93 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



of all the eggs the old queen can lay. If 

 there are sections on the hive at the time 

 the colony swarms (and there usually are), 

 I leave them on. In eight or eight and a 

 half days the young queen will hatch. Be- 

 fore it is time for the young queen to hatch 

 I go through the parent hive, taking out all 

 queen-cells but one, leaving the longest and 

 best-looking cell to hatch. Some will say, 

 "Suppose that one cell doesn't hatch." 

 In all of the thirty years I have kept bees 

 I never knew them to gnaw the wax from 

 the end of a queen-cell unless that cell 

 hatches. This is my guide, therefore, in 

 determining which cell to leave. As soon 

 as the young queen gets to laying I move 

 the hive with the old queen, if honey is 

 coming in plentifully, to the opposite side 

 of the hive, thus adding greater sti'ength to 

 the parent hive, at the same time reduc- 

 ing the strength of the swarm with the 

 old queen, which prevents the bees from 

 swarming again, as they might do unless 

 they were reduced in numbers in some 

 way, or given more room. I tind it more 

 profitable to move them, thus getting their 

 field workers in the parent hive. Almost 

 any number of bees will stay with a young 

 queen, with no desire to swarm, if given 

 plenty of room in time. This is not true, 

 however, with an old queen. 



Since I began managing my bees in this 

 way it hag been no trick to produce prize 

 honey, and lots of it. 



Greene, N, Y., Oct. 38. 



PAPER WINTER CASES. 



Some Conflicting Reports Concerning their 

 Value; how to Prepare Paper Cases. 



BY H. H. ROOT. 



The verdicts do not all agree concerning 

 the value of the paper winter cases. We 

 have received quite a number of reports from 

 those who have used such forms of protec- 

 tion for colonies during the winter, and the 

 results indicate that the paper method is at 

 least well worth trying. 



The idea is not new. Mr. Arthur C. Mil- 

 ler recommended the use of papers some 

 years ago, and it is a well-known fact that 

 many bee-keepers are using them to-day. 

 The cheapness of such protection should ap- 

 peal to every one, although, of course, no 

 protection would be economical which re- 

 sulted in a loss of colonies during the cold 

 weather. 



Mr. J. L. Byer, in the American Bee Jour- 

 nal for November, thinks that, for his local- 

 ity, the paper protection is simply "no good." 

 He tried the plan several years ago, and 

 found that his colonies packed in the ordi- 

 nary way came through in fine condition, 

 while those with the paper wrappers nearly 

 all perished. In view of his experience he 

 does not recommend the paper for even 

 spring protection. 



From this it is evident that the paper 

 should not be used in all localities; and, to 



be entirely frank, we believe that, if one has 

 a system of packing whereby he can bring 

 his colonies through the winter in uniformly 

 good condition, he has the most economical 



% 



'""^••ClC 





Fig. 1.— A colony in a single-walled hive prepared 

 for winter by the addition of a heavy paper wrapper, 

 under which are several thicknesses of newspapers 

 covering chaff or straw placed directly on the hive- 

 cover. 



system that can be devised, and he had bet- 

 ter let well enough alone. 



But there are many who are obliged to 

 provide protection for their colonies, but who 

 hesitate about going to the expense of buying 

 lumber and making outer cases. To all such 

 we would recommend at least a trial of the 

 paper wrappers. 



We present herewith some additional illus- 

 trations to show more clearly the proper 

 method of packing colonies for winter with 

 paper cases. Fig. 1 shows a colony in a sin- 

 gle-walled hive all ready for cold weather. 

 The paper should be long enough to reach 

 the ground to give the best results; and since 

 the entrance would then be covered, a little 

 of the paper should be torn away in front to 

 give the width of opening desired. 



Fig. 2.— The heavy v>aper raised and pushed back 

 to show the newspapers beneath. 



As explained in a former article, it is im- 

 portant to have the paper folded in such a 

 way that water will be shed instead of di- 

 rected into the fold of the paper. See page 

 1437 of the Nov. 15th issue. 



Instead of nailing cleats on each side, it is 



