American bee journal
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i^ g ^^^ ^^^^^^B RiJ ^^Sl?'* ^^T^ -ss»> >^^. ^ ^^*t :^» ^-"iM p^* ^§13^ »~ , ■m^^ :a»" >wo^ > .^ .«<^£ *.JL g«;^*2 »  THE AMERICAN -\ NAL. EDITED BY SAMUEL WAGNER. ** To Us, both field and grove, Garden and Orchard, lawn and flowery mead, The blue-vein'd violet, rich columbine. The wanton cowslip, daisies in their prime. With all the choicest blossoms of the lea. Are free allowed and given." Pakliament op Bees, John Day, 1607. VOLUME VII.-1871-72. PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 1873. '■1 INDEX TO VOLUME YII. AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. A big frog !-tory 233. A few apiarian devices 36. A lady beginner's notes, No. 2, 14. A well assumed moral indifrnation 249. Age of tlie luinev bee 25. Albany Co., N. Y., bees in 110. Alleghany Co., Sid., bees in 64. Alley, Mr., business transactions of 62, 75. Alley's rejoinder 61. Amateur l.i, 38, 76. American hive 58. Apiarist or apiarian 111. Are artificial queens inferior to natural ? 227, 267. Basswood beats the world 228. Bees, the "coming" 77. Bees, an hour among 78. Bees in college 116. Bees, the yellow and the black 68. Bees, improvement of 130. Bees, death in winter depository of 264. Bees without brood 132. Bees, to prevent robbing among 136. Bees, weight of the honey 97. Bee feeders 20, 159, 254. Bee hives, 120, 155, 253. Bee orch:ird, a 131. Bee culture, nomenclature in 50. Bee keeping in the West 65. Bee keeping and patents 8. Bee-keepers' conventions. Central Illinois Association 48. Central Iowa Association 244. Chautaugue Co. (N. Y.) Association IDS, 283. Michigan Bee-keepers' Convention 101. Tennessee Apiarian Society 190. West St. Louis Co. ^Mo.) Associa- tion 160. The Southern N. York and North- ern Pennsylvania Association 2. Bee stings, cure for 18, 118. Beginner, notes from a 51. Beginner, first report of a 140. Berlepsch on movable frames 172. Bethlehem, Iowa, report from 161. Breeding, in-and-in 51. Canada, encouraging report from 56. Chloroform and " blunders" 216. Cincinnati, bee keeping around 19. Comb, to prevent the breaking of 188. Comb for new swarms 202. Comb guide, the triangular 236, Correspondence 22, 45, 46, 47, 48, 70, 94, 95, 117, 142, 18.9, 234, 254. Corresponding hives and queens, 185. Crippled bees 87. Cross-bred bees 149, 219. Cursory remarks and observations 156. Debeauvoy's hive 197. Drone production 49. Dronings 148. Dried cow dung as a fumigator 268. Dysentery in bees 251. Dzierzon theory, test of the 118. Editorial 21, 45, 69, 93, 94, 116, 141, 151, 152, 158, 165, 166, 167, 168, 211, 237, 261, 283. Eggs, uon-hatcliing 96, 119, 133, 145. Fertilization, non-flying 177, 268. Fertilizing queen bees 88. Fertilizing queen bees in confinement 252 Foul brood 124, 125, 126. Foreign bee journals, review of 258. Frames, claims on 41. Furman on Gallup 259. Gallup's new .=tyle hive 12. Gallup upon H. A. King 256. Grimm, A., gets a blowing up 226. Glycerine balsam 44. Hartford, Wis., report from 191. Hazen's patent hive 7, 240. Hives, plain box 58. Hives, how to make supers 154, Hives, supers and nucleus 204. Hive, proposed improved 192. Hives at the Indianapolis convention, 225. Hive controversy 9, 39. Honey, balsam of 31. Honey bee, the age of 25. Honey boxes, proper size of surplus 69, lo6. Honey cask, timber for 183. Honey dew 15, 49. Honey district, inquiries for a good 17. Honey extractor 35, 154. Honey extractor and strainer combined 60. Honey, extracted 79. Honey in comb or extracted 154. Honey poisonous SO. Honey, production of 105. Honey resources from a strange quarter 115. Hruscthka and the Italians 13. Huber's unedited letteis 241, 265. Illinois, report from 55. Imported queens 236. Indiana, bee notes from 32, 91. Investigating, modes of 17. Introducing queens (see queens). Iowa, another beginner in 92. Iowa State Fair 106, 107. Iowa, notes from northern 161. Iowa, the season in 231. Italian bees, on pure 232. Italian vs. black bees 247. Italian bees not working in boxes 152. Italian bees at Cleveland convention 232. Italians in supers 209. Italian queen bees, purity of 10. Italian queens, color in 263. Kansas, letter from 34. Kentucky, notes from 18. Kentucky and Tennessee bee-keepers 126. Le Roy, (111.) report from 139. Lessons of the past season 159. Linden and buckwheat 116. Louisiana, bees in 243. Lucknow, Canada, bees at 215. Maine, a moan from 139. Malt as a bee-food 271. Melextractor 131. Michigan, a trip to 103. Michigan, the winter in 251. Minnesota, letter from 18. Mitchell & Co. reviewed 193, Mjnarda Punctata 209. Movable comb hives 57. Movable frames 169, 170, 172. National Society of Beekeepers 203. New Boston (HI.), report from 138. New Jersey to New Hampshire, from 62. Non-flying fertilization, 177, 210. Notes of a beginner 182. Novel bee dress 203. Novice 3, 6, 26, 51, 74, 99, 121, 179, 198, 235, 256, 274. Nucleus hives 242. Observations and reflections 137. Oil region, the season in the 162. Over-stocking with bees 175. Parricides 7. Patent hives 40. Patents and patent hive inventions 81. Patent hive deceivers 82. Patent honey boxes 215. Personal 213. Pratt's Hollow (N. J.), report from 185. Prindle & Green hive 56. Purity, test of 89. Puzzle 164, 210. Queens 223. Queen, an ill-treated 93. Queens, breeding 12. Queens, fertility of 58, 67. Queens, raisini 14, 85, 100. 