132 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



starting up everywhere, substantiating your 

 statement made at Detroit. Bee-keepers 

 owe you a vote of thanks, if not something 

 more substantial. Mr. McKnight, as you 

 doubtless have noticed, has corrected me in 

 regard to the Scotch accent ; but there was 

 something so pleasant (may I not say capti- 

 vating V) in your conversation that I could 

 not think of any thing better to dub it by 

 than " Scotch accent.'' In regard to that 

 " big wall," I think I had better not tackle 

 it again. It is a dangerous subject over 

 here, and people sometimes get to arguing 

 pretty fiercely. But there are good people 

 (just like ourselves) over in the province of 

 Ontario that I should like to have annexed 

 to the United States, though I am not so 

 particular about Quebec. Ernest. 



^ I ^ 



HOUSE APIARIES IN 1890, 



AS CONSIDERED BY .J. VANDERVORT. 



As we have an occasional inquiry in re- 

 gard to house-apiaries, and as I have of late 

 years rather discouraged investments in 

 this direction, I thought best to write to our 

 friend Vandervort (the one who makes the 

 nice foundation-mills), to inquire if he still 

 used and liked them. Below is his reply : 



Friend Boot:— I still use the house-apiary, and 

 like it as well as ever. When I saw you last ] was 

 keeping my home apiary in hives. I have since 

 built a house at home, and use the house exclusive- 

 ly. I do not recommend it for public use. Aside 

 from two parties in this vicinity who use houses on 

 my plan with good success, all others are a failure. 

 It requires more skill to work a house than hives. 

 The advantages that I claim for a house are, first, 

 the control of temperature, which controls swarm- 

 ing in a great measure, and starts them to working 

 in boxes sooner, and a cool night or two does not 

 drive them out of the boxes as it does in hives out- 

 doors, which makes a great difference in the 

 amount of honey they store, especially in a very 

 cool season. 



Last, but not least, I can do the work for two colo- 

 nies in the house easier than one out of doors. The 

 objection to the house is, I lose more queens in 

 mating, get more stings in handling, and lose more 

 colonies in winter; but what are left breed up 

 enough quicker in the spring to nearly compensate 

 the loss. J. Vandervort. 



Laceyville, Pa., Jan. 24. 



Very good, friend V. I am not surprised 

 to hear you say that all others are a failure, 

 and that it requires more skill than to work 

 hives. The point you make, however, of 

 controlling temperature and swarming, and 

 starting and keeping to work the bees in 

 the boxes, is a big item ; and the final one, 

 that you can do more work, is of more 

 importance still. With ours we did not 

 lose more queens than outdoors — I am in- 

 clined to think not as many. Ernest says, 

 however, that the boys did not succeed as 

 well. But I feel sure that, with only three 

 entrances on a side, and six or eight sides 

 to the house, you can get along without 

 losing queens. I agree with you in regard 

 to stings. All bees I have ever handled 

 certainly sting worse indoors than they do 

 outdoors in the open air. We think that, 



with a house-apiary properly protected and 

 kept in order, one can also work at any sea- 

 son of the year, with less trouble from rob- 

 bers. Friend H. S. Iloxie, of IloUoway, 

 Mich., has just sent us quite an article for 

 publication, in regard to the house- apiary 

 he uses and likes. He uses ordinary hives 

 placed back a little distance from the wall. 

 A covered entranceway conducts the bees 

 from the hives to the passageway through 

 the wall. This passage from the hive to the 

 wall can be easily uncovered ; and when 

 opening the hive he uncovers this passage. 

 This permits all the bees that get out of the 

 hive to go into the entrance as if they were 

 outdoors. He can even shake the bees from 

 the combs in front of the entrance as he 

 does outside ; and he says he has no trouble 

 from bees getting into the house, on the 

 floor, etc. There are so few house-apiaries 

 at the present time that we have not 

 thought best to give very much space to 

 such communications. 



ALFALFA IN IDAHO 



AS A FODDER AND A HONEY-PLANT. 



Dear Sir:— I see that you have solicited contri- 

 butions upon the subject of alfalfa (lucerne). We 

 here in Boise Valley, Idaho, as also in adjacent 

 valleys, are engaged largely in its production, con- 

 sidering it the most paying crop that is produced 

 upon the ranch. We invariably get three crops of 

 excellent hay per season. Some cut four crops, or, 

 rather, four times; but the majority believe that, 

 to let it stand a little longer, and mature more, it 

 makes a more nutritious feed, and is not so "washy," 

 or laxative, as is the case when cut too green; 

 hence the three cuttings will go as far, if not fur- 

 ther, than four cuttings, and at a saving of labor. 



Alfalfa is naturally a little laxative; but when 

 cut at the right time it is an excellent feed, and will 

 yield here from five to eight tons of hay per acre, 

 per season, besides a quantity of fine grazing late- 

 in the fall. Sometimes one crop for hay is cut, and 

 the second one is allowed to ripen for seed, and 

 make from five to ten bushels per acre. It sells for 

 $6.00 per bushel. It is fine, so far as I have learned, 

 in all arid districts, where water can be got for irri- 

 gation. It is a plant that will not stand much wa- 

 ter—not nearly as much as the other clovers, and T 

 believe that it does well in any sandy loam in any 

 part of the country, and possibly in any deep loose 

 soil. It is a plant that roots deep, and hence re- 

 quires a deep loose soil, so it will hardly do any 

 good on a clay or close soil. It improves for about 

 three years; or, in other words, it takes about three 

 years to get to its best yield; and it certainly is one- 

 of the best, if not the best honey-producing plant in' 

 existence. If the cutting of hay is properly man- 

 aged it will give a forage for bees the entire season,, 

 and it yields as fine a honey as does white clover. 

 It certainly will revolutionize apiculture as wa* 

 never known before. The bee-business is certain- 

 ly taking a prominent hold here. There are at 

 least half of the farmers in this large valley that 

 are starting in the business, generally on a small 

 scale as yet. The apiaries range from 5 to 135 colo- 

 nies; but none are carrying it on in a scientific or 

 even a systematic way. David L. Williams. 



Caldwell, Idaho, Dec. 31, 1889. 



