1877 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



109 



Is it a fact that ^Ir. Harbison only ro:ili/,3d, after 

 deducting all expenses, im-.UuUng interest on capital, 

 §1,000 net profit, on 100 tons of honey ? This would be 

 only 331c. per colony. I think it must be a typograph- 

 ical error, and should reail §10,(00. If not, I [irefcr to 

 remain where I can realize more in-oflt per invest- 

 ment. Was his honey all extracted:-' 



15. F. Daveni'okt. 



Auroraville, wis., Dec. iSth, 1S76. 



[We believe Mr. H. pave it as you have stated. If 

 <re arc correct, the greater part was comb honey stor- 

 ed in Harbison frames.! 



I have examined two stocks of Italian bees to-day: 

 one with 35 lbs. of honey and the other 45 lbs. Sealed 

 brood in one frame, and the two adjoining frames 

 contain larvw in abundance. I also And those that are 

 packed all around with bran cushions have consumed 

 iO per cent, less honey. J. B. Dines. 



Libertyville, St. Francois Co., Mo., Jan. 15, 1877. 



I have lost 10 or 12 colonies, and 1 fear the worst has 

 not come yet. Of one thing I am sure: it will not pay 

 to raise queens late in the fall. I ran several colonies 

 tip to the middle of September, and have lost all of 

 them. I was thinking all the while I would unite 

 t.hera, but owing to the press for queens, I was too 

 late about it. J. B. Bhav. 



Lynnville, Tenn., Jan. 17, 1877. 



I was glad to get your advice in reganl to a beehive, 

 as I made the same mistake last spring, in buying the 

 I'iglit to make and use the Climax hive, which I now 

 suppose has been out of use for the last 10 years. 

 -After I got it I did not make a single one after the 

 pattern, hut modified it to my own notion. I have 5 

 of them \Tith bees in, but they do not suit me; and 

 the object of this letter is to ask your advice in regard 

 So a hive to adopt. If you can, send a hive on a small 

 9cale, so that I can sec how the whole thing is fixed, 

 all right, as I have no more money to throw away for 

 a useless thing. My idea is to see the thing ready tor 

 work, rather than to see it on paper. [We furnish a 

 •over and body and one frame in a bundle, for SOc, 

 which is cheaper than we could possibly make a small 

 model.] Do you recommend artificial swarming ? [If 

 you wish increase of stock, not otherwise.]. Would 

 you advisQ buying one of those dollar (jueens? [Most 

 flertainly ; if they jn-ove pure, they are worth $3.00, 

 and they are worth a dollar in any case.] 



W. I. Bright, M. D. 



Dumontville, O., Jan. 23d, 1877. 



I have got to move my bees this spring about a mile; 

 how shall I prevent them from going back to the old 

 idace? Will it do to move them in a lumber wagon 

 over a rough road ? Do you know of anybody in the 

 State of Michigan that has got any more honey per 

 colony from their Italian bees than I did from my 

 blacks, last season ? I secureil 1850 lbs. from 14 stocks 

 In spring ami their increase ; increased to 37, mostly 

 by natural swarming. I did not allow any stock to 

 swarm but once, except when lliey followed the young 

 queen out, and then I invariably returned them to the 

 aame stock. How do you think a brick cellar would 

 do for bees ? Say lay a brick bottom on the ground, 

 and then build up and arch over and cover with earth 

 or straw ? D. Gakdneu. 



Carson City, Mich.. Mar. 7, 1877. 

 [Had you moveil iho bees belore they had flown in 

 the spring, you would have had little or no trouble, 

 and it will probably be best to wait until after several 

 cold stormy day.?, even now. If they do come back 

 very much, leave some of the weakest stocks until tho 



last, to catch the returning bees. We Icar you wii; 

 liar lly succeed without considerable loss. Put con- 

 siderable straw in your wagon, drive slowly, and you 

 (;an move thcui thus very well. Your yield was very 

 good indeed for common l)ees, but nothing extra for 

 14 hives of Italian^. Was it comb, or extracted honey!' 

 The brick cellar, wo fear, would be damp, in spite of 

 all the ventilation you could give.] 



[Truly a friend in need, is a friend indeed ; listen ! J 

 MOVING BEES, AND STANDS FOK HIVES. 



I see you recommend moving bees 2 or 3 miles, and 

 then bring them back after a few days, or move them 

 a few feet at a time. I used to do that way, but now, 

 when I want to cliange the location of a stand, as in 

 transferring, or from any other cause, I reduce the 

 colony to the condition of a swarm by driving it iu 

 box hive or sliaking the bees from frames and letting 

 them cluster in a box, and then giving them their 

 combs or the combs of another hive. Alter they are 

 quiet in their new location, I have no trouble with 

 bees returning to old locations, and I have moved 

 them in tliis way from 20 yards to one-half mile. I use. 

 a stalk of broom-corn to brush bees from combs ; and 

 for a stand for the hive, nothing suits me better than 

 4 half bricks, before you put down the sawdust; two 

 laid fiat and two on edge, if you wish the hive inclin- 

 ed a little. F.ir the two-story hives, with one whole 

 brick under the back cml you can level the hive 

 easiest. Gatepost. 



I have not been able to get my money out of N. C. 

 Mitchell as yet. Do you think I will be able to make 

 him pay me ? James McCook. 



Natchitoches, La., Mar. 1, 1877. 



[We should be very glad indeed to be able to say 

 there seemed a prospect of Mitchell's keeping his 

 promises, but at present there seems to be nothing left 

 for us to do but to prevent his wronging other people 

 in the same way.] 



The lOOO sections received, and I think you deserve 

 much credit for the manner in wliich they are put up 

 and packed. I am very much pleased with them and 

 hope to want enough for 6000 lbs. the coming season. 

 Bees all right so far in tip top order. 



J. Butler, Jackson, Mich. 



I have 74 swarms of bees in cellar doing well. Took 

 ISOO lbs. of honey in sections, and 200 lbs. of extracted. 

 Started with 1-5 last May. C. Kkndig. 



Naperville, III., March 8th, 1877. 



Would like to know if bran is as good as chaff for cush- 

 ions. J. B. Dines. 



Libertyville, Mo., Dec. 21st, 1876. 



[We presume coarse bran will be equally as good as 

 chaff, but with us it is considerably more expensive.] 



On fttie sunshiny days ray bees come out and drop 

 on the snow and die by himdreds. "\Miat can I do to pre- 

 vent it? My bees are the common kind. 



J. J. Wiiixr:, Clinton, Mich., Jan. 23d, 1877. 



[Can only repeat ; keep the hives so well covered witli 

 chaff or something similar, that they will not warm up 

 until pleasant warm weather.] 



G00i> and bad teaching. 

 Iu 1873 on the ISth of July my son found a swarm of 

 bees, nearly pure Italians, on a little plum bush. He put 

 them into an American hive with empty frames. In two 

 weeks the hive was ItHed with nice white comb and honey, 

 and in three weeks that very v.iluable queen took a swarui 

 to the woods. Now what was lost for the want of a little 

 practical information such as Gleanings gives. Under 



