THOUSAND ANSWERS 23 



when the season closes; so you ought to count on an extra super 

 for each colony; altogether six supers per colony, or 72 supers of 

 sections for the 12 colonies. Understand only once in a while you 

 will have a season when you will need so many, but you never 

 know but what the next season will be a bouncer, and you must be 

 prepared for it. What are not needed will be all right for the 

 next year. Even if the season proves an entire failure your su- 

 pers will be all right for the first good season that comes. 



As to hives, you will probably want to double your number, 

 preventing all afterswarms, so you will need to have in readiness 

 a hive for each colony, or 12 in all. 



Bee Veils. — Q. What is your idea of a good bee veil? 



A. Our favored veil is made after this fashion : One end of 

 the veil is sewed to the outer brim of the hat (of course, an elastic 

 may be used to slip over the hat if preferred) ; this keeps the veil 

 smooth, avoiding wrinkles in front of the face. An elastic cord 

 is run in the lower hem. A safety pin is caught through the hem 

 in the front, taking in the elastic cord. This is always left hang- 

 ing in the veil, then when hat and veil are on, all that is needed 

 is to pull the elastic down until taut — not only taut, but stretched 

 very tight — and then to fasten the safety pin to keep it so. If a 

 rigid cord were used instead of an elastic, when the body was 

 bent it would become slack and allow bees to pass under, but if 

 the elastic is drawn down tight enough no bee can get under, no 

 matter what change is made in the position of the body. Nothing 

 can be simpler as a fastening, and it is perfectly safe. 



Beginning in Beekeeping. — Q. I would like to know the best 

 possible way to commence beekeeping the coming season. 



A. Take my advice and don't wait for the coming season, but 

 begin now, getting a good book on beekeeping and studying it 

 thoroughly. That's the way to begin, and by the time you have 

 done that you will know plenty well the next step. Begin with 

 two or three colonies, so that you may learn as you go. 



Q. I am in Northern Minnesota. Does it make any difference 

 whether I get my bees from the Southern States, or would it be 

 better to get them as near home as possible? 



A. Better get them as near home as possible. Transportation 

 from any distance south would be more than the cost of the bees. 

 If you can't do any better, get black bees in box-hives, and then 

 you can transfer and Italianize. 



Bisulphide of Carbon (See Carbon Disulfide.) 



