340 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 29. 1902 



the crowding may meaa a loss in storing, and 

 what may be in many a case still worse, it 

 may bring on swarming. If too much room 

 is given — or what is the same thing in prac- 

 tice, it room is given too rapidly — there is 

 waste of heat in keeping warm the unneces- 

 sary room, and there is danger of having a 

 lot of sections partly tilled or filled and not 

 completed, 



<)n the whole, it is perhaps better to err on 

 the side of giving too much rather than too 

 littleroom. Only one super should be given 

 at first, and usually a second may be given 

 when the first is half filled. If the colony is 

 weak, or if the flow is such that the work 

 goes very slowly, it may be better to give the 

 second super not till the first is more nearly 

 tilled. On the other hand, if the colony is 

 strong, the flow heavy, and there is every ex- 

 pectation that a second super will be filled, it 

 may be given before the first is half filled; in 

 some cases when there is only a slight begin- 

 ning made in the first. For if there are bees 

 enough to fill promptly the two supers, they 

 may be the better tor the room. 



When there is apparent waning of the flow, 

 then one must be more chary about giving 

 room. When the close of the harvest comes, 

 whether that close be two weeks or two 

 months after the beginning, it is better that 

 there be a little crowding rather than too much 

 room. The chief reason for this lies in the 

 fact that when the bees have too much super- 

 room they are slow about sealing up the last 

 cells of a section. 



As already hinted, it is a case of guessing, 

 at best, because it can never be told in 

 advance just what the flow will be. 



Statistics of the Honey Crop seem 

 hard to get, and even when they seem to be 

 reliable it is hard to compare one region with 

 another, because when it is a good season in 

 one part it may be poor in another. The fol- 

 'lowing figures are given in Gleanings in Bee- 

 Culture: 



Texas produces IS pounds of honey per 

 sqaare mile, according to the census report 

 for 1899; California 31 pounds, according to 

 Rambler's estimate for 1901; Cuba 114 

 pounds, according to exports for 1901 ; and by 

 the same authority, Jamaica 358 pounds. 



Tiering Under or Over. — In tiering 

 up supers of sections on the hives there is 

 not entire uniformity of practice. There are 

 some reasons why each added super should be 

 put under those already given, and some rea- 

 sons why they should be put over. If they 

 are put under, the bees will be more prompt 

 about beginning work in them, and there is 

 less danger that sections will be darkened by 

 being on too long if they are some distance 

 above the brood-nest than if they are directly 

 over it. It the additional supers be placed 

 over, the filled supers under them will be 

 more promptly finished, and there will be 

 a smaller number of unfinished sections at 

 the close of the harvest. 



Perhaps the best plan is that followed by 

 many of the veterans, to put each additional 

 super under if there is a fair degree of cer- 

 tainty that it will be tilled, and when it is a 

 matter of doubt to put it over. 



\ Weekly Budget. I 



Mk. Edwin Bevins and Apiakt, of Deca- 

 tur Co., Iowa, are shown in the illustration 

 herewith. The hives had just had the winter- 

 cases set up around them when the photo- 

 graph was taken. 



Mr. Bevins sent us, several months ago, 

 some rhythmical stanzas that were written 

 before the great Chicago Fire, in 1871, when 

 he lived within about a block of where our 

 ottice is now located on Erie Street. The lines 

 were addressed to the woman whom he after- 

 ward married, being written when Mr. Bevins 

 supposed he was on his death-bed. He did 

 not send them to us for publication, but we 

 think he will not object to seeing them in 

 print. He did not place a title above the 



beginning with .July 1, for three months we 

 will close our otHce and bee-supply store at 1 

 p.m. on Saturdays. This isour usual custom. 

 Nearly all other firms here begin the Saturday 

 afternoon closing with May 1st, but we keep 

 open a month later on account of the local- 

 bee-keepers who find it more convenient to 

 call Saturday afternoons for bee-supplies. 



Chas. Schweinhaqen and Apiary are 

 shown on the front page of this issue. When 

 sending us the photograph, Mr. S. wrote thus : 



I send a picture of my apiary and myself. 

 It is hard to get a good picture of the apiary, 

 for I have too many shade-trees in the yard. 



By looking at the picture people may think 

 I am a " darky," and the only darky bee- 

 keeper in the State of Ohio. But I am not a 

 darky. I am standing under a little cherry- 

 tree, with an umbrella placed over my head 

 in the tree to keep the sun out of my face. 



Looking at the picture you look to the 

 north. The hives all face to the south, but 

 a Jew at the left in the picture are lacing the 





APIART of EDWIN BEVINS, DECATUR CO., IOWA. 



Stanzas, but we have taken the liberty to 

 name it — 



LIFE'S FAREWELL. 



My sands of life are Howing fast. 



The end of earth seems nigh. 

 But words of welcome, low and sweet. 



From a distant church-yard fly — 

 A gift of holy cheer to bring 



To loved one near to die. 



Those words of welcome, low and sweet. 



Withheld from me so long. 

 Come to me now mine e«r to soothe. 



With cadences of song; 

 Those cadences shall go with me 



E'en to the gates of doom, 

 And be prolonged when thee I greet 



Beyond the dreaded tomb. 



There shall our souls united sing 



To Him who saves from sin. 

 Glad that His love has bought tor us 



The right to enter in ; 

 And may the souls assembled 'round 



.loin to enhance seraphic sound. 



Through tribulation great is reached 



The rest for which we sigh; 

 Through agony of soul is wrought 



Its fitness for the 'ky ; 

 And they who wear a crown of gold 



A crown ot thorns must try. 



Edwin Bevins. 



Close Saturdays at 1 p.m.— Our custo- 

 mers and friends will kindly remember that 



east. All hives facing the south are in sheds, 

 with the back ot the sheds open during the 

 summer. By looking closely you will see 

 three rows of hives with a shed over each 

 row, with the back of the shed open, which I 

 close up in the fall to keep the cold winds off. 

 I also put clover chatf back of and between 

 the hives, and wheat chaff in the upper story. 

 I have never had a great loss by packing this 

 way. 



Bees in this locality are wintered on the 

 summer stands. I put 110 colonies into win- 

 ter ciuarters last fall, and have wintered 10,5, 

 which are in good condition at present. I 

 use the Hoffman frame, and make my own 

 hives, with loose bottom-boards. 



I had (JOOO pounds of honey last year, comb 

 and extracted, as I run for both. 



The main honey crop in this locality is 

 from alsike and liasswood, no buckwheat 

 being raised to amount to anything. 



Chas. Schweinhagen. 



Mr. B. S. K. Bennett, of Los Angeles Co., 

 Calif., referring to the Denver convention to 

 be held in September, wrote us May 0: 



" I believe we will bring a big part of Cali- 

 fornia bee-keepers with us." 



Now. look here, Mr. Bennett, you'd better 

 notify those Denver people to make ample 

 jireparations if you're going to swarm on 

 them with " a big pan of California bee-keep- 

 ers "next SeptembL-r. They may not be able 

 to take good care of " late swarms," without 

 having due notice. 



