GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



such an apiai-y. If as the editor suggests a 

 new Imperial Valley opens out by way of 

 Mexico, then the old-time alfalfa crops with- 

 out Bermuda grass will prevail once more. 

 Having selected our site we proceed to 

 plow and then " V " two banks on which to 

 set the hives. These are run east and west, 

 with the extracting-house at the east end. 



Around the whole a border is plowed and 

 " V'd " to keep out the water when the land 

 is irrigated. 



Next comes the building of the "ramada," 

 the necessary shed or shelter. For this, 14 

 bents will be required, as shown in Fig. 2. 

 Ramadas for stock are built with flat roofs ; 

 but for bees the roof should come low down 

 at the sides with a six-inch streak of light 

 down the center. With the ramada set east 

 to west, and the west end covered in, no 

 hive can get the full force of the sun. The 

 bents are made of 2 x 3 lumber, and 1x3 

 lumber for the roof. To get an accurate 



gauge to cut your lumber by, use a tempo- 

 rary card gauge. Mark with yonr square 

 three inches along one side and six inches 

 along the right angle. The result will be a 

 measure that will answer for every cut. 



Raided Border to 

 prevent flooding j 

 when Irragating. 



?*■ ' Oeadman "Anchors 

 below ground. 



Having our bents made and up we pro- 

 ceed to stretch six wires anchored to the 

 deadmen. At each end arrow-weed is cut 

 and the roof thatched. Light wires run 

 along and are fastened to the under wires. 

 This completes a very cool shade for so hot 

 a counti-y. 



Heber, Cal. 



A SUMMARY OF THE SEASON'S TRIPS TO OUT-APIARIES 



BY J. W. SCHLENKER 



I use the eight-frame dovetailed hive, and 

 think it is best for comb-honey production. 

 I make my first visit as soon as bees can fly 

 well in the spring, and at this visit deter- 

 mine which colonies, if any, are short of 

 stores. These I feed with full combs of 

 honey saved over from last season for this 

 purpose. 



The next visit is made during fruit-bloom, 

 at which time I remove paper coverings and 

 clip all queens not previously clipped. Col- 

 onies showing so strong that they are likely 

 to be crowded before May 1 are given an- 

 other hive-body containing drawn combs, 

 which are usually on hand at this time, from 

 hives that have been fed, and from those 

 that have died. These are set on top, and 

 the queen given liberty to lay as much as 

 she pleases. 



About May 1 I make another visit, start- 



ing to haul supers to the yard, and putting 

 them on colonies showing sufficient strength. 

 This is very important, because, if bees be- 

 come crowded at this season, they will get 

 the swarming fever and be much harder to 

 handle. 



After the honey begins to come in freely 

 I aim to visit each yard once a week to put 

 on supers, and determine whether any colo- 

 nies contemplate swarming. Tliis is done 

 by tipping the hives back and blowing 

 smoke over the bottoms of the frames. If 

 any queen-cells are found these colonies are 

 treated by shaking bees off all but the two 

 outside frames, and filling the vacant space 

 with frames of foundation, then returning 

 supers and adding othei-s as needed. From 

 time to time I remove those that are filled. 

 Colonies so treated rarely attempt to swarm 

 again that season, Tlie six brood-frames 



