1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



95 



cultivation, allowing the bees to come in with 

 their part as so much profit. As to the sweet 

 clover, with me I have failed to get it to grow 

 except on sandy or gravelly soil, sow as much 

 of it as I would; and as the most of our waste 

 ground is of this nature, I think considerable 

 of it, as it will take possession of these placf s 

 and hold it from the more noxious weeds 

 which are sure to grow on soils not occupied 

 by something better. Just why sweet clover 

 has ever been classed as a weed I can not see, 

 for here in York State it is far more easy to 

 kill than any of the other kinds of clovers, 

 none of it ever being seen in cultivated fields, 

 while white and alsike clover persist in grow- 

 ing in fields and gardens, with a tenacity 

 which is often very provoking, especially in 

 beds of strawberries. The two clovers that 

 head the list, and buckwheat, are familiar to 

 all, and are sown and grown by most farmers 

 in localities where they will thrive. Buck- 

 wheat, in most localities, is a very paying crop 

 for the grain it yields ; while the honey from 

 it, though disliked by many on account of its 

 dark color and pungent taste, finds a sale in 

 market at remunerative prices, considering 

 that it comes at a time of year when the bees 

 are all built up strong of themselves, so 

 that there is no need of the stimulative feed- 

 ing and coaxing which is often required to get 

 them in condition for a honey-harvest coming 

 earlier in the season. White clover, after once 

 being sown, propagates itself, and is valuable 

 in pasture land and for hay, while as a honey- 

 plant, giving the finest quality of honey, it is 

 second to none in the world. Al.'-ike clover 

 does not hold to the soil as well as the white ; 

 but as it is more valuable for hay than the 

 white variety, it is so desired that nearly all 

 farmers sow it now, and the bee comes in for 

 her share, wherever sown. With us, the hon- 

 ey from alsike clover borders on the pink as to 

 color, hence is not sought after on account of 

 its snowy whiteness, as is that from white 

 clover. But in flavor I consider it fully equal 

 to the white. 



■Hc'E 





TRANS-MISSISSIPPI NOTES. 



Our bee-keepers and supply-dealers who 

 contemplate taking space in the bureau of 

 bee-industries, at the Trans-Mississippi and 

 International Exposition should not forget the 

 advertising facilities offered them through 

 making displays in this bureau. 



In addition to the space accorded exhibitors, 

 the Exposition will furnish each exhibitor or- 

 dinary light, ordinar}' guards, twenty words 

 each in 100,000 official catalogs free of charge, 

 and all expense pertaining to the jury of 

 awards. These items alone will cover every 

 cent received by the management for space 

 received by exhibitors. 



Dr. Emerson T. Abbott, of Missouri, com- 



missioner, has been appointed one of a com- 

 mittee of his commission on horliculture, etc. 

 We may reasonably expect some good dis- 

 plays from that State. 



Mr. Aiken and Secretary Rauchfuss, of Col- 

 orado, are making a determined effort to have 

 that State properly represented in the bureau 

 of bee-industries. Mr. Pollock, Secretary of 

 the Wisconsin Commission, visited Omaha 

 this week, and we shall hear from Wisconsin 

 soon. E. WhiTcomb. 



Friend, Neb., Jan. 12. 



HIVING SWARMS ON POLES. 



I notice in the remarks of Dr. Miller, in 

 Stray Straws, in Gi^EANINGS, page S7(), in re- 

 gard to the ventilation of hives, by N. Genu, 

 in which he says, "No entrance in hive or 

 board. In spring he puts a loose lath under 

 each side, and one under the back end. When 

 warmer he takes out the bnck lath," etc. 

 Now, what I want to know is, what he does 

 with his hives during the winter. If there is 

 no entrance, in what way do the bees clean 

 the hives ? or must they be wintered in the 

 cellar without bottom-board. 



Riner, O. J. H. ClEVENGER. 



[Dr. Miller uses a reversible bottom-board a 

 good deal like the Danzenbaker that has been 

 recently illustrated in these columns. One 

 side of the bottom-board permits of the ordi- 

 nary bee-space, and the other allows a two- 

 inch space under the frame. In winter, if I 

 am correct, the doctor sets his hives in the cel- 

 lar with the deep space of the bottom-board 

 next to the frames. To keep out mice, coarse- 

 mesh wire cloth is set before the entrance. 

 The mesh is coarse enough so that the bees 

 can readily pass ; but big bugs and animals 

 are kept out. — Ed.] 



TOO MUCH SWARMING ; WHAT IS THE REME- 

 DY ? 

 I am in the fix of the bee-man you mention, 

 whose bees you went to see while you were at 

 the bee congress. I get more swarms than 

 honey. Can you help me out? I have enough 

 hives of bees until I see how they are going 

 to pan out in honey, as my location may not 

 be a good honey section, though it appears to 

 me it should be. It is high time they were 

 paying their way, as this is the third year 

 since I started with them; and, though I get 

 about two swarms from each hive a season, 

 this is the first year I have got even enough 

 to eat; and this year I got only about 10 lbs. 

 per hive, counting new hives and all. Some 

 of the hives would make about .50 lbs., and 

 some none. Is there no better way of pre- 

 venting swarming than destroying the queen- 

 cells every nine days? How would it do to 

 place a queen-bee guard in the mouth of the 

 hive when catching a swarm, and so find the 

 queen, and kill her, and return the bees to 

 the old hive ? Or will they go in and leave 

 her on the outside ? It is very difficult for 

 me to find her alwaj'S, in a swarm. Or how 

 would it do to save all swarms, and in the fall 

 of the year consolidate and save the hives of 



