NOVF.MBKR, 1920 



O r, E A N I X G S IN BEE C U T. T U R E 



667 



c 



STRAY 



Dr. C 



LJ 



BR r \v s t f J 

 I' :i 1 Is 111 (' 

 down, a u d 



.iustly too, f r 



injustice to ^fr. 



Alexan d e r i ii 



speaking of the 



matter of leav 



ing the strong 



colony uncover- 

 ed for a time before setting the weak colo- 

 ny over it. I spoke of it as sonietiiing new 

 when in reality it wa-s given by Mr. Alex 

 ander himself. Mr. Brewster refers me to 

 (rleanings, 1906, Nov. 1, page 1358, where 

 Mr. Alexander says, * ' I should leave the 

 strong colony uncovered, except wdth the 

 excluder, for a few hours before setting on 

 the weak colony." I am ashamed of my- 

 self and thank you heartily, Bro. Brewster, 

 for calling attention to the matter. 



"It is time to give supers when the bees 

 begin to plaster bits of white wax along the 

 top-bars." Tn spite of the antiquity of tliat 

 rule, I haven 't the prof oundest respect for 

 it. Unless I am greatly mistaken, those bits 

 of new wax, plastered where no wax is real- 

 ly needed, are an indication that the bees 

 are already crowded for room, and .iust that 

 far on the way toward swarming. We want 

 to forestall the very first beginning of a 

 crowded feeling; and so supers should be 

 given in advance of any feeling of need for 

 them. In wiiite-clover regions it .is a good 

 l»lan to begin giving supers as soon as the 

 very first white-clover bloom is found open- 

 ed. Kach year I am on a sharp lookout for 



STRAWS 



C. Miller 



1 



%J 



s 



1 hat first blos- 

 s () m, a n d i n 

 many years' ob- 

 servation have 

 always found 

 th,a't surplus 

 storing begins 

 just ten days 

 later. Wh ere 

 there is n.o 



white clover I suppose some other flower 



may serve as a guide. 



* * * 



I'm not sure I've noticed a case of the 

 kind lately, but years ago I had a good 

 many cases in which, after the introduction 

 of a queen, a good many bees would be 

 found dead in front of the hive. It looked 

 as if there had been two parties, one fa- 

 vorable to, and the other antagonistic to, 

 the new candidate, and a battle had ensued. 

 Perhaps in all cases of the kind the intro- 

 duction was successful. 



* * * 



BOTANY BEES. 

 Full many a tomato plant 



Would never blush nor bear. 

 Without the bee to gallivant 



.\nd shift .some pollen there. 



He travels in the honey line, 



But sets the vines aglow; 

 Which shows the fine.st things we do 



.\ro not the things we know. 



I do not care for honey much, 



And yet I piize the bee: 

 The fair tomatoes that I love. 



He makes 'em blush for me. 



— Chicago Daily News. 



Note: These lust "Siniy .Straws." by l»r. Miller, were written late in 1919. and had 1 n left in tl 



Iit(.ri;i! driiw.r with |h.' hcip.- that llif D.icldi- soim- da\ r.uild ((.iniilcte ihi- iia-c — Kflitor 



