78 



THE ^BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



asked him if it was not worth really more 

 than 1 had sent him. He admitted that it 

 would probably have cost more than that 

 if they had hired it done, but, as I had 

 paid a good rent ($15.00 for the ground 

 and the use of a building for a honey 

 house) he thought it was all right. 

 Finally, 1 induced him to take another 

 dollar, which he said was ample pay. I 

 have hired the boy several times to do 

 odd jobs, and paid him well. The family 

 gets an occasional taste of honey. If 

 there is ever a broken comb, it usually 

 finds its way into the house. What is the 

 result ? Every member of the family is 

 loyal to my cause. There isn't a favor 

 that I can ask for that isn't granted as 

 though the giving were a pleasure. An- 



other point right in this line : A modern 

 apiary was a novelty in that region. A 

 honey extractor had never been heard 

 of. The whole neighborhood flocked in to 

 "see." Sometimes when we were busy it 

 was a little trying to stop and answer 

 questions and be polite, but I knew that 

 the novelty would soon wear off, that the 

 curiosity would eventually be satisfied, 

 and that we could not afford to antag- 

 onize the people of that vicinity. Our lives 

 are more intimately interwoven with those 

 surrounding us than we imagine; and Mr. 

 Facey has brought out an important point 

 when he tells us that in establishing an 

 out-apiary it is worth while to secure 

 the respect and good will, yes, the friend- 

 ship, of immediate neighbors. — Editor.] 



Advantages and Disadvantages of 



Quilts. 



E. S MILLER. 



ra'HALL we use cloths or quilts over 

 ^ frames and sections ? Some of our 

 leading bee men say no. However, after 

 trying both ways for several years, 1 

 have come to the conclusion that, for me, 

 the advantages of a cloth cover very much 

 out weigh the disadvantages. 



In the first place, the cloth tends to 

 prevent the radiation of heat during cold 

 nights, and it helps to keep out the heat 

 of the sun"s rays in the heated portion of 

 the day, in case the hive is not shaded. 



Secondly, a cloth prevents the bees 

 from daubing the cover with propolis 

 and sticking it fast. If the cover is glued 

 on, it comes off with a snap, stirring up 

 the bees and necessitating the use of the 

 smoker. The whole top of the hive being 

 uncovered at once, the bees have every 

 opportunity to get out; and, if blacks or 

 ^-ybrids, it will usually require consider- 



able vigilance to keep them down. If a 

 cloth is used there is no jar; it can be 

 rolled back, uncovering one or more 

 frames, as desired, and requiring but 

 little smoke. Thirdly, in this locality a 

 large amount of propolis is gathered, and 

 a cloth prevents the daubing of the sec- 

 tions, except along the edges where it 

 can be easily removed with a knife. 

 Without the cloth, the whole top of the 

 sections are more or less discolored. 



The disadvantages are that it requires 

 time to handle the extra cloths, that it 

 adds about five cents to the cost of the 

 hive, that it prevents the bees from pass- 

 ing over the tops of the frames, and that 

 covers may blow off if not glued on. The 

 last named objection will not hold if the 

 right kind of covers are used. In regard 

 to the first, my experience is that it re- 

 quires wore time to keep the bees smoked 



