Kansas Bee-Keeper from Columbus, Kansas • 1

fV 5: rl Mi SCOVELL ANDERSON, Publishers. 76Z US, KANSAS, 1881. Volume 1, Number 1. these boxes up ide down over top of tli frames of any hive short of honey, and pu a thick chaff cushion of several thicknesse of woolen cloth snugly over it, and that uive is safe till the box needs replenishing Examine all hives about which you have any doubt the middle of the first nice day. when the thetuometer is 40 or 45, and it their hooey is getting low give them such box of candy, and never let a colony starve Beer Keepers" Magazine.

Our Texas Letter. ArsnN, Texas, January, 20, 1881. Messrs Scovell Andekson: It was whir-considerable-" gratification that 1 learned that you had determined to start a bee journal in the interest of the bee-keepers of tb. west. There is a great field for the disemination of bee knowledge, and a great industry which needs develop ing badly.

I allude principally to this state. Wfieh the bee and honey interests cf Texas come to be worked up, it will be a source of as much, if nut more revenue, than any other one product. Ask the bee journals how many subscribers they have in Texas. I think I may safety say that either, successful; the best I can do is to watch, and protect the bees personally. Luther Dicker son, Atehison Ctitnty.

Have en in the business ten years My apiary is on a hillside, facing the southwest, and colonies stand three to thirty feet apart slave no wind breaks or tun screens; have shades for hives The greatest, enemies my bees are ants and wood lice. The bst preventative for wdod lice, is set the stands on brick or stone foundations, about four inches from the ground Phiilip Bottinger. Rubinson, Brown County. I have been in the bee business for six years, with other farm interests. Have 14 stands at this time.

They set most every where, having tree shades, otherwise hav ing no wind break or sun screeus. Winter in the open air, with no extra care. Bee moth, ants and mice are the only pests that afflict my bees. Hunt out moths and kill them; to prevent injury by ants, move the hive, hunt the anthill, and scald them kill the mice. Scovell Anderson, Columbus, Cherokee County.

Have been keeping bees here six years Have fifty colonies -Have had high as 200; we breed extensively for mar ket, keep good stock by breeding and pur chasing Our apiary is located out on the open prairie, twelve miles from Spring river, on the east, and twelve miles from -Neosho, on the west Hives stand in rows six feet apart from center. Each hive has a separate bottom board, and stands close to the ground Keep the grass and weeds down, and surface even and hard by coal ashes, sawdust, etc. No wind-break or sun-screens. Some of the hives are shad ed do not consi i er it essential. Our'hives Naughty Lizzie Cotton.

American Bee We are sorry to see that the Farmers Review of this city is publishing the advertise ment of that fraud Lizzie Cotton. The Kansas Farmer has been solicited to do the same, but declines, and publishes the fol owing Lizzie Cottov Ah, Lizzie! you cruel siren you wish to advertise your rt-markable New system" of bee-keeping in the Farmer. Well, Lizz.e vo can't di it The bee folks sav ou are a fraud. In fact, Lizzie, they far as to say you are a confidence man. We advise all yuug bee-keepers to st tlieir ears or tie themselves to the mast while passing the hive on which you sing like the old mariners vhen passing the fatal island where the nimous three of mythology sang.

She advertises a hive, that is a useless trap, when sent but usually she returns not hing for the money sent. Her book" exisis onlv in advertisements or imagina tion. Mr. A. I.

Root sent her a doliar for the same book years ago, and has her letter of acknowledgement, and later ones promising the book as soon as published, yet the book fails to appear. Mrs. L. Harrison, in the Prairie Farmer, makes the following remarks, concerning her or him." In Mrs Cotton's circular, she says that by using her hive two hundred pounds of honey have a dead air space and honey can be obtained, in localities where a. pounds b.v alleviating i be heat of the sun somewhat tner nieinoas, is considered a larger yieiu, a nderlul hive surely we always uiotig it th at bees gathered the uey, but it vvnulu appear Have wintered bees in various wavs -con-sider the open air be-t Do not consider auy bird an enemy of the b- e.

The Italians are absolutely moth proof. Moths trouble the black bees, but. will never 'destroy them in the hands of a vigilant, industrious from Mrs. Cotton's circular that the hive made it. There is another wonderful apiary (on paper) located in Missouri which We would caution our readers, against sending money to.

