AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



5or 



hold from 35 to 40 pounds' of honey. If 

 a story of empty combs the same size is 

 used below this, to winter upon, it will 

 be found there will be enough honey for 

 the bees to winter and breed up in the 

 Spring to their fullest capacity, without 

 the use of dummies or bother of any 

 kind. H. W. G. here indicates a few of 

 the many difficulties in working a single 

 brood-chamber capable of holding fixjm 

 75 to 90 pounds of honey in order to 

 secure good results. — G. L. Tinker. 



In the first place, the brood-nest would 

 very rarely be in that condition in the 

 Fall. If it were, it might safely be 

 permitted to remain until Spring. It 

 would be a doubtful experiment to put 

 frames of cold honey "in the center of 

 the brood-nest" in Spring, Observe 

 caution in such matters. — The Editoe. 



Suiidry duestioiis. 



Oyster-Can Bee-Feeder. 



Dear Editor : — I send herewith a bee- 

 feeder that you may judge of its merits, 

 .and if you think the invention worth 

 .-anything to the bee-keeping fraternity, 

 jthat you might give them a description 

 ^f jit in the American Bee Journal. 

 After being filled, the feeder is placed in 

 front ..of the hive with the little tray 

 rSlippe^ ,in the entrance thereof ; the tray 

 -will he. ;i;eplenished with the feed from 

 1 the can :as;the bees take it up. Please 

 :Say what yop think of it. 



Harrodsburg, Ky. J. O. Dedman. 



;[It is made by .soldering a tray 43^x43^ 

 iinches by about ^ of an inch deep, to 

 ;the end of an oyster-can,- having a small 

 opening to admit the honey, which is 

 held in tlie.can as a reservoir by atmos- 

 pheric pressure. We have often de- 

 scribed in the Bee Journal similar 

 oyster-can feeders, .and have some in 

 our Museum. One of similar construc- 

 tion came from Europe ten years ago. 

 They are used with satisfaction by 

 many. — Ed.] 



Queenless Colonies. 



If a colony of bees came out queen- 

 less in the Spring, which would be the 

 best way to provide them with a queen ? 

 Give them eggs, and allow them to rear 

 one themselves, or purchase one for 



tliem ? Or, if I had several colonies 

 that were queenlcss, and I had no money 

 to buy queens with, which would be my 

 best, cheapest, and quickest way, then ? 

 Chetek, Wis. Guy Kellogg. 



[In the absence of means to purchase 

 queens to give to queenless colonies in 

 the Spring, of course you should give 

 them frames of brood from which they 

 will rear the necessary queens for them- 

 selves, — Ed,] 



Five-Banded Italians, 



I have kept bees for a great many 

 years, but my loss the past Winter was 

 the most severe I have ever suffered, 

 Out of 42 colonies I have now only 32, 

 All were well prepared for Winter, and 

 had plenty of stores when they died. I 

 have been thinking of purchasing sonae 

 5-banded Italians, but before doing so, 

 would like a little information regarding 

 these bees from some one who is thor- 

 oughly conversant with them. My idea 

 is, that if they have five yellow bands, 

 they must have the same member of 

 dark bands, and if each band is 1 /1 6 of 

 an inch wide, they must be very large 

 bees, and able to bring in a. big load 

 each trip. -J. C. Hildenbrandt. 



Eckerty, Ind. 



[You can learn all about the five- 

 banded Italian bees by writing to Jacob 

 T. Timpe, Grand Ledge, Mich. — Ed.] 



CoiiTention I^otices. 



^W The 8th semi-annual meeting of the Susque- 

 hanna County Bee-Keepers' Association will be held 

 at Montrose, Pa., on Thursday, May 7. 1891. 



H. M. Seeley. Sec, Harford, Pa. 



m^" The Central Michigan Bee-Keepers' Conven- 

 tion will be held at Pioneer Room, at the Capitol. 

 Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday, May 6. A cordial 

 invitation is extended to all. 



W. A. Barxes, Sec, Lansing, Mich. 



II^~ The Des Moines County (Iowa) Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, will meet at the Court House in Bur- 

 lington, Iowa, on Tuesday. June 2, 1891, at ](> a.m. 

 It is intended to organize a Southeastern Iowa As- 

 sociation. All interested in bees and honey are 

 cordially invited to attend. 



John Nat, Sec. Middletown, Iowa. 



Geo. BibCHOFF, Pres., Burlington, Iowa. 



Binders made especially for the Bee 

 Journal for 1891 are now ready for 

 delivery, at 50 cents each, including post- 

 age. Be sure to use a Binder to keep your 

 numbers of 1890 for reference. Binders 

 for 1890 only cost 60 cents, and it will 

 pay you to use them, if you do not get the 

 volumes otherwise bound. 



