718 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Just a jiffy to squirt in the feed 



the spring happened to be bad and the bees 



i-an short of stores- Everything was pressed 

 into service. And then, too, we even filled 

 combs with feed and had to open hives to 

 get them where the bees could get at them. 

 These are the experiences which make one 

 disgusted witli beekeeping. It is simply 

 iinpreparedness, failure to look into the fu- 

 ture and get leady for contingencies. But 

 with foresight, with preparations for un- 

 favorable conditions made, what was before 

 painful is changed to positive fun. In (he 

 future, every additional colony of mine will 

 have as a part of its equipment one of these 

 feeders. 



Here is another point to consider. Sup- 

 pose I want to I'aise some queens, and the 

 honey-flow at the time is lacking or inter- 

 mittent. I just step out and squirt some 

 feed in at the entrance. It lakes only a 

 minute because everything is alwaj's ready. 



We are continually at Avar with sur- 

 rounding forces — forces which are always 

 endeavoring to overthrow the balance and 

 bring death. In the long run, the ovei'throw 

 is accomplished ; })ut in tlie span of day.> 

 allotted to each, success oi- failure results 

 from anticipating what conditions are io 

 come and making preparations to meet 

 Ihera. 



The year 1914 was a com]dete failure in 

 apiculture so far as surjilus honey was 

 concerned, and one of my neighbors told 

 me that he remembered a year when not 

 only )iad there been no surplus but no 

 honey for wintering. When such a year 

 comes, what a satisfaction it will be to 

 know that every colony is supplied with an 

 equipment to meet the opposing changes. 

 Keeping up brood-rearing in the fall and 

 feeding up for winter can be accomplished 

 with very little labor. 



After leading the editorial entitled ''How 

 to Feed Bees on the Verge of Starvation, 

 without a Feeder, and Do it with a Mini- 

 mum of Labor," Gleanings for July 1, I 

 felt gratified to think that my bees are 

 always ready for feeding. I have many 

 times fed bees just as described by the 

 editor, and doubtless every other profes- 

 sional beekeeper has also. To me it has 

 always been a disagreeable task to open a 

 hive in cold weather — particularly a hive 

 containing a strong colony. The bees stick 

 to the cover, get into the grass, and an 

 occasional bee alights on my person, crawls 

 under my coat, up my pants, or even under 

 my veil. Under such circumstances I have 

 done considerable muttering in ray beard. 



Cadott, Wis. 



