JvSK. 19-J() GLEANINGS IN BEE C I' L T U K E 



f^y FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



319 



fi-om one end of the hive to the other. Tlu' 

 fourtli tonib had some pollen in it, and the 

 side next to the brood was cleaned out ready 

 for the queen to deposit eggs in it. The next 

 comb, one of the aluminum ones, had noth- 

 ing but old honey in it; and, of course, the 

 remaining two were just the same. As I 

 stated in the last issue, I have no comments 

 to make, as one hive with two combs in it 

 does not justify too hasty conclusions. But 

 one thing is sure, the bees in that particular 

 hive liave no use for aluminum combs in 

 cold weather. J. L. Byer. 



Markham. Ont. 



^ * 4^ 



In North Carolina. Eastern and cen- 



tral Carolina 

 beekeepers are in the midst of the swarm- 

 ing season when the old-time gum and 

 box-hive beemen are just hiving swarms, 

 and those using modern equipment and stan- 

 dard methods are "running thru" their 

 hives cutting queen-cells and getting su- 

 pers placed for the approaching main honey 

 flows. Indications now are for an excellent 

 season. The early flora is \aelding in spe- 

 cial abundance, bees being able to store 

 honey very much more rapidly at this season 

 than has been the case in many years. 



The State and Federal cooperative exten- 

 sion service for the improvement of methods 

 of beekeeping in this State has been espe- 

 cially active for several years now. In the 

 southeastern section of the State, notably 

 the lower Cape Fear region, there is taking 



jilace especially marked improvement in bee 

 culture, especially in changing from the old 

 gums to the standard hives with Lang- 

 stroth frames. And this improvement is 

 '.nrgely due to efforts of the Government 

 bee specialist, C. L. Sams, who is going into 

 every quarter of the State demonstrating 

 and lecturing on modern methods in Vjee 

 culture. 



A notable undertaking of the kind was 

 the transferring of about 150 hives from 

 the old gum to the improved hives at the 

 D. G. Kelly apiary near Caintuck Landing, 

 .31 miles up the Cape Fear River. This api- 

 ary was purchased last fall from Mr. Kelly 

 by W. J. Martin and is one of the chain of 

 lower Cape Fear apiaries that Mr. Martin 

 is establishing. This transference, which 

 required six days, is the biggest undertaking 

 of the kind on record in this State. 



In transferring the bees the old gums 

 were turned upside down and the bees drum- 

 med out and dumped into the new hives, with 

 full sheets of foundation and specially pre- 

 pared frames of brood, the new hives being 

 placed just where the old gums had been. 

 Then the old gums were taken to a bee- 

 proof tent where the brood comb and some 

 honey were fitted into frames and hung in 

 the new hives, other frames with full sheets 

 of foundation being added to fill the brood- 

 cliamber. Surplus choice honey was placed 

 in containers for home use, and that in old 

 and dark combs was dumped into barrels to 

 be fed back to the bees just after the honey 



The D. G. Kelly beeyarcl, lower Cape Fear apiaries. sliowinfT the greater part of the yard after the bee« were 

 driven from gum hives into Standard hives jilaced on the old stands. In order to minimize confusion among 

 the bees, the new bivos had to be placed for a time just where the old tcums were; so the arrangement is 



not what it should be to avoid driftips. 



