18 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Fig. 2. — One of Mr. Bartlett's poultry-houses at close range. 



In the management of bees and poultry, 

 every man, as he gathers experience, adopts 

 methods peculiar to his own needs and con- 

 ditions. We have found that it is the best 

 policy to have all hives and parts uniform 

 and interchangeable; and we therefore pur- 

 cl'.ase all our supplies from one reliable 

 manufacturer, which saves much time and 

 labor. 



We operate principally for comb honey. 

 In order to check swarming somewhat we 

 believe in plenty of hive room and ventila- 

 tion. In the spring all queens are eliiaped. 



We find the smoking plan of introducing 

 queens one of the best. 



There are several devices which have 

 liroven to be very convenient, among which 

 is a frame the size of a hive covered with 

 wive cloth, which, when placed over the top 

 of the frames, prevents the bees from flying 

 out and robber bees from getting in when 

 the cover of the hive is off. At the same 

 time, one is able to see what is going on in 

 the hive. When a hive is being robbed we 

 find a wire-cloth box, large enough to tele- 

 scope over the entire hive, very effectual. 



Early in the fall all colonies that are 

 short of stores are fed a sufiflcient amount 

 of syrup, so that none have less than 25 lbs. 

 for winter. Weak colonies are united by 

 placing one hive on top of the other, with 

 a screen between them for three or four 

 days. 



Our bees winter on their summer stands, 

 and are protected with chaff cushions in a 

 super on top (grain-bags, one on each side), 

 together with an outer covering of roofing 

 paper securely tied with a heavy cord. 



There are many reasons why the bee and 

 poultry businesses work together advanta- 

 geously. Each business has its own busy 

 season. The incubating and brooding of 

 chickens is practically over before the busy 

 season with the bees begins. Another ad- 

 vantage of the combination is that the same 

 land can be utilized for both. Besides this, 

 poultry fertilizes the land, bees fertilize the 

 fruit, and the fruit-blossoms furnish the 

 bees with nectar. 



Our idea is to have a good laying strain 

 of White Leghorns, a good laying strain of 

 Italians, and to " keep on the job." 



North Ridgeville, Ohio. 



A BEE AND POULTRY PARTNERSHIP 



BY RUTH C. GIFFORD 



My mother and I are in the poultry and 

 bee business in partnership. The days I 

 am busy with the bees she takes entire 

 charge of the poultry. We have struck some 

 " bumps " with the bees, but more with the 

 poultry. So the thing's that follow in this 

 article are from plain hard experience. 



For several years our troubles started a 

 few days after the first chicks were hatched, 

 and, in spite of all our care, we seldom 

 raised half of them. Some died with the 

 Avhite diarrhea, and others just dried up 

 until they looked like bumble-bees, and fell 

 over dead. Then we decided to change the 

 feed and the method of management. Since 

 that time we have seldom had a sick chick. 

 With this method we give the chicks luke- 

 warm water and grit when they are 40 hours 



