1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



with a slight cavity at the insertion of the 

 pedicel. A variety has leaves edged with 

 yellow or a lighter green, from Eastern Asia. 

 3. Tilia Niqueliona — a native of Japan, at- 

 taining a height of 100 feet with usually an 

 oblong head; leaves ovate, truncate, or 

 slightly cordate at the base, gradually acumi- 

 nate, rather coarsely serrate, with incurved 

 teeth 4 to 6 inches long; floral bract adnate 

 almost to the base of the peduncle; fruit glo- 

 bose, thick shelled, five-ribbed only at the 

 base; time of bloom not given. 



Now, what of all this, or of what value to 

 the bee-keeper? Let us see. We find that 

 our Tilia Americana varies in the time of its 

 bloom — I think fully ten days, for I find trees 

 near together, one commencing to bloom 

 many days before the oiher. If the weather 

 is not too hot a tree will continue, after com- 

 mencing to bloom, for two weeks, thus giv- 

 ing us about three weeks of bloom. It is 

 probable that trees in forests or on high hills 

 will lengthen the season. If we can find 

 some other species that will bloom a week 

 or ten days later, as Mr. Green and A. I. 

 Root have told us on p. 442, we may add ten 

 days to the length of the season. And, 

 again, if we have or ran find some species 

 that will bl'^om ten days earlier than our 

 American species we are doubling the sea- 

 son of bloom I have shown in the above 

 account of European species that there are 

 at least two that are earlier by far than our 

 Amerif^an species. But isn't there some 

 mistake about that? Can it be that Europe 

 can furnish species that will bloom so much 

 earlier and later than our own? It certainly 

 is so, for we have a European species on our 

 college grounds right here in this town that 

 blooms from ten to twenty days earlier than 

 our native ba=swood, as I have watched it 

 for the past thirty years or more. 



There have undoubtedly been large num- 

 bers of European linden set out in and near 

 our large cities; and will not nearby bee- 

 keepers watch the difference in the time of 

 bloom, if any are observed blooming either 

 earlier orla'er than native trees, and report, 

 sending specimens of leaves and blossoms 

 and fruit to State experiment stations for 

 correct botanical name ? 



This is a work our experiment stations 

 should take up, and find out the most desir- 

 able species to plant for timber as well as for 

 the bee-keeper, that those who plant trees 

 may do so wisely and to the largest economic 

 value of the country. Can not our bee-keep- 

 ing friends across the great water tell us 

 more of the time of bloom, and value of the 

 European species? 

 Middlebury, Vt. 



CELLAR AND OUTDOOR WINTERING. 



A High Temperature Now will Mean that 

 Brood-rearing will Start too Soon. 



BY J. E. HAND. 



Packed in one end of our house cellar, 

 four and five deep, are 105 colonies which 

 were put in Dec. 5. In the center of the end 



occupied by the bees is a window 14X28, 

 opening underneath another building, the 

 foundation walls of which are well ventilat- 

 ed. Said window has not been closed since 

 the bees were put in. The temperature has 

 ranged between 45 and 50°, mostly the lat- 

 ter. The cellar is apparently as drv as an 

 upper room; and, notwithstanding it is en- 

 tered every day, and sometimes oftener, the 

 bees are very quie* indeed, and, to all ap- 

 pearances, are wintering perfectly. The 

 hives are pushed forward on the bottom- 

 board so as to give two openings at the bot- 

 tom, and the tops are covered with a piece 

 of carpet or heavy cloth. The high temper- 

 ature will undoubtedly induce early breed- 

 ing, which is not desirable, and from now 

 on we will reduce the temperature by h av- 

 ing the out-ide door open every night, when 

 the temperature is below freezing. We find 

 that a high temperature and a dry cellar with 

 a pure sweet atmosphere is a safe place in 

 which to winter bees. 



We always winter our strongest colonies 

 out of doors, believing that a bee-keeper 

 who would do credit to his chosen profession 

 should be able to winter his bees successful- 

 ly either way as well as to produce either 

 comb or extracted honey at a profit. 



Our outdoor colonies are for the most part 

 in winter cases surrounded by two inches of 

 sawdust on the sides and five inches on top. 

 Some have sealed covers, and all have three 

 thicknesses of carpet or heavy cloth, either 

 laid upon a honey- board or upon the sealed 

 cover, hanging down over the side of the 

 hive, after which the sawdust is poured in 

 and worked down around the hive, and the 

 five inch tray rounded up full. When a 

 seven inch waterproof cap telescopes over 

 the winter case, the entrance is ^X3 inches. 

 Our bees are, for the most part, in se'^tion- 

 al hives; and past experience has taught us 

 that we have little cause for anxiety for their 

 welfare. 



We have been equally successful with the 

 following method of outdoor wintering: Lay 

 several thicknesses of old carpet or burlap 

 sacks upon the hives, letting them come 

 down well over the sides. Over this lay sev- 

 eral thicknesses of newspaper, and over the 

 whole push down an 11 inch waterproof tel- 

 es'^ope cap. For the latitude of Northern 

 Ohio, all three of these methods seem to be 

 equally successful; however, the latter one 

 appeals to us on account of its simplicity of 

 equipment and economy of manipulation. 



A word about the much-mooted question 

 of moisture-soaked absorbents. I don't know 

 what causes it at Medina, but I do know we 

 don't have it up here in the lake regions, 

 notwithstanding the moist atmosphere. I 

 suspect three thicknesses of carpet has 

 something to do with it. 

 Birmingham, Ohio. 



[We have no moisture in the absorbents 

 over a sealed cover; i. e., a super cover 

 sealed down with propolis so that no damp- 

 ness can escape into the packing above. 

 From your general description it would ap- 

 pear that you are using sealed covers, oin 



