1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



S5- 



with a super on is also 14 inches high, so we 

 are equal, doctor. It is not the weight of a 

 brood- chamber that worries me — it is its 

 bulk. I dishke Jumbo hives, on account of 

 their bulk chiefly; the capacity I get by us- 

 ing two Ideal supers. I also get much great- 

 er powers of manipulation. 



There is also a phase of the matter which 

 has never been stated before; viz., the de- 

 sirability of having a taller and broader sec- 

 tion in the interest of the consumer. It 

 seems to me our sections are too thick for 

 economical cutting at the table. I got this 

 impression in New York on seeing the late 

 Capt. Hetherington's comb honey on sale. 

 It has always seemed to me since, that thin 

 combs would cut up much better at the table, 

 more particularly at the hotels and boarding- 

 houses, where food is shared out in small 

 portions. But there is more than this be- 

 hind the broad and thin section. It is this: 

 Thin sections require no separators. Thick 

 ones always do, but that's another story— 

 with apologies to Kipling. 



PROPER COLOR FOR HIVES. 



A Review of the Discussion. 



BY G. C. GREINER. 



The explanation Mr. Latham gives on this 

 subject, pages 1312— '14, is quite a setback 

 to many bee-keepers who are in the habit of 

 painting their hives Have we, during a 

 lifetime, so misconstrued the laws of nature 

 that we have painted white where black 

 should have been used? When reading the 

 article I was in hopes and expected to find 

 a footnote at the bottom that would explain 

 the matter in a different light, but was dis- 

 appointed in my expectations. 



1 do not feel capable of crossing bats with 

 Mr. L. on this subject, and reply to his ar- 

 ticle in detail; but as all my observations 

 run in opposite directions I can not refrain 

 from expressing a few thoughts. 



We were taught in our boyhood that the 

 color of summer garments should be white, 

 because it would reflect the rays of the sun 

 or outside heat, and keep the inside cool. 

 In the winter, and I suppose that also ap- 

 plies to cool nights, garments should be the 

 same color, because it would reflect the in- 

 side heat and keep the inside warm. If this 

 is correct logic, and applies to hives as well 

 as to human beings, then white is the prop- 

 er paint. 



I f we expose two hives, painted in oppo- 

 site colors, to the rays of the sun, the combs 

 of the black one will be all melted, and run- 

 ning out of the hive before the combs of the 

 other succumb to the heat. To the touch 

 the sensation is equally surprising. The 

 black will almost burn our hand while the 

 white will cause no inconvenience to the 

 hand that is placed upon it. Even a short 

 exposure during noon hours will have the 

 same effect. This is no guesswork, but actual 

 observation. I have witnessed instances of 

 this kind repeatedly in my past life. 



Comparatively speaking, there are but 

 very few hives in the shade. The many dif- 

 ferent views of leading apiaries, as they are 

 presented to us (Mr. Alexander's, for in- 

 stance) prove this, and the most of the few 

 that are in the shade are exposed to the sun 

 some hours during the day. Thus it hardly 

 seems worth while to make allowances for 

 hives in the shade; but supposing we did, 

 would black be the right color then? If 

 black encourages radiation, and I think we 

 all agree to this, then it follows that the 

 cooling- off process is also encouraged, and 

 is that our aim? We manage every way to 

 confine the heat to hives and supers during 

 cool nights, which we consider quite essen- 

 tial to assist in comb- building, and why 

 should we work in the opposite direction by 

 painting our hives black? 



Individual preference can play no part in 

 this matter; there must be a right and a 

 wrong way, and the sooner we find out 

 which is which, the better. 



Undoubtedly many others are laboring un- 

 der the same difficulties, and for their bene- 

 fit, as well as for my own, I would request 

 some of our friends who are better posted 

 to give us their views and experience on 

 this subject. 



La Salle, N. Y. 



[If you will read Mr. Latham's article care- 

 fully again you will see he does not recom- 

 mend black as a color for hives unless they 

 can be kept permanently in the shade; that 

 when they are to be exposed to the sun they 

 should be painted white. The law that he 

 lays down— that " good absorbents are good 

 radiators," however, is liable to work both 

 ways. If a black hive is a good radiator in 

 the summer in the shade, why would it not 

 follow that it would be a good radiator of 

 heat in winter, when the sun was not shin- 

 ing ? It would almost appear that the ad- 

 vantage of the color in summer would be 

 more than offset by the loss in radiation in 

 winter, unless, forsooth, the hive were cov- 

 ered with a winter case painted white, said 

 case being removed during summer. 



Mr. Latham states some very interesting 

 facts in regard to white as a color for retain- 

 ing heat. We know that snow, when it cov- 

 ers the ground even a few inches, will pre- 

 vent the ground from freezing. Now, if 

 that snow were perfectly black instead of 

 white, according to the same law that ground 

 would freeze. It seems almost a paradox 

 to say that snow (minute particles of ice) 

 covering something not frozen will prevent 

 that something from freezing; but the fact 

 is too well known to be gainsaid. 



In view of the almost universal condition 

 that hives are out in the open, and if in the 

 shade ia one spot may soon be moved to an- 

 other place exposed to the sun, it would 

 seem safer to provide for general conditions 

 rather than for that condition which is ab- 

 n:)rm8l The manufacturer, if he sends out 

 h'ves painted, would have to make them 

 white. The bee-keeper who moves his bees 

 to outyards would have t) have his hives 



