10 



THE' MMERICM'If i.MEE" JQ'ORlHai^. 



should confer by letter, and, if they 

 deem the chanji'e desirable, they have 

 full power under the Constitution to 

 make it, and the members of the Society 

 will thank them for doing their duty 

 promptly and efficiently. 



As to the new Constitution and By- 

 Laws we presented at the Convention, 

 nothing will be lost by a full discussion 

 of each important feature before its 

 adoption. — Ed.] 



THE PAST SEASON. 



Re<«iilt!> of the Year in an Apiary 

 of 50 Colonies. 



Writteii for the American Bee Journal 

 BY J. F. LATHAM. 



In the spring of 1887 I had 50 colo- 

 nies of flying bees, the number of colo- 

 nies that I put into winter quarters the 

 fall previous. After they had become 

 well advanced in brood-rearing, 2 colo- 

 nies became queenless, and their bees 

 and brood were given to other colo- 

 nies. I sold 2 colonies, leaving 46 

 with which to commence the season's 

 operations. 



For a week after the willow bloom 

 had become abundant, mj' bees never 

 displayed more energy in building up. 

 Inclement weather followed, and its 

 consequent, dwindling. Soft maples 

 yielded considerable nectar, and the 

 bees worked on their bloom quite 

 freely ; but the apple bloom was a fail- 

 ure, its nectar being absoi'bed by a 

 ten-days' rain-storm. As there is but 

 little bloom during the interval from 

 fruit-bloom to that of wild raspberries 

 and white clover, constant nursing was 

 required to get the bees in proper con- 

 dition for the surplus season of about 

 35 days, which is about the average 

 length in this vicinity. 



A week of very fine weather during 

 the first part of June inaugurated 

 swarming with a rush ; but a week of 

 cold rain following, put a " damp- 

 ener " on active operations for awhile ; 

 then followed intervals of rain and 

 sunshine, until July 7, when swarming 

 closed with 1.3 new colonies from 18 

 swarms, thus increasing my apiary to 

 59 colonies. 



During the remainder ■ of Julj' the 

 rainy weather retarded the storing of 

 surplus, but 5 of the new colonies 

 stored sufficient honey for winter use. 

 By Aug. 20, I had removed the surplus 

 fixtures. The fall bloom was abund- 

 ant, and the weather was favorable, so 

 that all of the colonies, with the aid of 

 a distribution of 275 pounds of granu- 

 lated sugar made into syrup, obtained 

 enough for winter stores. 



I have sold, so far, 753 poimds of 

 honey in the comb, and have, at a safe 

 estimate, 500 pounds on hand ; not a 

 very favorable showing in favor of a 

 "specialty" in bee-keeping, with the 

 production of "comb honey" for a 

 basis. About 500 sections of my crop 

 this year was filled and finished to the 

 perfection desirable in a first-class 

 article ; the balance of the sections 

 will weigh about | of a pound each. 



I have now 59 colonies packed on 

 the summer stands for wintering, and, 

 from outward appearance, they are 

 enjoying tlie quietude desirable for 

 safety. 



Cumberland, 9 Me., Dec. 19, 1887. 



ALSIKE CLOVER. 



Directing When and Ho-w to 

 Sow the Seed. 



Written Sorr the American Bee Journal 

 BY M. JI. BALDRIDGE. 



The time is close at hand when honey- 

 producers should see to it that their 

 neighborhoods are supplied with the 

 seed of Alsike clover — the best honey- 

 plant, on many accounts, now known 



ALSIKE CLOVER. 



in the United States. The following 

 has just been received by the writer 

 from a honey-producer near Terre 

 Haute, Ind. : 



" Having read several articles from 

 your pen in regard to Alsike clover, I 

 now desire to ask you for some advice. 

 I have now located my apiary of 96 

 colonies upon a 30-acre farm, close to 

 the limits of this city. Some 10 acres 

 of this land were seeded down two 

 years ago the coming spring, with 

 timothy and red clover. The crop 



then growing was oats, and the sum- 

 mer being dry, the grass seed did not 

 make a good catch. It was, therefore, 

 re-seeded last spring with timothy and 

 I'ed clover, where necessary, and a 

 pretty fair crop of hay was secured ; 

 but, in many places, owing to the 

 severe drouth, the grass is once more 

 badly injured. In general, however, 

 the seeding is in good condition. Now 

 I wish to seed this land with Alsike 

 clover. Would it do to sow the Alsike 

 upon it, and without any special prep- 

 aration, say in February ? If so, how 

 much seed would you advise to the 

 acre ?" 



In reply I would say, that no special 

 preparation of the land is necessary for 

 Alsike. Yes, sow the Alsike in Feb- 

 ruary, or at any other time the present 

 winter, or very early in the spring. 

 The snow and spring rains will then 

 drive the Alsike seed into the ground, 

 and will insure its certain and early 

 germination. And, besides, you will 

 stand a good chance to get more or 

 less honej' from the Alsike blossoms 

 the present year. 



Two pounds of the Alsike seed will 

 be plenty for an acre when thus mixed 

 with red clover and timothy — and this 

 is the proper way to grow Alsike suc- 

 cessfully in a climate subject to drouth. 

 The red clover is needed for shade dur- 

 ing a dry spell of weather, and the 

 timothy is also needed to hold it up 

 and away from the ground. When 

 thus grown, the Alsike will grow and 

 produce honey in case the red clover 

 grows. If "wanted for seed, never 

 mind the timothy nor the red clover. 

 If wanted /ree from timothy seed, you 

 can cradle oft" the heads of the timothy 

 before you cut the Alsike, and this will 

 secure that result. 



It is not verj' generally known that 

 pastures and meadows can be supplied 

 with Alsike. at pleasure, but such is 

 the fact. And a vei-y good time to 

 seed them is also in July or August. 

 If we then have plenty of rain, the 

 Alsike will make such a growth during 

 the autumn, as to insure a crop of both 

 hay and honey the following season. 



It will pay honey-producers gener- 

 ally, wherever red clover and timothy 

 can be grown, to give Alsike clover a 

 thorough and immediate trial as herein 

 indicated. And whether you have or 

 have not land of your own to give it a 

 trial upon, it will also pay you hand- 

 somely to induce all your neighbors, 

 within bee-flight of your apiary, to 

 give it a trial for simply its hay and 

 pasture. One of the very best and 

 most successful ways to do this is to 

 place the " Alsike Clover Leaflets " in 

 their hands, so they can acquaint them- 

 selves with its value to them as a hay 

 and pasture plant. The Leaflets are by 

 no means expensive, and they can be 



