1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



145 



bees continue to work in the old hive; and 

 when it is finally removed, all are thrown into 

 the new hive, without any of the Heddon both- 

 er. Bees on this plan swarm but little, and it 

 comes nearer being a non-swarraer than the 

 Langdon plan, in my experience. 



I have no patent on this device, and, so far as 

 I am concerned, all are free to use it. So confi- 

 dent am 1 that it is the best plan yet suggested, 

 that I shall adopt it quite generally. Some 

 have objected that an empty hive is required 

 for every hive expected to swarm. Now, the 

 prudent bee-keeper, it seems to me, would al- 

 ways have such hives provided, anyhow; be- 

 sides, most of us. of late years, have more emp- 

 ty hives than we know what to do with. 



Many have ridiculed the self-hiver, but it is 

 a ghost that will not down at the bidding. The 

 advantages of such a device, to the person 

 keeping but few bees, and wHb is away from 

 home ai work all day, must be apparent. Then, 

 too. if children or the ladies are left to look out 

 for swarms, how easy it will be just to put that 

 stick in front of the entrance, and the thing is 

 done! But if no one sees the swarm at all, it 

 will be hived just as certainly, and in almost as 

 good condition. 



Milan, 111., Feb., 1894. 



[We reproduce the engraving which appeared 

 on page 7(').5 of Gleanings for 1892, in order to 

 give a clearer understanding of the hiver. We 

 may add, that the honey-board separates the 

 two entrances — the one to the old colony, and 

 the other to the empty hive in front, to be oc- 

 cupied by the swarm. The two entrances are 

 likewise separated by a slat, or low ceiling, just 

 opposite the honey-board. The queen, on com- 

 ing out with the swarm, and failing to go 

 through the perforated zinc, will pass through 

 holes in the slat covered by wire-cloth cones, 

 a la Alley. The slat and the cover are not 

 shown in the engraving, but should be repre- 

 sented between the two entrances back of the 

 perforated zinc in front. 



Regarding the merits of the Pratt and Dib- 

 bern, we would say, that, where there are a 

 large number of drones, the Dibbern will doubt- 

 less give better satisfaction. But whe/e all 

 worker-brood foundation is used, as it is in 

 most well-regulated apiaries, there will be so 

 few drones that there will be no appreciable 

 trouble from them. The Pratt worked nicely 

 for us; and as it seems to us to be much simpler 

 in construction and manipulation, we should 

 prefer it. especially in its modified form. Pratt 

 originally had his hiver constructed, one hive 

 in front of the other; but as this necessitated 

 the use of two bottom -boards, the mutilation of 

 one of them, a "bridge" to connect the two 

 hives, and a perfectly level plot of ground (a 

 condition that does not always exist), he adopt- 

 ed the form of one hive over the other. Dib- 

 beru's hiver could be constructed on the tiered- 



nj) plan as easily as Pratt's, and we would 

 suggest that friend Dibbern try a few that way. 



We want to say amen" to his last paragraph. 

 -Ed.I 



CALIFORNIA STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIA- 

 TION. 



By J. H. Mdrthi. 



Quite a number of bee-keepers were seen con- 

 centrating toward the Chamber of Commerce, 

 in Los Angeles. Jan. 23d, and King-bee J. F. 

 Mclntyre rapped the meeting to order at 10 



A. M. 



The usual routine of business was attended 

 to, and the regular program was taken up. 

 Mr. Francis W. Blackford, of Saugus, present- 

 ed a paper entitled, *" Is the Honey-bee in Cali- 

 fornia the Fruit-producer's Enemy ?" Mr. Cory 

 then presented a paper bearing upon the kin- 

 dred subject of bees and fruit-drying. During 

 the discussion which followed it was suggested 

 that the fruit-trays be covered with cloth; but 

 inasmuch as, in the drying of fruit in large 

 quantities, the spread is several acres, it was 

 figured that an acre would tax the fruit-dryer 

 to the amount of $121 per acre for cloth. It 

 was considered as an expensive measure, and 

 the subject was dropped without a suitable 

 remedy being found. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The various restaurants around the Chamber 

 were well patronized; and. from the happy re- 

 marks that fell from the various representa- 

 tives, they were well taken care of by the cater- 

 ers to the needs of the inner man. 



President Mclntyre read his annual address, 

 and touched upon various points of vital inter- 

 est to the bee-keepers of the State. These 

 points were afterward acted upon by the va- 

 rious committees. 



Mr. Cory, in a brief paper, considered tare on 

 honey cases and cans. It was the sense of the 

 committee that tare should be allowed only on 

 the case. More tare was exacted than the 

 weight of can and case allowed. Mr. Mendle- 

 son claimed that he lost 1438 lbs. on his honey 

 crop by this unjust tare. 



Mr. Brodbeck very happily called his paper a 

 "Medley," and touched upon several subjects. 



The Ventura hive came in for a share of dis- 

 cussion. This hive has been the standard hive 

 for Ventura Co. for several years, and the bee- 

 keepers of that county would like to make it 

 the standard for California. Seventeen, mostly 

 Ventura Co. men, voted that way; and as there 

 was no opposing vote, although there were over 

 f)Q persons present, we have no doubt Ventura 

 has set the pattern, and made it a standard for 

 the State; size of frame, top-bar, 19>2; bottoms, 

 17K; end -bar, 8K- 



After the standard hive was adopted, Mr. 

 Mercer, a Ventura man, kicked over the traces, 

 so to speak, and advocated a shallow divisible 



