299 



GLEA^^NGS IX BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



brood in all stages on edse of combs next the glass, but it 

 was removed in two davs after they were taken aut of the 

 chaff. The cover should be removed from the hive. The 

 chaff should not be less than eiarht inches deep over the 

 hive and must not touch the upper cover. Do not think 

 of leavins: the pa?kin5r on all summer to keep them cool 

 any more than you would think of wearing an overcoat 

 t:) keep yourself cool in hot weather. I have left the 

 I lacking on a few to try them and they got so hot it near- 

 ly stopped their wcirking. 



I have t:ied Mr. Bolin's plan of removing the old hive 

 when it cast its first swarm, to prevent after swarms : 

 hut this year the plan has failed in every case. I re- 

 moved fifteen in June, every one of which cast off a se- 

 cond swarm and fourteen of them swarmed again in Aug. 

 i have had six natural swarms from one in several cases 

 this year and five of them stored enough for winter with- 

 ' ut assisianee. My increase has been quite large this 

 -eison, lio swarms from So in the spring. Honey yielded 

 very Ughily only 2375 lbs. frcm the So. but they were not 

 very well cared for. I have 60 swarms in hives with 

 combs 10x17. Shall sell the old style hive :combs 12 wide 

 14 deep) this fall, have 150 of them. If I succeed in sell- 

 ing them I think you may look for more subscribers for 

 GLEASiyGs from this quarter. L. Kzixet. 



Ionia, Mich. Oct. 2:Jd, 1S76. 



KEPORT FRO?I \% , S. tUITT. 



etc., tells the story of many disconragements from 

 losses. To learu how and what, to hold on and nevtr 

 give up. is perhaps some part of the habit of my life. 

 W. S. LfNT. Fostoiia. O., Xov. lit, "76. 



-^ m ^ — 



REPORT FRO?I I.. C. ROOT. 



^f C 3MMENCED the season with 132 swarms and 

 \ increased to ISS, have taken a little over five tons 

 of surplus. About two tons box and balance ex- 

 tracted. This we consider about an average season ; 

 much better than last year and not as good as the 

 season before. L. C. Root. 



Mohawk. X. Y.. Xov. Sth. 1376. 

 As an evidence of the soundness of friend 

 Root's teachings, which are found each month 

 in the Ani. AgricnUuritft, we cite the above. 

 When our successful honey raisers can be in- 

 duced to write for the people, we may be 

 pretty sure it will be safe to follow "their 

 teachings. 



CHAFF HIVES. 



r|i 



J^T^JHE season of 1S75 gave us here no surplus honey, 

 .T.~ except during fruit blossom? : but colonies were 

 strong in bees. They did not swarm naturally 

 r.nd in August I divided, giving each new colony an 

 Italian queen, many of which were killed, and their 

 ! 'laces filled with queens raised frcm brood or egg;. 

 Thus the time for increase of bees passed till late in 

 the season. Frost came, Sept. 11 and 15th, when the 

 ilowers died, and honey supplies ceased. I fed over a 

 ■'arrel of cofl'ee sugar, a large part of which was con- 

 sumed early: and as a consequence my IS swarms 

 were rednc«d to 5 good one^, and one very weak, for 

 the spring of li?76. 



This has been the best season I have ever seen. My 

 17 colon -. e strong in numbers and supplies. I lost 

 one with worms, and came very near losing another 

 by a singular loss of the queen. After putting a rath- 

 er small, late swarm, into a hive. I concluded to add 

 to its strength by giving it a still later nattiral colony, 

 shortly after, I noticed the bees were idle, and did not 

 •juickly enter the hive, though honey was abundant 

 On opening the hive I found them without brood or 

 queen, though they had received two. I gave them 

 an Italian queen since which they have prospered. 



This season bees, especially the Italians, would not 

 work in boxes placed at the side of Quinby frames or 

 on the top: though every box was supplied with 

 comb guides. I should have been short of honey, but 

 for the extractor, and a few section boxes which were 

 Tied as an experiment. The section boxes will be 

 ; sed more extensively another season and also a trial 

 r-i fdn. made. 



All except a few are now packed in Quinby hives 

 ^vith chaff packed in all sides but the bottom. These 

 are removed to a false bottom board and returned to 

 the same hive, leaving an air chamber below it of 13j 

 inch. For iour or five years past, I have wintered in 

 this way on the summer stands. 



I have lost many, but could as I thotight, always 

 find sufficient reason for such losses, without attribu- 

 ting it to any fault of winter quarters. Ignorance ex- 

 plains much and perhaps nearly all. Leaky roofs, 

 weak colonies, jnsuflicient stores, loss of queens, etc., i 



^rWHOSE hives were packed all summer under the 

 bottom and not at the sides. Heat promotes 

 swarming, and therefore your chaff hive will be 

 a failure in summer. If you had my kind of portico 

 your hive would be good for winter. There are times 

 when bees would not fly in four months with such en- 

 trances as yours. In mine the portico is several de- 

 grees warmer than out of it when the sun shines in 

 winter, but it is shady in summer. Bees will flv when 

 I want them to by opening the outer door in fair 

 weather. J. L. Davis. 



Delhi. Mich.. Xov. 6th, 1S7G. 



If our hives will keep the bees in for four 

 months at a time, and yet have the entrance 

 open as in summer, it is certainly just what 

 we want. It is just the way the Q. hive did, 

 and they did not even get out to work on the 

 meal when the rest did ; but not a bit did it 

 hurt them. If it proves too warm, we shall 

 have to contrive some way to cool them, and 

 without pulling it all in pieces every spring 

 either. 



My summer stand lor bees is out of doors on a bench. 

 Do you thirk they will v»inter with chafl' cushions 

 over them, with nothing around them but a '3 inch 

 board ? C. X. R. Tescu. 



Xewmarket. Ontario. Can., Xov. 7th, "76. 



About 30 of our hives are arranged in the 

 way you mention, and we have little fear but 

 that they will winter, for they usually do 

 without the chaff. The principal idea is to 

 avoid the spring dwindling ; and although the 

 quilt alone will not answer as well proba- 

 bly, as the whole chafl" covering, we think it 

 will be better than none, or as good as the 

 straw mats which have answered so well. 

 Where the colony Is not very strong, we re- 

 move a comb, or even t^vo combs on each side 

 of the cluster, and put a cushion in their stead ; 

 this protects all except the ends of the frames. 

 With a portico at each side, and chafl' pillows 

 in these, and a box of chafl' to go under the 

 hive, we should get clear round, but it would 

 be more more bother than the hive described 

 last month. All these plans will be pretty 

 thoroughlv tested this winter. 



I don't know how yon will like the plan of having 

 two stories packed: sh:iJl watch the experiment with 

 interest. It looks as though it would work well unless 



