1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



439 



f^lS^l 





AN UP-TO-DATE YOUNG BEE-KEEPER. 



I am a boy thirteen years of age. I have 

 been keeping bees for three years. A man 

 who lived about a mile from our house first 

 got me interested in my little pets. He 

 moved to Missouri last year, and left me 

 without anybody to advise me; but I find all 

 the advice I need in my bee- books and 

 Gleanings, which I could not do without. 

 Last year I secured 75 sections of honey 

 from one colony, and also three swarms. I 

 now have three colonies of Italian- Carniolans 

 and one colony of hybrids. They are all in 

 Dovetailed hives. I am wintering them out- 

 doors. I always wintered them in the cellar 

 until this time. I have six empty hives, and 

 all my other supplies all ready for next sea- 

 son. We had been having a very mild win- 

 ter until about a week ago, when it turned 

 pretty cold. 



Last summer I made me an observatory 

 hive in which I watched the bees rtar a 

 queen. I think the Italian- Carniolans are 

 great bees for comb honey, but they are 

 awful cross; but I don't mind a few stings. 

 J. R. McCORKLE. 



Wingate, Ind., Feb. 11. 



addressing farmers' INSTITUTES ON THE 

 SUBJECT OF BEES. 



I send you a copy of a paper cuntaining a 

 synopsis of a paper re id before a farmers' 

 institute here this week. I dealt principally 

 with pollination of plants and the part play- 

 ed by bees, etc. Incidentally I touched on 

 the spraying qaestion, and I believe some 

 good was done. There was quite an interest 

 taken in the matter, and I believe this is a 

 good field to work, and I should be glad to 

 see it covered next winter. 



Why can we not systematically (and with- 

 out much expense) arrange to have some 

 practical bee-keeper present a few of these 

 Ideas before each county and township insti- 

 tute in the States. The subject of my pa- 

 per was "The Bee as the Farmer's Friend." 

 I showed how certain crops, as clovers, etc. , 

 and fruits, depend on the co-operation of 

 the bee. I gave details in regard to pollina- 

 tion and other points that were new to most 

 of the audience, and showed why spraying 

 d urin^ blooming time is injurious. Of course, 

 these things are ancient history to the ad- 

 vanced bee-keepers, but were well received, 

 and many inquiries were made afterward, 

 especially in regard to the time and manner 

 of spraying. Why not organize some plan 

 to present some of these things next winter? 



Another point I had nearly forgotten. 



The"; question was asked, "Is it policy and 

 profitable for each farmer to keep bees to 

 fertilize his crops?" I answered, " No, it is 

 not good policy, nor is it profitable for each 

 farmer to keep bees unless he loves their 

 company. It is policy and profitable to en- 

 courage the specialist in your immediate vi- 

 cinity by buying his honey." As a conse- 

 quence of this free advertising I had 20 or 

 more neighbors ask for honey. I could 

 have sold 500 lbs. if I could have supplied it; 

 but I sold out long ago. I believe there is 

 fertile ground in this thing, good enough to 

 pay to cultivate it. 

 Redkey, Ind. Geo. W. Williams. 



[You are surely on the right track. A bee- 

 keeper who is progressive enough to give an 

 interesting talk at a farmers' institute ought 

 to make quite a name for himself in his lo- 

 cality, and it pays to have such a name. 



Almost any bee-keeper with a few years' 

 experience ought to be able to give such a 

 talk; for, as you say, the facts given might 

 be ancient history to a bee-keeper, though 

 entirely new to those present. — Eu.] 



BEES in cellar RESTLESS. 



I should like to ask a question in regard to 

 wintering bees in a cellar. My cellar is dry, 

 with a window in one side, and a pipe run- 

 ning into the chimney to take off the foul 

 air. I am keeping it at about 45 degrees. 

 The bees are very restless this winter. I 

 have a canvas screen hanging in front of 

 them to keep the light from them. Is that 

 right? If not, please advise. 



James B. Goff. 



Dominion City, Man., Feb. 16. 



[I think your trouble is in not having your 

 cellar dark enough. Your canvas screen, 

 unl-.ss black in color, would let in altogether 

 too much light to the bees. Your better 

 way is to make the cellar perfectly dark. 

 During the spring, if the bees are still un- 

 easy, carry them out for a flight, and, if not 

 too late, leave them out. If cold weather 

 continues, or is liable to continue, put them 

 back in. Bees that get uneasy will often 

 quiet down very readily if they can be given 

 an outdoor flight. —Ed.] 



large entrances propolized nearly 



SHUT IN winter. 



There has been quite a little comment 

 lately on bee-hive entrances. Please accept 

 my mite. I have for several years contract- 

 ed to li to 2J inches about Nov. 1, and all 

 supers off L. hives; but this fall I have them 

 2J to 4J, and to-day I notice one of my best 

 colonies with a 4-inch entrance | deep, and 

 facing the southeast, has propolized the en- 

 trance, leaving three peep-holes that you 

 could not put a hazelnut in. If the entrance 

 were one inch deep, two bees can just pass 

 easily in each. What antics bees do play 

 when left to their own will ! 



San Diego, Cal. E. F. Porter, 



