THE^ MKiS'MICMH BREr J@l3rMIfMI^. 



749' 



one great business of the 3ear, meets 

 with a faihu-e of the honey ci-op, and 

 after a season's labor, places all on the 

 losing side of his ledger. This is in- 

 deed a dark side. But with the farmer, 

 the only dark side is the slight addi- 

 tional labor, and the natural dread of 

 stings ; with the study necessary to 

 make his ventui'e a success. 



Smoke. 



Among the protections perhaps none 

 is actually superior to smoke — a good 

 smoker skilfully used will often prove 

 a great blessing, and without injuring 

 the bees, will enable the operator to 

 handle them to his entire satisfaction. 

 It is very true that in time of swarm- 

 ing but little danger may be appre- 

 hended as a general thing from bees, 

 unless some accident should happen ; 

 for they are then too busy about im- 

 portant things of their own to trouble 

 any one else. Yet the greatest care 

 should be taken to move in the most 

 moderate, cool and quiet way in their 

 midst. We used to think that certain 

 ones — when we have seen them taking 

 up swarms in their naked hands, and 

 pouring them into a prepared hive — 

 were proof against bee-stings, or were 

 almost supernaturally protected. But 

 we have learned that such jiersons 

 were protected only by a perfect self- 

 possession and fearlessness, which bee- 

 keepers must cultivate, and if possible 

 acquire. Meanwhile, we do not ad- 

 vise any one to run the risk of arous- 

 ing an angry colony and suffering 

 when by a little forethought and care 

 he can have all needed protection. 



Plantlus for Bees. 



The whole domain of nature, rich in 

 flowers, is the treasury from which 

 bees gather their sweets ; but it should 

 be the aim of bee-keepers to help out 

 the supply by especial care. It is true 

 that bees cannot generall}' reach the 

 honey in the red clover ; but in white 

 clover and Alsike they find a good sup- 

 ply, and of the best quality. Some 

 have planted large fields of buckwheat 

 for their bees ; but it does not give as 

 rich a supply, nor as attractive a pro- 

 duce in the market as the others. 

 Mignonette is also cultivated for the 

 bees ; aud every year new plants are 

 brought to notice and extolled highly. 

 All the blossoms of the forest and the 

 field are placed under trilnite by the 

 bees, and no farmer can go amiss in 

 keeping a few colonies. 



Last Year's. DlBConrasemeut. 



In many parts of the country last 

 year was a great failure among those 

 who depended upon bees and lioney 

 for their yearly income ; but this was 

 only a temporary check to the indus- 

 try which is liable to befall in the 

 prosecution of any single department 



belonging to the farm. It may not 

 again occur in many years to come, 

 and is no reason for neglecting the 

 important duty of gathering so great a 

 crop .as that which every farm will 

 yield, if bees are kept. 



Helping; tbe Bees. 



A great success is in the various 

 methods of helping the bees in their 

 work. So great has been the improve- 

 ments during the past few years, that 

 much of the work which took up the 

 precious time of the bees may be done 

 now by machinery, and the actual 

 work of gathering the honey be left to 

 occupy the bees more continuously. 

 By means of the uncapping knife and 

 the extractor, the honey is taken from 

 the sheets of comb, and the comb re- 

 placed for the bees to fill again, sav- 

 ing thus the long time necessary in 

 building new combs. 



Again, comb foundation for either 

 brood-cells or honey surplus is made, 

 and the work of the bees is thus 

 directed to the best profit of the bee- 

 keeper. This wax foundation is one 

 of the greatest and best inventions 

 connected with bee-keeping. It en- 

 ables us to have straight combs of 

 hone}', in whatever sized frames we 

 may desire, and the market is supplied 

 with the beautiful one-pound sections 

 which so attract the purchaser. It 

 gives us also most j)erfect control of 

 honej' or brood production. 



MELISSA HONEY. 



Yield of 60 Pounds Per Colony 

 from Ifleiisgs. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY A. C. TYRREL. 



