OCTOBER 1, 1916 



course last year there was practically no 

 surplus stored here by any colony, but this 

 year things are different. Yet these bees 

 with the old brood and the queen-cell, tho 

 they have gathered some honey, have put it 

 all into the brood-chamber, apparently not 

 being strong enough to go up into the shal- 

 low supers. In the ease of the old queens, 

 however, left on the old stand with one 

 frame of brood and nine sheets of founda- 

 tion, things were better. Super work is 

 e-ontinuing nicely this year, and there has 

 been no lack of interest in the lower stories, 

 as Mr. Brumfield experienced, page 457, 

 June 1. Both years the foundation was 

 drawn out rapidly, and soon the queens 

 were laying in the new combs. 



But Mr. Brumfield departed from Mr. 

 Fowls' method in at least two points. He 

 placed the old brood-chamber immediately 

 above the queen-excluder, whereas Mr. 

 Fowls especially emphasizes the necessity 

 of two or three empty supers between. He 

 also gave the upper story an entrance at the 

 back, which Mr. Fowls does not. These 

 points of difference may not account for the 

 condition of neglect in the lower hive com- 

 plained of bj' Mr. Brumfield; but, again, 

 they may have been contributing factors. 

 At any rate, does not swarm control thus 

 practiced become an adaptation of tlv? 

 Fowls method rather than the Fowls meth- 

 od itself? 



One day, about the first of June, we were 

 greatlj' alarmed at the behavior of one colo- 

 ny. On the alighting-board, and on the 

 gi'ass all around the entrance, there were 

 bees crawling and climbing, most of them 

 apparently unable to fly. At the entrance, 

 a first glance seemed to suggest that the 

 colony was defending itself against robbers ; 

 yet there were no robbers in evidence. But 

 every minute or two one or more bees would 

 suddenly attack another and try to force 

 her out, off the alighting-board. The ones 

 so attacked always resisted, drawing back 

 toward the hive, often into it and quite out 

 of sight. Out they would ultimately be 

 dragged, however, and it was a sorry spec- 

 tacle indeed to see them all struggling, and 

 finally dying there on the grass. The next 

 day there was still a little of this same 

 beha\aor, tho much less, and soon it had 

 disappeared entirely. Nothing similar show- 

 ed up in any other colony. I couldn't see 

 anything peculiar in the appeai-ance of tlie 

 unfortunate bees, unless it was that so many 

 of them had their tongues out ! That seems 

 comical, doesn't it? But there they were, 

 tho I don't claim to have been a particularly 

 close observer. Tliis colony hasn't stored 



much since then, but neither have the others, 

 so we attribute that fact to the weather. 

 There was nothing queer or different (that 

 we noticed) in the interior of the hive when 

 it was opened a few days later. 



FOR BEGINNERS. 



Better look over your hives once more 

 this month. Be sure that no colony is 

 queenless. Then see that each one has am- 

 ple stores to get thru the winter, twenty- 

 five or thirty pounds per hive. If you find 

 some of them short, and have no extra 

 honey to give them, make a synip of two 

 parts sugar to one part boiling water. Stir 

 till the sugar is thoroly dissolved. You 

 probably haven't any regular feeders. Just 

 put an empty super on the hive to be fed; 

 pour the syrup into an ordinary pan; place 

 chips or tiny bits of wood on top for float- 

 ers for the bees to feed from; set the pan 

 on the top-bars of the frames, and close the 

 super. It is better to do this toward eve- 

 ning, as there is less chance of starting 

 robbing. It is a good thing too to feed it 

 warm. Count on giving them a pound, or 

 nearly a pound, of sugar so prepared, for 

 each pound of stores needed. 



If you winter on summer stands you will 

 soon be contracting the entrances; and if 

 mice are troublesome in your neighborhood, 

 you might put a strip of coarse wire cloth 

 across the entrance also ; about three wires 

 to the inch is good. This will keep out mice, 

 yet allow the bees to pass thru easily. 



Evening. 



Gently down the evening drift the quiet 

 brown and amber; 

 Slowly thru the meadow trails the dusk 

 on drowsy feet; 

 Softly from the fallen fence where honey- 

 suckles clamber 

 Steals a twilight witchery of dewiness 

 and sweet. 



Wondermesit and yearning irresistibly en- 

 fold us, 

 Pausing where the shining rows of hives 

 beneath the trees 

 Murmur so and murmur. Ah! wliat secrets 

 they have told us, 

 Secrets of the questing and the homing 

 of the bees. 



Living out the miracle, questing on and 

 questing, 

 Drinking of the beauty of some distant, 

 dim desire, 

 Homing then at evening to the silen<e and 

 the resting — 

 Heart of mine, O heart of mine, what 

 more does life require f 



