704 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Sept. 



think it certainly docs pay, if— and upon this If 

 hinges the whole of migratory bee-keeping. If we 

 could determine beforehand as to the resources of 

 the different localities within our reach, so that we 

 could have our workers at the desirable place in 

 time for the honey-flow, then it would pay to move 

 our bees to these best places rather than leave 

 them in a poorer one. 



Bee-keepers are beginning to realize, as they nev- 

 er have before, the value of location. The differ- 

 ence in the honey-flow of places only a few miles 

 apart is sometimes astonishing. Rut it is impor- 

 tant that we know of this difference before the 

 honey-flow has demonstrated it, or else we are too 

 late to take advantage of it. We can sometimes 

 guess pretty close, and then, again, we might guess 

 and get left. To illustrate: I decided this season to 

 consolidate my apiaries as far as possible, in order 

 to curtail expenses. Of course, 1 desired to aban- 

 don the poorest locations in favor of the best. 

 Accordingly, T abandoned No. 2 and moved the 

 bees, part to Berlin, which has always been my best 

 location, and part to my home apiary. Hartland 

 apiary 1 also proposed to abandon, and move the 

 bees to the same yards, as it had always been my 

 poorest location. But one thing crowded upon an- 

 other until near the beginning of the honey season; 

 and the prospects being so very discouraging, I 

 changed my mind. Tiering up the colonies in this 

 yard with empty combs, T left them to care for 

 themselves, except an occasional visit to see how 

 they were getting along. Now see how wisely I 

 had planned: Hartland apiary proved the best loca- 

 tion T had this season, and Berlin the poorest. That 

 was the result of local showers, a cause entirely be- 

 yond human foresight. 



Last season, in a trip out upon the prairie, ten or 

 twelve miles distant, I discovered that the bees 

 there were doing quite rapid work upon the exten- 

 sive buckwheat fields raised in that locality, while 

 the bees in my apiaries were entirely idle. I rushed 

 home and prepared a load of bees, and moved them 

 to this locality with as little delay as possible, for 

 the bees there had been doing this good work al- 

 ready for about ten days. They were busy at work 

 bringing in buckwheat honey in a few minutes aft- 

 er being released, as though they had known all 

 about these prairie fields for a long time. In just 

 one week I visited them again. The work they had 

 done in those seven days surprised and delighted 

 me. In preparing these bees to move, I shook 

 them off the couibs into hives with empty frames, 

 with only starters, so they began anew without a 

 cell of comb or a drop of honey, unless they were 

 thoughtful enough to bring it with them. I found 

 at this visit the hives averaging two-thirds full of 

 most beautiful all worker comb, well stored. But 

 here the work stopped. Cold and unfavorable 

 weather came on, and continued until the bloom 

 was past. Had I been able to place my bees there 

 ten days earlier, and had favorable weather pre- 

 vailed during the bloom, the result would have 

 been very gratifying. As it was, I decided that the 

 seven days' work that I did get paid me for moving. 

 I felt quite enthusiastic over the result, and 

 thought I saw some grand possibilities in the fu- 

 ture of migratory bee-keeping. I decided to have 

 my bees out upon those prairie fields the next sea- 

 son, and not be caught napping again. This was 

 among the localities visited by me; but the pros- 

 pect looked quite different from last season. The 



usual amount of buckwheat had not been put out, 

 and the locality offered no inducements for moving 

 my bees there again. This season I was a little dis- 

 appointed—yes, sir, I was; yet I shall endeavor to 

 keep posted in the local prospects for a honey crop, 

 and move my bees whenever I think it will pay to 

 do so. Although I failed to discover any desirable 

 fields to which I could profitably migrate with my 

 bees, I did discover in the bee-j ards of my neigh- 

 bors quite a large-sized hone which I may take oc- 

 casion to pick with them some time in the near fu- 

 ture. H. R. Boakdman. 

 East Townsend, Ohio, Aug. 1, 1889. 



Friend 13.. , you have given us some very 

 valuable points. I am very glad to hear 

 this testimony in favor of the peavine clo- 

 ver, for I feel sure that this clover is a fore- 

 runner of prosperity in any locality, not 

 only for the bee-keeper, but for the farmer ; 

 for whether he plows it under or whether he 

 cures it for hay, he does a good thing, as a 

 rule. 1 have long thought of just this very 

 thing you mention in migratory bee-keep- 

 ing ; and, you may remember, in the ABC 

 book I suggest planting colonies in different 

 points throughout the country, to indicate 

 what is going on. This fact will confront 

 us, however, that one colony will do a pretty 

 big thing where 40 or 50 will not. I think, 

 however, it will pay the man who proposes 

 to move his bees to catch the honey-flow, to 

 test different points, say within ten miles or 

 more of his home. I was also already aware 

 that the locality that proves best one season 

 may be the next just the other way. I did 

 not know, however, that it was local rains 

 that caused it. The crops a farmer may 

 take a notion to raise may have a great deal 

 to do with it, as in your case of the buck- 

 wheat. Why not have some land in a buck- 

 wheat region, or rent some land, or, if you 

 choose, pay the farmers in that vicinity so 

 much per acre for having them sow buck- 

 wheat rather than some other crop V Fur- 

 nishing the seed will often turn the scale. 



AMONG THE BEE-KEEPERS OF VER- 

 MONT. 



A VISIT TO MR. HOLMES' APIARY AND OTHERS'. 



fHE next day, after visiting awhile, and enjoy- 

 ing this view, we were driven northward to 

 the Cream Hili apiary of Mrs. Wolcott, of 

 Shoreham, whose husband, now deceased, 

 was a leading and successful bee-keeper. 

 This apiary is now managed by Mr. R. H. Holmes, 

 who has an apiary of his own in another part of 

 the town. Here were 143 colonies in chaff hives, 

 numbered and arranged in groups. The spring 

 count was 123, and :S30:) lbs. of comb honey was 

 secured. Here was the best and most convenient 

 little honey-house and work -shop combined we 

 have seen anywhere. It was 16 by 22 feet, one 

 story and a half high, and clapboarded and 

 painted. Below were two rooms, the honey-room 

 ocenpjing the south half and the work-room the 

 remainder. The latter contained a stove, and was 

 fitted with convenient work-benches. Above was a 

 loft with one window in the south end, and con- 

 nected with the work-room by convenient stairs. 



Every thing seemed adapted to its purpose, and 

 was neatly arranged. A good part of the crop was 



