1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



367 



tie as possible, and thei-e is drawn comb 

 above. 



In the Holtermann hive there is a venti- 

 lator, J, see page 290, f inch deep and 6 

 wide. This is made of three staples in 

 which slides a piece of galvanized iron. 

 This can be used whenever the bees are like- 

 ly to be uncomfortable. I keep them pretty 

 well open during the honey- flow, and it gives 

 the bees fresh air in the super. Just now I 

 will simply mention this as a factor in the 

 prevention of swarming. 



As the bees multiply, and require more 

 room, another super is added. The bees re- 

 quire, in a fair honey-flow, to keep them 

 contented, more super room than a brood- 

 chamber. Less than two when a good flow 

 is on for some days will not be safe to sat- 

 isfy them. The field bees live eight weeks 

 or so, and spend the greater part of their 

 life gathering honey; also a certain propor- 

 tion of young bees keep coming on, and a 

 certain proportion of old bees keep dropping 

 off, and it requires more than one super to 

 strike a balance near enough to satisfy the 

 bees. As soon as a good honey-flow is on, 

 and the weather is warm, the entrance to 

 the hive is enlarged i in depth. This can 

 be done by means of the S. T. Pettit wedges 

 or a drop bottom. I do not like siniply rais- 

 ing the brood-chamber on blocks; the bees 

 can then fly in at all sides— an inconvenience 

 in manipulation, and confusion to the bees 

 when, at the close of the season, the brood- 

 chamber is let down. It is not necessary to 

 resort to this. The double door in my hive 

 can be half raised, and then it affords a fine 

 shade to the front of the hive. 



The cover is used as protection against 

 heat and cold. I am .quite satisfied, from 

 many years of observation, that, to have 

 the hives shaded by trees which are in leaf 

 as hot weather comes, and that lose their 

 leaves in the fall, is a great preventive of 

 swarming, and, properly, trimmed they are 

 no obstruction. 



When all the above has been attended to 

 we watch proceedings and the season and 

 fields. If more room is needed it is given. 

 Properly managed there is no trouble in 

 keeping a hive almost always contented and 

 building them up so strong that, with four 

 supers the same capacity as the brood- cham- 

 ber, all will be crowded with bees from top 

 to bottom. In swarming, honey is often 

 left unripe in the supers. Colonies divide in 



Eroportion to suit their sweet whim. Many 

 ives are only partially occupied; the same 

 with combs. Naturally the swarm is run- 

 ning down to a point of less yield, and the 

 old colony is like a bee-keeper getting off a 

 sick-bed at the beginning of the honey-flow, 

 hoping he will be able to gain sufficient 

 strength from day to day to get to a condi- 

 tion before the season closes where he can 

 do a day's work. Broadly speaking, in the 

 one case it is a struggle between man and 

 bee— shall the bees run the man (they cer- 

 tainly will at times), or shall the man run 

 the bees with at best a compromise? In 

 the other the man runs the bees. 



This article may not be accepted by all. 

 To be frank, however, logical reasoning, 

 sticking to the point at issue, is not feared. 

 Statements without reasoning, and shifting 

 from one point to another when about to be 

 taken, is what I fear. Such discussions are 

 of profit to none. 



Brantford, Canada. 



morgan's section- cleaner. 

 This is one of the best section-cleaners I 

 ever saw or used. It will clean only the 

 plam sections. When you pull the section 

 through four times it is thoroughly clean of 

 propolis. When it is necessary to use it get 

 a small box, set it on your work-table, put 



-A.-Metal scraper imbedded at bottom in saw-cut. 

 ^.-Hole to allow refuse to fall through to box. 

 o.— t)top to prevent slipping-. 



the cleaner on it as shown in the cut (the 

 box IS to catch the propolis), and then you 

 are ready to go to work. The manner of 

 usmg IS sufficiently explained by the illus- 

 ^^^^on. w. F. Morgan. 



Gatesville, Tex. 



[Your device looks as if it might work 

 very satisfactorily; but I see no reason why 

 beeway sections could not be cleaned in the 

 same way, ail but the beeways, which 

 could be scraped later in the regular wav 

 with a knife.— Ed.] ^ 



SOME experience IN INTRODUCING QUEENS. 



I read two short articles on introducing 

 queens last year, in Gleanings, which I 

 think had much merit. Although the editor 



u if }^"^^ ^^^ "°* ^^^ for reports I 

 should like to give my experience. The 

 plan IS as follows: Open the hive to which 

 you are going to introduce the queen. Take 



