ADVANCED BEE-CULTURE. 



37 



The color of the hives has a great 

 bearing upon the necessity for shade. 

 Black, or a dark color, absorbs heat, while 

 it is reflected or repelled by white. I 

 have seen the combs melt down in an old 

 weather-beaten hive that stood in the sun, 

 but I never saw them melt in hives paint- 

 ed white, even if standing in the sun. 



There is still another point that has 

 a bearing upon the question under dis- 

 cussion, and that is the circulation of air 

 about the hives. I have read of combs 

 melting down in hives standing in shade 

 so dense that the sun never shown upon 

 them. The trouble was that growing 

 corn on one side, and dense brush upon 

 the other, made it so close that no air 

 circulated. 



Shade is not needed in the spring, fall, 

 morning or evening. The only time that 

 it is needed, if it is needed, is in the 

 middle of our hottest days; and some 

 temporary, quickly adjustable, easily re- 

 movable shade is preferable to an at- 

 tempt to furnish a permanent shade by 

 growing evergreens, grape vines and the 

 like. In fact, a permanent shade, like 

 that furnished by an evergreen, is an in- 

 jury in spring, robbing the bees of the 

 benefit to be derived from the heat of 

 the sun. In fact, I know of nothing bet- 

 ter than a light board, 2x3 feet in size, 

 laid upon the top of the hives. One of 

 the longest edges of the board is placed 

 parallel and even with the North edge of 

 the top of the hive, the opposite edge of 



the board projecting beyond the South 

 edge of the hive. This shades the hive 

 when shade is needed, and only when it 

 is needed — in the middle of the day. In 

 a windy situation it may be necessary to 

 lay a brick or a stone upon this board to 

 keep it in place. Don't imagine that 

 hooks or something of the kiud will be 

 preferable for holding the shade boards 

 in place. A weight is the simplest, cheap- 

 est and most convenient. I make these 

 shade boards by nailing the thick ends of 

 shingles to apiece of inch board four in- 

 ches wide and two feet long. They cost 

 only five cents each, and in the fall I tack 

 them together and make packing boxes 

 for packing the bees. 



For the comfort of the apiarist, it is 

 well to have a few scattering trees in the 

 apiary, but let their branches be trimmed 

 to such a height that they will not be 

 knocking off his hat or gouging his eyes. 



Perhaps this whole matter of shade 

 might be summed up something as fol- 

 lows: If the apiary is located where the 

 cool breezes can fan the heating sides of 

 the hives, wafting away the heat ere it 

 accumulates, and a broad generous en- 

 trance is furnished each tidy, white hive, 

 I am persuaded that shade is not so very 

 essential. If the hives are dark in color, 

 or the apiary is located where there is not 

 a free circulation of air, I feel sure that 

 shade is an absolute necessity to prevent 

 the combs from melting, if for nothing 

 else. 



Contraction of the Brood Nest. 



£y^ ps^HE brood nest is contracted to 

 prevent the production of brood 

 at a time when the resulting 

 bees would come upon the stage 

 of action at a time when there would be 

 no honey to gather — when they would be 

 consumers instead of producers. It is al- 



so contracted to compel the bees to store 

 the honey in the sections instead of in 

 the brood nest. There are several reasons 

 why this is desirable. The honey from 

 clover and basswood is while, fine flavor- 

 ed, and brings a higher price than that 

 gathered later; hence it is more profitable 



