May, 1909. 



American Vee Journal 



big acreage of pasture land, the farm- 

 ers find that it pays them best to crop 

 this land and raise corn, etc., for feed 

 purposes, and feed pretty much in the 

 stall all the year around. They claim 

 that it is much more profitable, and 

 while I am not interested in that phase 

 of the question, yet the fact remains 

 that our pasturage acreage is decreas- 

 ing instead of increasing each year. 

 However, it does not make much differ- 

 ence to us, as in my immediate vicinity 

 white clover cuts but a small figure in 

 the honey crop, all of the surplus com- 

 ing from the alsike. Cut out the alsike 

 clover in Ontario, and two-thirds of 

 the bee-keepers might as well go out 

 of business, as we have no other sur- 

 plus to be depended upon with any cer- 

 tainty. 



Detecting Queenlessness from Out- 

 side Appearances. 



The question is often asked as to 

 whether it is possible to detect queen- 

 less colonies without opening the hives. 

 For my part, I know of no plan that 

 will be sure at all times. However, in 

 the spring of the year it is a pretty 

 easy matter to pick out such colonies, 

 especially if the day is cool, yet warm 

 enough to bring out bees in search of 

 water for brood-rearing. Yesterday 

 (April 20th), I was at the Cashel apiary 

 doing some work in the honey-house, 

 and although the day was cool, with a 

 damp east wind blowing, yet many bees 

 were carrying water from a trough in 

 the yard sheltered from the wind. 

 Glancing down the rows of hives, I 

 noticed that one colony was not moving 

 at all. Turning back the quilt at the 

 corner, it was seen that there were lots 

 of bees present, and I said to my broth- 

 er-in-law who was with me, that there 

 was no doubt but the colony was queen- 

 less. So sure was I about the matter 

 that we got the smoker and examined 

 the colony, although the day was so 

 cool that I would not have thought 

 of opening a hive where there was any 

 brood. An examination revealed just 

 what we expected, and a queen was 

 taken from a weak nucleus and given 

 to it at once. 



Of course, the reason that a queen- 

 Icss colony is not moving any on a 

 cool day, is because they have no brood 

 that requires water, and any colonies 

 that fly heavily on such days will al- 

 ways be found to be feeding a lot of 

 brood. 



Returning to the matter of that 

 queenless colony, I would say that the 

 queen was one purchased in 1907, and 

 last year it was one of my best. As 

 will be seen, although they went into 

 winter quarters very strong, yet the 

 queen played out some time during the 

 winter or early spring. 



Right here I want to remark that my 

 bees do not seem to be as sensible as 

 Dr. Miller's, for he says that, as a rule, 

 his queens are superseded before the 

 colony becomes weak, and in my case, 

 left to themselves, about 75 percent of 

 the colonies will disappoint me by "go- 

 ing bad" just in a critical time. One 

 of the favorite seasons for my colonies 

 10 "trot out" a failing queen, is just 

 in fruit-bloom, and of all the provoking 

 things to run against, this finding of 



failing queens just before the main 

 honey-flow is one of the worst. Why 

 it is I know not, yet the fact remains, 

 that some of my colonies with old 



queens, that have often wintered ex- 

 tremely strong, will turn up with a 

 superseding queen during the early part 

 of May. 



Qu _ 



ee- Keeping 



Conducted by EMMA M. WILSON, Marengo. 111. 



Germany's Honey-Cake Town. 



There are several places in Germany 

 which are almost chiefly famous for 

 producing some variety of cakes which 

 are "christened" after them. Leignitz 

 itself is one, and another is Waldbockel- 

 heini. It stands near Kreuznach and has 

 a population of between 600 and 700, a 

 large percentage of which are engaged in 

 making what are known as "Waldbockel- 

 heim, or honey-cakes," a very tasty form 

 of bakery ware which, in spite of the 

 smallness and out-of-the-way character 

 of the place in which it is manufactured, 

 enjoys a sale among Teutonics in all 

 parts of the globe.— Bakers' Weekly. 



Raining Flowers. 



It 13 not raining rain to me. 



It's raining daffodils, 

 In every dimpled drop I see 



Wild flowers on the hills. 



The clouds of gray engulf the day 

 And overwhelm the town; 



It in not raining rain to me. 

 It's raining roses down. 



It is not raining rain to me, 

 But fields of clover bloom. 



Where any buccaneering bee 

 Can find a bed and room. 



A health unto the happy— 



A fig for him who frets! 

 It is not raining rain to me 



It's raining violets! — Selected 



Sure Way to Prevent Absconding 

 Swarms. 



