1874. 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
May 22 nd — We have had a week of cold, wet 
weather, and our two weak “clusters,” are 
Queenless. One of the Queens died three 
times, and the last time she “stayed” dead in 
spite of persistent efforts to coax her back to 
this world of care. 
Truly : 
"This world’s a wilderness of woe.” 
Why it’s really aggravating to hear from 
others who haven’t lost any. We know how to 
take care ofbees, every body knows, especially 
when they are all strong stocks, and it’s warm 
weather with no cold storms. We have kept 
saying to ourselves all along when the weath- 
er was bad, that friend Bolin would be svre to 
lose some of his 09 colonies now, at any rate, 
but imagine our disappointment, at learning he 
has not. We believe we shall have to let him 
stand “clear up to the head,” in the “Roll’of 
Honor,” while we shall have to be put down to 
the extreme foot, or perhaps placed a yard or 
two below all the rest. 
The advice given in the following, for spring 
treatment, we heartily commend. 
HOW TO “SPltmtJ” IOO COLONIES 
WITHOUT LOSING ANV. 
VpRIEND NOVICE:— I’ll tell all I know 
Jtj about the pollen, provided you don’t talk 
of putting me in the Editorial chair again. 
The mere thought of occupying such an exal- 
ted position makes me feel nervous; more so 
than it would to have a lot of cross hybrids 
■“go for” me, although they can sting a little , if 
they try. 
Some stocks had considerable pollen when 
put into winter quarters, others very little, and 
in several of them the supply was nearly or 
quite exhausted, when they were put on the 
summer stand ; yet the rye flour they carried 
in, seems to have supplied all deficiencies in 
that respect. As many of the best stocks I 
now have, are some of those having the least 
pollen, when taken out of winter quarters, I 
think they should have some pollen when put 
into winter quarters, as I do not think they 
can raise brood without any.; still of the two 
extremes, I should prefer their not having 
quite enough, to a large surplus, as It is easier 
furnishing what they need in the spring, after 
they are put on the summer stand, in the shape 
of rye flour, than it is to get the old dry pollen 
out of the brood comb, where there is too 
much. Rye flour is undoubtedly one of the 
best stimulants we can give our bees in the 
spring, as it gives a greater impetus to breed- 
ing, early in the season, than anything else I 
have tried, and at the same time it keeps them 
out of mischief, by keeping them busy. It 
also saves the lives of hundreds of industrious 
workers, by giving them employment at home, 
instead of ranging the fields and woods, in 
quest of natural pollen, 
My bees carried in the flour from about four 
bushels of rye, this spring. They worked on 
it, to some extent, the llrst. week in March, 
then not again, owing to the cold, until the 
third week; and after that whenever the 
weather was warm enough, until about April 
doth, when they left it altogether for natural 
pollen. The llrst natural pollen was brought 
in the llrst week in April, being a month Infer 
than usual. 
Of) 
My losses this spring have only been the 
swarm that starved, (lam almost inclined to 
say for want of sense as they had plenty of 
honey in the hive, the second week in March,) 
and one Queen in April, the rest are doing well. 
The Queen that died was not quite two years 
old, yet she was one of those “natural, long 
lived, prolific Queens,” of which we read so 
much a few years ago ; whilst a forced artific- 
ial Queen that was hatched May 6th, 1870, is 
as full of life as ever, notwithstanding part of 
her lungs are gone— one wing clipped. She 
led out a swarm May 1st, 1872, and one May 
20th, 1873, being the first natural swarms I had 
each season. The summer of 1871, 1 took from 
the’ old stock, and the two swarms that came 
from it, 216 pounds of box honey ; iu ’72, 120 
lbs. from her colony ; and in ’73, 150 lbs. from 
old stock and Swarm. If clipping a Queen's 
wings gives such results I think I shall be 
guilty of more of it, even if it is “impertinent 
interference.” 
For several years I have practiced stimulat- 
ing my bees, iu the spring, by giving them a 
spoonful or two of syrup every evening. It is 
considerable trouble, it is true, but it pays, and 
that is what most of us work for. I have not 
found, in my experience, that having plenty of 
sealed honey, or even feeding a large amount of 
syrup at one time, answers the same purpose, 
so far as breeding is concerned, as regular, dai- 
ly feeding. 
The worst, and in fact about the only trouble 
I have with my bees during the winter and 
spring, is to keep them from leaving their hives 
in quest of honey or pollen, when the weather 
is too cold, after they are placed on the sum- 
mer stand in the spring. The remedy is sha- 
ding the entrance ; and in a few instances, 
during the bright but cold weather of the last 
two mouths, when they would perish iu com- 
ing out, when I knew it was too cold, and the 
ground was covered with snow, I shut them 
in. Covering the hive with manure at such 
times, only makes a bad matter worse, by in- 
creasing the heat and making them still more 
anxious to be out. 
I have not lost a swarm for several years, by 
the bees swarming out and joining other stocks. 
Where such losses occur, they are generally 
owing to either queeulessness, want ol suffic- 
ieut bees to care for brood, want of honey, or 
mouldy combs. The llrst two causes may be 
remedied iu the fall, by giving to all stocks 
that need them, young prolific Queens; the 
third at the same time, by feeding until they 
have sufficient stores, and the last by giving 
upward ventilation, during the winter. 
I am sorry to hear of your loss, but I have 
one consolation ; Novice knows how to build 
them up again, on the double quick, and will 
doit. Tell “blue eyes” that we have a little 
three year old blue eyes here, who would part 
with anything else on the place sooner than 
she would with a swarm ofbees. No amount 
of reasoning will make her believe the bees 
will sting her, intentionally, and she acts ac- 
cordingly, and they seem to respect her faith 
iu their good behavior. James boein. 
West Lodi, O. May 20th, 1874. 
P. S. — Losses have been heavy in this section, 
during the winter and spring, where bees were 
left to take care of themselves, amounting, in 
some cases, to iVom }-.i, to the entire stock. 