122, 12.3, 2.39. Queens raising on the outside of the hive 14. Queens, on introducing 10, 11, 43, 92, 95, 96, 98, 1.50, 167, IS.i, 201, 269. Queens, natural, hardy and prolific, 44, 86, 112, 206, 278. Queens, raising large reserve 73. Queens, rearing artificial, and their value 146. Queens, drone layers from virgin 186. Queens, winter-bred 191. Queens piping 44. Queens, my experience with hybrids 230. Queens and corresponding hives 185. Queen nursery, "Novice's" 6. Queen cells, a lage number 16, 273. Queen cells and their contents 86. Queen killing, 87. Queen progeny of a failing queen 125, 150, 152. Queen bee laying in a queen cell 129. Queen bee, the instinct of 200. Queen mothers 147. Queen nurseries 242. Queenless colonie.-, on introducing young queens to 1. Queenless colonies saved 29. Side opening hive wanted 228. Six months of disaster 261. Stocks in summer, removal of 231. Sugar syrup for wintering bees 252. Swarms, combs for new 202. Swarm, why the bees did not 84. Swarm, products of a 202. Swarms condensing 269. Temporary bee room 210. Tennessee, a trip to, and back 30. Tennessee, a cheer from 32. Tennessee, the honey region of West 63. Tennessean, experience of a 63. Thomas' hive improvement 40. The twin hive as a uon-swarmer 200. Tomato honey 5. Triumph hive described 205. Transferring bees 115, 181, 275, Upward ventilation 202. Useful suggestions 157. Wagner, Samuel, death of 211, 2.37. Wasp.s, new mode of destroying 240. Wayne Co., Ohio, bee notes from 64. Wax, how to utilize 133. West, bee-keeping in the 65. West Virgiuia, letter from 34. Wintering bees 199, 254. Wool in the apiary 26 IV INDEX. INDEX TO CORRESPONDENTS. Abbe E. P. 124, IHI ; A Beginner 64, 182 ; Adair D. L. 253 ; AHev H. U, 61, 100, 150 ; Amateur 16, 38, 76; Anderson J. 42, 7S ; Ar<o R. M. 43, 149, 156, 210, 239; Austin C. N. 33 ; Avery G. 264. BailPV F. M. 66; Baker W. 247 : Barclay G. W. 65, 106; Barbcu'r B. J. 62, 248 ; Barnard A. 6, 17, 137 ; Bassett G. H. 84; Bason \V. F. 17, Benjamin J. E. 114, 183; Bennett A. •JOO ; Biclcford R. 29, 133, US ; Biglow C. H. 14 ; Bingliara T. F. 2.!3; Bishop A. T. 139; Bolirer G. 103, 132, 204, 225, 232; Brewer F. 17 ; Briggs E. L. 115, 200 ; Brown A. L. 86 ; Bur- gess G. T. 143. Cameron N. 34, 143 : Cliapman A. 84; Collins H. T. 36 ; Cooli A. J. r,0, -Zra ; Condit J. W. 158, 216 ; Cole S. W. 154; Cramer J. W. 158, 216 ; Cratliorn F. 125 ; Criticus 111 ; Crow- foot Bros. 191 ; Curtis Joel 67. Dadant C. 80, 86, 116, 197, 207, 259; Dadant C. P. 269 ; Davis J. 137 ; Davis W. J. 148 ; Dawborn C. 41 ; Doolittle G. M. 10, 151, 153 ; Drone B. J. 19 ; Duffield J. 261 ; Dziorzon 49. Enthusiastic 55 ; Enquirer 252. Fearon G. F. 185 ; Flory J. S. 14 ; Fortune J. P. 203 ; Fox S. Bevan 227 ; Furman W. H. 260, Gallup 12, 30, .59, 122, 163, 186, 191, 200, 202, 207, 21.'>, 226, 228, 231, 238, 242, 2.53, 254, 256 269, 276, 282 ; Gastman E. A. 202 ; Gardner J. 208; Green J. W. 57, 89 ; Grimm A. 129, 132, 146, 153, 155, 164, 177, 186, 216; Grimm Miss Kate 53. Halifax 2d 40; Hamlin T. B. 67 ; Hazen J. T. 14.3,270, 167; Henderson W. P. 13 ; Hester M. C. 32, 92 ; Hewett M. 152 ; HoUingsworth Mrs. L. 35; Howe G. 244 ; Hulman T. 51, 131 ; Hunt D. C. 210. James 60 ; Jerard G. W. P. 115, 124, 210 ; Jones D. A. 56. Kellogg, W. M. 273 ; King 206, 252. E. A. 92 ; King W. R, 126, 179, Lansrstroth L. L. 1, 175,193,213, 217, 223, 236, 242, 244,249, 263, 267, 268; Latbrop58; Lattner P. 231; Lee Sage 20, 48; Leuchart 145; Lindley J. W. 161 ; Listen E. 83; Livingston P. 185; Long G. B. 271 ; Loud S. W. 184; Lucas G. L. 230; Lunderer B 7.5. Mahin M. 130, 149,181, 201, 251; Mansfield W. D. 168; Marvin J. M. 105, 209; McClay J. 209; McKernan J. S 76; McLane J. L. 12 ; McNitt E. 119 ; Menzel Prof. A. 25 ; Millet D. C. 60, 75; Miner H. D. .57, 125, 126, 226 ; Miller C. C. 95 ; Miller R. 184, 270 ; Moore J. P. 228; Morgan Mrs. K. A. D. ■64,183 ; Mutli C. F. 201. Nesbit H. 10, 192, 210; Novice 3, 6, 26, 51, 74, 99, 121, 179 198, 235, 256, 257, 274. O'Neil M. A. 159 ; Osborn H. N. 42; Old Fogy 68. Palmer Bros. 138; Parmely E. 16; Peabody J. L. 18; Phelps H. H. 65, 183; Pickering J. 189; Pohilman E. 98; Price J. M. 44, 112, 278. Querist No. 2 90. Rigg J. 107 ; Rowel S. 18 ; Rnsticus 140, 160, 204. Salisbury A. 85, 244 ; Scientific 8, 59, 80, 157 ; See H. 23 ; Seay J. W. 134 ; Sesaye 82, 275; Silsley G. S. 39, 58, 113, 140, 167 ; Smith A. J. 138 ; Smith C. T. 90, 162; Smith T. 9 ; Snell F. A. 55, 96. Taylor W. P. 41 ; The Smallest Novice 63 ; Tillerghast 66 ; Townley J. H. 180. Vogel 98. Walter J. N. 66, 83, 271 ; Weeks C. 67 ; Wheeler G. T. 44, 136, 229 ; Widener C. E. 96; Winfield J. 92; Wixom H. W. 135; Wilson M. 152; Wright G. A. 77; Wright W. D. 110; Wolcott J. L. 264; Wolf W. 133; Woody T. H. B. 37, 88; Wors E. J. 16; Worthington D. W. 15, 35, 79. 