GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



I have hived two swarms this week, fol- 

 lowing expert Alpaugh's method with the 

 dishpan and sheet, with very good success 

 indeed — no stings at all, and five hives in 

 stock. 



Why don't more women keep bees 1 



You know they say a woman is determin- 

 ed to have the last word. It is my opinion 

 that, if more women would show their de- 

 termination in beekeeping, there would be 

 more peace and harmony in our world. 



South Berwick, Me. 



REPORT OF THE SEASON AROUND CINCIN- 

 NATI 



SEVEN "OUTDOOR" COMBS, 15 INCHES 

 WIDE AND 2>^ FEET LONG 



BY HARRY HEWITT 



I commenced keeping bees only a year 

 ago, taking up wild swarms, which seem to 

 be quite jolentiful in this section. I found 

 19 bee-trees last summer. 



The other day I made a unique find 

 which may interest you. I found bees feed- 

 ing on huckleberry blooms, and I "lined" 

 them IV2 miles before finding the swarm. 

 They have made their home among the top 

 branches of a small oak, about ten feet 

 from the ground. The combs, quite ex- 

 posed, are about 2V2 feet long by 14 or 15 

 inches wide, and the bunch is about seven 

 combs thick. I should judge the nest to be 

 quite a year old. 



Apopka, Fla., Jan. 29. 



How the Large Acreages of Sweet Clover were 

 Made Available for the Bees 



BY HENRY REDDERT 



"Outdoor" colony in Florida that have lived in these 

 exposed combs over a year. 



On page 430, July 15, I notice the honey 

 report up to July 9. No report being in- 

 cluded from this district I will try to give 

 as accurate a report as possible. 



Up to date (July 18) sweet and white 

 clover are still in full bloom. It rained 

 liere every day this month except one. Clo- 

 ver began blooming about June 15, and on 

 June 20 it was in full bloom. The bees 

 have worked every day since; and, accord- 

 ing to present indications, clover will bloom 

 this entire month and into August. New 

 bloom is forming as fast as the old goes to 

 seed. Fruit bloom, locust, dandelion, Chi- 

 nese aster, all were good forerunners of the 

 clover yield ; and beekeepers having strong 

 colonies this spring will harvest a heavy 

 crop. 



Under the above conditions bees built up 

 strong, and swarmed heavily at the begin- 

 ning of the season. Mine began swarming 

 the last week in May, and kept it up two 

 weeks in June. All the swarms will give a 

 surplus. Besides, the parent colonies built 

 up strong after swarming, assuring a heavy 

 crop. All the beekeepers I came in contact 

 with inform me the same conditions prevail 

 in their apiaries. However, there are some 

 heavy winter losses, due to the scant honey 

 crop of last season. One man lost 30 col- 

 onies out of 90 ; another, 37 out of 40, hav- 

 ing but 3 left. This last named may also 

 have had disease; but I can not verify 

 it, as I have the report second hand. We 

 all lost more or less; but the above named 

 are among the heaviest losses. 



There are many people in the bee busi- 

 ness with very little theoretical experience 

 in the beginning of their career, making 

 success impossible, and dangerous to their 

 neighbors. These, of course, will have no 

 heavy yield to report — probably none; but, 

 taken as a whole, we have a good honey 

 year for those witli good healthy colonies. 



Sweet clover has had a bounce year. All 

 the hills and valleys are covered. Some 

 people cut it down (but not many) about 

 June 10; but I notice that some clover is 

 now in full bloom. We petitioned our 

 Mayor, Henry T. Hunt, to request the 

 council to see to it that the sweet clover 

 be saved when the weeds were cut. Before 

 he sent our letter to the council, he gave it 

 to the reporters of the daily papers. The 

 next day it appeared in every paper, Eng- 



