1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



679 



are more and more who see the importance 

 of powerful colonies for the production of 

 honey. They are easier to take care of, 

 because they are less inclined to swarm; 

 and when the honey-flow does come they 

 are ready. — Ed.] 



AN IDEAL BEE LOCALITY IN AUSTRALIA. 



I believe this southwest part of Western 

 Australia would break the world's record 

 for honey, and I should like to see one of 

 your progressive bee-keepers give it a 

 trial. The only trouble would be that they 

 would break the market if they got one or 

 two thousand hives in full swing. At my 

 place here the bees have had abundant 

 nectar for the last two months. I am near 

 the coast, on poor sandy soil, and there are 

 trees and scrub in blossom nearly the 

 whole year, and the winter is so mild that 

 the bees arQ kept in only by rain, and work 

 practically the whole year. I started keep- 

 ing a proper record of honey last April (12 

 months) . At that date I had 11 colonies, 

 Italian and hybrid, and increased to 21 at 

 swarming (September and October), besides 

 losing two or three good swarms, and I find 

 the bees have made over two tons of honey in 

 one year. Considering I am a "new chum " 

 at the work, and am situated within 200 

 yards of an estuary two miles wide, which 

 means only a half-circle for the bees, the 

 record is very good. I feel sure a practic- 

 al man could have secured fully another 

 ton, as I left the combs to be sealed right 

 to the bottom-bars; and although I had the 

 hives three high, they were crowded in the 

 brood-chamber, and I had a lot of bother 

 with swarming. Counting the 21 hives, it 

 makes an average of 213 lbs. per colony; 

 but is it not the custom to average the 

 spring count? If so, the yield would take 

 beating per colony. Two or three of the 

 colonies made very little, as I lost the 

 swarm, and had after-swarms, and many 

 of the troubles that beginners have. 



F. Joseph B. Clifton. 



Upton House, Australia. 



A PREPARATION FOR HIVE-COVERS IN DRY 

 CLIMATES. 



I should like to call your attention to an 

 improvement I have on a hive-cover. I 

 started with the cover known as the "Brod- 

 beck," made out of "shakes" (California), 

 with ^-inch strips between the two layers 

 of shakes. So far, so good ; but how to get 

 rid of the cracks or joints between the six- 

 inch shakes was a problem. I tried rubber- 



paper, tarred paper, building paper, none 

 giving satisfaction Next I tried canvas 

 with oil paint on top and bottom; but the 

 canvas would not stick on the wood well. 

 I now came across what is called asbestine, 

 a cold-water paint. I put a thick layer of 

 this paint on the wood, and, while it was yet 

 wet, spread over it a. thin muslin, patted it 

 down well, and on that another layer of 

 this same paint, closing all pores in the 

 muslin. Now let it dry well; drive tacks 

 around the edges, and then paint it with 

 white-lead oil paint, and the cover is done — 

 the lightest non-warpable cover yet made. 



I have had one in use two years. It is as 

 straight now as it was when I made it. I 

 have made since, 150 of this kind, and I will 

 make all my covers that way, as it is cover 

 and shade board at the same time, and just 

 suitable for our dry climate. If you wish 

 I will show you one when you come to Los 

 Angeles in August. M. R. Kuehne. 



Pomona, Cal., July 11. 



KOEBLER'S COVER FEEDER. 



We have for many j'ears used a feeder in 

 our apiaries in Wisconsin that I think has. 

 a few points of superior ity over any of the 

 feeders on the market. The feeder is a rect- 

 angular box with a division-board near one 

 end, which is a bee-space lower than the 

 end-boards. In the smaller division an 

 inch hole is in the bottom of the feeder, and 

 in the larger division the honey or sugar 

 syrup is put, on which is a floating board 

 perforated with "s-inch holes. This float- 

 ing board is small enough so that it will 

 readily sink as the fluid goes down. The 

 feeder is so set on the hive-cover that the 

 hole in the bottom of the feeder is on the 

 hole in the hive-cover. 



In the cut, which represents a longitudi- 

 nal section of a hive with a feeder on, a are 

 the end boards of the feeder; b, bottom; c, 

 cover of feeder; d, division-board; e, float- 

 ing board; ^, bee-space over division-board; 

 /, sugar syrup or honey; //, hive-cover; /, 

 hole in hive-cover;/, top-bar of frame; k, 



end-boards of hive; /, gable ends of weather 

 cover; ;;/, l'2-iuch ventilator holes; n, gal- 

 vanized-iron roof; o, strips of wood on gable 

 ends to lay on cover. 



Now for its advantages. First, you can 

 use it when it is too cold to use another; the 

 bees will work in this feeder when they will 

 not go in the entrance feeder; and if you 

 use a feeder where you will have to use a 

 super, as the Dr. Miller feeder, you are 



