May, 1920 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



287 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



fliaiiic tlir combs in the hive were arranged 

 as follo\Ys: Four wax combs on the right 

 side of the hive, two aluminum combs next, 

 then one wax comb at the left side, and 

 next a division -board. A few mornings ago 

 when the weather was quite cold, I took a 

 hasty look thru these cellar-wintered bees 

 to see how well they were provided with 

 stores. With the bees all clustered and 

 with narrow top bars in the hives, a glance 

 would, of course, show the sealed honey in 

 the combs. All the colonies, wliether weak 

 or strong, had clusters in the usual shape, 

 that is, near the front of the hive and ex- 

 tending across all or some of the combs ac- 

 cording to the strength of the colony. But 

 in not a single case did the bees actually 

 reach the back end of the hive, altho a few 

 very strong colonies had clusters across the 

 full width of the hive and came very nearly 

 to the back. The colony with aluminum 

 combs was the last to be examined, and 

 the first glance made me open my ej^es wider 

 than usual. This strong colony, instead of 

 having a cluster across the full width of 

 the hive, had the four wax combs on the left 

 side of the hive so crowded with bees that 

 they were tight against the quilt on top and 

 were jammed up tight against the back end 

 of the hive. Some bees of the cluster, if you 

 call it by that name, were touching the first 

 aluminum comb, but not a single bee was 

 between the two aluminum combs nor were 

 any on the wax comb to the extreme right 

 of the hive. I do not wish to make any 

 comment that would be unwarranted, and 

 merely leave my readers to form their own 

 conclusions. If the combs in the hive were 

 all of aluminum construction, then the bees 

 could not discriminate like that. "Whether 

 they would be at any disadvantage under 

 those circumstances as compared with be- 

 ing on wax combs, it is not for me to con- 

 jecture, for frankly I do not know anything 

 about it. But it appears to be certain that 

 during cold weather bees, by choice, prefer 

 the wax combs to the metal ones. I wish it 

 understood that this is not given in any 

 sense as a "knock" at this new comb, but 

 I always think that a fair and honest ex- 

 pression of opinion is what we all desire. 

 Markhani, Ont. J. L. Byer. 



T_ Texas "^^^ weather conditions of 



the last month have been 

 such that the bees have suffered severely. 

 The warm weather of a month ago started 

 brood-rearing, but the frosts that followed, 

 cut off the nectar flow of the early spring 

 flowers. The latter part of March was so 

 cold and cloudy that all the remaining stores 

 were exhausted. In many sections much 

 feeding has been done. This cold period 

 simply stopped plant growth. Many places 

 report the plants a month late in blooming. 

 Just as the spell came on suddenly, it end- 



ed as suddenly. The last week of March 

 bi ought sunshine, and the bees are again 

 building up nicely. The cold did not seem 

 to hurt the plants, but only to hold them 

 back, and in spite of the Easter blizzard 

 the more noted honey plants give promise 

 of an enormous honey crop. 



The Texas Experiment Station thru the 

 Division of Entomology has just issued Bul- 

 letin No. 255, ' ' Beekeeping for Beginners. ' ' 

 In this bulletin an attempt was made to 

 avoid the objections made to bulletins of 

 similar nature. In reviewing these papers 

 two classes were easily recognized: First, 

 that which contained so little that the be- 

 ginner got nothing, and second, where so 

 much was given that the beginner was be- 

 wildered and did nothing. The present bul- 

 letin attempts to give the way to start and 

 one year 's program. This bulletin can be 

 obtained upon application to the Experiment 

 Station, Division of Entomology, College 

 Station, Texas. 



It is not to be wondered at that J. E. 

 Crane was surprised at the statements rela- 

 tive to the honey exported from Texas as 

 reported by M. C. Richter and myself on 

 pages 92 and 94. Well, it all goes to show 

 that you can prove several things by the 

 same statistics. The 60 per cent which Mr. 

 Eichter mentions is 60 per cent of the honey 

 which passes thru the dealers' hands. This 

 amount is only a very small proportion of 

 the total yield, as many counties producing 

 much honey do not ship a single ounce. This 

 honey is sold direct from the beekeeper to 

 the consumer, and there is no way to get 

 the statistics. Of the honey sold on open 

 market, Bulletin 685 of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture shows that in 1915, .35 

 per cent was sold in Texas, in 1916 55 per 

 cent, in 1917 68 per cent. The Bureau of 

 Markets estimates that in 1918 85 per cent 

 was used at home, and three million dollars' 

 worth of honey was purchased from outside 

 sources. Honey produced outside of Texas 

 is a very familiar sight in a Texas store. 



It will be remembered that in connection 

 with the Experimental Apiaries a queen 

 yard was established near San Antonio. 

 Queens are now available. The breeding 

 queens now in use are Texas-raised and are 

 picked for their ability to produce the work- 

 ers that give the greatest yields of honey. 

 Information as to obtaining these queens 

 can be had from the Experiment Station, 

 Division of Entomology, College Station, 

 Texas. 



C. S. Rude, with able assistants, is at 

 work on the disease inspection of the State. 

 Queen and comhless-package men are re- 

 ceiving the first attention. All intending to 

 ship bees out of the State are warned that 

 their bees will be allowed to enter but few 

 of the States without a permit. 



College Station, Texas. H. B. Parks. 



