Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. A charge is made on all overdue books. University of Illinois Library JUN 4 8) 1880 APR 05 1985 MAR 15 } L161—H41 : \ ee fer aie he ye ng SEE. ‘ * : we i whe by sm " { A aa 4 ws ‘ «4 ialtinendah 1 Fg WS et ay ' , eee Raed ‘ ( net 4 a ts ; ie % om a ee ne il — A a einai eh a a aaa oes >. on a he ‘ 4 we : Paks . i ‘ net ( hog! : . y angle let ates 0 a] bank ann hy. , { i. " 5 + ‘ , nde ig ao gn Segara lal se " 2 iret ; £ ' erent ' intel Saibaaliuns a'eed tseuatetes tele ee ee Pr cal BS A Age | vag ’ 4 a rat ty (— a bs yee Se e . sal ee , ; i i - " : H tf be ‘ ‘ ay SO ee es Peery Tae aid : ~~ sill = sigh ke. ; , Tecan. 4 \" ” ‘ ies a Pe owe nae - - ra) ‘ » ' \ n % 1 ' j Raat { w : / ' ~ . re a, bmw te en api. . aes i ' f - < ‘ ve . ‘ a ? " . FRA 09 - oe a 7 5 4 « a > - * PR ame A a rer a i tert 6! heal heeae ' ‘ m A ‘ - * - } i‘ bes ' . , ‘ mM : , bul an err ¥ ve + «“ ‘ - 2 * «+ * < = ’ sy - 1 = ve , ; - rr \ tii -- nore | 7 ’ 4 f f ' ‘ : ; j } ’ r ~ Cinta en. ena iit ’ * 4 : ' PP pmee «theme tay eas na anbae wee - Sigh ie Py Pe ‘ . ; ' , { ee oe agree 5 ry eel on cis sal yh) een es ~~ i a ' My ‘ ps v re = - oe v { ‘ : é peen: met ‘ reoere tee et ee rae apps em ’ ‘ / / a pln + * +4 ee povere pd tye me ord ae meme eanicliaiag ERRATA | ’ 4 3 spe rd die eel ue Tons Sees —_ “ ' ’ v i ‘ . ' “ we . _ - phar, Sot amg rine : : S i re - x 4 + - ; oe ” ——- Pi Ue "YT ; * O b i%, ‘ ; an : whi I ir has - ae . i cacy Seat be ts ae eG ee ets. il ry i ae, - ~ 9 ' i] nay ; . . J bs ?, = > « —— SJ bad ™ a a —<_- a a, ~ ra wee * ‘ _ “ - bettie. on ‘ - eS x 7 ' = Ss n = enna 4 t - - n 5 ee . . page te . . : = ; ’ 1 \ 4 ‘* . " rs - “ a - \ ' - * owes ‘ £ ‘ ¢ f I om ‘ “ : . F ‘ A f oe ee oo y " ; ‘ 1 - sal ee a“ a ——i i ae . . z . wv , . > foe ene Gee i} t x A le pos é - — d = + ae fy" ye ft ‘at (vr i 43 i aa ‘a sae be peer 4 By cath “ i 1 : ‘ 54 tA q / i : , a" 4 ~ & ie teretices . bat tae Bh ' 1 we Lake - aKa - > Tae rey Te : Nc: cently! Bel i. f aK) tn rk aiziney tue { ale Sane weate Boyt is CLP ay tds " f ’ Te “i he n' . en es oHst 7 «te - — + Pann — eee enter ecrecs fie: wast opti bs. ici SR te ar hts TNS 0 SSE) ee he del Is ye an fest... : on + 7 -* x % 4 ped oe ee — haan eno. ap ted tate: ed pe SE eck, Ry? s) AS o endete ~t> bdace ahi Asn t —> © eens ¢ P * : AS « v a ou LS. ae Wi Cha Kaoy s . , 7 . ie 4 i = rene NE rae) tot aren ee Oe Me Se a ad eden. 1. anal a ‘ . ~ : {or “> } i 4 A the, , : h. 7 > a. Satara ts seat ene at Erg mm — ye “ 7 —— = a g A y a ~ ; +h ‘ rs r A: 4, 4 : ; : vA i arn is .> a a — & -- —= x : nee ~ — a ee —s as ~. ~eaniidl = ¢ 1) é » : “4 ; e . me? - i ¥ J a Ae ai re etter i emt errant mana ed lng any — ~ ~ is 10 Wy ’ é r 7 - . “ ae I fF { ay...) ‘ h - J oy yo J aS _— ~ kde seetely - ee fe ee _—= ¢ - ee ee venti + x Vv ’ : ) yk a BY Se cy mn te — —— Seana. [Translated for the American Bee Journal.] How may the largest yield of honey be secured from an apiary. The Baron of Ehrenfels, so celebrated in his day as a successful apiarian, called bee-culture the poetry of rural economy. Undoubtedly a large majority of my readers will cordially respond to this sentiment, for I think I may safely assert that whoever once partakes of the Ip Ooo LENO: ments flowing from this noble pursuit, will never again forego them, if circumstances permit him to indulge his predilections and gratify his taste> The wonderful household domiciliated in the hive presents us with so much that is interesting and instructive that ,scarcely any other hobby could be exchanged Tor it with satisfaction or advantage. No doubt all of us concede the poetry, but how comes it that so many assert that this poetry yields no profit—that, with all its delightful gratifications, it has its attendant drawbacks, and, worst of all in the eyes of » matter-of-fact men, it does not pay? Is this so? Is it indeed true, as the proverb avers, that ‘© He who would see his wealth take wing, Needs but invest it in pigeons and bees.” I trow not. On the contrary, I maintain that bee-culture is a remunerative occupation, yield- ing fifty, sixty, aye, one hundred per cent. profit annually. But certain prerequisites on the part of the apiarian are absolutely indispensable in order to secure compensating returns. 1. He must be thoroughly conversant with the Dzierzon theory, and possess calmness, coolness, and skill in the handling of bees. In short he must show himself a master both in theory and practice. If not, he will not be much profited by this pursuit, unless kind Providence has so favored him as to cast his lot in a country, in which, as the Baron of Berlepsch quaintly ex- presses it, he need only open his mouth to have ample, well filled honey combs fly down his throat. 2. He must provide himself with cheap, light, and convenient hives. I can confidentially re- commend the Dzierzon twin hive as such, J 4 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. though it has been found fault with by some, as permitting irregular comb building in its top. The fact is so, but is by no means as disadvan- tageous as it has been decried to be. In poor honey districts successful wintering is very materially assured by that arrangement. 3. He must multiply stock, whether by natural or artificial swarming, only till he has obtained the normal number of colonies, of which he pro- poses his apiary shall consist. It is only when he has reached that point that he may begin to turn his attention to the ingathering of full crops of honey. I prefer artificial multiplication, because it furnishes me at the same time with opportunities for improving the breed of bees. 4. He must regard the honey-emptying ma- chine as indispensable in an apiary. It is the crowning gem of the movable comb system, entitling its inventor, Major Von Hruschka, to the gratitude of every bee-keeper. 5. He must melt up no combs or pieces of comb, except such as have grown black in the service, or are rendered useless by mould, or con- tain an accumulation of hardened pollen. All other combs must be carefully preserved and used in his practice. 6. The apiarian needs only few implements besides, in the prosecution of his work, whether he uses bars or framesinhis hives. I prefer the latter, having long since adopted them in their simple form. I never could perceive any of the alleged disadvantages attending the use of them. Ofcomb drawers, comb jacks, knives, fumigators, feather brushes, queen cages, feeders, gloves, and bee caps, | make no use, and will forfeit twenty-five dollars to any one who catches me using anything for protection. A tight closet for the preservation of empty combs, is much to be commended. Follow me now in spirit to my apiary, which at present contains sixty-two colonies. There were thirty-five in the spring. You see from this that I have not quite doubled my stock. I have prevented natural swarming as much I could, and shall reduce these sixty-two colonies to thirty-four, in the fall. To those colonies which have shown themselves to be industrious and of good temperament, which are now popu- lous, and have given prolific queens, I shall give combs containing worker cells only, if they have not already such exclusively ; always selecting combs at least half full of sealed honey, if such are to behad. If thereare any drone cells, I cut them out and insert comb with worker cells in their place. I m@ve the division board close up to the last comb in the brood apartment ; and in the honey apartment I insert combs and bees of any colony I intend to unite with it, having previously removed the queens and sprinkled the bees with scented sugar water. The honey has already been, for the most part, removed by the melextractor. Then, by blowing tobacco smoke into the main hive, I alarm and dispirit the bees of the colony on which I am operating, and open the communication between the two apartments. The bees of the main hive, attracted by the odor of honey, speedily enter the honey chamber, kindly unite with the besprinkled strangers, and the joint body will co-operate in carrying over into the main hive or brooding apartment the [JULY, honey not yet appropriated. If thereupon I con- sider the colony still not sufficiently populous, and I have yet other bees to dispose of, 1 repeat the process. All the bees thus added, unite peaceably with the old stock. That the union can be effected more conveniently where the twin hive is used, is very well known. I winter only such colonies as I can by this pro- cess make as strong and populous as each should be in the spring, atswarming time. In doing so some bees will doubtless be lost or killed, but that is nothing in comparison with the wholesale slaughter incident to the brimstoning system. | When uniting stocks the apiarian must provide himself with as many combs filled with sealed honey as will enable him to keep his bees well supplied till the ensuing spring, without recourse to fecding as the spring approaches, or better still, he should endeavor to have his colonies in such condition in the fall, that they shall be able to spare several filled combs when the spring has fairly opened. Such strong and well provided colonies can safely endure the ordinary rigors of winter and need no special protection. Now assume that in the spring all those thirty- four colonies are alive and vigorous, as they may fairly be expected .o be. On some mild day at the close of March or the beginning of April, the customary revision and hive cleansing should be performed, and while doing so I am careful to select about one-half of the whole number of stocks to be used specially as honey gatherers and storers. To these I transfer from the re- mainder all such combs as contain brood nearly mature, supplying their place from my stores of reserved combs containing sealed honey in the upper portion. Such combs | am careful to sup- ply myself with in the fall, when using the mel- extractor, uncapping and removing the honey from the lower ranges of cells. the best and most acceptable condition for use, and are at the same time, supplied with empty worker cells for the accommodation of the queen. Hight days subsequently I repeat the operation - removing brooding combs again from the brood- — ing stocks, to the intended honey stocks; thus ~ building up the latter with ample reinforce- ments of population, so that by the end of May or the beginning of June, when spring pasturage —which is our sole dependence in this locality— is in full bloom, the hives of my honey stocks are literally overcrowded with bees, as laborers ready for the harvest. duced having meantime hatched and obtained the age fitting them for out-door work, the colo- ~ nies, rejoicing in their vigor, are prone to make arrangements for swarming—to counteract which measures must be taken early. With this view, - I provide as many hives as I have honey stocks on hand, and furnish them with a full outfit of empty worker combs. In each of them I insert a piece of worker comb containing eggs and un- sealed larvee, placing it well forward, near the entrance of the hive, because I design that the colony destined to occupy it shall there establish its brood nest. This brood comb is always taken from one of my choicest stocks, marked A No. 1, in my register, whereby I maintain the quality ; or secure the improvement of the breed. Then ~ ttl endl ei, St Te, Me ney/ These colonies ¢ receive in this manner additional provision in / tte The brood thus intro- ~ A 1870.] at noon on some fine day, when the bees are briskly flying, I remove my populous colonies to some other convenient location near by, and sub- stitute for them the hives furnished with empty ycombs. Externally my hives are all so nearly alike in size, form and color, that the returning bees do not at first perceive the change that has been made, and enter without hesitation. Though evidently nonplussed and confounded at first when missing their stores and companions, and for a time ill at ease, the burdened honey gatherers ere long become reconciled to the change, cluster on the combs, unlade their cargoes, and proceed torear queens. The arti- ficial colonies thus produced, I thenceforward , regard as my true honey stocks. The removed ~ colonies lose nearly all their laboring force, as \ the departing bees, repairing to their accustomed stands when returning from the field, will be found there in the evening ; and will next morn- ing resume work with accustomed if not redou- bled energy and zeal ; prosecuting it so vigorously -if the weather is fine, that the melextractor may / be brought into use on the following day. To these honey stocks I also give any drone comb I / may happen to have, placing it in their hives, at the sides. It will be readily filled with honey, ; and even though it should be left empty by the 3 workers, the young queen will rarely deposit ’ eggs in the cells when she begins to lay. While j for age continues abundant the melextractor may ‘be employed daily. Without this invaluable f instrument the advantages of my mode of man- ' agement could not be fully secured. How else } could we procure a sufficiency of empty combs when needed; or how engage to its utmost ex- tent the gathering ability of such an army of laborers? On the eighth or ninth day, these hives must be opened and examined to destroy ‘supernumerary queen cells, and supply with ‘fresh eggs and larve such as have failed in queen raising. They must be examined again / ) two weeks later, to ascertain whether the young ) queens lay worker eggs; to remove such as do ; not ; and to supply with queens, queens cells, or worker eggs, any that are found queenless. If the queens cells are not seasonably removed, Swarms will be apt to issue, and defeat our plans. The extra queen cells may be used for making nuclei. Experience has taught me that artificial colo- - nies thus made, if the weather prove favorable while pasturage abounds, can produce extraordi- nary results, as they have no occasion to build _ combs, and will for some weeks have no brood to » nurse. The old removed stocks, too, will in a | few days resume labor industriously, their neces- ) sities compelling them to begin field work much , sooner than they otherwise would. This method may be employed a second time the same year, in districts having plenty of fall pasturage. Finally, it must be stated that in a large apiary the emptying of combs by the machine, when forage is plentiful, is a laborious task ; though like all the other work ‘connected with the management of bees, it finds its compensation in the gratifying result, BauRs. — Sissi he \ easy Je THE AMERICAN BERK JOURNAL. | 5 [Translated by W. 8. Dallas, F. L. 8., from the “ Zeitschrift fiir Wissenschaftliche Zoologie,’’ Bard XVIII. pp. 525-532. ] On the Law of the Development of the Sexes in Insects, BY PROF. VON SIEBOLD. The assertion made by Landcis, in his prelim- inary communication, that the eggs laid by in- sects possess no definite traces of the sexual or- gans, and that the sex of the larve is only developed as male or female, after their escape from the egg-shell, by the influence of difference of food received from without, will not only possess the highest interest for all naturalists whoattend to the reproductive history of organic bodies; but, as Landois appliesthe theory spe- cially to the reproduction of bees, must also produce considerable excitement among the breeders of bees, as Landois in so many words completely denies the existence of the very pecu- liar parthenogenetic circumstances under which the male bees are developed from eggs. Landois appeals to his repeatedly successful experiments, by which he thinks it is proved that all the eggs laid by a normal queen are fer- tilized by her ; that in consequence of this fer- tilization the development of the larve in the egg takes place ; and further, that these larve, when just hatched from the egg, do not possess any definite indications of sex. The sex of bees is rather (according to him) only fixed as male or female, by the difference of nourishment taken from without, according as the workers furnished drone food to those larve in drone cells, or worker food to those in worker cells. Landois transferred the bottom of a drone cell furnished with an egg into a worker cell, and vice versathe egg-bearing bottom of a worker cell into a drone cell; and by this means from the egg destined by the queen to become a worker, the larve from which, in consequence of this transfer, was nour- ished with drone food, he obtained a drone; whilst from the egg destined by the queen to be- come a drone, the larvee of which, in consequence of a similar substitution, was brought up on worker food, a worker was produced. Whether no error or illusion can occur in these experiments must be decided by practiced and experienced bee-keepers, to whom I particu- larly recommend the repetition of this experi- ment. For my part, [can only appeal here to those results which are to be obtained by ana- tominal and microscopic investigations of the larvee of insects in course of development within theegg. Taking these into consideration, I feel compelled to express the greatest doubt as to the correctness of the new theory set up by Lan- dois. From the very careful investigations of va- rious reliable observers in the domain of the de- velopmental history of insects, we know that even in the egg, simultaneously with the devel- opment of the different systems of organs of an insect larve which has just escaped from the egg-shell, we are already able to distinguish the male or female sex from the difference in the form of the inner reproductive organs Harold, the well-known insect-anatomist, obtained the following results from his accurate investiga 6 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. = [JULY, tions of the development of the cabbage-butter- fly : The organs which produced by the formative power from the fluid of the egg are, a nervous system, a muscular system, an air-vessel sys- tem, and an alimentary system, together with the salivary and biliary vessels belonging to the latter—also, a pair of excretory organs, (namely, the sperming vessels, ) a dorsal vessel, and lastly the germs of undeveloped reproductive organs, with a perfectly, distincily visible dostinction of the two sexes. ; On the fifth plate of the under-mentioned work,* he gives an exceedingly instructive and true view of the germs of the reproductive organs of both sexes, as these gradually enlarge from the first formation of the cabbage-caterpillar in the egg up to its full growth and approach to transformation. In figure one, he shows the two reniform corpuscles divided by three con- structions into four sections, lying one behind the other, (the future testes,) the two filaments issuing from them laterally (the future ducts efferent), from a male caterpillar which had crept out of the egg a few hours before ; whilst in figure two, of the same plate, we may recog- nize the two bud-like corpuscles with four later- ally approximated sausage-like divisions, and two filaments springing from behind, as the fu- ture ovaries and oviducts of a female caterpillar of similar age. I will not, however, conceal that Hermann Meyer did not succeed in finding the sexual parts in caterpillars which were only afew days old. On the otherhand, Weisemann, in his remarkable work on the embryology of insects, completely affirms the correctness of the observations first made by Harold in butterflies, of the occurrence even in the embryo of the germs of the sexual glands, with distinctly visi- ble distinction of the sex, inasmuch as he could likewise distinguish the rudiments of the sexual glands in the embryos of flies in the egg, al- though the difference between the germs of the male and female sexual glands is much less striking. In the investigation of a Tipulide larve, however, Weissmann obtained other re- sults, which I must not pass over. When he sought the genital glands in the embryos of Corethra plumicornis, he certainly satisfied him- self that in this insect also, as in the larve of the true flies, the sexual glands are already traced out in the embryo; but he found that in the larvee of Corethra just escaped from the egg, the distinction is as yet by no means clear: and this distinction does not make its appearance in a marked manner until after the fourth change of skin. From Mecznikow’s very accurate em- bryological investigation in insects it appears also, that although the tracing out of the sexual glands takes place very early in all embryos of insects, their further development does not ad- vance at an equal rate in all such embryos ; so that it is only in certain insects that the differ- ence of the sexual organs occurs very early, and indeed already in the embryos ; whilst in other insects, on the contrary, it is postponed, and takes place only in the excluded larvee. In the very young larve of a Simulia just escaped from *Entwickelungeschichte der Schmetterlinge, Basel und Marburg, 1810, p. 1. the egg, Mecznikow observed a sthall round genital rudiment, and concluded from this that the rudiments of the sexual organs are formed in the larve within the egg. The same author recognizes, even at the first formation of the embryo in viviparous aphides, the rudiments of the sexual apparatus, as the so-called genital hill. During the further devel- opment of the embryo, and indeed very early, this genital rudiment becomes differentiated into ovarian tubes, in which so-called pseudova are likewise very soon developed; so that even dur- ing the embryonal life of the aphis-embryo, the development of the new generation commences, and goes so far that in the embryo ready to«be born two germ chambers occur in each ovarian tube, of which the lowest already encloses an embryo in the first stage of its development. In Aspidiotus Nervi, on the contrary, Meezni- kow could not find any genital hill so early pro- duced and differentiated into ovarian tubes, such as he succeeded in distinguishing in aphides. From these known circumstances in the first de- velopment of the reproductive organs of insects, it appears that differences occur in it, and that in a certain series of insects the differentiation of the sexual apparatus occurs in the embryos while still enclosed in the egg-shell, whilst in other insects this differentiation only takes place after the exclusion of the larve. lLan- dois’ theory can certainly find no application to the insects belonging to the first series— namely, the Lepidoptera and Flies, (Muscida, ) ; and in the second series, in which the Corethra, Simula, and Aspidiotus are to be placed, it may be possible that the still rudimentary and indif- ferent sexual glands of the larvee are further de- veloped, in accordance with the male or female type, under the influence of the incepted nour- ishment. When, and in what manner, in the larve of the bees, the first rudiments and the different differentiation of the sexual glands appears, we have no direct investigation to show. IJ earnestly recommend such investigation to entomologists for the solution of the question before us. Leuckart, however, has already given an indica- tion in this direction*, when he says, ‘‘On the sixth day I find in the female larve the first trace of internal genitalia.”’ With regard to the above-mentioned discovery of Mecznikow’s of the development in the em- bryo of viviparous aphides of ovaries, in the germ-chambers of which the formation of a new generation was already commenced, M. Landois has informed me by letter under date of the 5th of May, that he has succeeded by the gradual application of artificial cold and during the withering of the food-plants, to cause the disappearance of the viviparous aphides (the so-called nurses,) and the appearance in their stead of the sexual generation consisting of males and ovipositing females. I cannot doubt the result which Landois has obtained from his experiment; but I will take the liberty of put- ting the question: ‘‘ How, in this case, does the production of the two sexes.simultaneously with *Bienenzeitung 1865, p. 210. > 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 7 the existence of scanty nourishment agree with the new theory set up by Landois?”’ From his experiments on bees, Landois draws the conclusion that the development of the male and female bees is induced, independent of the fecundation or non-fecundation of the ova, only by the difference of food supplied to the larve—abundant nourishment producing fe- males, and scanty nourishmentmales. Accord- ing to the observations and statements of our most experienced observers of bee-life, this opinion expressed by Landois, as to the different feeding of the larve of bees, is not correct. All writers who have treated of the rational man- agement of bees agree in this that the whole of the larve in the earliest period of their life (up to the sixth day) receive the same nutriment, name- ly, food paste (partially digested chyle-paste) with which the larve destined to become queens are fed abundantly and uninterruptedly until their change to the pupa-state ; whilst the larvw of the workers and drones afterwards (from the sixth day) receive, instead of the chyle-paste, a coarser sort of food from indigested honey and pollen.* This identity of the nourishment of the young brood of the workers and drones, seems to have been entirely overlooked by Landois. A differ- ence between the food of the workers and the drones, such as Landois lays so much stress upon, does not exist. As from the observations of our most experienced breeders of bees, the workers are able to rear a queen from worker larvee before it is six days old, and as the work- ers can by means of royal food procure a queen from every egg originally laid in a worker cell by a healthy normal queen; but not from an an egg normally deposited in a drone cell; it follows asa matter of course that in bees the sex is definitely fixed beforehand, even in the egg, by the effectuation or omission of fecunda- . tion, and not merely defined by the difference of the food of the larve. The development of the eggs, laid by unfertil- ized queens, from which, according to the expe- rience of all observant bee-keepers, only drones are produced, is not regarded as parthenogenesis by Landois ; at least the term parthenogenesis is avoided by him, although he speaks of a pri- mary and secondary drone-brooding, the cause of which is thus explained by him—‘‘ that eggs are laid by queens or workers which are furnished scanty formative materials from which weakly larve must be developed and consequently drones.”’ Whence does Landois conclude that these eggs laid by drone-brooded queens or workers, are furnished only with scanty formative materials? By what investigation has he arrived at the knowledge that from such eggs weakly larve and consequently drones must. be developed ? Has he convinced himself by careful observation and exact dissection of such drone mothers, of the absence of male semen in their sexual or- *To indicate only a few of the many authorities who have expressed themselves concordantly as above, with regard to the feeding of the larve of bees, I cite the following: Leuck- art Ueber die Nahrung der Bienen; Bienenzietung 1855, p. 237; Berlepsch, Die Biene und die Bienenzucht, 1860, p. 102 ; Kleine, die Biene und Ihre Zucht, 1864, p. 29. gans? Our scientific bee-keepers~could | state, with regard to a great number of drone-brooded queens, with certainty, that they had remained unfecundated and that they consequently laid unfertilized eggs, though, as experience has proved, capable of development, and from which, whether deposited in drones or worker-cells, only drones are developed. The dissection of such drone mothers, which has been often enough undertaken by persons well acquainted with the subject, has always proved that the seminal re- ceptacle, whether normally developed or rudi- mentary, contains no trace of male semen. As Landois refers to the fact that, with regard to the proposition ‘‘that drones always pro- ceed from unfertilized eggs,’’ Dzierzon him- self doubted his own theory, ‘‘because in one experiment on intercrossing German and Italian bees, remarkable and inexplicable phenomena occurred, which could not be brought into harmony with Dzierzon’s theory,’’ I must appeal to the arguments which I have already urged against this doubt of Dzierzon’s.* Landois states that by taking my young larve of Vanessa urtiew, and feeding them imperfectly, he reared from them only males, and by feeding them abundantly only females. This assertion is in complete contradiction to the phenomena which may be observed on Polistes gallicw, with regard to the production of the sexes. Every female of the Polistes fecundated in the autumn, after passing through its winter sleep, founds a separate colony at the commencement of spring. It makes a comb for itself, furnishes the cells with eggs, and then still quite alone, feeds the larve produced from these eggs until they are full-grown. From these larvee the so-called work- ers (that is to say, small female individuals, ) are always developed. Male individuals are never bred in the months of June and July ; and it is only in August that the males issue from the operculated cells of these colonies of Polistes. According to Landois’ theory, the larve reared by the solitary Polistes mother ought to furnish males, as this brood is usually very scantily pro- vided with nourishment, and is indeed often left for a considerable time without food by their mother, which has to complete the business of feeding them without any assistance. This starvation of the brood of the Poiistes occurs when the temperature becomes cold, when the sky is overcast, and during rain and wind ; for when the weather is unfavorable, even if this last for several days, the females of the Polistes remain uninterruptedly inactive, concealed be- hind their combs. As no supply of food is laid up in the combs of the Polistes, but the nourish- ment is always poured from mouth to mouth by the wasp into the larve, the scarcity of food often causes the development and growth of the larve to go on very slowly, and with interrup- tions. According to. Landois, all these cireum- stances ought especially to favor the develop- ment of male individuals; but until a large number of workers (which, as larve, certainly did not revel in asuperabundance of food) have *Wahre Parthenogenesis bei Schmatterlingen und Bienen —English translation, p. 74. 8 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JULY, been excluded to assist the mother, no male in- dividuals of Polistes are developed. In order to give more currency to the asser- tion that in those insects, the larve of which are developed in their food, a disproportionate num- ber of females are developed, Landois refers, amongst other instances, to a great number of | Dipterous genera, the larve of which wallow in the excess of their food, and mentions that out of four hundred and three species of Diptera, Meigen knew only the females of two hundred and fifty-five. But these examples cannot be adduced as in the least in favor of Landois’ theory; Meigen in his well-known ‘‘Systema- tische Beschreiburg der Europiischen Zweifliigel Insecten,’’ very’ frequently, by his own admis- sion, had only a single female, and also very often only a single male in his hands, as the type of the descriptions of his species. Such scanty material as this is certainly insufficient to prove it a predominance of one sex over the other.— Annals of Natural History, Fourth Series, vol. 2, 1868. Pe [For the American Bee Journal.] Alley’s New Style Langstroth Hive. As many of my correspondents ask more or less questions in regard to my new style Lang- stroth Hive, and as I cannot reply to all of them separately, I now, for the information of such, make one general reply to all questions. I will say, first, that this hive has exactly the same amount of room inside the frames, for | brood and honey, as the shallow form of Lang- stroth Hive, and contains the same number of | frames (ten); and I do not think this number of | frames toomany. It also has room for thirty- six (86) three pound surplus boxes; and when filled the honey shows to good advantage. There is no difficulty in selling any quantity of honey in such boxes. The frames in the brood chamber run from side to side, thus making a free and clear pas- sage between the combs to the surplus boxes; and it is impossible for a bee to travel five inches when inside the hive, without going into a box, trance seven inches long by 2 inch high; and this is the only ventilation I give it in summer, except to make two one-inch holes in the cap, to let out the heat. The inside of the hive does not heat up as other hives do, consequently the bees are not inclined to cluster outside in hot weather. It is weather-proof both summer and winter, and needs no bee-house. As it has a deep frame, and a brood chamber that is enclosed by an outer case, and can be ventilated without having a , draft up through the cluster, it will be seen at once that no hive is better adapted for winter | than this one. I have found that bees will enter and com- ' mence work in side boxes earlier than they will _in boxes set over the frames. I know it is hard for those to believe this who have the top-box idea on the brain; but itis a fact, and I have | unless it goes directly from the bottom of the | hive up, or from the top down. The brood chamber is portable, and can be taken off the bottom board at any time. The boxes are put on endwise to the brood chamber and frames, as seen in fig..2; and the whole is then covered with an outside case or cap, as seen in fig 1. The frames can be removed at any time during the honey season, without disturb- ing the surplus boxes, as there are no boxes over the frames. This hive is one of the best for wintering, and — it is also a good one for summer. I now have two very full stocks in these hives. One con- tains a colony that I transferred to it May 20th. The bees are now (June 3d) at work in thirty boxes, eighteen of which are nearly full. The weather has been very warm, and I have not seen them attempt to cluster on the outside. Every bee can work, and none are prevented by heat inside the hive. The hive has a bee en- found it so from experience. Mr. D. C. Batch- elder, of Newburyport Mass.) has a stock of bees in one of these hives that had filled thirty- six boxes up to June 3d, but they had more or less comb to start with, in all the boxes. The one great objection to these hives is the cost, but they will be found cheapest in the end. Fig. 1, represents the hive as it appears when in full operatior. ae. ES fe) — pee nth uty at Fig. 2, shows the brood chamber and surplus box arrangement. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 9 The brood chamber has an observing glass in the rear. The outer case is made in two parts, which can be lifted off the bottom board, as represented in fig. 1. The grain ofthe wood allruns the same way in this hive, and there is no shrinking and opening of joints, to let in water every time it rains. In making this style Langstroth hive it was not my intention to alter in the least the princi- ple of the Langstroth frame and any alteration that I have seen or heard of has been a backward step in the construction of movable frames. How the Langstroth frame can be altered to make it more simple or to answer better the pur- pose of the bee-keeper, I do not know. My hive is simply a new style of Langstroth hive. The frames do not rest on the bottom-board, and have no tin fixtures or any thing else about them for the purpose of cheating Mr. Langstroth out of his patent right. Any hive that does not have the simple movable frame that Mr. Lang- stroth claims as his invention, is only fit for fire- wood ; and all other frames are worse than none at all. What I claim for my hive is this: First. It will winter a colony of bees as well as they can pos- sibly be wintered, anywhere, on their summer stands, and with but little trouble to prepare it for winter. Second. It will allow of more room for surplus boxes, with less expense than any other hive in use. Third. It needs no other house, summer or winter. Fourth. The bees can reach the surplus boxes in less time and with less labor, than in any other. hive yet de- vised. Fifth. 'The boxes used for this hive, will, when full of honey, sell more readily and at a higher price, than any other style of surplus box. In fact, this kind of box is just what dealers want to purchase. Inthe September number of the Bee Journal, I shall give my plan for wintering in this hive. I will answer all inquiries made in regard to it, through the Bee Journal. H. ALLEY. Winham, Mass. —_—_——_~?-e—___ [For the American Bee Journal.] The Shallow Langstroth Hive. Mr. Eprror :—It is not probable that the readers of the Journal have forgotten the ani- mated controversy of 1808, with reference to the shallow Langstroth hive. I have used that form of the hive some eight or ten years, and although there are some good points connected with it, still for this latitude (about forty-two and a half degrees, north), I am becoming more dissatisfied with it the longer I use it. It seems to me that any one, with even a limited experience in bee-keeping, must be aware that it is not a safe hive for wintering in the open air. Neither is it good for the six or eight weeks between the winter and warm It occurred to me last season, that these hives could be altered, and made not only deeper but better in some other respects. If any one using © the shallow hive would prefer, and be satisfied with one twelve inches wide and twelve inches deep, holding eight frames instead of ten, he can with small expense alter them to that form. I mean small expense compared with laying aside his present stock of hives, and beginning all anew. I have altered some ten or twelve, and will give a description of the process. My hives are fourteen and one-eighth inches wide, and to re duce the width to tweive inches, would take off one and one-sixteenth inch from each side. A board that thickness set in on each side would give just the width. But it is difficult to get boards of that thickness, and besides I wanted an air space between the two. The course de- cided upon was this. The side partitions are cut just the length of the inside of the hive and twelve inches wide, planed to eleven-sixteenths thick. be raised from its bottom board once-or-twice a month, during the working season, that any moth-worms found there may be destroyed. The bee-moth is the great pest of the apiary, when the bee-keeper is careless and slovenly. It is par- ticularly injurious to weak stocks, and such should be more frequently examined, and the worms destroyed. I think bee-keeping is a paying business, if carried on right. But hardly one farmer in a hundred takes proper care of his bees. That is the reason they lose their stocks, and leads them to say bees are unprofitable. If I hada thousand stands of bees I would bid farming good-bye, for I am satisfied I could then make money and have easy work. Perhaps bee-keepers should be glad that all men do not like bees, for if they did we could not get ten cents a pound for our honey, there would be so much made. I sold eight hundred pounds last season, at twenty-five cents a pound, besides having as much as the family could use. I have three kinds of patent hives— Keith’s, Beard’s, and Van Zimmerman’s, and like them very well. Patentees should furnish cuts of their hives, as we could then better un- derstand the description of their inventions, and form some opinion of their value. Bees did exceedingly well in these parts last summer. I have taken the AMERICAN BEE JouR- NAL for three years past. I like it better than any paper I ever took, and so long as it is published, 18 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JULY, I must have it. J would advise all bee-keepers, and all who intend to keep bees, to take the Journal, and read it carefully. A. J. BRUNDIGE. Ottawa, Lils. ee [For the American Bee Journal.] Wintering Bees. I read every article in every number of the BEE JouRNAL, but none with more interest than those that give us facts in regard to the production of honey and the successful wintering of bees. The ultimate object of all bee-keeping is the production of honey; and the most that any bee-keeper can do, to promote this production, is to provide suitable habitations for his bees, and to take the best possible care of them through the winter. He can do nothing to change the instinct of the bee, and nothing to alter the character ofthe honey season. If the season is productive of honey, he rejoices; if it is not, he has only to submit—he can do nothing to change it. But in wintering bees, the case is different. ~ In this matter the bee-keeper has full power, provided he has the requisite knowledge. He may cause the loss, unwittingly, of every stock ; or he may save every one. This last statement may be thought a strong one, but I think itis true. A colony of bees, to live through the coldest winter, need simply plenty of good food, but not too much ; sufficient warmth, pure air, and dryness. If the preced- ing season has been favorable, every colony worth saving will have plenty of good food. If it has been unfavorable, feed them a sufficient quantity of sugar syrup, as soon as the honey harvest has closed. Having now a supply of good food, the bees will generate their own warmth sufficiently in the coldest weather. If left on their summer stands, they will certainly get the necessary pure air; and if properly venti- lated at the top and bottom of the hive, they will keep dry. I believe no colony has ever died in winter, unless one or more of the above four conditions were wanting. It would seem an easy thing to provide those conditions for every colony of bees, every winter, and so lose none. Yes, that is just my opinion. Must we have a bee-house or a cellar to accomplish this ? Just as you please. A nice bee-house is a con- ven.ent thing to have, but I do not consider it necessary. The best one ever made can fur- nish only one of the above requisites, namely, warmth ; and thanks to Mr. Langstroth, we can get that out doors, much cheaper and with much less trouble, by removing the honey-board, placing two small sticks across the frames, and before replacing the cap, covering the whole top of the hive with old carpeting, or batter with the cotton batting comforters, described in a pre- vious number of the Journal. Then by leaving the entrance open three or four inches, we get the requisite fresh air, ventilation, and dryness. I wintered twenty-seven colonies in this manner last winter with perfect success, losing not one, although five of them were queenless, and sey- eral others weak in bees, owing to the failure of the honey harvest last year. My queenless and weak colonies have been strengthened up with frames of brood from strong colonies, so that now all are in fine condition. Notwithstanding my efforts to prevent swarm- ing, by giving an abundance of room for the brooding chamber, viz., eighteen inches square by ten inches deep, and 3,600 cubic inches for surplus honey on top, yet I have had seven fine natural swarms up to June 8tl—three of them as early as May 19. Who says that the Lang- stroth shallow hive is not favorable to early breeding ? Bees wintered on their summer stands have one great advantage in the matter of frequent evacuation; thereby avoiding a tendency to dysentery—which is merely an inability to re- tain the feces. My bees were observed flying on twelve days between December 26 and March 30, when they made their g.neral spring flight, as follows : Dec. 26. Therm. 48° afew bees from all the hives ‘ ‘6 27... ** . 48° sparingly. Jan. .2.. ‘* 61° rather direst: ERs ‘6 84° freely. ‘6 26... S 55° veryeireeive Feb. 7% ‘* 45° sparingly. 6s Wet 66 440 6c per se Bit, “¢ 46° generally. March 16 to 20, thermometer at about 45°, flying rather freely every day. “¢ 30 general flight. April 8 and 9, first pollen brought in. March 18 to 15 all my hives were buried com- pletely out of sight by about four feet of snow. March 15, dug a pathway in front of all the hives. Next day was warm, and the bees flew as above. : To be sure when the bees fly out in winter some are lost in the snow. At first this troubled me, but it does not now. I am satisfied, from close observation, that nearly all that are worth saving get back into the hive all right; and it no longer alarms me to see. a few dozen or even a few hundred bees lying on the snow, dead. Many that we see thus, have died in the hive and were brought out by the living bees on the first fair day. In fact you can tell your strong- est colonies at a glance in the spring by their having the largest number of dead bees‘in front of their hives. I think we read in the Ber JOURNAL of as great mortality among bees kept in wilter repositories, as among those kept on their summer stands. If those who winter bees out of doors would adopt the above plan, many colonies would be saved. R. BrcKrorp. Seneca Falls, N. Y., June 11, 1870. Bees should have a liberal allowance of air during all extremely hot weather, and if the stocks are strong the entrance blocks may be entirely removed. LANGSTROTH. A truthful and circumstantial biography in all its relations of a single insect, has yet to be writ- ten.—A. S. PACKARD, Jr. . 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 19 [For the American Bee Journal. ] Replies—Feeding, Hives, and Wintering. ’ In Vol. V., No. 12, page 262, Mr. T. Woodey asks, ‘‘ when is the right time to feed, spring or fall??? Since I commenced using movable comb hives, I have always preferred and practiced equalizing stores in the fall; that is, taking well filled combs from heavy stocks, and giving them to the light ones, even if I had to feed both in the spring. Consequently I prefer spring feed- ing, and even summer feeding, if required; and summer feeding is oftener needed than most bee- keepers are aware of. Sugar answers every pur- pose for spring or summer feeding. Good coffee sugar is best; yet almost any sugar will answer for stimulating. Which is the best hive, is, or appears to be, still a disputed question. Every patent hive man claims his to be the very best in use—far ahead of all others, &c., &c. But to tell you the honest truth as I understand it, I have never yet seen anything in the shape of a hive, that beats the Langstroth hive. Although I prefer a dif- ferent form from that which Mr. Langstroth uses, still it is a Langstroth hive for all that. And as you are a beginner you must understand that the same form that suits one man will not suit another; or as the old Indian said we would be all after one squaw, and then you know there would be a muss in the wigwam. You will find the Langstroth cheap, simple, and efficient ; and this cannot be said ofall other hives. In fact, it will not require an engineer to run the machine; or, in other words, an inexperienced person can handle one. In the cellar or a’special repository properly constructed above ground, is the best place for wintering bees, because of the saving of honey, if nothing more. I can winter bees in a cellar, and not have them consume over one pound per month, either a strong or a weak swarm in the form of hive that I use; and you ought to learn todo the same. But I want the management of the swarm myself the previous season. The fact is, that if bees have the right kind of venti- lation, both in the hive and in the cellar, they remain in asemi-torpid state, as it were through- out the entire winter, even as long a winter as the past one was. My bees were lighter in stores last fall than I ever had them before (that is, a dozen swarms or more.) I set them ina month earlier than common, and set them out a month later ; yet I wintered every swarm. HE. GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa. SH + oe —__—_ [For the American Bee Journal.] Who has the Best Bee-Hive ? “‘T have !”’ rings out from a thousand tongues. Well, gentlemen, I must beg to differ; and as nearly all of you have had your say, with the editor’s permission, I will tell you what I think. Nearly all the hives offered for sale are too complicated, have too many ‘“‘fixings,’’ and hence are more or less troublesome to operate. With many, more or less bees are killed every time they are opened and the frames taken out. Others again are so novel in their con- struction that one is at a loss to determine whether they were designed for bee-hives or but- ter churns. Probably all may have some good points, but I am quite certain that many, as a whole, are worthless. Now, I have a bee-hive; and doubtless most of you have heard of it. It is patented both in Canada and the United States. It is the princi- pal hive in use in Canada, and has taken six first prizes at Canadian Provincial Fairs. I believe it to be the best hive in America. So far as my knowledge extends, there is not a hive patented in Canada or the United States, that compares with it in simplicity, and yet has so many advantages, except the Langstroth hive. And while it is just as simple as the Langstroth hive, in con:truction, it has some advantages which that has not, and in my opinion is an improvement on that hive. The following are some of the advantages : It has a movable bottom board, against which there cannot be raised one valid objection. It has but one entrance for the bees; which may be enlarged to twelve inches long by half an inch deep, or contracted to half an inch square ina moment, by a metal slide—shutting out drones, or shutting in the queen at your pleasure. The frames are regulated at equal distances apart, and yet admit of a lateral or side movement as easily as in any hive. The frames are far more easily removed than from the Langstroth hive, and only have one bearing upon a sharp edge at the top, where it is easily seen when putting in the frames. It is ventilated according to scien- tific principles, and never gets out of order. Now, gentlemen, have I not got the best hive ? **Oh,”’ says one, ‘‘ you have hives for sale.’’ No, not one in the United States ; but I have territory for sale (see advertisement), and it must be sold. Itis, however, my honest conviction that most of the frame hives brought before the pub- lic are too complex and difficult to operate with. As I have before said, I say again that where there is one better hive than the Langstroth, there are fifty inferior ones and fifty worthless ones. J. H. THomas. Brooklin, Ontario. : oes [For the American Bee Journal.] The Queen Nursery. Mr. Eprror :—One of your correspondents on page 256 of the American BEE JOURNAL, Vol. V.,_ gets terribly sensitive over patent rights, and especially over the Queen Nursery. He admits that ‘‘in theory the matter seems very plausible,’’ and then asks, ‘‘how about its practical applicability?’ and then proceeds to settle its practical applicability in the following logical, scientific and respectable manner : ‘‘ Two years ago, as I remember, Mr. Adam Grimm, of this place, used an arrangement substantially similar, and in so far anticipated the doctor. But he soon discontinued the use of it, as not 20 ; THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Uouny, fully answering the purpose ; and as I know Mr. Grimm to be a thorough apiarian, I can scarcely think that others will be more successful with the new device.”’ . Well, who can stand such a strong, logical, knock-down argument as the above? Friend Grimm, with a substantially similar invention. failed, therefore Dr. Davis must fail, and all o hers who have successfully used it must fail inits use! But how does Mr. Wolff know thatmy ‘‘ Pat- ented Queen Nursery’’ is substantially similar to the arrangement used by Mr. Grimm, since he never saw mine? Can he testify to facts in this case before he knows them? If we admit such testimony it might be productive of much mis- chief. ; But, again, a little variation in arrangement of similar instruments or machines may entirely change their utility in certain directions. This shows that Mr. Wolff drew his conclusions pre- maturely, before the premise was laid that would overthrow the practical utility of my invention. Mr. Wolff proceeds—‘‘ Moreover according to the description given, though we may secure an increased number of colonies, we shall not ob- tain supernumerary queens for market, unless we rear them specially, and this with more or less damage to the colony, by depriving it of its fertile queen.”’ Where did the description given say that we could not obtain supernumerary queens for mar- ket, unless we rear them specially? This is another conclusion reached before the premise is given, by me, at least. It is unfair to infer that I had given such a description, when I had not, and assume it as true before the world, and that, too, in public print, where it can Rever be fully recalled, if ever desired or required. If by my invention I can raise queens to increase colo- nies, Will it not hold good to raise supernumerary queens for market, without throwing in that word ‘‘especially,’’ to deceive the reader’s mind about the value of the Queen Nursery? Where, too, in the description given, did Mr. Wolff find that I said, or represented that the fertile queen, in order to raise Supernumerary queens, must be removed from the colony to its damage? Here is another position inferred and assumed as true, when there is nothing of the kind said by mein that description. Would not true statements and facts be better weapons to destroy my patent with? Inthe next place, Mr. Wolff proceeds to represent that Mr. Grimm ‘subsequently employed a process practically much more serviceable’? than the Queen Nur- sery, or the substantially similar arrangement of Mr. Grimm, I suppose, of course. But upon this point I shall neither affirm or deny until I know the truth. Then comes the famed counsel of Mr. Wolff, what he would do instead of em- ploying Dr. Davis’ plan. Well, I give him the privilege of ‘‘following the counsel, of his own will,’’ and let his colonies accept his proffered queen cellsas they generally do, or destroy them as they sometimes will. But now comes the horror of horrors, that ‘‘ patenting everything about bee-hives, and par- ticularly the process for raising queens. Oh, the fears of ‘‘litigation’’? and ‘‘ perplexing dis- couragement to bee-keepers,’’ when shall it end? Now, Mr. Editor, I can see no good reason why Mr. Wolff should so particularly pitch into me and my invention, unless it is found in the fact that friend Gallup told him through the May number* of the American Bee Journal that I had sent him a Queen Nursery gratis, to try. Wonder if friend Wolff would try one, if I should send him one gratis / I see no other good reason for Mr. Wolff’s ap- pearing at this particular juncture, unless, it is from his particular horror of patents. It com- pels him, as soon as the circular announcing their existence reaches him, while they are yet a good ways off, to pitch into them; and that,. too, before he has:seen them, or knows any- thing about their value, or the truth he finds set forth in the circilar about the Queen Nursery. JEWELL Davis. Charleston, Ill. Profitable Bee-keeping. Some time since we gave an account of our visit to an apiary near Springfield, Ill. Since then, the proprietors have informed us that the product of surplus honey from one hundred and twenty hives, has been about three tons and 4 half. This has been sold mostly in Chicago, St. Louis, and Springfield. One shipment was made to New York, but the returns were very unfavor- able. At the prices obtained for our own honey, averaging about twenty-two cents per pound, we should think that the above was a pretty profitable investment. There are several extensive apiaries in our own county. Mr. Salisbury, of Tolono, has over two hundred swarms. Dr. Chaffee, of the same place, has a large number. Mr. Porter, at St. Joe, Mr. M. lL. Dunlap, at Champaign, and Mr. Cherry, at Mahomet, all have quite a large num- ber of hives: and we believe they find it so profit- able, that they are not yet ready to abandon the business. There are a dozen or more persons of our acquaintance who have from ten to fifty swarms, who intend to increase the number the coming season. By artificial swarming none are lost; and by using the honey-extracting machine, a much larger quantity of honey can be stored in a given time. The honey is thrown out of the comb by centrifugal force, and the empty comb is then returned to the hive. Some wise ‘‘beeman’’ has estimated that it requires a consumption of fourteen pounds of honey to make one pound of comb. If this be true, it is easily seen that a large saving will be made by using the honey-emptier. Much has been said of late years about the value of Italian bees, while there are some who claim that they can and do gather more honey than the black bees. Our experience does not confirm this. The principal value of their intro- duction, in our opinion, consists in diffusing new blood by crossing. Bees, like everything else, deteriorate by in an in breeding.—Champaign County (Ills.) Gazette, March 9, 1870. * It is only justice to Mr. Wolff to state that his com- munication was in our hands before the May number of the Journal was published, though received too late tor insertion in that number.—En. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 21 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, July, 1870. [Ss In compliance with the request of many new subscribers, we insert this month cuts illustrative of Mr. Alley’s modification of the Langstroth hive, with a description of its construction and arrange- ment, prepared at our instance by Mr. Alley. The * BIENENSTOCK”’ is a German monthly devoted to bee-culture, published at Allentown, Pa., by Joseph Kilian, at $1.50 a year. Though it has reached us irregularly and late, and the third number failed en- tirely, the paper appears now to have got fairly under way, and well merits a liberal patronage from Ger- man bee-keepers—of whom there is a large number in the United States. The *‘ Pouttry BULLETIN,”? is a new monthly issued in New York, by the Executive Committee of the New York State Poultry Society, at $1 a year. It is in competent hands, and must be interesting and valuable to all who keep poultry, whether for pleasure or profit. Death of James T. Langstroth. We are pained to hear, as this number of tbe Jour- nal goes to press, of the death of James T. Lana- sTROTH, the only son of the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, of Oxford, Ohio, which occurred at Greenfield, (Mass.,) on the 14th instant. We had learned that he was very ill, and it was not probable he would recover or long surviye, but were not prepared to hear so soon of his death. We regret that he was cut off thus early in his career of usefulness, and sincerely con- dole with his bereaved parents on their irreparable loss. —— Though we have selected and translated for this number of the Journal, two articles on the modes of securing large crops of honey, it is with no desire or expectation than American bee-keepers should adopt either in detail in their practice, or follow them em- perically. Our purpcse is rather to illustrate by ex- ample some of the chief principles involved, that these being once clearly apprehended may serve to guide beginners intelligently in their operations, leav- ing them free to make such modifications or devia- tions as shall, on reflectiou, seem to them expedient or likely to prove advantageous. We intended last month to say that we shall be pleased to receive further communications from Southern correspondents.. We need more information concerning bee-culture in the ‘“‘sunny South,’ where | it should be making more progress than it appears to be doing. It is hard to understand why it is thus laggard in a section of country where bee pasturage is so abundant, so diversified, and so prolonged. May it not be because most of the more intelligent class of the community there have not hitherto given the subject deserved attention—have not in fact, made it astudy? It may be that, for the South, some peculiar mode of management is needed—a special adaptation of what has been gained from experience and observation. If so, frequent and full discussion of the methods and processes prevalent there in practice, would probably elicit suggestions leading to a beneficial change. From a recent careful enumeration it appears that in the City of Nuremberg and the eighty-four villages in the immediate neighborhood of that city three thousand and fie hives of bees are kept. Of these eleven hundred and eighty are movable comb hives, and the remainder ordinary box or straw hives. Bees in Bavaria. According to the official returns for the year 1863 (the latest published), the number of colonies of bees in the kingdom of Bavaria, was as follows :— UppemBavaris aficdca i See eyes 52,665 Lower Bavaria ....... eres 31,435 Bavarian Palatinate... ........ 21,074 Topper Palatinate. ce » ss,0% « 22,861 Upper Branconiagiy.ic.. . eek. 16,100 Middle: Franconia... s.5 6. bes 25,763 mower Nranconia...)s.5. cuscs 28,567 Suabia and Neuburg .......... 34,874 5 Patalini seas cxiasore: 230,139 OS- Herartu & Home for this week (dated June 25th), contains the first of a series of sketches en- titled Jethro Throop’s Night Thoughts, by Joun THOMAS, who is no other than PeTRoLetm V. Naspy The great humorist will take an honest country boy to the city, conduct him through the usual experience, and restore him to his home a sadder and wiser boy, satisfied that the peaceful, honest, and temperate life of the farmer is the best and safest life that can be lived. This is a lesson greatly needed at this time, and NasBy is the man to teach it. >> ¢- CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. NATCHEZ, Miss., May 21.—I believe it is acknowl- edged by apiarians that next to movable frames, ranks the invention of the honey extractor. Some- time since, I ordered one from Mr. J. L. Peabody, Virden, Il., which reached me on the 19th of April and wasat once putinuse. I am highly pleased with it, it came fully up to my expectations, and would recommend it as being superior to any I have yet seen constructed on any other plan.—Last year I had in use one made after the first designs published, and used it successfully, but have now cast it aside. I would suggest, however, that the wire cloth used 22 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JULY, should be ofa mesh not more than six to the inch which I find to work far more satisfactorily than finer cloth, especially in extracting thick honey. The swarming season with me is now ended. With few exceptions, all my swarms have issued naturally. I never have any first swarms to leave without set- tling, and that without noise of any kind, giving ample time to secure them. My apiary now numbers eighty hives—six not haying swarmed yet. My purest Italian stock threw out a very large swarm on the 27th of March; and on the 30th of April this new stock threw out a swarm, after first filling several boxes with beautiful surplus honey—the old queen leading both swarms. This is another recommenda- tion for the Italians. Of the remainder of the hives in the apiary, the first swarms commenced issuing on the 6th of April, and were hybrids—the blacks coming out some days later. Our spring has been backward. Honey gathering was good three weeks ago, but on account of a very dry spell, with cool nights, the bees are accumulating nothing now. For a week past the drones in most of the hives have been driven out. June has always been a good honey gathering month here. I have ob- served that about the middle of July the queens cease laying almost entirely, and every available cell is filled with honey throughout the hive. After that period no more surplus honey is accumulated, though an abundance is to be had to supply their wants until winter comes on.—JoHN R. BLEDSOR. KwnigutTstown, Inp., May 31.—We have had a very dry spring so far. In fact we had only about two inches of rain fall in the last two months; and the flowers do not secrete honey as if the weather had been warm and moist. But in the last few days the nights have been cool, and there seems to be a differ- ence in the working of our bees. So far the weather has been rather unfavorable to bee-keeping, this spring. There appears to be a fine crop of white clover bloom, but the bees have not stored any honey from it yet. I hope for the better.—J. C DEEM. _ KINGSVILLE, Mo., June 4.—Bees came out strong here this spring and bid fair to do well, but the weather has been so very dry for some time past until a few days back, that they have not yet commenced swarming. Bee-men in this section seem to be taking more interest in their bees than usual, though few have yet obtained the Italian bee yet, and the common drum or box-hiveis still almost universally used. Dur- ing the past two seasons, however, a few have been using the movable comb-hives, and are delighted with them.—This spring the country is flooded with all manner of patent hives. Nearly all, if not all, have their moth traps connected with them, warranted to out-wit the miller in his efforts to get into the hive. I regard the traps as humbugs, and most of the hives. —D. B. Reavis. West CHESTER, Conn., June 6.—In the Bez Jour- NAL the machine for emptying honey from comb, has many commendations, and about as many names— namely, honey-emptying machine, honey extractor, honey slinger, melextractor, smelatore, &c.,&c. Now, why not call it Hruschka (pronounced Rooshka). Many have had their names attached to their inyen- tions. Daguerre has his name immortalized, in the daguerreotype, and bee-keepers will doubt whether his inventicn is more of a boon to humanity than that of Major Von Hrushka. I wish we might hear no more of honey slingers, melextractors, &c., but instead thereof let us have Rooshka, an honor justly due to the illustrious inventor of a most valuable machine.—W. H. Kirk. New BeEeprorpD, Mass., June 8.—I received the last number of your interesting and valuable paper to-day, and hasten to send the subscription for Vol. VI. My friends say that I have ‘‘ bee on the brain ;” but ifbeing exceedingly interested in the wonderfuland invaluable instincts of the bee is bee on the brain, I confess to the disease. If, however, they would take the Jour- nal, and read it as carefully as I do, they also would suffer the same malady. Ithink mow that they begin to show incipient symptoms, for several have applied for swarms; andthe next stage will be the applica- tion for the Journal. Bees have swarmed earlier and better so far, this season, than for quite a number of years, in this lo- cality.—E. P. ABBE. SPRINGFIELD, ILus., June 10.—We appreciate the Journal here, and like it for its independence and freeness from axe-grinding ; and sincerely hope the subscription list will soon warrant the issue of a semi- monthly or weekly. Spring opened early and dry here. Bees come out of winter quarters in good condition. Blossoms lasted only a short time, owing to the drouth. Bees are strong in numbers, but backward about swarming.— G. AYRES. DANVERS, MASs., June 18.—The season has again arrived when those who keep bees expect to get some profit from them, either in swarms or honey, and perhaps some account of our success or failure might not be uninteresting to your readers. Our first swarm of bees was found on a heap of brush on the first day of July, 1857. No schoolboy was prouder with his first jacknife, than we when we carried home our first swarm. The next year our hive swarmed once, and from so small a beginning, we have continued bee-keeping, with various results. We have purchased six Italian queens, and have at this time nine Langstroth hives. Last fall we had eighteen colonies. Five of them being out of doors, we concluded to winter them in a building, it being a large out-house clap-boarded and pretty warm. Those wintered in this outhouse came out all well, and of those wintered in bee-houses, we lost two, making our stock in the spring sixteen hives. We have had, to this time, seven swarms. Twocame out yesterday at about the same time, and went together. Our stocks are all in good condition, and the bees are working in the surplus honey boxes, except those just swarmed. We had one swarm issue on the 20th of May, but the queen being heavy, fell to the ground, avd the swarmreturned. Having found the queen, we drove a swarm out, and by exchanging the old stock with another strong colony, brought them into good condition again. There is every prospect at this time of a good honey harvest here in Massachusetts, for which we most de- voutly hope, as we have not had a really good honey season for five years. Andnow, Mr. Editor, the time has arrived to renew our subscription for the Baz JOURNAL, for I do not see how we can do without it. You need not be afraid that I will mistake your Brzr JOURNAL for any other, for there is no other good one that I know of. Ienclose two dollars for the sixth volume, and wish you all success in your undertak- ing.—E. E. PorTER. Foxsoro’, Mass, June 18.—¥nclosed please find two dollars, in advance payment for the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL for the ensuing year. I have at various times during the past year thought of wri/ing a series of articles for your Journal, but business has so driven me that I have been unable to do anything in that line. ‘ The last season, as every bee-keeper knows, was a very poor one; but I was successful enough to carry all my stock, by seeing in September, that they were well supplied and fed. This spring has opened finely. The blossoms never seemed to yield so bravely, and 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. : 23 now the white clover is setting in very thickly; and if nothing “turns up,” the honey season of 1870 will be the best of the decade. In my experiments in testing the virgin drone theory I have gone three generations, and find no change. I have to-day a queen of Dzierzon stock mated with a black drone, whose drones are the only one which I have allowed within miles of my experi- menting stock. These drones have fertilized succes- sively three generations of queens from the same stock, and the last generation shows as fully striped and handsome colored bees as you ever saw, although I do not think they are very smart, owing to being bred “in andin.’’ Lut the above facts I[know; and they prove to me that the drone egg is in no way affected by copulation.—J. E. Ponp, JR. Vrrvu..e4, TENN., June 13.—I am largely engaged in bee-culture, and haye nearly all the reliable books on the subject, but prefer the Journal to them all.— J. M. BELL. KLEINBURG, CANADA, June 13.—The wintering of bees last season, in this locality, so far as I can learn was truly a calamity, in consequence of the scarcity of stores through the wet and cold weather we had here last year. When I discovered that mine were short of stores, I prepared syrup of clean coffee sugar, as I got no honey, and fed them. But unfortunately I waited too long in the fall, as I still hoped the bees might collect supplies enough to carry them through the winter. Nosooner had they taken up what was provided by the hand of their keeper, than cold weather ensued and prevented them from sealing it up. Iam of opinion that I had better not given them any syrup, as that would have saved trouble and use- less expense; but one who admires such an insect as the industrious honey bee, will do all in his power to preserve them, if it be possible. If I had anticipated any bad result from feeding them so late that they could not seal it up, I] am sure it would have been done earlier. It is true Il have been in possession of the theoretical knowledge that bees should be fed, if necessary, early enough to enable them to seal up what is given, while warm weather continues ; but unfortunately none of the authors on bee matters that I haye read, made it a point of such great importance as it appears to be. They merely say that it ought to be done, but do not state the disastrous conse- quences of feeding so late that the sealing cannot take place ; andthusI did not expect that the result would be so bad, as in many things no ill accrues from slight deviations or neglect. I may now say, how- ever, that if the feeding is not done so ear:y that the bees can seal up what is-given, the best way is to let it alone; for, as far as my experience goes, it is cer- tain death to do it up as in my case. Wiil it do to feed bees for winter with clean brown sugar syrup? I never saw or heard the contrary urged, except on doubtful authority. And how should syrup be prepared to prevent crystalization? ‘This is another important point. Inever was able to pro- duce such an article even with glycerine, prepared according to a correspondent of the Journal in the number for April. But as Ihave not tried the syrup . inside the hive, I cannot say positively that the gly- cerine is no prevention of crystalization. I made some and kept it in a bowl standing for three weeks, and it began to crystalize. Now would such an article be fit to feed bees on for winter? I should be glad‘to hear something on that point, as I am deeply in- terested, and so, I am sure, are many more of the numerous readers of the Journal.—C. WuRSTER. Port CiinTon, Ouro, June 16.—Bees are doing well here—swarming and storiug honey in boxes.— P.8. VAN RENSSELAER. MINNESOTA CITY, MINN., June 16.—Bees doing very well here at present. have swarmed five times. Bees are at work in sur- plus boxes now. If everything runs smooth, or we do not have any drought to cut off the pasture, we shall get a good yield of honey. Ishall keep a re- cord of ail the honey stored this season. I wish all the bee-keepers would do the same, and report this fall. So hurrah for the OLD AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL and its readers.—W. RowLeEr. are Some Italian stocks Satem, N. C. June 18.—The spring opened with as fine prospects for bees, as I ever saw ; and continued so until the 20th of May. Since that time we have had an abundance of rain, which has retarded swarming very much. I have had about forty-five swarms this sea- son, and have some fifty old stocks that have not swarmed yet.—J. W. HUNTER. ees — [For the American Bee Journal.] The Honey Extractor. I see that friend Argo sort of hints that he wants Gallup to say something about the honey slinger. Ihave one of the Peabody machines. After seeing the description of the various kinds that is my choice. And, come to see the critter and work it, I really cannot wish for a better. Understand that there is no machinery about it; actually nothing to get out of repair, and it works like a charm. It will last any man his lifetime, providing he dies in any decent sea- son; orif he should take a notion to live ano- ther generation, I thing the machine would still be there and ready to do service. And now, fur how L have been using the animal. The season has been unusually good thus far; and when I have taken out two frames of brood from one of my hives and supplied their places with two empty combs, the bees would fill them with honey and in many cases two or three times, before I could bring the queen up to the scratch to fill them with eggs ; and I could sling the honey out ina jiffey. In other cases, where a natural swarm has issued, before the young queen has com- menced depositing eggs, every available cell would be occupied with honey; and the way I made the honey fly was a caution to old brim- stone times. Here in the two cases above stated, we can see a practical use for the machine, at least I can ; and can see in other cases that an Extractor is actually indispensable. , The won- der is, how we ever got along without it. I find that honey of the present season’s gath- ering can be extracted until the comb is left al- most perfectly dry. But honey that has remained in the hive from last season’s gathering, cannot be taken out so clean, yet the most of it can be taken out. I have tried a couple of combs of last season’s gathering, just to see how it would work. On the day I triéd it the weather was quite cool—rather too cool for opening hives and working the extractor. Still 1 wished to try it under the most unfavorable as well as the most favoiable circumstances. Hurrah for the OLD AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL —THE OLD STAND BY; the Honey Slinger ; and the season of 1870! If the season holds out as it has commenced, I am all hunk-a-dori ! ELIsHaA GALLUP. Orchard, Mitchell Co., Iowa. 24 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JuLyY. [For the American Bee Journal.) Remarks on Wintering, &e. Mr. Epiror :—Having been so pressed with work in connection with honey extractors, hive making, and the care of an increasing apiary, I have not contributed anything, good, bad, or in- different, to our valuable Journal, for some time. In the June number I find that many lost their bees the past winter. Let me give you my ex- perience in wintering. As I stated in the Janu- ary number, I wintered over seven swarms to start with in the spring of 1869, and increased them to twenty-five that season. They had nearly all twelve frames of comb each. In the fall I emptied the honey from enough combs with the honey extractor, to place three empty ones (combs) in the centre of each hive, and though they were rather weak in numbers, I did not lose a single swarm. They stood out all winter on their summer stands. Two-thirds of them had double cased hives; and those were in better condition than the single inch hives. One hive had three apartments, with three to four frames only in each, divided with one inch divi- sion boards. They came through in fine condi- tion with three queens each. Having plenty of empty comb, and no more honey than they needed, they were stronger than I ever knew them to be at swarming time. I went over them often, inserting an empty comb between two full ones (of brood) which kept the queen laying egos to her full capacity. I neve rsaw bees store honey at this season of the year, as they do at present. Inserting empty frames between full ones, the bees build a large part drone comb and fill it with honey di- rectly. But by emptying the best worker comb with the extractor, gives the queen room to lay her full quota. The Honey Extractor has been proved to be indispensable to successful bee- culture. I am sorry to hear of Novice’s repeated misfor- tunes; but hope he will take friend Argo’s hint as to the day he writes on, and perhaps he will be more successful in future. Ihave now twenty new swarms, up to June 10th, and some of my first new swarms are strong enough to divide again. J. L. PEABopy. Virden, Ills. {For the American Bee Journal.] Quinby’s Queen-Yard and Hive. Mr. Eprtor :—Your correspondent ‘‘ Tyro,”’ seems not to understand how to make or use ‘‘Quinby’s queen-yard.’? For his benefit let me say the ‘“‘yard”’ is simply a box eighteen (18) inches square, (or less if you wish, ) and three (3) inches high, made as follows: Take half- inch board or strip, three inches wide, and saw two pieces eighteen inches long, and two seven- teen inches long. Nail the longer ones on the ends of the short ones, to form the sides of a box ; and nail on a bottom board of thin lumber. Tack strips of tin two inches wide and eighteen inches long around the top, projecting inward. Cut a hole or holes in one end of the box, corres- ponding with the entrance hole or holes to your hive, so that the top of the bottom board of the box will come even with the bottom of the en- trance to your hive. Place the box in front of the hive, tight to it—may hold it with a screw— so that no bee can leave or enter the hive with- out passing through the box. If your queen’s wings are clipped she cannot leave, to lead off a swarm. She will run outinto the yard, but will be compelled to return to the hive. Though the bees have clustered somewhere, they will re- turn. It worked so well last year that I have them on all my hives this year. Novice’s plan of let- ting the queen run out, and finding her, will do, if he always knows when they swarm; but with the yard I need not hunt her up, and she must return whether I am at home or not. And now, Mr. Editor, I wish I could say as much in favor of The Quinby Hive. If Novice suffered no greater loss than that of his Quinby hive, he need not feel much regret. I am sorry to say that I have one that I should be right glad to dispose of for twenty per cent. of first cost. I do not profess to know all about bees or bee- hives, and that may account for my not appre- ciating this hive. The only redeeming feature that I can see in this hive, is the surplus box room ; and that is no better than, if as good as, Hazen’s. As to its being a movable comb.or frame hive, that is quite a joke! True theframes are there ; and as it now stands—empty—I can take them out and put them back, tins and all, in from fif- teen to twenty-five minutes. But if it were full of combs and bees, and each crack and crevice glued, as they will be after one season’s use, what then? ‘Oh, who could the mighty task per- form ?’’ Let me see, there are twenty-eight (28) strips of tin to be removed, every time you handle the frames ; one-half of those from grooves between the ends of the frames, and the others on top. And all this merely to avoid Langstroth’s patent! I don’t wonder that Mr. Quinby refuses to publish a full description, measurement and all, of his hive. There mine stands, in the barn. What shall Ido with it. Ah, I am resolved what to do— put a swarm in it, and then cultivate patience in manipulating it. Happy thought ! A. C. MANWELL. Whitewater, June 10, 1870. Hive Bers Devourgep sy Hornetrs.—The Paper Hornet ( Vespa Maculata: often enters my nucleus hives,.when I am rearing Italian queen bees, and captures the young queen in the midst of her little colony ; usually just after she has commenced her first laying. I have seen this depredator enter the small hive, drag out the queen, and fly away with her to the woods.— JARED P. KrrTLAND, in American Naturalist. AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. AUGUST, ~ 170. No. 2. [Translated for the Americau Bee Journal.) Practical Bee Culture. PuRE FERTILIZATION CON TROLLABLE.—A Huovn- GARIAN PROCESS The Bienenzeitung contains the following communication from Mr. Semlitsch, one of its most intelligent correspondents, as well as one of the most experienced practical apiarians in Germany. Some time ago the Chevalier de Azula informed me that a Mr. John Dax, of Gins, in Hungary, employéd a means of securing the fertilization of a queen bee, under his immediate supervision, by any drone he chose to select. He stated that Mr. Dax cut out a queen cell on the day before the young queen would mature, placed it ina queen cage, and let the queen emerge therein ; then transferring her with a few workers to an appropriate case, introduced a drone and fertiliza- tion speedily followed. ; Acting on this information, I made several experiments last spring, but failed in every instance. Then having occasion, early in au- tumn, to make an excursion to Penkafeld, in Hungary, I coneluded to extend my jaunt nine leagues further and proceeded to Guns. I here found Mr. Dax, who received me very cordially and readily communicated much interesting in- formation gathered by him in the course of forty years’ experience in practical bee-culture —besides giving me an opportunity to examine a manu- script treatise prepared by him, embracing his observations and opinions, arranged under the head of 136 questions and answers, being literally a bee-keeper’s catechism. Of course the pure fertilization of queen bees, and the means of securing it, soon became the subject of our conversation; and he unre- servedly communicated how he procecded to accomplish that object. As he generously - allowed me also to impart the information to others, I now proceed to do so for the benefit of ‘bee-keepers generally.—The importance of the discovery, in case the process proves to be reliable, induces me to make it known at once, though I should have preferred to test it previously more thoroughly myself, under proper conditions. The few experiments which I could as yet.make, failed, as it seemed to me, only because the weather was then so cold that I could not keep the embryo queens from becoming chilled in the cells ; but that it is practicable to procure the fertilization of queens, by the method employed by Mr. Dax, using the requisite precautions, I regard as unquestionably true. I proceed to details. For our purpose we need, first of all, acommon cylindrical wire gauze queen cage, fastened securely to the middle of a piece of board + inch thick, and having a 3 inch hole through its centre. _This board must be sufficiently large to cover the hole in the top of the hive. A second similar board serves to have a queen cell attached to its under side with melted wax, and is laid on the first mentioned board, with the queen cell passing through the ? inch hole—thus closing the queen cage. Next we need a tin plate six or seven inches square perforated with numerous holes so small that a worker bee cannot pass through. And finally we need a four-sided case of wire gauze or a glass cylinder, six inches wide and six or seven inches high, open at top and bottom, and having within on one side, three or four inches from the bottom, a wooden peg or spear on which a small piece of honey comb may be suspended. These are all the requisite materials. When we are having queens reared, it is important that we should note the day on which the cells are sealed. On thesecond day thereafter cut out a queen cell, attach it by means of melted wax to the under side of the second board above described. Then inverting the board pass the cell through the ? inch hole of the first mentioned board, into the queen cage, so placing the board that the cell shall be freely suspended in the cage, with room all around and below, for the young queen to emerge when mature. With the second board then placed on the first, the queen cage is perfectly closed. Now open the hole in the top of the hive, and place the board on it, with the attached queen cage passing down into the hive as far as the board to which it is fastened will permit. Close all crevices tightly, and cover the whole with a piece of blanket doubled and securely fastened. By lifting the blanket and raising the upper board to which the queen cell is attached we may at any time ascertain whether the queen has emerged or not. On finding that she has left the cell, we wait four or five days longer, or more Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 296 precisely, from after the third till the first fine, warm and favorable day that occurs, such as young queens themselves select for their bridal _ excursions. On sucha day, we lift out the queen cage with all its adhering bees, cover the hole in the top of the hive with the perforated tin plate, and set the wire gauze case or glass cylinder on it; thrust into it the adhering ‘bees from the queen cage, liberate the queen, let her pass down among the bees, and cover the top of the case o1 cylinder. There ought to be somewhat more than a hundred beesin the cluster. Should there not be so many, draw back the tin plate gently and let an additional number of workers pass up. Now suspend a piece of honey comb on the peg or spear, cover the case or cylinder, and place itina dark chamber. At any time between eleven o’clock in the forenoon and three o’clock in the afternoon, a ‘selected drone may be in- troduced, light partially admitted, and fertiliza- tion will soon follow. Should it not take place on the first day, the experiment must be repeated on the next, when it is almost sure to occur. Mr. Dax assures me that he had frequently used the process, and only on two or three occasions had he found it necessary to introduce a second drone, and was then invariably successful. ‘* Make the trial,’’ said he, ‘‘it will not fail.’’ Apart from the undoubted credibility of Mr. Dax, other strong reasons lead us to presume that a successful result would follow a properly made experiment. Why does not fertilization take place within the hive itself? Evidently because in the crowded condition of a colony it could not be effected without interference, leading to commotion which might endanger the life of the queen. This being sv, natural instinct has provided that, for this purpose, the queen shall leave her hive Even should the bee-keeper undertake to interpose in the ordinary manner, by catching, confining and removing the queen, she would still be filled with alarm, and all her efforts would be directed to effect ler escape and return to her hive—excitement and anxiety dispelling every other passion or natural impulse. Whether a queen thus removed be liberated in a roomy chamber and permitted to fly among workers and selected drones, or allowed to fly in the open air, re- strained only bya silken string, the desired result will rarely be attained. But by the method em- ployed by Mr. Dax, the queen becomes neither alarmed nor excited, for she is born in a state of confinement ; and when permitted to mingle with a limited number of workers, she feels herself free and companionable, yielding readily to her natural impulse to provide for the growth of the small colony. If now a mature drone be intro- duced, fertilization will almost certainly follow, because, from the small number of workers present, clustered too, for the most part on the inserted honey comb, no interference or disturb- ance need be apprehended. Such are the grounds which induce me confidently to expect a successful result. But what is to be done when the hives have no opening at the top, or having one, have still a vacant space between it and the ranges of combs below? With hives of this kind I made my unsuccessful experiments. In these cases, I THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, pushed the last two combs so far aside that the cage containing the queen cell could be inserted in the vacuum; and that the remainder of the space might not remain unoccupied, I cut out two additional ’ queen cells, caged and inserted theminlike manner. As the base board of each queen cage was three inches square, tle three just filled out the width of the hive, which was nine inches. This, and the cold weather then prevalent, may have been the cause that the embryo queens did not hatch; they probably - became chilled. They failed to emerge, and as fall pasturage was then still abundant, the workers built a comb to each cage and filled it with honey. My second attempt was made with a queen cell in the top opening of a straw hive, which moreover contained a queen. The bees paid no attention to the cell thus placed overhead, and consequently nothing came of it. Next spring 1 shall prepare for the hives having a honey chamber in the top, a division board 1} inch thick, with a suitable centre hole, substituting it for the ordinary top division board, for the pur- pose of experiment. If I should then also separate the honey chamber by means of a elazed division frame, I may possibly be able to dispense with the wire gauze case or glass cylinder. But in such case the tin plate must have precisely the length of the common top division boards, and take the place of the division board with the central hole. A. SEMLITSCH. Strasegang, Nov. 11, 1869. —__-—_—__——-¢-« {Translated for the American Bee Journal. From the Bie- nenzeitung. | ? Bees in Abyssinia, The war waged by England against King Theo- dore attracted public attention in a high degree to that remarkable country, Abyssinia; but among bee-keepers few, even of those well in- formed of the interesting advances and improve-~ ments in bee-culture effected within a few years past, will have surmised that that country, de- scribed as so beautiful and surpassingly fertile, may possess peculiar interest for them. Yet Abyssinia is in truth the very sees of the honey bee and her friends. Old Bochar, genuine Frenchman as he was, years ago pointed out that country to my notice when he quoted from Lobo’s ‘‘ Travels in Abys- sinia in 1728,” a glowing account of the bees, the hives, and the honey there found ; and, thus excited, I eagerly desired and sought for further information. In that very unpretentious and thoroughly truthful little volume, ‘‘ Haperience in Abyssinia, from 1858 to 1868,”’ by Thomas Waldmeier, pub- lished at Basil by C. F. Spittler, in 1869, I found this incidental remark—‘‘ Nearly every country- man keeps bees.’’ This induced me to seek for further particulars. Waldmeier was edu- cated at the Crishona, near Basil, and had been recommended to King Theodore as missionary- mechanic, by the Pr otestant bishop Goburt of Jer usalem. He occupied an important position 1870.] under King Theodore, and was highly instru- mental in bringing the Abyssinian troubles to a favorable issue. He now resides at Beiruth, awaiting an opportunity to return safely to the country in which he suffered much and for which he feels a strong predilection. I applied to him for information respecting the bees found there and the kind of management there prevalent.”’ He favored me with the following letter, which I desire to communicate to bee-keepers generally, through the columns of the Bienenzeitung. He writes under date of March 5, 1870.— ** There are two species of honey bees found in Abyssinia. The one is the domestic or small Egyptian bee ; the other, the still more diminu- tive wild bee, somewhat resembling a large winged ant. The former abounds in the coun- try, the latter is comparatively rare, not being cultivated. In general the flora of Abyssinia offers to the bees the most ample pasturage, and accordingly honey is abundant in that country. There are three honey harvests annually, and the bee-keeper calculates on obtaining about sixteen pounds of honey on each occasion, or forty-eight pounds a year from every gaff or colony. The first harvest occurs in November, the second in February, and the third in July— the honey differing according to the season. That obtained in November, immediately after the close of the rainy season, when pasturage is rich and ample, is bright-yellow, transparent, with an aromatic sweetish bitter taste. Peculiar sanative qualities are ascribed to this honey. That procured in February is dark brown and has a raw taste. Not much of it is eaten, as it is generally used for making wine. That ob- tained in July is yellowish or cream-colored, oftentimes snow-white, and is called virgin honey. Most of this is produced in the valleys and low grounds. At harvesting, not much honey is left in the hives for the use or support of the bee. Usually all of it is taken, and the bees left to provide for themselves. The cream-colored or white honey, which speedily candies in earthen jars, is in part eaten and in part dissolved in water and used as a drink. It is also boiled with milk, and is then regarded as nutritious for the young folks. On the whole not much honey is eaten in Abyssinia, the greater part being used in the preparation of wine (Petsh), in the following manner: Take _ one part of honey to six parts of water, mix well, and add thereto + part of the leaves of the Gesho tree (Rhamnus pauciflora) after having toasted them somewhat on a hot plate. Mix again, and expose the mass, in an earthen jug, to a moder- ate temperature. The Gesho leaves will speedily bring on fermentation, and in the course of eight days the saccharine matter of the honey will be converted into spirit, which indicate the ripeness of the wine, whereupon it is used as a drink. When well made its taste is somewhat like that of good cider. In Abyssinia none but the no- bility are permitted to drink wine ; but as Abys- sinian pride converts every Abyssinian into a nobleman, the consumption of wine, in that country, is enormous. Some, whose interest it is to intoxicate their guests quickly, use Gerona or Zaste leaves instead of those of Gesho; but those leaves are evidently of a noxious quality, THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 27 causing headache and vomiting among those who drink wine thus made. Wax is prepared only after the wine had become ripe, which is then passed through a filter or sieve whereby the wax is retained. It is then melted and made into tapers or candles, or sold for embalming the dead. The tame or domestic bee is found everywhere in Abyssinia, though it seems to prefer districts elevated about 7,000 feet above the level of the sea. The hives are made by the countrymen themselves of narrow thin slices or strips of bam- boo. They are cylindrical in shape, three feet long and fifteen or twenty inches in diameter, and closed at one end. These are coated inside with a plaster of cow dung, and when dry are ready for service. The bees are introduced in them in the usual manner, and left undisturbed till the time of harvest. The hives are never set in rows or groups, but in isolated positions around trees and rocks and on the roofs of houses. The supply of pasturage is very diversified, as vegetation is not only luxuriant but multifarious, though growing wild. In October, when the face of nature seems veiled in one mass of flowers, the wearisome monotonous yellow predominates as far as the eye can range. This is the color of the then blooming oil producing plants—over- whelming all other hues. Clover, rape, and the blossoms of fruit trees are abundant in season. Where the Euphorbeaceze abound the honey gathered from the blossoms by the bees is of a poisonous quality The wild or quite diminutive bee is entirely distinct from the tame or domestic. It is much smaller in size, and also differsin form, much re- sembling the ant. It builds its nest in the ground, at a depth of ten or twelve inches, leaving only a single opening or entrance, so narrow that not more than one bee can pass or repass at a time. Its comb is constructed like that of the common wasp. It produces a honey much in demand and highly prized. It is dark brown in color, very liquid, and has an acid, astringent, yet not unpleasant taste. It is considered a panac-a, and used in cases of inflammation of the throat, croup, and scrofulous ailments. Itactsas amild purgative, strengthens the stomach, promotes digestion, and is thought to possess singular curative qualities.. The best medicine which any Abyssinian physician can prepare for the sick is a compound of one part fifty year old butter and two parts of the wild bee’s honey ! It is called Tassme—which when well mixed, warmed, and drank by the patient re-establishes his health— such at least is the faith of the Abyssinian. KAyYsER, Pastor. Nieder- Weisel, May, 1870. See Every colony which has a new queen should be watched, in order that the apiarian may be sea- sonably apprised of her loss, and take steps to supply another. ————__ e+ ____—_- There is always some risk in making a very large colony, that they will build an excess of drone comb, if the season is very propitious for gathering honey. ol 28 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAT,. [Aueust, On the Form of Cells. MADE BY VARIOUS WASPS AND BY THE Honry BEE. By the Rev. Samuel Haughton, of Trinity College, Dublin. The geometrical form affected by the cells of various kinds of wasps and bees has attracted the attention and called forth the speculations of naturalists and geometers from the earliest periods. By one class of writers the geometrical properties of these cells have been used as proofs, not so much of the skill and instinct of-the insects, as of the wisdom and intelligence of the Creator ; while by the opposite class of writers, these same geometrical properties of the cells are alleged as a sufficient cause for the produc- tion of the insects that make them, from the advantages which these forms of cells are sup- posed to possess over other forms—advantages said to be so important as to decide the battle of life in favor of the insects that adopt the geomet- rical plan of making their cells. J have for a long time felt convinced that both parties in this controversy are in error, as men generally are when they attempt to speculate on the reasons for the existence of things ; and that the properties of the cells are only the necessary consequence of their geometrical form, which form itself is the necessary consequence of mechanical conditions totally unconnected with design, and incapable of rendering an account of the origin of the insects that make the cells. The geometrical cells of the wasps and bees that I have had an opportunity of examining, may be divided into three classes. : ist. Hexagonal cells formed by adjoining pyramidal figures, with slightly curved axes, not terminating, in a point, but in a rounded extremity. The British Tree wasp forms its pupa cells in this manner, and in consequence of the pyramidal form of the hexagonal cells, the comb opeis out on the lower side, so as to present a larger surface than on the upper side. 2d. Hexagonal cells formed of adjoining pris- matic figures, with rectilinear axis, terminated by a truntaced plane, at right angles to the axis of the prism. These cells are found in wasps’ nests from St. Lucia, in the West Indies, and at Graham’s Town in South Africa, which were placed at my disposal for th s investigation by Mr. Robert J. . Montgomery. 3d. Hexagonal cells formed of adjoin ‘ng pris- matic figures, with rectilinear axes, terminated | by three faces of a rhombic dodecahedron ; which three faces also form each one-third of the termination of a similar set of adjoining hexagonal prismatic cells, placed end to end behind the first set of prisms.—This double comb is produced by the well-known form of the cells of the honey bee. All these varieties of cells may be accounted for, simply by the mechanical pressure of the insects against each other, during the formation of the cell. In consequence of the instinct that compels them to work with reference to a plane, and of the cylindrical form of the insects’ bodies, the cells must be hexagons; and in consequence of the instinct that induces the beés to form double combs, the mutual pressure of their heads against each other compels the bottom of the cell to assume the form of a rhombic dodec- ahedron. If we could imagine spherical insects endowed with the instinct of working from a point and not a plane, their cells would cease to effect the forms of the hexagondal dodecahedron, and would imitate the totally different form of the pentagonal dodecahedron —instances of which may be seen in the bubbles produced in the froth of an organic solution, and in the shapes of the elementary cells of vegetables, equally restricted in their growth in every direction—and also in the pentagonal faces assumed by leaden bullets made to fill completely the inside of a hollow Shell, and then discharged against a bank of earth or a wall, from a mortar. On this subject I cannot do better than quote the words of Buffon, who was the first person that put forward a rational theory of the shape of the cells of bees. The opinions of older writers, especially of mathematicians, differ widely from those of Buffon, on this subject. The passage from which I quote may be found in his Histoire Naturelle, tom 4, page 99, &e. I here translate some of the most important passages bearing on this point. ‘‘The famous Pappus, of Alexandria, in the Introduction to the Fifth Book of his Mathe- matical Collections, says :—‘God has imparted to men, indeed, the best and most perfect knowl- edge of wisdom and discipline, and has assigned to some animals devoid of reason, a certain portion. To men therefore as making use of reason, He has permitted that they should do all things by reason and demonstration; but to other animals without reason, He has given the possession of what is useful and condusive to life, by a certain natural providence.’ ‘¢ Any one may understand this to be so, as well in many other kinds of animals, and more especially in bees. For order, and a. certain deference to those who rule in their republic, ambition moreover, and cleanliness, heap together an abundance of honey. But their foresight and economy concerning its conservation are much more admirable, for holding it for certain, as is just, that they carry back some portion of ambrosia from the gods to choice men, they pour it not. rashly upon the ground, or into wood or into any other unformed and misshapen matter, but collecting from the sweetest flowers that grow on the earth, they form from them most excelle: t vases as a receptacle for honey (which the Greeks call xnpia and the Latins fart; all indeed equal, similar, and cohering among themselves, of the hexagon species. Now it is thus evident that they construct. these by a certain geometrical foresight, for they consider it fit that all the figures should cohere together and have common side’, lest. anything falling into the intervening spaces, should spoil and corrupt their work. Hence three rectilinear and ordinate figures can effect what is purposed —I méan ordinate figures which are equilateral 1870. ~_ and equiangular, for ordinate and dissimilar figures did not please the bees themselves.”’ Now equilateral triangles, and squares, and hexagons, (neglecting other dissimilar figures filling spaces,) may be placed next each other, so as to have common sides—other ordinate figures cannot; for the space about the same point is filled, either by six equilateral trianvles, or by four squares, or by three hexagons; but three pentagons are less than sufficient, and four are more than sufficient, to fill the space around the point; neither can three heptagons be established so as to fill the space around a point. The same reasoning will apply much more to figures having a greater number of sides. There being, then, three figures which of themselves ean fill up the space around a point, viz.: the triangle, the square, and the hexagon, the bees have wisely selected for their structure that which contains most angles, suspecting indeed that it could hold more honey than either of the others. The bees, forsooth, know only what is useful to themselves, viz.: that the hexagon is greater than the square or triangle, and can hold more honey, an equal quantity of material being em- ployed in the construct on of each. But we, who profess to have more wisdom than the bees, will investigate something even more remarkable, viz : of three plane figures which are equilateral and equiangular, and have equal perimeters, that is always the greatest of all provided it be included in a perimeter equal to theirs. In 1712, Maraldi published in the Mremorres DE L’ ACADEMIE DES SoIEN CES, Paris 1712, page 299, a remarkable paper, in which is investigated for the first time, the term inal planes of the bee’s cell, which are now well known to be formed of the faces of the rhombic dodecahedion He appears to have believed the object of having lozenges of the same form, as terminating planes, was to enable bees to carry in their mind the idea of one geometrical form only, in addition to their original idea of the hexagon. The angles of the lozenge are found by observation to be 110° and 70°; and 109: 28’ and 70° 32’ by calcula- “tion. He gives also the following mean measure- ments of the cells :—in a foot long of comb there are 60 to 66 cells, about two lines for each cell, and the depth of the cell is five lines. Reaumur appears to have been tie first who introduces the fantastic idea of economy of wax as the motive cause of the peculiar shape of the terminating planes, and, not being a geometer, he obtained the assistance of Konig to calculate the angle of the lozen.e which should give the least surface with a given volume. Konig ~determined this angle at 109° 26’, agreeing with Maraldi within two minutes. Maclaurin published in the Philosophical Transactions, 1748, page 565, an elaborate geo- metrical paper on the subject, in which he proves that the tangent of the angle in question is the square root of 2, and that it is the efore equal to 109" 28’ 16” ; and he computes the saving of wax as almost one-fourth part of the pains and expense of wax they bestow, above what was necessary for completing the parallelogram side of the cells. THE AMERICAN BEK JOURNAL. 29 L’Hullier, in 1781, published in the BERLIN Memoirs page 277, an elaborate discussion of the entire problem, in which he arrived at the following results, already found by Maclaurin’s geometrical method. a, That the economy of wax is less than one- fifth of what would make a flat base. b, That the economy of wax referred to the total expenditure is ,st, so that the bees can make 51 cells instead of 50, by the adoption of the rhombic dodecahedron. He does not share in the enthusiasm of the naturalist, but maintains and proves that the mathematician could make cells of the same form as those of the bees, which instead of using only a minimum of wax, would use a minimum- minimorum, so that five cells could be made of less wax than that which now makes only four, instead of fifty-one out of fifty. Notwithstanding this conclusive decision in favor of the mathematicians, the advoeates of final cause, and those who maintain that economy of wax can create a new species, have both per- sisted in using the bee’s cell in illustration of their respective theories, with a pertinacity that proves the persistent vitality of exploded theory. In fact the whole question of the economy of wax, like other such questions, requires a thorough sifting. To my mind it is evident that economy of wax has nothing to do with the making of the Lee’s cells ; but that this and other properties necessarily reside in the bee’s cell, because they are inherent properties of the rhombic dodecahedron. The true cause of that shape is, the crowding together of the bees at work, jostling and elbowing each other, as was first shown by Buffon. From this crowding together they cannot help making cells with dihedial angles of 120° of the rhombic dodeca- hedron ; and the economy of wax has nothing to do with the origen of the cells, but is a geometrical property of the figure named — Annals of Natural History, Third S ries, Vol. XI. ee [For the American Bee Journal.] Th: Sting of the Honey Ber. Mr. -Eprror :—In the summer of 1868, at sev- eral different times, when stung by a bee, I noticed, that in extracting the sting a portion of it would remain in the wound; that the part remaining fixed in the flesh was much finer in size and sometimes fully as long as the portion removed, and it appeared also<:o be atube pulled out of the main sting, much in the manner of the working of a telescope, and which I thought to be the form of its construction, particu- larly as I had read in several places that such was its working. This led me to give the bee sting a thorough examination recently, with a powerful microscope then in my _ possession. The result has proved to me several interesting facts, which I have never seen published any where, and thinking they might be interesting to the readers of your valuable journal, I have taken the liberty of detailing them and forward- ing them to you. The bee sting, in the first place, is not a per- 30 fect tube, nor does it work with a telescope motion, strictly speaking. It is a complex instrument, being composed of three distinct parts, of which the sheath forms one. These three parts join near the edges, and form a tube which, viewed sectionally, has the shape of a triangle, the angles being rounded off. The sheath, near its point, is narrow, but grows wider towards its base, where it gradually embraces the remaining parts, thereby keeping them in place in their working. Near each edge Bee sting magnified. In this positiom of the sting the barbs are not seen, of the inner or hollow side of the sheath, runs a ridge which fits a corresponding groove in each of the other parts. Near its point, which is rounded rather bluntly, it is armed with two feeble sets of barbs, numbering as many as four in each set. © The base of the sting or sheath is large, being broad and somewhat flattened, with an oblong hollow, which constitutes a receptacle for the poison just previous to injection in the wound. The other two parts constitute the sting proper, THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. a F f p i | ; b 4 [Aveust, and in a sectional view are semicircular, the upper edges being thicker than the lower ones, and squared to each other, one of the edges | having a projection extending along the under or inner portion of it, thereby forming a rabbet along which the opposite part freely moves. The undex, or inner edge of-each of these parts tapers down to extreme thinness, while near the tir- mination of the edge, there runs a minute groove which corresponds with the ridge mentioned in the description of the sheath, and along which SSSz css SFFTZ3 Ee e ee Point of Bee sting highly magnified. the parts move freely. Each of these parts proper tapers down to an exceedingly fine point. Near the point begin the barbs, which in some stings number as many as ten, extending along the sting nearly one-half its length, and are well defined. The parts are of a horny consistency, of a deep red color, and transparent, they are also hollow along the greater portion of their length, intended perhaps to combine lightness and strength. The two chief parts at the base of the sting 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 9 v 1 gradually assume a nearly round and tubular form, each terminating beyond the base of the sting within the body of the bee and has an arm attached to it at right angles which forms a part of the muscular mechanism by which their move- ment is effected. Also, to each of the chief parts, and located in the cavity formed at the base of the sheath, is attached a plano-convex valve, the convexity of which is adapted to the inner side of this recep- tacle, and they occupy about one half of the space therein. When the sting is in action, each of > vars Sectional view of the parts of a Bee sting. Bee sting magnified, showing the barbs. the chief parts is thrust out and withdrawn, alternately ; so that when working its way into a wound, the valves by their action force out the poison which fills the cavity, and which is 1e- ceived from a sac situated apart from the base of the sting. The poison readily passes along the tube (which is a continuation of the cavity) and finds its way into the wound with great facility, owing to the peculiar formation of the sting. It may often happen that one or both of the chief parts of the sting are left in the wound, when the sheath is withdrawn, but are rarely perceived on account of their minuteness, the person stung congratulating himself at the same time that the sting has been extracted. I have had occasion to prove this fact repeatedly, in my own person and others. Very recently a bee stung me immediately under the left eyebrow. It was perhaps fifteen seconds before the sting | | | | | | : | | | | was extracted, when I at once put it under the microscope and found that both of the chief parts were wanting, having been torn away near the base. They unquestionably were left in the flesh, which caused me additional pain and swelling. This peculiarity of the sting renders it a formidable weapon, and may perhaps account in some measure for those deaths from the sting of a-bee, lately recorded as having occurred in this country. Icertainly dread them more now Point of Bee sting highly magnified, showing the barbs. than before my investigation, theugh ordinarily we find no serious results ensue, owing no doubt to the fact that the substance of the sting, on account of its nature, is readily dissolved by the fluids of the body—consequently giving irritation as a foreign body for only a short time compara- tively. The sting, when boiled in water, be- comes tender and easily crushed. When stung, a person should instantly extract the sting, should it be left by the bee in the flesh, as it continues its workine motion for several seconds after being torn from the body of the bee, and thereby gradually buries itself so deep as generally to make it impossible to withdraw all of it. Natchez, Miss. J. R. BLEDSOE. 32 [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice, AND THE MONTH OF JUNE, 1870. DEAR Bre JourRNAL :—If we mistake not, it was George Washington, who, in laying down rules for his future conduct, deduced from past experience, said—‘‘Never repeat or tell, ¢n the presence of strangers, any fact, however true it may be, that seems very improbable.’’ Now, what we say here, Mr. Editor, is not to strangers, is it? We are all friends here in the dear old (as some one calls it) BEE JOURNAL, are we not, and nearly all acquaintances? We sometimes wonder if any reader has ever followed Novice, as he often follows other correspondents, viz.: when we see something in one of their aiticles that makes us wish we knew better just what kind of persons they were. ‘Take, for instance, the old back numbers of the Journal and read their articles in regular order, as they wrote them. How many of them we have got acquainted with in that way! Should we make inquiry in the neighborhood where they live, we feel as if we should not know them any better. The man stands not before you, like the figures in a stereoscope. Thus, for example, we call to mind a few of those whom we have followed in in that manner—Alley, Bickford, Conkling, Dadant, Gallup, Grimm, Price, Thomas, Town- ley, Truesdell, and a host of others, who, we only wish would write often enough that we might recall them familiarly. How we should like to take them by the hand—allofthem. Even if we. do not always think just alike, we like them all the better for that. They have given us a helping hand all round ; and we feel sure that they will rejoice at our success as fervently as we should at theirs. Well, how many of our friends have thought that Novice was enthusiastic, and built air castles? Some of those here at home, often tell us So, on bees especially, like this for instance. We proposed ordering jars and labels for 2,000 lbs. of honey. Said they, ‘‘ better put itat 1000, Novice, and not be disappointed !’’ ‘¢But we had 1000 lbs. from twenty hives in 1868.” ‘¢That was an extreme, and an unusually good season.”’ ‘‘But we are going to make them all good. We had 203 pounds from one hive ; our hives are all strong now ; and 46 times 203 are v ‘‘There ! there! Novice all over! How about their all dying in the spring of 1869?” ‘* But we ‘licked’ on wintering too, in the spring of 1870.’ ‘¢ We had not learned that,’’ &c., &e. We got ready for 2,060 pounds; but by the middle of June, the jars were all full, and we sent in haste for as many more; and as the bees would not stop bringing in, we borrowed all the neighbors’ tin wash boilers, which the bees filled in a jiffy. We borrowed more, but the honey came in torrents. We again ordered as many more jars. Monday came, and the women could not wash, because we had theirs boiler, and the bottles did not come, though the honey still did. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [AueusT, ‘‘'W ould the bees ever stop?’’ asked our better half, in alarm; ‘‘would so much honey ever sell??? Even Novice himself opened his mouth, in dismay, but it soon came level again, in a few minutes talking wildly about scouring out the cistern and filling that too, if the Italians were willing. . We have now (July 6th, ) put in jars over five thousand (5,000) pounds of honey, by actual weight, and basswood is just at its height in bloom! One hive has given us 258 lbs. and has just. lost its queen, or tried to replace her ; so we fear it will not be our best, and it is the only one we weighed, It gaveus 44 lbs. in three days, on one occasion. Natural swarming, for the first time, got rather the better of us. Removing all queen cells, and all honey, and giving empty frames in the centre of the hive, would not do; and one stock swarmed while we had the hive open, removing the honey. We thought we would for once try natural swarming a little, since such swarms are cracked up soas working better, &c. But if we don’t take the matter in hand hereafter and have it when we wish and how we wish, it will be because we can’t. Here is our com- plaint. * Our first natural (‘* born fool,’’ we should like to say) swarm, we put in Dr. Conklin’s diamond hive. It staid half a day (but didn’t work ‘‘ airy spec,’’?) and then went out again. As we had no frames of brood that size, we thought we would try them again. As soon as the queen was uncaged, they were off once more. Next, we cut out some brood, in all stages, and filled a frame ;halfa , more, and ‘‘ off again !”’ Of course we always keep the queen’s wings clipped ; but the last time they left their queen and joined a small swarm of black bees at a neighbor’s, and when we hived them for him, at his request, and told him how it was, he said, no, ‘‘his bees were yellow too ;’’—so went half a bushel of our best Italians. How much good would Quinby’s queen yard do, in such a case? Another swarm acted in the same way, and we paid the sum of five dollars for a small third swarm of black bees, that we might carry our Italians home. Still another came out four times ; and we could only keep them by caging the queen nearly a week.—After we became dis- gusted with this state of things, we did it our way. That is, we shook off all the bees and the queen from an American hive (that could not hold them all) into an empty Langstroth ; on the old stand, gave them one frame of brood, as we had treated all the natural swarms, and they built more comb in two days than the natural did in a week. All were shaded. The old American hive had a new location of course, and young bees enough to care for the brood. In any kind of swarming, we always furnish queen - cells or brood from choice stock, selected with a view to give gentle bees and large honey pro- ducers. Queen cells are laid on the top of the frames, where they can be readily inspected, and all others are carefully cut out when the honey is removed by the melextractor, every two or three days. Sometimes they are obstinate, but we insist on compliance with our wishes. All drone brood is sliced off as soon as sealed, 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 33 so that we have scarcely any drones in our apiary. We enclose a report given in our county paper. As ever yours, Novice. eo [From the Medina (Ohio) Gazette.] Scientific Bee Culture. Eprror GAZETTE :—In answer to a thousand and one (almost) inquiries we submit a few statements concerning our Italian Bees for this season. About three years ago many readers of the Gazette may remember we gave the result of an experiment to ascertain the quantity of honey that a strong colony of bees could gather when they had no comb to butid. The result then given was 30 lbs. in two days ; an amount that seemed almost incredible, when the size and power of the little insect was taken into consideration. Two years ago hearing that a machine had been devised in Germany, for removing the honey from the comb by centrifugal force, we caught the idea and made a machine at an ex- pense of about ten dollars, that would take every drop of honey from the hive of a large colony in less than ten minutes, without the slightest in- jury to the comb, even when full of brood tin all stages, and further than that, that the bee would go to work with unusual energy to refill them If a swarm can gather 15dbs. in a day it is evident that with the c*:sashioned method where but two, or at most, three times that quanity is furnished as surplus in a season, that a large part of their time .-is.spent idly, which we think is usually the case, but not so much so in our apiary as the following figures will show. The best yield per stock per day, we have, previous to this year, by the melextractor for a series of days was 9 lbs. per day. June 25th, 26th and 27th our best stock gave us this year, 43 pounds, (carefully weighed by the steelyards. ) We commenced removing honey, June 1st, having then 46 stock of Italians and Hybrids, mostly but not all strong, and have now taken altogether 5,000 pounds. Many have come to us for advice preparatory to going into the ‘‘bee business.’’ To all such, we will say that we have no secrets that are not free and public property, yet, without speaking discouragingly, we know of no business where a little neglect at the proper time or a want of knowledge of the proper thing to be done, would work such a disaster as in the bee business. Again, the successful bee-keeper, on the plan we follow, must make up his mind not to mind any amount of stings, (even a dozen an hour, ) and to take them all gently and uncomplainingly. To thgse who are really willing to go into the subje 1 study it thoroughly in all its details, (and night as well undertake to build steam engines’successfully without study as to keep bees in any number without this,) we would recommend first and foremost the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, published at Washington, D. C., $2 per year. We are asked a'most every day ‘‘ how we raise queens and make swarms artificially.’’ Now we could tell you all in orfe breath, ‘“‘how to clean and repair watches,’’ much easier than the above, and in the majority of cases could teach it about as successfully. However, we are willing to give our hand to those who are really in earnest, and there are oceans of white clover without bees enough to visit them, and the more bees that are kept the more clover there will be. Isn’t that jolly! Now we know why there is so much clover of late within a circuit of three miles around Medina. ‘‘ Root’s Italian bees of course.”’ Yes, they will cross and have crossed with the common bees for four or five miles around. And it would be a pleasant thought for us to think that we had been instrumental in improving the honey crop of Medina county, even if it did not all go into our pocket. Twenty dollars for one original Italian Queen five years ago was not so bad a venture after all. She has given us health as well as honey, and may her progeny never number less. A. I. Root. es [¥or the American Bee Journal.] A visit to E, Gallup, and what I saw there. There being a Sunday-school association, com- posed of several counties of Northern Iowa, to meet at Osage on the 21st and 22d of June, I being a delegate, found myself at Orchard about 8 o’ clock on the morning of the 22d, within one and a half miles of Mr. Gallup’s residence. I thought I could spend part of the day with him, with both pleasure and profit, as no doubt most bee- keepers could—unless it be the Professor, who sells quarter-blood Italian queens. So I left the train and took it afoot through the hot sand ; and when I came to a house that stood in a grove surrounded with bee-hives, I concluded that was Gallup’s, in which I was surely not mistaken. After finishing a fine breakfast which the good woman prepared for me, I went on the look out for Gallup himself, and at last succeeded in finding the real Simon Pure, shingling on the south side of a house where it was so hot that he talked of taking the nails and pumping water on them to keep them from burning his fingers. After a few preliminaries (and very few too) he invited me to a seat on the ridge pole of the house, where I could catch a little of the cool breeze that we always have on our prairies. We did put in full time, talking of bees, bee- hives and introducing queens, until about 11 o’clock when we came down into the yard. He opened several of his hives, showed me _ his queens, some from Mr. Alley, some from Mrs. Tupper, and others, and at last his imported queen sent him this spring. I remarked to him that this latter was no lighter or hand- somer than other queens he had shown: me, or those queens I had in my own yard, which I knew were hybrid. His reply was that the cli- mate of Italy gave them a much darker appear- ance than those raised in this cvuntry. d+ THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, The next thing was to open one of Alley’s new style Langstroth movable comb hives. He had in it a fine stock of three-banded bees, hard at work, having been put in only a few days before. I must here say that it is a splendid looking hive as it sets in the yard and I thought it would be more in place in the house, as it would make a splendid western bureau. Then he opened one of Dr. Conklin’s Diamond Frame hives, this also had a good stock of Ital- ians, hard at work. They had also Leen in only a few days, but I could not see that they had built comb faster or straighter than those in the Langstroth frames, whether deepor shallow. I must say that I do not like the appearance of the hive asitsetsinthe yard. It looks as though it had been u,set and wanted squaring up with the world. Ido not think you could pile them three deep in the cetlar very well. I will not describe Gallup’s hive which he uses most, as he has done so himself several times, and is often called on to do so through the Journal. He calls it the Langstroth hive. The frames run the same way, only they are shorter and de:per than those of the shallow form of the Langstroth hive. I think it is a good hive in his hands, or rather in a good bee- keeper’s hands. But only think of a hive you have to pull in front over the movable bottom board to let in air and for the bees to enter, except only a half inch round hole through the front. This is used for the bees to enter, and through it they 1 ave the hive, and when one comes in loaded and misses this entrance. he drops down and goes in at the bottom. I fear that this hive in the hands of most bee-keepers (class No. 3, I guess he calls them) who seldom examine their hives, will find too much air and a few worms in this style of hive: I told Gallup that when he visits me next fall, to attend our County Fair, | would convince him that I had the best hive—which is the Langstroth deep frame two story hive, with frames above, or boxes, as made by the ‘‘ National Bee-Hive Company ”’ at St Charles, Kane county, [llinois, M. M. Balbridge, Secretary. This hive is so simp:e, the upper story may be removed and the same cover fits the top of the hive, the size of frames is the same above as below, they may be nicely packed in a cellar, examined with ease, and you have matters entirely under your con- trol. Besides mak.ng a beautiful appearance in the apiary, if you keep them well painted, as you should do, they will last a lifetime. We were now called to drive out, but as soon XS We were well seated, a stand of bees informed us that they were intending to swarm. So out we went, and Gallup was somewhat disappointed as he did not expect that hive to swarm. This is about all you can tell as to when bees wili swarm, unless youopen the hives every few days. I have had bees to swarm and go back to their hive again ; I would then open the hive, d¢stroy the queen cells and give them plenty of room, and the next day out they would come again, be hived all right, and go to work—leaving the old stock to raise another queen from eggs after their departure. And all this, when the queen that did leave was one that I raised late last season, young and prolific. But I will return to our swarm that is in the air. The queen did not come out, and the bees returned to their home stand without clustering. Gallup called it a foul, I called it a fizzle. ; The next exhibition was his Peabody honey- flinger, as he called it. It was the first I ever saw, andas he considers it the best in use, I promised to treat myself with one, as I think it a great improvement in bee-culture. The next thing was one of Davis’ queen nur- series. This he had not yet tried, but would in a few days set it a going. We were soon seated in his carriage, with his family, on our way to Osage to attend to Sunday- school Association riding over one of the finest countries the sun ever shone upon—and this can be said of all Iowa, especially the valley of the Red Cedar. Here, nearly every quarter sec- tion of land is improved; while there is heavy timber on the river, and beautiful groves scat- tered over the prairies. At about 5 o’clock the train from the North reminds me that I must turn my steps home- ward, and if ever any one felt satisfied with his day’s work, though it had been hot, dusty, and dry one, it was your correspondent. My bees are doing well. Most of my Italians have given me two or three swarms, and are now at work in boxes. I have some thirty stocks; am a beginner ; commenced with three stands in 1868, and have raised three generations of queens this year. I will only add, should you, or any of the correspondents of the Journal, be as near me as I was to Gallup’s, call by all means and I will try to entertain you, if I do not keep a hotel. Thus ends the account of my visit to Gallup’s and what I saw there. H. K. Swerr. Waverley, Iowa, July 5, 1870. Z oom [For the American Bee Journal.] The Looking-glass Theory played out! On page 252, Vol. 5, A.B Journal, Ignoramus tell us of decamping bees being stopped by the rays of a looking-glass being flashed among them. Just after reading his article I saw another in one of my sctenttfie agricultural journals, that tells us by the aid of a looking-glass we can see everything in a deep well, cistern, &c , and that the looking-glass will keep the birds out of the cherry trees, &c., &c. Well, sir, as seeing is believing, I procured a piece of a looking-glass, went to the well, and threw the reflection down to the water, but no further. J could not see a thing below the surface of the water. But to try the thing further, 1 went out to my apiary, took my station by a favorite cherry-tree full of birds, but almost minus the cherries. I darted - the bright reflection of the looking-glass in their eyes, and what do you think the result was? They eat the fruit faster. Well, I thought, here are two failures, I wish I had an opportunity to try an absconding swarm of bees. Just then I heard the buzzing of aswarm starting. Ilooked at all the hives in the directiou from whence the 1870.] buzzing sound came, but saw no swarnrissuing, though the soundincreased. Ina moment after T saw a swarm leaving the top of a large apple- ‘tree. Now for my glass, thought I; no use of your trying to go away, for I will stop you with the looking-glass. SolIranbefore them with my piece of glass, and flashed and flashed; but they went higher and faster. When they had gone about three hundred yards they seemed to be offended at the flashing glass, rose above the tall forest trees, and soon left me in the distance, to consider how foolish I was ‘to believe enough of the looking-glass theoryeven to tryit. I was rather a skeptic before, but now with me the looking-glass theory is entirely played out. I guess if Mr. Ignoramus will question his neigh- bor closely, he will tell him about the time the bees turned back to the bush, scattered, circled, and seemed to be confused, they perhaps were, for their queen was probably as nigh tired out flying as he was running, and alighted on the bush. After the bees had gone on a hundred yards or more, they discovered her absence, and returned, to find her on the bush, and stopped there also to rest awhile. Had he sat down by the bush and rested also until next morning, it is more than likely they would have started again, an! went on regardless of his glass. Or will Ignoramus say there is more virtue in a whole glass, than ina piece of one? My piece of glass was four by five inches square. l once knew of a swarm to turn back some two hundred yards and settle on the top of a tall oak that stood in a deep hollow they had just crossed—without the aid of a glass. The man following them said he hallooed and made so much noise that they went to the top of the tall tree to get rid of his noise ! H. NEssiv. Cynthiana, Ky., Jane 25, 1870. oes [For the American Bee Journal. ] On Winterine Bees. Mr. Epirror:—Your correspondent, Novice No. 2, inquires as to the best mode of wintering bees ; giving his own experiments, at the same time. Having tried almost all the methods re- commended by the writers of the day, I have adopted one of my own contriving ; and have found the following mode, in my opinion, the best, and to be, so far, entirely satisfactory in its result. ; . My cellar, under my kitchen, was prepared by passing a tin pipe 1} inches in diameter (see diagram) from near the bottom of the cellar up through the floor into my cooking stove pipe ; so that when there was a fire in the stove, there was a constant draft of air from the bottom of the cellar discharging into the stove pipe and off through the chimney. The cellar was not a dry one, and was also somewhat damp from recent build, not having yet become dry in the walls. Into this cellar | put my bees on the 15th of No- vember, leaving the entrances of the hives open, and also slightly opening the tops of each hive, but not giving more, on an average, than an inch square of space for upward ventilation. In THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 30 the Langstroth hive I simply slipped a sixpenny nail under the two corners of the honey board in front. The hives were set three deep in a row around the sides of the cellar. Here they re- mained until the 17th of February. The sun was shining brightly ; the air was still; and the thermometer at 50’? at ten A. Mm. I set them all out upon their old stands, and let them have a day of jollification ; which theyimproved with a hearty good will.—After they had quieted down that evening they were all returned to the cellar, where they remained till the bees in the neigh- borhood began to gather pollen plentifully, (which was on March 30th,) when they were — again set out, to remain for the season, on the same stands they had occupied severally in February. The resuit was, 1st, there was not a particle of mouldy comb ; 2d, not more than half a tea- cupful of bees dead in any one hive during the entire winter; 3d, the hives appeared to be nearly as heavy as in the fall, when they were put in; 4th, each colony was exceedingly strong in numbers, and young brood was abundant. The philosophy of my success I think to be this: Ist, The air in my cellar was changed almost entirely, if not quite, every day, by means of the draft in the ventilating tube; 2d, the coldest air, being on the floor of the cellar, was that which was drawn out; 3d, the carbonic acid gas exhaled from the lungs and body of the bees, is heavier than common air, and of course sinks to the bottom of the cellar, where it would remain in a strata of poisoned air all the winter, no matter how many tubes, as ventilators, were fixed in the wall at the ceiling or top of the cellar. The warmer air, and the purest indeed, would pass out at these holes at top. and the cold and poisoned air wou:d remain on the floor. The supply of air was from the store-room above, slightly warmed, and of course always dry; and was drawn into the cellar to supply the vacuum caused by the draft in the tin pipe. Fou! air and the retention of the feces are probably the great causes of dysentery during the winter. Avoid these, and bees will pass the winter in as healthy a state as in summer. If the cellar is of a temperature as low as 82°, the bees will consume large quantities of food, and, having no chance to fly out, will retain their feces too long; and dysentery will compel them to daub the frames and hive with their excre- tions. Being in a freezing temperature, thou- sands will perish, not being able to find their way back to the cluster. On the other hand, the temperature should not be toohigh. If itis, the bees will become uneasy, and more honey wiil be consumed; and being confined too long, under such circumstances, might become dis- eased. About 40' to 45° would be my standard. If the air is supplied as above, it will not vary much from this point. In special depositories, built above ground, bees do not generally suffer so much from poi- soned air, as there are usually ventilators near the ground, through which the carbonic acid gas flows out. But here the great danger is from being too irregular in temperature, sometimes being so low as 22°, and at others so high as 60°, as reported by one correspondent. This will be 36 THE AMERICAN modified much by the number of colonies win- tered in one room. Through the months of December, January, and February, let the tem- perature be kept as near 45° as possible. After this let the temperature run up to 50°, and keep it this high to promote early breeding. When set out stop all the crevices but the entrance and the bees will be in the best possible condition for early swarming and an’ abundant harvest of surplus honey. E. L. Briees. Mount Pleasant, Henry Co., Iowa. Accompaning the above was an illustrative diagram, showing the arrangement for venti- lation, somewhat as below. A The kitchen. D The cellar. B The stove. C The stove-pipe. E The ventilating tube. F Air passage in kitchen floor. G Damper. It will be seen by this diagram that the tin tube is entirely out of the way;.and that the draft can be shut off at any time bya damper in the tube. The air being let in at F, is gradually diffused, and sinks to the floor of the cellar and is drawn through the tube, until the whole is changed. A cellar ventilated in this way will remain as pure and free from any bad smell as any room in the house. + In districts where buckwheat is extensively cultivated, bees will sometimes swarm when it comes into blossom; and the hives therefore need watching or examining at that period. o-oo —______ - Buckwheat swarms have been known to issue some years as late as the middle of September. BEE JOURNAL. [Avaust, [For the American Bee Journal.] How bees secure pollen to their thighs! A correspondent in a recent number of the BEE JOURNAL gives the manner in which bees remove pollen from their thighs and deposit it in their cells. I never knew until this season, how they collected it and secured it to their thighs, and as others may not have observed the process, I will record it. In feeding some flour this spring, my attention was attracted by the large number of bees hover- ing on wings, just over it and a few inches above it, almost stationary, now and then alig! ting for an instant ; while some would merely touch the flour, and rise again, without stopping. Upon close examination I saw that their feet were going in as rapid motion as their wings, and that they were engaged in securing the flour to their thighs. They take up the flour or pollen with their fore feet, rise on wing, and with a rapid motion of all their legs, convey it and secure it to the receptacle on their hind legs, while flying. In gathering pollen from flowers, they collect all they can with their mouth and fore feet, and while passing to another flower and hovering over it for an instant, convey it to their baskets and secure it there. The peculiar noise or humming made while securing the pol- len, we do not hear when gathering honey alone. Mathematicians tell us of the great wisdom and ingenuity manifested in the construction of the cells of the honey combs, so as to use the . greatest economy in space with the greatest possible strength, and now we see in this wonder- ful insect the wise provision of the great Creator for the economy of time. No time is lost by having to stop within the flower to secure the golden-colored treasure, but it is secured on wing while passing in search of more. T. Smirg. tad [For the American Bee Journal,] The Thomas Hive. Mr. Eprror :—We should like to have our say about which we think the best hive—its advan- tages and disadvantages. Taking everything into consideration, we regard the Thomas hive as the best of any we have seen. ; The advantages are :— Ist. It is of the best shape to secure the greatest amount of heat for wintering bees, and for rearing brood in the spring. ; 2d. The combs can be removed, examined, and placed. back, inside of five minutes ; and with the. least jarring or disturbing of any hive we ever opened ; there being no empty space between the ends of the frames for the bees to fill with wax. 3d. It is so constructed that in moving the hive or combs, the frames are always in their proper place. Ath. It may be opened and closed without crushing a bee. 5th. It can be made with side doors a foot or more square, and back door ten inches square. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 37 0 SS ee Se ee a 5 6th. In one minute you can have a circulation of air passing through every part of the hive ; Or in the same time you can allow as little as you wish. 7th. It has a swinging bottom board, which enables the apiarian to clean the hive of dead bees and of filth, without removing hive or combs. 8th. There is a passage through the bottom board covered with wire cloth, through which the bees receive air when shut in by the apiarian or snow. 9th. The frames can be handled with ease by the ends, which project 11 inches from the side of the comb, instead of taking hold of the frame among the bees. 10th. It contains the strongest frame we have seen. 11th. It cannot be surpassed for storing honey. 12th. It has comb frame stops, which hold the frames in their places and prevent the bees filling between with wax. 13th. It has two revolving bands, which gives the apiarian access to the ends of the frames, and when turned down form an alighting board for the bees and a short passage to the surplus honey boxes. 14th. It has a cover which carries the water to the sides of the hive. . 15th. It does not gather dampness on the bot- tom board, as it touches the ground only on the ends of the side board. 16th. The bottom board slants to the front, the hive being vertical, enabling the carrying out of dead bees, aiding them to repel robbers, carry off moisture, and prevent rain from enter- ing the hive. 17th. There are no openings in winter through which mice may get in. 18th. One, two or four boxes may be used. 19th. It presents a beautiful appearance in an apiary. Placed as ours are, in rows north and south, and east and west, they look like a village. The disadvantages are :— 1st. It costs more than many others. First cost here $3.50. 2d. We have to set the boxes on the frames, instead of using Langstroth’s honey board and air chamber. j 3d. The improvements are worse than useless to one who will not properly use them. PALMER Bros. New Boston, Il. O-s> [For the American Bee Journal. ] Letter from Tennessee. A few years after Tennessee was admitted as a State in the Union, emigration set in in earn- est to the western country—a land akin to the one the Israelites were seeking—‘‘ flowing with milk and honey.’’ The cane afforded pasturage for cattle during the whole year, and the forests abounding in bee-trees. Most of the settlers in this (Rutherford; county, were from North Car- olinaand Virginia. At particular seasons of the year baits were set up and the die marked— an expert finding several bee-trees i - \ \ \ \ inaday. From | twenty-five to fifty pounds of nice honey, was generally taken from each, and the bees fre- quently left to take care of themselves. The more thrifty and economical hunters would se- cure the swarms, and carry them home in gums previously prepared. Hollow oak, elm, and cedar trees were felled, sawed in pieces from two to two and a half feet long, and the inside smoothed with what the old. people call a round shave. One inch holes were bored about midway the gum, and around stick passed through. The top was covered with bark of the red or black oak, the bottom left open, and three or four inverted v’s (A A A) cut in its edge, and it was then placed on a flat stone in the back yard. Robbing or taking honey every year in the spring, was attended to by removing the top and cutting out the comb down to the x sticks. The broken combs in the gum were then sprinkled with wheat, bran, and the top replaced. Bee-moths were then (from 1810 to 1825) un- known, and for years after. I have been unable to ascertain the exact year the moth miller made its appearance in this county. But whenit came the bees were killed by thousands, offering only feeble resistance to the inroads of the destroyer. As early as the year 1830, a man by the name of Jenkins, living in this county, discovered that the queen bee accompanying a swarm last spring, generally led the first swarm the spring folowing : but he never observed her the third season. He ascertained this by notching the queen’s wing so much that it impeded her flight having caught her while passing into the hive during swarming time. ; About the year 1840, the more wealthy bee- keepers were gulled into purchasing bureau- wheatfan-like looking articles called bee-palaces and enough was paid for them to keep a small family in honey for ten years. It is not neces- sary to tell you they were short lived—the con- cerns lasting longer than the bees that were in them. People were so * burnt’? with them, and such a quantity of them were scattered through this country that that generation had to nearly pass away, before improved hives of any descrip- tion or pattern whatever could be introduced. Within a few years past several patent hives have made their appearance in our midst ; and some interest is being manifest in an improve- ment on the old gum and procuring better bees. The movable frame (Langstroth) hives have been much used here for three seasons past, and w th intelligent bee-keepers give satisfaction ; although we nave never experienced with that hive those marvellous returns in honey claimed by some persons interested in other hives. We winter our bees in the open air. No foul brood has made its appearance in our county. Wishing your journal success and more patron- age, Iam yours, &c. Wo. P. HENDERSON. Murfreesboro’, Tenn., June 27, 1870. > Early in October all the hives-in an apiary should be carefully examined, to see if they are in a suitable condition for wintering. 38 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [AuausT, [For the American Bee Journal. ] Respect for the Sabbath. Mr. Epiror :—On page twenty-four of the July number Mr. J. L. Peabody says he is sorry for Novice’s ‘‘repeated misfortunes,’’ and thinks that if he takes Argo’s hint as to the day he writes on, &e. Now we do recollect Mr. Argo’s writing as though some one had written on Sunday, but that he would not. Butaswe have never written an articleon the Sabbath, we could not see that it applied to us at all. If we have ever dated an article so that it fell on Sunday, we beg pardon for the blunder, as that is all it was. In regard to our repeated misfortunes, we know of none other, unless it is a ‘‘. lissful ignorance”’ of the fact that we were a ‘‘ misfortunit indiwid- dle”’ at all. It is true, our bees did die (but we have got lots more), and our earthly treasures did burn up (and they were fully insured, except the Quinby hive); but if that was all the direct con- sequence of reading the Bee Journal on Sunday, we are really afraid we shall burn up more. Alas, wretched NOVICE. —————_-e> + eo ——____—_ [For the American Bee Journal.] From the ‘01d North State.” IT have been trying, Mr. Editor, to get youa list of subscribers for your invaluable Journal, but, as yet, without success. This is attributable to two causes, viz.: the great scarcity of money, and the inveterate ‘‘old fogyism’’ of our bee- keepers. To rob a hive, thus—knock off the top, and take out half the contents, young bees and all, about ‘‘corn-tasseling time,’’ is the general prac- tice ; and for fall management, fire and brimstone to all except a few, for seed ! Ihave tried to induce a desire to improve in bee-culture, by every means in my power. I have started some few to using box-hives with upper chamber for surplus honey, and three are using movable frames. I have been ridiculed —had ‘‘ bee on the brain, &c.,’’ but have kept steadily on, and hope yet to convince many that there is profit as well as pleasure in adopting an improved method. I regret exceedingly that I have not a ‘*‘Hruschka.”? I feel the necessity for it, and am nearly disgusted with glass boxes, by my ex- perience this season; as in nearly every instance my boxes have brood in them, making them un- fit for sale, and causing them to be longer on the hive. Can this be prevented ? Several of my stocks have, at atime when they were gathering plenty of honey, dragged out and sucked dry nearly all of the drone brood. Now I want to know why? Are there certain condi- tions when a stock requires andmal food, and does the queen, like the ostrich, lay an excess of eggs to supply this expected demand? Again, I have this season observed several instances of comb-building across the frames, and, in the boxes a partial disregard to the guide combs; and apparently in every case, the comb is built in a north and south line. Now, is this simply a coincidence ? If it is universal, how simple it will be to have all the frames on that line, and thus accommodate their instinct to our wishes in dic- tating combs straight. ~ TI value my Journal and do not wish to be with- out it at all; but I lend and lend again, and keep every copy going—hoping thereby to do good, and you know one reason why. If you will admit to your columns a_ correspondent from this Bee-nighted region, I will endeavor to write only such matter as I believe ought to in- terest the bee fraternity. Congratulating you upon the improved appear- ance and interesting contents of the July No., and hoping that you may never weary in well-do- ing Lam, yours, &c., Mar. Hews. Ozford, N. C., July 6, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Permanence of Qualities and Purity of Italian Bees. It is well known that a seemingly pure Italian queen, which breeds only three-yellow-ringed workers *will yet breed young queens, some of which are very dark, while others are quite yel- low. And some of these young queens will breed beautiful workers, and others very dark, or even black ones altogether. This latter is always set down to the fact of her having mated with a black drone; while it is, or may often be, owing to her impurity inherited from her mother. In all first crosses between varieties, the hy- brid offspring generally appears to be half and half of both parents. But the offspring of hy- brids scarcely ever shows such equal shares of parental traits. One inherits almost exclusively on one side and another upon the other. A half blooded Morgan mare, bred even to a pure Mor- gan sire, will rarely ever show the three-fourth peculiarities of the Morgan stock, but her colt may go back to either side—showing the curb or the Morgan, without any rule upon which re- liance can be placed. Five generations, at least, are necessary to fix any variety of hybrid, so that the mother shall certainly reproduce herself, in her offspring. The Ches er White and the Magee hogs are not new species, but varieties which have become fixed by continual selection of the best, through at least five generations. Some claim that twice this number is necessary. But this much is sure by the concurrence of all breeders of fine stock, that none are admitted to the rank of thorough- bred, unless the blood has flowed pure for at least this number of generations, without the least cross. ’ The prices which are now demanded for Ital- ian queens, greatly vary with the different breeders; and if we mistake not those that sell cheap queens, are the ones that get the custom of bee raisers generally. Some sell as low as $2.50, and boast of four hundred orders unful- filled at a time. Well, let us see where our Italian stock is bound soon to end, with the present manner of 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 39 breeding. Suppose forty Morgan mares, and as many stallions, all pure, were allowed to mingle promiscuously, would any one think of taking a colt at haphazard from their offspring, from which to breed the highest qualities? No. For although all would be Morgan horses, many would be very poor Morgans indeed, considering the Morgan as the standard—though any one of them would be better than the Mustang. Out of the forty he would not select more than one or two, that would in ali points meet his ideas of excellence as a breeder. Apply this to the Italian honey bee. Our im- portations have been haphazard from Italy. All have been better than the common black bee. But considering the Italian as a standard, they have ranged from very good to very poor. Pro- miscuous breeding is certain to run back into a degenerate variety; while constant selection just as certainly improves even the best breed. It has been demonstrated that some of the breeders in the United States have raised more beautiful yellow queens and workers, than those originally brought from Italy. This has resulted from selections continually made from the best of the undoubtedly pure. Dzierzon, in Ger- many, it issaid, has produced a variety with four yellow bands—being a gain of one band, by con- stant improvement by selection of the highest colored. In my own apiary I have raised one queen that bred many workers which showed four yellow bands when filled with honey.* By breeding from this queen constantly, and closely watching the progeny of her daughters, one might now and then be selected which would give this marking constantly; andso on through successive generations, until such variety would become fixed. But color is not the only quality needed. Size, fertility, disposition, and the honey gathering instinct particularly, are all to be regarded as requisites in improvement. Now, shall the queen raising brotherhood send out $2.50 queens over the land, until the public shall conclude that all the advantage which one variety has over the other, is that the one has some yellow rings, which the other has not. For one, 1 answer No! Let the sharper do as he pleases; but let men of integrity sell only at fair prices, and send out such alone as are really su- perior. _ From my own experience I can pronounce no queen fit to breed from, or even pure until after I have seen the color of her queen-bred daugh- ters. If all the daughters show a uniform color, they are pure up to the mother’s standard, and the variety is fixed, or she may be pronounced thoroughbred. If the colors. vary, however, from dark to bright yellow, she is tinged somewhere in her recent ancestry, with black blood, though she may have been bredeveninItaly. The man who is raising queens for sale should be held re- sponsible by those who buy of his stock, to breed only from his very best of queens. Otherwise let him be held as ranking only with the quack and the mere pretender generally. He may not _ have very superior stock at first; but his stock .*As we understand it, Dzierzon’s bees show the fourth yel- law band only under similar circumstances—that is only when well-filled with honey.—Kd. \ % wil] always grow better and better, with each year he continues in the business. Four tested queens are aS many as any breeder can raise from one nucleus in a season. If one out of four should prove unfit for sale, or a hybrid, then not less than from $8 to $10 each could pay him for such tested q 1aeens. Then let the price be kept at paying figures ; but send out no queens for breeding purposes, but such as are fully up to the standard of ex- cellence, and those who delight in handling this wonderful insect, may not only have the most beautiful, but the gentlest, the largest, the most fertile, and most industrious honey bees known to the world. _ E. L. Briees. Mount Pleasant, Iowa, July 7, 1870. = a : [For the American Bee Journal. ] The Queen Yard Tested. Quinby’s device called a queen yard, will keep a queen inside of it, just so long as she does not try to crawl out. I caught two queens on the out ide of the yard when the bees were swarming. They were of the black variety, old queens heavy with eggs, and having their wings clipped, I put one back and had the mortification to see her crawl out from the underside of the tin, a few minutes after. Ihave good reason to believe I lost two or three others in that way ; after which I watched them while swarming, caught the queen, and returned her when the bees re- turn. Perhaps most queens will return without trying to crawl out; but it wi:l not do very well for a rule, according to my experience. EH. 8. Fowuer. Bartlett, Ohio. [For the American Bee Journal.] Economizing in Management. Modern writers I believe agree in the fact that bees consume from sixteen to twenty pounds of honey in making one pound of comb. But how much honey that pound of comb will hold after being made, I do not know; though we will suppose it will hold from sixteen to twenty pounds. Now suppose you take from a hive a box containing twenty pounds of honey in the comb, you have robbed them of material equiva- lent to forty pounds ~ namely twenty pounds of honey, and comb for the production of which twenty pounds more of honey were used, and for replacing which, by the bees, the same quantity of honey would again be required. This nice box of honey, it is very true, comes on the table in very aristocratic style; but if the reader will show me a man with a stomach that can digest beeswax, I will in turn show him one that can digest a saw-mill. Call on your druggist if you please, and ask him for the strongest acid in his establishment—say nitric acid (aqua fortis), and if he has a small vial with a glass stopple, he will give it to you in that, to keep it from getting on your clothing or hands. But if he has none such, he will draw upon a 40 piece of wax, to make a stopple that is acid proof. Good material to test the digestive organ of man. But why not abandon the box, and receive from the main hive double the amount of honey by saving the comb from destruction and return- ing it to the hives, besides preventing an open space above the bees. You thereby also obviate trouble and avoid the disinclination of the bees to enter the boxes and work. Inall my experience Iam certain I never saw a colony that filled a top box, without first damaging the prospects of the queen, by filling the comb in the main hive so full of honey that no empty cells re- mained for her to deposit eggsin. In some cases I have known hives to remain with a box on top the entire summer and fall, without being filled, though the main hive was full and there was for months, plenty of honey to be gathered from the flowers, and during the early part of summer the bees clustered in crowds on the outside of the hive. Bee-keepers generally can testify that such cases are humerous. This is an age of progress, and the watchword of the day is onward and upward. Reader, you that are using the common box or gum, what kind of hive, think you, did the bees occupy five thousand years ago—say the first swarm that ever occupied one? I suppose it was some old log gum or box hive, with the combs fastened to the sides. You have advanced perhaps in everything else ; tell me how far you have ad- vanced in apicultural science. Tue first im- provement in bee-hives that ever materially ~ assisted me in bee-culture, is of very modern da’e. The time is past that any man that understands his business, will make a specialty of bee-keep- ing, without the movable frames. The sting of the bee has caused such terror and fear that man in all ages groped his way in chains and dark- ness till recently, so far as'a correct knowledge of the culture of this insect is concerned. * In the one item of an attempted adaptation of the hive to the nature, wants and instincts of the bee, thousands of patented hives have failed and been an injury to the bee. The entire dom- icile must be in one box, without division boards or combined boxes, either side by side or on top ofeach other. The surplus honey must be taken from the main hive, and the empty combs re- turned in a manner to keep the empty cells below —thereby adhering to the golden rule in bee- culture: ‘' Always keep your colonics strong tn numbers, 80 that when plenty of honey 1s produced by the flowers, you have plenty of bees to gather it.” As we have before stated, the mere emptying the combs of their honey, and replacing them where they were before, does the queen no good so far as depositing eggs is concerned. Instinct teaches her to deposit her eggs in the lower part of the hive, and prompts the bees to store their honey above. It is evident that if the combs containing honey and brood, are emptied and returned to their original place the brood will occupy the same position that it did before, and no increased facility is given to the queen to increase her colony. There is besides the ques- tionable propriety of emptying combs with brood in what I call the milky state, (from one to four days after hatching.) Will it not be chilled in its rapid revolutions in the emptying machine? THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, Then there is also the opening up of a larger space above the bees. This open space, created by emptying the honey and returning the comb, will, it is true, not always damage the prosperity of the hive to the extent if the combs had been altogether removed. Still, the liquid being ex- tracted, an empty space results. If, however, the honey harvest continues only a short time after the extraction, the bees will refill the cells. But if so, and the honey is extracted again, here comes the vacuum above the bees once more. Why not arrange your combs in frames combined one above the other, and thereby obviate the necessity of revolving the brood ? J. W Spay. Monroe, Iowa. —__ 2 —___— {For the American Bee Journal.] “Tanging.” The author of ‘‘ Tom Brown at Oxford,’’ in that elegantly written and somewhat popular work, gives some beautiful pen sketches of rural scenery and the rustic inhabitants of Old Eng- land. In portraying the character of one David Johnson, tailor and constable of Hngebourn parish, who *‘ kept the King’s peace and made garments of all kinds for a livelihood,’ but, like many of us readers of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL also, ‘‘was addicted for his pleasure and solace to the keeping of bees,’’ the learned author discourses as follows :—_ ‘‘The constable’s bees inhabited a row of hives - in the narrow strip of garden which ran away at the back of the cottage. Now David loved gossip well, and considered it a part of his duty, as eonstable, to be well up in all events and rumors which happened or arose within his liber- ties. But he loved his bees better than gossip, and as he was now in hourly expectation that they would be swarming was walking, as has been said, in his summer house, that he might be on hand at the critical moment. The rough table on which he was seated commanded a view of the hives; his big scissors and some shred of velveteen lay near him on the table ; also the street-door key and an old shovel, of which the uses will- appear presently. * * * #1)" ]% In the midst of which thoughts he had forgotten all about his bees, when suddenly a great hum- ming arose, followed by a rush through the air like the passing of an express train, which recalled him to himself. He jumped from the table, casting aside the coat and seizing the key and shovel, hurried out into the garden, beating the two together with all his might. ‘¢'The process in question, known in country phrase as ‘tanging,’ is founded upon the belief that the bees will not settle unless under the in- fluence of this peculiar music ; and the constable, holding faithfully to the popular belief, rushed down his garden ‘ tanging’ as though his life de- pended upon it, in the hope that the soothing sound would induce the swarm to settle at once | on his own apple-trees. ‘Is ‘tanging’ a superstition or not? People learned in bees ought to know, but I never hap- pened to meet any one who had considered the * 1870.] question. Itis curious how such belief or super- stitions fix themselves in the popular mind of a country side, and are held by the wise and the sim- ple alike. David, the constable, was a most sensi- ble and open-minded man of his time and class, but Kemble or Akerman, or other learned Anglo- Saxon scholars would have vainly explained to him that ‘ tany’ is but the old word for to hold and that the object of ‘ tanging’ is not to lure the bees with sweet music of key and shovel, but to give notice to the neighbors that they have swarmed, and that the owner of the maternal hive means to hold on to his right to the emi- grants. David would have listened to the lecture with pity, and have retained unshaken belief in his music.” __ . Are there not bee-keepers in this our country, day, and generation, both of ‘‘the wise and the. simple,’’? who cling to this ‘‘superstition’’ that there is something in the ‘‘ sweet music’’ of ring- ing of bells and clatter of tin pans that will cause the bees to settle ; and who yet can give no good reason fer entertaining such belief? Will not some one of our ‘‘learned in bees’’ give the origin, reason, &c., of this common practice. THADDEUS SMITH. Pelee Island, Ontario. es [For the American Bee Journal. ] , Improvements in Bee-keeping. Agriculture, arts and science have progressed with amazing strides within the recollection of the older and even middle-aged men of the present day. The nineteenth century is remark- able for its improvements. telegraph wires stretched through the land and laid in mid-ocean, together with the innumera- ble machines to facilitate labor in all her varied callings, evidence and illustrate these facts. . The business of the apiarian has lkewise | made advances by the improvement of the home THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. The application of | steam power, the construction of railroads, the | humerous canals, steamships and boats, the | plus honey had the whole been one room. of the bees, and the facilities afforded them for | storing a large amount of surplus honey in good shape for market. Within the present century the writer has seen the following progress. 1. Hives with one single apartment, and the honey for use secured by the destruction of the bees. A portion of the honey in the whitest combs was saved in the comb for use. The balance strained, and the comb converted to wax. 2. An improvement was made upon this sys- tem, substituting a wooden box for the straw hive, and placing one, two, or four boxes on the top of hive, with corresponding apertures through the top of the hive and bottom of the boxes, for the passage of the bees. This gave facilities for securing a part of the honey in good shape, to preserve for use or to convey to market. 8. A third improvement has been, by an in- crease of surplus box room. The arrangement of the boxes in this improvement, has been in three ways : First, by placing the boxes upon each side of the breeding and wintering apartment; with | 41 corresponding apertures between the central apartment and the boxes. The boxes of an ag- gregate capacity of from 75 to 100 lbs. Second. A second arrangement has been plac- ing two tiers of boxes upon the top of the hive, one tier standing on the other, with correspond- ing apertures in the entrances from the hive and bottoms of the lower tier of boxes and also between the top of the lower and bottom of upper tier. By the hive being made long and the box room may equal the first deep from 75 to 100 Ibs. Third. The third improvement is, placing the surplus boxes upon both sides and top of the central or breeding apartment, occupying the positions where the bees would store their sur- Brood in the centre, and stores upon the top and sides of the brood. _ In 1860, I commenced my experiments in bee- keeping. I constructed my hives upon this principle, endeavoring to make improvements which resulted in the Farmers Hive, patented Sept. 2, 1862. Subsequent improvements were introduced in the Eureka hive, patented July 2, 1867. Of this hive I have given a description with illustrations in a former number of the ‘* AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.”’ 