94 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



and most inexpensive way is to take two 

 2 X 3-inch scantling; lay them parallel with 

 each other; then cut 1X3 strips just one 

 inch longer than your bottom.-board; nail one 

 of these across from one 2X3 to the other 

 every 3 ft., then turn the thing over so the 

 1X3 come to the bottom; straighten them 

 up to make your row, then level them up 

 both lengthwise and crosswise, leaving the 

 rear scantling one inch higher than the 

 front one. This gives the hives the pitch 

 to carry off the water. Leave an alley of 

 five or six feet. Put down another row with 

 the pitch the other way. This gives you an 

 alley to work in with the entrances facing 

 from you both ways. 



In placing your hives on these supports, 

 put them directly over the 1x3 strips. You 

 will find this leaves you a space of 18 inches 

 between hives, which is just right for one- 

 story hives to sit on one and work the other, 

 or to stand between and work either way on 

 two-story hives. 



The above is meant for ten-frame hives, 

 which are the hive best fitted for Cuba. 

 Eight-fram.e hives could be placed closer, 

 but then the 1X3 strip should be placed 

 closer also, else the strips will come in the 

 way of one's feet. 



For shade we generally set out bananas 

 here; but they prove a nuisance, as the dry- 

 ing leaves make a lot of rubbish. Besides, 

 in a few years the suckers from the bana- 

 nas will crowd away your hives. The best 



shade in Cuba for bees are grapevines over 

 an arbor. These will give partial shade in 

 the summer, and sunlight on the hives in 

 winter. Some advocate sheds. These are 

 all right in the summer; but in the winter I 

 think the bees should have the sun. 



The best strain of bees for Cuba, I think, 

 are the hybrids— first, last, and all the time. 

 Italians clog the brood-chamber too much 

 with honey, to the detriment of brood-rais- 

 ing. Of course, we have to have Italians 

 in order to get hybrids Our bees here run 

 to blacks very quickly— not, I think, because, 

 as some suppose, that the black drones are 

 quicker on the wing than the Italians, but 

 because, to every Italian drone you can find 

 in Cuba, you will find one million black ones. 



Contracted entrances in winter, and wide- 

 open entrances in summer will do much to 

 keep brood-rearing up in winter and prevent 

 swarming to some extent in summer. 



Punta Brava, Cuba, Nov. 17. 



FEEDING BEES IN WINTER QUARTERS. 



An Interesting Experiment with Different Kinds 

 of Feed ; Eow to Make Sugar Syrup. 



BY W. R. GILBERT. 



It happens that, after an unfavorable sea- 

 son for honey-gathering, there does not 

 seem to be a sufficient store of honey in the 

 hive to carry the bees through the winter. 



CUBAN HONEY-HOUSE. 



