622 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



August, 1917 



to go higher and higher each day until by 

 the 17th it l:ad reached the phenomenal 

 height of 119 degrees in the shade by gov- 

 ernment-station records. The air was like 

 a furnace, and the damage done can hardly 

 be estimated. The lemon crop is largely on 

 the ground; late oranges that were not pick- 

 ed were injured badly, while the next year's 

 naval crop is practically an entire loss from 

 the fact that the young oranges have nearly 

 all dropped off. And the beekeeper did not 

 escape. The damage by melting down has 

 proved to be greater than at first thought 

 possible. The number of colonies melted 

 down will amount well into the thousands, 

 some apiaries having lost over a hundred 

 colonies, while few escaped without the Iofs 

 of at least a few colonies. New swarms were 



the greatest sufiereis, many having literally 

 melted down and run out of the liives, wax 

 and all. One party reports a loss of 90 

 per cent in one yard, including old and new 

 colonies. 



Fortunately I did not lose a single colonj-, 

 and only one comb. This I attribute to the 

 fact that my hives are all well painted, and 

 white, together with the fact that I use a 

 lid with a rim that leaves a dead-air space 

 of 2 inches above the frames. I have never 

 had a colony melt down under one of these 

 lies. This lid is known as the Chadwick lid ; 

 but to my uncle, J. K. Williamson, should be 

 given the credit of origin. Under no cir- 

 cumstance would I abandon it for any other 

 lid on the market. It is a colony-saver, 

 without a doubt. 



iC A ^^' honey - 



dew yet?" 



That was 

 a sort of uni- 

 versal greeting at the little county meeting 

 July 7th. "Not yet, but lookin' for it 

 'most any time," was the usual answer. 

 Such a slim little crop as was in the hives 

 seemed to justify leaving it there as long 

 as there was the slightest chance of more, 

 yet the honey-dew scare hung over us all. 

 It has its uses, honey-dew honey, but we 

 don't want it mixed Avith our nice white 



clover. 



* * * 



Beekeepers are not easily cast down — 

 fortunately. Admitting less than half a 

 crop this season when of aU seasons we 

 most wanted that elusive bumper crop, the 

 regular quarterly gathering - together of 

 Davidson Countians was particularly pleas- 

 ant. The glaring sun kept us moving, to 

 stay within the shade of the persimmon 

 tree; but in spite of heat and glare and 

 the genuine disappointment as to the honey 

 crop, -friendly good cheer ruled the day, 

 Avhile we munched apples and " swapped " 

 ideas. Mr. J. M. Buchanan, of Franklin, 

 was a welcome guest who discussed the mar- 

 ket condition in general and reported con- 

 ditions in Williamson County as no less 

 disheartening tlian in Davidson. 



The main talk of the afternc on was by 

 E. J. Adkisson, Nashville, on " Transfer- 

 ring." This is an important subject in 

 Tennessee, where, unfortunately, there are 

 so many bees in box hives, and it was ably 

 handled by Mr. Adkisson. Often beekeep- 

 ers have an opportunity to buy bc^es cheap 

 out in the country districts, but they have 



THE DIXIE BEE 



Grace Allen, Nashville, Tenn. 



to take them in 

 boxes or gums or 

 any sort of 

 makeshift. Then 

 becomes very im- 



skillful transferring 

 portant. 



The comical feature of the occasion was 

 the sudden entrance of an immense and 

 ponderous truck that snorted right into the 

 yard and directly thru the rapidly scatter- 

 ing little convention! It was loaded with 

 all sorts of merchandise to be delivered 

 in the neighborhood, including some iron 

 rails that stuck out several feet behind its 

 own great length, and went knocking and 

 bumping against things on all sides, when- 

 ever the truck turned a bit. And it was 

 bringing us a belated shipment of pound 

 bottles to contain the honey we had just 

 admitted we did not have. I suppose we 

 shall somehow find room to stack them 

 alongside the unused new supers and five- 

 pound packets. We were prepared this 

 season, all right, but to no avail. 

 * * * 



On page 546, Prof. Baldwin quotes Mr. 

 F. M. Perry as saying that " the best and 

 surest way is to clip the queens right on 

 the combs, not touching them with your 

 hand." Some one, I believe it was Mr. 

 Byer, once suggested that method for me to 

 try, claiming it as his favorite. I have 

 tried it, or at least I have tried to tiy it. 

 I have failed so far, probably because I 

 am so afraid it won't be the wing that will 

 get clipped. It looks too risky for me. 

 Picking up the queen and then perform- 

 ing the operation in the hand seems easier 

 for me to learn. 



I once had a queer clipping experience. 



