1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



101 



BEE-KEEPING IN THE 

 SOUTHWEST 



By Louis Scroll, New Braunfels, Tex. 



Texas prospects are fine, for the 1910 hon- 

 ey crop promises to be a big one. 



the age of honey. 

 Referring to my article on this subject in 

 a former issue, Mr. R. Kuhne, of Pomona, 

 Cal., has this to say: ''You are entirely cor- 

 rect in what you say conf'erning the age of 

 honey. I have samples of orange honey that 

 I have kept for the last twelve years, and the 

 color as well as the flavor is different every 

 year. That produced ten years ago approach- 

 es a dark brown." 



OUR FIRST INSPECTION TRIP IN THE SPRING. 



Every fine da> that we have now we visit 

 some one of our apiaries, many of which we 

 have not seen since the last tiuney was haul- 

 ed away in August or September. Our work 

 on these trips conssts m overhauling every 

 colony, taking an inventory of the stores, 

 seemu whether there are queens, determin- 

 ing the number of weak or dead colonies. 

 Each hive has a super or two with shallow 

 cumbs partly filled with honey, and these 

 are slightly tilted up, so that a glance tells 

 us the condition of ihe cluster and whether 

 there is the right amount of honey in the 

 brood-chambers. The weight of the supers 

 is alt>o noted when they are raised. If all is 

 well the supers are put mto place, and a 

 small stone or half brick (always used on 

 our hives to mark the conditions) is placed 

 on the front end of the cover. If ihe colony 

 has a superabundance of stores, and can 

 spare some for ottiers that are needy, ano h- 

 er small stone is placed beside the one al- 

 ready on the front end. If the colony should 

 be short of stores the stone is placed at the 

 rear of the cover. Weak colonies are desig- 

 nated by two stonf s at the center of the cov- 

 er, and queenless colonies by a stone at each 

 end. When we have gone through the whole 

 yard we areready to equalize; and as many as 

 nave two stones on the rear of the cover, 

 showing that they need to be fed, receive a 

 super irom those that have two stones on the 

 front end. The light or empty super that 

 was on the needy colony is put back on the 

 hive from which we took the fullsup^r. On 

 each cover, after this change is made, one 

 stone is then placed at the front, like all the 

 rest which are " O. K." 



All weak and queenless colonies are unit- 

 ed. We simply set the brood-chamber of 

 each queenless colony on top of a v eak 

 queenright colony, making sure that thtre 

 are enough stores Then a stone on the 

 front t nd of the cover shows that these col- 

 onies are 0. K. also. If there shoi.ld be only 

 one or two weak or queenless colonies, and 

 if it is not possible or desirable to unite 



them, they are distributed around on top of 

 some of the colonies in the yard that are 

 not quite as strong as others. 



All this requires very little time, and yet 

 the work is thoroughly done. By keeping 



Eart of the stores in the supers left on the 

 ives the year round, and when the cluster 

 is nested between the brood chamber and 

 super (the place which the bees seem to 

 prefer) , it is an easy matter to ascertain the 

 conditions />2 a moment, and also of the stores, 

 Without prying off a single cover of the hun- 

 dreds of colonies that are examined. 



We make a note of the number of colonies 

 that are finally all right for spring count, and 

 in this way we can know the numher of bot- 

 tt)ms and covers that may be used for some 

 increase later; also, at the same time, we 

 make a note of other conditions that may be 

 of interest. The number of weak colonies 

 and the condition of all the others is gener- 

 ally noted down for references, while an in- 

 ventory of the stock at the yard is taken, 

 whi(k aids miterially in planning the sea- 

 son's woik, for we can thus know what may 

 be needed at each pLce. The yard is then 

 left for our next trip a month later. 



OUR SPRING CLEANING. 



February is the month when we have a 

 regular house cleaning in all of our yards. 

 All the hives are leveled anew, and put on a 

 good foundation. The hives have a fashion 

 of leaning in all directions at the end of the 

 season if a heavy load ot honey has been 

 stored, and especially if the soil in the yard 

 is loose. These have to be straiglitened up 

 ag lin; new foundations for increase or other 

 colonies are put down also. For our foun- 

 dations we use broken bricks, which can 

 usually be had fur nothmg. Often such 

 heaps can be found in back yards or in out- 

 of the way places. Two halves of a brick 

 are placed under the front cleat of the bot- 

 tom-board while one under the center of the 

 back cleat is sufficient. Four bricks one at 

 each corner, would be better in soft ground, 

 if there are plenty of bricks. It takes a large 

 number for a thousand colonies. 



All worthless covers and bottoms are re- 

 placed by good ones, and dilapidated fixtures 

 are taken tiume for repairs and made ready 

 for use later. Every th ng about the yard is 

 straightened up; the fences are repaired, 

 and the roads leading to the apiaries are put 

 in good shape for the season. Limbs that 

 are in the way, and all unnecessary brush 

 and trees, are cut down. The sto\ew( od is 

 cut out of it, and the rest is burned with all 

 the trash which can be laked up. A won- 

 d-iful change is wrought in the looks of 

 each yard, and it pays to have every thing in 

 apple pie order and out of the ■» ay for the 

 rush later. If tije weather is warm enough, 

 every thing receives another coat of paint 

 als >, except such hives as have been paimed 

 within the la&t year or so. Three or four 

 weeks later the c -lonies are all overhauled 

 for an inside cleaning. 



