ISM 



GLEANINGS IN EEE CULTURE. 



649 



in ordor to complete the Mppliaiice. the "escape" 

 must be affixed to a platform similar to that used 

 with the " Portei'." Mr. Meadows, hov^'ever, pro- 



vides bee-spate on both sides of the platform, so 

 that supers may be cleared of bees either on the 

 hive or after removal from it, by reversing- the 

 platform as required. 



A GL.4SS HONEY-PAIL. 



Many housekeepers wlio are also honey-users, will 

 consider that Mr. T. B. Blow, of Welwyn, has filled 

 a want by introducing- this article as a new " bee- 



struction, I arrang-ed with Mr. Lang-don for Its use 

 under the patent. 



We have to-day some 60 colonies, arranged mostly 

 with our bee-controllers, and also quite a number 

 with the Langdon non-swarmers; and in order that 

 ^he reader may g:et a fuller idea of the workine-s of 

 these devices I must refer back to the end of the 

 winter. 



Our bees came out of the bee-cellar in good con- 

 dUion— not a single colony was lost in winter, nor 

 by spring dwindling. Now, one of the essentials to 

 the successful working of either of the.sc devices is, 

 to set the colonies in pairs wlien first set on their 

 summer stands; this we did witli perh;ips half of 

 our bees, in order to continue the experiments of 

 the year before. During- apple-blooming we had 

 splendid warm weather, and bees gathered honey 

 to a considerable extent. Impatient to see the 

 workings of the bee controller, we placed several 

 on some of our strongest colonies; gave them 

 supers with coml) built the previous year, and for 

 the first time in thirty years of bee culture in Iowa 

 we secured some comb honey from apple-bloom. 

 Elated with our success we began nioviim some of 



NO. 3. 



appliance." The cut shows what it is like, and 

 we may add that the pail is of clear glass; the 

 bands— also of glass— above and below, giving it 

 strength and durability. It holds about eight 

 pounds of honey, and has a strong screw-cap of 

 plated iron, with handle (as shown). It is not in- 

 tended to l)e used once and then cast aside, as with 

 ordinary glass jars, but as a " family jar," to be 

 refilled as required. 



Model 2 is quite similar in principle to the 

 Porter, and we judge it may be a slight im- 

 provement. We commend it to the attention 

 of the Porters. 



Since publishing the article from Mr. H. P. 

 Langdon. on his nou-swarmer, the following 

 has come to hand from E. Kretchmer. The 

 device, although the same in principle, so far 

 as we are able to judge, is a decided improve- 

 ment over that sent out by Mr. Langdon. The 

 bees are dire-:ted toward the entrance more 

 naturally, and the attachment to the hive does 

 not require the boring of holes through the 

 hive itself. It is quite impracticable to attach 

 the Langdon device to chaff hives. That of 

 Mr. Kretchmer can be fastened to any kind 

 without boring holes. If the Langdon princi- 

 ple can be made to work, the Kretchmer im- 

 proved device would have the preference. 



BEE-CONTROLLERS AND NON - SWARMING ATTACH- 

 MENTS; SOME FURTHER EXPERIENCE AND 

 OBSERVATIONS. 



For some years I have been experimenting with a 

 device for co?itrolling the movements of the bees 

 at the entrance of the hivps, but lately more as a 

 non-swarming- attachment. When, later, I learned 

 th,'^t Mr. Langd.jn had a patent on a device similar 

 in principle, although differing in mechanical con- 



our other colonies into pairs; but we presume we 

 were too hasty. These last-moved bees did net re- 

 tain all their flying bees. No doubt ma.iy of the 

 returning bees, finding their hive awav from its 

 original location, became confused aiid entered 

 .some other hive; and may not this be one cause of 

 failure on the part of tl-.ose who try the device too 

 late in the season ? 



In the construction of the bee-controller we have 

 placed the escape-cones in front, on top. on the end, 

 and used them without cones; but we now prefer 

 them in the end, with additional ventilat(n-s on top, 

 as well as small return-holes, for the following rea- 

 sons: Friend Langdon sent me a non-swarmer. On 

 the morning of a warm day we placed it on two 

 strong colonies. At noon we noticed several colonies 

 hanging- in front of their hive, the Langdon non- 

 swarmer being completely covered. Next morning 

 I found the closed colony dead— smothered— perhaps 

 no fault of the device, but my carelessness in not 

 shading the hive. It seems the bees clustered over 

 the cone before all the bees had left, confining and 

 smothei-ing the remainder. By placing the escape- 

 cone in the end of the controller, and partly con- 

 cealing it within it, as it were, the it'turning" bees 

 do not seem to find it, but alight at the place of the 

 usual entrance, run along the diagonal front, and 

 are in the other hive before they seem to be aware 

 that they are shut out from Iheir own liive. 



Tliat but little or no honey is carried to the closed 

 hive can quickly be seen without opening the hive. 

 Usually on the second day the remaining bees begin 

 to drag out the drones, and the drone bi-ood soon 

 follows. In a similar manner, then, when the 

 hone.v-flow is suddenly cut short in the fields, if the 

 weather is hot and dry, the worker brood soon fol- 

 lows. To prevent the destruction of the worker 

 brood, we make a small hole in the /"p of the con- 

 troller, away from the usual entrance-place, where 

 scarcely any of the older bees find it; or. if they do, 

 the downward entrance, leading to daikness, does 

 not seem to induce them to use it; but a part of the 

 young bees, thit leave the hive for the first time. 



