422 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



face that there is a mistake. In reading 

 the sentence, I discover that I failed to 

 word it as I intended. Though incorrect 

 in the number of years (eight) men- 

 tioned, in point of fact, I am strictly 

 correct in my statement, that Mr. 

 Cheshire did not announce foul-brood to 

 be a germ disease until several years 

 later than I did. C. J. Robinson. 



Richford, N. Y. 



Using Old Combs for Swarms. 



I am a novice in bee-keeping, having 

 started last Spring with 16 colonies. 

 They gave me 700 pounds of surplus, 

 last season, but went into Winter quar- 

 ters in bad condition. On March 15, I 

 examined them, and found that 2 colo- 

 nies had starved, and more were verging 

 on that condition, so I began feeding 

 them. I use the Simplicity hive. Can I 

 use combs of last season for swarms this 

 season ? My bees are in the cellar. 

 When would it be advisable to place 

 them on the summer stands ? 



Ira J. Wood. 



Vernon Centre, N. Y., Mar. 17, 1891. 



[You can use the combs from last sea- 

 son, if they are suitable for the hive. 

 Take your bees from the cellar as soon 

 as settled warm weather comes. — Ed.] 



Feeding Necessary. 



Bees with plenty of stores are winter- 

 ing in good condition ; have lost 2 colo- 

 nies, out of about 70, by starvation. 

 Most of the bees will need a little feed- 

 ing if the Spring is backward. 



T. S. Hurley. 



Welton, Iowa, March 19, 1891. 



Good Home Market. 



Bees were flying lively on March 15 

 and 17. On March 15 the tempera- 

 ture was as follows : At 6 a.m., 16^ 

 above zero, and 40^ in the cellar. At 

 noon, 42° above ; afternoon, 56° above. 

 Sun shone all day. March 17 — 6 a.m., 

 28° above zero, and 40° in the cellar ; 

 at 12 o'clock, 56° above ; at 3 o'clock, 

 66° above. Sun shining all day. Bees 

 were very lively, and returned to the 

 hives all right. Those in the cellar I 

 could see resting on the bottom-board, 

 no dead bees on the floor, and the hives 

 very heavy. Sold all of my honey in the 

 home market, and could have sold as 

 much more. The Honey Almanac is 

 just the thing for the apiarist, and for 



housekeepers. The Atlas and Dzierzon's 

 Bee-Book, are mines of knowledge to 

 the bee-keeper, and would be very cheap 

 at double the price. D. D. Daniher. 

 Madison, Wis., March 20, 1891. 



Too Much Rain in North Carolina. 



Maples have been in full bloom for 

 about two weeks, but in all this time 

 bees have not been able to work on the 

 bloom more than four days. . W^e have 

 had rain, rain, rain. I never did see it 

 rain so long and so much, and it will be 

 a great injury to the honey crop, as the 

 maples always give bees a good start, 

 when the weather will permit them to 

 work. Our next bloom will be on the 

 plum and peach. We long for fair, 

 warm weather. John D. A. Fisher. 



Faith, N. C, March 12, 1891. 



Transferring Bees. 



I have bought some bees in box hives. 

 1. When should I transfer them to 

 Langstroth hives — this Spring or next 

 Fall ? 2. Should I transfer the old comb 

 or give them comb foundation. Please 

 answer these questions in the Bee Jour- 

 nal. • J. E. May. 



Sincarte, Ills., March 20, 1891. 



[Some warm day in the early Spring 

 will give good opportunity for trans- 

 ferring them. Save the brood, by all 

 means, but give them full sheets of comb 

 foundation in all the other frames. — Ed.] 



Wintering Bees. 



I think bees can be wintered on the 

 summer stands, in single-walled hives, 

 by having a cover of extra depth, the 

 sides reaching the ground, and leaving 

 a space of about one inch between the 

 walls, or by packing them in chafif, in 

 the following manner : Nail up a 

 square box about 2 inches larger than, 

 and as high as, the hive ; fill in around 

 the hive with chaff. When this is done, 

 cover the hive with a large board, wide 

 enough to turn the rain and snow, and 

 you have a hive that will answer all 

 purposes as well as the costly chaff hive 

 does, and when Spring comes you can 

 take off the top, remove the box and 

 chaff, and the hive will be ready to 

 handle, the same as though there had 

 never been any chaff about it. I bought 

 a colony of hybrids last June, and they 

 gave me about 20 pounds of nice comb- 



