280 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Apr. 



the hives, but I was elated to find out that nothing 

 of the kind was needed. I need not tell bee-keepers 

 of any experience that it is no small matter to 

 stoop and pick up a heavy colony of bees carefully 

 from the ground. It is a much bigger job to thus 

 stoop and pick up 100 colonies. You will pardon my 

 enthusiasm, then, on learning how to dispense with 

 all of this back-aching business. 



But some one has reminded me that my bee-yard 

 is especially adapted to the use of such a cart, being 

 graded with much care, even and smooth. I am 

 not unmindful that this adds very much to the 

 pleasure of this, as it does to all other work in the 

 apiary. But special fitting of the yard for this pur- 

 pose is only a matter of convenience and comfort, 

 and not a necessity. I had quite a number of colo- 

 nies outside the prepared yard, under a row of 

 trees, where the ground was very rough. These 

 were at a considerable distance from the bee-house, 

 five or six rods, may be, to the furthest. Even 

 these I wheeled in without the slighest inconven- 

 ience. We worked very moderately, with no 

 thought of hurrying; and when we were done I 

 found we had been just two hours in putting 125 

 colonies into their winter quarters; and so much 

 had I enjoyed the work that I was almost sorry 

 when it was done. 



HANDLING COLONIES WITHOUT BOTTOM-BOARDS 

 TO THE HIVE. 



It seems to be almost a "dark mystery " to some 

 how bees can be handled in hives without bottom- 

 toards, particularly in carrying them in and out of 

 the wintering repository. I have used such a hive 

 for many years; have carried them in and out 

 many times, and have never experienced any diffi- 

 culty in doing it, when done in the right way. 

 There is a right way and a wrong way to do things, 

 and I have observed that the right way is the best, 

 always. Handling bees without bottoms to the 

 hives depends very much upon doing it in the right 

 way. I have been quite particular in the details of 

 my experience in carrying in my bees, for the pur- 

 pose of showing what can be done in handling colo- 

 nies in the bottomless hives, to show that it is not 

 necessary to fasten bees in their hives, and half 

 smother them, as some do in carrying them into 

 their winter quarters. 



THE RIGHT WAY. 



Every one who has handled bees much, knows 

 very well how keenly sensitive they are to the con- 

 ditions of the weather. This must not be forgotten 

 in deciding upon the time of carrying the bees in 

 or out. They should be carried in on a cool day, 

 when the temperature is falling. If the colonies 

 are very heavy, and they are clustered down on the 

 bottom-board, raise such hives a little, and place 

 blocks under them so the air may circulate under, 

 and it will help them to get up where it is warmer, 

 in a very short time. The temperature should be 

 falling, for then the cluster within the hive is slow- 

 ly contracting, and the bees are all preparing to 

 take a nap, as it were, and are in the best condition 

 to be carried in. When the weather is growing 

 warm, even if it is quite cold, the cluster within is 

 expanding, many of the bees are preparing to take 

 a look outside, and will fly out on the slightest dis- 

 turbance. Don't try to put them in at such a time. 



In putting out in the spring, of course there is 

 not quite so good a chance of choosing a favorable 

 time to do it. But if your bees should chance to 

 Isecome hot and restless, don't do so foolish a thing 



as to get alarmed and throw open the doors of your 

 bee-room, and attempt to put them out when it is 

 still warmer outside. I have never known bees to 

 receive any harm from becoming hot in the bee- 

 room, above the loss of a few bees getting lost from 

 their hives. It would only arouse those in the 

 room still more, and make it diflBcult and unpleas- 

 ant to put them out; and in the yard more or less 

 confusion would ensue. When you have decided to 

 put the bees out, do it if possible in the morning of 

 a warm pleasant day, while it is yet cooler than the 

 bee-room inside; but be sure that the bees are to 

 have a warm time in which to take their flights. 

 The cooler air outside quiets the bees as they are 

 taken out, and keeps those inside from becoming 

 restless until all can be put out; then flights will 

 be taken in a moderate way, and no confusion en- 

 sue. 



These precautions are more especially for those 

 having many colonies. A few colonies could be 

 handled at almost any time, without difficulty. 



East Townsend, O., Mar. 11. H. R. Boardman. 



Friend B., we can readily pardon your 

 enthusiasm, especially since you give us one 

 of the best and most practical articles we 

 have had for a long while. Such a cart 

 would, without question, be very helpful in 

 many other operations in handling bees, es- 

 pecially if the ground is smoothed up and 

 slicked up as yours is. In my first direc- 

 tions for hexagonal apiaries I advised hav- 

 ing the ground as clean, level, and smooth, 

 as an ordinary brickyard. So many, how- 

 ever, remonstrated, saying that it was too 

 much labor and expense, that 1 gradually 

 gave it up somewhat. With a cart for mov- 

 ing the hives and supplies, however, I think 

 it would pay well to have the ground in just 

 that way. With a scuffle-hoe, or something 

 similar, the labor of keeping grass and 

 weeds down is not great. Your remarks in 

 regard to temperature, especially choosing a 

 time when the thermometer is falling, is 

 very important. I have before noticed the 

 same thing, but I never thought to put it 

 into print. However, I have not had nearly 

 as much experience in housing bees as you 

 have. Perhaps had I kept on using a bee- 

 house I might have overcome some of the 

 obstacles as you have. 



THE WRIGHT BEE-ESCAPE. 



AND WHAT EUGENE SECOR THINKS OP IT. 



This seems to be a time when bee-escapes are ex- 

 ercising the apicultural mind. There's no telling 

 how many sleepless nights our brethren with inven- 

 tive brains have passed in orderto invent some new 

 thing. Since the Reese escape and the Dibbern escape 

 have appeared, doubtless many others have racked 

 their brains to invent something in that line to im- 

 mortalize themselves. 



I send you by to-day's mail the product of a gen- 

 ius who did not rack his brain. He didn't have to. 

 Geniuses never do. They do things because they 

 can't help it. Now, if this "escape" isn't simplici- 

 ty simplified, I should like to see one that is. Its 

 inventor lives here, is one of our most enlightened 

 and thorough-going bee-keepers, and a skillful man 

 with tools, although he professes to be a farmer. 

 He has rigged up a shop, by attaching a horse-pow" 



