1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



105 



every bee-keeper felt assured of a warm welcome. 

 His place will be difficult to fill. Being a mem- 

 ber of ihe National Bee-keepers' Association he 

 was able to give, in our quarterly meetings, the 

 new knowledge in beedom collected by the vari- 

 ous prominent bee-keepers of the entire country, 

 which he always did with great zest. 



Mr. Weber had four apiaries — one in North 

 Fairmount, one in South Fairmount, one in Cum- 

 minsville, and one on his roof. In each of these 

 he had a different race, which kept him and one 

 helper busy the entire season. In season one 

 could very seldom find him at home; from early 

 dawn to evening his attention was given to his 

 bees. 



Cincinnati, O., Jan. 10. 



CLOVER AS A DROUTH-RESISTER. 



Nitrates from Fertilizer Needed. 



BY J. H. NELLIS. 



No one will claim that drouth improves the 

 vitality of clover (my experience has been with 

 medium red, alsike, and alfalfa); but when crops 

 are properly rotated, land in good tilth, and grass 

 vigorous, few plants can endure as much drouth 

 as the clovers, for the long roots find moisture 

 when other vegetation dies. 



In Central New York we fall-plowed land and 

 seeded medium red clover and timothy with oats 

 or barley in spring. In Northern New Jersey, 

 timothy is sown with rye in autumn, after seed- 

 ing, and during winter we top-dress liberally with 

 stable manure. '1 hen in early spring seed is 

 sown. This plan always produces a vigorous 

 stand. 



Whenever land properly worked and enriched 

 fails to produce a stand of clover a little soil 

 should be procured from land that maintains the 

 kind of clover desired, and scattered over the 

 now productive field. The bacteria that live in 

 the nodules found on clover roots supply nitro- 

 gen to nourish the clover-plants. Soil taken from 

 flourishing clover-fields is inoculated with these 

 bacteria, and they spread rapidly to the barren 

 soil. 



Although four-fifths of the air we breathe is ni- 

 trogen, yet plants, except the legumes (clovers, 

 peas, beans, etc. ), can not take this necessary and 

 expensive element directly from the air, but must 

 gather it through their roots from nitrates appro- 

 priated from stable manure or from commercial 

 fertilizers. 



The importance of including clovers in our ro- 

 tations is thus very evident, for in no other way 

 can we procure this all-important element so 

 cheaply. The long roots of the clovers tend also 

 to bring to the surface mineral elements needed 

 in plant-formation, while the mechanical condi- 

 tion of the soil is greatly improved. 



Paterson, N. J., Jan. 6. 



Preventing the spread of foul brood should be 

 the object of every person interested in the bee- 

 keeping industry; and each one can do some par- 

 ticular thing that will help. What will you do.' 



New Braunfels, Tex. Louis Scholl. 



AN tASY METHOD OF WEIGHING HIVES OF BEES. 



A HIVE LIFTING AND WEIGHING 

 DEVICE. 



BV G. H. SHI» K. 



To a novice at bee-keeping the knowledge as 

 to whether or not a colony of bees has sufficient 

 stores to pack for winter is an important iiem. 

 He lacks that mature judgment that comes only 

 through years of experience. 



Hefting hives and even an examination leaves 

 him still in doubt as to whether the number of 

 pounds of honey as recommended by experienc ed 

 bee-keepers is on hand. He longs for the ad- 

 vice of an expert in the business, or a pair ut 

 scales. The former is not to be found in t;.c 

 neighborhood; the latter — ah! he rigs one up. 



This experience prompted the construction of 

 the weighing device here illustrated. It is a very 



