266 



Tmm jiBiEKicMK mmm jQmmMML>. 



after the bees have worked over the 

 combs, the bee-keeper caanot tell that 

 they were ever crooked. Use all of 

 the combs in the hive. 



In about ten days the hives should 

 be examined, and if the combs are all 

 glued to the frames, remove all the 

 strings or clamps from the combs. 



I would not advise re-queening a 

 colony of bees at the time of trans- 

 ferring. My way of doing this work, 

 is to wait about three weeks, and then 

 give the bees a new queen. 



Independence, Ky. 



FRAME-COVERS. 



Simple Covers Made for Brood- 

 Clianibers of Hives. 



Written for the American Bee Jownial 

 BY RANDOLPH GRADEN. 



I have often seen items in the 

 American Bee Journal and other 

 bee-papers, describing covers for the 

 brood-chamber, some using enameled- 

 cloth, and others plain boards, etc. As 

 yet I have never seen the cover de- 

 scribed that I have used of late, still if 

 I had applied for a patent and made 

 any mention of it in the Bee Journal, 

 I doubtless would liave heard that it 

 had been in use for j-ears ! Still, I 

 really believe that it is, or has been, in 

 use, for it would seem very strange 

 that so simple a thing had never been 

 tried, or in use. 



I notice that many use Hill's device 

 for putting on the frames in the win- 

 ter. If those same parties would use 

 the cover that I am about to describe, 

 they would need no other device for 

 laying upon the frames, to make a 

 passage for the bees ; neither would 

 those that use a board (that is, if the 

 board is properly made), but there is 

 an objection to the use of a plain board 

 alone, for when you want to examine 

 a colony, and it happens to be a little 

 cool, the board comes off with a snap, 

 that arouses the whole colony. As to 

 the enameled cloth, its most serious 

 objection is the accumulation of mois- 

 ture. Tlie cover which I have used of 

 late, and which I like very much, is 

 made as follows : 



Take any thin board (I use soft, 

 porous lumber for mine), and cut it 

 one inch smallei- — that is. shorter and 

 narrower than the brood-chamber, and 

 make a hole in Iho centre, which is 

 used for different purposes — I use it in 

 feeding, etc., but it can be used for the 

 bee-escape. 



Then take two T tins (I use strips 

 of zinc, as that is stronger) and bend 

 them L shaped, the short side of the 

 L to be just scant bee-space. Then I 

 have the L a little longer than the 



board is wade, and lay the L shaped 

 strip upon the board, so that the longer 

 side of the L is on the board flat, hav- 

 ing it so that it projects a \ ox I inch 

 on each side of the board ; then cut the 

 zinc, that is, the side that lays flat to 

 the corner of the L, and lap it around 

 and against the other side, so as to 

 make the zinc stronger, and the same 

 length of the board in width. 



Tack the zinc to the underside of the 

 board, so that the zinc L sets upon the 

 brood-frames vi^here there is the most 

 strength in the frames, so that there is 

 a bee-space between the board and the 

 brood-frames, for a passage for the 

 bees. The T tins will answer the same 

 purpose as the zinc strips. 



Now put a strip of enameled cloth 

 all around the cover or board, so that 

 it will just cover the brood-chamber 

 the same as the ordinary emameled- 

 cloth covers, and it is complete. You 

 will see that you can lay the lap back 

 to peep into the hive, just the same as 

 with the enameled-cloth cover, and if 

 you twist it back and forth a little, it 

 can be taken *off as carefully as the 

 cloth cover. As the bees cannot stick 

 it fast to the tin or zinc, it will easily 

 loosen from the propolis ; and if the 

 strips of cloth are properly tacked on, 

 and the ends of the board cleated so 

 that it cannot warp, it makes a good, 

 strong cover for summer or winter. 

 Taylor Centre, Mich. 



IOWA. 



Report of llie Eastern Iowa 

 Bee-Kceper§' CoiiveiUioii. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY FRANK COVERDALE. 



On March 18, 1890, atDeWitt, Iowa, 

 was gathered a number of bee-keepers 

 of this (Clinton) and adjoining coun- 

 ties. The meeting was called to order 

 by J. M. Jacobs, who briefly stated the 

 object of the meeting to be the organi- 

 zation of a bee-convention. The fol- 

 lowing officers were elected for what 

 was named " The Eastern Iowa Bee- 

 Keepers' Association:" President, Wm. 

 Kimble ; Vice-President, J. M. Jacobs ; 

 Treasurer, L. J. Pearce— all being of 

 DeWitt ; and Secretary, Frank Cover- 

 dale, of Welton. 



The Constitution and By-Laws of the 

 Progressive Bee-Keepers' Association 

 of Western Illinois were read and 

 adopted, with the amendment that the 

 oBicers always be elected by ballot. 



The afternoon session was called to 

 order by President Kimble, and the 

 enrollment of members read. The 

 business of the meeting was then en- 

 tered upon, and the first question dis- 

 cussed, was 



HOW TO PREVENT INCREASE. 



President' Kimble said that after- 

 swarms could be prevented by cutting 

 out, on the seventh or eighth day, all 

 queen-cells but one. 



H. D. Harrington, of Calamus, stated 

 that bees would seldom swarm if given 

 plenty of room at the right time. He 

 tiers the cases from one to five high, 

 and has about one swarm from 20 

 colonies, when working for comb 

 hone}'. 



D. D. Hammond, of Malone, thought 

 that swarming could not be prevented 

 when working for comb honey, but he 

 prevented it all that he could by giving 

 plenty of room. 



H. D. Harrington said that the man 

 and the bee-hive must go together. 



David Wagoner, of Calamus, ex- 

 tracted the honey to prevent swarm- 

 ing. 



A. C. Bentley,ofM,aquoketa, thought 

 that the free use of the extractor would 

 do much toward preventing swarming. 

 " How shall we manage the swarms 

 when so many issue at once ?" was 

 asked. 



President Kimble keeps tubs of 

 water in the yard, and when the bees 

 show an indication of swarming, he 

 sprinkles them so as not to have too 

 many issue at once. 



Ex-Senator L. W. Stewart, of Mon- 

 mouth, stated that he had experienced 

 but little difficulty while his bees were 

 swarming. He keeps the queens' wings 

 clipped. 



A. M. Tinker, of DeWitt, inquired 

 what to do with colonics when they 

 did not do good work. The majority 

 of those present deemed it necessary 

 to give them a new queen. 



J. O. Ferree, of DeWitt, proposed 

 for discussion. 



THE WINTERING OF BEES. 



E. W. Coe, of Clarence, keeps, a 

 small (luantity of unslacked lime in his 

 bee-cellar during the winter, for the 

 purpose of absorbing the moisture ; 

 also raises the hives from the bottom- 

 board, giving plenty of bottom venti- 

 lation. 



A. C. Bentley keeps his bees in a 

 well ventilated cellar made speeially 

 for their use, and gives a little venti- 

 lation to his hives. His bees winter 

 successfully. 



D. D. Hammond also winters his 

 bees in a dry cellar, giving the hives a 

 good pitch forward. 



Mr. Stewart removes the tops of the 

 hives, and covers with old carpets, and 

 mats made of cotton-cloth containing 

 1.1 rolls of batting for each hive. He 

 lo'st no bees. He made a special point 

 of not taking the bees out of the cellar 

 too early — say about the middle of 

 , April, or even later. 



