“ NOVICE'S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
87 
PROBLEM NO. 15 VEHKI'N CIDER 
MILLS. 
our bees were removed to the 
yV/ swamp, the Quilvby hive, the one 
containing our choicest queen, and four 
weak stocks, were left at home, and to 
keep these from the eider mill a quantity 
of dry sugar was spread out in the sun 
for them. 
They very soon commenced on it lively, 
and finally, on the second day, heoameso 
vehement about it that we feared they 
would get to robbing each other; but on 
the third day were delighted to observe 
that they were working almost as peacea- 
bly as they did in the spring on their ra- 
tions of rye and oatmeal, apparently hav- 
ing decided that it was common plunder, 
enough for all, and that there was no need 
of qnarrelling over it. 
After this there was no trouble, and 
when our whole fifty-seven were again 
safely on their own stands I Novice hardly 
slept nights -during the u-hole week they 
were gone, and the “awful stillness'’ of 
the deserted apiary during the day decid- 
ed him to turn Problem 17 over to those 
who have not so strong an attachment for 
home and its surroundings,! it was with 
some trepidation that a half barrel of su- 
gar was temptingly spread out with a view 
of satisfying tho hosts of winged thieves, 
whose passion lor sweets had seemed sa- 
tiable with nothing short of a whole eider 
mill. And right here conies a note to 
show that we have at least one friend far 
away who sympathies with us fully: 
Ontario, Canada 
Mb. Novick: — Aon know what it is to 
wait for the “ambrosial” receipt, and yet 
you don't mind keeping jour readers in 
suspense about “bees are working quietly 
on a half barrel of sugar.” 
Knquirkh. 
Thank you, “Enquirer.” You give us 
courage to enter into details without fear 
that the subject, may interest others less 
than it did us. Well, as in the first exper- 
iment, we soon had a "hubbub." The 
bees that found the plunder first, coming 
home laden, put their companions in a 
frenzy, and in their eager haste took wing 
before they received directions (if they 
ever do, which we are inclined to doubt,) 
and all the premises were visited — bee 
house, kitchen, cistern, pump —all the 
hives in turn, until we began to almost 
wish we had not tried such an experi- 
ment ; hut finally most of them settled 
down at (lie right spot, and labored “with 
a will,” as Mrs. Tapper lias it, at the dry 
sugar, as reported just, as we were going 
to press last month. Very soon it was ev- 
ident, from the number around the pump, 
that water was in demand, and Novice 
soon took up the idea that with _\vatcr in 
abundance they would till up for winter 
■heir own select. Brilliant idea! Tea- 
kettles finally superseded. A wateringpot 
was procured, and the sugar dampened, 
until where hundreds of bees had been 
working before, wo had thousands, and the 
voyaging around the neighborhood in 
quest of the mine of sweets by bees which 
hadn’t found it, became alarming. Clus- 
ters of bees were seen tumbling over 
each other on the sidewalks, several 
squares distant, and everybody was in- 
quiring what so many bees were doing 
everywhere and into everything; but Nov- 
ice persevered, and dampened the sugar 
anew, until all did really seem working 
into the hum of honest industry. But a 
new trouble presented itself. Such a 
temptation was too much for "bee sense” 
in October, and the vagabonds wouldn't 
stop when it was dark, nor when 'twas 
rainy and cold, and after seeing them 
gorge themselves at such unreasonable 
times that they were unable to get home, 
the sprinkling part was omitted, and they 
now work oil dry sugar when ’tis pleasant 
as quietly and happily as one could wish. 
This is really an important point, for 
although the amount stored is small, it 
gives at all times a steady increase of 
stores, and prevents the possibility of any 
colony starving, however weak they may 
he. Our nuclei for rearing queens began 
to improve at once, and although drones 
were mostly gone before the experiment, 
our queens most of them became fertile, 
and we filled many orders for dollar 
queens on which we had concluded to 
return the money. We have also induced 
them to work on meal to some extent, 
when placed near their sugar, but not 
briskly. This is the more desirable, as 
we have a number of colonies so weak 
that brood-rearing is almost our only 
hope of saving them. In fact, we have 
just discovered two colonies so reduced 
that the queen has ceased laying entirely, 
and no brood in any stage is to be seen ; 
and this state of affairs occurs Oct. If. 
Without some of Hosmer’s skill, we shall 
assuredly fail in wintering them. 
As they had a fair number of bees a 
month ago, we can only attribute the loss 
to the cider mill, for thousands of bees 
were unavoidably worked in with the po- 
mace. 
It is principally when making sweet ci- 
der that they seem most demented in pur- 
suit of the spoils. In conclusion, we most 
earnestly urge that bee keepers and own- 
ers of cider mills arrange troubles of this 
kind in a friendly and neighborly way, 
for quarrels in such matters only result in 
increasing the annoyance on both sides. 
I n removing the honey preparatory to 
winter feeding, we found it to possess a 
decidedly apple flavor, something like ap- 
ple preserves, and as our cider mill neigh- 
bor refused compensation, we sent him a 
couple of jars of the aforesaid honey. 
Wk have retailed hundreds of lbs. of 
extracted honey this season at 20c., while 
extra nice comb honey by its side waits q 
purchaser at (JOc, 
