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.Tufa-, 1920 



THE weather 

 this year has 

 beo n unusu- 

 a 1 1 y f avorable 

 d u r i n {J dande- 

 1 i n bloom, 

 warm with a 1- 

 most continuous 

 sunsh i n e, a n d 

 good colon ies 



have stored from this source 20 to 30 pounds 

 in addition to that used for brood-rearing. 



* « * 



Very interesting is that article by S. B. 

 Fracker, page 334, June Gleanings, on Foul 

 Brood Control, but I fear not wholly prac- 

 tical here in New England where we have 

 extensive forests in which, in spite of us, 

 disease may exist. Fortunately, these wild 

 colonies usually all die after a time; and, if 

 the apiaries are kept clean, we have our 

 region clear of American foul brood. I do 

 not at present know of an apiary or a colony 

 in our State where it exists. 



* » * 



I have been prejudiced against Hoffman 

 frames, which as usually met with in the 

 hands of back-yard beekeepers are a most 

 decided nuisance; but last week I went thru 

 the apiaries of a first-class beekeeper, and 

 was surprised to see how easily a hive could 

 be opened and the frames handled. One 

 thing I have noticed about these frames is 

 that the combs in them are straighter and of 

 more even thickness than in other frames. 

 I have thought this is the result of the ac- 



erate spacing. 



* » * 



Miss lona Fowls, on page 358, gives good 

 rules for preventing and stopping robbing. 

 Sometime ago I was inspecting a yard of 

 bees where there was some foul brood, and 

 robbing was most undesirable. Time was 

 valuable if I was to check it. I moved back 

 about four feet the hive which the robbers 

 were entering and put in its place an empty 

 hive which happened to be nearby; and I 

 could not help but be amused at. the chagrin 

 and disappointment of those robbers at 

 finding the honey all gone and only an 

 empty liive in its place. 



* * » 



Most timely is the advice on page 330 to 

 plan now to have combs of honey on hand 

 next fall for all fall feeding required. Not 

 only is it timely, but it is also good. I am 

 slowly coming to the conclusion that a 

 pound of clover honey in the hive is of 

 more value than a pound of sugar fed to a 

 colony, altho the pound of sugar will make 

 nearly a pound and a quarter of heavy 

 syrup. As I live and learn, I find it a little 

 difficult to be consistent. How the years 

 take tlie conceit out of us! 

 « » » 



I was sorry to read on page 331 the rather 

 unfavorable report on those pretty alurnin 

 uiM combs. While it has seemed doubtful 

 uhetlier tliey would prove of much value in 



GLE.VXINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



SIFTINGS 



J. E. Crane 



3 



w^^^^^^^ 



u 



409 



our cold New 

 England cli- 

 mate, I had hop- 

 ed they might 

 prove a blessing 

 to beekeepers in 

 the warmer sec- 

 tions of our 

 country. The in- 

 genuity display- 

 ed in getting them up and the enterprise in 

 m.anufacturing them are certainly worthy of 

 commendation. Doubtless the good Lord 

 knew the best material with which to con- 

 struct combs when he taught the bee to se- 

 crete wax, and when man attempts to im- 

 prove on this methods he is apt to have a 

 rather hard problem to solve. 



* » * 



Our thanks are due A. I. Root for the full 

 account in June Gleanings, he gives us in his 

 quotations from various sources concerning 

 the new annual sweet clover. I had sup- 

 posed it was simply a sport and of little 

 value, but evidently it looms up as a most 

 valuable acqusition as a farm crop, to say 

 nothing of its value as a new source of 

 honey. If, as stated, it comes into bloom 

 in from 2^/^ to 3^^ months from sowing, it 

 would give our bees something to work on 

 during the latter part of August and Sep- 

 tember when they are usually idle. 



* * * 



In the editorial on page 329, the reason 

 given for believing that the southeast sec- 

 tion of our country is most promising for 

 extensive beekeeping is that a large num- 

 ber of the farmers keep bees in the old 

 slipshod ways. Now, we who make it our 

 business to keep bees often want to know 

 how to select a good location. I believe there 

 is no surer way of telling a good range for 

 bees than by noting the number of old- 

 style beekeepers in any given neighborhood. 

 If it pays to keep bees at all in the old 

 way, it is pretty sure to pay largely to 

 keep them in a thoroly scientific way. 



* » * 



I have immensely enjoyed reading Mrs. 

 Puerden 's account of her trip to California 

 and back. When she calls it a country of 

 "infinite variety and beauty" she tells the 

 truth; but I have a feeling that, if the other 

 side is left out, many will get a wrong im- 

 pression and think that it is only a place 

 of ''infinite variety and beauty." ' 



* * * 



During the height of dandelion bloom 

 tliis year, combs of honey could be left out 

 in the yard for hours without the slightest 

 attempt at robbing. 



[Say, Mr. Crane, a recent visitor to the 

 scene of your busy bee activities tells us 

 that you feel that feeding and feeds for 

 winter ought to be emphasized, preached, 

 and ])riiited more than thej' are — fully as 

 mucli as i)rotection and packing. Won 't 

 you give our readers your full views nliout 

 tills sometime before fall? — Editor.] 