4. Another improvement has been made, of considerable importance. I now refer to the introduction of bars, fixed or movabl*, and mova- ble comb frames. Hither movable bars with side guides, or movable comb frames, are con- sidered a very great convenience, almost a ne- cessity, for artificial swarming, and for the exchange of queens. Aside from these changes, which I regard as improvements, there have been many others, such as the introduction of devices to give security against the ravages of the moth, to facilitate the operations of the bee- keeper in the prosecution of his business, and to secure success. These devices may, some of them, be valuable ; while the advantages of others may exist only in the imagination or professions of enthusiastic or interested parties. Every man should examine and judge of specific changes, claimed to be improvements, for himself, and adopt or reject them from the deliberate exer- cise of his own judgment. The introduction of surplus boxes I consider one of the most important of these improvements, as it secures the honey in its best shape for preservation, for use and for market. A great amount of surplus room in this shape I regard as a great improvement, as it secures a much larger amount of surplus honey, than a smaller number of boxes can. From all my ex- periments thus far, I prefer the hive with sur- plus room in small boxes of capacity of 200 lbs. susceptible of an increase to 250 lbs. if needed, to one with boxes of larger capacity. The bees in such a hive, effectually shaded and secured from the heat of the sun, will not be likely to swarm, if the boxes were placed on at the com- mencement of the season. An Italian colony, with a prolific queen, will generally fill all the surplus boxes. In 1868, I had eight hives in a bee-house in which they were effectually shaded. Only one of the eight gave a swarm. Six were Italian 42 colonies, and two natives. Neither of them swarmed, except one of the natives, upon which all the boxes were not placed until they had commenced preparations for swarming: I observe a communication in the December issue of your Journal, from Rey. A. C. Manwell, Whitewater, Wisconsin, giving an account of his trial of the Eureka hive, in which the pro- duct of one colony of Italians was two new swarms and 165 lbs. of surplus honey in the boxes. Had they not swarmed, they would probably have stored more than 200 lbs. of sur- plus. This report of Mr. Manwell goes to con- firm the great importance of ample box room for surplus. I will give further views in some future numbers of your Journal. Should any one of your readers wish further information, I will send it on receiving their address and stamp cover to postage. JASPER HAZEN. Albany, N. Y. —__ — om [For the American Bee Journal.] How to make Glass Surplus Honey Boxes, Mr. Epitror :—In my early experience in bee- keeping, I endeavored to construct glass boxes for surplus honey, in the manner suggested by Mr. Quinby ; but, owing to the variable thick- ness of glass, and the difficulty of cutting the pieces to exactly the right size, I found that to construct a neat box in that way, required so much time and labor, that 1 was constrained to abandon the method. Ay I then tried paper fastenings, using no wood, except for tops and bottoms. This I found to answer well, and made a beautiful box, The only difficulty was to hold the glass in the proper position until the fastenings were applied. This difficulty I finally obviated by the following means : My boxes are six by six inches, and five inches high; get out a block of soft, light wood, two and a half or three inches thick and six inches square, (nailing two or more pieces of the inner plank together, letting the grain cross, until the proper thickness is obtained, will an- swer as well, ) get out also a square piece of plank, about three-fourths of an inch thick and eight or nine inches square, which, after sawing out of each corner a block two inches square, is to be nailed centrally to the blocks first described, the corners of which will project over the space left by removing the blocks from the corners. (The thin piece last described is to form the base of the block.) Now make a mortice or hole in the base board, on each side and about three-six- teenths of an inch from the blocks. In these insert a substantial peg or standard, with a shoulder on the outside, to hold it firmly, leaving space enough between the standard and the cen- tral block to receive the thickest glass without jamming. Make a few thick wedges, about two inches long, have your glass cut in pieces five by six inches ; place one piece on each side of the block, the lower edge resting on the base board ; insert a wedge between each standard and the glass, to hold the latter against the block. Slide THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, the glass along until the corners are as near true as possible, (a slight opening or projection will not materially injure it.) You have now the form of your box complete. Have some strong paper (colored can be used, if desired,) cut into strips about three-fourths of an inch wide. Make a paste by dissolving two ounces of glue in a pint of water; add a teacupful of flour well stirred with water and free from lumps; boil until as thick as can conveniently be applied with a brush ; cut your strips of paper into lengths of five inches, apply paste, and place one centrally on each corner of the box, and with a piece of cloth press until the paper is applied smoothly. (The corners of the base board being removed, there is nothing under the corners of the box to interfere with your applying the strips of paper. ) The lumber for the tops and bottoms should be of light material, and as thin as possible —about the thickness of veneering is best. Each piece (top and bottom) should be one-eighth of an inch wider and longer than the inside measurement of the box. If the boxes are 6 by 6, the tops and bottoms should be 62 by 64. Place the top on the box, use a strip of paper wider, if necessary, than for the corners; apply it around the top, turn it down over the wood, remove the wedges, and with the thumbs under the base board, and two fingers of each hand, pressing two opposite sides of the box against the block; invert it; lift out the block when the paste is some- what dry; put on the bottom and fasten it in the same manner, and your box is completed.— It is best to have a number of blocks, so that they can be used alternately ; and thus allow the paste to become dry, before it is necessary to remove the block from the box. There should also be strips} by } or 3 of an inch, nailed across the grain, on the bottom side of the base board, to prevent its warping, and to elevate it slightly for convenience in raising to invert, when the block is to be removed. These boxes I have used for ten or twelve years. Ihave sent thousands of them to market, and have never yet found the paper deficient in. strength. Indeed, I have had boxes to fall and the glass fractured in many pieces, and yet the fastenings failed to give way. By using gilt or other ornamental paper, and by properly com- bining complementary colors, they can be made of the most attractive appearance ; and in addi- tion to this, they can be made with the greatest ease and rapidity. J have often made one hun- dred per day, including the cutting of the glass. A lady, or even a girl of a dozen years, can make them with great facility. I can confidently re- commend all who use glass boxes, to try these, as it will cost nothing more than an hour’s work to prepare the block. You may fail to get them to stand just right, the first few trials, if you use but one block; but ‘‘try again,’? and you will soon wonder you ever failed at all. } I will now give you a plan for boring holes in hives or crown boards, for placing surplus honey boxes over. In the first place, I take it for granted that most of your readers use boxes with both tops and bottoms —open bottom boxes being unsuitable for transportation. It is very incon- venient to be obliged to bore more than one hole in each box, as it is some trouble to get them so 1870.) that they will correspond with those in the hive or erown board. And myexperience has been that, by using one sufficiently large (two inches) the combs would be extended down through it into the hive; besides the liability to have brood in the surplus boxes by the queen entering them. To obviate this, with a two-incly centre bit, bore one-fourth of an inch deep in your hive or crown board, at the point at which you wish to place a box ; then with a one-inch bit, bore four holes at equal distance from each other entirely through the board and around the circumference of the large one, allowing the bit to cut into the cir- cumference of the latter sufficient to allow one or more bees to pass. When the box (which is to have a two-inch hole through its bottom), is placed in position, it will cover the one-inch holes, but the bees will pass from them into the shallow two-inch excavation, and thence into the box. This arrangement will prevent the extension of combs into the hive, and yet afford the bees all needful facilities for entering the boxes; and I haye yet to find the first queen in boxes placed over holes thus arranged. Of course there is to be a two-inch hole through the bottom of the honey box, which is placed centrally over the shallow one in the top of the hive. Those who have faith in the 5-32 of an inch arrangement, can bore the two inch hole to that depth, for ex- cluding the queen; but I can assure them that it is unnecessary. Now, in conclusion, I hope that none of our gentlemen of the patent right persuasion will find anything herein contained that meditates againstany of their privileges, either civil, social, or religious. Perhaps these suggestions are not new, but as I have seen no allusion to boxes made in this way, I hope the piece may be of service to some who find it difficult to make neat boxes, in which to have their honey stored in the most attractive form. I. M. WorpeEn. Mobile, Ala., P. 8.—If any prefer boxes without bottoms, they can be made in the same way, by using a strip of paper 1} inches lone‘for each corner, and applying it horizontally, allowing one-half of its width to project over the edge of the glass, then turning it over and pressing it down smooth on the inside of the box. Where the distance to be transported is short or by water, such boxes will be sufficiently secure ; and when filled, they may be inverted and covered with glass cut the proper size.—L. M. W. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Part of my Experience. Mr. Eprror:—As Novice says, I must write you some account of my experience—my reverses and success in the bee business, which I think the most peculiar business of all connected with rural life. When I commenced I had no idea that it required so much study ; but I would not give it up now on any account, for I can make more money out of my bees, than from anything » else on the farm. Last fall I put in to winter forty stands in THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 43 movable comb hives; and on the first of May, I had seventeen left. The most peculiar thing was, I had one or two stands from which I did not take any honey, and they were the first to die; and nearly all that gave me only from thirty to fifty pounds died also; while those that gave me from seventy-five to one hundred and seventeen pounds came out all right, and are very strong now. Was it the quantity of honey retained by my bees that caused their death, or was it something else ? I procured thirty-six colonies in old box hives, in the winter at a distance of from three to six miles from my home ; and I lost fourteen of them. They appeared to die from the same disease or cause that destroyed those in the movable comb hives. One bee-keeper living ten miles from here, lost fifty out of eighty stocks. More bees have died around here than I have ever known before. Bees are doing very poorly here this year. We have no swarms, and not very much honey. It has not rained here in ninety-five days. I have lived in Illinois twenty-four years, and never saw such a dry time in all that period. R. Mrnuurr. Rochelle, Itlinots, July 4, 1870. ai eR [For the American Bee Journal.] Trouble among Bees. Having been a reader of your valuable Journal for some time, I cannot well do without it. I would like to contribute something occasionally to the large stock of useful information with which its pages are filled, and hope to do so at some future time ; but at present I wish to draw still more from the experience of others. I suppose there are some bees in this neighbor- hood that have the foul-brood, but being an entire stranger to the disease (except from description } I hesitated long in the decision. It is not as rapid nor as fatal in its development as I ex- pected. Ave there different degrees, or is there a milder form of the disease? It seems to me amore ‘particular description of the first symp- toms, by which an entire novice in this disease could detect it, would be of much benefit to all. The frame hives are largely used in this vicinity. I commenced operating on the disease after Quinby’s plan, by taking away the comb, and putting the bees in a new hive without comb. They commenced to build comb nicely, and filled it with eggs. After a day or two I gave them some good comb clear of disease. All went on swimmingly until the time for the young bees to come forth, when I discovered that they were being dragged out, in all stages, many of them minus wings or legs, &c., much the same as when a swarm is troubled with worms, or has had the brood killed by sudden cool weather. I examined the colony this morning, and found the bees cutting the brood comb all in pieces in their vain endeavors to ex- tricate the young from the cells. The latter were also doing their best to get out—active and lively. Those of sufficient age had the caps of 44 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, their cells removed, and in some eases the rest of the comb mostly cut away, and still they were unable to extricate themselves, being evi- dently entangled in the cocoons. The loss of legs and wings appears to be the result of the older bees trying to help them. There were no worms in the hive, and the swarm is rather a weak one.* I hardly think this the effect of foul-brood, but am not sure. I have seen isolated a single young bee dragged out of the hive in a similar condition, but could usually find more or less worms at work inside. But here the entire brood appeared to be in the same condition. Will not some sage Beeist, if any such there be, give through the Journal such explanation as they can; and also something further on foul- brood ? I fear this article is too long ; but should you deem it worth insertion, I will in my next try to give youa history of my own ease of foul-brooa. Some of the readers may think I ought to have done so first; but this case seemed most promi- nent. Since writing the above, the July number of the Journal has come to hand. In it Mr. John M. Price has an article on prolific and hardy queens, which accords with my _ experience very closely. Some ten years since I attempted artificial swarming, mostly after Mr. Lang- stroth’s plan of forced queens, but could not succeed to my satisfaction in raising good queens. Mr. Price’s plan may work better, I have opposed artificial swarming for the above reason. R. B MErRniIvv. Battle Creek, Michigan. * This is certainly not a case of foul-brood, for in that the brood perishes in the cells a ter it is capped, none issuing therefrom, or being capable of making any effort to do so. The: dead larva speedily decomposes and becomes putrid, being converted into a dark brownish, viscid, fetid mass which if undisturbed, gradually dries up in the cell. There are no “* first symptoms”? by which the disease in its incipiency cav be detected, though, to an experienced eve, its existence is betrayed early, by a peculiar hue and appearance which the capping of the cells assumes.—Hd. NS [For the American Bee Journal.] Price’s Sectional and Casket Bee Hive. Mr. Eprror, and bee-keepers in general, I bring to your notice my improvement in bee- hives, which is used either in the horizontal or angling position. In this hive I have overcome all the objections to the angling position of the frames—such as the impossibility of getting straight combs in frames hung in that position, without each alternate frame being filled with comb. In this hive I have secured a warm com- pact breeding apartment, ‘‘movable’’ for large outside cases—allowing it to be wintered on its summer stand, or removed from the case to a bee-house, cellar or other repository. I have also’secured the advantages of movable parti- tions, by using my glass boney cells—a set on each side of the sectional hive. By the removal of a cell from either side, the sections can be moved from each other, thus securing great fa- cility and ease of handling the combs and man- agement of the bees. I have also secured, by the use of my comb-bars, all the advantages of a shallow chamber, as a passage way for the bees over the combs in winter. And by the use of my wide top and narrow raised bottom sections, all danger of killing or maiming of the queen or bees is removed—a most troublesome and vexa- tious peculiarity of the square frame, from tip- ping, and thrice enhanced if the frames touch or lay on the bottom of the hive. It is simple and easily. made in all its parts, without any complicated contrivances, thereby securing im- munity from the ravages of the moth worm. As it overcomes all the imperfections of and objec- tions to the horizontal or angling position of the combs, it will suit all tastes and preferences of position: and being perfect in itself as an in- ner hive, it allows of the use of all good, tight, large cases or packing boxes from the stores, which can be had cheap—thereby saving the cost of their special manufacture. Anybody who can use a saw, square or hammer, and drive a nail, can make them. This is the only bee-hive invented that will answer, as such, in all climates; and that has simple yet efficient means for safely wintering, breeding or stimulating bees, a1.d has all the re- quisites of a complete hive for the successful and profitable management of bees. The invention consists of a hive made of sections, consisting of four slats or bars attached at the corners in rec- tangular form, two of which are wider than the others and provided at the inside with slats for the comb bars. The said sections being confined in a rack or casket, and laid on a platform havy- ing a deep angular groove, in which the hive is laid on one corner, and may be turned from time to time, as may be required. The hive so constructed is designed to be wrapped in cold weather with canvass; and the whole is enclosed in an exterior case. The hive may be laid flat on the side, on a suitable support, if preferred, from time to time, as it is changed in position for stimulating the bees. To secure straight combs, remove the platform from the outside case and lay the casket and sectional hive flat on the bottom of the case, covering the entrance with tin or other suitable covering, (while the hive is in this position, ) with a fly hole in it. By means of this improved hive | am enabled to preserve the bees in cold weather, by wrap- ping the canvass cover around them, much bet- ter than can be done by the hives now in use. My patent embraces— 1. The combination ofthe hive composed of the casket and internal sections as described in my specification, and the V shaped base adapted for turning the hive and supporting it in the angular position. 2. The internal sections composed of two wide bars, tapering at the top; two narrow bars ; and the projecting comb bar. Joun M. PrRIcE. Buffalo Grove, Lowa. a sf The spring of ‘870 has not been a good one for making maple sugar. It is believed thatthe quantity made in Vermont this year, will but _ little exceed half the usual crop. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 45 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, Washington, August, 1870. OS= Several communications already in type are un- ayoidably crowded out ; and others were received too late for this number of the Journal. {ts The article on controlling the fertilization of the queen bee, translated for this number of the Journal, will of course arrest the attention of those engaged in breeding queens. . The process is claimed »#to be reliable, and when properly employed always successful. We trust it may be promptly tested in various, quarters, and the result of the experiments commu ted for publication. To make the cylindrical queen cage required, take a piece of board three-sixteenths of an inch thick and with a brace bit, cut out acireular disc one and three- quarter inch in diameter. Now take a piece of wire gauze one and a half inches broad and six inches long, pass it around the periphery of the dise and fasten it thereto with a small tack driven into its edge through the overlapping portion of the gauze, and also at t ree more equidistant points on the periphery. Then, gently compressing the thus formed cylinder between thumb and finger, so as to diminish its diameter slightly at the open end, secure it by passing a piece of wire through the overlap and twisting the ends together. This completes the cage which is substantially the same as the Kleine queen cage, now generally used in Germany for confining queens on the comb. OS- We really cannot consent to devote more of our space to the controversy which sprung up in our columns between two of our bee-keeping friends. Both have repeatedly had their say, and a continua- tion of. statement and counter-statement would be alike uninteresting and unprofitable. The whole trouble obviously grew out of the mistake of an offi- cial, with which neither party had any concern or responsibility. We think if they will good-humoredly review the ease they will become satisfied that enough, and more than enough, has already been said. Mistakes and misunderstandiugs should not be allowed to produce ill-feelings and estrangement. Whence Came our Eoney Bees? That our common honey bees are of foreign origin is universally admitted; but it is still a matter of dispute whence they came, or when they were intro- duced; though it is generally supposed that they were brought from England. Those in the Eastern States may have been thence derived ; but we doubt whether those in the Middie States came from the same quarter, Ina pamphlet republished in the “ Ilistorical Mag- azine,” Vol. VI., September, 1862, page 268, entitled **Goon ORDER EsTABLISHED”’ in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in America: by Thomas Budd, origin- ally printed in the year 1685, occurs the following passage, referring to those then colonies : ** Bees are found by the experience of several per- son that keep them, to thrive very well.” Hence it is obvious that bees must have been kept in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, long enough prior to the close of 1685, to make the term ‘* expe- rience’? applicable to those who kept them. It is also well-known that bees were abundant, even in the forests of Pennsylvania, while they were yet comparatively rare in New-England, where they were introduced from ‘‘the mother country,’’ in 1680. They must thus have been derived from a dis- tinct importation, if not from a different stock. We incline to the latter conjecture, and for this reason : We know that the bees in the Middle States were free from the ravages of the bee moth till about the year 1805, and that this pest came thither from New-Eng- land. How long the insect existed there, before it became so devastating as to attract the notice of bee- keepers, is not known; but its progress south and west is traceable, and establishes the fact that it was a stranger south of the Hudson. Though not noticed early, it was doubtless imported with the first bees carried to New-England, for it is a fact that importa- tions of Italian bees, whether made from Italy direct, or from Germany, always bring with them the moth or the miller, or both. This we believe is invariably the case. Weare credibly informed that the trunk and wardrobe of Herman, who accompanied the stocks imported by Mr. Parsons, of Flushing, were thus in- fected ; and observation shows that it is so common an occurrence that it may be regarded as invariably true. It follows, we conceive, that the bees of Penn- sylvania and the Middle States came from a country where the bee-moth did not exist. That country, and the only country in Europe thus free and having early communication with the New World, is Sweden ; and the Swedes and Finns had settlements in Pennsylva- yania and Pelaware as early as1627. Mead was their favorite beverage ; and they would certainly be likely to carry with them in their emigration, the means of supplying themselves with it, and would thus in- troduce a bee not troubled wilh the moth. They could do this, and emigrants from no other country could ; for the bee-moth was not known in Sweden till within the last twenty years—the desire to possess the Italian bee having carried that baneful pest thither also. Notice to Bee-Keepers. The time for holding the National Bee-Keepers’ Convention at Indianapolis, Ind., has been changed from August 10th and 11th to December 21st and — 22d, 1870. A. F. Moon, President Michigan Bee-Keepers’ Association. 46 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. PELEE ISLAND, ONTARIO, June 21, 1870.— The season here has been very favorable for bees—the weather gen- erally such that they could fly. Brooding has been rapid, and swarming early. My first swarm came May 29th. I have just examined it and found all the frames full, except one, and a number of queen cells capped preparatory to swarming. Although white clover is very abundant, they are storing but little honey in boxes. I would like less swarming and more honey. A man, three miles from here, caught astray swarm last season, which evidently came from the woods, but show ed unmistakablesigns of having crossed w ith my Italian drones. He put it in a goods box, twelve by fourteen inches, and three feet high, which they filled and swarmed this spring before my best Italian colony in a frame hive, and in a week after swarmed again. I leave the fact without any comment.—T. SMITH. MINNESOTA CrTy, June 16.—Bees are doing very well here at present, and are at work in top boxes. Some Italian stocks have swarmed five times. If everything runs smooth, and we do not haye any drouth to cut off our pasture, we shall get a good | yield of honey. I will keep a record of all the honey obtained this season, and wish all bee-keepers would do the same, and report next fall through the Ameri- can Bee Journal.— W. RowLey. Port CuiInTON, Oul0, June 16.—Bees are doing well here. Swarming and storing honey in boxes.—P. 8. VAN RENSSELAER. Ottumwa, Iowa, June 19.—Mr. Walker, who is working for me, changed a colony of bees that had been in one hive twenty-one years. The comb was very thick and heavy on the edges; but where the brood was the cells were apparently as large as any in new comb. What do you think of that?—G. B. OLNEY. NorWALK, Onto, June 22.—Bees are doing splendid here this summer,, have mostly swarmed, and are storing honey very fast.—C. H. Hoyt. BINGHAMPTON, N. Y., June 22.—I find the Ameri- can Bee Journal very interesting and instructive. Bees are doing very well in this section this spring. Swarming commenced early. The first swarm of Italians issued on the 25th of May. All populous stocks are working in boxes, and if the season con- tinues favorable there will be a large yield of honey. —J. P. Moors. BLOOMFIELD, ONTARIO, June 22.—My bees wintered finely in the cellar described on page 76, Vol. V, of the Bee Journal. I have forty-five old stocks—black and hybrids, and have had six natural swarms. Bees are storing honey rapidly from white clover. Some colonies have stored fifteen to twenty pounds in boxes.—G. Cork. AmEssurG, Mass., June 22.—The bees are doing finely this season in these parts ; that is, such as were wintered well. We bave had plenty of rain to keep the white clover blooming ; and I have one-iourth of an acre of Alsike clover this season, which the bees like well. I shall have some boxes of honey to take off this week. Success to the American Bee Journal.—A. GREEN. MAHOMET, ILLs., June 22.—Bee-keeping is progress- ing rapidly in this country. The Langstroth hive is in use with us, and find it far ahead of any other hive. Bees are doing finely here this season. A great deal of swarming is done artificially with us.—J. B. CHERRY. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Avaust, OWEN Sound, ONTARIO, June 22.—Inclosed you will find two dollars, subscription to the American Bee Journal for another year. J would not do without it for twice its present price.—J. MILLER. BLOOMFIELD, IowA, June 23.—Bees in this vicinity have not done very well until within the last seven or eight days, and had got pretty nearly through with their last year’s honey, but are now storing honey very rapidly. I know of only one natural swarin having issued yet, though I have had two issues which could hardly be called natural swarms. I re- moved the queen from one colony for the purpose of having queen cells constructed, and did not watch them quite close enough. I found, after the swarms ~ issued, that there was a young queen with it, andone in the old hive. The other swarm came from a colo- ny that had lost its queen unknown to me. ‘This swarm had two young queens, and the old stock had one. We expect, if pasturage continues good for eight or ten days longer, to haye some swarms, unless precautions be taken to prevent swarming. 3; Py FORTUNE. CastLE CREEK, N. Y., June 25.—Before I had the Bee Journal I would not, for any price, open a hive with bees init; and did not know the use of the mova- ble comb hive; in faet, I knew nothing about bees. I now have thirty stocks, eight of them Italianized, and shall have them all changed to the ‘‘ golden bands” by fall. I have one hive with twelve 5-lb. boxes in it, all full, and nearly every cell sealed. They will be ready for market in two days. The white clover season is not more than half gone yet. Who can beat that for honey in sixteen days? I was obliged to make a honey slinger to empty combs for my young queens to lay in this week. Ihave five hives from which I had taken their queen, and given them young Italian queens too young yet to com- mence laying; and as fast as the brood hatched the celis were filled with honey, leaving no chance to de- posit eggs. But I have remedies at hand for that now. Suecess to the American Bee Journal and all its readers.—C. L. FRENCH. ATCHISON, KANSAS, June 26.—Bees are doing better here this year, so far, than I have known for some years.—J. BELZ. , PERU, OuIOo, June 28.—Bees are doing well here. Mine haye had the swarming mania, but it is about over now. IJ never saw bees work on red clover be- fore, as they do to-day—much more than on white clover. The Alsike is their “Shobby.”—F. F. Nunn. CINCINNATI, Ouro, June 28.—As soon as I can find time, I shall try to answer to the satisfaction of some of our friends the two questions—‘* Can bees be kept in cities ??? and ‘* Are bees profitable??? I have taken from my twenty hives of bees already over twelve hundred (1200) pounds of honey, partly machine strained and partly in combs in small frames, and my hives are full now.—C. F. Mutua. ATHENS, Ouio, June 29.—No end to bees and honey ths season. Natives beat the Italians all to smash !—J. W. BAYARD. ANNAWAN, ILis., June 29.—The weather is ex- tremely hot. Bees are gathering alarge amount of honey, and swarming but little.—W. Troyer. RICHMOND, OHIo, June 29.—Bees are doing very well in this part of the country. They have swarmed very extensively, and have stored a large amount of honey. I have several hundred pounds of box honey ready for market, which I can sell at thirty-five cents per pound on hauling it ten miles. My best wishes for the American Bee Journal and its success. I think it the best of its class in the United States.—J. W. TAyYLor. ’ ' information obtained by its perusal. _ months of the best part of the season has been lost BroapD Roun Station, VA., June 29.—My bees are doing splendidly, and I hope to reap a good profit from them this year, if the weather only keeps season- able.—H. WHITE. _Crirton, TENN., June 29.—Enclosed find two dol- lars for the sixth volume of the American Bee Jour- nal; aslama new beginner in bee-culture (on the new system) I cannot well do without the valuable About three to bees here, as they gathered no honey till about the 20th of this month. Previous to that time there was not more than one swarm from one hundred colonies. Several stocks starved during May and June, caused by many blossoms being killed by the late frosts ; and others afforded no honey.—C. WEEKS. PLEASANT Hitt, Ky., July 1.—The May number of the American Bee Jvurnal, from some unknown cause, has never cometo hand. Please send me a copy. I felt as much disappointed at its non-appear- ance as a hungry steed tied to an empty manger. It seems to be as necessary an adjunct to the apiarian as fertilizers are to the horticulturist,and its perpetuity has become very desirable. Present indications seem to favor that happy result.—B. B. DuNLavy. Ligonier, Pa., July 4.—The bee business has been an uphill one here the past two years, but the present is one of the best I ever saw for swarming and gath- ering honey.—W. AsHcom. Lexineton, Ky., July 7.—I have obtained from ‘eighty stocks of bees four thousand (4,000) pounds of surplus honey, this. season, making an average of about fifty pounds. Don’t that do pretty well ?7—D. BERBANK. BaTAvIiA, Itus., July 8.—The season, thus far, has been poor for swarming, in this section, on account of the dry weather. We have had no rain since April until this week. The honey season is past. My boxes will be only about half filled, and the season will be a poor one in this section.—8. Way. Lima, On10, July 11.—Bees have been doing finely since June 10th, when we had several good showers of rain. WVrevious to that it was extremely dry ; no rain to do any good for sevepsweeks. But since June 10th the bees have filied their hives to overflowing, and are filling surplus boxes. Last week I put my honey machine at work, and emptied out of the combs a lot of as nice honey as any one would wish. to see (as well as eat). luse one of J. L. Peabody’s machines, and it works complete, coming fully up to my expec- tations. Itis so simple that there is no liability to get out of repair. With ordinary care it will lust a lifetime, and pay for itself every year three or four fold, with say fifty hives of bees. All that is wanted for every bee-keeper to get value received, in both honey and bees, is to subscribe for the American Bee Journal.--8. SANFORD. After giving the above encouraging report from Dr. Sanford, we think we cannot well do otherwise, in accordance with the dictates of strict impartiality, than insert the following lugubrious letter from one who seems to have been grievously disappointed and become thoroughly disgusted with bee-keeping, or attempted bee-keeping rather, for he evidently could. not succeed in keeping bees. How he managed to come out so miserably ‘‘at the little end of the horn,”’ is probably past finding out, unless he will favor us with a detailed account of his mode of oper- ating, which we should be pleased to receive for publication. Certainly he read the Bee Journal to lit- THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 47 tle purpose during the short time he received it, and it is wise in him to abandon bee-culture, though it may be hard to find any other pursuit to suit him better, if he is not conscious of the true cause of his failure in this. Much obliged for the payment of the balance due, in view of which he ought certainly have better ‘‘luck’? hereafter; which we most cordially wish him. ROcHESTER, WIs., July 11.--I wish to pay for the Bee Journal sent to me at Warren,’Ills., to date, and have it stopped. Ihave lived.on written and pic- tured sweetness long enough. Since J began taking the Journal I have run out two lots of bees, and haye on hand sixty dollars’ worth of useless hives and a very small lot of patience with you or anybody else on the bee question. I send enclosed three dollars, which I think will pay up; and if you knew my ex- perience, circumstances, and feelings, you would be sublimely thankful to get it. Whenever I get time to destroy another lot of bees, or money to buy half a dozen patent hives that will draw the honey from the flowers without bees, I will renew my subscription. Until then I may wait in blissful ignorance of the great inventions and discoveries in bce-culture.—N. WooDWORTH. BRANDYWINE HUNDRED, DEL., July 12.—Our bees have swarmed more than usual this season. They do not seem to have much surplus honey. I am so situated that I have to be away in the swarming season, and the swarms are taken by the women folks, except in some cases where they happen to get a little ahead and take French leave.-—G. W. Har- RIETT. HvuBBARD, Onto, July 13.—It is a good season for bees in this section, where there is a good deal of white clover, and the bees work on it very lively. One of my stocks (an Italian), though in a large hive, with plenty of room, was determined to swarin. The swarm came out four different days, but always went back. SoTI took out four frames— three of honey, and one of brood with several queen cells on it; cut out all the queen celis but one ; put these frames with al. the bees on into an empty hive, moved the old hive off of its stand and set the new one in place. JI could not conveniently cut out the remain- ing queen cells,as the combs were not all straightonthe frames. In afew days both the old and the new hive swarmed. I took away the queens and returned the bees, but they came out again the next day; and sev- eral days after, one morning, I found /en dead queens in front of the oid hive, and at another time two. I caught five queens one day from two swarms, and at other times killed at least six, and cut out four or five cells. They must have had at least twenty-five young queens raising. I was sorry I could not make use of them, as they were very good Italians.—J. WINFIELD. Tiverton, CANADA, July 14.—I am satisfied that I have come to a better locality for bee-keeping than Laneaster. My bees are doing wonders here; and so they may, for I never saw more white clover than we | have here, and as it is natural to the soil, we shall have plenty of it till frost comes. I met rather a singular thing the other day—name- ly, two queens in one hive. Of course, young queens are often found together in one hive ; but it was the mother and daughter that 1 found together on the same frame. - The way it occurred was this: I divided a hive. In my operation I discovered a queen cell sealed over, but I failed to see the queen ; so I happened to put the queen and queen cell into the same box, and in about ten days afterwards, when I 48 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ AUGUST, went to destroy all the queen cells but one, in the box which I supposed contained them, I discovered the mother and daughter on the same comb. I never met the like before, for in such circumstances the old queen generally destroys all the queen cells.—J. AN- DERSON. Byron, Micuigan.—Enclosed please find two dol- lars for the American Bee Journal for another year. As for me, it is honey in the comb, and I cannot do without it, so hurrah for the Bee Journal. Now, about my bees. Last fall I had sixty-seven colonies. Intending to winter most of them, some twenty were put in a special depository, some were placed in a bed-room, and the residue were left on their summer stands. The result was that sixty-two of the sixty- seven, during the winter aud spring, went ‘‘ where the woodbine twineth,”? up, up, up. All, I believe, died with cholera, caused by using thin or watery honey, as with us the last was a very wet season. But, as Iam a full-blooded Yank from old Connect- icut, I pitched in on a small scale (Gallup like) and bonght sixteen colonies in old box-hives, and now (July 11) have had forty swarms from eighteen old stocks (three have not as yet swarmed), allowing them to do as most inclined—that is, doing their own swarming; and allof them are doing a smashing business. As I have not a honey-slinger some of my early swarms bave gathered and stored at least a wheelbarrow load of the most luscious of all sweets, which, in part, was extracted from the pink blossoms of Alsike. I have eighteen acres of this clover just over the fence enclosing my apiary, and, with last spring’s sowing, have forty acres on the ground. I am thoroughly convinced the Alsike will be the staple clover for pasturage, hay, and al) soiling purposes, as it does not heave by the frosts of winter and spring. My Alsike will do to cut about the 20th of this month (July), and all who have examined it think it will produce six bushels clear seed to the acre. As to the Italian bees, Iam confident of their su- perior qualifications in honey gathering, as also in sending out larger and earlier swarms. Besides their just symmetry and beauty of color, they are more docile and less inclined to sting. As to hybrids, all I can say in their favor, is they are great workers, and perhaps as prolific, but notorious thieves among the honest class of people. THeir natural pro- pensity is to be ‘‘boss,’? so that when they begin to give orders one might as well begin to “‘skedaddle.”’ I intend to keep none but pure Italians, and am Italianizing my apiary and some others. And now, Mr. Editor, if you see fit to transfer any part or the whole of this to the Journal, you are at liberty to do so; butif not, throw it among your waste paper, and I shall remain as ever your obedient servant, and well-wisher to the American Bee Journal. So again, I say hurrah for the man who is doing most for the promotion of bee-culture.—O. E. WOLcorTtT. +? + [For the American Bee Journal] Feeding bees building comb.— Will it pay ?—An experiment, One month ago, or about the 12th of June, I hived a swarm of bees in an empty Casket hive, to test if it would pay to feed. The swarm was only of medium size. The queen unfortunately was a cripple and died. But I had taken the precaution to give them a sealed queen cell. So for a week, or until the young queen came out to be fertilized, they did not fly much, and only used half a pound of sugar from the feeder. I then fed the 83 lbs. of coffee sugar, through the glass fruit jar vacuum feeder, in the proportion of half a pound of sugar to two pounds of water. They rapidly filled up with comb, al- though not any of my other colonies seemed to be storing any above their daily wants. (We have had here a long drouth all through the spring. which still continues.) Then the bass- wood came into blossom, and they have done well. Today they weigh, (over and above the Casket, ) comb and honey, thirty pounds.—The Harrison or Novice bee-feeders are all right to feed late in the fall or in winter, as you have to use four or five pounds of sugar to one of water, but would be useless as a summer feeder, as the feed has to be concentrated ; and feeding such concentrated feed to bees, is about as profi- table as feeding a workhorse on Kingsford’s Corn Starch or the best Arrow Root. The readers can judge for themselves, taking into consideration the loss of queen, and the drought, as well as the smallness of the swarm, and the present weight of comb and honey, whether the feeding pays. Joun M. Price. Buffalo Grove, lowa, July 12, 1870. ©

[For the Americah Bee Journal. ] Polanisia Purpurea. Mr. Eprror :—I would like to give the readers of the journal my experience with the Rocky Mountain bee plant Polanisia purpurea. In 1868, I had the pleasure of receiving some of the seed from Mr. J. L. Hubbard, then of Walpole, N. H.; and from sixteen plants that grew, I got six quarts of seed. It comes into bloom about the last of July, and continues till frost comes. The bees work on it from morning till night. In selecting honey-producing plants, it should be the aim of the bee-keeper to plant such as would be of benefit to stock or poultry as well as bees. Now I find that my poultry will eat the seed of the Polanisia in a short time as readily as buckwheat ; and there is no plant on my farm that stands the drouth equal to it. At present (July 25th) we are having a very severe drouth and extreme heat, yet with the temperature ranging from 90° to 108° in.the shade, not a leaf of the Polanisia wilts; on the contrary, it is making a very rapid growth. Taking every- thing into consideration, I think it is worthy the attention of bee-keepers. A. GREEN. Amesbury, Mass. Oos> [From the London ‘‘ Journal of Horticulture.’’] Bees in Borneo and Timor. Having recently perused Mr. Spencer St. John’s very interesting work on Borneo, pub- lished in 1862, under the title of ‘‘ Life in the ,Forests of the Far East,’ I have made notes of several passages relating to the apian aborigines of that magnificent tropical island :— Speaking of the agricultural pursuits of the “Sea Dayaks,’? Mr. St. John says—‘‘ They ob- tain beeswax from the nests built on the tapang tree, and climb the loftiest heights in search of it, upon small sticks which they drivein as they advance up the noble stem that rises above one hundred feet free of branches, and whose girth varies from fifteen to twenty-five feet. Once these pegs are driven in, their outer ends are connected by a stout rattan, which, with the tree, forms a kind of ladder. It requires cool and deliberate courage to take a bee-hive at so great an elevation, where, in case of being attacked by the bees, the almost naked man | would fall and be dashed to atoms. They de- pend upon the flambeaux they carry up with them, as, when the man disturbs the hive, the sparks falling from it cause, it is said. the bees to fly down in chase of them instead of attack- ing their real enemy, who then takes the hive and lowers it down by a rattan string. The bees escape unhurt. This plan does not appear to be as safe as that pursued by the Pakatan Dayaks, who kindle a large fire under the trees, and, throwing green branches upon it, raise so stifling a smoke that the bees rush forth, and the man ascending takes their nest in safety. Both these operations are generally conducted at night, although the second might be, I imagine, practised in safety during the day.”’ With regard to the ‘‘Land Dayaks”’ it is stated, that ‘‘To the left of the Sirambau are some very fine tapang trees, in which the bees generally build their nests ; they are considered private property, and a Dayak from a neighbor- ing tribe venturing to help himself to some of this apparently wild honey and wax would be punished for theft.’’ This is the first hint that is given of bees being considered in any respect as private property, but the following passage would seem to indicate that the dome tication of the honey-bee is not aitogether unknown in the island :—‘‘ During the night, our rest was much disturbed by bees, which stung us several times, and Mr. Lowe, with that acuteness which never deserts him in all questions of natural history, pronounced them to bethe ‘ tame’ bees, the same as he had last seen thirteen years ago among the Senah Dayaks, in Sarawak. About midnight we were visited by a big fellow, who, our guides assured us, wanted to pilfer ; but we found next morning that he had come to com- plain of his hives having been plundered. On inquiry, we discovered the man who had done the deed. He was fined three times the value of the damage, and the amount handed over to the owner.’’ During one of his adventurous expeditions up the river Limbang, Mr. St. John found a Paka- tan named Japer, who accompanied him, a storehouse of information. He had a thorough faith in ghosts and spirits, and told of many an ad- venture with them, and of the Antus who caused the death of the wax-hunters, by pushing them off the mengiris or tapang tree. When the un- fortunate men, from inefficient preparations, as their companions not keeping up a great fire under the trees to stupefy the bees, are so stung as to let go their hold, the natural explanation is never taken ; they fly to their superstitions. Japer’s nephew saw one of these tapang ghosts, and managed to keep his eye upon him and pre- vent him pushing him off, he came down with- out accident, but without any wax. Isuggested that he invented the ghostto excuse his timidity, which Japer thought probable. To-day we passed one of these lofty trees bearing above twenty bees’ nests, among them four old ones 52 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPr., white with wax.* As the country is full of tapangs, in which alone do the bees build their nests, the stories of the great amount of wax formerly procured in this district may be true. Why do the honey-bees generally build on one particular tree? Its being the finest in the forest is no good reason, perhaps there is some- thing enticing in the bark. I say ‘generally,’ because, though I have never seen their nests on other trees, yet I have often come across them in the crevices of rocks.”’ Inasubsequent part ofhis journal of the same expedition, our author says—‘‘ I never was in such a country for bees, they everywhere swarm in the most disagreeable manner, and ants and other in- sects are equally numerous.’? When on their re- turn and nearly starved, the party had ‘‘a very happy find, for while passing under a fine tapang tree we noticed the remains of a bees’ nest scat- tered about, and every particle was eagerly appro- priated. From the marks around it appeared as if a bear had climbed this lofty tree and torn down the nest to be devoured by its young below, as there were numerous tracks of the smaller animals around, but whether the comb had been sucked by the bears or not was very im- material to our men, who rejoiced in securing the little honey still clinging to it.’’ : The party appears only once to have fallen foul of a hornet’s nest. The encounter and its results are thus described :—'‘It was in follow- ing the bed of the Rawan that I was stung. Notice was given by the guide to leave the direct path, and we all did; but I suppose some one disturbed the hornets, as they attacked me with a ferocity that appears incredible: many flew at me, but two fixed on my arms and stung me through my double clothing. They poised them- selves a moment in the air, and then came on with a rush which it was impossible to avoid. The pain was acute, but I saved my face. I tumbled down the steep bank in a moment, and throwing aside rifle and ammunition, plunged up to my eyes in a pool until the buzzing ceased and the hornets had returned to their nests. Some of my men were also stung ; they squeezed a little tobacco juice on the wounds, and they say they felt no further inconvenience. Itried it about an hour afterwards, but it did me no good. i had no idea that the sting of this insect was so severe ; my right arm swelled up to double its natural size and was acutely painful; now, on the second day, it is much less so, but as the swelling continues it is impossible to use it much.”’ ‘ That wild bees are exceedingly abundant in the forests and jungles of Borneo may be in- ferred from the foregoing passages as well as from the numerous references to parties of native ‘¢wax-hunters,’’?. which occur in almost every chapter of the work. Although no clue is given by Mr. St. John to the identity of the Borneon honey-bee, or any information as to the manner in which it builds its nest, J] am enabled in some measure to supply the deficiency from other sources. Some half dozen years ago I received from Mr. Charles Darwin, the distinguished naturalist, a * More probably new ones.—A DEVONSHIRE BEE-KEEPER. few specimens of bees named Apis testacea (Smith), together with two pieces of their comb. Although these had been brought by Mr. Alfred B.. Wallace, the celebrated traveller and author of ‘The Malay Archipelago,’’ just published, from the island of Timor in the Eastern Archipelago, 1 believe them to be the same as those which are indigenous in Borneo, so that there appears lit- tle reason to doubt that these are the bees re- ferred to by Mr. St. John. On examination I found them half as long again as Apis mellifica, and their brood comb proportionably thicker. They were in fact, a variety of the magnificent Apis dorsata, which is described as flourishing abundantly throughout the great Indian penin- sula, from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, as well as in Ceylon. Mr. Darwin subsequently introduced me to Mr. Wallace, to whom I am indebted for the fol- lowing particulars :—‘‘In Borneo and Timor the wax forms an important article of commerce. The combs hang on the under side of horizontal limbs of lofty trees, often one hundred feet from the ground. ‘‘T have seen three together as above, and they are often four feet in diameter. The natives of Timor I have seen take them. They climb up a tree carrying a smoke torch made of a split creeper bound up in palm leaves, and hanging by a rope from their waist. They cover up their body and hair carefully, but their arms and legs are bare. The smoke directed on the comb ~ makes the bees fly off in a cloud as the man ap- proaches. He sweeps off the remainder with his hand and then cuts off the comb with a large knife, and lets it down to his companions below by athin cord. Heis all the time surrounded by a cloud of bees, and though the smoke no doubt partly stupefies them, he must beseverely stung. While looking on from a considerable distance a few came down and attacked me, and 1 did not get rid of them till I was half a mile from the place and had caught them all, one by one, in my insect net. The sting is very severe. I should imagine that in Timor the dry season answers to our winter, as the drought is very severe and much of the foliage is deciduous. Eucalypti are the most common trees, and their: flowers I suspect supply the bees with their honey. In Borneo combs are placed in a some- what similar manner, perhaps formed by the same species. The only bee | have seen domes- ticated in the East is one at Malacca, the natives hang up bamboos and hollow logs for it, but it is, I believe, not a true Apis, as it makes clusters of large oval shells of black wax.”’ I may add that the Timor bee was named Apis testacea on account of its color, which is 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 3 very light, and is, in fact. the only point in which it differs from Apis dorsata. When some years ago I compared the specimens in the British Museum, I became impressed with the idea that those which represented Apis testacea were nothing more than newly-hatched and im- mature specimens of Apis dorsata, and so strongly did lL urge my views upon Mr. Smith, that I believe I almost induced him to doubt the correctness of his own nomenclature, until he was afterwards assured by Mr. Wallace him- self, that they were really mature and fully-de- veloped adult bees.—A DEVONSHIRE BEE- KEEPER. a ee Management of Bees in Winter, The following address on this subject was delivered by Mr. E. Roop, of Wayne (Mich.), at the Michigan Bee-keeper’s Convention, held at Lansing, on the 23d of March last. The crowded state of our columns and files at the time it was received, prevented an immediate inseriion, and its appearance now will probably be all the more opportune and serviceable.— Ep. If there be no objection, I would like to re- verse the order of the time or statement of the subject which I am expected to discuss, as the spring management follows that of the winter. The winter management, of a necessity, in- volves some things that must be done in the fall ; and let me premise by saying that almost, if not all of the operations and manipulations of bees, are quite simple, when the natural habits and- requirements of the insect are well understood, and with a reasonable amount of intelligence and perseverance the object is accomplished. Let me assure new beginners, and those that have not begun, that the honey will much more than compensate for the labor bestowed upon them, as I knaw of no branch of rural pursuits that, in dollars and cents, pays as well. And the pleasure derived from a study of their nature and habits, will far more than compensate, in a scientific point of view, for all their stings. In preparing for winter, of necessity it is in- cumbent upon us to see or learn that they have sufficient food to carry them through until they can procure it for themselves ;—say twenty or twenty-five pounds if wintered in a special de- pository, and twenty-five or thirty if wintered on their summer stands. We should then remove the surplus honey- boxes as soon as the first hard frost ; as, if they remain on, the bees will the next day carry into the breeding apartment all that is not capped over ; and I have seldom or never known a swarm but what had‘enough in the body of the hive to winter on, if they had stored any in the surplus boxes. Next, weigh one or more empty hives, to which weight add, say ten pounds for weight of bees, combs and bee bread ; then the first cool _ day proceed to weigh every swarm,—no guessing about it. Mark the net weight of honey upon the same corner or place on each hive. ne Next, the first fine day commence to equalize the amount of honey in the various swarms; if jn moyable frames, taking from the heayiest and giving to those that require feeding ; if not in movable frame hives, the light ones must be fed in the evening with some of the various feeders, and a good swarm will carry from five to eight pounds to the combs in a night. They may be fed on a syrup made of clarified sugar, but the syrup should never, nor should honey be kept, melted, dissolved, or fed from copper or brass vessels, as it has been ascertained that verdigris will cause foul brood. We have now provided our bees with sufficient food for winter, and why-should we not? We provide (or should), a sufficient supply for each sheep, and certainly the profits of a swarm of bees are as great as from a sheep—aye, and far ereater—and they do not require one-fourth part of the care and attention. I know of but one other preparation for win- tering. In almost any apiary there-will be some small swarms and some destitute of queens. they may and should be doubled up, but no two large swarms should be put together—they will not do well. We are now ready to put our bees into winter quarters. The exact time for removing them to the quarters cannot be now definitely determined. If there are any small swarms, it will be well to put them in somewhat earlier than the large ones; as there is not as much animal heat, and those upon the outside of the cluster become chilled and perish; perhaps the first of Decem- ber, as a general rule, will be the correct time. Now for the winter quarters. If they are win- tered on thei summer stands, it would be much if the yard was enclosed with a high board fence, or something to break off the winds. The fly-holes should be nearly closed, so that it will be one-half or three-fourths of an inch in size, that it may not get stopped up with dead bees, also that but a trifle of air may enter, thus pre- venting much draft, and as upward ventilation is almost absolutely necessary, there should be openings in the top of the hive for the vapor to escape, but the openings should be protected in a manner to prevent the wind from driving into them. There are many ways, as laying on five or six inches of straw and placing the roof on it, or a board and some weight to keep it in place, or the cover to the honey boxes may be filled with straw or some other substance that will ab- sorb all the moisture. This upward ventilation should be closed, say the 15th of March, or after the extreme cold weather is over. Thus I have given you all that seems necessary, where they are wintered on their summer stands. When they are wintered in special deposi- tories, the preparation is the same, except that no straw or other substance is necessary ; but the honey-board must be raised, say a quarter of an inch, or if in common hives, the holes in the top of the hive left open, the fly-hole the same as above, the temperature kept between twenty- five and forty-three by thermometer, the cellar or room perfectly dark, and when you enter it, do so with a lantern. I will now proceed to give what I regard as the best form and method of constructing a special depository. Convenience to the apiary is essential; it is as well, and perhaps better if we can, to place it in the edge of a bank—as some b+ THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPT., root cellars are made—bluff, or side-hill. The door should be at the lowest side, for the conve- nience of entrance, as it is difficult to pass up and down stairs with a swarm of bees. The size of the room will of course be suf- ficiently large to contain what bees we wish to place therein. Sixteen feet by twenty, inside measure, will hold one hundred and fifty swarms, and leave ample alley room. The place should be dry, there should be a double door, the room perfectly dark, ceiling joists and a floor should be laid over head, and eight or ten inches of saw- dust, tan-bark, dry marsh muck, or some non- conductor placed on it before putting on the roof. Four pipes, chimneys or tubes, made of ten or twelve inch boards, should run from just below the ceiling through the roof, and be of sufficient length to exclude the light, say eight feet, on the lower end of which there will be a simple slide or valve. Place one in or near each corner of the room. Thus we have the means distributed for the ascent of the surplus heat, and the animal heat of one hundred swarms is quite consider- able, and the great difficulty, if any, will be to keep our room cool enough. To jump at the conclusion that a room with thin walls will ac- complish it, will not answer; the great difficulty is to have aneven temperature. As, if our walls are thin, the rays of the sun and warm air will make the room too warm. In February, 1869, I was under the necessity of doubling the thick- ness of a ten inch wall on the south side. We also place a pipe or tube quite around the inside of the room upon the floor or ground (a floor is quite unnecessary, worse than nothing for it makes a hiding place for rats and mice), this tube may be made of foot boards, and inch holes bored in it, once in two feet, for the equal distribution of the cold and fresh air, when needed. One end of this pipe must pass through the wall, and must have a slide or valve at or near the outer end. If my room was at the bank or hill, the lower side or end will of necessity be destitute of earth banking, and we would make the wall at least sixteen inches, filled as above with some non- conducting substance, and dry marsh muck is equal, if not superior, to almost any other sub- stance, except fine charcoal, and is easily pro- cured. A house built altogether upon a level surface, with the walls of sufficient thickness, say eighteen or twenty inches, will be equally good. The cost of such a house as I have described cannot be great. Most, if not all the labor, can be per- formed by the apiarian. This house will be found very convenient for many other purposes in the spring and summer, in the various operations, to wit: in overhauling and examining the bees in the spring, as a win- dow sash may ‘then be placed in the top of one of the doors, and a stove placed within—thus I have one arranged. When you suspect there may be a material change in the temperature of the room, look to the thermometer ; if too cold, close the valves, if too warm open them more or less, as occasion may require; if that is not sufficient, open the door after dark, and close it again before light, and if that is not sufficient, throw in and spread over the floor a few bushels of snow or pounded ice. Many swarms will be benefited by being set out on their summer stands at the time of the January thaw, or in February, those that are besmearing their hives, that they may dis- charge themselves, which will cure most cases of diarrhoea, or dysentery as it is called—though there are real cases of diarrhoea, but not often. Thus we have passed over the most essential — points in the wintering of bees. I will now pro- ceed to give some, if not all of the necessary steps in their management in the spring. ~ It is difficult to give the exact date ‘at which they should be removed to their summer stands, bat whenever it is done, it is not at all import- ant that each swarm should be placed on the identical stand it had the previous season, neither is this precaution necessary if set out in the winter. In removing them from the cellar, it will first be necessary to close up the fly-hole and remove the chip or block from under the honey-board — to confine the bees in the hive. Immediately after placing them upon their summer stands, if housed in special depositories, and perhaps about the same time or a trifle earlier if wintered out, the bottom boards should be cleaned of dead bees and other filth, it saves the bees much labor and no doubt conduces to their health. As soon as they have become accustomed to their new location, one of the most important operations in bee management becomes neces- sary, to wit, the thorough examination of the - swarm, for five purposes: First, to ascertain if they have sufficient honey to carry them through 3 of this we may judge with sufficient accuracy from the appearance of the quantity. Be sure to leave them enough, as the breeding season is now considerably advanced. We must also regard the size of the swarm, which will, of course, in- clude the quantity of brood now on hand. Sec- ondly, to see if they have toomuch honey. This reason is almost equally important with the other; it could be hardly conceived by the novice how it was possible that a swarm of bees could have too much honey. Well, we would like to have you explain that, Mr. Lecturer, says one—I think many. Well, be patient, my friends, and we will make the attempt. First, then, we will suppose the breeding chamber of the hive is the proper size. This involves the question as to what is the proper size. Well, there are various opinions about it ; but with some experi- ence, aided by a few simple figures, we may ap- proximate to it. We may assume that a vigor- ous and healthy queen can and will lay three thousand eggs a day; now, each square inch of comb will contain fifty eggs, and fifty will go into three thousand sixty times; it takes about twenty-one days for the eggs to. hatch ; now twenty-one times sixty is one thousand two hun- dred and sixty: this would be a solid mass of comb, larva and pupa; of a necessity, then, we must add tothe above one thousand two hundred and sixty, half as much more room, six hundred and thirty inches, making the inside of the hive one thousand eight hundred and ninety cubic inches. It will be well to add say half an inch 1870.] - more to the depth of the hive, as the bees seldom ' build combs to within half aninch of the bottom board. Well, suppose the hive is fourteen inches each way (horizontal) we would thus add ninety- eight inches more; this would give one thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight, or for conveni- ence, two thousand cubic inches ; two thousand two hundred and eighteen and one-fifth enbic inches are a bushel, which is most commonly given as the proper size of the hive. Now, our figures have given nearly that size, and worked mathematically close, and giving a little leeway, our hive will hold about a bushel. Let us recol- lect this is the room required for breeding pur- poses. We added two hundred inches, and will suppose that will be filled with pollen and honey ; now, if these premises be correct, we start in the spring with the size of our hive much reduced by being filled with honey, as we have but two hun- dred cubic inches for that purpose and the bee- bread. Can we now see that a swarm of bees may have too much honey in the breeding cham- ber? Still we must leave enough at this exami- nation to carry them safe through till an abund- ant supply can be obtained from the blossoms. Suppose, therefore, we leave from thirty to fifty pounds of honey in the hive, is it not evident we have trenched that amount of space upon the breeding territory? Then, if the season isa good one for honey, this room is constantly being di- minished by the bees depositing honey in the cells as soon as the brood leaves, the result of which will be your young swarms will be too small, and by winter the old ones, for the want of breeding room, are too few to raise sufficient animal heatto winter. Evenifthe proper amount only is left in the hive in the spring, and the sea- son is a good one for honey, the hives should be examined, say the first day of August, and the outside sheets that are filled with honey and have no brood in them, be removed, and empty sheets or frames placed in the centre of the hive that the queen may have more room. Thirdly. We examine the hive to see if there is too much drone comb (and any is too much ina large apiary) for if you remove all, the bees will find means to raise drones enough, as in a hive with the ordinary quantity there are probably enough for an apiary of fifty or seventy-five swarms. Fourthly. We examine the hive to determine if the queen is living, and if so, if she may not be a drone layer. The question will be asked by some how we determine if she is living, or is a drone layer. Ifthere is no queen there will be no brood, and vice versa, and if the brood be all drone, there would be no doubt of her being a drone layer. In either case, the swarm should be doubled up with a swarm that has a normal queen ; the drone layer should first be killed. Fifthly. In performing these examinations it is an excellent plan to transfer each swarm to a clean hive, as the rabbets have often become partially filled with propolis or gum, as are also the ends of the frames covered with it, and some- times the hive may want repairs. We have seen that this examination is one of paramount necessity. The better placeto operate is pethaps in a room or place with a single win- dow, or a half window is better, and the room THK AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 5d should be so warm that the bees will not chill upon the window. It should be so arranged that the bees that gather thereon may be frequently liberated ; the weather should be sufficiently mild for them to fly from the place to the hive. A decoy hive should be set upon the stand, with a few pieces of combin it; the decoy hive should be of the same color as the one being operated upon. An active person can examine twenty hives in a day withanassistant. This examina- tion may be performed out of doorat the stands, were it not for the fact that it is a season of the year when the robbers are most persistent. In performing these operations, it will be found ad- vantageous to blow in a little smoke at the time of opening the hive. We now have our bees in clean hives with plenty of honey—not too much—and without toomuch drone comb. But perhaps a few queens may have died a natural death during the win- ter, or there may be some drone layers. In either case, the bees should be put with another swarm. This may done in various ways; the safest, per- haps, for the uninitiated, would be to drive the swarm from the hive without a queen into the other, by first blowing in a little smoke, also sprinkle in a trifle of scented syrup, and then drumming; and after they are driven the swarm had better be removed to a perfectly dark room or cellar say for a week, or remove them to a dis- tance of at least a mile for a week. This re- moving should be done instanter. An additional precaution would be to place the one hive above the other preparatory to driving, with a wire cloth between them, say for forty-eight hours, that each may have the same scent. It is often the case that many swarms are small in the spring; then comes the question, what is it best to,do with them? I am of the opinion that the better plan is to feed them, to stimulate the queen to breeding. Commencing the 15th of March, give the swarm from three to four tablespoonfuls of honey every day, or every other day, except the days they gather from flowers, will answer ; but they must be watched closely to see if they have plenty of honey in the combs for their brood, and they consume much more than we would suspect; as, for illustration, suppose a hive to be filled with larva capped over, can any person tell me how that amount or mass of animal matter can be brought into that form without an equivalent in weight of liquid sweet (honey or sugar syrup) and pollen, for which we substitute in our stimulating process in the spring unbo)ted rye flour, placed where it will be protected from wind and water. They may be easily enticed toit by placing a little honey in the vessel. Another method of procedure is to double up the weak ones. Another still is to equalize them by taking a sheet of brood that is hatching from a large swarm and giving it to the small one. One of these methods is very important, as after all the apparent secret of bee management the greatest secret lies in keeping the swarms strong. The bees in small swarms are all compelled to stay at home to keep up sufficient animal heat to keep the brood warm, perhaps scarcely gather- 56 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. - A [SEPT., ing honey enough to stimulate the queen to lay ; and if she did lay up to her full capacity, there are not bees enough to keep the brood warm. Another advantage in having strong swarms is to avoid the miller or wax moth. I lay down the proposition that the moth never materially injured a good swarm in a decently made hive. In this connection, I lay down another propo- sition, that without some explanation may seem as strange as the one above alluded to, (that a swarm of bees may have too much honey.) I think I may assert that the moth is ormay be an advantage. We always act from one or more motives moving us toa particular point. Amongst other things, I stated that the moth never ma- tertally injured a good swarm of bees. Now, one of the requisites of a good one is strength. Let us see if the moth may not be an advantage. Most bee-keepers have had in their yard say at least two swarms of that size that all they could do would be to get themselves into good condi- tion as to numbers and stores for the coming winter, without giving the owner a young swarm or an ounce of surplus honey, and at the same time they were very much exposed to the moth and stood a good chance to be destroyed by them, because there are not bees enough to guard the unprotected combs. Now, we will put these two swarms together, and see what the result will be ; we will have a swarm strong enough to guard against the moth, strong enough to keep a large quantity of brood warm, by which it will be strong enough to throw off a swarm in good season, and if itisa fair season for honey we may expect twenty-five pounds of surplus honey from the mother swarm. And what have we lost? a queen. The comb we will preserve in a cool, dry place, and give them to the young swarm. Has the moth in this view been a benefit ? We have now our hives properly examined, those that need it fed, the honey taken away if too much, the queenless doubled up, the weak stimulated, equalized or doubled up. There are now but few things to be done, the hive should be made as tight as possible with no upward ventilation, the fly-hole opened but a trifle, and as the swarm increases, which we can determine by the steam, or rather dampness, on the bottom board at the fly-hole in the morning, we will en- large the fly-hole. We will next place a trough in the centre of the yard and keep water in it, and to prevent the drowning of the bees will cover its surface with corn-cobs, and occasionally exchange them for fresh ones as they become sour in time. Now we feel pretty sure thus far we have warded off that scare crow, ‘‘luck.”’ I think of but one other duty we can perform for our and their benefit, that is within the task assigned me, to wit, that of placing the surplus honey boxes on the hive. Mr. Quinby, I think is the only writer that tells us the proper time, namely, when the hive is full of brood and honey below. As they only go into the boxes for the want of room below, and not always then, they should not be put on much sooner, as it enlarges the space to be kept warm by the animal heat, all of which ts needed up to that time. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Wintering Bees, Mr. Eprror:—I believe the inventors of all hives claim—each for his special invention— better wintering qualities ‘‘than any other hive in use.’? But many of them, after being tested, prove to be no better than any old common hive, from the fact that they are not constructed on the right principle. When I constructed the hive described in the Journal for July, it was my intention to make it one of the best for wintering bees that had ever been devised; and I have yet to find the man who has seen and examined it, who says it is not upon the right principle for that purpose. If we can have a hive constructed on the right principle for successful wintering of bees, storing honey, and allowing of as much room for surplus honey- boxes as the largest stock needs, it is certainly an improvement over anything yet constructed in the shape of a bee-hive. I claim that my hive combines more good qualities and fewer bad ones, than any hive now extant. When I commenced to write, I did not intend to say anything in favor of this hive. Those who have used it will say enough in its favor. I will now give my plan for wintering becs in it, which I can do in very few words; and it will not take longer to prepare one of them for wintering, than it will to read this article. First, make the winter passages through the combs. This I do by taking a stick twenty inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, made sharp at one end, and slowly worm it through the combs, from front to rear of the hive. Ifa hive be examined, twenty-four hours after this has been done, the bores will be found as round and as smooth as though the bees had made them.’ Next remove the board from the top of the brood chamber, and cover the frames with any-old rug, coat, or woolen cloth of any kind; and, although it is not necessary, it will be found a good plan to remove the sides of the brood chamber, and cover them the same as the top; or they can be covered with cotton cloth, leaving the surplus box holes open as a means of ventilation, and at the same time keeping the bees confined to the combs and from going into the outer hive. I did not remove the woolen cloths from the tops of my hives this season, and the only ventilation my hives have had during the very hot weather was through the entrance. There was no melting down of combs as in the shallow form of the Langstroth hive. The entrance should be closed during the winter, so as to leave only about one inch space between the blocks. A stock of bees will not smother in this hive, even if it be covered up in™ snow all winter; but the ventilating holes in the cap must be left open during the winter. In most of the hives sent out, I left a hole in front of the brocd chambers to make the winter passages through. in the spring the brood chamber can be lifted off the bottom boards and cleaned of bees and droppings; and I have done this without even disturbing the bees. ; Three years ago I gave.a plan for wintering 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 7 Or bees in the shallow form of Langstroth hive. Many who tested that plan, have written to me that it worked well. I think the plan a good one, and hope some one who has a copy of it will send it to the editor of the Journal to have it republished. I will guarantee that all who try it will be pleased with the plan. H. ALLEY. Wenham, Mass., August, 1870. 7 > [For the American Bee Journal.] Italian Queens. I wish to thank the Rev. E. L Briggs for his excellent article upon the permanency and pu- rity of Italian bees, published in the August number of the Bee Journal, although I cannot concur in all his conclusions, nor accept some portions of his theory ; but it is on a subject that will soon be of absorbing interest to every bee- keeper. To the central idea of his article, that our aim should be perfection, undoubtedly all will cor- dially assent, while few will adopt it practically, for obvious reasons. Bee-keepers, as a class, have neither time, taste, nor inclination to attain the highest results in this direction; though they will seek to improve their stock, provided it can be done cheaply and without much trou- ble. It is well known that a cross—all things being equal—invariably improves stock. It therefore follows that the introduction of im- pure Italians even, will have a beneficial effect and thus help the matter, if for no other reason than simply crossing and mixing the blood. Mr. Briggs will admit that comparatively few persons will pay $8.00 or more for tested queens to breed from or to Italianize their stocks with. And until such queens of undoubted purity can be afforded at a much lower price than that, the great mass of bee-keepers will continue to regard well marked Italian queens at $2.50 each, as a great blessing, inasmuch as they vastly improve the general status of the bee, even if not quite reaching the point of per- fection. Mr. Alley, to whom Mr. Briggs refers, has _ furnished me with queens perfectly satisfactory, being as finely marked as any I ever saw, and their workers and daughters are ‘‘ chips of the old block.’ Certainly the introduction of such blood will not cause deterioration in all or any of those qualities that a progressive bee-keeper delights in. It is pleasant to have bees gentle and harmless ; but when that quality is obtained at the expense of activity in breeding or work- ing, it becomes an unprofitable luxury. The question that is so often asked—‘‘ Are pure Italians superior to hybrids, as workers and breeders?’’ must be satisfactorily settled by breeders of pure Italians, before bee-keepers generally will accept fully the conclusions of Mr. Briggs. My own experience has satisfied me that hybrids are far superior to the pure Italians, in “every quality save that of gentleness. Possibly my queens may not have been absolutely pure, yet they conform to the best marks as described by Quinby and others. Those of my stocks that are unquestionably hybrid have given the best satisfaction in every respect. Others assure me of similar experience. Will some one explain this fact ? In view of it all, I can but regard a general crossing of Italians and blacks, as of immense advantage to bees and bee-keepers, and I hope and trust that friend Alley will continue to dis- tribute, far and near, by scores and hundreds, those large, prolific and beautiful queens at $2.50 each. GEO. C. SILsBy. Winterport, Me., Aug. 4, 1870. oes [For the American Bee Journal. ] Gueen-Breeding. Mr. Epitor :—Criticisms based on substan- tial facts, courteously worded, made in a spirit of kindness and a desire to benefit the world, are opportune and of great value. But when made merely for the purpose of ‘‘showing off,”’ or of filling up space in an article, thereby damaging the reputation of any person without just cause, based on no facts, and unsupported by even a shadow of proof, they tend to mislead, and are an injury to the author, the person criti- cised, and the public generally. On page 38 of the August No. of the Journal in an article written by Mr. E. L. Briggs, is a direct attack on one of your correspondents, who for years has been engaged in the queen- breeding business, and who, by devoting his whole time thereto, is enabled to supply his cus- tomers at very low prices. And the only cause given for this attack is that he supplies the bee fraternity at $2.50 for a warranted queen, and has four hundred orders at that price. Now if Mr. Alley can afford to rear queens and sell them at $2.50, and his customers do not find fault, whose business is it? And is it just the thing for any one to assume that his queens are not pure, without showing the proof thereof? I think not. As to Mr. Alley and his reputation as a man and a dealer in queens, I will say, in order that the many readers of your Journal who do not know him, may get at the facts, that I have for a long time been personally acquainted with him, and have always found him just and hon- orable in his dealings. I also know that he takes great pains to obtain the best stock to breed from, by purchasing imported queens, and continually procuring from reputable dealers, such queens as are of known purity, in order to avoid too close breeding. These facts, in con- nection with the fact that he is in a locality where all the bees, for miles around his apiary, have been Italianized by him, show whether the assumed idea in Mr. Briggs’ article has a shadow of foundation. Now, shall any one of the queen- raising brotherhood assume that a man is a sharper who sells queens for $2.50, without proving that the purchasers thereof have been swindled? For one, lanswerno! And if I can buy pure queens of Mr. Alley for $2.50, I shail not send to Mr. Briggs, and pay him from $8 to $10, even for his four or more banded mothers, 58 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPT., I have written this article in justice to Mr. Alley, and could if necessary bring any amount of proof to substantiate it; but thinking this enough, I remain always for the right. J. HE. Ponp, JR. Foxborough, Mass., Aug. 8, 1870. —— Ors [For the American Bee Journal. ] About Italian Queens, &c. Mr. E. L. Briggs seems to pitch into cheap queen raisers, and Alley in particular (at least so Alley understands it,) although he mentions no names). -J cannot let such remarks pass un- noticed. I would have Mr. Briggs understand that I spare no pains to procure the best breeding queens imported into this country. I have paid from-$5 to $20 and upwards for Italian queens, and have never as yet found among my purchases when received any queens superior to those of my own raising. My only object in purchasing queens, is toavoidin-and-in breeding. Jam very careful to select the largest, handsomest, and most prolific queens to breed from, both for young queens and diones. I do not doubt that I ship. queens now and then that are not up to the standard, and so do all other breeders who do not test their queens before sending. But in every case, I will send other queens, or vive satis- faction in some way. The stock I now have produce as large, prolific, and handsome queens as Mr. B. or any other man ever saw. Any queen that I send out is worth all I charge for her, even if she has perchance mated with a black drone. I pay the highest figure for my breeding queens, and now have queens of my own raising that I would not sell for fifty dollars. If Mr. B. would like to purchase some Italian queens, and thinks they would be any better by paying eight or ten dollars for them, instead of two dollars and a half, I can accommodate him in that line; and if he has any such queens as he describes, 1 will take the lot at the price he has stated, viz.: eight or ten dollars. Now here is a chance for a trade! I know that some bee- keepers think that my queens are not worth much, because I sell them so low: but if it will do them any good to know how it is that I can afford to sell at such low prices, I will make it known. I have all J can do in the summer to raise queens and reply to all the letters I receive; and I find it quite business enough to keep two hundred (200) nucleus hives in full operation. Talk about boasting of orders for four hundred queens! Why I have orders for more than seven hundred on my books, and they are still coming in by every mail. Il was expecting to raise and ship one thousand queens this season,- but cannot do it. My orders began to come in as early as last December, and one man ordered fifty as early as last March. Nearly all the orders I have received this season came from persons I supplied last season, and their friends’ who have seen my stock in the apiaries of former purchasers. I have plenty of letters speaking in the highest terms of my queens ; and many of them, like Dr. Barnard, say they are much better than those they paid twenty dollars for. Let me say here that I sent Dr. B. his queens last fall, and the first I heard from him since, I saw in the American Bee Journal—it was of course no pre-arranged plan for him to blow Mr. Alley’s stock of Italians. I paid a certain party in June last ten dollars for a queen. A few days ago I received her, and I may safely say I never shipped a queen as poor in appearance. Nor was there any excuse for the party sending me such a qeeen, as she was raised last season and was taken from a full stock when sent tome. I guarantee to send out just as good queens for two dollars and a half. I do not want the reader to suppose that this article is intended as an advertisement. That is far from my design ; but I feel obliged to make this statement in self defence. Last winter I read an advertisement in a western paper, from the pen ofa high-price queen dealer, in which he said that he did not believe that good queens could be raised and sold for $2.50 Now, the same person has advertised them at a figure even lower than that., I can afford to raise and sell good pure queens for the price Iam charging, and mean to do so as long as I can find purchasers for them, which judging from the demand for them, will be some time yet. ; Thave, withina few weeks, bought seven queens from some of these high-priced queen breeders, none of which are any larger or handsomer than the stock I now have ; nor do I believe that their progeny will prove to be any better. Only this morning I received three queens from such a brecder, two of which I returned by the next mail. Ido not want any stock of that kind. I do not know who Mr. Briggs is, nor whether he is ‘‘ blowing ’’ for himself or not ; and I do not understand his object in sending such an article to the Journal as appeared last month over his name. If he intends to build up a trade at the expense of other people by underrating their stock, I, for one, would like to know it. I have plenty of letters from purchasers, ‘‘blowing up’? some of these high-price queen breeders ; and I presume they have some of the same kind, giving Alley what he deserves and perhaps more than is due tohim. But let that be as it may, all I have to say is this—if any man has a queen purchased from Alley, that he does not like, let him return her at once, or ever after hold his peace. Mr. Langstroth has written to me several times that they never yet imported a queen that would invariably duplicate herself. Who is the best authority on this point—Mr. L. or Mr. B.? I have this information not only from Mr. L., but from other importers also. I know nothing about Morgan mares nor of certain breeds of pigs ; ‘but I have several years’ experience with Italian bees, and profess to know something about them. Those who breed Italian queens, and charge high prices for them too, will acknowledge that not more than one queen in fifty is as good as those which Mr. B. has pictured in the last number of the Journal; and he may bet a high figure that no worker bee in the country ever showed four bands. This article has grown pretty long, and I do wish Mr. B. would stir one 1870.] up when the weather is cooler, and we have more leisure for rejoinder—say next winter. H. ALLEY. Wenham, Mass. Aug. 8, 1870. Ors [For the American Bee Journal] Bees in Central New Hampshire. The limited number of bee-keepers that are found in this section of the country is sufficient evidence that the securing of honey is not here regarded as the royal road to wealth. Many a farmer may have some four or five hives, which are but a small taxation upon his time. From them he is furnished with a luxury which if not secured in this manner, probably no money would purchase. Last year, (1869,) we secured five hundred pounds in boxes—beginning in the spring with twelve colonies. The harvest began on the 14th or 15th of June, and closed the 16th of July. The season was considered by bee-keepers gener- ally in this section of the country, as being a very poor one. But few hives yielded any sur- plus honey, save those that received extra at- tention. On the 12th of November we placed fifteen colonies in the cellar, where they remained till the 9th of April, 1870. In our opinion, proper ventilation is the necessary lesson to learn in order to secure success; and every man should be fully persuaded in his own mind what course is best for him to pursue. We have had some experience with corn-cobs, paper coverings, wire screens, straw mats, and old carpets. With us, the last of these articles proves to be the most satisfactory. Fhirteen colonies passed the five months in- earceration and came out fresh and fair. The remaining two nearly failed us, as we attempted to have them live without much change of air. Those hives from which we removed the honey- boards and covered the frames with two thick- nesses of good woolen carpets, all came out in the spring beautifully neat and clean. We shall anticipate the same favorable results for the coming winter. As the surplus honey harvest for 1870 has already passed, we can begin to count our actual gains. Comb-building began about the first of June, and ceased the first week in July. Since that date very little honey has been deposited in the boxes, even when the bees were furnished with nice frames of comb. The white clover blossomed very profusely, and ripened rapidly, and the bees were thus soon deprived of their largest and best harvest field. Thus far we have secured somewhat over four hundred pounds of No. 1 honey, and shall prob- ably realize enough more to make five hundred pounds, when all the boxes are removed and the hives taken up that are not wanted for winter. Thus far we have not succeeded so well as we have wished in combining colonies. We would not destroy any with brimstone, because that is so very unkind; but when we add colony to colony many bees will kill each other. Tobacco smoke and fragrant waters have at times failed THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 59 — to produce harmony of feeling. Perhaps it would be better to sell the colonies we do not wish to keep. We have, however, reason to be thankful for the sweet blessing we have already received, and are also thankful that our friends, west and south, are having such bountiful returns. Dear Editor, we have just returned from a visit to the school. The scholars were engaged in reading their themes, it being Saturday after- noon. Among the many subjects, one little girl had selected the Honey Bee. It interested us so much that we have taken the liberty to send you a copy, that you may see what one of our little Shaker girls, nine years of age, has written ABOUT BEES. ‘*T love bees, because they make honey; but I do not love them sometimes, because they sting me, and that I do not like, though I like their honey. I have felt a sting from a honey bee, and I never want to have one again, for I know how it feels. It smarts well, indeed it does. A bee is like a little girl, because it does good when it wants to, and when it does not it will sting you. Now, scholars, I will just tell you not to flict a bee, if youdon’t want it to sting you. It is like a girl, for if you ’flict her, she will be un- kind to you, and you must not ’flict her. This is all I have to write about the bee.’’—C. The Journal as a welcome visitor arrives while we are engaged writing this communication ; and the pages tell of great and precious trea- sures. As time passes on we hope to be able to write of more bountiful harvests. We have in anticipation the simon pure Italian Bee, to take the place of our blacks and hybrids; and ex- tended fields of Alsike clover, instead of the anti- quated red. In that day of bounty and beauty, we shall hope to write temptingly to our worthy editor. Respectfully, H. C. Brinn. Shaker Village, N. H., Aug. 1870. [¥or the American Bee Journal.] Natural, Prolific, Hardy Queens. PART 2. (Continued from July Number, page 11.) In early spring, or at any time desirable, pro- ceed to stimulate a selected colony with liquid feed. ‘‘Warm syrup or strained honey, is the best for the purpose ;’’ placing alternately empty combs or combs full of brvod, from other hives, until your hive is full; or by the removal of one or more colonies, on each side of the se- lected one, the worker bees from one or more hives, can be thrown into the selected hive, and so stimulate the swarming fever or impulse. Proceed now as recommended in the July num- ber, page 11, when the bees will commence build- ing queen cells. The bee-keeper will thus secure from ten to sixty queen cells per week. During my experiments, each weekly robbing only stimu- lated the bees to greater exertions to secure a queen. Proceed thus until the desired number of queen cells are secured, or the bees swarm. If they should swarm before a sufficient number bore TILE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Sepr., of queen cel's are secured, and it is desirable to still breed from the same queen, secure her and introduce her to a colony that has not swarmed, and proceed as before. duce her to a colony making preparations to swarm. Before introducing her, destroy all queen cells. that~have eggs or larva in them; then cell building will proceed as before. A swarm under the swarming impulse will commu- nicate it to a strange queen introduced to them ; or a queen under the swarming impulse, ‘‘and not satisfied,’’ will communicate it to any popu- lous colony to which she may be introduced. Joun M. Price. Buffalo Grove, Iowa. ors [For the American Bee Journal.] Natural and prolific hardy Queens. ' We are all more or less disposed to regard our own ideas as indisputable. Mr. Quinby for example, praises his new hive, and his queen yard. I have experimented with both, and both are now in my barn, waiting to be split up for kindling wood. Mr. John M. Price, in the July number of the Bee Journal, condemns all artificially raised queens. But rassurez vous, friend queen- breeders, I come to prove to friend Price, that he has misconceived the reason of his bad luck in raising artificial queens. When I commenced to introduce Italian bees in my apiary, six years ago, I received from one of our best queen-breeders a very nice looking queen. She was very yellow from the waist to the tip of the abdomen. Well, I raised a num- ber of queens to get drones, and next season I raised some more, from the same queen, to replace the misallied queens. Butlo, one-fourth of my young queens were either crippled, or droue laying, or laying non-hatching eggs. Yet these queens were as yellow as their mother, and it seemed as if the brighter they looked, the poorer they were. Then my first imported queens came. They were not yellow, but dark. The first rings of the abdomen were leather-colored, the last were en- tirely black or nearly so. I wrote to Dr. Blum- hof, reproaching him for having sent me so dark queens. He replied that all the healthier queens in Italy are dark, and that it was well ascer- tained there, that the light-colored queens were not so good as the dark. The light-colored queens, added the Doetor, seem to have the chlorosis. Prof. Mona told the same thing to Mr. A. Grimm, when he was in Italy. See American Bee Journal, vol. II. From this we ean guess that the selecting of the brightest yellow queens for breeders, is one of the causes of the failure of the queens raised. But in-and-in breeding is another, and according to my experi- ence, a main cause of weakness. As soon as my first imported queens were on hand, I commenced raising queens from them, and from that time forward I raised artificial queens every year from newly imported queens. Those queens mate with drones from queens of Or, better ‘still, intro-. the preceding year’s importation, and so on. I do not care for the color of these queens, but not one of them is crippled or proves to be a poor layer. : My five best stocks this year, all have artificial queens.. Three of these queens are with swarms of last year. I hived them in one of friend Piice’s hives. These swarms are better than the three original stocks they came from, though these latter have raised natural queens in the height of the swarming season, as friend Price prefers they should. The five stocks referred to gave me from seventy to one hundred pounds each, of box honey. I suppose I shouid be thought very evigeant if I were not content with such results, in so dry a season as this. Why does friend Price imagine that artificially raised queens are not so good as natural ones ? Probably, because the bees, in order to obtain queens sooner, chose grubs already several days old, instead of selecting newly laid eggs, from which to raise queens. I have watched that very closely, and could see no appreciable differ- ence. A stock rendered queenless will raise queens maturing at different periods, some hatching in from nine to twelve or fourteen days, and sometimes not till sixteen days after. If the above theory were correct, the earlier hatching queens should be the poorer, for they come from grubs three or four days old. Yet such is not the case—those queens are as good as any. If that theory proved to be true, it would still be an easy matter to prevent the evil results ap- prehended. We could destroy the two or three first-capped queen cells; or foree the bees to raise queens from the egg, by a method far more » oO? easy than friend Price’s. Insert in your chosen stock a frame, containing empty worker comb, placing it between two frames containing brood. In three days, if the bees find honey in the fields, the cells of the worker comb will be supplied with eggs. Then remove the queen and all the brood combs, except the one containing the eggs. The bees will thus have egus only from which to raise queens, and all your young queens will necessarily be started ab ovo. I guess this method is as good.as, and more simple than, that of friend Price. IT am not a queen-breeder. That business does not suit me, for it is a source of too much vexation. I have repeatedly imported queens, but I lost money and suffered so much in that business, that I think my sufferings will pay for ail my sins in the other world. I am thus altogether disinterested in this matter of breed- ing queens. On this topic, my advice to apiarians is— 1st. Do not look for yellow queens, for they are not as good as dark ones. 2d. Take care to avoid too close in-and-in breeding. Let us also remark, thatmany bee-keepers find that the half-blood Italian bees, are better tuan the pure ones. Why? Simply because the in- and-in breeding the race of their queens was subject to for some generations, was broken by the alliance with black drones. But the alliance of the Italian queens with Italian drones remotely bred, would doubtless give as good q termed natural queens. 1870.] progeny, while preserving the purity of the stock. , Let us remark also, that Nature in ordering for the queens the wedding flight, obviously had in view the avoidance of in-and-in breeding. 3d. Choose the colony having the purest queen, and the most fertile, from which to pro- vide the queens cells, and distribute in small nuclei when sealed No matter if the queen is dark. In good seasons the queens’ raised in small nuclei are as good as those raised in full stocks. Cu. DapantT. Hamitton, Ilis., July 24, 1870. <> [For the American Bee Journal.] Artificial Queens. In the July No. of the Journal, Mr. John M. Price contributed an article on ‘‘ Natural, Hardy and Prolific Queens,’’ which was no doubt his conviction of the truth of the matter. at the time ; but as it does not agree with my experi- ence, I will give the other side of the -ques- tion. If I understand his theory, it is that queens reared in stocks deprived of their queen when not under the ‘‘swarming impulse,’ are smaller, less prolific and shorter lived than what are I am fully aware that Mr. Price does not stand alone on said theory, and yet I believe it to be an error. For the sake of distinguishing, we will state that queens bred in full stocks from which the mother queen led forth a swarm, or queens which were staried while the old queen remained in the hive, are natural queens, and all others artificial. I have both kinds in my apiary, and have had for several years, and can see no dif- ference in their size, beauty, fertility or longev- ity. I have repeatedly kept artificial queens until they were three years old, and had one very prolific queen which died in March last, being then three years and nine months old. I left her as an experiment, to see what age she would attain; but my practice is to remove queens in their second or third year. Of course a few die before they are two years old, for they are not exempt from the ills that bee ‘flesh is heir to.’’ But that four or five in succession should pass off the stage of action in a single stock in one season, is something be- fore unheard of. I do not know what effect brother P.’s revolvable, reversible, double-cased hive might have upon the tender life of a young queen; but it seems to have been most dis- astrous, for we have no such work here in the old Keystone State. It is a matter of very great importance in the success of an apiary, that our stocks are supplied with the right kind of queens, and in order to effect this desirable result, something more is necessary to a full understanding of the subject, than simply to know that bees, when deprived of their queen, will attempt to supply her plac... I find little difficulty in rearing jie queens, with the following conditions; Ist. a suitable queen mother; 2d. fair weather and good pasturage ; 3d a full stock, in which honey and THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 61 pollen are abundant (not a nucleus where starva- tion stares them in the face). It is a settled point with me, that the production of queens is a matter wholly under the control of the worker bees ; and we lack evidence that a queen ever lays anegg inaroyal cell. If the bee is guided by instinct alone, and the production of a queen depended on the depositing of a peculiar ege by the queen in a royal cell (an egg, differing from the worker or drone eggs), it would follow that, on the loss or removal of the queen when no such eggs existed in the hive, no young queens could be. produced. Small queens may be produced in nuclei where the requisite food is limited, and where from want of bees the larva is exposed to repeated changes of temperature, which is detrimental. When reared in full stocks in times of great scarcity, nearly the same results follow. There is another important point, namely the proper age for the mother bee. In breeding all our domestic animals, regard is always had (and wisely we think) to the age of the parents. It may be thought that the life of the bee is so short that it would allow but little latitude in this direction; but it should not be forgotten that the queen usually lives three and sometimes four years, during which time there is doubtless a period of fertility and hardiness, or power of endurance, not common to the whole of her life. Just what that period is, Iam not prepared to say; but the rapid advancement of apiarian science will doubtless solve the problem. Iam satisfied, however, that queens bred from young queens are not equal, in several desirable points, to those bred from mothers a year old. In ex- perimenting with black bees, I became satisfied on this point several years ago. I have never * known a young black queen, after becoming fer- tile, to lead out a swarm, no matter how popu- lous the stock might be; and indeed apiarians have considered it the best method of prevent- ing swarming, in order to secure surplus honey, to. remove the old queen and install one of the current year. (It is ahead of Quinby’s queen yard). We reason from this, that their instinct teaches them that they are unfit for queen mothers. This would not, perhaps, hold good in the high temperature of southern latitudes, which tends to the earlier maturity of all animal life. With the Italian bees it is somewhat dif- ferent, for young queens produce drone eggs, and they do sometimes lead out swarms, yet they are not so liable todo so as older queens. Mr. Aaron Benedict tells us he produced six generations of queens in a single season, but does not give us the result, further than that he thought he improved his bees i in color. Iam not surprised that the men who raise’ queens from March to October, have cheap queens and sell them by the hundred. But I am one to say that no genuine lover of our pets who duly considers consequences, would proceed thus. And now, Mr. Editor, I wish to say in conclusion, that of my 125 queens about one- fourth are natural and the balance artificial queens, and if Mr. Price, or ‘‘any other man’”’ will, upon examination, decide correctly, by~ size or fertility (amount of brood), which are of the former and which of the latter class, he may 62 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPT., pick out ten as large and yellow queens as he ever saw, and I will make him a present of the same, and will warrant that, if artificial, they shall be as productive as he wishes them. NB.—I have no cheap queens for sale. WILLARD J. Davis. Youngsville, Pa., Aug. 8, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Novice. DEAR BEE JOURNAL :—That flood of honey that was driving us so, when we last wrote you, has ceased, and we are having a resting spell. About the 18th of July the basswood failed, and we were obliged to desist, mostly on account of the neighbors’ black bees desperately attempt- ing to rob our hives when we opened them. In fact, the upper stories of our Langstroth hives are all full now, but before we can empty two hives the black bees are so thick as to threaten demor- alization to our whole apiary. Though the Ital- ians will sometimes sting a pint of them to death around a single hive, not an Italian can be found among the slain. In spite of all this, to which we have repeat- edly called the attention of others, many are busy in accusing the Italians of driving the in- nocent common bees out of the land. One neighbor in particular, who cannot afford to take the Bee Journal, has been very busy in telling how our Italians have taken all his sur- plus honey, and had he not used great care, they would have carried off all his honey, hives, bees and all. It was in this way. He came to us one day, quite excited, saying that our Italians were rob- bing his bees at a great rate—even some new swarms in movable frame hives that we had let him have, (not to mention several hours’ verbal instruction and the attempt to answer all ques- tions pertaining to bee-culture at once). ‘‘ But that is impossible,’’ said we. ‘‘Can’t you believe me when I tell you so?’’ inquired he, angrily. ‘¢We will go with you and see.”’ On the way the conversation was resumed, thus : ‘You are sure you left no hives open, nor anything sweet around ?”’ ‘* Nothing of the kind.”’ ‘‘ When did the robbing commence ?”’ ‘‘Tn the morning.”’ ‘Have you taken off your surplus honey yet ?”’ ‘Took it off this morning,’’ ‘¢ Where is it,’ stopping in our walk. ** In the orchard, on a table.”’ ** Covered up?”’ ‘‘No, I left it open to let the bees go out. The boxes were full of them, and I could not get them out.’’ ** Are they there riow ?”’ VY 68.77 “Now, C » why in th did you not do as we were very careful to tell you, and put the honey in a large box with a white cloth spread over it, to be turned over every hour or two ?”’ ‘¢ Well, it was too much trouble, and I did not suppose it would make much difference.’ Of course we found boxes that had ald about forty pounds, empty, and oh, such music! There were Italians there too, but we estimated nine-tenths black bees to one-tenth yellow- banded ones. Without giving the particulars, we may say that we have since heard that our bees had robbed him of sixty, and then eighty pounds, and we don’t know what it will amount to in the end. The whole quantity of honey taken out by us this season, is now six thousand one hundred and sixty-two (6,162) pounds. Of this we sold over two thousand (2,000) pounds, in June and July, for thirty cents per pound, jars and all. The jars do not cost us as much, in the end, * boxes. How does that figure, in comparison with box honey.? Besides this, our forty-six (46) colonies have been increased to sixty-four (64); and as the upper frames are all full, and we have more bees than the hives will hold, we propose to raise queens this fall and make swarms of the upper stories, perhaps eighteen (18) more. Tow many of our co-workers in the melex- tractor field have had trouble with heavy new combs breaking down in hot- weather? Well, listen to our plan of putting them back. Throw away your splints, wires, strings, &c., and sim- ply lay all the pieces of comb, “full of honey or not, on a board the size of your frame; put the frame over it in place, and then set the ‘whole in the upper part of some hive over night where the bees have access. In the morning turn the whole up in proper position, and slide your board away, and as soon as the bees have re- paired that side too, it is ready for the melex- tractor. Mr. Price says Novice’s feeder will not answer for thin syrup. We are afraid he has not tried one. Use new strong cloth, and there is no trouble at all in feeding maple sap or even pure water. Why is it that we can never have any success in trying to build up a stock by feeding? For instance—We commenced putting the cappings, after being drained, strainer utensils, &e., in the top of a hive to be “licked off.”’ As the hive was handy, we kept them busy, and one other, most of the time. Do you suppose it built them up? Not at all! While other stocks were brirg- ing home from six to eight pounds a day, and building comb rapidly, these two could not ‘ick up” half that; and, further, would build no comb at all until we stopped their “rations” and saved our ‘‘trash’’ until the honey season was Over. » NOVICE. August 9, 1870. —_——_——__ > + ————————— Colonies that are overstocked with honey in August, should have some of it removed, either by the honey extractor or by sliding off the caps and laying the combs on a dish, to allow the honey to drain out of the cells of the sides alter- nately. When thus partially emptied, the comb should be returned to the hive. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 63 [For the American Bee Journal.] Bee-culture—East and West. os Mr. Eprror:—I think the time has fully come when your correspondent ‘‘ Novicge’’— that notable personage of whom we have so often read, and whose plans and acts have so often fired our brain with new resolutions and deter- minations to at least try to ‘‘ go and do likewise ”’ —should, hereafter and evermore, drop that sim- ple title, and sign himself ADEPT, EXPERT, or some other name a little more suggestive of the manuer in which he seems to ‘“‘swing things” of late. FIVE THOUSAND (5,000) pounds of clover honey, in about one month, from forty-six (46) colonies of bees! That will do! Let’s all go west. No use in trying to raise honey here any longer !* . Why, Mr. Editor, in our locality this is simply impossible. That amount of honey is not to be had within the flight of our bees. Still, we seem to have flowers enough. Is the country over- stocked? There are probably not more than 150 swarms, our own included, within a circle of one mile from our place. All of our pastures seem covered with white clover in its season ; and it lasted, in many places, this season, until buckwheat came into bloom. The old raspberry is said to be an excellent honey producing plant, and its cultivation for bee pasturage is often re- commended. There are hundreds of acres of it, within the flight of our bees, already covered with this plant. Basswood grows wild here,.to some extent ; and probably there are one hundred trees near enough to he visited by our bees. Buckwheat is also grown considerably—say fifty acres, this season, within easy reach. Aside from this, there are many scattering flowers in bloom at different times, from which honey can be extracted. And yet, of late, it is not one year in five that surplus honey is obtained from any other source than buckwheat. I have this season increased our number of col- onies from thirteen to twenty-nine, wholly by artificial swarming; but shall expect no surplus of any consequence. While walking through a pasture field one day * No, let us not all go west, but rather let us have Novice come east—retaining his time-honored name the while. What was the average avnual yield of honey, per hive, in Novice’s locality, when he began to keep bees? What were his surroundings then, as regards bee pasturage ? and what are they now? If improved, are they so proportiouately to the increased quantity of honey obtaine:? Would anybody then have believed it possible, by any means that could be de- vised, to secure, in any apiary, 6,162 pounds of surplus in four weeks, or five times four, from the area of bee pasturage within the range of the bees’ flight, taking the town of his residence as the centre? Now, if we mistake not greatly, the locality in Pennsylva- nia, as described by Mr. T., furnishes quite as ample pastur- age. naturally, as that visited by Novice’s bees Probably an unprepossessed observer, noting appearances or indications in each, would give the Pennsylvania locality the preference ; and, very likely, Novice himself, at the outset, had he been called on to choose, and been free to select, would have so de- cided. Whence then the difference in the present re-ults ? Let Novice come east, and we shall see. We do not propose that he shall emigrate hither in propria persone ; no, but that his beekeeping spirit shall beimported. Let his mode uf management be investigated, adopted, applied, and cuirricd out in its spirit and to the letter. Then, if the re:ult be not equally good, it will be early enough to at ribute the short- coming to some natural or climatic in.ewivrity.—Ep. this season, where bees seemed to be working freely upon white clover, I undertook the job of watching a bee, in order to ascertain how many clover heads were visited by her while collecting one load of honey. Selecting a bee that looked quite empty and had no pollen on her legs, I commenced the count. How long she had already been there, I, of course, did not know, but I kept my eye upon her until she left the five hundr d and eighty-second clover head. Then she flew over some weeds, and I lost sight of her. Whether she then left for home, or not, I do not know. The time occupied by her in making this number of visits, was just one hour. Now, I do not think that this shows a very bountiful yield of honey, even though plenty of flowers exist. This bee visited the same clover head several times, while I was watching her. If it was not for our fall pasturage of buck- wheat, as slim as it is, bee-keeping would, in this section, be ‘‘played out,’’ as more honey is usually obtained from this, than from all other sources combined. It may be different in the western and southern parts of the State; but, so far as I am acquainted, I certainly think Peun- sylvania is not the best place in the world for producing honey. ; I. F. TruuiIneast. Factoryville, Pa. Aug. 10, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Form of Hive, and Feeding Bees. T object to a low and flat shape of hive, for reasons which I shall assign. I will’ first state, however, that a hive of bees without provision for the retention of animal heat, is as helpless as a new-born babe without raiment. Take, as an example, a hive twelve inches square, contain- ing an oblong square perpendicular, and the frames to suit in size and shape. Your combs say eighteen inches in depth perpendicular, and twelve inches wide. The bees, in order to hatch brood, as the weather becomes warm in the spring, will cluster at the larva end of said combs, and keep up the temperature from bottom to top, because of two combined reasons, the combs being the long way perpendicalar, and the natu- ral tendency of heat being to rise, it ascends throughout the entire length of the combs, and thus the proper temperature is attained through- out the hive. It isa settled principle too, that a given quantity or number of bees can produce animal heat only sufficient in amount to rarify the air in a given space to a given temperature. Take, for example, a low flat hive, with combs say eighteen inches long horizontal, and nine inches deep, the hive being twelve inches wide, the same as the other. Now remember the prin- ciple just before stated. The bees will collect at the front end of the comb, and the animal heat, as generated, will ascend the same as along the combs in the other hive, which are eighteen inches deep ; whereas these are only twelve inches deep. Is it not obvious that here one-third of every comb towards its rear end is entirely lost to ihe bees, so far as the early production of brood is concerned, because of the shape of the 64 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. combs and the natural tendency of the heat gene- rated to ascend? If the bees (being the same in number in both hives,) were spread out at the bottom of the combs in the last mentioned hive, the full size of the hive, the cluster would be twelve inches wide and eighteen inches hori- zontal. Then, on the principle that a given number of bees can generate only a certain de- gree of heat in a given space, they would fail to bring about the proper temperature in any part of the hive ; and the-result would be that they could not produce any brood. But allow them (as they will) to contract the size of their cluster, and you find that there is nearly one-third of each comb not used by them in the production of brood. “Hence we find in the communications of bee-keepers such remarks as these— ‘‘ My bees swarmed out of my common box and log gums earlier than they did out of my patent hives.”’ But universally we find in such cases that their patent hives are low and flat in shape. We have used such hives, and know by experience the truth whereof we speak; and, fearless of suc- cessful contradiction, we proclaim that the time is not far distant when the practical bee-keepers will adopt the shape of from a square to an ob- long perpendicular, the oblong being preferable. We once were of those who thought there could be no difference in the mere shape of a hive, but justice to the true principles of bee-keeping com- pelled a change of opinion. There is still another reason why bees should have a hive long upand down. In cases of long continued extreme cold weather, the bees cannot move ina lateral direction to obtain food. But the warmth of the bees will aid them in obtain- ing it from above, from the fact that their warmth will ascend and keep the frost melted at a greater distance from the bees above them, than on the sides. And, further, when spring came, or in the month of April, my bees almost always be- came nearly extinct in the low flat form of hive. Now, in conclusion, let me add some remarks on feeding. There is a principle in the feeding of bees that is truly astonishing in its effects. They may be fed in sufficient quantity to cause them to fill all the empty cells and thereby work a complete destruction of the colony, if the owner fails to remove some of the honey out of their way. Or they may be fed in such proportions that the prosperity and increase of the hive will be somewhat like the rolling of a snow-ball—the longer and further it rolls, the greater its mag- nitude becomes. The queen has the ability to deposit from 2,000 to 3,000 eggs every day in the height of the breeding season; and if bees are then excited by finding liberal supplies of honey in the flowers, yet not in such abundance as to cause them to fill the hive to overflowing, brooding and rearing young bees will proceed mostrapidly. But if there is little honey or none yielded by the flowers, and the bees remain idle for some length of time, the queen will cease de- positing eggs; while on the other hand, if the bees rapidly fill nearly all the cells with honey, the queen must necessarily cease laying, for want of room to deposit eggs. Bees seem to have three periods of probation. The first twenty-one days of their existence are passed in the cell; the next eighteen or twenty [SEPT. one days they spend in the hive mainly, nursing brood exclusively, exeept when engaged at times in building or repairing comb; the next period is devoted to assiduous outdoor labor, and varies from forty to fifty days, inthe busy season of the year. Early and continued stimulation to activity, by feeding the bees, causes the colony to become strong in n mbers. If therefore we wish for handsome profits from the labors of the bees, we must have them in great numbers, at all times in the hive. If we expect great quantities of honey from weak colonies, we are doomed to disappointment. In almost every locality there isa time, during the spring or summer, when bees cannot gather nectar from the flowers. Such spells are sometimes prolonged for months ; and in some years, in Iowa, in the month of June, the writer has known colonies to starve to death. In such times of scarcity, the bee-keeper should always be on the alert, and begin feeding only in sufficient quantity to produce activity in the hive. It frequently occurs that bees use up all the unsealed honey in the hive, and almoat stop brooding. They appear to be reluctant to open their sealed honey. It seems that there is a principle at this point which we have not been able to grasp yet. I think thatas a rule, if bees run out of unsealed honey in the spring months, the keeper should, from time to time, shave off the capping of some of the full cells. This, I think, would answer the same purposeas feeding, by exciting the bees to activity. It should be practiced in all cases where there is plenty of sealed honey in the hive, in the forepart of the season ; and feeding only to a limited and small extent, when the bees have used up their unsealed ~ supply. In fact, feeding should never be resorted to, while the hive contains plenty of sealed honey. Better uncap some of it. It is not by any means desirable to have a hive in the height of the breeding season, with the cells so stored with honey that the queen is unable to deposit eggs to the full extent of her powers. Better extract some honey, even if you have to return it again by feeding as the season advances, thus keeping up the activity of the colony. There are many.attempts to systematize bee- keeping. Some ideas communicated through the Journal prove highly serviceable. Others drop without effect, perhaps, except that they set bee- keepers to thinking, and sometimes to experi- menting, which is useful, too, if it be not in- dulged in at too great cost. J. W. Sxeay Monroe, Iowa. —_——— Practical gardeners may find the management of bees, for their employers, quite a lucrative part of their profession. When a colony of bees has become hopelessly queenless, then, moth or no moth, its destruc- tion is certain.—Langstroth. oes ‘Bees work for man, and yet they never bruise Their master’s flower, but leave it, having dene, As fair as ever and as fit for use.’’—Herbert. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 65 [For the American Bee Journal.] Bee Letter from Middle Tennessee, Some weeks since, in company with a friend, armed with a pint of strained honey and a bee- box, we started for the edge of the cedars, distant from my apiary, in a direct line, not less than 25; miles, where we found bees foraging. We boxed and coursed many, but found none that did not belong to myapiary. It was a very warm day, and being wearied, without pushing out a mile or two further, we returned home, to renew our hunt in the fall. All the trees I ever saw, having bees in them (and I have seen many! had the entrance hole or crack on the south or southeast side. Native queens of colonies five miles dis!ant from Italian stocks, in two instances that I know of, mated with Italian drones. And in this connection,’ speaking of distances, I will mention the reception through the mail of two Italian queens, accompanied by about one dozen workers each, from Wenham, Massachu- setts. Look on the map, and you will see it is a long distance from here. Very little surplus honey has been stored here this season, on account of continuous rains during the spring and summer. Late swarms, not fed, have gone'up. I have endeavored to keep my bees breeding, giving them repeated small quantities of honey, and have succeeded in doing so ; and buckwheat being now in bloom, I hope to obta.n.a dividend for my outlay and trouble, leaving enough for the worthy laborers when nature shrouds herself in snow. This is a great country to raise bees in, and I would think more of them if they would swarm less and store more honey. But swarm they will, and they cannot bekeptfromit. Breaking up an old hen from sitting when she has fairly made up her mind to sit, is an easy job compared to keeping bees {rom swarming in this section. Swarming commences in Middle Tennessee about the 20th of April, and becomes general about the 5th of May. These newswarms often cast a swarm in thirty days. Swarming is also frequent in August if the season be a good one, Our honey harvest is divided in two seasons— the spring, embracing April and May; and the fall. embracing August and September. Very little honey is stored outside those two dates, except perhaps in the month of March, if the Spring is forward and fruit trees come in bloom ; and in the month of October, if we have a favorable fall and frost is delayed. There has been no fall of honey dew this year. Friend Novice’sallusion to air castles in his communication in the Bee Journal for Aucust, struck our flint. We read his communication to our better half. ‘‘Don’t believe a word of it! Do you think that’s so?”? Exclaimed she. ‘I do. I have been following that Novice in print some time, and always found him truthful,’’ Here’s what’s the matter. A spruce old aunt was at our house a few days since, and something was said about new dresses and the fall styles, when our better half broke loose with—‘‘ Don’t expect to have anything new this year. Every- thing we’ve made this year has been spent for bee-gums and paints; and now the upstairs is stored so full, there’s no place for old carpets and lumber. There’s never been any money in that ‘here, yet, and I don’t believe there ever will be,”’ 13 &e., &e. Murfreesboro, Tenn., Aug. 8, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] That Shallow Form of Hive. Mr. Eprror:—I see in the July number of the Bee Journal, page 9, that Mr. C. Rogers is out on ‘the shallow Langstroth Hive.”’ Mr. R. and my old friend Gallup are the only persons that I now recollect of, who complain of the shallow form of hive, when wintered in a house or cellar. Mr. Rogers says it is not a ‘‘good’’ hive ‘‘for the six or eight weeks between the winter and warm weather,’’ and leaves it thus, without telling us whyit is not. For my part, I cannot see what the shape of the hive has to do with the loss of bees in early spring. All bee- keepers say that the bleak winds at that season destroy a great many bees, regardless of the kind of hive they may have been in. All the proof Mr. Rogers gives that this form of hive is bad in early spring is, that ‘‘he has sometimes thought that his hives contained less bees after being out a month or two, than when first put out.’’ Well, suppose it is so, is that the fault of the hive? Every experienced bee-keeper knows that when bees in any form of hive are taken from their winter quarters, there is a sudden decrease in numbers, from the simple fact that many of them are old and ready to die at any hour from sheer old age ; but having been shut up all winter they live longer than they would in the working season. ‘Then, when taken from their winter quarters and allowed to issue in the open air, many of them never return. But is this the fault of the hive? My experience is that any form of hive, when wintered in a cellar, will lose bees very rapidly when first set out; much more so than a colony that has been wintered on its summer stand. I can account for this in no other way, than that many of the bees have lived to a good old age, and are ready to die soon; and a sudden change in the weather being hard on them any how, weakens them in numbers very fast. The Langstroth hive could be made deeper.very easily without Mr. R.’s patchwork ; but would it answer the purpose as well? Ihave found no other hive from which I can get the same results, in surplus honey, as from the ‘shallow’? Lang- stroth. Last summer I tried the experiment with a hive with only six inches depth of comb, adding one more frame (éleven instead of ten.) The result was that I got some six pounds more honey from that hive, than I did from the common Langstroth hive, sitting within four feet of it ana the two colonies as near alike in numbers as I could get them. Without doubt the shallow form of hive is best for surplus honey. Now a few words about wintering bees in the Langstroth hive. Everything considered, I think bees do somewhat better when wintered in a 66 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPT., cellar, provided they be arranged just right. But I have wintered bees very successfully in the Langstroth hive, on their summer stands, in northern [llnois and eastern Indiana. But young colonies that have new comb, should be protected, if wintered on their summer stands. I hope Mr. Rogers will explain the whys and wherefores, and tell us wherein the Langstroth hive is lacking. B. Pucker. Winchester, Ind., July 20, 1870. —_——_ eH o [For the American Bee Journal. ] Letter from Missouri. Mr. Eprror:—I send you a sample of some- thing that seems to be troubling my bees very much. It isin small scales resembling the wing of some insect.* The bees come in with from three to five sticking to their mouths. It seems to trouble them greatly. I think I could pick up or rather scrape up a pint of it, on the bottom board of some hives. This section of country is too much subject to extremes for bees. Last year it rained all through May and June, so that the bees could not get out to work; and they did nothing but swarm after that until September. Pollen was plenty, but honey scarce. This spring com- menced well, but most of May and up tothe 15th of June the weather was too cold for bees to work. Nearly all the fruit blossoms were killed by cold. Wild plums and crab apples did not bloom. We have had no rain for several weeks, and very little since last fall. Everything is parched up, leaving nothing for the bees. Jam feeding nearly fifty colonies, and will have to continue doing so until we have rain and flowers begin to bloom again. I could exchange one little farm here for fifteen hundred acres of mountain land in Pocahontas county, Virginia. Is that a good bee section ? + Too much wind here, even if the pasturage were good. My Italians are doing much better than the native bees. I sowed the strap-leaved turnip last fall for early pasturage, but none came up this spring. Cold killed them. What kind is best to sow, or what is better? Would it do to sow ten acres in turnips, and mix Alsike clover seed with it ? I have watched nearly every movement a bee can make for the last three years, and read ail the bee books I could get. J. K. Mercare. Freedom, Mo., July 5, 1870. * The substance enclosed to us was so crushed and pulverized in the mail that we could not make ont what it was, eveu with the aid of a inicroscope. At first view it seemed as if minute scales of wax were mingled with it,but none of it melted when exposed to heat. We presume it is of vegetable origin. 7 We do not know how bees thrive in the part of Virginia referred to by our correspondent. Probably some of our sub- scribers in that section could supply the desired information, A large part of Virginia is unquestionably a first-rate bee country, and hardly second-rate in anything else. What sort of crop to cultivate for early bee pasturage, ina climate as variable and uncertain as that which the writer describes, could only be ascertained by trial and experience. Alsike clover is only suited to asomewhat damp soil, otherwise in good condition. How far south or south- west it can be cultivated with advantage, for bees an cattle, is not yet known. We have no seed for sale—not dealing in seeds, bees, queens, or hives; but contenting ourselves with publishing the American Bee Journal, and striving to make that unsurpassed and unsurpassable. [For the American Bee Journal.] How we made a Honey Knife, Some of our readers will perhaps remember the trouble which we had last season in uncap- ping cells preparatory to the use of the Honey Extractor. In justice to Mr. Baldridge we will say that the knife which we received from him was found, upon trial, to work very well—much better, in fact, than we expected. Our only trouble with it, was to keep it in cutting order. Still, we find that a knife for this business does not need to be kept so extremely sharp, if it be kept hot while in use, by occasional'y dipping it in hot water. In shape we think this knife about what is wanted. As two knives are found very.convenient, one to be heating in the water while the other is in use, we concluded to try our hand at making one and succeeded so admirably that we will give a description of it, and the manner in which it was made. We first took an old seythe—an articie which can usually be found on every farm—and, with a cold chisel, cut a piece out of the straightest part, of such length as we wished the knife to be. This was then laid upon a block and cut lengthwise about three-fourths of an inch from the cutting edge. It was now taken and ground down smooth upon the back and ends, and the edge ground off at the ends a little in order to straighten it. It is then fitted into a suitable handle. You thus have a knife of whatever length you choose to make it, which may be ground very thin and will yet hold an edge well. The whole time occupied in making it, need not exceed an hour, provided the assistance of a second person can be had in cutting out and grinding. It will present a much neater appear- ance than one would think possible when com- mencing the job, and will I think give perfect satisfaction. Of course the style will be governed much by the ingenuity of the maker. Since writing, the above, we have received the August number of the Bee Journal, and in it notice the advertisement of the National Bee Hive Company, of which Mr. Baldridge is Secretary. It says—‘‘no wrought tron knives for sale, in fact never keptthem, nor soldthem. Liars will please to take the hint.’”’ Indeed! I sin- cerely hope they will. Now, injustice to myself, I must say a few more words in regard to that knife, which we have already sp: ken about in this communication. When we received the knife last fall, it was shown to a person whom we thought acompetent judge of me al, and was unhesitatingly pronounced—well, anything but spring-steel, as it could readily be bent into almost any shape, and would so remain. How- ever as its quality was not mentioned before the purchase ; and as it has been found, on trial, to work well enough for all practical purposes, when rightly used, I suppose we ought not to have said anything about that part of the trans- action. The difference between the ‘‘ best quality of wrought iron’’ and the lower classes of steel is so slight that, to separate them, would be like naming the hour that sweet cider becomes 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 67 sour. Iron is used in three states; as crude or cast iron, as steel, and as wrought iron, the differ- ence only depending on the relative amount of carbon with which the metal is combined—cast iron containing a larger proportion of carbon than steel, and steel more than wrought or malleable iron. Thave nothing whatever against Mr. Baldridge, this being my first dealing with him ; and my only excuse for writing as {did CA; B-J:,; VO. V., page 18, ) is that, after waiting, and watching the post office, so long as I did, and finally re- ceiving a knife—too late for use—which did not then come up tomy expectations, I felt considera- bly out of humor, and told the whole story, when perhays I should have kept mum and ‘“‘swallowed”’ it all, as he had not advertised knives for sale, his reason for not being more prompt, may be that he was obliged to invent and manufacture it, after it.was ordered. I have no doubt that parties ordering of him now, will receive knives that will give perfect satisfaction. {. F. TILLINGHAST. Fuctoryville, Pa., Aug. 5, 1870. ers — [For the American Bee Journal,] More about the Looking-glass. On pages 34-5, Vol. VI., of the American Bee Journal, H. Nesbit siates that he has tried the looking-glass theory to his satisfaction in one in- stance. Now, Mr. Editor, I wish to say, in reply, that the glass has been tried three times, this year, to my knowledge, and three swarms of bees se- cured. The particulars of one case will be suffi- cient to cause most of the Journal’s readers to try the experiment, when opportunity offers, whether one that has ‘‘played’’ the theory ‘‘out’’ will try any more, or not. An old lady was in her garden, about four o’clock one afternoon, when her attention was arrested by the hum of a swarm of bees, leaving the top of an apple-tree that stood in the garden. The superstitious notion of stopping bees by the music of the cow-bell (peculiar to a certain class) was soon put in practice, but the bees moved on till somebody flashed the sun’s rays among them, by the aid of a looking-glass. Then, almost in- stantly, from some cause or another, the bees scaitered and some even fell to the ground; but in a few minutes more, all were snugly clustered on another apple-tree, in sight of the one on which a portion of them were : first discovered. Did the queen stop to rest in this case? Per- haps Mr. Nesbit will think she was defective ; or would his reply to this be as ambiguous as his language, when he says in one place that there is ‘‘no use of your trying to go away, for I will stop you with the looking-glass ;’? and in another breath, after he had tried and failed, says—‘‘I was rather a sceptic before.’’ Mr. Editor, he makes me think of an old Dutch lady, with whom I used to be acquainted, that knew how to bake bread and fry meat. You might read her a recipe from some agricultural or other Journal, for making something new and rich, and she would at once go about ‘tr ying it, “to see if it was good.’’ But, in place of follow- ing the directions to the letter, she would use the ingredients in quantities that seemed hand- iest ; and the consequence was that she would make compounds to disagree with the gustatory organs of all hands. The fault was never with the old lady, and she could always tell that it was in the recipe ; but in no instance could she be induced to try her hand a second time on the same thing. Perhaps, if Mr. Nesbit will take his looking-glass to the well and invert it, and instead of looking down the well, will look into the glass, he will see differently from the way he did on the other occasion. If he will take a glass large enough (a piece will answer the pur- pose; but it will depend upon how bright the sun shines, and the distance of the bees from the ground, what must be the size of the glass re- quired, ) I think he can stop a swarm in every instance. Before quitting, I will also say that if Mr. Nesbit, or any one else will obtain the ‘‘dluckest’”’ and ‘‘knottiest’’ piece of wood, near the size of a quart pot, and secure it by means of a pole or otherwise, surrounded by foliage, in front of the apiary, before natural swarms issue, that by the time the fifth natural swarm is hived, the ex- periment will have very well paid him for his trouble with the knot. IGNORAMUS. Sawyersville, NV. C., Aug. 12, 18:0. ers [For the American Bee Journal.] Bee Humbugs. Since the introduction of movable comb hives, numerous attempts have been made to palm off on bee-keepers worthless hives and oe hum- bugs. As with other branches of business, so with bee-culture; it has its proficients, amuteurs, novices, and pretenders. Generally, it is with the two last-mentioned classes that worthless hives and various humbugs originate. The novice is often suddenly attacked with that disease known as ‘‘bee on the brain,’’ and ignorantly but innocently fancies he has mastered the whole science of bee-culture, and is therefore prepared to astonish the world by producing a bee hive that will supplant all its predecessors. Now, with many, to think is to act. Hence, yearly, there are introduced to the public several ‘‘ best hives in the world,’’ which, however, prove to be either bungling attempts at an imitation of some good hive, or a worthless throwing together of timber, embracing in its construction not one scientific ’ principle, but often many features di- rectly opposed to the nature and wants of the bees. Their fanciful shape, novel construction, and the many advantages they are said to pos- sess, often cause a number of them to be sold to unsuspecting bee-keepers, who are not educated in the science of bee-culture. The country is full of such worthless trash, and parties often pay more than they would require to do for really good hives, the reputation of which has been established for years—hives constructed by those well acquainted with bee-culture, and who are hence qualified to consiruct a hive adapted in every feature to the wants of the bee. 68 The other class, whom I have styled pretend- ers, are generally unscrupulous persons, who do not hesitate at anything by which they can bring the ‘‘dimes”’ to their pockets. It is with this class that ‘‘bee humbugs’’ generally originate. Having a slight smattering of knowledve, they make great pretensions, and tell wonderful stories about bees—what strange things they have known bees to do; how one swarm went away, because the owner quarrelled with his wife ; another because a child was buried, and the owner failed to whisper it in the hive ; while a third was so particular, that it would ‘not stay in the hive, because there was a rusty nail in sight! In this way they arouse the curiosity of the uneducated bee-keeper, who is soon ready to swallow all they have to say. ‘They then come forward with their pretensions to superior knowledge. They can do this or that with bees. They have some wonderful secrets, and for a ‘‘V”’ (five dollars) they can tell you how to take the bees out of a box-hive, take their honey, put them back again, and they shall be all right ‘‘in the spring.’”’ They have also got a curious compound, a peculiar drug, with which they can charm the bees so that they will not sting, price ‘‘only fifty cents a bottle ;’’ and the recipe to make it only another “‘Y.’’ Thus the honest and unsuspecting bee-keeper is vic- timized, while the swindling pretender ‘‘feathers his nest.”’ The following extract from a letter of inquiry, has called forth these remarks: ‘During the past season, the management of bees has been taught in a secret school, and one of the things taught is the art of drawing bees from a tree a distance of two miles, even though it may not be known where they are located. As one of the students is preparing to sally out on the public, I thought 1 would write to you, for your opinion.”’ A person possessed of such power as this would be likely to surround himself with a large num- ber of swarms in a very short time, if he per- formed his operations in some neighborhoods where hundreds of swarms are kept within a circle of two miles. He would certainly be an exceedingly dangerous person to have about, unless strictly honest, as he might draw off and steal all the bees. Perhaps his secret incanta- tions have no attractions for bees that live in a hive ; and, I may say and, for bees that live in a tree! Allow me to say to my bee-keeping friends that all the bee drugs or bee charms are bee hum- bugs. If any person is pretending to teach or to do what is stated above, he is either a knave or a fool, perhaps both. To say the least, all such persons should be arrested, for obtaining money under false pre- tences. If bee-keepers would be safe, let them take a reliable Bee Journal or agricultural paper, where they will find such impositions exposed ; and in purchasing hives let them select such as the experience of years has proved to be good. J. H. THomaAs. Brooklin, Ontario, ———_——_ + I never use a hive, the main apartment of which holds less than a bushel.—Langstroth. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [For the American Bee Journal.] Proper Requisites of Hives and Movable Frames. Mr. Eptror:—There seems to be no subject connected with bee-culture so badly mixed up, as the above. One approves of a low and long form of hive and frames, and another of a short and deep form. Now [have seen and used nearly all styles in use, but never saw a frame hive but what was too deep for summer use, or too shal- low for winter. It seems to me we have been straining at a egnat and trying to swallow a camel. I think a frame in the clear, six or seven inches deep and eleven or twelve inches long is what the practi- cal bee-keeper needs. But for the careless and indifferent, fixed top bars are too goud. Perhaps few if any have experimented with and used more different styles of hive than we have. Being a mechanic, and always having lumber and tools at hand, we have experimented too much for our own benefit. We have pat- ented (like many others) one hive’costing us $100; and have never realized a dime in return. But all right; I suppose the greenbacks are moving. Now, Mr. Editor, I believe that the one thou- sand and one who are pocketing money for improvements in hives, would be just as honest and make more money, by picking up the farm- er’s box-hive, putting the Langstroth frames in, and teavhing people how to use them properly— selling the same on commission for Mr. Lang- stroth or his agents. But we must return to the sectional hive. Has any one ever used sucha hive? Ifso we have never heard of it. We use two sections deep in winter, and from one to fourin summer. We make our case twelve inches wide, using eight frames in the brood sections, and seven in the third and fourth sections, in which we get the greatest possible amount stored, in good shape for the table or market. Mr. Thomas, or any one else who thinks he has a hive that will offer so many advantages, as the simple sectional box, with Langstroth’s frames in them. had best bring such hive out this way; and I will agree to sell them as fast as forty men can turn them out. We have omitted to mention many little points, in the arrangement of the case and frames, such as beveling to prevent propolis, se- curing straight combs, “&e., but will do so ina future article, if requested. CHARLES HASTINGS. Dowagiac, Mich. orp 4 All necessary arrangements and preparations for properly wintering bees, in any kind of hive, should be fully completed in the month of Oc- tober. ———_—_ — e- = —_____ Let me strongly advise the incorrigibly care- less to have nothing to do with bees, either on my plan of management, or any other; for they will find both time and money almost certainiy thrown away.—Langstroth. [SEPT., THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 69 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, Washington, Sept., 1870. The remarks on queen raising, by the Rev. Mr. Briggs, in our last issue, appear to be considered by some as aimed personally at Mr. Alley, of Wenham, Mass. We did not so regard them. Mr. Briggs’ object seemed to us to be very different, and one in which queen breeders in general have quite as much interest as queen purchasers. Bee breeding, as a science, is yet in its infancy—not less so in Europe than here ; but is evidently engaging the attention of the best and most experienced apiarians, and has already led to some highly interesting discussions in the German Journals and Conventions. Of these we shall, in due season, take proper notice—we give, in this number of the Journal, several communications referring to Mr. Briggs’ article, and shall probably haye one from him in explanation. iS- The March number of the American Bee Journal contained a call for a meeting of the Michi- gan Bee-keepers’ Association, to be held at Lansing, on the 23d and 24th of that month.—Bee-keepers from other States and the British Provinces were in- vited to attend that meeting, as it was proposed then to make arrangements for holding a NATIONAL BEE- KEEPERS’ CONVENTION. The Association met ac- cordingly, and it was resolved to hold a National | Convention at Indianapolis, (Ind.) on the 11th and | 12th instant, but the time was subsequently changed to the 21st and 22d of December next, as better suiting the convenience of bee-keepers. The place designa- ted seems now, however, for some reason, to have become objectionable to certain parties who probably have ‘‘axes to grind.’? They are now laboring hard to effect a change; but we presume the effort will fail, as we are assured from varidus quarters that the Convention will be held at. Indianapolis. A patent has recently been granted for a method of excluding bee-moths from hives by means of a long lever operated by a hen-roost. The inventor claims ‘‘ a combination ofa vibrating roost or perch for fowls with the slides or doors of one or more bee hives, when so constructed and arranged that the weight of the fowls upon the roost shall close the hives, and their removal from the roost shall open the doors.”? How this ingenious contrivance came to be patented at this late day, we do not know; but certainly it is neither, “new”? nor ‘‘ useful.” The same thing was tried and abandoned many years ago, as will be seen by reference to Langstroth’s ‘* Hive and Honey Bee,” page 265, first edition. Possibly there is some new ‘‘ modification ”’ or some novel ‘‘ combi- nation” of material (chickens included), on which the claim to a patent is based ; but unfortunately, no modification or combination can ever enable him who employs this contrivance to circumvent the moths thereby. When a colony in an apiary is found to be queen- less, and has been so till all the brood has matured, it will generally be found difficult to get the bees to raise a queen from brood inserted, or even to accept and cherish a sealed queen cell. Repeated trials are usually necessary, and when successful the popula- tion has generally so dwindled, before the new gene- ration attains the working age, that the colony is of little value, especially late in the season. The better mode is to introduce at once a fertile prolific queen from some populous colony, and let the latter do the queen raising; unless we have fertile queens in re- serve in nuclei. With the transferred queen, several combs of brood taken from other strong colonies, should, if possible, be given to the one that has been queenless. The desired object will thus be more speedily attained, and frequently with benefit to the colonies drawn on. The European Sparrow. ‘A Jarge number of German sparrows, have been imported and placed in the vineyards in the vicinity of Davenport, Iowa.’? So the newspapers inform us —the object, we presume, being the destruction of caterpillars. We fear, however, thatthe grape grow- ers there have made a capital mistake, and are likely to have an easy time annually hereafter, when gather- ing the vintage. It has been customary to charge the bees with damaging the grape crop, but it appears that in Germany this sparrow isthe real offender. The Rey. Mr. Stern, an aged and well known bee-keeper, re- siding at Wessenburg in Lower Austria, writing to the Bienenzeiturg about this alleged malfeasance of the bees, says—‘‘ I have lived more than thirty years in a village of three thousand inhabitants, most of whom derive their support from grape culture, Besides their vineyards, they have numerous trellises of vines at their houses, and there are several apia- ries in the village. I have myself an arbor of vines, 180 feet in length, within twenty-five feet of my apiary. Now it has happened for many years that I did not get a single bunch of grapes, undamaged, from any vine in this arbor, and the other grape- growers in my neighborhood fared no better. Berries torn open were annually to be seen, and I have seen bees on such berries often—not indeed by ‘ myriads’ nor yet by thousands, or hundreds, nor even by fifties, but only here and there a solitary one quietly sipping of the extruding juice. I have killed hundreds of hornets in the act of tearing open the berries, and thousands of wasps busy at the same work; but JZ have never seen abee so engaged. But, what flies and bees are wholly incapable of doing, and what wasps and 70 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [SEPT., hornets do only in part and occasionally, is really the work of the SPARROW, which, because its habits have been little observed or studied, continues to be held in high estimation in some districts. Even asmall num- ber of these birds can, in a few days, do exceedingly great injury in a vineyard, at the time when the ripen- ing grapes are becoming mellow. They then peck open berry after berry, as though in sport, sip a little of the juice occasionally, and flitting away to some other cluster incessantly repeat the damaging process. I have witnessed this hundreds of times; and seen them do the work so effectually that, year after year, I haye not obtained one undamaged cluster from my arbor.—This.cunning sparrow knows, too, how to avoid traps and springes, and soon familiarizes him- self with the most elaborate fantastic scarecrow set up in terrorem, acting apparently in derision and contempt of the baffled and mortified grape-grower.” Forty years ago, an American ornithologist, speak- ing of this species of sparrow and the injury done by it to grain fields in Europe, said—‘* Fortunately we are free from this pest on this side of the Atlantic.”? Now we import them, and boast of it! ++ +- CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. TYRONE, ONTARIO, July 16.—Bees are doing very well here this year. I have got forty pounds surplus honey from some of my hives already.—J. McLauau- LIN. WASHINGTON Harpor, Wis., July 16.—This has been the best honey season, thus far, seen by me. A second swarm hived on Tuesday June 21st, on Wed- nesday night the 29th, weighed twenty-five pounds, besides having yielded thirty-eight pounds ten ounces taken by honey machine in eight days. I had given the swarm seven old combs and one empty frame, placed it on the old stand, and removed the old stock to a new place. On the 25th and 26th, it gained twenty-one pounds six ounces in two days, on rasp- berry and clover blossoms. This is the best day’s work and week’s work I have noticed. The queen began to lay on Monday the 27th, so they had no brood to nurse. The next fourteen days they lost four pounds each. Basswood began to bloom July 18th. One hive gained fifteen pounds in four days; and in the next ten days I expect my five hives to gain thirty to forty pounds each, which closes the honey season here. The last two years the hives lost more in weight from the 1st of August to the Ist of November, than in five months in the cellar to 1st of April.—H. D. MIner. Boropino, N. Y., July 16.—I think that you pub- lish by far the best Bee Journal. GANSEVOoRT, N. Y., July 20.—I think the Ameri- can Bee Journal worthy of every bee-keeper’s atten- tion, whether he keeps one stand or a hundred. I would like to learn from some more experienced bee-keepers than myself, the best way to set bees for summer; whether exposed to the sun, in the shade of trees, or under a shelter made of boards. It has been very dry here all summer, and flowers have nearly all dried up. Bees have swarmed but little and have not stored much cap honey. Box hives are mostly used here, though there are some others of different kinds.--THomMas PIERCE. . RicH VALLEY, Minv., July 20.—The season for bees has been fair thus far; but I do not think this loca- tion so well adapted to the business as most of the States south.—L. M. LINDLEY. RipcEway, Micu., July 21.—I have one hundred and thirty colonies in box hives, somewhat like T. B. Miner’s equilateral hive. I shall have about twenty hundred pounds of honey for sale this season. I cannot learn that it would be wise for me to adopt the movable comb hive, as I have five hundred dollars invested in box hives, and have been success- ful with them. So far as I can learn I have the largest apiary in Michigan, and have perhaps, in the last thirteen years sold more sur; lus honey than any apiarian using box hives, or perhaps any other kind of hive. Honey sells for twenty to twenty-five cents per pound.—J. F. TEMPLE. Aveusta, ME., July 22.—This is a very dry season with us. Bees will not give much surplus honey ; and in some cases old stocks will not get honey enough to winter.—H. B. Congy. GEBHARTSBURG, PaA., July 22.—This has been a remarkable honey season, and also for swarming. I practice artificial swarming, yet in spite of all pre- cautions I got two natural swarms, and that too without the least preparation by the bees, for no queen cells had been started. This is contrary to the books and my previous experience.—W. BAKER. Hamiuton, Ivu., July 24.—No Bee Journal either on the old continent or the new, can vie with the American Bee Journal.—C. DADANT. NIAGARA, ONTARIO, July 30.—We have had a good honey season, through June and part of July, from white clover; but I do not think bees are doing much now. I lost some honey for want of shade. The combs melted, though in double boxes.—F. G. Nasu. ExcELsior, MINN., July 80.—Bees have done very well here, until the middle of this month, the season having been an unusually fine one, up to that time. Since then, we have had a change of weather and bees are doing nothing. The season.has been a very dry and hot one, thus indicating—not for the first time—that dry warm seasons are the best for honey in this latitude.—J. W. Murray. East FAIRFIELD, OHI0.—Bees are doing very nicely here this year. I should like to see your valuable Journal have a wide circulation, and if it were care- fully read, I think bee-keepers would generally do well.—J. HEUSTIS. . SPRINGFIELD, Itu., August 4.—Our pets have done nothing since 20th of June, but eat up what they saved before. The ‘‘ heated term ” has been unusu- ally severe and long. We look for better things, now that the weather has changed and vegetation begins to revive. This morning one of my early June swarms (Italian) threw off a very large swarm. On examining the hive, 1 was not a little interested and surprised to find five beautiful young queens, evidently stretching their legs (my queens have legs) for the first time. Three went ‘“‘ where the woodbine twineth.”? I had use for the other two. Is not the simultaneous hatching of so great a number unusual ? —W. L. Gross. NortH TUNBRIDGE, VT., August 7.—We have had avery great season here for honey, but not as much swarming as usual. My bees have given me a profit of twenty-four dollars per swarm, in box honey.—D. C. Hunt. CLEVELAND, Onto, August 8.—I think we have a very poor locality for bees—the land being too: flat, wet, andcold. No honey in the white clover blossoms this year.—R. Honey. 1870.] VIRDEN, ILus., August 8.— We never had so good a season of white clover, in my recollection, as the past has been; but it has been so dry since that the bees have done nothing since the Ist of July. Our fall pasturage too will be short, on account of the drouth. Last year I got all my surplus honey after this time, mostly from Spanish needles and red clover. There will be very little of either this fall, consequently I do not expect much more surplus honey. I have increased my bees from twenty-five colonies to sixty- five.—J. L. PEABopyY. Paw Paw, Micu., August 8.—The ever welcome American Bee Journal was received as usual. It contains a variety of reading matter from all sources, and it sounds like glad tidings unto all people. I have only one fault to find—it should come on the first and fifteenth of each month. How can that desirable end be accoinplished 2? Will not our brother bee-keepers co-operate to bring it about? Bees have done finely here, this season.—A. F. Moon. Rrpon, Wis., August 8.—The Journal comes to hand promptly every month, accept my thanks for the effort you make to furnish us with a first class paper.—R. Dart. TowanpDa, Iuus., August 9.—The season for honey in this section of the country has not been the best or the poorest. Bees on the prairies did not swarm much, and there was great complaint of their leaving for the timber. One man here found fourteen (14) bee trees in one grove. But in the timbered portion of the country, the beés swarmed wide and gathered the usual amount of honey, namely fifteen to twenty- five pounds per stand. Increased attention is being given to the culture of bees here, and I hope I shall be able tosend youa much larger list of subscribers for your excellent Journal. An accident occurred in the apiary of Mr. Cyrus Jones, in this township, that would probably come under the head of ** Anger of Bees.’? While his hired man with the team, was hauling some old lumber from the yard, the horses became frightened and ran directly amongt he bees, knocking over seven stands and becoming fastened for a short time in a cherry tree. The bees swarmed out not only from those stands that were run over; but from most of the others (there being some twenty stands in all) sting- ing the horses terribly. The horses became frantic, rearing and plunging, broke loose from the tree, and ran into the next lot, breaking the wagon badly. One of them died in about three hours, and the other in the course of theday. While they were fastened in the tree, one of the men in throwing water on the horses, to cool I suppose the anger of the bees, lost his hat. The bees lighting on him stung his head and face so badly that bis life was in danger. The horses were stung in their ears, nostrils, and bodies so badly that by taking a corn knife and scraping their sides, you could draw out thousands of stings. Mr. Jones esti- mates his loss at about five hundred (500) dollars. This accident occurred last spring. What would have been the best to do, in such a case ?—S. C. WARE. WENHAM, Mass., August seme e weather has been very dry and hot all summer; but during the last few days we have had plenty of rain, though the air is not cooler.—H. ALLEY. LexineTton, Ky., August 12.—The July number of the Journal failed to come. I began to fear you had ceased to publish the Journal, as I did not receive one for so long. That I hope will never happen, as long as it is doing the good to the bee-keeping public, that it now is. Long life to you and it.—Dr. J. DILLARD. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 71 Listz, N. Y., August 12.—As your correspondents commenced boasting early, I should like to hear from them again, to learn whether the drouth affected them as much as it has us, in this part of the country. I think bees never did better than they did during raspberry time. It then became so dry that they have not got much since, till now that they are work- ing on buckwheat freely. From one double Lang- stroth hive we have take seventeen full six pound boxes, and the bees are working in six more. They filled both hives themselves, except six frames that were transferred. I think this is doing very well, as it will make eighty pounds in frames more than they need to winter on. We are sure of thirty-six pounds more. We have a good many young swarms that have already over one hundred pounds of box honey taken off. I will give you, this fall, the total result. I think it will convince people that bee-keeping pays. —H. 8. WELLs. CAMPBELL’S Cross, OnTARIO, August 12.—I have the first four volumes of American Bee Journal bound in two, and would not take five times their cost if I could not get them again. I would freely pay double to get them twice a month. It would pay to get them, if a person has only one hive, or no bees at all. Bees have done well} in this section, this season. They swarmed two weeks earlier than usual. We have plenty of swarms and surplus honey. Second and even some third swarms will gather honey enough to winter on, My bees are all in frame hives. The Thomas hive is all the go in Ontario. My bees are nearly all Italians, bred from the stocks of J. H. Thomas, Brooklin, Ontario, and Henry Alley, Wen- ham, Mass.,—both of whom I could recommend, their stock of Italians being very pure and well marked.—H. Lipsnrt. GNADENHUTTEN, Onto, August 15.—We have had a prosperous season, this summer, both for honey and swarms. The weather was good from the time the fruit trees blossomed until the close of the white clover blossoms. It is refreshing to the drooping spirit to have a season of plenty after such poor sea- sons as the previous two were. Our success would be better if we had some reliable plants to supply honey, after the white clover is past. That is now our main dependance, and when it is a partial failure our late swarins cannot gather sufficient store to last them over winter; and buckwheat is at best an uncertain source for honey. As there is considerable rivalry among inventors about patent hives, and divers contrivances are recommended to bee-keepers as the ne plus wltra of perfection, I will state that some years ago I invented a side-opening leaf hive, with a’sliding bottom board. Kither front or rear side i is a door, through which the bottom board slides. At the opposite end of the hive from the door, in the side of the hive, is a frame or yoke, fastened to the sides of the bottom-board and reaching half way up the side of the hive. On top of said yoke are clasps fastened loosely to the yoke with wire rivets. These clasps hold the frames by means of wire hooks driven into the frames and hooking over a shoulder on top of the clasps. The clasps move sideways, and allow the frames to be moved sideways, like the leaves of a book, and also to be taken off. The part of the hive with a hook in, has a piece of wire driven in at the bottom, to serve asa pivot, and works in a gimlet hole in the bottom board. In operating with the bees in, the door is opened and the fastenings made by the bees are to be cut loose; then the bottom board with the frames is drawn out of the hive. It is perhaps as good a side- opening hive as any, with the additional good quality that there is no patent on it. Any one is at liberty to use the invention. For myself, I prefer top open- ing hives, as more conyenient.—S. LuEeral. 72 [For the American Bee Journal.] Death of James T. Langstroth, Mr. Eprror :—I desire to offer, through the medium of the American Bee Journal, a slight tribute of respect to the memory of JAmEs T. LANGSTROTH, the only son of Rev. L. L. Lang- stroth, whose death was announced in the July number of the Journal. Mr. James T. Langstroth was well known to most of the leading bee-keepers of the country, either personally, or through business correspond- ence relating to bee-culture, during the last ten years; and certainly no young man could have more completely won the confidence of all with whom he came in contact, than he has done, by his intelligence, modesty, strictintegrity, prompt- ness, candor, and perfect manliness in all his transactions. Aside from bee-culture, he took an active interest in, and was generally at the head of, all patriotic, charitable, or social or- ganizations in his immediate neighborhood. In fact, he was the leading young man in the town in which he lived. But above all his other excelient qualities, stands, in my estimation, his unselfish and untiring devotion to his aged, infirm, and dependent parents. Next to the care of his own little family, his father’s, mother’s, and sister’s comfort, wants, and wishes, were uppermost in his mind. Although suffering many months from the insidious ap- proach of consumption, yet fraternal and filial devotion nerved his wearied spirits to active labor, almost to the last day of his life. I saw him on his return home from his office for the last time, with glazed eye and haggard cheek, yet full of bope and plans for the future, after a few days of rest and recreation.