196 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



With Replies thereto. 



Lit is quite useless to ask for answers to 

 Queries in this Department in less time 

 than one month. They have to wait their 

 turn, be put in type, and sent in about a 

 dozen at a time to each of those who answer 

 them ; get them returned, and then find 

 apace for them in the Journal. If you are 

 In a "hurry" for replies, do not ask for 

 t hem to be inserted here.— Ed.1 



Size of ADiary for One Man. 



Query, No. 396.— In runninfr an apiary 



I for comb boney. desirind no increase, and using 

 the latest improved hives and supers, how many 

 colonies can one man. liaving a good knowledge of 

 the business, handle bo as to bring the best returns 

 for the money invested and the time spent?— J. 



C, UlB. 



From 100 to 200 colonies.— J. P. H. 

 Bbown. 

 I should say about 100 colonies.— G. 



M. DOOLITTLE. 



Those words, " desiring no in- 

 crease," make it difficult to answer ; 

 perhaps 100 colonies.— W. Z. Hutch- 

 inson. 



It varies according to the methods 

 and fixtures employed, from 50 to 400 

 or 500 colonies.— C. W. Dayton. 



It all depends upon the man, sea- 

 son, locality, and circumstances.- H. 

 D. Cutting. 



Much depends upon the man and 

 the management ; perhaps 100 colo- 

 nies.— C. C. MiLLEE. 



I think about 150 colonies ; though 

 I do not claim to be authority in this 

 matter —A. J. Cook. 



One hundred and fifty to 200 colo- 

 nies can be managed by one man in 

 light, easily-manipulated hives, ex- 

 cept in the beighth of swarming 

 time.— G. L. Tinkbk. 



If I had everything ready, cases, 

 sections, foundation in frames and in 

 sections, etc., so as to have no work 

 to do except to adjust and manipulate 

 things in tne apiary, I could manage 

 100 colonies easily enough.— G. W. 

 Dbmaree. 



Very much depends upon the edu- 

 cation and natural ability of the api- 

 arist ; also upon the kind of bees 

 (Germans are the best), and much de- 

 pends upon how the apiary is located ; 

 also the buildings for convenience ; 

 also how much work has been done 

 during the winter preceding. In any 

 case do you not plainly see that that 

 number of colonies which will keep 

 one man busy during the rest of the 

 season, will require this man and an 

 assistant during a few weeks of the 

 time V— James Heddon. 



An answer to this question will be 

 largely guess-work. Different locali- 

 ties will give different results ; differ- 

 ent seasons, too, will do the same. 

 Ordinarily I should guess that about 

 65 colonies would be all that one man 

 could well care for, and even with 

 that number there would be times ' 



when a little help would prove desir- 

 able.— .7. E. Pond. 



Probably from 100 to 200 colonies.— 

 The Editor. 



MoTinEBeestoBncWeatPastnrase, 



Query, No. 397.— 1. Would it be advisa- 

 ble to move 30 or 40 colonies of bees 14 miles the 

 latter part of July, on a spring-wagon, in order to 

 get them In a locality where they would work on 

 buckwheat, there being no buckwheat in this 

 locality. 2. What would be the best way to venti- 

 late each hive while movingthem ?— Pennsylvania. 



1. It has been done with good re- 

 sults. 2. Cover the frames with wire- 

 screens ; place a frame about 2 inches 

 deep under the hive with entrance 

 ventilation.— H. D. Cutting. 



I. Yes. 2. Open the liive-entrance 

 to its full capacity, and cover with 

 wire-cloth ; also remove the cap or 

 cover to the hive and tack over wire- 

 cloth or coarse gunny-bagging. Keep 

 the hives shaded during removal.— J. 

 P. H. Brown. 



I would hesitate to try it. In this 

 climate the weather is very hot in 

 July, but to cover the bottom and top 

 of the brood-chamber with wire-cloth, 

 and move the bees in the night, or on 

 a cloudy day, they would not suffer 

 severely.— G. vV. Dbmaree. 



It would be advisable if you have 

 the time to attend to it. Use wire- 

 cloth over the biood-chambers to ven- 

 tilate them, and move after night.— 

 G. L. Tinker. 



1. No. 2. I ventilate the hives by 

 covering with wire-cloth ; that is 

 tacked to a rim whose size allows 

 it to drop over the brood-chamber, the 

 regular covering having been re- 

 moved. This is quick of adjustment. 

