JUNE 1, 1912 



343 



Sweet clover harvested for seed by a self-binder. 



hive may be drummed out in the begin- 

 ning, with as many bees as convenient, and 

 then killed. The hives are adjusted as above 

 described, and as seen in the illustration on 

 page 309, last issue, and the bees drummed 

 out and dumped at the entrance. All sub- 

 sequent steps are the same as above describ- 

 ed and illustrated. 



STORING EBIPTY COMBS. 



Mention was made of storing frames of 

 honey in the annex, taken from the brood- 

 chamber during a good honey-flow. I 

 would here emphasize the importance of 

 this measure as a means of relieving the con- 

 gestion of the hive at a time when it aids 

 in controlling the swarming impulse. These 

 combs are not taken from the bees, but they 

 at once divide their forces to care for them 

 in their new location. This division of work 

 depletes the hive of a class of workers that 

 naturally retire to a place of least resistance 

 as they grow old and less fitted for the ardu- 

 ous duties of field work, thus adding another 

 element in swarm control. Fig. 7 illustrates 

 my method of storing empty extracting 

 combs over the annexes after the season is 

 over. The few combs with a little honey 

 in, at the last extracting should be left, and 

 also some partly filled sections, as food for 

 the guards while taking care of these empty 

 combs. These should be scattered through 

 ^he stacks of supers. So long as the weather 

 is warm enough for the bees to leave the 

 cluster they will be found scattered through 

 the piles of combs, and the combs will be 

 kept free from worms and mold, and per- 

 fectly sweet. 



In closing these three articles I wish to 

 add that, if this discussion had been writ- 

 ten for the veteran beekeeper alone, very 



much might have been omitted. In fact, it 

 is only necessary for the veteran to see the 

 cuts and illustrations, and get the principle 

 of the method, to see at once the large field 

 of the device. But these articles were in- 

 tended to explain fully in plain language 

 merely the chief uses of the controller for 

 the beginner and veteran, and therefore it 

 was necessary to give a detailed description 

 of the various manipulations mentioned. 

 Auburndale, Fla. 



THE HARVESTING OF SWEET CLOVER FOR 

 SEED 



The Best Time for Cutting; How to Save All the 

 Seed 



BY FRANK COVBRDALB 



The accompanying illustration shows a 

 field of white sweet clover shocked and dry. 

 We stacked this later, and did not hull it 

 until it had gone through "the sweat;" then 

 it hulled out very nice and clean. If hull- 

 ed when tough and damp much seed would 

 be left in the straw, and a good deal would 

 also be left unhulled. 



The harvesting of sweet-clover seed is very 

 easy, as the self-binder ties it up perfectly 

 and without strain. A big field can be 

 tied and shocked in one day; and when in 

 shock it is safe from all elements that might 

 scatter the seed. If the field is harvested 

 when still somewhat green the straw makes 

 considerable roughage for the cattle and 

 horses; but the seed crop will be lighter and 

 of poorer quality. For this reason we now 

 believe that it is best to let the field stand 

 until well ripened — in fact, just as ripe as 



