IWl 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



(519 



Some of It is all right, and more of it may an- 

 swer fairly well for men of such experience as 

 can tell pretty nearly the condition of a colony 

 by a glance at its entrance or in at the top of 

 the hive: but I will venture the opinion that 

 he wiio does not examine each colony sufficient- 

 ly to know its exact condition, at irast once in 

 irom one to two months, and oflener in the 

 working season, will hud plenty of evidence, 

 through the yeai'. to prove that a little closer 

 attention would have been profitable. Don't 

 fuss too little with your bees. •' Prevention is 

 better than cure " in bee-keeping as well as in 

 the care of one's bodily health. The very best 

 way I know of to prevent the evils of fertile 

 workers, foul brood, queenless colonies, starv- 

 ing out. dron(!-laying queens, ants in the liives, 

 mice, robbing, etc.. is to "fuss "' with your bees 

 often enough to thorouglily know their condi- 

 tion, and remedy these evils before they exist, 

 or, at any rate, as soon as the first symptoms 

 appear. 



In Florida it is possible to carry on an apiary 

 year after year without the loss "of a colony. I 

 do not know that there was a colony lost from 

 my apiary, from any cause, for nearly three 

 years at one time, and yet in some of the apia- 

 ries liere it is not uncommon for the number of 

 colonies to vary from year to year as mucli as 

 in poorly kept apiaries of the North. Why is 

 this? If it is not for the lack of sufficient in- 

 telligent fussing witli the bees, then I should 

 like to have some one rise and state the cause. 

 Without close attention to the apiary, bee- 

 keeping goes back to a matter of luck, as of old; 

 and he who trusts to luck usually gets it and 

 becomes a malcontent in the long run, though 

 succe-s for a time may make him proud of his 

 method, or lack of metliod, rather. Do not 

 understand me that I advise overhauling each 

 colony from top to bottom, every four or five 

 days, tliougli a novice who begins this way is 

 more apt to succeed eventually than one whose 

 interest is not so thoroughly awakened ; but do 

 not, even at tlie end of the honey season, close 

 the hives and then forget them for months. 

 Through the fall, many queens are superseded. 

 Some may get lost in mating. If you watch 

 them you know wliere this is the case, and you 

 also know wliether you have ripe queen-cells 

 to supply the need. These may l^e plentiful to- 

 day, but hatched to-morrow. If you are not 

 well acquainted with your bees you have to 

 start from the egg. even though there are such 

 cells in the next liive. or you will not discover 

 the need, and after a while you see a case of 

 robbing; and, looking into the hive, find anotli- 

 er case of the bee-moth eating up your bees. 

 Too late then to save the colony. Is it a fact 

 tliat it is as harmful to the prosperity of the 

 bees to open a hive as many declare? I think 

 not. Neighbor O. O. Popp'leton tells me that, 

 instead of the moving of bees being a detri- 

 ment to them, if properly done and not carried 

 too far, in his experience it has prov<Mi a benefit, 

 and seemed to stimulate them to more ener- 

 getic work. He has had a good deal of experi- 

 ence along this line, is a careful and observant 

 man. and not inclined to hazard his reputation 

 as a skillful apiarist on mere guesswork. His 

 statement I accept witli confidence, thougli 

 contrary to the teachings of some; and, if true, 

 I should say that the disturbance of looking 

 over a colony of bees, when there is lioney in 

 the fields, should stimulate them sufficiently to 

 more than counterbalance the cost in time and 

 honey. I will also say, that I believe that a 

 bee-keeper who is thoroughly posted at all 

 times on the condition of his bees will also be 

 so alive to their requirements and prejudices as 

 to get all the information necessary without 

 the bees hardly noticing his presence. 



SEATS WHILE WORKING OVEK HIVES. 



What shall we sit upon when opening liives? 

 Why. stools, of course. Is a hive-cover, a box, 

 or any other device so handy and comfoi'table 

 as a light stool with a draw«'r opening at the 

 end, in which to carry the bee-brush, smoker- 

 fuel, matches, scissors, slates, queen-cages, and 

 queen-cells? Then at the other end have a 

 couple of sockets— one for pencil, the other for 

 a heavy knife or chisel. Take this stool by the 

 •wire handle in one hand, youi- smoker in the 

 other, and you have all you need foi- ordinary 

 woi'k. Something of this kind, but of a differ- 

 ent pattern, was illusti'ated years ago in 

 Gleanings. This one is better than that was,, 

 as the tools can be got at while sitting ui)on it; 



and scraps of wax. with honey adhering, can 

 be shut away from robbers. I was sui'prised 

 that friend Root did not call attention to that 

 one when this matter was up for discussion 

 lately. 



HIVE RECORD. 



Like Mr. Root. I can not understand the line 

 of reasoning that can cause a bee-keeper to 

 use either bricks or heavy stones on the cover 

 of a hive, as an indicator of the colony's con- 

 dition, when so handy a device as a little slate 

 is so easily obtained. My slates hang at the 

 back of the hive on one of three tacks. Its po- 

 sition shows whether the colony requires im- 

 mediate attention — attention as soon as con- 

 venient, or is in good shape every way. The 

 slate gives particulars, also the age of queen, 

 and whether clipped or not. It takes me near- 

 ly a year to cover one side of one of these small 

 slates, as I have a system of indicating a good 

 deal in a small space. 



SHADES. 



Then, too, the idea of handling a big shutter 

 of boards or iron, or some other material, in ad- 

 dition to these lieavy rocks, etc., every time a 

 hive is to be opened, is one that fills me with 

 wonder, and makes me tired to think of. If I 

 had them I don't know but I should be content 

 to fuss very little with my bees, and get a very 

 little crop of honey as a consequence. Here I 

 have, as before stated, a light arbor covered 

 with palmetto-leaves, or scuppernong grape- 

 vines. The first are lightly taclced on with a 

 four-penny nail through the stem close to the 

 leaf. These can be easily knocked off in the 

 fall, and make a good mulch for the orange- 

 trees. The grapevines put on leaves and fruit 

 at the time shade is required in the spring, and 

 drop the leaves at the right time in the fall. 

 Nothing could be pleasanter than these shades 

 to work under in tlie summer, and they serve 

 every purpose of sliade, both for bees and own- 

 er. If something of this kind is constructed in 

 the northern apiaries. I feel sure that they will 

 be found far more satisfactory than the shade- 

 boards and rocks. If tlie covers blow off, con- 

 struct them differently, or use liive-clamps. I 

 have never had a cover blow off that I know of, 

 and I use no device to hold them on. There is 

 no chance for the wind to get hold of them. 



It must be remembered, however, that a good 

 bee-tent, to be placed over hives that are open- 

 ed during a honey dearth, is an absolute 

 necessity. Witliout this prudent protection 



