90 



Mr. J. H. Morris, one of the State foul- 

 bi'ood inspectors, was elected for the en- 

 suing year as president; Mr. A. J. Halter, 

 of Akron, vice-president, and Mr. E. R. 

 King, of Athens, re-elected secretary. 



Double Telescope Covers vs. Single- 



DuRixG the sudden cold spells late last 

 fall we had a most excellent opportunity 

 to compare the two styles of covers on 

 bees. The weather turned so very cold that 

 we were not ready to put the bees in the 

 cellar until they had a flight. We replaced 

 some of the single-thickness board covei'S 

 with double telescoping covers at the home 

 yard. While, of course, the bees had no 

 opportunity to seal down the super covers, 

 it was perfectly evident that the combina- 

 tion was much warmer than the single-thick- 

 ness cover. The clusters were expanded 

 somewhat, even though the temperature 

 went down in some cases. Next year, for 

 fall work we propose to have thin cushions 

 to put between the outer and inner cover. 

 With such a covering and a chaff division- 

 board, one on each side of the cluster, a 

 colony will be housed almost as warm as in 

 double-walled hives without the bulk or 

 weight ; then when settled cold weather does 

 come on we shall have hives that will be 

 ready to put in the cellar, and hives, too, 

 that, when set out in the spring, will protect 

 their colonies much better than if the single 

 thickness of wood all around were the only 

 protection. 



The double telescope covers cost a little 

 more; but the experience of the last few 

 days with cold weather shows us that they 

 will more than pay this extra cost in one 

 season. Extreme cold with limited protec- 

 tion will cause the bees to overfeed. Over- 

 eating causes dysentery. While a good 

 flight will clean up the bees it does not 

 repair all the damage done. When condi- 

 tions are right there will be no spotting or 

 black ill-smelling stains. 



Upward AJbsorbeets vs. Sealed Covers 



It will be remembered we have always 

 argued (for our own locality at least) 

 against absorbents with upward ventilation 

 for colonies wintered outdoors, and in favor 

 of sealed covers, so called, using ordinary 

 super covers that were laid on top of the 

 hives, but not sealed down. Strictly speak- 

 ing, then, we did not use sealed covers, but 

 an arrangement that was a compromise be- 

 tween the two extremes; and this is the 

 arrangement that at "Medina has generally 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



given us the best results. A board like a 

 super cover is, of course, better than a 

 sheet of glass, as it is a better uon-conduc- 

 tor of heat, but it does not pei-mit of easy 

 observation so that the position and size of 

 the cluster can be readily determined. Colo- 

 nies with absorbing cushions and upward 

 ventilation have a ware screen placed over 

 them upside down, the same as we use in 

 shipping bees by the carload or moving 

 them from yard to yard. Over this is placed 

 a square of burlap, and the whole is covered 

 with loose planer shavings. The wire screen 

 of course enables us to see down into the 

 cluster the same as through the glass. 



Mr. Holtermann called our attention to 

 the fact that we had not provided an air- 

 space over the top of the absorbing mate- 

 rial, which he regarded as important. This 

 we have remedied, so that the two ideas or 

 two schemes of top packing may be tried 

 out thoroughly side by side in the same 

 winter case. 



In the same yards we have also colonies 

 in individual double-walled hives of the 

 usual pattern. These colonies appear to be 

 wintering well. At present at least the 

 scheme of wintering four colonies in one 

 large quadruple winter case looks good. 



Careful records are being made, and the 

 result will be published from time to time 

 in these columns. 



; I§ tJiere an 

 ettweesi tlie 

 on the Part of the Govern- 



Several times of late the statement has 

 been made that hams may be sold with their 

 wrappings at so much a pound, wrappings 

 and all. Attention was drawn to the fact that 

 if the container of a ham could be weighed 

 in and sold as so much ham, that comb 

 honey, including the section around it, ought 

 by the same token to be weighed in and sold 

 as so much honey; that it is inconsistent to 

 allow the container to be weighed in one 

 case and of being excluded in the other; 

 that if this was true, the comb-honey busi- 

 ness was being unfairly dealt with. 



While in Washington lately we took up 

 tliis question and found that hams — in fact, 

 all kinds of packed meat — come under the 

 jurisdiction of the Bui'eau of Animal In- 

 dustry. All other foods and drugs come 

 under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 

 Chemistry. As the two bureaus are entire- 

 ly separate, there is no inconsistency in the 

 ruling nor in the interpretation of the law 

 as ]iut out by the Bureau of Chemistry or 

 by the Bureau of Animal Industry. 



