DEVOTEO TO BEEH A1SI> HONEY, AlVr> HOIMCE nVTEJRESTS. 



Vol. VI. 



JULY 1, 1878. 



No. 7. 



A. I. ROOT, *) Publisbed monthly. rTERMS: «1.00 Per Annum in Ad- 



Ptiblisher and Proprietor, > < vance; 3 Copies for S2.50; 5/or »3.75; 



Medina^ O, ) Estal>lislie<l in 1873. (.lO o» more, 60c. each. Single Number, lOc* 



MY s:xpe:ris:nce:. no. a. 



ROBBERS. 



B TIRING the fore part of the season, the robbers 

 did not trouble any, and I almost began to think 

 that the bee papers had cxacrji-eratod the trou- 

 ble caused bj' tlicse pests; but when I opened a hive, 

 in the middle of the day, during- a drouth in August, 

 the performance began. After 1 had closed the 

 hive, quite a swarm of bees remained, dodging this 

 way and that, and cautiously approaching the en- 

 trance. In a few minutes, bees loaded with honey 

 began leaving the hive. I knew they were loaded, 

 by their plump appearance, and the manner in 

 which they flew; but, to be certain that I was not 

 deceived. I caught some of the bees as they wei-^ 

 leaving the hive, killed them, and found their honey 

 sacks full of honey. I contracted the entrance, but 

 it did not seem to do any good. The number of 

 robbers rapidly increased, and I saw that I must act 

 promptly, or lose mj' swarm. I closed the hive, but 

 gave the bees plenty of air, and carried them down 

 cellar. Perhaps carrying them down cellar was un- 

 necessary, but I had read of their being treated in 

 that manner. At sundown I carried the hive out 

 and opened it, letting the robbers go home. The 

 next day, they came back in such numbers, that I 

 was again obliged to carry the swarm down cellar. 

 At night th< y were again carried to their old stand. 

 The next morning, the robliers were on hand, but 

 the bees then seemed to have learned that, if they 

 wanted their freedom, they had got to flght for it; 

 at least, they "pitched in and hoed their own row." 

 During the rest of the season, the robbers let this 

 swarm alone. 



After this, when there was a scarcity of honey, I 

 opened tiie hives only towards sundown, or early in 

 the morning. 



BUYING QUEENS. 



I thought I could not spare the money to Italian- 

 ize my apiary this year (1877), although I knew that, 

 the longer I waited the more it would cost, provided 

 my bees did not die winters. I finally concluded to 

 sell some of them, and use the money to buy queens. 

 I would not haM' quiti' so many bees another spring, 

 but they would li<' Italians. 



Just before tmekwhcat blossomed, I sent postal 

 cards to some of the l)reeders, asking them if they 

 could send (jueens promptly, if I should favor them 

 with an order. Most of them replied that they 

 could. I was somewhat puzzled to decide which 

 breeder to patronize, when the idea occurred to me 

 to order a queen apiece from each breeder; and 

 thus not only prevent in and in breeding, but per- 

 haps obtain some desirable crosses. 1 immediately 

 ordered two queens; in three or four days, I order- 

 ed two more; and, in a short time, I sent for two 

 more. I ordered them in this manner, so as to have 

 queens arriWug everj' three or four days ; then, if I 

 should lose one, there would soon be another to 

 take her place. 



The queeijs, with the (>xception of two, arrived in 

 good condition. One cage containcnl a dead queen, 

 Uircf dead bees, iin<: bee almost dead, and candy and 

 honey enough to have lasted a cage full of bees, at 

 least a month. The other dead queen was packed 

 with a few bees, in an all wire cage about as large 

 as my little finger. When we are obliged to deprive 



bees of their liberty, let us make their imprison- 

 ment as comfortable as we can. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, 

 Eogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. 



A BEGINIVER'S SUOCESSES AND KE> 

 VERSES. 



ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY WE DO THINGS. 



fjJHE metal corners came to hand last Saturday, 

 and were all right. The ones received before 

 I are on frames, and in hives, filled with comb 



built on fdn; and I think they are a grand success. 

 In order to try the fdn., I removed 4 combs from an 

 L. hive, and inserted 4 metal cornered ones with 

 fdn.; in 3 days afterward, I found 3 of the combs 

 worked out, and to-day, I noticed one of them filled 

 with brood ; and even on the wooden rabbet of an 

 L. hive, I never find them stuck. 



In regard to the colony of bees purchased of yoxL, 

 I have been considerably disappointed; when they 

 arrived they were a good strong colony, but [ failed 

 to lind one cell filled with stores, and I certainly ei- 

 pected, from your price list, that they would have 

 stores enough to last until they could gather from 

 the fields. I commenced to feed immediately, and 

 fed' a little every day, until fruit bloom appeared, 

 when I came to the conclusion that they could worK 

 their own way, and stopped feeding.' The result 

 was that, in about 4 days, I noticed a considerable 

 number of dead bees in front of the hive, one morn^ 

 ing, and on opening it, found the whole colony on 

 the bottom board with not a sign of life in thero. 

 About that time you could have bought for 35 cteu 

 the whole colony, which I had paid you $13.00 for, a 

 few weeks before. I hunted out the queen, brought 

 her in the house, and placed her on a saucer, intend- 

 ing to examine her with a magnifying glass, when I 

 noticed one leg move. 1 then warmed some syrup 

 an^ dropped a couple of drops on her head; in about 

 5 minutes, she was crawling about the saucet 

 (About this time prospects l)riglitened, and value 

 raised considerably.) I then removed the hive to 

 the house, and sprinkled the bees and combs freely 

 with syrup, and left them in the hyuse until noon, 

 when I found the queen all right, and a few of the 

 bees crawled up on the frame Vvith her. By night, a 

 few more had revived, and the next morning, 1 

 placed the hive, with what bees would stick to the 

 frames, on their regnlar stand. The remainder 1 

 put in a box, but could re\iv:e no more of them. 

 Now thej' are doing well and the qneeu is laying all 

 right, with l)ees enough to form ■<< ",' frame nucleus, 

 where I expected, by this time, to have a colony 

 strong enough to divide into two strong stocks. 



Hamilton, O., June 3d, '78. John T. Gardner. 



I am very sorry indeed, if our hands were 

 SO careless as to put up the bees without 

 sufficient honey. It was not beca,use we 

 wanted to save the honey, my friend, please 

 do not think that of us, but because \ye 

 were careless. You were careless too, in 

 leaving them to take care of themselves, be- 

 fore they were surely out of danger. We all 

 have to pay the penalty of such carelessness, 



