April, 1917 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



291 



even in Gleanings. It is a booklet con- 

 taining the annual report of the state in- 

 spector of Iowa, Mr. Frank Pellett, and 

 also the report of the Iowa sla(e convention. 

 It contains some unusually interesting pa- 

 pers on almost every angle of beekeeping, 

 and is something the Iowa beekeepers may 

 well be proud to have put out. I certainly 

 appreciate having l-.nd an opportunity to 



see it. 



« * « 



Ml". Chadwick's remarks and inquiiy, 

 page 194, March, about watching bees work 

 on flowers, reminds me of some of my more 

 limited experiences, confined mostly to our 

 own yard — fruit-bloom in spring and smart- 

 weed in mid-summer, after the oals die 

 down in the rear chicken-lots. Then last 

 fall I watched them in the althea blooms by 

 the east steps, day after day, till the frost 

 killed the blossoms. They seemed to be 

 after nectar, paying no attention to the 

 pollen, tho invariably they came out of the 

 deep flowers all jDowdery on the head and 

 back. Then came the clean-up, bewilder- 

 ingly swift. 



Is it true that bees sometimes " achieve " 

 pollen, as it were, by gathering it for its 

 own sake; and at other times, as seemed to 

 be the ease with the althea, have it " thrust 

 upon them " and so collect it only incident- 

 ally, and as a secondary interest? And 

 when brushing off the pollen that has clung 

 to them uninvited, do they always pack it 

 thriftily into the famous baskets, whether 

 they need it or not, and carry it home? 



In spite of all the extreme and variable 

 weather of the winter, the bees in this im- 

 mediate part of Tennessee seem to be com- 

 ing thru with full, or practically full, colony 

 count, tho it is as yet too early to judge of 

 their strength. Today, March 7, every one 

 of our colonies is flying. Mr. Bartholomew 

 reports, however, that in many box-hive lo- 

 calities in the mountain districts this win- 

 ter lias completed the destructive work of 

 the past few unfavorable years, almost wip- 

 ing the bees out and in some places really 

 doing so quite completely. 



Not only has the severe winter been hard 

 on the bees, but reports indicate that' the 

 clover crop may have been seriously dam- 

 aged. Some of the press notices have stat- 

 ed that the damage to both wheat and 

 clover is woi'se than at any time for thirty 

 years, and that they are both practically 

 killed ^out. I was talking with Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture Bryson this morning 

 and he stated that, while the unollieial indi- 

 (ations are that wheat has been damaged to 

 the extent of 50 to 75 per cent, thej^ have 



as yet no reports on clover. On his o"wn 

 farm, however, the old clover is killed, and 

 he thinks it likely the loss thruout the state 

 may be heavy. This, of course, refers chief- 

 ly to crimson and sweet clovers, white 

 clover usually suffering less than the others 

 from winter-killing. Anyway, we refuse to 

 bury our hopes thus early, tho we admit 

 feeling a bit solemncholy. 



The honey or " sousing " method of in- 

 troducing proves to have a surprising 

 number of followers, either old or new. 

 We should thank Prof. Baldwin for resur- 

 recting and announcing it. The day may 

 come when every queen will be either 

 sprinkled or immersed. I'll tell you what 

 I'm going to go when I try it — provided 

 the queen has mated, of course. I'm just 

 going to clip her wings then and there, 

 and get that operation over at the same 

 time. Since she is going to be so thoroly 

 daubed with honey, the finger taint will 

 surely be lost. Perhaps a splash of dilut- 

 ed honey at the time of the regular clip- 

 ping of queens already established may 

 keep them from the danger of getting ball- 

 ed ; may be a genuine " sousing " will 

 save one that is being balled. 



I am interested in noticing how many 

 women wear gloves in the beeyard. TTntil 

 last summer I scorned them. But yielding 

 at last to advice and ui'gent entreaty I got 

 a pair and started wearing them early last 

 season. Now I am in danger of contracting 

 the habit, as much as anything for the satis- 

 faction of not getting my hands all daubed 

 up with propolis and stuff. But they are 

 hot things, and awkward, and I don't like 

 them a bit. I am convinced that, when you 

 wear them, you need them lots more than 

 when you don't, because the long wide 

 finger ends disturb the bees so much more 

 than deft bare fingertips. 



APRIL-TIME IN DIXIE. 

 It's April-time in Dixie I 



The world is full of song, 

 Trees are bright with blossoming, 



Hearts are young and strong I 

 Fairy, elf, and pixie 



Blow the hours along, 

 So April-time in Dixie 



Doesn't last long! 



Dixie bees are humming, 



Skies are blue and gay, 

 Heart, take all that's coming 



Each glad day. 

 Fairy, elf, and pixie 



Blow the lioui's away, 

 And April-time in Dixie 



Soon brings May I 



