MAY 1, 1914 



Beekeeping Among the Kocme: 



Wesley Fostler, Bomkler, Colorado. 



STOCK IN BKE-YARDS MAKING THE BEES ILL- 

 NATURED. 



Last fall one-half of one of my out-api- 

 aries was moved into Boulder close to the 

 foothills. The colonies left at the outyard 

 are in a pasture where horses run during 

 the winter and early spring. There is no 

 fence around the hives, and the horses have 

 walked around among the hives more or 

 less, but not enough to cause any trouble 

 except that the bees are veiy cross. The 

 bees at the home yard that came from this 

 outyard are as gentle as need be. The 

 horses have apparently irritated the bees 

 and spoiled their tempers. 



tion, fastening in with a wax-dropper on 

 the four sides. I expect also to put up 

 several thousand sections with light brood 

 foundation in full sheets waxed in on all 

 four sides. Several thousand sections will 

 be used with 2y2-inch top starter, and about 

 a half-inch bottom starter. Then a number 

 with one-inch top starters will be used, and 

 a half-inch at the bottom. A full sheet 

 fastened at the top only, and coming as 

 close to the bottom as possible, will also be 

 used. Perhai>s what 1 find out will not be 

 valuable to any one but myself, 



[We should be glad to get your report of 

 this at the close of the season. — Ed.] 



AVOVEN-WIRE FENCE FOR OUT-APIARIES. 



For an out-apiaiy fence that can be 

 quickly built and as quickly taken down 

 nothing can surpass a woven-Avire one, four 

 feet to five feet high. If a barbed wire is 

 run around the top it will prevent hoi-ses 

 reaching over and perhaps breaking down 

 the fence. Posts made from old iron pipe 

 2 to 21/2 inches in diameter sharpened at 

 one end, and driven into the ground two 

 feet or more are good. Holes are drilled 

 through the pipe, and the fence fastened to 

 the iDosts with wire. A good strong woven- 

 wire stock fence is reasonable in cost, and. 

 if five feet high, will keep out stock and 

 also be a protection from molestation by 

 thieves or mischievous boys. 

 * * * 



FULL SHEETS VS. STARTERS IN SECTIONS. 



With a rapid uninteiTupted flow from 

 alfalfa and sweet clover, or, for that matter, 

 from any honey-plant, the advantages of 

 section honey-boxes filled with full starters 

 over a small starter are not gxeat. With 

 such a honey-flow an inch starter the full 

 width of the section across the top, and a 

 five-eighths starter the full width of the 

 bottom, will give as fine a filling as a S^/^- 

 inch top starter and a half-inch bottom 

 starter. There seems to be an advantage in 

 the bees drawing out the comb in one clus- 

 ter and then filling in around the edges 

 later. They will leave scarcely any more 

 pop-holes at the edges than they Avill make 

 by gnawing out in a full sheet. There is an 

 advantage in the full starter because it does 

 away with the uneven effect of the store 

 comb often built; also the filling of the 

 sections is better in a slow or intermittent 

 flow. 



This season I am ti'jdng out the plan of 

 putting in full sheets of extra-thin founda- 



PROSPECTS FOR COLORADO EXCELLENT. 



Prospects still continue favorable. Alfal- 

 fa is in excellent condition, and sweet clover 

 will not be outdone. Weather conditions 

 have been ideal so far. The precipitation 

 is more than an inch above normal so far 

 for 1914, and the ground was saturated 

 from the big snow of December, 1913. We 

 have very favorable prospects for a good 

 flow from dandelion, fruit-bloom, and other 

 spring flowers, so that those Avho make in- 

 crease early should be able to build all colo- 

 nies and increase up ready for the surplus 

 flow from alfalfa and sweet clover in July 

 and August. Some farmers are predicting 

 a dry May and June on account of the 

 abundance of spring moisture; but there 

 will be plenty of water for irrigation dur- 

 ing May and June ; and with hot weather in 

 July and August, and a few good rains, Ave 

 should get honey. Cold rains ahvays hurt 

 us if they come in the summer; and if Ave 

 get a cold rain the middle or latter part of 

 August, our flow so far as surplus storage 

 goes is off for the comb-honey man. 



My estimate Avould be that there are 25 to 

 35 per cent more colonies in Colorado than 

 in 1913, and bigger and stronger colonies 

 could hardly be desired. Six frames of 

 brood the 15th of March is considerable for 

 a colony ; but I had them, and they went 

 through a cold spell of 10 above zero with- 

 out the loss of any sealed brood that could 

 be found. The colony that can do that is a 

 strong one, to my notion. 



This seems to be a year Avhen we can 

 easily fill all our empty combs Avith bees and 

 get a honey crop too ; but there is many a 

 slip, as we' fully realize. A hailstorm, grass- 

 hoppers, cold rains, or excessively dry 

 weather may each or all discount our pros- 

 pects. 