 — C. W. Dayton. 



It probably would ventilate the hive 

 at both top and bottom ; also leave a 

 space of 3 or 4 inches both above and 

 below the combs.— W. Z.Hutchinson. 



1. Yes, if the buckwheat field and 

 yield is good, and no flowers are yield- 

 ing where they now are. 2. By using 

 pleuty of wire-cloth. How it should 

 be applied depends upon the hive.— 

 — C. C. Miller. 



1. Yes. Extract nearly all their 

 honey first. 2. Remove the upper 

 stories and put wire-cloth over the 

 top of the brood-nest. Move them at 

 night. We have moved bees at all 

 seasons, but have abandoned summer 

 moving, although it pays well some- 

 times.— Dadant & Son. 



Buckwheat is an uncertain plant for 

 a honey-yield. If it should yield honey 

 well, the experiment would result 

 favorably. I should give about 2 

 inches of room over the frames, con- 

 fining the bees with wire-cloth over 

 the whole top of the hive ; this with a 

 large entrance and a shaded wagon, 

 would give sufficient ventilation for 

 the distance stated.— J. E. Pond. 



It might pay well and it might 

 utterly fail of success. Buckwheat 

 does not always secrete nectar. Ven- 

 tilation should be given above and 

 at the side of the hive, especially at 

 the side. If hot, it is better to move I 

 in the night or early in the morning. I 



Great heat and strong colonies are 

 bad companions.- A. J. Cook. 



That depends upon the season and 

 your surrounding circumstances. To 

 ventilate the hives, place a 2-inch rim 

 the full square of the hive, covered 

 with wire-cloth over each brood- 

 chamber. Give the bees water often. 

 —James Heddon. 



Yes ; it probably would. The honey 

 should be extracted before starting, 

 and wire-cloth nailed over the brood- 

 chamber.— The Editor. 



Unnaintefl ts. Painteil HiYes. 



Query, No. 398.— Is not an unpainted 



hive both warmer and drier than a painted one. 

 if not permitted to become wet ?— H. 



No, sir.— J. P. H. Brown. 

 Practically, no.— A. J. Cook. 

 I believe it is.— G. L. Tinker. 

 Yes, so my experience says. — G. M, 



DOOLITTLE. 



It is drier, but not warmer.— C. W. 

 Dayton. 



Theoretically, yes ; but I prefer 

 them painted^ by all means. — U. D. 

 Cutting. 



It is warmer, we think, but it ab- 

 sorbs and evaporates moisture more 

 readily. On the whole, we prefer 

 painted hives.— Dadant & Son. 



I once thought that an unpainted 

 hive had some advantages over the 

 painted ones, in the way you men- 

 tion, but after trying the matter prac- 

 tically I have decided that I was mis- 

 taken. I now prefer to paint them. — 

 G. W. Demaree. 



In practice I can see no difference,, 

 only that paint preserves the wood, 

 and best of all, prevents it from be- 

 coming darker colored than any bee- 

 hive should ever be.— James Heddon. 



Probably very little, if any, differ- 

 ence in warmth ; and why should it be^ 

 drier V If I understand the question,, 

 neither hive is to become wet. An 

 unpainted hive, in theory, will venti- 

 late itself through the pores of the 

 wood, but in practice no perceptible 

 difference will be found, in my opin- 

 ion. The painted hive will last far 

 the longer.— J. E. Pond, 



If "not permitted to become wet,"" 

 how could it be drier ? We cannot 

 see how it could be either drier or 

 warmer under the circumstances men- 

 tioned.— The Editor. 



Carniolan-Italian Bees. 



Query, No. 399.— Is a cross between Car- 

 niolans and Italians a profltable bee IS. W. 



We do not believe in Carniolans at 

 all.— Dadant & Son. 



Not as good as the pure Italians. — 

 J. P. H. Brown. 



I can see no reason why it should.] 

 not be.— H. D. Cutting. 



They are about as good as a cross- i 

 between the Italians and our best I 

 black bees.— G. W. Demaree. 



