11H>3 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



KEEPING BEES ON SHARES. 



(By L. E. Kerr.) 



IT would not be suri)rising if some 

 of the brethren have had sutficient 



experience along this line to do them 

 for a good while; but this is no reason 

 for supposing that bees cannot be prof- 

 itably kept on shares, or that all who 

 meddle with this kind of fire are bound 

 to get their lingers burned. In fact, 

 I have found that this is sometimes a 

 very good way for the apiarist who is 

 overstocked to manage his surplus col- 

 onies, and is also a good and cheap 

 way to get started in bee culture. 



One hundred colonies are as many as 

 can be profitably kept in a place here; 

 and I find this to be much better than 

 starting a number of out-apiaries, 

 which entails a large expenditure of 

 money and constant attention. 



I have kept bees on shares and have 

 let them out on shares, for a number 

 of 3-ears, and I have yet to have the 

 slightest trouble with anyone with 

 whom I have dealings in this respect. 



A division of stock is made in early 

 autumn and each party takes his 

 chances of wintering. The old colo- 

 nies, of course, are not divided, but 

 remain the property of him who lets 

 them out in the spring, for a share of 

 what they may produce in swarms and 

 honey. 



In letting bees out on shares, I am 

 free to turn my attention to other mat- 

 ters, and at the end of the season my 

 number of colonies is somewhat in- 

 creased and I get a nice lot of honey 

 from each of the parties who are keep- 

 ing bees for me in this way, and all 

 this is clear gain. While one has the 

 whole product of an out-apiary, after 

 the expenses are taken out the profit 

 is more than apt to fall below what it 

 would have been if the bees had been 

 out on shares, for half. 



It was necessity which compelled me 

 to adopt this method of managing my 

 surplus colonies at the start; but 1 

 am free to put my surplus of some 200 

 colonies into out-apiaries and attend 

 them myself, and do not care to. 



For the man who has nothing else 

 to do but to go around and tend to his 

 out-apiaries, these may sometimes be 

 made quite profitable; but for one who 

 has other matters to claim a good 

 share of his attention, it may be the 



best to let his surplus colonies out on 

 shares. 

 Hurricane, Ark., Nov. 20, 1902. 



WINTERING. 



How a Maine Bce-Keeper Avoids Carrying Bees 

 to and from the Cellar. 



(By Rev. C. M. Herring.) 



MY last device is a saving of time, 

 labor, and profit. To carry bees 

 into the cellar in autumn, and 

 then lug them out in the spring, is 

 hard work. During hot weather, in 

 the cellar, when there comes a thaw, 

 if the bees are fastened into the hives, 

 they become restless, and are liable to 

 relax into filth and disease, but if they 

 are left open they crawl out, and are 

 wasted on the cellar bottom'; so that 

 recently I have found a better way. I 

 winter my bees now, without moving 

 them from their summer stands. 



My hives are arranged on two con- 

 tinuous planks, eight inches from the 

 ground, in a long line, on the south side 

 of my buildings, four feet away. 



In front of this line, about two feet, 

 I have planted a row of grape vines, 

 which are on posts and wires, and 

 they go up about eight feet. These 

 vines, in the first of the season, are 

 without leaves; but as the heat of sum- 

 mer comes on, they are covered with 

 dense foliage, which affords the bees a 

 delightful and refreshing shade. 



These vines also furnish the family, 

 in various ways, with refreshing con- 

 diments, and a sweet beverage, besides 

 giving me first premiums at our fairs. 



Inside the hives I spread over the 

 frames, lifted one-half inch, four or 

 five warm blankets, and outside, I wrap 

 the hives carefully and snugly, in tarred 

 paper, fastened closely with strips of 

 wood. Then I cover each hive with a 

 strongly made cao. nearly three feet 

 square, which in summer aflfords shade, 

 and in winter gives protection from 

 storms and wet. 



Sometimes I wrap my hive in a warm 

 blanket, old coat, quilt, which under 

 this cap. gives grand success. 



Then when I contract the entrances 

 three-fourths I say to old winter: "You 

 may do your best; my bees are safe: 

 let the frosts sting, and let the tempests 

 howl, my bees will conquer the ele- 

 ments, and will show up well in the 

 opening season." 



Brunswick, Maine, Nov. 23, 1902. 



