1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



8st 



that I like is, that the record can be carried 

 on indefinitely. W(^ can thus keep the pedi- 

 gree of a queen, a.s tar as it is possible. Of 

 course, the pedigree of bees and queens can 

 be kept only on the maternal side. Still an- 

 other feature that commends itself to me, is, 

 that neither wind, rain, nor other climatic 

 conditit)ns can in any way affect this record. 

 Notwitlistanding these advantages, in my 

 mind there are one or two serious objections. 

 In the lirst place, in going through the 

 apiary you have always got to carry the book 

 with you : and it strikes me, although I 

 have never tried it, that the record would in 

 time become soiled with honey, propolis, 

 beeswax, etc. At any rate, I am sure that, 

 as I ordinarily work among the bees. Avhether 

 in queen-rearing, cutting out cells, or in 

 comb-honey production, my hands would be- 

 come more or less soiled. To reach into a 

 hip-pocket, and pull out the record with 

 these soiled hands— well, to me it would be 

 rather unpleasant. 



Second, the book is liable to get lost. I 

 will suppose that I have kept a record of my 

 apiary in this way ; and I will assume, also, 

 that i am in the lieight of my queen-rearing 

 business, and that orders are'coming in fast. 

 My apiary is large, and it is impossible for 

 me to remember what, in every case, this or 

 that hive contains. It transpires all at once 

 that my book is missing. Suppose it does 

 not turn up. What am I to do V I presume 

 that those who use the book plan of making 

 records are not in the habit of losing their 

 books ; but if there are bee-keepers like my- 

 self (and I believe there are a good many) 

 thev would be almost sure to lose it. 



Third, with your book system the condi- 

 tion of the hive can not be told at a glance 

 some distance away. VVith'the slate tablets 

 we use, and with the tacks, we have a sys- 

 tem by which the requirements of a hive, 

 important in their nature, can be told at a 

 glance. In the department of Our Own 

 Apiary, I have more to say about this sub- 

 ject. See p. 911. 



a-^— w 



SETTING BEES IN EARLY. 



FRIEND DOOLITTLE GIVES US SOME FACTS FROM 

 EXPERIENCE. 



TTp LTHOUGH we have had and are having- an 

 9ij^ unusually dry and pleasant fall, in which it 

 ^^ mig-ht appear that it would be best to have 

 "^^^ bees out on their summer stands a little 

 later than usual, when intended for cellar 

 wintering, yet. not withstanding-, T set my bees in, 

 the cellar on Nov. 8th and 9th, in as dry and nice a 

 condition as they ever were, preferring- to do this 

 rather than trust to the chance of setting them in 

 wet and frosty, a few weeks later. The last of Nov. 

 and first of Dec. is the time given by most authori- 

 ties as best for setting the bees in. 1 used to think 

 the same, being very anxious to give the bees an 

 opportunity for the latest possible flight, so that 

 they could better stand their long confinement. 



Up to a few years ago I had supposed a late 

 flight very beneficial; but at that time I resolved to 

 experiment a little; so on Nov. :id I set one-third of 

 the colonies (intended for cellar wintering) in the 

 cellar. These colonics had not flown since about 

 the 20th of Oct., which caused me to hesitate a lit- 



tle; but I had resolved to make the trial, even if I 

 lost by so doing. The morning they were set In, 

 the mercury marked 44°, and I thought I should 

 have trouble in getting them in, on account of the 

 necessary disturl)ance, fearing they might fiy out 

 badly. However, much to uiy surprise, none offer- 

 ed to fly, and were very much less disturbed than 

 any 1 had ever set in before. Of the other two- 

 thirds left out, one-third was set in Nov. 13, after 

 having a nice flight on the 11th. These were also 

 dry and nice. The last third was left out till tho 

 usual time ^of putting in. There had been rains 

 and snows, while it was quite cold when they were 

 set in, so that the liives were frozen down; and in 

 lifting they came up with a crack. This jarred and 

 disturbed the bees so that they came out all over 

 the front of the hive after being got in the cellar. 

 I now learned that bees could be set in the cellar 

 with less disturbance when the weather was about 

 as warm outside of the cellar as the mercury mark- 

 ed inside; and my experience since has proved that 

 such is The case. Now for the result: 



Of course, those set in the cellar last must be set 

 out first. Again, I found them more easily dis- 

 turbed in setting out than the others, showing 

 that they had hardly quieted down in all winter, or 

 else remembered their experience of the fall pre- 

 vious. On setting out of the cellar there seemed to 

 be little difference as to strength of colonies, al- 

 though if any it was in favor of those first set in. 

 Later on, however, those last set in suffered quite a 

 bit from spring dwindling, thus proving that they 

 had not been as quiet as the others iu the cellar; at 

 least, I so attributed it. Between those first set in 

 and tho second lot which had a good flight, I could 

 see not a bit of difference, proving that a late fall 

 flight was not at all necessary. I think thei-e is 

 nothing gained by leaving bees out late in the fall, 

 hut on the contrary much is lost, and having my 

 bees winter well every winter since practicing set- 

 ting in early, proves that this thought is correct. 



Again, all concede that bees will not winter as 

 well with the inside of the hive covered with frost, 

 which melts as soon as placed in the cellar, thus 

 causing the bees to be damp, even if the hive is not 

 soaked to quite an extent by wet weather, which it 

 is quite likely 1o be. Besides the item of setting 

 bees in the cellar early while dry and nice, I thiuk 

 the character of the cellar has much to do with suc- 

 cessful wintering. Unless it will maintain an even 

 temperature of from 41 to 47", standing the most of 

 the time from 43 to 4.j°, I should prefer bees out- 

 doors in chaff-packed hives; and this temperature, 

 too, whether bees were in it or not. Some depend 

 on the bees to control ithe temperature; but where 

 it takes the bees to keep the temperature up in 

 very cold weather, it is very liable to be too wai-m 

 during a mild spell of weather, during late winter 

 or early spring. Besides, when bees must burn 

 honey to warm their hives and the room they are 

 in, it causes a great loss of stores and Vitality. One 

 colony of bees will winter as well in my cellar as 

 150, or all that could be crowded in. Herein is the 

 advantage of a special cellar for bees, 8 feet under 

 ground, in a side hill, according to my opinion. 

 Such a place for the bees is one long dark night, 

 with an even temperature of from 5 to 6 months' 

 duration. G. M. Doolittle. 



Borodino, N. V., Nov. 18, 1887. 



Friend I)., your instructions hit it this 

 year, certaiidy. To-day is the Jst of Decern- 



