1SS0 



GLJiA^LNGS IN BEE CULTUltE. 



Ill 



Id ILIUM. IP WEAK (OLOMKS AND 



STRENGTHKMMi FEEISLE 



STOCKS. 



^)DIT01l GLEANINGS: -In making up swarms, 



*m raising queens, building up stocks that have 



weakened over winter, etc.. I use the standard 

 sized comb, or the same size tint I use in the apiary, 

 and then I confine the bees to just as many combs 

 as they can occupy and no more. It is far better to 

 have them rather crowded than to allow too much 

 space. I want my division board to fit closely all 

 around, except at the bottom. I allow '■'» in. space 

 between the bottom of the division board and the 

 bottom of the hive, except for nuclei; then, of 

 course, the division board should fit tight all around. 

 Now, if the bees are clustered outside of the division 

 board, in the main body of the hive, in the middle or 

 heat of the day, so much the better; you will find 

 that they are all clustered on the comb in the cool 

 of the morning or in cool weather at anytime. I 

 write this because beginners and, in fact, many old 

 bee-keepers do not think it of any importance. A 

 swarm of bees that can fully occupy two combs, 

 when confined to those two combs, can carry on all 

 the labors of a swarm, and are a swarm to all intents 

 and purposes, just as much as a swarm that can oc- 

 cupy ten CDinbs for the time, and can readily be 

 built up to a full standard stock. Of course, a swarm 

 that can occupy ten combs is worth more than the 

 one that occupies but the two. That no one will de- 

 ny. I mean that the swarm occupying the two 

 combs, properly managed, have all the necessary 

 elements of strength, and can be readily built up to 

 a full stock within or by themselves, without assis- 

 tance from other stocks. 



In strengthening up weak stocks, I like this 

 method: we go to the strongest stocks, set out the 

 comb containing the queen into an empty hive or 

 box for that purpose, then take out the other combs 

 one by one, and shake or brush off the adhering bees 

 into an empty box until we have all we wish to take 

 from the stock. Then set back the comb containing 

 the queen, close up the hive, and all is right so far. 

 Xow, we go to the next hive, and go through with 

 the same process, and so continue until we have our 

 box full of bees, or have all the bees we want, and 

 perhaps we have taken them from half a dozen or 

 more different hives, and mixed them all up pro- 

 miscuously. We now set the box containing the 

 bees in the shade, open side up, at an angle of about 

 45°, and let them remain until they begin to manifest 

 considerable uneasiness, and then we can ladle them 

 out and pour them down in front of any hive we 

 wish to strengthen; they will be well received, and 

 there is no danger of their killing a queen, providing 

 the operation is performed when they art' gathering 

 honey and breeding rapidly. At seasons when they 

 are not breeding and gathering honey, it is better to 

 strengthen up with combs of hatching bees. With 

 the Italians, it is no trouble to find the comb that 

 contains the queen as above. Of course, an old, ex- 

 perienced hand can take out a comb and shake off 

 the adhering bees in front of the hive he wishes to 

 strengthen, without any ceremony. Kcmember it is 

 the young bees we want; the old ones will find their 

 way hack to the parent hive. Therefore we select 

 the combs containing the most nursing or young 

 bees. 



Never bo niggardly or sparing in stimulative ford- 

 ing. Homcmbor thai a row pounds of sweet fod at 



the right time in spring or summer may produce 

 ten-fold in profit. Stocks that we are building up, 

 if fed but very little diluted sweet (either sugar or 

 honey made quite thin) every evening when they 

 have gathered nothing through the day, will keep 

 up their breeding, and make wonderful progress, 

 while those that have not been stimulated will pro- 

 gress very slowly, and sometimes fail entirely. It is 

 a good plan to keep your poor quality of honey 

 especially for stimulating. Many stocks can be 

 saved in California the coming spring by heeding the 

 above. E. Gallup. 



Sa nta Ana, Los Angeles Co., Cal., Jan. 10, 1880. 



ALMKK CLOVER,- FOREIGN SEEDS IN 

 IT, AND HOW TO GET THE.TI Ol T. 



ALSO SOME EXCELLENT HINTS ON SOWING SEEDS, IN 

 GENERAL. 



I. ROOT: — We are in receipt of yours, inelos- 



r*\. p i"g sample of a weed seed found in the 

 Alsike clover we shipped on your order. 

 The Alsike was grown in a section of Ohio where 

 Canada thistles do not grow, besides the sample is 

 not Canada thistle; for that seed" is of the size and 

 shipc of German aster, like sample we inclose. It 

 is not clover however, but is the seed of a weed with 

 which we are not acquainted, and being so, we may 

 venture to suggest is better out of, than in, the land. 



Evidently this seed is much lighter specifically 

 than clover, and its separation would be very easy. 

 As there are many instances where seed is mixed 

 with other objectionable seeds of lighter weight, we 

 would give the most simple and effectual way of 

 separating them. 



Take a few cents worth of salt, and make a brine 

 sufficiently dense to float the weeds and sink the 

 seed; the weeds or even oats mav then be skimmed 

 off, and the seed dried in the shade until it can bo 

 handled readily; or, better still, it may be dried by 

 mixing with dry sand, air-slacked lime,or land plaster. 



We say "dried in the shade," because, in no case, 

 should seed be dried in the sun or by fire heat, for 

 fear of heating it beyond the temperature it can 

 stand, 120' being sufficient to destroy its germinat- 

 ing power, only a very few varieties of seeds being 

 able to stand a higher temperature. The operation 

 of floating should be performed just before sowing. 



It would be of the greatest benefit to those sowing 

 seed, always to bear in mind the fact that 120" of 

 heat destroys its vitality. If, therefore, in our 

 climate, seeds be sown during June, July, or August, 

 and left for an hour on top of the ground, during 

 the heat of the day, exposed to 1he full rays of the 

 sun, the probable result would be likely to be, and 

 usually is, an utter failure. 



To avoid this, seeds of every description should be 

 covered as soon as sown, or else sown in the evening 

 and covered early next morning. A. c. Kbndel. 



( leveland, <>., Jan. 88, 1880. 



m ■»■ ^ 



"OPPOSITION "TO THE »* BANNER 



APIARY." 



tt COMMENCED the season with 16 colonies. All 



I but 3 of them came out of winter quarters in 

 — ' fair condition. 

 UNCAPPING COMBS To PROMOTE BROOD BEARING. 



Fruit blossoms yielded but little, just enough for 

 breeding purposes, and lasted but a few days* but 

 it gave the bees a start, which was kept up by un- 

 capping their stores as they needed it. 1 consider 