5RICAN BE EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Vol. VII. jxjLTT, isn. No. 1. [For the American Bee Journal.] On the Introduction of Young Queens to Colonies that are Queenless. Some ten years ago, I was led to suspect that the ordinary statements of Huber and other emi- nent apiarians, with regard to the antii)athy of bees, under all circumstances, to change queens, was incorrect. Eminent writers have supposed that it would not be safe to introduce even a queen cell to a colony until twenty-four hours had elapsed after the old queen had been re- moved. In experimenting with Italian bees, shortly after their introduction to this country, I soon as- certained that this was an entire mistake, and that queen cells could be safely introduced, under ordinary circumstances, immediately after the removal of the queen.* This led me to experiment further in the same direction. Supposing that perhaps the hatching of a young queen iu the colony might reconcile them at once to her pres- ' ence, I introduced to queenless colonies cells, the lids of which were being gnawed open by the young queen. In some instances these queens hatched in less than five minutes after the cells were inserted, and I found them to be unmolested, although the hive had been un- queened but a few moments before their intro- duction. I now began to suspect that there might be something in the young queens themselves, either in their actions, or in their odor, or their voice, or want of voice, which made the bees indisposed to disturb them. Therefore, after unqueeuing the hive, I introduced just hatched queens at once, and found them almost invariably well received. The bees would occasionally seem to manifest some surprise at their presence, and probably, if they could have spoken their feelings iu words, would have said inquiringly — "does your mother know you are out?" If the queens were too young, they were some- times dragged out of the hive, just as imperfect bees are removed by workers. I next discovered that, in many instances, these young queens could * Instead of the circumlocution of saying — removing a queen from a hive, or giving a queen to a iiive — I propose to use as more definite terms, the words, un'iueening a hive, or queening a lave. be put upon the very comb where the old mother was, and yet be undisturbed by the bees. In order to test this matter more thoroughly, after introducing a just hatched queen and finding her well received, I would place upon the same comb an unfertile queen several days old. The bees would at once attack- her furiously, confine, and speedily destroy her. It would seem, there- fore, that under ordinary circumstances, young queens which have not yet attained their prope^^r color, and perhaps the power of piping, may be introduced at once to queenless colonies. I have availed myself of this discovery largely, in breed- ing Italian queens : it being a common practice with me as soon as the queen of a nucleus has laid a suitable number of eggs to test her purity, to cage her, and at once introduce a queen not more than five or six hours old. It may be that it would be safe to introduce queens even a day old, but my practice has been to select for this purpose such as had very recently hatched. When the young queen thus introduced becomes fertile, and has laid a proper number of eggs, I cage her in turn and introduce still another. And thus I am able, with one nucleus, to accom- plish in queen raising, as much as is ordinarily done with two or three. Occasionally I have known the workers to de- stroy these young queens, if not immediately, still within a few hours after their introduction. I do not, therefore, recommend the practice above described to those who have very few queens, nor would I risk a young queen which I valued very highly. But, as under ordinary circumstances, the breeder has often more queens than he knows what to do with, he can easily dispose of them in the way above described. In order, at times, to secure a suitable number of queens for this purpose, I have been accustomed to condense into one colony a very lai-ge number of queen cells of about the same age, inspecting the colony about every hour in the day, and re- moving queejis as fast as they hatched, and be- fore they had an opportunity to destroy each other or the other queen cells. These same combs may be returned at night to their proper nuclei. The expert will know how to avail himself of the plans which I have suggested, and how to modifj' them to suit his circumstances. L. L. Langstroth. Oxford, OMo, June, 1871. