1919 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



369 



One of Hunger's outyards at Eskndge, Kansas. 



dearth, with consequent necessity 

 for liberal feeding to get colonies in 

 condition for the winter. 



If possible it is very desirable to 

 get contour maps of your own coun- 

 ty and those adjoining, then get in 

 touch vvith county agents to find out 

 the possibilities. There may be a 

 tract of alsike or sweet clover fifty 

 miles away to which it would pay to 

 move an apiary. The rainfall may 

 vary considerably over a radius of 

 100 miles, so that there may be a 

 drought in one sector and prodigious 

 rainfall in the other. Migratory bee- 

 keeping in days past was uncertain, 

 but not so much now over a distance 

 of 100 miles or less, with the big 

 truck mode of transportation. 



Many beekeepers in California 

 practice it, and not only move from 

 one crop to another, but are able, by 

 careful planning, to take advantage 

 of several crops in a single season. 

 The Edson apiaries in Northern Cali- 

 fornia, load 100 colonies at a time on 

 their big four-ton truck and travel 

 from one flow to another. Their api- 

 aries are placed in units of this num- 

 ber of colonies for best results. Some 

 apiarists catch the early flows in 

 California and ship by rail to Ne- 

 vada or Utah in time for the alfalfa 

 there, to return to California for the 

 fall. But the long overland haul by 

 rail takes much experience and had 

 best not be attempted unless the bee- 

 keeper is in a position to stand pos- 

 sible loss. 



Systems of Management 



With special reference to the crop 

 and its harvesting, there are three 

 general systems of management 

 practiced by the best apiarists of to- 

 day. They are the system with the 

 temporary or portable house, that 

 with the permanent house, and that 

 with the central extracting system. 

 Each has its advantages. Each fits 

 in with conditions applying to indi- 

 vidual beekeepers. 



Where apiaries are not located per- 

 manently for year after year, and 

 conditions not desirable for erecting 

 a well-built, permanent honey-house, 

 very often a small building of tem- 

 porary structure is provided for 

 housing supers, hives and utensils; 

 the extracting being done in a tem- 

 porary house made of muslin, screen 

 or some other suitable material, put 

 up at extracting time, to be taken 

 down and removed to the next apiary 

 as soon as the crop is harvested. 

 Many use tents for this, but these are 

 at best a makeshift, since they are 

 hot and difficult to make bee-proof. 



Where the apiary can be perma- 

 nently located, a well-built, perma- 

 nent house is much better, and it 

 should be made large enough to hold 

 all supers and extra equipment. A 

 house 16x20 feet is not too large. In 



this a permanent extracting outfit 

 may be located, though the usual rule 

 is to carry the extractor and equip- 

 ment from apiary to apiary as the 

 work progresses. Such houses may 

 be made sectional, so as to be easily 

 moved in case change of location is 

 desired. Many are made, either with 

 wintering cellar beneath, or with 

 cellar to be used for storage tanks, 

 so that the honey may be piped di- 

 rectly from the extractor and cap- 

 ping can or box. 



Very recently, the central extract- 

 ing plant has met with favor by 

 those who have tried it. With this 

 system, all honey is hauled home to 

 be extracted, and the building is 

 made sufficiently large for the most 

 modern equipment in every particu- 

 lar. Extractors (possibly two or 

 more of them), are run from one 

 shaft, which may also run a honey 

 pump, etc. Steam for heating honey, 

 melting wax and heating the honey 

 knife, as well as for heating water 

 and the rooms of the house, is pro- 

 vided by one boiler. Hot and cold 

 water, a carpenter shop, etc., may t>e 

 provided. 



There are many advantages to this 

 system. Centralization naturally al- 

 lows of best methods with minimum 

 outlay. Work is done at home under 

 constant supervision and all equip- 

 ment is at hand where it can be 

 readily cared for. Apiaries may be 

 changed in location with least an- 

 noyance. 



Yet there may also be disadvan- 

 tages. If foulbrood is prevalent in the 

 outapiaries, there is danger of spread- 

 ing the disease by the intermixing 

 of combs. In hot weather, combs of 

 honey may melt while being hauled 

 home, or if it be cool, they may 

 break badly. Sticky supers have to 

 be returned, with consequent rob- 

 bing. The roads may become muddy 

 and not allow taking off supers when 

 they are ready. If the supers are re- 

 moved during a honey dearth, rob- 

 bers will be bad, and by the time 



A Colorado outyard. 



