10 



SUPPLEMENT TO GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



Mmmm^mm^l ^pi 



Ol ELECT the pleasantpst spot you have, and 

 ^S have it where you will be likely to cast 

 your eye on the hives every time you pass 

 out or in the door. There should be room 

 enough for the increase of both hives, and 

 grape-vines for shade, and for 50 hives you will 

 want a plat about 50 feet square. Place your 

 flrst hive somewhere near the center, and sup- 

 port it on 4 half bricks. If it has no bottom 

 board lay a board on these on which to place 

 the hive. Now cover the ground for a yard 

 about, with sawdust, tramped down that the 

 wind may not blow it away, for we wish to 

 have you take your first lessons down on the 

 ground beside the bees. Do not fear they will 

 object, for after they once get acquainted with 

 you, they will be just as likely to alight on 

 your nose with their heavy loads of pollen, as 

 anywhere else, if it happens to be in proximity 

 to their door-way. Sit down on the sawdust 

 beside them, and teach them to get used to be- 

 ing caressed with your fingers. In a very few 

 days, the most vindictive hybrids will pay no 

 attention to your visits, but will begin to ac- 

 cept them as a matter of course. The only 

 thing I know of that will make them cross 

 when once acquainted, is getting a taste of 

 fitoien sweets, and you must beware of leaving 

 bits of honey about, that may get them to 

 robbing, and thus demoralized, for un- 

 der such conditions they will sting without 



provocation and without reason. You should 

 during these visits, be able to tell which bees 

 are laden with honey, and which are not, ancJ 

 you must also get accustomed to the afteruoou 

 "play spell" that young bees take to try tlieir 

 wings for the first time, during pleasant- 

 weather. You should also get acquainted with 

 robbers; learn their habit of approaching the 

 entrance and then darting away warily when- 

 ever any of the sentinels approach them. A 

 robber is known by his actions, and after you 

 have once learned their ways, you can detect 

 them even in the air, on the wing. Here, too, 

 you will get acquainted with drones, and if in 

 the proper season, also the queen. If you have 

 given them a clean nice dooryard, you will set- 

 their zeal and pride in guarding and taking 

 care of it, the scrupulous care with which they 

 remove every dead bee, and even try to pull up 

 audacious weeds and grass that may presume 

 to try to grow too near thfir pathway.^ When 

 you have become thus acquainted with all 

 their motions, you are pn^pared to transfer 

 them to a proper hive. Wlien transferred, you 

 are to place the hive exacts y squai'e east and 

 west, and exactly level. When you have mad« 

 a new colony, the hive is to be placed exactly 

 feet from the first, from center to center. In 

 the diagram above, a grape vine trellis is shown 

 on the south side of every hive, as something 

 seems to be really needed for shade. 



