220 



GLEANINGS IX BEE CULTURE 



the Ldve and marched there. I worked for 

 two hours, and then was able to record only 

 indifferent success. Nowhere was it possible 

 to catch sight of the queen or to gain a 

 good indication of her location. The shad- 

 ows began to lengthen under the cover of 

 the hill, and we felt that remaining was use- 

 less, so I propped up the hive, with the 

 entrance still in the tree, and left it for the 

 night. 



Next morning with the little girls I went 

 to see what further developments were 

 noticeable. There were no bees in the hol- 

 low tree, but in the hive was a cheerful 

 humming. Listen as I might, however, there 

 was no indication of a queen. In the early 

 morning, under the shadow of the trees, I 

 made some pictures, and you can see how 

 they turned out. We then closed the en- 

 trance, tied down the cover, and carried the 

 hive by hand to the beeyard, half a mile 

 away. 



Now the picturesque conclusion should be 

 that the queen appeared; that, under judi- 



cious feeding, the colony thrived, and that 

 by the following fall they had yielded a 

 handsome surplus. Alas! not so. While I 

 fed them the bees lived. But there was no 

 weather warm enough to warrant sending 

 for a queen. What the colony might have 

 done under specially favorable conditions is 

 a matter of speculation. Perhaps some oth- 

 er beekeeper will tell what he would have 

 done under similar ciicumstanees. Febru- 

 ary and March were cold, and the bees died. 

 Parkville, Mo. 



[This experience only goes to prove that 

 it rarely pays to transfer a colony, even 

 from a box hive, in the late fall of the year. 

 The transfeiTed bees are bewildered, and 

 their nest is not arranged according to their 

 liking; and if there is no warm weather, 

 soon the results are likely to be any thing 

 but satisfactory. If these goldens could 

 have remained in tlie tree until spring they 

 might have been taken at that time, and 

 built up into a useful colony. — Ed.] 



CONDITIONS OF THE " LOCALITY " IN GEORGIA 



BY L. W. CROVATT 



" Locality," that term used by beekeepers 

 throughout the United States in discussions 

 of every conceivable character, is truly 

 blamed for many things; but in reading the 

 articles from the pen of P. C. Chadwick, of 

 California, dealing with the practical failure 

 of the honey yield last season, I am struck 

 v/ith the changed conditions obtaining. This 

 is certainly " locality." To the contrary of 

 what Mr. Chadwick writes, I am constrained 

 to say that in the year 1912, in the southern 

 part of the State of Georgia, we had one of 

 the most successful seasons. The yield was 

 bounteous, and it is an undoubted fact that 

 the natives were better repaid through the 

 energy of their bees than in several years. 

 It appears from reports sent by my friends 

 through the southeastern section that the 

 crop that season was the largest in a long 

 while, the honey being of that transparent 

 delicious coloring and body and flavor that 

 demand the very best prices, and which is 

 calculated, through its snow-white cappings 

 and pleasing contrast to the section wood, 

 to be an ornament to anj^ table, no matter 

 hoAv fastidious. 



The bees in this section, where wintering 

 problems may be said to be negligible, built 

 up splendidly for the spring flow (1913) ; 

 and this being the case, the bees secured 

 the full benefit from the myriads of flowei^s 

 that, because of the " open character of the 



winter," proved to be the most profuse in 

 many j-ears. There was a splendid yield 

 from the tupelo, which seems to be an early 

 spring growth in the swamps of Georgia. 

 The poplar is reported to have been a fine 

 source of nectar; and in later times, when 

 the gallberry came into flower, the bees were 

 working like mad. 



The ty-ty, another sure source of surplus, 

 also yielded to an abnormal degi'ee, accord- 

 ing to those in the comparatively limited 

 belt, and it has been my privilege to eat 

 some of each kind. Never have I tasted a 

 finer flavor of honey. 



The natural result of the big crop is that 

 beekeeping in Georgia, not considering the 

 temtoiy of Bro. Wilder, will be given a 

 stimulus for next year. Neighbors of the 

 successful men have taken notice of the 

 crop this year, and optimism seems to be 

 in the very air. 



Considering the fact that Ave have, in tbis 

 region, none of the yielding plants regard- 

 ed as " staples " by brother beekeepers of 

 the North and West — notably clover, bass- 

 wood, alfalfa, etc., the results of the spring 

 work in Georgia and parts of South Caro- 

 lina are of a particularly gratifying char- 

 acter. 



" Gallberry " may not, perhaps, sound 

 so romantic, as suggested in the A B C; but 

 no one can deny the fact, who has ever 



