676 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



haps one quart or three pints, with 

 neither brood nor queen, could store 24 

 pounds of honey (which they did), why 

 will not larger colonies yield almost, if 

 not quite, a proportionate rate, under 

 similar circumstances. Rendering a col- 

 ony queenless during the flow, will give 

 practically the same results. 



A letter before me, referring to my 

 article on page 576, says: " It makes 

 me think you really have a plan that 

 will prevent swarming," and further 

 says, "Tell the readers of the Bee 

 Journal your plan." 



Yes, I have such a plan. I borrowed 

 it from P. H. Elwood and E. France, 

 and expect to keep it until 1 can get a 

 better one. I do not know who "in- 

 vented " it. The plan is to remove the 

 queen before the colony casts a swarm. 



When the swarming time approaches, 

 prevent the " fever " by curtailing stores 

 (but be sure they always have enough), 

 giving room, ventilation, etc. Some- 

 times it is necessary to clip cells. Before 

 the flow, or at its opening, take away the 

 queen, and at the same-time clip all cells 

 started — even the cups containing eggs. 



Nine days later, again clip all cells. 

 Or, if you want them to re-queen, leave 

 one cell. If you attempt this plan, be 

 siwe that your work is well done. Re- 

 move the queens from your apiary as 

 above, and you have nine days without 

 a swarm, devoted to honey-gathering. 

 On the ninth day clip the cells, and you 

 have them for the season. 



Ft. Collins, Colo. 



ABicflltnral Notes from Alaliaina. 



EDWARD CLARK. 



My first swarm issued on April 23. 



Bees have been gathering honey and 

 pollen rapidly for the last few weeks, 

 which, I think, is from the huckleberry. 



Horsemint is quite plentiful here, and 

 the bees seem to like it pretty well. 



The cold weather during March pre- 

 vented the bees from breeding early, but 

 they are booming now. 



Bees have wintered fairly well in this 

 locality. I lost 2 colonies by starvation. 



I anticipate a good honey crop this 

 year. 



The season of 1890 was the poorest 

 year for honey that we have had since I 

 have kept bees. 



The bees in this vicinity are all 

 hybrids, and are kept in box-hives and 

 hollow logs. 



Nat, Ala., May 2, 1891. 



Bee-Keeping in Nortliwestern Wiscansin. 



STEPHEN ROESE. 



Bees, in this section of the country, 

 have wintered well, and the indications 

 are favorable for a large honey yield the 

 coming season. 



I have now 35 colonies in good condi- 

 tion, and, having rented my farm, would 

 like double that number to care for this 

 season. 



I had left 9 colonies on the summer 

 stands, well packed overhead, but in 

 single-walled simplicity hives. On April 

 12 I moved the remaining colonies into 

 the open air, the mercury having risen 

 that day to 650 for the first time this 

 Spring. 



All of my bees, both in the bee-house 

 and outside, have wintered remarkably 

 well, as my loss has been only 2 colo- 

 nies, by starvation. This teaches me 

 another lesson — to prepare my bees 

 for Winter early in the Fall, as I did 

 last year. 



The 2 colonies which died of starva- 

 tion, were supplied with the usual 

 amount of stores, but the number of 

 consumers had not been taken into con- 

 sideration. 



With the exception of 3 colonies, all 

 are strong, active, and healthy, with 

 frames full of young brood. I united 2 

 weak colonies, and took the queen from 

 one of them and gave her to a strong 

 colony that was queenless, and they 

 accepted her at once. 



ABSORBENT PACKING. 



I am in favor of forest leaves or shav- 

 ings for overhead packing, for both cel- 

 lar and out-door wintering, and think 

 Mr. Marsh, of Scotia, Mo. (page 485), is 

 out of the way in his assertion that "the 

 absorbent man is not dead yet, and that 

 he should be put to bed on a Winter 

 night, under a wet blanket." 



1 have tried enameled cloth covering 

 for Winter, without packing, to my sor- 

 row, and found that the cold water had 

 trickled down upon the bees. 



I do not claim perfection in apiculture, 

 but if I am not mistaken our most noted 

 apieulturists — Prof. Cook, and Messrs. 

 A. I. Root, Doolittle and Heddon— advo- 

 cate absorbent packing. 



I should like to see answered in the 

 Queries and Replies, the question, 

 "Which is best for wintering bees; 

 absorbent packing or enameled cloth 

 cover," and if the masters of the art 

 have changed their opinions on this 

 subject, we want to know it. 



Maiden Rock, Wis. 



