1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



991 



ing- fracas; for when the cutter-knives of the 

 mower went through the field they stirred 

 up the bees, with the result that they at- 

 tacked the horses, and the man on the mow- 

 er. So greedily did the bees work on that field 

 that it looked as though they were not going 

 to let anybody cut off their honey-supply. I 

 have heard since from other farmers in the 

 vicinity that they had considerable trouble 

 in cutting their red clover, because the 

 heads were so covered with bees. 



Now, why did the bees work on this red 

 clover at our north yard when they did not 

 pay any particular attention to the fields 

 near by at Medina? Doolittle has given the 

 key to the solution. Just two miles north 

 of us there was almost a drouth during the 

 latter part of the season, while at Medina 

 we had plenty of rain, and also at our south 

 yard. Just the other day I went over into 

 a big field of rank clover at our south yard. 

 I could scarcely find a bee on it, when quite 

 the reverse had been true the whole season 

 on the fields at the north yard, where there 

 had been a drouth. The clover at the home 

 and south yard by reason of the plentiful 

 rains had attained a rank growth. The 

 corolla tubes were so long that the bees 

 couldn't get any nectar from them; conse- 

 quently no bees on the heads. 



STOCK AND SWEET CLOVER. 



After all that I have said about stock eat- 

 ing sweet clover, I must confess that there 

 are times when they do not relish it, even if 

 they have been accustomed to it earlier and 

 liked it. It appears to become bitter at a 

 certain stage in its growth, and they do not 

 like it green, though it is all right made in- 

 to hay. 



SWEET CLOVER. 



At the risk of being tiresome I want to 

 say to you again that the only thing worth 

 considering to plant for honey is sweet clo- 

 ver; and that for Colorado, or any locality 

 where a yield two weeks earlier than that 

 from white sweet clover would be of any 

 importance, the yellow variety seems likely 

 to be very valuable in connection with the 

 white. See to it that you get some of it 

 sown this fall. 



THE HONEY CROP. 



At this date, July 16, we are having a very 

 good yield of honey from sweet clover. Al- 

 falfa is just coming into bloom again, and 

 the prospects for a honey crop are very good. 



with two exceptions. These are, the great 

 number of weak colonies and the grasshop- 

 pers. Though the latter have as yet done 

 little damage to the honey-plants, they are 

 here in great numbers and we may hear 

 from them yet. 



CONTROL OF BEE- RANGE. 



Australia takes the lead in a movement 

 that is very important for bee- men by in- 

 augurating the policy of leasing the exclu- 

 sive right to a bee- range. While this is ap- 

 parently only on crown (or government) 

 land, it appears that this land is already 

 leased for agricultural or other purposes, so 

 there is a recognition of the principle that a 

 man may have an exclusive legal right to 

 the nectar on land that he does not occupy, 

 and that the right does not come from the 

 person occupying the land. This, in my 

 opinion, is exceedingly important as a prece- 

 dent. While the provisions of the act may 

 not be in all respects satisfactory to the bee- 

 keepers, it may prove to be the thin end of 

 the wedge that will expand men's ideas on 

 the subject until the government takes pos- 

 session of all bee territory as something 

 separate from the land, and leases or sells it 

 by itself. Speed the day! 



WEEDS AROUND THE ENTRANCE. 



I would a^ree with Dr. Miller in saying 

 that Doolittle put it a little too strong in say- 

 ing that a growth of grass and weeds in 

 front of the entrance might reduce the 

 amount of honey stored to only two thirds 

 of what it might be with a free entrance I 

 think it would have to be pretty badly tan- 

 gled indeed to reduce the yield very materi- 

 ally, merely as an obstruction to the flight 

 of the bees; nor do I think that there would 

 be a very serious wearing of wings unless 

 the obstruction were very pronounced in- 

 deed. I keep the grass and weeds away 

 from the entrances, partly because it looks 

 better and partly because it makes my work 

 with the bees easier. When I shake bees in 

 front of the hive I want nothing to prevent 

 their running right back into it. Otherwise 

 knots of bees, especially the young ones, will 

 gather on the weeds and sometimes do not 

 readily find their way back. There is a much 

 greater chance of losing queens at swarming 

 time or when the bees are shaken from the 

 brood-combs for any purpose. But as far 

 as the bees are concerned, a moderate growth 

 of weeds is very little obstruction, and may 

 be of considerable benefit as a help in mark- 

 ing the entrance, as when a young queen 

 is mated. A more serious objection to 

 grass and weeds around a hive is that 

 they shut off the circulation of air, and make 

 the hive much hotter than where the air is 

 not thus confined. 



FOUL BROOD OR BLACK BROOD, 



I have frequently felt puzzled at the 

 claims made by the English writers on the 

 subject of foul brood. So little did they 



