668 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



queens away as before; but when doing ihis I 

 lake all the combs from the hive but the two or 

 three which contain the most honey, the brood 

 all having hatched by this time, and spread 

 these combs about an inch apart, setting them 

 out about two or three inches from the side of 

 the hive, so that the bees may all be clustered 

 on these combs, instead of hanging to the sides 

 or any part of the hive. The hive which is to 

 receive the bees and combs is also to be pre- 

 pared beforehand, by taking away all the 

 combs but three or four, those being left being 

 the ones having the most honey in them, said 

 combs being placed close to one side of the hive. 

 Having all thus fixed I wait as before for the 

 colonies thus fixed to realize their queenlessness, 

 and till a day occurs when it is from five to ten 

 degrees colder than is required for bees to fly, 

 when I find them all clustered compactly be- 

 tween the spread-apart combs, something as 

 they are in winter. When the right day ar- 

 rives I light my smoker and put on my veil, 

 for in the following plan described we can not 

 use the hands at times to get off a stinging bee, 

 should one suddenly sting near the eye. I 

 now go to the hive having the queen, and un- 

 cover it, giving the bees a little smoke to keep 

 them quiet; and, leaving the hive open, so that 

 I can set other frames right in without hin- 

 drance, I go to one of those from which I took 

 the queen, blowing plenty of smoke in at the 

 entrance while I uncover the hive, when more 

 smoke is blown over and around the frames 

 from the top. Quickly set down the smoker 

 and place the two front fingers between the 

 two first frames near their ends, the large 

 fingers between the second and last frames, 

 while the third and little fingers are placed be- 

 yond the third frame, when, by closing up the 

 thumbs and all the fingers, the frames with the 

 bees all clustered upon them can be lifted out 

 of the hive at once and carried to the open hive, 

 where they are to stay, and sit down in it all 

 together, close up to the frames of bees that are 

 in this hive. I now go back and get the smoker, 

 and blow enough smoke on the bees to keep 

 them down while I am arranging the frames as 

 I wish them, and adjusting the division-board, 

 if one is needed, fixing all for winter without 

 having scarcely a bee take wing. Should any 

 colony be so strong in bees that a few come out 

 on the sides of the hive, this hive can be placed 

 immediately over the united colony before fix- 

 ing the frames, when, with a brush and a 

 little smoke, they are easily got into the hive 

 below. Having all in and the hive closed, clear 

 away all that looks like home from the vacated 

 stands, as in the first plan, and the work is 

 done. Both of these plans are very simple, and 

 accomplish just what is desired, the latter be- 

 ing a little the easier where the colonies are 

 small enough so that the bees can all cluster on 

 three combs well spread apart. 



fe^/t^^F 



SWEET CLOVER OX THE INCREASE. 



Although the early rain failed, the latter did 

 not, and July was a month of downpours and 

 showers, and nature rejoices. Sweet clover has 

 been on the increase in this vicinity for a score 

 of years, and has taken possession of the bluffs, 

 gravelly knolls, ravines, gutters, sides of less 

 frequented streets, until its fragrance is every- 

 where. It is now blooming luxuriantly, and 

 bees are daily working upon its delicate ra- 

 cemes. White clover, dandelions, vervain, and 

 a plant known as butter-and-eggs, are bloom- 

 ing abundantly. I've not seen bees at work on 

 any of them this season. 



Bees commenced to swarm Aug. 1, and have 

 their combs built out white. During the drouth 

 I noticed a colony that was weak; but as work- 

 men were busy erecting a house on a lot ad- 

 joining, within a few feet of them, I thought it 

 prudent not to disturb them. A swarm came 

 out, and, without clustering, went directly into 

 that hive and were cordially received. How 

 did they know that they were wanted there? 



Peoria, Ills. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



LIGHT HONEY CROPS : SWEET CLOVER. 



The surplus- honey crop in Northern Illinois 

 will be a light one this year. This is owing 

 mainly to dry weather during the present year 

 and for several previous years. White clover 

 has been virtually destroyed by the dry weather. 

 Unless we have a change in the weather, there 

 is no use of depending on the white clover any 

 more as a honey-plant. 



Notwithstanding the loss of white clover, I 

 think I shall be able to report an average sur- 

 plus of extracted honey this year, of not less 

 than 50 Itjs. per colony, spring count. This sur- 

 plus is mainly from basswood and sweet clover — 

 about as much from one as from the other. 

 This is a small average, as I ought to be able to 

 report an average of at least 100 Djs. surplus 

 per colony from sweet clover alone. I think I 

 could do this if I could control the crop. The 

 crop, as a honey-plant, is destroyed in this lo- 

 cality in two ways — by mowing and by pastur- 

 ing. The city authorities here mow It down 

 along the streets. This, of course, they have a 

 legal right to do. But as they do not confine 

 their work to sweet clover alone, we honey-pro- 

 ducers have no right to complain. And the 

 farmers are busy also in destroying sweet clo- 

 ver as a honey-plant. They have found out 

 that their cattle will eat it; they therefore turn 

 out their cows to pasture upon it when they are 

 short of feed on their farms. They hire a boy 

 to herd their cows and keep them within prop- 

 er bounds. The cows will eat the plants even 



