738 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Skpt. 1 



KKEPING BEES ON SHARES; A DIFFERENT 

 PLAN. 



I am planning- to go into the bee business 

 on a large scale. I propose establishing 

 small apiaries in a dozen or more sections 

 in this county, among farmers who will 

 take enough interest in bees to watch over 

 them in my absence. As soon as the in- 

 crease justifies my devoting all my time to 

 this business I expect to visit my scattered 

 apiaries throughout the j'car, and give them 

 the attention required. 



My plan is to furnish all the capital and 

 colonies, and give the persons on whose 

 premises the bees are kept a share of the 

 honey produced. My wish is to ascertain 

 what share of the honey and wax product 

 would be a fair compensation to the farmer 

 on whose premises the bees are kept, it be- 

 ing understood that I keep the increase of 

 colonies. If j^ou can and will answer this 

 query I shall be indebted to j'ou. 



This has been a poor season for bees. 

 Cold and rain have predominated all spring 

 and summer; and now while hundreds of 

 acres of buckwheat are in bloom it is so 

 cold as to keep the bees in their hives much 

 of the time. Notwithstanding the unfavor- 

 able season, I have succeeded in doubling 

 the number of colonies, and all seem to be 

 making a little surplus honey. 



Clarion, Pa., Aug. 18. A. J. Davis. 



[Such a plan can be made possible under 

 some circumstances. It is a little difficult, 

 however, to suggest what would be a fair 

 adjustment of the proceeds when you your- 

 self do a good part of the work. When one 

 party furnishes all the labor and the other 

 the bees and hives and a location, it is cus- 

 tomary to divide on equal shares, that is, 

 each party takes half the wax, half of the 

 honey; but all the increase in the way of 

 swarms, artificial or natural, is to be the 

 property of the party who furnishes bees 

 and hives. 



I can only suggest that, inasmuch as you 

 are to perform all the work during the 

 swarming- season, the farmers, or parties 

 who look after the bees, be given one-fifth 

 of the honey and wax, you taking the rest, 

 retaining all the increase; but each partj' 

 is to furnish the necessary honey-packages 

 to hold his share of the crop. — Ed.] 



HOW TO GET a SWARM OFF FROM A TREE 

 WITHOUT CUTTING A LIMB. 



I inclose some pictures showing my way 

 of hiving a swarm when it settled on a tree 

 that I was not allowed to cut. While they 



were settling I put the stick resting on the 

 ladder so that a part of the cluster would 

 settle on it. Then I moved it and smoked 

 the part of the swarm oft" the tree, and 3'ou 

 will see all of the swarm on the stick in Ihe 



PREPARING TO GET THE SWARM FROM THE 

 TREE TO THE STICK. 



second picture. I think it was a large 

 swarm, probably weighing ten or twelve 

 pounds. Joe S Wisic. 



SWARM transferred FROM THE TREE TO 

 THE STICK. 



P. S. — Since the picture was taken, three 

 weeks ago, they have filled two supers. 

 Hazlehurst, Miss., May 13. 



