GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



(he machine. 11 was often necessary to use 

 the hoi'se any way, because I had to take 

 quite a load. In fact, the incapacity of the 

 motor cycle to carry a load is really the 

 greatest objection to the machine for the 

 beekeeper's use. If one has only a single 

 conveyance it is important that he be able 

 to haul considerable load. 



Motor cycles with side car attached have 

 been recommended; but even then the ca- 

 pacity is small and the outfit is impractic- 

 able for bad roads. Besides, unless in a 

 level country it needs a very high-powered 

 and expensive machine to handle a side car. 

 In a hilly country a one-speed motor cycle 

 with two cylinders cannot manage a side car 



efficiently except under the most favorable 

 conditions. To be sure, two and three speed 

 high-powered machines may be had, but the 

 price rivals that of a Ford automobile, 

 while their efficiency is scarcely to be com- 

 pared with such a staunch little car as the 

 Ford. 



As a pleasure machine the motor cycle 

 stands in a class by itself, and, tho it may 

 scarcely sound businesslike, I am free to 

 say that I do not begrudge what mine has 

 cost me for pleasure. As an investment I 

 am sure it has not paid ; but if one can 

 afTord one as a luxury it will often be 

 found convenient for making quick trips. 



West Danby, N. Y. 



ONE WHO SUCCEEDS WITH A HOME YARD NOT ALWAYS SUCCESS- 

 FUL WITH OUTYARDS 



BY F. P. QUINBY 



My experience in California, Nevada, and 

 Illinois, has taught me that the following 

 points cannot be ignored if the maximum 

 results are desired from outyards. 



One of the first items to be considered in 

 establishing an out-apiary is this : Have you 

 knowledge of the conditions that surround 

 the locality? and do you realize that your 

 outyard may dit¥er to a wide extent from 

 your home yard, and as such require differ- 

 ent management"? The foregoing is but one 

 of a large number of questions that might 

 be put to the '' small " beekeeper who is de- 

 sirous of establishing an outyard, but it is 

 an item of vital importance. 



The same rule applies to the manage- 

 ment of outyards as to the man who, having 

 been successful in business on a small scale, 

 desires to branch out into a larger field, in 

 which undertaking he often meets with fail- 

 ure on account of the lack of training or 

 inability to cope with larger situations. 



One of the more difficult problems which 

 the beginner must solve after he has estab- 

 lished an outyard or two is how to control 

 the swarming with as few visits to the out- 

 yard as possible. The system which I have 

 folloAved for the past four years in Illinois 

 is as follows : I introduce a strong young 

 laying queen into each colony just before 

 the fall flow begins, on account of which 

 my colonies go into winter quarters well 

 provided for; i.e., with a young queen, 

 young bees, plenty of good stores, and the 

 fall honey is all removed from tlie hives. 



As soon as I find there is plenty of bloom 

 T confine the colonies, which are wintered in 

 two-story chatf hives, down to tlie first story, 

 taking out all the surplus honey by lifting 



the brood-nest, which is by this time well 

 started, and is usually in the top story, and 

 putting it into the lower part of the hive. 

 I put only those combs below that have 

 brood or honey in them, always placing a 

 card of honey next to the brood-nest prop- 

 er. The rest of the hive is filled with empty 

 combs, and the frames are well covered up. 

 An ideal condition is thus created ; i. e., I 

 have a young vigorous queen, a brood-nest 

 that is not clogged up with candied honey 

 or old pollen, and the season is advanced so 

 that, with the pollen plentiful, and enough 

 new honey coming in, the queen will do her 

 best with the force she has at this time, and 

 good results cannot help being obtained. 



I utilize the rest of the honey which is 

 found in the hives as follows : I place one 

 of the combs over the cluster after a i^iece 

 as large as the size of ray hand has been 

 uncapped with the knife, and every other 

 day repeat this until the comb is used up, 

 at which time I start another comb in the 

 same manner. By so doing, my old honey 

 is entirely consumed by the time of the 

 main flow, and has been turned into brood, 

 which is tlie result most desired by beekeep- 

 ers at this time of the year. I am well 

 aware that a good many beekeepers find 

 their bees ai'e without stores a good while 

 before the flow begins, but I consider it 

 poor management. With a good young 

 queen at the head of a colony at the open- 

 ing of the season, keeping the colony com- 

 ]iact and warm, and using the old honey as 

 stated above, it is not long before I can 

 start with my second brood-nest. I consider 

 this tlie secret of swarm control and strong 

 colonies. 



