1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



101 



UEST INVENTION. 



Mr. Coveyou exhibited a balance by means 

 of which any desired package could be filled; 

 an electric bell then rings automatically at 

 the same time the honey-gate is closed. This 

 invention received the tirst prize. 



It is fully expected — in fact, the president 

 of the National, Geo E. Hilton, and the Sec- 

 retary, W. Z. Hutchinson, who was presi- 

 dent of the Michigan State Association — 

 stated that Vice-president Geo. W. York and 

 Manager N. E. France all were decided that 

 Detroit will be the next place of meeting of 

 the National. Michigan will do its part to 

 make a success of that convention. 



President, vice-president, and secretary 

 elected were Messrs.. L. A. Aspinwall. E. D. 

 Townsend, and Mr. Hunt. Mr. F. J. Miller, 

 president of the Ontario Bee-keepers' Asso- 

 ciation, attended the convention, and was an 

 advocate of hauling combs for extracting to 

 a central point, and there extracting by 

 means of a gasoline-engine. 



Brantford, Canada. 



G revile 



'erent'/ieMs 



SWARMING; ITS PREVENTION BY THE DODBLE- 

 QUEEN PLAN; SUPERSEDING 



OLD QUEENS. 



Mr. Editor: — I have been very much inter- 

 ested in the recent correspondence of Mr. 

 Alexander in regard to his double-queen sys- 

 tem and the keeping-down of swarms. My 

 most successful plan, if they persist in swarm- 

 ing, is to unite the swarms, that is, put two 

 swarms in each hive regardless of the age of 

 the queen. They work nicely together until 

 the first super is filled, and then I space 

 them; but when the honey-flow is over, the 

 older queen generally comes out with the 

 bulk of the old workers; and if they cluster 

 conveniently I proceed to hive them, catch- 

 ing the queen, pulling off her head, and the 

 workers return to the hive when the work 

 is done. This leaves me the best queen. I 

 have tried the cutting of queen-cells, but it 

 will not work here, as it makes the workers 

 cross and sullen. 



ABSCONDING SW^ARMS. 



- 1 was interested in Mr. G. C. Greiner's 

 letter in Dec. 1st Gleanings in regard to 

 absconding swarms and their s'^nding scouts. 

 As I live in a swampy country I have had 

 varied experience along that line, though I 

 never had a swarm run off if the queen was 

 two years old. Virgins or young queens 

 give me some trouble, and they do not al- 

 w ays cln ster here before they go to the woods. 

 I have had them swarm, cluster, be hived, 

 run off, and hang on a limb for a week when 



there were hollow trees near them. Queens 

 are like men — they are different in mind. If 

 I make a young queen mad in hiving a swarm, 

 if she is not clipped she will invariably go to 

 the woods. C. L. Boddie. 



Nashville, N. C. 



A bee-keeper's EXPERIENCE AT A FAIR. 



At the Chester County fair I had an exhib- 

 it of bees. There was a very good fair, but 

 no great inducements were offered for the 

 bee-man. I wanted to get the people enlight- 

 ened in the bee business. 



No one had any bees but myself. I had a 

 hive of five-banded goldens, and they were 

 quiet, and could be handled without smoke 

 or gloves, turned about without fear, and 

 were unusually quiet. I had a comb in an 

 observation hive, and I had a very large 

 crowd around me most of the time. I dem- 

 onstrated that bees could be handled without 

 fear of being stung, and at any time. I was 

 asked all sorts of questions, and you may 

 judge what a good time I had all to myself. 

 Just to think that thei'e are so many people 

 who know nothing about the workings and 

 the habits of the bee! 



Morstein, Pa. Wm. Y. Stackhouse. 



moving bees IN HIVES WITH OPEN EN- 

 TRANCES. 



Having read of a number of accidents in 

 moving bees by the bees getting out and 

 stinging the horses, I will give herewith the 

 method used by Chas. Adams, of Greeley, 

 Col. He first gives the colonies that he in- 

 tends to move a thorough smoking, then 

 nails the bottom-board fast to the body of 

 the hive, and loads them into the wagon, 

 leaving the entrance wide open. If any 

 seem to be restless they are smoked a little 

 more. I have been with Mr. Adams about 

 a year, and have helped him move a good 

 many bees for quite a distance — ten miles 

 sometimes — with never a bit of trouble nor 

 any broken or melted combs. 



Leonard Graper. 



Greeley, Col., Nov. 25. 



[We have no doubt that the plan of mov- 

 ing bees with the entrances of the hives 

 open is a very good one, and yet at the same 

 time we always hesitate about advising a 

 beginner to attempt this. There are many 

 who move bees in no other way, but yet 

 there is always quite a possibility that, if a 

 beginner were managing the moving, a stray 

 bee might escape and perhaps sting one of 

 the horses, when a serious accident would 

 surely take place. From reports we have 

 received it has seemed very necessary, when 

 moving colonies with the entrances open, to 

 keep the team moving steadily. If there is 

 a stop there is more of a likelihood that the 

 bees will issue from the hives. — Ed.] 



HOW TO MOVE OFF NO. 2 OR UNSALABLE 

 COMB HONEY HAVING A GOOD FLAVOR. 



After seeing the above heading, page 1558, 

 I thought I would give the plan I followed 