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S71, by Samuel Wagner, in the of Washington. I of the Librarian of Congress, THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [July, [For the American Bee Journal.] BEE-KEEPEES' OONVEKTION, Interesting Discussion in Relation to Bees. REPORTED BY ROSWELL R. MOSS. The special meetinsf of the Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania Bee-Keepers' Association met at the City Hall in Eluiira, April 19th, and was called to order at 11 o'clock A. M., by I. V. Mapes, President. In tlie ab- sence of the Secretary, Mr. A. D. Griswold was elected Secretary jyro tern. The Convention re- mained in session two days, during which the following questions were discussed : Wintering Bees in-doors or out— Which is the Best ? Mr. Chase, of Allegheny county, had wintered heretofore in-doors, but did not like it ; started on summer stands last winter with 102, and now has 98. Mr. A. D. Griswold built a house at one time to winter— bees would get uneasy, and discharge their faeces about the entrance of the hive. One winter he left the bees out, with more satisfac- tory results. Kow uses a double hive with double walls, and finds that the bees leave the hive as frequently as in single walled ; finds the double walls proof against the heat of the sun in summer, and new swarms are less liable to leave the hive. Has a neighbor who wintered in-doors, and was much discouraged, Mr. J. Hadsell likes an even temperature for bees ; thinks they do best in a house celhvr, well ventilated, about 25" ; if much above that bees become uneasy, and are apt to discontinue work ; has had good success the past winter ; has lost some, but attributes the loss to foulbrood. Mr. D. C. Knight, of Allegheny, has wintered with the best sviccess in a house in such a winter as the last. Bees fly frequently and become chilled and lost. ^Must not be too warm nor too many stocks in a house, as there is a good deal of animal heat in a swarm ; thinks a house bet- ter than a cellar. Should be without a floor, as a step would jar the stocks ; and must be well ventilated. Mr. John Rowley wintered his in a cellar ; thinks they used less honey than they would if left out doors, but finds the comb mouldy ; does not know the reason, as it was dry and well ven- tilated. Put in fourteen stocks.— From one hive that he had out-doors, all the bees left during one of the recent warm days. Mr. Moore has wintered both in-doors and out ; wintered well out-doors by shading the entrance to keep bees from flying. -»./':' -. Artificial Sicarming. Mr. Hadsell has had good success by dividing the frames and putting into a new hive, leaving the queen in the old hive, transferring some yoimg bees and setting near an old stock, some of the bees of which, on returning from work, would enter tlic new hive. Mr. Griswold has had some experience in arti- ficial swarming, but has no desire to practice it. If he did, would take the queen from the old stock and place it in a new hive on the old stand. The bees on retuiming and finding her, would be willing to remain, and commenced building comb, while the old stock would raise a new queen. Mr. Moore has had good success with the method described by Mr. Griswold. Mr. Knight has done nothing with artificial swarming ; thinks they are more profitable to remain in stock until they swarm naturally. He then puts two or three young swarms together, thus getting a good deal of surplus honey. Mr. Chase has tried both natural and artificial swarming, and thinks the natural will do for him, certainly, if surplus honey is his object. When, is the best tiine to put honey boxes in the hives f Mr. Griswold thinks it desirable to put one box on as soon as the bees will put honey in it, and as often as they will fill it ; wants to get all they will make of box honey before the bees commence swarming. On new swarms, waits a few days until the queen gets established below. This prevents her going up and remaining in the box. Mr. Hadsell puts the boxes on as soon as the hive seems full of bees. Mr. Moore concurs, and thinks the bees will not get the swarming fever as soon as they would if not supplied. Mr. Chase finds it quite a trade to know when it will do to put on bees to get the most honey. He uses the American hive, and puts one tier of boxes immediately on a new swarm ; raises them when half or two-thirds full and puts empty ones under them, raising the under one as soon as the upper ones are full. Leaves the empty or unmarketable ones on all winter, which the bees will fill as soon as they are able, by which means he gets the greatest amount of surplus honey. Mr. Knight put boxes on old swarms as soon as the bees commence to stay about the entrance of the hive. On young swarms, puts the boxes on before he hives the swarm ; is not bothered by the queen goii.g into boxes, probably on ac- count of his making the new swarms strong by doubling. What is the most profitable size for honey boxes? Mr. Chase has made about thirty thousand boxes for sale, of several sizes ; finds a box with four glass sides, two of them four by five, and the other two, five by six inches, small posts, the best. The glass is secured by small tins ; tops and bottoms of wood ; weighs about one pound, and will hold about three and a half Ijounds honey — two combs. This size sells best in New York. Mr. Hadsell sells in Elmira ; has had bad luck sending to New York. Makes boxes to fit the top of the hive, which he fills with small panes to weigh about three or four ounces. When filled will weigh two and a half or three pounds gross. Buys back the frames, which he prefers