GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



the bees and the knowledge of them go 

 hand in hand. 



For the man with a scientific mind there 

 is an inexhaustible field for study in observ- 

 ing the life of the inhabitants of the hive. 

 While we have some general ideas in regard 

 to what causes the bees to act as they do, 

 yet there is still room for the patient inves- 

 tigator and observer. We do not wish to 

 detract one iota from the great amount of 

 work along this line which has been done 

 by many who have devoted much time and 

 thought to it, but it is a subject of vast 

 possibilities. It also stimulates a love for 

 nature and brings a knowledge of the flora 

 of the vicinity. 



For the man with a mechanical bent thei'e 

 is the oioportunity to gratify his desire to 

 work with tools by making his own hives, 

 stands, and so on. Of course, as a general 

 rule it is more practical to buy factory- 

 made hives; but an ingenious man can find 

 a great deal of pleasure in constructing his 

 own. 



To the artistic eye there are interesting 

 possibilities in the arrangement of the api- 



ary. A few hives against a background of 

 vines and plants give a pretty effect. They 

 should, of course, be painted white; for, 

 aside from its attractiveness, white has been 

 found to be the most satisfactory color for 

 hives. Paint will preserve the wood, while 

 the white color does not absorb the heat 

 readily, and thus the temperature of the 

 inside of the hive is kept down during the 

 hot days of summer. 



Aside from all these considerations there 

 is the added feature of profit. As experience 

 is acquired and the apiary gTows, the in- 

 come will begin to be of some consequence. 

 In a good season one colony should jDroduee 

 from three to five dollars' worth of honey 

 besides the possibility of giving a swarm 

 Avorth at least two dollars more. 



Much more might be said in this connec- 

 tion; but, in conclusion, as the preacher 

 says, it may be stated without fear of con- 

 tradiction that for all-around genuine pleas- 

 ure and interest, beekeeping is one of the 

 best hobbies to be found If you doubt it,* 

 just ask any of your friends who keep bees. 



San Antonio, Texas. 



AN AUSTRALIAN BIED PEST 



BY T. RAYMENT 



In Australia, especially the far southern 

 portion of the Continent comprising the 

 State of Victoria, apiarists engaged in the 

 breeding of queens sustain some severe 

 losses due to the prevalence of wood-swal- 

 lows. These birds are scientifically known 

 as Artamidae tenehro- 

 sits, or shrike swallows 

 (sordid woo d-swal- 

 low). They are also 

 called bus h-martins, 

 summer-birds, etc. The 

 birds are partly mi- 

 gratory and probably 

 American bee-farmers 

 suffer from their dep- 

 redations. 



F X m November, 



1913, 1 February, 



1914, inclusive, a colo- 

 ny of these birds es- 

 tablished themselves on 

 the borders of the 

 State Forest of Bow 

 Warrung. We have an 

 outyard in the confines 

 of this forest, and 

 within a stone's throw 

 of the bird colony. At 

 first we paid no atten- 



tion to their graceful, hovering flight, as we 

 were busily engaged in getting queen-cells 

 built. We placed in three-frame nuclei about 

 one hundred nice ripe cells, and in a little 

 while we were astonished at the number of 

 missing virgins — about fifty per cent. From 



— 1917 — 



A wood-swallow of Australia represented about to catch a bee. Tliese 

 birds are also called " bush-martins," " summer-birds," etc. 



