446 



Those near by can bring their lunches, 

 while others will be served, probably, at 35 

 cents a meal at the hotels, restaurants, and 

 by the ladies of some of the churches. 



Somme WoMclerfuiil Bee Coimtry in tthe 



Mr. G. C. Rahn, box 293, Haileybui-y, 

 Ontario, Canada, called to see us a few days 

 ago, and told us something about the possi- 

 bilities of keeping bees in his part of Can- 

 ada. As an evidence of what can be done 

 by a man who thoroughly understands his 

 business, he ordered from the southern part 

 of the United States a number of pound 

 packages of bees with queens. By careful 

 stimulative feeding he built each of these 

 pounds of bees into colonies so that they 

 averaged that season from 70 to 75 lbs. of 

 clover comb honey in Danzenbaker sections. 

 He also has produced as high as 300 lbs. of 

 comb honey from one colony, wintered in 

 his cellar, spring count. He had other yields 

 almost as good from other colonies he had 

 wintered. It takes a good beekeeper, of 

 course, to get yields like these, even in the 

 best of localities. But no beekeeper, no 

 matter how expert, could accomplish these 

 results unless he were in a good locality. 



There are large areas in his country where 

 bees can be kept very profitably, especially 

 after the land has been cleared. Willow- 

 herb, raspberry, and clover follow on in 

 quick succession. The cattle from the lower 

 land, in their droppings distribute clover all 

 over this newly cleared land. The timber is 

 cleared off, leaving brush and stumps, which 

 are burned down clean — root, branch, and 

 stumps. The land will then be found in fine 

 condition for cultivation, and will grow al- 

 most any thing that thrives in the Northern 

 States — especially the clovers, which are 

 very abundant. 



As yet, beekeeping in his part of the 

 country has not made much of a stir; but 

 there are splendid opportunities for the 

 practical, energetic beekeeper who learns 

 thoroughly the locality; but probably only 

 a few could make a success in that cold 

 country. Bees have to be confined in cellars 

 for 20 to 22 weeks, and during a part of the 

 time the tempei'ature has to be kept up by 

 artificial heat. The temperature goes down 

 to as low as 50 degrees below zero in winter", 

 and in the summer it goes as high as lOS. 

 It is a eountiy of extremes. The cold winter 

 weather will kill off the bees by the whole- 

 sale unless one thoroughly understands the 

 art of wintering, said Mr. Rahn. An ordi- 

 nary cellar will not do. Som.e have built 

 expensive conci'ete cellars; but the walls arc 



G-LEANIJSTGS IN BEE CULTURE 



too cold and damjD. Mr. Rahn has been 

 successful in wintering his bees in a sort of 

 log-house cellar. The walls are lined with 

 logs, and the top is covered with logs, and 

 then the whole is buried deep. The logs 

 absorb the moisture, so that the bees winter 

 very much better than in stone or concrete 

 cellars. Taking it all in all, the problem of 

 wintering in that country is a serious one, 

 and only a few succeed. 



Mr. Rahn is particularly interested in 

 getting bees from Florida in May because 

 he says he knows what he can do if he can 

 get the bees early enough. If bees can be 

 brought from the South in pound packages 

 cheaply enough he can build them up into 

 colonies in short order. 



In this connection he indorses our plan 

 of making increase in cellars. We told him 

 that quite a number of expert beekeepers 

 were inclined to poke fun at it as too vi- 

 sionary and too uncertain in results. Said 

 he, " Mr. Root, the plan is all right. I have 

 repeatedly put three-frame colonies in the 

 cellar, and brought them out ten-frame in 

 the spring, notwithstanding the temperature 

 outside was far below zero practically all 

 winter. I use and recommend for this pur- 

 pose cakes of candy the same as you use 

 and recommend." 



Another thing he has learned is that, 

 when the colonies are too strong for their 

 winter stores, they are inclined to have 

 dysentery ; but he says a colony of moderate 

 strength, with pure granulated-sugar candy, 

 will have no dysentery, and will probably 

 be stronger than when it went into winter 

 quarters. 



In speaking of the different races of bees, 

 he was rather fond of the Caucasians, be- 

 cause they breed up so well and stand cold. 

 They do not swarm any more for him than 

 the Italians. Our friend J. J. Wilder, of 

 Cordele, Ga., will take note as it confirms 

 his experience with them in the Southland. 

 With us Ihey swarm as badly as the Carnio- 

 lans. 



We said to Mi'. Rahn that doubtless many 

 would like to settle in that country, and 

 asked what was the procedure to get land. 

 The Ontario Government is offering favor- 

 able inducements to settlers. The land is 

 sold at fifty cents per acre in 160-acre plots; 

 and when a patent is secured, fifty cents per 

 acre more is required. 



Our Canadian readers will be interested, 

 and possibly some on this side of the line; 

 but remember the winters are bitter and 

 cold ; and if you are going to keep bees it is 

 important to know whether you or your 

 families can stand such cold, even if yon 

 feel that vou can Avinter the bees. 