—But his earthly career is ended, and that father’s only support istakenaway. Who willtake thatson’s pilase? Who should take his place, unless it be the bee-Keepers of America? Brother bee- keepers, laying aside all prejudice, and all minor points of difference, and detracting nothing from any man’s merits, are we not indebted to the Rev. Mr. Langstroth, more than to any other person for a part of our success in our noble pursuit or pastime ? There is one point, I believe on which the bee- keepers of the country, and even all patentees of bee hives, of whatever kind, agree—namely, that Mr. Laugstroth introduced movable frame hives into this country. Admitting for amoment, that that was all he ever did for the benefit of bee-keepers, does not even that act deserve some compensation from our hands? I think it does. Again, Mr. Langstroth was among the very first, and but for an accident would have been the first to introduce into this country the Italian bee. He has imported them every year since, and has every year furnished the leading queen breeders of this country with their choicest queens to breed from. .Do we owe him nothing for this? Again, he was the first to introduce into this country the Egyptian bee, the merits of which are not yet fully developed, but the im- portance of which will in time come to be duly appreciated. And, lastly Mr. Langstroth, was among the first to introduce to the notice of the THE AMERICAN BHE JOURNAL. [SEPT., bee-keepers of America, the invaluable Honey Extractor. Does he deserve nothing: at our hands for this? Gentlemen, talk as you will, Mr. Langstroth has been the pioneer bee-keeper of this country for the last quarter of a century ; and there is a fearful account against us, and in his favor, that I fear we shall not be able fully to pay. But we can do something. We can make him comfortable for the balance of his days, and still be vastly enriched ourselves through his labors. If we are so indebted can we not, in part, liquidate that indebtedness now? Can we not make up our minds to send him, at ence, some substantial token of our appreciation of his labors of a lifetime for the advancement of bee- culture? Heand his family, and his son’s family now dependent on him, need all that is rightfully due tothem. If you feel that you owe him five, ten, twenty, or a hundred dollars, don’t wait for somebody else to begin or to join with you; but send a check or a post-office order for the amount directly to his address. If you have honestly paid him his price for the right to use his in- vention, don’t let that entirely satisfy you. Ask yourself whether you have not made too good a bargain, and whether you ought not to restore to him, to-day, a part of your profits? Don’t stop to inquire whether Mr. Langstroth owns — territory where you live, send him a five dollar or a ten dollar bill at once, and pay the rightful or legal owner of the territory, as soon as you find him out. You could better afford to pay five dollars royalty on every movable frame hive you use, than use the old box hive. This deferred payment, let us call it, made now willdo much good, and will give youa clear conscience, no matter whose patent you are using, for they are all modifications of the Langstroth hive, although they are not allinfringements. Brother bee-keepers, don’t wait for each other to respond, but send at once to this address—Rey. L. L. Langstroth, Oxford, Butler, County, Ohio ; and may heaven prosper you for so doing. R. BicxrorpD. Seneca Fails, N. Y. Aug. 1, 1870. P. §8.—I have written this without the consent or knowledge of Mr. Langstroth, or his family, simply because, knowing the circumstances, I felt it a duty and a privilege to speak—R. B. Sos The Egyptian beehives are made of coal dust and clay, which being well blended together, the mixture is formed into a hollow cylinder about a span in diameter and from four to six feet high. This is dried in the sun, and becomes so hard that it may be handled at pleasure.—Domestic Encyclopedia. orm Whoever intends to erect an apiary should purchase colonies towards the close of the year, and only such as are full of combs and stocked with a sufficient number of bees should be chosen. To ascertain the age of the hives, it should be remarked that the combs of the last season are white, while those of former years are dark yellow. Where the combs are black, the hive should be rejected, as too old and liable to the attack of vermin.-—Dr. WILLICH. ee oT}. LS cr - mologists. MERICAN BEB JOURNAL. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. worn. V 1. OCTOBER, 1870. No. 4. [Translated for the American Bee Journal.] Origin of Honey Dew. In No. 11 of the Bienenzcitung for 1870, the Baron of Berlepsch urges bee-keepers to make diligent observations, to ascertain the origin of honey dew. I have tor many years given special attention to the subject, as it is one of great in- terest, not only to bee-keepers, but also to po- My observations fully corroborate the remark of the Baron, that honey dew occurs, in most cases, independently as a vegetable excretion, and only occasionally as the product of aphides. On last Sunday, June 19th, I had an opportunity to assure myself definitely of the correctness of this position. On that day, as eatly as seven o’clock in the morning, I received a visit from Mr. Heuser, of Westom, one of the intelligent apiarians who compose the Alrweiler Association for Bee-culture. While wesat con- versing about bees, a lad came to inform us that he had, the evening before, seen a fine swarm clustered on a large pear tree. We naturally hastened to the spot, but found that the swarm had already decamped. Aloud humming among the branches, however, led us to suppose there might be a hollow limb somewhere, into which the bees had retreated, and friend Heuser was induced to climb up in search of it. He found none, but observed a multitude of bees busily en- gaged licking up the honey dew with which the leaves of the tree were covered—being evidently an exudation, for on the most careful examina- tion we could not find a single aphis, though on the morning of the next day thousands of aphides were observable there. It remains for me to mention the state of the weather at the time, for according to my obser- vations this chiefly conditions the production of honey dew. On Saturday, June 18th, the weather was oppressively hot. Towards evening the wind began to blow from the northwest; and the night was cool, though without dew on the grass. This necessarily checked the circulation of sap, which I regard as the primary cause of honey dew, for I may state explicitly that I never saw any, except when hot days were fol- lowed by a sudden and great reduction of temper- ature. The same observation was made, many years ago, by an aged bee-keeper in Niederheck- enbach, who, whenever he notices in summer a sudden change of weather, at night, from great heat to cold, will rise at three or four o’clock in the morning and close the entrances of his hives ; as he is firmly persuaded that the honey dew certain to come, will be injurious to his bees. I must confess that honey dew has not always proved beneficial to our bees. In some cases they seemed to be sickened by it, and to remain so for nearly a week, as indicated by their ina- bility to fly. This was more especially the case at au apiary which I had in an oak forest, where bark was largely stripped and dried for tanners’ use. Jam unable to account for the occurrence, and must leave chemists to determine whether the consumption of tannin had aught to do with it. Whenever honey dew occurs in my neigh- borhood again I will strip leaves from various trees affected by it, and send them for examina- tion to Dr. Keermrodt, of Bonn, the chemist of the Agricultural Experimental Union of the Rhine province. The views of Prof. Hallier, that the honey dew produced by aphides is of great practical account in bee-culture, 1am not prepared to en- dorse. During the summer of 1869 I was a student in the Pomological Institute at Reut- lingen, and very seldom saw a bee on any twig covered with aphides, yet we were there sorely annoyed by those parasites. Even now, I am compelled to use soapsuds, &c., to rid my plants of these unwelcome visitors, yet I have never seen a bee among them, Your readers will probably be interested in learning the views of two of the most eminent pomologists, regarding the origin of honey dew. Court-gardener Jager, of Hisenach, writes as follows to Regel’s Garden-Flora :—‘‘ According to my observations, honey dew is much more frequently exuded from the leaves of plants than produced by aphides. I regard honey dew, in many cases, as a segregation of the saccharine portion of the jutccs of plants, which these are then no longer able to excrete out of their organism by means of the blossoms. I was led to adopt this: view by repeatedly observing that linden trees so kept under by pruning that they never blossom, excrete such a superabundance of honey dew that such as is not gathered by insects, drips from the leaves to the ground, and is often col- lected on boards and bottled. Linden trees Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. V4 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Oct., which are allowed to blossom, do indeed likewise produce honey dew; but I have never seen it on trees that bloomed profusely, and as I live in the midst of lindens, I have the best opportunities for observation.”’ Next, my own respected teacher, Dr. Lucas, of Reutlingen, remarks, in a note on the fore- going passage— ‘This observation of our esteemed friend Jager certainly deserves attention. Whether he is entirely right or not, is to me not altogether clear. I have seen honey dew indiscriminately on young trees and on old of various kinds; but always only after we had several successive hot and dry days, followed by dewless nights. It is very probable that then the juices of plants become more concentrated, and thus more highly charged with saccharine, in so much that drops of liquid sweet may exude through the pores of the leaves, and that then the aphides will quickly resort to the tables thus ready decked for them, and multiply with almost incredible rapidity, is a natural phenomenon observable in the case of other insects also. But that the aphides are the originators of the honey dew, as many foresters and others maintain, can certainly not be accepted as correct and true.”’ Allow me, in conclusion, to request bee-keep- ers and pomologists to watch for the appearance of honey dew on the occurrence of such weather and temperature as above indicated, and to com- municate the result of their observations, A. ARNOLD, Travelling Lecturer of the Agricultural Union, Province of the Rhine. Lohndorf, June 22, 1870. : [For the American Bee Journal.] Profitable Bee-keeping.—Letter from England. The following account shows the very great advantage in keeping bees on the humane and improved system, over the old and_ barbar- ous practice of the brimstone match, so clearly, that I send it for your readers to go and do like- wise. In the autumn of 1865, I was at the seaside on the Lancashire coast, and found bees kept in that neighborhood in the most primitive and bad way I ever met with in any country. It was the sys- tem there to put the swarm in a large brown wicker basket, and at night to plaster a thin coat- ing of cowdung over the outside, and leave it in this way all summer. I have frequently seen the bees coming out of holes all over the hive, from top to bottom, not being able to fill up all the nicks with propolis, and giving it up as a bad job; and if it was not a good district for honey, they would give up the ghost altogether. When the bees give over working, the owner plasters the hive with mortar, for the winter. The entrance is made three or four inches high from the cold slate or flag on which they place the basket. When they take the honey, they suffocate the bees with brimstone. Wasps often destroy the stock. In my perambulations I called upon a person who had kept bees for a number of years in the old way; but they had all died off except one stock. After talking with him for some time on the humane and profitable management of his bees, and showing him the great loss that he sus- tained by murdering his poor bees, to say nothing of the ingratitude or sin in killing them after they had been laboring for him early and late all the summer, and proved to him the very great ad- vantage the modern bar-frame (thanks to the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, the inventor) from which the he honey could be taken without killing a bee, and | swarms made or prevented, as we liked. I showed © him that in fact, with these hives, he had the full - control over his bees, and could make them do almost anything he liked. He asked me to get the man that makes my — improved bar-frame hives, to send him some; and I afterwards sent him information he wrote for in several letters. When I called on him last October, I found twenty stocks of bees in his garden, all very strong, with plenty of honey to last them over the winter; and he had sold nearly three hun- dred weight of honey, all of which he had taken that year, without killing a bee. He has now got his stock up to the number he intends to keep, so this year he will work for honey; and if it is a favorable season, his bees will collect for him an immense store and make him a nice addition to his income. The same year that I called upon him, I called upon his neighbor, a person much better off than the other, and he then had three stocks of bees. | I advised him to adopt the more profitable and humane system of management; but he did not; and when I called on him again last October, I found three weak stocks of bees in his garden, and he said he had taken no honey that year and got very little the year before. I turned his hives over and found an accumulation of wet filth and dirt, nearly an inch thick on the slate floors on which his hives were placed, and the bottoms of the combs all mouldy. I told him if he had done as well as his neigh- bor, he should now have sixty stocks of bees in his garden and have taken more than a thousand weight of honey that year. He is now, with others in that district going to adopt the humane system of management, and I hope bec-murder has forever disappeared in that locality, as I always find, when they see the loss to their own pockets, it is the most convincing argument that can be used. WILLIAM CARR. Newton Heath, near Manchester, England. —_- — o + + - Bees sometimes abandon their hives very early in the spring or late in the summer or fall. They exhibit all the appearance of natural swarming ; but they leave not because the popu- lation is crowded, but because it is either so small, or the hive so destitute of supplies that they are discouraged or driven to desperation. — I once knew a colony to leave a hive under such circumstances, on a spring-like day in December ! They seem to have a presentiment that they must perish if they stay, and instead of awaiting the sure approach of famine, they sally out to see if something cannot be done to better their condition.—Langstroth. : 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 75 [From the Western farmer. ] About Patents, A student in the Michigan Agricultural College has invented a gate latch, for which he has re- ceived $10,000. We find the above item in our exchanges. Assuming it to be true, we commend the good sense of the student. Ifthe usual results follow, the purchaser will either losemoney by the oper- ation, or will speedily sell ‘‘rights’’ to parties who will lose money. We have no wish to dis- courage inventors, for they certainly are entitled to full reward for any improvements or discov- eries they give the world. But we think it is clearly true that the great mass of inventors—es- pecially those whose inventions relate to ‘‘ little things,’’ or articles in common use—place too high an estimate on the value of their patent right, often holding it, waiting for better offers from manufacturers or purchasers of ‘* territory,” unti! some one patents a better device for the same purpose, when the first becomes useless or nearly so. There are certain inventions of very great value, because they supply a want universally felt. But even in such cases it is rare that the original in- ventor secures so high a degree of excellence that some one else cannot improve on his de- vice. He may, hoWever, succeed ‘in patenting something which subsequent inventors will have ‘to use, and for which privilege they must pay him. ‘To illustrate : the plow is of almost univer- sal use, yet there are objections to the best plow that has been or will be constructed. Suppose some one should invent an implement that would obviate all these objections, and do the work of preparing the soil for seeds better than any plow can, and do this work quickly and cheaply. Such an invention would be of almost incalcula- ble value, and the inventor might well expect to become very wealthy. Yet it would be strange ii some one did not improve on this invention, and thus divide the profits—perhaps take the larger share. Hundreds of men have suggested improvements of amore or less value in reapers, after the main principle had been given to the public. ° . In case of such an invention as a gate latch, it must be remembered that there are already very good ones in existence, and probably a still bet- ter one may soon be invented; and 80 we say that, in all ordinary cases, it is better to sell the patent if any such price as $10,000 is offered for it. However useful such an invention may really be, the inventor as well as the intending purchaser of a ‘‘right”’ should carefully avoid forming extravagant opinions as to ‘‘the moncy there is in it.’’’ The farmer or other business man who gives up his regular business to engage in the Sale of patents, in the great majority of cases, does a very foolish thing. _ We write this, because we have noticed in Many cases the high anticipations of inventors or of purchasers of ‘‘territory’’ for some patent, and the disappointment and loss that followed. If any of our readers have invented anything they are convinced is of value, we say patent it by all means; but do not think of leaving your farm or other business to engage in its sale, or dream of sudden wealth to come from it. [For the American Bee Journal.] Hurrah for 1870, and the Honey-slinger. The best honey season on record, and the most useful invention ! Long live our German friend, who gave it to us without a patent ! The battle is past, and we can look back and see if the generalship has been, like that of the Prussians, well -managed—or, like that of the French, left to manage itself. Thad two stocks last spring, and the empty combs from two hives that died about the first of © March. The first swarm was hived on the 18th of June, and the honey-gathering on bass-wood closed July 26th--so that none of the young bees in new hives were then old enough to gather honey. I have taken“one hundred and eighty-seven (187) pounds with the-machine, and on the 26th of July had from five hives, 228 lbs., or forty-five pounds each. They had gained forty pounds each, in thirteen days, on bass-wood blossoms. The best stock gained, 52 lbs. 8 oz. A queenless stock gained 383 lbs. 10 oz. The best day’s work, 7 lbs., Aug. 16. The best day’s work in June was Saturday and Sunday, the 25th and 26th—a gain of 21 lbs. 6 oz. on red raspberry blossoms, or 10 lbs. 11-oz. per day. I see that Novick reports 43 lbs. in three days, 25th, 26th, and 27th of June. As he reports bass-wood at its best July 6th, the flowers must be ten or twelve days earlier than at this place. So his best yield of honey, on the same days as mine, at 600 miles distance, was perhaps on account of the weather, or some electrical state of the atmos- phere. In June I took from my stocks what honey they had above twenty pounds each. While bass-wood was in blossom, I tried to take what they had above forty pounds each. The honey- emptier appeared to take away all disposition to raise a lot of dronesin July, When I depended on box honey, the hive was crowded with honey before the bees would work in boxes. As it took two pounds per month in winter to support a colony of bees, at this rate the twelve ounces of honey required to rear a thousand drones would keep a thousand workers four and a half months. I believe drones usually live about two months. So when Novick shaves off the heads of drone brood sealed over, he has al- ready lost two-thirds of what it would cost to let them live ; and the presence of drones might per- haps prevent the raising of more drone brood. I would like to have Novick answer one ques- tion through the Bez JoURNAL, and that is-—-Do light queens make better honey-gathering stocks than dark queens from the same parents ? Henry D. MINER. Washington Harbor, Wis. > A charlatan is an impostor who lives by the folly of those who are imposed upon. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Oct., [For the American Bee Journal.] Comments on Querist No. 7, On page 83, Vol. V., of your most valuable journal, Querist seems to be at variance with our position in an article on page 55, of the same volume, where we assumed, as we yet maintain, that ‘the first and highest Jaw of nature in insects is self-preservation in caring for offspring, &c. The honey bee seems to be endowed with this instinct for the purpose of preserving the brood in the hive.’? Querist asks—‘t Now, is this statement correct ? If the preservation of off- spring is the strongest instinct that governs the honey bee, then why does she remove unsealed larvee from the cells, to make room for a rich honey harvest? Mr. Otis, of Wisconsin, claims that the strongest instinct of the working bee is the love of storing honey. So it seems the position assumed by Mr. Seay, is at variance with that of Mr. Otis, and one or the other must of necessity be wrong.”’ As to being at variance with some eminent beeologist, we have not a doubt that it is so, but you know, Mr. Editor, great men will differ. I deny emphatically that the workers will destroy the unsealed larvee for the purpose of storing honey. I have never seen any evidence of it among my bees, and should be pleased if some correspondent Cf he thinks such is the case) would take the affirmative and give the evidence. To satisfy himself, that the first and highest law of nature in the honey bee isself- preservation and the perpetuation of the species, Querist need only have a fair open contest with a hive of bees. W hy do they sting ? For self-preservation and the defence or preservation of their colony (species). -Injure a single bee in the hive, and the whole cvlony is instantly exasperated. Cause the honey to run out without injury to-any of the bees, and the effect is somewhat different. Tear the comb containing sealed brood, and the bees are at once enraged. And for what purpose ? For self-preservation as a colony, in caring for the offspring. Why do they gather honey ? For self-preservation and perpetuation of the species. Is there nothing in all this_to demonstrate the fact that the first and highest law of nature in the honey bee is self-preservation and the per- petuation of the species ? If this principle did not pervade the universe, everything would be chaos and confusion. It enters into and becomes the fundamental princi- ple upon which the human family, the animal creation, and the vegetable kingdom have their existence. What causes the mother to care for her infant? It can be nothing lessthan this. If Querist were hemmed in some corner by an assassin Who sought to take his life, and he had power to save himself by killing his antagonist, would he not do it ? What causes the animal to care for its young, as the cow for her calf, or the sow for her pigs, or the birds for their unfledged young ? What causes the bee.to sting when the hive is improperly treated, or the smallest pis- mire to bite when its tenement is disturbed ? You may pass from the human family down through the entire animal creation to the smallest animalcu'e, and this (as it were) immutable principle pervades the whole series. Every once living thing that has become extinct as a species upon this earth, failed from some unknown cause, to comply with this grand fundamental principle—self-preservation and. perpetuation of species. Querist next says—‘ Again, is it not a fact that the self-preservation of the matured bees, is far stronger than the love of offspring ? Witness, for instance, the destruction of drones during a dearth in the honey harvest? I do not know whether I understand him here. When I say, honey harvest, 1 mean a time when there is plenty of honey to be found by the bees in flowers, honey dews, &c. Webster’s unabridged gives the meaning of dearth as ‘‘ scarcity, want, need, famine.’’ These two terms then stand in direct opposition to each other. A honey dearth within a honey harvest is an utter impossibility. It implies two distinct terms, not both existing at one time, as a man within a man, or a horse withina horse. Language seems here to have be- trayed Querist over to my side of the argument. It is true that the workers do destroy the unhatched drone brood in time of dearth. But why do they do it? Itisin st:ict obedience and conformity to this alleged first law of nature. Does Querist not know why his bees are. so slow about entering their honey boxes, for the purpose of building combs? It is simply this grand fundamental principlethat prompts. It is only because there are supernumerary bees in the hive that a portion of the workers leave the brood and enter the out-of-the-way receptacle. ~The temperature required to produce brood is 70° to 80° Fahrenheit ; and the amount of brood pro- duced is governed by the number of mature bees in the hive. If the greatest instinct in workers -be to gather honey, why do they not abandon the brood en masse, go into the honey boxes, and begin comb-breeding, when the grand flow of honey is to be found in the flowers? Because they would thereby doom the colony to inevi- table destruction. Why do not bees enter honey boxes of their own accord, without waiting to be coaxed (as is generally the case) by placing there- in small pieces of empty comb? Because their numbers will not permit them to leave the brood. And the same law of instinct, steps in and tells them that the brooding department must be run, whether combs are built and honey collected, or not. Why do they not build combs as readily in honey boxes above the combs containing brood, as they will in an open space below ? Because they can thus produce the required temperature of 70° to 80°, and the heat generated below will ascend through the brood coimbs-and bring about the same temperature above also (among the brood), thus accomplishing a double purpose, by virtue of the natural tendency of heat to ascend. Querist says—‘‘ Mr. Seay has much to say about brood chilling.’? This is true, and I have still more to say about it. It is this—it is brood just hatched, or not more than four days old, that is so easily chilled. This brood is very hard to see in the cells, and bee-keepers are not looking for it to be chilled ; but when it becomes so and is lost, without having been seen in that state by the inattentive observer, its destruction is not the ' within three miles. | were unusually abundant. , “was gone. f 1870.] THH AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 17 less attributable to that cause. Querist says’ ‘where he lives, ‘‘sealed brood is not very likely to become chilled during June and July—the “swarming months, and but few bees are necessary to keep it at the proper temperature to mature.”’ We do not know where Querist lives, but we do ‘know that in Iowa in the months of July and - August, on replacing our frames after handling ‘them for some time, when the temperature was _Tather low for those months, we have frequently designated the place in the combs where young brood existed, by piercing the combs in a circle around it, with short stems of timothy grass, and left them there for a day or two that I might be sure to find the exact place and cells again ; and, in many cases, on re-examination, I found no brood in those cells. I have repeatedly made | swarms in the Langstroth hive, and afterwards found that the brood, in what I call the first stage, J. W. Seay. Monroe, Lowa. [For the American Bee Journal.] Report of Apiary in 1870, THE Fretp. The farmers cultivate their fields for produce for the city. They are so frequently broken up that white clover has a poor oppor- tunity foranabundantcrop. But little buckwheat igsown. This season none of any consequence Fruit blossoms in the spring Tur Season. The early part of the season was favorable for gathering honey. The breed- ing apartment of the hives was well stored with brood and honey at the commencement of the white clover harvest. This harvest was, however, shortened by the drouth, and no honey was stored | in boxes after the middle of July; and in some cases honey was removed from boxes partly filled. NuMBER OF Coxontszs. I sct upon the stand in the spring twenty-three colonies. Of these, three were in old box hives which were broken up when they cast the first swarm, and the hives converted to kindling wood. One of the remain- ing twenty, from loss-of queen or other cause, failed entirely ; and a new swarm was introduced to occupy its place. This left nineteen of the old colonies, for giving swarms and surplus honey. SURPLUS HONEY IN BOXES. I find on adding up the product from my hives, they have given me one thousand and eighty (1,080) pounds of surplus. Perhaps in an ordinary field and poor season I should be content with this; but I think, With the experience of this season and some im- provements in my hives, I could do better tried Over again. : Of this 1,080 (or to be exact, 1,0803) pounds, five colonies give 6253 pounds, an average of 125 Ibs., and 742 lbs. more than half of the whole surplus. One of the five best gave one hundred and ninety-eight and a half (1983) pounds. I attribute this success of my best colonies to the following causes: 1. A full force of workers at the commence- ment of the season. To secure this, I fed them two or three pounds of syrup, when first placed upon the stand early in March. 2. This gave them from one to three weeks start of the others, in commencing work in the surplus boxes. 3. I think, further, one cause of such force of workers was a most prolific queen. Twelve boxes of six pounds capacity are now almost full of bees, though without honey or comb, except one or two. 4. But this great number of workers, and early filling the hives with bees, would not have given the surplus had they not been satisfied not to swarm. With the purpose to swarm and prepa- ration for it, they would have given an early swarm, followed by one, two, or three after- swarms probably; and the 198 lbs. of surplus have been placed in other hives in the shape of arrangements and stores for wintering one, two, or three new colonies of bees. In my experiments with bees, I have generally found a loss of two weeks time in preparation for swarming, in which little or no surplus honey is stored—the great body of the workers cluster- ing out in idleness. Or if boxes were furnished them and filled with bees, I have been disap- pointed on the swarm leaving the box empty of bees, to tind it entirely destitute of honey. Although my advanced age and_ infirmities moderate my ambition in the new business of bee- keeping, and so limit my experiments that I have never tried to increase my stock by artificial swarming, I have no doubt but the greatest suc- cess in the business can only be secured by the use of non-swarming hives and artificial swarm- ing. Overstocking the honey-field is, in my settled conviction, the great obstacle in the way of satisfactory success. This makes it necessary to have the entire control of the increase of colo- nies, to limit their number to the capacity of the field. I hope to do better another season, from knowledge gained by the experiments of the past. JASPER HAZEN. Albany, N.Y., Aug. 12, 1870. - [For the American Bee Journal.] Four-Banded Bees. Mr. Alley says, in the last number of the Jour- nal, that Mr. Briggs ‘‘ may bet a high figure that no worker bee in this country ever showed four bands.”? TI beg respectfully to differ from him, having a queen now in my possession which pro- duces bees that plainly show four bands, when filled with honey. I noticed this before seeing anything about four banded Italians, in any publication. It is true, that the Baroness Von Berlepsch wrote me early ‘in the spring that Dzierzon was selling such queens, but that was the only time that I had heard of them. The queen mentioned above was raised by me last season, and is not purely fer- lilized, as many of her bees show only one band. DanrEL M. WoRTHINGTON. St. Dennis, Md., Sept. 5, 1870. oes A bee-hive is a school of loyalty aud filial love. 78 [For the American Bee Journal. ] Novice. Dear BEE JournaL:—Just hear the good news,—our bees are again at work! Not, in- deed, at the rate of ten or fifteen pounds per day, as in June last; but they are really at work at this date, September 9th. We had been building some more ‘‘air cas- tles,’’ and had talked of another yield of honey in August and September. After waiting some time, and watching and weighing a hive without any increase, we at last began to perceive a gain in weight, first of half a pound, then a whole one, and yesterday a stock of Jtalians gained two pounds and a half, which was enough to make us toss up our hat and almost embrace the little yellow pets (with judicious gentleness; of course). A neighbor says the way we follow the bees across fields and through woods, and delve into the subject and remove obstructions, it is no wonder they get honey if it be on the face of the earth—and perhaps that is so. But, look here, my dear reader, did you under- stand us to say that our bees were building combs? Not at all; ‘‘nary’’? comb will they build, with a few exceptions, and certainly none in those old-fashioned traps called boxes. It is this way. Where there are empty combs right above the brood, they will fill them with honey; as, for instance, in the upper story of the Langstroth hive. But they seldom put any honey in combs very far to one side; and hives that are full, or nearly so, do not increase in weight at all. So you see it all depends on having plenty of empty combs. We really think afew more just now would be worth a dollar apiece to us. A little feeding given just right will induce comb building, but we think not so as to pay. The one stock that we weighed all through the Season has now given us three hundred and thirty (830) pounds; and had it not been for replacing their queen, they would have done much better. Their new queen is nearly a black one, and so, also, are her workers; and, by the ray, Mr, Editor, here lies a trouble. In slicing the heads off of all our drone brood this summer, we increased our yield of honey, which was all right. But we increased the yield also of new queens that produce black workers, or at least so nearly black that we have resolved to purchase twenty-five pure queens, to replace all that are not fully up to our ideas. It is true we might raise them, but at the prices at which they are now offered, we begin to think we had rather raise honey, and let some one who has more time or likes the bother bettét, raise queens. In making new swarms we have no trouble ; but in raising surplus queens to replace others, etc., we have not made it go to suit us. We have made some experiments in artificial fertilization this fall, but have not succeeded. Queen nurseries and hatching queens in cages have also been an ‘unsuccessful bother’? to us. We know we are but a poor novice, and should not expect to suc- ceed always, but it does seem as if queens that do not lay, are rather a risky property to meddle with. But there is one thing we do like, and find it THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. ‘[Ocr., areal pleasure, namely, to keep a reesrd. Thus, we found sixty-five stocks too many to remember ~ all about, so we got a blank book with 150 pages (bear in mind it is a good idea to have a few extra pages, even if you are sure you never will want to use them). No. 1 hive is on page 1, No. 2 on page 2, and so on to the end of the chapter. Each page tells when the queen of the hive it refers to was hatched, whether pure or not, pro- lific or not; if weighed, how much honey pro-’ duced; if queen to be replaced, how and when ; and, in short, all about the hive. Our hives, bees, and combs weigh about thirty pounds each, and before putting them into the house in November, we are going to make every one weigh over fifty pounds, and not more than fifty-five. Some might call twenty-five pounds — sealed honey (or nearly ¢ all sealed) not as well as more; but, as we winter them, we think more would be detrimental, and with us all the rest — goes into the melextractor. Were it not for that same mclextractor, we fear, or rather feel sure. we should not get any surplus honey at all now, In our Jast article it read that we had sold all our honey at thirty cents a pound, which was a mistake that crept in somewhere. The honey was sold for thirty cents per pound retail; but the commission, freight, leakage, cost of boxes, labor, etc., made quite.a hole in the thirty cents. . In regard to saleableness, we have just shipped the last of our three tons, and think that we could sell almost any quantity. As respects the source of the honey we get now, it is mainly from the same white-flowering plants sent you Jast fall, which are even thicker here this season than they were then. And, Mr. — Editor, we really think that the more bees there are kept, the more honey plants will grow; for every blossom is most surely fertilized, and the result must be more and better seed. : For the first four years that we kept bees, we never found the hives to gain in weight after the first of August; and then we had only from four or five to twenty stocks. Sixty-five colonies is certainly nothing like overstocking, and we have no fear that one hundred would be in any danger if well taken care of. . We have found our bees also working so briskly, on what we call fireweed and common golden rod, that we have labelled the honey from AUTUMN WILD FLOWERS. It is dark and thick, but has’a very pleasant flavor, something like humble-bee. honey, as we mentioned last fall, and Beet different from either elover or basswood honey. * We have had no buckwheat nearer than two and a half miles, and we followed the bees one morning all the way there, as our wild flowers were not then in blossom. We think we can- afford, next year, to give farmers within one- and a half miles of us, a dollar per acre to raise buckwheat. It is true it might prove a failure, but we are used to failures occasionally. Many thanks to Mr. Tillinghast, on page 63, and also to yourself, Mr. Editor. When we com- menced here with bees, our locality certainly was called poor. Bees had-ceased to pay, and were dying out; and had we not been so much — ’ ’ t } ; ter to have said, tn his opinion. 1870.] discouraged by what bee-keepers told us, we should probably have commenced sooner. One 'man purchased a hundred stocks, but utterly played out the first year. Black bees are now increasing around us at quite a brisk rate; but that is about all they do. Mr. Tillinghast says that amount of honey (5,000), in the time, in his locality, ‘‘is simply impossible.’”’ We think he would have done bet- We poor mor- tals very often have a very imperfect idea of what is possible. After the account was given in our county paper, that our bees were bringing in two hundred pounds of honey per day, and that one stock alone gathered forty-three pounds in three days, it was pronounced utterly impossi- ble; and that if those who told it would consider, 4 } : | | . more than a load then ! they would see that tt could notbe! And we were obliged to invite them publicly to come down ~ and sit by one of our hives all day, weighing it at intervals, if nothing else would convince them, before they were still. Counting the number of flower heads that a bee visits is a new idea to us; but we cannot think our bees visit more than a dozen certainly. One day in June, when we examined the red clover, we should think a bee would get a fair load from a single blossom; and many of them were working in the red clover at the time. The number stated seems as though the printer had made a mistake with the figures. Nearly ten blossoms in a minute for a whole hour, and not We agree that must be poor pasturage. Nearly every year sithce we have kept bees has been called, by more or less unsuccessful ones, the “ poorest ’’ season ever known ; yet, so far as honey is concerned, all we ask is—more just like them. The only plant we have ever cultivated for bees is the Alsike clover, of which we have about half an acre, sown last spring on the snow, and which has bloomed quite profusely for the last six weeks, but is now nearly gone. We think our bees kept at least one sentinel to the square foot of it, to watch for the honey as it collected. We had a visitor the other day (in fact, we have visitors by the score, and we are ashamed to say, to our sorrow sometimes). Well, this one for a while did not think proper to inform us whether he kept bees on the ‘‘ brimstone plan”? and came to convince us it was the best way, or whether he was the Editor of the Bex JouRNAL himself (of the latter we were very sure, as we think we should know him anywhere); but even- ' tually he taught us some things, and we hope he learned some things from us. His visit did not last quite twenty-four hours, but he really made us feel quite lonely, for more than that length of time after he was gone. One simple thing, that Gallup has often said before, but we did not be- lieve it, our visitor convinced us of—namely, that rotten wood is ahead of all tobacco, rags, or any- thing else, for subduing bees, especially hybrids, wo will sometimes ‘‘ fight till death’’ when to- bacco is used, but ~would turn around and go _ down between the frames ‘‘ without ever a word”? under the influence of rotten wood smoke. But don’t do as we did next day after he left us, | THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 79 and drop fire into the saw-dust. We burnt upa heavy two-story Langstroth of Italians before we discovered the muss, and the stream of melted wax and smoking honey that ran out in lava-like channels was a warning to all Novices. And then we had some robbing at our house. We got about half a dozen frames of empty comb hastily put in a new hive, and removed the burnt one, and got the bees to bringing in the honey that had run out (they wouldn’t eat melted wax); but before they had got it all done, there arose an ‘‘ onpleasantness ’’ as to ownership that finally mixed itself into a grand jubilee, in spite of Novice. The burnt hive is patched up, and the combs and bees are back into it, minus their queen, ab ut forty pounds of honey, and ten frames of comb of such evenness and beauty, that some one (who wanted to pick a fuss) said we thought more of them than of our wife and fam- iy: Our visitor aforementioned says he has never written but one article on bees, and we think that so richly deserves a place in the Journal that we mail it to you. And now, Mr. Editor, we would say before closing, that in our humble opinion, the results we have achieved this year, are no nearer what may be done in scientific bee-culture, than the old brimstone way is to our present method, and humbly beg to be still considered a y NOVICE. Peep] {For the American Bee Journal. ] Bec-Culture in Cities. Mr. Epitor :—According to promise I will try to answer the queries so often put in the JOURNAL :—‘‘Are bees profitable ?’? and ‘' Can bees be kept in cities ?”’ I have kept bees for the last three years on the roof of a two-story house in the city of Cincin- nati, having kept bees before, when living on a farm.’ We did then about as well with them, as our neighbors did who also kept bees; but we were without the aid of the Bez JouRNAL, and kept our bees in common box hives—hence our doings could hardly be called bee-keeping. Three years ago we took to the city the last hive which the moths had left us, built a plat- form on the roof of the house, and placed the hive thereon. It threw off a swarm in June following, and gave us some honey. In the fall I introduced an Italian queen in each colony. Two years ago I subscribed for the AMERICAN Bree JOURNAL, and transferred my bees into Langstroth hives. A year ago last spring I en- tered on the campaign with five colonies of bees —the two Italians in Langstroth hives, and three in Townley hives, having bought the latter. They produced during the season nearly five hundred pounds of honey, all in small frames weighing from one pound to one and a half pounds each; and the fall found me in posses- sion of fifteen strong stands of bees, most of them Italians. On the fourth of June, 1869, I hived two second swarms, clustered together, from two of the Townley hives. After giving them an Italian queen and a full set of empty 80 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [Oct., combs, they produced for me 138 lbs. of honey, the same season. Last spring I had a first-rate honey slinger made by a brother bee-keeper in this city, and commenced the season with twenty colonies — fourteen of which were Italians or hybrid. As the bees commenced storing honey very early, my expectations were quite flattering, though I did not obtain as much honey as I anticipated. Several mistakes which I happened to make, account for this, in part; but my honey-harvest is respectable still. Here is a statement of it: 384 lbs. of honey in frames. 1,350 ‘* machine strained honey. 23 ‘¢ beeswax. As beeswax sells at the same price here that honcy does, we may count it with the rest, and thus we have 1,757 Ibs. as the product of twenty hives of bees in the city of Cincinnati. This certainly speaks well for our Italian bees, and for bee-keeping in a large city. My black bees have done well, but I think my Italians have given me nearly twice as much honey. Every one of my twenty colonies is now strong. I was induced last month to make four more swarms, by taking from each hive about two frames with brood, honey, and adhering bees, and giving an Italian queen to each swarm. I have thus twenty-four Italian stands of bees, in a No. 1 condition. Last year I wintered my bees on their summer stands, by leaving the honey board in its proper place and covering it with about half a dozen coffee bags or pieces of old carpet. I placed a smooth bag next to the board, to cover well the openings. This plan did very well. I did not lose a single colony, and intend to winter them the same way this year. In the earlier part of the winter I lost a great many bees, for the reason that I had neglected to cut winter pas- sages through the combs. This having been done afterward, on the first mild day we had, my bees then got along first-rate.. Before this was done, I sometimes found hundreds of becs dead in the cells on the outside of combs which sepa- rated them from the cluster—showing clearly the necessity of winter passages. Most of those parts of combs had already a putrid smell, and I thought it best to cut them out. I have seen it stated several times that bees get irritated by tobacco smoke, and are more apt to sting for several days afterwards. This may be true of the black bees. They will bother me sometimes, in spite of my cigar. But I think those assertions are only made by non-smokers. All I want is a cigar, and I will open every one of my hives, take out every frame, and replace it every day for a week successively, without find- ing my bees any more angry at the end than they were at the beginning. I learned how to opena hive from Mr. Gallup, through one of the numbers of our BEE JouR- NAL. I hardly blow any smoke at the bees, but over them; and I keep my cigar in the mouth, while Mr. Gallup keeps his pan with sawdust by his side, until the proper time arrives for the application of a little smoke. I think there are no more peaceable hives than mine in the country. Now, Mr. Editor, 1 do not want to exhaust your patience, and wish you to make use of this, or of such portions only, as you may think proper. CHARLES F. Mur. Cincinnati, Ohio, August 16, 1870. ee [For the American Bee Journal. } The Looking Glass Again. On page 67 of the last number of the BEE JOURNAL, [gnoramus criticisesmy article on paze 34 in regard to the looking glass, and says the glass has been tried three times this year to bis knowledge, and three swarms of bees secured. But he gives us the particulars in only one case, and then guesses at my reply, which is perhaps correct ; or the swarm may have had two or more young queens, and a small portion with one queen settled on one tree, while two or more queens with the larger portion ofthe swarm settled on another. After a few minutes, all these latter queens may have been simultaneously killed, and then the bees went to the other tree and joined the small portion with the one queen. As to the bees coming down to the ground, that is often the case. When a swarm issues, the bees are so full of honey that it is difficult for them to fly, and’ they often light to rest. I have often had swarms to settle in three or four places, though they had but one queen, remain for ten or fifteen minutes, and then all join the cluster with the queen. Just so with the old woman’s bees. They may have just been in the act of going to join the cluster with the queen, when she Saw them. Tgnoramus also tells us how to secure swarms with a knot. Well, sir, I have never tried the knot, but I have tried the mulleim tops tied ina bunch and attached to a pole, &c., and also a piece of old black comb attached to the under side of an inverted bottom board swung toa pole, with cord and pulley, to raise and lower, as the bees would rise or fall. But after trying both for a whole season, when I had more than a hundred swarms to issue without a bee lighting on either, I gave it upasa failure. Ithink it likely his knot | theory will answer very well in a prairie country, or any place where there is nothing for the bees to light on. But where they are surrounded with as many shady fruit trees as mine are, they will mostly select a leafy branch to scttle on. When Tallowed my bees to swarm naturally, I had two- thirds of the swarms, or more, to settle on the under side of my grape arbor; which preves that they prefer a cool shady place to a bare pole with a knot on it. Tgnoramus says I remind him of an old Dutch. lady, &c. Well, sir, Iam like the Dutch in one respect ; that is, I am in favor of progress; but I am not like the old Dutch lady you refer to, for I was persuaded by your suggestion to look again into the glass and well. Yesterday was a clear, bright sunshiny day. I took a glass some fifteen inches square, and just as Ignoramus said, I saw different from what I did on the other oc- casion. I saw the water in the well and my own pretty face in the glass—nothing more. I am now ready to try any other experiment that Ignoramus may suggest; but my opinion is, the better plan _— 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEEK JOURNAL. 81 will be to throw aside the glass and make artifi- | under the limb they had swarmed on. It then cial swarms. Then there is no danger of any going off, besides being the fastest way of increas- ing bees, when the operator understands the prin- ciple Well. But had I been wholly like the Dutch lady, I should never have succeeded in making artificial swarms. In my first efforts, I ruined dozens of swarms before I succeeded. lam aware there is much yet to learn about bees, and my motto is to try and try again. So come along, Mr. Ignoranius, with your sugges- tions. If you do not teach me anything, you _ perhaps instruct somebody else, as there are many \ new beginners that read the Journal; and the Journal is the place to receive and impart bee knowledge. H. Nesstit. Cynthiana, Ky., Sept. 6, 1870. a [For the American Bee Journal.] Great Number of Queen Cells and Queens Secured from One Hive. Mr. Eprror :—In volume 2, number 9, of the American Bee Journal, Mr. A. Grimm gives a case, under the above caption, of forty-three queen cells on one frame of comb. I have had two similar cases this season. The first one had twenty-eight cells on one frame; the other had forty-seven cells on one, and five on an adjoining frame—making fifty-two cells at one time, in one hive. ; Early in the spring I experienced the greatest difficulty in getting my bees to start queen cells in full stocks. Having an extra choice queen, which J intended to raise from exclusively for the present; and not being willing to risk the loss of her in moving her from one stock to an- other, I adopted a different course. (By the way, I always start queen cells in full stocks— never in small nuclei.) I removed the hybrid queens from three strong stocks in succession, and in five days after their removal, I cut all the cells then started, and gave each stand a frame of brood and eggs from the choice stock. On opening those stands a few days after, to see what number of queen eells they had started, I was doomed to disappointment. The first one had only three cells, and two of these were built too close together to be separated. The other two stands did very little better. Getting tired of this slow process, J removed the queen from another strong hybrid stock; then exchanged the whole of the brood combs with the choice stock, brushing off the bees into their own hive. In this way I got some sixteen cells. On the 6th of June two very large swarms got together. I divided and equalised them, and thinking each had a queen, I left them and went to other work. One of the queen’s wings being cropped, I had put her on the cluster before the other swarm issued—the two stands sat about a rod apart. About an hour after this one of the stands became restless, the bees flying out and in, but neither going back to the old stand, nor to the one I had just separated them from; nor settling, either, except on the tops of the weeds and grass, two rods below the two stands, and occurred to me that the cropped queen might have dopped in the grass, and I started to look for her. But what a sight presented itself to my eyes—a great, big, long snake! No, not asnake, but a bee procession, a rod long and from three to five inches wide, travelling on foot, through the grass and weeds, to the nearest stand, headed by her majesty—who just entered the hive before I could seize and secure her. This was the stand from which I had just separated them an hour before. I then had my work to do over again, which I did in a few minutes, but got both queens in one hive, though I did not then know it. I had watched. closely, and saw only one queen enter. By this time other swarms claimed my attention, so that I hastily took a frame of brood from another stand, and gave it to the one I was not certain had a queen—intending to give them one as soon as [ascertained it needed one. They went to work, as though all was right; and I paid no more attention to them till the second day after, when I opened the hive to examine. I found they were building straight and nice worker comb. [did not then raise the frame of brood, as the nice worker comb satisfied me that they had a queen; that is, according to the au- thority of book authors and others, that bees will never build worker comb without the pres- ence of a queen. But here is an exception; and I have in my practice come across many excep- tions to general rules, where bees are concerned. On the 19th this stand swarmed, and taking ad- vantage of my dislike to work on Sundays, went to parts unknown, though I saw them go. I was then engaged in hiving four others, and they refused to await their turn to be waited on. Next morning early, I raised the brood comb al- ready mentioned, and secured seventeen fine queens. counting twenty-eight perfect cells in all! The hive was about filled with comb, but only about one-third was drone comb—the rest being worker comb. Nothing ever puzzled me more than this case. I cannot account for it without going counter to the established rules, that bees without a queen will build drone comb exclusively. But, as I said above, this swarm was extra large, and having a frame of brood given them at the start, may have taken a notion to divide again, and so built worker comb while raising the queen cells. Or, will some one say the old queen was present. Well, if she was, why did the bees build about one-third drone comb? Will some one give us a similar case —such as a newly hived large swarm starting queen cells at once, while they have a queen. I am almost positively certain that they had no queen; yet there is much about the case that bothers or puzzles me. A good job for Gallup! On the 27th of July, I removed a queen from a strong nucleus, to send her off. The nucleus hive was 12x12x18 inches, with three frames and partition board. It had been started with two frames, but an empty frame was afterward in- serted in the middle, to give the bees more room to work. This frame they had filled out to within two inches of the bottom. I had dis- turbed the nucleus a few days before, to stimu- late the queen to lay before removing her. In six days after her removal, on opening the 82 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [Oct., nucleus, I found and counted forty-seven perfect cells, but saw none on either of the other frames ; yet, while removing the cells on the 10th day, I found five more on one of the adjoining frames —making fifty-two (52) in all! In conclusion, let me add that this has been Lu> a poor season here, I will get only about 500 pounds of honey, to Novice’s 5,000. Hope he has filled his cistern by this time. But here I must close, as J have already wearied the patience of your readers. R. M. Argo. Lowell, Ky., Aug. 12, 1870. Pos [For the American Bee Journal.] Bees in Iowa. When the spring opened, it found me well prepared with very large colonies; but while they seemed to be doing all they could and working hard all the time, they used up all their stores, and I had to give the larger ones honey in the comb stored last year. Then while the fruit trees bloomed profusely, and when white clover had been in blossom a month, my bees had not capped—even in the largest colonies— a pound of honey, much less built any comb. Otherwise they did well. In the winter I had thirty-five stocks. In January I smothered one, and in April three proved queenless, and two others were robbed ; thus leaving me with twenty-nine. Since then I killed a drone layer, and in another hive the queen died and the bees had mostly gone up be- fore I discovered their loss. I gave them queen cells, and as they hatched out a week ago, to- morrow I shall examine all my new swarms and see if any failed to secure a fertile queen or lost theirs. Thus you see 1 was reduced virtually to only twenty-seven stocks. Now, I have thirty- eight, and, with the exception of one, all are very populous. As we have not had any rain here this spring, except one or two slight sprinklings, we are now threatened with drouth. Heavy dews and a clouded sky have saved us so far, but have kept the bees from flying a great deal. I shall not increase my stock any more till it rains, or honey becomes plenty again. From the hive that I have raising queen cells, I secured fifty in three weeks. On the 11th of this month (June) I received an Italian queen from Mr. Charles Dadant. I was disappointed when I first saw her, as I had formed the opinion that the Italians were a larger bee than the blacks ; yet there is not a worker in my hives that is not larger than those that came with the queen, and I am positive that I have black queens that are almost three times as heavy or large as the Italian queen I received. But the Italian is quicker than light- ning and the workers are on guard the first in the morning and the last at night. I introduced her to the colony raising queen cells last Mon- day morning, giving the black queen to a queen- less colony. I examined the hive containing the Italian this morning, and find that the swarming impulse is still on them, though the introduced queen is of this year’s raising, as Mr. Dadant says, ‘‘she was born this year, 1870.”’> On examination, I found twenty-five queen cells in the hive, ready for the egg, if the evgs are not already in them. It was too early and still too dark, being ‘* before sun riseé,’’ for me to make out if any eggs were laid in the cells. When I removed the black queen, I destroyed even the old queen cell foundations, so you see my mode is not theory but fact. As fast as the queen cells are capped, I shall re- move a black queen from a colony and give it two queen cells, to make sure of one, till all have been changed to Italians. Next year, when I shall have none but Italian drones, I will easily secure pure Italian stock. J. M. Price. Buffalo Grove, Iowa, June 20. erm [For the American Bee Journal.] The Honey Season in Jasper County, Iowa, Mr. Eprror :—This has been a somewhat poor honey season in this locality, owing to the dry weather. The month of March was pleasant and warm for the season. At the close of the month there was brood in the combs in most colonies. April was less favorable. The month was cold, and at its close there was less brood in many colonies, than there was at its commencement. May was warmer again, and the bees commenced gathering pollen early in the month. Breeding was extensively resumed, and towards the last of the month, the bees stored some honey. Most of the hives were strong and apparently in good condition to be divided; yet a division at this time, or in fact at any time during the season, would have proved injurious to many, if not en- tirely ruinous to some of the divided colonies. Honey gathering ceased with the failure of the fruit blossoms. No more honey was gathered until the last of June. Through the middle of that nionth most stocks were nearly destitute of honey, and the drones in most colonies were killed off. The slaughter was ‘pretty general. About the last of June the bees commenced gathering honey again, and for nearly three weeks it was stored quite freely. Towards the end of July the honey harvest ceased, and from that time till within the last few days bees gath- ered no honey. As a whole, the season has been a poor one. Very few stocks swarmed—especially of natives. The Italians have done better, those at least that were vightly managed. In the spring I placed twenty-eight (28) colonies on their stands, all of which had been wintered in a dark cellar. These I have doubled by artificial swarming, except three natural ones. I drew and started up twenty-five (25) nuclei, for queen raising purposes, and kept them up. This I have done, while my neighbors did not get either swarms or honey; yet Ido not think I have any colonies but what will be in good con- dition for wintering, at the close of the season. Enclosed please find four dollars, for which send two copies of your valuable Journal, ad- dressed as below. Success tothe Journal Monroe, Iowa. J.. W. SEAY res 1870.] [For the American Bee Journal.] Introduction. of Unimpregnated Queens. That the introduction of unfecundated queens should be so often spoken of, and that too by some of our experienced bee-keepers, as a matter of much difficulty, is a question to me almost in- comprehensible. In the hands of the inexperi- enced, or of those ignorant of the first principles of success, a few failures ought not to be won- dered at. But for those having a knowledge of the prerequisites for the acceptance of a stranger queen by a colony of bees, to talk of the safe in- troduction of unimpregnated queens, as an act of uncertainty, induces me to believe that they have either not experimented at all on this part of practical bee-culture, or else did so to little profit. If it be true, as has been asserted time and again in the BEE JouRNAL, that the only means the bees have of recognizing strangers, is by the sense of smell, it stands to reason that, if a stran- ger queen be confined in a hive long enough to acquire the scent of the hive, the bees will imme- diately accept her as their own, especially if they have no young queens in process of rearing. Acting upon this principle the past summer, I confined my young queens in small wire cages, and inserted them as near as I could in the centre of the hive; at the same time taking the precau- tion to provide them with food during their con- finement. The result was that out of a goodly number of unimpregnated queens, introduced in swarming time, not one was lost. We have also succeeded admirably in introducing them, by scent- ing both queen and bees with some liquid having a peculiar scent. By either method, we regard the safe introduction of a queen bee, whether fertile or not, as a matter of certainty : where the queens themselves are kept from starving by proper feeding. We permitted natural swarming to some exteut this summer, in order to get hardy and prolific gueens. As we will break up a number-of after- swarms this fall, which were unfortunate in com- ing late, we shall be able to furnish some who prefer tested queens to all others, with a number of finely colored queens raised in natural swarms, cheap tor cash. J. L. McLean. Richmond, Jeff. Co., Ohio. [For the American Bee Journal.] Introducing Queens. As an introducer of queens I have not been a'ways successful. In several cases, after two or three days caging, the queen has been ac- cepted all right, and within twenty-four hours rejected. I watched one of these cases, in which the queen, when liberated from the cage, was caressed by the bees, until by and by one of a different mind (and of a different body, too; for I have noticed the first to attack a queen are the small-bodied fellows) assailed her, and very shortly was joined by others, until a mass im- prisoned her. TOH AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 83 With Mrs. Tupper’s favorite method I have sometimes succeeded, and sometimes failed ; but then the fault may have been all my own. [ have half drowned bees, queen and all, with di- luted honey strongly scented with peppermint, and had the pleasure of seeing the drunken fools fondle her as if they had always known her; and then some one of the number, not fully sat- urated, would attack her. Latterly, I have taken a different plan, and one which, according to all the authorities ought uniformly to fail; but which, so far, has uni- formly succeeded here. It is simply this: Wait until the bees have started queen cells. Then, without any preparation whatever, put any queen, fertile or unfertile, directly on the comb, among the bees. That is all. It may be that I shall fail the very next time ; but, until I do fail, I shall continue to practice this plan. I give it to the Journal, in hopes that some one else, having a queen or queens of no value, will give it a trial. I have not tried itlong enough to consider it a settled thing; but shall report to the Journal the first case of failure. Let me relate a case of success : August Ist, I put into an empty hive, No. 15, one frame containing some honey and a very few cells of sealed brood. I put into this hive a young queen that had just commenced laying, and set the hive in place of one containing a strong colony. Of course the empty hive re- ceived all the flying force of the strong colony. On the next day they had destroyed the queen. I then took a queen two or three years old, cov- ered her with honey completely, and dropped her on the frames. She was received all right. Next day, August 8d, I killed this queen and introduced a young one in exactly the same manner. She was promptly imprisoned, and I released and caged her. August 5th, this queen having been caged two days, is still refused. August 6th, she is caressed by some of the bees, but others imprison her. I then gave her to a full colony, No. 1, which was queenless and had queen cells started, some of which were sealed. Placing her directly on the comb, without cag- ing, she was kindly received and soon com- menced laying. I then took from No. 1, the frame with queen cells, and gave it to No, 15. Three days later, August 9th, I gave to No. 16, an unfertile queen three days old, placing her directly on the comb. On the same day I gave another full colony, having queen cells only a day or two old, an unfertile queen three days old. Being out of the State I did not see them again till August 22d, when I found both queens laying. C. C. MILLER. Marengo, Iil., Aug. 80, 1870. os The smell of their own poison produces a very irritating effect upon bees. A small por- tion offered to them on a stick, will excite their anger. os After a swarm of bees is once lodged in their new hive, they ought by all means be allowed to carry on their operations, for some time, with- out interruption. 84 [For the American Bee Journal.] Bee-culture, Honey Products, Honey Markets, &c. Mr. Eprror :—I herewith send youtwo dollars as a further fee of incorporation in the bee family. I have profited well by it this year. I was absent on a tour in Europe last spring. On my return I found my bees in poor condition. Two colonies had died from dysentery or the warmth of the bee cellar ; and of the remaining sixteen stocks, two were very weak, with some others in prime order. I had but two Italian stocks left. As far as my experience goes, I must give three cheers for the Italians. The earliest natural swarm [I got here from blacks was on the 17th of June. This year my first Italian swarm came off on the 18th of May. The parent stock was a good one, though I cannot set it down as my best in number of bees. I had black colonies that were more popu- lous. As for this Italian, it yielded me fourteen natural swarms, four of which left for the woods and the remaining ten are in extra condition for wintering. The parent hive and the first swarm are the heaviest stocks in my apiary. I shall Italianize all my colonies this fall. No man will ever persuade me that black bees are as good. I shall always consider such men as jealous or prejudiced. The advantages derived from Italian bees are well worth paying for—their early swarming and their rapid breeding are sufficient compensation. The color of the queen, too, isa great advantage when looking for her in the crowd on the comb, and her superior fertility is an unquestionable fact. The fourth swarm came offin May. It was small; but as it had a beauti- ful Italian queen, I put it ina box hive, and to- day it has nearly filled a twenty pound box. The season from the beginning of May to the middle of July was very good. My hives were so full of honey that no empty cells were to be seen. I have brought up the number of my colonies to forty-five, and four swarms left for the woods; and thus far I have sold seven hundred (700) pounds of honey. According to the Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture, there are between 70,000 and 100,000 bee-keepers in this country. If so, the number who subscribe for the BEE JoURNAL is comparatively small. Why is this so? Accord- ing to my observation and experience there are two reasons. First, because the population: of this republic is largely composed of emigrants from all nations, and although they and their im- mediate descendants may speak and understand English, yet they are not able to read or write it readily. Every one sticks: more or less to his native language, and prefers reading newspapers printed in that language, because he understands it best. The second reason or cause is jealousy. Tt is a fact well known to every bee-keeper away from large cities, that the sale of honey is very slow in small cities and towns; and it is often impossible to sell at a remunerating price. Thus, for instance, Green Bay is a city of 8,000 inhabi- tants; yet one bee-keeper with 100 hives can fully supply the annual market of that city-in a good year. It is of vastly more importance to write on this subject and induce an extension of THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [OcT., the market demand for honey, than to teach fertilization by one or more drones. Bee keeping is now very profitable—more so than is acknowl- edged in print; but men have a disposition to keep the thing to themselves. It is very often the case that a bee-keeper instructs his neighbors in the art of managing bees successfully and profit- ably, and as soon as these are well posted in the business, they become a source of annoyance, contempt, and jealousy to their instructors. This makes it the more necessary to make more ex- tensively known the best honey markets that are now to be found, and any additional outlets and uses for honey that may be opened or devised. In France enormous quantities of honey are used in the fabrication of honey bread, called pain d’eptce. I wish our friend C. Dadant would give us a receipt how to make the best kind. This might become an American institution as well as a French one. The reputation of this delicacy is world-wide, as well as that of the French wines so much liked here. Vinegar also is said to be of superior quality, when made in a perfect way from honey. I should be glad to obtain some re- liable information as to the dest kind of it. Much honey is spoiled, as many other things are also, by using it when not properly prepared. Let us have the true results of experience. Another matter, not less important, is the preparation of good mead. A bottle of good mead is equal to the best wine ; women in confinement use it in preference to wine, and with far more benefit. I think mead can be made as cheap as, or cheaper than whiskey. Good fermented mead ought to be sold in all wine stores for medicinal purposes and other uses. It is used in Belgium extensively as a summer drink. BEE HOUSE. I am going to build mea bee house of cedar. logs, twenty feet by sixteen inside, stuffed with one foot of saw-dust ; and I wish to know how I can give the greatest amount of ventilation in winter, without light. I want the largest amount of ventilation, combined with the largest amount of darkness ; and desire to know where and how to place the ventilators, and of what material these should be made—whether of wood, iron, or lead? If possible, let us have a sketch or side view. Did I not fear that Novick was drowned in honey, I would ask him to have the kindness to furnish the information according to his ex- perience. Perhaps we should send in contribu- tions to the editor to offer a premium for a design for the best bee-wintering house, to contain a hundred hivesas described above. Bee-wintering is one of the most important points in bee-culture now, and bee-keepers could well afford to con- tribute towards procuring the best plan ofa house. Now, dear editor, although a passenger in the sleeping car, lam for progress. Thirteen swarms from one—say one brought up to fourteen, is a true American fact. If I had set the fourteen in four hives, with ample space for boxes, it would have been a pity for my blacks to compare results. I drummed out my old hive and first swarm, and cut three pails of honey out of them. Then I returned the bees, and the gaps are again nearly closed. I wish now to say 1370.] SOMETHING ON HIVES. Last year I made me three Price hives accora- ing to Vol. IV., page 87. On inspecting my hives, after the bees had been put in, I found in the first one all its frames lodged on one side. To obviate this, I drove small tack-nails on top sidewards, to hold the frames at proper dis- tance apart ; but this does not do. In lifting out the frames I slightly damaged brood and honey. The second hive was in order, but the combs very uneven. The third had its combs straight every time, impossible to be otherwise down to the middle ; but from the middle corners down to the lower corner they were fastened together and all gone astray. Further, the crushing of bees by the honey-board annoyed me much. They are so very heavy and troublesome to han- dle, that I have broken up the whole concern. Now, I have constructed a hive on the Gallup pattern, say one foot square, and use twelve frames in it. This is what I like. My combs are as straight as a piece of board, and very easy to handle. I shall stick to it. But, dear editor, I fear I have infringed on some one’s patent, and I do not like others to do the thinking, and my- ‘self to reap the harvest—which is about as crimi- nal as stealing another man’s brains. The ques- tion is: whom have I to pay? My frames are ‘made thus: They hang on a rabbet, suspended by half an inch of iron wire, the thickness of an ordinary lead pencil. They are very easy to take out, and are never gummed fast. Now, do you not think I have infringed the Langstroth principle? If so, please inform me. My frames are three- quarters of an inch thick, and are very strong. I have had much trouble with frames as com- monly made, when filled with honey. They are then too weak. Finally, I have constructed A HONEY MACHINE according to Mr. Hubbard’s description. I had not the slightest trouble in making it. My can of zinc, eighteen inches in diameter and twenty inches high ; cost three dollars. The iron wire cost one dollar, but I had more than enough. The whole cost was less than five dollars. I used the crank of a fanning-mill, to see what effect it would have, but found it too long. I was compelled to turn it with a peg half way down, which is just the thing. I can turn it as rapidly as wanted—so rapid, indeed, that the larvee would be thrown out. I shall use no gear- ing. I found the machine all that could be desired, and only regret that I had it not in June. The queens might have produced some THE AMERICAN BEEK JOURNAL. » 85 thousands of pets more, if empty cells had been provided for them. Now, something about STRONG STOCKS. _ Novice says if we are well-rooted anywhere it is in strong stocks. This, I find, isa very indefi- nite saying. I wish some one would give me a clear idea of what is meant by the expression strong stocks. Is it a large, prime swarm, or a first and a second swarm united, or any swarm well wintered and built up by spring feeding on Gallup’s system ? Ah, indeed, N. Woodworth, of Rochester, Wisconsin, on page 47, Vol. VI., has thrown a skunk in the face of the bee family. A skunk cannot stink more than that statement. Surely, he designs to see what effect it will have. Well, the best way is to let the skunk alone. The meanest bee-gum bee-keeper who manages to winter his bees so that they do not all die, has to acknowledge that bee-keeping pays; how much more can one accomplish who knows how to employ skilfully scientific means and methods ? JOSEPH DUFFELER. Rousseau, Wis., August 26. > [For the American Bee Journal.] Queen-Breeding for Improvement of Race. Mr. Eprror:—In the September number of your excellent Journal, page 58, Mr. Alley accuses the writer of ‘‘pitching into him.’’ But I find he can still hold up his head and ‘‘ pitch ”’ back, as well as raise cheap queens; so he is not badly wounded. But, to be serious, I most sin- cerely regret that any sentence in my article, in the August number, was so worded that it was thought to be personal. It has been a favorite project with me to see the honey bee improved to its highest possible extent. And even Mr. Alley concedes the principle for which I contend. For, says he, ‘‘I pay the highest prices for my breeding queens, and now have queens of my own raising that I would not sell for fifty dollars.”’ This is a higher price than I proposed for such queens, five or six times over. He says he will take my whole lot at my figures, if I have such queens asI describe. 1 would not like to spare them, Mr. Alley, for I value them as highly as you do your best queens ! I do not doubt that every man who gets a queen from Mr. Alley, or from any other man who sends the genuine breed, gets the worth of his money; but what I did mean to say, was, that if a man wishes to get the highest grade of Italians, let him get one that has been raised from the best selected stock, under the eye of an ex- perienced apiarian, and thoroughly tested before she is used asa breeder. Then the buyer will know what he is getting, and would find his purchase cheap at twenty dollars—rather than one that was untested and raised at haphazard, at two dollars and a half. , I repeat—Let the Queen-Raising Brotherhood unite tostate these facts fairly and squarely before the world; and let men who believe in sharp practice keep such things out of sight. I, too, if ever I go into the business again, will 86 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Oct., sell queens at $2.50, sending them out as soon as they begin to lay eggs, to any number ordered, guaranteeing that all the workers shall show three yellow bands, when filled with honey. But, if tested and guaranteed as breeders, I would ask ten dollars each. If I was going to commence Italianizing an apiary, I would send to some re- sponsible man, such as Langstroth, Colvin, Quinby, Gallup, Mrs. Tupper, or Mr. Alley ; and in the room of sending $2.50, I would say, “‘ fix your own price, but send me the best queen you can select !’? for I would rather have such a one than four of average untested queens. And putting the seller upon his honor, Ithink Ishould get the dest, where all were good. Others may differ from me in opinion, yet I have given the public my views honestly. Mr. George C. Silsby has my thanks for his courteous criticism of my article. Mr. J. E. Pond likewise, though he misapprehends my intention to attack any one but sharpers, who sell for pure Italians what no one, qualified to judge, would call even a good hybrid. I know nothing of Mr. Alley only through his advertisement, and of course knew nothing of the quality of his bees. But while I know nothing of him, I do know men who sent to where it was most convenient and cheapest, and straightway they became queen-breeders, and supplied the country round, in turn, with genuine queens. It would take an expert often; to detect a particle of Italian breed in many such colonies that I know of. In such cases, often, the queen-breeder himself did not know that he was selling a spurious article. I may have been foolish, but I aid send to Italy for stock that cost me twenty dollars each, when I could have procured stock from Mr Langstroth for five dollars each. The same year I procured a queen from Mr. Colvin for fifteen dollars, tested, in preference; and the very next year I sent fifteen dollars to Mr. Lang- stroth, for a tested and superior queen, when he would have sold me an untested one for half the money. I think still that the money was well invested. Two years ago I left the personal supervision of queen raising, and a gentleman by the name of J. L. Strong is now conducting the same apiary, at Mount Pieasant, Iowa. He has not been able to supply all his orders this season. My articles were dated from that place; but my residence is at Ottumwa, Iowa, where I am try- ing to fill the place of pastor of one of the Metho- dist Episcopal Churches of that city. I have raised just four queens this season, one of which was a hybrid, * These I have used in making new swarms. I have five colonies here, which still interest me greatly, although there are not many dollars and cents, as income, in the enter- prise, and I take all the profits in honey for my table. So you see I am not a very formidable rival in the trade. ; But, in common with the brotherhood, ‘‘ bee on the brain,’’ is a chronic complaint with me, and I never shall recover from it; and every man who talks bees, or writes bees, or raises queen bees for $2.50, orany other price, has traits that make me regard him as a brother. And if I write an occasional article, don’t think I am ‘pitching into ’’ some one, or writing to ‘* show off.’’ Then, further, if you find my articles only half as in- teresting to you, as yours are to me, I shall be . content. In the meantime let us raise no false expectations; but so write that we can put in the hands of the cottager, occupying a few square roods, the means of keeping, in an intelligent manner, from twenty to one hundred colonies that shall bring him as much profit as the owner of a farm reaps from his broad acres. Ottumwa, Iowa. EK. L. Briaes. [For the American Bee Journal.] The Economic Hive, and Gallup's. Mr. Ep:rror (and some one says that means everybody):—As I receive many letters asking what I think of the Economic Hive, mentioned and described in several numbers of the last volume of the Journal, suppose you allow me to answer them at once through the pages of ‘the Journal. It will save me much trouble, and ob- viate the necessity of replying to the same ques- — tions asked over and over again, by different in- quirers. Another matter I would like to speak about. I receive a great many inquiries some- what like this—‘‘ Mr. Gallup, I.am a new sub- scriber to the American Bee Journal,”’ &c., &c., and asking me for information about such and such articles, or what does such or such a writer mean, &c. Now, gentlemen, I am perfectly wil- ling to answer your questions, but it appears to me that your very best plan’ would be to send the money to the publisher, and get the back numbers of the Journal. You would certainly get the worth of your money ; and then you can understand what the writers mean, better than I can tell you in one short letter. Well, here I am off the track, as sure as fate. To return ; in the first place, the Economic Hive and the hive I use, are (with slight variation) substantially the same. Both can be used in the same manner, in every respect. I have used them with from ten to fifteen frames, but for general use, twelve are sufficient. All it needs is to make the hive wider or narrower, to accom- modate more or less frames. In using my bive two story, I make the second story the same depth as the first. My frames hang on small three-cornered cleats instead of on rabbetings ; and to make any hive into a second story box, draw the small finishing nails out of the cleats and nail them on again, low enough down to al- low one-fourth of an inch space between the upper frames and the lower, without the honey- board. Now, all that is necessary to convert this into two hives, is to move those cleats back to their former places again. In placing this top box.on and lowering the cleats, it leaves an inch and a quarter space between the top of the lower frames and the honey-board. Now drive four finishing nails into the sides of the hive, inside, leaving the heads project one-fourth of an inch above the frames. Then fit in an inch board and let it rest on those projecting nails. This will fill up so much of the vacant space under the honey-board.—In putting onthe third story, I make my boxes so as to fit inside the. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. of hive, on the frames, and do not use the honey- board between the boxes and hive in any case. This third story is only used with very strong stocks. Once more, I will say that this hive suits me, and can be used for every purpose, in forming nuclei, You can raise four queens in it, as Mr. Truesdell says, and by inserting three division boards you can make it into four small hives. The entrance on the four sides of the hive are all in the bottom board. It can be accommodated to any size of swarm, simply by using the division boards, or not, as the case requires. In short, read what Mr. Truesdell says about the hive, and also what I have previously said about it ; and then read what I say in the ‘Annals of Bee-culture for 1870*’ (when it comes out) about the best method of having honey stored in combs for market—decidedly the best, in my opinion ; better than any glass boxes I eversaw. In such a hive you have one adapted either to a poor honey district, or to a good one. It will accom- modate the largest, as well as the smallest swarm you ever saw. Itis cheap and simple. Under- stand, I am not cracking up this hive to make money out of it, for it is not patented, and I have no time to make any to sell. Orchard, Iowa. E. GALLvp. Qo [For the American Bee Journal. ] The Gallup Hive. oe I wonder sometimes how many bee-keepers have tried the Gallup Hive, there being so many other hives that are so highly recommended. I have made and used, now for two seasons, more than a dozen of the Gallup form of hive; and thus far I think it-is good for all that Gallup claims for it. Simple in its construction, easily and cheaply made, and for one, I cannot con- ceive how any hive could be better adapted or more convenient to form nuclei with full sized combs, to raise queens, to cqualize bees and stores, build up stocks, exchange combs promis- cuously from hive to hive, &c., &c. No trouble about the frames hanging true, and I think I can handle a set of frames in the Gallup form of hive in as short a time asI can in the Langstroth stan- dard; and lamusing both. If the several parts of the Gallup-hive are correctly made and put in place, it is almost air-tight; and yet any amount of air, whether much or little, can be given and regulated, even to the extent of sus- pending the hive in mid-air, with top and bottom off, if it were necessary. Its surplus honey ar- rangement can be made to suit location or fancy. I do not suppose that Novice or Grimm, or some others, would do any better by using the Gallup hive; but my circumstances are very different from theirs. And as it is of the utmost import- ance to me to use only one kind of hive, I intend to use the Gallup form exclusively as soon as I can, without material loss. HENRY CRIst. Lake P. O., O., Sept. 7, 1870. Those that boast most, fail most, for deeds are — tongue-tied, emf POMC ae [For the American Bee Journal. ] Palmer Brothers and the Thomas Hive. It is due to myself and to Palmer Brothers to say that their article, so greatly in favor of my hive, was written without my knowledge and entirely upon their own responsibility. While I feel grateful to them for their high opinion of my hive, and the impartial manner in which they have spoken of it, I may be allowed to correct two or three items in the description thereof. They have purchased the territory for these hives before the alterations of which I am about to speak were made. ** Advantage 8th’’ (see BEE JOURNAL, Vol. VI., No. 2, Aug. 1870.) ‘* There is a passage through the bottom board, covered with wire cloth, through which the bees receive air,’’ &c. After five years’ experience and experimenting with the hive and the best method of ventilating, I now make the bottom board without any hole through it, preferring instead to put a hole through the rear end board of the hive, about one inch from the bottom, and covered with wire cloth. The hole is an inch and a half in diame- ter, and allows a circulation of air from front to rear. I consider this the best method of venti- lating a hive, and in most, if not all cases, quite sufficient, and especially so with an entrance such as I use in my hive, and with which Palmer Brothers were not acquainted fur reasons already stated. I will just say the entrance is so con- structed, with a double zinc gauge, that it can be enlarged ina moment of time to half an inch deep and the full width of the hive, and con- tracted in the same time to half an inch square. ** Advantage 16th. The bottom slants to the It may be made inclined or level, as de- sired by the builder. ‘* Advantage 18th. One, two, or four boxes may be used.’’? Six square boxes, suitable for market, may be used. ** Disadrantage 8d. The improvements are worse than useless, to one who will not properly use them.’’ This is true of all frame hives. Ifa bee- keeper intends to let his bees die, with no atten- tion on his part, he certainly will save the ex- pense of improvements by setting them in a hol- low log. To those parties who may purchase territory I will send a sample hive, paying all charges to the line. See advertisement, and make an offer. J. H. THomas. Brooklin, Ontario. SLE Bae ee ES [For the American Bee Journal. ] Bee Cholera, Mr. Eprror :—I see that many persons have lost their bees by what is called Beé Cholera. I have had some bees die with the same disease. I then took a colony after one half the bees were dead, ventilated the hive well, and carried it in‘o the stove room, and kept it there the space of eight days. It is now a strong colony. I suppose the heat of the room evaporated some of the water in the honey. B. R. Hopxinys. Tyrone, Pa. 88 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [OctT., [For the American Bee Journal.] Hive for Nuclei. The experience of a single season satisfies me well with a hive for nuclei, made by simply taking the ordinary Langstroth hive, separating it into six compartments, and making the en- trances face in different directions, in this man- ner: = l | || 2 Nos. 1 and 6 have the entrances at the back end of the sides, at the upper corner. Nos. 2 and 5 have a hole bored through the bottom, and the bottom board channelled, making the en- trances come out underneath the front end of the sides at the lower corncr. The entrance of No. 3 is in front, at the regular entrance; and No. 4 has an entrance at the back end. ‘* But will not the queens enter the wrong com- partment, on returning from their excursions ?”’ I have raised fifteen or twenty in a hive of this kind, and have never lost any. Instead of a honey board, a strip of board covers each division separately, so that each nucleus can be examined without disturbing the others. The ordinary frame is used, and the principal advantage of the hive consists in the mutual warmth gained. I think it pays to keep reserve queens con- stantly on hand; and I mean to try whether I cannot winter a few queens in this way. I have raised some queens by letting the nucleus ' have brood to start queen cells from; but they have been slow coming to maturity ; and after they have laid a few eggs, they are sometimes discarded and a young queen raised from the brood. The trouble seems to be that where queen cells are started by a small cluster of bees, they do not feed the grubs plentifully enough, and when the queen hatches out not a particle of royal jelly is found in the cell. Whereas, when a strong colony raises a queen, the cell will contain a large quantity of jelly after the young queen emerges. To obtain good queens, I take the following plan. I take a frame containing only eggs laid by my best queen, and put it into an empty hive, and set this in the place of a strong colony. Cells will be started and the grubs liberally fed, and as soon as they are sealed > over, I cut them out and give them to the nuclei. I then give the hive a laying queen, and two or more frames of sealed brood, according to the time of year, and have a good colony. I am waiting patiently fer Novick to invent a machine for making straight worker comb; for as yet I have found no way of securing all worker comb, except to have it built by a weak colony. My bees build some drone comb of very strong, even if their queen is not a month old; and they will build worker comb, whilst raising queens, if WEAK KNOUGH. C. C. MILLER. Murengo, Ill., Aug. 30, 1870. eee [For the American Bee Journal. ] Around among Apiaries. Mr. Epiror:—As I have been visiting among bee-keeping friends, I will give you a few lines that may interest some of your readers. The season here has been very variable in the yield of honey from the clover blossoms and also from honey dew. I made a short visit to Hess & Co.’s apiary, some ten miles from Fulton, on the Lowa side of the Mississippi, who have about one hundred and eighty colonies. Their bees did not yield much white clover or basswood honey, but did well on honey dew. The honey from the latter is very dark and sticky, and to most persons is of poor flavor. Their bees did not swarm much this season, though they are surrounded with all the early flowering trees, such as soft maple and hard elm, willow, and all other kinds natural to our soil; alike on the islands, bottoms, and uplands. ‘ I next visited Marvin & Bros., of St. Charles, Ill. Their apiary numbers one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred stocks. Their bees have not done anything to speak of, and from appearance and prospects, they will have to be fed to go through the winter. There was hardly any rain here froin the last of March to the last of June. White clover blossomed very little, and Alsike was almost.a failure from the drouth, It did not grow tall enough to be cut for seed, where it did come into bloom. But Messrs. Marvin are not discouraged. They think there is a goud time coming yet for bees, though it be not this season. They have some of the great Rocky Mountain bee plant growing, but it has not done anything for them since they have had . it. It is now in full bloom, yet very seldom a bee lights on it. I also made a brief call on M. M. Baldridge, the secretary of the great National Bee Hive Company, at St. Charles. His bees will like- wise have to be fed, to go safely through the winter, if fall pasturage do not supply sufficient honey for their need. Mr. Baldridge is doing a considerable business in manufacturing honey emptying machines, now that the demand for beehives is over for this year. I next visited Mr. Thompson, of Geneva. He is young in the bee business, but quite enthusias- tic. Although he lost all his bees last winter, he Was not discouraged, but tried again this season. j 1870.] Like most new beginners, he increaséd his stock rather too rapidly, especially in so poor a season as this has proved to be in that section generally, Bees, however, did somewhat better at Geneva than at St. Charles, only two miles away. At Batavia, the same distance below, the bees have done moderately well. Let me remark here that the rains, throughout the West, for the most part went in narrow streaks this season, especially in June, sometimes not over half a mile wide. This accounts for the difference in the condition of colonies in apiaries only a few miles apart. I called on Mr. Way, at Batavia, and took a look at his bees and honey. He has a good supply of surplus white clover honey on hand, having been fortunate enough to be within the range of one of the seasonable rain streaks. The most of his colonies have honey enough to pass the winter safely, if they should not be able to gather any more. I was told that the good people of Batavia tried to get friend Way’s bees expelled from the city limits, as a nuisance, for fear they might possibly sting somebody ! AMONG THE HONEY DEALERS OF CHICAGO. I do not think that the largest honey dealer in Chicago is doing the fair thing by his patrons— that is, if he wishes to do a permanent business and retain his best customers. He would rather buy honey in large boxes and frames, and then cut it into three or four small strips, put it in glass jars, and fill up the jars with inferior strained or Cuba honey. At the same time he discourages the bee-keepers from taking their honey from the combs with the melextractor, for the simple reason, I suppose, that he can make more money by straining the honey himself, as I was told he had a nice steam apparatus for fixing over strained honey. As to the commission men, there are not many of them to be trusted, as it is seldom that honey is handled with the care it ought to receive; and when it gets to leaking, they sell it for any price they can get, in order to be rid of it. There is a great fault, too, in the manner of shipping it, to have it go through in good shape, as the railroad men do not handle things very carefully. To get the best price from honest dealers, the box honey must be put up in neat, small boxes, weighing not over seven pounds gross; and to get a market established for ex- tracted honey, it should be shipped to some reli- able man; and the jars must be labelled with the quality of the honey and the name of the pro- ducer. Then the agent can recommend it to-his customers, and warrant it pure; and all you -have should be shipped exclusively to him. When properly put up, I do not think there is much to be feared from adulteration. Fulton, Iil., Sept. 5, 1870. X. << o A good swarm of bees, put in a diminutive hive, in a good season, may be compared to a power- ful team of horses harnessed to a baby wagon, or a noble fall of water wasted in turning a petty water-wheel.—Langstroth. O-s> Narrow minds think nothing right that is above their own capacity. TIE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 89 ee * [For the American Bee Journal.] Queen Raising.—Experience and Observations. Too early last spring, I commenced by artifi- cial means to raise queen bees. Using only about a pint of bees, they became chilled during the night, and would cluster in the corner or top of the hive, deserting the larve and the un- hatched young. This was in March. During the latter part of the month of April, however, I succeeded admirably in hatching them ; but two- thirds were lost on their wedding tours. I had as many as six queen cells which were to hatch on a certain day. I was not at home on that day, but returned late in the evening, and on examining No. 1 (a full colony), I found the queen had just emerged, the cap or end of the cell still clinging by a small particle of wax, and the queen on the same frame within a few inches of the cell. No. 2 had also hatched during the day, appearing to be a few hours older. No. 3 was then visited, which was in a nucleus, and I found only two worker bees in the hive,—the queen cell being still perfect. I had the evening before given this nucleus some strained honey, in a bungling manner, and did not contract the en- trance of the hive as I should have done, and they were robbed. My wife, early in the morn- ing, noticed unusual activity at this hive. The little family, I suppose, had helped to remove their limited stores to the hives of the robbers, and taken up their abode there, as usually occurs in such cases. But, to return to our queen cell, I removed it carefully and opened the end of it, when, to my surprise, out crawled the queen on my hand. Somehoney was given to her, and in a few minutes she was quite lively. She was then introduced to a queenless colony, and was well received ; but was lost on going out on the eighth day. No. 4 was not examined until the next day, when a nice Italian queen was moving amongst the workers; with as much dignity as belongs to one not yet having attained her ma- jority. After an interval of about three days, I examined the hive and saw the queen every day until about the eighth, when late in the evening, after sunset, on examination I found she was gone. On closing the hive the bees came run- ning out and showed all the signs of having re- cently lost their queen, such as are often seen ; and kept up that distressing serene crawling over the hive and on the ground in its immediate vicinity until after dark. The hive was again examined with great scrutiny on the following morning, and she was not there. At eleven o’clock a natural first swarm issued from a hive of native brown bees in the apiary, and after fly- ing around five minutes, clustered on the stem and at the root of a cherry tree. I proceeded to hive them, and when half the swarm had passed into the hive, I saw the black queen march in. Only a few minutes more elapsed before all the bees had gone in, except a little ball or lump the size of a partridge egg near the root of the tree. I stirred them up with a stick, thinking they were not cognizant of the fact that their queen had gone in and the house was prepared and ready for them; but they had no disposition to disengage themselves. ‘Taking the ball of bees 90 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Oct., in my hand, I examined them and found they were clumped around my lost Italian queen. I dropped them ina pan of water, when every one let go its hold, and the queen was free and ap- parently unharmed. Lreturned her from whence she came, and in a few minutes the grieved family were buzzing their joyful wings at her return. In a subsequent examination on that day, she was crushed between two frames. The question arises, how she came to be with this native colony? I have my surmiscs, but will leave others to judge for themselves. My experience has been that more Italian queens get lost in their attempts to meet the drones, than native black or brown queens. Of the superiority of the Italian or Ligurian work- ers, of their disposition, as well as that of the hybrids, I will speak at some other time. Did it ever occur to you, if the yellow-bearded Italians were natives of our country, and we had been used to looking at them all our lives, and the black were now just discovered and introduced, what praises would be heaped upon the dud tails ? Campbell uttered a truism when he said—-‘‘’Tis distance lends enchantment to the view.’’ But do not set me down as against the yellow-jack- ets. I have been giving them a fair trial for two years—or, tather, an unfair one, for I have tried their strength and weakness, in dividing and subdividing ; and when they are reduced to almost a handful, they work with a heroism really commendable. And right here I wish to say that I think if the Rev. Mr. Briggs, whose article appeared in a former number of the Journal, alludes to queens sent out by Mr. Alley, of Massachusetts, and deems them not reliable by reason of their low price, he is mistaken. I ordered one from Mr. Alley, and through mistake he sent me two, either one of which, or their workers, will com- pare favorably with those of anybody. They are not, indeed, as long or as large as your index fincer ; but I have queens in my yard from ya- rious sources, and among them these are the prettiest. Time only will prove the working qualities of the laborers they produce. Won. P. HENDERSON. Murfreesboro, Tenn., Aug. 31, 1870. * The Italian queens are, from the brightness of their color, a much more “shining mark’’ when on the wing, than black queens. Hence, when out on their excursions, they are more liable to be ‘* snapped up "’ by birds, and doubtless many are thus lost every year. Southern bee-keepers pjoba- bly suffer more from this circumstance than their northern eaarnes: as insectivorous birds are more abundant with them. In some portions of Italy the Ligurian bees were cultivated for centuries, side by side with the common or black bees ; yet the difference between them, as regards color or quality, seems to have attracted no attention. But it must be borne in mind that bee-culture fell into decay there, after the fall of the Roman Empire, passing into the hands of a rude and ignorant peasantry. Whereas the superiority of the Ligurians and Cecropians was well known and appreciated in the classic period of the nominal republic. Since the re- vival of the bee business in Italy (to which it has largely con- tributed) the Ligurian bee hax measurably recovered its pris- tine favor, and is getting to be preferred every where,.—xb. —<——_—_____ — The yield of honey by various plants and trees depends not only on the character of the season, but on the kind of soil on which they grow. {For the American Bee Journal.] The Queen Nursery. As the readers of the AMERICAN BEE JoURNAL are somewhat anxious to hear about the Queen Nursery, invented by Dr. Jewell Davis, of Charleston, Illinois, I will say that it is a perfect success. I have, since the first of June, kept mine running to its full capacity (twelve cages). lhave ~ allowed the queens to remain in the cages six or eight days after hatching. I now have his fer- tilizing attachment, but have not yet tested it. Young, unimpregnated queens can be introduced by Alley’s process, to any queenless colony. I will give a fuller report, and how to use it, this fall or winter. I consider it quite an advantage to save all natural queen cells, and hatch them out in the Nursery ; and it is no disadvantage certainly to have a supply of young queens on hand, at so smallan expense, to give to a natural or artificial swarm, at swarming time, even if they are not fertilized. When you can draw on your nursery for a queen, at any time at sight, it is quite an advantage; at least I consider it so. It is a positive fact that queens perish in their cells by the thousand, in the natural state, in extremely hot weather. Inusing the Nursery we can control this matter; for if the weather is extra hot, we place the Nursery ina small colony ; and in a large strong one, if the weather is cool. Thus you will see that we have the hatching en tirely under our own control, and it is not left to chance. The queen breeder can readily see the advantage of separating all his queen cells as soon as sealed over, and having them perfectly safe. I have kept my Nursery in’a medium swarm, where they had a perfect queen breeding at the same time. As I said before, queens can be kept in the Nursery any length of time, with perfect safety. I place a small piece of comb. containing honey in the cage, between the tins, then place the cell in the cage in a natural posi- tion and fasten it with a pin. A very slight fastening answers, as the bees cannot get at it to gnaw it down. HK. GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa, July 15, 1870. 6 [For the American Bee Journal.] Paper Hives and Z. 0. Fairbanks. Mr. Eprror:—Don’t you think that Mr. Fairbanks seems a little cross as well as sharp. He says | assert in my first article what I con- tradict in my second on paper hives ; and, worst of all, says lam to be numbered with the gen- tiles, whom Dr. Cox gulled to the tune of heavy sums. I deny the charge, and demand proof; though I will say for the benetit of brother Fair- banks, that I think the Doctor a little too smooth for profit. But, to explain, we call the paper hive, of whatever form, Dr. Cox’s hive ; and so should we call all movable frame hives, the Farmer’s box with Langstroth frames therein. CHARLES HASTINGS. Dowagiac, Mich. 1870.] [For the American Bee Journal.] The Looking-glass Again. Mr. Eprror:—I have used the Jooking-glass often for arresting swarms, rarely failing ; but J have always used tt in conjunction with the shotgun. Used thus, it seems to induce in the bees the idea of an approaching storm, and that they ought to be securing a place of safety as quick as possible. Out of a number of examples, I give the fol- lowing: — A second swarm proved to be bent on emigrat- ing, for on six consecutive days it left as many different hives. Each time it was brought to an- chor by the looking-glass, &c. The last time the bees fell as if shot dead, at the flash and report. And for aught I know and saw, they might have kept trying to this day. In some rare cases, however, I have failed to bring the swarm to settle. My bees have swarmed heavily this year, and for a rarity seemed to select the tops of the high- est trees to settle on, and then would often leave for the woods after hiving. Query, was there any connection between the two facts ? The early season, here, was superior for honey, up to the blooming of the white clover, which was very scarce, and almost devoid of honey. The weather has been hot and dry, and no honey since. There has been no honey-dew since the war near me; whilst a large piece of woods, three miles off, seemed, two years ago, to be literally flowing with honey-dew, and alive with bees. The tract was three miles wide and five miles long, and alive with bees, throughout its whole extent, every day for several weeks. . Did the bees of the country gather there? Your paper is read with intense interest. Long may it live to contribute to the pleasure and profit of bee-keepers. J. B. Town Ley. Red Hill Depot, Albemarle Co., Va. eos [For the American Bee Journal.] The Drouth, Bee Pasturage, and Queens. The honey season has not been good, in this section of country, since the middle of June, in consequence of continued hot and dry weather. Two timely showers served to make a fair crop of corn, but did not much increase the secretion of honey—hence the bees have not gathered more in that period of time than to supply their daily consumption, and keep them brooding. These points I have watched closely. The white clover bloomed nearly two weeks eariier this year, than usual here; and, therefore, by the time the colonies had brooded up to the point of swarming, the chief honey harvest was gone. Hence, but few natural swarms came off, and most of these came near starving to death, and will require doubling up for wintering. i I made a number of artificial swarms, by taking a comb of brood, honey, and bees, from six full hives and putting them together into a new hiye—using empty frames to fill the vacancy THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 91 made in the old hives. The swarms thus made have done well, compared with natural ones, and will be in fair condition for winter. It continues so dry yet that we cannot look for a large yield of honey, either from buckwheat or other flowers ; nor, if we could, can we expect much honey to be stored in boxes, where comb has to be built to receive it, as the nights are be- coming too cool for comb-building. I have seen the bees work incessantly for two or three weeks, this season, upon the plant known as Carpenter’s Square, (SCROPHULAREA noposA MartLanpica, Nodose Scrophularia, Fig- wort,) and also, as usual, on the Purple Polyne- sia, which appears to yield honey remarkably in hot and dry weather. In this vicinity, also, both the black and the Italian bees have worked on the red clover, during the last wecks of August. But, more than all this, our bees this season seemed compelled to visit the groceries for sugar and other sweets, to supply the Jack of honey in the flowers, and have perished by thousands in their demoralized eagerness to obtain them. From all this we have learned again the neces- sity of cultivating more extensively some crops or plants that will yield honey in the usual barren in- terval between the failing of the white clover and the Alsike and the coming in of the buckwheat and falJ flowers. The linden trees supply this in some localities, but not in ours—being too re- mote from them. Buckwheat sown about the first of June, will often fill this interval, and that sown a month later will make the fall pasturage. Thus, by a proper disposition of crops, we may, with favorable weather, make a continued honey harvest all the summer months; and, in unfa- vorable weather, secure at least a partial supply for the same period of time—thereby saving mil- lions of bees from the demoralizing effects of visiting groceries, and the consequent loss of their lives. This summer my bees have not been disposed to start as many queen cells as I desired; and, hence, after supplying all my colonies with queens, have not had as many as I wished, to experiment with in the various proposed methods of fertilizatién in confinement. But J have had enough to show me that under our present knowl- edge of these processes, none of them are as suc- cessful as is desirable for the purposes of the intelligent queen-raiser. I have learned, more- over, that by most of the methods employed the queens and drones become so excited, that, with- out fostering the disposition for mating (the pur- pose for which they are confined) they. worry themselves to death in a very short time. To remedy this, I have made cages on the same plan of my Queen Nursery cages, but larger every way, with the covered way at one end converted into an ante-chamber for the introduc- tion of the drones at the proper season, without disturbing either the workers or the queen in the queen’s parlor. In this parlor we put two square inches of comb, filled with mature brood, and, over this, three inches square of comb filled with honey for feed; and in the vacant part of it, we suspend a queen cell sealed over. ‘Then, after closing the door, place the cage in a popu- lous stock of bees, for the queen and workers to 92 hatch. Thus, by the time the queen hatches, she will have nearly a hundred workers in the cage with her, and will not become uneasy or excited to get out of the cage. She will thus re- main quiet on the comb, until she is old enough to leave it and go in search of the drones. Near this hour the drones can be introduced by the little tin door at the bottom of the ante-chamber, that door closed again and the tin slide carefully removed. The drones and queen are thus let together, without excitement or disturbance. This cage may be made six inches long, by four inches deep, and one and a half inches wide. Then, by placing the comb in the middle, at the back end of the parlor, with the capped cells facing the wire sides, the bees can emerge from the cells and pass all around the comb. From various experiments I am led to con- clude that the above arrangement will approach nearer to the thing wanted, than any of the plans yet made public. Iam, also, further con- vinced that much attention must be paid to the age of the young queen, and to the state of the weather, in order to secure fertilization in con- finement. In fact, we must approach as near as possible to the natural state of the circum- stances that govern the mating of queens and drones. I may say, in addition, that it is evi- dent some queens wil] mate earlier than others, if not hindered by bad weather. The meeting of the queens and drones must not be attended by any circumstances calculated to cause either of them to become alarmed and seck release from confinement; for if thus alarmed or ex- cited, they will worry themselves to death in a few hours, or forget all their natural instinct for mating or fertilization. On the plan above de- scribed the queen feels at home where she was hatched, with her hundred associates around her, and under careful management, not liable to be- come excited. The drones alone are liable to be in any degree alarmed under this method ; and I find this is quickly removed by letting them into the presence of a few workers, as in the above case. If done quietly, little excite- ment need occur. JEWELL Davis. Charlestown, Ill., Sept. 5, 1870. ~ ees [For the American Bee Journal. ] Bee-keeping Advancing. Mr. Eprtor:—We are doing a fine thing in the bee business here this season. We (my brother and I) are creating quite an interest in bee-culture around here, by the use of our Hruschka. caution. We have obtained six hundred and twenty-five (625) pounds of extracted honey, and six hundred and fifty (650) pounds of box honey from eight colonies of bees, and have increased them to twenty-two; and all the hives are full of honey now—the result of scientific bee-culture. Old fogy bee-keepers begin to open their eyes, and think that bee-keeping is not all mere luck. The light begins to shine, and bee-keeping is ad- vancing. The Italian bees are more and more approved, The way we sling the honey out is a ' THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Ocr., and taking the place of the black bees; and I am in hopes we shall in a short time have none but Italians around here. We have tried friend Alley’s plan of introduc- ing queens with tobacco smoke, and failed sev- eral times, simply because we did not smoke the bees enough. We introduce now successfully with tobacco by smoking them till they are nearly stupeficd, and then they will receive the queen. without fail. We find the Italians will receive a queen quicker or more readily than the black bees, without any smoking. The Italians are better every way than the blacks. They are as much in advance of the latter as the mowing machine is in advance of the scythe. D. L. CoeasHALL, JR. West Groton, N. ¥. For the American Bee Journal.] A Visit to Palmer Bros’ Apiary, and What I Saw There. I lately went to visit the apiary of Palmer Bros., at New Boston, in Mercer county. When I came near the house I saw a lot of beehives nicely arranged in rows, north and _ south, and east and west. They were some eighty in number, I think. The inmates of the house were two very pleasant, clever young men, keeping bachelor’s hall. My team was put up and cared for, and we had an interesting talk about bees, beehives, and raising queens. After dinner the honey-slinger was brought out. It is one of their own getting up, and does well the work it is intended for. A hive was opened, some frames removed, and about twenty pounds of very nice honey slung out in ten minutes. On returning home and having a good night’s sleep, 1 went into my own apiary next morning with new spirits. Eliza, Ill., Aug. 3, 1870. oe ——____—_ J. BOGART. {For the American Bee Journal.] Mr. Eprror :—You may remember that in the Bee Journal for September, 1869, Mr. George P. Kellogg, of Waukegan, Ill., gave outa very broad. challenge to bee-keepers. In the October num- ber, I accepted his challenge; but since that time we have not heard from Mr. Kellogg, through the Journal. Now it is due that he should with- draw his proposition, or meet us at the State Fair, in Michigan, and take an oyster supper, and pay the printer; or cry ‘‘peccavi!’’ and I will pay the printer. What say you, brother Kellogg? We have had an excellent honey season in northern Wisconsin, so far, this summer; with a prospect of its continuing until frost comes. Success to the enterprise, and the Journal. A. A. Hart. Appleton, Wis., Aug. 6, 1870. -O-s> In bee-culture the chief factor is intelligence, and not capital. The former must produce the latter. 1870.]- THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 93 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, Oct., 1870. —_—___——,— OoS~ We have on hand, and unused, numerous favors from correspondents, as most of them having been received too late for this issue. The present arrangements for printing the Journal render it necessary that articles intended for its pages should reach us not later than the 10th of the month, to be in season for the ensuing number. 0S> We have received copies of **‘ OLD AND Nrew,”’ ** Every SAtTurpDAY,” ‘‘ Goop HEALTH,” and several other periodicals and publications, which we purposed noticing this month, but are prevented by want of room. oS The August number of this Journal contains an article on “‘ Pure Fertilizativn Controllable,’’ translated by the editor from the ‘‘ Bienenzeitung.”’ It appeared in that sterling and standard periodical, as a communication from the Rev. A. Semlitsch, who is pastor of a congregation and a member of the Ecclesiastical Council at Gratz, in the Austrian province of Stiria. He has been a prominent correspondent of the Bienenzeitung for a quarter of a century, and was previously known as one among the five chief contributors to Vitzthum’s ‘* Monatsblatt fiir Bienenzucht,’? the precursor of the Bienenzeitung. He has always been distinguished for eminent zeal and efficient labor in striving to advance intelligent and scientific bee-culture ; and published in 1856, at Gratz, a very excellent practical treatise in aid of the cause. No man in Europe ever questioned his truthfulness, or impeached his honor. OS We have copyrighted this Journal, not to prevent or prohibit any of our exchanges from copying articles from its pages, but that those who do copy may see the propriety of giving credit to the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 80 fully and plainly that there can be no mistake or misapprehension about it. Some have heretofore appropriated such articles bodily and boldly, without giving any credit what- ever ; some thought they had ‘‘somewhere read,’» so and so, &c.; others simply credited ‘‘ Zz.,”’ leaving the whereabouts of the said Ex. to be guessed at; others again, extending their liberality a link or two, credit ‘* Bee Journal,’? vaguely and indefinitely. We have borne this hitherto without murmur or complaint, “‘ note or comment,’’ but do not intend to be so forbearing hereafter. If articles are worth copying, their source is worth acknowledging; and those who fai] in doing this in future, may expect to have to pay for copyright. We punctiliously give credit ourselves, and may properly ask to receive it. **Hanc veniam damus petimusque vicissim.”’ | talk with you on different subjects. Great waste occurs in feeding meal, in early spring, as a substitute for pollen, and many bees are lost while endeavoring to supply themselves, being chilled by a sudden change of temperature. To prevent this German bee-keepers do the feeding within the hive ; and Mr. Kanitz of East Prussia, gives the following as the best mode of doing so: Take fine wheat flour, rye or oat meal, and stir it gradually into lukewarm liquid honey till it forms a pretty stiff paste or mass. In the evening spread a few ounces of this on an empty comb, insert it in a hive, and it will be carried up by the bees in the course of the night. Not more of the paste should be prepared on any occasion, than can be immediately fed. The substitute for pollen thus fed, it is said, greatly promotes brooding. oe - CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. RICHMOND, On10, August 18, 1870.—I have put off writing till harvest, is over, and will now have a short This summer has been a very pleasant one in this part of the country, with good crops of all kinds except fruit, of which there will be a small yield. We have been favored with plenty of rain and consequently good pasture for stock, and plenty of flowers for the bees | which the latter did not fail to enjoy, for they gathered large stores of honey and multiplied more generally than they have done for a number of years. I have been keeping bees all my life as my father did before me, but never made it a study until about two years ago. Since then I have been trying to put my bees in movable comb hives. These I think every bee- keeper must and will have ere long, as also the Italian bees, which I think are much better then the natives, except that they are inclined to rob the blacks. But I would keep them for their beauty, if they had no other good qualities. I wishsome one would give usa general test of their purity as known in Italy. This should be known throughout this country, as nearly every queen breeder has atest of his own. My bees have four bands, counting all; two broad ones next to the middle, and two narrow ones behind those. If this is not enough, then I will go for better and purer ones, as I want the best and nune others. The time of year is coming to think of wintering bees, and I want to build a wooden house large enough to accommodate one hundred hives. I wish some of the knowing ones would give us, through the Journal, proper directions for building such a house. Now, a few words inconclusion. Inclosed you will find my subscription for the Journal for this year ; and please accept my thanks for the valuable instruc- tion I have received from the American Bee Journal, and my best wishes for its success. May its contri- butors and readers grow wiser and sweeter every year.—J. W. TayYLor. BROOKLIN, ONTARIO, August 20.—Bees have done exceedingly well in this Province, this season; better than they have done for several years. Though the loss was fearful last year, it has nearly been made up. This Province is not abundant in forage for bees, and we never expect to realize the figures of Novice; yet some have taken from my hive four boxes of virgin honey, eighty (80) pounds; and one hundred and forty-two (142) from the body of the hive, with the ik xtractor—making two hundred and twenty-two (222) pounds from one colony. Another writes me he has 94. THE AMERICAN taken this season over two thousand (2,000) pounds in boxes, and five hundred (500) pounds with the Extractor.—J. H. THOMAS. GueEnT, Ouro, August 22.—I have read and re-read every number of the Journal, and find it instructive and profitable. My bees wintered well, last winter, in my house as described in Vol., V. page 100, of the Journal. Last winter was with us mild and nice for wintering on summer stands. I have realized two hundred and fifty (250) dollars from thirty hives this season, and have two hundred (200) pounds of honey on hand. It was all box honey. The increase was twenty-five (25) good strong natural swarms. They are all black bees except one, a bybrid queen sent to me last fall, as pure, from an Eastern queen breeder. They are not very sociable. The season was all one could wish for. Bees have done well. The spring opened just right, and continued favorable throughout. Success to you and the readers and columns of the Bee Journal.—T. Prexson. Eviza, Inus., August 22.—Bees have done well here this season up to this time. I have some in Lang- stroth hives that have stored one hundred and twenty- five (125) pounds of honey to the hive. I enclose two dollars for the Bee Journal, as I cannot do without it.—J. BOGART. Leroy, Itris., August 23.—This is the first year that I have kept bees, and find it a very pleasant business. Bees did not swarm here until August, and then but little. I divided my old stocks in -'une, all of which, both old and new, are doing finely. I should like to have some older head than mine vive ize his opinion as to the plan of reducing the number of my stock to one-half this fall, in order to have them stronger andto have plenty of spare comb to commence with in the spring. And, again,—as I am asking favors—I should like to have the plan given on page 109, Vol. IV., B. J., for out-door winteriug republished, for the benefit of. new beginners generally as wellas myself. The August number came just in time for me to try the new plan of controlling the fer ilization of queens. I succeeded in every thing but having the queen mate in the wire case. Will some one else give us his experience? I say three cheers for the American Bee Journal, for I take time to read and re-read every article in it, and find it, tovether with Mr. Langstroth’s valuable book, to be the staff for pew beginners to lean upon for apiarian knowledge.—P. Younea. Risine Sun, [vp., August 26.—We have a neighbor at Vevay, Mr. W. Faulkoner, who has had yvreat success this season, with his bees. I called on him last week, and had the pleasure of seeing 8,500 lbs. of white clover honey, which with 1,500 lbs. that he has already sold, makes«five thousand (5,000) pounds for this year. He had but forty-eight stands in the spring, so that his hives have averaged over one hundred pounds each. His increase is fifteen stands, making now sixty-three, which is as many as he wants to manage. His hives are a modification of the Lang- str oth, allowing the use of surplus boxes on the sides of the frames.—N. H. SHAW. SHREVE, OHIO, August 26.—As I have seen no communication from this place, I have concluded to write and let the readers of the Bee Journal hear of my success in the bee business. I commenced four years ago with the old black bee in the old fashioned way. For a few years’ I made only slow progress, till of late | have taken more interest in it, and have now increased my stock to seventy-six colonies, all Italians, in good condition. I was surprised when I read Novice’s report of honey this season; but when I came to think over BEE JOURNAL. [Ocr., how much I had taken from a few hives with the honey-emptying machine, and as the season was, I think I too could have had a right smart crop, if I had attended to the bees as I should have done in the honey season. As it is, 1 shall probably not get much over one thousand (1, 000) pounds, principally box honey. I will just state, for the benefit of the bee- keeping public, that I have tried a Peabody machine, which works to perfection, and is what every bee- keeper that uses movable frames needs. As farasthe different hives are concerned, there is not so much difference as some su} pose. 1 think a plain frame in a simple hive of convenient form is all that any one needs. As faras reliable queen raisers are concerned, I will just state that I have dealt with a good many, and have found Adam Grimm, of Jefferson, ( Wis., ) perfectly reliable and prompt in filling orders. 1 have got quite a number of queens from him this sea- son by mail, post paid. I inclose a photograph of my apiary, and if any of the readers of the Journal wish one, I will send it on receipt of forty cents, or send one on receiving one for exchange. In conclusion I wish the Journal success, and all its readers good luck and much pleasure in the pursuit of so profitablea — business as bee-culture.—G. W. STINEBRING. EDGEFIELD JUNCTION, TENN., August 29.—This sea- son, thus far, has been the poorst, both for swarming and honey, of any for more than twenty-four years that I have been in this State. We had a drouth in May, followed by frequent and severe cold rains for» more than three weeks, by which time our clover harvest for bees was nearly past. As a general thing July and August do not furnish much forage for bees, but we have every prospect for honey this fall. The last two seasons we had a honey haryest from almost the first of April till late in the fall; and on both oceasions, late in the fall my hives were so filled with honey that in many of them there were not a hundred empty cells. I removed from one to three frames of honey, placing the remaining frames half an inch or. more apart for winter. By doing this, and protecting my hives from the cold winds, I saved them all—one hundred and sixty-four in number last year, and sixty-eight the year before. This season being a poor one, I have not increased stock so much, though I have made fifty-one good colonies. In July [ had to feed a few colonies, and found it difficult to keep up my nuclei.—T. B. HAMLIN. West Groton, N. Y., August 31.—The honey season has been very good here, and scientific bee- culture is progressing. Old fashioned bee-keepers are amazed when they see the large quantity of honey we yot from eight colonies of bees—over eight hundred and seventy-five (875) pounds. I like the American Bee Journal. very much. We should not have had near as much honey, if we had not had the Journal to read and study.—D. H. COGGSHALL, JR. Futon, ILus., September 3.—Bees are doing very well here now, though the forepart of the season was not generally favorable on account of the drouth. Buckwheat is not yielding much honey. The second crop of red clover is in full bloom, and the bees are working on it very busily. This is the first season that I have seen bees do much on red clover, in this section, as the blossom is usually too large; but this year, owing to the drouth the heads are smaller. The different varieties of the golden rod are just coming into bloom, as also the wild aster; and the prospect is that the bees will do well until after we have hard frosts. Light frosts do not affect the aster. If ac- ceptable, I will try to furnish some account of the doings, of the bees in this section, at the close of the season.—R. R. Murrey. 1870.] THE AMERICAN GENOA, ILLS., September 9.—Please excuse my being thus dilatory in not making an _ earlier remittance for the Journal. This little amount I could have turned to very good account in other directions; yet, as I am cireumstanced, I think that one volume of the American Bee Journal is worth three or four times as much to me as the same sum laid out in any other way at home. For had it not been for the Journal, I should long since have been as many of my neighbors are—‘“‘ one that USED to keep bees.””> { am aware that my location is not naturally favorable for bee-keeping, as we sometimes have two or three seasons in succession that are hard on the bee business; yet I am not inclined to give itup so. In 1868, I put twenty swarms into my kitchen cellar. Most of them had not one pound of honey on the first of January; but I made up my mind to try the winter feeding to my full satisfaction. I took off caps, cut a hole two inches by five through the honey board, which was half an inch thick; fastened cotton cloth upon the under side, which made a box large enough to hold all the food I wished to put in at a time. The food was syrup of good refined sugar. I took care that they were all ventilated according to the size of the stock ; and as the temperature would change in a measure with that outside, I would regulate ventilation accordingly ; and by constant attention they come out in the spring with the loss of only two swarms, besides two that became queenless. No more bees died than usual in wintering ; and although the season last year was wet and cold, they managed to procure sufficient to carry them through the winter in tolerably good con- dition. But this spring and summer the drouth seemed to threaten them with starvation. We had no rain from the last of March till the first of July, with the exception of two slight showers that did not, either of them, wet the ground more than an inch deep. Notwithstanding, with the white clover, which put out some small blossoms and in moist places where not pastured, continued fresh, and some wild flowers, the bees kept along till the rains came in July. Then the clever and other blossoms came out quite fresh ; so for a few weeks the bees gained a little and afforded some surplus honey. Now the buckwheat is in full bloom, and the bees seem to be taking time by the foretop, by improving each hour, shine or no shine. The hybrid bees, as well as the pure-blooded, appear to be exerting themselves to vindicate the superior merits of their ancestors ; and although it may seem cruel, I stand ready; with open and greedy hands to receive their hard-earned stores, and furnish them with store-room to enable them to continue on another willing task. My eighteen acres of Alsike and two of melilot clover are entirely killed by the drouth. For three years I have not only had to contend with adverse seasons, but have been a target for friends and neighbors to pop their jokes at, for my persistence in such unprofitable business. But I had made up my mind to fight it out on this line; and by the assistance of the American Bee Journal, with its able and generous contributors, am confident that eventually I will come out all right. Though the season has been a hard one, I have now taken out honey enough to pay for all the sugar I have used and for the four volumes of the Journal, and have added one-third to the number of my stocks this season—while many old fogies of my acquaintance, who laugh at the idea of using patent hives or pay- ing the trifling sum for the Journal, have lost some nearly all, and others quite all of their bees.—A. STILEs. Sparta CentER, Micu., September 7.—I cannot think of getting along without the Journal. I BEE JOURNAL. 95 supposed that I was doing extremely well in the bee business, until I read Novice’s reports, which are surprising. I have kept bees four years, commencing with nine colonies in box hives. At the end of the first season, I had fourteen, all told. I buried them according to the plan recommended in Langstroth’s ‘Hive and Honey Bee,”’ and lost two. The second summer I had fourteen new swarms, making my stock twenty-six in the fall ; but, as the season was a poor one, | had no surplus honey. I buried them in clumps, as before, and in the spring found three were nov est. This was the spring of 1869. During the ensuing summer, I had twenty-four new swarms and nine hundred (900) pounds of surplus honey, and began to know something of the habits, &c., of bees. In the fall of 1869, I built a bee house for wintering, 10 feet by 20, outside measure, 8 feet by 18 inside. The walls were made by using two rows of studding, boarded up outside and insideofeach row, leaving an air space between the walls, and filling - between the studding with saw dust. This spring I had forty-six good stocks, and have obtained 2,194 pounds of No. 1 honey. I have now one hundred and ten (110) colonies, all but three or four in good condition for wintering. I have no Italian bees, as I wished to learn to manage and handle the blacks, before trying any that might require more skill. I use Langstroth’s ‘‘ shaliow things.”? All except five of my swarms are in frame hives, and every comb is straight with not over sixteen square inches of drone comb to a hive. Sixty-nine of my queens are of the present season. All my new colonies were made artificially, except six. I made them by starting nuclei, and building up by taking comb, honey, and brood from strong stocks. I fed each colony a little syrup every alternate day from April 1 to June 1. Nearly all the surplus honey of this year is inade from or gathered from white clover blossoms. Last year it was from linden or basswood.—I should like to know if Novice or others using the melextractor, have had any trouble with the honey fermenting after being canned. I have had several cans spoil. It assumed a reddish hue and became watery in appearance. I should like to know how to avoid losing any in future.—A. B. CHENEY. WINCHESTER, VA., September 10.—This has been a good season for honey, but few swarms. I started in the spring with sixty-four colonies and have had twenty-one swarms. They will make a fine lot of honey. I use the Langstroth hive. Some of my neighbors that have ten or twelve old-fashioned box hives, think the Langstroth hive costs too much, but come to me every fall to buy honey. I have seven colonies of Italian bees. I think they are superior to the black bee, both for swarming and making honey. I obtained my queens of Mr. Henry Alley. I think he deserves great credit for sending pure queens and acting honorably with his patrons. My bees are not making any honey now, as there was no buckwheat sown in this part of the country. The most that we have to depend on in this country is white clover and blue thistle. We sowed one pound of Alsike clover seed in April, 1869, and mowed it for seed July 25, 1870. I thought it a humbug, but am agreeably disappointed. My bees worked on it from early morn till late at night. The farmers are much pleased with it, both for hay and puasture.—B. F. MONTGOMERY. —_——_———__2-e It cannot be too deeply impressed on the mind of the bee-keeper, that a small colony should be confined to a small space, if we wish the bees to work with the greatest energy, and offer the stoutest resistance to their numerous enemies.— Langstroth. 96 THE AMERICAN {For Tbe American Bee Journal.] Two Queens in One Hive. When removing some honey boxes on the 25th of July last, I found that a large strong stock had two queens. I seein Vol. V., No. 8, of the Journal, that Mr. E. M. Johnson discovered two queens in one of his hives in January. Before movable comb hives were used to any great ex- tent, such a thing was considered impossible’s but we hear of such cases frequently, now that we have easy access tothe interior of our hives. After removing the boxes, I placed them in my cellar, to have the bees go back to their hives ; which they all did, except those in one box. which I found contained the queen that I had saved about a fortnight before, a few days after they had swarmed. Inremoving a frame of brood to give to a weak stock, when brushing off the bees in front of the hive, I saw there was a fine look- ing queen with them. She went into the hive and was received by the bees. Now, why was this queen in a box containing sealed honey? I should judge both queens were fertile. The bees had killed off their drones a number of days be- fore, so that they did not think of swarming. Now can we say positively that two queens are not tolerated in one hive? Is it not possible that the workers cluster around them, and keep them apart? The next day, I returned the queen, after smoking both queen and bees. She was well received, and was all right the next time I opened the hive; and for all I know, they have two queens still. If other bee-keepers have such cases, I should be pleased to hear from them through the Journal. A. GREEN, Amesbury, Mass., Aug. 15, 1870. os [For The American Bee Journal.] Bee Houses. Mr. Epiror :—It is now admitted that bee houses are requisite for lLee-keepers in this | climate. I have recently seen that ‘‘concrete buildings”’ are ‘‘cheap and substantial. For dwellings, all hollow walls and lathing are dispensed with,”’ and they are ‘‘found to be as dry as wooden houses.’’ It is also said—‘‘ The heat wouid he so long retained in the walls, that the saving in fuel would be no inconsiderate item.’’ It appears to me that this is just what is wanted in those localities where the material can easily be had. Will some of your correspondents, acquainted with the subject, give an opinion as to their adaptability, and mode of construction ? TyRo.” | Ontario, Canada. —_————>-——_—_______.. The blossoms of onions abound in honey, the odor of which, when first gathered, is very offen- sive; but before it is sealed over, this disap- pears.—LANGSTROTH. ; BEE JOURNAL. [Ocr., [For the American Bee Journal. ] Bees in Hancock County, Indiana. Mr. Eprror :—Having been raised in the mountains of Virginia, I had not much chance for schooling and do not expect to write any- thing smart ; but in my blundering manner will try to tell you how I am getting along in the bee business. In the fall of 1868, I had twelve stands of black bees in log and box hives. All seemed to be in nice order and doing well. But they became subject to dysentery, flux, or whatever you may please to callit. The disease did its work, and next spring I had one colony left, with not over a quart of bees. But 1869 wasa good season for bees. My one colony cast five swarms, and the first swarm cast one also— making seven in all. All wintered well on their summer stands. This spring I bought Langstroth hives, and on the 27th of May got a man that understood the business to come and help me transfer and divide them. We put them in fourteen hives, and all are doing well. We took away the black queens and gave them Italian queens— one of which died or was killed before com- mencing to lay, for which my man sent me another in her place. Another either died or was killed, nine days after she was introduced, but left plenty of young brood; and they have not less than fifteen queen cells capped and nearly ready to hatch. Query, would it be better to divide them as they are very strong, and then have their queens fertilized by black drones, as I have no Italian drones yet? Or should I let them alone, and let them swarm or kill off all their queens but one, as they see fit ? I intend to divide all my bees as soon as Italian drones are plenty. Mine are the only — Italian bees in this settlement, and the woods are full of black bees. I shall be troubled with hybrids, but intend to keep on in the good work until I have them all pure Italians. Our country is almost covered—that is, pas- tures and meadows—with white clover. Even the lanes and highways are white with its bloom, and bees have a good time gathering honey. Iam well pleased with the JouRNAL, and add the names of some bee-keepers, who perhaps do not yet take it. J think you would do well to send them specimen numbers. JONATHAN SMITH. Willow Branch, Ind. > BEES ALOFT.—About two years ago, a swarm of bees was discovered in the steeple of the Congregational Church in Gilsum, N. H., where they have since remained. As a result, fifty-six pounds of honey were recently obtained from the sacred edifice.—Boston Journal. Light colonies, deficient in honey, should be fed in the latter part of September or early in October. If feeding is begun early, in seasons where late forage is abundant, there will be a great waste of honey.—Langstroth. \MERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C, AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. [For the American Bee Journal.] ®* GQure of Foulbrood. Mr. Eprror :—I promised, (vol. V., page 187,) _ toreport how my refrigerator wintered its colony. The frames were covered with a piece of old carpeting, and the whole space outside the inner hive packed with straw and shavings. This spring it was in splendid condition, and it was found necessary to remove brood and cut out queen cells as early as the 20th of May ; and, for this locality, the surplus would have been large, if I had not been obliged to break up the colony ' on account of foulbrood. You can imagine my disappointment when my apiarian friend, Mr. Swett of West Mansfield, pointed out to me this loathsome disease in my choicest Italian colony, early in June, when up _ to that time I had supposed that everything was ." ‘pets. prosperous with my twelve colonies. After a thorough examination I found six hives more or less affected, and according to high authority, should be condemned to death. The other six appeared free from disease at this time, although three more subsequently became diseased. This is my second summer of bee-keeping, and all the duties pertaining to an apiary were en- tered into with the enthusiasm, and shall I con- fess it, the ignorance and carelessness of a novice, Yes, ignorance and culpable carelessness, for in gathering empty combs from various quarters, the disease was introduced and spread among my One hive, in particular, of empty comb had the peculiar odor, perforated cells, and brown viscid fluid, with which I have since become so familiar this summer ; and it seems unaccounta- ble to me, how any person with the Bee Journal wide open and Quinby’s instructions before him, could be so careless as to give such combs to his bees. But such was the fact, and foulbrood spreading right and left. What shall be done to get rid of it? Shall Quinby be followed, purify the hive and honey by scalding, and treat the colony asa new swarm; or shall the heroic treatment of Alley be adopted ; bury or burn bees and hive, combs and all? The latter has sent me some fine queens ; but the former has always given re- liable advice, and I shall follow his instructions with two colonies which are past all cure, and reserve the others for treatment, hoping that I NOVEMBER, 1870. No. 5. may find some cure, or at least palliative for the disease, and add my mite of experience, and, perhaps, useful knowledge to our Bee Journal. Accordingly, June 8th, the combs of the two condemned colonies were melted into wax, the honey drained over and scalded, and the bees, after a confinement of forty hours, were treated like new swarms ; and now, September 18th, are perfectly healthy and in fine condition for winter. I will not occupy your valuable space with all the details of my experiments and fights (which lasted through three months) with the trials of doses of different strengths and kinds, with old comb and new, with young queens and old ones, and with no queen at all, and how, in doing this, I was obliged to keep up the strength of the colony for fear of robbeis and of spreading the disease to my neighbors. Suffice it to say, that after two months I had made no apparent head- way, although still determined to ‘‘ fight it out on this line, if it took all summer’’ and my last hive. In fact, I devoted my apiary to the study of this disease, and, perhaps, death. Starting with, and holding to the theory that foulbrood is contagious only by the diffusion of living germs of feeble vitality, (and I was strengthened in my conjecture in microscopical examinations, by finding the dead larve filled with nucleated cells,) I determined to try those remedies which have the power of destroying the vitality of these destructive germs, these living organisms. And no remedies seemed to me more potent than carbolic acid and hyposulphite of soda. At first used both, making one applica- tion of each, with an interval of one day, and with apparent benefit. But, attributing the improvement to the more powerful of the two, I abandoned the hyposulphite and used the ‘car- bolic acid alone, and I was so infatuated with the idea of its superiority, that I did not give it up until three of the four hives had become so hope- lessly diseased, that the combs. were destroyed and the colonies treated to new combs (as it was late in the season, ) and freely fed with sugar and water. These are now in good condition for winter. The fourth hive was carried a mile away, the queen caged, and the colony strengthened with a medium sized second swarm. After a)l the brood, which was advanced, had left the cells, L transferred the colony toa clean hive ; thoroughly Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. : 98 sulphured the old hive with burning sulphur, and stored it away in a safe place for future ex- periments. I now thought my apiary free from the pest ; but on thoroughly examining the whole, three new cases of foulbrood were found—one very badly affected, and two slightly so, with perhaps twenty to forty cells diseased and per- forated. This was about the 1st of August, and again hyposulphite of soda was selected for the trial; and from the first application I have had the disease under control. Three days ago IJ ex- amined the three colonies thoroughly, and found no new cells diseased in the two which had been the least affected ; and in the almost hopelessly diseased one (as much diseased, in fact, as any of those that I destroyed,) an entire brood had been raised, with not over fifty or sixty diseased and perforated cells with dead larvee remaining, most on one comb, and nearly all the cells con- tained a new supply of eggs; this colony is cer- tainly convalescent, and I think now, from the recent and second application of the hyposulphite of soda, is entirely cured. Still, I should not be surprised to find two or three, or even more, perforated cells after this second crop of brood has hatched, as the whole hive, honey, and comb, had been for so long a time so thoroughly satu- rated with the disease, and at least two-thirds of the cells had, before the medicine was used, been filled with putrid larve. If so, I shall treat it to a third dose. Now, Mr. Editor, as itis frequently of as much practical importance to tell how to administer a remedy, as it is to know its name, I will ask your indulgence a little longer, hoping that others may improve upon my remedy or at least test it, if they are so unfortunately ignorant and careless as I was, in bringing ‘‘the wolf home to the fold.’’ The solution of hyposulphite of soda which I used, was one ounce to half a pint of rain water. With this I thoroughly washed out every diseased cell with an atomizer, after opening the cap; also spraying over the whole of the combs and the inside of the hive. The instrument I use is a spray producer, invented by Dr. Bigelow of Boston, and sold by Codman & Shurtleff of that city. There are two small metallic tubes, a few inches long, soldered together; and by placing the point of exit of the spray at the lower part of the cell, the whole of the contents of the cell is instantly blown out upon the metallic tubes. With a very little practice there is no necessity for polluting the comb with the putrid matter. Place the comb perfectly upright or alittle leaned towards you, and there is no difficulty; yet, if a drop should happen to run down the comb, it would dono harm, but had better be carefully absorbed with a piece of old dry cotton cloth. I quite frequently do this with the bees on the comb, as it does them no harm, to say the least, to get well covered with the vapor. It is not at all injurious to the larve, after they are two or three days old, though it may be before that time, as I have noticed that after using the hyposulphite where there are eggs and very young larvee, the next day the cells are perfectly clean. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [Nov., There are many interesting points which have come up during my summer’s fight, which I would speak of; but I have already gone beyond all reasonable bounds in this communication. Epwarp P. ABBE. New Bedford, Mass., Sept. 18, 1870. [Translated from the Bienenzeitung, For the American Bee Journal.] Queen Breeding, To obtain not only purely fertilized queens, but fine, bright yellow ones, I have for some years proceeded thus: As all Italian queens do not produce equally fine drones, J mark those stocks in the course of the summer which contain queens producing the choicest of these. Then, in the following spring, when I desire to have a plentifulsupply of prime Italian drones early, and before common drones make their appearance in neighboring apiaries, insert in the hives thus selected and marked,_- combs of worker brood taken from other colonies. ¢ Ido this in order to make those colonies very populous, so as to induce drone-egg-laying; for a queen will always be disposed to commence doing so, if she is in a strong colony well supplied with honey, or is well fed. As soon as I find that / those colonies are becoming populous under this management, I insert some empty drone comb in the centre of the hrooding space. These the queen, stimulated by liberal feeding, will speed- ily supply with eggs; and when the drone brood so produced is nearly mature, I subdivide these combs and insert pieces in nuclei previously fur- nished with young bees, worker brood, and eggs, taken from the colonies containing the choice queens from which I design to breed, and which are known to produce the largest, most active, and best marked workers. As the drones form the brood thus introduced mature several days sooner, than the young queens bred in the same nuclei, there is a strong probability that the latter will be fertilized by them and consequently produce fully marked choice progeny, as it is certain that queens will ” almost invariably be fertilized early if they and the drones are bred in the same hive or nucleus, » since that secures the simultaneous flight of — both and obviates the necessity of a wide range in their excursions. I adopt this process also, because if the Italian drones of the colonies, which contain the young queens, are poorly marked and dark yellow in color, we cannot rea- sonably look for bright and handsomely marked progeny. At about ten o’clock in the morning of a calm, clear day, when the young queen is at least two” days old, I feed the bees of the nucleus with ai-§ : luted honey. Drones and queens willthen almost’. invariably issue at the same time, and before } common drones from other colonies or neigh-* boring apiaries are on the wing. Thus both disappointment and delay are ina great mea- sure precluded. Ido not stimulate the bees of 5 the nucleus by feeding either on the first or the second day after a young queen has left her cell, | because she is then yet too feeble to make an | ‘to lay on the third or fourth day thereafter. fe L. / ; 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 99 excursion with safety. But I have frequently succeeded in having fertilization effected on the third or fourth day, in favorable weather, when the nucleus thus stimulated contained both drones and queen; and in many cases the queens began In this way, I not only obtain many (I do not say all) purely fertilized queens; but also very superior ones, large, vigorous, and prolific, pro- ducing both workers and drones well marked and brightly colored. I do not indeed claim that this process gives us absolute certainty, but only a very great probability, that the queens we rear will be purely fertilized. Other bee-keepers too, who employed it long before the Koehler method was promulgated, regard it as furnishing the most likely means of assuring success. Thus, for instance, the President of the Bee-keeper’s Union of Moravia, Dr. Ziwanski, who is not a blind imitator of others, but a careful and indefatiga- ble inquirer, never recommending aught for adoption till he has himself tested it with suc- cess, found my method worthy of adoption five years ago already, for his annual report for 1865 contains the following passage :— ‘“*T made five nuclei this year, with fresh brood from pure original Italians. When fitting them up, I recollected a suggestion of the Rev. Mr. Sta- hala, and inserted both drone and worker brood in four of them, omitting the drone brood in the fifth. The queens of the first four mentioned were purely fertilized, while the one in the fifth nucleus mated with a common drone. This result induces me to invite your attention to the fact, for it is reasonable to presume that queens making their excursions will be more likely to mate with drones from their own hives flying simultaneously, than with drones from other and distant hives. The queen usually makes such excursions only at periods when drones are flying, and there is then generally great commo- ‘tion in the hive, as though there was much eager- ness to get abroad and enjoy the genial air. Still, too much must not be expected from this sugges- tion and its adoption. Itis not supposed that any preliminary arrangements or appointments are made by drones or queens, before the excursion is undertaken; but merely that there is a much greater probability that parties flying at the same time and necessarily in close proximity, will mate, than those starting from remoter points. Hence since it can can do no possible harm to supply our nuclei with drone and drone-brood in this manner, the plan should by no means be disregarded when preparing to Italianize an apiary.’’ By means of this process, having selection to to a great degree in my power, I frequently ob- _tain queens nearly entirely yellow, having black only at the extremity of the abdomen. I have procured queens for breeding from both Dzier- zon and Mona. The young queens breed from Dzierzon’s stock were at first handsomer than those bred from Mona’s. But in later years, since using the method I now recommend, 1 obtain equally fine queens from the latter’s stock. The drones from Mona’s queens were, from the start yellower than those from Dzierzon’s, which were only faintly tinged with yellow on the sides, and had dark orange bands. Observing this, I then took worker brood and queen cells from the Dzierzon’s queens, with drones and drone-brood from the Mona queens, to furnish the same nu- cleus, and thus obtained regularly very handsome queens, bright workers, and very fine drones. J. STaAHALA, Pastor. Dolein, near Olmutz, Feb. 5., 1870. oe-> [For the American Bee Journal. ] Purity of Italian Queens. Your correspondent, E. L. Briggs, in the August number of the Journal, has stirred up the bee-keepers a little; and for fear they will not discuss the point which most interests me, I drop you a line, hoping that those who have had more experience may be able to settle the question. It is a fact which I think no one will deny, that it would be for the interest of every one selling queens, to send only such as are purely fertilized. It being as easy to rear queens from pure eggs as from any other, we may look to some other cause than selfishness or cheapness of the price for the difficulty. I have managed my apiary under the impression that the Dzierzon theory is correct, that the drones from a pure queen which had mated with a black drone, were pure. I have failed in keeping my stock pure enough to breed from; and in my opinion, other bee- keepers who have reared queens in the same way, are as badly off asmyself. If we wish to improve the Italian bee, we may do so by selecting the best of its race, both male and female, to breed from ; not by crossing with the black bee. The type of the Italian bee should be so fixed, that the bees all show the same marking. We may fix the type of any admixture of the German and Italian bees, so that they will have similar mark- ings. The crossing has been so recent in many cases, that there is no uniformity of color. Breeders of choice stock look as much to the quality and purity of the male as the female parent. Itis my present belicf that bees are as much subject to the rule, as the animal creation are. I look for higher results than any yet attained, when we control (as we soon shall) the mating of our queens; and the low priced ones have given me the most satisfaction so far. L. C. WHITING. East Saginaw, Mich. ered [For the American Bee Journal.] Italian Queens. Mr. Eprror :—Since so much has been said of late about Italian queens, (especially cheap ones, ) I feel it my duty, in justice to Mr. Alley, to say, that I purchased one of his $2.50 queens last June and have bred sixteen queens from her, besides a host of drones and workers; and the facts are, first, her progeny are all three-banded ; 100 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., second, she is the most prolific queen in my apiary; third, her workers are very industrious ; fourth and last, I am not at all out of patience because she cost me only $2.50. Five dollars will not buy her to-day; and if [ have the good luck to keep her till next June (supposing she is young, as claimed by Mr. Alley), I shall not want to part with her for two fives. All who have seen her and her workers, pronounce them beauties ; and Italian bees are nothing new in these parts. JAMES HEDDON. Dowagiac, Mich., Sept., 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice. Mr. Eprror :—Sometime ago, in one of our articles, we mentioned that we considered the “‘Apiary’’ department in the ‘‘Rural New Yorker’ of more real worth than some of the periodicals specially devoted to bees. We had then seen about half a dozen of the **Rurals’’ that contained some very good articles, from the pens of intelligent bee-keepers who were well up to the times. Since then, how- ever, we have seen so much else there so greatly behind the times, that we must think our deci- sion then a little hasty. For instance last week a bee-keeper takes the trouble to inform the pub- lic that ‘‘hives should be moved in the night when the bees are all in, for he had just moved some in the day time and a large number that were out, never found their hive on their return. So take notice everybody, always move your bees at night! As this was given as a piece of valu- able information, we looked in vain for some note from the editors, cautioning their readers against falling into the same error, and pointing it out. And then we wondered if the editors knew any better, or anything about bees at all, for many of their articles seem to imply that they are unin- formed and publish anything they come across, indiscriminately, truth and error, without note or comment. The editor of the Apiculturist thought it the height of absurdity because we seemed to con- sider him in any way responsible for what his correspondent wrote. We certainly were so inno- cent as to suppose that an editor knew what he was going to publish, and that should a corre- spondent send him an article containing a very gross error, calculated to lead beginners astray, he would tell such correspondent his mistake, without using his article ; or if it contained some- thing else good and valuable, and he decided to publish it, he would kindly mention the mistake or error, in a little note somewhere, and give his readers confidence by letting them know that some one was ‘‘running the machine’’ ‘‘some- where.”’ There are a large number of good farmers who refuse to read agricultural papers, because they say, and with considerable reason, that more than half that is written is ‘‘impracticable nonsense.’’ We believe the American Avriculturist and the American Bee Journal are at least two noble ex- ceptions. None of their readers can fail to know that each of those papers is edited by some one who is fully posted, and is at home too every time. The Apiculturist intimates that we think no one else has a right to starta bee journal. So far from that we would be glad to subscribe this minute for half a dozen more; if they were in charge of competent men and had the broad plat- form before them that our own Journal has— namely, the advancement of bee culture for the nation at large. We should have replied to the Apiculturist be- fore, but he ‘‘ called names,’’ and when we were a small boy we used to make it a principle . that when our comrades called us names, we ‘“‘wouldn’t play any more,’’ and we feel just so still. We, too, Mr. Editor, noticed the mention in the ‘‘Scientific American,’’ of the chicken roost bee arrangement to stop moths, and felt pained to think that anything, so far behind the times, should be found in that paper. Then, again, we noticed shortly after where they advised a corre- spondent to chop up his combs and strain the honey out, and mentioned too that it was said that the outside combs contained the nicest honey! Have Munn & Co., too, been sleeping in Rip Van Winkle style, or do they think us Bee Journal people not to be depended on? We have had many letters from highly intelli- gent people, even professors in colleges, asking about the melextractor and inquiring whether there was no serious objection to such unnatural treatment of bees ? ‘‘Unnatural treatment,’’ indeed! About the 25th of last June, a farmer-called on us to know where he could sell his honey best. On asking him how he had got it so early, he coolly informed us that he had taken it up, as 7t seemed full’ But how about the brood? He didn’t know what we meant by brood, but had thrown away the young bees and did not think that they were of any use! Murdered thousands of young innocents before the end of June! Of course such treat- ment is perfectly natural and right. get much for his honey. Mr. Editor, we are getting hoarse in trying to explain, and all we tell inquirers now is to get the ‘* American Bee Journal.’? Yet many, many times they can’t afford it, and many more times don’t get time to read it. Yet the same persons will say—‘* Why, Novice, your forty-six hives of bees have been worth more to you than any hun- dred acre farm in Medina county,’’ and go home quite excited. We have had a few weeks’ drouth, the first this season, and it soon stopped the honey from autumnal wild flowers. . Since Mr. Tillinghast suggested our being called ‘‘ Expert’? (or some such foolishness), we think we could hardly be honest without con- fessing some of our work this fall. For instance, we removed queen from No. 23, August 9th, and ten days after cut out thirty-two (82) queen cells. We have mentioned before that we tried hatch- ing some of them in cages, and the rest were put in hives from which we had removed hybrid queens. Wewere such an expert at the business that we hatched about one-half the thirty-two, and after they were hatched, we bungled the life He didn’t — DAT yet a nn ee a ee eee eT ee aes iis <2 true. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 101 out of every one—some by artificial fertilization experiments; and the rest wouldn’t lay and finally died their ‘‘own selves.”’ Well, (we have considerable patience, ) we tried again ; removed queen from No. 16, August 28, and cut out twenty-one (21) cells ten days after. Of these we did raise five laying queens; and most of the other cells were destroyed by laying them on the top of the frames when the weather was too cool. In fact we have had more cells destroyed this fall than ever before, and only saved five by inserting them carefully in place of one cut out. Now, Mr. Editor, we should have felt somewhat better at this result, had we not discovered that the original queen removed from No. 16 had been killed, and only a miserable, small, black queen reared in her place. She was put in a hive in which we had a caged, unfertile queen, and we neglected to look whether they had raised any more. IJneacusable carelessness, we call it. To shorten the matter, we sent Mr. Grimm fifty dollars on Monday morning ,and received twenty-five nice queens (or a part of them at least) on Saturday afternoon. Is not that pretty prompt ? Now, Mr. Editor, we are going to take this queen raising business up next spring just where we left off ; and if we can’t do better, and at least raise enough for our own apiary, we shall call ourself something worse than October 10, 1870. Novice. [For the American Bee Journal,] ° Natural, prolific, and hardy Queens. PART 3. Answer to Charles Dadant and Willard J- Davis, in September number of the American Bee Journal, pages 60 and 61. To commence with Mr. Dadant. He says, first, that ‘‘ we are all disposed to regard our own ideas as indisputable.”’ Answer. Prove all things ; then hold fast to the Do not condemn before trial. Ihave been several years experimenting and am satisfied with my method, as a means of procuring natu- ral, prolific, hardy and long-lived queens—far, far ahead of any yet given to the public. It having relieved me from the disappointment and losses heretofore experienced in artificial swarm- ing, with forced or artificial queens, I have freely given my mode to the public, for adoption or rejection, as they see fit. Those who are seé in their way, are under no obligation to either adopt or even try my mode; but there are those who are not satisfied with their present light, and who will be benefited by the knowledge of an improved process, and to them my communica- tions are addressed. He says, second, that I ‘‘condemn all artificially raised queens.”’ Answer. I do: as against nature, reason, and common sense. I see a difference in a provision of nature, by means of which a swarm, acci- dentally deprived of its queen, can temporarily replace her, till one can be raised in a more natural way, and the way men in their wisdom are running the race out. You yourself prove my position by almost every line of your article, if you would only place your trials, troubles, vexa- tions, and losses to their right account—forced or artifictully raised queens. New brood may seem- ingly save you for a time; but when all breeders have the cholorosis stamped on the product of their apiaries, like will beget like. He says, in the third place—‘‘ why does friend Price imagine that artificial queens are not as good as natural ones ?”’ Answer. Becausé convinced by years of experi- ment and careful comparison (not hard to see, I assure you) of natural with forced queens raised by the means you have mentioned in your article, and by others not mentioned. Even now Iam trying the experiment of raising forced queens from the brood of a pure Italian queen received last spring from a celebrated breeder. But so far I have only succeeded in raising cripples, drone layers, and non-egg-hatching queens. Most of them play out before commencing to lay; yet [have raised them from the egg—not one of them hatching before the sixteenth day. He says, fourth, after giving away or getting queens from the egg, ‘‘I guess this method is as good as, and more simple than, that of friend Price.’’ Answer. You would go through every motion that I do, and get two or three queens, worthless in comparison with natural ones; while I would secure from ten to sixty natural ones. If you followed your own method, you would have to divide almost every hive in your apiary, if you got through swarming in any season ; while by my method* one hive would furnish all the natural queen cells that would be wanted in the largest apiary in the time of natural swarming. He says, fifth, ‘‘a queen hatched from grubs three or four days old is just as good as any.”’ Answer. To sell! Sixth, he says, ‘‘many bee-keepers find the half-blood Italian bees are better than pure ones ’’—his reason being that in and in breeding is broken up. Answer. Those that receive them, let them swarm naturally ; thus the forcing is at an end, and nature again asserts her superiority. He says, seventh, ‘‘ In good seasons the queens raised in small nuclei are as good as those raised in full stocks.’’ Answer. He admits that they cannot at all times raise good ones. He had better have attributed it to the lack of a natural instinct to raise good ones. A swarm on the eve of swarm- ing, broken up into nuclei, would probably raise pretty fair queens—say half as good as natural ones. As well might you hire a rough wood chopper or ditcher to make a watch, as to set a nucleus of bees not having the swarming instinct, to raise a first rate chronometer balanced queen. Mr. W. J. Davis says that he does not know what effect my Revolvable, Reversible, Double- cased, Sectional Bee-hive may have had on the tender life of a young queen, forced or artificial. As Ihave only used my old Langstroth hives * My method and the use of Dr. Davis’ Quzen NoRsERY, 102 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., for nucleii; my hive has of course not had any influence on them, for good or evil. But my twenty young natural queens, taised by my method, are without exception hardy, prolific, and have every promise of being long-lived. Had they been forced queens two-thirds of them would have been played out before this time. They are as prolific as any of my old ‘‘ natural ”’ queens which I bought of those who practice natural swarming only. My R. R. D. C.S. B. Hive has a good effect on the life of natural queens ; and as Mr. Dadant says his bees in my hive have done better than in any other, and he has of several patents, and as he says he has only. raised forced queens, my R. R. D. C. 5. Bee- hive most probably saved him. Secondly, after reading all his conditions of age, Weather, season, stock, nuclei, time,. and ego, that have to be consulted to insure-a~ good queen by the forcing process, I have an idea that his queens are natural ones. Do you not bring your bees up to swarming and then secure their cells Gallup fashion? Gallup calls such natural queens. I should. Otherwise why not have good queens from March to October? Thirdly, Mr. Davis says that ‘‘if Mr. Price or any other man will, upon examination, decide correctly, by size or fertility (amount of brood), which are of the former and which are of the latter class, he may pick out ten as large and yellow queens as he ever saw, and I will make him a present of the same.”’ Answer. Ihave only one artificial queen lay- ing, my pure prolific Italian. I will guarantee any of my black, ‘‘ young or old,’’ or other natural queens, to fill five frames with brood quicker than she can fill one; and if you, or “any other man,’’? cannot see any difference between my forced queenst and my natural ones, you must be deficient in the organs of size and weight, and would not be able to tell a Shetland pony from an elephant. Joun M. Pricz. Buffalo Grove, Iowa. - ~— [For the American Bee Journal.] Introducing Queens. Dr. H. C. Barnard in the June number of the A. B. Journal, gave directions for introducing — queens by fumigating with tobacco smoke. I had introduced them by means of the queen cage, and sprinkling them with sweetened water scented with the essence of peppermint. But as this seemed to be a better plan, I thought I would try it. I caged the queen to be introduced, and followed his directions to the letter, but what do you think I had? A laying queen in twelve hours? Nay, verily, but a dead queen, and half the bees dead and driven from the hive. Now, Mr. Editor, I think a great deal of my bees, and when, in opening a hive, I carelessly kill one, I am always sorry ; but then to see them t Oranges, bananas, pineapples, and other tropical fruits are forced in hot-houses; but they never reach the size, flavor, or perfection of nature, slaughtered by wholesale, was very cruel to say the least. All the next day, whenever I passed that way, the well bees were driving off those that were crippled or had lost the use of their legs or wings. Besides this, while they were in no condition to repel an attack, the robber bees came in for a share, and I came very near losing them. They were not so drunk but that most of them could crawl round, and only a few of them fell to the bottom of the hive.-—Dr. Barnard said, ‘‘if they all fell to the bottom it would do no harm.’’ Now what was the cause of this failure? I could not have smoked them too much, according to his instructions, for nearly all of them could crawl round, when I first opened the hive to let the smoke out; yet it destroyed fully-halfofthem. Ido not write this by way of fault-finding, but so that nobody as green as I was, should undertake the same pro- cess, and have a like failure. G. M. DoouiTrTiLe. Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 1870. > [For the American Bee Journal.} The Looking-Glass Once More. Mr. Eprror :—I cannot think, as Mr. Nesbit does on pages 80, 81 of the last number of the Journal, that either one of his suppositions in regard to the old woman’s bees, would do to rely upon. so defective as to be unable to fly a distance of © It is not at all likely that a queen © two hundred and fifty yards, would ever have — been found where this one was.—And as to there being two or more young queens with the swarm, that may be true; but that they went with that swarm in sufficient numbers to divide them on the apple tree, is positively an erroneous idea. The swarm was followed from the apple tree on | which a portion of them was first discovered, to — the one on which they clustered last, and they did not seek a place so hidden from view as to | make it difficult even for me to see that they selected a bare limb on which to settle. They were hived without difficulty, but proved to be bent on pitching their tent in some other section, by leaving the old box hive unobserved the next day. As to the ‘‘knot’’ theory, I have nothing ~ more to say—than that, if tried right, it will prove equally true with the tnverted glass theory. But as to the looking-glass having nothing to do with stopping a decamping swarm of bees, it is — a grand mistake. In conclusion, I append a portion of two letters which are before me, show- — ing that I am not the only man that places some ~ confidence in a good thing. ‘‘ BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio, June 25. ‘¢ At the time of swarming, In ever allow noise © of any kind, and have never had a swarm that — did not settle. If the apiarian sees his bees rise — high and act as though they were going to leave, — the reflection of a mirror thrown inamong them, ~ is the most efficient means that I know of to — make them alight.”’ 1870.] ‘WINCHESTER, Ohio, June 21. “‘Tf the apiarian finds that they will not settle, all that is necessary is for him to take a looking- glass and place it in such a position that it will reflect the rays of the sun among the bees, and they will generally settle immediately, : I write for the American Bee Journal for a purpose different from the object ofa Beoner: and when I appear as such, will be willing to wear a garb that will not fit Ignoramus. But, at the same time, if anything from me serves the purpose of teaching, it will be all right with your brother in bee-culture best known as IGNORAMUS. Sawyersville, N. C., Oct. 1, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal. ] More About the Looking-Glass. I see on pages 34 and 35, Vol. VI of the A. B. Journal, that Mr. H. Nesbit seems to doubt the efficacy of the looking-glass for stopping a ~swarm of bees. I would like to tell him an instance, and see if he doubts longer. A near neighbor of mine was at work for me one day, when his wife called him, for the bees were swarming. We went to his house and the bees were just clustering on a tree near by. He got a hive and was going to hive them, when they started to go off. He took a large looking-glass and ran to get up with them, for by this time they had got fifteen or twenty rods from where they had clustered. He reflected the rays of the sun upon them, and they soon began to think of lighting. As there were no trees near by, they began to cluster on his hat ; and he, being some- what afraid of bees, made good time for the house, Lassure you. They then settled ona postin the fence near by, and were hived. In about an hour they concluded to try for the woods again ; but the looking-glass brought them down once more, and they were hived a second time. In two hours after they started the third time. It being cloudy at the time, they made their escape, as the looking-glass would not work without the sun. Now, was the queen tired or defective, or was it the looking-glass thad proved efficient ? There were several persons, nearly a mile distant, who saw the reflected rays of the sun, their at- tention being called from their work by the brightness of the reflection. I am inclined to think it was the looking-glass, instead of the queen being tired or defective. I have since tried it, and never failed to stop a swarm when the sun shone. G. M. DoouiTTLe. Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 18,.1870 o-sm Pésel says that if a colony has suffered from hunger for twenty-four hours, the fertility of the queen will be greatly impaired, and never be re- covered. All futures are possible to Young Samson. The lion in his path he throttles, turning his carcass into a bee-hive. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. | 103 [For the American Bee Journal. ] The Hive Question. This question has again been revived for dis- cussion in the Journal, and several of our pat- entees and vendors have made pretty free use of its columns for ‘‘blowing”’ their particular inventions and wares. Prominent among them is Mr. J. H. Thomas; and as I have had some experience with his hive, I wish to have my say about it in particular, and other hivesin general. Mr. T. has gotten up a neat and substantial hiv e, and has admirably adapted the use of frames to the old form of the common box-hive—tall in proportion to its length and breadth. The frames are fixed in their relation to each other, but are as easily moved laterally, when desired, as the frames of any other hive. As there are only eight frames, they can be taken out and exam- ined, when looking’for queens, &c., quicker than can be done with hives containing a greater number of frames, and this seems to be consid- ered by some as of great importance. But I do not consider facilities for looking up queens, the most important requisite of a good hive; and I find in the fact of its having so few frames a very serious objection. In order to have the proper number of square inches of comb in a few frames, they have to be made comparatively large, which is the case with these. The frames are so large that, in very hot weather, when the hive is exposed to the sun, and the combs are full of honey, they break down and fall out of the frames, making a very undesirable muss in the hive. I have had this to happen repeatedly, even in his ‘‘double wall ‘‘self protecting hive,”’ so called, with all the ventilation that could be given it. By the way, he has lately made a change in the ventilation, by enlarging the entrance (an improvement) and by closing the inch and hole covered with wire cloth, in the bottom board, and making another in the back and about an inch above the bottom board. I do not know which is according to ‘‘ scientific principles,’’ and whether an improvement or not. It is true this breaking down of combs might be prevented by shading the hive; but the “ best hive in America” ought not to require this, as we do not always want our hives shaded. There are several other minor objections to Mr. T.’s hives, but a still more important one will be mentioned presently. Five years ago Mr. T.’s hive might have been considered a very good one, but “the world moves,’’ and no single department has made greater strides of progress in the last ten years than apiculture. His, ‘and all similar hives, lack one important feature to make it adapted to the present wants of all progressive bee-keepers. No hive should now claim perfection without being easily provided with extra frames for sur- plus honey to be used in the honey extractor, and these frames should be of the same size as those in the body of the hive. It should be well adapted to the use of the division board, with room at side or ends for surplus frames, or be easily and colveniently converted into a two- story hive, with frames in the upper story the 104 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., same size as below. —Tall hives with large frames are not well adapted to this purpose. The two- story Langstroth works well. Mr. Gallup’s and Mr. Truesdell’s style of hives can be easily arranged with additional frames at each end, or on top, or both. Now, I do not say that any and every hive thus arranged is perfect, but that no hive should lay claim to being the most per- fect hive made, without being adapted to such an arrangement; for it is important to give for the breeding capacity of the queen, and to fur- nish a sufficient amount of empty combs for the accumulated workers, and thereby obtain the greatest yield of honey with the extractor, or without it. ; Besides ‘‘ puffs’’ of particular hives, we have numerous articles on general principles to be observed in their construction—some approving and some condemning the shallow form of the Langstroth hive. In the August number, Mr. J. W. Seay pitches into the shallow hives on general principles and preconceived theories. Now, theories do well enough for fine talk, and are good when substantiated by facts. But facts are the things for the practical man, and one fact is worth a dozen theories. Mr.§.’s theory and deductions therefrom, in regard to the produc- tion of early brood, I do not find confirmed in my experience and observation ; and the facts of the case warrant a very different conclusion. A tall hive is thought best for wintering out doors, for we know the bees will place their stores above them when there is room. We know, also, that they do not cluster on the honey, but below it, and the heat from them ascends and makes their stores more accessible in cold weather. But how is it with the breeding early in the season? Mr. 8. says, ‘‘the bees in order to hatch brood as the weather becomes warm in the spring, will clus- ter at the larve end of said combs, &c. Now what he means by the ‘“‘larve’’ end of the comb, I do not exactly know. If he intends to say that they cluster at the bottom of the brood comb, so that the heat will ascend and warm up the upper part of the brood comb for the exten- sion of brood, facts do not warrant the asser- tion ; for it is well known that bees do not com- mence breeding at the lower end of the comb, except in a very rare case, when they have had the hive full of honey and have consumed none or only very little during the winter. As a gen- eral thing, they commence breeding near the centre, and frequently in the upper part of the hive. JI have known them, in the Thomas’ hive, to commence breeding within two inches of the top bar, with plenty of honey atthe sides. Now, when breeding is commenced near the top, the extension of brood in a tall hive must be chiefly downward—away from the heat generated in the cluster, instead of towards it. And for this reason, as the warmth of the cluster will be dif- fused laterally more readily than it will extend downwards, more rapid breeding will be induced in the shallow hive than in the deep one. This accords exactly with the facts of the case. If Mr. §. only means that the bees cluster on the larve and around it, he is correct; but this does not alter the conclusion. In stating that the bees will cluster and commence breeding in one end of the low hives, leaving the other end empty and cold, Mr. §. does not fairly state the case. They generally cluster near the centre of the hive, and the heat will radiate towards both ends. ; 7 But, we have had enough of theory. How stand the facts? I have had Mr. Thomas’ hive— one ‘of the best of the tall ones, and the Lang- stroth hive, side by side, for several years. Last winter I prepared eight of each kind for winter- ing on their summer stands, somewhat similar to the plan recommended by Mr. Langstroth. In the latter part of the winter one colony in a Langstroth hive was lost, not from any fault of the hive, but from my carelessness. At the opening of the spring, a thorough examination was made of each hive, with the following com- parison: Sirst—loss of honey was about alike in each kind ; some of each had nearly exhausted their stores, while others of each kind had more than enough, so that when equalized all had plenty. Second—loss of bees: In the Langstroth hives this was light. In four of them a spoonful of dead bees could not be found, The other three had a few dead bees. In one of the Thomas’ hives no dead bees were found. In two others not a great many, but more than in the worst of the Langstroth hives. The other five had a great many dead bees. The colonies were much reduced —one toa mere handful, with frames and hive badly soiled with their discharges, had to unite it with another hive. The T. hive that had no dead bees, was in a fence corner, nearly buried in snow all winter. Zhird—mould on combs. In all the Thomas’ hives there was more or less mould, except one. No mould in any of the Langstroth hives. Fourth—quantity of brood. Decidedly the most in the Langstroth hives, at the time of the examination, and tt increased faster, and they swarmed earlier than the tall hives. My first swarms came from the flat hives every sea- son. It may be said that the colonies in the flat hives, having lost only few bees in the win- ter, were stronger and would generate heat and naturally increase faster, and swarm earlier from this cause. I grant it; but one of the tall hives lost no bees, and was very strong, and yet did not breed as rapidly as the other.—I make this statement without favor or partiality. I expected a differeft result. I have no hives— patented or unpatented, no territory, or interest in any patent, to sell. I have made a hive on the plan of Mr. Gallup and Mr. Truesdell; which I believe possesses many advantages, and is capable of being used more ways, with the same size frame for all the different styles, than any hive I have seen de- scribed. The brood apartment is the plain box of Mr. Gallup —eleven inches wide, fourteen inches deep, eighteen inches long, or as much longer as may be desired. The frames are hung ~ across the narrow way. I have given greater depth and less width than my model, because I wanted to winter out-doors, and because I wanted to use the same frames in a non-swarmer, with two tiers of boxes at sides. We can use this hive—1st. as a simple frame hive, with large room on top for surplus boxes.—2d. By extending the length to any desired number of 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEEK JOURNAL. 105 frames, frames for surplus honey may be put in each end, for emptying with the extractor. —3d. It can be easily made a two-story hive, with frames in the upper story the same size as in the lower one.—4th. By having movable side- boards, it may be made a non-swarmer on Mr. Quinby’s and Mr. Alley’s principle, and piles of honey boxes may be put on the sides and top. Thave one made this way with thirteen frames, sixteen five pound boxes form the sides, and three twelve pound boxes on top, all enclosed in a suitable case. This is made somewhat like Mr. Alley’s hive ; but I think is better than his. To avoid one extreme—the flat form, he has gone to the other, and has his hive too tall and too narrow. From all that I have read from our best German and American writers on the subject, I think I have hit the ‘‘golden mean”’ of width and depth. The great beauty of it is that the same frame can be used in all the dif- ferent styles; and that we may have a variety of hives with but one size of frame. I call this hive, with its non-swarming and box arrangement, the ‘‘ QUINQUEPLEXAL-Du- PLEX-COMBINATION-NON-PATENTED - SUPERFLU- ouUs-HONEY-PRODUCING-HIVE.”’ Itissaid ‘‘there is nothing in a name,,”’ but if I could only get friend Price’s ‘‘Reversible-Revolwouble’’ attach- ment, with the privilege of adding the name, there would be considerable improvement in adopting this compellation for the modified arrangement. THADDEUS SMITH. Pelee Islund, Ontario, Sept. 10, 1870. 2 [For the American Bee Journal.] The Thomas Hive. Mr. Eprror :—I wish, with your permission, to correct some few errors which have appeared in the Journal with regard to the Thomas hive in Canada. Mr. J. H. Thomas, in the July number of the Journal, says—‘‘It is the principal hive in use in Canada.’’ Again, in the correspondence of the Bee Journal, September No., page 71, Mr. H. Lipset says—‘‘The Thomas hive is all the go in Ontario.”’ How is it that men will make such extravagant statements? Now for a few facts, as the bee-men say. One of my neighbors, an intelligent and scien- tific bee-keeper, having been bred to the business, received a hive from Mr. Thomas, and after giv- ing it four or five years’ trial, says he would not use the hives if he could get them for nothing. A Mr. Conger, of this county, whose son was an agent for the Thomas hive, told me lately that he had thrown the Thomas hive aside, in favor of a hive similar to Langstroth’s shallow form. Mr. Walter Taylor, of Fitzroy Harbor, Onta- rio, formerly an agent for the Thomas hive, wrote me last winter that he would get his bees out of the Thomas hive as soon as possible, as he had found the shallow Langstroth hive was ‘*just the thing.”’ I know of no person, making bee-keeping a‘ ‘business,’’? who uses the Thomas hive. After all, the Canadian bee-keepers ought to feel proud of having a man among them who has produced the ‘‘best bee hive in America.’’ Where are Dr. Conklin, D. L. Adair, and J. M. Price with his revolvable, reversible—and so on to the end of the chapter? Echo answers—nowhere ! This has been a good year for bees in this part of Ontario. Yet a man living five miles from here, and using the Thomas hive, says it has been a very bad season. I commenced in the spring with forty-five hives, several of them being very weak from want of honey. I now have eighty-seven good stocks and sixteen hundred (1600) pounds of box honey, besides about ten frames full. Two stocks that did not swarm produced eighty-five (85) pounds each, of box honey. My first swarm of the sea- son, which came off June 13th and was put in an empty hive, stored sixty-six (66) pounds of honey in boxes, besides losing a frame of honey which melted down with the extreme heat which prevailed this summer. The foregoing, of course, does not come up to the big stories we read in the Journal; but it is very good for this section of Ontario, and pays very well. My hives contain nine frames, 16? inches long and 84 inches deep, inside. The frames run from front to rear. The hive is similar in shape to Langstroth’s shallow form. I obtain earlier Swarms and more surplus honey than any other person in these parts using a deeper form of hive. While I put boxes on the top I would not use any other form of hive. I think that Alley’s new style of Langstroth hive is the best for ob- taining surplus honey in boxes that was ever in- vented. Iconstructed two hives last year, as an experiment, similar to Mr. Alley’s. One of these gave me the sixty-six pounds before men- tioned. W. Baker, in the September correspondence of the Journal, says that his bees swarmed without making any preparation. Many of mine did the same thing this summer. In opposition to this, on examining a hive five days after a swarm left it, I found a laying queen, and from the number of eggs I saw, I should think she had been lay- ing twenty-four hours at least. In looking over the Bee Journal, I am sur- prised to see that so many bee-keepers still use a pan of chips, old rags, rotten wood, &c., with which to smoke their bees. I use a pipe, which for convenience and efficiency, I think cannot be surpassed, notwithstanding Mr. Thomas to the contrary. It consists of a tin tube, six inches long and one inch in diameter, having a funnel soldered to the inside, about 1} inches from one end, as shown in the annexed figure : The funnel] or cone is punched full of small holes. Into each end of the tube a bored plug, a and 3, is nicely fitted. The plug d is cut so as to be easily held between the teeth. To get the smoke, draw out the plug 8, fill the space c with some 106 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., combustible material, then with the plug a in the mouth, it may be lighted with a match, like a common pipe. When lighted, insert the plug bin its place, and blow away. Ihave used cut tobacco till lately, but now find dry corn silk much better. The advantage of this pipe is, that it can be held in the mouth, and the smoke directed where it is wanted, while the hands are free to operate with. This is a great conve- nience, especially in taking off boxes. GEORGE CoRK. Bloomfield, Ontario. egy ——— [For the American Bee Journal.] Shallow Hives, or Deep? Mr. Eprror:—In the September number of the Journal, Dr. B. Puckett criticises an article of mine in the July number, and asks me to ex- plain wherein the shallow Langstroth hive is lacking. When I wrote the article referred to, my object was to show that the shallow hive could be al- tered to a different form, and that those who were using it, and considered it too shallow, need not throw their hives away. I said it was not a good hive for wintering in the open air, or for early spring. I did not think it necessary to give my reasons in detail, why it was not good; for that matter I considered had been already fully discussed in the Journal. Butas Dr. P. requests it, I will explain. For wintering in a cellar, the hive is perhaps good enough. But I do not want to be obliged to house my bees. Sometimes I have plenty of room in the cellar, and sometimes not. If the hives are of suitable form for wintering in the open air, I can let them remain out, when it is not convenient to carry them in. But the great objection to them is in early spring. Dr. P. asks if it is the fault of the hive that the old bees die off, or that bees are destroyed by cold winds? Of course itisnot. Butif aswarm is not breeding enough to make up that loss, there must be a fault somewhere. When we take bees from the cellar, we expect that they will have brood in all stages, from the egg just laid to young bees just enaw- ing out. We expect too that the queen will con- tinue to deposit eggs, even more rapidly, because of the excitement produced by the bees flying, and especially if they are fed rye meal, as mine always are. I said, after they had been out a month, there appeared to be fewer bees than when first carried out. We expect a loss the first day or two after taking them out, but soon afterward, the bees should be increasing ; and at the end of a month, which brings it into April, there should be a decided increase. In deeper hives, according to my experience, it is so; and the deeper the hive the greater the increase. The reason why the shallow hive is not good for early spring, as I understand, is this : as soon as severe weather is past, we want to confine the animal heat as much as possible to the hive, that the bees may breed rapidly. Consequently we shut off all upward ventilation. The coldest part of a hive is near the entrance and so along the bottom board. The farther the bees get from the bottom, the warmer they find the tempera- ture. These hives being so low, before the bees get out of the way of the cold air coming in at the entrance, they are bumping their heads against the top. And, instead of spreading the brood in a circle, which is the best form to econ- omise heat, they are obliged to carry it along horizontally, and after all work at a disadvan- tage. In a tall hive they can draw up and get well out of the way of the cold air from the entrance. The top of the hive being small, the animal heat, brood, and bees are all compact, and in the best condition for rapid breeding. The faster they breed, the faster they can breed, as there are more bees to keep up the heat; and as it naturally ascends, the smaller the hive is across the top, the more compact the heat will be kept. A friend, who for some years has been using a very tall hive, after trying for a long time to per- suade me to usesome of them, finally gave me one in the spring of 1868, and requested me to put a swarm into it. Says he—‘‘ You may let it stand anywhere through the winter; the bees will be sure to do well.’’ I have used it, and found that the bees increase in it nearly twice as fast in April and May, as in the shallow hive. The re- sult is the same in his apiary. Mr. Alley, who at one time so vigorously ad- vocated the shallow hive, has since become con- vinced of his error, and invented what he calls the new style Langstroth hive. The shallow frames are set up endwise, which gives it extreme depth. Inthe September number of the Journal, 1869, page 54, he says—‘‘ I examined fifty stocks of bees in shallow hives last spring (and many of these were larger colonies than any I had); but none of them had as much sealed brood as mine.”’ When he first got up this hive, and before any of them had been used, a friend of his had one, and was requested by Mr. A. to show it to me and get my opinion upon it, not letting me know where it came from. I refused to express an opinion, except on the point of wintering, in which I considered it could not be beat. The great depth of combs, together with the protection given by the outer case, makes it one of the best hives for wintering that I have seen. It has a large amount of box room for surplus honey, which is needed for a swarm that has been well wintered, and that has increased well during the spring. But let him just turn the frames down to a horizontal position, making it a shallow hive, and I will guarantee that one- half of the box room will be ample. I have attempted to explain wherein the shal- low hive is lacking, and now have a favor to ask of Dr. P. He says: ‘*The Langstroth hive could be made deeper very easily, without Mr. R.’s patchwork.’’ Will he tell us how it can be done, and still retain about the same number of cubic inches? CALVIN RoGERs. West Newberry, Mass., September 10, 1870. Honey is the most elaborate of all vegetable productions. Ee ee a ee a } 1870. ] [For the American Bee Journal.] Wintering Bees. We republish the following from the A. B. J., Vol. IV., page 109, at the request of a number of new subscribers. We regard it as probably the least troublesome and most successful mode of out-door wintering yet devised. It is settled beyond a doubt in my own mind, by the experience of others as related in the BEE JOURNAL, and by my own experience for several years in the apiary, that bees to winter well, must have sufficient ventilation to carry off the excessive moisture which accumulates in well stocked hives. This moisture arises partly from the exhalations from the bodies of the bees, but mostiy, I think, from the surrounding atmosphere, which constantly holds in suspense a greater or less amount of moisture, according as its temperature is higher or lower. The warm atmosphere of the hive is capable of hold- ing a considerable quantity, until it is condensed by coming in contact with the cold walls of the hive, at some distance from the cluster of bees. There it condenses, first into minute drops of moisture, and afterwards, if the cold increases, into frost. The constant accumulation of the quantity, by repeated thawing and freezing in a hive that has no efficient means of ventilation, gradually encroaches on the space occupied by the bees, finally reaching those on the outside of the cluster. These grow benumbed, cease to eat, lose their vitality, grow cold, the frost forms on their bodies, and they die where they stand. The frost continues to penetrate the cluster, if the cold weather is prolonged; until finally the last bee dies covered with frost. The warm days of spring then melt this frost, and on examination, the whole mass of bees are found dead and as wet as if just dipped from a basin of water. I found one hive in that con- dition last spring. The entrance to this hive was left open, but the honey-board was left on tight, without any upward ventilation, as an experiment. All my other colonies wintered well on their summer stands, having their en- trances open three or four inches wide, and the front and rear openings in the honey-boards (half an inch wide, and extending the whole length of the hive) uncovered, but the middle opening closed. For the coming winter I have adopted Mr. Langstroth’s plan with some modifications. I shall omit the outside covering of the hive, be- lieving that it is better to have the hive of a sin- gle thickness of board, say seven-eighths of an inch, in order that the heat of the sun may easily penetrate it, and warm up the hive al- most daily, thus giving the bees an opportunity to bring to the central part of the hive fresh supplies of food from the outer combs. This plan may lead to a somewhat greater consump- tion of honey ; but if a swarm of bees will give its owner from fifty to one hundred pounds of surplus honey in a season, as mine have done the past summer, he ought to be entirely willing to have them eat all they need during the winter. At all events, one of two things must be done, to winter bees successfully, in addition THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL: 107 to their having a supply of food and thorough ventilation—they must either be kept in a re- pository where frost cannot enter, as a cellar, trench, ice-house, or the like; or they must be By where the sun can warm them up occasion- ally. I have removed all the honey-boards, placed two one-half or three-quarter inch strips across the frames, and covered the whole top of the frames with any old woollen garments that could be found about the house.* These need no cutting or fitting. Pack them in as you would pack a trunk, (the roof or cover of my top box is movable, and I like it much better than the old plan of having it nailed on,) two, three, or half a dozen thicknesses will make no difference. The moisture will pass through as readily as the insensible perspiration of our . bodies will pass through our bed covering. The hives will remain dry and the bees warm. I have no fear of losing a single swarm the com- ing winter, although several new ones which I bought are quite weak, owing to the sudden close of the honey harvest a month earlier than last year, in consequence of the drought. R. Bicxrorp. Seneca Falls, N. Y., Oct., 1868. * In a subsequent communication in Vol. V., No. 10, Mr. B. says that in place of old woollen garments, he covered the frames last winter ‘‘ with a sort of cotton batting comforters made precisely like a comforter fora bed; and that he likes these much better than old carpeting or old clothes.’’? He had one made for each hive, costing about twenty cents a piece. ‘‘By lifting one corner of these comforters, the condition of the hive can be seen at a glance. The bees are always found clustered up against these warm comforters, and communicate over the tops of the frames, instead of through the winter passages. (For the American Bee Journal.] Upward Ventilation. Mr. Epitror :—I once found a bee-tree, with an excellent swarm init. I cut it down Gallup- fashion, and moved it home, in the month of February. ‘The entrance was a hole, about three inches in diameter, just at the top of the cavity. The tree was a green butternut. I sawed it off, short enough to handle easy, and set it up in the yard. ‘he combs were bright and clean, and there were not over a dozen dead bees in it when found. It swarmed twice in June follow- ing, and next winter I stopped up the entrance at the top, and made another within six inches of the bottom, by boring a two-inch hole through the side. All this time I kept the top closed tight. The following winter I came near losing them with dampness and dysentery. Next win- ter, I closed up the auger hole, and opened the top entrance again. They wintered as nice as a pin—no dampness or dysentery. In April I thought I could still better their condition, by making the entrance smaller, and reduced the entrance to one inch in diameter. Within six days after, I came near losing them with damp- ness and mould. Experimenting still further, I noticed that the fanners or ventilating bees would, in hot weather, be arranged in this man- ner—one set at the lower edge of the entrance, 108 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Novy., with their heads outward; the other set at the top of the entrance, facing inward, driving out the hot hair. I then reduced the size of the en- trance still more, and found that in a very short time nearly the entire swarm would issue and cluster on the outside of the log or gum. En- larging the hole to three inches again, the bees would soon return inside and resume work. I kept that log hive four years, and then sold it to a neighbor. Whenever I wintered it with the natural entrance open, there was no dysentery and no unnatural distention of the abdomen ; and on their first flight in the spring, they would not even speck the snow. In wintering bees in the Wellhuysen hive, made of willows and plastered with cow man- ure, they would never have the dysentery— not the least sign of it. The combs were always bright and clean, and the bees always in as good condition as they were in midsummer. I have wintered bees in Canada, in the old-fashioned straw hive, with the entrance, summer and win- ter, a two-inch hole in the centre at top; and they always wintered well, without the least sign of dysentery, even when they would not leave the hive from the 10th of October to the 1st of May—nearly eight months. In that cli- mate they are nearly always confined from the 1st of November to the 10th or 20th of April, or about five months. When I lived there, there was scarcely ever any honey stored after the 15th of August, yet bee-keeping pays in that climate. To encourage our northern bee-keep- ers, I will say that, according to my experience, there and in the West, I think the flowers secrete more honey, in the same length of time, there than here. Our atmosphere is rather dry, while their’s is moist and humid—just right for the secretion of honey. ELiIsHaA GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa. [For the American Bee Journal.] Alley’s Improved Langstroth Hive, Mr. Eprror :—For twenty years I have had experience in bee-keeping, and had within that time as many different styles of bee-hives in my apiary; but, taking everything into considera- tion, the advantages derived from Mr. Alley’s, proves it to be the best I have yet seen. It has the best shape, the greatest amount of animal heat for wintering bees, and as for storing honey, it allows as much room for surplus honey as the largest stock would need. These are only two among the many advan- tages it presents. Many more might be men- tioned. I simply state these, as I consider them the most important. Brother bee-keepers, who are about to purchase, should not fail to give it a trial. Levi Fisu. Danvers, Mass., Sept. 10, 1870. -o—___—__ Intelligent practice is very different from blind practice ; or, in other words, practice preceded by a sound theory is evidently far superior to practice without theory.—Ta.gzor. [For the American Bee Journal.] Ventilating the Gallup Hive in a Damp Cellar. The cellar of my house is nearly underground. ts size is 88x28x7 feet, inside measure. The temperature during the winter is usually 38° F., with occasional extremes of 35° and 41°. Itis damp, and not specially ventilated. Early in October, I examine carefully all my hives, to see that they are in suitable condition for wintering. If any need feeding, they are fed at this time. If any have too much vacant room, I partition off that part of the hive which they do not need. I always expect to find: some brood in every healthy hive at this time, and if in any I find none, and ascertain that it is queen- less, leither at once break it up, or if it is strong in numbers, supply it with a queen, by adding to it some feebler stock. If bees, however, are properly attended to, at the season when their young queens are impregnated, a queenless colony will seldom be found in the fall. ' LANGSTROTH. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 117 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, Nov., 1870. ME The residence of the Rev. Mr. Semlitsch is not at Gratz, in Styria, as, in consequence of a slight omission, was erroneously stated in our last issue; but at Strasgang near Gratz. The attention of those who are unfortunately suffering from the prevalence of foul-brood in their apiaries, will doubtless be arrested by the communi- eation, in this number of the Journal, from Dr. ABBg, of New Bedford (Mass.), announcing that he has succeeded in curing that disease, as it existed in several of his colonies; and that an efficient and easily applicable remedy has at length been devised for the dreaded and devastating evil. Dr. ABBE de- serves the cordial thanks of bee-keepers, both in this country and abroad, for so generously and promptly making known his remedy and the mode of adminis- tering it. Last fall we suggested to those who found it neces- sary to supply their bees with winter food to add a portion of glycerine to sugar syrup or dissolved candy, to prevent crystillization ; and we learn that it was advantageously used. We have since learned that gum tragacanth is now employed for the same pur- pose, by some of the German bee-keepers. This gum, dissolved in water, forms a thick mucilage, which may not mingle so readily with the food as glycerine does; and the latter is hence a more manageable and probably cheaper article, especially as it forms besides an excellent spring stimulant, though still too high- priced to be freely used. A bee-keeping friend has procured for us a quan- tity of seed of the Partridge Pea ( Cassia chamecrysta) mentioned by one of our western correspondents, (Mr. Ingels, of Oskaloosa, lowa,) as an excellent honey plant. It was in bloom here from the middle of July to the middle of October, and frequented by that bees, in crowds, all the time. This plant is usually classed among weeds, and where it occurs, is regarded by some as one of the pests of the farm; but as it is an annual, it ought not to be difficult to get rid of it by proper management, when its presence is undesirable. Blooming during the interval between spring and fall pasturage, it con- stitutes an important resource for bees, here and in other districts, at a period when the native vegetation fails to furnish supplies. In the third volume of the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Dr. Greenfield of Virginia speaks of the Partridge Pea as furnishing means to recruit worn-out lands, by its decomposition in thesoil when plowed under. It was, we understand, originally introduced for that purpose, in the District of Columbia, by the Hon. Benjamin Stoddert, while Secretary of the Navy ; and it would probably answer well as a substitute for red clover, where from poverty of soil, the latter could not yet be grown. We hope to be able to make satisfactory arrange- ments for the distribution of the seed among bee- keepers desiring to make trial of the plant, and if successful, will state particulars in our next. We learn from Mr. Adam Grimm, of Jefferson (Wis.,) that his crop of surplus honey, this year, is over 15,000 Ibs., and that he ‘‘could take at least 10,000 lbs. more from his hives, and still leave the stocks heavy enough to winter well.’ Such a result as this must be calculated to unsettle the notions of those who ‘*have kept bees many years, and know there is nothing to be made by it!” We intended to give a brief history of the opposi- tion to the meeting of the National Convention of Bee-keepers at Indianapolis, showing when and where it originated, and what were the obvious motives and objects of those most active in the business. But as it appears to be a “ fixed fact?’ now that the Conven- tion will be held at the time and placed designated, we shall save ourselves the trouble of hunting up musty records in the limbs of things forgotten. OS Since the above was put in type we have learned incidentally that it was resolved at Utica fq the N. E. Bee-keepers Association to hold another Convention elsewhere, though particulars have not reached us. We sincerely regret this proceeding on various accounts. +> +- CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. TRENTON, Itus., Sept. 12, 1870.—The forepart of this season I think was the poorest I ever saw in this neighborhood. Last winter was a very warm and open one, and the bees dwindled down very much, s0 that nearly all stocks were quite weak before spring. Then we had a severe snow storm on the 17th of April, with two or three freezing nights, that killed nearly all the peach blossoms ; and this was followed by a period of cold high winds through May. The first two weeks of June there was cloudy, drizzling, chilly weather, so that bees could not fly more than about half the time. The consequence of all this was, late swarms and very few of them. Not more than one- sixth of the stocks swarmed, and many of the latest of them starved. It was very dry from the middle of June to the 13th of August. Then, for a week, it rained nearly every day; at the end of which some of my hives had not more than a pound of honey remaining. Since that time they have been doing very well. Most of my hives were filled up, so that 118 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., they commenced working in the surplus boxes about the middle of last week, and some of them haye now as much as fifteen pounds in the boxes. I would like Novice to tell us how he gets his board and frame into the top of his hive, if his hives are all of one size. I[ have a few of the two-story hives made by the National Bee-hive Company at St. Charles, Illinois, and I cannot get a frame into the top story in any other way than perpendicular, as the top bar of the frame is longer than the inside of the hive. I have tried one to see how it would work.— C. T. SMITH. Dowaciac, Micu., Sept. 12—We have had just half a surplus honey harvest, here, this season. Since I have been in the bee business, I have learned that the surplus harvest depends entirely upon the clover and basswood blossoms, in this vicinity; which is proba- bly the case all over the State. When we have a wet season clover fails, but basswood produces well; and when a dry season, vice versa. Reverses from abundance to starvation take place within a few miles of each other. I am located now in the midst of clover and basswood, together with the best spring and fall pasturage I have ever seen. After losing seven-eighths of my bees last winter, you can easily guess the condition of the remaining six colonies. Four of them were merely skeletons, and the other two very inferior stocks. Yet, with the aid of a three cent feeder of my own invention, (which works to perfection,) and‘one and a fourth dollar’s worth of sugar, I have succeeded in marketing five hundred and twenty-three (523) pounds of box honey; and with the aid of old combs have increased my stock to twenty-two (22) colonies, all strong and heavy— too heavy I fear, for their own good; and I have as yet no emptying machine. This, I think, is doing very well (see Langstroth’s ‘‘ HivE AnD Hongy BEz,”’ page 177) for a bee-keeper of only two years’ experi- ence.—l came near forgetting to mention that I have Italianized all my new stocks. I use top-bar hives mostly. Am using four or five frame hives on the sly !--J. HEDDON. WincHeEstER, Iowa, Sept. 18.—The season of 1870 has not been any of the best here, nor of the poorest either, as swarming and honey gathering has been moderately good. The American Bee Journal well deserves the support of bee-keepers.—I. N. WALTER. RocHELiLe, ILus., Sept. 1%.—This has been the poorest season that we have had here for some years. I got only five new swarms from forty stands, and merely one hundred pounds of boney. Since the buck- wheat came into blossom the bees have done well. ‘They will average about fifty pounds to the stand ; and that is doing very well, in such a year as this has been. Alsike clover is now in blossom, and the bees are working very busily on it.-—-R. MILLER. BREESPORT, N. Y., Sept. 20.—My bees have done well in gathering honey, this season; but gave me -no swarms during swarming time.—J. H. HAaDSsELL. OskKaLoosa, Iowa, Sept. 28.—I have one hundred and ninety colonies of bees that have done well this year, and are in fine condition for winter. I stored away one hundred and twenty-nine colonies in my cellar last fall, and the same number came out in good order in the spring. I sold them off to about one hundred, from which I came one to winter with the above number (190), principally Italians. Enclosed please find specimen of a bee plant. What is it? It blooms from first of July to last of August profusely and is visited by bees thrice as much as buckwheat. I haye tried borage, melilot, alsike, mustard, and find nothing to equal it. I calculate to cultivate it, in order to give it a fair and full trial. I have secured about a peck of seed. The great advantage is that it blooms at a time when most needed in this country. I grew it this year alongside of buckwheat that bloomed at the same time.—S8. INGELS. [The plant enclosed is the Cassia chamecrista or Partridge Pea. It is an annual, growing in most sandy soil, and is common in the south. It grows here on the eastern branch of the Potomac (the Ana- costia), and bees derive plentiful supplies of forage from it during eight or ten weeks in summer, and it is then almost their only resource. They gather pollen from the blossoms, but the honey is secreted by a small cupshaped gland situated below the lowest pair of leaflets, and is supplied abundantly for a long period.—Some of the farmer’s here-abouts affect to consider it a pernicious and ineradicable weed; but as it is an annual and known to be an excellent ferti- lizer when plowed under, it would seem to indicate slovenly management not to be able to subdue it readily where not wanted.—ED. ] VERVILLA, TENN., Sept. 24.—I consider the Journal cheap at any price for the bee-keeper, and wish it could be published oftener.-—-Dr. J. M. BELL. Warsaw, MINN., Oct. 3.—This has been a poor season for bees here, except in basswood time.—L. B. ALDRICH. CEDARVILLE, ILus., Oct. 5.—My bees have done well this season.--ROBERT JONES. Me=REDITH, Pa., Oct. 4.—Bees did very well on white clover in this section this season, but very poorly on buckwheat. My sixty stocks did not give me sixty pounds of buckwheat honey surplus, all told; although they are all in good condition for wintering. I do not think that alsike clover has been over- estimated for bee pasturage. I had three-quarters of an acre of it this season, and I never saw a piece of land so covered with bees as that was while it was in bloom, and they gathered honey from it very fast.— M. WILSON. ; ORCHARD, Iowa, Oct. 6.—It is raining heavily to- day, yet the weather is warm and we have not had a particle of frost yet. Bees have done storing surplus honey for the season.—I shall give the result of the season’s operations as soon as I can get the time. At present I am up 4 A. M., and do not get home till 8 and sometimes 9 o’clock P. M. I must haye a little relaxation from such excessive hard labor, before I can confine or control my thoughts sufficiently to write for publication. From the past scason’s opera- tions with the honey extractor, I can endorse all that Novice claims over and above the old mode of getting surplus in the comb—E. GALLUP. New BEDForD, Mass., Oct. 6.—The season for bees has been remarkable. Commencing well, the dry weather soon made forage very scarce during the blooming of clover and basswood, so that by the first of September there little or no surplus stored, and all the colonies were very light. But during that month, mostly after the fifteenth, the bees gathered honey as fast or faster than they ever do in this locality in June. It was obtained from the wild aster; and the stocks are now heavy and in fine condition for winter. Even now there seems to be no cessation of their labors. This is true of all the neighboring towns ; nearly every hive in them having been examined by me during my professional drives.—E. P. ABBE. 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 119 {For The American Bee Journal.] How May Progress be Taught ? Mr. Eprror:—As the columns of the Bee Journal are made the medium of disseminating apicultural knowledge, by asking and answering questions, I have this question to ask in refer- ence to the class of bee-keepers who use box and gum exclusively. How shall we reach these, and dispense the necessary knowledge among them? Let us endeavor to devise some effective means. Your Journal is doing the work as far as they can be induced to take and study it; but the number is comparatively limi- ted. Many of these people, when they see an improved bee-hive, unconsciously exclaim to the owner, who happens to be a practical bee- keeper : ‘¢Mr. B.—What do you call that?” B. ‘That, sir, is a bee-hive.’’ ‘What do you have so many sticks in it for 2?”’ B. ‘*Those are what we call frames for the bees to build their combs on; each frame sepa- rately giving them the means by which the combs may be removed from the hive, for the purpose of making artificial swarms, furnishing honey from the rich to the poor colonies and strength- ening weak ones.”’ Here the querist exclaims in perfect amaze- ment: ‘‘ What will the bees be doing while you are lifting their combs out ?”’ B. “If you treat the bees right they will not harm you; besides we can have a protection, made of wire cloth, or what is more handy, a piece of bobbinet to place over the face ; and by keeping the hands wet, the bees will not sting, unless they are badly treated.”’ . * What a fool I have been. I have kept bees all my life, and never before knew what I needed. I suppose if you can lift out the combs, aS you say you can, you could find the king’s house and perhaps the king himself ?”’ B. ‘‘ There is no such bee in the hive.” ‘¢What! no king bee! Why I always un- derstood that a colony of bees without a king and ruler, whose mandates are strictly obeyed, will not be worth anything.”’ B. ‘The bee you allude to is the mother of the colony and is called the queen; but she has no house or particular spot in the hive in which she dwells. The worker-bees, however, con- struct what are called queen-cells, in which queens are reared; but they never remain in them, except only while in embryo.” Q. “Why, Mr. B., you seem to know as much about bees as the man I heard a neighbor speak of. He said there was a man living in Lowa that reared king bees (perhaps you would call them queen bees) of a superior and different kind from the common bee, and brought from some other country.”’ B. ‘Yes, we rear our own queens, or in other words we cause the bees to do so, by our artifi- cial process. This we do for the purpose of furnishing fertilized queens to old stocks, when their queens are taken away, as is the case in producing artificial swarms.”’ Q. ‘‘Then you can make bees swarm, and rear queens at your will?’’ Base Y 6s. Q. ‘‘But do you never find a hive that is not in the notion of swarming? I always thought that bees knew when they wanted to swarm, better than man did.”’ B. ‘‘ Bees have only instinct, and were not in- tended in the beginning to produce their own swarms. They were created for the benefit of man, and if that had been the way swarms were intended to be made, they would be made in conformity with natural laws that govern them, and swarming would always be successfully per- formed in perfection. Man was given knowl- edge, by means of which it was intended he should manage his bees in his own way, inde- pendent of any will they may have. The penalty for man’s neglect in this respect is the loss of his bees in various ways—such as swarming and departing to parts unknown, loss of queen, ex- termination by robbing, &c. Man, therefore, endowed with knowledge and judgment, knows more of the management, for his benefit, of the internal parts of the hive, than the bees, with mere instinct, can possibly know.”’ Q. ‘‘I perceive, sir, that these are the days of our ignorance spoken of in Holy Writ, though I was never able to see it till now. Some of my neighbors, a few years ago, purchased bees which were in common boxes and gums. They brought them home and set them down in a remote cor- ner of the yard or garden, to live or die, as they might or could, with no attention whatever, ex- cept when the time came to secure some of their delicious stores, which, with shame I confess, is the practice in all the neighborhood now.” B. ‘Your statement is only too true, if in- deed the facts are not worse.”’ This is a fair specimen of the questions asked by common bee-keepers. While the inventive genius of the age has given power to water in the form of steam, causing the face of the earth to be alive with machinery and wheels that are almost daily cir- cumscribing its surface at lightning speed—yea, the lightning itself has, as it were, been snatched from the heavens and made to do the bidding of man—yet the bee-hive, till within the last fifteen years, has in a measure remained as it may have been in the garden of Eden. The invention of the frames was the dawn of a new era in bee- keeping, by means of which we have advanced step by step up the hill of science to the present advanced stage, while progression still looms up and fades away in the distance. The mysteries of the hive that remained hidden from the be- ginning till now, are, many of them, solved and being solved, and all the various causes of the destruction of colonies plainly disclosed. The practical man, properly informing himself, need not lose a hive ; while, in the old way, twenty- five per cent. of all the bees kept in the country are lost every year. While we have reached these advances, there are many things yet in embryo, that will be reached by and by—such as the control of fertilization, which enables the bee-keeper to select both,queens and drones, and | secure the purity of the race we prefer to culti- 120 vate. We also expect a forcing-box, hiver, and swarmer, all combined; and means which will enable the bee-keeper to compel a plurality of queens in every colony, without division, in the same apartment. But I am wandering from my purpose, which was simply to start the inquiry—how shall we reach, and dispense the necessary knowledge among those who still keep their bees in unim- proved hives? The State governments should foster bee culture as they foster other agricul- tural pursuits. Why not have a separate de- partment for bee culture in every State, under the ‘charge of aman qualified to superintend it and diffuse its advantages in the community? In some of the German States the number of hives will average hundreds to the square mile, and that too in soil comparatively sterile. How was this brought about? Simply by encouraging and fostering the business. And cannot the Ameri- can States produce the same results? Millions of barrels of honey go to waste annually in this country, merely from the want of bees to gather the nectar of flowers. What, say you, bee- keepers of Iowa, shall we not make a united effort to secure the means by which those who have bees in our beautiful State shall be fur- nished with power (knowledge) to effect the gratifying change? The bees of every hive now in the State, producing ordinarily ten, twenty, or thirty pounds, may be made to produce annu- ally from one hundred to two hundred pounds. Mr. Gallup will please accept our thanks for his practical and instructive communications in the Journal. Will he not favor us with an ar- ticle on this subject. Let Iowa be the first to take a stand in favor of promoting bee culture. Monroe, Lowa. J. W. SHAY. Ors [For the American Bee Journal.] Argo’s Puzzle. R. M. Argo has found a job for Gallup. That bees will sometimes build worker-comb when there is no queen present is a positive fact, but the rule is almost invariably drone comb. The fact that they built one-third drone comb is no proof that they did not have an old queen. If they are gathering honey abundantly, they are very apt to build too much drone comb; and sometimes they do so in such cases, even with a young prolific queen. But with such a queen, when they are gathering just sufficient to build comb and store but little honey, the rule is al- most invariably worker comb exclusively. That bees will frequently make preparations for swarming immediately after being hived is another positive fact, especially when the season is good and the newly hived swarm is large. The first case of the kind that came under my observation, occurred a number of years ago in Canada. I hived an extra_large swarm for a neighbor, sometime in the forenoon. About four o’clock in the afternoon the shout came across the mill stream, ‘‘my bees are going off!’ I left all, and followed them to a large pine stub. I cut down the stub, split it open, took out the bees, put them in the same hive. That night THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Nov., they were sold as an unlucky swarm, removed 33 miles, and in just eight days from the time they were replaced in the hive, they sent out a large swarm, which left for the woods. The bees then belonged to my cousin. They left on Saturday. On Sunday I went to church close by my cousin’s, and he informed me that his bees had filled their hive and swarmed, and the swarm left for parts unknown. Iwas rather incredulous, but after church went and made an examination. Sure enough, the hive was completely filled and sev- eral sealed queen cells in sight, with several more unsealed near the bottom of the comb. The hive was a box twelve inches square by fourteen inches high, and when the swarm was hived I had to put on a large box before the bees could all be got inthe hive. That box was nearly filled with comb, but the bees that went off took the honey with them. On the fifteenth day they sent out a second swarm. So much for pur- chasing an unlucky swarm !—Since then I have had several cases of the same kind come under my observation ; one in the summer of 1868, and another this summer. ‘The one in 1868 was not a large swarm, and they did not fill their hive before sending ataswarm. The case this season was a large artificial swarm made by putting to- gether bees from several hives, with a queen.— I should be strongly inclined to think that, in your case, they started queen cells for the pur- pose of superseding the old queen. When a queen has begun to fail at about swarming time, and forage is abundant, they cast a swarm. In my case, in 1868, it was-no doubt caused by the bees superseding the old queen. I had a case this season, where the first swarm came out with a young queen, leaving the old queen in the hive, with plenty of sealed queen cells. In another case, when making an artificial swarm, I found the old queen and a young one both fertile, with several sealed queen cells. Orchard, Iowa. EK. GALLup. orem THE amputation of one of the antenna of a queen bee appears not to aftect her perceptibly, but cutting off both these organs produces a very striking derangement of her proceedings. - She seems in a species of delirium, and deprived of all her instincts ; everything is done at ran- dom; yet the respect and homage of her workers, ~ towards her, though they are received by her with indifference, continue undiminished. If another in the same condition be put in the hive, the bees do not appear to discover the dif- ference, and treat them both alike; but if a perfect one be introduced, even though fertile, they seize her, and keep her in confinement, and treat her very unhandsomely. ‘‘ One may con- jecture from this circumstance, that tt is by those wonderful organs, the attenne, that the bees know their own queen.”’ oom That which is profitable only to the speculat- ing business, though it be theoretically plausible, deserves not to be recommended or accepted, if it be not calculated to produce beneficial results to the practical bee-keeper. ERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. DECEMBER, 18S7O. No. 6. [Translated for the American Bee Journal, from the ‘* Honig- biene.’’] The East Indian Bees. The missionary, Rev. Mr. Stellar, now on a visit here after a residence of fifteen years in the East Indies, has given me an account of the bees found in the Punjab, as well as of the climate and flora of that province, so interesting, that I conceive it should be more generally known. The province of Punjab is situated between the Indus and its eastern affluents. The north- erly portion, extending to the base of the Hima- layas, is a hilly country, but the southern section is level. The mountain valleys approaching the icy ridge of the Himalayas, have an alpine cli- mate, with very hot summers, and the lower parts often suffer from excessive heat in that season. In the still existing immense forests, various kinds of valuable timber; and among _ the flowering plants and shrubs are the rhodo- dendrums, &c. Palm trees are found growing almost everywhere, where the soil is sufficiently moist. In the more hilly section and the neighbor- hood of villages, buckwheat is extensively culti- vated, while on the plains, mustard and other oleaginous plants constitute the principal crops. The rainy season extends from the end of June to the end of September. In such circumstances, we may readily sup- pose that insects of various kinds greatly abound. Among these there are three varieties of the honey bee, which claim our notice : 1. In the plains we frequently meet with a small wild bee, by the Hindoos called Tschoti schahad ki Makki (small honey fly). It is little larger than the common house fly, and darker than the European honey bee. Jt builds its nest on trees, and occasionally against the walls of buildings ; yea, I have even found its brownish combs in the flue of a chimney; and at one time I discovered a nest attached to the window of my dwelling. It is said to have a sting, but seldom uses it, and is on the whole avery harmless crea- ture. Its very small cells never contain much honey ; but this may perhaps be accounted for by the fact that in its climate, it is able to gather honey all the year, and finds no occasion for storing any. Its boney is not so transparent as that of the European honey bee, and is thinner ber. or more watery ; while its color differs according to season. To appropriate this honey, and es- pecially the highly prized wax, the bees are ex- pelled from their nests by means of smoke. 2. Of great importance for the mountainous district, in which it is almost exclusively found, is the second variety of bee, which we shall now notice, and which the Hindoos call the honey fly (Schahad ki Makki). This bee I have oceasion- ally kept myself, for the sake of its fine clear honey. As regards size and color, there is scarcely any difference between it and the Euro- pean honey bee, nor do I remember to have ob- served that it has a colored corselet. The in- habitants keep it in box hives, and send the honey and wax far into the interior of the coun- try to market. Regard is had to the prospective cultivation of bees, already when they build their simple cottages, by arranging a portion thereof for the reception of hives, because out-door stands are not safe from attacks of the black bears which abound there, and being fond of honey, destroy the hives in their eagerness to obtain it. The entrance of the hives is usually placed fronting the street, court or garden ; and access can always be had to them from the in- terior of the dwellings. The hives are furnished with cross-sticks inside, to support the combs. As soon as a swarm is hived, the hive is closed, and all joints and crevices are plastered with a mixture of cow-dung and clay. The earliest swarms make their appearance in the beginning of April, and the mother stocks commonly pro- duce several swarms in a season. When the hives are filled, or when honey is needed, a por- tion of the contents is removed, but usually the harvesting is deferred to the beginning of Novem- There is usually an abundant product, and to obtain it the bees are driven out with smoke. A sufficient supply to carry the bees through the winter is intended to be left in the hive, unless the owner dooms the entire population to the brimstone pit; but it only too frequently hap- pens that the quantity left is insufficient for their support during the cold season, when they are unable to fly out. It is a wonder, indeed, that with such bad management any colonies survive. When hiving swarms or removing honey, many stings are of course inflicted; and when stung the Hindoos annoint the spot with honey. I resorted to the same remedy myself on one oc- casion when hiving a swarm, and the whole clus- Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. e 122 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., ter dropping on my head, stung. Though this bee is found in every village, and the honey product, as has already been stated, is quite large, we seldom find more than eight or ten colonies in an apiary. Ants, which might prove very injurious to the colonies, as in other southern districts, do not occur here. In November and December dealers arrive from the distant interior, and purchase the honey and wax. The price obtained is usually 2‘) Ser per Ter of 10 Ibs. [equal to nine cents per pound.] I never could perceive any difference in the taste of this and the honey produced in Germany. This industrious bee is nowhere found in a wild state, though it often happens that swarms make their escape to the forests. It must therefore be regarded as decidedly a domestic bee. Though these bees can fly out nearly the whole year, days sometimes occur in Kotegush, a village nearly Simla, in the hilly district, when the thermometer shows 82’ F., and the mountains are covered with snow. Bees are then con- strained to keep within their hives for several days in succession. 3. I now proceed to notice the third kind or variety of bee, called by the Hindoos ‘‘ Bar’?’?— aterm not easily translatable. This bee is some- what longer and thicker than a queen wasp, and darker than the domestic bee just mentioned. The sound produced by its wings when flying is loud and distinct, in proportion to the size of the insect, though not so loud as that of a hornet. ‘’his bee occurs only in a wild state in the forests and mountains, where their two feet long reddish combs may frequently be seen suspended from the limbs of trees, at a height of ten or twelve feet from the ground, and are commonly about eizhteen inches in circumference. Yet I have sometimes seen them build against the gables of cottages in the villages. Their sting is very painful, as I have experienced on my own person when passing unawares beneath a tree contain- ing one of their nests. The Hindoos assured me that this bee stores a larve quantity of honey, which is probable from the fact that it is fre- quently found-in localities where snow falls in the winter months, and as the occasional demo- lition of nests built against cottage walls has shown. Still it is nowhere cultivated, either for honey or wax. Their ill temper, however, can- not be the sole reason for this exemption, since they may readily be subdued by smoke and driven from their combs. Yet the inhabitants dread them much, and do not venture to ap- proach their nests—a timorousness which must perhaps be regarded as the result of some an- cient superstition. Whether this bee could be domesticated like the one previously described, I am unable: to say, but an effort to bring it under subjection might prove interesting and be worth making. Railroads now pass near the’ places where it is found, and could furnish the means of trans- porting hived colonies to Bombay, whence they could easily be shipped to some European port. I have no doubt that the missionary Rebsch, at I was grievously Kotegush, near Simla, would obligingly aid in accomplishing the object. This is the substance of the Rev. Mr. Stellar’s communication, H. Bornirz. es ete [From the Western Rural.] Michigan Bee-keepers’ Convention. Mr. Rood thought that the question of the good or evil of upward ventilation cannot be decided by the experience of one or two swarms put into hives of a certain construction. We cannot reason from analogy in all cases. We must try experiments, and learn from experi- ence. He had tried double hives, constructed with boards three inehes thick, lined with chaff. He had no doubt but a hive could be constructed which would do away with the necessity of up- ward ventilation. Mr. Putnam thought that upward ventilation was very necessary until bees stop breeding and perspiring. Upto that time he thought it could not be dispensed with. The question is, how is it to be applied? There is a practice among bee-keepers of giving ventilation in another way. It consists in raising the hive on blocks over the bottom board. He found bees in hives raised in this way were healthy, and there were few to be seen on the outside of the hive. He thought that the reason why bees cluster on the outside of a hive, is that they have instinct to know that their presence inside would be inju- rious ; in fact, that the hive would be so hot that the combs would melt. Mr. Rood said that when he sees bees drum- ming for the purpose of creating a current of air, he contrives to help them by opening the venti- lator, and allowing the heated air to eseape. | Mr. Putnam said that in the natural state of bees in the forest, the honey is always stored above the entrance, in an air-tight apartment. A question of importance relating to ventilation is, does the foul air escape at the top or at the bottom of the hive? He thinks it falls and escapes at the bottom. Mr. Moon thought it was just as necessary to have upward ventilation in a hive as in a room. He had bees at one time in common hives, and in winter, kept the hives in a room in a reversed position. He found that all vapor escaped from the hives, and during frost condensed on the windows, and the glass appeared to be a solid mass of ice. Bees are naturally hot, and unless there is upward ventilation, the vapor arising from them will condense, so that during frost they will be encased in a solid mass of ice. Mr. Portman said that he frequently, in the forest, found swarms, in trees, with three or four entrances to their natural hive; and in every place where the combs were high above the entrance, they were as dry and perfect as possible ; but in every place where they were on a level with or below the entrances, they were more or less damaged. The next question taken up for discussion, was, *‘ What ts the best method of guarding against the moth?” 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. -Mr. Rood would give his opinion in a few words—keep the swarms as strong as possible. -Mr. Portman thought that few bee-keepers know how to keep swarms strong, yet the method was as simple as possible ; take the queen from the swarm, and put the bees back into the hive. less troubled with parasites. In examining one of his hives he found that it was infested by moths, and that the moths were literally covered with small worms which seemed to feed on them. Mr. Rood said there were several ways of keeping swarms strong. For his part he thought that the moth was really an advantage. Sup- pose there are two weak swarms, not sufficiently strong to stand the winter ; now that is the very condition which is favorable to the moth. It is searching for a hive in which the bees are not numerous enough to cover the combs. Now if we put the two swarms together, we defeat the moth, and at the same time make the swarm so strong that it will keep warm and healthy dur- ing the winter. Mr. Portman thought that hives in which there are large quantities of drone-comb are more liable to the attacks of the moth, than those which contain much worker-comb. He experienced this frequently. When he finds drone-comb much affected by the moth, he cuts it out and throws it away. Mr. Biel said that if the entrance to a hive is so regulated that the bees can guard it, the moth will be kept out. A queen left one of his _ hives in the swarming season, with about forty bees, and, for the sake of experiment, he put the little swarm into a hive and closed the entrance in such a manner that the bees could protect it from the moth. The bees worked well, and made honey enough to support themselves dur- ing the winter. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. Mr. Portman thought that an experienced bee-keeper may succeed in increasing his bees by artificial swarming even in as unfavorable a Season as last year was. This year the dividing of stocks might be safely carried on even up to the Ist of Aug ust. The season was a very favor- able one. He intends to experiment extensively in artificial swarming next year; in fact, he will venture to sacrifice seven or eight colonies in investigating and studying out that question. A. bee-keeper will find something new to learn every year. Mr. Rood said that it takes some little time to learn all the facts about bees. There are facts that cannot be communicated, cannot be explained in books, and must be learned by ex- perience. A man has to bein the apiary, and watch the bees, in order to gain a thorough knowledge of their habits. Mr. Moon said that, as a general thing, where there is a scarcity of honey he would al- low the bees to swarm. He found that when honey is scarce, bees seldom swarm. He had as many as thirty swarms this year, and has not lost one. All settled in places where they could be hived. All injurious insects are more or . duly. 123 Mr. Portman said that sometimes people look out in the fields and see an immense quan- tity of white clover, and infer from this that the season will be a first-class one for honey. Now this is not always the case. Sometimes bees do not work in white clover, because there is no honey in it. There are seasons when there is no honey at all in white clover. Mr. Rood said that bees seldom gather honey from white clover after the 15th and 20th of After that date, although there may be plenty of white clover, there is no honey in it. r [From the Prairie Farmer. ] North-Western Bee-Keepers’ Association. OFFICIAL REPORT. The fourth annual meeting of this Association was held on Wednesday evening, Sept. 28, at the Courthouse at Decatur, Illinois. The attend- ance, considering the state of the weather and other local causes, was very good. It was ar- ranged to have only one session this year; but this, as events proved, was an oversight, for a series of meetings might have been held with profit. Hereafter matters will be so arranged, we trust, that several meetings may be held, “and that a oreater number of topics may be br ought before the society for discussion. When there is but one session, and that a brief one, the time is mainly taken up by reading the minutes of the previous meeting, recording the names and ad- dress of new members, electing officers, appoint- ing committees, and transacting other legitimate business. REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT. The President, M. L. Dunlap, called the meet- ing to order at 7 0’clock, and briefly reviewed the bee interests of the past season. In some repects he regarded the season as a peculiar one. In some sections of our country there has been a_ remarkable yield of surplus honey secured, while in other sections bees have barely stored enough for their winter use. His own’ locality has been visited by a severe drouth, on which account his honey crop has been nearly destroyed. More attention should be given to the cultivation of honey-producing plants, and especially those that can be relied upon in seasons of drought. Before we adjourned he hoped the subject of bee pas- turage would be taken up and discussed. From what I see, hear, and read, it is evident that we are making rapid strides in this branch of ruraleconomy. Menof intelligence and moral worth are at the helm. Quacks and charlatans, with long-toed boots and clownish attire, with mouth and hair full of bees, and vending that miserable stuff called ‘‘bee charm,’’ no Tonger disgrace themselves and our fairs, and niisrepre- sent our calling. On the contrary the apicul- tural exhibitions at our fairs are now conducted by intelligent practical bee-keepers, and in a quiet and orderly manner. This certainly de- notes progress and will command respect. 124 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., READING THE MINUTES. The Secretary, Mr. Baldridge, read a synopsis of the last meeting’s proceedings. The Trea- surer’s report was aJso read, in which it was shown that the society was out of debt, with a small balance in the treasury. The reports being accepted, eleven new members joined the society. There are now fifty-seven members belonging to the association, who have paid their fee of ad- mission. The report of the Secretary shows that there were twenty members at the annual meet- ing in 1869, who represented 1,001 hives of bees, and 24,709 lbs. of surplus honey. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were chosen for the en- suing year : President, L. C. Francis, Springfield, T[linois. Vice-President for Illinois, J. B. R. Sherrick, Decatur. Vice-President for Wisconsin, R. C. Otis, Kenosha. Vice-President for Iowa, W. T. Kirk, Mus- catine. Vice-President for Missouri, L. C. Waite, St. Louis. Secretary, M. M. Baldridge, St. Charles, Ills. Treasurer, James M. Marvin, St. Charles, Ils. FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING. Vice-President Sherrick made a motion that the next annual meeting be held in Wisconsin, which was sustained. The Secretary therefore gives notice that this meeting will be held, as fixed by the constitution, on or near the fair - grounds at the time of the State Fair, and that every member of the Wisconsin Bee-keepers’ Society is particularly requested to be present. COMMITTEES. J. L. Peabody, G. Ayres, and J. B. R. Sherrick were made a committee to examine the bee hives on exhibition at the fair grounds, and to report on their respective merits. A committee was also appointed not only to examine, but to test, the merits of the honey ma- chines on exhibition, and to report upon the same. This committee was composed of Presi- dent Francis, Miles H. Wilmot, and William G. teynolds. It was made a condition that these examina- tions and reports should simply be an expression of the committees, and not of the Convention, and that the reports should be written out and placed in charge of the Secretary before the close of the fair, so as to be published with the proceedings of the Society. And right here the Secretary desires to say, this being as good a place as any to dispose of this matter, that the report on hives was not re- ceived during the fair, nor has it been since ; and that the publication of the proceedings has been somewhat delayed in hopes of receiving the same by mail, so that there could be no just cause for complaint. The report ou the machines was promptly attended to, and reads as follows: We find two machines on exhibition, one by Wm. G. King, and another by J. L. Peabody. After testing the machines with the best facili- ties in our possession, we find them both to be good extractors : but for simplicity of construc- tion, convenience of operating, compactness and durability, we should give the Peabody machine the preference. L. C. FRANCIS, Mixes H. Wiimor, WiLiiAM G. REYNOLDS, — Committee. We will now return to the proceedings of the Society. NATIONAL BEE-KEEPERS’ CONVENTION. The subject of holding a National Convention came up for consideration, and a vote taken upon it, which resulted unanimously in favor of a two days’ meeting at Indianapolis, on the 2ist and 22d of December next. The society expressed regret that any unkind feelings should exist on this subject between the Michigan and North- eastern Associations. As the Michigan Society has issued the call, and as the time and place has been extensively advertised, it does seem that it would be best to meet at Indianapolis this year, and then the Convention may decide by ballot on the time and place for holding the next annual meeting. Evidently it was the design that the following telegram should reach the officers of Northwest- ern Society before the hour of the annual meet- ing. Such, however, was not the case. By the inexcusable negligence of the telegraph agent at Decatur, it was not received by the Society till Friday, Sept. 30th, which was too late to take any other action upon it further than to reply. Attica, N. Y., Sept. 28, 1870. To the North-wes’ern Bee-keepers’ Association.— The North-eastern Bee-keepers’ Association held a meeting to-day. On motion of R. Bickford, seconded by I. Root, it was voted that this Society desires the National Convention to be held at Cin- cinnati. This point is centrally located, is free from local influences, and is near the home of Rev. Mr. Langstroth, whom we want present. Please telegraph the desire of your convention. M. Qurinsy, President. The following reply was sent by telegraph, as soon as the above was received, but to St. Johns- ville, N. Y., that being the home of President Quinby : Iuurnors STatTE Farr Grounns, Sept. 30, 1870. Your telegram was not received till to-day. The North-western Association has decided to recognize the call by the Michigan Society for a National Convention at Indianapolis. | L. C. Francis, President. > M. M. BaupripGe, Secretary. DISCUSSION ON BEE PASTURAGE. Miles H. Wilmot, Dliopolis.—The best tree for honey purposes, in my section, is the basswood. This tree is in bloom about two weeks, and yields honey at a time when other blossoms are gone. More attention should be given to this tree for shade and ornamental purposes. It is a hardy, 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 125 rapid grower, and can be made profitable as a honey tree. Borage has been highly recommended as a honey plant; but it is a question whether it will pay to raise a crop especially for bees. One of my neighbors has an acre of this plant ; the bees work on it from morning till night ; it remains in bloom a long time; and bees seem to secure con- siderable honey. But an acre of any plant is of little value when within the range of the flight of several large apiaries. That is to say, the in- crease of honey distributed among so many colo- nies, would scarcely be noticed. re Heartsease gave me considerable honey last year, but not so much this year. In general it is one of my best plants for honey. M. L. Dunlap, Champaign.— Until this year, I supposed we could supply our bees with abun- dant pasturage. There are several desirable honey plants, but we need pasturage that is of value for other than honey purposés. No matter what the season may be, it will pay to raise crops for sotléng. For this purpose fall rye is excellent, and can be cut early in the spring. The land can then be plowed and sowed to buckwheat. In most of seasons this crop of buckwheat will produce considerable honey. When the plant is in full bloom, it may be plowed under asa fer- tilizer, and the land resowed for a grain crop. There is always a good demand for buckwheat flour, and the crop is generally a paying one for grain purposes alone. This year I sowed three acres to buckwheat as just stated. My apiary of seventy-five colonies have gathered enough honey from this plant to winter them. This year my bees have worked considerably on apple juice. I have never known them to do so before, and therefore attribute this innovation to the scarcity of honey. As soon as my second -crop of buckwheat came into bloom, my bees quit cider-making. I have been asked the ques- tion whether bees stored cider or honey from the apple juice. This question I will answer by say- ing that I do not believe the honey bee is at present sufficiently skilled in chemistry to change apple juice, or molasses even, into honey. Last spring I sowed seven acres to Alsike clover. The ground was nicely prepared, but the extreme drought and the lateness of the sea- son, destroyed it. I think this clover should be sowed alone, and as early in the spring as pos- sible. A Stranger.—My experience with buckwheat, | is not a favorable one.’ A year ago I sowed a few acres to this crop, but I was unable to find my bees at work upon it. Has any one else a similar experience ? Secretary.—In the vicinity of St. Charles, buck- wheat seldom yields much honey. There are in the village about 250 hives of bees. They do not average, one year with another, more than three to five pounds of honey from the buckwheat. The land is quite high and rolling. Twelve miles west of the village, the Messrs. Marvin have an apiary of fifty colonies. In this location we have never known the buckwheat to fail in the secre- tion of honey. From forty to fifty pounds of buckwheat honey is the yearly average for each colony in this apiary. The land is level and quite low. On some soils white clover secretes but little honey, and the same may be true in regard to buckwheat. Careful observations in different parts of the country may soon settle this point. John Husted, Beardstown.—Buckwheat is a good honey plant with me. This season I have taken from two hives 128 lbs. of buckwheat honey, as surplus. A. T. Bishop, Leroy.—Up to the 5th of Sep- tember my bees did not gather much buckwheat honey. But at that date the blossoms began to secrete honey, and since then they have done well. This indicates that the secretion of honey in buckwheat, as well as in other blossoms, is more or less subject to atmospheric influence. A. Stranger.—One acre of Spanish needles* will give more honey than five of buckwheat. The honey has a finer flavor and a rich color, and commands a good price in the market. Not so with buckwheat; the honey is too dark, and the flavor is not generally well liked. Mr. Wilmot.—I have noticed that bees do not work much on buckwheat sowed in the early part of the season. President Francis.—As a honey plant there are two objections to buckwheat. 1st. It is un- reliable—hot weather and early frosts ruin it completely. 2d. It depreciates the value of white clover honey when mixed with it. Every year I have more or less boxes of white clover honey nearly full, finished up with buckwheat. The appearance of the white clover honey is spoiled, so much so that it sells for no more than buck- wheat honey. Dark honey will not sell in mar- ket within 5 or 10 cents per pound as much as light-colored honey. Instead of raising buck- wheat for honey, it is the better way to keep none but Italian bees. These bees will gather honey from plants not visited by the common variety, and will work with greater industry. For these reasons they will gather more honey without than the natives will with buckwheat. Alsike clover is an excellent honey plant, but it yields honey only when we have plenty of white clover and other blossoms. On this ac- count it is not so valuable as it would be if it bloomed later in the season. Perhaps feeding it awhile in the spring would delay its blossoming, and obviate this objection. Secretary. —Our main dependence for honey, last year, was the Alsike. This year the drought has been so severe that it made but asmall growth, and consequently yielded but little honey. The prospect however is good for a crop of Alsike next year. It seems to stand the drouth well, notwithsianding the growth is small. Compara- tively it has suffered but little more from the drouth than timothy, which with us, this year, is not more than one-fourth of an average crop. All of my Alsike was sowed with winter and spring grains. It does well when put in with barley just before the last harrowing: Some- times this clover will grow to the height of 15 to * Spanish needles grow abundantly here (in Washington) on waste places and roadsides ; but we never saw a bee on the blossom, though we examined them frequently, year after year, when in bloum.—EpD. AM, BEE JOURNAL. a 126 20 inches the first season and can be cut for a hay or seed crop. Such was the case last year, in some parts of Michigan. It is now no longer a question with those who have fairly tried the Alsike that it is a valuable plant for honey, in seasons and on soils suited to its growth. A Stranger.—Would it not be well to plant groves of the locust, for honey? This tree blos- soms very full, and yields a large amount of most excellent honey. It is alsovaluable, when large enough for posts and ties, and seems at present to be free from the attacks of the borer. Mr. Wilmot.—I have observed bees working considerable on the male plant of the hemp, and have thought that it might be a profitable crop to raise for honey and other purposes. Has any one any experience with this plant? Wm. G. King, Champaign.—My former home was Kentucky. Large fields of hemp were grown in my neighborhood. My observation is that bees do not gather honey from this plant, but pollen only. This being the case it wiil not pay to raise this crop for the use of the bees, as they can always get as much pollen as they need. Mr. Dunlap.—It is well known to botanists that staminate plants do not yield honey. FERTILE WORKERS. Mr. Kine.—As fertile workers are a source of much trouble to bee-keepers, I wish to say a few words in regard to them before we adjourn. These may be found and destroyed very readily by making several temporary divisions of the colony. By watching these divisions closely for a short time, those having no fertile worker will show it by their actions, the same as though made queenless. The division that remains quiet should now be examined, and, as it contains a mere handful of bees, you will soon find the mis- chief maker. When destroyed unite the bees and give them a fertile queen, and she will be kindly treated. If any one has a better way of disposing of these would-be queens, I should like to know what it is. Secretary.—There are two objections tothe plan given by Mr. King. One is, the waste of unne- cessary time in making the divisions and search- ing for the fertile worker. The other is the liability of still leaving one or more fertile work- ers among the bees! In practice we find it much the better way to let the bees themselves destroy the fertile workers, which they will do as soon as they have a supply of young bees. To supply these, simply take one or more combs of larve and maturing worker brood from other colonies in the apiary and insert them. By this means the queenless colony is kept in full strength, and the young bees will not only destroy all the fertile workers, but now proceed to raise a queen from the proper material, or accept of an offered queen or a queen cell. Prevention, however, is much better than a cure. Do not allow any colony to remain queen- less so long that they are compelled to resort to such abnormal -measures for their preservation and perpetuation. The objects for which the society met having THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [DEc., now been accomplished, a motion to adjourn was in order. M. M. Baupripas, Sec. T: * This method of subdivision may be advantageously re- sorted to when it becomes necessary to search for the queen of avery populous colony of black bees. Itis then a less tronble- some and far more agreeable means of finding her majesty than overhauling a series of combs crowded with ill tempered and irritated bees, while an eager horde of robbers is on the ange tre for a general raid on the hive and its contents,— DeAseDa de Report of the Semi-annual Meeting of the North- Eastern Bee-Keepers’ Association. Heutp During tHe N. Y. Strate Farr at Utica, Sept. 27 AND 28, 1870. M. Quinby, (presiding) called the meeting to order. Minutes of the last meeting read and approved. After distributing papers containing the Constitution and By-Laws, an opportunity was offered to bee-keepers present to join the association, and a goodly number enrolled their names. Mr. Robert Bickford, of Seneca Falls, being present, was invited to address the meeting, as he was familar with the history of similar associations in Germany. He said he stopped off not to attend the fair, but to be present at the semi-annual meeting of this association ; was pleased to see the interest manifested, but we were far behind the German associations ; at one of their late meetings three hundred and ninety bee-keepers were present, including eighteen or twenty ladies, and the citizens took a deep interest in the cause, pro- viding for members at their own homes. They do not make a side show of their meetings by hold- ing them in connection with fairs, but have a grand rally that stirs the whole community like some of our great political meetings, and they have a grand display of fireworks in the even- ing. With the name and address of each mem- ber is recorded the number of stock of bees he keeps ; the number in movable-comb and box hives ; the number of pounds of honey secured and the price obtained in the market. Mr. Bickford suggested that we make a similar record and publish the same in the papers with the report of the Convention. z Mr. King moved that we adopt Mr. Bick- ford’s suggestion. Mr. Quinby suggested that the phrase movable-comb hives would be suffi- cient without mentioning the name of the hive inventor or patentee, and the motion thus amended passed unanimously. The following questions for discussion were read : 1st. Is it profitable to prevent natural swarms in all cases? 2d. To what extent is artificial swarming profitable? 5d. At what time of the season is it best to make artificial swarms ? 4th. Will it prove an advantage, all things considered, to use the honey emptying machine extensively ? 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 127 ES SS eee ee ————— Eee 5th. What would be the advantage of artifi- cial combs of material indestructible by worms ? By request of Mr. Bickford—who expected to - be present but one day—the last question was taken up first, and Mr. Quinby called upon to introduce the subject. He exhibited a frame of artificial comb of his own invention, made of _tin and sheet iron. It was coated with wax and filled with honey by the bees, some of the cells were sealed over. The queen would deposit eggs in the cells, and in one p‘ece as many as four litters of brood had been hatched, but the queen preferred the tin. Mr. Bickford asked Mr. Quinby the following questions : 1st. Had he used that kind of comb in a hive exclusively ? 2d. What will it cost per hive ? 3d. Had he made whole frames of sheet iron alone ? 4th. Are you willing to use it in your own apiary? 5th. What will be the effect of metallic combs upon the bees in winter? 6th. Can you test it the following winter ? 7th. How do you propose to supply bee- keepers, with machines or combs ? 8th. Would it pay to sell combs ? Mr. Quinby replied to the questions as fol- lows: ist. He had not. 2d. About $2 per hive. 8d. Had not. 4th. Was testing it. 5th. Could not tell, as he had tried it only this season. 6th. Had only four sheets of this comb filled with honey, but Mr. Von Douzen has six sheets. 7th. Have not determined what to do; had applied for a patent which had been rejected on account of Mr. Wagner’s patent on the base of cells. 8th. Did not know, but thought they would sell, as they would be a great advantage with the honey extractor, and metallic combs could not be destroyed by the moth and we would not be troubled with drone comb. Mr. Bickford said that he had a plan for a machine to make comb out of wax or other substance, had made some comb, but a machine would cost about $200, and he did not think enough would be sold to pay for the investment. He had all the bees he could attend to, and they were supplied with tolerably straight combs. A few years ago he would have taken more interest in the artificial combs than he now does. Mr. King said that he was willing to invest $200 to make a machine to furnish artificial comb for sale, but agreed with Mr. Bickford that it would not be remunerative. Mr. Bickford had kindly explained his invention and offered it without price for the good of the cause, but he is in communication with other parties who, he thinks, willsoon produee artificial comb of a sub- _ stance having none of the objections of metallic combs, and yet indestructible by the moth, but considered the latter of less importance, as strong stocks of Italians are in no danger of injury by the moth, and practical, enterprising bee-keepers should keep no other. Experimenting is very expensive, and he would prefer to have some one else furnish machines and make artificial combs, but he could sell a large amount, Mr. Allen, Mr. Hetherington and others spoke on the subject, when Mr. Root called the associa- tion to order; said we were violating our rules by exhibiting inventions. Mr. King said Mr. Quinby was excusable on account of his age. Mr. Hetherington asked Mr. Bickford if he had actually made a piece of perfect comb out of wax. Mr. Bickford replied that he had on a small scale, but caleulated the machine would make a square foot per minute, and he could prove that a frame of comb was worth $1.50 to beginners. My. Quinby said he had heard of some instan- ces where swarms without combs gathered more honey than those supplied with empty combs. Mr. Baldwin, Sen., said last spring they had plenty of empty combs, and hived a large number of swarms in hives with combsand about an equal number in hives without combs. The swarms put in hives without combs, have stored nearly, double the amount of box honey stored by those supplied with empty combs afd are much stronger, though there is not as much honey in the body of the hive. He thinks the unusually abundant yield of honey enabled the bees to fill the empty combs before the queen could occupy the proper space with brood to keep the stock strong in number. Mr. Adset said he had some experience in putting swarms into hives filled with empty combs, and obtained six to eight, and even ten boxes of surplus honey from such stocks, but he had never obtained more than four boxes from swarms put into empty boxes. Mr. W. A. House thought the colonies had been too much confined. If there had been more boxes the bees would have filled them and allowed more room for the queen to rear brood. Mr. Haskins thought that empty boxes would obviate the difficulty. AFTERNOON SESSION. By motion of Mr. Root the other questions were considered together, as each one depended ou the others. He favored non-swarming and the use of the honey extractor. Said they had a great many empty combs last spring, and used large hives. In one week’s time they took eighty-three pounds of honey with the extractor from one hive, and did nothing to stimulate breeding except the exchange of empty combs for full ones removed. From one hive they took 871 pounds, the stock now has 75 pounds and has made no attempt to swarm. From another hive with boxes they obtained 155 pounds of box honey under similar circumstances. Mr. Allen had sold drained honey for a higher price than he could get for box honey. Mr. Bickford had sold 350 pounds of box honey for 50 cts. a pound in New York, and thought extracted honey worth 50 cents a pound, and we can get it if we only ask it. If you ask less than for box honey, purchasers will think it is worth less. Mr. Hetherington said that while in New York, lately, he heard it said that a better price could be obtained for honey if only two or three dealers sold it, for when it goes into the hands 128 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., of commission merchants who make butter, eggs, &ce , a specialty, they will sell honey at a low price at wholesale to get it off their hands and get their five per cent., as they do not receive enough honey to pay them for spending time to get the highest price. Mr. Bickford said honey gathered early was not of so fine a flavor. floney from dandelion mixed with white clover honey injures its sale, and ugly worms have disgusted him with box honey. Mr. King said that a part of the poorly flavored honey gathered early would remain in the combs, and when emptied by the extractor with white clover honey would injure its flavor, but the difficulty can be remedied by inserting empty combs or putting on boxes after the white clover honey harvest has commenced. He believed extracted honey would never command the highest price in the city markets. In setting a table, health reformers have three rules. 1st. The food must be healthful. 2d. Palatable, and 3d. It should, when on the table, present a _ pleasing appearance. But the class of city peo- ple who purchase most of the honey, have these rules reversed; and what looks more pleasing to the eye and sweeter to the taste than ‘‘ honey in the honey comb.’ He proposes to get up beautiful labels with blank for the bee-keepers’ address, and keep them for sale; some guaran- tee of purity is important, as extracted honey is destined to soon have a large sale, by the barrel as well as in jars, for other purposes than the table. Mr. Bickford said honey in glass jars looks ~ more beautiful than honey in the comb with the cells half filled, and the higher the price the better it sells. Mr. Jones. — Will it keep as well as box honey ? Some object to it, stating that it soon candies, looks like lard and will not sell. Mr. Bickford.— It ke>ps better than box honey, and the objec- tion of looking like lard vanishes when the pur- chasers are informed that by setting it in water and heating it gently it again takes the liquid form and is as clear and fresh as ever. Mr. King said the committee appointed to correspond with the presidents and secretaries of sister associations and leading bee-keepers throughout the land, in reference to holding au American Bee-Keepers’ Convention, had dis- charged the duty, and he gave the history of the correspondence at length, which has since been published in the Brr-KgEPEerRs’ JOURNAL. Messrs. Bickford, Hetherington, Root, and others, spoke, approving the course the secretary had taken. Mr. King said the North-Western Bee-Keepers’ Association was in session at Decatur, Ill., and that he feared they would unconsciously be led astray by Mr. Wagner’s statement, as Mr. Wagner had been by the partial quotation of the resolution of this convention, made by Messrs. Moon and Mitchell. Mr. Bickford said if he represented any one at this association, he was here as a friend of Mr. Wagner and Mr. Langstroth. On motion of Mr. Bickford the following was seut by telegraph : Utica, N. Y., Sept. 28, 1870. To the North Western Decatur, Ill., Bee-Keepers’ Association : The North-Eastern Bee-Keepers’ Association desires National Convention held at Cincinnati, Ohio, because generally located, free from local influences, and near the home of Mr. Langs- troth, whom we want present. Telegraph desire of your convention. Signed, M. Quinsy, President. (The dispatch was sent the 28th. Some days after Mr. Quinby received dispatch that our telegram was received too late ; they had recog- nized the call of the Michigan Association and adjourned. ) SECOND DAY —THIRD SESSION. Mr. King said the clause in our constitution requiring the payment of one dollar annually, was a great hindrance to the prosperity of the association. Many bee-keepers present had not joined. Mr. Hetherington said we contemplated offer- ing premiums on honey, and we should need money. Liberal premiums should be offered, as it costs considerable to exhibit honey. Mr. Bickford said that he hoped we would rescind the whole clause and have no initiation fee. In the great gatherings in Germany, mem- bership was free. If money was needed, mem- bers would put their hands in their pockets and give liberally. Mr. Quinby said we should have opportunity enough to put our-hands in our pockets, even if we let the initiation fee remain as it is. Mr. King said he could heartily endorse Mr. Bickford’s position. .Do away with both the annual and initiation fees, and get bee-keepers to attend.and join the association, and when they become interested they will give liberally to defray any necessary expenses. Let us be liberal and have a large gathering and an in- teresting and profitable meeting. Messrs. Van Douzen and Hetherington spoke against any change, when Mr. Root said a clause in the constitution provided for amendments only at the annual meeting, hence the discus- sion was useless and out of order. On the question of swarming, Mr. Quinby said if we could prevent the issue of swarms until after we had secured the surplus honey with the extractor, (or if in boxes they would be filled more rapidly, and the honey would be whiter, ) then make new colonies just in time to secure winter stores, we would obtain more honey, and the stocks would be more valuable in the spring. Late swarms work and breed late, hence the bees are young and the colonies. more valuable the next spring. He had got his box honey before swarming, and bees will finish boxes after swarming if partly filled before. Mr. Allen thought honey ought to remain in the combs some time, before emptying it with the extractor, to acquire a good flavor. The honey is condensed by evaporation while in the hive, but honey emptied with the extractor while - thin is liable to sour. Mr. Root said artificial swarms should be made. —_ 1870.] when there are enough bees for two good swarms, and not before. AFTERNOON SESSION. : Mr. Bickford said it was well known that foul brood had been detrimental to bee-keeping, but a simple remedy had lately been discovered, and would soon be published. The ingredients can _be purchased for a few cents at any drug store. Mr. Quinby said foul brood was not one hun- dredth part as bad now as it was ten years ago. Mr. Bickford desired to speak in favor of the publications devoted to bee-culture, but spe- cially in favor of the American Bee Journal. No one can do much alone without the aid of papers and books. Mr. Quinby said a single article in the paper would often contain just what a beginner wanted to know and worth many times the price of the paper. Mr. King said we had been greatly disturbed by the crowd during the sessions of this conven- tion, which, with the irregularity of the atten- dance of members had prevented him from securing a list of all the names of bee-keepers present, with the number of stocks each kept, amount of honey obtained, and number of mova- ble-comb hives. If elected secretary again at our next annual meeting, he will provide an assistant secretary and make a more creditable report. He believed it was well to hold semi- annual meetings of bee-keepers’ associations at State fairs, but when held during the day on the grounds, a secure retreat should be obtained, and only short, lively sessions held. He prom- ised to provide before next fall, large cards with the following, printed in large, bold type : BEE-KEEPERS ASSOCIATION. WP AICEL Gl. oo. c.ccrcees votsceeds an age Saeed Pa o'clock. suitable for any association in any State, and furnish them free, to be tacked up in different places on the fair ground. Mr. Bickford moved that the report of this convention be forwarded for publication to the various bee journals and agricultural papers, which passed, and the association adjourned to the next annual meeting. H. A. Kine, Secretary. The name Bee, as shown by its derivative meaning, was originally imposed with direct re- ference to the insect’s constructive habits, as was the case with the names given to it in the more primitive languages, and which is also the origin of its Teutonic and Scandinavian appellations— Biene, Bie, Bi, whence our own common name for it is obtained through the Saxon Beo ; and we have besides Bye or bee, signifying a dwelling. From this circumstance it would seem that a very early and universal discernment existed of its ingenuity and skill, its significant name being everywhere analogous.—Schuckard. oe Natural laws are the rigid expression of domi- nating necessity. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 129 [From the Official Report, in the Advertiser and Union.] Cautauque County, N. Y., Bee-Keepers’ Convention The first annual meeting of the ‘‘ Chautauque County Bee-keepers’ Association”? was held at the rane House in Mayville, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 870. In the absence of the president, vice presi- dent J. C. Cranston was called to the chair. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : President, J. C. Cranston ; Executive Commit- tee, Ira Porter, J. G. Harris, J. M. Beebe, L. R. Whitford and H. A. Pratt; Secretary, C. E. Benton : Vice-Presidents, M. H. Town, of Ark- wright, E. H. Jenner, of Busti, O. E. Thayer, of Carroll, Welcome Carpenter, of Cherry Creek, J. O. Wood, of Chautauque, B. Pettit, of Cly- mer, Z. Hunn, of Dunkirk, L. Weeks, of Ellery, Mr. Carpenter, of Ellington, L. L. Darby, of Ellicott, Addison Beebe, of French Creek, B. L. Harrison, of Gerry, W. H. Cook, of Harmony, C. E. Randall, of Hanover, J. Scudder, of Kian- tone, H. Q. Ames, of Mina, Livanus Ellis, of Pomfret, Maxam Sweet, of Poland, Delos Hall, of Portland, David Shaver, of Ripley, H. B. Woodcock, of Stockton, Joseph Shinner, of Sherman, P. Miller, of Sheridan, T. Searl, of Villenova, E. C. Bliss, of Westfield — The following reports were submitted by members : They set forth the advantages of bee-keeping ina manner at once telling and practical, and are well worth reading. The reports are brief — facts and figures—merely showing what has been done, and therefore what can be effected in Chautauque. As Mr. Hubbard said there is probably no farm-stock more remunerative for the same amount of capital expended than bee- culture. Care is of course necessary, as with everything else that is solid or substantial. J. M. Beebe, of Casadaga, commenced_the season with fifteen colonies of bees, one of which was queenless, and one had a drone laying queen, leaving him but thirteen swarms of value. Three of these he used for making nucleus swarms for raising Italian queens, thus leaving but ten from which to receive surplus honey. These ten produced 12 young swarms and 655 ibs. of surplus honey. One Italian colony produced one young swarm and 96 lbs. of box honey, and the young swarm 120 lbs., making from one swarm 216 lbs. of box honey and a good young swarm worth $10—a profit of $74.80—the largest profit he had ever received from one swarm of bees. He has now 25 colonies of Italian bees all in good condition for wintering. Wm. Cipperly, of Sinclearville, commenced the season with two colonies—one in the Beebe hive and one in the box hive. The one in the Beebe hive gave him five young swarms and 60 Ibs. box honey. The one in the box hive gave him three young hives and no box honey. The whole amount of surplus honey is £00 Ibs. ; it would have been more, but he preferred the increase of swarms. Franklin Ellis, of Casadaga, commenced in 130 THE AMERICAN the spring with 11 swarms—some in the Lang- stroth and others in the box hive—and realized 15 young swarms and about 400 lbs. of honey. Mr. Waterman, of South Stockton, commenced with six swarms; realized 10 young swarms and about 200 lbs. honey. He used the old fashioned box hive, but intends using the im- proved hive next season. Nester Lambling, of Charlotte, commenced with six swarms, mostly in the Beebe hive, and has six young swarms and 400 lbs. box honey. Lewis Simmonds, of Charlotte, commenced with six colonies, and has eleven young swarms and 2060 lbs. honey; he uses the Langstroth hive. John Guest, of Pomfret, commenced with two swarms; got two young swarms and 75 lbs. honey ; uses‘the box hive. | Mortimer Ely, of Stockton, commenced with two swarms from which he has four young swarms and 40 lbs. honey ; he used the Kidder h‘ve. P. G. Tambling, of Pomfret, had in the spring three swarms, and received six young swarms and 50 Ibs. honey; he used the box hive. One. of the hives has been in use twenty years and now has the same combs that were built in it twenty years ago. The bees are strong and healthy. Who can beat this? Russell Mattoon commenced with one swarm, and has four young swarms and 75 Ibs. honey. Lyvenus Ellis, of Pomfret, commenced with nine swarms, from which he has received nine young swarms and 700 Ibs. box honey. One swarm gave him 108 lbs. surplus honey. [Perhaps the only report ahead of this was the President’s, T. 8. Moss, who ‘‘hived’’ 10 lbs. of most Celicious honey, with nary a bee.] Wm. Smith, of Stockton, commenced with seven swarms, and realized seven young swarms and 800 lbs. box honey. He has taken from one young swarm in the Beebe hive 99 lbs. surplus honey. Sewell Spaulding, of Villenova, commenced May 17th with one swarm. August ist he had realized thirteen swarms, W. 5. Grant, of Poland, commenced with seventeen swarms, and has realized five natural and thirteen artificial swarms, and 625 lbs. box honey. H. B. Rolfe, of Westfield, (a school boy, ) com- menced one year ago last April with six stocks of M. 8. Snow’s Italian bees. Last autumn put eleven swarms in cellar, and wintered two out- side, but one lost its queen, leaving him but twelve in the spring. He now has forty-one stocks from the original six (besides four which went to the woods,) only ten of which are not hybridized. He has taken off 500 Ibs. box honey, which he thinks pretty well considering the number of swarms sent out.. He depends entirely upon natural swarming. No surplus honey last year. One swarm of hybrids, sent out four swarms in May. The first issued the 15th which sent out a very large swarm June 25th, filling a Langstroth hive, and going into the boxes, filling one set, and commenced on second set. July 6th another swarm issued from the same hive. Another swarm of hybrids BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., came out and was hived May 31st, and in just twenty-seven days thereafter sent out a large swarm, and at night he took off 33 lbs., 5 oz., of box honey besides; the hive was full. (Beat that if you can?) This swarm also sent out a fair second swarm July 9th. Another swarm of hybrids issuing June Ist also sent out a swarm in twenty-seven days, but had about half filled the boxes when the bees went to the woods, be- cause he did not get home from school in season to hive them. E. H. Jenner, of Busti, realized 75 Ibs. surplus honey from one swarm. U. 8. Ladue, of Brocton, took two young swarms from one swarm, and 50 lbs. of honey from one of the young swarms and the old swarm. John Furman, of Portland, had five swarms last fall, but only one in the spring, which has produced him two swarms and 25 lbs. honey. Mr. H. A. Pratt bought four swarms one year ago last spring ; raised six young swarms; five came through the winter very feeble ; fixed feed- ing, but did not succeed very well ; has received this year twelve new swarms and 80 lbs. box honey. Mr. L. Weeks commenced keeping bees about twelve years ago; has one swarm in a house which now contains about 400 lbs. honey, but does not think they are as profitable as where kept in hives. Has now sevén swarms from three wintered ; uses box hives. H. B. Woodcock, of Stockton, from one swarm has realized two young swarms and 380 to 40 lbs. box honey. J. G. Harris, of Westfield, commenced three years ago with three stocks in box hives. Has now fifty-four stocks in Langstroth hives. Took off this year over one-half ton of box honey in three pound boxes. L. R. Whitford, from seven swarms in the Beebe hive has 165 lbs. surplus honey ; number of young swarms not siated. Mr. Watkins, from two swarms has five new swarms and 100 Ibs. surplus honey. W. H. Cook,.of Harmony, has kept bees since he was eighteen years old. Had twenty-three © swarms last spring, eight of them very light. Fed through the winter. Has taken off over 1,100 lbs. box honey, with several hundred pounds still in the hives. Has twenty-four new swarms, ten of which have yielded $100 worth of surplus honey. One swarm has swarmed twice, and from the old swarm and one of the new ones he received 119 lbs. honey. Mr. E. R. Hubbard, of Water Valley, Erie Co., spoke with great interest to all present. He usually kept from 60 to 75 swarms. He thought $100 invested in bees, and properly cared for, would yield a greater profit than the same amount invested in any other kind of farm stock. Mr. Richardson had received 123 lbs. surplus honey from one swarm, and 41 from a young swarm. J. ©. Cranston, of Sheridan, spoke at some length in reference to the management of bees, and recommended the use of rum as a wash for the hands and face to prevent being stung, and 1870.] also referred to his moth trap, offering the use of it to any gentleman present. J. M. Beebe, of Casadaga, exhibited and ex- plained his patent hive and feeder. Mr. Hubbard also exhibited and explained his hive and avowed it as his opinion that these two were the best now before the public—an opinion generally concurred in by those present. On motion it was resolved that the next annual Bee Meeting be held at Mayville—the time to be designated by the Executive Commit- tee. A semi annual meeting will be called in the spring. IrA PoRTER, Secretary pro tem. The following reports are additional to those referred to and received since the convention adjourned : Report of Hltiott Bachelor, of Stockton. I commenced the season of 1870 with three swarms of bees. One in the Langstroth, one in the box, and one in J. M. Beebe’s hive. From the three I received twelve young swarms and 120 lbs. box honey, which was taken from the Beebe hive, with the exception of 6 lbs. Report of Franklin Kelley, of Pomfret. Commenced the spring of ’70 with two stocks of bees—one in the Bingham and one in the Beebe hives The Bingham hive gave me one young swarm and 48 lbs. of surplus. The Beebe hive gave three young swarms, and the first young swarm swarmed, making four young swarms, and 108 lbs. surplus honey. Report of Sylvester Munger, of Delantt. Commenced the. season of ’70 with five colo- nies of bees—some in the Langstroth, some in the Beebe, and some in the box hive. I received 300 Ibs. of box honey. and eleven young swarms. I prefer the Beebe hive to any I ever saw. ees [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice. We have been looking over the ‘‘ Annals of Bee Culture,’ for 1870, and must say we were very much interested and consider the articles generally remarkably well chosen, and well written, with a view of bringing forward promi- nently the progress made in the year. Mr. Thomas’s article we should have felt in- ‘clined to eriticise some; but the editor in his note at the end of the article, has said all that we would say, and perhaps more, although we think bee-keepers of large experience in arti- ficial swarming, will very nearly agree with Mr. Adair. By the way, Mr. Editor, we dd think your in- dulgence rather severely trespassed upon, when the vendor of a patent hive took the columns of the Journal to proclaim boldly his hive the “best in America,’’? without so much as saying THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 131 ‘in his opinion,’’ and then to refer your readers en masse to the advertising columns. We could not help wondering what a rush there must be (if every one credited the strong assertion) to make an offer. An offer for what ? When will the community ever learn that the fact of a patent having been granted on an article, does not necessarily imply that said patent is of any value ? . What would be thought of a man who should locate himself on the beach of Lake Erie, and proclaim that some barrels of water he had just dipped up ‘‘ must be sold,’’? and urge the commu- nity to make him an offer at some price or other? In case he could persuade people, (and that is what patent right men do do as a general thing,) that the water he had just dipped up was superior to that remaining in the lake, lie would probably make a sale. As Mr. Thomas had his ‘‘say’’ several times in the Journal, he certainly cannot complain of what is allowed to be said of him and his hive on pages 1038 and 105. Mr. Kretshmer’s article in the ‘‘ Annals”? on in-door vs. out-door wintering of bees, we must think a step backward. To settle the matter he says, he concluded to test it himself, and then gives the result as though no one had ever made a similar experiment before, and in- forms us just why it is. Does Mr. Kretshmer forget that almost all the bees in America are wintered on their summer stands; yet they do not get two swarms and 149 lbs. of honey, each, for all that. Why is it? From the last few lines of his article we thought we might get his idea, namely, that the hives commonly used are not suitable, and now the happy thought struck us, that we would write to Mr. Kretshmer and ask him if he will be kind enough to tell us just what sort of hive he uses. But here again the thought occurred that he too may be a patent hive man; and, oh, lamentable human nature! the facts they give are much one-sided, and 149 lbs. 8 oz. does look surprisingly like some of Jasper Hazen’s experi- ments to get at FACTS. (We might think of the two swarms that he has besides, and Mr. Hazen don’t have; but we won’t until we see if it is really a patent hive.) We presume Mr. Quinby, Adam Grimm, and hosts of others have tried the same experiments in wintering, for a great number of years, and with hundreds of stocks, and yet we believe they are satisfied that special repositories are a de- cided advantage. In our locality we think it safe to say, that one-fourth of all the bees raised are lost in wintering out of doors, that would be saved if properly protected, from the frost and sudden changes. Wereally doubt if it be possible to winter bees in an apiary of fifty stocks, all strong and well supplied with honey and winter passages, with- out losing some of them; and those remaining will, many of them, be so weakened by losing a few more at every sudden change of weather, that they will not compare at all with those wintered in-doors. : In regard to brood, all of our stocks that we opened, (and that was a good many,) had con- 132 siderable brood in January last winter. As this matter of brood has been often mentioned as an objection, we think perhaps ours may have been stimulated by leaving the door open a few nights, which we mentioned we did on account of being obliged to use saw-dust that was quite damp. As to feeding rye-meal, &c., in February, this is easily and often done, by removing the stock trom the house at that time; but our objection to so doing is, that the result would be too much brood, long before it is needed. Mrs. Tupper some time ago gave the result of her experience, that brood had better not be en- couraged too much, before about the first of April, and our experiments corroborate it. It is true, we can stimulate bees to raise brood, so as to have them fill the hive and possibly swarm as early as the middle of April, but the danger of mischief from a sudden cold snap, and having a large number of bees before they can be of any use, makes us think it cannot be good policy. Not but that we would have all stocks strong in April; but then there is also an extreme in having too much brood early in the season. Any one may easily try the experiment for himself. We presume different localities would give somewhat different results. A correspondent of the Journal mentions a difficulty in laying a frame of broken comb down flat, in the upper part of the hive, for the bees to mend. The caps on the hives we used for that purpose, were made to accommodate boxes, and are large enough to cover the honey board and all, and the honey board is an inch longer than the top bars of the frames. We think it would pay to have a cap made on purpose, to cover a frame when laid flat on a board. In consequence of the dry weather this. fall, we have been obliged to give back some of the honey taken away—about as much as we took of the gathering from the autumn wild flowers; so that the surplus honey given us by our forty-six stocks, (made by artificial swarming entirely, the year before from eleven) stands at six thou- sand one hundred and sixty-two (6,162) pounds, besides eighteen new swarms. The sixty-four stocks we now hive, are all in good trim, and will be ready for work in 1871, all of them, we trust—unless we are yet too much of a NOVICE. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Bees in Kansas. Mr. Eprror :—We have caught.a great deal of enthusiasm in reading the two numbers we have received of the Bee Journal. All we are sorry about is that we did not subscribe sooner. Put us down for life, as a subscriber, or at least as long as we keep bees. But we are not able to crow about the amount of honey we have slung out this season. We wish we could join the enthusiastic chap of Washington Harbor; but the hurrah comes out of the other corner of the mouth, or ‘over the left.” Bees have done very poorly here this season ; THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. . [DEc., worse than for many years previous. There is no doubt that many bees will perish here the coming winter, on account of the scarcity of stores. Intelligent bee-keepers will, of course, endeavor to carry their bees through by feeding. In the spring of 1869 we had three hives of bees, and we sold 250 Ibs. of surplus honey, be- sides what we used in the family, and increased our stock to fourteen. Every one of these went into winter quarters with more than fifty pounds of honey, and every one came out in the spring all right. Some persons seem to be astonished at the re- sult of Novice’s honey harvest this year. But if we had last year restricted our number to the Same rate of increase as Novice did his, we might have netted at least 250 Ibs. of honey to each original hive we had in the spring ; which would have beat Novice all hollow. But, as to this year, we have nothing to say. We did sell 201bs. of surplus honey, and increased our stock from thirteen to thirty ; but at least half of them will have to be fed or they will starve before spring. This season the linden trees failed to blossom, and though the late sumac, buckwheat, and other fall flowers blossomed as usual, but the honey was not in them. If it had been, I know the bees would have got it. Why the flowers failed to yield honey is a mystery to me. We have the usual enemies to bees here as elsewhere, in the shape of birds and moths. But the worst enemy of all that has appeared, is a large animal or biped. He has infested this com- munity for nearly a year; and has been seen to put bees in his mouth by handfuls. But it is not the bees that he puts in his mouth that do the damage, but the lies that come out. This bi- ped calls himself the ‘‘bee-man,’’ or L. Twining, ‘*Patent Bee Hive Vendor,’’ and seller of siz secrets for handling and managing bees. For ten dollars he will tell you what the six secrets are, and give you a piece of paper that says you have a right to use a certain improvement on bee hives patented by E. F. Chevalier. The hive that he exhibits as his patent is a box-hive, made about two inches wider at the top one way, with the. Langstroth frames; and for every right he sells _ he could be prosecuted by the owner of the Langstroth patent. This box sits on what he calls a ‘‘bee protector,’”’ a miller trap and feed trough—two capital places to breed moths. If rightly named it would be called bee-killer. But with his system you can make from six- teen to sixty-four swarms from one, in a single season—that is, if his own word was good for anything. Though he generally requires a pledge of honor that the secrets shall never be revealed, he neglected to require that from sev- eral, and the secrets are out. that I would put them down here for the benefit of the readers of the Journal; but it will be no benefit to the reader unless a hearty laugh would do him some good. We here quote from the bee- killer’s circular, that you may form some idea of the great value of the secrets before we tell you what they are. “Our secrets are: Ist. Taming bees, however — cross, so that they can be handled as readily and safely as flies, by any one. I was going to say 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 133 62d. A food that costs nothing and is always at hand, by the use of which the largest swarm of bees can be well wintered and not consume five pounds of honey. **3d. A costless substitute for bee-bread, for want of which whole swarms frequently perish, while the hive is full of honey. “4th. A prevention of drone bees, which eat not less than 25 lbs. per swarm, each season, and is, therefore, so much thrown away. *‘Sth. A place or situation for bees, both sum- mer and winter, by which dee cholera and other destructive diseases are generally avoided. ‘*6th. A bait for millers, also costless, which attracts and destroys this pest of the apiary. ‘This discovery is the result of the one hun- dredth experiment of Mr. Twining, and is worth more than twice the price of the Right.” | Now we will give you the great secrets, in the order as above : 1st. ‘*Smoke the bees well; close the hive and drum on it afew minutes. Then rub urine on ‘your hands and face; open the hive; put your hands over your face, and your face down close to the bees, and blow on the bees through your fingers. 2d. ‘‘ Urine evaporated in the sun about two weeks in an oak trough. 3d. ‘* Ground chess. 4th. ** Cut out the drone- eBid: 5th. ‘‘Keep your bees on the north side of buildings, out of the hot sun in the summer, and where there is no foul air. 6th. ‘‘ Whey off thick milk cheese.’’ Now this charlatan of a beeman will soon in- fest other sections of the country. For a com- plete remedy, apply to Prof. Jared P. Kirtland, Cleveland, Ohio, or to the undersigned. Noau CAMERON. Lawrence, Kansas, Oct. 28, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Something on Hives. _ Last year I made and used four Price’s hives, as described in the Journal Vol. IV., page 87, and I like them so well that I have increased the number to twenty-four. Many persons have been at my apiary to see this Price hive, and after seeing me handle the bees and the hive, and I ask them—‘‘ Well how do you like the hive? the answer invariably is—‘“ tip-top ! That beats anything I eversaw. That can’t be beat !’’ I sold a swarm to a man, and in selecting it we handled over four stocks, and he remarked— ‘TI have been looking for miller-worms, and have not seen one yet.”’ With a half pitch to the bottom board, tight joists, and rosin and tallow melted together and poured hot into all the corners of the hive, we may say good-by to the -miller worms. To winter bees on their summer stands, this hive cannot be beat. I take off one of the honey-boards and place an old bag or a piece of old carpet over the frames, letting it rest right on the frames, and then fill in all around with dry chaff or cut straw. The bees will not fly out and perish on the snow, nor freeze in the | hive. When I opened my hives last spring there was not a particle of mould on the combs, and I never had my bees winter so well before. There is no crushing of bees with me, such as Mr. Duffeler complains of. I plane the division board toa sharp edge, and by being a little care- ful, can set them down while the bottom board is covered with bees, without ever crushing one. Mr. Duffeler also complains, that his combs are uneven and all gone astray. I have a lot of as straight combs as you will find in any apiary in that size of frames. I think Mr. D. went astray when he broke up the whole concern. If he had followed the directions of Mr. Price, he would have had no difficulty in getting straight combs. Perhaps he does not understand Mr. Price’s directions. He says, also, that he does not know what Novice means by being well rooted in strong stocks. There is a thirteen year old boy in our town, who reads the Bee Journal, owns three swarms of bees, and hived and sold humble bees to the boys last summer. I asked him if he was going to pick a good strong stock or swarm of bees from my apiary, what one he would take. He replied—‘‘one that had plenty of honey and lots of bees.” Some may think, that I have an axe to grind, and want some one to turn up with plenty of greenbacks. To such I say, I have no hives for sale, and no interest in bee-hive territory. Mr. Price is a stranger to me, excepting what little I have learned of him through the Bee Journal. I think Mr. O. E. Wolcott, (who lives about seven miles from me,) would not have lost his apiary of over sixty stocks, if he had used a hive that was deep up and down. The bees would have kept warm, and the honey would have supported them. There are but few here that are Italianizing their stocks, most of the bee-keepers being afraid, apparently, that the Italian bee isa humbug. I have four swarms of Italians, and am going to Italianize the rest of my colonies as soon as I ean. I think I ought to be on the sleeping car, for it is bed-time. . Argentine, (Mich.) Oct. 15, 1870. * The writer of the forezoing forgot to give us his name, though remitting for his subscription. Whom shall we credit ? es [For the American Bee Journal. ] A few Inguiries. Mr. Eprror:—I wish to ask through the Journal for a description of Mr. Gallup’s hive, or the one he prefers or has in use, if he will give it. Iam using what we call a Quinby hive, or Langstroth Quinbyfied ; but would like one with side art rangement of boxes. I would also ask some of your correspondents what is the difference between cross and side frames, or frames running from front to rear or from side to side. I see a great deal written in the Journal in re- gard to cheap Italian bees, seeming to touch Mr. Alley somewhat. I bought some from him this season. The first was the finest queen I ever saw, and I have seen a few before. I think heis in every respect a gentleman to deal with. 134 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., Mr. R. S. Terrey, of Bangor, Maine, had hives and bees at our State Fair, and honey also. His hive is eight inches deep, made to set one on top of another, from one section to any number wanted ; but I do not like it. I like the Bee Journal very much. H. B. Cony. Augusta, Maine, Nov. 3, 1870. a BOD [For the American Bee Journal.] Artificial Queens, and Swarming Fever. I cannot let Mr. Price, in the November num- ber, make a catchword for his hive, with my article of September, 1870. The hive I intended to speak of is not the Reversible, Revoluable, Double-cased, Sectional Bee Hive, but simply a modification of the old pattern of the Price hive, as described and engraved in the American Bee Journal, Vol. IV., page 87. After having manufactured a number of these hives, [ was compelled to break them up; for the square frames, held angling, were so much re- versible that they capsized badly. In order to _ prevent that vexatious reversibility, I contrived to re-construct those hives, giving them frames with five sides instead of four. By this means, every frame was increased in surface; and it is to that increase, and to the shape of the frames that I attribute, in part, the success of my bees in those hives. Mr. Price thinks that our wisdom of artificial queens is running the race out. I have heard some temperance men maintaining that wine is poison. I smiled at that idea, thinking that wine must be a very slow poison, for all my ancestors died more than seventy-five years old, although drinking wine freely at all their meals. I guess it is the same with artificial swarming. For twenty years the Italian bees have been subjected to this mode of queen raising, yet the Italian race is better than the naturally swarmed black bees. For instance, this spring I sold to Mr. Roberts, of: Provo City, Utah, fourteen hives, which all had artificially raised queens. Besides those, Mr. Roberts got one hundred and fifty stands of black bees, whose queens were all naturally raised. Yet my artificial colonies proyed to be so much better than the blacks, that Mr. Roberts wrote to me, some weeks ago—‘‘I am so con- tented with your Italian bees, that I wish I had bought all Italians.”’ Mr. Roberts will be present atthe Bee-keepers’ Convention in Indianapolis. Mr. Price, or any other person feeling interested, can question him as to the truth of my allegations. Some time ago Mr. Gallup wrote to the Ameri- can Bee Journal, that the artificial queens were poorer than natural ones. But he seems to have modified his views on that subject somewhat, for he writes in the October number of the Illustrated Bee Journal—‘‘ My theory is that a larvee fed, as a worker, six days, and then changed to a queen, is but very little if any longer brood than a worker. Yeta queen cell, built over an egg, and fed as a queen from the start, I have not been able to discover why they are not as geod as a | natural queen raised at swarming time.”’ Some queens in Gallup’s apiary emerged from their cells after eight or nine days. I have never seen queens emerging in eight or nine days. The shortest time I have recorded was some six or eight hours less than ten days. Let us remark here, that when honey is abun- ~ dant in flowers, and the weather warm, no matter in what month, every good colony raising queens gets the swarming fever; and if the bee-keeper does not remove the supernumerary cells, there is the greatest likelihood that he will get one or more swarms from the colony rearing queens. The means used by Mr. Price to obtain or pro- duce the swarming fever are, of course, idle, — that fever being a natural consequence, in a good stock, if building queen cells in favorable weather. But I do not see what influence that swarming fever can have on the more or less vitality of the grubs ! Some credulous people believe that the crop of potatoes is more abundant, if the sets are planted during the old moon, than if set at the time of new moon. I ‘suspect. the swarming fever has as much to do with the grubs, as the moon with the potatoes. Hence, till some more serious reasons are ad- vanced by Mr. Price, I, and many others, will not admit that, in raising queens artificially, we act against nature, reason, or common sense. C. DapaAntT. Hamilton, Its. See tee [For the American Bee Journal. ] A Summer’s Operations. Mr. Eprror :—I have been experimenting some with bees, hives, and melextractors, the past season. I am too busy at present to write much, but will give you the resylts of my operations with one colony of Italians. They were in a Langstroth hive with eight frames, in the spring, with a pure Italian queen procured from Mr. W. H. Furman, and introduced late last fall. July 10th, had drawn eight frames with brood and bees, to rear queens. July 29th, forced a full swarm ‘‘Gallup fashion,’’? with old queen—compelling the old colony to raise a young queen for itself. August 10th, transferred the old stock to a ten frame hive, giving them two empty frames to” fill; and also cut out eight ‘‘natural, prolific, hardy queen cells.’’ (Price. ) September 3d, extracted forty (40) pounds of honey and got a No. 1 swarm, leaving plenty of honey for winter. I do not. know how I could get along without the American Bee Journal, and am trying to per- suade all my neighbors to take it also. J. E. BENJAMIN. Rockford, Iowa, Nov. 7, 1870. Water is absolutely indispensable to hees when building comb, or raising brood. THE AMERICAN [From the Western Rural. ] Hunting Wild Bees. Bees are generally hunted in the fall, after the _ flowers have failed, or we have had one or two sharp frosts. The hunter takes with him into the woods a dish in which there is honey in the comb, and an ash pail in which there are some live coals covered with ashes. An opening where a bee can be seen some distance is selected. For convenience in “lining’’ the honey is placed on a log, stump, or bush, a few feet from the earth, with the fire near it. A small piece of comb is put on the fire. The smoke from the burning comb attracts the bees; they soon find the honey, fill their honey sacs, and leave ona **bhee line’’ for home. Line. Stand. Tree. * Line. Stand. The hunter estimates the distance he is from the bee by the length of time the bee is gone, and also by the number of bees he has at work in a given time. If he is confident that he is near the tree, instead of getting them at work again directly «n the line, he moves either to the right or to the left of it. Forinstance if the line is due north, he moves his ‘‘traps’”’ northeast or northwest, to where he can get a line at a right angle with the first one, and finds the tree where the two lines meet. J. H. TOWNLEY. Parma, (Mich.) ors [For the American Bee Journal.] Remarks and Inquiries, Mr. Eprtor :—We are behind the times in this country, and as regards the improvements of the Nineteenth century, we are living in another age. Too many of us in milling, have not dis- carded the old custom of our fathers of carrying a stone in one end of the bag, to balance the grist in the other. Some have purchased the improvements offered, but have been so badly bit, they are like the burnt child :—and now all over this country, in some out-of-the-way place, in yard or outhouse, can be found patent churns, washing machines, rat-traps, and bee-hives, all BEE JOURNAL. 135 useless, but costing their owner such an inade- quate outlay, compared with their real worth, they were not committed to the kindling box, but allowed to remain on the premises, as monu- ments of ‘‘ the fool and his money !”’ Now, Mr. Editor, we do not know how it is in the States north and west of us, but it appears to us that all the patent useless machines and implements of the inventive ‘‘ wooden nutmeg, and horn gun-flint’? New Englander, find their way down here; and ad captandum vulgus, the owners or their agents assume and put on a grave, sanctimonious expression, while they tell us, the only inducement in visiting us was pro bono publico ! The model in his hands works like a charm, and he finds a purchaser for State and county rights, to make and use, pockets his money and away he goes. But when the con- cern is made up LIFE SIZE, it won’t work, and the whole patent family of improved implements are abused and cursed, and many really valuable inventions cannot be sold, because worthless ones have found their way in our midst. We have extended to a greater length than in- tended, our introduction to some questions which we wish to ask through the Journal, desiring some correspondent to answer them. On read- ing the experience of persons who have the past season, used the melextractor or honey slinger, we are entertaining visions that after the smaller vessels are filled, we shall resort for repositories of honey to the tank or cistern. We have never used the extractor, nor have we yet seen one at work, but we intend to have one next spring. Now the questions— 1st. Whose extractor do you use? Does it work well? And what is the price ? 2d. How often do you extract the honey from the same comb ? Do you wait until it is capped ? 3d. If the honey is not capped, and is thin and watey when extracted, will it not ferment and sour ? 4th. Do you extract honey from combs having brood within it? Ifso, what becomes of the un- capped brood? ' dth. Is the colony not troubled with robbers, on replacing the dripping frame into the hive? These are some of the troubles that present themselves to my mind, at this distance; any suggestion of those experienced in its workings will be of interest, Mr. Editor, to several of your readers and lovers of nice honey. It occurs to us that if honey is extracted within a day or two after it is deposited in the cells by the bees, it will ferment and spoil; or if it does not, it will not be so valuable. Let us hear from those who have practically tested these Honey Extractors, for we are seek- ing for further light in this bee-nighted region. Do not read this and throw your paper aside, for some one else to answer, or speculate upon in their own minds; for we are in earnest, and really want an answer to the inquiries we have made. W. P. HENDERSON. Murfreesboro’, Tenn., Nov. 5, 1870. 2 Until the fifteenth century honey was used instead of sugar. 136 [For the American Bee Journal.] Report of a Beginner. Mr. Eprror :—As I am a beginner in bee-cul- ture and this is my first communication to your much esteemed Journal, you must excuse brevity or length, whichever it may turn out to be. In the spring of 1864, I purchased three stocks of bees in gums, made of hollow logs, having not even a hole in the top for ventilation, let alone for the bees to work through into surplus boxes. Well, I had some other common hives made, with caps, and used them with varying success until the spring of 1869, at which time I had still only three stands of bees. I had been try- ing all the time to increase the number, and with but little success, and got no surplus honey from them.- In the spring of 1869, I obtained some movable frame hives, believing that I could make them a success; at least I could get at and be revenged on these pests, the bee-moths, that had robbed me of my expected luxury. Well, I split my old gums open, and removed their best combs and the brood, in May, to my movable frames. From one of the stocks thus transferred, I took 128 pounds of surplus honey. From the other two I took from 40 to 50 pounds surplus. The one from which I took 128 pounds swarmed once; the others cast three swarms each. My bees wintered out on their summer stands, with only their hives to protect them from cold and storms. The spring of 1870 found me with ten stocks, two of which had no queens, but only fertile workers, according to book theory. In one of these I could find nothing that looked like a queen, and into it I inserted queen cells three different times. They were each time de- stroyed, and I finally lost the stock. In the others I inserted young brood, but they would start no queen cells. At last I took a good fer- tile queen from one of my other stocks and put her in this hive. But before putting her in, I took out all the combs and bees, as I was de- termined to destroy everything that looked sus- piciously fertile. Well, I found a nearly wingless queen. I killed her, put my very fertile queen among the bees, and let her thus creep into the hive. But, alas! she was killed by the little wretches, and dragged out before next morning. They then went to work and raised a queen from a sheet of brood which I had put in. Up to the middle of June ve es did well here. Since then the black bees hayé not gathered as much as they consumed. I 7e-only one Ital- ian stock. It has gathered honey all the season. But my bees are almost destitute of pollen. I have some stocks that have none. I am giving them rye flour. Will they live on it; or can. I give them anything better? Le Roy, Lit. A. T. BIsHop. —_—_—_ SS The quality of honey varies exceedingly, some being dark and often bitter and disagreeable ; while occasionally, when gathered from poison- ous flowers, it is very noxious to the human system. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Dec., [For the American Bee Journal.] Foul Brood. I have lost two hives by this disease in two years. They were both the lightest colored Italian queens that I had at the time. In one the disease was first noticed on the 10th of August, 1869. About one-half of the dead lar- vee were in uncapped cells. In the other, it was found on the 31st of August, 1870. The dead larve were all in capped cells. About three- fourths of the brood dead. No uncommon smell was noticed. I had opened the latter hive oftener than others, because it was less crowded with bees. I had seen a few dead larve in the fore part of July, but they were soon removed. The colony gained thirty-one pounds on basswood blossoms, in July. They had no chance to catch the disease. The last bees I got was a hive from Mr. Quinby in May, 1868, which lived two years, and died 1st of March last, of starvation, with a large swarm and no honey. There are no other bees within fifty miles on the main land. This is an island, and the cool air from Lake Michigan might ac- count for less smell than in other places. There were a few dead bees in capped cells, with perforated covers, in September, in three of my four hives. One of them had cleaned all out by the 12th of October, and two had a few re- maining on the 31st of October, when I put them in the cellar. They were all crowded with bees and had plenty of honey. On the 27th of Sep- tember I took eighty-five (85) pounds of honey from three hives, leaving them forty to fifty pounds each. I think the first of June next, if they are dis- eased, I. can put them in empty hives and save the swarms ;, or when they swarm I will not give tha a comb from an old hive, as I have usually done. My four hives gained one hundred and thirty — (130) pounds from September 5th to the 24th, or thirty-three pounds each. * It is the first time in three years that they gained any after Ist of ' August. Henry D. MINER. Washington Harbor, Wis., Nov. 1, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Introducing Queens—A Suggestion. Mr. Eprtor :—From various causes I am not much heard from, and mainly because the abler part of the fraternity are furnishing us with topics and discussions which give to my mind ample food to digest and experiment in what little time I can devote to it now; though I ex- pect, if I am spared, to give my full attention to the work next season. I will venture to submit an idea in regard to introducing queens successfully, under all cir- cumstances. There has been much said on the subject, and many methods proposed, yet we find all of them failing at times. Now all these — methods may be and perhaps are good, if they 1870.] — THE AMERICAN BEEK JOURNAL. : 137 are applied when the colonies to be supplied _ with queens are in a proper condition to receive - them. When a colony has larve, and young bees hatching, queens can be safely introduced by almost any method, without trouble. But when there are no more young bees among them they are loath to accept a queen ; and my experience is that when there is no brood in the hive to furnish young bees, the mature bees soon be- come too old, and apparently of fixed habits, to receive a queen readily. Atleast I have found it impossible, under such circumstances, to in- duce the older bees to accept one. I have offered to such, unhatched queens in the cells, and they would immediately destroy them—none being allowed to hatch. Now, if there is any brother in the fraternity who can tell us how to deal with such old scamps, so as to induce them to revert to their more youthful habits, and accept an offered queen, the - information will be gratefully received by me. I find some trouble even in uniting such bees with other colonies. S. B. REPLOGLE. Roaring Spring, Blair county, Pa. es [For the: American Bee Journal.] Worms in Combs. A correspondent in a late number of the Jour- nal, said that some of his bees, after gnawing off the-caps of the cells, were unable to come out; and he wants to know what was the matter. One word will tell~—‘‘ worms.”’ I noticed some of mine in the same fix, soon after reading that article, and on pulling them out I found, as I expected, a small worm-hole near the bottom of the cell. I had before noticed that those bees which could not get out were in lines, and after pulling out a few I found a small worm. ‘They (the worms) work their passage from One cell to another, perhaps two-thirds of the way towards the centre of the comb, eating wax, bees’ wings and legs, and leaving a fine web behind, which holds the bees in the comb. I supposed they were not the larve of the ordinary bee moth, as I have generally found these near the surface of the comb. But I put some combs containing these small worms in a glass jar, and in due time had from fifteen to eighteen fine large moths of the ordinary kind. My conclusion is that these worms, while small, work.near the septum of the comb, and when grown about half an inch Jong they work next to the surface. J. L. HUBBARD. Bricksburg, N. J. oe —- Lying advertisements and plausible misrepre- sentations of brazen-faced impostors will still drain the purses of credulous [bee-keepers], while thousands, disgusted with the horde of impositions which are palmed off upon the com- munity, will settle down into a determination to try nothing new.—LANGSTROTH. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Who Will Help ? How can the circulation of the American Bee Journal be increased? is a question that should be considered by all who read it. Now there is a way, and a very good way, to increase its cir- culation. This, namely: Let every reader and subscriber send at least one—or if more than one, the better—new subscriber, (with the money, of course,) and it would not be long be- fore its circulation would double that of all others published in this country. And it cer- tainly should be so, as the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL is the one that should receive the sup- port and cheering aid of all bee-keepers through- out the country, and for the following good reasons: It was the first one published in the English language, commenced in the sole inter- est of bee culture, and sustained for years by the editor, at a sacrifice of time and money. And all who read it, (at least in this part of the world, ) say that it is the most reliable and the most interesting of all they have seen; and we will say that we know something about the bee papers of this country. Secondly, the editor of the American Bee Journal does not oceupy any portion of its columns with his own advertisements; and, in fact, he offers no patent bee hives, text-books, queen bees, or other clap-trap for sale—and when we pay for the Journal, we are not paying the editor for a paper containing his own advertisements. We do not want to do or say anything against other bee journals sent out in this couniry, but we do want our favorite American Bee Journal made to pay for the trouble and time it costs for pub- lishing it, and to this end we offer the following PREMIUMS : To the person who sends in the largest num- ber of new subscribers before February 1st, 1871, I will send one of my BAY STATE BEE HIVES, free of cost, or one of the best, most convenient and lightest HONEY EXTRACTORS offered for sale. Said machine is made of metal, and with ordinary care, will last a lifetime ; and I will guarantee that one person can empty from one to five hundred pounds of honey per day, with the use of it. I have sold these machines for ten dollars. Furruer, to the person who sends the second largest number of new subscribers, I will send two of the best and purest ITALIAN QUEEN BEES IT can raise. And to the person who sends in the third largest list of new subscribers, I will send one pure Italian queen bee. I will add that I have no interest in the American Bee Journal, only in common with other readers ; but as I advertise in its columns, I expect, if its circulation is increased as it de- 138 serves to be, to have a corresponding increase in my business. H. ALLEY. Wenham, Mass., Nov. 7, 1870. (cs The above offers are the spontaneous act of Mr. Alley. For the appreciation of the Jour- nal thus expressed and implied, we are duly grateful, and will merely add, for the encourage- ment of those who may be disposed to make efforts to secure the premiums offered, that, in any case of unsuccessful competition, we will allow the usual commission on all new subscrip- tions sent in. Thus no one need fear that they may be laboring without remuneration. [For the American Bee Journal.] Influence of Form in Hives. Mr. Eprror :—In the last number of the Jour- nal, Mr. Smith pitches into our ‘‘ preconceived theories,’’ as he calls them. He says that we pitched into the shallow form of hives in the August [September] number. This is true; and we did so because we had used them to our sorrow, though when we first used them we thought we had obtained an invaluable inven- tion, as we then compared them with old-fash- ioned gums and box hives. He says some con- demn and some approve of the shallow form of the Langstroth hive. This is undoubtedly so. The first movable comb hive we saw was in 1857, and it was of the shallow Langstroth pattern, the same as is now sent out as sample hives ; and Mr. Smith would no doubt claim that Mr. Langstroth got up the first movable comb bee- hive in America—which we likewise grant as being true. But in objecting to the Thomas hive he says that ‘‘five years ago it would have been considered a very good hive, but the world moves.’? So it does, and in his advocating its good qualities he says ‘‘more rapid breeding will be induced in the shallow hive than in the deep one,’’ &c. I fail to see that the world moves in this. The first form of movable hive was low and flat, and his part of the world seems to have progressed from the low flat form of hive to the low flat form of hive. The world moves back- wards up there in Canada. ‘He says, Mr. Seays’ theory and deductions therefrom in regard to the production ofbrood are not confirmed in his experience and observations, and ‘‘ the facts of the case warrant a very different conclusion.’? Now what was our theory and de- ductions therefrom? See September No., page 63. In drawing a comparison between the ad- vantages and disadvantages of the shallow hive and taller ones, we then said, ‘‘the combs are say eighteen inches in depth perpendicular, and twelve inches wide. The bees, in order to hatch brood, as the weather becomes warm in the spring, will cluster at the larve end of the combs, and keep up the temperature from bottom to top, because of two combined reasons—the combs being the long way perdendicular ; and the natu- ral tendency of heat being to rise, it ascends throughout the entire length of the combs, and THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Dzc, thus the proper temperature is attained through- out the hive.” This we yet maintain. It ap- pears from what Mr. Smith admits in this same communication that he does not understand my remarks, or if he does, he virtually admits that we are right. It seems that when we said ‘‘as the weather becomes warm in the spring the bees will cluster at the larve end of the combs,’’ he wishes to con- strue our language to mean in winter; for he must know that good strong colonies rear brood in winter, and if [ had entered into a minute de- scription of the manner of procedure, time, and place, that the first eggs are deposited, I would have stated, as he does, that in tall hives they begin to rear brood near the centre ; and in some cases, where the honey is nearly all consumed, they begin nearer the top, extending the same downward. And in our language, ‘‘in early spring, as the weather becomes warm (asin May) the bees cluster at the larvee or lower end of the combs.’’ The heatas generated ascends through- out the entire length of the brood combs. Now we did not intend to say that all the mature bees were compelled to go below the extreme lower part of the brood; but that a portion of them must cluster below and upon the lower part of the brood combs, in sufficient quantity to pro- duce the required temperature, otherwise the queen will refuse to deposit eggs there, or if she should deposit any there, they would not hatch. The bees must therefore cluster en masse below the brood. We make one further quotation from his re- marks, and are done. He says, ‘‘A tall hive is thought best for wintering out-doors, for we know that bees will place their stores above them when there is room. We know also that they do not cluster on the honey, but below it; and the heat from them ascends and makes their stores more accessible in cold weather. But how is it with the breeding early in the season? &c. What he means by the ‘larve’ end of the comb, I do not exactly know. If he intends to say that they cluster at the bottom of the brood comb, so that the heat will ascend and warm up the upper part of the brood comb for the extension of brood, facts do not warrant the assertion.’’ After hav- ing but a few lines above admitted that he knows they cluster ‘‘below’’ the honey and that the ~ heat from the cluster ‘‘ascends and makes their stores more accessible’’ in cold weather, he now says that ‘‘facts do not warrant the assertion’? | that they will and do cluster at the bottom of the brood combs, so that the heat may ascend and warm up the upper part of the brood comb. -Why will not the same natural ¢mmutable law of nature that causes heat to ascend and make their stores more accessible in cold weather, ascend also in ~ warm weather (as the bees descend to the bot- tom, for the purpose of extending their brood ?). He further says, for a certain reason, that ‘‘as the warmth of the cluster will be diffused lateraliy more readily than it will downwards, more rapid breeding will be induced in shallow hives than in deep ones—that the heat will radiate towards both ends from the centre’’ (in the shallow form of hive). This has always been the trouble with me. Heat, in obedience to the natural law, to 1870] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 139 seek its equilibrium in temperature, as he Says, radiates away from the cluster, and thereby gains a lower temperature ; and as other air in the hive takes its place, and is rarefied in turn to the given temperature, it also radiates away in its efforts to comply with Nature’s demands for an equilib- rium, and the rarefied air in ascending passes away from thecluster. This is without hindrance too much the routine in the shallow form of hive; but not so in the taller form, because the heated air, in obedience to the natural law, passes up- ward ; and because the inner walls of the hive being ‘closer together, and the top not allowing the heat to escape, it is more compactly pent up, so that when the radiations take place, they pass not to so great a distance laterally, and the bees can thus retain a given temperature in a larger space than if the equalization by radiation in the shallow hive were not permitted so far from the cluster that the natural law of heated air to as- cend, cannot govern it. Mr. Smith gives his experience in favor of the shallow form of hive, alongside of the Thomas hive. His statements are no doubt correct; but his experience is different from many, very many, others. The second communication in the same num- ber of the journal, to which this is a reply, agrees with the experience and preferences of thor isands. The article referred to is that written by Mr. Cal- vin Rogers, of West Newbury, Mass. We are not particularly defending the Thomas hive. We believe that Mr. Smith’s first objec- tion from his description of the frames and combs being so long and heavy that they break down, is guvod. Ido not know the perpendicular length of the combs and frames in the Thomas hive, but [use frames nineteen inches perpendicular length. My combs are eighteen inches long and twelve inches wide, and I have no trouble about their breaking down ; though there is a reason for their not breaking down in the warmest weather. J. W. SHAY. Monroe, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1870. eos [For the American Bee Journal.] Letter from Texas.