744 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 15 



become acquainted with each queen as she 

 hatches. Place in cages, in the midst of the 

 mating colony, as many fine cells as you have 

 boxes attached ; and as soon as the queens 

 hatch, simply remove them from the cages 

 and run one into each box. Either place the 

 box attachments upon some queenless colony 

 (above an excluder) that has just been used 

 in forcing a batch of cells, or one that has 

 been deprived of its queen three days prior. 

 Place a guard at the grand entrance, to pre- 

 vent stray queens from entering there. 



After all the young queens are laying, run 

 one into the lower chamber, and leave the 

 others in the boxes until needed. They will 

 do no harm if left in the fertilizing boxes for 

 months. We keep them thus from May to 

 November without guards of any kind. 



To keep up the strength of the mating colo- 

 ny where no queen is run into the lower cham- 

 ber, add full combs of brood inside the hive- 

 body ; but be sure that no brood given is 

 young enough for ro3-al appointment. When 

 the time comes for removing the young queens 

 for shipment, or use in the home yard, they 

 may be taken one or all at a time ; but no at- 

 tempt to introduce other virgins should be 

 made until all the laying queens have been 

 removed from all the boxes three days. 



To take away the queens, loosen the knot 

 and remove one lid at a time, as previously 

 directed. Northern breeders can keep extra 

 queens for late autumn delivery way up to 

 frost, by placing the boxes, queens, bees, and 

 all inside an empty hive-body, directly on to 

 the tops of the frames below. Leave ranges 

 between the boxes so that the bees can cluster 

 about and enter all of them. Fill the remain- 

 der of the hive-body with quilts tucked in nice 

 and warm, then cover all with a good rain- 

 proof lid. 



By tiering hive-bodies and utilizing the top 

 of the hives, as well as the sides and ends, 

 provision can be made for mating forty queens 

 at one time from one full colony. 



By having cells of different ages, one to 

 three days apart at hatching, a large number 

 of boxes may be attached to a single hive ; 

 for by alternating the queens of different ages 

 about in the boxes, no two coming close to- 

 gether are in flight on the same day ; there- 

 fore the loss from possible mixing is slight. 

 It is only a question of skill and a thorough 

 knowledge of the habits of young queens, with 

 a cunning planning of remote flight-holes, 

 when any bee-keeper may successfully mate 

 innumerable queens, all from one powerful 

 colony, on a single stand. 



[This scheme of fertilizing-boxes looks as 

 it might work. I say might, because several 

 have already written, stating that they do not 

 believe that the Swarthmore one-comb fertil- 

 izing-boxes, as described on page 436, May 

 15, would work in the hands of the average 

 person, particularly during the robbing sea- 

 son. The objection made is that, in small 

 one comb nuclei, four or five inches square, 

 there are too few bees to secure good results. 

 In the arrangement above, Mr. Swarthmore 



seems to overcome this objection, and now it 

 remains to be seen whether others can secure 

 the same result Mr. S. does. A little later 

 on, I hope we ourselves may be able to speak 

 from experience on both methods of having 

 queens fertilized. — Ed ] 



RAMBLE 191. 



Some Inventions. 



BY RAMBLER. 



After 3'our good sense has induced you to get 

 a good hive, it is then necessary to have a 

 good cover ; and that is a rock upon which 

 bee-men split. We have discussed the cover 

 matter in Gleanings quite a little, and the 

 subject is not exhausted. My pet cover is 

 made of redwood sawed shakes, and double, 

 as shown in the drawing. This cover will 

 hold its shape in hot climates, and gives an 

 air-space, which is necessary in hot locations. 

 Paper can be used on this cover, and in the 

 air-space, where it will be protected. I use 

 cleats, making the air-space a full inch, and 

 nail the middle cleat an inch from the center. 



The reader of bee-lore has learned that in 

 California, and especially in the southern 

 part, several wagonloads of stones are distrib- 

 uted around on the hives in an apiary. A 

 little improvement in my cover will enable 

 the bee-keeper to dispense with the bother- 

 some stones. 



A stiff wire, t,\ in diameter, is bent as shown 

 in dotted Imes, and fastened inside the air- 

 space. The hooked ends project only when 

 in use, and then they grip stronply into the 

 edge of the hive where a small hole is made to 

 receive the points. The spring, or tension, of 

 the wire causes it to grip. These grip so 

 tightly that the whole hive can be lifted by 

 the cover. When released from their grip on 

 the hive the hooks retire into the air-space, 

 entirely out of the way. 



The editor saw one of these covers and fas- 

 tener, and indorsed it. He might have been 

 influenced that way by some of my flapjacks, 

 for he had just eaten his fill of them under 

 our fig-tree. 



