790 



While oil tins round I not only clean up 

 all hives as well as covers if they need 

 scra]iing', but I 'note the condition of all 

 colonies as to brood and also the condition 

 of all queens. If any seem to be failing I 

 mark the hives to be requeened on the next 

 round. Entrance tins are now removed. 

 These are what we call mouse-guards and 

 are two inches high and six inches long, 

 having three small sawtooth holes in them 

 just large enough to allow two bees to 

 squeeze in together. In the fall these are 

 slipped m behind the regular ^entrance 

 cleats, made of common plastering laths, 

 with entrance cut about one-half inch high 

 by four inches long. These tins keep jnice 

 from going into hives during cold winter 

 nights and gnawing the combs containing 

 pollen. Thus I am able to save many beau- 

 tiful combs from being virtually ruined by 

 the inroads of the well-known field mouse. 



My next round comes about the first of 

 April. This time I requeen all colonies 

 having poor queens, and give queens to any 

 that may have had no queen the round be- 

 fore. I again equalize stores. 



About the middle of April I make my 

 fourth spring round; remove cleats on all 

 strong colonies; draw brood from the colo- 

 nies that appear to be about ready to 

 swarm, and give to weak colonies, or else 

 elevate brood to the upper story above the 

 queen-excluders in exchange for empty 

 combs. 



About one week later I make another trip 

 around, and if I find any bees still inclined 

 to swarm T elevate the brood again, and if 

 this does not have the desired effect, and I 

 find some queen-cells started, I elevate the 

 liives a little at the front, and sometimes 

 crack the covers about one-half inch to the 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



side. By this practice, and always seeing 

 that all hives have plenty of room for both 

 brood-rearing and honey-production, I sel- 

 dom lose any swarms. 



MANAGEMENT DURING THE HONEY-FLOW. 



The main honey-flow from sweet clover 

 is now close at hand, and my colonies are 

 running over with bees ready for the har- 

 vest. If the clover sees fit to yield a boun- 

 teous flow in return for my labor, you may 

 well know how I feel. I work, I almost 

 slave, to keep ahead of the bees, elevating 

 the full supers and placing those that have 

 either empty combs or those partly full 

 always just above the queen-excluder and 

 next to the brood-chamber. At the same 

 time I am busy extracting combs that are 

 full and capped over. Thus I get my large 

 crops. On the other hand, if the clover does 

 not yield the nectar — again you may know 

 how I feel — another long year to wait for 

 another opportunity. So if I am blessed 

 with a good crop of honey, I gather it; if 

 not, I take my medicine with a smile, altho, 

 perhaps, it may be a sickly one. 



Incidentally I wish to mention that while 

 making my rounds all colonies that .shoAv 

 unusually good qualities for honey produc- 

 tion and gentleness of disposition I mark 

 and later move to my queen-yard. To all 

 colonies having old queens I give new young 

 mothers, and all which have not yielded 

 returns as I believe they should I also re- 

 queen, thus preparing for the coming year. 



About the last of October I make my last 

 round, putting on entrance cleats and 

 mouse-tins, carefully scraping covers, and 

 seeing that they fit closely to keep out the 

 cold winter winds. 



Hayneville, Ala. 



HONEY AND HONEY PRODUCTION 



P.Y HOMER MATHEWSON 



Half of my life I spent in New York, 

 producing clover, basswood, and buckwheat 

 honey. Since then I have visited many of 

 the great honey-i^rodueing sections in Flor- 

 ida, Texas, Colorado, California, Nevada, 

 and Utah. 



There is a great contrast between New 

 York and the tupelo region of Florida, the 

 mesquite and horsemint of Texas, the alfal- 

 fa of Colorado, and the orange and sage of 

 California. The alfalfa of Nevada is wa- 

 ter-white, while that of Imperial Valley is 

 light amber. Why the difference? Simply 

 the heat, and perhaps a little owing to the 

 water. 



The outlook in Utah seems better than in 



Colorado, where in many localities, at least, 

 it would seem that the honey crops are 

 diminishing, owing to the land being used 

 for diversified crops. 



The marketing methods in most places 

 are very poor, not over a tenth of the 

 crop being sold at home. The home market 

 should be increased. 



Speaking of disease, the successful men 

 of today have learned how to cope with 

 disease, and they have very little fear. 

 There may be a few cases of bee paralysis, 

 but far more of beekeepers' paralysis. Much 

 is written of the eight and nine hour day. 

 Sometimes it needs 16 hours for success. 



The picture [cover illustration. — Ed.] 



