1874 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
68 
PROBLEM HO. *9. 
ABHWKK0 ONLY AHM18snu.iL J-TIOM OVK 
LADY ltBADEUS. 
(I TIALL Poultry be allowed to roam at wiU in 
the Apiary f 
‘•But. Mr. N., is the above properly a problem? 
and iu fact are not your problems many of 
them, christened with father a queer idea of 
the definition of the word, r” 
“No, no, don’t >ret the dictionary. Well 
c.»ll tki * one a conuhdrutn.” 
“But it, isn’t a conundrum either.” 
“"Well what mould you call it then ? 
“Perhaps a question for a debating society ; 
or rather a question for debate, for a Bee-keep- 
er’s convention, to be decided by the feminine 
part of the assembly, as yon have stated It?” 
“Very well. Of course The ‘Chair' should 
present the subject ?” 
“Undoubtedly : but the Chair should be sure 
to do It Impartially, and if we mistake not It 
Is already prejudiced pretty strongly on one 
side of the question.” 
“Well how Will this do : We will publish 
the reports on both sides of the ques- 
tion, from both sexes • afterward we will de- 
cide the matter by a vote from the ladies. 
Meanwhile every one is at liberty to constitute 
his Apiary of one Bee Hive and do chickens, or 
50 Bee Hives and one chicken, but it can’t be 
considered an Apiary unless it eoutatns at 
least one Bee TfiveP 
P. 3.— “But is it best to say nothing about 
the annoyance fowls have many times made us 
by getting in and scratching the saw-dnst. all 
around, digging holes under the hives, knock- 
ing the entrance blocks away, and last but not 
least, making the operation of going down on 
ones knees beside a hive, as we often do when 
at work, one of quite, doubtful expediency ? and 
honey ! just think of it ; as neat and tidy as bees 
are iu their habits, does it not, seem that poul- 
try might be kept in a domain of their own or 
ut, least excluded from that of the bee hives?” 
“We would say nothing about it. When 
poultry have the run of a large farm instead of 
being cramped up in town as we are, it might- 
make a great difference. Besides let ns hear 
wha t has beeu the experience of other#.” 
ANSWER TO PROBLEM 2K 
»krtrli W j r hi 0 *“>> be found in the above 
each rirnt o T<r "T } Uk ,° tli,9 > bolding four frames 
T.iJ„ hauks friead O. Yoar frame has an advan- 
P i“f ove T, our <)wu - inasmuch as it can be car- 
rnhi €as Jly with one hand; but how about 
nn th ’ y nIe88 yon have something to cover 
Pthecombs, the above would lie an excellent. 
’ rk fur thievish hybrids. In 1870 ’Ms true 
we forgot there were robbers almost, but every 
season since has obliged us to use “etcrn&li 
vigilance.” 
OtJB OWK APIARY. 
F OR two days past we have had weather,. 
that allowed the bees to fly a little in the 
middle of the day, but nothing that can really, 
be called warm weather. 
The mauure has all been removed for a week" 
or more, and to-day we have raked up the rutv 
blsh aud banked sawdust around the hives, as 
we usually do In March. Two colonies were 
found Qneeuless and were united ; as both to- 
gether had nearly enough bees to raise a Queen, 
we gave them some eggs, for It is now lute 
enough In the season to commence Queen-rear- 
ing, ordinarily. 
Of the rcmalnlug 30 colonies, perhaps hall 
have brood on two or three combs, but not on* 
has brood in fbur combs ; the other half, can 
only fetch up with warm, favorabte weather- 
We really do not know of anything that caw 
be done unless we haw; warm weather. A col- 
ony that had been bur a month ago, was found 
after a frosty morning, with not enough bee# 
to cover half of their sealed Ijrood, the bees 
having been lost w« suppose, in attempting to - 
work on the soft maples, which are jusl. now 
In bloom, during the cold windy weather. 
After supper — Another Queen is missing, and t 
we have now this second das’- of May,’ only 
nineteen Queens and uat bees enough with' 
them altogether, to tifl three, one story Sim- 
plicity hives. Were it not that we are receiv- 
ing reports daily of similar losses— misery 
loves company— we Bilgh* think we alone, were- 
unfortunate. 
At any rate, none of ows readers can now ac- 
cuse us of not having had experience with the- 
dark side of Bee Culture. 
The following from friend Doolittle seems- to* 
indicate that even hives full of bees, da not 
rear brood unless they can have outdoor exer- 
cise. We first give an extract fw>or a tetter 
dated March 4th, as follows; 
lly 54 colonies and 4 nuclei, are ta spfeixffct eoudt- 
tlon at present date. Some of my fHU coiontesr have- 
‘TOO square Inches of brood. I fesvt* never lost but tw«» 
swarms of bees in winter, and those through starving 
by carelessness, but when we come ta haVe-Tf itayw. 
of weather that bees cannot. Ay, fet the Cast of Vpctf. 
and first of May, (like spring of l.fih t must coefes* J1 
am not quite equal to the case. 
Borodino, Jf. Y. April SOth, 1874. 
FKIEND NOVICE My natural disposition is to bd 
cheerful, but l muBt confess I am feeling rather rlea- 
pondent about these thnes. IVc have Jwet bm tw 
a “ y .i th i 9 i n » ut, i on whlch bees could fly. ft. snowed 
ou the Toth, to the depth of la inches, and has licon 
snug winter weather ever since. Bees must general!? 
become extinct if the springs in future prove as' unto, 
vorable us i the past two; In fact scarcely any rema n 
except with two or throe practical Apiai-laSs ta this 
County. 1 have 56 swarms alive as ret, but a i.art of 
them cannot stand It long, as the. old bees are dviug 
if!??™™ 11 He and no young ones have been reared, of 
any account, this spring, l have examined but eight 
hives, as the only comfortable day was on Sunday, But 
SnbwF a , t , te »' 1 to their wants eve.? ’on a 
8.ibb»th. I have hives that occupy LO ranges of comb 
with bees, with^brood on only two combs, and snum 
rocD, 
space at th; 
I lose 
’ comb 
m 
s at that. I have done all I could tor them and 
3 them it cannot be helped, lias t|„, lust woVk' 
, col< l with you ami have you realized your expec- 
tations with your manure ? jq, iiooi.ittle 
May W/t— To-day is our first really warm 
lay, and our 10 Queens bid fair to make a 
“live of it after all. tm. » 
