96 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Feb. 15 



each. While we \\eie debating the matter 

 a light snowfall came, and my brother sug- 

 gested trying hand sleighs for the work. 

 Two of these handy implements were 

 brought into use, and my brother and I 

 moved the whole apiary in one day, besides 

 arranging hives, stands, etc., as we went 

 along. By this method we were able to take 

 two at a time (one on each sleigh), and the 

 work was done so quietly that the bees hard- 

 ly knew they were being moved. A few 

 colonies were a bit uneasy, but at first signs 

 of a bee at the entrance a handful of snow 

 thrown in stopped all trouble. 



The plan of moving them was much bet- 

 ter than getting a large sleigh, as in that 

 case it would have been necessary to close 

 the entrances — a lot of work. 



While many have reported moving bees 

 in the fall and winter with no bad results, 

 even if the bees were badly shaken up in 

 the operation, yet we confess to a feeling 

 that it at least does them no good, and per- 

 sonally I like to see them left as quiet as 

 possible during the cold weather. If the 

 present cold weather continues all winter, 

 and the bees have no chance of a cleansing 

 flight, this fall, at least, 1 believe bees will 

 be all the better if they have not bten dis- 

 turbed by moving. Just here I might re- 

 mark that in our section of country the bees 

 had no flight after the last of October to 

 amount to any thing; and from Nov. 28 to 

 this date, Dec. 16, the weather has been 

 very cold continually — in fact, a record- 

 breaker for so early in the season. 



Mt. Joy, Ont., Can. 



LEGISLATION IN NEW ZEALAND PROHIB- 

 ITS BOX HIVES. 



BY ISAAC HOPKINS. 



Dr. C. C. Miller, p. 646, Oct. 15, 1910, calls 

 my attention to your Colorado foul-brood 

 law, and by so doing implies that I made a 

 mistake in saying that all your acts have 

 the cardinal weakness of allowing the box 

 hives to exist. I am fully aware that in 

 Sec. 6 of the Colorado Act it says: "The in- 

 spector shall have full power, in his discre- 

 tion, to order any owner or possessor of bees 

 dwelling in box hives in apiaries where the 

 disease exists (being mere boxes without 

 frames) to transfer such bees to movable- 

 frame hives within a specified time," etc.; 

 but this provision does not get rid of box 

 hives in their entirety; and, although it 

 gives the inspector power to order the trans- 

 fer of bees to frame hives, it is only "in api- 

 aries where the disease exists" that he has 

 that power. Following on this, after carry- 

 ing out the inspector's instructions, there is 

 nothing in the act to prevent the bee-keep- 

 er from using box hives again the next day 

 for additional bees, so that it is possible, and 

 apparently legal, to have a mixed apiary of 

 box hives and frame hives — a kind of pie- 

 bald arrangement. You will need some- 

 thing more direct than this to get rid of the 

 careless and dangercus bee-keepers. 



The editor's footnote to Dr. Miller's Straw 

 turns on the custom of bee-keeping in Eng- 

 land. I didn't write from England, neither 

 did I mention a word about it or English 

 bee-keeping. I wrote from New Zealand, 

 and compared our foul-brood act with yours. 

 I certainly have no reason to be dissatisfied 

 with your Ohio act if you are not; but it 

 would not suit New Zealand bee-keepers. 

 If, as you say, "it is up to the bee-keeper 

 himself to transfer immovable combs," 

 etc., there should be no need for even Sec. 6 

 in the Colorado act. 



Auckland, N. Z., Dec. 3. 



BEE TERRITORY IN IDAHO OVERSTOCK- 

 ED, 



Report of Annual Meeting. 



BY R. D. BRADSHAW. 



The Eastern Oregon and Idaho Bee-keep- 

 ers' Association held its annual meeting 

 Jan. 14 at Caldwell, Idaho. Owing to the 

 phenomenal growth of the industry in this 

 section there was a large attendance. Bee- 

 keepers representing 10,000 colonies were 

 present. 



The principal topics taken up were the 

 marketing of the crop, and overstocking. 

 Regarding the latter it seemed to be the 

 unanimous opinion that, in the limited ter- 

 ritory now under water and cultivation in 

 this section, it is being greatly overstocked. 

 In one district near Parma, about three 

 miles east, there are 1700 colonies working 

 on the same ground. Mr. Powers, of Par- 

 ma, one of our well-known and prominent 

 members, who has 300 stands in this dis- 

 trict, stated that, as the numbers of bees in 

 this vicinity have increased, he has noticed 

 his crops have materially decreased. 



To be sure, there are several government 

 irrigation projects that are being opened up; 

 but as yet the acreage of alfalfa is small. 

 Thousands of acres are being set directly to 

 fruit alone, this being more profitable. Tlje 

 market for alfalfa depends almost wholly 

 on the range stock for an outlet. As the 

 range is depleted, the larger tracts of alfalfa 

 will be replaced by other crops. All these 

 facts tend to lessen the honey-flora. 



A committee of the largest producers will 

 wait upon our legislators in a very few days 

 to demand an appropriation to combat foul 

 brood; also to have our foul-brood law now 

 in force to read, "All bees shipped in from 

 other States to be inspected for disease be- 

 fore crossing the State line." 



Payette, Ida., Jan. 15. 



MOVING SHORT DISTANCES. 



Entirely Feasible any Month in the Year. 



BY CLINT F. PULSIFBK. 



The moving of bees a short distance has 

 come to be quite an interesting question to 

 some of us; and as the experience of others 



