1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



693 



tual practice — at least it is not in Colorado. 

 A safe rule to follow, and one that makes 

 for improvement of stock, is to requeen ev- 

 ery season; and the ideal time to attend to 

 it is in Aug'ust, during- the flow^ from the 

 second crop of alfalfa. 



The majority of our losses of bees in this 

 country occur from queenlessness — from the 

 failure of superannuated queen to rear a 

 sufficient force of young bees to carry the 

 colony through the winter. Many colonies 

 that winter fairl}' well fail to build up for 

 the flow, simply because their queens are 

 old and worn out. In my own apiaries 

 these losses constituted my entire winter 

 loss, which amounted to fully ten per cent. 

 I feel sure that I can practically obviate 

 such losses in the future by a general re- 

 queening during the August flow. 



This is a matter of most vital importance, 

 but one that bee-keepers usuallv neglect — 

 to their loss. M. A. Gill enunciated an aph- 

 orism when he said, " Good queens put mon- 

 ey in the bank." Certain it is, they are the 

 foundation of all our success in apiculture. 



The method of requeening that I prefer, 

 and the one that is probably best for the 

 average bee-keeper, because of its simplic- 

 ity, is to remove the old queen, and at the 

 same time insert a ripe cell inclosed in a 

 West cell-protector. It is necessary to rear 

 at least two batches of cells, as a certain 

 percentage of the young queens will get 

 lost when they fly forth to mate, and cells 

 will need to be inserted in these colonies a 

 second time. 



The young queens thus secured, if care 

 is taken in rearing the cells, will be of the 

 very best, and will be right at their eg-g- 

 laying zenith next May and June, when 

 prolificness is a very desirable quality. 

 Another important consideration: Old 

 queens will cease laying at the cessation of 

 the honey- flow, while queens reared lite in 

 the summer will keep brocd-rearing going 

 until cold weather, putting the colony in 

 the best possible wintering condition. 



DRONE-LAYERS WANTED. 



E, F. Phillips, Ph. D., of the Universi- 

 ty of Pennsvlvania, who, a year ago, con- 

 ducted a series of experiments on Parthen- 

 ogenesis, and who is with us again this 

 summer, desires to secure at once some 

 drone laying queens. 



The researches of Dr. Phillips thus far 

 are of great value, 1 think, to bee-keepers. 

 He has already made some important dis- 

 coveries; and in order to complete his in- 

 vestigations he will need some drone-laying 

 queens. Send to us, marked "drone-lay- 



ers," and we will send in their place a choice 

 laying queen. 



THE HONEY CROP FOR 1904. 



In response to our request, we have re- 

 ceived, up to July 15, hundreds of letters 

 from our subscribers in the central States. 

 In a word, present indications go to show 

 that the crop will be fair; light from clover, 

 but abundant from basswood where that 

 grows. For all localities in the region of 

 the central States there has been too much 

 rain, weather too cool, with the exception 

 of Michigan, especially the northern part of 

 it, where it has been very dry. A large 

 part of the bees died last winter, and it has 

 been so dry in the State that the rest of the 

 bees will not.be able to do very much. 



The reports are somewhat meager from 

 Illinois, and vary all the way from fair to 

 good. 



Many reports have been received from 

 Iowa showing a fair season for most local- 

 ities, but poor in some. 



Pennsylvania, from present indications, 

 will take the lead for a good honey crop 

 this year. 



Reports are very meager from New Eng- 

 land, but those received indicate a light 

 yield. 



Ohio will show up fairly well. 



New York will probably, where there are 

 any bees left, give a fair yield from clover, 

 basswood, and buckwheat. 



Wisconsin and Minnesota will probably 

 have a light crop. 



Reports from the region just south of the 

 Ohio River are unfavorable; for during the 

 very time when the honey- flow should have 

 been in progress it was too cool and rainy. 



Most of the reports received up to July 5 

 and 6 were unfavorable; but the great ma- 

 jority of them that have come in smce are 

 very much more encouraging, the weather 

 having turned warmer, and the rains hav- 

 ing ceased. 



There is a universal agreement that there 

 is an immense amount of white clover this 

 season; but in many localities the yield 

 from that source is light, which is proba- 

 bly due to too much cool weather. But the 

 plant has received a wonderful impetus 

 owing to the rains, and it will probably be 

 in bloom in many localities for a week or 

 ten days yet. I thick I never saw so much 

 clover in our vicinity as now. 



The few reports we have had from Colo- 

 rado are not very encouraging; but Mr. H. 

 C. Morehouse is gathering data. See his 

 report elsewhere. 



Taking it all in all, it is hard to say 

 whether the crop in the basswood and clo- 

 ver belt will be lighter than last year or 

 not. In some localities it will be very much 

 worse, and in some very much better. 



We would request our readers to send in 

 postal-card reports of one or two sentences, 

 and keep sending them in, because this re- 

 port will have to be revised for our next is- 

 sue, and we wish to portray the conditions 

 as i ccurately as possible. 



