200 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15. 



honey, retain the heat, and winter better than 

 if placed in separate hives. Again, in rearing 

 queens these same large chaff-packed hives af- 

 ford ample protection to the nursing bees in 

 cold, bad, rainy weather. Such bees must have 

 protection in some way to insure the hatching 

 of the young queens. Thus, in case of an emer- 

 gency, these hives can be used, or will answer 

 to almost any purpose that comes up in the api- 

 ary. 



In using single-walled hives during the sum- 

 mer they should be made with square joints; 

 but in using chaff hives we want them made 

 with rabbets or laps, so that there will be no 

 possibility of the weather beating in and wet- 

 ting the chaff cushions or the bees. In summer 

 the square joints in hives, if broken loose, will 

 be fastened up again by the bees, while in win- 

 ter they will not be. 



It looks very reasonable that chaff hives made 

 with square joints are a grand mistake, and 

 will endanger the life of the colony by allowing 

 the wind and rain to drive in. It will be no- 

 ticed that all our chaff hives are made to pre- 

 vent this by cutting a rabbet or lap clear around 

 the hive, where the two stories come together, 

 one-half inch deep and seven-sixteenths inch 

 wide, the cover telescoping over the hive one- 

 half inch, thereby leaving no chance for the 

 water to get in. 



The hives are all made of good average pine 

 lumber, thoroughly seasoned and dry. The 

 boards are all cut off square, and nailed under 

 the old-fashioned way, depending merely on the 

 strength of the nails in holding the hives to- 

 gether. 



The manner of dovetailing the hives together 

 is one grand improvement recently made in the 

 construction of hives, and will be recognized by 

 all practical bee-keepers; but it takes special 

 machinery — something that all wood- workers 

 do not have. 



In conclusion, we don't want it understood 

 that this hive will winter bees every winter 

 without some loss; but we believe that (and 

 our experience has proven this) if bees are in 

 proper condition they will winter as well in 

 this hive as in any chaff hive now made; but 

 the special feature of ihis hive is in summer 

 management, and the advantages it possesses 

 over other hives of its kind. 



Plattsmouth, Neb. 



■ANSWERS TO 



BY G.M.D0O1.ITTLE.B0RODINO.N.Y. 



PLANTING FOR HONEY. 



Question.— 1 wish to sow or plant something 

 that will bloom about the time white clover 

 fails. What is likely to pay best for honey 



alone, or for honey and some crop of fruit or 

 seeds? 



Answer.— This question covers the ground of 

 much discussion which has come about during 

 the past; and I believe that the conclusion 

 come to by nearly all practical bee-keepers is, 

 that it does not pay to plant good land with 

 any seed or plants for a crop of honey aloae. 

 Where waste places maybe utilized, or some- 

 thing which will produce much honey be made 

 to take the place of weeds, burdocks, or briers, 

 then the planting for honey may be beneficial, 

 not only to the bee-keeper, but to all others, as 

 something of value to some one takes the place 

 of that which is of value to no one, and that 

 which is often worse than of no value, for the 

 scattering of seeds from these waste places is 

 often a nuisance to those who live where the 

 winter's drifting snows may carry the seeds of 

 noxious weeds far and wide. 



If I were to think of planting for honey alone. 

 I can think of nothing better than melilot, or 

 sweet clover; for with us this plant commences 

 to bloom at about the time white clover begins 

 to fail, and continues to bloom from then to 

 frost, to a greater or less extent. Some say 

 that stock can be taught to eat melilot, in 

 which case it becomes a valuable forage-plant, 

 and pays better than almost any other forage- 

 plant, aside from its honey-producing qualities; 

 but, so far as I know, no| animal will touchj;it 

 in this locality.;^ 



zAlsike clover is one of the best plants for 

 both honey and^hay; and ;for [quick returns 

 there is probably nothing better, taking every 

 thing into consideration, than is this clover. 

 But unless precaution is taken it will bloom at 

 the same time white clover does; hence it is of 

 less value than it would be, so far as honey is 

 concerned, could it begin to bloom at about the 

 time white clover failed. But it can be made 

 to bloom at the time wanted by turning stock 

 on it, letting them keep it eaten down short till 

 about two weeks before you wish the bloom to 

 commence, when it will give a good crop of 

 blossoms and hay. though not quite as large a 

 crop as it would if it could have had its own 

 way. 



If the questioner is young in years, and has 

 patience to wait, I would advise him to plant 

 basswood. In the list of honey-producing trees 

 and plants it stands first in bountiful yields; 

 and in the fine flavor and beautiful quality of 

 the honey produced, it is second to none, while 

 the day is coming when any thing in the way 

 of basswood lumber will sell at a price that will 

 make it profitable to the one who can furnish 

 any lumber of that name. Fifty years from 

 now this grand tree will have practically ceas- 

 ed to exist in our forests, and be little known 

 save as it is planted by enterprising persons, or 

 exists in some gorges or out-of-the-way places 

 not easy of access. Where there were fifty trees 



