E 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



3 



EDITORIAL 



THE DEMUTH method of packing colo- 

 nies of bees in regular hives and supers has 

 the merit of cheap- 

 TWO CHEAP ness. Many people 

 METHODS would put their bees 



OF PACK- in double - walled 

 ING hives or large quad- 



rujDle packing-cases 

 were it not for the expense. The foui'-hive 

 cases ^^^tll the single-walled hives are as 

 expensive as four double-walled hives. The 

 amount of lumber in an ordinary quadruple 

 case amounts to between $4.00 and $5.00, 

 or from $1.00 to $1.25 a colony. Of course 

 this investment may be good for ten years; 

 but even then it will be 10 to 12 cents a 

 3'ear per colony. The lumber in a Demuth 

 inner packing-ease will not cost to exceed 

 10 or 12 cents, or, on a basis of ten years, a 

 little over one cent a colony. 



Mr. C. P. Dadant, at the Springfield con- 

 vention, called attention to the method of 

 outdoor winter packing which he has been 

 using for a good many years with marked 

 snccess. He makes no claim as to what it 

 will do for other people in other localities; 

 but he says that for where he lives it is a 

 success- It is so simj^le and cheap that 

 many would think it is good for nothing; 

 but it is to be remembered that the Dadants 

 do not recommend anything unless it has 

 merit. Here is the plan : 



Common forest leaves are pushed up 

 around the two sides and the back of the 

 hive. A strip of poultry netting of suitable 

 length and width holds the packing in place 

 when the two ends ai'e fastened to the front 

 which is not protected. One can use two, 

 three, or six inches of packing in this way 

 according to the locality and he can put it 

 on any time now — the sooner the better. 



Over the top of the hives is placed a straw 

 mat, for Mr. Dadant is a believer in upward 

 ventilation. The cap, which is some live or 

 six inches deep, is filled witli foi'est leaves 

 and set over the hive. It will be seen that 

 the whole hive is packed except the front, 

 which faces the south. 



The objection was raised that this pack- 

 ing would get wet and freeze, and be worse 

 than nothing; but the proof of the pudding 

 is in the eating. If it does get wet and 

 freeze it does no harm. The presumption 

 is that the packing is dry most of the time 

 during winter. Forest leaves will not hold 

 moisture; and even if they were wet down 

 by rain they would soon dry out because the 

 vei-tical layer is exposed to the air thru the 

 netting, 



Wliile Mr. Dadant did not mention it, 

 double and packed division-boards, one on 

 each side, could be put in the brood-nest, in- 

 creasing the amount of packing on the sides. 



There are some to whom this method of 

 packing might appeal. It costs but very 

 little to try it out, at all events. 



THIS YEAR we have received many com- 

 plaints from purchasers of bees and queens 

 because the ship- 

 DELAYED- ments arrived too 

 SHIPMENT late to be used, or 

 \COM- w'ere not delivered 



PLAINTS at all. The reports 

 from the breeders 

 themselves in the last issue, and in this 

 number as well, give the " other side." 



In view of the fact that these complaints 

 have been so numerous and so serious, 

 Gleanikgs now announces its intention of 

 making still more rigid the conditions for 

 bee and queen rearers who desire advertis- 

 ing space in its columns. One of these re- 

 quirements will be that the queen or bee 

 rearer advertising in Gleanings guarantee 

 to ship bees or queens within five days of 

 the time agreed upon in correspondence 

 with the prospective purchaser, or, being 

 unable to do so, will notify the purchaser at 

 once when shipment can be made. If the 

 purchaser cannot wait, the breeder is to re- 

 turn the money advanced. Perhaps it may 

 be wondered why we do not stipulate that 

 queens and bees shall be delivered on the 

 exact date set. Weather conditions often 