Mal<e the frame or sl<cleton of a box the 

 exact length and depth of your hive, and half 

 as wide again. Make the 4 end posts say 

 2 inches longer. Leave the length at the bot- 

 tom for legs so that when you set it on the 

 ground the bees can't possibly get crushed. 

 Now line this skeleton of a box with some- 

 thing soft. I use bags that rice is shipped 

 from China in. Rip them open and sew theni 

 together, although one rice bag will nearly do 

 it._ A good, stout sail-cloth or tent-canvas 

 will answer just as well. Make the skeleton 

 as light as possible. I used one-inch by onc- 

 inch. Now when it is lined on the inside 

 nice and soft, nail a cleat on each end to sup- 

 port the frames. Now take a good, strong 

 leather strap. I used a piece of an old tug or 

 trace. Nail this on the outside for a handle 

 at each end, allowing it long enough t5 lie 

 well over the edge of the basket, so as to 

 permit of placing the frames in the center of 

 the basket. 



Now we will suppose that you have a 

 swarm hanging on a very low tree. Take 

 from one of your strong colonies a frame of 

 brood in all stages, and with just as little 

 honey above it as possible. Place this frame 

 in the center of the basket and drive a nail 

 half through eacli end to keep it steady. Now 

 place a frame witli comb foundation in it, one 



on each side of the frame with brood, driv- 

 ing a thin wire nail half way through to 

 retain them in place. I forgot to say that I 

 run a large hook through the strap. Now 

 simply hang the basket on a good stout branch 

 just so that the end of the swarm Viill touch 

 the frame with the brood and honey, and 

 presto, change! the little pets will run de- 

 lightedly in and cluster cosily down and im- 

 mediately set to work. 



Now carry the basket to the hive and gently 

 draw the nails and place the 3 frames di- 

 rectly in the center of the hive, gently shak- 

 ing the balance over the top. Put on the bee- 

 (|uilt and top. The bees will keep right on 

 working just as if nothing had happened. 



If the bush is so thin you can't hang the 

 basket, a quick, gentle jerk will precipitate 

 them into the basket, and a clean cloth thrown 

 quickly over will prevent their rising in the 

 air before they have discovered the young 

 brood. Then a corner turned back will allow 

 the remaining bees to enter. 



Now we will suppose the tree is very high 

 and the bees hang in a tantalizing cluster 

 16 and 18 feet above your head. Get from 

 the lumber-yard a good, stout 2x2, 18 or 20 

 feet high: or, if you are not near a lumber- 

 yard, cut down a good, stout stripling of a 

 tree. Buy a small ship's pulley. Firmly nail 

 the ship's pulley to the extreme top of the 

 pole. Now run a stout rope through the pulley 

 and attach one end to the basket, having the 

 rope long enough for the other end to lie on 

 the ground. Now place as before the frame 

 of brood and honey, in the center with the 

 2 frames with brood-foundation each side, 

 nailing them securely. Place the pole with 

 the basket attached by one end of the rope 

 just as close to the swarm as the branches 

 and leaves will permit, and heave ahoy — 

 up she goes. If possible touch the end of 

 the swarm with the frames, and presto, change! 

 with a delighted zoo-zoo, the bees will all run 

 in. Of course you have a peg on the side of 

 the pole to lash the rope around and hold 

 the basket in place. 



As soon as the last bee has left the branch, 

 unfurl the rope and gently lower the basket 

 to the ground, convey it to the hive, and 

 gently place it in the center. 



I have hived 15 swarms in one day from 

 locust and apple trees, 16 and 18 feet high, 

 and never lost a swarm, and did not feel tired 

 or worn out, because my machine did the 

 work. 



I have written this in bed. I am convales- 

 cing from a very severe sickness, and my one 

 worry was flie fear that I should "pass in 

 my cheeks" before I had given this method 

 of hiving swarms humanely and kindly. The 

 longer I handle bees the more convinced I 

 am that there are less stings and more accom- 

 plished by gentleness and consideration for 

 their comfort. 



(Mrs.) Frances S. A. Shydek, 

 Sausalito, Cal. 



It is pretty safe to assume that all the 

 sisters will unite in wishing speedy re- 

 covery to Mrs. Snyder, and that for 

 many years the bees may have the bene- 

 fit of her humane and considerate spirit. 



An Expectant Sister. 



My husband, S. E. Scofichl. died Nov. 6, 

 1007, after an illness of about 5 weeks, of 

 dropsy, leaving me alone with two little girls, 

 aged respectively 12 and 9 years. He was 



