1909 



CLEANINGS IN HEK Cl'LTrK'K 



571 



way, must be 

 diif e r e n t 

 from the 

 Ohio varie- 

 ty; for, al- 

 though of a 

 nice amber 

 color, it is 

 not eatable, 

 having a 

 strong stuffy 

 odor, and a 

 taste which 

 never evap- 

 orates. A 

 shop in 

 which this 

 honey is 

 stored will 

 smell much 

 like a horse- 

 barn. How- 

 ever, it is 

 good for win- 

 ter stores, 

 and might be 

 of value in 



cooking. In the middle of this honey-flow, 

 when the nights begin to get cool I put the 

 boxes on the stands without any packing, 

 thus protecting the hives at night when the 

 bees are "boiling down " the nectar with a 

 roar. All necessary manipulations can be 

 carried on as usual. 



When the flow is over, the second stories 

 are removed, leaving plenty of stores in the 

 lower hive. Being protected, the bees will 

 breed some during October and November, 

 and go into winter quarters with plenty of 

 young bees. 



A warm day in November is a good time in 

 this locality to give the final stores for win- 

 ter. Last year, Nov. 1 1 was such a day, the 

 bees flying freely. I opened all the hives 

 and exchanged light frames for heavy ones 

 of sealed stores, then on each hive I placed 

 a super-cover having an auger-hole bored in 

 the center. 



Over the hole was placed a Page top feed- 

 er, which, being covered with wire netting, 

 allows warm syrup to be poured in without 

 the bees being able to get out. A strip of 

 cloth is then placed over the feeder, and the 

 second story filled with hay, also the outside 

 box. The feeder is now the warmest place 

 in the hive, and the bees seem to like to 



DOW'S WINTER CASE WITH THE COVER AND TOP PACKING PUSHED TO ONE 



SIDE. 



"roost" there, although it may be empty. 

 Should feeding be required in the winter or 

 spring, it takes but a moment to remove the 

 hay and cloth, pour in the feed, and replace 

 the packing. If the bees are not visible, just 

 rap on the feeder and say "good morning," 

 and they will come scrambling up to see who 

 is "knockin' at de do'." 



If you believe in a sealed cover for winter, 

 just close the auger-hole with a cork, and 

 you have it; or if you prefer the absorbent- 

 packing system, then leave the hole open, 

 and the moist air will filter slowly up through 

 the hay, and condense under the cover. 



One day last winter, with the thermome- 

 ter at IS degrees, I flashed sunlight through 

 the entrances by means of a mirror, and the 

 examination showed perfectly dry interiors, 

 with bees clustering under the frames in 

 slowly moving masses. 



With the packing removed the empty out- 

 side boxes will be left to protect the bees 

 working in second stories (a la Doolittlei un- 

 til settled warm weather, when they will be 

 removed and stored away for the summer 

 and shade-boards put on the hives. 



This kind of stand, for this locality at 

 least, gives perfect protection, easy manipu- 

 lation, and a minimum amount of labor in 

 lifting and moving the hives. 



Ipswich, Mass., March 25. 



BEE-KEEPING IN THE TRANSVAAL, 

 SOUTH AFRICA. 



Moving Bees Short Distances; the "Spirit 

 of the Hive;" Three Workers Seal- 

 ed in a Queen-cell. 



BY I). S. VAN WARMELO. 



CLOSE VIEW OF THE STORM-DOOR ENTRANCE 

 OF THE WINTER CASE. 



Being a regular subscriber to Gleanings, 

 and much interested in bee-keeping, I wish 

 to introduce myself and part of my apiary to 

 its readers by a photo. 