to new ones, for five cents. Mr. Coke thinks for this market the small frames described by Mr. Hadsell the most sala- 1871.] THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. ble. Probably for New York it would ship best in Mr. Chase's small boxes. Mr. Denson finds that the small boxes are best for New York, as the honey will not get dusty ; thinks the best form is a single comb box with two glass sides, weighing from four to five pounds. This is considered very aristo- cratic. Mr. Knight uses a six inch tube, four glass sides, three combs in a box ; has taken such to New York, and they looked and sold better than any he saw there. While in the city he saw at Mr. Thomas', at Washington Market, a sample of small frames which he would not buy, as it was accessible to ants, flies, &c. Thinks that while a greater amount of honey could be ob- tained in large boxes, yet on account of the bet- ter prices received per pound, that in small boxes will make the lai-ger returns in the gross amount of money received. Best antidote for bee stings ? Mr, Griswold keeps ammonia for the use of visi- tors. Once when stniig himself so as to feel sick at the stomach, he eat a large quantity of honey which relieved him. Others recommended Ray's Salutifer, keroRine oil, an application of spittle, salt, or wet earth or dry or chewed plantain leaves. Several made the statement, that bee stings would after a while, so inoculate the sys- tem as to render it less liable to the effects of the poison. Hoio high from the ground should the hives be ■placed ? Mr. Hadsell prefers to set them low. From four to six inches from the ground. Bees when heavy laden can get back when they fail to reach the lighting board, if a slanting board is set for them to climb up. Mr. Knight prefers to iiave them low as possi- ble without danger from moisture — from ten to twelve inches — for the reason given by Mr. Had- sell. It is easier, too, to take out the surplus honey than having them higher. 3Ir. Chase places his on a stand of boards with two inch cleats, thus making the hive three inches from the ground. Puts planing mill shav- ings on the ground around the hive. What is the proper distance to place hives apart ? Mr. Griswold thought they should be placed at such a distance, that the bees may not quarrel from mistaking their home, and so the queen may not be lost when returning from the bridal trip frotu the same cause. If covering a good deal of ground, it is more trouble to manage. If the hives are of different colors, two or three feet wdl do, Mr. Knight would have the hives of different colors, and five or six feet apart. What can zee provide in the way of pasturage for bees ? Mr. Griswold has grown Alsike, but the result was unsatisfactory. It might have been owing to white clover being in blossom at the same time. Thinks buckwheat good. Is there any superiority of Italian over native bees f Mr, Knight had one Italian queen given him in swarming time. The swarm was cleaned out in the fall. Has dealt in honey gathered by Ital- ians ; it is not of as good quality as that of the common bee, probably owing to their gathering from poorer flowers. If they gather enough to more than make up the difference in price, they may be more profitable than the common bee. Mr. Griswold obtained queens from two noted importations ; found the bees unnecessarily quar- relsome, stinging when unprovoked. Not hav- ing got any in condition to sell, he had not had a chance, nor does he feel disposed to talk about their good qualities. Of those he had, he soon got rid. To prevent robbing, it was said that a noxious smell, as of kerosine or coal tar, would keep rob- bers away, while the other bees would endure it rather thaii leave their home, but it was thought best to keep the colonies strong ; and with weak ones to contract the entrance according to their weakness. Mr. Denson asked if the use of the melextrac- tor is advisable ? Mr. Knight said it would be if the honey could be sold, which it has been difficult to do, such honey being a drug vipon the market. Mr. Coke has not found strained honey a very valuable article. Any one undertaking the process of working sugar, can make an artificial article that is difficult to distinguish from genu- ine, and people seem to be afraid that honey ofi'ered as strained may not be all right. Mr. Knight's strained honey sold at ten cents, when his box sold at thirty cents. jNIr. Coke has been experimenting with strained honey to prevent it candying, but has not arrived at a satisfactory result ; thinks he may yet. Has restored candied honey by heat, but thinks it darkens its color. [For the Americaa Bee .Journal.] Novice. Dear Bee Journal : — We have so many things to say, just now, June 8th, that we hardly know where to begin. Our bees are not as strong nor as busy as we had expected to have them by this time, and in- deed we cannot tell why, either. During fruit blossoms many of the stocks hung out on their hives, and, to keep them strong, we fed them on coffee sugar and water for two or three weeks, daily. Yet several severe frosts