JCr 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



March 



posed to diviile tliis into Ironi 5ch),(kx) to 

 Soo.otH.) parts. No womk-r ll'.ey (iisaj^ree 

 ainoiij^ theiiisflvt's. 



Tliat the drone pupae anion <i tlie work- 

 ers, in the above mentioned exjjerinients, 

 were positively drones and nothinjj else, 

 was determined b\' a very careful exam- 

 iu;ition. 



I have not yet experimented in rearinj^ 

 queens from eggs laid in drone cells, but 

 will do so duriniz: the coming season, 

 along this same line as laid down in the 

 Dickel theory. This is probably the only 

 sure method bv which the ])roblem may- 

 be solved; as the only thing for us to do 

 is to properly condition the bees and 

 supply the eggs from the drone cells. 



Scientists do not claim that the sperm- 

 atheca of the queen is replenished natural- 

 ly, but that, when it is exhausted she be- 

 comes useless. Prof. Metzger takes oppos- 

 ing ground upon this question. 



Theilmanton, Minn., Jan. 26, 1900. 

 ^ « » 

 "Paper Bonnets " 



BY 3WAKTHMORE. 



If&N the locality about Philadelphia 

 S extra protection to colonies wintered 

 -^ out of doors is not absolutely necessary 

 for success, providing the hives are kept 

 perfectly dry and contain ample stores 

 with some ob.struction to break the force 

 of prevailing winds. The bees are almost 

 certain to go through the winter in good 

 strength and to build up rapidly in the 

 spring without further consideration. 



I have found heavy roofing paper very 

 useful in the apiary both summer and 

 winter — in summer as a sun-bonnet and in 

 winter as a rain coat; in fact, the arrange- 

 ment has proven so very satisfactory to 

 me that I cannot refrain from giving a 

 detailed description of these "paper bon- 

 nets," for the benefit of those of your 

 readers who keep bees in a semi-mild 

 climate. 



Tlie paper I use is prepared in resin and 

 is perfectly water-proof, yet easily folded 

 at will without breaking, as tag paper 



may be. It comes in rolls and costs onU- a 

 few cents ])er hundred square feet, in 

 (luantity. 



.As soon as cool weather comes on, 1 re- 

 nio\e the enameled .sheet and substitute 

 the carjjet 1 Brussels is the most satisfac- 

 tory winter covering) ; also put on absorb- 

 ent-mat. I then lay over several thick- 

 nesses of folded newspapers and cover all 

 with the regular hive lid. Over the 

 top of lid more newspapers are laid to 

 give the roof a roimded .shape .so as to 

 shed water readily. Then over this is 

 placed a single sheet of the resin -saturated 

 paper cut the exact size of the cover tops. 

 Now fold a large sheet of the water-proof 

 paper over all neatly, somewhat like a 

 carton, and tie it down snugh' with a 

 single strand of stoiit cord, carried around 

 the hive, to bind the edges and the 

 corners of the covering. Thus are my 

 bees prepared for winter. 



These "bonnets" are easily removed 

 and should last several seasons if given a 

 coat of roofing paint as soon as they be- 

 come weather-w^orn. They are as easily 

 packed away when not in use as are so 

 many sheets of paper when made into a 

 close roll. The smaller sheets are always 

 useful for placing between supers already 

 prepared for the honey flow; or between - 

 empty cases and hive bodies left out of 

 doors for any reason whatsoever. These 

 paper sheets are also invaluable for pro- 

 tecting partly-drawn combs in boxes, and 

 I could not get along without them 

 now that I know their sterling worth in 

 the production of comb honey. 



During the warm season the "bonnets" 

 are used to protect the bees from the 

 scorching rays of the sun and to keep the 

 boxes clean and the supers warm and dry 

 before and after the mid-summer spell. 

 Of course the extra under covers of news- 

 papers are removed as soon as they are 

 not needed to hold heat in the supers; 

 the oil-cloth is substituted for the mat as 

 soon as active operations begin in the 

 spring. 



Swarthmore, Pa. 



