578 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CUI^TURE. 



]vt,\' 15. 



placed close together for the sake of warmth, 

 and under a small shed which backs up against 

 the prevailing winds. The hives were of the 

 Wisconsin type, with porticos. On top of the 

 brood-frames was a carpet or quilt ; over this 

 a cover with a two-inch space under it, held 

 down in some cases with stones as shown. 

 This arrangement gives about as good results 

 for wintering as any thing that has been tried, 

 I believe. Colonies in double-walled chaff- 

 packed hives have no advantage over those in 

 single-walled hives. 



While the winters in Colorado are severe in 

 a way, there are no long protracted cold spells 

 running away below zero and continuing there 

 for two or three weeks at a time. The mercu- 

 ry may go down to zero, but the next day may 

 be quite warm and balmy. 



I saw a good many apiaries put up on this 

 general plan of wintering, as shown in the il- 

 lustration on page 563, in this issue, and it 

 seemed to be the prevailing method. The 

 main idea is to keep off the sharp winds and 

 to have a very thin light packing over the 

 brood-frames. More was positively detrimen- 

 tal. I also learned that these sand-storms blow 

 the sand over every thing — into the entrances 

 and into the combs sometimes, so that honey 

 and sand are mixed together in the same cells. 

 To provide against this sand blowing into the 

 entrance, and getting into the combs, the 

 Rauchfuss brothers have constructed a sort of 

 tenement hive, shown on page 565. At one 

 end of this hive stands Mr. W. L. Porter, of 

 Denver, whose picture I have already given in 

 these columns, and of whom I have previously 

 spoken. It was a cool afternoon when I visit- 

 ed at the ranch of Herman Rauchfuss, who 

 was absent at the time. While he was gone 

 to town I used the camera right and left ; but 

 there was no sand blowing that day, as you 

 will see the picture is very much clearer. 



This sand-proof hive holds three colonies, 

 and the peculiar feature of it is the entrance. 

 The bees pass inward, and up a perpendicular 

 space, then oif cata-cornerwise to the brood- 

 frames. At all events it is so arranged as to 

 intercept all sand that would blow into the 

 hives, thus keeping the combs clean. The 

 hive is adapted to take Langstroth frames, and, 

 being made of matched stuff, it presents a 

 very neat and pretty appearance. The few 

 bricks and stones on the cover show the ne- 

 cessity of having the covers weighted down to 

 provide against heavy winds that rage so furi- 

 ously in that State at times. 



THE HONEY SEASON FOR 1900. 



Reports are still coming in from all sec- 

 tions of the country; and so far the revised 

 outlook stands about as follows: 



Michigan seems to be having a good honey- 

 flow — at least I do not remember seeing an 

 unfavorable report, while we have on file a 

 large number of good ones. Colorado, Arizo- 

 na, and other of the Western States depend- 

 ing on alfalfa, will have their usual honey- 

 flows. In California the reports range all the 

 way from one third or one-half a crop down 

 to total failures. In New York the reports 



are unfavorable as a rule — no clover or bass- 

 wood to speak of. From Pennsylvania there 

 are a few favorable reports. From New Jer- 

 sey come quite a number of good reports. 

 Reports from Florida vary greatly. Some 

 show a third of a crop ; others a total failure. 

 Texas will have a good deal of honey from 

 some sections, and almost none from others. 

 Some of the Southern States will have very 

 little honey. Missouri, that had a crop of 

 honey all over the State last year, has nothing 

 to report this year to speak of. The season 

 in Wisconsin is practically a total failure ; a 

 little better in Minnesota. In Iowa and Illi- 

 nois it is fair to poor. Dr. C. C. Miller is get- 

 ting his usual crop of honey, or at least he 

 reports he is doing as well as he did last year; 

 but he does not know where the honey is 

 coming from. 



Notwithstanding the season seems to be 

 generally unfavorable, we have a large num- 

 ber of good reports from all over the country 

 that read something like this: 



" An extra good honey crop." 



" Season fine." 



" Lots of honey — seems like old times." 



" Honey is just rolling in." 



So far no large amount of honey has found 

 its way to the centers of honey distribution. 

 At present it is a little too early; but there 

 will be considerable alfalfa honey this year to 

 dispose of, both comb and extracted ; a very 

 scant supply of ordinary white clover, and a 

 light supply of red clover and of basswood. 



Taking it all in all, the supply of white- 

 clover honey and basswood will be very light 

 this year. Honey, if any is sold at all, will be 

 principally alfalfa with some mountain sage 

 from California, perhaps. There will be on 

 the market, as usual, Southern honeys ; and, 

 in all probability, from the large amount of 

 warm rains that seem to be general over the 

 country, there will be a good fall crop ; that 

 is to say, the bees will probably ga'her enough 

 from fall flowers to fill their hives and save 

 feeding. If they will do this much, bee-keep- 

 ers will probably feel fortunate. 



In the mean time I hope our bee-keeping 

 friends will continue to send in their reports, 

 as it is highly desirable to keep in touch with 

 the season as far as possible. 



MEASURING BEES' TONGUES. 



The following from the Michigan Experi- 

 ment Station, written by J. M. Rankin, to 

 whom I sent a glossometer — an instrument for 

 measuring bees' tongues — will explain itself : 



yi/r. /?oo/ . — I am going to be one of your competitors 

 for your premium on " long-to^g^led bees," as offered 

 by you on page 536. 



I am glad to know that there is one practical man 

 who has begun to realize the importance of this one 

 quality of the bee. As you doubtless know, I have 

 been working on this for the past three years with 

 some little success and a great deal of discouragement 

 and failure. I have found but one man with whom I 

 have talked who does not think I am crazy, and he 

 gives me no encouragement. 



My reports on this work have never been published 

 because they were considered impractical. I am al- 

 most ready to report on the little apparatus you so 

 kindly sent me for measuring the tongues ; but I am 

 sorry to say that I am afraid it will be an unfavorable 

 report. What is a glossometer? and how much does 



