GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



cloaii-up was neaiiiig its end they l)ecaiiie 

 \ery restless, and occasionally would move 

 or overturn a hive. The bees, however, did 

 not resent their jaresence in front of the 

 entrance unless the hive was disturbed. In 

 one instance I had occasion to witness the 

 performance of the largest of the five, the 

 ultimate result of brushing aside a colony 

 of bees. When he was stung on the head he 

 ran ; and when stung on the legs it was 

 "kick;" and while his disposition at times 

 could not be trusted (being liis deliglit to 

 bunt), I took refuge, seeking a point of 

 view until liis intense anger had subsided. 



The rams were all removed before Hie 

 bees were pj'epared for winter, at which 

 time the ground was rather barren, tliis 

 being a most desirable feature, as grass and 

 weeds only harbor mice that often become 

 destructive during winter. 



This experience saved me many hours of 

 labor in a yard of 123 colonies, and I feel 

 the work w^ould not have been so complete 

 had I attempted it myself. Instead I en- 

 joyed .several afternoons fisliing. Another 

 season I hope to try this plan with ewes, 

 they being more inclined to be contented. 



Akron, Ohio. 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE BEE=.SHE© IN ARIZONA 



BY W. H. M^'CORjMICK 



Diuing the year 1896 I bought some bees 

 a few miles from Phoenix, Axizona. Acting 

 on the advice, of the man who sold them to 

 me I located them in a grove of large cot- 

 tonwood-trees. The only method of increase 

 I knew of then was swarming. Before the 

 season was over I had considerable experi- 

 ence in climbing trees with a saw and ro]je. 

 Since then, when I've kept bees, it has al- 

 ways been under a shed. 



At that time most Arizona beekeei^ers 

 built their sheds of poles and posts. Forked 

 posts were set in the ground. Then poles 

 enough Avere laid across them to hold the 

 brush uj?. Then I heard of some one who 

 " built a barbed-wire fence flatwise, put it 



on stilts, tied the ends down, and piled 

 brush on top." I don't know who discovered 

 that it was not necessary to sink any except 

 tlie end posts and the anchor posts in the 

 ground. Perhaps some one's posts rotted 

 off, and it occurred to him to nail braces 

 from the posts to the cap. 



I got the ideas for the plan of shed shown 

 in the engraving from a shed built by Mr. 

 Wm. Chambers, of Phoenix. It seems to me 

 the strongest and most economical shed I 

 have seen. The wires that hold the brush 

 from blowing off are not shown. Sometimes 

 none are needed; but occasionally it is nec- 

 essary to use two or three. All depends on 

 the material used and the location. When 



-.liril in An/ 



iiKidi' liy sii'i/ti-hing' wires across the tops of the posts and laying brusli over tlieni. 



