I40 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



June. 



to investigate which kinds puncture the 

 red clover flowers, and introduce them. 

 This would enable our bees to obtain 

 the red clover nectar, and also increase 

 the yield of seed. 



SAINFOIN. 



Three forage plants are very exten- 

 sively cultivated in Europe. Red clov- 

 er, alfalfa and sainfoin. The sainfoin 

 more probably than the alfalfa, or at 

 any rate not less extensively. By long 

 experience, the Europeans have found 

 that the alfalfa must be cut just before 

 blossoming in order to give the best 

 hay. With the sainfoin it is the re- 

 verse; it must be cut just at the closing 

 of the blossoming period. 



In very rich lands the alfalfa yields 

 the most, but in grounds of medium 

 fertility, the sainfoin is the best- How- 

 ever, the soil must contain a large 

 proportion of lime, either natural or 

 applied, and if not permeable, must be 

 deeply subsoiled, as the sainfoin is also 

 a deep rooted plant. 



In a great part of Europe, the land 

 is so thoroughly cultivated that the na- 

 tural resources of nectar have practi- 

 cally disappeared, and in many portions 

 the sainfoin is the main supply of hon- 

 ey. It is cut twice a" year and there- 

 fore gives two separate yields of honey, 

 each lasting about twenty-five days. 

 The second yield is somewhat uncer- 

 tain, as sometimes the weather is too 

 dry. 



FOUNDATION 



In looking over the illustrated ad- 

 vertisements of the French bee-papers 

 I note that the foundation is sold there 

 often in rolls, the apiarist cutting it 

 himself in proper lengths. 



COLD AND WARM FRAMES. 



It is often insisted in Europe that the> 

 frames placed across the entrance are 

 warmer than those running from front 

 to back- At first sight it looks ridicu- 

 lous; yet when the wind strikes at the 

 entrance it can blow clear to the rear 

 between the combs placed lengthwise, 

 while the frames placed across obstruct 

 it. Mr. E. Laglaine, (Revue Eclectique 

 February, 1903,) discusses the question 

 of warmth and" ventilation thoroughly. 

 Among other interesting points, he 

 says that there is no need of top ven- 

 tilation, and that the entrances do not 



need to be very large (in winter), be- 

 cause the carbonic acid produced by the 

 respiration, being heavier than the air, 

 will, so to speak, fall down to the floor 

 and escape through the entrances. 

 This point is certainly worth consider- 

 ing. 



POLLEN IN THE SPRING. 



Often in the spring, there is not 

 enough pollen to be had for all the 

 brood that could be raised. Often also, 

 the weather is too bad for the bees 

 to take the flour outside. Mr. Leon 

 Bierlaen (Le Progres Apicole, Novem- 

 ber, 1902,) advise to throw some flour 

 between the combs. The bees will take 

 care of it. 



INTRODUCING QUEENS 



Mr. Fitzhofif, (Journal de 1' Abeille 

 rhenane), says he put the caged queen 

 in the hive. Next day, he takes the 

 cage (queen included) puts it in a cup 

 of cold water and then turns the wet 

 queens loose. He says he has never 

 lost a queen, even when introducing to 

 colonies with fertile workers. Though 

 he does not say so, I presume that the 

 queen is alone in the cage, without 

 candy or attendants. 



APIFUGE. 



In a quart of boiling water put one 

 ounce of carbolic acid (crystals) and 

 one ounce of glycerine. When needed, 

 wet a cloth with thejnixture and put 

 on the supers to be cleared. A few 

 minutes will empty them of all the 

 bees. 



DRONES OR NO DRONES. 



L'Abbe Martin ( L'Apiculteur No- 

 vember, 1902), asks whether it is well 

 to curtail the production of drones, as 

 much as is generally done, or rather 

 claimed- He goes over the well known 

 arguments, pro and con, and finally 

 gives his opinion that the amount of 

 worker eggs that a queen can lay may 

 be limited, and that the suppression of 

 some four or five ^thousand drones 

 might not mean an increase of some six 

 or seven thousands of workers, but 

 simply a loss of drones and a loss of 

 the heat they produce, thereby forcing 

 a portion of the field worker to stay 

 at home. 



