is dry. Again, when weather would be 

 lower in temperature on any particular day 

 I could usually note a slight drop in 

 amount stored, though even cold weather, 

 after bees got well into supers, did not 

 always lower daily records, for on several 

 cool days wlien T predicted a slight gain 1 

 would be surprised to note a decidedly 

 iieavy gain ; but as a rule the yields kept 

 near the temperatures. And cross? ugh! 

 I think I have never seen bees so frantic. 

 It seemed to them that the flow was going 

 to stop any moment; and all readers of 

 Gleanings know what a failing flow means 

 to the tempers of the bees. Well, this whole 

 season it has been dangerous to go near the 

 apiary unprotected. Did I not have a hive 

 on scales right through the flow I might be 

 at a loss to know the reason for this show 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



of temper; but as it is, I can judge pretty 

 neai'ly the cause, I think; for, as I said, the 

 flow was most erratic, and so were the bees! 



1 have just at hand a letter from friend 

 Cralyean, of Plant City, about 100 miles 

 further south than Deland. He says that 

 the flow there did not begin till about April 

 1, and that it lasted but ten days for them 

 there. He adds, " Orange Avill not i)r(ih- 

 ably average more than 10 lbs. per colony. 

 I i3redict the poorest year since 1!)04 for 

 our county " (he is speaking of Hillslioin 

 ('o., just north of Manatee). 



But there is no loss without some gain; 

 for the quality this year is the best I have 

 ever seen, or, rather, tasted, or both. If is 

 exquisite, with the empliasis on the " ex." 



Deland. Fla. 



A COLONY OF TWOSCORE YEARS 



BY STEEN FREEMAN 



This hive and colony 

 of bees have been do- 

 ing business right here 

 for over 40 years. I 

 do not know just how 

 old it is, for my fatlier 

 purchased four colo- 

 nies, and this is the 

 only one left. It is a 

 movable-frame hive, 

 but the combs are so 

 built that the frames 

 cannot be taken out. 



I have rigged it n\> 

 so it takes the regulai- 

 Ideal super, and I 

 tliink I get an average 

 of 20 lbs. from this 

 old colony. The hive 

 stands in the center of 

 an old apiary of thirty 

 eight-frame hives, and 

 I expect to preserve it 

 as long as I can. 



Wamslev, Ohio. 



Hive and rolonv forty yoar.s old. 



A WINTER LOSS OF 25 PER CENT; CAUSES OF WINTER LOSSES 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



During the last week or so I have been 

 through the greater part of our bees, and 

 have reports from my season's help from 

 the rest. There is a loss of at least 25 per 

 cent of tlie colonies of bees, and (]uite an 

 undesirable ])ercentage of weak colonies 

 among those left. 



Last fall in an article contributed to 

 Gleantncs 1 stated that I could not see my 

 way with absolutely no bee pasture and up- 

 wind of 800 colonies of bees to extract from 

 ihc brood-chamber, the honey mixed with 

 honey-dew. Next with the war coming on. 

 and the dilliculty of many to get hold of 



