296 



TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



These outside colonies are to be manipulated 

 something as the old hive is managed in the 

 Heddon system of preventing after-swarm- 

 ing. When the three hives are standing all 

 in a row close beside each other, the en- 

 trances all facing one way, the outside hives 

 are to be reversed — their entrances turned in 

 the opposite directions. This would throw 

 the working force all into the central hive. 

 The outside side hives are again brought 

 gradually around so that their entrances are 

 the same as that of the central hive, only to 

 be again reversed, throwing another force of 

 bees into the central hive. Swarming is pre- 

 vented and great crops secured. .Just how 

 all this shall be managed to make of it a 

 success Mr. Alpaug . has not yet told, but he 

 is wonderfully enthusiastic over his plan. 



MOVING BEES IN COOL WEATHER. 



I went out to Rogersville the first of Nov. 

 and brought home a load of l)ees — twenty- 

 five colonies. I had never moved bees in 

 cool weather, and it required considerable 

 confidence in the reported experience of 

 some of my fellow bee keepers to induce me 

 to leave off the usual wire cloth covering 

 over the hives. I knew that when bees are 

 moved in warm weather they need room, as 

 well as ventilation, so I compromised by 

 putting two empty supers over each hive and 

 nailing the covers on top of these. The su- 

 pers were held in place by pieces of sections 

 tacked on. one at each corner. The en- 

 trances were closed up tight. About two 

 feet of clover chaff placed on a hay rack 

 made a nice cushion for the hives to ride on. 

 Covers to packing boxes (about J?!., feet 

 long) were set up on end all around the 

 hives, a rope put around to hold all in place, 

 then empty supers, covers, honey boards, 

 feeders, empty hives, etc., etc., were piled 

 on top of the hives of bees until 

 the load resembled a load of hay in size. 

 Usually, when I have moved bees they would 

 roar ; but this time the day was cool (about 

 40") and it was necessary to listen carefully, 

 when the team stopped, to hear even a faint 

 hum from the bees. When the load arrived 

 in Flint and the covers were removed for 

 examination, it was found that not a bee 

 had crawled up into the supers — all were 

 down in the brood nest. From this 1 should 

 judge that in cool fall weather bees might 

 be moved a few miles with no more ventila- 

 tion than would come through the few cracks 

 and crevices about the hives. 



OPINIONS OF BEADEBS ON CONTINUING THE 

 SPECIAL TOPICS. 



Most sincerely thankful am I to those of 

 my reaaers who have so kindly written me 

 in regard to continuing the special topics. 

 There seems to be a feeling, and I feared 

 there might be, that the discussion of special 

 topics is to be dropped, or, at least, seldom 

 taken up. Nothing is further from my mind. 

 They will be continued whenever there seems 

 to be an undecided question of sufficient 

 importance to warrant devoting a number to 

 its discussion. All that I contemplated was 

 that of being allowed the privilege of occa- 

 sionally dropping this feature when it seem- 

 ed that only trivial topics remained undis- 

 cussed. Occasionally some new invention 

 or method compels us to entirely remodel 

 our plans in many respects, and the Review 

 will always hold itself in readiness to discuss 

 these changes. I have not yet decided 2)osi- 

 tively that the proposed change shall be 

 made; so long as there is plenty of time it is 

 best not to decide too hastily; in the mean- 

 time I will give a few extracts from letters 

 received: enough to show the drift of opinion. 

 If others wish to write after reading these 

 extracts, I shall be glad to hear from them, 

 as I have gotten some excellent hints from 

 the ideas already sent in. Remember, 

 friends, that to a certain extent the Review 

 is what you make it: 



" The discussion of special topics has been 

 the making of the Review; if compelled to 

 continue them in eve7-y issue, it will be the 

 death of it. — I long ago wondered if you had 

 looked forward to the time when you would 

 run out of topics, and I smiled when I read 

 the heading of your editorial, ' To topic or 

 not to topic, that's the question,' and my 

 opinion regarding it is, to make the Review 

 topical when the subject in hand can be best 

 treated in that way. — The best advice / can 

 offer is for you to use your own judgment; it 

 does not seem to have led you estray in the 

 past, and I don't think it will in the future. 

 — 'A series of articles from some of our 

 most practical and successful bee keepers 

 (I am glad you did not say noted) will be ex- 

 cellent, j9j'oi'i(/<'t7 they emphasize the special 

 features to which they think the success of 

 their system is due, thereby avoiding a re- 

 hash of the text books. ' Who shall write 

 such articles ? ' Can anyone judge better 

 than the editor of the magazine that is to 

 publish them ? Be they who they may, don't 