during that time, and quite a drouth since, rather checked brood raising ; and we feel sure that we have not now as many bees as we had a month ago. ]\Iany of the old bees were lost during cold, high winds, and we have got to look to the now rapidly "rising generation," Last season we had over half a ton of honey from locust tree blossoms by the last of May, but these were a failure this year. Only a few trees blossomed, and those the bees did not notice. THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. [July, Our first honey was from hickory tree blossoms — much of it — wliich gave it so dark a liue that we emptied all our hives, June (Jth and 7th (over four hundred pounds) to make room for inwe white clover honey, which comes in now pretty well. On the night of the 6th, Ave had a very heavy, long rain, and as we were very busy, we commenced removing honey early next morning, but were surprised to find the bees — especially the full blood Iialians—\ery cross ; robbers in abund- ance, and no bees at work until afternoon, although the day before everything had been tranquility. Why was this? Did the rain wash out all the honey from the clover, so that the bees had to wait for more to be secreted, or were they lazy ? It did not seem to us that they even went to look whether there was honey to be had, or not. We were advised to mount the ''Railroad Car" (we have really got a railroad car in our apiary to save " sore backs,") and de- liver an address to them on the sinfulness of being idle and vmthrifty. The Jiine number is full of good things, but why in the world is there no more said of re- sults of experiment^ with non-flying fertiliza- tion? Has anybody succeeded? (As we hear no response, we shall have to think that all have utterly and miserably failed, as we have.) We have tried all plans given, and some that were not ; in darkness, and in light ; and light for thirty minutes at two o'clock p. m. ; in large cages, and in small ; with one drone and v»'ith a dozen ; with brood, and with no bi'ood ; with queens from five days old to twelve. And yet all the satisfaction we ever had was in letting out queen, drones, and all, after the queen was ten days old ; whereupon one drone did jiursue the queen round and round, in circles larger and higher, until we nearly twisted our neck ofl" in trying to follow them, and stretched our eyes so wide that they have scarcely "got level" yet. W^e presume that the pursuit is still kept up, with the same alaci'ity, as we have never seen queen — she was a fine one — nor drone since. A few days after this we heard most positively that a bee friend had succeeded, and was raising queens "all right," for $2.00 each. We did not sail our hat (we have a new one now, and our better half won't allow it, ) but sailed ourselves, via horse and buggy, quickly, ten miles to the scene of action. Weil, he hadn't succeeded, but— was going to. He had with much pains made a lot of very neat cages, but as he had been successful in raising only about half a dozen Italian drones for every dozen queens, was in a quandary until we gave him since a whole box full of drones — and all the faith we have left. Mr. Langstroth's sawdust pile only lost us our clept virgin queen, as we felt sure it would, from former similar experiments. If the queens can- not fly, they go "a-foot" and, with us, always away from the hive. We do so enrnestly hope that, side by side with this article, some record of success will be given ; for since wo have recognized the many advan- tages that are to accrue from success, we feel as though wo must succeed. Trusting that the Creator has provided some means of attaining it, as Mr. Langstroth says, we leave the subject. We regret that a description of our queen nursery did not reach the editor in time' for the June number, as we have full faith that it will be a great acquisition. We think that, with it, there will be no trouble in getting laying queens from a single hive every two days at least, thus : After a stock has started as many queen cells as it Avill, cover them all with cages as directed, and insert fresh brood. More cells will then be built, as we have repeatedly demonstrated. Cage all these as before, and so on. When the first queen has hatched, let her loose, after cov- ering all the cells. When you see marks of fer- tilization, or she begins to lay, remove her and let ovit the next in age. By watching the hive constantly, we are not sure that a queen might not be fertilized any hour, when drones are very plenty. Ours have been fertilized very speedily. In a locality where there are no black drones, we think two dollars, each, would be a great remuneration. The bees will continuously raise queen cells, if supplied with brood, if they have none but caged virgin queens. On page 269 of the June Journal are some questions for Novice. Wd are always pleased with questions asked through the Journal, as it indicates that our experience or opinion is re- garded as of some weight by some one at least. Our frames are, inside measure, 16^ by 8^ in- ches. Ten above and ten below. Although