622 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Oct. 15 



families, two frames to each compartment. 

 A little later we will show photos of the ap- 

 pliance, and give some details describing the 

 method we used for rearing the queens at 

 this yard. 



rUTTING BAITS IN THE CORNERS OF THE SU- 

 PERS. 



Considerable evidence is now accumu- 

 lating to the effect that in the giving of bait 

 sections it is desirable to put them in the 

 corners rather than in the center of the su- 

 per. While this is a matter that is somewhat 

 out of season at this time of the year, we 

 mention it at this time because it has been 

 hitherto recommended that baits should be 

 given in the center of the super. If there are 

 any of our readers who think that the plan 

 of putting them in the corners is objection- 

 able, we should be glad to have them tell us 

 of their experience. 



MORNING shade DETRIMENTAL TO COLO- 

 NIES BUILDING UP IN THE SPRING. 



ITx was Mr. E. W. Alexander who made 

 the observation that a colony under a dense 

 shade would not build up in the spring as 

 well as one more exposed to the sun's rays. 



Our Mr. Bain, who has charge of our home 

 yard, has observed that those colonies that 

 are arranged along near the factory buildings 

 on the east side, where there is dense shade 

 in the morning, do not build up like those 

 out in the center of the apiary and on the 

 west side next to the row of evergreens. 

 While on the west there is this dense growth 

 of tall evergreens, the afternoon shade dot-s 

 not seem to be particularly detrimental. It 

 is true it may be a disadvantage in the fall 

 of the year when it is a little cool; but at 

 such times bees are not rearing brood as a 

 rule. 



Mr. Bain also finds that a colony out in the 

 open, and on the west side, will be out work- 

 ing, going to the fields for pollen, hours be- 

 fore those that are situated within a compar- 

 atively few feet of ihe factory buildings. 



Some other apiarists have observed some- 

 thing similar, and we wish to suggest that 

 those who propose locating their bee-yards 

 avoid a dense morning shade. 



TWO QUEENS INTRODUCED SUCCESSpr'LLY 

 FROM THE SAME CAGE AT THE SAME TIME. 



We have before us in two separate mail- 

 ing-cages two queens that were reared to- 

 gether, and that have been doing duty side 

 by side for some time. 



As the season was drawing tD a close, our 

 Mr. Pritchardr at our north yard, had a sur- 

 plus of virgins that came near starving to 

 death. He had no place to put them, but he 

 picked out two of the best, and put them in- 

 to one Miller introducing-cage. This cage of 

 two queens was then given a compartment 

 in a baby nucleus, and, contrary to what he 

 expected, both queens were kindly receiv- 

 ed; both were fertilized, and both began lay- 

 ing side by side without showing any incli- 

 nation whatever to quarrel. 



Mr. Pritchard accounts for these two vir- 

 gins not fighting, when placed together, to 

 the fact that they were nearly starved. When 

 put in the same cage they both began to eat 

 away the candy. If they had not been near- 

 ly starved, he says the first thing they would 

 have done would be to engage in a mortal 

 combat. 



We place this before our readers as it may 

 be a hint as to how queens under some con- 

 ditions may be introduced to each other. 



PROSPECTS FOR CLOVER IN 1910. 



While the season this year for Eastern 

 clover honey has been largely a failure, the 

 prospects for this honey another year were 

 never better, if they were as good. In our 

 locality, and from the general reports that 

 are coming in, there was never a larger 

 amount of clover in the fields than this sea- 

 son. 



There will also be, in addition to the white 

 clover, immense quantities of alsike. This 

 is due to the fact that two years ago the price 

 of red-clover seed was very high, and in 

 manyloralities itwouM seem the seed would 

 fail to catch. The farmers have begun to 

 learn that alsike will take root and thrive 

 where the ordinary peavine and red would 

 make a poor showing. They havp also learn- 

 ed that alsike, when sown with timothy, 

 makes a very superior quality of hay. 



Taking every thing into consideration, we 

 haveeveryreasontobelieve that, unless there 

 be severe winter-killing, 1910 will be a banner 

 year for alsike and white-clover honey. The 

 conditions of this summer have been very 

 favorable for the growth of young clovers 

 throughout the country. While there are 

 some sections where there has been a drouth, 

 yet in the generality of cases the clovers are 

 looking remarkably well. 



the AMOUNT OF ACID USED IN SUGAR SYRUP 

 TO PREVENT GRANULATION. 



In our editorial in last issue, page 589, 

 wherein we gave general instructions on 

 how to make syrup for winter food, we in- 

 cidentally mentioned the use of honey or 

 acid to prevent granulation. Quite a num- 

 ber have since written in, asking the amount 

 of acid to a given amount of sugar. 

 ■' Dr. Miller, in his "Forty \ ears Among 

 the Bees," recommends a teaspoonful of 

 tartaric acid to every twenty pounds of su- 

 gar; Cheshire, one-half tablespoonful (or 

 one-half ounce) of vinegar with each four 

 pounds of sugar. But he says vinegar is an 

 uncertain quantity, as its effect depends up- 

 on the very variable amount of acetic acid 

 it contains. He says, therefore, that tartaric 

 or citric acid may well replace it; that one- 

 fourth ounce of either will be sufficient for 

 eight pounds of sugar. 



Cheshire appears to recommend an exces- 

 sive amount of acid to the sugar, or much 

 more, in fact, than Dr. Miller. We would 

 err on the safe side by giving the smaller 

 quantity; viz., not more than a teaspoonful 



