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QmmES f Replies, 



IVATER FOR THE BEES IIV 

 WIIVTER QUARTERS. 



Written for the American BeeJouimai 



ftnery 617.— Islt essential to water bers 

 while they are In winter quarters ?— C. K., 

 Minn. 



No. — Dad ANT & Son. 



No.— J. P. H. Brown. 



No. — James Heddon. 



No ; and do not do it. — R.L.Taylor. 



Not if they are quiet M. Mahin. 



All of my experience says, no. — G. 



M. DOOLITTLE. 



Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is 

 not. — A. B. Mason. 



I have never found it so. — J. M. 

 Shuck. 



It might be under certain circum- 

 stances, though I have never done so. 

 — J. M. Hambaugh. 



If in a cellar, yes ; say twice a 

 month, during February and March. — 

 Mrs. L. Harrison. 



I think generally not. I do not 

 water mine. — C. C. MrLi.ER. 



I do not know. Manj' say that it is 

 necessary toward spring, when they 

 begin breeding. — W. Z. Hutchinson. 



Under ordinary circumstances bees 

 do not require water while in winter 

 quarters. — C. H. Dibbern. 



Not at a low temperature ; but if 

 bees become uneasy at a high tempera- 

 ture, water will tend to keep them 

 quiet. — H. D. Cutting. 



I have never considered it so. I 

 give water, though, in early spring, 

 after breeding has fairly started. — J. 

 E. Pond. 



No ; and as bees winter admirably 

 with no pains or care of this kind, I do 

 not think that it is advisable. — A. J. 

 Cook. 



I have no experience. We let our 

 bees, here in the South, remain on the 

 summer stands all the year round, and 

 in winter it is very seldom that they 

 are 3 or 4 days without a flight. — P. 



L. VlALLON. 



I would not think it necessary or 

 desirable, unless toward spring when 

 they begin to breed and are uneasy. 

 Then, if a little water will quiet them, 

 it may be a good thing. I have never 

 practiced it but one 3-ear. It is too 

 much labor. — Eugene Secor. 



I do not think that bees need water 

 in their winter quarters, unless they 

 are in a very dry place, and kept at a 

 high temperature. I came very nearly 

 drowning a colony in the cellar some 



weeks ago, while experimenting with 

 an enameled cloth over the frames. — 

 G. W. Demaree. 



I have tried it, but I did not think 

 that it did any good. Last winter I 

 had a few colonies that were uneasy in 

 February, so I gave them water in fine 

 shavings of the poplar. I saw them 

 lap it up, but it did not quiet them. A 

 flight did.— G. L. Tinker. 



It is not essential, but some do pro- 

 vide water for those in cellars when 

 they commence to breed in the spring. 

 — The Editor. 



AVHICH SIDE OF A HIEE FOR 

 WIIVTERUVO BEES? 



Wrttttn for the Amerif/vn Bee Journal 



Query 518.— In wintering bees out-doors, 

 would it be better to have the apiary on the 

 south side of a hill, facing south, where the 

 hives get plenty of sunshine ; or on the north 

 side of a hill, facing north, and no sunshine, 

 as some have contended ?— Bee-Keeper. 



I would take the south side. — W. Z. 

 Hutchinson. 



Give me the southern slope, every 

 time. — G. M. Doolittle. 



Give them all the sunshine possible. 

 — M. Mahin. 



The south side forever, in out-door 

 wintering. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



I prefer the south side for this 

 localitj'. — H. D. Cutting. 



The south or southeast hill-side is 

 my preference. — J. M. Hambaugh. 



On the south side, by all means, in 

 my judgment. — J. E. Pond. 



In a northern climate, I should 

 much prefer the south side. — R. L. 

 Taylor. 



I should say on the south exposure. 

 But it may depend upon the climate 

 somewhat. — Eugene Secor. 



