466 



A Remarkable Clover-honey Year in 

 Prospect 



Not in years have the prospects for 

 clover honey over the country generally 

 been so favorable as this year. The U. S. 

 weather maps show that there have been 

 copious rains tlu-uout most of the clover 

 districts. The rains of this season have 

 pushed them forward still more. Unless 

 cold and rainy weather continues thruout 

 the blooming period there will be clover 

 honey this year galore unless — well, wait. 



Honey has been yielding well from a good 

 many sources in the southern states. Altho 

 the season was partly a failure in Florida 

 it has been good in Texas. Conditions have 

 been favorable for alfalfa in rnost of the 

 western districts. The season will not be a 

 failure in California. 



Successful Shipments of Pound Pack- 

 ages of Bees from the South 



The Penn Co., of Penn, Miss., report 

 that they have shipped 1000 different pack- 

 ages of bees without combs, and the loss has 

 been insignificant. W. D, Achord, of Fitz- 

 patrick, Ala., apparently has not had as 

 good results, for he says he has put in 

 claims of over $500 aeainst the express 

 companies for delays in shipment. 



We have been shipping bees from our 

 southern apiary in combless packages to 

 our Medina yard. When the weather is not 

 too hot they arrive in fine condition. But 

 it is evident that the express companies 

 must learn the importance of keeping bees 

 out of the sun, and putting them thru as 

 speedily as possible. 



There are Dollars in it; a Kink in 

 Feeding 



Those who are making increase will 

 doubtless be interested in the reply to Dr. 

 C. E. Blanchard, in the Heads of Grain 

 department, page 496. In raising queen- 

 bees, at least, we have proven one thing to 

 our satisfaction — that the food supply for 

 a cell-building colony must be continuous 

 and very slow. Any feeder that gives to the 

 bees a large amount of food all at one time, 

 or even a few ounces in a few hours, is not 

 suitable for stimulating. The Boardman 

 one-hole feeder, or any feeder where the 

 supply can be regulated down to a mini- 

 mum, will produce more bees and more cells 

 and more queens than any other feeder. 

 With it a quart of feed can be made to last 

 for two or three days, depending on the 

 size of the colony. At the present price of 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



sugar climbing up to 10 cents it pays to 

 have an economical feeder. A feeder like 

 the Alexander, for example, where the bees 

 can empty it in a couple of hours, starts the 

 bees to rushing out of the hives in an up- 

 roar, and is quite liable to start robbing. 

 With the Boardman stopped down to one 

 hole there is no excitement, no rushing from 

 the hive, but a continuous supply of food 

 for cell-building, and brood-rearing goes on 

 without a let-up. 



Time and time again we have had fine 

 batches of cells destroyed because there 

 would be a few hours when there would not 

 be a continuous supply of feed. 



While this is something of a repetition of 

 what we have stated already elsewhere, it is 

 something that will bear repetition until 

 beekeepers grasp the principle, for there 

 are dollars in it. 



The Ford Automobile for Out-apiary 

 Work 



For the first time in our experience we 

 are using the Ford in place of our heavier 

 machine at higher prices. We find the ex- 

 pense of operation about one-third that of 

 the heavier machine. These little Fords of 

 three-fourths ton weight will go where the 

 ton and li/2-ton machines cannot. With 

 their narrow tires they will run in ordinary 

 wagon or buggy ruts, where the tires of the 

 larger machines can scarcely travel. Just 

 recently we put on the rear of our little 

 Ford a light truik body; and we find that, 

 while the little light outfit will not carry 

 as heavy a load as the larger machine, yet 

 it goes so much quicker and at so much less 

 expense that we are using the Ford in place 

 of the heavy truck about nine to one. 



Are the Allies Using Honey in Place of 

 Sugar for their Armies r* 



A YEAR ago cheap honey from the South 

 was begging a customer; but now the condi- 

 tion is changed. Large amounts of honey 

 are being exported, presumably for the 

 armies of the Allies. The soldier is sup- 

 posed to have a balanced ration, and sugar 

 is important as one of the foods. When 

 sugar is expensive, why not substitute hon- 

 ey? Sugar has gone up to such a high 

 price that honey is actually cheaper, and is, 

 of course, a better food. 



The great nations of the world that are 

 compelled to economize doubtless see this, 

 and the result is that extracted honey will 

 probably be firm during the coming season, 

 even in spite of the prospect of a big crop. 



While the great armies of the world are 



