1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



521 



GENERAL RULE FOR SCORING. 



In all departments, and under each several head, the best 

 or leading specimen or exhibit should be taken as a b^sis and 

 scored the highest allowed such specimen or exhibit, and all 

 others be marked in proportion. 



Remarks: Specimens of equal grade should be scored 

 equallj. It is not likely that any two exhibits will rank 

 equally on all points, or in the aggregate. 



Caj^adiarj Bcedorr;^ 



Brittle Sections. 



Mr. Hutchinson, in the July Review, says that sections, 

 from being kept in a dry place, become so brittle that many of 

 them break in folding. He adds that the best remedy is to 

 put them in a damp cellar a few days before folding them, or 

 if there is not time for this, the usual practice is to wet the 

 grooves. The brittleness of many sections is a great annoy- 

 ance, and a serious objection to the one-piece section, but I do 

 not think this fault is always the result of their being kept in 

 a dry place. There is a great difference in timber, some being 

 much tougher than others. I do not mean that some kinds of 

 timber are tougher than some other kinds, but that there is a 

 difference in the quality of toughness between specimens of 

 the same kind of wood. If I can get a tough, well-finished, 

 one-piece section, I prefer it, but it is a vexation of spirit to 

 get hold of a lot of sections made of brash, brittle timber, 

 which, even when abundantly soaked, is constantly breaking 

 during the folding process. 



Some Canadian bee-keepers have claimed that our bass- 

 wood is better than that across the lines. Loth as I am to do 

 so, I must own that I have not found it as good, for sections, 

 either in the quality of toughness or in smoothness of polish, 

 or, I am forced to add, in whiteness of color. I would like to 

 know whether, as in the case of white ash, the second-growth 

 basswood is tougher than the first? Does anybody know ? 

 Also, are white poplar sections tougher and less liable to 

 break than basswood ? Or is poplar always made in four- 

 piece sections ? I must frankly confess to great ignorance in 

 regard to white poplar sections, and I am inclined to think 

 they are not much used in Canada, without it be in the Prov- 

 ince of Quebec, in which, from being so near Vermont, it is 

 very likely the noted Bristol sections may be used to some 

 extent. 



Spring Pacliing of Be«$. 



In the spring of 1S94, Mr. R. L. Taylor, Michigan's Ex- 

 perimenter, made an extensive experiment in the packing of 

 bees during the spring months with a view of determining 

 whether any benefit was to be derived from such protection, 

 or, to put it in another way, whether the warmth retained by 

 the picking more than compensated for the sun-heat shut out 

 by it. The result scored one against spring packing. To 

 make assurance doubly sure, the experiment was repeated 

 with greater exactitude last spring. Slight advantage was 

 shown In some directions, but, on the whole, Mr. Taylor con- 

 siders that spring sunshine does more good than spring pack- 

 ing. Of course these experiments were made with bees that 

 had been wintered in the cellar. 



Here in Cauada I do not know of any bee-keeper who has 

 made similar experiments. Those who winter in the cellar 

 put their bees out-doors in the early days of April. Spring 

 dwindling used to be occasionally complained of, but I think 

 it was usually in regard to weak colonies. Strong colonies 

 did not seem to be liable to this trouble. So the practical les- 

 son was to keep all colonies strong. 



Bee-keepers in this country who pack their bees for win- 



tering out-of-doors are in the habit of delaying the removal of 

 the packing material until settled warm weather. Possibly it 

 may be the case that by delaying so long they lose somewhat 

 of the advantage conferred by sun-heat. We need some ex- 

 periments in that direction. I know at least one Canadian 

 bee-keeper who keeps on his packing-cases all the year round, 

 removing the packing material in early spring. He thinks 

 the sun-heat during the day stores up considerable warmth in 

 the space between the outer case and the inner hive ; also that 

 it lessens the influence of cold winds, while in the heat of sum- 

 mer the outer case keeps the whole hive in the shade. Venti- 

 lation in the hot days and nights of summer is provided by 

 raising the cover of the outer case, or by large air-holes, that 

 are closed in winter. 



The shading of the entire hive by the outer case being 

 kept on all summer is a point worth considering. When only 

 shade-boards are used, the sun is apt to beat on certain por- 

 tions of the hive at times, and the shade-board is liable to be 

 displaced, unless it is sufficiently weighted down by stones or 

 other heavy objects to prevent the wind disturbing it. 



This whole subject of protection at all seasons of the year 

 in the case of colonies in hives that are kept on the same 

 stands both summer and winter, would seem to furnish scope 

 for considerable investigation, experiment and discussion. 



One Good Yield in Ontario. 



I see very poor reports of the honey crop. Canadian Bee 

 dom gives a very poor report, indeed — no fruit-bloom, no clo- 

 ver, no basswood, and poor show for a fall flow. Now, I live 

 in Ontario, near Cobourg, which is somewhere in Canadian 

 beedom, I suppose, and I can come forth holding up my hand 

 with 700 sections of white honey, and most of it from white 

 clover. This, with about 50 pounds of extracted, from eight 

 colonies, spring count, is a very good yield. Then I expect a 

 good fall flow yet, from buckwheat and fall flowers. Bass- 

 wood promised a good crop, but the weather was so dry that 

 it gave scarcely anything. 



A neighbor not more than four miles from my apiary, has 

 been experiencing some of the " summer losses," mentioned on 

 page 450, and also " winter losses." Last fall he put 43 col- 

 onies into winter quarters, bringing out only 10 ; some of 

 those swarmed, and since then they have all died — swarms 

 and all. I guess he thinks this pretty hard luck. Last sum- 

 mer he thought he knew it all, was making quite a science of 

 it, but now he thinks bees are very strange insects — just when 

 you think you have them, you haven't them. 



Harwood, Ont., July 30. Geo. McCulloch. 



CONDUCTED BY 



OK. C. C A£II-Z,EH, ATARJSJVGO, 1L,1^. 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Ur. Miller direct.l 



A Question on. Transferring'. 



Just four weeks ago to-day I purchased two colonies of 

 bees at $2.25 each. I took 25 pounds of honey from one of 

 them, and a 7-pound box from the other. I brought one home, 

 took off the 7-pound box, and put another one on. I left It on 

 two weeks, and as they did not seem to be doing anything in 

 it, I transferred them into a hive, of the standard Langstroth 

 frame. I took brood-comb to the amount of three frames, 

 and tilled out with frames with starters. Now as these brood- 

 combs are very unsightly, uneven, etc., they arc building 

 them fast to each other, and as I want to increase by dividing 

 next summer, I thought I would ask for some advice. Can I 

 take 10 drawn-out combs, put them into a hive, remove the 

 old hive, place the one filled with empty comb in its place, and 