—Italian Bees Wanted! Mr. Printer :—I hear you print a bee paper, and I want you to send me one to look at, to see if I like it. They tell me youalways have much nice readings in it about that queer little crittur that has a sweet tooth in its mouth and a sharp sticker in its tail, as Anne Strother’s father told the old bee-hunter down at Powett’s Tanyard last summer. I have been keeping bees here three years in the old fashioned way, that was thought very good away down east forty years ago and longer, where I was born and raised. But somehow I can’t get along with them here, as old uncle Brewster used to do in Hockanum when I was a boy. Why, he used to have lots of hives, and honey by the tubful every fall, when he took up his skeps with the brimstone rags. But here we often get nothing at all now. Whether the miller moths that are so plentiful here eat it all up, or the troublesome busy ants carry it all off, I don’t know, and with all my watching could never find out. I sometimes think the bees get bewildered among the many strange flowers. we have here, and “cannot tell where to look for the sweet; and it were no wonder, such edd-shaped things they are. Maybe if we had other sorts of flowers, apple and cherry blossoms and such like, and hollyhocks and asters, such as they was used to of old, or had other bees better suited to the flowers here, we might do first-rate in this climate where the busy fellows could work almost the year round without interruption. Well, cousin Upson was to see us when he came out prospectin’, and he told us some wonderful stories about a new kind’ of hives they have to home, in which the bees build combs as straight as a ruler on sticks, and of the nice little whirligig twirlabouts with which the honey can be shaken out of the combs right into dishes, all ready for the breakfast table. I half believed his yarns when he promised to send me one of these shakers next spring ; but Mehitable, my wife, says there was a queer sort of a smirk on his face, and he gloared so slily with his eyes while he was a telling and we was a listenin’, that she’s sure he was s only trying to bamboozle us by his talk. I’m not so sure about that. Then he told us, too, about a new sort of imported bees, with striped backs and harmless queen stings that never hurts no- body, and can be handled, like well-riddled rye, without gloves, in the hottest weather. Wife doubted again, but I think there’s a good deal of truth in the story ; for when I was in Austin to buy a plow for neighbor Crume and a new collar for my horse, I hear some talk about such queer bees in the bar-room of the tavern. The chap that was a telling about them had a patent hive tosell, too. It wasn’t one of them with the straight comb sticks that cousin Upson spoke about, but the man called it the Moth Worm Banisher. He said it was so fixed that when a’ moth touched it at night ascratcher strikes a lucifer match, and str aightw ay the sudden flash and glare of light frightens all the moths within fifty feet, and away they go, harum-scarum, with a grand flutter and flourish, seeking to hide in outer darkness. That I think is a good inven- tion, for these moths are troublesome and hard to catch, and the best way is to banish them right off. But about them new imported bees the man said he could not see any great good that came of them after all the fuss made about them, except that they made their honey from red clover tops instead of white, and hunted up all sorts of out-of-the-way flowers in by-places and roadsides, which the old kind of plain bees never thought worth looking at. Besides, he said, that while farmers could only make hay while the sun shines, these new comers would make honey, shine or no shine. This seemed to be saying something more for them than uncle Upson knew ; and as everybody in the room appeared to believe what the hive seller said, because he had no interest in the matter, I think there is a good deal in it, and wish I had some. Mr. Printer, can’t you put me in the way of get- ting a swarm? I would like to have them soon. Can’t they be sent by telegraph, so as to come 140 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., before Christmas? Swarming time begins here soon after New Year, when the drones have got over their holiday frolics. How much will they cost, though? If they are very dear I could not afford the expense till after the next cotton crop is made. They say a queen sells for five and six dollars! Just think of that! A little insect about an inch long selling at the price of a year- ling colt! If the workers sell in proportion, won’t they come high, as cousin Zeke reckons it out? Orif you put them down at even a pica- yune a piece, and there are thirty thousand in a hive, only think what a decent hive would come to, by the rule of three! Then there’s the freight too, if they come by telegraph, for the ticking clerk in the office always figures that out high ; and-so I am afraid that, if sent by that line, they might in the end cost more than they would come to. Aunt Dinah says she has read somewhere in the Penny Whistle Weekly, (which she gets every now and then at the grocer’s around some articles she buys,) that they now send these bees, or some kind of bees, by mail. That, I'think, must be a good joke! Why, you might as well send a basketful of hornets by express. Phew, I’d like to stand at a safe dis- tance away and see our soberfaced, steady old postmaster open the bag when they arrived! Wouldn’t he make tracks in a hurry, and feel worser nor if he had a dozen big fleas in his ear ? No, no, that’s a little too tough a yarn to be swallowed by any but a greenhorn, though it is in print. But have those bees I will, sooner or later ; and if they don’t come quite as dear as cousin Zeke reckons it out, I’ll get you, Mr. Printer, to have ’em sent by rail and steam even if they don’t come till after Christmas. I’d have them sent by express, but that moves as slow in these parts as our old ox team used to do in old Middlesex, on Saturday nights, when we had hitched up to go sparking. Don’t forget to tell ' the man who sells and sends them, to be sure to give them food enough for such a long jaunt, as the poor things mustn’t be let starve on the way. Tell him, too, to pack them well and hurry them forward—‘‘ with speed and care, right side up !”’ Before I close, Mr. Printer, I want to say fur- ther, that when cousin Upson was here he told us there was great fuss just now away up in the old States, about some wonderful improvements in bee-keeping, which he said they call ‘‘scien- tific beeculture.”” Now what is that? How is it made? How big isit? Isit patented? Does it go by machinery? Is it hard to learn how to work it? Or must you go to a sort of school or college to study how to manage it, till you get the hang of it gradually? Couldn’t an old man learn to fix it up, without leaving home? ~ How is one to get science into a bee gum, I’d like to know? That’s a little above my huckleberry, as we used to say at Haddam school, when a hard question came up, and puzzled the head scholar of the class, though we had to work it out, for all that. Well, well, there was no lightening telegraph in them days, and nobody then dreamt of gold in California ; so there may be something new in managing bees, though the wise man said, long years before I was born, There’s nothing new under the sun. Youw’ll print all about it, I suppose, and we’ll see what it is when the paper comes. Send it on at once anyhow, or somehow. Mites Hapaway, 3d. Palo Pinto, Texas, Noy. 3, 1870. N. B.—Wife says, be sure to ask whether it’s certain that the new bees can make honey. Our old ones are rather poor hands at it, and some years don’t let us have any. Now, even if the striped fellows should produce six times as much, it wouldn’t amount to anything, after all; for in Deacon Downer’s school we were always told that 6 times 00; and we had to believe it, for not even the smartest boy in the class could prove that it wasn’t so, and the Deacon ever in- sisted on proof. [For the American Bee Journal.] Where are good Honey Districts ? Mr. Eprror :—I have been attentively watching the correspondence of the Bee Journal, to find out if there is not a better country for keeping bees with profit, than this section of Ohio. Here we have to depend on white clover exclusively, for our surplus honey ; and when the season is’ good, the yield is abundant. But if from drouth, &c., the white clover fails, most of our bees are lost. I have been keeping bees, ‘‘according to Lang- stroth,’? for twelve years. In the drouth of — 1863, out of sixty hives I Jost forty-seven, after feeding a barrel of Cuba honey. In the winter of 1868, I saved only one hive of bees out of forty—lost from the ‘‘cholera,’? caused by drouth and the failure of white clover the sum- mer previous. Notwithstanding these losses, I have been amply paid for my trouble and expenses. The future of bee-keeping looks so encouraging that I would like to devote all my time to it, if I could find a locality where there is plenty of summer and fall pasturage, or where J should not have to rely solely on the white clover crop. Bee-keepers, as a rule, are not selfish; and I would like to see the question of the best section of our country for bee-keeping fully discussed through the ‘‘Journal.’? Are there more ad- vantages in the South than in the North? | A. L. Brown. London, Ohio, Nov. 14, 1870. es Like the thorough bred scold, who by the ele- vated pitch of her voice, often gives timely warning to those who would escape from the sharp sword of her tongue, a bee bent upon mis- chief raises its note almost an octave above the peaceable pitch, and usually gives us timely warning that it means to sting, if it can. : a The first important occupation of the worker bee is the secretion of wax for the structure of the cells, and, to effect this, honey must: be col- lected, for it is solely from the digestion of honey that wax is produced.— Shuckard. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 141 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, Washington, Dec., 1870. {=~ The seed of the Partridge Pea (Cassia chame- erista) referred to in our last issue as a bee plant, has been placed in the Agricultural Department, for dis- tribution among bee-keepers. As the quantity available is very limited, it will be put up in small packages and sent to those desiring to try it, on application by mail to Col. Capron, the Commissioner of Agri- culture. A correspondent suggests that the cases of foul- brood stated, in our last number, to have been cured by Dr. Abbe, may have been of the milder form occasionally found in hives, which usually disappears again without doing much damage. But if this were so, it does not follow that the same treatment would “not be as judiciously and beneficially resorted to in such cases for the arrest and eradication of the disease, as when it has assumed the more virulent form. We consider the disease as really one and the same substantially in all its forms, only less harmful in its early stages, as being then less contagious, and therefore more manageable. Under date of Nov. 4, we have a further letter from Dr. Abbe, in which he says :-— ** There has not been time enough given to ¢est the permanence of the cure, and it ought to be regarded as still an open question whether foulbrood can be per- manently cured in this way, for the effect may be only the same as pruning, and the germs of the disease still remain sealed in the honey cells. I shall ex- amine the hives again in two weeks, after all the ‘brood is hatched. **T have recently found two more hives containing fifteen and twenty cells with the disease, which were left after all the brood was hatched. ‘These I have treated with Nichols’ solution of Chloride of Soda, diluted one-half. This promises more than the other remedy, for it not only cleanses the cell, but disiufects the whole hive. I am inclined to the - opinion that if the hive has contained the disease for any length of time, it will have to be treated after every crop of brood, or until all poisonous honey is consumed.”’ ft was recently stated that foulbrood is not now one-hundredth part as bad as it was ten years ago. This may be so in some localities, but our corres- pondence assures us that it is far more extensively prevalent now than ever before, and this for obvious reasons. uS> Weare assured that a National Bee-keepers’ Conyention will assemble at Indianapolis, as hereto- fore announced, on the 2ist instant, for a two days’ session, and learn that many prominent bee- keepers will attend it—thongh strong efforts. have been made, in private, to induce them to denounce it and to keep away. Let all who can conveniently attend, do so—taking care not to be ‘‘led astray’? by anybody. The paramount interests of bee-culture are to be promoted by such assemblages, and not those of any selfish individuals. The statement made by the Secretary of the North Eastern Bee-keepers’ Association at Utica, that we had been led astray by the representations of Mr. Moon, or any one else, is altogether incorrect and un- warranted. Whatever wesaid was said from our own knowledge and impressions, and Mr. Moon had nothing to do therewith, either directly or indirectly. No suggestion for holding a National Bee-keepers? Convention was made by us; nor did we furnish any ‘hints for topics,” to the Michigan Association, or assist in any way in preparing its programme. We announced the intended meeting and its objects in our March number, the regular notice calling the meeting, accompanied by the programme, sent to us by one of the officers of the association having failed to reach in time to be inserted entire. We made no comments then or subsequently, and never thought of inquiring whether 2 ‘‘the names of any of the earnest workers for our Journal were among those likely to be present.”? Gy But we certainly treated the Michigan Association with proper respect, and did not forget nor omit to state that, as,.it was pro- posed to make arrangements for holding a National Bee-keepers’ Convention, it was desired to have “a — large attendence of bee-keepers from other States and from the British Provinces.?,—We have an unfor- tunate knack of losing sight of self-interest on such occasions; but shall endeavor in future to derive a useful lesson from the examples of our very disin- terested contemporaries, who contrive so laudably to have both sides of their bread well buttered on all occasions. We presume the Secretary of the N. E. Bee-keepers’ Association was so busy writing letters to lead (or mislead?) bee-keepers, that he could not furnish us with the report of the proceedings at Utica, till just in time to be too late for'our last issue. It came latein the month (after the November Journal was made up for the press,) in a printed copy as set up for the Secretary’s own paper—making it morally certain that he would gain a month’s headway therein! Very disinterested Secretary—a model of promptness and propriety ! Deserves a medal. [For the American Bee Journal.] A CARD. Mr. EpiTor:—A certain party in this city, is claiming in their circular and the daily papers, that I consider their (or rather his) Honey Extractor 142 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [DEc., better than any others persons I had seen. I wish to state, in justice to myself and others, through your valuable Journal, that I made no such statement in regard to any honey extractor whatever. Yours respectfully, CuaRLes F. MUTH. Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 18, 1870. -@ <> ¢ CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. Warsaw, (Minn.) Oct. 3, 1870.—This has been a poor season here for bees, except in basswood time.— L. B. ALDRICH, WINTERSET, Iowa, Oct. 10.—The weather was very dry here in June, July and August, so much so that we shall get very little surplus honey. Buckwheat bloomed finely, and bees have got plenty to winter on, and some to spare in some hives. September apd October thus far have been very wet, except one or two days ata time; and now it is wet and cold or the bees could have gathered a good deal of honey in the last four weeks. Well, perhaps some person would like to have an easier, better, andless wasteful way of feeding bees in the spr ing with flour, so that they will w ork at it more naturally or like gathering pollen from flowers. It is this: Take good No. LE: wheat flour and put it in piles of one pint; more or less, to suit convenience. Press it down firmly with the hand or anything else convenient. Set it in a warm place, out of the reach of winds, with a few drops of sweet anise about it, to attract the bees ; and you will soon see them lively at work on it, if they are in need of it and the weather is warm enough for them to be out. Fine bolted oat meal, buckwheat or rye flour will perhaps answer as well, but I have not tried them yet. They seem to gather it with much less waste, and less is blown away. Bees gather it on their legs, without resting on or wallowing in it, as where it is given loosely, without pressing down; yet they will gather it all up clean, mostly while on the wing, the same as if gathering pollen from flowers.—Mr. BAILEY. Geppes, N. Y., Oct. 18.—This has been the best season here for honey, that I have known since I had anything to do with bees. My experience in bee- culture extends back only seven years, but four years of that time I went it blind, like thousands of others, who, keeping eight or ten stocks, if they got honey enough for their own use, think they are doing well. I started in the spring, with nine stocks and increased them to sixteen, fuur natural and three altificial swarms. Besides this, I obtained, as sur- plus, five hundred and thirty pounds of box honey, and seyenty pounds of strained honey—leaving froin thirty to fifty pounds in each of the hives for the bees to winter on.—My best stock gave me one hundred and ten pounds of box honey. This I consider a very poor locality for bee-keeping. I live between Syracuse and Geddes, with half or two- thirds of the territory useless for bees. I have not heard of anybody cultivating sweet clover for bees. I do not see why it would not pay to cultivate it. I think if it had not been for the sweet clover that grows along the New York Central Railroad my bees would not have stored any surplus honey this,year. This clover is in blossom for over two months, and is alive with bees when the weather will admit.—lI consider two dollars invested in the Bee begs money well spent.—H. O. SaLisBury. WELLSVILLE, Mo., Oct. 18.—Our season early was good. Dry weather through May and June spoiled our season, till the middle of July ; since then it has been good. Bees are strong in winter stores. Ours is a good bee country.—Jd. BARFOOT. WILLOW Brancg, Ind., Oct. 20.—I have not done quite as well with my bees as I expected, this season. July and August were very dry. Commencing in the spring with seven colonies (all black bees) in log and box hives and not an Italian bee within ten miles. With the assistance of Dr. Hathaway of Muncie, we transferred them on the 27th of May into Lang- stroth hives, made fourtee out of the seven, Italian- ized them, and on the fourth of July run them up to twenty-six by artificial swarming. The drouth then setting in and continuing so long, I was almost ~ scared about my pets, but with September there came good rain, and as I had sown 4% acres of buck- wheat they laid up plenty of winter stores from its sweet bloom, though they did not give me any box. honey. They were like Novice’s bees, ‘nary comb”? : would they build. Now, by the way, Mr. Editor, — Who is Novice ? and where does he live? I wish to know also where Alsike clover seed can be bought on reasonable terms. I want to sow from five to ten acres next spring. I am going to try to winter my bees on their Summer stands, as they all have plenty of honey, and I have no melextractor, to take it from them with.—Is it common for bees to stop breeding so early as the first of October, while the weather con- tinues fine? Mine ceased that early this year. I can recommend Dr. Stephen Hathaway of Muncie, Ind., and Mr. Adam Grimm of Jefferson, Wis. as being reliable and responsible queen bee breeders, so far as I have tried them. I do not see how any bee-keeper can do without the Journal. Success to it, and all bee-raisers.—J. SMITH. RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Oct. 21.—Bees have done well here this season, although it has been very dry since June. My Italiau stocks are very heavy, fully one- third heavier than the blacks. I belieye I am the only one in this town that takes the Journal, and am sorry that I have not the first four volumes. I have tried to get others to subscribe, but they say they cannot afford it; while I am certain that I cannot afford to do without it.—S. W. STEVENS. LATTNER’S, Iowa, Oct., 27.—Enclosed ‘find two dollars fur the Bee Journal, which I think is as necessary for a beekeeper, as a compass for a sea- captain. The honey harvest for 1870 is over, and in this locality it has been a good one. My bees have done well. I have eighty-four prime swarms, and eight hundred and forty-two dollars for honey sold, with about two | hundred dollars worth yet on hand, for this season’s work. My best hive yielded 242 Ibs. of honey and one swarm. The honey was taken out with the - honey extractor, and sold for twenty-five cents per pound. The swarm yielded thirty-six pounds of box honey, at thirty cents per pound. Whole amount from the best hive, fifty-one dollars and thirty vents ets er aud one swarm (Italian ) worth ten dollars, $1 Next season will probably be a poor one for all those beekeepers who do not use movable comb hives and the honey extractor, for this reason : The hives are all filled with honey (sealed) and no room to breed, or at least very little. Next season there will | be late swarms and small ones, out of all the hives that are now the heaviest and the strongest, unless the honey is taken away this fall or next spring—that is, wh.t they can spare. I find that colonies with plenty of bees in the spring, and but very little honey a eredit for their account of — 1870.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 143 will, with a little judicious fecding, yield the largest swarms and the most surplus honey. At least this is my experience.—P. LATTNER. WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Oct. 24.—When I put my bees on their stands last spring (end of March,) I found one stock had quite a supply of drones, and drone brood in all stages. The queen was a fertile one hatched late in the previous fall. There was _ plenty of worker brood also. They have done _well through the season. This was to me entirely unprecedented at that early season.—I found a young queen, too, in a rather weak stock, that for some weeks during the spring deposited eggs by the - quantity in ihe cells—from fifteen to twenty in a cell. After strengthening them by inserting two frames of “maturing brood from a strong colony, she ceased laying more than one egg in a cell. A large proportion of the bees in this section were ** winter killed.2?> Mine came from the winter reposi- tory in good condition, and during the period of fruit blossoming stored more honey than I ever knew them to do before. Some colonies were seriously injured by their great accumulation of stores. A free use of the ‘‘honey slinger?? would have pre- vented this. White clover was very scarce, the sea- son having been unusually dry, so that the suppiy of surplus honey is small. But the stocks are all heavy this fall, from the buckwheat and wild fall flowers. A month seems a very long time to wait for a visit from so welcome a friend as the Journal, and I unite my earnest wish, to the many already expressed, that it may soon be permitted to visit us fortnightly. With hearty wishes for the complete success of the Journal, yours, &c., N. T. SMitu. Cuariton, Iowa, Nov. 4.—My bees have not done any good this season. I shall have to feed my black bees through the winter. My Italians have done better. On account of the late freezing in the spring, followed by drouth until July, pasturage was scarce. Then during August, September, and the first part of Cctober, we had an unusual amount ofrain. Taking the season through, it has been very unfavorable. Out of twenty stocks only one showed any disposition toswarm. There are no Italian bees in our county, except my own. I did not get mine until last May, and have not had a good time to test their merits; but with what little experience I have had with them, I think they are far superior to our common bees. I would by no means miss the monthly visits of the Bee-Journal.—J. A. BRown. East HARDWICK, Vt., Nov. 7.—The present season has been very good for surplus honey, with us. We have taken two thousand. and fifty (2050) pounds from fifty-five stocks ; and an artificial increase of ten swarms, all in good condition for wintering. —J. D. GooDRICH. ARGENTINE, Micu., Nov. 7.—Here are two dollars for the Bee Journal. I would not do without it for twice two dollars ; and speak a good word for it every chance I get.—Bees have not done well here, in _ storing surplus honey. They have stored a little cap honey, and gathered enough to carry them through the winter. I have kept bees about eighteen years, and have had the bee fever rage quite high by spells. But the loss by millers, hard winters, and poor honey scva- sons, allayed the fever only to return again with the first good honey season; and now I think it has become permanently located with me.— Lake, Stark Co., Ouro, Nov. 9.—Bee-keepers in this section of country are generally many years behind thetimes. A considerable number of persons, however, keep a few stocks of bees ; some few still adhere to the box hive and sulphur pit. A few are using the Langstroth hive and like it. These let their bees swarm and give them some attention. The majority have been using the Flanders’ triangular hive; but this hive is in bad repute, and nearly all who still have it are about ready to do as I have done—quit using’it. Mr. Gallup’s hives are liked by all who have seen me operating them, and a few of my neighbors have begun to use them. Italian bees have been introduced here only to a small extent ; but all who have them speak well of them. I con- sider them very much superior to the blacks. My pure stocks are so peaceable, that I can usually handle them during the honey season without smok- ing or coaxing. But my hybrids are decidedly cross, and sometimes difficult to control. The past season was rather rainy here on account of which the apple blossoms were almost entirely lost to the bees. White clover yielded abundantly from the 1st to the 22d of June, inclusive. Fully one half of this time was also lost by rainy weather. But notwithstanding all this, the bees made a fair amount of surplus honey, and with few exceptions stock have sufficient to winter over without feeding .—H. Crist. BoRODINO, N. Y., Nov. 12.—The season of 1870, has been very good for bees in this section. Although we .have suffered from the drouth, there has been searcely a day till October, but what bees could gather honey. My bees gathered on an average six- teen pounds per stock from apple blossoms. The Italians are far ahead of the blacks, not only in honey gathering, but in disposition and beauty. It is not necessary to use any smoke, when operating with them. I have one swarm that gaye me one Lundred and twenty-five (125) pounds of box honey, and a very large swarm besides.—Every bee-keeper should take the American Bee Journal. No person can be a constant reader of the Journal, and not be amply paid in keeping bees.—G. M. DooLiTr_Le. STRINGVILLE, OnIo, Nov. 12.—I enclose two dollars for the Journal, thinking it will be money well spent. I have thirty stands of bees, and am now building me a house to winter them in. I shall build it on the plan that Novice built his.—I have not been so for- tunate as some, this season, but have been getting more Italian queens and hope to do more another season, Ihave tried Alsike clover, and think it will pay to raise it both for bees and for fodder. I wish you success in your enterprise.—H. L. AVERY. oe [For the American Bee Journal. ] Running Comments. In perusing the November number of the Jour- nal, I find some very good ideas advocated, and some that do not lay quite ‘‘chunk,”’ as friend Moon would say. The first article, on foulbrood, I know nothing about, having never seen any- thing of the kind in these parts. Next article, by J. Stahali, is good. The next is by L. C. Whiting, on purity of Italian bees. I see he is getting on the right track, in regard to breeding pure bees. I was also glad that James Haddon received agood Italian queen of Mr. Alley. Next, Novice pitches into the Rural New Yorker, for not telling when to remove bees, but leaves us in the dark as much as the Rural. What say you, friend Novice? I should think it better to move bees in the night than in the day time, when one half of them are out of the hive, as was the case with the beeman referred to. Bees may 144 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Dec., be moved at any time when they are all in the hive, either at night or in the day time. It is difficult to move bees at any time, without loss, unless they are moved from three to four miles. New swarms should be moved immediately on hiving, to their permanent stand. It is well to move while some are cn the wing, as they will follow suit and attract one another to the hive. If any should get bewildered, they will return to the parent hive. Ifleft where hived until dark and then moved, as the general practice is, large numbers flying out next day will repair to where they were hived, and from there to the old stand ; and such are generally destroyed by the bees. Yes, friend Novice, that is right! Pitch into the hen-roost moth-trappers, and those that kill bees in June, or in any other month in the year, for their honey. Yes, clean them out, oot and branch! And I will tell you how to manage those queen cells. Remove the queen two days / before inserting the cells ; then place the cell in » the comb surrounded by unhatched brood, and » place it near the centre of the brood chamber. I do this for two reasons; First, the bees will not be so liable to destroy the cell ; second, the queen cell may be kept in a uniform temperature, that the queen may become rightly and fully devel- oped. Cells placed upon the top of frames, or outside of the clustering bees, are more apt to be destroyed by the bees, or to get partially chilled and thus not mature perfectly. Next, we come to Price’s Natural Prolific and Hardy Queens. But as I have an ‘‘axe to grind’’ in this queen business, I will just simply say, that all queens I have seen are natural ones, and I claim that bees do not know how to make artificial queens. Next, G. M. Doolittle has smoked his bees to death with tobacco. I hope he has learned a lesson, and that no one else will allow his bees to be smoked with tobacco. It makes them cross and irritable for weeks after. Next comes Igno- ramus and the looking-glass. It seems this, like asun dial, would not work on a cloudy day ; but as he says he writes for the Bee Journal for a purpose ditferent from the object of a teacher, we will let him pass, hoping to hear from him again. Next Pésel says that if a colony of bees has suffered from hunger for twenty-four hours the fertility of the queen is impaired. Posel is correct. All queens chilled till they are dormant are worthless. Although most of them will afterwards, when revived, lay a few eggs, they will soon be superseded. My friend, Thaddeus Smith, of Pelee Island, I see is pretty well satis- fied as to bee-hives. Then comes the Thomas hive, by George Cork; Shallow or Deep Hives, by Calvin Rogers; Wintering Bees, by R. Bick- ford—all of which I let pass, as.‘‘ doctors disa- gree.’? Gallup on Ventilation. Yes, that three- inch hole is all right, so there was no other hole. But how wouldit have been, had there been a hole at the bottom of the gum, with this one at the top? My doctrine is, give bees plenty of venti- lation ; but only at one place, so as to avoid a current of air. Levi Fish thinks Alley’s im- proved hive is just the thing, and thinks we had better all try it. Next in notice comes J. M. Price’s rag-smudge. I differ with him in regard to smoke. Don’t smoke your bees with rags or tobacco. Rotten wood answers every purpose, much better. Of course, Gallup will help H. Nesbit out of his mishaps with the queen nursery and fertilizing cage. I can do nothing for him, being a disbeliever in such fixings. My plan is to keep two or three queenless colonies, giving them brood from time to time, from my breeding queens, so as to have queen cells of suitable age to transfer whenever needed. These cells Iuse for rearing queens and making artificial swarms, giving a queenless part a cell. It is much cheaper than to furnish them with fertile queens, and altogether better than to let them rear queens from the egg. One word more, and Lam done. In regard to our National Bee-keepers’ Convention, to be held at Indianapolis on the 21st and 22d of December, T hope all who can will attend, and bring with them their improvements, hives, honey ex- tractors, and in brief everything that will be es- sential in practical bee-culture. We expect to see men there, teo, whose judgment will do to rely upon. So bring along all the fixtures, and let us see who has the best. In regard to the controversy about the National Convention, I for one am free to say that I believe the Michi- gan Convention acted fairly and honorably, giving all a cordial invitation to attend their Convention, and have a voice in determining where the National Convention should be held. If we failed to attend their meeting, I think we should hoid our peace; and we hope that friend King and others, if others there be that do op- pose, will yet see proper to act in good faith with the Michigan Convention. A. BENEDICT. Binnington, Ohio. —_—_—_—_ & + &___—_——> [For the American Bee Journal. ] The Looking-Glass—Concluded. Mr. Epiror :—I see on pages 102 and 103 of the current volume of the Journal, that Mr. Doo- little and Mr. Ignoramus bring conclusive proof against my theory in regard to the looking-glass stopping decamping bees; so I will have to give in, but have the satisfaction of having caused the proof to be produced, which will undoubtedly convince many others who thought as I did. I have seen so many erroneous articles in print, that I am inclined to look upon many things I see written about bees with some doubt, until they are fairly proven to be true, by such evidence as Mr. Ignoramus and Mr. Doolittle have adduced, sufficient to convince the most skeptical. Now, Mr. Ignoramus, I think as you say in the Bee Journal, that we should all put our shoulders to the wheel and help on the cause of bee-keeping. And in order that I may add further testimony to your side of the looking- glass, [ will, if health permit, next season, allow some half dozen swarms to start off for the woods, fly halfa mile, stop them with the glass, and report to the American Bee Journal. A. NESBIT. Cynthiana, Ky., Nov. 12, 1870. . MERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. JANUARY, 1871. No. 7%. [Translated from the Bienenzeitung, forthe American Bee Journal. ] On the Variations of Weight in a Colony. So long as several factors or elements in any problem operate concurrently, their separate values never having been investigated and ascer- tained, we are not in a condition to estimate properly, or accurately assign their several con- tributions to the general result. We can only take the latter into consideration in any process having reference to the particular elements or factors ; and if in such case, the inferences thence deduced do not involve any obvious contradic- tion, we may regard the process as proper and legitimate. Hence, the evaporation of moisture from the honey stores in a hive, the departure or absence of bees, and their presence or return, their loss and consequent diminution of the population, and the quantity of nutriment re- quired for the sustenance of the colony, must be regarded as variable factors, which in the course of a day affect the weight of a hive. That the weight of a hive ascertained at differ- ent periods of the day, will furnish evidence show- ing the general effect of these several influences and of the activity or inactivity of the popula- tion ; but it does not enable us to ascertain the positive loss or gainof honey. For example (to make myself more clearly understood) if a bee- keeper, at a time when pasturage is plentiful, weighs his hive at 9 o’clock in the morning, and finds the gross weight to be 83 Ibs. 10 0z., and and at 9 o’clock in the evening finds the gross weight to be 389 Ibs. 10 0z., he would not hesi- tate, in accordance with popular views, to assume and assert that his hive had that day gained 6 Ibs. of honey; and this without intending to indulge a spirit of exaggeration, or with any design to palm off on the ignorant as truth an unquestionable error. According to my observations, when I ap- proach my hive, at 6 o’clock in the morning, in the thousands of bees have already gone forth to forage, and the hive weighs from five to’eight ounces less than it did on the preceding evening ; and it continues to decrease in weight, sothat by 9 o’clock we shall occasionally find a diminution reaching fully three pounds. Only then does it again begin to grow heavier, showing that the returning workers, with their gathered stores, are gradually overbalancing the * 5? favorable weather, still issuing multitude. At about noon the three pounds apparent loss noted in the morning are again made up; and thence forward, on a fine day, the hive steadily increases in weight from hour to hour, till it reaches its maximum at about 8 o’clock, P. M; for though the outgoing throng, though greatly diminished, still continues its movement, the weight of the hive varies only slightly. Unremitted observations enable me to fix the weight and name the hour with much precision. At about 7 o’clock in the evening perfect quiet ensues, and the weight of the hive now ascertained, compared with what it was found to be at the same hour the preceding evening, shows how much it varied after the lapse of a day, and now only can we come to the conclu- sion that the increase, if any, is to be credited exclusively to the honey meantime gathered — the other previously enumerated factors affecting the weight having meantime really served to diminish it. This relative result (since we may regard the scantily introduced pollen—probably as 1 to 10 in proportion to the honey—need not here be taken in account) is the true value which must serve as the basis of our calculations when the pure gain of honey is to be ascertained. And here let me say that 84 Ibs. is the greatest in- crease which my very populous colony gave me, in any one day in the last two years. If then, proceeding from this standpoint, we would present our observations figuratively, we should be struck by the remarkable uniformity which the line representing the measurements obvious with reference to time and weight both in the generalterm and, when closely considered, in detail also. So, forexample, how in summer, the decrease is rapid from the opening season till towards the middle of July, and thence for- ward maintains an equilibrium. -And, still more ~ how, after the blooming of heather to the 15th of September, the weight diminishes at first rapidly then scarce perceptibly ; so that in both years, of the diminution of five pounds in weight in the course of the entire months, four pounds were lost in the first half of the period, whilst the loss of the remaining pound occurred in the second half of the period. One might suppose that some temperance society had here brought its just apprehensions into play, and that after wasting hilariously their stores in riotous living Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 146 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., on first observing their well furnished garners, the population had come to sober second thought and grown suddenly abstemious, for singularly enough from the 15th of September to the first cleansing flight about the middle of February— or during nearly five full months—scarcely four pounds more were consumed, The BEE YRAR, in this country, might accor- dingly be sub-divided into four periods, which, though varying much in duration, would still be sharply enough defined by the increase and the decrease in the weight of the hives. The first period begins when spring has fairly opened and its genial influence is apparent on trees and plants, towards the end of April in this climate, and beginning of May, and con- tinues till the first days in June—lasting about four weeks. It supplies the bees with. the golden tinted nectar, which, especially where locusts and lindens abound, rejoices the eye and the palate. This might therefore be appropria- tely called the vernal vintage, for even in quantity it does not fall short of the autumnal gatherings. In 1867, commencing with the 11th of May, it | amounted to 21 lbs. in the hive then subjected to our observation ; and in 1868, it reached 24 lbs. 12 oz. Between the 4th and the 8th of June com- mences the second period, during. which, not- withstanding the large supplies of pollen car- ried in for the nourishment of the brood, the diminution of weight is strikingly great. This period continues till heather comes into bloom, or about nine weeks, and reduced the weight of my hive 9 lbs. 1867 ; and in 1868, when the popu- lation had greatly increased, without producing a swarm, the falling off was 12 lbs. 9 oz. The third period, which includes the blooming heather, is much the shortest, lasting scarcely three weeks. It begins, with us, after the first week in August, and closes before the end of that month. It yielded last year an increase of 24 lbs. 14 oz. and was considered pretty fair. This year the increase was only 19 lbs. and must be ranked in the medium class. The fourth the longest—continues from the beginning of September to the end of April, or thirty-five weeks. In this period, last winter, my hive lost 14 Ibs. 140z. ; and as the diminution continues in the same line to the present day, and there seems to be no reason for expecting any deviation, unless the weather produces a change, the conclusion will be allowable that the con- sumption of honey will not this season exceed that of the preceding year. Should this prove to be the case, we shall be justified in noting the decrease as well as the increase of the weight of the hive in figures, which might serve the intelligent beekeeper asa guide, showing of how much honey he may deprive his stocks in autumn; and, on the other hand, whether and when it behooves him to feed his bees, if he would guard them from want. In the sudbjoined table, the beekeeper will find, as the result of carefully conducted observations, a statement which, attentively scanned and care- fully heeded, may serve as a useful directory in the management of his colonies.. Tabular Statement showing the Variations in the Weight of a Hive. TIME. W EIGHT. From — To Decrease. Increase. | | . Each sub Each sub REMARKS, 3 a Mouth. cb Month, division,| T°t@l. |givision.| Total. 5 2 ~ a Roe es eee eee 2 ms A a Lbs | Oz.) [-bs| Oz.) Lbs| Oz. | Lbs| Oz I. 1867. JA May .ccs wos. a tea vcore: SL IMES'Y: ni ostivescccecdeseatoe: | saeeenll Geasaclenmeselinesees 17) SL OIRSe. Shee Spring pase 28 days 1 | DUM Bec sdescdscessslense-cee BT PWN O ss Goae dos eben gs aes waza eel ee eeal le eee eal eaeel Cease 2) 14; 20 13) turage. iG GQ) JING sisocresccocse toteceeeese™ RING. oasis cect eee 5| 09 “ 63 days LSM cikeesyereoeses escaoorc BAGtw ANS Y, Lah wand suvcss sageagectecs 3; 08) 9] Ol LyAnmpust ase. ccs econ LAist, .cscslceceveabercees Til, 19 days M11 | AUCUSE.....6c0cc. ceccdsenenes DOVAU RUBE -f.5..00. secedeae sant -cesel) sactes ledesenfecepetd eaveedl aaa 26) 14|Heatherbloom LN SOUAU CUS ceeceteassecsscches oes EMO TISGDLCIN IDOL: ve.dteostcewss 4) 15 245 days 1) October....... Ser sterecicecal Bl | October...........scccseese | -ssees 10 1) November.......... 2.2.00. SORDECEMDEL . -6..scsccsadees: 1} 05 1868, 1) TON UAry.crecsesvogescoexees ee POMUAPY 42.3... t,caed nieces 12/ TPPebruarysccsecceosee PIWUE DEUAT sos -nceeccceucrestil ores TG) scescs| sesess| —___—_—- [For the American Bee Journal.] Artificial Honey Comb. Not a word has been said in the Bee Journal, for some time past, about artificial combs, yet the subject has continued greatly to exercise the minds of thoughtful bee-keepers, and not with- out certain results. Two different kinds of manufactured comb made their appearance dur- ing the past summer. One made of paper satu- rated with wax, of full depth of cells—a beautiful article to look at, and so like real honey comb as to deceive almost any bee-keeper at the first glance, even when taken into his own hands. The bees, however, were not so easily deceived. They saw through the cheat at a glance, and ““would have none of it.’ At least this was true in three cases to my knowledge. In one case they ‘cut it into sawdust.’’ In another, it was cut down to the foundation, and the cells rebuilt with wax. And in the third case it dis- appeared in toto from a space three inches square, where a piece had been fastened in with great care, in a frame of brood comb; and the bees had began to fill the space with their own waxen cells. These three cases seem to demonstrate that this kind of artificial comb is not a success. The other kind, devised by Mr. Quinby, made of metal, with full depth of cells, certainly can- not be cut into sawdust. Whether bees can be wintered in such combs, is an important ques- tion, which can only be determined by experi- ence. I would think the conducting power of metal so great as tomake it impossible for bees to live in a hive full of such comb. If mistaken in this conjecture so much the better. I thought and still think, I have in mind an imaginary machine that will make perfect honey comb from wax; but it would be expensive to build, and I have no time and but little disposi- tion to attend to it. Besides, [have lately found that it would conflict with a patent issued some years ago to Mr. Wagner, editor of the Journal, for a process for making artificial comb of wax, gutta percha, or various other materials, or metals reduced to a proper degree of thinness. I have read the patent, and find it very broad in its specifications and claims, and covering, it seems to me, pretty nearly the whole business of arti- ficial comb making. On a recent visit, Mr. Wagner showed me the plates, dies and press for making his artificial combs, or rather comb foundations, as he used them at the time his patent was issued. That the whole apparatus was in working order was proved by our actually making twenty or thirty sheets of comb founda- tions in a very short time, although we had to stop and admire the beauty and perfection of almost every sheet as it came from the press. It is just fun to make them. Besides it is certain that the bees will use them. Two combs were shown to me, built by bees in a weak nucleus after queen raising was over, at a time when certainly no new comb would have been built without some such inducement. To say that I was delighted, is to put itin a mild form. J am determined to have one of those machines, cost what it may. I had grown to be pretty well satisfied with the combs in my forty-five hives as the bees have built them, with my assistance in trimming and straightening them—no small task! But I am satisfied no longer. They con- tain to much drone comb, and (I am obliged to confess it.) in a few of the hives, there are a few frames that I don’t trouble much, the combs look so ugly down between the frames.—On one point I am determined. I am going to have straight combs, and worker combs, except perhaps a part of one comb in each hive, and I can do this by using one of Mr. Wagner’s machines, and at the same time gratify the natural disposition of the bees to buildcombs. Mr. Wagner says he is satisfied that a swarm of bees will do better on such comb foundations, than they will in a hive of full combs or combs with full depth cells, for, after swarming, bees have a strong inclination to produce wax to build comb, even if wax be not a spontaneous or involuntary product of bees at such atime. The experience of several bee- keepers, related at the North-eastern Beekeepers’ Convention, held at Utica, New York last Octo- ber, seems to confirm such an opinion. .There will be other advantages in the use of these combs. They cannot break down by heat, or crack by cold; nor can they be broken by the honey extractor—three ways in which I have been considerably annoyed. Moreover, Mr. Wagner has devised a very simple and efficient method of fastening these sheets of comb founda- ationsaccurately into frames, so complete that he intends to take out a patent forit. No handling of a comb, no amount of ordinary jolting over even a rough road could possibly detach or break a comb from its frame, when fastened by means of this device ; and the whole arrangement se- cures straight combs beyonda peradventure. It seems to leave nothing to be desired in this di- rection. J think the strength alone of combs built on such foundations, is a sufficient cause, if they had no other good quality, to justify me in gradually destroyiag every frame of comb I possess, and replacing it with Mr. Wagner’s arti- ficial comb foundations. They are worm-proof, too, as completely as any comb can be; but this is of small account. Worms never disturb strong swarms. The best part of the story remains to be told. Mr. Wagner has determined, after this long de- 148 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., a lay of nine years, t6 put his patent before the bee-keeping public. He will have some machines made complete in every particular, embracing some recent modifications and improvements, ready for sale next spring, together with terri- tory for exclusive use of the same. The ma- chines will not be high in price, or beyond the reach of any bee-keeper who has twenty or more colonies of bees, and the materials for a set of ten or a dozen combs will not cost much—in fact, I don’t @ re to say how little. You will be satis- fied on that score. Gentlemen, I think we are about to take another long step forward in bee culture. R. BIcKFoRD. Seneca Falls, N. Y. Nov. 238, 1870. {For the American Bee Journal.] The Hive Controversy. Mr. Epiror :—In the November number of the Journal, Mr. C. Rogers again tries his hand in the ‘‘ patching”? business, making an effort to ‘‘nateh’’ up the theory advanced in his former article (in the July number). According to my experience in the bee business and the use of the Langstroth hive, his ‘‘ patch’? work does not fit the facts. Let us see. In the first place, he says—‘' For wintering in a cellar the Langs- troth hive is perhaps good enough.’’ Well, it it is, why fall out with it in early spring, for the bees dying off so rapidly? The shape of the hive has nothing to do with that. Again, he says—‘* But if a swarm is not breeding enough to make up the loss in early spring, there must be a fault somewhere.’’ Well, suppose there is ‘‘a fault somewhere,’’ why did you not point it out and tell us where it is, instead of telling us what ‘‘ we expect,’’ &c. Ifthe Langstroth hive is good enough ‘‘for wintering in a cellar,’’ it comes out with the same advantages as other hives ; and Mr. R. has failed to show wherein it is in fault for the bees dying off ‘‘in early spring.”’ Again, he says—‘‘ When we take bees from the cellar, we expect that they will have brood in all stages.’’ Well, suppose they have, does that prevent the old bees from dying off with old age, or from being blown down and chilled to death with the bleak winds of early spring ?— Again, he says—‘‘We expect too that the queen will continue to deposit eggs even more rapidly, because of the excitement produced by the bees flying.’’ That idea, I presume, is pecu- liar to Mr. R.; at least it is the first time I ever heard that bees flying stimulate the queen to de- posit eggs more rapidly. I have known bees to ‘fly’? quite freely when they were on the point of starvation, yet the queen refused to deposit any eggs atall. It is when bees are gathering stores rapidly, that the queen is stimulated to deposit eggs rapidly. But suppose, Mr. R., that the bees ‘‘flying’’ and your ‘‘rye meal”’ did ex- cite the queen to deposit eggs more rapidly, what good would the eggs do when there was not bees enough in the hive to keep them at the hatch- ing temperature? You admit, yourself, that the bees die off very rapidly the first day or two (that they fly), after being taken from the cellar. Why should you expect the bees to be increasing, - so soon after suffering such heavy losses? Again, ‘¢‘In deeper hives they do increase, and the deeper the hive the greater the increase.’’ Here is some more of Mr. R.’s peculiar logic. Ac- cording to that, all we would have to do, is to increase the depth of our hives to have all the bees we desired. One hive would be all that an operator would want. When more bees were wanted we need only increase the depth of the hive, and the bees would soon be on hand. Now suppose we have a hive five or six feet high, would the bees go to the top of the hive to com- mence rearing brood, &c., or would the queen commence to deposit her eggs at the lower end of the capped honey? And then where would your heat or warmth go? It does appear to me that a hive could be made too ‘‘deep.”? Again, Mr. R. says—‘‘The reason why the shallow hive is not good for early spring, as I understand, is this: as soon as the severe weather is past, we want to confine the animal heat as much as possible, &e. Consequently we shut off all up- ward ventilation. The coldest part of a hive is near the entrance,’’ &c. Well, suppose it is, what does that prove? I used to hear it said, when I was a boy, in order to have a warm house you must have the ceiling low, or, in other words, alow story. Now suppose your tall hive has the same number of cubic inches that the shallow form has, differing only in shape, what becomes of the same amount of animal heat in the shal- low form? Isit not still confined to the hive, and when it rises to the top does it not diffuse itself and warm up just as much surface as it | would in a hive ten feet high? Remember, if your bees have any stores (in the tall hive) they are at the top, and the first eggs deposited by the queen will be at the lower part of the capped honey or stores, and the animal heat rises to the top or ceiling of the hive, some distance above the cluster of bees. Then where is the advan- tage of your. tall hive? Again, he says—‘‘The further the bees get from the bottom the warmer they find the temperature,’”’ Suppose that is so, what does it prove? Did you ever know bees (in cold weather) cluster high up in their hive among the capped honey? Bees always put their capped honey (in your tall hives) at the top of the hive, and cluster in cold weather at the lower part of the capped honey. No amount of cold air coming in at the entrance, can force them to cluster high up between sheets of sealed honey. But the animal heat generated by the bees does rise to the top of the hive, and the longer the sheets of capped are, the further the bees are from the heat. generated by them. Again, Mr. R.. says—‘‘ These hives being so low, before the bees get out of the way of the cold air coming in at the entrance, they are bumping their heads against the top.’ Well suppose they do ‘fbump their heads against the top,’’ what does that prove? The heat gene- rated by them certainly cannot get higher than the top, and the bees being there too, they are certainly in the warmest part of the hive. Again, he says—‘‘In a tall hive they can draw up and yet well out of the way of the cold air from the entrance.’? Not quite so, Mr. R.; if os 1871.] pa they have any stores above them, they do not advance up. Did you ever know bees in your tall hives to commence rearing brood at the top of the hive? If so, where were their stores? o Again, he remarks—‘‘Instead of spreading the brood in a circle, they are obliged to carry it along horizontally, and after all work to a disadvantage.’’? Please prove your assertions, Mr. R. Ihave examined a great many stocks (in the shallow form of hive) in early spring, ‘when first taken from the cellar, and always found what. brood they had, to be in a circle— the largest circle being in the centre. On the next card the circle would be ali‘tle smaller, and so on; but never did I see their brood placed horizontally in one card of comb, And as for their working to a disadvantage in the shallow form of hive, we should need some better proof than Mr. R.s’ naked assertion. Mr. R. now hits Mr. Alley a slap across the nuckles for recasting some of his former views as to the shallow form of hive. As there might be some inducement for Mr. Alley to change his views as to the best form of hive, I will not attempt to answer for him. The profits of a patent might induce some men to change their views. Howthat would operate on Mr. Alley I do not pretend to say; but this much I will say, that the Alley hive is no better than the Langstroth two-story glass hive, or his double-story hive. They have the advantage of the outer case. And Mr. Alley’s hive is no bet- ter for out-door wintering by the frames being reversed. The secret of its wintering well all lies in its outer case. The great objection to the Alley hives is the cost of getting themup. They are a good hive, but they cost too much. If I have to go to that expense, I would get up the double-story Langstroth hive at once. They cost no more and winter fully as well in the open air; and are some better for (pure) surplus honey, as the heney obtained from the Langstroth hive is free from pollen; and the side boxes of the Alley hive opposite the brood, nearly always contain more or less pollen—at least that is my experience. Mr. Rogers winds up by requesting me to explain how the Langstroth hive can be made deeper and still retain about the same number of cubic inches? Well, I will make the attempt, hoping it will prove satisfactory to Mr. R. If I wanted the Langstroth hive deeper, and still the same amount of cubic inches, I would take off one, two, or three of the frames, just as my fancy might suggest, and put the room they occupied at the sides, to the bottom of the hive, dividing the space they occupied equally between the balance of the frames left in the hive. Would you not then have precisely the same room in the hive? (eh!) B. PUCKETT. Winchester, Ind., Nov 23, 1870. +> Honey is the most elaborate of all vegetable productions. a tial Bees assist in the fertilization of flowers, by disturbing their filaments, and causing the dis- tribution of pollen. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 149 [For the American Bee Journal.] The Thoxas Hive. ee Mr. Epitor:—In the November number of the Bee Journal, current volume, there appears under the above heading, an article from tlie pen of George Cork, of Bloomfield, Ontario, in which he speaks disparagingly of the Thomas hive, and makes a feeble attempt to disprove the statements made in the Journal in its favor. Justice to myself and to many bee-keepers in Ontario demands that I should notice it ; other- wise I would let it pass as unworthy of notice. As a correspondence of this kind cannot be very interesting to the readers of the Bee Jour- nal, I will be as brief as possible. Up to the time of the appearing of the above article I had never seen or heard of such a man as George Cork—have never seen an article on bee-culture over his signature in any paper or journal in Ontario, and I venture to say he is not acquainted with one of every hundred bee-keep- ers in Ontario, and not one of every hundred ever heard of him. Hence the statement, ‘‘1 know of no person making bee-keeping a busi- ness, who uses the Thomas hive,’’ is not worth the ink it cost to print it, as it is of no weight as evidence that the Thomas hive is not the principal hive in use in Canada. To correct the errors or rather disprove the statements, he re- fers to three bee-keepers who, he says, condemn the Thomas hive. I wonder if Mr. Cork is ac- quainted with any other bee-keepers? From such statements the readers of the Journal might well infer that there were not more than a score of bee-keepers in Ontario. How insig- nificant his own words make him appear. Re- duced to the form of a syllogism, he stands thus: I know of three bee-keepers who condemn the Thomas hive ; J know of no person making bee-keeping a business. who uses the Thomas hive ; ergo, the Thomas hive is not the principal hive in use in Ontario! Now for a few facts and figures that will enable the readers of the Journal to see the feebleness of the attempt to disprove the statements made in all candor, by those who know whereof they affirm. By refer- ence to my books it can be seen that I have placed nearly six thousand (6,000) copies of my Canadian Bee-keepers’ Guide in the hands of bee- keepers in Ontario; I have been and am in communication with something over five thou- sand (5,000) bee-keepers, a large number of whom have purchased my hive and are now using it, and among them the most noted and successful bee-keepers in Ontario. Some have ordered as many as forty (40) hives at one time for their own use; and as many as one thousand hives have been required for one season’s de- mand. True, some who have used it do not like it, but they are few indeed, and in most cases simply because they were not well enough acquainted with bee-culture to appreciate its advantages. On the other hand, I have scores of letters giving the Thomas hive the highest possible praise, and saying the wr'ters will use no other. The hive has taken the first prize at the Ontario Provincial Pair for the last seven 150 years, competing at times against six and seven other patterns. Mr. Cork also gives a statement of his success and the amount of surplus honey taken this season, as proof, I presume, that the hive he uses is superior to the Thomas hive. But in- stances of better results from the Thomas hive have already appeared in the Journal. I refer to the case of Mr. McLatchie, of New Edin- - burgh, Ontario, who commenced in the spring with fifty-seven stocks in the Thomas hive, seven of which were very weak. He increased to ninety stocks, and took over 2,500 pounds of surplus honey. Also, Mr. O. Fitz Wilkens, of St. Catherine’s, took from one stock in the Thomas hive, 222 pound surplus honey. We hear other similar reports. Will Mr. Cork try again? Mr. Cork says he makes the frames-in his hive 84 inches deep. I suppose the thought has never been begotten in his brain that the Thomas hive may be made shallow: that the depth or number of frames had nothing to do with the advantages claimed for the Thomas hive! Those who prefer shallow hives, con- struc them shallow; and there are many shal- low Thomas hives in use. I prefer a deep hive, and build accordingly. Mr. Cork closes his article by giving a de- scription of a smoke pipe, and is surprised to see that so many bee-keepers still use a pan of chips, rotten wood, &c. He thinks his smoke pipe, for convenience, cannot be surpassed. Wonderful discovery, Mr. Cork! K. P. Kidder, of Vermont, used a pipe made on the same prin- ciple, ten years ago. Mr. Quinby gives a de- scription of a similar pipe in his work published in 1864. Ihave made and sold a pipe on the same principle (not costing more than one-half of what Mr. Cork’s pipe will cost) for the last seven years. Yet I dare say they are not as convenient as a pan of chips or a piece of rot- ten wood lighted at one end and held in the hand when required. And if Mr. Cork, or any other man, will visit my apiary the coming spring, I will convince him of the fact in one hour’s operations among the bees. J. H. THomas. Brooklin, Ontario. [¥or the American Bee Journal.] The Hive Question. Under the above head, Mr. Thaddeus Smith gives us a lengthy article in the Bee Journal for November, page 1038. As he very particularly refers to my hive, I may be allowed to make a few remarks. He says, ‘‘ the frames are so large that, in very hot weather, where the hive is exposed to the sun and the combs are full of honey, they break down and fall out of the frames,”’ I have used these hives for the last seven years, and the stocks in my apiary have num- bered from twenty-five to one hundred. I have opened hives and removed frames under all cir- cumstances, and almost daily for weeks, and during all this time, I have not had half a dozen combs inframes melt down or break down. Mr. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., S. admits that the ‘‘melting down of combs might be prevented by shading the hives,’’ but adds, ‘‘the best hive in America ought not to re- quire this.’’ Such a statement shows want of knowledge in the science. The frames in my hive contain about 13} by 14 inches comb ca- pacity. Now, more than two-thirds of the ordi- nary box hives throughout this country contain larger combs; yet the number of combs that melt down are very few, and in most cases where they do melt down, the hives are exposed to the sun. Again, he says, ‘‘no hive should claim perfec- tion without being easily provided with extra frames for surplus honey to be used in the honey extractor.’’ I would inform Mr. Smith that just as many -frames can be added to my hive as to any other, and just as easily. Some construct my hive with nine frames and some with ten. The number of frames has nothing to do with the advantages claimed for my hive. As for two-story hives, Mr. Smith speaks as if it were a settled fact that frames in an upper story were necessary to a good hive, and necessary for the purpose of taking surplus honey with the ex- tractor, and adds, ‘‘no hive should lay claims to being the most perfect hive, without being adapted to such an arrangement.’’ Mr. Smith has an undoubted right to enjoy his own opinions ; but with long experience and careful observation, I have finally rejected two-story hives, for any purpose whatever. Others may like them; I do not. This season 142 lbs. of honey were taken from a stock in one of my hives with the honey extractor, and the hive contained only eight frames. The same stock stored eighty pounds in surplus boxes. When Mr. Smith will beat that with his two-story hive, we will add two more frames to the body of our hive, and try him again, certain of success. Relative to the experiment in wintering, I do not think it at all satisfactory. If it be a fact that bees will winter outdoors in a shallow hive, better than in atall one, it is time that bee-keep- ers knew it. Before making many remarks relative to the experiment, 1 would ask Mr. Smith how the hives were ventilated. Were both the tall hives and the shallow ones ventila- ted exactly alike? If not, state the difference. One stock was lost in the shallow hive—careless- ness on the part of Mr. 8. There was a large number of dead bees in some of the tall hives, was this carelessness too? Or was it a fact that they contained far more old bees than the other hives? Why should tall hives mould more than shallow ones? How is it that Mr. Smith says, ‘‘T have no hives patented or unpatented,’’ while the next paragraph commences with, ‘‘I have made a hive on the plan of Mr. Gallup and Mr. Truesdell, which I believe possesses more advan- tages, and is capable of being used more ways . than any hive I have seen described ?”? A very modest way of saying the best hive made. How is it that Mr. 8. has made his hive a tall hive— frames 14 inches deep—if tall hives do not win- ter as well, do not increase in brood as fast ; and do not swarm as early as shallow ones? How is it that he says, ‘‘I have given greater depth, &c., because I wanted to winter out of doors,”’ 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 151 when hisexperiment shows that the shallow hives wintered best. It savors strongly of a thrust at the Thomas hive without good grounds for do- ing so; but thrust away, you can’t hurt it. Brooklin, Ontario. J. H. THOoMAs. 2-2 [For the American Bee Journal.] Bees at Bremer County (Iowa), Fair Grounds. Gallup in a Fix! On the morning of September 20th, Gallup reported himself at my home in Waverly, as per agreement; and after a late breakfast, the remainder of the forenoon was spent in looking over my bees and showing him the queens in my nucleus hives, &c. After dinner we took a drive to the Bremer county fair grounds and made a few entries with the Secretary of astand of bees, box honey, extracted honey, a Peabody Honey Extractor and several other things. (I will here say that I expected to have one of M. M. Baldridge’s Geared Extractors on exhibition, but it did not make its appearance.) After looking after the stuck that was fast coming in, we took a drive in the country, as I was anxious to show Gallup the finest country to be found in our beautiful State of Iowa, that lies in the vicinity of Waverly. In our ride we came in contact with a drove of cattle, and among them was a beautiful cow with a calf a few days old. I was in want of a fresh milch cow, and on Gallup’s judgment I bought this one for forty dollars. I will here thank him for his good judgment in this case, as the cow is a No. 1, and my neighbors call her the Italian cow, I suppose from her very yellow hide or her nearness to my bees. We soon found ourselves at the post office, and when the mail came in, which was about 4 o’clock p. m., I received ten Italian queens from Adam Grimm, of Jefferson, Wisconsin. We drummed out three black queens that even- -ing and introduced Italians, Gallup style, with tobacco smoke, all inless thanan hour’stime. I introduced several queens last summer with tobacco smoke, some successfully and some un- successfully. The first attempt was made in last July, when I put one in for a little pill doc- tor. I gave them a big dose, thinking he could cure them if I gave them too much smoke; but some of them, never came to, as he informed me they died of congestion: of the brain! But he soon had a fine stock of three banded Italians. Next morning I closed up a stand of my Ital- ians, to take to the fair, placing them on a spring wagon, with Gallup and myself aboard. When we arrived at the grounds, about three fourths of a mile distant, we placed the hive on a box at the same place where I had a stand opened last year, exhibiting the queen at least a hundred times and no harm done. I left Gallup to open the entrance of the hive and let the bees out whenever he pleased, and wended my way to the Floral Hall with my honey and other traps. I had hardly reached the Hall when I perceived such a confusion among the teams breaking away, with everybody run- ning and calling for help. I was not long in getting back to my beehive, and the bees were just boiling out. Phew !but were not they mad, pitching into everything within twenty rods of .the stand, except the pens of Chester white pigs, and Berkshire and China hogs. I suppose they thought there was plenty of war on the Rhine, and passed them by. They seemed to have a particular spite at a little short-tailed dog and nearly covered him. The little fussy fellow not having faith enough to roll in the grass and weeds to rid himself of his tormentors, rushed madly in among a crowd of ladies, and such ‘‘cutting up’’ as followed, I never saw before. I could think of nothing like it but driving sheep, when I was a boy in my native town among the beautiful hills and moun- tains surrounding Danville and St. Johnsbury in Vermont, when the little dogs would come out and scatter the sheep, till they learned how to jump over stone walls and almost climb trees. I soon found it was no place for me, as the excited folks were loudly taking my name in vain, as well as vociferously blessing my bees. I retreated in good order to Floral Hall, and got behind a 200 lb. squash, which I used as breast work. I had been there only a few minutes before our Mayor (one of the officials, by the way of our Bremer county fair) came and in- formed me that I must remove those bees, as they would spoil the fair, keeping up the while a brisk fist tight with a bevy of bees that were trying to close up his eyes ; all the other good citizens present at the interview keeping his worship in countenance by perpetrating similar military gesticulations and fandagoes, to save their own peepers from temporary occultation. But a fat woman who happened to be present, noted for her good sense as well as lustiness, advised him to get duwn on the ground in the grass, and the bees would leave him. He, however, having his attention pretty much engrossed at that moment, misunderstood her and supposed she meant he should get down to his best running time. So he started off on the race course and made good time, as his heels showed. Meanwhile a large white bull with harness on, had more bees on his back than he had nerve to stand, and seeing our small Mayor, of some 800 lbs.. weight, making such remarkably good time on the race course, broke loose and took the track also, shortening the distance so exceedingly at every jump between him and the Mayor, that in a few minutes bets ran two to one on the white bull. But sud- denly he stopped, pawed sand and threw it on his back, before he resumed his onward course, and thus the Mayor made the home stretch #ths of a second ahead of the white bull. But I must not forget our marshal, who was gate keeper in this interesting occasion. He is a brave fellow, and served his country faithfully four years in the 2d Wisconsin Regiment, and was present at the capture of Jeff. Davis. He retreated in good order half a mile from his post, and kept up a manful fight all the way. Some dozens of operators, too, busily testing the merits of various machines and ingenious contrivances, each warmly contending that his was the best, suddenly brought their discussions and controversies to a close, by unanimously 152 deserting their several machines to engage in single combat with Swett’s ‘‘tormenting bees.’ All this time you should have seen Gallup, waiking to and fro demurely in front of the uproarious stand of bees, having allthe room he wanted, with about a thousand gallant warriors swarming around his reverendhead. He looked very much pleased when the officials and others called to him to ‘‘ close up those bees.’’ ‘*‘ Come and close them up yourselves,’’ was his calm reply; but they hadn’t the least notion of trying their hands at so ticklish a business, and kept at a respectful distance, dodging their assailants as adroitly as they could. However, wheh the time came Gallup closed them up, set them in a wagon and we took them to their home stand. It was a colony I had opened many times last summer, and had shown them to Gallup. the day before, and when we got through he remarked that he had not seen the first bee that acted as if it wanted to sting: I asked him what he thought was the cause of their cutting up so, as I was not aware before that I had any such bellicose stocks on the premises. He replied he did not know, but suspected there was a little black bloodinthem. I suspect there may be some of the four banded blood in them, that we have been reading about in the Ameri- can Bee Journal. (By the way, we readers of the Journal much enjoyed the fun, reading how Novice had to pay five dollars for a few undesira- ble black bees, that he might get back his half- bushel of Italians that had gone astray. He _ must have felt good when he got the hive on his back and was homeward bound, little anticipa- ting that it was destined to be burnt up.) I wish we bee-keepers could have Gallup’s photograph ashe was promenading around that hive. Everybody thought he was in a fix and would be stung to death ; but I am pleased to say that he, as “well as myself, did not receive a single sting. The whole occurrence was over in about ten minutes. Then everybody thought they never had as much fun in so short a time in their lives, and the Fair would have been a failure if it had not been for Swett’s bees. The next day it rained, and Gallup left for home, leav- ing hosts of friends who hope to meet him again. { think if my hive had been set in a lumber wagon, when taken to the fair, and well jolted, the bees would have filled themselves with honey ; and have been quiet and peaceable when opened on their arrival. There was not jarring enough for them in the.spring wagon. I shall never forget how one poor old lady came to me with both eyes closed up and claims for many other damages which my bees had done to her. I promised to give her a plate of honey and that I would never take bees to a fair again without first pulling out their stings and putting diapers on them. This was a very good year for bees. They gathered honey largely from basswood blossoms as well as white clover. Some of my young swarms haven given me one hundred (100) pounds of surplus honey. I will let Gallup speak for himself about my two-story hives. He thought them a great improvement on the oid Langstroth hive. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., I must not forget to tell you of the very pleas- ant visit 1 made on the morning of August 31, to J. M. Marvin & Bros, while on my way to Chicago. I left the six o’clock morning train at Geneva and started for St. Charles, two miles up the Fox river. And, oh, what a pleasant drive. The street contains some of the finest residences, gardens, and grounds to be seen anywhere ; and at that time in the morning, as the sun was coming up in all his beauty, one must enjoy it, especially after trying all night in vain to sleep, though it was in one of those fine sleeping cars. As I drove into the town all was yet still as mid- night but [ encountered a man who was making his way tothe meat market, of whom I inquired © for J. M. Marvin. ‘‘Is he the bee-man?’’ was the inquiry in return: I replied, yes. ‘*Then,’’ said he, ‘‘there he is, over yonder in the yard, with his coat off.’’ I soon had him by the hand, told him who f was and where I came from, and that I must make the 8 o’clock train for Chicago, so that we must talk fast, and at it we went. He showed me his brick house covered with hay and straw, wherein he winters some hundred stands of bees very successfully. We then went intoa room, where he runs his extractor with gearing. He went on uncapping and I throwing out the honey. Give me a crank geared Extractor every time. We were informed here that breakfast was ready, and I will only say that I took a square meal—the first in two days. I was somewhat disappointed in the looks of J. M. Marvin, as I expected to see.a man of at least sixty years of age. Reading as I have so many pieces from his pen and admiring them for their good sense and judgment, 1 supposed he must have an old head on his shoulders. But to my surprise, I found him about my own | age, Of some thirty-five summers and unmar- ried. He opened a few hives to show me some beautiful Italian queens of his own raising. My watch told me it was time I was on my way to the depot, when M. M. Baldridge, Secretary of the National Bee Hive Company, made his - appearance. He too is a young man, whom I wanted to see, as he has made his mark among the bee fraternity. With great pleasure to me, he took a seat with me, and we drove’ to the depot in time for the train. The remembrance of my visit to St. Charles will always aftord me great pleasure, and I hope to meet with those gentlemen again when I have more time to sa ja with them. Mr. Marvin intended to start next week to the Mississippi river with 100 stocks of bees, that they might gather their winter stores, as the season has been a very poor one with them at home, the white clover having been parched up, and of basswood they have none. I hope to hear through the American Bee Journal how Mr. Marvin succeeded with his bees on the Mis- sissippi river, about 100 miles from home. I see we are to have a State Bee-keeper’s Con- vention December 15. lam glad to see that; think itis a step inthe right direction, and I often feel like stumping Gallup to go with me. H. K. Swerr. Waverly, Iowa, Nov. 23, 1870. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 158 [For the American Bee Journal.] Report from Bethlehem, Iowa. Mr. Eprror :—I see that neighbor Gallup, and others, have had an extraordinary yield of honey. It. does seem strange that a few miles’ distance should make so vast a difference in the amount of surplus. Last year Gallup got scarcely any sur- plus, whilst I, not over eighty miles south, got in one instance 166 lbs. and one swarm; and ‘several of my colonies went over 100 lbs., be- sides doubling my stock. This year opened with equally bright pros- pects. I came through with twenty-six very strong colonies, out of twenty-nine—one colony having lost its queen, and two weakly ones played out. The weather was fine in March, and the bees carried in quite a lot of ground oats. April was cold, killing all fruit blossoms. Plums, crab-apples, &c., came into bloom, but it dropped off in a short time. Bees worked very little, scarcely getting their daily rations. I kept on equalizing, and gave what honey I had in frames, left over from last season. I fed about three dollars’ worth of sugar. Linden trees did not give over an average crop, or about ten pounds to the hive. We got three rains from April to the middle of August. On the 16th of August the bees commenced working between showers. I was then very busy har- vesting, and did not give them proper attention, concluding they would use up a considerable part of the honey they were gathering, in feed- ing their brood. In the first week in September, I examined them, and found every cell full, with but little brood. I put the honey machine to work, getting out about forty gallons of nice honey. The bees seemed to work all the better for this operation. It certainly looked rather late in the season to be taking honey from the body of the hive; but visions of depopulated hives stared me in the face. The only chance I could see, was to empty a portion of the cells, so that the queens could replenish, and multiply young bees. And, Mr. Editor, they have done it to perfectign—plenty of bees, and honey enough to winter on. . I built up and stimulated three stands in American hives, with small frames on top. Their yield was ninety pounds comb honey. I _ did not take any liquid honey from them. The produce of my apiary this season is forty gallons of machine honey, one hundred and twenty pounds of box and small frame honey, and a dozen strong hives full, say fifty pounds. Total 610 lbs. and three swarms divided—the re- sult of keeping stocks strong and ready for the harvest when it comes. F. CRATHORNE. Bethlehem, Iowa, Dec., 1870. A man may use the common swarming hives a whole life-time, and yet remain ignorant of the very first principles in the physiology of the bee, unless he gains his information from other sources, [For the American Bee Journal.] Report from Jeddo, Michigan, Mr. Epvrror:—The past summer, in this lo- cality, has not been a very good one for apicul- ture. My beescommenced carrying in pollen on the 15th of April, and the honey season opened with abundance in all varieties of blossoms, so that by the first week in June, almost every va- cant cell was filled. I put in mysurplus frames and boxes, which they filled very rapidly. About the last of June we were visited by frequent heavy showers, which seemed to wash all the honey out of the plants, so that strong colonies, after the first of July, did not gather much more than they consumed. A great many colonies of bees were lost du- ring last winter. Novices in the business lost, in many cases, all they had; while the more skilful lost from fifty to sixty percent. The summer previous was one of the wettest we have had here for many years, and the honey stored seemed to be very thin and of poor quality, fer- menting in the combsinvery many cases. Nearly all the bees that were lost, died of dysentery, no doubt induced by the fermented honey. I commenced last spring with four stocks, which gave me three hundred and fifty (3850) pounds of honey, and six swarms. Having no mel-extractor, I improvised one, which works likea charm. By afew improvements which I intend to put upon it next season, I think it will excel any that I have seen, in simplicity, dura- bility, and ease of working. It cost me only seven dollars. Mr. George Smith, who lives three miles north of my place, has an apiary of about one hun- dred (100) colonies, principally Italians. He ex- tracted from seven hives, with the honey-slinger, twelve hundred (1200) pounds of honey. This, Mr. Editor, you may think looks a little like boasting, and although it is undoubtedly quite a large yield, I think it is a true and correct state- ment, as Mr. Smith is a very reliable man. We find the ‘‘ American Bee Journal” an in- dispensable aid and guide in all matters pertain- ing to apiculture; and during the nine months I have taken it, I have been benefited many times the price of it. I only wish that it came twice as often as it does. GEORGE TODD. Jeddo, Mich., Dec. 10, 1870. eoD> {For the American Bee Journal.] The Honey Season in Hancock Co., West Virginia, Mr. Epiror :—I have delayed writing to you for some time, on account of a visit west to lowa and Illinois. I-took the typhoid fever out there, came home sick, and have not got out of the house yet. I left on the 5th of September, and was gone five weeks. Being absent part of the season, I cannot give you an accurate account of my whole apiary, but I will give you a statement of one hive, wintered in a foot square of comb, trausferred to a new 154 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., hive about the 10th of April, and which had not, at that time, more than five pounds of honey in store, and still less when examined again a few days ‘afterward. All my. other colonies were in about the same condition—weak in stores, on account of two bad seasons in succession, which we very seldom have in this country. Hive No. 1 gave me, in box and frame honey, 1524 pounds; which at 30 cents PEL POUNG IBC ss. Eetetobtuesansvunp evaey Gaeens $45 75 One artificial swarm, worth, exclusive of hive Swarm en Ry 36 epounge box honey, at 80 CONES ....00 00. cikte we danhad« seus ceeds pT L OM OU Whole amount of profit from one hive.. $67 55 Hive No. 1 contains yet thirty-five (85) pounds of honey, besides the weight of hive, comb and bees, of which I could take ten pounds, leaving them twenty-five pounds to winter on. The hive containing the young swarm weighs eighty (80) pounds. Allowing thirty (80) pounds for weight of empty hive, and ten (10) pounds for w eight of bees, pollen and combs, there will remain forty (40) pounds net of honey ; so that I might have taken fifteen pounds of their honey and still left them an ample supply to winter on. But after reading H. Alley’s report (Vol. VI, No. 5, page 111, Nov., 1870), [thought that if I put it all in my statement, some of our young bee-keepers would perhaps hardly believe it. My apiary now contains seventy-four (74) colonies, besides five stocks, made up of nu- cleus hives—five or six put together in a large hive, to winter jointly, and be separated again in the spring, for nuclei, to raise early queens, which are almost always the best. Inthe spring, when examining the condition of my colonies, to see whether they need honey, or a comb or two of brood, I cut out all the drone comb out of every hive and insert worker comb in its place. Thus I get clear of all early drones, except in such colonies as I may select to breed from. By doing this, and having some good imported queen to get my brood from, J hardly ever fail to get number one quéens, of which my apiary is now mostly made up. Imust procure another imported queen next spring, to keep up a regu- lar crossing of my stock ; as I do not intend that any apiary shall excel mine in bees, hives or condition of colonies, so far as my experience will go. I have been making artificial swarms these thirty-five years, or more, by the shape of hive, before the movable comb frame was introduced. I have Italianized nearly all the colonies in my neighborhood that are in reach of me, so that I think I have just as good a chance to raise pure queens as any one else, There are a great many bees in our county ; but mostly the common black bee. Many bee- keepe:'s took a decided stand against the Italians when [ introduced them in this county, calling them a humbug. I guess that, by this time, they would all like very well to be dee-hum- bugged themselves, since the saw the honey I obtained last summer, ALFRED CHAPMAN. New Cumberland, West Va. Nov. 28, 1870. ‘[For the American Bee Journal.] Report from a Wisconsin Apiary. Mr. Epitror :—I have for some time thought of ‘‘reporting progress,’’ but being only a no- vice in bee-culture, I have hesitated lest, perad- venture, I should treat my bees so ‘‘scientifi- cally’’ that I might wake up some morning and find them ‘‘ non est,’? and hear the quotation— ‘‘Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.’ But the year 1870 is drawing to a close, and if I report at all I must do it soon. At the close of last March I removed my eight (8) stocks from the cellar, and placed them on their summer stands. On examination I found they all had more or less eggs and brood in their cells. I was, however, much surprised to find that some of my best stocks had very little honey, and, in fact, were on the verge of starvation— not one of the number having any considerable amount. The first thing in order, therefore, was to equalize the honey, and the next to feed them with dissolved sugar. Furthermore, I found one stock so reduced in numbers that I did not think proper to risk the loss of eggs and brood by giving them a card from another stock, I therefore reduced the size of their brood cham- ber, and stimulated their queen by feeding till their numbers warranted the aforesaid introduc- tion. They then did better than could have been expected, till all at once their queen was missing. I gave them a card or two of eggs and brood ; in due time they raised a queen, and now they ap- pear all right. I made seven (7) artificial colonies, and had one natural swarm, which came, too, the morn- ing after I had cut out all the queen cells. In this ‘‘fix’’ all I could do was to strengthen the parent stock with eggs and larvee, and the young swarm with empty comb. My bees stored up nine hundred and thirty- two (932) pounds of box honey. On the 1st of October I weighed the colonies, and after making allowance for the weight of the empty hive, and subtracting ten pounds (10 lbs.) as the weight of the bees, bee-bread and combs, I found my lightest hive had thirty-one (81) pounds of honey in it, and my heaviest thirty-nine (39) pounds ; and that the average per hive was 87 lbs. 3 oz. Now, as they commenced the season’s operations with just next to nothing at all in their hives, they must have stored up some fifteen hundred (1500) pounds of honey, besides what they ga- thered for their own consumption and use in comb-building, and the nourishment of their brood, so as to double their numbers—a result with which I feel that I ought to be satisfied. The weather continues fine, with the thermom- eter at 60 degrees in the sun. Bees remain on their summer stands uptodate. D. P. LANE. Koshponing, Wis., Dec. 9, 1870. The common but ridiculous practise of making a clatter with kettles, tin pans, coal scuttles, &c., when bees are swarming, is utterly useless, and is resorted to only by old fogy bee-keepers. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 155 [For the American Bee Journal. ] Report from Kleinsburg, Canada. The honey season, this year, has been with us avery good one; but on account of having lost more than half of our bees last winter, the honey gathering force was considerably limited and the result in accordance therewith. Yet we lived in hopes to retrieve our losses by special at- tention to increase our stock as much as season and circumstances would allow, and in such manners and ways as would enable us to retain the increase, and not have to undo it again, or run the risk of finding myself minus of bees in the spring, as was my former experience—the cause having been as I reported in the July number, feeding too late in the fall. I had re- course again this season to feeding for winter, in the case of some stocks which were made as late as July 10th, and had scarcely any stores. But this time I fed them in good season, and not with honey either, at least three of them; but prepared syrup made of loaf sugar, thus :—3lbs. sugar, 1 quart water, brought to a boil, and add- ing 1 ounce glycerine. Now, as stated on a former occasion, that the glycerine did not pre- vent crystallization ; but then it was left standing in an open bowl, exposed to warmth and air, and only began to crystallize after being thus exposed for seveial weeks. This I do not now think is sufficient to prove that it could not be safely fed ; for if seasonably fed, the bees would seal it over ; and as faras I have seen on arecent examination, it appears at this time just as if [had fed honey, though it is now since the 20th of August that the syrup was fed. Thus, after a lapse of three months there is no sign of crystallization yet. Besides, I put some of the liquid in an ounce vial, half filled and corked ; and up to this time, no crystals are to be seen. Now, Mr. Editor, you may think it very strange that I should pay so much attention to this little matter ; but sup- pose I find those stocks come out all right in the spring, it will be a great boon to me, and to any others compelled to feed their stocks for winter, when honey is scarce, and at least one-third dearer. I can make five pounds of this syrup, glycerine iricluded, for fifty cents, when honey is here selling at from fifteen to twenty cents per pound. Moreover, as some authors assert that bees need only twenty pounds of syrup, whereas with honey they require twenty-five pounds. Now this is what I am trying more particularly to find out; and if alive and well next spring, will report to you the result. Last spring I was not alittle perplexed. After promising myself to what extent I would increase my stocks, especially those that were so strong in numbers that they were literally overflowing with bees about the first of May, to my surprise I found them, apparently, greatly reduced by the first of June. There seemed to be a sudden diminution in numbers, for from 20th of May to the 1st of June, they were clustering out and doing ‘next to nothing. Some of the stocks having drone brood under way, I expected them to press forward for swarming early, when all at once I noticed that the bees were gone from the outside. Onexamination, I found rather more bees inside the hive than is usual after a swarm has issued, but less brood than they had previously, for, when I noticed the hive without the usual cluster on the outside, I had suspected that a swarm had left, and that it must have departed unobserved, as I had not watched them diligently enough. I must say, I was fairly puzzled to — know the cause of so singular a change, for I had never seen such an occurence mentioned in any writing on bees. At the same time, some of my neighbors, who keep bees on the old-school principles, proclaimed that their bees had cleared out, for they had been hanging out for the last three weeks and had now disappeared. Well, here I stood. scarcely prepared to say that they had not swarmed, nor could I say to the contrary either. I would not have begrudged a five dollar bill had I then been in possession of what friend Gallup wrote in the July number of the Journal, page 10. That I acknowledge is worth a great deal, and I tell you my reason on this ground alone. As soon as I was in possession of it, I thought I could explain the mystery to my neigh- bors, for to me it was perfectly satisfactory ; but to them I made myself, for the time, a laughing stock. Nevertheless, as my bees, as well as those of my neighbors, had done swarming before I was in possession of the July number, yet I had no doubt that mine had not themswarmed and gone off. But I could not say such was the case with my neighbors’ bees, till after 1eading the article written by Mr. Gallup. Then, after re- flecting on it, I started off; making the necessary inquiry as to which stocks had so unceremo- niously decamped. This being ascertained, I learned that these stocks had afterwards swarmed again, (that being, no doubt, the first or princi- pal swarm) on the 23d of June (the first, or supposed first swarm having left on the 8d of June, if I remember right, as I was told a few days after it was believed they had gone off) ; and on the ninth day the queen was heard piping ; the first swarm they hived being a monster, moreover. Now this could not have been the case if the bees had swarmed at the time it was supposed they did, and three weeks afterward swarmed again. There would then have been none but young queens in the hive, which after that period would not have swarmed at all; and what is still better proof, the piping was not heard till the ninth day after what I consider was the first swarm, came off. As there exists so much controversy among queen bee raisers—some of whom would have us believe that artificial queens are not as good as natural ones, I will give what experience I have in that line. Though I have not raised queens very extensively, the results appear to me to point in the same direction—that is of non-egeglayers, some will not be tolerated when introduced, and some only fora shorttime. But as I pursued the nucleus system, that is, raising from brood insmall boxes. which some style starva- tion system, as I verily believe it is; 1 have dis- pensed with it, and tried the raising of queens from the cell, removing it just before hatching, in putting it in a nucleus box with about a pint of bees. And I now find every queen so raised, 4 156 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., last season, prove to be hardy and _ prolific mothers. One of the number I used in forming a stock on the 20th of August last that had lost its queen by being killed in introducing. Having the young queen caged and placed on the top of the frames for twenty-four hours, and as nearly half of the swarm seemed to enclose the cage, I ‘thought it looked as if they were bound to ac- cept the new mother, and concluded I would liberate her. But in three days after I could not find her. I waited ten days longer, but neither queen nor eggs made their appearance, and as it was late in the season, being the 16th of August, I concluded to break it up, although J had one queen ina nucleus box awaiting the mating with the drones, which were beginning to be so searce that I kept feeding some stocks in order to prevent their being killed. I succeeded in getting her fertilized, and as soon as she began to lay eggs, I placed her in a cage on top of the frames of the hives that showed such great ad- herence to their new mother. But this time I tried their patience a little more and kept her caged three days. By that time nearly all the brood was hatched, and the swarm was only one- half as strong as it. ought to be at that season ; but for experiment’s sake I keptit up. On the third day, I liberated the queen, and three days after, being the 28d of August, I had the pleasure _ of finding eggs in abundance. But, as for the queen, my goodness what a queer sight! I had clipped off the right wing before caging her, and to all appearance the bees must have found fault with it, in this case, as she now had the left fore- arm off, just a little stump remaining. I suppose they intended thus to preserve the balance in dis- figuration! Well, I did not expect much to come after it, but finding her busy laying eggs, I fed them regularly half a pound of syrup, (made as mentioned before) during twelve days, then I doubled the allowance for a week, and by the end of three weeks, she had filled the brooding space. I kept on feeding in that way till the 15th of September, when to all appearance I was going to have the most populous stock in the place; and so it preved itself in fact. But, as you perceive, the entire contents of the hive is unnatural every way, with the exception that the queen cell was nearly matured in a populous stock before removal; but not being fertilized in swarming time, and with but one wing and one forearm, and being moreover fed with such unnatural food, and drugged in the bargain ; “‘that won’t do’’ my neighbors of the natural type tell me. Well, perhaps they may be right, but [hope to be able to show my No. 4 on its original stand next spring ; at any rate you shall hear of it, be the report good or bad. Well, Mr. Editor, I think I have trespassed the limits of your patience, but trust you will grant me the liberty of saying just a few words more about entire natural queens, of which I proposed to make the only use last season, but I slipped up. Now this is one of the things new tome. I would like to know the experience of some of your correspondents and readers, namely, that out of eleven young queens that I caught from an old box hive which swarmed seven times, I caught first three; next day two in the forenoon and three in the afternoon; on the following day two; and on the next day one. Out of some two or three times swarming they invariably re- turned again, which accounts for so many issues. This is the only box hive I have,and I will put up with it no longer, as it has caused me more trouble and required more watchfulness than any twelve in movable frames. I will, therefore, trausfer it next spring. Now, that I may come to the point, I will say of these queens, I ar- ranged them all, singly of course, in nucleus boxes, some with two and some with three combs, 43 by 6 inches in each, put half a pint of bees of the same hive—that is I made eleven swarms from this box hive, only for the purpose of getting the queens mated; so that, as [might have use for one or more, I would have them in readi- ness, and have none but natural queens. I found I had to put them in the cellar twenty-four hours, for they swarmed out immediately. The first one and the second, I kept them in a dark place several hours, until they were pretty quiet; then gave them a stand and opened the hive. One by one they left, and all went back to the old hive, till only a small handful remained, and then they went en masse. The third I still locked up and kept locked till next morning ; and then opened the entrance. The queen passed out three times that day, but was unsuc- cessful in meeting with adrone. Next morning, . when I came, they had just swarmed out and went into a hive that was occupied by a swarm from the same old box hive, being a second swarm hived six days previous. As this hive was furnished with comb, I had difficulty in get- ting the queen liberated, as she was densely im- prisoned and her bees slain. I procured some bees from the old box hive, as they would not likely hurt her. Next day the old box swarmed again, and I got some of the bees and put them along with the queen, as they would stay where put. I kept them confined twenty-four hours, and had them in the box for ten days. She made no attempt to leave to meet the drones, and laid no eggs. She had her forearm off, which I suppose happened when she was among the im- prisoning cluster. At any rate, one day I saw robbers storming the box, and what became of that queen I donot know. The fourth queen was duly fertilized, and filled both combs with eggs. She remained seven days, and then swarmed out. I put them back, gauged the entrance three days. After opening it, the first thing I knew they were gone, leaving combs filled with honey, bee bread, and brood, and three drone larve in worker cells. The fifth queen did pre- cisely the same. ‘The sixth filled one comb only, leaving two drone larve. The seventh laid afew eggs, and skedaddled. So on to the eleventh. Now, queens raised from the cell, and hatched in a nucleus box, never served me thus. I forgot to mention that, when I started to feed the No. 4 stock, with its crippled queen, I had weighed six other stocks. When alldone, on the 1st of October, I weighed them again, and found that this No. 4 only weighed three pounds lighter in proportion to what the others did. That is, it consumed only three pounds more than the others ; and while the others had very 18711) THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 157 little brood in the larve state,.as the honey yield had ceased since July 13th to a noticeable extent, No. 4 raised all its bees after August 20th, and is the strongest in the whole apiary. C. WURSTER. Kleinsburg, Canada, Dec. 8, 1870. —_——_#-@e [For the American Bee Journal.] Bees in Connecticut. Foulbrood. Mr. Eprror :—The honey season of 1870 has been profitable to those here, who fed their stocks liberally in the spring. During the win- ter of 1869-70 very many stocks perished in this section, of pure starvation. I examined my stocks about Dec. 1, that year, having then just returned from Europe, and found sixteen with less than five pounds of honey each. I put them in a damp cellar, the temperature of which continued all winter at an average of 33 degrees. Closing all the bottom openings, I left open the large hole in the honey board. Over this hole I piled stick candy, which I purchased at 22 cents per pound. Nine out of the sixteen wintered safely; consuming about three pounds each up to the time of setting out. The other seven, having perhaps less honey, dropped dead, a few at a time, and every time I entered the cellar, I found the bottom board covered with them. In some instances I tried pouring honey in the combs, but the result was mould, and more dead bees than where I trusted to candy alone. Sey- eral hives, having more than ten pounds of honey, refused to touch the candy, and wintered splendidly. Among those I lost were my three only stocks of Italians. In the spring IJ found my twenty-three hives reduced to sixteen; and several of these were so reduced in numbers, or else queenless, that 1 finally united several stocks, and commenced the present season with but nine colonies. I fed liberally and had my colonies strong when our orchards here were in bloom, and the stocks gained in weight in two weeks from forty to sixty pounds each. I now felt that all my troubles and anxieties were over, until one morning I discovered what I believed to be foul- brood. I had never seen the disease, and as it did not seem to increase, and was confined to one hive, I let it severely alone, and hoped it might prove some very mild form of the dis- ease. I swarmed such stocks as were preparing to do so of their own accord—five in all:—the others have not swarmed this season. I use the Thomas Hive; and when the clover season be- gan, I placed surplus boxes on all but three of the hives; and though I fixed comb to induce them to begin, they would not work in them. On the three remaining hives, I placed boxes containing six frames each, filled with comb and five inches deep. The honey-board was removed, so that the hive was practically just so much taller. These frames were filled almost immediately, and I emptied them twice a week with the ‘“‘emptier,’’ taking out twenty quarts in two weeks. They ought to have been emptied oftener, as they were always full when I exam- ined them. I think now that I also erred in nc, emptying the frames in the hives themseives. As the season was now almost over, and I had again to leave for a trip to Europe, I made simi- lar boxes for all the hives, and left them to work their will on 24 acres of buckwheat sown on very rich ground. There was no other buck- wheat in the neighborhood ; yet when I returned I found all the hives well filled, and the frames in top boxes also filled with sealed honey, much of itin new comb. So far, I felt the season a grand success ; but on a careful examination in October, I found six hives badly affected with foulbrood. You kindly suggested I should try the remedy proposed by Dr. Abbe. I have done so, and now report my progress so far. I first procured an ‘‘atomiser,’’ price $3, and then a pound of the extra refined hyposulphite of soda. Thus armed and equipped, I commenced by thoroughly spraying the combs in a spare hive from which I had taken a queenless colony. I found this hive without any trace of the disease, and as soon as it was ready, I put into it a dis- eased stock, and proceeded to clean its combs, ready for the next. After spending four hours on one comb, I came to the conclusion that man’s life was too short for cleaning out each celland every comb, if badiy diseased. I then cut out all the badly diseased comb, contenting my- self with thoroughly spraying all the rest of the comb. Where only a dozen or two cells were affected, I treated them as the Doctor pre- scribes. Of course most of the combs were free from diseased cells. After thoroughly spraying all the combs, I put in another diseased stock, starting them with a clean house and well puri- fied combs. I reducedthe size of the hives by a division board, placing a nice warm quilt on the frames, and over that the honey board. I treated four hives in this manner, and prepared two clean hives for the other stocks, which I have concluded to leave in their present hives till spring, as recommended by Quinby. I do not venture to.suppose the disease is eradicated from these stocks, but I hope it will now be controlable, and that an occasional ‘*spray ’’ will ultimately eradicate it. I propose, in the spring, to wash each hive thoroughly with a strong and hot solution of the hyposulphite, and after that to keepea watchful eye on all my colonies. My hives being so well supplied with honey, I shall winter out of doors. They are sheltered from the north winds, and fully exposed to the warm sun, which even in midwinter melts the snow from their lighting boards, and warms up the hive several times a week. CHARLES DAWBARN. Stamwich, Conn., Dec. 2, 1570. Wax is used for anatomical preparations, or for making fac-similies of fruits. It also serves the sculptor for his models and studies. ————__+- Mead is an agreeable sweet kind of wine made of honey and water, boiled and fermented. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [J AN., {For the American Bee Journal.] a A Season in New Jersey. No, 1 Mr. Epiror: you an ac- count of my operations in this place during the past year, though it is mainly only a series of mishaps, misfortunes, or mismanagement, as you may choose to call it. I feel that I have learned some valuable les- sons in this dear school of experience, and there- fore will try and share my information with your numerous readers. IT left New Hampshire the last week in Decem- ber, 1869, with sixteen medium and good swarms of bees and about ten small ones, arriving here with the bees in good shape in twe days. For- tunately the weather at that time was mild; but by keeping the bees in such a tumult, of course many were destroyed. Here let me say that I took them by Express, and went with them, thus getting better treatment for them than they otherwise would have had. These Express com- panies sometimes handle things very roughly, and don’t always stop to notice whether a box contains live bees, rattlesnakes, or some other harmless rarity; and when you get a swarm aboard, it may be right side up, or it may not be. The two days after arriving were fine warm days, giving the bees an excellent opportunity to air themselves. Although I left the ground in New Hampshire covered with quite a body of snow and ice, I here found nothing of the kind, and began to congratulate myself on my escape from a long and tedious winter. Well, just then my troubles commenced. I knew pretty well, or thought I did, how to care for bees in New Hampshire ; but New Jersey is a different place, and I soon found a treatment necessary, differ- ing from that which Lhad marked out. Ina few days the clouds came up, the winds blew, and the rains came; and if you know what that isin Jersey, near the coast, (we are eleven miles from the coast) you know what I did not know before. Nearly every rain storm is accompanied by a vast amount of wind, bring- ing the rain in nearly horizontal direction, driv- ing it into every crevice possible, and into some where it seemed impossible. I supposed my hives were waterproof, but they were—some of then—incapable of withstanding a Jersey flood. This, then, we will call lesson No. 1, that a hive not perfectly water-tight, should be securely covered. Ishould have said that none of mine were so wet as to be materially injured. I had no beehouse, having thought that in New Hampshire they were better of without, than with such a contrivance, and as New Jer- sey was so much milder, of course no house could be necessary here. Mistaken again! After the rain had cleared away, a piercing west wind be- gan to blow, and having experienced so much from them, 1 have now learned to have a whole- some fear of them. It seems quite likely that a long continued piercing wind, which will chill a man worse than a right cold but calm day, will also chill a swarm of bees in the same way. So I carried the hives into a cellar, and built a light fence to ward off the west wind, and in two or three weeks carried them out again. In fact it was troublesome keeping them in the cellar, as it would get too warm when the thermometer rose, as it did outside, to 60 degrees or more, and this in January. Some of the small swarms began to breed in the cellar ; and large ones also, I pre- sume, though I did not examine them, as they seemed to be doing finely. But these small swarms, besides being small, had but little feed, and with the frequent disturbances of feeding, warm weather, and some exposure, they soon began to fail in numbers, and some of them died. I did not have everything as convenient as desired, and conld not have it, so I did the best I could under the circumstances. In the latter part of January, I carried out most of the larger colonies, and prepared the remainder for an ab- sence of a month. During February I was away, and on my return found most of the small swarms dead, and also some of the large ones. The sun would shine out warm, thougha cool breeze might be blowing; the bees came out and many became chilled before they could return. This is the third reason why bees should have a house here, especially in winter. These winds decimated my stocks during the spring months to such an extent as to utterly ruin some, and so weakened the remainder that they did not become strong in numbers until the best part of the spring harvest was over. They would go out to work, and many were un- able to return. It does not take a very powerful wind to blow as fast as a bee can fly, and it re- quires no great calculation to show that against such a wind it would require all the bee’s exer- tions to battle, to say nothing about progress. From the causes enumerated my bees became reduced by the first of May to six colonies, and those not very strong. These were at that time reinforced with three more swarms from New Hampshire. I had expected that the winds would trouble them only a short time in the spring, but they continued to be a drawback on them until June. This article is already long enough, so I will defer writing more until another time. J. L. HusBBarp. Bricksburg, N. J. [For the American Bee Journal.] Queens Raised from a Young Mother. The past season I raised only two queens, ar- tificially, from young mothers. One of the mo- thers was about three weeks old, the other about six weeks. Neither of these young queens be- eame fertile. One of them had three brilliant and well-defined bands, with the dark lines in- tervening, like a pure worker. She was large and handsome. Among my other queens, raised artificially, and introduced into strong stocks of black bees, four led off swarms. Two of these 1871.] swarmed out when the queens had been laying about three weeks. After these stocks had swarmed, three of them were permitted to raise their own queens. The three young queens thus raised became fertile and prolific, and their pro- geny hardy and industrious. The number of queens in the above report is small; but as the points involved are about being discussed in the Journal, I give it for what itis worth. As far as it goes it shows, first, that the young queens raised artificially from young mothers were barren; second, that the young Italian queens introduced into strong stocks did not prevent swarming; and, third, that the queens raised from young mothers in full stocks, under the swarming impulse, became fertile and prolific. Henry Crist. Lake P. 0., Stark Co., Ohio, Dec. 8, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] A Swarm in an Airy Position. Mr. Epitor: -I have a cluster of cherry trees quite close to my apiary, on which many of the bees cluster during the swarming season. Au- gust 4th, at night, we had a gale of wind, which blew off a great many pears, and I went to the aforesaid cherry trees, to get a table whereon to spread some of the fallen pears, when I found a large circular piece of honey-comb, containing honey and brood, and covered with bees. On examination I found that a swarm had built their combs among the branches in the centre of the tree-top. F. M. RocErs. Nora, Iils., Dec. 8, 1870. oa [For the American Bee Jeurnal.] Questions for Novice. HONEY EXTRACTOR, HIVES, SWARMING, AND TEMPER OF BEES. DEAR NovicE :—Supposing your season’s work is now over, I avail inyself of your offer to put a few questions. I would much have preferred addressing you directly, as my questions may “not be of general interest, but must thankfully receive any information in your own way. For using the honey extractor (Vol. IV., page 35), you mentioned the.two-story Langstroth hive, and the extra set of frames; but more re- cently (Vol. VI., page 15) you say, ‘‘as soon as we get out three or four frames, we commence bringing them back.’’ Has the latter plan super- seded the former? And do you mean that you keep each hive open while you uncap and empty all the frames? Do you use smoke in taking out frames? I have never yet attempted to take out more than two or three outside frames, and have not touched any with brood. Doyou think I may safely go further? Whatdo you think of hives with legs five or six inches from the ground? This is what I am using, and I think a sloping board might be made to answer the purpose of the sawdust banking. Thinking saw- dust a nice, clean thing for keeping down grass THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 159 about hives, in 1869 I commenced covering the yard with it; but as I sometimes use fire about the hives, I found it dangerous, as the least spark in dry weather sets it going. I presume you are satisfied with last season’s yield of honey ; but Mr. A. Salisbury, page 109, says, ‘‘top-storing hives are now behind the age.’’ Will you endorse that assertion ?”’ During the past season I had not much trouble from swarming. The queen’s wings were cut, and when about to swarm she was. caught and removed ; and about eight days thereafter all, or all but one, of the cells were removed, as was de- sired. I had one or two cases, however, where I supposed I had queens with cut wings, that they swarmed. In one instance the bees settled on the trunk of a tree—not clustering closely, but spread out. I hived them in a new hive, but they at once returned tothe parent hive. In examining the hive the next day, I found up- wards of twenty queen celis, some in the lower story, but chiefly in the upper one. I find a vast difference in the temper of my bees. Some come at me like a shower of shot, on opening the hive ; others (raised from a Lang- stroth queen) I can go to at any time without annoyance. Yours, truly, Tyo. Ontario, Canada, Dec., 1870. [For the American Bee Journal. Theory and Practice. Mr. Eprvor :—I notice a great many of your correspondents, asking for instruction, say— ‘‘Give us practical answers, and not theory.’’ Now, lam a great friend to theory, and dislike to hear it spoken of so lightly. Before I com- menced bee-keeping, I purchased Mr. Lang- stroth’s able work, and read it through three times (together with several plagiarians of the same), and there I got my theory of manage- ment. Then, without ever having seen a drone, I subscribed for the ‘‘ American Bee Journal,”’ and entered on the campaign of 1868 by buying forty-eight (48) colonies of black bees and an Italian queen. Transferred twenty-nine (29) colonies, and Italianized nearly half of my apiary ; also transferred about thirty (80) colo- nies for neighbors; have moved all my bees twice, and made all my this year’s increase arti- ficially ; yet I have never had a stock of bees rob- bed, orin any way lost a colony, when prevention was cheaper than the price of said colony. And this season, I have taken more honey and increase from my bees, than ever was taken in this county before, from the same number, as near as I can learn, although we have practi- tioners here with from ten to forty years’ experi- ence. Mr. Bidwell, of South Haven, (formerly of St. Paul, Minn,) has an odd and original way of doing things, aping no one, adhering to the true theory of bee-culture, the while ; and he no doubt has been as successful an apiarian as this coun- ty affords. From reports, I conclude that he has outdone all other apiarians in prevention of swarming, averaging one year with another only 160 THE AMERICAN about eight (8) swarms from one hundred (100) stocks. Jam sorry to say that Mr. B. is not at all communicative on this subject. Still I think I gleaned enough from him to guess his system of preventing increase, when desirable, which, with your permission, I will communicate to the Journal at some future time. I like the Gallup—Langstroth hive the best. I should, however, prefer a tight bottom to a movable one,;where careless bee-keepers are so close by, and millers as plentiful as around my apiary. Now, Mr. Editor, to conclude, I have a ques- tion of some importance to ask any subscriber that can answer it. I am talking of making my future home in Colorado. Whatof that country for bees and_bee-culture? Can bees be kept there at all? I am informed the mercury stands at about 80° to 82° in winter, and not above 75° or 80°F. duringsummer. Have you any subscribers in that locality, or one similar in temperature, &e.? If so, I would like to hear from them, and have their opinion as to honey production there. A friend tells me that wild flowers are abundant, especially wild sunflowers ; and no doubt white clover and other honey-producing plants, will also have a footing there as the country becomes older. Butthe question is, will the bees secrete honey enough in that climate to make bee-cul- ture remunerative ? JAMES HEDDON. Dowagiac, Mich. Dec. 12, 1870. de [For the American Bee Journal.] Wintering Bees, Mr. Eprtor:—I notice many articles in the Journal about wintering bees. Mr. J. H. Thomas gives my views exactly. Several years ago, I built a house in accordance with Mr. Quinby’s plan, as given in the Mysteries of Bee- keeping, page 329. It was all that could be de- sired in steady, cold winter weather. But, after two or three years’ trial, I found that it was too troublesome in warm spells of weather, such as occur in January or February ; as the bees would get up such a heat in the house, that nearly every winter I was compelled to set them out on their summer stands for a day or two, and re- turn them again to the house; though they win- tered well, with but little loss. But the plan I like best, and have followed more or less for the past ten years, is as follows: Set some posts, eight feet long, firmly two feet in the ground—then nail on boards and make a pen, large or small, according to the number of your stocks. A pen, twelve feet square by six feet high, will hold thirty stocks. As soon as it is time to move the bees into winter quarters, I put straw on the ground, six inches thick. On this I set the hives, placing them about two feet from the boards. Then take short chaffy straw or very fine hay, and stuff in between the hives and the boards, as tight and solid as possible, all around the pen, except at the door. Raise the back of the hive two inches higher than the front. Elevate the hives from the bottom board 3 of BEE JOURNAL. [JaN,, an inch all round, and open the holes in the honey-board at each end of the hive, leaving those in the centre closed. This is supposing that your hives will take six 6-inch boxes on top, holes for centre boxes closed. Ventilation should be given in proportion to size of colony, as a very large stock will require more ventilation than a small one. Now, as soon as all the bees are. moved in the house, and the stuffing is done all around, except at the door, nail on a couple of strips, eight or ten inches above the top of the hives—the hives being set two deep, or one tier on top of the other. Now lay on some poles reaching across and resting on the strips above the hives. Then fill up with straw, rounded at top like a haystack ; and thatch with a small load of cornfodder, to keep all dry. Put up some boards at the door, and stuff well with straw ; and protect with cornfodder, so as to keep the straw dry. This done, my word for it you will find your bees dry, without mouldy combs ; and they will not become uneasy as they do in a tight house. I can build this institution in half a day, put the bees into it, and, as Mr. Thomas says, vo about my business, —expecting to take out just as many stocks, all in good order, as I put in. I have wintered, year after year, from twenty-five to thirty stocks, without a single loss. But it must be remembered that I am dealing with good, strong colonies, both in bees and honey. JOSEPH BUTLER. Jackson, Mich. ——— [For the American Bee Journal.] A Mystery Unsolved ! We find the following from C. T. Smith on page 118 of the Bee Journal : ‘‘T have a few of the two-story hives made by the National Bee-Hive Company, at St. Charles, Tllinois, and I cannot get a frame into the top story in any other way than perpendicular, as the top bar of the frame is longer than the inside of the hive.”’ We have read the above over and over again, and still we cannot understand what friend Smith is driving at. We endeavor to make each story of our hives precisely the same length. In general we succeed to a hair’s breadth, but there must be some mistake in the hives sent to Mr. Smith. But how it should happen is a mystery, as the material for our hives is all cut by machinery, and with the minutest accuracy.. When both stories are of the same length, why — should not a frame taken out of the lower story fit into the upper one? the rabbeting in both stories, on which the frames are suspended being also the same. ‘‘ The top bar of the frame is longer than the inside of the hive.’ We don’t — doubt that in the least! All suspended frames are in the same fix. But that is no reason why they must be put into the hive in a ‘* perpen- dicular’’ manner. But we must give up the problem, until we have anexplanation from Mr. Smith, Meantime please rest assured, friend Smith, that we can help you out of any difficulty respecting the -1871.] proper management of our improved styles of the Langstroth hive. The two-story hive, with frames in the upper story for surplus honey, is rapidly coming into general use. The one-story hive, witb boxes for surplus honey, is behind the age; although we still make them for a certain class of our customers. The past sea- son we have made about as many of the one kind as of the other; but the coming year we shall make in the proportion of four two-story hives to one of one-story. More honey can be secured from frames, than from bowes, and it is in better shape for extracting, for feeding, and jor the market. Woney in frames will sell for as much per pound in the Chicago market, as in small boxes. Perhaps the advocates of 1 tb. and 3 tb. boxes will dispute this statement, but we happen to be posted in this matter. The two-story hive requires more tact and experience to manage it properly, than the sin- gle hive with boxes; but it will not be long before our largest honey raisers will discover the right way. M. M. BALpRIDGE. St. Charles, Iltinots, Nov. 3, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Two Queens ina Hive. Another Instance. = Mr. Epiror :—I send you a little matter for insertion in the Journal, if it is worthy—another _ instance of two queens being found in one hive. I see in the October number of the Journal that Mr. A. Green, of Amesbury, Mass., had a _ case of two queens in one hive. I had a similar experience this season. About the first of July _ Iremoved the queen from a native stock and in- troduced an Italian queen that I had received from W. W. Cary, July 16, 1869. I examined _ this stock frequently after introducing the queen, and soon found queen-cells started and contain- ing egos. I removed these cells, as I also did others twice afterwards. On the last occasion one of them contained a larva nearly ready to be sealed over. About the first of September I found two large cells sealed over, and allowed them to remain, as I now thought that the bees _ were probably trying to supersede the queen on account of advanced age or some other failure, though she did not seem to decrease in fertility, as the colony were now all Italians. On the six- teenth of September, I made another examina- tion, found the cells hatched, and saw the old queen, but did not see the young one. Thenext _ day J re-exam‘ned them, saw the old queen, and avery large young one on the opposite comb. She was fertile and laying eggs. On the eigh- teenth, I found the old queen dead in front of the hive. She had apparently not been strong, but had probably dropped upon the bottom board and been dragged out by the bees. I had another singular queen case in Septem- ber. I removed the queen from a new swarm and placed her ina nucleus. One day I opened the nucleus and the queen took wing and flew back to the hive from which she had been re- moved, which was about fifty feet distant, and THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 161 about the same distance from where the swarm was hived. This queen was reared and fertilized about five miles frem here, in 1868. She had been very pro- lific, and produced well-marked workers. When removed from the swarm, she had ceased laying, but commenced again in the nucleus and pro- duced hybrids. Does not this show that the old queen was fertilized after the swarm was hived ? I agree with Novice as to the value of the Journal, and believe it to be the best Bee Journal extant. ' .W. D. Wrieat. Knowersvitle, N. Y., Nov. 1, 1870. oes [For the American Bee Journal.] Again Two Queens in a Hive. On the 23d of July I opened a hive containing a choice colony of Italians, for the purpose of getting brood for rearing queens. To my sur- prise, as the season had been very unfavorable, I found four queen-cells sealed, and the combs full of brood. JT removed all the cells and one frame of honey, giving an empty one in its place, and let the old queen remain. On the 8th of August, I had occasion to open the same hive for the same purpose. I then found two queens on the same comb, all quiet and peaceable, with the combs full of brood and eggs. I called for my better half to come and witness it; this was the first case of the kind I had ever seen. I removed the young queen—a very fine one, and gave her to a nucleus, with- out clipping her wing, as I feared she and not mated with adrone. I also removed one frame of brood from another nucleus. On the 11th and 12th of August, I examined the nucleus, and found the queen was missing, with no signs of her remaining in or near the nucleus. The bees in it had begun to build queen cells by this time. On the 20th of August, I examined the colony again, and found a young queen apparently fer- tile. I did not see the old queen, and concluded the bees had removed her. August 24th, I ex- amined the hive again, in company with two friends, and found two (2) feriéle queens. Now, Mr. Editor, perhaps you or others would ask how I know they were fertile? I answer, from the fact that I removed the cld queen whose wing was clipped, and clipped the wing of the young one immediately, leaving her in the colony. She is now laying, and her brood prove to be workers. The old queen was raised in May, 1869, so that it is not from old age that she was superseded; and again she was very prolific— her combs, as I have stated, being full of brood. Will you give us the cause of two (2) fertile queens being found in one colony ? Could they have raised a queen and she become fertile from August 9th to August 20th ? Remember, that the young queen found with the colony on August 20th was apparently fertile ; and the one found on the 24th proved to be fertile. Now, is it not probable that the young queen that was removed and introduced in a nucleus on August 20th, and mated with a drone before 162 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JaAN., she was removed, had either made her escape from the nucleus or took wing while I was ex- amining the nucleus for her (which I had then to do frequently), and returned to her parent hive ? CuHarwss H. Kina. Murfreesboro’, Tenn., Oct. 31, 1870. ees [For the American Bee Journal.) “Honor to Whom Honor!” Mr. Eprror:—In the June number of the Journal, I found an article on systematic plagiar- ism that was both true and timely. I iad long before felt that it was time that the many able correspondents of the Journal should comment on this; but it is never too late to do right. Where is the bee-keeper who will look back for fifteen or twenty years, and then ask himself where he got his knowledge of bee-keeping, if he knows anything worth naming, who will not unhesitatingly point to Quinby and Langstroth. Well do I remember twenty years ago, when the best guides the bee-keepers had were Weeks, Colton, Miner, Bevan, &c. These were good in their day, because we had no better. But one day, reading the American Agriculturist, I saw announced the ‘‘ Mysteries of Bee-keeping Ex- plained.’? I bought the book, and after reading and re-reading, I would not have taken fifty dol- lars for it if I could not have replaced it. I found Langstroth’s work about the same time, or a little later. Now, Mr. Editor, what has been added to those most valuable books? I have purchased everything that I could find, written in the English language, and for my life I can find nothing. And yet, as Dr. Puckett says, the miserable pretenders of the present day would pass them by among the things that were, and take all credit to themselves. Yet every single idea their heads contain was gleaned from Quinby or Langstroth. Now, sir, my motto is, ‘‘credit to whom credit is due.’’ Let all the friends of bee-culture everywhere keep the names of two of the greatest of American apiarians be- fore them, whose fame will survive when the miserable herd of plagiarists are forgotten. For myself I shall ever hold them in grateful remem- brance. Every young beginner should procure and read their works and digest the instructions well; and they will find the sure road to success, JOSEPH BUTLER. Jackson, Mich. [For the American Bee Journal.] Natural, Prolific and Hardy Queens. PART IV. A continuation of my letter on ‘* Bees in Iowa,’’ page 82, October number, Vol. VI. As mentioned in said letter, I received an Ital- ian queen, which I proposed to test against my blacks. On the morning of the 11th of June, I started for the express office, nine miles distant. It was quite chilly, and the mercury in the ther- mometer stood at 34 degrees, only two degrees above freezing. In due time I received my box at the office. After paying the C. O. D., I rap- ped on the box—nota whiz! Rapped again— turned them over, blew through the cracks, but could get no response. The conclusion I came to was, that I had either a box of dead bees, or their docility or impeccability of temper indi- cated that I had purity simmered down. I wrapped them up, and for additional warmth placed them under my arm, under my overcoat. I heard nothing from them on the way home ; tried, but could not rouse them up; had a fire built, and placed the box over the stove, when the room was well warmed up. To arapon the box there was a feeble response. I darkened the window and lit a kerosene lamp, and called ° in several neighbors to see the ‘‘big thing.”’ Our private opinion, as then and there expressed, was, that the Italian bee was like the Cardiff giant—‘‘one grand humbug.’’ I placed them back in the box, and set this over the stove, to finish thawing out, while I looked over the back numbers of the American Bee Journal for a sure mode of introduction. Concluded to place the queen, and the bees that came with her, on combs of sealed hatching brood, and not risk her introduction toa strange swarm. Went out and took the best frame that suited me from six hives; placed them ina Casket, put the queen and her bees on them; wrapped them up warm, left them close to the stove, and kept the fire up — all day. At dark looked them over, and con- — cluded it was too slow ; placed the Casket in an outside case, on a stand; shook the bees from seven hives at its entrance. It being then too dark for them to fly back, they took lodgings for the night, but most of them left the next day. This also being too slow a process to build up, I concluded to introduce them to my swarm under the swarming impulse. Looked through said swarm for their queen, but could not find her, although I tried several times, and darkness put an end that night to further search. Scented the hive containing the Italian queen, and the one I proposed to introduce her to, with sweet- ened water, highly flavored with anise—bees, combs and box. In the morning removed the Casket and hive from the outside case, and placed it some six feet from the entrance to the case, at the end of one of my store shutters, and caged my Italian queen. Here I found the first advantage of the Italians—the queen so easily found. After being sure that my Italian was alive and safe, I turned to my blacks, and pro- ceeded to brush them from the combs on the shutter, one by one, until I found and caged the black queen. After putting her in a place of security, I set all the frames with brood in the case, and inserted my caged Italian queen be- tween two combs. The Italian workers staid close by and waited on their queen through all these changes. After again scenting the bees, combs and hive, I closed it up, scented the bees on the shutter, and shook them down at the entrance, when they commenced running in. About every hour or so during the day I scented the bees, combs and hive again with flavored, 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 163 sweetened water. At sundown, as the bees had not shown by their action that they had missed their queen, and in putting back the combs I had destroyed even the old queen-cell founda- tions, I removed the cork from the queen cage, from that end most filled: with a mixture of honey and sugar, ‘‘thick ;’’? scented the bees, combs and hive again ; - placed back the cage and closed up the hive for the night. In the morn- ing, after scenting them again, I found that they had liberated the queen and taken care of the mixture. She was thus introduced on the 18th of June: and I scented them several times a day till the morning of the 19th, before I attempted to examine the frames, to see if she was safe and had laid any eggs. On the 19th I could stand it no longer, and must know her fate, then and there. So just as it was getting light I thought I would make the examination, before the other bees were flying, so as not to be disturbed. An examination of the first three frames revealed her personal safety, and that the bees had started queen cells; but it was not yet light enough then to make out if eggs were in them. I kept up the stimulative feeding during the day, and just before sundown made another examination, and found some twenty-five queen cells started, and twelve of them with eggs and larve in them. I examined them every day, and con- tinued the stimulating several times a day, until the morning of the 25th of June, by which time the cells with eggs and larve in them had in- creased in number to some twenty-three or twenty-five. At noon, against all the authority of our most respected writers on bee-culture, she _ ‘led out her swarm—93 days after her introduc- tion and liberation, and nearly four days before the first cell was capped over. I don’t take any stock now in the claim that-bees will not swarm until a queen cell has been capped one day. The black queen did not swarm even on the first day after the first queen cell was capped, while raising any of the five batches of queen cells. I secured seven queens from this batch of cells, giving each queenless stock that I introduced them to three or four.cells. Of the seven young queens, one was without wings; one became a drone-layer; oné, ‘‘the most prolific one,”’ laid egos which would not hatch ; four of the seven proved to be as prolific as the best of my old, natural ‘‘black’’ queens. As they mated with black drones, the stocks are hybrid. This queen laid only a few worker eggs during the 9} days she was in the hive. After securing her swarm I thought she would do better; but she laid hardly as many eggs during nearly a month as she ought to have done every day. I kept the swarm up by putting in frames of brood. About the first of September she commenced to do a little better than she had been doing. After swarm- ing, I thought I would test and find out if the artificial queens from Italian broods were any better than from black brood. The result is, that from the 1st of July to the Ist of Septem- _ ber I succeeded in raising two queens that laid eggs; and five that had ‘not laid an y up till the middle of October! seven in all, when last ex- amined, out of about forty hatched. And inthe experiment, I totally destroyed several of my best swarms. My natural queens did better. [ did not lose one out of twenty-four; and they averaged me about thirty pounds each of strained honey, besides about sixty pounds left in every hive to winter on. The best of the artificial swarms did not collect their living, and the whole of their winter stores had to be given them. Out of all the artificial Italian queens, not one was over one-half or two-thirds as large as either of my natural queens. Any artificial queen that I saw immediately after hatching, did not seem to have hardly any vitality on emerging from her cell; although those that were raised the nearest from the egg, and in large colonies, were both larger, and quicker in their motions. The artificial queens that have vitality enough to live, and are well nursed by their bees, grow to be medium-sized queens. My Italians grow lighter in color with age, and the one I raised my queens from is not over half as dark now as she was when I received her in June. My experience in raising queens for the last five years is, that I can raise twenty natural queens, that will be the eqnal of their mother, to one artificial queen from the same mother that will live until she is two months old, and be one-fourth to one-half as prolific as her mother. With the honey harvest as late as it was this year, my young swarms gave me on an average as many pounds of strained honey as my old stocks, that had not swarmed. In introducing queens from hive to hive this summer, I found that by scenting them with anise, in sweetened water, a day or two—both hives—the queens can be changed about with- out the least danger. I introduced nearly twenty queens to strange hives this summer, some fertile and some not impregnated, without losing one; and it was only my Italian that I was breeding from that I took the precaution to cage. By getting both queens of one scent, and shaking the bees on the ground in front of the hive, and placing the introduced queen ona frame of brood in the hive, after the bees have been well fed, seems to be without any danger— although for a valuable queen the caging for twelve hours is the safest. In overlooking my bees I made all the colo- nies average nearly sixty pounds each. In this country they do not gather much honey, if any, from the 1st of September to the middle of July. At least, for four years back they have not done so. My next communication will contain my ex- perience and method of artificial swarming. IT have come to the conclusion, from my sum- mer’s experience, that the Italians are better than the blacks, on all but two points. I do not believe that they will prove any more pro- lific; and they stick too fast to their combs. One thing is sure, your bees must be all one or the other, or the hybrids will soon clear them out. My Italian that I received from Charles Da- dant was a young one, of this year’s raising; consequently, could have been only a few weeks old when received. Asshe was the most unpro- 164 lific queen I have ever had that lived as long as. she has, I think that the chilling she received in her transit from Hamilton, Tls., to Winthrop, had a great deal to do with her extreme unpro- lificness, in the way Mr. Langstroth mentions in hiswork. Her queens—‘“‘ artificial ones ’’—were all duplicates of herself, for size and color. As for fertility, none went into brooding early enough to pass judgment thereon, except that they were not as forward as her natural ones, for long before my natural queens reached the age at which the artificial one commenced lay- ing, they had filled up their hives with brood. The black queen, that I removed from the swarm under the swarming impulse, I introduced to a medium swarm without a queen. I gave them three frames of brood and two of honey, placing the two with honey one at each side of the three with brood, and filling up the sides with five empty frames. Thirteen days after introduction she led out herswarm. So you see that the five weeks’ swarming fever was not to be broken up by the change. I destroyed the queen cells at her introduction, and there was no uncapped brood in the hive at the time. Two days after her introduction I-found her eggs in the cells; and the hive having only three frames for brood and five empty frames, I did not look foraswarm. The swarming was a surprise to me. As one man in the illustrated Bee Journal has gone so far as to inform us that the queen never lays an egg in a queen cell, and that the bees never carry the eggs to them, but that the bees always make a queen cell over worker brood —if he will next spring follow my directions, as given in the July number of the American Bee Journal, and examine the combs three times a day, he will see the queen cells commenced and in all stages, until the eggs are inthem. Then he can watch their development until they are capped ; and he will then see that a swarm un- der the swarming impulse always commence their cells several days before the eggs are in them. Only bees forcibly deprived of their queen, or bees preparing to supersede an old queen, transform worker cells to queen cells. As I have not come before the bee-keeping community with a secret process for raising bet- ter queens than other breeders can, and am not prepared to go into the queen-breeding business this next season, bee-keepers who still think that I may be mistaken in the result of my ex- periments need not take it on faith, but can verify all for themselves, and get queens that are worth several times as much as any forced one they ever raised, and at less expense and with a great deal less trouble. Hoping that some reliable breeder will conclude to fill a de- mand already made for queens by this process, I remain yours, as ever, JOHN M. Price. Buffalo Grove, Iowa. —————_ e+e Never, under any circumstances, take so much comb and brood from your stock hives, as se- riously to reduce their numbers. This should be to the apiarian as ‘‘the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.’”’—Langstroth. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., [For the American Bee Journal.] Supplement to Alley’s Offer. (See Dec. No. page 137.) I will send by mail a choice Italian Queen to each of those persons sending in the fourth, fifth and sixth largest lists of new yearly subscribers to the American Bee Journal. To each of the first twenty persons who for- ward their subscriptions to me, I will send one choice Italian queen for one dollar. . All over twenty and upto one hundred, may each have one queen for two dollars. This offer is limited to new yearly subscribers and February 1, 1870. Two subscribers at six months each, will be reckoned as one yearly subscriber. Here is a chance to get the Journal at cost, and queens at greatly reduced prices. This offer is made to aid the circulation of the American Bee Journal, and not from any lack of customers, as I have never been able to supply the demand, and during the past season could not send one-third of those desired from my apiary. Right here let me say a word on sending queens. Out of over one: hundred sent by mail the past summer, only two or three sent this side of the Mississippi were reported weak on arrival, and none dead. Of five sent to a distant point, in Missouri, one was weak and soon died, and two were dead on arrival. They were over a week on the way. I continued to send by mail until after the middle of October, and the last seemed to go as safely as any. I think, with due care, they may be sent as early and as long as queens can be raised. The feed supplied is only the best of honey in a piece of sponge ; and in cool weather an extra covering is placed on the box. J. L. HuBBarp. Bricksburg, N. J., Dec. 7, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal,] A Puzzle for young Bee-keepers. A honey bee came to visit her humble bee cousin, one morning, as the young bees, just emerged from their cells, were crawling about» rather helplessly. ‘‘Sorry,’’ said the bustling humbler, ‘‘that I can hardly find room for you to get a seat. Have you as large and bustling a family at home ?”’ ‘‘Ha, ha,’’? replied the bee, counting the- wriggling throng, ‘‘let me see, the one-third of our number is just as many thousands as you have individuals here; and the one-fourth of your number is exactly the twelve-thousandth part of ours.’’ Of how many was each family composed ? Fucus. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 165 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, Jan., 1871. gx When this number of the Journal went to press, no account of the National Bee-keepers’ Con- vention, held at Indianapolis, on the 2ist and 22d ult., had reached us. We shall probably receive its proceedings in time for our February issue. Another National Convention of Bee-keepers is called to meet at Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 8th and 9th of February next; and of its transactions, also, we expect to receive an account in due season. We trust that it will be composed mainly of true hearted, intelligent, and experienced apiarians, impressed with the conviction that the prime object of such Con- =ventions is to promote BEE CULTURE, and not to supply themselves from natural sources. foster kingcraft. us Stimulative feeding, for the production of early brood, should not be resorted to by any who have not resolution, energy and perseverance enough ‘to continue the process regularly, till the object aimed at is fully attained, and the bees are able to To stop feeding after much brood has been hatched under stimulation, may easily lead to the destruction of a colony, by the exhaustion of the stores on hand, which, in other cireumstenccs, would have enabled the colony to reach the opening spring in safety. The Foulbrood Cure. We were gratified in receiving from Dr. Abbe the subjoined letter, giving an account of a quite recent experiment for the cure of foulbrood ; also the piece of comb referred to, taken from one of his hives. The comb appears to have been thoroughly cleansed °* by the bees, and prepared for renewed service. We shall carefully preserve it, and after spraying it again in the spring with the solution of chloride of soda, insert it in a healthy hive and report the re- ‘sult.—To cure the disease and save the combs in a ‘safe condition for future use, is the great desidera- tum, and we hope that another season will suffice to demonstrate that this has been attained. New Bepro D, Dec. 14, 1870. Dear Srr:—I send you to-day a piece of comb, with the following history: In looking over my bees for the last time, about the middle of November, I found one sheet ‘of comb badly affected with foul- - E brood, in a hive which I had supposed entirely pure until then. As I was in some hurry, I used the atomizer, with the solution of chloride of soda, with the bees cluster ing on the comb, and as it was rather cool, they did not move out of ‘the way as readily as usual. Ina few days it grew warmer, when I again removed the frame, with the intention of shaking off the bees, to give it a more thorough examination, as I feared that there were some cells containing foul- brood, which had escaped observation in my former haste : but with the first shake the whole comb, which was very heavy, broke from its fastenings. f removed the empty part, intending to put it in a nu- cleus hive next summer, with a fertile queen and pure honey, to test whether foulbrood would re-appear in it; but on the whole have concluded to send it to you. It was nearly filled on both sides with the dis- ease, but I found (as I thought I should) a few cells which I had not medicated, and which now remain as they were at that time—one of them capped and the others with the dead larve dried up. All the rest the bees have thoroughly cleansed, so that not even a suspicion of foulbrood is left behind. A second medication would bave made it perfect. You are perfectly aware of the great reluctance of bees for cleansing cells which are filled with this ds- ease; but after spraying the comb with the soda, they have no hesitation in making a thorough house- cleaning. I have stored my sixteen swarms in my Novice bee-house, which, by the way, works like a charm; and althongh six of them have been diseased, some of them badly, I think that no person can find atrace of the disease left ; all the combs being as clean as the clean part of the specimen I send you. Whether or no the disease is locked up in the capped honey cells, to re-appear in the spring, time alone will show. If this disease, which has raged with me, is a mild form of foulbrood, I pity those who have it more malignantly. Yours, very truly, E. P. ABBE. Many practical bee-keepers are of opinion that pol- len is not indispensably necessary for bees durinz the winter, and experiments have shown that all the essential operations of a colony may proceed from October to May, or fully six months, though the hive contains not a particle of pollen. It seems certain, nevertheless, that ordinarily bees do consume pollen during all the winter months, except, perhaps, in November; at least Dr. Dénhoff, examining the in- testines of bees, found traces of pollen therein at all times, except in that month. He communicated this fact to Prof. Leuckart, who confirmed it by kis own independent observations, but shortly after discovered that the mucous tissue, lining the intestines, under- goes decomposition and renewal annually—the slough- ing off, or moulting, as it might be called, commenc- ing at the end of October and terminating about the beginning of December ; thus coinciding in the main with the period in which Dr. Donhoff could detect no evidence of pollen in the intestines. Herce the pre- sumed non-consumption of pollen in the interval may have some connection with the abnormal condition of the insect at that time. It is somewhat surprising that professed entomolo- gists, who can tell us preciscly how many joints there are in the antenne of queens, drones and workers, and describe minutely how the nervures of their wings are arranged, and how the various sub-divis- ions are named, have so imperfect a knowledge of the natural history and habits of these familiar in- sects, which they have almost daily opportunities for studying. Thus, in one of the latest and most elabo- rate treatises on BRITISH BEES, speaking of the queen of the honey bee, the author tells us—‘‘ the number of eggs she will lay in a day is about two hundred.”’ Agziu, referring to the queen’s ovipositor, he says— 166 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JAN., a nn enna eee ‘it is possibly, from some taction of this instrument, that she discerns the sizes of the eggs, and thence their respective sex.”? And, finally, ‘she lays about ten or twelve thousand eggs in six weeks, depending much on the propitiousness of the season” ; his estimate of the extent of her faculty in this line being based on what she produces in April or May, “as it slumbers during the summer heat, and revives again in autumn, but totally terminates with the first cold weather.” So much for studying a subject with the aid of musty old volumes alone, instead of resorting to a movable comb-hive for instruction, and using one’s eyes dili- gently, even at the hazard of a few stings. During the solar eclipse, July 18th, 1860, Miller, a German botanist, observed issuing from the leaves of the Norway maple (Acer platanoides) a fine spray, consisting of minute vaporous saccharine particles. Next morning innumerable aphides appeared, imbib- ing the excreted sugar—clearly showing that they were not the cause of the saccharine suffusion, as is commonly supposed. No more satisfactory explana- tion of this phenomenon has yet been proposed, than that the sugar in the sap of the tree is produced too rapidly and too plentifully, by the conversion of starch, to be duly appropriated by the absorbent ves- sels of the cellular tissue, and is then excreted through the minute pores of the leaves. Whether this accounts for “‘the milk in the cocoanut’? we shall leave for those to decide who are skilled in vege- table physiclogy. ——_——__>——<__o—___—_—_———_- CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL SPRINGFIELD, Ills., Nov. 17, 1870.—L became in- terested in the bee question about the Ist of July last, and immediately subscribed for the American Bee Journal, since which time every article has been . carefully perused, and most of them re-perused. En- closed please find two dollars, for which send me Volume V. of the Journal. It seems long to wait from one month to another for the welcome numbers to arrive, so the only alternative seems to be, to take the ** back track,” and ‘‘ read up” the back volumes. I obtained five small, late swarms, during the very dry season, and as Langstroth says, “to build up small colonies by feeding requires more care and judgment than any other process in bee-culture,”’ and being entirely ignorant of the manner in which the judgment should be used, I concluded to let all but one ‘‘build up themselves.”? The result was, they neither made honey nor comb, and literally starved to death, and ‘“‘ went the way of all the earth.” To the fifth I fed syrup of sugar, and thrived pretty well, and is now my only swarm. But J] am not weary in well-doing ; have engaged some more swarms for the coming year, and hope, with the experience of the past season, ana the information gathered from the pens of Langstroth, Quinby, Novice, Gallup, Alley, and the many other practical and interesting writers of our Bee Journal, to succeed better in future. I was very much interested in reading Dr. Abbe’s article on foulbrood. I have never seen a case of it, and hope sincerely I never shall; but believing it to be caused by parasites, or living germs, and having had an extensive experience with sulphite and hypo- sulphite of soda in the destruction of germinal and parasitical life, it struck me verv forcibly that the doctor had made a “‘happy discovery,” and that we should now say to foutbrood, that ‘* fell destroyer”’ of the bee family, ‘* thus far and no further.”’—H. O.- BOLLEs. BiLoomrFienp, Canada, Nov. 17.—No intelligent apiarian should think of doing without the American Bee Journal—Bees did very well in this section. We have about sixty stocks, all more or less crossed with the Italian. They are very heavy. The brood combs are nearly all full of honey, and capped over.—S. J. - BOWERMAN. WAVERLY, Iowa, Nov. 23.—Send along the Ameri- can Bee Journal. Those who keep bees, and don’t take the Journal and pay for it in advance, deserve to have all drone-laying queens next summer. The first frost we had was on the morning of October 13, and the first flake of snow November 13. When strange bees get into a hive to rob it, do they first at- tempt to kill its queen, or do they go for the honey ? I received ten queens from Adam Grimm, and intro- duced them for my friends, except one, which I put into a nucleus, and the robbers pitched in, and before I knew of it had taken allits stores. I set them inmy dark bee-house, but they all got out through a crevice and left, and I found no more gucen.—H. K. Swert. DayTon, Ohio, Nov. 23.—Bees in this vicinity did but poorly the past season. Cause—a late and cold spring, with a very dry summer and fall.—E. D. PAYNE. BUSHKILL, Pa., Nov. 25.—I have over one hundred colonies of bees, and should like to raise something that will produce bee-pasturage in the interval be- tween the white clover and buckwheat. I would like very much to try the partridge pea, spoken of in the November Journal.—W. SCHOONOVER. Newsury, Iowa, Nov. 25.—The past season has been rather a good one, in our locality, for bees, al- though mine did not store very much surplus honey. They swarmed rather too much. I had twenty colo- nies in the spring, and they cast off thirty-eight swarms,.all of which are strong enough and rich enough in stores to winter well—except only three. Please send along the Bee Journal, for 1 cannot afford to do without it.—A. SNYDER. GEBHARTSBURG, Pa., Nov. 26.—Bees in this section have most generally proved successful this season. ‘Those that were managed on improved principles have demonstrated that bee-keeping pays for proper attention. The bees that were left to themselves (and, I am sorry to say, the greater part are so left), did as well as could possibly be expected, considering the condition they were in in the spring. My bees have done far better than I expected, yet I cannot crack up with as big figures as some of my friends in the Journal. I would say, however, that I am satisfied with the result, and with the help of the Journal, and continued good health, I will endeavor to improve every opportunity that may offer.—W. BAKER. WHITNEY’s Point, N. Y., Nov. 28.—Bees have done very well here. The weather was warm and pleasant here yesterday and to-day, ard bees are having a good time, flying.—F. M. DICKINSON. AtTcuison, Kansas, Nov. 29.—The past season was not good for bees here; but we made enough honey to satisfy ourselves that without a honey-slinger it 1871.) é would have been poorer still. We only find trouble to decide on the hive which is best adapted to the slinger.—J. BELz. Batavia, Ills., Dec. 9.—I received two Journals _this week, and concluded No. 2 was sent expressly 'to haye me get you a new subscriber. So I went di- ‘rectly into the street, and did not return till I had secured two subscribers. Now, Mr. Editor, if each one of your patrons will do the same, you will have a ' good addition to the number of subscribers for your valuable paper. The American Bee Journal is a paper which all bee-keepers should haye, and a little - exertion by each one of its patrons will give it a good I like Mr. Alley’s movement, and will do all I can for the Journal. I should be glad to have it come twice a month. My bees are all quiet in their winter quarters, with plenty of stores to carry them through the winter. It has been a poor season for bees in this section, because of the dry weather; but I am glad to see my brother bee-keepers prosper- circulation. ing in other sections.—W. J. FRAZIER. NORTHFIELD, N. H., Dee. 9.—I am much pleased with the American Bee Journal; think it a very de- sirable publication, and hope will soon be able to send it out oftener than you are now able to do.—A., P. CATE. SmitTH’s Miis, Pa., Dec. 10.—Bee-culture in this section of the country is very much behind the age; still there are many persons who are using the mova- ble-comb hive. Bees did well this summer, more particularly in casting swarms. They worked very late in the season. On the 3d of November they were ‘very busy in carrying in pollen, although we had a ‘number of frosts. Tess, all through October. —_—_—- ee ee. ee eee They built comb and stored honey the last week in September, and worked, more or With this you will find a specimen of the flower on which they worked strong. [It is the New England Aster, or Aster ericoides, L.] -Bome one, at one of the Bee-keepers’ Conventions, said that the bees will collect honey from the Spanish Needles. The weed is quite a pest in this section, and during the summer I made it my business to watch for bees on it, but never found one. Ido not think they will touch it.—J. 8. McKIERNAN. Nounpa Sration, N. Y., Dec. 12.—I do not know howl could get along without the Journal. My bees have done exceedingly well the past season. I com- menced in the spring with nine colonies, and have increased them to seventeen, and have taken over seven hundred (700) pounds of surplus honey from. them. One new stock filled one of H. Alley’s Lang- stroth or Bay State hives, and made over seventy pounds of box honey. Wishing success to the Ame- rican Bee Journal, I close.—J. A. THOMPSON. East SaGinaw, Mich., Dec. 12.—Allow me to ac- knowledge, in few words, the fairness, honesty and promptitude of Mr. Adam Grimm, of Wisconsin, and | the purity of his Italian bees.—J. Carr. Newton, Iowa, Dec. 13.— Our bees are out of doors yet, the fall weather has been so fine. Jn some lo- calities in our county bees did weil last season, but in others rather poorly. Some old bee-keepers say they \Deyer knew so poor a season. Very few natural Swarms issued—probably not more than one to a hundred hives. Those bee-keepers who did not un- derstand dividing lost by getting no increase. Colo- nies that were divided early did very well. All hives »were full of honey last spring, and with all the in- ‘crease uf swarms, there is probably not as much honey “now in the county as there was on the 1st of April last. The season of 1869 was exceedingly wet, and THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 167 that of 1870 extremely dry. We are all hopeful for the season of 1871. I wintered thirty colonies last winter, one-half of them in my cellar and the other half in asmall room up stairs. All came out in good order, nearly as heavy in the spring as when put away, and, I think, with many more bees. I divided one hive May 15th, and three times more during the season, and also divided the first three swarms—thus making eight from one, and all as strong as any of those that were divided only once. Was the queen the sole cause, or why so much difference from other hives, apparently as strong both in bees and stores ? Our State Convention meets at Des Moines next Thursday, 15th inst. You will, no doubt, be favored with what the combined wisdom of Iowa apicultu- rists shall devise. I trust that our experienced ones will so ventilate the subject that an increased impetus will be given to the science in our young State, and of course the American Bee Journal get an increased number of subscribers. Please tell us, or ask Novice, or some one else who knows, where we can get the best jars for honey, and the price of pints, quarts, ete.—C. J. HOUSEL. MountTsoy, Pa., Dec. 13.—I enclose two dollars for the American Bee Journal, which I think is not fool- ing the money away for nothing. The Journal igs worth twice its cost. Bees did poorly here last sea- son. The white clover had very little honey, and the grasshoppers destroyed the sccond crop of red clover. It was all grasshoppers in the field but a little, and that was grasshoppers. I have forty-two colonies, which have all enough to carry them through the winter, except a few, to which I will give honey in combs. Long may live the editor, to publish the American Bee Journal.—J. F. Hersuey. VERMONTVILLE, Mich., Dec. 14.—I first became in- terested in bee-keeping by reading the article of Mrs. Tupper, on that subject, published in the Report of the Department of Agriculture, in 1865. Last spring I commenced in a small way, but having no practical knowledge, and but imperfectly understanding the written theory, as might be expected, ‘‘ made a bad botch of it.” Yet, as I never succeeded in anything at the first attempt, I am not discouraged, and, like Mordecai at the King’s gate, am determined to “ bold on’? and persevere. I have read the Bee Journal at- tentively the last year, and like it. Enclosed find four dollars, for which please send Journal the next year to myself and my friend. I double the subscrip- tion list in this place, as you see, which in multipli- cation of stocks, is by best authorities considered a safe rule for beginners. I suppose that, with your longer experience, you could perhaps manage a larger increase successfully, but for this year must be be content with ‘‘ making haste slowly.”—H. J. MARTIN. [ We should be perfectly content with a like rate of annual increase all through the mail book.—Ep. ] ATHENS, Ohio, Dec. 19 —The past season was a most remarkable one. Scarcely any rain fell from May to December, yet the honey crop was most splendid in quality—almost able to stand alone when raken upon the knife. The months of May, June and July were unusually warm, with an unusually humid atmosphere, which must account, I think, for the remarkable secretion of so much fine honey. The year 1869, though hot and dry, with an entirely dif- ferent atmosphere, produced honey that appeared de- termined to escape the jaws of death, by escaping from the combs, runnins out of sight—so much so that I had great difficulty in getting it to market. Verily, is there not much yet to be learned on this subject 7—J. W. BAYARD. 168 THE AMERICAN [For the American Bee Journal. ] To guard against Swarms leaving for the Woods, Mr. Errtror :—I will give your readers a little sketch of the main cause of bees leaving for the woods in swarming time, Tcan say I have lost only one swarm of bees in more than twenty-five years, and can give the reason for that. I was absent, shearing sheep, a few years ago, and left some of the little folks to watch my bees; but they did not watch close enough to see them come out and settle. So when the swarm was ready to seek a new home, it came oe by where I was at work, and that was the last I saw of it. They were gone, like the fellow’s sheep ; and sure enough when I returned to my apiary, I found it was my swarm that had left. I saw afew bees still fly- ing about a limb, and when I went there to ex- amine, I found little particles of wax stuck all along the limb where the bees had clustered. In another case I know of, the hive was rather small and the covering got knocked off on a very hot day. The bees became so heated in the hive that they left for the woods. They had been only about ten days in the hive, which was mostly filled with combs and honey; yet almost every bee left. The cause of their leaving thus, is that when swarming in hot weather, and hin ved, the hive is left standing 4 in the sun without shelter, and the hive gets so ‘heated that the bees are almost suf- focated, which compels them to come out and seek for some cooler place. When hiving a swarm, as soon as nearly all the bees are in, especially the young ones, though there should be some hundreds of the older ones still flying, I pick up the hive and carry it to the place in my stand where I intend it to remain for the season, cover it well, and set up a board or other screen on the west side to shelter it from the hot evening sun; that is, if I have no shed to set it in. I know of lots of swarms that went to the woods in this section, just from being unprotected from the hot sun after hiving. I sold a man, living about a mile from here, a colony of Italia 1S, two years ago, and he came running to me to say that one of his neighbors told him that the Italian swarms would all go to the woods, and he was afraid it was too true. I asked him where he set them when he put them in a hive, and he said, ‘‘ Just where they lit on the tree.’’ ‘‘ Did you cover them to keep the hot sun off??? ‘*No,’’ replied he, ‘‘I did not know that that would hurt them ;’ though the weather was almost hot enough then to cook them. He sold ont to another man this summer, whose first swarm served him the same way. He came running to inquire what was the cause of his bees leaving him, and said one of his neighbors told him they had left the year before in the same way. I asked him if he didn’t leave them setting in the hot sun ; and he replied that he did. Another colony that I sold to another man, left in the same manner, and from the same cause. A man living about five miles from here lost BEE JOURNAL, [JAN., seven or eight swarms this summer, under like circumstances; but not one swarm out of a hundred will desert, if properly attended to in due time. I use no looking-glass, or old bells, or anything of the kind, when hiving swarms, but only give them a good clear hive, and a good roof over them to keep off the rain and the hot sun, thus making them comfortable in their new home. . There is much superstition among bee-keepers in some districts. ‘They have singular notions of witchcraft, and queer ideas of luck, such as selling or buying a man’s luck. So, too, it is be- lieved by many that if the head of a family dies, the bees will die too. In this there is just so much truth that the head of the family is generally the bee-keeper, by whose care and attention the bees were kept ina thriving condition ; and when he dies, the rising generation don’t attend to them, and the result is the bees die, and the story stands afresh—‘‘there’s no luck for bees when the father dies !’’ All this notion of selling luck is a mere hum- bug. Iwillanddo sell bees whenever I can make something out of them, or get for them nearly what they are worth. Bad luck arises only from no management or mismanagement. Good man- agement always makes good luck, for the Higher Power has promised to give seed time and harvest to the end, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ALFRED CHAPMAN, New Cumberland, West Va., Nov. 28, 1870. -f2°p> [For the American Bee Journal.] Balm usel for Alighting Bees. An Inquiry. Mr. Eprror:—Over forty years ago, my father, in Canada, kept a few bees for a term of years. Whenthey swarmed, we were accus- tomed to pick a sprig. of balm, and go as near as convenient to the main body of the bees and se- lect a limb of a fruit tree convenient to hive them from, and with one hand rub on the balm ; and if the bees alighted near the place, it was always on the very ‘limb and place thus rubbed. The balm was called Low Balm or Bee Balm. It was perennial, and always large enough for use at swarming time. If any one has knowiedge of the kind, and of its use as above, I shall be happy to be informed. I have not found the right kind here. Inthe Journal for December, Vol. VI, page 120, there is a notice of balm (Melissa officinalis,) as having an agreeable smell for the bees. Perhaps that is the kind. Who will tell, and also where it is to be had? ; ALONZO BARNARD. Bangor, Me., Dec., 1870. [For the American Bee Journal,] Mr. Epiror :—As several parties are inquir- ing if there is a Bee-keeper’s Association in On- tario, I would answer through the Journal, ‘There is, and it meets annually at the time and place of the Provincial Fair. Next year it will meet at Kingston, Ontario. President, Rev. W. T. Clark, Guelph; Vice President, J. H. Thomas, Brooklin ; Secretary, As oGe Atwood, Vanneck.”’ J. HO AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. _ _ EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. ‘\ Vor. VI. FEBRUARY, 1871. No. &., | [From the Prairie Farmer.] North American Bee-keepers’ Association. ' Feb. 10th, 1870, Prof. A. J. Cook, Secretary of the Michigan Bee-keepers’ Association, issued a circular, which he mailed to the members of that Association, to the prominent bee-keepers of other States and to the press, inviting everybody interested to meet at Lansing, Michigan, on the 2ist of March, for the purpose of discussing special questions on the subject of Bee Culture, prominent among which would be the holding of a National Bee-keepers’ Convention, at some central point during the year. On the day announced, the Convention was held at Lansing, and the question of holding a National Conven- tion was discussed with the wildest enthusiasm. As was anticipated, the discussion resulted ina call to the bee-keepers of America for a National: “Convention, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The location was happily chosen, and has given very general satisfaction, it being centrally located, and readily accessible by a complete net-work of railroads. Accordingly, on the 21st of December (the day finally fixed upon,) a large number of the most prominent and enterprising of bee-keepers of the United States and Canada, met in convention at the House of Representatives, in Indianapolis, and held six sessions, the last one ending at mid- night on the 22d of December. Every seat in the house was occupied ; the States represented being Indiana, Tlinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wis- consin, Kentucky, Iowa, New York, Tennessee, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.. Delegates were also present from Utah and Canada. On the whole, it is safe to assume that never in the his- tory of America has bee culture been represented in a convention by so large an assemblage of ‘wide-awake, intelligent, and enterprising bee- keepers. OUTLINES OF THE PROCEEDINGS. _ The Convention was called to order at 10 O'clock by A. F. Moon, President of the Michi- gan Bee-keepers’ Association, who was elected ‘temporary President, and M. M. Baldridge, of Illinois, temporary Secretary. On motion of Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, a com- s ‘mittee of one member from each State repre- sented, was appointed to prepare a Constitution and to nominate officers, viz. : Z. S. Richardson, of Indiana; Ezra Rood, of Michigan; D. L. Adair, of Kentucky ; M. L. Dunlap, of Dlinois ; Aaron Benedict, of Ohio; Adam Grimm, of Wisconsin ; Elisha Gallup, of Iowa; Dr. T. B. Hamlin, of Tennessee ; Robert Bickford, of New York; W. D. Roberts, of Utah Territory ; Daniel Mcllvain, of Pennsylvania ; J. L. Smith, of Missouri, and Wm. F. Clark, of Canada. On motion of Dr. Hamlin, a committee of three was appointed to prepare subjects for dis- cussion, viz.: Wm. T. Gibson, of Indiana; Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, and Henry Nesbit, of Ken- tucky. Pending the action of the above committees, the President addressed the Convention in regard to the objects of the same, and briefly touched upon several points respecting the management of the honey bee. > One spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a hundred barrels of vinegar. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [FEs., [For the American Bee Journal.] The Thomas Hive. Mr. Eprror :—I notice in the November num- ber of the Bee Journal, ‘‘some few errors’’ cor- rected with regard to the Thomas hive, by Mr. Cork, of Bloomfield, Ontario. Mr. C. speaks for Canada, and consequently when he and several other ‘‘intelligent and scientific bee-keepers’’ have put their veto on the Thomas hive, it is time that those who make bee-keeping ‘‘a business’? should adopt some other form of hive, that would be better adapted for the production of surplus honey and early swarming. The question then arises, what hive will we use.? The Langstroth or something ‘similar in shape,’’ Alley’s new style, or will we choose from the numberless others that are and have been recommended by the bee-keepers and vendors of hives in America? And, after all, will we get any more surplus honey, which is, or ought to be the great object of keeping bees? Mr. C. seems to think that his shallow hives have produced more surplus honey and earlier swarms, than the Thomashive. At least thus I read his article; and as he compares the result of his own hives with those of his neighbors, of course he decides the hive question in Canada. Still, I doubt if there are not more Thomas hives in use, in Canada, than of any other kind of movable comb hive. I have used the Thomas hive five seasons, and think, from the account Mr. C. has given of this season’s operations, that mine would compare favorably with his. The locality ought to be taken in consideration, with regard to the time of swarming, and thinks that in the vicinity of Ontawa, they should not swarm so early as at Bloomfield, Ontario, some ninety miles further south. The time that I remove my bees from winter quarters, is generally about the 25th of April ; and even then I have seen a foot of snow on the ground. This year [removed them about the 20th of April, the season being earlier than usual. I wintered fifty-seven stocks—fifty good ones, and seven poor or weak. The seven weak stocks gave no increase in swarms and very little surplus honey. About one half of the fifty-seven stocks were either Italiansorhybrids, Thefifty-seven stocks increased to ninety-six, and gave twenty-five hun- dred and seventy (2570) pounds of surplus honey. Two thousand and seventy in boxes, and five hundred pounds of machine honey. My first swarm of the season came off June Ist, and stored 59 pounds of honey in boxes: the second swarm came on the 2d of June, and stored 61 pounds in boxes, the third swarm, on the 3d of June, stored 48 pounds, and. cast a swarm, which prevented it from storing any: more surplus honey. One hive that did not swarm, gave 82 pounds in boxes, and another 78 pounds. I had at least twelve swarms pre- vious to the 13th of June. The swarms that came off before the 20th of June averaged about 40 pounds each, some of them giving 50 pounds. The honey season closed here about the 15th of July, and some of the swarms that came off after the 20th of June scarcely stored enough honey to winter. I only divided three swarms ; they did as well as others that swarmed about the same time. Had I been able to attend to them, I might have increased the amount of surplus honey. I was away nearly a fortnight during the best of the honey season, leaving others to attend to the hiving of the bees and nothing more. Seven of my first swarms left for the woods, three of those on the 5th of June, there being eight swarms that day. Now, I ask the readers of the Journal, and also Mr. C., considering the latitude, did not my bees in the Thomas hive do as well as Mr. C.’s did in the shallow hive, or in Alley’s new style of Langstroth hive? Why should mine swarm on the first of June, and almost each succeeding day, in a colder climate, and Mr. C. having the early swarming shallow hive, and yet has not a swarm until the 13th of June? We will allow that his. bees were wintered well, as I claim mine were; then the cause must be that the shallow hive does not retain sufficient heat for early breeding. Mr. C.’s neighbor found this ‘fa very bad sea- son,”’ although living only five miles distant from him. My neighbor also found this a very bad season, living only one mile distant, and he had two Thomas hives. I was informed that his bees were not storing any surplus honey, and upon examination, I found one with the honey box wrong side up ; while the other had no honey box on, and the bees had taken possession of the cover of the hive. Ihave to inform Mr. C. that Mr. W. P. Taylor, of Fitzroy Harbor, ‘‘ who was formerly an agent,”’ is stillan agent forthe Thomas hive. Although the shallow Langstroth hive may be ‘‘just the thing,’’ still I think I have wintered mine as well, have had as early swarms, and have got as much, if not more, surplus honey, than those who are using the shallow hive in this vicinity. As I not do not make a ‘‘ business’’ of bee- keeping, of course I may use the Thomas hive ; which I intend doing just so long as it pays as well as this season; and until I find a hive that has more good qualities and fewer faults. I generally winter my bees ina cellar. I put in 61 stocks last fall. One died, which I think was queenless ; one was queenless in the spring ; and two weak swarms died in the spring for want of honey. About 40 of them were taken out with only a sprinkling of dead bees on the bot- tom board. Some of the others had a pint, and some a quart, of dead bees. My best Italian hive had about two quarts of dead bees; of course, I thought if it swarmed this season it would be late, and was surprised when a Swarm issued on the 2d of June, which gave the 61 lbs. of honey in boxes. The hive itself gave 35 lbs, of honey in boxes and 15 lbs. of machine honey. This hive, had a young queen and was protec- ted from cold winds in the spring. I do not mind a few dead bees in the hive. Old bees must die, My hives were generally free from mould; a few were quite damp; although when put in all were ventilated alike. I believe that hives ought 1871.) to be ventilated to suit the strength of the stock ; and the Italians require more upward ventilation then the black bees, or require to be kept in a cooler place. I find them easily disturbed, and they generally have wore dead bees in the hive in the spring. I have had two stocks ventilated alike, and standing alongside of one another. In the spring, one would be perfectly dry, have no mould, nor scarcely any dead bees} while the other would be damp and mouldy, and have a great number of dead bees. Mr. T. Smith, of Pelee Island, Ontario, seems to have been quite disappoined with the results of his experiments in wintering bees in the Thomas and the Langstroth hives. I have seen results quite as different, with a neighbor of mine, when he wintered eight colonies in the Thomas hive, and lost six in the Langstroth hive, only wintering one in a two-story Langstroth observ- ing hive. In this case I believe the cause of the bees dying in the Langstroth hive was, that their stores got frozen, the temperature not being so high in the shallow hive as in the tall one. Per- haps Mr. Smith’s stock, that wintered so well in the Thomas hive, had an old queen. If so, I would prefer a hive with two quarts of dead bees in the spring, provided it contained a young queen, and that the stocks were equal in strength in the fall» Will any of the readers of the Journal state what kind of jar or bottle is best for putting up machine honey for market, and where they can be got? I think it would be better to put it up in glass, so that the color of honey may be seen. JoHN McLatTcuie. New Hdinburgh, Ontario, Nov. 24, 1870. ers [For the American Bee Journal.] No Bees in Colorado. Mr. Epitror :—A correspondent of the Journal inquires about the adaptation of Colorado for “‘hees and bee culture.’? We would give our opinion from several years’ residence in that ter- ritory. We do not remember seeing a single bee there of any kind; in fact, we believe insects are rather scarce there, with the exception of grass- hoppers and greybacks. The honey bee, we believe, has never been found, in a wild state, west of the Plains, which -used to be called the Great American Desert ; but since Horace Greeley passed over it, and commenced his essays on farming, grass has grown to a considerable extent. It is hard to say whether it was the philosopher or the essays that produced the change. Some advocate the theory that the smoke of the steam engines and the railroad conducting electricity along the track have been the cause of producing frequent showers, and changed the great arid desert into a pastoral region. One thing is certain, the Great American Desert is now being written out of ex- istence. But as to bees, we do not believe they have yet been tried in California ; at least we are not aware of the fact, if they have. We do not believe, however, that bees would begin to live there THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 183. unless they could be learnt to chew gum. We do not remembei having seen a single melliferous plant there that bees frequent in this section of the country—no basswood, no suniae, no nothing, except cactus, save, and the different species of pine, which is the only tree that prevails to any extent in that territory. There is one thing that bees could be well supplied with there: that is propolis. They could pitch their hives with it Within and witbout. In Kansas our main dependence for honey is, first, fruit blossoms, including apple, peach, crab- apple, plum, raspberries, blackberries, straw- berries, etc. ; then basswood, sumac, buckwheat, and heartsease. Without the basswood and su- mac bee-keeping would bea sorry business here. Of the latter there are two kinds here: the one blossoming about the middle of June, and the other the latter part of July. The basswood comes in between, and the three make a rich supply of honey for nearly forty days—each kind of sumac being nearly equally as rich as the basswood. Now, bees would not begin to live here without these plants, and none of them abound in Colorado to any considerable extent. I have been informed by a person who tried bee- keeping three or four miles from the timber in Kansas that he failed entirely, the bees starving to death in summer. : ; As to the climate of Colorado our friend must have been slightly misinformed. We wintered on the Arkansas River, at the foot of the moun- tains, in about as favorable a location as could be found, being protected on the west and the north by high ranges of mountains. We had no thermometer; but we know that it froze ice to the thickness of five or six inches, which, of course, would indicate a temperature consider- ably below 380°. But, as to summer, you can easily find a place where you will not suffer with the heat. We spent part of July and August at a place in the mountains, west of the South Park, where it would freeze ice about a fourth of an inch thick every night, and large snow banks were only a few rods distant during the whole time. We think that bees would not do well so high up as that, the air being so light that when the bee would get his load of gum, he would inevita- bly fall to the ground. Finally, we give it as our opinion that Colorado will never be a good coun- try for the honey-bee on account of the aridity of the climate. Although some honey-producing plants might be grown there, we think they would fail to produce the desired sweetness for the reason above mentioned. N. CAMERON. Lawrence, Kansas, Jan., 1871. Perea No study like natural history, pursued in an humble and docile spirit, so harmoniously elicits the -religion of the soul, or so fitly prepares it to enter, by the pathway of the works of God, the august temple of His revealed Word.—SuHuck- ARD. Bees extract sweets from the most poisonous plants. 184 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [FEs., [For the American Bee Journal.] “Systematic Plagiarism.” Mr. Eprror :—I wish to call attention to an article by B. Puckett on page 260 of the Bee Journal for June last. He says ‘‘ Mitchell acknowledges that he has not confined his work altogether to his own views, but has drawn from the Mysteries of Bee- keeping, by Quinby, Text Book by King & Co., and K. P. Kidder’s work. Now, if Mr. Mitchell is familiar with the rise and progress of bee- keeping in this country, he knows very well that the works he mentions have drawn more or less from Mr. Langstroth, and that without giving Mr. Langstroth credit.”? Quinby, King, and Kidder. These are accused of having drawn from Mr. Langstroth without credit. This I deny with reference to Quinby, and demand the proof. Will he please to produce a single line so pur- loined? Nowif Mr. B. Puckett was as ‘‘ familiar with the rise and progress of bee-keeping in this country” as he ought to be, before making these sweeping assertions, he would ‘‘ know very well’’ that Mr. Quinby was ‘‘pioneer’”’ in this matter, that he had kept bees long before Mr. Lang- stroth, had given the benefit of his experience through the press, had written a book, published in 18538, simultaneously with Mr. Langstroth’s work—both works going through the press at one time. Of course it was simply impossible for one to plagiarize from the other. The almost perfect harmony running through all the natural history of the bee no doubt gave rise to the idea of stealing to those not posted. Mr. Langstroth deemed it best to revise his work before Mr. Quinby did his; and to show that he did not consider Quinby the plagiarist here represented, see his own words: ‘*I shall here quote from one of the most common-sense works on practi- cal bee-keeping which has ever been written ir our language, and which I would strongly re- commend every bee-keeper to purchase. I refer to the Mysteries, etc., by Mr. Quinby. This treatise bears marks, on almost every page, of being the work of an accurate, experienced, and thoroughly honest observer.’’—L. L. Langstroth, author of ‘‘The Hive and Honey Bee.’”’ As well might Langstroth be accused of plagiarizing from Quinby as Quinby from Langstroth. Does Mr. Puckett comprehend that he can commit an act of as great injustice by taking from one to whom it belongs and giving to another, or even withholding merit from where it is due, as to,copy without credit? I can say with Mr. Puckett that ‘TI do like fairness aud honesty in everything,’’ and for that reason would take. off about half of the following: ‘‘ Everybody knows that Mr. Lang- stroth is the great pioneer and inventor and first introducer in this country of the movable comb system, which has so entirely revolutionized bee- keeping.”’ Now I would concede the ‘great pioneer,’’ the ‘‘first introducer,’’—not the in- ventor* of the movable comb system,—and ‘say half the credit of the revolution.* I do not de- sire to take from Mr. Langstroth one particle of deserved merit claimed by him. If I had not been accused of this despicable meanness, this would have passed unnoticed. Mr. Langstroth claims an improvement in movable combs—not the principle—for which he obtained a patent. If some one else improves auother point, I fail to see the injustice of his obtaining a patent as well as Mr. Langstroth. If Mr. Langstroth knowingly, or others for him, claims by his patent more than he can justly hold,* and bee-keepers are deceived to their harm thereby, are they not guilty of injustice ? I wish we could all avoid falling into the very error that we would criticise. Ihave tried and often failed. We must learn to graduate our praise in propor- tion asitis merited. The one talent should not be monopolized by the one ten possessing. All or none is a talse motto. To criticise justly requires very nice discrimination ; and when justice re- quires that we should take that which is coveted by a friend and bestow it on one for whom we feel indifference, it requires a quality which few possess. M. Qurinsy. St. Johnsville, N. Y. [* We read these expressions with perfect Stngehient” Tn fact Mr. Quinby’s position, as regards Mr. Langstroth and his hive, has long been to us one of the ‘‘ mysteries’’ not explained ;” and by these expressions, at this late day, we feel ourselyes more mystified than ov on —Ep.] ers [Fer the American Bee Journal.] The Queen Nursery, Mr. Eprtor:— Allow me to say that Mr. Nesbit made a sad mistake in taking out two frames instead of one; and then, too, something must depend on the form of the hive. His cages, also, were made wrong. My old friend, Well- huysen used a hollow milkweed stem, with a small slot cut out of one side, about one-eighth inch wide, and from one to two inches long. One end was plugged up with a plug sharpened at the outer end; the other end was. fastened with a common stopper. The sharpened end > would be inserted in the brood comb. The un- hatched cells were placed in these cages, also the unimpregnated queens; they were kept there until wanted for use. I was once at his place when he had fifty queens and cells in two hives ; and his theory was that, providing there was abundance of young nursing bees and the work- ers were gathering honey, the queens would in- variably be fed by the nursing bees; or, if the stocks were fed abundantly with the right kind of food, the queens would be taken care of. In that respect I have found him correct. I have had sixteen queens hatch naturally, all at liberty, and all kept five days in the same hive, while the above conditions were complied with. On the fifth day I separated them. How much longer they would have been kept I cannot say; but if forage was scarce, all supernumerary queens: would be destroyed, and usually before they were hatched. I am aware that many will fail with the Nursery; butI certainly had the best of success. Even for experiment, I took two queen cells that were not sealed over and the larvee were not ma- 1871.) THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 185 ture, yet both hatched out perfect queens. Many wiil place the food for the young queens, so that they will besmear themselves with honey, which is sure death for them. Many, too, will handle the cells so as to destroy the sealed queen therein; but that is not my fault. I do not in- tend to take out a patent on the hollow reed or milkweed. Soif any one shall see fit to experi- ment with it, I certainly have no objections. If Mr. Wellhuysen and myself succeeded with it, ‘] do not see why others cannot do the same, with the requisite knowledge for success. In the ‘hollow milkweed we placed the honey at the lower end. The queen in that case never be- “smeared herself, as the slot or ventilation was above the food. Now it appears to me that any one ought to succeed with a patented Queen “Nursery, if myself and friend could succeed with a common unpatented milkweed. I have just returned from the National Convention at In- dianapolis, and heard several bee-keepers say that they had tried the Nursery, and in their opinion it was one of the greatest inventions of the age. But they did not say who gave the Doctor the information that enabled him to get up the invention ; neither did I. ELIsHA GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa, Dec. 30, 1870. ers [For the American Bee Journal.] Winter Management. Mr. Eprror :—Much has already been said on the winter management of bees, yet, I think, bee-keepers are apt to forget that to have their bees come out strong and healthy in the spring, and be in a proper condition to swarm early and ‘store surplus honey, they. should be protected in some way from the weather, from December to April. Now I cannot fully agree with Brother Bick- ford, in the November number, page 107, where he says that ‘‘bees must be put where the sun can warm them up occasionally,’’ except when you wish them to fly and discharge their faces, then give them the benefit of the sun, when the tem- ‘perature is 47° or higher, in the shade. My ex- perience is that, if you want your bees to con- sume double the quantity of stores they need ; if you want to run the risk of their having the dysentery and feel the sudden changes, give them the full benefit of the sun every warm day, and you will be pretty sure to bring about those results. The important point of successful win- tering is not so much the state of the tempera- ture,—that is, if it does not go above 35°, —as it is to have the temperature even ; and with the mercury at from zero to 10° above in the night, and a warm sun on the hive in the daytime, it is impossible to winter successfully. I have experimented on those points and found that when my bees do not get a ray of sun from the first of January to the last of March, they come out best and consume only a small quantity of stores, and are the first to swarm in the spring. . Last winter I made a rough box, without top or bottom, set it on over the hive, filled in around know anything worth telling, tell it. the hive with cheap hay or shavings, leaving the summer passage openaninch. The box was an inch higher than the hive, after the cap was re- moved, and a board was laid on the top, to keep out rain, snow, and mice. The frame hives with boxes on the sides, I fix up as follows: Remove the boxes ; close the holes on the honey board ; fill in with shavings; remove two frames and set the others apart so as to give bees more room to cluster in the centre; lay strips over the frames, and over them some woollen cloths to absorb the moisture. I find the bees like that arrange- ment very much, and make passages through each comb near the centre. Before adopting the above method of winter- ing my bees, I was informed by some of the best bee-keepers in the country that it was not neces- sary for bees to have the sun except when we wish to have them fly. On the strength of these statements, I have wintered in that way with excellent results. On the first trial I did not see a bee from the first of January till the last of March. I would listen at the entrance, but not a sound was heard; all was still through the long, cold winter months. At last there came a warm day, and I was bound to know the result. I removed the outer protection, so that they could feel the rays of the sun, and such a glorious fly as they had! And, to my surprise, there were not twenty dead bees to a hive. Another point on which I wish to say a word. These protections are not only good through the winter, but they are excellent through the months of Apriland May. It is often the case that we have fine warm weather early, and the queen breeds rapidly and occupies a number of frames. Then comes a sudden change, and if the hive has no protection, there are not bees enough to keep up the proper temperature, and the brood gets chilled. Such is my experience in these matters. A. GREEN. Amesburg, Mass., Dec. 24, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Suggestions and Comments. Mr. Epiror:—I wish the bee-keeping fra- ternity of the Southern and Middle States could be induced to write a monthly communication for your Journal, of their care and management, as well as their success in bee-keeping. The ex- perience of our Northern and Western brethren does not correspond with ours; and their man- agement would not altogether suit our climate ; but they write, interchange opinions, and are thereby benefited. Just what we need in the South. If you, Southern readers of the Journal, If you have discovered any new light don’t ‘put it under a bushel,’’ for fear some one will be as wise as you are, but out with it. If you have invented anything new and valuable (except a bee-hive— we have plenty of them), get a patent for it. Our people are now afflicted with enough differ- ent hives to fill out one decade. Some thoughts, in looking over the December ‘and January numbers, have suggested themselves to my mind, and.I write them. 186 Could not the Department of Agriculture at Washington, which of late years has done so much to procure and disseminate useful and rare seeds, vines, and plants, be induced to im- port some of those East India bees spoken of by the Rev. Mr. Stellar in a communication to Mr. H. Bornitz, and translated for the Journal by the editor ? From a notice in the December number, I ap- plied to and received from Commissioner Capron, a small package of the Partridge Pea, and will give it a trialin the spring. One year ago (havy- ing previously failed to find any) I wrote to the Agricultural Department, inquiring if there was such an article as white buckwheat, of which I would be pleased to receive a small quantity. A prompt reply informed me that the Department had not then any to distribute, but that I could procure it from almost any seed dealer. I sub- sequently saw advertised in the New York Bee Journal, white or silver-skin buckwheat for sale, at so much per pound. Isent the price for one or two pounds, and when I received it you may guess my surprise and chagrin, when, as old Billy Keele says, sending off to ‘‘ ferin parts”’ and paying as much for a pound as would pur- chase a bushel equally goud at home. I had raised plenty of the same sort. It bore aboutas much resemblance to white or silver-skin as a Choctaw or Creek Indian does: to the fairest Caucasian. ‘ The stanger who attended the North Western Bee-keeper’s Association, must have a different kind of Spanish Needles where he lives, than those growing in Tennessee, when he says one acre will give more honey than five of buck- wheat. Ithink, Mr. Stranger, you are mistaken. I have yet to discover any difference or excel- lence in a queen raised by the bees when they took a notion toswarm, or one raised by them when I took a notion they should, by removal of the old queen. ; I see the December number concludes that ever-lasting looking-glass pow-wow ; but the con- troversy on the hive question goes bravely on, and if every new-comer gets a say there is no guessing the end, for in nearly every number of the Scientific American, which publishes weekly the patents issued at Washington, I notice from one to five new.patent hives. Whenever Mr. Swett gets that ‘‘picter tuck’’ of Gallup at the Fair, I speak fora copy. I have seen two queens in a hive on the same comb, and perfectly harmonious—both laying. One was an old one, becoming feeble, and on ac- count of being shifted during the breeding sea- son to several different hives, becoming unfertile. The other, a few weeks old. A neighbor of mine had a cast, or second swarm, which came off the past summer, and had with it some ten or twelve queens. Mr. Chapman, of West Virgina, has hit upon the right receipt for keeping bees from decamp- ing for the woods, and his article reminds me of many superstitions which are entertained by ig- norant bee-keepers of our country, and were handed down from father to son for generations. Many of them have been published. Supersti- tions about bees having existed, I suppose in all THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [FEs., ages. In the great battle between Hannibal and Scipio, in the valley of the Po and Tesino, in Italy, a swarm of bees pitched upon a tree near the Roman general’s tent, which filled his army with consternation and dread, being considered by them an ill omen, and the battle was lost by the Romans The American Indians regard the honey bee (white man’s fly), when coming into their wild retreats, as boding them no good, and believe them the forerunners of an intention, on the part of the whites, to dispossess them of their home and grounds. If Alonzo Barnard, of Bangor, Me., will in- dicate how I shall send him some plants of the Bee Balm, I will do so with pleasure. I have the kind he is inquiring for, and have often, when a swarm was issuing, bruised the leaves and placed them where I wished the swarm to settle, and nearly always with success. W. P. HENDERSON, Murfreesboro’, Tenn., Jan. 8th, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal. Foulbrood. I am not quite sure that I understand Mr. Alley, in the May number of the Bee Journal, when he says: ‘‘Let them test Mr. Quinby’s remedy, and then mine.’’ I cannot see any rem- edy about it. Neither do I see anything to test, on his side, any way. We are not discussing the question whether burning the hive and con- tents will not be entirely effectual. It admits of no discussion; it is no question; all will ac- knowledge it. But when I recommend economy, and a more profitable disposition of the bees, he may express doubts, or deny the possibility; and this can be contested. Mr. Alley discourages all effort in this direction. He is confident that he is right, and that Iam wrong. It might be in- ferred that he considered my statement false. He says: ‘‘ Of what use to experiment with the disease, when all who have been troubled with it meet with the same success, and know that the whole thing must be destroyed, sooner or later.”? Does this amount to saying, that I ‘‘ know that the whole thing must be destroyed,” and have met with the same success while mak- ing a contrary statement ? His belief will prove but little : mine will prove no more. Yet I might believe that ‘‘nine out of every ten bee keepers,’’ who will try killing his bees, ‘‘ will wish they had done as I did,’’ and saved them, when they have tested it. Mr. A. must oppose any attempt at a cure as stated by Dr. Abbe in the November number. For the last three years I have had an assistant who will qualify that, during that time, I have not de- stroyed a colony, except as described ; and that this fall not half a dozen colonies, among hun- dreds, could be found even slightly diseased. For the last ten years it has gradually decreased, and not a bad ease in five years. I shall rely on my own experience, and continue the old course a little longer. I think Mr. Alley owes me, as well as to himself, an investigation and a statement of how he finds the facts St. Johnsville; N. Y. M. QUINBY. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 187 (For the American Bee Journal.) Replies and Remarks. Mr. H. B. Coney asks questions. With the honey extractor I modify my views somewhat. In the November number, page 104, Mr. T. Smith gives a good plan for a northern climate. I am now going to fix my hives, with the same frames I now use, on the Alley plan, with side boxes and outer case. I can then use the ex- tractor without disturbing boxes; and it is or appears to be a positive fact that bees will store in side boxes or frames as well, and some say better than they will in top boxes. That is, providing the hive is in the proper form. I think it would be a very easy matter to explain why bees do not breed early and satisfactorily in the Thomas hive. Make your frames not over eleven inches wide, and more of them, and it will work satisfactorily. My hive is twelve inches deep, twelve inches from front to rear, and eighteen inches wide. Make them no wider from front to rear but rather narrower, if any- thing, and add to the depth to make up the capacity and to give room for side surplus, I have just returned from the National Con- vention, where J saw the most outlandish hives that can be thought of; and still I have seen nothing better than what I now use. (This is Simply my opinion.) This form, or something near the same form, as Mr. Smith says, is capable of being used more ways with the same size frame, for all the different styles, than any hive I ever saw, with the’ exception of Mr. Adair’s section hive, and still it is a cheap hive. The difference between frames running from front to rear, and from side to side, you would very soon discover, providing you should make the ex- periment. With my hive, for example, as it is now arranged, it is not difficult tu get the queen to breed in any part of the hive. But arrange the entrance as in the Alley hive, so that the frames run from side to side, and you will find it almost impossible to get the queen to breed in the rear combs ; and the bees do not even like to build comb in the rear—and in the Alley hive the rear combs are the last ones to be built. Swarms are almost invariably weaker in numbers in such hives in the fall than they are in hives with the natural arrangement of the comb. There is not so marked a difference in the Alley hive with the side boxes open, as ihere isin a tight box, or a hive with boxes on top. I am certainly pleased to learn that one man has found Mr. Alley a gentleman to deal with. It seems Mr. Dadant has got a wrong impression about my modifying my views on artificial queens. I, for one, do not see in what respect they are modified. I never intended to convey the idea that all artificial queens are worthless; but a large proportion of them are, as they are usually raised. ELIsHA GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa, Dec. 30, 1870. The bees throughout the world, as known col- lectively to the richest cabinets, number about two thousand species. [For the American Bee Journal,] Another Smoker. Mr. Epiror :—Noticing a communication on page 109 of the November number of the Bee Journal, from Mr, J. M. Price, in which he de- scribes his new smoker, believing it to be the best, Iam induced to present to the readers of the Journal a description of the one I use. Whether it is better than his or not, will be for those to decide who try it. I make it in this way. Get a good piece of hickory wood, dry or seasoned would probably be the best ; next take an inch or an inch and a quarter auger, and bore a hole, with the grain, in your piece of wood, about two inches in length, more or less, which- ever suits you best. I bore about two inches. Now turn it to some convenient shape, for in- stance like a pipe ; turn the edges at the top to about one-eighth of an inch thick. Now bore a small hole through in the lower edge of this cavity, and get a pipe-stem about eight or ten inches long, to fit this. Then fill with rags, tobacco, or whatever suits best, and light well with fire. Put a rag over the top, and blow. You will be surprised to see the smoke stream from the stem, and the bees get out of its road. When not in use the rag should be taken off, so that it may get air. The cavity being large will hold fire better than when small. Some of the readers should try this smoker, and report through the Journal. A. J. FISHER. Hast Liverpool, Ohio. [For the American Bee Journal.] Yet Another Smoker. I have long been anxious to get the best possi- ble smoker, and have tried nearly everything in that line that has been brought to my notice. in the Bee Journal and otherwise. I have also experimented some in my own way, and for the last two or three years have always come back to the use of the same smoker, made as follows : Take a piece of rotten wood rounded to about one inch in diameter, of any convenient length ; roll it in some eight or ten folds of cotton rags. If tobacco is wanted, roll it in with the rags. Tie with separate strings of cotton twine, one and a quarter (13) inches apart. Wood and rags thus combined, burn better than either alone; but if the wood is too much decayed it will burn too fast, and vice versa. If sufficiently porous to burn, and yet sufficiently firm, this makes an efficient and cleanly smoker, not apt to go out. Prepare a supply of smokers before- hand. To cut the strings quickly and of equal length, wind the twine around a piece of board of the proper width, and cut all through at once with a knife. HENRY CRIST. Lake, Stark Co., Ohio, Dee. 29, 1870. > The sting of a bee carries conviction with it, It makes a man a bee-leaver at once. 188 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Fes., [For the American Bee Journal.] Successful Use of the Looking-Glass, Mr. Epitor:—In the December number of the Bee Journal I see ‘‘THEr LooKING-GLASs CONCLUDED ;”’ but will you permit me to give to the readers of the Journal my experience there- with the past season. I had three decamping swarms that left my apiary. I had hived the first in the forenoon, on the day it swarmed ; but, at about four o’clock in the afternoon, it de- camped for parts unknown. It got off some dis- tance before I got ready with the looking-glass, but, to my surprise, the third flash of the sun’s rays with the looking-glass mode the bees fly round and round, instead of going straightfor- ward as before; and they immediately settled - The second swarm came off in the afternoon. It made no halt to settle, but started direct for the timber. I followed it, and brought it down the same way. ‘The third one got nearly half a mile away, flying on the east side of the timber. The sun being in the west we could not use the glass; but, as soon as we got the sun, three or four flashes settled it also. I have the three swarms thus arrested, and they have all done well. So much saved by taking the American Bee Journal, say at least thirty dollars in one season. . I tender my thanks to IaGNorAmus for the publication of the looking-glass theory. But this is not all. There are many other instructive articles in the Journal very useful to bee-keepers. I love the Bee Journal, as it encourages and builds up the bee-keeper. It is as valuable in that respect as a class-meeting is to Christians. I value it much; it will pay any man to take it, even if he has only one colony. My bees did well the forepart of the season ; but the latter part was toodry. I have seventy- six colonies, in good condition, all in Langstroth hives. I will here say, to my brother bee-keepers, ‘ that I live six miles north of the City of Lincoln. Should any of my brothers travel this way I would be pleased to have him call and see me. I entertain bee-keepers free, except. they should be engaged in selling the sixth secret of bee- keeping. upon a tree. Jos. L. HILsHER. Lincoln, Lits., Dec. 15, 1870. [For the American Bee Journal.] Pollen from Spanish Needles, © Mr. Epiror :—On page 167 of the Journal for this month I see that, speaking of bees working on Spanish Needles, J.S. McKernan says, ‘‘I do not think they will touchit.”? Now I wish to inform him that I know they will. When my bees were about. quitting the buckwheat I discovered they were bringing ina considerable quantity of pollen, which was not like that they got from buckwheat. So, about nine o’clock in the morning, I went to the buck- wheat, and not a bee could I see on it; but Isaw a cluster of Spanish Needles in full bloom and the bees on it thick, with the kind of pollen‘on their legs which I had seen them bringing home. I saw the same several times subsequently. : J, M. Berry. Bloomington, Ind., Jan. 9, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Answer to Puzzle for Young Bee-keepers. Mr. Eprror:—There is little of anything in the Journal that escapes my gaze. I give an answer tothe puzzle for young bee-keepers, in the January number, page 164. There was 2,490 honey bees in their home, and eight in the humbler’s home; and two, or the fourth part of the latter, would be equal to the 12,000th part of the former. 8 | 24,000 1000 | 8,000 4/8 | 2 | 24,000. 12,000 Puzzle No, 2, Suppose A. to have a certain number of swarms of bees, B. says to A. give me ten of yours and I will have as many as you. No, says A., but do you give me ten of yours, and | will have just as many'‘again as you. What number had each ? : Jt Ave: Breesport (N. Y.), Jan. '8, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.]} That Puzzle. The puzzle for young bee-keepers is a puzzle for old ones also. Fucus does not furnish data enough to draw a solution from. The number of humble bees may ‘be 4, 8, or 12, or any multiple of 4, and the number of honey bees may be 12,000, 24,000, or 36,000, or any multiple of 12,000. Thus, Suppose the honey bees to be 12,000, then one third of that, 4000, is as many thousands as there are of humble bees, or 4; and one-fourth of 4 is 1, which is the twelve thousandth of 12,000, the number of honey bees. And so with 24,000, 36,000, 48,000, or any other number which is a multiple of 12,000. A question which may be solved so many ways amounts to nothing. ida ¥ H. W. 8S. Cincinnati, Jan. 13, 1871. . [For the American Bee Journal.] Correction. At page 159 you make me say I found ‘‘up- wards of twenty queencells.”’ This I’should not have thought extraordinary or worthy of remark. I said ‘‘upwards of twenty guweens,’’? which I thought somewhat rare. . ‘ TYRO. Ontario, Canada, January, 1871. sie 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 189 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, Feb., 1871. oS" Want of room, and the late period at which some were received, compels us to omit a large num- ber of communications this month. 0S We are requested to state that on all letters mailed for Canada with only three cents postage paid on them, full postage (ten cents) is required to be paid when they are received there—just the same as though no postage had been paid onthem, when mailed in the United States. But if six cents postage is prepaid on them, they go through to their destination with- out further charge. OS We shall be able to give our readers, in an early number of the JOURNAL, a full account of a new, and it is said well tested, mode of safely introducing a _ queen into acolony, without the trouble of previously removing the old queen, or searching for and destroy- ing a fertile worker, ifsucha ‘‘ troublesome customer”? has usurped or acquired dominion of a hive. The device used is simple and cheap; and if found to be efficient—as we are assured it will be, by those who have employed it—it will greatly facilitate operations in bee culture, as well as prevent losses and annoying disappointments. . The Convention of bee-keepers which is to meet at Cincinnati a few days hence, is conyoked at the spe- | cial instance of Mr. H. A. King, evidently under the impulse of some fancied grievance, and with the obvious intent to secure and promote his own interest under the guise of an ostensible extreme solicitude for the advancement of bee-culture. As he has thus, from the outset, made himself peculiarly prominent in the matter, it is only right and proper that he should be and remain for the Convention a conspicu- ous object of regard, as connected with the purpose of their assembling. Thisis butfair. Heis, besides, the publisher, and claims to be the author, of a trea- tise on bee-culture, and likewise the patentee—thrice repeated—of a hive by himself puffed and lauded to the skies. Now the claims and pretensions of such a man are fair and fit subjects of consideration by the respectable and intelligent body of practical apiarians thus called together through his instrumentality. If those claims and pretensions are valid, let them be endorsed and sustained ; if not, let them be pronounced and denounced as a fraud and a swindle. And Mr. King himself should not only not shun, but seek, and eagerly embrace the coming opportunity to vindicate his title to the character he has assumed and the posi. tion he seeks to occupy. In his book, speaking of his hive, he says :— *“The hive embodies two series of improvements. The first was the result of the inventive skill of several persons whose inventions were purchased and combined in this hive, and secured by letters patent, November 24th, 1863. The last series of improve- ments, including our improved movable comb frame, patented October 10th, 1865, originated from a dis- covery deduced from carefully-conducted experi- ments, which seems destined to revolutionize all other systems of bee-keeping. This discovery clearly reveals the cause of the imperfection which has here. tofore existed in all movable-comb hives (our own not excepted). But our latest improvements completely remedy these defects, and considering the past popu- larity of the hive, place its future supremacy beyond question. It could hardly be expected that perfection would be reached in the first movable-comb hive in- vented in this country. On the contrary, we have demonstrated by close observation and careful experi- ment that this very point now claimed bythe inventor, viz.: the shallow space between and above the top-bars of the frames is the direct cause of a great waste of animal heat, requiring an increased consumption of honey in winter, besides retarding early breeding in the spring, and frequently entirely preventing a commencement being made in the surplus honey boxes.”’ Now here are divers broad claims intermingled with sundry well rounded assertions, which somehow get to be understood by the purchasers of rights, as covering still broader assumptions, and as conveying privileges that cannot be ‘‘nominated in the bond.’? Hence it becomes the duty of a fair-minded inventor to avail himself of any favorable occasion to explain matters and put himself rectus in curia. Let Mr. King do this; let him show to the Convention, or to a Com- mittee, First.—What his several patents cover, that is of any value to a hive, or to bee-culture, and was new when patented. Secondly.— W hat peculiar feature, device or arrange- ment it is, that gives his hive the ‘‘supremacy ”’ claimed for it; and that such feature, device, or ar- rangement is covered by his patent or any one of them. Thirdly.—In what consists the grand “‘ discovery ”? on which the patent of October 10th, 1863 is based, and which, according to the book, is such an essential matter as ‘‘ seems destined to revolutionize all other systems of bee-keeping.” Fourthly.—How the omission of ‘‘ the shallow space between and above the top-bars of the frames,”’ to prevent ‘‘a great waste of animal heat, requiring an increased consumption of honey in winter,’’ squares with the object of ‘* leaving a cavity above the frames,” ‘to absorb the moisture arising from the bees in winter ?”? as stated by him on the preceding page. The advantages and superiority of the hive in question have been so long, so loudly, and so exten- sively ding-donged in the ears of the bee-keeping com- munity, that a reasonable curiosity has been excited to know whether there is anything more than sound in it. Its inventor will doubtless be present at the Cincinnati Convention. That Convention will be, composed of many earnest, intelligent and experienced | bee-keepers, certainly not prejudiced against the hive 199 oras its inventor, but not improbably—at least as to part of them—somewhat prepossessed in its favor. He could hardly ever select or obtain a fairer, more com- petent, or more honorable tribunal to investigate and adjudicate his case; and if he has a valid patent on any useful invention or discovery, he is entirely safe in submitting it to such a body. It is moreover the appropriate function of such bodies to scrutinize and judge of such matters; though special pains may be taken to inculcate the idea that they ought not to meddle therewith. That is a false position. It is within their proper province—not to invalidate a patent ; but to ascertain what the patent covers, and in what the merits of a hive consist. But there need -be no controversy about this point. If Mr. King is fully persuaded in his own mind of the validity and extent of his patents, and of the utility of his in- ventions, he need not fear the result of an ex- amination, and should in fairness to those who have purchased rights from him, ask for one and be ready and willing to show his record to the body he has been s0 s0.icitous to convene. The time, too, is coming when the bee-keepers of the country, to pro- tect themselves from the depredations of swindling dealers in humbug contrivances, will demand that whatever is presented for their countenance and patronage, shall be submitted to competent and im- partial judges, for thorough investigation; so that thenceforward every tub may stand fairly and squarely on its own hottom, and those that have no bottom may speedily go to the bottomless pit of pub- lic condemnation and contempt. ——_—_o Periodicals Received. ‘¢ AMERICAN EXCHANGE AND REVIEW,”’’ a miscellany of useful knowledge and general literature. Philadel- phia. ‘-OLpD ann NEW,” a well edited monthly, with a capital Christmas number extra. Boston. ScRIBNER’S MoNTHLY,”’ full of choice reading matter, profusely illustrated. New York. ‘¢Goop HEALTH,” with many instructive and usefuy articles worthy of careful perusal. Boston. ———_—_————_¢<—_____ CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. Tonica, Ills., Dec. 17, 1870.—I asked you in the fall of 1868, whether I should allow my bees to slide out, or feed,—the twenty-two stands not having enough to stem the winter. You advised me to feed. It was then late in October, but I purchased a barrel of sugar, at an expense of thirty-seven dollars, and fed it to my twenty-two stocks as fast as the bees could carry it below. I wintered them in a cellar under a part of dwelling, prepared expressly for the purpose; and, when placed in their winter quarters, they altogether had not two pounds of sealed honey, —fourteen of the hives not having even a single cell sealed. I expected serious results, thinking that, ac- cording to theory, their food would sour on their hands, and that consequently the bees would sour in mine. The cellar being new, the walls were not dry, and I had left the windows out to allow circulation of THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [FEB air. The night before I moved the hives in, there came on a snow storm that blew the cellar about half full of snow, which was melting, and made things rather moist. Ishovelled out the snow, and placed my hives in position, none of them nearer than two feet of the bottom of the cellar. I sowed about two bushels of fine lime all around on the bottom and walls of the room, removed the tins from the honey-boards, and elevated cover just far enough not to admit mice; and then attended strictly to the ven- tilation of the room. One other item I wish to add, before sum up. I put about one table-spoonful of saleratus to the last six quarts of syrup fed to the bees. Now, the result. My bees were in their win- ter-quarters four months, and came out ALL in good order; and I realized sixty swarms and sixteen hun- dred pounds of box honey the ensuing summer. The ay swarms all wintered through to the spring of 1870. I keep a full account of my apiary, and for the two years previous to January, 1570, the credit side was $553.95 ahead. In those two years was included the poorest season (1868) I ever knew for bees; and at the time mentioned (January, 1870,) I had on hand over two hundred new empty Langstroth hives, the cost of which had been charged to apiary account. I think it paid ME to feed my bees that time. The Journal is still a welcome visitor; but at times I think there are some things in it which had better been ‘‘respectfully rejected.”? What say you?—E. H. MILLER. [Aye, there’s the rub! ‘‘ Di liegt der Has, im Pyeffer !? We may, and doubtless do, oftimes ‘‘ re- spectfully reject’? what others would ardently de- sire. ‘‘Many men, many minds” is a saying as true as it is trite. Some readers like one class or description of articles, and some another. This is by no means singular. Thus, during the late joy- ous yule season, some lads chose plumeake and crumpets, while others eagerly grasped gingerbread and jumbles. There’s ‘‘no disputing about taste,” —that’s the only thing certain. It hasever been thus, too; for already in our early school days, many a good long year ago, Horace told us that even in ** the high and palmy state of Rome,”’ he had been regu- larly puzzled in the same manner, and forced to ex- claim, in his quandary,— ‘-Quid dem? quid non dem? Renuis quod tu, jubet alter!”’ Solomon was the only true philosopher we ever heard of. He taught that there is atime and place for all things ; and would unquestionably have made a capital cook or a super-excellent editor. He would, on the one hand, have given leeks to the Welshman and onions to the crommuophagist; and, on the other, have shared among the sober-minded and the jocular, ‘‘ the logic, aud the wisdom, and the wit.” Yet, if his motly crew of guests had all to be regaled from the same platter, or his multitudinous horde of readers to be interested, entertained or instructed by the same page, we rather surmise that he, too, would have found his best endeavors fruitless, and been con- strained to reiterate his well-known dolorous lament, —‘*‘Vanity of vanities: all is va: ity!?? Let that con- sideration give us comfort, courage, and confidence. ] MILLEDGVILLE, Ills., Dec. 18.—I like the Journal very much, having been a subscriber for three years, and I guess you might put me down for life. Long live the American Bee Journal !—F. A. SNELL. WoovsrTock, Vt., Dec. 19.—I now have the first three volumes of the Bee Journal bound, and wish to get the others bound also. Please send me the miss- ing number, Vol. IV., No. 10.—G. P. Cons. Soutnport, N. Y., Nov. 22.—I have two hundred and thirty colonies of bees. A Bee-keepers’ Conyen- 1871.] THE AMERICAN tion will meet at Elmira, N. Y., Jan. 18th, 1871, to continuetwo days. Apiarians of Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania are urged to be present, and all interested in the science of bee-culture, to aid by their presence and co-operation.—A. D. GRIs- WOLD. Pontiac, Mich., Dec. 22.—I keep my bees on the top of a two-story house in this city, having no other place to keep them conveniently. I would like to be informed of the best plan to keep bees from swarm- ing naturally.—J. Dawson. SoutH Newscry, Ohio, Dec. 23.—I must say that I am being highly pleased with the constant visits of the American Bee Journal, but wish they came oftener. Bees have had a good season here. The bee scourge left me with one swarm last spring. I put that into a hive that I ‘‘ got up’? somewhat similar to the Bay State Hive, and the handful of hees increased to a large swarm, and gave eighty-five pounds of box honey.—J. L. Way. NortH CHARLESTON, N. H., Dec. 26.—The past season here has not been favorable to bees, though it opened gloriously. Theearly and protracted drought made the harvest ashort one. Not much honey was gathered after the first of July. I got only a little over one hundred pounds from twenty swarms. Yet in some localities, not ten miles off, the timely showers made tke season more than an average.— E. WHIPPLE. SayBRoOOK, Ills., Dec. 26.—I have only few bees, but they have done the best of any in this section of the country, in the way of storing honey. They worked on asmall purple-flowered weed growing in the wet ground. It seemed to be very rich in honey. Will try and send you a specimen next season.—W. H. Balu. BLOOMFIELD, Iowa, Dec. 28.—The past season has not been a very good one, either for honey or swarms. There was the fewest natural swarms that I have known for several years” I increased my number one-third by artificial swarming; that is, I made one from everytwo. ‘lhose that have box hives and logs get no surplus honey at all. My bees, with as good care as I know how to give them, gave me only thirty-two pounds surplus to the stock, and they are all in good movable comb hives. I will try to do better next season. I would bave liked very much to have been at the National Bee-keepers’ Convention, at Indianapolis ; but business and other causes kept me away.—Jd. P. FORTUNE. IrvinG, Ils., Jan. 5, 1871.—I like the American Bee Journal very well. Bees did very poorly in this part of the country the past season.— W. H. Hosson. GREENFIELD, Ills., Jan. 5.—The bee season was a very poor one here list year. In the spring the weather was cold till about the middle of June, and colonies were very weak. In the swarming season I got only two. swarms from twenty-seven stands. After June drought set in, and very hot weather through July and August, and nearly all the honey gathered was consumed, till in September a little was stored; but without feeding the most of my stocks will perish. My Italians laid up as much as will carry them through the winter. On the 4th of September, I got aswarm from one of my Italian stocks. On the Ist of September, I had examined the same hive, and found it full of young brood sealed over, but no honev, as that was all required for the young. Through the fall the weather was too warm. The September swarm is still alive, but has no queen, and the two summer swarms will not. survive the winter. Farmers have told me that they found some tree in 7 BEE JOURNAL. 191 So there I will report in the woods with bees in it, but no honey. is a poor prospect for bees here. the spring.—J. WAHL. NEBRASKA City, Kansas, Jan. 5.—I would rot do without the Journal if I could, which is quite doubt- ful, so long as I keep bees.—O. Harman. WORTHINGTON, Pa., Jan. 5.—I cannot do without the Bee Journal, and can only hope the day will soon come when it will be able to visit us more frequently. —J. W. BAaRcLay. FAYETTEVILLE, N. Y., Jan. 9.—You have my best wishes for the success of the Journal; and now, as others have done, I will state to you in part my suc- cess in bee-culture. I commenced the season with twenty-two stocks, five of which were very weak, and being in common boxes, I did nothing for them more than I did for all my bees. I fed them, like the others, liberally with sugar syrup till the fruit trees came into bloom. But it took them the whole season to re- cruit, so that I had really only seventeen stocks with which to begin operations. These I have increased to thirty-five, all well-stored for winter; and have taken in surplus honey twelve hundred and sixty- three (1263) pounds. As it would take too much time to give you a minute account of my every swarm, I will give you a statement of one hive. This hive had been fed all winter (like all the others), and wintered on its summer stand. It cast a swarm on the 15th of May, wheu apple trees were in bloom; after which I took thirty-six boxes of honey, weigh- ing 25114 pounds in all, from the old hive, and 123% pounds from the new swarm, making an aggregate of 324 pounds, which, at twenty-five cents per pound, is just eighty dollars; and a new swarm worth, exclu- sive of the hive, fifteen dollars; a profit, together, from one hive, ninety-five dollars. These two hives now contain full forty pounds of honey each, which will leave them quite a surplus to start spring opera- tions on. I will state that the swarm was hybrid,— having a pure Italian mother mated with a black drone. If the Italian bees are humbugs, let me be humbugged in this way every year, and I will sub- scribe for the American Bee Journal, wishing the editor a long life with happiness, and that his shadow may never grow less.—S. SNow. FrEnn’s MILLs, Mich., Jan. 10.—Bee-keepers have fared poorlyin this county, the past season. I am in- clined to look for the reason in the fact that there is but little white clover, owing to the farmers plowing so much that it is killed out. What seems to be desired is some plant to supersede red clover, that will afford bee pasturage. I have removed to this place, which is contiguous to immense swamps on the south and considerable timber on the north, in the hope that be- tween the two the bees may do better. Besides, L hope to Italianize my apiary next spring, hoping they will work on red clover. I have just been conversing with a neighbor, a German, who takes more pains with his bees than any other here. He says that in the north of Germany, near the North Sea, where, in their mildest winters, they have ice three feet thick, they raise lucerne for soiling, and he thinks it would answer the purpose here in place of red clover, for bees and for manure, though not for hay or pasture. I propose to get some alsike the coming season; though I have my fears that the farmers will be slow to adopt it in place of red, and that they will run it out the same as the white. Would it not be well for bee men to turn their attention more to the raising of such crops as will afford profit to the farmer and, at the same time, pasturage for bees ?7—H. Htupson. PETTYSVILLE, Mich., Jan. 11.—I have been a reader of the Journal more than two years, and I find I can- 192 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [FEB.: not do without it. Ithink every number worth more than the subscription price.—G. THRASHER. Sirver Creek, Minn., Jan. 11.—I set out twenty- nine swarms of bees last spring, some of which were quite weak. My best stock stored twenty-one pounds of honey in the hive before the middle of April, be- sides fifteen or twenty pounds in the main hive that I did not take out. Bees did well till the middle of July. After that they gathered very little surplus, and built no comb, though they filled their hives for the winter.—S. Row ey. SoutH BROOKFIELD, N. Y., Jan. 12.—I consider the American Bee Journal second to no publication of the kind published in America; and no apiarian who keeps bees for pleasure or profit, can afford to do without it. RockForD, Iowa, Jan. 15.—The past season, in this vicinity, was both good and poor. During nearly the whole of May the south wind blew furiously nearly every day; and though bees were brooding rapidly, yet in inost localities there were not as many bees in the hives on the first of June, as there were on the first of May. ‘This nearly ruined the swarming for the season. The yield of basswood honey was the best I ever saw, and if Novice was favored with as good, I don’t wonder he came s0 near haying to use his ‘‘ cistern?’ to save his honey. The full yield was excellent, and bees have gone into winter quarters with generally too much honey. Inclosed please find two dollars for the Journal another year. I don’t know how I could possibly get along without the A. B. Journa].—E. BENJAMIN. [For the American Bee Journal.] Hives at the National Convention. There was any quantity of patent bee-hives represented at the National Convention at In- dianapolis. They were worthless—that is, they were not calculated for the honey extractor, and a hive that is not so adapted now-a-days is cer- tainly behind the times. When will people learn that it is impossible to get the same amount of surplus box honey (where the surplus room is on the top of the hive) in a tall hive, that can be got from a hive of medium depth of frames ? Then, again, a hive should be so constructed that it can, with the standard comb, be divided up into four apartments for queen raising and wintering surplus queens, and still have the comb in a compact form, so that every part of it can be occupied with brood in the breeding season. This cutting up comb to fit into small nucleus boxes does not pay the common bee- keeper. Take, for illustration, the Alley frame, ten inches wide and eighteen inches high. Who cannot see that it is impossible to get a queen to breed on all parts of such a comb, when placed singly in a nucleus box? And the same can be said of the long, shallow Langstroth frame. Now, cut those frames in two, and place the two halves together, side by side, and we have the same comb in good shape for breeding and queen’ raising. I think any one can understand this without further illustration. Now, gentlemen, you wish me to recommend your hives to new beginners. I cannot do it, with my understand- ing of what a hive should be. All your little fixtures are made to gull the uninitiated. Prac- tical bee-keepers want none of their added ex- pense. EvisHa GALLUP. Jan. 5, 1871. ——_—__@eg——____—_ [For the American Bee Journal.) _ Response to Inquiries. Mr. Epritor:—In answer to W. P. Hender- son’s five questions I will give my experience. Ist. Honey Extractor. I use one with wooden case, rack with wooden bottom and ends, sides wire, geared, home-made. Cost $4.00. Works well with full frames, but very inconvenient for emptying broken combs. Besides, I do not like any wood about honey ; it will shrink and absorb the honey, ete. This honey extractor question 1 would like to see discussed in the Journal. I want a machine that will accommodate any size of frame, empty broken comb—with close top to keep out flies, ants, wasps, etc.; the honey to run into an outer case, so that the operator may save honey in small or large quantity, as may be desired ; the frame to hang within the case in the same way it would hang in a hive; the wire frame to open at the side by some contrivance to permit broken comb to be placed side by side, and then closed and put on the arms for revolving. These are my requirements for the honey machine. Can I have them ? 2d. Most persons prefer to let the bees begin to cap the honey before emptying with the ma- chine. My experience this fall has convinced me it is a waste of honey. I shall empty, next sea- son, fast as filled. I emptied one hive about the 7th of September, and ‘twice after that date. After that they filled and capped over sixteen’ frames, 94 inches by 143. 38d. Honey must be evaporated by the bees in. a natural way, or it must be done artificially by putting it into jars, tying over the top open do- mestic nuslin, placing the jars in a shady place, and kept at the same temperature it would bein’ the hives. The best and cheapest way would be to have a vessel made so that a washing boiler would fit into it steamer fashion, bring the honey to boiling heat, and then put it into air-tight jars so it will not candy. 4th. Yes, turn slow. in the comb. 5th. Yes, when honey is scarce, and you have to operate at such unseasonable times. When bees gather honey abundantly they do not trouble. FREDERICK CRATHORNE. Bethlehem, Iowa, Dec. 14, 1870. The brood will remain Those bees which are exclusively inter- or sub-_ tropical seem furnished with larger capacities for fulfilling the special mission to which the family is appointed. Their pollenigerous and honey- collecting organs are peculiarly adapted both to the structure and the luxuriance of the superb vegetation of those regions, and to which they. seem distinctly limited._-SHuUCcKARD. MERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. WI. MAIC EHI, is Tl. UNG a [Fron the Cincinnati Gazette.] American Bee Keepers’ Convention. FIRST DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Various States of the Union, either singly or two or three of them united, have formed bee- keepers’ associations, but hitherto no national association has existed in this country. The impetus given to bee culture by the discoveries of Huber, the distinguished Geneva apiarian, at the close of the last century, has sent hundreds into that pursuit. The progress of* skill and knowledge in it has not lagged behind the ad- vance made by science and skill in other depart- ments of knowledge and industry since the blind Huber died. The necessity of associated action and effort for the benefit of bee culture has been widely felt, and that feeling has been manifested in forming numerous local associations. About a year ago two of these associations, at nearly the same time, conceived the idea of issuing a call for a convention to form a national organiza- tion. One of them was the Michigan, the other the Northeastern Bee Keepers’ Association. The North American Bee Keepers’ Association, organized at Indianapolis last December, and the American Bee Keepers’ Association, organ- ized here yesterday, are the results of calls issued by the above local bodies respectively, viz.: the Michigan and the Northeastern. Between the Michigan and the Northeastern there has been some controversy—with but little, if any, ill feel- ing—as to the claim of priority in issuing the call for the national convention. ‘The conven- tion called by the Michigan Association met in December last ; that called by the Northeastern Association is the one in session now in this city. Two national organizations have grown out of the enterprise of the two above named local organizations. Both associations have the same man, the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, of Oxford, for President. Many members of the association formed yesterday are members of the North- western formed at Indianapolis. Mr. Lang- _‘stroth, of the Michigan body, in retiring from -the active duties of the chair last evening, called to officiate as Chairman of the American, the Rey. Mr. Van Slyke, of the Northeastern Asso- ciation. It will be seen by reading the proceed- ings of the meeting of delegates yesterday (prin- ted below,) that the union of the two national associations at their next meeting, which, for both, is at the same time and place, is a moral certainty. AFTERNOON SESSION. About one hundred and fifty delegates from various States assembled in convention at one o’clock, yesterday afternoon, at the Templar’s Hall, No. 160 Elm street, in this city. An organi- zation was effected by electing Rev. Wm. L. Clarke, of Toronto, Chairman. ; Gen. D. L. Adair, of Kentucky, moved to adopt a constitution, which he presented, and make this convention an association, to be known as the American Bee Keepers’ Association. This was objected to as needless, since we have already a North American Bee Keepers’ Association. Mr. H. A. King, of New York, favored General Adair’s motion. This would be the first step toward uniting the North American Association and the one proposed to organize here. Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, a delegate to the con- vention that met at Indianapolis, December 21, 1870, spoke in favor of maintaining good feeling. He desired that there should be but one associa- tion—z. ¢., the North American or the American, as should be agreed. Mr. R. C. Otis, of Wisconsin, moved, as an amendment to Gen. Adair’s motion, to appoint a committee to negotiate for union with a like committee of the North American Bee Keepers’ Association. Mr. H. A. King, of New York, moved to amend the amendinent, that the convention should first organize by adopting a constitution, and then propose a union. By carrying the previous question, the debate’ was cut off. Mr. King’s amendment to Mr. Otis’ amend- ment was adopted. The convention avoided the parliamentary form of adopting the amendment of Mr. Otis as amended, and proceeded with the constitution. There was first a free debate upon the question of adopting a constitution, in which many quite original views were presented, both upon par- liamentary usage, and the propriety of forming -an association here. The constitution was adopted article by article. A motion was made to insert in article 4, ‘‘ bee- Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress Washington. * 194 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [MaRCcH, keeper’’ instead of ‘‘ person,’’ as eligible to mem- bership in the association, and lost. One of the delegates wanted the word ‘‘ person’’ retained. He wanted the number of bee keepers increased. Mrs. Tupper, of Brighton, Iowa, said some persons who were not bee keepers mates to become such. The following is the Constitution. Articue 1. This association shall be known as the American Bee Keepers’ Association, and shallmeet annually. Its objects shall be to pro- mote the interests of bee culture. Art. 2. The officers of this association shall be a President and Vice-President from each State, Territory and province represented; a Secretary, two Assistant Secretaries, and T'reas- -urer, whose duties shall be those usually per- formed by such officers, who shall be elected by ballot, and hold their oftices for one year, or until their successors shall be elected. ART. 3. The President, Secretaries and Treas- urer shall constitute an Executive Committee. “Art. 4. Any person may become a member by giving his or her name ta the Secretary. Ant. 5. This association may, from time to time, elect suitable persons as honorary mem- bers. Arr. 6. No member shall be entitled to the floor more than five minutes in the discussion of any motion, resolution or petition without the consent of the association. Arr. 7. All committees shall be elected by plurality vote, except by special resolution. Arr. 8. This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting, by a tw o-thirds vote of all the members in attendance. The usual formality of adopting the constitu- | tion-as a whole was dispensed with. A committee of five was appointed to go around the room and obtain signers to the constitution. Election of Officers. After the committee had gone around and obtained names the association went into the election of officers. Mr. King, of New York, nominated Mr. L. L. Langstroth, of Oxford, Ohio, for the office of President. There were no opposing candidates. The Rev. L. L. Langstroth was, upon ballot, elected unanimously. Mr. Langstroth said that as a compliment he would accept the position, but only on the con- dition that none’of the active dutics of the office devolve upon him, as his health would not allow him to undertake them. The convention signi- fied its unanimous consent. Balloting for Secretary was declared next in order. Nominations were made and the ballots taken as follows: D. L. Adair, of Kentucky ; H. A. King, of New York; W. E. Ladd, Newport, Kyi Vibe. Stevenson, of Cincinnati. The Rev. H. A. King, of New York, was elected Sec- retary on the first ballot. The ballots for each candidate were not read. Vice Presidents. Vice Presidents were chosen as follows from all the States represented: New York, the Rev. KE. Van Slyke ; Kentucky, H. Nesbit ; Missouri, L. C. Waite; Iowa, Mrs. E.8. Tupper; Wiscon- sin, A. H. Harte ; Nlinois, L. C. Francis ; Ontario, Canada, the Rev. W. IL. Clark ; New Jersey, E. J. Peck; Pennsylvania, Seth Hoagland ; Ohio, A. Benedict; Tennessee, Dr. T. B. Hamlin ; Kansas, L. J. Dallas ; Minnesota, A. D. Seward ; Michigan, A. 8. Moon ; Indiana, Dr. John F, Wright. ‘Assistant Secretaries were next elected. Two were to be chosen. The election @vas as follows: D. L. Adair, of Kentucky, and L. C. Waite of Missouri. The Treasurer was next chosen. Mr. N. C. Mitchell, of Indiana, was elected. The Association Organized. The Chairman announced the association organized, and gave way to the President, Mr. L. L. Langstroth, who suggested that the Vice President from New York, the Rey. E. Van Slyke, should preside. Mr. Van Slyke took the chair, and announced the convention ready for business. A Step for Union. Mr. Clark, the retiring temporary President, offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted : ** Resolved, That this association, when it ad- journs, adjourn to meet at Cleveland, O., at 9 A. M., on the first Wednesday in December, 1871, at the same time and place as the North American Bee Keepers’ Association : when, pro- vided the other organization shall instruct its officers to do the same, the officers of this body shall resign, with a view of there and then con- solidating both associations into one.”’ On motion of Mr. Peck, amended by Dr. Clark, Mr. King, Mr. Peck and Mr. Otis were appointed a committee to confer with a similar committee appointed by the North American Bee Keepers’ Association, with a view to a union of that with this organization, and. report the same to this association. On motion, adjourned till half-past seven o’clock in the evening. EVENING SESSION. The association met at half-past seven o’clock, Vice President Van Slyke, of New York, in the chair, The following committee, to report an order of business, was appointed : Messrs. Clarke, Peck, Moon, Baldwin and Ladd. While the committee was out, some one suggested as a matter for dis- cussion the Italian bee. Several persons were called upon, and all, with one consent, began to make excuses. Mr. Waite, of St. Louis, Mis- souri, was suggested: Mr. Waite is deaf and had to be waited on by some one who went to him. Mr. Waite is a young, handsome, neatly dressed man. He arose and set out to read an - essay on bee culture, written in a very attractive style and abounding in humor, as well asin what a 1871.] THE AMERICAN seemed to be excellent practical hints. He said that in the management of bees no one must ever*show the white feather. They did not like drunken breath. He opposed the use of tobacco smoke as injurious, and recommended the use of the smoke of rags or rotten wood instead. Some farmers, he said, gave their bees all the inatten- tion they could. For such farmers, or bee keepers, he thanked God for the moth. There were an abundance of hives patented, and but few of them worth having. He favored large boxes as best adapted to having large supplies of surplus honey laid up. He gave, in detail, hints for the care of bees during all seasons of the year. His address, or rather essay, was warmly re- ceived, and the association tendered him its thanks. Mr. Clark, of the Committee on Business, sub- mitted the following order of business, which was accepted : Order of Business. 1. The most successful winter management of bees. 2. The best method of avtificial swarming. 3. How far is it wise to prevent swarming ? 4. Are hybrids better than pure Italians. 5. Volunteer topics. The First Topic came up for discussion. Mr. Hosmer, of Minn., said his experience was that small swarms win- tered better indoors than large ones. . He wintered in a cellar well ventilated. He did not want less than a quart of bees to a swarm. preserved queen bees and divided his swarms. He fed them about five pounds of crushed sugar (to each swarm) per year, commencing in Mareh. Dr. Bohrer, of Ind., said that a large colony and a small colony would not winter well together in the same room, owing to large colo- nies generating an undue amount of animal heat. The small colonies, under such circumstances, were apt to contract disease. He would have a special repository for small colonies, where the thermometer might be permitted to range about 45° or 650°, while between 32 and 40 degrees _ Fahrenheit was the temperature favorable for large colonies. Dr. Bohrer would use an old blanket in cover- ing hives, and corn cobs for the top of them to prevent the accumulation of moisture. He would not have a hive more than 12 inches deep. He believed in perfect neatness in his bee house. He was an enemy to spiders. Question by a delegate—Would not spider- webs be a good moth trap? Mr. Bohrér—The best moth trap is a strong colony of bees. [Laughter. ] Mr. Gallup was hostile to tall hives. became too hot at the top. Mr. Gallup was subjected to a running fire of questions. He used no honey board in his large hives. Mr. Gallup stated that he put his large colonies near the floor in the wintering house, and the small ones near the top or roof. | Mr. Dallas, of Kansas, thought the indoor They He = BEE JOURNAL. 195 method of wintering best. He would have a deep, well-drained trench upon dry ground. Over this he would build a double walled house, the interstices between the walls filled with saw- dust, the house provided with ventilators and double doors. In this he would put the bees after equalizing the swarms. Care must be taken to protect from dampness and too great a change of temperature in the ventilation from opening the door or the special appliances for the purpose. Mr. King, of New York, said he called a hive ten and a half inches in depth, as spoken of by Mr. Gallup, a deep one. He recommended the construction of a winter bee-house, so as to answer the purpose of handling bees, taking whoney from them, &e. Mr. Wright, of Indiana, said he had found benefit to diseased swarms from putting a cloth over the top of the hive and placing fresh char- coal pulverized upon it. This absorbed im- purities and improved the health of the bees. Mr. Porter, of Minnesota, detailed an account of a travel north in his State into the Red river country. He thought he had gotten away from the bees, as he had inquired for a hundred miles for them, and found none; but at the head waters of the Red river of the North he found au Indian who said he had found bees near there (it was 200 miles north of St. Paul), and taken two pailfuls of honey from them. He detailed how he had kept bees in a cellar in which he had four hundred bushels of rutaba- gas. ‘It is no trick at all to raise bees, and no trick at allto winterthem. Thermometers were humbugs. He had known bees wintered without a particle of ventilation in a pit covered with straw, then a little water, then dirt. He did not believe in the different diseases that it was said bees had. Their diseases were in nineteen times out of twenty, and the twentieth time too, caused by uneasiness. Mr. Clark, of Toronto, Canada, said that Sir Robert Peel used to say in Parliament, ‘‘ Ireland is my difficulty.’”’? He would say wintering bees was his difficulty. His experience was that the best wintering temperature was about the freez- ing point. He believed that no rule could be laid down for wintering bees in all climates. In Toronto, where he lived, the thermometer was 162 below zero last Sunday. Here he found it disagreeably warm. His experience was that the best temperature was such a one as would keep the bees in a torpid state, and keep them at the same time supplied with fresh air. Mrs. Tupper, of Brighton, Iowa, said that for twelve years she had been successful in cellar wintering. Mr. Scott, of Kentucky, said that he lived as far south as the Blue Grass region, and would like to hear about outdoor wintering. Mr. A. F. Moon, of Michigan, said he had found the best success in outdoor wintering. He equalized his colonies before winter came. He sheltered them from the sun and on the north and west sides from the weather. He found they consumed one-third more honey in this way than in indoor wintering. He divided the bee bread, so as to equalize the food for different stocks. 196 Mr. Mitchell and Dr. Claypool spoke on the same subject. The Chairman, the Rev. Mr. Van Slyke, said he had upon one occasion wintered a hive out of doors on nine pounds of honey. . Mr. Hamlin, of Tennessee, gave his experience in outdoor wintering. He equalized his stock and regulated the ventilation to the strength of the swarms. He had used for a covering of the honey boards, straw, corncobs or hay. Year before last he had a hundred and fifty-six swarms, and lost none of them. Adjourned to 9 o’clock next morning. * SECOND DAY—FORENOON SESSION. Third Topic. How far is it wise to prevent swarming? was the third topic. Resuming the programme of yesterday, Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, said the answer: to this question depended upon whether the object was to produce the largest amount of surplus honey or the multiplication of colonies. If the former was the object, swarming should be entirely pre- vented. Fourth Topie. Are hybrids better than pure Italians ? Dr. Bohrer said that if the bee keeper wanted to get up a fight early in the spring, the hybrids were the bees to have. Mr. Root said the hybrids were good workers on white clover. The pure Italians made honey from flowers that other bees would not touch. Mr. C. F. Muth, of Cincinnati, said he had hybrids, and had never had any difficulty with them about stinging. General Adair: said that he believed we had two varieties.of native bees in the United States. The large gray bee, a distinct species from the black bee of the South, was, he believed, better than the Italian bee, and was not as vicious. Mr. Stevens, of Glendale, said he had the gray bee, and had always had it, and preferred it to the Italian bee. Mr. Peck said a black queen fertilized by Italian drones brought forth gentle hybrids, but an Italian queen fertilized by black drones brought forth a vicious brood. Mr. G. W. Zimmerman had his black queens mated with Italian drones, and found the result- ing stock much more energetic than others. Mrs. Tupper, of lowa, would get pure impor- tations from Italy frequently—that is, of queens and put them in hives if she wanted the best work of her bees. Eifth Topite. The cause of bee swarming constituted the fifth topic. Mr. Otis said his opinion was that swarming of bees was owing to the storing instinct, together with the antipathy of one queen against any other queen in the same colony. A hive became stocked with honey and supplied with two queens, and it was found necessary to divide. Dr. Claypool said he had last year one stand of bees that became overstocked, laid outside the hive, but did not swarm. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [MARcH, Mr. Root said that in a half dozen instances, he had taken every drop of honey from a hive and cut out every queen cell, and the bees swarmed. Mr. Barger said he had seen the queen drop ir front of the hive and the swarm leave. He had also seen ten queens go out with one swarm. Mrs. Tupper believed, also, at one time in her life, that bees never swarmed without a queen cell, but last summer she found the contrary. She did not have an Italian colony swarm, last season, that had a queen cell. Gen. Adair said that last year he had a large number of swarms in which no preparation for swarming was made. Mr. Moon had put bees in a hogshead and had them swarm. He had put them in a salt barrel, and found they would swarm when the barrel was only one-third full. Mr. Langstroth said that if there were no dis- position on the part of bees to swarm we should soon have an end of bees. He said no invariable rule could be laid down in regard to swarming. Sixth Topic. What are the troubles to be met with in bee keeping? This broad, endless question formed the sixth topic. Mr. Moon enumerated the chief difficulties as swarming and going to the woods, the moth, robbing and wintering. Mr. Porter, of Minnesota, said he had had his share of trouble with them. He would rather undertake to find ten Italian queens than one black queen. [For the American Bee Journal.] A Season in New Jersey, No. 2. I found one swarm which had been reduced to less than a dozen bees, but I could not satis- factorily account for such reduction. A good queen was among them, and I soon introduced her to a colony of natives owned about half a mile away, being the nearest black colony. I traded for the hive and brood, and put the queen and bees in a box of empty combs. The hive which contained the native swarm was about 18 inches high, and 7 by 9 inches across the inside. That was a real Jersey hive. It was perfectly guiltless of any arrangement for removing honey, and I have seen no hive in this place; except what I brought here, with so much as a place for a single box. Those per- sons who use this style of hive, also deem it necessary to set wp the hive on four clam shells, to keep vut the worms! Well, I brought home my hive and brood under one arm, and brushed off a swarm of Italians from their combs, letting them take possession of the box, and giving their brood to other colonies. I did not wish to transfer the brood to frames then, as I thought they would breed faster in that small hive than in a larger one, as it had more combs than they could then use. I put the whole swarm (which BEE JOURNAL. 208 was small) in the hive, and in eight or nine days they commenced working outside of the hive. I had never before noticed bees of that age (eight days) working in the fields, and considered it as rather remarkable and worthy of notice. Or- dinarily, I believe, the instinct for working in the fields is not developed until the bee is about fourteen days old; and the same idea has, I think, been advanced by others. Has it not, Mr. Editor ?* It seemed to be with them a case of necessity, as the older bees were swept away by the winds, not leaving enough of suitable age to gather stores for their daily wants. In process of time, however, the hive became filled with bees, and they were then transferred to frames. Blossoms were plenty, with honey in them, during a good part of April and May; but the bees did not increase or gather honey in proportion to the amount of forage. I should here state, that during all this time my hives were exposed to the sun, wind, and rain, except the protection of the fence already mentioned. No shelter from trees, bushes, or any such thing; and they had been reduced during the winter by moving and neglect, so that they were not in a fair condition to start with, or in a fair place. Then, too, it was said to be an unusually rough spring, and ‘the native bees did not swarm until June, whereas they usually swarm here from the middle to the last of May. But then, if I had known, “it might have been’”’ different. Now I propose to tell you what I mean to do about it. There seem to be three or four ways open. First, not to keep bees. Second, to go where these troubles do not exist. And, Third, to try and checkmate them—which I think I may, to some extent. The first method of solving the difficulty, is out of the question, for a professional bee-keeper like me. The second may be the wisest course, and be eventually adopted; but I think of trying the third way. I do not expect to contend with the Power that controls the winds and the rain; but I will shelter my little pets from some of the violence of these elements, for this purpose I have put up a shed, opening only to the south, with con- veniences .for ventilation in hot weather. The front will be so arranged, that I can have the sunshine strike the hives or not, as I may deem advisable. There is a semicircular space in front of the shed, which is enclosed with a grove of pine and oak trees, from ten to twenty feet high. This will certainly give some protection from cutting blasts and driving storms. By keeping the sunshine from the hives in early spring, the bees will not be tempted out unless the weather is abundantly warm enough. But, sure enough, they have got to live, and must gather their stores outside of my grove, or not be of any profit to me! O, yes, but I do not intend to encourage them to go away early in the season. To keep them at home, then, I will supply them * By the introduction of Italian queens in colonies of com- mon or black bees, the fact was ascertained, that young bees do not ordinarily engage in outdvor labor, till they are nearly two weeks old. 204 liberally with flour as long as they will use it, feeding it when the weather is calm, which is usually from two to four hours in the forenoon. I will also keep them supplied with water and liquid honey; and by these means I hope to prevent an alarming loss and secure a fair increase. Whether I can do this, remains to be seen. Hundreds of acres of huckleberry blossoms here, yield a good supply of fair honey in May. Fruit trees, and large plantations of raspberries and other small fruits crowd in, one after another, giving a continued succession until the last of May, when clover comes in bloom. The light soils of this region are favorable for the secretion.of honey, when there is a sufficient amount of rain. Go where you will, and Ido not think you will find clover producing much honey on a wet, heavy, clay soil; or at least not half so much, as a somewhat sandy or gravelly soil ; provided, always, that neither is injured by drouth. In my next I will give you my experience in buying bees to stock up with. J. L. HUBBARD. Bricksburg, N. J. ers [For the American Bee Journal.] Beekeeping Down East. The season of 1870 was not a favorable one for bee-keepers in Maine, although the bees gener- ally gathered sufficient stores to carry them through the winter safely. Spring opened early and favorably. but fruit blossoms did not yield as plentifully as usual, consequently it became necessary to feed until the appearance of white clover, which yielded finely for about ten days, when it was suddenly cut off by the intense heat and drouth. Thus only comparatively few hives made any surplus —while many more were too licht to winter. Late in September I examined my stocks, to ascertain how many would have to be fed or united, and found, very much to my surprise and delight, that every hive had ample stores for winter, and for that ‘‘March hill,’’? which is such a terror to beekeepers and so fatal to weak stocks in our northern climate. Having been unusually busy in my office for about two weeks, I was not prepared for such a pleasant surprise, but it was none the less agreeable on that ac- count. The bees had gathered an almost unprece- dented amount of honey from golden rod and other late flowers, which was most fortunate for them, and us; although it did not recompense us for the tmmense stocks of surplus boxes, nicely filled with white clover honey that we were entitled to but didn’t get. I use the American hive, mostly, with quite satisfactory results, I think it has many good points, and a few bad ones, like all other hives with which Iam acquainted. I do not believe that perfection in hives has yet been reached, but thanks to the movable frames, the honey THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [MARcH, heretofore mysterious pursuit, we are enabled to overcome hive deficiencies with skilful manage- ment, and prosecute this art with pleasure and profit. I am wintering nearly all my stocks in the cel- lar. Their room is perfectly dark and quiet ; not a ray of light penetrates it, and the bees are remarkably still. For upward ventilation, I simply removed the supers from the tops of the frames, without any absorbing materials what- ever. The temperature is uniformly 32°. I have wintered bees in a great variety of ways, but never knew them to consume:so little honey, cluster so snugly, and so few perish, as thus far this winter. I shall adopt this method in future, until L become persuaded that there is a better way. The prevailing custom throughout this State is to leave the bees on their summer stands dur- ing the winter months, without any protection or preparation for cold weather and sudden changes of temperature. The natural result of such neglect is disastrous to a greater or less de- gree in nearly every instance. We have in the State from-twelve to fifteen thousand beekeepers, and probably nine out of every ten have not advanced beyond the old box hive—a most lamentable state of ‘‘bee dark- ness,’’ truly. Yet this state of things is not at- tributable to unusual perverseness, or an unwil- lingness on the part of our people to accept im- provements. It is mainly owing to the vast amount of trash that has been foisted upon them by. unprincipled men, under the guzse of im- provements. Patent hives, without a single re- deeming quality—moth traps, and kindred hum- bugs have been the bane of bee culture in Maine. But there is light ahead! We have many intel- ligent and progressive beekeepers, who are alive to the real and substantial improvements that have been made; and my apiarian friends, in other States may rest assured that the Yankee element of this State will not be long in discoy- ering that an ‘‘ honest penny may be turned ”’ in this direction—where they have heretofore found but little honey, a few swarms. and any amount of humbug, swindle and robbery—and THEY WILL TURN Ir! Gro. 8. SILsBy. Wintersport, Me., Jan. 31, 1871. ° Answer to Puzzle, No. 2. B has fifty swarms and A has seventy. J. W. FAULKNER. Vevay, Ind., Feb. 3, 1871. re Answer to Puzzle No, 2. Amer. B. Journal, Feb., 1871, page 188. A has seventy swarms, B has fifty. H. W. 8. Cincinnati, Feb. 4, 1871. os No insect structure can more thoroughly ex- emplify the most appropriate adaption to its uses and the most admiyable elegance in the forma- tion in the means of execution, than that of the extractor, and the light that has illuminated this | honey bee. 387.4 i at i i ei, ee ee THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 205 [For the American Bee Journal.] Bees in North Carolina. Dear Journal:—I must confess negligence in not writing to you before, but we are all working up here nuw, in Wake county, about bee culture, and are going to give more atten- tion to the pursuit, sow Alsike clover, and pro- duce honey, like gur northern and western brethren. It appears from census statistics, of 1860, that North Carolina was the second State in the Union in the quantity of honey yielded, and we hope to keep, yea, to increase our reputation. The last season was not favorable for bees. The early part was wet, and the middle very dry—somewhat better late in the fall, so that swarms that survived the dry weather stored nearly enough for winter. There were not as many swarms cast last sea- son as usual. Many of the late ones died, orrun so low during the drought, that they became prey for the bee moth; and some of the old stocks, too, that had swarmed themselves weak. Our crop of surplus honey was very light. I had an experience last season that was new to me, and I can come to only one conclusion about the matter. I will state the circumstan- ces, and your readers may think what they please of it. In August or the early part of Sep- tember, I introduced an Italian queen into a swarm of black bees, for Josiah Turner, Esq., at Raleigh, and as we wished to raise queens from her, gave especial attention to the swarm, feeding, putting in drone comb (as there was none in the hive), &c. Fora timeall progressed finely ; the progeny was beautifully marked, till one-half or two thirds of the populatign were pure Italians. Then some hybrids appeared, and finally the swarm returned to hybrids and bees that you could not distinguish from such as are produced by a Llack queen. The queen which I intreduced was claimed to be over one year old, and had always given pure stock. She was raised and sent to me by Mr. Shultz, of Salem, N. C. I took the precaution to clip her wings, before putting her in the swarm, and do not think it possible that she died and_ the swarm raised another, as I could not find the least trace of a queen cell ; and do not think the swarm was queenless, or had time to change queens between my examinations. Had the queen been changed, or a new one raised and sub- stituted, ten years’ experience in breeding Ital- ian queens ought to enable me to detect the fact. The wings seemed to have partially grown out again. About one-third was cut off the end.— I notice several writers recommend clipping queens’ wings. I would inquire how much may or should be cut off? I have had queens of some months old change stock. Raleiyh, N. O., Feb. 8, 1871. * J. CURTIS. Ina honeycomb the base of each cell is com- posed of three rhomboidal pieces, placed so as to form a concave pyramid. [For the American Bee Journa!,.] A Good Honey District. Mr. Eprror:—In the December number of your Journal, I saw the inquiry from Mr. A. L. Brown, London, Ohio, — ‘*‘ Where are good honey districts?’’?’ He says that he has to depend mostly on white clover for surplus honey. | think that northern Iowa is far ahead of his section of country for bee pasturage. Nearly all the best honey-secreting blossoms are to be found here, except the tulip tree. On the prairies and in the timber are to be found flowers springing up everywhere, as soon as the frost is out of the ground six inches deep. Then our native groves present one grand bed of flowers, so numerous are the wild plum, the crab apple, and the cherry trees. Then come all kinds of berries, blossom- ing in their rotation, with any amount of cul- tiv ted flowers. This country is comparatively new, so that every plant grows luxuriantly, especially white clover, borage, golden rod, &c., with basswood all through the timber, and plenty of fall pastur- age. I have been a bee-keeper here for three years, and have not fed any yet, although some had to feed in the spring of 1869, but they filled the hives in the fall, and were in good condition for winter, We have little or no cholera or foul- brood, and no drouth sinee this country was settled that did not leave us half a crop of grain. Our winters are long, with steady cold ; so that bees must be put into good winter quarters, to insure, good success. eee 10 new hives, ) » wii.) ).ee) OOO 27 70 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 213 Produce. 100 Ibs. of honey at 25 cents, . . . $25 00 10&swarms, at $5 each, . 5000 $75 00 errant Sr 47 30 or foreach hive,. . . . 473 Now take the non-swarmers. One colony cost, . $500 One hive, ‘ 6 00 —$11 00 Interest on $11.00,. . . 77 vp cost of hive, . .. . 60 Pa ee CRwarn, |. . 1 28 2 62 Produce. 120 lbs. of honey, BU ORUER, em... 31 50 DVR te RUS $28 88 or for 10 colonies, . 288 80 The swarmers give, $47 30 ‘¢ non-swarmers, . 288 80 This is an immense difference in favor of the latter. But carry out the calculation for ten years, and look at the result : The lst year the swarmer produces lswarm and $+ 73 4c 2d iad oe sé oe be 66 g 46 os 8d ee ce 66 e 4 6 66 18 992 66 4th 6e ee 66 sé 8 iad 6c 37 84 66 5th oe ee ee a3 16 ce oé Ta 68 66 6th “ce ce “ce 6 32 66 a6 151 36 46 7th 6é 66 66 oe 64 6e 6e 802 Te 66 Sth sé 6 “cc é 128 6é 66 605 44 “Oth “ % «“ é O55 he CDG SS “10th « we ib Gio Mose ae ea 76 And besides this, each year should have added to it the value of the new swarms, which is for the second year $10, for the third $20, and so on until the last year’s produce should be $2421 76 And the value of 512 swarms at $5 each 250 000 ? $4981 76 Total produce of the non-swarmers, 10th year, ‘ ; 288 80 This is enough for me, as I expect to live twenty or thirty years longer, and will therefore make a few more swarms, while Mr. Hazen, be- ing now over eighty, cannot look for many more years of life and may do better for himself on the non-swarming plan. Es W ci Be Feb. 1871. Orp> [For the American Bee Journal.] Using Hives Without Bottom Boards. During swarming time last summer I was informed one day by the girl in attendance, that she had no more hives with bottoms, and no more bottom-boards on which a super hive could be set, to hive the swarms expected to come out that day. Being then away from home seven miles, it was too late that day to get the neces- sary hives, and I concluded to make an experi- ment by hiving all the swarms that came that day in hives without bottoms. In the course of the day four swarms issued, which united into three. Weremoved three of the stocks that had swarmed to new stands, and put a super hive without bottom on the old stand. These stands have an opening in the rear, 35 by 12 inches, and this large space was left open as an entrance for the bees. Of course I feared that the bees would lose much wax by having the cool night air coming in through so large an opening. But on repeated examinations, I found scarcely any scales of wax on the ground, and the swarms made remarkable progress in building comb and storing honey, more so than some swarms quite as strong which had been hived a number of days before. Two of those swarms filled their hives with nice combs and honey, and three ten pound boxes besides, for surplus; and the third gave fifty-five pounds of surplus box honey. This fact made it appear to me that, in hot weather, bees would do better in hives that could be cooled off by a large opening in the bottom. I will, however, experiment more largely on that point next summer. Number of Yards and Feet Contained in Different Miles, English Miles, 1760 yards, or 5,230 feet. (ay Russian ‘ LiQO sant 3,300 = ¢ Italian ss Lee’ 'hy, 4400S oe Trish ys Ree Eee HB GOs French SEGA aie “Sl b O44 Gas Polish “i 4400... 12,200... «5 German ‘* OREO pele SE 17, US oe FE Swedish & Danish 7288 <‘ ‘* 21,699 « Hungarian BBO yet’ a SP 26 A. «e I copy the above table as I found it in our local paper a few days ago. It will, perhaps, serve to explain the mystery how so large a number of colonies of bees can be kept on a square mile in some parts of the old country. It will be seen that the Hungarian mile is the largest, the Swe- dish and Danish the next, and the German the third largest mile. A. GRIMM. Feb. 1871. e-em [For the American Bee Journal, War in a Nucleus House! And other Items. eee Mr. Eprror :—You occasionally want some- thing to fill up your excellent Journal, therefore I will give you and its readers some of my last summer’s experience : On the first day of June last I formed four nu- cleus hives to raise young Italian queens. On the 23d of June, I watched one of these nuclei to see the young queen leave home to meet a drone. At twoo’clock inthe afternoon she came out, and off she went, four times in succession. The fourth time she returned, she showed signs of having met the drone. She entered the hive, but came’ out again immediately, with two worker bees after her. I heard her pipe twice, and then she re-entered the hive. I watched closely to see what would follow. In afew mo- ments a bee came out, hobbling on its abdomen, and acting as though it was stung. More bees came out directly after, acting in the same man. 214 THE AMERICAN ner, and soon died. An hour before sunset, I opened the hive for examination, when I found all the bees engaged in fighting. They were nearly all clinched together in a perfect net. 1 blew a little smoke among them without much effect. I took the frames apart and found some balls of bees the size of a hen’s egg, on the bot- tom ‘of the hive. I then looked for the queen, and found her at the back end of the comb, un- hurt, surrounded by a few working bees not en- gaged in fighting. I closed the hive again, and next morning re-opened it, and found that peace had been restored, but hundreds of bees were killed, though the queen still remained un- harmed. I account for the occurrence in this way: One portion of the workers was for killing the queen, while another portion a party was opposed to it, and they settled the controversy by war, the right prevailing in the end. I must say that I never saw the like before, nor heard of it in the history of the honey bee. The nucleus con- sisted of half a swarm of bees. I see in the Journal that Mr. John M. Price condemns all artificial queen raising. He says, having failed with the theory of all other au- thors, he got up a new plan to get large and pro. lific queens, by giving the bees the swarming fever some way. Now I wish to ask Mr. Price what he would call such queen cells and queens raised in a hive where the bees swarmed out in the swarming season, without previously start- ing queen cells, leaving the bees remaining in the hive to construct queen cells afterwards ? The question is whether such queen and queen cells were natural or non-natural? I had two swarms swarm out, when no queen cells were started. I have raised queens since the year 1866, for my own use. did notraise its queen. I have lost some queens when they left the hive to meet a drone. I have followed Mr. Langstroth’s and Mr. Dzierzon’s directions for raising artificial queens ; hence I think I understand their theory. I have queens that were raised in June, 1867, and were alive yet last fall, which would make them three years old last June. They are very large and handsome, and were raised from a Langstroth queen, for which I paid twenty dollars. Hence I shall keep them as long as they live. Mr. Price says, in reply to Mr. Dadant, that a queen hatched from a grub three or four days old, would do to sell. Here, I think, Mr. Price is laboring under a mistake, as I have raised queens from grubs of the bees, choosing those that were siz days old, so that the queens hatched on the tenth day, and they were very large and pro- lific. choose an egg or a grub three or four days old. All the difference is, that if they choose the grub, the queens will hatch so many days sooner. I confirm that statement, swarming fever or no swarming fever. I have no artifi- cial queens for sale. H. RosENSTIEL. Lena, Iils., Feb. 6, 1871. I never started a nucleus yet, that Dzierzon, the great German apiarian,. says it makes no difference whether the bees. BEE JOURNAL [MaRcH, [For the American Bee Journal.] Explanatory Jottings. Mr. Epiror :—Allow us now to hit Novice a trifle, just to see what. effect it will have. When we commenced to write for the American Bee Journal, we made the proposition to answer all inquiries, if the inquirers would simply en- close a stamp to prepay postage. We might answer those inquiries by simply saying Yes or No, toeach. But our object was to give instruc- tion, and such short answer would not benefit the querist. Therefore we choose to give the why and wherefore ; and Novice will readily see that for a hard working farmer, this must neces- sarily take up much of his time, for which we -receive nothing but the thanks of our correspon- dents, and the consciousness on our part of indeavoring to assist our fellow beings. (Here I will thank those inquirers who are ready and willing to pay for information, and have amply paid, &c.) We have been accused of doing this for notoriety. But, if we have become notorious, it was the very furthest thing from our intention when we commenced ; therefore we do not con- sider ourselves as at all to blame. Our conscience is entirely clear on that head. If we write for other papers, it is with the assurance that we would only promise to do so during the long winter evenings, and only one article should be used in each number, if it was expected to make them hold out, &e. We do not remember giving any such instructions to the editor of the Jour- nal, and hence he sometimes puts them in, in greater numbers, as long as they last, and then the stream runs dry. Thereupon we received private letters by the score, berating us for not writing more for the A. B. J. (Wonder whether they would be satisfied, providing we should devote our entire time, and occupy one-half ef every number with our nonsense?) But we have a family to provide for and are not over- burdened with greenbacks; consequently we could hardly devote more time to them, if we would. Now Mr. Novice, didn’t you pile it on rather thick, when you said that we write ‘‘nary word for the old stand-by’’? We think the February number shows that we have not for- gotten ‘‘the old stand-by,’’ by a long chalk. On page 180, we should read ‘Even the crossest hybrids could be handled with impu- nity, without the use of smoke,’’ instead of with the use of smoke. On page 192, article headed ‘‘Hives,’’ &e., third line read ‘‘That were worthless,’’ instead of ‘‘they were worthless.’’ Take away or strip them all of the Langstroth features, and what would they look like? Echo answers—‘‘ what would they look like.”’ On the third and fourth of February, my two stocks that are on their summer stands, had a good fly. Those in the Diamond hive are winter- ing nicely, but something else is wanted in a hive, besides the wintering qualities. Those in the Alley hive are not wintering well. Others make thé same complaint. I started on the sixth for Cincinnati. It is now snowing heavily from the north-east. E. GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa. “se 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 215 a ru [For the American Bee Journa].} An*Exp anation Of R. B. Merrit’s article on ‘‘Trouste AMone Bess,” Vol. VI., page 43. A few years ago I made the same experience with a number of stocks of bees, that Mr. Merritt made. Nearly all the sealed brood was opened by the worker bees; some of them were still nearly all white ; others had brownish heads, and a large number were seemingly ready to hatch, but could not get out of theircells. They were nearly all still in the same state three or four days later, and the younger bees also got ready to hatch. Then the older workers com- menced biting the brood thus situated out of the combs, making large holes in the latter. On close examination I found large numbers of those young bees spuvm together at the tips of their abdomens, and unable to extricate them- selves. Sometimes the old worker bees would drag out half a dozen of these unfortunate crea- tures, strung together in one lot. On closer examination. 1 found in some spots on the sur- face of such brood comb, moth-worms hidden in their galleries or passages of web. There were large ones and also small; and it appeared to me that those worms had hatched at the bottom of the cells, and gradually worked their way up to the surface. I then cut out a piece of such brood, and extracting a number of entangled bees, I found at the bottom of some cells as many as four small moth-worms, apparently about one-third grown. I found this state of things only in colonies that. were very weak in the spring, and which when warm weather set in, had rapidly extended this brood-nest, and had thus probably covered up cells in which the miller had deposited large numbers of eggs. The old workers gradually cleaned out such combs, and rebuilt the damaged portions. The second set of brood then came out all right. Mr. Merritt would probably not have found that disease again in his swarm, if he had not put any combs in from other hives, that had very likely been visited by the miller. Since Italianizing my apiary. 1 found the same disease (if diseuse we may call it) only once more, and that in an artificial colony which had two frames of comb given to it, from a hive deserted by its swarm and which had remained without bees during the month of June. If the trouble referred to must be called a disease, I would designate it as the ‘‘ worm disease.”’ A. GRIMM. Jefferson, Wis., Feb. 1871. _——_ eo - oe {For the American Bee Journal.] Eighteen Hundred and Seventy. The season here promised to be a very good one, the spring opening fair and warm, after an uncommonly mild, dry winter. The bees were in fine condition to take advantage of the fruit blossoms ; the trees blooming in clear weather, for the first since I have kept bees; and before the white clover—our principal honey crop— a ere LLL LLL LL LT bloomed, they had begun to work in the surplus boxes. But about the first of June a long spell of rain set in and continued until the end of the mogth, with but very few clear days, so that my bees got very little more than a week’s work on white clover. Yet in that time they secured an average of about fifteen pounds of surplus honey to the hive—filling the boxes with comb enough to have stored sixty pounds. By the first of July intensely hot and dry weather set in and soon parched up everything. There was no honey gathered after that time, until the aster bloomedin September, which gave an abun- dance for winter, but no surplus, as it is very hard to get the bees to work in the boxes so late in the season. [ increased my stocks about one half, and got an average of twenty pounds of surplus honey per hive, leaving plenty for winter. This is about what I do every year. My neighbors always complain of ‘‘bad seasons, too wet or too dry, too hot or too cold,’”’? but I believe our climate is, on the whole, as good for bee-keeping as any in‘the country. Not that Iam satisfied with the above results; but I am convinced that with all the ‘‘modern improvements” a much larger yield could be realized. If I had had a honey-extractor this year, as I fully in- tend to have next, I could have obtained at least one hundred pounds to the hive. During the week they worked on the white clover, the bees could evidently have gathered much more than they did, if they had had combs to hold it. They wasted much time during the greatest yield, in building comb, which the flow of honey did not last long enough to enable them to fill.— I have as yet seen no report of the use of the extractor in the South; but it is certainly just what we want, to enable us to take full advan- tage of the short seasons of abundant yield which occur several times in each summer. [ am only afraid that I will not have time enough to extract all the honey my bees will give me, as I am in business in Baltimore, and leave home at eight in the morning and do not get back until five in the afternoon. Will Novice be kind enough to say how long it takes to empty the frames of a two-story Langstroth hive; and whether the honey will flow freely early in the morning and late in the evening, and oblige. DANIEL M. WorTHINGTON. St. Dennis, Md., Feb. 7, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Amount of Honey to Winter a Colony of Bees, Mr. Eprror :—I have read a great deal of the experience of different beekeepers, in regard to the amount of honey required to winter a colony of bees and bring them out in good condition for the next season. Experience has taught me to prefer forty pounds, instead of twenty-five pounds for that purpose. The spring of 1870, proved this to be correct in this section of the country. The late frosts having destroyed the fruit blossoms to such an extent that the pro- duction of honey was very insignificant. The 216 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [MaARcH, honey dearth lasted till in June, when the white clover came into blossom. All my colonies that had from thirty-five to forty-five pounds of honey, when put into winter quarters the fall previous, did well for the season, giving swatms and surplushoney. But those having only from twenty-three to twenty-eight pounds at that time, had to be fed in April and May, to keep them from starving, as well as to keep them breeding; and they gave no swarms and no surplus honey. This would undoubtedly have been different, had the spring been a good honey season ; but the case here was the reverse.» Hence we had better be-prepared for what may come, as we have not the ruling of the season. Then, in the spring, if the yield of honey comes plentiful, we can regulate the balance with the honey machine. I am surprised to see still so many ninnies on bee-hive patents. Innine cases out of ten, these are moths of the most ravenous breed, or other- wise humbugs of the deepest dye. They can always be known by the stripes on the back— that is, by using some of the Langstroth claims, without deigning so much as to give him credit in the least for his invention. You may hear them at the fairs or somé other public gather- ing, crying out My Patenr hive, and loudly condemning the Langstroth hive, when at the same time every good point of their hive is pilfered from the Langstroth claims. There is so much of this sort of imposition carried on, that it is quite a drawback on the movable frame system. ‘ But,’”’ says some one, “ about so many will behumbugged any way, and it might as well be on bee-hives as on any thing else.”’ Well, that might do if it did not affect so import- ant a branch of business. Sometime hereafter I shall look after some of the other humbugs in this line. I have taken the Bee Journal for over three years, and expect to continue to take and read it as long as we both live, for I do not wish to be divorced from it. FWY + VV Mendota, Ills. —Oosa> A writer in the North American Review, many years ago, asserted that bees sometimes suffered from dyspepsia; but from their sober and correct habits, it is presumable that they are exempt from gout and rheumatism. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL Washington, March, 1871. 0S The proceedings of the Cincinnati Conven- tion occupy so much of our space this month, that many communications are again unavoidably omit- ted; as also the usual monthly correspondence of the Journal. If the honey receptacles of our friends be as well crammed next summer as our columns are likely to be crowded, there is a good time coming for those who have plenty of bees and know how to manage them skilfully. Os A meeting of the Michigan Bee-keepers’ As- sociation will be held at Lansing, on Thursday and Friday the 23d and 24th of this month. A large attendance and interesting discussions are expected. QS In reply to inquiries from several quarters, we would say that a person making or using a patented hive, or one any part or portion of which is pat- ented, is liable to damages, if he has not bought or obtained the right of using such from the patentee or patentees. Making such hives for sale subjects the maker or vender, as well as the user to the penalties of infringement. Buying the right to use, make or sell a patented improvement of any pat- ented hive, does not secure the right of making or using such part or portion of the hive as is covered by the original patent. Hdwever good or valuable the patented improvement may be, if it cannot be used except in connection with the patented article of which it is an improvement, it is indispensably necessary to procure a right or license from the origi- nal patentee also. Norcan the original patentee use, make, or sell the patented improvement, without compensating or obtaining a license from the pat- entee of such improvement. Each party has the sole control of his own particular invention, and is entitled to compensation for it if used; and third parties, purchasing from either, occupy precisely the position of the party from whom they purchase, or under whom they hold. This, of course, embraces also any further or“subsequently patented improve- ment. Hives simply embodying infringements or evasions of an existing patent, confer no right what- ever, but subject both vender and user to the penal- ties of the law. The Baron of Rothschiitz, at Posendorff, near Lay- bach in Carniola, cultivates bees on an extensivescale. His apiary numbers more than five hundred colonies, under the superintendence of a manager, who attends to them exclusively from spring till fall, from dawn to dusk, supplying on an average fifteen fertilized queens daily during the season, He has 6,500 frames for his hives, of which 3,000 contain combs and honey. —The apiary is subdivided into seven departments. First, the honey department, with 100 movable comb double hives, to accommodate two hundred colonies, second, a stand with 202 colonies, which supply 606 small or nucleus stocks, furnishing bees to accom- pany queens sold; third, 250 colonies devoted to queen raising; fourth, 250 nucleus hives, to receive and hatch queen cells; fifth, a swarming stand, with 90 movable frame hives; sixth, a stand of thirty-six movable frame model or pattern hives, to supply the demand of customers promptly, and seventh, a stand of 120 provincial hives containing Carniolian bees, to supply those who desire to obtain full stocks of that race or variety of the honey bee in the peculiar hive used by the peasantry of the country. AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. ©. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. APRIL, IS71. No. 10. H, A. King’s Hive, Claims, and Patents. As some of our readers may have misconceived the purpose of the remarks we made, in the February number of the Journal, respecting Mr. H. A. King and his patents, or may be induced to attribute them to motives which certainly did not influence us in preparing them, we regard it as only just and fair to the bee-keeping community, to Mr. King, and to our- selves, to make a formal and full exposition of his .claims,,and of the true character of his three patents. in doing this we take up Patent No. 1, bearing date November 24th, 1868, which was applied for and granted to H. A. King and Jacob Loughmaster. The claims in the application for this patent, were as follows: First, the slide B, provided with the notches d, d, and applied to the hive as shown in combination with the openings 8, and pillars ¢ at the front of the hive, as and for the purpose set forth. Second, the projections on the top and bottom bars, 0, p, of the comb frames G, to serve the two-fold pur- pose of keeping the comb frames at a proper distance apart, and at a proper distance from the walls of the hive. Third, the fitting of the honey-board Zon the re- bates // within the hive, and also the fitting of the slide against the rebates gg in a similar way, in the manner and for the purpose specified. Fourth, the eross-bar K at the upper end of the slide f, provided with bevelled notches j j, to fit over the bevelled surfaces i, at the upper ends of the front and back of the hive, for the purpose specified. Fifth, securing the cap H on the hive, by having the frames of sufficient dimensions to fit on the top of the body A, and securing strips s within the cap H, to rest on the top of the body A, and support the cap as set forth. Sixth, the flap or slide W, attached to the hive and provided with holes a, c, in combination with the holes wv, b, in the side of the hive, and the groove ¢ in the inner surface of the side of the hive, as and for the purpose specified. The first, second, and sixth of these claims were rejected in toto by the Patent Office. The third was granted, with a modification restricting it to the “ fit- ting of the honey-board # on the rebates / 1, within the hive.”? The fourth and fifth claims were allowed, as they stand. None of these claims, either separate or in combination, cover anything of special value in the construetion or use of a hive; while the infringe- ment of the Langstroth patent consisted in the use of the movable frames with separated tops, and the shallow chamber, without license from the owners of said patent. The infringement was long since ac- knowledged by Mr. King, and it is therefore not necessary to dwell on this point ; but we wish to state here, and desire it may be borne in mind, that the rejected second claim was for a frame substantially similar to that of the Berlepsch hive, in use in Ger- many since 1853, not patented there or in this country, and which of course was public property here ten years before Mr. King endeavored to obtain a patent for it. He may not have been aware of this when he made his application, but it is a fact nevertheless. We proceed to Patent No. 2, granted October 10th, 1865, on the application of H. A. King, N. H. King, and F. 8. Walker. The claims made in the original specification were as follows :— First, the movable block ¢ used in connection with the slides B, for enlarging or contracting the entrance, for the purposes set forth. Second, the bottom bar p made to form the comb- guide r and double projections g, to secure straight combs of proper thickness and keep the frames an exact distance apart and from the walls of the hive. Third, the top bars’o with openings ¢ made to form a chamber floor to avoid the usual air space above and between the frames and bring the surplus honey- boxes in connection with a double tier of honey-boxes, or the placing of one or more boxes upon another box or boxes, operated substantially as set forth. Of these claims the first and third were rejected. Another claim was then substituted for the first, which was granted, and reads thus :— **First, the comb-frames D, provided with upper and lower bars o, p, constructed and arranged sub- stantially as and for the purposes described. The second claim was modified and then allowed. It reads as follows :— Seeond, the Jower bar p of the comb-frames, bey- elled so as to form the comb-guide r for the purpose of securing straight combs, and provided with the double projections g to keep the frames at a proper distance from each other and from the walls of the hive. Here are two attempts, by resort to mere combina- tion, to secure a patent on two several things that were public property long before; namely, the trian- gular comb-guide or bevelled strip suggested by the celebrated surgeon John Hunter, of London, in 1793 ; and the double projections used in the Berlepsch hive ten years before, ‘‘ as and for the purposes described,”’ and which was already rejected among the claims for Patent No.1. These things were and are public prop- erty, and never should have been patented in any form of combination with frivolous and useless de- vices. The endeavor also made to form an air- chamber, and thus ‘‘ avoid the usual air space,’’ seems to be the same grand discovery elsewhere pro- claimed by Mr. King as “‘ destined to revolutionize Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington. 218 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, all other systems of bee-keeping.’? The latter claim was rejected by the office, and the former was granted only in combination with a modification of the frames inefficient ‘‘for the purposes set forth’? of securing straight combs. the hives thus constructed was so obviously an in- fringement of the Langstroth patent, that Mr. King agreed to pay Mr. Langstroth a percentage for the privilege of using it in Mr. L.’s territory. We now reach the ‘grand climacteric,’? Patent No. 3, dated September 8th, 1868. In this case the application was originally made April 13th, 1868; and the claims then made were as follows :— First, forming comb-guides of thin strips of wood, of any desired width, as described and for the pur- poses set forth. Second, forming comb-guides of thin strips of wood, each alternate comb-guide being wider than the inter- vening guides, as and for the purposes set forth. Third, waxing strips of wood or other substances and pressing the wax to form the base of cells of worker comb, for the purposes set forth. Fourth, the close-fitting top bars o with slots j, constructed as and for the purposes set forth. Fifth, the triangular strips g, with the projecting nails v to hold the frames in their place and from the walls of the hive. ‘ Sixth, a double tier of honey boxes, with slots, as described and for the purposes set forth. Seventh, the adjustable strips w, to hold the close- fitting top bars together and against the movable sides. On these claims the Examiner in charge remarked, June 11th, 1868, ‘‘the applicant should state more explicitly what the comb foundations in the honey- boxes are, and how they are affixed. Sawkerfs 1e- ferred to [in the specification] are not found in the drawing or model.’’. Keturned to be amended. Again, July 16th, 1868, *‘ the first claim is fully met by patent of Edward Kretchmar, July 28th, 1867. The descrip- tion in the specification of this patent containing a clear reference to this device. Third claim antici- pated by patent of Henry A. Tozier, October 9th, 1866. The first part of fourth claim is rejected in view of the patent of Samuel and Minor Taylor and Edmund Cox, February 13th, 1866. In relation to the second part of said claim, a pending application shows stamped comb foundations, and it is believed to be not new. ‘This specification contains much super- fluous matter, and is not sufficiently specific in some particulars relating to construction. Should be re- turned and corrected according to pencil notes.” July 19th, 1868, the applicant is informed that ‘‘ nei- ther model nor drawing exhibits a wax-line founda- tion in the surplus honey-boxes. The first claim should therefore be limited to what is shown, viz., comb foundations in combination with the long slots g in a double tier of honey-boxes, as shown and de- scribed.’ Finally, the patent was issued September Sth, 1868, with the following descriptions and claims granted: ‘*'Through the top of the lower honey-boxes are slots, at right angles with which latter are placed the guide-combs. Slots are formed in the upper of the _top bars, between which latter are nailed the comb- guides. ‘ Claim 1.—The slots z, in connection with a double tier of honey-boxes with comb foundations, as speci- fied, and for the purposes set forth. 2. Constructing the close-fitting top bars O, with comb-guides U, and slots, as specified, and for the purposes set forth. We see, from the Examiner’s report above, that the claim absolute to the comb foundations was dis- tinctly rejected as not being a new invention, and is The use of the movable frame in | finally allowed only im connection with slots ard a double tier of honey-boxes. There is no patent granted on it per se, distinctly or specifically. Yet, in the face of this, Mr. King, in his paper for May, 1870, presents the reader with an engraved illustra- tion of a machine, which is introduced to notice after this fashion: ‘‘ The engraving represents a machine for making worker-comb comb-guides, invented over two years ago, by H. A. King. and secured by letters patent September 8th, 1868.?? Now let the reader carefully scrutinize this statement, and while doing so, bear in mind that there is only one patent granted toH. A. King, September 8th, 1868, namely, this same patent» No. 3, already so minutely described. What does the language here used purport to mean? Is it the *‘ machine”? which is claimed to have been then patented? Certainly not! No machine is anywhere mentioned or alluded to in this patent. Well, then, is it the ‘‘ worker-comb comb-quides”’ that are claimed as having been patented? That cannot be, for we have seen that the claim for them was explicitly rejected ? Yet the language implies one of these things, or the other. He has a patent for their use in a particular combination, yet heis making them by a machine and selling them separately as comb-guides or founda- tions, under the assumption that he has a patent, either on them or on the machine by which they are made, while the plain truth is that he haseno such patent. ‘The history of those comb foundations is somewhat curious, and being altogether pertinent, may as well be related here in passing. These foundations are sub- stantially the invention of Mr. Mehring, of Rhenish Bavaria, in Germany, made in 1858, and referred to, described and figured in the third edition, page 373, of Mr. Langstroth’s work on the ‘*‘ Hive and Honey Bee,”’ published in 1859. We quote the passage: ‘‘ This figure shows the form of a metallic stamp invented by Mr. Mehring, of Bavaria, in Germany, for print- ing or stamping the foundations of the combs upon the under side of the frames. After-the outlines are made, he rubs melted wax over them, and scrapes off all that does not sink into the depressions. Mr. Meh- ring represents the device as enabling him to dispense with guide-com)hs, the bees appearing to be delighted to have their work so accurately sketched out for them. In first using the triangular guides, I waxed their edges, but soon found that this was unnecessary. Mr. Mehring’s foundations may also be found tu an- swer without any wax. Mr. Wagner suggests form- ing these outlines with a simple instrument some- what like a wheel cake cutter. Wherea large number are to be made, a machine might easily be constructed which would stamp them with great rapidity.”” We have here plainly the original idea of Mr. King’s comb-guides and of his machine for making them with rapidity; but as that part of this account of Mr. Mekring’s invention which referred to the suggestion for this purpose, appeared in only a portion of one edition of Mr. Langstroth’s book, (having been sub- sequently omitted to make room for other matter, ) it should by no means be supposed that Mr. K. saw it and acted on the hint it furnished—making an inven- tion and contriving a ‘‘ machine,”? which he imagines he has patented. Oh no, by no manner of means! It is simply one more of those striking coincidences which show that great minds will think very much alike, when contemplating the same subject intensely. Having now made one more ‘‘great discovery,” by finding that he has all along been laboring under a delusion, it is to be hoped he will cease to make and sell patented comb foundations. He will find wnpat- ie articles much more popular, in his neighbor- ood. But let us now return from this seeming digression, to the beauteous features of patent No. 3. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 219 What strikes us as peculiarly remarkable in this regard is the fact, that after having incurred the trouble and expense of procuring three patents, Mr. King should successively abandon them all, condemn- ing and rejecting his own devices. Certainly, if ac- tions speak louder than words, he has done this very thing. In his circulars for 1871, he exhibits as his own, a style of hive in which, with two exceptions, (and the things excepted can have substituted for them unpatented devices, which are superior in effect- ing the purpose desired,) he leaves out everything which he claims to have invented and patented in his three patents. The cross-bar, with all its patented appen- dages, disappears, and the frame is made as siinple as possible. This is the style of hive he is now making and selling; and it can be easily shown that (with the two exceptions alluded to), if this hive is not cov- ered by the Langstroth patent, as we believe it to be, it is public property. The assertion has often been made, by intelligent practical bee-keepers, that a hive can be made almost exactly resembling the King hive in external appearance, and so made that when opened it shall be found to contain not a single feature pat- ented by King, which, nevertheless, when examined by experts, shall be pronounced to be A MUCH BETTER hive than the King hive, precisely because it has none of his patented features. But who could havethought that Mr. King himself would do this very thing ; as he has done, according to his own circulars? Thus demonstrating by his own act and the hives he is now making and selling, not only that he has made no invention of any special importance; but that, to keep his hive in the market, he has found it neces- sary to disuse and thereby discredit his own patents. Our object in this article has been simply and plainly to expose what we believe to be false preten- sions and baseless claims. In doing so we have re- stricted ourselves closely to this, allowing nothing personal to divert us therefrom. And now, to avert all misconception or misconstruction, we here offer the columns of the American Bee Journal to the ex- tent of two pages monthly for three months to come, to Mr. King, for anything he may have to say in refu- tation of our remarks, or in explanation, exculpa- tion or vindication of his course as a patentee, in- ventor or dealer in bee-hives, or articles in connection therewith. And, should Mr. King fail to avail him- self of this offer, we extend it to any purchaser of territorial rights under him, who may feel disposed to undertake the task. ——_-e [For the American Bee Journal.] H, A. King’s and L. L. Langstroth’s Patents. ———— In the spring of 1867, Mr. H. A. King entered into an arrangement with L. L. Langstroth & Son, by which he agreed to pay a certain sum on all sales of hives, rights and territory subject to his patents, when such sales were made in territory still owned by Langstroth. ‘lhe agreement confined him to the use of certain slots in the topbars of his frames, for admitting bees to top boxes, as shown in a model deposited with Langstroth & Son—that is, he was allowed to use the Langstroth frames with tops par- tially separated, and no other patented feature of that invention. On September#8th, 1868, Mr. King took out a patent under which he no longer uses the slots or notches by which the tops of his frames were partially separated ; but substitutes mortices for them in the tops of the frames, thus allowing those tops to fit closely together throughout all their length. To inquiries frequently made whether we considered those mortices an infringement of our patent, if used without proper license, we replied in substance that we did not. It was obvious to us that this mortice enabled Mr. King to use an important feature in my invention, and one very fully set forth, both in the original patent and the re-issue, viz., the allowing bees to pass above the frames, into supers, so that the honey might be obtained in the most beautiful and salable form, and be safely removed from the hive even by timid and inexperienced persons—a thing never even contemplated in any movable frame hive before mine. Still it seemed to me that it did not conflict with the wording of my claims, and that therefore I could not prevent its use without another re-issue and better wording of my claims; and as such re-issue would have relieved all parties from liability for any previous infringement, we thought it best to acquiesce in its use. In the spring of 1870, only a few days before the death of my son, Mr. King notified us that as he had not for some time used the notches or slots for which he agreed to pay us a percentage on all his sales in our territory, he must decline paying us anything more under that agreement. Having now recovered my health so much as to be able to examine his patent more thoroughly, and having taken the ablest legal advice to be procured, I am satisfied that Mr. King’s mortices will be pronounced by the Courts to be ‘‘a mere colorable evasion,’’ and therefore a sub- stantial infringement on myrights. Having already, in a personal interview, informed Mr. King of the view I now take of this matter, justice to him, and to those parties intending to purchase under him, supposing that his hive is confessedly no infringe- ment upon mine, renders it proper that I should make this public statement. Those parties also, who have purchased under my patent, and who have been damaged in their pecuniary interests by an opinion given by me without proper legal advice, have the right to demand that I should take the earliest opportunity to state that I regard the use of Mr. King’s mortices, or any equivalent device for the purpose of passing bees above the frames into boxes, to be an infringement upon my patent, unless licensed to be used by the owners of said patent ; and that the earliest possible steps will be taken to have the matter decided by the United States Courts. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Oxford, Ohio, March, 1871. To the Bee-keepers of the United States. It is well known that L. L. Langstroth’s Patent of October 5th, 1852, was re-issued May 26th, 1863. Though satisfied that the original patent would be held by the Courts to cover all that I wished to claim, the re-issue was asked for to enable me more fully and clearly to show exactly what I had done and claimed ; so that, in case of litigation, no time need be lost in ascertaining those all-important points. When making my application, I carried to the office every book, in English, German, and French, which I could procure from Mr. 8. Wagner’s library and my own—the former containing probably the largest col- lection of German, and the latter of English works pertaining to bee culture, to be found in this country. Prof. C. G. Page and Mr. Addison M. Smith were at that time the Examiners in charge, before whom my application properly came. There being then’ very few works on bee culture in the library of the Patent Office, they were thus enabled to examine my case with all the information which I had been able to procure from any source, having any bearing on the 220 THE AMERICAN * Sibject of movable comb hives—as I desired nothing which could not be granted to me with the fullest information within their reach. Mr. Page is no longer living, but Mr. Smith is now a solicitor for patents in Washington. My original specification for the re-issue (which I was requested by the office to abbreviate, but which is still on their files) very clearly points out the essential difference between my invention and those of Huber, Munn and Debeauvoys, as Will be seen from an extract from a communica- tion published in the PRAIRIE FarMeER, in October, 1866. *‘ Prior to the re-issue of Mr. Langstroth’s patent in 1863, the opposition had relied on the idea that his patent was anticipated by foreign inventions; but at the time of the re-issue, and on the hearing now, Mr. Langstroth himself furnished and laid before the office every work having any bearing on the subject, both foreign and native, nearly thirty in nwnber, embracing some very rare works—one being the only copy ex- isting in this country. On the recent hearing, they abandoned, wholly, the idea of its being anticipated by any foreign invention, and relied on the effort to prove a prior invention in this country—zo less than four of them swearing that they had invented or used the same thing prior to Langstroth! But these par- ties had done what Job so fervently desired his ene- mies to do—they had each of them ‘‘ written a book !”? —and those books—if there had been no other testi- mony—were sufficient to decide the case against them. There probably has never been a case in the office in which there was so much of fraud and per- jury as was furnished on the part of the opposition in this case; and it is no wonder that both the Ex- aminer and Commissioner came to the conclusion at the testimony was ‘‘ not worth consideration.”’ The application for the extension of my patent was hotly contested. Most of the parties who fought it have passed off from the bee-stage, and I have never regretted that I did not spread before the public, the testimony now in the records of the Patent Office, which would have consigned some of them to in- famy ; and which might, if pressed home, have placed others in the penitentiary. I can confidently appeal to the bee-keeping public who have known my course, to bear me out in the assertion that I have never per- sonally assailed any one, but have often, under cir- cumstances of great provocation, refrained from using very damaging facts against those who have assailed me. The generous treatment which I received from the two Bee-keepers’ Conventions, at Indianapolis and Cincinnati, have, I trust, put to rest forever all the aspersions which have been heaped upon me by ig- norant or designing men, as being the mere intro- ducer of a foreign invention, which, with some unim- portant modifications, I am charged with having patented and attempted to palm upon an unsuspect- ing public as my own. If ever these charges are again made, by those who know the facts, they must renounce all claims to truth, honor, or even common decency. In the contest, which must soon come before the courts of law, I hope that every legitimate weapon which can be used to break down my patent, will be brought forward; and I now hereby invite all the bee-keepers of the United States, and all anywhere else, who may see this appeal, to send to H. A. King & Co., 240 Broadway, New York, against whom suit has been brought for infringing on my patent— any information contained in books or printed pub- lications, in any language, prior to the issue of my ‘patent, (October 5th, 1852, ) which seems to have any adverse bearing on my case, and to bring forward any knowledge which they may possess of any invention mace in this country, but not described in print, by BEE JOURNAL. [APRIL, which the claims of my patent may be either weak- ened, limited, or invalidated. I stand upon what | believe to be my rights. If Ihave none, but am un- fortunate enough to be the honest original inventor, who, to his surprise and sorrow, finds that he was not the first inventor, the sooner I know this, the better ; that I may at once cease from claiming what would then belong to the public, and not to me. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Oxford, Ohio, March, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] The Proposed Langstroth Memorial. Mr. Epiror :—I desire through the columns of our Bee Journal, to thank the bee-keepers who, at Cincinnati, proposed to raise a testi- monial fund for my benefit. I must, however, most respectfully decline receiving any money which may be contributed for this purpose. From the report you published of the proceedings of the Association, it may be inferred that I did what I properly could to pre- vent that body from sanctioning the measure proposed. The reporter of those proceedings hardly does justice, however, to the strong ex- pressions which I used to induce an abandon- ment of the testimonial project. The report states that ‘‘Mr. Langstroth said he hated to have his private affairs occupy the time of the Association,’’? and the chairman, Rev. Mr. Van Slyke, fearing that I might be misunderstood, put the direct question to me: ** You do not intend to reflect on the Committee or the Asso- ciation.’’ As the time for adjournment had nearly arrived, I ceased further opposition, but now embrace the first favorable opportunity to put myself right before the bee-keeping public. Perhaps I can in no better way express my feelings on this subject than by quoting from an article written by me for the July number of the Journal for 1869, page 20, under the caption of JUSTICE,* as follows: ‘‘It is with increasing re- luctance that I am compelled so often to obtrude upon the public my claims, and the various ways in which they have been ignored by many bee- keepers ; but if your readers feel under any ob- ligation to me for the invention of a hive which has confessedly given a new impulse to bee-cul- ture, I can easily show some of them a way in which they can do me justice. Let them read my article in this number in ‘reply to B. C. Auchampaugh’s questions about patent rights and claims,’ also the advertisement of L. L. Langstroth & Son, showing what territory in the extended patent is still controlled by them, If they are using any style of hive clearly covered by my claims, (see page 152 of the 8th number, volume 4 of the BEE JOURNAL,) no matter of whom they may have purchased the patent, they are using my property, for which they have paid me no equivalent. . Our advertisement will show them how they can_do us justice. “It is true that the larger part of the most * The title of the article quoted from was originally, ‘‘ Jus- TICE, NOT CHARITY,’ but I changed it at the suggestion of a friend, who thought that I might be regarded by some as reflecting on Mr. Walter Hewson, whose friendly notice sug~ gested the remarks. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 221 valuable territory has passed out of our hands, belonging now to Mr. R. C. Otis, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who, by his untiring energy, has perhaps done more than any other person to in- troduce the movable frame principle to the pub- lic, and who has not yet received any adequate remuneration for the tims, money, and energy which, since 1856, he has devoted to this busi- ness ; but, like myself, is a poorer man for all he has done.”’ I have not changed my sentiments since the above was written. Let no one, therefore, con- tribute to the fund with the expectation that I can be induced to accept any part of it. I will, however, now suggest a way in which what has been or may be subscribed to it, may be used, so as to be truly honorable to the bee-keepers of North America. If my movable comb frames have effected a great revolution in bee-keeping in this country, the honey-emptying machine of Maj. Von Hruschka will so carry on the good work that it will be safe to say that the Hruschka (for no other name should be given to his device) will at least double the yield of honey attainable without it. Let us then raise money enough to procure a beautiful gold medal with suitable devices and send the same to Maj. Von Hruschka, asa slight testimonial of our grateful appreciation of the important aid he has rendered us, in being the first to suggest and employ centrifugal force to empty honey from the comb. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Oxford, Ohio, March, 1871. tet [For the American Bee Journal.] The Poison of the Honey Bee as a Medicine. In the first edition of my work on the ‘‘ Hive and Honey Bee,”’ published in 1853, I said :— ** An intelligent Mandingo African informed a lady of my acquaintance, that they do not in his country, dare to eat wnsealed honey until it is first boiled. In some of the Southern States all unsealed honey is generally rejected. It appears to me highly probable that the noxious qualities of the honey gathered from some flowers, is for the most part evaporated before it is sealed over by the bees; while the honey is thickening in the cells. Boiling the honey would of course expel it more effectually, and it is a well ascer- tained fact that some persons are not able to eat even the best honey with impunity, until after it is boiled ! I believe that if persons who are injured by honey, would subject it to this operation, they would usually find it to exert no injurious influence on the system.”’ - **T have met with individuals upon whom a sting produced the singular effect of causing their breath to smell like the venom of the enraged insect.’’ ‘* While the poison of most snakes and many other noxious animals affects only the circulating system, and may therefore be swallowed with impunity, the poison of the bee acts powerfully, not only upon the circulating system, but upon the organs of digestion.”’ ** An old writer recommends a powder of dried bees for distressing cases of stoppages ; and some of the highest medical authorities have recently recom- mended a tea made by pouring boiling water upon bees for the same complaint, while the homeopathic physicians employ the poison of the bee, which they call apis, for a great variety of maladies. That it is capable of producing intense headaches, any one who has been stung, or who has tasted the poison, very well knows.”? ** Bees often thrust out their sting, in a threatening manner, even when they do not make an attack; when extruded from its sheath, it exhibits a minute drop of poison on its point, the odor of which is quickly perceived, and some of it is occasionally flirted into the eye of the apiarian, causing consider- able itching.”? Edition of 1857. I have known for many years that many of the pe- culiar effects produced upon the human system by honey, were owing mainly, if not entirely, to the poi- son of the bee in the honey eaten. I know of no one before me who, has called the attention of medical men to this important fact. Every experienced bee-keeper knows that it is next to impossible to remove honey from a hive without exciting the bees; the least tap upon the hive causes them to thrust out their stings, and thus to bedew the combs with their poison, so that every disturbing in- fluence causes an effusion of more or less poison, even when the honey is not, at the time of this dis- turbance, taken from the hive. This poison, adhering to and drying upon the honey comb, will, for a very considerable time, be active in its effects.* It is a well-known fact that some persons cannot eat even a very little honey without distressing cholic pains ; and I have repeatedly demonstrated that if the honey is boiled, or brought nearly to the boiling-point, such persons Can eat it with impunity—while they cannot eat safely a small quantity of loaf sugar in which some of this bee-poison has been put. As the bee- poison is very volatile, slightly boiling the honey seems to dissipate it entirely. The fact that there is almost always more or less bee poison in the honey of commerce, and that many of the peculiar symptoms caused by eating honey are attributable to this poison, opens a new source of in- quiry to the medical world; and they can now use the vast stores of facts and opinions as to the medical virtues of honey, furnished by Aristotle, Hippocrates,t Galen, Pliny, and a host of old and medical authors. It is obvious from these remarks, that the remark- able effects claimed by the homceopathists to be pro- duced upon the human system by the bee poison, and which they have regarded as quite a recent discovery, may be traced back almost to the remotest antiquity, and found to have equally important relations to the old schools of medicine. Schuckard, in his recent work on *‘ BritrsH BEEs,”? says: ‘* The earliest manuscript extant, whieh is the medical papyrus, now in the Royal Collection at Ber- lin, and of which Brugsch has given a fac-simile and a translation, dates from the nineteenth or twentieth Egyptian dynasty, accordingly from the reign of Ramses II., and goes back to the fourteenth century before our era. But a portion of this papyrus indi- cates a much higher antiquity, extending as far back as the period of the sovereigns who built the pyramids, consequently to the very earliest period of the history of the world. ‘* It was one of the medical treatises contained within the temple of Ptah, at Memphis, and which the Egyp- tian physicians were required to use in the practice of their profession, and if they neglected such use, they became responsible for the death of such pa- * Those using the Hruschka or centrifugal machine for emptying honey from the combs—so named after its inventor Maj. Hruschka—should be careful to heat nearly to the boil- ing-point all Hruschkaed honey, to be sure that the poison of the bee has been effectually expelled’ from it. This is the more necessary, as the process of removing for emptying is more likely to excite the bees than the simple removal of the honey in boxes. t¢ Born 460 years before Christ. 222 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, tients who succumbed under their treatment, it being attributed to their contravening the sacred prescrip- tions. This pharmacopeia enumerates amongst its many ingredients, honey, wine, and milk; we have thus extremely early positive evidence of the cultiva- tion of bees. That they had been domesticated for use in those remote times is further shown by the fact mentioned by Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, of a hive being represented upon an ancient tomb at Thebes. **Tt may have been in consequence of some tradi- tional knowledge of the ancient medical practice of the Egyptians, that Mahomet, in his Koran, pre- scribes honey as a medicine. One of the Suras, or chapters, of that work, is evtitled ‘the Bee,’ and in which Mahomet says:—The Lord spake by inspira- tion unto the Bee, saying: ‘ Provide thee houses in the mountains and in the trees [clearly signifying the cavities in the rocks and hollows of trees, wherein the bees construct their combs], and of those mate- rials wherewith men build hives for thee ; then eat of every kind of fruit, and walk in the beaten paths of thy Lord.’ There proceedeth from their bellies a liquor, wherein is a medicine formen. Verily, herein is a sign unto people who consider. ‘* Tt is remarkable that the bee is the only creature that Mahomet assumes the Almighty to have directly addressed. Al-Beidawi, the Arabian commentator upon the Koran, whose authority ranks very high, in notes upon passages of the preceding extract, Says, ‘The houses alluded to are the combs, whose beauti- ful workmanship and admirable contrivance no ge- ometrician can excel.? The ‘beaten paths of thy Lord,’ he says, ‘are the ways through which, by God’s power, the bitter flowers passing the bee’s stomach, become honey; or, the methods of making honey he has taught her by instinct, or else the ready way home from the distant places to which that insect flies The liquor proceeding from their bellies, Al- Beidawi says, ‘is the honey, the color of which is very different, occasioned by the different plants on which the bees feed; some being white, some yellow, some red, and some black.’ He appends a note to where Mahomet says, ‘therein is a medicine for man,’ which contains a curious anecdote. The note says, ‘ The same being not only good for food, but a useful remedy in several distempers.’ There isa story that a man once came to Mahomet, and told him his brother was afflicted with a violent pain in his belly ; upon which the prophet bade him give him some honey. The fellow took his advice; but soon after, coming again, told him that the medicine had done his brother no manner of service. Mahomet an- swers: * Go and give him more honey, for God speaks truth, and thy brother’s belly lies.” And the dose being repeated, the man, by God’s mercy, was im- mediately cured.’’ Butler, in his ** FEMININE MONARCHY,” speaks as follows : ‘* Honey is hot and dry in the second degree; it is of subtle parts, and therefore don’t pierce as oil, and easily passes into the body. It has a power to cleanse, and some sharpness withal, and therefore it openeth obstructions: it cleareth the breast and lights of those humors which fall from the head to those parts : Jooseth the belly, and purgeth the foulness of the body, and provoketh urine: it cutteth and casteth up phlegmatic matter, and therefore sharpeneth the stomachs of them, which by reason thereof have little appetite: it purgeth those things which hurt the clearness of the eyes: it nourisheth very much: it breedeth good blood: it stirreth up and preserveth natural heat, and prolongeth old age: it keepeth all things uncorrupt, which are put into it, and therefore physicians do temper therewith such medicines as they mean to keep long; yea, the bodies of the dead being embalmed with honey, have been thereby pre- served from putrefaction. It is a sovereign medica- ment for outward and inward maladies. It helpeth the griefs of the jaws, the kernels growing within the mouth, and the squinanci or inflammation of the muscle of the inner gargil, for which purpose it is gargarized andthe mouth washed withit. Itis drunk against the biting of a serpent. .. . . All which premises being considered, no marvel though the wise king said My son eat honey, for it is good. ... .- Yea, honey, if it be pure and fine, is so good in itself, that it must needs be good even for them whose queasy stomachs are against it.”’ Butler refers to Aristotle, Galen, Pliny, and a num- ber of old writers. Having no time now, to examine what all these oldand modern writers have said on the virtues of honey, and to showin how many instances the effects produced by its use upon the human sys- tem, must have been owing to the presence of the bee poison,* a few quotations from the elder Pliny (born Anno Domini 23) on the virtues of honey, will be of peculiar interest. I extract from Holland’s translation, published in London, in 1601. ‘* Honey combs given in a gruel made of furmitie first parched and dried at the fire, is singular for the bloody flux and exuleation of the bowels.’ Vol. 2, pave 137. ‘*In the throat the kernels of each side thereof called the tonsils, for the squinanci (quinsy), and all the other evils befalling to the mouth, as also for the dryness of the tongue through extremity of heat in fevers, it is the most sovereign thing in the world,” page 185. ‘* Honey boiled is singular for the inflammation of the lungs and for the pleurisy ; also, it cureth the wounds inflicted by the sting or teeth of serpents. . . . Honey, together,with the oyle of roses, dropped into the ears, cureth their stinging and pain. . . . being used simply alone, and not compounded with other things, it is hurtful to the eyes, and yet others give counsel to touch and anoint the corners of the eyes therewith, when they are exulerate.”’ “It is an excellent thing for them that be stung, to take the very bees in drink, for it is an approved cure.” ... * As touching divers sorts of venomous honey, I have written already; but for to repress the poison thereof, it is good to use other honey wherein a nawm- ber of bees have been forced to die ; and such honey so prepared and taken in time, is a sovereign remedy for all the accidents which may come by eating or sur- feiting upon fish.”” Page 363. The italics are mine. I will close by relating a conversation I had two weeks ago with Mr. Eli Whitney, of New Haven, (onn.,) son of the celebrated Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton-gin. Knowing the interest I took in bees and honey, he told me that for years he had suffered from acute chronic catarrh, and that on one occasion he obtained relief from severe pain, his nostrils feeling almost closed. He rubbed his little finger in some honey before him, which was exuding from the comb, and applied it to the inner nostrils as an emollient or lubricator. Experiencing almost in- stantaneous relief, he continued to use honey freely for this purpose, until now he is almost entirely cured. Had he used boiled honey, he would probably have been but little, if any, benefited thereby; and had he used sugar syrup with bee-poison added, I presume it would have proved equally curative with the honey. The use of honey for catarrh is clearly suggested by the above extracts from Pliny and Butler. Oxford, Ohio, March 10, 1871. L. L. Lane@stroru. * I much prefer this good old Anglo Saxon term to Apis mellifica, the name given to it by the homeopathists, but which is the proper scientific name of the honey bee itself. A process has been invented by which castor oil is made palatable, and can be eaten on bread like so much honey. 1871.] THE AMERICAN [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice. DEAR BEE JOURNAL :—If we were not afraid you might think Novice boisterous, we would like to sail our hat in the air, and hurrah for our success in wintering again, as our sixty-four are all right, safe and sound; nearly in the same condition as when they were put away last win- ter. Our better half suggests that if we could manage to sail that same old hat, having been pulled down so often for hybrids, to some inac- cessible point, it would be another decided suc- cess. You know, Mr. Editor, our former troubles in wintering, and how it was our main trouble; but with our bee-house we have now done it twice, without any loss atall. If those candidates for out-door wintering could go through the ex- amination with us, see the hosts of live bees (the dwindling down after being taken out is all humbug; ours have been out two weeks now, and are working heavily in flour, and many of them would pass well for June) and brood in all stages, they would conclude that bees could raise all the brood in-doors that can by any pos- sibility be required as early as this date, March 9th. We have just got about half through our examination of the hives ; have found one queen- less, or at least no queen turned up, and another with queen but no brood. But there were so many bees in both cases, that we gave them brood from other stocks that could well spare it, and have no fear that they will not be all right. And now we must make a confession that re- minds us painfully of being only a novice yet, after all; full of blunders as usual, and as it seems we shall always be. We found one queen with wings unclipt, which, you know, we never allow, and accordingly clipt one, and then set her on another frame from the one we removed her from, remarking, at the time, that she was treated much as if they (cross-hybrids) would sting her; but, as she was in her own hive, we shut it up and passed on. A few days later we found a dead queen in front of the same hive, and on opening found queen cells. We have heard of bees stinging their own queen before, but this is our first case of the kind. A fertile queen (March first) is worth, let us see, 100 lbs. of honey at least (the way we manage, remember), and the mortification, &c., 500 lbs. more. But let us try some other more pleasant theme. W. D. Wright, Knowersville, N. Y., asks as follows : ‘7 have a wooden extractor, and although the -wire cloth is but ten meshes to the inch, and the frames 10 by 144 inches, when turned the wire cloth hollows so much that any new comb flies out of the frame immediately, all to pieces. Have you had any such experience, and do you know any remedy ?”’ Lots of experience. For remedy, keep the wire cloth up in its place some way. We have used several cross-bars of heavy wire, but a friend at the Convention gave us the best plan we have heard of, viz.: Take a strip of heavy 223 tin, half an inch wide, double it lengthways, and fasten it across back of the wire cloth, with the smooth edge against it, which will be stiffer than any wire. “*2d. How much space do you leave between the upper and lower set of frames, in the two- story hive?”’ Not more than one inch, or the bees will build combs there. We never usea honey-board when the bees are at work above. If they raise brood there, all the better ; then we have a side storing hive, ahead of Hazen’ s, Quinby’ % Alley’s, or any other, in our opinion. “3d. What do you mean, in the last No., by leaving the hive open in summer ?”’ Just this: We remove all entrance blocks and back ventilator entirely ; and we think all this room is needed for a thoroughfare for a two- story hive of Italians. As for too much venti- lation : not at all for a heavy force of bees, and if they are not all such in June, it is your own fault. ‘‘4th. Have you ever sent any honey to New York ?”