552 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JUXE 15 



hive from the stand when you clean the bot- 

 tom-board. Pull out the board, clean it off, 

 slide the hive forward an inch or two; and 

 if there is any propolis on the back-board, 

 scrape it off with a puttj'-knife (right here 

 you will probably see the disadvantage of 

 a grooved back-board). I also believe that 

 the board falling inside of the alighting- 

 board is far betier than the projecting one. 

 T have thorcughly tested both. The first 

 tilting board that I made was in 1899. It 

 jiroved defective. I improved it each j'ear, 

 and in 1901 I called the attention of two me- 

 chanics to my invention — this same board 

 that I send you, but not quite so perfect as 

 it now is. Joshua Fitzgerald. 



Waynesville, N. C. 



[Since the illustration that appeared on 

 page 1024 of last 3'ear, we have made an 

 important change in the bottom-board in 

 question. The grain of the boards now 

 runs crosswise instead of lengthwise of the 

 bottom. Boards do not shrink or swell 

 lengthwise, and consequentU' there will be 

 no trouble from that source. The matter of 

 propolis has been entirely overcome through 

 the use of g-alvanized channel irons, the 

 edges of which come in contact with the in- 

 side surface of the side rails of the bottom- 

 board. In general appearance 3'our bot- 

 tom-board is similar to the Danzenbaker, 

 but it would be more expensive to make, 

 more difficult to pack for shipment, and, an 

 made in the illustration, in some localities 

 the boards would swell to such an extent as 

 to render impossible the tilting feature of 

 the floor-board. But as I understand you, 

 the bottom-board you have used for a con- 

 siderable length of time did not admit of the 

 removal of the floor, and it is onlj' the mod- 

 ification shown in the illustration that has 

 this feature. 



The adjustable entrance is not considered 

 an important feature by Mr. Danzenbaker. 

 A floor-board which will not warp, and 

 which can be removed for the purpose of re- 

 moving the bees, and for cellar wintering, 

 are the features that are especially prized 

 bj' him. Perhaps a tilting floor-board is 

 old — at all events, quite a number of our 

 subscribers have referred to it as the de- 

 vice they have used for several years. — Ed.] 



HOW I STOP THE MIXING OF SWARMS. 



I have about 200 colonies, and usually 

 keep about that number during the swarm- 

 ing season. I have a helper, and one or 

 both of us remain with the bees from nine 

 o'clock in the morning until about four in the 

 evening. We stay in front of the bees, 

 which are in five long rows facing the east. 

 As soon as a swarm commences to emerge, 

 run with the smoker and give them a few 

 good pufl^s of smoke direct in the entrance. 

 If several are coming at once, run from one 

 to the other and back again. Every one 

 who has bees knows how to hurry. 



If quite a number of bees get out before 

 3'ou can get there with the smoke it will 

 make no difference — the smoke stops the 



swarming-note, and the\' will all return. 

 I then mark the hive, and earlj' next morn- 

 ing I take a new hive filled with empty 

 combs, set it on the stand, and shake every 

 bee into it. I then take all the brood, cut 

 off all queen-cells, slice oft' all drone-heads 

 with a sharp knife, and tier up six or eight 

 high on a populous colonj'. As fast as bees 

 are hatched I transfer the combs to supers 

 of other hives for extracting from. When I 

 transfer a colony I give them empt3' frames 

 in the super with starters. Ever\' thing 

 gives the bees the impression they have 

 swarmed, and j'ou will have no more trou- 

 ble for the season. I consider this superior 

 1o the "shook" method; and as I have 

 never had it fail, and neither have I ever 

 seen it in print. I thought I would give it to 

 the readers of Gleanings. 



Owens, : Ariz. Mrs. Ralph Bulkley. 



[But your plan is in realitj' the "shook- 

 swarm" method, only you wait for the col- 

 ony to show that it is ready to swarm by 

 actually making the attempt. I think j'ou 

 would save a great deal of annoj^ance by 

 shaking the bees before they actually be- 

 gin to swarm. — Ed.] 



NOT A HAT, BUT AN UMBRELLA SUN-SHADE 

 SUPPORTED FROM THE SHOULDERS. 



Several years ago, when I was living in 

 Mississippi, I saw sun-shades made to wear 

 in hot climates. They were fastened to the 

 shoulders, and did not touch the head at 

 all. They were about the size of a lad}'"s 

 ordinarv' parasol, but shaped somewhat 

 like a wagon sunshade. I have thought 

 they would be a fine thing for bee-keepers 

 in the West where apiaries are worked in 

 the sun. The advantages are, thej' are 

 fastened to the shoulders, leaving the head 

 and hands entirely free. You can wear a 

 hat under the sun-shade, to keep the head 

 much cooler than when the sun shines di- 

 rectly on the hat. The sun-shade shades 

 the whole bodj', but should not be made too 

 large to pass through doors easilj'. Do you 

 know where they can be had? I think you 

 can easily make one if you get the idea. I 

 want one to try this season, and I believe 

 they are just what is needed, as it is very 

 exhausting to work all day stooping over 

 hives with the sun beating down on one's 

 back. W. C. Gathright. 



Las Cruces, New Mex. 



[We don't know where such shades could 

 be obtained ; but no doubt some one of our 

 many readers could tell. — Ed.] 



A CRITICISM ON GLEANINGS' MAKE-UP. 



On your invitation, "do not hesitate to 

 speak about any thing you don't like," 

 Gleanings, p. 227, I take the liberty of a 

 few remarks. 



After being twelve jears a reader of 

 Gleanings I am still as anxious to receive 

 the next number as I was the first month of 

 mj' subscription. At the end of each year 

 the 24 numbers are carefull}' handed to my 



