemed to feel quite at home; and I think 

 that she commenced laying within 34 hours after 

 being liberated. Present appearances indicate that 

 she will have a large stock of young bees before 

 winter begins. 1 feel well pleased with the result so 

 far, and begin to feel in a hurry to see the " yellow- 

 jackets " begin to crawl out and fly. 



bees that won't defend themselves. 



I think that I shall have to send you another 

 order, for I have another colony that appears to be 

 without a queen. Have tried to keep the colony 

 strong by giving them brood from other hives, but 

 the neighboring bees seem to come and carry off 

 their stores of honey with impunity, and they make 

 scarcely any effort to defend themselves. There 

 appears but little chance of saving them from de- 

 struction, unless it can be done by giving them a 

 queen. I suppose then they would be more resolute 

 in protecting their stores. 



wintering queenless colonies. 



Please tell us whether a swarm of bees could be 

 successfully wintered through without a queen. 



SKUNKS AS an ENEMY, 



I have been seriously plagued this summer and 

 fall by skunks destroying my bees. Some colonies 

 that seemed to be full and strong would, in a few 

 days, appear to be dwindling away, and the hive al- 

 most inactive, when I was sure uo swarm had been 

 sent out, and I was at a loss to know the cause until 

 one moonlight night my attention was attracted 

 toward something around one of my hives; and as I 

 approached near to it I discovered that it was a 

 skunk standing by the side of the alighting-board. 

 When a bee made his appearance outside of the en- 

 trance, Mr. Skunk would brush him off on to the 

 ground with his paw, then catch him in his teeth, 

 and eat him. I watched until I was fully convinced 

 of what had become of my bees. Is it a common 

 thing for skunks to eat bees? Joshua Bull. 



Seymour, Wis., Sept. 13, 1883. 



I have never failed in making any colony 

 defend themselves when I gave them combs 

 of brood enough from other hives. In fact, 

 this can not fail; for when the bees hatch 

 out we have a new race of bees instead of 

 indolent ones. A swarm of bees can be suc- 

 cessfully wintered without a queen; but in 

 order to have plenty of young bees, which 



