OCTOBER 15, 1916 



985 



Heads of Grain From Different Fields 



THE BACKLOT BUZZER. 



BY J. H. DONAHEY 



bees that lay in their winter stores while 



The 



the sun shines don't have to pay the lutclter for 

 his hand every time he weighs a sovphonc. 



OCTOBER 



BY GRACE ALLEN 



When Autumn bows to Summer 



(Who then steals quite away), 

 And spreads her gold and scarlet round 



In such a royal way, 

 And chills the nights and mornings, 



But sets the day afire 

 With gypsy flame and brilliant sun 



And vagabond desire; 



When smartweed takes the meadow, 



And bitterweed's in bloom. 

 And aster opens on the hills — 



Ah, then I leave my room. 

 And loiter in the beeyard 



Where every hive's a-hum, 

 And vagrant thought, like flying bees, 



Come and go and come. 



Fall Feeding for S' imula'don. 



Fall feeding of bees is advisable especially 

 in case of weak colonies. It pays to feed at 

 any time after the honey-flow is over, for the 

 reason that the queen will regulate her lay- 

 ing by the amount of stores coming in to the 

 hive. This is especially true during the fall 

 months when there is little honey to be gath- 

 ered. 



By feeding a little syrup every day or 



several times a day one can keep the queen 

 laying very late in the fall so there will be 

 a large force of young bees with which to 

 start in the winter. 



This in turn means strong colonies in the 

 spring. Many times colonies that appear t > 

 be very strong in the fall dwindle down 

 during the winter so that they come out very 

 weak "in the spring. This is due to too many 

 old bees in the hive, caused by the queen 

 failing to continue her work late in the 

 season. 



The syrup that is stored with the late 

 honey that is gathered improves the quality 

 of the winter food, and this is excellent for 

 brood-rearing in early spring. 



It does not matter if the hive is full of 

 honey; the queen will stop laying at any 

 time in the fall when there is nothing com 

 ing in, whether it be early or late; but by 

 feeding a very little at a time, and often, 

 they will continue as long as the weather 

 will permit the hatching of brood. 



The hive should be kept as close and warm 

 as possible; in fact, double-walled hives 

 should be used, and packed as warm as for 

 winter. Heat is more essential in Septem- 

 ber, October, and November than in Decem- 

 ber and Januaiy. 



Bees will stand almost any kind of treat- 

 ment except in early spring and late fall. 

 These are the more vital. periods at the time 

 when young bees are most valuable. 



Hartford, Ct. Geo. T. Whitten. 



[When feeding for stimulation it is al- 

 ways best to err on the safe side, and pro- 

 ceed with the idea of eliminating every 

 possible chance for robbing. We advise 

 giving half a pint of syrup very late in the 

 afternoon only, so that by morning the ex- 

 citement caused by the feed will have sub- 

 sided. If the syrup were given several times 

 a day, especially to weak colonies, robbing 

 might be started. The latter part of October 

 is usually too late for stimulative feeding 

 except in the south-central and southern 

 locations. — Ed.] 



Another Tuccessful User of the Honey- 

 Method of Introducing. 



Since receiving the Sept. 15th issue of 

 Gleanings I have been searching my files of 

 bee literature of all sorts for items relating 

 to queen-introducing. As I have not com- 

 jjleted my research I am not ready to give 

 specifically any data, but I wish to say the 

 practice of sprinkling the bees and daubing 

 the queen for introducing is decidedl.y not 

 new as a whole nor in detail. 



Just why I or any other beekeeper who 

 has known of it right along has not given it 

 thought or trial until now is a puzzle to me. 



I used the method last season (1915) with 

 pejfect satisfaction and no failure, and this 

 season more with the same success. Further- 

 more, I talked the "sousing" method, as I 



