AUGUST 15, 1912 



These stakes are square at the top, and 

 are an inch and a half or more in diameter; 

 and when set in the gTound they jDroject 

 ten or more inches above the ground. I 

 commence at the northwest corner and 

 number across one row of groups, and then 

 go back to the west and number across an- 

 other row, just as one would do in reading 

 a, page. On the west side of the first stake 

 is Xo. 1 ; on both the north and south side 

 is No. 2 ; and on the east side is No. 3, and 

 so on with each group. With this arrange- 

 ment a person soon learns the location each 

 number occupies. The number designating 

 the middle hive of each grouji contains the 

 number of the colony, both on the side next 

 to the hive and also on the opposite side of 

 the stake. By this airangement a person 

 standing in any position in the apiary can 

 see one or more of the numbers of the 

 group, or a gi'oup next to the group which 

 it is desired to notice. If desired, the stakes 

 can easily be moved while mowing the aisle, 

 and then set back in their places. 



I purchased a blank book of sufficient 

 «ize, and numbered the pages up to the 

 number of colonies in the apiary. Then 

 each year I make the date of the year and 

 then make a record of each colony, what- 

 ever is desired. AYhen clipping queens dur- 

 ing apple bloom I note whether the queen 

 is old or young, and the condition of the 

 colony as to the strength and amount of 

 stores. I also record when special queens 

 are given, etc. As I liive the swarm, when 

 permitted to swarm, on the old stand, or if 

 I use the Alexander method, somewhat 

 modified, of making increase, the old queen 

 always remains on the old stand unless, for 

 some other purpose, she is changed; then 

 a record of the change is made. With tliis 

 method I can readily refer to any number 

 ■desired, both in the book and also in the 

 a,piary. 



AVlien several colonies alike are requir- 

 ing attention I place the numbers on a little 

 board and put it in my tool-box, where it is 

 ■convenient. 



Huntington, Ind. 



[Like Mr. Southwood we favor putting 

 liive numbers on stakes rather than on the 

 hives. At our hom.e yard, a substantial 

 hard-wood stake with cross-arms on it sup- 

 ports the grajDevine which stands just in 

 the rear of each hive. Our hive numbers 

 ^vill be found about two feet from the 

 ground, tacked to the north side. The ad- 

 vantage of this arrangement is that the 

 Mve may be shifted about, leaving the num- 

 bers right Avhere they should be found. 

 When numbers are attached to hives, and 

 it becomes necessary to move any particu- 



lar hive, the number tag must be removed 

 or else it causes endless confusion in trying 

 to find that particular hive number out of 

 its regular position. When the apiarist 

 goes through his yard he can make his rec- 

 ords on a card index. 



At the present time, however, we are us- 

 ing a scheme of wooden tablets for records 

 on the hives. But we still use numbers to 

 designate places where certain queens, 

 brood, or other material may be found. We 

 will illustrate this scheme a little later. 



One side of the wooden tablet is painted 

 red, and the other Avhite. The latter holds 

 the record in leadpencil. When the former 

 is turned outward it shows that the colony 

 needs attention. The wooden tablets are 

 held in place on the side of the hive by 

 means of brass spring clips. — Ed.] 



HIVE FOR USE DURING A TIME WHEN ROB- 

 BERS ARE BAD 



A Bee-cage Designed to Fit tiie Top of tiie Hive 



BY LANE S. LEONARD 



Every beeman knows what it is to open 

 hives and work with bees when honey is 

 scarce in the field, and surrounding bees 

 eager for robbing; yet various tilings often 

 make this unavoidable. Where hives stand 

 on benches or on the side of a hill, or close 

 together, a bee-tent is out of the question. 

 Careful management at such times often 

 deluded me into the idea that, in spite of 

 the annoying robbers, I had little or no loss 

 by them; yet by the next morning many 

 (sometimes very many) dead bees would lie 

 in front of the hives where I had worked. 



To overcome the trouble I constructed 

 what, for the want of a better name, I call 

 a bee-cage. It is about 3 ft. high, and a 

 little over 2 ft. wide. The operator, who 

 stands at the back of the cage, is shielded 

 by burial? tacked on the rear of the top ard 

 rear edges of the sides and bottom. It is 

 designed to rest on top of the hive or on the 

 super after the liive-cover is removed. The 

 bottom of the cage is provided with an 

 opening to match the opening of the hive, 

 so that, when the cage rests on top of the 

 hive, the opening in the bottom fits snug 

 and even with that of the hive; and, being 

 wider than the hive, it affords sufficient 

 room • and unobstructed access to the 

 frames, and enables one to handle them at 

 will. A bee-escape is arranged at the to]) 

 so that any bees that crawl up the screen 

 will find their way out. 



The cage being made of light half-inch 

 boards, with wire gauze for the front and 

 sides, is easily handled, especially after a 



