NOVEMBER 1, 1916 



Heads of Grain From Different Fields 



THE BACKLOT BUZZER. 



BY J. H. DONAHEY 



Aunt Miranda Catnip says Doolittle is right. 

 When a colony decides to walk out there's no use in 

 resorting to arbitration. She says, jes let 'em swarm. 



Moving Bees Without Ventilation. 



That it is not always necessary to give 

 ventilation in moving bees may sound un- 

 orthodox, hut I have found it practical and 

 convenient. 



When the time taken in moving is not 

 too long, and the v^eather is fairly cool, the 

 entrances may merely be plugged with wet 

 rags. The rags must be soaking wet, how- 

 ever, and should be applied without wring- 

 ing any of the water out. I have moved 

 bees in this way when they had to be confin- 

 ed four or five hours, and they came thru in 

 good condition. The colonies were of ordi- 

 nary strength, and the weather was warm at 

 first, but later a cold wind came up. In this 

 case the moving was done on spring wagons, 

 in the daytime; but the plan is not to be 

 recommended when horses are used in day- 

 light. At another time I moved some very 

 strong colonies by automobile over three 

 miles of rough road, using this plan with en- 

 tire success. 



The explanation seems to be that the 

 bees get what water they need from the 

 rags; and the entrance being dark they lie 

 quietly on the combs instead of continually 

 trying to get out, as they otherwise would. 

 A SAFETY CAKRIER FOR TOMB HONEY 



Here is a method of packing comb honey 

 for shipment by express or parcel post that 



seems to meet the requirements of safety 

 and economy very well. The principle in- 

 volved is that, if you want men to do things 

 right, make the right way the natural way; 

 make it so obvious and easy that they will 

 follow it unconsciously. 



My crate is simply a tray four or five 

 inches deep, a little larger than the case con- 

 taining the honey, and having an upright 

 piece at each end — on the outside — and fas- 

 tened between these uprights a cross-piece 

 which holds the case of honey firmly in 

 place, and which may also be made to serve 

 as a handle. There should be packing 

 enough in the bottom so that the case will 

 set only an inch or two into the crate. 



When so arranged the package will not 

 be placed on its side, because the weight of 

 the honey would overbalance it; it will not 

 be placed on its end for the same reason, 

 and also because of the upright pieces; and 

 it will not be placed on its top on account 

 of the cross-piece and the very evident fact 

 that it was not meant to be so placed. Clear- 

 ly the only way it will set is firmly on its 

 bottom, in which position it has three inches 

 of packing under the honey to take up the 

 shock. The honey will be visible thru the 

 glass, if glass is used, and this will serve as 

 a further warning against carelessness, while 

 at the same time both glass and honey are 

 protected by the projecting crate. 



Doubtless the details may be improved, 

 but a limited experience has convinced me 

 that the jirinciple is sound when applied 

 to single-case shipments. 



Torrington, Ct. Walter H. Hull 



Are All Workers of One Class? 



Among the workers of one and the same 

 colony there seems to me to be a difference, 

 not only in color but in shape as well. Some 

 appear to have a much more slender abdo- 

 men than others, and, especially with Ital- 

 ians, the end of their abdomen seems to be 

 of a much darker hue of brown. Little im- 

 portance is, perhaps, to be paid to this last 

 fact, as it can be attributed to atavism. But 

 the difference in shape is less easily account- 

 ed for, I believe. 



Often for hours I have watcKed bees car- 

 rying in pollen, but I have never seen one of 

 these slender workers come in with any, 

 altho I believe they bring in honey. I have 

 also noticed that, after a swarm is hived 

 and has settled quietly in the hive, the 

 guards at the entrance are mainly or exclu- 

 sively composed of these slender bees, and, 

 when disturbing a colony, these bees are the 

 ones to fly out first and attack the intruder. 



Is this accidental, or do I see wrong? I 

 don't know. I don't possess the required 

 instruments to make out whether or not 

 there is any anatomical different!' between 

 these slender bees and the rest of the work- 

 ers' force, neither do I have the training for 

 such delicate work. 



