THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



133 



pass and a large portion of the 

 honey go ungathered. 



It will pay you always, when 

 securing honey for the market, to 

 use only the neatest and best sec- 

 tions and cases ; do not think for 

 one moment that those who cry 

 cheapgoods furnish first-class goods ; 

 It is very aggravating to find when 

 your goods arrive that thej^ are 

 not cut accurately and are made 

 from cull lumber : as some writ- 

 ers say, " we know how it is. " 

 Whatever you purchase let it be a 

 good article and it will repay you 

 many times for the difference in cost. 



Do not be in too great a hurry 

 to remove the chaff cushions or 

 packing ; blankets will be useful 

 for some time yet. 



In fastening foundation in the 

 sections we always found a mixture 

 made as follows the best thing with 

 which to do it. 



Take two parts rosin and one 

 part beeswax and melt them to- 

 gether ; to use it take the section 

 in one hand and the foundation in 

 the other. Touch one edge of the 

 strip of foundation into the heated 

 mixture, after which touch it upon 

 the under side of the top of the box 

 to which it will adhere. After this 

 has cooled (which will be almost 

 instantly) it will be impossible to 

 break the strip away without tear- 

 ing the foundation. After trying 

 all other methods we find this the 

 best. 



Some beekeepers pay but little 

 attention to the size of the en- 

 trances to the hives. This is quite 

 important, especially with weak or 

 medium colonies and at this time 

 in the season. 



Where the colonies are not quite 

 strong it will pay, after the bees 

 are through working for the day, to 

 contract the entrance so that it is 

 not more tlian an inch in lengtli or 

 perhaps even less. These entrances 

 should, of course, be enlarged dur- 

 ing the middle of the day. 



The contracting of the entrance 

 retains the heat and favors brood 

 rearing. 



When putting on sections do not 

 give the bees more room than they 

 can fill ; and sometimes, if the bees 

 are a little reluctant about going 

 into the sections, it may be wise to 

 hang a comb of hatching brood in 

 the story with the section until 

 the}' get started, and in all cases 

 when handling the bees look out 

 that you do not leave the queen out- 

 side. Sometimes when removing 

 the cloth covers we have found the 

 queens on them ; look out for this, 

 as it does not pay to lose a queen 

 just when you need her the most. 

 Never lose an opportunity to sow 

 some Bokhara or sweet clover seed 

 in the waste spots ; the more pas- 

 turage the more honey, and this 

 poor land might as well yield some 

 returns. 



While those Avho have time and 

 inclination can rear their own 

 queens yet we know that those who 

 give their time and study to queen- 

 rearing can produce better queens 

 on the average than those reared 

 by the general beekeeper, and we 

 would advise our readers who wish 

 to purchase first-class breeding- 

 queens to procure them from some 

 reliable breeder who gives the 

 queen breeding department his per- 

 sonal supervision. Queen-rearing 

 is no "boy's play" and more rests 

 in securing first-class breeding 

 stock than we are apt to admit. 



If you wish success, systematize 

 the work in the apiary, be prompt 

 and active and take advantage of 

 ever}' opportunity as it comes. 



EXCHANGES. 



How MUCH DOES A PoUND OF 



Honey Cost? by G. M. Doolittle. 

 — On p. 95 of Gleanings, present 



