GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



food are taken or added, the number of 

 combs so used is placed beside the minus 

 or plus sign. When through, the date is 

 written at the top of the column, and the 

 record is comiolete. 



Placing the signs in the undated column 

 is for work to be done. Putting the date 

 at the top of the column says it has been 

 done. An omission of indicated work is 

 fixed by canceling the indication. 



Only one caution is necessary, and that 

 has to do with the use of letters. Try to 

 use such as can not be interpreted in two 

 or more different ways. For example, + 

 2 S in the "food" square might mean two 

 supers added, either "comb" or "extract- 

 ed," or it might be read as two pounds of 

 syrup given. Hence, the "S" must be qual- 

 ified by "C" or "Ex," for the different su- 

 pers, and by "lb. Sy" for pounds of syrup. 

 These features will quickly reveal them- 

 selves, but it is better to know them first 

 and start right. 



The records are best kept on loose leaves 

 of stiff paper or cardboard held in thin 

 tough covers by pieces of tape or string 

 passed through the holes. Five cards will 

 hold the records for 99 colonies. Usually 

 the six columns will suffice for a season's 

 work, when honey only is worked for; but 

 when working for increase by building up 

 nuclei, more room is needed; and in that 

 case records are carried forward to new 

 cards, when the earlier sets become filled. 

 The carrying forward is simple, however, 

 for all one needs is the grade number in 

 the "colony" square, the queen's record in 

 the "queen" square, and the nature of the 

 work to be done or feature to be inspected 

 on the next visit; and in actual practice 

 I find a page (ten colonies) can be trans- 

 ferred in about three minutes, less for 

 honey-producing colonies, more for colo- 

 nies which have been built up, because 

 then the grade has to be estimated from 

 the additions. Sometimes it is easier with 

 these colonies merely to transfer the queen 

 record and indicate the work probably 

 (•ceded, leaving the "gi'ade" to be filled in 

 the "colony" square when the colony is 

 inspected. 



The lines on the cards are printed, as 

 ])rinter's ink will not blur if wet, as do 

 lines ruled on. The printing is cheap, 

 as only parallel lines are set up, and then 

 the cards are run through the press twice 

 for each side, the second time the cards 

 being run through at right angles to what 

 they were at first. This gives the squares. 



A black leadpencil is used for the rec- 

 ords, as it will not blur if wet ; and. by 



using one of the right quality the records 

 will not smut. 



To give the system a trial, any one can 

 easily make up a few sheets after the de- 

 sign shown, and follow the instructions, 

 varying them, if he wishes to suit his own 

 particular conditions or desires. It has 

 fulfilled every need with me, and has served 

 me no end of time, labor, and thought. I 

 can heartily recommend it. 



Providence, R. I., Aug. 12. 



EXCESSIVE SWARMING IN AUGUST 



BY S. A. FULLER 



I have been having the time of my life 

 for the last three weeks with my 150 

 colonies, for they have been swarming. On 

 Aug. 1 I extracted and cleaned up comb- 

 honey supers especially to make room, and 

 they certainly had no lack of room. When 

 the first swarm came out I opened the hive 

 and cut out all queen-cells, put the swarm 

 back where it came from, and put a queen- 

 trap at the entrance. I went through all 

 my hives and cut out queen-cells when 

 started, and put on all the traps that I 

 had. But they swarmed just the same. I 

 had four large swarms go together — three 

 from trapped hives and one from a hive 

 having no trap. I cut cells out of one 

 hive three times, and yet these bees swarmed 

 twice. Three times a day for two weeks 

 I put them back every time (I have a 

 queen-trap on this one), and still they 

 come. I had four swarms that were so 

 large (several swarms together) that I had 

 to put them in barrels. 



The fall flow is on now from horsemint 

 and goldenrod; but so much swarming 

 will cost me the surplus. I should like to 

 see the color of the man's hair who could 

 keep these "bees from swarming this sea- 

 son. Up to now my bees have done bet- 

 ter this year than ever before. 



I now believe if I had extracted Aug. 1 

 from the brood-nest I could have prevented 

 this swarming; but it is too late to talk 

 about it now. Any way, next year I shall 

 try to avoid it. Having bees in this coun- 

 try in August is "sometliing fierce." 



Helena, Ark., Aug. 8. 



Bees Stinging Drones of Queenless Colony 



On pa?e 540, Sept. 1, in reply to Dr. Miller's 

 query, "Do bees sting drones?" you remark that 

 you "have never seen them do so. This fall, after 

 the frost has killed the flowers, unite a colony 

 that is queenless, and has lots of drones, with a 

 colony that has a queen, and observe the bees 

 stinging the drones by the hundred. This is the 

 only condition under which I have seen them 

 sting drones; but I have seen this many times. 



Sept 1 Paul Scheurinq. 