Facing south, by all means, if you 

 do not want to lose your bees. There is 

 nothing worse than a northern ex- 

 posure. — Dadant & Son. 



I prefer the apiary on the north side 

 of the hill in a warm climate, and on 

 the south side in a cold climate. — J. 

 P. H. Brown. 



I would prefer a southeastei-n slope 

 to my apiary grounds. But I have 

 had my apiary on four sites in the 

 past, difiering widely from each other, 

 and I have really seen but little difter- 

 ence as to the results. — G.W.Demaree. 



I would give them all the sunshine 

 possible, in outrdoor wintering. I have 

 been experimenting on this line for a 

 number of years, and I almost inva- 

 riably find that those colonies winter 

 best that are protected by a tight board- 

 fence, or other protection from the 

 north and west, and have the most 

 sunshine. I am trying a plan now, by 



raising the rear of the hives to an an- 

 gle of 45°, facing south. Of course it 

 is necessary to shade the entrance dur- 

 ing bright, sunny days, while a light 

 snow is on the ground. — C.H.Dibbern. 



I should not choose either location, 

 but if obliged to use one or the other, 

 I would choose the south side, and 

 shade the hives. — A. B. Mason. 



Here in the South our bees remain 

 on the summer stands during winter, 

 and I have always found those that 

 have the full benefit of the sunshine 

 in winter fare better than those that 

 are too much in the shade. — P. L. 

 Viallon. 



I should prefer the south side. While 

 I may be wrong, I believe in a south 

 .slope for the bee-yard. — A. J. Cook. 



I have had much experience in out- 

 door wintering, and I prefer all the 

 sunshine I can get, for the purpose. — 

 J. M. Shuck. 



I prefer the south side of the hill ; 

 and if at any time the sun should 

 tempt the bees out when they ought 

 not to fly, place a small shade-board 

 in front of the entrance. — James 

 Heddon. 



I would prefer an apiary on the 

 south side of a hill. The more sun- 

 shine there is, the better. To-day 

 (Jan. 24) I saw bees flj-ing in the 

 bright sunshine, with the mercui-y 26° 

 in the shade. But few came out, and 

 all got safely back. — G. L. Tinker. 



I am not sure which might be better 

 for the winter alone, but as the bees 

 would probably stay in the same place 

 during summer and winter, I should 

 much prefer the south side. — C. C. 

 Miller. 



In a northern latitude, place the 

 bees on the south side of the hill. In 

 the South some prefer the hives to 

 face the north, but all desire them to 

 have all the sunshine possible. — The 

 Editor. 



CONVEIfTIOIV niOTICES. 



B:^" The second annual meeting: of the Southwes- 

 tern Iowa Bee-Keepera' AsBOCiation will be held at 

 the Court House in lied Oak, Iowa, on March, 6 and 

 7, 1888. when these subjects will be treated : Spring 

 dwindling and how prevented- What time to trans- 

 fer and Italianize— Spring management of bees— 

 What are the most essential points in locating an 

 apiary ?— What size, width and form of section for 

 comb honey?— Extracted honey, what should be its 



Erice compared with comb honey?— The sectional 

 rood-chambers of bee-hives— Wide frames or sec- 

 tion cases for comb honey— Use of comb foundation 

 in Southwestern Iowa— Should the upper story of 

 hives be double or single thickness for the produc- 

 tion of comb honey? All bee-keepers are invited. 

 Come prepared with questions for the Query-Box. 

 Ladles are specially Invited. B. W. PITZKB, Sec. 



B^" The Hardin County Bee-Keepers' Assoclv 

 tlon will meet at the Court House in Bldora, iowa, 

 on the second Saturday In each month, at noon 

 (12 o'clock), until further notice. 



J. W. Buchanan, Sec. 



^g~ The next regular meeting of the Sus- 

 quehanna County Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will be held at New Mllford, Pa., on Saturday, 

 May 6, 1888. H. M. Seeley, Sec. 



