848 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Wild buckwheat is a forerunner of alfalfa in parts of California. 



the finish will wind it up, and is just what very short, as was also the first fiow of 



the alfalfa needs to come on with a rush. alfalfa. 



The season of 1914 was like this, and the Wild-buckwheat honey is dark in color, 



wax-workers were not " laid off " between but not as dark as its cultivated cousin, 



the flows. The flavor is also much milder. 



In 1915 the wild-buc-kwheat flow was Bishop, Cal. 



GETTING READY FOR COLD WEATHER 



BY D. C. ANDERSON 



I have wintered bees for the last three 

 winters as follows: I built a platform 4 ft, 

 fi in. by 9 ft., about eight inches from the 

 ground. On this I placed ten hives, four 

 fronting east, four west, and two south, and 

 closed the entrances to about six inches in 

 length by % in depth. On the fronts of 

 the hives over the alighting-board I put a 

 1 X 6-inch board flatwise. 



The side-boards are two boards nailed 

 with cleats one inch from the end, set on 

 the outer edge of the board over the alight- 

 ing-boards. One-inch boards the right length 

 ai'e tacked on the ends against the cleats, 

 leaving the nailheads out far enough so 

 they can be drawn out when you wish to 

 take the case down. 



The side-boards should be a few inches 

 naiTower at the north end to carry the 

 water off. I pack with leaves, having plen- 

 ty of them, tamping them tiglitly all about 

 the hives. Sometimes I fill the supers with 

 leaves, and sometimes put the covers on 

 and pack the case full of leaves; then cover 



with boards and roofing-felt. As the board 

 over the alighting-boards projects some- 

 what I nail a nari'ow board on the front 

 that keeps the storms from driving in the 

 hives. 



My bees have always wintered well in 

 this case, never losing any excepting frorii 

 starvation or loss of queen. Bees get a 

 flight every month in the winter here; but 

 we also have zero weather. It seldom lasts 

 more than a few days. 



I have also a tenement hi\'e six feet long, 

 spaced for four colonies with 12 to 14 Hoff- 

 man frames. The top is spaced for ten- 

 frame supers. The divisions are of inch 

 lumber, with a 5 x 5-inch hole in the center, 

 over which is tacked excluder zinc on each 

 side, so the queens cannot reach each othei-. 

 The entrances are north, south, east, and 

 west. 



For wintering I tack newspaper on the 

 sides and ends; nail a wide inch board over 

 the pajier, fill the supers with leaves, and 

 finally cover to keep the storms out. 



J 



