984 



OLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



some adverse reports. They will work wher- 

 ever the solid bee-escape board will work. 

 In speaking with Mr. James Armstrong, 

 Cheapside, recently, a man who is well and 

 favorably known as thorough in what he 

 docs, he said, " One must remember that, 

 unless the bees are doing some work, they 

 may remain contented in the super, and the 

 escape be of no avail." People who report 



unfavorably on these escape-boards have 

 certainly not been thorough in their work 

 or are not conversant with the conditions 

 under which bee-escape boards work, or 

 else the bee-escapes themselves are not 

 made right. This might easily be the case. 

 If that were true, they would not work on 

 any other board. 

 Brant ford, Canada. 



FEEDING SUGAR TO INDUCE QUEENS TO LAY LATE IN THE FALL 



BY G. T. WHITTEN 



By feeding two or three tablespoonfuls 

 of sugar syrup or cheap honey a day to a 

 colony after the honey-flow is over, or be- 

 tween the main ard fall flow, I have found 

 that the queen will continue to lay until late 

 in the fall. This will keep the hive full of 

 young bees at all times so they will be able 

 to cover a large amount of brood and save 

 it all. Double-walkd hives should be used 

 if possible. If single-walled hives are used 

 they must be packed early. 



A queen at any time of the year will 

 regTilate her laying to correspond with the 

 amount of food which comes in. The amount 

 of stores already in the hive has little if 

 any effect on the queen's laying. I found 

 that the egg-production depended on !his 

 in-coming food. This feeding should be 

 regular, steady, and in small quantities, 

 rather than in large quantities at one time. 



I discovered that, by careful study of 

 general conditions concerning the honey- 

 iflows, I could have all colonies strong at the 

 right time. To have them well supplied 

 with young bees late in fall gives strong 

 colonies in spring. 



When feeding bees in early spring or 

 late fall, care must be taken, because they 

 use up the food as soon as it is given them. 

 Becoming excited they rush out to seek 

 more food. It is often too cold for them to 



return, lience the danger is great in (luis 

 feeding, because many bees are lost. T dose 

 the entrance of the hive with a wire screen 

 until the bees have settled down apain. 



The best way to do this feeding is to 

 cover the top of the hive with a wire screen, 

 then place an empty super on the hive, and 

 f?ed over the cluster. 



Take a glass jelly-tumbler. Punch four 

 or five very small holes in the metal cover, 

 and invert it over the frames on top of the 

 screen. The cover of the hive may be re- 

 moved, and the food may be placed in the 

 super at any time without disturbing the 

 bees or attracting robbers. After many 

 experiments I have found this to be the 

 safest and best method of stimulative feed- 

 ing. If this method is followed carefully, 

 each colony should be in condition to divide 

 in spring early enough to build up to two, 

 at least, for the honey-flow when it comes. 



After a careful examination in the spring, 

 those that are not building up in a satisfac- 

 tory- manner should be fed as suggested in 

 this article. 



Each colonj^ should have not only suffi- 

 cient stores of food for the winter, but 

 "some more," for one cannot have too much 

 food therein. The bees use the surplus to 

 S'ood advantage in the spring. 



Hartford, Ct. 



APPLES, CHERRIES, PEACHES, AND BEES 



BY C. A. OLDMAN 



My apiary of 56 colonies is situated in a 

 rather ideal spot, being located on the end 

 of a 16y2-aere farm owned by my brother. 

 He has 8V2 acres in orchard, consisting of 

 775 apple, 175 cherry, and 50 peach trees. 



The board fence shelters the northwest 

 side, fir-trees the north, and a high hill 

 (from which the photograph was taken) 

 about 150 yards fi-om the hives shelters the 

 east side. The south side is somewhat ex- 



posed; but T have planted a hedge of flow- 

 ering currants to provide slielter from this 

 quarter. 



This location is about three-quarters of 

 a mile from my home, and I moved my 

 apiary here at my brother's request. He 

 wanted my bees to fertilize his fruit-bloom, 

 and T wanted his fruit-bloom honey. Al- 

 though, occasionally, when my brother is 

 cultivating his farm near the bees, and my 



