74 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL 
Never since I kept bees, which is now' more 
than 32 years, have I lost so heavily. The 
greatest losses however by far in this district 
were sustained among the black or German 
bees and hybrids. Strong hives which in 
autumn fully covered eight frames, are now 
just alive betwixt two. But I am not the 
greatest loser after all, for I know some older 
beekeepers than] myself who have lost 70 out 
of 90, some 20 out of 25, and others everyone. 
Thepure Italianscame well through the winter, 
but the Cyprians the best of all. They seem 
to be far more hardy than any I have yet seen, 
and although they are not quite as easy 
handled as the Italians, yet they have one 
great superiority, there is no sickness 
among them, and this is worth a great deal. 
Some of the Italians are very tender, and 
w'henever we get weather which continues 1.o 
be damp the latter suffer severely from diarr- 
hoea. I have been trying of late to feed the 
bees with moist sugar on Mr. Simmies’ plan, 
but find it does not answer very well, for some 
of it gets wasted, falls down between the 
frames, and as soon as it becomes soiled or 
otherwise proves to he obstructive, it is re- 
moved out of the hive ; hut not so with the 
candy, particularly with that which is made 
from moist sugar with a small addition of 
flour. I have been using a great deal lately, 
where I have put as much as 3 ounces of flour 
to every pound of sugar, and I find that the 
bees are very fond of it, and do not waste any, 
and then it is so handy, one needs no feeder 
but simply to push it under the quilt. There 
is another very important, matter which ought 
notto be lost sight of, and it is this — I fear many 
inexperienced “ beekeepers ” will make this 
mistake, that when they inspect their hives on 
a cold day, they will find their bees in a state 
of dormancy, and think they are really dead, 
when they are only so in appearance. Bees 
in this state I remove indoors, close the en- 
trance with a piece of perforated zinc, lift the 
quilt, sprinkle them with a little sugar, put 
the quilt on again and place them in a warm 
room, and in less than half- an-h our they mostly 
rally ; then I give them a feed of syrup, and 
keep them indoors until I get a fine day, when 
I remove them to their old stand, and with 
careful attendance they get on all right. Of 
course, if left in their state of dormancy they 
will inevitably meet with their death, 
H. Naveau. 
Hamilton, September 30, 1887. 
No. 51. — III your last issue of the Journal 
(long may it continue giving such informa- 
tion) you published an article] upon fixing 
foundation into wired frames by means of a 
galvanic battery. After reading it, I applied 
to two dealers in electrical appliances, and 
they each informed me that a half-gallon 
battery would not have the desired power. 
One of them offered me a battery at a cost of 
50s., that he “ thought might do it, but would 
not guarantee.” However, feeling sure you 
were right, 1 set to, to make one ; and follow, 
ing your instructions closely, the result more 
than fulfilled my expectations. You say that 
“ if in good order the battery should make 
half an inch of wire red hot” I find that 
mine will do so to a full inch when first 
started working, the cost being not more than 
five shillings. Up to this time I have been 
using an Easterday’s fastener, but until 
something better (if there be such) turns up, 
1 shall pin my faith to the battery, and only 
use the fastener as a makeshift. Should you 
care to publish this, and any subscribers to 
the Journal wish to get a description of my 
battery, I shall be only too pleased to give it 
to them ; or they could inspect it any evening 
or Saturday upon application to 
Thos. Dean. 
Brighton. 
^Stracts from jforetgn Journals. 
OUTLINES OF BEEKEEPING FOB 
BEGINNERS. 
From British Bee Journal. 
(Continued from Page 57.) 
XI. — How to Put a Swarm into a Hive. 
1. The bees which leave the hive to swarm 
fly out in large numbers, thousands of them 
wheeling about in circles so that the air seems 
alive with bees. They soon settle, usually on. 
some hush or tree at a short distance from the 
hive, and form a cluster, which grows larger 
and larger as the straggling bees join it. As 
soon as most of them have settled and become 
quiet, the swarm should be placed in a hive, or 
it will of its own accord seek a home and be 
probably lost to the beekeeper, as under such 
circumstances bees will sometimes fly a great 
distance before they settle again. 
2. If the queen does not join the bees whe * 1 2 3 * * * * * * * 11 
clustered, they return to the old hive. They 
will also leave the hive if the queen he not 
secured with the bees when the swarm is hived. 
Sometimes swarms do not seem inclined to 
cluster; and if the beekeeper sees that they 
rise higher and higher into the air, lie should 
endeavor to stop their flight by throwing 
-water from a syringe over them in such a way 
as to resemble rain. This will generally have 
the effect of making them settle at once. 
3. If the bees have settled on a bush near 
the ground, sprinkle them with cold water 
from a garden syringe and close clustering 
will be the result. Spread a cloth under the 
cluster, and at one end place a floor-board, 
bringing the end of the cloth over the edge of 
board and place the hive on it with the front, 
| as near as possible to the cluster, propped up 
about one and a half inches by means of a stone 
