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.Bee Cimltere 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



A. I. Root, Editor Jlome Department 

 H. H. Root, Mana 



- TH Ti T, T. ,■ •^- '^'- Calvert, Business Manager 



ng Editor E. R. Root, Editor A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. 



Entered at tlie Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter 



VOL. XLII. 



DECEMBER 15, 1914 



NO. 24 



Otir isicuex 

 The reader's attention is particularly 

 drawn to our index for 1914, covering all 

 departments. There are about 3000 refer- 

 ences, showing that Gleanings covers a 

 wide range and a great variety of subjects. 

 Do not throw this index away nor these 

 copies of 'Gleanings for 1914. A single 

 reference may save hundreds of dollars. 

 During the long winter evenings a beekeep- 

 er can well afford to glance over this index 

 and pick out topics he has skimmed over 

 during the busy rush of the summer. 



mow for 



The short snappy cold spell refen-ed to 

 in our last issue, almost before the ink was 

 dried, gave way to a warm spell accompan- 

 ied by rain and snow. We are putting our 

 bees into the cellar to-day, Dec. 8, closing 

 the entrances with light fluffy snow. Snow 

 is an excellent thing for the purpose — the 

 best in the world. No attention need be 

 l^aid to it, for it will soon melt away after 

 the bees have been placed, but not before 

 they have quieted down for their long sleep. 



Oer Cover Picture 

 At our Ault yard, west of Medina, we 

 formerly had the hives arranged on the 

 sidehill as shown on the Sept. 1st cover for 

 1913. In addition to the shelter afforded, 

 our idea was that the hill was so steep that 

 no fences would be necessary to keep the 

 cattle away. However, the cattle did not 

 seem to notice the inconvenience as much as 

 we did ourselves. Accordingly during 1914 

 we had the hives arranged on the top of 

 the hill as shown on our cover for this 

 issue. We concluded that we could buy 

 wire fencing cheaper than we could operate 

 those colonies on ground so steep that while 

 the back of the bottom-board rested on 

 terra firma the front end had to be support- 

 ed on stakes over a foot high. 



Feeding Colomies ie 



■winter Out- 



doors and in the Cellar 

 We would call particular attention to an 

 article by F. P. Clare, on page 986 of this 



issue. Our experience in feeding for winter 

 late in the fall indicates that he is right. 

 As a general proposition, however, late 

 feeding or winter feeding should be avoided 

 if possible; but we have repeatedly fed up 

 apiaries just before cold weather set in by 

 feeding a thick hot syrup — almost hot 

 enough to scald the bees' feet. The heat 

 generated will keep the colony warm until 

 the feed is all taken down. 



Syrup for late feeding should be made 

 very thick — don't forget that. We never 

 tried a syrup as thick as that mentioned by 

 our correspondent, but see no reason why it 

 would not give excellent results provided 

 honey is used with it to prevent its harden- 

 ing and going to crystals. 



Many and many a colony, owing to the 

 warm weather that has prevailed generally 

 tln-oughout the country until late fall or 

 early winter, would be short of stores. A 

 colony that is liberally supplied in the 

 month of September will often use up a 

 large part of its supply in brood-rearing. 

 It is astonishing how the stores will disap- 

 pear after a spell of breeding. Late breed- 

 ing is a good thing in that it supplies the 

 colony with vigorous young stock. It then 

 becomes necessary to feed up to supply the 

 deficiency. 



se Carload 

 rginia : 



SMpments 

 ing and 



The second carload of bees that was sent 

 to the Dismal Swamp, Virginia, Nov. 16, 

 arrived in excellent condition. When they 

 were set out after their flight it was ob- 

 served that a certain set of colonies showed 

 symptoms of dysentery. On checking up it 

 was found that these were the colonies that 

 were fed up on Porto Rican honey during 

 the month of September and the fore part 

 of October. The other colonies that gather- 

 ed only natural stores from the swamps 

 showed no spotting of the hives. The only 

 explanation we have to offer is that the 

 Porto Rican honey may possibly be the 

 cause. Or this may be true: That any fed 

 honey would do this when sugar syrup 

 would not. If any of om- correspondents 

 can throw any light on this matter we 



