1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1449 



SWEET CLOVER WINTER-KILLING, ETC. 



In palliation of my remarks concerning 

 sweet clover, page 1098, I wish to state that 

 perhaps only one-fifth of the area that I have 

 in sweet clover was killed by the frost. 

 While there are but very few tields of red 

 clover here in Grant Co. but were entirely 

 destroyed by the severe winter of 1906, I 

 think it safe to say that sweet clover can 

 stand more heaving of frost than either red, 

 alfalfa, or alsike clover. Yes, my sweet clo- 

 ver grew this summer from 3 feet high to — 

 well, the tallest plant was 8 feet high, and 

 that on pure clay ground. There were large 

 flies, wasps, hornets, and numerous other 

 insects on the fragrant bloom, and among 

 them the bees with their merry labor-song. 



Jonesboro, Ind. C. A. Neal. 



were in a fairly prosperous condition at the 

 time, and getting honey every day. The 

 queens were separated at once, for I did not 

 want to risk the life of either. 

 Parma, Idaho. H. E. Crowther. 



A double hive-stand and carrier. 



I am using double hive-stands constructed 

 as shown in the cut. For three hives I make 

 the side rails longer and heavier. The form 

 of construction gives a wide base, but makes 

 the top about right for the length of hive. 



In handling frames they can be set down 

 on the stand between hives. If the upper 

 edge of the side rail is sharpened, killing 

 bees is reduced to a minimum. Solid side 

 rails can be used, cut for handle at end, and 

 the end pieces nailed as above for bracing. 



THE ALEXANDER PLAN FOR WEAK COLO- 

 NIES A SUCCESS. 



I have tried the Alexander plan of build- 

 ing up weak colonies, without the loss of 

 any. Instead of the wire screen used by 

 some I used mosquito-bar with good success. 

 With two colonies I did it "plain," without 

 the extra screen, with equal success. In one 

 case after the weak colony had been placed 

 on the strong one five days I put weak colo- 

 ny No. 2 on the first, and all is going lovely. 

 The bees from each of the three queens are 

 using the same entrance. I believe the num- 

 ber of colonies that may be tiered in this 

 way needs to be limited only by the amount 

 of recruiting bees. E. S. Roe. 



Clarissa, Minn. 



The first I made have both side rails 42 in. 

 long, with the outside end-piece 2x| nailed 

 even with the top of the leg. I used oak, 

 but I think poplar or pine would do as well, 

 and would be lighter. 

 Belpre, O. C. C. Miller, 



[The carrier as here shown is too heavy 

 and clumsy. It should be made much light- 

 er. — Ed] 



queens did not fight when ACCIDENTAL- 

 LY PUT TOGETHER. 



While examining some Carniolan bees I 

 made the mistake of returning one frame 

 with the queen to the wrong hive; and not 

 until the next day when going to the hive for 

 larvae did I discover the error. The two 

 queens seemed to be at peace with each other, 

 and the bees with both. I could not see why 

 one queen was not killed at once, but neither 

 was balled. I don't think this plan of plu- 

 rality introduction would work again, but I 

 will try it on some other queens. The bees 



A WBLL-VENTILATED BEE-CELLAR; FOUR 



SUB-EARTH VENTILATORS AND ONE 



IN A CHIMNEY. 



I have made a honey-house and bee-cellar 

 combined that is 24 ft. long by 12 wide. The 

 part above the cellar is for my working-room 

 and honey - house. The cellar, 

 which is under all, is for the bees 

 in winter. A cellar-way is at one 

 end, while a chimney built at the 

 middle of the other end starts at 

 the bottom of the cellar, T\ith an 

 opening near the floor for ventila- 

 tion. There are two holes on each 

 side of the cellar, communicating 

 with tile lines that run out from 12 

 to 15 ft. These are about 18 feet 

 apart. There is also a tile drain. 

 The cellar wall, which is 12 inches 

 thick, extends 5 feet into the 

 ground, the dirt at the surface be- 

 ing banked up on each side about two feet 

 or more. The wall is made of stone and ce- 

 ment. 



Around the inside of the cellar is a shelf 2 

 feet wide and 18 inches high, this and the cel- 

 lar floor being covered with cement. 



I put 56 colonies of bees in the cellar in 

 the fall of 1905, and in the spring took out 

 54 colonies in good condition. The two that 

 died did not have enough stores. Last fall I 

 put 105 colonies of bees in the cellar, and this 

 spring took out 105 colonies. My hives were 

 so full of bees that I could not double them 

 up very much. There was plenty of honey 

 left, and brood was hatching in many of 

 them. Geo. J. Friess. 



Hudson, Mich. 



FEEDING bees THAT ARE CONFINED IN A 

 CAGE. 



When bees are confined in a cage or box 

 the under side of which is of wire cloth, they 

 can be fed (as some have already suggested) 

 with honey as long as their tongues can reach 