This swindler is known bv the n.ime of N. O. Mitchell. D. Weight, Barter Springs Cherokee -there not one hundred people in this state who read a regular bee paper, and keep up with tle times on the subject, or keep bees on improved principles, or get one tenth as much honey as they ought to, aud could get with improved appliances The honey resources of this state are great, and great is the pity aud shame that they are not more extensively.

utilized true, there are a great many who keep kees, and some of them keep a great many bees, but they do not get the honey. I don't think there is a bee keeper in Texas who makes a regular business of it, with but few exception? bees are kept in box hives, goods boxes, sections of trees, and verj often any thing that comes handy at the and I think the same may be said of a good many eases that are not in Texas. Occasionally we find bees kept, in some of the various patent, hives. I consider the owner of these hives as bad, if not worse off than the old box hive men, because their hives cost them a big price and when the regular standard hives "cbinracrc widely into use they will have to discard the odd sizes; in this respect I speak principally of western Texas. For our beautiful climate, where sunshine and mild weather are the rule more than the exception for the winter months, this winter has been unusually long and severe, and no doubt many a bee-keeper will wake up next spring and find their bees in just the condition that they might naturally and by all reason be expected to be in.

Paving got along for probably sev eral years with little or no attention to their bees, they will find that their little, industrious, tireless servants, have reached that stage where they will never need any more attention. I believe the cold has been proportionately severe all over the states and we may soon look for reports from "chaff," and we will then see how bees do that were wintered on summer stands, compared to those that were "chaffed," and, as a good many bee-keepers are usiig chaff," if it proves to all that is claimed tor it, the severity of this winter will bring its merits right to the front. Truly yours. J. G.

Taylor. freezing. I sow buckwheat, and then depend on the. fruit bloom, wild flowers, and crops For winter, I bake corn-meal baiter cake, take off crust, put in sugar, and set in top "of hive, letting the bees go up through from the brood chamber. A stroug colony needs the lower part full of honey for winter.

iV. Cameron, Lawrence, Douglas county. Have been keeping bees fifteen years. Have uow thirty stands in my apiary in the orchard, with an entrance to the southeast. The hives are two feet apart, shaded by trees, while the orchard forms a good windbreak Think buckwheat and whito clover ar the best honey plant.

My bees are the Italian consider them the-best; most hardy, prolific, best workers, and most gentle to handle. M. II Porter, Western Park, Elk county. Have been in the business three years Have no wind-breaks, sun-screens or shade, but fruit, trees. I winter on the summer stands by removing four outside frames, putting in board and filling space between, and upper story with chaff Italians are undoubtedly the best in some localities, but I prefer hybrids first, Italians second, aud black bees third.

My bees feed mainly on peach and other fruit blosaorns, elm, mustard, buckwheat, sumac, and gold-rod. Sell all my honey at home, readily, in small boxes, and can force a market among my neighbors in towns in the. county, at 25c per pound, by its fine appearance aid superior quality. Dees, in good stauds, are worth from $7.60 to $10. Wm Dyke, Greenwood county.

Have fifteen stands, from lour to eight feet apart; think eight feet preferable. Have no wind-breaks or sun screens yet, but am growing them trees are best; but until ets maiurel use tomato vines and grape vines on trellis work, on the south side. I wintered bees out of doors last winter, but hereafter shall use a large hive outside, with chaff in between My bees feed on buckwheat, corn, smart-weed, willow, maple, red clover, golden rod, hoar-hound, and caiuip, besides others growing wild My market, is here at home, at 20c to per pound. Good stauds of Italian bees, in movable comb hives, bring from $10 to $25 while black bees in boxes, barels or are worth only $2.60 to $5 per stand. J.

W. Shrader, Oskaloosa, Jefferson county. Have been keeping bees six years. My bee house in built so as to allow the bees to pass out to the south. The bee house is closed on the northwest end east.

A grove of fruit trees in front of the bee house. My hives are always shaded. Used to winter bees in the cellar now let them stand out; prefer the open air pack and protect with straw. Usually sell in ten pound boxes, Fiud ready sale at 25c. per pound.

Black bees are worth $6 and Italian $8 fc $10 per colony. With painstaking, intelligent labor and care, bee-keeping may be a success, in Kansas. Prepare feed if necessary, watch' for insects, keep hives cleansed, pack well for winter, and there are few drawbacks to successful bee-keeping. D. Doyle, Oswego, Labette county.

Have been in the business eighteen years." Have had as high as ninety stands at a tiuie. Three years ago I brought twelve stands to Kansas; keep them under trees, near the house some on benches and some on so stationed as to have the trees as a windbreak, and more especially as a sun-shade, particularly from the afternoon sun. Winter ray bees in cellar. Am not troubled with any vermin or insect but the miller. Perry Edwards, Emporia, Lyon county.

Have had ten years' experience with bees. Have uow thirty five stands. Have winter-edas high as sixty Sometimes winter them in the open air, in the cellar, and in chaff, t'refer chaff chambers to the hive, or set in large with chaff around. My bees stand from two to five feet apart, under trees in the orchard, and with no other wind brake, sun-screen, or shade. Never troubled with anything else but ants A good antidote is boiling water carefully used I use Langst roth's hive.

