450 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Howell's hive-stands which do avvav with the bottom -boards. 



he bad kept bees over sixty years, and 

 didn't know anything about them until the 

 last twenty. He exhibited an ancient model 

 of a hive known years ago as Hall's Self- 

 protection hive. The " protection " was 

 against wax-worms, and consists of two 

 trap-doors in place of the bottom-board to 

 De opened frequently to empty the wax- 

 worms — the theory being, perhaps, that the 

 worms live in the bottom of the hive and 

 visit the combs only for food. 



While he was still new in beekeeping, an 

 improvement in hive construction came with 

 an upper story containing boxes. This 

 yielded ten pounds of honey — clean, and 

 free from dead bees — such a curiosity that 

 tlie townspeople called from miles around 

 and viewed it with surprise. Hall's famous 

 Self-protection hive was the next improve- 

 ment, and with it came the inventor's book 

 on bees, containing some of the following 

 statements : 



"The queen always lays queen eggs before 

 departing with a swarm. The bees know 

 the difference." " A queen can be made at 

 any age by feeding properly." 



Dr. Scranton exhibited an ancient frame 

 which liad a triangle-shaped top-bar with 

 a sharp edge pointing toward tlie bottom- 

 bar. This sharp edge served as a comb- 



guide for the bees to build the comb ex- 

 actly in the center of the frame. 



Geo. H. Yale, third president of the 

 association, read a paper entitled " Some 

 Things I have Learned in Keeping Bees." 

 He said he had kept bees thirty years. He 

 began by purchasing a hive standing on end 

 with cross-sticks inside. He brimstoned the 

 colony at the end of the second year. One 

 Sunday afternoon he captured a swarm by 

 sawing down a sapling. His knowledge of 

 beekeeping began at this time. The follow- 

 ing year a swarm issued, and he captured 

 two swarms at once on a sheet, placing two 

 hives where he expected the swarms to 

 separate and each chose a hive; but they 

 both entered the same hive. He finally 

 managed to separate them into two colonies. 

 He has learned by experience that bees 

 dislike woolen clothes, dark garments, and 

 quick motions. Bees do better in hives fac- 

 ing east Of south. He prefers some protec- 

 tion when liiving a swarm, and finds the 

 bee-esca{)e a great lielp when producing 

 comb honey. King-birds and bee-martins, 

 abundant when drones are flying, catch 

 queens. 



Allen Latham spoke on " Bulk Comb 

 Hone}^" He uses starters instead of full 

 sheets of foundation to avoid the thick 



