40 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



say I forgot what I stated at length was not 

 proper criticism. 



If he insists on reading the elements of 

 the experiment in a different way, without 

 any offsets, he must make a reasonable al- 

 lowance for the reduction of nectar to 

 honey. Note that this nectar was all weigh- 

 ed the first time inside of fifteen hours after 

 gathering ; but when cut out and weighed 

 the second time part of it had been ripening 

 in the hive a much longer time, and was 

 still quite thin. My first extractings one 

 year bothered me by being thin ; and on one 

 occasion I boiled down 6 lbs. to 3)4 • This 

 was a reduction of 42 per cent. If we take 

 the final 11 ounces of the second experiment 

 and add to them If) ounces for nectar gath- 

 ered but not weighed (the amount being in- 

 dicated by the night losses) we have 26 

 ounces of nectar. Reduce this 40 per cent, 

 and we have 10 ounces of ripe honey. The 

 wax it made was 4 ounces, indicating a ratio 

 of four to one. If complaint is made about 

 too much estimating, let me remind the 

 reader that approximating the work of bees 

 at work in the natural way is worth some- 

 thing, while exact figures on work that is un- 

 natural are constantly liable to be worth just 

 nothing at all. 



As to the Simmins experiments, it is to be 

 regretted that we have not the exact method 

 of procedure (at least not in the Review's 

 quotation). Apparently he waited till there 

 was no more honey in the fields, and then 

 fed in the open air — colonies not in the ex- 

 periment being shut into their hives. If so 

 the ratio of O^a to 1 is excellent indication 

 that 3 to 1 may yet be found none to small 

 for perfectly normal work. Mr. Simmins 

 wishes a considerable allowance to Vje made 

 for the low temperature at the time. An- 

 other thing not mentioned occurs to me as 

 likely to affect the result even more than 

 the temperatnre. At that time of the year 

 bees strongly incline to go into a semi- 

 dormant state. This is noticed even in 

 Cuba, where it is warm all the time. This 

 sluggish inclination is a source of uncer- 

 tainty, and we cannot be sure that we have 

 anything like their best accomplishment 

 during the months when it prevails. Again, 

 we cannot at this time of year have fresh 

 nectar from the fields. If kept for the pur- 

 pose it will be (}uite sure to be damaged 

 more or less. If we try to fabricate a feed 

 equal to it we shall incur risk of falling 

 short. Chemistry may be satisfied when 



practical results " kick." Yet again (and 

 possibly the most important of all), we can- 

 not late in the season take down a natural 

 swarm from the bough and set them at the 

 experiment the first work they do. To take 

 a settled colony, and plunder them of all 

 their brood, and fix their interior so they 

 must needs turn their main attention to 

 comb building immediately, is a fearful 

 overturn of their affairs, the best that can 

 be made of it. And bees are among the 

 most contrary of living creatures. With a 

 new swarm matters are just the reverse of 

 this. A swarm is pleased to have their new 

 home without broOd, pleased to begin comb- 

 building with all their might in an empty 

 domicile, and would be displeased to have 

 things otherivise. To have our little fellows 

 plastic in our hands, and anxious to do just 

 what we want them to do, is an advantage 

 we cannot afford to dispense with if we want 

 the best work done. 

 Richards, O. Jan. 21st, 1891. 



[In the Simmins experiment the bees were 

 not confined to their hives but allowed to fly 

 in a room 10 x 50 feet in size ; but the season 

 was autumn, when the weather was far from 

 warm, and a " made up " swarm was used. 

 Ed.] 



Workshop, Honey-House and House-Apiary. 



JOSHUA BULL. 



fHAVE three buildingB for the use and 

 convenient management of my apiary. 

 The first is a work shop, KixlG feet, with 

 14-foot posts, and two floors. The frame is 

 sheeted up on the outside with matched 

 lumber, then papered and clapboarded to 

 make it warm ; and painted " warm drab " 

 to preserve the clapboards and make it look 

 nice. On the lower floor is a work bench, 

 foot-power saw, and such tools and imple- 

 ments as are needed for the construction of 

 hives, supers, and other fixtures for the 

 apiary. It is provided with a large box-stove 

 to heat it up in cold weather. The chamber 

 is used for a store-room, also for paint shop, 

 when the weather is not suitable for out-door 

 painting. 



Building No. 2 is a honey house 20x25 feet. 

 This also has two floors. The outside is 

 clapboarded and painted "lemon-yellow;" 

 trimmed with slate color. The floors are 

 made of white ash and oak, each alternate 



