THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



2S5 



vSome Dortions of California seem, on 

 the other haml, to have a lonj^, continu- 

 ous How, with the swarniinsj; taking place 

 before the flow opens. 



I have done my part. Now, if others 

 in different localities, will do the same, 

 we will eventually have the matter full}- 

 understood. No better paper for that 

 purpose could be selected than the 

 Review. 



Knoxviij.e, Tenn., March 8, 1900. 



\(1TH HIGH AND LOW 



^ LAND NEEDED IN THE 



IDEAL LOCALITY. BY 



J. F. GALLIGAN. 



Proximity to water and strong vegeta- 

 ble life are the essentials in bee pasturage. 

 These are the first things to be considered 

 in locating an apiary. I have always 

 found the most prosperous colonies on 

 elevated ground overlooking some fertile 

 valley. Here they gather honey from 

 the high ground in spring, and, in the 

 fall, secure sufficient nectar for winter 

 from among the entwining vines of the 

 lowlands. Of course, every country and 

 place have their drawbacks, but I believe, 

 other things being equal, this to be the 

 best location an apiary can have. 



But the wintering and improvement in 

 bees is the hardest problem to me in 

 apiaculture. These two you will find go 

 hand in hand. Cellar wintering practiced 

 by so many, and thought to be a solution 

 of the whole problem, is nothing but a 

 long stride in producing a worthless, 

 weak and delicate strain of bees. Too 

 much care in the apiary will bring out 

 the same bad results it has in the im- 

 provement of animals. To secure a start 

 in standard bred stock, we nmst build 

 them a residence almost equal to their 

 master's; protect them from the sun, and 

 keep their feet as dry as an invalid's. If 

 they were turned out to the mercy of the 

 elements, nine in ten would not survive 

 one year. Who wants a strain of bees of 



this caliber? I am sure they would be of 

 no use to anyone. 



For my part, I believe in wintering on 

 the summer stands, with slight protec- 

 tion. We have practiced this way of 

 wintering successfully for thirty years, 

 and think it to be the best; in fact, the 

 only way to produce a hard}', strong and 

 vigorous strain of bees. To attain this 

 end should be the aim of every bee- 

 keeper; for in these are our only salva- 

 tion. We need something that ■A'ill stand 

 the blizzards of the Dakotas, or prosper 

 in the damp and sultry clime of Florida. 



Shepardviixe, 111., Aug. 18, 1900. 



NOW YOUR LOCALITY, 

 AND ATTEND STRICTLY 

 _[ \\ TO BUSINESS. BY H. D. 



BURRELL. 

 One of the main factors of profitable 

 bee-keeping is a thorough understand- 

 ing of the capabilities and peculiari- 

 ties of the location wliere the bees 

 are to be kept. Often a difference of 

 onl}' a few miles between apiaries makes 

 necessary an entirel} different manage- 

 ment. The importance of this matter 

 has been impressed upon my mind by 

 costly experience. Perhaps a few items 

 from that experience may be helpful to 

 some brother bee-keeper. 



In the twenty-five years I have made a 

 specialty of honey production, we have 

 had homes or out - apiaries in eleven 

 places. Had I thoroughly known those 

 difTerent locations at the beginniuo, 

 many mistakes could have been avoided, 

 and the bank account would be more sat- 

 isfactory. 



Once we lived at Bangor, Mich., about 

 ten miles from the lake. Raspberries, 

 white wood, white clover and basswood 

 were abimdant, and, until the insatiable 

 saw-mills devastated the forests, good 

 crops of fancy comb honey could be se- 

 cured every year. In those days it sold 

 readily for iS to 25 cents a pound, whole- 

 sale, while extracted houey sold for only 



