192 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September, 



suit. The masses, of course, are de- 

 pending upon the transhitions for then- 

 information." As a matter of fact, he 

 — Buchholz — practices American meth- 

 ods in reafinu' queens and rears fine 

 queens. 



To improve the bee-pasturage the 

 bee-keepers of a certain district haye 

 put the following plan in opera- 

 tion: Each bee-keeper pays five cents 

 for every colony owned into a com- 

 mon fund. The money is used in pur- 

 chasing phacelia-seed which is distrib- 

 uted gratis to such bee-keepers and 

 farmers who will agree to sow the seed 

 upon their lands within reach of the 

 bees. A part of the money raised has 

 been used for planting out Avillow 

 ti'ees. 



AUSTRIA. 

 It may be noticed that a great deal 

 more artistic taste is exhibited in the 

 construction of bee hives in p:ngland, 

 Germany, etc., than is customary in 

 America. In Carniola. a province of 

 Austria, it is an old time custom to 

 decorate hives very fancifully. Scenes 

 from Biblical history are ve"y com- 

 monly represented in fancy colors upon 

 the fronts of hives, also historical facts 

 as relating to the history of the coun- 

 try. The common customs of the peo- 

 ple receive attention also, and the 

 humorous side is frequently brought 

 out in a striking manner. Some of the 

 oldcf pieces are real pieces of art well 

 worth preserving. Professor Benton 

 was showing such a one at a bee-keep- 

 ers" meeting a year or two ago. The 

 Americans always have and do yet 

 push the practical side of the business 

 only. Their hives are mmle simple and 

 most convenient to handle. 



SWITZERLAND. 



The '"Societe des Apiculteurs 

 Suisses" has just pulilished its annual 

 report covering the work done du-ing 

 last year at its diflPerent stations. The 

 report is well printed, with maps, en- 

 gravings, half-tones, etc. .\mong the 

 advices and other items given, the etl- 

 itor of the Rucher Beige has translated 

 the following: 



Avoid air currents striking the en- 

 trances of the hives. The nearest bees, 

 the ones on the outside of the clusters, 

 are sometimes chilled and being un- 

 able to move to a warmer place, fall to 

 the bottom of the hive and die. Ac- 

 cording to some of the reports the loss 

 may be much greater than usually sup- 



posed. Some protection should be pro- 

 vided, (in Europe the bees are win- 

 tered out of doors.) 



2. Avoid disturbing them. A knock 

 on the hive will bring out a dozen or 

 more bees which get chilled and are 

 unable to return. Even if they do not 

 actually come out of the hive they 

 leave the cluster, and are chilled be- 

 fore regaining their place. 



o.~ The minimum consumption of 

 honey for the months of November, 

 Deeembtc and .lanuary was five and 

 one-half pounds. For Feltruary and' 

 March seven and one half pounds. For 

 the five months 13 pounds. The larger 

 quantity during the last two months 

 is due to brood rearing. One colony 

 went through with only a little less 

 than eight pounds while another con- 

 sumed nearly 22 pounds. 



4. It is best not to visit the hives 

 when the bees make their first flying 

 out. They are apt to ball the (lueeu. 



^h Early in the spring the bees con- 

 sume whatever is left of their winter 

 stores and raise a considerable amount 

 of brood. These stores are soon used 

 up, and when IJiey are, the bees de- 

 p;nid iipon what they gather to raise 

 brood. As the bad weather often in- 

 terferes with the gathering.the amount 

 of brood is necessarily curtailed in pro- 

 I)ortion (unless the apiarist feeds), and 

 when the flow comes, there is not the 

 population to gather it. that otherwise 

 would have been. 



G. Honey is better than sugar for 

 spring feeding. Probably because it 

 contains .some pollen. The provision of 

 pollen, like that of honey, may be too 

 short. 



7. Have none but strong colonies. 

 A good way to strengthen a weak col- 

 ony is to add a swarm to it. keeping 

 the queen of the swarm rather than 

 that of the colony. Very often the 

 weakness of a colony is due to the un- 

 prolificness of the queen. 



8. "Many swarms, little surplus." 

 A proof of this was seen at the Alt- 

 staetten station. Two colonies of equal 

 force had worked etpially well up to 

 the time of swarming. The colony A 

 swarmed; colon.v B didn't. Here is 

 what surplus they produced during the 

 three months: 



May June July Total 



Colony A 17 11-3 3 211-3 



Colony B 5.i 2-3 3 1-2 4 1-2 63 2-3 



The swarming of A occurred in the 

 middle of the main surplus flow which j 

 that year was of rather short dura 

 tion. 



