Sd 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



-F. A. Powers' telescopic covers with cushions nailed to inner covers, showing 

 also the concrete hive-stands. 



described as white — a black §iliost would be 

 an anomaly. Since white contrasts so 

 strongly with black, it follows of necessity 

 that, in tlie white light of a summer's day, 

 a black object is more conspicuous than a 

 white one. 



A bright-red object excites anger or an- 

 noyance when inanimate as much as when 

 endowed with life. When the wearer of a 

 bright-red cloak in crossing a pasture is 

 chased by a bull, if the cloak is thrown 

 upon the ground, the angry animal attacks 

 it, giving the wearer a chance to escape. 

 Children may be rendered nervous and irri- 

 table, not only when dressed in bright-red 

 clothing, but also by sitting much of the 

 time in rooms with walls painted a glaring 

 red. But if a black shawl be thrown upon 

 the gi'ound near a hive, or be spread over a 

 bush, the bees pay no attention to it — at 

 least they do not attempt to sting it. But a 

 black animal moving about among the hives 

 excites fear, and receives more stings than 

 it would if white, because it is more con- 

 spicuous. But a beekeeper dressed in im- 

 maculate white, if he disturbs a hive of 

 cross bees, will undoubtedly be attacked. 



In the case related by Dr. Miller, where a 

 small number of bees followed the black 

 head of a hat-pin half a day, it seems 

 not improbable that the smooth shining 

 black ball exercised an attraction compara- 

 ble to that of an electric bulb for many in- 

 sects at dark. Naturally bees experience 

 an antipathy to any one working in the 

 apiary, and are inclined to follow him from 

 place to place. The shining black head of 

 the hat-pin would attract their attention 



more than any other point on the person of 

 the apiarist; and they would, therefore, be 

 likely to direct their efforts against it more 

 than to any other spot. 

 Waldoboro, Maine. 



CONCRETE HIVE-STANDS 



BY E. F. ATWATER 



Among the beekeepers of South Idaho 

 and East Oregon there ai'e probably none 

 who are deeper thinkers or moi'e thorough 

 beekeepers than Mr. F. A. Powers, of 

 Parma, Idaho. Large in person, and with 

 that cheerful disposition which makes him 

 laugh when confronted with difficulties, one 

 may well expect him to be a beekeeper of 

 originality and enterprise. 



Located on the fertile bench land at the 

 east of Parma, with an abundance of alfal- 

 fa near by, with an orchard Avindbreak, his 

 apiary of 250 colonies is very favorably 

 situated. As Mr. Powers is a specialist in 

 the production of fancy comb honey his 

 hives and appliances are built with that end 

 in view. His hive is virtually a standard 

 ten-frame hive in which he uses nine staple- 

 spaced frames and a heavy dummy. Owing 

 to the cool nights prevalent in Idaho, and 

 with a desire to maintain a favorable tem- 

 perature in comb-honey supers, as well as 

 to afford sufficient protection for wintering 

 in the mild climate of the Boise Valley, Mr. 

 Powers uses a telescoping lid pei'haps 4 

 inches deep, with a cushion over an inner 

 cover. The cover proper consists of a sim- 

 ple rim with tin or galvanized iron over the 



