1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



437 



the escape; whereas if the angle is a right 

 angle they will be more likely to turn the 

 square corner and follow the strip to the 

 hole. 



If you don't believe this, just fix a strip at 

 an acute angle and one at a right angle 

 against the side of a window-light or screen 

 where bees are trying to get out, and watch 

 their movements. Third, the distance in an 



15J long, and 11^ wide, all outside measure, 

 being one inch deeper, IJ shorter, and f nar- 

 rower than the inside measure of the super. 

 Next I tap sharply with a hammer or mallet 

 on the corners of the super-shell until it is 

 loose, and then shove it down on the table, 

 leaving the entire contents of the super rest- 

 ing on the box up above the super-shell, 

 where I can pick off the separators and sec- 

 tions with the greatest ease. It is 

 much easier to pick sections off 

 from simple slats than out of sec- 

 tion-holders. Try this scheme of 

 emptying supers for the sake of 

 convenience and good temper. 



I market my honey cased in the 

 neatest style, within 30 miles of 

 home. One large town of 40l0 

 inhabitants, situated on the high 

 divide, where alfalfa does not suc- 

 ceed as a crop, takes a large share 

 of my surplus. I have little show- 

 cases made with molded top and 

 base, stained a walnut color, and 

 varnished, which hold either six 

 sections in two tiers or four sec- 

 tions in one tier, displayed through 

 three-inch glass. These filled with 

 honey are to stand on a counter 

 or on top of a large showcase in a 

 store to attract customers, and let 

 them know that the merchant has 

 ^ choice honey in cases back on the 



^- shelves to sell. The little show- 



cases cost 25 cents each, and help 

 the merchant and myself to make 

 sales. 



THE BEE-KEEPERS WHO HAVE 





folo 



A CONVENIENT STEP LADDER TO BE USED AT SWARM 

 ING TIME. 



ordinary eight-frame Dovetailed hive from 

 the center of the rim at the end of the board 

 around to the center of the rim at the side, 

 and thence to the hole in the escape, is 30| 

 inches. The distance from the center of the 

 rim at the side to the corner and thence di- 

 rect to the hole is 19^ inches. These are the 

 longest distances bees would have to travel 

 in following the rim and strips as guides in 

 the two plans of arranging the strips in order 

 to reach the hole. So the only gain in dis- 

 tance of travel by Dr. Miller's plan would 

 be at best \\ inches— not enough to compen- 

 sate for the other disadvantages. 



HOW TO GET THE FILLED SECTIONS OUT OF 

 A SUPER. 



When I wish to empty a super full of hon- 

 ey I first, if necessary, run a sharp thin case- 

 knife blade around between the sections (or 

 section-holders if one uses them) and the su- 

 per-shell. Then I take out the wedges or 

 springs. I next set the super on a box turn- 

 ed bottom side up and placed on the work- 

 bench or a table. The box is 5| inches deep. 



FAILED. 



lam no professional bee-keeper, 

 only an amateur. There have 

 been many of -my neighbors who 

 have started keeping bees here 

 in the last ten years, and are now 

 out (or as good as out) of the 

 business. I wish to impress on 

 those who think that about all a bee-keeper 

 has to do in a year is to hive swarms and 

 put on and take off supers, while the bees 

 will take care of themselves and do all the 

 rest, that they will be disappointed if they 

 attempt to do business on that basis. I know 

 of no employment which requires a man 

 to be a natural mechanic, to be resource- 

 ful, to take advantage of little things to pre- 

 vent even small losses, to be everlastingly 

 watching the little things and doing the right 

 thing at the right time, more than bee-keep- 

 ing, if one expects to realize a fair profit. I 

 have stayed with it, and have found a rea- 

 sonable profit and much pleasure in running 

 a small apiary. 

 Stamford, Neb. 



[Unless the apiary were in an orchard of 

 small trees so that all swarms would be rath- 

 er near the ground, we should think an or- 

 dinary covered basket or swarm-catcher on 

 the end of a pole would be handier. The 

 pole could be propped up to bring the bas- 

 ket at any height ; and when the bees are 

 clustered they can be taken to the hive. — Ed.] 