Friend Newjian : — I have sent you 

 a sample of melissa honey, which I 

 think you will pronounce excellent. 

 You will notice that the honey is am- 

 ber colored, but that does not in the 

 least detract from its good qualities. 



You will also observe that it is very 

 thick, notwithstanding the jar in which 

 it has been kept since the middle of 

 October, was tightly sealed. The 

 plants from which the honey was gath- 

 ered are rich in nectar, as well as 

 pollen, and grew on very weedy 

 ground, the seed Ijeing sown broad- 

 cast, and the ground harrowed over but 

 twice, consequently having to take 

 their chances with weeds of the rank- 

 est growth. 



The yield exceeded my most san- 

 guine expectations, and the facts will 

 warrant the assertion that melissa is 

 entitled to rank first as a houey-jilant. 

 From two acres my bees stored 1,500 

 pounds of as tine honey as I ever saw. 



The comb is as white as from any 

 honey-producing plants, I believe. 



I am so well pleased with the results, 

 of my experiments with the above 

 named plants since 1881, that I will 

 plant 4 or o acres next sea.son. Your- 

 unbiased opinion as to the quality, etc., 

 of the honey sent, will greatly oblige^ 

 as I wish to refute by solid facts and 

 statements the oft-reiterated assertion 

 that, " it does not pay to raise plants, 

 for honey alone." That theory — it is 

 not a fact — published for so many 

 years in .some of the leading bee-paperSv 

 has discouraged apiarists in experi- 

 menting with various honey-plants, 

 and planting for honey, to their detri- 

 ment, and in consequence a protracted 

 wail of "blasted hopes and no honey j 

 bees dying of starvation ; not a pound 

 of honey in my hives, etc." has gone- 

 forth from nearly every hamlet in the- 

 country. 



I forgot to say that at the com- 

 mencement of blooming of melissa, 

 the hives were empty, but before the 

 close of the season, they were all filled, 

 and some colonies had stored 60 

 pounds of surplus — a pretty fair show- 

 ing for an " ofi' year." 



Madison, Nebr., Nov. 1, 1888. 



[This is certainly a very excellent 

 showing on the practicability of plant- 

 ing for honej'. We have never doubted 

 the judiciousness of the advice to plant 

 for honey, and do not think that we 

 ever shall decide adversely to it. 



The experiments to be made by 

 Prof. Cook, will be interesting to 

 us all. 



The honey said to have been sent to 

 us by Mr. Tyrrel has not yet come to 

 hand. When it does come, we will 

 cheerfully give our opinion of it. — Ed.} 



Convention IVotices. 



CS^ The Nebraska State Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will convene at Lincolii, Nebr., on Jan. 9, 10 and u, 

 188.9. J. N. Heatkr, Sec. 



gW There will be a meeting of the Susquehanna 

 County Bee-Keepers' Association at the Court House 

 in Montrose, Pa., on Saturday, May 4, lHS9,at lua.m. 

 B. M. Seelky, See. 



tw The Pan-Handle .Bee - Keepers' Asaociation 

 will holtl its next meeting in the K. of P. Hall, on 

 Main St., between 11th & 12th Streets, in Wheelinff, 

 W. Va., on Nov. 21 and 2a, 1888. All bee-keepers are 

 cordially invited. W. L. Kinsey, Sec. 



ZW The Marshall County Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will meet at the Court House in .Marshalitown, 

 Iowa, on Friday, Nov. IB, I88«, at 10 a.m. All bee- 

 keepers are cordially invited to meet with us. and 

 brint.' along anything that they may have that will 

 interest or benellt apiarists. J. W. SANDEKS, Sec. 



tW The twentieth annual convention of the New 

 York State Bee-Keepers' Association will he held 

 in the City Hall, Syracuse, N. Y., on Dec. 11. 12 and 

 13, 18.S8. O. u. Knickerbocker, Sec. 



Your Full Address, plainly written, 

 is very essential in order to avoid mistakes. 



