Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-25
THE BEE AT IT'S BEST.

At the annual meeting of the bee
keepers of Western Maine, Mr.. l.. +.
Abbott, OF Lewiston, read the following
paper:
Taking the bee as we look at il fit
tnr from flower to flower. it has no
special significance beyond hundred
insects we could name, either in beauty,
size or general appearance. In fact,
the bee Is rather an ordinary looking
insect, aud stripped of its glorious rec
ord it has made for itself As producer
of an article of commerce which ranks
rs among the dclcctablo and choicest
productions drawn from nature labor
ntOry-ii wc let it alone and do not pre-
sumo to triilc with its fire." agency very
csscntialIy--it would pass for rather an
ordinary, sober kind of an animal,
rather stirring in its habits, to be sure,
but possessing no very marked pccu-
!iailtiCs.
But the bee needs 70 be seen at home
to be at lis best. When We view few
quart, OF our shiny black ones or the
goldun-bandcd Italians, buSily caring
tor their thousands of young Larvae,
preparatory TO laying in store Of the
choicest nectar ere the May flowers
turn brown and the apple blossoms un-
fold their petals, then we see TIA" bee in
one of ITS most aspiring aspects.
Hence, the question introduces itself,
when is the bee at its best? And in an
swcr TO that question We mist say, that
depends to wnal period Ui its existence
| tn" question relates. If | induce my
bees 10 breed up late in autumn and
then put them into winter quarters
where they keep quiet till March her
aids the approach Of opening spring,
and not much brood-rCaring has been
carried on during the interim from 90
Ing into winter quarters, many Of US
would say that the bee was at its best
under such conditions. That would
| have been the Judgment of the writer "A
few months ago, but some things of
| late point TO that condition of things as
n little moonshiny.
Our bees, we know, did not breed
| after Sept. %, 1884, unless in one col
ony the queen commenced to lay again
| in November, which we strongly sus-
| pect she did 50, and unless this were
the case, the main part Of the bees
which bravcd the rigors of our past
cold winter were mainly bees hatchcd
| in August and before: but they came
| through the winter bright, and appar-
| emily as strong AS in the fall.
Here is another point which came to
my notice Il few days ago, which shows
| that bees may and do breed in winter.
A few days ago friend of mine ia
| formed me that late in November last
| he superseded a black queen in good
colony, giving it an Italian queen Of his
| own rearing in exchange. At the time
Of her Introduction there was no brood
| in the hive. He placed the colony in
| the cellar with others. His cellar was
kept at temperature ranging from 81
to 81 degrees, the average being about
30 degrees. This spring, on putting
out the bees upon the summcr-stands,
this hive with the Italian queen intro
ducrd to black bees in kovembcr was
found to have fully onc-third of its bees
pure Italians, and the colony in good
condition and strong. The question
well may be asked, are bees wintcrcd
in the cellar at so low temperature us
50 degrees at their bcst2
There is one point which ] am fully
convinced is conducive to putting the
bee at its best, and that is, to put each
colony to be wintered in proper condi-
ton for wintcring, at latest by the mid
die Of October, or, at any rate, when
the weather is warm enough so the
bees will cap in the sirup which is best
TO feed them for winter stores. am
50 well satisfied on the point Of winter
ing bees on sugar-sirup that | do not
| hesitate TO proclaim that the bee is only
| at its best when it sits down TO its table
in winter TO an exclusive diet Of pure
| granulatcd-Sugar sirup.
Another essential point il, that the
! colony be fed sufficient TO insure full
| supply Of stores to carry it through all
contingencies till May !, at least; be-
| cause | do not consider the bee at its
best unless it can calmly, with smiling
countcnanco, feel beyond the reach OF
possible contingency of lack of stores
to foster its young during the coquct-
| ting Of April with winter, enabling it
to keep ut home and "snap its fingers"
at the weather till May wakes the will
lows and naples.
do not believe it best 10 disturb the
bees by feeding them for stimulation,
rs it Is termed, very much before frogs
peep and the swallows fly; nor then,
II there are cold rain-storms and the
wind is tempered from snow-clad hills.
Cover the bees up warm in the fall-in
chail hives, If possible-and give them
thick covering Of dry material above
the bars, and do not disturb them,