EDITORS GLEANINGS:—You ask me to report results of the past season. I started last spring with 100 swarms, thinking this about the number one man should attend to, and considering it about as many as should be kept in one place, especially as there are over 150 swarms within one mile of us.
After placing bees on their summer stands which I did about the middle of April, my first business was to remove all combs except those occupied by the bees. Number of combs left in would vary from 3 to 7 giving space in hive to be kept warm according to quantity of bees. And here let me say that no one thing helped me more towards success, than did the Quinby frame, by the use of which I could contract or enlarge space in brood chamber at pleasure.
The yield of honey from willow, apple, raspberry, and clover was light. My principal business up to the first of July was taking combs filled with brood from strongest swarms to help weak ones, and filling their place with empty combs. Basswood commenced blossoming about the 20th of July. Then came our flush. I increased my stock to 123 swarms.
| Whole amount of box honey | 3000 | lbs. |
| Whole amount of extracted | 7271 | lbs. |
| Total | 10271 | lbs. |
Have in winter quarters 121 swarms. So far they seem to be in fine condition.
Mohawk, N. Y. Feb. 1st, 1875.
QUINBY HIVE.
The following in regard to the Quinby hive is just at hand.
You say on page 15 that “in justice to ourselves we would smile to see the person who would dare undertake to find the Queen or extract the honey from a dozen Q. hives as quickly as we could from a like number of our suspended frame hives.” I would smile to see yourself, or any one else undertake to do it one-half as quickly as some half dozen I could name. Again, on same page, “where one has plenty of leisure Mr. Quinby’s cheap hive has many advantages, and we may be mistaken about the time needed by an expert to open and close these hives.” Now would it not be candid to say that Mr. Hetherington, Mr. Elwood, Mr. Van Deusen, and Mr. L. C. Root, have as much sense as common folks. Now what can be the object of using said hive, when hundreds have to be looked after if there was nothing to be gained from it. It is necessary for Mr. H. to work fast, if it is for any one. It is his business. He has used box, straw, and modification of Langstroth—has a thousand dollar’s worth on hand, that he does not use, now. To suppose that he has thrown aside all this property without being quite sure he can work with greater facility with the hive he is using is paying his judgment a poor compliment.