ir>GO 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15 



Arthur Laing, St. Thomas, as pointers ot 

 the " Production of Exhibition Honey," men- 

 tioned clean fresh combs, a well-crowded 

 hive, and well-ripened honey. 



Prof. H. A. Surface gave an interesting 

 and much-appreciated address along the lines 

 given at the late IN ational. Resolutions were 

 passed, asking for a more stringent enforce- 

 ment of the pure-food law, and that such 

 terms as "Pure Maple Syrup Mixture," 

 "Pure Honey Mixture," etc., be prohibited, 

 as it was intended to veil adulteration. A 

 resolution was also passed, asking that dem- 

 onstrations in bee-keeping and honey pro- 

 duction, also showing forth the natural his- 

 tory of the bee at leading exhibitions, be en- 

 couraged and asked for. Also that the vari- 

 ous governments in their capacities be asked 

 to give the same help and encouragement 

 to bee-keeping that other branches of agri- 

 culture were receiving. 



There has been an increase of 115 in the 

 membership during the past year. Some 

 other features of the Ontario convention will 

 be given later. 



Brantford, Canada. 



5LL Iv^E^PING 



IN THE SOUTHWEST 



oby LOUIS SChOLL 



SELECIING A LOCATlOxV FOR AN APIARY. 



There are several points to consider when 

 locating out- apiaries; but 1 have had no trou- 

 ble in locating mv present number of four- 

 teen, besides getting locations for ten more 

 apiaries which will be put in next spiing. 



The prerequisite with me is sufficient hon- 

 ey-yielding flora to warrant locating an api- 

 ary in a locality, as it is my sole purpose to 

 produce as much honey as possible. The 

 best location without the honey-producing 

 flora would not profit me any thing. 



Permanent water is the next important 

 item. The bees need a goodly supply of it at 

 all times, and during heavy brood-rearmg 

 the lack of it would most certainly show in 

 the crop of honey secured. Besides, if water 

 is not supplied for the bees, endless trouble 

 often results from their going to neighboring 

 watering-places, which can not be tolerated. 

 Shade is of great importance here in the 

 South, especially— not only for the bees but 

 for the bee-keeper as well; hence I prefer 

 natural shade; and a grove of mesquite trees 

 which give a partial shade in the summer 

 and drop their leaves in the fall is my pref- 

 erence, as these are most abundant here. 

 There are many other trees suitable, how- 

 ever. 1 also prefer a slight slope of ground 

 toward the southeast, facing the hives in this 

 same direction, so that the noon sun strikes 

 the hives diagonallv from the upper corner 

 ot the front of the hi^" The facing of the 



hive, however, has nothing to do with the 

 honey stored, nor does it make a difference 

 with the colonies. 



Outyards are generally located in some 

 owner's pasture, just far enough from his 

 home so that the bees may be seen occasion- 

 ally, but not near enough so that stinging 

 bees may cause trouble. It is preferred to 

 have a wire fence around the yard to prevent 

 trouble from stock. Such locations cost me 

 from five to ten dollars, according to the sea- 

 son Five dollars in money is paid annually 

 to the owner for the privilege of leaving the 

 bees on the location, and a quantity of honey 

 for his family is given him at each robbing 

 time, more or less if a good or bad year. 



THE USE OF FOUNDATION. 



I have just received the following, which 

 will explain itself: 



The saving to bees in time through the use of foun- 

 da'ion is of lirst importance to the practical bee-man 

 who keeps bees for the money there is in the business, 

 and who looks to the b st intere-t of his trade. The 

 " lucky-go-easy man " who thinks it expensive to use 

 foundation is usually the man who comes up at the 

 end of the season with a lean tail of honey, and whose 

 customers are often found wanting I have used it 

 ever since I have had bees; and find it to my interest, 

 many times ovt r, to use it. Ii is often claimed that it 

 is a slow tedious job to put it into the frames. This is 

 the case, without a doubt, unless a person is fixed for 

 it and acquires some skill in putting it in. I mu-t say 

 that I am no adept at th s art, but Mrs Rotanson is, 

 and can put in foundation in a whirl. I do not wish 

 the bee-folks to think I am lazy, and that my better 

 half is making the living, when I say that Mrs. R. ■ uts 

 all my foundation into the frames. »^ e use a Van- 

 Deusen wax-tube in the work; so, to redeem myself, I 

 must make known the fact that I bring supers of emp- 

 ty frames, take away the full ones, imbed the wire, 

 keep the wax warmed to the right h at. keep founda- 

 tion handy, etc. You may think this is an easy job 

 for me to do while Mrs. R. puts in thp foundation. It 

 isn't so ea'^y when she puts in 120 Hoffman frames per 

 hour, or two per minute She can do tijis all day long, 

 and put in some 1200 sheets of full-size brood fi unda- 

 tion. To make the matter of more importance, she 

 much enjoys the work. 



The man who has a hundred or so of colonies of bees 

 can at the present day get his foundation reasonably 

 cheap if he will send his wax to a foundation-manu- 

 facturer atd have it made into foundation. The beau- 

 ty of having good nice straight combs to manipulate, 

 and a scarcity of drone combs, is an item of the grav- 

 est importance to me. T. P. Robinson. 



Bartlett, Texas, Oct. 28. 



The above is quite a good record for a wo- 

 man. Instead of the wax-tube we use a spoon 

 which has had its sides pressed together to 

 form a deep narrow bowl with a long-point- 

 ed lip from which to let the wax flow into 

 the frames. Faster work can be done with 

 it, and there is no trouble about the wax 

 hardening in it and clogging of tubes. 



For holding the frames a wide board three 

 feet long is set slanting upright against some 

 object. On this board are cleats slanting 

 across it upon which the frames are set. 

 There are three such about an inch further 

 apart than the depth of the frame used. Just 

 above each cleat is nailed a wide board just 

 the size of the inside of the frame and halt' 

 the thickness of the top- bar. This is a gauge 

 to guide the foundation to the middle of the 

 top- bar. 



There being three sets of cleats one frame 

 is set on to the upper one, a sheet of founda- 

 laid against the gauge, and slipped down on 