? No. We sold it all, or nearly all, readily in Cleveland. We said, in our opinion, Mr. Langstroth’s re- marks were worth more than all else that was said on bees at the Convention. Several persons have asked foran explanation. What we meant is this: Mr. Langstroth, as we felt, was the only one almost whose remarks were up to the times. Community is, and always has been, almost twenty-five years behind him. His remarks on the melextractor were given with full conscious- ness of the place it is designed to take in future ; yet none, or very few, bee-keepers seemed to be aware of this! How many bee-keepers will agree that extracted honey can be produced better for ten cents per pound, than box honey for fifty? Or, if they do, why do they stick to boxes for all the world as they stuck to old box-hives ? He was very meagerly reported, as was almost all of the Convention. Almost every prominent bee-keeper could have given, from memory, a much more valuable report. Many important matters were disposed of in three lines that really required forty, and in many instances, the three lines were all dosh. We were sorry to find many very important subjects omitted entirely. We could. with little trouble, point out these items, should any one care to have us do so. Mr. Miller, of Peninsula, asks Novice five questions, page 207, which we answer all at once, by stating that the stock of bees that gave us the three tons and over of honey, last year, were raised entirely from one twenty dollar queen, purchased from Mr. Langstroth. As our object has been honey, and nothing but honey, we raised our queens precisely on the plan Mrs. Tupper gave before the Convention. (Reporter omitted it, of course, as it was of great value. What they did state was something that Mrs. Tupper did not say at all, and would not have said. See page 186.) In regard to the difference in value of Italians and hybrids (we hope the lady will excuse us, if we do not get it exactly as she gave it), she BEE JOURNAL. 224 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, stated that if honey was the sole object, she would get a pure queen, imported, if necessary, to insure absolute purity, and then raise all queens from this one, paying no attention to what drones they met. In this way the bee- keeper would have but little trouble, and would be sure of having nothing worse than first-cross hybrids, which, all things considered, will pro- duce as much or more honey than the pure ones. We gave substantially the same thing in the Journal some time ago, in answer to the state- ment, by an agricultural editor, that Italians were of no use unless kept.on an island, &c. We purchased one other queen of Mr. Lang- stroth, in the fall of 1869, but lost her before we had raised many queens; and last fall so many. of our old queens failed that we purchased twenty-five of Mr. Grimm to replace them, not having time to raise others. We have thought the cross-colonies most profitable, but find so many exceptions that we should not like to say so. The lightest colored and most peaceable bees we ever had are from a queen now in her third summer, which laid so very few eggs that we have been obliged to assist her with brood; but kept her, because we could not think of killing a pretty queen. In fact, she was about as prolific as Grimes’s hen, as the rhyme goes— ‘¢ Whoever stole our speckled hen, Had better let her be; She laid two eggs on every day, And Sundays she laid three.” Well, as Mr. Langstroth said aptly, there are exceptions to all rules in bees, and, sure enough, yesterday we found our slow queen had filled her hive with bees, and has now nearly as much brood as any stock in our apiary. She is now entering upon her thi7d season, remember. On page 218 is another question for Novice. We can empty every comb in a two-story-Lang- stroth hive in fifteen minutes, probably about twenty minutes on an average; that is, we have taken care of honey from thirtyinaday. Honey will flow, without any trouble in warm weather, as soon in the morning as you can see, and even after dark or by moonlight. We have just received a Peabody melextrac- tor, and are much pleased with it; have no doubt it will answer every purpose. What reve- lations melextractors are destined to unfold to the bee-keepers of 1871, after honey boxes are among the things that were, is prominent in the dreams of NOovIcE. —_—__#- ____—__ ; [For the American Bee Journal.] Unreliable Statements. The novice in bee-keeping who reads atten- tively the periodicals and books on bees, for the purpose of learning real facts respecting the bee and the hive, must at times be sadly puzzled. Extraordinary statements are so often made, in minute detail, having all the appearance of reality, and yet so contrary to all previous ex- perience, that one hardly knows what to belweve. Jt is a great pity that any one who really wishes to impart information on so important a subject, and where there are so many beginners, should theorize, or guess, or imagine, and then make his statements as if they were real facts. There are articles constantly appearing in print, about which an intelligent bee-keeper knows that the writer has either been grossly deceived himself, or that he is deceiving others. If such authors as Huish and Decouedie, &c., were now living, they would be heartily ashamed of their works,—so full of errors, and yet stated with so much confidence as to lead hundreds astray. Of course it is true that there is much relating to the bee which is not fully understood. It is one of the charms of bee-keeping that there are mysteries ; and he who makes areal discovery | will be a benefactor ; but let their statements be well authenticated. When a man, for instance, says that he ‘‘he took twelve queen cells and placed them in sepa- rate boxes, 3 by 24 inches, with four to six drones in each, and in two days nine out of the twelve “were fertilized,’’? we have a statement which contradicts the experience of all other apiarians. Ji May be so. It would save a world of trouble if it could be demonstrated beyond all doubt ; but as long as there is a doubt, it is of no practi- cal benefit in bee-keeping. There was a time when all the world, social, religious, and scien- tific, was wrong upon one point, and Galileo alone was right. So it may be now, in this case ; but it is to be hoped that with the spread of bee- keeping, and with able periodicals, like the Jour- nal, the time will come when all that is mere guesswork now will be so well established that a professed apiarian would hardly be willing to make important assertions without very great care in giving all the facts, and those so well attested that, in the mouth of two or three wit- nesses, every word may be established. Holmesburg, Pa. D. C. MILueEttT. [For the Ameriran Bee Journal.] Bees in Colorado. Mr. Epiror :—In the February number of the Bee Journal, Mr. N. Cameron answers the ques- tion, asked in a former number, ‘‘ Can Bees be kept in Colorado ?’’? I was in Colorado in 1866, and had occasion to travel considerably through the months of July and August ; and from what I could see, I made up my mind that Colorado was a No. 1 locality to keep bees in. The part that I was in mostly was in the vicinity of Denver, On a small creek ten miles north of Denver, I saw two stands of bees in the yard neara house. As these were the first I had seen in the Territory, my curiosity was at once aroused, and, hitching my donkeys to the fence, I struck for a look at the dear little pets. But, to my surprise and chagrin, I found them guarded by a faithful canine, who would not: let me advance without a pitched battle ; and as he was a rather rough looking fellow, I came to the conclusion that ‘‘discretion was the better part of valor,’’? and retreated in good order. Still, not being willing to give up my object so easily, I boldy marched up to the door of the house (to which the faithful sentinel made no serious ob- ~ jection), and discovered thatthe family were 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 225 Numbertwowas ditto. The next man who had away from home; thus I had to give up my investigation. But I inquired ofa neighbor about the bees, and this is what he told me: In the fall of 1865 he helped his neighbor to carry his bees into a shed, and it was as much as they could do to carry them. He had but one stock in the spring, and they had swarmed that year. They were in very large box hives, and from appearances were entirely neglected. All along the creek bottoms, ditches, road- sides, and borders of fields, it was one endless sea of wild mustard and golden rod. From the mus- tard I have seen hanging large drops of nectar, which glistened like jewels in the morning sun- beams. On examination, I found this to be genuine nectar, though of rather a pungent, unpleasant flavor. There are also numerous patches of a small shrub that very much resem- bles the Red Root or Tea plant, so common in the western prairies. This comes into bloom about the first of August, and continues until frost. This shrub grows very thickly, and at times perfumes the air for half a mile around, very much like a field of buckwheat. I did not make a close examination, but should think that so fragrant a flower must contain honey. At the base of the mountains there is a good supply of wild plums, mountain currants, etc. Honey was selling at $1 per pound, and a miserable quality of strained hive honey, at that. When I left for the States, I did so with the full intention of returning and starting an apiary in Colorado. But circumstances have as yet pre- vented. If my conclusions are correct, that it is a good locality for bees, orif it is good enough that they can gather sufficient supplies for their own living, it would certainly be a very desirable place to raise Italian queens, as there would be no trouble to keep them from hybridizing. Rockford, Iowa, March, 1871. E. Bengamin. os [For the American Bee Journal.]} A Season in New Jersey, No. 3. The last of May had come. Letters had been pouring in for over three months inquiring for queens, in response to my advertisements. I had expected by that time to begin to have young fertile queens ; but, instead, my hives were only thinly stocked with workers, from the causes be- fore mentioned, and no drones or drone brood of much account. Evidently I was in a fiz, and must get out of it. The matter was made as satisfactory as possible with customers, and I began to look around for bees to stock my nucleus boxes. I called upon three individuals in town, who together had eight swarms. The first ‘‘hated to part with them,’’ and when I offered him more than he considered them worth, he seemed suspicious that I was going to make something out of them, and “thought they would be worth as much to him as to me.”’ Finally, to get rid of me, not wishing to say ‘‘no,’’ as he ought to have done, he referred me to his wife, saying that she watched them, and ought to say something about it. So he kept his bees, but he did not ‘‘hate to part with them”’ so bad, but that he could and did brimstone one swarm in the fall. five swarms, was an intelligent farmer in good circumstances. His bees seemed to be prosper- ous, and I really thought I should be able to pro- cure some of him. In conversation, I learned that he had never sold any, but had given away one or two swarms. Finally, on being asked why he would not sell any, he replied—‘‘ Well, I suppose you know that all Jerseymen are superstitious in regard to selling bees.’’ I did not know anything about it, of course. In fact, all Jerseymen, included many with whom neither he nor I was acquainted ; and I presumed some of them might not be bound by such a heathen- ish superstition. Money is no object, when such a belief stands in the way. Reason is of no avail against it, as it stands outside the pale of reason. Here was the key to my ill success, thus far, in purchasing bees. These unfortunate people would have been unfortunate with their bees, as in their business or family affairs, and who could reasonably blame them for refusing admittance to such a dreadful omen of fate. I could not willingly consent to destroy their peace (or piece, if you please) .of mind for a paltry swarm of bees. On decoration day I came across another Jerseyman having four hives of bees, one a new swarm of two weeks old. As he professed a desire to sell, I repaired to his place the next day, and had the satisfaction of learning that I could buy some of his bees for about three times their value. Before submitting to such extortion, I concluded to try once more, ard took the train for a neighboring town, where I found a man of to-day, instead of an antedeluvian, who had bees to sell. I bought seven swarms of him, and took them home. His bees had robbed one another, until his swarms were considerably reduced in num- bers, and what were left were mostly well stocked with bees and honey. They were in a protected situation, and flowers were plenty just then, clover was beginning to blossom, the bees of some colonies were working in boxes, and there seemed to be a good prospect for a prosperous season, I was to transfer the bees and return the hives. For two or three weeks previously I had been overhauling my bees whenever it was convenient, as honey was plenty in the blossoms, and there were no robbers to cause trouble. Occasionally I had a few pieces of comb with a little honey in them, and I experienced some difficulty in hav- ing these pieces cleaned out. After getting my new treasures home, I commenced operations on them, expecting I could do most of my work out of doors, but ‘‘presto, change!’ I found that ‘¢ circumstances alter cases,’’? and no sooner was a little honey exposed than all hands pitched in pell mell for it-- hurrah boys ! Having seen such fellows before, I headed them off by transferring the combs in the cellar after drumming out the bees. Others may say what they choose, but I am convinced, and have been for years, that the black bees are far more troublesome by robbing than the Italians. - They will follow it up all day, even if repulsed ; while the Italians give it up at once, if repulsed at the beginning. But let the Italians get fairly started at robbing, and they will clean ’em out spry. 226 Part of those swarms were divided into nuclei, and part were put in hives stocked with empty combs, of which I had a large supply. There were some drones hatched, and the drone brood was given to the chickens. My drone catchers were adjusted as soon as possible to those hives containing black drones. This drone catcher is a small box which I designed for this purpose, and is arranged so that the drones and workers can go into it—the workers can go through or return, but the drones are caught sure if larger than workers. A part of the entrance is regu- lated so that only a worker can pass. In my No. 2, March Bee Journal, page 203, second column, first line, read—‘‘in eight or nine days the young native bees commenced working outside of the hive,’’ &c. I had observed, when I was first Italianizing my bees, several years ago, that the young Italians did not work outside of the hives until fourteen or sixteen days old. In this case the natives worked outside at half that age. I do not think it was because they were natives, but because there was such a mortality among the older bees that there were not enough remaining to supply the wants of the young brood. This would seem to indicate that the instincts of bees, as ordinarily developed, may be considerably varied in great emergencies. All swarms, to work to the best advantage, should have a proper proportion of bees of all ages, and any system of artificial swarming which gives one swarm all the old bees, and another all the young ones, is wrong. J. L. HUBBARD. Bricksburg, N. J., March 8, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] The Past Honey Season in West Tennessee, Mr. Eprtror:—The season of 1870 was the worst ever known for bees, in West Tennessee, at least that is the opinion of the ‘‘oldest in- habitant,’’ and we think he is about right. We do not think there was an average of one swarm to the hundred colonies of bees in this section of the State, and not an ounce of honey was secured by the old fogies in bee-keeping, who amount to about nine hundred and ninety-ninein a thousand. A few days of warm south wind, with occa- sional gusts as hot as if just from the Gulf of Mexico, brought out the red maple in full bloom, about the 5th of February. Then, for about five days, the bees revelled in a perfect wilderness of sweets; but, suddenly, on the 10th of that month, we had a terrible snow storm, with sleet and rain from the north. It was sad to see such destruction. For nearly three weeks we had bad weather continually, and if a bee so much as ventured to the entrance of her hive, she was met by a sputter of rain drops, and after hurriedly wiping it out of her eyes the little fellow was only too glad to be able to rejoin the warm cluster. A few warm days about this time brought the plum trees into bloom, but they were no sooner out than another cold snap killed them all. The weather thus alternated all through March. A few warm days would bring out the remaining blossoms that had escaped from the last cold THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, spell, only to be killed by the succeeding one. April gave promise of better weather. The wil- lows bloomed and yielded a considerable amount of honey. I had to empty some combs from my strongest stocks to give the queen room; and I had begun to expect to secure some apple blos- som honey, when, to cap the climax of our apia- rian woes, on the morning of Easter Sunday— the 17th of April, we looked out upon the fields and forests covered with snow. ‘The blossoms of our great honey-producing tree, the poplar, were killed in the bud, together with the leaves —more than half grown on the trees. It took vegetation almost a month to recover from this shock, and when the blackberries bloomed they seemed to yield little or no honey, which was the case, also, with nearly all other flowers. From gaining a bare subsistence, it seemed to be getting worse and worse with the bees, up to the 1st of June, when they, one and all, seemed to come to a solemn determination not to stir another inch, and resolved that they must either be fed or die. On opening a hive, the combs were found to be as dry asachip. Not an egg, nor a particle of brood, nor a drop of honey was to be seen. I ought to have commenced feeding long before this, but had abandoned all expec- tation of increase, or of getting any honey until fall, and only wanted to interfere in time to save them. This I accomplished by feeding about two pounds of honey to the hive. After this matters began to improve, and continued to do so through the remainder of the season. By the middle of August I had all my colonies strong, with young Italian queens in all the hives, though these, unfortunately, were nearly all mated with black drones. About this time heartsease and two or three species of wild aster commenced to bloom, and yielded a good supply of very nice yellow honey. In a week or ten days after this, we examined our stocks, and found almost every comb in the body of the hives full of honey, with an inch or two along the top already capped over with the whitest of new wax. After having waited nearly the whole year, and seeing nothing but dry comb, it did us as much good to find our colonies in so good condition, as Henry Ward Beecher says, it does him to find a hen’s nest full of eggs. About the 20th of August the golden rod came into bloom, with a good many other fall flowers, and we had frequent occasion to use our melex- tractor. We got all our honey from the body of the hive. We use a two-story Langstroth. We failed to get any honey stored above, although we had a full set of empty combs there, with the honey-board left off. We got but little comb built, even in the body of the hive, the Lees seeming to prefer even a vacuum to wasting honey, as scarce as it has been this season. We commenced with fourteen colonies ; bought four box hives, transferred them, doubled them, and closed the season with twenty-five strong colonies, with all worker comb in the brood de- partment ; besides two nucleus hives—one with four frames, and one with only one. All these have wintered safely out of doors, and are now doing well, S. W. Cos. Andrew Chapel, Tenn., Feb. 1, 1871. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 227 {For the American Bee Journal. ] The Past Season. The year which has just passed into eternity, is one which will be long remembered by bee- keepers, especially when placed in contrast with the preceding one, and we should be grateful to the Great Giver that He so ordained it. Had 1870 been as disastrous as 1869, the probability is that apiculture in North America would have received a blow from which it would not have recovered for a long series of years. As you do not appear to have a correspondent in this locality, I will presume to inflict upon your numerous readers some of ‘‘ my experience’’ during the past year. In the first place I succeeded in wintering my five stocks out of doors in the ‘‘ Thomas Hive’’ splendidly. They required no feeding, although many persons in this Niagara peninsula lost all their bees by starvation. The fact of mine being Jtalians, and having plenty of upward ventilation, will, I think, account for my success. Well, about the first of March, I commenced stimulating (Gallup fashion), and kept it up until the 25th of April, when I concluded to devote two stocks to the collection of honey, and the remaining three to the increase of colonies. I prevented the honey stocks from swarming at all. How? I gave plenty of room by removing the surplus honey every few days, and removed ALL queen cells. I increased the other three to eighteen by arti- ficial swarming. From one of the honey stocks I abstracted { Webster) two hundred and twenty- two (222) pounds of honey, of which one hundred and forty-two (142) pounds are down to the credit of Maj. Von Hruschka (is that right ?)* the remaining eighty (80) pounds being stored in large boxes. From the other stock one hun- dred and seventy-six (176) pounds, making a total of three hundred and ninety-eight (398) pounds from the two—all of which I sold at the uniform price of twenty-five cents per pound. I find the extracted honey sells much more readily than that in thecomb. I put it up in glass quart jars, and label them as per Novice. My artificial swarms are all strong, and well supplied with honey, even after taking from them as much as the family required from time to time. In order to prevent in-and-in breeding, I purchased Italian queens from different parties. The one purchased from a western man was a sad affair to me. She cost me nearly nine dol- lars, including postage (I expect she will cost still more, ) and was superseded (nice word) very shortly after being introduced. Not only queens but workers reared from her eggs proved her to be impure, either in herself or in her fertilization (another nice word)—the workers being one- banded, and their royal sisters very dark. This communication is becoming lengthy, but I must encroach on your patience a short time longer (that’s Irish) in order to give ‘‘honor to whom honor is due.’’ I next ordered a queen from H. Alley, Esq., of Wenham, (Mass.) I re- ceived the queen from him early in June. She * Perfectly so.— Ep. was a beauty, and her progeny are magnificent. I raised queens from her, and each was a dupli- cate of her mother. Being perfectly satisfied with Mr. Alley, I purchased five more in Sep- tember, and am equally well pleased with them. The only fault to be found is they are somewhat slow in reaching purchasers. I would suggest to Mr. Alley to- accept fewer orders and charge more. Finally (19thly) commend me to Alley’s two dollar and a half queens every time. O. Frrz WILKINs. St. Catharines, Ontario, Jan. 12, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Natural, Prolific, Hardy Queens. THIRD REPLY. Self-contradictions of Mr. John M. Price. The artificial queens are good. ‘‘My experi- ence is to increase from one toten.... Last year the ten swarms averaged thirty poundseach.... To make my artificial swarms, two old stocks furnished brood enough to make one new one every week since the first of June.’’—J. M. P., in Amer. Bee Journal, September, 1868. “*T commenced with ten stocks, one being queenless, in April. I had at one time fifty swarms; allhad fertile queens... . Hvery swarm raised its own queen, with three or four excep- tions... . I made new swarms as long as I had combs to furnish them with.... TJ started t» muke ten from one.... Here is the result: an increase from nine to twenty-eight, with abun- dant stores to winter, and an increase of one hundred and sixty combs, each one foot square, an increase of 164 frames foreach old stock.... I have not the least doubt that if I had let those hives that furnished the bees for my new swarms, furnish the brood, and let the others furnish the bees, the report would have been a great deal better .... It will be seen from the above, that the result ts satisfactory.”’—J. M. P.,in A. B. J., January, 1869. The artificially raised queens are not good. ‘¢ Having tried and failed to secure either prolific or long-lived queens by the means mentioned by the authors.’’—J. M. P., in A. B. J., July, 1870. ‘‘My experience in raising queens for the lasé five years, is, that I can raise twenty natural queens that will be equal to their mothers, to one arti- ficial queen from the same mother, that will live until she is two months old, and be one-fourth to one-half as prolific as her mother.”’—J. M. P., in A. B. J., January, 1871. He has experimented with his method several years. See above. ‘‘My experince in raising queens for the last five years,” &c.... ‘* Hav- ing devised or invented, proved and tested, a means of getting natural queens started,’’ &c.— A. B. J., July, 1870. On the 18th of March, 1870, Mr. J. M. Price wanted to know a good way to get queen cells ‘started. Upto June, 1870, he had not yet tested his method. ‘ Having studied a plan and means of securing queen cells by a more natural way than those recommended usually, [ am determined to put it in practice....If I don’t succeed in 2.28 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, the way I propose, I thought I would exchange combs,”’ &c. ‘If you have a way of providing queen cells, please give it through the Journal. I mean a way of getting the bees to start them in sufficient numbers.’’ (March 13, 1870, L- lustrated B. J. for June.) ‘J gave them queen cells and they hatched out a week ago.... You see my mode is not theory but facts’’?.... (June 20, A. B. J. for November, 1870.) The artificial queens are cripples, drone-laying, &e. ‘‘T am trying the experiment of raising forced queens from the brood of a pure Italian queen received last spring, but so far I have only suc- ceeded in raising cripples, drone-laying and egg non-hatching queens.’’—A. B. J., November, 1870. | The naturally raised queens can also be erip- ples, drone-laying, &c. “The 25th of June, the hive having twenty- three or twenty-five queen cells, the Italian queen led out aswarm.... Of these queen cells (raised under the swarming impulse) I secured seven queens. One was without wings, one became drone-laying, one laid eggs which would not hatch.”—A. B. J., January, 1870. The queen received from Ch. Dadant was not good, because she was artificially raised. ‘‘I have only one artificial queen laying : my pure, prolific Italian. I will guarantee any of my black, young or old, or other natural queens, to fill five frames with brood quicker than she can fill one.”,—A. B. J., November, 1870. The queen received from Ch. Dadant was not good, because she was chilled on her journey. ‘*T think the chilling she received on her transit from Hamilton, Illinois, to Winthrop, had a good deal to do with her unprolificness.’’—A. B. J., January, 1871. After copying the above quotations, I could leave the reader to draw the conclusion, bat I de- sire to add a few remarks. Mr. J. M. Price says that he has failed to raise good queens. True, he has never raised queens up to July, 1870, though he has made artificial swarms in the worst way possible ; that is, spoil- ing his colonies by dividing them to the utmost (ten from one.) No wonder if he got so many worthless queens. No good queen breeder ever used so defective a method. He finds the queens started in good colonies better than those raised in his needy swarms, and he mistakes in guess- ing that his good success came from the swarm- ing impulse, when, on the contrary, it came from the miliew in which the queens were started. He proposes to give his method of artificial swarming ; but we have already read his method three times in the A. B. J. for 1868, 1869 and 1870. Is it a new edition of the same, or anew method ? If the latter, we may fear to get a mode not suf- ficiently experimented upon, for Mr. J. M. Price is very fast in drawing his conclusions. For in- stance, he received his first Italian queen in June, 1870, and three or four months after, he gives’ his opinion as to the prolificness of the Italians, although his queen had been impaired on her way to Winthrop. That queen was raised in March-April, in a -in a similar manner. strong stock found queenless. This colony, after having received a comb of brood, constructed six queen cells. All of these, but one, were in- troduced in black colonies, and her sisters proved to be as good as any. On receiving the letter of Mr. John M. Price, asking for a pure, tested queen, I. took special care to choose a good one, in order to satisfy him, and to prove to him that his ideas on arti- ficial queens were mere conjectures. After open- ing five or six hives, the queen referred to was chosen, because she seemed the most prolific, having in forty days filled her hive with bees and brood. The queens raised from her brood, after her departure (her daughters, ) proved to be hardy and prolific also. Of course, I was greatly puzzled, when I re- ceived two letters from Mr. Price, saying that the queen sent was very unprolific, and attribut- ing her unprolificness to artificial raising. It is only in the A. B. Journal for January, that he has avowed the probable cause. We Frenchmen are often charged with the de- fect of being very sanguine. I guess friend Price was as much, if not more- sanguine than any true Frenchman, in drawing his conclusions. Moreover, we see that he is not very consistent, although he wrote somewhere: ‘‘ Consistency, thou art a jewel.’’ (Illustrated B. J., September, 1870.) Hamilton, Il., Jan., 1871. ————Oore> CH. DADANT. [For the American Bee Journal, ] Wintering Bees. My communication of December 9th last, left my bees in their summer stands. The next morning found the temperature at 18° F., with indications that winter was upon us. We there- fore gave our cellar full ventilation, lowered the temperature therein to 84°, and immediately proceeded to remove our bees thither. Weclosed the entrance, made all dark, and removed the caps from the hives, piling them (the caps) in one corner out of the way, leaving the hives open, with the very materia] exception that there was wire cloth thrown over the tops of the frames, and a newspaper spread lightly over the wire cloth on each hive. Friend Gallup says ‘‘oreat is humbug.’’? So say we, but with the next breath we exclaim ‘‘ very convenient is wire cloth.”’ a We succeeded in keeping all things to our satisfaction for a long time, but when the coldest snaps were upon us, the temperature of the cellar would run down to 18° or 20°. The only con- solation we had was, that even at these figures, it was much milder than on the outside. The bees remained as quiet as could have been expected till February 16th, when hive No. 3 became noisy. We gave them more ventilation by removing the paper from the top. The next day No. 8 was in the same fix, and was treated We had grave doubts as to the propriety of giving them so much cool air, but what else could have been done to keep them from worrying themselves to death. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 229 Each day added to the number of malcontents, and the final result began to look quite problem- atical, when the morning of the 25th of Feb- ruary broke upon us with a south wind, and a thaw in progress. The necessary preparations were made, and as the mercury approached 60°, we removed our bees and placed them on their summer stands, with the entrances to the hives open. Many bees took advantage of their liberty, and of course a few were lost. On a partial examination I found one hive contained many dead bees ; another contained a few ; the remaining fourteen appeared all right. The next day was unsuitable, but the second day after was mild and pleasant, and the little pets had a glorious time—music, music, all around ! lam not able to tell what the knowing ones will think of all this; but, for myself, I will say that as evening closed upon the scene, and the busy little fellows were hushed in rest, I felt that another crisis had been safely passed, and my apiary was worth many dollars more from the operation. Soon after this we returned the hives to their old quarters, where they remained quiet, while the winter king made a vigorous effort to retain his icy sceptre and his snowy crown. D. P. LANE. Koshkonong, Wis., Feb. 27, 1871. > [For the American Bee Journal.] Patent Hive Pedlers. If there is any one thing more than another, in which the inexperienced are humbugged, it is in patent bee hives ; and the humbug pedlers of these always give the practical bee-keeper and his neighborhood a wide berth. They usually choose some neighborhood where the old gum is almost the only hive in use. Consequently, the bee-keepers there are ignorant of what they do want; and usually, the operator is either him- self ignorant of bee-keeping, or is a knave of the worst stripe (though we have seen some uniting both qualities). He has a model hive, finished in the finest style, with brass handles, brass hinges, and trimmings to match ; and perhaps it is. veneered and varnished in addition. The model is usually, in fact, a splendid ornament to look at; and (without any bees in it) works like a charm. ‘‘And then those movable frames,’’ says the hive pedler ; ‘‘ you see, every bee-keeper wants them ; no practical bee-keeper does with- out them. Why, man alive, you can treble the amount of profit at once, over and above the old gum. And then, see how easily you can take out honey atany time! All you have to do is to take out one of those frames of honey, and place it on the table for company, set an empty frame in its place, and the bees will immediately re-fill it. And in one of those hives, the bees will make honey, even in winter. Aye, and if you get the right kind of hive, the comb will even grow mushroom fashion, which you can readily see is a great advantage. Old fogy bee-keepers don’t believe in this; but, then, they are much behind the times. Our hive demonstrates this to a dot.” ‘‘Well, Mr. P.,”’ says the gaping greenhorn, *‘yvou do put forth some new ideas. I think I must have one of them patent skeps or gums. They are such nice things. How much do you ax for one ?”” Pedler.—‘‘ Well, sir, you see we have been to a great expense in getting our patent, besides the loss of time in inventing the hive; and it is going to cost us considerable to introduce it to the public. But seeing it is you, and we want to get the hive introduced in your neighborhood, and we are aware that you are quite a prominent bee-keeper in these parts »? [Soft soap. ] ‘*Oh, yes ; we can hive a swarm of bees equal to any man you ever saw. Do you see that tree there? Well, we have been up to the top of it, and brought down a limb with the bees settled on it, and put them in the hive, and didn’t get stung a bit. What do you think of that ?’’ ‘¢ Well, sir; you are a bee-keeper, and no mis- take. [Soft soap again.] But, as we said be- fore, you are a prominent bee-keeper, and we will sell you the right, and a pattern hive, and igh ne a swarm of bees into it, for fifteen dol- ars. ‘*Whew! I reckon, stranger; you’re pretty steep, ain’t you? What was that you said about putting bees into it? My stars, the pesky crit- ters will sting you to death, I reckon.’’ ‘*Oh no sir; we will fix them .so they won’t sting, and give you the secret for nothing, seeing it’s you. Then you can transfer all your bees into those splendid hives, as soon as you can get enough made—combs, bees, and all; although the comb is not worth much, seeing it will grow in my hive.”’ ‘ *¢ Well, stranger, I think I will take one of the patent gums ; but don’t let on to my old woman, ’cause she’d be as mad as a March hare, if she finds out how much the pesky thing cost.”’ The deed is made out, and all things are satis- factory. The swarm of bees is installed in the new hive, (in a bungling manner, as usual,) and Mr. Humbug departs chuckling, ready to cheat the next greenhorn he comes across, out of twelve or fifteen dollars. In a few days after, along comes the owner of Langstroth territory, or his agent. He calls on our friend, the greenhorn, and the conversation soon turns on the bee or hive question. ‘‘ Look here, stranger,’’ says greenhorn, ‘‘ I’ve got the nicest gum here you ever did see. I bought it a few days ago from Mr. H.. Maybe you’ve come across him somewhere in your travels. Mighty nice man, I reckon.’’ ‘¢ Why, that, sir, is a Langstroth hive, with useless additions and clap-trap fixings.”’ ‘¢ A what, did you say ?”’ ‘* A Langstroth hive! Did he give youa deed to the right, &c.? Let me see it.’’ (The deed is brought out.) ‘‘ Here, you see, this deed gives you the right to use Mr. H.’s improvement to the movable comb hive (and nine out of ten of those so-called improvements are retrograde improve- -ments), but he has not deeded to you the right to the movable frames, at all. Now, sir, you must pay me ten dollars for the right, or I shall prosecute you for infringing on Mr. Langstroth’s rights.”’ 230 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [APRIB, ‘¢Thunder! You don’t say so, do you? Why didn’t the pesky fellow tell me of this, and then I could have bought of you in the first place.”’ Now, Mr. Greenhorn, there is no use in mincing the matter. In the first place, be sure to ascertain whether you are purchasing an im- provement, or the genuine article itself. In the second place, ascertain whether the so-called im- provement is worth anything to you, or not. The patent hive man never takes the trouble to inform you that Mr. Langstroth was the origi- nal inventor and patentee of the movable comb hive; but usually impresses the idea that the hive he offers, movable combs and all, was in- vented by himself. Take my advice. It costs you nothing. Remember, the form of the hive is not patented or patentable. All manner of forms of hive were used before the movable comb hives were thought of. Itis my candid opinion, that but very few of the hundreds. of hives pat- ented are any improvement on the Langstroth movable combs; and ninety-nine out of every hundred are entirely worthless, when compared with the Langstroth hive. We will take one for example. It has a slanting bottom board, mova- ble combs, &e. But the patented features claimed are slides to cut off the communication to the boxes; and the hive could be separated in the middle into two half hives, and an empty half attached to each full half. This, you will readily see, was doing away with the movable combs to a certain extent; and you will as readily see that the patented features are entirely worthless, while the movable comb feature, which is what sells the hive, belongs to Mr. Langstroth. ELIsHa GALLUP. Orchard, Iowa. [for the American Bee Journa!.] Pain d’Epices Francois. (French Gingerbread.) In order to comply with the desire of my friend Duffeler, I give hereinafter a recipe for the French pain d’epices. Dissolve half an ounce of soda in half a pint of milk. On the following day mix up that soda with four pounds of flour, and add enough honey to make a dough a little mellow. Add to this paste one dram of anise, as much coriander, and four grains cloves, all well powdered. Knead that dough the same as for bread, with great care, SO as to mix up all the ingredients ; let it stand two hours; then bake it in a slow oven, as for biscuits. From ten to twelve minutes are sufficient, if the dough is thin; it requires some- what more time if it is thick. Before putting it in oven, you can ornament it with almonds, and some slices of sugar-pickled lemons embedded in the dough, or some non-pareilie boiled with beaten eggs. Nearly all the honey of Brittany (buckwheat honey) is used to make such pain d’epices. Sometimes molasses or sugar is substituted for honey. Rye flour is generally preferred; the pain d’epices is then more brown, but more savory, than when wheat flour is used. Croquets. The confectioners of Dijon and Rheims, whose agents travel all over France, to sell their pro- ducts at the fairs, make another sort of pain d’epices, named croquets. It is the same dough kneaded with half honey and half sugar, and wheat flour. j That dough is spread or rolled only one-fourth of an inch thick, and is eut with a cutting punch nearly resembling a glove ( [&~), with only two fingers. It is then put in the oven to be dried, rather than to be baked. The honey being very apt to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, the croquets, in order to deserve their name (croguer, in French, means to craunch), are dried anew before eating. In France, every country family, in easy cir- cumstances, buys at the fairs a supply of these delicacies sufficient for several weeks. Cu, DADANT. Hamilton, Ills. —_———_@e [For the American Bee Journal.] A New Bee Feeder. Mr. Eprror :—I wish to describe a bee feeder which appears to me to be better fitted than any Ihave yet seen for use, when bees are in winter quarters. In one of your comb frames nail a half inch strip lengthwise between the side pieces, so as to divide the frame into two parts, an upper A and a lower B. Then take a piece of coarse muslin or cotton cloth, and tuck it, at its edges, on one side of the upper division of the frame, drawing it quite tight, and holding it in place by thin strips tacked over the edges at the sides and bot- tom, a,b, c,d. Now, reversing the frame, attach another piece of cotton cloth, in like manner to the opposite side of the upper division. Fit a piece of empty comb securely in the lower division B of the frame, and bore a hole through the top bar, to receive a funnel, through which the feed can be passed into the feeder, as re- quired. Now place this frame feeder centrally in your hive, or where the bees are clustered, and they then have their feed just where they want it, as though it had been stored in the combs. A hole should be bored in the honey-board, to correspond with that in the top bar of the frame, 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 281 in which the funnel may be inserted, and which may be closed with a cork, when not in use. In the Northern States, bees ill supplied with stores, should be fully fed in the latter part of September or the begiuning of October ; but this feeder answers admirably when cold weather comes on, before they have obtained sufficient supplies. Last fall I put a colony into a hive with only empty combs, and by using this feeder they are now in good condition, and do not re- move the honey faster than they consume it, as they know that they can get it as readily as though they had themselves stored it in the combs, above the cluster. When you get through with feeding, pour warm water in the feeder, rinse it well, and let it dry. Mr. Editor, I have now fully described what I know from experience is an excellent feeder, and thus make it public—desiring at the same time to receive due credit for my invention. J. F. HERSHEY. Mountjoy, Pa., Jan. 12, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] How I Lost a Number of Queens. About the beginning of the month of June last, I had a large number of nice prolific Italian queens, and only a small number of orders to fill. I therefore concluded to use them in mak- ing artificial swarms. In my southern apiary I had a number of hybrid colonies in very good condition. These stocks I concluded to use in getting up strong artificial stocks. My mode of doing this was as follows: I took from movable comb hives all the combs but two, without any bees, put them into an empty hive, and placed the latter on the stand of one of those box hives. All the old worker bees out in the field, and a large number that left the hives afterwards, went into this hive, and a good colony would doubtless have been created if I could have in- duced the bees to accept one of those fertile queens in a short time. In the evening I introduced caged queens into nineteen colonies so formed, liberating them at evening on the third day, with every appearance of acceptance. To my utter surprise, however, on examination a week later, I found that eleven out of the nineteen queens were either killed or had swarméd out with a small body of adherents. Two of the re- remaining eight were still held prisoners by the workers. After destroying all the sealed queen cells, I liberated those queens and they were ac- cepted. I report this failure to the Journal to make others cautious in liberating queens in artificial colonies so formed. In former days, I proceeded as follows, when forming artificial colonies with surplus fertile queens. I divided astrong stock, by taking two-thirds of all the brood combs, with the adhering bees—putting them into an empty hive. I then removed the so-created colony to a new location and introduced a caged fertile queen in the evening, and liberated her on the evening of the third day. J scarcely ever failed in having my queens accepted, and always succeeded in creating a good colony. A. GRIMM. Jefferson, Wis., Jan., 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Note from a Lady Beginner. Dear BEE JOURNAL :—Please don’t think us presuming upon our short acquaintance—only six months—for truly we greet your coming with ever increasing interest, inspired the while with increasing thirst for knowledge in our chosen profession, we hope to be ‘‘admitted’’ some day. We do wish though, that Mr. ‘‘ Novice’? would please change his name, or rather take one to which he has a better claim, say, ‘‘ Blessed Expe- rience,’’ and let ws have his ; only we should want a prefix, like ‘‘very anxious,’’ or something else that would express half the desire we feel to know {ust the right time to do the right thing for our ees. With only four stands of bees, and less than one year’s experience, we are able to promise that with half the success that others report, we will become just as much of an enthusiast. Feb- ruary 22 we found the bees carrying pollen, but could not tell whether from the field or some old comb stored inan outhouse. But, to-day, March 5, they are bringing such bright yellow loads, and come in such numbers, that we must open wide their doors. The Red Elm is in bloom, and the bees make music to our ears, among the branches, bringing the hope that the coming season here may not be like unto the last in the lack of honey. Suge W. Pacific, Mo. Ors [For the American Bee Journal.] Report from Dayton, Ohio. I put up last summer about 500 pounds ex- tracted honey in glass jars, heating and skim- ming it first. None of it had candied in the least, though upon noticing the fact that much of that in other hands fad candied, I exposed some out doors to all the cold we have had since February 1st, and it has not changed, but is now bright and limpid as when first put up. Last season was hardly an average one here, in yield of honey. We had good weather to near the middle of July, and the bees worked steadily, filling up empty combs, but made very little new, and did not swarm. Our fall pasturage, of golden rod principally, and a few other honey- yielding flowers, never amounts to anything more than, at the best, to keep up the strength of the hives. Comparatively no buckwheat is planted in this vicinity, so that our honey is obtained from fruit trees and raspberry blossoms, white and sometimes red clover, locust, and lime or basswood trees. The melextractor will doubtless largely in- erease the yield of honey, and in seasons like our last summer be very advantageous ; but bee- 232 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, keepers living in the vicinity of cities and a market, can sell honey in new white comb, in one or two pound boxes, more readily at fifty cents per pound, than the extracted honey in jars of the same capacity, at twenty-five cents per pound. The surplus honey we get here up to August is far superior to the fall made honey of North Western Indiana, (of which I have seen a good deal,) and, I infer, to that of any part of the Western Prairie country. J. H. PIERCE. Dayton, Ohio, March 9, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Facts and Fancies. DEAR JouRNAL:—I have read you with in- terest and profit ever since the second year of your existence, and have only once occupied your columns. In the meantime, you have grown so plethoric, and provender has become so abundant, that you can afford to be a little choice as to what you take into your capacious maw. Right glad am I of it; because you have swallowed without a grimace many an undigested and un- digestible morsel. I will add my measure to the pile from which you feed. Facts. —Six years ago I got Langstroth’s book, and studied it until I had it by heart. I then bought a hive of bees and set to work. I was successful, and soon became the wisest bee- man living, always excepting our author. I could have discoursed for days, filled columns of the Journal, or written a book on bee-keeping. Who could not, after reading Langstroth? Af- terwards I got Quinby’s Mysteries and King’s Bee-keeper, if that is the right name. Quinby’s book was evidently original, and it would have been good if we had had no better. It demon- strated this, that there never was a hive to equal the common box of the Quinby pattern. It was in midnight darkness about movable comb hives and the modern improvements in bee-keeping. As to all the other books I have seen, I would not like to say that every important idea was not taken from Langstroth. Facts may have a moral, as well as fiction. Let us see. Moratu ist.—Let not those who are learning the A, B, C of bee-keeping be too impatient to rush into print and spread themselves before the world. If they go on towards perfection, as I hope they will, they will not feel half so wise in afew years. Novice says he is still Novice, and I fancy he is a good deal more humble yet wiser man, than when he first began. Bee-keeping, like religion, sobers withage. Query.—If Lang- stroth was credited with all the information received, directly or indirectly, from him, and which is spread out in bee books and journals, how much that is valuable would be left to be distributed among others? Mora 2p.—‘‘ Give tribute to whom tribute, honor to whom honor is due.’”? If you think you are not indebted to Langstroth, give up every form of movable comb hives, and go back to the old box. . Faots.—About a month before the swarming season, I noticed that one of my queens had gone to the opposite side of the hive from the brood, and filled all the drone comb there was with eggs. To do this she had to pass empty worker combs. There were no eggs deposited in that part of the hive except in the drone comb, which was filled on both sides. INFERENCE 1st.—The queen can distinguish between worker and drone comb. 2D. When the queen lays drone eggs, she does it on pur- pose. The abdomen compression theory is not correct.* Facts.— Last summer I found two young Italian queens in one hive. ‘Took one out, and left one,—the most beautiful I ever saw. Ina few weeks I found about an equal number of most beautiful Italian and common black work- ers. Mortified that my fair young queen should have anything to do with contraband drones, I killed her; and then I afterwards learned that there was a black queen in the hive, which must have come from some of my neighbors a mile or more distant. Alas!.I] had in a rash moment killed the finest Italian queen I had ever raised, and on a groundless suspicion. Morau.—Don’t take things for granted! Bee- keepers, especially the kind that get up new hives, draw some sash conclusions. Always ‘‘be sure you are right, then go ahead !”’ Facts.—Having received the right to make and use the Jasper Hazen hive, I made an ex- periment ; but did not make his hive. I took all of the combs from one of my strongest colo- nies in May, and added two combs from another hive. I suspended six of these combs side by side, and right over them I suspended the other six. This made atall, narrow hive. I builtupon both sides and over the top with surplus honey boxes. I turned in all the bees, and kept them from swarming. I wanted to get all the boxes, which would hold 175 lbs., filled with honey. The plan was for the bees to commence in the side boxes and deposit the honey just beside the brood. But some bees have no sense. These persisted in climbing away through two sets of combs and putting the honey in the boxes over the top of the hive, where it could be of no earthly use to them in the winter. After these boxes were filled and the honey sealed, they were compelled to go into the side boxes; but they seemed to be in the sulks about it, and did not half work until I lifted some empty boxes on the top of the hive. : Moratu 1st.—Don’t take everything as gospel that is said about side boxes. Morat 2p.—Before you get too many of these hives, find out whether you have the side-box breed of bees. I haven’t. JOHN. * The ‘‘ abdomen compression ”? theory may not be correct, yet it strikes us that the fact that the queen, passing over worker combs, laid drone eggs in drone cells, does not prove its fallacy. It shows only what has long been known, that she can distinguish the different kinds of cells —Ed. ———_+-—_____ At a California fair recently, several bottles of strained honey were put on exhibition, when a chap put a bottle of castor oil with the rest. The ~ opinion of all who tried it was that the bee that laid it was a fraud. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 233 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL Washington, April, 1871. uS~ We consider the Bee-feeder, invented by Mr. Hershey, of Mountjoy, (Pa.,) and described by him, in the present number of the Journal, as the best device forthe purpose intended that has ever come under our notice. The Germans use an ordi- nary feeding trough, with float, placed within the frame, and inserted in the cluster of bees; but the substitution for it, of what is virtually a feeding sac, is certainly a very valuable improvement and decided advance. The apparatus, to which we alluded in our Feb- ruary number, for safely introducing queens, with- out seeking for and removing the old one to be superseded, or a fertile worker to be supplanted, is called the QUEEN’s CASTLE, and consists of a plain case adapted, in its dimensions, to receive a full sized frame, such as the bee-keeper ordinarily uses in his hives. Thetwo sides of this case are formed of wire cloth, and the ends and bottoms are pieces of tin two inches broad, so as to allow a space half an inch wide between the wire cloth and each side of the comb or frame, which is to be suspended in the case. The case, too, should be a quarter of an inch deeper than the frame, so as to allow a free passage for the bees below the latter, and just long enough to permit the frame to be inserted in it easily. The tin end pieces should also project about half aninck at top, beyond the wire cloth, and be there bent outward, at right angles, to rest on the rebates of the hive, to support the case and its con- tents. An inch hole should be punched centrally through the tin bottom, and provided with a sliding cover for occasional use. To introduce a queen in a colony, a frame contain- ing worker comb with some sealed honey is to be selected, the queen and her companions placed thercon, the frame suspended in the case or queen castle, and the top opening closed with a strip of thin board, secured so as to confine the queen and bees. The case so arranged is then suspended between two brood combs in the hive destined to receive the queen, and allowed to remain there two or three days undisturbed. It is then withdrawn, the frame and comb, with the queen and her com- panions, lifted out and at once replaced in the hive; all the frames are then again properly adjusted and the hive closed. This completes the operation, and it is alleged, that queens so introduced are invariably accepted—the old queen of the colony, orany usurp- ing fertile worker present being meanwhile dis- carded, deposed, and ejected. The inventor of this apparatus and process, the Rey. Mr. Baist, of Ulfa, in the Dutchy of Hesse, says, that of a lot of twenty queens thus introduced at one time, all were accepted, though several of the colo- nies contained fertile workers, and from six the old queens had not beenremoved. Nor has he known a single failure since the process was adopted, now more than two years ago. The queens usually con- tinue laying eggs as if nothing had occurred to alarm or discourage them. This process could easily be tested with queens of no special value, and we shall be pleased to hear the results of any experiments that may be made. We call attention to the important suggestions made by Mr. Langstroth, in an article on the subject of bee poison, in this number of the Journal. He also related to us, lately, an instance in which a visitor to his apiary, who tasted freely of the just emptied honey (though strongly cautioned against it), and before he reached his home was seized with such distressing symptoms that his life was for some time considered in danger. Mr. Langstroth never offers the ‘* Hruschkaed’’? honey for sale till he has, by sufficient heat, expelled all the bee poison. He uses for this purpose the tin receiver in the rear of the Stewart cooking stove, in which he keeps, on the wire racks, two large, deep pans with proper faucets. These will properly heat (and when needed thicken) a large quantity of honey, while the ordinary cooking for the family is being done. At other times the bottom of the large oven and the top of the stove can be covered with additional pans. The perfect control of the draft, which is given by this admirable stove, (the inventor of which has truly been a benefactor to his race,) enables the bee-keepers to heat a large quantity of honey with the smallest expense of wood or coal. Those of our readers who can refer to what is said in the Journal for February and March, 1870, re- specting the Clark patent on the triangular comb guide, need not be told that the said patent has no ' validity whatever, and that any attempt by any one to sell rights under it, or to collect damages for infringe- ments on it, is a clear fraud on the public. To those who have not access to those numbers of the Journal, we would say, that the records of the Patent Office show that Clark’s application for a patent was not made until more than two years after Mr. Langstroth had made, used, and extensively sold said guides in his hive, and under those circumstances no valid patent could be obtained. We publish in this number of the Jourual a series of papers relating to patented (7?) methods of feeding hogs ; and do so for the purpose of conveying to in- ventors and others a clear idea of the formal manner of transacting business in the Patent Office, and also to enlighten the public to some extent, in regard to the worthlessness of many patents actually issued by the office. 234 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, The mere issuance of a patent is no evidence of practical value, nor does it establish the fact that the owner thereof has a right to use all the features that are described and illustrated therein. It is often the case that all the valuable. features in a patent are fully covered by previous patents, so that the owner of the subsequent patent has no right whatever to use the invention which he illustrates without license from the owners of the patents which antedate his. It is a difficult matter to impress these facts upon the public by simple statements, and consequently cases are constantly occurring where innocent parties have purchased patents supposed to cover valuable ground, which are rot_worth the paper they are printed on. To undertake to expose, by sober argument, the wily trickery by which artful schemers contrive to swindle the unsuspecting, would possibly be a fruitless and thankless labor; yet, happily, sometimes by fun and broad satire a truth is easily and firmly impressed upon the mind. If any of our readers are saved from imposition by the genial humor of the papers to which we refer, or should chance to agglomerate adipose matter by excessive laughter in the perusal, the object for which they were prepared by their author, will be fully attained. BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION.—At a meeting of bee- keepers, held at Elmira, N. Y., January 11th and 12th, a Bee-keepers’ Association for the southern tier of counties in New York and northern tier of counties in Pennsylvania was formed, and the following offi- cers were elected : President—I. V. Mapgs, Elmira. Secretary—ROwELL R. Moss, Elmira. Treasurer—LEvi CoxKg, Elmira. Board of Managers—Clark Rogers, Alfred Centre, Allegany Co., N. Y.; J. 8. Chase, Whitesville, Allegany Co., N. Y.; J. H. Hadsell, Breeseport, N. Y.; G. W. Mead, Ridgebury, Bradford Co., Pa.; L. B. Crandall, Havana, N. Y. Another meeting of the association will be held in Elmira, N. Y., on the 19th and 20th of April. THE ART AND MYSTERY Of Patenting New and Useful Inventions, EXEMPLIFIED AND ILLUSTRATED By H. W. BEADLE, Solicitor of Patents, Washington, D. C. Patent of John Jones, JOHN JONES. Letters-Patent, No. 16, 789, 391, February 31st, 1858. IMPROVED METHOD OF FEEDING Hoes. To all whom tt may concern: Be it known that I, John Jones, of Jonestown, in the County of Jones, and State of Indiana, have in- vented a new and improved Method of Feeding Hogs, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, re‘erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of. ref- erence marked thereon. This invention consists broadly in the employment of the force of gravitation in combination with a hog’s esophagus, or its equivalent, for the purpose of re- tarding the movement of food from the face opening to the muscular membranous reservoir, by which means all nutritious qualities are thoroughly ex- tracted. Hogs, like other mammals, ordinarily eat too rapidly, and thus fail to derive that benefit from their food, that they would receive, if time should be taken to properly masticate and digest it. By means of my invention, however, all oppor- tunity for rapid eating is taken away, as every particle of matter taken into the face opening must be swal- lowed in opposition to the force of gravitation. The method of carrying my invention into effect is sub- stantially as follows: The relative position of the hog’s body is changed during the time of feeding by any suitable means. I preferably sink the trough below the surface of the ground in such amanner that the hog is obliged to depress his anterior portion before he can partake of his food. ' Fig. 7.—John Jones, Feb, 31, 1858. B represents a hog of any proper construction, the internal organs being preferably arranged as usual. A represents the trough, the bottom of which is de- pressed beneath the level of the floor a as shown. The operation will be easily understood, by an in- spection of the drawing. In practice, it makes no difference, whether the anterior portion of the body is depressed, or the posterior elevated. The result is similar in either case. I do not limit myself to anything in particular, but desire to claim everything in general. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by letters patent is, 1st. The force of gravitation in combination with a hog’s esophagus, or its equivalent, as described. 2d. A hog in combination with the floor of the pen, when arranged relatively at any suitable incline therefrom, substantially as described. 3d. A hog anteriorly depressed, or posteriorly elevated, or both, or its equivalent, substantially as described. Inyentor, JOHN JONES. Witnesses: ANDREW ASPUR, BARNARD BAKELY. APPLICATION OF JOHN SMITH. PETITION. To the Commissioner of Patents : The petition of John Smith, of Smithtown, in the county of Winnebago, and State of Illinois, ; RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS, That your petitioner has invented a new and improved Mrersaon oF FEEp- 1871.] Inc Hoes, which he verily believes has not been known or used prior to the invention thereof by your petitioner. He therefore prays that Letters Patent of the*United States may be granted to him therefor, vesting in him and his legal representatives the ex- clusive right to the same, upon the terms and condi- tions expressed in the Act of Congress in that case made and provided; he having paid Fifteen Dollars into the Treasury, and otherwise complied with the requirements of said Act. And he hereby authorizes Heugh W. Beadle, of Washington, D. C., or his asso- ciate, to act as his attorney in presenting the applica- tion, and in making all such alterations and amend- ments as may be required. JOHN SMITH. SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern: Be it known, that I, John Smith, of Smithtown, in the county of Winne- bago, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved MretuHop oF FEEDING Hoes, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descrip- tion of the same, reference being had to the accom- panying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to an improved method of feeding swine and other pachydermata, and consists mainly in so suspending the animal to he fed, that the sustenance which it takes is compelled to ascend in an upward direction, by which means the latter = ian eee — JOHN SMITH’S METHOD OF FEEDING PIGs.—Fig. 1. becomes thoroughly digested, and thus imparts all its nutritious qualities to the animal, as will be fully described hereinafter. In the drawings— Fig. 1 represent a simple arrangement of pulleys and rope attached to a dwelling, for the purpose of elevating swine for feeding according to my improved THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 235 ” method—a portion of the side of the pig apartment being broken away, in order to give a full view of the suspended animal. Fig. 2 represents a modification of the above ar- rangement. Figs. 3 and 4 represent views of parts detached. Fig. 5 represents an animal fattened in the ordinary manner. Fig. 6 represents one fattened by my improved method of feeding. To enable others skilled in the art to which my in- vention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe fully my improved method, with the appliances for carrying it into effect. It is a well-known fact that indigestion, with all its attendant horrors, is almost invariably produced by a habit of bolting the food while eating, without masti- cating it. It is believed that this dreadful disease is not confined to bipeds alone, but that quadrupeds, especially those of the pachydermata order, are also more or less affected in this way from a similar cause. Were the inconveniences and annoyances to which the animal is subjected when thus afflicted the only result produced, the want of a remedy would never have been felt, but when it is known that such a con- dition is most unfavorable, if not absolutely fatal, to the agglomeration of adipose matter, the value of this invention will be at once perceived. The design of this invention then is to cause the food taken by the animal to pass slowly through the intestines, in order that its nutritious qualities may all be thoroughly extracted during its passage. Swine usually take their nourishment with their fore limbs placed in the food receptacle. In this position it will be at once perceived that the body is inclined in a downward direction from front to rear, and the nour- ishment taken naturally flows rapidly, by the force of gravitation, into the stomach, without giving out “ay i, Fig. 2. nourishment upon the way. Further the fore feet of the animal become immersed in the food, which ad- heres thereto, and is lost, no nutriment being ab- sorbed through the feet. In fig. 1, A represents a pulley securely attached to beam A. B represents a rope of suitable strength, which passing over fixed pulley A and through loose pulley a, is securely attached at one end to the hog’s tail c, (which latter is rigidly secured to the body C,) 236 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. _ [Aprit, and at the other, when the animal is suspended, to the cleat d. Ifthe animal is of the curly-tailed breed, it will be sufficient simply to hook into a curl of the tail, as is shown in fig. 4, but if straight- tailed, it will be necessary to effect a union by tieing, as shown in figs.1 and 8. Drep- resents a patent trough. In the modified arrangement, as shown in fig 2. E represents a 4 4 standard provided with the arm ! F represents a rope pass- Fig. 4. Ge ome ig ing over pulleys f, f, to windlass H. I represents a trough of ordinary construction. It will be observed that in fig. 1 the animal is shown in combination with a patented trough, and in fig. 2 with a trough of the ordinary construction. The result in either combination is equally good. It should be here stated, that by my improved process and devices, indigestion in hogs is prevented in another way. This disease arises mainly from over-eating, but a hog suspended as shown, will find, as the weight of the food is added to his own weight and all suspended from the tail, that his position will become somewhat painful, and he will be disposed to cease eating before he has quite surfeited himself, which is in exact accordance with strict hygienic precepts. Moreover, it is more cleanly, as no hog can “‘slobber’’ in this position. The beneficial results produced by this improved method are shown in Figs. 5 and 6; the former repre- sents an animal fattened in the ordinary manner, and the latter, one fattened by my improved method. A great difference will readily be observed, I generally prefer to use liquid nourishment in feeding by my method, but solid food can be used if desired, with- out departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore obvious that any one provided with my im- proved apparatus, if the pulleys and their attach- ments are sufficiently strong, and the tail does not pull out, will be able to ** Raise Hogs.”’ I am aware that a patent was granted to John Jones, February 31, 1858, for feeding swine in an in- clined position, and therefore I do not claim broadly all hogs, per se, or the idea of feeding hogs, or the process of mastication and digestion, all these being old, but what I do claim, and desire to secure by Let- ters Patent is: ist. A pachyderm, when suspended in a vertical position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 2d: The pachyderm’s tail ¢ in combination with the rope B, whether tied or hooked, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 5d. The pachyderm C, provided with the tail c at- tached as shown, in combination with rope B, pulleys A, a, beam A’ and cleat d, as and for the purpose de- scribed. 4th. The pachyderm C in combination with the trough D, as shown and described. 5th. The pachyderm C in combination withethe trough I, as shown and described. 6th. I claim also, as the product of my improved Fig. 6. ‘method, the pachyderm X, as shown in Fig. 6. This Specification, signed and witnessed this 31st day of April, 1868. Inventor, JOHN SMITH. Witnesses : ANDREW AMINGTON, BurTON BAKER. STATE OF ILLINOIS, Pe. County oF Winnepaco, f *** On the Slst day of April, 1868, before the sub- scriber, a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, personally appeared the within named John Smith, and made solemn oath that he verily believes himself to be the original and first inventor of the within de- scribed Improved Method of Feeding Hogs, and that he does not know or believe that’ the same was ever before known or used, and that he is a citizen of the United States. HENRY HOWARD, Justice of the Peace. OFFICIAL LETTER. U. 8. PAtentT OFFICE, WasHIneTon, D.C. June 31, 1868. JOHN SmITH, EsqQ., Care of H. W. BEADLE & Co., Solicitors of Patents, Washington, D. C. Please find below a communication from The Ex- aminer in the matter of your application for patent for Feeding Hogs, filed May 82d, 1868. Very respectfully, BENJ. BROWN, Commissioner, Examiner’s Room, No. 2114. Your application has been examined, and the first clause of the claim found wanting in patentable noy- elty. A substantial anticipation is shown in a hog suspended by his hind feet in a butcher’s stall, for this is certainly a pachyderm in a vertical position. If this clause is erased, the other clauses may re- ceive favorable consideration. A. CaPprious, Examiner. AMENDMENT IN THE MATTER OF JOHN SMITH’s Ap- PLICATION FOR PATENT. To the Commissioner of Patents : Sir :—In the matter of my application for patent for ‘* Improved Method of Feeding Hogs,” filed May 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 237 62d, 1868, I hereby amend by erasing the first claim in the specification and by changing the remaining numerals accordingly. This amendment is made in accordance with the suggestions contained in Office letter of June 31st, 1863. It is believed, however, that the original first claim was not met by the refer- ence. Although “‘a hog suspended by his hind feet in a butcher’s stall” is undoubtedly a pachyderm in a vertical position, it is affirmed that it is not sus- pended ‘‘ as’? (by the tail) nor ‘* for the purpose’? (feeding) described. It therefore cannot be deemed an appropriate reference to the claim. In order, however, that there may be no delay in granting the patent, the claim in question is stricken out, and a speedy action requested. Respectfully, JOHN SMITH. By Att’ys, H. W. BEADLE & Co. Patent issued July 38, 1868. PETITION. To the Commissioner of Patents: The petition of Jonathan Smith, Jr., of Smith- burg, in the county of Smith, in the State of Ohio, respectfully represents : That your petitioner has invented a new and im- proved method of feeding hogs, which he verily be- lieves has not been known or used prior to the in- vention thereof by your petitioner. He therefore prays that letters-patent of the United States may be granted to him therefor, vesting in him, and his legal representatives, the exclusive right to the same, upon the terms and conditions expressed in the Act of Congress in that case made and provided ; he having paid fifteen dollars into the Treasury, and otherwise complied with the requirements of said Act. And he hereby authorizes Heugh W. Beadle, of H. W. Beadle & Co., of Washington, D. C., or his associate, to act as his Attorney in presenting the application, and in making all suck alterations and amendments as may be required. JONATHAN SMITH, Jr. SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern: Be it known, that I, Jonathan Smith, Jr., of Smith- burg, in the county of Smith, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and improved method of feeding hogs, and I do hereby declare that the fellowing is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to the fattening of swine and other pachydermata, and consists mainly in the em- ployment of auxiliary and external causes for influ- encing a hog’s mind or its equivalent, for the purpose of inducing it to partake of nourishment after its ordinary and natural appetite has been satisfied, by which means the vesicles of its cellular membrane are caused to aggregate fatty particles with great rapidity. ‘he manner of carrying my invention into effect will be fully described hereinafter. In the drawing is shown a perspective view of the pig.pen, or its equivalent, and its surroundings, with various forms of vertebrata in and adjacent thereto, the quadrupedal hogs, however, being represented upon the interior thereof. To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to use the same, I will now pro- ceed to describe fully my improved method, with the appliances for carrying it into effect. It is a well known fact that fowls and other bipedal vertebrata are induced to assume an adipose state most rapidly, } by a system of stuffing. This system is based upon the principles that a vertebrate will not, of its own accord, consume that amount of food necessary to cause it to assume the greatest adiposity in the shortest period of time, and consequently independent, and external means must be brought to bear upon it to obtain the desired result. The method of carrying this system into effect is usually as follows: The fowl or other vertebrate to be fattened, instead of being permitted to partake of its chosen amount of sustenance in the ordinary manner, is compelled at regular and frequent intervals to absorb suitable rolls of prepared food, which latter are thrust into the esophagus while the mandibles are forcibly separated, the biped being, of course, securely held in the arms of the operator. The results of this system are so very marked and beneficial, that numerous attempts have been made to use it in fattening other members of the yertebrata, but, hitherto, without success. Especially is it desirable to secure such marvellous results in quadrupedal mammals of the pachydermata. For obvious reasons, however, the system employed with feathered bipeds, cannot be used with hogs or their equivalents, without some modifications. Aside from the uncleanly habit of the animal, it is hardly practical to take the larger sizes in arms for the pur- pose of stuffing them. By means of my invention, however, all difficulty is obviated. Without using brute force to compel the unwilling animal to partake of nourishment, I so in- fluence its mind or its equivalent, by auxiliary and external causes, as to induce it to feed long after its natural and ordinary wants are fully supplied. I accomplish this result preferably by means of an auxiliary heg, or other quadrupedal mammal or its equivalent, which should be preferably constructed with a prominent framework, attenuated body, ex- tended limbs, acute proboscis, and active insinuating disposition. The method of procedure is about as follows: The main or primary pachyderm, or hog, to be fattened, or its equivalent, is first supplied in any suitable manner with proper food, an abundance of which should be provided in a suitable receptacle. Upon this he is allowed to feed without molestation until his normal craving for food is fully and completely satisfied, at which time an auxiliary or secondary pachyderm or hog, or its equivalent, should be intro- duced into the apartment. The auxiliary hog, being properly starved beforehand, at once rushes with eager haste to the food receptacle and proceeds briskly to devour the contents of the same. The sight of this procedure, however, awakens in the mind of the primary pachyderm, or its equivalent, those feelings of hoggishness so common among bi- pedal mammals of the genus Homo, and he at once devotes himself with renewed energy to the consump- tion of the food, in order that he may prevent his guest from devouring the same. When the primary pachyderm has taken all that is possible under these pressing circumstances, the secondary may be removed and again confined until the next meal. If desirable, however, a third and even a fourth auxiliary (of graduated’ sizes) may be employed to renew the flagging spirits of the satiated primary, after he has become accustomed to the presence of the secondary. In the drawings, A represents the primary or main hog or its equivalent, which may be of any suitable breed and proper construction, it being provided, of course, with the usual organs of mastication and digestion. It is desirable also, that the hog should be pre vided 238 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, with a chivalrous mind, or its equivalent, in order that it-may quickly resent the insult offered by the in- trusion of the auxiliary, and act accordingly. If desirable, however, the caudal appendage may - be entirely omitted, as this forms no part of my in- vention. B represents the secondary or auxiliary hog, who should be earnest, energetic, tenacious and im- pudent, with his mind devoted solely to his busi- ness. C represents the feeding trough. D represents the pen, provided with a gate d, having a suitable mapipulating attachment EK for operating the same. F, G and H represent individuals of various nation- alities and gender. I,J, K, p, q, 7,5, ¢, sundry and divers things, too numerous and tedious to mention specifically, which have been combined and arranged in my invention without regard to expense or taste. But one single pen is shown in the drawing, though, if desirable, a series of pens may be employed, the same auxiliary being successively introduced to each. This invention, it will be perceivec, is based upon correct principles, Jong in use with other vertebrata, and its adaptation to this peculiar use supplies a want long felt among lovers and raisers of hogs. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters-patent is, 1st. The method described of influencing a hog’s mind, or its equivalent, by means of external causes, substantially as described. 2d. A pachyderm or hog, having its mind, or its equivalent, influenced by external causes, substan- tially as described. 3d. A primary and secondary hog, or their equiva- lents, combined substantially as described. 4th. The combination of the main pachyderm and its auxiliary, with a feeding trough, substantially as described. 5th. An ascending or descending series of gradua- ted pachydermata, combined with each other, and with a feeding trough, or its equivalent, substantially as described. 6th. A pachyderm having the vesicles of its cellular membrane made adipose, by a system of feeding in two or more distinct periods of time, substantially as described. 7th, ‘The specific device described, or its equivalent, consisting of the hogs A, B, pen D, with feeding trough C in southwest corner thereof, or thereabouts, gate d, manipulated by bipedal mammal E of the colored persuasion, or its equivalent, and individuals F, G, H, of various nationalities and gender, on north and east sides, in combination with the house I, barn J, wheel-barrow K, and general view p, q, 7, s, t, in the distance, either with or without the sum x, the parts being arranged relatively, as described for the purpose set forth. This specification, signed and witnessed this 39th day of October, 1870. Inventor, JONATHAN SMITH, Jr. Witnesses, HENRY HANOVER, JOHN BISMARK. OATH. State of Ohio, County of Smith, ss.: On this 39th day of October, 1870, before the sub- scriber, a justice of the peace in and "for said County, personally appeared the within named Jonathan Smith, Jr., and made solemn oath that he verily be- lieves himself to be the original and first inventor of the within described Improved Method of Feeding Hogs, and that he does not know or believe that the - same was ever before known or used; and that he is a citizen of the United States. GEORGE WASHINGTON JONES. Justice of the Peace. OFFICIAL LETTER? U. 8S. Patent OFFICE, Washington, D. °C. December 37, 1870. JONATHAN SMITH, JR., Care H. W. BEADLE & Co., Solicitors of Patents, Washington, D. C. Please find below a copy of communication from the Examiner, in the matter of your application for a patent for Improved Method of Feeding Hogs, filed Nov. 382d, 1870. Very respectfully, BENJAMIN BROWN, Commissioner. Examiner’s Room, No. 2114. This application has been examined, and found wanting in patentable novelty. Applicant himself admits that the principle of his invention is old, that is, that it is not new to fatten animals by stuffing them, but claims that his modifica- tion for a special purpose is novel and patentable. A careful analysis of the case reveals the fact that the modification itself is old. It is an exceedingly common practice for dogs to eat what they do not need, for the purpose of preventing others from de- vouring the same. If aspecial reference is desired, applicant is referred to the original dog in the manger, who displayed pre- cisely the hoggish qualities sought to be patented by applicant. The mindsof both hog and dog are actua- ted by similar external causes. Attention of applicant is also referred to patents of John Jones, February 31st, 1855, and John Smith, July 33, 1868. The application is rejected. A. CAPpTious, Examiner. t AMENDMENT AND ARGUMENT. To the Hon. Commissioner of Patents. In the matter of my application for patent for improvement in Feeding Hogs, filed Nov. 82, 1870, I hereby amend by erasing after the word ‘‘ hog”? in the 3d clause of the claim. the words ‘*‘or their equiva- lents.”’ It is respectfully represented that by this erasure applicant’s claim is strictly limited to hogs, and that consequently the examiner’s reference to dogs is not now pertinent. It is not believed that the office will commit itself to the opinion that hogs and dogs are equivalents of each other; but if such should be the view of the office, it is respectfully informed, that if opportunity is afforded to applicant, he will endeavor to convince the Hon. Examiner, that a result can be produced by means of his big dog, Grabim, which cannot be obtained by means of any hog in the country. It is further respectfully represented that the refer- ences were not pertinent to the case, as originally pre- pared. The dog in the manger might have reposed upon the dried grass until this remote period of time, without adding a single particle of adipose matter to - the vesicles of his cellular membrane, but on the con- trary, his continued stay would have insured the attenuation of his frame, the gradual wasting away 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 239 of all his fibres, and the destruction of his cellular tissue. The other dogs referred to may have accidentally employed the principles of my invention, but such accidental employment of the principle is no answer to my application. The office is respectfully referred to commissioner’s decision, 1870, page 7, which reads as follows: ‘‘ In- vention within the meaning of the patent law, is the conception of some new and useful thing, and the embodiment of that conception in practical form. I think it cannot be doubted that this definition must include an intelligent conception.”’ In the light of this decision the office must hold, in order to make the reference pertinent, that the dogs to which it alludes intelligently conceived that they were aggregating fatty particles when they devoured the food referred to. It is not believed that the office will commit itself to this absurdity. A crude exercise of the principles which I employ should be no bar to the granting of a patent for the elaborate and finished invention reduced to practical form, especially in view _of the immense benefits to flow from it, when it is fully introduced to the public. A re-examination is re- quested. JONATHAN SMITH, JR., by H. W. Beadle & Co., Atiorney. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, U. 8. Patent OFFICE, Washington, Jan. 32d, 1871. Srr :—Your application for a patent for an improve- ment in Method of Feeding Hogs has been examined and allowed. The patent will be engrossed for issue on the receipt of twenty dollars, the balance of the fee payable thereon, if received within six months. Respectfully, &c., BENJAMIN Brown, Commissioner. JONATHAN SMITH, JR., af Care H. W. BEapLeE & Co., Washington, D. U. INVENTOR’S LETTER TO ATTORNEY. SHARPERSBURG, GRAB Co., MINN. Februry d7th, 1871. A. N. ONEST, Solicitor of Patents. Dear Sir :—Having seen the issuance of a patent to Jonathan Smith, Jr., for Improved Method of Feeding Hogs, I write to ask your opinion in regard to the following method which is deemed an improve- ment on his. In the practical working of his invention, the fol- lowing objections would undoubtedly arise. If a strange hog of the aggravating disposition alluded to in the patent, should be let into the pen, immediately after the primary had taken his full meal, the intense feelings of hatred and jealousy engendered thereby in the mind of the latter, would undoubtedly cause his blood to stagnate in its passage from the capillaries to the heart, and perhaps injure the pulmo- nary arteries, or even the auricles and_ ventricles themselves. In any event, such a serious disturbance upon a full stomach, would necessarily make any ordinary hog.bilious. It is believed, therefore, that while the hog might be readily influenced to over-eat, no beneficial results would occur in consequence of the disturbed state’of the hog’s mind. I propose, therefore, to introduce into the pen, at the proper period, instead of an aggravating hog, a well known hog of mild and gentle disposition and decent behavior. By this means the mind of the primary would be kept in a placid state, and be encouraged to over-eat by a generous spirit of emula- tion. _Will you please examine this and give me your views. Yours, &c., Darius DODGER. P. 8. Since writing the above, I have had my atten- tion called to the patents of John Jones and John Smith. These patents are based upon the principle that over- eating is injurious to the agglomeration of adipose matter. As it still seems to be an open question whether over-eating is injurious or not, I would like to secure a patent for my improvement referred to, with a claim something like the following: I claim a disturbing influence in combination with a hog’s mind, or its equivalent, for the purpose of re- straining it from over-feeding, if over feeding is in- jurious, or an encouraging influence to induce it to over-eat, if over-eating is desirable, or its equivalent, substantially as described. Any proper disturbing influence may be employed. If desired, a Hibernian, Dutch or Yankee mammal, with a stick or staff, may be used, or if preferred, the pig may be interrupted by the explosive noise of a caninal quadruped. On the other hand, any proper encouraging in- fluences may be employed. An early reply will oblige Yours, &e., Darivs DODGER. ATTORNEY’S REPLY. Darivs DopeGEr, EsqQ., DEAR Sir:—Your favor of the 87th ult. has been received. I have carefully examined your alleged improve- ment, and am unable to discover any patentable novelty in it. The auxiliary hog in J. Smith’s patent would, in time, of course, become well known to the primary hog. The broad claim you suggest is fully met by the patents you speak of. J. Smith employs a restraining influence, and J. Smith, Jr., an encouraging influence. It is barely possible that a claim of limited character might be obtained, but it would possess no real value. When a patent of real merit is granted, a host of imitators usually spring up, who endeavor by some means to secure a patent, bearing some relation to the subject, for the purpose of deceiving the public. The same amount of ingenuity that is exercised to secure these worthless combinations, if employed in a new field, would secure valuable results for the in- ventor and the public. I advise you to employ your talents in some other direction than that proposed by you, and not waste your money in attempting to secure a worthless pat- ent. Yours, &ce., A. N. ONEST, Solicitor of Patents. INVENTOR’S SECOND LETTER.—No. 9. A. SHYSTERING, Solicitor for Patents, DEAR Sir :—I enclose you a copy of a letter sent to A. N. Onest, Solicitor of Patents in your city, and also copy of his reply. - I believe that a patent should be allowed for my improvement, and I wish you would give me your opinion. Yours, &., D. DODGER. 240 THE AMERICAN ATTORNEY’S REPLY. D. DonGER. Dear Str:—Your favor has been received. I have carefully examined your matter, and am clearly of the opinion that it possesses sufficient patentable novelty to entitle you to a patent. I suggest that perhaps a slight modification of your idea will much increase your chances for success. I observe that J. Smith, Jr., states, in his patent, that the hog’s tail may be dispensed with, as it forms no part of his in- vention. I suggest that you make your hog’s tail a distinguishing feature, and provide certain means for twisting it, for the purpose of restraining the hog from over-eating. With this modification, I feel con- fident that Ican securea combination of the hog’s tail, or its equivalent, either attached to or detached from the hog proper, with a restraining or twisting influ- ence, orits equivalent, substantially as described. Send me fifty dollars, and I will proceed with your case at once. Yours, &c., A. SHYSTERING, Solicitor of Patents. P. S.—I have special facilities for the transaction of business, and can get a patent in any case with quick despatch, if persons are willing to pay well for it. [For the American Bee Journal.] Wax Extractor. It is only a few years since we got the melex- tractor, and we have by its aid succeeded in doubling and even trebling our yield of honey. And now, again, our brethren across the ocean have sent us an apparatus that is of great value to the bee-keeper. It is what I venture to name the wax extractor,—an apparatus devised by Prof. Gerster, of Berne, in Switzerland, for the purpose of extracting wax from the combs. While all bee-keepers agree, that all nice, not too old comb should be saved, it will also’ be con- ceded that in an apiary of some size and age, an amount of comb will continually accumulate that is only good for rendering into wax. A bee- keeper whose main object in keeping bees is profit, will therefore need an apparatus for ren- dering this wax, whenever he gets a supply of combs no longer serviceable in the hives ; and it becomes of great importance that the wax should be extracted before the moths get hold of it, store it with eggs, and a horde of troublesome and destructive millers are breed for future an- noyance. An apparatus should be had, too, by which all the wax that can possibly be got out of very old combs can be secured, of a quality that will command the highest market price. Such an apparatus we get in the one exhibited at the Indianapolis Convention by my friend, A. Gray, and which was handed over to me to be tested. My wife, who has usually to do a large share of the work connected with the straining of wax, and often complained, in former days, of having her kitchen floor, stove, kettles, and pans bedaubed with wax, is delighted with this new invention. She can now with ease strain all the wax, without the aid of any other person, and without being hindered thereby in her other work, In cold weather, she says, she will not BEE JOURNAL. [ APRIL, need an extra stick of wood; but the greatest point of superiority is the utter impossibility of the contents of the vessel boiling over,—a feature alone important enough to assure the adoption of this mode of rendering wax. How often, in former days, from momentary inatten- tion, did we find the boiling liquid flowing over the stove and down to the floor,—a misadventure to which we are not here exposed. The wax extracted by this apparatus is of the brightest yellow color I have ever seen, even when it is extracted from very old dark combs. It is free from all resinous matter, and will doubtless bring the highest price in the market. lam satisfied, too, that the refuse is as clear of wax as we ever get it by any other process, if tried till it stops running. There is but one drawback connected with it. ‘The women say they do not get through with the extracting as speedily as when we used the cider-press, by means of which three men could render 100 lbs. per day. When very old combs are to be ren- dered, not over 20 lbs. can be extracted in one day. But as the time when bees were brim- stoned and all their combs rendered into wax, is now nearly over, and the chances for getting large quantities of wax are thus gone or going by, I cheerfully recommend the wax extractor exhibited at the Indianapolis Convention by Mr. Gray, as the next best thing to the melextractor. A. GRIMM. Jefferson, Wis. [For the American Bee Journal.] About Hives. — es We want.a hive which can be completely closed and fastened, so that it may be set in a wagon, or sent off by Express, safely, whenever it is deemed desirable. It should not take over five minutes to fasten it securely, leaving suffi- cient ventilation. It should be of such shape that it will pack to good advantage, for conveni- ence of winter storage and transportation. The frames should remain firm, In hives where the frames are not fixed, they will swing easily after being used in the machine. I specify these needs, because it is so often necessary to move bees, and with many kinds of hives packing is inconvenient, taking up much time, and also because the subject of moving bees from one location to another, to gather different crops of honey, is attracting attention. This branch of the business would undoubtedly be carried on quite extensively, if they were as easily moved as so many boxes of beans. I have never yet practiced this, but want to get my hives in such shape that I can doit, asI believe init. Will not those who have done so, give us some ideas on the subject ? Bricksburg, N. J. ———_—__@-@ —____ J. L. HUBBARD. The larve of the bee moth prefer the brood combs, as they cannot live on pure wax only. MERICAN BEE JOURNAL. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. MAY, [For the American Bee Journal.] The Italian Bee. When the American Bee Journal makes its monthly visit to me I rejoice, for I always read it with as much interest as our German apistical periodicals. It is, in fact, so excellent a paper, that the American bee-keepers may well he heartily congratulated on being furnished with it, carefully edited as it is, and sustained by a large number of experienced and intelligent con- tributors. Among these latter, the names of a Gallup, a Novice, a Grimm, an Alley and a Nesbit, with many others, have been made quite as familiar to me, by their interesting communi- cations, as those of our German writers on similar topics. Though I have not the pleasure of knowing them personally, it would be ex- ceedingly gratifying to me, were I permitted to visit America, to avail myself of the oppor- tunity to surprise some of these coryphei of American bee-keepers some fine day in their apiaries. Nor would it be less gratifying to me, could I occasionally receive a visit from some of them, here in Brunswick. Butsince neither the one nor the other of these is likely to occur, I will, for the present, employ another mode of communicating with my transatlantic friends— selecting as the subject of my remarks a theme, the discussion of which appears to be, at this time, a prominent topic among American apia- rians—the IraLtrAN BEE. I shall submit my views of it freely, candidly ; and unreservedly, anticipating a possible rejoinder in the same spirit. Among the several varieties of the honey bee yet known to me, I regard the Italian as the best. I value these bees highly, because of their industry, their productiveness, their marked gentleness, and their gallantry in defence of their stores, as well as because of their color. I see from the Bee Journal, that the larger number of American bee-keepers coincide with me in these views; but much less unanimity of opinion is likely to be found as regards the answer which the experience of years constrains me to give to the inquiry—‘‘ What is the chief characteristic mark of the genuine Italians ?”’ or, ‘‘ when may we pronounce Italians pure ?”’ I should think that the reply to this inquiry isl. No. 11. must, without doubt, be this :—‘‘ Italian bees are pure, when they bear distinctly and fixedly the marks which we find distinguishing those bees in the sections of Italy, and Italian Switzerland, in which they have been found existing for cen- turies past, unaided by special arts of cultivation, and as they exist there at the present day. To this class of districts belong upper Italy, and Bel- linzona, in the Canton of Tessin, and Roveredo, in the Canton of Grisons, in Switzerland. Now, what are the marks which we find distinguishing the Italian bees there? They invariably show three yellow bands, sometimes more, sometimes less distinctly impressed. The color of these bands (of which two are broad and one is narrow, ) varies somewhat, according to locality. In Upper Italy, the color of the bands is ‘somewhat light, while in Tessin and the Grisons it approaches more that of the chestnut. The drones are yellow on the under side of the body, and have two narrow dark yellow—not to say clay-colored —bands on the upper. The queens differ some- what as regards coloring. Some are yellow to the extreme tip of the abdomen; while others have bands less yellow or brownish, and from the third abdominal segment onward, their color passes gradually into a darker shade. Many of these queens produce princesses all uniformly alike, of yellow or brownish color, whereas the daughters of others, are more or less blackish or dark, not resembling their mother. But all the queens derived from the districts named, without exception, produce workers having yellow or brownish (orange-colored) bands. Such is the archetype of the Italian bee. All deviations therefrom are no longer pure, whether passing in one direction or another. Formerly, it was customary to maintain in Germany, that there was in this bee, even as obtained from Italy and Italian Switzerland, a slight dash of black blood. But I cannot con- cede that this is so; for if the introduction of black blood in the districts named were of a character to make itself perceptible, as has been alleged, then, in consequence of its perpetual influx, and in view of the fact that black bees are largely in the majority on earth, the yellow color would long since have been obliterated, as daily experience shows, when Italians are bred among black bees. On the other hand, with thorough seclusion from intermixture with Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the odice of the Libcarian of Congress, Washington. 242 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, black bees, the supposed fragmental dash of black blood would, in regular breeding, have long since been expelled, and the true or genuine type of the race restored, precisely as Italian bees, n natural breeding among black bees, after several generations, resume their proper native type. But this is by no means the case with the proper genuine Italian bee—neither the one nor the other taking place. As in the case of all other animals living and breeding in a state of nature, so with the bees in Italy and Italian Switzerland, an archetypal race has been gradu- ally formed, and this more especially in the por- tions precisely of those countries which, hemmed in by lofty snow-capped mountains, give them so isolated a location, that even an occasional or accidental introduction of fresh blood is impos- sible, without human intervention. But such in- tervention has certainly not there taken place, because the inhabitants have never yet practised improved or rational bee-culture, and only re- cently a few emigrants have settled there, for the express purpose of supplying the outer world with genuine Italian queens. Yet it is unquestionably true, that by careful selection of queens for breeding stock, Italian queens have been produced, which, as regards heir color, and that of their progeny, are con- siderably lighter, and, I concede, handsomer also, than the original stock. But these lighter and handsomer bees are the product of artificial, or rather scientifie breeding, and of the peculiar circumstances amid which they came into ex- istence. Thus, too, it is stated that the young queens now bred in America, from inported stock, are lighter colored than their mothers. But I can by no means admit that those bees are still genuine Italians, because they lack the genuine characteristic marks of real Italians. They are, if we so please, ¢mproved Italians, or they may per- haps, be more accurately named AMERICAN ITAL- 1ANs. Dzierzon also has, by careful selection of queens for breeding stock, secured a variety in his apiaries,, which are prettier or brighter than those procured from Italy or Switzerland. But that Dzierzon’s Italians exclusively, or those brighter American Italians alone, are to be re- garded as genuine, is certainly not the faet ; and Mr. Quinby is undoubtedly correct when he says, in the American Bee Jourual, Vol. V., p. 200—** Dzierzon’s full-blooded bees have three bands exclusive of the narrow strip. But in Italy, where these very bees were obtained, they have but two; and now, after he has succeeded in breeding, through several generations, a lighter color than the original, should he adver- tise that four bands were the only test of purity, and considered so ‘by the best apiarians,’ and the pure are in his hands and you must come to him for them, it would be as consistent as very many of our folks are. When we find who the ‘best apiarians’ are, we will inquire of them if it is possible for any of those of our imported queens, that come from a district where no black bees are known, to be pure, although they show less than four bands?’’ Thoroughly correct. But how is it now in regard to the economic value of these brighter—lI will say four-banded —bees, which, strictly speaking, haveas yet only an ideal existence, for in fact Dzierzon’s hand- somest bees have only three yellow bands? This is undoubtedly another, yet most important question, for the bee-keeper whose object is to obtain honey and wax in remunerating quanti- ties, and who cares not to make money by trafficing in handsome queens. The eager de- sire to possess these so-called four-banded bees, exposes us to some disadvantages, inseparable from these finely marked specimens. These external pretty marks, are not only regarded as undeniable proofs of the greatest purity, but as evidence of the highest economic value. Yet such is, in many instances, by no means the case ; nay, according to my own experience, and that of many other German bee-keepers, it mostly happens, that these handsome light bees, have much less economic value than is attributed to them. It was laid down as an axiom that the brighter and finer the color, the higher the com- mercial value of the bees. No wonder then if, in consequence of this view, the demand for the brightest colored bees became very general, for with the bright color, every other desirable quality was, a priori, thought to be secured. No wonder then, if, for that reason breeders prefer breeding for color, in order to secure marketable products and ready sale. These queens, bred exclusively for color, possess, in this, the utmost yet attainable degree of external beauty, really not seldom their chief defect. They are consti- tutionally more delicate, their queens are less prolific than they should be, and the colonies consequently do not winter well—that is, they reach the spring in a feeble state, after a large consumption of stores. But how should it be otherwise? The attentive breeder discovers in his apiary a colony with a bright queen and splendid workers, or he purchases such.a queen for a round sum. Her pretty colony is his sole induce- ment for breeding from this queen, hardly con- cerning himself about aught besides. But this is not the proper course. Color alone should not decide, when arranging for queen breeding, regard should be had also to the prolificness of the queen from which we design to breed, and to the industry of the workers she produces, as well as their peaceableness, readiness to resist attempts at robbing, and their cautiousness in leaving their hive in bad weather. Many Ger- man breeders now are careful to breed in this direction, and their efforts have not been unsuc- cessful, inasmuch as they have a type of bees already in their apiaries, possessing much greater economic value in all the points just indicated. Hence, it is manifestly a great error, in which many breeders are still involved, to breed solely with reference to color. Of course, it is altogether a different matter, when, from a large number of colonies, a selec- tion is made from among the best marked bees and queens, and those best in all respects are taken to breed from. In this, no one has been more eminently successful than Dzierzon. Long experience, and his peculiar genius as an apiarian, have enabled him to produce in his apiary the most beautiful workers, combining at the same time all the other desirable qualities. Very distin- guished specimens of these still so-called Italian 1871.] THE AMERICAN queens, are of course liberally paid for by enter- prizing breeders; and it is not uncommon for Dzierzon to receive fifteen or twenty dollars for such, though he does not usually charge more than six dollars for queens not brighter in color than those obtained from Italy and Italian Switzerland. ' I would say, in conclusion, that though I am engaged in bee-culture chiefly for my own grati- fication, and mainly in its scientific aspects, it ever affords me pleasure to be of service in any manner to bee-keepers, with the consciousness that I have contributed aught to the advance- ment of bee-culture. C. F. H. GRAVENHORST. Braunschweig, Germany, Feb. 2, 1871. or> [For the American Bee Journal. ] Italian Bees, Mr. Epitor:—In No. 1, page 17, of Vol. VI. of the Journal, Mr. A. Barnard commences an article headed ‘‘Italian Bees, Questions,’’ &c., as follows: ‘‘Is the allowed superiority of the Italian bees a natural quality, or only the result of circumstances? People have thought that changing the locality of bees once in a few years, was productive of good. One case I will mention. One very poor year, a man who had a dozen or more of swarms, gave one to his daughter, who was married. Others had let here and there a swarm, all of which were moved ; and it was noticed that all those moved swarmed, while those not moved did nothing. The bees thus swarming showed no superiority in the spring, over those not moved. If Italian queens are imported, or raised here and sold, the mother of the new queen has changed her location; and that, I judge, to be equal to changing the swarm.”’ I will not copy the whole of the article, al- though it almost seems necessary to do so, to have the readers of the Journal understand my reply. I wish they would hunt up that arti- cle and read it again. To the first question I answer thus—the allowed superiority of the Italian bees is a natural quality, and this is my reason for answering so: For the last four years J have bought up all the black colonies in the neighborhood of my home apiary, for the sake of getting them out of the way, and brought them home. Treated exactly like the Italians, they have nevertheless in every instance fallen greatly behind in productiveness. A year ago last fall, I bought from a neighbor living 1} miles off, the only two black colonies out of six, that had stores enough to winter, brought them home, and wintered them with my Italians in my cellar. One of those colonies died during the winter; the other came out in good condi- tion. It seemed to get along as well as the Italians in the first part of the season, swarmed on the 7th of June, being the third swarm from over two hundred old stocks. The swarm not being large, was hived into a hive full of comb, with three or four pounds of honey. I put boxes on top of it when basswood came into BEE JOURNAL. 243 blossom, and expected to get some box honey. But not only did I get none, it did not even collect and store honey enough to winter on. To keep it over for experiment, I supplied it with twelve pounds of honey in comb. And the old stock, when I examined it in the fall, had not over five pounds of honey for winter stores; and to save it for the same purpose, I gave it twenty pounds of honey in the comb. Another case, to illustrate. In the spring of 1869, 1 removed one stock of black bees to my southern apiary, where I had wintered one hun- dred and sixteen stocks of Italians and hybrids. That season was a very poor one, so that black bees around here gave no swarms or surplus honey. My 116 Italians and hybrids gave about seventy swarms, and gathered honey enough to winter 178 colonies. The black colony gave no swarm, although I furnished it with some honey during the month of June; and in the fall I had to take it up, as it had no stores at all. Again, in August last summer, I took the honey of seventy colonies, some of them young swarms, and removed them eleven miles, near a twenty-acre buckwheat field. All of those colo- nies gathered winter stores enough, and some of them stored some honey in boxes. But the black bees—seven colonies only—of a neighbor living within half a mile of the same buckwheat field, did not more than half fill their hives. The case Mr. Barnard refers to, in which the stocks that were removed off swarmed, while those remaining at home did not swarm, is. no proof that changing the location was having an influence on the bees. It is only another strik- ing proof how very different the pasturage for bees may be, from difference of soil and weather. In 1869, Rev. Mr. Manwell, of Whitewater, who keeps his bees only six miles from my southern apiary, had what seemed to me an extraordinary yield of surplus honey, while my bees barely sustained themselves. Last season, I am told, Mr. Manwell’s bees did almost nothing, while I had a very large yield of honey from mine. As far as mixing and crossing the breed is concerned, IJ will state that it is absolutely ne- cessary, in order to prevent the running out of an apiary. It is conceded on all sides that hybrid bees are the most productive ones; and I agree in this statement, if the measure is taken in a good or an extra-good season, and the bees are left to themselves, without occasionally empty- ing the combs of the pure Italians. A very dif- ferent result, however, will be found in a poor season. Then the pure Italians will have a larger amount of winter stores in the fall than the hybrids, simply for the reason that they do not indulge so much in breeding late in the season as the hybrids do. But we shall not hear so much of the superiority of the hybrids over the pure Italians, when bee-keepers shall have dis- covered the prevalent erroneous notion that the nicer and brighter the Italian Bees and queen bees are, the purer and more productive they must be. In common with Mr. M. Miller, I have no fancy for in and in bred bees. I want bees for business, three-striped, shade of color of no account. I want none of those gentle bees, that do not sting. I want such as will defend them 244 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, selves, and make their disturbers feel their | keeping them queenless a short time then, than stings. Such are the ones I breed, and such | at any other season; but cannot think so now. will be the ones I send, when any are ordered from my apiary. I was induced to write this as an answer to Mr. Barnard’s second article in the Journal, No. 9, Vol. VI, page 209, as he draws a different — eonclusion from the fact that his former article remained unanswered. A. GRIMM. Jefferson, Wis., March, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice. Dear Bese JouRNAL :—Areall of your readers rejoicing in an early and extremely favorable spring for our pets? Thus far we are. Mr. Langstroth writes us on the 6th of April, that he has both drones and young queens ; and we found, on the 10th, a young queen laying, at which you may imagine we rejoiced some, as she was hatched on the 10th of March, to re- place a queen that died in Kebruary. So that stock is all right after all. We had besides one hive queen raising entirely, and two drone laying queens, which we shall bring out all right, by making some of our pro- lific Italian queens donate a few eggs occasion- ally, witil their own young queens lay, which daily we expect them to do. As we said in March, we have lost no stock in wintering; but we have lost one since, in this way. They were in the Diamond hive that Dr. Conklin sent us. (By the way that Diamond hive seems destined to be unfortunate, although we cannot say that any fault is attached to the hive, except that it is unlike all the rest,so that we cannot exchange frames, &c.) Well they had plenty of honey in February, when removed from winter quarters, but no brood, and yet a good looking queen that would not lay, although we tried all our art to induce her majesty to com- mence that duty so necessary and desirable, both to her bees as well as to ourselves. We fed them profusely, and at length, when all else failed, we cut out some brood, (something we always hate to do, as it reminds us so much of the old box hives,) and put it into a diamond frame. But we were too late about it, the bees had got oid and cared so little for the rising generation, that the brood was not nursed. The bees finally dwindled away and got ‘‘few and far between,”’ and her ladyship herself got lost. But as she wouldn’t lay, we wouldn’t mourn her loss; and so we have only sixty-three colonies instead of ‘sixty-four. We have satisfied ourselves of this fact—to have colonies come out strong in the spring, they must be induced to raise plenty of brood late in the previous fall. *Several colonies that we re- moved old queens from, because they were too near black, and made them raise queens late in the fall, were prevented from raising as much brood as the others, and we have remarked that their old bees are gone very quick this spring. We supposed that there would be less loss in For the first time we have been feeding all our bees this spring, using sweetened water to stimu- late breeding. They have plenty of honey, but we noticed so many of them eagerly bringing water, that it struck us we could furnish it cheaper, especially in bad weather. We com- menced April 1st, and as sixty-three feeders to take care of after we were done with them, looked like too much of a bother, we decided to pour the feed directly on the cluster; then they would be sure to get it in any weather, and it was soon done and ali done with. | After raising the honey boards several mornings and replacing them, we found that some strong stocks of hybrids began to object. So we made some little quilts, just to cover the top of the frames, and left off the honey board entirely. These worked so much to our satisfaction, that we have now discarded every honey board, and we really do not believe that we shall ever want any more. The quilts are made thus: Get heavy sheeting, forty inches wide; tear off strips six- teen inches, bring the two ends together and get some ‘‘feminine’’ (not one of the woman’s rights kind) to baste the sides, turn it inside out, and you have a bag fifteen by twenty inches, just right to cover the top of a Lang- stroth hive. Put in a sheet of wadding folded so as to make four thicknesses; sow up the mouth, and take a few stitches to keep the wad- ding in place, and it is done. This is warmer than any honey board, can be shut down as quick as you like when in a hurry, without any fear of mashing bees; and when covered up they are as mum, as a lot of chickens under the ‘‘maternal Biddy.’’ They will gum it down just enough, so that you need not raise it only far enough to pour the feed on the cluster ; and this can be done without any snapping and jar, and so quietly that even our hybrids do not have time to stand on their heads and get into a passion. We almost for- got to add that it also stops the circulation of air above the frames, a la Quinby’s tins and King’s closed top frames, without half the trouble of either. By the way, if any of our readers take the Beekeepers’ Journal and have noticed an article from Novice that looks somewhat inconsistent— with his writings here, let them remember that Novice did not write the article as it is there, but that Mr. King changed it to suit Ais paper ané hive, after he had been expressly forbidden to do so if he published it. The expense of glass jars, labor, &c., is so great that we have partly decided to put our honey this season in new white oak barrels, at least for the present. Should it be preferred in jars, it can be put in them at any time; and in case it should be required in bulk, we shall not be under the disagreeable necessity of pouring it out of the jars, as we have had to do twice already. We would tender our sincere thanks to “Sue W.,”’ for the high opinion she has of our skill. A lady who assists us in our apiary, thinks we have very many things to learn to do well yet; 1871.] THE AMERICAN and we think it no more than justice to say that mucb is due to her for the thoroughness with which we have gone through with many things we have undertaken; as also for the neatness and orderly appearance of our apiary and imple- ments. She certainly has had very much to do with it. Of course she does not know what we are writing, or we fear, Mr. Editor, this would never reach you. We mention it to show that ladies have a particular adaptation for managing an apiary, when they care for bees, and we should very much like to meet them oftener in the Journal.* We feel sure, if they would write, it would be found that their articles many times contained more value than those of our sex. Weare so ready to tell all we know, and sometimes some things we don’t know. With best wishes to all bee keepers, most especially to all lady bee keepers, (how we would visit their"apiaries !) we remain, as ever. | Novice. P. §.—Our reply to ‘‘Nut for Novice,’’ &c., page 291, would be that many hybrid queens produce such bees, nearly always some three banded, but not often no banded. * We, likewise.—Ep. 7S —__— [For the American Bee Journal ] Bee Hunting. Probably a large majority of the readers of the Journal are about as much interested on the sub- ject of bee hunting as some of us at least are in the many controversies in relation to hives; but that some of them are interested is evident from the numerous letters recently received, asking for a more minute description of the course pursued in hunting bees. To these inquiries allow me to reply through the Journal. First let me premise by saying that I came to Michigan in 1835, when this county (Jackson) was new, wild, and almost entirely uninhabited, except by Indians. It was four miles to our nearest neighbors. Bears, deer, wolves, turkeys, and various other kinds of game were numerous, while bee trees, rich in stores, were abundant. As I had a natural ‘‘liking’’ for bees, and an older brother who hunted them, I soon learned something of the ‘‘ modus operandi”’ of bee hunt- ing. My first bee tree was found in the fall of 1839,,when I was thirteen years old, since which time there have been but few years in which I have not hunted them some, and even now after a lapse of thirty years, since the commencement of my bee hunting, I love to take my ‘‘traps,”’ and for the present bid adieu to care and anxiety, go into the woods, and spend a day or two in this to me enjoyable pastime—not for pecuniary gain, but for amusement, pleasure, diversion, and re- laxation from labor. And I always fee/ that this day has been profitably spent, whether honey is found or otherwise. A few words more in relation to my bee hunt- ing, and we will proceed to business, or pleasure rather. I think it was in April, 1843, that I found a swarm of bees in the body of a tamarack BEE JOURNAL. 245 —_— tree. The hollow was about seven inches in diameter and eight feet long, with four pieces of comb extending the whole length. The entrance was two feet from the lower end. I cut the tree down, cut the log off above and below the combs, drew it home with an ox team and sled, and set it up in the yard in a perpendicular position against a tree. With this I commenced bee keeping and bee studying. I do not know that I have since had bees wiuter better out of doors than they did in the tamarack log. If I was selling tall or deep hives, I could make use of it as an argument in favor of hives of the tallest kind. The next fall the tree supporting the log was cut down, and the bee log was laid in a horizontal position, with each end resting on a bench. The bees came through the winter in excellent condition, quite as well as they did the previous winter when the log was upright. If I was selling shallow hives, I could make use of this as an argument in favor of hives of that style. Hither way, gentlemen, how will you have it? But we hunted at all seasons, when the weather is favorable. A great many bees are found in the winter. The hunter gets his “lines”? the summer or fall previous, either by getting bees at work on honey, or watching them as they leave some pool of water, only ‘‘lining’’ them from a field of buckwheat or from other flowers. He then marks the lines, so that on any warm sunny day in winter, when bees are flying and the earth is covered with a white blanket, he can follow a line to the tree, which he finds by the bees and their excrements on the snow under and around it. The course pursued in hunting them in the spring, before the appear- ance of flowers, is precisely the same as in the fall after the flowers have failed. When we attempt to give the novice a lesson in bee keeping, we prefer to go with him into the yard, open one of our hives, and, with the ook before us, illustrate the lesson, and perhaps we could best give the uninitiated reader a lesson in bee hunting, by taking him with us on a regu- lar bee hunt. The afternoon is pleasant and warm, and there is no wind, it could not be bet- ter for our business. Yonder is a large tract of timber, in which there is one bee tree, and only one. We want to find it. We know nothing about what part of the woods itisin. Howshall we find it out? If we should go there and com- mence on one side to go over the ground, care- fully looking in every tree as we went, we should eventually find it. We might find it to-day, or it might be a long job requiring days, perhaps weeks, for its accomplishment. Now by making use of one or two facts in relation to bees, with which we are perfectly familiar, we can accom- plish the same result in much less time and with much less labor. We know that bees are great seekers after honey, and that they will appropriate it to their own use whenever they find it. And we also _know that a loaded bee will fly on nearly a straight line for home. Nowif we can get those bees at work on honey, and watch them as they go home with it, we can ascertain what part of the woods the tree is in. Hence we will take 246 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL [May, some honey with us. The tree may be in a hard place to find, we may be a long time about it, and in the meantime we may have bees at work by the hundred, perhaps by the thousand, They will carry our honey away rapidly, and therefore we must take plenty of it with us—five or six pounds at least. If they carry it all away we shall get it again when we cut the tree. If we take this honey into the woods and leave it for the bees to find, they may find it to-day, or they may not find it before to-morrow, or even the next day. We cannot hunt to-morrow; we must hunt to-day. How shall we fetch the bees to it? Drumming on a hollow log will sometimes attract bees. Anise oil is often used for the same purpose. But we prefer the smoke from burning honey comb, and we will use it; but to do so we must have fire. We can build a fire in the woods, but we may want it in several places. It would take a great deal of time to build them, and it is now some- time after noon. We musi find that tree to-day, and cannot fool away time in building fires. In- stead of that we will take this old ash pail, put a shovel full of ashes in the bottom, then one of live coals, and cover these with warm ashes. It would last us half a day, perhaps all day, and we want it to last till the tree is jound, and wish to have it just where and right where we want to use it, without loss of time. We are now armed and equipped for the hunt. We go to the woods, and for the first stand select an opening where there is nothing to hinder our ‘lining’ bees as they leave it. To burn for smoke we choose a piece of comb moist with honey and containing some ‘‘ bee bread. * It will last longer and make a better smoke than dry comb. For convenience in lining we will put the honey on this bush, up four or five feet from the ground. We must now await for bees, and while we are waiting we will sit down on this log and;talk bee. Weare hunting bees to-day, our minds are on our business, and we can’t talk on any other subject. Bees can talk as well as we can. They have a language of their own, one which although we may not always understand it, is to them perfectly intelligible. For example, watch a swarm when it issues, catch and confine the queen. The bees commence a search for her, at first near the hive, afterwards further from it, and before the search is given up they will be scattered over the yard, perhaps over a space of twenty rods or more square. Now release the queen, and let her fly among them, and the scene changes at once. The noise made by the flying bees is different. By it the intelligence is quickly communicated from one bee to another that the queen is found, and in a few moments the whole of this scattered swarm is collected in a dense flying mass around her. Was there no talking there? Take another illustration, where the talking is on a different subject. Leta loaded bee enter a hive, and it will tell. But, hark! there’s a bee! It has found the honey and is filling its honey-sac. Now that bee will not be satisfied with going home with one load, but will return for more, and in order to know where to return to when it leaves, and it is now leaving the stand, it will mark the location by surrounding objects, precisely the same as it did when it first left the tree, but in so doing it has described so many circles, and gone so high in the air that we have lost sight of it, and have failed in getting a line. We must wait for its return. When that bee enters the tree it will tell others there that there is honey to be found, and they will come out in search of it. Not only so, but when it leaves it, it will tell with its wings in what direction it is found. You may blindfold an old experienced apiarian, Mr. Langstroth, for example, take him into a yard where bees are robbing, and he knows it at once by the ‘‘note’’ of the robbing bees. The note is very different, on a much higher key than that of bees at ordinary labor. The note of this bee is precisely the same. Other bees follow it, and if the tree is not too far off some of them will follow it to the stand. There it comes again, and two more with it. It has been gone only a short time; long enough, we think, to go about half a mile and return. How long will it take a bee to fly half a mile? I am sorry I cannot answer your question. [ have watched thousands of them, but have never timed it. When I am waiting for a bee to re- . turn, I am anxious, and want to be at work. The time then seems much longer than it really is, and if I should hazard a guess it might be far from. correct. The time will vary too with the weather. A bee will goa mile and return sooner on a warm day than on a cool one, and sooner on a still day than on a windy one—all of which must be taken in account in guessing at distance. Our bee is going again and we must watch it. The location was marked the first time it left, this time it describes only a few circles before it leaves for home. There it goes, straight north, and we have the line. LINE. TREE. H Sranp No. 3. Ba Sranp No. LINE. Ha Stanp No. 1. 1871.] THE AMERICAN 4 BEE JOURNAL. 247 We now know in what direction the bee tree is Our next business is to ascertain its exact loca- tion. We will leave some honey here for these bees to work at to keep them telling other bees at home that there is honey to be found until we have them at work in a new place. Wewill now take our ‘‘traps’’ and follow the line nearly half a mile to stand No. 2, where we proceed the same as at the first stand, and from which we soon have a line in the same direction north. Hundreds of bees are here now at work, and more coming. The tree cannot be far off. We might possibly find it to-day by following the line, and looking in the trees as we went. But we do not know exactly how far it is from us, and should probably look ina good many trees where there are no bees. Each would take up some time, and we have no time to spare. We can save time by lining them at a right angle, or nearly so, with the first one, showing us just where to look for the tree. If you will follow this line, I will follow the one from stand No. 38, and we will meet at the angle. We have now been in the woods nearly two hours hunting bees, without having once looked in a tree for them. What have we been doing all this time? What have we accomplished ? _Let us see. When we commenced we knew there was a bee tree somewhere in this tract of timber. We had not the most remote idea as to its situation, but by getting bees at work in different places, and lining them from different points, we have not only ascertained what part of the woods the tree is in, but we have narrowed down and contracted its location to a compass so small that we have only a few trees to look in to find it. In fact, there is but one tree here, near where the two lines meet, that looks likely to have bees in, and that is this large oak by the side of which we are standing, and here they are. Our bee tree is found. During the summer months bees are collecting honey from flowers, and except in a season of scarcity, or when it has been fed to them, they will not notice it elsewhere, neither will they come for smoke. At such season some other course must be taken to get them at work on it. I generally find some place where there are plenty of flowers in which bees are at work, and sprinkle thin diluted honey on all the flowers on a ‘‘patch’”’ a rod square or larger, and place some honey in the comb near it. In two or three hours I will have bees at work in large numbers, the whole colony becomes aroused, going out in search of honey, and if I now leave it anywhere, on or near the line, they will soon find it. J. H. TOWNLEY. Parma, Mich. —___-_— $e - [For the American Bee Journal.] About Purity of Drones. In an article headed ‘‘ A Vistt to Dz1ERzoN,”’ written by Dr. Preuss, in the German Bienen- zeitung, Vol. 27, page 6. I find the following interesting statement :—‘‘Of such perfectly pure, 7. ¢. without a single exception, golden-ringed worker bees, as I raised from a queen received from Dzierzon, I saw only a moderate number ; and Iam persuaded that Dzierzon ships only a small fraction of the queens reared by him. The price, too, in view of the great labor in- volved and the large sacrifice of honey required, is a very moderate one.’’ On page 7, Dr. Preuss further says :—‘‘ We came to speak also.about the origin of the drones, and I stated that the following fact had led me to very earnest reflec- tion ; a queen already referred to by me, procur- red from Carlsmarkt [Dzierzon] produced besides the workers, the very prettiest drones— having without exception golden rings. She died after the lapse of two years. Her daugh- ter, as she was undoubtedly pure, ought to have produced drones equally beautiful, whether fertilized by an Italian or a common drone. Yet this was by nomeansthe case. The drones were black, and scarcely distinguishable from the German. The workers Were hybrids.”’ There is, I continued, ‘‘no doubt that an unim- pregnated queen lays drone eggs. Butitis a question whether the drones that have a fertil- ized queen for their mother, are not also-produced by the influence of the father. I am aware of all that Von Berlepsch says on this point, who has likewise noticed the fact stated by me, that pure Italian queens frequently produce black drones, and explains it on the ground, that there is still remaining in them a fractional portion of black blood. Iam also aware of the miscroscopic investigation made by Siebold and Leuckart, according to which spermatozoa are found only in the worker egg, and not in the drone egg. But such investigations are too sub- tle, stand too isolated, and require researgh.”’ Dzierzon listened patiently, though I expressed doubt as to the general validity of his most im- portant doctrine, and replied :—‘‘ lam regarded as an authority in bee science, but I by no means regard myself as infallible. One thing I have particularly remarked, that the constitution of the mother exerts in process of time, increased influence on her progency. The pure Italian queen impregnated by a black drone, gradually produces more and more bees resembling her- self.’’ I have translated these remarks to show that Dzierzon concedgs that he might be mistaken in his celebrated theory, and that he did not find it policy to explain Dr. Preuss’ statement, or could not do so. What happened to Dr. P. I have also experienced a number of times during the last six years. I look with much suspicion on queens whose drones are highly colored, particu- larly since I made my large importation of queens ditrect from Italy. Nearly all the queens I reared from mothers with highly colored drones, turned out hybrids, either in the first or the second generation, even if their workers and young queens were the prettiest I ever laid eyes on. I have further noticed, in numerous instances, that drones from pure mothers im- pregnated by black or impure drones, are higher colored than the drones of their mother queen. I long since became suspicious of the purity of those beautiful Italian queens bred from queens imported from Germany ; and my suspicion has grown stronger every year for the 248 last three years. Last summer I commenced experimenting in breeding queens, in a manner which I felt confident would enable me to prove that my suspicions are well-founded ; but owing to the great amount of work then pressing on me, I was unable to carry out those experiments fully. I shall resume them this summer, and then I shall undoubtedly be able to prosecute them to an issue. As itis repeatedly claimed that queen breeders have succeeded in getting queens impregnated in confinement, while I have not been so lucky, I herewith call on those fortunate ones to aid me in experimenting, by taking drones from an unimpreenated queen for impregnation. I can- not, however, refrain from suggesting that the young queen should be kept in confinement from the moment she is hatched until she has actually commenced laying worker eggs; or that the wings of the queen should be clipped, after impregnation, so short that she will not under- take to leave the hive. If such a queen, thus impregnated-by a drone from an unimpregnated queen, becomes capable of laying worker eggs, 1 think we shall have evidence against which no suspicion can be urged; and I will then believe that the drones of an Italian queen impregnated by a black drone, are as pure as the drones of her mother ;—but no sooner. The above remarks were written before I re- ceived the March number, of the Bee Journal, in which I found the interesting article of Mr. Miller on pages 206 and 207. Asthe queen to which Mr. Miller refers, was an impregnated fertile queen when she left me, and became drone laying by being chilled, she cannot be classed with unimpregnated drone-laying queens, I should be pleased if Mr. Miller would inform the readers of the Journal whether the drones from that queen were small or large drones. I will answer some of Mr. Miller’s queries. Toil. The queen was doubtless chilled in the queen cage during the night following the day after she was introduced in the cage. Bees will in such cases, contract their cluster during the night, and expand it again next day, covering up and reviving the caged queen. To 6. In and. in breeding produces light colored peaceable bees. To 7 Asarule, in and in dared bees are not good workers. If we find a high colored colony that is a really good productive stock, the queen is not perfectly pure. In breeding down one or two generations, the impurity will crop out. A. GRIMM. Jeff :rson, Wis. 2 [For the American Bee Journal. ] All Drones alike Virile. Mr. Eprror:—I read in the report of the Cincinnati Convention, that Mr. Root advanced the idea that drones from a virgin or unfertilized queen are not capable of fertilizing queens, or of procreation. In 1864, I learned that they are; and again, last spring, I had an opportunity of testing them. In December, 1869, I had a queen hatched in my cellar. By the 4th of April, I THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [Ma Me had drones flying, the progeny of this queen, and had queens fertilized by them. On the 26th of April I sent this queen, by mail, to Mr. John M. Follitt, Atkinson, Ils. He had then no Italian bees, and none were within nine miles of him. He reared drones from this queen, and had them mate with young black queens. The progeny of the black queens showed two and three yellow bands. From the above I do not think there is a particle of doubt on the sub- ject. I also sent Mr. Follitt tested queens in June and July. I have so much faith in drones of this kind being virile, that Iam now rearing drones from a virgin queen, and will have them hatched by the 25th of this month (March!.— Some one made the inquiry in the Prairie Far- mer last spring, as to whether drones from an unfertilized queen were capable of fertilizing queens. I do not remember to have seen any reply given. We should all. strive for facts. My esteemed friend, Mr. Langstroth, in his valuable work on the ‘‘ Hive and Honey Bee,” page 40, mentions having had a drone-laying queen fertilized after she had laid eggs. would like to know if any of your readers have had a similar case. 3 THEO. G. McGaw. Monmouth, Iils., March 10, 1871. eg [For the American Bee Journal.] The Cure of Foul Brood. Mr. Epiror :—I have had a number of letters inquiring about the permanency of the cure for foulbrood in my apiary ; and as the subject may be of interest to others of your readers, I will state to you the condition of my colonies that were diseased, and offer some suggestions not as a teacher, but as a student, for yet I am only a fellow-student in this disease. On the 15th of December I put into my bee- house, with twelve healthy colonies, six of which were found diseased in the fall, but from which all trace of disease had been removed. One of these, No. 1, raised so much brood during the winter that it used up nearly all its stores, and I was obliged to transfer it to a hive with plenty of honey ; but in their old hive I could not find a trace of disease left behind. This hive had contracted the disease quite late in the fall, after honey had become scarce, consequently little or none was sealed in the presence of the disease. I shall introduce a swarm into the empty combs this summer. No. 2 had the disease all summer, and conse+ quently there was little honey sealed except in a contagious atmosphere. This colony also raised much brood during the winter ; but there were many cells with disease left.. This I discovered in February. Then I purified with chloride of soda, exposed the whole hive to a temperature six degrees below zero, and sulphured. March 16th, there was evidently a return of the disease. I removed the bees to strengthen another colony, and reserved the combs for future experiments, No. 8 lost its queen, and: the bees were too few in number toexperiment with. This hive I shall 1871.] set aside after sulphuring, and introduce a colony this summer. No. 4, with a fine queen, from its weakness raised no brood, and was transferred with its queen to No. 5. This hive is*also reserved for future experiment, as soon as I get an extractor. These last two are very heavy and rich in stores. Nos. 5 and 6 are strong, raising brood rapidly, and to all appearance perfectly healthy. Both of these contracted the disease quite late—one in September, probably the latter part; the other in August. There is no certainty but that the latter may still have diseased honey sealed up; though I think the other, No. 5, is safe. Hive No. 3 is reserved for the ‘‘time cure.”’ Mr. Quinby says that exposure of hives to the in- clemency of the winter months makes them safe for future use.* The question comes up whether it is not téme instead of weuther which cures. Certainly, freezing does not destroy the germs ; and if it is at all akin to the epizootic disease, English authorities prove that the temperature of winter does not affect it. Mr. Curtis, in vol. 6, page 11, says that he has the best success by removing the queen in its first stages, keeping the colony queenless from one to three months.+ Here he evidently relies upon time. ‘The natural life of the poison or germs may be six months or less. Would it not be well to test this point ? Nos. 2 and 4 are reserved for the following ex- periment. Remove the honey with the extractor. Im- merse the empty combs in a solution of common chloride of lime for a few hours, and then in a strong solution of chloride of sodium (common salt) ; after which rinse with clear cold water, dry, introduce a colony, and feed with the ex- tracted honey, after it has been scalded. If I should venture to make a rule from the few facts at hand, I should say that empty combs, or combs which can be emptied of putrid larva by the atomizer, or of honey by the extractor, can be thoroughly disinfected and safely used again. But that where there has been any honey sealed in the presence of the infection, the disease may return again within a limited time, say six months. My two strongest colonies are those which I transferred from diseased hives last June, and fed with their own honey after it was scalded. If they had carried any disease with them, it:would certainly have appeared before this. I have no doubt but that Mr. Alley has the interest of his bee-keeping friends at heart ; and he cannot too strongly caution them about this disease ; but it is so much against my profession (whatever my practice may be) to cure the dis- ease by killing the patient, that I shall adopt any method, no matter how tedious it may be, to restore my apiary to health. We cannot rea- sonably expect to perfect any treatment with- out numerous trials, defects and experiences ; but I firmly believe the path which I am pursu- * This is not in accordance with European experience.—Ep. } This is Dzierzon’'s method, The removal of the queen prevents the production of brood, and thus literally starves out the disease, when it has not yet reached its virulent and contagious stage.—Ep, THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 249 ing is the right one, although others may im- prove upon it, and point out a shorter road to success. One word more in regard to chlorine. Our veterinary surgeon informs me that chlorine vapor is the most effectual remedy for epizootic apthe. I have shut up ina hive chloride of lime for a few days, and, without further purifica- tion, introduced a healthy tone, without any subsequent appearance of disease. In Nos. 1 and 5, chloride of lime was introduced on the bottom board, after the spraying, without any ill effects so far as the bees were concerned, although in No. 5 the quantity was so large that the bees were paralyzed, and remained so for one or two hours before perfect recovery. It may be found that the vapor alone is sufficient for all practical purposes. E. P. ABBE. New Bedford, Mass., March 17, 1871. O-s> [For the American Bee Journal.] Foulbrood. I had supposed until last summer that we were beyond the reach of foulbrood, being so far not only west, but north. Summer before last we took four swarms to the woods to see if they would do better there. They gathered more honey, but got the foulbrood. We did not know it, however, and put them in my cellar with forty other swarms, piled up. Never having seen the enemy, and not expecting it, we did not know we had it till August, and by that time we had spread it through two-thirds of our stocks by changing combs and swarming. The odor of one of the woods’ swarms first awakened me to a suspicion, and a little examina- tion and study of the authorities soon convinced me of my fate. Part of the bees belonged to a friend who works with me. We went to work, cut out the worst combs, and burned them ; cleansed the hives, whitewashed them inside, and sprinkled them and their combs with cop- peras water, as a disinfectant. It served as a check, and some appeared to be cured; but many are still affected. Before putting them in winter-quarters in my bee-cellar (which I de- scribed in the Journal for March, 1870), I se- cured a few new hives, and put the swarms in as far as they would go. Then I cleansed the emptied ones, scalded, whitewashed, sulphured, and dried them, and so went through the yard. I put a stove in my cellar, and heated and dried it several days before putting away my bees, November 25th. It being a fine day yesterday, March 7th, I took out my bees a month earlier than usual, to cleanse the hives and the cellar. I built a fire on the cellar floor to heat and dry the cellar again. I shall cleanse the hives, and as soon as it turns cold, put back the bees till the willows blossom. I have tried this before ; and they will be much more quiet and do better than out of doors. The bees appear to be well. ‘There is no mould. There are no more dead bees than usual, and nearly every swarm has brood. I have sent to Dr. Abbe for an atomizer, and 250 we shall follow his directions in the spring. His method commends itself to us as rational ; and we are very much obliged to him and the Bee Journal for their very prompt reports. Being a ‘*country parson,’’? I am not much troubled with gold; but I look at my yellow-banded bees with much of the feeling with which a miser looks at his gold. Wo. GILi. Ttiver Falls, Wis. [For the American Bee Journal.] Rambling Notes and Comments. Mr. Epiror :—Your welcome messenger, the March number’of the Bee Journal, is received. First, it contains the report of the American Bee-keepers’ Convention, at Cincinnati. No doubt many will read the proceedings with great interest. Then comes in our friend from New Jersey, with No. 2 of his experience in that State; and our friend from Maine gives us the methods of wintering practised by bee-keepers there. While itis known that there are from twelve to fifteen thousand bee-keepers there, it is stated that nine out of ten have not advanced | beyond the old box hive. This is truly lamenta- ble, at this late day. Where are the friends of the American Bee Journal? Had the bee-keepers there been a little more familiar with its teach- ings, the darkness and ignorance of this subject would long since have been numbered among the things that were. Friend Curtis, too, from North Carolina, has given some good resolutions, if they are only put in practice. The Alsike clover spoken of will not only make there an Eldorado for bees, but for almost all kinds of stock. From our ex- perience we would say, cultivate it largely. I think you never will regret it. Then comes in Novice, again hitting right and left, as usual; stirring up the ideas of many so-called bee-men. He touches brother Hazen softly ; also mentions friends Gallup and Quinby, with regard to the melextractor, movable comb hives, &c. He also gives the queen nurseries a little rub. Well, Mr. Editor, I am a looker-on in this matter of improvements. I use such as, in my opinion, will meet the wants and wishes of the apiarian, at the least expense. There are now several hives before the public that are worthy of notice, ~ and I am sure that it would not injure the repu- tation of the best man in America to use them. And here let me state one thing with regard to queen nurseries. I think I never saw but one in my life that I would use, yet there may be sev- eral very good ones. I have one manufactured by Dr. Jewel Davis, of Illinois, and if there was ever a success in improvement, I am sure this is one, and cannot fail to meet the wants of any and all ca did and unselfish apiarians in the country. Jam notin the habit?of giving what some of my friends might call a puff, as I can tell you that I have no interest in any. But I never like to see improvements—and “improve- ments’? they are—spoken of lightly. I have used one of the queen nurseries made by Dr. Davis, and if I could not get the same that THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, would work as well, I would as soon think of keeping house without a cook stove. Every bee-keeper should have one or more of them in his apiary. To-day, March 4th, the bees are flying finely ; many of them are carrying pollen. This I saw them do on the 1st of January, though I never saw the like before in this country. Thus far, bees have wintered finely ; never could they be ina finer condition than now. They went into win- ter quarters in a better state than before for many years. The honey was of the best quality and plenty of it. I have five stocks, as strong as any I ever saw, that were wintered on their summer stands, and only consumed of their stores up to the 3d of March, as follows: No.1, 7 lbs. 4 oz. ; No. 2, 8 lbs. 3 oz.; No. 3, 9 Ibs. 3 oz. ; No. 4, 9 lbs. 5 oz. 3; No. 5, 10 lbs. 2 0z. If the season should prove to be a good one, bees are in a fine condition to secure plentiful returns; but as I see many are breeding rapidly during this month, they will use more honey, —many flying out and returning, the consumption will, of course, be greater. : One thing more and Iam done. I have been trying some of the patent honey comb founda- tions made by the editor of the American Bee Journal, samples of which were shown at Cin- cinnati, to the members of the late Bee-keepers’- Convention. I placed a swarm in a cellar, and fed them. Thus far, they have lengthened the cells finely. They worked so nicely, that I was almost tempted to make an offer for this ‘‘ Yan- kee’’ State. Should this invention be as suc- cessful as it now has the appearance of being, it must inevitably be the means of revolution- izing bee culture toa large extent. I shall keep watch and see who is the first man that will dare open his mouth or draw the pen and say, ‘‘in- fringement’’ upon this improvement. I shall try and experiment upon it, and report pro- gress from time to time. Mr. Editor, please pardon me for taking this liberty without being — asked ; and also excuse this lengthy and hastily written article. . A. H. Moon. Paw Paw, Mich., March 4, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Experiments with Drones, Honey Boxes, Etc. Early in the season of 1867, I selected a strong stock of black bees in a Flander’s hive, and by exchanging cards removed all the drone combs from the breeding apartment, leaving no open space to rebuild any. As soon as white clover began to yield honey abundantly, I laid thin strips of board on top of the frames, leaving about one-fourth of the space open for the heat and the bees to ascend. Over this I inverted a plain bottomless box of the capacity of forty pounds. This the bees filled in about two weeks. On removing it, I found fully one-third of its contents to be sealed drone larve. I brushed out the bees and set the box in a cool cellar forty- eight hours, and then returned it to the bees; but as they did not carry out any dead drones 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 251 next day, I took it off again that evening, and exposed it thoroughly to the fumes of the sul- phur pit, and then returned it to the hive again. Next day still no dead drones were carried out ; and in the evening I sliced off the caps from every cell, including the heads of the drones. On the following day they were carried out, and in a few days more the cells were filled with honey and sealed over. In addition to the drone larve in the box, the bees managed to have drone larve in the hive also, for all practical purposes, having changed some cells and filled every possible ‘crevice and corner. This stock swarmed. [also used some more of the same kind of boxes, placed in the same manner in other hives, in which I left three or four hundred scattering drone cells. The re- sult was that on every stock that swarmed, the queen would lay more or less drone eggs in the boxes ; but in stocks that did not swarm the queens laid mo eggs in the boxes. Although bees will collect more honey in large boxes than in small ones, boxes of the above- mentioned size should not be used unless pro- vided with frames or guides of some kind, regu- larly spaced one and three-fourths (13) or two (2) inches. apart from centre to centre. Last season I used boxes that held over fifty pounds, having two tiers of frames (upper and lower) regularly spaced one and three-quarter (13) inches apart from center to center. There was not an egg laid in any of these boxes. They worked to my entire satisfaction in all respects, were easily carried to market, and the honey sold readily at thirty (80) cents per pound. These frames are strong, and were returned to me when emptied, as I sold nothing but pure honey. HENRY ORIST. Lake, Stark Co., Ohio, March 8, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Returning Late Swarms. Mr. Eprror:—I would like to give to the readers of the Journal, my plan of disposing of late swarms of bees, hoping it may prove to be of as much benefit. to some of them as it has been to me. Swarms that come off late in the season, generally render the old stock worthless for that season, so far as box honey is concerned, and usually failing themselves to get sufficient stores for wintering. In sections where bass- wood is abundant, and in seasons when it blos- soms, bees can be returned to the parent stock, and thereby made to work in the right direction, In the summer of 1868, I had more swarming than I liked to see, for as fast as the swarms got into their boxes, and had them about half filled, they would swarm out and leave the stores unfit for market. The thought then occurred to me that perhaps I could take the matter in hand, and by hiv- ing them temporarily, and setting each swarm beside the stock.it came from, and letting them go nicely to work for a day or two, and then returning them to the parent hive, they would perhaps be willing to stay there, and fill those boxes they had so disgracefully abandoned. The result was far better than I had hoped for. Of about thirty swarms that I returned, not one came off the second time, and the way the little fellows filled their boxes was not slow. Some swarms filled a set of boxes weighing forty-five pounds, in eight days after being returned. The plan worked well the first season ; but the sea- son of 1869, being so cold in this section, there did not seem to be any honey in the flowers, nor much of anything for the bees to do but swarm. Basswood failed to blossom entirely, and when I returned_a swarm to its parent stock, it would be quite sure to come off the next day. Thus my plan of returning bees was a failure that season, with everything else in the bee line. In the season of 1870, I concluded to try them again. So, on the first day of July, I commenced placing the young swarms besile the old stocks, for the purpose of returning. Basswood was just beginning to blossom, and I was in hopes to get those boxes filled, which they failed to fill the year before. I hived and returned about fifty swarms, All stayed, with the exception of two; one of these came off twice, and the other three times. Both of these killed the old queens, or they got lost or were killed in returning. Many of the swarms were returned in twenty- four hours after hiving. In all cases I returned them whilst they were at work. They will build some comb, and the larger pieces will be par- tially filled with honey. These can be placed beside the hives, and the bees will carry the honey in. Then the combs can be taken away and used as guides for new boxes. Some of the combs will contain eggs ; but I have never known a single instance where the bees nursed them in the boxes placed upon hives, when I had re- turned a swarm. Bees should have ample room given them when they are returned. If their boxes are half, or nearly half filled, give them another set. Do not take the trouble to remove the queen cells, as I did the first that were put back. The bees will destroy them fast enough. Bees treated in this way, when honey is abundant, are satisfied with their old homes ; and the queen, after an absence of forty-eight hours, finds plenty of empty cells in which to deposit eggs, and they will go to work with more energy than ever. Novices’ bees did, after he had taken the last drop of honey from them with the extractor. In this section of country, the honey season generally closes, when basswood goes out of blossom, and but few swarms make their appear- ance after it has been in blossom eight or ten days. In the past season a shower of honey-dew, which lasted about three weeks, made its appear- ance in this section. Bees worked on it for two or three hours in the morning, in a perfect rush, and again in the afternoon, just before sunset. This dew was on the leaves of elm trees, as a general thing, or in the vicinity of elms. The leaves were perfectly covered with aphides of a light color; and they were constantly dis- charging this honey-dew. When upon the wing, it would fall on the grass and shrubs in the vicinity. Bees confined themselves to the trevs 252 on which it was most abundant. The color of the liquid they gathered was dark, somewhat darker than buckwheat honey. Canton, N. Y. J. BARBER. os [For the American Bee Journal.] Early Swarming. Mr. EprtTor :—I have been forthe past year a reader of your valuable Journal, from which I have gathered much information, particularly from the experience of others. As Iam but a beginner in the science of bee keeping, I may be pardoned if I say, I have not been much bene- fited by the sharp shooting between the inventors of different hives. I'am disposed to give Mr. Langstroth his just dues, and I am also willing that others should have theirs, if they honestly earn them, as he did. Our bees, twenty-eight stands in number, came from the cellar in good condition, with the ex- ception of one nucleus colony which was weak in numbers; and also one black colony which had consumed all their stores. These we commenced feeding with a syrup composed of sugar and honey. On examining them some days ago, we found brood in all stages. We then gave them a full sash of honey, and thought them all right. The next morning, to our great surprise, they all left the hive, and after flying around in great confusion for some time, they clustered in front of a hive occupied by Italians, and commenced entering. Then began a terrible combat—the Italians determined to reject the intruders, and the blacks equally determined to force an en- trance. Seeing there was no way to separate them, I sprinkled them with water rather strong with peppermint, and soon all fighting ceased. Finding the black queen, we destroyed her, and the bees united peaceably, making a very strong colony. Only a few days after this occurred, we were informed by a gentleman, that a swarm of bees were clustered on the fence, a short distance from the house. In company with my brother, I proceeded to hive them. At first they entered the hive and seemed contented, but in a short time they rushed out again and clustered on a fence post. We then procured a sash of brood, which being placed in the hive, the bees gladly entered and were carried to the house. As they were strange bees, we knew nothing of their former condition, but found on examination, they were without a queen. They seemed quiet and contented till the afternoon of the second day, when they with one accord came pouring out and seemed determined toleave. As they were much scattered and flying high, I thought of Igno- ramus’s looking-glass, and tried the plan, as the sun was shining bright. It soon confused them, and they again returned to the hive. That even- ing we united them with our weak nucleus col- ony, which has a good Italian queen, and they are now working contentedly together. I should like if some of your more experienced readers would give me the reason for such prema- ture and wholesale swarming, so early in the THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [May, season as the 380th of March and 2d of April.* At this date the bees are working industriously, gathering much pollen, and all the colonies have an abundance of brood. Marrire M. PAscHat. Pella, Iowa, April 8. \ * These were doubtless “starvation swarms,’’ with which the box and straw hive bee-men were and are oftentimes un- pleasantly familiar in early spring.—Ep. [For the American Bee Journal.] Frames of the Bay State Hive. The Journal for March was duly received and contents digested. We intend to write an arti- cle for which we have no particular text; and if we had, we might be tempted to run off the track, for the sake of hitting some one-across the knuckles, as some of the correspondents have done in the last number of the Journal. We judge that about fifty bee-keepers have written to us to know the dimensions of the frame we use in the Bay State Hive. We took a notion to go to Boston a few days since, and had a cut made of our style of frame. Somehow or other, we blundered into the office of M. M. Tidd, the artist who made the cuts for Mr. Langstroth’s book, ‘‘ The Hive and Honey Bee.’’ Of course we found a man who understood his business. Well, after talking a while about the ‘‘ King of Bees,’’ as well as of queen bees, we struck a bargain to have a cut made of our style of frame, and now send it to the Journal. I will describe it in the best manner I can. The part that I meant to make most conspicu- ous, however, shows the least. I refer to the bottom strip of the frame. Instead of nailing a piece to the bottom ends of the frame, as with the Langstroth frame, | use a piece $ inch wide by 4 inch in thickness, and cut just long enough that it will rub down into the hive, but not go hard. The ends of the side pieces of frames are 3 inch thick by 7 inch wide, and 17} inches long, In the bottom end a groove is cut with a saw 3 inch deep by } inch wide, so as to let the thin strip in flush with the bottom ends of the frame. The bottom ends of the frame are made wedging so that they will slip down the little wire staples seen in the cut. The ends of the bottom strip project beyond the ends or sides of the frame, and have the corners cut off, so that they will 1871.] not catch in the entrances of the surplus boxes when they are being taken out. It might appear that so deep a frame could only be removed with difficulty ; but this is not the case. The frames are arranged so that they cannot hang out of true at the top or bottom ; and after they have been once removed, they can be handled as easily as the shallow frame. Well, we won’t say much more about our hive now, but will say something about how our bees have wintered. As it has been said that the Alley hive is not wintering well, I only desire room for the fol- lowing letter: ‘‘ You asked my opinion of your hive last fall. Not having tried it then in every respect, I could not say how I liked it. But now, having wintered seven swarms in them wih perfect success, | can say that it cannot be improved for wintering bees on their summer stands. One swarm was a late second swarm, that did not fill more than one-third of the frames with combs. I had to feed them in the fall, but to-day they are flying lively and in good health ; I simply put a quilt (Bickford style) on top of the frames, and no other pro ection, though the thermometer was at times as low as 18° below zero. 8. C. Wark, Zowanda, Lils., March 2, 1871.’’ I have reports equally as favorable from other parties, but as this came to hand just as I was ready to mail this article, I concluded to send it as a sample of what we have on hand. H. ALLEY. Wenham, Mass., March 8, 1871. oop [For the American Bee Journal.] Bees in Alley Hives. Mr. Eprror :—As others are giving their ex- perience, I would like to say a few words in re- gard to the Alley hive which I purchased last spring. I puta swum in iton June 10th, and they very soon filled all,the frames in. the body of the hive and began storing honey in the side boxes, and if the weather had not been extremely dry and hot, I think every surplus box would have been filled. As it was, I got sixty pounds of beautiful white honey, without a particle of bee bread in it, and plenty of honey in the frames to winter the stock, I noticed that the bottom boxes were all filled first. . I took off the honey board and placed a piece of old carpet on top, and around the sides I put some clean rags about the end of November. They are in fine condition at this time, having been on their summer stand all the winter. I think it a capital hive for wintering out doors, as the bees keep so quiet. I have other kinds of hives, but so far the Alley hive pleases me best. Iam only a young beginner, and am going to have another style of hive from a kind friend, who has promised to send me one this spring. I will report to you next fall how I succeed. With best wishes for the success of the Bee Journal. t C. CHESTERMAN. Dyersville, Iowa, March 17, 1871. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 253 [For the American Bee Journal.] Wintering Bees in the Bay State Hive. Mr. Epitor:—My bees have wintered well. I have several stocks in old fashioned hives, and in them all the comb run from side to side, re- gardless of the ‘‘natural way,’’? and the rear combs are filled with brood. [For the American Bee Journal.] Raising Queens. At the request of a correspondent, I give a few words about using the nucleus hive, described in the Ber JoURNAL of October, 1870. All that is wanted is in some way to get in each compartment a frame of comb with bees, and a sealed queen cell taken from a full hive. When the time comes for raising queens, select a hive to be used for that purpose ; find the queen, and put the frame she is on, together with the adhering bees, in one compartment of your nu- cleus hive. This, of course, leaves the hive from which the queen was taken (which we will call hive A, ) queenless, and the bees will immediately go to raising queens. In about ten days queen cells will be sealed over, when aframe containing one or more queen cells may be put in each compartment of the nucleus hive, together with the adhering bees ; and the bees from another frame may also be brushed into each compartment, and the frame returned to hive A. If hive A has been flourish- ing, so that it contains a good many young bees, your nuclei will need no further attention. All the older bees will fly back to hive A; and if there be only a few bees in the nucleus, it may be well to fasten them in for a couple of days when the nucleus is first formed. Frequently the queen cells will be all found on one or two frames, and in that case, a cell should be cut out for each nucleus that lacks one. The queen that was taken from hive A and put in the nucleus hive, may now be returned to hive A ; and assoon as the frame from which she was just taken in the nucleus hive, has queen cells started on it, insert a sealed queen cell. If the queen cell is inserted when the queen is first removed, the bees will destroy it. The bees in hive A will accept their queen without caging. If, however, you wish to raise more queen cells, instead of returning the queen to hive A, take a frame of comb from hive A, brushing off the bees, and after taking the frame containing the queen out of the nucleus hive, insert this empty frame in the nucleus hive, and brush the queen and bees down upon it. The frame you have now removed the bees and queen from, will of course contain eggs and larve. Put it into hive A. and the bees will immediately start queen cells on it. These celis, as soon as sealed, may be given to any of the nuclei, which have failed to raise a queen. You may commence operations for raising queens as soon as drones appear, or as soon as drone brood is sealed over, probably about the first of May, in the Middle States. As often as a queen is removed from a nucleus, give ita queen cell, and let the bees raise another queen. Your nuclei will raise queens by simply giving them young brood ; but unless they are quite strong, you had better give them sealed queen cells from a full hive. In the matter of ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. I generally adopt a plan that I learned, I think, from Mr. R. C. Otis. Suppose you have two hives, No. 1 and No. 2, both strong, and an empty hive, No. 38. From No. 1, take frame after frame, brushing back all the bees into the hive, until only two or three frames are left; and as fast as the frames are emptied of bees put them in No. 3. Fill up the vacancies in both hives with empty combs or frames. Remove No. 2 to a new location, and set No. 8 inits place. The returning bees from No, 2 will supply No. 3 with a good colony and will raise a queen ; but it will save time if you fur- nish them with a fertile queen from a nucleus. To do this, as soon as No. 8 has started queen cells, which will be in two or three days, simply put in the queen at the top of the hive, or at the entrance, without caging or any precaution what- ever. I have not yet found an exception to the rule that w queenl ss colony which has queen cells . sturted will readily accept any queen, fertile or unfertile. I am asked whether the Peabody melextractor will suit any but the Langstroth frames. I think it will suit any frame in use, but I have never tried it with any but two kinds. C. C. MILLER. Marengo, Ilis., Feb., 1871. tt ea a eee Water is absolutely indispensable to bees when building comb, or raising brood. 