The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-20

freezing. Bees must have a certain degree
OF heat in the cluster or all will perish. To
produce this degree in exceedingly cold
weather, as we have said, will require more
money. Their stomachs constitute thous-
ends Of tiny stoves that furnish the needful
heat. The only other source of heat that
we can possibly conceive of would be
from the action and friction Of the bees
among themselves in the endeavor Of those
on the outside OF the cluster TO force them
selves into the center for warmth.
The solution OF the winter problem is the
great desideratum of every beekeeper. Who
ever can successfully carry over his bees
during the water months has become mas
ter OF the business. The management of
the other departments Of Bookkeeping are Al
most reduced TO a science. What makes the
winter problem so difficult of solution is the
multitude of considerations that enter into
it.
In taking a view Of past years. expert
ences, discover that outside of downright
starvation and diarrhRa l have lost but few
colonies. Assuming this TO be true, which
believe will be verified by beekeepers in the
proportion Of nlnety-nlne out Of every hun
dred, the question to be answered is, What
is the remedy! So far as starvation is con-
cerned, a l0-year-old lad can solve it, All
that is wanting in every case Of loss was
simply little more supply. In all such
application easy after the loss had been as
certained and its cause known. But this is
IKE learning to lock the stable after tie horse
has been stolen. Such experimental kuowl-
edge can only be used in the future for the
prevention of other cases, and not for the
restoration OF past losses. But even in this
there is great difficulty arising from other
contingencies. Suppose you have a good
colony with a very fertile queen, one that
Won have OiVnn amnla Ennpluy for ar pFIf-
nary season OF some fifty pounds of sealed
honey, double the amount necessary to
carry them through in a usual season.
Having done this you think you are sale so
far as that colony is concerned. But sup
pose the season is a very mild one, aud
your queen keeps laying all winter and the
bees continue to use honey In rearing
brood, and being confident of their having
sutficiency you neglect to examine them
until spring. Then what is the result when
you open the hivel "A harvest of barren
regrets" Queen and bees all dead. having
actually died from starvation. Here we
have the true cause of bees using more
honey IN mild winters than in severe ones.
Bees IN open winters often breed them
selves to death by exhausting their stores
in rearing brood.
We thus rec that contingencies are con-
stantly arising, and that it requires the
aplarist to exercise good Judgment in meet
ing emergencies that arise from different
seasons and different conditions. Bees in
the middle aud western states will begin to
breed this month. In the southern states
they start earlier. If the weather is mild,
strong colonies will consume large quantl-
ties of their stores. In this month solid
nourishment is better than liquid. The lat
ter kind has a tendency TO unduly excite
the bees, causing them to fly out of their
hives and perish. 1t also stimulates them
to breeding too extensively before the
proper season.
In the absence Of frames of sealed honey,
which are TO be preferred before anything
else, two kinds of artificial food can be used
with safety. One of these kinds is called
Good Candy" the name originating from
that OF the inventor. 1t is made from pull
verified graduated sugar and liquid honey.
Put whatever quantity If pulveriZed sugar
you may need into a suitable vessel, then
add a suficiency Of extracted honey to make
dough A pound or two of this can be
laid on muslin perforated with holes and
placed over the cluster. This can be re-
newed as often as necessary.
The other kind Is candy made from gran
ulated sugar. Put into any quaint ty OF
sugar enough water to dissolve it. Then
boil the syrup until it will become hard
when dipped in water. This can be poured
| into patty pans and placed over the olus-
ter. the pans being inverted with the sugar
| next the bees. Let the hives be visited
| frequently and their entrances kept open
| Dead bees and the debris, or cravings from
the combs will often stop the passage. Ict
and snow will also do this.
Why is so little honey raised In the south
Bave we among our readers In Soutl
Georgia and Florida any successful bee
keepersl If so, will they inform US which
| is the best bee plant