the upper story is broader, we prefer inserting only ten frames, as we want as thick comb for sur- plus as can be handled. Taking out frames of comb two inches thick, full of honey, makes us perfectly happy, unless the wire cloth should be so poorly supported in the extractor, that the combs all break down ; and then we usually vibrate to the other extreme of perfect misery, until all is made whole again. Distance across frames (or hive inside) below 14^ inches, above 16 inches. We use the old triangular guide, because our frames were so made ; but as we now always have all combs built between two good ones, we should pot care much about it. We never had any honey get really sour; although a little, taken out last year when it was wry thin, looked much like it, and tasted a little that way, but became much thicker by keeping. We always leave the combs till nearly ready or partly sealed. We have never scalded any honey, only when it had candied. Our glass jars were only closed with corks, and were not air-tight. We are now putting our honey in barrels, for the present We have been oftered fifteen cents per pound for it in that shape ; but as that is not more than first-class syrup sells for, we have ho])es of getting considerably more. Twenty cents would be as good or better than putting it in jars at twentj^-five. 3Ir. Quinby challenges Novice, or any one else, to specify where or when he had intimated that L. L. Langstroth was not entitled to his patent and the benefits he should receive for his invention. If we do not word it right, we think the idea is conveyed. Well, Mr. Quiuby, if the public have misuu- 1871.] THE A xM ERIC AN BEE JOUENAL. derstood you in that matter, we are most heartily happy to liear it, and hope you will correct the erroneous view of your position they have taken from your writings. We, among others, certainly did think, on reading that same appendix, that the obligation you were under to Mr. Langstroth, for the inven- tion there mentioned, was but faintly felt or recognized by you. And in your later edition, where you mention the hive that embodies nearly all that is valuable of the Langstroth hive, do you anywhere give him credit for what ?ie did do ? And when you say, in a note, that no one need write you asking if the hive you advise infringes on Mr. Lang- stroth's patent, are we not right in presuming that you do not consider or care whether it does so or not T In short, whenever or wherever you speak of movable comb hives, is it not to be inferred that you do not feel any friendly interest in Mr. Langstroth's success in disposing of his invention ? We need not tell you that your posi- tion in the matter has jierhaps greater weight with the bee-keeping community than that of any other apiarian. We owe to you, too, a great debt of gratitude for your "Mysteries Explained," when we were all in the dark ; and, oh, how very happy we should be to see our two great pioneers in our favorite science, Langstroth and Quinby, labor- ing side by side towards one common end. Even now we need your help. Vainly have we looked for something from Quinby on non-flying fertili- zation. Cannot his practical common sense aid us ? If we have quoted anything amiss or wrong from Mr. Q.'s last book, we hope it will be ex- cused, as it was burned with the Quinby hive ; but the general impression that the public have received, is too often mentioned and quoted to be a mistake. On page 227, something is said of the yield of honey from the 5.051 hives of the bee-keepers at the Convention in Cincinnati. We then thought, from what we could learn, that perhaps the greater part of those hives were old box hives that had much better been left out of the state- ment. The yield, Mr. Quinby mentious, was less than seventy-five pounds to the hive ; and we have several apiaries here in Ohio, of consid- erable size, that gave last year twice that amount — that is, with the melextractor. Two queens in one lave reminds us of a little incident. We have sometimes told our assistant that she would see queens where there were none ; and one day she declai-ed she had found the queen of a hive when we had her on another frame ; we were about laughing at her, when a glance for ourselves convinced us that she really had a queen too, and a laying one. The frame this queen was on was carefully set in the upper story of the hive, and placed, perhaps, a yard or two from the old hive, while we occupied ourselves, about ten minutes, in preparing a cage for the young one. A lady visitor just then coming in, we mentioned the circumstance, and proposed to show her tlie young queen. As the stock were pure Italians, no bees had left the frame, and on looking on both sides and seeing no que6n, another laugh came in, for sure enough no queen was there. We suggested that our glance had been so hasty we were both mistaken, for if there had been a queen, where was she ? So the hive was closed up, but it was no use arguing with a woman ; she saw her, she knew she did. We suppose our lady readers know that settled it. It was so near dark then, that we did