28 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. 1 



ficult to maintain an even temperature than at the 

 front, and this may account for bees doing the same 

 thing during cold weather. Hives being placed front- 

 ing either east or south, the warmth of the sun has 

 likely something to do in attracting the cluster in the 

 winter toward the front of the hive, especially in the 

 single-walled hive. Wm. M. Whitney. 



Batavia, 111.. Nov. 17. 



SOME OLD SECTIONAL BEE-HIVES OF A CENTURY AGO. 



In looking over some of my old books I found an en- 

 cyclopedia, published in 1821. It has about 15 pages 

 devoted to bees and hives, and is quite interesting. 

 There is a cut of a divisible hive very much like those 

 of to-day except in shape, being square, with fixed 

 straight bars instead of movable frames. It tells how 

 to make artificial swarms with this hive, very much as 

 we do to-day, and quite a lot of queer ideas in regard 

 to bees. F. T. Brooke. 



Staunton, Va., Nov. 22. 



[The article to which you refer is possibly a descrip- 

 tion of what is known as the Nadir or Eke hives that 

 were used in Europe some hundred years ago, and, in 

 fact, are still in use. This whole system has been 

 written up in our columns at numerous times. If you 

 will read over the article carefully you will probably 

 find either one of the names referred to. That old 

 system was very similar in many respects to the divis- 

 ible-brood-chamber hive that is in use to-day, with 

 this difference, that the combs in each section were 

 immovable; but the manner of handling the sections 

 was somewhat similar to that used with the present 

 hives. 



By turning to page 247 of the latest edition of our 

 ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture you will find also a de- 

 scription of what is known as the Stewarton hive of 

 1819. This had bars for supporting the combs with 

 glass strips between. It was also described in Che- 

 shire. It is possible that the Stewarton hive is the one 

 that is described. It is eight-sided, split up in sec- 

 tions.— ED.] 



BEES IN WASHINGTON COULD WORK EVERY DAY IN THE 



SEASON IF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS 



WERE MORE SUITABLE. 



We are located in the southern part of Washington, 

 in the foothills of the Cascades, on the western slope. 

 It is an ideal place for bees so far as honey-producing 

 plants are concerned; but, of course, the weather con- 

 ditions are not always ideal. We have a great deal of 

 rain here, and last season there was too much cool and 

 cloudy weather during the time for a honey-flow, so 

 that the nectar was not properly developed in the 

 flowers, and consequently the crop was almost a fail- 

 ure. The honey-bearing flowers come on in this or- 

 der: Willow; vine maple, which bears an abundance 

 of nectar; wild blackberry, wild vetch, salad berry (a 

 good honey-bearer in its season); then the famous 

 flreweed. So you see we would have a continuous 

 honey-flow from April 1st until Sept. 1st provided the 

 weather conditions were right. 



The flreweed honey is delicious, very white, and of 

 fine flavor. It ranks first in market here, and I believe 

 it would the world over. 



During the season of 1908 we had 40 hives of bees, 



and sold $700 worth of honey. At the present time we 

 have 55 hives in fine condition for winter, and we are 

 building great hopes for another season. 



We do not put our hives in winter storage here. 

 They do very well when left out in the open. 



Brush Prairie, Wash., Nov. 20. Mrs. D. N. BRACK. 



DISPOSING OF LAYING WORKERS BY TEMPORARILY 

 UNITING THE COLONY WITH A STRONG QUEEN- 

 RIGHT COLONY. 



On page 674 is given a quick way of ridding a hive of 

 laying workers. For many years I have practiced a 

 much quicker way. It rests on the assumption that a 

 queen-right colony will not tolerate the presence of 

 fertile workers. The hive to be treated is placed late 

 in the evening quietly, and, if possible, without smok- 

 ing, over a strong queen-right colony whose supers 

 have bees removed for this purpose. After the two 

 colonies are thus united, the supers are replaced on 

 top of all. Next morning the hives are separated, and, 

 if thought best, made to exchange stands. Late in the 

 evening of the same day the smoker is filled with sas- 

 safras chips, and a queen run in. In this temporary 

 union the queen-right colony should always be the 

 under hive for the safety of the queen. 



Otterville, Mo., Nov. 18. E. W. DiEFENDORF. 



GOOD PRICES SECURED BY SELLING HONEY EARLY. 



By getting my crop before the honey-eating public 

 at an early date I have found that it pays well, for I get 

 17/4 cents per section for all my comb honey, and $2.00 

 per gallon for my extracted honey in glasses. The de- 

 mand is heavy, for I sell direct to the consumers and 

 not to the merchants. 



The merchants in the grocery business are often to 

 blame for poor sales, as they sometimes store fine comb 

 honey in dark damp cellars, near pickled meats, fish, 

 cheese, etc., and the customer complains about the bad 

 flavor. I believe all producers should caution grocers 

 against storing honey in the cellars and against han- 

 dling it carelessly, as this accounts for so much break- 

 age, and the honey comes in contact with dirt and dust. 



Chico, Cal. Sylvius J. Morrison. 



NEW YORK SERGEANT OF POLICE IN CARTOON. 



Mr. E. R. ^00 f;— Herewith find inclosed a cartoon of 

 myself which I received from some unknown source, 

 and which I consider clever enough to be reproduced 

 in Gleanings. I am the son of Mr. N. D. West, bee- 

 inspector of New York State, and you will remember 

 me as the boy who showed you through his apiary 

 when you were on a bicycle trip through Schoharie 

 Co. in 1890. I was appointed a patrolman in New York 

 by President Roosevelt when he was Police Commis- 

 sioner here. I am now sergeant of mounted police, 

 and continue the bee business on a small scale in New 

 York. The cartoon is supposed to represent me in po- 

 lice uniform looking at my bees. You will note in the 

 cartoon that the queen wears a crown, and that I, 

 farmerlike, have a straw in my mouth. 



EDWIN H. West. 



