1088 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



A RAILWAY APIARY. 



In the ranks of bee-keepers there are 

 many who find it difficult to handle and car- 

 ry a super weighing 40 or 50 lbs. I found it 

 hard work when wearing an artificial limb. 

 As I am compelled to use crutches it is al- 

 most impossible for me to carry even empty 

 hives. As I was driving across the railroad 

 track one day, where sweet clover was 

 growing very profusely on both sides of the 

 track, it struck me that, if I had such a 

 track, and on it a push-car (such as section 

 men have for moving ties, rails, etc.), I 

 would string out my hives on both sides of 

 the track so that I could manipulate them 

 sitting on the car. I could carry, on the 

 car, hives, supers, tools, and every thing I 

 should need. When taking off honey I could 

 run the loaded car right into the honey- 

 house (built over one end of the track), en- 

 tering a wide door which should open like a 

 window hung on weights. I could have a 

 canopy top for shade. In robbing times the 

 sides might be screened, and a bee-tent be 

 let down like an awning. The track may be 

 built of 2X4's for rails, and the car can be 

 made by almost any mechanic. Track and car 

 should, however, be well made so as to run 

 easily. J. F. Eggers. 



Crichton, Ala. 



[If you will turn back to the first or sec- 

 ond volume of this journal, for 1873 or '4, 

 you will see that A. 1. Root once had what 

 he called a railway bee-yard, the rails con- 

 sisting of 2X4's spiked on cross-sticks, the 

 entire track reaching from the honey-house 

 to the roadway. The plan was all right ex- 

 cept for the expense. Then, besides, in the 

 back yard of an ordinary village property it 

 would be impracticable to make a long api- 

 ary, simply for a lack of room. In your 

 case it would be just the thing.— Ed.] 



AN EASY WAY TO PUT PAPERS IN THE SHIP- 

 PING-CASES. 



I will give my way of putting paper into 

 the shipping-cases, as others may be both- 

 ered to get them in as I was. I lay the 

 paper on a board or other flat surface, and 

 fold over one side and one end the width I 

 want it to turn up, and then place that side 

 and end into the case, first holding it against 

 the side and end of the case, and smooth the 

 paper out with the other hand, and the work 

 is done. J. Ridley. 



Monticello, Minn. 



THE ALEXANDER PLAN A SUCCESS. 



I note the reports of the Alexander meth- 

 od are rather discouraging. I am very well 

 pleased with it. I started with 25 colonies; 

 allowed one to swarm, and used this method 

 on the rest. None of them swarmed. The 

 old colonies were ready for supers sooner 

 than natural swarms would have been, and 

 the whole yard is in fine condition for buck- 

 wheat. W. L. HiNE. 



Newfield, N. Y., July 31, 1905. 



THE RANGE OF BEE-FLIGHT TO BASSWOOD; 

 DOUBLE-WALLED HIVES A GOOD IN- 

 VESTMENT. 



There are many basswoods within 3^ 

 miles of my yard. Are they within my 

 range? Is chaff packing or indoor wintering 

 necessary in a mild climate like this ? 



Arthur McMichael. 



Laurel Springs, N. J. 



[The distance of 3J miles from basswood 

 would be somewhat beyond the range of 

 ordinary bee- flight. Your better way would 

 be to move a small outyard up to the bass- 

 woods the coming season. 



The chaff packing for outdoor wintering 

 would do no harm, and might be the means 

 of saving a good many bees. We regard 

 the double- walled hives as a good investment 

 in our own climate, even in summer time, to 

 protect the brood during cool nights. We 

 certainly would not advise you to winter in 

 the cellar or indoors in your climate. — Ed.] 



A REPORT ON THE PLAN OF WINTERING A 



PLURALITY OF QUEENS IN A HIVE 



OUT OF DOORS. 



Seeing your request on page 871, for re- 

 ports on *W. M. Reiber's plan of saving 

 queens, I here state that I have been using 

 the plan for three years in plain Dovetailed 

 hives, with the only difference that I use 

 thin board partitions, filling, of course, bee- 

 tight up to the cover and down to the bot- 

 tom-board, with a block in the entrance to 

 keep queens from going around the end of 

 division-board. She will not come outside 

 to go around into the other part. I have 

 wintered those weak stocks that had queens 

 in one hive and they did as well as any in 

 the yard. E. M. Callaway, 



Gravel Ridge, Ark., Aug. 23. 



YOUNG BEES CARRIED OUT; WHAT DOES IT 

 MEAN? 



My bees are carrying out the young bees 

 while in the larval form. What is the cause? 

 Will you give a short description of pickled 

 and black brood ? also bee paralysis ? 



Milano, Texas. J. R. Smith. 



[Ordinarily we say that, when very young 

 bees or larvae are carried out, it is the work 

 of the moth-worm. But overheating or 

 chilling of the brood may cause the same re- 

 sult. -Ed.] 



DRONE BROOD FOR FISH-BAIT; HOW TO PRE- 

 SERVE IT. 



I believe the production of drone brood 

 for fish-bait may become important in con- 

 nection with the production of honey if 

 some means can be discovered for preserving 

 them for a considerable length of time so as 

 to enable them to be placed on the market. 

 Could they not be treated with some chem- 

 ical, and sold in cartons as section honey is? 



Atascosa, Tex. L. W. Avant. 