not look again (just to please her) until next day, when lo, behold there indeed was her "ladyship," close beside her royal mother (one of Grimm's best), assisting in that highly important and ma- ternal duty of laying eggs, as a dutiful daughter should do. We were so much pleased with tlie idea of an extra laying queen (it was in April) that we did not hear distinctly some remarks about "being positive," "theory," and "jH-ac- tice." Well, the young queen "just fitted" a queen- less hive, and after proper ceremonies was re- ceived very graciously. Next day, on looking for Q'^^i^, we were much chagrined to find that our volatile young majesty was off again, leaving no clue (nor eggs). In answer to the suggestion that she had "gone to see her mother again," we with sage wisdom replied that "laying queens never left their hives only under the swarming impulse." "Just look and see, for the fun of it I" Like a woman for all the world ! But, as we found her there, on the same comb with her mother again, we shall be oblige' I to be less positive, in future, in regard to laying down rules in bee-culture. This time we put the old queen in our queenless hive, where she sedately dispenses ju.stice (or eggs), much to the satisfaction of all parties, especially Notice. P. S. — We are now reminded that there may be two laying queens in every hive we open, in spite of all the arguments and theories wo can bring forward. P. S. No. 2.— Why was the extra queen raised ? The old one is all right. She came from Mr. Grimm last fall. Cannot some Yankee study u]) the conditions, so that we can make them do it at pleasure? About one year ago, we found an extra queen in a hive, which we used elsewhere ; and the old one did not fail, nor was she replaced until late in the fall. [For the American Bee Journal.] Tomato Honey. To each pound of tomatoes allow the grated peel of a lemon and six fresh peach leave's. Boil them slowly till they are all to pieces, then squeeze them through a bag. To each pound of liquid allow a pound of sugar and the juice of one lemon. Boil them together half an hour, or till they become a thick jelly. Then put it into glasses, and lay double tissue paper over the top. It will scarcely be distinguished from real honey. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. [July, [For the Ameiicaa Bee Jo-urual] Novice's Queen Nursery. Get two pieces of wire cloth about three inches square, cut a small square out of each of the four corners, so as to make two square boxes, with sides threo-(iuarters of an inch hioh, when they arc turned up. Ravel out the wires on each side half their depth, so that the boxes can be ])ressod into a comb deep enough for the pro- jecting ends of the wires (like a row of needles) to reach the bottom of the cells. Now push one into a comb over a queen cell, and the other on the opposite side of the comb, so that the ends will just meet, and your que n when she hatches is safe, even if the bees cut clear through the comb, as they may do to get at her. Bees enough will hatch inside the cage to take care of her, and you can thus cage all the queen cells in a hive, without cutting a comb, and when re- moved your comb is uninjured. When the first hatched (lueen is five days old, she may be let out until she commences to lay, then remove her and release the next in age, and so on until you have used all, or they are ready for artificial fertilization on any of the plans mentioned. In this case the queens are always at hand, on the comb where they were hatched, with warmth and young bees, and no places to get fast or to die otherwise. You can put on the cage in less time than to cut out cells, and if on the edge of a comb all the better, as a small corner of comb will serve to hold them, the cages, in place, if they match exactly, which they should do. We visited a "brother Novice" yesterday, who last season took nine hundred (900) pounds of honey from six Italian stocks, besides in- creasing them to twelve. We were much pleased with his apiary, appliances, &c. Of course his yield made a sensation in that neighborhood. His great secret of going so far beyond every one else, was that he had read the Journal over and over until he Jiud it at hit fingers' ends. He got his Italians as premiums lor twelve subscribers to the Journal, and has the com- bined experience of the leading bee- keepers of our country. Nolhing seems to have escaped him that is of any value, and he has energy enough to put what he learns in practice at once. He told us that he had sjient the irliole summer of 18'i9 in learning to raise queens, and did not get a drop of honey ; but we told him the knowl- edge he had acquired was woi'th more thnn tons of honey. He uses the Gallup form of 1 ive. We told him he had omitted one duty, \iz. : to write for his tieasured Journal, and we shall look for something from him soon. If we have spoken extravagantly, it is because such men aie very scarce about hei-e, and we fear they are in other pfaces too. Of course he used an Extrac- tor, and says he never wants any more boxes under any consideration. 