Tmm MMERICaPf BME JOHRNSlr. 



763 



Finally one bright Februar}' day I 

 took tliem out antl gave them a flight. 

 How they did enjoj' it ; from 11 a.m. 

 until after 3 p.m. they hummed and 

 buzzed around. 



March came, and the combs were 

 getting nioldj-, and I took my bees out 

 into the yard. I had a large dr\-- 

 goods bo.v, with one side off. I put 

 tlie hive on a soap-box in the larger 

 box, and packed all around with clean 

 pine shavings (1 took what came first), 

 then I spread an old floor oil-cloth 

 over the front, and let it down in cold, 

 chilly weather, raising it in warm, 

 bright days. I do not think that this 

 colony had one dozen workers. When 

 they began to work in the spring I fed 

 sugar syrup to hasten the brood, and 

 the result was that by the fall I liad a 

 hive full of bees and honey, besides 

 some surplus. 



This section southwest of Valparaiso 

 is especially adapted for bees, as there 

 are many acres of asters, golden-rod 

 and Spanish-needle, besides other 

 plants. I should like to obtain some 

 bees on shares, as I want to start a 

 new apiary. There are no bees with- 

 in miles of here, as most of the farmers 

 are engaged in agricultural pursuits, 

 and do not want to bother with them. 



I love to work with them. They 

 never sting me, and I have always 

 handled them without gloves,and some- 

 times without a veil. 



Valparaiso, Ind. 



"WINTER. 



Speculation as to AVIiat Kind of 

 a One it will Be, etc. 



Written for the Western Plowman 



BV C. H. DIBBERN. 



The season is now over, and the 

 story of 1888, as far as the bee-keep- 

 ing interests are concerned, is now 

 told. The general result over the 

 United States and Canada is not very 

 satisfactory, although some very good 

 yields are reported. The general 

 average is perhaps a one-fourth crop, 

 but the bees are in much bettor con- 

 dition than a year ago. The prospects 

 for another year are also very much 

 better, as the young white clover 

 plants got a good start, and if we have 

 a reasonable amount of snow during 

 the winter, a good crop next year is 

 almost a sure thing. This being as- 

 sured, we should do now, before steady 

 freezing weather sets in, everything 

 pcssible to place the bees in the best 

 condition to withstand the rigors of 

 the coming winter. 



Do not be caught by the idea that 

 ■we will have a moderate winter. The 

 only safe way is to expect a severe 



winter everj' season in the northern 

 States. There is still a great difference 

 between bee-keepers as to in and out- 

 door wintering ; but this question has 

 long since been settled in favor of cel- 

 lar wintering. It takes but live min- 

 utes to carry a hive to the cellar, 

 where, if the condition of the colony is 

 all right, they are almost certain to go 

 through the winter in good condition. 



On the other hand, it ta^es much 

 longer to pack thein on the summer 

 stands, and requires a great deal of 

 material, such as boxes, lumber, chafl', 

 straw or leaves, and this again has to 

 be disposed of in the spring. This is 

 much more labor than carrying in and 

 out of the cellar, and then one can 

 never feel very safe about the bees 

 when they become buried under the 

 snow, and the mercury persists in 

 dodging far below zero. At such 

 times one can go into his bee-cellar, 

 and hear the gentle hum of content- 

 ment from the hives, and feel assured 

 that it is all right, and go to bed and 

 sleep soundlj"'. 



Now as to the time of putting the 

 bees into winter quarters, there is 

 some difference of opinion. It is not 

 l)est to do so too earlj", nor will it do 

 to wait too long. We once knew an 

 apiary of 340 colonies to be lost, hy 

 leaving them out too long, waiting for 

 a favorable time, which never came, 

 to put them away. The bees ought to 

 be allowed to fly as late as possible, as 

 their confinement will be long enough 

 anyway, and on the other hand they 

 should be removed before ice forms on 

 the combs. 



It is not always easy to determine 

 just the right time to do this, and one 

 must stud}- the season, whether it is 

 likel}- to be early or late. Our rule of 

 late yeai's has been to commence stor- 

 ing the hives as soon after the 20th of 

 November as the bees have had a nice 

 day for a flight. Our practice is to carry 

 in 30 or 40 hives at a time, and the 

 same in carrying them out, as other- 

 wise it gets to be tiresome work, e.s- 

 pecially if the hives are heavy with 

 honey, as they are this year. It is well 

 to put them 5 or ti inches from the 

 bottom of the cellar, by placing pieces 

 of scantling under them, or bricks an- 

 swer the purpose nicely if at hand. Of 

 course we know that some bee-keepers 

 are so situated that they cannot winter 

 in-doors, on account of a low location 

 or having no suitalile place. As our 

 numerous experiments in out-door 

 wintering have never been very satis- 

 factory, we will recommend such to 

 study the methods of bee-keepers who 

 have met with better success in this 

 matter. 



The Time to Sell Hone}-. 



This is the month in which the 

 honey crop should be closed out. If 



that is not possible, make it a point to 

 do so before Christmas, as after that 

 time it is usually dull and harder to 

 sell. All the comb honey should be 

 overhauled and scraped of projiolis as 

 soon after it comes oft' the hives, as 

 time can be spared. It should then be 

 graded, and crated in neat, new cases, 

 weighed and marked. All extracting 

 must be finished up early this month, 

 as the honey is hard to remove from 

 the combs in cold weather, and the 

 combs are liable to break. 



Aplcnitnral Conteiuplation. 



As we are writing these " notes," 

 and look through the open window at 

 the apiaiy, the white, blue, red and 

 yellow hives among the trees, whose 

 green and yellow leaves are now fast 

 falling this October afternoon, we can- 

 not help thinking what a pretty scene 

 it is ! What a study, pleasure, profit — 

 yes, and it is hard work, too ! We 

 have other large interests in the com- 

 mercial world, but there is nothing we 

 would rather do than to keep bees,and 

 that is what we expect to do in our 

 declining years. Work becomes a 

 l)leasure and a study when one learns 

 from nature as we go along. To dis- 

 cover new principles, new methods, 

 and new facts one's own self, is like 

 exploring some unknown country, in- 

 teresting, fascinating, but never satis- 

 fied. Something new and unknown, 

 that appears to be hidden just beyond 

 the distant hills, is ever leading on- 

 ward and upward. 



Extracting Honey from Brood-Frames 



Latelj' we have extracted consider- 

 able honey from outside brood-combs, 

 which with us are solid with very nice 

 honey, and replacing the empty combs 

 near the center of the hives. This is 

 particular work, and requires judg- 

 ment and tact, otherwise the robber 

 bees would soon have possession of the 

 apiary. It is easy enough to take the 

 combs away from the bees, but when 

 the combs from which most of the 

 honey has been extracted, are return- 

 ed, it causes great excitement, and 

 soon attracts the robbers. We found 

 that about the only time we could do 

 this kind of work was late in the after- 

 noon, about an hour or two before 

 dark. By having a number of empty 

 combs they could be exchanged for 

 full ones, and the confusion would all 

 be over before morning. Witli wire 

 screen doors and windows, the extract- 

 ing can be done any time during the 

 day. Some of this honey was \nit up 

 in pint, quart, and half gallon Mason 

 jars. We found that bj- exposing these 

 to the sun for a week or two, the color 

 of the honey became much lighter, and 

 the quality was also much improved. 



Milan, Ills. 



