r)e (Dee- 



\eepeps' f\eViecu 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



Devoted to tl^e Iqterests of Hoqey Producers. 

 $L00 A YEAR, 



W, Z. HOTCHlNSOfl, Editor & Prop. 



VOL VI, FLINT, MICHIGAN, FEB, 10. 1893. NO. 2. 



special Topie of flcxt Issue Will be 



Self - Hivers. 



T 1 1*1 E Li 'S' TOFICS. 

 No. 1. 



B. li. TATLOB. 



" To everything there is a season." 



mHIS is the period 

 \]l of good resolu- 

 tions. One is more 

 likely to do well 

 throughout the year 

 if he begins the year 

 right. To do this is 

 not only a great sat- 

 isfaction, it is great 

 economy. To keep 

 one's work in front 

 of him saves steps 

 and accidents and 

 mistakes and loss and anxiety. Though no 

 doubt in some degree presumptuous, I have 

 thought to aid bee-keepers in laying hold of 

 this advantage by a timely notice of those 

 things which the duty of every day requires 

 in bee-keeping and by urging their reason- 

 able execution. 



It is to be supposed that the work incident 

 to the last year's crop, such as putting up 

 and disposing of the honey, the proper se- 



curing of all combs, whether in brood frames 

 or sections, and the rendering of waste 

 combs and bits of wax has been attended to. 

 If not, it should be attended to now and in 

 such a way that it will be beyond its power 

 to distract the attention again. Any comb 

 honey on hand should be kept continually in 

 the warmest place available so it is not so 

 warm as to endanger the stability of the wax. 

 Herein is the secret of keeping comb honey. 

 Kept in a dry place at a pretty high temper- 

 ature it will never deteriorate but rather 

 grow better. If empty combs have been 

 neglected they should be so no longer. It is 

 better if they can be kept where they will 

 not freeze, but by all means secure them 

 against any possibility of injury from mice. 

 Turning now to the future, every one 

 readily comprehends that success during the 

 coming year depends largely upon the wel- 

 fare of the bees, and particularly upon their 

 welfare during these midwinter months, so 

 it is well to have an eye to their comfort. It 

 is not well to be anxious, but what needs to 

 be done should be done promptly. If they 

 are in a cellar or otherwise housed, the tem- 

 perature of the receptacle shonld not be al- 

 lowed to remain long above 45° F. nor below 

 40° F. Artificial heat by means of a lamp, 

 oil stove or a kettle of coals, may be neces- 

 sary in extreme cases, but avoid it if possi- 

 ble. Packing the outside door and the win- 

 dows upon the outside with leaves or chaflf, 

 will greatly aid in keeping up a proper de- 

 gree of warmth. If the bees are on their 



