GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



CONVEKSATIONS WITH DOOLITTLE 



Alt BorodimiOq New York. 



RAN Al'lARY RECORD. 

 " I desire to keep a record of 

 each colony. Up to the present I 

 have trusted to memory regard- 

 ing the condition of the different 

 colonies in the apiary ; but as their 



numbers increase I find memoi^y 

 inadequate. As soon as the snow goes off 

 I propose to lay out my beeyard in rows 

 and number each hive, beginning with one 

 on the first row and going to 20 with that 

 row ; then commencing with 21 for the 

 second row and ending with 40, and in this 

 way continuing till I have 100 colonies in 

 five rows. If I desire more than the 100 

 colonies I will start an out-apiaiy laid out 

 on this same plan. Will you tell me some 

 of the Avays practical beekeepers keep a 

 record of their colonies'? " 



Tt would seem that there should be a 

 best way for this record-keeping; but there 

 is a rare faculty which beekeepers have of 

 thinking that the way in which they com- 

 menced must certainly be the best. Some 

 successful apiarists tack a piece of section 

 on the back of the hive just under the 

 cover; and after each inspection of the 

 colony inside this hive, any thing necessary 

 regarding its condition is jotted down by 

 a few shorthand characters or letters which 

 tell all they wish to know about that colony 

 during any season. This bit of section is 

 left on the hive until the next spring, Avhen 

 the colony is looked over at the opening of 

 the season, when, by glancing over the last 

 year's record, the memory is refreshed re- 

 garding the colony's previous standing. 

 The old record is pried off and the record 

 for another year is established on a new 

 piece. If the colony proves to be of special 

 value, then the old piece of section is tacked 

 on the under side of the cover, and pre- 

 served, so that a continuous record can be 

 maintained for a term of years, or as long 

 as particular interest attaches to the in- 

 mates of that hive. 



Other succe.ssful apiarists are sure there 

 is nothing equal to a book to keep a record 

 in. Years ago I \nsited an apiary where 

 the proprietor had kept a book regarding 

 it for twelve years, giving a leaf to each 

 colony, and a line of this leaf for each year. 

 The side of the fii-st leaf next the front 

 cover briefly explained the signs used, while 

 the opposite side of the leaf was devoted to 

 colony No. 1 of the apian-. Page 1 and 

 line 1 had all to do with the kind and 'age 

 of queen, swarming, etc., for the first year, 



while the first line on page 2 was used to 

 tell how many pounds of honey colony No. 

 1 gave the first year, how much had been 

 expended on it in feed, or for any other 

 expense, thus giving the net result by tak- 

 ing the expenses of the colony from what 

 the honey sold for. The second year, line 

 No. 2 was used on pages 1 and 2 for this 

 same colony, and in this way this apiarist 

 had on one sheet all about colony No. 1, 

 and what it had given him in net profit for 

 twelve years. And as each page had twen- 

 ty-five lines, this book was still good for 

 thirteen years more for colony No. 1. Colo- 

 ny No. 2 had pages 3 and 4; colony No. 3, 

 pages 5 and 6, and so on according to the 

 number of colonies in the apiary. 



This looked more businesslike than any 

 thing T had run across up to that time ; and 

 when he told me of the enjoyment he had 

 in looking that record over during the cold 

 winter evenings, and the plans he made for 

 each colony during the coming season, I 

 was quite sure that this was the best plan. 

 But wlien I came to carrying the matter out 

 I found that the wind would shut the book 

 so unceremoniously, and, in spite of my 

 best endeavors, open it in a wrong place, 

 that too much time was wasted. Not only 

 this, the honey and propolis the paper ab- 

 sorbed from my hands would so stick the 

 leaves together as to make it veiy disagree- 

 able, and partly obliterate much of the 

 record unless I carried water and a towel 

 along with me. 



I next adopted the record-board plan, as 

 it is styled by those using it, and see no 

 reason for using any tiling* else. Little 

 squares are laid out for each hive — each in 

 its place, and each row shown in squares. 

 Each square is numbered the same as its 

 hive, and in these squares I make a record 

 at eacli manipulation, giving by brief signs 

 the condition of each colony and its needs 

 as to queen, stores, brood, preparation for 

 swarming, etc. A board 12 x 20 x % made 

 smooth on both sides Avill answer very nice- 

 ly for an apiary of 100 colonies. Then with 

 this board before me I have the apiary 

 spread out to my gaze at any time I may 

 wisli to know about it, and from it I lay 

 out my plans on any rainy daj' or when I 

 am sitting in the shade for a brief rest from 

 tlie hot sun on some July or August after- 

 noon. Now, I do not say that this- record- 

 board is the best, but that it suits ine tlie 

 best of any thing 1 liave ever tried. 



