March, 1917 



GLEANINGS T N B K E CULTURE 



185 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



They were ahead of us too in the matter 

 of building their homes. I don't believe 

 you will Hnd such economy of material and 

 space, combined with strengili, anywhere 

 but in honeycomb. The hexagonal cells, 

 back to back and side by side, row after 

 row, are marvelously fine and beautiful, 

 and practical as well, for the material is 

 waterproof and tough, yet plastic enough 

 to mold. Personally, tho, I am just as 

 well satisfied to be a member of the blun- 

 dering human race that is still experiment- 

 ing on building materials and so many 

 oiher things. It might be a trifle monot- 

 onous to have double rows of apartments, 

 all the same size and color, backed up to- 

 gether on uniform streets. It is plain to 

 be seen that our friends the bees do not 

 go in for artistic variety — still they are 

 spared the fantastic and grotesque build- 

 ings that some of our neighbors force upon 

 us occasionally. Remember the tower on 

 old Mr. Tomlinson's house that Father 

 used to call the wen? 



Rob says it's time the children were in 

 bed. They have been popping corn and 

 pouring honey syrup over it. It's very 

 sticky, but delectable, and I shall stop 

 wi'iting to have some. Wish you were 

 here to help crunch. 



Your loving sister, Mary. 



Progress of Beekeeping in Virginia 



I decided to give the quadruple winter 

 case a thoro test this winter, so made 

 eight casFS of the Holterm.ann type and 

 packed 32 colonies in them with about five 

 inches of dry wheat chaff on all sides 

 and on top. 



I am glad I have the most of my bees 

 packed in these cases, as the colonies were 

 not as strong last fall as they should have 

 been, and we are having some very cold 

 weather here this winter. The bees have 

 not been flying out on the warm days as 

 mucli as they used to at this time of the 

 year. Probably being packed so warm 

 has something to do with it. 



Beekeeping has not progressed in Vir- 

 ginia as it should have done. Most of 

 the colonies are left out without any pro- 

 tection at all, and lots of them die in the 

 winter from starvation and exposure to 

 the cold. We have some cold weather here, 

 and it is my opinion it would pay the 

 beekeepers to experiment on winter pro- 

 tection. 



We have lots of liouey and pollen bear- 

 ing trees and jilants. Our earliest pollen 

 comes fr'om the alder, which blooms some 

 time in February. It grows in great abun- 

 dance along the river and branch banks, 

 and is a great help in building up colonies. 

 Next comes maple, which grows in great 

 abundance in the forest, and is a great 

 help to the bees, as it yields a good amount 

 of honey as well as pollen, and just at a 

 time when it is most needed in spring 

 brood-rearing. Apple and peach are also 

 good sources of early pollen and nectar. 

 These fruits are raised extensively in some 

 sections of the state. 



Our main honey-flow begins the first of 

 May, and consists of locust, poplar, gum, 

 persimmon, and wild berries, of which 

 blackberry is the most important. The pop- 

 lar is our heaviest yielder in the first flow, 

 and is more plentiful than any of the 

 others. The honey is dark, but well flavor- 

 ed and of heavy body. 



After the first flow is over we have 

 about two weeks intermission, and then by 

 the middle of June the next flow begins, 

 wliicb is from sourwood, sumac, etc. 

 Sourwood is plentiful, and is a good yielder 

 of a water-white honey of good flavor 

 and body. 



We have good markets in Virginia for 

 all the honey we produce, and at a good 

 price. In fact, most of our markets have 

 to draw on other states for their supply. 



I have had single colonies produce as 

 much as 296 pounds of honey in one 

 season, and have averaged as high as 183 

 pounds per colony in a season. My low- 

 est average for four years was last sea- 

 son, and that was 38 pounds — not such a 

 bad yield after all. 



Stockton, Va. Francis W. Gravely. 



Testing the Breeders 



No' matter where the prospective breeding 

 queens are procured, it is very important 

 for the keeping up of our particular strain 

 that they be put thru exhaustive tests to 

 eliminate any but those possessing such 

 qualities as are desirable in our queen-moth- 

 ers. Since it is possible to requeen the 

 whole yard from one queen, without much 

 extra effort, it is but reasonable to insist 

 that her qualifications should be above the 

 abilities of any but the extra best. There- 

 fore one should not breed from a queen in 



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