(4!>EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



GENERAL C O EE ES POND E NC E 



EIGHT-FOOT FENCES AIROUND THE BEE=YARDS 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



In " Siftings," page 883, Nov. 15, J. E. 

 Crane does not agree with me upon the 

 point of high-fence protection for bees. 

 Now, I have met Mr. Crane at conventions 

 in years gone by, and I have always valued 

 his sound practical judgment. 1 read his 

 department with interest, and find it in- 

 structive. There may be a condition, other 

 than the fence, which brings about the re- 

 sult he mentions, or I have never knowingly 

 had the combination of conditions he men- 

 tions. It is possible to find something an 

 unqualified success for years, and then, 

 owing to the introduction of another com- 

 bination of conditions, find that in that par- 

 ticular instance it was a failure. Mr. Crane 

 states, "I have known just such a yard hope- 

 lessly ruined in spring by such a fence. If 

 the weather should be sunny, with cool 

 north winds, such a yard will be many 

 degrees warmer than outside." I reasoned 

 that way before I tested the matter, but 

 have never had the result he mentions. 



Now let me say this : If bees are packed, 

 there are many days when, so packed, they 

 will not be influenced by the sun's warm 

 rays, when, with less packing at the en- 

 trance, or with single-walled hives, they will 

 be drawn out of the hive when the cold wind 

 outside of the hive would be injurious to 

 them. This is obvious, and is particularly 

 true if the bees have had a cleansing flight. 

 With the winter packing as I have described 

 it, there is another advantage; and that is, 

 that the first flight they have, unless there 

 is an extraordinary rise of temperature, will 

 not be at the same time with all the colonies. 

 The stronger colonies, and those requiring a 

 flight the most, will be those coming out 

 first ; and perhaps — in fact, quite often — 

 those not requiring a flight will not fly at all 

 the first day it is possible for them to fly. 

 If a long time elapses between the time the 

 well-wintering colonies might have had a 

 fliglit, and when they can again fly, it may 

 be an act of wisdom to disturb such colonies 

 the first time when conditions are favorable. 

 They will then winter better. This is pai'- 

 ticularly true of mid-winter flights under 

 favorable conditions. 



Next the side of the winter case from 

 which the bees fly is not close to openings in 

 the case in front, or the first to the right or 

 left of it. This is on account of the way 



the eases are placed, with the object of 

 breaking the rows of flight. 



Where hives are set out of the cellar, 

 and placed in rows with the entrances all in 

 the same direction in the row, the tendency 

 — yes, general result — is for all the bees to 

 fly about the same time, resulting in tre- 

 mendous excitement, and liability of the 

 bees drifting, by which we mean that the 

 bees are attracted to the most populous 

 colonies or to the ends of rows. 



By having just a certain combination of 

 circumstances it would seem possible to have 

 the result Mr. Crane mentions; but I have 

 not so far had this condition, and I have 

 had more loss in years past from not having 

 the protection now given. What I should 

 like to ask Mr. Crane is. Was the fence 

 about 8 ft. high? were the bees packed in 

 outer cases? and were the cases so placed as 

 to break the openings in the rows so as to 

 have every second case each way without 

 an opening for the bees to fly from? 



Let me again say, I do not despise^in 

 fact, I wish, if possible — a location with 

 natural shelter; but I would sooner have the 

 protection from spring cold winds a dis- 

 tance of 8 ft. from the ground than to have 

 none; and when it comes to winter protec- 

 tion T consider such protection almost im- 

 perative. 



TARTARIC ACID. 



Mr. Crane is also inclined to find no use 

 for tartaric acid. I find that, by using it, 

 I can make the syrup thicker than if I do 

 not use it. I am an advocate of late fall 

 feeding in my section. With 100 colonies T 

 like to feed about Oct. 15. Tlie weather may 

 be cool at that time; and if the syi-up is 

 made 2^ parts sugar to one part water it 

 may crystallize so that is it difficult for the 

 bees to take it. This is found particularly 

 true if an inverted perforated feeder is used, 

 for the crystals tend to form at the bottom 

 of the food. Where tartaric acid is used 

 this crystallization does not readily take 

 lilace. More than that, where this thick 

 syrup is left in the jar I have known the 

 jars to break from the process of crystalli- 

 zation inside. Why or how I cannot tell; 

 but that it takes place I know to my cost. 

 Whore tartaric acid has been used the 



