1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



825 



more buckwheat. For example, the Wiscon- 

 sin Agriculhirist gives its opinion that the 

 demand for buckwheat has suddenly dou- 

 bled, owing to the action of the pure-food 

 laws, and advises its readers in favorable lo- 

 calities to engage in its culture, stating that 

 there is much suitable land in that State. 

 As there is quite a large contingent of bee- 

 keepers in Wisconsin, we hope this advice 

 will fall on willing minds. Some of the oth- 

 er States would probably succeed just as 

 well, and it is reasonable to suppose that an 

 interest in buckwheat can be created where 

 at present none exists. If it should get to be 

 as popular all over the country as it now is 

 in the East, the bee-keeping interests of the 

 country would be immensely benefited, for 

 this grain not only yields honey, but calls 

 for it after it has reached the table. 



There is also a demand for buckwheat 

 among poultry-keepers, since it was found 

 the European poultry experts used a combi- 

 nation of buckwheat tiour, oatmeal, and 

 barley tiour for fattening and finishing poul- 

 try for critical city markets. Evidently 

 there is a bright future for buckwheat in 

 this counti'y at least, and probably in Cana- 

 da as well. 



IMPORTANCE OF BETTER HIVE-COVERS, AND 

 PAPER-PROTECTED SUPERS. 



Many facts go to show that the ordinary 

 single-thickness board cover, while costing 

 something less than the double cover, is ex- 

 pensive to maintain. A hot sun will pene- 

 trate through it, requiring more bees to stay 

 at home to ventilate to keep down the tem- 

 perature of the hive; and during the fall and 

 spring months it permits a great deal of val- 

 uable heat to radiate. 



Mr. D. A. Jones, of Beeton, Ont. (a bee- 

 keeper who, twenty years ago, had attained 

 a world-wide fame in beedom as the one 

 who, in connection with Mr. Frank Benton, 

 went to the Orient and came back with new 

 races of bees), called our attention one frosty 

 morning in the fall, when we were visiting 

 him, to a rather interesting phenomenon; 

 but in doing so it was evidently not his pur- 

 pose to show that a single-board cover was 

 too thin, and hence a waster of heat, but, 

 rather, to show how strong his colonies 

 were, and how he gauged their strength by 

 an examination of the top of the hive-cov- 

 ers. Said he: 



"Ernest, come with me. I want to show 

 you something." 



As we went up and down the rows that 

 early morning he drew our attention to the 

 fact that the tops of the hive-covers were 

 covered with a white frost except oval spots 

 over the centers of the clusters. 



"Now," said he, "just notice that these 

 ovals vary in size. ]n the case of a very 

 strong colony, the white frost is thawed al- 

 most clear out to the edges of the cover. In 

 the case of a medium-strength colony the 

 oval is smaller, and so on clear down to the 

 nuclei. There," he said, "on a morning 

 like this I can determine the strength of 

 every colony." 



If it then occurred to him that these |-inch 

 board covers were too thin, and were radiat- 

 ing very valuable heat, he did not mention 

 the fact, nor did we think of it at the time; 

 but during the twenty years since then we 

 have often thought of it. We have seen a 

 similar phenomenon at other yards; and the 

 conclusion has been irresistible that such 

 covers, while useful at times to indicate the 

 strength of a colony, are wasteful of stores 

 and brood. A colony not warmly protected 

 is compelled to eat more in order to keep up 

 the requisite animal heat. 



But that is not all. Many hives of bees are 

 put out in the open without shade-boards. 

 While the bees will keep the interior of the 

 hive cool they do so at an enormous waste of 

 energy, keeping back a lot of fielders that 

 ought to be gathering nectar. 



Quite a number of the bee-keepers of the 

 country are beginning to use double covers. 

 R. F. Holtermann and Dr. C. C. Miller are 

 both strong advocates of such coyers. The 

 former uses an extra piece of paper felting 

 between the two covers. Dr. Miller uses 

 only two thicknesses of % boards with a 

 dead-air space between. While this is good, 

 it does not go quite far enough. Should we 

 have a cool summer, and especially if we 

 should have cool nights, there will be a lot 

 of backward work in the supers unless the 

 bees are provided with a good thick cover. 



Those bee-keepers who are fortunate enough 

 to own a double covei% one telescoping over 

 the other, should place between the two 

 covers several folds of newspaper. Those 

 who are still more fortunate in having a 

 deep telescope cover would do well to inter- 

 pose between the two some newspapers with 

 the ends falling over the sides and ends; then 

 shove a telescope cover snugly over the 

 whole. This is not theory nor guesswork, 

 because we have seen the pi'oof of the pud- 

 ding; and if any of our readers will test it 

 themselves, select a dozen colonies of equal 

 strength; give half of them single | boards 

 for the covers, and the other half telescope 

 covers with newspaper folds under them as 

 explained. 



But there will be some who will find them- 

 selves without these telescope covers. All 

 such we would advise securing some large 

 squares of heavy manilla paper. Fold the 

 old newspapei's over the top of the regular 

 hive-cover; then, with the help of an attend- 

 ant, fold one of the squares of manilla pa- 

 pers centrally over the top. Tuck the edges 

 neatly down over the super as you would a 

 package of soap, and then tie a string around 

 it, looping it into a bow-knot. 



"Oh! but," you say, "this will be a lot of 

 work." 



Admitted. But you will find it will pay 

 you just the same, if our experience and ob- 

 servation are any criterion. 



We suspect some will say, " If we have to 

 fuss with a lot of strings and papers we will 

 go out of the business.' 



To all such we can only say, " Try it and 

 let us know the result." 



Heavy manilla paper will stand severe 



