448 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



bottom-bar same width as tops and ends, 

 but I could see no reason why there should 

 be any difference (do you?); and whatever 

 n ason there might be for a certain width 

 for tops ard ends applied equally to bot- 

 toms — less need for wide bottom- bars when 

 they come down close to the bottom-board; 

 but when there is a deep space under them, 

 and especially when in an upper story, the 

 wide bottom prevents building comb be- 

 tween. I have now no 1 rouble whatever 

 with burr-combs built between two stories 

 of brood frames. C. C. Miller. 



THE FOUL-BROOD LAW IN CALIFORNIA. 



The prospects here are very flattering- for 

 a big honey crop, as we have had abundant 

 rains since Feb. 5. In fact, it has rained 

 almost every day during March. Bees are 

 breeding up very fast; and if the weather 

 continues warm they will commence swarm- 

 ing about Apr. 20. 



In January, 1903, the legislature passed 

 a foul brood law, whereby each county in 

 the State, by petitioning the board of super- 

 visors, is entitled to a foul brood inspector. 

 But the law goes on to say that you must 

 first establish the fact that foul-brood does 

 exist, in the county in which you are desir- 

 ing to circulate the petition. Here in this 

 immediate vicinity we are free of it; but I 

 have been informed that it is making head- 

 way in some of the surrounding counties, 

 especially Santa Cruz. 



If there are any parties knowing of its 

 existence in Monterey or surrounding coun- 

 ties will they kindly communicate with me 

 in the interests of the apicultural pursuits 

 of this vicinity, with a view of having an 

 inspector appointed that he may proceed at 

 once to check the dread disease before it is 

 too late? F. E. Gausk. 



Jolon, Cal., Mar. 30. 



NOT ELECTRICITY NOR PHOSPHORESCENCE, 

 BUT LIGHT REFLECTIONS; A REASON- 

 ABLE EXPLANATION. 



In regard to the phenomenon that W. S. 

 H. speaks of, p. 289, I will say I do not 

 think it was electricity or phosphorescence. 

 I am of the opinion it was the reflection of 

 light, although he says it was a dark night. 

 But did he have no lantern with him, or 

 were there no stars at all shining? What 

 I do know to be a fact is, there is a spot 

 about a bee's foot or leg that will reflect 

 light equal to a diamond or crystals of sand 

 or glass; but it can not be seen at all times. 

 The light has got to strike them just so to 

 get the reflection. The first time I ever no- 

 ticed this was a few summers ago. One 

 bright evening just before sundown the 

 hive was facing the west; and as the bees 

 were walking and twisting about on the 

 alighting- board I saw those reflections of 

 light, and it was a rather pretty sight to 

 look at. I watched them for a while, al- 

 though I have never noticed any thing of 

 the kind after night; but I am of the opin- 



ion that those sparkles of light, or reflec- 

 tions, could be seen from the light of a lan- 

 tern or the stars if one were standing just 

 right. Will Mr. W. S. H. write again, 

 and tell us if he had a lantern with him 

 or not? N. Young. 



Robertson, la. 



A PLAN OF HANDLING SWARMS. 



In answer to Mr. G. J. Sturm, p. 289, how 

 to control swarming during the absence of 

 the apiarist, I would say, clip the queen's 

 wings, and one, two, or more days before a 

 swarm is expected set the old colony to one 

 side, then take an empty hive complete with 

 top and bottom boards, and set it flat on 

 the ground in the exact spot where the old 

 colony stood with entrance the same way. 

 Now place the old colony on top of the emp- 

 ty hive; and when the swarm comes out the 

 queen drops down in front of the empty 

 hive; and when the bees return, the queen 

 crawls into the empty hive, and the bees 

 follow. In the evening take the old colony 

 to another stand. W. W. Coolidge. 



Windsor, Wis., March 28. 



[This plan is quite in line with the gen- 

 eral practice of our most successful bee- 

 keepers. See also page 441, — Ed.] 



BROKEN SECTION PIECES FOR NUMBER 

 TAGS. 



I find my way of numbering my hives 

 very satisfactory. I send a sample. Most 

 of us have some broken sections on hand. I 

 put the numbers on with a stencil, and then. 



having some varnish on hand, I went over 

 the number with it. I doubt if this was of 

 much advantage. I then dipped them in 

 boiled oil. H. Langton Johnson. 



Chilliwack, B. C, Jan. 14. 



the price of BEE-YASD HELP IN CALI- 

 FORNIA. 



Can you tell me about what wages an ex- 

 perienced apiarist could get in Texas or 

 California? Could one get work the whole 

 year? C. L. W. 



Randolph, Vt., Apr. 4. 



[I am not able to give you very definite 

 information. Labor is higher in Califor- 

 nia than in the central part of this country; 

 but I am under the impression that good 

 help could be secured all the way from $40 

 to $nO a month. If board and washing were 

 included, the price would be less in propor- 

 tion, of course.— Ed.] 



