568 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15 



Hives are standing north and south, with two 

 entrances of about four inches, each one in 

 the south end at the southeast corner, and 

 the others in the north end at the northwest 

 corner. I think that fully nine colonies out 

 of every ten use the north entrance. It is 

 evident that the bees prefer the north en- 

 trance, but why? I can think of only two 

 things that would create a preference — sun 

 and wind. Wind blows from two directions, 

 south principally, north occasionally in 

 spring and fall. The south wind is a mild 

 coast breeze. The north wind, if from the 

 desert, is dry and sometimes very hard. 

 Ferris, Cal., Feb. 10. J. W. George. 



[This is a question in which locality has 

 every thing to do. While in most localities 

 an east or south exposure would be preferred, 

 yet in your locality if the strongest winds 

 were from the south then the bees if given 

 the choice would select the north entrance. 

 —Ed.] 



lower freight rates. 



"The South Texas Bee-keepers' Association 

 met lately for business at the residence of 

 Pres. E. J. Atchley, and by united effort on 

 the part of the officers a reduction on freight 

 rates from $1.85 per 100 lbs. on live bees in 

 carload lots, down to 79 cts. per 100 lbs. to 

 all points in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, 

 and other western points of the Ft. Worth & 

 Denver R. R., and 81 cts. to Denver and in- 

 termediate points in Colorado, was secured. 

 This makes a bright future for the bee in- 

 dustry of Southern Texas; and to get the old 

 rate cut more than half gives cause of rejoic- 

 ing. We have put in an application to the 

 railroad company to the effect that we want 

 a ruling to go along with the reduced freight, 

 not to allow any one to load bees for ship- 

 ment until such person first screens the car 

 with wire cloth in such a manner as will not 

 allow bees to escape from cars while in trans- 

 it. We feel sure we shall get such ruling. 

 The South Texas Ass'n was instrumental in 

 getting a one-third reduction on bees shipped 

 by express from Beeville to all points on 

 Wells-Fargo lines, which reduction was later 

 extended from other points. There are sev- 

 eral cars of bees to go from Beeville this 

 spring. This association also secured a low- 

 er local freight rate on honey several years 

 ago." 



The above notice was sent me by Pres. 

 Atchley. N. E. France. 



Platteville, Wis. 



AI'PLE CROP DOUBLED BY THE BEES; MOV- 

 ING AN APIARY TO A SHELTERED LOCA- 

 TION IN WINTER. 



I obtained two colonies of bees to aid in 

 fertilizing the blossoms in my orchard; and 

 after reading the A B C of Bee Culture I got 

 a regular chronic case of bee-fever. I ex- 

 pect to start right this coming spring. When 

 1 brought the two box hives home last April 

 I put them under a Rome Beauty apple-tree 

 which was about to bloom. The usual crop 

 from this tree was from six to eight bushels 



of apples; but last year it bore fourteen 

 bushels — enough difference to pay for the 

 bees. Now, with some 700 fruit-trees it's no 

 wonder that I have the bee-fever. 



I want to find out about a good location 

 (you see I got hold of one of the seemingly 

 most important expressions of "bee-lore," 

 thanks to Gleanings). The best place I 

 have for locating my apiary for the summer 

 months is about fifty yards up to perhaps a 

 hundred from the best place to put them in 

 winter. The summer location is a northern 

 exposure with tine shade- trees — in fact, an 

 ideal spot for the purpose. But the winter 

 blasts are too strong here for bees, and the 

 location best for winter would be too hot in 

 the summer. Now, could there be any ob- 

 jection to moving bees that short distance, 

 say late in November? Sometimes bees are 

 dormant here for a little while, a week or 

 two, and again they will fly day after day 

 for weeks in winter. 



Pilot Knob, Mo. Otto Lueddecke. 



[No objection at all, but why not put a 

 fence around them to pi'otect them from the 

 wind? — Ed.] 



uncapping-knives; the construction of 

 the blade. 

 About a year ago Gleanings had some- 

 thing to say about getting out a better hon- 

 ey-knife. From my experience with honey- 

 knives the past summer I don't wonder at 

 you trying to get something better. I thought 

 I would look at my ABC and see what you 

 said about honey-knives, and I felt some- 

 what indignant when the Bingham-Hether- 



c/o/VfS 



BiNOHAM. ~~" 



ington knife is recomended as being the best 

 for uncapping. If some of you United States 

 people had sent over to Canada and got 

 some of our knives, and used them in com- 

 parison with your make, you would not be a 

 generation behind the times as regards hon- 

 ey-knives. What I refer to more particularly 

 is the shape of the blade. 



By the construction of the Bingham you 

 have practically to scrape the cappings off 

 the thick part of the knife in wading into 

 the comb or you run into the same trouble 

 your men who run circular saws would should 

 they happen to have the back of the teeth of 

 their saws project further than the points. 



In regard to that thumb-rest, I think it 

 should be on top of the handle so as not to 

 tire the fingers; but if you have a T^rt^ handle 

 put on right, of the right proportions, there 

 will be little to be desired. 



Chatham, Ont., Can. W.A.Chrysler. 



[Many men of many minds. What suits 

 one does not another. All people can not be 

 persuaded to wear the same style of shoe; 



