APRIL 1, 1913 



I have a chimney on the north end, and 

 a stove for melting wax or making feed. I 

 have a floor 7 feet above the north floor, 

 and one Qi/^ feet above the south floor. 

 These floors do not quite meet in the mid- 

 dle; and as one is 2^/2 feet higher than the 



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Elevation, floor lev£lsW 



other, with an ordinary step-ladder costing 

 75 cents there is no trouble in getting up- 

 staii-s; and I can stand on the floor of the 

 extracting part and hand up any thing I 

 wish to the south upper floor; and when up 

 I can pass it over to the north floor. 



This house is bee-proof and mouse-proof, 

 and the combs are stored in winter in the 

 lower level, nine stories high. The upper 

 floor south is cut back over the step so as 

 to leave head room. The diagi-ams will 

 illustrate this. 



Islington, Ont., Feb. 1. 



THE AUTO TRUCK FOR MIGRATORY BEE- 

 KEEPING 



BY W. W. VICKERY 



There have been some inducements for 

 migratoiy beekeeping in our river-bottom 

 cornfields, where, by selection at favorable 

 fall seasons, we command pasturage almost 

 solid with vines and other honey-plants on 

 3000 to 4000 acres, all cornfields, every acre 

 of wliich is honey-bearing. 



The auto truck has been a quick and con- 

 venient way of moving bees to and from 

 these fields, and it often saves two hours on 

 a six-mile and return trip. 



Hives should be bound with twine and 

 securely screened, and, if moved at night, 

 promptly after loading, are not apt to 

 smother if properly ventilated. I would ad- 

 vise extra care in tying the load on firmly 

 in addition to the wrapping of hives. The 

 vibration and danger of bumps in the road 

 would make stapling unsafe. 



There has been a much greater test on our 

 Reo truck in delivering groceries every day 



V 



231 



than the occasional trips demanding service 

 in the capacity of hauling bees. 



Bees hauled in daylight would be safer if 

 covered over with tarpaulin, or cui-tained 

 down all around. A lighted smoker at hand 

 will save time where a leak occurs. 



WINTERING REPORT. 



I have just inspected 

 88 colonies of bees, and 

 find some loss, owing to 

 warm January (39 de- 

 gi'ees average), folloAv- 

 ed by the severely cold 

 weather the first half of 

 February. Fifteen colo- 

 nies were lost ; twenty 

 had to receive combs 

 from heavy ones, of 

 which there are still 

 over 40 in first-class con- 

 dition. Some colonies 

 lost had considerable 

 brood and honey. Does water carried in 

 for feeding cause extra exposure? or when 

 brood is started and the cold weather pre- 

 vents any more trips to the source of water 

 supply, does loss result ? We have water in 

 a ditch ten feet from the hives. Tempera- 

 ture 65 degi-ees, no pollen; bees robbing 

 and hunting honey where bees are dead. 

 Evansville, Ind, 



[We do not know that we quite under- 

 stand you when you ask, " Does water car- 

 ried in for feeding cause extra exposure? 

 We suppose that what you mean by this is, 

 " Does the water carried in cause more 

 brood-rearing, and does that extra brood- 

 l-earing require the bees to expand their 

 cluster to a larger size ? " Yes, in such a 

 case a cold spell coming on would do dam- 

 age to the cluster and to the brood. We do 

 not think water is absolutely necessary for 

 brood-rearing, because we have had a large 

 amount of brood hatched in our cellars. 

 Last winter some colonies began brood- 

 rearing in December and January; and 

 when we took them out on the 12th of 

 March they were much stronger than when 

 we put them in. The bees were bright and 

 healthy. Certainly the bees in the cellar 

 could get no water except what might have 

 condensed under the hive-lids. At one of 

 our cellars there was some condensation, for 

 water stood in drops from some of the hive 

 lids; but in the other cellar, where the tem- 

 perature was higher, there was no conden- 

 sation, but brood-rearing went on just the 

 same from December to March 1. — Ed.] 



