GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



occupy the upper stories he can usually succeed 

 by lifting one or more frames of unsealed brood 

 into the upper one, replacing with empty ones. 

 This is an old and (I suppose) a well-known 

 expedient. The first part of this article ans- 

 wers some of the doctor's questions on page 740. 

 Stuart. Fla.. Oct. 14. 



[I regard this article as well considered, and 

 it is pretty hard to get around some of the facts 

 he presents— Ed.] 



LOCALITY AS BEARING ON THE HIVE 

 QUESTION. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF LARGE HIVES: WHERE 

 LARGE HIVES GIVE THE BEST RESULTS. 



By F. L. Thompson. 



Mr. E. R. Root:— Mr. Getaz has hit the nail 

 on the head, on p. 743. While you recognize lo- 

 cality, on p. 4 of your catalog, I don't think your 

 last paragraph on the subject in that place is 

 limited enough There is such a thing as giv- 

 ing even the beginner too little strong meat. 



What is wanted now is to construct in the 

 minds of bee-keepers an up-to-date map of the 

 United States, in which small-hive and large- 

 hive localities shall emerge in splotches of very 

 strongly contrasting colors. I don't think that 

 "latitude" has any thing to do with it, as is 

 sometimes stated. If alfalfa were extensively 

 raised in Idaho and Montana, it is not probable 

 they would be different from Colorado in suita- 

 bility for large hives, unless cellar wintering 

 were essential, which is not likely. Nor has 

 temperature so much to do with it as is com- 

 monly supposed. The alfalfa region of Colora- 

 do has the same average yearly temperature 

 as Southern Michigan and Northern Iowa, al- 

 though, of course, other climatic conditions are 

 different. 



Small hives do well almost anywhere, it is 

 true ; but if large hives do considerably better 

 over such large areas as the alfalfa districts, it 

 is a serious matter, not to mention various re- 

 gions in the South. Very little testimony has 

 appeared in the bee-papers from Colorado; but 

 in conventions, experienced bee-keepers have 

 decided here in no uncertain tones that the 

 large hive is better for this State. 



Out of 3200 Dovetailed hives sold last season 

 by one of the Denver supply-houses, the major- 

 ity were eight- frame. In another supply-house 

 I saw great stacks of eight frame hives, but 

 not a ten-frame in sight, though I suppose they 

 had them. I noticed one beginner laying in a 

 smoker, sections, etc., and five hives — small 

 ones, of course. This is not as it should be. 

 Who is to blame for it? Partly the supply- 

 dealers, who are not bee-keepers, who infer 

 that whatever is generally sold in the East 

 must be the thing ; partly habits of imitation ; 

 and in the case of readers of bee-journals and 

 supply-catalogs, and partly the authors of the 



sentiment so frequently expressed, that the be- 

 ginner had better commence with the small 

 hive. The beginning specialist will not remain 

 a beginner, however. If he is in a locality 

 where the experience of others makes it pretty 

 certain that his maturer judgment will show 

 advice of that kind to be a mistake, the folly of 

 taking it or giving it is apparent. 



I rather suspect that the owners of those 

 eight-frame L. hives mentioned on page 738 in 

 that locality of long flow are like most of our 

 Colorado bee-keepers— beginners— and that they 

 too depend on supply-dealers who look to the 

 wise men of the East for their inspiration. 



Mr. Hand is not quite fair on page 512. If 

 some Colorado men grow restive under the 

 above condition of things, it does not imply 

 that they wish to force the large hive on all the 

 rest of the country. Surely, if Mr. Hand feels 

 justified in protesting against what he thinks 

 we are attempting to do. we are justified in 

 protesting against what we know some East- 

 erners aie doing: viz.. recommending the hive 

 of their locality to beginners in any locality. 



alfalfa; HOW IT RESEMBLES SWEET CLOVER. 



Dr. Miller's Straw on alfalfa (p. 727) is about 

 right if he is comparing alfalfa with young 

 sweet clover. The only difference at that stage 

 is, that sweet clover is of a lighter shade of 

 green; has slightly larger leaves and stems, 

 and a more robust appearance generally. But 

 the mature plants are very different. Sweet 

 clover is then twice as high, branches out much 

 more, has a much greater prominence of stems, 

 and is considerably longer, thinner, and has 

 more pointed blossoms, than alfalfa. Aside 

 from the blossoms, and except when it gets 

 quite old. alfalfa presents the general appear- 

 ance of young sweet clover. 



Dr. Miller might add to another Straw on the 

 next page, that alfalfa is mentioned in some of 

 the Greek authors as "Persian grass." Perhaps 

 Persia is where it originally came from. It is 

 rather curious that Aristotle says it diminishes 

 the flow of milk, which is just the opposite of 

 what our dairymen think, who prize it for its 

 milk-producing qualities when it is cut before it 

 blossoms (alas for the bee-keeperl). Aristopha- 

 nes mentions it as horse-feed, but it is not re- 

 garded here as so good for that purpose as other 

 kinds of hay. When used to feed horses it is 

 better when fully mature ; and the first crop is 

 better than succeeding ones, the reverse being 

 true for cows. It is raised here so extensively 

 only as a matter of necessity, on account of its 

 drouth-resisting qualities. On account of its 

 abundance it is so cheap that clover would pay 

 better if one were sure of the second crop. . 



THE HONEY THAT POISONED XENOPfroN'S St)L"- 

 DIERS IN ANCIENT TITHES. . ' . . 



Speaking of classical matters, I believe Prof. 

 Cook denies that the honey which Xenophon's 

 army ate was poisonous, and thinks any honey 



