FEBRUARY 1, 1913 



85 



my opinion that the ability of bees to resist 

 disease depended more on their strength 

 and vigor of constitution than the color of 

 their abdominal rings. 



On the whole it now looks as though 

 the introduction of vigorous strains of Ital- 

 ian bees might, in skillful hands, prove a 

 short cut in curing European foul brood. 



NEW STYLE OF BEE-ESCAPE. 



vSpeaking of short cuts reminds me of a 

 new style of bee-escape one beekeeper 

 sliowed me. for which credit should be given 

 to A. W. Darby, of Alburgh. Vt. It was 

 simply a frame of one-inch lumber the size 

 of the brood-chamber, with thin lumber 

 one-fourth or three-eighths of an inch thick 

 nailed to one side with a three-eighths hole 

 bored in one end. into which was inserted 

 a little tube of wire cloth about three inches 

 long, and the diameter of a lead-pencil. 

 It was used as a honey-board without the 

 tube usually; but when wanted as an es- 

 cape-board it Avas placed under the super, 

 and the tube inserted. It then makes the 

 best kind of escape, and costs much less than 

 the Porter. We have tested it, and know it 

 works very satisfactorily. The same answers 

 for a lioney-board. and the originator uses 

 it for feeding and also for ventilating; for, 

 with a hole through the bottom of this 

 board, the bees in hot weather draw the air 

 down through it and out at the entrance. 

 When closed with a cover, or when a quilt 

 is placed in it in early spring, it helps to 

 retain the heat ; and during very hot weath- 

 er it is a shelter from the heat of the sun. 

 The returning bees try to get into the super 

 at the base of tlie wire-cloth tube, but not 

 at the end. We have tested it. and it works 

 perfectly. 



GREAT DIFFERENCE IN TEMPER OF BEES. 



I have found a great difference in the 

 temjier of bees in different yards. Some 



are gentle, and very easily handled, while 

 others are so cross that it is hard to find 

 words to describe them. So far I have not 



0ras8 " mown " bj sheep pastured in the yard 



been able to account for the difference. I 

 have sometimes thought some beekeepers 

 were not altogether averse to seeing the 

 inspector stung a little, as they seemed quite 

 amused at his misfortune. 



SOME ATTRACTIVE APIARIES. 



One very intelligent beekeeper had two 

 or three sheep in his bee-yard all summer. 

 They kejit it looking like a lawn, and it 

 seemed to me the best plan I have ever 

 known for keeping down the grass, as the 

 sheep were never in the way. Another bee- 

 keei^er, Mr. W. A. Grover, of New Haven. 

 Yt., had an exceedingly attractive yard and 

 honey-house. His apiary numbers 100 colo- 

 nies; and, besides, he has a large farm; 

 keeps about 15 cows 

 and 600 hens. I in- 

 quired how many doz- 

 en egg's his 600 hens 

 produced. He said he 

 did not know, but he 

 had sold $1300 worth 

 of egg's in a year, and 

 it cost him about one 

 half for feed for them. 

 He hives his early 

 swarms on old combs 

 that he has wintered 

 over ; and after a colo- 

 ny has been queenless 

 for seven or eight 

 days, or long enough 

 so that the brood is 



