1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



727 



es I have used bees from an outyard as well 

 as bees from queenless colonies of the same 

 3'ard. I have had g-ood success with both. 

 Theoretically, bees from outyards would be 

 preferable. Swarthmore's device for stock- 

 ing- up nuclei answers nicely for bringing- 

 bees from an outyard as well as for the 

 purpose they are intended. Whether queens 

 mated while in these miniature nucleus 

 hives are as good in ever}' respect, as pro- 

 lific and long-lived, as are others kept in 

 full colonies from beginning to end, we 

 shall have to find out. 



two full-sized frames, in a compartment 

 over a strong colony, with wire cloth be- 

 tween the upper and lower stories. Three 

 such compartments are used in each upper 

 story with entrances pointing in three dif- 

 ferent directions. — Ed.] 



SWARTHMORE OUEKN-MATING BOXES. 



Mr. Pratt instructs us to paint the little 

 boxes so as to withstand the weather; but 

 they are hardly suited for exposure in this 

 way. Mj' drawing illustrates how I have 

 set up four nuclei on top of an old discard- 

 ed box hive by the board fence at one side 

 of my home yard, covering and protecting 

 them with a water-proof shade-board. In 

 an exposed locality the board must be well 

 weighted down. 



Four nuclei may be placed inside of an 

 empty hive-body. Each little colony may 

 thus fly from a different side. When a 

 hive-body is thus used the boxes need not 

 be painted, the cover giving perfect protec- 

 tion. Inside of the hive, feeding is safe and 

 handy. A piece of drone comb maj^ be 

 made to answer for a feeder. I place it on 

 the top of each box, filled with syrup, and 

 remove the stopper from the hole in the cen- 

 ter of the top. This hole is not onlj' in- 

 tended to place the feeder thereon, but 

 principally for the reception of a queen-cell. 



The introduction of virgin queens or cells 

 is much safer with those miniature colo- 

 nies than with full-sized ones, and maj^ be 

 practiced almost immediately after removal 

 of a fertile queen, without risk. 



Naples, N. Y., Aug. 11. 



[I sincerelj' hope that the plan may be 

 made a success. Swarthmore's latest plan 

 will certainly give better results than his 

 first one; but even such a one as you de- 

 scribe, I am rather of the opinion, would 

 require an expert to make it work. Our 

 own experience and the reports we have 

 had of these little one. two, and three sec- 

 tion-comb mating-boxes has not been very 

 reassuring. We get the best results with 



GOVERNMENT AID TO BEE-KEEPERS. 



A Little Interesting History; Some Good Sugges- 

 tions from a Man who has been Connected with 

 Government Work for Some Years. 



BY W. K. MORRISON. 



Prof. Benton deserves a vote of thanks for 

 calling attention to the work the govern- 

 ment of the United States is doing for bee- 

 keeping. The impression is general that 

 the Department of Agriculture has faileu 

 to assist apiculture to a degree worth con- 

 sideration, hence it has come about that 

 verj' few look for light or help in that quar- 

 ter. In one respect Prof. Benton's experi- 

 ence is different from mine — that is, with 

 reference to the voting of money for the 

 work of the Division of Apiculture. I found 

 no difficulty whatever in inducing the gov- 

 ernment to make an appropriation, and 

 there was not the slightest objection to the 

 money being voted — rather, it seemed t© me, 

 that twice the sum first voted would have 

 been allowed had there been any need for 

 it; and I believe if good reasons were ad- 

 vanced for it Congress would vote a pret- 

 ty large sum to assist the bee-keeping in- 

 dustry of the country. I well recollect the 

 remarks of the Congressmen when the first 

 appropriation was slated by Secretarj' 

 Rusk. They were unanimous in demand- 

 ing that the money be spent in practical ex- 

 periments only. They did not want the 

 money spent in going around the countr}' 

 collecting wild bees and then determining 

 their species. Prof. Rilej^ took umbrage at 

 this; but Secretarj' Rusk promised the lead- 

 ing "agricultural" Senators that the mon- 

 ey would be spent only on practical work. 

 It may interest Colorado and Kansas bee- 

 keepers to learn that Senator Teller and 

 the late Senator Plumb were the sponsors 

 for the first appropriation; and had thej' 

 been bee-keepers these gentlemen could 

 hardly have been more enthusiastic in the 

 matter. Of course. Secretary Rusk was 

 very willing to assist us, and it was his in- 

 tention to increase the annual appropria- 

 tion as the situation might warrant it. He 

 was then spending a large sum of monej' 

 on silk culture, and it was no trouble for 

 me to show him that bee-keeping, a far 

 more important industrj', was not allowed 

 a penny. I hope the apiculturists of Wis- 

 consin dulj' revere the great Secretary's 

 memory. In vny conversations with Sena- 

 tors and Representatives I gathered the im- 

 pression that they would alwaj's be liberal 

 with the bee-keepers ; and, though some of 

 them are now dead and others have retired 

 to private life, I believe this sentiment 



