THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



ii 



for the open and dislike of being shut 

 in all year long, were prime factors 

 in making one desire a change, then 

 we unhesitatingly could and did rec- 

 ommend to Mr. Smith, or anyone else, 

 immediate embarkation on the sea of 

 apiculture. We did add, however, that 

 we would NEVER (and we under- 

 score it) let go our hold on a $150.00 

 job, without first coming to Florida, 

 and investigating, personally, nay, 

 more, first testing out the matter in 

 a small way, say with one apiary, 

 and gradually increase, as the man and 

 location seemed to pan out together. 

 In return, Mr. Smith wrote us the 

 following letter: 



Carrollton, Ga., Oct. 29, 1914. 

 Prof. Edwin G. Baldwin, 

 Deland, Florida. 



Dear Sir: 



I have your esteemed favor of the 

 26th. I appi-eciate the fact that you 

 have gone so thoroughly into the de- 

 tails. You know Mr. Rood has had a 

 great deal of experience in handling 

 bees in Manatee County and I had 

 the pleasure of meeting him on two 

 occasions, and his advice is very much 

 like yours. That is, that beekeeping 

 is not sufficiently certain in that sec- 

 tion for a man to depend on it en- 

 tirely. I thought that Mr. Clute had 

 Letter locations than Mr. Rood, per- 

 haps, as he is very enthusiastic, and 

 tells me that his average will i"un 

 as much as 75 pounds per colony, tak- 

 ing one year with another. That is 

 better than the average in the Tupelo 

 region, if I understand it right. Forty 

 pounds, I think, is about the average 

 in northwest Florida, with most of 

 the beekeepers; that is, where they 

 leave an abundance of honey for win- 

 ter stores. I know that Mr. J. K. 

 Isbell averages very much above this, 

 but he is evidently very much above 

 the average as a beekeeper. It seems 

 to me that the great advantage of 

 the Tupelo territory is the fact that 

 the honey supply is so abundant that 

 five hundred colonies can be kept in 

 one place successfully. I made a trip 

 to that counti'y on one occasion. 

 There are some serious disadvan- 

 tages, with which, of course, you are 

 thoroughly familiar. 



I would appreciate it if you would 

 give me your idea of the average 

 yield of extracted honey per colony, 

 taking it year by year, in different 

 sections of Florida. I hesitate to ask 

 you to go to this trouble, but you 



were so kind as to give me so full 

 an answer to my other letter, I am 

 sure you will not feel that I am ask- 

 ing too much to ask this question. 



I appreciate the wisdom of your 

 suggestions and hope they will be 

 beneficial to me. 



Yours truly, 



L. K. SMITH. 



Rostock, Ont., Can. 



A.ugust 12. 1914 

 J. A. Pearce, Esq., 



G-rand Rapids. Mich.. 

 Dear Sir: — 



Having read your notes on cause 

 of swarming and swarm control in 

 August issue of the Review. Hav- 

 ing found out myself with some col- 

 onies tliat that was the best possible 

 way, I am enclosing 2 cents postal 

 note if you would be so kind and 

 answer the following questions. 



1st. Do you winter them in two 

 chambers or only one'' 



2nd. If you winter in two cham- 

 ber as your notes read, do you have 

 to feed some years or is there 

 always enough honey in the two 

 chambers to last till next honey 

 flow? 



3rd. If there is plenty honey left 

 in them for winter I should tliink 

 a super and a half super would be 

 sufficient for mine as I put mine in 

 a ten frame hive, also would the 

 queen enter a half super comb as 

 readily as a full Langstroth comb. 

 1 have the Langstroth hive. 



4th. If you feed for winter, that 

 is if you do any feeding at all 

 with your two chambers. Do you 

 wait till all brood is hatched or 

 do you feed before on account of a 

 large brood chamber? 



5th. Do you requeen every year 

 or not? 



6th. Do you put any absorbent 

 on top of hive for winter? 



7th. If there was about two 

 combs of pollen left in brood cham- 

 ber in fall would you leave it there 

 or take it out? 



8th. How large is your entrance 

 and what method of ventilation do 

 you use to keep them cool during 

 the honey flow? 



Kindly send back this letter so I 

 will know correct answer in rotar 

 tion, I am. 



Your beekeeper friend, 



A. J. KREUTER. 