258 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, [For the American Bee Journal.] Fertilizing Italian Queen Bees. There have been quite a number of ways given to secure the pure fertilization of queens in confinement, yet there are very few persons who appear to have any success. I have a neighbor, with whom I became acquainted last fall, who says he has not failed once in getting queens fertilized by drones from any stock he may select. He showed me two queens which had been fertilized, that had no wings, but merely small rudimental bunches where the wings should have been. I was very busy at the time, and it being then late in the season, I did not try it, but intend to test it thoroughly the coming season. He said he had tried many different ways to get queens fertilized by Italian drones, and had at last found one by which he always had good success, having never failed when he tried it in a full stock of bees. He selects a stock with plenty of the best drones, and sets it fifteen or twenty rods from any other stock, and as soon as the queen hatches, he clips one wing. He then raises a bed of saw dust three or four feet square, lays thereon a good broad bottom board, and sets the hive on it, so that the queen can crawl back when she comes out. He has tried queens in this way for three seasons, and they are all very prolific. A queen can be introduced from any stock, and in and in-breeding thus prevented. G. M. DoopurTtLe. Borodino, N. Y., March 11, 1871. —_ —— It seems to us that the process above mentioned is more likely to be uniformly successful than any other yet suggested or tried.—Eb, Pers [For the American Bee Journal, ] Fertilization with select Drones, When a safe and sure method to secure the fertilization of queens with select drones in con- finement is devised, the inventor will deserve the same honors now conferred on Langstroth for his invention of the movable frame hives. There are parties now claiming to have made such discoveries, but, whether such claims are valid, remains to be tested. I could heartily wish they were, but I rather fear the statements are exaggerated. At least, until I can succeed my- self with their methods, I will not credit such statements as have appeared at different times in the Journals, as being successful in every case. I will give my experience the past season, with their various methods, as I found them de- scribed. I hope other writers for the Journal will also give nothing but the plain, naked, and unvarnished facts, and on both sides, the dark as well as the bright. Early in the spring I received Dr. Jewel Davis’ circular—Queen Nursery ; but as it was not in connection with a method of fertilization, and as I could never get bees to accept an unim- pregnated queen, I thought I would wait until others tried it. If friend Davis had sent me one on trial, I would have given it a faithful one. I prepared a number of cages on Mitchel’s plan, described by him in his paper—expecting to be sure of success, as he told us we wouldn’t fail but one time out of ten. Well, my experi- ence went the other way, for I didn’t succeed one time in ten. I also prepared several other methods, such as honey caps, 3 x 4 x 6—the ends, bottom, and top, wood ; wire cloth on one side, and glass on the other; and three one inch holes in the bottom, covered with wire cloth. Also, a number of small cages, two inches by three, fastened to a board an inch and a half wide and a fourth of an inch thick, fitted in the hive in place of a frame. These were for cells to hatch in; but every queen died before she was five days old, although each cage had sealed honey in old comb. The other cages I tried in almost every conceivable way—inside of the hive, on the top, in dark rooms, some with workers, and some without, until I became sick of losing so many valuable queens. I failed in every instance, except two or three, which I will describe and leave to the readers of the Journal to say whether I was successful. The first was with one of the first queens raised, a beautiful and lively queen, but with no wings. The weather being very rainy for several days, with no signs of clearing off, I put her in the fertiliz- ing cage on the morning of the fifth, day, with eight selected drones. Then put the cage down into her stand (a full stand). In noticing her a while after, say about one o’clock, on raising the cage to the light, she made several attempts to fly in the cage, and hopped on the back of a drone and stuck fast. Here I was compelled to close up, by the falling rain. Next day, I noticed a dead drone. Queen all right I thought I would follow out Mitchel’s directions of forty- eight hours. Well, what did I find at the end of the forty-eight hours ? Two dead drones, and a dead queen besmeared in honey that had dripped on the bottom. The next one in which I think I succeeded, is this. I put three queens, just hatched, in three of the small boxes above described, with about one hundred workers in each. These I put ina dark room until the fifth day, when I took out all but five workers and then put five drones in each. These drones were so selected at one o’clock, just as they were leaving the hive, put in boxes back into the dark room (which was also warm) for thirty-six hours; at the end of which time there two dead queens, and from one to three dead drones, in each. I immediately introduced the living queen, by means of tobacco smoke, in a nucleus that had been queenless for five days, and on the second day she was laying. Iwas either successful in this case, or the queen came out and met a drone the same day that I introduced her in the nucleus. In my correspondence with D. L. Adair, I told him I had failed with Mitchel’s plan. He answered that he had too, but that he had no trouble with one of his own; and that if I would try it, according to his directions, he would send me one. I wrote, and got one in due time. I thought it a very ingenious device, and that it would prove successful. I immediately trans- ‘ ferred bees and comb to it, sent for select drones 1871.] to friend Nesbit, as I feared all my best ones were killed off—which fear proved to be ground- less, for I had drones the first week in January, and probably have some now. Well, friend Nesbit’s drones came, just as the queen was two days old. By the way, I was careful not to have a single drone in the nucleus when transferred. I now put onthe fertilizer, adjusted the entrance so that a worker could just squeeze through, then put in the drones, which were besmeared with honey as I took them out of the transporting box. The bees immediately commenced licking them off, and they were received all right. On the third day after, I saw a dead drone. By the way, Mr. Adair says the queen will fly against the glass, whenever the cover is lifted off; but I could never see her do so. On the 9th or 10th day of the queen’s age she was laying. I thought I was positively sure I had succeeded this time and the next; but the third trial puz- zled me. I believe the third trial was made as carefully as the first two, and | thought I had the same success, until the young bees began to emerge from the cells—sheer hybrids. Now how this happened I am unable to say, unless the queen got out at the entrance, as the workers did, and meta black drone. Hurrah for Novice. He has gone to the camp to make maple sugar, with all his bees; and is going to tell us how to put our bees at it free of charge! Well, all right! R. M. Argo. Lowell, Ky., Feb. 11, 1871. <> —______—_- [For the American Bee Journal.] New Process cf non-flying Fertilization of Queen Bees, Mr. Eprror :—When last in Washington, you showed me a letter from one of your correspond- ents describing what he conceived to be a suc- cessful method of non-flying fertilization of queen bees, as devised and employed by one of his neighbors. It seems to me that his plan, or something akin to it, promises more success than any one hitherto devised, as it seems to be almost perfectly in accordance with the instincts of the drones and queens. He says that if a hive set on a mound of sawdust, some three feet wide and two feet high, the young queen, with her wings clipped, when she comes out to meet the drones, is easily seen by them and speedily fertilized. When the queen is confined with the drones, both queens and drones are in an un- natural position, and seem to exert most of their energies in trying to escape. But by the plan mentioned by your correspondent, the queen comes out at the proper season, just as though she were capable of flying. The drones are in full flight, leaving the hive and returning to it. Being elevated above the surface of the mound upon some light substance, she is quickly seen by them, and it seems altogether probable that, in most instances, fertilization will take place and the queen return to her hive. When young , queens, whose wings are imperfect, come out in THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 259 the ordinary way, they fall upon the grass or ground, and are not in a position to be noticed by the drones. T shall give this plan a full trial the present sea- son, and hope that many of our correspondents will do so also. If it is found to answer, it could easily be modified so as to be made serviceable on a large scale. I do not suppose that there is any peculiar virtue in sawdust, except that being light and elevated, the queen is seen to advantage by the drones. Perhaps a platform over which cotton cloth is stretched, might be found to answer even better than a mound of sawdust. The hive containing drones might, from time to time, be supplied with hatching drone brood from our choicest queens. En- trances might be made on all sides of this hive, and nuclei might easily be placed in position on different sides, so that drones entering and leaving on all sides, would see the queens from the different nuclei. The expert will easily un- derstand how, by small boards, these nuclei may be so separated from each other that the queens will be almost sure to return to their proper colonies. Should there be danger of the queens crawling over these boards, by rubbing their surfaces with chalk, they would be unable to do so. As soon as the queen of any nucleus is known to be fertilized, she might be removed, and a nearly matured queen cell, or a just hatched queen, put in her place. In this way a few colonies separated a few rods from the main apiary, and containing the drones from which we wish to breed, might be made to serve for a very large number of nuclei. It is only within a few years that the necessity for non- flying fertilization has been felt, and sooner or later unquestionably some practicable method for accomplishing it will be devised. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Oxford, Ohio, April 13, 1871. os [For the American Bee Journal. ] Natural and Forced Queens, I watched the discussion of this subject in the BEE JOURNAL for some time, with quite an inter- est; but, after hearing both sides. of the ques- tion, I am left todo as I always have done in the propagation of queens. I have been propagating queens for several years, for my own use and the public as called for, but not making it a speciality. I received my first instructions from Rev. L. L. Langstroth, and always rear my royal cells in strong colonies, and from the egg or larva just hatched—feeding the colony with sugar syrup every evening when forage is not abundant. In * regard to the longevity and fertility of such queens, I have found no difficulty. With the introduction of the Italian bee, some years since, in my apiary, | commenced raising queens, and in a short time my bees appeared as though making an effort to overstock my apiary, which never occurred while operating with the black bee, and under the old system of natural, hardy, and prolific queens. My attention was never called to the speedy 260 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, mortality of forced queens, until drawn to it by the articles inthe Bre JouRNAL. True, out of a hundred or more colonies, I would occasionally lose a queen under a year old; but I thought, and yet think, it to be only incidental mortality, which holds a sway over all animated nature, leveling in the dust the infant of days, as well as the man with hoary locks. Queens reared from larve too far advanced towards the chrysalis state, are worthless. How many days old the larve may be and yet make good queens, | am unprepared to say, but sup- pose they should not be over three days old. In the summer of 1867, I gave to bees in a nucleus, eggs fresh laid from which to propagate a queen, but saw no signs of a royal cell until the tenth day, when one was just started. When the queen hatched, the only perceivable difference from a worker was in the taper of the body and the shape of her head. She never laid any eggs, but soon disappeared from the nucleus. As a general rule, all feeble queens at hatching, and that do not lay eggs the first week after copulation, should be discarded ; but in very early spring or late fall, this rule will not hold good. To de- velop large and healthy queens, rear the royal cells in a hive crowded with bees. It is not ne- cessary that the hive should be of full size, so it holds three or four frames of the size used in the apiary. Never remove the cell to a smaller nu- cleus, unless crowded with bees, until two or three days before the time to hatch. When about maturity, they are harder to chill, and hatch out stronger, than if removed earlier to more feeble swarms. To know when to remove the cells, you must know whether you introduced eggs or larve. If larve, then their age, as queens, will hatch in sixteen days from the egg, and some- times sooner, in very warm weather, with good forage. When larve are used, examine if there are any advanced grubs. If so, destroy them, by inserting a small stick into the cell, sufficiently hard. It is a fact known to some, and probably many leading bee keepers, that when forage is right and the atmosphere warm and damp, Italian bees in large apiaries will swarm off by the dozen swarms per day, leaving no preparations for royal cells. But I never “discovered that forced queens under such circumstances were less pro- lific or shorter lived, than under other circum- stances. Yet it may possibly be so, though not very probable. A. SALISBURY Camargo, I's. [For the American Bee Journal.] Transferring Bees. I have had some experience in transferring bees from box hives to those having movable combs, and think my experience may benefit some of the readers of the Journal. I have trans- ferred bees in June, October, November and March. The time recommended by most writers - is when the apple trees are in bloom, but my ex- perience proves that March is a better time than later in the season. At that time there is little brood in the combs, and the bees may be trans- ferred with little disturbance to breeding opera- tions ; and then, when the breeding season has fully come, they are ready, without further hin- derance, to proceed with their work. I have four stocks that I transferred early in the present month, and they are all doing well. I opened one of the hives yesterday, and found sheets of comb nearly full of brood from top to bottom. There is a prevalent opinion that bees must secrete wax in order that they may repair the combs and attach them to the frames; but this is a mistake. ‘Whoever will examine the repairs they make, will find that the wax used is taken from the combs repaired, as the new work is of the exact color and quality of the comb repaired or attached to the frames. Combs put into frames in March, when no wax was being secreted, were securely fastened in a few days, so that the sticks by which they were secured in position could be removed. There are only two dangers in transferring thus early —robbers and loss of queens. I have had no trouble on these accounts. Robbers in- deed made a brief attack, but by contracting the entrance to the new hive, the bees defended them- selves with so much vigor that the robbers soon gave up the attempt. I cut the combs out of the old hives without first driving the bees out into a driving box. By using care, only a few bees were killed, and in every case, the queen was found to have escaped unhurt. I have trans- ferred thirteen colonies, and have never lost a queen yet. The stocks transferred in October and Novem- ber wintered well, and are in fine condition this spring, except one that, by being neglected a little too long, starved to death. I put three weak colonies together, and when they were united in (October) they had not more than four pounds of honey. These I wintered on sugar syrup, and they are now doing well, and promise to repay with interest all the care they have received. In a future number I may give my method of transferring bees to movable comb-hives, with such directions as will enable any one of ordinary skill to perform the operation without difficulty. M. MAgIn. New Cas'le, Ind., March 28d, 1871. As the sun sinks his broad disk below the horrizon, to rise with new lustre—his rays leap- ing over the mountains ; so the busy bee, exclu- ded by the twilight, rushes forth at early dawn on buoyant wings, and from every floral cup sips the nectar of heaven, which darkness hid. A. SALISBURY. The entire economy of the hive seems to emanate exclusively from the two most promi- nent attributes of instinct, that of self-preserva- tion, and that other more important axis of the vast wheel of creation, the secured perpetuation of the kind by the conservative and absorbing love of offspring. —ScHUCKARD. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 261 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, May, 1871. OS> The issue of the April number of the Journal was delayed several days by untoward occurrences and vexatious disappointments, to which, as we could neither prevent nor control them, we had to submit ** with the better fortitude of paticnce.’’ 0S>- We areindebted to the Hon. Horace Capron, Commissioner of Agriculture, for a package of choice vegetable and flower seeds, grown in France ex- pressly for the Department—whereof we shall en- deavor to make good use, and for which we tender thanks. aS Mr. King intimates to us that he *‘ may con- clude to accept”? the offer of space in the Journal, **to reply to articles in the April number.’? Should he decide to do so, we trust the reply will be furnished in season for our next issue. Under present arrange- ments for printing the Journal, articles intended for any particular number, should be in our hand not later than on the 10th of the preceding month. OG Ther eport of the proceedings of the second annual meeting of the North Eastern Beekeepers’ Association, held at Albany, N. Y., on the 15th of March, reached us too late for insertion in this num- ber. We shall find room for it in our next. OS> We have on handalarge number of communi- cations from valued contributors, which shall have due attention as early as practicable. Even with the aid of small type we cannot always crowd in all the articles for which we desire to make room, though we give monthly nearly three times as much bee mat- ter as any other paper, by actual measurement, and the quality of which, we conceive, squares well with the quantity. 0S The communication on Italian bees, from the pen of Mr. Graveuhorst, of Brunswick, will, of course, arrest the attention of breeders and bee culturists. The writer is an experienced and successful apiariau and a careful observer, who, reading English famil- iarly, is well informed of the state and progress of bee culture not only in Europe but in this country like- wise—knowing, from their writings, who are the prominent beekeepers here. It is, in fact, through the American Bee Journal, that many of ourcontribu- tors are rapidly acquiring a European reputation. We find their articles frequently referred to, and many of them translated, in the Bee Journals of Germany, France and Italy, and favorably noticed in the agri- cultural and horticultural papers of Great Britain and Ireland. [=s~ ~We request the attention of beekeepers who design to import Italian queen bees this season, to the advertisement of Messrs. G. Neighbor & Son, con- tained in this number of the Journal. It is an old established London house, thoroughly trustworthy. Mr. Edward Uhle, also, from whom queens ordered, will be procured, has had much experience as a breeder. The Baron of Berlepsch, in the new edition of his work on ‘* Bees and Bee Culture, speaks of Mr. Uhle as one of the most intelligent and best qualified prac- tical beekeepers in Europe. The Queen Castle. After our notice and description of this new con- trivance had gone to press, we received the inventor’s further account of it. He now substitutes sheets of perforated tin in place of the wire gauze for the sides of the castle, which are thus made more stanch, equally serviceable, and it is said cost less. Those who test this implement should be careful to have it properly made, in accordance with the inventor’s de scription or idea. Failure with one differently con structed furnishes no argument against the genuine article, which is still spoken of abroad as being used with uniform success. Devices in the use of which success is the exception, are not the things we want ; but where failure is the exception we may at least hope to be on the true track. The queen castle has now been in use nearly three years in Europe, and we have not heard of a single failure there to accomplish the desired object. There may have been such, but, if so, they have not yet been reported, and this, after such a lapse of time, argues favorably. The chief reason for confidently looking for gratifying results from the employment of this device, is said to be, that the queen and her companions, placed therein, do not seem to be con- scious of being in confinement, and deport themselves accordingly ; nor do the bees of the colony under treatment appear to regard or treat the queen thus placed among them, as a stranger and a prisoner. What other matter is involved in the ‘** philosophy ” of the process that should always insure success, has not been specified, and we shall not even undertake to surmise in advance—leaving that to be speculated about when the facts are ascertained, if there be then room for speculation, or speculation be desirable. It was only after the application of the balance, that the Fellows of the Royal Society of England knew whether a basin of water weighed more after a fish was put in than it dia \efore. At least so goes the story. Dr. Dénhoff, of Rhenish Prussia, whose highly inter- esting and instructive experiments and observations on bees constituted a prominent feature of the Bien- enzeitung ten or twelve years ago, but who subse- quently became otherwise engaged, has assured the Baron of Berlepsch that he intends to resume his in- vestigations and renew his correspondence. 262 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [May, Amount of honey imported into the United States, in the last three years, with the duty paid thereon, at the rate of twenty cents per gallon. Year. Quantity. Value, Duty. 1868 130,609 $71,899 90 $26,121 80 1869 140,596 78,639 85 28,119 20 1870 112,488 68,482 80 22,487 60 —_—_____—_+—~+>_+—______—__ CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL. BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, February 2, 1871.—We have had a very poor winter here for our bees. They have not been able to fly out since the beginning of Decem- ber, and have thus been unable to discharge their feeces for nearly eight weeks. In January the temperature was at 12 degrees below zero. In these circumstances many colonies have already perished, and we are un- easy as regards the fate of those yet surviving.—C. F. H. GRAVENHOST. SILVER CREEK, Minn., March8.--Mr. W. H. Cutting, in this town, bought one swarm of bees last spring. From it he obtained one new swarm, and sixty (60) pounds of honey from the old, and thirty (80) pounds of box honey from the newswarm. Total, one swarm and ninety pounds of honey.—S. ROWELL. Boropino, N. Y., March 11.—My bees have wintered in the very best condition. They were weighed on the 9th of November, and put in winter quarters soon afterwards. Iset them out on the 9th of March, and found by weighing that they had consumed on an average, a little less than four pounds of honey, or a little less than a pound per month, each hive. I found brood, (much to my surprise, considering the amount of honey they had consumed, ) in three or four frames, in nearly-every hive, and young bees, just hatched, quite plenty. The weather here is very warm for the time of year, the thermometer standing at from 85 to 90 degrees in the sun. My pure Italians seemed to be more quiet during the winter than either the hybrids or blacks, and consumed less honey. d have queens that produced workers which show the fourth yellow band, Mr. Alley to the contrary notwithstand- ing. —G. M. DOooLITTLe. Lr Crarre, Iowa, March 15.—This is the first day this spring that the bees worked on soft maple a rye meal.—G. L. Gast. 4 BEARDSTOWN, ILLS., March 15.—My bees did not do well last year. I wintered 175 colonies, some of them weak.—J. F. PAPPMEIER. ALLENSVILLE, Ky., March 15.—The Journal is in- dispensable to all profitable bee raising. My bees have passed the winter well, and have been carrying in pollen rapidly since the 20th of February. The last season was very good here, from the 20th of May to the 10th of June. White clover is our sole depend- ence for honey. True, we have fruit blossoms which help us along some, but our reliance is on clover.—J. H. JOHNSON. WILLOW BRANCH, IND., March 18.—My bees are all right so far, breeding finely and doing well. I can hardly wait from one month until the next for the Journal.—JONATHAN SMITH. Norti Cuii, N. Y., March 18.—I have ten swarms of black bees, which paid well during last season, and I now propose to go in and win; that is, I shall Ital- ianize and use all means for success. I think one of the needed appliances in such a case is the Journal.— JAMES NEEL. MADISON STATION, TENN., March 20.—The spring has been very favorable for bees here, and the little fel lows are having a glorious lime now, gathering honey from the peach, plum, pear, and red bud. If the weather continues as favorable as it has been, swarms will be ready to come out by the first of April.—s. S. HALL. | East Tritton, N. H., March 20.—Last season was a very discouraging one for bee business in this vi- cinity. A severe and protracted drouth was the cause. This winter has been a very remarkably open and changeable one, snow disappearing nearly two months earlier than in the generality of seasons. There was nothing like it within the recollection of the oldest in- habitant. Bees were set out on their summer stands from two to four weeks earlier than usual ; but very few days have been warm enough yet for them to fly freely. Taking into consideration that we shall have fully one month or more, before the first blossoms will appear, I apprehend a trying time for the bees this spring. A year ago, I opened with seven stocks, increased to fifteen. Did not get a pound of surplus hovey, and had to feed from seventy-five to one hundred pounds of sugar syrup to winter through. Set out the fifteen stocks about a fortnight ago. One stock has ‘‘ gone up” already. Bee fever very sensibly abating, though still hoping for a little luck this year. I like the Jour- nal, and cannot do without it, as long as I try luck on bees. Wish it came oftener.—J. B. R. SANBORN. GHENT, Oun10, March 20.—Bees came out of their winter quarters in first rate condition, and we out here must have the Old Reliable, if it is to be had. It beats all what lots of pollen have been carried in the hives for three or four days past, for this season of the year, in our section of country. Ifthe season con- tinues as favorable as it has begun, we may expect early swarms.—T. PEARSON. ALLEN P. O., InpD., March 26.—I have seventy stands | of bees, all in good condition, except three or four that are weak. ‘They were wintered on their summer stands.—W. A. Horton. COMERSVILLE, TENN., March 28.—My bees are do- ing fine thus far this season. They commenced work about the 20th of February and have worked on up to thistime. I saw newly hatched bees flying on the 10th of March. I have about eighty hives, and have lost only one since last fall, and it was queenless.— J. F. LOVE. GONZALES, Texas, April 1.—My bees are doing well. Say to my northern friends that my first swarm came out on the 19th of March. I have had thirteen new swarms, and hived them all safely. Last year I had my first swarm on the lst of April. Bees com- menced storing honey on the lst of March. I have never known them to work so fast. If the season continues good, I hope to make a large quantity of honey. All the bees are doing well. I wish to com- mence Italianizing next fall. I am working the black bees, but they are very good tempered. They rarely sting. My Bee Journal comes regularly, and I am well pleased with it.—L. M. CocHRAn. . West Troy, N. Y., April 3.—Bees have wintered finely in this section. Out of eighty-one (81) stocks wintered on their summer stands [ lost but three, one of those by carelessness, and the other two I think were queenless last fall. They have taken flour for four weeks past, and seem to be breeding uncommonly fast. March 31,1 saw them carrying in pollen from soft maple. If April and May should prove as good as last year, I think we shall have very early swarming; but it is very seldom we have April and May like last year.—W. M. STRATTON. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 263 KAwnsasCity, Mo., April 5.—Bees last summer made nothing. Many hives died during the winter of starvation. Jam stimulating a few now, to keep them alive. Peach trees now are in full bloom here, and I hope I am about out of the woods, as I find feeding difficult.. I am surrounded by fine bee pas- turage, and think this the best place for bees I have ever lived in. White clover abounds. As I ama novice at the business I must go slow, (I find it does go slow,) as last season produced not a pound of honey.—F. HoLsIncGeEr. Ber1in, Wis., April 10.—Vegetation is nearly a month earlier than usual, but now we are having a storm of sleet from the northeast. Our bees have wintered well here. Honey was good last season.— L. BECKWITH. Natouez, Miss., April 11, 1871.—To-day the wea- ther is fine and bright. Our spring season has opened very early and favorably. The latter part of our win- ter was much milder than usual, and vegetation has put forth early and rapidly—our fruit trees blossoming much earlier than usual. My bees have improved their time accordingly. My first swarm issued on the 19th of March, followed by another on the 24th, two on the 26th, one on the 29th, one on the 2d instant, and several others since—all first swarms and hybrids, excepting the earliest one, which is pure, or very nearly pure Italian. Yesterday my first black bees swarmed, while others are making preparations. About thirty- six miles from here, in the country, a friend had his bees to swarm about two weeks ago, all blacks. The prospect here is very good fora fine honey season, if if our forward spring should not prove the forerunner of a dry and unyielding summer.—J. R. BLEDSOE. ors [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice and the Eureka Bee Hive. Mr EpiTror :—Do you not think that Novice is alittle out of place in the remark he made in the March number of the Journal, page 206, on Jasper Hazen and his Eureka bee hive? I should judge from his language that he considers him- self something more than a novice. Supposing that he has the best hive, and is the most success- ful beekeeper, does he suppose that all others can reach his eminence in bee culture at one step, with book knowledge only, and be also very suc- cessful? We learn of numbers who have taken a step far in advance of where they were, and have so fallen that their experience was too dear. It is practical knowledge we want, and that, like all trades, must be got by degrees. If we change from common hives, with honey boxes attached, to movable comb hives, we had better try only a few at first, and hold on mainly in the old way until we learn a better. Some beekeepers, highly interested in the business, may never have a _ taste for so much overhauling of bee hives as taking the honey with a melextractor requires ; and these, and some others, want to do the best they can, in box-honey. And why shall they not have a chance? Why shall not the merits of such hives be put before the public, as well as others ? And why shall not Jasper Hazen have the same privileges through the Journal as others, when patentees have, so far, been allowed so liberal a share of room? We presume Mr. Hazen would like to sell rights, but is he alone to be benefited by the trade? Do we not all know that a good hive has a good deal to do with our profits in apiculture? I have so far mainly used the Col- ton hive, with a capacity of 72 pounds for box honey ; and for the last two years have beat the American hive, which has been kept in town. I have made four Eureka hives, and from what I see of them, I believe them the best in the country, to make profit by means of box-honey. Such is the construction, that the bees will hardly know whether they are in the boxes or in the main hive. The boxes when filled, will show off in good shape, and so help the sale. If need be, the combs may be taken out. I see from the American Beekeepers’ Conven- tion, there is complaint of the dull sale of ex- tracted honey, and the idea is advanced that it will be necessary to lower the price. Box-honey, because it is known to be pure, sells more readily and higher. It is yet to be seen, after Mr. Hazen stimulates his bees a little more scientifically, with his higher price of honey, whether he will not receive a larger profit than even Novice himself. ALONZO BARNARD. Bangor, Me., March 6th, 1871. P. §.—The word usual/y should be inserted in the eighth line of my communication in the Journal for March, so as to make the sentence read—‘‘ With few exceptions, the Italians have done the best, and usually, much the best.’’ {For the American Bee Journal.] ‘'My Patent Bee Hive.” What intelligent beekeeper can read the head- ing of this article, without feelings of disgust and indignation? Of disgust, when he thinks of the legion of foolish and worse than useless devices to manage or rather mismanage the little honey bee. Of indignation, when he remembers how those devices are combined with valuable quali- ties, thus either infringing on the patented rights of other parties, or which are not and cannot be patented—the inventors having given them to the world. Now, I wish to say a few words upon patents in general, and patent bee hivesin particular. It has been said that ‘‘necessity is the mother of invention.’? The emergencies of the circum- stances require the attainment of a certain object, and immediately the attention of all interested parties is centered upon that object ; and it will not generally be long before a method, and perhaps several of them, will be devised to attain it. Many important inven- tions are the result of the merest accident, and many others result from seeing some person do a thing in a novel and efficient method, but which the operative never dreamed of having pat- ented. The fact is, inventions grow... By which I mean that the research and investigations of the past are the capital stock of the present; and we take their achievements as the basis on which to build further improvements. The first man was not a skilful mechanic, and the first mechanic did not invent the steam engine—nor did the first beekeeper invent the movable comb system. Thus we see the reason why, in many cases, the 264 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [MAay, same thing is being studied and ‘‘invented’’ by different persons, and perhaps in different coun- tries, at the same time, and their inventions are being consummated nearly simultaneously. Now, a word about patent hives. Mr. Lang- stroth I regard as exceptionally honest, and honorable in all his claims, in this direction ; and yet I must criticise his course in this mat- ter somewhat. JI obtained aright to make and use Mr. Langstroth’s invention under his original patent, and made a considerable number of hives, so that I have not used them all yet. Many of my neighbors made similar hives, without purchasing any right todo so. I wrote to Mr. Langstroth asking him if he was the first inventor-of the movable frame, and if so, why infringements are not prosecuted? He re- plied that he did not claim to be the first inven- tor of the movable frame, but he claimed to have invented ‘‘the first movable frame that was of any particular value.’’ Now, this is too ambiguous. We don’t know what Mr. Langstroth’s movable frameis. Munn, of England, invented a movable comb frame some years before Mr. Langstroth’s patent ; and I understand that Debeauvois, of France, in 1851, made and used a movable comb frame with sides and bottoms at suitable distances from the bottom and walls of the hive. I sup- pose the shallow chamber below the honey board, to be Mr. Langstroth’s invention, but beyond that I don’t know what it is. I have understood that at the time of the re-issue of his patent, he made certain disclaimers, stating what he did nct claim; but very few’ persons about here know what they are. And now, patent bee hive men, let us know just what your patented inventions are, and what they are not, and we will judge for our- selves whether they are valuable to us, or not. L. BEcKWITH. Berlin, Wis., March 13, 1871. ee i [For the American Bee Journal.] Kane County (Ills.) Beekeepers’ Society. At the last Kane County Beekeepers’ Quar- terly meeting the first question debated was the rearing of queens from eggs or larvee. It was de- cided that full colonies of bees be employed, and egos used, with the proper feed ready prepared by the bees, by the time the eggs hatched into larve. Recommended to remove the queen cells started from larve, insert hatching eggs, at the time the nursing bees are ready to feed the young queens from the commencement, and no half-starved queens produced. Bee pasturage. It was decided to be desirable to furnish crops producing honey, for large apiaries, it not being safe to depend on natural sources in all locations. An increase of fiuit trees and shrubs, in new locations, was recom- mended; as also, to increase the culture of the raspberry, basswood, and maples for sap and sugar, as well as flowers. Chestnut and tulip trees to be tested, as to their adaptation to our climate and soil. Alsike clover to be grown on moist, rich soil; and perhaps mulched to retard its too early flowing. Buckwheat was highly recommended, as with the honey extractor, the honey could be managed to suit the keeper or the bees. The dairying interest in our county was spoken of as being advantageous to bee keep- ing. Resolved that all who can, should attend the meetings of the North Western Dairymen, to be held at Elgin. QUESTIONS PROPOSED. 1. Special honey crops. 2. Does sugar undergo any change when fed to bees ? 8. Does honey shrink in measure or weight, after being taken from the hive? 4. Bee feeding—the quantity and quality ; and for what purpose is it necessary to feed ? The above subjects were discussed, and further consideration postponed to the next meeting— when they may be taken up or continued, or other questions taken up, as may seem desirable. A Fox River Valley Beekeepers’ Society is spoken of to be organized on the same liberal plan as the county society. ; Ali persons are invited to attend our quarterly meetings, without cost, as the Treasurer has sufficient funds for present use. Any person can become a member by applying to the Secre- tary, J. M. Marvin, of St. Charles. The officers of the society are :— President—W illiam Urie, Aurora. Vice President —George Thompson, Geneva. Secre'ary—J. M. Marvin, St. Charles. Treasurer —S. Way, Batavia. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Winter-Survivinz Drones, Mr. Eprror :—I scarcely feel myself able to write a few lines for your valuable Journal, yet when something unusual transpires, I feel it my duty to make it known. While examining my bees the other day, I found drones in perfect health, as far as I could see, and they, too, from last year’s raising—since, in our latitude of 40° north, such a thing as raising drones naturally, this early, is simply impossible. Why, or for what reason, they were allowed to live over the winter, is certainly not easily under- stood, since the bees are in perfect health and have good fertile queens. These drones are not found in one hive only, but in a good many, and quite a number appear to be left in each. One reason may be that last fall there was an abund- ance of honey, and the hives were full of bees, and amid such plenty their usual instinct for destroying all that are not useful, may to a certain extent have left them. However, I should like to have some of the old bee men who contribute to the Journal, give their opinion of this case. The season so far has been very favorable for bees, and they are rapidly breeding. The only fear is that they may exhaust their stores before the soft maple and the fruit trees come in bloom. Gebharisburg, Pa., April 10, 1871. @ AMERICAN BEER JOURNAL, EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vou. VI. JUNK, 1ss71. No. 12. North Eastern Bee-keepers’ Association. SEconD ANNUAL MEETING, AGRICULTURAL Rooms, Albany, N. Y., March 15, 1871. The Association was called to order by the President. The Secretary being absent, J. H. Nellis was chosen Secretary pro tempore. The Report of the semi-annual meeting held at Utica was read; but as no action was taken, it was resolved that we telegraph to the Secre- tary, requesting him to forward immediately to the acting secretary the minutes of the last meeting, together with the Constitution. The Treasurer’s report was read and approved. The retiring President then read a very able and instructive paper on bee culture, which was highly appreciated, and a vote of thanks was tendered to him for the thought and research which he had given to the subject. The election of officers for the ensuing year was taken up, and resulted in the chosing of the following gentlemen : President.—M. ay St. Johnsville, N. Y. Vice President.—C. C. Van Deusen, Sprout Brooke, N. Y. Secretary.—J. H. Nellis, Canajoharie, N. Y. Treasurer. —J. E. Hetherington, Cherry Val- ley, N.- An opportunity of joining was given to persons not already connected with the association, and those.who were members during the past year, renewed their connection by paying to the treasu- rer the sum required annually. (Any person may join the association, or renew his connection therewith, by sending one dollar with name and address to the Secretary. ) Adjourned to 7$ o’clock in the evening. EVENING SESSION. Meating called to order by the President. Minutes of last session read and approved. Introducing of queens was made the subject of discussion, for the purpose of eliciting experi- ence with the last and most approved methods, Mr. Van Deusen said, in making artificial swarms he had practised the following method successfully. Remove the stock from which a swarm is to be taken to a new station, some feet distant, and place a hive filled with empty combs -on the old stand. Take the queen, with about a quart of bees, from the old stock, and put them into the hive containing the empty comb. The bees returning from the fields enter the hive on the old stand, and when evening comes, most of the old bees have returned to this hive— making it strong in numbers. In the evening, a queen is smeared with honey and dropped into the top of the hive from which the swarm was taken. Itmakes no difference whether the queen is fertilized or not, as the young bees are very easily satisfied. The operation should be per- formed on a fair day. He had introduced Ital- ian,queens to black stocks in the fall, by remov- ing the black queens and thoroughly smoking the hive with tobacco, after which the Italian queens were rolled in honey and dropped among the bees. Mr. Root objected to tobacco smoke, as it leaves the bees very irritable. Mr. Quinby thought safety in introducing a queen depends on having all the bees well filled with honey when she is put among them, and recommended bee keepers to experiment with this point in view. Mr.-Vrooman said that one season, while using the box hive, his bees were hanging idly on the outside of the hives, and to make a swarm, he had removed a few bees from the fronts of several of the different hives, and uniting them in one body, had put them in an empty hive on the top of which a queen was confined by a tumbler. After the bees were hived, the queen was allowéd to join them, and was kindly received. | Mr. Stanton and others thought thig method ' could not be relied on, as the bees would be likely to return to their respective stocks. Mr. Nellis had tried the method recommended by Baldwin Bros., Mrs. Tupper, and others, in which the queen to be introduced, is confined in a wire-cloth cage, by old worn muslin, which the bees are expected to remove. He did not think highly of it, as out of five or six attempts he had been suvcessful only once. Mr. Hetherington liked the good old plan bet- ter than any other. He had introduced seventy- eight queens at one time, without losing a single one. He described it as follows: Remove the black queen, and let the hive alone seven days ; at the expiration of that time, open the hive and cut off ali queen cells. After the combs are re- Entered Mapping to Act of Coagress, in the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the Office of the Librarian of Conyress, Washington. 266 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, placed, smear the Italian queen with honey, and drop her into the top of the hive. Mr. Root thought we could not afford to squander so much time in the swarming season. A stock deprived of its queen often loses in a few days an amount of brood equivalent to a swarm. Jf queens can be introduced immedi- ately, he believes we could afford to lose one out of every five, rather than wait a number of days. Mr. Van Alstine had paralyzed bees with puff- ball, and after hunting ont the black queen, had put the Italian queen among them. By this means queens are easily introduced to box hives. He also united weak stocks by paralyzing the bees. Mr. Van Deusen had introduced queens in another manner. Take thin sugar syrup and scent it with anise oil, in the proportion of five or six drops of oil to a pint of syrup. Remove the black queen and sprinkle the bees well with the syrup, when the Italian queen will be kindly received. Adjourned to meet at 83 o’clock to-morrow morning. MORNING SESSION.—WMarch 16. The association met promptly at time spe- cified. Minutes of the last session read and approved. The following question was proposed and dis- cussed :—Will the general use of suitable empty comb, prove advantageous to bee-keeping ? Mr. Hazen was called upon to give his experi- ence. He said he had not given this matter much attention. He once had a stock standing in his apiary, which must have lost its queen, for when the swarming season came the bees were nearly all gone. Fortwo or three days he noticed an unusual stir about the hive, at the expiration of which time a large swarm came from an un- known source, and took possession of the hive. These strange bees were evidently cleaning house, preparatory to moving in. Although the hive was filled with combs, this swarm did not store as much surplus honey as many swarms placed in empty hives. - Mr. Quinby wished to know if the hive was not infested with worms. Mr. Hazen thought not. Mr. Quinby.—Was not the comb filled with bee-bread ? Mr. Hazen did not know. His experience with empty combs had not been of a favorable nature. Mr. Stanton thought it profitable to give empty combs to swarms—especially large ones, as they are apt to build too much drone comb. Mr. Hetherington said he found first swarms of moderate size built more drone comb than very large ones. He thought the case cited by Mr. Hazen was a very unfavorable one, as the hive was probably filled with old bee-bread and dirt. Mr. Quinby said the secret of making empty comb a source of great profit, consisted in using the honey-emptying machine. When flowers yield honey abundantly, if swarms are supplied with comb, they fill it before the queen can de- posit many eggs, alld at the end of the season the hives are crowded with honey ; and although the stocks appear strong in numbers, they are comparatively weak. . Honey should frequently be taken from the centre of the hive, thereby giving the queen many opportunities of starting brood. Stocks storing in boxes, should also be treated in this manner, as it does not retard the filling of the boxes, and insures their strength. Mr. Root said hives containing 2,000 cubic inches were large enough for the absolute wants of the colonies ; but when the honey season arrives, the bees should be largely supplied with empty combs. He ventured the assertion that five hundred (500) pounds of liquid surplus honey can be taken from a stock in one season, if carefully and promptly managed. Mr. Nellis agreed with Mr. Root’s assertion and said he would try to obtain that amount. Mr. Van Deusen said that on the 25th of May he hived a very small swarm with three empty combs. When partly filled with brood, he separated them and placed two empty combs between them. Shortly after this he gave them three frames of brood taken from other stocks. This stock soon became very strong, and gave him seventy-six pounds of white clover box honey. Mr. YVrooman said swarms hived with empty combs should be supplied with boxes im- mediately. Mr. Nellis favored this idea, but thought the bees would fill the body of the hive before comb could be built in boxes. Mr. Hetherington said one fact had been estab- lished—Great quantities of honey are used in elaborating wax ; for this reason all clean comb should be saved. Hethought empty comb could be used with peculiar advantage, twice in a sea- son; first, to secure brood in spring; and second, to derive the benefits of the honey har- vest, by using the mel-extractor. The following resolutions were offered and adopted : By Mr. Hetherington.—Resolved, That the Executive Committee of this association , consti- tute a committee on publication, and be vested with discretionary power. By Mr. Vrooman.— Whereas, More rules seem to be necessary to the proper government of this association, therefore Resolved, That the President be authorized to appoint a committee of three, to draft by-laws to be presented at the semi-annual meeting. The President appointed as such Committee, Messrs. Hetherington, Vrooman and Nellis. By Mr. Root.—Resolved, That the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer be appointed and constitute a committee to name the points worthy of consideration in awarding premiums for surplus honey, at the next State Fair; and furthermore, that they confer with the Executive Committee of the Agricultural Society in reference to the same. By Mr. Hetherington.— Whereas, The object of this association—the advancement of scientific bee-culture—has been in a_ great measure defeated by neglect to give sufficient notice of the time and place of this meeting, therefore Rf solwed, That the Secretary be requested to 1871.] use a sctooe eat nih cinta to) Po Mo ican Mca aL a Ta available means for giving publicity to future meetings. A little time being left, discussion was resumed. Mr. (1 did not get his name) spoke at length upon the richness of our country. He had travelled in Germany, and although that country is noted for the great number of stocks kept, and the intelligence manifested in their management, he thought our land offered superior inducements to the bee-keeper. New York State is indeed a Land of Promise—a land flowing with milk and honey. He was disap- pointed at not seeing alargercrowd. Anorgani- . zation covering such an extent of territory should have a regular attendance of at least hundred bee-keepers. He thought proper natiod of the meeting had not been given, as he had be- come aware of it only incidentally. He recom- mended that notice be given in the papers of the city in which meetings are to be held, as many per- sons, who do not keep bees, would attend the sessions, on account of their love of scientific dis- cover Mr; Nellis said he had seen an article ina paper denouncing the placing of honey boxes at the sides of hives. The writer said that bees did not fill them as quickly as when placed on the top. He could not agree with this state- ment and wished the experience of others. Mr. Hazen has never been troubled with get- _ ting bees to work in side boxes, when placed in close connection with the hive. Mr. Stratton had practised side boxing for more than twenty years, and thought it vastly superior to placing them on the top. He could get twice as much surplus honey by placing boxes at the sides. Mr. Nellis said, in a number of cases, he placed boxes at the sides or on the top, at the same time, and invariably found the lower tiers of side boxes completed before any others. Mz. Quinby thought this due to the fact that the bees entered the hives from below, and there- fore found those boxes sooner than any others. Mr. Vrooman had put empty boxes upon hives as late as the 20th of August, which were well filled. Some one asked the following question— Which is the most profitable, to “fully supply stocks with stores in the fall; or give them honey enough to keep them till about the first of April, and then feed them every evening until honey gathering commences? Mr. Hetherington favored the latter. He thought the superior strength and vigor pos- sessed by such stocks amply, “paid for all the ex- tra trouble. Mr. Nellis had not experimented with this point in view, but his experience did not favor such feeding. In the fall of 1869 few stocks were fully supplied with stores, and only two of his had sufficient honey to winter them. After his stocks were removed from the cellar, he fed them every evening ; but they failed to gain in strength and activ ‘ity, as fast as the two which were not fed. ® Some of the members had not tried this method of feeding ; but all who, had, were loud _ in its praise. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Pe: | REE RE RN} 8887 Mr. Hazen then offered the following resolu- tion, which was unanimously adopted, viz. Resolved, That the greatest success in Neel ing depends in furnishing plenty of surplus room, thereby keeping all the bees engaged in gathering honey. Mr. Quinby laughingly remarked that any bee- keeper who did not avail himself of this advan- tage, could not remain in the business long. The Seer etary was requested to send minutes of this meeting to the different papers, after which the association adjourned. J. H. NEL1rs, Seer etary. Canajoharie, N. Y., April 12, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Novice. Mr. Epiror :—We wonder if all your readers feel as we do when the Journal is brought in, viz.: that they positively must be released from all duties, however pressing, until it has been looked over—not read, for to read it through takes considerablestime : and we really cannot feel like laying it by, as finished, until it has been gone over the third time. For instance, we fir st run it over, then read it—advertisements and all; and lastly read it carefully and slowly, to make sure that we have not missed anything that we think worthy of being firmly impressed. on the memory, and acted on when the proper time comes. By the way, Mr. Editor, we wish it were in our power to impress on the minds of the numerous correspondents who write to us for information, the very great advantage they would derive from a thorough perusal of the complete back numbers of the Journal. We are asked the same questions over and over again, that have been so thoroughly discussed in the Journal already ; ; and rather than go over the ground again, we would almost prefer sending them the back numbers at our own expense. In our opinion a thorough perusal of the six vol- umes would be of more benefit to a beginner, ‘| than spending a whole summer in some of the leading apiaries of our country. Many visitors think, on seeing us work with our bees, that the matter is very simple; yet when they attempt the same, without learning the reasons for each move, and the almost innu- merable contingencies that may turn up, (we refer to queen-raising, particularly,) they find that without going down to the foundation of the science, failure is of course almost certain. If you would succeed, (and we hardly see now where the limit is going to be of what a stock of bees may produce in one season,) study the sub- ject thoroughly. In almost every instance of failure, you may, if you look, find from the ex- perience of others, the cause and the remedy plainly pointed out in the back numbers of the Journal, We are very much pained to see how Alonzo Barnard has misunderstood us on page 263, We think he must have read our criticism rather hastily. It is the principle and not the man we \ object to. 268 » THE AMERICAN Nothing certainly could give us more pleasure than to learn that Mr. Hazen has made a larger profit from hs bees than we have from ours. We rejoice at any one’s success with bees ; but not in selling the public patent rights for something which they have already. What has Mr. Hazen invented, or what has he done to further bee-keeping? Were his patent hive ventilated, we fear that it would present a sorrier show than even Mr. King’s American hive. Supposing you paid five or ten dollars for a great secret for charming or quieting bees, and on trial the liquid did really do, in some cases, ali that was claimed for it, when you should dis- cover that this liquid was nothing more than sugar and water, should not the public be told that they have it already? Mr. Hazen has, for the past six years or more, scattered his articles through the press, so care- fully gotten up that they were innocently pub- lished as giving bona fide facts; and yet their tendency has been to discourage all real progress or improvement, with no other design than to advertise indirectly his Non-swarmer, as he claims it to be. [See Leeport of North Hastern Bee-keeper’s Association.] If Mr. Barnard could see our apiary, he might think that we had no particular hive, although we have a principle that we act on, whatever the hive may be. We thank Mr. B. for his candor, and will try and set him right in his view of us. Thus— Take any movable comb-hive that is convenient for the purpose, full of brood and bees. Instead of boxes, place empty frames at the sides of the brood combs, and above, if you wish of course. The hive must be large enough to give the bees all a chance to work. Remove the frames when. full and sealed, and be sure that the bees will at all times have plenty of room, so that they per- haps will not swarm. Is there any necessity for paying Mr. Hazen, or any one else, for the right to do what we have put in italics? If you think the Eureka hive has any advan- tage over this, try it, or ask any experienced apiarian, or read the article from C. O. Perrine & Co., page 256. In one case, the honey is stored in small boxes ; in the other, in the body of the hive. [See page 255, ‘*‘Side-gathering Hives.’’?] The fact that thousands of old boxes do not afford room enough for any surplus, or that many bee- keepers who have movable frame hives do not give room, argues nothing. A neighbor of ours, who has Langstroth hives, got no surplus last year, he ‘‘didn’t have time to put on boxes at all.”’ We have not mentioned the melextractor, but the task seems so hopeless of convincing bee- keepers that ‘‘overhauling’’ hives in that way is much less trouble than using boxes, that we will give it up for the present, and let them learn it when they get ready, as they have movable frames. On page 248, Mr. McGaw has got the very erroneous impression that we considered drones from a virgin queen not capable of fertilizing queens. At the Cincinnati Convention we gave at length the result of an experiment convincing BEE JOURNAL [June, us (if we had any doubt before, for we had read the old Journals too well) that the drone pro- geny is in no way influenced by the fertilization of the queen. The train of reasoning that has, in some cases, been brought to bear against the old theory is positively ‘‘awful’’—we can think of no better word. One writer in particular, it seems to us, must see his blunder, if he only reads his own book over again. We have been taking unusual pains this spring to keep our bees warm, to promote breed- ing, and think more highly than ever of the quilt honey board. Mr. Bickford, we think, gave us the idea. Use strong cloth, or the bees wall eat through it. The ease with which a hive can be opened, with these quilts on top of the frames, is refreshing. Of all the foolish things about a bee-hive, we believe a movable side is the most so. Five years ago we deliberated long and earnestly on a Langstroth hive and an American, and having no disinterested friend to tell us better, we fool- ishly made fifty of the side-openers, and even cut combs out of the Langstroth to put into them. As we have nice straight-c¢ombs in them, we tried to use them; yet the thirty we have had in use, we feel, have been hundreds of dol- lars damage to us. The movable side will shrink and swell alter- nately, so that it is impossible to make it shut tight; and a new two-story one which the in- ventor has just sent us, (and we really believe there is not a feature in it that his patents can cover,) would not shut after we had it a week, and now, in spite of all we can do, robbers could go in at the cracks—as in fact they could into all of them, unless a row of sentinels were kept ‘up one side and down t’other.’’ We attempted to make a two-story hive of some of them, but have lately seen two different bee friends who have tried the same thing, and they ‘have quite discouraged us in any such ‘gate post’’ arrangement. For the benefit of those unfortunates like ourselves, who have the American hive and do not want to destroy them, we attempted to suggest a way, in the Bee- keeper’s Journal, in which they might be used ; but were so disappointed to find the article so in print as though we were not aware of the ex- istence of any other hive, that we shall not proba- bly try it again. On page 285, the last item of our article should have read, in regard to lady bee-keepers—‘‘ how we would J¢ke to visit their apiaries.’?’ The omis- sion of the two words ‘like to’? made our remark look almost disrespectful, for we should be sorry to call on the ladies without an invita- tion—and even then, our time is too much occu- pied for visiting much. In conclusion, we would add that we really do not like to speak ill of any one, and though our criticisms may have seemed harsh or out of place, our only motive was to protect the inex- perienced ‘‘brother novices’? from the false statements and misrepresentations that have been such a curse to the mass of bee-keepers. If patent hive men have the freedom of the Journal to proclaim their wares, they must take the consequences ; for we, who have no interest 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 269 in any hive except its worth to the public, have freedom of speech too. One of the greatest benefits the Journal has accomplished has been in exposing fraud and imposition. That fraudulent bee-hive vendors may turn honest men, and learn that it is far better to earn their bread (and honey) by the sweat of their brow, is the sincere wish and prayer of. Novice. ———--— -—- em — ——____ —— {For the American Bee Journal.] Wire Clamps 23. Splints, Mr. Eprror :—In reading Mr. Quinby’s Bee Notes in the American Agriculturist for May, I was once more reminded that some of us had a better way of fastening combs in the frame, in transferring, than by means of the splints which he still recommends in said notes. So I wrote to him how we do it, and now I write to you. We use wires one inch longer than the frame is, from outside to outside, crosswise, or up and down, as you choose, and bend them half an inch at each end, as shown in-the cut above. Hook one or more of these wires, so bent, on one side of the frame, turn the frame over, put in your comb, and hook on one or more of the wires over the comb, on that side, and the work is done in about half the time I have been writing this. I use the old-fashioned pincers for bending the . ends. Perhaps you can find something better, but they answer a very good purpose. Please tell the people, so that they may no longer waste their time with splints. The honor of the invention belongs to J. J. W. Billingly, Spring Valley, Marion county, Indiana. J. J. WHITSON. Valley Mills, Ind., May 1, 1871. oo [For the American Bee Journal.] Questions for Novice. Derar Novicn, will you please answer through the A. B. J., the following questions, viz. : What is the depth and length of the frames you usé in your two-story hives, inside measure ; and how many frames do you use in each hive ? What is the distance across the frames? Do you use the old triangular guide, to secure straight combs? Have you ever had any trouble with the mel- extracted honey souring? Do you boil the extracted honey, as recom- mended by Mr. Langstroth ; or do you put it in cans immediately after it is extracted ? Are the cans you use air tight, after they are filled, and ready for market? INQUIRER. {For the American Bee Journal.] Death from a Bee-st ng, ‘*A young man, named George Pelham, was stung bya honey-bee, in Westkill, Greene county, N. Y., on Thursday last, (April 27th, 1871,) and died from the effects in less than an hour. The local accounts say that, soo after being stung, he ‘complained of feeling faint, and turned spotted.’ ”’ I copy the foregoing from the New York Times of April 28th. This is another instance of sudden death fyom the sting of a bee, and shows how intensely virulent the poison acts sometimes, perhaps according to the predispo- sition of the body under certain circumstances. J. N. Rorriers. (28" A speedy application of the cold water cure, reeommended by Mr. Gallup in a former number of the Bee Journal, might have saved life in this case. o> ——__—_— [For the American Bee Journal.] A Season in New Jersey.—No, 4. Several of the swarms I purchased were quite populous, and as I was not at that time prepared to use them all in my nucleus boxes, I disposed of them in the following manner. Beginning with the most populous, I drummed them out, and hived them in hives fully stocked with worker combs. This was done, not from any preconceived theory, but because I had lost so many bees, and had an abundance of combs on hand. It was done about the first of June, and proved to be the most profitable way I could have adopted; at least it seemed so to me. There were several objects in view, which led me to adopt this way. I wanted to save the combs, as they were straight and nice; the queens were natives, and I had no Italians to replace them with ; and in this way the breeding of drones was prevented. Dry and hot weather soon came on, and for nearly two months bees could scarcely do more than gather a living. Bees, having their combs to build, could neither breed much, nor gather much honey; but these colonies, having a full supply of combs to begin with, laid in a good store to carry them through the season of scarcity, and bred rapidly. In the meantime Italian queens had been given to them, and by the time buckwheat blossomed, they were well stocked with yellow jackets. A few dozen drone cells were built in some vacant spaces,*but were removed in season to prevent drones from being hatched. I was somewhat surprised, on receiving the July number of the American Bee Journal, to find a plan therein de- scribed almost identical with the one I had fol- lowed —which was translated from the German, as an excellent mode of securing surplus honey. The combs containing. brood were fastened in frames, and given to colonies where it;would be properly cared for. The exceedingly hot and dry weather for two months in midsummer, effectually stopped small 270 swarms from prospering, and I was obliged to cease forming nucleus colonies for queen rearing and feed and take special care of those already formed, to keep them along. About the first of August the huckleberries dried up. An old settler told me they were usually most numerous at that period, and that such a drying time had not been known here for forty years. I also made the unpleasant discovery that the milkweed here is different from any I had ever seen before, and very abundant. The bees worked freely on it, and many lost their lives in the following manner. The blossoms have very acute angles, pointing upwards. The bees would get their feet entangled in these angles, and the harder they pulled in their str ugeles, the tighter they were fastened. Nearly every bunch of blossoms had from one to three bees either dead or struggling on it; and I think I may safely say that I saw hundreds that had thus perished, and know that a considerable number must have been thus destroyed. I have before now noticed bees with little scales of the northern milkweed attached to their feet ; but this whole- sale destruction was new to me. Jt was certain that at the middle of August, my bees, which had not swarmed, (nor had any bees or honey been removed except from the natural causes above-mentioned), were in no better condition than they usually are in New Hampshire by the middle or last of May. How much of this may properly be attributed to the peculiarities of the season and my inexperience here, is a problem not easily solved. It is certain that had I known what to expect, and prepared myself for it, a far different result might have been obtained. It is not pleasant to record one’s failures, but if it shall prove of advantage to others, as I think it has to me, then you are welcome to the facts. The severe winds ceased in the early part of summer, and the weather was remarkably pleas- ant and ‘quiet until the middle of October. The first buckwheat I sowed was blasted by the heat ; but some sown later proved to be of con- siderable value. ‘The bees had worked on it perhaps two weeks, when a long rain came on, atter which very little more was done. I never before had honey stored so rapidly from buck- wheat. The hives had been so poorly supplied that I began to thmk the bees would not get honey enough to winter on; but one day I dis- covered that one of them had been speedily filled, and bringing my machine into use, I soon re- moved from fifteen to twenty pounds from each hive, leaving them enough for winter stores. I forgot to mention about the toads. . There are in this region 799 (or less) on each acre, and just at nightfall they sally forth for their evening meal. They are a small variety, and quite active. One of my neighbors calls them hoppers. Now I do not like to kill toads (you know, it makes the cows give bloody milk !), and think I never did kill one before I came here. But when I went out and found one, ‘‘squat like © a toad,’’ as Milton says, by the side or in front of each individual hive and nucleus box, my patience was sorely tried. As my cows are kept five or six miles away, I thought I would run THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, the risk, armed myself with a stick, and ‘‘ went for’’ the squatters. O my! what a scampering there was among the toads! Ten, twenty, fifty— I don’t know how many more were caught ‘‘chucking ’? down the bees. Some, however, got away, and in a short time not a toad was to be found around the hives. I really believe that those which got away were intelligent enough to keep away. The toads did not come back, and the cows did not give bloody milk; so [I quieted my conscience in that respect. J. L. HUBBARD. Bricksburg, N. J. oo {For the American Bee Journal.] The Non-flying Fertilization of Queen Bees, Public attention has been for some years directed to securing the fertilization of queen bees by a process entirely under the control of the apiarian, so that, while selecting the choicest mothers, he may also select the choicest fathers of his apiary, for their progeny. It is only within a few years that it has become spe- cially important to control the fertilization of queens. Since we have commenced breeding from different species of bees, it is as desirable to control this, as it is the stock-raiser to con- trol the breeding of his cattle. Believing that when a thing is evidently de- sirable, the CREATOR has always provided some means of attaining it, I have experimented largely and persistently to control the fertiliza- tion of queen bees. Thus far all my experi- ments have been failures. One plan I have, which, if others fail, I shall give to the public as a plan promising success, although somewhat too complicated for the common breeders of bees. We have reports from various parties, in communications to the different Journals, in pri- vate utterances, and in addresses to bee conven- tions, of great success, in what I shall call non- flying fertilization, simply by confining queens, ' when of proper age, in some receptacle connected with the hive, so that they receive sufficient warmth, and then at the proper time introduc- ing to them one or more selected drones. From the evidence presented it seems certain that some queens have been fertilized in this way. But as some of our largest and most experienced breeders have failed in almost every instance in which they have attempted thus to control fer- tilization, it seems very evident that we have not yet attained what may be called a practical method of non-flying fertilization. I propose a plan by which this confinement of queens with selected drones may be tested the coming season at small expense and ona very large scale, so that by the efforts of many, in different parts of the country, we may reach precisely what are facts and what are merely conjectures ; and if facts, what modifications of the proposed plan may be needed, in order to make it practically useful. Let a box be made, to fit ever the top of one of my hives, in place of a honey-board. Let this box have for its bottom wire-cloth too fine 1871. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 271 to permit bees to pass through it, and bet it be so fastened to the under side as to be kept about three-eighths of an inch from the top of the frames. The sides of this box may be about six inehes deep. Within it place a series of small boxes compacted together, each one of which has a wire bottom resting on the wire bottom of the larger box. Make these boxes of sufficient size and depth to receive a frame of the usual size of frames in nucleus boxes. If desired, the sides of these small boxes may be glass. The top should be movable, having a small hole closed with cork. When the apiarian has a suf- ficent number of young queens, or queen cells nearly matured, he should make as many nuclei as there are small boxes. Before making these nuclei, let him select suitable nuclei frames con- taining honey, and each supplied with a small quantity of water. Into each of the frames let a queen cell be carefully inserted. I find the following to be the simplest way of supplying these nuclei with bees. Take from the hives one or more combs. Let them stand for a few minutes, leaning against the hive, until the bees have filled themselves with honey. Then shake them into a large vessel of moderately cold water. With a skimmer gather them together, and put the required number into each box. The whole process will occupy scarcely more time than has been used in describing it. When the large box is filled with these small nuclei, place over them cotton, wool, or some other good non-conducting substance. They will then receive through the wire-cloth of the bot- tom board, and retain, all the animal heat that is necessary to mature the queens. By inspecting these boxes through their glass sides every bee can be seen, as in an observing hive, and the apiarian can always ascertain when the young queens have hatched. Then, when they are about five days old, let him remove the cork and put into the nucleus one or more selected drones. If any light is needed, in order to secure the fertilization of these queens, it may be introduced by raising slightly, or, if desired, removing entirely the top cover of the hive, and the small boxes may be separated by wedges, to admit the light more perfectly. If the outside temperature is not sufficiently elevated for the fertilization of queens, (I find that a tempera- ture of about 70° is usually necessary for this purpose, ) it might perhaps be useful to remove the large box containing these nuclei from the hive and place it upon heated sand, bricks, or some other warm but not too hot surface, at about one or two o’clock in the afternoon, the time in which queens are usually fertilized. In this way we might possibly secure the fer- tilization of our queens quite in advance of the usual season, as we can always, by retaining a few drone-laying queens in the apiary, have an abundance of early drones. One advantage of the method thus described is the large number of nuclei which may be made in connection with a single hive; and the fact that this box, with its nuclei, may be at any time removed and replaced, without interfering with the members of the colony; one or all of the nuclei may be removed without opening the hive. If the queens can in this way be fertilized, and if the comb containing honey is, as it should be, a suitable breeding comb, they will in a very few days begin to lay. As soon as we are satisfied that the desired end has been secured, the queen may be removed, the attendant bees shaken quit, and a new queen cell with fresh bees added. It will be seen that with one hive a large number of queens may be secured in a single season. L. L. LANGSTROTH. Oxford, Ohio. 2e-oe [For the American Bee Journal.] Wintering Bees, Eprror A. B. J. :—I have two items of inter- est to write about—one, on the result of winter- ing my bees on their summer stands; and the other, ‘‘ Foulbrood,’’ which I have treated in ac- cordance with the suggestions of Dr. Abbe. First, as to the result of wintering out of doors, When I commenced ‘‘zmproving’’ my bees, five years ago, according to the suggestions of the authorities, I determined to save the great waste of honey, incurred by their vigorous appetite in cold weather. . I was very successful, for Isaved almost all the honey, though, alas ! in some cases I lost the bees. We cannot all have the perfect bee house of Novice or the ventilating skill of Gullup ; so, though most devotedly trying up- ward and downward ventilation, in a dry cellar ranging at 40°, I found mouldy combs and sadly weakened stock. Some few hives came out in perfect condition, but were always later in swarm- ing than my neighbors’ stocks, left out in their box hives on their summer stands. Last fall I prepared warm wadded quilts, which I laid on the frames and pressed down with a weight, covering with the cap, as usual. We had an un- usually severe winter, yet Ido not think there was ever more than ten days without an oppor- tunity for the bees to fly out in the middle of the day, which I allowed them to do whenever they chose. Seeing many young bees Il examined the stocks, April 26th, and found them in most in- stances full of brood—hardly an unoccupied cell. Two hives had drones, and one had started queen cells. My stocks are all black bees. You see I have now the opportunity to strengthen weak stocks, with frames of brood, as we shall not have blossoms till the middle of May. I feel to have gained about a month, by wintering out of doors; and have found neither mouldy combs nor dead bees. For the future I shall always winter out of doors, except a great scarcity of honey should compel me to once more run the risks of the cellar to avoid expense of feeding. Of course my experience is not necessarily adapted to other latitudes ; but bee-keepers here- abouts will, I believe, find the out-door winter- ing, under a wadded quilt, much better than -putting their stocks in the cellar. FOULBROOD. T had several stocks badly effected last fall, which I spread with hypo-sulphate of soda, as recommended by Dr. Abbe; but I took the pre- 272 * THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, [ JUNE, caution of cutting out all comb containing diseased brood and pollen. Iwas very particular about the pollen, for I believe that to be more likely to communicate the disease than the honey ; and I now think that my experience almost proves it. These stocks were well supplied with brood and young bees—though, having been Sveakened by the disease last year, they were not as strong as the healthy hives. I can only find a trace of the disease—perhaps half a dozen dead larvee to acard. Of course they have used their honey for all their requirements ; and they carried in meal for pollen, till the swamp willows supplied them. Now, if the honey communicates the disease, how is it that so little has appeared, for being capped, it is impossible that the hypo-sul- phate should have purified it ? I feel much indebted to Dr. Abbe, for he cer- tainly enabled me to check the disease. I gave some of my stocks, last spring, cards of comb without honey, but containing a good deal of old pollen. J cannot now identify the particular stocks, but as I never found foulbrood till last fall, Iam very much inclined to consider that pollen as the ‘‘destroyer’’ of my apiarian com- fortandrepose. As there is now somuch brood, I do not see that I can use the soda again to any advantage at present: but I feel so desirous to be rid of the disease, that I thinkI shall, after the stocks become strong, put them in an empty hive for thirty-six hours and treat them as anew swarm inanemptyhive. Iwill then thoroughly uncap and purify the combs, after which I shall venture to use them again, unless they become badly diseased before then, which I donot think proba- ble, from present appearances. As my stocks would have been worthless and dangerous, had they been ‘‘let alone,’’ I feel the result of their treatment with soda most en- couraging. It, is, however, yet-an open question whether the removal of the diseased comb and pollen would not have checked the disease to the same extent, had no soda been used. But most certainly there is no necessity to destroy every stock containing foulbrood, as has been recom- mended by some writers in the American Bee Journal. We shall have but few apple blossoms this season, as the trees seem to have exhausted themselves with their abundant fruitage of last year; but I look forward hopefully to the time of clover, as I have many acres of Alsike around the apiary. ° CHARLES DAWBARN. Stanwich, Conn., May 3, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Requisites of a Hive, Mr. Epitdr :—The 13th and 14th of January were very warm days here. The bees flew just as lively as at any timeinsummer. The hybrids (the little snoops, as my better-half calls them) pitched in several swarms of black bees. to rob, and I had to shut them (the little snoops) up. Jn one hive that they were fighting, I found the queen at the entrance or fly-hole, in a bunch of black bees of her own colony. The little cluster was of the size of a walnut. It was a good strong colony, with plenty of honey, and ten frames one foot square well covered with bees. Did the hybrids, in their eagerness to rob drag the queen out, and her own bees gather round to protect her? Icaged her and put her in the hive ; and examining them four days after, found they had liberated her. Something more on hives. For my text on this subject I will use the following words—‘‘ The shape and form of hive which the apiarian uses, has a great influence on the loss or profit of bee-keeping.’”’ The majority of bee-keepers only keep a few swarms, and do not want to be at the expense of making a beehouse to winter their bees in; and then the trouble of carrying them in and out every warm spell, or keeping the temperature just right, so that the bees will not fly, is no small or desirable job. I think I am safe in saying that not one bee-keeper in ten, will go to the trouble of wintering his bees in a special repository. Hence the necessity of a hive so constructed that bees will winter safely in it on their summer stands, without being roused by the sun shining on it and causing them to fly out and perish in the snow. All bee-keepers know that such occurrences are very detrimental to the strength of a colony; and from this cause alone thousands of colonies annually, if not killed outright, are so reduced that it takes them all summer to recruit. A hive is needed in which the bees can keep warm in, through long pro- tracted cold spells, or all winter if necessary, without ‘the aid of the sun’s rays, and yet not have the combs covered with frost, while the bees are starving to death, though surrounded with plenty of honey. A hive simple in con- struction, which, when finished, any bee-keeper of common sense can use, without requiring an agent who has learned his lesson by heart to ex- plain allits intricate parts—a hive, too, in which the combs will not melt downin summer. Such is the hive the common bee-keeper needs. Now, Mr. Editor, and brother bee-keepers, you may think that I have invented a hive em- bracing all the good qualities above enumerated. I make no such pretension. There are already hives enough invented to puzzle the bee-keepers to decide which to use, especially if they listen to every inventor’s claims. I am not going to say which is the best hive, for I think there are very few that will meet the above qualities, out of the many that have been patented; and Dr. Pucket would no doubt pitch into me, as he did into Mr. Rogers, and say that it was only his ipse dixit, or that it would need more than his bare assertion to prove it. I donot think it was a gentlemanly remark, and after giving it a second thought, do you Mr. Pucket? I always thought we were to take the word of a stranger, unless he voluntarily offered to swear to it, or told such a big yarn that no one could believe it ; and I certainly do not see anything of that kind in Mr. Roger’s statement. It was a plain, can- did response to your own request, and every way merited a dispassionate and courteous ac- knowledgment. But I have got off from my text, and will return if I can, and try to stick to it. 1871] . THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 273 I have tried the J. M. Price hive. I do not mean the revolvable, reversible one ; but the one described in the Journal, Vol. IV, page 87. The Dr. Conklin hive embraces nearly the same prin- ciples, and is, [ think, more convenient for surplus honey boxes and for shedding the rain. Alley’s Langstroth hive, with its side box arrangement, deep brooding apartment and outside covering, is a good hive, if we can credit the statements of the side box arrangements ; and why shouldn’t we credit those statements? Such experienced veterans as Quinby, Gallup, Hazen, and others I could mention, would not knowingly make statements to lead their brother bee-keepers astray. | I took two swarms to O. E. Wolcott’s to have them Italianized. In a few days one of them cast a swarm. Mr. Wolcott put them in a Langstroth hive. On the 18th of January I found them nearly all dead; the few bees that were living looked nearly as large as queens, ap- peared to be damp, and discharged all over their combs and frames, but had plenty of honey. They had just the appearance of two swarms that Lleft at the north side of the house through a long spell of cold weather. They had upward ventilation in caps; and so had this swarm that Llost.in the Langstroth hive. I examined the rest of my apiary, and did not find one-fourth as many dead bees in thirty colonies, as there was in this one Langstroth hive. I had three young swarms away from’ home near a buck- wheat-field. They were brought home at the same time and had the same care that the one in the Langstroth hive had, and they are all bright andlively. Some may claim that they got the bee cholera from Wolcott’s bees (Wolcott uses the Langstroth hive and lost over forty colonies last winter). From the description he gives of the symptoms of the bees that he lost, the case is similar. If it is the cholera, why did not the other two have it? And will not my whole apiary have it, for fallowed my bees to make free plunder of the honey that was left? I am so well convinced that it was the hive that I have no fears of the bee cholera from that source. This is the third winter that I am using double-cased hives, and I have yet to lose my first swarm in them. As Novice says, I am so well rooted in this belief of my text that the shape and form of hive which the apiarian uses has a great influence on the loss or profit of bee- keeping, that the best antidote for that bee fever that 1 wrote of in a former number of the Bee Journal, would be to use the shallow hive. JouN MIDDLESWORTH. Byron, Michigan, Feb. 11, 1871. ers The poets, always exalting and magnifying the subjects which they touch, have contributed perhaps more than any other set of writers to mislead our judgment. They endow the bee with memory, and Rogers thinks that it finds its way back to the hive by this faculty alone. Nor is it only with regard to the bee that poets, the worst entomologists in the world, have led us astray.—Mrs. GRIFFITH, [For the American Bee Journal.] Things Past, Present, and Future. It is now over thirty years since our experience with bees commenced here, among the hills of Northern Vermont. We had then no scientific bee-keepers to instruct us, and access to no books or periodicals devoted to bee-culture. Now, we have scientific and infallible rules for success, and line upon line for our guidance, and ‘‘the way is so plain,’’? &c. How strange that so many in this new era spurn the proffered aid and fol- low the old ‘‘do nothing’’ plan, or what is even worse, recklessly ruin their bees by their inhu- man interference. ‘We are now plodding along in the footsteps of our most illustrious bee-men, and our path is radiant with’ light reflected by our invaluable Bee Journal. Now, in this connection, will any one object to the expression of a long growing conviction, that there is one infirmity that should not be allowed to get ‘‘rooted,’? or become chronic. I refer to the controversies in the two or three last volumes of the Bee Journal upon patent bee-hives. This seeking an opportunity to give an opponent a horn too much; then the explanations and apologies that follow, remind me of the Yankee whose bull, getting the advan- tage, threw him over the fence, hurting him severely. The Yankee arose with difficulty, and turning to the bull, said—‘‘ Well now, I say it is devilish mean for you to stand there bowing and scraping at me. You did it on purpose, you know you did!’ These things do not tend to ‘‘brotherly love,’’? nor that ‘‘ strong bond of union’’ which is the life of our fraternity. Mr. Langstroth is entitled to sincere and heart- felt thanks for his successful labors in behalf of bee-culture, and most assuredly to all money due him, with interest. If he is the inventor of the movable comb frame, our obligations for that are inexpressible ; but if only an improver upon the inventions of others, they should share the credit with him. Thousands will rejoice when the reading columns now devoted to personal contro- versies or advertisements of worthless compli- cated fixtures, are filled with simple talks and short direct inquiries for beginners in bee-keep- ing; then we can recommend it to such of our numerous inquirers. Oh, won’t it be joyful! I use the original Langstroth hive, with glass boxes or extra set of frames; and think it un- equalled for simplicity, cheapness, and in-door wintering. My colonies paid the best, in honey and increase, of any in Vermont reported yet. We have organized a bee-keepers’ association, and would like to have the address of bee-keepers in the State; also a statement of condition, pro- gress, &c. Address, O. C. WAITE, Secretary of Association. West Georgia, Vt., May 2, 1871. [If our respected correspondent, who sees only the pub— * lished controversial articles, could also see the large number of communications relating to the hive question still flowing in from month to month—for most of which we cannot make room, and many of which we are constrained to reject—he wouid be apt to conclude that the time for inhibiting or even more rigidly restricting discussion, has not yet arrived.—Ep. | 274 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, [For the American Bee Journal.] A Suggestion, to avoid Controversy. Mr. Eprror :—With your permission, I will place before the readers of your valuable Journal, what I regard as being the duty of all persons engaged in the sale of patented bee-hives, and also the duty of those who purchase them. Let every patentee specify in his circular, as well as in his deed, precisely what his claims are; then let every person desiring to purchase the right, examine them in connection with the hive they are intended to protect. This will enable all parties to ascertain to what extent, if any, the hive itself infringes upon the claims of some one else. It is claimed that many hives in use are in- fringements upon Langstroth’s patent; or in other words, that they contain features not granted by the Patent Office, outside the real claims which have been granted ; and which out- side features are direct infringements of the Langstroth claims. Now, if any inventor or patentee wishes the law to protect what the Patent. Office has granted him, he certainly ought to be sufficiently liberal to let the same law protect the claims of others. And in my opinion he will do so, if he is just;. but he falls far short of this duty when he adds to his claims those of Mr. Langstroth or any one else, without stating pointedly what the hive he sells contains, outside of his own patented inventions, and which are infringements upon the patented claims of other parties. For when hives are sold containing the rights of different inventors, with- out advising the buyer of the fact, the latter is at once subject to the penalty of the law, if he puts what he purchases in use ;—and this, too, in many instances without a knowledge of the fact ‘ that he has put in use in his hive features which are the property of others. Such a course on the part of hive dealers, when closely looked at, is certainly a gross violation of the true principles of justice, and cannot be treated with contempt sufficiently severe. Indeed, it occurs to me that the man who will ask the law to protect his claims, and then knowingly infringes upon his neighbor’s, would spit tobacco in his best friend’s eyes, and then complain if asked to submit to similar usage himself. I therefore hope that all persons wishing to use movable combs, will as- certain just what Mr. Langstroth’s claims are, so that when any other hive is offered to them, they may be able to judge as to what extent, if any, it infringes on those claims. Then, if will- ing to purchase a hive containing such infringe- ments, they will have no just grounds on which to base complaint of having been swindled or imposed upon. I own some Langstroth territory, and find parties engaged in selling hives therein, contain- ing infringements, In some instances, in order to effect a sale, agents have been base enough to assert to purchasers that the Langstroth patent has expired; in other instances they state that it does not cover any part of the movable comb. My own course is to state, in my deeds, what features I have for sale. I havea general agency for the sale of a hive containing patented features, and I have those features clearly set forth in each deed. As to what extent, if any, it may contain features of some other patent hive, I am unable to say ; yet it does contain some that are in dis- pute. These, it is to’ be hoped, will soon be decided by a proper tribunal, when all can judge correctly as to what part of the movable comb is a valid patent, and what part, if any, is not. If it is decided that any considerable portion of the movable frame is protected by letters patent, then parties who have it in use in different forms, may know just what to look for, and to what extent they are infringing upon the Langstroth ‘patent, and Ido hope that Mr. Langstroth will get justice done him, be that whatever it may. G. BowRer. Alexandria, Madison Co., Ind. (For the American Bee Journal.] What More is Wanted ? There is an apparent effort on the part of some to make Mr. Langstroth, and perhaps others, think that I do not give him the credit of first introducing the movable combs to the public. Whatelse can ‘‘ Novice’? mean on page 206 of the Bee Journal, where he says, ‘‘Had Mr. Quinby been at the Cincinnati Convention he would have found there is a very strong tendency to give Mr. Langstroth the whole credit of intro- ducing the movable comb hive, now at least.’’ Editorial notes on page 184 are of similar im- port.* Now I have vo cause of quarrel with Mr. Langstroth, and I don’t think he has any with me, and asI am alittle weary of the sub- ject, I propose to say definitely what I do concede to him, and will quote his own words from a circular published by him in 1867. He says— ‘‘Movable frames were used by Huber more than eighty years ago, and the first edition of Langstroth’s work’ on bees, published in the spring of 1858, while deseribing them, gives ample credit to their celebrated inventor.’’ He claims to have taken the crude arrangements of Huber and others, and made a convenient prac- tical, movable comb hive of it, and introduced it to the public. Of this I have not a doubt, and I challenge ‘‘ Novicn”’ or any one else to specify where, or when, I have ever said or intimated anything to the contrary.t He applied for and obtained a patent, which he was of course en- titled to, and I do not know the man that would withhold gratitude for the success he has. achieved. When Watts had given the hint of the power of steam,} and Fitch had completed an engine, t and Fulton combining other principles produced the steamboat, t could he—Fulton—claim all as the result of his invention? Neither can be * The editorial notes were not exactly ‘‘ of similarimport.” They were intended to express surprise that Mr. Quinby insists on and persists in denying Mr. Langstroth’s claims as inventor of the movable comb hive, tor, pray who is?—Ep. t+ There is such a thing as ‘‘damning with faint praise.’’ —Ep. t Is this stating the case of these parties fairly, and doing them justice respectively ?—Ep. If he is not the inven- 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 270 credited with the river and ocean steam palaces of to-day. Mr. Langstroth made a great im- provement, but he does not assume perfection. He says, on page 106 of his book, ‘‘I would, however, utterly repudiate all claims to having devised even a perfect hive.’’ This is consistent, and if another makes a still further improvement, he is of course entitled to credit, and a patent if he wants it. All have the privilege of preferring Mr. Langstroth’s hive to any other. Ifsomebody tinds one he considers nearer perfect, let him prefer that. Let us have peace. .*If we have the good of bee-keeping at heart, instead of all dollars and cents, we must stop quarrelling about honors, and work for the good of all. J hope to do so. i M. QUINBY. St. Johnsville, N. Y. | * Certainly, let us have peare. There need be ‘‘no quarrelling about honors;’’ and laboring to ascertain histori- cal facts is a very efficient mode of *‘ working for the good of all.’’—Ep, [For the American Bee Journal. ] More Facts and Fancies. So far as my limited time would allow for such purposes, I have made some experiments and observations in the bee business the past season, and though I aave developed nothing new or strange, I propose to give some of my experience, as such things from others are al- ways interesting to me. EXPERIMENTING. Seeing a new settler, who had built a new house too late in the season for plastering, lining the walls with a thick pasteboard-like paper, I believe the idea struck me that it would make an excellent lining for a hive, as I had seen something about paper hives. I immediately procured some of it’ and put a lining in two hives, leaving a hollow space of one inch between it and the board sides. It looked very nice, and I thought I had a good thing of it. I also made movable sides of paper for a hive, into which I transferred a colony, being too impatient to wait for the swarming season. To my surprise, the little rascals commenced gnawing away the paper sides and throwing it out in chips like sawdust. I first thought that it was not possible for them to cut through such solid stuff; but on exaniunation found holes through both sides nearly as large as my hand. I had to remove them and put in boards. But what should I do with the two new hives with paper linings? If I put bees in them, they would soon eat them out, and a fine place for moths it would be. Putting boards in its place would make the chamber too narrow. Seeing some china mat- ting around an old tea-chest laying by, I thought that would be too hard for their teeth, and the quickest way to remedy it, would be to tack some of this over the paper, which I did. I have put in swarms, and they seem to do well so far. I have since seen it stated that this paper will become damp and fall to pieces. I will watch the result, but make no more paper hives. THE QUEEN YARD. Being anxious to prevent swarming in some of my colonies, I made and applied to two hives what Mr. Quinby calls a queen yard. It an- swered the purpose of keeping the old queen with wing clipped, from going off with the swarm. I think it probable, as some corre- spondent states, if the queen would try to get out she could. I saw her come out into the yard on two occasions, and soon re-enter the hive ; but she made no attempt to get over the sides of the yard. The swarms, of course, returned to the hive. The ‘‘swarming fever’? would get very high, and it lasted for several weeks ; and although supplied with a large amount of sur- plus box room, they would neither build comb nor store honey anything like in proportion to their numbers, but lay idle in their boxes, wait- ing for a young queen to hatch. The hive must be carefully examined once a week, and al queen cells cut out. It is a nice job to examine a large hive teeming with its thousands of in- habitants, and be sure to get every queen cell. I tried to be particular, but one day I found the old queen and a fine large well-matured young one lying dead in the yard. I could find no young queen in the hive, but several cells neariy matured, one of which I allowed to hatch and supply the hive with aqueen. Then the swarm- ing fever ceased. The other old queen was also lost, but I could never tell how. She may have crawled over the sides of the yard, trying to fol- low the swarm, or the bees may have killed her and carried her off. I allowed a young one to mature and hatch, and supposing she was doing well, did not examine for some time, and then found the colony queenless and without brood. Whether lost on her bridal trip, or whether she went off with a swarm, I could not tell. By the way, I never knew a queen with wing clipped, suffered to remain in a hive over twelve or fifteen months; sometimes destroyed in fall or winter, too late for drones. How is it with others? J applied these yards to my QUINQUEPLEXAL, DUPLEX, COMBINATION HIVE, an account of which I probably ought to give. Well, I have made no big thing of it. April 21st, transferred a rather weak colony to it. With a division board in and a little stimulating, they did well, and I added other frames of comb. June 4th, gave them their full comple- ment of frames, by adding four frames full of brood, and soon after put on the side boxes. Swarmed June 19th, and again June 25th, each time returning. Clustered in the side boxes, but did not make much honey in them. When six boxes were nearly full, I put the top boxes on, (capacity about 35 lbs.,) going upon the prin- ciple that the more box room you gave them, the better they would work in them. They imme- diately entered the top boxes and commenced work, but did not make another inch of comb in the side boxes. This does not prove that they will work in the side boxes in preference to the top ones; nor do I take it as conclusive evi- dence to the contrary.—Became queenless, and ceased to work in boxes, but filled up the combs in the body of the hive, some of which I emptied 276 with the honey extractor. Got only about thirty pounds of box honey and ten pounds of extracted honey, and some unfinished combs. As this does not ‘‘come up to the mark,’’ I have determined to curtail its name and dispense with the ‘‘superfluous honey-producing’’ part, which I was led to give it from the fabulous re- ports of Mr. Hazen and others, as to what these side- gatherers woulddo. But, seriously, I hardly think it has had a fair chance, and I must defer judgment until further trial. A TWO-STORY LANGSTROTH HIVE, allowed to swarm once, together with its swarm in the same kind of hive, gave me the largest yield of honey, and more surplus honey in frames, in new comb of this season’s make, than any four other hives with their increase, with only sur- plus boxes on top. I also took some honey from them with the extractor, late in the season. My memorandum of weights 1 regret was lost. WINTER PREPARATIONS ON SUMMER STANDS. My hives are all wintering on their summer stands, cloths spread over the frames, or over honey boards with holes open, and the caps filled with dry leaves. In some cases old bags filled with Jeaves or feathers are pressed down in the caps over the covered chamber on the frames. I have not seen leaves recommended for this purpose, but should think they would answer very well, as they are a good absorbent and warm. The caps have a lid or cover fitting like that of a bandbox, which makes them very easy to fill. The double-cased hives have the space filled with dry grass or leaves. With the honey boxes removed, and the space they occu- pied filled in, my quinqueplexal, duplex hive makes a fine wintering apartment; so, I have no doubt, does Mr. Alley’s new hive. But when Mr. Alley made that comparison of his new hive with the fifty old Langstroth hives, and found the brood\more advanced in his than in any of the others, I would ask him if those old hives had the same\protection as his new ones? My two-story ‘‘low, flat hives’? have an outer case similar to his, with a space of four or five inches between all round. For wintering, remove the frames from the upper story, lay some inch strips across the frames below, spread a cloth over, and fill the upper story with dry leaves ; also fill the space between the hive and outer case. These are now in proper condition to compare results with his new hive. These winter coverings may be used to great advantage, to retain the heat in the spring and promote early breeding. When the spring ex- amination is made, the honey-boards with holes all closed are fitted tightly in their places; the cloths spread on top the honey-board, and the cap filled with leaves, the same as it was in win- ter. This prevents the heat from escaping, and keeps the top of the hive warm, which may be readily perceived by putting your hand under the covering on top of the honey-board. STRAIGHT COMBS. I find a two-story hive convenient to get Straight all worker comb, in this way: after the first swarm has issued, all queen cells but one THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, are removed to prevent a second swarm. While the young queen is maturing, the most of the combs will be filled with honey, so that when she commences to lay there will be, but little room for her to deposit eggs. Now remove two or three frames of honey to the upper story, and supply their place with empty ones, putting them near the centre, between combs already containing some larve. These frames will be filled rapidly with all worker straight combs, and filled with eggs as fast as made. The full frames placed above, will induce the bees to commence comb-building, there. Combs made in the narrow frames of my combination hive were uniformly straight. I am greatly indebted to the Journal for the receipt for making cement of lime and curd from sour milk, for fastening guide combs to frames and in surplus boxes. I never could have any success with wax or resin that had to be applied hot; but with this cement, combs cut into strips only two or three cells deep, may be very rapidly and securely applied to frames, and are preferable to any comb-guides [ ever used, even when only every alternate frame is fur- nished with them. Small pieces of comb, only one or two inches long, can be used, and made to answer as good purpose as any other. THADDEUS SMITH. Pellee Island, Jan., 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] John’s “Facts and Fancies” might be Improved. Page 232, Bee Journal, he says, ‘‘six years ago I got Langstroth’s book, and studied it until I had it by heart.” ‘Afterwards I got Quinby’s.”’ ‘It was midnight darkness about movable comb hives, and the modern improve- ments in bee-keeping.’’ Of course, this means that I was then using box hives. Six years ago would have been about 1565. Quinby’s book, published in 1859, contained an appendix with cuts describing fully a modified form of Lang- stroth’s hive; and had then (1865) been. before the public six years. A little obscurity here, if not midnight darkness. He says further: “It demonstrated this, that there never was a hive to equal the common box of the Quinby pat- tern.’’ The first edition of the book in question, was published in 1853, recommending the com- mon box hive as superior to any other in use at that time. In 1856, after reading Langstroth’s book, and getting a favorable idea from him personally of the movable frames, I adopted them. A little experience convinced me of their utility, and [have used them since. Langstroth himself mentions my use of them in a note on page 331 of his work, (revised edition of 1859, ) a fact which should not have escaped ‘‘ John,’’ with his intimate knowledge of that book. The appendix, indeed, to my book in 1859, has gone into the hands of thousands, and although it was not the first step taken, it was an additional one; and did, I trust, induce some to adopt them. Has ‘‘John’’ done bee-keepers a service by thus misrepresenting facts? I would suggest 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 277 that he pays more attention to ‘‘facts,’’? and does not indulge quite so much in flights of ‘*fancy.”’ _ Now this ‘‘modern improvement”’ has been my pet theme, and I am sanguine enough to feel that I have not labored altogether in vain, even though ‘‘ John’ fails to see it. One man that carried out some of my suggestions, realized the past season, on surplus box honey, over 25,000 lbs. from 315 hives. ‘More than one-quarter as much as the 120 bee-keepers at Cincinnati from 5,051 hives. Allow me to suggest,to “John” that, unless he wishes to say something of which he is ashamed, his real name would be more satis- factory. M. Quinsy. St. Johnsovtile, N. Y. [For the American Bee Journal!.] Profit of Bee-keeping. Mr. Eprror:—I received to-day, from the Commissioner of Agriculture, the following let- ter: ** WASHINGTON, January 9, 1871. Sir :— Will you be kind enough to furnish me with a detailed statement, from your own experience, show- ing the profit of bee-keeping, embracing number of swarms kept last year, cost of keeping, sales of swarms and honey, &c.? Such information as you may be able to give upon this subject, will be grate- fully received. Respectfully, HorACE CAPRON.” I send you enclosed a copy of the report I made in reply, which you may insert in your valuable Journal, if you think it will interest your readers. As this report seemingly contradicts some of my former reports, I will add in explanation, that the season of 1870 was an extra good one ; that I got the largest amount of my surplus honey from my outside apiaries ; and that even in this extra. good season, [ had’ not over nine- teen pounds surplus honey per stock, as an aver- age yield, in my home apiary. The highest yield of strained honey from any of my stocks was one hundred and fifty (150) pounds; and the best yield of honey in the comb, one hundred and forty-six (146) pounds. When I can find time to do-so, I will write down my views on over-stocking, for your - Journal, Respectfully yours, ADAM GRIMM. . Jefferson, Wis., Jan. 12, 1871. REPORT. Hon. Horaczt Capron, Commissioner of Agriculture. Sir :—It is with pleasure that I make the fol- lowing report, in compliance with your request of January 9th: In consequence of the total failure of the honey harvest of the season of 1869, the only one I experienced in twenty years, I wintered safely only six hundred colonies out of six hun- dred and seventy. These, with the exception of about one hundred, were in poor condition, some of them containing only about a teacupful of bees; and I subsequently lost about a dozen more of the number. Out of the remaining five hundred and eighty-eight, I sold, at the begin- ning of May, thirteen of the best colonies ; leav- ing me five hundred and _ seventy-five living stocks. These, however, did not contain more bees than three hundred colonies contained the spring previous. During the month of May, I deprived thirteen colonies of their queens. These, and eleven more queenless colonies, gave no yield of honey or swarms, only a few more queens were taken from them. About fifteen more colonies were used to supply queen-raising nuclei with bees and brood, and gave no yield of honey or swarms—leaving, in all, five hundred and thirty-six (536) ) colonies to produce the sur- plus honey and the increase of stocks. From this number of colonies we saved three hundred and thirty-eight young swarms, almost all natural ones. Noswarms went away, though some united together, and were not separated in hiving. I had, therefore, ‘after the swarming season, nine hundred and three (903) colonies. But this number is greater than any one apiarian can attend to, with such help as I want to em- ploy. J therefore united, in August, one hun- dred and sixty-four (164) colonies; took the honey out of the combs by the melextractor, and saved the combs. The bees of nine colonies were sold and shipped off, leaving seven hundred and thirty (730) colonies for wintering in. In counting my yield of surplus honey, the winter stores of one hundred and seventy-three (173) colonies, united and sold, are included. In common and good ‘seasons the bees will always support themselves. There is no outlay for food, though hives and surplus honey boxes cost considerably. . New hives are only neces- sary when the apiarian wants still to increase his stocks. In my case, I have to get up a number of stocks every year, to replace those that are sold. New hives with one set of honey boxes, cost me about $2.50 each, counting my own labor at $2 per day. My yield of honey last season was as follows : Box cond DONCY «2 aees yok see Bikes ducks 11,500 pounds. Prime comb honey in frames...... 1,500 6 Seerainied NONGCY ssiicbs. ve sscssenetny eyo 7,725 i Honey in old aombe, in frames and. hives»; 4+, 3.. Pe Used in family and. given AWAY. 22,725 pounds. ‘This amount would certainly have been doubled, if my stock of bees had been in good condition in the spring. This honey is not yet all sold. All the white box honey, and all the white strained honey was sold, and some of the dark and mixed for $3,180, net. I have yet on hand 4,175 pounds, and in the hands of commission merchants, remaining unsold, 340 pounds of strained honey, making a total still on hand of 5,015 pounds. This honey, being mostly mixed and dark, will not bring 278 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, much over fifteen cents per pound, deducting expenses, or about $750. No prudent bee-keeper, however, will sell all his honey. He ought to keep, in reserve for contingencies, about ten pounds for every hive wintered. The average price for honey sold is about nineteen cents net per pound. Strained honey sells for about one-third less than nice honey in the comb. The sales from my apiary, during the present season, figure up as follows: For honey. ......... . Bub dee poy 180 200 For queen bees and Stocks, ves sess 1,151 00 Add to this, For honey remaining unso!d............+. 750 00 Value of sixty stocks which I wintered more than the season before. .......... 600 00 Strained wax on hand, 206 lbs. @ 80 cts. 61 80 $5,742 80 The value of surplus stocks is no guesswork. I sold a few days ago, to two parties, two hundred and forty (240) colonies of bees for shipment to Utah, for $2,450; but these sales have to be counted with the present season’s business. ' The help I employ is the following : A hired man the year round at about $350, board inciuded. Four children from eleven to eighteen years old, during swarming time. They would cost me, if strangers, about $100, board- ing included. To this has to be added the outlay for hives, honey boxes, expenses for keeping a horse and wagon, postage for queen bees shipped by mail, and sundries. Not keeping account of these, I cannot tell exactly how much they amount to. Perhaps five hundred dollars ($500) would cover the whole. I keep my bees principally in three locations, from three and a half to six miles apart, until after swarming time, when I scatter them still more. The greatest number of stocks: I ever had in one location was three hundred and ninety-three (893). I find, however, that the yield of honey from such a number averages less than from a smaller number. One hundred colonies in one location is all that can be kept without materially injuring the yield of honey by single stocks. At three miles’ distance, another hundred could be kept, and so on. The Italian bees are favorites with me. I keep them exclusively. Respectfully yours, &c., ADAM GRIMM. Jefferson, Wis., Jan. 12, 1871. > [For the American Bee Journal.] How to make a Honey Extractor, Several correspondents have lately made in- quiries about honey extractors. I will give you a description of mine. I first made one witha wooden frame and wooden shaft, with wire cloth sides against which to lay the combs. This frame was made of a size suitable to hold a Lang- stroth frame set up endwise, say ten inches wide and eighteen inches deep, and made to revolve in a barrel. This worked perfectly well, but a friend wanting it, I parted with it, and made another on a different plan, using no wire cloth, no woodwork and no barrel. I wanted especially to be able to hang the frames in the extractor precisely as they hang inthe hive. This would, of course, require a holder larger in diameter than a barrel. I bought a tub measuring twenty- four inches across, and had it lined with zine, some sheets of which I happened to have on hand (tin would answer as well) ; and as the tub was too shallow (only twelve inches deep), I had the zinc extend up above the sides three inches, making the depth fifteen inches. In the middle of the bottom solder a tin or zine tube, three- quarters of an inch in diameter and four anda half inches high, to hold the foot of the shaft in place, and to keep the honey away from it. Through the side of the tub, and near the bot- tom, bore an inch and a quarter hole, cut out the zinc and solder in place a tin tube or spout for draining off the honey into bottles. Mine is made just large enough to receive a common molasses faucet, which works well. The framework which holds the comb and re- volves with it, consists, 1st, of a shaft made of a piece of quarter inch gas pipe, eighteen inches long, plugged at the lower end with a piece of iron, turned or filed to a point, on which the whole framework turns. 2d, two pieces of flat bar iron, say eighteen inches long, an inch and an eighth wide, and one-eighth of an inch thick. Bore a hole in the middle of each of these pieces, just large enough to pass the gas-pipe shaft through. These two pieces are made of pretty stiff iron, so as to be strong enough to hold up the rest of the framework, and also the heavy combs that are to be emptied of honey. ‘The rest of the frame is made of white wire clothes- line (thanks to Novice for the idea), requiring of it for my machine twenty-eight feet. two pieces, each five anda half feet long, and straighten them. ‘Twelve inches from one end make a right-angled bend; at eighteen inches from this, make another; at twelve inches, an- other; and again, at eighteen inches, another. Solder the extra six inches along the first side. We have now a rectangular wire frame twelve inches long on two sides, and eighteen on the other two. Bend the other piece of wire in the same way, and solderas before. Now cut twenty pieces of wire, each ten and a half inches long ; straighten them ; then bend a quarter of an inch (in a vice) at each end, at right angles, 4. Lay one of the rectangular frames on a table, and hold the other exactly ten inches above it. That is precisely the position in which they are to be fastened together, and this fastening is accom- plished by soldering the twenty pieces, at inter- vals of two inches apart between the eighteen inch sides,—ten on each side. These upright wires take the place of wire cloth in other ex- tractors. You can use wire cloth in this if you prefer. I like wires better. Now fasten the two pieces of flat bar iron to the middle of the twelve inch sides, by soldering, or by turning the ends of the bars over the wires and clinching them, one to the lower pair, and one to the upper pair. Cut off . 1871.] THE AMERICAN To stiffen and prevent the sides from sagging, solder a wire to the lower corner of each end of the framework ; pass it over the top bar, solder it there ; pass it down to the opposite lower cor- ner, and solder. Put the shaft through the two holes, and solder it to the two bars, in such a position that the lower bar will just clear the top of the tube in the bottom of the tub. Makea cross-bar of wood, two inches wide, and long enough to reach between the wooden handles of the tub, to which it is to be fastened. Borea hole in the middle of this bar large enough to admit the shaft in the tube; put on the wooden ‘ eross-bar, and fasten it in place, with the shaft through the hole ; insert your crank in the hole in the top of the shaft, and turn away. The dimensions given, fit the standard Lang- stroth frame, eighteen inches long and ten inches deep. If your frame is shorter, make the eighteen inch sides enough shorter to accommo- date it, and the twelve inch sides can be made correspondingly longer, which is an advantage, as the further the frames are hung from the shaft, the slower the required motion may be. If you intend to use the extractor extensively, it is undoubtedly best to use gearing instead of a crank, for, after some time, the rapid motion of the crank becomes tiresome. For my use the crank is sufficient. If your frame is much deeper than ten inches, you would require a tub more than fifteen inches deep. The top of this ex- tractor can have a perfect cover. If you think you need one, put one on; but do not fasten it with hinges. Have it removable at pleasure. If desirable, you could use wood for the shaft and the two bars. You might also use a tub (a new one) without the zinc lining, or the lining with- out the tub. [like mine just as it is. _ R. Brexkrorp. Seneca Falls, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1871. > (For the American Bee Journal. ] Reproductive Organs of the Queen Bee. In these organs there is a difference between the impregnated and the unimpregnated queens, perceptible even by the naked eye. At least in one particular I have noticed a difference, of which [ will here make mention, showing that the commonly accepted theory as to the ‘‘ modus -operandt’’ of how the queen can lay two kinds of eggs, drone and worker, is tenable. Not being well acquainted with the anatomy of the bee or with anatomical terms, I will try to make myself understood independent of those terms. Any one who has ever opened the abdomen of the queen bee, and examined the parts with or- dinary minuteness, has no doubt discovered, in the region nearest the extremity, a small round something about the size of a mustard seed, in connection with certain other parts there found. In a quite young queen, or one unimpregnated, I have always found this little ball (as I will call it) in appearance transparent like clear water. In fertile or impregnated queens, I have always BEE JOURNAL. 279 found it in appearance the color of milk. I have examined quite a number, always with the same result. I am satisfied that age does not cause this difference, because in examining drone-laying queens of considerable age, I find this ‘‘ball’’ of the same clearness as in the queen just taken from the cell; and in young iertile queens I have found it to be of a milky color, the same as in older queens. By a process in harmony with the structure of the queen bee and her instincts, she can deposit eggs in drone cells without their necessarily coming in direct contact with her fertilizing powers ; consequently they will produce the same kind of bees (drones) as though she had never been impregnated. And in depositing her eggs in worker cells, they become so far fertil- ized as to produce workers (imperfectly devel- oped female bees). Such seems to be the nature and instinct of the bee. Marvellous in our eyes are the works of God. J. S. Fiory. Fayetteville, West Va. (2§~ It is on these facts, first noticed and fully described and explained by Dzierzon, that the ‘¢Dzierzon theory’’ and the modern or scientific system of bee-culture are founded. The discovery shed a flood of light on what was ‘‘mystery”’ before. The existence of the spermatheca was previously known, but it was supposed to be designed to furnish the passing egg with a coat- ing of glutinous matter to secure it in proper position on the base of the cell. Dzierzon’s con- jecture that its contents were seminal matter de- rived from the drone, met with strenuous oppo- sition in various quarters, till Prof. Yon Siebold settled the question by means of the microscope, showing the existence of spermatozoa in worker eggs, and their absence in drone eggs, and the identity of these spermatozoa with those found in the semen of drones, and in the spermatheca of the queen after fertilization.—[ED. ] [For the American Bee Journal.] Various Particulars. Mr. Eprror :—It being over a year since I wrote to you and renewed my subscription, I will now try to do both, and ask you to forgive me for not doing it sooner. Remember that I intend to take the Journal a& long as I keep bees, and that will be as long as I live; so, if the Journal is running, I shall be taking it. I intend to write a little of all sorts for the Journal now. If you see fit to put it in, do so. To begin where I left off a year ago, I shall state how my bees wintered in 1869-70. I put some seventy stocks into winter quarters, in good con- dition so far as bees were concerned, but not well supplied with honey, for the previous sea- son was poor in this part of Wisconsin, and very wet. Hence the bees came out weak in the spring. I lost fourteen stocks, which was no great loss after all, for I saved all the combs to put swarms in, and I had plenty of these in the summer of 1870—which, by the way, was the best honey 280 season I ever saw. Well, as I said, they came out poor, and I had of course to resort to feed- ing. There being not any fat ones among them to take frames from, I had to feed the poorest some other way. I purchased some sugar, dis- solved it in water, and mixed some honey with it as long as I had any. Afterwards I fed it clear, using bee-feeders similar to those described by Mr. Langstroth. The bees increased rapidly and commenced swarming on the 138th of May. The way I managed through the swarming sea- son is this: I cut my queens’ wings in the spring when I overhauled the stocks to cut out some comb and introduce worker comb in its place. I keep my bee-yard seeded down to grass, and the grass cut short. I like this better than Novice’s sawdust ; anyway, it is not so liable to catch fire and burn up my bees. When a colony swarmed and the queen came out she crawled as far as she could on the grass, and of course I was there to assist her majesty. I generally put her ina queen cage till the swarm alights, and then put her with the bees. The first thing to be done is to secure the queen, that is when she starts to come out; and the next is to remove the old hive and substitute your new hive in its place, and when the bees commence to return put your queen on the bottom board, and your swarm is hived. Take your new swarm and place it where you like. Or if your bees alight on a tree, carry your queen there, and hive the swarm. That’s the way I manage my bees. Where swarms are numerous I do not know any better way to do so, without trouble and vexation. Well my bees kept on swarming last summer, until I had filled all the hives I had calculated for new swarms. In the first place I made several artificial swarms, so as to get a little the start of the bees; but it did not make much difference with them, for they got ready and swarmed within a week or two as quick as the others. So I hived a number of them together, uniting sometimes two and sometimes three of the swarms, taking away all the queens but one, and putting on surplus honey boxes at once— removing the honey-board and setting the boxes directly on the frames. I increased my colonies from fifty old stocks to one hundred, and obtained two tons of sur- plus honey, all in boxes, except eight hundred (800) pounds taken out with the machine. The most taken from any one hive was one hundred and fifty (150) pounds. I wish some ove would communicate through the Journal how to keep the bees from swarm- ing and throw their whole force into the surplus boxes, without queen-yard or queen-cages. I should be thankful to receive such knowledge. Another thing—I should be thankful to know how to keep my bees cool enough in my winter repository, in a warm spell such as often occurs in the winter. The room that I keep them in is ten feet by twenty-four, inside measure, with five ventilators overhead. One of these, six inches square, running up through the roof; another, one foot square, through the floor and sawdust; and one coming under the ground, four inches square, inside measure. With all these open in a warm still time, the bees get too THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, warm. If I should open the doors at night they would warm up in daytime, and I might over- sleep and let daylight in and the bees would leave their winter quarters. — ie ALBERT POTTER. Eureka, Wis. | [For the American Bee Journal.] Chloroforming Bees, I cannot conceive why the use of chloroform should be proclaimed objectionable in taming or: subduing bees, unless it is that, in applying it for that purpose, bee-keepers generally have not understood what quantity to use, and for what length of time. With me it has proved the very best of bee charms. You can render your bees merely drowsy and good natured, lay them fast asleep, or bring them to the snooze that knows no waking. It all depends on the quantity ad- ministered, and the time they remain exposed to the fumes of the chloroform. Chloroforming bees, as described Vol. V., page 142, of the Bee Journal, is chloroforming with a vengeance and sure death. Since 1863, studying and adopting the plans laid down in the Patent Office Report (Agricul- tural Part, page 89), I substitute for the table, a bottom-board to suit the size of the hive to be chloroformed. A tin or: wooden dish, ten or twelve inches square, is tightly fitted in this bottom-board, and I nail a three or four inch cleat at each end of the lower side of it, to raise it from the ground and keep it from warping. In the middle of this dish put the small plate to be covered by a funnel-shaped piece of wire- cloth, after it. has received the one-sizth part of an ounce of chloroform, which is an ordinary teaspoonful, and enough I think for most hives when perfectly closed with cloths or blankets, to prevent escape of fumes. I set the hive to be chloroformed directly over the dish in the bot- tom-board, and in from ten to twenty minutes the bees will either be harmless or lay fast asleep in the dish below, according to the degree you wish to have them initiated into the mysteries of chloroform. But after being brought to the fresh air, they will soon awake and revive. For further particulars, see Patent Office Report for 1860. If the object is to deprive the swarm of honey, without the visitings of its wrath, the most timid can thus obtain, with this fragrant anes thetic, a well-flavored sweet article, and not an ill-scented, repulsive nauseous mess, ungrateful to the taste and unfit for man or bee, as is the case when using tobacco, puft-ball, sulphur, or any other smoke. Any hive, with or without movable combs, that has a movable bottom- board (and no hive should, in my opinion, have a stationary one) can easily be brought under the influence of chloroform. No trouble and no harm to the bees, applying the quantity during the time above specified. It will not poison the hive, the bees, or the honey. Thave thus united stocks, removed old queens, and the Salic law not being in practice or cus- 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 281 tom with the courteous creatures, I have intro- duced either strangers or young fertile princesses to fill the throne of Beedom, and performed in fact anything desired, without ever having had any bad results or discovering any deleterious -effects from the use of chloroform to the bees, the hive, or the honey. When the hive is a movable comb one, the frames may be taken out, examined, and returned at leisure. It is perhaps true that the bees seem to remain for a day or two only, after the operation, under the sooth- ing and calming effects of the chloroform, being less irascible, quite tame, subdued and tractable. Never fear, however, their little temper will soon return, and they will not feel the worse for it. I have no doubt that if the required number of fertile queens can be obtained and kept in- readiness in the fall, say from the middle of Sep- tember to the middle of October, before it begins to be too cold to operate, and there being then little or no brood to endanger, when the drones have made their exit, a whole apiary could thus be safely and expeditiously Italianized, and the whole household of the hive, drones and all, would be Ligurian the next spring following. ** These, gaily bright, their radiant scales unfold, Spangled with equal spots, and dropt with gold, These, the selected race, with grateful toil’ Shall duly yield the. sweetness of their spoil.” Vireit Greore, IV. The old queen usually lodging near the top of the hive, is often one of the last to fall, and can easily be found and removed. I never protract chloroforming beyond twenty minutes, by the watch. J then look for the old queen, and being removed, I keep her for contingencies in a wire cage. I now replace the hive on its stand in the yard. The swarm to have a new queen intro- duced to, or the swarms to be united, are then put and spread out in a box some two feet square and seven inches deep, confining the bees therein by covering it with a wire-cloth frame, meshed seven or eight to the inch. Immerse the queen to be introduced in honey, and being thrown among the bees in the box, she soon acquires the same chloroform perfume of the swarm she is given to. The free circulation of air in. the box soon revives the bees, and they will clean the new queen and cluster together in the box, when they can be hived again on their stand in the yard. Swarms, to be united, are proceeded with in the same manner, hiving them in the hive in the yard, where intended to be wintered. This hiving is done by merely spreading a sheet or placing a large, wide board before the hive, rais- ing the hive one inch in front, and shaking the bees out of the box, before the entrance of the hive. They will readily enter the hive, which is then lowered again tight to the bottom board. There is no further trouble, except perhaps the watching of robbers for a day or two, until the swarm is fully reorganized and returned to its former habits. I must state, however, that if it should happen that no queen could be found, I believe that the young royal lady to be intro- duced in the realm of beedom, being in the full strength and vigor of youth, would promptly master and overpower any competitor yet drowsy | from the lingering paralyzing effects of the chlo- roform, and the workers all too confused or too glad to think they are alive, that it is some time before they can muster any inspiration for fight- ing. The foregoing detailed process is certainly preferable, in my humble opinion, to the one described, practised, and recommended by Mr. H. C. Barnard, and which is said to be friend Alley’s plan. [See Amer. Bee Journal, Vol. V., page 256.] Think of it, putting the queen to be introduced in her cage, and laying it on the top of the frames, &c. Then blowing tobacco smoke into the entrance of the hive for three or four minutes. Now stop awhile, and resume Llowing in smoke for five or ten minutes, or until the bees commence to fall down and crawl out of the hive. I have in former days practised some such things myself, and I have often won- dered that any bees survived the operation, or could remain alive in a hive that must have been redolent after the process, and worse scented than the tobacco Parliament chamber of the father of Frederick the Great. I do not intend by the foregoing to convey the idea that I would drive away entirely from the bee-yard, smoking or the use of a little smoke. For minor operations in handling and managing bees in the apiary, it is sometimes found very handy and accommodating, and especially so where chloroform cannot conveniently be used. But I must condemn the converting the hive into a smoking room, rendering the combs and the honey repulsive if not poisonous to the bees for a long time thereafter. For such wholesale purposes the use of chloroform is far preferable and wholesome, in this, that it subdues equally as well, but leaves no disgusting or offensive smell behind. The chloroforming should not be prolonged beyond twenty minutes, rather less than more; never be carried to the sweating point, when you will lose many bees. A little experience will soon teach you how far to proceed for the purpose intended. Within my expe- rience, I cannot agree, however, with the Scotch experimenter, that all the bees leave the combs and fall helpless on the table. A great many may sometimes take refuge in the empty cells, to get away perhaps from the fumes. The larger the swarm, and the more the bees are spread out after the operation, the quicker they revive. Joun N. Rorriers. Lafargeviile, N. Y., Feb. 1, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal. ] Arresting Absconding Swarms. Mr. Eprror :—You cannot imagine how much I value your paper. In my boyhood, my father kept bees, and I then became so familiar with them that I have so little dread of stings as to neglect to a considerable extent the precautions laid down in the books, and have always been able to do as I pleased in handling bees. Il have never had a swarm to leave a hive and go off, without first alighting. My impression is that the old-fashioned practice of tanging pro- 282 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [JUNE, ceeds from a correct idea; that is, that a swarm will always alight when thoroughly alarmed, so as to disconcert them. The past season I used a large mirror ‘and stopped by that means a swarm, which I had hived afew days previously, and which started to go off. I ran after it, flash- ing the sun’s rays among them most thoroughly — the mirror being fourteen by twenty inches square. I stopped them on the last tree in the vicinity, and in five minutes had them nicely hived. I have frequently stopped them by throwing water, chips, or dirt among them, when starting to leave ; and once when passing overhead, as I was bringing corn home. But I failed once, last summer, with a swarm that had come out and alighted unobserved by me. The ‘first I knew of it, it was taking wing from a tree near my apiary, and I think it must have waited for me over night, for it was quite early in the day for a swarm to comme out and then leave. I did as in the other case, but the more I flashed the faster they went. I think it must have been an after-swarm with a young queen, as I found no signs of a swarm having left a hive that had not swarmed before, and found one that had swarmed previously, much more depopulated than it should have been. By the way, are not swarms with young queens more capricious than first ones? Speaking of swarms leaving, I will give to the public a method which I have never had an opportunity of trying, but which was told to me many years ago’ by a very successful apiarian of my native place, in whom I had great confidence. He told me that by practising it in the presence of a superstitious neighbor, he got the name of a wizard. It was a case where the swarm left with- out alighting, and the neighbor attempted to follow it. If I remember rightly, he stopped the man, saying he would call the bees back. His method was simply to remove the old hive from the stand, and set in its place another as nearly like it as possible. His theory was that the swarm keeps up a communication with the old hive for some length of time, and the mes- sengers, finding the old hive gone and a good vacant one in its place, would return to the swarm, and in bee language tell the queen that the coast was clear at home and they had better go back. I think he must have been in the practice of using bee-balm, as the use of it was common among bee-keepers there in those days. Thave often thought I would try the plan, even if it should set the old stock back somewhat. Perhaps some bee-keeper may have an oppor- tunity to test it and report. . H. Hupson. Fenn’s Mills, Mich. 2-9 Every living thing, from man down to an ephemeral insect, pursues the bee to its destruc- tion for the sake of the honey that is deposited in its cell or secreted in its honey-bag. To ob- tain that which the bee is carrying to its hive, numerous birds and insects are on the watch ; and an incredible number of bees fall victims, in consequence, to their enemies, [For the American Bee Journal.] House for Wintering Bees.—A Suggestion. Mr. Eprror :—I see there are almost as many different plans for wintering bees as there are people who keep them. Some prefer a cellar, others a building constructed. specially for the purpose. Some succeed well in burying them in clamps or in trenches; others again are suc- cessful in wintering them on their summer stands, with some peculiar arrangement or construction of hive. We also see almost every conceivable material used in the construction of those special repositories or hives. Thus, we have stone, brick, earth, boards, and tanbark or sawdust, concretes, adobe, gravel walls, &c., of the former, and boards, plank, calcined plaster, straw, corn- cobs, carpets, &c. ; some with dead air space of from one-sixteenth of an inch to two inches; some wholly of paper, carpet, corncobs, &e. ; others lined or covered with such materials. Now it is not the intention of the present article, to express an opinion as to which of the above enumerated plans is best. That must be deter- mined by the location and the surroundings of the apiarian, or by the means or particular fancy and skill of the bee-keeper. But there are certain fundamental principles which must be observed in order to winter our bees successfully. We must have a suitable cluster of bees, with sufficient stores of honey within their reach, and with proper ventilation. I believe a swarm thus prepared will winter almost anywhere. I wish, however, to bring to the notice of my bee-keep- ing friends a new combination of materials for the construction of a building in which to winter bees, or to manipulate with them in the summer, to transfer in when other bees would rob if the operation were done out of doors; or you can build yourself a house, to live inif you please. The articles referred to are nothing more than com- mon stove wood, sawed to the length of the de- sired thickness of your walls, split up about two inches square, and laid up in lime mortar. Any person with skill enough to make mortar and pile wood, can lay up the walls of such a build- ing. He might require the assistance*of “a car- penter, to make the window and door frames, to lay the floors, and construct the roof. An operative mason may also be needed to plaster ‘the walls inside and out, and give it an artistic finish to your liking. But when it is done, the walls will not sweat in damp weather like vrick or stone. At least I am told such is the case with buildings so constructed in this vicinity. We have a large two-story dwelling-house, with a cellar under the whole, in the village of Deer- field, Lenawee county, Michigan; also, a dwell- ing-house in the village of Petersburg, Monroe county, Michigan, constructed on the above plan; and they are giving good satisfaction. The foundation and cellar walls are plastered with water lime. Any person who understands build- ing concrete walls, will readily understand how to construct a building on the above plan. You can plumb your corners, set a wide board on edge from one corner to another, and pile your wood right against it; and by putting the mor- 1871.} tar on each end of the wood and none in the aoe you can make what is called a “‘hollow wall. I do not claim that the above idea originated with me, but it was through my influence that the aforesaid buildings were erected ; and they are giving good satisfaction. I have already written a longer article than I intended, and will close. JoHN T. Ross. Petersburg, Mich. {For the American Bee Journal.] The Bee Palace. Mr. Epiror:—Did you ever see the Bee Palace? It is patented, of course—there is no hive but is. We are not going to describe it in detail, being satisfied that none of the readers of the Journal would want. it, for the reason that it does not infringe on the Langstroth patent. Don’t understand us to say that we think the readers of the Journal would infringe on the Langstroth patent, but that they will use no other than a movable comb hive. _ The Bee Palace is not a frame hive. It was introduced into this section of country two years ago, by a Mr. Black. If he had attached leg to the Black, it would have been most appropriate. The general shape of the Palace is similar to a small church steeple inverted, with legs tosit. We were favored with a call from this worthy Black-leg with a load of his Bee Palaces. He set one of them on the ground, and discoursed about as follows: “This is the best hive in America. With it you can manage bees with less trouble and ex- pense, and more profit, than with any other hive. Here is the swarming-box. All you have to do is to put this on the top of the hive, and when the bees get ready to swarm, they will go up in the box. You can then take them off and hive them. In this way you make all your own swarms. No watching bees, or any danger of losing swarms. There is no other hive from which artificial swarms can be made s0 easily. Here, too, are the surplus honey-boxes, on the sides of the hive. When one set is filled, you can take them off and put on others. The side of the hive is the best place for honey-boxes. Bees will store twice as much honey at the sides as they will at any other place. Here, also, is the miller-trap below—sure'to catch every miller that comes round. The hive is warranted to be moth-proof, or no pay. A farm right with our hive is only forty dollars; with two hives at forty-five dollars.”’ We did not appear very anxious to invest. He finally proposed to give us one, if we would put bees in it and try it; but as we had no bees we wanted to kill, he loaded on his Bee Palace and drove off, remarking that he ‘never ‘could sell to persons using the movable frame hive.”’ He did sell to one of my neighbors, how- ever. The swarming arrangement just. suited _ this man, as it was always a great deal of bother _ to watch the bees. He took two Palaces at forty- THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 283. — five dollars, put his bees in them, and has had his swarming-boxes on for two years ; and if he don’t get to heaven before he gets a swarm in that way, we think he is a subject for prayers. Another man was taken with the moth-trap. That was just what he wanted. But you see he was a little sharper than the first purchaser; he was not going to pay till he tested it. So Mr. Black made out his warrant and the farmer his note, and they exchanged papers. The result was that after Mr. Black had canvassed the county round about, he sold all the notes he had taken, and left for parts unknown. So the first thing Mr. Farmer knew he was sued, and to his great surprise found that the warrant is no off-set to the note in the hands of a third party. So he had the forty dollars with interest and costs to pay. This man subsequently bought the Twining humbug and six secrets (ventilated in the Bee Journal last December). We asked him, why, having been bit once, he would buy another humbug. ‘‘ Well,’’ he said, ‘‘it was so much cheaper, only ten dollars.’’ There is no rule by which to govern a fool. BEEIST. Lawrence, Kansas, April, 1871. and [For the American Bee Journal.} Two Queens in one Hive. I occasionally see an account of two queens being found in one hive, but in each case the circumstances seem to be very different. In my short experience in bee-keeping I have had two such cases, which differed much from each other and from any that I have seen reported. The first was like this: [For the American Bee Journal. A Transferred Colony Deserts its Hive, A number of years ago I had a colony of black bees, which I concluded to transfer into a mova- ble comb hive. It was a good colony, with an average amount of brood bees and honey. Drum- ming out the swarm first, I broke up the box, cut out the combs, and fitted into frames as well as I knew how. ‘To fasten these combs I used linen wrapping twine. Everything being ready for if bees, I put them in, and set the hive directly on its old location. In the evening of that day I found the bees very uneasy and dis- satisfied. On listening at the side of the hive, I heard them making a singular grinding noise. Next morning I examined that stock, and found the bees in the same condition. I then pulled out some of the frames and found that they were trying to bite off that twine, though their efforts seemed to be fruitless. A small number of the bees got portions of the twine in their mandi- bles, without being able to rid themselves of it again, and were dead—having probably starved. This state of things continued for two days. I could not remove the twine, as the combs were not yet properly fastened. In the forenoon of the third day after transferring the bees they swarmed out. Ihived them again in the same hive, but next day they swarmed out again and joined another stock. There was no doubt in my mind that the fruitless attempts of the bees to remove the twine had caused the desertion of the hive. Now, and ever since that time, I use thin and narrow slats—one-sixteenth of an inch thick and about one-fourth of an inch wide, with which I fasten the combs into frames when transferring—placing them over the pieces of comb and nailing them to the frames. No trans- ferred colonies, with combs thus secured, have since deserted their hives. A. GRIMM, Jefferson, Wis. Man can accommodate himself to every va- riety of diet, and thrive on all, The bee, alone, never changes its food. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 285 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Washington, June, 1871. <3 Want of room compels us to omit a number of advertisements this month. The reader will under- stand that they are not withdrawn. fee We again caution bee-keepers against suffer- ing themselves to be blackmailed by parties offering ‘to sell rights or demanding pay or damages, under pretext of the Clark patent, for the use of the trian- gular comb-guides, or any similar device for securing straight combs. The Clark patent was improperly granted, is utterly invalid, the decision of the U.S. Court in its favor was fraudulently obtained, and those exacting ‘‘royalty”? for the guides are guilty of procuring money under false pretences. Clark or his assignee will never institute and prosecute suit against any one resolved to resist the demand, as that would bring the matter again within purview of the Courts. OS Mr. D. L. Adair, of Hawesville, (Ky.,) claims to have a patent for a bee-feeder substantially similar to the one described in the April number of the Jour- nal, as the invention of Mr. Hershcy, of Mourtjoy, Pa. O0S~ We inadvertently omitted to say in our last issue that Mr. Gravenhorst, though not making a business of raising Italian queens for sale, is willing to serve the bee-keepers of this country by procuring for them pure Italian queens from Dzierzon’s apiary, at customary rates; or will send queens of his own raising, if desired, at four dollars each, in gold. He could not, of course, insure safe transportation by steamer, but would use every endeavor to have the queens sent and reach their destination alive and in good condition. Egyptian queen bees, also, would be procured from the apiary of F. W. Vogel, at ten dollars each, and forwarded with despatch. Mr. G.’s address is C. F. H. GRAVENHORST, Kleiner Exerzier- plaz 8, Braunschweig, Germany. iS We have received letters frequently of late from persons whose minds seem exercised on the hive question by an anxious desire to give ‘* honor to whom honor” is due, though they have been led to imagine that Huber, Munn, Debeauvoys, or somebody else, is entitled to the credit of inventing the movable comb-hive. To such inquirers we would say that we intend to take an early opportunity to give an ac count of the inventions of the parties named, with accurate cuts and illustrations. Meantime, we beg to assure them that none of the devices and con- trivances referred to are patented, but are public property, available for practical ends by anybody who chooses to use them. Let any one who desires make an exact and perfect imitation of any or of all of them, and introduce them in his apiary for trial, without the least apprehension of infringing anybody’s rights. For economical and prudential con- siderations, however, we would suggest that he make only one of each kind; and we will guarantee that, after subjecting them to a fair test, he will—never desire to make or use a second. [=s~ If, after drumming out a swarm, it is found that the queen is not among the bees, and the num- ber of the latter is sufficient for a good colony, place the driven swarm where the parent hive stood, and remove the latter to a new location ; supply the swarm at once with eggs and brood to raise a queen; and if an advanced maturing queen cell is available, insert it on the second or third day. ——_—_—__ ---« CORRESPONDENCE OF THE BEE JOURNAL, TiFFIN, Onto, April, 17.—There is quite a demand for ring-tailed hogs in this nook of the woods. It is proposed to train them to walk up a few steps and hitch their tails to the suspended hooks, and then feed as per patent—thereby saving time in hooking or tying the tails three times a day, every day. There is no telling to what extent a hog can be educated, some having, as is well known, been taught to play cards, and tell the time of day by the dial of a watch. Some say bees cannot be educated. I say they can, and to have them store honey in the side frames takes training. Yet the life of the bee is too short for much to be done in that line in one genera- tion, for like Paddy’s horse, which when once he got used to do without eating, took a notion to die, so the best taught bees are apt to die soonest. Last summer was the best honey season I ever saw. I won’t say how much honey I took from some of my best colonies, for fear of not being believed by old fogy bee-keepers. Bees are doing remarkably well at present. Successtothe Journal. J. J. FIsHer. Brickspura, N. J., April 17.—We have had a much more quiet and favorable spring here than one year ago. The means I indicated for spring manage- ment here, have been of much benefit; as I will de- scribe in future. We had fine, warm summerlike days in succession, commencing April 7th, which gave quite a start. I have transferred most of my bees to nucleus hives, putting as many of such hives to- gether as may be necessary for the convenience of the swarm. ‘This will render transportation cheaper and safer. J. L. HUBBARD. AmeEsBurY, Mass., April 20.—My bees are in fine condition, and the hives are rapidly filling up with brood. I hope to report early swarms, and a good yield of surplus honey. A. GREEN. EDGEFIELN JUNCTION, TENN., April 20.—I sent you per mailthis day, a honey and pollen producing plant, or weed, of great value to the bee-keeper, which I wish you to name. I]t came spontaneous last fall, just after the breaking up of a meadow. It lived through the winter, bloomed in the latter part of Feb- ruary or early part of March, and has been in continu- ous bloom since. The bees have worked on it every fine day, for more than six weeks. I have a field of about twenty acres literally yellow with it. T.B. HAMLIN. [= Dr. Parry, the botanist of the Department of 236 THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [ JUNE, Agriculture, informs us that the plant above stated, sent to us by Dr. Hamlin, is a rare species —VESICA- ria Lescurii. It is mentioned in Gray’s Botany as found by Leo Lesquereaux onthe hills near Nashville, Tennessee, and to be sought for in southern Kentucky. Blooming early, long and profusely, it may prove to bea valuable bee plant. CHRISTIANSBURG, VA., April 21.—The prospect for honey is fine here this spring. Apple trees are in full bloom ; and the weather is warm and dry, giving the bees a fine chance. Mine are breeding very rapidly, and I hope to give you a good account of them as the season progresses. I enclose a plant for name, which is spreading all over this neighborhood rapidly... It commences blossoming early in February, and con- tinues up to this time. My bees forsook the rye-meal in a few days after this came into bloom. J. R. GARDNER. ts” The plant accokipa fyi leh’ foregoing note, is the ‘* Whitlow Grass’’—DRaABA verna, Gray. It is found in all the Atlantic States, though not com- mon. It is annual, and probably valuable only as furnishing pollen early for bees. Wortnineton, Pa., April 23.— Weather chilly. Fruit nearly all killed from frosts. Bees not faring wel] this spring. Have just concluded a series of thirteen articles on apiculture, in our county paper ; and I think, from communications received, that an interest has been awakened in the right direction. J. W. BARCLAY. ; West EDMISTON, N. Y., April 24.—My stock of bees, in the spring of 1870, consisted of seven colo- nies, ina fair average condition for bees in this section that. spring. By ar rtificial means I increased them to fifteen swarms. With the use of a honey emptying machine I took five hundred and thirty-five pounds of pure honey from them, besides obtaining two hundred. pounds of surplus in boxes. This made a sum total of seven hundred and thirty-five (785) pounds, or one hundred and five pounds to the originalswarm,. Their net average weight October 1st, was forty pounds. They have winter ed splendidly, both in chamber and on summer stands, and are in fine condition. Iam well pleased with my experience in beekeeping, and consider my success favorable for a new beginner in apiculture. H. LONGWORTHY. Tuscoua, ItLts., May 1.—In the spring of 1870, I started with cight stands of bees, and have at present fifteen—having lost three last winter through careless- ness; but have found that it costs something to learn certain facts in the bee line. Last season, was too dry here for bees; they hardly gathered enough to keep them. It has been rather cool till the 29th of April, when we had a good warm rain, and should the weather stay warm the bees will do well. That patent for feeding hogs is a pretty good illustration of some patent bee hives—not that I would hint that beemen would swindle one another. We all know that men selling patent rights are, like horse jockies, too hon- est to cheat anybody. I, at least, have not been swindled yet, as I let patent vendors pass along on their way rejoicing or grumbling, as they may choose to term it. I use the Langstroth patent, which can’t be beat in the present age. I paid for the right to use it, and no man ought to use it without paying for it. H.C. DurBorow. Saxon, ItLs., May 8.—Bees through this section are very strong for this time in» the year. They commenced gatheri ing pollen about the 10thof March. Weather cool, with frost the last two nights. Apple 'o trees nearly out of bloom. J.A, MAXFIELD. [For the American Bee Journal. ]} Dysentery. DEAR JOURNAL :—I am writing to-day on the 15th of February. Any day now, may be the last day of confinement for my bees in their win- ter jail. Thus far they have needed extra care. As I told: you, I had forty colonies, nearly half of them in bee gums, and the other half in frame hives, Gallup form. These I have emptied twice often during summer, so that all their honey was gathered during August and September, The bee. gums are all right—all in position of rank and file, so that the bees in not one of them stir. The others have many dead bees, and although the honey-boards are laid on them only half-way, yet the bees cluster on them like swarms. This state of things has been so for the last three days. Every night I gave them more ventilation, but the more I gave them the more noisy they are, and dysentery has fairly set in. To-night I shall open the doors and take off the honey-boards altogether. My bee gums have not half so much ventilation, there being only a square ‘hole, six by five inches, with bars to fasten the combs. Does not this look as if dysentery is the result of the quality of the honey, and that some honey has a greater degree of heat than others? A1J- though my bee house smells very unpleasantly, I do not see that the bees are much affected. They appear lively and active, asin midsummer ; yet they soil their combs with feces, and the result will be a desertion of hives in the spring. Iam glad to see friend Gallup gives us some- thing more about the Davis queen nursery. . Let a good. thing be encouraged, by all means. The queen nursery may be “regarded as the third great invention in bee culture. There must be some misunderstanding between Gallup and Nes- bit. They differ widely. I wish our friend Nes- bit would give us the assurance that his queen nursery is identical with that of Dr. Davis. If it is not, he would do well to style it my queen nursery, instead of simply the nursery. This would avert misunderstanding and unnecessary explications. — I have heard much about purity of offspring in bee culture, and discussions on this subject are not wanting, and conflicting notions are still entertained. Methinks there is no difficulty in ascertaining pure blood. When I intend to com- pare some bees, I take a piece of comb with honey in it, go to some hive and hold the comb several minutes before the fly-hole, or until eight or ten bees collect on it. ‘Then I carry them thus on the comb into a room in my house, and let them fly to a window on which the sun is shining in full force. The pure bee is clear and trans- parent, with a slender tapering body, and only a small tip of black; while the impure are of a muddy appearance. on the window, You can discover the slightest adulteration. If any one knows of any evil resulting from using maple sap for spring feeding of bees, say half agill every night, let his'voice be heard in Israel. : J. DUFFILER. Rousseau, Wis. 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 287 [For the American Bee Journal. | White Clover, Strong Stocks, Experiments, etc. During an experience of twenty years in keep- ing bees in my location, I have seldom got sur- plus honey from any other source than white clover. Of basswood there is very little here. In some seasons the clover failed to bloom ; in others it bloomed freely from the latter part of May or the first of June until late in the fall, but yielded very little honey. In most seasons, however, it yielded honey abundantly for eigh- teen or twenty days, never longer. In such seasons it usually bloomed some time before and after the period of abundant yield, but was very little visited by the bees. I have tried various methods to keep my stocks strong to work on the clover. Four years ago, I tried the following ex- periment, embracing eight strong stocks of black bees. Four of these ] permitted to swarm, and as soon as a stock had swarmed, I exchanged stands with the next strongest stock, and re- moved all the queen cells but one, on the sixth day ; and continued to do so till four stocks had swarmed, and the eight thus operated upon. Result : neither of the four stocks from which the bees were drawn, attempt to swarm, and each stored about forty pounds of surplus honey. Two of the stocks, thus reinforced after they had swarmed, continued to work as if nothing had happened ; did not swarm again ; and also stored about forty pounds of surplus honey, each—the same as the other four. The remaining two stocks were bent on swarming again. Both to- gether did not store over ten pounds of surplus honey, and did very little inside. Both swarmed soon after their queens began to lay—the one on the 17th and the other on the 18th day after they had swarmed the first time. Neither of them had started any queen cells, but each raised a good queen afterwards. Since I have been using the Gallup hive, I have done very differ- ently. But, more anon. HENRY CRIST. Lake, Stark Co., Ohio, April 8, 1871. [For the American Bee Journal.] Frames to suit Honey Extractors. ae Mr. Epitror :— ' > ’ .) " * see~— a - Se - ~~ _— " ~ ° = es - hem ge tee -~ = = -_—* ee —— ~_< ~ « ‘ - MA ‘ “% OE et me —_--e = 2 ob Sem a - . - * wo ‘ 4 wt ae ce -— — \ ’ + ne . ‘ * _ —— < —. « —s —— } J ‘ * ~ - -— oo peer Ser tee oe ' te « a rs ~ io - ' ‘ ee ° ’ « pein * d ‘ i rite ee a ie tof - a a] Ot ee te eee ° o és —<—*-s' a ~— he - x a a. ae > On i eee * . y a b= é ai | ] 7 ' h , : ® ‘ 4 . i ce . - ~ 7 me ot — _ - | le — * , ; a ' \ ee - cee eed - - | ( ’ : ‘ ’ . ey J - _ ew ati iaalinl aamy -— tlle + ew jee = =, —_ 1 \ 3 ‘) ‘ és: trtTew 4 ov « - carer RAGES “tr a AF hed us oH 2 , secon ale ces pre — rip aiesetung yee eer vee i ’ *% ee ian 1c Tys BS oes ie DP ate ~q) Lala Keeeas 4 f “<* . " 1. Fe | “ a* ng: Me Els ith LX vas ‘ tu = ® fi ia : ba ae r hs ry ;. :, ae eve be a ri) : we j P ¢ >t ¢- %e? Li is Sa Ce Eh? IIs, Fee pi pe ee et a apt ey eee gr Te eg ee 2 — : 7) ‘Aza et " ; ae) Pee ft oe 6 og * oa | H he ‘ ro Ver <- t ~ _ ie 3 hy’ ' 5 % Z ne , we “4 . ne ~ ea ¢,«& mY : 7 as ’ a Ce é . 7" 7 d ©} ( ‘ = al 4 3 ’ ' . i s : ; ; Vas ‘ f J 5 wT wt Rae hoe. % we a — ane ow i is w rn 2 Git J : « é n> Ce * : y j e Bo. ae aan a rm . = mie oe oe oe he ee ah ae ee, ee) ey - i Vy a ee R my st - f 7 $ : oy ’ H wn d f 4 > 7 ‘ as on q av§ id "I en 1s ~~ = ad ee ee a ee. lee — 2 ’ My \ , . ne oo 4A Oy - é ‘ ee t/ y ~ ~ ‘ : ~~ 4 i ’ Z 4 ; d a - o lth a tt i “4 4 ¢ ‘ "| rf d a - - * - one ” —- — omen din te i é ves anh heh es é ‘ f j i 1 $ 5 ‘ “ ” + ’ : i ’ 5 ’ i, ‘ ae ~- on — a aoe ad (wnweillh.g thing om : P . * : rg . m f ‘ante i . “) * S eal ain e ad Sram ey eet de nel eee : , a re , ‘) { - AD ~ os Solyeey - + ital b dnviteatns =k + Le en eis ‘ey y } . iu a lhe t ’ ey ee i arti d ly 4 2 ‘ r “ — Tor - ab hip etn ee ee ee = } fess a ; ‘ ’ E , x rt > . -& se —_ — ~—~ ee he i ele © rete: Nin at G Re om eeu Arg: j t 1 a -*% * -_ ' . - — 9 7 { 1 f , “+ —~- 4 ~ th a ee ee we . a a ‘| Gavel Cc : F ‘ a SEL ew ao lip say opin sfaliental oe : - ~ oa “ — ~~ a | 9 r se j on ar. v lowed ana. > si . : i t “a or Wife ue Laine Pee ES ene eoeen even, ene 5 sate : + help — ae 2 . "7 Pax’ : aa ~ aa r ee nay : as ir joie ga s\n bee? + ¢ : ; verve ts ae 4 ** ae . 0 “aah a i scab } my? ee ee ST See mal ieee sendin «+ sah sagt te nde i) I < v } Re Se Mn sete Sy Rae eI. i ‘“ ; ' ; - .. Cdl pti tae Pt & * — ae Oe ae ae ee re ee ak neni _ hininste : iz , Pat? q a J - ‘ , . P s EO ES a mt ~ 2 a in apes aman ie - » *| ‘a ; Bs * vi i © J ‘ le ’ - ils . & ; : . ’ e vi _ . ve - i pall. : . > _ = — - = - ~ _ ~ —_ —— ~ eee 7 i A ee A te ne es a Ae. me Seely oo -— a - - - ; a be * 1 a ee hh : ~ —~ pai ot ‘ — — — - ee on a . ‘ — ——— . co \ - ‘ - — —_ f ma : ¥ 1 ( c te il 2 - ro ste ate plaid pala it hl tn A a ly =e . . "yy ~ = - —— fowl a hg, a ~-¥ es iy { ’ at ~ “4 ‘ aa oe —— See Soe a 06.) i hee Sein ee Pa Ti . x i. Paes % oy a) ; an bY ah ; 7 h : gl past 5 = bide | . ¥ * a . : 3 + 3 a ——s jue . ‘ Pe eer ae eee ‘ - ’ i 1 j . Sioa ny a e wd a 4 . - — ' » ‘ o c Jos aD - ‘ t ‘ ~ —_ } ons < Ls : < , : 5 . —_ he =i { ‘ w —— f , 5 iS iu peerage ma pl degps . i , ¥ 5 on i ' ‘ « a 7 ~ — . we “~ a ied a xf t 4 c . =" —— dite aT. r ' 4 , ‘ - i ee ~ mien a wien ~— 4 vy ih ¥ 7 4 = Lae st ie Jaen wa a - . ; ; 2 ' ; a = 2 “4 ey ee Sr 2 dowels we nike — = ale eee ac. tae a r ” [ x vi hh. een , : eh ay z r , , : - von ec horaeent luli aneend gto mede ier eee ree [e."7 y r he 7 J . ‘ a a ‘i 4 ‘, ee i ¥ " é ih ou 4 ; ‘ rs 4 pz | « cS ’ - E ‘ wad Pile ime hae a apical diode reeves tom ery Sires ee . via 55% (ied. >) ie, oe ey ve var Oe ay ? ‘ P eylA jim - oy vy, nee -» y > , i) a eed a 7 : ae es ho i AL we of . i ’ wate Ve , ‘ - we : we parame e~ + “> Rey a tte doom nd one | ' i fh , +. is D 4 i e “ , . ; i ¢ + j “ is : ; : , cS re ee rer ee a aes ener { , ‘a ' Pa % i b % "4 - 7 a i? F ha he % ‘ ee - ” J ' - i * + f ou “ o on a en ee ne aie Le ee a ’ v* be q y . : ’ - om : M * er) . oF 4 2. i= te YE ae BD Oe Ca Te od SWE ys te . ; af = i « ‘ ' } ¥ . | * ‘ j . Aer it - ge dg en ‘ — f ene Ma > Sb 2 brine J sie ‘ _— ashe : % 4 , ree # M f biyh . . iF ‘ 4 “ - - nm ~« aa ee ee ee mene et tip A ; | a é x 4 “4 . ” . a f - i i 4 - vas ah ORO, ee 5 ee ED P us ' ¢ ; ’ S t ‘ . v ‘> * / : M ; ‘ ; us "We ae a ‘ ; , . al oa : AGI ahd ee vee oe ayy ett wipe pee meee er ee ener eee id : : “ =e © ee, A ~ eal * ¥ ve ~ pas eed aon mans . ; ; ' * é a) 4 - ay 2 i y v= 3 0 ely ne — 7 ; fi ; Det ad ~ Na pee woah ’ ~~ - - at abkoece been Wena Ia tee . ‘ Oe i i, r j ar : y ver ix : ‘ 7 " -* t 4 7 i" + - -~ - x ~e -** Patten ox “-- _ A ee eal an Oe ge a eli oe, nee ey ‘ SERN “aes E 7 \- ne ; ey a ; * avy F t . : . i a, he jeep PRE . ¢ P ern “4 - Ponti Prt | = ‘ ’ S ~, & . 4 > . the ee me wae, we ’ = ee . é . o-< ‘ . a ' “. - nile ' 2S ‘ wit oe ee a. ¢ -,39 . * 2s 9+ ee pa, . vin eee ge * . _ 4 ‘ ’ - ‘ i. ’ . . « a oe as. . sapere - | LR Oe a Fa =<: - 2 , a ~ A NG - y - Fo dant, } ; ‘ ASS i Bas “eS > SS” eS yp oe thee ; - > -s ® ae Te TT , EAL BE i. Si ¥ SR renee pen, cham nr Serre Se ley : = ss t pay . ‘ LLINOIS-URBANA i 2