156 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



A typical " bee mistress " of the Cotswold Hills, England. The old picturesque straw skeps are rapidly 

 disappearing, giving place to more practical modern equipment. 



trance to the old hive was closed with a 

 piece of wire screen, and then jjlaced bot- 

 tom side up, a few feet away from the old 

 stand which was now supplied with a new 

 hive with full sheets of foundation. I then 

 gave the bees a few puffs of smoke and a 

 vigorous drumming on the sides of the old 

 box. After a few minutes' intermission to 

 allow bees to fill up with honey, the bottom 

 of the old hive was removed and the swarm- 

 box placed over it, and bees rushed up into 

 it. Taking it off was a revelation, five hun- 

 dred or more queens apiDearing, which aft- 

 erward proved to be drones not yet ready 

 to fly. 



The few steps to the old stand took but a 

 moment, and the bees were shaken on to the 

 frames of foundation, and the cover re- 

 placed. Rack again for another " boxful," 

 and also the queen if not in the first lot. I 

 carried lot No. 2 to new hive and shook on 

 to a sheet spread on the grass in front of 

 the entrance, and watched for the " lady," 

 whom, I then realized, I had not yet seen. 



Soon the orderly marching of the bees in 

 one general direction and into the hive con- 

 vinced me of my success, and the work was 

 complete; I was victor and T felt I could 



do any thing with bees so liigh was my 

 elation. 



I have since had many perplexities, and 

 have yet much to learn; indeed, the possi- 

 bilities and wonders increase as 1 progress. 



Tlie result for that season was (iO lbs. of 

 iioney without a swarm from the hive which 

 we named " Original, No. 1." The next year 

 1 divided and made nuclei and called them 

 " Original, No. 2 and 3." 



In my beginning I had descriptive names 

 for colonies, given by circumstances and 

 peculiarities, or the^' took the name of the 

 party I obtained bees from, such as Smith, 

 Wilkins, Daniel's hive, etc. 



The accidental removal of the tip of a 

 leg in clipping a queen's wing gave me 

 " Clubfoot," which I especially valued, as 

 she was wonderfully prolific, and bees were 

 industrious, and were the shoAv colony of 

 the place. 



From tliis beginning has been evolved 

 Hill Crest apiarj' with an average of 50 

 colonies, and also plans for outyards and 

 a C|ueen-mating yard — all this from my 

 back-yard venture. Hill Crest comprises 

 three acres of fine land upon which I have 

 had erected a double bungalow with piazzas 



