19:'6 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



73 



JWscMm 



1906, and half a month of another bee- 

 keeping year already gone. 



Who, in the South, has tried ' ' brick hon- 

 ey"? If a nice grade of candied honey can 

 be obtained I shall give it a trial this winter. 

 Who else wishes to make the experiment? 



While our bees are actually flying on warm 

 days, and gathering some honey and pollen, 

 their Northern cousins are in the cellars or 

 winter-packing, only dreaming of such 

 things. 



The most beautiful Christmas weather 

 prevailed in our locality during the holidays 

 this year. The bee-keeper, as well as his 

 bees, rejoiced. Several good rains recently 

 have added to the prospects for next season. 



The greater activity of bees in a warm 

 climate accounts for a greater amount of 

 stores consumed by them. Not only are 

 the bees themselves active, and through a 

 much greater part of the year, but brood- 

 rearing also continues much longer. More 

 brood is required to replenish the colony 

 with bees, worn out by the greater activity, 

 hence more stores are needed. 



KEEPING UP WITH THE BEES. 



When the rain has been a pourin' down. 

 An' to water it has changed the Ian', 



An' the hand o' time is still a goin' roun'. 



An' the sun is ag'in showin' its face. 

 An' the bees a raisin' a heap o' san", 



Then's when it's the beginnin' of a race. 

 While the apiary may be high and dry. 

 An rivers may be higher'n' high, 



An' the roads that no wagon nor wheel 



'11 do any thing like a turnin' roun', 

 Then's the time "ter take ter yer heels," 



An' sink them inter the muddy groun'. 



MORE HONEY GATHERED PER COLONY IN 

 THE SOUTH. 



With the abundance of honey- yielding 

 flora, and the long warn seasons in the 

 South, it would seem that a colony of bees 

 must store an increased amount of surplus 

 over a similar colony in a Northern locality 

 with shorter seasons. This is not necessari- 

 ly so, however. The colony with Southern 

 conditions no doubt gathers more honey dur- 

 ing the season, but at the same time it con- 

 sumes much more. Not only is more con- 

 sumed by the bees themselves, but a much 

 greater number are reared. A colony in 

 the North, therefore, may not gather nearly 

 so much honey in a season, yet the surplus 

 of both may be the same. 



A FLIGHT BEFORE CELLARING. 



Bees should be allowed an extra flight aft- 

 er hauling them home and before putting 

 them into the cellar if the weather will per- 

 mit it at all. The hauling stirs them up 

 considerably, and a great deal of food is 

 taken by the bees during the agitation. A 

 cleansing flight after that will put them in 

 good condition for the cellar, while without 

 it the little creatures are gorged with excre- 

 ment, of which they would have been free 

 under natural conditions. Bees that have 

 been hauled home and set out before putting 

 into the cellar will fly the next day or as 

 soon as the weather v/ill at all allow them 

 to do so, when colonies that remained un- 

 disturbed will not fly but remain quiet. The 

 flight after the disturbance is necessary, 

 therefore, and it should be given them by 

 all means before putting them into the cel- 

 lars when practical to do so. 



MOSS FOR CLOSING ENTRANCES AND RE- 

 LEASING BEES. 



I have used moss as an entrance-closer a 

 great deal, and in various ways, for a num- 

 ber of purposes. When entrances are to be 

 closed rapidly and only temporarily. I know 

 of nothing handier than the moss that cov- 

 ers some of our trees and hangs down with- 

 in easy reach in some of our apiaries. Just 

 to grab a handful of it and stuff it into 

 the entrance closes it in short order. By a 

 little forcing with the ficgers it can be pack- 

 ed so firmly that it will secure the bees for 

 some Httle time. Recently I had occasion 

 to use it in closing entrances in two out- 

 yards to confine the bees while erecting 

 scaffolds upon which to set them above flood 

 water. They were confined throughout an 

 entire day and night, and next day until 

 eleven o'clock. For closing entrances quick- 

 ly and without any further preparation or 

 expense, this served the purpose admirably. 



But I make use of this method still fur- 

 ther. When moving colonies a short distance 

 the above method of closing the entrances 

 for releasing the bees so they will not return 

 to the old stands works like a charm. The 



