JULY 1. 1915 



541 



A HILLSIDE APIARY 



BY OSCAR RITLAND 



Our apiary is loealed on a hill facing 

 sonthoast. whore it is well proleeled from 

 Ihe cold northwest winds. In addition to 

 this, dnrina: the spring- months the hives are 

 wrapped with tarred paj^er to prevent un- 

 necessary escape of heat. On May 6, 1914, 

 91 ]ier cent of the colonics had five frames 

 or over of brood. 



It is a nice tiling- to have an apiary locat- 

 ed on a side hill, provided it is not too steep. 

 When the g:rass is wet with dew one's feet 

 are liable to slip and cause no end of trou- 

 ble. For this reason, if it is too steep, it 

 woulil ho advisable to locate under a hill. 



One can save sj^ace by locating the hives 

 in pairs. If it is desirable to use the Alex- 

 ander metliod of building up weak colonies 

 one can set the strong ones alone at first. 

 Then when it is time to separate the tw'o. 

 the one on top can be set down beside the 

 other side, thus becoming its partner. If 

 the entrances are set on each side of where 

 the old entrance was, each will receive part 

 of the flying bees. 



I have had the trouble that, when one hive 

 n'as moved to a new location, too many of 

 the field bees went back. 



Elroy, Wis. 



THE MINNESOTA SHORT COURSE IN BEEKEEPING 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT 



It was my good fortune to spend two 

 days at the short course in beekeeping at 

 the University of ^Minnesota in January. It 

 does one a world of good, sometimes, to get 

 away from home for awhile to see what the 

 other fellows are doing. I feel very sure 

 that the short course was a sui'prise, even 

 to tl'e o:^thusiastic fellows who are respon- 



leous, assured the beekeepers that there was 

 no demand for anything of this kind. They 

 were mistaken, as they are now able to see. 

 Under the leadership of the association 

 ]u-esident, John Doll, and the secretary. Dr. 

 L. D. Leonard, they went before the legis- 

 lature and asked for recognition. Not only 

 did th'^y ask that beekeeping be taught, but 



At the Univnsity of Minnesota the inlrrcst in beekeeping is unfla£:?in?. 



sible for the advanced ground taken in 

 Minnesota. 



The department of beekeeping is recent 

 history. The beekeepers' associations of 

 that state have been asking that beekeeping 

 be taught in the university along with dai- 

 rying and other lines of agricultural activ- 

 ity. The university authorities, while cour- 



they demanded that it be given the same 

 consideration offered other branches, and 

 that a separate department be oi'ganized. 



It seems surprising that great universities 

 should so often have to be led, instead of 

 leading, as they are designed to do. The 

 legislature granted the demand of the bee- 

 men, and the department was established. 



