268 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1. 



a greater help in securing needed legislation 

 than any thing else we can do. 

 Starkville, N. Y. 



[Mr. El wood does not write often; but when 

 he does he seems to be loaded with facts. He 

 is a keen observer, and one of the most exten- 

 sive bee-keepers in the world, and we are sure 

 our readers will read this with unusual care.— 

 Ed.] 



^ — I ^ 



THE PINES. 



windbreaks; artificial heat in bee-cel- 

 lar; V-SHAPED STARTERS NOT A SUCCESS; 

 WHEN TO SET 15EES OUT OF 

 THE CELLAR. 



By H. R. Boardman. 



It may be new to you that my home here is 

 becoming known among many of my friends by 

 the above rather unique name. The profusion 

 of ornamental pine-trees, and especially the 

 long row that constitutes a grand windbreak 

 for ray apiary and home buildings, are its ori- 

 gin. And this brings us to the subject of wind- 

 breaks. 



I am sure that, if windbreaks were fully ap- 

 preciated, there would be more of them put 

 out. They add wonderfully to the comfort of a 

 home in checking the force of the fierce winds 

 ■of winter and spring; and especially are ihey 

 valuable to the apiary— so valuable that I think 

 they deserve more than a passing notice. So 

 well protected are my premises by strong 

 dense pines that the fiercest blizzard is temper- 

 ed to a mild breeze, and it is often pleasant and 

 agreeable in the yard while the pines rock and 

 roar, and shake their heads, while outside the 

 weather is almost intolerable. No tree that I 

 know of is better adapted for windbreaks than 

 these coarse strong rapid-growing pines. So 

 much for the pines. 



The bees at "The Pines" are in splendid con- 

 dition. I set out six colonies at the beginning 

 of the warm spell, about the 3d of March, to 

 see if they still knew how to fly. Their first 

 flight showed them to be in as perfect condition 

 as in November, when they were put into the 

 bee-house, so far as I could discover; no more 

 spotting of the hives than at their last flight 

 last fall; brood-rearing is well advanced in 

 most colonies. There has been a fire in the'bee- 

 house kitchen stove once a week ever since the 

 bees were put in, until the beginning of the 

 present warm spell. Artificial heat in the bee- 

 house in winter is growing in favor with me 

 with each year's experience. 



In order to have my " hunny good the yeer 

 round," as Jake Smith says (in case I should 

 carry it over), I crated and removed it to a 

 warm corner in my dwelling-house. But I have 

 since hit upon a much better way. I sell it and 

 have it out of the way, and am ready for the 

 next season's crop. It is nearly all closed out 

 now. 



There are a few little experiences in my re- 



l\ 71 



cent work in crating and shipping honey that 

 might be worth mentioning while they are still 

 fresh in my mind. After meeting with some 

 loss and vexation by breakage in shipping, I 

 tried crating the cases into large crates, as rec- 

 ommended at the Home of the Honey-bees and 

 by others. It has proved entirely satisfactory 

 so far. 



For the last two seasons I have been trying 

 V-shaped pieces of foundation in the sections. 

 It compared so favorably dur- 

 ing the season with sections fill- 

 ed witn foundation that I be- 

 gan to be flattered that it might 

 j I be economy to use it in that 



' ' way; but I found there were 



very many of these sections with starters in, es- 

 pecially toward the close of the season, that 

 the bees forgot to attach the sides and bottom 

 entirely, or in only a frail manner. Then the 

 large amount of natural comb necessary to fill 

 the section adds still further to their frailty; 

 and while I do not object to these on this ac- 

 count for my own use, I shall hereafter use 

 foundation full width, if not full depth, for all 

 comb honey that is to be shipped. I use sec- 

 tions of two sizes — the 4)4x4J:{ in., and a larger 

 size holding about IXi lbs. When I see how 

 much nicer and better the larger size is always 

 filled, I am forcibly convinced that the one- 

 pound section has been a great mistake, a mis- 

 fortune to bee-keepers, and I am not sure that 

 it has been of any advantage to dealers. 



I do not think there is any advantage in set- 

 ting bees out of winter quarters at this time of 

 the year, provided they are in good condition; 

 but I have been watching the mercury and the 

 daily weather report with increasing anxiety 

 each day. x\s the temperature went higher and 

 higher, (iO to ()(d°, and yesterday it rested at 70° 

 for a considerable time, while in the bee-house, 

 although not as high as outside, still it was 

 warm enough, and gradually growing warmer. 

 I went in this morning and made a careful ex- 

 amination. I stood a few moments in the dark, 

 and listened attentively. The high tempera- 

 ture had increased the gentle hum of a few 

 days ago to almost a roar. Bees were making 

 aimless flights about in the dark. I struck a 

 match and lighted my lamp — temperature, 63-3. 

 Great clusters of bees were suspended beneath 

 the hives from the bottom of the frames. A 

 good many dead bees had accumulated on the 

 floor iu the last few days; many were yet strug- 

 gling, and others seemed to be playing at hop, 

 skip, and jump over their dead and dying com- 

 panions. "Oh!" said I, " this looks wicked;" 

 but I learned years ago not to allow my sympa- 

 thies on such occasions to get the better of my 

 judgment, and go and put the bees out before 

 it was time. Of course, I should prefer to con- 

 trol the temperature so that they would not fly 

 out and perish in a wholesale way, if it were 

 possible; but I know from experience, that, if 