LaCygne, Linn county. -I have been" in the bee business thirty-five years, tfave at "present sixty stand. My located on the south sfde of a hill. nter my bees in the open njjc lichigutrl used to' wrap in jclcehaff. I do not experience auy 'drawbacks jn Kan-sasi as compared with County Have been in the bee business five years.

Have 106 colonies eighty are on the summit of Blue Ridge, and twenty six are located in the grove about foity rods down the east slope like them about seven feet apart, but the distance is not esential. Every hive shauld be distinctly marked, by different shades of paint or otherwise Have no wind-breaks or sun-screens for those on the ridge I use Scovell Anderson's chaff hive. Michael Tippvn, Concordia, Cloud County. Hive been in the bee business twelrV years. Have tbiriy-orie stands.

My api ary is located on level land, with my stands four feet apart, with no wind breaks or suu screens, except a few peach trees. I my bees in the open air, on summer stands, with caps of hay or straw over eacu hive, covered with a piece of carpet. Troubled some with king birds, aud worms have troubled black bees a little. Wm J. Lundy.

Winjield, Cowley County Have nine colonies-, two Italians and seven mixed my experienc has been main ly with hybrid-. My apiary is on level land, surrounded on three sides by timber, which forms a good wind break, and the trees a good sun-shade for hot afternoons in summer. 1 winter them well in the open air. Test oi Adulteration. Professor Hasbrouck gives the following test of purity for honey: '-Honey is very different from commercial It is a mixture in very nearly equal parts of dex trose and lacoulose.

The dextrose is the part that is the same kind of sugar as that which is found dried in raisins, and is about one third as sweet as cane su gar. The lacoulose will not candy, and is sweeter than cane sugar. Glucose made from starch, is a mixture generally of one pirt dextrose and three parts dextrine a gummy substance used for stiffening calicoes, and or the backs of post age stamps Dextrine is never found in pure honey. Now the test of dextrine is the solution of sub acetate of lead, or Gou lard's water, which can be found at any drug store This precipitates the dextrine in any mixture as a thick white curd.which remains floating in the liquid. The same solution put into honey does not change its color Thi- simple test is very striking, and always reliable.

The glucose formerly man ufactured couiainei fore gn matter gather ed in the process of making, by which it could be easily detected but the specimens I have seen recently contained so little of hese that thay could be demonstrated only by practical chemist The way on which we rely to distinguish honey from its adulterants is by the polariscope. with which we can teli the 'difference between honey and grape sugar, and cane sugar, and glucose, as plainly as one can distinguish gold and iron, by the unaided eye Bee-Keep er's Magazine. Henry Walnut Station, Crawford County Hav been keepiug beessix years Have at present ten stands Keep them under the shade of trees, one foot apart My bees are not exposed to high wiuds. Keep them in their summer quatters during winter with no extra trouble Am troubled a little with moth Best antidote, strong colonies. 1 A.

W. Callen, uncti City, Davis county Have had bees lsn years Have fifty col onies My hives are from two to fifty feet, apart scattered around the house, in the yard on flat stones two feet square and eight inches thick Have no wind breaks or sun-screens Winter my bees in the open air, on their summer stands, with no extra care or attention 'My' bee forage i the pea h. apple and plum blossoms, buck' wheat, mustard, and aitalf J. M. Shepherd, Abilene.

Dickinson couuiy Have had bees seven years.1 Have made good deal of houey had pretty good sue cess until two years ago I left tuy bees-out all winter, and lost most of thorn H. Crane, Pergen N. writes: "My bees will have to be led to get them through the winter. What is the beot thing to feed them Ans. Make a candy the same as we have recommended for queen mailing cages.

Take 4 parts, by measue, of granulated su gar, aud 1 part water, Don't make mure than 10 lbs. at a time. Put the ingredients into a large tin milk pan, and set it over a quick fire. Let it boil about 5 minutes then set the pan into a larger vessel of cold water, or into the snow, and stir briskly till it begins to grow white and creamy Now have, some boxes made the size of the top of the brood nest in your hive, of thin boards, one inch deep. Pour the candy into these as quick as you can, before it gets too hard to spoon.

This candy is moist and soft, yet it will not run, and is magnificent food for bees at any time. Turn one of Bee-Keeping in Kansas. We make the following extracts, from coriespondnts, of the State Board of "Ag riculture, in regard to bee-keeping in this state, which may be of interest to bee-keepers in general R. Berry Geneva, Allen County Have been keeping bees five years. Have a board stand for each hive, 2x4 feet, standing three to five feet apart, in my peach and apple orchard; no other wind break, sun-screen orshade.

I winter my be-es, in the apiary on their summer stands in the" open air. with no extra care or pains All the eue tnies my bees encounter are bee-moths, ants and cockroaches, Have found no antidote.