GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



substance that* it will affect one part of an 

 apiary and not the rest, or all of one and 

 not another a short distance away. " Some 

 don't seem to be affected by it at all." Is 

 there not variation in bees as to hardiness, 

 good wintering, honey-gathering, swarming, 

 and many other traits? But these people 

 whose bees sutfered with spring dwindling 

 and the " damps " thought a " bee was a 

 bee,'' and one swarm as good as another if 

 it had as manj' bees. 



When I had kept a correct record of 

 colonies for years I began to see that a bee 

 was a bee, and in some cases quite a little 

 more so, and that some colonies would stand 

 a whole lot more adverse circumstances than 

 others without serious injury; and, more, I 



found if one bred his queens from these a 

 large proportion would be the same; and 

 that by breeding from a good thrifty, hardy, 

 honey-gathering strain, one would have 

 better colonies to start winter with, and 

 more and better stores. Then each colony 

 would also have more vigor to resist unto- 

 ward conditions if it did happen to meet 

 them, and, finally, would have more vigor 

 and " grit " to hang on if by any chance the 

 colony does get injured in wintering. So, 

 now, when 1 hear any one saying, " We had 

 an awful spring, my bees got spring dwin- 

 dling," I always think of the old farmer 

 whose bees got the " damps." 

 Dunlap, la. 



BY L. E. KERR 



It is not always necessary to feed bees, 

 since for years they go without requiring 

 such attention. Certainly it is never advis- 

 able until necessary. It depends upon the 

 nature of the crop, bees, queen, hive, season, 

 and management. For several years we 

 have done no feeding whatever, but have 

 frequently employed the alternative of 

 stacking colonies until the pile is sufficiently 

 deep that the food question among them 

 becomes one only of moving occasionally to 

 the next floor. 



In a climate that does not favor close 

 protection, united colonies have often been 

 left to arrange household problems as fancy 

 dictated, and they invariably come out in 

 spring in a condition that argues well for 

 co-operation. With strong colonies, how- 

 ever, and especially where decrease is ob- 

 jectionable, there is a question as to whether 

 it would not be more satisfactory to put at 

 good interest some time and money in keep- 

 ing integrate and well fed tlie separate 

 family circles. 



When with the modern shallow brood- 

 chamber an occasional colony stores all 

 honey in the supers, to be i-emoved entirely 

 by the inconsiderate apiarist, why should 

 he riot in return provide other and ample 

 stores'? Otherwise, could he reasonably 

 hope another season to have any surplus at 

 all in tliose supers? 



Should any appear light before flowers 

 bloom, an empty super can be put on, a few 

 pounds of loaf sugar heaped upon the 

 frames, and every thing packed warmly 

 with paper or burlap before the outer cover 

 is again put on. It is the work of but a 



moment, and cannot be improved upon for 

 cold-weather feeding. 



Bees, unlike their owner, regulate opera- 

 tions at all times in strict accord with the 

 extent of their resources. Unless they go 

 into winter well supplied, their stores by 

 spring will be much reduced ; and, above 

 all others, this is the very time they never 

 should feel pauperized. 



With the advent of flying weather if any 

 colonies have insutficient means for unham- 

 pered brood-rearing, some profitable stimu- 

 lative feeding can be done. It is best done 

 evenings, and can be gi'adually lessened as 

 nectar increases. While some speak lightly 

 of slow feeding to induce brood-rearing, it 

 will give greater results. 



In small feeders efficiency is embodied in 

 a one-cent self-sealing can having a dozen 

 small nail perforations through the lid. 

 They can be invei'ted directly ujion tlie 

 frame tops, above the cluster, but are used 

 to greatest advantage over the opening of 

 an escape-board or inner cover. If such a 

 cover is left on during fall and winter, it 

 will be tightly sealed to the hive, and no cold 

 drafts created. 



Among all living creatures few instances 

 can be found where nature ordered a faster 

 shifting of generations than is provided in 

 the worker bee. Well within each sixty 

 days, througli the summer season, the hom^' 

 is refilled with an entirely new throng of 

 thousands of bold restless toilers eager to 

 let not one moment of their brief oxisteiu-e 

 go unfreighted with some act of devotion to 

 queen and the common good. While with 

 the idleness of winter their life-cycle is 

 somewhat augmented, and a few, perhaps, 



